There weren't really too many upsets last week, beyond the Packers losing at home. A loss for the Cowboys may have deflated the energy for this week's big game though, the one that everyone will be watching at 4:15 PM EST: the Dallas Cowboys vs. the New England Patriots. That highlights this week's games, but there's still plenty of action besides that. So, let's get right into this week's games of the week...

SUPER BOWL PREVIEW

New England Patriots vs. Dallas Cowboys. I may have my arguments that it could be the Colts representing the AFC in the Super Bowl again, but this contest is a definite possibility for the Super Bowl in February. The Patriots have ripped apart every team this year -- not just by a little, but by a lot. Tom Brady is on pace to break Peyton Manning's single-season touchdown record. The Patriots have effectively run the ball without Laurence Maroney, while the defense has been in tip-top shape. Even Junior Seau awoke with two interceptions last week, and Rodney Harrison returned in a tune-up for this week's big game.

On the other hand, the Dallas Cowboys have some magic of their own surrounding Tony Romo. Last week's scare against the Bills should be disregarded, considering the Cowboys looked almost as good as the Patriots did throughout the first four weeks. The difference between these teams is that the Patriots are used to methodically taking the ball down the field, while Dallas has relied more so on gunning it. The Cowboys will adjust their offense accordingly on the road, and that could all for some minor complications that allow the Patriots to take advantage. Unlike the Bills, the Patriots won't collapse once they are on top. Patriots 27, Cowboys 24

COMPETING FOR SECOND TO COWBOYS

Washington Redskins vs. Green Bay Packers. Through the first five weeks of the season, the Redskins and the Packers look like the second- and third-best teams in the NFC. After this week's battle, it may be clear who the next best team is behind the Cowboys. In the Redskins' case, a win could actually put them in position to take over the first spot in due time. Washington is only focused on winning this week though, building off of their momentum from a week ago. Jason Campbell showed again how effective he can be a game manager, while the defense stunned the Lions' top-ranked offense.

The buzz may have died down for Green Bay after their loss, but by no means are they going to start backing down. The defense is still running strong, and Mike McCarthy will hopefully have learned from sticking with the running game too long last week. Being at home hasn't been a strong advantage for the Packers in recent years, and it's time that Brett Favre and the rest of the team changes that. Packers 20, Redskins 17

STOPPING THE YOUNG ONES

Tennessee Titans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Vince Young has led the Titans to a nice 3-1 start, but there's still that feeling that Tennessee has yet to reach full stride. Jeff Fisher never has his club out of a game, but he'll have his hands full against the Buccaneers' defense on the road. Tampa Bay is used to facing fast quarterbacks from their games against Michael Vick, which could prove to be extremely valuable against Young.

The Buccaneers' concern offensively is becoming too one-dimensional. Jeff Garcia has been very efficient this year, but without Cadillac Williams running the ball, the ground game isn't as deep. Tennessee's defense hasn't allowed anyone to pick them apart, meaning the Buccaneers will have to play crisp throughout. If they let their guard down, Young can capitalize. Buccaneers 23, Titans 17

AN OLD "TEST" FOR WARNER

Carolina Panthers vs. Arizona Cardinals. Who is up for a classic battle between two veteran quarterbacks: Vinny Testaverde and Kurt Warner? The difference between them is that while Warner is in the middle of a red-hot offensive situation in Arizona, Testaverde was just signed during the week to play for a Panthers offense that is hoping for luck to be in their favor.

The Cardinals are becoming a contending team due to improving all around, but more so due to their running game of all things. After being ranked as the worst running team in football for many years and not having a No. 1 running back, Edgerrin James is the fourth leading rusher in football this year. The Panthers have had success with DeShaun Foster, but if the quarterbacks can't get the ball to Steve Smith, Carolina's going to be relying on their defense too often to make something happen. Cardinals 21, Panthers 10

REST OF THE WEEK

St. Louis Rams vs. Baltimore Ravens. Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson are out again this week, and that won't help the Rams' chances of getting on the winning side of things. Gus Frerotte and Brian Leonard may have contributed to the team's best offensive showing of the season last week, but they are no match on the road against the Ravens' defense. With the Rams' defense being sluggish, this may actually be an opportunity for Steve McNair to match the running game's solid production with a score through the air. Ravens 14, Rams 7

Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears. After beating the Packers on the road last week, the Bears breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they can take advantage in another division game this week. Brian Griese picked the right time to regain some composure as a quarterback last week, because with the Bears' running game performing poorly this year, the last thing he would've wanted is to be rusty against Minnesota's top-ranked run defense. The only way the Bears can lose this game is if the offense turns it over several times, because the Tarvaris Jackson isn't going to do anything without a receiver to speak of on offense. Much like the Chargers broke out last week, the Bears could do the same this week. Bears 28, Vikings 10

Miami Dolphins vs. Cleveland Browns. As soon as the Dolphins start getting some help back defensively, the offense takes a step back with the concussion suffered by Trent Green. Cleo Lemon will get the start this week against a Browns secondary that has individually been playing better as of late. The biggest matchup the Dolphins will try and exploit will be the Browns' run defense with Ronnie Brown, who is among the league leaders on the ground. The Browns may be without Jamal Lewis, but besides being able to run on the ground, Derek Anderson has the playmakers to beat Miami through the air. Browns 31, Dolphins 17

Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars. The return of Ahman Green calls to be a huge boost for the Texans' running game, which hasn't been very productive without him. Running the ball consistently won't be very doable though against a Jaguars defense that completely shut down Larry Johnson last week. Each team has found success in the receiving game with former Cleveland Browns, Andre Davis and Dennis Northcutt. Davis has taken advantage of Andre Johnson's injury while Northcutt has taken advantage of guys like Matt Jones not making an impact. Both teams are evenly matches, so I'm inclined to give Jacksonville the edge at home. Jaguars 24, Texans 20

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Kansas City Chiefs. At 1-3, the Bengals need to shake off everything that happened prior to the bye week to end their current three-game losing streak. Rudi Johnson practiced near the end of the week and may be ready to play for Cincinnati, providing more of a complete lift to the team's offensive approach. The Chiefs are back in an offensive muck after two straight victories, losing to the Jaguars last week. Larry Johnson may be in for a big day versus the Bengals' porous defense, but you can't imagine Kansas City would move the ball well enough to counteract Cincinnati's attack. Bengals 26, Chiefs 16

Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Jets. There's nothing more exciting than seeing two playoff teams from a year ago struggle so much this year, right? The Eagles predicament is less explainable than the Jets, although they have been prone to getting off to poor starts. The critics have started complaining about Chad Pennington's lack of throwing power again, but isn't that nothing more than an excuse for the rest of the team? The Jets secondary isn't getting it done, their running game can't get established, and in turn, Pennington has been blamed without valid reasoning. The Jets will bring their "A" game this week, but the Eagles know it's time to get back on track with Brian Westbrook returning. Eagles 34, Jets 21

Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers. Would some people argue that the Raiders should be favored in this game after playing well in every game and technically being the leaders of the AFC West? Not a chance. The Raiders are a better overall team, but if the Chargers truly are back to playing to their potential, the Raiders won't have a chance. Oakland's most effective gameplan is running the ball, something that the Chargers' defense will be keyed in on from the start. Chargers 35, Raiders 14

New Orleans Saints vs. Seattle Seahawks. When this game was booked for Madden & Michaels to call, I'm sure NBC didn't expect the Saints to be 0-4 and the Seahawks to be coming off of a 21-0 loss to the Steelers. Thank goodness for flex scheduling later in the season. The Saints are a complete mess that's not worth explaining week after week. Seattle's letdown last week was actually quite surprising, and something that they should be able to rectify to stay in the race for the NFC West title. Seahawks 28, Broncos 17

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

New York Giants vs. Atlanta Falcons. Much like NBC expected a better Sunday night game, ESPN probably hoped Michael Vick would be showcased here. Instead, they get Joey Harrington and a Falcons' offense that can't run the football. The Giants welcomed the return of Brandon Jacobs last week, preventing a letdown after a relatively poor first half against the Jets. Eli Manning has shown the poise to lead the Giants to success, while Plaxico Burress has been equally as impressive for the Giants as Randy Moss has been for the Patriots. The Giants' defensive ends will feast on Harrington. Giants 24, Falcons 14

SURVIVOR PICK

After ending my survivor streak two weeks ago, I got back on the right track by taking the Cardinals over the Rams last week. Frerotte gave me a scare, but his costly interceptions prevented me from losing two in a row. This week, I'm taking the Cleveland Browns over the Miami Dolphins. I never have much faith in backup quarterbacks in their first starts, and Cleo Lemon isn't going to change that this week (although it should be noted, when I had the same philosophy with Trent Edwards two weeks ago, I lost).

STATISTICS

Predictions Record to Date: 50-26 (It seems like I'm quickly approaching 100 wins.)
Last Week: 11-3 (Ten win weeks will be tougher now that byes only allow for 13 games starting this week.)
Survivor Streak: Won 1 (Min over Atl, Den over Oak, Car over Atl, [NYJ over Buf], and Ari over StL.)

After this week, we'll have our taste of who is better between the Cowboys and the Patriots. After both teams have been so dominant, it'd be a relief to see a down-to-the-wire game involving New England for a change.