Didn’t it feel this year like the offseason took forever? Finally, the Bears and Packers kick things off Thursday night. And we’re back with our highly acclaimed, err perhaps highly scorned, Alternative Picks segment.

Each week we’ll alternate making picks in contest fashion. Then we’ll also pick the games straight up. These picks are for entertainment purposes only and should not be used to, you know, bet or anything like that.

Tony won big in 2017. Andy won big last year. Who will show up this season?

Standings:

Season 0-0

1) Andy: Seahawks over Bengals – Cincinnati is missing its top wideout, its rookie left tackle and pretty much any sense of talent. Seattle is already tough to beat at home. The Hawks aren’t as good as they have been in some recent years, but they’re good enough to win here comfortably.

2) Tony: Ravens over Dolphins – I don’t blame Andy for picking first–but I am dumfounded that he didn’t take this game. Seriously, if you pick against the Dolphins each week, you’re going to do well this season.

3) Tony: Saints over Texans – I keep flip-flopping on this game…I actually took the Texans in my bets (as my moneyline upset, so in part because of the big payout). I originally took the Saints here because of all the turmoil with the Texans in the last week–but I’m not really sure how much that will impact them. Might be a risky pick here.

4) Andy: Eagles over Washington – Even with Zeke Elliott back in Dallas, there’s an argument that can be made that the best team in the NFC East is still Philadelphia. That same case can not be made for Washington.

5) Tony: Browns over Titans – The only thing that scares me about the Browns this year is just how much hype they’re getting–I worry they might believe it themselves.  That, and I’m not convinced that Baker Mayfield really is the next coming yet. But I am convinced that this will be Marcus Mariota’s last year in Tennessee.

6) Andy: Colts over Chargers – The Colts are among the best teams in the AFC. The GM has had back-to-back great drafts. Andrew Luck is among the best QBs in the game. … Wait, what? Luck retired? $%^@#. Uh oh. I, umm, picked this game backward by accident.

7) Tony: Bears over Packers – Ha!  I was wondering how the heck you had the Colts in that one.  Being the kickoff for the season makes me wonder a bit about this game, but ultimately I don’t think the Packers can hang with the Bears this year–that defense is just too good, and there are so many questions about the offense of the Packers…and the defense. Maybe even the special teams.

8) Andy: Cowboys over Giants – It’s pretty clearly a rebuild in New York. The Cowboys are in win-now mode. I don’t think Dak takes Dallas to the promised land this season, but he will get the team off on the right foot this weekend.

9) Tony: Chiefs over Jaguars – Looking back, I should have picked this game higher. Remember the last time Nick Foles left the Eagles for greener pastures?  He’s great in limited situations, but can he he lead a team back to the levels they were at two years ago? Or will Jag fans actually start to look back on the Blake Bortles days more favorably…ok, maybe he won’t be that bad.

10) Andy: Vikings over Falcons – If Stefon Diggs misses this game I’ll be a bit more nervous, but the Vikings and Falcons are on relatively even footing. Minnesota is slightly better and, on the strength of a home game, I’ll take them to win.

11) Tony: Patriots over Steelers – At this point, I’m just guessing. Going to go with the team that hasn’t played on a wildcard weekend since 2009 or something like that, over a team that traded away their best wide receiver…and actually got better for it.

12) Andy: Panthers over Rams – Los Angeles has to travel across the country for an east coast game. The Panthers are a home dog. Feels like a solid spot for an upset.

13) Tony: Jets over Bills – Which 2nd year quarterback will be better this year?  My guess is Allen gets a slight nod in fantasy, while Darnold gets the nod in the standings.  Not that either of them will be challenging Tom Brady this year…although neither should be challenging the fearful Ryan Fitzpatrick/Josh Rosen combo, either.

14) Andy: Cardinals over Lions – Someone has to win. Let’s say David Johnson goes off for the Cardinals on the ground and through the air. Detroit is still Detroit until proven otherwise.

15) Tony: Buccaneers over 49ers – Picked this game strictly on locale–west coast teams rarely travel to the east well. At least I didn’t pick the Raiders/Broncos game…

16) Andy: Raiders over Broncos – Good grief, will the Antonio Brown drama never end? I’ll say it pulls the team together and gets them playing us-against-the-world football. And, oh, Denver isn’t that good.

And then straight up picks. Last year Andy won these pretty handily. Will he keep it up?

Andy Tony
Seahawks Seahawks
Ravens Ravens
Saints Saints
Eagles Eagles
Browns Browns
Chargers Chargers
Bears Bears
Cowboys Cowboys
Jaguars Chiefs
Patriots Patriots
Panthers Rams
Bills Jets
Cardinals Cardinals
Buccaneers Buccaneers
Raiders Broncos