Football is back, along with our attempt to understand what will happen during the various football matches. It’s the weekly pick element, with MDS and yours truly battling it out, picking each game. I think I won last year. I can’t remember, actually. I guess someone will correct me if I’m wrong. Whether I recognize the correction is another matter. Hopefully my picks for the first week will need some tweaking. We disagree in four of the 16 games. For all options, scroll away. Bills (-2.5) on Rams MDS’ take: The Bills are the preseason Super Bowl favorites and are the Week 1 favorites to beat the defending Super Bowl champions. And yet I have a feeling that Matthew Stafford is going to beat Josh Allen as the Rams win. MDS pick: Rams 27, Bills 20. Florio’s take: Long flight, high expectations, hot night, big opponent. Also, Sean McVay is 5-0 in week one. Hang the banner and write a W for the kids from Los Angeles Florio’s pick: Rams 30, Bills 24. Saints (-5.5) at Falcons MDS’s take: The Falcons offense will be better than people expect, but the Saints will still win it in a close and exciting game. MDS pick: Saints 33, Falcons 31. Florio’s take: The post-Payton Saints are off to a good start against the overmatched Falcons. We’ll see if it lasts. Florio’s pick: Saints 24, Falcons 17. 49ers (-7) at Bears MDS’s take: I’m not sold on either Trey Lance or Justin Fields, but I think the 49ers will struggle defensively. MDS pick: 49ers 13, Bears 10. Florio’s take: The Bears don’t have the talent to compete with an elite team, especially not right out of the gates. Florio’s pick: 49ers 24, Bears 14. Steelers (+6.5) at Bengals MDS’ take: Mitchell Trubisky will have a better season than people think for the Steelers, but not so good that I expect him to outscore Joe Burrow in Week One. MDS pick: Bengals 24, Steelers 21. Florio’s take: The Steelers are always as dangerous as the hunted. They are even more dangerous than the hunter. Florio’s pick: Steelers 23, Bengals 20. Eagles (-4) at Lions MDS’s take: The Lions look like an improving team to me — but probably the kind of improving team that loses a lot of close games instead of losing blowouts. MDS Pick: Eagles 21, Lions 20. Florio’s take: The Eagles have high expectations. The best way to start responding to them is to beat an inferior team. Florio’s pick: Eagles 27, Lions 20. Patriots (+3.5) at Dolphins MDS’ take: I’m not as sold on the Dolphins’ new look as some, and I think Bill Belichick will have some defensive wrinkles to help the Patriots win a low-scoring game. MDS pick: Patriots 16, Dolphins 13. Florio’s take: The Patriots play in Miami when they have the best team. How will they do when they don’t? Florio’s pick: Dolphins 27, Patriots 20. Ravens (-7) at Jets MDS’s take: It looks like it’s going to be a long season for the Jets and a rebound season for the Ravens. MDS pick: Ravens 31, Jets 17. Florio’s take: Joe Flacco is not elite. Neither is the rest of his team. Florio’s pick: Ravens 27, Jets 17. Jaguars (+2.5) at Commanders MDS’ take: The Jaguars need to be better than they have been in the last two disastrous seasons, but the Commanders will win a close game in Week 1. MDS pick: Commanders 14, Jaguar 13. Florio’s take: Just as Carson Wentz is finally putting last year’s collapse in Jacksonville behind him, here come the Jaguars. Florio’s pick: Jaguars 24, Commanders 20. Browns (+1.5) at Panthers MDS’s take: Baker Mayfield gets his revenge. In the long run, maybe the Browns’ decision to move on from Mayfield will be vindicated, but in the short term, it’s been a bad offseason for Cleveland to follow a bad start to the regular season. MDS pick: Panthers 23, Browns 20. Florio’s take: Baker Mayfield may not have said he wants to face the Browns. But he definitely wants to. And he will. Florio’s pick: Panthers 27, Browns 21. Colts (-7) at Texans MDS’s take: Both of these teams look better than last year, but I have more faith in Matt Ryan than Davis Mills to play well in the first. MDS pick: Colts 24, Texans 20. Florio’s take: Matt Ryan may not be a five-year answer, but he’s the best quarterback they’ve had since Andrew Luck retired. The Texans, meanwhile, continue to be in the midst of a deadline-less rebuild. Florio’s pick: Colts 31, Texans 20. Giants (+5.5) at Titans MDS Take: The Titans have had a strange offseason for a team that was the No. 1 seed in the AFC last year, looking more like a rebuilding team than a team trying to get to the Super Bowl. I still think they’re better than the Giants, though. MDS Pick: Titans 20, Giants 17. Florio’s take: The Titans lost at home in Week 1 last year, 38-13 to the Cardinals. Mike Vrabel certainly hasn’t forgotten that, and he certainly hasn’t let his players forget it. Florio’s pick: Titans 27, Giants 10. Packers (-1.5) at Vikings MDS’s take: The Packers should win their fourth straight NFC North title and start with a road win against the second-best team in the division. MDS Pick: Packers 28, Vikings 21. Florio’s take: The Vikings will immediately be better than last year. The Packers might be better after all. However, it will take them a while to get there. Florio’s pick: Vikings 28, Packers 24. Chiefs (-6) at Cardinals MDS’ take: I like the Chiefs to win this big one, with Patrick Mahomes putting on a show and Kyler Murray struggling to keep up. MDS pick: Chiefs 35, Cardinals 20. Florio’s take: Too many people are sleeping on the Chiefs. Here comes the first wake-up call to the world of football. Florio’s pick: Chiefs 35, Cardinals 24. Raiders (+3) at Chargers MDS take: Sunday night’s rematch of last year’s final will end differently, as this time the Chargers win a close one. MDS pick: Chargers 31, Raiders 30. Florio’s take: The Chargers have a knack for seeing things go sideways. For now, though, they’re good enough to get off on the right foot by holding serve at home against a division rival. Florio’s pick: Chargers 34, Raiders 30. Buccaneers (-2.5) at Cowboys MDS’ take: Tom Brady may have taken a lot of time off during training camp, but when the games really count, he’ll turn it on and beat the Cowboys. MDS Pick: Buccaneers 27, Cowboys 20. Florio’s take: Tom Brady has only played once before at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys will be glad to never see him there again. Florio’s pick: Buccaneers 31, Cowboys 28, Broncos (-6.5) at Seahawks MDS’s take: Russell Wilson will win in his return to Seattle, but it won’t be as easy as some think as the Seahawks’ defense will prove better than expected. MDS Pick: Broncos 17, Seahawks 14. Florio’s take: The Seahawks don’t have the horses to keep up with the Broncos and Russell Wilson. Florio’s pick: Broncos 28, Seahawks 14.
