For years — OK, a couple of days — Slate writer Robert Weintraub has been tinkering with a concept called The SSW, short for "The Sean Salisbury Wisdom," which tracks the consensus of the football punditocracy to ensure those triumphant declarations from Friday aren't flushed down the memory hole on Monday. Here's this week's SSW.
PREVIOUS SSW
Super Bowl contender New Orleans will work out its offensive struggles against the Succaneers.
NEW SSW
That "K-Ville" show looks like it might be pretty good, at least.
PREVIOUS SSW
Derek Anderson, c'mon down! You're the next sacrificial lamb to play QB for the Browns.
NEW SSW
Derek Anderson is the latest average QB the Bengals D has turned into John Elway (Elway they turned into Zeus). Enjoy it while it lasts, my man.
PREVIOUS SSW
Eli will miss a month, or a week, or a series — doesn't matter, even with Lummox Lorenzen at the helm, they should beat Green Bay at home.
NEW SSW
Can Eli play defensive back too?
PREVIOUS SSW
Coach Chucky has taken the Bucs from Super Bowl champs to unwatchably awful in a few short years, and won't be smirking on the Tampa sideline in 2008.
NEW SSW
Maybe Gruden woke up at 3:22 AM instead of 3:30 AM this week. Just protect Garcia's spleen and they might be decent.
PREVIOUS SSW
The Houston franchise has been run with all the acumen of the Bush White House, the Rumsfeld Pentagon, and the Rice State Department combined.
NEW SSW
We told you Mario was the right choice over Reggie. Wait, he did nothing Sunday, either? Well, Schaub was a good pickup — give us something here, we're 2-0 for cripes sake! Remember when we beat the Cowboys in our first game ever? We haven't had a reason to shout since! Bunch of killjoys around here...
PREVIOUS SSW
Those Jets fans are callous unfeeling worms for cheering Pennington's injury like that.
NEW SSW
Louts rejoice! Kellen Clemens will be good, and soon.
PREVIOUS SSW
Shanahan was a great coach with No. 7 in charge and T.D. hauling the mail. Now? Just another guy who thinks he invented the buttonhook.
NEW SSW
It was sneaky, pushed the envelope of being legal, and not exactly classy — that timeout right as the ball was snapped was pure Mastermind.
PREVIOUS SSW
The Rams can't do anything without Orlando Pace anchoring that left side.
NEW SSW
Almost 400 yards against a decent defense. But special teams rears its ugly head once again. I thought Martz was in Detroit, no?
PREVIOUS SSW
Combination of residual anger over playoff taunting and shutdown of BeliCheat's spyware should give the Chargers and their talented roster the edge.
NEW SSW
LaDanian shouldn't make BeliBixby angry. LaDanian wouldn't like BeliBixby angry. Pats smash! (Wait, does this make Norv Jack McGee?)
PREVIOUS SSW
Jon Kitna is a turnover machine cannily waiting to sabotage any greatness those fab wideouts can muster.
NEW SSW
No head, all heart. Maybe knocking Kitna silly helps slap the stupid out of his play. If he drives naked through the drive through on the way to practice tomorrow, that's just the concussion talking.
PREVIOUS SSW
Bears are the one sure survival pool pick in an insane world.
NEW SSW
But thanks to Rex, not so sure a spread bet. That this game was in doubt in the fourth quarter may have been the weekend's biggest upset.
PREVIOUS SSW
If you don't have LaDanian or Steven Jackson, good luck in your fantasy league.
NEW SSW
You should pick a receiver with your first two picks — the running backs are all interchangeable.
PREVIOUS SSW
Joe Gibbs doesn't like it when Redskins games coincide with NASCAR races—he'd rather watch Fat Tony Stewart than Southeast Jerome.
NEW SSW
That's no problem when the Skins play on Monday Night Football.
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