49ERS' ASCENT NOT THE ONLY TURNAROUND.

Byline: SCOTT MAGOLOFF The Gridiron Grill

The Gridiron Grill never feels the pinch of a business slowdown during the NFL season. There are many of the same faces each week but plenty of new ones, ensuring the Grill always has its plush seats filled.

Lulls in the NFL are about as common as personnel changes by Steve Spurrier. For some teams, lulls turn into complete slumbers. Offenses that were unstoppable suddenly are unable to start, defenses that were impenetrable suddenly give way, and the bounces that had been in a team's favor suddenly are bouncing it right out of games.

The truth is, the unpredictable is a big part of what makes for such interesting theater in the NFL and what keeps the folks coming into the Grill. The reversals of fortune are the favorite topic as the crew selects today's best five games to show on the bar's main cluster of TVs:

Sven the bartender: It seems like the 49ers go as Terrell Owens goes, and man is he going. As good an offense as they have, they're like a totally different team when Owens is dominating.

Sal from the Bronx: Now that Sharpie has broken down and begun an NFL ad campaign, will it be OK for the receiver to establish himself as the pitch man by signing every touchdown ball for the rest of the season? That could be a lot of ink, the way things are going these days in San Francisco.

Carson City Cal: Even when Owens was struggling this season, the 49ers were able to produce a pretty steady offense. They're 6-2 now and just starting to hit their stride. But I remember how shocked people were after, say, four games, and San Francisco's offense looked almost stale. And this week they get to face the Chiefs' defense, which allows an average of a little more than four Sharpies per game.

Marietta Molly: Jeff Garcia doesn't have the typical golden arm or looks of the quarterback I'm attracted to. He doesn't sound like a quarterback either, like when you hear his voice as he's interviewed on TV. Not very commanding. But he flat-out gets it done, and you have to like that.

Tucson Wade: The Chiefs' defense could be on the cusp of a nice turnaround. It held the Raiders to 10 points before Kansas City's bye last week.

Sal: I could just as easily see the Chiefs revert back to their matador defense and Dick Vermeil get all emotional defending his defensive coaches again. I mean that guy's like my worst ex-girlfriend with that roller coaster he lives his life on. One week crying, another week yelling he's not going to tell a reporter that one of his coaches is all messed up - but he used a word that begins with ``F'' instead of the word ``messed.''

Manny from Alameda: The Chargers and Rams could be in the early stages of opposite streaks. San Diego needs to rebound from that blowout to the Jets last week to prove its 6-2 record is no fluke, and St. Louis has won its last three after losing its first five.

Cal: During the Rams' losing streak, it was all about the quarterbacks - Kurt Warner and Jamie Martin. During the winning streak it's all about Marshall Faulk. It'll be interesting to see what happens when Warner returns from his broken thumb, supposedly next week.

Molly: The Steelers' defense is in a nice groove now after very un-Pittsburgh-like play. The matchup of those hard hitters against the Falcons' Michael Vick should be exciting. But, much of the Steelers' four-game winning streak is due to the play of their quarterback, Tommy Maddox, and Atlanta's defense has found its way of late.

Sven: If any team is suffering right now it's the Dolphins. In just two games with Ray Lucas starting at QB, they've gone from title contenders to supposedly calling Troy Aikman about coming out of retirement potentially to throw passes to recently unretired Cris Carter. If teams keep stacking the line to stop Ricky Williams, maybe Miami will see if Larry Csonka would suit up again.

Sal: This is Lucas' chance to come through, facing his old team, the Jets. But since their quarterback change, the Jets are proving that letting Lucas go because they had Chad Pennington not only was the right decision, but a no-brainer.

Wade: The Colts' once-machine-like offense has broken down. Peyton Manning is throwing interceptions and fumbling, and Edgerrin James' and others' injuries have left the team with its fourth or fifth choice at running back. And they're playing the Eagles and their second-ranked defense.

Sal: Does Tony Dungy bring poor offense with him wherever he goes?