Suffolk News-Herald

Tampa Bay 20, Washington 17. Their collapse last week showed that the Buc defense might not be as fearsome as sportswriters around the country (except me!) would have fans believe, but the Redskins choked last week as well, falling too far into a hole for Patrick Ramsey to dig them out. If the ‘Skins are to be taken seriously, they need this one, but history has proven how unreliable they are.

Oakland 17, Cleveland 16. Tim Couch carried the Browns to their biggest victory of the millennium last week in a 33-13 rout of Pittsburgh, and today we find out if he’s a fluke (bet on it!). It’s up to Rich Gannon and Jerry Rice to decide whether the Raiders will be back where they were last year, and they don’t have much time to make up their minds.

Miami 26, Jacksonville 17. The Dolphins discovered that they could win without Ricky Williams last week, as they managed to beat New York when he gained only 39 yards. The Jag defense has been tough against the run, allowing just 83.4 yards per game. Their offense looked effective in a 27-21 win last week, but it was against San Diego – and we’re talking about a team that fell to subpar Houston and Buffalo earlier.

New England 30, N.Y. Giants 20. How appropriate that this game comes in the midst of a Yankees-Red Sox American League championship playoff! Neither team has been spectacular on defense, but the Pats get the Pick because of the way their offense performed in a 38-30 win over Tennessee last weekend. The Giants committed four turnovers in a 23-10 loss to Miami, their lowest point total this season by 13 points.

Indianapolis 35, Carolina 31. Here’s the barn-burner for the week, as these two teams could be playing each other in the first months of 2004. The Colt offense pulled out one of the biggest comebacks ever last week, burning the &uot;renowned&uot; Tampa Bay defense for 21 points in four minutes. At 4-0, the Panthers are off to their best start in years, with Stephen Davis charging for 565 yards. Here’s why the Colts get the Pick; the Panther defense has allowed just one rushing touchdown this year, but Peyton Manning is the hottest thrower in the NFL. On the other hand, the Colt defense has also allowed just one rushing touchdown; and the Panthers haven’t shown that they have a Plan B if Davis gets held in check.

Houston 21, Tennessee 14. Houston has been getting better every week, and David Carr proved that he’s one of the gutsiest in the league by scoring on a one-yard dive to beat Jacksonville as time expired two weeks ago. Now he takes on a defense that’s allowing 23 points a game. Steve McNair has been solid, per usual, but he’s got a huge load to carry; the Titan rushing offense is ranked 29th in the league.

Kansas City 27, Green Bay 24. The Packers have been hit-or-miss all season, falling to Minnesota and Arizona and playing like champions last week against Seattle. The Chiefs are off to their best start since 1995, and their win against Denver last week showed that they came to play. Dante Hall might not set a new NFL record for most kick returns for a touchdown (five) against a defense that’s the best against them, but Priest Holmes should get the Chiefs to victory.

Dallas 21, Philadelphia 20. The Eagles finally took off last week in a win over Washington, but the Cowboys should shut them back down today, if for no reason than they’re ticked about losing the last six to Philly by an average of 24 points.

New Orleans 13, Chicago 10. Both teams are searching for a quick fix, and a win today will only give a small reprieve. The Saints should have beaten Carolina last week, outgaining the Panthers 344-319 yards, while the Bears came out of nowhere to take out a stunned Oakland squad.

Baltimore 42, Arizona 14. Jamal Lewis might be becoming the new Emmitt Smith, as his 611 yards in four games are more than 25 of the 31 NFL teams. With a broken shoulder, Smith won’t be around to see this one, and it may be just as well.

Denver 38, Pittsburgh 13. The Broncos may still be the top team in the AFC, despite last week’s loss to Kansas City. Jake Plummer is tentative with a shoulder injury, but Steve Beuerlin might be the best journeyman quarterback in the league. Pittsburgh leads the league in total defense, allowing just 234.4 yards per game, but the Denver offense won’t be intimidated, and the Steeler offense is Swiss cheese.

Buffalo 42, N.Y. Jets 6. The Bills are getting an early Christmas present; after rediscovering their winning ways last week against Cincinnati, they get to take on a team that’s done bubkis on both sides of they’re ticked about losing the last six to Philly by an average of 24 points.

New Orleans 13, Chicago 10. Both teams are searching for a quick fix, and a win today will only give a small reprieve. The Saints should have beaten Carolina last week, outgaining the Panthers 344-319 yards, while the Bears came out of nowhere to take out a stunned Oakland squad.

Baltimore 42, Arizona 14. Jamal Lewis might be becoming the new Emmitt Smith, as his

611 yards are more than 25 of the 31 NFL teams. With a broken shoulder, Smith won’t be around to see this one.

Denver 38, Pittsburgh 13. The Broncos may still be the top team in the AFC, despite last week’s loss to Kansas City. Jake Plummer is tentative with a shoulder injury, but Steve Beuerlin might be the best journeyman quarterback in the league. Pittsburgh leads the league in total defense, allowing just 234.4 yards per game, but the Denver offense won’t be intimidated.

Buffalo 42, N.Y. Jets 6. The Bills are getting an early Christmas present; after rediscovering their winning ways last week against Cincinnati, they get to take on a team that’s done bubkis on both sides of the ball all season.

Seattle 24, San Francisco 21. Their 35-13 loss might not have shown it, but Seattle played well on offense last week against Green Bay, racking up 336 yards. Their defense went to pot, however, and Terrell Owens and Jeff Garcia turned things around last week in a win over Detroit. Seattle needs to learn to bounce back from defeat.

St. Louis 35, Atlanta 10. The Ram offense racked up a season-high score in their 37-13 defeat of Arizona two weeks ago, and Monday they face a defense that’s last in the league in total yards allowed (382.8 average) and 29th against the run, which should help Lamar Gordon’s confidence until Marshall Faulk heals up.

Last week: 5-9

Overall: 29-28