NFL WEEK 1: Our official predictions for who wins this weekend

Football is back!

After an offseason that saw Peyton Manning retire, Tom Brady get suspended, the Rams move to Los Angeles, Robert Griffin III move to Cleveland, and Tim Tebow join the ... Mets (?!), football is once again back in our lives.

And oh how we've missed it.

Last year, as you will fondly recall, I wrote a column each Thursday in which I picked every NFL game against the spread, and tried to offer some accompanying (and maybe even insightful) observations about football and the games. 

As many of my kind readers pointed out over the course of the season, I would have been just as well off flipping a coin for each pick, as my record of 126-113-8 (note: above .500!) was unimpressive. As always, thank you for reading and thank you for the feedback.

The thing is, last year I was nothing more than an untested rookie, and like all rookies I occasionally stumbled over the course of the season (I picked the Ravens to beat the Broncos? I suggested the Browns start Johnny Manziel?). More importantly, I also gained a ton of experience. 

And this year, my goal is simple: beat my record against the spread from last season. 

Let's do it!

(All lines courtesy of Vegas Insider.)