NFL Team Rankings

Note: There are no 'Sure Starters' or 'Possible Starters' this week as I will be out of town Thursday and Friday nights. This moved up the deadline for this feature.

Atlanta Falcons (+5) at Pittsburgh Steelers

A couple of weeks into the season, this matchup was looking like a 'who cares' contest between a pair of teams with little to no post-season aspirations. With the Falcons, you have one of the hottest teams in the league. Their only loss since week two was to the Buccaneers. They are currently one game behind those Bucs (in the loss column) for the NFC South lead. With the Steelers, you have another of the hottest teams in the league. Their only loss since week two was to the Saints. They are currently leading the AFC North. Atlanta's division is far more competitive so a loss will hurt the Falcons far more than the Steelers. The home field will carry Pittsburgh.

The pick: Pittsburgh 23-20.

San Diego Chargers (+6) at St. Louis Rams

Interesting that the 3-5 team is favored over the 6-2 team. Of course, when you consider the shellacking San Diego took last week against the Jets, they probably wouldn't be favored against any team outside of Ohio. Allowing 44 points at home to the Jets was a pitiful effort. If the ship is not righted this week, the free-fall will be in effect. Check out the remaining schedule (49ers, Dolphins, Broncos, Raiders, Bills, Chiefs, and Seahawks), and you'll find only one cupcake. The Rams meanwhile are rounding into form. They are averaging just over 30 points over their last three games. Like San Diego, St. Louis also desperately need a win here.

The pick: St. Louis 31-21.

Cincinnati Bengals (+5.5) at Baltimore Ravens

The Bengals have their win for the year. The Ravens are striving for a .500 record. Nothing to see here folks (unless, of course, you have Jamal Lewis).

The pick: Baltimore 23-17.

Seattle Seahawks (+3.5) at Arizona Cardinals

Seattle has beaten the Vikings and the Cowboys. They've lost almost half their games (including a week two contest against these Cardinals) this year by 10 or more points. They have been stricken with one injury after another. This is simply a bad football team right now. The Cardinals aren't a great unit either, but they have shown the ability to compete on a fairly consistent basis. However, they could easily be without David Boston this week (although it's not like he's setting the world on fire this season). With all these starters missing, this could be ugliest game of the week.

The pick: Arizona 21-17.

Detroit Lions (+10) at Green Bay Packers

Speaking of bad football teams, I present the Detroit Lions. Of course, they're coming in riding a one-game winning streak (which matches their season high) after amassing 156 yards of offense in a 9-7 victory over Dallas. On the other end of the spectrum, witness the Green Bay Packers. They've only won six in a row. Let's go ahead and count number seven.

The pick: Green Bay 33-13.

Washington Redskins (+3) at Jacksonville Jaguars

Break up the Redskins. They're riding high on a season long two-game winning streak. To be honest, Steve Spurrier isn't doing all that bad in his first NFL season. Washington has lost to some good teams (Eagles, 49ers, Saints, and Packers). That's a rough first half schedule. Meanwhile, the Jaguars can't seem to beat anyone. After starting of quickly (3-1 with a victory over the Eagles), Jacksonville has dropped four straight and hasn't scored more than 19 points. This is a big game for both teams. The winner will still entertain post-season hopes while the loser will likely fade away.

The pick: Washington 20-18.

Houston Texans (+9.5) at Tennessee Titans

Houston was embarrassed by Cincinnati last week. You'd like to think they'll come back strong this week to attempt to show some pride. Not going to happen against a Tennessee team that's actually putting together a good run (three straight wins).

The pick: Tennessee 33-16.

Kansas City Chiefs (+6.5) at San Francisco 49ers

Ah, the game of the week. If there's one thing you can expect from the Chiefs it's a close high-scoring game. Kansas City is scoring 32 points per week while allowing 30. Those are some big numbers. The 49ers certainly have the horses to keep up so sit back and enjoy this one.

The pick: San Francisco 34-30.

Indianapolis Colts (+9) at Philadelphia Eagles

Well, the three game losing streak that Indianapolis is currently carrying has certainly taken the luster off of this matchup. A few weeks ago, this one was shaping up to be quite a clash. The Colts offense has just simply tanked. Without a real running threat, Manning and the passing game has not been able to carry this load. I guess we've found out that 75% of Edgerrin James isn't as good as everyone thought. With him out again this week (and with no Ricky Williams part two), look for James Mungro to get the carries. For their part, Philadelphia hasn't exactly been blowing teams away lately. While the defense has been extremely good, the offense seems to be just puttering along. Still, the Eagles will have plenty to take this game.

The pick: Philadelphia 27-10.

New England Patriots (-3.5) at Chicago Bears

Last week, I told you why the Patriots were experiencing their four-game losing streak (they were playing very good opponents). They certainly got back on track last week and will take another game this week as the Bears are not a very good opponent. Chicago has only lost six in a row. Their next chance for a victory will come week 12 against the Lions.

The pick: New England 24-14.

New Orleans Saints (-4.5) at Carolina Panthers

This Saints offense has shown the ability to score on any team in the league and is averaging over 35 points over the last four games. They simply score points. Of course, the defense is just as simple in New Orleans. They simply allow points. Conversely, Carolina does neither. They don't score, nor do they allow. And lately, the Panthers haven't been winning either. Their promising 3-0 start is now a distant memory.

The pick: New Orleans 30-20.

Miami Dolphins (+3) at New York Jets

If the question is, "Who can we get to turn the ball over?", then Ray Lucas is the answer. If the question is, "Who makes the opposing defense score tons of fantasy points?, then Ray Lucas is the answer. If the question is, "What QB does Miami want to be healthy enough to start this weekend so they don't have to rely upon Sage Rosenfels", then Ray Lucas is the answer. As of early Thursday morning, it looks like Lucas will be behind center this Sunday against the Jets. If Miami is to have any chance to win, they'll certainly have to score more than the 10 points they've put up in back-to-back losses. The Jets are on a little roll at the moment after blitzing the Chargers last week.

The pick: New York 23-17.

New York Giants (-1) at Minnesota Vikings

On paper, this is a 'who cares' contest. In reality, there is much to be concerned with here. Will the Jim Fassel experiment continue to be a success (Which actually means will Tiki Barber be a stud from here on out)? Will Daunte Culpepper eliminate (or at least reduce) his mistakes and stay on the field? Will Randy Moss do something? I say "yes" to all three. I also say this will be an extremely exciting game.

The pick: New York 23-20.

Oakland Raiders (+5) at Denver Broncos

What's wrong with the Raiders? Their last four opponents were better than their first four opponents. They have beaten the Seahawks, Steelers, Titans, and Bills. They have lost to the Rams, Chargers, Chiefs, and 49ers. Which group does Denver belong in? Obviously the latter. This will be a great Monday Night Football matchup, but the Broncos are simply the better team (and they're at home).

The pick: Denver 27-20.