Cowboys out to see another "0" bite the dust

COWBOYS (+5) over Patriots

Apparently, New England's 5-0 is worth 5 points more than Dallas' 5-0. Why? The Patriots have blitzed their opponents by an average of 23-plus points per game, while the Cowboys were last seen escaping Buffalo Monday night, 25-24. The public pays attention to those things, and that's why the spread is 5. Neither team has really been challenged with a tough schedule. The Pats' five foes have a combined record of 7-17, while the 'Boys have built their 5-0 on the backs of teams with a 6-19 mark. So why make the Cowboys a best bet? They understand and thrive on a big stage. Last season, Indianapolis came strutting into Texas Stadium with a gorgeous 9-0 record, and left with a 21-14 black eye. Playin' big in big games. Nice! Finally, Wade Phillips coached Buffalo in 2000 and went mano-a-mano with Bill Belichick twice, and each game ended with a three-point margin.

Giants (-3) over FALCONS

Everyone saw what Osi Umenyiora did to Winston Justice and the Eagles 2 weeks ago (six sacks), and Osi is licking his chops for this matchup because he'll be toying with another youngster. Atlanta lost veteran left tackle Mike Gandy for the season with a torn ACL, and the Falcons will insert undrafted rookie, Renardo Foster. Big trouble! The Falcs already have another rookie (Justin Blalock) on the offensive line, as well as second-year man Tyson Clabo. Bigger trouble! Last season, the New Yorkers came down to Atlanta and sacked Michael Vick seven times, and that was a lightning-quick Michael Vick. Now the Falcons will use a combo of Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich. We'll make the over/under on total sacks 8. One last stat you might enjoy: The visiting team in this matchup is working on an 11-0 run!

Eagles (-3) over JETS

An odd quirk in the schedule brings Philly back to Giants Stadium for the second straight game, and it can't get any uglier than the last one, can it? No, for two reasons. The Eagles are 8-0 coming off a bye week under Andy Reid, and own a 7-0 lifetime mark against the Jets. Obviously, Brian Westbrook's health is a huge key. If he's full steam, we would bump this up to a Best Bet. If not, downgrade it to an If You Must.

Vikings (+5) over BEARS