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Atlanta, Indianapolis, San Francisco, and Washington are all off this week. Carolina Panthers (+7) at Green Bay Packers
This game looks a lot better now than it did when the schedule came out. Who would have guessed the 3-0 team in this contest would by Carolina. And they're doing it with defense. Speaking of that side of the ball, Green Bay's defense has been surprisingly pitiful this year, and that gives the Panthers a decent shot at staying undefeated. Fantasy-wise, there are many good plays here. If you're looking for a sleeper WR, take a shot with Steve Smith as Muhammad will most likely miss this week. The pick: Green Bay 27-19. New York Jets (+3.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars
Just how bad are the Jets right now? Their 1-2 record includes a squeaker over the defenseless Bills and two pastings by the Patriots and Dolphins, and their defense could stop water from flowing up hill. So, the big three in Jacksonville look awesome this week. Curtis Martin is listed as probable on the injury report, but there's lots of talk of him sitting this week. Even if he does play, the Jaguars rush defense has been very good so far this season. The pick: Jacksonville 21-6. Chicago Bears (+3) at Buffalo Bills
Something tells me that when the Bears lost that 20 to zip lead against the Saints, their whole season could have been lost along right at the same time. A collapse like that can haunt a team for a very long time. For it to happen at home makes it even more difficult to bear. A trip to Buffalo won't do any favors for the Chicago defense as Bledsoe is leading an impressive offense. Playing every Bills skill player is a good way to go this week. There is good news for the Chicago offense: the Buffalo defense. Thomas and Booker are upper tier players this week, and even Miller is worth a look. This should be a good contest. The pick: Buffalo 27-24. New York Giants (-3) at Arizona Cardinals
The big question this week in Arizona is whether or not the Gatorade will boil on the sidelines. Last week, the Cardinals played in 120+ degree temperatures. Unreal! The forecast for Sunday is a 'mild' 92. Sheesh. They ought to play in helmets and shorts when it's that hot. This game does feature the NFC's leading rusher. Yes, sir. Presenting Thomas Jones. If he can continue at this level against the Giants, that will be very impressive. Otherwise, it's awfully difficult to get excited about a Giants/Cardinals tilt. The pick: New York 16-10. Cleveland Browns (+6) at Pittsburgh Steelers
Without a doubt, the play of the Steelers defense has been the biggest disappointment of this young season. They can not stop the pass. Think that was a point of emphasis during the off week? My goodness they've been terrible. If you can't tell, Couch and Johnson look like a good pair this week. Still, it's hard to imagine this Pittsburgh squad winless through September. The pick: Pittsburgh 16-14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7) at Cincinnati Bengals
The Tampa Bay defense is very good. Akili Smith is starting for Cincinnati. Any question? The pick: Tampa Bay 24-7. Dallas Cowboys (+12) at St. Louis Rams
At first glance, it looks like this would be the breakout game for Warner and the Rams. Consider that tackle Orlando Pace tore a calf muscle and is out for 2-3 weeks (which isn't too bad actually ... if my calf muscle goes, I'll be out for months, baby). Also, tackle John St. Clair and Adam Timmerman are both ailing a bit (but both will start on Sunday). Things just aren't going right in St. Louis. Still, they're at home and playing a Dallas defense that has yet to have a quality outing on the road. The pick: St. Louis 27-10. New England Patriots (-3) at San Diego Chargers
Here's your game of the week. This is one of those games where the stars will shine brightly so start all of the big names from either team. Then sit back, crack open a cold one, and drink everything in. The pick: New England 22-20. Houston Texans (+20) at Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia is playing very well right now and has been beating up on lesser teams the last two weeks. Let's make it three as the Houston offense will struggle to get anything going this week. The Texans have been good on defense, but that won't be enough.. This point spread is unreal, but it almost seems too small. The pick: Philadelphia 33-3. Tennessee Titans (+7) at Oakland Raiders
This Oakland offense certainly isn't missing Jon Gruden. Gannon is still ageless, and Garner is bordering on electrifying. The real shocker here though is the performance of the Raiders defense. This group actually looks above average. On the other hand, Tennessee's pass defense is just as bad as ever and has stopped no one (Quincy Carter even looked good against them). The pick: Oakland 28-14. Miami Dolphins (-3) at Kansas City Chiefs
You have to feel for Holmes and Gonzalez. Right now, they are each among the very best at their respective position, but their effort is being wasted by a defense that is getting routed. The Chiefs have really never recovered from the tragic loss of Derrick Thomas. This is just a bad unit. For that reason, start all of your Dolphins. On the other hand, the Dolphins defense is taking care of business (although they're a little soft against the run). The pick: Miami 30-20. Minnesota Vikings (+3) at Seattle Seahawks
Wow, look at all of the offensive talent on these rosters: Culpepper, Alexander, and Moss (by the way, I'm not even going to touch on his latest bout with idiocy) were all extremely high draft picks. Yet, here we have a combined zero wins. Granted, individual offensive talent is only part of gaining a victory, but this is just downright pitiful (especially considering that these teams scored a total of 20 points last week). Is Mike Holmgren still an offensive guru? How many games can he lose and still be safe in Seattle? The pick: Seattle 21-19. New Orleans Saints (-7.5) at Detroit Lions
One thing is certain here: neither team will be mistaken for defensive powerhouses. Play everyone you have (make sure Ricks is good to go) from either squad. By the way, both of these teams are coming off of exciting games. The difference is the good team won their game (on the road, no less) while the poor team lost their contest (at home, which makes it worse). The pick: New Orleans 27-20. Denver Broncos (-7) at Baltimore Ravens
Aren't you glad ABC saved the best game for last? Actually, this game might surprise you as the Baltimore defense has been playing with much heart and desire. It would sure be nice if their offense would help them out a bit. Actually, the ground game with Lewis hasn't been too bad. It's the Ravens passing attack that has no bite. For the Broncos, Portis has taken the lead in the RB by committee. Still, there isn't a Denver RB that is a must start. The pick: Denver 16-7.
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