This week finds parity alive and well. There isn't a single double-digit favorite and most lines are under 4 points. There is no way there won't be double-digit victories. It's just the lines don't offer clues as to which teams will have those victories.
Byes: New York Giants, St Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears
Washington Redskins at New York Jets (+3.5):
- Apparently, no one is holding last week's 52-7 shellacking at the hands of the Patriots against the Redskins. Even so, laying 3.5 points on the road seems beyond this team's capabilities.
- Without #1 WR Laverneus Coles, can QB Kellen Clemens quickly put to rest the Chad Pennington Era?
- Can RB Ryan Grant have a good enough repeat performance to solidfy the #1 RB postion for the Packers?
- Anyone remember Priest Holmes? Following the team's bye, how much use will he get?
- Is Kurt Warner healthy? He must be because there is little reason to believe Tim Rattay will solve the TB defense.
- Is the Cardinals' defense so good that the Bucs can't be favored by more at home?
- Raise your hand if you think Carolina is in first place?
- After seven games, will the real fantasy Vince Young stand-up or is he what he has been so far - worthless?
- With Frank Gore hobbled and the passing game in shambles, is the line too low?
- Will head coach Bobby Petrino finally increase RB Jerious Norwood's opportunities for production?
- If QB Quinn Gray weren't so bad, I'd wonder about being such big road dogs.
- Who'd a thunk the Saints would be favored in this game following the teams first three games? Will Drew Brees, Marques Colston and Reggie Bush continue to justify their owner's patience?
- What happens next in the soap opera at RB? Will the soon-to-be suspended Travis Henry produce or will it be Selvin Young? This is Mike Shannahan's team so maybe Mike Bell gets a shot.
- Will Kevin Jones prove his Top 10 RB status against the creamy rush defense of the Broncos?
- Oddly, this line opened with the Bengals as three-point dogs. A four-point swing means something. It couldn't be the return of non-pass-catching RB Rudi Johnson, could it?
- Vegas was not impressed by the Losman/Evans bomb last week. The Bengals have not allowed fewer than 20 points in any game so far and those included the Jets and Ravens. The Bills offense is at least as good as those two teams.
- The Vikings can stop the run. To be seven-point home 'dogs, expect a good passing game from QB Phillip Rivers.
- The team is all about how well RB Adrian Peterson does. There is nothing else on offense to worry about.
- Will the Seahawks' offense produce and make WR DJ Hackett into the sleeper he was expected to be?
- After converting all of the fantasy punditry into believers, will QB Derek Anderson go Brian Griese on them?
- Who'd have thought the defending Super Bowl Champions would average 32 points per game and allow jst 15 and still be five-point underdogs at home?
- I subscribe to Chris Liss of Rotowire's explanation for this line. The books are getting killed by everyone taking the Patriots and just threw out an outrageous line to see if the betting is tied in any rational way to the line. NOTE: The line opened at Pats -3 and moved to -5.
- Is the Oakland rush defense so bad that Ron Dayne could have an eighty-yard game?
- How bad has the Raiders' offense been that is lays just three points to a team that has allowed 35, 38, and 37 points in its last three games? This looks to be setting-up nicely for the return of QB Josh McCown.
- Will Tony Romo reward his employer's $70MM worth of faith?
- The Eagles give the appearance of disappointment, but can they really be three-point home underdogs in a fierce divsion rivalry?
- How will QB Steve McNair's return effect the offense? In his last two starts, he couldn't move the team against the Browns or 49ers, scoring 13 and 9 points respectively. Those nine points don't seem that much anymore, do they?
- Can QB Ben Roethlisberger continue to buttress the Air AFC North reputation (Big Ben 15 TDs, Derek Anderson 17 and Carson Palmer 14)? How will the TDs be spread out between Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward and Heath Miller?