Every Saturday I will be posting a Weekend Primer. Now that the regular season has started, it will be a breakdown of the top games of the weekend. It’s all based solely on my opinions and knowledge (or lack thereof.) I don’t have any insider information, and I’m not an expert. But hopefully you guys find it fun to read, and hopefully it elicits some debate and conversation. If anyone has a game they really want to be included in a future Weekend Primer, feel free to PM me and let me know. So there’s the legal mumbo jumbo, now let’s get to what I feel are the most interesting games this week. Huge thanks to 86ward for the sweet logo The NFL regular season is finally upon us. I don’t know about you guys, but this offseason seemed particularly long and tough to get through. But now none of that matters. It’s time to look forward to some real football. Unfortunately there’s no new storylines to follow yet since only one game has been played. So it’s basically all just the same preseason BS. Falcons vs. Saints [ame=http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-previews/0ap2000000238736/Preview-Atlanta-Falcons-vs-New-Orleans-Saints]Preview: Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints - NFL Videos[/ame] This is the most interesting division matchup for me this week. I’m really high on the Saints. I think the return of Sean Payton will really energize this team. A lot like the whole Chuckstrong did for the Colts last year. And unlike almost everyone else, I don’t have the Falcons making the playoffs. Even I’m surprised by that, but that’s how my Predictions turned out. The Falcons are +3 underdogs, which is surprising to me. I’m sure a lot of people are jumping all over that, and I can’t blame them. But I think the Saints make a statement in this game. Especially with that crowd behind them. Saints – 35 Falcons - 31 Bengals vs. Bears [ame=http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-game-previews/0ap2000000238733/Preview-Cincinnati-Bengals-vs-Chicago-Bears]Preview: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears - NFL Videos[/ame] I’m buying into the hype for both of these teams. The Bears are the team I picked to win the Wild Card over the Falcons, so obviously I think they’ll be good. An offensive minded head coach should do wonders for Jay Cutler, who may or may not be playing for his job. The defense can go either way. Either they can’t overcome the loss of Urlacher and finally start showing their age, or they continue to defy Father Time and cause a crazy amount of turnovers. The Bengals seem to be getting better every year, and defenses should fear the Dalton/Green combo. Cincinnati is a 3 point underdog, and I’ll take that all day. The Bears will need a few weeks to really get rolling in their new system. Bengals – 24 Bears – 17 Packers vs. 49ers [ame=http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-network-playbook/0ap2000000239511/Playbook-Packers-vs-49ers]'Playbook': Green Bay Packers vs. San Francisco 49ers - NFL Videos[/ame] This could be an NFC championship game preview. The Niners are widely considered the best team in the NFL(besides maybe the Broncos). The Packers seem to be flying under the radar, which is kinda why I like them so much. This is a classic elite offense vs. elite defense matchup. The Packers are sporting the best QB in the game, while the 49ers have one of the best defenses. Something has to give. San Francisco is a 5 point favorite at home, which is a tough one to bet on. It’s still hard to say if they will come out firing like they were last year, or if Kaepernick will stumble out of the gate. I’m leaning towards San Fran in this one, but it’s a really tough game to call. San Francisco – 31 Green Bay - 30 I'm just excited for next week when we will have some real games to break down, and we don't have to keep reading/writing about the same stuff every week. So check back next week, and remember to let me know if there's a particular game you'd like to see me write about.
Saints are going to suck. Their defense, while terrible last year, should only get worse...and the offense, which should be decent enough, isn't anywhere close to good enough to carry that mess.
Could be right. I'm banking on the defense just being average. If they can be average, that'll be good enough.
They were far below average last year (31st scoring D, dead last YPG), and they are moving to a new scheme, with players not suited to it, and have already been decimated by injuries to boot. I'd be absolutely shocked if they managed to be even average.
Good work [MENTION=3600]Steve12[/MENTION]. I agree with all your picks,but I think the 49ers will win by a greater margin.
