Players View Picks Week One of the NFL season

Players View changed our process for picking NFL games in 2012. We took editor Adrian Glover, two current rising players that are living in the culture of the game  and  fantasy guru Wade Thompson to form our ultimate pick’s committee.

Here’s how we see Week One.

Miami Dolphins at Houston Texans:

The Dolphins won’t have a great season and today will be their first step towards the bottom of the AFC East.

Unanimous Pick: The Texans will take their belt off and punish the Dolphins.

Indianapolis Colts at Chicago Bears

When the Colts traded for cornerback Vontae Davis, they made a statement that they are preparing to win now.  The Bears have also upgraded themselves yet their leader/MLB Brian Urlacher has stated that his healing knee will never be the same.

Wade and The Kids Pick: A solid win for Chicago.

Adrian Picks:  Luck pulls it out in a thriller.

Philadelphia Eagles at Cleveland Browns

At the request of his family, The Browns won’t honor the passing former owner Art Modell but they will start running back Trent Richardson. Joe Haden somehow has stymied his suspension long enough to take the field and quarterback Brandon Weeden has high hopes for his connection with receiver Greg Little.

That’s all well and good but they are facing a locked and loaded Eagles team that has depth to spare.

Unanimous Pick: Eagles will breakdown the Browns.

St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions

On paper the Rams made huge moves to turn their sinking ship around yet they did not look so hot in the preseason.

The Lions have a lot to prove in terms of the overall character of their team and they are shaky at the running back position.

Unanimous Pick: Detroit wins with confidence as the Rams continue to pull it together.

New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans

The Titans have a lot to look forward to this year as they appear to be mobilized to make a run at the next level. The Patriots seriously upgraded their defense yet they shed a lot of wide receivers during cuts and their offensive line is suspect.

Adrian & The Kids Pick: There has to be an upset and if the Patriots can’t run the ball and protect Tom Brady, the Titans can steal this one in a shocker.

Wade Picks:  New England will have no problem getting it done.

Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints

Robert Griffin III has the unenviable task of walking into a now energized Super Dome that is feeding off the energy of the returning Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma. Vilma won’t play but his presence in the building as the leader of counterattack on the league’s Bounty Gate suspensions will keep his team and the crowd fired up.

Adrian Picks: The Saints in a close one.

Wade Picks:  The Saints in a blowout.

The Kids Pick: Washington in an upset.

Buffalo Bills at New York Jets

P.T. Barnum a.k.a. Rex Ryan is either playing possum with the state of his team or the Jets really are a mess.  The Bills are together, upgraded and only have a liability at the quarterback position with the testy play of Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Unanimous Pick: The Bills win their first division game.

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers

In what is the knock-down drag out affair of the week, the league’s best defense is going head up with the league’s best offense. This could be a preview of the NFC championship game and it will be a fight.

Unanimous Pick: San Francisco walks away the victors after a physically draining game.

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

The Seahawks love their quarterback and the Cardinals took what they could get. Advantage Seattle.

Unanimous Pick: Russell Wilson brings the Emerald City hope with his first win as a pro.

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cam Newton is Cam Newton but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made huge moves this offseason.  New Bucs coach Greg Schiano has his team on point to play consistently with a high effort approach to getting it done.

Wade Picks: The Panthers win by two touchdowns.

Adrian & The Kids Pick: Tampa Bay will impose their will on a still rebuilding Panthers club.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos

Two words that spell one name…Von Miller.  Miller will lead the Broncos defense to a dominant performance over a Steelers team that is in a new scheme with a running game that is built on popsicle sticks.

The Kids Pick: Mike Wallace can still run the best go route in the NFL and his quarterback knows how to get it to him. When all else fails, the Steelers can play explosive football and the Broncos don’t have a safety to stop him.

Wade & Adrian Picks: The Broncos win with confidence.

San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders

There is a huge question mark hanging over San Diego at the moment and the Raiders once again have a new coach.  From a personnel perspective the Raiders have a lot more returning continuity on both sides of the ball.

Wade Picks: The Chargers will win by two scores.

The Kids & Adrian Pick: The Raiders will begin their campaign to shock the world.

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

Count on the fact that the two regular season games that these two teams play will determine the fate of the AFC North.

Wade Picks: Ravens win by the slimmest of margins 21-20.

Adrian Picks: Round one will go to Andy Dalton and A.J. Green in a fourth quarter miracle.

The Kids Pick: The Ravens will blow the Bengals out.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Minnesota Vikings

At the end of the season both of these teams could easily be fighting for the rights to the first round draft pick.  There are advantages to both teams in this one so it will be close and more than likely, pretty sloppy. The Ponder vs. Gabbert showdown is hardly marquee material.

The Kids Pick: Minnesota will ride Percy Harvin to glory.

Adrian Picks: The Jaguars will take the confidence that they gained in the preseason and pick up a win.

Atlanta Falcons at Kansas City Chiefs

The suspension of OLB Tamba Hali cripples the Chiefs ability to get to the quarterback. Atlanta hopes to take advantage of this and give Matt Ryan time to post pinball numbers on the road.

Unanimous Pick: The Falcons will do the A-Town stomp on the Chiefs.