The Cap: Recapping Week 16 With Power Rankings, Top Performers, and More

The Real Power Rankings

1. Indianapolis (14-0)  Last Week: 1

Out of New Orleans and Indianapolis, most were picking Indy to lose before New Orleans would. Indy must be smiling now. This season has been about proving everybody wrong for the Colts. Sticking it to the man (AKA the media). Many so called “experts” were predicting this team’s demise before the season started, now they are sitting on the longest regular season win streak of all time. Peyton Manning will likely win his second straight MVP award. And while Jim Caldwell might not ever move his face or talk, has been an extremely worthy successor to Tony Dungy. What a season for the Colts. Please don’t rest your stars, Jim Caldwell. We want to see your team go for perfection.

2. New Orleans (13-1)  Last Week: 2

Well, the perfect season is over. That was a game that the Saints have won several times this season. Down big, make it close, the other team makes a crucial mistake late. Everything was lining up for another Saints miracle. Alas, the miracle did not happen. The Saints learned that they can’t win ’em all against a desperate Cowboys team, but they’ll learn from their mistakes. With Minnesota’s slip up, New Orleans still is the definitive favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

3. San Diego (11-3)  Last Week: 3

This is San Diego’s fourth consecutive season without losing in December. Now, if they can start a similar streak in January, then they will have something. Vincent Jackson has finally showed up once again, that is if scoring two touchdowns counts for showing up. The passing game is clicking on all cylinders for the Chargers and the run game is good enough to keep their opponents off balance. If there is a team that can knock the Colts off in the playoffs, it’s the Chargers.

4.  Philadelphia (10-4)  Last Week: 5

The Eagles are the NFC’s version of San Diego. They’re a team who typically doesn’t get out of the gates fast, but turns on the burners at the end of the year. This year is the same story. The Eagles offense is as dynamic as any in the NFL and their defense is one of the best at forcing turnovers. Against some teams (eg: New Orleans) their super aggressive schemes could cost them, but they also win some games because of their defense. Nobody wants to play these guys right now.

5. Minnesota (11-3)  Last Week: 4

Minnesota better hope that they can lock up the number two seed in the playoffs, because they cannot beat a good team on the road. Arizona and Carolina have beaten up on the Vikings in two out of the past three weeks. In those games, the Vikings haven’t just lost; they’ve been annihilated. In the Panthers game, even when they had a 7-6 lead, they were getting completely dominated. The key parts of this team are all underperforming right now. Favre, Peterson, and Harvin have all been extremely quiet in the past three weeks. They, like the Bengals in the AFC, might have peaked at the wrong time.

6. Cincinnati (9-5)  Last Week: 7

The Bengals have been through maybe the two most tragic events in football this year. First, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s wife passed away suddenly and then Chris Henry, a key member of the offense when healthy, is killed in a freak accident. The Bengals will play for those two families whenever they take the field and that extra emotion can’t hurt. It’s too bad that they had the unfortunate happening of playing the Chargers this week. They would have beat any of the other 30 (or 29, the Colts might have beat them) teams this week, but they ran into the second hottest team in the NFL. The Bengals are not good enough to make it to the Super Bowl, but an AFC Championship birth would be a great stepping stone for this franchise.

7. Green Bay (9-5)  Last Week: 6

Green Bay’s defense was exposed on Sunday against the Steelers. Big Ben torched the secondary, although not necessarily star corner Charles Woodson. The injuries to guys like Al Harris are catching up to them now. Offensively they are about as explosive as any team in the NFL, but they haven’t been able to stop the better offenses in the NFL. That will be a big problem in a couple weeks when the playoffs roll around.

8. Dallas (9-5)  Last Week: 14

Nobody gave Dallas a chance going on the road against an undefeated Saints team late in the season. Maybe that’s what gave them the extra boost to beat New Orleans. Tony Romo and Co. played as well as they have all year long in that Saturday Night game in the Superdome, which has quickly become one of the toughest places to play in the leagues. It was amazing that DeMarcus Ware went out there and played, and played well too. This is a much tougher Cowboys team than in years past.

9. Baltimore (8-6)  Last Week: 10

The game against Chicago was a perfect example of how the Ravens have played all season long. Blow out the bad teams, but lose to the good ones. Chicago qualifies as a truly awful team this season. Cutler has been atrocious, making a run at a 30 interception season. The Ravens picked him off three times. No big surprise. The Ravens get a big test this weekend, going to Heinz Field to do battle with the Steelers, but if they can win that game, the playoffs will be well in their sight. Must win game this week.

10. Tennessee (7-7)  Last Week: 11

It’s amazing how much different of a team this is than the one that went 0-6 to start the season. They are 7-1 since their putrid start, with the only loss coming on the road to the undefeated Colts. Not exactly an easy game. Vince Young’s turnaround has been just as remarkable as the team’s. He was left for dead essentially before getting the job handed to him by the owner Bud Adams more than coach Jeff Fisher. Maybe Adams should start coaching the team because Young looks like one of the league’s best quarterbacks right now. If Tennessee can somehow win in San Diego this week, then who knows what can happen. They’ve had some good breaks in the second half of the season, maybe the tiebreakers will work out in the Titans’ favor.

11. New England (9-5)  Last Week: 12

Talk about winning ugly. When Tom Brady only throws for 115 yards and throws an interception with the running game doing a whole lot of nothing, the Patriots should lose. Good thing they were facing Ryan Fitzpatrick. The defense finally showed up Sunday and saved the suddenly stagnant offense’s butt. Brady’s slew of injuries must be much worse than they are letting on, because he’s been extremely underwhelming for the past couple of weeks. He didn’t even complete half of his pass attempts against the Bills. That’s not the Tom Brady who won an MVP and three Super Bowls.

12. Arizona (9-5)  Last Week: 9

Arizona appears to be fading, but last year was the same story. They had the division essentially locked up about three quarters into the season. They are not playing their best football, but when this team shows up they are one of the best in NFL. The defense can shut down anybody with good corners like Rodgers-Cromartie and Rolle and with Pro Bowl caliber players in Dockett and Dansby in their front seven. Don’t underestimate that offense either. While, they might be playing great at the moment, in January the Cards could end up as the NFC Champion again and I wouldn’t be shocked at all.

13. Denver (8-6)  Last Week: 8

Denver is the latest team to fall victim to the Oakland Raiders. Are teams just not taking them seriously or does Oakland present matchup problems to very particular types of teams in the NFL? I can’t figure out why they beat those guys beat good teams. Denver’s offense is about as bad an any in the NFL sometimes with Kyle Orton at the helm. Orton’s been fairly solid this year, but in some games he just disappears, like Sunday at Invesco Field. That’s an issue that coach McDaniels and the management need to address this offseason more than anything else. They wouldn’t be better off with Cutler, but if they can somehow get a top QB in the draft to challenge Orton then that would be ideal.

14. New York Giants (8-6)  Last Week: 13

There a million teams in the NFL this season that are impossible to predict and the G-Men are one of those teams. Eli Manning can be horrible one game and great in the next (although he’s been very good in two straight now) or the defense can be awful one week and very good the next. One thing that is the same on a weekly basis is Brandon Jacob’s incompetence. How does Ahmad Bradshaw continually get less carries than him? It’s getting to the point of being ridiculous. Bradshaw better be the feature back next season or there will be some very angry Giants fans.

15. Miami (7-7)   Last Week: 15

Chad Henne looks like he’s going to be a very good quarterback. He still throws bad passes in important situations, a habit he has to get rid of, but he throws a terrific deep ball and possesses smarts for most of the game. He looks like a natural leader and walked into a very good situation in Miami where the running game is the focus of the offense. Most young quarterbacks develop into great QBs by facilitating the offense for a season or two, then leading it. That’s what happened in Pittsburgh with Roethlisberger and in San Diego with Rivers. If Henne turns out like those two then Miami is in very good shape.

16. Pittsburgh (7-7)  Last Week: 17

The secondary was a big problem once again against the Packers. Green Bay had big play after big play against  Pittsburgh’s very average, at best, defensive backs. Rashard Mendenhall now looks like he forgot how to play running back, with his second straight bad game. He’s not consistent enough for them to count on him on a weekly basis. Then again the main problem could be the line, which ranks among the worst on football. Roethlisberger is running around like a headless chicken on half of his dropbacks. It’s amazing that this team is .500 with how bad their offensive line play and secondary play have been.

The Rest of the Pack

17. Jacksonville (7-7)  Last Week: 20

18. Atlanta (7-7)  Last Week: 19

19. New York Jets (7-7)  Last Week: 16

20. Carolina (6-8)  Last Week: 23

21. Houston (7-7)  Last Week:  18

22.  San Francisco (6-8)  Last Week: 22

23. Washington (4-10)  Last Week: 21

24. Chicago (5-9)  Last Week: 24

25. Oakland (5-9)  Last Week: 27
 
26. Buffalo (5-9)  Last Week: 25

27. Cleveland (3-11)  Last Week: 28

28. Seattle (5-9)  Last Week: 26

29. Tampa Bay (2-12)  Last Week: 2-12

30. Detroit (2-12)  Last Week: 2-12

31.  St. Louis (1-13)  Last Week: 32

32. Kansas City (3-11)  Last Week: 29


Five “WOW” performances

1. Jerome Harrison

Who would have thought that the guy who didn’t even get the bulk of the work in a win last week against Pittsburgh would end up having the third best rushing day in NFL history? Only Adrian Peterson and Jamal Lewis have rushed for more yards in a single game than Harrison did against the lowly Chiefs. I think they’ve found a replacement for Jamal Lewis.

2. The Panthers offense

Jonathan Stewart filled in for DeAngelo Williams and then proceeded to be the first running back in 36 games to have a 100 yard rushing game against the Vikings stout run defense. The immortal Matt Moore threw for one yard short of 300 yards and found Steve Smith eight times for 157 yards and a long touchdown. Antoine Winfield couldn’t slow down Smith at all. When Smith is involved in the offense, the Panthers succeed, it’s clear why he gets so frustrated when he doesn’t get the ball.

3. Philip Rivers

Peyton Manning is the best quarterback in the league at running the two minute drill, but Rivers is a close second (with Roethlisberger and Brady close behind him). He had one minute to drive 35-40 yards to get in Nate Kaeding’s range, and there was never any doubt that he would do it. Rivers needs to be recognized on the same level as the very elite quarterbacks in the league (Manning, Brees, Brady, Roethlisberger) because he is clearly playing at the highest level that there is.

4. Ben Roethlisberger

Pittsburgh’s defense has successfully completed the 180 degree spin from one of the most reliable defenses in the league to one of the least reliable. Coach Tomlin had so little faith in his defense, that he tried an onside kick late in the fourth quarter, WITH THE LEAD! He also had a great deal of confidence in Ben, who passed for 502 yards. He had the ball in his hands for most of the game and once again delivered when it mattered most.

5. DeSean Jackson

Jackson has been the most valuable player, that does not play quarterback, to his team in the league. It’s close between him and Chris Johnson, but Jackson gets the edge because he can hurt his opponents in so many different ways. It’s incredible to think  that so many teams passed on him in the draft a couple of years ago. He ran a great time at the combine, it’s incredible that nobody bit on a guy who was a fantastic playmaker in college as well. Football fans should be very glad he didn’t end up on the Raiders and ruin his career. He’s thrived in Eagles offense.

Five Surprises of the Weekend

1. Minnesota completely shutting down in a prime time game. Favre hasn’t been the same for a few weeks now. Adrian Peterson has been very controlled as well, most of his big plays coming off of screen passes. I’d be worried if I were a Vikings fan.

2. Dallas going into the Superdome and ending New Orleans perfect season. Dallas is supposed to choke in December, instead they came out and totally dominated the Saints. And then there was one.

3. Jerome Harrison. Harrison was the third running back on the depth chart at the start of the season and he went out in his third start of the year and had the third highest rushing yards total in a single game of all time. Only Adrian Peterson and Jamal Lewis have had better days on the ground.

4. Oakland beating a playoff contending team…again. This season Oakland has five wins. Four of those wins have come against Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, New York (Jets), and Denver. Two of those wins were on the road. The follow up performance will likely be laying an egg next week against Cleveland. Also, just as surprising was Jamarcus Russell coming in for the final drive and leading his team to victory. For once, Oakland fans could cheer Jamarcus.

5. The amount of close games this weekend. Eleven of the sixteen games were decided by a touchdown or less. Also two the teams who won convincingly were Carolina and Tampa Bay. It was a great and weird weekend of football.

Top Five Games of the Weekend

1. Pittsburgh 37, Green Bay 36

Big Ben gave a great encore to his Super Bowl performance, even down to the great sideline throw. The only difference was that Mike Wallace made the toe tap catch instead of Santonio Holmes. Ben was sacked twice on the final drive as well, making it that much more of a great drive.

2. San Diego 27, Cincinnati 24

The Bengals played their hearts out with the loss of teammate Chris Henry still looming, but ultimately Rivers and his December streak won out. Rivers led a quick drive to get Nate Kaeding in range for a fairly long kick, and he drilled. it.  It looked as if San Diego would cruise to the win, leading by 10 going into the fourth, but the Bengals made some timely plays and tied it with about a minute left. The defense however, was helpless as Rivers worked his late game magic.

3. Indianapolis 35, Jacksonville 31

I don’t want to jinx the Colts (as I did to the Saints), but they are looking like a team of destiny right now. Jacksonville, never get into a shootout with Peyton Manning. It’s like getting in a fight with Mike Tyson, you just don’t do it. A loss is the predetermined outcome. The Jags fought hard, but beating this Colts team requires perfection on both sides of the ball, something that Jacksonville could not quite accomplish.

4. Oakland 20, Denver 19

Two weeks ago, Bruce Gradkowski led his team to a last minute victory over a good team on the road. On Sunday, it was Jamarcus Russell’s turn. Playing his first series of the game, Russell came into the game and threw the game winner with barely any time left. Raiders fans must be frustrated. They are good enough to beat all of these good teams, but they get beaten by bad teams all the time. My heart goes out to you Raiders fans (just don’t forget, you do have a few Super Bowl’s, some fans don’t have any).

5. Tennessee 27, Miami 24

It’s amazing that this game barely made the top five games of the week. This one had playoff implications and it played out exactly like a quality playoff game. These teams were both very even. Chris Johnson and Ricky Williams both ran well, but not great (of course, Johnson had another 100 yard game, his ninth straight). Vince Young’s revival continues to shock me. He looked great out there. The Titans would be one of football’s top five teams if they hadn’t started 0-6. What a shame.

Five Things to Watch for in Week 16

1. The football world gets a great Christmas present with a tasty Chargers-Titans matchup on Christmas day. Both teams are as red hot as a team can get. It should be a great one.

2. Pittsburgh and Baltimore collide in what should be another epic game between the bitter rivals. Playoff hopes for either team would probably be done with a loss.

3. Will Indy really rest their starters with an undefeated season on the line? I really doubt that they will, but we’ll see. For goodness sake, resting starters has never worked for you Indianapolis!

4. How will Cincinnati play in their second game since the death of Chris Henry? They should win either way, but it will be interesting to see if the emotion is still as strong as it was last week.

5. How will the Saints rebound from their first loss? They play Tampa Bay, so things shouldn’t be too difficult.

End of the Year…If I Had to Pick

MVP: Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year: Chris Johnson

Defensive Player of the Year: Darren Sharper

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Percy Harvin

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jairus Byrd

Comeback Player of the Year: Vernon Davis

Coach of the Year:  Jim Caldwell

AFC Divisional Champions (in seed order): Indianapolis, San Diego, Cincinnati, New England

AFC Wild Cards: Baltimore, Denver

NFC Divisional Champions: New Orleans, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Arizona

NFC Wild Cards: Green Bay, Dallas

AFC Champion: San Diego

NFC Champion: New Orleans

Super Bowl Champion (MVP): San Diego (Rivers)

 

That’s all folks

-ATG

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The Picks: NFL Week 13

Buffalo vs. New York Jets  (predicted before game)

The Jets did not look that great against Carolina, actually watching the entire game. It was more the incompetence of Jake Delhomme than strong play from the Jets. Buffalo is playing well right now. However, it’s hard to see the running game of New York not just totally destroying Buffalo’s defense. This game will be a very close one.

New York 20 (-3.5), Buffalo 13

Atlanta vs. Philadelphia

A battle between two injury-depleted teams is the story in this one. Matt Ryan and Michael Turner are out for Atlanta, while Westbrook and Jackson are out for the Eagles.

Atlanta only scoring 17 on Tampa is very worrisome.

Philly’s defense will shut down Atlanta’s offense.

Philadelphia 23(-4.5), Atlanta 17

Carolina vs. Tampa Bay

Matt Moore will be making his first start of the season against Tampa, and that means a heavy dose of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. That’s bad news for Tampa, which has struggled mightily against Double Trouble the past two times that Carolina has played the Buccaneers.

The Panthers ground game is going to have a field day.

Carolina 31(-6.5), Tampa Bay 14

Chicago vs. St. Louis

Chicago is reeling, and reeling fast, but St. Louis is just awful. Steven Jackson should, yet again, have a huge day against a suddenly horrible Bears defense, but Jay Cutler should finally rebound against a Rams team with no defense. Matt Forte will have a big game as well.

Chicago will just outscore the Rams.

Chicago 34 (-8.5), St. Louis 20 

Cincinnati vs. Detroit

Cedric Benson or no Cedric Benson, the Bengals would not lose at home to Detroit. Having Benson just assures Cincy of a victory even more. Stafford doesn’t play well against good defenses, and Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph are two of the best corners in the league. Yet another depressing week for Lions fans.

Cincinnati 24 (-13.5), Detroit 7 (Lock of the Week)

Indianapolis vs. Tennessee

Chris Johnson is going to run all over the Colts, that’s a given, but Vince Young won’t be able to win such a high stakes on the line. I’ll take Manning at home over Young on the road any day.

Add that Indy’s defense is causing turnovers left and right, and Indy’s a lock to take another step toward the nearly impossible perfect season.

Indianapolis 28 (-6.5), Tennessee 17 (Game of the Week)

Jacksonville vs. Houston

Houston is going through the same motions as they do every year. Once they gain some playoff contender hype, they put themselves out of the race. They also play better once they are out of it.

Jacksonville showed they were extremely inconsistent last week, and Houston will catch them on another inconsistent day. Jacksonville cannot stop that high powered offense.

Houston 31 (+0.5), Jacksonville 13

Kansas City vs. Denver

The Broncos might have embarrassed the Giants last week, but they are more of a mix between that team and the team that lost four straight than the team that showed up on Thanksgiving.

Kansas City will put up a very good fight, but the Broncos are just a little too talented for the Chiefs.

Denver 16, Kansas City 13 (+4.5)

Pittsburgh vs. Oakland

Pittsburgh may have gone to Kansas City and lost, but they will not lose to Oakland. I don’t care the entire second string offense played in this game, Pittsburgh would win every time. The defense will show up against the awful Raiders offense, and it’s almost impossible not to score at least once against Oakland’s defense.

The blowout Pittsburgh fans have been waiting for will come here.

Pittsburgh 27 (-11.5), Oakland 3

Washington vs. New Orleans

I keep picking against New Orleans, and they keep winning. But this week is the week it all comes tumbling down. It’s the perfect trap game. On the road against a team that has been playing well, but not a team that is regarded as particularly good. 

The New Orleans offense will be smothered by Washington, and they’ll make some big plays to salvage their season somewhat.

Washington 24 (+8.5), New Orleans 21 (Upset of the Week)

Cleveland vs. San Diego

San Diego is playing just as well as any team with a better record than them right now. Merriman and Phillips are playing great every week on defense, and the running game has finally gotten going, even without LT being great. They have been going three of four backs deep recently and have been getting solid production out off all of them.

We’re gonna be seeing all of those backs in another blowout this week.

San Diego 41 (-12.5), Cleveland 10

Arizona vs. Minnesota

Kurt Warner should play in this game, but he probably wishes he couldn’t. Facing the Vikings defensive line has to be frightening for any player, especially one coming back from a concussion. The Vikes have what it takes to slow down Arizona’s suddenly red hot, running game as well.

This is gut check time for both of these teams.

Minnesota 27 (-3.5), Arizona 21

New York Giants  vs. Dallas

This game is going to come down to which quarterback makes the most mistakes. Eli is starting to go into his late season cocoon that he always goes into when the winds of the Meadowlands really pick up. Bad news Eli, this game is in northern Jersey.

Romo isn’t exactly Mr. Clutch either though. He will throw a late pick to cost Dallas a game they should have won.

NYG 20 (+1.5), Dallas 17

Seattle vs. San Francisco

How is Seattle favored in this game? San Fran is coming off of a dominant win over Jacksonville, and the Niners beat the Seahawks badly early in the year. Seattle was only favored by 2.5 in St. Louis last week!

The 49ers will win easily.

San Francisco 24 (+0.5), Seattle 14

Miami vs. New England

New England is going to be very angry coming off of their humiliating loss in the Superdome. Miami, prepare to have the score run up on you. Coach Belichick isn’t known for his patient temper, and Miami is the team in the way of his wrath.

If Buffalo could run up the score on Miami, then the Patriots should have no problem.

New England 34 (-6.5), Miami 17

Green Bay vs. Baltimore

Green Bay seems to be protecting Aaron Rodgers much better over the past few games. Still, Baltimore is one of the best blitzing teams in the league. Both teams’ seasons are on the line, but Baltimore and Ray Rice get the nod.

Baltimore 24 (+3.5), Green Bay 23

Game of the Week: Indianapolis vs. Tennessee

Upset of the Week: Washington over New Orleans

Lock of the Week: Cincinnati over Detroit

Last Week: 10-6 (vs. spread:7-9) (Game of the Week:0-1, Upset of the Week:0-1, Lock of the Week: 1-0)

Overall: 112-64 (vs. spread: 98-78)

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The Picks: NFL Week 12

Last Week: 12-4 (vs. spread: 9-7)

(Game of the Week: 1-0, Upset of the Week: 0-1, Lock of the Week: 0-1)

Overall: 102-58 (vs. spread: 91-69)

 

Detroit vs. Green Bay

Matthew Stafford may be playing, but it really doesn’t matter. Green Bay’s offense is really clicking. Detroit will give up tons of points.

Green Bay 31 (-10.5), Detroit 10

 

Dallas vs. Oakland

What a stinker of a Thanksgiving game. Oakland somehow put up 17 on Cincinnati, but Bruce Gradkowski won’t be able to perform like he did last week. DeMarcus Ware will have his way in an easy Cowboys victory.

Dallas 24 (-13.5), Oakland 6

Denver vs. New York Giants

The Giants finally won last week after losing four straight. Now can Denver break its own four-game losing streak? Chris Simms and/or Kyle Orton will not be able to change Denver’s fortunes against an improving Giants team.

New York 27 (-6.5), Denver 7

Atlanta vs. Tampa Bay

Is it time to say that the reason for Michael Turner’s success is his offensive line play? When Jason Snelling runs all over New York and scores twice, I think it might be.

Snelling will tear up the Bucs’ horrible defense in this game as well. Matt Ryan will also have another stirring performance.

Atlanta 28 (-11.5), Tampa Bay 14

Buffalo vs. Miami

Ricky Williams looked like his old self that led the NFL in rushing in the former part of the decade against Carolina last Thursday. What does he get next? How about a juicy matchup against the Bills’ lousy excuse for a run defense? Williams is due for another big game here. The Bills will make it closer than it should be, however.

Miami 17, Buffalo 16 (+3.5)

Cincinnati vs. Cleveland

No way that Cincy follows up its horrendous performance in Oakland with a slip-up against division foe Cleveland. Possibly without Cedric Benson again, it’s time for a big Carson Palmer game in this one after two straight games without a passing TD for No. 9.

Cincinnati 27 (-13.5), Cleveland 3

Houston vs. Indianapolis

For a few weeks now Indy has been picked to suffer their first loss. It was tempting yet again, but Indy will figure out some way to beat Houston like they always do. Reggie Wayne has a huge day.

Indianapolis 27, Houston 24 (+3.5)

Minnesota vs. Chicago

A red-hot Minnesota team versus an ice-cold Chicago team. Oh yeah, did I mention this game is at the Metrodome? Vikings win big.

Minnesota 31 (-10.5), Chicago 13

New York Jets vs. Carolina

If Carolina just stuck to their run game in about half of their losses, they would be 7-3 right now instead of 4-6. They will stick to the run against an ever weakening Jets defense and win a close one.

Carolina 24 (+3.5), New York 20

Philadelphia vs. Washington

Washington is missing their starting tight end, starting left tackle, and top two running backs. They’re not going into Philadelphia and beating the Eagles.

Philadelphia 24 (-9.5), Washington 10

St. Louis vs. Seattle

St. Louis is playing better by the week. Steven Jackson is showing why he should be mentioned among the elite backs in the game. He gets his 120 every week and is getting touchdowns to go along with those yards now. Jackson will have another big game, but Seattle’s passing game will be too much for the Rams to handle.

Seattle 28 (-2.5), St. Louis 14

Tennessee vs. Arizona

Two of the hottest teams in the league meet up in Nashville in this game. They have a combined seven straight wins between them. Tennessee gets the nod because of their home field advantage and Kurt Warner’s questionable health.

Tennessee 27 (-0.5), Arizona 24

San Diego vs. Kansas City

San Diego is becoming the team I thought they would be all season long. Philip Rivers is playing great, LaDainian Tomlinson is actually performing, and the defense is getting to the quarterback many times per game. The Chargers will be tough to beat the rest of the way.

San Diego 34 (-13.5), Kansas City 14 (Lock of the Week)

San Francisco vs. Jacksonville

Jacksonville is making a surprising run at the playoffs. San Francisco is headed in the opposite direction. This game will come down to the final minutes, but the hot Jags will win a thriller.

Jacksonville 20 (+3.5), San Francisco 17

Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh

The AFC Championship matchup of last year features a 5-5 Ravens team and a 6-4 Steelers team. They have more combined losses here in week 12 than they did going into Heinz Field to determine which team would go to the Super Bowl.

Both teams have a whole lot to play for, but the Ravens secondary will be subject to the wrath of Big Ben Roethlisberger, especially without Fabian Washington. It will be a classic Ravens-Steelers matchup once again.

Pittsburgh 21 (+2.5), Baltimore 20

New Orleans vs. New England

What a game this one will be. It might be the most fun game of the year to be in front of a TV screen for. Drew Brees and Tom Brady will be chucking the ball all over the field in this game, but Brady is more accustomed to winning these types of games than Brees is. The Saints’ perfect season comes tumbling down as New England wins an instant classic.

New England 31 (+3.5), New Orleans 27 (Game of the Week, Upset of the Week)

Game of the Week: New Orleans vs. New England

Upset of the Week: New England over New Orleans

Lock of the Week: San Diego over Kansas City

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The Picks: NFL Week Eight

 
Last Week: 7-6 (vs. spread: 9-4)

(Game of the Week: 0-1, Upset of the Week: 0-1, Lock of the Week: 1-0)

Overall: 63-40 (vs. spread: 58-45)

Buffalo vs. Houston

Buffalo has surprising won two straight games, with a combined eight interceptions in those games. Matt Schaub has never been known for taking great care of the ball, either.

That said, Houston’s offense is too good not to score more than the Bills offense, especially with the way their defense has stopped the run recently. Ryan Fitzpatrick is not winning a shootout with Matt Schaub.

Houston 28, Buffalo 16 (Houston -3.5)

Chicago vs. Cleveland

This has all the makings of a blowout. A home game for an embarrassed Bears team against Cleveland is the perfect game for a blowout of their own. Forte gets out of his slump against a run defense that let Ryan Grant run all over them.

Chicago 34, Cleveland 7 (Chicago -13.5) (Lock of the Week)

Dallas vs. Seattle

Where was Miles Austin for the first five weeks of the season. In his past two games, he has been the weeks top receiver in both weeks. He also has had four touchdowns in that same span. Romo definitely has a go-to guy now.

The Cowboys will continue their winning streak against a still banged up Seahawks team, in Dallas. Miles Austin will have his way again against a weak Seattle secondary. The Seahawks will make it close in a shootout.

Dallas 31, Seattle 23 (Seattle +9.5)

Detroit vs. St. Louis

The Rams are still searching for their first win and will get it in Detroit. The Lions are back to playing really bad football, and Stafford will still likely be on the bench in this game. Steven Jackson has been running really well and will finally get into the end zone against a bad Lions defense.

St. Louis 17, Detroit 14 (St. Louis +3.5) (Upset of the Week)

Indianapolis vs. San Francisco

Is San Francisco good? They were down by way too much at the half last week, and that was after a blowout loss and a bye week to prepare. Peyton Manning is going to feast on San Fran’s secondary in a blowout.

Alex Smith won’t be able to replicate last week’s performance against a confident Colts squad.

Indianapolis 28, San Francisco 10 (Indianapolis -12.5)

New York Jets vs. Miami

The Dolphins are somehow just 2-4 after playing very good football the past couple of weeks. They played the Jets great just a few weeks ago, but that was at home. Rex Ryan will be able to fix some weaknesses in his defense and they will shut down the wildcat.

New York 23, Miami 17 (NYJ -3.5)

Baltimore vs. Denver

After starting strong, Baltimore needs a win as much as anybody in Week Eight, and they get one of three undefeated teams in the NFL to get that must win against. The Ravens are a tough team and will walk away from Baltimore victorious.

Ray Rice and Joe Flacco bring Denver one of their biggest offensive test because of the balance between those two. The Ravens’ D will finally step up and take away the running game of Denver. Kyle Orton, as good as he’s been, won’t win Denver the games by himself.

Baltimore 21, Denver 17 (Baltimore -3.5)

Philadelphia vs. New York Giants

The Giants are in almost the same situation Baltimore is in. They’ve been sliding and need to win a touch game to be taken seriously as a real contender. There’s no way Tom Coughlin’s boys will lose three straight games, especially in the division. Their defense will bounce back this week.

New York 27, Philadelphia 17 (NYG +2.5)

Tennessee vs. Jacksonville

Vince Young starting this game is worrisome for Tennessee’s chances, but the way Kerry Collins has been playing, they need to take some kind of chance. They have millions and millions invested in him, why let a mid-30s, purely average quarterback keep playing if their going nowhere?

Vince Young will not be a huge factor in this game because this is Chris Johnson’s second huge game.  He’s going to run all over Jacksonville. Also, the one thing Tennessee has going for them is their run defense. Jones-Drew will have a touch time against the Titans front seven and Gerrard doesn’t beat a whole lot of teams by himself.

Tennessee 20, Jacksonville 17 (Tennessee -2.5)

San Diego vs. Oakland

San Diego beat the Chiefs by 30 last Sunday. It should be more of the same here. Tomlinson will get going, at least more than he has been, against a horrid Oakland run defense. The offense is going to put up points in bunches.

San Diego 38, Oakland 13 (San Diego -16.5)

Green Bay vs. Minnesota

Brett Favre’s dramatic return to Lambeau is the storyline of the year so far. He is going to get booed like Steve Bartman at Wrigley. Like Buckner in Fenway. Favre is the Benedict Arnold of sports traitors in the eyes of Packers fans. But did he really deserve it?

All he did was bring a Super Bowl title back to Green Bay for the first time in nearly 30 years. He won several MVP awards an always had the Packers in the playoff hunt. He was one of the top 10 quarterbacks of all time and he had a change of heart about retiring and his team said no. Remember, Favre just led the Packers to the brink of the Super Bowl the year before too.

Joe Montana was tossed out to dry by the Niners to give a promising quarterback a chance and now Montana is looked at as the victim. Favre wanted to play, his beloved team of almost his entire career turned him aside. How can you blame him for trying to stick it to them?

Just making his case, personally, I think Favre is annoying because of all of the drama in his “comebacks.” He wouldn’t be nearlyvillianized as  if he would have just said at the end of the season that he wanted to play.

Playing games to get released and join his former team’s arch rival is just despicable and Packers fan must feel disgusted that the player they once loved now is trying to get back at them. Just horrible.

All of the Favre drama aside, the game should be spectacular. Favre usually plays well under pressure, although the last time he was at Lambeau (in a Packers uni) he threw a pick that cost them the game. Rodgers will get better protection than the Monday nighter a few weeks back, when super end Jered Allen sacked him four and a half times. This will be a high-scoring, hard-fought bout that will go down to the final minutes.

Green Bay 31, Minnesota 28 (Minnesota +3.5) (Game of the Week)

Arizona vs. Carolina

This is team that Jake Delhomme’s unraveling came against. Less than a year ago, the 12-4 Panthers came into Bank of America stadium looking at a 10-7 Cardinals team that seemed like they would be nothing but a speed bump. That speed bump turned into a brick wall as Delhomme gave them the game in record setting fashion.

There’s no way Delhomme can be as bad, but the Panthers have been quick to go away from the run in games where they fall behind, so Delhomme will be throwing a lot. That’s good news for any team’s fan base. The Cards will get up on the Panthers early and keep the lead throughout the game.

Arizona 30, Carolina 17 (Arizona -9.5)

New Orleans vs. Atlanta

Drew Brees will throw all over a banged up Atlanta secondary after struggling in the Miami game. Atlanta will score their fair share of points as well, but the Saints will put a massive total once again.

New Orleans 42, Atlanta 34 (Atlanta +9.5)

Game of the Week: Green Bay vs. Minnesota

Upset of the Week: St. Louis over Detroit

Lock of the Week: Chicago over Cleveland

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The Picks: NFL Week Four

Last Weeks Picks: 11-5

(Upset of the Week: 1-0, Game of the Week: 1-0, Lock of the Week:1-0)

Overall: 40-18

(Upset of the week: 1-1, Game of the Week: 2-1, Lock of the Week: 1-0)

 

Chicago vs. Detroit

Detroit broke the streak, but run into a problem in this game. Facing a Bears team that beat Pittsburgh in their house is bad medicine for a win streak. Forte will finally find his groove against a porous Lions defense and send Detroit on another losing streak.

Chicago 31, Detroit 20

 

Cleveland vs. Cincinnati

Last year this game was a anybody’s for the taking, but this year it will be a one-sided affair. The Bengals are a good team, with a lot of the thanks going to Cedric Benson. Yes, Cedric Benson. He’s been an animal this season and will run over the Browns even in the Dawg Pound. Ochocinco will continue his comeback season with another nice game.

Cincinnati 28, Cleveland 13

 

Indianapolis vs. Seattle

Matt Hasselbeck will not play in this game, which spells trouble for Seattle. Seneca Wallace brings memories of Jason Campbell; he doesn’t play horribly, but he does nothing to win the game.

Julius Jones certainly isn’t going to win the game either. Manning will just pick apart the Seattle secondary and open things up on the ground as well. Donald Brown has a breakout game here.

Indianapolis 37, Seattle 17

 

Kansas City vs. New York Giants

Is there anybody who ever thought giving Matt Cassel was a very good idea. He had an ideal situation in New England with Moss and Welker and 20 million average running backs.

In KC, he has one receiver that is above average, one or two average running backs, and a horrible offensive line. The Giants are going to  be all over Cassel in this game. Jacobs is going to run all over the Chiefs horrible run defense as well. This has all the makings of a blowout.

New York Giants 34, Kansas City 10 (Lock of the Week)

 

Washington vs. Tampa Bay

This is a clash of pure failure. Washington has, yet again, failed to turn offseason acquisitions into a good football team. Tampa inexplicably just went back to square one and made one of their minor assistants the head coach. Has that ever worked out? This is the stinker game of the week.

If somebody has a choice between cutting their fingers off or watching this game, it would be a tough decision. Washington has more talent than the Bucs and that will prevail Clinton Portis gets a perfect opportunity to redeem his bad start against the awful Buccaneers defense.

Washington 20, Tampa Bay 12

 

Jacksonville vs. Tennessee

It’s do or die time for the Titans. If they aren’t out of it already, they will definitely be out of the playoff race if they lose this game. They simply have too much skill and good coaching to lose their first four games.

Kerry Collins will actually show up in this game and Chris Johnson will break a couple of long runs. Maurice Jone-Drew won’t be getting anything against Tennessee’s run D.

Tennessee 27, Jacksonville 10

 

Houston vs. Oakland

JaMarcus Russell is turning out to be a Ryan Leaf type bust; except at least Leaf was taken second. The Raiders could have landed Calvin Johnson, who was the biggest can’t miss player  in a very long time. There’s always the chance they could have screwed that up too, but we’ll never know.

Houston has been ultra inconsistent this season, but playing Oakland at home is the perfect recipe for a bounce back game. Slaton also has a perfect recipe for getting his season on track.

Andre Johnson probably won’t torch Asomugha, so Walter and Daniels will be the big targets in the receiving game. The Houston offense is going to have a big, big game.

Houston 35, Oakland 13

 

New England vs. Baltimore (Game of the Week)

New England had a nice bounce back against Atlanta last week.  Brady and Co. have a bit of a tougher matchup against Baltimore though. Baltimore’s offense if firing on all cylinders and New England will have to play extremely well to come up with a win.

Flacco is still a second-year QB and we all saw what happened to Matt Ryan last week against New England. Guys like Flacco and McGahee will slow down in this tough game and Brady will finally find his touch. This will be a lower scoring game than many expect though.

New England 23, Baltimore 21

 

New Orleans vs. New York Jets

The Saints’ offense was slowed down by Buffalo. That isn’t a good sign going against the Jets’ defense. The Saints might be playing on the turf in this one, but New York has a fast defense that could benefit from playing on the fast surface. The Saints will struggle against the Jets stifling defense and Mark Sanchez will continue his development into a very good NFL quarterback.

New York Jets 26, New Orleans 20 (Upset of the Week)

 

Miami vs. Buffalo

Chad Henne makes his debut against a team that shut down Drew Brees last week. Not good. Buffalo has been pretty decent so far, and that’s without TO making an impact at all. If Owens can get involved then the Bills can actually be a good team.

They will be able to beat the Pennington-less Dolphins in a close game. Owens will get involved in this game.

Buffalo 20, Miami 16

 

Denver vs. Dallas

Denver has surprised everybody by starting 3-0 this year; including themselves. They have the luck factor involved as well, as evidences by their once-every-10-years miracle in week one.

Orton hasn’t played extremely well but has played well enough to win games and will play that way again. The defense has been great, despite playing against bad teams, and will be able to stop Dallas. Denver takes another step towards having a decent year with a win over the ‘Boys.

Denver 19, Dallas 17

 

San Francisco vs. St. Louis

St. Louis might be worse than the Lions of 2008. At least Detroit was competitive in a lot of games last season, St. Louis is going to get blown out by every good team they face.

San Francisco is a good team that they face. Frank Gore’s injury hurts the Niners, but they played fine without him against Minnesota last week before a heat crushing loss. Singletary will fire the boys up to annihilate the Rams.

San Francisco 26, St. Louis 7

 

Pittsburgh vs. San Diego

It’s do or die time for Pittsburgh. They cannot have a 1-3 start, especially with the Ravens and upstart Bengals in their division. Roethlisberger has been pretty good in the clutch and Pittsburgh outplayed San Diego is both meetings last year.

However, both meeting last season were in the cold and Rivers, with Tomlinson back, should be able to throw on the Steelers very well, especially with Polamalu out. Vincent Jackson is going deep in this one.

This is such a great game. Both team teams really need to go home with a victory in here. Pittsburgh gets the nod just for the home-field advantage at Heinz.

Pittsburgh 20, San Diego 17

 

Minnesota vs. Green Bay

Brett Favre makes his debut against the team that he turned against (or vice versa, depending on what story you believe) in what should be a great Monday nighter. The only complaint would be that this game should be in Green Bay, so that Packers fans could throw a bunch of cheese at Favre.

Green Bay will definitely be more motivated than Minnesota to win this game. Guys who were there with Favre will be out to get him. Any interview you see with them, it’s easy to tell they hate his guts. Rodgers will tear up the Vikes through the air and Favre will throw a pick six, further evidencing Green Bay’s decision to go with Rodgers.

Green Bay 27, Minnesota 17

 

Game of the Week: New England vs. Baltimore

Upset of the Week: New York Jets over New Orleans

Lock of the Week: New York over Kansas City

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The Picks: NFL Week Three

Last week’s picks: 7-9

(Upset of the Week: 0-1, Game of the Week: 1-1)

Overall: 19-13

I’m still trying to figure out what format I’m going to make my picks in.

*new features this week are “Lock of the Week” and five locks to be top ten fantasy players (QB,RB,WR).

 

Detroit vs. Washington

Matthew Stafford is finally going to find his connections with Calvin Johnson in this game. They’ve been okay together but Johnson is going to really tear up an average Washington secondary. Lions get their first win since 2007 in this one.

Detroit 27, Washington 23 (Upset of the Week)

 

St. Louis vs. Green Bay

St. Louis is awful. Green Bay is coming off of a bad game and get a perfect matchup, playing in St. Louis. The Packers seem like they’d be great playing in a dome with speed all over the field like they have. Jennings and Rodgers are going to hook up a lot and the Packers defense will force a lot of turnovers.

Green Bay 35, St. Louis 16

 

Minnesota vs. San Francisco

Brett Favre, after leading the league in interceptions a year ago, has yet to throw a pick. He’s going to make up for lost time in this game. The Vikings will be forced to throw as the Niners limit Peterson and Favre will show that he is basically the same guy from last year. San Francisco’s defense and whole team is legit.

San Francisco 19, Minnesota 17

 

New England vs. Atlanta

Tom Brady has disappointed most people so far. He has not looked good at all through two games. It’s easy to name ten quarterbacks who have played better without even thinking. Matt Ryan will show Brady up again,just like the rook Sanchez did a week ago, as the Falcons go into Foxburough and further threaten the Patriots season.

Atlanta 31, New England 27

 

New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans

Chris Johnson is an animal. He played bad in week one, but does any running back play well against the Pittsburgh defense. He is the fastest back in the league and can break long runs better than anybody (yes, even better than Peterson). The Jets won’t be able to contain him like the Steelers did and Tennessee will get a much needed win on the road.

Tennessee 20, New York 16

 

Philadelphia vs. Kansas City

Kansas City is very, very bad again this year. Their defense is non existent. No matter who is behind center or running the ball for Philadelphia this week, they will beat the Chiefs. There is no way their defense plays as poorly as it did last week.

Philadelphia 37, Kansas City 18

 

Tampa Bay vs. New York Giants

The G-Men couldn’t have picked a better game to establish their running game in. Jacobs and Bradshaw have both been underwhelming this season and if they don’t run all over Tampa’s horrible run D, then Giants fans have cause for a lot of concern. Eli Manning is improved, but not good enough to carry a team by himself. However, Giants fans shouldn’t be worried; Jacobs and Bradshaw will both have field days.

Giants 34, Buccaneers 10

 

Baltimore vs. Cleveland

Baltimore is the most complete team in the league right now. Joe Flacco is looking like a Pro Bowler, Willis McGahee looks five years younger, and Todd Heap is suddenly one of the best tight ends in the league again. Factor in that Ray Rice hasn’t taken off yet and that the defense has yet to hit their stride and that is a very, very scary team. Expect those two things to happen this week against a Browns team that is in disarray.

Baltimore 31, Cleveland 0 (Lock of the Week)

 

Houston vs. Jacksonville

Jacksonville is not as bad as people think. They’ve faced two of the best passing teams in the league and have a weak secondary and have lost by an average of eight points. That isn’t as bad as people have been making them seem this past week.

However, they are playing another one of the best pass defenses this week, so the Jaguars will playing from behind once again. Schaub puts up another great game in this one after a dismal showing in week one. The Texans are going to score a lot of points this year..

Houston 35, Jacksonville 26

 

Buffalo vs. New Orleans

Drew Brees may not have broken the yards record last season, but things are looking good for him this year. Even with health problems at running back the Saints have averaged 46.5 points per game.

Buffalo’s defense isn’t a significant upgrade from Phily’s and the Saints are going to force turnovers just like in weeks one and two. Fred Jackson can only do so much for Buffalo.

New Orleans 44, Buffalo 28

 

Seattle vs. Chicago

Matt Hasselback, in all likelihood, will not play in this game. As we saw last week and last year, the Seahawks are not a team that can win with Seneca Wallace. He isn’t a good enough quarterback to win games without any support from the running game (Justin Forsett really needs to be starting, he is their best back).

This is a perfect bounce back game for Matt Forte, facing a team that Frank Gore totally demolished. This one will be closer than many think, but Chicago will still pull it out.

Chicago 24, Seattle 20

 

San Diego vs. Miami

The Chargers are one of the best teams in football, but they really need a healthy Tomlinson to win in the playoffs this year. Sproles is one of the best in the league once he is in the open field, but is bad between the tackles. That’s right, he is bad.

Rivers can beat most teams through the air anyway, especially now with his much improved Vincent Jackson playing like an All Pro. The Dolphins pass defense is not good so Rivers could very well put up similar stats to the Ravens game, where he tallied over 400 yards.

San Diego 30, Miami 17

 

Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh

Cincinnati is a dangerous team this year. Both sides of the ball have a lot of talent, but so does Pittsburgh. Palmer still hasn’t gotten on track which is scary because the Bengals should be 2-0. Palmer is not likely to get back on track in this game, although Cutler did against this defense. Having Polamalu on the sidelines really hurts the Steelers secondary. The Bengals bring back memories of 2005 in this upset.

Cincinnati 17, Pittsburgh 13

 

Oakland vs. Denver

These two teams were supposed to be horrible this season, yet they enter this game a combined 3-1. Denver is suddenly a great defensive team with Elvis Dumervil leading the way. Oakland has been good despite Jamarcus Russell’s accuracy problem.

Russell sure isn’t going to be a whole lot better against tough Broncos defense and neither is anybody else for Oakland.  Kyle Orton isn’t exactly John Elway for Denver, but at least he gets the job done. The Broncos will continue to roll and remain undefeated after beating Oakland in the Black Hole.

Denver 22, Oakland 10

 

Arizona vs. Indianapolis (Game of the Week)

Kurt Warner looked like last year’s Kurt after playing bad in week one. Peyton Manning has another solid game for Indy. This will be a very entertaining quarterback dual and a high scoring game.

Another interesting subplot is the two rookies Chris Wells and Donald Brown competing. Brown has been the better back so far, Wells has to want to show Brown up. This game is going to be shootout and in the shootout, always take the better quarterback.

Indianapolis 34, Arizona 28

 

Dallas vs. Carolina

All three Monday Night games so far have come down to the final drive and this one might too. These are two very even teams. The Panthers are desperate for a win to avoid an 0-3 start, while Dallas has a lot of pressure not to start 0-2 at their new stadium. Remember, in high pressure situations, Tony Romo can implode.

This is certainly a possibility against Carolina. Marion Barber will not be healthy, further increasing a chance that the Panthers could steal this one. One more week of picking the Cats, then I’m done picking them against good teams, but the circumstances point to a Carolina victory this Monday.

Carolina 27, Dallas 21

 

Five locks to be top 10 fantasy players this week

Quarterbacks

1.Drew Brees

2. Matt Schaub

3. Aaron Rodgers

4. Philip Rivers

5. Peyton Manning

Running backs

1. Brandon Jacobs

2. Michael Turner

3. Matt Forte

4. Fred Jackson

5. Maurice Jones-Drew

Wide Receivers

1. Calvin Johnson

2. Greg Jennings

3. Andre Johnson

4. Reggie Wayne

5. Roddy White

 

Game of the Week: Indianapolis over Arizona

Upset of the Week: Detroit over Washington

Lock of the Week: Baltimore over Cleveland

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Semi-Weekly NFL Super Recap (with Power Rankings)

What we learned from Week 1 and Week 2 (in Power Rank order)

TIER 1

1. Baltimore Ravens (2-0)

1. Joe Flacco is making the second-year leap. He has been great in the first two games, showing smarts and utilizing his great arm.

2. Willis McGahee is still the guy. McGahee is currently tied for the league lead in touchdowns. How many people likely thought that he wouldn’t even be leading his own team in touchdowns after two weeks?

3. The defense is shaky without Rex Ryan and Bart Scott. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed can only do so much. The good news: Lewis looked incredible in the game against San Diego. They still make the plays when they need to.

2. New Orleans Saints (2-0)

1. This could be the best offense, ever. They have so many weapons on the ground and through the air. It’s ridiculous.

2. The defense is going to force turnovers. They had four against Philly and three against Detroit.

3. Brees will make a run at Brady’s 50 touchdowns. It’s hard to imagine that he’s going to throw for less than two touchdowns in any game. He could easily average three per game the rest of the season, which would put him 51. Brady should be sweating.

 

TIER 2

3. New York Giants (2-0)

1. Plaxico Burress wasn’t that important to them. Eli has had great chemistry with Mario Manningham and Steve Smith and has one of the deepest receiving corps in the league.

2. They are going to miss Derrick Ward. Brandon Jacobs has struggled this season and it could be because Ward isn’t there to give them a different look. Ahmad Bradshaw just isn’t the same caliber player that Ward was.

3. Their pass protection is great. Manning has been sacked one time against defenses that have featured DeMarcus Ware and Albert Haynesworth. One sack in two games with a non-mobile QB like Manning is phenomenal.

 

4. New York Jets (2-0)

1. Their defense might be the best in the league. They have yet to allow an offensive touchdown and limited Brady and the Texans’ Matt Schaub to a combined 382 yards passing, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Brady and Schaub combined stats in their other games? A whopping 735 yards, six touchdowns and one interception.

2. Mark Sanchez will be rookie of the year. He’ll put up stats like Joe Flacco did in his rookie year, but he will be very efficient and most importantly, win games.

3. Rex Ryan is built to coach. He motivates his team and obviously has one of the best, if not the best, defensive minds in the game. He is the start of a new era in the Meadowlands.

 

5. Atlanta (2-0)

1. Tony Gonzalez has been the biggest acquisition of the offseason. He has a touchdown in each game and is Matt Ryan’s favorite target.

2. Michael Turner isn’t quite what he was last season. He’s not bad or anything; he just isn’t the same elite back that he was last year.

3. Mike Peterson is a Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker. He’s been all over the place for Atlanta so far.

 

TIER 3

6. San Francisco (2-0)

1. Shaun Hill is a decent NFL starter. He put up good numbers last year and even without very good receivers he can move the ball. He will not make mistakes, either.

2. The defense is one of the league’s best. Holding Arizona to 16 points is quite a feat.

3. Michael Crabtree will not ever wear a Niners uniform. What is he thinking? Has holding out for an entire year EVER been a good move for any athlete EVER? There is no way he will make more money next year or be as good after being away from football. It’s a shame that such a talented player will probably never realize what he could have been.

 

7. Indianapolis Colts (2-0)

1. Peyton Manning is still the king of the two-minute drill. And he’s going to have a better year than Brady.

2. Their defense is not good. They haven’t allowed many points, but they’ve played bad offensive teams. The Dolphins offense ran and threw all over them.

3. Dallas Clark will act as the No. 2 receiver since the Anthony Gonzalez injury. He is the league leader in receiving yards after two weeks. While that won’t continue, he will probably lead all tight ends in yards.

 

8. Minnesota (2-0)

1. Adrian Peterson is still the best back in football. Big surprise.

2. Brett Favre will not throw downfield. His longest completion has been 21 yards. It’s very possible that he could still have arm issues.

3. They can beat the cupcakes. They’ve blown out Cleveland and Detroit, who happen to be two of the three worst teams in the NFL. We’ll see how they handle San Francisco in their next game.

 

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)

1. Their defense is still great. They’ve allowed an average of 13.5 points in the first two weeks. It wouldn’t be surprising if they didn’t let a single team above 20 this year.

2. The offensive line is still abysmal. Roethlisberger is running for his life on every pass.

3. Santonio Homes is making the leap to being a top-flight wide receiver. Holmes stats from the first two games do not lie: 14 catches, 214 yards and a touchdown. He is a burner and Roethlisberger’s favorite target.

 

10. San Diego Chargers (1-1)

1. LaDainian Tomlinson is done. There were talks of a big comeback year for LT this season. He was horrible running the ball in against Oakland and now is injured. Anyone still on that bandwagon?

2. Philip Rivers is a top-five quarterback. He is very good in the fourth quarter of games and would probably put up Drew Brees-like numbers if given the opportunity to pass that often, as evidenced in the Baltimore game.

3. The defense is the glaring weakness. Shawn Merriman hasn’t been himself and Jamal Williams is out for the season. Not good.

 

11. Chicago Bears (1-1)

1. Matt Forte will suffer a sophomore slump. His bad game against the Steelers is excusable, but a bad game against a Packers team that surrendered 140 yards to Cedric Benson is not.

2. Jay Cutler will win some games for them—and lose some. He is very inconsistent. He threw four picks and played awful against a Packers defense that Carson Palmer destroyed before playing great against a great Pittsburgh defense. Who can guess with this guy?

3. They have a lot of receiving depth. Earl Bennett, Johnny Knox and Devin Hester are all good at wide receiver. Not great, but all good. Greg Olsen and Matt Forte are big matchup problems for teams.

 

12. New England Patriots (1-1)

1. This is not the 2007 Patriots. The offense has been pretty bad. It seems like teams have figured them out.

2. The defense is a big liability. It looks like getting rid of Seymour was a mistake, at least for this season. Losing Mayo hurts them even more. The offense had better start playing better.

3. Something is wrong with Tom Brady. Besides the last two drives against Buffalo, Brady has looked like a below-average quarterback. He will bounce back, but will be lucky to throw 30 touchdowns this year.

 

TIER 4

13. Denver (2-0)

1. The defense is revamped. They have allowed a league-low 6.5 points per game in the first two weeks. The two teams they played scored 20 and 31 points in their other games. Is this really the same team that gave up the third-most points in the NFL last year?

2. Kyle Orton will not be able to replace Jay Cutler. He doesn’t make a ton of mistakes, but Orton will never take over a game like Cutler could.

3. Elvis Dumervil is one of the most underrated defensive ends in the league. Last year was an off year, but he’s already bounced back. He is a pass rusher in the mold of Dwight Freeney.

 

14. Dallas (1-1)

1. The scoreboard won’t be a big deal. Nobody is going to hit the thing. People made a way to big of a deal about it.

2. When Tony Romo is on, he is great; when he is off, he is bad.

3. Felix Jones is one of the best game-breakers in the league. He’s in the mold of Darren Sproles and Leon Washington, but with size.

 

15. Houston (1-1)

1. Andre Johnson very arguably a better wide receiver than Larry Fitzgerald.  He was matched up with one of the best corners in the league in Week 1. He went crazy in Week 2. That is the real Andre Johnson.

2. If Matt Schaub stays healthy, he will be a top-five quarterback in terms of yards and touchdowns. They are going to throw a lot.

3. Steve Slaton has disappeared. He has 51 yards in two games. However, Slaton has faced two of the best run defenses in the league, New York and Tennessee.

 

16. Philadelphia (1-1)

1. Michael Vick will not get a lot of playing time. He is, most likely, the fourth quarterback on the team right now. They will use him, but not as much as many people would have thought.

2. If the defense doesn’t get a good pass rush, they are in trouble. The Eagles were all over Jake Delhomme in Week 1 and they destroyed Carolina. Drew Brees had all day in Week 2 and the Saints destroyed Philly.

3. Brian Westbrook will not be healthy all season. He probably won’t get more than 15 to 20 touches in any game this year. He is banged up. Luckily for Philadelphia, LeSean McCoy has looked great.

 

17. Arizona (1-1)

1. Kurt Warner is healthy and he is still a great quarterback. Twenty-four of twenty-six? Seriously? He’s still got it.

2. They can’t run. Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower have both been pretty bad. This is a pass-first team in a big way.

3. The defense is better than last year. Especially against the pass. Rodgers-Cromartie keeps maturing into a star.

 

18. Cincinnati (1-1)

1. Chad Ochocinco is back in every way. He is back to being flashy without being super obnoxious and actually walking the walk with his play on the field. He’s on his way to a vintage Chad (Johnson or Ochocinco?) year.

2. Cedric Benson can run. Cedric Benson? He has 217 yards, a 4.3 yards-per-carry average and a touchdown. Very un-Benson-like, but this could be the new Cedric.

3. This is the best defense Marvin Lewis has had. Rey Maualuga is going to be a star at linebacker. If Lewis is still around he could be his new Ray Lewis.

 

19. Green Bay (1-1)

1. Aaron Rodgers still has a ways to go to be considered an elite quarterback. He’s been very average so far. But at least he isn’t throwing interceptions.

2. The defense is basically the same as it was last year. They will get a lot of turnovers and make big plays, but they’ll give up a lot as well. They gamble too much.

3. Donald Driver is one of the most consistent wide outs in the league. He’s going to end the year with 1,000 yards for the sixth straight season. Are there any other guys in the league that have been that consistent without being considered superstars?

 

20. Tennessee (1-1)

1. Chris Johnson is the fastest running back in the league. The game he had against Houston was pure amazing. He might challenge Adrian Peterson for the rushing title this year.

2. Kerry Collins is still a solid quarterback. He has a respectable 85.6 rating and will lead them just like he did last year.

3. Losing Haynesworth hurt. With Albert, teams had to focus on him not only stuffing the run, but also rushing the pass. They still have good run stuffers, but not a big guy in the middle to rush the passer. This will lead to teams passing all over a very average secondary.

 

TIER 5

21. Buffalo Bills (1-1)

1. Trent Edwards is a legitimate starting NFL quarterback. He has made some very good throws in the first couple of games.

2. Fred Jackson will keep the starting running back job when Marshawn Lynch comes back. Jackson has been a phenomenal playmaker, through the air and on the ground. Lynch won’t take the job until Jackson falters.

3. Terrell Owens is not going to be a huge difference maker in the fortunes of the team. He has not been a huge factor so far and will continue not to be.

 

22. Carolina Panthers (0-2)

1. The defense really misses Maake Kemoeatu. They can’t stop teams if they really want to score. They cannot put faith in their defense this year.

2. Jake Delhomme will have his good weeks and his bad weeks. He’ll probably have 2-3 good weeks, 8-9 average weeks and 3-4 bad weeks. The Panthers had better win in the weeks where he plays good or average because the games where he blows up are impossible to win.

3. DeAngelo Williams is still a game-breaking talent. He is going to score 20 touchdowns again. He is getting the ball in the red zone and making great plays to get in. Once he starts getting more carries, better numbers and long runs will come.

 

23. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

1. Their season depends on the health of Matt Hasselbeck. Seneca Wallace won’t make mistakes, but he doesn’t have a good arm. He’s a poor man’s Jason Campbell.

2. Justin Forsett is their best back. It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Forsett is the starter by season’s end. He’s looked explosive in the few touches he’s gotten.

3. Their run defense is horrible. Frank Gore embarrassed them.

 

24. Oakland Raiders (1-1)

1. Jamarcus Russell has a good arm, but not a good brain. He has no accuracy. His completion percentage against the Chiefs (yes, those Chiefs) was an abysmal 29 percent. That won’t be winning any more football games for them.

2. Michael Bush needs to get more carries. He is powerful and fast. He could be a better version of Brandon Jacobs if given the chance.

3. The Richard Seymour trade might actually work out. He had two sacks in the opener. When was the last time Oakland cranked out a good first round pick anyway?

 

25. Washington Redskins (1-1)

1. Jason Campbell needs to be replaced. He doesn’t take any chances and is holding them back. They need a quarterback who can throw down the field with receivers like Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El.

2. They are very bad inside the 20. Shaun Suisham has kicked four field goals this year, the longest being 28 yards. They need to score when they are that close.

3. Clinton Portis has lost a step. Really Clinton? Julius Jones can rush for almost 120 yards against St. Louis and you can only manage 79? He needs to step it up.

 

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)

1. They still have no receiver. Matt Jones and Reggie Williams might have been better than Torry Holt and umm…nobody.

2. The secondary is going to get exploited by everybody. Kurt Warner absolutely killed them.

3. Maurice Jones-Drew is good, but needs the ball. He averaged over five yards per carry against the Cards, but only rushed the ball 13 times.

 

27. Miami Dolphins (0-2)

1. Ronnie Brown is one of the most inconsistent backs in the league. He’s either going to have a really big game or a dud.

2. Joey Porter has fallen back to earth. He has just four tackles and one sack through two games.

3. Ted Ginn is an all or nothing player. He’ll have 120 yards one week and no catches the next. Expect more of nothing from him this year. He’s not that good.

 

TIER 6

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)

1. Cadillac Williams has bounced back nicely. Most people would have had him as the third stringer a month ago. Now he is the featured back.

2. Kellen Winslow has really benefited from his change of scenery. He has two touchdowns in the first two weeks and Byron Leftwich looks for the tight ends a lot. He’s going to score eight or nine touchdowns.

3. This is a horrible defense. It looks like anything they had, Monte Kiffin took with him.

 

29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)

1. Matt Cassel was a horrible waste of $50 million. He is a purely average quarterback. It would shock me if he ever makes a Pro Bowl.

2. Dwayne Bowe is developing into one of the best receivers in the league. He’s big, fast and has good hands. That’s a great combo on a team that is going to pass a lot.

3. Todd Haley doesn’t look like a big upgrade over Herm Edwards. He’s made some questionable decisions in the first couple of weeks.

TIER 7

30. Detroit Lions (0-2)

1. They are going to win a game this year. If they can actually show up for a second half, they might get four or five. They hung with two very good teams in the first two games.

2. Matthew Stafford looks decent. He won’t put up great numbers this year, but all he has is Calvin Johnson. That’s it. His offensive line doesn’t do him any favors, either.

3. The defense desperately needs to force turnovers. They aren’t stopping anybody.

 

31. Cleveland Browns (0-2)

1. Brady Quinn has played very poorly. He is not an upgrade over Derek Anderson. At least Anderson throws a good deep-ball.

2. Jamal Lewis is done. Overweight power backs typically don’t age too well.

3. Braylon Edwards needs a change of scenery. He can be a star in the NFL if he gets out of Cleveland.

 

32. St. Louis Rams (0-2)

1. Steven Jackson would be a top-three back on any other team. He is the complete package of a power, speed and receiving back. Too bad they’ll be playing from behind all year. They’d be better off handing to Jackson 30 times per game, even if they’re losing.

2. They have no receivers. Has there ever been a team that had worse receivers? Not even a knowledgeable NFL fan could name a single Rams receiver.

3. The defense is going to get killed. Bad news, Rams fans—the offense isn’t going to score, either.

 

If I had to pick how the season will end today…

*runner up in (_)

MVP: Drew Brees (Adrian Peterson)

Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson (Drew Brees)

Defensive Player of the Year: Ray Lewis (John Abraham)

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Mark Sanchez (Percy Harvin)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Rey Maualuga (James Laurinaitis)

Comeback Player of the Year: Shawne Merriman (Torry Holt)

Coach of the Year: Rex Ryan (John Harbaugh)

NFC division winners: Bears, Saints, Giants, 49ers

NFC wild cards: Vikings, Cowboys

AFC division winners: Ravens, Colts, Patriots, Chargers

AFC wild cards: Steelers, Jets

NFC Champion: Saints

AFC Champion: Chargers

Super Bowl Champion (MVP): Chargers (Rivers)

 

Bold Prediction of the Week: Chris Johnson will lead the NFL in rushing at year’s end, not Adrian Peterson.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

The Picks: NFL Week Two

Here are my picks for week two of NFL action (first paragraph is on the away team, second is on the home team):

Last weeks picks: 12-4

Overall: 12-4

 

Atlanta vs. Carolina

 

Delhomme will bounce back a little bit and Steve Smith will break off a big play or two in this one. Delhomme will end up with one touchdown and one interception. DeAngelo Williams will score a pair of touchdowns as on the ground. The Panthers will look a lot better in this one than in the previous game.

This is the game for Michael Turner to bounce back. He’s gonna have 120 yards and two scores in this one. Matt Ryan will play solid, but will manage his team more than lead them to victory. The Falcon’s defense won’t be as good as Philly’s was last week against the Cats.

Carolina 30, Atlanta 24

 

Detroit vs. Minnesota

Peterson is going to eat up this Detroit defense. They couldn’t slow the immortal Mike Bell last week, what are they going to do against Peterson. Big game for AD. Favre will make this game a lot closer than it should be. At least one of his passes will go the other way for a touchdown. This is really the first game Vikings fans realize that Favre could be their undoing. The defense for the Vikes might get burnt on a few deep balls in this game.

Matthew Stafford will have his coming out party in this game, at least yards and touchdowns wise. Calvin Johnson is going to get deep a few times and score one or two long touchdowns. Kevin Smith will have a tough time against the stout run D that Minny has. The defense will be bad, but Minnesota’s offense isn’t going to put up 45 like New Orleans did. The Lions will put a scare into the Vikings.

Minnesota 27, Detroit 24

 

Green Bay vs. Cincinnati

Cincinnati’s offense was horrible in week one. Palmer looked very bad. Not a good sign for optimistic Bengals fans. Chad Ochocinco did look good though. He was the only guy Palmer found consistently and is really their only great receiving option. He’s going to catch a ton of passes this year. Palmer will bounce back a little and find Chris Henry on a deep ball as well as Ochocinco for a TD. Chad will indeed get a chance to do the Lambeau Leap.

Green Bay didn’t look as good as they were hyped up to be in game one. It took a long TD with a minute left to beat a Bears team whose quarterback had thrown four interceptions. Rodgers will bounce back a little with a nice game here. The Bengals will surprise by shutting down the run though. The Packers D will pick Palmer off two or three times in this game.

Green Bay 23, Cincinnati 14

 

Tennessee vs. Houston

Houston was plain awful offensively last week, but will surprisingly rebound against the Titans, through the air at least. Schaub finds Johnson all day as well as Kevin Walter. Slaton will be shut down again though. Any fantasy owners who picked him will not be happy. The Jets running game ran all over Houston last week and there should be a whole lot more of that here.

The Titans will be running a lot in this matchup. If Thomas Jones could break off big runs against the Texans D, Chris Johnson should definitely be able to. Justin Gage won’t be as big of a factor though. Nobody should be surprised if the Titans only threw like 20 times. Their D will struggle a little bit against the pass.

Tennessee 30, Houston 21

 

New York Jets  vs. New England

The Patriots will not let themselves be embarrassed like last week, even if they did win. The Pats are going to come out firing on all cylinders, especially with all of the trash talking by the Jets this week. Brady is going to be in 2007 form and Randy Moss will be as well. The defense will give up their points, but the offense is going to explode this game.

New York’s new look looked great last week. Rex Ryan’s D looked excellent and so did Mark Sanchez. Belichick will find things to throw at the rookie this week though. The Pats defense might not be super talented, but they’ll throw some different looks at Sanchez. The running game will be good again against New England, but expect Leon Washington to have a bigger game than Thomas Jones. He’s gonna break some long runs. The defense will have a much better offense lining up on the other side in this game and will suddenly not have as many people taking about it.

New England 34, New York 20

 

Philadelphia vs. New Orleans

The Saints offense was great last week and will continue to be all year. The defense did allow 27 points against the Lions. That’s a sign that the defense will be just as bad as usual. Brees will definitely not put up six touchdowns this game and will be running from the Eagles fierce pass rush all day. Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, and Mike Bell will not be able to run successfully against that Eagles D. The defense got lucky by getting the Eagles without McNabb. That might be the deciding factor in this game.

Philly’s defense is shaping up very nicely. It’s hard to tell if Philadelphia’s defense forced all those Jake Delhomme turnovers or Delhomme is just horrible. Maybe it is both. New Orleans will test them more. Kevin Kolb is going to struggle like Matthew Stafford did last week against the Saints. Westbrook should still have a good day. They need some big plays from their receivers to win, but they won’t get enough.

New Orleans 21, Philadelphia 16

 

Kansas City vs. Oakland

Oakland is going to have a hard time recovering after a heart wrenching loss against the Chargers last week. Going into Arrowhead will be difficult, but Oakland is up to the challenge. The Raiders are actually a pretty good pass defense. Nmadi Asumgha is probably the best corner in the league. Jamarcus Russell isn’t going to win this game for Oakland, but he isn’t going to lose it for them either. Darren McFadden is going to go absolutely nuts in this game. Oakland will play another great game.

The Chiefs offense might actually better than previously thought. Putting 24 points on the Ravens is not an easy task, so they should be able to put up at least the same on the Raiders. Matt Cassel will play and show Chiefs fans that it was a huge mistake to give him 50 million dollars. He is going to fall flat on his face. Larry Johnson will have a good game, but that won’t win the game for them. This defense is not good. Any team that they play is going to run and pass all over them.

Oakland 23, Kansas City 17

 

Washington vs. St. Louis

The Rams are by far the worst team in the league this year. the defense is very bad. the offense is very bad. Everything is very bad. Seattle is a good team this year, but scoring a big goose egg is not acceptable. Marc Bulger was good three or four years ago, but now he should be a backup somewhere, not a starter. Steven Jackson is a very talented back, but his stats are not going to be good running behind the Rams offensive line. The defense is going to give up points in this game, even against the below average Washington offense.

The Redskins will whoop up on the Rams in this game. Jason Campbell will suddenly look like Joe Montana against this Ram’s defense. Julius Jones tore up the Ram’s run D last week, imagine how bad Clinton Portis will annahliate that defense. The Skins are going to roll.

Washington 31, St. Louis 14

 

Jacksonville vs. Arizona

The defending NFC champs looked like they would continue the year after curse of Super Bowl runner ups. Going to Jacksonville against a rejuvenated Jaguars team is not going to turn the season around, especially with unhealthy wide receivers. Larry Fitzgerald is going to put up great numbers still, but the Cards need a healthy Anquan Boldin and healthy Steve Breaston to win games. Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells aren’t going to kill anybody. The defense is just average and Jacksonville can score points against them.

The Jags are on their way to a big bounceback year. They played the Colts very tightly last week and get a worse opponent at home this week Gerrard will have a better game this week, as will everybody else on the Jaguars offense. The defense looks very good, only giving up 14 points to the Colts.

Jacksonville 24, Arizona 17

 

San Francisco vs. Seattle

The Seahawks looked good last week as my sleeper of the year pick. The were playing the Rams, but they still looked very good. If Hasselbeck stays healthy the Seahawks are going to have a very successful season. He will be able to tear up this San Francisco defense. Houshmandzadeh will catch eight or nine balls and get in the end zone twice. Once they develop the proper chemistry, people will realize Housh is a premier NFL receiver. Julius Jones won’t be able to run like last week, but will still be effective.

The Niners have caught on as a sleeper pick, but they will not be as good as some people think. They don’t really have a big strength. What is it? They don’t have their “thing.” Shaun Hill is solid, but against the Seahawks defense he won’t have a great game, just an average one. Frank Gore was bad against the Cardinals defense, there is no reason to believe he’ll be able to run against a defense that shut down Steven Jackson. The Niners defense will be tough all year long with Singletary leading them, but the Seahawks offense is very good.

Seattle 24, San Francisco 16 (Upset of the Week)

 

Buffalo vs. Tampa Bay

Tampa is better than people think. They gave up too many big plays against Dallas, but that was against Tony Romo. They get Trent Edwards this week, which is a big drop off. Tampa might not have much of a passing game, especially without Antonio Bryant, but their running game is one of the best in the league. Derrick Ward, Cadillac Williams, and Earnest Graham are all legitimate NFL starters, Cadillac is going to have another big game, as will Derrick Ward. The defense will play much better this week.

Buffalo is going to struggle this week. They’re facing the hangover effect, losing a game against a favored opponent in heartbreaking fashion. Edwards will find TO more, but he won’t be as efficient. Fred Jackson won’t play as well either. The defense played well against Brady, but won’t be able to stop Tampa’s rushing attack.

Tampa Bay 20, Buffalo 14

 

Chicago vs. Pittsburgh

The Super Bowl champs are going to have another good year. Roethlisberger looked great last week in the fourth quarter, but also threw two interceptions. He will throw at least one or two against Chicago and won’t be able to escape the faster Chicago pass rush as well as he escaped the Tennessee pass rush. Willie Parker will run better against Chicago, but still will be shut down. He will score a TD though. The defense will force a lot of turnovers to make up for offensive struggles.

Jay Cutler looked awful against Green Bay and now has to face the best defense in the league. Cutler might throw four more interceptions in this game. Pittsburgh is going to be all over him, and the only way to beat Pittsburgh is through the air. Matt Forte is going to have another bad game. The defense will struggle a little bit now that Urlacher is out.

Pittsburgh 20, Chicago 15

 

Denver vs. Cleveland

The Browns didn’t look half bad against the Vikes last week and have a much worse opponent this week. However, they go on the road to Denver instead of playing at one of the friendliest confines in the league in Cleveland. Brady Quinn isn’t the answer, but neither is Derek Anderson. The running game isn’t strong either. The offensive line is the only thing that is holds this team together. The defense is horrible and will probably get run all over in this game.

Denver will be better than people think. They’re going to start 2-0 after this game. Orton is going to have a better game and will find chemistry with Brandon Marshall. Knowshon Moreno is healthy and will breakout in this one, he’ll get about 90 yards and a touchdown. The defense looked good against a decent (on paper) Cincinnati offense. They should play even better against Cleveland.

Denver 21, Cleveland 13

 

San Diego vs. Baltimore (GAME OF THE WEEK)

Baltimore looked like the bizarro Ravens last week, scoring a bunch of points and giving up a lot of points to a bad team. That just doesn’t happen to the Ravens. The defense will give up points against the Chargers offense this week too. Flacco is poised for a breakout year and will tear the Chargers defense up just like he did to the Chiefs. McGahee isn’t done and Ray Rice has looked great. They will be great again against San Diego.

San Diego (the greatest city in the world by the way, it’s a fact) is going to bounce back a little bit after struggling against the Raiders last week. Tomlinson is out, but the Ravens got hurt through the air last week anyway, so it shouldn’t matter to much. Sproles won’t do a whole lot on the ground, but he is very dangerous on screen passes kick returns. He is going to get a lot of touches and knows what to do with them. Vincent Jackson will catch another touchdown on his way to a breakout year. The defense will step up after struggling last week.

San Diego 24, Baltimore 21

 

Dallas vs. New York Giants

The Giants will be great this year. They are clearly the class of the NFC. Their defense is second to none and will shut down Dallas’s potent passing attack. Eli Manning will play well against Dallas and will make it apparent who his new favorite receiver will be this year. Brandon Jacobs will score two or three touchdowns in this game in a big statement game for New York.

Tony Romo and Co. looked great against Tampa last week, but this Giants defense is much better than Tampa Bay’s. Marion Barber, Felix Jones, and Tashard Choice form one of the best running back trio in the league. They will be able to have some success against the Giants. Barber will have the most success. Jason Witten will have success in the passing game, but nobody else will.

New York 31, Dallas 14

 

Miami vs. Indianapolis

Indianapolis got off to a good start in the Jim Caldwell era with a win at home. Now they will get their first road win and start 2-0. Manning will have a big day picking apart Miami’s weak pass D. Reggie Wayne will go over 100 yards again and Dallas Clark will have a big day as well. The defense will shut down Miami’s weak offense.

The Dolphins are going to fall back to earth this season. A healthy Tom Brady+Chad Pennington a year older+no good receivers= bad year for the Fish. Pennington will struggle again and so will the rest of the offense. Jacksonville’s offense in better than Miami’s and the Colts limited them to just 12. The Dolphins will barely get out of single digits in this game.

Indianapoilis 28, Miami 13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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