NFL Week 1 - Recap

My weekly recap of the games around the league and what thoughts I have from them - some will be long, some will be short. Some of these games I'll have seen first-hand, some I'll only have second-hand information about. I'll do my best. I'll also mark if I called my prediction right each game.

New Orleans 14, Minnesota 9.
It seems to me that these two teams save their worst performances for each other. Both teams looked out-of-sync on offense, but played stout defense. Both Favre and Brees played subpar games given that both offensive lines gave them solid protection. Much like last year, it appears that you can stop the Saints if they can't run the ball - their success is far more predicated on their running game (and this was true last year) than people realize. Favre looks old and doesn't seem to trust any of his receivers other than Shiancoe. Percy Harvin looked lost out there. Greg Cammarillo has a huge upside for this team; I could see Favre clicking with him in the coming weeks.
Pierce's Pick - NO.

Miami 15, Buffalo 10
The only surprise here is that Miami didn't win more convincingly. But they won and that's the mentality the Dolphins have had under Parcells - win tough. I watched Chad Henne for four years at Michigan and always believed he'd be a good pro quarterback. I'll get a close look at him this week when his team visits Minnesota.
Pierce's Pick - MIA.

Chicago 19, Detroit 14
The Lions were cheated out of this game and everyone outside of the NFL's rule book seems to know it. Nonetheless, it was an ugly game for both teams and, regardless of the TD That Wasn't, the Lions had plenty of opportunity to win this game before that. Jay Cutler still looks unimpressive; if Chicago is to be successful, their success will hinge on Matt Forte and their defense. Lions fans can take some measure of solace in one of the most impressive defensive performances a Lions team has put together in a very, very long time. I'll have more on this game in a separate entry.
Pierce's Pick - DET.


Tennessee 38, Oakland 13
Chris Johnson seems set on his goal to exceed last year's production. It's one thing to say that against the Raider's run defense. What happens when Pittsburgh comes to town next week?
Pierce's Pick - TEN.

New England 38, Cincinnati 24
A statement game from a Patriots team that looks like they've taken offense to being written off by some so early in the year. It's still a tough division, but Tom Brady seems like he wants to live up to his contract. That's scary. Cincinnati has a lot of questions after this one; how they bounce back against a ferocious Baltimore team next week will say a lot about their character. An 0-2 start for a team with personalities like Ochocino and TO might spell disaster fast.
Pierce's Pick - NE.

NY Giants 31, Carolina 18
If the Panthers can't run the ball, they won't win games. It's how they're built. The Giants look strong on defense, but a home game against Carolina isn't going to convince me yet. But after watching the other three NFC East teams in Week 1, the Giants certainly seem to have more swagger and more talent pulling its weight.
Pierce's Pick - NYG.

Pittsburgh 15, Atlanta 9
An important win for Pittsburgh, who has a murderer's row in their Roethlisberger-less four weeks. Losing here would have likely given them a 1-3 starting record, or 2-2 at best. Atlanta still has trouble winning outside of a dome, but that's been a theme for them over the past couple years. Troublesome for Pittsburgh is that without the overtime TD scamper, Mendenhall posts a fairly pedestrian statline on a team that needs a strong running game without it's star QB.
Pierce's Pick - PIT.

Tampa Bay 17, Cleveland 14
These may again be two of the worst teams in the NFL this season, so forgive me for not paying much attention to this game. But from what I've seen and heard, Jake Delhomme continues to throw picks and Tampa might have the real deal in young Josh Freeman. 4th-round rookie WR Mike Williams had a TD in his first game, too. Dare I say it, but... maybe there's hope in Tampa? Not this year, but, in building something solid moving forward.
Pierce's Pick - CLE.

Jacksonville 24, Denver 17
This is a game that I assumed would be won by whichever team was at home. Denver plays well in thin air and poorly on the East Coast. Jacksonville has to have a playoff-bound year or the team will likely see overhauls across the board (which have been long in coming, if you ask me). A team can only exist on the cusp for so long. This game tells me that the Jaguars wanted it more. I'm interested to see how Denver responds when they play the surprising Seahawks at Mile High next week.
Pierce's Pick - JAX.

Houston 34, Indianapolis 24
The stunner of the week? The Texans have the monkey off their back for now with a momentous win against their nemesis, a team they know they have to dethrone to take the division. It's a good step for the Texans. If Arian Foster is the real deal and can continue to run hard all season, the Texans become a team to fear - prolific passing game, solid running game, hungry defense. How will teams defend them? Meanwhile, I wonder if the Colts, home of the ever-stoic QB and ever-stoic coach, have run out of gas and moxie. Like many others, I'm interested to see how both of these teams respond to their victory or defeat in Week 2. And does anyone else think that the rematch in Indianapolis will now be a highlight game of the week? I sure do.
Pierce's Pick - HOU.

Seattle 31, San Francisco 6
What happened here? San Francisco was supposed to ascend this year in a winnable division while the freshly Carroll-led Seahawks, amidst a roster overhaul, were supposed to flounder. Kudos to the Seahawks though, who must have played one heck of a game. The 49ers, meanwhile, welcome the Saints next week with questions on their mind and a need to play a tough game and pull out an unlikely win.
Pierce's Pick - SF.

Green Bay 27, Philadelphia 20
Much like some other games, this was an ugly one to watch. Neither offense seemed capable of much until the second half. The Packers barely pulled out a win in a game they should have dominated. The Eagles looked more comfortable with Vick under center than Kolb, which bodes poorly for their future. I wonder if they're going to end up regretting the McNabb trade? Clay Matthews has to be one of the most dominant young defensive players in the league. That guy is a monster, the kind of player that opposing offenses have to scheme specifically against.
Pierce's Pick - GB.

Arizona 17, St. Louis 13
Arizona had to fight to win this game, which speaks volumes about what Kurt Warner meant to this team. I'm not sure whether Matt Leinart would have been better or not, but they must have a lot of faith in those rookie QBs of theirs, because it's clear that Derek Anderson is not a permanent solution at QB for more than a year or two. St. Louis, meanwhile, should come away from this game without too many complaints. They played a good one and Bradford looks to be the real deal. The Mark Clayton acquisition was the second-most important move they made in the offseason (after drafting Bradford). Young quarterbacks need veteran weapons to flourish.
Pierce's Pick - ARI.

Washington 13, Dallas 7
Wow. This was as ugly a game that was played as any all week. The screen pass with no time left at the end of the first half is as much of a head-scratcher as Lovie Smith's decision to not kick a go-ahead FG. Nonetheless, neither team can walk away from this game too happy. Washington's offense was anemic. Dallas's offense was unimpressive. Both teams played sound defense, though, but this is most certainly not the way Dallas wanted to start the season. And as anyone who watched the game knows, they have a huge problem at right tackle.
Pierce's Pick - DAL.

Baltimore 10, NY Jets 9
Baltimore came into this game wanting to knock some swagger out of the Jets and did just that. There was no willingness to throw downfield, so the Jets never challenged the banged-up Baltimore secondary and the Baltimore front-seven got to run free. Shonn Greene had a rough start to his sophomore campaign, but the Jets can be thankful they picked up LT - he looks like he will give them fresh yards throughout the game and will flourish all over again with a 10-15 carry workload (not unlike Ricky Williams in Miami). However, it's clear that as with many other teams, Baltimore's passing game hinges on a convincing running game, which the Jets were unwilling to give them. Joe Flacco is, however, Mr. Cool when it comes to third-down and that was what made the difference in this game.
Pierce's Pick - BAL.

Kansas City 21, San Diego 14
The Chargers have to be scratching their heads after this one. A winnable game, a game they should have won, instead casts a question on their offseason losses and the holdouts of important offensive cogs Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill. Meanwhile, the Chiefs - who do play their division foes hard at home - get an uplifting win and scores from young players like Charles and rookie Dexter McCluster. There's still a lot of work to do there, though. The Chargers, though, have to be sick to go 4-and-out from the KC 6-yard line at the end of the game. This is a team that is supposed to make that score.
Pierce's Pick - SD.

(Pierce's Picks for the week combine for a record of 11-5).