Picking so many visitors wasn't as bad this week; in fact, nearly the same number of visitors won as I picked, just some of them were different teams. I'm taking a slightly more normal track this week.
Top Ten teams [Last week's position]
1. New Orleans Saints (5-0) [2] : The Saints held the Bears offense to a season-low output, and they played a mistake-free game, showing that the Bears need their defense to force takeaways in order to win. The Saints, on the other hand, can move the ball without defensive help. What makes them more dangerous is that they have help from their defense.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) [4] : The Chiefs have all of the elements to succeed, and they use them wisely. While their offense has garnered attention, their defense is one of the toughest in the league. That combination makes them dangerous.
3. Denver Broncos (5-0) [1] : Dallas demonstrated how poor the Broncos' defense really is. It's been known for years how to shake Tony Romo - pressure him. The Broncos didn't bother to pressure him until late in the fourth quarter. Moreover, they didn't harrass the receivers. They were allowed to run their routes, and they were left wide open. Romo is experienced enough to get the ball to where it is supposed to go, so he had a career-high day. If Denver wants to succeed, they need to improve their defense.
4. Indianapolis Colts (4-1) [6] : The Colts and Andrew Luck outplayed Seattle's defense, and that's not easy. The Colts are improving, and that makes them dangerous for future opponents.
5. Seatle Seahawks (4-1) [3] : The Seahawks defense couldn't stop Andrew Luck, but the Seahawks have plenty of talent. That talent took a boost on Sunday with the return of Bruce Irvin and Chris Clemons. They had a little rust on them, but they were shaking that off. This week they should be back to the form that made them the potent pass rushing duo in the league in 2012.
6. New England Patriots (4-1) [5] : Their defense has carried them this season, and it showed on Sunday. They only let the Bengals score 13 points, but it was enough for them to win. The offense is hoping for a boost with the projected return of Rob Gronkowski.
7. San Francisco 49ers (3-2) [15] : The 49ers destroyed the Texans as Colin Kaepernick finally looked as comfortable as he did last season. The defense was back to form, too. It that was not a fluke, the 49ers will rise quickly.
8. Green Bay Packers (2-2) [19] : The Packers looked like a new team after their bye week. They destroyed the Lions offense. While the Pack's offense still needs a bit of work, the power of the team that we expected to see is emerging. The bye week was what they needed to shake off their extremely difficult slate to start the season.
9. Chicago Bears (3-2) [8] : They may have lost to the Saints, but they held their own well. Despite pressure, Cutler did not fold like he did the previous week. The defense couldn't shine because they couldn't get the Saints offense to make mistakes, but they should have an easier time against lesser opponents.
10. Tennessee Titans (3-2) [9] : The Titans did struggle without Jake Locker, but Ryan Fitzpatrick wasn't terrible. He could improve over the next couple of weeks, if they can overcome their tough schedule.
Divisional ranks [Last week's position]
1. AFC West [1] : There is a three-game gap between the two Top Five teams and the bottom half of the division, but even the bottom two teams are forces.
2. NFC North [3] : Green Bay came back from their bye week empowered, knocking Detroit out of the Top Ten and vaulting into it. Chicago lost, but not by much. With all four teams playing this week, we could see some great results.
3. NFC West [6] : Seattle may have lost, but the other three teams won, and they won big. All of the teams in this division are strong enough to concern opponents.
4. AFC East [2] : It wasn't a good week for this division, as three of the four teams lost. Still, there are hopes for improvement, as Jets QB Geno Smith keeps improving, the Patriots could get some offensive tools back soon, and Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins are still a strong team.
5 (tie). NFC South [5] : The Saints took over the top spot, but they are the only impressive team in the division. This is likely to be the first division title crowned, if Carolina or Atlanta don't improve.
5 (tie). AFC North [7] : Impressive wins by Baltimore, Cincinnati, and Cleveland escalated the division. Pittsburgh didn't drag them down, because the Steelers didn't play. For Cincy and the Browns, it was their second impressive game in a row.
7. AFC South [4] : Only Indy won this week. While the Titans still showing life, Houston and Jacksonville looked dead. If the Texans and Titans don't reverse this, they may find 7th place a familiar location. They'll stay in seventh place because the eighth place division is...
8. NFC East [8] : Really, is this a surprise? This is the only division lacking a team with a winning record, and the division leader has beaten only divisional opponents. Two of the three worst defenses live here, and that's downright weird for this division.
Thursday night game
New York Giants at Chicago Bears : The Bears don't usually do well in night games, but the Giants are so bad that it would take a minor miracle for the Bears to lose. This might be the best offensive performance of the season so far for New York, just because the Bears don't play so well at night, but the Giants have one of the worst defenses in the league, so the Bears offense will rock. BEARS, 37-23
Sunday early games
Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings : The Vikings won in London, and they had an extra week to recover from jet lag. Matt Cassell returns to the QB reins, and I think he'll keep things interesting. He's hard for opposing defenses to figure, so Minnesota should have some success. Cam Newton might frustrate the Vikings defense as well, but their perchance to commit costly errors in the fourth quarter may lose the game for the Panthers. VIKINGS, 27-26
Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills : The Bills are good, but they may still be reeling from the smackdown administered by the Browns. Furthermore, the Bengals are a team on the rise, rolling after two consecutive strong performances against previously unbeaten teams. BENGALS, 24-17
Detroit Lions at Cleveland Browns : Believe it or not, I had a hard time picking this one. Two weeks ago, I would have quickly and easily picked the Lions. Now, they seem a little confused about what happened against Green Bay, and the Browns are sailing on the momentum of three straight victories, a streak Cleveland hasn't had in over seven years. However, I'm picking the Browns for one main reason - the return of Brandon Wheeden. He isn't able to move the offense as well as Brian Hoyer, and they need to score as quickly as Detroit can. LIONS, 31-23
Green Bay Packers at Baltimore Ravens : Another tough one to call. The Ravens' defense has slipped since winning the Super Bowl, but they can still be tough. Green Bay has seemingly bounced back well from their tough early schedule, but Baltimore will keep this one close enough that either team could win. I'll go with the Pack, but since Baltimore is at home, and I'm already picking several visiting teams, this one could easily go the other way. PACKERS, 30-27
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs : No doubt about this one. Oakland held San Diego last week, but the Raiders have always played well at night. The Chiefs are potent, and they don't make as many mistakes as San Diego. CHIEFS, 28-14
Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Bucs : Tampa needs a win, but I don't think they'll get it. Their defense has lost some speed, and that'll be important against the high-speed offense of the Eagles. Worse, Mike Glennon has not yet proven to be a capable replacement for Josh Freeman, who has now moved to Minnesota (although they may have solved their problems with Matt Cassel). EAGLES, 26-13
Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets : Pittsburgh frequently does well coming off a bye week, but they face a serious threat in the Jets. Rookie QB Geno Smith keeps getting better, and the defense has started to show up, too. While Pittsburgh's running game has improved with the addition of Le'Veon Bell to the starting lineup, they still have a ways to go. JETS, 20-17
St Louis Rams at Houston Texans : Houston has a chance to regain some esteem after being blown out last week. While Matt Schaub is looking shabby, and the defense looks poor, they still have better tools than the Rams. If they can avoid making too many mistakes, they could win this game. TEXANS, 28-26
Sunday late games
Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers : Atlanta is suffering, made worse with injuries to both Roddy White and Julio Jones. Matt Ryan has fewer reliable tools on offense, which is not good now that the 49ers defense is bad in form. 49ERS, 26-13
New Orleans Saints at New England Patriots : The Patriots are hoping to get Rob Gronkowski back, but their bigger concern is the loss of Vince Wilfork. That weakens their defense, and a weak defense is not what you want when the Saints come marching in. SAINTS, 27-13
Tennessee Titans at Seattle Seahawks : This might be a close game, but I like the Seahawks' chances. The Seattle fans help their team, and the Titans have lost punch with Jake Locker's injury. SEAHAWKS, 26-16
Sunday night
Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys : RGIII is still hurting, and so is the Redskins offense. While Dallas won't score as smoothly as they did against New Orleans, they will be able to outplay the hobbling Redskins. COWBOYS, 30-20
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Indianapolis Colts at San Diego Chargers : Never doubt what the Chargers can do when they have to, but I like what Andrew Luck and the Colts are doing right now. If the Colts take an early lead, Philip Rivers will force it more, and that's when they make mistakes. COLTS, 27-17
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