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Week 3 looks just as promising with nine divisional clashes on tap including both prime time games. The Dolphins host the Bills on ESPN Sunday Night and then Oakland travels to Denver for some key Monday Night Football action. Here are the picks.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+7.5) at Indianapolis Colts (-7.5) Two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions. The Colts are the talk of the town after dismantling the Titans last week. Tony Dungy has made tremendous progress in shedding this team’s soft reputation and bringing a physical hard-nosed style to Indianapolis. The Jaguars meanwhile are off to an 0-2 start after losing at home last week to the Bills and cannot afford to fall three games behind the front running Colts. I don’t like using the must-win term this early in the season but if Jacksonville is going to contend in the AFC South this season this is definitely a must-win game. Last week I failed miserably in making the Jaguars my upset pick of the week. I’m giving them one more shot. If they let me down again, I’m done with them. This is the PYPER UPSET PICK OF THE WEEK. Take the Jags for $50. Jaguars 24 – Colts 23

Kansas City Chiefs (-8) at Houston Texans (+8) Has any team looked more impressive than the Chiefs during the first two weeks of the season? They can run, they can pass, they play special teams, and they even seem to play some good defense. Has Coach Vermeil transformed this team into his Rams squad that won Super Bowl XXXIV? The only negative thing I can say about the Chiefs at this point is that we still don’t know how they play on the road. The league is full of home-field warriors but to be a truly great team….You have to be able to win on the road. The Texans would seem to be overmatched in this game but they have played well two games into this young season. Their lopsided loss last week was much closer than the final score indicated. I’m Leaving this one alone. Chiefs 27 – Texans 13

Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) at Detroit Lions (+3.5) The Vikings are another one of the NFL’s surprise teams. This is a big game for them…On the road versus a division rival. If they’re serious about challenging the Packers for the NFC North title then they need to win games like this. Still, something makes me uncomfortable here so I’m leaving it alone. Vikings 21 – Lions 16

New Orleans Saints (+4.5) at Tennessee Titans (-4.5) This is an intriguing matchup. I’m surprised to see the Saints getting so many points. I thought about making this my upset pick of the week but the problem is…I don’t think it’s an upset. The Saints are an underrated team still a few weeks away from getting the kind of respect they deserve. Meanwhile the Titans are overrated. Teams that lack depth end up lacking wins. This is the PYPER PICK OF THE WEEK. Take the Saints for $250. Saints 34 – Titans 17

New York Jets (+6.5) at New England Patriots (-6.5) This is a key matchup between AFC East rivals. The Jets are still searching for their first win after losing to the Dolphins at home last week. Despite the loss, there actually were a couple of positives that emerged. Testeverdee finally had a good game. His 373 yards passing proved that he might have a little gas left in the old tank after all. The other positive was Santana Moss who had a career game with 5 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile in New England, the Patriots are coming off an impressive outing at Philadelphia where they completely stifled Donavan McNabb and the Eagles offense. It was a tremendous confidence builder for a team trying to put the Milloy fiasco behind them. The Jets have won five in a row at Foxboro dating all the way back to the ’98 season. It’s time for that streak to come to an end. Take the Patriots for $100. Patriots 23 – Jets 13

Pittsburgh Steelers (-4.5) at Cincinnati Bengals (+4.5) So much for all that “Pittsburgh’s finally found a QB they can love� B.S. This team needs to rediscover their running game. They’ve become way too imbalanced for my liking. Cincinnati meanwhile, had the Raiders beat out in Oakland before giving it away at the end. I’m going with the upset here. Take the Bengals for $25. Bengals 26 – Steelers 24

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4) at Atlanta Falcons (+4) Welcome to the PYPER LOCK OF THE WEEK. The Falcons don’t match up well here. Not with Michael Vick in the lineup and certainly not without him. Throw in the fact that they’ll be going up against a very angry Tampa Bay team coming off a surprising overtime loss last week and this has all the makings of a route. I don’t envy Doug Johnson this week. Take the Bucs minus the points for $250. Bucs 27 – Falcons 3

Green Bay Packers (-8) at Arizona Cardinals (+8) Yawn……Will the Cardinals win a game this season? Maybe but not this one. It’s hard to believe that after all these years making the big bucks that Emmit Smith would be so needy for coin that he’d choose to play for the Cardinals. People don’t choose to play for Arizona, they get sentenced there, like criminals in jail. What a sad way to end an otherwise great career. That’s what you get for being a greedy bastaud. Packers 34 – Cardinals 13

New York Giants (+2.5) at Washington Redskins (-2.5) The New York air waves have been full of second guessers this week after the Giants managed to blow a 3 point lead to the Cowboys with 11 seconds remaining on the clock Monday Night. Many people are second guessing Fassel’s decision to not run out the clock before kicking what should have been the winning field goal. Others, such as myself, blame the loss on the decision to squib kick the kickoff. What is the benefit of the squib kick? It would possibly make sense if the clock started running as soon as the kicker kicked the ball. Then the squib kick could be used to help run out the clock. But the clock doesn’t start until someone on the receiving team touches the ball. There was another game last week where a bad squib kick could have cost a team a win. In the Rams/49ers game the 49ers did a squib kick after knotting up the score with seconds remaining. The squib kick accidentally bounced off one of the Rams players and the 49ers luckily recovered it around their own 30 yard line. But what if the Rams had recovered it instead? They would have been in field goal range as a direct result of a squib kick gone bad. They very well could have lost the game right then and there. Squib kicks are like the prevent defense. Neither one of them makes any sense and both can effectively turn wins into losses. Oh yeah, the Giants/Redskins game. I’ve never been convinced that the Giants are for real and last week didn’t do anything to change that. The Redskins still haven’t beaten anybody worthwhile but I like what I’ve seen from them. Ramsey looks good. Coles looks great. Take the Skins for $25. Redskins 26 – Giants 20

Saint Louis Rams (+3) at Seattle Seahawks (-3) This is a huge game in the NFC West. It’s an opportunity for the Seahawks to establish themselves as the team to beat in this division. A win here will send a loud statement throughout the league that the Seahawks are for real. They are for real but I’m guessing this will be the Marshall Faulk show. Take the Rams for $25. Rams 27 – Seahawks 23

Baltimore Ravens (-1) at San Diego Chargers (+1) The Chargers have been my biggest flop so far this season. In my NFL Preview I had this team winning the AFC West and making it all the way to the AFC Championship Game. This team has not looked like a Marty Schottenheimer coached team. They’ve been terrible. If they’re going to turn things around and save their season, then they need to start this week versus the Ravens. I hate saying it but this is a must-win game for the Chargers. It’s time for Jamal Lewis and the rest of the Ravens to come back down to Earth. Give me San Diego for $25 and if they don’t come through for me this week I’m done with them. Chargers 26 – Ravens 16

Cleveland Browns (+7) at San Francisco 49ers (-7) It’s Butch Davis versus the man he replaced at the University of Miami in an epic battle between ex-Hurricanes head coaches. As a Hurricanes fan I liked Butch Davis. Erickson...? Not so much. It’s only a matter of time before Erickson turns this 49ers team into an 8-8 also ran. I’m guessing it’ll be sooner rather than later. Still, they should beat this Cleveland team. Keep your money in your pockets though. 49ers 24 – Browns 19

Buffalo Bills (+3) at Miami Dolphins (-3) I can’t wait to see what happens in this game. Nobody has looked more impressive than the Buffalo Bills. They’ve looked almost unbeatable in routing the Patriots and Jaguars. Last week I made a comment that the Bills were a poorly coached team that will ultimately beat themselves if allowed to do so. What I should have said is that the Bills are a poorly coached team that will ultimately beat themselves in a close game if allowed to do so. Whether it’s punting from their opponents 32 yard line, going for it on 4th and inches with the punting team on the field, or the numerous mental lapses resulting in offsides, encroachment, or neutral zone infractions…..The Bills are guilty. The Dolphins meanwhile have a score to settle after getting swept by the Bills last season. They’re also in danger of falling to 0-2 at home. When is the last time that’s happened? I’m not putting any money on this game because I can see it going both ways. Here’s the prediction though. Dolphins 23 – Bills 17

Oakland Raiders (+5) at Denver Broncos (-5) The Broncos are 2-0 but I’m still not convinced, especially if Plummer’s going to play with a bum shoulder. It appears that age has finally caught up with the Raiders. They should have lost to the Bengals last week but lucked out when Kitna gift-wrapped the game for them. If the Raiders are done then the Broncos will cover, if they’re not then they should win this game. Time will tell. Keep your money in your pockets. Raiders 23 – Broncos 20