NFL Week 1 picks: Chiefs win thriller over Lions, Patriots shock Eagles, Steelers stun favored 49ers

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rewrite this content material with complete period and stay HTML tags Ladies and gents, welcome to eleventh yr of my NFL alternatives. I’ve after all outlasted Tom Brady. I in truth did not suppose he used to be ever going to retire, and even if he introduced his retirement previous this yr, I nonetheless concept he used to be going to go back someday, however now, I’m beginning to suppose that is not going to occur. I imply, not anything says “I’m retired” greater than flirting with Kim Kardashian at a birthday party within the Hamptons.  I’m guessing my invite to the birthday party were given misplaced within the mail, which is most certainly for the most efficient, as a result of I’m 61% positive that I’m nonetheless banned from the Hamptons.  Anyway, I do not know why I’m even speaking about Brady or the Hamptons, as a result of there are far more essential issues to speak about at this time like who I’m selecting to win the Super Bowl this yr. So who am I going to select?That’s a perfect query and you’ll find the solution by way of clicking right here to peer my predictions for all the 2023 NFL season. If you click on over, you’ll be able to see my ultimate report predictions for all 32 groups plus who I’m selecting to make the playoffs and win the Super Bowl.Alright, let’s get to the Week 1 alternatives. Actually, sooner than we get to the Week 1 alternatives, I’ve just right news for the 9 of you who emailed in and demanded to CBS that I do extra this season. Not simplest will I be penning this weekly alternatives column, however I’ll even be podcasting so much this yr. As an issue of reality, you will have to cross forward and circle each and every Sunday and Tuesday to your calendar from now till February, as a result of that is when I’ll be becoming a member of Will Brinson and Ryan Wilson at the Pick Six Podcast (Click right here to test it out). On Sundays, we’re going to be doing a recap display. As for Tuesdays, we’re going to be terrorizing Pete Prisco on a display that might be focused round his weekly energy scores.  Alright, I believe that is sufficient self-promotion for now, let’s get to the alternatives. NFL Week 1 PicksDetroit at Kansas CityThursday, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)When the NFL launched the 2023 agenda again in May, I used to be so stunned that the Lions had been picked for the opener that I spit oat milk out of my nostril and the gross phase is that I do not even drink oat milk. I nonetheless do not know the way that came about. I will have to most certainly get that checked. When it involves Kansas City’s opponent for this sport, the NFL had a large number of choices — just like the Bengals, Eagles, Bills or Chargers, to call a couple of — however they went with the Lions, who may need to trade their identify to the Lambs for this sport, as a result of they really feel like a sacrificial lamb right here. The drawback for Detroit is that the Chiefs by no means lose in Week 1. If you give Andy Reid additional time to arrange for a sport, he’s nearly all the time going to win. Over the previous 8 years, Reid has long gone 8-0 in openers and the Chiefs have averaged 36.4 issues in line with sport in the ones 8 wins. Also, Patrick Mahomes may well be probably the most unstoppable QB in the world when enjoying in an opener. I imply, he is all the time unstoppable, however he is additional unstoppable in Week 1.  Mahomes has began 5 openers in his occupation and he is 5-0 in the ones video games with the Chiefs, scoring a mean of 37.8 issues in line with win. I might expect Kansas City to attain 37.8 issues on Sunday, however I do not consider in decimals, so I’m going to head with a spherical quantity. Although I’m fawning all over the Chiefs, I do suppose that the Chris Jones state of affairs may give the Lions a possibility to drag off the disappointed. Jones is the Chiefs’ perfect defensive participant and at this level, there are simplest two choices for Thursday: He will get a deal accomplished with the staff and performs. He does not get a deal accomplished and he misses the sport. If the primary choice occurs, I believe he’s going to be rusty and most commonly useless. If the second one choice occurs, the Chiefs might be lacking their perfect defensive participant, which might pave the way in which for the Lions offense to attain a large number of issues. I believe what I’m looking to say here’s that the opener goes to develop into a shootout.  If the Lions pull off the disappointed on this sport, the staff must have fun by way of sending everybody in Detroit a loose Axel Foley jacket.  I do not believe the disappointed goes to occur, however I’m going to plant the seed simply in case it does. The select: Chiefs 33-30 over LionsAlthough I really like my select for this sport, I counsel you additionally learn R.J. White’s select as a result of he by hook or by crook turns out to nail each and every Lions sport. The guy is on an INSANE 53-35-2 (+1462) run in opposition to the unfold on his ultimate 90 alternatives in video games involving Detroit. White’s select is to be had over at SportsLine and you’ll test it out right here. Cincinnati at Cleveland1 p.m. ET (CBS)For some explanation why, each and every Bengals season turns out to begin the similar approach: Joe Burrow misses all of coaching camp, then presentations as much as the opener taking a look a bit rusty, after which the Bengals continue to play the wildest sport of Week 1 and that sport is all the time determined by way of precisely 3 issues. If may sound like I’m making this all up, however I swear, I’m now not. Let’s do a snappy refresher: 2020: Burrow’s first preseason with the staff used to be reduce brief all over his rookie yr because of COVID. In Week 1, the Bengals confronted the Chargers and so they ended up shedding 16-13 in a wild sport that wasn’t wrapped up till Cincinnati neglected a 31-yard box purpose with seven seconds left. 2021: In his 2d yr, Burrow ended up lacking the preseason so he may rehab the ACL tear that he suffered as a rookie. Not simplest did Burrow make it again for the opener, however he led the Bengals to a wild 27-24 extra time win over the Vikings. A large explanation why the Bengals received is as a result of Dalvin Cook misplaced a fumble in extra time. Cook simplest misplaced TWO FUMBLES all the season, and certainly one of them got here in extra time of that sport. 2022: Once once more, Burrow neglected maximum of coaching camp, and this time, it used to be because of his appendix, which in truth RUPTURED in July 2022. Despite having his appendix burst inside of his frame, Burrow used to be nonetheless at the box for the Bengals’ opener in opposition to the Steelers, and this sport may had been the wildest certainly one of excited about him. The Bengals appeared like they had been going to win after scoring a TD with two seconds left, however a nasty snap by way of their BACKUP lengthy snapper resulted in an errant additional level, which despatched the sport to OT the place the Steelers would win 23-20. That is 3 loopy video games all determined by way of 3 issues. I do not wish to know anything else in regards to the Browns or Bengals. I simply wish to know that Burrow neglected all the preseason and that anytime that occurs, craziness ensues within the opener. Usually, I might routinely select in opposition to the Browns as a result of they by no means win in Week 1, however they ended their 18-year winless streak ultimate season. On the Bengals’ finish, I’m selecting them to win the Super Bowl this season, however It’s not that i am selecting them to win this sport. Burrow is 1-4 in opposition to the Browns and he all the time turns out to battle in opposition to them, so I’m going to roll with Cleveland right here. The select: Browns 26-23 over Bengals.San Francisco at Pittsburgh1 p.m. ET (Fox)I’m beginning to suppose that any individual within the NFL scheduling division hates the 49ers. For the THIRD STRAIGHT yr, the 49ers might be flying midway around the nation to play their opener, and if ultimate yr used to be any indication, this may well be an unpleasant travel. If you want a refresher on ultimate yr, the 49ers were given beat in Chicago on what may had been the rainiest day in NFL historical past. Trey Lance most certainly nonetheless has nightmares about that sport, which may well be why he did not finally end up figuring out in San Francisco. This yr the 49ers get a fair worse travel, as a result of they’ve to fly to Pittsburgh to stand a Steelers staff that in truth fits up beautiful neatly with them. For one, if the 49ers have one weak point on offense, it is their offensive line. Yes, they’ve some of the…