The Eagles are looking hot, and have the best record in the league, while the 49ers, who are one of only two winless teams remaining, will have to go up to Philadelphia for the unenviable task of trying to find their first win of the season against the hottest team in the league. Good luck!
Meanwhile, the Pats are starting to find their rhythm, but they will host the suddenly hot Chargers, while the team that they beat both last weekend and in last year's Super Bowl, the Falcons, take on another AFC East team in the Jets. Dallas and Washington renew their rivalry, and the Raiders and Bills play a very important game for both teams up in Buffalo. The Chiefs also try to get back to their formerly winning ways when the also struggling Broncos come to town.
Some interesting match-ups. Let's take a closer look:
Minnesota at Cleveland - The Browns really played particularly tough last weekend against the Titans. They have surely grown tired of losing, which once again this season, they have done often, in keeping with their traditions of really, really bad seasons. They do host the Vikings, but Minnesota is playing some hot football right now. As much as everyone wants to root for a Browns victory, it would seem unlikely that they will get their first win this week against the Vikes. My pick: Minnesota
Atlanta at N.Y. Jets - The Jets have lost a couple of games in a row, but they are playing surprisingly well still, and seem to be fighting with everything that they have got in each game. The Falcons, in the meantime, seem not to be doing well, and particularly against AFC East opponents, which the Jets are. I think the collapse and surprise loss to the Dolphins, coupled with the blowout loss at New England, has shaken this team's confidence, and that they are vulnerable. My suspicion is that Gang Green manages to capitalize on that and win a big game against a quality opponent in this one. My pick: N.Y. Jets
Carolina at Tampa Bay - Tampa Bay hosts the Panthers in a big division rivalry game. The Panthers have been remarkably inconsistent, and are a hard team to figure out right now. The Bucs have been a bit more consistent, although it is still difficult to gauge just how good they are. That makes this a difficult game to pick. Both teams are familiar with one another, and both really need to win this game to try and keep pace with the surging Saints, who could run away with this division if the other teams continue to struggle like they are doing. In the end, I think home field advantage helps the Bucs edge out the Panthers in this game. My pick: Tampa Bay
Chicago at New Orleans - The Bears have been playing much better as of late, but will that be enough for them to knock off the Saints in New Orleans? Frankly, my intuition suggests that it will not be, because the Saints are also playing red hot, lights out football. They have strung together an impressive four game winning streak, and they host the Bears, who still have some issues, and will not likely start to win with any degree of consistency this season. They are the team of the future, but it will be difficult to predict anyone but the Saints coming out on top in this one. My pick: New Orleans
Indianapolis at Cincinnati - The Bengals have been far from impressive so far this season, and they already appear to have their chances at a divisional title on life support. However, they still could potentially contend for a playoff spot, and have shown signs of being better than their mediocre record indicates. This week, they have a weak and troubled Colts team coming to town. Indy has firmly established themselves as the likely cellar dwellers in the AFC South, which is far from being the best division in the league. Hard to see how the Colts can find a way to win this one against a determined Bengals team hungry to earn another victory to remain relevant. My pick: Cincinnati
L.A. Chargers at New England - The Chargers are hot right now, having won three games in a row. But they now face their biggest challenge of the season thus far, when they travel up to Foxboro to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots, who are on a bit of a tear themselves, having also won three straight. Yes, the Patriots appear to be back to winning consistently, and that will prove to be bad news for the Chargers, who likely do not have enough in their tank to win a game against the Pats up in New England. But then again, upsets do happen from time to time, right? And the Chargers have been playing extremely well. Still, it is difficult to predict anything but a Pats win. My pick: New England
Oakland at Buffalo - The Bills are a good team, and they have to be excited about the possibility of ending their long playoff drought and finally making their first postseason appearance in the 21st century. The Raiders, a team who seemed to hold tremendous promise going into the season after their terrific season last year was essentially cut short by the injury to Carr. However, Oakland has looked decidedly suspect this season with four straight losses, although they had an impressive recovery for an important win against first place KC last week. Still, whether or not that marks a full recovery, or just a temporary retrieve, remains to be seen. The Bills have been the more consistent team thus far this season, and might be the better team. That, coupled with home field advantage, should give them the inside track for a win here. My pick: Buffalo
San Francisco at Philadelphia - The Eagles are looking amazing right now. They are perhaps the hottest team in the league, and sport the best record. That makes San Fran's task of trying to get their first win of the season this weekend especially tough, because this match-up features the team tied for the worst record in the league going against the team with the best record in the league, and the 49ers are on the road, to boot. Most likely, the Niners will win a game at some point, but it seems unlikely that it will come against the Eagles this week. My pick: Philadelphia
Houston at Seattle - The Seahawks are finally starting to resemble the solid team that we have grown used to them being in recent seasons. They are, once again, a tough team to beat, and fighting to keep pace for first place in the NFC West, with the surprising L.A. Rams. The Seahawks are especially tough at home, and so the Texans will have their work cut out for them. Indeed, Houston seems to have found a bit of a groove offensively, but they have a tough defense to work against this weekend. It's not impossible that the Texans could pull off an upset, but I think it would be crazy to predict anyone other than the Seahawks coming out on top in this one. My pick: Seattle
Dallas at Washington - A classic rivalry. These two teams used to be the two best teams in the best division in the league, and really, the two best teams in the league, back in the early 1990's, at the height of the rivalry. Now, both of these teams need to win to stay relevant in the NFC East race. The Eagles are likely to beat San Francisco, and neither team can afford to fall even farther behind Philly. Washington lost a humbling game last week, while the Cowboys themselves benefited from a game at San Francisco, where they played very impressively in a convincing 40-10 road win. But they go on the road again, and this time it is a tougher test, as Washington is not an easy place for road teams to play. Still, something tells me that the 'Boys will find a way to win. My pick: Dallas
Sunday Night Football - Pittsburgh at Detroit - Detroit should be well-rested, and they also have home field advantage, which gives them a chance in this one. The Steelers are flying high atop the AFC North at the moment, and keep winning. They are a tough team to get the better of. However, the Lions are a good team who have had an unusually, and it seems, a bit unfairly, challenging schedule thus far. It seems that every week, they are playing tough teams. At first, they were passing the tests with flying colors, but two losses in a row dropped them behind both Green Bay and Minnesota, which means that they absolutely have to win now to keep pace in this division. This will be my upset special for the week, as the Lions are due for another good win against a quality opponent. My pick: Detroit
Monday Night Football - Denver at Kansas City - KC has lost two in a row, which kind of rubbed some of the shine from their impressive 5-0 start. However, the Broncos also have dropped two straight, and look decidedly mediocre in the past two weeks now. With Denver suddenly flirting with mediocrity, coupled with what surely will be an extra dose of urgency and renewed focus on the part of the suddenly struggling Chiefs, I like KC's chances to earn a victory here, exposing Denver's suddenly glaring weaknesses along the way. My pick: Kansas City
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