Last Week: 8-6
On the Season: 32-41 (But I’m 16-11 over the last two weeks; I’m getting back up there)
Locks of the Week: 4-1

This week’s games:

Oakland Raiders @ New Orleans Saints (-7): The Saints were moving the ball up and down the field against Minnesota, and they’ve got a much better defense. Come to think of it, they’ve also got a better offense. Oakland is coming off the Lane Kiffin fiasco, and something tells me this team will be lost on the field. Saints have no D, but ride the Reggie Bush high for now. New O’leans covers.

Baltimore Ravens @ Indianapolis Colts (-4): I think last week was the coming out party for the Colts. This game worries me. I wouldn’t bet it if I didn’t have to. But if you do, take Indy at home.

Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets (-5.5): Bravo to Carson Palmer and the Bengals, who have kept these games close. But with a week off to rest, take the Jets to win by a TD.

Carolina Panters @ Tampa Bay Bucs (-1): The Panthers have been good because they’ve really been able to run the ball. Guess what? Tampa Bay doesn’t really let people run the ball. Jeff Garcia is back in, but who really thinks Brian Griese is the better guy to go with? I love this pick. Bucs cover, win by 10.

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings (-13): The Lions have been outscored 86-0 in all of their games before they ever get their first touchdown. That’s a bad stat, unless you’re a gambler and you’re going against them. Vikes cover.

Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons (+4): I hate this game. Really, really do. The Falcons are that team you’re never going to get a read on. But every game they’ve been at home they’ve covered. And on the year they’re 3-2 against the spread. I like the points at home. Take the Falcons.

Miami Dolphins (+3) @ Houston Texans: Last week was probably rock bottom. Rebounding will be hard. Take the team on the roll. Time for more of the Wildcat Formation. Ronnie Brown, Dolphins run all over Houston.

St. Louis Rams @ Washington Redskins (-13): You fire your coach and replace him with the defensive coordinator that hasn’t stopped an offense he’s played all year? Odd choice. ‘Skins have surprised me. And I’m tired of betting against them and losing. Washington covers.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos (-3): If the Jags can’t run, they can’t win. And this year, they aren’t able to play defense, either. Ben Roethlisberger threw all over this team. What do you think Denver’s going to do? This should be easy: Take the Broncos.

Philadelphia Eagles (-4) @ San Francisco 49′ers: It’s bounce back week for the Eagles.

Dallas Cowboys @ Arizona Cardinals (+5): Too many points at home. And has anyone really thought the ‘Boys look like a Championship team right now? Too many close calls, and Tony Romo has often looked lost back in the pocket.

New England Patriots (+5) @ San Diego Chargers: The Chargers just burn me way too much when I bet on them.

Lock of the Week:

New York Giants (-8) @ Cleveland Browns: The Giants have been way too good against bad defenses. And their defense, without Usi and Michael, hasn’t missed a beat, and may have somehow gotten better. The road doesn’t get any easier for Romeo Crennel. Giants win, 3,217-3.

Week 5 has come and gone, and that means it’s time for Power Rankings, one of the dumber things in sports, but something we all read when we stumble upon it.

Most major sites — ESPN and CBS — have the Giants at No. 1. And while the Giants have looked really, really good, the bottom line is they’ve had a bye week, giving them only four wins, and the Titans haven’t, giving them five wins. That’s where we start this week off.

1.) Tennessee Titans: I bet them at -2, and it took a cheap personal foul that wasn’t a personal foul to help them pull off the win. That said, every Super Bowl winner is often more lucky than they are unlucky.

2.) New York Giants: They clobbered the Seahawks, but it seems like everyone’s been doing that. The reason I’m not ready to jump on the Giants bandwagon and throw them as No. 1: The four teams they’ve faced have a combined five wins. Let’s wait until they play the Cowboys, Eagles and Skins on the road before we get ahead of ourselves.

3.) Washington Redskins: After their Week 1 game, I figured they’d never get this high. How long will the ‘Skins go without having a single offensive turnover?

4.)Pittsburgh Steelers: I haven’t been super impressed with them, but it’s the rest of the NFL that’s been stinking it up that gets them this high. Ben Roethlisberger looks fantastic, but the rest of the team has holes everywhere.

5.) Dallas Cowboys: Terrance Newman, Pacman Jones and Roy Williams may constitute the single worst secondary in NFL history not named the ‘08 Rams and Lions. Pacman’s fast but can’t cover, Newman just can’t cover, and Roy Williams looks like a slow linebacker. It’ll take a lot for this team to make it to Tampa.

6.) Buffalo Bills: I’ll give them a pass since their starting QB went out after only attempting three passes. But that defense that had been good looked awful on Sunday.

7.) Denver Broncos: Can the defense play as well all year as they did against Tampa on Sunday?

8.) Carolina Panthers: I said at the beginning of the year that this was the team to beat in the NFC South. Jake’s back, Steve Smith isn’t punching anyone in the face, and the much maligned defense from last year is putting pressure on the QB.

9.) New England Patriots: I don’t think anyone’s super scared of them this year, but they’re still managing to win without a Hall of Fame QB. I hate to say it, but Bill Belichick really is an evil genius out there.

10.) Baltimore Ravens: They lost to the Titans, maybe the best team in the League, and the Pittsburgh, one of the best teams in the League. In both games, they had a victory only to see it snatched away.

11.) Chicago Bears: If Kyle Orton can pass like he did against the Lions — who am I kidding? Everyone passes that way against them — then the Bears could find themselves back in the Super Bowl.

12.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I’m still wondering just how sold I am on Brian Griese at QB. One thing’s for sure: Their defense can really play.

13.) New York Jets: They had a bye week, but they looked good a couple weeks back.

14.) Arizona Cardinals: This is one of those teams that looks great at home and lousy on the road. Thankfully for Arizona fans, they’re in the NFC West, so seven or eight wins should do the trick.

15.) Atlanta Falcons: Yes, I’m putting the Falcons this high. No one in Atlanta is saying playoffs this year, but they are relieved that the next decade looks bright for the first time since the franchise came to be.

16.) Indianapolis Colts: Barely beat Minnesota. Barely beat the Texans. These just don’t look like the same old Colts we’ve gotten used to.

17.) Minnesota Vikings: It’s good to see the Vikes can win even if AP doesn’t rush for 150+.

18.) Green Bay Packers: How long before the games are blamed on Aaron Rodgers? Nevermind that he threw for over 300 yards; soon it’ll be his fault as the losses stack up.

19.) Jacksonville Jaguars: Their running game has just disappeared.

20.) Philadelphia Eagles: I’m starting to think this team has been figured out.

21.) New Orleans Saints: Reggie Bush is quieting the people that say he wasn’t built for the NFL. He almost single-handedly won the game, only to watch New Orleans piss it away.

22.) Miami Dolphins: I don’t think the Dolphins will finish better than the Chargers, but given that they beat them, it’s hard to argue that they shouldn’t be ahead of them in the rankings.

23.) San Diego Chargers: Is LT really averaging 63 yards per game? Is the defense really that bad without Merriman?

24.) San Francisco 49′ers: They started to look like they were making the turn. But a young, fast defense is looking its age.

25.) Seattle Seahawks: We knew the offense may struggle. We didn’t know the defense was incapable of stopping anyone.

26.) Cleveland Browns: The clock is ticking for when we see Brady Quinn.

27.) Houston Texans: That was a tough, tough loss. How can you blow a lead like that in less than three minutes: Sage Rosenfels is a guy I wouldn’t want to be right now.

28.) Oakland Raiders: No more Lane Kiffin. The guy had them playing well; let’s see how they adapt to Jim Haslett.

29.) Kansas City Chiefs: It’s not often you can have one win five weeks into the season, lose 34-0, have Tyler Thigpen as your starting QB and you’re still not in position to get the No. 1 pick in the 2009 Draft.

30.) Cincinnati Bengals: This team is playing better than KC, but by record they don’t get the nod.

31.) St. Louis Rams: A bye week spares them the last spot.

32.) Have you seen a team this bad in a long time? I’m younger — 26 — but don’t ever remember seeing an NFL team that was this pitiful. They’ve got too much talent to go 0-16, but it’s hard to dispute that they’re much worse than last year’s Miami team that almost accomplished the feat. No defense at all.

Here’s a list after Week 5 of who’s doing what. The Vikes and Saints are still set to play tonight, so their game isn’t included in here. That said, the rankings are below. If you’re looking to just play the numbers, next week’s strong horses would be Washington, New York, Tennessee, Chicago and Baltimore. Teams to avoid: St. Louis, Detroit and, surprsingly, Dallas. Below is all 32 teams and how they rank at covering the spread.

New York Giants: 3-1
Washington Redskins: 4-1
Indianapolis: 2-2
Chicago: 3-1-1
Arizona: 3-2
SF: 2-3
Carolina: 3-1-1
SD: 2-3
Dallas: 2-3
Cleveland: 2-2
Jacksonville: 1-4
Tennessee: 5-0
Tampa Bay: 4-1
New Orleans: 2-2
Kansas City: 2-3
New England: 2-2
NYJ: 2-2
Miami: 2-2
Seattle: 1-3
Buffalo: 3-2
Detroit: 0-4
Atlanta: 3-2
Cincinnati: 2-3
Baltimore: 3-1
Houston: 1-3
Pittsburgh: 2-3
St. Louis: 0-4
Philadelphia: 3-2
Denver Broncos: 3-2
Green Bay: 2-3
Minnesota: 2-2
Oakland: 1-3

I’ve been on business all week, which would explain the lack of posts. So we’ll pick up this week where last week left off: With my picks, which are getting better (as if they could get worse). Here’s how I’m doing against the spread:

Last Week: 8-5
On the Season: 24-35
Locks of the Week: 3-1

This week’s games:

Indianapolis Colts (-3) @ Houston Texans: The Colts had a week off. The Texans have been incredibly disappointing. If the Colts lose this one, they’re in trouble. When was the last time you saw Peyton Manning 1-3? His rookie year. It won’t happen again. Colts win, cover.

San Diego Chargers (-6) @ Miami Dolphins: Can the Wild Hog formation work again? Me thinks no. It’s a bit high, but take the Chargers.

KC Chiefs @ Carolina Panthers (-9): How KC won last week is something I”m still scratching my head over. Again: Another high spread. I hate betting against these high spreads. But who’s got hte balls to bet on Damon Huard and that awful offense? Go with what’s logical, take the Panthers.

Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles (-5): For whatever reason, I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that Washington’s any good. Beating Dallas on the road should be reason enough to do the same to Philly, but I don’t like it. Take the Eagles, who are close to unstoppable at home.

Chicago Bears (-3.5) @ Detroit Lions: Pop quiz: Who’s the only team that hasn’t covered yet? Yes, it’s the Lions. And worst of all, they’ve been down by 18 points or more before they ever get on the board. Bears roll.

Atlanta Falcons @ Green Bay Packers (-3): I’d love Atlanta to win it, but like I said last week: This team just can’t play on the road. Packers win.

Seattle Seahawks (+7) @ New York Giants: New York wins, but take the touchdown. Seattle covers.

Tampa Bay Bucs (+3) @ Denver Broncos: I think the Broncos are going to find it’s hard to win games if they can’t stop the run or pass. And the defense they’re playing this week is pretty damn good.

New England Patriots (-3) @ San Francisco 49′ers: Do you want to bet against Belichick with two weeks to prepare? Me neither. Take the Pats in a bounce back game.

Buffalo Bills @ Arizona Cardinals (-1): The Cards have looked rough on teh road, but theyu’ve looked pretty solid at home. Buffalo’s been a nice story, but they suffer their first loss in this one.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Dallas Cowboys (-16): Watching this Cincinnati team is like watching Wile E. Coyote take that first step off the cliff. Oops! ‘Boys win, 217-3.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Jacksonville Jaguars (-4): The Steelers can’t stop the run and they can’t block. Not good when you’re playing a good D-line and a good running game. Last year the Jags had their number. This year I don’t think it’ll be much different. Take the Jags to cover the four.

Minnesota Vikings (+3) @ New Orleans Saints: The Saints are starting to click, but I just don’t see that bad front seven able to stop AP & Co.

Lock of the Week:

Tennessee Titans (-3) @ Baltimore Ravens: Pop quiz: Who’s the only team in the NFL that has covered the spread every week? If you guessed the team I’m taking here, you’re right. This one scares me, but stats don’t lie. Titans roll.

So two out of the three weeks I’ve done terrible. Terrible with a capital T and each syllable really enunciated. Terr-I-Ble. That’s how I’ve been. Last year I started rough Week 1 and Week 2. That’s normal. Week 3, things are supposed to come together. This week I’ve got math on my side. I won’t reveal the secret, but I can promise 60% winners this week.

Last week: 4-12
On the Season: 16-30
Locks of the Week: 2-1

Denver Broncos (-10) @ Kansas City Chiefs: The Broncos offense is on point. And even though their defense isn’t really worth much, it should be alright against Tyler Thigpen or Damon Huard and the Chiefs. Denver covers.

Cleveland Browns (+3.5) @ Cincinnati Bengals: You never bet good money on bad teams. That said, I’ll take the points and the ‘dog. Browns cover, get their first win.

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars (-6): Maybe Jacksonville is finally getting something going. Houston has looked lost, and Matt Schaub may be just a few games away from being benched.

Arizona Cardinals @ New York Jets (-1.5): I heard some crazy stat about the Cardinals and what happens to this team when they play out east. I don’t remember the exact stat, but it was really bad, and it showed up last week against Washington. This Jets team isn’t very good, but I’ll take the past and bet on it. Favre, Jets win, cover.

San Francisco 49′ers @ New Orleans Saints (-5.5): The Saints lost two games against good opponents on the road. I think the trip back home will do them well. Saints cover.

Minnesota Vikings @ Tennessee Titans (-3): The Titans haven’t lost against the spread yet. That said, I won’t bet against them until they do. Take Tennessee to cover.

Green Bay Packers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1): The Packers offense struggled against that Dallas D, which isn’t much of a D. Tampa Bay threw the ball 67 times last week, but that won’t happen again. If you lose this game, take your hat off to Rodgers. But you won’t. Lock it up: Bucs win.

Buffalo Bills (-8) @ St. Louis Rams: So, the plan to salvage the Rams season is to start Trent Green? This should be fun. The spread could be 800. Bills cover.

San Diego Chargers (-8) @ Oakland Raiders: The Raiders have looked good against KC and Buffalo. They looked terrible against Denver, who passes. Guess what San Diego’s been doing? Chargers cover, win by 10.

Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys (-11): I saw Washington’s first road game. Sure, they’ve good at home. Let’s see what they do in Dallas. Me thinks it’ll be a blowout. ‘Boys cover.

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) @ Chicago Bears: Well, at least Chicago had that good win against Indy the first game. I think that’ll be a distant memory, and it shouldn’t be long until Sexy Rexy’s back.

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers (-5): I’d say Pittsburgh covering would be the lock of the week, but. .

-Lock of the Week:

Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers (-6): I love the Falcons. I do. And I won’t bet against them. But since you probably don’t have the same ties and love, rip every dime out of your savings account and bet this one big. Panthers cover, win by 17.

Below is a list of all teams in the NFL, and how they’re doing against the spread. Some notables to pay attention to.

Tennessee Titans: They’re 3-0 against the spread, and they’ve been covering pretty handily. It’s not as if it’s a squeaker in the fourth. It’s one of those games you’ve got that idea you’ve won by halftime. Always a nice feeling with money on the line.

Philadelphia Eagles: Also 3-0, the Eagles haven’t had many scares against the spread. They blew St. Louis out before the opening coin flip, were up two touchdowns against Dallas when they were a touchdown dog, and handled Pittsburgh all four quarters of their game on Sunday.

St. Louis Rams: Last year, it was fun watching the spread climb each week when the Patriots played. They started as 7 point favorites, then went to 12 point favorites, and before you knew it they were a 17-24 point favorite every week. At 0-3 against the spread and not looking like a safe bet, it’s just a matter of time before St. Louis is a 15+ point dog every week, especially now that Trent Green’s the starter.

Detroit Lions: Little Ford Jr. even wants Matt Millen gone. At what point will the Lions come to their senses and get rid of this guy? His team can’t stop the run, can’t stop the pass, can’t score, and can’t manage to not throw interceptions. They were down 21-0, 21-0, and then 21-3 in their first three games. Makes it hard to fight back and cover when you get down that deep.

The rest:

New York Giants: 2-1
Washington Redskins: 2-1
Indianapolis: 1-2
Chicago: 1-1-1
Arizona: 2-1
SF: 2-1
Carolina: 1-1-1
SD: 1-2
Dallas: 2-1
Cleveland: 1-2
Jacksonville: 1-2
Tennessee: 3-0
Tampa Bay: 2-1
New Orleans: 1-2
Kansas City: 1-2
New England: 1-2
NYJ: 1-2
Miami: 1-2
Seattle: 1-2
Buffalo: 2-1
Detroit: 0-3
Atlanta: 2-1
Cincinnati: 1-2
Baltimore: 2-0
Houston: 0-2
Pittsburgh: 1-2
St. Louis: 0-3
Philadelphia: 3-0

I observed a few things this weekend: One, I can’t win a bet against the spread right now to save my life. Honestly. Teasers, parlays, straight up, money lines. . . you name it. I can’t win. I’m in a funk, and I promise to get out of it. If you’re someone that says they predicted the Dolphins win over New England, well, you’re not fooling anyone. That said, here’s my observations from this week.

• The Falcons are a really, really good team when they play a really, really bad team.
• Herm Edwards won’t be coaching the Chiefs after this year’s 1-15 record. Looking ahead, they’ve got one game they’ll be favored: Week 16 at home with the Dolphins.
• It took a small scale miracle to come back and win a game they had no business winning, but you’ve gotta keep giving it to the Bills for figuring out ways to win. They may just be the team to beat in the AFC East.
• He’s going to get fired, but considering what he’s working with, Lane Kiffin isn’t doing a bad job.
• How many times this year do you think we’ll see Brian Griese have 67 attempts and throw for more than 400 yards?
• He didn’t look bad, but the big play just isn’t there for the Bears with Kyle Orton. His longest pass of the season? 32 yards. It may not be long before Sexy Rexy is back.
• Having played the Chargers, Bears, and Vikings in their first three games, the Panthers have to be pretty happy about being 2-1. The Vikes, on the other hand, can’t be too thrilled about 1-2.
• Sure, Tom Brady wasn’t there. But how many times was the Wild Hog formation going to work in this game before the New England D figured it out? Something to confess: This Patriots defense is getting older and older, and it’s finally starting to catch up with them. Thank you, Ronnie Brown, for having a coming out party the week my fantasy team is playing you.
• Say goodbye to Marvin Lewis. You can’t blame him for the loss, but this Cincy team has been spiraling downward since their loss to Pittsburgh three years ago in the playoffs.
• Are the Titans the best team in football right now? They don’t have a ton of star power, but they play great defense and just enough offense.
• The Texans were a potential surprise team. So much for that.
• How in the hell are the Redskins 2-1? I watched them live against New York, and my only thought is that they’re maybe a really good home team and a really poor away team. Good teams just don’t play the way they did that first game of the season.
• The Lions have been down 21-0, 21-0, and now 21-3. With the offensive firepower they have, there’s just no excuse for that. And at some point, stack some guys in the box so teams don’t average 10 yards per carry on you.
• Speaking of no defense: The Rams have been out-scored 115-29. Trade Torri, trade Stephen Jackson, and start over.
• Denver is on pace to break New England’s scoring record set just last year.
• The Eagles have everything they need to get to a Super Bowl, and they’re starting to prove it little by little.
• The Pats are 2-1. The Colts are 1-2. The Chargers are 0-3. What is happening to the AFC?
• Time to put a timeline on when Brady Quinn gets his first start.
• The Cowboys are the toast of the NFC, and they proved it by beating Green Bay on the road.

After a horrible first week, I finished at 8-7 last week. There’s a trend in betting the unpredictable year-to-year NFL teams: Week 1 is always miserable, Week 2 is a little better, Week 3 is a little better than that, and after Week 4 you hit your stride. I’m not saying this week will be my stride week; but I’ll finish over .500, and from here on out I’ll hit 10 games a week. Here’s how I’m doing.

PS: One thing that should be noted is that my Locks of the Week are now 2-0. Nobody bets every game in the NFL; if you take my lock, you’ll win.

Last week: 8-7
On the Season: 12-18
Locks of the Week: 2-0

Kansas City Chiefs @ Atlanta Falcons (-6): It’s tough to bet on a rookie QB when you’re giving up six points. But it’s even tougher to bet on a QB on the road named Tyler Thigpen. This’ll be the last time in a year the Falcons will be favored by a TD (minus the extra). They won’t run like they did against the Lions, but the home field should help. Falcons cover, win by seven.

Oakland Raiders @ Buffalo Bills (-9.5): Last week we got to see the Darren McFadden Show. The problem is that they played the Chiefs, who have a team full of rookies. The Bills defense has been good. Real good. If they can stop the Jags running game, stopping D-Fad shouldn’t be a problem. 9.5 is high. Real high. But JaMarcus Russell’s 5-17 completion to attempts last week will look good after this one. Take the Bills to cover, when by two TD’s.

Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans (-5): Kerry Collins was announced the starter over Vince Young this week, which led to a three day drinking binge. Thankfully, the Titans play defense and the Texans don’t play offense. I’m feeling something like 17-7. For those that need help, that’s 10 points. Titans cover, but jump on the under at 39.

Cincinnati Bengals @ NY Giants (-13): The Bengals look like that team of individuals that never plays as a team. Marvin’s gone after this year, Chad Johnson will be traded, Carson Palmer will find a new home, and the Bengals will start over. I’m getting somewhere: Take the Giants.

Arizona Cardinals (+3) @ Washington Redskins: Kurt Warner is looking like he did when he was slinging it in Mike Martz’s system. Washington looks as good as it did since Jim Zorn took over. That came out wrong. Beating New Orleans last week was nice. But the Cardinals are looking legitimate for the time in a decade. The points are nice, but ‘Zona wins straight up.

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots (-12): Even with Matt Cassel, do you want to bet against this team? If they can go to New York and win, they can win by two TD’s against the Dolphins. Ted Ginn, welcome to short-throw life with Chad Pennington.

Carolina Panthers (+3.5) @ Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson is out. Steve Smith is back. One team’s 2-0, the other is 0-2. Something just doesn’t add up. I like the Vikes, too. But take the Panthers in this one.

St. Louis Rams @ Seattle Seahawks (-9): What do you do when you’ve got no receivers and your team is struggling? You schedule the Rams, just in the knick of time. ‘Hawks suck. But the Rams really are that bad. Seattle covers.

Detroit Lions @ San Francisco 49′ers (-4): You see the Lions offense and you want to bet on ‘em. Then you see John Kitna and his inability to not throw a thousand picks, and you kick back to your senses. Do I see another 21-0 deficit before the offense kicks in gear? I do. Niners cover.

New Orleans Saints @ Denver Broncos (-5): The Broncos are on pace to beat the Patriots scoring record from last season. We all know that won’t happen, but we’ll still be talking about that offense after Week 3. The Saints couldn’t stop Washington, who looked like that high school team coming together for the first time the week before when they played the Giants. This game has Lock of the Week written all over it, only there’s one more out there that’s better. Take the Broncos to win. Parlay it with the over, and you’ll be real happy.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+4) @ Philadelphia Eagles: I like the Eagles. They’re good. They’ve got a wide receiver that drops balls before he reaches the end zone and a running back that does everything by himself. On the other side, four points to Pittsburgh, who might be the best team in the AFC, is an awful lot. Newsflash, Philly: This defense is better than Dallas. You won’t see 80 points in this one, but you’ll see the Steelers cover.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts (-5): The Jags have never really been able to beat the Colts, and that’s when they’ve been good. Their run game stinks, their pass game is non-existent, and their offensive line continues to get hurt. If the Colts jump up early, Garrard is forced to throw against a cut throat defensive line. Me thinks last week will spark something for Peyton. Me thinks that’s really, really bad for Jacksonville. I never thought this team would start 0-3, but I just don’t see things looking up anytime soon.

Cleveland Browns (+2) @ Baltimore Ravens: Don’t jump the Ravens’ sack just because they shut down the Bengals. We’re seeing little by little that a lot of teams can do that. Cleveland’s in a hole, but they’ve played two of the best teams in football. Browns cover.

Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers (+3): Three points when they’re playing at home? This has M-O-N-E-Y written all over it. It’s a Sunday Night game, and we all know how Romo does on national television. Packers win.

New York Jets (+9) @ San Diego Chargers: I’ve got no confidence in either of these teams, but the Chargers have burnt me two weeks in a row. Take the Jets.

-Lock of the Week
Tampa Bay Bucs @ Chicago Bears (-3): The Bears D is looking great. The Bucs have Brian Griese. Let’s put two and two together. Bears win 24-0.

Here’s what I learned from this weekend’s games:

• Green Bay is for real. And to be honest, they’ve got a quarterback that will probably throw just as many TD’s as Favre, while making only half the mistakes.
• The Lions have trailed 21-0 in both games now. And Jon Kitna, with all of his weapons, throws way too many interceptions. Calvin Johnson is starting to become that beast everyone thought he would be.
• The Chiefs have been in re-building mode for what seems like forever. Have they ever thought about drafting a quarterback? It’s the most important position, yet they want Huard, Croyle and Thigpen in control of it.
• I won’t say the New York Giants are the toast of the NFC yet. They beat a Redskins team that looked inept on offense, and a Rams team that looks inept everywhere.
• The Colts had to come back to win this one. Their run defense has got to get better — which will be tough with no Bob Sanders — and that offense has got to start clicking. These games in the teens just aren’t characteristic of the Indy offense.
• Minnesota is the best 0-2 team in the league.
• The Titans defense is for real. This terrible Cincy offense we’re seeing, it’s also for real. As in, this isn’t some kind of crazy apparition. They’re really that bad.
• The Saints can’t rely on offense all year long — they were supposed to be better on defense this year, but gave up 29 points to a team that looked lost the week before.
• Don’t get your hopes up, Washington fans. You’re not a very good team.
• My guess is that the Bears defense is for real again (go figure, I didn’t pick them as my D in my fantasy league). With that said, if they constantly play to “not lose,” they’re going to lose.
• The Panthers are at 2-0. Had they been 1-1 without Steve Smith they’d be happy, so this is just icing on the cake.
• Is Buffalo the toast of the AFC East?
• Is Jacksonville this year’s infamous “Thought they’d be good but they suck” team?
• Seattle has no wide receivers, which we knew, but the lack of defense has been kind of surprising from a team that’s loaded with talent on that side of the ball.
• The Falcons sucked it up the first half, but Matt Ryan looked good in the third and fourth quarters. This team isn’t going anywhere, but the future looks bright.
• Brian Griese is really going to be the quarterback when Jeff Garcia is healthy? What the hell is Gruden thinking?
• It’s gotta hurt ol’ Eric Mangini to lose to Belichick when Brady was out. People will talk about the three runs on the goal line, but the Jets didn’t run the ball enough the rest of the game. Let Belichick know you’re passing, and he’s going to get turnovers.
• The Dolphins stink.
• The Cardinals may finally be that team that everyone’s expected them to be for the last three years.
• The Chargers might have the worst D in the league. Not from a “Wow, look at this roster” standpoint, but from a, “Damn, they’re giving up a lot of points” standpoint.
• Jay Cutler the next John Elway? It’s a little early to say that, but I will say this: At this rate, Eddie Royal will be your Rookie of the Year. Who called that one?
• With Roethlisberger’s health, the crazy weather conditions, and being on the road, Pittsburgh just has to be happy with the win.
• That was sure some bad time management at the end of the half by Romeo Crennel and the Browns.
• If the Eagles or Cowboys are going to be the team to beat in the NFC, they’d better grow a defense really, really fast.

Here’s how the teams are doing against the spread after this week (minus the Eagles/Cowboys game). Notable teams to bet on are the Giants, Bills, Titans and Cardinals. Notable teams to stay the hell away from are the Chargers, Jaguars, Dolphins, Rams and the Lions (and even if you don’t bet, you probably knew that last one — my God, play some defense).

Anyway, the rest are obviously 1-1, but for proof, I’ve written it out for you.

New York Giants: 2-0
Washington Redskins: 1-1
Indianapolis: 1-1
Chicago: 1-0-1
Arizona: 2-0
SF: 1-1
Carolina: 1-0-1
SD: 0-2
Dallas: 1-0
Cleveland: 1-1
Jacksonville: 0-2
Tennessee: 2-0
Tampa Bay: 1-1
New Orleans: 1-1
Kansas City: 1-1
New England: 1-1
NYJ: 1-1
Miami: 0-2
Seattle: 0-2
Buffalo: 2-0
Detroit: 0-2
Atlanta: 1-1
Cincinnati: 0-2
Baltimore: 1-0
Houston: 0-1
Pittsburgh: 1-1
St. Louis: 0-2
Philadelphia: 1-0