NFL Nfl Predictions

The Denver Broncos lost for the first time last week, a predictable defeat in Baltimore.

The folks who set the odds seem to think that's the start of a trend. Don't hold it against them -- their first concern is always money, and they seem to think Pittsburgh is the money team as it heads for a Monday night meeting at Invesco Field. The Steelers are a three-point favorite against a team that hadn't lost a game until it went to Baltimore.

Understandable on one level.

The Steelers are the Super Bowl champions, a team that's almost always competitive. Denver's a traditional team, too, but it's tradition most recently hasn't been what it was in the 1980s and 1990s when it went to five Super Bowls, winning the last two in John Elway's final two seasons.

The Early Games

New York Giants (5-2) at Philadelphia (4-2): The Giants are supposed to have one of the best pass rushes in the league, but they just haven't shown up in the past two games, with zero sacks over that time. They must get pressure on Donovan McNabb to have a chance on Sunday. Eli Manning also must figure out how to rebound from his four interceptions over the past two games.

The hype for Brett Favre's return to Green Bay was inevitable as soon as he made his decision to return for yet another NFL season, this with the Minnesota Vikings. It's now officially out of hand as Brett returns to Wisconsin.

Is all this anticlimactic? After all, Favre already has faced the Packers -- at the Metrodome in Week Four, quarterbacking the Vikings to a 30-23 win. In a Monday night game, no less.

But yes, this is something else -- a return to the place Favre played for 16 seasons and led the Packers to two Super Bowls, winning one and getting them to the brink of several others. A hero turned -- in the eyes of numerous Green Bay fans -- into a traitor.

The NFL FanHouse team is putting its prediction skills to the test with a little friendly survivor pick 'em league. Each week, every competitor will choose one NFL winner, keeping in mind that you can't pick the same team more than once during the year. But it's a dangerous game: Get one wrong, and you're out.

Last week, the Eagles lost to the Raiders. Even Santa Clause would have booed that stinker. Couple that with an overtime loss by the inept Jets, and we kissed good bye to half our remaining contenders.

So here we are, folks. Week 7, and it's final four time. Will this be the week we witness someone's one shining moment? I hope not, because then I will have to abandon this feature.

With attention spans dwindling, we forgo full game-by-game previews to give you the essentials you need to know about every contest this glorious NFL weekend. We call it The Once-Over.

The Early Games

New England (4-2) at Tampa Bay (0-6): Tom Brady threw for six touchdown passes last week, five in one quarter alone. And to be honest, it gets easier for him this week in London against the Bucs. Expect fireworks from the Patriots offense, as Brady is beginning to click with Randy Moss, and he's extremely happy that Wes Welker is back in action.

On defense, the Buccaneers don't have the speed or skill at the cornerback position to defend against Brady and the Patriots' aerial attack. On offense, the Bucs are young and inexperienced -- especially at the quarterback position where Josh Johnson is already looking in the rear-view mirror at competition from Josh Freeman.

Pick: New England

There aren't normally this many unbeaten teams left after six weeks of the season -- the number right now is four, a "modern'' record. (which means nobody really knows who did what back in the days of the Canton Bulldogs and Providence Steamrollers.)

There might be only one after this week: Denver, which isn't playing. Although, to get serious, does anyone really expect the Rams to beat the Colts? And we'll get to the Saints later.

But it's time for the Vikings to lose (yes, I've said that before.) If not for Brett Favre and Greg Lewis, they would have lost to San Francisco. If not for Steve Hauschka, the Raven's field-goal kicker, they would have lost last week to Baltimore.

The NFL FanHouse team is putting its prediction skills to the test with a little friendly survivor pick 'em league. Each week, every competitor will choose one NFL winner, keeping in mind that you can't pick the same team more than once during the year. But it's a dangerous game: Get one wrong, and you're out.

Last week, Tom Mantzouranis picked the Browns to beat the Bills. Derek Anderson only completed two passes and Cleveland still won.

Here's the point: Maybe we should all give up now. This is a man of destiny.

And so we bring you this week's "Game of the Century.'' The unbeaten Giants at the unbeaten Saints, with nearly the hype of the Game of the Century two weeks ago, when Brett Favre dissected his former team.

Yes, it's an interesting matchup. Yes, it will get nice ratings for Fox. Although it's an early game rather than a late-afternoon start or a prime-timer, as it might have been if the NFL had realized the Saints would be as good as they are. And yes, the hype includes Jeremy Shockey's first game against the team he whined his way of off and Eli Manning's return to his hometown for his first game ever at the Superdome.

But remember that the loser will be either 5-1 (Giants) or 4-1 and still in command of their division _ the Giants' wins over the Redskins and Cowboys are more important in the long run that the result against New Orleans.