I wrote that if I missed last week’s Lock of the Week, I’d let my dog pick it. So I did.

Twenty-six teams will play Sunday or Monday. I wrote the name of each on a card and randomly divided the cards into six groups. Two groups had five cards and four groups had four cards.

I arranged the cards in a semi-circle on the floor or the bottom step so that nobody would receive a geographic advantage. When Taz the greyhound approached he encountered them at the same time.

I put a small treat, healthy and natural, on each. The store was out of unhealthy and unnatural treats.

Cincinnati, Chicago, Detroit, Green Bay, the New York Giants and Seattle were the first-round winners. Taz, obviously, is an NFC dog. He’s also smart. He’ll chew on dirt or an acorn but doesn’t eat paper. He did, however, eat part of Detroit.

I split the six winners into two groups of three, and Taz picked Cincinnati, a 31/2 -point underdog against Denver, from the first group and Detroit, a four-point favorite against Jacksonville, from the second.

I’ll announce the winner at the end of the column. Taz wants to do it again next week, and if he’s accurate, I’ll let him.

Last week: 10-4

Season: 72-46

Lock: I missed Green Bay.

Season: 1-7

Upset: Picked Atlanta over Philadelphia

Season: 3-5

This week’s picks, with the home team in CAPS:

NEW YORK GIANTS 30, Pittsburgh 24: Almost everybody is a New York fan this week, especially since the Jets don’t play.

NEW ORLEANS 33, Philadelphia 30: At 32, Eagles’ quarterback Michael Vick doesn’t move like he once did and has been sacked this season as much as he has at any time in his career. But New Orleans has a get-well defense, and on national TV Monday, Vick will get it going. So will Saints’ quarterback Drew Brees.

The rest

GREEN BAY 27, Arizona 13

Baltimore 20, CLEVELAND 17

HOUSTON 31, Buffalo 19

Chicago 20, TENNESSEE 17

Miami 20, INDIANAPOLIS 17

SEATTLE 24, Minnesota 21

OAKLAND 24, Tampa Bay 23

ATLANTA 31, Dallas 27

Denver 30, CINCINNATI 26

Upset of the week

Carolina (+3 1/2) 1 over WASHINGTON: I’d say the Panthers are due but due doesn’t apply. Some teams win close games and some teams lose them. Yet this might be the day somebody from Carolina makes the big play. The Redskins give up a staggering 314.3 passing yards a game (the Panthers give up 229.4). Maybe Steve Smith makes the play, or maybe Jonathan Stewart catches a short pass and goes as far as he needs to.

Lock of the week

Detroit (-4) 7 over JACKSONVILLE: I think Taz regards Jacksonville’s strong performance against injury-depleted Green Bay last week as an aberration and believes Detroit’s comeback victory against Seattle might be the catalyst that finally gets the Lions going.

If he’s accurate, I’ll have a new leash on life.