NFL Week 5

-Parity (or mediocrity, whatever you want to call it) is becoming the dominant theme in the NFL this season. A few examples for you: Sunday saw the fall of the league's final undefeated team in 2010: the Kansas City Chiefs. To serve as a comparison, last season, there were five undefeated teams at this point in the season: the Saints, Colts, Broncos, Giants and Vikings.

Here's another story. Of the league's 32 teams, 24 (or three quarters) have already lost two games. The NFC is a particularly level playing-field, 13 of 16 have lost at least two games in the first five weeks.

A few more snippets: almost half the teams in the league (15) have 3-2 or 2-3 records. Only three teams have win streaks of three games or more going right now. Four playoff teams from last season – Chargers, Vikings, Cowboys, Bengals – have losing records. Five non-playoff teams from last season are leading their division right now.

All in all, the NFL feels like a bit of a pack right now, with a few stragglers and a few front-runners but a large amorphous center. It might seem confusing – feels like there are more and more upsets every week – but it's really a blessing for the league that there aren't two 10-0 teams and a host of other teams in danger of not winning a single game all year.

The water will clear in coming weeks as we get a better sense of how everyone stacks up but for the moment, just be thankful that your team probably still has a decent chance of taking their division if they piece a winning streak together .

-Quick mention for the Oakland Raiders who battered, clattered and clawed their way to victory over the Chargers snapping a 13-game losing streak to their SoCal rivals. I haven't had many nice things to say about the Raiders in my time as an NFL columnist (and the decision to cut possibly the worst number one draft picks of all-time, JaMarcus Russell, was one of them). But on Sunday, this was a team that got behind a coach that they appear to like and respect and won a very important game for him.

Oakland's D was always going to struggle to contain the Chargers passing game but they took of every potential opportunity to both score and prevent points. In the first quarter alone, they blocked two punts – resulting in a touchdown and a safety – and forced two San Diego fumbles when they were driving into the redzone.

The most important turnover of all came deep in the fourth quarter as San Diego attempted to get within field goal range. Safety Michael Huff came on the blitz and got to Rivers, knocking the ball out of his hand as the quarterback went to throw it. Tyvon Branch picked up the fumble and returned it for a touchdown, sending all of Oakland into delirium.

-Here's a shortlist of the studs of the week:

a. Bears running back Matt Forte: Was the difference in a game where both offenses struggled to move the ball through the air. Rushed for 166 yards and 2 TDs.

b. Redskins safety LaRon Landry: Made plays all over the field for Washington, including 10 solo tackles, 3 assisted tackles. It was his two big plays though -- a forced fumble and then an interception in overtime -- that made it an All-Pro day for him.

c. Broncos linebacker D.J. Williams: Was a tackle-making machine against the Ravens. Made 10 solo tackles and assisted on 5 more. Exactly what you need out of a middle linebacker.

d. Lions quarterback Shaun Hill: Was solid in the short to intermediate passing game, completing 21 of 32 for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns.

e. Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick: Deserves a mention for a rare good performance by a Buffalo QB. Completed 20 of 30 passes for 220 and 3 TDs.

-Here's a shortlist of the goats of the week:

a. Bears quarterback Todd Collins: Threw 16 total passes, 4 of which were intercepted. He was yanked in the fourth quarter.

b. Cardinals running back Beanie Wells: Averaged a paltry 1.75 yards a carry on 20 carries. Tough day for the former Buckeye who also lost a fumble (which he recovered).

c. Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer: Threw three interceptions, including a pick-six and an interception with 31 seconds left that set up Tampa Bay for the game-winning field goal. His poor, interception-filled year continues. He's entering Jake-Delhomme-in-Carolina territory.

d. Cowboys cornerback Malcolm Jenkins: Was picked on by the Titans, who continually threw to his side, and produced a number of big plays on his side of the field.

e. Texans running back Arian Foster: Gained 25 yards on 11 carries, by far his lowest total of the season.

-Rookie of the Week: Titans Alterraun Verner made a brilliant instinctive play, laying out to catch a short Tony Romo pass in front of the intended receiver after it had been deflected at the line of scrimmage. He added 6 tackles and a defended pass. Not bad for the fourth round pick who has already entrenched himself as a starter in Tennessee.

-Play of the Week: Add Falcons defensive end Kroy Biermann to your list of the NFL's most athletic guys.

-Ridiculous Play of the Week: Ridiculous in the sense that: how do you let two punts in a row get blocked??

Five Quick Hits:

1/ Redskins new kick returner, rookie Brandon Banks, looks like a real find. Won't be long till he returns a kick for a touchdown. Even at 5'7'' and 155, he was only one tackle away from doing so a couple times against the Packers.

2/ Eagles second-year running back LeSean McCoy is starting to look like a nifty little player.

3/ Bucs rookie receiver Mike Williams already looks like a beast.

4/ Stat of the day: Two quarterbacks passed for more than 400 yards on Sunday. Both guys, Tony Romo and Philip Rivers, ended up on losing teams. One quarterback, Todd Collins, passed for 32 total yards. His team won. I guess the quarterback position can be a little overrated sometimes.

5/ Poor Kyle Orton. He's finally developed into an above-average NFL quarterback only to find himself on a team without any kind of running game. The Broncos are dead last running the ball: they average 51 yards per game which is more than twenty yards less than the Saints, the second worst team.

Picking NFL Week 5

How I did last week: 7-7

On the first week I felt really confident in my picks too...

Record on the season: 35-27

Not numbers I'm proud of. But I'm staying positive. It's only Week 5.

Bears at Panthers: I guess Chicago backup QB Todd Collins is next in line for suicide by Bears offensive line. Keep that arm warm, third-stringer Caleb Hanie, you could literally be needed at any minute. Say what you will about Jay Cutler (and plenty of people do just that), but there is significant drop-off when Collins takes over from him. As long as the Panthers can keep former Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers from teeing off on rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen too many times, I like them to pull off the upset here. Panthers.

Buccaneers at Bengals: Want a reason the Bengals are only 2-2 this season? Carson Palmer might be the obvious answer, but don't ignore Cincinnati running game struggles. The Bengals have averaged a paltry 3.3 yards a carry in 2010 (tied for 27^th in the NFL). Their winning record last year started with Cedric Benson's breakout season. He's due his first 100+ yard rushing day this season. Bengals.

Rams at Lions: Interesting matchup between two teams clearly on the rise (yes, I know the Lions are 0-4, but look at the teams they've faced. Without their young franchise QB no less. Trust me, they're making their move soon). Bradford has been as advertised for the Rams but the real surprise has been the transformation of the St. Louis defense into a unit that has allowed only 13 points per game (down from 27.2 last year). Meanwhile the Lions new look defense has not gelled yet: it's given up 26.5 points per game. Still, I see the experience of Detroit veteran quarterback Shaun Hill (who passed for almost twice as many yards as Aaron Rodgers when they faced off last week) paying off in this one. Lions.

Giants at Texans: The final score between the Giants and the Bears last Sunday indicated a bit of a rout. However, what sticks in my mind was New York's offense managing to score only three points in the first half while its defense was going into feeding-frenzy mode (9 first half sacks) against Chicago's porous offensive line. Only after the Bears' defense wore down did New York bag a couple touchdowns. That won't be enough to keep pace with the league's number two offense. Texans.

Broncos at Ravens: Big wins last Sunday for both these franchises. Joe Flacco seems to have put his horrendous second week outing behind him with a couple of efficient performances while the Ravens defense is statistically the NFL's best through four weeks. The Broncos are good enough to make a game of this one, but they aren't good enough to win it in Baltimore. Ravens.

Falcons at Browns: How do you not love Peyton Hillis, the Browns 24 year-old running back out of Arkansas, who runs with very little concern for either his body or the bodies of others? His running style – likened by numerous media outlets to a human battering ram – most likely won't afford him a long NFL career but it'll be fun to watch while it lasts. Falcons.

Chiefs at Colts: Any Chiefs fans out there who read these picks must really really hate me. I've picked against them three times this season, and they're 3-0 (on the other hand, maybe my negative picks are a good luck charm). And the madness continues this week. Apologies Kansas City, but believe it or not, the Colts, at 2-2, need this one more than you do. Colts.

Jaguars at Bills: The 'who cares?' game of the week. Maybe of the season. In fairness to Jacksonville, they've beaten two decent teams this year (Broncos and Colts) while the Bills' greatest achievement so far was probably losing by only eight points away to the Patriots. Jaguars.

Packers at Redskins: Sometimes it's the picks where a mismatch seems so obvious that lead you astray. For example: the Redskins have the second worst pass defense in the league while Green Bay have a scary good passer and one of the best receiving corps in the NFL. No-brainer, right? Now watch the Redskins ruin my Sunday. Packers.

Saints at Cardinals: Cardinals rookie quarterback Max Hall will have a shot at a fairytale first NFL start because every game the 'not-yet-rolling' Saints have played in this season has been close. But after making a big mistake in the fourth quarter, he'll trudge off the field disgusted, as the announcers bemoan what might have been. Saints.

Titans at Cowboys: Dallas has had two weeks to savor its win over in-state rivals Houston and prepare for this game against Tennessee. I'm chalking up the Cowboys' 0-2 start as fluke because I still think they have the roster be the cream of the crop of the NFC East this season (though that doesn't mean what it used to). Cowboys.

Chargers at Raiders: Call this a leap of faith, because the Chargers are 0-2 away from Qualcomm Stadium this year. But I just can't see a Raiders defense that has allowed an average of 26.8 points per game coming up with enough stops to slow Philip Rivers down. Chargers.

Eagles at 49ers: Kevin Kolb looked like a deer in the headlights last Sunday, almost too aware of potential pressure: constantly checking down or scrambling out the pocket too quickly. That's not going to beat many NFL-caliber defenses. With LeSean McCoy also not at full strength, the Eagles will struggle to move the ball on Patrick Willis and co. The Niners gave the Saints a great game at Candlestick in a showcase game and, at 0-4, they'll be blazing for this one too. 49ers

Vikings at Jets: The Randy Moss trade back to Minnesota has been the storyline in the NFL this week. He'll be facing Darrelle Revis once again, who left the game with a sore hammy the last time the two were matched up. Moss will be a blessing for Favre eventually but you can't expect them to have a Favre-Sidney Rice rapport in their first game together, especially when facing the Jets suffocating defense. Jets.

NFL Week 4

-Not what anyone expected from the Redskins-Eagles afternoon game, but Donovan McNabb wins his comeback to Philly. It was supposed to be McNabb against rejuvenated Michael Vick, but it turned into McNabb against his former longtime understudy, Kevin Kolb, after Vick was knocked out of the game in the first quarter. It was supposed to be a shootout and an exciting game but there were only six points scored in a decidedly mediocre second half.

The fact that McNabb triumphed with a 60.2 quarterback rating and a completion rate under 50 percent tells its own story. The Eagles were plagued by mistakes on both sides of the ball: offensive and defensive penalties, blown coverages, a fumble, and god-awful tackling.

Washington wasn't much better, but did manage to score a pair of early touchdowns; a 12-yard rushing touchdown by Ryan Torain and a 31-yard TD reception by Chris Cooley. That was more than a Kevin Kolb-led Eagles offense could muster.

Kolb looked nervous, flustered, and like one of those dreaded “check-down” quarterback, unwilling to stretch the field by going deep. His numbers weren't awful – 22 of 35 for 201 yards a TD and INT – but they mask the fact that he didn't see or missed a number of open receivers down the field and 13 of those completions were passes to running backs. If Vick can't play next week, Kolb will have to be much better.

-Mike Singletary is in the hot seat. In two of their losses, San Francisco have been desperately unlucky, in the other two, they were just desperately bad. But ultimately, they're one of only four 0-4 teams in the NFL and that means their coach is in trouble.

The Niners have continued to struggle offensively this year: Alex Smith hasn't been much better this year (he threw two interceptions against Atlanta), the running game hasn't taken off either.

Providing Michael Vick is out next week, the Niners have three winnable games coming up: at home against Philly and the Raiders and away to the Panthers. But go 1-2 in that stretch, and I think Singletary's tenure will be over.

-The Bears offensive line is just plain awful. There's only one stat you need to know here: the Bears O-line gave up 9 sacks in the first half against New York. NINE. IN ONE HALF. That broke an NFL record. And there were countless other plays where Chicago quarterback Cutler was hurried and hit.

I hadn't seen a Bears game until Sunday evening, and my question is: how on earth did they manage to win 3 games with that line? Now I'm not a college elitist by any stretch, but when the five starters of your offensive line played at Tennessee Tech, Texas Tech, Washington, San Diego State and Tulsa, you might be in trouble.

After that brutal first half, Jay Cutler didn't come back out (can you blame him?) with concussion-like symptoms. The line played better in the second half, with a lot of help from Matt Forte chip blocks and a gameplan full of quick passes, but backup Todd Collins still got knocked out near the end.

Thinking more long-term, the Bears are going to have to figure out a way to protect the quarterback that cost a fortune to bring to Chi-town. His body can't take a whole season like that, and the Bears can't expect to win many more games, no matter how well their defense plays, without considerable O-line improvement.

-Here's a shortlist of some of the studs of the week:

a. Rams quarterback Sam Bradford: passed for 289 yards and a couple touchdowns as he won his second straight game. Unheard of in recent St. Louis history.

b. Bengals receiver Terrell Owens: a monstrous 222 yard and one TD receiving day for T.O. in a losing effort. He's fast becoming Carson Palmer's go-to guy.

c. Jets running back Ladanian Tomlinson: Lit up the Bills for 133 rushing yards and a couple scores. No one will ever say you're done when you average 7 yards a carry.

d. Chargers tight end Antonio Gates: Just doing what he does. Had 7 receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns. In my opinion, there's not a better tight end in the game.

e. Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee: Hit a 59-yard game-winning field goal to beat divisional foe Indianapolis, the only time he was asked to kick an FG in the game.

-Here's a shortlist of some of the goats of the week:

a. Niners cornerback Nate Clements: Fumbled the football after making the interception that would have surely given San Francisco their first win of the season (second time I've seen Clements do that by the way). Hurting Niner fans (and I know a couple) won't forgive him for that for a long, long time.

b. Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson: Threw two interceptions (including a pick six) on Arizona's first four possessions, and was benched after the second. Could be the last we see of him for a while.

c. Steelers kicker Jeff Reed: Went 0-2 on field goals in a three point game.

d. Titans running back Chris Johnson: Held to 53 rushing yards on 19 attempts, at an average of 2.8 yards per rush. He also lost a fumble in the first quarter.

-And here's a player who was a little of both: Titans rookie kick returner Marc Mariani:

The good: Returned a kickoff 98 yards for his first NFL touchdown in the third quarter.

The ugly: Fumbled/ dropped a kickoff with a minute and a half to go in the game. Stopped a potential game-tying or game-winning Tennessee drive before it started.

-Rookie of the Week: Carolina quarterback Jimmy Clausen is still searching for his NFL win, but some of the gutsy plays he made –including a 55 yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Stewart and a 16-yard completion to David Gettis on 4^th down and 4 with under two minutes to play – will give Panthers fans hope that the future looks brighter than the present. On both plays, Clausen didn't force an early throw, read the pressure well and escaped the pocket before making the completion on the move. Good stuff from the rookie QB.

Play of the week: Pretty much the only thing to go right for San Francisco on Sunday. Tap those toes, rook.

Ridiculous Play of the Week: Ridiculous in a good way this week. Danny Amendola, I salute you.

Five Quick Hits:

1/ Joe Flacco sure loves those 20-yard throws to the sideline, doesn't he? Personally I think he just likes showing off his big arm.

2/ Running back Arian Foster is going to be the difference maker that takes the Houston Texans to the next level. The Texans were outgained 245-192 by the Raiders in the passing game, but Foster's 131 rushing yards wore Oakland out. He added 56 reception yards for good measure. His two scores gave Houston the W.

3/ Green Bay's Charles Woodson is getting back to defensive MVP form of last season. His line on Sunday: 11 solo tackles, 2 assisted tackles, 3 passes defended, and a 48-yard touchdown on an interception return. Not bad for a 34 year-old cornerback.

4/ Real mature, Chuck Cecil. The one-finger salute usually works when it comes to making officials change their minds...

5/ Think homefield advantage isn't a difference maker in the NFL? The Seattle have outscored opponents 58-26 at home in two wins. Away from Qwest Field? It's the Hawks who've been outscored 17-51 in two losses.

Picking NFL Week 4

How I did last week: 10-6

One Brian Urlacher forced fumble away from the 11-5 week I was craving.

Record on the season: 28-20

Gotta to get above 60 percent...

49ers at Falcons: Three games in and it's reaching debacle level in San Francisco (where offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye was let go this week). Not the best time to face a team that beat you 45-10 last year and is coming off a big division win in New Orleans. Don't look now Niners fans, but with the Eagles coming to town next week, you could be 0-5 in two weeks time and your season finished before we hit mid-October. Falcons.

Jets at Bills: The Jets are already back on track, they don't need this powder-puff of a fixture right now. But they'll take it. Jets.

Ravens at Steelers: I think this is the game where not having Ben Roethlisberger under center finally catches up with the Steelers. Yes, Charlie Batch played well and got a victory against Tampa Bay. But swept under the rug were the two interceptions he threw and his second touchdown pass to Mike Williams which really should have been a third pick. Under a lot more pressure against the Ravens, he'll make more mistakes. Pittsburgh's defense will keep the game close, but Baltimore will score just enough points to triumph. Ravens.

Panthers at Saints: Looking for a coach on the hot seat? Panthers head man John Fox fits the bill. Fox's job was most likely saved by the Panthers going 4-1 in their last five games last season, thanks in part to Matt Moore's emergence. But Moore regressed this season and lost his starting job to rookie Jimmy Clausen. All of a sudden, Carolina (0-3) looks like one of the league's worst teams and Fox like a dead man walking. Saints.

Broncos at Titans: Everyone knows about Chris Johnson, but here's a stat you probably didn't know about Tennessee: their defense has allowed an average of 14 points per game so far this season, which is third fewest in the NFL (behind only the Steelers and Chiefs (both unbeaten, by the way)). If the D can keep that up, the Titans are going to win a lot of games this year. Titans.

Bengals at Browns: Can't believe I actually picked a Bengals game right last week. I think that makes me 1-189 all time in Cincinnati picks. Now let's see if I can get a streak started. Bengals.

Lions at Packers: Committing 18 penalties for 152 yards in a single game (as Green Bay did against Chicago on Monday night) is a pretty fail-proof way of making sure a team doesn't live up to its vast potential. The Packers have frequently been one of the most penalized team in the NFL during the Mike McCarthy era. But after hearing McCarthy harp on about the problem all week, they'll straighten it out for at least a couple games. Packers.

Seahawks at Rams: Can you believe that three NFC West teams (including these two) actually won last week? Could be a while before that happens again...The Seahawks have looked very strong in their two home games, but will need to cash in some road wins to be a playoff team. However, all of a sudden, playing the Rams doesn't look like the guaranteed W that it was last season (two of Seattle's five wins last season came at the expense of St. Louis). Not sure about this one. Seahawks.

Colts at Jaguars: Rough outing last week for Jacksonville and, with the Colts rolling into town, it won't get any easier this week. Colts.

Texans at Raiders: Sebastian Janikowski didn't look worth that $16 million contract when he missed a 32-yard gamewinner against Arizona did he? It's not going to be easy to be the highest paid placekicker in NFL history when you're only hitting 61.5% of your field goals on a team that requires you to kick as much as the Raiders do (six times against Arizona). Sometimes those big contracts aren't all they're cracked up to be. Just ask Big Albert Haynesworth. Texans.

Cardinals at Chargers: The Chargers have lost two very similar games. In both: they: a/ were playing away from San Diego but heavily favored, b/ fell behind early, c/ started making a comeback, d/ ultimately fell just short. I don't think they'll need to make a comeback at home against a team that should have lost to Oakland. Chargers.

Redskins at Eagles: It surprises me that Donovan McNabb's return to Philly didn't make it to either of the week's showcase games, on Sunday or Monday night. McNabb looks good this season and is eager to stuff years of criticism down Eagles fans' throats (not a direct quote). Couple that with Michael Vick getting back to passing and running for touchdowns and earning NFC offensive player of the month for September, and you have a mouthwatering matchup on your hands. Most of the country (with the exceptions of the Arizona and San Diego areas) will watch this shootout that really could go either way. Eagles.

Bears at Giants: I think even the most die-hard Bears fans would admit Chicago has had its fair share of luck this season (see Calvin Johnson's catch that wasn't in Week 1, and two Packers picks of Jay Cutler wiped out by penalties last Monday). Playing the Giants at a time when they appear to be imploding is a pretty big slice of luck in itself. Could New York really start 0-3 in its brand new stadium? Bears.

Patriots at Dolphins: If the Buffalo Bills can score 30 points and put up 374 yards of offense (no typos there, I promise, I double-checked) on the Patriots defense, then the Dolphins should be able to move the ball on them too. On the other side of the ball, the Miami defense will hold Tom Brady and co. under 22 points. Dolphins.

NFL Week 3

-Two teams that disappointed in 2009, the Steelers and the Chiefs, are among the three remaining undefeated franchises this season (in addition to the winner of the Bears-Packers Monday night contest). The fact that both teams have made it this far has to be considered a surprise. It was widely assumed that the Steelers would have to weather the storm resulting from the suspension of their franchise quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, while the Chiefs were coming off their third consecutive losing season.

Pittsburgh has relied on its defense this year, dominant once again thanks in no small part to the return of its All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu from injury. They've forced turnovers (7 in a single game against the Titans) while giving up only 11 points per game and 4.3 yards per play (best in the NFL in both categories).

Meanwhile the Chiefs are fast becoming one of the storylines of the season. They have a host of talented young athletes on both sides of the ball, while head coach Todd Haley has been showing creativity and guts in his decision-making. They already have a two game lead in their division and will be a handful for most of the teams who visit Arrowhead Stadium.

-A well-fought, exciting game in Miami. The Dolphins had owned the Jets in recent times, winning three straight against New York. But the Jets responded on Sunday night, led by another strong performance from quarterback Mark Sanchez.

After being run out of town by the Ravens physical defense in Week 1, Sanchez has looked like a different player in Weeks 2 and 3. His two touchdown throws to Dustin Keller in the first half against Miami showed just how accurate he can be as a pocket passer, and though he only completed 54 percent of his passes on the night, he avoided the costly turnover that may have flipped the game on its head.

I have to say I was also impressed with Miami's passing game. Sure, the Jets didn't have their best cornerback Darelle Revis on the field, but the Dolphins moved the ball through the air with ease, collecting 363 passing yards. This forced Rex Ryan to neglect his normally ferocious pass rush and drop more and more defenders into pass coverage; a move which paid dividends on the game's final drive when Miami couldn't get the ball into the endzone.

With the Jets, Dolphins and Pats all sitting on 2-1 records and playing good football, the AFC East division race might end up being one of the tightest and most exciting in the league this season.

-The NFL's two most dominant running backs doing what they do best. Tennessee's Chris Johnson scored twice against the Giants while rushing for 125 yards on 32 carries. Not a huge yard per carry average (3.9), but far more impressive when you take into account that New York repeatedly loaded the box, with 8 defenders near the line of scrimmage, to stop him.

Adrian Peterson outdid Johnson with a performance reminiscent of his first two seasons in the league. He rushed for 160 yards on 23 carries (in case you're keeping score at home, that's almost 7 yards per carry) and a couple touchdowns. The most encouraging thing for Vikings fans about Peterson's game at the moment is that he seems to have put his fumbling issues behind him. He coughed up the ball 9 times in '08, and 7 times in '09, but hasn't had a fumble on 70 carries this year.

-There's a lot of things wrong with San Francisco's offense right now, but the performance of rookie offensive tackle Anthony Davis must be near the top of that list. The Niners drafted Davis 11th overall in the 2010 draft to shore up the right side of their offensive line in the present, and potentially the crucial left side in years to come. But Davis has gotten off to a slow start in the City by the Bay.

Already known as a frequent false start offender throughout the preseason and first two regular season games, Davis struggled with two other aspects of his game against the Chiefs. He allowed two sacks of Alex Smith, including a play where Kansas City sent only four rushers, one of which – Tamba Hali – ran around Davis as if he wasn't there and took Smith down, causing a fumble. Davis also showed mental weakness: he was called for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for aiming a punch at Chiefs DT Shaun Smith's midriff, a mistake that ultimately ended a promising San Francisco drive.

-Going 3 for 3 on 40+ yard field goals in the Superbowl will give you a couple free passes, Garrett Hartley, but don't push your luck. Saints kicker Hartley missed a 29 yard chip shot in overtime while Drew Brees was fist pumping on the sideline. Atlanta then ran the ball down the field, and hit their kick to seal the surprise victory. Hartley had been close to a 90 percent kicker in his first two seasons in New Orleans, but has missed two of five this year.

-Rookie Performance of the Week: Seahawks safety Earl Thomas came up big against San Diego, picking off one of the league's best quarterbacks, Philip Rivers, twice. Oh, and did I mention, both of his interceptions came in fourth quarter? And the second one was in the end zone and effectively ended the game?? That's just studly from the former Texas man.

-Play of the Week: Everyone loves a good trick play.

-Ridiculous Play of the Week: Funny thing is, this could have been Aqib Talib's second pick of the day.

-Five Quick Hits:

1/ Your prayers have been answered, Joe Flacco. You have your go-to receiver, and his name is Anquan Boldin.

2/ For all the preseason talk of improvement in New York, these 2010 Giants look a lot like the 2009 version, don't they?

3/ Peyton Manning seems to throw a touchdown pass to a receiver that I've never heard of every other week. Against Denver, that man was Blair White, a rookie out of Michigan State. Welcome, sir, to the NFL's best franchise to be a receiver.

4/ First win of Sam Bradford's professional career, and a well-deserved one (and here's a bonus cheap giggle).

5/ See you in a couple years, Kevin Kolb.

Picking NFL Week 3

How I did last week: 10-6

The 2009 Cincinnati Bengals. I'll settle for that, though I've been kicking myself all week for not going with my gut and picking the Bears upset of the Cowboys like I wanted to.

Record on the season: 18-14

Pulling into the black.

Bills at Patriots: The Texans already got their longtime monkey, the Colts, off their back this season, but the Bills seem to be a million miles away from overcoming their own personal divisional nemesis, the Pats, who they have lost 13 straight to. Maybe C.J. Spiller has a breakout game, maybe Patrick Chung and the frustrated Donte Whitner each pick off a Tom Brady pass leading to the Bills pulling off a tremendous upset. But at Gillette Stadium, where New England hasn't lost a regular season game since November 2008... I wouldn't bet on it. Patriots.

49ers at Chiefs: Heartbreaking. That's the only way I can describe San Francisco's loss to the defending Superbowl champs Monday night on a last second field goal. However, turnovers aside, the Niners proved they could move the ball on offense and score touchdowns against the Saints, something that the Chiefs, despite being 2-0, has struggled with so far (two offensive touchdowns in two games). I still like San Francisco to win the NFC West (also known as the NFL's worst division by a country mile) but they can't afford to fall to 0-3. 49ers in a defense-dominated battle.

Titans at Giants: The Giants couldn't stop the Colts from running the ball on them last Sunday. This week they welcome Chris Johnson, who now needs 166 rushing yards per game to reach his 2,500 yard goal. New York will load the box to stop CJ2K and that will allow Vince Young to kickstart Tennessee's anemic passing game. Titans.

Browns at Ravens: Joe Flacco may have had his worst outing as a pro last week (17 of 39 passes completed and 4 interceptions), but unless he decides Sunday morning to throw all his passes left-handed, I wouldn't even contemplate picking the Browns (who've lost to both the Bucs and Chiefs so far) to win in Baltimore. Ravens.

Bengals at Panthers: If there's one team that I've proved entirely incapable of deciphering during my time as an NFL progniscator, it's the Cincinnati Bengals. I underestimated them at the start of last season, then overestimated them in the season's last few weeks and playoffs. Nothing's changed in 2010: I'm 0-2 on Bengals picks. That's why it worries me that this pick seems so cut and dry. The Panthers are 0-2, haven't been able to run the ball this season, and are giving a rookie quarterback, Jimmy Clausen, his first NFL start. Cincinnati should devour them. Bengals.

Steelers at Buccaneers: If Josh Freeman wants to prove to the world that he can continue to play mistake-free ball (he has a 95 passer rating through two games), then doing so against a defense that's forced 10 turnovers in two games would be a great place to start. Tampa Bay's improved defense shouldn't give up too many points to Charlie Batch, but Pittsburgh's D will keep them on the field for much longer that they'd like. Steelers.

Falcons at Saints: Atlanta is probably the only team that could challenge New Orleans' dominance of NFC South this season, and beating the Saints in the Superdome would certainly send out a strong message that the divisional race is on. But until Matt Ryan shows a little more clutch in one of these big games, I refuse to pick the Falcons to win. Come on, Matty Ice, live up to that nickname and prove me wrong! Saints.

Lions at Vikings: I'll give you one more chance Mr. Favre. Vikings.

Cowboys at Texans: For the second straight game, Tony Romo will pass for over 300 yards in a Cowboys' loss. Why? Because Dallas can't run the ball, Houston's explosive offense can score points in bunches and, most importantly, the Texans have newfound belief in themselves. Texans.

Eagles at Jaguars: The total about-face of Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid (usually legendary for his stubbornness) with regards to the Eagles quarterback controversy (documented adeptly here by SI.com's Peter King), should tell you one thing. Michael Vick's performances on the last two Sundays weren't flukes. Reid must believe that Vick can get back to the level he was performing at prior to his run-in with the law. If you believe in Vick's supposed maturation process, perhaps even better. Either way, he should be able to rain points on Jacksonville. Eagles.

Redskins at Rams: The two happiest men that the Redskins front office moved for Donovan McNabb this offseason? Tight end Chris Cooley and receiver Santana Moss. McNabb's passing ability has given new life to both Moss, who has 16 catches for 166 yards through two games, and Cooley, who is averaging 72 receiving yards per game and 16 yards per catch (both career highs by some distance). Redskins.

Colts at Broncos: A tragedy in Denver this past week reminded us of the over-the-top importance that as a society we attach (thanks in part to columns like this one) to what is ultimately just a game. In light of Kenny McKinley's death, a player who couldn't imagine a life without football, any attempt to try and analyze this matchup seems a little too frivolous. Colts.

Raiders at Cardinals: A game both teams will really want, given that the loser could be staring 1-4 square in the face (Raiders play Chargers and Texans in Week 3 and 4, while Cardinals play the Saints and the Chargers). Aside from both squeaking past the Rams, neither team has shown us much this season, so I'll go with the home team. Cardinals.

Chargers at Seahawks: So which one is the real Seahawks team? The one that blew out San Francisco in Week 1 or the one that committed three turnovers and gave up 17 unanswered points in the first half to Denver in Week 2? History suggests the latter, and I'm inclined to agree. Chargers.

Jets at Dolphins: There are a lot of factors in Miami's favor for this matchup. They beat the Jets twice last season, they're playing at home, and they're full of confidence coming off back-to-back wins. However, in New York's impressive fightback against New England last week (sans Darelle Revis), I saw a glimpse of the team Rex Ryan has been talking about to anyone who would listen for the last six months. Jets.

Packers at Bears: Games played on Monday nights always seem to be closer than you'd thought they'd be. I think Chicago, in front of its home fans, gives the Pack a hard-fought, close game. Ultimately, however, this will also be the game where the Bears finally face the music for their disaster of an offensive line. Packers.

NFL Week 2

-Manning Bowl II: A classic nail-biter, it wasn't. A reminder of how good the Colts can be when they get rolling, it certainly was. This was a statement win for Indianapolis. All week, their players have been hearing a smorgasbord of the following: the Colts can't defend the run, they're soft, they can't run the football, they are over-reliant on Peyton Manning, their offensive line is poor, etc., etc. During one the pregame shows, ESPN pundit Keyshawn Johnson repeatedly maintained that after watching hours of game film, he believed the Colts era was coming to an end.

Don't be making plans for the funeral just yet, Keyshawn.

The Colts first statement of the night was to score a rushing touchdown (a 7 yard run by Donald Brown) on their opening drive. Indy's defense went on to make a number of statements: harnassing the Giants running game, continuously pressuring Eli Manning and causing turnovers.

The elder Manning is long through with having to make any statements, but he went 20 of 26 for 255 yards and three touchdowns on the night just for the heck of it. The game was as good as over by halftime, with the Colts up 24-0.

The victory once again demonstrated the strength of the Indianapolis Colts franchise. It seems that every time the media starts asking questions of them or sniffs out some perceived vulnerability, the Colts respond well and deliver a performance that reminds us of why they have been at or near the top of the AFC for so long.

-Two high profile quarterbacks struggling = Two traditional NFC powerhouses start 0-2. Let's start with Brett Favre (I heard somewhere that he likes top billing). After looking shaky last week in the Thursday night season-opener against the Saints, Favre had a day to forget against Miami: tossing three picks, losing a fumble (which was returned for a touchdown) and throwing two incompletions on fourth down for two more turnovers.

Until he starts winning some games, the questions are going to continue rain down about his age, his desire and quite simply if he still has it. The bad news for Minnesota is that they have very little in terms of a backup plan at quarterback: they are going to live and die with Favre under center this season. I wonder, I just wonder if they might be starting to kick themselves for passing on Carolina rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen with the 34th pick of the 2010 draft.

Meanwhile, in Dallas, the season has been all about missed opportunities. Just as they did in their opener, the Cowboys got into promising positions time and again, but failed to convert those opportunities into maximum points. There was the David Buehler missed field goal from 44 yards, the Roy Williams fumble and the two Tony Romo interceptions. Romo did end up throwing for almost 400 yards on the day but came up short in the business end of the game.

Both the Vikings and the Cowboys have a decent shot at winning next week against the Lions and at the Texans respectively, but if either of them don't, the alarm bells will be doing more than ringing.

-Last season, it was the Jets defense that had everyone talking. This season, the Steelers defense is back, in a big way. Where do you want to start? Holding the league's best running back to 34 yards on 16 carries? Brutalizing Vince Young to the point where Jim Fisher felt forced to bench him?Laying big hit after big hit on the Titans playmakers? Nah, let's go with turnovers. Pittsburgh forced six of them against Tennessee (and a seventh on special teams): three interceptions and three fumbles. When the Steelers D plays like that, led by safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker James Harrison, they become Pittsburgh's best offense, regardless of who they have at quarterback.

-How about those Buccaneers? They may not have beaten two of the league's best teams, but still, who had them starting 2-0? I certainly didn't. Tampa Bay owes its emergence to:

a) The continued improvement of second-year quarterback Josh Freeman who may only be completing a little over 55% of his passes this season (29 of 52) but has a 4-1 TD to interception ratio through two games.
b) Its rookie wide receiver Mike Williams, who already has two touchdown grabs for the Bucs.

Still, their winning record could very well be history sooner rather than later as they face the Steelers, the Bengals and the Saints in their next three games. But for the moment, Tampa Bay should enjoy the rarefied air at the top.

-A mostly “Darelle-Revis-less” Jets secondary holds up well against the Patriots passing attack. When Revis left the game with a tight hamstring and New York trailing New England 14-7, it appeared that Tom Brady might have a great opportunity to really get rolling. Instead Antonio Cromartie, rookie Kyle Wilson, backup safety Brodney Pool and co. shut Brady down. They intercepted him twice, and covered Randy Moss and Wes Welker brilliantly: the two star receivers had only one catch between them in the second half.

On the other side of the ball, the Jets offense avoided mistakes and, thanks to big days from the rejuvenated Ladanian Tomlinson, the rejuvenated Braylon Edwards, and Mark Sanchez, scored the points that they couldn't last week in Baltimore.

-Rookie Performance of the Week: Against the Eagles, Lions running back Jahvid Best ran like the player who terrorized Pac-10 defenses for the last two seasons. Best was effective both running and receiving the ball: rushing for 78 yards and two touchdowns and catching 9 passes for 154 yards and another TD, on this beaut of a play.

-Play of the Week: Randy Moss doing what he does best.

-Ridiculous Play of the Week: Bounce, bounce, bounce....

-Five Quick Hits:

1/If you like comebacks and you like offense, you better have been watching the Redskins-Texans overtime thriller. There were 947 yards of total offense in the game of the season to date, as Houston overcame a 27-10 deficit late in the third quarter to win on a Neil Rackers kick..

2/ Graham Gano, you just got iced.

3/ I don't how Andy Reid is going to keep both his promise to Kevin Kolb and the fans in Philadelphia happy.

4/ Clay Matthews once had to walk on to the USC football team. Today, the second-year outside Packers linebacker leads the NFL in sacks with six, three of which came Sunday against Buffalo. He's going to have a big, big year.

5/ Thank you Derek Anderson for proving my interception prediction true (Twice). Could the Max Hall era really start in Arizona before the winter kicks in?