PIGSKIN 2017: Opening Week

PIGSKIN

Football Sunday

WEEK ONE

Welcome back!  What a Super Bowl, huh?

Before getting started, allow me to explain what I do here.  I usually post my picks on Friday according to the day's spread.  Unless the Giants/Jets are playing, PIGSKIN picks involve Sunday games only.  My preferred unit of worthlessness is the Bagel.  That's right ... each game is worth one Bagel, and I list a Schmear of the Week worth three Bagels.  And just to be clear, I do this for fun.   So, if you get all Craig Carton'd up and lose real money as a result of following my picks, that's your problem.  Not mine.

Notes:

• Since Daniel Snyder won't change his team name, I did it for him.
• I usually get all Cleveland Browns games wrong.
• Everyone seems to have two teams they root for.  Therefore I'm first and foremost a Giants fan, and I've been a Raiders fan since the days of Ken Stabler, Dave Casper, Coach Madden, etc.

Week One:

Saturday Line NYDN

Giants +4 (COWBOYS)

Ezekiel Elliott?  Really?  Cowboys, Jerry Jones ... nothing about that organization surprises me anymore.  I was down on JPP last season.  Not this year.  And I always hated starting the season against Dallas.  Not this year.
Loss  19-3 Cowboys

BILLS -9 (Jets)

Gang Green's horrible season starts, now.
PUSH  21-12 Bills

Falcons -6 1/2 (BEARS)

Talk about pissed off.  I still say the Falcons were incapable of running the ball after their center got hurt.  Why no one made a bigger deal of that is ponderous.  That prevented Atlanta from keeping Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense off the field.  The rest is Super Bowl history.
Loss  23-17 Falcons

TEXANS -5 1/2 (Jaguars)

Tom Coughlin will make a difference in Jacksonville ... eventually.
Loss  29-7 Jaguars

D.C. HOGS +1 (Eagles)

Opening day upset anyone?
Loss  30-17 Eagles

Cardinals -2 (LIONS)

This is the Cardinals last chance before their window of opportunity slams shut.
Loss  35-23 Lions

Raiders +2 1/2 (TITANS)

See Atlanta ... the Raiders have one pissed-off quarterback on their hands who's gonna take out last season's frustrations on this year's opposition.
WIN  26-16 Raiders

Buccaneers @ DOLPHINS

Game has been moved to Week Eleven due to Hurricane Irma.  I have family in Florida, as I'm sure many of you do too.

BENGALS -3 (Ravens)

Rebuild said the Raven...
Loss  20-0 Ravens

Steelers -9 (BROWNS)

I've often wondered how Paul DePodesta (former NY Mets front office executive) thinks he's going to turn around the Browns.  Can't draft high school players in the NFL, dude.
Loss  21-18 Steelers

RAMS -4 (Colts)

The Colts can not protect Andrew Luck.  Oh wait, he's not playing!
WIN  46-9 Rams

PACKERS -3 (Seahawks)

I'm as apathetic as Las Vegas on this one.  Take the home team and the points.  Can you say, Push?
WIN  17-9 Packers

Panthers -5 (49ERS)

This is all about Carolina.  Does happy-go-lucky Cam show up, or does despondent Newton rule the day?
WIN  23-3 Panthers

Schmear of the Week:

Cardinals -2 1/2
LOSS

Guten Appetit:

Why fight tradition?  We're kicking off the new season with chicken wings - buffalo, bbq, and parmesan style.  Making bruschetta with my own tomato, basil, and parsley.  I grew hot peppers this season too!  So I'll be making a salsa, and tossing in my home grown cucumbers, bell peppers, and arugula into another salad.

Good luck, and have a great Football Sunday everyone!

POST-GAME:
Week One Record:  4-7-1
Schmear of the Week:  0-1
Bagels in the Basket:  -7