Week 1: Let's Kickoff the Season!

Neither of us have any idea why Ryan Tannehill is starting. (Getty)

We're back!  The Stubborn OXen had a big get together in New York City this weekend to watch USC outlast Syracuse in football.  We also had the chance to fire back up the blog.

We have drafted our teams for the season and will share them in the next few days, but in preparation for Sunday kickoff, let's take a look at this week's picks.

Austen (Eight-Point Pick) – @Houston over Miami

Austen: Has anyone watched Hard Knocks? The Fins are awful. Texans are my sleeper team in the AFC. All points to a Houston win.

Stally:  How the heck are the Texans a sleeper?  They were a drive away from going to the AFC Championship game with T.J. Yates as a QB.  Needless to say, I agree, this is a lopsided game.

Stally (Eight-Point Pick) – New England over @Tennessee

Stally: Yes, I’m a Patriots fan that always optimistic about the season.  However, I think this Pats team is better than last year’s, which was a play away from winning the Super Bowl.  Jake Locker might develop as a serviceable QB for the Titans, but I don’t see him being an immediate star.

Austen: When was the last time the Pats lost the first game of the season? It basically never happens. The Titans have a chance to be good this season and could give the Pats a run for their money for a bit, but it is hard for me to imagine their defense slowing down this offense.

Austen (Seven-Point Pick) - @New Orleans over Washington

Austen: The Saints never lose at home and will come out angry after this crazy offseason. The Redskins defense is banged up and they are starting a rookie quarterback. RG3 will have to be spectacular in order to pull out a win.

Stally: I’m staying away from New Orleans in the early going.  It’s not that I don’t think they’re a big favorite in this game, I just have questions whether you can go through what they did and lose the personnel they did and still be a great team.

Stally (Seven-Point Pick) - @Detroit over St. Louis

Stally: A young Lions team should be improved from a team that still made the playoffs last year.  The Rams on the other went 2-14.  If Detroit can’t win this at home, they’re in a lot of trouble.

Austen: The Rams are an up and coming team with a lot of potential to surprise a lot of people. The Lions defense is going to be terrible once again because they have scrubs starting for them in the secondary due to Eric Wright walking in free agency and Aaron Berry being released due to numerous arrests.  The Lions should easily win this one, but don’t let one year trick you into thinking that the Lions are anything besides THE LIONS.

Austen (Six-Point Pick) - @Chicago over Indianapolis

Austen: The Bears are a playoff team. The Colts defense is horrible. Look for the Bears running game to dominate this one.

Stally:  Like you said about the Rams, the Colts are going to be better this year, but I agree, it’s unrealistic to expect them to beat the Bears on the road.

Stally (Six-Point Pick) – Philadelphia over @Cleveland

Stally: It took the Eagles far too long to get in a rhythm last year.  Once they got going, they looked like the team we had expected them to be before the season.  The Browns are on my short list of teams to post the worst record this season.

Austen: The Browns might be the worst team in the league, but they definitely have heavy competition from the Dolphins. Vick looks anything but durable and if he goes down, they are starting a very raw rookie quarterback. The Browns defense is underrated and definitely has the potential to badly injure Vick. However, if Vick actually plays the entire game, the Browns should not have a shot.

Austen (Five-Point Pick) - @Baltimore over Cincinnati

Austen: The Ravens defense is getting old but their offense is getting scary talented. The Bengals could not find a way to beat the Ravens or the Steelers last year. I doubt this young team finds a way to pull one out on the road against a far superior team.

Stally:  It’s not unrealistic that the Bengals will be a better team than the Ravens in the next few years.  I’d still definitely take the Ravens, but wouldn’t be surprised if the Bengals set a surprising tone for their season with a big divisional upset.

Stally (Five-Point Pick) - @Green Bay over San Francisco

 Stally: Everything went right for the 49ers last year, so I expect a little regression.  Heading on the road to Green Bay will probably be the first step in that regression.

Austen: The Packers are the best team in the league and the 49ers still need to prove that they can hang with the elite teams. There is a lot to like about the improvements the 49ers have made on offense, but it will take some time for them to gel together so knocking off the Packers at home is a bit of a stretch. Also, Alex Smith simply needs to get better for this team to remain a playoff threat.

Austen (Four-Point Pick) - @New York-G over Dallas

Austen: Well I already lost this one, but I stand by the choice. The Giants are the World Champions and have a pass rush that would make Lawrence Taylor blush. The injuries to their cornerbacks are killing a defense that is trying to become one of the best in the league.  The Cowboys showed they are back on the right track this season and that their acquisitions on defense are going to pay off handsomely for them. America’s Team is back to being relevant.

Stally: What the heck are you talking about?  The Cowboys collapsed last year and the Giants snuck into the playoffs as a result.  Dallas was the better team for most of last season and it’s no surprise they won this game, just like it won’t be a surprise when they win the NFC East.

Stally (Four-Point Pick) – Atlanta over @Kansas City

Stally: I’m hesitant on this game because it has the classic makings of an upset: a Falcons team that has had its tires pumped all season going into a tough environment against a team that underachieved due to health reasons in 2011.  Atlanta still makes sense, but I’m not overly confident.

Austen: The Falcons have to win this game to prove that they are not just a team of solid fantasy football players. If they lose this one, they have to start questioning where they are as a football team.

Austen (Three-Point Pick) – Seattle over @Arizona

Austen: The Seahawks have improved both on offense and defense this offseason. They will be playoff contenders. The Cards defense is very underrated, but that does not make up for an offense run by John Skelton. Don’t get me wrong, they made the right choice with Skelton over Kolb, but beating Kolb isn’t saying much. That offense has more questions than answers and that’s why they will struggle to win games this year.

Stally: The Cardinals were surprisingly good in the second half last year, but I agree the Seahawks will be an under-the-radar team.

Stally (Three-Point Pick) - @Tampa Bay over Carolina

Stally: After telling Austen how off he was on Tampa Bay last year, I’m back on the bandwagon in 2012.  I feel like the Panthers are overrated due to Cam Newton’s stats.  I expect him to regress and I expect Greg Schiano to revive the Bucs.

Austen: This is a toss up and I think the outcome will come down to Steve Smith’s health. Without him, Newton has no one to throw the ball to. The Bucs might be the most improved team in the league this year, but with a healthy Smith and Newton at the helm, the Panthers should be the favorite.

Austen (Two-Point Pick) – San Diego over @Oakland

Austen: Carson Palmer has looked downright terrible this preseason. Darren McFadden is a question mark. And don’t forget that the Raiders defense is atrocious. The Chargers are trying to prove that they are elite once again. Look for Phillip Rivers to have a great game after a down year.

Stally: Ditto to all of that!

Stally (Two-Point Pick) - @Denver over Pittsburgh

Stally: As long as he’s healthy, Peyton Manning should make the Broncos a favorite to repeat in the AFC West.  Pittsburgh seems to have fallen down the past few seasons and lost more than it gained in the offseason.  This should be a good measuring stick of power in the AFC.

Austen: I’ve got the Steelers in this one. Peyton is not 100%, I don’t care what anyone says. You can see it in the way he has been throwing. Right tackle is an issue for the Broncos and LaMarr Woodley should strike some serious fear into the 36-year-old quarterback.

Austen (One-Point Pick) - @Minnesota over Jacksonville

Austen: I picked this one entirely on the fact that Christian Ponder is a better quarterback than Blaine Gabbert. The home field advantage doesn’t hurt either.

Stally: I think they’re both pretty terrible, to be honest.  I like Jacksonville’s supporting cast a little more than a Vikings team unsure of Adrian Peterson’s health.  All things considered, I doubt either of these teams will win more than five or six games.

Stally (One-Point Pick) – Buffalo over @New York-J

Stally: I know Austen let this game fall this far because he wanted the Jets for sentimental reasons, but knew the Bills were the practical choice … and knew that I’d eventually take the Bills.

Austen: Stally is right. The Bills are legitimately a better team than the Jets this season. Lucky for the Jets, the Bills always find a way to disappoint. This is the best defense that Rex Ryan has had in his time in New York, so this one will come down to which mediocre offense makes less mistakes. I have a feeling that Timmy Tebow will have an impact on the outcome of this game.