Visiting teams should dominate in Week 7

Toughest game to pick this year. I mean it. You know what helped me make my final decision? After watching Cris Carter interview Mike Vick on HBO, I figured that Vick is frustrated and unhappy with the direction of the offense. That uncertainty can't help the Falcons against a pressure defense like Pittsburgh's.

The Patriots are rested, coming off a bye, and Tom Brady has had more time to bond with Doug Gabriel. The Bills are slumping badly, coming off losses at Chicago and Detroit. Not a good time for Buffalo to welcome New England to Orchard Park.

"I really think Steve Smith is back, all the way," Jake Delhomme told me the other day. "He's not thinking about his legs anymore. He's just running.'' Bad news for the Bengals. By the way, when will Chad Johnson be his 2004 and 2005 self again? The leaves have turned and he has one touchdown.

Could I actually pick every road team to win this week? Could I?

I really could. Look at these games. It's not like I'm picking upsets. The only threat here is that Herman Edwards usually has good luck going against the Chargers. And Larry Johnson is bound and determined to show he's still a great player.

One more for the road, Jasper. And you ask: Why am I forecasting such a tough game for Philly? Simple. Last week's Bucs win was no fluke. Bruce Gradkowski is competent and unafraid, and the Tampa defense is coming alive.

In a game that sets offensive football back to the Nitschke days, I have a feeling about Marcus Vick. Don't know why exactly, other than Nick Saban saw something in him in training camp, kept him on the practice squad, and activated him the other day to give Wes Welker some relief in the return game and at receiver. Assuming Vick will be active for the game, he'll boost Miami's special teams.

I can't think of a game that screams "Rake the lawn this afternoon" more than this one. But since they're going to play it, look for Chad Pennington to throw for a touchdown, and for the Jets' Brad Smith to invent one on his own. Haven't seen much of Smith, the former Missouri quarterback, yet? Well, in two years you'll be saying he's every bit a factor in a game as Antwaan Randle El ever was.

This is an incredible streak the Broncos have going. Think of it: This is the Broncos' sixth game. I'm forecasting that they'll hold the Browns to two field goals. If my horrendous track record of forecasting somehow holds true, that means the Broncos will have surrendered one offensive touchdown in six games. This team should be praised. The 11 defensive starters should be on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

After the game (and I use the term "game" loosely), Joe Gibbs sidles up to Al Saunders in a crestfallen Washington locker room and says: "I think it's time to go with the kid." That's right. The kid -- Jason Campbell. Time for Saunders and Campbell to go deep into the new playbook and make him the really good player he can be.

Cris Collinsworth made this point in our HBO meeting Wednesday, and I'm stealing it. Have you watched the Cardinals at all this year? If so, particularly in the Monday night debacle, you saw a young cornerback for the Cards named Eric Green catapult to stardom. The one trait I saw in Green the other night was how physically unafraid he is. He's like Bill Romanowski playing corner. I hope he can last. He's so fun to watch.

Just a hunch, but I don't think Mike Holmgren will be olive-branching rookie Vikes coach Brad Childress much before the game. The Seahawks are still bitter, and I use that word with precision, over Minnesota putting a poison-pill in the Steve Hutchinson offer sheet. That language made it prohibitive and, as it turns out, impossible, for Seattle to match the Hutchinson offer from the Vikings last winter.

I love this game. Just love it. And there's a good chance I'll look foolish for writing what I think could happen here. But I see the Giants' front seven attacking and puncturing the Dallas pocket in the first half, chasing down Drew Bledsoe. I see Tony Romo coming in during the second half -- much to the chagrin of Joe Theismann, who immediately pronounces it a horrible mistake for Bill Parcells to ever think of benching Bledsoe for some kid who has never thrown in a game that counts since playing at Eastern Illinois -- and rallying the troops to victory. A star is born.