Relayed this on Sunday night on NBC: When I was finishing up on the phone with Marvin Lewis the other day, I congratulated him and he said, "We're just trying to get on one of your games.'' An NBC Sunday-nighter, he meant. OK. Weeks 11 through 17 are flex scheduling on NBC. Let's see when you might fit in, coach.

Week 11: at Oakland. No dice.
Week 12: Cleveland. Nope.
Week 13: Detroit. Geez! What is this, the Giants' schedule?
Week 14: at Minnesota. Bingo. Hold on. NBC has dibs on Eagles-Giants that week. Can't see them switching out of two top-10 TV markets for anything.
Week 15: at San Diego. Very interesting. NBC has Vikings-Panthers, which is compelling only because it's Favre.
Week 16: Kansas City. Nah.
Week 17: at the New York Football Jets. Another bingo.

So you see it here first: If the Bengals keep winning, they might invade your TV sets for a Sunday-nighter Dec. 20 in San Diego or Jan. 3 at the frosty Meadowlands. Maybe both.

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Mike McCarthy approaches Aaron Rodgers on the field before the game. Notices drool on the facemask. Asks what's wrong. "Nothing,'' Rodgers says, grinning widely. "You seen the Lions' pass-defense?'' McCarthy nods. League-worst 73.5 percent opponent completion rate. Five games, 15 touchdown passes allowed. Lambeau will be filled with footballs Sunday.

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Neither defensive coordinator goes home happy after this one, but rookie Ravens DC Greg Mattison has to be scratching his head about his guys. For goodness sake, the Seahawks have played stingier defense through five weeks.

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I know the Giants have faced Lafayette, Colgate and Bucknell the past three weeks, but I say this weekend's the coming-out party for their Kenny Phillips-less secondary. It's not just the quality of opposition that's responsible for Jints holding foes to 105 passing yards a week. Drew Brees will discover how good a corner Corey Webster is Sunday. Seems odd to call this an upset, if it happens.

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This is almost unfair. Troy Polamalu is likely to return from his Week 1 knee strain, and the Browns' O is conjuring memories of the Providence Steamroller. He'll make up, in part, for the big loss of defensive end Aaron Smith (rotator cuff surgery). But really, Smith's loss is the kind that will be felt the rest of the year.

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Let's just say I have more faith in Jake Delhomme than everyone in the state of North Carolina does. I think Delhomme will have plenty of time to throw, and he'll riddle the Bucs.

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I detailed the other day how it's Week 6 and the Redskins haven't faced a team with a win yet. (Meaning each team was winless the day they played 'em.) That changes in the next three outings, with Philadelphia, bye, Atlanta and Denver (combined 11-2) upcoming. Bye, however, is winless.

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I hear there are no tickets available. The Jags are tarping all the seats.

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A buddy of mine Tweeted this week and asked if there was any hope for his Raiders. Told him I'd get back to him. Still haven't. I don't know what to say. What's the stage beyond pathetic? The body language of JaMarcus Russell last week at Giants Stadium said to me, I wish I was anywhere but here.

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Surprise! Who'd have thought this would turn into the game of the weekend? Last week, Matt Hasselbeck found some chemistry with T.J. Houshmandzadeh. This week, against Arizona's good corners, I think Hasselbeck makes tight end John Carlson the fantasy pick of the weekend.

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The Titans' plane will be over West Virginia around 11 Sunday night, and Jeff Fisher will be on his third diet Coke, the reality of 0-6 sinking in, and he'll say to himself: Makes no sense to keep head-butting the wall, with the bye coming up and Jacksonville and Buffalo at home in two of the next three. Time to play Vince Young full-time.

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Short week. Home late Tuesday morning from Miami. Bitter loss Monday. Head coach not happy. Borderline miserable, in fact. If you're the Jets' next foe, you know you're in for it. How convenient that it's the Bills showing up at the Meadowlands, playing like refugees from Noah's Ark.

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Upset special. Head says Falcons. Heart says the rested Bears, with Jay Cutler and Devin Hester making three or four big-gainers on the Georgia Dome rug.

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It's amazing to make this point in the third week of October: The Broncos will take such a commanding lead in the division that they'd all but wrap up the AFC West with a win Monday night at Qualcomm. That would give the Broncs a 3.5-game lead (four-, in effect, with the tiebreaker head-to-head edge) over San Diego, with games against Washington, Kansas City, Oakland and Kansas City remaining. But I'm picking San Diego because of the desperation factor -- and because of Philip Rivers' deep arm.

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