My ego took a bruising last week, dropping two of my three picks, thanks to the NFC East remaining as unpredictable as ever. Maybe I’ll give that division a week off for bad behavior.

I’m not sure things will improve this week, though. Have you looked at the schedule? I don’t see any of the typical “Locks” that we see every week. And there doesn’t seem to be much difference between any “Game” candidates and “Upset” candidates. What’s going on?

Have we entered the NFL twilight zone? Or maybe the NFL schedule gods are just messing with me because it’s my birthday! That must be it. Fear not, fellow sports nuts. We shall face these sports demons head on, with faith in our hearts, the remote control in one hand and a cold one in the other!

Riiiiiiiight!

Let the games begin!

This week’s Lock of the Week (5-1).

This is the toughest category to pick this week, which is a strange feeling, since it usually comes down to picking between two or three games. In looking at the schedule, not a single game jumps off the page (yes, I still get the paper delivered every day!).

And even though I’ve had to listen to the experts all week long talking about how this game is an upset in the making, I think they are just trying to create a story so they have something to talk about when they are in front of the microphone.

I don’t think this will be nearly as close as they do, which is why I’m picking the visiting Arizona Cardinals over the Oakland Raiders.

I know the Raiders gave the Chargers all they could handle last week, but one good game does not make an 0-5 team dangerous! Yes, they have the ability to rack up the passing yardage, but their running game stinks and their offensive line is full of holes ever since they let their big left tackle leave in the off season (Where did he go to? Oh yeah, Arizona!). And have you seen their defense?

Meanwhile, Palmer is back (another former Raider) for the second straight week. He looked pretty good last week, after being off for four weeks, and will only look better this week, after shaking off the rust.

And don’t think for a minute that Coach Arians will allow the Cardinals to overlook the Raiders, Look for Arizona to jump out quickly, forcing the Raiders to abandon the run game completely. Sure, they’ll end up with 350 passing yards, but not a lot of points to go with it.

Arizona wins this one by at least two TDs!

This week’s Upset of the Week (3-3).

Once again, I have only game that falls into this category, at least according to the odds makers in Vegas (whom I happen to be beating this season!). So this one is easy this week.

The New Orleans Saints will hit the road and upset the Detroit Lions.

I know, I know, the Saints are struggling to put up points and the Lions are at the top of the league in points allowed, so why in the world would I pick New Orleans? The answer is easy – Calvin Johnson!

Or I should say, the lack of Calvin Johnson. With Megatron on the sidelines and Reggie Bush playing injured (gee, that never happens!), the Lions offense is merely a shell of its potential. In other words, they have become boringly average.

Yes, their defense is scary, with the two headhunters chasing QBs all day long. But Brees is one of the best at getting the ball out quickly. And the Saints have enough targets to allow the coaching staff to put together a game plan of quick passes and short targets to allow them to overcome the one-two punch of the Lions defensive line.

As long as the Saints can contain Stafford and the second tier set of receivers on the field, they should be able to outscore the Lions in the end.

It will be close, but I’m taking the New Orleans Saints to upset the Detroit Lions!

This week’s Game of the Week (4-2).

Initially, I looked at the schedule and figured this was a no-brainer. The 49ers at the Broncos will be the best game to watch this week. But as I thought about it more, I have changed my mind. Where I think the Broncos will win handily, I think another game will offer up four quarters of excitement.

So I’m going with the Kansas City Chiefs at the San Diego Chargers.

I know, the Chargers are 5-1, on top of the mighty AFC West and are at home, while the Chiefs are 2-3 and on the road. I get that. But the Chiefs record is misleading. They have played some good teams without some key players. They are getting those players back now and are starting to click as a team. And you can never overlook Coach Reid, who will surely have his gladiators prepared for battle this week.

However, the Chargers got a scare last week by Oakland but were still able to get their fifth win in a row after an opening week loss to AZ. That should be enough for them to realize that they cannot overlook any team. Expect them to be ready for the visitors.

This game should come down to the wire, after four full quarters of nail-biting entertainment. But in the end, the San Diego Chargers will get their sixth win in a row and beat the Kansas City Chiefs.

Don’t waste your time carving anything in stone this week, folks. Just fill the cooler, throw a few brats on the grill and enjoy some great football!