Wrath of Woody: NFL matchups, Week 9

WASHINGTON (2-5) AT ATLANTA (4-3)

Time: 1 p.m.

Line: Falcons by 9

On the air: TV - Fox; radio - WXGI (950), 10 a.m.

Inside slant: Redskins' offense self-destructs, but the defense is OK. After a battle with the Saints, maybe the Falcons won't bring their 'A' game.

Wrath of Woody: In addition to apologizing for this season, Redskins owner Dan Snyder also apologized for the 73-0 loss to the Chicago Bears in 1940, for the loss to Miami in Super Bowl VII and the constant traffic backups on the Capital Beltway. Atlanta 23, Washington 16

BALTIMORE (4-3) AT CINCINNATI (5-2)

Time: 1 p.m.

Line: Ravens by 3

On the air: TV - CBS; radio - WRNL (910), 12:30; WHAP (1340), 1

Inside slant: Ravens LB Ray Lewis & Co. want payback for a penalty-aided, last-minute loss in Week 5. A win today makes the Bengals legitimate playoff contenders.

Wrath of Woody: Bengals' secret weapon: Instead of oranges at halftime, they put Skyline chili, the 5-way version, in the visiting team's locker room. Cincinnati 17, Baltimore 16

HOUSTON (5-3) AT INDIANAPOLIS (7-0)

Time: 1 p.m.

Line: Colts by 9

Inside slant: Colts struggled against the 49ers but extended their regular-season winning streak to 16. The Texans are 1-13 in the series but often cover, including twice last year. They can hang tough in a shootout, and the Colts' magic dust can't last forever.

Wrath of Woody: All week long, Texans coach Gary Kubiak has been exhorting his players with, "C'mon guys, one more win and we're bowl eligible! Indianapolis 37, Houston 31

MIAMI (3-4) AT NEW ENGLAND (5-2)

Time: 1 p.m.

Line: Patriots by 10½

Inside slant: Dolphins can't stop the pass, which might be a problem against QB Tom Brady and WRs Randy Moss and Wes Welker. As the Jets declawed the Wildcat, Bill Belichick took notes. The Patriots avenge last year's rout at the place where the gimmick debuted.

Wrath of Woody: Patriots coach Bill Belichick spends so much time in his office studying film that each day before practice, he asks the players, "What is that bright yellow orb in the sky?" New England 23, Miami 19

ARIZONA (4-3) AT CHICAGO (4-3)

Time: 1 p.m.

Line: Bears by 3

Inside slant: The Cardinals are not who we thought they were. After being crushed by the Panthers, they're 1-3 at home, where they were 8-2 last season. QB Kurt Warner bounces back from a five-pick implosion against a weak secondary.

Wrath of Woody: The Cardinals are making The Wrath crazy. Arizona 34, Chicago 31

KANSAS CITY (1-6) AT JACKSONVILLE (3-4)

Time: 1 p.m.

Line: Jaguars by 6½

Inside slant: Coach Del Rio made the Jaguars practice in full pads after they let the Titans run for 305 yards. They'll be motivated.

Wrath of Woody: Jaguars players asked Chiefs players, "What's it like to play in a real NFL city, where college football isn't more important than pro football?" Jacksonville 17, Kansas City 13

GREEN BAY (4-3) AT TAMPA BAY (0-7)

Time: 1 p.m.

Line: Packers by 9½

Inside slant: Favorites are 61-52-2 against the spread (one pick 'em), but home teams are 52-61-2. If the Buccaneers make a serious run at 0-16, will the Lions root for or against them? Rookie QB Josh Freeman's first start will be painful as the Packers rebounds from Brett Bowl II.

Wrath of Woody: Packers' players wonder why the weather around their bay is so frigid while the weather around Tampa's bay is so pleasant. Green Bay 31, Tampa Bay 10

SAN DIEGO (4-3) AT N.Y. GIANTS (5-3)

Time: 4:15 p.m.

Line: Giants by 5

On the air: TV - CBS; radio - WRNL (910), 4

Inside slant: Suddenly, a playoff spot is not a given for the Giants. Luckily for them, the Chargers are fundamentally unsound, bad on the road and haven't beaten anyone over .500. New York doesn't win this one, it's worse than anyone could have imagined a month ago.

Wrath of Woody: Next year, Giants QB Eli Manning will admit his foot injury of this season had a dramatic effect on his performance. San Diego 26, N.Y. Giants 20

CAROLINA (3-4) AT NEW ORLEANS (7-0)

Time: 4:05 p.m.

Line: Saints by 13

Inside slant: Double-digit favorites are 13-8 against the spread after the Saints, Colts, Cardinals and Chargers failed. Ah, how the spread's dark magic can elevate the have-nots. Panthers lose with dignity, stretching their run of Superdome covers to nine.

Wrath of Woody: When Panthers coach John Fox tells his players, "No one is as good as they look when things are going well," his players respond, "The Saints are the exception." New Orleans 29, Carolina 17 DETROIT (1-6) AT SEATTLE (2-5)

Time: 4:05 p.m.

Line: Seahawks by 10

Inside slant: Injury-depleted Seaahawks can dominate bottom feeders at home, and that's about it. Lions are 0-3 away (average margin, 22.7 points). Seattle's raucous crowd is its "12th Man," and Detroit might have problems against 10 guys.

Wrath of Woody: Next weekend, the loser has to play the winner Thursday night's Varina-Highland Springs game. Seattle 26, Detroit 19

TENNESSEE (1-6) AT SAN FRANCISCO (3-4)

Time: 4:15 p.m.

Line: 49ers by 4

Inside slant: Only the Saints and Broncos (6-1 against the spread) have been better bets than the 49ers (5-1-1). They're on an 11-3-1 run (5-1 at home). They'll perk up after close losses at Houston and Indy.

Wrath of Woody: How low have the Titans sunk? They are excited about their one-game winning streak. Tennessee 26, San Francisco 24 DALLAS (5-2) AT PHILADELPHIA (5-2)

Time: 8:15 p.m.

Line: Eagles by 3

On the air: TV - NBC; radio - WRNL (910), 7:30

Inside slant: QB Tony Romo on the road against a blitzing defense in a battle for first in the NFC East. That doesn't sound like his happy place. Adding to the fun is that unhappy WR Roy Williams is channeling T.O.

Wrath of Woody: Romo liked it better when he was being criticized for dating Jessica Simpson than now when he's criticized for having a falling out with Williams. Philadelphia 23, Dallas 21

PITTSBURGH (5-2) AT DENVER (6-1)

Tomorrow: 8:30 p.m.

Line: Steelers by 3

On the air: TV - ESPN; radio - WHAN (1430), 7:30; WXGI (950), 7:30

Inside slant: The Ravens beat up the Broncos, and the Steelers hit just as hard. Pittsburgh should be refreshed after a bye and catches Denver when doubts might be creeping in.

Wrath of Woody: Mike Tomlin tells his players that games in Denver always remind him of Hemingway's "The Snows of Kilimanjaro." Steelers LB James Farrior thinks for a moment and says football in general reminds him of Hemingway's "Big Two-Hearted River." Pittsburgh 19, Denver 17

- Capsules by Newsday; predictions by Paul Woody

For the record: Overall - Last week, 7-6; Year, 76-40. Against the line - Last week, 7-6; Year, 58-57-1