SWAMPMAN WEEK 1 - MUCK 5 - LETS ROCK!

***SAN DIEGO CHARGERS @ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS***

The Swamp's personal favorite pick of the day starts with what has become a lopsided AFC West rivalry between the San Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs. KC has won the last four matches between the two and today the Bolts will head into enemy territory looking to start the season by changing that and serving their buddies an upset at home. I am very high on the Chargers this season since I believe they are a solid team that has been unfortunately bitten by the dreaded injury bug in recent past and are finally healthy once again. QB Phillip Rivers is a warrior and the man has his best WR back in Keenan Allen. I expect a heavy dose of Allen today accompanied by addition of last year's Cleveland WR Travis Benjamin. Benjamin is a perfect fit in this offense with his "just get open" backyard football style of play he at times made Johnny Football look good with. With a gunslinging QB like Rivers who is often under duress, I think he will love this new target. On that note the Chargers also drafted a top TE in the second round in Hunter Henry who could prove to be another huge weapon along with the veteran TE Antonio Gates. RB Melvin Gordon in his Sophomore year I also think will elevate his game and look more like the RB we all anticipated him to be coming out of college. The KC defense is not at full strength today without one of their leaders in LB Justin Houston and I believe the Chargers will take advantage. The Chargers defense is also finally healthy and although they will be without their number 1 pick in DE Joey Bosa, they still bode a strong front seven and their CB tandem of Verrett and Flowers is under the radar and could be one of the best duos in the league this year. KC will also be without their top stud RB Jamal Charles and frankly, I am not too worried about QB Alex Smith throwing downfield and putting up a lot of points here. I will gladly take the generous points here and even look for the outright upset in this one. CHARGERS+6.5

***CINCINNATI BENGALS @ NEW YORK JETS***

Great matchup here as the Bengals team who ended last year with some heartbreak & controversy in the playoffs, head into NJ to take on the NY Jets who also ended their season in huge disappointment after an exciting year led by journeyman QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jets controlled their own destiny at the end of last season, were unable to get the job done and missed the playoffs once again, while the Bengals blew a lead against their rival the Pittsburgh Steelers in a great playoff game after a fumble and an illegal hit led to crushing their Super Bowl dreams. Both teams are looking to get rid of the bad taste left in their mouths and I have to say that the Jets have the edge in this one. Emotions will be high as today is the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy which I believe will provide some extra pride for Gang Green to play with as home underdogs. The Bengals lost some key pieces in their WR core and will also be without LB Vontaze Burfict who is serving a suspension from that same illegal last season hit in the playoffs mentioned above. That being said this fresh and new WR core will be up against a stout Jets secondary and will surely make it more difficult to gel and build chemistry right away. The Jets lost RB Chris Ivory but acquired veteran Matt Forte from the Bears whom I think has some juice left in the tank and will fit nicely in this offense in both the run & passing game. While both teams have daunting lookahead games on deck, I look for NY to feed off of the crowd's energy and play a tough hard hitting game at home today. While I doubt QB Fitzpatrick will have as successful as a year as he did last year this season, I think the Jets do just enough to squeak out a feel good win to start the season. JETS+1

***BUFFALO BILLS @ BALTIMORE RAVENS***

The Ravens were also bitten by the injury bug last year and had one of coach John Harbaugh's worst years since he's been the head coach there. Harbaugh is an extremely good coach who will surely be prepared for today's week 1 home matchup hosting the Buffalo Bills. Basically I think this is a bad spot for the Bills who are now led by both Ryan brothers in Rex & Rob. Hence my main reasoning for backing the Black Birds here, the coaching. Another side note is that BIll's QB Tyrod Taylor is heading back to the team that drafted him and while some may think that is a good thing in a sense of wanting to show up the team that let him walk, I beg to differ. I think Harbaugh knows his old QB well and will have a solid gameplan set to limit his production and frustrate him early. Baltimore is a hungry squad looking to get back in the mix while being forced to watch two of their rivals in the Bengals & Steelers in the playoffs from the couch last season. The combination of hunger to start off the new season with a home win & the return of Ravens leaders in veteran LB Terrell Suggs and QB Joe Flacco should provide some extra spark for both the offensive and defensive units to get after the Bills today and beat them up on both sides of the ball. The Bills are a team that still has some moving pieces and I think this game will serve as more of a learning experience for them. So again, siding with the better coach in this one. RAVENS-3

***OAKLAND RAIDERS @ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS***

The hype for the Oakland Raiders is real this season, and it should be. This is a team that has been slowly but surely putting together the pieces needed to be a contender. QB Derek Carr is a future stud and has two weapons at WR in Amari Cooper & Michael Crabtree. However I think on the road in the SuperDome is no way for a young team to start the season. Saints veteran QB Drew Brees just got paid, as he should, because that man is the captain and leader of this franchise and without him, they would be awful. The Raiders defense has some very dominant pieces to it with the likes of young LB Khalil Mack, but Brees is the type of QB who is smart enough to know this and will surely get rid of the ball quickly today in an effort to limit Mack's production. Many are writing the Saints off as a team who won't contend this year, and they might be right. However, it is the 50th anniversary of this franchise and an opener at home against a young team such as the Raiders could be just what the doctor ordered to start the new season off on a good note. This has the makings of what could be a shootout and I got to back the wily veteran at home. Look for WR Brandin Cooks to wreak havoc today and this offense to put up points. Not sure the Raiders have what it takes to keep up in in the Dome on the scoreboard in this one. SAINTS-3

***DETROIT LIONS @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS***

While the departure of future HOF WR Calvin Johnson AKA Megatron is a huge loss to the Lion's offense, I believe they will be just fine. They acquired WR Marvin Jones from Cincinnati and I think he is a perfect fit to fill the void. Jones is an up and coming WR and this is the type of offense for him to flourish in and elevate his game to the next level. With the departure of Megatron, Stafford now isn't handcuffed to anyone. He can throw where he pleases without feeling like he has to look to a certain target first. A WR core consisting of Jones, Golden Tate, & another offseason addition in possession WR veteran Anquan Boldin, spells trouble for a depleted Colt's secondary. The Colt's secondary is a weakness of theirs and will be without their top CB Vontae Davis to boot. QB Andrew Luck's first game back from a long time off with injury, I can see Lion's DE Ziggy Ansah and the boys getting after him early and welcoming him back to the NFL harshly. Looking for another road upset in this one. LIONS+2.5