I did get some picks wrongs this week to the tune of 7-9, which dropped me down to 17-15, but like all NFL teams with winning records, I’m doing all right and am ready for an effective week. Here’s some selections for the upcoming week in the NFL.

Miami vs. New York Jets. The Dolphins have proven one thing to me. As discouraging as this is to me for an NFL team to have to play close to the vest, this is the best way for the Dolphins to win right now. Trent Green lacks the big-play ability he once did, so Cam Cameron is going to have to place the game on Ronnie Brown’s shoulders and hope his defense can pull out some games. The Jets may be looking to make a quarterback switch in subsequent weeks as Kellen Clemens led a near-comeback against the Ravens which is always a good sign. (having offensive success against Baltimore). I think the Dolphins can pull this one out as Green does just enough through the air to lead the ‘Fins to victory. Call it Dolphins 20 Jets 13

San Diego vs. Green Bay. Of all the NFL’s currently unbeaten teams, the Packers are the biggest impostors among them. The Giants were completely banged up at key positions and they only beat the Eagles because of a pair of muffed Philadelphia punt returns. Meanwhile, the Chargers will come out ready to show the NFL that they’re still an elite team after their choke job at Foxboro, Mass. against the Patriots. The Packers don’t stand a chance in this one as LaDainian Tomlinson will finally go off and Philip Rivers will throw for about 250 yards and a pair of scores. This will be a blowout, and “all of a sudden,” questions about the Packers will begin circulating. Call the final Chargers 38 Packers 17

San Francisco vs. Pittsburgh. If the 49ers can muster no semblance of offense against the Steelers at Pittsburgh, it will be a long day for Mike Nolan’s squad. The 49ers have been morbid in the early going offensively, notwithstanding their 2-0 record as they’ve needed fortuitous bounces and surprising defensive stops to remain spotless on the young season. The Steelers, as the weeks progres, appear to be a legitimate playoff contender and perhaps may be championship-caliber. The 49ers are neither at this moment until they begin showing more offensive excellence. I expect Ben Roethlisberger to wax prolific against a surprisingly good San Francisco defense as he tosses four touchdown passes in a 35-20 Steelers win.

Buffalo vs. New England. The Patriots continue to impress notwithstanding the controversy that swirls about the team. They’re hungry, they’re motivated and the Bills have been anything but impressive the first two weeks of the season. My football acumen tells me in this instance it’s foolhardy to pick against the Patriots and I must admit that it’s irrational this week to do so. J.P. Losman can torch the New England secondary, but if this becomes a shootout, I have a hard time believing the Bills can keep pace. Thus, I’ll call it a 31-14 Patriots win.

Minnesota vs. Kansas City. This game determines whether or not the Kansas City Chiefs get a quick fix or if they’re in for a long season. The Vikings have been better than many analysts predicted as they were dominant against the Falcons and hung in tight against the Lions despite the various turnovers and mistakes they committed at Detroit. This is the Chiefs’ home opener and in losses to the Texans and Bears, they’ve looked like anything but a team that can win a playoff berth as they did a year ago. I like Adrian Peterson, the rookie tailback of the Vikings in this game, to abuse the Chiefs early and often with his speed and I think Troy Williamson, the Vikings’ speedster at wideout can beat Kansas City’s secondary consistently for big plays. The Chiefs lack explosiveness and cannot score consistently enough to make this a compelling game so I’ll take the Vikes in a 28-10 victory.

Detroit vs. Philadelphia. The Lions, 2-0 for the first time since 2004, have an aura about them that they lacked last season in wins over Oakland and Minnesota. They just seem to be carrying themselves with more confidence and in so doing have won in both a close call and a blowout this season. They travel to Philadelphia to battle an Eagles team that has been characterized by both offensive ineptness and controversy, such as Donovan McNabb’s outlandish comment about black quarterbacks receiving more criticism than their white counterparts. The Eagles defense has been solid and will challenge the Lions’ explosive offense. The X factor, is of course McNabb who was on the brink of making big plays against the Redskins but for whatever reason came up short. This week, I think the Eagles finally get off the schneid and hand the Lions their first loss of the season. In a competitive game call it Eagles 27 Lions 24

St. Louis vs. Tampa Bay. With all due respect to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Rams will be a much stiffer test than the Saints. There are hardly any more excruciating losses to deal with than St. Louis’ last Sunday when Jeff Wilkins missed a 56-yard field goal by inches against the 49ers which would have won the game. The Rams’ offense is finally getting on track although an aggressive Buccaneers defense should be able to put plenty of pressure on Rams QB Marc Bulger. Still, this will be a shootout if Steven Jackson can run the ball effectively for St. Louis as this will open up the way for Torry Holt and Randy McMichael to make big plays in the passing game. If Jeff Garcia can continue his hot streak for Tampa Bay, there will be numerous offensive fireworks in this one. Call the final here, Rams 34 Buccaneers 28

Arizona vs. Baltimore. This is an intriguing game that is interesting in the sense that both the Cardinals and Ravens have scored 40 points and given 40 up. I was presumptuous with my harsh judgments against the Cardinals and they responded in a positive manner. Ken Whisenhunt must remember, however, that the best way to win in Arizona is to have offensive balance. Thus, if Matt Leinart can pass for 225-230 yards a game while Edgerrin James and Marcel Shipp run for about 125-150 yards per game, this will be a tough team to beat as the defense has already exceeded expectations. Still, the Ravens are among the NFL’s elite teams and this will be an extremley difficult game for the Cards to win. This game will go down to the wire, but Baltimore’s Todd Heap will make a huge play as he’ll score on a 45-yard touchdown reception to lead the Ravens to a 31-28 win. The Cardinals will receive many well-deserved props for their efforts and I fully expect them to be a player in the NFC until the final week of the season.

Indianapolis vs. Houston. This is yet another game which will be better than previously supposed as the Texans have come out of the blocks at 2-0 and appear to be a legitimate team in the AFC South. The Colts are even more dangerous than they have been previously because their defense can bail the team out when Peyton Manning, Adam Vinatieri and other offensive stars have unexpected below-average performances. This game will tell us a lot about how far the Texans have come and while they’ve made great strides, they’re not at the Colts’ level yet. In perhaps the best game of the week, call it Colts 43 Texans 35

Jacksonville vs. Denver. The Jaguars are the epitome of a lack of balance leading to destruction. The defense is among the most suffocating and difficult to move the ball on in the NFL but a dearth of offensive production has prevented this team from contending for championships in the Del Rio era. David Garrard has done a nice job as the Jacksonville quarterback, but he’s still been unable to lead the Jaguars to more than 13 points in any game this season. That’s pathetic. The Broncos, on the other hand, while not blowing out their opponents this season have outgained the Raiders and Bills by 273 yards combined. Eventually, the points will catch up as Jay Cutler continues to develop magnificently in Mike Shanahan’s offense. Additionally, of the 34 points the Broncos have given up this season, only 17 have been surrendered by the defense. This bodes poorly for an offensively-talented team like Jacksonville and as Cutler continually develops the Broncos may win in a blowout. I’m not that bold, wait yes I am, call this a 31-6 Broncos victory as they improve to 3-0 heading into a showdown with the Colts in Indianapolis Sept.30.

Cleveland vs. Oakland. Which Browns team shows up? Will Cleveland get back to reality as they battle a Raiders team which may be better than its 0-2 record or will Derek Anderson continue to be the best NFL quarterback this side of Peyton Manning. I think it’s impossible for the Browns to duplicate their performance of a week ago but this Raiders defense isn’t as strong as it was last season. The Raiders only received half of their points last week against the Broncos from their offense, so the Browns’ porous defense may be just what the doctor ordered. Far be it from me to admit this, but I’m actually going with the Raiders. It will be a shootout, but Oakland will get past Cleveland in a 34-31 thriller. For those who watch it, though, remember that CBS thinks so much of it that it’s the only game on the Eye Network not in HD.

Cincinnati vs. Seattle. The Seahawks had an uncharacteristic gaffe to blow the game at Glendale, Ariz. last Sunday as Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander collided on a rudimentary handoff. This was a fluke play and the Seahawks are still among the elite teams in the NFC. The Bengals definitely will have a hard time feeling good about themselves after they gave up 51 points to the Browns and Qwest Field is among the more hostile environments for road teams in the NFL. All of this adds up to a perfect storm for the Seahawks and while the Bengals will keep it close, I like Seattle in a 38-28 victory.

Carolina vs. Atlanta. Apparently, Falcons owner Michael Blank was a corrupt businessman as he built his Home Depot empire. If not so, why are his Falcons so snakebitten? Atlanta has averaged five points per game this season and in any league that’s just not good enough to be competitive. They have infused themselves with new blood as they picked up Byron Leftwich off the scrap heap to give Joey Harrington a little competition to be the starting quarterback. The Panthers, meanwhile, seem to have discovered a resurgence and at 1-1 are ready to assert themselves as a force in the NFC South once again. The Falcons are horrendous and with that said, I like the Panthers in a 34-6 laugher.

New York Giants vs. Washington. Speaking of snakebitten teams, the Giants are near the top of the list in that regard as Eli Manning, Osi Umenyiora, and Brandon Jacobs were all out indefinitely after a Week 1 loss to the Cowboys. The Redskins, meanwhile have found a goldmine in QB Jason Campbell and after a 20-12 victory over the Eagles on Monday Night Football in Philadelphia seem primed and poised to be the major player in the NFC East. The Giants, primarily because of Anthony Wright or Jared Lorenzen playing quarterback at Landover, Md. this Sunday will be outmanned and I like the Redskins in a 30-10 win.

Dallas vs. Chicago. The Cowboys look impressive offensively as they average a league-best 41 points per game thus far. However, the Bears should easily neutralize the Cowboys’ prolific offense early and often in this one. The swirling winds of early fall will descend upon the Cowboys and they should sputter against a solid Bears defense. Of course, Rex Grossman will threaten to throw the ball away early and often and Dallas may capitalize. Still, Devin Hester will come up with yet another big kickoff or punt return for a score as the Cowboys will lack sufficient prudence by kicking to him. This may be the difference in the game as Chicago grinds out a 16-10 win.

Tennessee vs. New Orleans. Much like the Chiefs, the Saints are in an 0-2 hole and have not yet played a home game. With a national audience tuning in for Monday Night Football, this may provide sufficient momentum for the Saints to break out. The Titans, under the guidance of Vince Young, will be in the game until the bitter end but an energetic crowd at the Superdome and a 350-yard passing performance by Drew Brees should enable the Saints to prevail in this one. In an ultra-competitive game I like the Saints in a 33-30 victory.

(Ferron) A fire burning in the French Creek Drainage area in the Manti La Sal National Forest has spread to seven hundred and sixty acres. The fire was started by lightning on the eleventh. It’s burning in an area that was slated for a controlled burn next year. Fire officials are monitoring the movement of the fire and are suppressing as needed. The fire is burning in beetle killed spruce, fir, and aspen. Those recreating in the area are being urged to use caution, and be aware that smoke from the fire could cause unpleasant conditions for the next few weeks. Road and trail closures are possible in the next few days.

(HICKMAN CANYON) – A woman riding her ATV in Hickman Canyon, rolled Tuesday morning and sustained several broken bones. 48-year old, Bobbie Webb of New Mexico, was part of a guided tour for the ATV Jamboree and was riding on the Hickman Trail northwest of Otter Creek. According to a sheriff’s report, Webb approached one of the top switchbacks, lost control of her ATV and rolled about 150 yards down a steep hillside. She was thrown from the ATV with severe injuries. Webb was transported to the top of Hickman Canyon and life-flighted to Utah Valley Hospital in Provo.