"Johnny Be's Week One Football Picks"

Washington @ NY Giants: The defending champions have a lot to prove in their own eyes. They just gave Plaxico Burress a hefty new deal and have a chip on their shoulder for being labeled a fluke champion last season. Jason Taylor will be worried more about getting his tango moves right on the nationally televised game instead of going after the quarterback. Eli Manning has gotten a bad rap the last couple seasons, but I think Brett Favre going to the Jets took some media attention away from him, and will ultimately help him continue to get better. After all, he is a Super Bowl MVP and his last name is Manning. His interceptions still wouldn't tempt me to draft him to my fantasy team though. The Giants should win this game, and I think will win 9 or 10 total this year and get another Wild Card Playoff spot.

Detroit @ Atlanta: Detroit will beat the team that once boasted a troubled quarterback who is now public enemy number one to dog lovers everywhere. Atlanta has a rookie quarterback, and not enough weapons on either side of the ball to beat an exciting passing offense in the Lions.

Seattle @ Buffalo: Buffalo is a much better team than everyone thinks, and has one of the best up and coming backs in Marshawn Lynch. I think the Bills will upset the Seahawks who are used to playing division 2 college level teams like the 49ers and Rams. A 7-9 team has a shot at the playoffs in the NFC West; that makes me want to spew.

Jacksonville @ Tennessee: A lot of the experts are expecting the Jaguars to do a lot this season, and rightfully so. They've got all their returning weapons from last season, which was overshadowed by an early playoff exit and a team trying (unsuccessfully) for perfection. The Jags are too good to go into Tennessee and let a mediocre team upset them in the opening game.

NY Jets @ Miami: This game might, might be close, but the Jets will win. Yes, Chad Pennington knows the Jets' offensive and defensive schemes, but the Jets also know Chad's T-rex arm. Therefore, the former team edge's go out the window, and the Jets should dominate based on overall talent on both sides of the ball, and the questionable running game in Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown, which won't pan out until week 4 or 5.

Kansas City @ New England: Tom Brady has been M.I.A. this preseason, but Shirly Temple could be at quarterback for the Patriots and they'd still win this game. The Chiefs still don't have a quarterback and let the one of their only stars, Jared Allen, go to the Vikings. Larry Johnson is going to have another bad season, and I'm just glad I wasn't dumb enough to draft him to my fantasy team because last year was not a fluke.

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans: Tampa Bay will be a contender in an open division this year, but the New Orleans Saints will return to the same form they rolled with in the 2006 season. They had plenty of offensive weapons already, and Jeremy Shockey will be effective (until he suffers another inevitable injury like he does every season) in this first season alongside Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, and a recuperated Deuce McCallister (who had season ending knee surgery last year).

St. Louis @ Philadelphia: I think the Eagles will definitely have a better season than they did last year, but some of these sportswriters around the country are nuts in predicting them to make the Super Bowl. If memory serves correctly, Assante Samuel is the same guy who blew it for the Patriots in the Super Bowl (along with their offensive line), and the combination of young linebackers they're relying on, and still having zero receivers will be their downfall. The Eagles will still beat the Rams who still need some reps to return to form with a hobbled Torry Holt, and unproven Stephen Jackson who bowed out early due to injury last year.

**Upset of the Week**

Houston @ Pittsburgh: While Pittsburgh will be expected to make easy business of the nonthreatening Texans, this is my upset pick of the week. I think the Texans will surprise a lot of people this year, starting with this game against the Steelers. The Steelers are not the same team that won the Super Bowl a couple years ago, and the Texans are not the same team that has been unremarkable the last couple of years. I see the Texans winning about 8 or 9 games this year, and same for the Steelers. Andre Johnson will have a couple receiving touchdowns, and Mario Williams will put Big Ben on the turf a few times.

Cincinnati @ Baltimore: Rookie Joe Flacco will start for the Ravens, but their defense is what wins them games. Cincinnati will be playing with a recovering Chad "Ocho Cinco" Johnson, who will be roughed up by the physical Ravens secondary. T.J. Houshmandzadeh will be double covered and new tight end Ben Utecht might make a splash, but it won't be enough to beat a ruthless Ravens defense at home. The game will be close, but I think the Ravens will squeak this one out by 3 points or so. Not that it matters, since both these teams will be lucky to have 6 or 7 wins at the end of the season.

Carolina @ San Diego: Rookie running back Jonathan Stewart (not the host of the "Daily Show") is supposed to make some noise this season, but without their biggest offensive weapon Steve Smith, the Panthers are likely to get embarrassed in this game. If the Chargers don't win this game by at least 14 points, I'd be very surprised.

Arizona @ San Fransisco: The Cardinals should be a better team with Kurt Warner at quarterback for the whole season than they would be with Matt "Had great talent around him in college, but can't get it done on his own in the bigs" Leinart. San Fransisco has J.T. O'Sullivan at quarterback...J.T. O' who??? Exactly. Frank Gore, if he can stay healthy, should flourish again if he can get some passes out of the backfield in new Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz's system. Isaac Bruce reuniting with his old coach from the Rams should also make some noise. The 49ers defense should be good again this year, but with Fitzgerald, Boldin, the Edge, and Warner calling the plays, the Cardinals should win this close one.

Dallas @ Cleveland: On paper, Dallas is the best team in the NFC right now; whether Tony Romo continues to rack up numbers in the loss column during the playoffs is yet to be determined. Cleveland however, won't stand a chance against the Cowboys who have something to prove this year, starting with this game on the road. The departure of Julius for another Jones, rookie Felix, should help Marion Barber take center stage as the starting running back; a job he has undoubtedly earned over the past couple seasons.

Chicago @ Indianapolis: In the first Sunday night game of the year, America will still realize that the Bears don't have a quarterback. The Bears could literally go out on the field without a quarterback, snap the ball, and see what happens, and they'd still have as much of a chance as they do right now. Their defense can only get them so far, and a horrible quarterback will lose at least 2 or 3 games single-handedly for them. Even though Peyton Manning has been out of action during the preseason, Joseph Addai will take center stage in this victory for this AFC powerhouse of the past few years.

Minnessota @ Green Bay: In the first game of this Monday Night Football double header, this might be the best match up of the week if all goes according to plan. Aaron Rodgers is making his Favre-replacing debut against an improved, and already good Vikings team at Lambeau field. If Rodgers can stay healthy, then the Packers should be at least a 10 or 11 win team this year. However in the few appearances he had last season, while he looked sharp, he got injured rather quickly. I don't think Adrian Peterson will have as stellar of a season as he did last year, especially since his blocking Pro Bowl fullback Tony Richardson left for the Jets. An unproven Tavaris Jackson will have more pressure on him, but the defense should also guide the Vikings to a worthy battle of these two division rivals who will likely claw at each other for the division title all season. Either way, I think Rodgers has a lot to prove, and knows it, and will lead the Packers to their first win of the season at home.

Denver @ Oakland: Everyone is itching to see the Raiders and their first round explosive draft pick Darren McFadden hit the field this season in the second of two Monday Night Football openers. Along with former number one pick (and current Twinkie eating champion) the hefty JaMarcus Russel, the Raiders might improve this year. They've beefed up their defense as well with the addition of cornerback DeAngelo Hall, but still don't have an offensive line. This could be a problem for their horizontally expanding quarterback, and rookie running back. Denver is the more seasoned team, though they probably won't have a good season, but they should win this one by a touchdown.

"Michael Strahan Coming Out of Retirement??? Byaaaaaa!!!"

On Saturday night, Osi Umenyiora, the Giants lone Pro-Bowl selection and star defensive end from their Super Bowl Championship team went down with a season ending injury in their annual preseason game against the Jets. Today, they have started to go to a drawing board similar to that of their neighbors the New York Jets; find a recently retired first ballot Hall of Famer and woo him back into playing. The way the Jets traded for Brett Favre, who decided he wasn't ready for retirement, was as great for publicity as it was for the team. However, if the Giants cajole Michael Strahan out of retirement, it will be a completely different story, though on the surface it appears similar.

The main difference between the two situations is in the motivation. Brett Favre has come back because he has a bonafide desire to keep playing the game he has been a legend at for over 10 years. Money is not an option, since what the Jets are paying him is less than half of the $25 million the Packers offered him as "Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not play football" money. Not only that, if it was really about anything other than a desire to play, he would never in a million years come to the Jets. Even a Jets fan can admit they never in their wildest dreams ever imagined that Favre would play for the Jets before just staying retired. He hasn't had that a Steve Young or Troy Aikman helping of concussions throughout his career, so it is also safe to say he's not a couple beers short of a six pack. He moved his family across the country, to the biggest frying pan of media scrutiny, and turned away $25 million from the Packers to continue being a quarterback in the NFL with a desire to win. Plain and simple.

Michael Strahan, on the other hand, is a different story. Not soon enough after announcing his retirement, Strahan signed a broadcasting deal with Fox Sports to work the games on Sunday starting this season. As of right now, he's got a storybook ending in place; after winning the Super Bowl at the tail end of a 15 year Hall of Fame career, he goes out on top, like Elway. Strahan is also much more likable not only in the Giants spectrum, but among the rest of the league when compared to his former teammate Tiki Barber, who came as close to seeing someone eat their own foot throughout the course of a season as anyone last year. After retiring, prematurely and without a championship, Barber signed a lucrative broadcasting deal, then proceeded to bash his former team (mainly eventual Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning) who went on to win it all. He has alienated any chance of coming back in any role with the Giants, and burned more bridges in the course of a year than Julius Caesar. Needless to say that's a completely different rant, so back to Strahan.

Though he would be welcomed by the fans and his teammates with open arms, Michael Strahan should put the comeback rumors to rest before any more fuel is added to the fire. With his asking price for a return being anywhere between $8-$12 million, his return would strictly be about the money, unlike Broadway Brett's. I think the Giants front office dropped the ball on this one by letting it get out into the media so quickly (though media speculation may have fueled the rumors before the Giants even had time to think about it), and any football person should know they won't be any better or worse with or without Strahan this year.

If the Giants truly believe that the absence of Osi Umenyiora or the addition of Michael Strahan will make or break the defense of their championship, then they have bigger problems on their hands. Finally letting go of one of the faces of their franchise rather than trying to mercilessly buy him back when his heart is not 100% in it, will allow them to move on and focus on the season on hand. Bringing Strahan back will shift the media frenzy from the Jets and the Favre story back over to Eli and the Giants, who have had less pressure on them in the past month or so due to Brett's arrival. Less media scrutiny, and less pressure from overzealous selfish players like Barber and Shockey is what brought the Giants together for their eventual Championship run. Bringing Strahan back into the picture will take the pressure off Brett and the Jets (so you won't hear me complain) but ultimately, will do more harm than good with less than two weeks left before the start of the season by giving Eli more to think about.

Tom Coughlin got his Super Bowl and got his contract extension and ultimately, it's the front office's call, but I think the Giants are smarter than risking the next several years for a crap shoot with a guy who hung it up much more wholeheartedly than Favre did in March.