[Tommy]

Washington (+4) at NY Giants.

Washington’s year so far has been a tale of two seasons. The first two weeks were losses to Minnesota and Dallas, but they have rebounded with wins over Houston and Jacksonville. Quarterback, Mark Brunell has played great the last two games after hearing calls for his benching after Week Two.

Despite Brunell’s turnaround, Washington must be able to run the ball effectively with Clinton Portis to stay in this game. The Giants are pretty good against the run though, and the Redskins will have a much easier time moving the ball through the air with their bevy of receiving targets.

The Giants come off a bye at 1-2, after playing a brutal schedule that included Indianapolis, Seattle and Philadelphia. New York had legitimate Super Bowl aspirations heading into this season, so the last thing they can afford to do is fall to 1-3.

There have also been some internal dissension on the team, namely with tight end Jeremy Shockey. Coach Tom Coughlin had said that Shockey will play this week despite his outbursts, and the controversy could motivate him into playing a big game. The Giants offense will need to be explosive at home to win, and I look for Eli Manning and company to play well.

Outlook: It is very early in the season, but this is a must win situation at home for the Giants. They get the job done. Pick: NY Giants

Dallas (+2.5) at Philadelphia

This is the game of the week from a media perspective, if not a football one. That is because Dallas (2-1) wide receiver, Terrell Owens may be the most hated man in the City of Philadelphia. His behavior last year led to him being kicked off the Eagles’ team, and it started a snowball effect that ruined the entire season.

Last week, Owens reportedly tried to commit suicide, something he vehemently denied. He ended up playing on Sunday against Tennessee, and he played quite well in an easy Dallas win. It remains to be seen how Owens responds to the constant booing he will receive, and whether quarterback Drew Bledsoe can consistently get him the football.

Philadelphia is 3-1 on the year after a 31-9 Monday Night home win over Green Bay. Running back, Brian Westbrook did not play in that game due to a knee injury. He should be able to play this week, but receiver Donte Stallworth looks like he may be a game time decision.

The Eagles’ defense in this game has two goals, take off Owens’ head, and pressure Bledsoe. Bledsoe is very susceptible to blitzing defenses and the Eagles know how to bring it. Offensively, Donovan McNabb will use his legs to avoid an aggressive Dallas defense, and make some big pass plays down the field.

Outlook: This is a revenge game pure and simple for Philadelphia. Giving less than a field goal is too tempting to pass up. Pick: Philadelphia

Pittsburgh (+3.5) at San Diego

San Diego is 2-1 after a close loss to Baltimore last week. The defense continues to shine, ranked number one in the NFL. The offense is second in the league in rushing with LaDainian Tomlinson, and 30th in passing. Part of that reason is that the Chargers haven’t had to throw the ball a lot to win.

Still, the conservative Marty Schottenheimer offense is what his critics like to call “Martyball”. Pittsburgh is capable of stopping the run this week, so the Chargers will be forced to throw more with Philip Rivers. At some point, the coach has to take the reigns off, and see exactly what he has with his third year signal caller.

Pittsburgh is 1-2 and coming off the bye-week. They have a road loss at Jacksonville and a home loss to Cincinnati in their last two games. The Steelers hope the week off gave quarterback Ben Roethlisberger some time to recuperate, mostly from a mental perspective. He has not played well this year.

One of the reasons I like the Steelers is that they are a very good road team. Remember, Pittsburgh won playoff games at Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and Denver last year on their way to winning the Super Bowl. Clearly, they are not afraid to play in front of a hostile crowd.

Outlook: I see this game being decided by a field goal one way or the other. That is why I am taking the points. Pick: Pittsburgh

Baltimore (+3.5) at Denver

Baltimore is 4-0 after a 16-13 win over San Diego. Quarterback, Steve McNair led the team to a late comeback win for the second week in a row. It is great to win an NFL game any way you can, but you can not count on miracles week after week, especially against a good team on the road.

McNair is already not throwing for a ton of yards, and now the team has lost guard Edwin Mulitalo for the year with an arm injury. The offensive line is not a strength of this team, and they going to find it difficult to score against the Denver “D”. That puts more pressure on the Ravens’ very good defense.

Denver is 2-1 and coming off the bye-week. Their last game was a 17-7 win at New England. In that game, the Broncos defense stuffed the box with eight men, and dared the Patriots to beat them throwing the ball. With New England’s passing game struggling, and Denver’s Champ Bailey shutting off one side of the field, it worked perfectly.

Against Baltimore, Denver will again contain Jamal Lewis and force McNair to beat them. The Denver offense is not going to be able to go up and down the field against Baltimore, but the Ravens are vulnerable to some long pass plays. Look for Coach Mike Shanahan to call some deep play-action-plays early.

Outlook: The Ravens undefeated season comes to an end, although they will be a player in the AFC race the rest of the way. Pick: Denver

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--Michael Robinson of VIP Sports Edge.