Once again, PTI is off the air for two days. (Golf) And as always, whenever PTI is gone from the air, I give you your daily dose of sports in my cheap rip-off...

EXCUSE
THE
DISTRACTION

I hate FOX's formatting, I can't even properly make the cheap logo anymore, anyway, LET'S GO!

I never really understood why everyone picked the Carolina Panthers to be the Super Bowl winners. Just about everyone in the media, and almost everyone else has this team being big. Everyone but me, when my cheap system predicted they would NOT make the playoffs. Steve Smith is still injured right now, which hurts their offense, which couldn't do a thing last week. The running game isn't that good, they have a rookie and Foster, who will be hurt in 3 weeks. But look at the Panthers schedule, they have to go to Baltimore and Miami, they play the Cowboys and the Rams, as well as games at Philly and at Washington. Not to mention the Giants, Steelers, and their other division games. This schedule is brutal, and at the end of the day, the Panthers will miss the playoffs.


Since football has started, many have forgotten that craziness is going on in baseball. The AL is sane, except for the Central, where the Tigers are falling, and are danger of being passed by the Twins and the White Sox. But look at the NL. The Dodgers lead the Padres by one, the Padres lead the wild card by two over Philly, 3 over San Fran, 3.5 over the Marlins, and 4 over the Reds. (NOTE: These numbers mave have changed since this post was written). Does anyone really know who will end up in the the NL? Heck, same for the AL? It could be a very exciting race to the finish.


Back to football, but of the college variety. This week features 7 games with two ranked teams competing. A pretty sweet deal, but realistically, when you look at this week a few months from now, there will probably only be 2-3 games still with ranked teams. Does anyone expect big things from Texas Tech and TCU? Either way, there are 2 big games that many are watching.


First is #11 Michigan and #2 Notre Dame. Other than this game being #11 vs #2, it is also one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports.

Maybe bigger is #6 LSU and #3 Auburn, two SEC facing off, and the winner may likely end up the conference champion, or national champion...

Of course Nebraska at USC, Florida at Tennessee, Miami at Louisville, and Oklahoma at Oregon are all important games, but they don't really have the flash of the other two. Either way, my predictions.

Notre Dame beats Michigan
LSU upsets Auburn
USC beats Nebraska
Tennessee beats Florida
Louisville beats Miami
Oregon beats Oklahoma.

Don't ask how I made the predictions, but that is what I think will happen. (So pick the oppisite teams, and you will probably be 6-6)

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Ok, now, for I am too lazy to write a seperate post, is my predictions for Week 2.

MrNFL's BRILLIANT (ha) PREDICTIONS
Panthers vs Vikings
HHH Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN (FOX) 1 PM ET

You've already heard my rant about the Panthers being over-rated, but how do they fare in this one? The Vikings are weak running the ball, and the Panthers couldn't stop the run to save their life. The Vikings are decent stopping the run, the Panthers are decent running. The Panthers however are superior passing on both sides, however the running game is the key, and the Vikings are at home.

Vikings win 16-13

Bills vs Dolphins
Dolphin Stadium, Miami, FL (CBS) 1 PM ET

The Bills offense is still very shaky, and I don't see much success coming from that unit. However, the defense looked pretty good, and I think is legit. The Dolphins got mauled by the great Steeler D, but can they get by a less-talented Bills D? The Bills are strong against the pass, however weak against the run, and I think that if the Dolphins can run, they will pull it out.

Dolphins win 17-10

Giants vs Eagles
Lincoin Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA (FOX) 1 PM ET

I expect lotsa points in this game. The Giants I think will be able to stop Westbrook, but I do see the passing being effective. I see the Giants being able to run the ball well, but I'm not sure how the pass will fare against a solid secondary. As I've said before, I believe the key to winning is the running game, and the Giants have that. I don't think the Eagles passing is good enough to pull it out.

Giants win 34-28

Saints at Packers.
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI (FOX) 1 PM ET

Ah, the battle of the bad defenses. The Saints defense did do a good job stopping the run last week, and the Packers running game wasn't bad last week. However, the Packers D was non-existant, and the Saints have a great running game, and a solid passing game.

Saints win 31-17

Texans at Colts
RCA Dome, Indianapolis, IN (CBS) 1 PM ET

David Carr is known for getting sacked...a lot. The Colts have one of the best pass rushing defensive lines in football. The Colts couldn't stop the run, but the Texans really don't have much of a run at all, even with the addition of Sam Gado. The Colts lack of running will hurt them down the road, but at home against a weak secondary, the passing game will go crazy.

Colts win 34-10

Lions at Bears
Soldier Field, Chicago, IL (FOX) 1 PM ET

This may be the battle of defense, as the Lions defense showed some life. But the Lions are minus any form of offense, and the Bears will probably have their way with them. The Bears offense probably won't do much either, but I think the defense will get them turnovers and great field position.

Bears win 13-8

Browns at Bengals
Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH (CBS) 1 PM ET

The Browns defense is a bit improved, and the Bengals probably won't be able to go crazy on them. However, the Browns have no run game to speak of, and a lackluster passing game. The Bengals D can stop the Browns, and the offense should have fun at home.

Bengals win 27-10

Buccaneers at Falcons
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA (FOX) 1 PM ET

The Falcons defense is much better, and they shut down the Panthers last week. The Bucs offense isn't nearly as good as the Panthers offense, and even Jamal Lewis was able to run on the Bucs D. The Falcons should get 200 rushing yards easy on the way to victory.

Falcons win 24-7

Raiders at Ravens
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD (CBS) 1 PM ET

The Raiders have no offensive line, and because of that, they can not run or effectively pass. The Ravens D should have tons of fun with the Raiders. Also, the Raiders defense is weak, so this one should be simple for the Ravens at home.

Ravens win 21-3

Cardinals at Seahawks
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA (FOX) 4 PM ET

The Cardinals have a good offense, however they lack a defense, since the 49ers scored a bunch on them. Even though the Seahawks couldn't do anything to the Lions, I think they will be able to score, and score often. The Cardinals will likely score a lot, but the Seahawks D is just better..

Seahawks win 32-24

Rams at 49ers
Monster Park, San Francisco, CA (FOX) 4 PM ET

The 49ers offense showed life against the Cardinals, but that is the Cardinals lackluster defense. The Rams confused Plummer, and it won't take much to confuse Alex Smith. The Rams weakness of defense is the run, but I don't think Gore can do enough for the 49ers. The 49ers D is weak, and Bulger should have a great game.

Rams win 27-20

Titans at Chargers
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA (CBS) 4 PM ET

The Chargers had their way against the Raiders on the road, and they have a great running game. I don't think the Titans will be able to stop LDT, and when LDT runs well, the pass will go well. Not to mention the Titans offense is horrible.

Chargers win 28-10

Patriots at Jets
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (CBS) 4 PM ET

The Jets can not run to save their life, and that will end up killing them in this game, as I don't think the pass can have the game they had against the Titans. The Pats offense just has to not make mistakes, and they will be set.

Patriots win 20-10

Chiefs at Broncos
Invesco Field, Denver, CO (CBS) 4 PM ET.

The Broncos passing game looked horrible last week, but they did run well, and the Chiefs run defense is shaky. The Broncos are also lucky that the Chiefs are without a quarterback, and Huard/Croyle are bound to make some mistakes. I think the Broncos D will stop LJ, enough, to win this one.

Broncos win 17-7

Redskins at Cowboys
Texas Stadium, Irving, TX (NBC) 8 PM ET

I question the Cowboys defense, I don't think it is that good. With Portis getting closer to full strength, the Redskins offense will start getting a bit better. The Redskins D is tough against the run, and the Cowboys need to run. I think the Redskins will pull off the upset in a close game.

Redskins win 17-13

Steelers at Jaguars
Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, FL (ESPN) 8 PM ET Monday.

The Steelers offense is solid on the ground, and they will likely have QB Ben Roethlisberger back, but the Jaguars defense is very tough against the run, and tough against the pass. Of course, the Steelers defense is also very tough against the run, and tough against the pass. I think this game will be a defensive showdown, and these two teams are deadlocked. But the Jags are at home, and homefield advantage will end up being just enough to win this game.

Jaguars win 10-9

OK, that was the picks, if you are still reading...Another commercial.


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Ok, Now we will do some ODDSMAKERS. But this time, we will do something new. We will take the percentages from the Bloggers Pro Pick'em picks from last year, and see how they ended up.

ODDS Dolphins vs Steelers
49% picked the Steelers, and 51% picked the Dolphins, about as close as you can get. The large minority was right.

ODDS Bucs vs Ravens
73% picked the Bucs to win that game, and 73% (myself included) got it miserably wrong.

ODDS Browns vs Saints
64% picked the Saints to win, and that majority was correct.

ODDS Panthers vs Falcons
81% picked the Panthers (I was in the 19%, and was right) and the Falcons pulled it off

ODDS Seahawks vs Lions
93% picked the Seahawks to win, and were right, but I think all 93% didn't expect the 9-6 score.

ODDS Eagles vs Texans
91% picked the Eagles, and that is a smart 91%

ODDS Titans vs Jets
66% picked the Titans to win, and that 66% was wrong, leaving 34% correct.

ODDS Bengals vs Chiefs
Ironically this game was 50/50, but the Bengals 50 looked smarter in the end.

ODDS Broncos vs Rams
91% of the bloggers were incorrect thinking the Broncos would win (Myself included)

ODDS Patriots vs Bills
A huge 4% picked the Bills to win, and they almost did, that would have thrown everyone off.

ODDS Jaguars vs Cowboys
61% picked the Cowboys to win this one (Not me!) and 61% were wrong

ODDS Bears vs Packers
It's hard to believe that even 16% thought the Packers would win.

ODDS Cardinals vs 49ers.
93% were right in picking the Cardinals here.

ODDS Colts vs Giants
68% said the Colts would win, and they were right.

ODDS Vikings vs Redskins
Only 32% picked the Vikings, and the minority was correct.

ODDS Chargers vs Raiders
20% actually picked the Raiders, boy they look dumb right now.

That's it for Oddsmakers, lets go to the BIG FINISH!

Pedro Martinez is coming off the DL, big deal?
Yes, they need him healthy to win in the postseason.

NFL ruled that Robert Geathers hit on Trent Green wasn't illegal, good call?
Yes

First race of the Chase at New Hampshire, Who ya got?
Jeff Burton, he's done great there in the past.

Finally, 3 of my last 5 games on Madden have been overtime, will I got OT today?
As long as I win, I'm fine...

Well that's it for PTI, I'll do better next time. I'm MrNFL, and you can watch this again by clicking the refresh button.

ETD

We are only one week through the season, so really these rankings are as useless as the BCS, but why not make some power rankings? Which teams are the best. From bottom to top, here are the MrNFL Power Rankings!

(Note, these rankings are mainly based on week 1 games, and obviously we don't can't tell jack from one game, but this is what I saw)

32. Oakland Raiders

The Defense was non-existant, they couldn't stop LDT, but the bigger concern is the total lack of offense, Lamont Jordan averaged 2 a carry, and Aaron Brooks couldn't find a reciever.

31. Green Bay Packers

Any defense that allows 26 points to the Bears must have problems. Passing game looks non-existant, but Green had solid numbers, giving them some hope running the ball.

30. Cleveland Browns

The Saints have a terrible defense, and all the Browns could do is score 14. The running game couldn't score at all last year, and they also couldn't pass. Defense struggled as well.

29. Tennessee Titans

They got beat, by the Jets. And the Jets, are pretty bad. They have no pass defense, Pennington passed all over them, and the offense was very sluggish.

28. San Francisco 49ers

Defense as expected allowed 34 to the Cardinals, which shocks no one, but the offense showed a little bit of promise. But to be fair, they were facing the Cardinals defense.

27. New York Jets

Beating the TItans = Not much of an accomplishment. In a positive note, it looks like Pennington is back for now, on a negative note, the running game is non-existant.

26. Houston Texans

The lack of running game and offensive line will end up getting David Carr killed. Not to mention they got passes all over.

25. Detroit Lions.

Sure, the defense and special teams looked great. But with that offense, they have to hold everyone to 9 just to have a shot, and that probably won't last.

24. New Orleans Saints.

Sure, the defense held the Browns to 14, but that was the...ummm...Browns. With that offense, they should have scored a lot more.

23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The offense got absolutly slaughtered, and the great D they were supposed to have got shredded, by the average Ravens offense.

22. Miami Dolphins.

Offense got killed, they couldn't pass or run, and the defense got shredded by Willie Parker and the backup QB. They need to fix their problems fast.

21. Washington Redskins

The Redskins offense wasn't very good, the Vikings didn't let them run at all. The defense is alright, but I question this team.

20. Minnesota Vikings

They couldn't run, Taylor averaged less than 3 a carry, and they can't expect old man Johnson to succeed without a running game. Defense was decent.

19. Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs offense was decent, but not nearly what it should have been. Defense looked average as expected.

18. Arizona Cardinals.

The offense looked good as expected, but they allowed 27 points from the 49ers, considered by many the worst offense in football. That defense needs serious help.

17. Carolina Panthers

I don't buy this team as being as great as the media is hyping them to be. The defense looked lost against the Falcons, and that running game was stink-o-rama.

16. Buffalo Bills.

Defense came REAL close to upsetting the Patriots, they could have a solid D this year. However, the offense I question.

15. Dallas Cowboys

The Jaguars offense isn't great, and they allowed 24 to them. Bledsoe looked very shaky, and the line couldn't block for him.

14. Denver Broncos

Defense was solid, running game was great. However the passing game was horrendous, and they will need to fix that problem to re-gain their credibility.

13. New York Giants

Offense looked good, they ran all over the Colts, and the passing was alright, but the defense is still a big concern.

12. New England Patriots

DIdn't pass well, but Maroney and the running game showed promise. Defense was alright, but they got so close to losing.

11. Philadelphia Eagles.

Eagles offense looked great passing, McNabb did a great job, however the run is still in question. Defense was solid.

10. St. Louis Rams

The Rams looked great running the ball, but the pass was surprisingly average. Pass D was great, but the Broncos ran like crazy on them.

9. Seattle Seahawks

The D played good as expected, and that passing game was great, yet the running game was very bad. They will need to fix that problem quickly.

8. Balitmore Ravens

Defense destroyed the Bucs, and looked a bit like the defense of old. Passing was solid however the running game is still a concern.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars.

Offense looked decent, but is a little shaky at running back. They played great defense against the pass for sure.

6. San Diego Chargers.

They looked great on offense, and looked great on defense. However, they did play the Raiders.

5. Cincinati Bengals

Running game wasn't great, but not horrible. The passing game was decent, but the defense looked surprisingly good.

4. Chicago Bears.

Defense killed the Packers, but that doesn't shock anyone. However, the passing game looked surprisingly decent, but once again, they did play the Packers.

3. Indianapolis Colts

Passing game looked good as it always, but the running game was horrible, and is a giant concern. They also couldn't stop the run, but they were good against the pass.

2. Atlanta Falcons

Falcons looked great running the ball as always, but the pass did look shaky. But if they can run on everyone, they well succeed. And the defense looked great.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

The defending champs, I suppose they are #1 until proven otherwise. Offense looked great, even without Ben Roethlisberger. The defense mauled the Dolphins offense, and looks to maybe be the #1 D in the league.

Well that was the first edition of the power rankings. If anyone reads this, there will be more.

Other football notes:

The Patriots are now filing a grievence against Deion Branch.  So first Branch files one against the Patriots, and then the Pats file charges against the Jets, and now this?  This whole ordeal is ridiclous.

The NFL announced that Robert Geathers hit which gave Trent Green a concussion was not an illegal hit.  I agree, he was already off his feet before Green started sliidng, clean hit.

Speaking of Trent Green, he will likely miss at least 2 games due to concussion.

And in trade news, the Texans have traded young running back Vernand Morency to the Packers in exchange for Samkon Gado.  Last year when Gado played, he got solid numbers for a crappy team, and the Texans must think he's the guy for the job.  But Morency was decent when he played last year, and was a 3rd round pick in 2005, while Gado was undrafted.

In baseball news, ESPN is a curse.  Everytime they ever cut to a pitcher pitching a perfect game, he always blows it right away.  Same happened today, as Freddy Garcia was perfect through 7 2/3, but as soon as ESPN cuts to him, boom, hit.  They shouldn't cut to this crap unless it is the 9th inning, because it never happens.

And also, the Twins young stud pitcher Francisco Liriano is finished for the year, after having pain in a start last night.  This hurts the Twins, but with the Tigers slumping, they still have a shot to make the playoffs.

THAT'S ALL I GOT

After Branch's non-stop complaining about not getting paid enough, the Patriots have finally gotten rid of Branch by sending him to the Seahawks for a 1st round draft pick.

How it helps/hurts the Patriots.

Well a lot has been made about Terrell Owens being a disruption, but while T.O. wasn't being a disruption and yet still getting 24/7 news coverage, Branch was truely being the distraction.  He was complaining about not getting paid enough, and the Patriots had generous offers for him, yet he wanted the type of money that only the truely elite get, when I personally don't think he is that good.  The Patriots lose a distraction and gain some locker room presence.

However the Pats do lose a talented reciever.  They are incredibly weak at the reciever position, as the other guys are the old Troy Brown, Reche Caldwell (Who didn't do much in San Diego), Doug Gabriel (Who showed promise but has yet to prove himself) and Chad Jackson (Rookie).  The Patriots must be banking on one of these young guys stepping into Branch's role.  And having a first round pick from the Seahawks gives them a pick likely between 16-32, so they could always draft a reciever to fill that spot.

How it helps/hurts the Seahawks.

The Seahawks have many #2 recievers, but not really a big time number 1 guy.  The Seahawks obviously believe that Branch may fill that role, or at least take away focus from Darrell Jackson. They also have Bobby Engram and Nate Burleson, so they are fairly deep at reciever.

They did lose a round one pick, and I think it is because they want to win now.  The way Branch acted with the Patriots makes me think he won't hesitate to do that down the road with the Seahawks, and he may only be there for a short time, while a draft pick would probably stay around longer.

THAT'S ALL I GOT

I've already done the preview for tommorow's (or tonights depending on when you read this) season opener between the Steelers and Dolphins.

But what about those other games? Sure, we've all heard the Colts vs Giants hype-zilla, but let's take a look at each game, and who will win them.

Ravens at Buccaneers.
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL.

The Ravens passing offense is a bit improved with the addition of Steve McNair. However the Bucs D is set up to perfectly stop the Ravens offense. Brooks can cover Heap, Barber has Mason, and Kelly on Clayton. The Bucs D-Line will stop the non existant running attack from Jamal Lewis as well. The Bucs aren't going to score much in this game, however the Bucs D is better, and the offense has a running game, which will be all they need.

Buccaneers win 16-10

Saints at Browns
Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, OH.

The Browns defense has a lot of holes, which is perfect for the Saints high powered offense. The Browns secondary is non existant, and Joe Horn and Reggie Bush will tear them apart. The Saints also have a lot of holes on defense, however with a shaky running offense in the red-zone, and a inexperienced passing game, the Saints will pull this out.

Saints win 33-24

Falcons at Panthers
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC.

The Panthers passing offense is improved with Keyshawn Johnson, however there is still some questions with the running game. Foster is healthy for now, and they have the rookie Williams but the offensive line is weak. The Falcons have improved their Defense by adding Abraham and Milloy along with an already talented cast on defense. The Falcons D will have to win this game, as the pass offense is seemingly non-existant. The Panthers secondary is alright, but not too strong. I am calling the upset in this one.

Falcons win 20-17

Seahawks at Lions
Ford Field, Detroit, MI.

The Seahawks still have a great offense with defending MVP Shaun Alexander, as well as a solid passing game and still a great O-line even without Hutchinson. The Lions defense is extremely flawed, and the Seahawks may put up an Arena League score on them. The Seahawks D-line is a bit suspect, but I don't see the Lions being able to use that enough to win this game.

Seahawks win 36-14

Eagles at Texans
Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX.

The Eagles one hole on D might be the linebackers, but with Domanick Davis out, the Texans don't really any running game that can take advantage. The Texans defense is improved, but even then the Eagles offense is better than the D. I originally picked the upset, but now that I look at it, I feel stupid.

Eagles win 23-20

Jets at Titans
LP Field, Nashville, TN.

The Titans stink, there is no doubt. Amazingly the Jets look like they stink more. The secondary is bad, and Andre Dyson is injured. The D-line is decent, but nothing special. The Titans have a better all-around defense than the Jets, and the Jets offense is minus a running game. The Titans offense is bad too, but they have just enough a better defense and home field advantage.

Titans win 17-6

Bengals at Chiefs
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO.

Both of these teams have amazing offenses. The Bengals have a great running back, great line, great QB, and great recievers. The Chiefs have a great running back, great line, great QB, and decent recievers. It comes down to the defenses. The Bengals D has injuries, and when healthy is terrible. The Chiefs D is improved with Hali and Law, and that will get them this victory.

Chiefs win 34-26

Broncos at Rams
Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO.

The Rams still have a good offense, and if they start running the ball, they can be great. But the Broncos have a good offense, with great linebackers and a great secondary. The Broncos have a solid offense with Plummer throwing to Rod Smith and Javon Walker. They also have a running system that gets anyone a lot of yards, and the Rams defense is very bad. The lack of D will ultimately cost him.

Broncos win 28-20

Bills at Patriots
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA.

The Bills offensive line is bad, and the passing game is bad. Even with a defense that isn't what it once was, the Patriots have this battle won. On offense, the Pats are a bit shaky on the ground, and the Bills have a solid defense. But the Bills lack of offense will be Buffalo's downfall.

Patriots win 17-3

Cowboys at Jaguars
Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, FL.

The Cowboys have a solid offense with Bledsoe, Glenn, Witten and Owens. They also have Julius Jones who when healthy is pretty good. The Jaguars D is good on the front 4, and has good parts with the rest of the D, but they do have a few holes. The Cowboys defensive line is bad, but I'm not sure that Fred Taylor will be able to do enough with that weakness, as the rest of the D is solid. However, the Jaguars are at home, and I think they win this one in a close game.

Jaguars win 20-17 (In Overtime)

Bears at Packers
Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

The Bears weakness is the lack of offense. However this should not be a huge problem if Thomas Jones runs the ball well. The Packers front 7 is decent, but if the Bears can run, they can set up the pass versus a weak secondary. The Bears D is great on the front 7, and they will probably stop the run, leaving Brett Favre to pass a lot, and that isn't a good thing.

Bears win 20-9

49ers at Cardinals
Cardinals Stadium? (I don't know if it has a fancy name) Scottsdale, AZ.

Both teams are terrible defensively, as both defenses are about equally bad. But the Cardinals have a great running back, and great wide recievers. The 49ers offense is terrible. Even against weak D's, Alex Smith struggles. Plus they lack much of a running game with the unproven Frank Gore.

Cardinals win 37-13

Colts at Giants
Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ.

The Giants have a good defensive line, but the rest of the defense is a bit shaky, and has a few injuries. The Colts passing offense is great, but the concern is about Rhodes and Addai running successfully. The Colts defense is injured like crazy because of that useless thing called the preseason, and other than the front 4, the entire D is in question. The Giants have a good running game with Barber and a solid passing game. This game could be an absolute shootout, but the Colts offensive line will end up being the deciding factor.

Colts win 38-34

Vikings at Redskins (MNF)
FedEx Field, Landover, MD.

The Vikings have a decent offense, altough the running game is in question, as well as the recieving targets. The Redskins offense is a bit more proven at wide reciever, but Portis's possible injuy could hamper that. Both teams have serviceable defenses. They are pretty evenly match on D, however I like the Redskins offense more, and they are at home.

Redskins win 20-13

Chargers at Raiders (MNF)
McAfee Coliseum, Oakland, CA.

The Chargers have a great running back and fullback, but do have some questions with the passing game. However the Raider secondary looks incredibly weak which could open it up for Rivers. The Chargers D is a bit of a concern, but the Raiders offense will not be able to make up for the lack of defense.

Chargers win 30-18

Well, week 1 looks to be incredibly exciting. It is the happiest time of the year, and football season is about to start

HOORAY FOR FOOTBALL!

And in baseball news, Marlins rookie Anibal Sanchez threw a no hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

And in basketball, Gary Payton re-signed with the Heat.

This thursday, the NFL season finally starts for real, as the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers will face off in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field.  Let's take a look at this game.

The Steelers Offense.
The Steelers will not have Ben Roethlisberger for this game, as he was hospitalized and had an appendectomy today.  That means that the Steelers offense will have to be led by quarterback Charlie Batch.  Batch's numbers were not terrible last year, but also not great.  For the Steelers offense to have success, running back Willie Parker will need to step up and have a big game.  The Steelers have one of football's best offensive lines, and a running game will be crucial in this matchup.  Batch just has to not make any big mistakes.

The Dolphins Defense.
The front 7 will need to be big in this game to stop the Steelers offense.  Jason Taylor and Kevin Carter are both solid pass rushers, but they along with Traylor and Holliday will need to step up on the line to stop the run.  The linebackers are a little suspect, with with Crowder and Spragan, but they do have a veteran leader at MLB in Zach Thomas.  The weakness in the secondary is the biggest concern, but without Roethlisberger, the Steelers may be unable to take advantage.

The Dolphins Offense.
The question is which Daunte Culpepper are we going to get.  Will it be the 2004 great Daunte, or the 2005 terrible Daunte.  However having a successful running game will be important for the Dolphins offense as with the Steelers offense.  The offensive line is a little suspect, so Ronnie Brown will need to be able to find the holes as best he can.  Being able to pass will also be important, but Culpepper has good targets with Chambers and McMichael.

The Steelers Defense.
Is the same for the most part from the great defense they had last year.  The only starters they lost are Kimo von Olehoffen, and Chris Hope.  They still have a great set of linebackers for their 3-4 with Porter, Haggans, Farrior, and Foote.  They also have a solid D-line with Casey Hampton and Aaron Smith.  The new DE starter, Keisel is a new starter but did solid last year when in.  The secondary has a great safety with Troy Polamalu, but have a new free safety in Ryan Clark.  The corners are solid, but a bit of a concern.

SPECIAL TEAMS.
Jeff Reed is a solid kicker who tends to make most of his kicks.  They also have a good veteran punter in Chris Gardocki.  The Steelers do not have a real return threat.  The Dolphins kicker Mare is alright, but is a bit shaky.  The punter Jones is decent, however the Dolphins have a return threat with Wes Welker.

The Prediction

The Running game is the key on both sides, and which team can run better will likely win this game.  I feel the Steelers have a tougher offensive line than the Dolphins, and the Steelers also have a great blocking fullback in Dan Krieder.  They will play a tough game, but in the end I think the Steelers will pull this one out.

THAT'S ALL I GOT