NFL Fearless
Predictions
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Week 16
New England
at New York Giants
8:00 pm NFL Network December 29, 2007
Why to Watch: Both teams are in the playoffs, so in the grand scheme of
things, this game shouldn’t matter at all. However, when the Patriots are 15-0,
the only team in NFL history to have a shot at 16-0 and an undefeated regular
season, there are many reasons to watch. Win number 15 came last week at home
against the Dolphins, a 28-7 game that was pretty much over by halftime. The
Giants went to Buffalo last week and rode the Brandon Jacobs/Ahmad Bradshaw
train to a 38-21 win over the Bills. The Giants have a playoff spot locked up
and a five seed in the NFC playoffs, so neither a win nor a loss will do
anything for the Giants. The Patriots are in the same position. Well, sort of,
kind of, but not really.
Why New England Might Win: Down to one game, the pressure of the season
shouldn’t affect the Patriots as much as it may have with five or six games
left. The Patriots can suck it up for 60 minutes and set themselves apart from
any other NFL team in the 87 year history of the league. With Tom Brady and
Randy Moss, the passing game is first in the league, averaging 292.3 yards per
game, while the Giants haven’t seen a passing attack like this one since the
Cowboys game a few weeks back.
Why the Giants Might Win: It’s not possible for an NFL team to go
undefeated for an entire regular season, is it? The Giants have the one weapon
that could keep the Patriots offense on the sideline – a staunch running game.
Last week, Jacobs and Bradshaw combined for 296 yards rushing, including three
touchdowns. If the Giants backs can pile up 41 carries again facing this
Patriots defense, the Giants have a chance to win. The question becomes…
Who to Watch: …whether Jacobs even plays at all. The 6’4”, 255 pound
bruiser has been banged up for much of the season, so head coach Tom Coughlin
may want to sit the big fella before a road playoff game, more than likely at
Tampa Bay.
What Will Happen: The Patriots will go 16-0 and win this game, carried by
backups in the second half. Brady will get the record early and then head to
the bench in the second half after a 16th win is assured.
Eventually, quarterback Eli Manning will turn the ball over on a third down
throw and the Giants will crumble after falling behind because of it.
CFN Prediction: Patriots – 31…Giants – 20 …
Line: New England -14.5
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...5
Seattle
at Atlanta
1:00 pm FOX December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: The Falcons mockery of a season will finally end, in front
of about 10,000 diehard fans in the Georgia Dome. Everything that could’ve gone
wrong did and the season turned into the quagmire that most of the
prognosticating public thought it would be. The Seahawks, though, have won six
of seven and head into the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the league.
The 27-6 win over Baltimore at home gave them win number ten and the third seed
in the NFC (Seattle owns the head-to-head tie breaker with the Bucs by virtue of
a win in game one). This game doesn’t matter for squat, really, so enjoy.
Why Seattle Might Win: As noted, this is one hot team, but rest is the
modus operandi for the Seahawks this week. They won’t get a bye week, so expect
plenty of regulars to be grabbing some pine time this weekend. The only thing
is that even with backups getting plenty of time, they are facing the Falcons.
Why Atlanta Might Win: The Falcons won’t gain much by winning this game
and won’t surprise many by losing yet again. However, the Falcons will catch a
break by facing many of Seattle’s backups and bench players. Last week, Atlanta
did, at least, compete well, losing in overtime 30-27 with quarterback Chris
Redman throwing for 315 yards and two touchdowns.
Who to Watch: Falcons wide receiver Roddy White was the beneficiary of
Redman’s play, catching 12 passes for 141 yards. The former UAB product has
improved throughout the season and will be more than a bit player in the
future. One more game this year gives him the opportunity to build upon his
career year (78 receptions, 1,140 yards and five touchdowns).
What Will Happen: No one really will care in this game and a number of
Seahawks will be taking a rest. Let’s just ride the better overall team and
hope that the good players stay long enough to score 24 points in an 11th
win.
CFN Prediction: Seahawks – 24…Atlanta – 20 …
Line: Atlanta -2.5
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...1.5
Detroit
at Green Bay
1:00 pm FOX December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: Again, another game that means diddly squat, due in large
part to the Chicago Bears win over Green Bay last week and the six game tank job
that did in the Lions this season. The Lions ended the skid with a win over
Kansas City last week, while the Packers are trying to regroup after a 35-7
whipping at the hands of the hated Bears. Green Bay has the week off next week
before a home playoff game, but after the loss last week, the Packers must
generate some momentum for the playoffs with a win here.
Why Detroit Might Win: Can you say TJ Duckett? Here’s a guy that wasn’t
on the roster at the beginning of the season, yet he’s been the go-to back the
past few weeks. With Kevin Jones on the shelf with a torn ACL, Duckett rambled
for 102 yards on 15 carries, including a 53-yard touchdown, against the Chiefs.
The Packers are 16th in the league against the run, giving up 106.9
yards per game, so expect plenty of Duckett pounding on the Packers on Sunday.
Why Green Bay Might Win: There’s some right-sizing of the ship needed
for the Packers, so with a week off, expect quarterback Brett Favre and company
to get plenty of action in the first two and a half quarters of action. The
Lions defense is the league’s worst in total defense, giving up 376.5 yards per
game, so even if Favre doesn’t play, the Packers should have a big game.
Who to Watch: Who the heck is Ryan Grant? The Dorsey Levens look-a-like
has burst on the scene and made Notre Dame fans wonder where this output was
when Grant was in South Bend. Either way, Grant, after having only started the
last half of the season, is 101 yards short of a 1,000 yard season and against
the 31st ranked rush defense, he could get it.
What Will Happen: It’s hard to say what Detroit team will come to Green
Bay. The “1-2-3 Cancun” team or one trying to close the season the right way.
I think a mix of both will show up and Grant and the Packers will take advantage
of the potential Jekyll and Hyde effort from Detroit.
CFN Prediction: Packers – 27…Lions – 26 …
Line: Green Bay -3.5
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...2
San Francisco
at Cleveland
1:00 pm FOX December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: Of all the games on the docket this weekend, this one
actually carries a little bit of weight, given the Browns playoff situation. At
first glance in August, this game was destined to nothing more than a battle for
Darren McFadden or Glenn Dorsey, but the Browns have been one of the best
surprises in recent memory. Here’s the playoff story for Cleveland, win this
one, or with a Tennessee loss, and the Browns are in. Lose and it’s
over if Tennessee wins. San Francisco has became a late season juggernaut, knocking off
Cincinnati and playoff bound Tampa Bay, in consecutive weeks. Can they do it?
Three weeks in a row? This time on the road? Whoa, can you imagine the Dawg
Pound lamenting a loss after this one? Not really.
Why San Francisco Might Win: Quarterback Shaun Hill has come into the
lineup and given the 49ers a chance to win week in and week out. The 49ers have
won both games he has started and it’s not been in spite of him. Last week
against the Buccaneers, he only completed 11 passes for 123 yards, but three of
them went for touchdowns. The Browns defense is 29th in the league
in pass defense, yielding 240.5 yards per game, so Hill won’t be overmatched at
all this week.
Why Cleveland Might Win: This is the biggest game for the Browns since
the playoff year of 2003, so expect them to turn up the heat a notch or three.
The Browns offensive balance took a week off last week, due in large part to the
four interceptions that quarterback Derek Anderson threw, but when running back
Jamal Lewis is running hard and Anderson is not turning the ball over, the
Browns can move the football against any defense in the league. The Browns
offense is eighth in the league in total offense, averaging 350.9 yards per
game.
Who to Watch: We may look back at the 2007 NFL Draft in another decade or
so and wonder how ten teams passed up linebacker Patrick Willis. After shooting
up most teams’ draft boards, Willis was taken by the 49ers and has been a star
from day one. Last week, the Pro Bowl bound rookie had 20 tackles, two sacks
and a forced fumble – he has 162 tackles on the season. He and Houston’s DeMeco
Ryans are the two best young linebackers in the game.
What Will Happen: The Browns will play as well as they have all season
long. This one won’t be close as the Browns jump out of the blocks quickly and
shut down the Hill-led 49er offense early and often. Anderson throws for 275+
yards and a couple of touchdowns, including one to star tight end Kellen Winslow
II.
CFN Prediction: Browns – 44…49ers – 21 …
Line: Cleveland -10
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...3.5
Jacksonville
at Houston
1:00 pm CBS December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: Although this one doesn’t mean anything to either team,
there’s a lot of pride at stake. Not buying it? Don’t blame you. Pride,
schmide, the Jaguars have a playoff pulse and have the fifth spot in the AFC
locked up, so expect the Jags to sit some starters in the second half.
Jacksonville hammered the Raiders 49-11 last week in the home finale, but this
week, there’s nothing at stake against AFC South foe Houston. The Texans
actually have a lot more to play for this weekend – an 8-8 record, a non-losing
record for the first time in Texans’ history, is on the line. But, Houston must
play much better at home than they did in last week’s 38-15 loss at
Indianapolis.
Why Jacksonville Might Win: Pure and simple, the Jaguars run the ball
and stop the run. Although the Texans aren’t world-beaters running the
football, the Jaguars will completely take away Houston’s ability to run at
all. The Jaguars are seventh in the league in stopping the run, giving up less
than 100 yards per game (95.7 YPG) and are second behind the Minnesota Vikings
running the football – 153.0 yards per game. Houston’s former first round draft
picks, also known as the defensive line, haven’t become the dominant unit
management had hoped, so expect the Jags to run all day.
Why Houston Might Win: The Texans have been a different team playing at
home. The only losses at home this season have come to AFC South foes, but the
last two games at home – the Bucs and the Broncos – the Texans played as well as
they have at any time in any season. Even with losing Andre Johnson for seven
games earlier this season, the Texans passing game has flourished – ninth in the
league, averaging 242.1 yards per game, while the Jags are only 18th
in the NFL in stopping the pass. Could that be the formula that the Texans use
to beat an AFC South team for the first time all season? Well…
Who to Watch: …if the Texans continue to get solid production out of
undrafted rookie Darius Walker. The former Domer has proven to be a capable NFL
running back and he showed some good burst and vision against the Colts last
week. He ran for 66 yards on 19 carries and caught six passes for 44 yards in
addition. If he can keep it up, then the Texans have a chance.
What Will Happen: The Texans will capitalize on the opportunity and the
rest that head coach Jack Del Rio attempts to get for his starters. Whether
Sage Rosenfels goes the entire way or if starting quarterback Matt Schaub comes
back to get some work, the Texans will move the football through the air, piling
up 250+ yards and a couple of touchdowns.
CFN Prediction: Texans – 23…Jaguars – 17 …
Line: Houston -6.5
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...3
Carolina
at Tampa Bay
1:00 pm FOX December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: Okay, on the “do we really care meter?”, where does this
one rank? The Buccaneers are locked in as the division winner and the fourth
seed in the NFC. The Panthers are locked into another year packing up the gear
after Sunday’s game. After an NFC Championship game appearance in 2005, the
Panthers are going to miss the playoffs for the second consecutive season. The
Bucs, on the other hand, just won enough games to stay atop one of the worst
divisions in football. But, the playoffs are the playoffs and championships are
championships. The Bucs are in the playoffs and have an NFC South crown to wear
proudly.
Why Carolina Might Win: The Panthers still have one of the best
receivers in the league, Steve Smith and he proved that last Saturday night
against the Cowboys. He caught nine passes for 137 yards and a touchdown and
literally kept the Panthers fighting for a full four quarters. With Matt Moore
improving each week, Smith should see the ball plenty this weekend.
Why Tampa Bay Might Win: The Bucs should be resting the starters after
the first quarter or the first half, but even so, the defense is still one of
the best in the NFC. Want to stop Smith? How about doing it with the second
best pass defense in the league? The Bucs yield a meager 170.6 yards per game
and, this week, face a quarterback who has started, oh, about three games.
Who to Watch: Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams has become the guy
in Carolina and has fared well as the Man. One week after running for the
game-winning touchdown against Seattle, he averaged six yards per carry against
the Cowboys on Saturday night. The Bucs starting linebackers were on the bench
for much of the second half, so expect Williams to have a 100 yard plus game.
What Will Happen: This one won’t be pretty at all, but Williams will
grind out 100+ yards and the only touchdown on the day. The Bucs roll into the
playoffs on a two game losing streak, while the Panthers pack up the gear after
winning two of their last three games.
CFN Prediction: Panthers – 13…Buccaneers – 9
Line: Carolina -2.5
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...1.5
Buffalo
at Philadelphia
1:00 pm CBS December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: The only intriguing aspect of this game is whether we get
to watch another snow game involving the Buffalo Bills. Okay, so maybe there is
some intrigue around whether Donovan McNabb will be playing his last game as an
Eagle, but I digress. The Eagles are playing their best football of the season,
beating Dallas two weeks ago and hammering the Saints in New Orleans last week.
Two road wins in a row from a team that finally found its stride this season,
just a few weeks too late. The Bills fought the good fight this season, on so
many different levels, but after losing the Snow Game at Cleveland, the playoffs
were out the window. They lost last week, giving up 21 points in the fourth
quarter to the Giants, 38-21. Not much at stake in this one, so have fun
watching.
Why Buffalo Might Win: The Bills have a young team that should be
fighting for the playoffs against next year; they’ll take any wins that they can
pile up to gather momentum for next year. The point is that they’ll come to
Philly playing hard and riding the 1,000 yard rushing train of Marshawn Lynch.
How good is this cat? He’s run for 1,012 yards and missed a handful of games
this season. With a full offseason to rest, expect Lynch to get, what, oh
about, 25 carries or more against the stout Philly ‘D’.
Why Philadelphia Might Win: Although there are many in Philly who would
like to see McNabb hit the bricks after the season, he’s been nothing but
spectacular lately. Last week against the Saints, he completed 24 of 35 passes
for 263 yards and three touchdowns, proving to anyone who cared that he can
still play. Considering that the Bills are 27th in the league
against the pass, McNabb should be able to throw the ball effectively for as
long as he plays on Sunday.
Who to Watch: Eagle receiver Reggie Brown caught six passes last week for
73 yards and a touchdown against the Saints. This season the third year player
out of Georgia caught a career high 56 passes, 17 of those in the last three
weeks. If he doesn’t have at least seven catches this week, something has gone
terribly wrong.
What Will Happen: The Eagles probably have a little more motivation
playing at home, well, considering Philly fan up in the stands. Yes, they once
booed Santa Claus; they’ll boo the Eagles incessantly if they don’t show up to
play. Running back Brian Westbrook will have another strong game, again, for as
long as he plays and the defense will slow Lynch down and harass rookie
quarterback Trent Edwards. The Eagles win three in a row and then go home for
the winter.
CFN Prediction: Eagles – 27…Bills – 14
Line: Philadelphia -7.5
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...2
New Orleans
at Chicago
1:00 pm FOX December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: Not quite the rematch these two had in mind. This game is
a redux of the 2006 NFC Championship game, won by the Rex Grossman-led Bears.
Suffice it to say, this game doesn’t have quite the cache. However, the Saints
are still mathematically alive and would win a three team tiebreaker with the
Redskins and the Vikings if both teams lose. Well, that and the Saints taking
care of business and beating the Bears. Chicago, on the other hand, well, a
tenth loss might be an ugly sight in the Windy City.
Why New Orleans Might Win: The Saints are getting strong play every
single week, win or lose, from quarterback Drew Brees. Last week in a losing
effort, Brees completed 30 of 45 passes for 289 yards. The effort put his total
yardage over 4,100 for the season, an incomprehensible number for a team with
only seven wins.
Why Chicago Might Win: The Bears beat the Packers twice this year, last
week’s win done with only 240 yards of total offense. Whether it’s Devin Hester
or other special teams plays or the defense, the Bears put points up on the
board in, well, let’s just say ‘creative’ ways. Last week, the Bears blocked
two punts that led to points and linebacker Brian Urlacher ran an interception
back 85 yards for a touchdown.
Who to Watch: The Bears quarterback situation. Kyle Orton finally got a
start two weeks ago after sitting for what seemed like an eternity.
Unfortunately, he wasn’t and still isn’t the answer under center for the Bears.
He’s not killing the Bears, but he’s not doing anything to help this team move
the football. With one last chance to play giant killer, Orton must do
something positive to help his chances for starting in 2008.
What Will Happen: Fortunately, Orton will have a solid game, throwing for
200+ yards and a couple of touchdowns as the Bears ruin any and all Saints
playoff dreams. The Bears bottle up running back Aaron Stecker and force Brees
to throw 50 times to stay in the game. Not a good thing this week.
CFN Prediction: Bears – 28…Saints – 21
Line: New Orleans -2
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...2.5
Cincinnati
at Miami
1:00 pm CBS December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: Could a game mean less? The Bengals have been one of the
most disappointing teams in the NFL, while the Dolphins have one win. Yay. The
Bengals did upset the Cleveland Browns 19-14 last week, while the Patriots beat
the Dolphins 28-7, as every team in the NFL has not named the Baltimore Ravens.
With the intrigue surrounding a potential winless season out the window, there’s
not much reason to watch, but if you have to do so, good luck.
Why Cincinnati Might Win: The Cleveland Browns have one of the best
offenses in the NFL and the Bengals, yes, the lowly Bengals, held them to 14
points. The Bengals have been one of the worst defenses in the league and gave
up 51 points to the Browns in the first meeting. Considering the fact that
Miami struggles to score a touchdown every other week, this could be another
sterling effort from the improving Bengal defense.
Why Miami Might Win: The Bengals have nothing to play for, while the
Dolphins can’t hurt their draft prospects by winning a game. They’ve got the
number one spot locked up in the 2008 NFL Draft, so now they can let loose in
this one. And, now that they’ve got the Tuna under contract, look out, AFC
East.
Who to Watch: How about locking in on the quarterback duel between Carson
Palmer and Cleo Lemon. Man, talk about fun. That’s about as much fun as
watching a Lamborghini race a Honda Accord in a quarter mile street race. But,
Lemon has improved, if only slightly, and facing a Cincinnati defense that is
still vulnerable against the pass. And, you know what Palmer could do to this
Dolphins secondary.
What Will Happen: It’d be fun if it would be close, but it won’t. Palmer
will throw the ball all over Miami and the Dolphins fourth ranked pass defense
won’t have a shot at stopping them. He’ll throw for 300+ yards and three
touchdowns in a snoozefest in Miami.
CFN Prediction: Bengals – 34…Dolphins – 13 …
Line: Cincinnati -3
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...1
Dallas
at Washington
4:15 pm FOX December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: Outside of this being one of the greatest rivalries in the
NFL and sports in general, this game has some significant playoff
ramifications. For the Cowboys, not so much, but for the Redskins, the season
can be prolonged with a win. It’s that simple, after winning at Minnesota can
moving into the driver’s seat for the last wild card spot in the NFC, all the
Redskins have to do is beat Dallas and they’ll be headed to Seattle for Wild
Card weekend. Lose and the season’s over. Dallas head coach Wade Phillips says
his guys will play, sans T.O, who appears to be legitimately injured, so this
one could be fun…at least until Phillips pulls his guys.
Why Dallas Might Win: It’s Dallas, the best team in the NFC.
Quarterback Tony Romo bounced back after a rough outing against Philadelphia to
complete 28 of 42 for 257 and a touchdown. Apparently, he’s come to grips with
being Mr. Jessica Simpson, well, at least for last week anyway. Facing a
Redskin secondary that has a rookie and a backup at safety and a couple of
banged up corners, Romo could shred this back four yet again, the 17th
ranked pass unit in the league.
Why Washington Might Win: There’s nothing that the Redskins do
exceptionally well, especially from a statistical perspective, but they’ve found
ways to win the last four weeks. And, that’s with Todd Collins at quarterback.
Collins was at his productive/efficient best last week completing 22 of 29 yards
for 254 yards and two touchdowns. When Jason Campbell went down for the season,
the prevailing thought was that the Redskins would be lucky to win a game.
Well, how about three in a row and a fourth this week?
Who to Watch: Dallas’ ‘substitution’ patterns. The Cowboys have nothing
to gain this weekend at all, except beating a hated rival. Will Phillips keep
his players in the game or will he see the light, if you will, and give his guys
a little rest in the second half? An injury at this point from a key player,
say a DeMarcus Ware, could damage any hopes of playing New England again, this
time in the Super Bowl.
What Will Happen: The Cowboys will raise the white flag early in the
second half and the Redskins will take care of business the rest of the way.
Collins will throw for 220+ yards and a touchdown or two as the Redskins do what
many thought was impossible four weeks ago – head to the playoffs.
CFN Prediction: Redskins – 26…Cowboys – 21 …
Line: Washington -8
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...3.5
Kansas City
at New York Jets
4:05 pm CBS December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: These two rivals have played some of the AFL’s greatest
games and both teams have stood in each other’s way in championship seasons
(1968 and 1969). But, this will be the opposite of that. The complete
opposite. The Chiefs have four wins on the season, losing last week 25-20 to
the Lions – the eleventh loss of the season. The Jets followed suit by losing
ugly to the Titans 10-6, loss number 12 on the season. 23 combined losses on
the docket for these two – that should pique your interest, huh?
Why Kansas City Might Win: Surprisingly, the Chiefs defense has carried
the team through the season. Or, better put, it has kept the Chiefs close in
games that the offense has diddly squat. The defense is 13th in the
league in total defense, giving up 318.3 yards per game and faces a Jet offense
that is only 27th in the league in total offensive yardage per game.
Why the Jets Might Win: Playing at home, the Jets have to be the decided
favorite, right? It’s not been a good year for the Jets at all, but the pass
defense has stepped up in a good way. The Jet defense is ninth against the
pass, yielding less than 200 yards through the air per game. Considering the
Chiefs have played musical quarterbacks all season long, the secondary could
have another strong game.
Who to Watch: Although his efforts have gone for naught this season, Jets
running back Thomas Jones reached the 1,000 yard mark last week. Jones has done
a solid job running behind this offensive line this season and another strong
performance would help ease the sting of a 12 loss season. Just a little bit.
What Will Happen: The Jets will score on a Leon Washington run and Jones
will grind out the fourth quarter in a tight, ugly win over the hapless Chiefs.
There’s not much more to say about it.
CFN Prediction: Jets – 9…Chiefs – 7 …
Line: New York Jets -6
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...1
St. Louis
at Arizona
4:15 pm FOX December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: There are so few games in the NFL that matter this
weekend. Welcome to one of those matchups. For the umpteenth time, the
Cardinals are playing in a week 17 game that has nothing to do with the playoff
situation, while the Rams would just as soon the season be over. A season that
saw the Rams lose 12 times. Yes, a team that had playoff aspirations is licking
its wounds, the deep, bloody wounds that are a result of losing that many
times. And, don’t forget, wait, well, it doesn’t matter, just turn away. It
won’t be pretty.
Why St. Louis Might Win: The Rams have Steven Jackson, one of the best
backs in the league when fully healthy. With 53 yards, he finishes the game
with 1,000 yards in a season that he didn’t even play a full 16 game season.
Against Pittsburgh’s vaunted defense, he averaged over seven yards per carry and
also caught a pass for a touchdown. He’s electrifying in the open field and
gives the Rams a shot to win every week, even if he’s got to carry the team to
do it.
Why Arizona Might Win: Quarterback Kurt Warner may not be the league’s
comeback player of the season, but he’s doing a bang up job replacing the Golden
Boy Matt Leinart. In last week’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, Warner finished
35 of 52 for 369 yards and three touchdowns, completing those 35 passes to nine
different receivers.
Who to Watch: One of those nine receivers was Anquan Boldin. The former
star from Pahokee, Florida caught 13 of Warner’s passes for 162 yards and two
touchdowns. The Rams secondary struggled stopping the Steelers receivers and
Boldin is a bona fide star. He should have another 100 yard/one touchdown game
against this secondary.
What Will Happen: Warner will have another strong performance, making
Cardinal management sweat an off-season decision – Warner or Leinart. Either
way, the Cards finish the season on a two game high and look forward to making
the playoffs in 2008.
CFN Prediction: Cardinals – 31…Rams – 21 …
Line: Arizona -6
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...2
San Diego
at Oakland
4:15 pm CBS December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: The Chargers are on a roll, winning five in a row, after a
horrible start to the season. Last week’s win over Denver put the Chargers in a
tie for the third seed with Pittsburgh for the AFC playoffs. A win over Oakland
and a loss by Pittsburgh helps the Chargers avoid the Patriots until the AFC
Championship game. Okay, that’s getting ahead of ourselves just a wee bit, but
it does underscore the importance of this game. From San Diego’s standpoint.
For the Raiders? Uh, not so much. Playing out the string yet again is what
Lane Kiffin’s bunch will be doing this weekend, well, that and perhaps playing
spoiler. Hey, in the Black Hole anything’s possible.
Why San Diego Might Win: The Chargers have a little more meat left on
the playoff bone, as noted above. Norv Turner shouldn’t rest his starters until
this one is well in hand and with LaDainian Tomlinson pushing for the rushing
title, he may not come out of the game at all. The former TCU star has 1,418
yards, 113 more yards than his nearest healthy competitor Adrian Peterson. He
should have no problem salting away that title this week against one of the
worst run defenses in the league.
Why Oakland Might Win: Starting JaMarcus Russell for the first time all
season should give the anemic passing game a boost. He’ll make some mistakes,
that’s proven to be true – just pop in last week’s game tape against
Jacksonville. But, with him preparing this week to be the Man, expect Russell
to play a bit better against a solid San Diego defense.
Who to Watch: The Raiders invested a great deal of cash in Dominique
Rhodes, so it was nice to see the return on the investment. Last week, Rhodes
ran for 115 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars defense and will provide a
nice balance for Russell this week.
What Will Happen: Oakland will keep it close early, but the Chargers will
knock the Raiders out with a strong third quarter. Tomlinson gets his title and
the Chargers continue on their roll, right into the playoffs.
CFN Prediction: Chargers – 28…Raiders – 17 …
Line: San Diego -7.5
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...2
Minnesota
at Denver
4:15 pm FOX December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: For the first time in a long time, the Broncos offseason
plans are taken care of before the final game of the season. Staying at home
won’t be much fun at all for the Broncos, especially for the second year in a
row. But, as San Francisco got to play spoiler in the season finale last year
at Denver, the Broncos can return the favor to the Vikings on Sunday. The story
for Minnesota is as follows – win and a Redskins loss – it’s in. Lose and the
season’s over – they’re on the wrong side of any two team or three team
tiebreakers, especially after last week’s loss to Washington.
Why Minnesota Might Win: It has to, plus how good is this team running
the football. Throughout the season, there were instances where teams couldn’t
take advantage of the fact that the Broncos couldn’t stop the run. Uh, the
Vikings can do that. Minnesota is first in the league, averaging 164.1 yards
per game on the ground, while Denver is 30th in the league in
stopping the run. Yikes.
Why Denver Might Win: The last time the Broncos played at home, they
beat the Chiefs 41-7. The Broncos have played four of the last five games on
the road, but return home on Sunday to take on the Vikings. The high altitude
may work in their favor this week with the way that Minnesota runs the
football. If that doesn’t stop them, maybe the Broncos will just get lucky.
Who to Watch: Broncos safety John Lynch is still wrecking ball carriers,
even though he’s 75 years old. He has 50 tackles on the season, but has been
banged up, playing in only 12 games. However, against Peterson and Chester
Taylor, expect #47 to lay the wood at least a half dozen times.
What Will Happen: The Vikings will run all day long on the Broncos front
seven, winning and moving on…to the offseason. The Redskins will win, but the
scoreboard watching will at least make this one interesting. The Broncos just
want this nightmare of a season to be over. They get their wish at about 7:45
PM.
CFN Prediction: Vikings – 24…Broncos – 17 …
Line: Minnesota -3
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...3.5
Pittsburgh
at Baltimore
4:15 pm CBS December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: Currently, the Steelers are 10-5 and tied with the Chargers
for third place in the AFC. That third spot is huge as it helps one of the two
teams avoid the Patriots during the Divisional round of the playoffs. But, the
loss of Willie Parker could play a role in this AFC North rematch from earlier
this season. The Steelers won the first one big and physically beat on and beat
up the Ravens on a Monday night game. The Ravens? Not much to say about a team
that has quit on the season, especially so after the loss to the Pats on Sunday
night.
Why Pittsburgh Might Win: The loss of Parker is crucial in the playoffs,
but in this game, not so much. Last week, running back Najeh Davenport was just
as good as ‘Fast’ Willie, running for 123 yards and a touchdown and also
catching a touchdown out of the backfield. He might actually be a better
playoff running option, but with one game left in this regular season, he could
light up the Ravens as he did the Rams last week.
Why Baltimore Might Win: In a one game season, this defense can still
rise up and play as it did back in the 2000 glory days. Just ask the Patriots
who were a questionable fourth down penalty away from losing to the Ravens.
It’s second in the league in rushing defense, so Davenport is running into the
proverbial immovable object on Sunday.
Who to Watch: Ravens quarterback Troy Smith wasn’t perfect last week –
completing less than 50% of his passes, but he wasn’t abominable last week
either. The Pittsburgh defense offers him a much different test, with the
different 3-4 looks that he’ll see, but if Baltimore is going to move the
football effectively, it’s on Smith to be both playmaker and quarterback.
What Will Happen: Smith will make a few plays, in his second start, to
keep the Ravens alive, but the balance on offense from Davenport running and Ben
Roethlisberger throwing will give the Steelers the third spot in the AFC.
CFN Prediction: Steelers – 27…Ravens – 20
Line: Pittsburgh -3.5
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...2
Tennessee
at Indianapolis
8:15 pm NBC December 30, 2007
Why to Watch: By kickoff, the Titans will know whether this one is a must
win situation or whether it’s time to get some guys some rest. The rules are
simple for the Titans – win and they’re in the playoffs, but a Browns loss
earlier in the day will take care of business, win OR lose. By virtue of their
10-6 win over the Jets and Cleveland’s loss last week, the playoff picture
cleared up in a positive way for the Titans. The Colts? Don’t expect to see
Peyton Manning much in this game.
Why Tennessee Might Win: The drafting of Vince Young gathered all of the
headlines after the 2006 NFL draft, but it’s been running back LenDale White
carrying this offense down the stretch. Against the Jets, the former USC star
ran for over 100 yards, yet again, 103 to be exact to lead the Titans to another
close win. With no Dwight Freeney and the Colts choosing to keep others out of
the lineup, expect White to have a huge game.
Why Indianapolis Might Win: They’re not going to win. Jim Sorgi will
get more snaps under center than Peyton Manning will and the Titans desperately
need a win. The combination should be the perfect tonic for a Titans win.
Who to Watch: The Browns game. If the Browns lose, automatically putting
the Titans in the playoffs, this could be a second week of the preseason,
preseason game. But, if the Browns win, the whole complexion, and importance of
this game changes. The Titans won’t be going with the scrub plan in that
situation.
What Will Happen: The Browns should win, so expect to see VY and White
and VanDenBosch for a full 60 minutes. The Colts’ backups make it a little
closer than expected, but VY comes up a big play or three in his most important
NFL game to date in a Tennessee win.
CFN Prediction: Titans – 21…Colts – 17 …
Line: Tennessee -6
Must See Rating: (5 Patriots - Giants - 1 Hannah Montana) ...4
