by Peter Schrager

Last Week's Record: 8-5
Overall Season Record: 67-36

Sunday's 1 p.m. ET games

Denver at Baltimore: It took a couple of months, but the Broncos' bandwagon is now officially full. No more passengers. The collective lovefest is sold out. I tried buying a ticket before Week 6's Monday night win in San Diego but was told "No Thank You" and handed a 2009-10 Denver Nuggets media guide, instead. The Baltimore bandwagon, meanwhile, which was fully loaded after three September wins, is now completely barren. Empty. You can get a seat in first class if you want. You know what? I will. I'll take the home team — without the loaded caravan of media hanger-ons and talking head sycophants — in a close one on Sunday.
The Pick: Ravens 20, Broncos 16

Houston at Buffalo: In Houston's past six games, Matt Schaub has passed for 250+ yards five times and has 16 touchdowns vs. four interceptions with a 111.8 passer rating. With two touchdown passes versus the Niners last week, Schaub (16) surpassed his career-high of 15 in '08. Healthy, loaded and catching fire — this Texans team might very well be the playoff squad a lot of us expected them to be heading into the '09 season.
The Pick: Texans 27, Bills 12

Seattle at Dallas: Never to be mistaken for Mr. December or January, Tony Romo has a firm grip on being the NFL's Mr. November. Dating back to '06, the Dallas quarterback has won 11 November starts in a row. He has 3,078 yards, 31 TDs and a 120.4 rating in those 11 games. After two gritty wins vs. the Chiefs and Falcons, look for Romo to get the Cowboys their third straight victory on Sunday. I wouldn't put any dough on Romo in the winter time, but late autumn? He's a sure bet.
The Pick: Cowboys 24, Seahawks 7

St. Louis at Detroit: Unless you're looking to torture a pet or turn a child off from football altogether, there's probably no reason to watch this game. The Rams are the league's most underwhelming team, and the Lions ... are still, well, the Lions. The bottom line ticker is enough for this one. No need to actually tune in. It should reveal the home team getting its second win of the season.
The Pick: Lions 18, Rams 13

San Francisco at Indianapolis: A matchup of two former No. 1 overall draft picks, Alex Smith travels to Indy for his second career meeting with Peyton Manning. The first time they met, in October of '05, it was Smith's first career start. His stat line that afternoon? 9-for-23, 74 yards and four interceptions in a 28-3 loss. The way the Indianapolis D is playing of late, Sunday may go no better for Smith.
The Pick: Colts 34, 49ers 16

Miami at New York Jets: The NFL's top two rushing teams, both the Jets and the Dolphins are averaging more than 170 rushing yards per game in '09. Jets rookie Shonn Greene (144 yards, two TDs last week in Oakland) should get his share of carries in Leon Washington's absence on Sunday. Jets LB Calvin Pace referred to Chad Henne as a "clown quarterback" moments after Henne lit the Jets up for 241 yards and two touchdowns in Week 4, and the Dolphins have now beaten the Jets twice in a row dating back to last year's playoff-eliminating season finale in the Meadowlands. This rivalry's as rich as ever. Give me the Fins in a gritty road win — their third straight over New York.
The Pick: Dolphins 27, Jets 16

New York Giants at Philadelphia: If New York and Philly fans didn't hate each other enough already, there's now a World Series and a little Eagles-Giants game this weekend to tack on top of the rivalry. Eli Manning has won four starts in a row at Philadelphia, and the Giants have won six of their past eight NFC East division games. But the defending division champs lost their last two and haven't looked particularly sharp in either. Give me the Yankees in that Philadelphia band box in Game 4 and the Eagles at the Linc on Sunday. And of course, several, several, several fist fights in the stands at both.
The Pick: Eagles 30, Giants 22

Which version of Jay Cutler will show up to the Cleveland game? (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)

Cleveland at Chicago: The Bears looked lost, confused and overmatched against the Bengals last week. Without Tommie Harris and Brian Urlacher, the defense struggled, surrendering 45 points in Cincinnati. Fortunately, the Bears have the perfect hangover cure. The ultimate slumpbuster! Yes, a date with the Browns. Jay Cutler passed for a career-high 447 yards with three touchdowns versus Cleveland last year. Expect him to look like that version of Jay Cutler — and not the one we saw last week — at Soldier Field on Sunday. Hell, your grandmother could look like that version of Jay Cutler against the Browns this year.
The Pick: Bears 31, Browns 17

Sunday's 4 p.m. ET games

Oakland at San Diego: Seriously, no more JaMarcus Russell-Ryan Leaf comparisons. It's not fair, just, or civil to Ryan Leaf's career to even mention the two in the same sentence. Leaf was Dan Fouts compared to Russell. Hell, Andrew Walter was Dan Fouts compared to Russell. The Chargers have won 12 straight over the Raiders, and Sunday should be no different.
The Pick: Chargers 40, Raiders 13

Jacksonville at Tennessee: Well, this is it, Titans. Turn your season around or pack up shop and call it a year? Call me crazy, but despite the quarterback uncertainty, a head coach wearing a Peyton Manning jersey to a Tony Dungy dinner and a 59-0 demoralizing loss the last time they took the field, I'm going with Tennessee. There's something called pride. And I think — I hope — the Titans have some of that left in the locker room. If not? Well, then there's always next year. I guess.
The Pick: Titans 21, Jaguars 13

Carolina at Arizona: After last week, I'm sold on two things about these teams: a) The Cardinals are for real and last year's NFC championship was not some fluke and b) Jake Delhomme's mighty offseason contract extension probably wasn't the best example of money well spent. Delhomme's been arguably the second-worst starting quarterback in the league this season (behind Oakland's Russell, of course). The worst part of the Panthers' current quarterback catastrophe? Carolina traded its 2010 first-round pick to San Francisco in the Everette Brown trade last April. The Cards have their way with the Panthers on Sunday, regardless of who's under center.
The Pick: Cardinals 28, Panthers 16

BRETT FAVRE'S REVENGE

Brett Favre got the last laugh at the expense of his former team in his return to Green Bay, with his Vikings earning a season sweep by beating the Packers at Lambeau Field. FAVRE BOWL LINKS: Marvez: Sweet revenge for Favre Glazer mailbag: All-Favre edition Marvez: McCarthy caught in middle Marvez: How to get over NFL break-ups NFL's all-time revenge games Top 10 sports traitors VIDEO: Terry with Favre | Transcript

Minnesota at Green Bay: So apparently, there's some guy coming back to Green Bay who hasn't played there in quite a bit of time. A former Packers fan favorite who had some real glory days at Lambeau Field. But, just how well Ryan Longwell plays on Sunday may actually take a back seat to the Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers subplot on Sunday. I don't know, we'll see how the media treats this one the rest of the week. The Longwell plot is — as you well know — a bit overdone. Maybe we can get some much-needed Favre coverage, instead. He deserves a little spotlight, too.
The Pick: Vikings 31, Packers 21

Monday Night:

Atlanta at New Orleans: Matt Ryan's 11-3 over the course of his career in games played indoors, and the Falcons won their only other primetime game this season. That's all well and good, but you won't find me picking against the Saints anytime soon. New Orleans is averaging 39.7 points per game, most in the NFL, and is the first team in NFL history to score 45-plus points in four of its first six games. They might not put up 40 vs. Atlanta, but they should come pretty darn close.
The Pick: Saints 34, Falcons 23

Reader E-mail of the Week

Peter,

Completely agreed with your "No Football Jerseys" outside a stadium or a sports bar rule last weekend. Thoughts on wearing a Halloween costume to a football game? I'm going as a sexy cheerleader to a party Saturday night and figure it can't hurt wearing the outfit to the Jets game on Sunday.

— Allison, Jackson, N.J.

Allison,

I'd say dressing in your "sexy cheerleader" Halloween costume to the Jets game is completely OK, if not encouraged ... if Halloween didn't happen to fall on Oct. 31. Unfortunately, Sunday's Jets-Dolphins game will be played Nov. 1. Don't be that weirdo wearing a Halloween costume the day after Halloween. I knew a guy in college who used to wear one of those "Scream" masks around the dorm in March, April, September — whenever. I always thought that was very odd. Don't be like "Scream" mask guy. Put the Halloween costume away when Halloween is over. Even if it's a sexy cheerleader costume.