1. Will Denver ever lose? If they are going to do it then this is a good place for it to happen – in Baltimore. The Ravens have been impressive in a lot of ways despite their 3-3 record. Really a few breaks either way and these teams could easily have the opposite records. I have a feeling that whichever team wins this one will really have proven something in the process.
2. Can Buffalo keep it going? The Bills have quietly built a two game winning streak, and haven’t looked nearly as bad as you would expect them to based upon their start. Houston can look very good, but we never know if they will or not. This one truly could go in any direction.
3. Can Chicago get their act together? The Bears really aren’t playing well right now. The Browns are the best possible remedy for that. If Chicago doesn’t come out of this game looking like a new team then we have real reason to be concerned.
4. Does Seattle know they have a game this week? The Seahawks can be impressive when they want to be, or they can be worse than terrible. You never know what you’ll have until the game starts. I’m just glad I’m not a fan of the team.
5. Is St. Louis at Detroit going to be the worst game in the history of the league? Very possible.
6. Can Alex Smith maintain momentum? He’s in a tough spot for his first start in a couple years – at Indianapolis. The way he played in the second half against Houston, though, he could beat anyone. He had nice chemistry with Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree, so it will be very interesting to see if that can continue. I’m not convinced that San Francisco can win, but I will be pulling for Smith – he’s one of the best stories to come along in a while.
7. Can Miami pick themselves up off the mat? That was a terrible collapse against the Saints – so bad that it could cause a lot of teams to go into a deep tailspin. Is Miami tougher than that?
8. Can the Giants get their act together? It’s been a quick descent from perhaps the best team in the league to their current, far less impressive place. They have problems, and they find them in a tough spot, but they badly need to stop the bleeding.
9. Does Vince Young have a future? One game won’t tell us if he is ready to be a starter in this league again, but it could give us a hint as to whether he has a future in Tennessee. I don’t believe that he would be starting if the owner hadn’t essentially forced Jeff Fisher to do so, so I don’t think he’s on the most stable of foundations.
10. How long will JaMarcus Russell last this time? He got pulled at halftime last time around because he was so terrible, yet somehow he managed to keep his starting job. He’s in a tough spot if San Diego plays as well as they did last week. Will he make it through the game this time? If (when) he gets pulled will he get yet another undeserved chance?
11. Can Arizona keep rolling? They have been playing exceptionally well lately – especially on defense. Now they face an easier opponent, so it will be interesting to see if they keep up the pressure.
12. What will we talk about once Favre doesn’t have any more games left against Green Bay? This has been the most overdone, over-saturated, painfully ridiculous story in a long time – and that’s really saying something in the NFL.
