Not Another Predictions Column! Week 15
Cincinnati 5-8 @ San Francisco 3-10
After a brief absence, NAPC! returns. My readers, I apologize for not penning my column, but I was involved in a trip to Tennessee, senior year finals, and a research paper. My picks were still made on the forums, though, for posterity’s sake. Apparently, the Bengals won a game last week, but then, they were playing the St. Louis Rams. Many teams have won that match-up this year. Naturally, though, their opponent this week is not much tougher. The San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback position is in such a state of flux currently that they actually signed former Carolina Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke to back-up current starter Shaun Hill. Rudi Johnson reappeared on planet earth for Cincy in their victory over St. Louis last week with almost 100 rushing yards and a touchdown. There is not much to say about this match-up – San Francisco’s starting Shaun Hill, Cincinnati Carson Palmer. That should answer the question of who wins satisfactorily. The Bengals win it.
Tennessee 7-6 @ Kansas City 4-9 WEEKLY UPSET GAME
Despite the situation Kansas City has had at quarterback this season, they have two players who are on track to hit the 1000-yard receiving mark on the season. Tight end Tony Gonzalez is within 46 yards, and rookie wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has 821 yards on the year. Their running game, however, has not come around thus far. Superstar running back Larry Johnson has found it hard to get into gear this year, averaging only 3.5 yards per carry and picking up 559 yards rushing on the season. The Panthers’ DeShaun Foster has more rushing yards. Tennessee lost to San Diego last week in a rather close affair. To illustrate just how much I forget the Titans exist, I was actually in Tennessee last weekend in a restaurant with the Titans game on, and I was wondering why the Titans’ game was being shown. At first I thought it was because the restaurant owner was a Chargers fan. However, after about 60 seconds, it occurred to me that I was in the state of Tennessee, so naturally Tennessee’s games get shown on TV. So much for geography. Well, this is my weekly upset game. I have had difficulty picking Kansas City this year, but they should be able to win this week.
Baltimore 4-9 @ Miami 0-13
Jake Delhomme played for three weeks and he has more than 2/3 the touchdown passes the two starting quarterbacks in this game have, Kyle Boller (Ravens) and Cleo Lemon (Dolphins). Both of these teams are eliminated from the playoffs, although in Miami’s case we all knew that awhile ago. They may as well just play the young guys. Oh wait, that is what they have been doing. Never mind. Considering Ronnie Brown went down quite a while ago, it is a testimony to the ineffectiveness of the Dolphins’ passing game that Brown is still the second-leading receiver on the team (and also leading rusher). Willis McGahee has rushed for almost 1100 yards this year with the Baltimore Ravens, and has even found the endzone seven times. Nevertheless, the team’s leading receiver, Derrick Mason, has manged to find the endzone only thrice. The Dolphins’ quarterback, Cleo Lemon, has rushed for more touchdowns than that. It would be nice for Miami to get a win, but it will not happen this week. Ravens win it, but not by much.
New York Jets 3-10 @ New England 13-0
I was going to start off this section of the article with something along the lines of “How bad do you think Eric Mangini wants this game?” but then I realized, “How bad do you think Bill Belichick wants to kill Mangini’s Jets this game?” Once I thought about that, I realized that Belichick has the tools to do so – Mangini does not. Quite frankly, if I were Mangini, I could really see applying for the Witness Protection Program. Ray Barone ought to have the number. New England should be pulling out all the stops in this game, and it should definitely be enjoyable to see. That is, if you are not one of the ten Jets (or is it Giants?) fans remaining. Tom Brady is five touchdown passes away from breaking Peyton Manning’s single-season passing touchdown record. I am not sure the over-under on his breaking that record this week, but it should definitely be happening in front of his home crowd, as the Patriots play at home this week and also next week. I really do not think many New England fans miss Drew Bledsoe, do they? As a rhetorical statement, I have long thought that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick should retire at the same time so that the question of which one the credit should really go to can never be completely answered. I believe they are both an intrinsic part of the success of the Patriots and that neither would have had quite the same level of success without the other. New England improves to 14-0 by defeating the Jets this week.
Buffalo 7-6 @ Cleveland 8-5
gro-VER! gro-VER! gro-VER! Oh wait, wrong Cleveland. Buffalo is still fighting for slim play-off hopes, and Cleveland themselves are positioning for a shot at a good playoff run. Derek Anderson has 26 touchdown passes and is playing his way towards a big payday either this offseason or 2009. Jamal Lewis has nine rushing touchdowns – he should call up DeShaun Foster and explain that the point of rushing the football is to score touchdowns for your own team, not to fumble it to the other team and let them score touchdowns. It is a noble cause, I will admit, but the fans get tired of it quickly. Back to Derek Anderson: while he does not lock on just one receiver, it is clear he favors one receiver over the other when it comes to touchdown passes. Braylon Edwards has 13 touchdown receptions compared to Kellen Winslow’s 5. I must publicly apologize to rookie quarterback Trent Edwards of Buffalo: when I first heard Stanford had a quarterback projected to be drafted in the top two rounds of the NFL draft, I laughed. I should not have, he has proven he has a place in this League. My apologies Trent. Now, I am not so sure J.P. Losman is happy about this, but you can never please everyone, now can you? My apology does not stretch far enough to give the Bills a win this week, unfortunately, Trent. Bowns win at home, improving to 9-5 and guaranteeing a winning season for the first time since 2002.
Seattle 9-4 @ Carolina 5-8
The last time these two teams met in the regular season was roughly three years ago. However, every Panthers fan remembers the match-up in the NFC Conference Championship Game two years ago. In that game, running back Nick Goings was knocked out with a concussion early on, and the Seahawks’ defense throttled the Panthers offense as the Seahawks’ offense rolled over the Panthers defense. There’s not a Panthers fan around who wants to think about that game any longer than they have to. There is also not a Panthers fan around who has not thought about just how bad they wanted Seattle to lose to Carolina in the next go-round. Now, I am not sure that any Panthers fan ever anticipated that the rematch would come with Vinny Testaverde at quarterback, but that may be a good thing. Vinny has never lost to Seattle, and seems to get all the calls against them. That said, he has not practiced in two days and is listed as probable on the injury report. According to a Seattle paper, the reason Vinny hasn’t practiced is that he is old. I guess tact went out of style. By the way, as an aside, members of the Panther Coalition’s sister site, SeahawkBlue.com, are making the trip to Charlotte for the game. Safe travels, my friends. Not to the surprise of anyone, I pick Carolina to win this game because I am an eternal optimist. And it IS a rule, after all.
Arizona 6-7 @ New Orleans 6-7
Hey, check it out! Wanna-bes! The Cardinals and the Saints – pre-season media darlings – are both likely going to be sitting at home come January. What little running game the Saints had just went away, since Reggie Bush will be out for the duration of the season. This game should be a great shoot-out without either team really being able to stop the pass. I am happy to see David Patten has revived his career in New Orleans with 40 receptions this season for 600+ yards. I was worried that after the Redskins signed him and he was hurt that that would signify the beginning of the end, but Drew Brees is good at maximizing what he can get out of his wide receivers. Edgerrin James quietly rushed for over 1000 yards last year and is on pace to do the same this season. If the Cardinals could just find a few defensive players, they would really challenge for a playoff spot. A consistent quarterback would probably help as well. I like Kurt Warner, and I do not like New Orleans, so this is an easy pick. Arizona wins on the road.
Atlanta 3-10 @ Tampa Bay 8-5
Well, technically, Tampa could still lose their last three games and Carolina could win their last three, tying them at 8-8 apiece. Yeah, right, and I want to hold on to 16 as long as I can. Eternal optimist, though, do not forget. Besides, that could save some of the Carolina coaching staff their jobs, and that is probably not a good thing. Poor Atlanta fans – first they lose their superstar, then they have their coach turn on them, what next? On the other hand, I do not believe any of the other three teams in the division will mind a multi-year rebuilding process for Atlanta, if Tampa, New Orleans, and Carolina can be so lucky. Sorry Falcons’ fans! I do believe that if Tampa Bay wins this game, they clinch the division. At least, that is what a little birdie told me. Earnest Graham is closing in on 1000 yards rushing – he only needs 202 more yards and he has three games to do it in. Well, two, since Carolina will not let him. Tampa Bay wins it this week.
GREEN BAY 11-2 @ St. Louis 3-10
Show of hands for how many people want Green Bay in the Super Bowl? I see at least two, and they are both mine. Brett Favre has thrown 24 touchdown passes this season – there are entire teams with fewer touchdown passes. And despite not having a rushing game, the Packers’ Ryan Grant still has roughly 750 yards rushing on the season and averages five yards a pop. I saw that Brock Berlin, former University of Miami stand-out quarterback, started a game for the Rams last week against Cincinnati. I had not heard anything about his NFL career for a while, but I am rather happy that he got an opportunity. How did he do? Well, 17 for 28, 153 yards, and an interception. Pretty much what Carolina expects from their quarterbacks these days. Marc Bulger is starting this week, though, which does give St. Louis a chance to pull off the upset. It will not happen, though. Green Bay improves to 12-2 on the year.
Jacksonville 9-4 @ Pittsburgh 9-4
Just what I needed – a Jacksonville game to pick where they are going up against a team almost their mirror image. I still consider Jacksonville to be on probation in my column. Pittsburgh has been a little inconsistent for my tastes as well, but generally I can predict them accurately, so I am not worried on that front. Willie Parker and Adrian Peterson are vying for the rushing crown this year, with Parker currently in the lead. Yep, he WAS the third-string running back for UNC. Yep, I do not understand it either. He IS an inspiration to third-string college players everywhere, though. That said, Najeh Davenport has more rushing touchdowns than Parker this season, three to two. Both of these teams play excellent defense (unless the Steelers use a safety to ‘cover’ Randy Moss), they both run the ball well, and they both have efficient quarterbacks. However, Ben Roethlisberger is more capable of taking over a game than David Garrard, and this game may come down to quarterback play. Nevertheless, David Garrard just does not make mistakes very often at all. Pittsburgh is 7-0 at home this season, so I will play that card and give Pittsburgh an 8-0 home record on the 2007 season with a win over Jacksonville.
Indianapolis 11-2 @ Oakland 4-9
The Colts came alive last week with a 44-20 drumming of the Baltimore Ravens. Rookie first round draft pick Anthony Gonzalez caught six passes for 130+ yards and two touchdowns against Baltimore. Raiders running back Justin Fargas needs only 80 yards to eclipse the 1000-yard mark for the first time in his career. The Raiders have had a good rushing attack, but their passing game has been virtually nonexistent in most games this season. Unlike the Vikings, Oakland does not have the ability to pull that off. Indianapolis clinches their division if they win – because of that, Indianapolis wins this week.
Detroit 6-7 @ San Diego 8-5
Five weeks ago Detroit was 6-2 and looking at a potential playoff berth and 10-win season, as quarterback Jon Kitna infamously proclaimed they were capable of. However, the luck has run out. Detroit has lost five weeks in a row and now look like the Detroit of old, not the 6-2 ‘powerhouse’ Detroit. As Detroit fans are used to saying, “There’s always next year.” Sure, they could still win out and finish with a winning record, but they needed to win 10 games after Kitna made his prediction. It is possible for them to win out and then win a playoff game, though, giving Detroit 10 wins on the year. Then Kitna could claim that he was including the playoffs in his prediction. (PLAYOFFS? YOU’RE TALKIN’ PLAYOFFS?) I suppose my apologist attitude toward the Lions is undeserved. They did fall apart, after all. Meanwhile, San Diego has finally started winning games, and looks to win the division again. In fact, the Chargers clinch the division with a win over Detroit this week. San Diego wins it at home, improving to 9-5.
Philadelphia 5-8 @ Dallas 12-1
Andy Reid is sticking with Donovan McNabb at quarterback. Frankly, that seems like a bad idea to me, but what do I know. This is probably McNabb’s farewell tour in Philadelphia, though, before getting released or traded this offseason (Chicago, perhaps?). Once again, Brian Westbrook has proved himself the heart and soul of the Philadelphia offense with over 1000 yards rushing and 600+ receiving yards, not to mention 12 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten is 45 yards away from 1000 on the season, and I bet he wants to get those 45 yards at home against Philly. Tony Romo has thrown 35 touchdown passes on the season, with 60% of them going to Terrell Owens and Witten. Donovan McNabb has throw 14, with none of them going to Terrell Owens or Jason Witten. That may have something to do with them not playing on the same team. As much as I dislike Dallas, there is really no way they should lose this game. Dallas wins it.
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: Washington 6-7 @ New York Giants 9-4
Has Tom Coughlin solidified his job standing with the Giants? They have not yet had their annual collapse under Coughlin, and look like they might be able to finally make it through a year without it. Todd Collins is starting at quarterback this week for the Redskins in place of injured starter Jason Campbell. According to Washington’s offensive coordinator Al Saunders, Collins knows his system better than any other quarterback alive. By the way, anyone looking for a defensive line coach may seriously want to consider hiring the Giants’ line coach away, if at all possible. Chris Cooley is the Redskins’ leading receiver in terms of receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Antwaan Randel El has yet to score a receiving touchdown this season for Washington. If the Giants win it will all but end the Redskins’ postseason hopes. Well, I’m down with that. Giants win it to improve to 10 wins.
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: Chicago 5-8 @ Minnesota 7-6
Friends, it is part two of the Adrian Peterson v. Adrian Peterson bowl! The Bears’ second string rusher is starting in place of the injured Cedric Benson, and the Vikings’ stunning rookie is coming off the worst performance of his young NFL career, with only three yards rushing against San Francisco. Something I have been advocating for all year was for the Bears to start Kyle Orton at quarterback, which they are doing this week. It will be interesting to see how he does after not playing for two years, basically. Vikings’ defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams (no relation) both managed interceptions last week against San Francisco, a feat unlikely to be matched for quite a long time. Minnesota is in the drivers’ seat to claim the last wildcard spot and make the playoffs. There is an outside chance that their ‘other’ rusher, Chester Taylor, will notch 1000 yards himself. Taylor needs 284 yards and has three games to get it in. Quarterback Travaris Jackson has thrown only six touchdown passes this season, but I suppose you do not care how you win, just so long as you win. Minnesota wins this week, clinching at least a .500 season and sending the reigning NFC Champions into a losing record for the year.
Last week I went 11-5 and am 135-76 overall.
By Robert “RingLeader” Gilbert
[Comments Will Be Taken In The PantherCoalition Forums]
Cincinnati 5-8 @ San Francisco 3-10
After a brief absence, NAPC! returns. My readers, I apologize for not penning my column, but I was involved in a trip to Tennessee, senior year finals, and a research paper. My picks were still made on the forums, though, for posterity’s sake. Apparently, the Bengals won a game last week, but then, they were playing the St. Louis Rams. Many teams have won that match-up this year. Naturally, though, their opponent this week is not much tougher. The San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback position is in such a state of flux currently that they actually signed former Carolina Panthers quarterback Chris Weinke to back-up current starter Shaun Hill. Rudi Johnson reappeared on planet earth for Cincy in their victory over St. Louis last week with almost 100 rushing yards and a touchdown. There is not much to say about this match-up – San Francisco’s starting Shaun Hill, Cincinnati Carson Palmer. That should answer the question of who wins satisfactorily. The Bengals win it.
Tennessee 7-6 @ Kansas City 4-9 WEEKLY UPSET GAME
Despite the situation Kansas City has had at quarterback this season, they have two players who are on track to hit the 1000-yard receiving mark on the season. Tight end Tony Gonzalez is within 46 yards, and rookie wide receiver Dwayne Bowe has 821 yards on the year. Their running game, however, has not come around thus far. Superstar running back Larry Johnson has found it hard to get into gear this year, averaging only 3.5 yards per carry and picking up 559 yards rushing on the season. The Panthers’ DeShaun Foster has more rushing yards. Tennessee lost to San Diego last week in a rather close affair. To illustrate just how much I forget the Titans exist, I was actually in Tennessee last weekend in a restaurant with the Titans game on, and I was wondering why the Titans’ game was being shown. At first I thought it was because the restaurant owner was a Chargers fan. However, after about 60 seconds, it occurred to me that I was in the state of Tennessee, so naturally Tennessee’s games get shown on TV. So much for geography. Well, this is my weekly upset game. I have had difficulty picking Kansas City this year, but they should be able to win this week.
Baltimore 4-9 @ Miami 0-13
Jake Delhomme played for three weeks and he has more than 2/3 the touchdown passes the two starting quarterbacks in this game have, Kyle Boller (Ravens) and Cleo Lemon (Dolphins). Both of these teams are eliminated from the playoffs, although in Miami’s case we all knew that awhile ago. They may as well just play the young guys. Oh wait, that is what they have been doing. Never mind. Considering Ronnie Brown went down quite a while ago, it is a testimony to the ineffectiveness of the Dolphins’ passing game that Brown is still the second-leading receiver on the team (and also leading rusher). Willis McGahee has rushed for almost 1100 yards this year with the Baltimore Ravens, and has even found the endzone seven times. Nevertheless, the team’s leading receiver, Derrick Mason, has manged to find the endzone only thrice. The Dolphins’ quarterback, Cleo Lemon, has rushed for more touchdowns than that. It would be nice for Miami to get a win, but it will not happen this week. Ravens win it, but not by much.
New York Jets 3-10 @ New England 13-0
I was going to start off this section of the article with something along the lines of “How bad do you think Eric Mangini wants this game?” but then I realized, “How bad do you think Bill Belichick wants to kill Mangini’s Jets this game?” Once I thought about that, I realized that Belichick has the tools to do so – Mangini does not. Quite frankly, if I were Mangini, I could really see applying for the Witness Protection Program. Ray Barone ought to have the number. New England should be pulling out all the stops in this game, and it should definitely be enjoyable to see. That is, if you are not one of the ten Jets (or is it Giants?) fans remaining. Tom Brady is five touchdown passes away from breaking Peyton Manning’s single-season passing touchdown record. I am not sure the over-under on his breaking that record this week, but it should definitely be happening in front of his home crowd, as the Patriots play at home this week and also next week. I really do not think many New England fans miss Drew Bledsoe, do they? As a rhetorical statement, I have long thought that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick should retire at the same time so that the question of which one the credit should really go to can never be completely answered. I believe they are both an intrinsic part of the success of the Patriots and that neither would have had quite the same level of success without the other. New England improves to 14-0 by defeating the Jets this week.
Buffalo 7-6 @ Cleveland 8-5
gro-VER! gro-VER! gro-VER! Oh wait, wrong Cleveland. Buffalo is still fighting for slim play-off hopes, and Cleveland themselves are positioning for a shot at a good playoff run. Derek Anderson has 26 touchdown passes and is playing his way towards a big payday either this offseason or 2009. Jamal Lewis has nine rushing touchdowns – he should call up DeShaun Foster and explain that the point of rushing the football is to score touchdowns for your own team, not to fumble it to the other team and let them score touchdowns. It is a noble cause, I will admit, but the fans get tired of it quickly. Back to Derek Anderson: while he does not lock on just one receiver, it is clear he favors one receiver over the other when it comes to touchdown passes. Braylon Edwards has 13 touchdown receptions compared to Kellen Winslow’s 5. I must publicly apologize to rookie quarterback Trent Edwards of Buffalo: when I first heard Stanford had a quarterback projected to be drafted in the top two rounds of the NFL draft, I laughed. I should not have, he has proven he has a place in this League. My apologies Trent. Now, I am not so sure J.P. Losman is happy about this, but you can never please everyone, now can you? My apology does not stretch far enough to give the Bills a win this week, unfortunately, Trent. Bowns win at home, improving to 9-5 and guaranteeing a winning season for the first time since 2002.
Seattle 9-4 @ Carolina 5-8
The last time these two teams met in the regular season was roughly three years ago. However, every Panthers fan remembers the match-up in the NFC Conference Championship Game two years ago. In that game, running back Nick Goings was knocked out with a concussion early on, and the Seahawks’ defense throttled the Panthers offense as the Seahawks’ offense rolled over the Panthers defense. There’s not a Panthers fan around who wants to think about that game any longer than they have to. There is also not a Panthers fan around who has not thought about just how bad they wanted Seattle to lose to Carolina in the next go-round. Now, I am not sure that any Panthers fan ever anticipated that the rematch would come with Vinny Testaverde at quarterback, but that may be a good thing. Vinny has never lost to Seattle, and seems to get all the calls against them. That said, he has not practiced in two days and is listed as probable on the injury report. According to a Seattle paper, the reason Vinny hasn’t practiced is that he is old. I guess tact went out of style. By the way, as an aside, members of the Panther Coalition’s sister site, SeahawkBlue.com, are making the trip to Charlotte for the game. Safe travels, my friends. Not to the surprise of anyone, I pick Carolina to win this game because I am an eternal optimist. And it IS a rule, after all.
Arizona 6-7 @ New Orleans 6-7
Hey, check it out! Wanna-bes! The Cardinals and the Saints – pre-season media darlings – are both likely going to be sitting at home come January. What little running game the Saints had just went away, since Reggie Bush will be out for the duration of the season. This game should be a great shoot-out without either team really being able to stop the pass. I am happy to see David Patten has revived his career in New Orleans with 40 receptions this season for 600+ yards. I was worried that after the Redskins signed him and he was hurt that that would signify the beginning of the end, but Drew Brees is good at maximizing what he can get out of his wide receivers. Edgerrin James quietly rushed for over 1000 yards last year and is on pace to do the same this season. If the Cardinals could just find a few defensive players, they would really challenge for a playoff spot. A consistent quarterback would probably help as well. I like Kurt Warner, and I do not like New Orleans, so this is an easy pick. Arizona wins on the road.
Atlanta 3-10 @ Tampa Bay 8-5
Well, technically, Tampa could still lose their last three games and Carolina could win their last three, tying them at 8-8 apiece. Yeah, right, and I want to hold on to 16 as long as I can. Eternal optimist, though, do not forget. Besides, that could save some of the Carolina coaching staff their jobs, and that is probably not a good thing. Poor Atlanta fans – first they lose their superstar, then they have their coach turn on them, what next? On the other hand, I do not believe any of the other three teams in the division will mind a multi-year rebuilding process for Atlanta, if Tampa, New Orleans, and Carolina can be so lucky. Sorry Falcons’ fans! I do believe that if Tampa Bay wins this game, they clinch the division. At least, that is what a little birdie told me. Earnest Graham is closing in on 1000 yards rushing – he only needs 202 more yards and he has three games to do it in. Well, two, since Carolina will not let him. Tampa Bay wins it this week.
GREEN BAY 11-2 @ St. Louis 3-10
Show of hands for how many people want Green Bay in the Super Bowl? I see at least two, and they are both mine. Brett Favre has thrown 24 touchdown passes this season – there are entire teams with fewer touchdown passes. And despite not having a rushing game, the Packers’ Ryan Grant still has roughly 750 yards rushing on the season and averages five yards a pop. I saw that Brock Berlin, former University of Miami stand-out quarterback, started a game for the Rams last week against Cincinnati. I had not heard anything about his NFL career for a while, but I am rather happy that he got an opportunity. How did he do? Well, 17 for 28, 153 yards, and an interception. Pretty much what Carolina expects from their quarterbacks these days. Marc Bulger is starting this week, though, which does give St. Louis a chance to pull off the upset. It will not happen, though. Green Bay improves to 12-2 on the year.
Jacksonville 9-4 @ Pittsburgh 9-4
Just what I needed – a Jacksonville game to pick where they are going up against a team almost their mirror image. I still consider Jacksonville to be on probation in my column. Pittsburgh has been a little inconsistent for my tastes as well, but generally I can predict them accurately, so I am not worried on that front. Willie Parker and Adrian Peterson are vying for the rushing crown this year, with Parker currently in the lead. Yep, he WAS the third-string running back for UNC. Yep, I do not understand it either. He IS an inspiration to third-string college players everywhere, though. That said, Najeh Davenport has more rushing touchdowns than Parker this season, three to two. Both of these teams play excellent defense (unless the Steelers use a safety to ‘cover’ Randy Moss), they both run the ball well, and they both have efficient quarterbacks. However, Ben Roethlisberger is more capable of taking over a game than David Garrard, and this game may come down to quarterback play. Nevertheless, David Garrard just does not make mistakes very often at all. Pittsburgh is 7-0 at home this season, so I will play that card and give Pittsburgh an 8-0 home record on the 2007 season with a win over Jacksonville.
Indianapolis 11-2 @ Oakland 4-9
The Colts came alive last week with a 44-20 drumming of the Baltimore Ravens. Rookie first round draft pick Anthony Gonzalez caught six passes for 130+ yards and two touchdowns against Baltimore. Raiders running back Justin Fargas needs only 80 yards to eclipse the 1000-yard mark for the first time in his career. The Raiders have had a good rushing attack, but their passing game has been virtually nonexistent in most games this season. Unlike the Vikings, Oakland does not have the ability to pull that off. Indianapolis clinches their division if they win – because of that, Indianapolis wins this week.
Detroit 6-7 @ San Diego 8-5
Five weeks ago Detroit was 6-2 and looking at a potential playoff berth and 10-win season, as quarterback Jon Kitna infamously proclaimed they were capable of. However, the luck has run out. Detroit has lost five weeks in a row and now look like the Detroit of old, not the 6-2 ‘powerhouse’ Detroit. As Detroit fans are used to saying, “There’s always next year.” Sure, they could still win out and finish with a winning record, but they needed to win 10 games after Kitna made his prediction. It is possible for them to win out and then win a playoff game, though, giving Detroit 10 wins on the year. Then Kitna could claim that he was including the playoffs in his prediction. (PLAYOFFS? YOU’RE TALKIN’ PLAYOFFS?) I suppose my apologist attitude toward the Lions is undeserved. They did fall apart, after all. Meanwhile, San Diego has finally started winning games, and looks to win the division again. In fact, the Chargers clinch the division with a win over Detroit this week. San Diego wins it at home, improving to 9-5.
Philadelphia 5-8 @ Dallas 12-1
Andy Reid is sticking with Donovan McNabb at quarterback. Frankly, that seems like a bad idea to me, but what do I know. This is probably McNabb’s farewell tour in Philadelphia, though, before getting released or traded this offseason (Chicago, perhaps?). Once again, Brian Westbrook has proved himself the heart and soul of the Philadelphia offense with over 1000 yards rushing and 600+ receiving yards, not to mention 12 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns. Cowboys’ tight end Jason Witten is 45 yards away from 1000 on the season, and I bet he wants to get those 45 yards at home against Philly. Tony Romo has thrown 35 touchdown passes on the season, with 60% of them going to Terrell Owens and Witten. Donovan McNabb has throw 14, with none of them going to Terrell Owens or Jason Witten. That may have something to do with them not playing on the same team. As much as I dislike Dallas, there is really no way they should lose this game. Dallas wins it.
SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: Washington 6-7 @ New York Giants 9-4
Has Tom Coughlin solidified his job standing with the Giants? They have not yet had their annual collapse under Coughlin, and look like they might be able to finally make it through a year without it. Todd Collins is starting at quarterback this week for the Redskins in place of injured starter Jason Campbell. According to Washington’s offensive coordinator Al Saunders, Collins knows his system better than any other quarterback alive. By the way, anyone looking for a defensive line coach may seriously want to consider hiring the Giants’ line coach away, if at all possible. Chris Cooley is the Redskins’ leading receiver in terms of receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Antwaan Randel El has yet to score a receiving touchdown this season for Washington. If the Giants win it will all but end the Redskins’ postseason hopes. Well, I’m down with that. Giants win it to improve to 10 wins.
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: Chicago 5-8 @ Minnesota 7-6
Friends, it is part two of the Adrian Peterson v. Adrian Peterson bowl! The Bears’ second string rusher is starting in place of the injured Cedric Benson, and the Vikings’ stunning rookie is coming off the worst performance of his young NFL career, with only three yards rushing against San Francisco. Something I have been advocating for all year was for the Bears to start Kyle Orton at quarterback, which they are doing this week. It will be interesting to see how he does after not playing for two years, basically. Vikings’ defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams (no relation) both managed interceptions last week against San Francisco, a feat unlikely to be matched for quite a long time. Minnesota is in the drivers’ seat to claim the last wildcard spot and make the playoffs. There is an outside chance that their ‘other’ rusher, Chester Taylor, will notch 1000 yards himself. Taylor needs 284 yards and has three games to get it in. Quarterback Travaris Jackson has thrown only six touchdown passes this season, but I suppose you do not care how you win, just so long as you win. Minnesota wins this week, clinching at least a .500 season and sending the reigning NFC Champions into a losing record for the year.
Last week I went 11-5 and am 135-76 overall.
By Robert “RingLeader” Gilbert
[Comments Will Be Taken In The PantherCoalition Forums]
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