National Football League- 2010 Season, Week 5

OPEN DATES: Miami Dolphins (2-2), New England Patriots (3-1), Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1), Seattle Seahawks (2-2)

It's another weekend of big NFL action as twelve games grace the NFL landscape on Sunday afternoon, with the marquee game being the Tennessee Titans and the Dallas Cowboys. On Sunday night, the Philadelphia Eagles fly to the city by the bay as the San Francisco 49ers are looking for their first win. The fifth week closes with the Minnesota Vikings and Brett Favre's return to the Meadowlands as the Vikes visit the J-E-T-S, Jets.

The biggest news of the week, so far, is that the idle New England Patriots traded wide receiver Randy Moss back to the team where his NFL career began, the Minnesota Vikings, on Wednesday.

The biggest upset of last week was Jacksonville's last-second win over Indianapolis (see below in my picks for Jacksonville-Buffalo and Kansas City-Indianapolis).

The oddest fact is that, after only four weeks, there is only one undefeated team left in the NFL (Kansas City, who was off last week; Pittsburgh and Chicago lost last week for the first time), considering there were not one, but TWO unbeaten teams still standing, deep into the regular season last year, and in 2007, who can forget New England's failed quest for a 19-0 record as the Patriots managed to survive Spygate to have the first perfect regular season since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, and then managed to lose Super Bowl XLII?


GAME OF THE WEEK: (or Pop out the corks, Nick Buonticonti and Bob Griese?)
Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) at Indianapolis Colts (2-2)- Lucas Oil Stadium; Indianapolis, IN- 1:00PM on CBS
Last year, the Chiefs were a total and complete joke, as they stumbled to a 4-12 finish. Flash forward to 2010, the addition of ex-Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis as their Offensive Coordinator, and trading more players from New England. Right now, the Chiefs are the lone unbeaten left in the NFL. Indianapolis, if they lose, they will have lost more than they did all of last year (not including Super Bowl XLIV), when they rested their starters the last game and a half of the regular season. The Chiefs (New England 2.0) have a big target on their back with this game, because they have the opportunity to knock off the defending AFC Champs in their own home, as the Colts are being inflicted with injuries to some key assets. Last Sunday, the Colts hung around in Jacksonville, playing a back-and-forth game, which wasn't enough, as the Jags won on a last-second field goal for the upset. Add to that, they lost to a Houston Texans team that the Colts had a 15-1 record against going into this season. This will be a gooood, good game as the surviving members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins are chilling that champagne and rooting for the Chiefs to lose*.
Pick: Indianapolis 27-24
*- The surviving members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, the last NFL team to finish with a perfect season (17-0, including Super Bowl VII), celebrate the loss of the final undefeated team, which may be on Sunday; but last year, there were two unbeaten teams (New Orleans and the aforementioned Colts) deep into December

SUNDAY AFTERNOON GAMES:
(CBS has the Doubleheader this weekend)
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) at Buffalo Bills (0-4)- Ralph Wilson Stadium; Orchard Park, NY- 1:00PM on CBS
Last week, Jacksonville upset the rulers of their AFC South division, Indianapolis, courtesy of a 59-yard field goal by kicker Josh Scobee as time expired. This week, Jacksonville heads to Buffalo, where if it were December, the Jags would totally be screwed, but since it's going to be in the mid-to-upper 60s, nevermind. Jacksonville will pick up where they left off in Indy, no doubt. Pick: Jacksonville 23-14

Denver Broncos (2-2) at Baltimore Ravens (3-1)- M&T Bank Stadium; Baltimore, MD- 1:00PM on CBS
The Ravens knocked rival Pittsburgh from the ranks of the unbeatens as Joe Flacco found ex-Bengal T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the end zone with 32 seconds left. The Broncos held off the Tennessee Titans, courtesy of a couple of key Tennessee miscues late in the game. The Broncos are going to have a long Sunday in Baltimore, because the last time the Broncs went to Baltimore, they were a perfect 6-0, but the Ravens sent them into a 2-8 tailspin that they are trying to slowly recover from still.
Pick: Baltimore 28-13

Green Bay Packers (3-1) at Washington Redskins (2-2)- FedEx Field; Landover, MD- 1:00PM on Fox
The Redskins just got by Philadelphia last week in Donovan McNabb's return to Philly. However, Green Bay is going to give the Redskins a full 60 minutes.
Pick: Green Bay 27-13

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)- Paul Brown Stadium; Cincinnati, OH- 1:00PM
Until the Pittsburgh defense brought Tampa Bay back down to earth, the Buccaneers were invincible, led by Quarterback Josh Freeman. The Bucs head up to the banks of the O-hi-o, where they play a Cincinnati team whose shortcomings were exposed by one of the worst teams in all of professional sports- the Cleveland Browns. The Buccaneers have won the last five meetings against the Bengals, with two of the three games that took place in Cincinnati (1998 & 2002), by a combined score of 70-7, while the other three wins were decided by a total of seven points, including the last meeting, in which Bruce Gradkowski led the Bucs to a 14-13 win in 2006 down in Tampa. Look for the Bucs to bring their A-game to the Jungle.
Pick: Tampa Bay 28-21

St. Louis Rams (2-2) at Detroit Lions (0-4)- Ford Field; Detroit, MI- 1:00PM on Fox
Sam Bradford is apparently the man in St. Louis, as a Ram win would equal St. Louis's win total from the last two seasons combined (DET was St. Louis's only win last year). The Lions, who showed promise to improve this year, are still without Matthew Stafford, who was knocked out in the season opener.
Pick: St. Louis 27-10

Chicago Bears (3-1) at Carolina Panthers (0-4)- Bank of America Stadium; Charlotte, NC- 1:00PM on Fox
The Bears got knocked from the ranks of the unbeatens last Sunday night and lost Jay Cutler in the process. This week, Todd Collins will start as Quarterback for the Bears as they travel down south to a Carolina team that almost got their first win last week. The key word was almost. Look for Carolina to take advantage of Collins at Julius Peppers' homecoming to Charlotte.
Pick: Carolina 24-14 (UPSET PICK OF THE WEEK)

Atlanta Falcons (3-1) at Cleveland Browns (1-3)- Cleveland Browns Stadium; Cleveland, OH- 1:00PM on Fox
The Browns should be 0-4. But unfortunately, Peyton Hillis wasn't going to have any of it, as he rushed for over 100 yards and the Browns run defense shut the Cincinnati Bengals down. The Browns have led in the fourth quarter all four games so far, while the Falcons trailed last week against San Francisco, and alas, won on a last-second field goal by Matt Bryant, last week against the winless 49ers. The Browns could play them close again, but not close enough as the Falcons will win by the Lake for the first time since 1971.
Pick: Atlanta 20-13

New York Giants (2-2) at Houston Texans (3-1)- Reliant Stadium; Houston, TX- 1:00PM on Fox
The Giants defense gave the Monsters of the Midway a sobering reality check last week. On the flip side, Arian Foster is becoming a breakout star for the Texans, having big rushing numbers so far this year. This will be a good matchup.
Pick: Houston 31-28

New Orleans Saints (3-1) at Arizona Cardinals (2-2)- University of Phoenix Stadium; Glendale, AZ- 4:05PM on Fox
Arizona is just not the same without Kurt Warner. Plain and simple. The last time these two teams played, it was Kurt Warner's final NFL game as the Saints took flight over the Cardinals 45-14 in the NFC Divisional Playoffs. Oh, when the Saints go marching in, Oh when the Saints go marching in, Drew Brees will find his favorite receivers in the end zone, when the Saints go marching in. Oh, yeah, rookie quarterback Max Hall is starting for Arizona. Oh, when the Saints--
Pick: New Orleans 38-3

Tennessee Titans (2-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-2)- Dallas Cowboys Stadium; Arlington, TX- 4:15PM on CBS
Remember when (the Titans were the Houston Oilers) this was The Battle of Texas? The Cowboys knocked off the Houston Texans for their first win of 2010, before their bye week last weekend. This week, they host the team that used to call Houston home- the Tennessee Titans. Last week, the Titans lost to Denver, courtesy of key miscues that occurred late in the game, including a muffed punt that the Broncos recovered. Tennessee can't have any mistakes if they want to win in Dallas, as the Cowboys attempt to get their season back on track.
Pick: Dallas 34-24

San Diego Chargers (2-2) at Oakland Raiders (1-3)- Oakland Coliseum; Oakland, CA- 4:15PM on CBS
The Chargers have won 13 straight games against their in-state rivals, Oakland. It seems like the Chargers, the past couple of years, have gotten theirselves into a rut in the first month of play. However, once October comes, the Chargers electrify their offense again. If the Raiders want to prevent the Chargers from making it 14 straight, they'll have to hang around the entire game, and even that might not be enough.
Pick: San Diego 38-15

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) at San Francisco 49ers (0-4)- Candlestick Park; San Francisco, CA- 8:20PM on NBC (This might not be Mike Singletary's last stand, but stranger things have happened in the NFL)
Blowout. Last-Second Loss. Blowout. Last-Second Loss. This is the pattern of how the San Francisco 49ers have lost their first four games, exchanging a blowout loss (Seattle, Kansas City) with a close game, decided on a last-second field goal (New Orleans, Atlanta). Last week, the Philadelphia Eagles lost both the game and (to a rib injury sustained in the 2nd quarter) quarterback Michael Vick. The 49ers could actually get over that hump (much like the Browns last week) and win.
Pick: San Francisco 21-10

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Minnesota Vikings (1-2) at New York Jets (3-1)- New Meadowlands Stadium; East Rutherford, NJ- 8:30PM on ESPN
The last time Brett Favre returned to a team he used to play for on Monday Night Football, he won that game. The J-E-T-S, Jets have since moved on from the 20-year vet, with second year QB Mark Sanchez, who is the complement to the Rex Ryan-coached Jets defense. Favre, Adrian Peterson, and "new" Viking Randy Moss will have a tough time in this Jumbo Jet, as Minnesota's offensive flight will be grounded by the Jets defense.
Pick: NY Jets 34-6

Next week, as part of Sports Corner Rivalry Week, the Browns visit the Steelers, and it's a battle in the Bay Area as the Raiders visit the 49ers.