Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers (Thurs)

Ah, the first Thursday night game of the year. Of course, I'm one of the lucky people that can't see the game at home because I'm stuck with Time Warner and their suck ass service. Of course I could go to a friend's house or even the bar to watch this game, but that would require me to go out of my way to watch this game. Um, no thank you. The only interest this game holds for me is whether or not Greg Olsen tears it up again. Otherwise, I'll pass.

New Orleans Saints @ St Louis Rams

This game would definitely be my eliminator pick if I hadn't pick New Orleans in Week One, or if Tampa Bay wouldn't screwed me over last Sunday. Seriously, Vegas couldn't make the line high enough in this game to not bet on New Orleans. (Assuming I actually bet on games) The real worry for me in this game is that I'm facing Scott in a do-or-die fantasy week in my ESPN league and he has Drew Brees. An ideal day for my team would be Brees handing the ball off for the majority, letting him throw one or two touchdowns, and then bringing the backups in to show the Rams some mercy. On the flip side, if Brees goes off for six touchdowns like he did against Detroit, I'm officially screwed.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Miami Dolphins

I'm tempted to pick Tampa Bay again because they did screw me over and now I have this fear of picking against them. However, they are still the Buccaneers and the Dolphins are still a better team. Now if you will all excuse me for a moment, I'm going to spend the next few minutes patting myself on the back.

If you click here and here to check out my End of the Pre Season and Week Two power rankings, you will notice what I wrote both times about Tampa Bay. For those who don't want to click, I asked the question as to why the Bucs even wasted their time starting Byron Leftwich when it was clear that Josh Freeman was going eventually be the starting QB. I wasn't very high on Tampa Bay's chances this season and figured it would be a good opportunity for Freeman to get his playing time in now so he'll be more prepared for when (if) the Bucs are actually a good team. Well, it only took the Buccaneers to start off 0-7 before they decided to make the switch to Freeman. How did it work out? Well Freeman threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns in leading Tampa Bay to their first win of the season.

Ahem….told you so.

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings

With a 7-1 start in the books and two convincing wins over Green Bay, Minnesota is officially on cruise control towards the playoffs. After last week's bye, they now face Detroit, Seattle, and Chicago in three consecutive home games. For those doing the math, that will make their record 10-1 when they head to Arizona to face the Cardinals in Week 13. In fact, when looking at the remaining schedule, besides a Week 15 game in Carolina and Week 16 in Chicago, it's pretty much smooth sailing for the Vikings in terms of either playing in a dome or playing in beautiful weather. That is a huge advantage when you have a dinosaur playing quarterback.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ NY Jets

I really wanted to pick Jacksonville here but I had to go with the home team. I'm not sure why because so far Mark Sanchez has proven that he is actually worse at home than on the road. Those pesky weather conditions have been getting the best of the California boy. But on a more serious note, if the Jets are having any hopes of the playoffs, they absolutely have to win this week to setup a more important matchup with New England in Week 11. In doing some quick math, if the Jets win this week that will push them to 5-4 and if the Patriots lose to the Colts it would make them 6-3. That would mean the game in Week 11 would be for sole possession of first place in the AFC East. Scary to think that in a few weeks the same Jets team that threw a team total of six interceptions and lost at home to the Bills could actually be in first place.

Buffalo Bills @ Tennessee Titans

In the most lopsided matchup of the day, we have the NFL rushing leader Chris Johnson going up against a Bills run defense that is currently ranked number 32 in the league and averages 173.6 yards per game. I really feel bad for those that are going against Johnson in any fantasy leagues this week. On top of that, since having their bye week and inserting Vince Young into the starting lineup, the Titans have actually won two games in a row and resemble a team that may have been a playoff team one year ago. I've flip flopped my thoughts on this game more than I have on Terrell Owens. I really feared this game before the season, then was looking forward to it by Week Four, and I'm now cringing again at the thought of it.

But don't fret Bills fans, there is a positive this week. The Bills will be wearing their sweet white throwbacks this week and the Titans will be wearing their old Oilers uniforms. YES!

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The Bengals and Steelers both sit at the top of the AFC North with identical 6-2 records, but the Bengals have the 0.5 game lead because they beat Pittsburgh head to head earlier this season. So as you can see, this game carries a lot of weight for Pittsburgh. If they lose, they will be one game back in the standings but it will feel like two games having been swept by the Bengals. Of course, I don't mean to minimize the important for the Bengals either because this game is absolutely huge for them as well. A win means they have a full game lead plus the tie-breaker, plus people will definitely be taking them more seriously as we head down the stretch run.

A quick glance at the schedule shows me that if the Bengals can beat Pittsburgh this week, they would have three automatics wins in the following weeks (Oakland, Cleveland, and Detroit) before facing Minnesota in Week 14. Pittsburgh still has the Ravens twice and while they apparently aren't the team we thought they were, you can never rule out a tough game when those two teams are involved.

As tempted as I am to pick the Bengals, I have to go with the Steelers. They are at home, this game can make or break their season, and they are far more experienced in these situations than Cincinnati is.

Denver Broncos @ Washington Redskins

This has "trap game" written all over it. Washington is an absolutely horrendous team and nobody will be giving them a chance, especially because one of their few offensive weapons (Clinton Portis) won't be playing. Denver is clearly a better team but they are also on a two game losing streak. And to top it off, the Broncos are on a short work week and have to travel cross country for the game. Listen, I'm still picking Denver (mostly because I will NEVER pick Washington), but if the Redskins win don't be shocked. This is the Eagles/Raiders game all over again.

Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have been much improved in the recent weeks. Unfortunately for them, "much improved" means going 1-1 and choking away a lead against the undefeated Saints. The Panthers still have at least four losses remaining this season and with them sitting at 3-5, they can pretty much start preparing for the draft now.

Atlanta hasn't been especially overwhelming but they do sit at 5-3 and control their own destiny in terms of a playoff spot. In fact, they actually face the Giants and Eagles in the next four weeks and with wins in those games, they are a sure thing. As if you had any doubt, they finish the season against Buffalo and Tampa Bay which is two guaranteed wins. That reminds me; yes I'm looking forward to Week 13 when the Falcons host the Eagles. Sometimes I love the drama of the NFL, just not all the hype during the week.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Oakland Raiders

If this game is as painful to watch as it was to write about, I feel sorry for those that have to watch it. In case you're not sure why, let me remind you what happened last time these two teams met in Week Two.

The Raiders led for most of the game on two Sebastian Janikowski field goals, 6-3. It wasn't until there was 2:38 remaining in the fourth quarter before the Chiefs decided to score a touchdown and take the 10-6 lead. Before this drive, there were a total of 12 punts between the two teams. But not to be outdone, the Raiders proceeded to drive down the field and give themselves the lead (and win) with 1:07 remaining in the game. JaMarcus Russell was the winning QB in this game and he finished with an impressive 7 for 24, 109 yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and 46.0 QB rating.

Yeah, I don't think I'll be watching this game on Sunday.

Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals

After a somewhat slow start, the Cardinals have taken control of the NFC West and are now in the driver's seat towards another playoff berth. I really don't know what to make of Arizona sometimes and that frustrates the living hell out of me seeing that I have Kurt Warner as my fantasy QB. One week the guy throws five interceptions and loses to Carolina, the next he throws five touchdowns and throttles Chicago. If someone can make sense of this for me, I'd love to hear it.

Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers

What can I say about Green Bay that doesn't contain at least a dozen expletives? Nothing really, so let's talk about Dallas instead.

The Cowboys have really come on strong lately in winning their last four games. I hate to play the "what if" game, but I'll do it for the sake of writing. If the Cowboys didn't lose to the Giants by two points and if the Cowboys had finished off the game tying drive against Denver, they'd be sitting at 8-0 right now. It's a scary thought when you actually consider it. Like I said in this week's rankings though, this is usually the time when the Cowboys and Tony Romo crumble and fade away. It will be interesting to see if he can continue to play well and actually finish off what he started for once. If not, well I won't be shocked.

Philadelphia Eagles @ San Diego Chargers

Andy Reid vs Norv Turner. Yikes. If that isn't a scary coaching matchup, I'm not sure what is. I never feel safe picking the Chargers anymore because every time I think their good, they suck. And when I think they suck, they come out and look good. However, there are two reasons I'm picking them this week. 1) They are coming off a huge comeback win and will have momentum on their side. 2) The Eagles are traveling cross country and last time they did it, it didn't work out so well.

New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts

I went back and forth on this pick more times than you can imagine. I initially picked the Colts because well, they are the better team on paper, and they are at home. But then I started thinking that Indianapolis is due for a loss and the Patriots are the perfect team to deal them their first of the season. Then I flipped back to my Colts back once I realized that I need to start just picking with my gut instinct and so that is what I did.

The Colts are the better team. Although I think Tom Brady is the better QB over his career, right now I'd choose Peyton Manning (mostly for health reasons). The one thing that worries me about the Colts is that their secondary is seriously banged up and the Patriots are very dangerous through the air. However, I gotta go with my gut feeling so I'm going with the Colts.

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns

Reasons why ESPN would like to flex Monday night games: Ravens at Browns in Week 10.

BYE: NY Giants, Houston

Last Week: 10-3

NFL Season: 86-56

Scott's Picks:

Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers (Thurs)

New Orleans Saints @ St Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Miami Dolphins

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings

Jacksonville Jaguars @ NY Jets

Buffalo Bills @ Tennessee Titans

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Denver Broncos @ Washington Redskins

Atlanta Falcons @ Carolina Panthers

Kansas City Chiefs @ Oakland Raiders

Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers

Philadelphia Eagles @ San Diego Chargers

New England Patriots @ Indianapolis Colts

Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns

Last Week: 8-5

NFL Season: 86-56