Power Rankings

Power Rankings entering Week 13 in the NFL

1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. Green Bay Packers
7. New York Giants
8. Chicago Bears
9. San Diego Chargers
10. Philadelphia Eagles
11. New Orleans Saints
12. Kansas City Chiefs
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Indianapolis Colts
15. Jacksonville Jaguars
16. St. Louis Rams
17. Miami Dolphins
18. Houston Texans
19. Minnesota Vikings
20. Washington Redskins
21. Dallas Cowboys
22. Tennessee Titans
23. Cleveland Browns
24. Seattle Seahawks
25. San Francisco
26. Buffalo Bills
27. Oakland Raiders
28. Denver Broncos
29. Cincinnati Bengals
30. Detroit Lions
31. Arizona Cardinals
32. Carolina Panthers

Power Rankings

Power Rankings following Week 11 in the NFL

1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Atlanta Falcons
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Indianapolis Colts
10. New York Giants
11. Kansas City Chiefs
12. San Diego Chargers
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Chicago Bears
15. Jacksonville Jaguars
16. Oakland Raiders
17. Miami Dolphins
18. Tennessee Titans
19. Washington Redskins
20. St. Louis Rams
21. Houston Texans
22. Minnesota Vikings
23. Denver Broncos
24. Cleveland Browns
25. Seattle Seahawks
26. San Francisco 49ers
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Dallas Cowboys
29. Detroit Lions
30. Cincinnati Bengals
31. Arizona Cardinals
32. Carolina Panthers

POWER RANKINGS

Here are my overdue power rankings entering Week 10 in the NFL
*this does not take into consideration the Thursday night win for Atlanta over Baltimore.


1. Pittsburgh
2. Baltimore
3. New York Giants
4. New York Jets
5. New England Patriots
6. Atlanta Falcons
7. Green Bay Packers
8. Philadelphia Eagles
9. New Orleans Saints
10. Indianapolis Colts
11. Tennessee Titans
12. San Diego Chargers
13. Kansas City Chiefs
14. Miami Dolphins
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16. Oakland Raiders
17. Houston Texans
18. St. Louis Rams
19. Minnesota Vikings
20. San Francisco 49ers
21. Chicago Bears
22. Denver Broncos
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
24. Cleveland Browns
25. Washington Redskins
26. Seattle Seahawks
27. Arizona Cardinals
28. Cincinnati Bengals
29. Detroit Lions
30. Dallas Cowboys
31. Buffalo Bills
32. Carolina Panthers

Week 9 - POWER RANKINGS

Here are my Power Rankings heading into Week 9

1. Baltimore Ravens
2. New England Patriots
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. New York Giants
6. New York Jets
7. Atlanta Falcons
8. New Orleans Saints
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. Kansas City Chiefs
11. Green Bay Packers
12. Houston Texans
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15. Tennessee Titans
16. San Diego Chargers
17. Oakland Raiders
18. St. Louis Rams
19. Seattle Seahawks
20. Minnesota Vikings
21. San Francisco 49ers
22. Jacksonville Jaguars
23. Chicago Bears
24. Washington Redskins
25. Arizona Cardinals
26. Denver Broncos
27. Cincinnati Bengals
28. Cleveland Browns
29. Detroit Lions
30. Dallas Cowboys
31. Buffalo Bills
32. Carolina Panthers

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - -Week 7

Good

The Oakland Raiders. Who saw this coming? The Raiders came out and destroyed the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Oakland posted 59 points and Darren McFadden led the way with 4 touchdowns in the route. The Raiders are 3-4 with have put themselves in a good spot to make a run at the division. Can they keep this going? Probably not, but this type of win should do wonders for their confidence.

Bad

New Orleans Saints: The Superbowl hangover is in full swing. Lowly Cleveland did its part to affirm AFC supremacy by shocking the Saints in New Orleans. The Saints need a running game ASAP. The talented Drew Brees simply cannot do it all on his own. The Saints used to cause headaches with the backfield of the versatile Bush and the capable Thomas, but injuries have forced them into a one-dimensional offense. Chris Ivory is now their lead back but he’s been relatively ineffective and New Orleans brought in noted smoker Julius Jones to help the running game. He had 1 carry for 6 yards in Sunday’s loss. The Saints have big questions to answer if they want to keep Tampa and Atlanta from taking the top spots in the division.

Ugly

Jay Cutler QB Chicago Bears. The Bears are who we thought they are. Chicago thought its ills would disappear with the appearance of Jay Cutler. When that didn’t work out, the team brought in offensive guru Mike Martz. The Redskins do not have a lot of talent, but they’re a much better coached and disciplined team than Chicago. Cutler threw a slew of interceptions to DeAngelo Hall and then had the audacity to disparage Hall after the game by saying he’d throw at him all day if they played again. Hall has had a lot of ups and downs in his career but he destroyed Cutler on Sunday. Cutler’s bravado appears less like confidence and more like arrogance. A little humility may do the Bears’ QB well. He’s got an electric arm but he’s also an interception machine with a penchant for holding the ball too long. Maybe the Bears should consider benching him to bring him back to reality.

Power Rankings

Power Rankings following Week 7

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. New York Jets
3. New England Patriots
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. New York Giants
6. Tennessee Titans
7. Houston Texans
8. Kansas City Chiefs
9. Green Bay Packers
10. Indianapolis Colts
11. Atlanta Falcons
12. New Orleans Saints
13. Philadelphia Eagles
14. Washington Redskins
15. Seattle Seahawks
16. San Diego Chargers
17. Chicago Bears
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
19. Miami Dolphins
20. Oakland Raiders
21. Denver Broncos
22. Minnesota Vikings
23. Cincinnati Bengals
24. St. Louis Rams
25. Dallas Cowboys
26. Detroit Lions
27. San Francisco 49ers
28. Cleveland Browns
29. Carolina Panthers
30. Arizona Cardinals
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
32. Buffalo Bills

Danny's Week 7 Selections

Pittsburgh -3 @ Miami - Steelers 26 - Dolphins 20

Cincinnati +3.5 @ Atlanta - Bengals 20 - Falcons 17

Jacksonville @ Kansas City -9 - Chiefs 27 - Jaguars 7

Philadelphia +3 @ Tennessee - Eagles 24 - Titans 20

Washington @ Chicago -3 - Bears 27 - Redskins 17

Cleveland @ New Orleans -14 - Saints 31 - Browns 13

Buffalo +14 @ Baltimore - Ravens 27 - Bills 17

San Francisco -3 @ Carolina - 49ers 24 - Panthers 20

St. Louis @ Tampa Bay -3 - Buccaneers 27 - Rams 16

Arizona @ Seattle -6.5 - Seahawks 30 - Cardinals 17

New England @ San Diego -3 - Chargers 31 - Patriots 24

Oakland @ Denver -8 - Broncos 24 - Raiders 12

Minnesota +3 @ Green Bay - Vikings 24 - Packers 23

New York Giants @ Dallas -3.5 - Cowboys 34 - Giants 27

Power Rankings

Power Rankings following Week 6

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. New York Jets
3. New England Patriots
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. Indianapolis Colts
6. New Orleans Saints
7. Philadelphia Eagles
8. Houston Texans
9. Tennessee Titans
10. Atlanta Falcons
11. New York Giants
12. Green Bay Packers
13. Kansas City Chiefs
14. Chicago Bears
15. Denver Broncos
16. Miami Dolphins
17. Cincinnati Bengals
18. Washington Redskins
19. San Diego Chargers
20. Minnesota Vikings
21. Dallas Cowboys
22. St. Louis Rams
23. Seattle Seahawks
24. Arizona Cardinals
25. San Francisco 49ers
26. Jacksonville Jaguars
27. Detroit Lions
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
29. Oakland Raiders
30. Cleveland Browns
31. Carolina Panthers
32. Buffalo Bills

Eric's Locks of Week 6

Baltimore Ravens (+3) @ New England Patriots

The Patriots surprised many football fans when they traded Randy Moss. We all know Moss had reverted into his natural state of being a pain in the ass but his absence leaves the Pats without a deep threat to take pressure from their possession receivers. Special teams ace Ben Tate must have truly impressed Belichick enough to provide the confidence to let Moss go. The Pats look like they are planning for bigger things in the years to come. They have acquired 7 picks in the first 4 rounds (actually 8 but they traded a 4^th rounder for the corpse of Deon Branch). Deep down, Belichick knows 2010 will not be a championship season for New England and letting Moss go was an admission of that. The Patriots cannot run the ball. Period. Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris will not strike fear into the hearts of any defensive unit, let alone the vaunted Baltimore Raven front seven. The Patriots will attempt to spread the Ravens out and throw against their secondary all day. This Ravens unit is too good to have a great deal of success being one-dimensional.

Belichick will have some trick up his hoodie for Flacco. Joe Flacco looked great the past two weeks, including a very impressive drive to defeat the Steelers. However, Flacco still makes mistakes and I think he’ll make a couple in this game. However, I think the combination of Ray Rice and Anquan Boldin will overwhelm the Pats’ D. The Ravens pull out another impressive victory on the road.

PICK: RAVENS +3

New Orleans Saints (-4.5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New Orleans inexplicably lost to the Cardinals last weekend. The Super Bowl hangover is in full swing and the Saints may lose the division to the Falcons. The loss of running backs Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush means the loss of their rushing attack. Thomas may come back this week but his status is far from certain. Bush did not put up great stats but he added a dimension opposing defenses had to plan and account for. The Bucs have been a little frisky this year, Josh Johnson has put together a few surprising victories without a viable running game. Did you know Cadillac Williams was still alive? The Bus have a solid young foundation but their not on the same level as the Saints. I think the Saints bounce back and win this one by at least a touchdown. Johnson has a lot of promise, but I’ll take Brees and his corps of receivers to put up a nice score down in Tampa.

PICK: SAINTS -4.5

START EM/ SIT EM - Week 5

START 'EM

QB's
-Bye Week QB's - Brady, Henne, Hasselbeck, Batch

1. Eli Manning NYG - Playing at Houston this week, Manning takes on a Texans defense that is dead last against the pass (338 yards per game). With the return of Brian Cushing, the Texans will have more "pep" in their step, but this matchup is too favorable for Manning and for fantasy owners that can start him.

2. Ryan Fitzpatrick BUFF - Playing a home game against the Jaguars, one that many think will be the Bills first win of the season, Fitzpatrick has a favorable matchup with the Jaguars secondary that is allowing 304 yards per game (30th in NFL). I like this opportunity for Fitzpatrick as the Bills need this game badly, and the Jaguars are coming off a huge win last week against Indianapolis. If you are in a 2 QB league, or missed the waiver wire this week, Fitzpatrick is a good pickup.

Sit 'Em

1. Kyle Orton DEN - He is going against the Ravens defense in Baltimore that is only allowing 120 passing yards per game! I would be extremely cautious in using Orton this week, this is a bad game for the Broncos.


START 'EM

RB's

1. CJ Spiller/ Fred Jackson BUFF - The Jaguars are coming off a big win against Indianapolis last week and they won't be prepared for a desperate home team with big time energy going for their first win. I love Jackson and Spiller, I think Jackson will get teh most touches, but Spiller will be incorporated into the offense with screens, dump-offs, and tosses.

2. Cedric Benson CIN - He has been USELESS this season, under performing, and a let down. Not this week. Huge week for CED BENZ. START HIM, and expect a big game as the Bengals are in must-win mode at home following a very disappointing divisional loss to the Browns last week. The Buccaneers won't be ready for Ced.

Sit 'Em

1. DeAngelo Williams CAR - Williams will be going against the Bears stout run defense, and expect eight guys in the box at all times to prevent the Panthers ground attack from having any success against the Bears run-defense.

START 'EM

WR's

1. Hakeem Nicks NYG - The Texans pass defense is the worst in the NFL, Eli will be passing a lot in this one and he will be taking shots down the field. Nicks hands seem like they have glue on them this season, start him and look for a very productive performance out of him.

2. Lee Evans BUFF - This is Buffalo's week. I am expecting a big let down performance from Jacksonville, and Evans and Fitzpatrick always hook up with deep passes when they play in front of the Buffalo faithful. If you need a #2-3 receiver / Flex guy, Evans is your man.

Sit 'Em
1. Brandon Lloyd DEN - Against the best pass defense in the league, Orton will struggle to complete passes to his main target, and this will be his let down week of what has been a terrific start to the season.

RANDY MOSS IS OFFICIALLY A MINNESOTA VIKING

Early reports show that Moss has been traded from New England for a 2011 3rd round draft pick.
Winner: Vikings, now Farve has a downfield threat, a slot receiver in Harvin, and the best north/south running back in the NFL. The Vikings just significantly upgraded their offence.
Loser: Patriots, everyone picks the Pats to lose when Welker doesn't play because he make the offense go. Now with Moss gone, Welker will see double coverage on every passing down, leading me to believe two things: 1, The Patriots have their eye on a mid season pickup or 2, Ben Tate and Julian Edelman better grow up FAST.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Week 4

Good:

The Giants Defense: With their backs against the wall, the Giants D came out swinging. They put relentless pressure on the Bears’ triumvirate of QB’s. Cutler left the game with a concussion, Todd Collins regretted his decision to not stay retired, and some guy named Hanie was taking snaps by the end of the game. This defense showed its potential Sunday night, they won this game. Bradshaw aside, the offense looked rather pedestrian. Kolb, McNabb, and Romo should take note: if you hold onto the ball against this D, you may end up seeing stars on the sidelines too.

Bad:

The Seattle Seahawks. Matt Hasselbeck posted a 58 QB rating and the team ran for a total of 64 yards. The bright spot for the offense came in the form of Brandon Stokley. The recently signed receiver led the team with 64 yards off 4 receptions. (So much for the Mike-Williams-as-a-fantasy-sleeper pick) Defensively, Seattle fared better. They managed 4 sacks and a pick but gave up 20 points against a Rams offense that lacks a true receiving threat and has a banged up Steven Jackson. Seattle overachieved early. They’ve settled back into their expected futility.

The Ugly:

Derek Anderson, QB, Arizona Cardinals: Are we sure this guy didn’t sell his soul to the devil for his 2007 season? Based upon his lone productive year (3,700 yds, 29 TD’s), Anderson manages to convince teams to keep taking a chance on him in hopes that he will recapture that glory. The Cardinals released Matt Leinart prior to the season solidifying Anderson’s place as the starter. Sunday, the Cards benched Anderson after a lackluster 7 of 14 for 64 yards with 2 picks effort in favor of Max Hall. Hall replaced Anderson to throw for a paltry 82 yards and was sacked 6 times. Larry Fitzgerald and Steve Smith (Carolina) should start some sort of support group for victimized wide-receivers.

Eric's Picks - Week 4

Baltimore Ravens (+2) @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh love fest is in full swing. If this game were on Monday night, I’d set the over/under on the use of the phrase “smashmouth football” at 5,000. Everyone will talk about the defenses in this game but the integral aspect to either team’s success lies with the quarterbacks.

The Steelers destroyed a 2-0 Tampa team last week. Charlie Batch was fantastic. Why was the battle for the opening day QB between Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich? Rashard Mendenhall is a beast. Willie Parker did not suit this team. The Steelers need a powerful workhorse back for their style of play. Mendenhall fits that bill perfectly. The emergence of Mike Wallace as a deep threat compliment to the always-reliable Hines Ward gives Pittsburgh a well-rounded offense that keeps the defense fresh. The key to this game is Charlie Batch. If he can deliver the deep ball accurately, the Ravens spotty secondary will flounder. Mendenhall met Ray Lewis in the 2 gap his rookie year. The meeting Mendenhall with a shattered collar bone. I see a yeoman’s effort from Mendenhall. He will get the carries and may rack up a TD, but the yards will not pile up. The Ravens will have to respect the run, and that’s the point.

We all know about Ray Lewis and company. The defense will do its part, it always does in spite of a lackluster secondary. The defense won the opener over the Jets thanks in large part due to their ability to force Sanchez into poor decisions. They will attempt to do the same against Charlie Batch. The real question for this Ravens team: Who is Joe Flacco? Is he the guy who threw for 3 TD’s with a 128 QB rating in week 3 or is he the guy who threw for 150 yards, 4 picks, with a 23.8 rating in week 2? The physical tools are obviously there, the Ravens have put solid weapons around him and the star of the movie “The Blind Side” protects his blind side. Flacco lies somewhere in between the two extremes. The defense is not good enough to win games as they did a decade ago. Flacco has to be more than a Trent Dilfer. However, in three games thus far his numbers were great against a bad Cleveland defense, atrocious against a good Cincinnati D, and uninspiring versus an excellent Jets squad. The Steelers D is either on the same level or better than the Jets.

According to my Baltimore source, the Ravens have lost 10 of their last 14 games at Heinz Field, including the last 4. The Ravens last won in Pittsburgh with the late Steve McNair at the helm. Taking Troy Polamalu and the terrible towels over the Ravens looks like the smart bet. I’m not a smart man. The Ravens pull off the upset thanks in large part to consistent pressure on Charlie Batch and just enough offense to squeak out a W.

PICK: Ravens 17 - Steelers 16

Chicago Bears @ New York Giants (-3.5)

Last week in my Dallas/Texans pick I made two fatal flaws. 1.) I went against my team, the Cowboys, in an emotional fit thinking they may never win again and 2.) I discounted the fact the Texans were coming off two emotional wins while the Cowboys were playing a back-against-the-wall-nobody-believes-in-us game. The Giants fall directly in the latter category. The Giants have outgained their opponents so far this year but turnovers and mental mistakes have plagued the team. Eli is not Peyton but when he’s on, he’s very good. The Bears have struggled to cover and the Giants have a nice set of receivers in Nicks, Smith and Manningham. Eli will be able to move the ball through the air, but must protect the ball. Manning has 6 interceptions thus far (only had 14 in 2009). The Giants running game was known as Earth, Wind, and Fire a couple of years ago. However, Wind (Derrick Ward) committed grand larceny in Tampa Bay and Earth(Brandon Jacobs) became Mars (lifeless). Fire (Amahad Bradshaw) remains frisky but will surely struggle against the stout front seven of the Bears. However, Bradshaw will do just enough to keep the offense balanced and force the Bears to back off the blitz.

The Cutler and Martz combination has been a success so far despite struggling with protection at times. Martz successfully adjusts the drops and routes to counter the defense, which opens up the deep game. Matt Forte, a poor man’s Marshall Faulk, is the key to this offense. He plays a vital role in establishing the run game but his importance to the team is in his versatility as a receiver. Look for Martz to use Forte to counter the pass rush of Mathias Kiwanunka (4 sack in ’10) and Justin Tuck.

The Jay Cutler roller-coaster is riding high right now but what goes up must come down. Cutler's number will reflect a better game than he actually has. Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin win this back-against-the-wall-nobody-believes-in-us game.

PICK: New York Giants 27 - Chicago Bears 20

Week 4 Selections

Week 4 Selections
Record: (32-16 SU 29-16-3 ATS)

Denver @ Tennessee (-7) - Titans 30 - Broncos 17

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh (-1.5) - Steelers 16 - Ravens 13

Cincinnati (-3) @ Cleveland - Bengals 20 - Browns 9

Detroit @ Green Bay (-14.5) - Packers 41 - Lions 17

Carolina @ New Orleans (-14) - Saints 31 - Panthers 10

San Francisco (+7) @ Atlanta - Falcons 24 - 49ers 20

Seattle (-1.5) @ St. Louis - Seahawks 24 - Rams 17

New York Jets (-6) @ Buffalo - Jets 27 - Bills 10

Indianapolis (-8) @ Jacksonville - Colts 31 - Jaguars 14

Houston (-3) @ Oakland - Texans 24 - Raiders 13

Arizona @ San Diego (-8.5) - Chargers 34 - Cardinals 17

Washington (+6.5) @ Philadelphia - Eagles 27 - Redskins 24

Chicago (+4) @ New York Giants - Bears 27 - Giants 20

New England (-1) @ Miami - Patriots 30 - Dolphins 24

Power Rankings - Week 3

Here are the Power Rankings after Week 3

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. New York Jets
4. New Orleans Saints
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. Chicago Bears
7. Green Bay Packers
8. New England Patriots
9. Atlanta Falcons
10. Houston Texans
11. Philadelphia Eagles
12. Cincinnati Bengals
13. Kansas City Chiefs
14. Tennessee Titans
15. Miami Dolphins
16. San Diego Chargers
17. Dallas Cowboys
18. Minnesota Vikings
19. Seattle Seahawks
20. Washington Redskins
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
22. Arizona Cardinals
23. New York Giants
24. Oakland Raiders
25. San Francisco 49ers
26. Denver Broncos
27. St. Louis Rams
28. Detroit Lions
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
30. Carolina Panthers
31. Cleveland Browns
32. Buffalo Bills

Eric's Locks of Week 3 NFL

Eric's Locks of the Week
Record ATS (3-0)

Dallas Cowboys (+3) @ Houston Texans

The Cowboys have not scored consistently in two years. The Texans are all about offense. I feel the Cowboys D will hang but they have a tendency to allow big plays. With Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, and Arian Foster in the fold big plays are bound to happen. Vegas keeps giving the Cowboys to much credit just because of their popularity. The Texans are for real and look to be a serious contender. Matt Schaub and company will eviscerate the thin secondary. The Cowboys are also giving up more in the return game than any other team, look for Jacoby Jones to have a huge day. The Cowboys are a .500 team at best. So long Wade, thanks for the memories. The Texans are 3 point favorites, take the Texans to win by at least a touchdown.

PICK: TEXANS (-3)

New York Jets (+2 ½)@ Miami Dolphins

Mark Sanchez looked great against a questionable New England Secondary. I don’t care. I’m not sold on the Sanchize just yet. The Dolphins are a prototypical Parcell's built team. They’re well coached, fundamentally sound, and polished. The Jets are loaded with talent but in building that talent came with a cost. The team has more than a few head cases (ex Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes) and that type of drama always holds a team back from reaching its full potential. I love the Dolphins to cover and possibly win this one. Without Kris Jenkins, the Jets are more vulnerable to the run and we all know the Dolphins are going to commit to the running game. Revis is out this week and next. Brandon Marshall should continue his development in this offense. We all saw what Blodin did to Cromartie is week 1. Marshall is a faster version of Boldin. Take the ‘Fins to win this one outright.

PICK: DOLPHINS -2.5

Week 3 Broadcasting Schedule

Sunday September 26

Tennessee Titans @ New York Giants (CBS, 1 p.m.) — Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf – Meadowlands Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ
Cincinnati Bengals @ Carolina Panthers (CBS, 1 p.m.) — Bill Macatee, Rich Gannon – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (CBS, 1 p.m.) — Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots (CBS, 1 p.m.) — Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens (CBS, 1 p.m.) — Don Criqui, Steve Beuerlein – M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD

CBS early games coverage map via The 506

Dallas Cowboys @ Houston Texans (FOX, 1 p.m.) — Joe Buck, Troy Aikman [National] – Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
San Francisco 49ers @ Kansas City Chiefs (FOX, 1 p.m.) – Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan – Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings (FOX, 1 p.m.) — Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa – Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints (FOX, 1 p.m.) — Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick – Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Washington Redskins @ St. Louis Rams (FOX, 4 p.m.) – Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, Jim Mora – Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO
Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars (FOX, 4 p.m.) – Ron Pitts, John Lynch – Everbank Field, Jacksonville, FL

FOX Coverage Map

Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos (CBS, 4:15 p.m.)-– Jim Nantz, Phil Simms [National] – Invesco Field, Denver, CO
Oakland Raiders @ Arizona Cardinals (CBS, 4:15 p.m.)– Spero Dedes, Randy Cross – University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
San Diego Chargers @ Seattle Seahawks (CBS, 4:15 p.m.) -– Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts – Qwest Field, Seattle, WA

CBS late games coverage map

New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins (NBC, 8:20 p.m.) – Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth – Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL

Monday September 27

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.) – Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden – Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

Week 3 Start Em/ Sit Em

Start Em

Quarterbacks

1. Donovan McNabb WAS - Facing the Rams, McNabb will look to throw early and often against a defense that will struggle to stop the run and the pass. McNabb was in sync with his receiving corps against Houston, this will continue against St. Louis.

2. Michael Vick PHI - The Jaguars won't be able to contain Vick. They get no pressure from their front four, and their cover corners are not quick enough to keep up with Maclin and Jackson. Vick will run and pass, the Eagles should win by double digits if their defense doesn't give up garbage points again.

Sit Em
1. Joshua Freeman TAM - He is playing the Steelers, sit him.

2. Mark Sanchez NYJ - Don't get on this train yet, the Dolphins will put pressure on Marky Mark all game forcing.


RUNNING BACKS
Start Em

1. Cedric Benson CIN - He is HUNGRY. Calling out the direction of his offense. Benson is going to go off against a bad Panthers defense.

2. Knowshon Moreno DEN - The Colts are week against the run, and you better believe the Broncos are going to run the ball as much as they can in order to keep Peyton off the field.

Sit Em
1. Arian Foster HOU - Dallas will completely contain the Texans running game, unfortunately they will have to deal with a quarterback that just threw for nearly 500 yards last week.


WIDE RECEIVERS
Start Em

1. Kevin Walter HOU - Give him a shot this week as the Cowboys struggled against the passing attack from the Bears last week. Walter will get extra looks as the Boys will try to "contain" Andre.

2. Devin Hester CHI - He's back, start him. This game has shootout written all over it. With Clay Matthews breathing down Cutler's neck every play, the short slants to Hester will be money all night.

Sit Em
1. Steve Smith CAR - Clausen will be pressured all game, the Bengals will be running the ball down their throats and killing the clock. With double coverage all game, Clausen will look to the opposite side of the field.

Power Rankings

Here are the Power Rankings after Week 2 in the NFL

1. New Orleans Saints (2-0) - Defending champs are without Reggie Bush for at least 6 weeks.

2. Green Bay Packers (2-0) - The explosive offense will be put to the test against the Bears defense and the Chicago faithful on Monday night.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) - Defense has won them two straight games, big test on the road against a young and hot Tampa Bay squad.

4. Houston Texans (2-0) - Two down, eight to go to make the playoffs.

5. Indianapolis Colts (1-1) - Peyton showed us why we cannot sleep on these Colts.

6. New York Jets (1-1) - The Jets finally walked the walk against the Patriots last week.

7. Miami Dolphins (2-0) - Great defensive play combined with very solid performances from Chad Henne has led the Dolphins to a 2-0 start.

8. New England Patriots (1-1) - The Pats will pick up their play, lets not forget who they have behind center.

9. Baltimore Ravens (1-1) - They beat the mighty Jets, then lost a tough one on the road to the Bengals who were due. No offense out of Flacco yet, this team will get hot soon.

10. Washington Redskins (1-1) - A win against Dallas, a near win against Houston, this team is solid.

11. Atlanta Falcons (1-1) - Let's find out about this team this week when they take on the Saints in New Orleans.

12. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) - The Bengals defense woke up in week 2, look out Jimmy Clausen.

13. San Diego Chargers (1-1) - Seattle, Arizona, Oakland, and St. Louis are the Chargers next four opponents. 5-1 anyone?

14. Chicago Bears (2-0) - Huge test for Cutler at home against the Packers this Monday night.

15. Tennessee Titans (1-1) - Vince Young should bounce back, but at New York Giants this week will be tough.

16. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) - Close loss to the Packers, then the Lions nearly came back, I expect a blowout in Jacksonville.

17. San Francisco 49ers (0-2) - This team will bounce back, their defense is legit. I still see them winning at least 9.

18. Dallas Cowboys (0-2) - Test. Beat Houston and they pass, lose to Houston and this team will be in a big hole. Very tough schedule ahead of them.

19. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) - This team still has a lot to prove. How does Jamaal Charles not touch the ball until the second quarter?

20. New York Giants (1-1) - The Titans are in town this week. The Colts ran all over the G-Men, I bet Chris Johnson does too.

21. Minnesota Vikings (0-2) - Didn't have the Vikings in the playoffs from the start, but did not expect this type of play out of them.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) - Home against the Steelers this week. A win here and the Bucs are in serious business.

23. Denver Broncos (1-1) - I am impressed with Kyle Orton's play so far.

24. Detroit Lions (0-2) - I said this from day 1, the Lions may lose eight games, they may lose twelve games, but I guarantee they will be in all of their games with the young talent they have.

25. Oakland Raiders (1-1) - I like the defense, and I like them at home. No more Campbell behind center, we are going back to Bruce Gradkowski.

26. Arizona Cardinals (1-1) - They got exposed in Atlanta.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) - I expect the Jaguars to get toasted this week by Philly.

28. Cleveland Browns (0-2) - Joshua Cribbs finally got some touches in week 2, what happened? Touchdown.

29. St. Louis Rams (0-2) - The Rams have been competitive, but they need to keep running the ball consistently and allow Bradford to develop that way.

30. Carolina Panthers (0-2) - This team is bad, but at least Clausen gets the nod this week.

31. Seattle Seahawks (1-1) - Pete Carroll won week one, but now he faces the Chargers explosive offense.

32. Buffalo Bills (0-2) - The Bills are not a good team.
31.
32.

Week 2 Selections

Here are Danny's Picks for Week 2
Locks will be selected on Saturday
Eric's Lock of the week will be posted Friday evening


Week 2 Games

Pittsburgh (+5.5) @ Tennessee - Steelers 17 - Titans 13

Buffalo @ Green Bay (-13.5) - Packers 27 - Bills 10

Kansas City (+1.5) @ Cleveland - Chiefs 20 - Browns 17

Baltimore (-3) @ Cincinnati - Ravens 24 - Bengals 20

Philadelphia (-6) @ Detroit - Eagles 21 - Lions 10

Chicago (+9) @ Dallas - Cowboys 31 - Bears 24

Tampa Bay (+3.5) @ Carolina - Buccaneers 24 - Panthers 17

Arizona @ Atlanta (-7) - Falcons 30 - Cardinals 17

Miami (+6) @ Minnesota - Vikings 21 - Dolphins 17

St. Louis @ Oakland (-3.5) - Raiders 17 - Rams 9

Seattle (+3.5) @ Denver - Seahawks 23 - Broncos 20

Houston (-3) @ Washington - Texans 27 - Redskins 17

Jacksonville @ San Diego (-7) - Chargers 34 - Jaguars 20

New England @ New York Jets (+3) - Patriots 17 - Jets 16

New York Giants (+6) @ Indianapolis - Colts 28 - Giants 24

New Orleans @ San Francisco (+6) - Saints 27 - 49ers 24