This first week has not gotten off to an auspicious start.  First, the Vikes lose a close game in New Orleans on the Thursday night opener, and yesterday Notre Dame’s comeback against Michigan fell just a little short — or a little long, as the Hail Mary pass at the end could only be caught by the Wolverine marching band.  The national championship is probably out of the question, and now I’m looking at the first of four Big-Ben-less games for my Pittsburgh Steelers.  No wonder I slept in late this morning.  Of course, the Steelers start off with a home game against the Falcons.  With Troy Polamalu back to full health, the defense should be back in top form, and Dennis Dixon has had all off-season to prepare for this start.  I’ll pick the Steelers for a slight upset at home, 21-14.

Last year, I went 61-35.  This week, I start in an 0-1 hole, thanks to that Vikes loss.  Can I get back on top?  Let’s see how this week’s picks do:

• Lions at Bears – Maybe I should pick both teams to lose?  Actually, I think the Lions will be tougher in this season, but not on the road against Da Bears.  A big defensive battle will come up with a low-scoring 13-7 win for Chicago.
• Packers at Eagles – The Eagles got rid of Donovan McNabb, but it’s their defense that will be a bigger problem against Aaron Rodgers.  Pack starts off with a bang, 31-21.
• Bengals at Patriots – Cincinnati surprised everyone by winning its division last year, and they made some good offseason moves.  Picking up Terrell “Locker Room Poison” Owens wasn’t one of them, especially with Chad Ochocinco on the same sideline.  How long before one of the prima donnas start whining about the other?  I’ll go conservative and guess it will be the third quarter.  Meanwhile, Tom Brady’s at home.  Pats over Bengals, 27-17.
• Cowboys at Redskins – The rivalry game of the week comes tonight in the Keith Olbermann-less Sunday Night Football game.  As I mentioned before, the Eagles sent McNabb to Washington for some draft picks, so McNabb will want to prove something this season.  The Cowboys have a bigger chip on their shoulder, though, for not making it to the Super Bowl last year.  Should be a great game, but Dallas will prevail, 23-20.
• Ravens at Jets – Lots of people are picking the Ravens to go a long way this year, but I’m not one of them.  Their defense is old, and Joe Flacco is good but not good enough.  The Jets have a better defense and a competitive offense.  I’ll take the Jets in a close game, 17-14.