Week 5 Game Notes

Bills over Eagles

• Just like we all predicted before the season, the Eagles are 1-4 and the Bills are 4-1.
• A quick rundown on why the Eagles are so bad: a horrid offensive line, no competent linebackers or safeties, bad tackling, an overall lack of effort, and finally, simply, too many mistakes.
• Mike Vick threw four interceptions in this game, and his 5-game interception total this year is higher than for all of last season.
• On a more positive note, Vick surpassed Randall Cunningham on the all-time list for rushing yards by a quarterback.  Vick’s 88 yards on the ground put him at 4946 for his career.  Cunningham’s previous record was 4928.

Saints over Panthers

• Cam Newton put together another nice game with 2 passing touchdowns and 1 rushing, but against the Saints could not get the win.
• Newton has 12 total touchdowns on the season, 6 throwing and 4 rushing.  Last year Panther quarterbacks put up a total of 9 touchdowns.
• Jimmy Graham is the best young tight end going right now.  Strong, fast, and athletic, the former basketball player’s 496 receiving yards rank fourth among all NFL players, not just tight ends.
• If you play tight end for the Hurricanes, you’ll probably end up in the NFL.  Graham maintains the standard set by Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow Jr., and Greg Olsen.

Chiefs over Colts

• For the second-straight week, Curtis Painter and the Colts started strong but couldn’t finish.  Indianapolis jumped out to a 24-7 lead thanks to Painter’s 152.2 first half passer rating.  Nowhere near as effective in the second half, the Chiefs made a comeback behind Matt Cassel’s 4 total passing touchdowns to win 28-24.
• Dwayne Bowe’s third quarter touchdown grab is my early frontrunner for catch of the year.

Raiders over Texans

• We all wanted to know how the Raiders would respond on the field after the death of Al Davis.  Well, there’s our answer, a solid victory over one of the AFC’s top teams.
• Former Al Davis first-round pick Sebastian Janikoski made three field goals from 50 yards or more and another from 42.
• Despite Matt Schaub’s deceptive 416 passing yard total, the vaunted Texan offense was out of sorts down their main weapon, Andre Johnson.  Arian Foster couldn’t get it going on the ground, and Schaub completed less than half of his 51 passes and threw a game-ending interception when he easily could have ran in for a touchdown and won the game for the Texans.
• Mario Williams is done for the year after tearing a pectoral muscle.

Vikings over Cardinals

• Minnesota gets their first win of the season.  Some have put the blame for an 0-4 start on not running Adrian Peterson enough, which was entirely off-base seeing as how he led the NFC in rushing.
• It was uncomfortable to hear the Minnesota fans boo Donovan McNabb every time he threw an incompletion despite the Vikings winning the game by 24 points.
• Wow, are the Cardinals terrible.  The defense can’t tackle or cover, and Kevin Kolb gets happy feet any time there’s the faintest hint of pressure, bailing out and throwing up prayers off his back foot.
• Kolb hasn’t overcome the learning curve, so I don’t want to pass judgment quite yet, but so far he has not been worth what Arizona paid for him.

Bengals over Jaguars

• I’ll give up some props to Cincinnati for already equaling their 2010 win total.  They have the #1-ranked defense through five weeks and a dynamic rookie quarterback-rookie receiver combo between Andy Dalton and AJ Green.
• Side note: I’ve never understood why we rank defenses based on yardage allowed.  You don’t win or lose based on how many yards you gain.  It’s about points on the board.
• By the way, Cincinnati ranks sixth in scoring defense.

Seahawks over Giants

• New York easily could have, and certainly should have, won this game, but with the Giants down just four points and at the Seahawks’ 9-yard line with just 1:25 left, Eli Manning’s pick six to Brandon Browner sealed the game for Seattle.

Steelers over Titans

• A disappointment through four games, Pittsburgh really stepped up their run defense and held Chris Johnson to a mere 51 yards on the ground.
• Ben Roethlisberger threw 5 touchdown passes.

49ers over Buccaneers

• San Francisco tied their franchise record with a 45-point margin of victory.  The last time they outscored an opponent by 45: Super Bowl XXIV against the Broncos.

Chargers over Broncos

• It’s Tebow time!

Patriots over Jets

• New England scored at least 30 points for the thirteenth-straight regular season game.  The Patriots’ streak is one off the record set by the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams in 1999-2000.
• The Jets are on a 3-game losing skid.

Packers over Falcons

• Despite the slow start and strong finish from the Packers, I put much of the outcome of this game on Atlanta getting away from their running game.
• The Falcons started with back-to-back touchdown drives of ten plays or more where they leaned heavily on Michael Turner, and frankly, looked unstoppable.  Yet aside from the Ryan Grant fumble that set up the second Falcons drive and a few times leaving touchdowns off the board and settling for field goals, the Packer offense could not be stopped.  It was this perceived pressure that forced Atlanta out of their comfort zone where they unfathomably quit calling run plays despite leading the game.

Lions over Bears

• Along with the Packers, the Lions remain unbeaten.  With their NFL-leading +70 point differential, this Green Bay fan is willing to call Detroit the best team through five weeks.

--from @jeuneski

Week 5 Pick-Down

Matchup	Adam's Pick	Eric's Pick
Eagles at Bills	Eagles	Bills
Saints at Panthers	Panthers	Saints
Chiefs at Colts	Chiefs	Colts
Raiders at Texans	Texans	Texans
Cardinals at Vikings	Vikings	Vikings
Bengals at Jaguars	Bengals	Bengals
Seahawks at Giants	Giants	Giants
Titans at Steelers	Steelers	Titans
Buccaneers at 49ers	49ers	49ers
Chargers at Broncos	Chargers	Chargers
Jets at Patriots	Patriots	Patriots
Packers at Falcons	Packers	Packers
Bears at Lions	Lions	Lions
	Adam	Eric
Week 4 Record	11-5	11-5
Season Standings	44-20	42-22

Bye Weeks: Browns, Cowboys, Dolphins, Rams, Ravens, Redskins

To see how the "Experts" stack up: http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks

The predictions here come from Adam and correspond to his picks.

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills
At what point do you abandon your pre-conceived notions of what a team would be heading into the season? When do you start basing your analysis on what has actually transpired thus far on the field? Prior to Week 1 the Eagles were Super Bowl contenders and the Bills looked like another sub-.500 club. Now the Bills are 3-1 and the Eagles 1-3. Still, whose roster would you rather have? I say the clear answer is Philly's, but talent does not always equal success in the NFL, a league where chemistry is just as important as skill. In terms of how these squads matchup, both defenses have struggled. Philadelphia is terrible stopping the run, and Fred Jackson and the Bills excel at pounding the ball, but the Bills defense hasn't shown itself to be formidable against either the run or pass. The Bills are good enough to compete with anybody in the league, but ultimately I just can't see the Eagles dropping to 1-4, not with all their talent, a good head coach, and a quarterback who should be on the mend. I think we are in for a lot of points. Look for Andy Reid to find a way to protect Vick and for the ultra fast Eagles offense to outscore a pretty darn good Bills attack in a shootout.
Prediction: Eagles 34 – Bills 27

Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts
Matt Cassel is not a great player. Right alongside Kyle Orton, Cassel exemplifies my definition of “average” in terms of talent and effectiveness for a game-managing quarterback. Not having Jamaal Charles and Tony Moeaki are killers for the Chiefs, but they still have Dwayne Bowe, Dexter McCluster, and a quarterback that's better than either Curtis Painter or Kerry Collins. I look for this to be an ugly game that the Chiefs find a way to win. Wow, what a difference Peyton Manning's absence has made.
Prediction: Chiefs 20 – Colts 16

Arizona Cardinals at Minnesota Vikings
I really think Minnesota is better than their 0-4 record indicates. I'm not saying they’re a good team, but I see them finishing the year with around 6 or 7 wins. That's also how I look at the Cardinals. Kevin Kolb-to-Larry Fitzgerald should be very effective against a terrible Minnesota secondary, but I think Adrian Peterson should be equally effective against a so-so Cardinals defense. Playing at home, I just can't see a team with players like Peterson, Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, and Percy Harvin falling to 0-5, so I'll ride with the Vikings.
Prediction: Vikings 27 – Cardinals 20

Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants
Tarvaris Jackson is flatout bad, and two rookies and a second-year player man his offensive line: bad news with the streaking Giants’ furious defensive front coming to town. Eli Manning has been stellar in his last few games, and even if he's just average in this contest, that should be more than enough to outscore the hapless Seahawks, a team they beat by 34 points a year ago.
Prediction: Giants 24 – Seahawks 6

Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers
A lot of folks are drinking the Titans Kool-Aid, but I just can't get on board yet. Maybe I'll regret it later, but I think Matt Hasselbeck will come back to earth, the defense will fall to the middle of the pack, and the absence of Kenny Britt will be sorely felt. The Steelers badly need to rebound and get back on the winning track before Baltimore starts to run away with the division. The Titans have a tremendous offensive line that should be a good match for Blitzburgh, but in the end I'll take Ben Roethlisberger, Rashard Mendenhall, and Mike Wallace to put up enough points for the Steelers’ defense to seal the deal.
Prediction: Steelers 17 – Titans 13

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Maybe I'm just infatuated with Cam Newton's great play early in the season, but I do think he has energized this Panthers team. NFC South games are always wild and close, and I think the Saints might be just a bit overrated. I'll go with a surprise pick here and take the feisty, young Panthers to win.
Prediction: Panthers 34 – Saints 31

Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars
Normally in a battle of two middling teams you would take the home squad by default, but Andy Dalton is much more ready for primetime than is his rookie counterpart Blaine Gabbert. Plus, the Bengals’ defense is fast, physical, and legit. I'll take Dalton, AJ Green, and Cedric Benson to put up enough points for the victory.
Prediction: Bengals 20 – Jaguars 10

Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans
There is no longer such a thing as a trap game for the Texans. They've had too many letdown games in their history not to take every single week seriously. Yes they just beat perennial power Pittsburgh, but they should know by putting on the film that Oakland is a solid football team. In the end, I trust the Texans to score enough points that Oakland can’t keep up. In addition, the Texans’ defense is turning the page this year with the addition of tenacious rookie JJ Watt to the front seven.
Prediction: Texans 28 – Raiders 21

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers
Shocker: I love Jim Harbaugh. He has this 49er squad believing in themselves and has Alex Smith playing very efficient football. Frank Gore finally busted out last week, Kendall Hunter has shown loads of potential when he touches the ball, Michael Crabtree appears to be at full health, Vernon Davis is a stud, and the offensive line will finally face an equally unproven opponent with the very green Buccaneer defensive line coming to town. The Bucs’ main threat is on the ground with LeGarrette Blount, yet the Niners excel at defending the run so he should be limited. San Fran should open up the offense a bit in this game, and they will frustrate Josh Freeman’s crew with their attacking 3-4 defense. I also look for Ted Ginn to make a big play in special teams as the Niners return home after a very successful road trip.
Prediction: 49ers 21 – Buccaneers 16

San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos
Even if Philip Rivers hasn't been putting up the video game numbers were used to, he's still led San Diego to three early season wins. I'll take wins over numbers every day of the week, and I'm sure Rivers will too. San Diego is finding ways to win until their whole offense gets on track, and they might find that rhythm this week, though the Broncos do have a sensational young pass rusher in Von Miller. The Chargers’ overall talent advantage, especially Rivers-over-Kyle Orton, will be enough to carry the day.
Prediction: Chargers 28 – Broncos 20

New York Jets at New England Patriots
The Pats will be looking for revenge after last year's playoff defeat at the hands of the bitter rival Jets, and I think they'll get it. Yes, New England's defense has been horrible, but their offense has been absolutely prolific, and I see no way that Gang Green will be able to keep pace on the scoreboard with the Brady Bunch.
Prediction: Patriots 31 – Jets 20

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons
This would certainly be a great game to help get Atlanta back on the right track and rolling, but they have shown tremendous inconsistency this year in their offensive line, quarterback play, and overall defense. It took everything Atlanta had to eke out a win against a bad Seahawks team last week, and even though revenge will be on the mind of the Falcons, I just don't think they have the personnel to protect Matt Ryan or slow down the Aaron Rodgers express.
Prediction: Packers 38 – Falcons 24

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
A huge game for long despairing Lions fans, I believe they'll get their desired result. On Monday Night with everyone watching and a chance to move to 5-0 at home, I just have a feeling Detroit will come out firing. The Bears’ awful offensive line will get chewed up by Ndamukong Suh and company in top pick Nick Fairley’s long-awaited debut, and the Bears’ secondary—or anybody really—just has no match for Calvin Johnson, the most difficult player to matchup in the league. The Lions have to know that a 5-0 start nearly ensures a playoff appearance, and their fans know it too. Ford Field will be rocking; so will the Lions.
Prediction: Lions 34 – Bears 23

NFL Week 5 Game Notes

Jaguars over Bills

Adam: -The Jaguars have got to be one of the biggest surprise teams thus far.  I don't envision them making a playoff run or anything, but at 3-2 they have done better than anyone expected.  It shows maturity that the Jags didn't have a letdown against the awful Bills after getting a huge win a week ago against the Colts.
-The Bills have to be looking to next year...again.

Eric: -The Jaguars are not a very good team, which is especially evident by having to come from behind to pull out a win against the league's worst team, the Buffalo Bills.

Falcons over Browns

A: -The Browns are in every game, but they just don't have the talent to win consistently.
-The Falcons earn a nice road win and run their record to 4-1.

E: -Leading up to this game, the Browns had had fourth quarter leads in every game they played.  They have been playing tough but haven't been able to finish.
-It's now looking like Colt McCoy will get his turn at quarterback.  At 1-4, there's not much lower a team can go, so give the rookie a shot.

Ravens over Broncos

A: -Kyle Orton and Brandon Lloyd fill up the stat sheet again, but Baltimore is too much for them as Ray Rice has a huge game.  Baltimore may be the best team in football through five weeks.

E: -Although Orton had another big game through the air, most of those numbers came in garbage time after the Ravens had the game firmly in hand.
-This is the Ravens team many pundits were expecting to make a Super Bowl run.  Rice finally looked healthy with 133 yards on the ground and a pair of one-yard touchdown dives.  With the ground game clicking, Joe Flacco wasn't asked to generate offense, but still played solidly.

Giants over Texans

A: -Who are the Giants and who are the Texans?  Both teams change from week to week, but the Giants' defense seems to be getting on a roll.

E: -Adam mentioned in his preview about how this was a game the Texans needed to win if they want to be an "elite" team.  They didn't get there Sunday.
-I'll give credit where credit's due though, the Giants have played lights out on defense the past two weeks.  They must be licking their chops with the Lions, most likely without Calvin Johnson's services, coming into the Meadowlands this weekend.

Colts over Chiefs

A: -The Chiefs did what they needed to by pounding the run and playing impressive defense, but they took too many unwarranted chances.  They opened the game with an onside kick that did not work, then they went for it on fourth down early in the game, rather than kick an easy field goal, and they didn't make it.  I know they probably thought they had to take chances to win this game, but had they not onside kicked that ball, or if they had kicked that field goal, they might have won.
-The Colts struggled again but got the victory.

E: -The Colts certainly looked beatable this week, and even though the Chiefs came into this game undefeated, they didn't have the offense to beat the Colts in Indianapolis.  The Colts have not been juggernauts out of the gate, though as the season goes on and their injured playmakers come back, Indianapolis should be a very dangerous team in the playoffs.

Buccaneers over Bengals

A: -It's time to start thinking differently about the Bengals.  We all thought their offense would be much improved this year, but Carson Palmer has held this team back.  Since their hot start last year, this team has been lethargic on offense.
-The Buccaneers came into this game off a bye and got a win that probably reloaded their bandwagon a bit after their blowout loss to the Steelers two weeks ago.  Josh Freeman has been really good this year with a QB rating of 84.8.  He has done a really nice job of minimizing turnovers.  Mike Williams has been very impressive as a rookie wideout.

E: -Who would've thought the Buccaneers would have a better record than the Saints and only be a half game out of first place in the NFC South?
-Nothing the Bengals have done this year has impressed.  Palmer made a few nice throws in this game, but at the same time made some bonehead throws as well, including throwing three interceptions.

Redskins over Packers

A: -The Packers have had just about everything go wrong for them this year.  Injuries to Morgan Burnett, Nick Barnett, and Clay Matthews have hampered the defense.  Jermichael Finley, Donald Lee, and Ryan Grant have gone down on the offensive side of the ball.  With all of this and with some boneheaded penalties, the Packers have still been in every game, and that is a testament to Aaron Rodgers.
-The Redskins get a really nice win here and seem to just believe they can win with Donovan McNabb at QB.

E: -Injuries should not be the only excuse for the loss, but they really took their toll on the Packers.  In their first game without Barnett and Burnett, they also lost defensive lineman Ryan Pickett on one of the first defensive series, lost their top two tight ends in Finley (out for the year) and Lee on the Packers' only touchdown drive, which came in the first quarter, and lost Matthews for the second half after he had made McNabb's life a living hell throughout the first.  Coming back to tie and then eventually win it in overtime, the Redskins also gave Rodgers a concussion on Green Bay's last offensive play, an interception by LaRon Landry.

Lions over Rams

A: - This was huge for Detroit.  They get a win finally, and a blowout win at that.  This was their biggest margin of victory since 1995.  Shaun Hill has been really good the past two weeks, but Matthew Stafford should be back in the next week or two; that is a very good thing.  Ndamukong Suh is already one of the best defensive linemen in football.
-The Rams are just not a very good team and now lose their best receiver, Mark Clayton, for the year with a knee injury.

E: -How bad would you feel if you had the score run up on you by the Lions?

Bears over Panthers

A: -Todd Collins throws for 36 yards, 4 interceptions and the Bears win by 17.  What?

E: -With the quarterbacks for both teams combining for 147 passing yards and seven interceptions, Matt Forte was the only offense in this game.
-Julius Peppers even made an interception in his return to Carolina.  It's been a good two weeks for veterans on new teams playing their former squads; Peppers' Bears beat the Panthers this week and McNabb's Redskins beat the Eagles last week.

Cardinals over Saints

A: -Undrafted rookie Max Hall beats Drew Brees.  What?

E: -Hall did not do much in his rookie debut, but he didn't need to with scoring plays coming on an interception return, a fumble return, and a recovery of a Hall fumble on offense.

Titans over Cowboys

A: -Big trouble for Dallas who could easily move to 1-4 when they travel to Minnesota to face the Vikings next week.  The NFC East is not waiting for Dallas to catch up.
-The Titans are really well-coached, and despite not having huge overall talent, seem to believe they can beat anybody anywhere.

E: -Even at 1-3, with no team really dominating the NFC East, the Cowboys are still right in the mix, but they have to be disappointed losing this game.  They had a big win in Houston and then coming off a bye, they lose to the Titans at home.
-Vince Young played well in this game, made some key throws, and did not turn the ball over.

Raiders over Chargers

A: -The Raiders snap a thirteen-game losing streak to the Chargers.
-The Chargers are off to yet another slow start, but this doesn't feel like the type of thing that they can turn around with ease.  They just aren't that good of a team this year.

E: -Here's another upset where the home team's offense didn't have to do a whole lot.  The Raiders blocked a punt for a safety, recovered another blocked punt for six, and returned a fumble for a touchdown as well.
-The Chargers played pretty well—Philip Rivers threw for over four hundred yards—but too many costly mistakes did them in.

Eagles over 49ers

A: -Alex Smith is unbelievably erratic, not just from game to game, but from play to play.  Coach Mike Singletary nearly benched him, but then Smith responded with two touchdown drives, but ultimately threw the game losing interception.  The 49ers are a maddening collection of errors, bad luck, and mismanagement.
-Kevin Kolb looked pretty good, and the Eagles are a respectable 3-2.

E: -It was good to see the Eagles open up their offense a bit more with Kolb in, playing a full game for the first time all season.  Things will get interesting once Michael Vick is healthy.

Jets over Vikings

A: -This game was a tale of two halves.  The Vikings were abysmal on offense in the first half, but really picked it up in the third and fourth quarters.  Despite how good Brett Favre was on a few drives, he was inconsistent overall, lost two fumbles, and threw the decisive pick six.
-LaDanian Tomlinson continued his resurgence with 95 yards.  That leads me to my next point: the Vikings' defensive line has been nowhere near as dominant this year as it was the past few years.  Although the offense deserves most of the blame for the Vikings' struggles, the defense deserves its share.  We knew the secondary was suspect coming into the season, and while the front seven has been solid, it has not been the spectacular group we have come to expect.  D'Brickashaw Ferguson absolutely neutralized Jared Allen, and this was not the first time this year Allen has been a nonfactor.
-The Jets moved the ball nicely in the first half but could not get the ball in the end zone.  Santonio Holmes was clearly just getting his rhythm, but he will be really dangerous once he gets acclimated.  Antonio Cromartie was superb in man coverage against Randy Moss all night.
-4-1 looks really good for the Jets, and 1-3 feels like panic time for the Vikings.

E: -Big props to Cromartie, he was dynamite.  The only time Moss beat him was on a perfect throw from Favre; the old man's got a few of those left.
-Favre reached two milestones this game.  He threw his 500^th career touchdown pass and also eclipsed Warren Moon's record for most fumbles in a career.  You win some, you lose some.
-C'mon man.

Week 5 Pick-Down

Matchup	Adam's Pick	Eric's Pick
Jaguars at Bills	Jaguars	Jaguars
Falcons at Browns	Falcons	Falcons
Broncos at Ravens	Ravens	Ravens
Giants at Texans	Texans	Texans
Chiefs at Colts	Colts	Colts
Buccaneers at Bengals	Bengals	Bengals
Packers at Redskins	Redskins	Packers
Rams at Lions	Lions	Lions
Bears at Panthers	Panthers	Panthers
Saints at Cardinals	Saints	Saints
Titans at Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys
Chargers at Raiders	Raiders	Raiders
Eagles at 49ers	49ers	49ers
Vikings at Jets	Jets	Jets
	Adam	Eric
Week 4 Record	7-7	9-5
Season Standings	29-33	35-27

Bye Weeks: Dolphins, Patriots, Seahawks, Steelers

To see how the "Experts" stack up: http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The predictions here come from Adam and correspond to his picks.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills
The Jaguars are coming off of a huge home win against the Colts. The Bills are coming off another blowout loss.  Neither team is very talented, however, but playing at home, the Bills will be the more desperate team.  Ultimately, Maurice Jones-Drew will be the best player on the field, and Josh Scobee is an excellent kicker in a game where field goals will be at a premium.  I'll take the Jags.
Prediction: Jaguars 17 – Bills 13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals
The Bucs are coming off a bye after the Steelers demolished them the previous week.  The Bengals are coming off a tough division loss to the lowly Browns.  Cincinnati should be happy to have Tampa in town, but I think we may have to get used to being disappointed by the Bengals' passing game.  It is not going to be great because Carson Palmer is just not what he used to be.  Still, the Bengals are the better team.  I'll take Cincy.
Prediction: Bengals 23 – Buccaneers 17

Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland Browns
The Browns have been close in every game they have played, finally getting a big win last week against the Bengals.  They are at home again this week with a chance to really turn their season around.  Unfortunately, I can't see Cleveland beating two playoff caliber teams in a row, not with Seneca Wallace or Jake Delhomme at quarterback.  Give me Matt Ryan and company to get to a 4-1 start.
Prediction: Falcons 26 – Browns 16

St. Louis Rams at Detroit Lions
The Lions finally get to pick on somebody their own size.  I know the Rams are 2-2, but they are not a talented football team.  It will be fun to see the #2 overall pick, Ndamukong Suh, chase the top pick, Sam Bradford, all over the field.  I think the Lions will finally get on the board by making this game a defensive struggle.
Prediction: Lions 20 – Rams 16

Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts
I'm tempted to pick the Chiefs here, which probably explains my abysmal record on the season.  The Chiefs have four things that can give the Colts major issues: A really good running game, a 3-4 defense, which Peyton historically struggles against, great special teams, and two coordinators from the Patriots' heyday who know the Colts and who have had two weeks to prepare for this matchup.  With all that, it's still Peyton Manning vs. Matt Cassel with the Colts playing at home.  It will be a close one.
Prediction: Colts 28 – Chiefs 20

Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins
The Packers have to be concerned losing Morgan Burnett and Nick Barnett for the season.  Nick Collins may not play this weekend either, and their running game is still absent.  Though the Redskins have been inconsistent this year, they are coming home and have the talent defensively to compete with any offense.  Additionally, the Redskins really only have to prepare for Green Bay's passing game.  I will take the Redskins at home.
Prediction: Redskins 23 – Packers 20

Chicago Bears at Carolina Panthers
I think the Bears will struggle in this game, especially with Jay Cutler out after suffering a concussion in his last game.  That Bears' offensive line is terrible, and the Panthers will look to take advantage.  John Fox is a good coach and the Panthers can certainly run the ball; if they can find Steve Smith, they can win some games.  I don't think Carolina is a 0-5 team, so gimme the Panthers in this one.
Prediction: Panthers 17 – Bears 16

Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens
The Broncos have been really effective in the passing game in terms of racking up yards, but haven't put the ball in the end zone enough.  The Ravens have a suspect secondary, but if you don't finish drives against most teams, you certainly won't against Baltimore.  Gimme the Ravens at home.
Prediction: Ravens 23 – Broncos 10

New York Giants at Houston Texans
The Giants showed flashes of their 2007 form sacking Jay Cutler nine times in one half last week.  The Texans meanwhile got a win against the Raiders.  I think the Texans are out to prove themselves this year, and the Giants are a team they have to beat at home to become an elite squad.  I think Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson will go off leading to a Houston victory.
Prediction: Texans 28 – Giants 23

New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals
The Saints need to keep pace with the Falcons, and that won't be difficult against rookie QB Max Hall or Derek Anderson.  Gregg Williams will be dialing up the blitz machine.
Prediction: Saints 31 – Cardinals 13

Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys
Coming off a bye, the Cowboys need this win.  Hopefully they were able to work out their offensive line issues on the time off. With two weeks to study the Titans, Tony Romo and his fleet of weapons will show us why they were preseason favorites.
Prediction: Cowboys 30 – Titans 20

San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders
This will be a close game because the Chargers seem to enjoy losing to teams they should beat.  Also without Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill, the offense isn't what it used to be.  Oh what the heck, I'll take Oakland.
Prediction: Raiders 14 – Chargers 13

Philadelphia Eagles at San Francisco 49ers
Without LeSean McCoy or Michael Vick, and with a shaky Kevin Kolb on a short leash, the Eagles can't be playing with much confidence on offense.  I think the 49ers have too much talent to go 0-5, and should be keyed up to play on national television at home with their season on the line.  Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree started to get the ball more last week with new offensive coordinator Mike Johnson in control.  Gimme the 49ers with a season-turning win.
Prediction: 49ers 23 – Eagles 16

Minnesota Vikings at New York Jets
Darelle Revis, Calvin Pace, and Santonio Holmes will all be back this week, and there is no chance of the Jets looking past this game on Monday night with old rival Randy Moss now wearing purple.  I guarantee the Jets will absolutely tee off on Brett Favre, giving the Vikings no time to work Moss into the gameplan.  I'll take the Jets at home.
Prediction: Jets 23 – Vikings 9