If I had the time (or the motivation), I would love to look into the archives and discover when the last time every team from one conference had at least two losses after six weeks of football.

That’s the current situation in the NFC. Unreal. You’ve got to love the NFL. The race in the NFC is WIDE OPEN; it’s not completely unrealistic that the defending Super Bowl champions miss out on the playoffs.

Seems like a decent enough segue into my Week 7 picks:

CLEVELAND AT NEW ORLEANS: Last week, the Saints channeled their frustration from an embarrassing Week 5 loss to the Cardinals and took it out on the Bucs. New Orleans has a date with Pittsburgh in Week 8 before heading into a bye. So, to many, the Cleveland Browns might appear to be the perfect trap game. But I think the champs learned their lesson against the Cards. This one shouldn’t be close. PICK: SAINTS

JACKSONVILLE AT KANSAS CITY:  The Chiefs blew a great opportunity to beat the Texans last week. The good news for them is that no other team in the AFC West was victorious, so the Chiefs still have a two-game lead in the division. Jacksonville is having quarterback issues, so I think KC will win a close one. PICK: CHIEFS

WASHINGTON AT CHICAGO:  Both teams coming off three-point losses. I’m not sold on the Bears. The only good team they have beaten thus far is the Packers, and it was on a Monday night that Green Bay set a franchise record in penalties committed. The other three Ws for Chicago came against Detroit, Dallas and Carolina. PICK: REDSKINS

PITTSBURGH AT MIAMI: Very interesting matchup. The Steelers have a tough stretch coming up: at New Orleans, at Cincinnati and then home against New England. Pittsburgh is one of three teams in the league with only one loss, along with the Jets and Pats. That changes this week. PICK: DOLPHINS

CINCINNATI AT ATLANTA: The Bengals baffle me. They beat the Ravens in Week 2 then dropped two of their next three games, falling to Cleveland and Tampa Bay. Strange. Their unpredictable nature makes me nervous picking against them in a game where they appear to be the clear underdogs. But Atlanta is coming off a setback against the Eagles, so I think they’ll have a chip on their shoulders. PICK: FALCONS

ST. LOUIS AT TAMPA BAY: It’s crazy to say, but this game may actually turn out to have playoff implications come the end of the season. The Rams haven’t won a game on the road, but they’re coming off a huge upset over the Chargers. It’d be crazy to pick against them after such a big win, right? PICK: BUCCANEERS

BUFFALO AT BALTIMORE:  The Bills are certainly due. I think they’ll break the ice in the next few weeks because they’ve got Kansas City, Chicago and Detroit on deck, but there’s no chance in hell they beat a pissed-off Ravens club. PICK: RAVENS

SAN  FRANCISCO AT CAROLINA: Good opportunity for the Panthers to pick up their first victory at home against a one-win Niners team. Won’t happen though. PICK: 49ERS

PHILADELPHIA AT TENNESEE: This is a tough one to pick. The Titans are brimming with confidence after an impressive performance in front of a national audience. Last week, I predicted a quarterback controversy in Philly. Kevin Kolb was dynamite last week, so the only way a QB debate starts brewing is if he has an off week. The Eagles have a bye week, and then face the Colts in Week 9. The Titans beat the Eagles, and the media storm kicks off in Philly for two weeks. Who starts against Indy? Kolb or Vick? PICK: TITANS

ARIZONA AT SEATTLE: A battle for first place in the NFC West. PICK: SEAHAWKS

OAKLAND AT DENVER: The Broncos were a pass-interference non-call away from beating the mighty Jets. The Broncos have four losses, but those setbacks came against the Jaguars, Colts, Ravens and Jets. PICK: BRONCOS

PATRIOTS AT CHARGERS: I heard an alarming statistic last night. The 2-4 Chargers have the top-ranked offense AND defense in the NFL. Are you kidding me? What was it that Bill Belichick said during a press conference last year? “Stats are for losers. The final score is for winners.” As a Pats fan, this game scares the bejesus out of me. New England has struggled at San Diego in the past, and things just seem to be a bit too peachy for comfort. Riding high off victories over the Ravens and Dolphins, and then you’ve got Favre and Moss coming to town on Halloween. Looks like a trap game to me. PICK: CHARGERS

VIKINGS AT GREEN BAY: The Packers have lost three of their last four games by a combined total of nine points, including two consecutive failures in overtime. Great teams learn how to win the close contests, and the Packers haven’t proven that yet. With that being said, I think a win over Favre at Lambeau will give them a confidence boost. Plus, they’re playing at the Jets next week. At 3-3, the Packers really can’t afford to lose to Minnesota. PICK: PACKERS

N.Y. GIANTS AT DALLAS: I’m looking over my picks so far and I’ve only picked two road teams to prevail. That’s not good. I’ve been going back and forth on this game all week because the Cowboys are going to be desperate but, at the same time, the Giants are a much better, more disciplined football team. For lack of a better method, I’ll pick another road team since I’ve been one-sided so far. PICK: GIANTS

Last week: 12-2

Season record: 55-35

Let’s waste no time. Week 6 picks:

ATLANTA AT PHILADELPHIA: A good matchup between two playoff-caliber teams. The Falcons haven’t lost since Week 1, and Philly is 0-2 at home this season. Sounds like a recipe for a Falcons victory, does it not? But I’m going the other way. I think Kevin Kolb impresses in his second straight start and ignites a quarterback controversy in the City of Brotherly Love. PICK: EAGLES

KANSAS CITY AT HOUSTON: Ah, it would’ve been oh-so gratifying to see the undefeated Chiefs drop the Colts to a sub-.500 record. Oh, well. The Texans really screwed the pooch at home against the G-Men, who exposed how vulnerable Houston’s defense really is. I was impressed with the Chiefs’ defense last week, but I don’t think Matt Cassel and the offense has enough manpower to out-sling Matt Schaub. PICK: TEXANS

NEW ORLEANS AT TAMBA BAY: If you picked the Cardinals to beat the Saints last week, say “I.” Well, I think you’re lying. The defending Super Bowl champs are a loss away from being two games out of first place in the NFC South. Not a “must win” for New Orleans, but pretty close. You don’t want to be looking up at two teams in your division as November approaches. PICK: SAINTS

MIAMI AT GREEN BAY: We’re going to learn a lot about these two teams on Sunday. The Packers haven’t looked good the last three weeks, dropping both of their road games and barely squeaking by the Lions at home. The Dolphins got their clocks cleaned on Monday Night Football on Oct. 4, and they’ve had two long weeks to mull it over. Aaron Rodgers has been cleared to play, which is good news for Packers fans, but I think a well-rested Miami team pulls it out. PICK: DOLPHINS

SAN DIEGO AT ST. LOUIS:  If an 8-8 team ends up winning AFC West again - and the Patriots are left out of the postseason with a 10- or 11- win season like in 2008, I’ll be rooting for a lockout in 2011! OK, I don’t mean that. But my point is that the AFC West is weak. The Chargers are 0-3 on the road. Something’s got to give. PICK: CHARGERS

BALTIMORE AT NEW ENGLAND: Right now, the Ravens and the Jets are the two toughest teams in the AFC. But I like the Patriots coming off a bye, especially with a chip on their shoulder from last year’s humiliating playoff loss to Baltimore. PICK: PATS

DETROIT AT N.Y. GIANTS: The Lions got off the snide last week, leaving the Panthers, Bills and 49ers as the only winless teams in football. But the Giants should win with ease this week. PICK: GIANTS

CLEVELAND AT PITTSBURGH: Barstool Ben returns to the Steelers this week. Pittsburgh’s defense is so good that it really doesn’t matter who plays QB against the lowly Browns. PICK: STEELERS

SEATTLE AT CHICAGO: Seahawks have struggled on the road. PICK: BEARS

NEW YORK JETS AT DENVER: With all the mania surrounding Randy Moss and Brett Favre last week, the Jets were sort of the forgotten team on Monday night. As much as I hate seeing the Jets win, I was impressed. I still think their lack of discipline will catch up to them down the stretch. New York is behind only the Titans, Raiders and Lions for most flags this season. That being said … PICK: JETS

OAKLAND AT SANFRANCISCO: Quarterback Alex Smith showed some mettle last week against the Eagles. Imagine walking off the field while the entire stadium, filled with “your fans,” is calling for our replacement, who in this case was backup QB David Carr. Smith goes back into the huddle and marches his team right down the field for a touchdown. It ultimately ended up in another loss for San Fran, but that resiliency was something to see. Maybe the 49ers fans should openly root against him for the rest of the season. It could help. PICK: 49ERS

DALLAS AT MINNESOTA: Favre looked like garbage on Monday night. Sure, he was slinging it when his team was behind, but I think the Jets’ D had softened up a bit. And once the defense got tighter? A pick-6 to ice the win for New York. This is a must win for both of these teams who are looking to avoid a 1-4 start. PICK: VIKINGS

INDIANAPOLIS AT WASHINGTON: The Colts have something to prove. Plus, they need to keep pace in an ultra-competitive AFC South. PICK: COLTS

TENNESSEE AT JACKSONVILLE: All four teams in the AFC South enter Week 6 at 3-2. The Jags are the weakest of the bunch. PICK: TITANS

Last week: 7-7

Season record: 43-33

It’s well past 3 a.m. on Sunday morning, and I’m just getting home from tonight’s Sox-Yankees game at Fenway. Only Boston and New York would play more than eight hours of baseball in one day. Two extra-inning games in a doubleheader, and they’re right back at it at 1:30 p.m. later today. Potentially, these teams will have about 11-12 hours of baseball played in a 24-hour span. Unreal.

Great win by the Sox in the nightcap. They may be out of the playoff picture, but when a team full of minor-league transplants prevents the defending world champs from taking control of the AL East, it’s a good night at the ballpark. Terry Francona deserves the AL Manager of the Year award. I don’t care that Boston isn’t going to the playoffs; he’s coached a team full of nobodies to 88 (or 89) victories. It’s remarkable. Just imagine what Boston would have done with Ellsbury, Pedroia and Youkilis in its lineup the entire season?  Or if Papelbon, Beckett or Lackey decided to earn their paychecks?

Also, I thought it was interesting to see “Thank You Mike” plastered on the Green Monster. I love Mike Lowell. He was the source of a lot of great memories here in Boston, most notably a World Series MVP performance in 2007. BUT… it seems a little odd for the Sox to honor him in such a blatant manner, just a few months after they relentlessly tried to trade him. Maybe it should have read “Thank You Mike For Not Being Mad at Us After We Treated You Like an Old Piece of Furniture We Couldn’t Get Rid of at a Tag Sale.”

So, here’s hoping the Sox snag the last game of the regular season and the Yanks have to open the playoffs at Minnesota. Although, I should mention that the Yanks can beat Boston and still finish second in the division if Tampa beats Kansas City.

By the way, my favorite moment of the game (by far) came in the fourth inning when Daniel Nava took home while A.J. Burnett was arguing with the first-base umpire. Epic fail by the Yankees. Talk about undisciplined baseball. No excuse for a mistake like that in Babe Ruth League, let alone the Majors. Couldn’t have been more thrilling to see it happen to the Yanks.

Enough about baseball.

WEEK 4 NFL PREDICTIONS

Some exciting storylines this weekend. Donovan McNabb returns to Philly, the Bears have a chance to remain undefeated by handing the Giants their third loss of the season, and two big divisional matchups with Pittsburgh-Baltimore and New England-Miami. I hate – absolutely HATE – picking against the Patriots, but I don’t have enough confidence in their defensive unit playing against a pretty solid Dolphins team on the road. I hope they prove me wrong.

SAN FRANCISCO AT ATLANTA: Pick – Falcons

CINCINNATI AT CLEVELAND: Pick – Browns

NEW YORK JETS AT BUFFALO: Pick – Jets

SEATTLE AT ST. LOUIS: Pick – Seahawks

DENVER AT TENNESEE: Pick – Titans

DETROIT AT GREEN BAY: Pick – Packers

BALTIMORE AT PITTSBURGH: Pick – Steelers

CAROLINA AT NEW ORLEANS: Pick – Saints

INDIANAPOLIS AT JACKSONVILLE: Pick – Colts

HOUSTON AT OAKLAND: Pick – Texans

WASHINGTON AT PHILADELPHIA: Pick – Eagles

ARIZONA AT SAN DIEGO: Pick – Chargers

CHICAGO AT NEW YORK GIANTS: Pick – Giants

NEW ENGLAND AT MIAMI: Pick - Dolphins

Last week: 8-8

Season Record: 27-21

WEEK 3 PREDICTIONS

BUFFALO AT NEW ENGLAND:  Tough loss to swallow last week for Patriots fans. Thank goodness the Bills are coming to town. I look at it this way: Imagine you’re at the batting cages, and you think you can handle the fast-speed pitches. You struggle to make decent contact, fall out of rhythm and by the end you’re missing with some ugly swings. Your self-esteem is shot, so what do you do? Build your confidence in the slow-pitch softball cage. Also known as…the Bills. PICK: PATRIOTS

SAN FRANCISCO AT KANSAS CITY: Last Monday night against the Saints, the 49ers played like the team most people expected them to be. Now, they’re heading to Kansas City, where Chiefs fans will be pretty excited about their team’s 2-0 record (First place in the AFC West, by the way). The Niners have dates with the Falcons and Eagles following this week, so dropping one to KC could put them in a bad spot. PICK: 49ERS

ATLANTA FALCONS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: This might be the game of the week. Both defenses will be challenged. It could come down to who has the ball at the end. PICK: FALCONS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: Two teams I did not expect to be undefeated going into Week 3. I’d be crazy not to pick the Steelers, right? Even with Charlie Batch as their starting QB, it’s hard to imagine the Steelers’ defense allowing much against Tampa. Logic says pick the Steelers. In the NFL, logic doesn’t always prevail. PICK: BUCCANEERS

TENNESSEE AT NEW YORK GIANTS: Two 1-1 teams trying to find their identities. PICK: TITANS

DETROIT AT MINNESOTA: Batting cage metaphor applies here for Minnesota. PICK: VIKINGS

CLEVELAND AT BALTIMORE: The AFC North could shape up to be quite a slugfest, with the Browns excluded of course. PICK: RAVENS

CINNCINNATI AT CAROLINA: Running back Cedric Benson recently vented his frustrations about the Bengals’ offense lacking an identity. I don’t get it. His team just notched a huge victory over a division rival, and he has the gall to complain. I don’t know why it surprises me still when some players act like self-centered morons. Regardless, Cincy will beat the Panthers. PICK: BENGALS

DALLAS AT HOUSTON: Jerry Jones’ boys are on the brink of 0-3. I love it. How ‘bout them Texans!? PICK: TEXANS

WASHINGTON AT ST.LOUIS: The Redskins really screwed the pooch last week against the Texans. They need to beat the Rams because they’ve got the Eagles (McNabb returns to Philly), Packers and Colts on deck. PICK: REDSKINS

PHILADELPHIA AT JACKSONVILLE: This was the toughest game to pick this week. When in doubt, go with the home team. PICK: JAGUARS

I’ve got to make it to a wedding and I’m running late, so here are some rapid-fire picks

SAN DIEGO AT SEATTLE- PICK: CHARGERS

OAKLAND AT ARIZONA- PICK: RAIDERS

INDIANAPOLIS AT DENVER- PICK: BRONCOS

NEW YORK JETS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS- PICK: JETS

GREEN BAY AT CHICAGO- If Falcons-Saints is Game of the Week 1, this is Game of the Week 1A. PICK: BEARS

Last week's record: 10-6

Season record: 19-13

Week 2, here we go. Patriots at Jets. Can’t wait.

Surprise of last week: I went to bed after the Jets-Ravens game, so the last thing I expected to wake up to Tuesday morning was news of a Chiefs victory over the Chargers.

I’d love to see the former Patriot faction of Cassel, Crennel, Weis and Pioli win the AFC West. You never know. A team floating around .500 could take that division. It’s happened before; When Cassel led the Brady-less Patriots to a 11-5 record in 2008, they missed the playoffs while the division-winning Chargers punched their ticket with an 8-8 record.  Blasphemy.

On to this week’s picks…

NEW ENGLAND AT NEW YORK JETS: There are lots of people overreacting after Week 1 of the season, per usual. But can we consider the fact that maybe the Jets’ offense isn’t that bad, but perhaps the Ravens’ defense is that good. That being said, it still made for some great material. Regarding the recent allegations against Jets players, who were accused of sexually harassing a female reporter, comedian Bill Maher , on his HBO show Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday, said something along the lines of: “If we learned anything from last week’s game, the Jets are incapable of being offensive.”

This will be a competitive game. Against a solid Jets defense, I don’t expect the Pats’ offense to run wild like it did last week over the Bengals. But I still like the Pats. My prediction is that the Jets will turn the ball over on a potential go-ahead drive late in the fourth quarter. PICK: PATRIOTS

KANSAS CITY AT CLEVELAND: Browns may start backup Seneca Wallace to replace injured-starter Jake Delhomme. PICK: CHIEFS

BUFFALO AT GREEN BAY: Don’t hurt yourself trying to think too much about this one. PICK: PACKERS

BALTIMORE AT CINNCINNATI: The Ravens’ looked superb while playing in a hostile environment at the New Meadowlands. I wonder how much T.O. and Ochocinco will get along when the Bengals are 0-2? PICK: RAVENS

PITTSBURGH AT TENNESSEE: The Steelers showed some character last week, beating a good Falcons squad. The Titans romped the Raiders, so you can’t really judge them quite yet. This week will reveal more about what Jeff Fisher’s boys are made of. Should be a great game. PICK: TITANS

PHILADELPHIA AT DETROIT: Detroit is favored in this game. Wow. Lions fans should rejoice in that fact alone. PICK: EAGLES

CHICAGO AT DALLAS: As much as I would revel in the Cowboys (a so-called Super Bowl contender) starting the season 0-2, I don’t think it will happen. PICK: COWBOYS

TAMPA BAY AT CAROLINA: Who cares? PICK: PANTHERS

ARIZONA AT ATLANTA: The Falcons are looking to rebound from a tough overtime loss at Pittsburgh. The Cardinals beat a team with a rookie quarterback (although I picked Bradford and the Rams). Shouldn’t be close. PICK: FALCONS

MIAMI AT MINNESOTA: Upset of the week. PICK: DOLPHINS

ST. LOUIS AT OAKLAND: PICK: RAIDERS

SEATTLE AT DENVER: The Seahawks surprised a lot of people (including me) by rolling over the 49ers, who were, by many people (including me), the preseason favorite to win the NFC West. They’ll have to surprise me again. PICK: BRONCOS

HOUSTON AT WASHINGTON: Big wins for both clubs last week. It seems like everyone is riding the Texans train following their impressive victory over the Colts, but I like the Redskins’ chances in front of their home crowd. I’ll learn quickly this season if I should let home-field advantage affect my predictions. PICK: REDSKINS

JACKSONVILLE AT SAN DIEGO: The Bolts will get back on track. PICK: CHARGERS

NEW YORK GIANTS AT INDIANAPOLIS: It’s nice to approach a Sunday knowing, for sure, that at least one of the Manning brothers will go home a loser. (Well, unless they tie) I think Peyton will get the best of Eli, which will leave both New York teams with 0-2 records. That might make the sting of the Red Sox being out of the playoff race - while the Yankees shoot for a World Series repeat - a bit more tolerable. Go Rays! PICK: COLTS

NEW ORLEANS AT SAN FRANCISCO: Another prime time game for the defending Super Bowl champs. They deserve it. PICK: SAINTS

Last week’s record: 9-7

Season record: 9-7