What would the NFL season be without me making picks for small.to?

Washington @ NY Giants: pick NYG -3.5/under 41

Surprisingly defensive end is the position everyone is talking about because both teams will be weakened at that spot. The Redskins might be without key acquisition Jason Taylor. He may have done too much dancing after the season and is now injured. The defending champions watched Michael Strahan head for the studio after collecting his ring and couldn’t lure him back when his star on the other side Osi Umenyiora was lost for the season. Now Mathias Kiwanuka moves from linebacker into his spot and Justin Tuck changes from relief to starting duty. New York is impacted a lot more because the front seven that was last seen terrorizing Tom Brady in the Super Bowl will be vastly different. However, Jason Campbell and the Washington offense don’t pose the same threat.

Anything will be an improvement over how the Giants started last season, 0-2 allowing 80 points, and I expect this to be a typical NFC East slugfest. Both teams will run by design and out of need. The Giants lost one of their key pass receivers in tight end Jeremy Shockey and are hoping playoff standout wide receiver Steve Smith can keep the attention away from Plaxico Burress. Washington wants to open it up under new head coach Jim Zorn after tight end Chris Cooley led the team in receptions (66) while Santa Moss was the only receiver over 800 yards and just barely at 808. I’m not sure they have the personnel.

This game will be played close to the vest and although it is a rivalry game I don’t anticipate a thriller for the season opener in primetime. Mistakes will dictate the pace. The deeper stable of running backs and more experienced, better quarterback will provide the difference: NY Giants 23, Washington 13

Cincinnati @ Baltimore: pick CIN +1/under 42

Not long ago both of these teams were considered serious contenders. Now they are hoping to survive a very difficult AFC North schedule thanks to the NFL dealing them last year’s two toughest divisions – the NFC East and AFC South. Will Chad Johnson wear his new name Ocho Cinco on the back of his uniform? I can see why he wanted the change. It seemed like the team had about a dozen players named Johnson. Now that running back Rudi has been cut it is down to fullback Jeremi and linebacker Brandon. Now that Rudi is gone, versatile Chris Perry lines up as the feature back and a serious fantasy sleeper I might add. I’m still appreciative of his relief work in helping me win a league back in 2005.

On the other side the Ravens have issues at quarterback. How bad is it? They signed Joey Harrington as their backup for this game. Former first round disappointment Kyle Boller is out for the season and second year man Troy Smith is also hurt. Smith looked to be gaining momentum which hasn’t surprised me a bit. Now it’s up to rookie Joe Flacco who certainly did not win the starting job in the exhibition games. I was stunned to see the team reach into the first round for him, but then again I said the 49ers should draft Aaron Rodgers ahead of Alex Smith.

Defensively the Bengals have never been good and the Ravens are running on fumes. It doesn’t help for Baltimore to have running back Willis McGahee on the mend given their quarterback situation even if rookie Ray Rice is available in relief. The difference is that one team has Carson Palmer throwing darts to a pair of the best receivers out there. I expect the Bengals to wear out this defense with slants, quick outs and screen passes until they are too tired to tackle. Cincinnati took two receivers in the top 100 due to the status of Chad Johnson and Chris Henry yet now both are still in the mix. I imagine Palmer is pondering 4,500 yards passing: Cincinnati 27, Baltimore 10

NY Jets @ Miami: pick NYJ -2.5/under 36.5

As painful as it was at times to watch the Brett Favre saga unfold, consider that the result directly impacted the starter for 9.4% of the NFL teams in week 1. Chad Pennington expected to start this game back in June. He never imagined he would be playing for the home team. Weather is always a factor in September and the Dolphins should be using that to their advantage. Remember, Favre declined being traded to the Sunshine State when Tampa Bay expressed interest. Neither of these teams did anything last year and improved quarterback play makes both relatively stronger. The difference is that the Jets were better to begin with having made the playoffs after the 2006 season. New York also fortified their offensive line more significantly with Faneca and Woody.

In the backfield it is hard to believe Ricky Williams is just one year older than Thomas Jones. Both bring experience, but the buzz is about Williams being back in form. The role of Jones will be to keep the offense balanced because Favre has two capable receivers at his disposal while Pennington is still looking for someone to step up. As exciting as it will be to see Favre in his new uniform this game should be a dud. New York is certainly closer to turning things around although Miami shouldn’t be in the AFC cellar for much longer. Here I anticipate a lot of running out of the Dolphins and enough passing out of Favre to help the Jets stay in control: NY Jets 20, Miami 14

Kansas City @ New England: pick NE -14.5/under 48

They say exhibition games don’t mean a thing and here are two teams hoping it is true. The Chiefs played four of the worst teams from last season yet struggled to go 2-2 including a narrow 21-17 win when St. Louis rested their starters. I guess the Patriots are on a five game losing streak after going 0-4, but the only thing it proved is that without quarterback Tom Brady they are lost. His status is cloudy for this game if you believe the team. Believe me, he is playing. Kansas City fans might wish their quarterback wasn’t because no one on the roster has been able to get the job done.

Even while drafting a dozen players they chose not to select a quarterback instead allowing Brodie Croyle to develop. The offense has run through star tight end Tony Gonzalez and work horse running back Larry Johnson in the past although Dwayne Bowe is looking like a #1 wide receiver. Unfortunately those are the only playmakers on offense. New England counters with the most potent attack this league has ever seen even if they are weakened by the loss of third receiver Donte’ Stallworth and the health of Wes Welker. The Patriots will score their points and might adjust to relying on the running of Laurence Maroney a little more.

Defensively New England made the rare move of drafting a linebacker early and I am curious to see how Jerod Mayo fits into their veteran heavy unit. A huge emphasis is placed on being in the right place at the right time which is something rookies typically struggle with. Their secondary continues to be in flux as it is every new season. The latest loss is top corner Asante Samuel who really hasn’t been replaced. Fernando Bryant was added and later cut in favor of picking up Deltha O’Neal. All of this is just space filler because the talent disparity in this game will be huge. I expect this to resemble some of the tune-ups we saw in college football this past weekend: New England 34, Kansas City 6

Houston @ Pittsburgh: pick PIT -6.5/under 44

This could turn into one of the more interesting games of the opening week. The Steelers are coming off a division title while the Texans likely would have been a playoff team in another division. There is very little doubt how Pittsburgh will try to win as they ride their defense (top 3 in all major categories last year) and running game (#3). At some point they could lean on the pass more, especially if Santonio Holmes continues to look good and rookie Limas Sweed develops. For now they want to get physical. It helps to have Willie Parker healthy again because without him they never stood a chance in the playoffs. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall adds depth if he can hang onto the football.

Houston will certainly envy the backfield talent on the other side of the field. Their plan is to count on Ahman Green who is looking like wasted free agent money and hope that rookie Steve Slaton can provide a burst off the bench. Adding to their offensive woes is the fact that Andre Johnson can’t stay healthy enough to anchor their wide receivers. They were 6-3 when he played last season thanks to his 104.0 yards receiving per game in the wins. They were 2-5 without him and how does a guy who misses almost half the season lead your team in receiving yards?

The gap between the offenses widens when you consider Matt Schaub went just 4-7 as a starter last year although much of that coincided with Andre Johnson being out. By contrast Ben Roethlisberger is 29-16 over his four regular seasons. Making matters worse the Steelers will be forcing Schaub to throw almost immediately. No one they have is going to run on this group at Heinz Field. On the other side Houston has a promising young defensive line which is to say they aren’t ready to dominate yet: Pittsburgh 24, Houston 16

Jacksonville @ Tennessee: pick JAX -2.5/under 38

There will be no warm-up for these two AFC wild card teams from last season. Instead the division rivals walk right into the fire. At least the Titans can lean on home field advantage. Never mind, the road teams won both meetings last year. The Jags have David Garrard in this one. Wait, he played in the 13-10 and sat during the 28-13 win. It’s also a new season with plenty of new personnel and heightened expectations. Garrard is playing under the weight of a new contract while his opposite number Vince Young has to hope the “Madden Curse” only impacted his play in 2007. Let’s not forget it wasn’t long ago Seattle running back Shaun Alexander graced the cover and now he can’t even make a roster.

One thing I can be sure of is that neither team will be airing it out. Last season the Jags didn’t have a player with 50 receptions or 650 yards while the Titans were led by Justin Gage’s 55 and 750 respectively. The quarterbacks combined for 5,055 yards passing in 27 games or a little more than what Tom Brady’s season total. Defense and the running game will be the focus. Jacksonville has the personnel edge although Fred Taylor might be distracted from an off the field incident and “MJD” is a little banged up. Tennessee keeps spending early picks on running backs and hopes speedy Chris Johnson is finally their answer. LenDale White quietly piled up 1,110 yards rushing last year and comes back healthy.

Both of these teams come after you on defense. The Titans welcome back Jevon Kearse in a supporting role and the results should be positive. The Jaguars drafted a pair of defensive ends to emulate the Giants, but one (Florida’s Derrick Harvey) signed very late. They are hoping the rookies provide an occasional lift to the pass rush. When top five running teams and top 10 scoring defenses connect in the opening week you can be sure this game will not produce a lot of points or exciting plays. I trust Garrard to protect the ball more than Young given the huge disparity (20-5) in turnovers last season: Jacksonville 17, Tennessee 12

Detroit @ Atlanta: pick DET +1/over 40.5

Summer is almost over and what better way to enjoy the last few weeks than seeing two terrible dome teams battle it out indoors? The Falcons probably did the right thing drafting Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, backing up the move with USC left tackle Sam Baker later in round 1. Both of them will start as rookies on an offense trying to reinvent itself after Michael Vick left it in ruins. The addition of Michael Turner gives the running game a pounding presence while Ryan can lean on Roddy White among other young receivers he hopes to establish a relationship with. These are all optimistic statements of course because right now the offense is a work in progress.

The Lions don’t have as many issues on offense and are a little more hopeful they can become a pretty good scoring team. Jon Kitna is an absolute turnover machine having given it away an astounding 57 times in 32 starts for them. He also has 8,276 yards passing and 39 touchdowns. Now that mad scientist Mike Martz has left the team things will change. They drafted running back Kevin Smith who carried a huge load at Central Florida and picked up Rudi Johnson off Cincinnati’s scrap heap. Finally there will be personnel capable of balancing an offense featuring two of the best young wide receivers in the NFL. Rookie tackle Gosder Cherilus is trying to help shore up right side of the line.

Defensively both teams ranked in the bottom 10 of the major statistical categories including rush/pass, total and scoring. Atlanta was #29 in total/scoring while Detroit was dead last. In other words let the points fly. The more experienced offense obviously should benefit more and the Lions did fortify their secondary with new additions while the Falcons sent away top cornerback DeAngelo Hall. The question is which “Tampa 2” scheme holds up and the visitors seem to have the better personnel at the moment: Detroit 33, Atlanta 20

Seattle @ Buffalo: pick SEA +1/under 40

The Seahawks are still the dominant team in the NFC West while the Bills open the season knowing their goal is earning one of two wild card spots behind New England in the AFC East. Buffalo quietly had a decent campaign at 7-9, but failed early (1-4 start) and late (lost last three). In between they were 6-2 from mid-October to early December. Their biggest issue was injuries with an NFL high 17 players winding up on IR. The challenge is to stay healthy and get behind second year quarterback Trent Edwards who is their clear #1.

Seattle still has the edge at that position with Matt Hasselbeck, but it remains a mystery who is going to be on the other end of his passes. He somehow managed to throw for 3,966 yards last year with his leading receiver being a possession guy in Bobby Engram. Now Engram and Deion Branch are both out taking 143 receptions, 1,808 yards and 10 touchdowns with them. Taking all of that into consideration it’s about 38% of their passing offense which puts Nate Burleson and rookie tight end John Carlson under a lot of pressure. Their strategy will likely be to lean heavily on running the ball behind a line that was suspect last season. At least they can count on a strong stable of running backs from free agents Julius Jones and T.J. Duckett to rookies Justin Forsett and Owen Schmitt (fullback) plus holdover Maurice Morris.

Statistically the Seahawks were miles ahead of the Bills last year, but a weaker conference certainly had something to do with those numbers. Home field advantage is in play with the visitors logging frequent flyer miles for this trip. Buffalo made a nice move picking up defensive tackle Marcus Stroud while signing linebacker Kawika Mitchell and getting Paul Posluszny back from injury. The already young secondary picked up more youth with first round pick Leodis McKelvin at cornerback. I would still favor the Seattle defense. For me this is a pick’em game, and if I wrote this piece ten times I might have the score reversed five times. Maybe the winner of the overtime coin flip wins: Seattle 20, Buffalo 17 (OT)

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans: pick NO -3/over 42.5

Certainly football took a backseat to Gustav, but play must go on this time and the Saints won’t be nomads as they were in 2005. Annually the toughest division to call has been the NFC South. The Bucs have won half of the past six titles, and each of the other teams has claimed one. No other division comes close to that parity from top to bottom. However, instead of focusing on their title defense a lot of attention was placed on the displeasure of quarterback Jeff Garcia over his compensation and their clear pursuit of Brett Favre. He says it won’t impact his play, but how can it not? It’s tough to be a leader when the organization is pushing you out the door.

The Saints don’t have that problem because they are in love with Drew Brees. Even as the team crumbled under high expectations he set a team record with 4,423 yards passing and threw 28 touchdown passes. His 22 turnovers really hurt as they went 0-6 when he had 2+ and 7-3 otherwise. They prefer a little more balance if Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister can stay healthy enough to be effective. Stopping the pass would be another improvement and they added Randall Gay to fill their gaping hole at #2 cornerback. Tampa Bay is on the other side of the spectrum coming off a #1 ranking pass defense which is going to give the home team fits in this game.

Last season the difference in this division was Tampa Bay sweeping the series against the Saints. One game going the other way would have pushed it deep into tiebreakers with both finishing 8-8 overall, 4-2 in the division and 7-5 in the conference under that scenario. In other words, this is an important game. I generally prefer New Orleans in their dome, but they were just 3-5 in this stadium last year. Under the cloud of Gustav the team has to be fired up though: New Orleans 27, Tampa Bay 20

St. Louis @ Philadelphia: pick PHI -7/under 44.5

Did we really watch these teams representing the NFC in Super Bowls earlier in this decade? The Rams have fallen into a hole while the Eagles simply never live up to their talent or expectations with a 24-24 mark since playing for the title. Buzz on Philly is high again even in the rugged NFC East. Stud running back Brian Westbrook has been paid and is ready for another 2,000 total yards. Quarterback Donovan McNabb is determined to stay healthy after missing one-third of the team’s game over the past three seasons. Success won’t come easy for him with Kevin Curtis already out and rookie DeSean Jackson forced into the lineup. Jackson can play, but Curtis led the team with 1,110 yards receiving.

The Rams also had a contract issue with their stud running back Steven Jackson, finally getting him his money. I would be worried too playing behind a shoddy offensive line. They addressed the problem in the draft, but it’s not likely to help this season. Their wide receiver position got a shot of speed in rookie Donnie Avery at the expense of savvy veteran Isaac Bruce. Marc Bulger is still trying to justify his big contract after passing for more than 225 yards just twice last year and missing four games. He will be facing a deep Philadelphia secondary featuring Lito Sheppard as the third corner. If safety Sean Dawkins can stay healthy it will be very difficult to pass on them this season.

There are a handful of teams I really don’t think can challenge this season and I count St. Louis in that group. Philadelphia on the other hand is part what could be a six team race for the two wild cards in the NFC. McNabb throwing into the Ram secondary is a lot more promising than what Bulger will be facing. The young interior line should keep the visitors from running too much as well: Philadelphia 30, St. Louis 13

Dallas @ Cleveland: pick DAL -3/over 48.5

There is certainly some irony here. When the Browns traded up with the Cowboys to select quarterback Brady Quinn they expected him to be their quarterback of the future. On the other side Dallas expected a high draft pick because Cleveland wasn’t very good. Instead they went 10-6 behind the arm of Derek Anderson and the #22 selection was spent on Arkansas running back Felix Jones, not his much more heralded backfield mate Darren McFadden. For now the winner is the ‘Boys. After losing Julius Jones they needed another Jones to run the football. Bad jokes aside Felix has the quickness to complement possibly the NFL’s hardest runner Marion Barber. Tony Romo has quickly become a top flight quarterback and although the receiving corps is razor thin Terrell Owens is still leading it.

Even with their thin depth at receiver and changing personnel the offense is in better shape than Cleveland who is dealing with at least a minor injury to their top player at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end. They need to be at full strength against a Dallas team loaded on defense. Cornerbacks Adam Jones and rookie Mike Jenkins join three Pro Bowl players in the secondary which now has personnel options in different situations. An offense in a rhythm will have a tough time against them, much less the Browns trying to get in sync.

The Cleveland defense was rebuilt through trades that chewed up early picks in the draft. They had to improve the defensive line and did with Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers. These were good moves, but the players behind them notably in the secondary are not going to help this defense break into the top half of the rankings. Even if the Cowboys haven’t turned up the heat for exhibition games, they are much more prepared for this game and it will show: Dallas 31, Cleveland 20

Carolina @ San Diego: pick CAR +10/under 42.5

In the weakened AFC West it will be hard to stop the Chargers even if linebacker Shawne Merriman’s surprise decision to play the season ends up with him quickly on IR. The Panthers certainly like their chances in a wide open NFC South, but while their star player is healthy he won’t be playing in the first two games. Wide receiver Steve Smith lost his cool and hit a teammate which puts the onus on Muhsin Muhammad, now 35, to regain his former glory with the team. This season regular quarterback Jake Delhomme returns to the fold after last year’s trio of replacements all had QB ratings under 70. It took them 419 attempts to throw 11 touchdown passes while in limited action Delhomme had 8 touchdown passes in 86 attempts. Quite a difference wouldn’t you say?

The Panthers also featured a totally new offensive line in terms of personnel and positioning. They drafted running back Jonathan Stewart and dumped DeShaun Foster. All of these changes will take time and certainly getting Smith on the field is a must for them to really take off. However, their exhibition season went very well. The advantage could be on their side as the Chargers deal with a bunch of nicked up players. Their offense is reliant on Tomlinson’s running and he is healthy. Wide receiver Chris Chambers is in his first full season with the team and Rivers is going to lean on him until star tight end Antonio Gates can return recover from an injured toe. 

Defensively San Diego has the advantage even taking Merriman’s status into account. Before the Giants ruined New England’s perfect season this defense limited Tom Brady to 209 yards passing and intercepted him 3 times in the AFC Championship Game. Seven of their first eight possessions in that game went for under 25 yards until the Pats finally got going. Carolina is 0-3 without Smith the past two seasons and 7-12 overall since 2002 when he doesn’t suit up. I don’t see their offense getting off to a good start here: San Diego 24, Carolina 16

Arizona @ San Francisco: pick AZ -2.5/over 41.5

Even if both teams are bad these are typically exciting games to watch. Last season the 49ers swept the series winning 20-17 at home and 37-31 in the desert. If not for those losses the Cardinals would have been a wild card team. In 2006 it went the other way with Arizona winning 34-27 at home and 26-20 by the bay. Again, if not for those losses the 49ers would have gone to the playoffs. Maybe it speaks to the state of the NFC, but these games do have an impact and the last five have been decided by a touchdown or less. Both teams have made changes at quarterback. San Francisco goes with J.T. O’Sullivan because he is more familiar with new offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s system. Arizona is going with Kurt Warner who passed for 484 yards against this defense last year in a losing effort.

Annually it seems there are those who pick the Cardinals to make the playoffs before they ultimately fade and this season is no different. Last year the 49er games and a 2-6 road record did them in. They can address both problems in the opener. San Francisco should be improved on offense, but that isn’t saying much given their inept performance in 2007 which produced an NFL low in yards per game (237.3) and points (219). Established receivers Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson give them players who can catch the ball, but they lack a true #1 or big play threat. Their offense will revolve heavily around talented running back Frank Gore who is a candidate for 2,000 total yards. Defensively they continue to add talent although it continues to be a work in progress. Arizona’s defense isn’t much better although their strength is at linebacker and weakness is at cornerback which suits them just fine in this game.

On offense I expect the Cardinals to attack from the outset with one of the best wide receiver tandems in the NFL plus still capable running back Edgerrin James. They will put the 49ers, a team that typically plays over their heads at home, on their heels immediately. These meetings are always unpredictable, but as with many early season games quarterback play is crucial. I can’t see O’Sullivan making more plays than Warner. Arizona’s quarterbacks combined for 4,228 yards passing and 32 touchdowns last year. This defense isn’t ready for that kind of heat: Arizona 24, San Francisco 20

Chicago @ Indianapolis: pick IND -9.5/under 45

Super Bowl XLI rematch anyone? NBC likes it so they have made it this week’s Sunday night affair. The intrigue surrounds mostly things other than the outcome. Lucas Oil Stadium opens with a likely win by the home team, but uncertainty surrounding their franchise quarterback. Peyton Manning has started every game of his ten season career and now has a balky knee. The same can be said of his most reliable receiver over the years although Marvin Harrison looks to be in good shape. Let’s face it this offense at 75% is probably better than most at full strength. That group certainly includes the Bears who can’t find a quarterback, running back or anyone to catch the football.

For some reason Chicago has renewed their faith in Kyle Orton who helped them to the playoffs in 2005, but in 18 career outings has just twice thrown for more than 190 yards or had more than 1 touchdown pass. His receivers look like players you would see on some team’s final cut list. It isn’t like the running game can bail him out although rookie Matt Forte gives them a better chance than sack of potatoes Cedric Benson did. Veteran Kevin Jones was also brought in, but the offensive line isn’t deep and already lost first round pick Chris Williams for the season. Is any of this good news against last year’s #1 scoring defense?

The Colts are certain to dictate the action in this game and the only question is how they deal with kicking to Devin Hester who burned them for a touchdown return in the Super Bowl. They will be kicking off to him early and often. I would not be surprised to see Manning rest when the defense helps them to a comfortable lead. There in no reason to believe the Chicago offense can do anything against the Colts who will be motivated by the new stadium opening and the national television audience: Indianapolis 28, Chicago 6

Minnesota @ Green Bay: pick GB -2/over 38

The Brett Favre saga certainly brought intrigue to this game until he was dealt to the Jets. The Packers were so worried about facing him here they put a clause into the trade forcing New York to cough up three first round draft picks if they dealt him to the Vikings. There is still starting quarterback drama as Minnesota’s Tarvaris Jackson hopes he is healthy enough to play. Hardly anyone in the stadium will notice because their attention is focused on their own starter Aaron Rodgers as he becomes the latest player to take over for a legend.

One thing each player can count on is a running game to support them. The Vikings got 1,341 yards rushing out of rookie Adrian Peterson to finish #1 in the NFL, but will be without left tackle Bryant McKinnie. The Packers weren’t ranked nearly as high although when Ryan Grant took over he piled up six games over 100 yards in 12 starts including the playoffs. Their guard situation is in flux due to injuries. The advantage at wide receiver clearly swings to Green Bay with three players who would have led Minnesota in receiving yards last year. The addition of Bernard Berrian gives the visitors a much needed big play threat and Sidney Rice will be building on his rookie season, but they will be riding the running game and defense.

Because the Vikings are so good at stopping the run teams have been hammering their secondary. Madieu Williams was brought in at safety to help, but he won’t be available early in the season forcing rookie Tyrell Johnson into action. With so many weapons it shouldn’t be difficult for Rodgers to get off to a solid debut. On the other hand, Green Bay might find it difficult stopping the running of “All Day” even if the game takes place at night. They traded Corey Williams and have two other defensive tackles on the mend from injuries. The NFC North title might be decided in the opener because of how close the race should be between these two teams. Green Bay has swept the season series three of the past four seasons although after one of those they lost to Minnesota in the playoffs. This is another coin flip game for me and I can’t go against the Lambeau home field advantage in that case: Green Bay 23, Minnesota 19

Denver @ Oakland: pick OAK +3/under 42.5

No team spent more or was more criticized for it than the Raiders who had to do something after a fifth consecutive miserable season. The most notable changes came in the secondary where DeAngelo Hall pairs with Nnamdi Asomugha to form a deadly duo of cornerbacks while Gibril Wilson moves Michael Huff over to free safety. Oakland has had trouble stopping the run, and facing that unit teams will certainly not be in hurry to pass the ball. That will certainly be the case for the Broncos who open the season without their #1 receiver Brandon Marshall, leaving them without the player who caught more passes than their next two leading players combined last year. I don’t imagine Rob Ryan is too worried about scheming to stop Brandon Stokley, Darrell Jackson, Keary Colbert or rookie Eddie Royal.

Oakland’s top concern is defending the run and while Denver has had a series of top rushers suddenly they are looking vulnerable in that area. The Travis Henry signing last season blew up on them and rookie Ryan Torain is hurt. Selvin Young had a strong average rush in 2007 (5.2) but scored only 1 touchdown and was counted on for 14+ rushes in just five games, going over 100+ twice in victories over hapless Kansas City. How he plays full time is still a question mark. The Raiders have no such issues in the running game. They are so loaded at running back that promising rookie Louis Rankin was pushed onto the practice squad. Last year’s leading rusher Justin Fargas is almost an afterthought because Michael Bush is finally healthy and rookie Darren McFadden brings big play excitement. The offensive line continues to develop in their zone blocking scheme although counting on new addition Kwame Harris at left tackle might be a bad move.

If the Raiders can’t run they certainly won’t be able to pass. Their wide receiver situation is such a mess they had to grab former Bronco Ashley Lelie off the wire when the 49ers cut him. He reunites with fellow Denver castoff Javon Walker who was given big money to be the team’s #1 yet might not be healthy enough for the opener. The exhibition game against Arizona proved JaMarcus Russell isn’t going to be winning games through the air this season. Jay Cutler might struggle just as much in the opener without Marshall and facing this defense. The tail end of a Monday Night Football doubleheader could put the audience to sleep with so much running. Silver and Black fans are going to be the only ones who stay awake until the end: Oakland 20, Denver 17