Yesterday, I split against the point spread, going 1-1 with the decider for the week tonight. I'm picking the Giants, giving three against the Falcons. The record for the year right now stands at 9-7-1.

Yesterday, I had the Patriots, giving 6, against the Cowboys. Patriots backers could have fattened their 401k accounts on that team this year. Despite lines that open high and get higher as the week goes on, New England is 6-0 against the point spread.

I got skunked on Carolina-Arizona because my quarterback got hurt. Serves me right. I doped this one by backing the best QB in the game, by far, which happened to be the Cardinals' Kurt Warner -- when it started. But then we had the most bizarro development of the season. We wound up with two quarterbacks playing against each other who weren't even in the league eight days ago, and who were competing for the same fill-in job last Monday.

In the end, Warner got to throw just two passes before he hurt his elbow and my pick was riding on Tim Rattay.  Aack! On the other side was The Shootist, Vinny Testaverde -- who is just about as old as John Wayne was in that movie and just as formidable.

Rattay got the backup job in Arizona last week because A) Matt Leinart is out for the season, and B) Testaverde turned it down. Cousin Vinny, who did take the job in Carolina, was starting because two Panthers quarterbacks have been struck down by injuries, Jake Delhomme (elbow, out for the year) and David Carr (back, out for the moment).

So Testaverde -- who calls the signals on 44 candles next month -- goes 20-for-33 for 206 yards and a touchdown and leads Carolina to a 25-10 win (I was actually giving points on this one). Good for Vinny. Rattay played like I figured he would, three interceptions. I just didn't figure he'd be in there. The Cardinals better hold more tryouts.

Photo credit:  Associated Press