Opening weekend in the NFL is tough to pick because it's hard to assess where teams really stand. The past has proven the preseason doesn't help much either.
With Week 1 out of the way, some other minefields dot the landscape - Like thinking what you saw last Sunday is the be-all, end-all to what a team will do the rest of the season.
For instance, Buffalo went on the road and blitzed a division winner from last season, Kansas City, 41-7 last week. I ain't buying it. Not yet.
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STEVE BROWNLEE
Or Baltimore trashing Pittsburgh, 35-7. Don't give up on the Steelers so fast.
In fact, my three (yes, three!) picks for the Super Bowl this season are all 0-1 - the Steelers, New Orleans and Indianapolis - the last one I said could sprint through the playoffs if Peyton Manning gets back to them in time. It looks like he won't, so I AM ready to write off the Colts.
With a grain of salt taken from Week 1 games, here goes this week's picks:
Sunday, 1 p.m., Kansas City at Detroit - On paper, this looks like a mismatch. But on a computer screen, it appears more like a blowout. This may turn into a closer game than most think, but Lions, 35-21.
Green Bay at Carolina - At least the team with last year's worst record gets to host the Super Bowl champs. It's too early in the season for Carolina to put all their Humpty-Dumpty pieces together to form a real semblance of a team. Packers, 40-13.
Oakland at Buffalo - If the Raiders need another 63-yard field goal from Sebastian Janikowski, they'll struggle in a game played a lot closer to sea level. Bills, 24-20.
Cleveland at Indianapolis - Can the No. 1 draft pick be decided in Week 2? This game will give somebody a leg up in that race. Browns, 22-15.
Tampa Bay at Minnesota - One of the knocks on Tampa is that everybody it beat last season had a losing record. Minnesota will have a losing record. Bucs, 20-12.
Chicago at New Orleans - The Bears aren't as good as Week 1 indicated. Saints, 40-29.
Jacksonville at N.Y. Jets - Late in the season, Jets coach Rex Ryan might have a hard time pumping up his troops after their stirring win over Dallas. Early, though, the adrenalin is still flowing. Jets, 19-9.
Seattle at Pittsburgh - After last week in Baltimore, the Steelers will treat this game like the playoffs. Steelers, 37-13.
Baltimore at Tennessee - Rome wasn't built in a day, so don't expect the Titans to be rebuilt in a week. Ravens, 30-17.
Arizona at Washington - Was it bad that Cam Newton passed for more than 400 yards on the Cardinals, or was it good that Arizona won the game anyway? Cross-country trip could be a stinker. Redskins, 31-19.
Sunday, 4 p.m., Dallas at San Francisco - With coach Jason Garrett, Dallas has the makeup to bounce back after looking stupid in the loss to the Jets. Cowboys, 27-16.
Cincinnati at Denver - Bengals sitting fat and happy after unexpected Week 1 win. Broncos, 21-12.
Houston at Miami - Houston's Matt Schaub may not pass for 500 yards like the Patriots' Tom Brady did to Miami, but with running back Arian Foster's return, Houston won't need him to. Texans, 38-20.
San Diego at New England - If anybody can take advantage of a fumblin', bumblin' team like the Chargers, it's New England. And this is about as long a road trip as there is in the NFL. Patriots, 35-23.
Sunday, 8 p.m., Philadelphia at Atlanta - Two teams I preordained to win their divisions. But 0-1 Atlanta needs it more. Falcons, 31-28.
Monday, St. Louis at N.Y. Giants - Running back Steven Jackson's injury makes the Rams a shell of their preseason selves. Giants, 20-10.
Record last week and season record: 12-4
Steve Brownlee can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 246.