Though the Niners didn't blank their first opponent, their victory over the Cardinals was no less impressive. The Seahawks and the Niners look to build on encouraging season-opening wins and improve to 2-0 within the NFC West on Sunday when they meet by the bay in Frisco. In large part because it was plagued by injuries, Seattle stumbled to a 4-12 finish in its final season under Mike Holmgren. Holmgren's retirement opened the door for Mora, whose new-look Seahawks cruised to a 28-0 win over St. Louis last Sunday.
This is a tough game to side with but we are sticking with Niners at -1.5.
Bears vs Steelers -3
Perhaps more than any other franchises, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Chicago Bears have been defined by defense. One week into this season, they're each scrambling to persevere without their current defensive cornerstone players. Injuries will keep Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu and Chicago's Brian Urlacher off the field Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field, where the Super Bowl champion Steelers will try to build on an overtime win as they face a Bears team hoping to forget a turnover-plagued debut from quarterback Jay Cutler. Joe Greene, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and Mel Blount were the stars of a Pittsburgh defense that helped lead the franchise to four Super Bowls in the 1970s, while Dan Hampton and Mike Singletary led the 1985 Bears' championship unit that was arguably the most dominant defense in NFL history. All six of those players have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, an honor Polamalu and Urlacher may one day receive. For now, though, they'll have to settle for watching their teammates in street clothes. Polamalu tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee as the Steelers kicked off the NFL season with a 13-10 win over Tennessee on Sept. 10, while Urlacher dislocated his wrist last Sunday in Chicago's 21-15 loss at Green Bay. Cutler's erroneous ways in the opener give Bears' supporters cause for great concern. No one will deny Cutler's raw talent, but he appears to be a head-case early in the season. He sparred with teammates early in camp and has had some immature moments in his short career.
Give the Bears the 3 points; they will need it.
Texans vs Titans -6.5
The Tennessee Titans led the AFC South wire-to-wire last season, while the Houston Texans matched the best finish in the team's brief history. To build on those successes in 2009, each team will have to rebound from a season-opening defeat. The Titans look to bounce back from an overtime loss to the reigning Super Bowl champions Sunday when they host the Texans, whose dismal offensive performance in their opener doesn't bode well for the team's chances to compete for its first playoff appearance. Tennessee set a franchise record by winning its first 10 games last season en route to its first division title since 2002. The Titans didn't get off to nearly as strong a start to 2009, falling 13-10 in overtime at Pittsburgh in last Thursday night's NFL opener. Though the Titans' defense managed to limit the Steelers' scoring opportunities, Tennessee missed some chances of its own. Rob Bironas, who made all 13 of his field goals from inside the 40-yard line in 2008, missed a 37-yard attempt in the first quarter and had a 31-yarder blocked in the second. "The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't beat the Tennessee Titans, the Tennessee Titans beat the Tennessee Titans," said wide receiver Nate Washington, who spent the last three seasons with Pittsburgh. The Houston offense, meanwhile, was shut out at home by the Jets and looked physically overmatched at times. That won't bode well against the rugged Titan defense. At anything less than a touchdown, it looks like the favorite is the only side to have.
The Texans looked lost last week. Give the 6.5 and go Titans.
Rams vs Redskins -9.5
The St. Louis Rams and Washington Redskins each entered 2009 hoping to erase the memories of last year's poor seasons. Unfortunately for these teams, it doesn't look like much has changed. St. Louis and Washington try to bounce back from disappointing season-opening efforts when they meet Sunday afternoon at FedEx Field. The Redskins opened 6-2 last season but limped to an 8-8 finish and missed the playoffs, while the Rams lost a franchise-record 14 games in failing to reach the postseason for the fourth straight year. Last Sunday, it appeared each team picked up right where it left off. Washington was thoroughly outplayed in a 23-17 road loss to the New York Giants and St. Louis was routed 28-0 at Seattle. The Redskins' playoff hopes this year hinge on the play of Jason Campbell, and the fourth-year quarterback struggled in the opener. He threw an interception while across the line of scrimmage and was also stripped by Osi Umenyiora, who scooped up the ball and ran it back for a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Rams are even more hapless now than they were in 2008, as new coach Steve Spagnulo is trying to rebuild this team from scratch the 'right' way. It started by selecting an offensive tackle in the first round of the draft rather than 'sexy' quarterback pick Mark Sanchez. It's going to be a long season for the Rams, and Washington figures to inflict a double-digit beating on them this weekend.
This could get ugly; Give the 9.5 to the Rams. |
