NFL: Week Two predictions

Hey, last week we had a bunch of rather unexpected results. The Chargers beating the Texans? Who thought thatwould happen? Well, apparently our very own Nick Falgout did. JamalLewis being stopped for only half a century yards rushing? SanFrancisco competing to the end, as well as the Cardinals? Games aren'tusually very predictable, but the Chips Online staff actually didfairly well. And without further ado, the Chips Staff Standings:

Sunday September 19, 2004
Chicago at Green Bay – 1 p.m.
(Green Bay +10)

Izzy says:
Chicagolooks to bounce back from its opening-day defeat by taking on its firstdivision rivalry game versus the Green Bay Packers. The Yellow andGreen, on the other hand, are coming off of a dominating performanceagainst the defending NFC Champions, the Carolina Panthers. Look forthe Pack to pound away at the ball again, using elite tailback AhmanGreen en route to another 100+ yard game, while Brett Favre sits backand watches his team control the game in every facet. Rex Grossman andThomas Jones will struggle against a defense that is looking to provethat last season's famous 4th and 26 play was simply a fluke, and that they do have the ability to transform the Pack into a Super Bowl contender.

Pratik says:
GreenBay comes off a dominating victory in Carolina, proving that they havea legitimate chance to get to the playoffs, even if they don't win theNFC north because of Minnesota. Thomas Jones showed some sparks of lifefor the Chicago offense, but the Bears are really in trouble especiallywith the return of standout cornerback Mike McKenzie to the Packers. Iexpect a huge blowout in this one with Ahman Green, Brett Favre andCompany steamroll over the floundering Bears.

Mike says:
AhmanGreen helped control the game last Monday night when the Packers beatthe Panthers in Charlotte, 24-17. This week's opponent is much softer,and the Packers, who just don't lose in Green Bay, should have notrouble with the lowly Bears. I respect Lovie Smith, but the rookiecoach needs to get more games under his belt, if last weeks loss versusDetroit was any indication. The Lions hadn't won on the road sinceDecember, 2000, yet were able to knock off the Bears. The Packers'defense also gets an upgrade with Mike MacKenzie, one of the best DB'sin the league reporting to the team after ending his holdout. Wisconsinmay be a battleground state in the race for the White House, but evenDick Cheney could beat the Bears this weekend. Pack win.

Houston at Detroit – 1 p.m.
(Houston +6)

Izzy says:
Houstonis coming off of a disastrous outing against the San Diego Chargers,while the Lions finally vanquished their two-season long road losingstreak. As chance would have it, the Lions are back home, and evenwithout primary wideout Charlie Rogers, they look to go 2-0 for thefirst time in about forever. However, David Carr and Domanick Daviswill turn the result of this game into a 1-1 record for both teams.Houston's offense boasts third year QB David Carr and sophomorestailback Domanick Davis and receiver Andre Johnson. Detroit's offenseboasts third year QB Joey Harrington and rookies tailback Kevin Jonesand Roy Williams. But the Lions' D has been dealt a mortal blow withthe loss of Dre' Bly for an extended period of time, while Houston'sdefense can only improve after last week's rather dismal showing. Lookfor a high scoring game that is edged out by Houston's slightly betterdefense

Pratik says:
Both of these teams are young andexplosive on offense with veterans backing them up on defense. Detroitcomes in after winning against Chicago and Houston comes off a toughloss to LaDanian Tomlinson. (What, you think I'm gonna say they lost tothe Chargers? Let's be honest, it was LaDanian Tomlinson who won thegame for them; who else do the Chargers have?) Anyway, expect this gameto end up being decided in the closing seconds of a hard-fought game.I'm going to have to go with Detroit on this one for no other reasonthan home-field advantage.

Mike says:
This was a tough gameto pick. Houston lost last week at home and Detroit won on the road forthe first time since 2000. Plus, the game is in Detroit, so you wouldthink this would be an easy pick. However, the Lions' top receiver,Charles Rogers, is out with a broken collarbone. The Texans, however,lost to lowly San Diego, despite David Carr completing 70.9 percent ofhis passes. It may not be an accurate way to pick the game, but I don'tthink Houston will be better than they were in a loss last week. RoyWilliams can fill in for Rogers after a nice performance at Chicagolast week. Detroit will pull out the win.

Pittsburgh at Baltimore – 1 p.m.
(Baltimore +3)

Izzy says:
Usuallythese games are fueled by a week's worth of trash talking from bothteams. But this week has been eerily silent, and there're plenty ofreasons. The Steelers are looking to bounce back this season after ahorrendous crash last season, while the Ravens hope last week'strouncing by the Browns was simply a slow start. Returning keyoffensive lineman Jonathan Ogden will enable Jamal Lewis to find theholes he could not find last week, but the biggest question mark willbe, again, the arm of Kyle Boller. Pittsburgh will throw its flurry ofblitz packages and three-wide sets to harass Baltimore on both offenseand defense as Deion Sanders undergoes his first rigorous test. I seeBaltimore edging this one out by field goal, as both teams need toprove their offenses.

Pratik says:
Pittsburgh comes offan amazing win in which Jerome Bettis had the best stat line in thehistory of football. Bettis had five carries for one yard and three,that's right three, touchdowns. According to this, if Jerome Bettis ranfor 100 yards, he would get 300 touchdowns! Anyway, Baltimore hasthoroughly underperformed and has not lived up to its billing as aSuper Bowl contender. Lots of things went wrong for them againstCleveland last week, but even then Cleveland won in a clear-cutblowout. The second-year quarterback Kyle Boller will have a muchshorter leash this time around and Coach Billick won't hesitate to putin someone with NFL experience under center if Boller doesn't step uphis game. I think Ray Lewis and the Baltimore defense will be veryactive and they'll shut down the Steeler's running game, the key totheir offense. Hopefully, Boller will learn how to control that cannonof an arm he has because if he doesn't, he might not be able to cut itas an NFl quarterback.

Mike says:
Expect a defensive strugglethis Sunday with Baltimore eking out the Steelers at M&T BankStadium. Last week at Cleveland, the Ravens' QB Kyle Boller wascompletely dominated by the Browns' defense and managed just a 49.3quarterback rating. New safety Deion Sanders was totally ineffective,but should be better this weekend as he gets back into the NFL swing ofthings. In a game run by mediocre quarterbacks (Kyle Boller's bestconnection recently was dating Tara Reid), Baltimore's defense will beable to hold off Pittsburgh and give Baltimore a low-scoring win. Fansof defense: this is your type of match up.

St. Louis at Atlanta – 1 p.m.
(St. Louis +14)

Izzy says:
Onefull season and offseason later, the Falcons are still worried aboutstar QB Michael Vick's health. And with good reason. Vick is stillnursing a strained hamstring as he prepares to start against anotherbuzzing defense. Luckily for Vick, the Rams do not have the playmakersthey did last season, if only because of age. At a ripe old age of ahundred million, converted safety Aeneas Williams remains the Rams'ultimate play maker, while their defensive line has taken a heavy hitwith the departure of Grant Wistrom. Proof? Emmitt Smith rumbled andtumbled against them last week in putting up quite a stiff challengeagainst the Rams. However, the Falcons can't be too pleased with theirshowing last week either, as they barely held off the Niners in a 21-19victory. The Niners with no receivers. Look for a blowout as theoutmatched Atlanta secondary is burnt crisp by Tory Holt and IsaacBruce.

Pratik says…
What are both of these teams doing?St. Lois barely beat Arizona even though they have a far superior team,on paper at least. San Francisco almost handed Atlanta a lost in theseason opener and Michael Vick, Atlanta's new wave quarterback whostarted the trend of finding "scamperability" in a quarterback, islooking totally out of place in the new West Coast offense beinginstalled by head Coach Jim Mora, Jr. For this game, I have to go withSt. Lois because they have the more talented team (on paper). Look fora close game as the former ringleaders of "The World's Greatest Show onTurf" go up against the Falcons.

Mike says:
The pressure willbe on Atlanta to beat a better team and take a 2-0 record in the verycompetitive NFC South. Sadly for fans in Georgia, they will not. St.Louis is on the road, but they are playing in the Georgia Dome, thetype of surface they thrive on, going 8-0 last year in their dome. St.Louis struggled in their 17-10 win over lowly Arizona, but expect theRams' receivers to dominate this game. With D'Angelo Hall out, Atlantahas nobody to match up with Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce, two of the topreceivers in the game.

Indianapolis at Tennessee – 1 p.m.
(Indianapolis +3)

Izzy says:
TheColts vs. the Titans has become quite a show in recent years, and theanticipation peaks again as the two teams, led by 2003-2004 NFLco-MVPs, face off. The winner of this series has always won thedivision and gone far in the playoffs, so the importance of this gameis astronomical. The Titans, featuring a revitalized running game withsecond year tailback Chris Brown (100 yards in the first half lastweek) and airing of Steve McNair, hope to keep in check the Colts' BigThree of Peyton Manning, Edgerrin James, and Marvin Harrison. TheColts, coming off of a close loss to the Patriots last week, are undereven more pressure to make this year "The Year." The Titans havestruggled with the cap in recent years and look like they will strugglea bit, especially in the face of such an offensive arsenal. AndVanderjagt will not miss again.

Pratik says:
Indianapolisis still smarting from that close loss to the Patriots on Opening Daywhile Tennessee is feeling good after beating the Miami "Curse of theWeed" Dolphins. Anyway, in a game featuring the two top contenders forthe AFC South, this will be a contest between who wants it most. WithMarvin Harrison and Edgerrin James both in contract years, I expect theColts to squeak away with the victory in a good one down in Music City.

Mike says:
Theearly game of the week takes place in Nashville where last year'sco-MVP's will square off. Steve McNair led the Titans to a win Saturdayin Miami, while Peyton Manning lost 20-17 to the Patriots in Foxboro.Manning was much more dominant, however, against a better team. But theColts are not in good shape. Their defense is banged up, with MikeDoss, Joe Jefferson and Bob Sanders all hurt. Even though Indy beat theTitans in Tennessee last year, 29-27, I like the Titans because thegame is in Nashville and because the Colts are still hurt on D. TheTitans will eke out a close one.

Washington at New York Giants – 1 p.m.
(Washington +10)

Izzy says:
JoeGibbs has won his first game. Now he must win his first divisionrivalry game. Luckily he gets to start off against a Giants team thatstruggled mightily against the Eagles. The Giants, having lostCornelius Griffin and Michael Barrow to… the Redskins, are strugglingto find a big time play maker who will step it up when the heat is on.If people thought last week was a big game for Clinton Portis, whatwill this one be called?

Pratik says…
Well, New York fansare thankful they have two teams in the state; they can pay attentionto the Jets and take their minds off of the atrocious Giants. TheGiants were thoroughly beat down by the Eagles last week; the lonebright spot being the return to form of Thunder & Lightning (RonDayne and Tiki Barber). Kurt Warner and Eli Manning are both hopingthey don't start for once. With their horrendous offensive line andGregg William's blitzkrieg defense facing them, I wouldn't be surprisedif LaVar Arrington solves the whole quarterback controversy once andfor all by laying out Kurt Warner. The most interesting story of thisgame won't be who wins (Redskins in a rout), but rather how the Giant'splayers will respond to disciplinarian Tom Coughlin as their headcoach. He has already started to create a rift with players, mostnotably Michael Strahan, with his idiotic rules. For those of you whodon't know, Coughlin fined several players for showing up to a meetingearly, but not early enough. I've heard of being tough on players, butthis is ridiculous; that's like penalizing someone for not doingsomething you didn't tell them to do. I'm surprised there hasn't been amutiny in the Giants; with all of these distractions surrounding theplayers, expect a focused and confident Redskin's team to stick it tothe Coughlin led Giants.

Mike says:
Giants coach Tom Coughlinseems to have lost his team, and it's only Week Two. Plus, New York'sdefensive stalwart Omar Stoutmire will miss this Sunday's game.Washington is a better-coached, better all-around team without a doubtand will win. While I am a Redskins fan, I think anybody wouldrecognize that New York just isn't nearly as good as the 'Skins, andthat they are probably the weakest team in the NFC East. Their defenseis not as good, and the loss of Stoutmire makes them even weaker.Washington will head to East Rutherford, NJ, and head home with a win.

San Francisco at New Orleans – 1 p.m.
(New Orleans +7)

Izzy says:
DeuceMcAllister was silenced last week as the Seahawks absolutely stuffed avictory down the Saints' throats. This time they face off against a49ers defense that may very well be more athletic- at least against therun. Aaron Brooks will be forced to beat the Niners through the air,and that wouldn't be a bad thing if only Donte Stallworth and Joe Horncould hold onto the ball. Wide open in the open field, they'll have toin order to hold onto their jobs, as the Niners' secondary is just notthat good beyond Tony Parrish. The Niners will look to ram Kevan Barlowdown the Saints' middle, but their young defensive linemen will adjustafter their slow start in dominating the Niners' unimproved offensiveline.

Pratik says…
San Francisco barely lost to Atlantalast week, but both teams looked downright ugly. New Orleans faced offagainst Super Bowl contender Seattle and were promptly dismantled byShaun Alexander. In doctor's terms, San Francisco is flatlining whereasNew Orleans at least has a pulse. Expect New Orleans to win in ablowout (unless they get distracted by Ivan the Terrible that is).

Mike says:
TheBig Easy dodged a major bullet when Hurricane Ivan left it relativelyunscathed, and now the Saints, who practiced in San Antonio all week,are back to take on the 49ers. Simply put: the Saints are a better teamand will win. The Niners lost last week to the Falcons despiteAtlanta's numerous mistakes. Plus, the game is in New Orleans, and lookfor RB Deuce McAllister to have a big week after his down performancelast week in a 21-7 loss to Seattle, where he gained just 57 yards.Plus, Niners starting QB Tim Rattay is out with a shoulder injury.Saints win.

Carolina at Kansas City – 1 p.m.
(Carolina +3)

Izzy says:
Ifthe Chiefs proved anything last week, it's that they can still be runagainst. Even without star tailback Stephen Davis, the Panthers packprized third year DeShaun Foster who looked immensely strong lastseason after having his rookie season demolished by microfracturesurgery. With Tony Gonzalez hampered by the lockdown coverage oflinebacker Mark Fields, the Chiefs will hope Eddie Kennison and JonnyMorton can handle relieving Priest Holmes in their marches down field.Julius Peppers and the Panthers line won't give them that time,however, as the Panthers shake off their clubbing by the Packers lastweek in returning to a dominant defense.

Pratik says:
Carolinais in deep trouble after last week's Monday Night opener against theGreen Bay Packers. Their most dangerous receiver, Steve Smith is outwith a broken leg. Last year, Smith caught 88 balls for 1110 yards. Hesingle handedly added a home-run threat to the Panther's offense. Nowhe's gone. Carolina faces off against Kansas City and Priest Holmes.This game will be all about trench warfare; in a showdown betweenKansas City's offensive line vs. the Panthers defensive line. I pickPriest Holmes and the Chiefs offense over the Carolina defense.

Mike says:
Barringa tie, one of these teams will be a stunning 0-2. I like KC becauseit's a home game at raucous Arrowhead Stadium and because Carolina wasdealt a big blow Monday night when their best receiver, Steve Smith,broke his fibula. He's out a long time. The Panthers would normallyhave to call on Stephen Davis to carry the load on the ground thatCarolina lost in the air with Smith. But he's injured, too. So it willbe DeShaun Foster, who is far from reliable, especially on the road.The Chiefs have also won 13 consecutive regular season games at home.The Chiefs can't stop many teams on defense, but the Panthers offensewill be weak. Look for Priest Holmes to exploit the decent at bestdefensive line and linebackers of Mark Fields and Dan Morgan for a bigday at Arrowhead. Chiefs win.

Denver at Jacksonville– 1 p.m.
(Jacksonville +4)

Izzy says:
QuentinGriffin filled Clinton Portis' shoes cleanly with a brilliantperformance of his own last week with 156 yards on the ground. Buthere's the news: it was against the Chiefs. This time the Broncossquare off against the number two rushing defense that clamped down onthe dynamic duo of Travis Henry and Willis McGahee of the BuffaloBills. Forgive me for saying this, but, I'm not convinced Griffin isgoing to be The Man over in Denver the whole season and this game willexplain why. Champ Bailey is a great player (one pick last week) but hecannot cover the entire field, and the Broncos will suffer because ofthat- Byron Leftwich is continuing a great end to last season with aclutch come-from-behind last-second touchdown pass last week, and theJags have all the momentum in the world. Yes, even more than theBroncos.

Pratik says…
Denver comes off an exciting 34-24victory over Kansas City in which Champ Bailey shone in the Mile Highair at Invesco Field. Quentin Griffin stepped out of the shadows ofClinton Portis and scampered his way to 156 yards and three touchdowns.But remember, this is against the Chief's anemic run defense.Jacksonville comes off a last second win against Buffalo, barelysqueaking away with a 13-10 nailbiter up in Ralph Wilson Stadium. Onthe strength of an improved secondary (John Lynch and Champ Bailey) Ipredict Denver winning on a Quentin Griffin touchdown.
(Denver + 7)

Mike says:
Jacksonvilleis going to be a very, very good team, and showed their mettle with a13-10 win at Buffalo last week on a last second touchdown catch.However, I like Denver this week because of their speed on offense.Ashley Lelie and Darius Watts will give the Jaguar defensive backsmajor troubles. Look for RB Quentin Griffin to exploit Jacksonville'sweak line backing corps. Denver will take the win in North Florida.

Seattle at Tampa Bay – 4:05 p.m.
(Seattle +14)

Izzy says:
Seattlemanhandled the Saints last week and they will do so against to theBucs. The Bucs were waylaid by Clinton Portis last week- but they wereactually pretty good aside from the first carry. Their pass defense wasalso pretty good considering they could not mount a serious consistentpass rush. Seattle will one-up the entire matter with a line led byperennial Pro-Bowl tackle Walter Jones. Shaun Alexander is back andrunning after a week of rehabbing from an injury, and Matt Hasselbeckcontinues his streak of strong showings. What's most important is the'Hawks successfully plugged the one glaring hole in their team- rundefense. Stopping Deuce McAllister was an amazing display after givingup an insane amount of runs last week for a Super Bowl-aspiring team.Stopping Charlie Garner will be, in comparison, a piece of cake.

Pratik says:
Seattletruly looked like the Super Bowl contender's they're proposed to be,showing off their offense in style down in the Big Easy last week.Tampa Bay, however, looked anything but the world champions two yearsremoved as the Redskin's pounded them on both sides of the ball. TampaBay looked sluggish on defense, giving up long runs to Clinton Portis,and on offense they did so bad, Washington gained the number oneranking in defense. Seattle with their menacing offensive line pavingthe way for Shaun Alexander, will steamroll all over the haplessBuccaneers who have been left like fish flapping around on the surfacewith the loss of their one and only deep threat Joey Galloway. TheSeahawks will prove to be more than a match for the Buccaneers.
(Seattle +10)

Mike says:
Couldthis be the year of the bald Quarterback? The Seahawks and MattHasselbeck sure hopes so. With Shaun Alexander sure to be slowed downby a bruised knee, the Seahawks will need the bald QB to performagainst Tampa Bay. Even if Alexander doesn't play at all, the Seattleoffense can't possibly be as bad as the Buccaneers' O was last weekagainst Washington. To make matters worse, Tampa lost their bestreceiver, Joey Galloway, for at least four weeks. That leaves MichaelClayton as probably their best option, and Sunday will be only hissecond career game. Seattle should beat the weak Bucs in Tampa.

New York Jets at San Diego – 4:15 p.m.
(Jets +10)

Izzy says:
TheChargers won last week and still have plenty of motivation. Led by theplay of stellar every-position-man (not really, but he probably could)LaDainian Tomlinson, the Chargers look to take advantage of the Jets'weak run defense. But as we saw time and again for the past few years,LT cannot do it alone. The Jets will keep hammering the non-existantChargers' defense with a constant dose of Curtis Martin (196 yards onthe ground last week) and Chad Pennington, and the Chargers will comeback down to earth.

Pratik says:
Okay, both of theseteams messed up my predictions last week so obviously, whatever I pick,the other team's going to win right? Wrong. Remember, a double negativemakes a positive, therefore whoever I predict in this game willactually win the game! Watch this come back and bite me next week, butI will go with Chad Pennington and the resurgent N.Y. Jets vs. LaDanianTomlinson. Poor Tomlinson, just imagine what he would be like behindthe Chief's offensive line…

Mike says:
Drew Brees looked verynice in last week's win at Houston, but against a real defense like theone the Jets have, he should be contained. Antonio Gates will not geteight receptions at the tight end spot this week, and Curtis Martinshould be expected to have another solid outing after he dominatedCincinnati's generally good run defense for an astonishing 196 yards.Aside from LaDanian Tomlinson, the Chargers don't have muchconsistently going for them. Jets win.

Buffalo at Oakland – 4:15 p.m.
(Buffalo +4)

Izzy says:
Beingabsolutely stoned in the last second by a second year quarterback hasto be demoralizing, especially for a defense that ranked second lastyear. The Bills are looking to reclaim their hurt pride in this one,and Rich Gannon and the Raiders will feel the brunt of the blow. TravisHenry and Willis McGahee will break out in this game after beingstone-walled by the Jags while Oakland continues to play musical chairswith their offensive line. Put Robert Gallery back at left tackle!!

Pratik says:
Buffalohas to be heart-broken after the last second loss to the Jaguars lastweek and they will exact revenge on the Raiders who lost to Pittsburghby a field goal. Buffalo lost the game because of Eric Moulds and histwo fumbles inside the red zone; if he wasn't such an integral part oftheir offense, he would be riding the pine this week. However, Oaklandlost not because of stupid mistakes but just because they were shutdown by an aggressive Pittsburgh defense. If anything, Buffalo'sdefense is better than Pittsburgh's; so, I predict Buffalo winning thisgame by a field goal or two.

Mike says:
Neither team isparticularly appealing, but Buffalo lost at home to Jacksonville lastweekend and will go down 0-2. It's very intimidating to play in theBlack Hole, even in an Oakland down year like 2003, and Drew Bledsoe,ineffective last week at home in Orchard Park will be even worse on theroad on grass. The Bills have a good back in Travis Henry, but theirline is terrible and as result, Henry should have another decent atbest week, after Week 1's 75 yards on 23 carries. Look for new rightguard Robert Gallery to give Rich Gannon the time he needs in thepocket to improve on last week's nice 304-yard performance. Oaklandwill be pretty bad this year, but will win Sunday.

New England at Arizona – 4:15 p.m.

Izzy says:
This one's gonna be short. Defending Super Bowl Champions versus Team With Emmitt Smith at Running back. 'Nough said.

Pratik says:
This isn't even going to be a contest. I have pity on all Arizona fans.

Mike says:
ThePats come in riding a 16 game winning streak, while the Cardinals comein reeling following a 17-10 loss where St. Louis handed them as manychances to win as they could possibly have, and they still weredefeated by seven. Two of Arizona's linebackers are out, and Tom Bradyshould have all the time he needs to win the game in the desert at SunDevil Stadium. The Cardinals defense is nothing worse than awful, andtheir lukewarm crowd won't do anything to help. The Patriots have woncrucial game after crucial game in this 16-week streak. If it were tobe broken against Arizona, that would be stunning.

Cleveland at Dallas – 4:15 p.m.
(Dallas +7)

Izzy says:
Ireally do not understand why people are suddenly jumping on the Brownsbandwagon. I mean come on, these are the Browns. I give Will Greencredit for showing the Ravens and the world what a great tailback he isand will become, but please… you cannot be ecstatic after beating KyleBoller and the Jon Ogden-less Ravens. The Browns will understand thatin full force as they turn around and see a wounded Dallas Cowboysteam. Wounded because they were shown up so much by the MinnesotaVikings. Vinny Testaverde led the league in passing yards last week andthere is no reason to not expect he will stay up there against theBrowns. Properly chagrined, the former number one defense will comeback alive and shut down the Browns.

Pratik says:
Clevelandreally beat-up on Baltimore last week, surprising many people(including me) and earning some much needed if undeserved respect.Dallas, meanwhile, got crushed by Randy and Company as another reminderof why they should have drafted him. In a perfect world, Clevelandwould repeat the performance they had against Baltimore, but, alas, theworld is not perfect. Anyway, as much as it pains me to say it,Testaverde and Keyshawn are going to dissect the Cleveland defense likesome poor frog in a lab. Unfortunately, I expect Dallas to win with atleast a touchdown.

Mike says:
These teams haven't squared offsince 1994, two seasons before the old Browns packed up and moved toBaltimore. That time, Vinny Testaverde was a 30-year old trying tostick in Cleveland. Now, he's on the other side, trying to give Dallastheir first win of the year, something that they will get on Sundaywhen they host the new Browns. The 'Boys have the defensive speed tocontain Jeff Garcia, and look for a few sacks as Dallas exploitsCleveland's weak offensive line. Testaverde was one of the few brightspots for Dallas last week, leading the NFL with 355 yards passing.Last week's opponent, Minnesota, was not a great match up for theCowboys, but Cleveland is. Dallas is the favorite, is at home, and willwin.

Miami at Cincinnati – 8:30 p.m.
(Cincinnati +10)

Izzy says:
CarsonPalmer proved he belongs in the NFL last week against the Jets. Nowit's up to his defense to keep the Bengals in the game well enough sothat he doesn't need to lead four touchdown drives just to keep it awayfrom being a blowout. The Dolphins, on the other hand, hope LamarGordon becomes even an ounce of what Ricky Williams did, if only torelieve the rest of the offense of some pressure.

Pratik says:
Thishas got to be the most boring Sunday Night game of the season. Wait aminute; let me look at the schedule…actually, it isn't. The most boringSunday Night game is actually in Week 8 (San Francisco at Chicago).Anyway, who actually wants to see this game? Cincinnati will beat theoffensively challenged Miami Dolphins in a game where Carson Palmerwill get his first win as an NFL quarterback.

Mike says:
Ah,how times change. The Bengals are favorites over the Dolphins, who werecompletely outmatched last week at home against Tennessee. A.J. Feeleyplayed poor, throwing for just 177 yards as the Dolphins showed theywere undisciplined; giving up 14 penalties in the 10-point loss.Offense and defense go into slumps; good thinking should not, andpenalties could hurt the Fins when they play at Paul Brown stadiumoverlooking the Ohio River into Kentucky. Carson Palmer showed flashesof excellence in last week's 31-24 loss at the Jets, and they dominatethe Dolphins when it comes to running, receiving and even coaching.Marvin Lewis has the team believing it can win, and that's what it willdo Sunday.

Monday September 20, 2004
Minnesota at Philadelphia – 9 p.m.

Izzy says:
Thebiggest thing you need to know about this MNF matchup is that thecornerback covering Randy Moss is a good 6 inches shorter. TO will behounded by Antoine Winfield, a darn good corner, while Randy Moss ishounded by a… well, a midget but his standards. Both defenses havesomething to prove this season, as the Vikings sorely need theirdefense to step up for a deep playoff push, and the Eagles have losthalf their secondary. This is going to be one high scoring game, but Ithink the difference is going to be the cornerbacks. Culpepper andMcNabb are very similar players- they can run and pass. McNabb runsbetter, Culpepper is becoming one of the best passers. Their runninggames are led by young budding stars (Brian Westbrook and OnterrioSmith). They both have marquee receivers followed by so-so receivers.Their tight ends can do everything. But the defenses… the Vikings ledthe league in picks last year and the rest of their squad can only getbetter. The Eagles added Jevon Kearse but lost both starting corners. Ithink the Vikings, with a solidifying defensive line (Chris Hovan,Kenechi Udeze) and speedy linebacking corps (led by Chris Claiborne)backed up with a spectacular secondary (Winfield, Brian Walker, BrianRussell and Corey Chavous) is simply better overall than the Eaglesheralded unit of Darwin Walker, Corey Simon, and Brian Dawkins.

Pratik says:
Minnesotaand Philadelphia. This is such a great game; just think about all ofthe storylines. Culpepper vs. McNabb. Mike Tice vs. Andy Reid. And mostimportantly, Moss vs. Owens. I feel sorry for the corners in this gameon both sides of the ball, because frankly, they don't have a chance.Moss is gonna run (and throw based on last week's 37 yard pass) allover the Eagle's secondary and Owens is going to do the same to theViking's secondary. I think the Viking's are a tad better than theEagles however, so I must pick Randy and Company over McNabb andCompany.

Mike says:
Culpepper and Moss squaring off againstMcNabb and Owens. This should be fun. Owens and McNabb had career dayslast Sunday when they hosted and beat the Giants. Culpepper threw forfive touchdowns in the Vikes drubbing of Dallas. Moss and Culpepperseem to be consistently better, and they are who I like on Monday NightFootball. Minnesota head coach Mike Tice announced that starting RBMichael Bennett will be out again this week, but don't fear. The leadback will be the very capable Onterrio Smith. The Vikings are better onpaper all around, and I would argue that Tice is a better decisionmaker sometimes than Andy Reid. One of those times will be Monday, asthe Vikings head to 2-0 with their win at Philadelphia.