darrell,

On Thursday we lost with Oakland and pushed on the TOTAL, getting hurt by a blocked PAT. Overall we're now 20-9-1. View prior 2005 NFL Picks.

We've got six picks for Sunday.

My Week 1 NFL Computer Predictions & Analysis are available for viewing. These predictions are based on a Super Computer playing each game tens of thousands of times. Use them as an input to your handicapping - not a replacement. The computer can't take into account emotion or situations.

Good luck, darrell!

The pressure is right where Steelers coach Bill Cowher does not want it to start the season. This game rests on Ben Roethlisberger's shoulders as both Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis are injured. Bettis is definitely out and Staley is doubtful to play. Third-stringer Willie Parker (who?) gets the start. The Steelers rolled last year due in large part to the strength of their running game. When they were forced to throw to win, they couldn't do it. The Titans have noted that fact and will make Pittsburgh throw here. Not good for Big Ben who, playing with the starting offense, looked weak in the preseason. Part of the issue for them will be the loss of Plaxico Burress. They still have Hines Ward but he'll be seeing a lot more double-teams that he did in the past. The Steelers also relied heavily last year on their defense. But their anchor, Joey Porter is questionable for this game due to a knee injury. This is good news for the Titans offense, led by new offensive coordinator Norm Chow - an offensive mastermind worthy of the title. He'll have McNair, the emerging Drew Bennett, and a healthy Chris Brown humming here on offense. All this points to a high-scoring game in which Tennessee puts up quite a fight to keep it close. One star on the Titans +7 and one star on the OVER.

Joe Gibbs had a bad year last year and some are questioning whether the great one can return to his once dominant form. His team is instilled as six point favorites this afternoon against a Chicago club that also had a very bad year and lost their starting QB, Rex Grossman, in the preseason. So, the Bears start a rookie - Kyle Orton. Both of these teams were absolutely horrible offensively last year but had solid defenses. Washington finished 30th in the league and the Bears were worse. The Bears have made more changes, though. Cedric Benson can be one of the best in the league and should make an impact out of the gate. He may see limited time on Sunday but Thomas Jones is a solid substitute. Kyle Orton is a rookie, yes, but he's been impressive in preseason play. He is poised and confident. And, he's got Pro Bowler Mushin Muhammed to throw to. With two very good defenses squaring off, this should be a very low-scoring game which could go either way which favors the underdog getting a generous six points. It wouldn't surprise me if the Bears won here. In any case, good value on the dog. One star on Chicago.

Think the Saints will be playing their hearts out for New Orleans (former) residents on Sunday? I sure do. Don't be surprised if the Saints get as big an ovation at the beginning of this game as the home-town Panthers. Lots of folks have Carolina as a "sleeper" team this season, bouncing back from some poor luck last season. I agree that they'll be much improved a force this season. But, the public is all over this opinion and this line is just too large. Duece McCallister has found his way to the top of NFL fantasy football draft lists. Last year against this Carolina defense, he ran for 140 yards, propelling the Saints to a 3-point win. Also emerging as a star is the Saints' Joe Horn. The Saints can score against this defense and their emotional edge is not to be underestimated. My computer simulation for this game predicts a very small Carolina win by two points. Take the Saints plus the touchdown for one star.

Here we get the public's whipping boy against one of the most overrated teams in the league. Offensively, the Rams will be as good as always. But, their defense remains suspect and their coach is horrible play caller and clock manager. The Rams will do some damage this year but mostly at home. Martz and company are a completely different team on the road than at home. Away from the speed-friendly home turf, they are 25-46 ATS on grass since 1993. They were just 2-6 ATS on the road last season. New San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan has shown a desire to start things off on the right foot. His team played hard for him in the preseason, going 4-0 against the spread. He also made a statement by starting Tim Rattay over Alex Smith. This team isn't giving up on 2005 and rebuilding. They are playing to win. San Francisco keeps this close. One star on the 49ers.

My favorite picks are few and far between but I like this one. In week one, home favorites of 3 or less hit at about a 70% clip against the spread. While much improved, the Cardinals will find it tough going on the road in New York here in week one. New York will feature a heavy dose of Tiki Barber with a bit of Eli Manning to Plaxico Burress thrown in. Manning should be entering this game with a lot of confidence after finishing out last season on a high note, posting a QB rating of 100+ in two of his final three games. There's some concern about his elbow but I'm assuming he's fine. On the defensive side, Michael Strahan returns for the G-Men after missing the entire second half of last season. If he gets to Kurt Warner early and rattles him, it will be a long mistake-prone day for the Arizona QB. JJ Arrington will be good this season but I don't expect a break-out performance in his first game. Take the small home favorite for one star.