Games of the Week

Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers (Sunday, 4:15pm, CBS) – The Niners get another tough AFC West opponent in the Chiefs this week. KC head coach Dick Vermeil has elevated his team’s offense to the level that he brought the St. Louis Rams to when he won a Super Bowl there in 1999. RB Priest Holmes is the key to the Chiefs’ success. He has been the best player in the NFL this year. Prediction: Chiefs 31, Niners 23.

Indianapolis Colts at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday, 1pm, CBS) – The Colts have dropped their last three games, and the Eagles have won three straight. However, the Colts killed themselves with fumbles last week, and Philly barely got out of Chicago with a win. The Eagles’ gutsy defense is as good as ever, and faces a big test against Indy’s gamebreaker, WR Marvin Harrison. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb must get out of the funk he was in last week in order for the Eagles to win. Prediction: Eagles 27, Colts 20.

Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos (Monday, 9pm, ABC) – These bitter AFC West rivals square off in the NFL’s biggest regular-season stage, Monday Night Football. Games like this almost always seem more exciting on Mondays. Order a pizza and some wings, and get ready for a treat. This game will be hotly contested from start to finish. Denver gets an edge in this matchup, as they are coming off their bye week, and are rested and ready for the old, and somewhat tired, Raiders. Prediction: Broncos 41, Raiders 38.

Power Poll
The Cream of the Crop

1. Green Bay Packers (7-1,. 1) – QB Brett Favre’s gutsy performance on Monday night solidified him as an MVP candidate.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2. 3) – The Eagles survived offensive ineptitude against the Chicago Bears last week, thanks to the stellar play of their defense.

3. Denver Broncos (6-2, 4) – Denver has a huge game this week at home. A win here could give them an edge in the AFC West.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-2, 5) – The Bucs’ offense is finally coming around. This is a very dangerous team that could make a lot of noise in the playoffs.

5. San Diego Chargers (6-2, 2) – The Chargers threw out their clunker this week, losing by 31 to the Jets. They cannot afford a loss to St. Louis this week.

The Bottom of the Barrel

28. Seattle Seahawks (2-6, NR) – The Seahawks continue to struggle. They lost QB Trent Dilfer to a ruptured Achilles tendon, and now must rely on cast-off QB Jeff George.

29. Dallas Cowboys (2-7, NR) – Dallas fell to Detroit on the road this past week. So, Dallas has now lost to the Houston Texans and the Lions in the same season. This is not a good thing.

30. Minnesota Vikings (2-6, NR) – The Vikings were the perfect cure for Tampa Bay’s struggling offense.

31. Cincinnati Bengals (1-7, 32) – The Bengals finally looked like a football team, dismantling the expansion Texans on the road.

32. Houston Texans (2-6, 31) – It was only a matter of time before Houston fell to the bottom. Losing to the Bengals at home cements them as THE basement team in the NFL.