YOUR WEEK ONE MATCHUP THROWDOWN: Part Two - The Rest of the Story

by Matt Prendergast, who told you to look out for Randall Cobb last week

Sunday

Game of the Week: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens - Two balanced juggernauts whom each foist valid arguing points that demand consideration that each is already a contender for the AFC championship. For a more in-depth look, please see Marcus Wyche's fine debut piece right over this-away.

Steelers advantages: Um, they're still pretty freaking great all-around. This team didn't have their starting quarterback for one-fourth of last year and still played in the Super Bowl. More impressively, they won two regular season games with Charlie Batch. That takes fortitude beyond the range of mortal men. James Harrison and Lamar Woodley continue to approach each game as if the offense robbed from their mother.

Ravens advantages: I am of the unshakable belief that this is the year we all see why Ray Rice has been so hyped up for three seasons - the decision to replace McGahee with Ricky Williams was fantastic, and McClain with Vonta Leach even better. See, Willis was a little too good - he was a constant distraction, because they kinda had to use him. Ricky - well, Ricky still has miles left on the wheels and his debt-to-income ratio, but he's shown himself to be content as a compliment. Terrell Suggs might end up in the football almanacs as being meaner than Ray Lewis, and nobody's meaner than Ray Lewis.

What to expect: An MMA title fight. This is probably my favorite current rivalry in the league - these two teams hate each other and it shows. While Pittsburgh has the proven huge critical strike capability that the Ravens haven't quite shown a constant grasp on, I still find Anquan Boldin to be the most impressive receiver suiting up in this game, and he and Flacco have to put that together this year, right?

The Fulcrum Point: Honestly, no joke, it's Hines Ward. He's being criminally underestimated this year with the hoopla and bright lights focused on the speed and skillsets of Wallace, Sanders and Brown. That sort of slighting makes a fella like Hines Ward angry deep down inside, and Angry Hines Ward will smother you in your sleep while laughing maniacally. While the Ravens will focus on containing the big-plays, I see Ward being a huge factor in sustained (and draining drives).

The Game Goes To: Pittsburgh, but not by much. This is my coin-flip of the week - the fan side of me wants to say the Ravens, but unless they've substantially developed a passing game that's continually lethal (and they haven't shown that's the case yet), in an early season match-up I have to go with the Steelers in one of those end of the fourth-quarter soul crushers.


Atlanta Falcons @ Chicago Bears - The Bears are held in a really weird regard - they were in the NFC Championship game last year, and yet it's almost universally considered that they've got more problems than the world economic structure; Lance Briggs wants out, their most explosive receiver isn't even starting, and they gave Roy Williams a job....and those probably are only three of the top ten complaints Bears' faithful would rattle off to you . The Falcons are on the flipside of that kickoff coin: they've been increasingly getting better and adding logical pieces to enhance their roster the last five years.

Bears advantages: It's a home game?

Falcons advantages: Superior passing, superior planning, and Matt Ryan isn't quite as, I guess, 'prone to emotional response' as maybe Jay Cutler seems to be. I think that works in most teams' favor.

The Fulcrum Point: The actual Bears themselves. This team makes mystifying personnel decisions, but that doesn't change the players themselves. Forte, Cutler, Briggs and Urlacher have all proven to get a lot of distraction swirling around them off-field, but when those distractions are put aside on Sunday, these guys have one thing in common: a fierce desire to wi---oh, I have to stop, the laughter is making it hard to type. I like all those guys and hope they one day get better jobs. Good god, ROY WILLIAMS is still your starter? Seattle's Mike Wiliams thinks that's just silly-pants.

The Win Goes To: Three way tie: Atlanta - in a blowout, Terrell Owens' agent, and the people of Chicago, because this will make a nice starting paragraph to the case to replace most of the key decision makers who have to go before the Bears can get back to being truly fierce again.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns - I'll say this clearly: I think this will be an awesome game to watch. Will it have any affect on the end-of-the-year? Doubt it. But just like there's a reason midget-wrestling is still a thing that exists as a paid event, it's fun to watch a couple of undercarders duke it out.

Cincinnati advantages: I know little to nothing about what to expect. Continued speculation that the Bengals are still trying to talk Carson Palmer into returning doesn't bode well for the Andy Dalton era, but who knows? Jermaine Gresham is an athletic fella who had a less-than stellar year, or as I call it, 'a typical year for a rookie tight end on a bad team'....I expect him to become a huge part of the rebuild, and Bernard Scott as well, assuming Marvin starts incorporating him regularly. Like, 'in this game'.

Cleveland advantages: Colt McCoy already has confidence, Peyton Hillis is a steam-powered bowling ball, and Mike Holmgren is a smart GM making decisions that are taking these guys upwards methodically.

The Fulcrum Point: The Bengals O-line - not that the Browns have a fierce pass rush, or really any noted rushing attack of note at all, but Dick Jauron isn't a scrub of a D Coordinator. If Cleveland can rattle Dalton, the Browns will give The Pound something they haven't had in years: a completely false sense of confidence leaving the stadium on opening day that this year they might have a shot.

The Win Goes To: The Browns

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans - I remember when this was a game I was looking forward to. Eh, oh well.

Indianapolis advantages: Kerry Collins is a decent vet, if the offense has been re-configured to suit his style, there's PLENTY of high-caliber receivers that should be able to bail him out.

Houston advantages: Peyton Manning's neck. They have a better team.

The Fulcrum Point: The Houston D. I don't expect to see the Texans struggle a lot, but one never can tell.  I firmly believe the Colts were approaching this season expecting Peyton back sooner rather than 'probably never', and I don't know that they've had anywhere near enough time to re-configure. More importantly, if the Texans can cause a Collins exit/Painter early on, the quicker we can get Old #4 off the back forty and into a blue and white helmet so this Colts season can really get entertaining. Because I LOVE THE CIRCUS!

The Win Goes To: Houston, by a lot. A whole lot. If they lose this game, they should begin dismantling immediately and just let the Colts have Schaub for free.

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars- This is the first 'I could really care less' game on the slate for me. The Titans are rebuilding; the Jaguars claim to be.

Tennessee advantages: Hasselbeck is a good hand to have whilst Jake Locker simmers to a nice broth, and he's got ddecent weapons in Britt, Schockey and Washington that should see Tennesse do better than expected today and throughout the year. Oh, I almost forgot, the Guaranteed Thirty Million Dollar Man suits up for them as well.

Jaguars advantages: In this game, I don't see any. Luke McCown has never looked to be better than his brother Josh, and his brother Josh doesn't have a job. The Jags have yet to show me they understand that MJD is their best guy on the field consistently, and I can't imagine Del Rio making it through the year.

The Fulcrum Point: I was disappointed when Green Bay traded away fullback Quinn Johnson on cut day to the Titans because I love his work as a blocking back. Since CJ didn't seem to need a guy blocking before, this is just a bonus, so maybe he'll go for three hundred to a thousand yards on the ground this game.

The Win Goes To:The Titans

Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs- This one is going to be surprisingly fun.

Buffalo advantages: I really like Ryan Fitzpatrick taking the Bills forward, and they've added bits and pieces (not 'championship' pieces, but these things take time). I think moving Lee Evans was the right thing, letting younger receivers develop with Fitzpatrick.

Kansas City advantages: The now-three-headed running attack should be lethal as time goes on, and the Chiefs, on paper, bring superior firepower. The utilization of Dexter McCluster is going to be hard to scheme for and thusly, hard to stop as long as it's not overused.

The Fulcrum Point: QB-WR showdowns. Like I said, just above there, the Chiefs are better 'on paper'. The Chiefs have also been playing JV level ball in the preseason, and if I were a Chief's hawk, Matt Casell would make me be 'drinking old liquor I found in a paint can in the basement' sad. He just seems desperately 'average' despite what gets put around him. On the opposing sideine, Fitzpatrick-Johnson seem capable of whipping out back-breaking 65 point super-combos when needed....so it's going to come down to which of these hook-ups pulls it together first. I'd go with the one that doesn't involve Cassell.

The Win Goes To: The Buffalo Bills, in the upset.

Philadelphia Eagles @ St. Louis Rams - I've seen a couple well-written pieces that make an argument that St. Louis will upend SuperTeam 2011 this weekend. Those are clearly written by methadone addicts.

Philadelphia advantages: Vick, for one. See, the nice thing about last year, when he started reading the playbook, was that he became even more capable of humiliating your team at-will, and the receiving corps - even with banged-up Smith, mysterious-illness Maclin and 'pay me' Jackson, is better than Amendola and Sims-Walker when viewed in real-time. Particularly since the latter two aren't going to be open.

St. Louis advantages: They aren't coming in with the burden of being expected to win, that's big, and I'm excited to see how Steven Jackson can pound it out entering a year where he's finally not the only thing going. Cadillac also gives them a nice change-of-pace that's been absent all these years.

The Fulcrum Point: Well, I guess there's a chance that the Eagles divine conglomeration of high-end free agent acquisitions and exisiting starts fails against a very young team with nothing to lose. But it won't. Good idea though, maybe I'll write a screenplay about that scenario and it can star Ryan Gosling, Sandra Bullock and Harvey Keitel as 'Coach Muscowicz'. Even if they aren't playing together all that precisely well yet, these are veteran guys who can go all four....St. Louis will put a scare in them for a half, but it won't be enough.

The Win Goes To: The Iggles

Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers - This is the most interesting game of opening week, thanks to the expectations of both squads breaking through to higher levels.

Detroit advantages: Healthy Matt Stafford is healthy. And real sharp. The defense is on the rise and has some fire in it for the first time in forever. Jahvid Best is being severly underrated - the dude had turf toe last year, give him some slack. Pettigrew is due.

Tampa Bay advantages: LeGarrette Blount's rumbling looks painful for a defensive player. Freeman doesn't appear to get nervous. Detroit still has no brand-names in their secondary, for good reason.

The Fulcrum Point: Both these teams have high expectations this year - Tampa to prove last year was a beginning not a fluke; Detroit to prove they're now going to be finishers. While I see both running balanced plans, this one is going to hinge on a big play. And that big play is going to involve Calvin Johnson, the most patient and understanding wider reciever in football.

The Win Goes To: Detroit? Yes! Detroit!

Carolina Panthers @ Arizona Cardinals - In the 'I Really Don't Care' Bowl, we have a winner! No disrespect to either team's faithful, it's a personal thing.

Carolina advantages: They fired John Fox.

Arizona advantages: They didn't hire John Fox.

The Fulcrum Point: Well, in a showdown of one rookie QB versus a guy who might as well be a rookie QB for how much he really played in Philly, there's only one loser: The home viewer. Maybe I'm being too tough. I'd like to see Beanie Wells and/or DeAngelo Williams-John Stewart establish a running game on either end, but not counting on it. Both QBs will struggle, and their premier receivers are each going to have to help them out - in that category, Fitz beats our Steve Smith, as much as I still love that guy. Fitz can make Kolb look better, Smith needs Newton to carry his own weight. The Cards have a better defense than one might think, and that's going to probably be the deciding factor.

The Win Goes To: The Birds of the Desert

Minnesota @ San Diego - This is going to be the most intriguing game of the week, mark that down. I said it. Right here.

Minnesota advantages: Everyone seems to have forgotten that Donovan McNabb is a very talented quarterback, or that the Vikings should have went after him instead of Favre in the first place. See what working for Dan Snyder does to a reputation? They still have a good corps of defensive and offensive weapons - a good portion of them from the team that went to the NFC championship two years ago, and FINALLY they aren't being game-managed by a screwball.

San Diego advantages: Phil Rio is one of the best QBs playing, and will be able to work Minnesota's secondary regardless of his receivers available.

The Fulcrum Point: Bernard Berrian. One of the many 'Superstars of the Future Bears' receivers littering rosters across the league, Berrian still maintains the unique characteristic of 'still having skills'. With Harvin now the targeted reciever, Berrian should be good for 900 yards and 11 TDs this year with Donnie Mac hitting him on the fly. HA! Gotcha! It's Petersen. Of course it's Petersen. That's the difference-maker in this game. In all the games he's in. You know that. (But honestly, I do think Berrian is a little bit of a sleeper)

The Win Goes To: Upset of the Week! The Vikes. Yes, I meant that.

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers - An epic battle between two legendary franchises who apparently don't feel 'quarterback' is included in the recipe for success.

Seattle advantages: Pete Carroll seems to be able to get more out of certain specific guys than anybody else. And by more, I do mean 'anything at all'. It seems to be having some success, so maybe I shouldn't flush Tavaris completely quite yet.

San Francisco advantages: Eventually, Patrick Willis is going to get sick of all this and murder a guy on the field, and that will give the 9ers a distinct mental advantage in that game. Maybe that will be this week.

The Fulcrum Point: Sidney Rice and Seattle Mike on one side; Mike Crabtree and Braylon Edwards on the other. That's close, and it probably should be all things considered, but Seattle has that advantage, slightly. I mean, somebody has to catch some balls sometime, don't they? Wait, that's what Vernon Davis and Zach Miller are for. Push.

The Win Goes To: Seattle, mostly because I want to see Marshawn Lynch turn into Earl Campbell at least one more time, and I trust Pete Carroll does as well.

New York Giants @ Washington Redskins - Is this going to be televised? That seems like it goes against some sort of 'violence on television' morality rule.

New York advantages: They're playing the Redskins. Also, the Redskins are playing Rex Grossman.

Washington advantages: There will only be four quarters played in this game.

The Fulcrum Point: This is a mismatch. I've heard tell that folks in the Redskins organization really think John Beck is a QB of the future. If you still believe that, after he didn't beat Grossman out for the week one start, you should seek alcohol counseling immediately and give your keys to a friend. 'But it's a different situation!' Yes, and you've given him Santana Moss and Jabar Gaffney to enhance things. That's a WR2 and a WR3 both being unneccessarily upgraded for show. Shiny gold paper on a box of crap is still a box of crap. I feel bad for Tim Hightower.

The Win Goes To: Really? You're asking that? Really?

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Jets - Must be careful, treading on ReclinerQB's territory.......

Dallas advantages: Romo is back in the saddle with doubters to disprove, and I like that situation for that guy, as long as we aren't in the playoffs. They finally cleared out the backfield enough for us to see what Felix can really do. Still don't get the Mark Sanchez love, I think D can control him.

New York advantages: The crap Dallas offensive line (please see ReclinerQB's article on this very thing elsewhere on the site). Miles Austin is still a little banged up. Folks seem to be underestimating Plaxico's return a little bit.

The Fulcrum Point: Rex Ryan's ego. That guy could use some shut-up once in awhile, and use that silent time to think. If he doesn't try to do something ridiculous to show up his brother, the Jets have the advantage. Unfortunately, 'playing within himself' isn't Rex's strong suit.

The Win Goes To: Dallas, in a minor upset. Strictly a gut feeling. [Editors Note: I did not make him write this.....I promise]

Monday Night

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins - This is kicking off Monday? Hmm. I guess we'll see. I've seen worse.

New England advantages: Their coaching, their gameplan, and their team.

Miami advantages: Um....ah......let's see....I had a piece of paper around here that had something written on it....no, that's a coupon for Arby's....that's a receipt....um.........

The Fulcrum Point: Somebody finally figure out how to best use Reggie Bush's skillsets! It was the Saints, a year late. They used Darren Sproles instead. Look, Reggie is a good guy I want good things for him, and I root for Brandon Marshall as he matures, but Miami just signed LARRY JOHNSON AS A BACKUP PRIMARILY BECAUSE SPARANO DOESN'T REALLY DIG THEIR FIRST ROUND DRAFT PICK. Good lord, this is going to be a long year, accept that now Finheads.

The Win Goes To: Seriously? You asked that? Out loud?

Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos - I love this showdown to wrap up week one - two middling scrappy teams that hate each other fighting to establish themselves as significantly improved. I won't stay up to watch the whole thing, but I like it nonetheless.

Denver AND Oakland advantages: Each team has a QB that's grossly underestimated, but finally with coaches that have firmly given them the ball (kudos to Hue Jackson and, yes, John Fox - you must've learned something about the evils of waffling!), both have one-two punches in the running game (don't underestimate what Willis McGahee will bring to the balance of the Denver attack, and if Michael Bush stays healthy, double that on the Raiders side). Both have exciting potential in their receiving corps (I think Eddie Royal makes a significant comeback to compliment Lloyd, and Jacoby Ford is on his way to eventual All-Pro status).

The Fulcrum Point: Whoever makes fewer mistakes, even by one, takes this game.

The Win Goes To: Denver in a coin-flip. I just get that 'one Jason Campbell interception that kills the Raiders in the opener' feeling. I could be wrong. It's happened.


For your Fantasy Go's and No's, please check out Zach's Fantasy Corner tips over yonder, and let's go eat some dip!


If you'd like to follow more of Matt's random thought process and obsession with cream cheese, try @amazingmattyp on Twitter.