Week 3 Picks

Well, my friends, real life interrupted my routine this week. As some of you may know, I own my own business, and this weekend I've been moving into a new retail space. Thus, I've had little time to even look at this weekend's matchups, much less analyze them. So take this week's picks with a grain of salt. And a big dish of nachos.

Here we go.




Atlanta at Buffalo, 1:00 p.m.
It all depends on Mchael Vick's Hamstring and Buffalo's defensive injuries.
Prediction: Buffalo, 24-6

Carolina at Miami, 1:00 p.m.
I'm not convinced Miami is for real. I'm sure Carolina is.
Prediction: Carolina, 27-10

Cincinnati at Chicago, 1:00 p.m.
Chicago scored 38 last week and Cincy scored 37. Chicago's at home. Who really cares that much?
Prediction: Chicago, 35-31

Cleveland at Indianapolis, 1:00 p.m.
No brainer.
Prediction: Indianapolis, 35-10

Jacksonville at N.Y. Jets, 1:00 p.m.
Should be a pretty interesting game, and we should know more about each team afterward.
Prediction: New York, 20-17

New Orleans at Minnesota, 1:00 p.m.
Mike Tice's chair is literally on fire. He better put that out before he gets fired.
Prediction: New Orleans, 28-13

Oakland at Philadelphia, 1:00 p.m.
No brainer #2.
Prediction: Philadelphia, 31-10

Tampa Bay at Green Bay, 1:00 p.m.
Battle of the Bays. Always interesting for some reason. Green needs to win this one badly. I may be underestimating Tampa.
Prediction: Green Bay, 17-14

Tennessee at St. Louis, 1:00 p.m.
Jeff Fisher better start commiserating with Tice.
Prediction: St. Louis, 34-9

Arizona at Seattle, 4:05 p.m.
If Arizona is a playoff team like many predicted, they better start winning, like TODAY. I don't see it.
Prediction: Seattle, 24-13

Dallas at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.
Niners will never recover from that 42-3 loss to Philly last week.
Prediction: Dallas, 27-13

New England at Pittsburgh, 4:15 p.m.
Read the 1,100 words I wrote the other day.
Prediction: Pittsburgh, 24-21

N.Y. Giants at San Diego, 8:30 p.m.
San Diego needs to get on the board after two tough losses. If they drop one today, they can probably stop thinking playoffs, and the Big Blue Cheating Machine will keep on rolling.
Prediction: San Diego, 34-24

Monday, Sep. 26
Kansas City at Denver, 9:00 p.m.
This should really be an excellent game. A lot of people are taking KC. They haven't played well in Denver since Schottenheimer left. The Broncos need an early snowstorm. Put on your seatbelts.
Prediction: Denver 31-30

Game Preview: Week 3: Pats @ Pittsburgh

Out of the frying pan, into the fire. If last week was a test, this week is a final exam. Every player is going to have to play the best game of his life. It's the most important game in the history of the NFL.

OK, that's enough cliché and hyperbole for another million years.

Yes, it's a big game, a conference game, but winning or losing this one isn't the end of the world. Worst case scenario, the Pats lose their second in a row, endures a couple more injuries, and generally take a good beating. They've been there before, a couple early season losses, the defensive secondary already depleted. Maybe this game decides home field advantage for the AFC Championship game (long way to go before then), maybe it's the difference between a first round bye and playing in the wild card round. Maybe they need to convert a wide receiver to a defensive back and start signing "hacks" off the street.

Been there, done that. In the past, the Patriots have survived, persevered and later thrived. You can't get all worked up over one game. Bill Belichick doesn't. Did you hear him in his regular Wednesday press conference?

''I don't care what happened last week, last year, last month, what the overall record between the two teams was going back to 1947 or whenever they started playing each other, who wins at home, who wins when the wind is blowing from the north and all of that," Belichick said. "You guys have all of those stats. Do whatever you want with them. I'll tell you what I'd do with them."

Now, I shouldn't have to remind you that Bill Belichick is a history buff in general and a rabid pro football historian. History does mean something, and those stats aren't completely irrelevant. Otherwise, there'd be no point watching --studying ... meticulously -- all those game films, drilling his coaches and his coaches drilling the team. Really. Do you think he picked 1947 out of thin air? **

The Boston sports media disappoints me. Someone should have asked him "what [he'd] do with them."

Anyway, the Patriots have plenty of issues to work on from last week. Special teams kick coverage, offensive line penalties, penalties in general, offensive line play in general, the running game, the passing game. Just about everything, except maybe defensive line play. Perhaps the area of greatest concern is the defensive secondary where half of the 10 team members (cornerbacks Randall Gay (ankle), Tyrone Poole (ankle), Chad Scott (shoulder), and Duane Starks (thigh), and safety James Sanders (ankle)) are listed as questionable or probable on this week's injury report.

There have been no reports of Brown practicing with the secondary, so don't expect to see him out there this week. However, "I'm always ready," he said. His returned presence may come soon enough. For now, Rodney Harrison believes the current troops can hold down the fort. (More clichés.)

I know what you're thinking: "But Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 15-0 in regular season games and he has a 153.6 quarterback rating in two games already this season with four touchdowns and no interceptions." He also is last in the league among starters with only 32 attempts and tied for last with non-throwing quarterback Michael Vick and Eli Manning with 23 completions. He's not throwing a lot, and if he's forced to, like he was in last year's AFC championship -- which is ancient history and means nothing -- he tends to make a few more mistakes.

So the question is: How do you put Roethlisberger (who happens to be listed as "probable (back)" on the injury report) in such a position?

There's only one answer: Stop the running game.

Easier said than done. Pittsburgh's Willie Parker leads the league in rushing with 272 yards in two games. On the other hand, even Antwain Smith could have strolled through the defensive fronts of Tennessee and Houston, the two teams Pittsburgh has beaten. Unless Parker goes down with a serious injury, even if he's utterly ineffective, it's unlikely the Pat will see Duce Staley (questionable, knee) or Jerome Bettis (doubtful, calf). That said, the Patriots, likely to stay in their 4-3 defense for another week, have their work cut out for them against a large and efficient Steeler offensive line.

On the other side, while Pittsburgh again has the league's No.1 rushing offense, the Patriots are floundering at 29th with just a 56.0 yard per game average. Corey Dillon is off to a horrible start, and he's obviously frustrated. The Steelers are ranked just 17th against the run, allowing an average of 105.0 -- but it's just two games, hard to draw a trend from that. Pittsburgh's defense has hardly been tested, and their 3-4 is susceptible to leaving holes. They have a solid starting linebacking corps, and their defensive backs are nothing to sneeze at, but it's distinctly possible the Patriots could do some damage on the ground. If New England can get Dillon going early, Dillon can get New England going.

That would open up the game for Tom Brady and New England's 5th-ranked passing offense (Thanks, Oakland.). Pittsburgh's passing defense against Steve McNair and David Carr is ranked 3rd, allowing just over 150 yards per game. How good will it be against a team that can run the ball? Pats fans hope to find out.

Then there's the special teams. New England has made far too many mistakes and the units do not resemble the dazzling play-making squads of a few years ago. If you want to point to a place where the loss of Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel is exposed, surprising it's special teams. Belichick may have to do some juggling to make sure these players are getting the attention they need. After two weeks of subpar performances, you can make your guesses.

Oh, right. History means nothing, but if you happened to forget, Pittsburgh broke New England's NFL record 21-game winning streak last Halloween, 34-20; the Patriots became the first team to beat Roethlisberger (still his only loss) and demolished the Steelers, 41-27, on Jan. 23 in Pittsburgh to win the AFC Championship. I'm sure neither you nor any player, coach, commentator, analyst, writer or broadcaster remembers or cares what happened last year.

Notes: The Patriots streak of 35 games without back-to-back losses, the longest active such streak in the league, is certainly on the line. The record is a distant 60. ... New England has won four of the last five meetings, including the 2001 and 2004 AFC Championships. ... Locally, this week's game will be broadcast on CBS, Channel 4 @ 4:15 pm with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms, and Bonnie Bernstein on the sideline. ... You can catch a better audio description of the game on WBCN 104.1 FM with Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti.

Prediction: Steelers, 24-21.

** Actually, the Steelers lost twice to the combined Boston/Brooklyn Yanks/Tigers in 1945, beat the Boston Yanks twice in 1946 and 1947, and split a pair in 1948. Thanks to pro-football-reference.com.

Patriots-Panthers: Analysis and Comment

The more I think about Sundays game at Carolina, the worse it seems the Patriots played, the offense especially. There was hardly any blocking up front. Corey Dillon couldn't run. The other backs were nonexistent. About a third of Tom Brady's passes were inaccurate, and another third were dropped by the receivers.

Sixteen rushing attempts versus 44 passing attempts (2.4 avg.). Dillon had 36 yards on 14 attempts. Take away one 14 yarder, and he was 22 on 13 -- less than 2 yards per attempt. Kevin Faulk had 2 carries for 3 yards. Where was Patrick Pass? He obviously didn't get the ball, and I didn't see him make any meaningful blocks.

Where the heck were the tight ends? I said in my preview they'd be important. I heard either Gil Santos or Gino Cappelletti mention it right after kickoff on WBCN. New Orleans, who hardly had a right to be in the game last week against Carolina, tore the Panthers apart with their tight end play. Yet Daniel Graham and Ben Watson had only one catch apiece and I don't remember hearing Christian Fauria's number called at all.

Two false starts on Russ Hochstein, two on Graham (oh, there he is), one on Logan Mankins, one on Matt Light. Six false starts. That's bad. Really, really bad.

No, the Patriots certainly didn't help themselves. Six other enforced penalties besides (I think one other was declined) is just unacceptable. The officials didn't help them either. Forget Stephen Davis's first touchdown. Yes, the refs blew it. Yes, it "could" have swung momentum, but it probably wouldn't have.

Best case scenario, Bill Belichick throws out his red flag (which he apparently left in the locker room or something), the refs review and agree, and Carolina has the ball on the two-inch line with three downs to punch it in. No, there was no fumble. No really. The side judge signaled touchdown and blows his whistle, ending the play. Worst case, Belichick challenges, the refs review and most likely disagree -- not enough evidence -- and on top of the touchdown counting, the Patriots lose a timeout.

But there were lots of other plays. Pass interference on one team didn't appear to be pass interference on the other. Julius Peppers leveled Brady, taking at least two steps after Brady passed the ball. No call. Peyton Manning would have gotten it. Carolina cornerback Ken Lucas launched himself at Troy Brown on that broken play that Brown took down the sideline 71 yards. No call. They would have called it on Rodney Harrison.

I don't know why Belichick didn't challenge the Brady or Watson fumbles. It looked to me that Brady's arm was clearly moving forward. And if it wasn't that obvious, the play occurred at a crucial moment in the game. Same with Watson's fumble. It probably was a fumble, but down by 10 and less than 2:30 to go in the game, it seems there was nothing left to lose.

(On an interesting note, Boomer Esiason was on Dennis and Callahan on WEEI this morning and said that several teams, Carolina and Baltimore being among the more distinct, will not show replays on the scoreboards if those replays might help an opponent decide whether to throw the challenge flag.)

Belichick is a genius for not showing opponents parts of the game plan if he expects to see them later in the season (e.g. Cincinnati in the preseason and Pittsburgh during the regular season last year). If New England meets Carolina in the Super Bowl, we'll look back at this game and gaze in awe at his Seventh Sense. (He has at least seven, maybe more.)

The defense played pretty well overall. Carolina didn't score too easily. For the most part, they only scored when they had a short field. The Panthers barely had 100 yards and only 2.9 per carry rushing between Davis and Deshawn Foster. Jake Delhomme had only 154 yards passing, 41 of those on one lucky "huck it in the air" play.

As "poorly" as Brady played (23 of 44 for 270 yards, 69.3 rating), Delhomme was worse (11 of 26, 46.0 rating). New England actually outgained Carolina 288 yards to 250. But a combination of turnovers and questionable special teams play gave the Panthers the few openings they needed, and they took advantage when New England couldn't. The Panthers had a meager under four-minute time of possession advantage (31:59-28:01).

Those 39 yards rushing, 12 penalties for 86 yards, and three turnovers really killed.

Note on the CBS game broadcast: What was Dick Enberg? It was like he wasn't paying any attention at all, or couldn't see, or was being fed bad information, or all of the above. He was misidentifying players, completely missing penalty flags and describing action that wasn't happening. Dan Dierdorf had a surprisingly good game, but he needed to reel in Enberg during a break, and he obviously didn't.

Next week, New England remains on the road in what is more brutal a stretch in schedule as anyone in the league. The Patriots head to Pittsburgh for a rematch (It's just another game, right) of last year's AFC championship, which was a rematch of the game played earlier that season, which was a rematch ... OK.

The Patriots (1-1) play the Steelers (2-0), who beat Houston, 27-7, on Sunday and Tennessee, 34-7, in Week 1.

Open Discussion Thread: Patriots at Panthers

OK. Let's hear it.

Week 2 Picks

Week 2 in the NFL finds most teams a little closer to their true identities. Some teams are still searching, and for teams with high expectations, identity issues can develop into big problems. There's one thing you can count on in Week 2 in the NFL, while it will be almost as unpredictable, it's just not as exciting as opening week.

Thus, here are the picks:

Baltimore at Tennessee, 1 p..m.: Baltimore drove up and down the field, but couldn't get in the end zone until the last 18 seconds against what looked like a much improved Indianapolis defense. Tennessee got pummeled by Pittsburgh. Baltimore didn't give up anything outrageous to Indy, thought it's not the Raven defense of several years ago. Tennessee got pummeled by Pittsburgh. Baltimore has a bye next week and can play with absolute reckless abandon. Tennessee will be at St. Louis next week, getting used to their cellar-dwelling. Baltimore finds the end zone early. Anthony Wright looks like a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. Looks like. Ravens: 38-10.

Buffalo at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.: J.P. Losman crossed hurdle number one with no much problem. Hurdle No. 2: Eric Moulds has a tweaked ankle. Let's see how Losman deals with a slightly different kind of adversity. Tampa Bay pulled off a minor upset beating Minnesota in Week 1. These teams haven't faced each other since Nov. 2000. Tampa plays pretty well at home, but this team hasn't had an identity since they won the Super Bowl, what seems like a million years ago. Buffalo is getting used to its new identity and will like what it sees if it comes out with a win. Bills: 17-10.

Detroit at Chicago, 1 p.m.: Another visitor with a growing sense of self against another home team that doesn't know who it is. Detroit has won the last four matchups between these two, but they always play pretty close, usually within a field goal, almost always within a touchdown. Home field doesn't seem to know much anymore. One big difference here is that Steve Mariucci is a very good coach, and Lovie Smith isn't. Another is that Joey Harrington is a pretty good quarterback, and Kyle Orton isn't. The Redskins -- the Redskins! -- had a 10-minute advantage in time of possession over Chicago last week. The Redskins! Detroit is off next week, so they can go all out too. Lions: 31-12.

Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.: Jacksonville was the only team to beat Indy home in the dome last season. The teams are 2-2 against each other over the last two years. Jack Del Rio has simply outcoached Tony Dungy, which (more than defense) seems to be holding back the Colts. Byron Leftwich has dismantled the Indy defense in their last two meetings, but the Indianapolis defense looked pretty good last week. Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison need 59 yards to pass Buffalo's Jim Kelly and Andre Reed as the all-time top QB-WR combo. Jacksonville can win if they win the turnover battle. Colts: 31-27.

Minnesota at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.: Minnesota is already desperate for a win. The loss of Randy Moss is starting to loom large in a developing identity crisis. Dante Culpepper has to exert his will on his team and get them going. Cincinnati looked pretty good on the road at Cleveland. Minnesota needs to control their turnovers, which they haven't done well in their late season swoons the last couple years. They can't afford that this early in the season. Bengals: 27-24.

New England at Carolina, 1 p.m.: Is Carolina reeling of seething following their season opening loss to sitting duck New Orleans? Is New England looking ahead to next weeks major matchup with Pittsburgh? Can Carolina duo Stephen Davis and Deshawn Foster take advantage of a soft center of the New England defense, still looking for an identity following the losses of Tedy Bruschi and Ted Johnson? Will the injuries to New England's defense give Carolina the openings it needs? Does Bill Belichick ever lose after having more than a standard week preparing for his next opponent? On "Hurricane Relief Weekend," will anyone mention that the Carolinas got hit with a hurricane a couple days ago? Will any stadium or pregame/postgame show play "Rock You Like a Hurricane"? Patriots: 21-17.

Pittsburgh at Houston, 1 p.m.: Don't expect Houston to be as pathetic as they were against Buffalo last week. All eyes will be on Ben Roethlisberger to see if he's the same guy who has led Pittsburgh to a 15-game regular-season winning streak (three short of Patriots' recent record), or if he's due for his sophomore slump. Pittsburgh might also be looking ahead to their home date with the aforementioned Patriots next week. Houston is off next week and is trying to save themselves from an early date with the basement. Houston's weak offensive line needs to protect David Carr and open some running lanes. Steelers: 31-10.

San Francisco at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.: Donovan McNabb is listed as questionable, but apparently will play this weekend. Ditto for San Francisco. Philadephia: 27-20.

Atlanta at Seattle, 4:05 p.m.: Seattle played awfully last week with five turnovers. Double cover Algae Crumpler and the defense should do well. Atlanta faces another top NFC team. A win could make them a prohibitive first-round bye selection. Seattle has won last 3 games against Atlanta. Falcons: 24-21.

St. Louis at Arizona, 4:05 p.m.: St. Louis has won last five of six vs. Arizona. Both teams lost last week: St. Louis came back late to fall short against San Francisco, Arizona was knocked around by the Giants. St. Louis is treading water the last few seasons. I just don't see that vast improvement in Arizona that everyone else sees. St. Louis: 35-17.

Cleveland at Green Bay, 4:15 p.m.: Both of these teams lost last week too. Romeo Crennel is trying to make Cleveland believe in its future identity. Green Bay is getting ready to say goodbye to an aging identity. Neither team can afford to start 0-2. Green Bay seems to have lost it Tundra advantage. That's what happens when you renovate or replace a venerable arena (see Boston Garden). Packers: 17-14.

Miami at N.Y. Jets, 4:15 p.m.: Gus Frerotte looked like a quarterbacking god last week against what was expected to be a solid Denver defense. Chad Pennington fell flat against a much improved Kansas City defense on the road. His shoulder certainly didn't look ready for prime time. He'll need Curtis Martin to have a few big games early on, but that's going to be a very tall order considering just about everyone know who has the ball. While New York has won 11 of the last 14 meetings, Miami has a legitimate shot to start 2-0, and New York has a legitimate chance to see the season slip away early. Herman Edwards chair gets a little warmer. Jets: 21-20.

San Diego at Denver, 4:15 p.m.: San Diego lost a heartbreaker at Dallas last week. Denver got crushed by Miami. Denver's Mike Shanahan has beaten Marty Schottenheimer more often than not. Both teams have big games in prime time next week. KC is at Denver on Monday Night. San Diego hosts the Giants on Sunday Night. Wait a minute. What about this week? Shanahan's squad looks in the mirror and doesn't know who they see. They could be in big trouble. Schottenheimer's boys know who they are: The AFC West defending champs. San Diego: 34-31.

Kansas City at Oakland, 8:30 p.m.: Talk about identities. KC is starting to look mid-90s kinda scary. Oakland thinks Randy Moss ... hmmm ... I don't know what they're thinking. As a predicted, Belichick wrote the book "How to Defend Randy Moss." If KC did their reading, they should be all set. Kansas City has won the last four meetings, but Oakland has won its last seven home openers. Chiefs: 42-10.

Monday Night
New Orleans at N.Y. Giants, 7:30 p.m.: I refuse to list this game "New York at New Orleans". It's ludicrous to even suggest it. The Giants are at home. New York has won three of the last four between these two. While I predicted New Orleans wouldn't win a game this season and that they had no chance against Carolina last week, no one was happier than I that they ruined my predictions. I hope the Saints massacre these guys. Giants: 24-17.

Washington at Dallas, 9 p.m.: Washington barely beat a horrible visiting Chicago team, despite dominating the clock last week. Dallas earned an emotional win against an excellent squad in San Diego. Dallas returns home to experience another emotional high and induct Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin into the Cowboys' Ring of Honor. Julius Jones gives Drew Bledsoe that one weapon he always so desperately needs, but he's still going to get sacked. I like Joe Gibbs, but the highlight of the season may have been Washington's defensive stand in the fourth quarter last week. Cowboys: 31-13.

Last week: 8-8
Season: 8-8

Game Preview: Week 2: Pats @ Carolina

Bill Belichick has had about 10 days to prepare for this game. That's generally bad news for his team's opponent. If history is our guide, Belichick's New England Patriots start defense of their back-to-back Super Bowls 2-0 heading into the toughest stretch of their schedule; and Carolina, a common pick to dethrone the Pats, floundering at 0-2 following last week's disappointing loss to a hurricane displaced New Orleans Saints.

If it goes the other way, the both teams will be 1-1, but the Patriots could probably sustain the loss a lot easier than could the Panthers. In fact, the Panthers need to win.

Carolina had their own hurricane (Ophelia) to deal with a few days ago, and now they have Hurricane Pat steaming down the East Coast.

Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme has an infection in his lower back, but that's not expected to affect him. The Panthers are already suffering from the loss of Kris Jenkins last week to New Orleans, and that more than anything else has them questioning their ability to get the job done.

New England is banged up on defense, and that could turn the tide. Defensive ends Richard Seymour and Jarvis Green are listed as questionable, with the larger looming punctuation mark. About half of the secondary -- Randall Gay, Tyrone Poole, Chad Scott and Duane Starks -- all nursing injuries. With the linebackers still not fully recovered from the loss of Tedy Bruschi and Ted johnson, and with Carolina's one-two ground punch of Stephen Davis and Deshawn Foster, expect the Patriots to stay in the 4-3 defense they unveiled last week against the Raiders.

The key for New England will be to contain Julius Peppers, keep him away from Tom Brady and give Corey Dillon a few inches to operate. New England's tight ends are going to play a huge role, if the Patriots are to be successful. Beyond receptions, they're going to have to block and distract. Carolina is going to have to respect the general good hands of this group, and that may open things up elsewhere.

History doesn't tell us much about what to expect in this one. It could be the defensive struggle of the first half of Super Bowl XXXVIII or the offense shootout of the second half. Or something in between.

Brady-Belichick are going for their 50th win together.

Prediction: New England 27, Carolina 24.

Week 1 Picks

Four years after 9/11, we are dealing with another national catastrophe, but this time we were ravaged by nature, not attacked by a foreign enemy. That makes anniversaries like these especially poignant. While our thoughts are with those affected by Hurricane Katrina and those who are working feverishly and many risking their health or lives to help them, we also pause to remember that horrible, terrible day when the world changed forever. God bless America.

And now, this weeks picks.

Chicago at Washington, 1 p.m. This game would be tough to pick midway through the season, but anything can happen during Week 1. Well, not quite anything, like the Raiders can't beat the Patriots. Anyway, I expect both these teams to be horrible, but someone has to win. We'll just give it to the home team. Redskins, 21-17. (Incidentally, I'll keep my season record straight up, not against the points.)

Cincinnati at Cleveland, 1 p.m. Ditto. Actually, I'll say one thing here that I didn't in my season preview. It's important for some teams to get out of the gate with a win or two, or they'll doubt their system and struggle. Cincinnati is one of those teams. I don't think they'll win today, and that may have a deeper affect than most would think. Romeo Crennel gets Cleveland off on on the right foot, but it will be one of the few highlights of the season. Browns. 17-14.

Denver at Miami, 1 p.m. Miami is at home, and it's Week 1, when anything can happen. Fortunately, the have Olindo Mare. But they also still have Gus Frerotte starting. Broncos, 31-16.

Houston at Buffalo, 1 p.m. Here's a game which will have profound affects in the playoff hunt. Both of these teams need early wins. David Carr certainly can outplay J.P. Losman in the rookie's first big game, but the Buffalo defense gets the nod early in the season, and Houston has a tough time in the red zone. Bills, 21-13.

New Orleans at Carolina, 1 p.m. If by some miracle New Orleans wins this game, it could have a more profound affect on their season than a Week 1 game has ever had. It could also have a lot of people who picked Carolina to win the Super Bowl scratching their heads, then shrugging and saying, "It's only Week 1." If. But we all remember what if gets, right? Panthers, 24-10.

N.Y. Jets at Kansas City, 1 p.m. Can Kansas City score a million points with several degradations at receiver? Can New York stop Priest Holmes. Can Kansas City stop anybody? Can Chad Pennington gel with his new receivers? Can Curtis Martin possibly keep up his torrid career pace? Can Dick Vermeil get through a tearless press conference? Chiefs 24-20.

Seattle at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Yet another game with playoff implications in Week 1. You think I'm crazy. You'll see. Both of these teams need to get started fast too. Seattle better still have it together from last season, any amount of rust could kill them. The defense needs to confuse Byron Leftwich and merely contain Fred Taylor. Jacksonville needs to slow down Shawn Alexander, but Matt Hasselbeck will still have the edge, if he's any degree of accurate. Seahawks, 17-14.

Tampa Bay at Minnesota, 1 p.m. "Chuckie" sees the future, and the future is unemployment. Even without Randy Moss, Minnesota is a dangerous middle-of-the-pack team. Tampa Bay isn't. Vikings, 38-13.

Tennessee at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. An upset here would be a major boost to Tennessee's morale and a devastating blow to Pittsburgh's. Not a chance. Steelers, 28-7.

Arizona at N.Y. Giants, 4:15 p.m. Is Arizona really that much better because they have Kurt Warner? I hope the Giants lose all nine of their home games. They don't. Giants 24-17.

Dallas at San Diego, 4:15 p.m. Huge games for both these teams too. Lots of Dallas players have lots to prove -- to themselves if no one else. San Diego needs to prove it's still the team it was last year. Drew Brees has to prove last year wasn't a fluke. Drew Bledsoe gets sacked. Chargers, 31-17.

Green Bay at Detroit, 4:15 p.m. Can you believe another Week 1 game with playoff implications. And this one will have the deepest affect of them all. Green Bay can afford to lose, Detroit can't. It's old school vs. new school. Lions, 13-10.

St. Louis at San Francisco, 4:15 p.m. San Francisco has a chance because they're at home and it's Week 1. San Francisco has no defense. The death of offensive lineman Thomas Herrion is just the beginning of the bad season. Rams, 35-6.

Indianapolis at Baltimore, 8:30 p.m. This would be the Game of the Week, except for Patriots-Raiders, Cowboys-Chargers, Packers-Lions and Eagles-Falcons. Great offense vs. Great defense. Mediocre defense vs. mediocre offense. Indy can afford the loss and then some. Baltimore needs the win pretty bad. If the Baltimore defense is rusty, Indy will roll. If Indy's offense timing is off, Baltimore could rule the day. If Baltimore's offense can score, it could make things interesting. If Indy's defense is solid, Baltimore is in trouble. Colts, 27-23.

Monday Night
Philadelphia at Atlanta, 9 p.m. Ahhh, so this is what the game of the week looks like. Those NFL schedulers, real suckers for the dramatic, and it's only Week 1 (lest you forgot). Can Philly contain Vick? Can TO and Donovan make up and play nice? Blah, blah, blah. You've probably been hearing these questions for weeks, and it (the questions or this column) is getting boring. Correction, has gotten boring. Winner could be the Super Bowl representative. So could the loser. So could another team. Philadelpia, 21-20.

Patriots-Raiders: Analysis and Comment

Statistic of the Year: Vince Wilfork leads the league in interceptions.

Really, there's no way that was a forward pass, but there was no need to review it, so it goes down as an interception.

Anyway, Oakland -- and probably the rest of the league, coaches and fans -- found out that it's better to have a half-dozen very good receivers than one prima donna receiver. Randy Moss was a complete non-factor. Outside of his first catch in double coverage, which Kerry Collins just hucked in his general direction, and the 71-yard touchdown, which Collins just hucked in his general direction, Moss did nothing.

OK, he didn't cry from getting constantly bumped off the line. The Pats barely touched him, especially after that phantom defensive holding call early in the game. And, no, he didn't cringe every time down the field after Rodney Harrison hit him. There was no need. I don't think Harrison hit him, but Moss was nowhere to be found.

He was nowhere to be found because Collins could hardly get a decent pass off, and because -- like I said would happen -- Bill Belichick wrote the book on covering this guy: You put someone on him at the line of scrimmage, and you drop a cornerback into centerfield. If (and when) Collins starts throwing into that, yes, Moss will catch a few, and yes, the defense will catch probably two to three times as many. Collins may have to learn to take a quick three-step drop and find Moss slanting across the middle. Of course, if Moss gets hit there, he may snap in half.

Now it's time to see if anyone else was paying attention and plays Moss the same way. If they do, and if the Raiders keep committing 15 or so penalties a game, and if the Oakland secondary remains a sieve, Oakland fans will be thinking about spring training before winter arrives.

I said Tom Brady would throw to between eight and ten receivers. He connected with eight. Brady is 28 years old. Deion Branch is almost exactly 2 years younger. These guys could play together for a long time. The could go down in history as this decade's Montana-Rice connection.

Corey Dillon got off to an Antwain Smith-like start, carrying the ball nearly 30 times for just a 2.7 yard per carry average. Oakland shouldn't have been that tough to run against, especially when Brady started distributing the ball all over the place, but maybe their switch to the 4-3 made a difference. Not sure if it was Dillon or the whole line that wasn't getting to the corners, but New England couldn't run around the ends to save the season.

Dillon looked much better coming out of the backfield, so I'm not worried.

I'll tell you two things that did bother me: A blocked extra kick, and a blocked punt. So rare that it was rather unnerving. I'm pretty sure Belichick saw them, so I'm betting the special teams will get a little extra work Monday and Tuesday. I can almost hear the protectors now, "It'll never happen again, I swear!"

The upstairs officials really blew that non-review on the Brady-to-Watson incomplete call. ABC's replays showed Watson's hand was clearly underneath the ball, and even though perhaps a part of the ball may have touched the ground, the rule is common knowledge know that if the receiver has control of the ball, which Watson most definitely did, the ball's contact with the ground is irrelevant. Pretty bad when you have one job, you're called upon only once, and you totally blow it.

The losses of Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel don't look like they're going to have any long-term affects on this team. But really, it's only the media keeping that ancient history alive.

The broadcast, minus all the up-front junk, was better than I expected, especially this early in the season. John Madden was actually informative and insightful, followed the game, explained replays, spoke about things that weren't obvious. Al Michaels regressed, by saying "doing" (and surprisingly Madden didn't go for it).

ABC's camera work was a little off. The zoom in way too close, and you miss a lot, especially peripheral action, which is sometimes more telling than the center of vision. I mean, there were more than 30 penalties called, and I hardly remember seeing a flag fly during live shots. There was also the typical "zoom in on so-and-so" so that you can only see two eyes and a nose; meanwhile, they're blowing off a reply of the most recent play when defensive holding is called, and you never get to see what happened. Really aggravating.

And there weren't nearly enough incidental cheerleader shots.

One down, 19 to go.

Post-Game Week 1: Patriots 30 vs. Raiders 20

The New England Patriots came out firing last night at Gillette Stadium, opening the 2005 NFL season and embarking on their quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl championship with a 30-20 drubbing of the Oakland Raiders. The game was not nearly as close as the score indicates.

Tom Brady threw for 306 yards spreading the ball to eight different receivers, and Oakland committed 16 penalties for 149 yards. New England was far from mistake free, but their 7 penalties were dwarfed by the Raiders futility. Oakland led the league in penalties last season and is perennially bad in that department.

Brady hit Deion Branch with an 18-yard pass and Tim Dwight on a 5-yarder to give the Patriots a 17-14 lead in the second quarter, a lead they would not relinquish. Branch caught Brady passes for 99 yards. Corey Dillon added a pair of rushing touchdowns in the second half.

Oakland receiver Randy Moss ended up with five receptions for 130 yards, including a flukey 71-yard touchdown that Tyrone Poole misplayed and Moss bobbled before skirting past Pats cornerback Rodney Harrison for the score.

The play of the game, however, was a broken pass play for Oakland. As the pocket around Raider quarterback Kerry Collins collapsed, Jarvis Green jarred the ball loose and Vince Wilfork caught the ball in the air and was credited with an interception, the first of his career. That gave New England the ball at the Raider 20.

Three plays later, Dillon scampered 8 yards for his first TD of the evening. Adam Vinatieri's extra point kick was blocked, but the Patriots had a comfortable 23-14 lead. The defense took over for good from there.

Collins looked utterly flustered after some early success throwing the ball up for grabs. Collins was 6 of 11 at one point in the second quarter and ended the first half 7 of 13 for 159 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the game a disappointing 18 of 40 for 265 yards, adding another TD and the interception.

Both defenses hunkered down in the second half after letting the offenses have their way in the first 30 minutes. Brady was 14 of 20 in the first half for 212 yards with 2 TDs, finishing 24 of 38. But Dillon found a few creases late in the game after starting with -1 yards on 4 carries in the first quarter. Dillon finished with 63 yards and a meager 2.7 yard/carry average.

Dillon also picked up 25 yards on a beautiful end-around fake by Brady, who then tossed a screen to a wide open Dillion. He finished with 30 receiving yards.

Ben Watson had 55 yards on two catches, including one play reminiscent of Ben Coates, Watson knocking down and draging defenders with him as he picked up an extra 10 yards after the catch. Troy Brown had 51 yards on six catches.

The Patriots completely shut down the Oakland offense in the second half. The Raiders scored late in the game only after blocking a Josh Miller punt and recovering on the New England 21. It took six plays before Collins hit tight end Courtney Anderson wide open in the left side of the end zone for a 5-yard score. Moss was called for offensive pass interference on the two-point attempt. The Patriots declined the penalty.

Viatieri connected on a 26-yard field goal on the Patriots opening drive to close the score to 7-3.

The win was New England's 21st straight home victory and Belichick's 100th as an NFL head coach.

The night began with a lot of hoopla, guest music performers and the unveiling of the Patriots third championship banner in four years.

New England (1-0) travels to Carolina next Sunday for a 1 p.m. start. Oakland hosts Kansas City in the late game at 8:30 p.m.

Game Preview: Week 1: Pats vs. Oakland

Randy Moss this, and Randy Moss that, and Randy Moss the other.

Let me fill in the blanks for you.

-> This: is going to start crying after he gets bumped within the 5-yard buffer for the 12th time in a row.
-> That: is going to cringe the second time down the field after Rodney Harrison hits him the first time.
-> The other: is going to stand at the line of scrimmage in fear for his life.

The Raiders are coming to town and they have revenge on their mind ... again. They still haven't gotten over The Tuck (because they don't understand the rules), and they're going to be all silver and spikey tonight.

Oakland made only two major changes to their 5-11 squad of last year. They acquired free agents Randy Moss from Minnesota and Lamont Jordan from the New York Jets. Talent-wise, Moss and Jordan are upgrades.

I've heard all kinds of speculation about how you have to double-up on Moss, and that will free up the other receivers, open up the running game. How You'll have to account for this, and for that, yada, yada, yada.

Bill Belichick has been preparing for this game for about six months (that's a conservative estimate). He's watched every frame of film available on Moss and the Raiders available. Do you think he's missed something that some jamoke from the Black Hole thought of?

Yes, the Pats will probably double cover Moss most of the time. I'd expect New England will have someone, probably often a linebacker, smashing Moss at the line of scrimmage like they did to St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXVI. I also expect that the Raider O line is good enough that blitzes up the middle won't work, so you'll see guys coming off the corners frequently. Why? Because Oakland quarterback Kerry Collins is a Drew Bledsoe-type quarterback -- he can't outrun his own shadow, and he's not a particularly quick decision-maker.

I think Turner is going to send in at least two or three trick plays ... maybe closer to six or seven. A flea-flicker to Moss, a halfback option to Moss, a triple reverse to Moss. The Pats may not stop all of them. They'll be prepared for all of them. But, in the long run (60 minutes), it won't matter.

Jordan has the potential to have a decent game, but that won't be Turner's long-term game plan. Turner is going to look for a couple quick strikes, because he knows that if Oakland falls behind, they're finished.

The Patriots are going to dismantle the Raider defense piece by piece. Corey Dillion and Kevin Faulk are going to run around the ends all night long, and Ted Washington, who has never played in a 4-3 scheme, and Warren Sapp are going to be begging for mercy and oxygen. Even the outside linebackers go 285. When they get the defensive line and linebackers following Dillon or Faulk to one side or the other, Belichick will send in a reverse or an end around, and Sapp and Washington are going to outright give up.

Otherwise, Tom Brady is going to pick apart this secondary. Brady will probably hit eight to 10 different receivers, including Dillon and Faulk. I'd expect all three tight ends to catch passes, and Brady to hit receivers everywhere from the line of scrimmage, across the middle, down the sidelines.

I really wouldn't be surprised if Belichick calls a couple trick plays out of spite. That's generally not his style, but he does like to fight fire with fire.

Strange. As Pink Floyd says, "Thought I'd something more to say."

Prediction: New England 45, Oakland 17.

AFC West: Chargers, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

Chargers Hold Off Broncos, Chiefs in Tight Race

This is the most evenly matched division in the conference, so you're going to see records closer to .500 -- except for one team. Unlike most other divisions, where most prognosticators are picking the top team or two, I've seen every team in this division picked by any number of people. Not that Oakland has a chance. Two teams made some several moves, and those will pay off. Two others made few or no major moves, apparently happy with the status quo. That will be reflected in the standings.

1. San Diego (10-6) One of the status quo teams, the Chargers will take a 4-game step back, but that should still be enough to win the division. Look at their roster and you understand why few changes are necessary. San Diego's problems are not those of lacking personnel but of a murderous schedule.

The big question, as it seems to be with a lot of AFC teams, is: Is Drew Brees the Real Deal or not? He had a break out season last year, but was it because defensive coordinators didn't expect that level of consistency (as some "experts" have suggested) or because something finally clicked?

Blaming all the opponents' defensive coordinators is pretty lame. I think something clicked. Having the same exact starting team in place, the same system, the same coaches, is just going to further build that consistency.

LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the top running backs in the league. He can kill you on the ground and down the field. He is more responsible for San Diego's success as anyone. He's a Larry Bird/Michael Jordan-type player who makes everyone around him better. Brees/Tomlinson will eventually become one of those legendary pairings, like Montana/Rice.

Antonio Gates is one of the best tight ends in the league too. His abilities make up for an otherwise mediocre receiving corps. Keenan McCardell was a great pickup last year, but he's getting a little long in the tooth, and San Diego is going to need to upgrade this position in the near future.

The offensive line is a tough, solid unit. Unit is the operating word. This is a case where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Defensively, they should be improved just on experience. Ranked 18th overall last year, the Chargers were third against the run and a horrid 31st against the pass. However, Quentin Jammer is starting to come into his own, and with some additional help off the bench, the secondary should be the most improved unit on the D.

Kicker Nate Kaeding didn't get a lot of work last year, and his work wasn't particularly thrilling. San Diego could lose some chances in close games. Punter Mike Scifres is average, but he does a good job placing kicks inside the 20. Rookie Darren Sproles is expected to return kicks and punts and has shown promise in the preseason.

Marty Schottenheimer really turned this team around, and if the team, fans and front office can be patient for another year or two, he could lead them to the Promised Land.

San Diego is challenged right out of the gate, hosting what is expected to be a revitalized Dallas team in Week 1. It gets progressively worse over the next few weeks as the Chargers travel to Denver, come home to face the Giants, go to New England and home again to host Pittsburgh on Monday Night. A trip to Oakland should be no fun, and the Chargers stay on the road, heading to Philadelphia in Week 7, only then returning home to face Kansas City.

The second half of the season opens with San Diego in New Jersey to meet the Jets and only then do they receive their bye. If the Chargers are in any condition to contend for a playoff spot, the bye is placed perfectly for them to heal a few wounds and charge up for the stretch run.

San Diego hosts Buffalo in what could be an important game for both teams in Week 9, but comes the Chargers chance to make up some ground: trip to Washington, home dates with Oakland and Miami bring them to mid-December and a pair of Saturday dates to end the season, at KC on Christmas Eve and home vs. Denver on New Year's Eve.

2. Denver (9-7) The Broncos have brought in several Cleveland cast-offs to anchor the defensive line in a move that will be viewed historically as either fantastically brilliant or utterly moronic. The entire season rides on the performance of that unit.

Proving that most of the "experts" make a decision and then stick to it through thick and thin regardless of any contrary evidence, Jake Plummer is still the leagues favorite whipping boy. Plummer set a franchise record by throwing for more than 4,000 yards and tied John Elway's career best single-season touchdown total (27). He is known as a good field leader and the Broncos have won more than 70 percent of the games Plummer has started. He's also one of the most mobile standard quarterbacks in the league. But because the defense got crushed in back-to-back playoff appearance both times against Indianapolis, it's all Plummer's fault.

Yes, he also had 20 interceptions last year, and he needs to rein that in. He has that opportunity this year as there have been several important acquisitions on offense. Start with tight end Stephen Alexander, once one of the best in the league with potential to return to that status. Wide receiver Ashley Lelie is developing into a top receiver, with good hands and good speed. Rod Smith remains a primary target.

As usual, Denver is loaded with talent at running back, though I don't see any of the spectacular 1,500-yards backs of the 1990s. Still Tatum Bell, veteran Mike Anderson and Giants acquisition Ron Dayne make a formidable trio.

The Broncos small, fast offensive line remains intact, and that should benefit the running backs and Plummer's mobility.

Defensively, nearly all of the 4-3 schemed defensive line is new with former Browns Courtney Brown, Michael Myers, Gerard Warren and backup Ebenezer Ekuban. They're all "unrealized potential" players who may be judged forever on this season alone. These guys weren't good enough for new Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel, a defensive guru, so you have to wonder.

Ian Gold is a good addition at outside linebacker. The Denver secondary remains intact with John Lynch and Champ Bailey leading the charge.

Kicker Jason Elam is consistently one of the best placekickers in the league. Punter Todd Sauerbrun has a good leg and should benefit from playing home games a Mile High.

Coach Mike Shanahan, once thought to be a genius, will be thought so again, or will become the village idiot.

Five of Denvers first eight games are at home. That's the good news. Obviously, five of eight are on the road in the second half. The Broncos bye falls on Week 9, exactly halfway through the season.

The only other good first-half news is that they open at Miami and host Washington in Week 5. Semi-good news is that they face San Diego (Week 2), Kansas City(3), New England (6) and Philadelphia (8) at home, but those are all tough games. Interspersed are a couple road trips to Jacksonville and New York to face the Giants. No fun in either of those.

The second half sees Denver on the road for all tough games at Oakland (Week 10), Dallas (12), KC (13), Buffalo (15) and San Diego (17). The Broncos host the Jets in Week 11, Baltimore in Week 14 and Oakland in Week 16 (Christmas Eve). No real breaks anywhere.

3. Kansas City (8-8) Finally! A couple guys who can play defense! Remember the devastating Kansas City defenses with Derrick Thomas and Neil Smith? Can you imagine those guys on the team with the league's No. 1 ranked offense? Alas, those heady days are long gone, but the Kansas City defense has finally been partly restocked. Meanwhile, the teams 5th-ranked rushing offense and 4th-ranked passing offense remains intact. Is it enough for a playoff push?

Trent Green is coming off a 4,500-yard season, and his most dangerous weapons remain in place ... well, most of them. The receiving corps is a little short with Eddie Kennison heading the list. Dante Hall remains on the squad, but is nursing a hamstring. The Freddie Mitchell experiment didn't work out -- probably a good thing.

Tight end Tony Gonzalez is back, and that counts for a lot.

More importantly, Priest Holmes and Tony Richardson are back. Holmes is dangerous enough on his own, but with fullback Richardson, the combination is devastating. And that's what has kept KC so successful the last few years.

The offensive line remains intact as well. Good news for Green.

The defensive line returns as well. Ranked 12th against the run last season, that should be good news. They'll get lots of extra help on the outside with newcomers Kendrell Bell from Pittsburgh and rookie Derrick Johnson. That's part of the good news.

The really good news is the arrival of former Dolphin standouts safety Sammy Knight and cornerback Patrick Surtain. This significant upgrade is going to keep more opponents in check, and the Chiefs should be involved in fewer track meets.

Kicker Lawrence Tynes is nothing to write home about, and punter Dustin Colquitt is a rookie with average skills. Returner Dante Hall is frightening if he remains healthy. Scoring on special teams can be a great advantage to KC.

Coach Dick Vermeil is likely in his last season. Good or bad, it's going to be a teary one.

The Chiefs can get off to a great start if they can handle the Jets in the home opener and maintain momentum during trips to Oakland and Denver (Monday Night) in a pair of important division games. KC hosts Philly before a Week 5 bye. The Chiefs round out the first half of the season hosting Washington and hitting the road to meet Miami and San Diego.

There aren't many breaks for KC either in the second half. The Chiefs host Oakland in what should be the easiest of the stretch, followed by trips to Buffalo and Houston, and close out November hosting the Patriots. December is almost a carbon copy, with a home-away-away-home schedule consisting of Denver, Dallas, NYG and San Diego. For good measure, the Chiefs celebrate the New Year at home against Cincinnati.

4. Oakland (2-14) A rolling stone gathers no moss, thus Oakland is not a kinetic rock. Gathering Moss will ultimately be a bad thing for the Raiders, a team that has no need for additional volatility in the locker room. Expect the black and silver to remain stationary sediment and take up extended residence in the AFC West cellar.

Quarterback Kerry Collins is from the Drew Bledsoe mold: strong arm, no mobility, questionable decision-maker. And Collins bread and butter will be the same as Bledsoe's was: Huck the ball downfield and hope someone can get up and grab it or can circle under it like a centerfielder.

Lamont Jordan is a great addition, but he's never been a starter, so time will tell if he can carry the load day in and day out for a whole season.

Moss is a talented loser. He's trouble, and he doesn't care. Jerry Porter may benefit in the long run since he likely will be left more open than in the past as teams double-up on Moss. Unfortunately for the Raiders, they face New England in Week 1 and if Bill Belichick writes the book on "How to Defend Randy Moss," you can guarantee every team will do its best to follow that blueprint.

Defensively, the Raiders did nothing to improve on a squad that was 22nd against the run, 30th against the pass and 30th overall. They're a year older and slower. They have some of the biggest linemen and linebackers in the league, and most teams are just going to run circles around them.

Warren Sapp, formerly a powerhouse, is just a fat loudmouth. Sooner or later, Moss and Sapp will get into it at some point and cause a major distraction.

Oakland's September consists of opening the season at New England, coming home to face KC and then heading to Philadelphia, at which point the season should be just about over. The Raiders host Dallas before a Week 5 bye. October continues with back to back home dates with San Diego and Buffalo. The first half of the season ends with a trip to Tennessee, which may be their first win of the year.

November finds Oakland at KC and home against Denver followed by a couple winnable game at Washington and home vs. Miami. Five games in December are at San Diego and New York (Jets), home against Cleveland, at Denver and home against New York (Giants).

AFC East: Patriots, Bills, Jets, Dolphins

Patriots Outlast Bills Down the Stretch

Buffalo is going to take a lead in the division on the basis of a shaky early schedule, but they struggle down the stretch when New England starts to stretch their legs. The N. Y. Jets flirt with .500 all season, and Miami just does almost nothing until midway through the season.

1. New England (13-3) No surprise here. The Patriots are coming off consecutive Super Bowl wins, and there's one thing different about this team from previous back-to-back winners: They enjoy winning. It's not hunger or swagger or any of that other BS you hear from teams with "attitude" of different variation. These guys simply like winning, and they're willing to do whatever is necessary to make that happen.

The loss of coordinators Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel appeared devastating when they were both evident back in January, but New England's three-headed dog was not Bill Belichick, Crennel and Weis. It's Belichick, Scott Pioli and Robert Kraft (or whichever Kraft has assumed day-to-day operations). Like a predatory chameleon, the Patriots will grow back their coordinator arms or simply redistribute duties to other personnel.

Then there wre the recent losses of linebackers Tedy Bruschi and Ted Johnson. Devastating. Until you remember who you're dealing with. Maybe Marty Beisel and Chad Brown aren't Bruschi and Johnson (yet), but they have already blended into the rest of the defensive scheme, and it appears the ninth ranked defense from last year is on par for a similar performance this season.

The offense should be even better than the seventh ranked squad of last season. (Yeah, that's right. For all the talk about the Pats defense, New England's offense ended up ranked two places higher.) Stronger on the line, faster in the receiving corps, as good in the backfield. Logan Mankins is the reincarnation of John Hannah and Ben Watson could be to Tom Brady everything Ben Coates was and more.

Corey Dillon, who had his first taste of success last year just looks to be having the time of his life. Patrick Pass looks to be coming into his prime, and Kevin Faulk is as dangerous out of the backfield as ever. By the way, if Dillon doesn't have the sweetest stiff-arm ever, I'd like to see who does. Defenders full of hurt and bad feelings look like they hit some kind of alien force field when Dillon sticks out that hand. Either one as a matter of fact.

The receiving corps has gotten a little faster and a little more versatile with the addition of Tim Dwight. If Deion Branch carries over his Super Bowl performance, David Givens maintains his good hands, and Bethel Johnson, Troy Brown, Andre Davis and Dwight contribute, you might not have the two best wideouts in the league, but you have a mighty, mighty corps. Add in Watson, Daniel Graham and Christian Fauria in a few double tight end sets, and defenses are going to be scratching their heads the way opposing offenses have the last four years.

Outside of Bruschi and Johnson, New England has lost nothing on defense. I won't even count Ty Law, because he wasn't there the last 13 weeks. The stitched-together secondary has gelled over the last better part of a year, and there's no reason to believe they can't repeat their performance, especially if they can remain healthy week-to-week. There are virtually no changes up front, so expect what you got last year, only more so.

Adam Vinatieri is still The Man on special teams. His resume speaks for itself. Josh Miller is a serviceable punter and far better than the previous employees. With a wide selection of kick and punt returners and some vicious cover men, the Patriots have one of the better special teams compliments in the league.

The league relishes in giving the Patriots one of the toughest schedules year to year. New England hits the road for This year they start with a "short" week, but thankfully get to host the NFL opener against Oakland on Thursday night. It gets tough quick with trips to NFC contender Carolina in Week 2 and AFC runner-up Pittsburgh in Week 3. Hosting San Diego in Week 4 is no cakewalk, and traveling to Atlanta is Week 5 is no reward either. They remain on the road heading to Denver in Week 6 before receiving what will probably be a much needed bye during Week 7.

I see them at 4-2 coming off the bye when they will host Buffalo and hand the Bills their first defeat of the season. Then it's the game of the season as the Patriots seek to continue Peyton Manning's futility in the northland in Week 9. If they can get through Indy at 6-2, it's fairly clear sailing down the stretch, alternating road and home games the rest of the way. The hapless Dolphins and devastated New Orleans are followed by a potential trip-up at Kansas City. A home win over the Jets puts New York in dire straits and makes them less of a threat in the day-after-Christmas visit three weeks later. In between are a trip to Buffalo and a homer against Tampa. The Pats end the regular season with a New Year's Day celebration at Gillette with Miami in town.

2. Buffalo Bills (10-6) I hate to make one player so important, since I'll downplay individual performances elsewhere, but everything in Buffalo rides on J.P. Losman. Unlike his predecessor, Losman has some mobility, and he'll need it behind a mediocre offensive line that saw little improvement in the offseason. Losman does however possess the tools and beyond being more mobile is also a bit more cerebral than the last signal caller, but he's obviously still inexperienced and prone to making bad decisions. His accuracy has also been called into question, and he'll need to work on that.

Otherwise, he has the bodies to throw to. Eric Moulds is as dangerous as ever, and Lee Evans and Josh Reed are excellent compliments. Rookie Roscoe Parrish should contribute as a wideout and return man. However, unlike past seasons, the Bills have no great tight end to speak of.

Willis McGahee showed his knee is fully healed and had a great season. He's going to have to duplicate the feat to keep defenses honest and give Losman an extra split second or two. Fullback Daimon Shelton is a decent blocker who could help McGahee find daylight.

Buffalo's defense was the glue that kept the offense from peeling off the field. Ranked seventh against the rush, third against the pass and second overall, the defense is going to have to keep games close, and then we'll see if Losman can pull out a few wins. The defensive roster reads like a litany of guys you don't want to meet in a dark alley. Sam Adams, Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, London Fletcher, Takeo Spikes, Jeff Posey, Nate Clements, Lawyer Milloy, Troy Vincent and Terrance McGee. Soft spots? I think not. If only the offense holds up its end.

The Bills are nothing spectacular on special teams. Rian Lindell is going to have to be consistent, because if Losman struggles in the red zone, Lindell is going to have to have his hip joint oiled. Brian Moorman is an above-average punter with a good net average -- and he can stick them inside the 20.

The Bills have a few tough games up front, but they're at home, and if they can pull those out, they're on their way to the playoffs. They'll have to knock off a hyped Houston squad in the home/season opener and then handle Atlanta in Week 3. Otherwise, trips to Tampa in Week 2 and New Orleans (wherever) in Week 4 shouldn't pose too much of a threat. Back-to-back home dates against Miami and the Jets should send Buffalo to Oakland at 6-0. They should return 7-0 and then they get the rude awakening of a lifetime when they march into Gillette Stadium in Week 8.

The second half has only a few breaks, and it's make-or-break in the next three weeks: Kansas City, San Diego and Carolina. The Chiefs and Jags are home games, which just might be the difference. If Buffalo can knock off Miami on the road, they'll still be in contention when they host New England in Week 14. Denver at home could be a tough one if the Broncs still have something to play for, but road games at Cincinnati and the Jets should be wins as those teams will have been eliminated. Buffalo will have to do more than "show up," but the games are winnable.

3. New York Jets (7-9) Until Chad Penninton proves otherwise, his shoulder and resulting accuracy are an issue. On the other hand, he still has more upside than down.

Question: Can Curtis Martin keep piling up the yards? I love Martin, always have. I thought the worst move the Patriots made in the pre-Brady era was letting Martin get away. New England should have offered the Jets Drew Bledsoe and two other players to keep Martin. Water under the bridge. Martin has been consistent at worst and superior otherwise. He's going for an eleventh straight 1,000-yard season to start a career, and he has an offensive line that can open holes to the Promised Land.

The problem is this: If Pennington shows any lack of ability, teams will start loading up against the run, and that will make lift difficult.

If Pennington can throw and throw quickly and accurately, he has a fantastic corps of receivers beginning with Laveranues Coles and Justin McCareins. Must be nice to have Wayne Chrebet as "just another receiver."

I'd almost rather go with Jay Fiedler, who I always thought was underrated and improperly used in Miami by Dave Wannstedt, possibly the worst NFL head coach since Pete Carroll.

I don't know about this defense, despite their rank (No. 7 last year). Lots of changes the last few years, and Ty Law's foot will be yet another question early on. A lot of teams are going to test this secondary.

A pair of rookie kickers (Mike Nugent, K; Ben Graham, P) doesn't sound like the kind of special teams I want to depend on.

Want to know the real weak spot on this team? The coaches. Players love them, they prepare well enough, they coach practice fine. They manage games horribly. How many times can you really mismanage the clock? I mean, high school coaches do better than that. Confusion on the sideline is never good for any team, and the Jets have made it an art form.

The Jets first-half schedule is brutal with road games at KC to open the season, Baltimore in Week 4, followed by Buffalo and Atlanta in Weeks 6 and 7. If not for Miami and Tampa Bay at home in Weeks 2 and 5, the Jets could pack it in before the Week 8 bye. (They also have Jacksonville at home in Week 3. No poesy picking there.) I see the Jets at 3-4 heading to their break.

The only blessing in the second half is that they come off the bye at home against San Diego, because then they travel to Carolina and Denver, which should put an end to hopes of making the playoffs. Why? Because they still have two games with New England going down the stretch, at Gillette in Week 13 and the day-after-Christmas game. They finish the season hosting Buffalo, who is going to want to win that one badly. The Jets will have a couple chances with home dates against New Orleans (Week 12) and Oakland (14) and a travel game in Miami (15). The wild card will be a long forgone conclusion by then.

4. Miami Dolphins (4-12) Ricky don't lose that number. Oh, never mind. You lost it. And then you lost about 40 pounds of which you gained back maybe 15. You're not, you're just simply not going to see this guy blasting through lines, running people over, getting all bad with himself. Williams may evolve into more of a finesse runner, but don't count on it. I don't think there's a lot of evolution potential there.

Good thing the Dolphins drafted Ronnie Brown, but I'd shelter him away somewhere for this season so he doesn't get killed. You see, opposing defenses are going to be stacking the box because for the first time in a Galapagos turtle's age, Miami doesn't have a quarterback! OK, OK, they have a couple guys who play the position of quarterback, but ... Gus Frerotte? A guy who headbutts support structures? That's your starting quarterback? And A.J. Feeley is your backup?

I don't care who is running routes, and it's a pretty nifty set of receivers. Frerotte and Feeley could barely hit the water if they were in a boat in the middle of the ocean. The offensive line is nothing to write home about, so Frerotte and Feeley are pretty much going to be running for their lives.

Unfortunately, that will be the case for Brown too, at first. Williams has to serve his four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

The Dolphins might have a pretty decent defense, but you won't know it because they'll all be fighting for the oxygen machine between series. Even if they succeed in getting the ball back to their offense, there's not going to be a lot of time to rest. To make matters worse, Miami is switching to a 3-4, which is going to disrupt the only stable portion of the team. I couldn't find the NFL record for time of possession. It's probably around 22-23 minutes. Look for Miami to challenge that.

Kicker Olindo Mare and punter Matt Turk are among the games best. And they're going to be busy.

Nick Saban got here 2, maybe 3 years late.

Miami opens with three tough dates (Denver, at Jets, Carolina), probably all loses, before an early bye week that help them not at all. I have them 0-6 before they finally break the goose egg "at" New Orleans, and only because the Saints are going to have the worst year of any franchise in a long time. Neither you, I, nor the Dolphins want to consider the rest of the schedule, so we'll end it here.

AFC North: Steelers, Ravens, Browns, Bengals

Steelers Edge Ravens, While Bungals Return to Futility

For two teams in this division, 2005 is the beginning of great new things. For the other two, it's the beginning of the end. For Pittsburgh, it actually the continuation of great new things almost realized last season. The Ben Roethlisberger era continues not quite the way it started, but sunny days are ahead for the black and gold. In Cleveland, the Charlie Weis era begins, and while many gray days remain, it's the future that has a golden gleam for the Brownies. It is the last hurrah for Baltimore, an aging yet still formidable defense and a questionable but improving offense that may be enjoying its last days in the sun. And then there's Cincinnati and the return of the Bungals. Such promise they showed when Marvin Lewis arrived, yet now all that remains are false hopes and a couple loudmouths.

1. Pittsburgh (13-3) The question heading into the season for the stellar Steelers is Will Roethlisberger be the same, or was last year a fluke? It's a question we'll be able to answer only about halfway through the season, but this much we know now: He's not going to have as much help from his receiving corps as he did last year.

Gone is tall, go-getter Plaxico Burress, the guy who almost single-handedly drove the nail into the Patriots 21-game winning streak last season. The 6-foot-5 225-pounder is with the Giants now, replaced -- sort of -- with Antwaan Randle El, 5-10, 192, soaking wet. Roethlisberger isn't just going to be able use his Bledsoe-like "I'll just huck it downfield and see if my guy can get it." routine. Granted, Randle El is much speedier and could add a different dimension to Roethlisberger's game. We'll just have to see if Big Ben has the precision needed to hit a speedy guy on the run.

Pittsburgh's running game was thrown suddenly into question a couple weeks ago, when Jerome Bettis tweaked his right calf during the preseason, and co-starter Duce Staley is still questionable from knee surgery earlier this summer, though he should be ready soon. Even so, injuries two your top two backs this early in the season generally isn't a good sign.

Fortunately, the "smallest" guy on the O line is center Jeff Hartings at 299 pounds. That should help anyone behind the line from getting hit hard or often.

Enter the No. 1 ranked defense in the league -- first against the run, fourth against the pass. If the offense isn't going to score many, the defense isn't going to allow many. Let's start with the front three of this surreal 3-4 set. Nose tackle Casey Hampton, and end Kimo von Oelhoffen and Aaron Smith combined for only 83 tackles all last season. That's because that's not their job so much as clog things up and let the linebackers and defensive backs do their jobs.

Case in point: left inside linebacker James Farrior, who alone out-tackled the front three with 95 tackles of his own. He also had 4 interceptions and 3 sacks. How about Troy Polamalu? He had 94 tackles, 5 INTs and a sack. Or Chris Hope? Ninety tackles, 1 INT. The rest of these guys are just average (note the facetiousness): linebacker Joey Porter (54 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 interception), linebacker Larry Foote (69, 3, 1), cornerback Deshea Townsend (56 tackles, 4 interceptions), cornerback Willie Williams (54, 1) and linebacker Clark Haggans (36 tackles, 6 sacks).

Scary.

Chris Gardocki has been one of the league's top punters for years. His services aren't needed that often, but he delivers when called upon. Kicker Jeff Reed lacks a little accuracy, but Heinz Field is a notoriously tough place to kick. Ricardo Colclough and Randle El share return duties. While both have touchdown potential, neither has broken one in a while.

I don't see a repeat of the Steelers' 15-1 record from last year. Bettis and Staley's absence leaves second-year man Willie Parker as the Steelers wheels for the season/home opener against Tennessee. After a trip to Houston, which is no walk in the park, the Steelers are going to need to be ready when two-time defending champion New England rolls into town in Week 3. A bye during Week 4 is probably not what they wanted, but might be advantageous of Bettis and Staley are slow getting back.

October is full or more tricks than treats with a Monday Night trip to San Diego coming off the bye followed by a pair of home dates against improved Jacksonville and ever-dangerous division opponent Baltimore sandwiching a road trip to doormat Cincinnati. November is definitely a difficult stretch with 3 of 4 games on the road. Fortunately the first, to Green Bay, shouldn't be a major exercise. That's followed by a home date with pushover Cleveland. Then it's on the road for the rematch with Baltimore and another Monday Night trip, this time to Indianapolis.

If the Steelers survive Thanksgiving weekend festivities, the rest of the schedule has them coasting to the playoffs with back-to-back home games against Cincy and Chicago (2 wins), back-to-back roadies at Minnesota and Cleveland (probably 2 wins), and wrap it up at home with a meaningful game with Detroit. The Lions will be playing for their playoff lives, and Pittsburgh will be looking to secure home field advantage.

2. Baltimore (12-4) Baltimore faces a similar predicament as Pittsburgh. Quarterback Kyle Boller is still an unknown quantity. Another Bledsoe prototype, he has the physical qualifications, but his accuracy and decision-making are suspect. Boller doesn't have to become a playmaker, though no one would complain. He just needs to control himself and manage the game when he's on the field. He needs to get rid of the ball, even if it's to the third row in the stands, and he has to avoid defenders breadbaskets.

Running back Jamal Lewis can make Boller's life easier if he stays out of jail. Lewis should have space to run as the Ravens field one of the biggest offensive lines in the game with center Mike Flynn tipping the scales at 305, and he's the smallest guy up front. Supporting him are guards Edwin Mulitalo (345) and Keydrick Vincent (325) and tackles Jonathan Ogden (345) and Orlando Brown (360).

Todd Heap is a mountain with good hands at tight end and should have a good year if he stays healthy. Sure-handed offseason acquisition Derrick Mason is going to be of monumental assistance to Boller, and rookie Mark Clayton should quickly develop into a legitimate threat.

Defensively, Ray Lewis is still the loudest, most obnoxious player on the field, though competition has increased greatly in the last couple years. The Ravens, for all the press they get, were ranked tied for eighth last season, only tenth against the run and sixth against the pass. That could be an indication of the defense getting a year older and slowing down a step. Lewis had 146 tackles, down from the mid-160s. Still an outrageous number.

Right end Terrell Suggs anchors the line in the 4-3 scheme. The secondary is highlighted by safety Ed Reed, who may be the real star on this side of the line, and cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Titan acquisition Samari Rolle. Deion Sanders is on this team for some reason. I guess head loudmouth Brian Billick likes to keep a couple extra loud guys around so he doesn't look like such a loudmouth.

Kicker Matt Stover is solid and reliable. Punter Dave Zastudil kicks them a little short but landed about a third of his punts inside the 20 last year. Return man B.J. Sams has had trouble holding on to the ball in the past but has respectable yardage stats.

The Ravens have a pretty easy schedule, so they should do better than last year's mark of 9-7, but this year may be the peak of the hill. Baltimore opens at home with the best game of Week 1, vs. Indianapolis followed by a stroll through Tennessee. An early bye week won't help in the long run. October is spotty with only two home dates against the Jets and Cleveland, both winnable, but tough road matchups at Detroit in Week 5 and Pittsburgh (Monday) in Week 8. They're also vacationing in Chicago during Week 7.

November opens and closes easy with home and away battles against Cincinnati with a trip to Jacksonville and the second game with Pittsburgh in between. The Ravens will have to pour it on down the stretch, and the schedule should be beneficial, as they have three of four at home in December, facing Houston, Green Bay (Monday) and Minnesota, all winnable. The big road block is a road trip to Denver in Week 14. Baltimore wraps it up in Cleveland on New Year's Day, when they could still be fighting for the division title.

3. Cleveland (4-12) Cleveland made one great move during the offseason that is going to pay off in spades, maybe not this year, but a few years down the road. Landing former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is the thing this team needed more than anything else. Disciplined, level-headed, a task master who is loved for his tough love, Crennel can give Cleveland what it's deserved lo these many years. As long as the Browns fans give Crennel the one thing he needs: patience. It's not going to happen overnight.

Offseason acquisition quarterback Trent Dilfer is another brilliant move. Steady, tough as nails and not afraid to tell off a star, Dilfer is the granite pillar in the storm the Browns need to stabilize this helter-skelter offense. A real leader who knows what it takes, he may not have the best arm or legs, but he does his job and he does it well.

Another superb acquisition that will make Dilfer's job easier is former Patriot guard Joe Andruzzi, maybe the best in the game at his position. Andruzzi has a resume the other linemen will acknowledge, and with three new faces on the line, someone is going to need to be the glue to rein in the horses. That will be Andruzzi. It will take time for them to adjust and gel, but it looks like a good unit, if a little small compared to Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

This is all good news for injury-prone running back Lee Suggs who looks like he's going to start the season on the injury list again. Fortunately, the Browns new general manager Phil Savage (a Scott Pioli clone?) made another brilliant move and brought in former Broncos workhorse Reuben Droughns. Should Suggs falter, Droughns should excel, and he can take a pounding.

Which brings us to the crux of the Browns success or failure. Wide receivers Dennis Northcutt, Antonio Bryant and rookie Braylon Edwards have (and have had) the potential to make the Browns a dangerous downfield team. For whatever reason (lousy offensive line, no running game and quarterbacks just hoping to survive), the passing game never thrived. They're not going to be the greatest show on turf, but stability is the key phrase this season. The loss of Kellen Winslow Jr. (again) is a setback, so don't expect greatness from tight end, although Steve Heiden and Aaron Shea are serviceable.

The 32nd-ranked rushing defense in the NFL can't get any worse. That's the good news. Crennel is a defensive prodigy. That's more good news. That's about all I have for you. This squad is going to struggle mightily, but you can't solve all your problems in one season. Crennel obviously is installing a 3-4 defense, and fortunately Butch Davis in all his non-methodical madness brought in a good number of linebackers, which should be of some consolation.

Kicker Phil Dawson is a little shaky, hovering around 80 percent field goal percentage, but he has the ability to hit the 50-yarder. Punter Kyle Richardson, another newcomer -- this place looks like an expansion franchise again -- is the projected starter, but don't get too attached to him.

Richard Alston should be your kick returner and Northcutt punt returner. Both broke returns for TDs last season (Northcutt, 2).

The Browns definitely want to win the season/home opener against Cincinnati, because it's going to be a tough road after that with trips to Green Bay and Indianapolis. A Week 4 bye to open October may allow Suggs to get ready for the long haul, and a post-bye hosting of Chicago could get the Brownies rolling. Unfortunately they travel to Baltimore right after that. Then they host Detroit and travel to Houston. With the exception of Indianapolis and probably Baltimore, the rest of these games are winnable. I just don't think Crennel will have his new Frankenstein sewn completely together soon enough.

Things aren't so bad in the second half with Tennessee coming to town in Week 9 and Miami in Week 11, but trips to Pittsburgh (Week 10) and Minnesota (12) could pose problems. The Browns have three winnable games to open December, at home against Jacksonville (tough, but winnable) and trips to Cincinnati and Oakland. A Saturday Christmas Eve matchup home against Pittsburgh probably won't lead to a happy holiday though. The Browns have a chance to wreck visiting Baltimore's New Year in the final game of the regular season.

4. Cincinnati (3-13) I'm obviously in the minority here. A lot of people expect good things, but the second half of the schedule (if Cleveland and Buffalo play well) is going to be like running the 400-meter hurdles. They simply don't measure up to Pittsburgh or Baltimore, and if Cleveland improves enough, that could be six losses right there. More about the schedule later.

If this team struggles, it will be a waste of one of the great up and coming quarterbacks in the league. Chris Palmer has definitely shown signs of future greatness, but the front office and coaches didn't go out of their way to help him this offseason. I guess the status quo at 8-8 last year was good enough for them.

Rudi Johnson had a great season last year, and he's going to need to repeat that performance if the Bengals are going to go anywhere. I need a little more convincing before I believe he is the answer in Cincinnati when Corey Dillon wasn't. A heavy-duty offensive line should help, but I'm not quite sold on these guys the way some other experts are.

Chad Johnson is unstoppable. So he says. He says a lot. He says it loud. You'd think he was on Baltimore. So far, he's backed it up. It's going to take more than a couple 8-8 seasons to make any matter. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is all the more dangerous on the opposite side of the field, but I don't know what kind of meaningful depth they have here or at tight end. If someone shuts Chad's mouth, the face of this offense could sour quickly.

The Bengals run a 4-3 defense with a pretty weak front. That's generally not good. The secondary is solid, but if Cincinnati can't stop the run (26th last season), well, you know how that goes.

Kicker Shayne Graham has some range, but isn't particularly accurate and averaged less than two attempts per game last year. That could be trouble in close games. Punter Kyle Larson is better than average and dumps about a third of his work inside the 20. None of the potential return men, outside of Houshmandzadeh, are much to write home about. We'll just have to wait and see.

The Bengals are going to have to be fast out of the gate. They travel to Cleveland for the season opener and then open at home with visiting Minnesota. Cincinnati rounds out September with a trip to Chicago. They really need to be 2-1 at worst, but 3-0 would be a big help in the long run. If they start 1-2 or worse, it's not going to be pretty.

October has them at home for three of five, facing a challenging Houston squad in Week 4, tough Pittsburgh in Week 7, and a who-knows-what-to-expect Green Bay in Week 8. There are back-to-back road trips to tough Jacksonville and failing Tennessee in Weeks 5 and 6.

The second half of the season starts out with a trip to Baltimore. If Cincinnati is even in any shape to play that game, you will have to wonder if they're just begging to get to their bye in Week 10. Cincy comes off the by to host Indianapolis and Baltimore to end November. December will be no cakewalk with trips to Pittsburgh and Detroit and home matchups with Cleveland and Buffalo. The regular season ends Jan. 1 at Kansas City.

Marvin Lewis came to town with high expectations: a players' coach and a defensive genius. After going 8-8 in his first season (an improvement from the previous regime's 2-14), Lewis followed up with ... 8-8. At least he's consistent. For all his alleged defensive prowess, this team hasn't shown it, and I wonder if players are buying into the program, or if they can even hear the program above Chad Johnson. I think this is a make or break year for Lewis.

2005 NFL Season Picks

Here are my picks for the season and playoffs.
Read my division-by-division analysis over the next few days.

	AFC
EAST	NORTH	SOUTH	WEST
1. New England (13-3)	1. Pittsburgh (13-3)	1. Indianapolis (11-5)	1. San Diego (10-6)
*2. Buffalo (10-6)	*2. Baltimore (12-4)	2. Jacksonville (8-8)	2. Denver (9-7)
3. N.Y. Jets (7-9)	3. Cleveland (4-12)	3. Houston (8-8)	3. Kansas City (8-8)
4. Miami (4-12)	4. Cincinnati (3-13)	4. Tennessee (3-13)	4. Oakland (2-14)
	NFC
EAST	NORTH	SOUTH	WEST
1. Philadelphia (13-3)	1. Detroit (8-8)	1. Atlanta (13-3)	1. Seattle (12-4)
*2. N.Y. Giants (12-4)	2. Green Bay (8-8)	*2. Carolina (12-4)	2. St Louis (8-8)
3. Dallas (9-7)	3. Minnesota (8-8)	3. Tampa Bay (5-11)	3. Arizona (6-10)
4. Washington (3-13)	4. Chicago (3-13)	4. New Orleans (0-16)	4. San Francisco (3-13)
	WILD	CARD
	Buffalo @	Indianapolis
	Baltimore @	San Diego
	N.Y. Giants @	Detroit
	Carolina @	Seattle
	DIVISIONAL	PLAYOFF
	Indianapolis @	New England
	Baltimore @	Pittsburgh
	N.Y. Giants @	Atlanta
	Carolina @	Philadelphia
	CONFERENCE	CHAMPIONSHIPS
	Carolina @	Atlanta
	Pittsburgh @	New England
	SUPER BOWL	XXIX
	NEW ENGLAND	ATLANTA