Week 4 NFL Capsules - NFL News And Picks

Week 4 NFL Capsules
By Chris Cluff
Posted: 5:00 am PDT 2006-10-01

Colts (3-0) at Jets (2-1), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Colts -8 (46.5)
Storyline: Coming off a big division win against Jacksonville, the Colts return to Giants Stadium just three weeks after beating the Giants in the season opener. New Jets coach Eric Mangini's defense has been key to his team's 2-1 start; it forced three turnovers and had three sacks against Buffalo last week. But it also gave up 475 yards.
Best Bet: Peyton Manning is 2-3 vs. the Jets at Giants Stadium, and he was 2-7 against Mangini's Patriot defenses. But he also is 6-3 overall vs. the Jets, and the Colts' offense is too potent for the Jets. Indianapolis, 27-17.

Chargers (2-0) at Ravens (3-0), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Chargers -2 (33.5)
Storyline: This undefeated matchup features the league's top two scoring defenses and pits San Diego's top rushing attack against Baltimore's No. 1 rushing defense. Both teams are getting used to new quarterbacks - San Diego's Philip Rivers and Baltimore's Steve McNair. This will be a bigger test than either team has faced so far - they both beat Oakland and three other winless teams.
Best Bet: LaDainian Tomlinson and the Chargers should take advantage of an extra week to prepare for what should be a defensive showdown. San Diego, 17-13.

Vikings (2-1) at Bills (1-2), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Bills -1 (34.5)
Storyline: These teams both have better defenses than offenses right now. The Vikings have not scored an offensive touchdown since Week 1. Buffalo's offense exploded last week against the Jets as J.P. Losman threw for a career-high 328 yards and Willis McGahee rushed for a career-best 150, but the Bills turned the ball over three times.
Best Bet: The Bills have lost four in a row at home, while Minnesota has won four of its last five road games. Minnesota, 16-13.

Cowboys (1-1) at Titans (0-3), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Cowboys -9 (38)
Storyline: The Cowboys go to Tennessee amid yet another T.O. soap opera - receiver Terrell Owens was hospitalized after taking too many painkillers for his broken finger. Owens may get some snaps in the game but could be held out if only because the Cowboys might not think they need him against a team that has lost six straight since last season. The Titans are slowly integrating rookie QB Vince Young into the offense, and it seems a matter of time before he replaces temporary starter Kerry Collins.
Best Bet: The Titans are simply terrible, and Dallas' defense is among the best. Dallas, 24-10.

49ers (1-2) at Chiefs (0-2), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Chiefs -7 (40)
Storyline: The Chiefs will go with Damon Huard at quarterback for the second game in a row as starter Trent Green recovers from a concussion. The Chiefs did not score a touchdown in Huard's first start two weeks ago. The Chiefs will rely on their defense against a 49er offense that suddenly has become quite explosive (fourth in the league at 381.7 yards per game). Second-year QB Alex Smith has thrown for 814 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Best Bet: The 49ers don't have the defense to stop Larry Johnson and are likely to extend their road losing streak against AFC teams to eight games. Kansas City, 20-17.

Saints (3-0) at Panthers (1-2), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Panthers -7 (41.5)
Storyline: The Saints are coming off one of the biggest wins in franchise history - beating the Falcons for first place in the NFC South in the Saints' return to the Superdome. The Panthers beat Tampa Bay to avoid an 0-3 start, and they did it with Steve Smith back on the field for the first time this season. The Saints are looking to solidify their division lead, while the Panthers need to close the gap.
Best Bet: The Panthers have won five of the last seven in this series, and Smith's return makes Carolina dangerous on offense again. Carolina, 24-20.

Cardinals (1-2) at Falcons (2-1), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Falcons -7 (40.5)
Storyline: Arizona coach Dennis Green decided against benching QB Kurt Warner, whose fumble late in the game last week cost the Cardinals a chance to beat St. Louis. The Falcons are coming off a blowout loss in New Orleans in which their No. 1 rushing offense was shut down.
Best Bet: The Cardinals have lost three straight in Atlanta. Atlanta, 23-13.

Dolphins (1-2) at Texans (0-3), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Dolphins -3.5 (40.5)
Storyline: The Dolphins are still struggling on offense as Daunte Culpepper tries to come back from knee surgery while running a new team. They got their first win last week thanks to a defense that forced three turnovers from the winless Titans. Now they face another winless team, and the Texans' last-ranked defense might be just what Culpepper and company need. Then again, the Texans need a win.
Best Bet: David Carr is the highest-rated QB in the league, and that finally might mean something this week at home. Houston, 23-20.

Lions (0-3) at Rams (2-1), 4:05 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Rams -5.5 (43.5)
Storyline: Mike Martz returns to the scene of his prime, where he turned the Rams into The Greatest Show on Turf from 1999 through last season. Martz is now the offensive coordinator of the Lions, led by first-year coach Rod Marinelli; the Rams are coached by Scott Linehan. Both teams have struggled to pick up new offensive schemes.
Best Bet: Rams QB Marc Bulger (21-4 at home) should take advantage of the Lions' porous pass defense. St. Louis, 24-17.

Patriots (2-1) at Bengals (3-0), 4:15 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Bengals -5.5 (46.5)
Storyline: The Bengals are coming off a big win over the defending Super Bowl champions in Pittsburgh, while the Patriots' offensive struggles finally cost them in a loss to Denver. Still dogged by off-field problems, the Bengals are nonetheless attempting to open 4-0 for the second straight season. But the Patriots are tough to beat twice in a row - they haven't lost back-to-back games since 2002, a streak of 52 games. Corey Dillon will be motivated to help the Pats keep that run alive as he returns to Cincinnati for the first time since the Patriots acquired him in 2004.
Best Bet: The Bengals are the better team now. Cincinnati, 27-24.

Jaguars (2-1) at Redskins (1-2), 4:15 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Jaguars -3 (34)
Storyline: Washington finally got going on offense against Houston last week as Mark Brunell set an NFL record with 22 straight completions. This week, Brunell faces the team that traded him in 2004, and he won't have as easy a time against Jacksonville's physical defense. The Jags suffered their first loss last week in Indianapolis despite out-rushing the Colts and largely shutting down Peyton Manning.
Best Bet: The Jags will probably have little trouble stopping a Washington offense that had scored one touchdown in its first two games, and Jacksonville will probably try to control the game with the league's fifth-ranked running attack. Jacksonville, 17-10.

Browns (0-3) at Raiders (0-2), 4:15 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Browns -3 (33.5)
Storyline: Cleveland's Charlie Frye and Oakland's Andrew Walter - a pair of third-round quarterbacks in 2005 - highlight this matchup of teams with two of the weakest offensive lines in the league. Frye has been sacked 12 times already this season. Walter stepped in for the injured Aaron Brooks (chest) in Week 2 and was sacked six times.
Best Bet: The Raiders have lost eight straight games since last season, and the Browns are better equipped to win what figures to be a low-scoring affair. Cleveland, 16-13.

Seahawks (3-0) at Bears (3-0), 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC
WagerWeb.com line: Bears -3.5 (34.5)
Storyline: Shaun Alexander, the reigning NFL MVP, will miss this game with a broken foot, so the Bears will be focused on stopping Matt Hasselbeck and his passel of pass receivers. In a 42-30 win over the New York Giants last Sunday, the Seahawks unveiled a four-receiver formation that included new wideout Deion Branch. Hasselbeck, who threw five TD passes vs. the Giants, faces a Chicago defense that has not allowed a passing touchdown and leads the NFC in defense.
Best Bet: The Bears are 8-1 at home since last season, and they just don't give up many points. Chicago, 20-17.

Packers (1-2) at Eagles (2-1), 8:30 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN
WagerWeb.com line: Eagles -11 (48)
Storyline: The Eagles bounced back from a collapse against the Giants with an easy win over the defense-challenged 49ers, and now they host a similarly flawed Packers team. Philly's Donte' Stallworth, who missed the game against San Francisco, is probable for this one. Brett Favre had an excellent game against Detroit last week, throwing for 340 yards and three scores.
Best Bet: The Eagles are one of the NFC's top teams, and their sack-happy defense should harass Favre into some interceptions. Philadelphia, 31-21.

LAST WEEK: 9-5
SEASON: 31-15

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