NFL 2008 Week 7 Picks

Expect the unexpected.

Week 6 proved relentlessly that this should be the motto of the National Football League. This was one of those weekends that you needed Valium and nitroglycerin next to your nachos, wings, and beer. In case you're immersed in the presidential debates and forgot, let's recap:

- In eleven seconds, you can put on and tie a pair of tennis shoes, spread butter on a piece of toast, or check the oil in your car. You can also receive a kickoff, throw a a 26-yard strike, and kick a 48-yard field goal to win a game as Atlanta proved in their stunning win over Chicago 22-20.

- Houston continued its unbeaten streak vs. Miami by coming from behind and getting its first victory of the season when QB Matt Schaub scored on a 3-yard run with 3 seconds left giving Miami it's third loss.

- In a classic "Wanna get away..." moment, Lions QB Dan Orlovsky ran away from the Minnesota blitz along the back of the end zone from one end to the other...not realizing that he was out of bounds. The result was a safety, and Minnesota won 12-10 on a 26-yard field goal with nine seconds left.

- Apparently when Scott Linehan was fired from the Rams, the rest of the team disappeared with him. These were not the same Rams in Washington who actually played some offense, defense, and special teams in stunning the Redskins 19-17 on a last second 49-yard field goal.

- This was not a mirage in the Arizona desert. Dallas gave up an opening kickoff for a TD, struggled mightily on both sides of the ball all afternoon, used big plays to tie the game and send it into OT, and then got a punt blocked which led to the game-winning TD and their punter breaking his foot. Arizona won 30-24 and that wasn't the end of it as the week to follow was anything but boring.

- The roles were reversed in San Diego as the Chargers appeared to be superhuman and ran all over the Patriots who struggled on defense to stop Rivers, L.T. and Co. only to get blown out 30-10.

- On Monday Night, everyone expected the Giants to waltz into the Dawg Pound and pound the Browns into submission. The problem was that the team that NY expected to be the brunt of their blows wasn't the lowly squad that everyone had already written off. Cleveland acted like a wounded wild dog that had been cornered and ripped up the Giants 35-14.

What will Week 7 hold? Is another hapless team going to throw off their mask and reveal their true identity? The suspense, intrigue, and excitement is building so grab your remote and catheter. Oh, and don't forget the meds.

• San Diego Chargers (3-3) at Buffalo Bills (4-1): CBS, 1pm EST - Injuries have peppered the Bills secondary as they prepare to face a Chargers offense that seemed to find itself last week vs. New England. San Diego has won 6 of the last 8 meetings and leads the overall series 20-9-2.

• Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-6): CBS, 1pm EST - Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has never lost in the state of Ohio (5-0 in Cincy and 5-0 in Cleveland.)

• Tennessee Titans (5-0) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-4): CBS, 1pm EST - I do believe that in today's NFL, anything can happen on any given Sunday. But, I also believe that unless the Titans are captured by aliens, all signs point to a blood bath in Arrowhead.

• Baltimore Ravens (2-3) at Miami Dolphins (2-3):CBS, 1pm EST - Two teams in the rebuilding stages square off in sunny Florida where the Ravens have never won. Their offensive line is soft, and rookie QB Joe Flacco is struggling. But, they have the top-rated defense in the league and will be facing a team that is full of surprises on offense this year.

• Minnesota Vikings (3-3) at Chicago Bears (3-3): FOX, 1pm EST - This is probably my favorite matchup of the week. The NFC North has a special quality: Cold-weathered teams who love to churn the ball on the ground and chew up offenses with their stringent defenses. Both of these teams are running the ball well and anchored by intimidating defenses.

• Dallas Cowboys (4-2) at St. Louis Rams (1-4): FOX, 1pm EST - First, it was an embarrassing loss to Arizona. Then, in the week that followed, Dallas found out it would be without the services of Tony Romo, Felix Jones, and Mat McBriar due to injuries of varying degrees. Then, CB Pacman Jones got suspended...again. Dallas also traded for ex-Lions WR Roy Williams to line up opposite T.O. Will they survive this rocky week? I think St. Louis is a good start...especially if Romo decides to play after a phone call from Brett Favre.

• San Francisco 49ers (2-4) at NY Giants (4-1): FOX, 1pm EST - Philadelphia got back on track last week by unleashing its fury vs. a suspect Niners defense. The Giants got humiliated on the national stage by Cleveland. Do the math.

• New Orleans Saints (3-3) at Carolina Panthers (4-2): FOX, 1pm EST - There isn't a hotter QB in the league right now than Drew Brees. He will have his work cut out for him facing the NFL's 2nd-ranked pass defense on the road. Both teams have balanced rushing attacks that will be colliding with effective run defenses. Panthers WR Steve Smith has 7 TD's in his last six meetings vs. the Saints.

• Detroit Lions (0-5) at Houston Texans (1-4): FOX, 4:05pm EST - A franchise full of pride and promise vs. a squad full of plight and pestilence.

• NY Jets (3-2) at Oakland Raiders (1-4): CBS, 4:15pm EST - If you take away stats and records, Oakland may be the worst football team in the league from the top down. The Raiders welcome the Jets led by Brett Favre who last faced the Raiders on December 22, 2003 when he shredded them for 399 yards and 4 TD's following his father's death.

• Indianapolis Colts (3-2) at Green Bay Packers (3-3): CBS, 4:15pm EST - It was nice to see Peyton Manning back to form last week as he lit it up vs. Baltimore at home. Things will be a little different for Manning and Co. as they visit the Pack in Lambeau. The Colts offensive line is tattered right now, and that is great news for the league's 7th-ranked passing defense. Indy has won 13 straight in October.

• Cleveland Browns (2-3) at Washington Redskins (4-2): CBS, 4:15pm EST - Things should get back to normal for both clubs as Washington remembers very clearly being embarrassed in front of their home fans last week in their loss to the Rams. Cleveland came out of nowhere at home and surprised the Giants. This time they are on the road, and the Skins aren't happy.

• Seattle Seahawks (1-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2): NBC, 8:15pm EST, Sunday Night - This isn't a good situation for Seattle. QB Matt Hasselbeck will miss his second straight game with back and knee injuries. Due to his absence and no continuity at receiver, the pressure has been on the running game and their defense who are getting worn out fast. Tampa is solid and should thrive at home.

• Denver Broncos (4-2) at New England Patriots (3-2): ESPN, 8:30pm EST, MNF - Both of these defenses have seen better days and had more productive seasons. They each are facing offenses that are very talented, but the edge here goes to Denver who ranks 4th in total offense. They also have a great line who are facing a Pats unit that has not been able to put pressure on the QB this season.

BYE: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Arizona, Jacksonville

STANDINGS

Chris Mortensen: 9-5, 59-29

Mark Schlereth: 6-8, 53-35

Mike Golic: 7-7, 53-34

Eddie Chinn: 8-6, 51-37

Ron Jaworski: 9-4, 51-31