These will be brief since I just got off a plane to NY and have to catch up on some other stuff.
Rashard Mendenhall just finished off the Broncos as I type this - so much for the Monday night home dog. Carolina made the mistake of playing with a lead Sunday. They needed to come out in the second half and forget the score, but they ran on running downs and were helpless on passing ones. The Saints are beatable, but they're not going to give it away. A team has to take it, and Carolina instead tried to run out the clock with 30 minutes left. Giants defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan has not gotten the unit to play together, and his defense has been unable to pressure the quarterback sufficiently despite having top shelf individual talent. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has underused Brandon Jacobs, and the offensive line hasn't protected Eli consistently. It's going to take more than demoting safety C.C Brown for the Giants to regroup after the bye. The Titans rolled over Jacksonville and then won in San Francisco. This is still a tough team, and while Cortland Finnegan's return is part of the story, it's not the whole thing. The team as a whole is getting pressure on the passer, and VInce Young isn't making a lot of mistakes. Chris Johnson is a top-five back both in real life and fantasy and is not terribly affected by which quarterback is taking the snaps. Sean Payton can do what he likes with his running backs - after all he's undefeated, and that will determine Pierre Thomas' fantasy value. But Thomas is a top-10 real life back - he's powerful, elusive, hits the hole decisively and dangerous as a receiver out of the backfield. Losing against the spread with the Jaguars and Lions were actual bad beats as they meet the two-prong test: (1) Improbable losses, and (2) the right sides, i.e., if you backed them you deserved to win. If you were on the losing end like I was, try to let it go and realize it's going as a deposit on your karmic balance sheet. It might not show up on your statement this season, but maybe the next time you have dental work it won't hurt as much. The Bears and Packers are in more trouble than the GIants. Tampa's win over Green Bay is yet another indicator that this year's doormats aren't somehow historically bad as many have alleged, and you need to make your survivor picks with proper care. 
