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Sunday, Sept. 19, 2004
Baltimore 19 Pittsburgh 14 - The Ravens will win this one with defense -- not hard to do against the Steelers. In 2003, Pittsburgh took its fifth straight in the series, 34-15, then Baltimore won 13-10 on a Matt Stover field goal in OT.
Buffalo 16 *Oakland 13 - Another story of defense: The Bills', second best in the NFL last season, looks just as strong this season, and last weekend the Raiders were all pass and no run. Oakland was a 49-31 winner two years ago.
*Dallas 23 Cleveland 16 - Defense, take three: Dallas's once-fearsome unit didn't make a dent in the Vikings, but the Browns may have a difficult time with the Cowboys' league-leading (for now) air attack. The clubs last met in '94.
Denver 24 *Jacksonville 21 - A great pairing, featuring the Broncos' still-top-notch ground game and a Jaguars run defense that needs to rediscover last year's swagger. In their most recent matchup, in '99, Jacksonville edged Denver 27-24.
*Detroit 19 Houston 12 - A not-so-great pairing, concerning which the most interesting fact may be that the (undefeated!) Lions and Texans have never met. And the NFL's two least productive offenses last fall have nowhere to go but up.
*Green Bay 32 Chicago 10 - This series hasn't been fun for the Bears in recent years: The Packers have not only taken seven in a row, but they've scored at least 30 points in four in a row -- 38-23 and 34-21 in '03. More of the same.
*Kansas City 26 Carolina 21 - Against the Chiefs' defense, the weakest unit of any playoff-caliber team in the NFL, we'd advise the Panthers to run and then run some more. K.C. is two for two against Carolina, with wins in '97 and '00.
Miami 17 *Cincinnati 9 - The Dolphins' offense is missing Ricky, but if their defensive line comes alive they can shut the Bengals down. Miami has beaten Cincy nine times in a row dating back to '78, most recently four years ago.
New England 27 *Arizona 14 - A great chance for new Cardinals coach Dennis Green, who has a way with teams in need of big-time retooling, to pull a huge surprise, though we doubt the Patriots will be caught napping. N.E. won last, in '99.
*New Orleans 25 San Francisco 13 - Both of these clubs had better offenses than defenses last year, but the players who made the 49ers' offense work are gone. Two years ago N.O. won for the fourth time in its last six confrontations with S.F.
St. Louis 21 *Atlanta 20 - On a Monday night last October, the Rams dealt the Falcons their worst loss of the season, St. Louis's first shutout in 10 years, 36-0. With its re-Vicked offense, Atlanta will make a real game of it this time.
*San Diego 20 N.Y. Jets 16 - This didn't look much more interesting than Lions-Texans before last weekend, but the Chargers may actually emerge from this one 2-0 if they can corral the Jets' backfield. N.Y. pummeled S.D. 44-13 in '02.
Seattle 21 *Tampa Bay 13 - If the Seahawks are the team everyone says they are, they'll win on the road -- unlike last year -- over a solid defense like the Buccaneers'. Seattle is 4-1 against T.B., but the Bucs won last, five years ago.
*Tennessee 28 Indianapolis 24 - Our tentative game-of-the-week pick, in which the Titans have something to prove, after two of their four losses in '03 came against the Colts, 33-7 and 29-27. Tennessee's secondary must step up this time.
Washington 17 *N.Y. Giants 14 The tossup of the week, though the Redskins have new life and (for now) the league's best D. The Giants took their third in a row from Washington last year, 24-21, then the 'Skins struck back in N.Y., 20-7.
Monday, Sept. 20, 2004
*Philadelphia 30 Minnesota 23 - A potentially great prime-time shootout. The Eagles are 5-1 on Monday nights over the past two seasons, while the Vikings haven't appeared once. Philly took Minnesota apart when they met last, in '01, 48-17.
Baltimore 19 Pittsburgh 14 - The Ravens will win this one with defense -- not hard to do against the Steelers. In 2003, Pittsburgh took its fifth straight in the series, 34-15, then Baltimore won 13-10 on a Matt Stover field goal in OT.
Buffalo 16 *Oakland 13 - Another story of defense: The Bills', second best in the NFL last season, looks just as strong this season, and last weekend the Raiders were all pass and no run. Oakland was a 49-31 winner two years ago.
*Dallas 23 Cleveland 16 - Defense, take three: Dallas's once-fearsome unit didn't make a dent in the Vikings, but the Browns may have a difficult time with the Cowboys' league-leading (for now) air attack. The clubs last met in '94.
Denver 24 *Jacksonville 21 - A great pairing, featuring the Broncos' still-top-notch ground game and a Jaguars run defense that needs to rediscover last year's swagger. In their most recent matchup, in '99, Jacksonville edged Denver 27-24.
*Detroit 19 Houston 12 - A not-so-great pairing, concerning which the most interesting fact may be that the (undefeated!) Lions and Texans have never met. And the NFL's two least productive offenses last fall have nowhere to go but up.
*Green Bay 32 Chicago 10 - This series hasn't been fun for the Bears in recent years: The Packers have not only taken seven in a row, but they've scored at least 30 points in four in a row -- 38-23 and 34-21 in '03. More of the same.
*Kansas City 26 Carolina 21 - Against the Chiefs' defense, the weakest unit of any playoff-caliber team in the NFL, we'd advise the Panthers to run and then run some more. K.C. is two for two against Carolina, with wins in '97 and '00.
Miami 17 *Cincinnati 9 - The Dolphins' offense is missing Ricky, but if their defensive line comes alive they can shut the Bengals down. Miami has beaten Cincy nine times in a row dating back to '78, most recently four years ago.
New England 27 *Arizona 14 - A great chance for new Cardinals coach Dennis Green, who has a way with teams in need of big-time retooling, to pull a huge surprise, though we doubt the Patriots will be caught napping. N.E. won last, in '99.
*New Orleans 25 San Francisco 13 - Both of these clubs had better offenses than defenses last year, but the players who made the 49ers' offense work are gone. Two years ago N.O. won for the fourth time in its last six confrontations with S.F.
St. Louis 21 *Atlanta 20 - On a Monday night last October, the Rams dealt the Falcons their worst loss of the season, St. Louis's first shutout in 10 years, 36-0. With its re-Vicked offense, Atlanta will make a real game of it this time.
*San Diego 20 N.Y. Jets 16 - This didn't look much more interesting than Lions-Texans before last weekend, but the Chargers may actually emerge from this one 2-0 if they can corral the Jets' backfield. N.Y. pummeled S.D. 44-13 in '02.
Seattle 21 *Tampa Bay 13 - If the Seahawks are the team everyone says they are, they'll win on the road -- unlike last year -- over a solid defense like the Buccaneers'. Seattle is 4-1 against T.B., but the Bucs won last, five years ago.
*Tennessee 28 Indianapolis 24 - Our tentative game-of-the-week pick, in which the Titans have something to prove, after two of their four losses in '03 came against the Colts, 33-7 and 29-27. Tennessee's secondary must step up this time.
Washington 17 *N.Y. Giants 14 The tossup of the week, though the Redskins have new life and (for now) the league's best D. The Giants took their third in a row from Washington last year, 24-21, then the 'Skins struck back in N.Y., 20-7.
Monday, Sept. 20, 2004
*Philadelphia 30 Minnesota 23 - A potentially great prime-time shootout. The Eagles are 5-1 on Monday nights over the past two seasons, while the Vikings haven't appeared once. Philly took Minnesota apart when they met last, in '01, 48-17.
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