Sept. 30, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; San Francisco 49ers fullback Bruce Miller (49) high fives teammates after quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) after a touchdown during the second quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

What a difference a week … and a collective bargaining agreement… can make. Do you think it is any coincidence that order is restored in the Survivor football universe the same week the real referees take charge? Houston TexansTexans (4-0, Riggo’s Rag Power Rankings 1) – WIN. Baltimore Ravens (3-1, RRPR 4) – WIN. Survivor players – HAPPY. Do not forget, the Patriots actually scored the game winning touchdown against the Cardinals in Week 2 before it was called back by a phantom holding call on Rob “I Have Big Pecs” Gronkowski from some muttonhead who is now safely back teaching remedial English to Lingere Bowl rejects.

(For the purposes of this article we assume the most popular answer on our poll is the one that was used to survive last week.  So far we have used Houston, Cincinnati, Dallas, and Baltimore.)

For the six percent of you still alive in your Survivor leagues – and Lombardi bless you if you are – this week will be easier than clinching the AL West with a 13-game lead over a team with less than half your payroll and not a single fantasy player on the roster. It’s the Niners (3-1, RRPR 2) over the Buffaloed Bills (2-2, RRPR 24) this week mis amigos. The Bills’ two wins this year are against two teams with a win total of 1!: the Chiefs (1-3, RRPR 23) and Browns (0-4, RRPR 29). In their other two games, the Bills have lost by an average of 22 points – including a 20-point spanking by the propeller-less New York Jets (2-2, RRPR 27), and a 24-point flogging at home by an offense some think is slipping.  The New England Patriots (2-2, RRPR 5) scored more points in the final 20 minutes than they had scored in any single game this year. Meanwhile, the Niners remain the class of the NFC, beating that same Jets crew 34-0 in New York.

If you have already spent your Niners token this Survivor season, the sucker play is the New York “Should Be” Giants (2-2, RRPR 9). Barring a 14-point collapse in Week 2 from an underperforming Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3, RRPR 19) team, the Giants would be 1-3. The only solid victory the “Should Be”s have this season is against an over-hyped, under-talented Carolina Panthers group (1-3, RRPR 25). Last season, the Giants were a double-digit favorite at home in Week 5 to an uppity Seattle Seahawks squad (2-2, RRPR 12), and were beaten in every facet of the game. The Giants, who historically play down to their competition, are poised to repeat Week 5 history this season against the Browns.

The better Plan B is the Cincinnati Bengals (3-1, RRPR 15) over the Miami Dolphins (1-3, RRPR 28) The Guppies are playing on the road for the second straight week, and are feeling the emotional hangover of back-to-back last minute losses in games they had no business losing. I like the Bengals by double digits in this one.

As for our Beltway Boys, I’m, uh-hem, picking the Falcons (4-0, RRPR 3). (Although there are much better picks than against our 3.5 point home dogs.)  Basically, I don’t like our secondary vs. their air attack, but more on that later today.

Hit me!

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September 23, 2012; Landover, MD, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green (18) runs the ball on a reverse against the Washington Redskins during the second quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-US PRESSWIRE

Someone form a search party, Mike Shanahan is looking for his secondary.

The first play from scrimmage was a sign of things to come. The DeBurnt brothers (DeJon Gomes and DeAngelo Hall) got caught looking in the backfield and 10 yards behind them A.J. Green pranced into the end zone. If someone would have told me that Dalton had only 19 completions for the game, I would have taken that, and would have expected a win. But not if you also told me A.J. Green would have 183 yards receiving and that would account for less than half of the total passing yardage for the Bengals. The Redskins secondary got beat, and got beat often. The Bengals scored on pass plays of 73 yards to Green, 48 yards to Armon Binns and the real dagger of 59 to Andrew Hawkins that would be today’s fatal blow. In addition, literally every player that caught a pass for the Bengals had at least one reception for over 20 yards. There is no way to win a game if you give up that many big plays.

Now all passing yards can’t always be pinned on the secondary, you do need a decent pass rush to help out. But 401 yards. You shouldn’t give up that many yards in a 7-on-7 passing drill.

When the offense scores 24 points, you should win most games. You add a defensive touchdown by a linebacker, and you increase those chances. I feel for the most part the front seven and the offense did a good enough job to win the game. (I would like to see better pass protection and a lot less of the college play named the option, but that’s for a different post on a different day.) You can’t win with the “effort” that we saw out of the Redskins secondary. We knew lots of points would be scored today, and that the Redskins secondary would be a liability, but now I think we definitely know where the Redskins will be looking in free agency next year.

Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the Redskins table at the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-US PRESSWIRE

1. What is your prediction of the final score?

2. Where are you watching today’s game? If you are at FedEx Field, what section are you in?

Click on “Comment” below to join the discussion.