Week 2 Thursday Night Pick

After a thrilling week one, in which nobody talked about on Monday thanks to the Ray Rice video, here are five takeaways from the NFL's opening week and also a pick for the Steelers vs. Ravens game tonight.

1. Fire Goodell

I'll let Keith Olbermann explain why Roger Goodell has to be fired. He can say it better than I can write about it. The entire Ray Rice situation has become a debacle for a multitude of reasons, Roger Goodell being one of the main ones. I've never been a Goodell fan pretty much because of how he turned the Steelers, in particularly James Harrison, into the villains when he was attempting to prevent concussions. The hubris Goodell has been exhibiting this week is mind boggling. He lied straight to America's face when he gave that interview to CBS. I'm just hoping the NFL owners figure out that another commish will still be able to make them billions upon billions of dollars and that Goodell just failed at doing his job.

2. Let's not overreact about the Patriots

First off, congratulations to the Dolphins for starting off the season with a victory, while also making Lord Brady seem very pedestrian thanks to Cameron Wake. With that being said, the Patriots are going to be just fine even if they lose to the Vikings this week. The offensive line will adjust to life without Logan Mankins and the defense will be very good. Their next six games are against the Vikings, Raiders, Chiefs, Bengals, Bills, and Jets. They will win at least five of those.

3. Nobody is beating the Seahawks in Seattle

After watching the Seahawks dismantle the Packers last Thursday night it's safe to say that the Seahawks are still very very good and they will also be nearly impossible to beat in Seattle. They went 9-1 total last season at home on their way to the Super Bowl and it wouldn't shock me at all if the Seahawks end up back in the Super Bowl if they earn home field advantage this season.

4. NFC East

I think it's about time we crown the Philadelphia Eagles the NFC East division champions. Based on week one, all the Eagles should need to do is avoid ten losses and they will be in the playoffs. Despite being down 17-0 to the Jaguars the Iggles finished the game on a 34-0 run to earn the only win in the division. The Redskins scored a measly six points against the Texans, the Cowboys were down 21-0 to the 49ers in a blink of an eye, and the Giants decided to not cover Calvin Johnson on Monday night. It could be an overreaction to week one for this division but it certainly appears like the Eagles are the only team that isn't currently dysfunctional.

5. NFC South

Unlike the NFC East, the South appears to be a division that could go down to the wire. The Falcons took a big step to prove that last season was a fluke by beating the Saints in week one. The Panthers also went into Tampa Bay and got a win without Cam Newton. The Saints are going to very good, the Falcons appear to be good again, the Panthers still have a great defense, the Bucs are a bit of a mystery. Either way three teams should be in the divisional hunt for the entire season.

Thursday Night Pick

Steelers 20, Ravens 17 --- I feel like I've been saying this for years, but whenever the Steelers play the Ravens it will be a tough, physical game that will likely be decided by one or two big plays, which will determine a winner by a field goal. I'll take the Steelers because clearly I'm biased and based on how Joe FLACCCCOOOOOOO looked in week one, I'm hoping the shaky Steelers defense will be able to force at least one turnover. Also, I'm not positive how well the Ravens will perform after a tough week dealing with the entire Ray Rice situation.