Sorry for the delay in posting this and also the lack of power rankings this week...I think my computer is a little sick. Anyway, onward!
Tennessee Titans @ Pittsburgh Steelers - Don't look now, but the Titans are 3-1 and Matt Hasselbeck is having a Cinderella season at QB. Nate Washington can't be the only weapon for Hasselbeck, though, so Chris Johnson is going to need to get it going, and soon. He's got the potential to do that against the Steelers, who might be the worst 2-2 team I've ever seen. Rashard Mendenhall and James Harrison are both out for Pittsburgh, the latter indefinitely; meanwhile, not one Steeler has recorded an interception this season. Tennessee exposes Pittsburgh as a bottom-feeder in this one. TEN 27, PIT 13.
Seattle Seahawks @ New York Giants - Mike Williams is concussed and can't go for the Seahawks, who despite a total lack of a run game have shown flashes of being a much better team than their record; they lost to Atlanta by just two points last week. The Giants got away with one against the Cardinals in Week 4 and proved that the NFL will give them the benefit of the doubt on anything that doesn't involve accidentally shooting yourself in the leg at a nightclub, and also that they have real offensive firepower. Brandon Jacobs may miss today for Big Blue, but they'll still get the win. NYG 31, SEA 17.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Jacksonville Jaguars - This battle of jungle cats would be much less interesting without the teams' rookie QBs. Andy Dalton has made his mistakes for the Bengals, but has mostly shown surprising efficiency with a 100+ passer rating the last two weeks. Expect that trend to continue against the Jags, where fellow first-year Blaine Gabbert has gotten worse in each of the three games he's played/started. Normally, Jacksonville would just turn to Maurice Jones-Drew to take over the game, but the Bengals give up just over 3 yards a carry and less than 90 a week on the ground. CIN 23, JAX 10.
New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers - Drew Brees has keyed a rapid recovery for the Saints after an opening-week loss, and with Marques Colston back the gunslinger has a bevy of potent weapons. The pass defense still needs work, however, and it's likely the Panthers will turn Cam Newton loose. Newton has shown amazing chemistry with the mercurial Steve Smith, and Carolina certainly has enough ability on the ground to balance the offense. The key here is the Panthers are allowing just 203 yards a game through the air...that looks to me like there's real potential for an upset. CAR 31, NO 27.
Oakland Raiders @ Houston Texans - The Raiders will play with heavy hearts in the wake of owner Al Davis's death. Darren McFadden has sparked Oakland's ground game to be the best in the NFL by averaging a blistering 6.2 yards a carry, but the passing game needs a little help. For the Texans, Andre Johnson is out after a very scary injury against the Steelers; his torn hamstring should heal quickly, but the team will miss his ability to stretch the field. The Raiders give up a ton of yards on defense, so look for Houston to exploit that at will as Arian Foster appears to be back at near-full strength. HOU 28, OAK 23.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Buffalo Bills - The Eagles are in a world of hurt, with Michael Vick banged up and the defense sucking air every week. LeSean McCoy has proven his worth as a top-tier NFL running back, but that alone won't bring the Eagles out of the cellar. Buffalo took its first loss of the season last week against Cincinnati and needs a lot of help on an injury-plagued defense as well, but their offense has been explosive at times; Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson and Stevie Johnson lead a potent young attack. Expect the Bills to get back to circling the wagons, and the Eagles to leave with their heads hung. BUF 34, PHI 24.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts - Are we completely certain that one team has to win every week, barring a tie? Can't both take a loss? The Chiefs appear to have the advantage, as they won last week, but they beat the Vikings...so that's really kind of a push. Kansas City has almost zero offensive acumen. Indianapolis looked respectable against the much tougher Buccaneers with Curtis Painter under center, but their late-game collapse shows they still aren't ready to contend on a weekly basis. This will be a mistake-filled contest...props to you if you sit through the whole thing wide awake. KC 13, IND 10.
Arizona Cardinals @ Minnesota Vikings - Arizona got jobbed by the Giants, the referees and the entire league this past week. They're a handful of lucky bounces away from being 4-0; their three losses have come by a total of 8 points. That's insane. Kevin Kolb should fire all over the Vikings' atrocious pass defense; on offense, the Vikings need to lean on Adrian Peterson if they want to have any chance of winning this game. The once-great Donovan McNabb is just plain missing throws left and right, but he's not the only one to blame for Minnesota's horrendous start. Cardinals win in a laugher. AZ 34, MIN 14.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ San Francisco 49ers - If you had BOTH of these team at 3-1 going into Week 5, kudos to you. Tampa Bay has leaned on Josh Freeman for a couple of 4th-quarter comebacks, and he's delivered despite throwing more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3). The 49ers can't defend (or throw) the pass, but their run defense is outstanding and perpetually-dinged up RB Frank Gore is trying to stay healthy to key an inconsistent run game. If they can bottle up LeGarrette Blount, the Niners will go to 4-1; unfortunately for San Fran, I don't see that happening. TB 24, SF 17.
New York Jets @ New England Patriots - Make no mistake, these teams hate each other's guts. They're antitheses: The Jets are hard, gritty and occasionally dirty; the Patriots are a squeaky-clean finesse squad. Neither team has performed up to snuff on the defensive side this year, with the Jets giving up way too much on the ground and the Pats surrendering the most passing yards in the league. Mark Sanchez has a chance to silence his doubters this week, but it's more likely that Tom Brady runs roughshod over an overrated Jets pass D; they haven't seen anyone like Brady this year. NE 37, NYJ 20.
San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos - The Bolts are statistically impressive once again this year, but you'd expect their final scores to be a bit higher. Philip Rivers has thrown just 5 TDs this year, a respectable total for many, but a disappointing tally for him. He might throw 5 against the Broncos alone in one game, as Denver gave up one of the all-time QB days against Green Bay last week. Kyle Orton actually has put up decent numbers, but the fans are still clamoring for Tim Tebow and the team has stated they're looking hard at Stanford's Andrew Luck. What then, I ask you, is Orton's motivation? SD 35, DEN 17.
Green Bay Packers @ Atlanta Falcons - Here's a Sunday Nighter to watch. The Packers are well above the rest of the league right now in spite of a very shaky secondary, thanks to Aaron Rodgers having an MVP-caliber season through the first 4 weeks and the team giving up almost nothing on the ground. Atlanta has something to prove, however, after squeaking past the Seahawks last week to move to .500. Matt Ryan has a trio of potent weapons in Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez and rookie Julio Jones, so don't be shocked if this turns into a shootout. Green Bay has the experience edge, though, and thus wins. GB 38, ATL 31.
Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions - Chicago had to cling to a lead against the Panthers last week in order to win, and has thus far shuddered in the face of great offenses (Saints, Packers). Moreover, Jay Cutler can't contend with a team that has any kind of pass rush, which is unfortunate as he faces the Ndamukong Suh-led Lions defense. Matthew Stafford has had a banner year throwing the ball, tossing 8 TDs to Calvin Johnson alone, but the Lions have to find a running threat to balance the attack. They may do just that against the Bears' mediocre run defense. Lions go to 5-0 right along with the Pack. DET 30, CHI 21.
Byes this week: Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins.
Last Week: 12-4
Season (excepting Week 1): 33-15
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