Game Prediction: Minnesota 27 Carolina 14

Cleveland at Tennessee - 1:00
In two games as the Browns starter, filling in for an injured Tim Couch, QB Kelly Holcomb is 44 of 69 for 524 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions. Cleveland may have an even more efficient offensive team with Holcomb at quarterback than Couch. Although he doesn't have the talent of Couch, Holcomb reads defenses better, and has a better grip of his role in the Cleveland offense. Holcomb completed 17 of 30 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions on Sunday. Couch will practice with the starters tomorrow and will start Sunday if he is physically ready to go, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Couch threw for 336 yards and 3 TDs against Tennessee in Week 16 last season. Until they get better production from the running game, the Cleveland offense may have to remain a one-dimensional, pass-heavy unit. Kevin Johnson remains the top option for Cleveland and is thie most consistent receiver. Browns rookie WR Andre Davis caught a touchdown pass for the second consecutive week. His season totals show 7 catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns. Davis adjusts to the football easily and reads coverages well. After a gigantic first week, Quincy Morgan caught only two passes. TE Mark Campbell is getting several looks from Holcomb and may become a productive fantasy tight end in the future. The Titans have already allowed two touchdown receptions by opposing tight ends this season. The running game has been non-existent thus far this season. RB Jamel White didn't start for the Browns against the Bengals as the team went with first round pick William Green. Green rushed for just 36 yards on 17 carries while White had 38 yards on only eight carries, and added 42 yards on three receptions. White provides more versatility than Green, and his playing time should increase. K Phil Dawson made 2 of 2 field goal attempts (52, 45) and extended his consecutive field goals made streak to 21 dating back to last season.

The Titans replaced the positives of last week's season-opening victory over the Eagles with a jolt of uncertainty. with many negative things in a 21-13 loss to the Cowboys. Steve McNair looked exceptionally good to start the game, but left Sunday's game with a mild concussion. Dallas chased, blitzed and pounded McNair, hitting him once for almost every four passes he threw and sacking him three times. Although he returned to action, McNair suffered a mild concussion, a neck jam and a shoulder that's sore. Cleveland will likely load the defensive front with eight player forcing the Titans to throw. This concept will likely give Titans quarterback McNair some single coverage match-ups to exploit. Eddie George might look a lot better physically, but that hasn't translated into great success on the ground. He managed 65 yards on 19 carries, but had just five carries for 15 yards in the second half. George complained of a sore left foot but tests conducted Monday on revealed no damage. He's listed as questionable for Sunday's game. WR Derrick Mason had seven catches for 118 yards for his second straight 100-yard game and sixth in his last nine. Mason is very athletic and will probably attract double coverage throughout the game. Kevin Dyson was a non-factor catching just 4 balls for 43 yards and left Sunday's game with a pulled hamstring. TE Frank Wycheck caught 4 passes for only 24 yards but did have a touchdown. If Cleveland doubles up on Mason and Dyson, Wycheck will find plenty of room to operate over the middle.

Game Prediction: Tennessee 24 Cleveland 20

Dallas at Philadelphia - 1:00
The Cowboys rebounded nicely from their embarrassing lost to the Texans and played an inspired game in defeating the Tennessee Titans. QB Quincy Carter, whohad been seen by many as the reason Dallas lost 19-10 to the Houston, was 14-of-24 for 240 yards with no interceptions. Carter wasn't great, but he was certainly good enough to win. This week, Carter will be harassed by constant Philadelphia defensive pressure and he must be careful against making mistakes against the talented, aggressive Eagles secondary. Emmitt Smith had 59 yards, moving him 414 yards from becoming the NFL's career rushing leader. Troy Hambrick was a complete non-factor in this one getting only 2 carries for 3 yards. Dallas needs to establish their running attack against the weak part of a very robust Philadelphia defense. Smith appears to have lost a considerable amount of quickness but could become a factor behind the Cowboys big and powerful offensive line. Hambrick is very versatile and may have his playing time increased against the Eagles. WR Joey Galloway had an extremely productive fantasy day with 5 catches for 88 yards and a really nice touchdown grab. Rookie Antonio Bryant also looked explosive catching 3 passes for 87 yards. Both receivers will be jammed at the line and they must be able to defeat Philadelphia on deep routes for Dallas to be effective in the passing game. TE Tony McGee caught the touchdown pass but wasn't targeted for the rest of the game. Dallas made a nice recovery last week against the Titans, but they simply do not have the talent to match up with the Eagles. Dallas lost 40-18 and 36-3 to Philadelphia last season.

Monday night's 37-7 win over Washington demonstrated the true ability of this football team. Donovan McNabb, who had struggled against the Washington defense last year, took it apart methodically Monday night. The ex- Syracuse QB connected on 26 of 38 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. He also had five carries for 36 yards and a touching running with the football. McNabb hit a total of 10 receivers during the game. The Cowboys will try to mirror McNabb in this contest and apply pressure to force him to hurry his throws. The Dallas secondary is very vulnerable and McNabb definitely has the ability to exploit them. Philadelphia's running game has been unproductive on the ground. Head coach Andy Reid is using the committee approach, giving his running backs Dorsey Levens, Duce Staley and Brian Westbrook around 5-10 carries each. Dividing carries will keep all three fresh, but more importantly a commitment to the running game will help open up the passing game. Levens rushed for 65 yards on six carries, including a 47-yard touchdown, to highlight the team's 168-yard effort on the ground. Westbrook sustained bruised ribs during Monday night's game, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Wide receiver James Thrash caught six passes for 107 yards and one touchdown, a 39-yarder. Thrash has great speed which will concern Dallas throughout the game. With Antonio Freeman's role increasing, the Eagles can use more multiple-receiver sets to create man-to-man opportunities. Todd Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell can also be effective. TE Chad Lewis is a must play in this encounter. Lewis had three touchdown catches against Dallas last season.

Game Prediction: Philadelphia 30 Dallas 10

Indianapolis at Houston - 1:00
Despite a late Colts rally, the Miami Dolphins (2-0) won their fifth consecutive game in Indianapolis, edging the Colts 21-13 on Sunday. QB Peyton Manning put up the usual good numbers, but the offense scored only 13 points as it sputtered on numerous occasions. Manning, who completed 26-of-45 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown, also had three interceptions. Manning will definitely have more time to look for alternative options against the Texans. RB Edgerrin James was outstanding last game, picking up 220 total yards. James ran the football 30 times for 138 yards and had eight catches for 82 yards. He didn't score, but his but his knee proved that it could handle this kind of workload. James is on pace to have his best professional season, 1,896 rushing yards, less than 10 months after surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament that caused him to miss the final nine games of a 16-game schedule. James will run often in this game as Houston is experiencing difficulties in defending the run. WR Marvin Harrison did their part, beating frequent double-teams to catch 11 passes for 144 yards and one touchdown. Harrison present a match-up problem for Houston especially off the play action scheme. WR Qadry Ismail and Reggie Wayne may also have productive afternoons because Manning will have time to throw due to the Texans ineffective pass rush. Part of the Colts problem scoring in the red zone was the absence of tight end Marcus Pollard. Manning said playing without Pollard particularly hurt against the Dolphins because they primarily play double coverage on the outside receivers. Pollard said he considered himself day to day for this week's game, according to the Indianapolis Star.

The Texans must now search deep within themselves to find a way to respond to defeat better than they did to victory. QB David Carr completed only 6 passes of 25 attempts against San Diego. The rookie from Fresno State has been sacked 15 times in two games, a record-setting pace. Carr should have more time to throw the ball, Indianapolis has just two sacks this season, We foresee Indianapolis bringing constant pressure on the rookie quarterback. The Texans managed just 118 yards of total offense, and only averaged two yards a play last week.. They only had two first downs in the first half and seven for the game. In two games, the Texans has just 319 total yards to show. Houston's run offense is nonexistent and adds to the pressure placed upon Carr. The Texans leading rusher against San Diego was James Allen who had only 51 yards. We expect to see rookie Jonathan Wells duties to increase during the next few weeks. Houston's wide receivers also are not adjusting routes to blitzes and are not coming back to the ball when Carr gets in trouble. Corey Bradford and Jabar Gaffney lack the needed experience in route running. TE Billy Miller could become an important part of the game plan as Indianapolis has shown weakness in underneath coverage.

Game Prediction: Indianapolis 27 Houston 13

Kansas City at New England - 1:00
QB Trent Green was back to his old form on Sunday after looking so impressive against Cleveland in week one. The Jacksonville game was a flashback to last season for Green, who led the NFL in interceptions and had one of the lowest passer ratings in 2001. Green finished 16 of 31 passing for 199 yards. He threw two costly interceptions and failed to see open receivers on several plays. Green suffered a sprained ankle late in Sunday's loss. Priest Holmes had over 100 total yards against the Jaguars in a losing cause. It is critical the Chiefs establish the run early but also stay with it throughout the game. Holmes is a workhorse who seems to get better as the game progresses. He already has tallied 257 yards of total offense. Holmes' failure to find the end zone against Jacksonville is a big reason the Chiefs didn't win. New england's defense will be designed to stop Holmes this weekend. New England ranks No. 1 in allowing the fewest fantasy points to running backs. Kansas City's receivers must become more involved in the offense. The primary receiving playmakers TE Tony Gonzalez had only three receptions, while Eddie Kennison and Johnnie Morton had two catches apiece. Morton, who signed a $25.7 million contract with the Chiefs in March, was disappointing again, and has caught jus three passes for 38 yards after two games. Gonzalez hauled in a touchdown against Jacksonville, but that was basically all.

Maybe New England wasn't a fluke after all. Maybe the Patriots really are the best team in football. Bill Belichick sure is the best coach. The defending champions obliterated the New York Jets 44-7 on Sunday. QB Tom Brady threw for 269 as the Patriots won their 11th straight game, including the playoffs, going back to last season. Brady has proven in the past two weeks that his quarterbacking skills are among the league's best. The Chiefs have a horrible defense and a complicated defensive strategy that accentuates the sad state of their personnel. New England should definitely have its way on offense.The Patriots have clearly upgraded their receiving talent and depth from last season. Rookie WR Deion Branch continues to be impressive catching three passes for 65 yards and a touchdown. In two games, he has nine catches for a team-leading 148 yards and two touchdowns, including one for 49 yards. Branch has quickly become a quality fantasy player. Troy Brown had nine catches for 94 yards against the Jets, and Marcus Patten contributed 4 receptions for 65 yards. New England used three different tight ends and with the way they mix up the offense, it not recommended you count on any one of them as a starter. If we had to choose however, we would go with Cam Cleeland. We look for New England to try and establish their ground game in this contest. Antowain Smith had 15 carries for 66 yards and left the game in the third quarter, and Kevin Faulk took over the running duties and ran for 48 yards on 10 carries. Smith had a ankle injury against the Jets but appears to be fully recovered, The more the Patriots can run, the more effective the play-action abilities of Brady becomes. K Adam Vinatieri continues to be automatic, nailing all three of his field goal attempts.

Game Prediction: New England 26 Kansas City 14

New Orleans at Chicago - 1:00
The Saints really took it to the Packers, especially on the offensive line. They were pushing Green Bay's defensive line off the ball, letting Deuce McAllister run and generally allowing QB Aaron Brooks plenty of time to throw the football. Brooks looked good for most of the game going 16 of 28 for 217 yards and two touchdowns. Chicago will be missing DB R.W. McQuarters who is out with a knee injury. If the Saints offensive can offer protection, Brooks should have considerable success on Sunday. McAllister posted his second straight 100-yard game in consecutive weeks, rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns off 21 carries. The Bears' run defense has not looked like the dominant unit it was last year, and we see McAllister having an above average performance. Chiacgo's run defense has played poorly this season allowing an average of 131 yards per contest. WR Joe Horn, despite receiving double coverage, had 120 receiving yards against the Packers. Donte Stallworth caught his second touchdown pass of the season and although Jerome Pathon did not have a solid day catching the ball, he did get a score. Teams have been placing double coverage on Horn thus freeing up Stallworth and Pathon. Stallworth will perform well as long as Jerome Pathon stays healthy. If Pathon is in the lineup, Stallworth can challenge opposing nickel and dime packages as the third receiver. The Chicago secondary is vulnerable to speed receivers and the rookie from Tennessee has tremendous speed. TE David Sloan caught only one pass for 20 yards and his production is poor because of splitting time with Boo Williams.

The whole Chicago offense struggled against the Falcons on Sunday. The Bears didn't get a first down until the middle of the second quarter. QB Jim Miller was able to spread the ball around to seven different receivers. Miller's ankle remains tender and may allow backup QB Chris Chandler to start against the Saints. Chicago really needs to establish their passing game against New Orleans because the Saints will focus upon shutting down Anthony Thomas. The Bears should be able to control the line of scrimmage and open up some holes for Thomas. Thomas was limited to 84 yards on 26 carries against the Falcons because of the ineffective passing game. Marty Booker was doubled much of the game against Atlanta, but still managed five catches for 48 yards. However, Booker needs to improve his concentration as he dropped several passes for the second consecutive week. For the second straight week, David Terrell caught just one pass, but it went for the decisive touchdown for the Bears. Marcus Robinson didn't have any catches but was looked to in third down situations. Dez White after a terrific pre-season has shown very little in the regular campaign. White only had one catch but he did gain 21 yards on a reverse. K Paul Edinger had few opportunities as the Chicago offense sputtered throughout the day, and he missed on his only field goal attempt.

Game Prediction: New Orleans 20 Chicago 17

N.Y. Jets at Miami - 1:00
The Jets' real identity crisis seems to be on offense. Since the injury to Curtis Martin, New York has tried a little of this and a little of that, and are coming up with a lot of nothing. Vinny Testaverde was only 15-of-23 passing for 150 yards and one touchdown against the Patriots. Testaverde continues to throw only the short and intermediate passes as teams are beginning to crowd the line of scrimmage. It appears that his understanding of the offense is no better than it was last year. Curtis Martin did get the start on Sunday, but managed just five yards on four carries as the Jets were unable to get anything going on offense. Lamont Jordan was able to play for the Jets on Sunday despite his sprained wrist. WR Santana Moss only made one catch for the second straight game, but had a dazzling run after the catch. The other big receiver, Wayne Chrebet also made only one catch and that was after the game was long over. Lavernues Coles was silenced by the Patriots. Miami cornerback Patrick Surtain is questionable for this game and the Jets should take advantage of this situation by utilizing three receiver sets. TE Anthony Becht is playing a regular role in the Jets' passing game and has scored the last two games.

Jay Fiedler had an excellent game, completing 13 of 18 passes for 187 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also scrambled for a touchdown. Fiedler is a hard-working, intelligent signal-caller who picked up where he left off last season, when he finished with 13 touchdowns and four interceptions in Miami's final seven games and earned the confidence of the coaching staff. Against the Jets, Fiedler can be very effective off the play-action passing game. The Patriots manhandled the New York secondary last week by using this concept. Ricky Williams remains the featured performer in Miami's offense. Williams finished with 132 yards on 24 carries and 62 receiving yards. Miracle runner Robert Edwards did not carry the ball a single time this game, and had a single reception for 5 yards. Starting FB Rob Konrad caught a 9 yards pass for a touchdown but did not touch the ball at any other point in the game. The Jets defense has allowed 816 yards in two games, and 305 yards rushing. Williams should be over the century mark rushing for the third consecutive week. It looks like Norv Turner's run philosophy of the Dolphins is hurting the numbers of Chris Chambers. Chambers caught 4 passes for 57 yards and looked pretty good doing it. He also threw some good blocks downfield. We look for Miami to send Chambers deep several times during this contest. Oronde Gadsden caught 2 passes for 14 yards and dropped a pass that was right in his hands early in the game. New York's defense will attempt to stop Williams which should open up the seams for rookie TE Randy McMichael. McMichael caught just 2 passes for 34 yards, but his 24 yard reception in the first quarter set up the first Dolphins' touchdown. After two games, McMichael leads the Dolphins with 107 receiving yards and one touchdown.

Game Prediction: Miami 31 New York Jets 17

Buffalo at Denver - 4:05
Drew Bledsoe has proved already he can help make the Buffalo Bills a better team this season. Bledsoe completed 35-of-49 passes for 463 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions Sunday in the overtime win at Minnesota. In two games, Bledsoe has racked up 734 yards passing, something that took the Bills almost four games to produce last season. However, things will be more difficult for Bledsoe this weekend. In wins over St. Louis and San Francisco, two of the NFL's top offenses, the Broncos' defense has more than been up to the challenge, allowing just one passing touchdown and 30 points. The Bills rank No. 1 in the NFL in points scored (76), but are 31st in points allowed (76). Peerless Price lived up to his name on Sunday. The former Tennessee Vols receiver had 13 catches for 185 yards and two touchdowns. Price may not ever have another game like this, but he's a solid fantasy receiver. Eric Mould had a quiet afternoon catching 8 passes for 86 yards. Josh Reed caught eight passes for 108 yards and a touchdown Sunday, including a game-winning reception in overtime. Reed became one of the go-to guys down the stretch. If Bledsoe continues to throw the ball like he did in this game, he becomes a valuable backup receiver. The Buffalo wide receiver trio of Moulds, Price and Reed should be able to get some single coverage matchups deep in this contest. RB Travis Henry wasn't able to build on his spectacular opening game running only 12 times for 30 yards. The Bills had no problem passing the ball against the Vikings, so Henry wasn't given a chance to produce in the second half. The Broncos' improved run defense has been nothing short of spectacular to this point, holding the Rams and 49ers to 103 combined rushing yards. Clearly, Mike Hollis was the star of the game hitting four field goals including the 54 yarder that put the game in overtime. Hollis is clearly one of the premier kickers in fantasy football this season.

Brian Griese threw for just 119 yards today, but he led the Broncos to a win over the 49ers. The Broncos offense was in full gear in the second half scoring 3 times, twice on passes from Griese. Griese was 14-for-19 and threw two touchdowns passes without being picked off. It was not a great fantasy day for Griese, but he did manage the offense in a Shanahan fashion, and helped put some space between him and Steve Beurlein. The Bills young cornerbacks play hard and show promise, but they need some help up front, to get more pressure on the quarterback. Both Olandis Gary and Mike Anderson were far more involved in the offense than Clinton Portis, who had just 4 carries for 12 yards. Anderson won't be a safe start until he earns more touches than the 11 he got against the 49ers, but he was very efficient this week with 95 rushing yards. If nothing else, he'll provide good depth for bye weeks. Gary posted 61 yards rushing and a touchdown on Sunday. Gary continues to be the main running back for Denver by getting more carries, especially in goal line situations. Denver will try to establish the power running game forcing Buffalo to bring up their safeties. When this occurs, the Bronco receivers will be left in single coverage creating favorable situations for the offense. WR Rod Smith played well despite a couple of dropped balls on tough throws but his fantasy performance was poor with only 3 catches for 22 yards. Ed McCaffery seems to be fully recovered from last year's broken leg and should become a major contributor to the offense in weeks to come. WR Scottie Montgomery caught a touchdown in last week's game. TE Shannon Sharpe caught 5 passes for 52 yards and he will find the end-zone shortly. Sharpe should be an excellent target over the middle against the Bills who have problems covering the tight end.

Game Prediction: Denver 28 Buffalo 17

San Diego at Arizona - 4:05
San Diego is playing superbly on both sides of the ball. The Chargers totally dominated Houston, making the Texans look like the expansion team they are. The one thing that was evident is that Marty Schottenheimer does not want QB Drew Brees making high-risk plays. Once they established a lead, San Diego started running the football and throwing screens and short passes. Curtis Conway scored two touchdowns in San Diego's victory. Brees is clealy most comfortable with Conway and he should produce most of the receiving yards this year. Conway had five catches for 113 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. His other score came on a three-yard run. Arizona is allowing opposing quarterbacks an average of 340 passing yards per game. The Cardinals' secondary has been beaten badly by a wide receiver in each of the first two weeks and Conway should gather considerable fantasy points in this contest. Although the Cards pass defense is miserable, they've improved against the run. The Chargers' game plan always starts with LaDainain Tomlinson. This week, Tomlinson should get 25-30 carries in an attempt to wear down the defense and force the opponent to uses its safeties to help stop the run. Chargers TE Stephen Alexander suffered a concussion against the Texans and his status for next week remains uncertain.

Arizona finally found a running game in their contest with Seattle. RB Thomas Jones took a big step in week 2 towards proving he can be successful back in the NFL. Jones rushed 24 times for a career-high 173 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown scamper. It was the first 100-yard game of Jones' career. The Chargers have an aggressive front and have yet to yield a rushing touchdown this season. With the running game as dominant as it was Sunday, the pressure was taken off of the passing game as Jake Plummer completed only 10 of 22 passes for 107 yards. Plummer makes poor decisions under pressure, and that's bad news considering the Chargers lead the league in sacks and will be after him all day. However, San Diego can be vulnerable to the pass making Plummer's play imperative to Arizona's success. WR David Boston caught only 4 passes for 49 yards while Frank Sanders had a four yard touchdown reception. Boston will be match against face Pro Bowl corner Ryan McNeil and the Chargers' outstanding pass rush will force Plummer to throw quickly. TE Freddie Jones has been a huge disappointment with just two catches over the first two weeks.

Game Prediction: San Diego 21 Arizona 17

Green Bay at Detroit - 4:15
Brett Favre's offensive line didn't provide him with much time against the formidable Saints defensive front and he had to release his throws quickly. Favre should experience a huge afternoon as Detroit's cornerbacks and secondary in general are not good enough, and the rest of the defense hasn't jelled. The major fantasy news from the game was that Ahman Green left the Saints game with a right knee injury and will be evaluated. He had 81 yards rushing on 17 attempts and also had 6 catches for 53 yards. Packers coach Mike Sherman said that Green could miss Sunday's game against the Lions with a strained quad and sore knee. Green is not expected to practice all week, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Rondell Mealey will start if Green is unable to go. Mealey is still a strong play because the Lions have allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs. WR Terry Glenn caught nine passes for 81 yards and had a spectacular touchdown reception at New Orleans. He did lose a fumble, but he posted good overall stats. Now that he has moved past his earlier injury problems, Glenn should be a regular fantasy starter in all formats. He should continue to be productive, and put up good numbers against a weak Lions secondary. Donald Driver caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. Javon Walker caught only one pass for 27 yard, and he has yet to establish the consistency needed at the NFL level. However, Favre looks to Walker often, making him a viable fantasy reserve. For the second consecutive week the big tight end Bubba Franks was almost non-existent, catching only one pass for 13 yards. Frank's fantasy attraction is quickly deteriorating. K Ryan Longwell is still one of the best in football and added two field goals to his seasonal totals last Sunday.

Joey Harrington will get his first career start Sunday in the Lions' home opener, according to the AP. Coach Marty Mornhinweg said earlier in the week he was leaning toward starting Mike McMahon., although McMahon was uncertain about his status after the coach met with both quarterbacks after practice later in the day. McMahon could see some time late in the game, but his fantasy value is minimal as long as he is the backup. RB James Stewart, who missed Detroit's first game with a sprained left MCL, started today and ran 12 times for 53 yards. Stewart was productive, but it didn't matter. The Lions signed RB Richard Huntley and with Stewart being as fragile as he is, Huntley could see a fair amount of work this season. FB Cory Schlesinger is a versatile fullback who should be an excellent safety valve for Harrington. A week after catching nine passes for 97 yards, mostly in garbage time, Az-Zahir Hakim dropped a couple of balls and managed just one catch for 15 yards. Hakim has been the team's most productive receiver but is not a deep threat. WR Bill Schroeder left the Carolina game on Sunday in the first quarter when he took a knee to the ribs. He has yet to catch a pass this year because of several minor injuries. TE Mikhael Ricks has been the Lions' second-leading receiver, and Harrington may look to him often in this game.

Game Prediction: Green Bay 28 Detroit 14

Seattle at N.Y. Giants - 4:15
After missing much of the preseason and week 1 with a knee injury, Trent Dilfer showed very little rust in his return on Sunday. Dilfer completed 29-of-47 passes 352 yards and a touchdown, and had no interceptions. Dilfer did his best to bring home a win, but the Seahawks run defense was atrocious, and the team also gave up a touchdown on special teams, making it very difficult for the steady Dilfer to overcome.Seattle faces a serious problem with their rushing game. RB Shaun Alexander has rushed for only 36 and 37 yards in weeks one and two respectively. Seattle's star running back is suffering from a lack of holes, and running behind an offensive line that's missing both projected starters at tackle. Until the Seattle offensive line begins to jell, Alexander will have difficulties posting solid fantasy numbers. Shaun could be more productive as a receiver than runner in this contest. WR Darrell Jackson had a career high game with 10 receptions for 175 yards against Arizona. Jackson's two best fantasy performances last season came in the team's final two games, both started by Dilfer. He'll face stiffer tests than Cardinals' secondary most weeks, but Jackson's effort should calm owners concerned he'd lost his spot as the team's primary receiver. Jackson scored on a 19 yard reception in last year's game. Koren Robinson has the athleticism to be a dominant receiver and has limitless fantasy potential, but must become more consistent. This tandem could give the Giants' young secondary problems on Sunday. The New York defense has been extremely good in defending the opponent's tight end, therefore, we do not expect much from either Itula Mili or Jerramy Stevens.

After the big road victory over the Rams, the Giants could be in for a big let-down. Kerry Collins was nearly flawless for the New York Giants, completing 22-for-26 for 307 yards while keeping his mistakes to a minimum against the Rams. Collins, who has thrown for 649 yards in two games, passed for one touchdown and had only one interception in St. Louis. He did an excellent job of spreading the ball around to all receivers. The Giants will want to spread the field and open running lanes against a very poor run defense. This type of attack best suits Ike Hilliard, a smallish possession receiver who is at his best finding seams and settling in open areas 10-20 yards off the line of scrimmage rather than going deep. He probably won't score much, but it looks like he'll get enough balls thrown his way that he should be able to crack 1,000 yards in a season for the first time in his career. Amani Toomer caught four passes for 92 yards on Sunday, and has 13 receptions on the year. The key to this year's passing game is the presence of TE Jeremy Shockey. Shockey caught four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown Sunday. If Seattle brings their safeties up close to stop the run, Shockey has the speed to defeat them deep and coach Jim Fassel said the G' Men are going to increase his role in the passing game.. The Giants are using the pass as much as the run in their ball-control offense. RB Tiki Barber, bothered by injury, played in Sunday's game at St. Louis. Despite toe and hamstring injuries, Barber had a solid game against the Rams on Sunday, finishing with 110 total yards. Seattle has been woeful against the run, surrendering 221 rushing yards to the Raiders in the opener and 249 to the Cardinals last week. Ron Dayne may increase his playing time this week because he is the physical type of back which gives Seattle problems. Rookie K Matt Bryant connected on all four of his field goal attempts, and is now a perfect 6-6.

Game Prediction: New York Giants 27 Seattle 17

Washington at San Francisco - 4:15
The Washington Redskins were soundly outplayed on both sides of the ball en route to a 37-7 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles. The first big test of the Steve Spurrier era resulted in a big flop. The Fun N Gun offense gained just 179 yards as an encore to its 442-yard performance in Week 1 Washington's offense did not have a scoring drive; the team's only points came on a 90-yard punt return by Jacquez Green in the second quarter. Shane Matthews injured his left shoulder on the final play of the first half on Monday night and did not return to the game. Matthews completed 10-of-22 passes in the first half for 62 yards, with one interception. Danny Wuerffel, who relieved Matthews after halftime, connected on 6-of-9 passes for 57 yards and one interception. Spurrier expects Matthews to be healthy enough to play at San Francisco but added that rookie Patrick Ramsey, Washington's first-round pick, will get a look in practice this week. Washington will come out throwing and trying to stretch the field and can take advantage of the 49ers inconsistent cornerbacks. Steve Spurrier is in hopes of establishing the run to open up the Redskins' passing game. RB Stephen Davis has been bothered by an ankle injury, but has accumulated 226 total yards and a touchdown in the first two games. Washington will try to use his skills often on Sunday. WR Rod Gardner is very inconsistent, but remains the number one receiver in the this attack. Derrius Thompson had a poor outing against the Eagles and will be blanketed closely by Ahmed Plummer. We expect Washington to involve TE Zeron Flemister more in the offense in the coming weeks.

After two weeks of the season, the 49ers' offense has struggled mightily, accumulating just 540 total yards and only three touchdowns. Jeff Garcia had another meager outing on Sunday. He threw for 205 with one touchdown and one interception in San Francisco's 24-14 loss to Denver. Teams have learned to keep him in the pocket to disrupt his flow and keep his long playmaking in check. Terrell Owens was contained for the second straight week. He had five catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. J. J. Stokes or Tai Streets need to emerge as a second credible receiving threat. That's the only way to take the double-team heat off Owens. Owens is off to a disappointing start, but he and the 49ers will make adjustments. For now, Owens should still be viewed as a top-three receiver. Stokes had four receptions for only 28 yards against Denver as he continues to be a major disappointment. However, this weeks he draws Washington's top defender, Champ Bailey. Washington's cornerbacks are very aggressive and have a tendency to get burned. TE Eric Johnson had seven catches for 69 yards last Sunday and will be incorporated in the game plan more each week. San Francisco needs to establish their running game against Washington and control the clock. RB Garrison Hearst had just five carries and compiled only 35 all-purpose yards against Denver. He is sharing carries with Kevan Barlow, which will mean less consistency from Hearst this season. Barlow may emerge as the featured running back shortly. On Sunday, Barlow had 7 rushing attempts for 47 yards. He enjoyed good success early but was shut down in the second half along with the rest of 49er's offense. The bulk of his yards came early on a 31 yd run and Barlow never got much going after that point in the game.

Game Prediction: San Francisco 28 Washington 20

Cincinnati at Atlanta - 8:30
Gus Frerotte threw three interceptions and also fumbled twice against the Browns. It may not be much longer before the Bengals try someone else at quarterback. Frerotte threw 12 of his 26 completions after the Browns took a 20-0 lead with 10 minutes left in the game and Cleveland loosened their secondary. Frerotte's poor showing in Cleveland on Sunday might have cost him a starting job. The Bengals are not expecting their quarterbacks to win games, but Frerotte needs to avoid costly mistakes. RB Corey Dillon gained most of his 108 yards rushing through individual effort, breaking tackles. Blocking was virtually non-existent for most of the game again this week. He also had eight catches but the Browns' secondary started playing deep to protect the lead. Atlanta's defensive front is banged up and undersized, so Dillon may enjoy a very successful outing. WR Michael Westbrook started for the Bengals, but managed just two receptions for 21 yards last Sunday. T.J. Houshmandzadeh gave way to Westbrook for starting duties, but was still the most productive wide receiver for the Bengals. Houshmandzadeh had five receptions for 58 yards. Peter Warrick's only catch was for three yards. Chad Johnson is Cincinnati's only deep threat and caught Bengals' only scoring pass. His speed can creat problems for the Falcons' vulnerable secondary. The Bengals haven't attempted a single pass to their tight ends in the first two games. TE Sean Brewer has the athletic ability to be a useful player, but Cincinnati doesn't use the tight ends in their passing game. We would not suggest using any of the Cincinnati receivers right now as their passing game is clearly in shambles.

Atlanta's offense is no longer predictable thanks to the play of Michael Vick. The second year signal-caller continues to impress on the fantasy level with his level of play. If his receivers could only manage to hold onto the football, his stats would become very imposing. Vick completed 17 of 28 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown against the Bears. He also led the Falcons in rushing with 56 yards on 10 carries. Vick showed his marvelous athletic ability and arm strength but also had a tough time figuring out the Bears' defense. Warrick Dunn had 15 carries for just 34 yards last weekend. He is still the featured back in the red zone and played a well-rounded game but fell off in the second half. Dunn's versatility causes matchup problems for the Atlanta defense. Rookie T.J. Duckett had five carries for 32 yards in Sunday's game. Duckett performed well when he got the ball but his opportunities were limited to just 5 carries and zero catches. WR Brian Finneran led all receivers with 6 catches. In fact, no other receiver caught more than two passes, Finneran should have had sensational numbers and a possible score in this game but he could not hold on to the ball. Willie Jackson had a big completion called back when a review showed he had trapped the ball. Jackson is not performing in a similar fashion as he has in previous years with the Saints. Shawn Jefferson has just two catches in two games and appears to be out of the mix in Atlanta's receiving corps. TE Alge Crumpler seems to be regularly targeted by Vick in the red zone. Crumpler dropped an easy touchdown pass on Sunday. Still, Crumpler has the potential to be a good tight end in the NFL if he can correct his mistakes. Kicker Jay Feely has struggled the past two weeks and we would look elsewhere for a kicker.

Game Prediction: Atlanta 24 Cincinnati 13

Monday, Sept. 23
St. Louis at Tampa Bay - 9:00
The Rams travel to Raymond James Stadium to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that always seems to save their best for the Rams. This season, the Rams are 0-2 and looking up at the rest of the NFL with an attack that has looked somewhat drab and predictable, and a defense that bends far too much and puts no pressure on the quarterback. St. Louis has been surprisingly tarnished on both offense and defense in losing its first two games of the new season. Kurt Warner was 26-of-39 for 266 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions today in a loss to the Giants. With three interceptions and one touchdown after two weeks, Warner isn't looking like the NFL's top quarterback. However, there isn't any real reason for fantasy owners to worry right now. Even if the Rams do end up having a disappointing year, Warner is going to finish with great numbers. Opposing defenses have taken away the long ball, and the Rams are forced to grind it out on the ground. At present St. Louis is in the bottom third of the league scoring with an average of just 18 points per game. Last year, they averaged 31. The Rams need to open things up, and they may be able to do that much more when they finally have that fourth WR threat to go with Bruce, Holt and Proehl. Bruce caught a game high 8 balls for 79 yards, but the lack of a quick slot receiver is killing his ability to get deep effectively. Bruce caught 8 balls and had 79 yards receiving while Holt only had 6 catches, but for 88 yards. Proehl caught 2 passes, but one was for a touchdown. Holt has torched the Bucs for 139 yards and 165 yards in the last two meetings, but Bruce has been silenced to just 73 and 36 yards. TE Ernie Conwell had just one catch and was not part of the offense. RB Marshall Faulk was able to get back on track on the ground somewhat, rushing for 87 yards on 12 carries and 2 touchdowns against the Giants. He also caught 7 passes for 36 yards. St. Louis will try to establish their passing game in order to give Faulk some running lanes, which will probably be off-tackle.

Tampa Bay normally plays a very emotional game against the Rams as demonstrated in last year's Monday night victory. Brad Johnson is still learning Jon Gruden's system and probably will struggle for the next couple of weeks until they all get on the same page. Johnson was 24-for-31 for 211 yards and no interceptions against the Ravens, but the Bucs offense failed to score a touchdown. While he had more time to throw, the team faced some challenges in terms of field position. Needless to say, Gruden was impressed with Johnson's performance, but he'd like to see his offense finish off drives with touchdowns instead of field goals. It is vital that Johnson keeps his mistakes to a minimum in this contest. Gruden's top priority for this game is to fix a running game that is averaging only 73 yards on the ground. RB Michael Pittman was ineffective for the second straight week last Sunday. He rushed 13 times for 37 yards and no touchdowns but did have 6 catches for 58 yards. FB Mike Alstott was even less effective than Pittman. Rushing 11 times for 23 yards and catching 5 balls for 25 yards. Tampa Bay can run against the smaller Rams' defense if their offensive line can improve their play. WR Keyshawn Johnson had just three catches for 47 yards on Sunday against Baltimore. He has a very favorable size matchup this weekend which he should be able to exploit. Keenab McCardell has been slowed by a quadricep injury but managed to catch four passes for 38 yards in Tampa Bay's 25-0 win. The Bucs are relying on McCardell and Joe Jurevicius to eliminatethe double teams on Johnson. TE Ken Dilger probably will be able to play on Monday, according to the St. Petersburg Times. He sustained a triceps contusion on Sunday.

Game Prediction: St. Louis 24 Tampa Bay 17