Tom King

Bill Belichick still gets excited for Opening Day.

“There’s always an excitement for opening day and to get the season started,” Belichick said earlier this past week.

Isn’t that nice.

It’s here this weekend, and in this region football kicks all the baseball out since the Red Sox stink, etc. The eyes are all on the New England Patriots now, and after the preseason that took place down in Foxborough, that may not be a good thing for Belichick & Co.

We’ve never seen so much scrutiny on which coach is calling the plays. Both Matt Patricia and Joe Judge are two failed head coaches who came running back to their secure place, Gillette Stadium.

Will it matter? Probably not. If New England’s defense can be the strong unit, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Remember, New England’s defense couldn’t get a single stop the last time they played a game for real.

And now it’s time to begin the 22-week journey of the Lucky Seven picks, each week (no spread, we wimp out).

As a refresher, we usually pick the Patriots, then two AFC games, two NFC and two interconference, but sometimes it doesn’t always work out that way with bye weeks, etc.

And now we venture into the great unknown. Of course, a lot of us feel we already know what may happen, but let’s ask this, experts: How many of you thought the Cincinnati Bengals would be in the Super Bowl a year ago?

We’ll let you see this in our print edition since it’s Opening Day, but most weeks look for this on line on Sunday mornings.

So, here goes nothing:

PATRIOTS 20, DOLPHINS 17

Sure, everything points to Miami. But Mac Jones is a better quarterback than Tua and the Dolphins have been feeling high and mighty these days. We should always expect the unexpected on the first Sunday of the NFL season. Tagovailoa is not too hard to predict, right? Three-step drop and throw. Jam the receivers, even Hill, and that may do it. Well, we’ll see.

RAVENS 27, JETS 13

Now, unless something happened between this writing and your reading, we’re on the Lamar Jackson Watch. Let’s see if he takes the Aaron Judge route to prove his worth. Baltimore may face old friend Joe Flacco – the Jets were trying to keep John Harbaugh guessing – and they should know how to defend him.

RAIDERS 30, CHARGERS 24

This is a great opener, but a tough one for old friend Josh McDaniels. The Chargers are supposed to be the up-and-coming team, but every time that prediction is made, the Bolts lose their juice.

We picked the Raid-ahs to win the AFC West, so how the heck can we pick them to lose at home to L.A.?

VIKINGS 33, PACKERS 30

Green Bay never wins in Minnesota, and the Vikings have a new coach and a refreshed attitude, with Kurt Cousins still slinging it.

Of course, sometimes he slings it to the other team, but perhaps new coach Kevin O’Connell will cure him of that.

BUCS 27, COWBOYS 26

Dallas foolishly gives Tom Brady the ball with just over two minutes to play and about 65 yards to go. We already know the outcome, right?

Nice Sunday Night game for NBC to start. Afterward Brady announces he’s taking the next four weeks off because he’s 45 and there’s a lot of bleep going on.

PANTHERS 30, BROWNS 0

Baker Mayfield’s revenge. If there’s any justice in this world, the above is exactly what should happen. And you know what? We think it could. Heck we originally thought 40-0 but the Panthers stink.

BRONCOS 37, SEAHAWKS 13

Sorry, Pete Carroll. You don’t have Russell Wilson, the other team does. You don’t have a very good defense, the other team does.

It all adds up to this message: Time to retire, Pete.

Heck, it was probably time after that stupid play call in Super Bowl XLIX.

LAST SEASON: 89-52, regular and post season and playoffs.

Tom King may be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com.

Also, follow King on Twitter (@Telegraph_TomK).