[SBRforum Staff]

Three Big Games To Kick '06 Off

By: SBR Staff

The NFL gets underway this week with three intriguing matchups as the Steelers, last year's champs and without their #1 QB, host the Dolphins, the Bengals visting the Chiefs in Kansas City, and the Manning Brothers going head-to-head in the Colts-Giants contest.

Can it be? Is the new NFL season here already? It seems like just a couple of weeks ago when the Pittsburgh Steelers claimed their fifth Super Bowl title in that anti-climactic win over the Seattle Seahawks in Detroit. And those Steelers kick off the new season Thursday night when they play host to the resurgent Miami Dolphins.

Pittsburgh, however, will be without QB Ben Roethlisberger Thursday night after Big Ben had an emergency appendectomy Sunday. He’s expected to miss the Steelers’ first two games. Instead, backup Charlie Batch will get the season-opening start.

Batch started two games for Pittsburgh last year when Roethlisberger was hurt, and the Steelers won both games. But they were against Green Bay and Cleveland, a couple of teams that combined to win 10 games last year.

Miami won its last six games last season to finish at 9-7 in head coach Nick Saban’s first season with the Dolphins. But five of those wins came against Oakland, Buffalo, San Diego, the Jets and Tennessee, and the sixth victory came over a New England team that was already locked into its’ playoff slot and had nothing to play for. Offseason acquisition Daunte Culpepper will culminate an incredible recovery from a terrible knee injury by getting the start for Miami Thursday.

Pittsburgh opened up as 4½-point favorites for Thursday’s game, but after the news of Roethlisberger’s situation broke, that number was bet down to less than a field goal.

The Cincinnati Bengals, champs of the AFC North last year, open their season with a visit to Kansas City to take on new head coach Herman Edwards’ Chiefs Sunday afternoon.

Cincy’s Carson Palmer is another QB attempting to come back from a serious knee injury ahead of schedule, and he’s apparently ready to go. But regardless of the QB situation, the big question mark surrounding the Bengals is their defense, which allowed 30 points per game during the last half of last season. Cincinnati is hoping the signings of DT Sam Adams and S Dexter Jackson provide an upgrade.

KC beat the Bengals 37-3 at Arrowhead Stadium in the regular-season finale last season, but the two teams came into that game with vastly different agendas. The Chiefs needed a win and a Pittsburgh loss to get into the playoffs; they got half of that, and watched the postseason on TV. On the other side of the field that day, Cincinnati had already clinched a playoff spot and a home game, so Jon Kitna replaced Carson at quarterback in the second quarter. KC’s Larry Johnson had one of his monster games that day, running through that porous Bengals defense for 201 yards and three touchdowns.

KC went 7-1 straight up at home last year, and 6-1-1 vs. the spread, while Cincinnati went a surprising 6-2 SU on the road and 6-1-1 ATS.

The Chiefs opened up as 4½-point chalk for Sunday’s opener, but that number has been bet down to less than a field goal.

It’ll be a big night, one way or the other, for the Manning family when Peyton’s Indianapolis Colts trek to Jersey to take on Eli’s New York Giants Sunday night at The Meadowlands.

Both quarterbacks (and teams) are coming off fine 2005 regular seasons, but disappointing postseasons. Indianapolis won its first 13 games last year, but lost at home to Pittsburgh in their playoff opener. Meanwhile, New York won the NFC East last year, but got shut out at home by Carolina in the playoffs.

Indy returns a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, but they lost RB Edgerrin James to free-agency during the offseason. Without James, the Colts ran for 207 yards on 92 carries (that’s a 2.25 yards per carry average, folks) in their four pre-season games.

Eli led the Giants offense to a No. 4 ranking last year, but the defense ranked just 24th. New York hopes the signings of Sam Madison and R.W. McQuarters in the defensive backfield helps improve things a bit on that side of the ball.

These two teams haven’t played since the 2002 regular season.

Indianapolis went 7-1 straight up on the road last season, and covered the spread in six of those games. The Giants went 8-1 SU at home last year (remember, they played the Saints in a New Orleans 'home' game in Jersey), and 7-2 vs. the number.

The Colts are listed as three-point favorites for Sunday night’s game, with an over/under of 48½.

[Curse Fire]

How come the Cowboys aint part of the big games
to kick off the season? All that hate for the Boys
probaly. I think the little Mannin g will beat the
big one this weak.

[John Galt1]

You got some nice analysis there SBR.
I like Giants, Chiefs and Steelers.
Im sold on NY but would like to hear more opinions on the other games before pouring some $$ into them.

[shwag]

anyone else like the future off the bears to win the nfc north.
I am having a hard time finding a site with the best odds and bonuses considering it will probably be the only bet I will have all year on the site

[shwag]

my early picks are
colllege- OSU and notre dame
pros-PHI, CLE, DEN, ARI, SD

Anyone got some overwelming stats to make me think dfferently

[McBa1n]

Originally Posted by Curse Fire

How come the Cowboys aint part of the big games
to kick off the season? All that hate for the Boys
probaly. I think the little Mannin g will beat the
big one this weak.

I think because the Cowboys didn't make the playoffs last year and weren't a threat to anyone... Parcells, yes, maybe;p

Hehe... But seriously, the Boys/Jags game, IMO, is the game of the week to watch.
It's going to be a bloodbath without much O at all.
The Jags are legit, I think the Cowboys have a lot to prove yet.

[sportsfreek2184]

shwag, i agree with all your picks except for arizona, i can see san fran keeping that one within a td, otherwise good picks