LEADING OFF
Last week I made a statement that raised some eyebrows when I implied the following:
Jake Plummer, QB, Broncos- Winner
Trent Green, QB, Chiefs- Loser
Yes, the Chiefs did beat the Broncos last week. With a little help from instant replay and a running back that ran for 140 yards and 2 TDs. However, I stand by what I said last week, and here’s why.
Jake Plummer won a playoff game… with the CARDINALS…that alone should get him enshrined in Canton. Denver is 29-15 with him as their starting quarterback. With him under center, Denver is set to go to the playoffs for the 3rd time in 3 seasons, after missing the playoffs 3 out of 4 years before they got him. He’s satiated the masses in a city that demands that their quarterback be a reasonable approximation of John Elway, and that’s not easy to do.
Now, let’s take a look at what KC’s done with Trent Green steering the ship. KC’s been to the playoffs one time in 4 seasons with Green as their quarterback, and in the year they did make it, they were one and done after a 13-3 regular season. If the playoffs were to start today, the Chiefs wouldn’t be in them. With Green as the QB, a franchise that had ONE losing season in the entire decade of the 90s has had 3 out of 4 seasons without a winning record, despite playing on an offense with 2 slam dunk Hall of Famers (OT Willie Roaf and TE Tony Gonzalez), and a third guy who could get there too (RB Priest Holmes).
Hence, Trent Green is not a winner. And Jake Plummer is.
Besides, just look at them.
Stud
Douchebag
My case is rested.
WEEK 14
The theme for this week appears to be…INTERCONFERENCE INTERCOURSE!!! Two of the best match ups this week pit NFC against AFC in showdowns between evenly matched playoff contenders. We’ll look at those games and all the rest of the games, now!
GAMES WITH OLD TESTAMENT STYLE PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS
NFC v. AFC
*****************
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8-4)
AT DALLAS COWBOYS (7-5); 6th Seed in NFC
4:15 PM Eastern, CBS, Cowboys favored by 3
What It All Means
KC is hot, they beat the first place Broncos last week for their third win in a row. The bad news is they are tied with the Chargers for the final wildcard spot in the AFC, but they lose the tiebreaker thanks to a loss earlier this season against them (they still have a game remaining against the Bolts so that could change).
Dallas has dropped two in a row, but they would squeak into the playoffs at this point on the basis of having a better conference record (6-3), than the teams they are tied with, Atlanta (4-4), and Minnesota (6-4).
Each of these teams are in a situation where every game is a must win until further notice.
News You Can Use
-Chiefs coach Dick Vermiel may not retire after this season after all. The 69 year old Vermiel has been reinvigorated by his team’s 3 game winning streak, and he said this week, “I feel younger right now than I did at the start of the season. I’m having fun. I’m having a lot of fun.”
-The Cowboys have lost two in a row, the offense is struggling, and fans of America’s Team are pushing the panic button. One person is not pushing said panic button is the Botox-faced owner of the Cowboys, Jerry Jones. Jones said this week, “We’ve got a shot. We don’t have terminal problems. But the facts are we have a real good shot. We are getting healthy. We are better in some areas than in several years.”
– Jones remained on the Don’t Worry Be Happy tip when speaking about his quarterback, Drew Bledsoe, who was awful last week in completing 15 of 39 passes in a loss to the Giants. “I have no concerns about Bledsoe. When we’ve seen Bledsoe struggle or when I’ve had questions about decisions he’s made, it has had everything to do with pressure. I think he came in here with our knowledge to make him effective we had to block for him, but that’s not to say he doesn’t have some blame for the disappointments we’ve had the last two weeks.” So the word from the owner is, the problem’s not Bledsoe, it’s the Cowboys offensive line.
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
These teams are about as evenly matched as it gets. They both have effective offenses, and both have defenses that are not great, but good enough to give the offense a chance to win. The difference in this game is going to be the weakness of KC’s pass defense. The Chiefs are ranked 30th in the NFL against the pass, but against a run-oriented team like Denver, that weakness wasn’t exposed. They won’t be so lucky against Dallas. The I Love the 90s trio of Drew Bledsoe, Terry Glenn, and Keyshawn Johnson have struggled of late, but this Sunday they’ll have a big day, and the Cowboys will squeak out a win by the slimmest of margins.
COWBOYS 24, CHIEFS 23
The Road to Hoes
KC
at NY Giants (8-4), San Diego (8-4), Cincinnati (9-3)
Dallas
at Washington (6-6), at Carolina (9-3), St. Louis (5-7)
Can Drew Get the Cowboys’ Offense Going This Week?
CHICAGO BEARS (9-3); 2nd Seed in NFC
AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7-5)
1 PM Eastern, FOX, Steelers favored by 5 ½
What It All Means
The Bears are playing for the top spot in the NFC. They’ve won 8 in a row, and if they make it nine they will remain a game behind the Seahawks for home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. A loss, and all of a sudden the Vikings’ Sex Boat could loom very large in their rear view mirror in the NFC North.
Meanwhile, the Steelers are in big trouble. They’ve lost three in a row, including one last week to the Bengals that for all intents and purposes has knocked them out of the race for the AFC North title. They will need to leapfrog San Diego and KC to snag the final AFC wildcard spot, and that’s not very likely. But with a relatively weak schedule in their final 3 games, it’s not impossible.
News You Can Use
-What do you do when you’ve won eight in a row, but your rookie quarterback is the lowest rated passer in the league, and you have the guy who entered camp as your starter healthy and ready to go? That’s the issue the Bears are confronted with. Rex Grossman, who broke his ankle in a preseason game, has healed. The Bears continue to win more in spite of the play of rookie Kyle Orton than because of it. You can bet that as soon as the Bears lose, a change will be made. But what if that loss doesn’t come during the regular season? On one hand, there’s the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” axiom, on the other, there’s the probability that the Bears would have a much better chance to make the Super Bowl with Grossman as their quarterback than with Orton. Time will tell how this pans out.
-So what is the take on this situation of the players involved? The thoughts Grossman offered this week were a little different from the company line one might expect. Grossman told reporters when asked about Orton’s play, “If you’re asking me if I feel like I could throw more yards than that (Orton passed for 68 yards in last week’s win over Green Bay), yes, I could. But at the same time, I’m not doing it. It’s easy for me to say that sitting next to you in the locker room, but there are two sides to it. I’m not going to say we desperately need to do something drastic,” Grossman added later. “I’m just saying everyone in our offense needs to do something to get better. I think we’ve definitely left some points and yards out on the field.”
Orton’s official statement was, “I don’t think our troubles in the passing game fall on me solely, but I’ll take it. That’s fine. I’ll take the blame. I realize we have great players on offense that have done it for a long time. Maybe it is me.”
-Another guy, like Orton, who was thrust into a significant role as a rookie quarterback, and like Orton won a lot of games in that role, is Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger. The sophomore year hasn’t been bad for Ben, but it hasn’t been 15-1 good either. He has been experiencing problems with the thumb on his throwing hand recently, and the injury has, by his own admission, affected his passing. On top of that, he accused Bengals’ rookie linebacker Odell Thurman of making a dirty hit on his knee in last week’s loss to Cincy, even though Steelers’ center Jeff Hartings has said that Thurman tripped and fell into Ben’s knee, and the hit wasn’t dirty.
– Bears’ LB Brian Urlacher weighed in on Roethlisberger’s accusations of Thurman. He said in regards to the hit, “Where are we supposed to hit the guy? You can’t hit him in the face, you can’t hit him in the chest, you can’t hit him in the knees. I don’t understand where we are supposed to hit the guys. People call it dirty. Call it what you want. We can’t hit him. We get fined, we get flagged … there are so many rules for the quarterbacks now.”
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
Why do I pick the Bears to lose every week? Part of it is superstition, but sooner or later, the Bears’ incompetent offense has to cost them a game. The Bears struggled to put away the Packers at home last week, and the Packers are 2-10.
Pittsburgh’s run defense is fourth in the NFL, and that ranks ahead of the Bears. The Bears’ defense is most dangerous when the other team falls behind, and is forced to pass. That’s when the Bears’ front four creates havoc, puts pressure on the quarterback, and forces mistakes that turn into either defensive touchdowns or great field position for the Bears. The Steelers are a run-oriented team (although they haven’t been running the ball very well lately), that can avoid falling into that situation. The Steelers win this one on a last second Jeff Reed field goal.
STEELERS 19, BEARS 17
The Road to Hoes
Chicago
Atlanta (7-5), at Green Bay (2-10), at Minnesota (7-5)
Pittsburgh
at Minnesota (7-5), at Cleveland (4-8), Detroit (4-8)
NFC
******************************
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-10)
AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (10-2)
4:05 PM Eastern, FOX, Seahawks favored by 16
What It All Means
With the #2 team in the NFC, the Bears, faced with a tough road game at Pittsburgh this week, this is a great chance for the Seahawks to extend their lead in the conference to two games, and make clinching home field throughout the playoffs a fait accompli.
News You Can Use
-The Seahawks have lost cornerback Andre Dyson for the remainder of the season. Dyson has the dreaded high ankle sprain. Dyson scored 2 touchdowns in Monday Night’s 42-0 win over Philly. Jordan Babineaux steps into Dyson’s starting role. Babineaux has yet to start an NFL game, but he has seen extensive action this year as the team’s nickel back, and has 3 INT’s this year.
-As one Seahawk goes away for the year, another returns from a prolonged absence. WR Darrell Jackson is said to be close to making his return from the knee surgery he had 2 months ago. If things go well in practice this week, he will make his return on Sunday to face the NFL’s bottom ranked pass defense. D Jack has appeared in only 4 games this year, but last year he had 1199 receiving yards, and scored 7 TDs.
-Niners QB and 2005 first overall draft pick Alex Smith had 2 different games last week. In the first half, he completed 11 of 12 for 138 yards. In the second half, he was picked off three times. Still, coach Mike Nolan was happy with the rookie’s play, saying “He commanded the offense very well. There were little, subtle things that he did in the game that I was very pleased with, in particular in the first half.” Smith has thrown 8 INT’s this year, and no touchdown passes.
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
The Niners almost came back to pull off a huge upset against the Seahawks in Week 11, falling short 27-25 when a potentially game-tying two point conversion attempt failed. Seattle may have been looking past that game, as they were coming off a huge win over the Rams, and looking ahead to a game the next week against the Giants. There is no reason for them not to be focused this week. Their defense leads the league in sacks with 40, and they’ll make it a long day for Alex Smith.
SEAHAWKS 34, NINERS 10
The Road to Hoes
Seattle
at Tennessee (3-9), Indianapolis (12-0), at Green Bay (2-10)
D-Jack Back?
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (8-4); 5th Seed in NFC
AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (9-3); 3rd Seed in NFC
1 PM Eastern, FOX, Panthers favored by 5 ½
What It All Means
This is the most important game either of these teams have played this year.
A Panther victory will put them two games ahead in the NFC South, and since they would have 2 wins over the Bucs already, and another one over Atlanta, it will pretty much salt away the division for them.
Tampa has won 3 out of their last 4. They are on top of the NFC Wildcard pack by a full game. But if they have any designs on winning the division, they have to have this game.
News You Can Use
-In Carolina’s 34-14 win in Tampa on November 6, the Panthers held the Bucs to 44 yards rushing. Cadillac Williams led the Bucs with 29 yards on 11 carries. He will have to be much, much better for Tampa to have a chance this week.
-The emergence of DeShaun Foster as the Panther’s feature back couldn’t have come at a better time for him. He’s going to be a free agent this offseason.
– The Bucs are crossing their fingers that Panthers’ DE Julius Peppers sprained ankle will keep him out of Sunday’s game. Peppers injured the ankle when he was hit from the side on a block by Alge Crumpler against the Falcons last week. A case could be made that it was a dirty hit, but Peppers says not so, “No, I don’t think it was a dirty play. They do it all the time. That’s a play they run. It’s a part of the game. I’ve just got to protect myself better against that kind of block.”
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
Tampa’s going to have a hard time putting points on the board in this game. After exploding for 36 and 30 points respectively against the Redskins and Falcons, they’ve been held to a mere 10 points two weeks in a row. One of those was against the Bears, and that’s understandable, but the Saints?? Things won’t get any easier for them against Carolina’s 4th ranked defense. The Panthers have given up 31 points in their last 4 games combined, and in 3 of those held their opponent to single digits. I say the Cats’ D stuffs the Bucs, and the Panthers put the death grip on the division title.
PANTHERS 24, BUCS 13
The Road to Hoes
Tampa Bay
at New England (7-5), Atlanta (7-5), New Orleans (3-9)
Carolina
at New Orleans (3-9), Dallas (7-5), at Atlanta (7-5)
NY GIANTS (8-4); 4th Seed in NFC
AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (5-7)
4:05 PM Eastern, FOX, Giants favored by 7
What It All Means
The Eagles are a skeleton of a team right now. Having already lost Terrell Owens and Donovan McNabb, the devastation of their offense was completed this week when it was announced that Brian Westbrook would miss the rest of the season with a foot injury. This should be an easy opportunity for the Giants to remain on top of the NFC East.
News You Can Use
-SNL may have poked fun at Giants’ kicker Jay Feely in a skit last week, but the Giants’ kicking problems could have them laughing all the way to an early playoff exit. Feely missed 3 field goals in a loss to Seattle two weeks ago, and he missed a 33 yarder last week against Dallas. Feely said he’s not worried, stating, “It’s like golf. A lot of being a kicker is determined by how you handle yourself mentally. I’m hitting 80 percent right now [24-for-30]. I know if I finish strong it’ll be the best year of my career. That’s where my focus is.”
-Giants’ QB Eli Manning may lead the NFC with 20 TD passes, but he hasn’t played well lately, and the Giants are concerned. He’s had a knack for killing drives with interceptions deep in the other team’s territory, throwing 6 of them inside the opponents’ 10 yard line this year. He also has the NFC’s lowest completion percentage at 51.4%. Giants coach Tom Coughlin addressed these issues this week, saying, “Yeah, I’m concerned about accuracy. I’m concerned about the completion percentage. I want it to be higher. Some of the misses are things that you think would be kind of second nature.”
-Brian Westbrook’s injury may not have looked bad on TV, but it’s bad. Westbrook has what is called a Lisfranc sprain, a dislocation of the bones of his foot. It’s the same injury that Duce Staley had in 2000, and he hasn’t been the same back since then. It’s also the same injury that has sidetracked the career of Eagles’ TE Chad Lewis. Eagles’ FS Brian Dawkins suffered the injury in 03, and he said it took 2 years for him to feel back to normal. Westbrook recently signed a big money, long term extension with the Eagles, and there’s a real possibility that he will never be the running back he was before this injury.
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
The Eagles have to pull it together and salvage a little bit of pride after Monday Night’s 42-0 depantsing in front of their home crowd. I think they will play hard in this game, and give the Giants, who are only 1-3 on the road this year, a tough game. In the end though, they just don’t have enough talent left to pull out a win here.
GIANTS 27, EAGLES 20
The Road to Hoes
NY Giants
Kansas City (8-4), at Washington (6-6), at Oakland (4-8)
ST. LOUIS RAMS (5-7)
AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-5)
1 PM Eastern, FOX, Vikings favored by 7
What It All Means
The Vikings have won 5 straight, and they still have an outside chance at the NFC North title. The more immediate task, though, is sliding themselves into a wildcard spot. Right now, they are on the outside looking in, but they can change that with a home win over a scuffling Rams team this week.
News You Can Use
-The Vikings’ running game has been invisible this year. A big reason for that is that running back Onterrio Smith has been suspended for the year thanks to the well-publicized “Whizzinator” drug masking incident. Smith made his first public statements since the suspension this week, and said, “The suspension saved me from some serious trouble. It could have been a serious arrest, an accident  anything could have occurred. It was a real wake-up call  no doubt about that. I was partying, drinking and doing this and that, and I was still doing good on the field. But I wasn’t able to excel up to my talent because I was doing other things instead of focusing on my profession.” Smith also said that the success that Vikings WR Koren Robinson has had this season after having problems with substance abuse last year has been an inspiration to him.
-Injured Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper has begun rehabbing his knee, and said he will be ready for the start of next season. Culpepper has a $6 million dollar club option for next year, which the Vikings are expected to pick up. In the unlikely event that they don’t exercise the option, Culpepper would become a free agent.
– Rams’ RB Steven Jackson could manage only 24 yards rushing last week. That has lead some to suggest that the Rams offense would have more success if Marshall Faulk were given a greater role. Head coach Joe Vitt says that’s not the case, “Not unless he (Faulk) has wings and can fly. There has to be a running lane, there has to be somewhere to run the football, and if there is, Steven will find it.”
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
Minnesota’s winning streak, has, with the exception of a game against the Giants that they won with smoke and mirrors, come against awful teams. During their run, they’ve beaten Detroit twice, Green Bay, and Cleveland. They’ve won those games on the strength of their defense, but then you have to go back and take into account that all of those teams they beat have bad offenses. The Rams may not be a good team, but they do not have a bad offense. In fact, they have the second ranked passing attack in the league. I don’t think the Vikings are for real, and I think that the Rams pull the upset this week and severely damage Minnesota’s playoff chances.
RAMS 24, VIKINGS 23
The Road to Hoes
Minnesota
Pittsburgh (7-5), at Baltimore (4-8), Chicago (9-3)
Can Sharper and the Vikings Stay on Their Unlikely Run?
WASHINGTON REDSKINS (6-6)
AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-8)
4:05 PM Eastern, FOX, Redskins favored by 3 ½
What It All Means
Last week’s Redskins/Rams mathchup was a Loser-Leaves-Town match, and the town was playoff contention. The Redskins won, so they live to fight another week. They need to win out and get help to make the playoffs.
News You Can Use
-After a red-hot start, Skins WR Santana Moss has cooled off considerably. Moss has had only one 100 yard receiving game in his last six outings, and has scored only 1 touchdown during that time. Last week against the Rams, he was held to a season low 3 catches. Moss left Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury and listed as probable.
-The Cardinals used to be an NFC East division rival of the Redskins, and in those days, Skins coach Joe Gibbs owned them. He is 20-4 lifetime against the St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals.
– A loss this week clinches another losing season for the Cardinals. That would make 19 of their last 21 seasons losing ones. The Washington Times did a piece on the futility of this franchise this week, and in it asked Eric Hill, a linebacker who started 128 games for the Cards in the late 80s and early 90s, if this franchise will ever turn things around, “In my nine years with the Cardinals, I asked myself that question time and time again,” said Hill. “I’d like to be able to say it’s the law of averages, that at some point the thing could turn around. They had that blip on the radar in ’98, but they’ve gone backwards since then.”
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
The Redskins’ pass defense is strong enough to gum up the Cards’ one dimensional offense. They showed in last week’s win at St. Louis that they can easily handle a team that can’t run the ball effectively, and there is no team in the NFL more ineffective running the ball than the Cardinals. The Redskins will stay alive with a win this week, setting up a huge game against the hated Cowboys next week.
REDSKINS 28, CARDINALS 23
The Road to Hoes
Washington
Dallas (7-5), NY Giants (8-4), at Philadelphia (5-7)
AFC
******************************
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (12-0); 1st seed in AFC
AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (9-3); 5th seed in AFC
1 PM Eastern, CBS, Colts favored by 7 ½
What It All Means
The Colts can lock up home field this week if they win. Then, it’s DECISION TIME. And you all know what I mean, do you go for immortality and a 16-0 record, or do you rest your starters for the playoffs? Jacksonville is on top of the AFC Wildcard pile by a full game. If they can pull an upset and dent the Colts’ perfect record, they would get the added benefit of pretty much locking up a playoff spot.
News You Can Use
-The hype continues to build around the Colts as they get closer and closer to a perfect season. If they win this week, they will become the first team since the 98 Broncos to start a season 13-0. Head coach Tony Dungy has backed off earlier statements indicating he would rest his starters as soon as they clinch home field, saying he will pray about his choice of whether or not to potentially jeopardize a Super Bowl title in pursuit of an undefeated season.
-Six of the last seven meetings between the Jags and Colts have been decided by 7 points or less. Dungy commented on the competitive rivalry between the teams by saying, “We always play close games, so we’re expecting a great game with a lot of intensity. It should be great for the NFL.” Yes, that 35-3 win last week was a nailbiter. That 26-7 dogfight the week before gave me an ulcer.
-The Jags seem to be destined for a trip to Foxboro on Wildcard Weekend for a playoff game against the two-time defending champs. Shame on me for suggesting this, but might a slip to the 6th seed benefit them by setting up a game with playoff neophyte Cincinnati or perennial one-and-done Denver, rather than the task of being the first team to EVER knock the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick-era Patriots out of the playoffs? Of course, after this week they have games against the Niners, Texans, and Titans that will be impossible to lose, so it’s a moot point.
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
Yes, Indy struggled big time with Jacksonville in Week 2, coming out on top in a 10-3 taffy pull, but the Colts are a much, much better team now. The Jags have won 5 in a row, but they’ve been doing it playing nip and tuck games against the dregs of the league. Indy will win this week, and will do it easily. Then, stand back and watch the debate rage next week.
COLTS 30, JAGUARS 13
The Road to Hoes
Indy
San Diego (8-4), at Seattle (10-2), Arizona (4-8)
Jacksonville
San Francisco (2-10), at Houston (1-11), Tennessee (3-9)
Decisions, Decisions
BALTIMORE RAVENS (4-8)
AT DENVER BRONCOS (9-3); 2nd seed in AFC
4:15 PM Eastern, CBS, Broncos favored by 14
What It All Means
Denver’s loss to KC last week means they are no longer firmly ensconced in that 2 seed in the AFC, but they get a kiss from the schedule makers with a home game against the Ravens this week, and it will help.
News You Can Use
-The Broncos are 0-4 against the Ravens since 2000. The games have not been close. They’ve lost them by an average of 2 touchdowns. The Broncos have only managed a grand total of 45 points in those 4 games.
-Broncos’ QB Jake Plummer, who I spent the beginning of this column fellating, has lapsed back into his old, mistake-prone style of play lately. He has turned it over 4 times in the last 3 games, after going 7 games in a row without turning the ball over earlier this season.
-Ray Lewis underwent season ending surgery on his torn hamstring this week. He suffered the injury in the Ravens loss to the Bears on Oct. 23. Lewis is a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
The Ravens’ past success against the Broncos wouldn’t mean a whole lot if it didn’t come with the current coach of the Ravens, Brian Billick, going against the current coach of the Broncos, Mike Shanahan. Teams change the people running them all the time in the NFL, but the Ravens and the Broncos are exceptions to that. That said, the talent gap is just too wide this year for the Ravens to make it 5 in a row against the Broncos. It won’t be impressive, the Broncos will do what it takes to take care of business in a game they should win.
BRONCOS 28, RAVENS 13
The Road to Hoes
Denver
at Buffalo (4-8), Oakland (4-8), at San Diego (8-4)
CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-8)
AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-3); 3rd seed in AFC
1 PM Eastern, CBS, Bengals favored by 12 ½
What It All Means
Cincinnati may have been declared the winner of the AFC North after beating Pittsburgh last week, but they still have a lot to play for. Their mission is now to finish with a better record than Denver, San Diego, and Kansas City, and secure a first round bye in the playoffs.
News You Can Use
-Bengals WR Chad Johnson is never at a loss for words. His latest statement may have been his boldest yet. Earlier this week he guaranteed that the Bengals will win a playoff rematch with the Colts, who beat them 45-37 earlier this season. Chad confirmed those comments on Dan Patrick’s radio show this week, saying, “And the second go-’round, I guarantee we win,” Johnson said on Dan Patrick’s ESPN Radio show Monday. Just feelings I have,” Johnson said Wednesday when asked about his comments. “I believe if we played them a second time, the outcome would be different.”
-If the Pro Bowl voting holds form, the Bengals will have 3 players named as starters. Chad Johnson, CB Deltha O’ Neal, and K Shayne Graham are all currently leading the fan voting at their positions. QB Carson Palmer is the second leading vote getter among quarterbacks, ranking behind only Peyton Manning. O’Neal leads the NFL with 8 interceptions.
– Rookie Charlie Frye will get the start at QB for the second week in a row for the Browns. The 3rd round pick out of Akron got his first NFL start last week against the Jaguars, and posted a very impressive 136.7 passer rating.
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
The Bengals need to use this game to get their defense back on track. They’ve given up 105 points in their last 3 games, and they are NOT going to beat the Colts thatta way. They face a rookie quarterback this week, and they’ll come up with a good performance on both sides of the ball.
BENGALS 30, BROWNS 12
The Road to Hoes
Cincinnati
at Detroit (4-8), Buffalo (4-8), at Kansas City (8-4)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (7-5); 4th seed in AFC
AT BUFFALO BILLS (4-8)
1 PM Eastern, CBS, Patriots favored by 3
What It All Means
The Patriots are nowhere near what they’ve been the last two seasons, but they are playing better in recent weeks, they’ll be in the playoffs, and I doubt anyone wants to play them. They can continue to cruise to an AFC East title with a win this week.
News You Can Use
-Buffalo in December is not a place you want to be if you can help it, and it’s not an easy place for a visiting team to get a win, and Pats coach Bill Belichick knows that. Belichick told his team this week, “We’ll have to be able to handle the elements, handle the crowd noise, and most importantly, prepare to handle the Buffalo Bills.” Tom Brady seconded that this week is a big challenge for the Pats, “This is the biggest game of the year for us,” Brady said. “We’re going to need to put everything into it. The weather up there, you never know what is going to happen. Probably similar [weather] to what we have here. It’s very challenging.”
-The Bills are 4-2 at home this year, and 0-6 on the road. One of those wins was a 14-3 victory over the Chiefs on November 13, so this game is, in fact, a very tough one for New England. One thing the Patriots do have going for them though, is that they’ve won 9 of the last 10 meetings between these teams.
-One player New England won’t have to worry about this week is three time Pro Bowl WR Eric Moulds. Moulds was handed a one week suspension by owner Ralph Wilson. The suspension is punishment for a sideline altercation that took place during the Bills 24-23 loss to the Dolphins last week between Moulds and head coach Mike Mullarkey.
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
There’s a way to beat the Patriots this year, and that way is to throw the ball downfield on their emasciated secondary. Relying on a downfield passing game to win a game in December in Buffalo is not a way to go through life. When your quarterback is the, shall we say, “developing” JP Losman, it’s impossible.
PATRIOTS 26, BILLS 14
The Road to Hoes
New England
Tampa Bay (8-4), at NY Jets (2-10), Miami (5-7)
Corey Dillon and the Pats Will Be Stiff Competition in the Playoffs
MIAMI DOLPHINS (5-7)
AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (8-4); 6th seed in AFC
4:15 PM Eastern, CBS, Chargers favored by 13
What It All Means
They Chargers have fought their way back into the AFC Playoff picture after a 3-4 start. They are tied with the Chiefs, who they have beaten this year, for the final playoff spot in the conference, and are only a game behind the Broncos for the AFC West lead. The Chargers could find themselves with a first round playoff bye, or they could find themselves out of the playoffs entirely, courtesy of a murderous schedule in their last 3 games.
News You Can Use
-All-Everything RB LaDanian Tomlinson sent palpitations through the hearts of Charger fans when he briefly left last week’s game, appearing to be injured. He took a shot to the ribs in last week’s game against the Raiders, but he is feeling better and has said that he will play on Sunday.
-There could be some industrial espionage going on in this game. Earlier this year, the Dolphins traded QB AJ Feeley to the Chargers for Chargers’ 3rd string QB Cleo Lemon. Both guys obviously know the other team’s systems and terminology very well, and could be helpful in formulating a game plan to stop the opposing offense. Why two teams that knew they were playing each other later in the year would make a completely extraneous swap 3rd string quarterbacks weeks before they are scheduled to play each other is beyond me. I’m thinking somebody forgot to look at the schedule before they pulled this deal.
– Dolphins’ QB Gus Frerotte left last week’s win over Buffalo with a concussion, but he will start this weekend.
HERE’S YOUR FORECAST
When marginal teams come to San Diego, they get drilled. The Bolts showed that in thrashing Oakland 34-10 last week, and beating Buffalo 48-10 in Week 11. This week will be no different.
CHARGERS 31, DOLPHINS 16
The Road to Hoes
San Diego
at Indianapolis (12-0), at Kansas City (8-4), Denver (9-3)
PLAYING OUT THE STRING
******************************
OAKLAND RAIDERS (4-8)
AT NY JETS (2-10)
1 PM Eastern, CBS, Raiders favored by 3
Mired in a sea of suck, the Raiders have benched QB Kerry Collins. Because, you see, the reason they are so bad is because of their 6th ranked passing attack. He’s the problem. Professional clipboard jockey Marques Tuiasosopo will start in his place.
They face a Jets team that may be really, really bad, but you have to love their coach. Herm Edwards said the following to reporters this week before storming away from the podium, saying “Press conference over!”
(In response to criticism that the Jets offense is too conservative)
“There’s no magical potion here; we have to play this way, okay? There’s no other way for us right now. I think everyone’s missing that. We act like every week there’s going to be something different. What’s going to be different? The difference is, we have to score some points.”
“We’re going the best we can. It sounds real good: ‘Open it up, go for broke, do this, do that.’ That gives you the best chance of getting blown out in a game, trying to play that way.”
“It’s not like you throw caution to the wind, go out there and run double reverses, trick plays. We’re not some circus team. This is not a circus. We’re trying to win a game the best way we know how as coaches. Maybe we’re all dumb coaches. That’s fine. We’re dumb coaches. I’ll be a dumb coach this season. That’s fine. That doesn’t bother me.”
We’re not some circus team. Herman Edwards, I love you.
RAIDERS 21, JETS 16
Gay For This Man
HOUSTON TEXANS (1-11)
AT TENNESSEE TITANS (3-9)
1 PM Eastern, CBS, Titans favored by 7
The Old Houston Oilers meet the New Houston Oilers. When the Oilers played in the Astrodome, it was known as the House of Pain. But, I assure you, nothing that happened there could possibly have been as painful as watching this game will be.
TITANS 31, TEXANS 16
DETROIT LIONS (4-8)
AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-10)
8:30 PM Eastern, ESPN, Packers favored by 5 ½
Wow, what a great way to run out the clock out my weekend. The Lions and Packers, brought to you by Joe Thiesmann, Mike Patrick, and Paul Maguire. This is going to suck worse than Nickelback opening for Limp Bizkit opening for Creed.
PACKERS 24, LIONS 16
This Paul Maguire Probably Knows More About Football Than the Other One
*************************************************************
Well, that’s a wrap for this week. I’m moving my plugs to Monday, because the Monday column takes a lot less time to write than the Friday column does. Have a great weekend, enjoy the games, and we’ll see you back on Monday!
