Week 1 match up, in a warm Buffalo?

An associate of mine from Buffalo keeps telling me how nice it is there this time of year. He also said "the Seahawks are going to lose for sure; Buffalo on opening day is a hard place to play", and "the fans there are crazy; that's all those people have". I thought Buffalo had a hockey team? I thought the NHL was a goner? Never mind all that. I want to talk about what is really going to transpire. Below you will find my edition of the season opener preview for the Hawks; with a little bit of the NFC west to accompany.

First off, we head to Buffalo with a young bevy of receivers to help Hasselbeck march his team to a almost definite 3-0 start. Using their fast yet stout defense, Seattle will create turnovers against a weak passing game of the Bills. With 11 starter returning to the field on defense, the Seahawks can make things happen. The depth at DL is deeper than it has been since 05. Seattle's offense has been a question mark on the minds of many since the beginning of the first mini-camps. From questions about the health of Dion Branch and now the injury to Bobby Engram, to the debate about the young WR corp, there has been a ton of scrutiny about the Hawks' offense.
Buffalo has a strong running game with Marshwn Lynch, but their passing game is inconsistant. I don't see their defense being able to kill the passing attack as much as people are predicting, but I do think it will be a good game. The Bills are decent against the run. Look for a lot of screen plays from Seattle in an attempt to spread the Bills' defense. Should be a close game but I predict a 27-14 win from Seattle on the road...

Rams @ Eagles
The Rams face the Eagles at home in Philly. Philadelphia has some commanding fans. McNabb and company play well in front of their fans, except against the Hawks on Monday night!! Look for the Rams to use Steven Jackson a lot in order to keep the Eagles' pass rush at bay. The Rams are the 3rd oldest team in the NFL so I don't think they will be able to last the whole season, let alone protect Bulger for that long. Look for the Rams to have a tough one in Philly. I predict a 27-24 win by the Eagles at home.

Cardinals @ 49ers
The Cards fly west to SanFran to face Mike Martz's new team. Frank Gore should be able to run the ball well against a more pass rush focused defense in the Cards. Kurt Warner is still able to burn you deep and Boldin and Fitzgerald will be the main targets. The 49ers will probably end up losing. I expect J.T. O'Sullivan's inexperience to hinder the 49ers hopes for a good start. Cards will take this with a 34-27 aerial assault by Warner.