After a shaky start, I’ve now picked seven of the last nine correct.  Almost makes it sound like I know what I’m doing, eh?

Alright, keep the wise cracks to yourself!

Here is this week’s Lock of the Week (3-2).

The Dallas Cowboys at the Baltimore Ravens.  It used to be that when these two teams got together, it would be a hard fought, punch ‘em in the nose, dogfight ‘till the end.  Unfortunately, those days are long gone.

On paper, the Cowboys should be able to stay competitive.  But with the worst offensive line around, a group of underachievers and a coaching staff that hasn’t been able to teach the team how to play four quarters, this Dallas team is destined for a below average record this season.

The Ravens, on the other hand, are talented, solid from top to bottom, and well-coached.  They will control the ball for a 5:3 ratio, resulting in the Cowboys’ defense dragging their collective tongues on the ground by the fourth quarter.

Baltimore will win this one by at least 15 points.

Next up, this week’s Upset of the Week (2-3).

The Indianapolis Colts at the N.Y. Jets.  New York is favored by 3 ½ points?  I’m not buying it.  Their defense is patched together with medical tape and Colts QB Andrew Luck is playing like a seasoned veteran.  (Is anyone really shocked about that?)

After getting destroyed at home by San Francisco, the Jets stayed with a very good Houston team on Monday night.  If they had any offensive weapons at all, they would have won that game.  The problem is they don’t.

John Madden answered it best when asked if the Jets had a better chance of winning with Sanchez or Tebow.  His answer was simple and to the point.  “How about neither?”

The Colts are looking more like a legitimate team each week.  I‘m not saying they’re ready to be a playoff team this year, but they’ll be contending next year or the year after for sure.  Right now, they’re good enough to beat a bad Jets team.

Colts win this one going away.

Last up is this week’s Game of the Week (4-1).

The N.Y. Giants at the San Francisco 49ers.

If you want to see that hard fought, punch ‘em in the nose, etc., etc. that we talked about in the “Lock” above, this is the place to be.  Unlike that other team from the Jersey shore, the Giants actually have weapons on both sides of the ball.  If they can put it all together, this will be a great game.  If they don’t, this could get away from them quickly.

The 49ers are solid at every position and don’t make a lot of mistakes.  They are extremely fast on defense and are physical tacklers.  They are probably the best coached team in the league.

This could be a blowout or it could come down to the final two minutes.  Either way, San Francisco will take home the victory.