Andrew Nackman:
Two weeks ago, the Chargers appeared to be in deep trouble, starting off the season 0-2, but since then they have dominated against the Giants and Patriots. They have made a more concerted effort to get the ball into LaDanian Tomlinson’s hands, and their other offensive playmakers, Keenan McCardell and Antonio Gates, have greatly benefited from the extra attention defenses pay to stopping Tomlinson. The Steelers have a top-notch defense, but the Chargers are playing too well offensively to be stopped right now. With WR Hines Ward hampered by a hamstring injury, even the return of Jerome Bettis won’t be able to provide enough firepower for the Steelers to keep up. Expect the Chargers to approach the 40-point mark again.
San Diego 37, Pittsburgh 23
Alex Schwartz:
This week’s prime-time game features two top football teams in the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers. While San Diego’s chances looked pretty bleak following consecutive losses in the first two weeks, they have bounced back in full force with two crushing victories against the upstart New York Giants and the defending champion New England Patriots. Expect to see the Chargers continue to go with their winning formula: heavy doses of LaDanian Tomlinson to soften up opposing defenses, coupled with some Drew Brees high-percentage completion passes. While this strategy has worked well against young and injury-plagued defenses, the Steelers possess neither of these qualities and should be able to contain the Chargers offense well enough to give their brand a smash-mouth football an opportunity to win the game. Watch out for the Steelers running game-it seems like whoever they put out there is a lock for 100 yards and a score-and this should allow some open lanes for the Steeler pass attack to claim a few casualties.
Pittsburgh 24, San Diego 21
Jordan Katz:
After both teams come off bye-weeks, these two loveable losers face off on the shores of Lake Erie to determine the NFL lower tier championship. Pick your mediocre poison this week; it should be a hotly contested matchup, but, in the end I am going to have to choose my hometown Browns to pull this one out. As quarterbacks are concerned, Trent Dilfer is sporting a 95.1 QB rating, while Kyle Orton has the field vision of a Cyclops. Look for TE Braylon Edwards to put on a show at receiver, further proving that good things can come from the University of Michigan. I think it’s only fair that for one week the Bears replace the Browns as the “mistake on the lake.”
Cleveland 24, Chicago 13
Justin Davidson:
This is arguably one of the toughest games to pick this week. Both teams sport intimidating offenses and defenses, with top-notch quarterbacks to lead their teams to the playoffs. New England’s staunch defense has been riddled with injuries, which helped in their demise against San Diego last week. A healthy Michael Vick could run circles around them and put up big numbers; however, Vick is coming off both ankle and knee injuries, and even though he is the bionic man, after all, he won’t be able to put up the performance that would be needed to overtake Tom Brady and Corey Dillon. Look for a close battle, but one that will ultimately be won by the Pats.
New England 31, Atlanta 30
Scott Kaufman-Ross:
The league’s most unlikely 4-0 team faces their first tough test as Marvin Lewis’s Bengals head to Jacksonville to take on the Jags. Both teams sport terrific defenses, but the Bengals offense has performed much better, averaging 26 points per game. Carson Palmer has finally settled into his role as starting QB, and Rudi Johnson continues to produce in the backfield. However, the Bengals have yet to beat a team with more than one win, and may have some trouble moving the ball against a very tough Jaguars front. The Jags will have difficulty moving the ball too, as Fred Taylor and Byron Leftwich have been held in check. Don’t expect many points in this one, but Fast Freddie is overdue for a big game. The Bengals are for real, but will drop a tough defensive battle in Jacksonville.
Jacksonville 17. Cincinnati 13
Derek Winters:
The Rams are coming off a pretty bad loss to the Giants; Marc Bulger threw a record 62 passes. Maybe Coach Mike Martz should run the ball at least 25 percent of the plays but, hey, he’s got other issues with his heart, so I can’t really get on a man with a heart problem. Seattle is a team like the Rams, who find themselves circling a few games on the calendar each season. This is one of them. Whoever performs better in the series usually makes the playoffs and wins the NFC West.
St. Louis 31, Seattle 27