JUST WONDERING

Atlanta at Carolina, 10 a.m. One day after watching the Panthers blow a late eight-point lead over San Francisco and lose in overtime to extend their losing streak to nine games, an exasperated George Seifert observed, “It’s been a what-if season.” It certainly has. What if Seifert hadn’t blown out Steve Beuerlein without a single proven quarterback left on the roster? What if Seifert had stayed in San Francisco, where, if they happen to run out of quarterbacks, they just go online and order one from Canada? What if Tim Biakabutuka had lived up to his college press clippings? What if the NFL hadn’t expanded in 1995 in the first place?

The line: Atlanta by 3.

HE’S THEIR PUN, AND THEY’RE VERY PROUD OF HIM

Cincinnati at Cleveland, 10 a.m. The Browns have a rookie running back named Ben Gay (really) who rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown in last week’s victory over the Super Bowl champion Ravens (really), prompting a Cleveland radio station to record a song in his honor (really). Brown Coach Butch Davis refuses to play along, noting that the kid’s average per carry against Baltimore, 3.1, is nothing to get excited about. No sense of humor, that Butch. As opposed to Ben’s parents.

The line: Cleveland by 41/2.

HE WAS THE HOST WITH THE MOST

Pittsburgh at Tennessee, 10 a.m., Channel 2. The rematch comes four weeks after the Titans’ national embarrassment in a 34-7 loss Monday night at Heinz Field. “I never played a game so bad in my life,” Tennessee cornerback Samari Rolle says. “I promised something like that would never happen again.” Which would entail preventing Steeler receiver Plaxico Burress from going for 151 yards this time. Which would have entailed the police making one more arrest than they did at that Monday-Tuesday party Burress held at his place last week.

The line: Tennessee by 2.

UNLESS YOU MEAN THOSE TURKEYS LINING UP ACROSS FROM YOU TODAY

Seattle at Kansas City, 10 a.m. It’s the oldest Thanksgiving trick in the book, and a reported club-record 10 Seahawk rookies fell for it--believing those “free turkey” redemption slips in their lockers were for real and trekking to the local market to claim their prize, only to be caught on camera being told, sorry, no free bird. “I was all happy,” rookie offensive lineman Floyd (Pork Chop) Womack told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “I was like, ‘I can’t believe we get something for free around here.’ I guess there ain’t nothing free around here.”

The line: Kansas City by 11/2.

MEANWHILE, ARCHIE MANNING’S SON JUST WISHES HE HAD MORE HELP

San Francisco at Indianapolis, 10 a.m., Channel 11. Another one of those awkward father-son outings, which, as you know, the Moras so dread. Papa Jim has faced off three times against Jim Jr., formerly an assistant coach with San Diego and now the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, and trails the series, 2-1. “Everybody thinks it’s novel and fun,” Jim Jr. told the Indianapolis Star, “but it’s awful, having to play your dad with so much riding on it.... I’m not looking forward to it at all.” Papa Jim’s Colts feel the same way, though for altogether different reasons.

The line: Indianapolis by 3.

NO, MA’AM, NO EXTRA CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN FOR THAT

Washington at Philadelphia, 10 a.m. A class of 338 women learned many things last Monday night when the Eagles hosted an “NFL 101” workshop for wives and girlfriends of the NFL-addicted. The Eagles learned a few things too. Center Hank Fraley, for instance, discovered he should always pack up his underwear before the team hosts one of these workshops. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, one silver-haired woman entertained the group by pausing in front of Fraley’s locker to pose with his jockstrap for photos. An irresistible urge, apparently. “Hey,” she said, “you gotta do it.”

The line: Philadelphia by 71/2.

UNLESS, OF COURSE, THE COLTS DRAFT HIM FIRST

Miami at Buffalo, 10 a.m. In Miami, the Dolphins are beginning again to wonder about Jay Fiedler, who has thrown 15 interceptions and lost three fumbles in nine games. In a related story, Don Shula’s grandson, Dan, is 12-0 as the starting quarterback at St. Thomas High in Ft. Lauderdale, having thrown just two interceptions all season while maintaining a straight-A average. Meaning help is out there, or could be, three or four years down the line.

The line: Miami by 41/2.

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING FLUTIE

Arizona at San Diego, 1 p.m. Doug Flutie has been showing his age, or his size, one or the other, during the Chargers’ last three games--completing only 40.5% of his passes for 324 yards, with one touchdown, six interceptions and a 29.9 quarterback rating. Still, Charger Coach Mike Riley is sticking with Flutie, telling the local media, “You can talk about controversy all you want, but there is none within this building. He is our quarterback. He will start. He will get us [this] next win.” He would say that, playing the Cardinals this next game.

The line: San Diego by 7.

CONCLUSIVE PROOF THAT THE RAVENS NEVER SHUT UP

Baltimore at Jacksonville, 1:15 p.m. The Ravens already have lost as many games as they did during the 2000 season, but things could be much worse. Before last week’s loss to Cleveland, Baltimore had a three-game winning streak consisting of a one-point victory over Jacksonville, a three-point victory at Pittsburgh and a six-point win at Tennessee. With a little better performance by opposing field-goal kickers, who are converting only 47% of their attempts against Baltimore, the Ravens could be 3-7. And why have opposing field-goal kickers been so jittery? “They do like to talk to the kicker,” Tennessee’s Joe Nedney reports.

The line: Baltimore by 3.

IN A WORD: YES

Oakland at New York Giants, 1:15 p.m., Channel 2. “We’re a funny team,” New York General Manager Ernie Accorsi says of the 5-5 Giants, which is one way to describe a team that has lost its two best-played games of the season (to the Rams and the Eagles), is 0-3 on Monday night and has beaten only one team with a winning record, New Orleans, in its attempt to repeat as NFC champion. “It’s bad,” defensive tackle Keith Hamilton told the New York Post. “I mean, it’s bad, but I believe in these guys. You think we’re scared of the Raiders?” Accorsi’s right. They’re a very funny team.

The line: Oakland by 21/2.

LIVING ON A THIN LINE

Chicago at Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPN. Tonight, Chicago’s Dick Jauron continues his bid to become the first man to be named NFL coach of the year and fired at the end of the same season. His decision last week to have quarterback Jim Miller take a knee three times and leave enough time on the clock for Tampa Bay to bang a game-tying field-goal try off the right upright has been roasted everywhere, even on the NFL’s Web site, where hall of famer Marv Levy opines: “If I was in Chicago’s situation, I would have run the ball.... The Bears were lucky.”

The line: Minnesota by 3.

WHEN IN ST. LOUIS, DO AS THE RAMS DO

Tampa Bay at St. Louis, Monday, 6 p.m., Channel 7. Fact: Tampa Bay is 10th in the NFL in passing, the first time since 1984 the Buccaneers have been ranked so high. Fact: Brad Johnson set a club record last week with 41 completions against Chicago. Fact: Keyshawn Johnson leads the NFC with 71 receptions and says, “I’m convinced we can be a good football team throwing the ball. We don’t have to be this running team.” So that is what it has come to in Tampa. Things are so dire, they’re now listening to Keyshawn Johnson.

The line: St. Louis by 10.