Last Week: 10-4, a nice bounceback week that puts the season tally at 85-58. With the onset of Thursday night games on the NFL Network, it?s time for my annual plea to cable companies and the NFL to put the partisan bickering behind and work towards a solution that benefits 'We the People'. Let the spirit of the recent election set the tone. Reach across the aisle, find common ground and shut out those loud mouth-breathing voices who demand no compromise. Cable companies (notably Charter, my cable company!) need to add the NFL Network as part of their expanded basic tier. Better yet, switch to different packages for different people. Create a ?Man? package that puts all the sports channels, action channels, and music channels together and dumps Lifetime, the shopping channels, Hallmark, and the like. Have a ?family? tier that puts Noggin, Boomerang, and the Disney networks together and automatically puts a parental lock on all shows rated ?teen? or above. Put together a ?woman? tier that emphasizes the channels that men don?t want, and women love. 74-year old women don?t need Versus or Speed; they want more cooking channels and the Soap Opera network. For those families like mine who need it all, offer a discounted ?full deal? package. Or, better yet, come up with a la carte pricing. Let me choose 25 different channels for one price, 40 for another, 50 for another, or the full schebang. At the least, allow me to order the NFL Network as an on-demand network so I can watch their games. As heavily as the cable companies promote UFC and MMA, give the NFL the same treatment. I don?t even know what the heck MMA is, but I know I can watch it at my pleasure pretty much any time for $4.99. The NFL needs to acquiesce and realize it?s not ESPN or TNT and has a limited viewing audience. Not many people are willing to sit through Rich Eisen narrating the events of the Combine or watching press conferences. I go to the Combine every year, and I?m nearly bored to tears in person. Allow the cable companies to bundle similar ?niche? channels like Biography, Speed, and ESPNU. And, please, end the exclusivity of the Sunday Ticket; cable viewers should be given access to that feature. I know I would pay extra for it and most of my friends would as well, but we don?t get that opportunity. You?re missing out on beau coup revenue with your stubbornness! Vacation in Bali games: Baltimore (4) at New York Giants (2): Super Bowl Preview alert?!? I?m fascinated by the matchup of the Giants' OL and running game against the punishing, smart Ravens defense. Ray Lewis has apparently found the fountain of youth, and Haloti Ngata?s versatility creates loads of problems for even the best offensive lines. The Giants have one of those elite lines, and they also have a deep rotation at both WR and RB. What does that mean? That means they can change things up if something isn?t working and have a comfort level in doing so. That rare attribute is what helps make them such a great team. I like the Ravens OL more than most, but I?m not sure they can withstand the G-Men?s pressure all day long. This is the kind of game where one or two missed assignments or blown coverages will decide the game, and the Giants are less prone to those than the surging Ravens, certainly at home. Giants 19, Ravens 16. NY Jets (8) at New England (6): Perhaps the only matchup that can dwarf any NFC East game, the Thursday nighter will decide the hunter and the prey in the AFC East for the rest of the season. Though the Jets signed antique CB Ty Law from the Just For Men rest home, the newcomer from the first matchup (won by NE 19-10) who makes the biggest difference in this one is BenJarvus Green-Ellis, the rookie RB from Ole Miss. He is precisely what the Patriots wanted Laurence Maroney to be, a tough runner who earns his 4 yards every carry, not afraid to lower a shoulder or push a pile forward. Those kinds of RBs usually give 3-4 defenses fits, and it will really challenge the Jets as they will still be without leading tackler David Harris. Of course the Jets cranked up their own potent rushing offense last week, and their defense is quickly becoming among the most opportunistic. Then again, it took a +5 last week against the God-awful Rams to make that ledger positive. But no Adalius Thomas for New England means the Patriots lose their best impact defender, and Favre & Co. know how to pick apart a wounded animal. New York Jets 27, New England 24. Dallas (17) at Washington (7): In the spirit of alliteration...Romo returns, Bollinger benched, Dallas delighted, Owens overjoyed, inspired instigator? Dallas defense dumbfounded by Campbell?s completions, Portis? power, Moss making most miss. Fletcher?s fortitude forges fault for Barber?s beast of burden, faulty for fractured Felix, far-reaching fallout. Home cooking hones happy Hogs. Redskins roll, Dallas defeated, decidedly dead, playoff post-mortem. Washington 32, Dallas 28. Seasonably Pleasant Games Chicago (15) at Green Bay (18): This rivalry is always a tough forecast, and this season it?s even tougher. Both teams are perfectly suited to exploit the weaknesses of the other; Green Bay spreads out the defense with 4 WR sets, and the Bears really struggle in coverage. The Bears can counter that by getting pressure from the DL against a pretty weak Green Bay interior OL, but D Tommie Harris has not played to expectations thus far. Chicago has found a power run game with Matt Forte and a nice package of TE production, two things the Packers D really struggles to stop. The Packers running game is soft, and that allows Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher to drop deeper in coverage or blitz more freely, if Lovie Smith ever figures out how to apply lessons from film into an actual gameplan. Clouding the picture is the uncertain status of Bears QB Kyle Orton, because if Rex Grossman is the QB the Packers are much more likely to get a cheap turnover or two, and the Packers do an outstanding job converting turnovers into points. I like the Packers at home anyways, but a lot less so if Orton is commanding the Bears. Green Bay in a 36-33 shootout. Minnesota (13) at Tampa Bay (11): I went into Wed. night completely unsure about who to pick in this game. Then I had a dream where I was coaching the Vikings, and I found a lot of success throwing the ball deep on double moves against fast-fading Ronde Barber, as my OL did a fien job keeping Gus Frerotte safe in the pocket. My run defense dominated everything the Bucs tried to do, and Cadillac Williams had nothing left. In fact his leg detached at the knee when Chad Greenway tackled him for a 2 yard loss. Then things changed, as two Vikings cheerleaders decided to show me their pom-poms and the dream took an unexpectedly happy turn. Vikings 20, Bucs 10. Denver (19) at Atlanta (12): A lot of the variables in this game point to the Broncos. Denver has won 7 of the last 8 meetings, and 5 of those wins were by more than 14 points. The Broncos are the only AFC West team with a win over an NFC opponent. The Falcons have 6 wins, but just one is over a team currently with a winning record (Chicago, a game the Bears gave away). The Atlanta secondary is vulnerable, though they have played better recently. But then there?s the butterfly effect, and I?m not referring to the talent-less Ashton Kutcher movie. The NFC South teams are a combined 17-1 at home and 8-2 against the AFC. Atlanta?s OL has responded nicely to losing rookie LT Sam Baker to a back injury, and the Denver defensive front is consistently weak. The Broncos had to bring back Tatum Bell as their top 4 RBs are all out, and all 3 starting LBs are gone as well. Oh yeah, they?re also without All Pro CB Champ Bailey and safety Marlon McCree. The winds are blowing in favor of the Falcons. Need a clincher? Consider that Jay Cutler has never won a game in a dome, and the Broncos haven?t either since Week 11 of 2004. Falcons 36, Broncos 31. Tennessee (1) at Jacksonville (21): This is one of those games where reading the betting lines helps clear up the otherwise cloudy forecast. Despite the Titans being undefeated with an amazing defense and top-notch running game, they are just 3 point favorites at Jacksonville, where the home team recently lost to pathetic Cincinnati and has not handled good defenses well all season. It sure seems like the bookies want you to pick the Jaguars. Most of the time when I see that kind of scenario, I would advise you to take Bruce Dickinson?s advice and ?Run to the Hills...(insert triplet bass chord with drum smash)...run for your li-i-yife?. Picture Eddie in a Titans jersey and the Jags as the 7th grade geek at his first Iron Maiden show, surrounded by friends who?ve all been there before and know all the words while his ?rock? cognoscenti ends at Heart and INXS. He might someday become the biggest headbanger of the group, but it?s not his time just yet. Tennessee 24, Jacksonville 14. Cold November Rain games Arizona (10) at Seattle (27): Arizona narrowly escaped from the ?same old Cardinals? formula Monday Night, but it wasn?t for lack of trying. All the stupid penalties, the poor tackling, and the inexplicable prevent defense that left the sidelines open are not good signs, and sooner or later a team will be able to exploit those weaknesses. It probably won?t be the Seahawks, though getting QB Matt Hasselbeck back certainly makes this a more interesting game. Seattle is climbing back up after bottoming out last month, and the return of a QB who can actually hit a receiver in the hands will only help. Kurt Warner is due for one his trademark ?what the hell was that? games, and it might as well be in Seattle, where the 12th man is still a factor even thought the product has been a huge disappointment. Every game but one that these teams have played in Seattle has wound up paying off the ?over?, and the way Seattle defends the pass, that sure looks like a safe bet once again. I just have a real hard time fathoming the Cardinals with a 5 game division lead, which they would have if they won here. Seattle in an upset, 31-29. San Diego (22) at Pittsburgh (5): So long as Ben Roethlisberger gets the Steeler Nation memo to stop with the asinine mistakes, the Steelers offense should have little trouble tearing through the porous San Diego defense. I also really like the Blitzburgh defense, which has destroyed much better OLs than the disappointing one the Chargers bring to town. The one thing that makes me believe the Chargers have a chance is that the Steelers secondary is injury plagued, having to sign Pats castoff Fernando Bryant (as bad as it sounds) to fill in for lost starters Bryant McFadden and Deshea Townsend. The weather should help the home team, as the long-range forecast calls for temps in the upper 30s with a 50% chance of freezing precipitation and wind. Steelers 30, Chargers 15. Houston (25) at Indianapolis (9): In the past two weeks the Colts have beaten the Patriots and Steelers, thanks to a stiffening defense and a rediscovery of the offensive rhythm that was missing most of September and October. Peyton Manning has notched some epic stats against the Texans, and this Texans defense just gave up 41 points to a team with a rookie QB and no WR anywhere close to as talented as the Colts #3 WR, Anthony Gonzalez. I expect some life from Houston, which tends to play much better in divisional contest like this one. But unless the Indy offense somehow goes AWOL, this one shouldn?t be much of a contest. Colts roll 33-20. A Homeless Winter in Duluth Games New Orleans (23) at Kansas City (26): The Saints suffered a huge blow when CB Mike McKenzie was lost with yet another knee injury; that takes away the top 2 cover men (Tracy Porter being the other) for a team with egregious pass coverage. Chiefs QB Tyler Thigpen is hot, the OL in front of him is playing better all the time, and the Saints have been real culpable in their own disappointment with mental gaffes, dumb penalties, and poor communication. If the Chiefs and Saints teams we?ve seen the last month show up, New Orleans is in real trouble. I keep waiting for the Saints to play a complete game to their potential, but to quote The Princess Bride, ?Get used to disappointment.? Kansas City 27, New Orleans 25. Philadelphia (16) at Cincinnati (30): There is very little to like about Cincy in this game, despite the Eagles relative underachievement thus far. After notching their first win of 2008, all momentum was stymied by the bye week. They still won?t have Carson Palmer, who shouldn?t play again in 2008 to save his wonky elbow for games that count. The Bengals have the worst record of any team coming out of a bye (1-5) over the last 6 years. I refuse to call Chad Johnson ?Ocho Cinco? until he reaches that many yards receiving in a game, something he hasn?t done yet this year. The Bengals rank 31st in yards per 1st down snap, while the Eagles D ranks 6th in the yards against in the same situation. Philadelphia stays in the picture with a 30-13 road win. Cleveland (24) at Buffalo (20): Two teams that have been more hydrant than dog lately square off in the Battle of Lake Erie for the Monday Night game. I was impressed with Brady Quinn?s debut, and the buzz around Cleveland is that the coaching staff is ready to turn him loose a little more. This is a good week to do it, as the Bills have not had much of a pass rush lately. Also troubling for Buffalo is that they have not done anything offensively against 3-4 defensive fronts, and the Browns are a 3-4 team. Of course the Cleveland defense pissed away two straight big 4th quarter leads, and the fur is flying in the locker room. I went into this with the intention of picking Buffalo, but the more I pondered this one, the more my gut told me the Browns are due. Cleveland 24, Buffalo 20. St. Louis (29) at San Francisco (28): What is truly scary is that the winner of this game is a 2nd place team. Can the Lions switch divisions? The Rams have better potential, but the Niners tend to suck less often. 49ers 34, Rams 20. Oakland (31) at Miami (14): Last week the Raiders couldn?t win a game where the Panthers threw 4 INTs and had 8 consecutive drives that lasted 3 plays or less. That game was at home. This one is across the country against a team feeling real good about itself, with an aggressive defense featuring revitalized sack master Joey Porter, who has notched at least half a sack in every game but one. Since Tom Cable took over, the Raiders offense projects as the worst in NFL history over 16 games in yards per snap, yards per game, points per game, and 1st downs per game. Trust me, having owner Al Davis take the play calling away from Greg Knapp is akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. Miami 27, Oakland 3. Detroit (32) at Carolina (3): In 4 seasons of forecasting the NFL I have never been more confident in a pick than I am in this game. Carolina 32, Detroit 10. Drinking in the Dorm Room Games Last Week: 4-1, making the season forecast a warm-hearted 38-14. Soft slate of games this weekend, so it?s scores only... Florida State 26, Boston College 20 Navy 30, Notre Dame 28 Oregon State 40, California 24 Florida 24, South Carolina 10 James Madison 33, William & Mary 19