What a let down by the Bengals last week! One win away from having the word "streak" apply in a nice way to their team, and they blow it to Zona. Several things became evident in that loss: (1) Rudi Johnson is not the same as Corey Dillon, (2) the Cincy D is not so tough, and (3) Chad Johnson is the straw in this team's drink, and without him stirring it up they struggle. Johnson was covered ALL day (I don't understand how, exactly, the Cards managed that one): he was held to 75 yards on only 4 catches, and no TD's, all sub-par numbers for CJ. Without a major contribution from Johnson, and without a solid running game from either Johnson or Dillon (don't worry, we are getting to him), the Bengals are vulnerable. Dillon might as well have gotten into another car wreck last week, or whatever he could have come up with to avoid being a nice bench ornament, because it is becoming a believable rumor that Coach Marvin Lewis has lost faith in this guy. Word is he's nursing the groin injury, and though he practiced all week and looked ok, the coach didn't want to risk him due to "turf conditions" against Arizona (he did play, gaining 5 yards on 7 carries). Turf conditions: as in, "If Dillon is on the turf he might put up another worthless performance." I expected Dillon to come out and put some work behind his mouth, and he hasn't in the two games since he decided to complain that his team was winning with a TEAM effort. They could use his abilities, if he wants to bring them to the game, to open up things for Kitna, Johnson, and Warrick. Plus, if you look at the numbers for this Houston defense, they could get Dillon plenty of opportunities to do something. Currently, the Texans are ranked 22nd versus the rush (giving up 124 run yards a game). However, those of you that caught the Houston game last week realize the running game won't get it done by itself: Stephen Davis ran for 153 yards and was kept out of the end zone. The key to getting to the Texans is the passing game. They give up 245 yards passing a week, and have allowed 15 TD's through the air. Kitna and CJ HAVE to get their groove on in this one, or they could be looking at the start of a "streak," and one they don't want to deal with (they play Kansas City after this one). This game could be tight if the Bengals allow the Texans' offense to roll out the passing game. Take the Bengals in this one: the Texans have one win on the road, the 1-point miracle win versus Miami in Week 1. In all their other road games thus far (3 total), they have lost by an average of about 17 points. This game should be closer than 17 points, but the Bengals should take it to the young receivers of Houston. Domanick Davis should keep the Texans in the mix, but give the Bengals the home field advantage for a tight win.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Jon Kitna, Chad Johnson, Domanick Davis, Andre Johnson

2nd String: David Carr, Peter Warrick, Jabar Gaffney, Corey Dillon, Cincy Defense, Matt Schobel, Billy Miller,

Prediction: Texans 13, Bengals 24

Chicago (3-5) at Detroit (2-6) 1:00 PM
The Bears win! The Bears win! The Bears win! There, I just wrote it as many times as the local Chicago announcer has stated it on air. I will give the Bears their due: they are an improving team. I underestimated the Chicago defense last week. They took the heat to Drew Brees (49 yards!) and LaDainian Tomlinson (61 yards!) and raised their team out of the crapper of the NFL (while, essentially, taking the Chargers and shoving their heads right down it, just like you train your dog to stop dropping logs in the house). Anthony Thomas is back: he looks better than he has in a long time, squaring his shoulders and attacking the field. He's been key for this team's offensive "surge" in the last few weeks. Kordell Stewart continues to ride the pine with some kind of weird leg injury (rumor in Chicago is herpes…. no, I'm kidding). The talk has arisen of Stewart reprising his role as Slash, and possibly playing some WR while keeping Chris Chandler at QB. No way says Stewart, so one has to wonder if he's being held out due to injury or due to winning. Either way, Chandler has produced results, and though he hasn't put Jim McMahon type of numbers, he is winning. If the coaches desire to get Kordell back in, they have a decent opportunity to do so this week as the Bears look to take it to the Lions. Despite a horrible defense, the Lions pulled out a convincing win over the struggling Oakland Raiders. Right: the Raiders are "struggling," and I'm a rich millionaire and I date Victoria Secret models. The Raiders are downright awful, but it was still a nice win for a Lions team that many (including myself) had called the NFL's worst. Their defense still stinks: giving up 117 yards rushing a game), 7 rushing TD's allowed, 220 yards passing a game), having given up 14 passing TD's thus far. Not too attractive to say the least, unless you are the Bears. The Bears would love to grab this game. They would have 3 wins in a row, including one over this very same team (just two weeks ago…. who the hell made this NFL schedule and thought THIS looked ok?). Look for more A-Train, and if Marty Booker can come back, he could give the Bears a big boost towards their 4th win.

The Lions have to be happy they stuck with Joey Harrington. I still don't understand how anyone, in their right mind, would think that Mike McMahon would give the Lions a better start than Joey Harrington. Harrington is one of the top young talents in all of football, and proved it last week by taking his arm to a decent Oakland pass defense: he threw for 117 yards and a TD. Harrington is the goods, and if the Lions didn't have him they would have NOTHING. The loss of Charles Rogers has been major, and the absence of a running game is a definite problem. Joey can only do so much, and this Bears' D is getting better with every game. After a horrible start, they have raised their numbers versus the pass to the "respectable" level: giving up an average of 183 yards a game. However, they have given up a total of 11 passing TD's. But let's qualify that with some recent games: in their last 3 games they have given up only 2 TD's to the air game, and that was against this very Detroit team (definitely a team heavy on the pass) and Seattle (a team loaded with receiving talent). Though the number isn't drop your jaw impressive, it's pretty decent and a definite sign of progress. Stopping the run shouldn't pose much of a problem: Detroit has no running game. Therefore, if the Bears can keep Harrington and company under wraps, they should produce more than enough offense to pull out another win. It won't be a high scoring affair, but take the Bears to win their third straight (man, it sounds awkward to say that).

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Anthony Thomas, Marty Booker, Chicago Defense, Paul Edinger, Joey Harrington

2nd String: Kordell Stewart/Chris Chandler, Dez White, Shawn Bryson, Az-Zir Hakim, Mikhael Ricks, Jason Hanson

Prediction: Bears 17, Lions 10

Miami (5-3) at Tennessee (6-2) 1:00 PM
The Dolphins are going to be hearing about their QB controversy the rest of the year. This is what happens when you have 2 decent QB's, neither of which is outstanding, and neither of which is guaranteed to give you a win. Brian Griese had a nice game this last week, until he blew Miami's chance to win with a bad turnover, in the red zone, with the clock all but dead, on first down, in an important game with a great NFL team (Indy), etc. He couldn't have picked a worse way to lose. He would have been better off losing by 50 points. Instead, he does just good enough for half the Dolphin fans to want him in, and he loses in a way to make the other half yell, "Bring back Fiedler!" It'd be nice to say it doesn't matter this week, but it does for so many reasons. First, the recent struggles of Ricky Williams have made the passing game all the more important. Ricky has now gone 5 consecutive games without reaching 100 yards (what the hell happened during that bye week?). This guy was a leading candidate for MVP last year, and was clearly the main man for his team just 5 weeks ago. Now, he can't get his numbers and his carries seem to decrease every week. He carried the ball only 13 times last week: THIS GUY HAD 40 CARRIES IN ONE GAME A FEW WEEKS AGO! Second, the Miami offense isn't giving the defense enough support. "What?" Listen, its simple math: Miami has the best scoring defense in the league, giving up only 14 points a game. However, their offense averages only 20 points a game. Now, the positive difference is good (thus the winning record), but if this team is going to be an elite team in the NFL, they need a bigger difference in the two (for instance, the Chiefs score an average of 31 points a game and give up an average of 16 points a game). A passing game will allow for this difference to increase (they can't get much better at preventing scoring!). Third, and most important for this week, their opposing defense is set up for a poor passing game. The Titans are horrendous against the pass: they give up 253 yards a game and have allowed 11 passing TD's. Ricky Williams needs to get going in a major way, but without a passing game this may be a mute point. This team cannot continue to lean on its defense (we'll get to this, and as they showed versus Indy last week) and they need a passing game that can take advantage of this defensive weakness. They need an offense that can eat up the clock, that can eat up the yards, and that can get some damn points on the board. 14 points won't get it done versus the Titans; 21 points isn't likely to get it done!

The Titans have the current hot pick for MVP: Steve McNair. McNair is the sun, moon, and stars in Tennessee. He's turned the Titans into a passing team, and the entire state better be glad he did. Their offense amounts to about 99% McNair, 1% miscellaneous offense. Eddie George has been, essentially, a non-factor. He's had only 1 game with 100 yards rushing. With that game taken into consideration, he's averaging 55 yards a game. Without, he's averaging a paltry 49 yards a game. In the realm of fantasy football, those numbers are often referred to as "pathetic." Personally, I'd like to see Chris Brown get some carries (assuming he's healthy, but he hasn't been 100%). Regardless, this game for the Titans will break down to McNair versus the defense. You know Jason Taylor will give the offensive line fits. However, the numbers for Miami's pass D don't look so good. They give up an average of 236 yards through the air a game. When they've been beat (Indy, New England, Houston), it's been through the air. You would also notice those teams presented a respectable running game (Edge did well in a workhorse type of day last week, Mack and Faulk did ok, but none of the three broke 100 yards). Nothing too spectacular, but respectable enough to keep the Miami defense honest. George has to do the same, and he is capable of such a performance. You know McNair will bring it: Derrick Mason and Justin McCareins will give the Miami backfield plenty of work. The game is as simple as scoring: the Titans can score against just about anyone, and with an average of 28 points a game (by the way, if you take out the Titans only bad scoring game, when they scored 7 versus Indy in Week 2, they average 31 points a game, which would put them just ahead of KC for first in that stat) it's hard to see how Miami will keep up. Griese or Fiedler, I don't believe either can keep up with McNair (you could put them both out there at the same time and they wouldn't keep up with the Air!). The Miami defense will keep it close, but give the MVP and the home team the advantage.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Steve McNair, Ricky Williams, Derrick Mason, Chris Chambers, Randy McMichael, Gary Anderson, Titans Defense

2nd String: Brian Griese/Jay Fiedler, Justin McCareins, James McKnight, Miami Defense, Eddie George

Prediction: Fins 21, Titans 26

Cleveland (3-5) at Kansas City (8-0) 1:00 PM
So let's review the last few of weeks for the Cleveland Browns, just for the sake of fun and ridicule. In Week 7, in after having one good game and one not so good game (but enough to raise controversy), Tim Couch comes out and throws up all over himself, throwing for an impressive 102 yards against the NFL worst team (San Diego), and is relieved late by the savior Kelly Holcomb, who also comes out and litters the field with his garbage (but hey, he made the end of the game half way interesting for a minute or two). Cleveland loses not only the game but also the momentum they had gained with consecutive wins. Then, Cleveland comes out in Week 8 and gets man-handled by the New England defense. Despite a valiant effort by the their defense, they manage only 3 points and take another loss, by 6 freakin' points. They come into the bye week with major offensive questions: a QB controversy to determine which mediocre QB should start their next game, they are battling a running game that is inconsistent at best, they are lacking a true dominant receiver, their offensive line is hit or miss, and their defense is improving but getting little to no support. Well, at least they have their bye week to work some things out and get a rest. THEN, Willie Green was apparently just as worried about his lack of production (though he was improving) and decided to take his mind off of things by doing a little speeding while pulling a few bong hits in his ride. Always an advisable drive time activity; guess we should be happy it was just weed! At least he dropped off the hookers along the way. SO, Cleveland has a plate that isn't just full, it's overflowing with problems. THEN, they are reminded of the next opponent: Kansas City, and at Arrowhead to boot. Who's going to play QB? Who's going to start at RB (personally, I like Jamel White over James Jackson, but everything out of Cleveland says Jackson is the man; best bet is RB by committee)? Who is going to score on this well rested, very tough KC defense? I'm guessing…. well, no one. This couldn't look worse for Cleveland.

The best team in football comes into the game after a nice rest and they are ready to take on the Browns! They've stayed sober (probably not, but let's give them the benefit of a doubt), they've taken a week off and are still leading most of the offensive statistical categories for the NFL, and they still have Priest Holmes on the roster. Just for the sake of a thorough report, let's take a look at the Cleveland D. They give up 160 yards passing a game and have allowed only 4 passing TD's thus far (that is pretty good); they give up about 130 yards rushing a game (not so good) and have allowed, once again, only 4 rushing TD's (not too shabby); they have allowed an average of just over 16 points a game (very nice). OK, so let's relate it all to the Cleveland defense: (1) they will give up more than 160 passing yards to Trent Green; (2) they will give up more than 130 yards rushing to Priest Holmes (easily); (3) they are likely to see their rushing TD's allowed almost double; (4) they will give up more than 16 points (KC tops the NFL with an average of about 31 points a game). I'll give the Browns' D some credit: they have played much better than you would have expected. However, this is the Chiefs. This is Arrowhead Stadium. This is just too much for this team, not to mention most NFL teams. I don't know how to shine a positive light on this game for the fans of the Browns. Here ya' go: you never know when an act of god will intervene and change the course of existence, as we know it. So, if you are a Browns' fan, hope for a meteor, or maybe a storm of fire, or perhaps a tornado of barbed wire and blood: all things that could possibly stop the Chiefs this week.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Trent Green, Priest Holmes, Tony Gonzalez, Morten Anderson, KC Defense

2nd String: Dante Hall, Johnnie Morton, Eddie Kennison, Kelly Holcomb, James Jackson, Jamel White, Quincy Morgan, Andre Davis, Kevin Johnson

Prediction: Browns 9, Chiefs 34

Atlanta (1-7) at NY Giants (4-4) 1:00 PM
The Falcons come into this game after a tough game with Philly, and they are still strongly considered one of the worst teams in football (right now I put that title on San Diego, but the Dirty Birds are one holding penalty behind 'em). I've spent a good part of the week answering emails about Mike Vick/Dan Reeves. Let me give you the Cliff Notes version: Reeves is full of it. His team sucks. Plain and simple. If Vick is on the field, he has to score an average of 32 points a game to win. 32 points on average: right Dan, not having Vick is your big problem. Maybe he'll come out this week and call LB Keith Brookings a puss for not playing on a broken leg. After that, he'll turn to me and blame this stupid column for his team's struggles. Then, he'll blame global warming, deer with chronic wasting disease, or maybe the killer Mexican bees that were suppose to swarm us this summer will suffer the blunt of his frustration. I will say this: they gave the Eagles a good run last week, and they had me believing they would pull out a win for a little while. Do we give credit to Atlanta, or do we put blame on Philly? Anyway, things are not looking any better this week for the Birds. They have to travel to the Big Apple to face the Giants. The Giants have a very nice defense. Granted, they do have a tendency to give up scoring late, but it's ok: Atlanta has a propensity for not scoring at all. The Giants do give up too much of anything: 214 yards passing a game and 111 run yards a game. They should stop Atlanta from doing much of anything, and it won't be too difficult as the Falcons don't do much anyway: they are ranked 28th passing the ball (gee Dan, which stellar backup QB that you picked up should we go with this week, Sling or Kittner?) and they come in at 19th running the ball. Neither is impressive, neither shows any signs of improving until Vick comes back, and the Human Highlight can do only so much.

So, are the Giants off the schnod with the offensive production they have been able to put forth of late? They have put together a couple of nice wins against the Vikings and Jets, but they do give their fans heartburn. They like to keep it close. Actually, they like to get decent leads and give them up in the 2nd half, thus creating a whole new market for the Advil people. Their defense keeps them in games and, often, seals the deal for wins. However, this team, as I've stated before, lives and dies with Kerry Collins. I would continue to caution fantasy guys, and Giant fans for that matter, that this is NOT good. Collins is so volatile: he can blow up for 300+ yards and 3 TD's, or he can throw for 100 and 3 INT's. Tiki Barber, though a decent back, is not a leader by any means, and you don't want a guy prone to fumbles to lead the team anyway (ummm, Kerry Collins is a little bit of a fumble freak!). Fortunately for the Giants, this week they are an easy pick. Atlanta is that bad, so bad that the Giants are a solid pick for a win. I wouldn't bet on a blowout by any means, but all you need to know, before you make your wagers, is this: the Giants score an average of 21 points a game, Atlanta scores an average of 16 points a game, and unless the Falcons suddenly make significant changes on offense they won't score enough to win. The Giants defense will keep them under lock and chain, Atlanta won't put up nearly enough fight to break 'em, and the Giants SHOULD coast to a win. WARNING: the Giants never seem to "coast" to a win, so don't expect an "easy" win this, or any, weekend for the Giants. However, it does look like another loss is brewing for Reeves and his Falcons, and this time he should blame himself and the Giants: the first for being so bad and the second for being that much better.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Kerry Collins, Tiki Barber, Amani Toomer, Alge Crumpler, Jay Feeley, Jeremy Shockey, Giant Defense

2nd String: Ike Hilliard, Kurt Kittner/Doug Johnson, Warrick Dunn, TJ Duckett, Peerless Price

Prediction: Dirty Birds 10, Giants 20

Arizona (3-5) at Pittsburgh (2-6) 1:00 PM
Can someone explain the Arizona Cardinals to me? Anyone? They are a different team at home, especially on defense. They've beaten the Packers, the Niners, and now the Bengals at home. Imagine how much better this team would have looked if Emmitt Smith had been on the shelf since Week 1! Marcel Shipp is a player, a straight up runner, a horse. He may not get into the end zone for you fantasy owners, but his yards are great and the TD's will come as his team gives him opportunities. Jeff Blake has always been a capable QB with a strong arm, and he's hooked up with rookie Anquan Boldin as the tandem have led the Cards to victory in their 3 wins. Boldin is impressive and could turn into one of the NFL's best WR's. Here is the problem: if Blake and Boldin can't get the ball downfield and score TD's, this team struggles. They have yet to win a game on the road: if fact, they have lost every game on the road by an average of about 22 points. Those three wins they have are against teams with below average defensive units (I know the Niners aren't horrible, but they are not good on D). Pittsburgh is neither below average or bad on defense. On the contrary, they are loaded with talent and ability on defense. They give up only 183 yards a game through the air, and this alone will give the Cardinals problems. Shipp has looked good enough to move the ball on anyone (and Pitt is giving up 91 yards rushing a game, pretty impressive), so the bulk of the scoring will have to come from Blake and Boldin. If any of the other talented receivers (Bryant Johnson, Bryan Gilmore) looked worthy of more looks at all, the Cards would compete much better versus better defenses. Unfortunately for the Cards, they are still going to face a very solid Pittsburgh defense, and if they can't find a way to score it could be a long afternoon for their offense.

Pittsburgh is DESPERATE for a win. They need a win like I need a good week of pics! The Steelers were a very popular pick by many of the "experts" to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this year. The talent is all there, they just can't seem to get it all going in the right direction. This team is looking for a confidence boost, a game to get their juices flowing, or anything flowing for that matter. This could be that game. Arizona may have 3 wins, but they are all at home. On the road they are a not normally worthy of wagers. Unfortunately for Cardinal fans, the Steelers' offensive strengths match well with the weaknesses of the Zona D. The Cards have been pretty tough against the run: they give up only 197 rush yards a game, and the only RB to light them up has been Jamal Lewis (they held Ahman Green to 53 yards). However, besides these two guys, they haven't faced a whole lot of running back wonders, and the same will be said for this upcoming game. Jerome Bettis runs his age (is it me, or is he actually getting slower with every game?) and Amos Zereoue is a nice backup, but a major threat he is not. This is an excellent game for Bill Cowher to give the ball to Maddox as often as possible: the Cards give up over 200 yards passing a game, and have allowed 12 passing TD's thus far (not a good number). The defensive backfield struggles against any team with multiple receiving threats, and Pitt has the best trio of receivers in the NFL. It's a great week to start Plaxico Burress and Hines Ward! You give the Cards one good receiver to cover and they do fine (a la Cincy), but once the second or third receiver gets rolling the Cards can't keep up. There is no way to pick Arizona this week: they have won 2 straight, and this team is just not good enough to get 3 in a row. Here's a nice stat to solidify my words: Arizona ranks dead last in scoring (only 14 points a game). This game is on the road, so Zona won't get the heat advantage. Pittsburgh is just too tough. Their D alone, if they play to their potential, could win this game. As long as Maddox remembers his receivers are wearing BLACK & GOLD, and not white and maroon, he should be ok. He needs to keep the turnovers down in order to win. The one thing the Cards have shown is the ability to stop the run, and since the Steelers would rather not rush the ball anyway, that's not much consolation. The Pittsburgh D will be too tough, the passing game for Pitt should roll, and Zona will be one win shy of a streak.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Anquan Boldin, Tommy Maddox, Plaxico Burress, Hines Ward, Jeef Reed, Pittsburgh Defense

2nd String: Jeff Blake, Marcel Shipp, Jerome Bettis, Amos Zereoue, Bryant Johnson, Antwaan Randle El, Jay Riemersma, Bryan Gilmore, Freddie Jones

Prediction: Cards 14, Steel Curtain 27

Seattle (6-2) at Washington (3-5) 1:00 PM
The Seahawks have got to be feeling pretty good. They sit atop their division, they have a schedule ahead of them that is not a push over, but a little less grueling. They get a Redskins team that is struggling in a major way this week. I realize they have a nice record, but I'd still argue for more Shaun Alexander. Here's the thing: this Seattle team doesn't do anything flashy. They throw well, but rarely do they light it up. They run well almost every game, but Alexander's carries never get much past 20, no matter how well he's running (damn West Coast offense). You take a look at their results thus far, and you'll be amazed at how close most of their games have been, regardless of winning or losing. They should be able to get the offense working pretty well again this week versus Washington. I've said before, but it's so hard to grasp why this Redskin defense is struggling. They give up about 210 yards passing a game and have the 2nd most passing TD's allowed in the NFL (14). They've allowed about 130 yards rushing a game. They give up 24 points a game. Put the three together and you wonder how they've gotten the wins they do have. Here's one opinion: maybe they need a better leader. How do you think Daniel Snyder feels about the fact Marvin Lewis has moved on to Cincy and is doing pretty well, yet his prized coach, the guy he is paying an arm and a leg for, the guy who is suppose to bring the Redskins to the promised land, is struggling to win every week? Just a thought, but even if Spurrier's offense was working consistently in the NFL, would it mean squat if you were giving up a barnyard of points a game? Seattle has got the offense working at a level that should allow them to put up those 24 points, and until the Skins defense proves otherwise, the Seattle fantasy squad is looking good this week.

How many of you read the Washington review last week? I think it said something like, "If the Skins hope to win they better find a way to protect Patrick Ramsey." Now, remember when Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks in about 20 seconds? The beating Ramsey got last week was worse than that. Remember when Joe Theisman had his leg broken like a twig by Lawerence Taylor? Patrick Ramsey is on his way towards that scene. Luckily, he seems to have been blessed with stronger legs, and he doesn't play against LT. The situation for the Skins' offensive line is so bad that Spurrier invited his old college stud Danny Wuerrful into the fold, and Danny said no thanks! Seattle will be all over Ramsey. Unlike Washington, they are playing well above their expected level of performance. Marcus Trufant is making a strong bid for Defensive Rookie of the Year. He's a sponge: he learned his lessons quick and put them to good use. Here's the numbers: giving up 196 yards through the air with only 7 passing TD's (and 16 sacks Patrick), allowing 116 rush yards a game with 8 rushing TD's (not very impressive, but not horrible), and giving up an average of 18 points a game. Here's a great stat: they've given only 1 run for more than 20 yards. You can dink and dunk this team, but you won't break it long without some hard work and a little help. Washington can't dink or dunk anyone, much less break it long. Their running back by committee scheme started off nice, but it's become too predictable and unproductive. Seattle may have a pension for close games, but Washington will have to put in some work to keep it close. They can score: Ramsey is capable and when he does get time, he can punish you deep with Laveranues or Gardner. He's a good young QB, but he's got to have some protection. Rushed passes can become Seattle's best friend in this one: Washington can make it interesting if they can give Ramsey some breathing room and he can avoid any turnovers. One interception will cost Washington the game; two will create a nice lead for Seattle; three, and you've got yourself a route! Go with Seattle.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Matt Hasselback, Shaun Alexander, Koren Robinson, Josh Brown, Seattle Defense, Laveranues Coles, John Hall

2nd String: Patrick Ramsey, Darrell Jackson, Rod Gardner, Itula Mili

Prediction: Seahawks 24, Skins 17

Tampa Bay (4-4) at Carolina (6-2) 1:00 PM
This was supposed to be the Battle of the Defenses, Take 2. However, the Tampa D doesn't look as tough lately. They've struggled this season to find some consistency, and it's not just on the defensive side of the ball. We'll get to the Tampa Defense shortly, but let's start by taking a look at the aspect of the Bucs no one else is really talking about: the offense. Here are some numbers, guess what they are: 31, 35, 35. Those are the point totals for Tampa in Weeks 3, 5, & 6 (Week 4 was the bye). Now, here's three more numbers: 7, 16, 14. Those are Tampa's points the last three weeks. Notice the difference? So what has happened to those offensive numbers? Pittman isn't running as well, or at least not as consistently, as he did earlier in the season. Brad Johnson is still playing ok, but he's not enjoying the offensive splurge he was in the first 6 weeks. The return of Joe Jurivicius should help, but I would suggest a couple of minor changes that may have a bigger affect than you would believe. Most notably, I think the Bucs really miss Mike Alstott. I think other injuries haven't helped, but this team would love to have Alstott back for those short yard situations, and to allow them more freedom on the goal line (the Bucs have a grand total of 2 rushing TD's). Now, of course, this isn't going to explain the offensive drop of late. Maybe opposing defenses have it figured out; maybe Johnson is falling back into bad habits; maybe the game plan is just stale. Whatever it is, the Bucs need to get it ironed out. They won't get a free pass from this Carolina team. The Carolina D is tough, and they come into this game (just like their first match) pumped to show they are the new top dog in the NFL. Led by Julius Peppers, this team will give Johnson migraines all day long. It's no secret how the Panthers get it done: they just keep you out of the end zone. Allowing only 17 points a game gives their offense a good target to gain for the win. Johnson is going to have to find a way to get some scoring done. The Cats have allowed only 4 rushing TD's, and they won't give Pittman too many chances to raise that number. In their first game, Brad did go over 300 yards, but he needs to make it worthwhile by getting the 6. If they score low again in this one, it could be another loss.

The Panthers are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Texans. It was unbelievable how dead the entire team was in that game (except for Stephen Davis of course, who just shows us that a top RB is key but can only do so much). This was a team Jake Delhomme was suppose to tear up: bad passing defense and a good Panther running game and offensive line were suppose to allow Delhomme all kinds of opportunities. He started off nice, and then fell back into the funk he's been in & out of all year. He's a good talent, and he's got what it takes to be a top NFL QB. He just needs to find it consistently. Unfortunately, he should have taken advantage while he could, and he better hope he was just saving his best for this week. One thing Tampa is good at is pass defense. Granted, they haven't been as good these last 3 weeks or so, but they have still been pretty solid and when a QB has gone off (i.e. Jeff Garcia) it has been due to the running game. THAT is where Tampa's D has suffered due to injuries and lack of production, and it's not a recent trend. It's all in the numbers: they give up almost 110 yards a game to the run, and the box scores of recent losses is more telling. 117 yards to Hearst when the Niner's offensive line manhandled the Bucs, and this turned into a passing frenzy on single coverage for Garcia to Owens. 110 yards to Deuce last week let the Saints keep the score low, eat up the clock, and kept the chains moving all day long. If Hearst and Deuce gave them problems, Stephen Davis is sure to be a nuisance. He ran for 142 in their first meeting, and you better believe he'll get his carries in this one. This game looks to be as low scoring as the last game, and the funny thing is these great defensive units won't tighten up until the ball is in the red zone. This is why I'm giving the edge, once again, to Carolina. Look for the Cats to follow the same recipe they used in Week 2, and the Saints used last week. A decent amount of passing, but lots of running with, and this is the key, big time blocking: the Saints stacked the line with 2 TE's and a big FB to make those Deuce runs even more damaging. The key is to wear down this defense, and the Panthers have the tools to do it. Both these teams will be hungry for the win, and both will want to come out punching. However, give the edge to Carolina because they have the tools to score touchdowns in those red zone opportunities. THIS is where Tampa will miss Alstott. It will be low scoring, it will be Stephen Davis (and a little bit DeShaun Foster for a nice mix of speed, to take advantage of a tired defensive line), and it will be Carolina once again.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Stephen Davis, Keenan McCardell, Steve Smith, John Kasay, Carolina Defense

2nd String: Jake Delhomme, Brad Johnson, Michael Pittman, Tampa Defense, Joe Jurivicius, Dave Moore, Martin Gramatica, John Mangum

Prediction: Bucs 13, Panthers 17

Indianapolis (7-1) at Jacksonville (1-7) 1:00 PM
Look at those records: you can't find two more opposite teams to match up this week! Indy has it all working, and the Jags are struggling to get anything working. The key to sports reporting: state the obvious, exploit it, repeat. Indy is superior here. They are one of the top 3 teams in the NFL. The Jags have to be one of the worst. I don't look at spreads before I write these previews up, but I'd guess the spread on this one is around, at least, 12 points. For a road team, that speaks volumes. How are the Jags going to stop any facet of this Indy offense? You look at the rush defense: the Jags allow only 93 yards rushing a game, have allowed 9 rushing TD's. So, what does this really say? They did contain James in their previous game (Jags lost, 23-13) to 76 yards, but maybe that's because Reggie Wayne lit 'em up for 141 (why run when the pass works so well). They let Stephen Davis hit for 111 yards. They got Houston pre-Domanick Davis. They held Tomlinson to 38 yards, but David Boston hit 'em for 181 (notice a theme yet?). Ricky Williams picked up 78 respectable yards in the loss to Miami (this is becoming a "normal" number for Ricky). Eddie George hit 'em for 88, a big number for George now days. Finally, they held Jamal Lewis to 68 yards. Maybe he was just tired, and Boller wasn't equipped to take the passing yards in that one. In my opinion, this rush defense isn't as good as the numbers speak. Edge is a workhorse. Give him 68 yards and that's enough to open up Manning to Harrison (or Wayne!). Of course, Indy can work this in reverse, letting the passing game open up the run. We've already seen these Colts light up the sky on this Jags defense, so there is little to no reason to believe they won't do it again.

You take a look at the Jags' offense and you see a team steadily improving, but steadily is really moving too quickly. Byron Leftwich is a true talent. Don't think of Daunte Culpepper or Mike Vick; this kid is much more like a John Elway or Dan Marino. He's a pure pocket passer. It's refreshing to watch, unless you are facing Dwight Freeney. Brian Griese did his best impersonation of his dad last week, play pocket passer, and I think he just removed Freeney from his backside yesterday. Freeney has slid under the radar due to injury, and that's why Miami missed him. The kid is awesome. Without injury, he'd be mentioned with Julius Peppers as the best young defensive studs in the game today. He'll give the Jags' offensive line some very tough match up problems. In order for the Jags to get ANY offense going at all, they have to keep tacklers out of the backfield. Fred Taylor, offensive weapon #1, needs a clear backfield. Byron Leftwich, pocket passer, needs a clear backfield. They won't keep Freeney out of the backfield (and let us not forget Marcus Washington & Chad Bratzke). Freeney has missed significant time (2 games, that is a quarter of the schedule thus far), and he is only 2 sacks away from making the NFL top sacks list (currently the proud owner of 7 QB's). You cannot understate the importance of Freeney, thus me going on and on about him. He alone could take this game over. The Jags' offensive line has allowed 22 sacks thus far. That is horrible. The Jags are averaging 18 points a game. Indy averages 29. You know what, we can go over numbers all night long. Colts win this one, they continue their romp through the schedule, and if you have IDP's in your league you damn well better have Freeney in your lineup.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Peyton Manning, Edge James, Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Marcus Pollard, Mike Vanderjagt, Indy Defense

2nd String: Byron Leftwich, Fred Taylor, Jimmy Smith, Kyle Brady, Seth Marler

Prediction: Colts 32, Jags 13

Minnesota (6-2) at San Diego (1-7) 4:05 PM
Marcellus Wiley, DE for the mighty San Diego Chargers, came out in the media this week and blasted QB Drew Brees. "I know I'm about to get in trouble and yelled at. Well, shoot, I'm tired of guys walking by me whispering. Say the damn thing. You know where there's the leak in the ship. Don't tell me, plug it." Hey Marcellus, last time I checked you had a total of one freakin' sack, and you are far from being a team leader, either in stats or on the field. NO ONE from that pathetic defense should make any suggestions about Brees. The kid is playing behind an offensive line made of fog. His receivers catch more flack than passes. Go ahead, bring in Flutie. He won't win any more games than Brees would, plain and simple. Wiley should shut his pie hole and try doing something on the field. The Chargers are the worst team in football and turning to a 41 year old QB isn't the answer. They need a new defense, they need an offensive line, they need a new coach, they need better kicking, they need so much that to point a finger at 1 guy is just stupid. Right now, the Chargers haven't announced who will start, and I don't know why anyone would care unless they have the surname "Flutie." The Chargers could come out and score 18 points and they will still lose to most NFL teams. The defense is almost as bad as Atlanta: they give up 220 yards passing a game, 130 yards rushing a game, and 27 points a game. They suck. They have no hope. I'm not saying they couldn't win another game or two this year, but it won't be easy, and it sure won't be this week.

The Vikings are coming off of two tough losses. They took a heartbreaking loss to Green Bay last week, and I'm still not exactly sure what happened versus the Giants two weeks ago. They have to be relieved to see the Bolts on the schedule. My big hope is to see more of Michael Bennett. He looked great last week, seemed as fast as ever, and was one ankle tackle away from announcing his return with a nice 40-yard TD jaunt. I doubt he'll start, but 15-20 carries would be awesome. Here's the breakdown: the Vikes throw for 230 yards a game (10 yards more, on average, than the Bolts give away), run for 136 yards a game (6 more yards than the Bolts allow), and score 28 points a game (1 more point than the Bolts give up!). The Chargers should change their name to the Bizzaro Vikings. This game couldn't set up more nicely for the Vikings. Daunte and Moss should enjoy a nice game against a weak defensive backfield, Bennett and Moe Williams should enjoy the weak defensive line, and the Vikings should have no trouble surpassing their average point total. There just isn't much to say about this game. I bet the spread is horrendous, and I bet the Vikings cover. If you have a Vikings' player on your fantasy roster, start 'em. This could, and should, get very ugly.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Daunte Culpepper, Michael Bennett, Moe Williams, Randy Moss, Aaron Elling, Vikes Defense

2nd String: LaDainian Tomlinson, Nate Burleson, Jim Kleinsasser, Drew Brees/Doug Flutie, David Boston, Eric Parker, Josh Norman, Steve Christie

Prediction: Vikes 30, Bolts 10

NY Jets (2-6) at Oakland (2-6) 4:15 PM
The Jets, with their leader and hero Chad Pennington back, almost pulled off an amazing come from behind upset of the cross-town rival Giants last week. Pennington looked awesome! He had a couple of picks, but he threw all over the field and seemed to be in great health. Remember Santana Moss? Fantasy owners had left this guy for dead, and for good reason, then Pennington comes back and makes him look like the second coming of Al Toon. It easy to see the Jets doing much better the rest of the season. Chad makes them so much better on offense, it's like night and day. They should continue to get the passing game going, Curtis Martin seems to be getting his legs back and also seemed to get a nice boost from Pennington's return, and this team should be able to compete much better than they did earlier in the season. "You play to win the game! HELLO!" I love Herm Edwards! He's a great coach and he should lead this team into battle every week with maximum confidence and motivation. This week, they face a struggling Raiders team. Mired in turmoil and controversy, this team seems to be so far from together that it's hard to imagine they can pull it together as a team and perform well. Both these teams give up 17 points a game, so from that aspect they look very evenly matched. However, it's no secret the Jets need to pass to win. Oakland's pass D isn't horrible, but it won't shut anyone down. They give up about 190 yards a game. Any team that can hold a team under 200 yards tends to do ok. That cannot be said of this Raiders team. Considering the offensive injuries this team is dealing with (we'll get to that shortly), this team needs to keep the score very low in order to win. The Pennington Jets aren't likely to comply with such desires. Penny will take it to the air more than a few times, and if Curtis Martin can continue his recent offensive surge, the rushing game could flourish as well. The Oakland D had better not get behind early. They won't come back.

Now starting for the Oakland Raiders, at QB, Rich Mirer. Ewww. That is not what you want to hear from the announcer if you're a fan of the Raiders. Tuiasosopo has been officially placed on IR, Gannon is still out, and the Raiders had to go out and sign Rob Johnson just to cover their butts. It couldn't come at a worse time. This Oakland team is losing an uphill battle: they've struggles all year, they've lost to bad teams, they are getting old, and they are in the midst of a ton of bad press and team turmoil. They really needed a strong game to get things back on track, and it's not going to happen with a 3rd string QB versus this tough Jets defense. Shaun Ellis is a big time stud, and he'll make Rick Mirer wish he had his clipboard back. The player that is really going to suffer is Charlie Garner. With no respectable passing game, the chances of Garner finding the space and field he needs to do work is slim and none. He'll be target #1 for the Jets, and without a running game the passing game is going to suffer more than usual. It's a vicious circle. The Jets come in with the NFL's 4th best passing D as it is! If the average NFL team can only manage 170 yards passing on the Jets, what the hell are going to get from Rick "Stuck in the" Mirer? The Jets' real vulnerability is the running game (giving up 153 yards a game). Garner was going to be key, and he'll still get he bulk of the offensive load. It's just hard to imagine he'll do too much by himself. Pennington should get his first win of the year, and the Jets should be on their way to turning this season into a more respectable display.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Chad Pennington, Curtis Martin, Santana Moss, Anthony Becht, Jets Defense, Sebastian Janikowski

2nd String: LaMont Jordan, Doug Brien, Charlie Garner, Jerry Porter, Tim Brown, Doug Jolley

Prediction: Jets 23, Raiders 10

Buffalo (4-4) at Dallas (6-2) 4:15 PM
I believe this is the game of the week, and, once again, it involves Bill Parcels. Buffalo has been up and down already this season. Their offense is full of talent, but they've struggled with some injuries and have been accused of being too predictable on offense. They were happy to get a week off as their butts needed some rest after taking it from KC. They got WORKED, but who doesn't get worked by KC? You look through those results thus far and you'll notice that there is no rhyme or reason to Buffalo's year thus far. They've lost to bad teams, they've lost to good teams, they've beaten good teams, they've beaten not-so-good teams. The only consistent factor that seems to pop up is that Bledsoe seems to struggle with tougher passing defenses. It's not that he doesn't throw for yards, but the turnovers seem to kill him too often of late. He's a great QB, and he should know better, but he's been trying to hard to get his team back on the track they started on. Rookie RB Willis McGahee has been activated, but it sounds like he's still not available for game play. Travis Henry is a guy that runs on pure heart and pride: this will motivate him to play well. When the Bills announced they were pulling McGahee off the PUP list, Henry proceeded to throw up a 167-yard performance. I don't know if he can do the same versus the Dallas D. The defense in Dallas is the real story for these Cowboys. They play tough, Bill Parcels' style football. They allow only 83 rush yards a game, only 157 passing yards a game, and keep opponents to about 16 points a game. None of these numbers bode well for Buffalo. They will need a top-notch effort from both Drew Bledsoe and Travis Henry to get some points on the board. That has not been an easy feat for the Bills in recent weeks, so they better have used the bye week to figure some stuff out. Otherwise, it could be a long second half of the season for Buffalo fans.

We all continue to be impressed by Dallas thus far (come on, admit it!). I thought that the addition of Parcels would bring the Boys to 4, maybe 5 wins. They've already beaten that prediction by a game, and we are only half way through the schedule. Dallas will have a tough go for the remainder of the season. They've got that target on their chest, and they can't surprise anyone anymore. The passing game is the most important offensive aspect of their game this year. Quincy Carter has been impressive, especially considering where he's come from. His stable of WR's doesn't hurt. What is it with Terry Glenn?! Under any other coach, he's a nightmare wrapped in a bowel movement wrapped in a car wreck. He gets back in the hands of Bill Parcels and he looks more like the Ohio State Terry Glenn. Amazing stuff Glenn has been accomplishing this year. They need to pass well this week: the Buffalo defensive backfield is very tough. The Bills bring the best passing D in the land to Dallas, giving up only 168 yards a game. Thus, we will have a very tough and enjoyable game! How many of you looked at this game and thought, "Well, that's an obvious defensive match up."? NONE OF YOU DID, LIARS! Against the rush, the Bills allow about 110 yards a game. The only problem: does Dallas have the capabilities to take advantage of this? Troy Hambrick has shown glimpses of being a solid RB, but his consistency is not there at all. It's hard to believe he'll run for 100 yards in this one. He's had only 2 100-yard games thus far, and with only 5 TD's this year it is very difficult to point to him as the savior of this game. Therefore, I'm taking the Bills in an upset! As I always say, call me crazy, but I think the Bills will take advantage of Quincy Carter. Those defensive backs will give the Cowboys fits, and if they can turn their efforts into interceptions, they could pull this one out. I like Henry to motivate himself to another good game, in an attempt to remind his coach and teammates that this is HIS team (at least from the RB aspect). I feel awkward saying it, especially as I feel the eyes of Bill Parcels burning through me with anger, but I'm taking the Bills in a low scoring, tight game.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Travis Henry, Eric Moulds, Buffalo Defense, Terry Glenn, Billy Cundiff, Dallas Defense

2nd String: Drew Bledsoe, Quincy Carter, Troy Hambrick, Antonio Bryant, Aveion Cason, Joey Galloway, Josh Reed, Jason Whitten

Prediction: Bills 17, Boys 13

Baltimore (5-3) at St. Louis (5-3) 8:30 PM
The Ravens are a very interesting team. You take a look at the standings, and you might be tempted to say, "You know what, the Ravens are the best team in a bad division." And right now the records of those teams would support the thought. However, if you really analyze those teams it is hard to say any of those teams are "bad." The Ravens are at the top at 5-3, followed by Cincy, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh (probably the biggest disappointment in the NFL). Though those teams are struggling, it's not fair to call them bad. I'm just trying to give proper credit to Baltimore. Many have pointed to Steve McNair and Priest Holmes as the MVP thus far. Personally, I want to give it to Jamal Lewis. The guy is getting it done for this team every week without a passing game. He just had his worst game thus far last week (only 68 yards), and even with that performance he has over 1,000 yards already with a game average of 131 yards a game (5.6 a carry). THAT is amazing! He's carrying this team, at least offensively. It's no secret to any opposing team how the Ravens are going to come at you, and this make what Lewis is doing all the more incredible. He'll have a tough time again this week against the Rams, as they are allowing 110 yards a game yet have allowed only 4 rushing TD's. The passing game for Baltimore is steadily improving. Kyle Boller has looked better every week: he's thrown only 2 interceptions in his last 4 games and has finally started getting some yards (he's gotten his average to about 142 yards a game, much better than sub-100 yard average he was carrying). He looks more comfortable, he is making better mental decisions, and he's giving Lewis some room to breathe. They will need it all to be working at 100% this week against the Rams. Not only does St. Louis bring a decent run D, they can keep the air game fairly tight as well (giving up less than 200 yards passing a game). Boller will have to find a way to get some production: the Rams are going to score (you better believe they are hungry after getting their butts handed to them last week by San Fran), they showed they are vulnerable to a good pass attack (Tim Rattay!) and the Ravens can't afford to play catch up football. Their strength is running, and the chances of winning a scoring sprint are minimal at best.

The Rams are coming off their worst loss of the season. They did very little versus the 49ers last week, getting beat soundly 30-10 despite Marc Bulgers's 378 yards passing. Of course, his passing yards would have meant a lot more if he hadn't thrown 2 interceptions and fumbled away one ball. Their passing is always working: with so many receiving weapons, the only person that can contain this passing unit is Bulger himself. He has got to get the interceptions under control. Baltimore is one of the better teams at collecting interceptions in the NFL: 11 thus far. Of course, they've given up 11 passing TD's too! Basically, the Rams need their running game back. The funniest thing I heard last week came from, go figure, Michael Irvin who claimed the Rams, "should leave Marshall Faulk on the sideline and let this lineup keep up their success." Right. I guess he might say the exact opposite this week, as the Rams totaled 9 YARDS rushing last week. That, my friends, is a new definition for "pathetic," and mixed with Bulger's turnovers it helped result in the loss. They need Marshall, and they need him now. He's one of the best RB's in the game when healthy, and you better believe he will give the Rams a better chance versus this tough Baltimore D than Arlen Harris. They need him to do more than run: comparing the blocking abilities of Harris to Faulk is like comparing the attack skills of a snail and a pit bull. Faulk brings it all to the table: he blocks as well as any RB in the league, he runs like a track star, he is a great receiver out of the backfield, and he understands how to get the job done against a tough defense. He should be suited and ready for this match up, and he will give the Rams a big boost on offense. The Rams are much more likely to put up 28 or 30 points with Faulk than without him. If they can turn this game into a scoring frenzy, as they are accustomed to do, they should pull out a victory. The Ravens are heavily reliant on Jamal Lewis, and when a team relies so heavily on the running game, it is important to get ahead quickly and let the running game (not to mention the defense) protect the lead. The Rams are more capable of winning these types of match ups: they can score at any time from anywhere on the field, and the possibility of coming from behind suits their passing strengths. The Rams D won't stop Lewis, but if they can "contain" him (in other words, keep him out of the end zone), they will greatly hamper Baltimore's chances of winning, and they will give Bulger, Holt, and Faulk all the opportunities they should need to put up TD's. Throw in the home field advantage, the turf, the motivation to cut off the losing now, the lack of passing from Baltimore, and a better than average St. Louis D, and I've got to go with the Rams.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Marc Bulger, Marshall Faulk, Jamal Lewis, Torry Holt, Todd Heap, Jeff Wilkens, Rams Defense

2nd String: Kyle Boller, Travis Taylor, Isaac Bruce, Dane Looker, Marcus Robinson, Raven Defense, Matt Stover,

Prediction: Ravens 13, Rams 26

Philadelphia (5-3) at Green Bay (4-4) Mon 9:00 PM
Well, I guess it's about time I gave the Eagles some credit. I've been down on this team all year, and have picked them to win only 3 times. Despite their struggles to score, to get a steady offense, to keep a healthy defense on the field, they are sitting at 5 & 3 and are only 1 game back of the division leading Cowboys. Let's give Coach Andy Reid some overdue credit: the man can coach! McNabb finally put up some impressive numbers last week (and he better have, against Atlanta!): going 21 of 33 for 312 yards and a TD with no interceptions. The 21 completions catches my eye: Donovan has struggled to throw accurately and with any strength all year until this game. Personally, I thought the thumb injury was bogus: he wasn't injured to start the season and did no better in those games. He really spread the wealth too: he hit 8 different receivers! They have a tough one this week on the Frozen Tundra. Green Bay was impressive last week in beating Minnesota. However, let's not get carried away: they did give up 27 points and plenty of rushing. The Eagles should be able to get some offense against this Packer D. The Pack sport the 4th worst passing D in the NFL (240 yards a game, 12 passing TD's allowed), and they give up almost 120 yards rushing a game to boot. The real killer for Green Bay is the points allowed: 24 a game by opposing teams thus far. That said, the Eagles are likely to have trouble taking advantage: they average less than 18 points a game, and (here is the key stat you won't find on a spread sheet) they are winning by an average of only 6 points (by the way, when they've lost, it's been by an average of 13 points). This Packer team is not a good unit to sit cozy with on the scoreboard. The Eagles may be riding a 3 game win streak, but if they can't get ahead of this Packer team they won't be riding for long. McNabb better have his A game again, and Correll Buckhalter and company better bring their A legs, because this isn't the Falcons, and they need to make this game as slow paced and low scoring as possible.

The Packers have been mighty good. At least on offense (sorry Cheese Heads). Just take a look at the offensive numbers for the Packers and you will realize this team needs to outscore opponents to win. It helps when you average 29 points a game! What really helps is having an awesome running back like Ahman Green. 8 touchdowns for the Cornhusker thus far, but the worry has to be his constant battle with fumbles: he has 5 fumbles thus far, and the Pack have recovered only 1 one of those. That aside, most football heads will tell you a RB that averages 4 yards or more a carry is golden. Green averages 5.1. We all know Brett Favre is the man, but no QB can get it done consistently by himself. The Lone Ranger had Tonto, Batman had Robin (I don't really know if he was much help), Moe had Curly, John Elway had Terrell Davis, and Brett has Ahman. The Pack wouldn't have 4 wins if not for Green. He'll be key again this week against the Eagles. Philly allows only 97 yards rushing a game, but has yet to face a RB nearly this good (I might give you Travis Henry, but Henry didn't play in that game!). I fully believe Ahman is capable of exposing the injury problem this Eagles team is facing. Green can run against almost anyone. Let's look at the toughest opponent the Pack has had, and the only team they've faced twice: Minnesota. In Week 1, the Vikes held Green to 53 yards and they won. Last week, Green went OFF for 137 yards, and the Pack won. It's that simple, and it's an NFL rule for a reason: nothing beats a solid running game for good offense. We already know the Eagles are hurting against the pass: they give up (remember, Brian Dawkins is injured, so they are REALLY hampered in the backfield right away) 220 yards through the air a game, and the Eagles have gathered only 6 interceptions. This is significant for two reasons: (1) they don't get consistent QB pressure (and if you don't get in the backfield, you are giving Green a 4-yard head start), and (2) they don't cover WR's well at all. Green is running like a madman, and once he gets going it is only a matter of time before Favre makes it work downfield. Normally, numbers speak volumes, but those rush defense numbers mean very little in Philly's case. Look at their schedule thus far: Tampa (loss, and Pittman is no Green), Pats (no running game), Buffalo (Joe Burns? Please), Washington (what running game), Dallas (combined 119 yards rushing for Dallas in that one), Giants (combined 180 yards rushing for the Giants, so they DO allow rushing!), Jets (Buckhalter ran for 100; do you think Green is better?), and Atlanta (NO OFFENSE AT ALL). Green will go off. Start him. Philly loses, they come back to the sports radio talk as a "disappointment," and Green Bay officially enters the Wild Card hunt.

Key Fantasy Players

1st String: Ahman Green, Brett Favre, Donovan McNabb, Donald Driver, Correll Buckhalter, Ryan Longwell, David Akers

2nd String: Javon Walker, Bubba Franks, Duce Staley, James Thrash, Todd Pinkston, Chad Lewis, Jon Ritchie

Prediction: Eagles 17, Packers 28