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

Our North County Male Athlete of the Week is Mount Greylock tailback Jason Pilot, who played a big role in the Mounties’ upset over Hoosac Valley on Sept. 17 and, most recently, accrued more than 200 yards rushing in Greylock’s 39-6 victory over Drury High School on Sept. 24.

Unfortunately, iBerkshires was unable to track down Pilot this past week for the questionnaire. Nonetheless, the senior’s accomplishments deserve proper recognition.

Last week against the defending Super Bowl champion Hurricanes, who hadn’t lost a football game since George W. Bush’s presidency, Pilot tallied just over 100 yards on the ground. On the other side of the ball, in the fourth quarter, he intercepted a Hoosac pass to ice the 22-6 victory.

One week later, Pilot ran wild on the Blue Devils as the Mounties improved to 3-0 on the young season. It’s not even October yet, so it’s a little too early to start talking about postseason favorites. That being said, three weeks in and Pilot has helped steer Greylock to the top of the Berkshire County League.

The North County Female Athlete of the Week is McCann Tech sophomore Mary Nguyen. The striker kicked off an impressive stretch on Sept. 17, scoring two goals during the McCann girls’ soccer team’s 5-3 win over St. Mary’s.

On Sept. 20, the Hornets’ captain notched her team’s only two goals in a 7-2 loss to St. Joe’s. The next day, Nguyen netted her first hat trick of the season during a 5-0 victory over Sci-Tech. Most recently, on Sept. 24, she added another goal against Pathfinder. With the 2-1 win, the Hornets improved to 3-2 in the Tri-County League (3-4 overall). Nguyen has nine goals in seven games.

Nguyen, who is also a promising point guard for McCann’s basketball team come winter time, devoted a few minutes of her time to iBerkshires earlier this week. Here’s what we learned about the Hornets’ sensational sophomore:

Favorite pro athlete? “Kobe Bryant”

Favorite TV show? “What I Like About You”

Favorite movie? “She’s the Man”

Favorite musical artist? “Beyonce”

Dream job? “Professional basketball player”

Favorite place to eat in the Berkshires? “Applebee’s (in Pittsfield)”

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? “Probably Vietnam. My mom, who is from Vietnam, tells me stories about it and I’ve never been there.”

Toughest athlete ever competed against? “My sister Nhi in basketball. She was always better than me growing up. She and [my older sister] Kathleen helped me get a lot better.”

Favorite subject in school? “Math”

Favorite athletic memory? “Probably when all of us on the basketball team would dance in the locker room before games. We’d listen to ‘Single Ladies’ by Beyonce to get ready.”

Hidden talent? “I can do the wave on my stomach. Most of the girls on the soccer team can’t do it.”

Coach’s take: “She’s probably one of the hardest workers on the team as of right now. She’s a quiet leader on the field, but you can see the excitement in her eyes. When she comes to the game or to practice, you can see it; she really enjoys playing and she makes things happen on the field. When you’re guarding her one on one, it’s very difficult because she’s so fast. She has a nose for the net, and we hope she can keep it going.” (McCann Tech girls’ soccer coach Mike Dowling)

Alie Hill sat out most of her junior season with an assortment of injuries, including a pulled hip flexor, a broken right foot and a tear in her ACL, which caused meniscus damage. Needless to say, she’s thrilled to be back on the soccer pitch as a senior captain for the Hurricanes.

On Sept. 7, Hill notched her first goal of 2010 during Hoosac’s 3-2 loss to Lenox in the season opener. The 'Canes rebounded two days later, on Sept. 9, with a 5-0 thrashing of Sci-Tech. Hill struck twice in Hoosac's first victory of the season.

On Sept. 13, Hill, a forward, netted both of here team's goals during a 4-2 loss to Mount Greylock. Through three games, Hill already had five goals under belt. On Sept. 16, Hoosac topped Mount Everett 4-0 to get back to .500. The 'Canes next battle Pittsfield on Monday, Sept. 20.

Getting to know Hill:

Favorite athlete? Sasha Cohen (U.S. figure skater)Favorite TV show? I like watching the Disney Channel Favorite subject in school? Science

Favorite book? "Because of Winn-Dixie" (by Kate DiCamillo)

Dream job? "I want to go to college for nutrition."

If someone gave you $1 million, what's the first thing you'd do with it? I would help kids all over the world. I'm a big fan of kids, and that's what I want to do when I get older, work with kids. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Paris

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose? Abraham Lincoln

Toughest athlete you've ever competed against? During practice, it's my [former] teammate Hannah Noel. She was just so good. She had quick touches and quick feet.

Hardest aspect of playing soccer? 'Trying to keep your cool when things aren't going your way. If you make a bad pass or you have a disagreement with the referee, it's important to keep calm so you can play your game.

Favorite band or musical artist? I'm a big fan of Eminem and Lil' Wayne.

Favorite athletic memory? I remember when I was playing in the U-14 league, and we were facing the team from Williamstown. The winner would move on to the [Massachusetts Tournament of Champions]. Me and Sam Howe did wall passes all the way up the field, and I got off a shot with my left foot and scored the winning goal.

Coach's take on Hill: She leads by example. She's a great leader and a great captain. During the summer, we were practicing in the 90-degree heat, and I could always hear Ali in the background, being a good, active voice for our team.

She's aggressive and has a great sense of timing. She knows when to burn past defenders and she knows when to be patient and wait for that perfect moment to break toward the net. And once she gets the ball, she's got a great shot.

— Hoosac Valley girls soccer coach Blair Mahar

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

Name: Matthew Cheung

Class: Junior

School: Mount Greylock

Sport: Cross Country

On Sept. 7, Cheung captured first place in a tri-meet at Mount Greylock Regional High School, conquering the 4-kilometer course in a personal-best 13 minutes, 53 seconds. He crossed the finish line 44 second before Lenox’s Scott Carpenter, who happens to be the defending Berkshire County champion.

On Sept. 11, Cheung had a great showing at the Ed Springstead Invitational in Colonie, N.Y., placing 10^th out of 64 runners, most of whom are Division I athletes. His 5K mark of 16:17 was one minute faster than his time on the same course in 2009.

On Sept. 15, Cheung again topped Carpenter but this time on Lenox’s home turf. The Mounties’ No. 1 runner took first overall in 17:10, edging his friendly rival by 5 seconds.

Cheung shared a few moments in between victories this past week to answer some pressing questions, such as ‘What’s your favorite TV show?” So, Matt, what is your favorite show?

Favorite TV Show? “The Office (U.S. version)”

Favorite character on The Office? “Probably Dwight. He’s hilarious.”

Favorite subject in school? “AP Physics”

Favorite pro athlete? “Russian marathon runner Emil Zatopek”

If someone gave you $1 million, what’s the first thing you’d do with it? “I’d put it in the bank, many banks actually. I’d save it up and probably invest in some stocks.”

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? “Definitely somewhere in Europe. I went to Italy last year, and it was definitely one of the best times of my life.”

Favorite place to eat in the Berkshires? “Michael’s Restaurant and Pizzeria (in Williamstown)”

Do you have a hidden talent? “I’ve recently been playing piano. I just started taking lessons, and I played every day over the summer. It’s fun.”

Toughest athlete you’ve ever competed against? “On my team, it’s Will Kirby. In the league, it’s definitely Scott Carpenter. He’s always pushing me to work harder and run faster.”

Dream job? “I want to be an orthopedic surgeon. When I sprained my ankle last year before the postseason, my doctor really put me on the right track so I could heal faster. That really inspired me to want to get into the medical field. Plus, my dad is a doctor.”

Favorite athletic memory? “During a practice a few years ago, it was late in the fall and (former Mount Greylock runner) Patrick Joslin and I were running in the woods, and it was snowing pretty hard. It just looked really cool. It was cold; the snow was freezing to our shirts.

“I really looked up to [Joslin], so it was a really cool experience to share that moment running together.”

Coach’s take on Cheung: “He’s one of the top students in his class, if not the top. He’s just a great kid, and he has a great attitude. He had a really great summer of training. He knows that you win races by working in July and August.” (Mount Greylock boys’ cross country coach Scott Burdick)

 *Hoosac Valley senior Ali Hill (girls' soccer) is our iBerkshires North County female athlete of the week. Check back in the next couple days to find out about Hill's recent accomplishments*

*Also, Drury senior Mike Tatro had an unbelievable showing last week in the Blue Devils' victory over Taconic. Check out Ryan Holmes' profile on the Drury quarterback*