Optimism

As Ira Miller noted, we care. And that's why last week was so painful. Even at 2-5, the Raiders were better this year. At 2-6 after making Ron Dayne look 21 again and with Kiffin fishing Tim Dwight out of retirement to return kicks, to give us a deep threat, and maybe to line up at RB once the crash test dummy goes down, optimism is waning.

But that is going to change - as long as we don't read the schedule too closely - this week in a soggy Coliseum! Mistakes will go down (seems to be the only way they can go), and Gerard Warren will make enough of an impact to keep Cedric Benson from moving out of the last place yards-per-carry position Ron Dayne bumped him into last week. The Raiders' running game will thrive in the mud, and it all adds up to a 27-19 Raider victory.

I have an unhealthy level of fantasy interest in Monday night's 49ers-Seahawks game. The 49ers have looked like a mess ever since Mike Nolan set up an anonymous ideas box and started asking for offensive Hints from Heloise. In theory this could turn out to be a better game than advertised, but the Seahawks are well ahead of the 49ers in terms of adapting to a major letdown from their franchise player, so they will win 24-14.

As for Steelers-Browns, perhaps this will develop into the great rust belt rivalry it once was. Wait, that was the Steelers and the Ravens. But they were called the Browns. At any rate, this game will surely feature the fewest helmet logos in the league. Each offense is good enough to win a shootout, but only one defense is good enough to make a shootout unlikely. Steelers win, 34-24.

And finally, in my for-amusement-purposes-only fantasy league, 6-3 Ain't Skeered will take it to 6-3 Bubba Malaysia 119-104.