Time to start getting some real answers. Can the Patriots cope for a month without Tom Brady? Is Dak Prescott truly as good as he has looked in preseason? How many bacon-wrapped baked potatoes could you eat during a single Packers game? The new NFL season is here, and that means it is time for our Pick Six contest to stage its own grand return.
For those who are new to this column, here’s the drill: each week, I will nominate six of the toughest games to call (NB: not necessarily the ones involving the best teams) and make a prediction for each. You are invited to post your picks in the comments section below. At the end of each round, we will tally up the scores, before posting the overall standings in next week’s blog.
If that’s not enough competition to sustain you, then jump on in to our annual survivor pool as well. For this, you will need a Yahoo account. Follow this link, get set up and then search for league ID# 21517. The password is pick6.
Right, let’s start picking some games.
Oakland Raiders @ New Orleans Saints (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm BST)
The Raiders believe they are ready to end a 14-year playoff drought. Who can blame them? Their offense is loaded with developing talent - Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, Latavius Murray - at the skill positions and boasts exceptional blocking up front. On defense, Khalil Mack now has a pass rushing partner in Bruce Irvin, while the secondary has been upgraded with Sean Smith and Reggie Nelson. And yet, we should not forget that the Raiders went 0-4 in non-conference games last season. Have they yet acquired the maturity to go into an unfamiliar environment like the Superdome and win? The bookies make them a one-point underdog, but I think they match up well. Raiders to win
Minnesota Vikings @ Tennessee Titans (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm BST)
In medicine, the Bradford Hill criteria is a set of guidelines used by epidemiologists to determine whether a causal link exists between a risk factor and the transmission of a disease. In football, ‘Bradford, Hill, crying, tears’ might be a neat synopsis of Mike Zimmer’s diary entries since Teddy Bridgewater went down injured. There are no established guidelines for choosing between the 36-year-old career backup quarterback who at least knows your playbook, and the once-promising, now widely-disparaged former No1 pick who doesn’t. Tennessee, for all their flaws, looksto be in better hands with Marcus Mariota behind center - not to mention a potentially intriguing one-two punch at tailback with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. Only a strong defense, allied to the enduring excellence of Adrian Peterson, has me leaning Minnesota’s way. Vikings to win
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm BST)
Which of these teams is more ready to take a step forward in 2016? Tampa Bay have obvious cause for optimism, with Jameis Winston ready to kick on from his impressive rookie year, and the defense reinforced through both free agency and the draft. First-round pick Vernon Hargreaves III, in particular, impressed in preseason. Atlanta’s margins are more subtle, but even without adding many particularly flashy names on defense (though Derrick Shelby was a nice pick-up) should we not expect further gains in Dan Quinn’s second year as head coach? Overall, I like the Bucs’ prospects for this season better. But at home in week one, I’ll take Atlanta. Falcons to win
Buffalo Bills @ Baltimore Ravens (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm BST)
The Ravens welcome some familiar faces back to Baltimore on opening weekend. Both the Bills’ head coach, Rex Ryan, and starting quarterback, Tyrod Taylor, had long stints in Charm City before eventually moving away for a chance to be the No1 guy. Could familiarity be an advantage for them on this occasion? Perhaps, and it is also true that Ryan himself is 5-1 in season openers. But there is also a reason that he was passed over for the top job in Baltimore. John Harbaugh is simply a better coach. Ravens to win
New York Giants @ Dallas Cowboys (Sunday 4.25pm ET/9.25pm BST)
This will be the fourth time in five seasons that the Giants and Cowboys have met on the opening weekend. Will it also be the fourth time that Dallas emerge victorious? The excitement around Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott is certainly understandable after both rookies starred in preseason, but are they truly ready to carry their team in a game that matters? More specifically, are they ready to outgun Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr – a partnership that should put up big numbers against a Dallas defense missing both of its starting defensive ends? Giants to win
Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers (Monday 10.20pm ET/Tuesday 3.20am BST)
Will the Rams’ return to LA help to reboot an historic NFL rivalry? Perhaps, though in the short term there is not an awful lot to get excited about here. The 49ers are a popular pick to finish with the worst record in the NFL, but the Rams don’t look all that much better. Todd Gurley is a beast, and the defensive line is stacked, but is that enough - with glaring gaps just about everywhere else on the roster - to justify backing LA on the road against a highly motivated rival who went 5-3 against the spread at Levi’s Stadium last season? There is a part of me that suspects even “7-9 bullshit” might be beyond Jeff Fisher’s team in 2016. 49ers to win
