ARIZONA
The key here is that San Francisco's defense will make Josh McCown look brilliant. Last week Frisco allowed Drew Bledsoe to pass for 363 yards. And though his decision-making and confidence level last week were awful once he replaced Kurt Warner, McCown provides a different dimension to Arizona's offense than Warner, thanks to his athleticism, mobility and ability to throw on the move. Let's play our Cards right in this one and take Arizona.
ST. LOUIS
If Mike Martz ever pulls his head out of his undercarriage, this team would be deadly. The running game ranks 18th in the league, but Steven Jackson and Marshall Faulk just may be the two most under-used weapons in the entire conference. St. Louis is 2-1, and there needs to be a commitment with this running game, regardless of how mature Marc Bulger has looked. If there was ever a game to establish a punishing run game, to eat up clock, and soften the trenches ? it is this game right here.
BALTIMORE
Baltimore will take advantage of this demoralized football team that will likely never recover from the Pennington injury until next season. Reports out of New York tell me the flyboys ran a simulated gameplan the other night ? 20 snaps combined, 13 for Bollinger and 7 for Testaverde ? and you read for the total number of completions? Zero. Nadda. Nothing. Thirteen plays for Bollinger: seven tuck-and-runs, two picks, two drops and two sacks. Seven plays for Testaverde: four sacks, one tuck-and-run, one overthrow and one pick. Do you realize what this Baltimore defense will do with its blitzing formations? This one gets ugly boys.
ATLANTA
Remember a few weeks back when Atlanta opened the season with Philly? Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell blitzed on 62 percent of Philly's snaps, one of the highest percentages you may ever see for one game ? until today! Many like to believe Minnesota is different with its play-calling and its formations, and to some degree they might be right. But when you have similar quarterbacks like Culpepper and/or McNabb ? you have to think of what works. I am counting on the defense to smother Minny's mini-attack, while Atlanta's rushing game should have no trouble softening this defensive front.
