Semi-Weekly NFL Recap: Edition 3 (w/ The Picks)

Super Sixteen

1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) Previous Rankings: 2, 2

1. This is clearly the best team in the NFC now. They made the Giants defense look like the Rams defense. They are offensive juggernauts.

2. Lance Moore will be one of the most productive number two wideouts in the game, now that he's back. He was a key part of their attack on Sunday. He and Colston form one of the best receiving duos in football.

3. No team in the league is deeper offensively. They have three running backs who all do different things and five targets who all bring unique talents to the table. Nobody can stop this offense.


2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0) Previous Rankings: 7, 1

1. Jim Caldwell is the most unappreciated coach in recent memory. Much is heard about Josh McDaniels or Rex Ryan, but there is never anything said about Caldwell. He's done a great job though.

2. Dallas Clark is making claim to being the best tight end in football. He is extremely versatile and catches everything thrown at him.

3. The defense is not as bad as most people think. They limit other teams opportunities and played the Wildcat well.


3. Denver Broncos (6-0) Previous Rankings: 13, 7

1. They aren't just beating people, they are shutting them down and whooping them. The games that were close never seemed in doubt in the second half.

2. They need to get Eddie Royal some more touches. When a guy can return two kickoffs/punts he needs to get the ball more.

3. Kyle Orton has played better than Jay Cutler and the Broncos got some first round draft picks out of it too. This deal is looking golden for Denver right now.


4. Minnesota Vikings (6-0) Previous Rankings: 8, 4

1. This team has the "look." They keep winning games they shouldn't win by crazy big plays at the end of games. If that can keep up for Minny then that is very good for them come playoff time.

2. This is the same run defense that it used to be. Ray Rice ran all over them and would have had a HUGE game if he got more than 9 carries. It's time for the D to step it up.

3. Adrian Peterson continues to prove that he's the best back in the league. He breaks at least one big run every game.


5. New England Patriots (4-2) Previous Rankings: 12, 6

1. Brady is back. Six touchdowns??? He looked ridiculously good against the Titans on Sunday.

2. Wes Welker is the X-factor of the offense. He is Brady's safety blanket and is extremely reliable. He's always going to get 7-8 catches and at least 70 yards. Wes Welker is the definition of possession receiver.

3. The defense is back to being very solid. Last season they gave up a lot of plays, but they've been very good so far.


6. New York Giants (5-1) Previous Rankings: 3, 3

1. The defense isn't what is was hyped up to be. A good defense doesn't give up 48 points to anybody.

2. What happened to Brandon Jacobs? Ahmad Bradshaw is clearly playing better. He needs more or just as many carries Jacobs until Jacobs starts running well.

3. They need to get healthy. They aren't going to be a great football team if guys keep dropping like flies.


7. Atlanta Falcons (4-1) Previous Rankings: 5, 10

1. The defense is not great, but steps up when it has to. They've stopped a few teams on their attempts to score at the the end of the game.

2. Where is Jerrious Norwood. He is extremely explosive and needs to be more involved in the offense.

3. Roddy White is awesome after the catch. He's had big catch and run plays in two consecutive games. That's no fluke.


8. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) Previous Rankings: 9, 12

1. Ben Roethlisberger is proving he can win games by himself. He's gets hurt quite a bit, they need to not let him run around so much.

2. Rashard Mendenhall is the back of the future in Pittsburgh. He's already ahead of Parker, who is a free agent at years end. Mendenhall might as well get comfy in Pittsburgh.

3. Troy Polamalu is a welcome edition back to their defense. He's easily the top safety in the league.


9. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2) Previous Rankings: 18, 15

1. Losing Antwaun Odom kills them. He was their whole pass rush, who knows how their defense will be without him.

2. Imagine this team with Houshmandzadeh. They're already rolling, add Housh to the mix and they are that much better.

3. Carson Palmer won't ever be the same quarterback he was before his knee injury. He'll be solid, but never the super QB he was shaping up to be.


10. Green Packers (3-2) Previous Rankings: 19, 16

1. Donald Driver has been better than Greg Jennings. Jennings is the big play guy, but Driver is Rodgers' favorite target.

2. The defense is very inconsistent. They play well against bad teams, bad against good teams.

3. Aaron Rodgers is very good. In one or two years he'll definitely be a top 5 quarterback.


11. Baltimore Ravens (3-3) Previous Rankings: 1, 5

1. Ray Rice is one of the best gamebreakers in the NFL. He continues to make huge plays running the ball and receiving every week.

2. Obviously Ray Rice isn't doing everything by himself. The offensive line has played great.

3. They aren't running the ball nearly enough. Flacco is very good, but the running game has been great. They need to run the ball a lot more.


12. Chicago Bears (3-3) Previous Rankings: 11, 11

1. Matt Forte has disappeared. He hasn't run well at all. He had 15 carries for 23 yards against a middle of the road defense. What happened?

2. Greg Olsen is finally becoming the guy that people thought he would be at the start of the season. Cutler looks for him all the time.

3. Johnny Knox is developing into a very good receiver. He might be the number one receiver on the Bears by year's end.


13. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) Previous Rankings: 16, 13

1. Donovan McNabb is still a good QB, but he will have a dud game once or twice a year. Oakland was one of those.

2. If they want to make the playoffs, they need to beat bad teams like the Raiders. If they lose to the Redskins this Monday, their season is done.

3. They need to run way more. Andy Reid has some kind of affection with passing, even if his team is running extremely well. They need to play to their strengths.



14. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) Previous Rankings: 6, 9

1. Michael Crabtree is a wild card for this team. If he really turns out it adds a lot to the Niners.

2. Is the defense good or bad. One thing's for sure, they are going to ready this week with Mr. Discipline, Mike Singletary whipping them into shape.

3. Dre Bly is a Class A idiot (not surprisingly, he went to UNC). How could you celebrate like that 60 yards from the end zone. Even Deion would NEVER do that. Then again, Dre is Dre, not Deion.




15. San Diego Chargers (3-3) Previous Rankings: 10, 14

1. Norv Turner is the worst coach in the league. He's never done well in any place he's been. He had his chance with that team when Tomlinson and Merriman were themselves, but now they just aren't talented enough. Way to go Norv.

2. If Tomlinson is going to average less than four yards per carry, they need to throw more. Teams are crossing their fingers that Tomlinson gets 20 carries. Rivers is much more of a weapon at this point.

3. Vincent Jackson should be considered an elite receiver. He's great in the red zone and is one of the best deep threats in the league.



16. Arizona Cardinals (3-2) Previous Rankings: 17, 20

1. Kurt Warner is incredibly accurate. He's quietly been one of the best quarterbacks in the league so far.

2. Anquan Boldin needs to be more involved in the offense. When healthy he is one of the best in the league.

3. The run defense has come out of nowhere. They've shut down everybody who tries to run.


The Rest of the Pack

17. Miami Dolphins (2-3) Previous Rankings: 27, 21

18. Houston Texans (3-3) Previous Rankings: 15, 19

19. New York Jets (3-3) Previous Rankings: 4, 8

20. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) Previous Rankings: 14, 17

21 Carolina Panthers (2-3) Previous Rankings: 22, 25

22. Seattle Seahawks (3-3) Previous Rankings: 23, 23

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3) Previous Rankings: 26, 18

24. Oakland Raiders (2-4) Previous Rankings: 24, 30

25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-5) Previous Rankings: 29, 31

26. Washington Redskins (2-4) Previous Rankings: 25, 24

27. Detroit Lions (1-5) Previous Rankings: 30, 27

28. Cleveland Browns (1-5) Previous Rankings: 31, 28

29. Buffalo Bills (2-4) Previous Rankings: 21, 26

30. Tennessee Titans (0-6) Previous Rankings: 20, 22

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6) Previous Rankings: 28, 29

32. St. Louis Rams (0-6) Previous Rankings: 32, 32


End of the year, if I had to pick...

MVP: Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year: Drew Brees

Defensive Player of the Year: Elvis Dumervil

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Mark Sanchez

Defensive Rookie of the Year: James Laurinaitis

Comeback Player of the Year: Tom Brady

Coach of the Year: Josh McDaniels

NFC Division winners (in order of seeding): New Orleans, New York, Minnesota, Arizona

NFC Wild Cards: Atlanta, Green Bay

AFC Division winners (in order): Indianapolis, New England, Denver, Baltimore

AFC Wild Cards: Pittsburgh, San Diego

NFC Champion: New York

AFC Champion: Indianapolis

Super Bowl Champion (MVP): Indianapolis (Manning)




The Picks

Last Week: 7-7 (vs. spread: 7-7)

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

Overall: 56-34 (vs. spread: 49-41)

(Game of the Week: 4-2, Upset of the Week: 1-3, Lock of the Week: 3-1)

*spread picks in parenthesis


Cleveland vs. Green Bay: Green Bay 35-10 (Green Bay -7.5)

Kansas City vs. San Diego: San Diego 34-20 (San Diego -4.5)

Houston vs. San Francisco: San Francisco 23-21 (San Francisco +3.5)

St. Louis vs. Indianapolis: Indianapolis 35-14 (Indianapolis -13.5) (Lock of the Week)

Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota: Minnesota 20-17 (Minnesota +4.5) (Game of the Week, Upset of the Week)

Tampa Bay vs. New England (in London): New England 45-7 (New England -14.5)

Carolina vs. Buffalo: Carolina 27-14 (Carolina -7.5)

Oakland vs. New York Jets: New York 20-10 (NYJ -6.5)

Cincinnati vs. Chicago: Chicago 24-21 (Chicago +1.5)

Dallas vs. Atlanta: Atlanta: 27-17 (Atlanta +3.5)

Miami vs. New Orleans: New Orleans 31-21 (New Orleans -6.5)

New York Giants vs. Arizona: New York 27-21 (Cardinals +7.5)

Washington vs. Philadelphia: Philadelphia 29-10 (Philadelphia -7.5)

Game of the Week: Pittsburgh vs. Minnesota

Upset of the Week: Minnesota over Pittsburgh

Lock of the Week: Indianapolis over St. Louis

Semi-Weekly NFL Super Recap: Quarter Edition+ The Picks

Power Rankings

(with three things that were learned in weeks three through four and each team's MVPs so far)

TIER 1

1. Indianapolis Colts (4-0), Week 2 Ranking: 7

1. Donald Brown and Joseph Addai form one of the best running back committees in the league. The only problem that Indy faces is which one to start.

2. Pierre Garcon is a valuable deep threat. He fits perfectly into the Colts passing attack with Wayne as Manning's number one, Clark as the possession receiver, and Garcon as the guy Manning looks for down field. Peyton Manning continues to make average receivers look very good.

3. This is Peyton Manning's year. It appeared, after two weeks, that Drew Brees would be running away with the MVP award. Now it looks like nobody can take it away from Manning. He is on the fast track to winning his second consecutive MVP trophy.

MVP: Peyton Manning- Manning has been dominant, leading the league in touchdowns, passing yards, and completion percentage. Easy choice.

2. New Orleans Saints (4-0), Week 2 Ranking: 3

1. The offense isn't what it looked like after weeks one and two. Brees has gone two consecutive games without a touchdown. The running game has looked good, but there have been many injuries in the backfield.

2. The defense has won the Saints their games for the past two weeks. They've allowed only 17 total points over the last two weeks. Darren Sharper has been a constant disruption, picking off two more passes in week four.

3. Pierre Thomas is explosive. He has 212 yards and three scores through two games. Imagine when he gets a full week of resting from injury.

MVP: Drew Brees- Brees is the face of the Saints franchise. He is definitely the third best quarterback in the league behind Manning and Brady, no question.

3. New York Giants (4-0), Week 2 Ranking: 2

1.Eii Manning is earning his 100 million. Eli has been great so far this year, truly playing like the elite quarterback is being payed to be.

2. Steve Smith is Eli's favorite target. Through two weeks, it was not apparent if Smith or Manningham was the number 1 guy in New York. Now it's clear as crystal.

3. Brandon Jacobs will never be an elite running back. Jacobs is great in the red zone, but is not explosive like any other of the games elite.

MVP: Steve Smith- Plaxico's got nothin' on Steve Smith. Smith is leading the league in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

4. Minnesota Vikings (4-0), Week 2 Ranking: 8

1. Brett Favre is a new man (but still an old man). He's only thrown one pick and has looked very good so far.

2. Adrian Peterson still has a fumbling problem. If he wants to have a shot at being the greatest ever, he needs to stop.

3. Jared Allen is one of the most underrated defensive ends in the league. The guy never gets any love when the game's elite are discussed, but he's always around the ball and making plays.

MVP: Percy Harvin- Harvin has been the catalyst to the offense. He stretches the field so well and has made big play after big play for Minnesota. They aren't 4-0 without him. I'm not sure I can say the same about anybody else on that team.

5. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 1

1. Ray Rice and Willis McGahee are the best tag team in football right now. They have combined for almost 500 yards and 6 scores so far this season.

2. They have to be very, very happy that Derrick Mason didn't retire. He is Joe Flacco's favorite target and a huge part of their offense.

3. Even if the stat sheet doesn't show it, Ray Lewis still makes just as big of an impact on defense as anybody in the league. He is always in the middle of big plays.

MVP: Joe Flacco- The Ravens running game was expected to be good, but their passing game as elevated them from good team to great team. Flacco has the ability to be a truly great quarterback, he is just now showing it with the coaching staff letting him loose a little bit more.

6. New England Patriots (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 12

1. Tom Brady will eventually find his groove. Each week he has gotten better and better. He has still made some un-Brady like throws, but should be in full form by midseason.

2. The defense is improving steadily. They've handed two undefeated teams their first losses in back to back weeks, only allowing 31 total points. They should be able to really contain some of the offensively challenged teams in their division now.

3. Wes Welker is a key cog to their offense. Having him out there always gives Brady that option of the 5-6 yard slant across the middle to him. That moves the ball very effectively. With him out, Brady has to rely on deep passes more, which is not the best part of his game.

MVP: Tom Brady- Brady having success is the key to the Patriots having success. When he has played well, the Pats have won. When he has played bad, they have lost. He's about to hit his stride too.

TIER 2

7. Denver Broncos (4-0) Week 2 Ranking: 13

1. Brandon Marshall is there to stay. He has had good chemistry with Orton and looks like he is getting along with teammates. He's still good by the way.

2. Josh McDaniels will not suffer the same fate as other Patriots assistants. It looks like he is the only smart one of Belechick's disciples.

3. The defense is incredible. Are they ever going to allow teams to score points? Dallas's 10 are the most any team has put up. Amazing how much a team can improve in one year.

MVP: Elvis Dumervil- He is going to lead the league in sacks. He is constantly wreaking havoc around the QB and has been very consistent, getting two or more sacks in the last 3 games. He's the front runner for defensive player of the year right now.

8. New York Jets (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 4

1. Derrelle Revis has established himself as the best cornerback in the NFL. He has allowed a combined 92 yards and zero touchdowns to Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, and Marques Colston while matching up with them. Nobody shuts down guys like that.

2. Leon Washington is one of the fastest backs in football. Why not give him the ball 20 times per game?

3. Mark Sanchez will still have his "rookie" games. His 138 and three interceptionswon't happen often, but in the playoffs he can't be counted on to lead them very far.

MVP: Darrelle Revis- The whole Jets defense has been spectacular, but Revis leads a secondary that has only allowed one passing touchdown all year. Consider that they've faced Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Matt Schaub; and it's just that more impressive.

9. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 6

1. Their defense is the most underrated in the league. Watching them totally destroy the Rams was breathtaking. Yeah, it was the Rams, but still an amazing defensive performance.

2. They don't need Michael Crabtree, but they'll get him anyway. He just adds more depth to a team that is a little short on offensive weapons. Who knows how effective he'll be, but it doesn't matter too much with guys like Vernon Davis finally stepping up.

3. Patrick Willis has taken his place as the best linebacker in the league. Linebackers are the most important player on defense, why do they continue to go so late in the first round? Baffling.

MVP: Patrick Willis- Move over Ray Lewis, Brian Urlacher, and Co., Patrick Willis has now taken over as the leagues top backer. He's all over the field, all the time.

TIER 3

10. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) Week 2 Ranking: 5

1. They'll still have trouble playing on the road against good teams. That's bad news come playoff time.

2. Roddy White is not as big a part of the offense. Tony Gonzalez has picked up some of the slack, but White is a big time playmaker who needs to get the ball more if the Falcons are going to win 11-12 games.

3. Matt Ryan will still have an occasional sophomore slump. He's not quite an elite quaterback like most have made him out to be. He still needs one or two more years before he can be considered to be a top 5-6 quarterback.

MVP: Matt Ryan- The Falcons live and die with Ryan. Turner isn't the same back he was last season and Ryan has so many options now. The season rests on this young man's shoulders.

11. Chicago Bears (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 11

1. Jay Cutler is proving himself as one of the better quarterbacks in the league. As much as I hate the guy, he makes the Bears about 15-20% better than when they had Orton under center.

2. Losing Brian Urlacher really hurt them. They could have really rebounded this year defensively. They are a borderline top ten defense without him so far. With him, they are probably borderline top five.

3. Matt Forte is still struggling. He may have had 120 yards on 12 carries against Detroit, but almost 100 of those yards came on two carries. Getting 20 yards on 10 carries isn't very impressive. Oh yeah, he was playing the Lions as well. He won't get that many wide open holes against anybody else.

MVP: Jay Cutler- Without Cutler the Bears lose the Pittsburgh game. He makes them so much better than last year offensively. Cutler can sling it with the best of them.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 9

1. The defense cannot stop teams at the end of games. Every game has come down to the last possession for the Steelers this year. They certainly aren't to win 12 games again if that keeps happening.

2. Richard Mendenhall could have a breakout season. He was great on Sunday against San Diego. The Chargers defense might be horrible, but Mendenhall looked so good. It's hard to imagine Willie Parker returning to being the starter until Mendenhall struggles.

3. The need to rush the passer better. The pass rush was almost non-existent in losses and was not during the fourth quarter of the Chargers game either. Woodley, Harrison, step it up.

MVP: Ben Roethlisberger- Big Ben keeps getting better at escaping rushers and making big throws. He has an insane completion percentage of 73.8 right now. With that offensive line that is a small miracle. Let's see if he can keep it up.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) Week 2 Ranking: 16

1. Kevin Kolb is legit. When McNabb is gone, they'll be good with Kolb.

2. DeSean Jackson is a big play machine. He has consistently found ways into the end zone this year with long plays, whether it be receiving or punt returning.

3. The New Orleans game was a total fluke. The defense is very good. They are closer to team they were against the Panthers than the team they were against New Orleans.

MVP: DeSean Jackson- He is one of the top five receivers in the league right now, the way he is playing. He is one of the fastest players in the league and has figured out NFL defenses.

14. San Diego Chargers (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 10

1. Vincent Jackson has emerged as a top flight receiver. He's top ten in the league right now. Expect to see him put up about 1,300 yards, 10+ touchdowns for many years to come.

2. Shawn Merriman has been a complete non-factor. A couple of years ago he was all over the field. Now, he is non existent.

3. They defensive line needs help up the middle. Letting Richard Mendenhall gain over 150 yards in his first start in the NFL is unacceptable.

MVP: Philip Rivers- Rivers is the fire behind this team. It is easy to tell who is the leader of that team by watching their games. He's also developed into one of the best fourth quarter QBs in the league.

15. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) Week 2 Ranking: 18

1. Cedric Benson will be consistent for them this season. He has continued to be very good.

2. Carson Palmer is finally finding his groove. He has the skills to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league. With a new and improved Chad Ochocinco, he has finally been able to put those skills to use.

3. The offensive line has done a phenomenal job so far. Palmer has only been sacked once all season, and Palmer is very immobile.

MVP: Cedric Benson- This is not the Cedric Benso we've seen in years past. Benson now brings a ground threat that Bengals had during their playoff run with Rudi Johnson.

16. Green Bay Packers (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 19

1. Aaron Rodgers has horrible protection. How can he be sacked 20 times in four games? That is ridiculous.

2. Greg Jennings just disappears from games sometimes. Big time receivers don't do that.

3. They have one of the best playmaking defenses in the league. It seems like every week they score a defensive touchdown. Now if they could stop somebody...

MVP: Aaron Rodgers- Rodgers has led a fourth quarter comeback and has looked very good. He is one of the best young quarterbacks in the league for sure and is still improving. Now if he could get some protection...

TIER 4

17. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 14

1. Tony Romo continues to be unreliable in clutch moments. He's had moments where he could have made plays to bring his team back or put the other team away in both Cowboys losses, but didn't. Has there ever been a quarterback that can play great for a whole game a just totally melt down in the fourth like Romo?

2. Roy Williams is just as bad as T.O. He's a major crybaby and doesn't even have T.O. like talent.

3. They have crazy running back depth. Barber, Jones, and Choice could all be quality starters in the NFL.

MVP: Tashard Choice- When Dallas's top two backs went down, Choice filled in very well. He has made them a lot better by giving them a third starter quality back.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 26

1. David Gerrard is very unappreciated. He is always solid and rarely turns the ball over.

2. The defense has been revived in the past two weeks. That's Jack Del Rio football.

3. Mike Sims-Walker could be a 1,000 yard receiver for them. He certainly the number one target over Torry Holt.

MVP: Maurice Jones-Drew- MJD is on of the best backs in the league for sure now. It's amazing that such a small back can be so good. He's crazy fast and elusive and has surprising power,

19. Houston Texans (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 15

1. The defense is one of the worst in the league. Every game they play will be a shootout.

2. Kevin Walter and Owen Daniels give Matt Schaub two very reliable targets to throw to if Andre Johnson is covered. Daniels is his favorite end zone target.

3. Steve Slaton is showing signs of explosiveness, but it was only against Oakland. He looked good on three of four runs against the Raiders, but otherwise they shut him down pretty much. He needs to find himself from last season if the Texans want make the playoffs.

MVP: Matt Schaub- Schaub has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league stat wise through four weeks. His eight touchdowns are tied for third in the NFL. He has a many options and will put up great numbers all year long.

20. Arizona Cardinals (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 17

1. Anquan Boldin needs to be healthy. Fitzgerald can't play against double teams every week.

2. Beanie Wells should be the starting running back. He is averaging a full yard per carry more than Tim Hightower, yet has only gotten 16 carries. They need to run him more.

3. They need to improve their pass defense. Rodgers-Cromartie might not be the star everybody thought he would be.

MVP: Larry Fitzgerald- Fitz hasn't put up gaudy, 2008 playoff numbers, but he has still been the focal point of the offense. He frees up everybody on the team and still makes a lot of big plays and catches a lot of touchdowns.

TIER 5

21. Miami Dolphins (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 27

1. The Wildcat is in full force for the team that made it popular in the NFL. They run it so much and teams still can't stop it. It can't be that hard to figure out.

2. Chad Henne isn't too much of a down grade from Pennington. Henne has much better physical gifts than Pennington, if he plays smart he could make the Dolphins a better team then they were with Chad.

3. The defense is still pretty good. They haven't allowed any teams to really blow up on them.

MVP: Ronnie Brown- Brown seemed like a typical 1,000 yard, 5-6 touchdown back that there are plenty of in the NFL. He has looked much better than that so far. He could rush for 1,300 yards and 10+ touchdowns this year.

22. Tennessee Titans (0-4) Week 2 Ranking: 20

1. LenDale White should've stayed fat. He's lost his power, which is the only thing that made him good.

2. Kerry Collins needs to go. Give Vince Young a shot. He's got to be better than Collins at this point.

3. What happened to the pass defense? The run defense was supposed to be bad with the departure of Haynesworth, not the other way around.

MVP: Chris Johnson- Johnson's speed is other worldly. In the open field nobody can catch him. Nobody. If Tennessee wasn't losing in every game he'd be leading the league in rushing by more than 100 yards. He is averaging over six per carry. Insane.

23. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 23

1. T.J. Houshmandzadeh wishes he was still in Cincy. Now Palmer's healthy and the Bengals are cruisin' and the Seahawks top passer is out and they stink. Bad luck for Housh.

2. Nate Burleson is still a very talented receiver. People forget that when he played a whole season as a starter, he was a 1,000 yard receiver. That was a long time ago, but it is clear that he has talent.

3. Is Julius Jones really the starting running back still. He's been very ineffective the past few games and they need a new number one back. Justin Forsett, please.

MVP: Matt Hasselbeck- Hasselbeck has only played in one game, but he is clearly the most valuable player to the Seahawks. With him, the Seahawks can win 8-9 games, but without him they are going to have another dud season. He can still play and they desperately need him back.

24. Washington Redskins (2-2) Week 2 Ranking: 25

1.Dan Snyder has horrible luck. He continues to sign some of the biggest free agents every year, and every year they disappoint.

2. Santana Moss is one of the best playmakers in the NFL. A poor man's Steve Smith perhaps. They need to get him as many touches as possible.

3. Clinton Portis's struggles might not be his fault. That offensive line is horrendous.

MVP: Santana Moss- Santana has kept the Redskins in their past two games. His 57 yarder against Tampa all but won the game for Washington.

25. Carolina Panthers (0-3) Week 2 Ranking: 22

1. They need to get Steve Smith the ball in any way possible. They need to do more of those screens they used to give Smith 2-3 a game when he had his breakout season. Putting him as a kick returner or punt returner wouldn't be a bad idea either. Maybe not all the time, but once a game give Smith the ball with open field.

2. The Panthers need to stop kidding themselves. Jonathan Stewart is not the same talent that DeAngelo Williams is. Why are they splitting carries almost evenly. Williams should get about 70 percent of the carries there.

3. They need to protect Jake Delhomme better. Of course a quarterback is going to play bad when a 6'5," 280 pound defensive end is about to drive him into the ground.

MVP: DeAngelo Williams- DeAngelo Williams is one of the best backs in the league and has been very good for Carolina so far. He scored in two of three games and has a 4.4 yards per carry. Three straight teams with bad run D's are the perfect recipe for him to be able to keep up last season's pace.

26. Buffalo Bills (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 21

1. They need to figure out a way to get Terrell Owens more involved in the offense. He might not be what he used to be, but he is just as good as Lee Evans or whoever else Edwards is throwing to.

2. The New England game really sucked the life out of them. After a whipping of Tampa Bay, they've looked awful for two straight games, especially offensively

3. They committed to Marshawn Lynch as their starting running back. He almost split carries down the middle with Fred Jackson in his first game back.

MVP: Fred Jackson- There has been one bright spot for Buffalo so far. He is playing much better than Marshawn Lynch right now. He is the main reason they have won a game and kept up with the Pats in week one.

TIER 7

27. Detroit Lions (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 30

1. Kevin Smith is a touchdown vulture if there ever was one. In the games where he has scored a TD, he has 35 carries for 50 yards and THREE touchdowns. He needs to start running better.

2. Calvin Johnson is going to explode once Stafford settles in. Last week is a sign of whats to come in Detroit. Calvin all day.

3. The Lions have a decent offense, too bad their defense still sucks. They need to start worrying about the D now that Stafford and Johnson are there.

MVP: Matthew Stafford- Stafford hasn't put up great numbers or anything (he has a -3 touchdown-interception ratio), but he has the respect of teammates and a confidence about him that is promising for Detroit. Lions fan must be happy about the thought of the strong armed Stafford throwing bombs to Calvin Johnson for many years to come.

28. Cleveland Browns (0-4) Week 2 Ranking: 31

1. Muhammad Massaquoi looks like Derek Anderson's favorite target. What a game in week 4.

2. Jerome Harrison is a big upgrade from Jamal Lewis. Lewis is just a big,fat,washed up running back that used to be good.

3. Derek Anderson becoming the starter really helps them. That is how sad the state of affairs in Cleveland are.

MVP: Josh Cribbs- Cribbs is just a big play machine. Punt returns, as a receiver. They need to get him on the field more.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) Week 2 Ranking: 28

1. Getting Derrick Ward for as much as they did was a bad decision. He's been hurt and hasn't been effective.

2. Why aren't they starting Josh Freeman instead of Josh Johnson? Johnson's only in his second year, why not start the guy you took in the first round.

3. Antonio Bryant needs to get fully healthy fast. He's the only good wideout that they have.

MVP: Cadillac Williams- Williams has been very solid so far after coming back from a very serious injury. He's been the only good thing about Tampa's offense so far.

TIER 8

30. Oakland Raiders (1-3) Week 2 Ranking: 24

1. Darren McFadden looks to be yet another Oakland bust. He has been ineffective and injured so far this year. Al Davis is horrible.

2. Even if Michael Crabtree held out he would have been a better draft pick than Darrius Hayward-Bey. Heyward-Bey has a grand total of TWO catches this year.

3. Jamarcus Russell might be the worst number one pick in NFL history. He has completed only 39.8 percent of his passed. Horrible.

MVP: Tom Cable- At least he brings some kind of news to the Raiders.

31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-4) Week 2 Ranking: 29

1. Larry Johnson is as done as Shaun Alexander or Priest Holmes were when they were done. He doens't have explosiveness anymore.

2. Dwayne Bowe needs to get healthy. He is all that they have as far as receivers go.

3. Kansas City is the opposite of Denver. Their awful defense has gotten worse.

MVP: Matt Cassel- Cassel isn't very good, but he's been the only good thing for the Cheifs so far. Veterans like Larry Johnson have stunk and Cassel has just stunk less than everybody else.

32. St. Louis Rams (0-4)

1. Kyle Boller might actually be an upgrade over Marc Bulger. Either way, they're horrible under center.

2. Steven Jackson needs the ball more if they want to win. GIVE HIM THE BALL!

3. This team is worse than the 2009 Lions. They've been shut out in half of their games so far.

MVP:James Laurinaitis- Laurinaitis somehow slipped to the second round in the draft. He was a sure thing if there ever was one and has proved his worth so far. He's the ONLY good thing about the Rams. He will be a very good, Pro Bowl caliber linebacker.

Quarter Awards

MVP: Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year: Peyton Manning

Defensive Player of the Year: Darren Sharper

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Percy Harvin

Defensive Rookie of the Year: James Laurinaitis

Comeback Player of the Year: Tom Brady

Coach of the Year: Rex Ryan

Quarter All-Pro team

Offense (I don't know enough about offensive lineman to pick them)

QB Peyton Manning

RB Chris Johnson

RB Adrian Peterson

WR Vincent Jackson

WR Steve Smith (Giants)

TE Dallas Clark

K Sabastian Janikowski

KR Johnny Knox

Defense

DE Antwan Odom

DE Jered Allen

DT Casey Hampton

DT Kris Jenkins

OLB Terrell Suggs

OLB Elvis Dumervil

MLB Patrick Willis

MLB Ray Lewis

CB Darrelle Revis

CB Champ Bailey

S Darren Sharper

S Dawon Landry

P Shane Lechler

PR Joshua Cribbs

End of the year, If I had to pick...

MVP: Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year: Adrian Peterson

Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick Willis

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Mark Sanchez

Defensive Rookie of the Year: James Laurinaitis

Comeback Player of the Year: Tom Brady

Coach of the Year: Rex Ryan

THE PICKS

Last Weeks Picks: 10-4 (7-7 vs. spread)

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

Overall: 40-22 (36-26 vs. spread)

(Upset of the Week: 1-2, Game of the Week: 3-1, Lock of the Week: 2-0)

*picks vs. spread are in parenthesis

Buffalo vs. Cleveland:Buffalo 20-14 (Cleveland +6.5)

Detroit vs. Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh 31-7 (Pittsburgh -10.5)

Kansas City vs. Dallas: Dallas 27-17 (Dallas -8.5)

St. Louis vs. Minnesota: Minnesota 35-14 (Minnesota -10.5)

New York Giants vs. Oakland: New York 30-10 (New York -16.5) (Lock of the Week)

Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay: Philadelphia 37-7 (Philadelphia -13.5)

Carolina vs. Washington: Carolina 24-20 (Carolina -3.5)

Baltimore vs. Cincinnati: Baltimore 21-10 (Baltimore -8.5)

San Francisco vs. Atlanta: San Francisco 17-14 (San Francisco -2.5)

Seattle vs. Jacksonville: Seattle 31-27 (Seattle -0.5)

Arizona vs. Houston: Arizona 34-31 (Houston +5.5)

Denver vs. New England: New England 24-13 (New England -3.5)(Game of the Week)

Tennessee vs. Indianapolis: Indianapolis 34-24 (Indianapolis -3.5)

Miami vs. New York Jets: New York 20-10 (New York -1.5)

Upset of the Week: none

Game of the Week: Denver vs. New England

Lock of the Week: New York Giants over Oakland

Bold Prediction of the Week: The Rams will be the second team in NFL history to go 0-16.

Can NC State win the ACC?

After NC State's season opening 7-3 loss to South Carolina it looked like their season would be another mediocre year. Now things are looking way up for the Wolfpack after two blowout wins over Division 1-AA teams and and a gritty comeback win over a tough Pittsburgh team.

The main reason the Wolfpack have won their past three games has to be Russell Wilson. Wilson is now second in the NCAA in touchdown passes, despite throwing none in the Wolfpack's first game. He has thrown for four touchdowns in each of the past three games. He is only five touchdowns from passing his total of 17 from last season. He could get into the 30's this year.

Wilson needs to get more media attention. The dude is an absolute beast, both through the air and on the ground (he had 91 rushing yards against Pittsburgh). When you hear the elite quarterbacks in the NCAA come up, you never hear Wilson's name. He is second in the country in touchdown passes and hasn't thrown an interception in almost 300 pass attempts. Doesn't that qualify as an elite quarterback? The scary thing is that he is only a sophomore. NC State has a very bright future with him behind center.

One thing that looked promising all year for the Pack until the Pitt game was their defense. They only allowed 28 points combined in the first three game, then allowed 31 to Pittsburgh last Saturday. However, the defense didn't allow any long drives, the longest being six plays. They did give up many big plays on the ground and through the air though, which could be a big problem when a speedster like Clemson's C.J. Spiller is on the other side of the ball.

Besides the few big plays NC State gave up, their defense was pretty good though. They forced the Panthers into three straight three-and-outs down the stretch and made some great plays to stop a late touchdown by Pitt when they had the ball deep in NCSU territory because of a turnover.

NC State has all the tools to represent the ACC Atlantic in the ACC Championship and possibly represent the ACC in the BCS for NC State's first time ever. While that might be very optimistic, the Pack should be in the hunt all year long in a pretty weak division.

There is no team in that division that somebody can clearly say is better than the Wolfpack right now. There might be, and the Wolfpack will undoubtedly lose some conference games, but right now they are playing better football than any division foes.

The teams that have the best chances at challenging NC State are probably Florida State and Clemson. Florida State has looked good only in the BYU game, where they inexplicitly exploded for 54 points. They have only looked good in that game though. Clemson is also inconsistent.

Consistency is where NC State can really hurt opposing teams because Russell Wilson is always money, especially about turning the ball over. Their defense is also one of the best in the country as of now, so they are always going to be in games. Remember, the Wolfpack are one play from being a 4-0 team.

The other teams in the Atlantic include Boston College, Wake Forest, and Maryland. None of these teams are going to win the division. Clemson destroyed BC, Wake has lost some games they should not have lost already, and Maryland is just bad this year. Those teams will not win the ACC Atlantic division.

NC State really should be the favorite of the teams left. Florida State would be the pick to an average fan, but the Seminoles are very flawed and are very inconsistent. Clemson and NC State will battle it out for ACC Atlantic supremacy and a trip to Tampa for the ACC Championship and possibly a trip to a BCS bowl.

Prediction for NCSU @ Wake Forest: NCSU 27-Wake 17

The Picks: 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

Semi-Weekly NFL Super Recap (Weeks 1-2)

What we learned from weeks 1-2 (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 leading the league in touchdowns. How many people wouldn't have thought that he would 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 Derrick Ward isn't there to give them a different look. Ahmad Bradshaw just isn't the same quality of 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

1. The defense might be the best in the league. They have yet to allow and offensive touchdown and limited Brady and 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 mind in the game. He is the start of a new era in the Meadowlands.

5. Atlanta

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

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 leagues best. Holding Arizona to 16 points is quite a feat.

3. Michael Crabtree's will not ever wear a Niners uniform. Seriously though, 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

1. Peyton Mannning is still the king of the two minute drill. Also, he's going to have a better year than Brady.

2. The 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 number two receiver since the 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 receiving yards.

8. Minnesota

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 worst three teams in the NFL. We'll see how they handle San Francisco in their next game.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

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

2. Philip Rivers is a top 5 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. 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 and played 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. 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. Looks like getting rid of Seymour was a mistake, at least for this season. Losing Mayo hurts them even more. The offense 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 well enough. 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 same mold of a Darren Sproles or Leon Washington, except 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 one. He went crazy in week two. 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 defense in the league in New York and Tennessee.

16. Philadelphia (1-1)

1. Michael Vick will not get a lot playing time. He is the fourth quarterback on the team right now most likely. 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 Delhomme in week one and they destroyed Carolina. Drew Brees had all day in week two and the Saints destroyed Philly.

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

17. Arizona (1-1)

1. Kurt Warner is healthy and he is still a great quarterback. Twenty four for 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 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 backing up some of his smack with his play on the field. He's on his way to a vintage Chad (Johnson? Ochocinco?) year.

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

3. This is the best defense Marvin Lewis has had. Rey Maualuga is going to be a star a 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 in that elite class of quarterbacks. He's been very average so far. At least he isn't throwing interceptions.

2. The defense is basically the same as last years. 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 wideouts in the league. He's going to end the year with 1,000 yards just like the previous five seasons. Are there any other guys in the league that have been that consistent, yet never considered to be superstars.

20. Tennessee (1-1)

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

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

3. Losing Haynesworth hurt them. With Albert teams had to focus on him not only stuffing the run, but also pass rushing. They still have good run stuffers, but they don't have a big guy in the middle to rush the passer, which 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 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 twenty 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. They're season depends on the health of Matt Hasselbeck. Seneca Wallace won't make mistakes, but he doesn't have good arm. He's a worse version of 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 just embarrassed them.

24.. Oakland Raiders(1-1)

1. Jamarcus Russell has a good arm, just not a good brain. He has no accuracy. His completion percentage against the Chiefs (yes, the 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 really holding them back. They need a quarterback who can throw down the field with receivers like Moss and Randle El.

2. They are very bad inside the 20. Suisham has kicked four field goals this year, with 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 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 is the featured back.

2. Kellen Winslow has really benefited from his chance of scenery. 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. 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, along with having a team that is going to pass a lot.

3. Todd Haley doesn't look like a big upgrade over Herm. 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 poor. 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. He just needs to get 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 down.

2. They have no receivers. Has there ever been a team that had worse receivers than this St. Louis team? 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... (for the end of the season)

*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.

by the way, here are my NFL picks from last week...not good:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/258196-the-picks-nfl-week-two

The Picks: Week 1

The NFL is finally here! On Thursday, September 9th the season will kickoff with Pittsburgh-Tennessee and then the rest of the games will continue on Sunday and Monday. I am here to predict those games (and will weekly). This edition features small previews of each team, future editions will focus more on actually predicting specifics about each game.

Pittsburgh vs. Tennessee (GAME OF THE WEEK)

These two teams had the best two records in the NFL last year, along with two of the best defenses. This should be a nasty, hard-hitting game with not a whole lot of offense.

Pittsburgh are defending their title against the very team that stomped on their beloved Terrible Towels last year. Big Ben plays his first meaningful game since the sexual assault allegations and we'll see how he responds. Parker and Mendenhall are a good one-two punch, but we'll have to see if the offensive line can be better than last year. The defense returns most key players from last year. They could probably lose everybody but Harrison and Polamalu and still be one of the best in the league. Those guys are a crazy good.

Tennessee gets a harsh test early on facing the defending champs on their home turf and Kerry Collins is the quarterback. There is no way is the quarterback of a playoff Titans team at the end of the year this year, despite getting better recievers, including former Steeler Nate Washington. Johnson and White are as good of a running back combo in the league, but they'll have trouble against Pittsburgh. The defense was great last year, but star DT Haynesworth is gone, so we'll have to see if they are as effective.

Pittsburgh has a superior offense and defense. They are playing at home and coming off a Super Bowl Championship. The crowd is gonna be into it and historically the former Super Bowl champs don't lose this game. I'm taking the Steelers.

Pittsburgh 20, Tennessee 10

Atlanta vs. Miami

Miami gets to show that last year was for real with a week 1 matchup with the Falcons.

Rookie sensation Matt Ryan could develop into a legitimate top QB this year, if they don't run 7,000 times with Michael Turner. It's hard to run so much when Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White are targets to throw to though. Maybe they'll open up a bit more.

The defense might be one of the leagues worst this year, having no strengths anywhere on it.

There is no way the Dolphins offense will have the same success as last year. Pennington is due for an injury after a healthy 2008 season and Ronnie Brown is their best weapon- that is a big problem.

Joey Porter had a nice comeback year on defense and they welcome back veteran, now outside linebacker Jason Taylor. After an off year in Washington, Taylor should have a mini revival, being back in a familiar setting.

These are two teams I feel could drop off dramatically this year. The Falcons have a bad defense and Miami has a bad offense; on paper at least. The Falcons offense is slightly better than Miami's defense though and that will be the difference.

Atlanta 24, Miami 14

Cincinnati vs. Denver

Denver has had a whole slew of problems this offseason, as well as continuing problems with Brandon Marshall, and don't look great going into the season against the Hard Knocks stars of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Carson Palmer is back and Chad Ochocinco looks to be nearly back to his old self. Palmer is still fragile and remains behind a bad O line. Cedric Benson shouldn't be threatening to Denver.

The D might be better this year with Mike Zimmer calling the shots.

Denver is in disarray everywhere. Brandon Marshall is still at odds with management, Knowshon Moreno might not play week 1, and Kyle Orton hasn't looked good in preseason.

Not to mention that the defense is not a whole lot better than last year.

This is gonna be a high scoring game. Both of these defense are very bad. Bottom five is not out of the question for either team. The Bengals are gonna kill Denver through the air if Palmer is really healthy. Orton has struggled and has an injury, look for Moreno (or other Broncos backs) to have a good game. Cincinnati will win because Palmer will out dual Orton.

Cincinnati 31, Denver 21

Cleveland vs. Minnesota

Two New York Jets outcast meet up here in week 1. Brett Favre will start against his former coach when Minnesota travels to Cleveland on Sunday afternoon.

Cleveland doesn't have a whole lot going for them right now. Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson haven't looked overly impressive and neither has anybody on either side of the ball. The only way the Browns can be successful this year is if Jamal Lewis and Braylon Edwards have major revivals, which is very unlikely.

Packers fans will cringe when Brett Favre takes the field in Cleveland as a hated Minnesota Viking, but whatever you say he is an upgrade over Tavares Jackson. Jackson was dreadful in their playoff game last year and can take them out of games with mistakes. Not that Favre can't, but Favre can make more big plays and provides better leadership.

The defense will once again be one of the best in the league.

This will be an interesting game in determining the Browns season this year. Will they bounce back to 2007 form or continue down the path of awfulness like their 2008 year. Brady Quinn will have a bad time against the pass rush of Minnesota and Jamal Lewis and/or James Davis aren't exactly superstar runners. Brett Favre gets an easy game in his first "real" game since un-retiring. He could actually have a good game here, but Peterson will have a huge game. Minnesota will win.

Minnesota 24, Cleveland 16

Indianapolis vs. Jacksonville

Jacksonville enters the year as a legitimate bounce-back team and they face a legitimate fall from earth team in Indy. Manning won't let their season be ruined though and this should be a great division shootout.

Two long time staples, Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison, are gone from Indy this season. It is a lot to ask for Jim Caldwell and Anthony Gonzalez to fill those guys shoes. Peyton Manning is essentially a coach though and will rally the troops around him. Don't think the Colts are going away this year.

Jacksonville is an intriguing team in the AFC this year. They are my sleeper pick in the AFC to make the playoffs. That said, they have a lot of questions on defense still, especially in the secondary. They need to generate a lot of pass rush for their secondary to be good this year. Going against Peyton Manning isn't the best ingredient for a so so pass D.

Their offense will be good though with underrated David Gerrard, multi-purpose Jones-Drew, and new comer veteran Holt. They will score a lot this season.

The season kicks off for these two with a great division rivalry. The Jags and Colts have become nice foes over the past few years, and this game should be another great one. Manning needs to get out of the gate hot for Indy and the Jags need MJD to be healthy and productive. Indy will pull out a squeaker.

Indianapolis 31, Jacksonville 26

New Orleans vs. Detroit

The Saints host the history-making Detroit Lions in week 1 and debut of Matthew Stafford. Drew Brees is coming off a record breaking season of his own and should be able to pick apart this Lions D.

The Saints come into this game as the favorites of the NFC South. Dree Brees is of course excellent, and maybe Marques Colston will be able to stay healthy. They have many offensive questions too though. Will Bush stay healthy? Will Lance Moore be as effective? Can Shockey be a part of the offense? The defense will not help much more than last year, with the same core of guys back.

Go ahead and lay down all the money in the world- the Lions will win 100% more games in 2009 than in 2008. Matthew Stafford can bring a glimpse of hope to the hopeless city of Detroit with a good first start and first season. Having Calvin Johnson to throw to doesn't hurt him either. The offensive line will be bad, but they have the talent to overcome that. The defense was the worst part of that 0-16 Lions team and Larry Foote won't change that. The Lions won't be winning any 10-3 games this year.

Detroit is going to be a lot better than last year. Calvin Johnson finally has a competant quaterback throwing to him. That is bad news for the Saints excuse for a defense. Kevin Smith is dangerous on the ground as well. This might be the best game to watch of any this week Both teams will score a lot and it's going to ba a lot closer than people think. Drew Brees will not let his team lose though. He's just goning to explode for like 400 yards and 4 touchdowns in this game. New Orleans will win a great shootout.

New Orleans 34, Detroit 28

Tampa Bay vs. Dallas

Tampa starts their rebuilding with a date with the Terrell Owens-less Cowboys. It will be interesting to see how Tampa can recover from losing veterans like Jeff Garcia and Derrick Brooks.

The Buccaneers face some major issues on offense. Anytime Byron Leftwich is your starter things are not well. They have a trio of dangerous backs, but none of them will kill you. Ward is the most explosive, but he might still only get the same amount of work that he did in New York. Bryant had offseason surgery and will probably not be healthy for this first game. The defense really had a let down at the end of the season and only time will tell how important Monte Kiffin was to them.

The Cowboys entered last season as Super Bowl favorites and now come into this season as NFC afterthoughts. They disappointed last season, but this team is basically the same as last years minus TO. Tony Romo was injured for a crutucal stretch last year and he is one of the best in the league out there. Running the ball should be a breeze. DeMarcus Ware leads what should be a better defense this year.

This game might be rough for Tampa since all of the coaching overhaul in the offseason, as well as not really having a good starting quarterback. Demarcus Ware is going to be putting licks on Leftwich all night. The only way Tampa stands a chance if their running game just comes out and kicks butt, which it could very well may. It's hard to see a whole lot of things going right though. Dallas will win a game closer than the score indicates.

Dallas 24, Tampa Bay 13

Carolina vs. Philadelphia

Michael Vick may not be playing, but this game will be one of the best of the week. Two of the final four NFC teams from last year face off in Charlotte in what should be a well balanced game.

Jake Delhomme is fresh off of a 5 interception game in the playoffs at the very same stadium. He is not as bad as some are making him out to be and can still win the Panthers some games with his gutsy late game play. DeAngelo Williams might be flying without Jonathan Stewart a lot this season as Stewart has had an unpromising Achilles injury nagging him up to now. Smith is still one the elite guys at wide receiver.

The loss of Kemoeatu hurts the Panthers, but if Jon Beason plays the run defense shouldn't be too bad. The pass defense should improve with Gamble and Mashall continuing to get better.

Philadelphia is being hyped as a much better team this year than last and its hard to argue offensively. They went out and got a good tackle in Peters, as well as grabbing Maclin and LeCoy in the draft. McNabb is very good when healthy, but Vick could be the leagues best backup when he is eligible after week 2.

The Eagles will be hurt by Brian Dawkins departal, but Jim Johnson's death will effect them more. Many of the players were close to him and may not be able to concentrate while on the field with somebody else leading them on. It will be interesting to see if their pass rush is as aggressive this season.

This is probably the second most intriguing matchup of week 1. People are really sleeping on Carolina in this one. They are basically the same team that went 12-4 last year. They lost one key player on defense and they are now being written off. They will come out with something to prove in this game, especially Jake Delhomme. Donovan McNabb will also come out firing, as it has appeared he is bothered by the whole Michael Vick signing and will want to put up a big game right away. This is gonna be a great game, but the Panthers get the edge because of the home field advantage (8-0 in regular season last year).

Carolina 27, Philadelphia 21

Baltimore vs. Kansas City

They D-heavy Ravens take on the rebuilding Chiefs in what could be one of the biggest blowouts of the week.

Baltimore returns all of the key cogs from their offense last year. Joe Flacco has the tools to be a great quarterback, we'll just see if he can take that next step this year and play well in the clutch. Ray Rice is the starter this year and has gotten a lot of preseason hype. It will be interesting to see if he gets most of the carries this year instead of McGahee. It's really a curious situation why McGahee is looked at as a below average back now.

Of course the Ravens defense will again be one of the league best. Despite losing stud linebacker Bart Scott and coordinator Rex Ryan, the defense returns two of the best players at their respective positions, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Those guys might be the most exciting two defensive players in the league, and they are on the same team. Terrell Suggs is also a great player at defensive end.

The Chiefs have already had a bad omen on their season. Matt Cassel went down in the preseason with a knee injury right after signing a big 50 million dollar contract (Really? Fifty millions for a guy who had one pretty good season? REALLY???). He might be back for the opener, but that's not a good start. Brodie Croyle or Tyler Thigpen are the backups. Larry Johnson has been ignored by pretty much everybody recently. Just a few years ago he was the league top back. Then again, so was Shaun Alexander. Johnson still has some juice though. Dwayne Bowe could help Cassel out this year. He is a big breakout candidate; a big, strong, fast receiver on a passing team without any other great options. That is a good recipe for a great year.

The Chiefs defense should improve from last year, but nobody should expect a big improvment. Tyson Jackson was their big offseason aquisition (via draft) and he isn't expected to contribute right away. Their going to have a lot of shootouts this season.

This game is going to be a blowout, plain and simple. Maybe even a shutout. A slightly unhealthy Matt Cassel/healthy Croyle or Thigpen behind that offensive line against that defense spells a Ravens blowout and first shutout of the season.

Ravens 27, Chiefs 0

Houston vs. New York Jets

Everybody's sleeper Houston matches up with a team that could sneak up on people in the Jets in this week 1 dual.

Houston has one heck of an offense. Matt Schaub might have a 4,000+ yard, 30+ TD season if he can stay healthy. He has weapons like Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, and Kevin Walter to throw it to, not to mention star running back Steve Slaton. Slaton is back and running behind one of the better O-lines out there. Teams will have to put up a lot of points to slow down this show.

The defense on Houston shouldn't be too shabby either. Mario Williams is still showing why he was the better pick than Reggie Bush and leads a good pass rush. DeMeco Ryans is also one of the leagues better playmakers at linebacker. The secondary is middle of the pack, but should't lose them any games.

New York intrigues me because they were 9-7 last year and Brett Favre is the only significant piece missing. The way he played down the stretch, it isn't crazy to think Mark Sanchez can't be better this year than Favre last year. Thomas Jones, Leon Washington, and Shonn Greene make up one of the best three-headed monsters in football and each guy presents unique problems. Jerricho Cotchery is the only reliable receiver Sanchez has, so he could have a big year for the Jets in '09.

Rex Ryan didn't leave Baltimore empty handed. He brought along Bart Scott, who immediately upgrades the Jets defense. They were a middle of the pack defense last year and it would not be surprising at all if they turned into an elite unit with Ryan and Scott joining team operations.

This game will be a good test for Rex Ryan's new defense. Houston won't be able to run very well, but Matt Schaub is going to light up the Jets secondary. The Jets will run down the Texans gut and will wear them down. This game will be close throughout, but the Texans will pull away with a late touchdown at the end.

Texans 28, Jets 14

New York Giants vs. Washington

The G-Men and 'Skins will have an epic NFC East showdown to kick off their respective seasons in the Meadowlands.

The Giants will be good this year. Brandon Jacobs is due for a monster year. Derrick Ward, who had 1,00 yards last year is gone and Bradshaw is not going to get all 1,000 of those yards. This will still be a running team since Eli really doesn't have anybody to throw to. Jacobs is going to lead the league in touchdowns. Write it down! Dominik Hixon and Steve Smith lead some of the worst receiving corps in the league. they have decent depth, but everybody is a number 3 type NFL receiver. Kevin Boss might be Eli's favorite target this year.

The Giants will once again be a force on defense. They get back Osi Umenyiora to add to an already great pass rushing unit. They are going to be all over opposing quarterbacks, giving a just decent secondary a chance to make lots of plays.

Washington brings in maybe the most boring offense in the league. Is there a less exciting team to watch than the Redskins. Watching that offense last year was never fun, but they will be effective. Portis can still carry a team on his back and might have another 1,400-1,500 yard season in him. Santana Moss leads a group of talented big play receiver that can all break touchdowns at any point. Chris Cooley is one of the most reliable pass catching tight ends in the league.

Albert Haynesworth comes to D.C. and will immediately make a positive impact on the run and pass defenses. Haynesworth was probably the best run stuffing defensive tackle in the league last year and should be just as good in Washington. This is a defense that was very good last year and a new version of DeAngelo Hall, along with Fat Albert makes this defense even better.

Washington could come into the Meadowlands and knock off this Giants team. If Haynesworth is really as good as he got paid for then he will impact that defense tremendously. This game is a great one and will be a defensive struggle. Still, it s hard to believe that the Giants won't convert in the red zone with big Brandon Jacobs just bullying his way through guys. Giants win. Barely.

Giants 17, Washington 13

Arizona vs. San Francisco

The surprising Cards of last year take on an NFC West sleeper, San Fran in yet another opening week division game.

The key to the Cards offense this year is Kurt Warner's health. It is rare that he can put back-to-back season up without being hurt, especially at 38. It's not a good thing that the Cards hopes rest on a 38 year old, injury-prone QB. Even if Warner got hurt though the Cards might still have a shot at the playoffs. Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin can make any quarterback look good and will probably propel Beanie Well to a great rookie year as well.

The Cards defense should be better this year. Up the middle it's hard to get better than Darnell Dockett, Karlos Dansby, and Adrian Wilson. Those guys are all really good. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie showed a lot of promise last year and could develop even more into a very good shutdown guy this year.

San Francisco has a very interesting offense situation. Shaun Hill looked very good last season when he played and had very good stats over the second half of the season. They wont throw as much this year, but they need him to be solid again. Frank Gore is one of the best multi-dimensional backs in the league and will be very good again. Michael Crabtree has still not signed with San Francisco and Josh Morgan remains their top guy.

San Francisco's defense isn't exactly what somebody would call great. Patrick Willis thier middle linebacker is though. He makes plays everywhere and is always near the ball. Look for big things for him and maybe he can rub off on the rest of the team as well.

San Francisco is going to come out of the gates fast in this one. They might score on the first possession. The Cardinals will battle back quickly though. The Niners can't contain Fitz and Boldin. Cardinals win in spectacular comeback fashion.

Arizona 27, San Francisco 24

Seattle vs. St. Louis

Sleeper of the year Seattle takes on the rebuilding Rams in what should be a fairly easy game for Seattle.

Seattle's offense looks great this year. The offensive line is just decent, but the passing game should be in 2006-2007 form. Hasselbeck looks healthy and they added Houshmandzadeh in the offseason, who is about as sure handed as they come. Housh is due for a breakout year, finally playing with a healthy quarterback as the number one guy. Julius Jones and Edge James will be good enough in the backfield. This is a passing team, despite the coaches history.

Expect the Hawks defense to rebound as much as their offense will. Aaron Curry adds onto maybe now one of the best linebacking corps in the NFL. Tatupu is very underrated and might be a top 5 middle backer. The secondary is solid at corner with adding Ken Lucas and Trufant is annually one of the best corners in the league.

The Rams offense will be the bright spot of the team, and that is bad. This is a team with Marc Bulger as the starting quarterback and Donnie Avery as the number one target. Steven Jackson is a beast of a back, but is injured too much. If Jackson can stay healthy, maybe they can win some more games, but this St. Louis team could threaten the Lions 0-16 mark.

The Rams defense is bad. None of the starters are great NFL players. Chris Long could develop into a very good player, but he has a year or two more to develop since he isn't as much of an athletic freak as guys like Mario Williams and Julius Peppers who great so early in their careers.

This Seahawks are going to show that they are the real deal this week against the Rams. Steven Jackson will have a big game for St. Louis, but that will be the only bright spot. If Seattle doesn't win by more than two touchdowns I will be surprised

.

Green Bay vs. Chicago

This great division rivalry kicks off NBC's Sunday Night Football season. What a game to start with!

Aaron Rodgers replaced Brett Favre excellently last season and will continue his success this year. Packers fans must be wishing that they had let Favre go play in Minnesota about three years ago after Rodgers first year as a starter. Greg Jennings and Donald Driver are one of the best wideout tandems in the NFL and make reliable targets for Rodgers. Ryan Grant quietly had another 1,000 yard season last year and will get to the 1,000 mark again this year. This will be a passing team, but Grant is a very reliable runner.

The Packers defense is a very good unit. Charles Woodson still has it and played very well in the secondary last year. Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk headline a very good linebacker unit and Aaron Kampman leads the defensive line. They have every area of the defense covered. The Packers are a very dangerous football team.

Da Bears fans finally get to see Jay Cutler in some action against the hated Packers and it will really test the young QB right put of the gates. It was a good move to go out and get him and the Bears finally have a very good QB for the first time in a while. He makes a lot of mistakes too though, so he may soon become the object of hate in the Windy City if he costs them a game. Forte is one of the best young runners in the league and will help Cutler greatly. He can catch balls put of the backfield too. Devin Hester and Greg Olsen lead the pass catching unit. Those two guys need to make a leap for Chicago to be a great team this year.

Brian Urlacher and Co. are going to bounce back this year. Urlacher has been working out more this offseason and is reported to look as good as ever. Lance Briggs and all the other familiar faces are back as well. The Bears don't have a new look to their defense, but they will rally around Urlacher and return t being one of the NFL's stingiest units.

Steelers-Titans might have been my "Game of the Week," but this is a close second. I can see this game coming down to a last second field goal or something like that. The game will be very close till the final whistle blows. Cutler will play well, but Rodgers and the Packers barely edge the Bears.

Green Bay 27, Chicago 24

Patriots vs. Bills

Tom Brady returns against the Bills in the Monday Night Football's season debut. What a game! (haha)

The Pats should return to 2007 offense form. Brady doesn't appear too affected by the knee and Moss and Welker are as good as ever. Joey Galloway is a nice veteran pick up for the Patriots. New England shouldn't run out of backs this year. Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, Benjarvis Green-Ellis, and Kevin Faulk are all the roster. The running game with the combination of all of those guys will be good.

The Patriot defense will be average once again. The days where New England was consistently a top defensive squad are over. There guys that used to be key cogs in the defense are too old have departed (Bruschi, Seymore, Vrabel). The secondary is especially weak, but the offense will score plenty of points and take some pressure off the D.

Terrell Owens was the big acquisition for the Bills this offseason. He and Lee Evans might be the best wide receiver combo in the league. Both are very, very sold guys and could both end up with 1,000 yards. Trent Edwards is not very consistent and needs to improve in that respect. Marshawn Lynch is suspended for 3 games and Fred Jackson will take his place in the meantime. People sleep on Lynch. He is a very good back. The offensive line has tons of problems though. They traded their best guy in the offseason and didn't replace him adequately.

The Bills defense will just be decent to fairly bad this year. They aren't impressive in any particular aspect and will need their offense to score a fair amount of for them to have chance at winning games. Draft pick Aaron Maybin will bolster their struggling pass rush.

The Patriots will come out of the gates in full 2007 form. Four or five touchdowns aren't out of the question for Brady. New England wins BIG.

New England 41, Buffalo 17

Oakland vs. San Diego

Monday Night Football books another great game with the mighty Raiders hosting the Chargers. (haha)

My man Philip Rivers is going to have himself a good year again. Tomlinson should be better and Sproles probably gets more involved, so his numbers won't be as good as last years, but Rivers will still be at the top of the league in QB rating. Vincent Jackson is really going to break out this year. It'snot unreasonable to think he could end up with 1,300 yards and 12 TDs. That is in all seriousness. Gates needs to stay healthy.

Shawn Merriman (assuming all is fine with the assault allegations) returns to a defense that really struggles without his presence last season. He is back and should return to old self and thei rest of the D should follow. Cromartie and Jammer are both good corners and will have bounce back years.

Oakland is a team full of young guys. The top guys at skill positions are their past 3 draft picks. Jamarcus Russell, Darren McFadden, and Darrius Heyward-Bey. McFadden leads a deep backfield of himself, Fargas, and Michael Bush. The running game will be good. Zach Miller is the only sure receiving threat on the team. Bey needs to contribute immediately.

Does Oakland have a defense? I can't remember.

San Diego's explosive offense is going to light up Oakland's non-existing defense. This is the Monday Night Romp Pt. II

San Diego 34, Oakland 13