Does momentum carry from one season to another? If Carolina, which has won three of four games, beats Tampa Bay Saturday and New Orleans next weekend, will the confidence the streak generates carry into September 2012?

Tampa Bay won two straight last season to finish 10-6. The Buccaneers have not been heard from since. Detroit finished 2010 with four straight victories. The Lions were going to be special this season. But they're still the Lions.

What interests me more than momentum is how Carolina's defense will look in 2012. Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott has subsisted on spare parts, kept together with duct tape, featuring players with numbers and name tags.

Offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski gets the attention, and anybody who instructs his quarterback to fake a fumble and stick the ball between the legs of a fullback in a game that counts is entitled to it.

I also like McDermott's scrambling work, and want to see what he does next season with middle linebacker Jon Beason, talented and finally healthy cornerback Brandon Hogan, a new and very large blocker-occupying tackle, a few new rookies and, perhaps, free agents.

About momentum: Finishing well is better than finishing poorly no matter what you're doing.

And you didn't think I was deep.

Last week: 9-7.

Season: 146-77

Lock: I believe Green Bay failed to cover against Kansas City.

Season (Locks): 7-8.

This week's games, with the home team in CAPS:

CAROLINA 27, Tampa Bay 20: If I were in charge of schedules, kickoff would be at 10 a.m.

GREEN BAY 31, Chicago 20: I don't know if the Bears will score 20. But Josh McCown, one of the classiest players to show up in the Panthers locker room, is starting for Chicago. I'm pulling for him.

Denver 14, BUFFALO 13: The charismatic and unpretentious quarterback led his team to a series of unlikely victories. Sports Illustrated chronicled his good work. He led his team to an upset of New England. He signed a big contract. Then, Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick went into the tank. His Bills have lost seven straight. The moral: Be careful about letting the new guy mesmerize you.

Oakland 27, KANSAS CITY 24: The teams are mediocre, but the rivalry is beautiful.

New York Giants 30, N.Y. JETS 28: This is a beautiful rivalry if you live in New York or New Jersey. The Giants gagged so badly in their loss to Washington last weekend that they don't have to gag this week.

SEATTLE 26, San Francisco 24: Just a hunch based on timing and, you know, momentum.

Philadelphia 33, DALLAS 30: The Eagles are one of the seven best teams in football. Green Bay, New Orleans, New England, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and San Francisco are the other six.

The rest

PITTSBURGH 28, St. Louis 16

WASHINGTON 28, Minnesota 24

NEW ENGLAND 29, Miami 20

CINCINNATI 31, Arizona 29

DETROIT 33, San Diego 31

NEW ORLEANS 35, Atlanta 27

Locks of the week

Yes, the rare and almost mythical double lock.

TENNESSEE (minus-71/2) 11 over Jacksonville.

BALTIMORE (minus-13) 16 over Cleveland