There's trouble in paradise, or at least in the nation's capital, where the Redskins haven't come close to living up to their preseason hype.
The team with the highest payroll in NFL history, and touted as a Super Bowl contender, dropped to 1-2 for the season after back-to-back losses to Detroit and Dallas. And looking at their schedule, things are likely to get worse before they get better. The 'Skins play the division-leading Giants in New York on Sunday, followed by Tampa Bay the following week. And the Big Three of the AFC Central - Baltimore, Jacksonville and Tennessee - are on tap in October.
Let's look for the 1-point-favored Giants to add to the stress level of Washington owner Daniel Snyder. Undefeated New York boasts an offense balancing the running of Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne with the passing of Kerry Collins. And the return to Pro Bowl form of cornerback Jason Sehorn has solidified the defense. They'll prevail over an out-of-sync Redskins team that sorely misses leading receiver Michael Westbrook, out for the season with a bad knee.
In other games:
DALLAS (-6 1/2) over San Francisco - The Cowboys are coming off a big Monday night win over hated Washington, get quarterback Troy Aikman back and should be primed to put on a big show for their loyal fans who were disappointed by Dallas' 41-14 home-opener loss to Philly. The near-defenseless 49ers should greatly aid the Cowboys' cause.
Tennessee (-7) over PITTSBURGH - Bye week came at just the right time for the Titans, who played sluggishly in a loss at Buffalo and an OT win over Kansas City. The Steelers hit rock bottom in losing at Cleveland, and have covered just once in their last 11 games at Three Rivers Stadium.
Patriots (+4 1/2) over MIAMI - Something seems fishy here when a Miami team that hasn't allowed a touchdown at home this season is only a 4 1/2-point favorite over a Patriots team that approaches the red zone the way a defecting East German approached the Berlin Wall. Bill Belichick's defense keeps the Pats in yet another down-to-the-wire tilt.
BALTIMORE (-11 1/2) over Cincinnati - Bengals second-year quarterback Akili Smith is struggling and is unlikely to find his rhythm vs. Baltimore's highly rated defense. The Ravens atone for last week's mud bowl loss in Miami with an easy win here.
CHICAGO (-1 1/2) over Detroit - The Bears' opponents this season - Minnesota, Tampa Bay and the New York Giants - have something in common: they are all a perfect 3-0. Chicago is due to catch a break and a home win over a longtime division foe is just the ticket.
Philadelphia (+1 1/2) over NEW ORLEANS - These two teams may be struggling, but they sport two of the best young defenses in the league. The Philadelphia offense, led by running back Duce Staley and second-year quarterback Donovan McNabb, give the visiting Eagles a slight edge.
ATLANTA (+6 1/2) over St. Louis - It's a good thing the St. Louis offense is so potent because the Rams defense is giving points almost as fast as the offense can score them. A rejuvenated Jamal Anderson and a healthy Chris Chandler make the Falcons live home dogs and a danger for an outright win.
ARIZONA (-1) over Green Bay - The Pack offense is in shambles as sore-armed quarterback Brett Favre has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns. With star defenders Simeon Rice and Andre Wadsworth expected back, look for the Cards to build on the momentum from their come-from-behind win over Dallas two weeks ago.
TAMPA BAY (-7) over New York Jets - The perception of the Buccaneers is 'Great Defense, No Offense' but after several offseason moves the Tampa Bay attack is no longer offensive. After three games the Bucs have outscored 28 of the league's 31 teams and should pull away from a Jets squad that has struggled vs. Green Bay and the Pats.
DENVER (-7) over Kansas City - Speaking of hot offenses, the Broncos have scored the second-most points in the NFL - behind only St. Louis. They'll easily outscore a KC team led by inconsistent quarterback Elvis Grbac.
OAKLAND (-10 1/2) over Cleveland - This could be a reality check for Cleveland which, after back-to-back wins over lowly Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, take its act on the road to Oakland. The Raiders, after tough games with San Diego, Indy and Denver, finally get a laugher.
SAN DIEGO (+2 1/2) over Seattle - It's hard to imagine the Seahawks as a legitimate road favorite, even against lowly San Diego. If the Chargers' offense keeps the turnovers to a minimum, Junior Seau and the defense will take care of the rest.
MONDAY Jacksonville (+3 1/2) over INDIANAPOLIS - Great Monday night matchup between teams sure to be involved in postseason action once again. The return of oft-injured running back Fred Taylor to the Jacksonville lineup gives the Jags an edge in what figures to be a down-to-the-wire contest.
Last week: 7-6-1. Season: 23-19-2.
