Carucci's Corner

Hello, everyone, and welcome to this week's chat as you set you up for Week 9. Let's get started.

I think he's an excellent back, and I would give him high marks for being complete. Unfortunately for him, all of his great production is largely being overlooked because he is on such a bad team.

It's hard to get into someone's mind, but for Seymour this situation began because the Patriots did not have him in their plans beyond this season and couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a deal with a willing partner. Seymour has definitely brought a sense of energy and urgency to a very bad situation, but he does feel wanted there, something he obviously no longer felt with the Patriots and with good reason. I think he'll continue to try and make the best of it and go from there.

It will have an impact because Ryan Clark is an outstanding safety. The Steelers will miss his hitting and coverage, and the Broncos are no doubt going to try and exploit that as much as possible. Given the severe threat to his health that playing in that altitude could cause, yes, I, too, would favor the idea of him sitting out. I know he is tremendous competitor and wants very much to be on the field, but you have to put your long-term welfare ahead of everything else. And I know Mike Tomlin and the rest of the Steelers totally support that and won't allow him to do anything that could dangerous.

...their defense is able to generate sufficient pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and minimize the Steelers' ability to get big plays through the air.

I do think the Chargers will have a great deal of success against the Giants' secondary, which has demonstrated that it cannot hold up against good quarterbacks. And here comes another one in Philip Rivers. The other key, though, is whether San Diego's defense can do anything to shut down the Giants' running game and put some heat on Eli Manning, as the Saints, Cards, and Eagles were able to do. My sense is that the Giants' best defense is to control the ball on the ground and keep Rivers on the sideline as long as they possibly can.

It's asking a lot of any rookie DB (or veteran for that matter) to hold up vs. Brady and that passing game, which has rounded into the record-shattering form of 2007. Similar to my previous answer, I think the Dolphins' best hopes are to be able to pound the football, whether it's via their conventional offense or the Wildcat. By the way, check out my piece on the site about the state of the Dolphins' Wildcat.

There are a few games that I think are worth a closer look on that basis. It'll be interesting to see what the Texans do vs. the Colts, especially given that the Texans have won three in a row, have some confidence, and the Colts have some key people who are banged up. The Panthers-Saints game is another one that could be interesting as well, especially if Carolina's running game is able to consistently exploit the absence of Sedrick Ellis in the middle of the Saints' defense. Finally, and I know this is crazy to suggest, but that Bucs-Packers game has me wondering if we could see something outrageous happen. I don't expect it at all, but I don't like some of the divisive comments I've heard from members of the Packer defense. I just wonder if that team is having some problems internally ... of course, even that shouldn't prevent them from beating up on the hapless Bucs.

I don't think Trent Edwards is the answer. I think the time has come for the Bills to search for a new quarterback via the draft. The secondary's effectiveness is based mainly on the fact that it has the best collection of talent on the team, and most of it resides with Jairus Byrd. The rest of the defense, particularly the front seven, simply isn't good enough to deal with even marginal rushers. Another problem with the defense is the scheme. The Tampa Two, with smaller and quicker guys, simply doesn't lend itself to being a good run-stopping defense. That is why so many clubs have switched to the 3-4. That should be Buffalo's next defense as well.

Thanks for the kind words RE the S&R show. I have a lot of fun doing it. As for Favre, it's funny that you and so many others ask that question because there is a large group of people who still can't believe (or can't allow themselves to believe) that he could be having this much success at 40 -- that he and the Vikings are doing it with smoke and mirrors and that it will all unravel for him at any time now. I used to think that, as well, but I've come around to believe that Favre is simply an amazing athlete. Not only does he still have the physical qualities to play QB better than most, he also has a razor-sharp mental grasp, probably better than he has at any point in his career. He is seeing the field better, making better decisions, and performing with a level of confidence and comfort in the pocket that is rare for someone his age. Good protection helps, as does having Adrian Peterson in the backfield. But this is Favre's show all the way.

I still think he has No. 1 talent, but it's incumbent upon him to do what a No. 1 receiver needs to do in terms of consistent performance. And the fact he and Tony Romo aren't on the same page is a concern, but mainly from Williams' perspective. I think Romo is playing well and doing what he needs to do to help make that offense successful. Although Mile Austin's emergence might be taking catches away from Williams, it is absolutely helping the Cowboys to be successful, and that should be the bottom line for Williams and everyone else connected with the team.

Simple: Stay healthy. If they do that, they'll have an excellent shot at the No. 1 seed in the postseason and a chance to make a deep run. This team has it covered pretty much in all areas. It also has one of the very best coaches in the league in Brad Childress. I mentioned in my earlier answer about Favre that he is seeing the field as well as ever and making great decisions. Childress has a lot to do with that. He was the most instrumental person in that Viking organization in bringing Favre to Minnesota, and that's because he knew what he had to work with and knew that he and the rest of his staff would be able to get the most out of him.

Defense is pretty easy, I think: Jairus Byrd of the Bills. Offense is a little tougher: Probably Percy Harvin of the Vikings, although that might need to shake itself out in the second half of the season.

OK. Glad you asked this one, by the way, because this is the game I'll be covering for NFL.com, so be sure to catch my column from the game on Sunday night. As far as why the Bengals aren't favored, I have no idea about the thinking behind who's favored and who isn't. I see it as a pretty even game, and would tend to give a slight edge to Cincinnati because it is at home and the Bengals have played well. One reason there might be some skepticism RE that earlier win over Baltimore, there seems to be some thought that perhaps it was more fueled by the emotions from the sudden death of the wife of Cincy DC Mike Zimmer than any sort of superiority the Bengals might have. The Ravens' third-down offensive success is another factor, as is their ability to run the ball with power up the middle. But Cedric Benson is the real deal, and should test Baltimore's defense. And I think Carson Palmer and his receivers will have some success against that Raven secondary, which I still think is suspect despite last week's win vs. Denver.

No argument about Cushing at all; he has been terrific on a winning team. The reason I'm giving Byrd the edge is because he has performed remarkably over a shorter period of time, and has risen above the many problems surrounding his team. By no means to I overlook Cushing, but I think Byrd is, at least right now, an easy choice for me.

I think both teams have some pretty good people running things and they have the ability to make those clubs better. I just don't know how much of a turnaround we're going to see in the near future. There just seems to be so much work needed to be done, and right now, I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel for either team.

I wish I could give you some reason for optimism, but the injury issues are a huge problem, to say the least. And the team just doesn't look competitive against upper-tier clubs. Having said that, the Lions are coming to town this week, so I would imagine, a young team making that lonnnng trip, is a plus for the Seahawks. Good chance for a get-well win, at least before they have to travel to Arizona in Week 10.

We'll see how things play out with the off-the-field matters, which have to be of great concern to the Raiders and the NFL. At the same time, I get the sense, at least from a football standpoint, he has found something that his predecessor, Lane Kiffin, couldn't find and that is a strong working relationship with Al Davis. Many recent Raider coaches have been unable to develop that, but Cable has, and for now it seems to be increasing his chances of finishing the year as Oakland's coach (barring anything else that might crop off from the off-field investigations, etc.).

It's interesting, because when you think of the Titans, you have a hard time wrapping your mind around the fact they only have one victory. There just seems to be too much talent and too good of a head coach and coaching staff for that to be the case. So, yes, I do think the season can be turned around. I don't know if it means a playoff run; that still looks like a long shot. But I like the sense of energy and enthusiasm that Chris Johnson displays (not to mention his superb running skills). I like the fact that maybe Vince Young's insertion at quarterback has brought about a positive change. Maybe his attitude is different than it was when he last started, and that, along with Johnson's play, has jump-started the team. But winning in San Francisco is an extremely difficult task, and it's reasonable to expect the Titans could end up having whatever momentum they gained from beating Jacksonville stopped very quickly.

Mainly because it forces defenses to devote large portions of their preparation week to dealing with it. And that is time taken away from other aspects of the offense. For that reason alone, it will continue to be used, at least to some degree, by every team in the league.

My sense is that no top-level general manager would want to be forced to work with an existing coach, unless that coach is someone with whom he has had a long and successful history. And I cannot think of one that would make for a natural pairing with Eric Mangini. If the Browns end up hiring a GM with a Super Bowl/championship track record, they would likely have to change coaches ... again!

That's going to do it for this week. Great questions, as usual, and I appreciate the chance to visit with many of you in a relatively short amount of time. Be sure to check out my coverage on NFL.com from Sunday's game between the Ravens and Bengals, as well as my weekly video pieces. Enjoy Week 9.