Football season is about to start, and I have joined a fantasy football league along with a lot of my friends and one fellow blogger. Our draft was the other night, and although we had it set up to do a live draft the computer decided to do our draft for us. As a result, my team consists of Marshall Faulk and a bunch of guys who aren't worth a damn. I have already waived 3 of my 4 wide receivers, 2 of my running backs, and 1 of my quarterbacks because they are either injured for the year, backups who won't see any playing time, or not currently on any team's roster.

In honor of football season, I will be doing weekly NFL picks here at the Festival. Two years ago when I worked for Student Life, the official student newspaper of WashU, I was the champion of the weekly picks. I'm offering up a challenge to any other bloggers out there in our little community to take up my challenge and join me. If anyone would like to set some stakes, feel free to contact me with a preliminary offer.

So without further ado, here are my picks for this week:

SF at NYG: SF. The Giants will be improved this year, but Shockey's already hurt and the Niners have the much better offense. And Kerry Collins is still a head case.

NYJ at BUF: NYJ. This was a tough one, as the statuesque Drew Bledsoe is usually a fast starter, but he can't beat the Jets to save his life and he'll be in the pocket behind a very weak offensive line. Let the sack attack begin.

MIN at CHI: MIN. This isn't really a home game for the Bears since they're playing at Champaign this season, and their offense is highly overrated. Regardless this game comes down to whether or not Randy Moss shows up or not. It's still early, so I think he will.

SD at CIN: CIN. Yuck. 1st-time-starting QB versus the worst franchise of the last decade. As much as I hate to admit it, the Bengals will be slightly improved this year and I don't think San Diego has much going for them besides their running game.

KC at CLE: KC. Another battle of the bad, as Cryin' Dick Vermeil's Chiefs have no receivers and an all-pro tight end who hasn't practiced all offseason and the Browns have no impact players at all. Edge to Priest Holmes and the Chiefs, but just slightly until Marvin "Snoop" Minnis brings his great name back on the field.

ATL at GB: GB. After playing Lucas in Madden 2003 the other day, I have established that Michael Vick will average about 200 yards rushing per game but fumble once every five plays or so. He'll tear it up on the turf, but in the thawed-out tundra against Brett Favre he doesn't stand a chance. Terry Glenn-o-meter: 0 injuries so far.

PHI at TEN: PHI. This one will be close, but Philadelphia is deep at running back (including "He Hate Me" Rod Smart) and has a solid receiving corps for Donovan McNabb to throw at. I just have no faith in the Titans, who seem so close to greatness every year only to have something go wrong.

DET at MIA: MIA. Jay Fiedler is going to be mediocre as usual, and Ricky Williams hasn't shown be anything in preseason, but Miami always starts off well before their yearly choke.

AZ at WAS: WAS. Steve Spurrier gets a welcoming present by getting to play one of the crappiest teams in the league. This won't be much of a test, but later in the year we'll see if his offense is really the fun-n-gun or the old chuck-n-duck of the early 90's Atlanta Falcons.

BAL at CAR: BAL. Rodney Peete is starting for Carolina. That's all I have to say.

IND at JAX: IND. They still have no defense, but then again neither does Jacksonville. The team with the most possessions might win this one.

NO at TB: TB. The Deuce is loose, but Aaron brooks is so highly overhyped that he can't help but disappoint.

SEA at OAK: OAK. The Raiders have to get their fans hopeful before their yearly collapse, so they have to win easy ones like this. Teleport this game to, say, the month of December and it would be a totally different story.

STL at DEN: STL. The Rams will be challenged this year in the NFC, but not by this shell of the former Broncos.

DAL at HOU: DAL. I wanted to pick the Texans, I really did. Dallas, despite being a trendy playoff pick, has Quincy Carter at quarterback and an aging and injury-riddled Emmitt Smith rushing the ball. However, expansion teams don't win their first games, it's a rule.

PIT at NE: NE. Hooray for the Super Bowl Champion Pats! No one else gives them any respect, but I do. Look for Kordell to be confused as usual against Belichick's defensive schemes and Bettis to once again be gang-tackled. And keep an eye on John Madden in this game. Now that he's not saddled with the skeleton formerly known as Pat Summerall and gets to call meaningful games, MNF should be fun again.