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DECEMBER 7, 2008
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UNSUNG HEROES: THE BEST ASSISTANT COACHES OF THE 2008 SEASON
The
Odd Couple
The
Odd Couple
Randy Moss and Wes Welker
may appear to be
polar opposites, but they have forged a bond
to become one of the top
WR tandems in the NFL
Randy Moss hasnt lost focus and his numbers are rising.
CREATORS & FOUNDERS
Arthur Arkush, Robert Drazkowski and Joel Buchsbaum
ADMINISTRATION
Publisher/Editor Hub Arkush
General manager Mike Waters
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-chief Keith Schleiden
Managing editor Mike Holbrook
Executive editors Dan Arkush
Neil Warner
Senior editors Nolan Nawrocki
Eric Edholm
Mike Wilkening
Associate editors Matt Sohn
Dan Parr
Michael Blunda
Production assistant Matt Quinnan
Editorial assistants Matt Feminis
Seth Gruen
COLUMNISTS
Ron Borges, Barry Jackson, Jerry Magee
AFC REPORTERS
Baltimore Ravens Jamison Hensley
Buffalo Bills Chuck Pollock
Cincinnati Bengals Mark Curnutte
Cleveland Browns Tony Grossi
Denver Broncos Frank Schwab
Houston Texans Megan Manfull
Indianapolis Colts Tom James
Jacksonville Jaguars Vito Stellino
Kansas City Chiefs Rick Dean
Miami Dolphins Harvey Fialkov
New England Patriots John Tomase
New York Jets Mark Cannizzaro
Oakland Raiders Michael Wagaman
Pittsburgh Steelers Jim Wexell
San Diego Chargers Chris Jenkins
Tennessee Titans Jim Wyatt
NFC REPORTERS
Arizona Cardinals Kent Somers
Atlanta Falcons D. Orlando Ledbetter
Carolina Panthers Charles Chandler
Chicago Bears Bob LeGere
Dallas Cowboys Mickey Spagnola
Detroit Lions Nicholas J. Cotsonika
Green Bay Packers Bob McGinn
Minnesota Vikings Sean Jensen
New Orleans Saints Mike Triplett
New York Giants Paul Schwartz
Philadelphia Eagles Dave Weinberg
St. Louis Rams Jim Thomas
San Francisco 49ers Kevin Lynch
Seattle Seahawks Clare Farnsworth
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Roy Cummings
Washington Redskins John Keim
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Tom Danyluk, Art Edelstein,
Pat Fitzmaurice, Court E. Mann
STATISTICIAN
Rick Arkush
NEWMEDIA
Publisher Sue Nemitz
Web developer Tom OBrien
BUSINESS OFFICE
Business manager Christine Klimusko
Network support technician Bob Boklewski
Distribution manager Arthur Arkush
Subscription manager Kristine Carlsson
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15
CONTENTS
2 Pro Football Weekly December 7, 2008
UNSUNG HEROES 12
We tell you which assistant coaches are doing the best job, by position,
and profile Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, whose bril-
liant schemes keep the defending champs among the leagues elite.
COVER STORY 15
We tell you about the friendship Randy Moss and Wes Welker have de-
veloped and how their different styles are a perfect complement to
each other and have made them nearly unstoppable for opponents.
TOP LB PROSPECTS 33
Nolan Nawrockis weekly positional series analyzing the top prospects
for the 2009 NFL draft continues with a look at the loaded LB class.
THE WAYWE SEE IT..................3
POWER RANKINGS ..................3
THE WAYWE HEAR IT ..............4
OPINION: Editorial, letters,
Publishers Pen ..........................16
COLUMNISTS:
Jerry Magee, Barry Jackson,
Dan Arkushs A-bombs ............17
FANTASY FOOTBALL:
The Buzz, Fantasy Doctor,
fantasy statistics ....................18
HANDICAPPERS CORNER:
Staff selections,
Stephen Nover column ..........20
WEEK 14 GAME PREVIEWS ......22
WEEK 13 GAME COVERAGE......28
AFC INDIVIDUAL STATS LEADERS ..29
TEAM STATISTICS..................30
TEAM RANKINGS....................31
NFC INDIVIDUAL STATS LEADERS ..32
2009 NFL DRAFT NOTES ......34
AUDIBLES................................35
NFL TRANSACTIONS ..............35
ONLYAT PROFOOTBALLWEEKLY.COM
ASK THE FANTASY DOCTOR PFWs resident fantasy expert answers
your questions all week long. Hes dispensing free advice at the most
important time of the fantasy schedule as the playoffs approach.
E-mail him your lineup questions at: Fantasydoctor@pfwmedia.com.
COLLEGE NOTES Nolan Nawrocki looks at the most notable perform-
ances and key injuries from the past week and passes along notes from
NFL personnel on the scouting trail preparing for the 2009 NFL draft.
FANTASY PLAYER RANKINGS Fantasy football expert Pat Fitzmau-
rice looks at the matchups for Week 14 and ranks the players by posi-
tion, telling you which players have the best chance to succeed.
Cover photo by The Associated Press.
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
Plaxico Burress was one of the big reasons the Giants won Super Bowl XXLII, but they are capable of winning it all again without him.
POWER RANKINGS
Monday-night game results not factored in.
RANK THE SKINNY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
New York Giants Different from Cow-
boys they tend to get rid of the bad guys.
Tennessee Titans Winners of 21 of
their past 28 regular-season games.
Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl rivals
should prove to be stiff test.
Carolina Panthers Steve Smith set up
three TDs with big plays near endzone.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Playing in
Charlotte for all the marbles next Monday.
New York Jets Curious why those AFC
West teams give them so much trouble.
Baltimore Ravens Only Giants, Titans
have better point differential.
Dallas Cowboys Not everyone is happy
to see Pacman back.
Indianapolis Colts These close wins
should serve them well down home stretch.
Atlanta Falcons What would Matt Ryan
do with a big-time tight end?
Arizona Cardinals Wont be going any-
where unless they discover a run game.
New England Patriots Ben Watson
making career of stopping would-be pick-sixes.
Denver Broncos Hillis passed Felix
Jones, catching up to D-Mac on rush yards.
Miami Dolphins Style points thankfully
dont count in the pros.
Minnesota Vikings Still waiting to
hear from the commissioner.
Washington Redskins Badly need
someone else to step up offensively.
Philadelphia Eagles Maybe Andy Reid
knows Donovan McNabb better than we do.
Chicago Bears Kevin Payne was way
out of position on the Bernard Berrian TD.
New Orleans Saints What does Sean
Payton have against running the ball inside?
Green Bay Packers All three phases
never seem to play well in same game.
Buffalo Bills Rian Lindell kicked Sunday
like most of us play golf all year.
Jacksonville Jaguars Maybe Fred
Taylors comment will stir team up a bit.
Houston Texans Most of these players
havent experienced prime time.
San Diego Chargers Truth is, they lost
this division a month or more ago.
San Francisco 49ers Broke the re-
cent trend of West teams going East.
Cleveland Browns D has held its end
of the bargain in more than half the games.
Oakland Raiders Asking Janikowski to
run more than five yards is a bad idea.
Seattle Seahawks Hard to believe
they have allowed fewest points in NFC West.
Kansas City Chiefs Not trading Tony
Gonzalez turned out to be right move.
St. Louis Rams Scary: Outscored by
more points than the Lions have.
Cincinnati Bengals If youre Carson
Palmer, why would you want in on this?
Detroit Lions This might be their last
chance to win a game until 2009.
Turkey Day fare
leaves sour taste
It began with the Titans
leaving the Lions wallowing in
the dust, surging to a 28-3
lead early in the second quar-
ter of a 47-10 rout. It ended
with Donovan McNabb sud-
denly looking like Gods gift,
shredding a porous Arizona
defense in a 48-20 laugher. In
between, Tony Romo looked
just as flawless in a 34-9
shellacking of the Seahawks
that never came close to
being competitive. The end
result was three lousy games
that should make flexible
scheduling on Thanksgiving
an idea definitely worth pon-
dering. Dan Arkush
If his errant gunshot was indeed Plaxico Burress final bang with
the Giants, the team still should consider itself more than capa-
ble of winning the title. Burress stands now as one of the few ob-
vious impediments to a Super Bowl appearance, and the team
would be wise to put as much distance between him and the field
as possible. Unless the NFL or police take care of that for them.
In terms of distractions, the Giants are better off without him.
Tom Coughlin has put a premium on keeping the focus on tasks
at hand, and fewer distractions from Burress, who has stepped
afoul of team and league rules several times since signing his huge
extension, are what the team needs to win another title.
Domenik Hixon, who has replaced Burress essentially for three
entire games, has done a marvelous job in his place, stepping up
as a big receiver on a team that has shown it can throw the ball
when it wants or needs to.
And if youre looking for a parallel situation, look no further than
2007 when Jeremy Shockey went down for the season. No one
knew it at the time, but Shockey getting hurt was a blessing in dis-
guise. It forced Eli Manning not to focus on one guy, it eliminat-
ed all of Shockeys nonsense from the teams focus and it made
the locker room a better place to be. Sometimes its better to win
without your best talent. Eric Edholm
Giants can get it done without Burress services
TIME TO MOVE ON
INDIGESTION
Extending Jauron
backfires on Bills
For the next three years,
for better or for worse, the
Bills are married to Dick Jau-
ron. Lately, it mostly has
been the latter. Ralph Wil-
sons decision to extend Jau-
ron after the Bills 5-1 start is
understandable, but it wasnt
necessary. Unlike players,
coaches rarely hightail out of
town in search of the highest
bidder. Wilson could have
waited to lock up Jauron with
minimal risk, and his haste
now looks foolish given the
clubs 1-5 record since the
signature. Continuity is only a
positive when the links arent
rusty. Matt Sohn
PREMATURE
Bucs have Kiffins
successor on staff
Reports indicate Bucs D-
coordinator Monte Kiffin will
follow his son, Lane, to Ten-
nessee after the season. For-
tunately for Jon Gruden, he
has an heir apparent in DB
coach Raheem Morris. Mor-
ris has studied under Monte
Kiffin for six seasons, has ex-
perience as a D coordinator
(he filled the position at
Kansas State in 2006) and is
regarded as one of brightest
young defensive minds in the
game. If Kiffin is leaving,
Tampa should get to work ne-
gotiating a new deal for Mor-
ris before another team
snatches him. Dan Parr
MORRIS TIME
Risk-taking dooms
Raiders to defeat
Look, the Raiders arent
going anywhere, but there is
a difference between playing
loose and simply being reck-
less, and I could not believe
what I saw Oakland do in the
span of about seven minutes
in the second quarter vs. the
Chiefs. First, the Raiders
botched a fake-FG attempt
on the K.C. 25, which the
Chiefs ran back for a TD. On
their next drive, the Raiders
went for it on 4th-and-3 from
the K.C. 22 and didnt con-
vert. Oakland eventually lost
by seven. Struggling teams
cant toss away scoring
chances. Mike Wilkening
SENSELESS
Our weekly take on the hottest
topics from around the NFL.
THE WAY WE SEE IT
A
P
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC EASTBy Matt Sohn
WHISPERS
We hear that Jets S
Abram Elamis mak-
ing a heck of an im-
pression on coach
Eric Mangini. Once
thought to lack the
necessary instincts
to be much more
than a reserve, hes
thrived in his role as a
starter taking over for
Eric Smith. Elams
physicality in the box
has helped the Jets
overcome a lingering
knee injury to ILB
David Harris.
Theres a growing
sentiment around
Foxborough that per-
sonnel chief Scott
Pioli could be
tempted into leaving
the Patriots this off-
season to take over
as general manager
for another organiza-
tion. Although hes
regarded as one of
the premier talent
evaluators in the
league, hes never re-
ceived the type of
credit for the Patri-
ots success as his
close friend Bill Be-
lichick.
Sources close to
the Dolphins expect
more of the passing
game to be chan-
neled through the
tight ends with WR
Greg Camarillo
being lost for the sea-
son to a knee injury.
Rookie Davone
Bess, for as much
promise as hes
shown in a support-
ing role, is more of a
slot receiver than a
player who could
seamlessly step into
Camarillos role out
wide. Additionally,
Brandon London
and Ernest Wilford
havent yet earned
the coaches trust.
Slot receiver Josh
Reed isnt the
biggest or quickest of
receivers, but hes
been an integral part
of the Bills passing
game, especially in
the short zones. Reed
missed Weeks Nine,
10 and 11 with a
sprained ankle, an in-
jury which forced
Trent Edwards to
look more to Mar-
shawn Lynch as an
underneath option
than he wanted to.
In light of Trent Edwards recent
struggles, the Bills have never sec-
ond-guessed their decision to en-
trust him with starting honors over
J.P. Losman. Moreover, the word
were hearing out of Orchard Park
is that there remains no doubt in
the minds of team brass that Ed-
wards is the clubs long-term solu-
tion at quarterback. This isnt to
suggest, however, that his coaches
believe he doesnt need quite a bit
more seasoning. Dick Jauron ex-
emplified that notion with his deci-
sion to keep Edwards in the lineup
and still throwing the ball with eight
minutes left in Week 12 in a game
the Bills were winning by 30 points.
Facing the Chiefs league-worst
pass rush, Jauron viewed the
garbage-time repetitions as a way
of building Edwards confidence.
When a groin injury forced an inef-
fective Edwards to the bench in
last weeks 10-3 loss to the 49ers,
Losman couldnt guide the Bills to
the victory they sorely needed.
Word is Channing Crowders
scuffle with Matt Light in the Pa-
triots Week 12 victory might have
sealed the inside linebackers fate
in Miami. Midway through the
fourth quarter, Crowder and Light
were both ejected from the game
for trading blows, an event that a
Patriots source tells us stemmed
from Crowder making disparaging
comments about Lights wife dur-
ing the game. Regardless of the
fights derivation, coach Tony
Sparano was deeply troubled by
his teams late-game meltdown, in-
cluding Crowders indiscretion.
Crowder is due to become a free
agent and has been under the
watchful eye of coaches and man-
agement to see whether he fits the
paradigm Miamis trying to foster.
When you get on that big stage
and you get under that big light,
you learn a lot, Sparano said. You
learn a little bit more about what
you have to do and that picture
is starting to un-muddy for me.
Word from inside the organiza-
tion is that offensive coordinator
Josh McDaniels has once again
positioned himself to be a prime
head-coaching candidate in the
upcoming offseason. Some believe
he actually has done a better job
this season than he did in the Pa-
triots record-breaking offensive
onslaught of 2007, molding Matt
Cassel from a raw neophyte into
one of the AFCs top quarterbacks.
The way we hear it, McDaniels will
be more receptive to overtures
from clubs this offseason than he
was after the 07 campaign when,
early on, he quelled speculation
that he could be jumping ship. But
this isnt to suggest that hed leave
for any head-coaching gig.
Sources close to the situation say
its highly unlikely hed leave for a
franchise in utter disarray, such as
Detroit. Rather, he recognizes the
fact that his star is rising, and he
can afford to wait for a plum job
opening.
Its hard to fault Dustin Keller
for the mistake he was making
upon his arrival in New York. He
knew his ability and he was fully
aware that the Jets grabbed him
with the 30th selection in the draft
because of his sickening athleti-
cism. He simply harnessed all his
own expectations and those he
knew the Jets had for him and ran
with them too hard.
I was drafted because of my
speed, and so I was doing things
100 miles per hour on every single
route, Keller told PFW.
The results didnt come quickly,
as Kellers manic tempo held him
back. Outside of a pair of touch-
downs he scored in garbage time in
Weeks Three and Four, Keller was
toiling in obscurity on an offense
trying to meld cohesion out of a
host of talented newcomers.
Among them was future Hall of
Fame QB Brett Favre, whose con-
certed effort to spend more time
dissecting film with Keller can be
largely credited with Kellers dra-
matic increase in production of
late. Of Kellers 40 receptions and
460 receiving yards, 27 of those
catches and 313 of those yards
have come in the last four weeks.
The biggest thing Ive learned
from Brett is just letting the game
slow down, Keller said. Hell tell
me which routes to go 100 percent
full speed, and which ones to slow
down on. I have a better feel for the
game now. Im able to see things
more clearly.
Its no surprise that Kellers
emergence has coincided with
three of the Jets four highest-scor-
ing outings. Acompact and muscu-
lar 6-2, 248 pounds, and boasting
4.53-second speed in the 40-yard
dash the fastest time by a tight
end at the 2008 Scouting Combine
Keller has outfitted Favre with
arguably the most physically im-
posing target the three-time MVP
has had in his career.
But Keller is far from a finished
product. Offensive coordinator
Brian Schottenheimer has sta-
tioned Keller mostly on the line,
rather than in the slot or split out
wide as numerous offenses are
doing with athletic tight ends. As
Keller develops further, a more var-
ied role could be in the works.
Occasionally Ill line up in differ-
ent situations to take advantage of
coverage from linebackers and
safeties, Keller said. I feel its a fa-
vorable matchup when Im split
out, and I know Brett feels the
same way.
Jets rookie TE Dustin Keller has emerged as one of Brett Favres favorite weapons in the passing game.
A
P
BUFFALO
BILLS
MIAMI
DOLPHINS
NEWENGLAND
PATRIOTS
NEWYORK
JETS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC NORTHBy Mike Wilkening
WHISPERS
It seems rather un-
likely that Bengals
QB Carson Palmer
will play again this
season, a source
close to the club sug-
gests. Palmer will
begin throwing on
Dec. 7, three weeks
before the final day of
the regular season.
With Palmer still
weighing whether
rest or surgery is the
best way to treat his
injured right elbow, a
return to action in 08
appears a long shot.
If the Steelers em-
ploy a more smash-
mouth style down the
stretch, Sean
McHugh will almost
surely get more play-
ing time as a blocking
back, the way we
hear it. The 6-5, 265-
pound McHugh is
listed as a tight end,
but hes been playing
more in a fullbacks
role of late.
On the 107-yard in-
terception return for
a TD vs. Philadelphia
in Week 12 one
that broke an NFL
record he set just
four seasons ago
FS Ed Reed credited
S rookie Haruki
Nakamura for point-
ing out that Eagles
WR Reggie Brown
was lined up where a
tight end typically
would be. This tipped
off Reed that it was-
nt going to be a run-
ning play, and the
rest is history. While
the play highlighted
Reeds outstanding
instincts, it also
showed that Naka-
mura is no ordinary
first-year player in
that regard, too.
Browns head coach
Romeo Crennel has
declared QB Brady
Quinn his starter for
2009, but its clear to
all that Crennel may
not be in a position to
make that decision.
The potential for
changes on the
Browns sideline and
in the front office
means that total clar-
ity on the QB situa-
tion may not be
reached until owner
Randy Lerner has
decided what moves,
if any, he will make.
The Ravens may have averted
disaster this season and beyond by
acquiring CB Fabian Washington
from Oakland on the second day of
the 08 draft. CB Chris McAlister,
who carries a salary-cap number of
$10.9 million in 2009, will be 32 in
June, and hes on I.R. with a knee
injury. The Ravens other starting
cornerback, Samari Rolle, has
missed time in each of the past two
seasons with injuries and carries a
$6.3 million salary-cap number in
09. Rolle will be 33 next August.
Washington has missed time be-
cause of neck and shoulder injuries
and was suspended for Week One
after violating the NFLs personal-
conduct policy, but he has started
every game he has played this sea-
son and has given the secondary a
lift. Washington, who intercepted
his first pass of the season in Week
12, is signed through 09, which
buys the Ravens time as they de-
cide what the CB depth chart will
look like in the seasons to come.
The loss of Robert Geathers
and Frostee Rucker to season-
ending injuries will force the Ben-
gals to be resourceful in the final
weeks, and its more bad news for
a defense that has been little
threat to opposing passers. Both
players were hurt in Week 12 at
Pittsburgh, with starting DLE
Geathers hurting his knee and
backup DRE Rucker suffering a
hamstring injury. The injuries came
after the line already had lost
Antwan Odom, the starter at right
end, to a shoulder injury. In the
meantime, the Bengals will lean
heavily on Jonathan Fanene and
DT John Thornton at defensive
end. Fanene is listed at 295 points,
with Thornton listed at 297, so their
ability to be stout at the point of at-
tack is unlikely to be an issue. How-
ever, Fanene and Thornton are not
the pass-rush threats that Odom,
Geathers and Rucker can be. That
said, the club is averaging just 1.1
sacks per game.
Heres something that speaks to
the lofty reputation of Steelers
ROLB James Harrison as much as
statistics. In Week 12, the Bengals
rookie left tackle, Anthony
Collins, held Harrison without a
sack, and the performance
stamped Collins as a player with a
bright future at a tough position.
For Harrison, 30, the future is now.
He has played at an exceptionally
high level all season for the Steel-
ers, and with 14 sacks in the first 12
games of this season, Mike Merri-
weathers franchise record of 15
sacks is within his reach. Rather
quietly, Harrison also has racked
up an enviable tackle total for an
OLB in a 3-4 scheme and is on
pace to notch nearly 105 tackles. In
a recent interview with PFW, Steel-
ers LB coach Keith Butler esti-
mated that Harrison, whos listed
at 6 feet, 242 pounds by the club,
was probably 5-11, but hes 250
(pounds) and a ball of dynamite.
Hes just very, very explosive.
With the Browns playoff hopes
all but dashed, will owner Randy
Lerner make sweeping changes in
the offseason?
There is little doubt Browns
coach Romeo Crennel is under
pressure to save his job after the
clubs slide from preseason darling
to one of the greatest disappoint-
ments of the 08 season. General
manager Phil Savage has come
under scrutiny, too; the majority of
this roster has been built on his
watch, and the Browns have been
among the leagues worst on both
offense and defense this season.
Savage also brought unwanted at-
tention upon himself by sending an
e-mail containing a profanity to a
fan after the Week 11 win at Buffalo.
Savage has since apologized.
In a rare meeting with reporters
last week, Lerner said he would
evaluate Crennels and Savages
performances at seasons end.
Crennel is signed through the 2011
season, and Savages contract
runs through 2012, but Lerner indi-
cated contract length would not af-
fect his decision-making about the
future of the organization.
There has been much specula-
tion about ex-Steelers head coach
Bill Cowher potentially replacing
Crennel, but Lerner said last week
he had not reached out to Cowher,
and Cowher recently told USA
Today that he was really very, very
heavily leaning into not going back
to coaching. However, it is widely
believed that the Browns would
have interest in Cowher were they
to change coaches a prospect
that could grow more likely if the
Browns continue their fade in the
final month of the season.
While Lerner indicated last week
that he understands the impor-
tance of organizational continuity,
firing either Crennel and/or Savage
could set into motion of series of
events that could alter the Browns
power structure. If Crennels suc-
cessor wanted, and received, sig-
nificant personnel power, that likely
would call into question Savages
role and perhaps future with
the club. Similarly, were Savage to
be replaced, his successor might
want to hire a new head coach.
No matter what happens, we
hear its clear Lerner understands
how unhappy his fan base is. One
veteran Browns observer told PFW
that Browns fans havent been this
angry since Bill Belichick cut
Bernie Kosar in 1993. Its another
factor to consider as the offseason
approaches.
The Romeo Crennel-Phil Savage tandem running the Browns could be on thin ice in Cleveland.
A
P
BALTIMORE
RAVENS
CINCINNATI
BENGALS
PITTSBURGH
STEELERS
CLEVELAND
BROWNS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC SOUTHBy Mike Wilkening and Matt Sohn
WHISPERS
We hear that Colts
C Jamey Richard,
starting in place of
Jeff Saturday as
the venerable center
nurses a knee injury,
brings a brawlers
mentality to an offen-
sive line thats often
been referred to as fi-
nesse. However, the
rookies insertion into
the lineup has put
more of a burden on
Peyton Mannings
shoulders in readying
the line before the
snap.
Sources close to
the Jaguars tell us
that two of the clubs
offensive line stal-
warts C Brad
Meester and OLT
Khalif Barnes are
unlikely to be return-
ing to Jacksonville in
2009. Of the two,
Meester, whos
started all 124 games
(heading into Week
13s Monday-nighter)
in which hes suited
up for since his
rookie season in
2000, is the greater
lock to be seeking
employment else-
where. The O-line
play has slipped in
Jacksonville, and the
Jags recognize the
necessity of some
new blood up front to
kick-start their of-
fense.
One factor playing
in the Titans favor as
they march toward
the postseason: They
are relatively healthy,
and the return of CB
Nick Harper after
missing time with a
foot injury strength-
ens the secondary,
the one position that
injuries have most af-
fected this season.
The way we hear it,
the Texans a team
that was to make
their first-ever ap-
pearance on Mon-
day Night Football in
Week 13 after this
issue went to press
was relishing the
added exposure that
comes from playing
in prime time. Recall
that one of Houstons
best games in 2007
came vs. Denver in a
Thursday-night game
late last season.
The Texans probably wont hesi-
tate to blitz more when the situa-
tion warrants after their extra
pass-rush pressure, while not re-
sulting in any sacks, rattled the
Browns offense in Week 12. The
Texans forced five turnovers, tying
a franchise record. The way we
hear it, the Texans defense was
thrilled about the blitzes being di-
aled up, and thats another factor
that points to more, not fewer,
blitzes in the weeks to come. An-
other reason defensive coordinator
Richard Smith might call for more
blitzes is the play of CBs Dunta
Robinson and Jacques Reeves.
Robinson returned to the starting
lineup at Cleveland, a big step in
his road back from the serious
knee and hamstring injuries he suf-
fered last season. Meanwhile,
Reeves quietly is having a solid first
season with Houston, the way we
hear it. Opponents have tested him
frequently, but he has held up rela-
tively well.
AJaguars club resigned to the
reality that its going to be watch-
ing the playoffs on TVknows that it
overestimated itself entering the
season. The select roster additions
the Jaguars made last offseason
were believed to be enough to
allow them to make a Super Bowl
run, but none panned out, which
only added to their futility. Al-
though its clear that major per-
sonnel adjustments, both
offensively and defensively, need to
be made for the Jags to reclaim
their standing as a contender,
some are posturing that the player
theyve invested the most heavily
in, QB David Garrard, might have
a glaring deficiency that theyre
going to have to live with: He cant
throw deep. While he certainly has
the big arm to rifle it downfield, his
erratic accuracy has left some
wondering if the expansive play-
book offensive coordinator Dirk
Koetter wants to unveil will be
kept under wraps.
After the Titans dispatched the
Lions on Thanksgiving Day, RB
LenDale White was in a far more
jovial mood than he had been four
days earlier, when he was angered
at having played sparingly vs. the
Jets. How many carries did I
have? joked White, who had 106
yards and two touchdowns on 23
carries at Detroit. I dont even
know if thats enough for me. Im
just playing, man. Things were said
last week, but like I said, they were
all out of frustration.That White
and head coach Jeff Fisher were
able to quickly move on from
Whites comments after the Jets
game speaks to Fishers high ca-
pacity to forgive-and-forget with
his players. Meanwhile, the Titans
offensive game plan vs. the Lions
spoke to Tennessees desire to get
back to a blueprint that worked so
well earlier in the season. The Ti-
tans ran 46 times and attempted
only 20 pass plays against an over-
matched Detroit defense.
For as many problems as Bob
Sanders poses to the opposition,
he presents headaches for his own
team as well. Word out of Indi-
anapolis is that coach Tony Dungy
is mulling over if, when, and just
how much the 2007 NFL Defensive
Player of the Year should play down
the stretch. Sanders has been lim-
ited to just four games this season,
as hes been relegated to the train-
ing room for a variety of injuries.
After solid performances in Weeks
Nine and 10, hes missed the last
three with a bum knee.
Fortunately for Indy, the ailment
doesnt appear to be serious. But
because of that, theres a burden
of responsibility placed upon the
club to determine just how hard it
should push his return. When in
the lineup, he dramatically alters
the defensive effectiveness and op-
tions. He can play deep in cover-2,
creep into the box as an under-
sized yet punishing linebacker, and
even swarm the outside edges at
the line of scrimmage. With the
Colts bullying their way into the
postseason picture on the coattails
of a five-game winning streak, uti-
lizing Sanders unique talents
could be critical to their continued
playoffs aspirations.
Of course, rushing him back too
soon comes with the obvious
drawback of potentially losing him
for the postseason, as aggravating
his sore knee is a very real, if not
imminent, possibility.
The Colts conundrum with
Sanders isnt anything new. They
knew back when they selected him
in the second round of the 04
draft that the 5-8, 206-pounder
was an injury liability. Those pre-
monitions have been realized, as
hes played in more than six games
just twice in his five-year NFL ca-
reer. To help minimize his injury
proclivity, theyve reduced his
practice time throughout the week,
which is only a minor drawback
compared to the benefit of his
maintaining good health.
The way we hear it, one thing the
Colts will not ask him to do is dial
down the intensity. Sanders fre-
netic playing style resembles that
of a pinball in an arcade game, fly-
ing and bouncing around the field
with little regard for his personal
safety. Although it renders him a
constant injury risk, the Colts feel
that telling him to play a more
measured game would be stripping
him of the qualities that make him
one of the leagues most feared de-
fenders.
When healthy and on the field, Colts S Bob Sanders is able change the makeup of the Indy defense.
A
P
HOUSTON
TEXANS
JACKSONVILLE
JAGUARS
TENNESSEE
TITANS
INDIANAPOLIS
COLTS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC WESTBy Dan Parr and Michael Blunda
WHISPERS
Raiders owner Al
Davis has been
questioned just
about every step of
the way for the past
few seasons, but we
hear his decision to
move CB Chris
Johnson into the
starting lineup after
cutting DeAngelo
Hall looks like a great
one. Johnson may
not be as talented as
Hall is, but hes been
more effective than
Hall ever was during
his eight-game stint
with the team.
The Chargers are
well below average in
rushing this season,
and we hear that one
of the main reasons
for their decline is the
loss of FB Lorenzo
Neal. For five years,
Neal cleared the way
for RB LaDainian
Tomlinson to post
incredible numbers,
but L.T.s game has
suffered without the
talented blocker in
front of him.
Between injuries
and the Chiefs losing
ways, we hear that
veteran CB Patrick
Surtain is mentally
beat.The 32-year-
old has dealt with
various ailments all
season long, and the
teams youth move-
ment has relegated
him to playing nickel
corner. Nobody is
looking forward to
2008 and likely his
days in K.C. ending
more than Surtain.
Sources in Denver
say the revolving
door that has devel-
oped at free safety
for the Broncos is an
issue the team must
address if its going to
shore up its porous
defense this offsea-
son. At strong safety,
the situation isnt
much better, we hear.
Marquand Manuel
has started every
game there for Den-
ver, but he just isnt a
playmaker Manuel
has no sacks, no
forced fumbles and
no interceptions.
Broncos PK Matt Prater has
about as powerful a leg as youll
find around the league. He has
made all five of his field-goal at-
tempts from 50 yards and beyond.
From 40-49 yards, however, he has
made just 3-of-7 kicks. Even after
hitting on both of his FG attempts
in last weeks win over the Jets,
Prater has missed three of his last
seven attempts overall. This slump
comes after he connected on 16-
of-19 FG attempts to start the sea-
son. Mike Shanahan said he
thinks Prater has lost some confi-
dence, after building up a great
deal of it in the first half of the sea-
son. In the midst of a run at a divi-
sion title, Denver can ill afford
missed field goals, but sources say
the club is not yet close to making
a change. The Broncos might have
to consider their options soon if
Prater cant correct his problems,
but there dont seem to be any
available kickers that would put
them in a better situation.
While the statistics may show
that the Chiefs run defense has im-
proved after all, theyre no longer
ranked dead last and have allowed
only two runs of 20-plus yards in
the past five games dont think
that their D-line suddenly has
made major strides. Its true that
they havent been getting gashed
on the ground, but we hear that you
can credit that to a change in strat-
egy by opposing offenses. Realizing
Kansas City can generate no pass
rush its six sacks in 08 is easily
the NFLs lowest total teams
have shifted away from the run and
have opted to drop back and pass
more often, knowing theyll have
plenty of time to check down if no
one is open downfield. Thats why
running backs have been catching
so many passes against K.C. in re-
cent weeks. Although DTs Glenn
Dorsey and Tank Tyler have gotten
marginally better at stuffing the
run, dont heap praise on the young
duo in the middle yet.
The Chargers can place blame in
plenty of areas for their disappoint-
ing season, but one group they
cant look down upon is the rookie
class. First-round pick CB Antoine
Cason has taken well to the nickel
corner role, racking up 52 tackles,
defending five passes and inter-
cepting one. We hear San Diego
likes his toughness, especially his
penchant to hit hard. Another
rookie constantly on the field is un-
drafted FB Mike Tolbert, who has
been in the starting lineup most of
the year. Tolbert has surprised the
Bolts not only with his blocking abil-
ity but also with his pass-catching
skills. AWeek 12 shoulder injury
might sideline Tolbert for a while,
meaning another rookie, Jacob
Hester, will start in his place. The
Chargers are eager to see what they
have in Hester, a third-round pick
who showed offensive flashes in the
preseason but has played mainly on
special teams. He ripped off a 28-
yard run on his only carry last week.
The Raiders offense has a
chance to make a break from its
dreadful past, sources in Oakland
say. That is, as long as RB Darren
McFadden stays healthy.
In a season marred by a coach-
ing change and a carousel of play-
callers, Al Davis struggling club
had gone 15 consecutive quarters
(206 plays) without scoring an of-
fensive touchdown before McFad-
den, in his second game back since
suffering through turf toe on both
feet, scored on a one-yard run in
Week 12. It was the first of two TDs
for McFadden as the Raiders went
on to pummel the Broncos 31-10.
The Raiders are not on the verge
of becoming a juggernaut, but
there are promising signs that
things are getting better, not worse,
as they appeared to be headed at
some trying points earlier this sea-
son. If QB JaMarcus Russell can
perform like he did at Denver (10-
of-11 passing, zero interceptions), it
will help Oaklands cause. He didnt
in Week 13, though, completing 10-
of-28 passes for 132 yards in a loss
to the Chiefs.
TE Zach Miller has been a
steady option all season long. He
has the ability to give the team a
boost, turning dump-off passes
into big gains.
McFadden, however, changes
the equation for the Raiders of-
fense more than any other factor,
the way we hear it.
McFadden is Oaklands one
breakaway option. The receiving
corps is devoid of playmakers.
Miller cant outrun corners or
safeties to break long runs to the
endzone. RB Justin Fargas is a
solid, tough rusher, but he rarely
gets loose. His longest run of the
season is 42 yards, and he gains
3.9 yards per carry.
The Raiders struggled to score
when McFadden was sidelined. The
Raiders scored 31 points in their
previous four games combined be-
fore exploding for 31 vs. the Bron-
cos. The Raiders came back to earth
last week, though, scoring 13 points.
Team insiders say McFadden
isnt afraid to speak up when he
thinks the ball would be best in his
hands, either. Hes heady enough
to realize when a play from the
Raiders playbook might work and
bold enough to suggest it to his
head coach. McFadden recom-
mended a flip pass to interim head
coach Tom Cable against Denver.
When Cable called that play, Mc-
Fadden powered into the endzone,
ending the team's scoring drought.
Rookie RB Darren McFadden has established himself as a difference maker for the Raiders offense.
A
P
DENVER
BRONCOS
KANSAS CITY
CHIEFS
SAN DIEGO
CHARGERS
OAKLAND
RAIDERS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC EASTBy Eric Edholm
WHISPERS
The Cowboys
locker room might
not be as welcoming
for Pacman Jones
as owner Jerry
Jones appears to be.
We hear there is a
faction of the players
that feels that Pac-
man Jones presence
could throw off the
chemistry and posi-
tive swagger that the
Cowboys have
worked hard to re-
gain. With the play-
offs hanging in the
balance, the players
dont want any out-
side distractions dur-
ing what should be a
crucial stretch.
The Eagles will not
try to rush Shawn
Andrews back into
the lineup, because
theres a good
chance that both he
and Max Jean-
Gilles, the man who
replaced Andrews in
the starting lineup,
will be done for the
season. Jean-Gilles
suffered a fractured
ankle against the
Cardinals, and An-
drews back still ap-
pears to be too far
from 100 percent for
him to play. The team
likes Nick Cole
enough to plug him
into the ORG spot
and go with him for
the remainder of the
season.
The Redskins are
likely to use more
looks in which Jason
Taylor lines up at
linebacker, which the
team debuted
against the Seahawks
in Week 12. Taylor has
been quietly profes-
sional but also per-
sonally frustrated
that he hasnt been
able to make more
plays, and part of it
has been a defensive
design that asks the
Redskins front to
stop the run first and
foremost. At age 34,
having been most ef-
fective in recent
years as an edge
rusher and even
dropping into cover-
age, Taylor isnt at his
best when asked to
battle a tight end and
tackle at the point of
attack.
The Giants hit big on their rook-
ies in 2007 during the Super Bowl
season. They now are starting to
reap the benefits of their 08 crop.
Although this class hasnt had
nearly the impact that the prior
seasons did in Year One, rookie
DBs Kenny Phillips and Terrell
Thomas have been the standouts
of what appears to be a class with
depth and promise. Phillips has
stepped into a larger role and had a
big play in the Week 12 win over the
Cardinals, knocking loose a poten-
tial TD from WR Larry Fitzgerald.
Thomas, who has moved into the
nickel-back role, came up with an
interception that was the result of
good coaching and a tip from LB
Antonio Pierce, who alerted
Thomas to jump into a given spot.
The Giants other rookies most
notably WR Mario Manningham
and LBs Bryan Kehl and Jona-
than Goff are victims of the Gi-
ants great depth, but the team
likes what it has seen from each.
The Eagles offensive coaches
identified a need to get QB Dono-
van McNabb going earlier in
games after watching him struggle
in the first halves the previous
three weeks. So, the plan against
the Cardinals was to get McNabb
going with a series of short, high-
percentage passes that focused
more on accuracy, protection and
sharp execution than it did with hit-
ting a home run. McNabb also
found that rhythm by doing some-
thing he hadnt done much lately:
move around the pocket. McNabb
is less of a scrambler these days
than early in his career, but hes
still dangerous on the move, forc-
ing defenses to respect the QB run
but also making them hold their
coverages longer. Dont be sur-
prised if the coaches design more
plays for McNabb to roll or sprint
out going forward, which opens the
possibility for more plays where
McNabb leaves the pocket and
forces defenses to react.
The Redskins offense has ta-
pered off to the point where the
team might not reach the 30-point
mark in a game this season. In the
past four games, the team has av-
eraged only 288.8 yards. Granted,
three of those games were against
good defenses, the Steelers, Cow-
boys and Giants, but the lack of a
second option in the passing game
has made the Redskins pre-
dictable. Imagine what would hap-
pen if either RB Clinton Portis or
WR Santana Moss went down;
combined, they have accounted for
549 of the teams 1,155 yards in
that span. Teams pack it in against
Portis and double-team Moss on
first and second downs, and de-
fenses are mindful of WR Antwaan
Randle El and TE Chris Cooley on
third downs. The lack of another
option in the passing game has cre-
ated an offense that has to be for-
mulaic to be successful, but teams
are starting to notice this trend and
make the proper adjustments.
The Cowboys are hoping that
OLB DeMarcus Wares knee or RB
Marion Barbers toe dont become
as synonymous with the teams
troubles as QB Tony Romos pinkie
was. In the Thanksgiving blowout
of the Seahawks, the team suffered
injuries to perhaps the two players
who are most valuable to the Cow-
boys playoff chances other than
Romo. MRIs revealed that neither
player tore ligaments or sustained
fractures, but their availabilities for
next weekend were unknown.
Ware simply is the best defen-
sive player they have, and he might
be the best in the league on that
side of the ball. His sprained knee
didnt appear to be terribly serious
after the game when he stood
without pain and appeared to walk
comfortably, albeit gingerly. An
MRI performed on the knee a day
after the Week 13 game revealed
there was no ligament damage to
the knee. Theyll want him back
against the Steelers the first of
four big tests as the team hones in
on a playoff spot even if capable
reserve OLB Anthony Spencer
easily could slide into Wares spot.
The team isnt nearly as deep at
running back, where Barber left the
Seahawks game following a dislo-
cated toe. The painful injury also
could lead to the team having to
make a roster move if hes not able
to play against Pittsburgh. Backup
Tashard Choice, who has been
thrust into the role with Felix Jones
down for the season, has per-
formed admirably (11 carries, 57
yards against the Seahawks) and
has impressed the coaching staff
with his toughness and focus, but
hes the only tailback left on the
roster. Practice-squad RB Alonzo
Coleman could be a candidate to
be called up if Barber cant go next
week, although owner Jerry Jones
sounded fairly optimistic that the
extra few days of rest should allow
Barber to go next week.
But these injuries show that the
Cowboys are thin in certain spots.
Its one reason that the team has
decided to bring back CB-PR Pac-
man Jones, despite resistance
from some of the players. They are
thin on special teams with Felix
Jones and others out and at cor-
nerback with Mike Jenkins cur-
rently banged up.
The Cowboys know they cant
afford to suffer one more critical
injury because players such as
Ware, Barber and Romo must be at
their best to get this team hot
down the stretch.
The Cowboys cant afford to be without DeMarcus Ware, who injured a knee last week, down the stretch.
A
P
NEWYORK
GIANTS
PHILADELPHIA
EAGLES
WASHINGTON
REDSKINS
DALLAS
COWBOYS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC NORTHBy Dan Arkush and Eric Edholm
WHISPERS
One place where
the Lions are likely to
look different next
season, regardless of
who is the head
coach, is on the of-
fensive line. C Do-
minic Raiola is likely
to remain a starter,
and Gosder Cher-
ilus figures to start at
one tackle spot. But
the remaining posi-
tions figure to be up
for grabs, with OLT
Jeff Backus per-
haps the one excep-
tion. That means the
guards, Stephen
Peterman and
Edwin Mulitalo,
both of whom have
been hurt recently,
could be playing for
their jobs down the
stretch.
The consensus is
that the Bears suf-
fered a pretty sub-
stantial blow to their
special teams with
the loss of reserve LB
Darrell McClover,
who has been placed
on injured reserve
with a season-ending
hamstring injury. Mc-
Clover was tied for
second with CB
Corey Grahamin
special-teams tack-
les with 14 heading
into Week 13 action.
And (with) Graham
(starting at) corner-
back because of
Nate Vashers latest
injury, the teams are
further depleted, a
team insider said.
Vasher was placed on
injured reserve Satur-
day, thrusting Gra-
ham into the starting
lineup at right cor-
nerback.
Bears starting OLT
John St. Clair on
his willingness to
show rookie first-
round OT Chris
Williams the ropes
the same way he was
mentored by seven-
time Pro Bowl OLT
Orlando Pace in St.
Louis: My mentality
is that I want to treat
people how I want to
be treated. When he
(Williams) came in, I
had the same men-
tality. If he needed
my help, if he asked, I
helped him, and it
just went from there.
What has happened to Jamar
Williams? Entering the 2008 cam-
paign, the versatile third-year pro
who was drafted in the fourth
round out of Arizona State shaped
up as the Bears top backup at all
three LB positions and was consid-
ered by daily team observers to
have a promising future. But
Williams has been conspicuous by
his absence so far this season, with
the undrafted Nick Roach having
clearly passed him by on his way to
replacing veteran Hunter Hillen-
meyer as the starting strong-side
linebacker, and Hillenmeyer be-
coming the top reserve. Acom-
mon complaint about Williams is
that he lacks toughness and needs
to get more physical, a team in-
sider said. Roach has shown more
speed and athleticism (than
Williams), which makes him more
useful in pass coverage, and with
Hillenmeyer considered a better
run defender, Williams just hasnt
been much of a factor.
It would appear the Packers sec-
ondary, which had been performing
so brilliantly heading into the Week
12 Monday-nighter in New Orleans,
has more concerns than just a
damaged psyche after getting
torched by Saints QB Drew Brees
in a 51-29 defeat. We hear the Pack-
ers suddenly are flying by the seat
of their pants at the SS position,
where struggling starter Atari
Bigby and, to a much greater ex-
tent, backup Aaron Rouse cur-
rently are hindered by ankle injuries
necessitated some creative tweak-
ing like shifting Charles Wood-
son from the left corner to strong
safety last week vs. the Panthers.
While Woodson, RCB Al Harris and
FS Nick Collins have excelled for
the most part this season, team in-
siders are in agreement that Bigby,
who missed most of the first half of
the season with a pulled hamstring,
hasnt come close to the promising
form he displayed in what appeared
to be a breakout campaign in 2007.
Vikings defensive coordinator
Leslie Frazier still prefers to use
the Tampa-2 defense as the base
coverage for a few reasons. The
teams front four has been able to
supply pressure without much help
from blitzing, and other than CB
Antoine Winfield, the team has
lacked cornerbacks who can cover
consistently in man coverage. But
Frazier has shown a willingness to
mix up his looks, playing a lot more
man defense against the Jaguars in
Week 12 more than the team
had shown in any one game this
season. The result was mostly suc-
cessful, as the Vikings intercepted
David Garrard twice, forced him to
check down several times to backs
and tight ends, collected four
sacks and allowed the Jaguars
wideouts to make only one big re-
ception. The Vikings reverted to
more two-deep looks against the
Bears after Devin Hester broke a
long catch-and-run TD but showed
some man looks early in the game.
Without knowing who will be the
head coach or the general man-
ager for the Lions in 2009, its very
difficult to predict how the roster
will look. But its easy to see that
the team doesnt have what it
takes to run the Tampa-2 scheme
or any defense, for that matter
with the current personnel.
The Titans were the latest team
to roll through the Lions in Week
13, running up 456 yards of offense
with little resistance. The Lions
knew the Titans wanted to estab-
lish the running game it recently
had misplaced, and they could do
nothing to stop it.
The Lions do have some pieces
that likely will carry over and could
thrive at some point. The defensive
line has some talent in DEs De-
wayne White and Jared DeVries
(both injured currently), as well as
several young players, such as
Corey Smith, Cliff Avril and
Ikaika Alama-Francis, who are
worth looking at. Avril gave the
Lions perhaps their only real high-
light in the Thanksgiving Day mas-
sacre with his strip sack of Titans
QB Kerry Collins and return that
set up their lone touchdown.
But at linebacker, there might
only be one true starting-caliber
player. Ernie Sims is not having a
great season, and in part its be-
cause hes trying to do too much,
often overrunning or overpursuing
plays because of others mistakes.
But hes a battler who is one of the
Lions best defenders when he has
better talent around him. There
might not be another player who
strongly figures into the future
plans of this team, although sec-
ond-round pick Jordon Dizon
could improve with more time.
In the secondary, the team
signed CB Leigh Bodden to a
long-term deal and will have to
make a big decision this offseason
on his $8.6 million roster bonus.
Its incredibly steep for a player
who has made only one intercep-
tion and hasnt covered very well.
But if they let Bodden walk, that
means they only will have their
second third-round pick reserve
DT Andre Fluellen, who hasnt
done much to show for the
Shaun Rogers trade.
To make matters worse, other
than at defensive end, the depth is
bad. The Lions could have as many
as a dozen new defensive players in
09, allowing free-agents-to-be such
as Shaun Cody and Paris Lenon to
walk but needing to replace them
with capable alternatives.
There is a lot of uncertainty about the future in Detroit, but LB Ernie Sims is a lock to remain a Lion.
A
P
CHICAGO
BEARS
GREEN BAY
PACKERS
MINNESOTA
VIKINGS
DETROIT
LIONS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC SOUTHBy Dan Parr
WHISPERS
Roddy White is
deserving of the na-
tional attention that
has come his way
this year, but our Fal-
cons sources also
heaped high praise
on his colleague in
the receiving corps,
Michael Jenkins,
whos in the midst of
a career year. I think
if Roddy wasnt there,
Jenkins would be a
Pro Bowler, said the
source. He has the
talent. He finally has
a quarterback and an
offense and a system
that hes thriving in.
Atlanta signed Jenk-
ins to a four-year ex-
tension Nov. 25.
Panthers DE
Charles Johnson
hasnt worked his
way into the starting
lineup yet this sea-
son, but word out of
Carolina is that he
has what it takes to
be the long-term so-
lution opposite
Julius Peppers,
should the team re-
sign Peppers in the
offseason. Johnson
has 4
1
2 sacks and has
been effective as a
third-down specialist.
Sources in Tampa
say the Bucs were
pleased with what
they saw from SS
Sabby Piscitelli
during his starting
stint in place of the
injured Jermaine
Phillips. Piscitelli,
though, doesnt bring
the steady flow of big
hits like Phillips, who
returned from a bro-
ken left forearm in
Week 13. Receivers
may not be as willing
to go up high to bring
down passes with
Phillips patrolling the
defensive backfield.
We hear the key to
WR Lance Moores
breakout year is the
relationship he estab-
lished with QB Drew
Brees in the two sea-
sons prior to this one.
We hear Brees, the
consummate worker,
stays after practice
frequently to get
extra reps in. Moore
has typically been the
receiver he works
with in those post-
practice sessions.
Although theyre still tied for first
in their division, the Panthers have
had a host of concerns crop up in
the last month or so, including
Jake Delhommes loss of accu-
racy, slow starts to games, bad
tackling and breakdowns on spe-
cial teams. The biggest issue,
though, according to close ob-
servers of the squad, is the de-
fenses problems stopping the run.
Carolina has allowed 130 rushing
yards or more in each of the past
four games after giving up that
many just once in their first eight
games. In Week 13, the Packers
racked up 145 rushing yards. DTs
Damione Lewis and Maake Ke-
moeatu havent been getting
enough of a push and lackluster
tackling is also a major culprit. For
awhile, it looked like the Panthers
werent missing DT Kris Jenkins,
who was traded to the Jets in the
offseason, that much, but his ab-
sence seems to be felt more and
more as the season wears on.
The Saints offense didnt suffer
any setbacks while playing without
Reggie Bush for four games. In
fact, they actually had their best
stretch of the season, going 3-1.
Sources tell us Bushs return will
remove some of the pressure on
QB Drew Brees, who has been
shouldering a heavy load all sea-
son. Brees continued to shine
while Bush was recovering from
knee surgery to repair a torn
meniscus. When Brees is rushed in
the pocket, rather than forcing
throws downfield, he can toss a
dump-off to Bush. Bush can turn a
five-yard catch into a 30- or 40-
yard gain in a hurry, adding a di-
mension to the offense that has
been missing. In Week 13s loss to
the Buccaneers Bushs first ac-
tion since getting hurt the ver-
satile back made a minimal
impact, rushing three times for
zero yards and catching five
passes for 32 yards. He also lost 16
yards on two punt returns.
Cadillac Williams doesnt have
to be his old self; the Buccaneers
just need him to stay healthy and
take a chunk of carries, we hear.
Close observers of the team say
that Williams primary duty in the
remaining portion of the season is
to keep Warrick Dunn fresh. He
can do that by handling 10-15 car-
ries per game. Earnest Grahamis
out for the season (knee, ankle),
leaving Dunn as the top ballcarrier,
but Dunn turns 34 on Jan. 5 and
hell need some periodic rest. We
hear the Bucs were pleased that
they were able to get Williams, who
had been relegated to the sideline
since Week Four of last season with
a knee injury, a good-sized work-
load (16 carries) in Week 12. If he
can keep that up, Dunn should be
able to stay on top of his game. In
the Week 13 win over the Saints,
Williams had four carries for 20
yards, including an eight-yard
touchdown run. As for Dunn, he
had 22 carries for 74 yards.
Falcons FB Ovie Mughelli stud-
ies his craft and focuses on some
of the great fullbacks of the past
and present. One of his favorites to
watch is the Ravens' Lorenzo
Neal, a 16-year veteran and four-
time Pro Bowler. Three of Neals
four Pro Bowl nods came as a
member of the Chargers, when he
blocked for LaDainian Tomlinson.
It was Tomlinsons backup, how-
ever, that caught Mughellis eye.
I was watching Lorenzo and I
noticed this backup, Michael
Turner, just running through cats,
Mughelli said. Turner, all he did
was embarrass people, power
through linebackers and even de-
fensive linemen sometimes.
Mughelli could barely contain his
excitement when he heard Turner
signed with the Falcons in the off-
season.
All Mike needs is a small crack
in the defense and hell exploit it,
he said. With Michael coming to
the Falcons, its been a dream
come true almost. Afullback cant
wish for a better running back to
block for.
Mike definitely made it a little
easier for me. I think we comple-
ment each other.
Mughelli told PFWit took about
the entirety of offseason mini-
camps and training camp to estab-
lish a sound rapport and comfort
level with Turner, but from Week
One on, Mughelli and Turner have
been one of the leagues most suc-
cessful pairings. Atlanta is one of
the leagues top rushing teams,
gaining 150.7 yards per game and
its scored 16 touchdowns on the
ground.
When the Falcons signed Mughelli
in March 2007, they made him the
highest-paid fullback in the league.
He was coming off an All-Pro season
in Baltimore and was primed to take
Atlantas running game to another
level. Then-head coach Bobby
Petrino, however, often didnt have
room for Mughelli in his offensive
scheme, and Mughelli spent a lot of
time on the sideline.
That has changed with the
smashmouth system employed by
new head coach Mike Smith and
offensive coordinator Mike Mula-
rkey. The addition of Turner, too,
helped restart Mughellis career.
Theres nothing like making a
huge block and feeling Mike just
come right off your back, he said.
You can see him running down the
field while youre taking your guy to
the floor. That is the best feeling
the world. Better than any high.
Falcons FB Ovie Mughelli is a key component of Atlantas productive rushing attack.
H
A
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R
Y
S
C
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L
L
,
J
R
.
CAROLINA
PANTHERS
NEW ORLEANS
SAINTS
TAMPA BAY
BUCCANEERS
ATLANTA
FALCONS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC WESTBy Dan Arkush
WHISPERS
Our Cardinals
sources found it odd
that QB Matt
Leinart didnt get
any mop-up duty
with his team hope-
lessly behind the Ea-
gles late in the
Thanksgiving night-
cap. (Head coach
Ken) Whisenhunt
said he thought
about putting in
Leinart but that he
wasnt willing to con-
cede victory, a team
insider told PFW. But
down by four touch-
downs, youd think
they might want to
get (Kurt) Warner
out of there.
Seahawks WR
Bobby Engramsays
he has kept his 35-
year-old body in good
enough shape to play
at least a few more
seasons. But the way
were hearing it, its
looking more and
more as though En-
gram wont be play-
ing in Seattle next
season. Said one
team insider: With
both (head coach
Mike) Holmgren
and (offensive coordi-
nator Gil) Haskell
probably leaving, Id
be surprised if En-
gram is back.
Look for Rams
third-round rookie
John Greco to keep
getting more playing
time at right guard in
place of disappoint-
ing free-agent addi-
tion Jacob Bell. We
hear theres been
some talk about pos-
sibly moving Bell to
tackle, but nothing
serious. We also hear
that the Rams could
be running out of pa-
tience with starting
ORT Alex Barron,
who has lacked a
physical presence on
a consistent basis
and continues to
make too many mis-
takes.
We hear Rams MLB
Will Witherspoon,
who is targeted to
move back to the
outside next season
after having a very
tough time in the
middle this season,
has lately been bat-
tling injuries to both
his shoulders.
In dire need of more difference
makers on defense, the 49ers are
making a conscious effort to give
former first-round OLB Manny Law-
son more playing time. Theyre def-
initely trying to get him on the field
more, not only in the base 3-4, but
also in a 3-3-5, which allows him to
rush the passer more from a two-
point stance, a team insider told
PFW. He can still disappear at
times, but hes good for at least one
impact play per game, which forces
teams to account for him. It has
been a long road back for Lawson,
who team insiders tell us is just now
getting back to full strength from
the knee surgery that forced him to
sit out the final 14 games last sea-
son. We wanted to make sure that
we were not rushing him back into
something where he gets reinjured,
head coach Mike Singletary said of
Lawson. Hes really been coming
on, and you can see the confidence.
Hes not having to think. Its just
happening.
Injury problems on both the de-
fensive and offensive lines have de-
creased the likelihood of the Rams
being able to win at least two more
games which the St. Louis Post-
Dispatch reported would be neces-
sary for Jim Haslett to remain in
serious consideration for the head-
coaching job beyond this season.
The D-line is a particular mess
heading down the stretch, with DE
Leonard Little (torn hamstring)
and DTs LaRoi Glover (torn knee
cartilage) and Adam Carriker
(ankle) all being forced to soldier
on at much less than full strength
because of the lack of reinforce-
ments. On the O-line, with veteran
OLT Orlando Pace returning from
a knee injury that forced him to
miss the Week 12 game, Brett
Romberg returns to the starting
center job he had lost to Nick
Leckey, who was placed on injured
reserve with a broken foot that was
initially injured in the Week 11 loss
to the 49ers.
After it allowed more than 400
yards for the fifth time this season
(447) and failed to register a sack
for the first time in 08 vs. Dallas,
the heat has intensified on a Sea-
hawks defense that has under-
achieved. Word is the units sharp
decline could lead to the departure
of D-coordinator John Marshall,
with head coach-in-waiting Jim
Mora said to be setting his sights
on Ed Donatell, who served as
Moras coordinator with the Fal-
cons from 2004-06. Donatell is
currently the D-coordinator down
the road at the University of Wash-
ington under Ty Willinghamand
figures to be available, with Willing-
ham set to leave the Huskies after
this season. Marshalls defensive
scheming has been open to ques-
tion, the latest case being his reluc-
tance to call blitzes until late in the
first half of the Seahawks Thanks-
giving Day loss in Dallas. I think
Mora would like to be more aggres-
sive, said one team insider.
Team insiders agree the Cardi-
nals could have picked a better
time to play their worst game of
the year than their frightful 48-20
Thanksgiving-night drubbing by
the Eagles, which clouded the
teams legitimacy as a serious
playoff contender.
It looked like they sleepwalked
through the entire game, said one
team insider. The whole team
seemed very disinterested.
Especially the defense, which al-
lowed a season-high 437 yards and
10-of-15 third-down conversions.
Thats as bad as the defense
has looked, the insider said. It
was different than the Jets game (a
56-35 loss in Week Four), when
turnovers were the biggest culprit.
Its hard to believe this was the
same unit that did a decent job
(the week before) with the Giants
ground game (87 yards allowed).
They were totally overpowered
up front. And the scheming was re-
ally strange. There were a few
times when Adrian Wilson
seemed to move himself out of
plays altogether. The lack of a pass
rush has become a problem.
Travis LaBoy hasnt made a play
going on a month now, and Darnell
Dockett has been quiet. Bertrand
Berry has been the only guy able
to bring consistent pressure, and if
he can be contained, forget it.
On the other side of the ball, the
Cardinals lack of a ground game
has become more of a concern.
With rookie Tim Hightower con-
tinuing to struggle he lost four
yards on his first two carries
against Philly and has now gained
only 85 yards on 42 carries since a
breakout 109-yard performance in
Week Nine team insiders are
puzzled why Edgerrin James, who
has been practically invisible since
being replaced by Hightower in the
starting lineup, isnt being given a
chance to contribute.
Thats a great question, said
one insider when asked why the
team seems to be so reluctant to
bring James back into the mix.
Hes the same back as hes always
been; hell get you 4-6 yards a
crack when the hole is there.
(Head coach Ken) Whisen-
hunt has never been a big Edge
fan. They stuck with him last year
for a lack of better options. They
still like the big-play dimension
Hightower provides, but hes tailed
off. There were times against the
Eagles when it looked like he could
have squared his shoulders and
picked up some extra yards.
The fact that the Cardinals have mothballed Edgerrin James has left some team observers dismayed.
N
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H
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SAN FRANCISCO
49ERS
ST. LOUIS
RAMS
SEATTLE
SEAHAWKS
ARIZONA
CARDINALS
FEATURE
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Mike Mularkey FALCONS
Age: 47
NFL coaching experience: 16 years
M
ike Mularkey didnt know a lot at the start
of the season. He didnt know how his rook-
ie quarterback would perform as an imme-
diate starter. He didnt know what to expect from
a talented but mercurial receiving group. And he certainly
didnt know how his no-name offensive line would perform.
But the one thing he knew was that he was going to run the
football. And he let everyone know it.
He told us from Day One we were going to be a running team
that is going to be physical, WR Michael Jenkins told PFW. We
are going to take our shots down the field and make plays, but
were a run-dominated offense that likes to control the clock and
control the line of scrimmage.
This is definitely different, C Todd McClure said. Coach said
it early on: I am not going to be one of those coaches who says
he wants to run the ball and then not do it.
It made sense. The team signed RB Michael Turner to a six-
year, $34.5 million contract, and though he never had been a
full-time starter in San Diego, he showed enough as LaDain-
ian Tomlinsons understudy that most people in Atlanta believed
that Turner was their best every-down option.
WR Roddy White had emerged as a downfield threat in the
lost 2007 season, in which Bobby Petrinos sudden exit left a scar
on an already wounded franchise, but it wasnt clear if White
could be the same weapon with a rookie QB at the helm, or even
if Matt Ryan could win the job right away. To make matters worse,
the O-line appeared a serious weakness.
You could not have blamed Mularkey if this group had struggled
out of the gate. And his recent coaching history had been marked
by disappointment and unmet expectations. After being fired as the
Bills head coach, he took a job as Nick Sabans offensive coordina-
tor on a Dolphins team that was supposed to be on the rise but in-
stead failed to live up to lofty expectations in a 6-10 season and led
to Sabans secret romance and eventual nuptials with Alabama.
Mularkey kept on last season as the Dolphins TE coach, but
he wanted another chance to call plays. When Mike Smith was
hired to run the Falcons, he wanted to hire someone who was
going to run the ball and demand toughness. And an interest-
ing pairing has turned out to be a brilliant one to date.
The Falcons rushed for a franchise-best 316 yards in the open-
er and have brought Ryan along week to week, to the point now
where he has won games for them (watch the Chicago game).
But when its all said and done, the run has been the backbone
of this resurgent Falcons team, as drawn up from the beginning
by Mularkey.
Every week we come in here and put in a new game plan, and
all (Mularkey) would talk about was running the ball and im-
posing our will, McClure said. Thats one thing they stress from
when we come in here on Wednesday until right before the game
is to make (the opponents) tap out.
These sometimes-overlooked assistant coaches have done outstanding jobs
with their respective units this season By ERIC EDHOLM SENIOR EDITOR
W
oe is not the assistant coach in the
NFL any longer. Not only are salaries
up in the trade, but also the exposure.
Of course, with the added attention comes
more work, more visibility and more re-
sponsibility.
Some coaches make the most of these op-
portunities and get promoted, sometimes
even to head coaches. Others prefer the
more sheltered life of working with a
smaller group, masters of their specific
trade.
And its virtually impossible to come up
with an all-encompassing list of talented
assistant coaches around the NFL or de-
cide accurately which ones are doing or
have done the best jobs. The best evidence
we can use is the improvement their teams
have made, es-
pecially in
their specific
realm, and
based on the
play on the
field.
With that in
mind, we have
put together a
group of
coaches a
mock staff, if
you will of
coaches who
deserve to be
recognized for the work they have done.
They are a varying lot: some older, some
new to the NFL, some well-known and
some obscure. But there are common
threads, too.
Six of our coaches and coordinators have
played in college or the NFL. Five of the
position coaches have been coordinators
before, having run an entire offense or de-
fense, and now get to work with a smaller
group, getting the best out of it. Two have
been head coaches (Mike Mularkey with
the Bills, Karl Dorrell with UCLA).
Some will get head-coaching and coordi-
nator jobs in the future, and others like old
pro Al Everest will be happy just to get the
chance to coach up the guys at whatever
job lies in front of them. All of them de-
serve mention, one way or another.
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
Steve Spagnuolo GIANTS
Age: 48
J
ust as the Giants last season evolved from a
team few had much regard for to a team that
shocked almost everyone, so too did Steve
Spagnuolo blossom, from nondescript assis-
tant into a hot coaching prospect.
Just as the Giants early in 2007 were under fire for their 0-2
record and, even worse, for the 80 points scored against their seem-
ingly disorganized defense, so too was Spagnuolo feeling the heat
for fielding a unit that couldnt stop anyone.
They brought him in last year to fix the problems
we had in years past. Initially people wanted to point
the blame at him, but you got to point the blame
at the players, as well, MLB Antonio Pierce said. I was worried
about making sure we were going to be the right guys for this de-
fense. Him getting out of that situation, then becoming the hottest
coach, the sexiest coach in the league as far as getting hired, hats
off to that guy.
The Giants did more than say hats off to Spagnuolo follow-
ing their stunning 17-14 upset of the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
They presented him with a three-year, $6 million contract exten-
sion, making him one of the highest-paid defensive coordinators
in the league, but only after the entire organization inhaled when
Spagnuolo interviewed for the Redskins head-coaching vacan-
cy and then exhaled when Spagnuolo took himself out of the run-
ning for that coveted job.
We have made the appropriate adjustments in our commit-
ment to Steve in recognition of what he and the defensive play-
ers and coaches achieved, Giants co-owner John Mara said.
Why all the fuss about a 48-year-old who worked in relative ob-
scurity, never gaining NFL coordinator status until age 47? In short
order, the quite short (not even 5-foot-10 standing at attention),
humble and self-effacing Spagnuolo molded the Giants into a de-
fense that carried the team to unexpected heights. This season, the
Giants and Spagnuolo watched as three defensive starters and key
members of the title run were lost perennial Pro Bowl DE Michael
Strahan to retirement, and LB Kawika Mitchell (Bills) and S Gib-
WEB
EXCLUSIVE
Check out our NFList, as we
name the assistants expected
to be hot head-coaching
candidates in January.
For additional stories from the
assistants interviewed for this
feature, read Eric Edholms
Around the NFL blog.
READ IT ONLY ON:
P r o F o o t b a l l We e k l y . c o m
ASSISTED LIVING
Steve Spagnuolo has gone from little-known assistant to
a coveted head-coach candidate in a years time.
By Paul
Schwartz
QUARTERBACKS COACH
Tom Clements PACKERS
Age: 55
The Aaron Rodgers-Brett Favre story has
been well-told. Overseeing the transition
from legend to prodigy and all that came
with it is a coach with a history of getting
good results out of potentially bad situations.
TomClements made Elvis Grbac into a Pro Bowler
with the the Chiefs in 2000, and in Pittsburgh the follow-
ing two seasons, Clements oversaw the fine seasons of Ko-
rdell Stewart, an MVP candidate in 01, and Tommy Mad-
dox, the Comeback Player of the Year in 02. So in his eyes,
transitioning to Rodgers this season has been far less of an
undertaking than any of those jobs.
There was never any indication he couldnt handle this,
Clements said.
Clements has stuck to the basics with Rodgers, never try-
ing to make the job of replacing Favre any bigger than it was.
QB and coach have focused on daily improvements with
an emphasis on footwork and fundamentals and the re-
sult has been positive. Clements said Rodgers probably got
his best opportunity to prepare for being the starter dur-
ing the Packers past two offseasons, often running the first-
team drills and getting one-on-one attention in QB drills.
Brett was always down in Mississippi, Clements said.
But Aaron has been through that a number of times, and
he carried that work over into this season.
I was always impressed with his football knowledge, but
I think he kicked it up a notch when he became the starter,
said Clements, a licensed attorney. He takes pride in know-
ing not only what he is supposed to do but also knowing what
everyone needs to do the lines calls, the protections
so he can make certain adjustments if he needs to.
ril Wilson (Raiders) left in free agency. The Giants believed
they were well-fortified to absorb the losses, but then in the
third preseason game their only Pro Bowl player in 2007, DE
Osi Umenyiora, was lost for the season with a knee injury.
Spagnuolo never once complained, never once bemoaned
the losses, showing the same steely disposition that surfaced
when he was under such duress early last season. His play-
ers took note of his demeanor then and now, and the results
in both instances were eye-opening.
I think he has character, said Pierce, who calls the defen-
sive signals sent in by Spagnuolo. When we were 0-2 (in
2007), this guy was taking a lot of heat. I know that he felt
the pressure that we all felt. But every day he kept patting us
on the back: You guys are a good defense; youre going to be
a good defense. And hell, he was right. We turned out to be
the seventh-best defense in the league, and I think that speaks
volumes about him.
Most (coaches) try to take respect. I feel he earned our re-
spect. He came with open arms. Of course, being a defensive
coordinator like he is, he was very aggressive with things, but
when guys had suggestions, he was open to it. He was per-
sonable. In years past, youd be with some defensive coordi-
nators who would tear a guy down and never pat him on the
back. Were grown men, but at the same time, there has to
be some kind of balance.
Unlike some ascending coordinators who relish the spot-
light and clearly try to put themselves on the fast track for head-
coaching jobs, Spagnuolo operates in far more subtle ways.
He learned all about patience by not breaking into the NFL
coaching ranks until 1999 and spent eight seasons coaching
defensive backs and linebackers with the Eagles, where he
watched and learned from Jim Johnson, one of the best de-
fensive masterminds in the business. After battling with his
NFC East rivals twice a season and always expecting and re-
ceiving defensive challenges from the Eagles, Tom Coughlin
quickly moved to hire Spagnuolo when it became obvious for-
mer defensive coordinator Tim Lewis had lost his players.
Spagnuolo promised to import the aggressive Philadelphia
scheme, but his product is not an exact replica of Johnsons
blitz-heavy approach.
Its similar but its different, said DE Jerome McDougle,
who played for the Eagles before signing this season with the
Giants. Coach Spags has his own niche on the defense; its
not really the same.
No doubt, the Giants are a high-pressure defense, but Spag-
nuolo asks Pierce to run side to side from the middle, unlike
the downhill responsibilities the middle linebacker had in
Philadelphia. Spagnuolo will mix in many blitzes, will drop
defensive ends into coverage and almost never sits back, but
at times he feels so confident with the pass rush of his front
four that he will turn them loose and play coverage. His cor-
nerbacks must be able to jam receivers at the line and usu-
ally are assigned to man coverage, which is why at times in-
terceptions are not easily attainable.
He has put us in a position to make plays, CB Aaron Ross
said. We really dont have to do anything but study film and
execute his defense, and that has made our job a lot easier.
When former Eagles offensive coordinator Brad Childress
was hired to coach the Vikings in 2006, he wanted to bring
Spagnuolo with him to Minnesota. But at the time Johnson
was being considered for the 49ers head-coaching job, and
Andy Reid denied Spagnuolo moving to Minnesota, as he
wanted to keep him on board in case Johnson left town.
He was very honest and up-front and said he couldnt do
it at that time, so an opportunity bypassed, and luckily for me
things happen for a reason when you look back at it, Spag-
nuolo said. If I had gone to Minnesota, I wouldnt have had
an opportunity to come to New York and win a Super Bowl.
When you look back in hindsight, Andy did me a big favor,
so I am grateful to him now. At the time I was a little disap-
pointed, but now I am very grateful.
It remains to be seen how much longer the Giants can hold
on to Spagnuolo, with several head-coaching openings expect-
ed following this season. Theres no doubt Spagnuolos stock
is soaring, with the Giants proving they were not one-year
wonders and their defense again causing havoc.
Steve is a hard worker who has quickly earned the respect
of the players and coaches, and he has earned the consider-
ation he is being given, Coughlin said.
Ever vigilant to praise his defensive assistants and stray from
talk about his future, Spagnuolo knows there will be oppor-
tunities waiting for him.
I guess the answer to that would be yes, but I let all the
stuff take care of itself, Spagnuolo said. I mean, I think every
year you get under your belt with experience is going to help.
I dont think that is any different than any other business.
With Coughlin signed through 2011 and not appearing as
if hes going anywhere before that, its doubtful the Giants will
be able to convince Spagnuolo to wait around to succeed him.
If he ever gets a head-coaching job, it will be to the right
place, Pierce said. Hes a smart man.
Paul Schwartz covers the Giants for the New York Post.
RUNNING BACKS COACH
Richard Bisaccia BUCCANEERS
Age: 48
NFL coaching experience: Seven years
Pick a job on the Bucs coaching staff and
Richard Bisaccia probably does it. He car-
ries the titles of special-teams coordinator,
running backs coach and associate head
coach. So its no surprise that he sometimes will beat head
coach Jon Gruden, a notorious early riser, into work.
Theres always plenty to do.
Bisaccia and Gruden first talked about Bisaccia, who has
an offensive background, coaching the backs in 2003, but
it didnt happen until this season. And the good news for
the Bucs is that hes good at all of his jobs. The special teams
are among the more consistent in the NFL, and the team
is in line for a playoff spot. Gruden regularly credits Bisac-
cia along with Monte Kiffin and Bill Muir as among his most
trusted coaches.
A lot of people have made sacrifices for me to do this,
Bisaccia said. Theres a lot more work put on Coach Muir
and (assistant RB coach) Tim Berbenich. Those guys are
a great help to me. And Coach Gruden has taken on some
film work to allow me to still do special teams.
But it has been Bisaccias work as the running backs coach
that bears serious mention. The Bucs backfield has been
shredded by injuries Cadillac Williams, Earnest Gra-
ham, Warrick Dunn and FB B.J. Askew all have missed
games and yet the running game has been strong, av-
eraging a healthy 4.1 yards per carry and 118.3 yards per
game.
Were down to (Dunn) and (Williams), but weve got B.J.
healthy and Jameel Cook, and we have Clifton Smith, Bisac-
cia said. Its as much about these guys coming to work as
it is me teaching them. Theyre pros.
OFFENSIVE LINE COACH
Mike Munchak TITANS
Age: 48
The Titans have been one of the great sur-
prises of the NFL season. Kerry Collins has
helped defuse a tough QB situation with
Vince Young. The running game has
evolved by leaps and bounds behind a rookie who was lit-
tle-known coming into this season. And even the unherald-
ed receivers and tight ends have chipped in with noticeable
contributions.
But the people who scout the Titans offense know that
the line is a major reason why. Other than Kevin Mawae,
most people might have trouble naming any of the teams
starters up front. In fact, the teams OL coach Hall of Fame
OG Mike Munchak might be more well-known than some
of the Titans linemen. And Munchak has been able to mold
the group fantastically despite two new starting guards, Jake
Scott and Eugene Amano, and Mawae playing in his 15th
season.
OTs Michael Roos and David Stewart are major success
stories, drafted in 2005 along with current backup OT Daniel
Loper. Roos and Stewart now are the cornerstones of a line
that that has paved the way to 1,664 rushing yards and 20
TDs and has allowed the statue-like Collins to be sacked only
seven times in 334 dropbacks.
He studies the game well, Munchak said of Roos. He
can probably call the plays in the huddle instead of the quar-
terback. Hes the guy who I think will take over as the leader
on that line when (Mawae) retires.
Daves a right tackle, and you cant move him to guard.
But he brings that natural physicality to the game without
trying. He doesnt set out to be a dirty player, but he
doesnt know any better. Thats just how he plays.
LINEBACKERS COACH
Keith Butler STEELERS
Age: 52
It wasnt that long ago that Steelers
OLBs James Harrison and LaMarr Wood-
ley were lost. They didnt know the defense
and appeared to be square pegs in round
holes. Now, they might be the finest, nastiest pair of out-
side linebackers in the game.
Flash back to 2004. Harrison was buried on the depth
chart, and the coaches including Keith Butler didnt
want to play him. And right before the Browns game in Week
10, Harrison was forced to start because Joey Porter got
kicked out before the opening kickoff.
I mean, it was 10 seconds before we kicked off. I
grabbed James and undressed him about what he knew
about our defense. But he came in and did a heck of a job
and has done a great job ever since, Butler said.
Last season, when Woodley was a rookie, he was mak-
ing the transition from college defensive end to 3-4 outside
backer in the pros. The adjustment was slow at times, and
Woodley was a question mark heading into this season.
Theres a lot of confusion for guys who havent played
the two-point stance before and are asked to play coverage,
Butler said. He has made the transition pretty well.
When I played, I probably learned more from my mistakes
than from my successes. Hes probably doing the same thing.
Butler, a 10-year linebacker with the Seahawks, is a be-
liever in the 3-4 defense and hopes to be a coordinator one
day. But until then, hes coaching maybe the best LB group
in the NFL, which also includes James Farrior and Larry
Foote, and is managing to make them better.
WIDE RECEIVERS COACH
Karl Dorrell DOLPHINS
Age: 44
NFL coaching experience: Four years
You cant blame Karl Dorrell for being
disappointed when he was fired by UCLA
after last season. The Bruins former head
coach weighed his options and wasnt
sure what his next coaching move would be.
But a call came in from new Dolphins head coach Tony
Sparano, wanting Dorrell to be his receivers coach. It was
a step down in terms of authority but a move up from col-
lege to the NFL, where good work can get you noticed
and promoted quickly. Dorrell might need to polish up
his rsum considering the job he has done with an unher-
alded group of receivers, turning what had been viewed as
a team weakness into a strength.
I think with him being a head coach and having that head-
coach mentality, he definitely knows how to manage a group,
rookie WR Davone Bess said. The number of guys he has
to manage has gone from 85 or something to six or seven.
Bess has been a nice surprise as an undrafted free agent
who has jumped into the No. 3 role, and hell have to jump
higher now that Greg Camarillo another unknown suc-
cess has torn his ACL. But of the wideouts, the biggest
story has been Ted Ginn, who has gone from raw receiver
as a rookie to every-week contributor in his second season.
Bess credits Dorrells daily work everyday drills, or EDDs
for the groups improvement. Though the drills become
mundane and tedious, they have taught them fundamentals.
Whether its the 15th double practice in August or the
ninth game of the season, he is still stressing the same de-
tails and trying to make us better every week, Bess said.
DEFENSIVE BACKS COACH
Tim Lewis PANTHERS
Age: 46
Timing is everything in the NFL. And
though Panthers DB coach Tim Lewis
might feel like he missed his window in some
respects, his work with the teams second-
ary this season has gotten him noticed once more.
Lewis was seen as a rising star in coaching as he moved from
the Steelers, where he had coordinated four top-10 defens-
es until 2003, when he moved to the Giants. There he turned
the defense around and began to get notice as a head-coach-
ing candidate, even earning interviews. But that chance nev-
er happened, and he lost his job in New York after it appeared
he lost the players.
Arriving in Carolina in 07, Lewis helped turn around a unit
that lost Mike Minter to retirement and Chris Gamble to in-
jury for part of the season. SS Chris Harris arrived from Chica-
go not well known, but he made his point quickly by becom-
ing a hard hitter and ballhawk.
This season, Lewis has overseen the development of
rookie FS Charles Godfrey, a college corner who has played
well in 12 starts, as well as the training-camp fight with Steve
Smith that put Ken Lucas into the national spotlight as a vic-
tim. Lucas and Smith not only have put it behind them, but
it helped rally the team and has spurred Lucas to one of his
best seasons in Carolina.
Godfreys big moment came in the win over Detroit. He in-
tercepted QB Daunte Culpepper, baiting him by hiding be-
hind the receiver and popping out at the right time to make
the pick. Perfect timing. Godfrey then celebrated his first ca-
reer interception by presenting the ball to Lewis.
TIGHT ENDS COACH
Brian Pariani TEXANS
Age: 43
Brian Pariani was a coach on the rise in
2005. He had cut his teeth in the 49ers or-
ganization as an assistant, winning Super
Bowl XXIX in 1994 and moving on to the
Broncos the next season to coach the tight ends, where he
won two more titles, helping Shannon Sharpe become one
of the best receiving tight ends in league history.
In 05, when Syracuse coach Greg Robinson came call-
ing for him to become his offensive coordinator, Pariani
couldnt turn it down, even if he hadnt coached college be-
fore. And then the bottom fell out. The Orangemen lost 10
of 11 games, and Parianis offense fell flat.
It was then that he went back to the NFL, doing what he
started. Pariani joined the staff of his old Broncos friend Gary
Kubiak in Houston and arrived just prior to Owen Daniels,
a fourth-round pick and his next project. The Texans also
were starting over, and Parianis first mission was to get
Daniels up to speed to potentially become the pass-catch-
ing tight end in the teams West Coast offense.
Ive only played tight end for five years, Daniels told PFW,
so for me, I really needed to work on footwork and hand
placement. And for three years, weve done that every day.
Pariani has Daniels on pace to surpass his receiving num-
bers from his first two seasons, but he also has made sure
that Daniels has improved in two key areas: ball security
(four fumbles in 07, zero in 08) and blocking.
Oh, I got on him for that, the colorful, animated coach
said. Believe me. And he has come so far and done such
a nice job. He has improved every season. Weve seen it.
SPECIAL-TEAMS COACH
Al Everest 49ERS
Age: 58
When Al Everests coaching days are over,
hell make a pretty good storyteller. The suc-
cessful and well-traveled coach has taught
offense, defense and special teams at near-
ly every level of football for more than 35 years in four
different countries. But these days he has shaped up the
49ers special-teams units into some of the best in the NFL,
blocking punts, returning kicks and punts for touch-
downs and putting together solid coverage units.
And he has some of the most colorful sayings in the league.
On teaching technique: We teach our guys, give them
tools. Karate Kid is a five-minute movie without wax on,
wax off. Thats one thing I do know.
On the chaos and speed of kick returns: If you give a guy
a Ferrari and hes never driven a car, hes going to go fast,
but hes going to crash it somewhere.
On the toughest element of special teams: I tell these guys,
you dont need to go ride the roller coaster, just get over here
on this kickoff.
Everest earned the nickname Dirty Al as a hard-nosed
DB at SMU in the 1960s under Hayden Fry. Back in those
days, I used to tape up both arms with inner soles and plas-
tic cups and (Id) basically clothesline you, he said.
It takes good, tough, smart players to play special teams
for Everest, and he singled out Michael Robinson and Jeff
Ulbrich as two of his core players. (Robinson) has great en-
ergy, hes athletic and does everything for us, Everest said.
And (Ulbrich), theres a 10-year veteran who is playing hard-
core special teams and doing an outstanding job.
DEFENSIVE LINE COACH
Dan Quinn JETS
Age: 38
NFL coaching experience: Eight years
Jets defenders have wondered what
Dan Quinn puts in his coffee before prac-
tices and games. The second-year DL
coach can be seen jumping around on the
sideline, yelling, encouraging, doing whatever it takes to get
more out of his players.
Whatever it is, its working. The Jets run defense, which
has ranked in the mid-to-high 20s the past two seasons, now
is one of the top-ranked units. The defensive line tallied 13
sacks last season, and the team had but 29. Already, the line
has 12
1
2 and the team has 35.
Quinns unit was beefed up by the big addition of NT Kris
Jenkins this offseason, but there was some question
whether Jenkins, a 4-3 under tackle in Carolina, could
make the switch to playing head-up on a center, taking on
double-teams and holding the point as the center of atten-
tion in a vastly different 3-4 scheme.
Consider it a success. Jenkins is the rare interior lineman
who is receiving MVP consideration, as he has helped re-
form the Jets front line. Quinn never doubted he could make
the move based on what he saw.
Playing inside, number one, you have to have power and
the ability to come out of your hips and strike and control
people, Quinn said. Kris tape, playing in Carolina, certain-
ly showed that. I thought he could play the 34 nose based
on those physical skills he showed.
Jenkins arrival and Quinns tutoring also have opened
things up for DE Shaun Ellis, who is having a revival in his
ninth season with seven sacks, his most since 2004.
COVER STORY
UNCOMMON
BOND
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. The scene plays itself out in
some form before virtually every practice.
Patriots WRs Wes Welker and Randy Moss meet. Moss
yells something to the effect of, Lets do this!
And then they begin juggling.
A soccer ball.
Welker was actually a futbol star before he was a foot-
ball star, scoring 17 goals in an indoor game as a high school-
er. He has passed on his love of the worlds beautiful game
to Moss, and the two often can be seen dribbling, passing
and juggling a soccer ball in lieu of stationary bike work
or light jogging as a pre-practice warmup.
I keep a ball in my locker, Welker said. Its a good way
to get warm and keep your feet moving.
The sight of the 6-4 Moss all arms and legs and sinew
kicking the ball to the quick 5-9 Welker is a nice metaphor
for their unlikely rise as one of the best 1-2 receiving tandems
in the game.
At first glance, they couldnt be more different. Moss works
the deepest parts of the field with a sprinters stride. Welk-
er makes his living in the wilderness underneath, jitterbug-
ging through traffic without ever seemingly taking two steps
in the same direction.
Put them together, and they complement each other as
well as the most gifted midfielder and striker. Theyre like
David Beckham and Ronaldo.
I think we complement each other really well, Welk-
er said. I think we do benefit from each other. But I think
I benefit a lot more from him. He stretches the field and
makes big plays that are key to an offense. Having him out
there, when he re-signed, I was glad to see it, because its
good to have another guy on the opposite side of you thats
such a great player.
DIFFERENT AND THE SAME
In the most obvious senses, Moss and Welker couldnt
be more different. The former is black and from West Vir-
ginia and the latter is white and hails from Oklahoma.
Moss grew up in a tough section of Rand as the son of
a single mother in a racially charged high school. Welker
was raised in a two-parent home in Oklahoma City and at-
tended tiny Heritage Hall, a private college-prep school.
Both were their respective states Player of the Year as
high school seniors. Moss was considered the best prospect
in the country and had a scholarship to Notre Dame to prove
it. Welker received rejections from 105 schools before Texas
Tech decided to take a flyer on him.
Moss ended up enduring a series of legal issues and school
changes before settling at Marshall and rewriting the record
books. Welker overcame his perceived physical limitations
to become one of the most productive receivers in Techs
history.
Moss was selected in the first round of the 1998 draft.
Welker joined the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in
2004 before being cut and signing with the Dolphins, who
eventually let him become enough a part of the offense to
catch 67 passes in 06.
The two finally were joined during the Patriots great off-
season of 07, when they arrived in separate trades from the
Dolphins (Welker) and Raiders (Moss).
And from there a mutual admiration society quickly was
born.
When I first saw him, we were working out, and I saw
his quickness, but I didnt know really how fast he was, Moss
said. I knew what I could do outside as far as stretching
the field with my speed, but I didnt pay much attention
to what he can do in the slot. Once I saw him, I felt it could
be something big because we can definitely play off one an-
other and youve seen the results.
The results were better than the Patriots could have hoped.
Welker set a team record with 112 receptions and Moss
added 98 grabs and an NFL-record 23 touchdown recep-
tions.
He had one of his best years hes ever had, and thats the
same as myself, Moss said. So I think we complement each
other very well.
ENCORE, ENCORE
The question, of course, was what they could do to match
07, and that task became infinitely more difficult seven min-
utes into the season when Tom Brady blew out his knee and
was replaced by Matt Cassel.
From that point forward, it was clear a different stan-
dard would need to be applied to the duo, but they once
again have managed, in many ways, to exceed expectations.
For one, theyve helped turn Cassel into one of the hottest
quarterbacks in the league and a legitimate weapon.
Throwing to those guys makes any quarterbacks job eas-
ier, Cassel said.
Entering Sundays loss against the Steelers, Welker
was working on a record streak of 11 straight games with
at least six receptions to open the season. The streak end-
ed, though, as he caught only four passes in Week 13. And
Moss, while nowhere near his 23-TD pace, was coming off
his best game of the year, a three-TD effort against the Dol-
phins that saw Cassel exploit one-on-one matchups down-
field all afternoon.
Just a normal day at the office, a beaming Moss said.
And to think that day often starts with soccer. Welker is
the unofficial record holder for juggling the ball he has
kept it aloft for 275 touches (kicks, knees, heads and heels)
but as the two send it back and forth, its hard not to see
the symmetry they bring to the football field.
Randys an instant highlight every time hes around the
ball, Welker said.
Welkers not so bad himself. The Patriots can only
hope the two keep kicking that ball back and forth for years
to come.
John Tomase covers the Patriots for the Boston Herald.
Despite their near-opposite upbringings and styles,
Randy Moss and Wes Welker have formed a friendship
as well as an almost unstoppable receiving tandem
By JOHN TOMASE
The production for Randy Moss (top) and Wes Welker
has slipped, but not dramatically with Tom Brady out.
A
P
A
P
OPINION
PUBLISHERS PEN Hub Arkush, publisher/editor
WHAT WE THINK WHAT YOU THINK
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P
laxico Burress (6-5
3
8, 233, 4.6e)
Michigan State Positives: Rare
size. Outstanding athletic ability.
Creates instant matchup problems with
his size and athleticism. Good hands, bal-
ance and excellent body control. Can
make the acrobatic, circus catches. Plays
big in big games.
Negatives: Poor practice habits. Has
good hands but has a lot of concentra-
tion lapses that lead to dropped passes.
Is not a disciplined route runner and
does a lot of freelancing. Does not have a
big-league work ethic at this point.
Knows how gifted he is and takes advan-
tage of it. As a result, he can create inter-
nal problems.
Summary: Has the ability to be a lot-
tery-type selection, but his intangibles
and immaturity make him somewhat
risky.
Sounds like a scouting report written
yesterday, doesnt it? Joel Buchsbaum
wrote it in February 2000 in Pro Football
Weeklys 2000 Draft Preview book, prior
to Burress being drafted by the Pitts-
burgh Steelers with the eighth pick in the
2000 NFL draft. Eight years later, in
Burress ninth season in the NFL, appar-
ently not a thing has changed.
You can argue the logic of the Steelers
taking the chance they did back in 2000.
The player selected directly ahead of Bur-
ress was Thomas Jones, and immediately
after Burress the Bears took Brian
Urlacher. The Jets drafted John Abraham
at No. 13, the Seahawks used the 19th
pick on Shaun Alexander, and Keith Bul-
luck went to the Titans with the 30th
pick. But Pittsburgh needed help at wide
receiver, and the only other wideouts of
note to come out of that draft were Jerry
Porter in the second round and Laver-
anues Coles and Darrell Jackson in
Round Three.
The best of Burress five seasons in
Pittsburgh was 2002, when he caught 78
passes for 1,325 yards and seven TDs. But
entering the 2005 season, with Burress
looking for No. 1 wideout money, the
Steelers decided he wasnt worth the cost
or the trouble and allowed him to move
on in free agency. Was it coincidence, or
cause and effect, that sent the Steelers on
to their fifth Super Bowl title that season?
Its left to each of our own interpreta-
tions, but that it happened is a fact.
But the Giants were pleased to have
Burress averaging 70 catches and 1,076
yards a year and seven, 10 and 12 TDs, re-
spectively, in each of his three full sea-
sons. He was particularly impressive in
2007, missing practice almost all season
with a bum ankle but showing up every
Sunday to put up his best numbers over-
all as a pro and play a critical role in New
Yorks Super Bowl season.
But nagging doubts have always been
just below the surface with Burress. This
year, in particular, distractions have been
far more common than touchdowns.
Considering that Burress was supposed to
be nursing a sore hamstring injured badly
enough that hed already been ruled out
of Sundays game, it is more than fair to
ask: What was he doing out at a dance
club, why did he have a gun and why do
authorities believe his possession of that
weapon was criminal?
I leave it to the courts of law and public
opinion to determine Burress innocence
or guilt in this matter. But what does not
appear open to debate is his lack of re-
spect and concern for the National Foot-
ball League, his team, his teammates and
his fans. Plaxico Burress is the embodi-
ment of todays gifted but pampered,
spoiled and incredibly selfish athlete who
is clearly not worthy of the gifts hes been
given, and its time the Giants told him so
and sent him off to seek his fortune in the
real world, where the rest of us are forced
to toil every day.
M
ore than 17 percent of the children
in America are obese three times
as many as 30 years ago. Another
16 percent are at risk of obesity.
Alarming numbers, to be sure, and
ones that should concern all of us.
This is the major epidemic of our
time, Dr. Lewis Landsberg, founder and
director of a new obesity research center
at Northwestern University, recently told
the Chicago Tribune. Obesity and its
complications threaten to replace smok-
ing-related diseases as the pre-eminent
health problem that we face.
An estimated 61 percent of obese young
people have at least one additional risk
factor for heart disease, such as high cho-
lesterol or high blood pressure, according
to the Centers for Disease Control. And
obese children are more likely to become
overweight or obese adults and therefore
more likely to suffer from problems such
as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke
and several types of cancer.
If you think this issue doesnt affect you
because you and your children are in
shape, think again. Medical expenses re-
lated to obesity range from $25 billion to
$50 billion a year, half of it covered by
Medicare and Medicaid, according to fed-
eral studies.
A lack of physical activity is a major
cause of obesity in children. A recent re-
port by the Kaiser Family Foundation
concluded that kids younger than 6 watch
an average of two hours of TV a day, and
kids 8-18 spend four hours in front of a
TV screen and almost two hours more on
the computer.
Thats why we applaud the NFL for its
Play 60 program, a campaign to im-
prove the health of children by encourag-
ing them to be active for at least 60 min-
utes a day. Since the program was
launched last year, the NFL has commit-
ted $100 million to youth health and fit-
ness through programming, grants and
media time for public service announce-
ments.
The league used its Thanksgiving
weekend games to showcase the program
through a series of 90-second public serv-
ice announcements. Its goal was to raise
awareness of the youth obesity epidemic
and give fans a chance to be involved by
donating to health and fitness organiza-
tions in their community, the league said.
The multifaceted program includes the
development of an in-school curriculum
in cooperation with the American Heart
Association; creation of a youth fitness
program thats distributed to schools and
community groups; and a program that
tries to empower students by showing
them how they can promote change in
their own schools and communities.
The NFL is to be commended for this
initiative, which deserves support from
all of us. For more information on the
program, including how to contribute to
the NFLs partner organizations, go to the
leagues Web site at NFL.com.
Giants should release selfish Burress
Play 60 campaign a nobel effort
Redskins should get Boldin
I am a die-hard Redskins fan but seri-
ously think we made mistakes on our first
three draft picks this year. None of them
show that something you see in other
rookie receivers like DeSean Jackson and
Eddie Royal. Its scary going into next sea-
son with Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle
El, Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly as
the top receivers. Advice for the GM get
a veteran free-agent receiver! More
specifically, get Anquan Boldin!
Mike Barker, Maryland
OT rules need tweaking
I currently like the NFLs overtime sys-
tem. I would not change it to the college
system at all. I like the fact that the kick-
ing game is still used (punts, kickoffs).
How many people remember Chicagos
Dave Williams running back the opening
kick of overtime on Thanksgiving Day
1980 vs. Detroit? New college-type rules
would kill this. Starting on the 25-yard-
line would automatically guarantee a FG
for most decent pro kickers (42-yarders
are easily made). Here are my sugges-
tions: (1) Both teams get the ball once in
OT. (Obviously, coin-toss winners would
defer to have the ball second). (2) Keep
the kickoffs. Make the teams get a few
first downs to earn their points. (3) Punt-
ing is still allowed. (4) If neither team
scores after having a single possession in
OT, it goes back to current OT rules. After
all, you both equally had your one offen-
sive chance. (5) If the team that gets the
ball first gets a TD, it must go for two
points after the first TD. This prevents
longer OTs. (6) In the rare event that both
teams score the exact same way after
their first possession (FG or TD with two-
point conversion failing or working), and
in the event the 15 minutes expire after
this with the teams still tied, then and
only then will a fifth quarter start. (7)
Fifth-quarter rules coin toss again.
Both teams get the ball, as in college
rules. Start possession on the 50-yard
line. Same TD rules apply must go for
two. This is the maximum that can be
played a fifth quarter. If still a tie after
all of this, it is still a tie.
Daniel J. Vogt, Fairfield, Ohio
OT needs special teams
The problem with the college OT rule is
it eliminates special teams no punters,
no kickoffs, if your kick coverage or kick-
return team is the strong part of your
team, you are at a disadvantage. In col-
lege, your special-teams players go to the
bench and stay there for the entire OT.
Bob Riepe, Mediapolis, Iowa
OPINION
BOOST IN BOOTH Barry Jackson
N
FL Network may not have increased
its nationwide penetration, but it has
improved its game presentation.
For starters, Bob Papa has been a dra-
matic improvement over Bryant Gumbel
on play-by-play. Unlike Gumbel, Papa
immediately identifies ballcarriers and
receivers, who made the tackle, and all
other pertinent info. For instance, after
New Englands Kevin Faulk lost a couple
of yards on a run against the Jets, Papa
immediately knew and noted it was
Faulks first negative run of the season.
Meantime, Cris Collinsworth proves
every week why hes as insightful as any
analyst on TV. He noticed the Jets backed
off double coverage on Randy Moss late
in their Nov. 13 game. Seizing on that,
Moss caught a touchdown pass seconds
later. Thanksgiving Day, Collinsworth
correctly said Philadelphia would be able
to run from the spread until the Cardi-
nals put a safety in the box. Take your
chances with the Eagles receivers
theyre not that talented, he said.
The postgame coverage has produced
some newsworthy moments, including
Donovan McNabb visiting the set
Thanksgiving night and announcing that
he wants to remain with the Eagles but
needs to have a conversation with Andy
Reid. Fans in Philadelphia were chanting
support of McNabb, but Deion Sanders,
in a peculiar scene, asked them to shut up
and accused them of being the same fans
who booed McNabb previously.
AROUND THE DIAL
Shameless self-promotion: To pro-
mote a Victorias Secret show on the net-
work, CBS had one of the models join the
cast in Week 13 to comment on the ana-
lysts wardrobes. I enjoy purple and
green! she said of Shannon Sharpes out-
fit. But she also predicted games. Home
advantage is a big thing, right? she
asked. Embarrassing.
Whats more shameful: Warren Sapp
calling Keyshawn Johnson a bitch for
appearing on an interior decorating show,
or Showtime thinking it was so impres-
sive that it warranted sending out a press
release celebrating the comment? Sapp
apologized the following week.
More indication of how worthless
pregame prediction segments are: Foxs
Terry Bradshaw picked Pittsburgh over
New England in their Week 13 matchup
because they will take care of business at
home. Only one problem: The Patriots
were home. Bradshaw has had an embar-
rassing couple of weeks. In Week 12, he
referred to Chad Johnson (Ocho Cinco)
as Ocho Chinko.
After Curt Menefee said fans would
need to hold their nose during the Chiefs-
Raiders game, Matt Vasgersian spoke of
the Raiders commitment to excrement.
Vasgersian will leave Fox after this season
to take a job at the new MLB Network.
With an eye toward possible future
3-D broadcasts, the NFL planned to show
the Dec. 4 Chargers-Raiders NFL Net-
work telecast in 3-D in theaters in New
York, Boston and Los Angeles.
NBCs Tiki Barber declined to give
an answer when asked whos the second-
best team in the NFC. And ESPNs Steve
Young, when asked whos second-best in
the NFC North, said, I dont care.
So why should we, then?
Barry Jackson covers sports media for
the Miami Herald.
NFL Networks new tandem excelling
DOGGONE IT Jerry Magee
T
ruth, justice and the American way,
as it is being interpreted in the mat-
ter pertaining to Michael Vick:
Vick is serving a 23-month term in fed-
eral prison in Leavenworth, Kan., which
means he should be having some stimu-
lating conversations with his fellow dog-
fighting-convicted inmates. The NFL,
however, is a far more preferable environ-
ment, particularly economically.
Wishing to resume his career, Vick
showed up in a court in Surry County,
Va., on Nov. 25 to address charges pend-
ing against him in Virginia. By pleading
guilty to one count of dogfighting, Vick
received a three-year suspended sentence.
This is where this becomes curious to
one unlettered in the law. By wiping the
charges against him in Virginia off the
books, Vick has created an avenue for
him to secure an early release from du-
rance vile in Kansas. Federal law pro-
hibits prisoners from being released if
they have charges pending.
At the risk of being viewed as vindic-
tive, I cannot comprehend how by voicing
his guilt in Virginia, Vick has made his
conduct concerning the same charges any
less punishable to federal authorities. The
wheels of justice can grind exceedingly
strangely.
Were Vick to serve out his federal sen-
tence, he would not be free to resume
playing football until July 2009. With the
Virginia courts decision, he should be
along earlier. Opinion is divided on how
he is to be received. To some, teams are
going to approach him with the greatest
reluctance.
I believe teams will be falling all over
themselves to enlist him, for two reasons.
One is that for strength of arm, Vick has
no match in the NFL. Maybe Jay Cutler,
but certainly no one else. The other is
that in addition to his arm strength, Vick,
when he left us, was by far the fleetest of
NFL quarterbacks.
You just dont run across quarterbacks
with Vicks gifts all that often. And at the
moment he is only 28 years of age.
Leaving prison, before Vick could re-
turn to the NFL, he would have to be re-
instated by commissioner Roger Goodell.
The league suspended the athlete indefi-
nitely in August 2007 when he pleaded
guilty to federal dogfighting charges.
For Vick to win a pardon from Goodell
shortly after departing Leavenworth
would seem no slam dunk. It has to be
considered that Vick has admitted financ-
ing a dogfighting ring, bankrolling gam-
bling and having a role in the killing of at
least six dogs that had underperformed.
In none of the phases of his life has Vick
acted responsibly; he has declared bank-
ruptcy, having squandered the fees he
won in his six NFL seasons.
In 2004, Vick signed a 10-year, $130
million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.
Further, Plaxico Burress of the New
York Giants, having reportedly acciden-
tally shot himself in a leg in a New York
nightspot, has made the personal conduct
of NFL players a matter of public focus.
As for the circumstances of the Burress
incident as they have been spelled out, I,
for one, discount them. What was he do-
ing, cleaning his weapon? Why would he
be walking around with a gun in the first
place?
Jerry Magee covered pro football for the
San Diego Union-Tribune from 1961-2008
and for PFW since its inception in 1967.
Legal loophole bodes well for Vick
A-BOMBS
NFC South improves rating
If there were any doubts about the NFC
South being the NFLs strongest division
this season, they were convincingly elimi-
nated in Week 13. Just ask the NFC
Norths Packers, whose playoff hopes are
fading fast following their second loss to
an NFC South team in a six-day span.
Both Carolina and Atlanta, which is en-
gaged in a spirited battle with Miami for
consideration as the leagues most suc-
cessful reclamation project, registered im-
pressive road victories over Green Bay
and San Diego, respectively. The Panthers
bounced back from an ugly 45-28 loss to
the Falcons with a statement-making 35-
31 come-from-behind victory at Lambeau
Field culminated by RB DeAngelo
Williams fourth touchdown of the day.
The amazing Falcons remained one game
behind the Panthers and Buccaneers, as
former Chargers backup Michael Turner
outrushed LaDainian Tomlinson 120-24
in a 22-16 victory. Meanwhile, the Bucs
won their fourth straight game, narrowly
getting by a Saints team that punished
the Packers on a national stage six days
earlier. With its 23-20 victory spear-
headed by a pass defense that picked off
Drew Brees three times, Tampa Bay was
one of only two home teams to win a
game last Sunday, moving its record at
Raymond James Stadium to 6-0.
Give the Colts five
Over in the AFC South, the Colts con-
tinued to re-establish themselves among
the leagues elite outfits with a 10-6
squeaker over the beleaguered Browns in
Cleveland for their fifth straight victory.
Rebounding from a 3-4 start that had
many wondering whether Tony Dungys
troops had seen their better days, the
Colts havent dominated any of their vic-
tims, winning the last five games by a
combined 20 points. But three of those
victims (New England at home and Pitts-
burgh and San Diego on the road) were
picked by many to make it to the Super
Bowl, and the Colts have continually man-
aged to get by at less-than-full strength,
upending the Browns without either Pro
Bowl SS Bob Sanders or starting C Jeff
Saturday. With their next three games
against the bumbling Bengals, the hope-
less Lions and the fading Jaguars, the
Colts couldnt be sitting any prettier.
Calamity in Cleveland
On the other side of the NFL spectrum,
the Browns terribly disappointing 2008
campaign cant end soon enough, with
both head coach Romeo Crennel and
GM Phil Savage looking like they could
be on their last legs following a loss to the
Colts that moved Clevelands home record
to 1-6. Making matters worse was QB
Derek Andersons likely season-ending
knee injury that leaves the team in the un-
sure hands of journeyman Ken Dorsey.
Dan Arkush un-
leashes his Week
13 reflections.
By Michael Blunda
Associate editor
For the past five years, there has been one
name and face more synonomous with
fantasy football than any other: LaDainian
Tomlinson. The Chargers running back
graced the cover of practically every fanta-
sy preview magazine in that span, and he was
the No. 1-ranked player in just about all those
publications as well. With his annual jaw-
dropping numbers and incredible en-
durance, L.T. came as close to personifying
fantasy perfection as anyone.
But something has happened in 2008.
Tomlinson has gone from being superhuman
to just, well, ordinary. His stats arent ter-
rible hes still on pace to gain 1,554
yards from scrimmage and score nine TDs
but hes no longer the wow player that
he used to be. When watching L.T. these
days, he looks like just another back.
Now, there could be a few reasons for this
drop in production. Tomlinson has dealt with
multiple injuries since late last season, has
received little support from his offensive line
and is lacking an experienced fullback to cre-
ate holes. But whether its one of these rea-
sons or something else entirely, the hard
truth is this: L.T.s days as a bona fide fan-
tasy stud appear to be over.
While he has had a few uncharacteristi-
cally poor outings this season, his 14-carry,
24-yard performance last Sunday was the
straw that broke the camels back. Against
Atlanta, a defense that was allowing 120.9
rushing yards per game, Tomlinson shouldve
run wild. Instead, he was consistently
stuffed, with a long of just six yards. You cant
convince fantasy owners that numbers like
that are worthy of a top draft choice.
L.T. might still be a first-round pick in
2009, but were not even sure of that. His
average is a mere 3.7 yards, he has found pay-
dirt only seven times, and he has reached the
100-yard rushing mark just twice. In oth-
er words, hes giving you production simi-
lar to Texans rookie Steve Slaton, who was-
nt even selected in many fantasy drafts.
The final aspect that could scare fantasy
owners about Tomlinson next season is his
age. In June, he turns 30, a milestone that
is unfriendly to many NFL running backs.
Just look what recently happened to Shaun
Alexander when he was L.T.s age: His
stats went from spectacular to ugly al-
most overnight.
All good things must come to an end, and
while I dont enjoy saying it, L.T.s run as a fan-
tasy giant may have reached its conclusion.
WEEK 14
Matchups to
exploit or avoid
Remember what Chiefs RB Larry
Johnson did in his Week Four meeting
with the Broncos? Well, in case you dont,
L.J. burned them that game for 198 yards
and two TDs in a K.C. victory. Denvers
run defense hasnt improved much since
then, so its reasonable to think that
Johnson could have another productive
outing Sunday.
Odds are 49ers RB Frank Gore wont
be able to find much running room
against the Jets stout defense, which
means it could be a busy day for QB
Shaun Hill. Hill has played well since
taking over, and he has a reliable target in
WR Isaac Bruce. The two appear to be
solid bets this week in larger leagues.
Already with a dislocated pinkie toe,
Cowboys RB Marion Barber gets the
unenviable task this week of facing the
mighty Pittsburgh defense. The Steelers
are virtually impenetrable up front, allow-
ing just 71.2 rushing yards per game. Bar-
bers chances of success wont be helped
by a possibly sloppy field, either.
Redskins QB Jason Campbell just
squared off with the tough Giants, and
things wont get any easier this Sunday
against the Ravens. Baltimore held the
Bengals to only 155 total yards last week,
and while Washington shouldnt be quite
that bad, Chris Cooley and Santana
Moss arent in store for big stats.
MARKET REPORT
Stock rising
Bills QB J.P. LOSMAN
Has value if QB Edwards is sidelined.
Raiders RB JUSTIN FARGAS
Finally scored his first TD of 2008.
Ravens WR MARK CLAYTON
Had 5-164-1 last week, plus had a TD pass.
Dolphins WR DAVONE BESS
Productive replacing injured WR Camarillo.
Steelers TE HEATH MILLER
Has been a valuable target since returning.
Stock falling
Ravens RB WILLIS McGAHEE
Last three games: 16 carries for 26 yards.
Saints RB DEUCE McALLISTER
Return of RB Bush knocks him down a peg.
Rams WR DONNIE AVERY
Has less than 30 yards in past 4-of-5 games.
Eagles WR REGGIE BROWN
Completely lost in receiver shuffle.
Browns TE KELLEN WINSLOW
Hurt his ankle, team is down to No. 3 QB.
The end of a fantasy era?
Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson has been a first-round staple in fantasy leagues for
years, but a drop in production this season could cause him to slide in 2009.
Eagles RB Brian Westbrook had been in
a serious funk since a monster Week Eight
until Thanksgiving Day. Westbrook looked
like a true fantasy stud against Arizona, rush-
ing for 110 yards and two TDs and adding
two more scores on receptions. It was also a
vintage performance from QB Donovan
McNabb, who threw four TD passes. That
should calm down rabid Philly fans for now.
With only seven career TDs entering 08,
Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams was never
considered a scoring machine. But with what
hes done through 12 games, hes on his way
to earning that designation. Williams four
TDs last week gives him 13 on the season,
tying him for the league lead. And to think,
most people figured that rookie Jonathan
Stewart was going to steal all the TDs.
Sunday marked the return from injury of
two of fantasys most electric backs, the
Rams Steven Jackson and the Saints
Reggie Bush. For Jackson, it was a produc-
tive first game back, as he had 21 attempts
for 94 yards and added 16 receiving yards.
Bushs day didnt go as well. His three carries
resulted in zero yards, and he managed just
32 yards receiving. Both players should im-
prove with enticing matchups still remaining.
The Cowboys offensive machine kept
rolling last week against Seattle, with QB
Tony Romo racking up 331 yards and three
touchdowns and both Terrell Owens and
Jason Witten catching scores. The sched-
ule, however, is about to turn brutal for Dal-
las, which plays the Steelers, Giants, Ravens
and Eagles to close out 08. Theres not
much you can do if you own Cowboys play-
ers, but dont expect a statistical showcase
in December.
The mini-slump for the Titans Smash and
Dash backfield duo ended last Thursday in a
big way. Chris Johnson and LenDale
White each eclipsed 100 yards and scored
twice in a blowout win at Detroit. It had been
some time since the pair dominated a game
like this, but its safe to assume theyll do so
at least once more before seasons end.
With QB Brady Quinn already out for the
year, a potential season-ending knee injury
to QB Derek Anderson could zap the
Browns skill players of what little fantasy
value they had left. Ken Dorsey is expected
to take over, so its not likely that WR Bray-
lon Edwards will be catching many deep
balls, and defenses probably will stack the
box to stop RB Jamal Lewis.
The Cardinals may have an unstoppable
passing attack, but their running game
leaves a lot to be desired. Ever since Tim
Hightower torched the Rams for 109 yards
in Week Nine, Arizona has averaged 42.5
rushing yards as a team. Maybe benching
Edgerrin James wasnt such a great idea.
THE BUZZ
A
P
FANTASY FOOTBALL
FANTASY FOOTBALL
FANTASY DOCTOR Michael Blunda
I
f somebody told me that he had drafted
Chiefs QB Tyler Thigpen back in August
thinking hed be a key part of a fantasy
championship run, Im not sure how I
would have reacted. While Id probably
have given this person some sort of praise
for his incredible foresight, Id at the same
time been thinking that the guy must have
a screw loose to believe that a no-name, in-
experienced quarterback would actually
be a sought-after fantasy commodity.
Well, regardless of this imaginary mans
motive, the bottom line would be this:
Thigpen and a handful of other players
youd never heard of prior to 08 will ac-
tually win leagues for some of their owners
out there. Its this type of unpredictability
that makes fantasy football such a challenge,
but its also the thing that makes it such an
entertaining, engaging activity.
Thanks to injuries and poor play from a
fairly large amount of so-called name play-
ers, the door has been opened for a select
group of relative unknowns to make a seri-
ous impact in the seasons final month. I
talked at length last week about one of these
guys, Patriots QB Matt Cassel, who for
years was viewed as one of the luckiest play-
ers in the league, getting paid to sit and
watch the unbreakable Tom Brady win
game after game. But what happened when
Bradys knee was badly injured in Week One?
Cassel was called upon to come in and save
the day, and now he has developed into a le-
gitimate fantasy starter.
A similar situation happened to Saints WR
Lance Moore. Not even drafted coming out
of Toledo in 2005, the wideout was nowhere
near the fantasy radar as this season began.
Then, a thumb injury to Marques Colston
forced Moore into the lineup, and he began
showing his bevy of skills on a weekly basis.
Even with Colston back, Moore continues
to be the receiver QB Drew Brees looks to
most often, making him an extremely valu-
able fantasy asset in New Orleans pass-hap-
py offense.
Moore might be the best example of a
wideout considered a virtual nobody to
make an enormous difference in 08, but hes
not the only one. Arizonas Steve Breaston,
thought to be a sleeper by a few fantasy pun-
dits, has outperformed even the most opti-
mistic projections. The Cardinals No. 3 re-
ceiver is on pace to surpass the 1,000-yard
mark despite playing beside two of the
games top pass catchers. And dont forget
about the Bucs Antonio Bryant, who was out
of the NFL completely last season following
some off-field incidents. But the physical-
ly gifted receiver has taken advantage of Joey
Galloways nagging ailments to become
the preferred target in Tampa Bay.
Speaking of the Buccaneers, how many
people thought theyd be relying on RB War-
rick Dunn in the fantasy playoffs? The 33-
year-old has looked surprisingly spry this sea-
son, and he now finds himself in a signifi-
cant role, with Earnest Graham out for the
season. Right now, Id rather have Dunn in
my lineup over a bunch of big-name backs
that havent carried their weight.
And of course, theres the aforemen-
tioned Thigpen. Looking practically in-
competent in September, the QB magical-
ly turned things around when Kansas City
implemented a spread offense. Over the past
six weeks, Thigpen has played better than
a number of players much more well known
and certainly more highly regarded. His
shocking in-season transformation is rare,
but it makes him a crucial fantasy piece for
all those quick enough to pounce on him.
So whats the point here? Basically, therell
always be a few guys that unexpectedly heat
up in the concluding weeks of the season,
and you shouldnt be afraid to use them just
because they arent household names. Fan-
tasy owners wont soon forget the Decem-
ber run that former Titans QB Billy Volek
and WR Drew Bennett went on in 2004. The
pairs statistical bonanza likely changed
the outcome of myriad leagues for those
owners bold enough to roll the dice on them.
After all, the stats of a waiver-wire addi-
tion are worth just as much as those from
your first-round pick. It might not be pret-
ty, but Id rather win with a lineup full of no-
namers than lose with a starting squad
stuffed with All Pros.
No name guys could decide your leagues outcome
To have your questions answered by the Fantasy Doctor,
send your inquiries to Fantasydoctor@pfwmedia.com.
TOTAL POINTS
Fant
Player Team Pos Pts
Brees N.O. QB 289
Warner Ariz. QB 283
Rodgers G.B. QB 268
Cutler Den. QB 268
Rivers S.D. QB 245
McNabb Phil. QB 240
Manning Ind. QB 231
Cassel N.E. QB 224
Favre N.Y.J. QB 216
Manning N.Y.G. QB 214
Romo Dall. QB 212
Jones N.Y.J. RB 202
Pennington Mia. QB 199
Turner Atl. RB 199
Forte Chi. RB 196
Flacco Balt. QB 194
Peterson Minn. RB 194
Ryan Atl. QB 190
Roethlisberger Pitt. QB 188
Garrard Jax. QB 187
D. Williams Car. RB 186
Edwards Buff. QB 185
Delhomme Car. QB 183
J. Campbell Wash. QB 183
Portis Wash. RB 182
Thigpen K.C. QB 179
Barber Dall. RB 177
Orton Chi. QB 172
Gore S.F. RB 171
Jacobs N.Y.G. RB 170
Boldin Ariz. WR 166
Johnson Ten. RB 165
Lynch Buff. RB 160
Westbrook Phil. RB 160
Tomlinson S.D. RB 158
Frerotte Minn. QB 158
Fitzgerald Ariz. WR 155
Jones-Drew Jax. RB 155
Brown Mia. RB 153
Jennings G.B. WR 149
C. Johnson Det. WR 147
Collins Ten. QB 147
Schaub Hou. QB 145
White Atl. WR 144
Slaton Hou. RB 138
Garcia T.B. QB 137
White Ten. RB 136
Russell Oak. QB 132
Owens Dall. WR 131
OSullivan S.F. QB 130
Moss N.E. WR 126
A. Johnson Hou. WR 125
Anderson Clev. QB 123
Bulger St.L. QB 123
L. Moore N.O. WR 121
Smith Car. WR 120
J. Lewis Clev. RB 119
Wayne Ind. WR 119
Fitzpatrick Cin. QB 118
Marshall Den. WR 118
Carney N.Y.G. PK 117
Elam Atl. PK 116
Gonzalez K.C. TE 116
Gostkowski N.E. PK 115
Longwell Minn. PK 114
Kev. Smith Det. RB 114
Moss Wash. WR 114
M. Bryant T.B. PK 114
Crosby G.B. PK 113
Akers Phil. PK 112
Ward N.Y.G. RB 112
Jackson St.L. RB 112
Evans Buff. WR 111
Berrian Minn. WR 111
Ward Pitt. WR 111
Bowe K.C. WR 111
Moore Pitt. RB 110
Walter Hou. WR 109
Lindell Buff. PK 109
Royal Den. WR 109
Grant G.B. RB 108
L. McClain Balt. FB 106
Hightower Ariz. RB 106
Prater Den. PK 105
Houshmandzadeh Cin. WR 105
Feely N.Y.J. PK 104
Faulk N.E. RB 104
Dawson Clev. PK 104
D. Jackson Phil. WR 104
Nedney S.F. PK 103
Rackers Ariz. PK 103
Jackson S.D. WR 103
Reed Pitt. PK 102
Mason Balt. WR 101
Graham T.B. RB 101
Kasay Car. PK 100
Addai Ind. RB 100
Dunn T.B. RB 100
S. Hill S.F. QB 99
J. Brown St.L. PK 99
Bruce S.F. WR 98
L. Washington N.Y.J. RB 98
Bush N.O. RB 98
Coles N.Y.J. WR 97
P. Thomas N.O. RB 96
Stewart Car. RB 95
Kaeding S.D. PK 95
Welker N.E. WR 94
L. Johnson K.C. RB 94
Cotchery N.Y.J. WR 93
Driver G.B. WR 93
A. Bryant T.B. WR 93
Folk Dall. PK 93
Gould Chi. PK 93
Suisham Wash. PK 93
Edwards Clev. WR 91
McGahee Balt. RB 90
Rhodes Ind. RB 90
Williams Mia. RB 90
Gates S.D. TE 89
Breaston Ariz. WR 89
Muhammad Car. WR 89
Witten Dall. TE 88
Stover Balt. PK 87
Hanson Det. PK 87
Mare Sea. PK 87
Janikowski Oak. PK 86
Hasselbeck Sea. QB 86
Taylor Minn. RB 86
J. Jones Sea. RB 85
Carpenter Mia. PK 85
Norwood Atl. RB 85
Rosenfels Hou. QB 84
K. Brown Hou. PK 83
Scobee Jax. PK 83
Clayton Balt. WR 82
Parker Pitt. RB 81
Morris N.E. RB 81
Ginn Mia. WR 81
Vinatieri Ind. PK 80
Henderson N.O. WR 80
Holmes Pitt. WR 77
Gonzalez Ind. WR 76
Cooley Wash. TE 76
Orlovsky Det. QB 74
M. Jones Jax. WR 74
Harrison Ind. WR 74
Hillis Den. FB 74
McFadden Oak. RB 73
Camarillo Mia. WR 73
Avery St.L. WR 72
Toomer N.Y.G. WR 72
Fargas Oak. RB 71
Jenkins Atl. WR 70
Daniels Hou. TE 70
Gage Ten. WR 69
Clark Ind. TE 69
Burress N.Y.G. WR 69
McAllister N.O. RB 69
Randle El Wash. WR 69
Rice Balt. RB 68
Pittman Den. RB 67
Buckhalter Phil. RB 66
Ocho Cinco Cin. WR 66
Chambers S.D. WR 65
James Ariz. RB 65
Holt St.L. WR 64
Keller N.Y.J. TE 64
Jackson Buff. RB 64
Washington Pitt. WR 63
Carlson Sea. TE 63
Graham Cin. PK 62
Z. Miller Oak. TE 61
Boss N.Y.G. TE 61
Shiancoe Minn. TE 61
Winslow Clev. TE 60
Kitna Det. QB 60
Green-Ellis N.E. RB 60
Stokley Den. WR 59
Crayton Dall. WR 59
Baskett Phil. WR 58
Scheffler Den. TE 57
Hilliard T.B. WR 57
Griese T.B. QB 56
Floyd S.D. WR 55
Scaife Ten. TE 55
S. Wallace Sea. QB 54
Bradley Chi.-K.C. WR 53
Roy E. Williams Dal.-Det. WR 52
Charles K.C. RB 52
Olsen Chi. TE 51
Palmer Cin. QB 51
Miller N.O. TE 51
Taylor Jax. RB 51
Green Hou. RB 50
Graham Den. TE 50
Morris Sea. RB 49
Duckett Sea. RB 49
Sproles S.D. RB 49
Fasano Mia. TE 49
Colston N.O. WR 48
Smith N.Y.G. WR 48
Bennett Dall. TE 48
Wade Minn. WR 48
D. Lee G.B. TE 48
Johnson S.F. WR 47
Culpepper Det. QB 47
Jackson G.B. RB 47
Cobbs Mia. RB 47
Harrison Clev. RB 47
Lewis Jax. TE 46
Miller Pitt. TE 46
Benson Cin. RB 46
Reed Buff. WR 45
Heap Balt. TE 45
Hixon N.Y.G. WR 45
B. Jones Ten. WR 45
Bush Oak. RB 45
Bradshaw N.Y.G. RB 45
F. Jones Dall. RB 45
Stuckey N.Y.J. WR 44
Austin Dall. WR 43
Douglas Atl. WR 43
R. Johnson Det. RB 43
C. Perry Cin. RB 43
A. Smith T.B. TE 42
Bess Mia. WR 42
Gaffney N.E. WR 41
Stevens T.B. TE 40
Arrington Ariz. RB 40
Urban Ariz. WR 40
Barth K.C. PK 40
Hartley N.O. PK 40
McDonald Det. WR 39
D. Martin Mia. TE 39
Gramatica N.O. PK 38
Davis S.F. TE 38
Avant Phil. WR 37
Meachem N.O. WR 37
Shockey N.O. TE 37
Lloyd Chi. WR 37
Weaver Sea. FB 37
Royal Buff. TE 36
K. Robinson Sea. WR 36
Looker St.L. WR 35
Quinn Clev. QB 35
Nelson G.B. WR 35
Pittman St.L. RB 34
R. Williams Jax. WR 34
Curtis Phil. WR 34
Young Den. RB 33
Morgan S.F. WR 33
Grossman Chi. QB 32
Battle S.F. WR 32
Huard K.C. QB 32
Betts Wash. RB 31
Lelie Oak. WR 31
L.J. Smith Phil. TE 31
Clayton T.B. WR 31
M. Booker Chi. WR 30
Clark Chi. TE 30
Engram Sea. WR 30
Br. Johnson Dall. QB 29
McCareins Ten. WR 29
Rice Minn. WR 28
Celek Phil. TE 27
Novak K.C. PK 27
Higgins Oak. WR 26
Rosario Car. TE 26
Tolbert S.D. FB 26
Crumpler Ten. TE 26
Green St.L. QB 26
Watson N.E. TE 26
McKie Chi. FB 26
Losman Buff. QB 25
Gaines Det. TE 25
R. Brown Phil. WR 25
Parrish Buff. WR 25
Northcutt Jax. WR 25
Peelle Atl. TE 25
Walker Oak. WR 25
T. Jackson Minn. QB 25
Williams Balt. WR 24
D. Anderson Hou. WR 24
Campbell N.O. TE 24
J. Hill S.F. WR 23
King Car. TE 22
Patten N.O. WR 22
Heiden Clev. TE 22
G. Lewis Phil. WR 22
Moss N.Y.G. WR 21
Ko. Smith K.C. RB 21
Schouman Buff. TE 20
Hardy Buff. WR 20
Curry Oak. WR 20
Cribbs Clev. WR 20
J. Wright Clev. RB 19
Gilmore T.B. TE 19
Chatman Cin. WR 19
Leftwich Pitt. QB 19
D. Jackson Den. WR 19
Mehlhaff N.O. PK 19
Darby St.L. RB 18
R. Martin G.B. WR 18
Walker S.F. TE 18
Hall Ten. FB 18
Kelly Cin. TE 18
Stallworth Clev. WR 18
Furrey Det. WR 18
G. Jones Jax. RB 18
Porter Jax. WR 17
B. Smith N.Y.J. WR 17
Stanley St.L. WR 17
Walker Jax. WR 17
D.Thomas Wash. WR 17
Choice Dall. RB 16
Steptoe Clev. WR 16
Russell Pitt. RB 16
Hall Den. RB 16
Foster S.F. RB 16
Branch Sea. WR 15
Stecker N.O. RB 15
Frye Sea. QB 15
Hackett Car. WR 14
N. Jackson Den. TE 14
Griffith Oak. FB 14
Robinson S.F. RB 14
Jones G.B. WR 14
Kuhn G.B. RB 13
Spaeth Pitt. TE 13
Galloway T.B. WR 13
FitzSimmons Det. TE 13
Darling K.C. WR 13
Karney N.O. RB 13
Finneran Atl. WR 13
Thrash Wash. WR 13
Sellers Wash. FB 13
Davis Hou. WR 13
Baker N.Y.J. TE 13
McMichael St.L. TE 13
Wilcox Balt. TE 13
McMullen Sea. WR 12
Burleson Sea. WR 12
Burton St.L. WR 12
Fine Buff. TE 12
Schilens Oak. WR 12
Torain Den. RB 12
Hester S.D. RB 12
Santi Ind. TE 12
Young Ten. QB 12
Humphrey G.B. TE 12
M. Owens Jax. RB 11
Snelling Atl. RB 11
Utecht Cin. TE 11
Colbert Den.-Sea. WR 11
Yoder Wash. TE 11
D. Hall St.L. WR 10
Jordan N.E. RB 10
Jones Chi. RB 10
Askew T.B. FB 10
Henry Cin. WR 10
C. Williams T.B. RB 10
Figurs Balt. WR 10
Hunt Phil. RB 10
Allison Minn. WR 10
Bumpus Sea. WR 10
Total fantasy points = TD passes (4 fantasy points each) + passing-yardage points (1 point for every 20 yards) + rushing/receiving TDs (6 points) + rushing- or receiving-yardage points (1 point for every 10 yards) + two-point passes (1 point) + two-point scores (2
points). For kickers, total fantasy points = 18-39-yard field goals (3 fantasy points each) + 40-49-yard field goals (4 points) + 50-plus-yard field goals (5 points) + extra points (1 point). Week 13 Monday-night game not included.
FANTASY STATS
HANDICAPPERS CORNER
PFW
consensus
WEEK 14 Early pointspreads as of Sunday, Nov. 30
Hub
Arkush
Publisher/
editor
Keith
Schleiden
Editor-
in-chief
Mike
Holbrook
Managing
editor
Dan
Arkush
Executive
editor
Eric
Edholm
Senior
editor
Mike
Wilkening
Senior
editor
Matt
Sohn
Associate
editor
Dan
Parr
Associate
editor
Michael
Blunda
Associate
editor
Packers onlife
support for the
playoffs but
playingat
homeina
must-winsitua-
tionagainst a
teamthey
couldput 40
upon. Only
SteveSlaton
canscrewme
uphere.
Thereeling
Seahawks have
lost fiveina
row, covering
only oncein
that span. The
Patriots trail the
Jets by agame
andneedawin
tostay within
strikingdis-
tanceinthedi-
vision. Pats roll.
Cardinals over
Rams. The
Cards areback
homewhere
they areun-
beatableand
they will have
their way witha
Rams defense
they piledup
34points onin
Week Nine.
TheGiants
seemduefor a
letdown, while
thewell-rested
Eagles, behind
arejuvenated
DonovanMc-
Nabb, arefight-
ingfor their
playoff lives.
TheTitans
havethenice
benefit of extra
rest following
their Thanks-
givingscrim-
mage, andwith
KenDorsey at
QBfor the
Browns, this
shouldbea
walk.
Thepriceis
right totakea
shot withthe
Chargers, who
holdasignifi-
cant talent
edgeandfigure
toroll if they
limit mistakes.
SanDiego
starts along,
wistful Decem-
ber strong.
I get it. TheJets
threwdowna
clunker against
theBroncos,
andthe49ers
willedoneout
inBuffalo. That
doesn't excuse
this laugher of
aline. Jets
cruiseby 20.
TheTitans
dealt theLions
a47-10defeat
last week, and
another
blowout is in
theworks vs.
theBrowns,
whowill be
startingtheir
No. 3quarter-
back, Ken
Dorsey.
After aslight
hiccuplast
week, theJets
will straighten
things out and
get back to
their winning
ways. Brett
FavreandCo.
simply havetoo
many weapons
for theNiners
tohandle.
LOCK OF THE WEEK
Which of your best bets do you feel
strongest about?
PFW STAFF
SELECTIONS
BEST BETS
N.Y. Jets -4 vs. SAN FRANCISCO
ARIZONA -13
1
2 vs. St. Louis
New England -4
1
2 vs. SEATTLE
Atlanta vs. NEWORLEANS (53) UNDER
LASTWEEK: 2-2 / SEASON: 30-20-2
EARLY LAS VEGAS LINE Home team in caps. Asterisk (*) denotes team will cover pointspread but lose game. Boldface selection indicates best bet.
THURSDAY NIGHT
SAN DIEGO -9
1
2 vs. Oakland (43) San Diego San Diego Oakland* San Diego San Diego San Diego Oakland* San Diego San Diego San Diego
SUNDAYAFTERNOON
CHICAGO-4
1
2 vs. Jacksonville(41
1
2) Chicago Chicago Jacksonville* Chicago Chicago Jacksonville* Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago
Minnesota -10 vs.DETROIT(46
1
2) Minnesota Minnesota Detroit* Minnesota Detroit* Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota
GREEN BAY-5
1
2 vs. Houston (49) Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay
INDIANAPOLIS -14 vs. Cincinnati (42
1
2) Indianapolis Indianapolis Indianapolis Indianapolis Indianapolis Indianapolis Cincinnati* Indianapolis Indianapolis Indianapolis
NEWORLEANS-3
1
2 vs. Atlanta (53) New Orleans Atlanta New Orleans New Orleans Atlanta Atlanta* Atlanta Atlanta Atlanta* Atlanta*
N.Y. GIANTS -9 vs. Philadelphia (44
1
2) Philadelphia* Philadelphia* Philadelphia* Philadelphia* Philadelphia* Philadelphia* Philadelphia* Philadelphia* Philadelphia* Philadelphia*
TENNESSEE-13
1
2 vs. Cleveland (37) Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Cleveland* Tennessee Cleveland* Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee
BUFFALO -1
1
2 vs. Miami (43) (at Toronto) Miami Miami Buffalo Buffalo Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami Miami
DENVER-9 vs. Kansas City (47
1
2) Denver Denver Kansas City* Kansas City* Kansas City* Denver Kansas City* Kansas City* Kansas City* Kansas City*
N.Y. Jets -4 vs. SAN FRANCISCO(44
1
2) N.Y. Jets N.Y. Jets N.Y. Jets San Francisco* San Francisco N.Y. Jets N.Y. Jets N.Y. Jets N.Y. Jets N.Y. Jets
ARIZONA-13
1
2 vs. St. Louis (48
1
2) Arizona St. Louis* Arizona Arizona Arizona Arizona St. Louis* Arizona Arizona Arizona
PITTSBURGH-3 vs. Dallas (41
1
2) Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Dallas Dallas Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pittsburgh
New England -4
1
2 vs. SEATTLE(43) New England New England New England New England New England New England New England New England New England New England
SUNDAY NIGHT
BALTIMORE-5 vs. Washington (36
1
2) Washington* Baltimore Baltimore Washington* Washington* Washington* Washington* Washington* Baltimore Washington*
MONDAY NIGHT
CAROLINA-3 vs. Tampa Bay (38
1
2) Carolina Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Carolina Carolina Carolina Carolina Carolina Carolina Carolina
Last week vs. spread 9-7 8-8 9-7 7-9 5-11 6-10 9-7 13-3 8-8 7-9
Season to date vs. spread 93-95-3 92-96-3 95-93-3 90-98-3 85-103-3 100-88-3 99-89-3 97-91-3 83-105-3 96-92-3
Last week best bets 2-1 2-1 0-3 0-3 1-3 1-3 3-0 2-1 2-1 2-2
Season to date best bets 21-18 19-20 18-19-2 22-16 20-19 22-17 22-15-2 21-18 21-16-2 30-20-2
Last week straight-up 10-6 9-7 10-6 7-9 8-8 8-8 10-6 11-5 9-7 8-8
Season to date straight-up 121-69-1 118-72-1 122-68-1 117-73-1 112-78-1 124-66-1 121-69-1 119-71-1 113-77-1 122-68-1
WEEK 14 OPPONENTS VS. SPREAD H home, A away, N neutral, followed by teams score; number in parentheses is number of points by which that team
was favored to win; E game was rated as even; W beat the pointspread; * team beat the pointspread in both regular-season meetings that year; T neither beat the
pointspread; P playoff game; OT overtime.
10-YEAR SERIES RECORDS
Oakland at SAN DIEGO 11-9 (6-4) (6-4)
Washington at Baltimore 1-1 () ()
JACKSONVILLE at Chicago 2-1 (1-1) (0-2)
MINNESOTA at Detroit 17-3 (7-3) (5-4-1)
Houston at GREEN BAY 1-0 () ()
Cincinnati at INDIANAPOLIS 5-0 (4-0) (3-1)
Atlanta at New Orleans 10-10 (N.O. 5-4) (Atl. 6-3)
Philadelphia at N.Y. GIANTS 13-9 (7-4) (6-5)
Cleveland at TENNESSEE 5-3 (2-2) (1-3)
Miami at BUFFALO 12-9 (7-3) (7-3)
Kansas City at DENVER 11-9 (8-2) (6-4)
N.Y. Jets at SAN FRANCISCO 2-1 (1-0) (0-1)
ST. LOUIS at Arizona 7-6 (4-2) (3-3)
Dallas at PITTSBURGH 1-0 () ()
NEWENGLAND at Seattle 1-0 () ()
Tampa Bay at CAROLINA 8-5 (3-3) (4-2)
Series leader is listed in CAPS with its record
below. Series leaders record at this weeks game
site is listed in parentheses, followed by series
leaders record vs. pointspread at this weeks site.
This years games not included.
MATCHUP 2008 2007
Oakland H-18 H-17 A-14
at San Diego A-28(-8
1
2)W A-30(-9)W* H-28(-9
1
2)W
Washington Have not played Did not play
at Baltimore
Jacksonville Have not played Did not play
at Chicago
Minnesota H-12(-13) H-42(-5
1
2)W A-17OT
at Detroit A-10W A-10 H-20(-3)T
Houston Have not played Did not play
at Green Bay
Cincinnati Have not played Did not play
at Indianapolis
Atlanta H-34(-1
1
2)W H-14 A-16W
at New Orleans A-20 A-34(-3
1
2)W H-22(-9)
Philadelphia H-31(-3) H-13(-3) A-3(-3)
at N.Y. Giants A-36W A-16W* H-16W
MATCHUP 2008 2007
Cleveland Have not played Did not play
at Tennessee
Miami H-25W A-17 H-10
at Buffalo (at Toronto) A-16E H-38(-6
1
2)W* A-13(-2
1
2)W
Kansas City H-33W A-7 H-11(-3)
at Denver A-19(-9) H-41(-7)W* A-27W
N.Y. Jets Have not played Did not play
at San Francisco
St. Louis H-13 A-19 H-31W
at Arizona A-34(-3)W H-48(-6)W A-34(-3
1
2)
Dallas Have not played Did not play
at Pittsburgh
New England Have not played Did not play
at Seattle
Tampa Bay H-27(-2)W H-23 A-20W
at Carolina A-3 A-31(-3)W H-7(-3)
WHOS HOT
LAS VEGAS CALLING Stephen Nover
Winning formulas
emerge in first three months
W
ho said handicapping pro football was
difficult? All youve had to do to be
highly successful so far this season is
follow three formulas: play double-digit un-
derdogs, go with home teams in the East-
ern time zone when hosting West Coast
clubs and taking over the total on Monday
night.
These angles have been golden.
Through Week 13, West Coast teams San
Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, San Diego
and Arizona were 1-14 when playing three
hours ahead of their normal time. The Sea-
hawks were especially brutal at 0-4, being
outscored 119-45. Arizona has been terri-
ble, too, losing on the road to the Redskins,
Jets, Panthers and Eagles by a combined
margin of 155-95.
Underdogs of 10 or more points were 17-
4 (81 percent), according to the closing lines
at the Las Vegas Hilton. Detroit is heading
toward clinching the No. 1 overall draft pick.
But the Lions were 4-1 against the spread
when taking double digits.
The over on Monday-night games going
into the Week 13 Jacksonville-Houston
matchup was 10-1-1. The figure could be
higher if you count the Denver-New Eng-
land game going over. The number fluctu-
ated between 47 and 49 points before
closing at 48. The Patriots ended up defeat-
ing the Broncos, 41-7, putting the number
right on 48.
Are these types of angles, trends and sys-
tems still worth playing? Oddsmakers and
bookmakers aren t stupid. They know
about all of this, too. Still, theyve been pow-
erless to stop some of the onslaught. Take
the recent Green Bay-New Orleans Mon-
day-night game. Some places opened the to-
tal at 53. That would have been the high-
est over-under of the season if the number
had stayed there.
But it didnt. The number was adjusted
down when word came out that Saints RB
Reggie Bush wasnt going to play. The
Saints took care of the over themselves, win-
ning 51-29.
Professional bettors might stop at 52,
since that is a key totals number consider-
ing that final scores have been known to fall
at 28-24 and 31-21. But recreational gam-
blers want to bet what theyre rooting for,
which is usually offense.
The most important aspect of using sys-
tems and trends is knowing and under-
standing the differences between the two,
said professional handicapper Marc
Lawrence, perhaps the foremost authority
on trends, angles and systems. Trends are
random patterns and occurrences that ap-
ply to a specific team. Systems are patterns
and occurrences that apply to the league,
or all teams. Because systems are a direct
result of cause-and-effect, they are a more
reliable handicapping tool.
Its probably not a fluke then, that the
Panthers are 22-10-2 against the spread as
a road underdog in head coach John Foxs
tenure through Week 13 and that the Giants
have covered 13 of their last 14 road
matchups under head coach Tom Cough-
lin. The Texans were on a 13-3 over run un-
der head coach Gary Kubiak heading into
the Week 14 Monday-nighter.
Trends that occur over a period of time
to specific teams with the same coach car-
ry more weight than those that have hap-
pened over a period of time, said Lawrence,
who details many trends and systems in his
annual magazine. The team takes on the
personality and playing style of their coach.
Once they do, they become more of a pat-
tern.
Lawrence would caution against just
blindly wagering on any trend or system
thats going well without thoroughly hand-
icapping the matchup. Still, it might not be
prudent to be contrarian on what has
proven to be a reliable winning system un-
less you strongly believe your research
points the other way.
I would never bet a team on a trend
alone, Lawrence said emphasizing the
word never. It can turn on a dime with-
out notice. Systems, on the other hand, wont
win forever. Nothing does. But because they
stand the test of time, they can endure for
longer periods of time.
With regard to what is happening this
year in the NFL (with double-digit dogs,
West Coast teams losing on East Coast time
and Monday-night overs), it is simply an
anomaly that will assuredly change course
in due time.
It may be next season before it does, but
until it does, its wise not to step in front of
the storm.
Perhaps the double-digit dog system
might already be weakening as the regular
season heads into its final month. Both dou-
ble-digit dogs in Week 13 Detroit and
Seattle lost. Neither came close to cover-
ing vs. Tennessee and Dallas, respectively.
Writer, analyst and handicapper Stephen
Nover has been covering the Las Vegas
sports betting scene since 1984. He is the au-
thor of three books, Las Vegas Sportsbeat,
Sports Gamingbeat and Winning Fantasy
Football.
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to fit your needs
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GAME OF THE WEEK
Jeff Garcias mobility often
helps him get out of trouble.
Julius Peppers pass-rushing
ability can create havoc.
BUCCANEERS
AT
PANTHERS
When the Buccaneers
have the ball
In his first game back as the Bucs
starter, QB Jeff Garcia helped lead the
club over the Panthers in Week Six. He
has been one of the leagues most produc-
tive quarterbacks since then, throwing six
TD passes and one interception in the
seven games since taking the starting job
back from Brian Griese. Garcias two
trademarks efficiency and mobility
should come in handy on Monday night.
Tampa Bays O-line will be faced with
the difficult task of keeping Panthers DE
Julius Peppers from getting to Garcia.
This is where Garcias ability to scram-
ble will work to the squads benefit.
Peppers has seven sacks in his last four
games. However, in his last two meetings
vs. the Bucs, he has no sacks. OTs Don-
ald Penn and Jeremy Trueblood will
need help from a tight end or back on a
chip block when theyre lined up against
Peppers. Garcia will need to continue do-
ing a good job of avoiding him to create
extra time for finding receivers downfield.
Warrick Dunn has emerged as a nice
complement to Garcia, gaining 4.6 yards
per carry in the two games since taking
over as a starter for Earnest Graham, who
is out for the season. Dunn may not be
as quick as he was in his prime, but the
12th-year veteran has shown he still is a
potent weapon out of the backfield. His
strong play of late should continue
against the Panthers, who have allowed
130 or more rushing yards in each of the
past four games. Dunns ability to keep
Carolinas D honest will open things up
for Garcia, who has struggled to connect
with receivers on deep passes all season.
Cadillac Williams, who scored his first TD
in more than a year last week, adds
some much-needed depth behind Dunn.
When the Panthers
have the ball
The Panthers offense is built to rely on
the legs of its two top rushers, DeAnge-
lo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. In his
third season, Williams has emerged as a
force, rushing for at least 101 yards and
a touchdown in four of the past five
games. After a four-TD performance in
Week 13, Williams had scored nine TDs
during that span. If Tampa Bay can
hold Williams and Stewart in check, as
it did in Week Six when it limited the duo
to a season-low 39 yards combined,
Carolinas offense could unravel. The
Buccaneers D has allowed a league-best
one rushing TD this season.
In order to break through Tampas
rugged front seven, the Panthers should
focus on neutralizing one of the best mid-
dle linebackers in the league, Barrett
Ruud. Ruud flies around the field, mak-
ing a habit of stuffing rushers for small
gains. He racks up tackles and rarely lets
a back get past him. Carolina will rely on
its O-linemen and FB Brad Hoover to
block Ruud, keeping him from being his
usual disruptive self. The Bucs have a sol-
id supporting cast in the starting LB corps
with Derrick Brooks and Cato June, but
their D will be severely weakened if
Ruuds flow is at all constricted.
With the ground game rolling, Jake
Delhomme hasnt been asked to carry the
offense, throwing for just 177 yards or few-
er in three of the past four games.
Against a Bucs defense with a knack for
creating turnovers, he ll have to show
good touch on his passes, which he has
struggled to do recently, and avoid forc-
ing passes into small windows. WR
Steve Smith was shut out in the first half
last week before exploding for 105 receiv-
ing yards in the second half.
BUCCANEERS SCHEDULE
Pointspread Refers to Tampa Bay
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At New Orleans (+3) 20-24
Sept. 14 Atlanta (-7) 24-9
Sept. 21 At Chicago (+3) 27-24*
Sept. 28 Green Bay (-2) 30-21
Oct. 5 At Denver (+4) 13-16
Oct. 12 Carolina (-2) 27-3
Oct. 19 Seattle (-11.5) 20-10
Oct. 26 At Dallas (+1.5) 9-13
Nov. 2 At Kansas City (-9.5) 30-27*
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 Minnesota (-4.5) 19-13
Nov. 23 At Detroit (-7.5) 38-20
Nov. 30 New Orleans (-4) 23-20
Dec. 8 At Carolina
Dec. 14 At Atlanta
Dec. 21 San Diego
Dec. 28 Oakland
* Overtime
PANTHERS SCHEDULE
Pointspread Refers to Carolina
Sept. 7 At San Diego (+9) 26-24
Sept. 14 Chicago (-3) 20-17
Sept. 21 At Minnesota (+3) 10-20
Sept. 28 Atlanta (-7) 24-9
Oct. 5 Kansas City (-9.5) 34-0
Oct. 12 At Tampa Bay (+2) 3-27
Oct. 19 New Orleans (-3) 30-7
Oct. 26 Arizona (-5) 27-23
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 9 At Oakland (-10) 17-6
Nov. 16 Detroit (-14) 31-22
Nov. 23 At Atlanta (0) 28-45
Nov. 30 At Green Bay (+3) 35-31
Dec. 8 Tampa Bay
Dec. 14 Denver
Dec. 21 At New York Giants
Dec. 28 At New Orleans
A
P
A
P
THE MATCHUPS
Monday, Dec. 8, 8:30 p.m. ET
LOCATIONBank of America Stadium TURF Grass MEETING OF THE YEAR Second
QB
RB
WR
OL
DL
LB
DB
ST
Coach
WEEK 14
OVERVIEW
A tie for the division lead will be broken this
week when these rivals meet. The winner will
take control of the NFC South with time run-
ning out on the regular season there will
be just three games remaining after Week 14.
The loser, on the other hand, will find itself
back in a competitive crowd of NFC con-
tenders for a wild-card spot. Tampa Bay is one
of the leagues hottest teams, having won four
in a row and six of its last seven, including a
27-3 lashing of Carolina in Week Six. Since
losing to the Bucs, the Panthers have won 5-
of-6. In their first meeting, Tampa Bay
picked off QB Jake Delhomme three times and
also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown.
Carolina, which has been particularly tough
at home this season with a 6-0 record, has to
cut down on mistakes and force the Bucs to
make a couple if its going to keep it close this
time. The Bucs have an 18-0 record under Jon
Gruden when not committing a turnover
(since 2002).
9-3-0 Season record 9-3-0
7-5-0 Season record vs. spread 6-5-1
3-3-0 Home/road record 6-0-0
3-3-0 Home/road record vs. spread 3-2-1
8-1-0 Record on natural turf 9-1-0
6-3-0 Record on natural turf vs. spread 6-3-1
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS Advantage CAROLINA PANTHERS
PANTHERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89 Smith / 80 Jarrett
OLT 69 Gross / 76 Omiyale
OLG 70 Wharton / 63 Hangartner / 73 Bridges
C 67 Kalil / 63 Hangartner
ORG 68 Vincent / 73 Bridges
ORT 79 Otah* / 76 Omiyale
TE 47 King / 88 Rosario / 82 Barnidge*
WR 87 Muhammad / 18 Hackett
QB 17 Delhomme / 12 McCown / 3 Moore
RB 34 Williams / 28 Stewart*
FB 45 Hoover / 37 Goings
DEFENSE
DLE 96 Brayton / 95 Johnson
DLT 99 Kemoeatu / 91 Gibson
DRT 92 Lewis / 93 Walker
DRE 90 Peppers / 66 Taylor*
SLB 53 Diggs / 54 Johnson / 55 Curry
MLB 52 Beason / 59 Seward
WLB 58 Davis / 50 Anderson
LCB 20 Gamble / 31 Marshall
RCB 21 Lucas / 23 Wesley / 27 Wilson
SS 43 Harris / 26 Teal
FS 30 Godfrey* / 25 Salley
SPECIALISTS
P 7 Baker
PK 4 Kasay / 5 Lloyd
H 7 Baker
PR 84 Jones
KR 84 Jones / 28 Stewart *
LS 56 Kyle
* Rookie
BUCCANEERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89 A. Bryant / 84 Galloway / 10 D. Jackson*
OLT 70 Penn
OLG 78 Sears / 76 Zuttah*
C 52 Faine / 79 Mahan
ORG 75 Joseph / 76 Zuttah*
ORT 65 Trueblood / 79 Lee
TE 81 A. Smith / 88 Gilmore / 86 Stevens
WR 80 Clayton / 19 Hilliard
QB 7 Garcia / 12 McCown / 8 Griese
RB 28 Dunn / 24 Williams / 22 C. Smith*
FB 35 Askew / 33 Cook
DEFENSE
DLE 93 Carter / 91 White
DLT 95 Hovan / 96 Peterson
DRT 71 Haye / 98 Sims
DRE 90 Adams / 97 Wilkerson
SLB 59 June / 58 Black
MLB 51 Ruud / 57 Hayward
WLB 55 Brooks / 50 McCoy
LCB 31 Buchanon / 25 Talib*
RCB 20 Barber / 43 Mack*
SS 23 Phillips / 21 Piscitelli / 30 Nicholson
FS 36 T. Jackson / 26 Allen
SPECIALISTS
P 9 Bidwell
PK 3 M. Bryant
H 9 Bidwell
PR 22 C. Smith* / 19 Hilliard
KR 22 C. Smith*
LS 48 Economos
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK 14
RAIDERS GAME PROFILE CHARGERS
2-4-0 Road/home record 3-3-0
4-2-0 Road/home record vs. spread 2-4-0
RAIDERS
AT
CHARGERS
RAIDERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Oakland
Sept. 8 Denver (+3) 14-41
Sept. 14 At Kansas City (+3.5) 23-8
Sept. 21 At Buffalo (+10) 23-24
Sept. 28 San Diego (+8.5) 18-28
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 12 At New Orleans (+7) 3-34
Oct. 19 NewYork Jets (+3) 16-13*
Oct. 26 At Baltimore (+8) 10-29
Nov. 2 Atlanta (+3) 0-24
Nov. 9 Carolina (+10) 6-17
Nov. 16 At Miami (+10) 15-17
Nov. 23 At Denver (+8) 31-10
Nov. 30 Kansas City (-3) 13-20
Dec. 4 At San Diego
Dec. 14 New England
Dec. 21 Houston
Dec. 28 At Tampa Bay
* Overtime
RAIDERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87 Lelie / 15Higgins / 84Walker
OLT 77 Harris / 75Henderson
OLG 76Gallery
C 71 Wade / 64Grove / 51 Morris
ORG 66Carlisle / 65Gandy
ORT 74Green
TE 80Z. Miller / 86Stewart
WR 89Curry / 81 Schilens / 19Watkins
QB 2Russell / 16Walter / 8Tuiasosopo
RB 25Fargas / 20McFadden* / 29Bush
FB 44Lawton
DEFENSE
DLE 56Burgess / 91 Scott*
DLT 93Kelly / 90Sands
DRT 61 Warren/ 90Sands
DRE 58Edwards / 98Richardson
SLB 55Alston/ 54Williams / 57 Brown
MLB 52Morrison
WLB 53Howard/ 55Alston
LCB 21 Asomugha / 32Waddell
RCB 37Johnson/ 26Routt
SS 28Wilson/ 33Branch*
FS 31 Eugene / 24Huff
SPECIALISTS
P 9Lechler
PK 11 Janikowski
H 9Lechler
PR 15Higgins
KR 15Higgins / 22J. Miller
LS 59Condo
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Raiders head-scratching season continued
last week, as they lost at home to the dreadful Chiefs, 20-13.
This just seven days after the club went into Denver and easily
handled the division-leading Broncos. Meanwhile, things went
from bad to worse for the Chargers, who fell three games out
of first place after a 22-16 home loss to the Falcons. At 4-8,
San Diegos playoff hopes appear all but over. The Bolts de-
feated Oakland 28-18 in the teams Week Four clash.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Raiders TE Zach Miller has been the
No. 1 target for QB JaMarcus Russell all season, and he should
be featured heavily this week in a very favorable matchup. The
Chargers have been one of the leagues worst teams at de-
fending tight ends, so itll be key for OLB Shaun Phillips and
company to hold Miller in check. Abig effort by Miller could
allow Oakland to keep this one close.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Chargers have been favored in their
past 10 meetings with Oakland and have won all 10. San
Diego had a season-low 201 yards of offense last week.
Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008 8:15 p.m. ET
CHARGERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to San Diego
Sept. 7 Carolina (-9) 24-26
Sept. 14 At Denver (+1) 38-39
Sept. 22 NewYork Jets (-8) 48-29
Sept. 28 At Oakland (-8.5) 28-18
Oct. 5 At Miami (-6) 10-17
Oct. 12 New England (-6) 30-10
Oct. 19 At Buffalo (0) 14-23
Oct. 26 At New Orleans (-3) 32-37
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 9 Kansas City (-15) 20-19
Nov. 16 At Pittsburgh (+4.5) 10-11
Nov. 23 Indianapolis (-3) 20-23
Nov. 30 Atlanta (-6) 16-22
Dec. 4 Oakland
Dec. 14 At Kansas City
Dec. 21 At Tampa Bay
Dec. 28 Denver
CHARGERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89Chambers / 80Floyd
OLT 73McNeill / 70Shelton
OLG 68Dielman/ 63Mruczkowski / 67 Forney
C 61 Hardwick / 62Newberry
ORG 79Goff / 63Mruczkowski
ORT 66Clary / 70Shelton/ 75Clark*
TE 85Gates / 86Manumaleuna / 88Wilson
WR 83Jackson/ 11 Naanee / 81 Osgood
QB 17 Rivers / 7Volek / 6Whitehurst
RB 21 Tomlinson/ 43Sproles / 29Bennett
FB 35Tolbert* / 22Hester* / 34Latsko
DEFENSE
DLE 99Olshansky / 97 Bingham
NT 76Williams / 97 Bingham/ 98Scott
DRE 93Castillo / 74Cesaire
OLB 95Phillips / 92Harris / 90Applewhite
ILB 54Cooper / 53Waters
ILB 51 Dobbins / 57Wilhelm/ 59Siler
OLB 94Tucker / 92Harris / 90Applewhite
LCB 23Jammer / 24Gordon
RCB 31 Cromartie / 20Cason*
SS 42Hart / 28Gregory
FS 32Weddle / 27 Oliver
SPECIALISTS
P 5Scifres
PK 10Kaeding
H 5Scifres
PR 43Sproles / 31 Cromartie
KR 43Sproles / 31 Cromartie
LS 50Binn
* Rookie
JAGUARS GAME PROFILE BEARS
JAGUARS
AT
BEARS
JAGUARS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Jacksonville
Sept. 7 At Tennessee (-3) 10-17
Sept. 14 Buffalo (-4.5) 16-20
Sept. 21 At Indianapolis (+4.5) 23-21
Sept. 28 Houston (-7) 30-27*
Oct. 5 Pittsburgh (-5.5) 21-26
Oct. 12 At Denver (+3.5) 24-17
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 Cleveland (-7) 17-23
Nov. 2 At Cincinnati (-7) 19-21
Nov. 9 At Detroit (-6.5) 38-14
Nov. 16 Tennessee (+2.5) 14-24
Nov. 23 Minnesota (-2) 12-30
Dec. 1 At Houston
Dec. 7 At Chicago
Dec. 14 Green Bay
Dec. 18 Indianapolis
Dec. 28 At Baltimore
* Overtime
JAGUARS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 18M. Jones / 80Porter / 86Northcutt
OLT 69Barnes / 72Spencer
OLG 77 Nwaneri / 78Reyes
C 63Meester / 62Norman/ 77 Nwaneri
ORG 61 Miller / 78Reyes
ORT 79Pashos / 72Spencer
TE 89Lewis / 83Estandia / 85Angulo
WR 11 R. Williams / 84Williamson/ 81 Walker
QB 9Garrard/ 17 Lemon
RB 28Taylor / 32Jones-Drew/ 34Washington*
FB 33G. Jones / 24Owens
DEFENSE
DLE 95Spicer / 93Groves*
DLT 92Meier / 66Landri
DRT 98Henderson/ 96McDaniel
DRE 97 Hayward/ 91 Harvey*
SLB 51 Ingram/ 52Smith/ 59Iwuh
MLB 52Smith/ 54Peterson/ 53T. Williams
WLB 56Durant / 59Iwuh/ 94Mincey
LCB 27 Mathis / 26Lowe / 36Gardner*
RCB 21 Florence / 22James / 38Witherspoon*
SS 29B. Williams / 43Sensabaugh
FS 25Nelson/ 20Prioleau
SPECIALISTS
P 6Weatherford
PK 10Scobee
H 6Weatherford
PR 38Witherspoon* / 86Northcutt
KR 38Witherspoon* / 32Jones-Drew
LS 88Zelenka
* Rookie
OVERVIEWReduced to being spoilers in what has turned into
a very disappointing season, the Jaguars will be coming off a
short workweek after their Monday-night visit to Houston. The
Bears are coming off a disappointing 34-14 loss to the division-
rival Vikings that dropped them a game behind Minnesota in
the NFC North. The Bears were outscored by the Vikings 31-7
after they were stopped on a goal-line stand late in the second
quarter. The Bears defense will be kept busy trying to stop
both the arm and legs of David Garrard, the leagues top rush-
ing quarterback heading into Week 13 action.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Keep a close eye on the power and
versatility of rookie RB Matt Fort matched up against the
speed and range of the Jaguars undersized LB corps, which
no longer includes Mike Peterson as a starter. Fort ripped off
96 yards on 22 carries against Minnesota, in addition to catch-
ing four passes for 29 yards and a TD.
BYTHE NUMBERS In four of the Bears six victories, they
have run the ball more than 30 times.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 1 p.m. ET
BEARS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Chicago
Sept. 7 At Indianapolis (+10.5) 29-13
Sept. 14 At Carolina (+3) 17-20
Sept. 21 Tampa Bay (-3) 24-27*
Sept. 28 Philadelphia (+3) 24-20
Oct. 5 At Detroit (-3.5) 34-7
Oct. 12 At Atlanta (-3) 20-22
Oct. 19 Minnesota (-3) 48-41
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 Detroit (-12.5) 27-23
Nov. 9 Tennessee (+3) 14-21
Nov. 16 At Green Bay (+3.5) 3-37
Nov. 23 At St. Louis (-7) 27-3
Nov. 30 At Minnesota (+4.5) 14-34
Dec. 7 Jacksonville
Dec. 11 New Orleans
Dec. 22 Green Bay
Dec. 28 At Houston
* Overtime
BEARS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 81 R. Davis / 23Hester / 85Bennett*
OLT 78St. Clair / 74C. Williams*
OLG 67 Beekman/ 60Metcalf
C 57 Kreutz
ORG 63Garza / 72Buenning
ORT 76Tait
TE 88Clark / 82Olsen/ 87 K. Davis*
WR 80Lloyd/ 86Booker / 84Rideau
QB 18Orton/ 8Grossman/ 12Hanie*
RB 22Fort* / 27Jones / 29Peterson/ 25Wolfe
FB 43J. Davis / 37 McKie
DEFENSE
DLE 93Ogunleye / 71 Idonije / 99Baldwin*
DT 91 Harris / 94Harrison*
NT 98Dvoracek / 95A. Adams / 75Toeaina
DRE 96A. Brown/ 97Anderson
WLB 55Briggs / 52J. Williams / 90LaRocque*
MLB 54Urlacher
SLB 53Roach/ 92Hillenmeyer
LCB 33Tillman / 24 Hamilton
RCB 21 Graham/ 26McBride
SS 30M. Brown/ 20Steltz*
FS 44Payne / 38D. Manning
SPECIALISTS
P 4Maynard
PK 9Gould
H 4Maynard
PR 23Hester / 85Bennett*
KR 38D. Manning / 23Hester / 81 R. Davis
LS 65Mannelly / 82Olsen/ 88Clark
* Rookie
VIKINGS GAME PROFILE LIONS
6-1-0 Record on artificial turf 0-8-0
4-3-0 Record on artificial turf vs. spread 1-7-0
VIKINGS
AT
LIONS
VIKINGS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Minnesota
Sept. 8 At Green Bay (+2.5) 19-24
Sept. 14 Indianapolis (+1.5) 15-18
Sept. 21 Carolina (-3) 20-10
Sept. 28 At Tennessee (+3.5) 17-30
Oct. 6 At New Orleans (+3) 30-27
Oct. 12 Detroit (-13) 12-10
Oct. 19 At Chicago (+3) 41-48
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 Houston (-5.5) 28-21
Nov. 9 Green Bay (-2.5) 28-27
Nov. 16 At Tampa Bay (+4.5) 13-19
Nov. 23 At Jacksonville (+2) 30-12
Nov. 30 Chicago (-4.5) 34-14
Dec. 7 At Detroit
Dec. 14 At Arizona
Dec. 21 Atlanta
Dec. 28 NewYork Giants
VIKINGS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87 Berrian/ 89Ferguson
OLT 74McKinnie
OLG 76Hutchinson/ 79Hicks
C 78Birk / 65Sullivan*
ORG 64Herrera
ORT 62Cook / 72M. Johnson
TE 81 Shiancoe / 40Kleinsasser / 45Mills
WR 18Rice / 19Wade / 84Allison
QB 12Frerotte / 7T. Jackson / 4Booty*
RB 28Peterson / 29Taylor / 43Hicks
FB 38Tahi / 83Dugan
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Edwards / 73Grigsby
NT 94P. Williams / 90Evans
UT 93K. Williams / 97Wyms / 98Guion*
DRE 69Allen/ 96Robison
SLB 52Greenway / 50Er. Henderson
MLB 99Harris / 54Ciurciu/ 58Herron
WLB 51 Leber / 55Thomas
LCB 26Winfield/ 21 McCauley
RCB 23Griffin/ 41 Gordon/ 22Sapp
SS 42Sharper / 39Abdullah
FS 20M. Williams / 25T. Johnson* / 37 Frampton
SPECIALISTS
P 5Kluwe
PK 8Longwell
H 5Kluwe / 12Frerotte
PR 41 Gordon/ 84Allison
KR 29Taylor / 43M. Hicks / 84Allison
LS 46Loeffler
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Lions are running out of chances to win a
game, and this could be their last best chance. They narrowly
lost to the Vikings in Minnesota in Week Six, 12-10, but the
Vikings outgained them 392-212 in the game. The Vikings
must not take the Lions lightly, especially coming off an impor-
tand and emotional blowout of the Bears.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Vikings RB Adrian Peterson had a mod-
erate game in the first meeting by his standards, rushing 25
times for 111 yards but losing two fumbles and running only six
times for more than five yards. From that point on, the Lions run
defense has been mostly awful, allowing 181.6 yards per game,
including 292 to the Titans on Thanksgiving when the Lions had
to know they were going to see basic run plays all game.
BYTHE NUMBERS Vikings DT Kevin Williams sacked Lions
QB Dan Orlovsky four times, including the final play of the
game, in the first meeting. The Titans outgained the Lions
456-154 in Week 13. Lions RB Kevin Smith had only 22 rushing
yards on 12 carries, and that included a 21-yard gain.
LIONS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Detroit
Sept. 7 At Atlanta (-3) 21-34
Sept. 14 Green Bay (+3) 25-48
Sept. 21 At San Francisco (+5) 13-31
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 Chicago (+3.5) 7-34
Oct. 12 At Minnesota (+13) 10-12
Oct. 19 At Houston (+11) 21-28
Oct. 26 Washington (+7.5) 17-25
Nov. 2 At Chicago (+12.5) 23-27
Nov. 9 Jacksonville (+6.5) 14-38
Nov. 16 At Carolina (+14) 22-31
Nov. 23 Tampa Bay (+7.5) 20-38
Nov. 27 Tennessee (+11) 10-47
Dec. 7 Minnesota
Dec. 14 At Indianapolis
Dec. 21 New Orleans
Dec. 28 At Green Bay
LIONS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 84McDonald/ 16Standeford/ 80Jennings
OLT 76Backus / 74Cook
OLG 64Mulitalo
C 51 Raiola / 67 McCollum
ORG 63Ramirez / 66Peterman
ORT 77 Cherilus* / 72Foster
TE 86Gaines / 82FitzSimmons / 83Owens
WR 81 C. Johnson/ 87 Furrey
QB 11 Culpepper / 12Henson/ 5Stanton
RB 34Kev. Smith* / 32R. Johnson/ 36Cason
FB 45Felton* / 44Norris
DEFENSE
DLE 97Alama-Francis / 93C. Smith
NT 91 Darby / 75Cody / 98Cohen*
UT 78Redding / 96Fluellen*
DRE 99White / 92Avril
SLB 55Nece / 59Lewis
MLB 53Lenon/ 57 Dizon*
WLB 50Sims / 52Cannon
LCB 25Kelly / 21 Fisher
RCB 28Bodden/ 23Kei. Smith/ 38Robinson
SS 27 Bullocks / 24Pearson
FS 26D. Smith/ 39Schweigert
SPECIALISTS
P 2Harris
PK 4Hanson
H 2Harris
PR 84McDonald/ 87 Furrey
KR 36Cason/ 87 Furrey
LS 48Muhlbach
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK 14
TEXANS GAME PROFILE PACKERS
TEXANS
AT
PACKERS
TEXANS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Houston
Sept. 7 At Pittsburgh (+6.5) 17-38
Sept. 14 BYE
Sept. 21 At Tennessee (+5) 12-31
Sept. 28 At Jacksonville (+7) 27-30*
Oct. 5 Indianapolis (+4) 27-31
Oct. 12 Miami (-3) 29-28
Oct. 19 Detroit (-11) 28-21
Oct. 26 Cincinnati (-9) 35-6
Nov. 9 Baltimore (-2) 13-41
Nov. 16 At Indianapolis (+7.5) 27-33
Nov. 23 At Cleveland (+3) 16-6
Dec. 1 Jacksonville
Dec. 7 At Green Bay
Dec. 14 Tennessee
Dec. 21 At Oakland
Dec. 28 Chicago
* Overtime
TEXANS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 80A. Johnson/ 11 Davis
OLT 76D. Brown* / 74Salaam
OLG 69Pitts / 64Studdard
C 55Myers / 63White / 65Brisiel
ORG 65Brisiel / 63White
ORT 73Winston/ 78Butler
TE 81 Daniels / 87 Bruener / 85Dreessen
WR 83Walter / 12Jones / 89Anderson
QB 18Rosenfels / 16Nall / 8Schaub
RB 20Slaton* / 21 Moats / 37 Sapp
FB 44Leach/ 37 Sapp
DEFENSE
DLE 98Weaver / 93Bulman/ 72Nading*
DLT 91 Okoye / 66De. Robinson
DRT 99T. Johnson/ 92Zgonina / 97 Okam*
DRE 90Williams / 93Bulman/ 72Nading*
SLB 57 Bentley / 52Adibi* / 51 Thompson
MLB 59Ryans / 57 Bentley
WLB 56Greenwood/ 52Adibi* / 53Coley
LCB 35Reeves / 32Bennett / 28Molden*
RCB 23Robinson/ 38Faggins / 27 Richardson*
SS 25Ferguson/ 31 Harrison/ 34Barber*
FS 26Wilson/ 47 Demps
SPECIALISTS
P 1 Turk
PK 3K. Brown
H 1 Turk / 18Rosenfels
PR 12Jones / 89Anderson/ 20Slaton*
KR 11 Davis / 12Jones / 20Slaton*
LS 48Pittman
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Packers likely have to win their final four
games of the season to return to the playoffs. At times, they
have looked like the NFC Norths best club, but their defense
has come apart the past two weeks in defeats at New Orleans
and vs. Carolina. The Texans hosted Jacksonville on Monday
night.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Packers pass defense carried a
lofty reputation and statistical ranking into the showdown with
the Saints but surrendered 323 yards and four TD passes to
Drew Brees. The Packers also struggled to stop Panthers WR
Steve Smith, who racked up 105 yards receiving and beat CB
Charles Woodson on a 54-yard pass that set up the game-win-
ning touchdown for Carolina. The Texans boast a versatile and
potent passing game, and the Packers must solve their prob-
lems in the defensive backfield if they are to prevail.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Packers are 1-5 when QB Aaron
Rodgers attempts 37 or more passes. The Texans are 5-17
on the road in Gary Kubiaks tenure as head coach.
PACKERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Green Bay
Sept. 8 Minnesota (-2.5) 24-19
Sept. 14 At Detroit (-3) 48-25
Sept. 21 Dallas (+3) 16-27
Sept. 28 At Tampa Bay (+2) 21-30
Oct. 5 Atlanta (-5.5) 24-27
Oct. 12 At Seattle (0) 27-17
Oct. 19 Indianapolis (+2.5) 34-14
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 At Tennessee (+3.5) 16-19*
Nov. 16 Chicago (-3.5) 37-3
Nov. 24 At New Orleans (0) 29-51
Nov. 30 Carolina (-3) 31-35
Dec. 7 Houston
Dec. 14 At Jacksonville
Dec. 22 At Chicago
Dec. 28 Detroit
* Overtime
PACKERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 85Jennings / 82Martin
OLT 76Clifton/ 73Colledge
OLG 73Colledge / 78Barbre
C 63Wells / 72Spitz
ORG 72Spitz / 71 Sitton*
ORT 65Tauscher / 75Moll / 68Giacomini*
TE 86D. Lee / 84Humphrey / 88Finley*
WR 80Driver / 89Jones / 87 Nelson*
QB 12Rodgers / 10Flynn* / 11 Brohm*
RB 25Grant / 32Jackson/ 42Wynn
FB 35Hall / 30Kuhn
DEFENSE
DLE 74Kampman/ 57 Hunter / 93Pettway
DLT 79Pickett / 90Cole
DRT 97Jolly / 91 Harrell
DRE 99Thompson* / 96Montgomery
SLB 51 Poppinga / 58Lansanah*
MLB 50Hawk / 55Bishop
WLB 54Chillar / 55Bishop
LCB 21 Woodson/ 27 Blackmon/ 22P. Lee*
RCB 31 Harris / 38Williams / 24Bush
SS 20Bigby / 37 Rouse / 24Bush
FS 36Collins / 26Peprah
SPECIALISTS
P 6Frost
PK 2Crosby
H 6Frost / 10Flynn* / 82Martin
PR 27 Blackmon/ 38Williams / 87 Nelson*
KR 27 Blackmon/ 87 Nelson* / 38Williams
LS 61 Goode* / 75Moll / 71 Sitton*
* Rookie
BENGALS GAME PROFILE COLTS
BENGALS
AT
COLTS
BENGALS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Cincinnati
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE-
Sept. 7 At Baltimore (-2) 10-17
Sept. 14 Tennessee (0) 7-24
Sept. 21 At NewYork Giants (+13) 23-26*
Sept. 28 Cleveland (-1) 12-20
Oct. 5 At Dallas (+16) 22-31
Oct. 12 At NewYork Jets (+9.5) 14-26
Oct. 19 Pittsburgh (+8.5) 10-38
Nov. 2 Jacksonville (+7) 21-19
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 Philadelphia (+9) 13-13*
Nov. 20 At Pittsburgh (+12) 10-27
Nov. 30 Baltimore (+7) 3-34
Dec. 14 Washington
Dec. 21 At Cleveland
Dec. 28 Kansas City
* Overtime
BENGALS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 85Ocho Cinco / 16Holt / 89Simpson*
OLT 76L. Jones / 73Collins* / 74Roland
OLG 62Livings / 66Mathis
C 53Ghiaciuc / 60Crummey*
ORG 63Williams / 66Mathis
ORT 79Andrews / 70Barton*
TE 82Kelly / 81 Utecht / 86Coats / 80Lawrie
WR 84Houshmandzadeh/ 15Henry / 87 Caldwell*
QB 11 Fitzpatrick / 5J. Palmer / 9C. Palmer
RB 32Benson/ 23Perry / 33Watson
FB 86Coats
DEFENSE
DLE 97Thornton/ 50Henderson
DLT 94Peko / 95Harris / 99Shirley*
DRT 90Sims*/ 95Harris / 99Shirley*
DRE 68Fanene / 96Mallard/ 98Odom
SLB 93Jeanty / 50Henderson
MLB 57 Dh. Jones / 51 Mays / 52Hodge
WLB 59B. Johnson/ 56Blackstock / 51 Mays
LCB 20Da. Jones / 25Fletcher / 21 Castille*
RCB 29Hall / 20Da. Jones
SS 41 Ndukwe / 34Hebert / 40Busing
FS 26White / 42Crocker
SPECIALISTS
P 19Larson
PK 17 Graham
H 19Larson
PR 84 Houshmandzadeh / 29 Hall
KR 16Holt / 87 Caldwell*
LS 48St. Louis
* Rookie
OVERVIEWIn a reversal of roles, it was the Colts defense that
bailed out its offense in Indys narrow win over the Browns.
The victory was the Colts fifth straight, tying them with the
Ravens for the wild-card lead. The only thing the Bengals are
jockeying for is draft position, as even their pride will be diffi-
cult to salvage following a 34-3 loss to the Ravens last week.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The hero of the great escape in Cleve-
land, Robert Mathis, needs to continue harassing the QB as
Dwight Freeneys bookend if the Colts are to make some noise
come January. Listless for much of the season, the pass rushs
recent vibrancy should be able to kick things into high gear
against a Bengals offensive line thats made interim starting
QB Ryan Fitzpatricks time under center a lesson in pain man-
agement. Heavy-footed OTs Levi Jones and Stacy Andrews
have trouble walling off speed rushers, and Jones is no cer-
tainty to play after sitting out two straight with a back ailment.
BYTHE NUMBERS Peyton Manning has thrown for 845
yards, seven TDs and no picks in his last three games in Indy.
COLTS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Indianapolis
Sept. 7 Chicago (-10.5) 13-29
Sept. 14 At Minnesota (-1.5) 18-15
Sept. 21 Jacksonville (-4.5) 21-23
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 At Houston (-4) 31-27
Oct. 12 Baltimore (-4) 31-3
Oct. 19 At Green Bay (-2.5) 14-34
Oct. 27 At Tennessee (+4) 21-31
Nov. 2 New England (-6.5) 18-15
Nov. 9 At Pittsburgh (+3.5) 24-20
Nov. 16 Houston (-7.5) 33-27
Nov. 23 At San Diego (+3) 23-20
Nov. 30 At Cleveland (-5) 10-6
Dec. 7 Cincinnati
Dec. 14 Detroit
Dec. 18 At Jacksonville
Dec. 28 Tennessee
COLTS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87Wayne / 11 Gonzalez / 85Garcon*
OLT 67 Ugoh/ 76Federkeil
OLG 74Ch. Johnson/ 61 Richard*
C 61 Richard* / 53Justice* / 63Saturday
ORG 78Pollak* / 61 Richard
ORT 71 Diem/ 76Federkeil
TE 44Clark / 84Tamme*
WR 88Harrison/ 83Hall
QB 18Manning / 12Sorgi
RB 29Addai / 38Rhodes / 35Simpson
TE 47 Robinson/ 86Santi*
DEFENSE
DLE 79Brock / 98Mathis / 94Cu. Johnson*
DLT 68Foster* / 95Reid
DRT 96Dawson/ 99A. Johnson/ 90Muir
DRE 93Freeney / 91 Thomas / 92Howard*
SLB 55Session/ 50Wheeler*
MLB 58Brackett / 52Davis
WLB 54Keiaho / 51 Senn*
LCB 26Hayden/ 20Hughes / 42Graham
RCB 23Jennings / 31 Ratliff
SS 21 Sanders / 33Bullitt / 43Giordano
FS 41 Bethea / 40Silva
SPECIALISTS
P 17 Smith
PK 4Vinatieri
H 17 Smith
PR 85Garcon*
KR 85Garcon*
LS 48Snow
* Rookie
FALCONS GAME PROFILE SAINTS
FALCONS
AT
SAINTS
FALCONS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Atlanta
Sept. 7 Detroit (+3) 34-21
Sept. 14 At Tampa Bay (+7) 9-24
Sept. 21 Kansas City (-6) 38-14
Sept. 28 At Carolina (+7) 9-24
Oct. 5 At Green Bay (+5.5) 27-24
Oct. 12 Chicago (+3) 22-20
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 At Philadelphia (+9.5) 14-27
Nov. 2 At Oakland (-3) 24-0
Nov. 9 New Orleans (-1.5) 34-20
Nov. 16 Denver (-6.5) 20-24
Nov. 23 Carolina (0) 45-28
Dec. 7 At New Orleans
Dec. 14 Tampa Bay
Dec. 21 At Minnesota
Dec. 28 St. Louis
FALCONS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 12Jenkins / 19Robinson
OLT 74Weiner / 76Ojinnaka / 72Baker*
OLG 63Blalock / 67Wilkerson
C 62McClure / 69Stepanovich/ 67Wilkerson
ORG 73Dahl / 77 Clabo
ORT 77 Clabo / 74Weiner
TE 87 Peelle / 85Rader
WR 84White / 83Douglas* / 86Finneran
QB 2Ryan* / 8Redman/ 3Shockley
RB 33Turner / 32Norwood/ 44Snelling
FB 34Mughelli
DEFENSE
DLE 98J. Anderson/ 75Fraser
NT 91 G. Jackson/ 99Jefferson
UT 95Babineaux / 94Moorehead
DRE 55Abraham/ 92Davis
SLB 59Boley / 54Nicholas
MLB 50Lofton* / 51 Gilbert
WLB 56Brooking / 52Wire
LCB 24Foxworth/ 20Grimes / 22C. Jackson*
RCB 23Houston/ 30Irons
SS 36Milloy / 41 Harris
FS 26Coleman/ 28DeCoud*
SPECIALISTS
P 9Koenen
PK 1 Elam
H 9Koenen
PR 83Douglas*
KR 32Norwood
LS 46Schneck
* Rookie
OVERVIEWAfter falling to Tampa Bay last week, a loss to At-
lanta basically would eliminate the Saints from postseason
contention. The Falcons have won four of their last five, includ-
ing two in a row on the road, and need a victory to keep pace
with the division-leading Bucs and Panthers.
MATCHUP TO WATCH If New Orleans is going to pull off this
must-win game, it will need to keep Falcons RB Michael Turner
from gaining steam. When Turner rushes for 96 yards or more,
Atlanta is 7-0. To limit Turner, the Saints will plug eight defend-
ers in the box frequently. It will leave the D vulnerable to get-
ting beat through the air, but New Orleans defensive backfield
has played much better in the past two weeks. The Saints
need a strong push from DTs Sedrick Ellis and Kendrick
Clancy, which should free up MLB Jonathan Vilma to hit Turner
before he gets too far beyond the line of scrimmage.
BYTHE NUMBERS Saints QB Drew Brees has thrown eight of
his 14 interceptions this season against divisional opponents.
Three of them came vs. the Falcons in Week 10.
SAINTS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to New Orleans
Sept. 7 Tampa Bay (-3) 24-20
Sept. 14 At Washington (0) 24-29
Sept. 21 At Denver (+5.5) 32-34
Sept. 28 San Francisco (-4) 31-17
Oct. 6 Minnesota (-3) 27-30
Oct. 12 Oakland (-7) 34-3
Oct. 19 At Carolina (+3) 7-30
Oct. 26 San Diego (+3) 37-32
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 9 At Atlanta (+1.5) 20-34
Nov. 16 At Kansas City (-6) 30-20
Nov. 24 Green Bay (0) 51-29
Nov. 30 At Tampa Bay (+4) 20-23
Dec. 7 Atlanta
Dec. 11 At Chicago
Dec. 21 At Detroit
Dec. 28 Carolina
SAINTS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 12Colston/ 81 Patten/ 15Roby
OLT 70Brown/ 74Bushrod
OLG 77 Nicks* / 67 Nesbit
C 76Goodwin/ 68Lehr
ORG 73Evans
ORT 78Stinchcomb/ 64Strief
TE 88Shockey / 83Miller / 86Ortega
WR 16Moore / 19Henderson/ 17 Meachem
QB 9Brees / 11 Brunell / 3Harrington
RB 25Bush/ 23P. Thomas / 26McAllister
FB 36Barnes / 44Karney
DEFENSE
DLE 93McCray / 97 Charleston
NT 71 Clancy / 99H. Thomas
UT 98Ellis* / 96Lake
DRE 91 Smith/ 95Savage
SLB 55Fujita / 54Evans
MLB 51 Vilma / 50Mitchell
WLB 58Shanle / 56Dunbar
LCB 42David/ 24Torrence
RCB 20Gay / 28U. Young
SS 41 Harper / 39Reis
FS 43Kaesviharn/ 29Bullocks
SPECIALISTS
P 4Pakulak
PK 5Hartley
H 4Pakulak
PR 16Moore / 25Bush
KR 23P. Thomas / 15Roby
LS 47 Houser
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK 14
EAGLES GAME PROFILE GIANTS
EAGLES
AT
GIANTS
EAGLES SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Philadelphia
Sept. 7 St. Louis (-8.5) 38-3
Sept. 15 At Dallas (+6.5) 37-41
Sept. 21 Pittsburgh (-3.5) 15-6
Sept. 28 At Chicago (-3) 20-24
Oct. 5 Washington (-6.5) 17-23
Oct. 12 At San Francisco (-5) 40-26
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 Atlanta (-9.5) 27-14
Nov. 2 At Seattle (-7) 26-7
Nov. 9 NewYork Giants (-3) 31-36
Nov. 16 At Cincinnati (-9) 13-13*
Nov. 23 At Baltimore (+1.5) 7-36
Nov. 27 Arizona (-3) 48-20
Dec. 7 At NewYork Giants
Dec. 15 Cleveland
Dec. 21 At Washington
Dec. 28 Dallas
* Overtime
EAGLES DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 80Curtis / 81 Avant / 84Baskett
OLT 72T. Thomas
OLG 79Herremans / 68McGlynn*
C 67J. Jackson
ORG 59N. Cole / 73Andrews / 62Jean-Gilles
ORT 69Runyan/ 74Justice
TE 82L.J. Smith/ 87 Celek / 89Schobel
WR 86R. Brown/ 10D. Jackson* / 83G. Lewis
QB 5McNabb/ 4Kolb/ 14Feeley
RB 36Westbrook / 28Buckhalter / 25Booker
FB 49Klecko / 32Eckel
DEFENSE
DLE 75Parker / 78Abiamiri / 91 Clemons
DLT 98Patterson/ 93Laws
DRT 97 Bunkley
DRE 58T. Cole / 90Howard/ 63B. Smith*
SLB 57 Gocong / 50Daniels
MLB 55Bradley / 51 Mays*
WLB 96Gaither / 56Jordan/ 54White
LCB 22Samuel / 21 Hanson
RCB 24S. Brown/ 26Sheppard
SS 27 Mikell / 37 Considine
FS 20Dawkins / 39Demps*
SPECIALISTS
P 6Rocca
PK 2Akers
H 6Rocca / 4Kolb/ 14Feeley
PR 10D. Jackson* / 39Demps*
KR 39Demps* / 25Booker
LS 46Dorenbos
* Rookie
OVERVIEWQB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook
helped save the season by providing some offense against the
Cardinals on Thanksgiving after the benching of McNabb a few
days before. The Giants remain in the drivers seat in the NFC
East even amid the strange Plaxico Burress shooting. The Ea-
gles need this game to keep their playoff hopes alive.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Giants RB trio of Brandon Jacobs,
Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw rumbled for 217 rushing
yards on 44 carries in Week 10 against the Eagles, which led to
a nearly two-to-one edge in time of possession. The Eagles
have tightened up their run D in the three games since then,
allowing only 191 yards on 80 carries, but if they dont gang-
tackle and fit the proper holes, they could get trucked again.
BYTHE NUMBERS Westbrook was stopped on 3rd-and-2 and
4th-and-1 plays with less than two minutes left in the first
meeting to close the game out for the Giants. The Eagles
converted 10-of-15 third-down tries against the Cardinals and
picked up a total of 32 first downs.
GIANTS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to NewYork
Sept. 4 Washington (-5) 16-7
Sept. 14 At St. Louis (-8.5) 41-13
Sept. 21 Cincinnati (-13) 26-23*
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 Seattle (-7) 44-6
Oct. 13 At Cleveland (-8) 14-35
Oct. 19 San Francisco (-10.5) 29-17
Oct. 26 At Pittsburgh (+2.5) 21-14
Nov. 2 Dallas (-8.5) 35-14
Nov. 9 At Philadelphia (+3) 36-31
Nov. 23 At Arizona (-3) 37-29
Nov. 30 At Washington (-4) 23-7
Dec. 7 Philadelphia
Dec. 14 At Dallas
Dec. 21 Carolina
Dec. 28 At Minnesota
* Overtime
GIANTS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87 Hixon/ 82Manningham* / 17 Burress
OLT 66Diehl / 77 Boothe
OLG 69Seubert / 65Ruegamer
C 60OHara / 65Ruegamer
ORG 76Snee / 77 Boothe
ORT 67 McKenzie / 61 Koets
TE 89Boss / 88Matthews / 84D. Johnson
WR 81 Toomer / 12Smith/ 83Moss
QB 10E. Manning / 8Carr
RB 27Jacobs / 34Ward/ 44Bradshaw/ 28Ware
FB 39Hedgecock
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Tuck / 99Wynn/ 95McDougle
NT 96Cofield/ 73J. Clark
DT 98Robbins / 93Alford
DRE 97 Kiwanuka / 71 Tollefson
SLB 55D. Clark / 51 DeOssie
MLB 58Pierce / 54Goff*
WLB 57 Blackburn/ 59Wilkinson/ 53Kehl*
LCB 31 Ross / 35Dockery / 30Thomas*
RCB 23Webster / 29Madison/ 25McQuarters
SS 21 Phillips* / 37 Butler
FS 20M. Johnson
SPECIALISTS
P 18Feagles
PK 5Carney / 9Tynes
H 18Feagles
PR 25McQuarters / 44Bradshaw/ 87 Hixon
KR 44Bradshaw / 87 Hixon/ 34Ward
LS 51 DeOssie / 93Alford
* Rookie
BROWNS GAME PROFILE TITANS
BROWNS
AT
TITANS
BROWNS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Cleveland
Sept. 7 Dallas (+6) 10-28
Sept. 14 Pittsburgh (+7) 6-10
Sept. 21 At Baltimore (+2.5) 10-28
Sept. 28 At Cincinnati (+1) 20-12
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 13 NewYork Giants (+8) 35-14
Oct. 19 At Washington (+7) 11-14
Oct. 26 At Jacksonville (+7) 23-17
Nov. 6 Denver (-3) 30-34
Nov. 17 At Buffalo (+5.5) 29-27
Nov. 23 Houston (-3) 6-16
Nov. 30 Indianapolis (+5) 6-10
Dec. 7 At Tennessee
Dec. 15 At Philadelphia
Dec. 21 Cincinnati
Dec. 28 At Pittsburgh
BROWNS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 17 Edwards / 12Steptoe / 83Sanders
OLT 73Thomas / 77 Shaffer
OLG 65Steinbach/ 79Young
C 66Fraley / 68McKinney
ORG 70Hadnot / 68McKinney
ORT 77 Shaffer / 61 Sowells
TE 80Winslow/ 82Heiden/ 87 Dinkins / 86Rucker* / 44Collins
WR 18Stallworth/ 16Cribbs
QB 11 Dorsey / 3Anderson
RB 31 Lewis / 29Wright / 35Harrison
FB 47Vickers / 41 Ali
DEFENSE
DLE 99C. Williams / 93Leonard
NT 92Rogers / 91 S. Smith/ 71 Rubin*
DRE 91 S. Smith/ 97 S. Thomas / 93Leonard
LOLB 55McGinest / 96Hall*/ 51 Orr
LILB 54Davis / 94L. Williams / 58Bell*
RILB 52Jackson/ 53Griffin/ 59T. Brown*
ROLB 95Wimbley / 96Hall*
LCB 24Wright / 25Cousin
RCB 22McDonald/ 23Daniels / 30Lawson*
SS 26Jones / 20Adams / 27 Sorensen
FS 21 Pool / 20Adams
SPECIALISTS
P 15Zastudil
PK 4Dawson
H 15Zastudil
PR 16Cribbs / 12Steptoe / 22McDonald
KR 16Cribbs / 29Wright / 35Harrison
LS 64Pontbriand
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Titans romped at Detroit and appear to have
gotten over a humbling defeat to the Jets. The Browns played
the Colts tough but fell 10-6 and likely lost QB Derek Anderson
to a season-ending knee injury. With Brady Quinn (finger) al-
ready done for the year, the Browns will turn to third-string QB
Ken Dorsey to run the offense. More bad news for Cleveland:
TE Kellen Winslow injured his ankle vs. the Colts.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Titans DRE Kyle Vanden Bosch pro-
vides exceptional effort and will give Browns OLT Joe Thomas
all he can handle. Thomas was beaten by Colts DE Dwight
Freeney on the pivotal play of the Week 13 loss to Indianapolis.
Freeney got inside of Thomas and forced a fumble that was re-
turned for the games lone touchdown. Look for the Browns to
feature a heavy dose of short passes to get Dorsey into
rhythm and to neutralize the Titans pass rush.
BYTHE NUMBERS Titans RBs Chris Johnson and LenDale
White combined for 39-231-4 in Week 13. Dorseys last start
came Nov. 27, 2005, at Tennessee as a member of the 49ers.
TITANS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Tennessee
Sept. 7 Jacksonville (+3) 17-10
Sept. 14 At Cincinnati (0) 24-7
Sept. 21 Houston (-5) 31-12
Sept. 28 Minnesota (-3.5) 30-17
Oct. 5 At Baltimore (-1) 13-10
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 At Kansas City (-8.5) 34-10
Oct. 27 Indianapolis (-4) 31-21
Nov. 2 Green Bay (-3.5) 19-16*
Nov. 9 At Chicago (-3) 21-14
Nov. 16 At Jacksonville (-2.5) 24-14
Nov. 23 NewYork Jets (-5.5) 13-34
Nov. 27 At Detroit (-11) 47-10
Dec. 7 Cleveland
Dec. 14 At Houston
Dec. 21 Pittsburgh
* Overtime
TITANS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 19McCareins / 87 Hawkins* / 17 C. Davis
OLT 71 Roos / 70Loper / 66Otto
OLG 54Amano / 64Harris / 70Loper
C 68Mawae / 64Harris
ORG 73Scott / 64Harris / 70Loper
ORT 76Stewart / 70Loper
TE 83Crumpler / 80Scaife / 88Stevens*
WR 12Gage / 81 B. Jones / 11 P. Williams
QB 5Collins / 10Young / 8Simms
RB 28C. Johnson* / 25White / 42Henry / 35Ganther
FB 45Hall
DEFENSE
DLE 90Kearse / 78Ford/ 95Hayes*
DLT 97 Brown/ 91 J. Jones*
DRT 92Haynesworth/ 96Vickerson
DRE 93VandenBosch/ 98Ball / 91 J. Jones*
SLB 53Bulluck / 56Allred/ 59Keglar*
MLB 55Tulloch/ 52Fowler
WLB 50Thornton/ 57 Stamer / 58Amato
LCB 20Harper / 29Carr / 26T. Harris
RCB 31 Finnegan/ 38 Poole
SS 24Hope / 23Nickey / 29Carr
FS 33Griffin/ 22Fuller
SPECIALISTS
P 15Hentrich
PK 2Bironas
H 15Hentrich
PR 29Carr / 17 Davis / 81 Jones
KR 29Carr / 87 Hawkins* / 28C. Johnson*
LS 58Amato / 68Mawae
* Rookie
DOLPHINS GAME PROFILE BILLS
DOLPHINS
AT
BILLS
DOLPHINS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Miami
Sept. 7 NewYork Jets (+3) 14-20
Sept. 14 At Arizona (+6.5) 10-31
Sept. 21 At New England (+12.5) 38-13
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 San Diego (+6) 17-10
Oct. 19 Baltimore (-3) 13-27
Oct. 26 Buffalo (0) 25-16
Nov. 2 At Denver (+4) 26-17
Nov. 9 Seattle (-8) 21-19
Nov. 16 Oakland (-10) 17-15
Nov. 23 New England (+2) 28-48
Nov. 30 At St. Louis (-7) 16-12
Dec. 7 At Buffalo
Dec. 14 San Francisco
Dec. 21 At Kansas City
Dec. 28 At NewYork Jets
DOLPHINS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 19Ginn/ 17 London/ 18Wilford
OLT 77 Long* / 76Frye
OLG 65Smiley / 61 Murphy*
C 64Satele / 57Alleman/ 60Johnson
ORG 68Ndukwe / 61 Murphy*
ORT 72Carey / 75Garner*
TE 81 Fasano / 88Martin/ 81 Haynos*
WR 15Bess* / 17 London
QB 10Pennington/ 7 Henne* / 9Beck
RB 23Brown/ 34Williams / 38Cobbs
FB 36Polite / 30Cramer
DEFENSE
DLE 70Langford* / 94Starks / 90Wright
NT 95Ferguson/ 96Soliai
DRE 91 Holliday / 97 Merling* / 71 Dotson*
OLB 55Porter / 56Anderson
LILB 52Crowder / 53Torbor
RILB 51 Ayodele / 53Torbor
OLB 98Roth/ 74Moses / 93Ninkovich
LCB 25W. Allen/ 22Lehan
RCB 21 Goodman/ 32J, Allen/ 33Jones
SS 37 Bell / 28Condren
FS 24Hill / 29Culver
SPECIALISTS
P 2Fields
PK 5Carpenter*
H 2Fields
PR 15Bess* / 19Ginn
KR 19Ginn/ 15Bess*
LS 92Denney
* Rookie
OVERVIEWFor the first time ever, the NFL will stage a regular-
season battle in Canada. Making the long trek north is a Dol-
phins team succeeding the hard way, earning its last three
victories by a total of eight points. Whats important, however,
is that they sit just a game outside the division and wild-card
lead. The Bills have lost five of their last six, the origin of their
slide being a loss in Miami in Week Eight.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Going against its mantra, Miami could
be keeping more defenders in coverage at the expense of blitz-
ing pressure. Buffalos O-line has given its passer ample time
to sit in the pocket recently regardless of the oppositions
pass-rushing scheme, yet Trent Edwards has had difficulty
reading defensive backfields saturated with defenders. As-
suming Edwards is healed from a groin injury that sidelined
him in the second half last week, hell be asked to make smart
decisions against a secondary that can be exploited deep.
BYTHE NUMBERS Twenty-seven percent of Ted Ginn Jr.s re-
ceiving yards came in his 175-yard effort vs. Buffalo on Oct. 26.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 4:05 p.m. ET (at Toronto)
BILLS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Buffalo
Sept. 7 Seattle (-1.5) 34-10
Sept. 14 At Jacksonville (+4.5) 20-16
Sept. 21 Oakland (-10) 24-23
Sept. 28 At St. Louis (-8.5) 31-14
Oct. 5 At Arizona (+2.5) 17-41
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 San Diego (0) 23-14
Oct. 26 At Miami (0) 16-25
Nov. 2 NewYork Jets (-5) 17-26
Nov. 9 At New England (+3.5) 10-20
Nov. 17 Cleveland (-5.5) 27-29
Nov. 23 At Kansas City (-3) 54-31
Nov. 30 San Francisco (-6.5) 3-10
Dec. 7 Miami
Dec. 14 At NewYork Jets
Dec. 21 At Denver
Dec. 28 New England
BILLS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 83Evans / 11 Parrish/ 13St. Johnson*
OLT 71 Peters / 77 Bell*
OLG 66Dockery / 65Whittle
C 75Preston/ 67 Fowler
ORG 73Chambers / 60Butler
ORT 68Walker / 73Chambers
TE 84Royal / 80Schouman/ 86Fine*
WR 82Reed/ 81 Hardy*
QB 5Edwards / 7 Losman/ 10Hamdan
RB 23Lynch/ 22Jackson/ 25Omon*
FB 38McIntyre
DEFENSE
DLE 90Kelsay / 96Bryan
DLT 99Stroud/ 91 Sp. Johnson
DRT 95Williams / 91 Sp. Johnson
DRE 92Denney / 93Ellis* / 94Schobel
SLB 56Ellison/ 54Costanzo
MLB 51 Posluszny / 53Buggs / 58Lehman
WLB 59Mitchell / 57 Corto
LCB 33Greer / 28McKelvin*
RCB 24McGee / 27 Corner*
SS 20Whitner / 43Scott / 29Wendling
FS 30Simpson/ 37Wilson
SPECIALISTS
P 8Moorman
PK 9Lindell
H 8Moorman
PR 11 Parrish/ 28McKelvin*
KR 28McKelvin* / 24McGee
LS 72Neill
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK 14
CHIEFS GAME PROFILE BRONCOS
CHIEFS
AT
BRONCOS
CHIEFS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Kansas City
Sept. 7 At New England (+16) 10-17
Sept. 14 Oakland (-3.5) 8-23
Sept. 21 At Atlanta (+6) 14-38
Sept. 28 Denver (+9) 33-19
Oct. 5 At Carolina (+9.5) 0-34
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 Tennessee (+8.5) 10-34
Oct. 26 At NewYork Jets (+14) 24-28
Nov. 2 Tampa Bay (+9.5) 27-30*
Nov. 16 New Orleans (+6) 20-30
Nov. 23 Buffalo (+3) 31-54
Nov. 30 At Oakland (+3) 20-13
Dec. 7 At Denver
Dec. 14 San Diego
Dec. 21 Miami
Dec. 28 At Cincinnati
* Overtime
CHIEFS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 82Bowe / 85Franklin* / 14Robinson*
OLT 76Albert* / 75Taylor / 71 Carnahan
OLG 54Waters / 74W. Smith
C 64Niswanger / 74W. Smith
ORG 73Jones / 74W. Smith
ORT 77 McIntosh/ 75Taylor / 67 Richardson*
TE 88Gonzalez / 87 Cottam* / 45Merritt*
WR 83Bradley / 81 Darling / 80Webb
QB 4Thigpen/ 8Gray
RB 27 L. Johnson/ 25Charles* / 26Battle
FB 42Cox*
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Hali / 94Babin/ 92Gilberry*
DLT 93Tyler / 70Boone / 95R. Edwards
DRT 72Dorsey* / 95R. Edwards / 61 Burton
DRE 70Boone / 92Gilberry* / 96Studebaker*
SLB 59D. Edwards / 53Williams / 50Boiman
MLB 55Thomas / 50Boiman
WLB 56D. Johnson/ 50Boiman/ 52Gatewood*
LCB 39Carr* / 23Surtain/ 34Macklin
RCB 24Flowers* / 31 Leggett* / 30Colclough
SS 49Pollard/ 38Morgan* / 35Celestin
FS 44Page / 47 McGraw
SPECIALISTS
P 2Colquitt
PK 5Barth*
H 2Colquitt
PR 14Robinson* / 25Charles*
KR 14Robinson* / 25Charles*
LS 48Gafford
* Rookie
OVERVIEWComing off just their second win of the season
a 20-13 triumph at Oakland the Chiefs head to Denver for
yet another divisional road game. Theyll face the Broncos, a
streaky club that notched probably its biggest victory of the
year last Sunday, going on the road to defeat the Jets, 34-17.
That win, coupled with San Diegos loss, gives the Broncos a
comfortable three-game lead in the AFC West. When K.C. and
Denver met in Week Four, the Chiefs triumphed 33-19.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Two second-round picks in the 08
draft will clash when Broncos WR Eddie Royal is matched up
with Chiefs CB Brandon Flowers. Royal has made a significant
impact in his first year a rare feat for wide receivers
catching 63 passes for 757 yards and five TDs. Flowers has
held his own in coverage, though, so this showdown should be
a very interesting one to follow.
BYTHE NUMBERS Denver has not lost at home to the Chiefs
since 2000. The 271 yards of offense given up by K.C. last
week was by far the fewest it has allowed all season.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 4:05 p.m. ET
BRONCOS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Denver
Sept. 8 At Oakland (-3) 41-14
Sept. 14 San Diego (-1) 39-38
Sept. 21 New Orleans (-5.5) 34-32
Sept. 28 At Kansas City (-9) 19-33
Oct. 5 Tampa Bay (-4) 16-13
Oct. 12 Jacksonville (-3.5) 17-24
Oct. 20 At New England (+3) 7-41
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 Miami (-4) 17-26
Nov. 16 At Atlanta (+6.5) 24-20
Nov. 23 Oakland (-8) 10-31
Nov. 30 At NewYork Jets (+8) 34-17
Dec. 7 Kansas City
Dec. 14 At Carolina
Dec. 21 Buffalo
Dec. 28 At San Diego
BRONCOS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 15Marshall / 82D. Jackson
OLT 78Clady* / 76Polumbus*
OLG 50Hamilton/ 67 Lichtensteiger*
C 62Wiegmann/ 67 Lichtensteiger*
ORG 73Kuper / 67 Lichtensteiger*
ORT 74Harris
TE 89Graham/ 88Scheffler / 85Mustard
WR 19Royal* / 14Stokley / 16C. Jackson
QB 6Cutler / 4Hackney
RB 22Hillis* / 35Young / 31 Pope
FB 46Larsen* / 22Hillis*
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Ekuban/ 60Engelberger / 96Crowder
DLT 63Robertson/ 90Peterson
DRT 79Thomas / 93Clemons / 95Shaw
DRE 92Dumervil / 94Moss
SLB 51 Winborn/ 52Green
MLB 46Larsen* / 53Koutouvides / 58Webster
WLB 59Woodyard* / 55D. Williams
LCB 34Bell* / 41 Paymah/ 24C. Bailey
RCB 32Bly / 26J. Williams*
SS 33Manuel / 39Fox
FS 37 Lowry / 20McCree
SPECIALISTS
P 1 Kern*
PK 5Prater
H 1 Kern*
PR 19Royal*
KR 19Royal*
LS 83Leach
* Rookie
JETS GAME PROFILE 49ERS
JETS
AT
49ERS
JETS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to NewYork
Sept. 7 At Miami (-3) 20-14
Sept. 14 New England (+1) 10-19
Sept. 22 At San Diego (+8) 29-48
Sept. 28 Arizona (-1) 56-35
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 12 Cincinnati (-9.5) 26-14
Oct. 19 At Oakland (-3) 13-16*
Oct. 26 Kansas City (-14) 28-24
Nov. 2 At Buffalo (+5) 26-17
Nov. 9 St. Louis (-9.5) 47-3
Nov. 13 At New England (+3) 34-31*
Nov. 23 At Tennessee (+5.5) 34-13
Nov. 30 Denver (-8) 17-34
Dec. 7 At San Francisco
Dec. 14 Buffalo
Dec. 21 At Seattle
Dec. 28 Miami
* Overtime
JETS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87 Coles / 16B. Smith/ 15Wright
OLT 60Ferguson/ 78Hunter
OLG 66Faneca / 68Montgomery
C 74Mangold/ 75Turner
ORG 65Moore / 75Turner
ORT 67Woody / 78Hunter
TE 86Baker / 81 Keller* / 88Franks
WR 89Cotchery / 83Stuckey / 17 Clowney
QB 4Favre / 11 Clemens / 5Ratliff
RB 20Jones / 29Washington/ 26Mason
FB 49Richardson
DEFENSE
DLE 92Ellis / 70DeVito
NT 77Jenkins / 91 Pouha
DRE 93K. Coleman/ 69Mosley
LOLB 99Thomas / 56Gholston*
LILB 50Barton/ 57Trusnik
RILB 96Bowens / 52Harris / 53Spencer
ROLB 97 Pace / 94Murrell
LCB 24Revis / 31 Poteat / 30D. Coleman
RCB 22Law/ 34Lowery* / 31 Carroll
SS 27 Elam/ 33E. Smith/ 36Barrett
FS 25Rhodes / 44Ihedigbo
SPECIALISTS
P 6Hodges
PK 3Feely / 1 Nugent
H 6Hodges
PR 29Washington/ 34Lowery*
KR 29Washington/ 21 Miller
LS 85Dearth
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Jets five-game winning streak came to a jar-
ring halt vs. the Broncos, who laid a 34-17 hammer on them
last week in the Meadowlands. But the Patriots loss assured
the Jets that theyd remain in the AFC East drivers seat. They
should be able to sustain or widen that gap against a 49ers
club whose 10-3 victory over the Bills last week marked the
fewest points the Niners have allowed since Nov. 5, 2006.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Jets TE Dustin Kellers game is about
speed. 49ers SS Michael Lewis is about strength. Theyre con-
trasting styles that will test the players ability to adapt to their
opponents forte. Keller has caught 27 passes in the past four
games, slowly establishing himself as the most indispensable
receiver in the Jets arsenal. Lewis operates with a LB mental-
ity, which actually looms as a liability against Kellers separa-
tion speed. Underneath, however, Keller will be hard-pressed
to muscle for many yards after the catch vs. Lewis physicality.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Jets have scored 103 points in their
two games vs. NFC West foes 56 vs. Arizona, 47 vs. St. Louis.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 4:05 p.m. ET
49ERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to San Francisco
Sept. 7 Arizona (+2.5) 13-23
Sept. 14 At Seattle (+6) 33-30*
Sept. 21 Detroit (-5) 31-13
Sept. 28 At New Orleans (+4) 17-31
Oct. 5 New England (+3) 21-30
Oct. 12 Philadelphia (+5) 26-40
Oct. 19 At NewYork Giants(+10.5) 17-29
Oct. 26 Seattle (-5.5) 13-34
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 10 At Arizona (+10) 24-29
Nov. 16 St. Louis (-7) 35-16
Nov. 23 At Dallas (+9.5) 22-35
Nov. 30 At Buffalo (+6.5) 10-3
Dec. 7 NewYork Jets
Dec. 14 At Miami
Dec. 21 At St. Louis
Dec. 28 Washington
* Overtime
49ERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 82Johnson/ 89J. Hill / 84Morgan*
OLT 74Staley / 77 Bender
OLG 64Baas / 68Snyder
C 66Heitmann/ 59Wallace*
ORG 62Rachal* / 69Wragge
ORT 68Snyder / 65Sims
TE 85Davis / 46Walker / 47 Bajema / 81 Ryan
WR 88Bruce / 83Battle / 17Zeigler / 15Hannon
QB 13S. Hill / 14OSullivan/ 10Martin
RB 21 Gore / 29Foster
FB 24Robinson
DEFENSE
DLE 91 McDonald/ 96Balmer*
NT 90Sopoaga / 92Franklin/ 93Fields
DRE 94J. Smith/ 96Balmer*
OLB 99Lawson/ 95Banta-Cain
ILB 51 Spikes / 53Ulbrich
ILB 52Willis
OLB 98Haralson/ 54Green
LCB 22Clements / 30Strickland/ 25Brown
RCB 27 Harris / 23Hudson/ 31 R. Smith*
SS 32M. Lewis / 28K. Lewis
FS 26Roman/ 38Goldson
SPECIALISTS
P 4Lee
PK 6Nedney
H 4Lee / 83Battle
PR 20Rossum/ 83Battle / 22Clements
KR 20Rossum/ 46Walker / 24Robinson
LS 86B. Jennings / 47 Bajema
* Rookie
RAMS GAME PROFILE CARDINALS
RAMS
AT
CARDINALS
RAMS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to St. Louis
Sept. 7 At Philadelphia (+8.5) 3-38
Sept. 14 NewYork Giants (+8.5) 13-41
Sept. 21 At Seattle (+8.5) 13-37
Sept. 28 Buffalo (+8.5) 14-31
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 12 At Washington (+11.5) 19-17
Oct. 19 Dallas (+7.5) 34-14
Oct. 26 At New England (+8.5) 16-23
Nov. 2 Arizona (+3) 13-34
Nov. 9 At NewYork Jets (+9.5) 3-47
Nov. 16 At San Francisco (+7) 16-35
Nov. 23 Chicago (+7) 3-27
Nov. 30 Miami (+7) 12-16
Dec. 7 At Arizona
Dec. 14 Seattle
Dec. 21 San Francisco
Dec. 28 At Atlanta
RAMS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 81 Holt / 89Looker
OLT 76Pace / 73Goldberg / 69Davis
OLG 63Bell / 79Greco* / 67 Schuening*
C 65Romberg / 61 Withrow
ORG 68Incognito / 79Greco*
ORT 70Barron/ 79Greco*
TE 88Klopfenstein/ 87 Becht / 46Fells
WR 17Avery* / 14Burton* / 19Stanley
QB 10Bulger / 12Green/ 13Berlin
RB 39Jackson/ 30Pittman/33Darby / 22Minor
FB 46Fells / 88Klopfenstein
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Little / 94Adeyanju
UT 97 Glover / 90Carriker
NT 95Ryan/ 90Carriker
DRE 72Long* / 96J. Hall / 92Moore
SLB 53Culberson/ 52Draft / 59Grant
MLB 58Vobora*/ 51 Witherspoon/ 55Stills
WLB 50Tinoisamoa / 57 Chamberlain*
LCB 24Bartell / 31 Craft / 26Hill
RCB 34F. Brown/ 20Wade
SS 25Chavous / 25Johnson
FS 21 Atogwe / 24Bartell / 41 Bassey
SPECIALISTS
P 5Jones
PK 2J. Brown
H 5Jones / 89Looker
PR 19Stanley / 89Looker
KR 19Stanley / 22Minor / 20Wade
LS 45Massey / 57 Chamberlain*
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe 2-10 Rams suffered their sixth straight loss
when QB Marc Bulgers third interception of the game with 35
seconds remaining sealed a 16-12 verdict in Miamis favor. The
7-5 Cardinals, who will be well-rested after getting trounced
48-20 by the Eagles in this years Thanksgiving nightcap, re-
main a relative lock to win the NFC West despite dropping their
last two games. The Cardinals scored 31 consecutive points
against the Rams in a 34-13 Week Nine victory in St. Louis in
which Kurt Warner threw for 343 yards and two touchdowns.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Rams offensive line, which didnt
allow a sack for the first time this season in Week 13 with OLT
Orlando Pace back in the lineup after a one-game layoff, will
try to keep it up against a Cardinals pass rush that has man-
aged only four sacks in the past four games.
BYTHE NUMBERS Bulger and Rams backup QB Trent Green
have thrown 14 interceptions in the last six games. The Car-
dinals have failed to gain more than 50 yards rushing in six of
the last nine games.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 4:15 p.m. ET
CARDINALS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Arizona
Sept. 7 At San Francisco (-2.5) 23-13
Sept. 14 Miami (-6.5) 31-10
Sept. 21 At Washington (+3) 17-24
Sept. 28 At NewYork Jets (+1) 35-56
Oct. 5 Buffalo (-2.5) 41-17
Oct. 12 Dallas (+5) 30-24*
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 At Carolina (+5) 23-27
Nov. 2 At St. Louis (-3) 34-13
Nov. 10 San Francisco (-10) 29-24
Nov. 23 NewYork Giants (+3) 29-37
Nov. 27 At Philadelphia (+3) 20-48
Dec. 7 St. Louis
Dec. 14 Minnesota
Dec. 21 At New England
Dec. 28 Seattle
* Overtime
CARDINALS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 11 Fitzgerald/ 85Urban/ 87 Morey
OLT 69Gandy / 72Keith*
OLG 74Wells / 81 E. Brown
C 63Sendlein/ 70Ross
ORG 76Lutui / 61 E. Brown
ORT 75L. Brown
TE 83Spach/ 82Pope / 89Patrick / 84Tuman
WR 81 Boldin/ 15Breaston/ 80Doucet*
QB 13Warner / 7 Leinart / 2St. Pierre
RB 34Hightower* / 28Arrington/ 32James
FB 45T. Smith/ 46Castille
DEFENSE
DLE 94A. Smith/ 91 Iwebema*
NT 97 B. Robinson/ 98Watson/ 78Branch
DT 90Dockett / 93Campbell*
DRE 55LaBoy / 92Berry
SLB 56Okeafor / 53Haggans
MLB 54Hayes / 52Beisel
WLB 58Dansby / 51 Togafau
LCB 26Hood/ 20R. Brown/ 27Adams
RCB 29Rodgers-Cromartie* / 25Green
SS 24Wilson/ 47 Francisco
FS 21 Rolle / 22Ware
SPECIALISTS
P 9D. Johnson
PK 1 Rackers
H 9D. Johnson/ 87 Morey
PR 15Breaston/ 21 Rolle / 26Hood
KR 28Arrington/ 15Breaston/ 87 Morey
LS 48Hodel / 84Tuman
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK 14
COWBOYS GAME PROFILE STEELERS
COWBOYS
AT
STEELERS
COWBOYS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Dallas
Sept. 7 At Cleveland (-6) 28-10
Sept. 15 Philadelphia (-6.5) 41-37
Sept. 21 At Green Bay (-3) 27-16
Sept. 28 Washington (-10) 24-26
Oct. 5 Cincinnati (-16) 31-22
Oct. 12 At Arizona (-5) 24-30*
Oct. 19 At St. Louis (-7.5) 14-34
Oct. 26 Tampa Bay (-1.5) 13-9
Nov. 2 At NewYork Giants (+8.5) 14-35
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 At Washington (-2) 14-10
Nov. 23 San Francisco (-9.5) 35-22
Nov. 27 Seattle (-12.5) 34-9
Dec. 7 At Pittsburgh
Dec. 14 NewYork Giants
Dec. 20 Baltimore
Dec. 28 At Philadelphia
* Overtime
COWBOYS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 81 Owens / 19Austin
OLT 76Adams / 68Free
OLG 64Holland/ 71 Procter
C 65Gurode / 67 Berger
ORG 70L. Davis
ORT 75Colombo / 77 McQuistan
TE 82Witten/ 80Bennett* / 89Curtis
WR 11 Williams / 84Crayton/ 86Stanback
QB 9Romo / 5Bollinger / 14B. Johnson
RB 24Barber / 29Choice*
FB 34Anderson
DEFENSE
DLE 96Spears / 97 Hatcher
NT 90Ratliff / 66T. Johnson
DRE 99Canty / 72Bowen
LOLB 98Ellis / 93Spencer
LILB 56James / 54Carpenter / Octavien*
RILB 55Thomas / 57 Burnett
ROLB 94Ware / 50Rogers / 52Polk
LCB 41 Newman/ 31 Jenkins* / 20Ball
RCB 42Henry / 32Scandrick* / 36Butler
SS 29K. Davis / 25Watkins
FS 26Hamlin/ 27 Brown/ 35Battle
SPECIALISTS
P 2Paulescu
PK 6Folk
H 14B. Johnson/ 2Paulescu/ 84Crayton
PR 84Crayton
KR 19Austin/ 86Stanback
LS 91 LaDouceur
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThis rare AFC-NFC rivalry mushroomed in the
1970s with Super Bowls Xand XIII, revived in Super Bowl XXX
in the 90s and remains a battle of two classic franchises with
rabid fan bases. This game looms large as a playoff determi-
nant for both teams, as Pittsburgh tries to secure the AFC
North and Dallas vies for a wild-card spot.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Its fair to say that pressuring QB Ben
Roethlisberger is crucial. In the four games where opponents
have sacked him more than three times, the Steelers are 2-2
and Roethlisberger has six interceptions and one TD. In the
other seven games, the Steelers have outscored the oppo-
nents 215-118 and Roethlisbergers TD-INT ratio is 12-6. With
RB Willie Parker banged up, the onus is on the passing game
to pick up the slack. Likewise, expect the Cowboys to be more
aggressive attacking and pass rushing.
BYTHE NUMBERS In the three games since returning from
injury, Cowboys QB Tony Romo has completed 64 percent of
his passes with seven TDs, three interceptions and 870 yards.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 4:15 p.m. ET
STEELERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Pittsburgh
Sept. 7 Houston (-6.5) 38-17
Sept. 14 At Cleveland (-7) 10-6
Sept. 21 At Philadelphia (+3.5) 6-15
Sept. 29 Baltimore (-6) 23-20*
Oct. 5 At Jacksonville (+5.5) 26-21
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 At Cincinnati (-8.5) 38-10
Oct. 26 NewYork Giants (-2.5) 14-21
Nov. 3 At Washington (+2.5) 23-6
Nov. 9 Indianapolis (-3.5) 20-24
Nov. 16 San Diego (-4.5) 11-10
Nov. 20 Cincinnati (-12) 27-10
Nov. 30 At New England (+2) 33-10
Dec. 7 Dallas
Dec. 14 At Baltimore
Dec. 21 At Tennessee
Dec. 28 Cleveland
* Overtime
STEELERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
SE 86Ward/ 85Washington
OLT 78Starks / 79Essex / 66Hills* / 77 M. Smith
OLG 68Kemoeatu/ 79Essex
C 62Hartwig / 72Stapleton
ORG 72Stapleton/ 79Essex
ORT 74Colon/ 78Starks / 79Essex / 65Parquet
TE 83Miller / 89Spaeth/ 49McHugh
FL 10Holmes / 14Sweed*
QB 7 Roethlisberger / 4Leftwich/ 2Dixon*
RB 39Parker / 21 Moore / 33Russell
FB 38Davis
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Aa. Smith/ 90Kirschke / 96Roye
NT 98Hampton/ 76Hoke
DRE 99Keisel / 93Eason
LOLB 56Woodley / 53Davis*
LILB 51 Farrior / 57 Fox
RILB 50Foote / 94Timmons
ROLB 92Harrison/ 54Frazier / 55Bailey*
LCB 24Taylor / 31 Bryant / 30Lewis* / 26Townsend
RCB 22Gay / 37 Madison/ 20McFadden
SS 43Polamalu/ 23Carter
FS 25Clark / 23Carter / 27An. Smith
SPECIALISTS
P 17 Berger
PK 3Reed
H 17 Berger
PR 10Holmes
KR 21 Moore
LS 61 Retkofsky
* Rookie
PATRIOTS GAME PROFILE SEAHAWKS
PATRIOTS
AT
SEAHAWKS
PATRIOTS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to New England
Sept. 7 Kansas City (-16) 17-10
Sept. 14 At NewYork Jets (-1) 19-10
Sept. 21 Miami (-12.5) 13-38
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 At San Francisco (-3) 30-21
Oct. 12 At San Diego (+6) 10-30
Oct. 20 Denver (-3) 41-7
Oct. 26 St. Louis (-8.5) 23-16
Nov. 2 At Indianapolis (+6.5) 15-18
Nov. 9 Buffalo (-3.5) 20-10
Nov. 13 NewYork Jets (-3) 31-34*
Nov. 23 At Miami (-2) 48-28
Nov. 30 Pittsburgh (-2) 10-33
Dec. 7 At Seattle
Dec. 14 At Oakland
Dec. 21 Arizona
Dec. 28 At Buffalo
* Overtime
PATRIOTS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 83Welker / 10Gaffney / 15Washington
OLT 72Light / 65Britt / 64LeVoir
OLG 70Mankins / 71 Hochstein
C 67 Koppen/ 64LeVoir
ORG 61 Neal / 74Yates / 64LeVoir
ORT 77 Kaczur / 65Britt
TE 84Watson/ 86Thomas
WR 81 Moss / 18Slater* / 88Aiken
QB 16Cassel / 5OConnell* / 7 Gutierrez
RB 34Morris / 33Faulk / 42Green-Ellis*
FB 44Evans / 32Jordan
DEFENSE
DLE 94Warren/ 99Wright
NT 75Wilfork / 90Smith
DRE 93Seymour / 97 Green
LOLB 50Vrabel / 58Woods
LILB 51 Mayo* / 59Guyton*
RILB 54Bruschi / 49Redd* / 53Izzo
ROLB 58Woods / 96Thomas
LCB 27 Hobbs / 29L. Sanders / 22Wheatley*
RCB 21 ONeal / 24Wilhite* / 23Webster
SS 31 Meriweather / 41 Ventrone
FS 36J. Sanders / 31 Meriweather
SPECIALISTS
P 6Hanson
PK 3Gostkowski
H 6Hanson
PR 33Faulk / 83Welker
KR 27 Hobbs / 18Slater*
LS 66Paxton
* Rookie
OVERVIEWAthorough waxing by the Steelers last week left
the Patriots trailing the Jets by a game in the AFC East and
also dropped them a game behind the Ravens and Colts in the
wild-card race. Across-country trek to Seattle could be just
the salve for their wounded pride. The Seahawks have lost
their last five games in a season thats been among the NFLs
most disappointing considering their preseason expectations.
MATCHUP TO WATCH As the Steelers proved last week, get-
ting bodies in Matt Cassels grill is the key to beating him. New
Englands offensive linemen have a tendency to reach rather
than shuffle their feet and can be prone to missed assign-
ments against blitz-heavy defenses. If the Seahawks are to pull
off the upset, they must excel in the pass-rushing department,
one of the few areas where they havent struggled. Making the
Pats task tougher is that Seattle brings heat not just from its
D-ends, but from its D-tackles and outside linebackers, as well.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Pats have given up 95 points the past
three weeks after relinquishing 51 in the four games prior.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 4:05 p.m. ET
SEAHAWKS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Seattle
Sept. 7 At Buffalo (+1.5) 10-34
Sept. 14 San Francisco (-6) 30-33*
Sept. 21 St. Louis (-8.5) 37-13
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 At NewYork Giants (+7) 6-44
Oct. 12 Green Bay (0) 17-27
Oct. 19 At Tampa Bay (+11.5) 10-20
Oct. 26 At San Francisco (+5.5) 34-13
Nov. 2 Philadelphia (+7) 7-26
Nov. 9 At Miami (+8) 19-21
Nov. 16 Arizona (+3) 20-26
Nov. 23 Washington (+3) 17-20
Nov. 27 At Dallas (+12.5) 9-34
Dec. 7 New England
Dec. 14 At St. Louis
Dec. 21 NewYork Jets
Dec. 28 At Arizona
* Overtime
SEAHAWKS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 18Robinson/ 82Kent
OLT 71 W. Jones / 75Locklear
OLG 68Wahle / 77Womack / 66Wrotto
C 65Spencer / 69Vallos
ORG 77Womack / 74Willis / 66Wrotto
ORT 75Locklear / 74Willis / 78Williams
TE 89Carlson* / 85Heller / 88Putzier
WR 83Branch/ 84Engram/ 86Taylor
QB 8Hasselbeck / 15S. Wallace / 5Frye
RB 22J. Jones / 20Morris / 45Duckett
FB 43Weaver / 35Schmitt*
DEFENSE
DLE 55Tapp/ 91 Atkins / 90Miller*
DLT 92Mebane / 94Green/ 79Bryant*
DRT 99Bernard/ 93Terrill
DRE 95Jackson* / 90Miller*
OLB 56Hill / 58Lewis / 50Laury
MLB 51 Tatupu/ 58Lewis / 59Hawthorne*
OLB 98Peterson/ 58Lewis / 54Herring
LCB 23Trufant / 32Hobbs
RCB 26Wilson/ 21 Jennings
SS 24Grant / 27 Babineaux
FS 25Russell / 39C.J. Wallace
SPECIALISTS
P 9Ryan
PK 10Mare / 7 Coutu*
H 9Ryan/ 8Hasselbeck
PR 30Forsett* / 84Engram
KR 26Wilson/ 30Forsett* / 42Duckett
LS 49Robinson
* Rookie
REDSKINS GAME PROFILE RAVENS
REDSKINS
AT
RAVENS
REDSKINS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Washington
Sept. 4 At NewYork Giants (+5) 7-16
Sept. 14 New Orleans (0) 29-24
Sept. 21 Arizona (-3) 24-17
Sept. 28 At Dallas (+10) 26-24
Oct. 5 At Philadelphia (+6.5) 23-17
Oct. 12 St. Louis (-11.5) 17-19
Oct. 19 Cleveland (-7) 14-11
Oct. 26 At Detroit (-7.5) 25-17
Nov. 3 Pittsburgh (-2.5) 6-23
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 Dallas (+2) 10-14
Nov. 30 NewYork Giants (+4) 7-23
Dec. 7 At Baltimore
Dec. 14 At Cincinnati
Dec. 21 Philadelphia
Dec. 28 At San Francisco
REDSKINS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89Moss / 83Thrash/ 12Kelly*
OLT 60Samuels / 75Rinehart*
OLG 66Kendall / 76Jansen
C 61 Rabach/ 68Geisinger
ORG 77 R. Thomas / 69Fabini
ORT 76Jansen/ 74Heyer
TE 47 Cooley / 86Davis*
WR 82Randle El / 11 D. Thomas*
QB 17J. Campbell / 15Collins / 5Brennan*
RB 26Portis / 46Betts / 31 Cartwright
FB 45Sellers
DEFENSE
DLE 55Taylor / 92Evans / 98Jackson*
DLT 96Griffin/ 79L. Alexander
DRT 64Golston/ 94Montgomery
DRE 99Carter / 95Wilson/ 78James
SLB 53Washington/ 51 Fincher
MLB 59Fletcher / 54Blades
WLB 52McIntosh/ 50K. Campbell
LCB 24Springs / 27 Smoot
RCB 22Rogers / 23Hall / 20Tryon*
SS 48Horton* / 25Green
FS 30Landry / 41 Moore*
SPECIALISTS
P 1 Plackemeier
PK 6Suisham
H 1 Plackemeier
PR 82Randle El / 83Thrash/ 89Moss
KR 31 Cartwright / 83Thrash/ 46Betts
LS 67Albright
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Redskins are in a desperate fight to stay in
the playoff hunt in the NFC. They have dropped three of four
overall, with their only win in that span coming at struggling
Seattle. However, Washington has won four straight on the
road, which should give the Redskins a needed boost of confi-
dence as they venture to Baltimore. On their best day, the
Ravens look like a powerhouse, as evidenced by their efficient
dispatching of the Bengals last week.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Opponents know that slowing Red-
skins WR Santana Moss goes a long way toward throwing a
wrench in Washingtons best-laid plans on offense. If Moss is
double-teamed, Antwaan Randle El must pick up the slack.
Ravens CBs Fabian Washington and Samari Rolle are capable
in one-on-one coverage and benefit from a strong Baltimore
pass rush.
BYTHE NUMBERS Ravens WR Mark Clayton has caught 7-
240-2 in his last two starts. Ravens RB Willis McGahee has
had no carries in three games hes suited up for this season.
Sunday, Dec. 7, 2008 8:15 p.m. ET
RAVENS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Baltimore
Sept. 7 Cincinnati (+2) 17-10
Sept. 14 BYE
Sept. 21 Cleveland (-2.5) 28-10
Sept. 29 At Pittsburgh (+6) 20-23*
Oct. 5 Tennessee (+1) 10-13
Oct. 12 At Indianapolis (+4) 3-31
Oct. 19 At Miami (+3) 27-13
Oct. 26 Oakland (-8) 29-10
Nov. 9 At Houston (+2) 41-13
Nov. 16 At NewYork Giants (+7) 10-30
Nov. 23 Philadelphia (-1.5) 36-7
Nov. 30 At Cincinnati (-7) 34-3
Dec. 7 Washington
Dec. 14 Pittsburgh
Dec. 20 At Dallas
Dec. 28 Jacksonville
* Overtime
RAVENS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89Clayton/ 15Copper / 17 Maxwell
OLT 71 Gaither / 78Terry / 64Cousins*
OLG 66Grubbs / 65Chester / 76Hale*
C 60Brown/ 65Chester
ORG 65Chester / 78Terry
ORT 79Anderson/ 78Terry / 68Slaughter
TE 86Heap/ 83Wilcox / 84Jones
WR 85Mason/ 81 Ma. Smith* / 16Figurs
QB 5Flacco* / 10T. Smith/ 2Bouman
RB 23McGahee / 27 Rice* / 33L. McClain
FB 33L. McClain/ 42Neal
DEFENSE
DLE 90Pryce / 91 Douglas
NT 92Ngata / 68McKinney / 96Divens
DRE 94Bannan/ 91 Douglas
LOLB 95Johnson/ 53J. McClain*
LILB 52Lewis / 59Greisen
RILB 57 Scott / 51 Ayanbadejo
ROLB 55Suggs / 50Barnes
LCB 31 Washington/ 41 Walker / 35Ivy
RCB 22Rolle / 35Ivy / 25Oglesby
SS 36Leonhard/ 28Zbikowski* / 43Nakamura*
FS 20Reed/ 43Nakamura / 39Stone
SPECIALISTS
P 4Koch
PK 3Stover / 6Hauschka
H 4Koch
PR 16Figurs / 36Leonhard/ 28Zbikowski*
KR 16Figurs / 36Leonhard/ 27 Rice*
LS 70Katula
* Rookie
NFL STANDINGS
WEEK 13
EAST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
New York Jets 8 4 0 .667 340 268 3 1 0 6 4 0
New England 7 5 0 .583 277 255 3 2 0 5 5 0
Miami 7 5 0 .583 253 257 2 2 0 5 4 0
Buffalo 6 6 0 .500 276 259 0 3 0 4 4 0
NORTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Pittsburgh 9 3 0 .750 269 170 4 0 0 8 1 0
Baltimore 8 4 0 .667 292 190 4 1 0 7 3 0
Cleveland 4 8 0 .333 213 247 1 3 0 3 6 0
Cincinnati 1 10 1 .125 151 310 0 5 0 1 8 0
SOUTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Tennessee 11 1 0 .917 304 175 4 0 0 7 1 0
Indianapolis 8 4 0 .667 257 250 2 2 0 7 2 0
Jacksonville* 4 7 0 .364 224 240 2 2 0 3 6 0
Houston* 4 7 0 .364 252 293 0 4 0 3 6 0
WEST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Denver 7 5 0 .583 292 319 2 2 0 4 5 0
San Diego 4 8 0 .333 290 274 2 1 0 4 5 0
Oakland 3 9 0 .250 172 265 2 3 0 3 6 0
Kansas City 2 10 0 .167 216 340 2 2 0 2 6 0
* Monday-night game not included
EAST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
New York Giants 11 1 0 .917 352 206 4 0 0 8 0 0
Dallas 8 4 0 .667 299 260 2 2 0 6 4 0
Washington 7 5 0 .583 208 222 2 3 0 6 4 0
Philadelphia 6 5 1 .542 319 249 0 3 0 5 4 0
NORTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Minnesota 7 5 0 .583 287 260 3 2 0 5 3 0
Chicago 6 6 0 .500 281 268 3 2 0 5 5 0
Green Bay 5 7 0 .417 334 295 3 1 0 4 6 0
Detroit 0 12 0 .000 203 393 0 4 0 0 9 0
SOUTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Tampa Bay 9 3 0 .750 280 200 3 1 0 8 2 0
Carolina 9 3 0 .750 285 231 2 2 0 6 3 0
Atlanta 8 4 0 .667 298 242 2 2 0 5 3 0
New Orleans 6 6 0 .500 337 301 1 3 0 3 5 0
WEST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Arizona 7 5 0 .583 338 313 4 0 0 5 4 0
San Francisco 4 8 0 .333 262 313 2 3 0 3 7 0
Seattle 2 10 0 .167 216 311 2 2 0 2 8 0
St. Louis 2 10 0 .167 159 360 0 3 0 2 6 0
NFC AFC
WEEK 13 RESULTS
Tennessee 47, Detroit 10 (Thur.)
Dallas 34, Seattle 9 (Thur.)
Philadelphia 48, Arizona 20 (Thur.)
San Francisco 10, Buffalo 3
Baltimore 34, Cincinnati 3
Indianapolis 10, Cleveland 6
Carolina 35, Green Bay 31
Miami 16, St. Louis 12
Tampa Bay 23, New Orleans 20
New York Giants 23, Washington 7
Atlanta 22, San Diego 16
Pittsburgh 33, New England 10
Kansas City 20, Oakland 13
Denver 34, New York Jets 17
Minnesota 34, Chicago 14
Jacksonville at Houston (Mon.)
WEEK 14 MATCHUPS
ALLTIMES EASTERN
Oakland at San Diego, 8:15 p.m. (Thur.)
Atlanta at New Orleans, 1:00 p.m.
Cincinnati at Indianapolis, 1:00 p.m.
Cleveland at Tennessee, 1:00 p.m.
Houston at Green Bay, 1:00 p.m.
Jacksonville at Chicago, 1:00 p.m.
Minnesota at Detroit, 1:00 p.m.
Philadelphia at New York Giants, 1:00 p.m.
Washington at Baltimore, 1:00 p.m.
Kansas City at Denver, 4:05 p.m.
Miami at Buffalo, 4:05 p.m.
New York Jets at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.
Dallas at Pittsburgh, 4:15 p.m.
St. Louis at Arizona, 4:15 p.m.
New England at Seattle, 8:15 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Carolina, 8:30 p.m. (Mon.)
LINE OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SPECIAL-TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK TEAM ON THE DECLINE
Brian Westbrook RB Philadelphia Eagles
Donovan McNabb wasnt the only struggling Eagle heading into the teams critical
Thanksgiving Day battle with the Cardinals. Brian Westbrook has suffered through
an injury-plagued season, and he continues to battle knee and ankle ailments, but
last week he broke through with a banner performance right when his team needed
it the most. In a game the Eagles had to have to maintain any thoughts of making
the playoffs, Westbrook rushed 22 times for 110 yards and two TDs against a good
Cardinals run defense, and he added two more TD receptions on three catches in
the Eagles 48-20 victory. The Eagles strong gameplan and Westbrooks perform-
ance also opened things up for the harried McNabb, who threw for four TD passes.
Jared Allen DE Minnesota Vikings
It had been a tough few weeks for Allen, suffering a grade-three shoulder sprain,
being summoned to the commissioners office, getting fined for his late hits and
being held to one sack in the three games entering the Vikings matchup with the
Bears for the NFC North lead. But Allen put pain and disappointment aside last Sun-
day night, finishing the Vikings 34-14 win with eight tackles, including three sacks
and one critical stop on 4th-and-goal. The Bears tried to run away from Allen from
the one-yard line, but he caught RB Matt Fort from behind, which turned the game
around completely. On the next play, Vikings WR Bernard Berrian caught a 99-yard
TD strike, and the Vikings outscored the Bears 31-7 down the stretch.
Mark Jones RS Carolina Panthers
The Panthers signed Mark Jones right before the start of the season, thinking he
would provide insurance for injured RS Ryne Robinson and depth at wideout for the
suspended Steve Smith. Since then, Jones has been a revelation, and he put his
stamp on Carolinas comeback win in Green Bay. Jones helped set up the Panthers
first two TDs with a 13-yard punt return and a 42-yard kick return, as they led 14-3
early. But he saved his best work for last when the Panthers needed him most.
The Packers battled back to take a 28-21 lead in the fourth quarter, but Jones 51-
yard kick return to midfield helped put the Panthers in position for the tying score,
and his 45-yard return with under two minutes left set up the game-winning TD.
Mark Clayton WR Ravens
OPPONENT CMP. ATT. YDS. TD
Bengals 1 1 32 1
REC. YDS. AVG. TD
5 164 32.8 1
Clayton burned the Bengals for a career high in receiving
yards as the Ravens won their second straight and swept
Cincy for the first time since 2002. In the spirit of the holiday
season, Clayton didnt just receive a 70-yard TD, but gave, as
well, firing a TD pass to Derrick Mason.
The Chargers arent doing much to resuscitate their dwin-
dling playoff hopes. Apopular Super Bowl pick before the
season, San Diego has dropped three straight, falling to 4-8,
which puts it three games behind the AFC West-leading
Broncos with four games left to play. In their latest letdown,
the Chargers mustered a season-low 201 yards, LaDainian
Tomlinson was held to 24 yards rushing, the second-lowest
total of his career, and Philip Rivers was held without a TD at
home for the first time this season. Said Tomlinson about the
22-16 loss to the Falcons: We got our butts kicked.
San Diego Chargers
TEAM ON THE RISE
In rain-soaked, chilly Foxborough, the Steelers left their
mark on the Patriots, dominating in a 33-10 win. It was the
third straight victory for Pittsburgh and the teams first in
New England in 11 years, keeping it in position for the No. 2
seed in the AFC. The Steelers defense seems to only grow
stronger, holding the Patriots to 267 yards after they gained
more than 500 in each of their last two games. Pittsburgh
had all five of its takeaways and four of its five sacks in the
second half, outscoring New England 23-0. Mike Tomlins
club will host Dallas in Week 14.
Pittsburgh Steelers
RUSHING
Player Team Att Yds Avg Lg TD
Jones N.Y.J. 233 1,088 4.7 59 11
Johnson Ten. 203 958 4.7 66 7
Lynch Buff. 205 844 4.1 50 7
Tomlinson S.D. 217 794 3.7 41 6
J. Lewis Clev. 219 793 3.6 29 4
Slaton Hou. 159 774 4.9 71 6
Brown Mia. 169 690 4.1 62 10
L. Johnson K.C. 143 657 4.6 65 4
Fargas Oak. 163 629 3.9 42 1
White Ten. 146 575 3.9 80 13
Parker Pitt. 142 572 4.0 32 4
L. McClain Balt. 142 545 3.8 28 6
Addai Ind. 144 514 3.6 23 5
Williams Mia. 120 512 4.3 51 3
Jones-Drew Jax. 118 503 4.3 46 11
Moore Pitt. 121 499 4.1 32 5
McGahee Balt. 141 489 3.5 17 5
Faulk N.E. 73 445 6.1 41 3
Taylor Jax. 121 436 3.6 34 0
Rice Balt. 104 423 4.1 60 0
McFadden Oak. 87 405 4.7 50 3
Morris N.E. 92 401 4.4 34 5
Rhodes Ind. 108 394 3.6 38 3
Jackson Buff. 86 361 4.2 24 1
Benson Cin. 114 335 2.9 30 1
L. WashingtonN.Y.J. 61 326 5.3 61 4
Pittman Den. 76 320 4.2 20 4
Charles K.C. 56 313 5.6 30 0
Green Hou. 74 294 4.0 14 3
Hillis Den. 60 285 4.8 19 4
Green-Ellis N.E. 74 275 3.7 15 5
C. Perry Cin. 102 269 2.6 25 2
Young Den. 48 268 5.6 49 1
Thigpen K.C. 38 251 6.6 32 1
Harrison Clev. 29 244 8.4 72 1
Bush Oak. 66 240 3.6 32 1
Garrard Jax. 53 221 4.2 24 1
Fitzpatrick Cin. 34 219 6.4 22 1
Cassel N.E. 55 200 3.6 19 2
Sproles S.D. 36 182 5.1 21 0
Flacco Balt. 43 160 3.7 38 2
Hall Den. 35 144 4.1 16 0
Cutler Den. 37 141 3.8 18 0
Russell Oak. 16 125 7.8 24 1
B. Smith N.Y.J. 11 116 10.5 36 0
Jordan N.E. 24 106 4.4 11 0
Ko. Smith K.C. 35 100 2.9 19 1
Maroney N.E. 28 93 3.3 17 0
Edwards Buff. 30 87 2.9 15 3
Cribbs Clev. 11 75 6.8 27 1
Torain Den. 15 69 4.6 19 1
Clayton Balt. 5 69 13.8 42 1
RECEIVING
Player Team No Yds Avg Lg TD
Welker N.E. 84 868 10.3 64 1
A. Johnson Hou. 81 1,071 13.2 61 3
Houshmandzadeh Cin. 81 810 10.0 46 4
Gonzalez K.C. 73 806 11.0 35 6
Marshall Den. 72 942 13.1 47 4
Royal Den. 63 757 12.0 93 5
Wayne Ind. 62 870 14.0 65 5
Mason Balt. 62 811 13.1 54 3
Bowe K.C. 60 751 12.5 36 6
Ward Pitt. 59 755 12.8 49 6
Moss N.E. 58 785 13.5 66 8
Cotchery N.Y.J. 58 692 11.9 56 4
Coles N.Y.J. 55 615 11.2 54 6
Camarillo Mia. 55 613 11.1 33 2
M. Jones Jax. 54 623 11.5 35 2
Evans Buff. 49 890 18.2 87 3
Daniels Hou. 48 583 12.1 34 2
Gonzalez Ind. 48 581 12.1 58 3
Harrison Ind. 48 505 10.5 67 4
Scaife Ten. 48 498 10.4 44 1
Walter Hou. 47 667 14.2 61 7
Ginn Mia. 47 651 13.9 64 1
Clark Ind. 47 513 10.9 29 3
Gates S.D. 46 534 11.6 30 6
Ocho Cinco Cin. 45 428 9.5 19 4
Tomlinson S.D. 44 371 8.4 32 1
Winslow Clev. 43 428 10.0 30 3
Faulk N.E. 43 363 8.4 22 1
Lynch Buff. 43 283 6.6 42 1
Edwards Clev. 42 697 16.6 70 3
Holmes Pitt. 41 594 14.5 48 3
Keller N.Y.J. 40 460 11.5 54 3
Jones-Drew Jax. 40 393 9.8 26 0
Jackson S.D. 39 703 18.0 60 5
Stokley Den. 38 410 10.8 36 3
Z. Miller Oak. 37 550 14.9 63 1
Reed Buff. 36 396 11.0 24 1
Johnson Ten. 35 227 6.5 25 1
B. Jones Ten. 34 367 10.8 26 1
L. WashingtonN.Y.J. 34 288 8.5 40 2
Moore Pitt. 33 254 7.7 54 1
Rhodes Ind. 32 198 6.2 18 2
Slaton Hou. 32 198 6.2 30 1
Rice Balt. 31 264 8.5 22 0
Bess Mia. 30 359 12.0 37 1
Miller Pitt. 29 344 11.9 22 2
Gaffney N.E. 29 330 11.4 23 1
Royal Buff. 29 308 10.6 30 1
Clayton Balt. 28 475 17.0 70 3
Scheffler Den. 28 453 16.2 72 2
Washington Pitt. 27 446 16.5 65 3
Heap Balt. 27 276 10.2 23 3
Jackson Buff. 27 223 8.3 33 0
Jones N.Y.J. 27 161 6.0 19 2
Chambers S.D. 26 357 13.7 48 5
Lewis Jax. 26 347 13.3 30 2
D. Martin Mia. 25 335 13.4 29 1
Kelly Cin. 25 188 7.5 31 0
Gage Ten. 24 453 18.9 56 4
Bradley K.C. 24 302 12.6 56 3
Stuckey N.Y.J. 24 266 11.1 31 3
Fasano Mia. 23 312 13.6 24 3
Northcutt Jax. 23 256 11.1 20 0
R. Williams Jax. 23 224 9.7 32 2
Floyd S.D. 21 379 18.0 49 3
Graham Den. 21 261 12.4 28 4
Watson N.E. 21 207 9.9 29 1
Chatman Cin. 21 194 9.2 25 0
Brown Mia. 21 191 9.1 39 0
Charles K.C. 21 158 7.5 36 1
Addai Ind. 21 137 6.5 23 1
Crumpler Ten. 20 207 10.4 28 1
Parrish Buff. 20 194 9.7 22 1
McCareins Ten. 19 290 15.3 37 0
Heiden Clev. 19 220 11.6 51 0
Williams Mia. 19 153 8.1 47 1
C. Perry Cin. 19 59 3.1 12 0
J. Lewis Clev. 18 161 8.9 18 0
Bush Oak. 18 156 8.7 25 0
Sproles S.D. 17 234 13.8 66 1
McFadden Oak. 17 158 9.3 25 0
Cobbs Mia. 16 256 16.0 80 2
Baker N.Y.J. 16 135 8.4 29 0
Spaeth Pitt. 16 130 8.1 13 0
McGahee Balt. 16 120 7.5 35 0
Walker Oak. 15 196 13.1 29 1
Steptoe Clev. 15 162 10.8 53 0
Curry Oak. 15 147 9.8 16 1
Morris N.E. 15 116 7.7 28 0
Utecht Cin. 15 116 7.7 14 0
L. McClain Balt. 15 109 7.3 25 1
Walker Jax. 14 176 12.6 32 0
Taylor Jax. 14 86 6.1 17 0
Williams Balt. 13 180 13.8 70 1
Tolbert S.D. 13 171 13.2 67 1
Hillis Den. 13 168 12.9 47 1
D. Anderson Hou. 13 129 9.9 22 2
Stallworth Clev. 13 126 9.7 19 1
G. Jones Jax. 13 116 8.9 22 1
Benson Cin. 13 77 5.9 21 0
Schouman Buff. 12 142 11.8 21 1
Lelie Oak. 11 197 17.9 51 2
ManumaleunaS.D. 11 85 7.7 17 0
N. Jackson Den. 11 84 7.6 19 1
J. Wright Clev. 11 83 7.5 17 1
Green Hou. 11 32 2.9 8 0
Darling K.C. 10 137 13.7 68 0
Pittman Den. 10 112 11.2 40 0
Henry Cin. 10 107 10.7 18 0
Santi Ind. 10 64 6.4 13 1
Ko. Smith K.C. 10 52 5.2 8 0
Hall Ten. 9 94 10.4 54 1
D. Thomas N.E. 9 93 10.3 18 0
Hardy Buff. 9 87 9.7 17 2
Griffith Oak. 9 85 9.4 24 1
L. Johnson K.C. 9 56 6.2 20 0
Higgins Oak. 8 170 21.3 84 1
Davis Hou. 8 133 16.6 49 0
D. Jackson Den. 8 133 16.6 48 1
Schilens Oak. 8 124 15.5 60 0
Porter Jax. 8 115 14.4 31 1
Harrison Clev. 8 111 13.9 23 1
B. Smith N.Y.J. 8 61 7.6 18 0
Vickers Clev. 8 58 7.3 16 0
Stewart Oak. 8 48 6.0 11 0
Cox K.C. 8 19 2.4 5 0
SCORING
Player Team TD XP/att FG/att 2XP Pts
Gostkowski N.E. 0 26/26 27/30 0 107
Bironas Ten. 0 32/32 24/27 0 104
Lindell Buff. 0 28/28 24/31 0 100
Feely N.Y.J. 0 33/33 21/25 0 96
Dawson Clev. 0 17/17 26/30 0 95
Reed Pitt. 0 27/28 22/24 0 93
Kaeding S.D. 0 29/29 21/26 0 92
Prater Den. 0 32/32 20/26 0 92
Stover Balt. 0 32/32 17/22 0 83
K. Brown Hou. 0 27/27 17/19 0 78
Janikowski Oak. 0 15/15 21/27 0 78
Jones N.Y.J. 13 0/0 0/0 0 78
White Ten. 13 0/0 0/0 0 78
Carpenter Mia. 0 29/29 16/18 0 77
Vinatieri Ind. 0 28/28 15/19 0 73
Scobee Jax. 0 24/24 16/20 0 72
Jones-Drew Jax. 11 0/0 0/0 0 66
Brown Mia. 10 0/0 0/0 0 60
Graham Cin. 0 10/10 15/17 0 55
Johnson Ten. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
Lynch Buff. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
Moss N.E. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
L. WashingtonN.Y.J. 7 0/0 0/0 1 44
L. McClain Balt. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
Slaton Hou. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
Tomlinson S.D. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
Walter Hou. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
Barth K.C. 0 15/15 8/8 0 39
Addai Ind. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Bowe K.C. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Coles N.Y.J. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Gates S.D. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Gonzalez K.C. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Moore Pitt. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Ward Pitt. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Rhodes Ind. 5 0/0 0/0 1 32
Royal Den. 5 0/0 0/0 1 32
Wayne Ind. 5 0/0 0/0 1 32
Chambers S.D. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Green-Ellis N.E. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Hillis Den. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Jackson S.D. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
McGahee Balt. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Morris N.E. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Novak K.C. 0 7/7 6/10 0 25
Clayton Balt. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Cotchery N.Y.J. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Faulk N.E. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Gage Ten. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Graham Den. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Harrison Ind. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Houshmandzadeh Cin. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
L. Johnson K.C. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
J. Lewis Clev. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Marshall Den. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Ocho Cinco Cin. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Parker Pitt. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Pittman Den. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Williams Mia. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Edwards Clev. 3 0/0 0/0 2 22
Evans Buff. 3 0/0 0/0 1 20
Mason Balt. 3 0/0 0/0 1 20
Bradley K.C. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Clark Ind. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Cobbs Mia. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Cribbs Clev. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Edwards Buff. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Fasano Mia. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Floyd S.D. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Gonzalez Ind. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Green Hou. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Heap Balt. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Higgins Oak. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Holmes Pitt. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
A. Johnson Hou. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Keller N.Y.J. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
McFadden Oak. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Stokley Den. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Stuckey N.Y.J. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Washington Pitt. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Winslow Clev. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Sproles S.D. 2 0/0 0/0 1 14
D. Anderson Hou. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Camarillo Mia. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Cassel N.E. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Daniels Hou. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Flacco Balt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Ginn Mia. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Greer Buff. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Hardy Buff. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Harrison Clev. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
M. Jones Jax. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Jones Hou. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Lelie Oak. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Lewis Jax. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Mathis Jax. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
McKelvin Buff. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Miller Pitt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
M. Owens Jax. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Parrish Buff. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
C. Perry Cin. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Reed Balt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Roethlisberger Pitt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Russell Pitt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Schaub Hou. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Scheffler Den. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Suggs Balt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Thigpen K.C. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Wilcox Balt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
R. Williams Jax. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Gaffney N.E. 1 0/0 0/0 1 8
Hall Ten. 1 0/0 0/0 1 8
AFC INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
WEEK 13 Monday-night game not included.
PUNT RETURNS
Player Team No FC Yds Avg Lg TD
Parrish Buff. 18 10 255 14.2 63 1
Jones Hou. 20 10 277 13.9 73 2
Higgins Oak. 34 9 411 12.1 93 2
L. Washington N.Y.J. 25 7 285 11.4 37 0
Sproles S.D. 15 10 164 10.9 28 0
Welker N.E. 16 4 161 10.1 44 0
Bess Mia. 15 8 144 9.6 25 0
Carr Ten. 26 16 239 9.2 34 0
Cribbs Clev. 22 5 190 8.6 32 0
Chatman Cin. 21 5 158 7.5 34 0
Holmes Pitt. 24 5 168 7.0 23 0
Figurs Balt. 22 11 133 6.0 35 0
KICKOFF RETURNS
McKelvin Buff. 40 1,177 29.4 98 1
Carr Ten. 28 785 28.0 52 0
L. WashingtonN.Y.J. 31 865 27.9 94 1
Hobbs N.E. 38 1,043 27.4 81 0
Royal Den. 18 486 27.0 95 0
Cribbs Clev. 33 865 26.2 92 1
Sproles S.D. 40 1,011 25.3 103 1
Witherspoon Jax. 32 798 24.9 51 0
Savage K.C. 26 633 24.3 59 0
Holt Cin. 46 1,110 24.1 60 0
Higgins Oak. 36 842 23.4 69 0
Hall Den. 21 469 22.3 28 0
Player Team No Yds Lg TD
Polamalu Pitt. 6 58 23 0
Finnegan Ten. 5 100 99 1
Hope Ten. 4 53 39 0
Revis N.Y.J. 4 32 32 1
Meriweather N.E. 4 25 19 0
Griffin Ten. 4 21 15 0
Bullitt Ind. 4 7 3 0
Reed Balt. 3 182 107 2
Mathis Jax. 3 147 72 2
E. Wright Clev. 3 131 94 1
Reeves Hou. 3 95 44 1
ONeal N.E. 3 49 47 0
Pool Clev. 3 45 24 0
R. Lewis Balt. 3 43 29 0
McAlister Balt. 3 28 16 0
Sensabaugh Jax. 3 25 23 0
McDonald Clev. 3 24 21 0
Rolle Balt. 3 5 3 0
Page K.C. 3 2 2 0
Flowers K.C. 2 118 91 1
Suggs Balt. 2 86 44 2
Greer Buff. 2 75 42 2
Carr K.C. 2 67 35 0
McKelvin Buff. 2 64 64 1
W. Allen Mia. 2 62 32 1
C. Johnson Oak. 2 56 44 0
Cromartie S.D. 2 52 52 1
Wilson Hou. 2 36 19 0
B. Williams Jax. 2 31 27 0
A. Ayodele Mia. 2 29 17 0
Jones Clev. 2 24 20 0
Adams Clev. 2 18 18 0
Hill Mia. 2 18 17 0
Harper Ten. 2 11 11 0
Jennings Ind. 2 9 6 0
Baker Oak. 2 8 8 0
Hobbs N.E. 2 7 4 0
Bly Den. 2 5 5 0
Jammer S.D. 2 2 2 0
Ngata Balt. 2 1 1 0
McFadden Pitt. 2 0 0 0
McGee Buff. 2 0 0 0
Bethea Ind. 2 0 0 0
Goodman Mia. 2 -5 0 0
PASSING
Comp TD Int Avg
Player Team Att Comp Pct Yds TD Pct Lg Int Pct Gain Rating
Rivers S.D. 357 232 65.0 2,955 23 6.4 67 10 2.8 8.28 100.5
Pennington Mia. 364 238 65.4 2,881 11 3.0 80 6 1.6 7.91 92.8
Schaub Hou. 227 154 67.8 1,762 10 4.4 61 8 3.5 7.76 91.0
Favre N.Y.J. 390 268 68.7 2,708 20 5.1 56 14 3.6 6.94 90.4
Cutler Den. 449 273 60.8 3,393 21 4.7 93 13 2.9 7.56 87.8
Cassel N.E. 398 257 64.6 2,784 13 3.3 66 10 2.5 6.99 85.5
Manning Ind. 445 281 63.1 2,948 19 4.3 75 12 2.7 6.62 85.3
Edwards Buff. 324 214 66.0 2,378 10 3.1 51 10 3.1 7.34 85.1
Flacco Balt. 331 202 61.0 2,276 12 3.6 70 9 2.7 6.88 82.3
Collins Ten. 328 192 58.5 2,125 9 2.7 56 4 1.2 6.48 81.9
Garrard Jax. 363 228 62.8 2,461 9 2.5 35 8 2.2 6.78 81.8
Roethlisberger Pitt. 343 208 60.6 2,412 13 3.8 65 12 3.5 7.03 80.0
Thigpen K.C. 283 155 54.8 1,739 13 4.6 56 8 2.8 6.14 76.9
Russell Oak. 277 140 50.5 1,729 7 2.5 84 4 1.4 6.24 72.6
Fitzpatrick Cin. 278 164 59.0 1,342 6 2.2 46 7 2.5 4.83 68.1
Anderson Clev. 283 142 50.2 1,615 9 3.2 70 8 2.8 5.71 66.5
NON-QUALIFIERS
Losman Buff. 38 26 68.4 313 1 2.6 87 1 2.6 8.24 91.2
Rosenfels Hou. 150 102 68.0 1,231 5 3.3 61 9 6.0 8.21 79.1
Palmer Cin. 129 75 58.1 731 3 2.3 36 4 3.1 5.67 69.0
Quinn Clev. 89 45 50.6 518 2 2.2 42 2 2.2 5.82 66.6
Huard K.C. 81 50 61.7 477 2 2.5 68 4 4.9 5.89 65.7
PUNTING
Gross Ins Ret Net
Player Team No Yds Lg Avg TB 20 Blk Ret Yds Avg
Scifres S.D. 37 1,737 67 46.9 3 15 0 16 127 41.9
Lechler Oak. 67 3,314 70 49.5 10 24 0 33 329 41.6
Koch Balt. 62 2,823 74 45.5 6 24 0 31 215 40.1
Colquitt K.C. 55 2,461 73 44.7 4 21 0 24 189 39.9
Zastudil Clev. 52 2,343 65 45.1 6 17 0 23 172 39.4
H. Smith Ind. 43 1,909 64 44.4 2 16 0 20 209 38.6
Kern Den. 38 1,773 64 46.7 3 13 0 23 260 38.2
Moorman Buff. 44 1,925 62 43.8 4 18 0 15 168 38.1
Berger Pitt. 45 1,875 61 41.7 2 14 0 26 121 38.1
Hentrich Ten. 65 2,812 75 43.3 8 22 0 25 243 37.1
Podlesh Jax. 46 1,989 60 43.2 5 12 0 24 206 36.6
Turk Hou. 33 1,435 59 43.5 5 8 0 15 130 36.5
Hanson N.E. 37 1,638 70 44.3 9 15 0 9 119 36.2
Fields Mia. 58 2,575 71 44.4 4 17 0 29 464 35.0
Larson Cin. 81 3,262 57 40.3 3 21 1 38 376 34.5
Weatherford Jax. 38 1,606 61 42.3 7 6 0 19 244 32.2
FIELD-GOAL ACCURACY
Avg Avg Avg
1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50 or Yds Yds Yds
Player Team Yds Yds Yds Yds Longer Total Att Made Miss Lg
Reed Pitt. 1-1 7-7 6-6 7-8 1-2 22-24 35.4 34.5 45.5 53
1.000 1.000 1.000 .875 .500 .917
Gostkowski N.E. 0-0 7-8 12-12 8-10 0-0 27-30 35.4 34.7 41.3 49
.000 .875 1.000 .800 .000 .900
K. Brown Hou. 0-0 5-5 7-7 5-6 0-1 17-19 36.5 34.6 52.5 48
.000 1.000 1.000 .833 .000 .895
Bironas Ten. 0-0 4-4 6-6 14-17 0-0 24-27 39.6 38.7 46.3 49
.000 1.000 1.000 .824 .000 .889
Carpenter Mia. 0-0 3-3 5-5 8-10 0-0 16-18 38.7 38.0 44.0 47
.000 1.000 1.000 .800 .000 .889
Graham Cin. 0-0 5-5 3-4 7-8 0-0 15-17 34.2 33.2 42.0 45
.000 1.000 .750 .875 .000 .882
Dawson Clev. 0-0 9-9 11-13 3-3 3-5 26-30 35.4 34.0 44.5 56
.000 1.000 .846 1.000 .600 .867
Feely N.Y.J. 0-0 7-7 8-11 4-5 2-2 21-25 33.8 33.2 37.0 55
.000 1.000 .727 .800 1.000 .840
Kaeding S.D. 0-0 10-10 8-8 3-8 0-0 21-26 34.1 31.8 44.0 49
.000 1.000 1.000 .375 .000 .808
Scobee Jax. 0-0 6-6 3-6 3-4 4-4 16-20 37.9 37.4 39.8 53
.000 1.000 .500 .750 1.000 .800
Vinatieri Ind. 0-0 1-1 9-10 3-6 2-2 15-19 39.2 38.3 42.5 52
.000 1.000 .900 .500 1.000 .790
Janikowski Oak. 0-0 10-10 6-6 2-4 3-7 21-27 38.5 33.5 56.0 57
.000 1.000 1.000 .500 .429 .778
Lindell Buff. 1-1 6-7 9-9 7-11 1-3 24-31 37.4 35.8 42.9 53
1.000 .857 1.000 .636 .333 .774
Stover Balt. 0-0 6-6 7-8 4-7 0-1 17-22 35.5 32.9 44.4 47
.000 1.000 .875 .571 .000 .773
Prater Den. 0-0 6-7 6-7 3-7 5-5 20-26 38.4 37.2 42.3 56
.000 .857 .857 .429 1.000 .769
Player Tm Sks
Porter Mia. 14.5
J. Harrison Pitt. 14.0
Woodley Pitt. 11.5
Haynesworth Ten. 8.5
Mathis Ind. 8.5
Freeney Ind. 8.0
M. Williams Hou. 8.0
Seymour N.E. 7.5
Ellis N.Y.J. 7.0
Suggs Balt. 5.5
K. Edwards Oak. 5.0
J. Johnson Balt. 5.0
Pace N.Y.J. 5.0
A. Thomas N.E. 5.0
Ball Ten. 4.5
Kelly Oak. 4.5
Pryce Balt. 4.5
Rogers Clev. 4.5
Aa. Smith Pitt. 4.5
Thomas N.Y.J. 4.5
Vanden BoschTen. 4.5
Bowens N.Y.J. 4.0
Denney Buff. 4.0
Dumervil Den. 4.0
Ekuban Den. 4.0
Ford Ten. 4.0
Phillips S.D. 4.0
Timmons Pitt. 4.0
Tucker S.D. 4.0
Warren Oak. 4.0
T. Brown Ten. 3.5
Holliday Mia. 3.5
Jenkins N.Y.J. 3.5
Bulman Hou. 3.0
Hall Clev. 3.0
Mitchell Buff. 3.0
Odom Cin. 3.0
Peterson Den. 3.0
Roth Mia. 3.0
Scott Oak. 3.0
Spicer Jax. 3.0
Vrabel N.E. 3.0
Wimbley Clev. 3.0
Farrior Pitt. 2.5
Geathers Cin. 2.5
Harris S.D. 2.5
Harvey Jax. 2.5
Kearse Ten. 2.5
Moss Den. 2.5
Smith Jax. 2.5
Stroud Buff. 2.5
D.J. Williams Den. 2.5
Cesaire S.D. 2.0
Cochran Hou. 2.0
Henderson Jax. 2.0
Ingram Jax. 2.0
Jackson Clev. 2.0
Kelsay Buff. 2.0
Landri Jax. 2.0
Langford Mia. 2.0
Meier Jax. 2.0
Ndukwe Cin. 2.0
Olshansky S.D. 2.0
Richardson Oak. 2.0
Sands Oak. 2.0
Warren N.E. 2.0
Webster Den. 2.0
SACKS
INTERCEPTIONS
NFL TEAM STATISTICS
3-9-0 4-8-0 4-7-0 6-6-0 4-7-0 5-7-0 8-4-0 6-6-0 4-8-0 11-1-0 7-5-0 8-4-0 7-5-0 0-12-0 1-10-1 8-4-0
162 213 217 196 233 225 238 254 189 209 230 236 213 167 176 232
68 58 72 77 73 77 95 70 65 82 85 105 83 49 48 61
83 140 129 111 146 133 121 167 106 116 130 116 112 105 114 155
11 15 16 8 14 15 22 17 18 11 15 15 18 13 14 16
3160 3957 3463 3708 4084 4084 4353 4863 3303 3900 4069 3882 3913 3130 2789 3827
263.3 329.8 314.8 309.0 371.3 340.3 362.8 405.3 275.3 325.0 339.1 323.5 326.1 260.8 232.4 318.9
1486 1121 1212 1389 1255 1337 1808 1060 1266 1664 1673 1725 1695 940 937 958
123.8 93.4 110.2 115.8 114.1 111.4 150.7 88.3 105.5 138.7 139.4 143.8 141.3 78.3 78.1 79.8
1674 2836 2251 2319 2829 2747 2545 3803 2037 2236 2396 2157 2218 2190 1852 2869
139.5 236.3 204.6 193.3 257.2 228.9 212.1 316.9 169.8 186.3 199.7 179.8 184.8 182.5 154.3 239.1
347 288 299 344 288 333 423 295 312 392 359 452 385 247 278 276
4.3 3.9 4.1 4.0 4.4 4.0 4.3 3.6 4.1 4.2 4.7 3.8 4.4 3.8 3.4 3.5
312 357 365 389 377 409 333 472 375 351 382 334 353 383 413 445
156 232 228 224 256 259 203 311 187 205 244 205 203 211 242 281
50.0 65.0 62.5 57.6 67.9 63.3 61.0 65.9 49.9 58.4 63.9 61.4 57.5 55.1 58.6 63.1
32 19 30 22 25 25 13 10 15 8 32 23 33 45 43 12
210 119 210 133 164 156 80 67 96 53 210 208 189 294 232 79
6 10 8 9 17 10 6 15 11 6 4 9 14 15 12 12
33 139 40 116 200 72 29 254 141 52 14 87 264 304 156 294
0 1 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 1 2 5 1 3
67 37 46 73 33 48 45 42 53 65 56 62 63 73 82 43
49.5 46.9 43.2 40.7 43.5 42.1 38.9 43.8 44.8 43.3 39.8 45.5 46.6 43.7 39.8 44.4
10 3 5 4 5 5 3 3 6 8 6 6 10 4 3 2
41.6 41.9 36.6 37.2 36.5 36.1 37.0 34.1 39.3 37.1 32.0 40.1 34.6 37.8 34.5 38.6
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0
34 18 24 30 20 28 34 18 24 28 33 32 26 17 25 16
12.1 10.0 10.8 6.7 13.9 12.8 9.8 16.7 8.9 8.8 8.8 7.4 5.3 8.2 8.1 5.3
2 0 0 0 2 2 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
54 48 46 58 53 53 42 51 44 39 39 36 48 65 57 50
21.9 23.1 23.5 23.1 21.8 20.0 22.3 22.6 23.8 25.1 24.2 20.4 22.4 21.4 23.6 21.7
0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
90 66 72 67 52 89 55 68 74 81 62 83 73 67 60 69
669 522 586 536 392 779 453 610 469 585 495 636 588 554 464 497
22 13 14 13 17 19 12 15 13 13 13 19 19 25 20 7
10 6 7 11 7 6 8 6 6 6 8 7 9 8 9 2
17 15 9 12 11 13 11 13 14 19 10 10 28 19 16 18
7 7 4 8 5 3 4 6 6 8 3 3 12 12 8 8
162 139 148 170 136 169 171 148 159 166 160 174 168 155 178 157
41 62 59 63 61 75 75 68 58 63 59 75 58 42 58 77
25.3 44.6 39.9 37.1 44.9 44.4 43.9 45.9 36.5 38.0 36.9 43.1 34.5 27.1 32.6 49.0
17 4 16 10 16 13 13 14 9 6 12 8 13 12 12 14
8 2 10 3 9 6 6 7 4 2 6 5 7 6 6 9
47.1 50.0 62.5 30.0 56.3 46.2 46.2 50.0 44.4 33.3 50.0 62.5 53.8 50.0 50.0 64.3
27:38 27:45 31:44 28:56 31:37 31:37 31:29 30:31 28:07 29:50 31:44 33:55 31:27 26:36 26:59 27:40
15 32 25 32 29 38 32 41 19 33 21 33 30 22 15 30
6 6 13 11 11 9 16 14 6 20 9 14 13 7 4 9
7 23 9 15 15 20 13 24 11 10 11 14 14 14 9 19
2 3 3 6 3 9 3 3 2 3 1 5 3 1 2 2
15/15 29/29 24/24 31/31 27/27 36/36 32/32 38/39 17/17 32/32 19/19 32/32 29/29 19/20 13/13 28/28
0/0 2/3 0/1 1/1 0/2 2/2 0/0 0/2 2/2 1/1 0/2 1/1 0/1 1/2 0/2 2/2
21/27 21/26 16/20 18/21 17/19 22/26 24/26 17/22 26/30 24/27 21/29 18/24 24/28 16/17 16/18 15/19
172 290 224 281 252 334 298 337 213 304 208 292 287 203 151 257
265 274 240 268 293 295 242 301 247 175 222 190 260 393 310 250
246 263 197 233 211 217 221 223 241 198 196 166 187 250 234 234
101 78 72 67 86 98 72 68 93 63 61 37 52 112 87 95
120 163 107 155 111 93 139 140 137 114 122 114 122 127 134 124
25 22 18 11 14 26 10 15 11 21 13 15 13 11 13 15
4212 4411 3508 3952 3673 3953 4069 4059 4281 3381 3396 3040 3516 4732 4192 3866
351.0 367.6 318.9 329.3 333.9 329.4 339.1 338.3 356.8 281.8 283.0 253.3 293.0 394.3 349.3 322.2
1905 1284 1254 1066 1420 1702 1400 1368 1695 1166 1090 939 877 2126 1579 1606
158.8 107.0 114.0 88.8 129.1 141.8 116.7 114.0 141.3 97.2 90.8 78.3 73.1 177.2 131.6 133.8
2307 3127 2254 2886 2253 2251 2669 2691 2586 2215 2306 2101 2639 2606 2613 2260
192.3 260.6 204.9 240.5 204.8 187.6 222.4 224.3 215.5 184.6 192.2 175.1 219.9 217.2 217.8 188.3
410 324 296 312 317 353 291 326 384 303 284 270 275 417 394 381
4.6 4.0 4.2 3.4 4.5 4.8 4.8 4.2 4.4 3.8 3.8 3.5 3.2 5.1 4.0 4.2
350 462 315 466 311 374 412 406 349 416 385 381 402 315 388 357
202 320 196 289 195 202 240 226 224 243 217 195 246 209 241 245
57.7 69.3 62.2 62.0 62.7 54.0 58.3 55.7 64.2 58.4 56.4 51.2 61.2 66.3 62.1 68.6
25 23 22 24 17 20 24 24 15 34 19 26 33 24 13 19
157 111 140 192 102 114 140 143 84 207 112 188 233 149 89 125
13 7 10 18 9 17 9 10 17 17 11 20 11 2 8 11
128 71 203 272 142 570 232 125 268 200 78 388 58 -2 149 46
0 1 2 1 1 6 2 0 1 2 0 5 0 0 0 0
57 43 50 63 41 56 58 51 43 68 64 69 62 51 59 36
43.9 44.4 43.5 43.2 46.6 43.9 44.9 41.4 42.0 42.2 43.4 43.7 42.7 43.3 42.1 45.7
5 2 5 6 3 2 3 4 5 7 6 7 3 6 7 5
34.9 39.3 36.3 38.1 38.4 36.8 38.1 33.9 34.7 36.5 37.0 38.2 39.5 38.2 36.3 40.6
1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
33 16 24 26 15 24 12 28 23 25 26 31 34 41 38 20
10.0 7.9 8.6 6.7 8.7 7.9 2.2 12.5 7.5 9.7 12.2 6.9 16.4 8.6 9.9 10.5
30 59 35 52 47 56 57 56 45 50 46 57 61 42 33 47
23.8 22.1 20.1 24.3 22.8 24.0 21.5 23.4 23.0 25.4 20.2 23.5 23.0 22.7 22.6 22.8
54 63 58 78 56 70 89 64 71 68 64 84 87 71 75 49
464 504 521 589 446 538 719 514 549 518 528 591 791 615 538 382
173 161 137 171 130 156 156 158 151 166 155 152 155 152 171 164
77 67 54 57 58 59 61 59 63 54 58 46 52 63 77 80
44.5 41.6 39.4 33.3 44.6 37.8 39.1 37.3 41.7 32.5 37.4 30.3 33.5 41.4 45.0 48.8
6 18 8 13 8 15 11 12 15 16 8 12 8 7 8 6
4 11 4 5 8 10 5 8 10 6 5 1 3 5 4 2
66.7 61.1 50.0 38.5 100.0 66.7 45.5 66.7 66.7 37.5 62.5 8.3 37.5 71.4 50.0 33.3
30 29 28 29 34 33 29 31 29 20 24 20 29 47 36 23
17 6 9 13 15 17 14 8 11 12 8 3 9 22 14 15
12 21 18 14 17 15 14 19 14 8 13 12 11 18 18 4
1 2 1 2 2 1 1 4 4 0 3 5 9 7 4 4
28/28 23/24 27/27 28/29 32/32 31/31 27/27 28/28 28/28 19/19 22/23 19/19 28/28 46/46 34/34 21/21
2/2 1/5 0/1 0/0 2/2 0/2 1/2 2/3 0/1 0/1 1/1 0/1 1/1 0/1 0/2 1/2
17/25 23/28 15/16 22/27 17/20 20/23 13/17 27/31 15/23 12/19 18/21 17/17 18/27 21/24 20/21 29/33
6-5-1 11-1-0 8-4-0 4-8-0 2-10-0 7-5-0 2-10-0 7-5-0 7-5-0 6-6-0 8-4-0 9-3-0 7-5-0 2-10-0 9-3-0 9-3-0
242 263 248 204 200 260 171 267 235 216 228 216 262 190 223 203 219.3
72 105 75 58 68 78 61 59 81 78 79 72 107 76 74 78 74.7
154 135 147 124 120 158 97 186 144 129 132 129 136 100 137 112 128.9
16 23 26 22 12 24 13 22 10 9 17 15 19 14 12 13 15.8
4281 4450 4157 3653 3690 4691 3195 4558 4254 3862 4277 3699 4261 3088 4025 3912 3891.8
356.8 370.8 346.4 304.4 307.5 390.9 266.3 379.8 354.5 321.8 356.4 308.3 355.1 257.3 335.4 326.0 326.0
1224 1922 1585 1183 1414 1331 1102 917 1386 1323 1349 1280 1566 1302 1419 1601 1357.2
102.0 160.2 132.1 98.6 117.8 110.9 91.8 76.4 115.5 110.3 112.4 106.7 130.5 108.5 118.3 133.4 113.7
3057 2528 2572 2470 2276 3360 2093 3641 2868 2539 2928 2419 2695 1786 2606 2311 2534.6
254.8 210.7 214.3 205.8 189.7 280.0 174.4 303.4 239.0 211.6 244.0 201.6 224.6 148.8 217.2 192.6 212.3
300 390 340 294 294 297 285 277 334 328 314 347 361 300 347 360 327.7
4.1 4.9 4.7 4.0 4.8 4.5 3.9 3.3 4.1 4.0 4.3 3.7 4.3 4.3 4.1 4.4 4.1
471 372 396 359 403 453 380 477 378 363 395 367 414 353 419 329 386.8
279 231 271 212 234 275 211 326 247 241 242 222 268 185 267 190 235.9
59.2 62.1 68.4 59.1 58.1 60.7 55.5 68.3 65.3 66.4 61.3 60.5 64.7 52.4 63.7 57.8 61.0
18 15 23 43 32 8 37 19 22 28 18 36 40 31 21 18 24.9
117 101 162 275 209 52 266 143 111 171 121 216 188 182 103 116 157.3
13 8 15 14 12 13 17 11 6 11 14 12 10 13 9 9 11.0
312 187 276 298 252 117 353 245 130 157 271 116 181 209 170 128 174.9
1 2 3 2 2 1 3 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1.3
62 44 38 50 67 38 64 40 58 44 56 57 37 72 57 64 54.3
43.5 43.1 42.4 46.2 44.4 46.7 49.2 41.8 44.4 43.8 44.5 39.5 44.3 44.9 44.4 43.2 43.8
4 5 1 6 8 3 3 4 4 4 7 2 9 11 5 5 5.1
38.1 39.6 37.4 38.4 37.7 38.2 40.3 35.2 35.0 38.1 36.9 36.6 36.2 36.7 38.7 37.5 37.3
1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 0.3
43 30 25 17 20 18 24 27 21 26 27 31 25 29 39 34 26.3
9.0 10.3 11.4 11.9 5.7 10.9 7.2 6.1 9.1 14.1 7.0 6.1 10.8 10.6 10.0 11.1 9.5
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.4
53 39 42 63 60 49 65 54 48 56 49 42 53 58 40 42 49.9
23.8 23.2 24.7 23.7 21.7 22.8 21.6 22.7 19.6 24.9 22.7 20.4 24.3 25.1 25.3 23.8 22.8
1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.3
61 80 55 83 62 63 80 84 60 57 89 76 43 53 71 78 69.5
537 679 406 638 491 568 614 571 530 434 693 672 391 417 616 532 550.8
13 13 19 26 16 14 14 20 14 22 18 17 16 11 18 11 16.1
8 3 7 14 6 10 8 12 4 12 7 4 10 6 12 7 7.7
19 17 22 14 22 14 19 21 17 20 18 16 9 21 12 20 16.1
10 5 11 5 13 7 10 13 9 11 10 7 5 8 7 11 7.7
162 152 151 145 167 151 158 151 147 152 156 166 165 150 172 153 158.1
60 69 66 51 64 70 50 67 53 61 72 68 68 45 67 54 61.8
37.0 45.4 43.7 35.2 38.3 46.4 31.6 44.4 36.1 40.1 46.2 41.0 41.2 30.0 39.0 35.3 39.1
8 7 12 8 11 6 12 12 11 10 7 10 17 9 12 8 10.9
3 4 8 3 4 3 5 6 8 4 6 2 12 7 7 3 5.7
37.5 57.1 66.7 37.5 36.4 50.0 41.7 50.0 72.7 40.0 85.7 20.0 70.6 77.8 58.3 37.5 51.9
30:28 33:24 32:07 28:31 28:35 28:04 27:56 31:26 30:47 30:41 30:15 31:33 31:41 25:49 32:11 29:01 30:00
35 38 40 28 25 33 13 40 29 29 36 29 28 23 28 32 29.2
13 16 15 8 6 10 5 13 16 12 10 13 15 8 8 19 11.1
18 20 20 16 17 21 7 24 12 12 24 15 13 12 13 12 15.1
4 2 5 4 2 2 1 3 1 5 2 1 0 3 7 1 2.9
35/35 36/36 35/35 26/26 22/22 32/32 12/12 33/33 29/29 28/28 36/36 27/28 26/26 21/21 26/26 31/31 27.4/27.5
0/0 0/2 1/5 1/2 1/3 1/1 0/1 1/6 0/0 1/1 0/0 0/1 1/2 0/2 1/2 1/1 0.7/1.7
24/28 28/29 21/26 22/25 14/18 20/26 23/27 21/24 16/18 24/31 15/17 22/24 27/30 19/21 28/32 20/21 20.6/24.3
319 352 340 262 216 292 159 338 253 276 299 269 277 216 280 285 266.8
249 206 268 313 340 319 360 313 257 259 260 170 255 311 200 231 266.8
191 196 232 232 246 247 254 224 220 214 210 189 208 249 176 213 219.3
59 52 56 77 97 85 120 79 72 78 65 52 54 76 52 73 74.7
113 123 162 139 139 147 119 128 125 124 128 120 142 158 110 125 128.9
19 21 14 16 10 15 15 17 23 12 17 17 12 15 14 15 15.8
3435 3349 3975 4175 4740 4567 4582 3756 3960 3777 3562 2856 3809 4640 3354 3760 3891.8
286.3 279.1 331.3 347.9 395.0 380.6 381.8 313.0 330.0 314.8 296.8 238.0 317.4 386.7 279.5 313.3 326.0
1122 1025 985 1298 1964 1731 1941 1170 1164 1317 1162 854 1263 1458 1145 1354 1357.2
93.5 85.4 82.1 108.2 163.7 144.3 161.8 97.5 97.0 109.8 96.8 71.2 105.3 121.5 95.4 112.8 113.7
2313 2324 2990 2877 2776 2836 2641 2586 2796 2460 2400 2002 2546 3182 2209 2406 2534.6
192.8 193.7 249.2 239.8 231.3 236.3 220.1 215.5 233.0 205.0 200.0 166.8 212.2 265.2 184.1 200.5 212.3
326 261 277 345 391 353 403 306 301 323 287 273 313 357 300 333 327.7
3.4 3.9 3.6 3.8 5.0 4.9 4.8 3.8 3.9 4.1 4.0 3.1 4.0 4.1 3.8 4.1 4.1
395 398 438 428 370 392 331 381 395 380 394 422 356 420 380 410 386.8
219 230 276 261 238 267 211 245 236 230 244 245 225 278 212 241 235.9
55.4 57.8 63.0 61.0 64.3 68.1 63.7 64.3 59.7 60.5 61.9 58.1 63.2 66.2 55.8 58.8 61.0
39 36 35 22 6 22 21 25 28 21 40 42 22 26 25 24 24.9
256 244 207 109 38 121 144 161 139 156 258 293 165 141 164 151 157.3
12 16 10 10 10 5 6 10 11 7 6 13 12 6 17 10 11.0
189 292 246 139 198 29 109 170 115 171 34 202 95 199 309 172 174.9
1 2 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 3 1 0 0 2 3 0 1.3
77 58 52 49 40 41 51 48 45 52 53 67 53 51 64 64 54.3
42.3 43.9 43.2 41.2 44.8 46.3 44.6 45.0 48.2 45.2 44.5 42.5 44.5 44.3 43.6 45.7 43.8
4 7 6 6 7 6 9 3 4 2 7 4 6 2 8 7 5.1
36.2 36.2 35.4 34.7 38.5 38.6 37.7 40.3 42.2 37.4 38.3 38.5 37.1 37.5 35.0 37.5 37.3
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0.3
33 14 20 29 29 23 47 19 32 15 30 28 9 36 27 36 26.3
7.7 3.9 8.5 9.4 9.9 11.3 10.8 9.6 14.5 11.2 9.5 4.5 13.2 10.5 8.2 7.2 9.5
59 70 60 51 49 46 38 55 50 49 56 57 49 35 58 41 49.9
23.2 22.3 21.1 22.7 23.8 24.8 24.7 25.0 26.2 19.8 22.1 19.3 23.7 25.7 20.4 21.8 22.8
64 87 75 86 64 67 71 73 69 56 75 70 63 58 73 71 69.5
464 651 547 691 442 605 543 630 486 415 532 645 512 471 564 619 550.8
175 150 155 171 157 159 146 150 159 154 158 171 150 168 164 163 158.1
57 55 59 70 73 69 60 66 60 56 59 58 67 72 54 59 61.8
32.6 36.7 38.1 40.9 46.5 43.4 41.1 44.0 37.7 36.4 37.3 33.9 44.7 42.9 32.9 36.2 39.1
9 15 13 12 10 14 5 10 12 10 10 14 5 9 13 17 10.9
4 5 9 7 5 7 3 8 8 4 5 7 1 5 5 7 5.7
44.4 33.3 69.2 58.3 50.0 50.0 60.0 80.0 66.7 40.0 50.0 50.0 20.0 55.6 38.5 41.2 51.9
27 23 30 31 37 35 41 38 27 26 26 16 29 32 19 25 29.2
6 7 8 10 20 17 21 10 8 13 8 5 7 11 1 10 11.1
18 13 17 18 14 15 16 26 15 12 15 10 21 19 16 11 15.1
3 3 5 3 3 3 4 2 4 1 3 1 1 2 2 4 2.9
25/25 21/21 27/27 30/30 35/35 33/33 40/40 35/35 24/24 26/26 23/23 16/16 28/28 32/32 18/18 22/22 27.4/27.5
0/2 1/2 2/3 0/1 1/2 1/2 1/1 1/3 0/3 0/0 0/2 0/0 1/1 0/0 1/1 1/3 0.7/1.7
20/22 15/19 19/22 31/37 27/29 24/27 24/25 16/19 23/26 25/29 27/31 18/20 17/20 29/33 22/24 19/21 20.6/24.3
PHI NYG NYJ SF KC DEN STL AZ MIA BUF DAL PIT NE SEA TB CAR NFL
AVG
GAMES (W-L-T)
FIRST DOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Penalty
TOTALYARDS GAINED
Average Per Game
RUSHING (NET)
Average Per Game
PASSING (NET)
Average Per Game
RUSHES
Average Yards
PASSES ATTEMPTED
Completed
Percent Completed
Sacked
Yards Lost
Had Intercepted
Yards Opp. Ret.
Opp. TDs On Int.
PUNTS
Gross Average
Touchbacks
Net Average
Blocked
PUNT RETURNS
Average Return
Return For TD
KICKOFF RETURNS
Average Return
Returns For TD
PENALTIES
Yards
FUMBLES
Fumbles Lost
Opponent Fumbles
Opponent Fumbles Rec.
3RD-DOWNATTEMPTS
Conv. to 1st Down
3rd Down Efficiency
4TH-DOWNATTEMPTS
Conv. to 1st Down
4th-Down Efficiency
Time of Possession
TOUCHDOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Returns
1-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
2-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
FG/FGA
Total Points
OPP. POINTS
OPP. 1ST DOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Penalty
OPP. YDS. GAINED
Avg. Per Game
RUSHING (NET)
Avg. Per Game
PASSING (NET)
Avg. Per Game
OPP. RUSHES
Avg. Yards
OPP. PASSES
Completed
Pct. Comp.
Sacked
Yards Lost
Intercepted By
Yards Ret.
Ret. for TD
OPP. PUNTS
Gross Avg.
Touchbacks
Net Avg.
Blocked
OPP. PUNT RET.
Avg. Ret.
OPP. KICKOFF RET.
Avg. Ret.
OPP. PENALTIES
Yards
OPP. 3RD-DOWNATT.
Conv. To 1st Down
3rd Down Efficiency
OPP. 4TH-DOWNATT.
Conv. To 1st Down
4th-Down Efficiency
OPP. TOUCHDOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Returns
1-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
2-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
OPP. FG/FGA
OAK SD JAX CHI HOU GB ATL NO CLE TEN WAS BAL MIN DET CIN IND OFFENSE
PHI NYG NYJ SF KC DEN STL AZ MIA BUF DAL PIT NE SEA TB CAR NFL
AVG
OAK SD JAX CHI HOU GB ATL NO CLE TEN WAS BAL MIN DET CIN IND DEFENSE
NFL TEAM RANKINGS
Total Yards/Game
Rushing Yards/Game
Avg. Gain/Rush
Passing Yards/Game
Avg. Gain/Pass Play
Pct. Had Intercepted
Pct. QB Sacks Allowed
First Downs/Game
Avg. Gain/Off. Play
3rd Down Efficiency
4th Down Efficiency
Punt Return Avg.
Kickoff Return Avg.
Gross Punting Avg.
Net Punting Avg.
Points/Game
Extra Point Pct.
Field Goal Pct.
Opp. Yards/Game
Opp. Rush Yds./Game
Avg. Gain/Rush
Opp. Pass Yds./Game
Avg. Gain/Pass Play
Pct. Intercepted By
QB Sack Pct.
Opp. 1st Downs/Game
Avg. Gain/Def. Play
3rd Down Efficiency
4th Down Efficiency
Opp. Punt Return Avg.
Opp. Kickoff Ret. Avg.
Opp. Gross Punt Avg.
Opp. Net Punt Avg.
Opp. Points/Game
Opp. Field Goal Pct.
Point Differential
Turnover Edge
Penalty Yards Edge
Punt Ret. Differential
KO Return Differential
Time of Possession
19 20 32 27 2 4 21 22 25 10 9 11 29 24 15 18
3 19 31 23 18 15 29 20 12 14 9 8 10 22 26 6
26 21 31 18 5 8 30 19 2 15 10 3 12 28 24 14
27 15 30 29 3 4 7 18 23 8 11 13 32 19 9 24
18 11 32 27 5 8 13 24 26 6 20 17 30 19 2 15
13 22 19 20 18 32 14 8 21 2 11 27 5 24 17 3
19 20 30 8 1 18 4 22 21 16 26 15 29 28 12 3
11 18t 29 28 4 5 13 10 25 12 3 7 32 18t 20t 22
26 13 32 27 2 4 18 23 22 7 17 11 29 24 3 19
12 15 28 23 2 6 1 16 18 24 13 11 32 14 7 19
7t 25 13t 23 13t 11 6 7t 29 3 4 5 20 32 13t 30
24 2 23 19 9 3 32 11 30 17 10 7 5 29 14 21
30 4 12 10 17 24 26 13 25 32 6 5 23 29 15 2
7 17 30 9 4 19 12 22 13 11 15 25 1 31 3 21
4 10 30 6 9 20 8 19 12 28 23 15 2 18 1 17
10t 18 32 27 10t 19 22 24 25t 23 17 2 30 20 12 7
1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 31 1t 1t
31 28 9t 16 30 8 25 24 26t 9t 7 22t 26t 5 22t 9t
2 12 24 26 28 20 15 14 32 18 13 19 25 1 27 5
3 17 24 26 28 23 25 19t 31 11 14 4 29 1 15 12
5 19 15 24 30 25 22 23 31 12 16 6 26 1 14 11
2 15 20 17t 27 13 6 14 25 26 16 30 8 1 31 4
3 15 22 28 26 27 12 24 30 23 25 18 16 1 21 2
1 26 25 2 31 14 11 10 18 16 9 23 8 12 29 5
12 22 31 30 21 23 25 11 32 10 17 7 9 2 28 6
1 12 23t 25 28 19 23t 13 26t 15 9 20t 26t 4 32 8
3 13 15 27 29 26 12 24 31 22 23 18 19 1 21 2
1 9 30 23 25 28 32 18 31 14 29 16 27 7 22 2
1 9 13t 24t 13t 32 3t 13t 13t 24t 2 29 24t 13t 22 5t
5 26 20 7 27 15 23 14 21 31 30 12 22 3 10 19
21 2 12 17 28 15 16 3 24 32 22 6 23 1 10 30
15 27 4 3 30 31 29 13 24 32 21 10 16 7 20 5
21 16 10 5 27 25 31 11 26 32 15 6 3 23 28 7
3 14 24 9 28 29 11 17 30 13 12 19t 18 1 21 2
32 14 30 2 23 11t 20t 29 28 22 11t 15 4 24 8 1
3 16 30 24 23 25 19 22 29 20 15 6 27 4 17 2
4 23t 23t 5t 31 30 7t 18t 7t 2t 22 18t 10t 10t 21 1
21 17 7 6 14 10t 29 24 22 20 4 3 31 18 16 25
17 8 23 15 21 3 30 10 29 31 24 7 11 14 12 22
29 1 9 13 26 21 23 5 27 32 16 4 25 7 8 17
1 15 30 24 25 9 28 6 22 14 7 4 29 10 27 19
BAL BUF CIN CLE DEN HOU IND JAX KC MIA NE NYJ OAK PIT SD TEN OFFENSE
3 6 17 23 8 30 12 16 1 5 7 26 31 28 14 13
32 2 7 13 16 30 17 4 28 1 24 25 21 27 11 5
32 13 6 20 11 27 23 7 29 1 17 22 9 25 16 4
2 14 22 21 6 26 10 25 1 16 5 17 31 28 12 20
4 3 9 25 7 28 12 23 1 10 14 16 31 29 21 22
9 4 15 10 25 29 12 30 23 7 16 28 26 31 6 1
7 6 13 14 10 31 17 25 2 9 5 32 24 27 11 23
1 9 24 26 15 31 16 20t 6 2 8 23 27 30 17 14
5 9 10 25 6 28 14 21 1 8 12 16 31 30 20 15
9 10 25 20 3 31 8 27 4 5 21 26 30 29 17 22
13t 21t 26t 31 1 13t 21t 12 13t 10 26t 26t 2 24 9 13t
28 16 8 27 26 22 4 31 1 13 18 6 12 25 15 20
18 22 9 16 19 28 31 21 20 14 8 11 3 27 1 7
27 32 23 28 10 18 26 5 16 24 20 6 8 2 14 29
27 22 26 16 21 11 25 31 29 5 14 13 24 3 7 32
3 9 14 15 8 29 5 13 4 1 6 21 25t 31 16 28
1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 32 1t 1t 30 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t
14t 4 2 17t 12 3 21 17t 29 1 17t 13 6 20 14t 32
10 22 11 16 9 31 17 8 21 3 7 23 30 29 4 6
13 21 18 6 10 32 27 2 19t 5 8 16 22 30 9 7
9 27 18 3 17 32 29 2 21 13 4 7 20 28 8 10
17t 23 12 29 11 19 5 21 24 10 9 28 32 22 3 7
19 14 8 11 7 32 10 13 17 5 4 20 29 31 6 9
19 24 21 7 28 32 3 17 20 6 13 22 30 27 4 15
14 20 19 26 1 8 24 5 18 4 3 27 16 15 13 29
18 16 11 22 10 30 14 3 17 6t 5 20t 29 31 2 6t
16 25 7 8 10 32 17 11 20 6 4 14 28 30 5 9
26 17 8 5 11t 21 15 6 11t 10 3 19 24 20 4 13
31 12 10 7t 13t 30 24t 5t 24t 3t 11 20 19 21 7t 23
18 1 6 4 17 13 9 32 29 2 8 16 24 25 11 28
29 7 8 26 9 13 25 18 20 11 19 14 31 27 5 4
26 25 28 9 22 11 18 8 2 17 6 1 19 23 14 12
30 18 19 13 20 24 12 29 1 8 9 2 17 22 4 14
26t 8 7 19t 15t 32 22 15t 23 5 10 26t 25 31 4 6
10 5 25 7 17t 19 16 3 17t 6 26 9 20t 31 27 13
14 8 9 18 10t 31 10t 13 12 1 7 26 28 32 5 21
16t 18t 7t 5t 23t 28t 10t 16t 23t 2t 15 32 23t 28t 13 14
9 1 5 12t 30 8 32 2 28 19 27 12t 10t 26 23 15
26 1 6 19 25 20 4 32 5 2 16 9 18 28 13 27
28 12 6 22 15 24 31 18 20 11 14 10 19 30 2 3
13 11 20 21 18 31 8 12 16 2 17 23 32 26 3 5
AZ ATL CAR CHI DAL DET GB MIN NO NYG PHI SF SEA STL TB WAS
BAL BUF CIN CLE DEN HOU IND JAX KC MIA NE NYJ OAK PIT SD TEN DEFENSE AZ ATL CAR CHI DAL DET GB MIN NO NYG PHI SF SEA STL TB WAS
BAL BUF CIN CLE DEN HOU IND JAX KC MIA NE NYJ OAK PIT SD TEN MISCELLANEOUS AZ ATL CAR CHI DAL DET GB MIN NO NYG PHI SF SEA STL TB WAS
AFC NFC
TEN. 1 0 1 6 6 12 2 1 3 8 17 25 +13
MIA. 1 0 1 4 6 10 0 3 3 9 11 20 +10
N.Y.G. 0 1 1 3 8 11 1 1 2 5 16 21 +10
BALT. 0 0 0 7 9 16 0 1 1 3 20 23 +7
CHI. 0 3 3 11 9 20 0 1 1 8 18 26 +6
CLEV. 1 1 2 6 11 17 1 2 3 6 17 23 +6
CAR. 1 0 1 7 9 16 1 1 2 11 10 21 +5
IND. 1 2 3 2 12 14 1 1 2 8 11 19 +5
K.C. 0 1 1 6 12 18 2 0 2 13 10 23 +5
G.B. 1 1 2 6 10 16 1 0 1 3 17 20 +4
OAK. 2 0 2 10 6 16 0 1 1 7 13 20 +4
PITT. 0 1 1 4 12 16 3 2 5 7 13 20 +4
T.B. 1 0 1 12 9 21 0 3 3 7 17 24 +3
WASH. 1 1 2 8 4 12 0 1 1 3 11 14 +2
PHIL. 1 0 1 8 13 21 1 3 4 10 12 22 +1
ARIZ. 1 3 4 12 11 23 1 0 1 13 10 23 +0
MINN. 0 1 1 9 14 23 0 3 3 12 11 23 +0
ATL. 3 0 3 8 6 14 0 0 0 4 9 13 -1
JAX. 0 0 0 7 8 15 0 0 0 4 10 14 -1
N.Y.J. 1 1 2 7 15 22 0 1 1 11 10 21 -1
S.D. 0 0 0 6 10 16 3 0 3 7 7 14 -2
N.E. 3 2 5 10 10 20 0 1 1 5 12 17 -3
BUFF. 1 0 1 12 11 23 1 0 1 11 7 18 -5
CIN. 0 1 1 9 12 21 0 0 0 8 8 16 -5
DALL. 0 1 1 7 14 21 1 1 2 10 6 16 -5
N.O. 0 3 3 6 15 21 1 0 1 6 10 16 -5
SEA. 1 1 2 6 13 19 0 1 1 8 6 14 -5
DET. 2 1 3 8 15 23 1 0 1 12 2 14 -9
ST.L. 0 3 3 8 17 25 1 0 1 10 6 16 -9
HOU. 0 0 0 7 17 24 0 0 0 5 9 14 -10
DEN. 0 1 1 10 13 23 1 1 2 7 5 12 -11
S.F. 1 0 1 14 14 28 1 0 1 5 10 15 -13
GAME SEASON GAME SEASON DIF
FumInt Tot FumInt Tot FumInt Tot FumInt Tot
1. N.O. 777 3.59 7.89 6.26
2. DEN. 758 4.48 7.29 6.19
3. S.D. 664 3.89 7.54 5.96
4. HOU. 690 4.36 7.04 5.92
5. ARIZ. 773 3.31 7.34 5.90
6. DALL. 727 4.30 7.09 5.88
7. MIA. 734 4.15 7.17 5.80
8. N.Y.G. 777 4.93 6.53 5.73
9. ATL. 769 4.27 7.36 5.66
10. CAR. 707 4.45 6.66 5.53
11. N.Y.J. 759 4.66 6.14 5.48
12. PHIL. 789 4.08 6.25 5.43
13. BUFF. 719 4.03 6.49 5.37
14. G.B. 767 4.02 6.33 5.32
15. WASH. 773 4.66 5.79 5.26
16. S.F. 696 4.02 6.14 5.25
17. N.E. 815 4.34 5.94 5.23
18. IND. 733 3.47 6.28 5.22
19. TEN. 751 4.24 6.23 5.19
20. T.B. 787 4.09 5.92 5.11
21. MINN. 771 4.40 5.75 5.08
22. K.C. 729 4.81 5.23 5.06
23. JAX. 694 4.05 5.70 4.99
24. PITT. 750 3.69 6.00 4.93
25. CHI. 755 4.04 5.64 4.91
26. BALT. 809 3.82 6.04 4.80
27. CLEV. 702 4.06 5.22 4.71
28. DET. 675 3.81 5.12 4.64
29. OAK. 691 4.28 4.87 4.57
30. ST.L. 702 3.87 5.02 4.55
31. SEA. 684 4.34 4.65 4.51
32. CIN. 734 3.37 4.06 3.80
1. PITT. 737 3.13 4.31 3.88
2. TEN. 753 3.85 4.92 4.49
3. BALT. 677 3.48 5.16 4.49
4. PHIL. 760 3.44 5.33 4.52
5. T.B. 705 3.82 5.45 4.76
6. N.Y.G. 695 3.93 5.35 4.82
7. CAR. 767 4.07 5.54 4.90
8. CHI. 802 3.42 5.89 4.93
9. WASH. 688 3.84 5.71 4.94
10. DALL. 721 4.05 5.53 4.94
11. MINN. 710 3.19 6.07 4.95
12. IND. 757 4.22 6.01 5.11
13. BUFF. 724 4.08 6.13 5.22
14. S.F. 795 3.76 6.39 5.25
15. CIN. 795 4.01 6.52 5.27
16. ARIZ. 712 3.82 6.37 5.28
17. G.B. 747 4.82 5.71 5.29
18. N.Y.J. 750 3.56 6.32 5.30
19. OAK. 785 4.65 6.15 5.37
20. N.O. 756 4.20 6.26 5.37
21. S.D. 809 3.96 6.45 5.45
22. MIA. 724 3.87 6.61 5.47
23. N.E. 691 4.04 6.74 5.51
24. JAX. 633 4.24 6.69 5.54
25. ATL. 727 4.81 6.12 5.60
26. HOU. 645 4.48 6.87 5.69
27. CLEV. 748 4.41 7.10 5.72
28. SEA. 803 4.08 7.13 5.78
29. DEN. 767 4.90 6.85 5.95
30. ST.L. 755 4.82 7.50 6.07
31. K.C. 767 5.02 7.38 6.18
32. DET. 756 5.10 7.69 6.26
OFF RUSH PASS OFF
OFFENSE PLAYS AVG AVG AVG
DEF RUSH PASS DEF
DEFENSE PLAYS AVG AVG AVG
OFF TOT TOT SCOR TD
OFFENSE POSS TD FG % %
OFF TOT TOT SCOR TD
DEFENSE POSS TD FG % %
1. IND. 34 23 8 .912 .676
2. DET. 21 14 4 .857 .667
3. TEN. 38 25 11 .947 .658
4. MIA. 34 22 8 .882 .647
5. DALL. 34 22 4 .765 .647
6. PITT. 37 23 12 .946 .622
7. G.B. 36 22 12 .944 .611
8. CAR. 36 22 11 .917 .611
9. ARIZ. 55 33 13 .836 .600
10. DEN. 41 24 11 .854 .585
11. CHI. 35 20 10 .857 .571
12. N.O. 44 25 11 .818 .568
13. K.C. 32 18 11 .906 .563
14. JAX. 33 18 8 .788 .545
15. PHIL. 48 26 17 .896 .542
16. BALT. 36 19 11 .833 .528
17. N.Y.J. 53 27 15 .792 .509
18. N.Y.G. 59 30 23 .898 .508
19. HOU. 42 21 13 .810 .500
20. ATL. 42 21 13 .810 .500
21. N.E. 47 23 19 .894 .489
22. S.F. 41 20 13 .805 .488
23. S.D. 44 21 18 .886 .477
24. SEA. 30 14 13 .900 .467
25. BUFF. 41 19 14 .805 .463
26. WASH. 37 17 11 .757 .459
27. CIN. 24 11 9 .833 .458
28. MINN. 33 14 15 .879 .424
29. CLEV. 37 14 19 .892 .378
30. OAK. 29 10 15 .862 .345
31. T.B. 47 16 23 .830 .340
32. ST.L. 19 5 10 .789 .263
1. PITT. 36 12 15 .750 .333
2. BALT. 29 10 12 .759 .345
3. IND. 41 16 19 .854 .390
4. S.F. 45 19 16 .778 .422
5. BUFF. 40 18 15 .825 .450
6. N.O. 46 21 21 .913 .457
7. CAR. 34 16 12 .824 .471
8. MINN. 36 17 10 .750 .472
9. T.B. 21 10 11 1.000 .476
10. N.Y.G. 27 13 10 .852 .481
11. MIA. 37 18 15 .892 .486
12. DALL. 43 21 19 .930 .488
13. N.Y.J. 45 22 13 .778 .489
14. CLEV. 39 20 10 .769 .513
15. K.C. 48 25 16 .854 .521
16. S.D. 44 23 12 .795 .523
17. CHI. 42 22 14 .857 .524
18. SEA. 40 21 16 .925 .525
19. ATL. 38 20 10 .789 .526
20. TEN. 34 18 9 .794 .529
21. G.B. 39 21 13 .872 .538
22. DEN. 42 23 15 .905 .548
23. WASH. 31 17 12 .935 .548
24. OAK. 38 22 10 .842 .579
25. CIN. 39 23 15 .974 .590
26. PHIL. 28 17 8 .893 .607
27. DET. 48 30 10 .833 .625
28. ST.L. 43 27 11 .884 .628
29. N.E. 39 25 12 .949 .641
30. ARIZ. 40 26 9 .875 .650
31. JAX. 35 23 9 .914 .657
32. HOU. 32 23 6 .906 .719
TURNOVERS TAKEAWAYS TEAM EFFICIENCY INSIDE THE RED ZONE
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PASSES DROPPED THROWN-TO DATA RED-ZONE RECEPTIONS SECOND-HALF YARDS PER CARRY RED-ZONE COMPLETIONS
FOURTH-QUARTER PASSING FIRST-DOWN PASSING CONVERSIONS ON THIRD DOWN
RUSHING
Player Team Att Yds Avg Lg TD
Peterson Minn. 270 1,311 4.9 59 9
Portis Wash.255 1,228 4.8 31 7
Turner Atl. 282 1,208 4.3 66 13
Forte Chi. 248 1,012 4.1 50 6
D. Williams Car. 193 955 4.9 69 11
Jacobs N.Y.G. 185 950 5.1 44 12
Gore S.F. 215 926 4.3 41 6
Grant G.B. 228 876 3.8 57 3
Barber Dall. 225 870 3.9 35 7
J. Jones Sea. 152 674 4.4 33 2
Westbrook Phil. 159 657 4.1 39 8
Dunn T.B. 145 640 4.4 40 2
Ward N.Y.G. 130 630 4.8 22 2
Kev. Smith Det. 145 621 4.3 50 5
Jackson St.L. 149 619 4.2 56 4
Stewart Car. 127 586 4.6 43 6
Graham T.B. 132 563 4.3 68 4
Norwood Atl. 77 412 5.4 44 2
James Ariz. 112 384 3.4 16 3
P. Thomas N.O. 78 359 4.6 31 6
Hightower Ariz. 113 327 2.9 30 9
McAllister N.O. 89 317 3.6 12 4
Bradshaw N.Y.G. 49 310 6.3 77 1
Bush N.O. 90 294 3.3 29 2
Taylor Minn. 80 293 3.7 21 3
Morris Sea. 59 288 4.9 45 0
F. Jones Dall. 30 266 8.9 60 3
Pittman St.L. 72 257 3.6 24 0
Buckhalter Phil. 59 249 4.2 28 2
Jackson G.B. 44 242 5.5 32 1
R. Johnson Det. 73 233 3.2 27 1
Rodgers G.B. 47 188 4.0 21 4
Betts Wash. 45 167 3.7 14 1
J. Campbell Wash. 37 159 4.3 22 0
Choice Dall. 30 147 4.9 27 0
OSullivan S.F. 30 145 4.8 18 0
Duckett Sea. 48 137 2.9 29 6
Arrington Ariz. 23 133 5.8 30 1
McNabb Phil. 28 119 4.3 17 1
Jones Chi. 34 109 3.2 16 0
D. Jackson Phil. 14 98 7.0 21 1
Garcia T.B. 23 90 3.9 20 0
Darby St.L. 20 76 3.8 14 0
Ryan Atl. 38 71 1.9 17 0
Weaver Sea. 17 70 4.1 13 0
Wolfe Chi. 15 69 4.6 38 0
Hasselbeck Sea. 11 69 6.3 15 0
Boldin Ariz. 9 67 7.4 30 0
RECEIVING
Boldin Ariz. 78 942 12.1 79 11
Fitzgerald Ariz. 77 1,075 14.0 75 8
White Atl. 68 1,085 16.0 70 6
Cooley Wash. 66 701 10.6 28 1
Jennings G.B. 64 1,057 16.5 62 7
Breaston Ariz. 60 773 12.9 46 2
L. Moore N.O. 59 739 12.5 70 8
Witten Dall. 58 709 12.2 42 3
Moss Wash. 57 828 14.5 67 5
A. Bryant T.B. 57 736 12.9 47 3
Driver G.B. 54 698 12.9 50 4
C. Johnson Det. 53 971 18.3 96 8
D. Jackson Phil. 53 775 14.6 60 2
Smith Car. 52 958 18.4 65 4
Owens Dall. 52 816 15.7 75 8
Forte Chi. 48 358 7.5 19 4
Muhammad Car. 47 651 13.9 47 4
Bush N.O. 47 398 8.5 42 3
Barber Dall. 47 366 7.8 70 2
Holt St.L. 45 526 11.7 45 2
Randle El Wash. 43 510 11.9 31 2
Smith N.Y.G. 43 424 9.9 30 1
Wade Minn. 40 423 10.6 46 1
Bruce S.F. 39 625 16.0 63 6
Toomer N.Y.G. 39 480 12.3 40 4
Shockey N.O. 39 371 9.5 26 0
Gore S.F. 39 354 9.1 26 1
Berrian Minn. 38 795 20.9 99 5
Carlson Sea. 38 456 12.0 33 3
Westbrook Phil. 37 233 6.3 18 4
Ward N.Y.G. 36 371 10.3 48 0
Hilliard T.B. 36 331 9.2 36 4
Avery St.L. 35 499 14.3 69 2
Burress N.Y.G. 35 454 13.0 33 4
Miller N.O. 35 450 12.9 41 1
McDonald Det. 35 332 9.5 26 1
Jenkins Atl. 34 520 15.3 62 3
Hester Chi. 34 442 13.0 65 3
Olsen Chi. 34 398 11.7 52 2
D. Lee G.B. 34 247 7.3 26 4
Taylor Minn. 33 291 8.8 47 1
Crayton Dall. 31 409 13.2 55 3
R. Davis Chi. 31 396 12.8 36 2
Clark Chi. 31 304 9.8 35 0
Dunn T.B. 31 244 7.9 36 0
Clayton T.B. 30 318 10.6 29 0
Baskett Phil. 28 409 14.6 90 3
Roy E. Williams Dall. 28 393 14.0 38 2
Johnson S.F. 28 353 12.6 42 2
Engram Sea. 28 301 10.8 22 0
Kev. Smith Det. 28 221 7.9 27 0
Shiancoe Minn. 27 373 13.8 40 4
Norwood Atl. 27 261 9.7 67 1
Hightower Ariz. 27 207 7.7 26 0
Jackson G.B. 27 178 6.6 18 0
Hixon N.Y.G. 26 373 14.3 41 1
Boss N.Y.G. 26 310 11.9 28 5
Nelson G.B. 26 296 11.4 29 1
Curtis Phil. 26 288 11.1 26 1
Jackson St.L. 26 275 10.6 53 0
Henderson N.O. 25 596 23.8 84 3
Stevens T.B. 25 288 11.5 31 2
Urban Ariz. 25 287 11.5 56 2
Battle S.F. 24 318 13.3 36 0
Avant Phil. 24 251 10.5 31 2
Portis Wash. 23 187 8.1 29 0
Graham T.B. 23 174 7.6 24 0
Colston N.O. 22 428 19.5 70 1
L.J. Smith Phil. 22 192 8.7 25 2
Celek Phil. 21 271 12.9 44 0
Buckhalter Phil. 21 247 11.8 44 1
K. Robinson Sea. 20 245 12.3 90 2
Looker St.L. 20 235 11.8 30 2
Gaines Det. 20 194 9.7 21 1
P. Thomas N.O. 20 192 9.6 24 1
Lloyd Chi. 19 293 15.4 32 1
Douglas Atl. 19 265 13.9 69 1
Davis S.F. 19 263 13.8 57 2
A. Smith T.B. 19 228 12.0 34 3
King Car. 19 169 8.9 31 1
Rosario Car. 18 209 11.6 24 1
Furrey Det. 18 181 10.1 25 0
D. Williams Car. 18 112 6.2 25 2
Peterson Minn. 18 94 5.2 16 0
G. Lewis Phil. 16 225 14.1 52 0
Finneran Atl. 16 132 8.3 14 0
Pittman St.L. 16 91 5.7 22 0
Bennett Dall. 15 242 16.1 34 4
Morgan S.F. 15 214 14.3 31 2
Weaver Sea. 14 187 13.4 62 2
Morris Sea. 14 91 6.5 13 2
J. Jones Sea. 14 66 4.7 17 0
R. Brown Phil. 13 192 14.8 40 1
J. Hill S.F. 13 175 13.5 33 1
Branch Sea. 13 152 11.7 33 0
Gilmore T.B. 13 130 10.0 36 1
Austin Dall. 12 255 21.3 63 3
Peelle Atl. 12 137 11.4 18 2
Galloway T.B. 12 134 11.2 22 0
Campbell N.O. 12 121 10.1 29 2
Darby St.L. 12 117 9.8 30 0
D. Hall St.L. 12 105 8.8 20 0
Betts Wash. 12 93 7.8 20 0
McAllister N.O. 12 81 6.8 15 1
M. Booker Chi. 11 183 16.6 51 2
Patten N.O. 11 162 14.7 39 1
Hackett Car. 11 144 13.1 37 0
McMichael St.L. 11 139 12.6 31 0
R. Martin G.B. 11 107 9.7 17 1
Rice Minn. 11 105 9.5 23 3
R. Johnson Det. 11 89 8.1 34 1
D.Thomas Wash. 11 77 7.0 16 0
McKie Chi. 11 64 5.8 12 1
Tahi Minn. 11 30 2.7 7 0
Robinson S.F. 10 113 11.3 36 0
Allison Minn. 10 109 10.9 21 0
Jones G.B. 10 81 8.1 18 1
James Ariz. 10 73 7.3 16 0
FitzSimmons Det. 10 70 7.0 16 1
Askew T.B. 10 48 4.8 18 0
SCORING
Player Team TD XP/att FG/att 2XP Pts
Carney N.Y.G. 0 33/33 27/28 0 114
M. Bryant T.B. 0 26/26 28/32 0 110
Akers Phil. 0 35/35 24/28 0 107
Elam Atl. 0 32/32 24/26 0 104
Crosby G.B. 0 36/36 22/26 0 102
Longwell Minn. 0 29/29 24/28 0 101
Rackers Ariz. 0 33/33 21/24 0 96
Nedney S.F. 0 26/26 22/25 0 92
Kasay Car. 0 31/31 20/21 0 91
Gould Chi. 0 31/31 18/21 0 85
Suisham Wash. 0 19/19 21/29 0 82
J. Brown St.L. 0 12/12 23/27 0 81
Folk Dall. 0 36/36 15/17 0 81
D. Williams Car. 13 0/0 0/0 1 80
Mare Sea. 0 21/21 19/21 0 78
Turner Atl. 13 0/0 0/0 0 78
Jacobs N.Y.G. 12 0/0 0/0 0 72
Westbrook Phil. 12 0/0 0/0 0 72
Hanson Det. 0 19/20 16/17 0 67
Boldin Ariz. 11 0/0 0/0 0 66
Forte Chi. 10 0/0 0/0 0 60
Barber Dall. 9 0/0 0/0 0 54
Hightower Ariz. 9 0/0 0/0 0 54
Peterson Minn. 9 0/0 0/0 0 54
C. Johnson Det. 8 0/0 0/0 1 50
Bush N.O. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
Fitzgerald Ariz. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
L. Moore N.O. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
Owens Dall. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
Gore S.F. 7 0/0 0/0 1 44
Jennings G.B. 7 0/0 0/0 1 44
Portis Wash. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
P. Thomas N.O. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
Hartley N.O. 0 13/13 8/8 0 37
Bruce S.F. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Duckett Sea. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Moss Wash. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Stewart Car. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
White Atl. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Gramatica N.O. 0 16/16 6/10 0 34
Berrian Minn. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Boss N.Y.G. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
McAllister N.O. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Kev. Smith Det. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Bennett Dall. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Burress N.Y.G. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Driver G.B. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Graham T.B. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Hilliard T.B. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
D. Jackson Phil. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Jackson St.L. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
F. Jones Dall. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
D. Lee G.B. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Muhammad Car. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Rodgers G.B. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Shiancoe Minn. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Smith Car. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Taylor Minn. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Toomer N.Y.G. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
James Ariz. 3 0/0 0/0 1 20
A. Smith T.B. 3 0/0 0/0 1 20
Arrington Ariz. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Austin Dall. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Avery St.L. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Baskett Phil. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
A. Bryant T.B. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Buckhalter Phil. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Carlson Sea. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Collins G.B. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Crayton Dall. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
R. Davis Chi. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Douglas Atl. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Grant G.B. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Henderson N.O. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Hester Chi. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Jenkins Atl. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
McKie Chi. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Mehlhaff N.O. 0 9/10 3/4 0 18
Norwood Atl. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Rice Minn. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Witten Dall. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Lloyd Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 1 14
Avant Phil. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Blackmon G.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
M. Booker Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Bradshaw N.Y.G. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Breaston Ariz. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Campbell N.O. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Davis S.F. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Delhomme Car. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Dunn T.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Grossman Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Holt St.L. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
R. Johnson Det. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Johnson S.F. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
J. Jones Sea. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Karney N.O. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Kuhn G.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Looker St.L. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Meachem N.O. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Morgan S.F. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Morris Sea. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Moss N.Y.G. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Olsen Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Peelle Atl. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Randle El Wash. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
K. Robinson Sea. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Rossum S.F. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
C. Smith T.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
L.J. Smith Phil. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Stevens T.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Urban Ariz. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Ward N.Y.G. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Weaver Sea. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Roy E. Williams Dall. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Winfield Minn. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Woodson G.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
R. Martin G.B. 1 0/0 0/0 1 8
Tuck N.Y.G. 1 0/0 0/0 0 8
NFC INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
WEEK 13
PUNT RETURNS
Player Team No FC Yds Avg Lg TD
Bush N.O. 15 2 269 17.9 71 3
C. Smith T.B. 16 2 281 17.6 70 1
Blackmon G.B. 28 7 358 12.8 76 2
Jones Car. 32 17 379 11.8 55 0
Hixon N.Y.G. 22 9 248 11.3 50 0
Forsett Sea. 21 3 217 10.3 29 0
D. Jackson Phil. 41 12 382 9.3 68 1
Randle El Wash. 30 15 197 6.6 21 0
A. Jennings Det. 24 6 151 6.3 37 0
Breaston Ariz. 27 9 166 6.1 22 0
Hester Chi. 23 11 138 6.0 25 0
A. Jones Dall. 16 0 80 5.0 18 0
D. Jackson T.B. 20 0 97 4.9 19 0
C. Gordon Minn. 15 11 66 4.4 20 0
KICKOFF RETURNS
C. Smith T.B. 19 560 29.5 97 1
D. Manning Chi. 18 506 28.1 50 0
Rossum S.F. 40 1,093 27.3 104 1
F. Jones Dall. 16 434 27.1 98 1
Jones Car. 23 599 26.0 59 0
Demps Phil. 45 1,167 25.9 100 1
Wilson Sea. 51 1,286 25.2 61 0
Stanley St.L. 18 450 25.0 75 0
Cartwright Wash. 35 868 24.8 58 0
Norwood Atl. 34 841 24.7 85 0
Roby N.O. 21 514 24.5 62 0
P. Thomas N.O. 27 642 23.8 56 0
Forsett Sea. 17 398 23.4 32 0
Player Team No Yds Lg TD
Collins G.B. 5 230 62 3
Woodson G.B. 5 124 62 2
Hall Wash. 5 37 21 0
Payne Chi. 4 147 50 0
Atogwe St.L. 4 91 43 0
T. Williams G.B. 4 73 39 0
Webster N.Y.G. 3 65 57 0
David N.O. 3 60 42 0
Ross N.Y.G. 3 58 50 1
Mikell Phil. 3 53 41 0
Tillman Chi. 3 52 26 1
Beason Car. 3 52 44 0
E. Coleman Atl. 3 48 32 0
Talib T.B. 3 32 19 0
Samuel Phil. 3 14 14 0
Spikes S.F. 3 14 13 0
Horton Wash. 3 13 10 0
Briggs Chi. 3 12 9 0
Rouse G.B. 2 136 99 1
Wilson Sea. 2 133 75 1
Lucas Car. 2 74 43 0
Phillips T.B. 2 71 58 0
Barber T.B. 2 67 65 1
Adams T.B. 2 50 45 1
Dansby Ariz. 2 47 34 0
Wilson Ariz. 2 37 28 0
Buchanon T.B. 2 33 26 1
Grant Sea. 2 31 31 0
Leber Minn. 2 29 28 0
W. Harris S.F. 2 25 1 0
Gamble Car. 2 19 19 0
M. Johnson N.Y.G. 2 18 18 0
Butler N.Y.G. 2 15 9 0
Sapp Minn. 2 13 14 0
Kaesviharn N.O. 2 13 13 0
Clements S.F. 2 13 0 0
Urlacher Chi. 2 11 11 0
Ruud T.B. 2 10 10 0
Houston Atl. 2 10 10 1
Rodgers-Cromartie Ariz. 2 6 6 0
Winfield Minn. 2 5 4 0
Newman Dall. 2 0 0 0
M. Williams Minn. 2 -1 0 0
PASSING
Comp TD Int Avg
Player Team Att Comp Pct Yds TD Pct Lg Int Pct Gain Rating
Romo Dall. 300 192 64.0 2,559 21 7.0 75 8 2.7 8.53 103.2
Warner Ariz. 472 323 68.4 3,741 24 5.1 79 11 2.3 7.93 99.4
Brees N.O. 471 311 66.0 3,870 24 5.1 84 14 3.0 8.22 95.9
Garcia T.B. 271 182 67.2 1,902 8 3.0 47 3 1.1 7.02 92.5
Manning N.Y.G. 371 230 62.0 2,624 19 5.1 48 8 2.2 7.07 91.3
Ryan Atl. 333 203 61.0 2,625 13 3.9 70 6 1.8 7.88 91.2
Rodgers G.B. 404 257 63.6 2,897 20 5.0 62 10 2.5 7.17 91.2
J. Campbell Wash. 378 241 63.8 2,560 10 2.6 67 4 1.1 6.77 87.8
McNabb Phil. 439 262 59.7 3,030 18 4.1 90 10 2.3 6.90 84.8
Orton Chi. 327 192 58.7 2,195 13 4.0 65 7 2.1 6.71 83.3
Delhomme Car. 329 190 57.8 2,427 12 3.6 65 9 2.7 7.38 81.7
Frerotte Minn. 291 171 58.8 2,087 12 4.1 99 13 4.5 7.17 76.1
OSullivan S.F. 220 128 58.2 1,678 8 3.6 63 11 5.0 7.63 73.6
Bulger St.L. 303 172 56.8 1,828 7 2.3 80 11 3.6 6.03 67.1
Hasselbeck Sea. 209 109 52.2 1,216 5 2.4 34 10 4.8 5.82 57.8
NON-QUALIFIERS
S. Hill S.F. 139 84 60.4 1,067 8 5.8 47 3 2.2 7.68 94.6
S. Wallace Sea. 121 64 52.9 669 5 4.1 90 1 0.8 5.53 79.5
Orlovsky Det. 156 88 56.4 1,033 5 3.2 96 4 2.6 6.62 76.7
Kitna Det. 120 68 56.7 758 5 4.2 47 5 4.2 6.32 72.2
Griese T.B. 147 84 57.1 804 4 2.7 38 6 4.1 5.47 64.6
Culpepper Det. 91 46 50.5 566 3 3.3 51 6 6.6 6.22 53.6
Green St.L. 72 38 52.8 525 0 0.0 53 6 8.3 7.29 41.7
PUNTING
Gross Ins Ret Net
Player Team No Yds Lg Avg TB 20 Blk Ret Yds Avg
Jones St.L. 63 3,130 63 49.7 3 17 0 50 509 40.7
Feagles N.Y.G. 44 1,898 61 43.1 5 17 0 14 54 39.6
Bidwell T.B. 57 2,528 64 44.4 5 21 0 27 222 38.7
Lee S.F. 49 2,312 82 47.2 6 10 1 29 274 38.4
Rocca Phil. 61 2,696 65 44.2 4 20 1 31 245 38.2
Ryan Sea. 60 2,786 63 46.4 11 14 1 30 257 37.9
N. Harris Det. 73 3,191 63 43.7 4 20 0 41 351 37.8
Baker Car. 61 2,762 63 45.3 5 23 3 36 260 37.5
Maynard Chi. 73 2,973 67 40.7 4 28 0 26 175 37.2
Koenen Atl. 44 1,751 60 39.8 3 20 1 12 26 37.0
Frost G.B. 48 2,021 65 42.1 5 8 0 24 189 36.1
Johnson Ariz. 40 1,670 59 41.8 4 13 0 16 171 35.5
Paulescu Dall. 31 1,316 70 42.5 4 7 0 14 140 35.4
Kluwe Minn. 62 2,935 62 47.3 10 21 1 34 558 34.6
Plackemeier Wash. 40 1,648 56 41.2 6 6 1 20 243 31.3
FIELD-GOAL ACCURACY
Avg Avg Avg
1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50 or Yds Yds Yds
Player Team Yds Yds Yds Yds Longer Total Att Made Miss Lg
Carney N.Y.G. 0-0 14-14 10-11 3-3 0-0 27-28 31.4 31.3 35.0 48
.000 1.000 .909 1.000 .000 .964
Kasay Car. 0-0 6-6 6-6 7-7 1-2 20-21 36.5 35.7 54.0 50
.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 .500 .952
Hanson Det. 0-0 1-1 2-3 6-6 7-7 16-17 45.0 45.8 33.0 56
.000 1.000 .667 1.000 1.000 .941
Elam Atl. 0-0 8-8 5-6 10-10 1-2 24-26 36.5 36.0 42.0 50
.000 1.000 .833 1.000 .500 .923
Mare Sea. 0-0 5-5 7-8 5-5 2-3 19-21 38.0 37.2 45.5 51
.000 1.000 .875 1.000 .667 .905
Folk Dall. 0-0 1-1 4-5 8-9 2-2 15-17 41.6 41.6 41.5 52
.000 1.000 .800 .889 1.000 .882
Nedney S.F. 0-0 7-7 6-6 7-9 2-3 22-25 37.2 36.1 45.7 53
.000 1.000 1.000 .778 .667 .880
M. Bryant T.B. 0-0 10-10 14-14 4-6 0-2 28-32 35.1 33.1 48.8 49
.000 1.000 1.000 .667 .000 .875
Rackers Ariz. 0-0 7-7 8-10 5-5 1-2 21-24 35.8 34.2 46.7 54
.000 1.000 .800 1.000 .500 .875
Akers Phil. 2-2 9-9 8-8 5-6 0-3 24-28 34.0 31.3 50.3 44
1.000 1.000 1.000 .833 .000 .857
Longwell Minn. 0-0 9-9 6-7 5-8 4-4 24-28 37.3 36.0 45.3 54
.000 1.000 .857 .625 1.000 .857
Gould Chi. 0-0 4-4 6-6 8-11 0-0 18-21 38.1 36.7 46.3 48
.000 1.000 1.000 .727 .000 .857
J. Brown St.L. 0-0 6-6 4-4 8-10 5-7 23-27 40.9 39.7 48.3 54
.000 1.000 1.000 .800 .714 .852
Crosby G.B. 1-1 5-5 8-10 5-5 3-5 22-26 37.5 36.5 43.5 53
1.000 1.000 .800 1.000 .600 .846
Suisham Wash. 0-0 6-6 5-7 9-13 1-3 21-29 38.3 36.3 43.5 50
.000 1.000 .714 .692 .333 .724
Player Tm Sks
Ware Dall. 15.0
Abraham Atl. 12.5
Tuck N.Y.G. 11.5
Allen Minn. 11.0
Peppers Car. 11.0
Kampman G.B. 9.5
K. Williams Minn. 8.5
Howard Phil. 8.0
T. Cole Phil. 7.0
Kiwanuka N.Y.G. 6.5
McCray N.O. 6.0
Ratliff Dall. 6.0
Adams T.B. 5.5
Haralson S.F. 5.5
Robbins N.Y.G. 5.5
White Det. 5.5
Berry Ariz. 5.0
A. Brown Chi. 5.0
Ellis Dall. 5.0
T. Harris Chi. 5.0
James Dall. 5.0
Kerney Sea. 5.0
Parker Phil. 5.0
Peterson Sea. 5.0
White T.B. 5.0
J. Hall St.L. 4.5
C. Johnson Car. 4.5
Little St.L. 4.5
Ogunleye Chi. 4.5
J. Smith S.F. 4.5
Greenway Minn. 4.0
LaBoy Ariz. 4.0
Long St.L. 4.0
C. Smith Det. 4.0
Wilkerson T.B. 4.0
Babineaux Atl. 3.5
Evans Wash. 3.5
Okeafor Ariz. 3.5
Tollefson N.Y.G. 3.5
Avril Det. 3.0
Bernard Sea. 3.0
Carter Wash. 3.0
Carter T.B. 3.0
Cofield N.Y.G. 3.0
Dansby Ariz. 3.0
Dockett Ariz. 3.0
Grant N.O. 3.0
Lawson S.F. 3.0
Mebane Sea. 3.0
Redding Det. 3.0
Ruud T.B. 3.0
Smith N.O. 3.0
Gaither Phil. 2.5
R. Green S.F. 2.5
Jenkins G.B. 2.5
Lewis Car. 2.5
SACKS
INTERCEPTIONS
NFL DRAFT 2009
By Nolan Nawrocki
Senior editor
Editors note: This is the seventh article in
a series previewing the top NFL prospects by
position for the 2009 draft. Underclassmen
include juniors and draft-eligible third-
year sophomores.
T
his years LB class is very strong inside
and outside and could be the gem of the
draft, with intriguing versatility a signa-
ture of the group. With the addition of de-
fensive ends being projected to rush line-
backer, this years class really could turn out
to be not only deep, but special maybe
even unmatched in its overall strength.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
1
SLB Aaron Curry, Wake Forest
6-1
3
4, 250, 4.61
Athickly built, strong, physical, hard-hitting
backer with the size, instincts and overall ath-
letic ability to line up at any position in a 3-4
or a 4-3 front. Currys value in large part stems
from his versatility, as few linebackers possess
the skill set to be effective at any position in
either system. Might not have the overall
length desired in a rush linebacker but has
been extremely productive playing over the
tight end, and his strength at the point of at-
tack and ability to shed blockers is rare. With
knuckle-breaking hand strength, he ragdolls
blockers and plays a big mans game with
power. The most complete backer to come
out in a long time, Curry has few deficiencies
in his game and easily could fit into the top
five. Scouts love his physical skill set.
2
SLB Brian Cushing, USC
6-2
1
2e, 255e, 4.6e
Despite playing over the tight end, Cushing
kicked inside to replace an injured Rey
Maualuga early this season and has the size,
strength and striking ability to project inside
in the NFL for a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense. Injuries
have slowed Cushing throughout his career,
and his overall injury history will be scrutinized
closely and detract from his value, but he has
played in every game in 08 despite breaking a
bone in his hand and wearing a cast. He is very
competitive and driven and has played best in
big games against better competition. He is
tightly wound and somewhat stiff in the hips,
but his all-out demeanor and overall intensity
should allow him to contribute right away in
the pros and push him into the first round.
3
SLB Clint Sintim, Virginia
6-2
3
8, 250, 4.7e
Playing the same position at which Shawne
Merriman excelled at Maryland, Sintim has
been a force coming off the edge and has the
experience rushing the passer to transition
easily to the highly desired rush LB spot in a 3-
4 front. Leading the nation in sacks from the
LB position, Sintim has shown he can stick his
hand in the dirt or drop into coverage. Having
shed weight and shown better hand use and
burst off the edge this season, he plays phys-
ically and also could be effective playing in-
side. However, hell warrant the most interest
for his pass-rush ability and should fit into the
first round.
4
SLB Mark Herzlich, Boston College (Jr.)
6-4e, 240e, 4.7e
A miniature version of former NFL LB Bill
Romanowski, Herzlich is expected to remain
in school and could benefit from another year
of seasoning. Somewhat mechanical and ro-
botic in his movement, yet athletic enough to
make plays to the sideline, Little Romoplays
smart, with good technique and hand use and
gets the most out of his ability. Somewhat
similar to Patriots LB Mike Vrabel with the
length and power desired to rush the passer,
Herzlich could project outside in a 3-4 front.
Leading the team in tackles from the SLB po-
sition, Herzlichs motor, intensity and playing
demeanor project well to the pro game.
5
WLB Perry Riley, LSU (Jr.)
6-0
1
2e, 240e, 4.55e
Having stood out and made more plays than
more highly publicized teammate Darry Beck-
with, Riley consistently cleans up ballcarriers
from the weak side and has the potential to be
the best backer to come out of LSU in the past
10 years. Tough, physical and instinctive, he
shows very good range to the sideline and has
the explosive movement skills to make plays
all over the field and drive through contact.
Does not have great size and can be engulfed
if blockers get their hands on him, but when he
is free to roam, he hits like a missile.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS
1
James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
6-2e, 240e, 4.65e
Perhaps a victim of very lofty expectations,
Laurinaitis has disappointed evaluators who
were hoping to see a bullet like Dan Morgan who
was going to knock the heads off ballcarriers.
Scouts have downgraded Laurinaitis for his lack
of explosiveness and physicality. Hes not a
nasty, downhill, blow-up tackler but is very in-
stinctive with a great nose for the ball, makes
plays sideline to sideline and has a great feel for
coverage. He has the versatility to play every LB
position and might be best suited playing on the
weak side where he is covered up and free to
roam, in the same mold as former Butkus Award
winner Paul Posluszny, whom scouts also ac-
cused of peaking earlier in his career. However,
despite not being a violent assassin, Laurinaitis
character is exceptional and he might have the
highest floor of any first-round talent because
NFL clubs can know exactly what they are get-
ting. Still should fit into the top 15.
2
Rey Maualuga, USC
6-2e, 250e, 4.7e
Atrue Mikelinebacker with terrific strength
at the point of attack, Maualuga still gets out of
position too often and takes some questionable
angles. When he has a clean window, he can
strike with the authority of a small truck and
level ballcarriers. However, he is tight in the hips,
does not change direction cleanly and could be
restricted on third downs, limiting his overall
value. Durability and overall character still need
closer examination, and perhaps the biggest
question scouts will want answered is whether
he can be more than a two-down, Mike
backer in the NFL. A strong tackler with good
overall instincts, Maualuga should contribute
readily in the pros if he can stay focused.
3
Brandon Spikes, Florida (Jr.)
6-2
1
2e, 245e, 4.75e
In a similar mold as former Gator and Miami
Dolphins 2005 third-rounder Channing Crow-
der, Spikes is instinctive, has a knack for the
ball and fits the mold of an old-school Mike
linebacker. Very leggy and somewhat bow-
legged, he is not a great natural athlete, has a
tendency to let his pads rise and too easily can
be cut. However, he is limber with great stride
length and overall range, and when he plays
with bent knees he can knock ballcarriers
backward. Has a reputation for running his
mouth and plays the game with a lot of vinegar
and intensity, setting the tone for the defense.
Brings emotional, on-field leadership qualities
highly desired by many coaches and initially
was expected to declare early for the draft.
However, he lacks great speed and could ben-
efit from another year of training at Florida.
4
Dannell Ellerbe, Georgia
6-0
7
8, 240, 4.55e
Might work out and test as well as any line-
backer in the draft, possessing exceptional
speed and power. However, as much as the
weight room might be his domain, he has not
been able to transfer his workout numbers
consistently to the field and his performance
as a senior has slipped. Is naturally explosive
and plays with good knee bend but has been
too tentative and does not consistently uncoil.
Having missed 3
1
2 games with injury, he has
gained some weight and not appeared quite
as quick as he did chasing down ballcarriers a
year ago. However, he still can run like the wind
and might warrant even more interest on the
weak side. Has run into problems off the field,
and his character could affect his draft value.
5
Darry Beckwith, LSU
6-0
1
2, 240, 4.6e
Scouts would like to see Beckwith play
more physically. He lacks great size and take-
on strength and too often has struggled locat-
ing the ball as a senior, not showing the natural
instincts to consistently produce. He gets
good depth in coverage and has good move-
ment skills, but too much of his game is based
on finesse and he needs to become a more
forceful tackler to play inside in the pros. Hav-
ing missed time in September following a knee
scope, he has not played at full health, but the
injury does not justify him being out of posi-
tion as much as he has this season.
NFL DRAFT
5-YEAR BREAKDOWN
Round-by-round recap of where LBs were drafted
Rd 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 TOT
08 3 2 7 4 5 7 6 34
07 3 3 5 4 4 7 6 32
06 6 4 7 3 5 1 6 32
05 2 5 6 1 10 3 4 31
04 2 6 6 6 4 3 4 31
Avg 3.2 4.0 6.2 3.6 5.6 4.2 5.2 32.0
LB class might be best in years
P
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Headlining what could be the best group of linebackers in years are Wake Forest OLB Aaron
Curry (left) and Ohio State MLB James Laurinaitis.
By Nolan Nawrocki
Senior editor
The actual national championship game
is scheduled for Jan. 8, 2009 at Dolphin Sta-
dium, but the true test of the nations most
talented teams will be played in the Geor-
gia Dome on Saturday when Alabama faces
Florida in the SEC championship game in
the same place where Alabamas Cinderel-
la underdog season began.
Alabama blanked Auburn 36-0 last week
in typical workmanlike Tide fashion, con-
trolling the clock, limiting the Tigers run-
ning game and slowly building a big lead in
what turned out to be a crushing defeat over
its in-state rival.
A faster, more flashy Florida squad
pressed on the gas early against in-state ri-
val Florida State and rang up a 45-15 victo-
ry despite losing explosive junior playmak-
er Percy Harvin to a right ankle sprain that
could put his status in jeopardy for the SEC
title game.
Regardless of whether Harvin is healthy,
the Gators offense has plenty of team speed
with a pair of freshman runners Jeffery
Demps and Chris Rainey both possess-
ing game-breaking, instant acceleration
and quickness to create every time they touch
the ball.
The key to the Gators offense, however,
is junior QB Tim Tebow, who has played with
a dogged determination since vowing not to
let a game slip out of his hands again like it
did against Mississippi earlier this season.
Expect Alabama to bring an NFL array of
pressures and blitzes at Tebow that he has
yet to see.
The Gators dismantled then-top-10-
ranked Georgia and LSU with very convinc-
ing victories and have beaten every team they
have faced by more than four TDs since the
Week Four loss. Alabama will have its work
cut out to shut down the edges and contain
the Gators tremendous perimeter speed, hav-
ing played much more closely with Georgia
and barely squeaking past LSU in overtime.
The key to the game will be the play of the
Tides physical offensive line, keyed by jun-
ior OLT Andre Smith and OLG Mike John-
son, which has spearheaded a power running
game that few opponents have been able to
slow. Defensively, the Gators have the tal-
ent up front to trouble the Tide, with 6-6,
290-pound sophomore strong-side DE
Carlos Dunlap able to stack the corner and
more speedy Jermaine Cunningham bring-
ing heat from the open side. However,
where the Tide has an advantage is along
their defensive front, where junior NT Ter-
rence Cody should be able to clog the mid-
dle for playmaking sophomore MLB Rolan-
do McClain and senior FS Rashad Johnson
to roam freely.
Urban Meyer has been known for his cre-
ativity on special teams, which has helped
the Gators lead the nation in turnover effi-
ciency. Florida enters the game with great
momentum and a chip on its shoulder, but
Sabans blue-collar, underdog squad will have
more to prove. Whoever wins likely will be
crowned the national champion.
DRAFT AUDIBLES
(Georgia LB Dannell) Ellerbe can re-
ally move around. He is playing all three
(LB) spots. You are going to have to worry
about him off the field, but he is not as
bad as (ex-Georgia LB Odell) Thurman.
He could be managed, but hes going to
need to be in a strong locker room. Hell
slip a round or two because of his charac-
ter. And he has not had a great year.
(South Florida DE George) Selvie is a
one-trick pony. He flashes everything you
would like to see, but you dont see him
do anything consistently enough.
(Washington State WR) Brandon
Gibson can catch the ball, but he lacks
separation speed. Hes a possession re-
ceiver.
I love (South Carolina DE Jasper)
Brinkleys size and work ethic, but hes
not smart enough to handle a complex
defense, and Im not sure how well he fits
(as an inside linebacker) in a 3-4. Thats
where he has to play to have a chance.
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
Georgia Tech S Morgan Burnett re-
ally has emerged as a difference maker
and came up big for the Yellow Jackets
early against Georgia, recording the first
TD of his career after he intercepted a
Matthew Stafford pass and returned it
for a 35-yard score. It gave the sopho-
more his seventh pick of the season, tying
three others for the nations lead. Among
those hes tied with is Tennessees ball-
hawking sophomore S Eric Berry a fi-
nalist for the Jim Thorpe Award who
has been one of the few bright spots on a
disappointing Volunteers team.
Berry, who played the entire season
with a shoulder injury, has such a knack
for the ball that the Vols have used him at
receiver and in a special quarterback
package late in the season, as he carried
the ball a total of seven times in the Vols
two season-ending wins against Vander-
bilt and Kentucky. What he lacks in size
he compensates for with his instincts and
striking ability. He has been an impact
player for the Vols, a player that they can-
not get on the field enough.
As true sophomores, neither is eligible
for the draft, but together with USC junior
FS Taylor Mays, next years safety class
could be loaded if Mays were to return to
school. Mays, whose instincts have ap-
peared questionable at times this season,
possesses freakish athletic ability and
has flashed playmaking ability on the
back end, standing out more late in the
season. He really stepped up in the Tro-
jans 17-3 victory over California on Nov.
8, when he was flying around the field,
showing great range and making plays on
the ball.
Tide brawn meets Gator speed
Tim Tebow does more than throw the ball well. He also does the dirty work for the Gators.
Charlie Weis has not been able to iden-
tify or secure the talent needed for Notre
Dame to be competitive, and his arrogance
on the recruiting trail has turned off numer-
ous recruits. After nearly falling to Navy, los-
ing to Syracuse and getting waxed by USC, it
has become evident the Irish dont have the
same caliber of athletes they did when the
program was most successful.
Georgias Mark Richt hadnt lost to Geor-
gia Tech until this past weekend, when Paul
Johnsons trademark, old-school triple-op-
tion offense gave the Bulldogs fits. The Yel-
low Jackets made the adjustments they
needed to make at halftime, outscoring the
Bulldogs 26-0 in the third quarter. Sopho-
more RB Jonathan Dwyer came out of the
half supercharged, taking a pitch at Georgia
Techs 40-yard line, bouncing off Georgia LB
Dannell Ellerbe and outrunning the Bull-
dogs to the endzone. Dwyer, a 6-0, 230-
pounder, has emerged as a force in
Johnsons offense, leading the ACC in rush-
ing yardage and living up to the hype that
came with being given Calvin Johnsons
No. 21 jersey. But it was the speed of fresh-
man Roddy Jones that troubled Georgia
even more, as he racked up 214 yards rush-
ing. Together with sophomore QB Josh
Nesbitt, the Yellow Jackets have three of the
nations top 100 rushers and a ground game
that does not figure to be stopped anytime
soon.
Georgia senior WR Mohamed Mas-
saquoi had a career game, catching 11-180-
3 as junior QB Matthew Stafford threw for
a career-high 407 yards and five TDs in what
could have been his final home game as a
Bulldog.
Texas Tech WR Michael Crabtree was
carted off the field against Baylor after land-
ing awkwardly on his right ankle following a
sideline catch. He returned to the field in
street clothes wearing a protective boot.
Oregon RB Jeremiah Johnson racked up
more than 200 yards of rushing in the first
half alone against Oregon State as the Ducks
crippled Beavers coach Mike Rileys
chances for a Rose Bowl berth by virtue of
their 65-38 victory.
Lost in a disappointing season for Ten-
nessee has been the performance of senior
DE Robert Ayers, who slid inside against Al-
abama earlier this season and consistently
created pressure from the middle.
COLLEGE NOTES
A
P
NFL DRAFT 2009
AUDIBLES
TRANSACTIONS
(Lions WR) Calvin Johnson is soft. Hes still learning how to play the game, but he is
going to be a great one. When you look at the players (Matt) Millen has drafted, theres
really two that stand out Johnson and (LB) Ernie Sims. Hes their best player on de-
fense. When you have had as many high picks as they have, its disheartening to look at
their roster. (Millen) has left a big mess for someone to clean up.
Look at the Broncos defense. They have
one blue-chip player Champ Bailey.
Thats it. D.J. Williams was playing well
when he was healthy. (DE Elvis) Dumervil,
for how he is used, has some value. If you
can contain the Broncos offense, you have
a chance, because the defense is going to
have a hard time stopping you.
When you look at Charley Casserlys
last draft in Houston, youve got to give
him some credit. Mario Williams and De-
Meco Ryans are Pro Bowl players. Eric
Winston has been solid. Owen Daniels is
emerging as one of the games best all-
around tight ends. (Casserlys) last draft
was a helluva draft. The biggest problem
he had in Houston was building the offen-
sive line. He paid a lot of veterans in the
supplemental draft that never panned out.
But he has hit on high picks. Dunta Robin-
son has turned out to be a better corner-
back than DeAngelo Hall. Andre Johnson
has become one of the premier receivers
in football. And he uncovered some late-
round gems, if you can call them that
guys like (Buccaneers DE) Greg White
and C.C. Brown.
(Texans DT Amobi) Okoye is going to
wind up being a miss. Hes not playing like
the 10th pick in the draft. Hes not strong at
the point of attack and does not show the
closing burst. To think Patrick Willis was
sitting there at No. 11 and they passed him
by it does not bode well for (Texans GM)
Rick Smith, especially when you take a
look at what (free-agent additions)
Jacques Reeves and Rosey Colvin have
done or, I should say, not done. Mike Sher-
man did the same thing when he got to
Houston he went after Green Bay Pack-
ers. Smith (a Purdue grad) signed two Pur-
due guys, and neither has panned out.
(Texans defensive coordinator) Richard
Smith is as good as gone. You look at the
model in Denver and its similar to what
you see in Houston. The offense is very
functional regardless of whos playing
they have a great system. But the defense
is always a problem. If Im (Gary Kubiak),
Im looking for a fired head coach with a
sharp defensive mind. Im looking at Mike
Nolan. Im looking for a Romeo Crennel. I
want a guy who knows what to do with the
keys.
The Colts secondary is one of the best
in the NFL when Marlin Jackson and
Kelvin Hayden are healthy. They are two of
the best corners in the league. Even with-
out Jackson, they have been OK. Tim Jen-
nings has been solid. Getting Hayden back
against San Diego was a big boost.
Wes Welker has been phenomenal.
Hes carrying the (Patriots) offense with
the new quarterback.
The Packers did not have any pass rush
against the Saints. It was the same way
against Dallas earlier in the year its diffi-
cult to win when you cannot create any
pressure. Losing Cullen Jenkins was a big
blow. No one meant as much as he did to
that line.
The Vikings become a Super Bowl con-
tender with Donovan McNabb on their
roster. They would give up at least a sec-
ond-rounder for him.
A
P
The following quotes are from NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel, speaking
on the condition of anonymity.
(As reported, Nov. 24-29)
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
BUFFALO Nov. 25: Practice-squad addition:
WR Mike Jefferson (released by Cowboys 8/30, 9/8,
from Cowboys practice squad 10/28). Nov. 26: Prac-
tice-squad addition: DE Marcus Smith (released by
Cowboys 8/30, from Bills practice squad 11/19). Prac-
tice-squad deletion: OTChris Denman. Nov. 28: Re-
serve/injured: DT John McCargo (back). Roster
addition: TE Jonathan Stupar (from Bills practice
squad).
CINCINNATI Nov. 24: Reserve/injured: DE
Robert Geathers (knee); DE Frostee Rucker (ham-
string). Roster additions: DE Josh Mallard (released
by Broncos 8/25); OG Evan Mathis (released by Pan-
thers 8/30, by Dolphins 11/7). Practice-squad addi-
tion: DE Victor DeGrate (released by Lions 8/30).
Nov. 26: Placed on waivers: FB Jeremi Johnson (in-
jured, knee); FB Reagan Mauia (injured, hamstring).
Practice-squad addition: FB J.D. Runnels (released
by Bears 7/24, by Buccaneers 8/20, from Bengals
practice squad 11/11). Nov. 28: Reserve/injured: OG
Scott Kooistra (knee); OG Andrew Whitworth (ankle).
Roster additions: OT Kirk Barton (from Dolphins
practice squad); CB Geoffrey Pope (from Bengals
practice squad).
CLEVELAND Nov. 25: Roster addition: LB
Titus Brown (from Browns practice squad). Placed
on waivers: WR Steve Sanders. Nov. 27: Reserve/in-
jured: QB Brady Quinn (finger). Roster addition: FB
Jed Collins (released by Eagles 8/30, from Eagles
practice squad 10/21, from Bears practice squad
11/24). Practice-squad addition: QB Richard Bartel
(released by Cowboys 8/30, from Cowboys practice
squad 9/8).
DENVER Nov. 25: Placed on waivers: S Roder-
ick Rogers. Nov. 26: Roster addition: FB Andrew Pin-
nock (released by Chargers 9/1). Practice-squad
addition: WR Jayson Foster (released by Dolphins
8/30, from Dolphins practice squad 9/2, from Steel-
ers practice squad 11/6).
HOUSTON Nov. 25: Reserve/injured: RB
Ahman Green (knee). Practice-squad addition: RB
Darius Walker (released by Texans 8/30, 10/25, from
Rams practice squad 11/11). Practice-squad dele-
tion: LB Justin Roland. Nov. 26: Roster addition: CB
Matterral Richardson (from Redskins practice squad).
INDIANAPOLIS Nov. 25: Practice-squad ad-
dition: C Christian Gaddis (released by Bills 8/30,
from Browns practice squad 10/28). Practice-squad
deletion: WR Marques Hagans.
JACKSONVILLE Nov. 24: Placed on waivers:
OG Milford Brown; DTJimmy Kennedy. Nov. 25: Acti-
vated: LB Jeremy Mincey (from reserve/physically
unable to perform); TE George Wrightster (from re-
serve/physically unable to perform). Reserve/in-
jured: P Adam Podlesh (knee). Roster addition: P
Steve Weatherford (released by Saints 10/20; by
Chiefs 11/4). Placed on waivers: CB Omare Lowe.
Practice-squad addition: C Tim Mattran (released
by Vikings 8/30, from Vikings practice squad 9/16).
Practice-squad deletion: TE Chris Brown. Nov. 26:
Roster addition: LB Tim Shaw (released by Panthers
8/30).
KANSAS CITY Nov. 28: Roster addition: DT
Antwon Burton (from Chiefs practice squad). Placed
on waivers: LB Weston Dacus.
MIAMI Nov. 24: Reserve/injured: WR Greg Ca-
marillo (knee). Nov. 28: Practice-squad deletion: OT
Kirk Barton. Nov. 27: Practice-squad addition: CB
Wilfred Billingsley (released by Dolphins 8/31, from
Dolphins practice squad 9/25, 10/8, 10/18, 10/29,
11/21). Nov. 29: Suspended by club: NT Paul Soliai
(one game, violation team rules). Roster addition: C
Al Johnson (released by Cardinals 10/21).
NEWENGLAND Nov. 26: Practice-squad addi-
tion: P Tom Malone (released from Patriots practice
squad 9/15).
OAKLAND Nov. 25: Roster addition: CB Dar-
rick Brown (from Raiders practice squad). Placed on
waivers: OT Junius Coston. Nov. 26: Reserve/in-
jured: WR Javon Walker (ankle). Roster addition: OG
Dylan Gandy (released by Broncos 8/30, 10/6).
PITTSBURGH Nov. 24: Roster addition: P
Mitch Berger (released by Steelers 11/5). Placed on
waivers: PPaul Ernster. Nov. 26: Roster addition: RB
Najeh Davenport (released by Steelers 6/28, 11/8).
Placed on waivers: CB Roy Lewis.
SAN DIEGO Nov. 25: Practice-squad addition:
S Tra Battle (released by Chargers 8/30, 11/22). Nov.
26: Practice-squad deletion: S Tra Battle. Practice-
squad addition: S Travis Key (released by Browns
8/30, from Browns practice squad 10/7, from Lions
practice squad 11/5). Nov. 29: Reserve/injured: DE
Keith Grennan (leg). Roster addition: FB Billy Latsko
(from Chargers practice squad).
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
ARIZONA Nov. 26: Roster addition: CB
Michael Adams (from Cardinals practice squad).
Placed on waivers: OT Elliot Vallejo.
ATLANTA Nov. 26: Reserve/injured: TE Ben
Hartsock (toe). Roster addition: TE Jason Rader (re-
leased by Falcons 9/1, 10/28).
CHICAGO Nov. 24: Activated: OG Terrence
Metcalf (from exempt/commissioner permission).
Reserve/injured: LB Darrell McClover (hamstring).
Practice-squad addition: FB Jason Davis (released
by Eagles 8/30, from Bears practice squad 10/28, by
Raiders 11/18). Practice-squad deletion: FB Jed
Collins. Nov. 26: Practice-squad addition: WR Travis
Brown (released by Seahawks 5/5, by Bengals 8/6).
Nov. 29: Reserve/injured: CB Nathan Vasher
(thumb). Roster addition: FB Jason Davis (from
Bears practice squad).
DALLAS Nov. 26: Reserve/injured: RB Felix
Jones (toe, hamstring). Roster addition: S Tra Battle
(from Chargers practice squad). Nov. 29:
Reserve/injured: OG Kyle Kosier (foot). Roster addi-
tion: LB Steve Octavien (from Redskins practice
squad).
DETROIT Nov. 24: Reserve/injured: DE Jared
DeVries (hand). Roster addition: QB Drew Henson
(from Lions practice squad). Practice-squad addi-
tion: WR Eric Fowler (released from Lions practice
squad 11/19). Practice-squad deletion: WR Joel Fi-
lani. Nov. 25: Placed on waivers: TE Jake Nordin (re-
leased by Ravens 7/25, from Lions practice squad
11/18).
MINNESOTA Nov. 25: Practice-squad addi-
tion: CB Derrick Roberson (released by Texans 8/30,
from Texans practice squad 10/7, from Ravens prac-
tice squad 10/21).
NEWORLEANS Nov. 27: Reserve/injured: CB
Aaron Glenn (ankle). Roster addition: DE Josh Sav-
age (from Saints practice squad). Practice-squad ad-
dition: TE Kolo Kapanui (released by Browns 8/30).
N.Y. GIANTS Nov. 29: Reserve/injured: S
Sammy Knight (hip). Roster addition: DT Jeremy
Clark (from Giants practice squad).
ST. LOUIS Nov. 26: Reserve/injured: C Nick
Leckey (foot). Roster additions: LB Larry Grant (from
49ers practice squad); C Cory Withrow (released by
Chargers 9/5). Placed on waivers: FB Dan Kreider.
SAN FRANCISCO Nov. 26: Practice-squad
deletion: LB Larry Grant. Nov. 29: Roster addition:
WR Chris Hannon (from 49ers practice squad).
Placed on waivers: LB Ahmad Brooks.
SEATTLE Nov. 26: Roster addition: OT Kyle
Williams (from Seahawks practice squad). Placed on
waivers: TE Jeb Putzier.
WASHINGTON Nov. 25: Placed on waivers: RB
Shaun Alexander. Nov. 26: Roster addition: DTRyan
Boschetti (released by Redskins 8/30, 9/4). Practice-
squad deletion: CB Matterral Richardson. Nov. 27:
Practice-squad addition: S Michael Grant (released
by Jaguars 8/30, 9/6, from Chiefs practice squad
11/11). Nov. 29: Practice-squad deletion: LB Steve
Octavien.
Dolphins WR Greg Camarillo
A
P
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DECEMBER 7, 2008

LAST-MINUTE LINEUPADVICE TO HELPYOU WIN AFANTASYCHAMPIONSHIP... ONLYATPROFOOTBALLWEEKLY.COM

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