Stop the madness! The Bengals let Cleveland score 51 points last week, exposing themselves as a one-dimensional team in the process. Seattle, meanwhile, gave the world an object lesson in how not to run a game-winning drive.

Seattle’s problem can be fixed. We can’t say the same for Cincinnati (+3), which needs a major upgrade on defense and special teams. If it weren’t for that high-powered offense under Carson Palmer, the Bengals would look a lot like… Atlanta.

The Falcons have scored 10 points after two games, but don’t blame it all on Joey Harrington. Although he won’t win any Pro Bowls, as long as the betting public keeps treating Harrington like he’s got malaria, Atlanta (+4) has a shot at covering against an underperforming Panthers’ defense. It’s all about the safety; Mike Minter retired a year sooner than expected, after Carolina let two others get away in Shaun Williams and Colin Branch. Oops.

Has Jack Del Rio been fired yet? By the time you read this, the Jaguars coach may have already been shown the door – although it will probably wait until at least Sunday’s matchup against Denver is over.

The Jags (+3.5) are 0-2 ATS after beating Atlanta 13-7 last week. Del Rio is on the hot seat, but it’s not his fault (or is it?) that free agent safety Deon Grant fled the coop for Seattle, or that fellow safety Gerald Sensabaugh is out for the year with a shoulder injury. Keep chopping wood, indeed.

While Jacksonville and Denver crawl to the end zone, we’ll get to watch Cleveland and Oakland light it up. The Browns (+3) shocked and awed Cincinnati when Derek Anderson threw for five TDs. The Raiders may be struggling, but if they let Anderson do that again, load up on snacks and supplies; the apocalypse will be next.

Spirits are up in Houston after the hot start by the Texans. They’re tied with Indianapolis atop the AFC South at 2-0, but the Texans have covered twice, while Indy honked a payday last week against the Titans.

Something’s got to give when the two teams meet this Sunday, and it looks like it will be Houston. Andre Johnson is out with a strained knee, leaving the Texans (+6.5) without their top receiver. Not a good situation against a Colts team that should be ornery after its red-zone mishaps in Tennessee.

Pretty much any situation is going to be bad for the St. Louis Rams now that both Orlando Pace and Richie Incognito are missing from their offensive line. Incognito may return in a week or two, but that’s too late to do anything about the Buccaneers (-4). Jon Gruden should have little trouble out-coaching Scott Linehan in this matchup.

San Francisco and Pittsburgh are each 2-0. Minnesota is 1-1; Kansas City remains winless after two games of the NFL season. Those records, of course, are completely out of whack with the pointspreads on both of these Week 3 matchups.

The Steelers have bulldozed the opposition thus far, and are understandably laying nine points at home to the Niners. San Francisco failed to impress in either of its victories over NFC West also-rans Arizona and St. Louis. The Niners’ offense has yet to get off the ground, while Pittsburgh once again looks like a Super Bowl contender.

The Vikings and Chiefs, meanwhile, have a grand total of three touchdowns on offense between the two of them. Minnesota, though, has been the more efficient of the two teams by a wide margin, and with the trip to Arrowhead not so imposing anymore, getting 2.5 points must seem like a bargain to Vikings supporters.

What do you think? Any thoughts on the regular season thus far? Do tell!! 

If you’ve taken a break from baseball, you’re not alone. The start of the football season usually puts a huge dent in MLB viewership, and it seems all we’ve heard since Barry Bonds hit No. 756 is drug story after drug story.

Fortunately, the playoffs are just around the corner, and there are enough angles to keep even the most jaded fan interested. You have a potential series between the Yankees and Red Sox. The Cubs are on the verge of an unlikely return to the postseason. And you even have the Mets, Phillies and Dodgers threatening to make it a large-market fiesta.

More importantly for handicappers, there’s money to be made during the postseason. Remember how the undervalued Cardinals stormed the pay window in their five-game World Series upset of the feel-good story of 2006, the Tigers? Imagine how much money you might take away from Cubs supporters this year.

The New Orleans Saints sure got whacked by the Indianapolis Colts last week. But there’s no shame in that; the Saints remain the favorites to win the NFC South at 2-3. They still have one of the most potent offenses in the NFL, enough to mask most of their defensive deficiencies.

But they have some company. The Carolina Panthers are even money after beating up on the St. Louis Rams in their season opener. This should be a bounce-back year for the Cats after their offense fizzled in 2006. And there’s rarely any question about their defense under coach John Fox.

The other two teams in the division are both intriguing, although the buzz fell sharply after the Atlanta Falcons (20-1) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-1) scored nine points between them in their opening-week losses. There’s still plenty of value in the Bucs, though it will be tough to get past the Saints this Sunday.

Well, someone has to win this division. And it looks like it will be the Chicago Bears again at 4-9. But nobody really wants to eat a mouthful of chalk on that club, not with Rex Grossman at QB, and not after that ugly 14-3 loss to the Chargers.

Instead, it’s the Green Bay Packers finding themselves back in contention at 4-1. Brett Favre is still surrounded by young and unproven talent at the skill positions, but the offensive line is jelling, and the Packers’ defense is the club’s unheralded strong suit – see their win over Philly for evidence.

The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions trail the division at 9-2, but there’s no way either of those teams should come close to challenging for the NFC North crown, notwithstanding their Week 1 victories. Minnesota’s offense has miles to go, even with Adrian Peterson is town, and Detroit’s D is still de-lousy.

When the odds for NFL divisional titles went back up on the board Tuesday, things looked pretty much the same at the top of the NFC East. The Dallas Cowboys are the favorites at 6-5, and they played the part in their season opener by putting away the New York Giants (15-2) in a 45-35 shootout.

The Giants are threatening to spoil what has been one of the most competitive divisions in the league. They were beset with injuries in 2006, and suffered some more last week in Dallas. Even the eternally hobbling Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) look like the picture of health in comparison, but they lost 16-13 on a last-minute field goal to the Packers.

Washington (4-1), on the other hand, got the duke over Miami by the same score with an overtime figgie. The ‘Skins have the most room to grow out of these four teams, thanks to QB Jason Campbell.

Week 1 of the NFL regular season certainly had its shaky moments. None of the four teams in the AFC West looked particularly impressive, but the San Diego Chargers remain in the driver’s seat after beating the visiting Chicago Bears 14-3. They were the only team in the division to win and cover Sunday.

The only club that has a legitimate chance to upend San Diego’s division title hopes is Denver, and the Broncos were sluggish as expected out of the gate, needing a last-second field goal to beat Buffalo 15-14. That’s not going to inspire much confidence among Broncos’ supporters.

But at least they won. The Chiefs were horrible in a 20-3 defeat at Houston, and the Raiders managed to spoil a valiant comeback against the Lions by losing 36-21. Fans in the Black Hole were calling for Daunte Culpepper after starting QB Josh McCown was picked off twice. You knew this was coming.

Those New England Patriots sure look good. The rest of the AFC East? There’s some work to do in that department.

The Pats cemented themselves as division favorites Sunday with a convincing 38-14 victory over the New York Jets. As if New England wasn’t already the runaway pick to click at 1-6. The Jets went into Week 1 as the second favorites in the AFC East at 5-1. They might still be the second-best team, but that defense? Ugh.

They both lost, but at least the Miami Dolphins and the Buffalo Bills were able to keep their Week 1 opponents from marching into the end zone. The Bills covered as 3-point home dogs in a 15-14 loss to Denver, and Miami created a push with a 16-13 overtime loss at Washington. Trent Green was fine; J.P. Losman was not. Miami appears the better bet of the two (originally at 10-1) as a division long shot.