Look back at the past few Super Bowl champions. The Patriots, Rams, Ravens, Bucs, they all had great defenses.

So after Week 3 of the NFL season, it should be no surprise that Jacksonville and Seattle are 3-0. Philadelphia is also 3-0 because of a solid defense and an outstanding offense, Atlanta is unbeaten because they have Michael Vick, and Seattle moved to 3-0 because they played the 49ers. Four kindergartners and a 6th grade quarterback could beat San Francisco. As for the Jags, they have defense and just a little bit of luck.

Some of you may be wondering what I’m talking about. For those of you who are “Navigator Newbie’s,” this is ‘A View from the Sidelines.’ It’s a look at sports from my perspective, primarily the NFL. What makes me qualified to write such an outstanding column? Who knows, but it’s good reading. Plus, I did predict the Patriots to win it all in the 2003 preseason, just so you know.

On to last week’s games, where the aforementioned Jags beat the Titans in Tennessee with yet another miracle, winning 15-12.  Is Jacksonville for real?  We’ll find out for sure this weekend as they take on the league’s highest scoring offense, the Indianapolis Colts. 

Probably the biggest story of Week 3 was the Kansas City Chiefs getting a “W” in the win column. Wait, this just in, the Texans beat the Chiefs?  Okay, I give up, who stole the football teams from Missouri? The Rams and Chiefs are both completely in disarray. Kansas City was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender this season. I was also supposed to have a full head of hair, and neither of those look promising. The Chiefs 0-3 start is unreal.

So before I get into the games of Week 4, let me inform you that I was 12-2 in my picks. Those Chiefs and ‘Skins ruined perfection, but after three weeks of the season, I’m sitting at 75 percent. I’m not suggesting taking this column to Vegas, but that’s not too bad.

As I predicted, last week’s player of the week was Colts QB Peyton Manning. He exceeded my expectations, going 28 of 40 for 393 yards and five TD’s.  Impressive, to say the least.

The early game in Week 4 that stands out has to be Indy going to Jacksonville.  The Colts put up 35 points in the first half against Green Bay last week. The Jags have put up 35 points in three games.

The deciding factor in this game is that Jack-sonville is unbeaten. Until a team finds a way beat their no name defense, I can’t go against them. Defensive Tackles John Henderson and Marcus Stroud will pressure Manning throughout the game and keep RB Edgerrin James in check, but if Manning finds a way to get WR’s Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison the ball, lookout. Jacksonville QB Byron Leftwich should once again be able to create just enough offense to win. Jags win again, 23-21.

The late game with a little intrigue posts the 3-0 Atlanta Falcons in Carolina to take on the defending NFC Conference champions.  The Panthers are coming off a bye week that was very much needed.  At 1-1, Carolina should be able to get back on track against Atlanta’s lackluster defense. Watch for QB Michael Vick to stay in the pocket for most of the game, at least until DE Julius Peppers and the rest of the murderous defensive line of Carolina flushes him.  Panthers RB DeShaun Foster will have another huge game.  Carolina wins, 27-17.

Other winners from Week 4 will be; Pittsburgh over Cincinnati, New England stomping Buffalo, Green Bay beats the Giants, Oakland takes out Houston, Philly stays unbeaten at Chicago, Washington wipes up Cleveland’s mess of a team, New Orleans defeats Arizona, Denver wins in Tampa, the Jets take out Miami, Tennessee gets off the schnide winning in San Diego, St. Louis drops 40 in San Francisco, and my upset special is Kansas City winning in Baltimore on Monday night.

My player of the week for Week 4 will be Jets RB Curtis Martin.  Leading the league in rushing going into last week’s bye, Martin is better than ever.  The Cardinals surrendered 194 yards on the ground to Atlanta last week, so look for at least 150 yards and three scores from C-Mart.

So for the Newbie’s, if you’d like to say a little something about this column, please shoot me an e-mail at . If there’s an argument you’d like me to tackle, let me know. And if you’re not already on the bandwagon of the Jaguars, Seahawks or Eagles, I’ll save you a seat.  Remember, the season’s still young, but the contenders are showing their true colors.