| Here's a quick breakdown of the three key matchups | | | | with exotic schemes.9. San Diego (2-0) - San Diego is |
| between undefeated teams this weekend:Chicago | | | | playing very well, but they seem like they're licking |
| (-3) at Minnesota, 1 p.m. on Sunday | | | | themselves a bit too much after beating awful |
| The Bears roll into the Metrodome as a favorite for | | | | Oakland and terrible Tennessee. I mean, you still have |
| the first time in more than a decade. That's a bit | | | | Marty Schottenheimer as your coach so it's not like |
| curious since Minnesota is a place Chicago has not | | | | you'll win anything.10. New England (2-0) - The |
| performed well at lately. The Bears are just 3-7 | | | | Patriots, realizing their LBs aren't as strong and that |
| straight-up, but 6-4 against the spread, on the road | | | | they need help stopping the run, showed a 4-3 look |
| against the Vikings.Lovie Smith announced that rookie | | | | against the Jets. They go with Ty Warren, Richard |
| free safety Daniel Manning will replace Chris Harris in | | | | Seymour and Vince Wilford - all 300+ pounds - and |
| the starting lineup. That's also odd considering how | | | | another end.11. Minnesota (2-0) - In their last 11 |
| well the defense has been playing. Last year | | | | regular season games the Bears are 9-2. So are the |
| then-rookie Harris replaced Mike Green in week four | | | | Vikings. Minnesota is 11-4 ATS off back-to-back wins. |
| last season, only to get roasted for two touchdowns | | | | They're streaky. And no, that wasn't a subtle Love |
| in a loss to Cleveland.Minnesota is 10-2 at home | | | | Boat crack.12. Denver (1-1) - Mike Shanahan is 4-2 |
| against NFC North opponents since 2002. The Vikings | | | | against Bill Belichick, but this is just the second |
| have scored a pair of impressive three-point victories | | | | meeting between these two in Foxborough. The |
| against 2005 playoff teams. The key has been the | | | | Over/Under on passes Jake the Snake throws up for |
| defense, and the Vikings possess by far the top | | | | grabs is 5.5.13. New York Giants (1-1) - That was |
| secondary the Bears have faced yet this season. I | | | | much more of an Eagles collapse than a Giants |
| don't think the three points will come into play, seeing | | | | comeback. One year after combining for 26 sacks, |
| as Minnesota is 6-76 ATS when they lose SU to a | | | | Osi Umenyiora and Mike Strahan have just one. The |
| division opponent and Chicago is 57-5-2 ATS when | | | | Giants are 7-1 ATS with revenge.14. Carolina (0-2) - |
| they win.Jacksonville at Indianapolis (-7), 1 p.m. on | | | | Deshaun Foster will start, even though DeAngelo |
| Sunday | | | | Williams is clearly more explosive. Carolina is 8-2 ATS |
| This line was set at 9.5 before the Jaguars Monday | | | | against the Bucs and 3-0 ATS in their last three at |
| Night Football performance against Pittsburgh. These | | | | Tampa.15. Dallas (1-1) - Drew Bledsoe is completing |
| teams have been very competitive with one another | | | | just 49 percent of his passes. Also, good call with No. |
| over the past four years, as all eight of their | | | | 1 pick Bobby Carpenter. The guy was inactive in |
| meetings have been decided by 10 points or less. | | | | Week 1 and played sparingly against Washington.16. |
| The Jaguars are 5-2-1 ATS in those contests despite | | | | Philadelphia (1-1) - The Eagles lead the league with 13 |
| just a 2-6 SU mark.Don't be mislead by the 21 players | | | | sacks. But without Javon Kearse and with a slowed |
| that the Colts placed on their injury report this week. | | | | Darren Howard, DC Jim Johnson will have to get |
| They have had no less then 15 men on the list so far | | | | creative in applying pressure. Unlike the overtime |
| this season and that hasn't stopped them from two | | | | against the Giants. D'oh!17. New Orleans (2-0) - |
| impressive victories. If anything, Jacksonville should be | | | | Monday night is going to be a lot of fun in the Bayou. |
| the sorer team after busting heads with the | | | | Vick vs. Bush. Saints vs. Falcons. Benson vs. his own |
| Steelers.Winners on MNF are 25-17 SU in their | | | | greed. Good times. But to win the Saints front seven |
| following game since 2003. However, if you take out | | | | is going to have to crowd the line, plug rushing lanes |
| absurd mismatches (for instance, Indianapolis followed | | | | and force Vick to beat them.18. Miami (0-2) - Yuk. I'm |
| a MNF game against Houston twice last year) then | | | | still so disgusted by their performance last week that |
| MNF winners are closer to .500 the following | | | | I have nothing to say about them. The Dolphins are |
| week.Atlanta (-3.5) at New Orleans, 8:45 p.m. on | | | | dead to me.19. St. Louis (1-1) - The Rams have not |
| Monday | | | | taken to Scott Linehan's offense, especially in the red |
| Heavy action is rolling in on the Falcons. And why | | | | zone. Including preseason they are 1-for-25 this year, |
| not? The past two weeks they've looked like teens | | | | and going back to 2005 the Rams have converted |
| lying about their age so they could play another year | | | | just 25 of their past 76 trips in the red zone into |
| of Pop Warner against the little kids. Or that kid with | | | | touchdowns.20. Washington (0-2) - Over the past |
| the late birthday that got to play an extra year of | | | | decade, the Redskins are 7-16 SU in the regular |
| Little League. It's been domination.Obviously, | | | | season in the second game of back-to-back or three |
| everyone knows that this will be the Saints first | | | | consecutive road games. Al Saunders' offense has |
| game back in the Super Dome since the horrors that | | | | succeeded on just six of 27 third down attempts.21. |
| took place there during Hurricane Katrina. It's taken a | | | | Arizona (1-1) - Starting CB Eric Green (groin) likely |
| full year to repair the roof and get the venue ready. | | | | won't play, and former starter David Macklin was |
| You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get the smell | | | | inactive last week in Seattle. One place you don't |
| of urine and dead people off those seats. It was | | | | want to have instability when the Rams come to |
| rough; especially since the federal government was | | | | town is in the secondary.22. Kansas City (0-2) - The |
| supposed to help with the cleanup but decided to | | | | Chiefs have just one sack so far this season. The off |
| they had more important things to do.This is a tough | | | | week should be a tremendous help in getting the |
| draw for Atlanta, which has historically had a tough | | | | offense back on-track.23. Buffalo (1-1) - I still can't |
| time in New Orleans. The emotion should be off the | | | | get over that special teams performance last week. |
| charts, and hopefully everyone will be so happy for | | | | It was flawless. But the offense looks like something |
| the Saints that they forget all about the fact that | | | | out of the 1910s. They are 31st in the league in |
| Tom Benson was begging to move the team last fall. | | | | passing, averaging 103 ypg.24. Detroit (0-2) - Teams |
| Go Saints!!!And without further ado, here are my | | | | are completing a whopping 79 percent of their |
| Week 3 Power Rankings:1. Indianapolis (2-0) - The | | | | passes against the Lions secondary. The Lions are 8-1 |
| Colts are converting an absolutely ridiculous 71.4 | | | | ATS when Brett Favre comes to the Motor City.25. |
| percent of their third downs (20-for-28). Does Dwight | | | | Tampa Bay (0-2) - I hope John Gruden doesn't plan |
| Freeney really have a pulled butt muscle? Allegedly he | | | | to throw the ball 56 times against Carolina unless his |
| was injured after a savage towel-whipping from | | | | wants to get Chris Simms killed. Maybe that's the |
| punter Hunter Smith.2. Chicago (2-0) - The Bears run | | | | idea. The Bucs are averaging 14.6 points in Simms' last |
| game (2.8 ypg) has been nonexistent, but anyone | | | | 13 appearances.26. San Francisco (1-1) - The 49ers |
| who thinks that Cedric Benson should be starting | | | | have yielded an average of 36 points per game to |
| hasn't been watching Thomas Jones as a pass | | | | Philadelphia in their last three meetings. That includes |
| blocker. He's outstanding at picking up the blitz, | | | | last year's 42-3 whitewashing. The 49ers are 91-38 |
| something Benson doesn't do.3. Seattle (2-0) - Stop | | | | SU at home since 1990, winning by an average score |
| me if I'm wrong here, but couldn't Seattle have taken | | | | of 26-18.27. Houston (0-2) - David Carr is completing |
| the money they poured into Nate Burleson and Deion | | | | 76 percent of his passes. I think it shouldn't be a |
| Branch and used it to keep Steve Hutchinson? And | | | | surprise the effect that Gary Kubiak has had on Carr, |
| kept their first- and third-round picks? Would that | | | | as well as what Kubiak's absence has done to Jake |
| have made sense to anyone else?4. Jacksonville (2-0) | | | | Plummer.28. New York Jets (1-1) - The Jets are just |
| - The Jaguars have won eight of their past 10 road | | | | 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS in Orchard Park. They are also |
| games, but the two losses both came in domes. | | | | 3-10 ATS against a team coming off a win as an |
| Jacksonville is 3-1 ATS at Indy, including a straight-up | | | | underdog.29. Cleveland (0-2) - The Browns have |
| win there in 2004.5. Pittsburgh (1-1) - The Steelers | | | | totaled just 64 yards - combined - in the first five |
| are 8-3 SU and 7-4 ATS against the Bengals since | | | | drives of each of their two games. No thanks to |
| 2001. Understand that they also have a severe | | | | Kellen Winslow Jr. or Sr.30. Tennessee (0-2) - I like |
| mental edge over the Bengals. It's like a big | | | | Jeff Fisher a lot. Think he's a great coach. But this is |
| brother-little brother scenario. And imagine Joey | | | | the second quarterback in the last four months to |
| Porter as your big brother. Scary.6. Baltimore (2-0) - | | | | leave the team under shady circumstances.31. Green |
| The Ravens are only 24th in total offense with just | | | | Bay (0-2) - The Packers offensive line is having |
| 267 yards per game. The passing game is 28th with | | | | trouble with the zone-blocking scheme the offense |
| 294 yards and just 55 percent completions. Those | | | | employs. They face Detroit, which is allowing just 3.0 |
| look like Kyle Boller numbers to me.7. Atlanta (2-0) - | | | | yards per rush.32. Oakland (0-2) - According to Peter |
| The Falcons are 7-3 ATS in the Crescent City, but | | | | King, 92 percent of all of Oakland's pass plays have |
| 0-2 in their last two trips. Warrick Dunn is averaging | | | | been off a five- or seven-step drop. One year after |
| 25 carries per game after averaging 15 hauls during | | | | catching 70 balls, LaMont Jordan has zero |
| the last nine seasons.8. Cincinnati (2-0) - Of all the | | | | catches.Questions or comments for Robert? E-mail |
| injuries facing the Bengals this weekend, the biggest | | | | him at Check Doc's Sports site for daily sports |
| might be the loss of center Rich Braham. The center | | | | betting articles, College Football Odds, NFL Odds, and |
| is responsible for setting up blitz protection and the | | | | NFL Power Rankings. |
| Steelers attack more than any team in the league | | | | |