Games:
Sunday
Baltimore Ravens (6-2) at Tennessee Titans (2-6)
Buffalo Bills (3-5) at Indianapolis Colts (8-0)
Cleveland Browns (2-6) at Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
Green Bay Packers (3-5) at Minnesota Vikings (4-4)
Houston Texans (2-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3)
Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) at Miami Dolphins (2-6)
New York Jets (4-4) at New England Patriots (6-2)
San Diego Chargers (6-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-4)
San Francisco 49ers (3-5) at Detroit Lions (2-6)
Washington Redskins (3-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)
Denver Broncos (6-2) at Oakland Raiders (2-6)
Dallas Cowboys (4-4) at Arizona Cardinals (1-7)
New Orleans Saints (6-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6)
St. Louis Rams (4-4) at Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
Chicago Bears (7-1) at New York Giants (6-2)
Monday
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6) at Carolina Panthers (4-4)
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Dallas Cowboys (4-4) at Arizona Cardinals (1-7)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: Grass
TV: FOX, Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan
SERIES: 84th meeting. The Cowboys lead the series 54-28-1. The Cowboys have won
21 of the last 27 meetings. Dallas had a 13-game win streak over Arizona
(1990-96), the longest win streak against an opponent in club history. The
Cowboys have faced the Cardinals just three times since Arizona moved from the
NFC East to the NFC West.
2006 rankings: Cowboys: offense 5th (5th rush, 8th pass); defense 4th (5th rush,
10th pass). Cardinals: offense 27th (32nd rush, 16th pass); defense 24th (22nd
rush, 24th pass)
PREDICTION: Cowboys 30-21
KEYS TO THE GAME: After a tumultuous bye week that included a team meeting, the
Cardinals appear to be on the brink of total collapse riding a seven-game losing
streak. But if they were able to shore up their offensive line a bit during the
break, they are rested and can keep this matchup interesting. Dallas should be
able to run the ball, so the Cardinals must be able to follow suit when they're
on offense. RB Edgerrin James is yet to produce a 100-yard game, but if he can
be effective it will take pressure off rookie QB Matt Leinart. The Cardinals
should also get a boost with the return of WR Larry Fitzgerald, who can help
test a Dallas secondary that has allowed far too many big plays due to a lack of
strong cover skills at safety. Still, if Cowboys QB Tony Romo is efficient and
avoids critical mistakes, Dallas should earn a methodical victory.
FAST FACTS: Cowboys: Coach Bill Parcells is 11-4-1 against Arizona. ... Of WR
Terrell Owens' 30 receptions, 15 have come on third down. Cardinals: Coach
Dennis Green is 11-2 over and 2-0 with Arizona in games following a bye week.
... Former Cardinals SS Pat Tillman, who died while serving in Afghanistan, will
be inducted in the Cardinals Ring of Honor.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Cowboys:
--WR Miles Austin will replace Skyler Green as the primary kickoff returner.
Green will not be active for Sunday's game at Arizona.
--WR Pat Crayton will be the punt returner against the Cardinals, and he will
remain the third receiver. Even if Terry Glenn (knee) doesn't play, Crayton
won't start, because the Cowboys don't want him to play more than 34 plays a
game.
--WR Terry Glenn (knee) did not practice for a second consecutive day. He is
still listed as probable for Sunday's game, but if he doesn't practice Friday,
he won't play. Look for Sam Hurd to start in his place.
--DE Jason Hatcher played seven plays last week in his first action since
spraining his ankle. Hatcher is expected to get a lot more action against the
Cardinals in hopes of solving the team's pressure woes.
--DE Chris Canty is not living up to expectations, according to Cowboys coach
Bill Parcells. "I just liked to see a little bit more from Chris than I'm
seeing," Parcells said. "He's a solid player. He's not doing things to get us
beat. My expectations for him a little bit higher than the production I'm
seeing."
Cardinals:
--QB Matt Leinart has completed just 40 percent of his passes in his past two
starts. He's had several passes dropped, but he also has not been sharp.
--OG Deuce Lutui will start for the second consecutive week on the right side.
Lutui's strength is run blocking, but his pass protection skills are improving.
--NT Kendrick Clancy is expected to return after missing three games with an
ankle injury. That should help the run defense, which has been porous the past
two weeks.
--WR Larry Fitzgerald is expected to return after missing three games with a
hamstring pull. Fitzgerald might not be 100 percent, however, and coaches might
limit his playing time.
--FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo is doubtful for the Dallas game because of a leg
contusion. A.J. Schable had been used as a short-yardage back, but he's back
working as a defensive end in practice. Coach Dennis Green wouldn't say who
would play blocking back in short yardage situations.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Cowboys:
Wide receiver Terrell Owens acknowledged that he hasn't lived up to expectations
so far.
Certainly he has had a season filled with drama, considering the accidental
overdose, the fights with receivers coach Todd Haley over his involvement and
the litany of dropped passes.
Owens has been good with 44 catches and six touchdowns, but he was expected to
be great.
The capper came last Sunday when Owens dropped a potential 74-yard touchdown
pass that would have given the Cowboys a victory against the Redskins.
Owens said he lost the game and that he owes the Cowboys one. He vowed that he
will more than make up for it in the second half of the season.
"It'll be something personal," he said. "I won't be standing here again saying I
lost the game for the team. I promise you that."
Owens blames his first-half problems on not being involved in the offense and
dealing with a hamstring injury and a broken hand. He says the broken hand was
to blame for the drops but said he wasn't going to make excuses.
Cowboys coach Bill Parcells acknowledged that the team expected more.
"I know we're ready to get everybody under the bus, but I'm not going to do it,"
Parcells said. "Let's just say he's made a pretty good contribution, and I'm
hoping we can get better in the second half."
Owens said he will be better partly because he has a good relationship with new
quarterback Tony Romo.
He has 20 catches and three touchdowns since Romo took over 2 1/2 games ago.
"I think the first six games of the season, I was just out there," Owens said.
"I really wasn't involved. But now, I'm involved. I expect to get the ball. It's
coming. It's coming."
Cardinals:
The Cardinals hope receiver Larry Fitzgerald's return from a hamstring injury
provides a jump-start to an offense that's produced almost nothing the past two
games.
Fitzgerald has missed three games because of the injury. With him gone,
opponents have been able to concentrate on stopping receiver Anquan Boldin, who
has seen more double coverage, bracketing and combination coverage than in
previous weeks.
With Fitzgerald, the team is more likely to use an abundance of three- and
four-receiver sets than in past weeks. Even before Fitzgerald's injury, the
Cardinals were relying more on their tight ends and fullback.
Still, they couldn't run the ball. It's hard to say what the offensive plan for
the second half of the season will be, but it's likely the team will return to
its roots: three- and four-receivers set. It will spread the defense out and try
to move Boldin around to create favorable matchups.
If that works, it could open things up for the ground game and running back
Edgerrin James.
The Cardinals think they cleared up some of their emotional problems with a
players-only meeting Monday. The players have raved about the quality of
practices the past few days and said there has been increased attention to
detail.
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Baltimore Ravens (6-2) at Tennessee Titans (2-6)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS, Don Criqui, Steve Beuerlein
SERIES: 15th meeting. The series is tied, 7-7. The Ravens have won two of the
past three meetings, but they lost last year in Tennessee, 25-10. The Ravens
didn't gain a first down in the first half, which defined their troublesome day.
Punter Dave Zastudil had a punt blocked in the end zone for a safety, and
quarterback Anthony Wright had an interception returned for a touchdown.
2006 rankings: Ravens: offense 25th (20th rush, 22nd pass); defense 3rd (2nd
rush, 13th pass). Titans: offense 28th (12th rush, 29th pass); defense 32nd
(31st rush, 14th pass)
PREDICTION: Ravens 20-13
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Ravens haven't become more exotic with coach Brian Billick
calling the plays the past two games. In fact, they've become more consistent on
the ground with RB Jamal Lewis averaging 22.5 carries compared to 16 under
deposed offensive coordinator Jim Fassel. The Titans can expect more of the same
until their offense proves it can move the ball. Titans rookie QB Vince Young
suffered through his worst outing last weekend, and the Ravens have the ability
to bring the most complex blitz packages he has seen to date. Baltimore leads
the league with 25 takeaways, and Young can't afford to contribute more to the
cause with the Titans facing a very small margin for error in order just to be
competitive Sunday.
FAST FACTS: Ravens: Face only two more teams that currently have winning
records. ... QB Steve McNair has won 21 of his past 32 November starts. Titans:
Jeff Fisher will coach his 200th game for the team. ... WR Drew Bennett needs
nine receptions to tie RB Eddie George (259) for ninth place in franchise
history.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Ravens:
--LB Ray Lewis missed his second consecutive practice with a back injury, but
the Ravens remain optimistic that he'll start. "He's getting better," coach
Brian Billick said.
--S Ed Reed (neck) returned to participate in drills Thursday after missing
Wednesday's practice. He is expected to start Sunday.
--K Matt Stover has converted 34 consecutive field goals, which is the
third-longest streak in NFL history. He tied a season-high last Sunday with four
field goals.
--RB Jamal Lewis hopes to add on to his meager touchdown total Sunday. The
Ravens are showing more of a commitment to the run and have stressed running the
ball better in the red zone.
--CB Chris McAlister has four interceptions at the midway point of the season,
which is a surprising total. His highest interception total in any season was
five, which came when he was a rookie in 1999.
Titans:
--QB Vince Young will be working against a starting secondary for Baltimore that
has accounted for 10 of the Ravens' 17 interceptions this season.
--WR David Givens plans to play against Baltimore on Sunday wearing a protective
brace on his surgically repaired left thumb.
--LB David Thornton has a torn tendon in his right shoulder and will play only
in situational packages against Baltimore.
--LB Stephen Tulloch will start for the second week in a row at middle
linebacker with OLB David Thornton reduced to situational work. Peter Sirmon
will play Thornton's spot in the base defense, with Tulloch manning Sirmon's
slot.
--LB Peter Sirmon will shift from middle to outside linebacker for the second
week in a row in the base defense with David Thornton limited to situational
play because of a shoulder injury.
--K Rob Bironas could be a key player Sunday against Baltimore, as two of the
last three meetings between the teams were decided by a field goal or less.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Ravens:
Ronnie Prude has gone from an afterthought to a playmaker.
In his past two games, he has returned an interception for a touchdown and has
broken up a fourth-down pass that helped seal a victory.
It was only a few months ago when the Ravens brought Prude in as an undrafted
free agent from Louisiana State. He joined the Ravens as the sixth cornerback on
the depth chart behind starters Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle as well as
Corey Ivy, Derrick Martin and David Pittman.
It was at that point that Prude got motivated.
"Coming up in college, I always wanted to be the guy that people could count on
to go out and make plays," Prude said. "When I came in, I had a chip on my
shoulder to show people that I could be a great ballplayer and was going to be a
great ballplayer."
Although his career is just beginning, Prude has emerged as a productive and
valuable situational player for a veteran-laden defense.
Prude, 24, is tied for third on the team in interceptions with two and has
broken up four total passes.
Prude, who lined up primarily at nickel back in place of the injured Ivy (kidney
tear), appears to have secured his grip as the team's best young cornerback.
"The guy's just really ready," McAlister said. "It's something we expected, but
at the same time, you don't expect it from a guy who hasn't been up, who hasn't
really been thrown into the mix. But to see him go out there and play the way he
did just lets you know that if something happens in our secondary, we have the
guys that are capable of coming in and filling those shoes."
Prude's progress is somewhat of a surprise considering that he went undrafted in
April and wasn't invited to either the scouting combine or college all-star
games, which tends to raise red flags among NFL talent evaluators.
But Eric DeCosta, the Ravens' director of college scouting, said that the staff
was impressed by the 5-foot-11, 178-pound cornerback's feistiness and was not
dissuaded by Prude's blown coverage of a Hail Mary pass that cost the Tigers the
Capital One Bowl against Iowa on Jan. 1, 2005.
"That was only one play, but I think that one play, in some people's eyes,
defined Ronnie Prude. That wasn't the case for us," DeCosta said. "A lot of guys
are like pretty girls. They're tall, they look good, they run fast, but they
don't make plays. ... He's a finisher. He makes plays. He's just got a knack for
getting his hands on the ball. We've seen that."
Yet the Ravens drafted two cornerbacks -- David Pittman from Northwestern State
in the third round and Derrick Martin from Wyoming in the sixth -- before
signing Prude to a free agent deal. Undeterred, Prude worked his way up the
depth chart, eventually overtaking the team's draft choices.
Then Prude suffered a lapse in confidence, and linebacker Bart Scott, also an
undrafted rookie, sat down with Prude for a chat.
"It helped a lot, just knowing that here's a guy that was in a similar situation
who was coming up to me and could see the same things that I was going through,"
Prude said. "He just took me under his wings and helped me out. I'm grateful for
that."
Titans:
Stephen Tulloch is expected to start at middle linebacker for the second game in
a row as David Thornton said his injured right shoulder will limit him to work
in situational packages.
Thornton played only a handful of snaps in nickel in Jacksonville and said he
expects he'll have the same role Sunday against Baltimore. Which means Tulloch,
a rookie, will man the middle against the Ravens, with Peter Sirmon back outside
in the Titans' base defense.
"I hadn't had more than two snaps a game, to have 50 snaps this past week was
great experience for me," Tulloch said. "Now I have a game under my belt, I can
perform at this level, no excuses."
Coach Jeff Fisher indicated that Tulloch will play a role in slowing down tight
end Todd Heap and will maintain jobs on special teams.
Meanwhile, Thornton sounded encouraged about improvement in his shoulder.
He said he tore a tore a tendon in his rotator cuff while playing against
Houston on Oct. 29. While it could ultimately require surgery, Thornton said his
doctor was impressed with his progress in rehabilitation so far.
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Buffalo Bills (3-5) at Indianapolis Colts (8-0)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: FieldTurf
TV: CBS, Dick Enberg, Randy Cross
SERIES: 65th meeting. Buffalo Bills lead the series, 34-29-1. The series
originated during the 1970 (with the game ending 17-17 tie at Baltimore's
Memorial Stadium) season when both franchises were members of the AFC East. The
teams met twice a season from 1970 until the Colts left for the AFC South prior
to the 2002 season. Indianapolis has won the past five meetings.
2006 rankings: Bills: offense 30th (22nd rush, 31st pass); defense 18th (19th
rush, 19th pass). Colts: offense 2nd (21st rush, 1st pass); defense 20th (32nd
rush, 3rd pass)
PREDICTION: Colts 30-20
KEYS TO THE GAME: Without RB Willis McGahee and third WR Josh Reed, the Bills
have to find a way to keep the game competitive. With the Colts ranked last in
run defense and 31st in third-down defense, the onus falls on RB Anthony Thomas
to move the chains and keep the ball out of Peyton Manning's hands as long as
possible. The Bills must also get an efficient game from QB J.P. Losman, and it
will be interesting to see how the offensive line that was jumbled two weeks ago
holds up against a Colts defense that hasn't generated the same pass rush as
recent seasons. The first quarter has been the lowest scoring one for
Indianapolis, so it's critical for the Bills to keep it close and give
themselves a chance going into the fourth quarter, where the Colts have scored
74 points in eight games.
FAST FACTS: Bills: DE Aaron Schobel is third in franchise history with 53.5
career sacks. ... Losman has eight touchdown passes in his last six road games.
Colts: Seek to become first team in NFL history to begin consecutive seasons
9-0. ... WR Reggie Wayne has 23 receptions for 350 yards and four touchdowns the
past three games.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Bills:
--SS Donte Whitner has been charged with harassment for an alleged domestic
dispute involving his girlfriend last weekend. The team said in a statement it
is investigating and will adhere to the NFL's personal-conduct policy. Whitner
will play at Indianapolis on Sunday. He declined comment Thursday.
--OL Duke Preston, a key reserve at center and guard, was added to the injury
report with a twisted left ankle. The injury leaves Buffalo's line extremely
thin with veteran OG Tutan Reyes still nursing a shoulder ailment. The only
other backups are rookies.
--CB Nate Clements faces a big test Sunday against Indianapolis WR Marvin Harrison, who has a long history of hurting the Bills. In 13 career games
against Buffalo, the Pro Bowler has 59 catches for 810 yards and nine
touchdowns.
--QB J.P. Losman, who has been sacked 26 times, second most in the NFL, should
have time to make some throws against Indianapolis on Sunday. The Colts' pass
rush ranks 30th with just 11 sacks as Pro Bowl DE Dwight Freeney's numbers are
down with just one-half sack so far.
--LB London Fletcher has started 94 consecutive games, third best among NFL
linebackers. He is sixth in tackles with 70 and was named NFL Player of the Week
by the Associated Press on Thursday for his 14-tackle, one-interception game
against Green Bay.
--WR Sam Aiken, nursing a bad hamstring, was able to practice for a second
consecutive day and remains probable. He's one of Buffalo's top special teams
players but also will be needed on offense with Josh Reed (bruised kidney) out
indefinitely.
Colts:
--S Bob Sanders did not practice for a second day Thursday. Sanders has been
experiencing some soreness in his right knee after returning to the Colts'
defensive lineup in last week's win over New England. He had missed five games
due to arthroscopic surgery on the knee in mid-September.
A final decision on his availability for Sunday's home game with Buffalo won't
be made until Friday or Saturday. Sanders, however, wants to play this week.
--LB Gary Brackett did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and is not expected to
play this week against the Bills. Brackett is recovering from a strained
hamstring.
--LB Rob Morris has practiced the past two days and should be in the starting
lineup against Buffalo. He would replace Gary Brackett (hamstring) at middle
linebacker if Brackett is unable to go. Morris is a former first-round draft
pick of the Colts (2000) who started 60 games from 2001-2004.
--DT Darrell Reid's availability for the Buffalo game won't be determined until
Friday or Saturday. Reid broke a bone in the left index finger during last
week's game at New England. He has not practiced this week.
--LB Keith O'Neil has yet to practice this week and is not expected to play
against the Bills. O'Neil has been sidelined for the past two weeks after
suffering a sprained left ankle against Washington.
--DE Robert Mathis missed Thursday's practice due to a sore knee. Mathis is
expected to return to practice on Friday and be in the starting lineup against
Buffalo on Sunday.
--WR Brandon Stokley will not play this week as he continues to recover from a
sprained left knee. He was injured against Tennessee.
--DT Montae Reagor is out indefinitely as he recovers from injuries that he
incurred in a traffic accident prior to the Washington game. He suffered a
broken left orbital socket and received 35 stitches in the back of his head.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Bills:
The Bills are banking on a strong running game to give themselves a fighting
chance against the unbeaten Colts on Sunday.
The Colts rank last in the NFL in run defense, allowing a whopping 165.4 yards
per game. The Bills rank 22nd in running the ball, averaging 100.8 yards per
game.
Controlling the ball and limiting the opportunities for Colts quarterback Peyton
Manning, the NFL's top-rated passer with 17 TD passes and just three
interceptions, is a game plan many teams try to use.
Buffalo will be without starting running back Willis McGahee, who is sidelined
indefinitely with three busted ribs, but veteran backup Anthony Thomas had a
strong game in relief last week against the Packers with 95 yards on 20 carries.
Thomas benefited from some strong blocking from the revamped left side of
Buffalo's offensive line featuring tackle Jason Peters and guard Mike Gandy. But
the Bills also got a big game from fullback Daimon Shelton, Thomas' former
teammate in Chicago. Shelton threw the key block on Thomas' game-clinching,
14-yard TD run.
"Shelton maybe had his best game. He was hitting people like I remember him
hitting people at the two other places we've been together," said coach Dick Jauron, who was with the 262-pound battering ram in Jacksonville and Chicago.
"That's no fun for the linebackers. He did a nice job and we got some movement,
and that's what we need."
Colts:
It usually takes one or two seasons before it can be determined how successful
an NFL team's draft may have been.
But a quick glance at the Colts' 2006 roster and, more important, the team's
depth chart would indicate that several members of this year's draft class have
become major contributors quicker than many thought possible.
The rapid emergence of rookie running back Joseph Addai shouldn't come as a big
surprise. Instead, it's been the consistent play of safety Antoine Bethea and,
more recently, linebacker Freddy Keiaho that has caught the attention of more
than a few people.
"Those guys have done really well. I think (cornerback) Tim Jennings is about
ready to step in and give us some activity. (Defensive end) Ryan LaCasse has
played well on special teams. So yeah, it has been a good group so far,"
Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said.
"It's not unusual for a guy to just get better and better and really start
coming on at the end of the year. It's more unusual to do what Antoine and
Joseph have done, really play from opening day and play well. It's usually the
other way around. When you are picking at the bottom of each round, it should be
very difficult for guys to come in unless you've got some type of situation like
where we lose (former Colts running back) Edgerrin (James) and you've got a
chance for a guy to step in. But for the most part, if you're a good team, those
guys should take a while to break in."
Addai, Indianapolis' first-round draft choice last April, continues to split
time with starter Dominic Rhodes but has become the Colts' go-to back through
the first eight games of the season.
He leads the team with 490 yards rushing in 105 carries (averaging 4.7 yards per
carry) and has ran for a pair of touchdowns. His 19 pass receptions for 144
yards and one touchdown rank fourth on the team.
As for Bethea, the second of the team's two sixth-round selections, his success
has been even more startling. While Addai came to Indianapolis from one of the
nation's top football factories (Louisiana State), the 5-foot-11, 203-pound
native of Savannah, Ga., attended college at Division I-AA Howard University.
"Antoine's played with a lot of poise for a first-year guy," Dungy said. "He's
playing that free safety spot. We really liked his athleticism coming in and his
demeanor and the fact that we thought he was going to be a ball-skills, takeaway
guy.
"He really hasn't had as many (takeaways) as we thought he might have, but
hopefully (the New England game) gets him jump-started. He's done a good job.
He's communicated well in the secondary, he's been where he's supposed to be,
he's getting better every week as a tackler, and overall, doing a very solid job
for a rookie."
And then there's Keiaho. Indianapolis' third-round draft choice from San Diego State, the 5-11, 226-pounder missed a good portion of training camp after
suffering a knee injury in the Colts' preseason opener at St. Louis.
Drafted primarily to be a special teams performer this year with the possibility
of making a move into the starting lineup at outside linebacker by his second
year, Keiaho was pushed into a more prominent role in last week's win over the
Patriots.
"Freddy did some physical things well," Dungy said. "Naturally, he's not going
to be in the right place all of the time, but (he's) making tackles, running
around, dropping and showing his quickness, and just basically playing ball. He
did a good job. If he has to play (middle linebacker), he'll be better this week
because he'll know where he's going a little bit more."
==================================================
Cleveland Browns (2-6) at Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: FieldTurf
TV: CBS, Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon
SERIES: 12th meeting. The Browns lead the series 9-2. The Browns and Falcons
have met only one time since 1993 in a game won by the Browns 24-16 in 2002.
2006 rankings: Browns: offense 29th (31st rush, 25th pass); defense 17th (29th
rush, 6th pass). Falcons: offense 9th (1st rush, 30th pass); defense 22nd (12th
rush, 31st pass)
PREDICTION: Falcons 27-23
KEYS TO THE GAME: It's no secret that the Falcons will attempt to pound away at
the Browns, who are allowing 142.9 rushing yards per game and 4.8 yards per
carry. Cleveland was torched for 190 yards by the league's No. 2 rushing attack
in San Diego last weekend and must do a better job of plugging the gaps against
the Falcons' top-ranked running game averaging 205.1 yards per game. SS Sean Jones will have to help in run support, meaning FS Brian Russell will often be
the last line of defense when QB Michael Vick attempts to burn the Browns
over-playing the run. Offensively, the Browns are still seeking improved line
play to help keep QB Charlie Frye upright. The Falcons have had coverage issues,
but Frye can't exploit them unless given time, and he has to get rid of the ball
before taking unnecessary sacks that kill drives.
FAST FACTS: Browns: Rookie LB Kamerion Wimbley leads the team with 4.5 sacks.
... Have won seven of the past eight meetings. Falcons: Are 8-2 against the AFC
under coach Jim Mora. ... Rookie RB Jerious Norwood leads the NFL with 268
fourth-quarter rushing yards.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Browns:
--TE Kellen Winslow continues to be listed as questionable on the weekly injury
report, but come game time Winslow shows up. He has 51 catches, the highest
total in the league for a tight end.
--OT Ryan Tucker returned from a two-week absence caused by an undisclosed
illness and immediately returned to the starting lineup. Tucker's presence
should help the pass protection a bit, provided he's physically ready to play
after missing two games.
--QB Charlie Frye may have the right opponent if he wants to rebound from a bad
game in San Diego. Atlanta is ranked 31st in the league in pass defense.
--CB Leigh Bodden will not play against Atlanta due to a high ankle sprain.
Bodden's absence will be felt, but the Browns have covered up absences in the
secondary fairly well all season.
--CB Daven Holly should return after missing a game with an illness. Holly has
filled in capably all season after being signed late in training camp.
Falcons:
--CB Jimmy Williams, who will start in place of Jason Webster (groin), tweaked
his ankle during special teams drills and did not practice Thursday. Though
listed as questionable, he is expected to play Sunday.
--CB DeAngelo Hall did not practice because of a sore hamstring. He is listed as
questionable, and Hall said his hamstring is really bothering him. Though it
seems likely that Hall will play, the injury will be worth monitoring Friday and
Saturday.
--MLB Ed Hartwell's return seems unlikely Sunday. He has not practiced this week
as he continues to rehabilitate his arthroscopically repaired knees, which
became irritated after he tried to play in consecutive games after missing the
season's first five games.
--LG Matt Lehr, suspended for four games for violating the NFL's steroid policy,
will return to practice Monday. His starting left guard spot is not assured, as
P.J. Alexander, signed as a "street" free agent, has played well. Lehr could be
used as the swing guard who is able to backup both guard spots.
--TB Jerious Norwood (strained right knee) did not practice Thursday. This could
result in starter Warrick Dunn carrying a heavy load. It also would affect
Atlanta's special teams, since Norwood is one of the top kickoff coverage
players and the second deep kickoff return man. Of the Falcons listed as
questionable -- excluding MLB Ed Hartwell -- Norwood seems the most unlikely to
play against Cleveland.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Browns:
Charlie Frye has the second-highest interception total in the league. Only Ben Roethlisberger, with 14 interceptions, has thrown more to the other team than
Frye, who has been picked off 12 times.
But the Browns are not giving up on Frye, perhaps because they know that half of
Frye's interceptions were not all his fault.
Four bounced off the hands of Browns receivers and into the hands of the other
team, and one was tipped at the line and into the air.
Another occurred because Frye was hit as he threw.
The Browns are not giving up on Frye as the team's quarterback.
"I'm still confident in Charlie and his abilities," coach Romeo Crennel said. "I
think he will be a good quarterback for us and make us a winning team. I'm
confident in that."
Intangibles remain the main reason for Crennel's feeling.
"He has good leadership ability, which you need," Crennel said. "He's got
toughness and his teammates rally around him. You need that, too. He is adequate
with his skills as a quarterback.
"All of those things can make him a winner."
Falcons:
For the second time in less than a week, the Falcons were stung by a major
injury.
Starting right cornerback Jason Webster suffered a torn groin at practice
Wednesday and is expected to miss at least a month. It was not disclosed whether
surgery was recommended.
Rookie Jimmy Williams will start in Webster's place Sunday against Cleveland and
for the foreseeable future.
Webster is the second of Atlanta's top five defensive backs to suffer a major
injury this week, and the unit's lack of depth is suddenly a significant issue.
Safety/nickel back Kevin Mathis fractured his neck in Sunday's 30-14 loss to
Detroit and was placed on injured reserve.
Williams was to replace Mathis as the nickel back but now he has been thrust
into the role he was being groomed to assume, although ideally not yet. Williams
has seen very little action at cornerback, except in packages where offenses
utilized two-end sets.
Allen Rossum, who returns punts and kickoffs, will be used at nickel back. The
Falcons would rather not use Rossum in nickel packages because it could wear him
down for special teams, but they have been forced into making this move, which
could last through the regular season.
Recently signed safety Lance Schulters was expected to be slowly eased into the
system, but he might be pressed now in case there is another injury to the
secondary.
==================================================
Green Bay Packers (3-5) at Minnesota Vikings (4-4)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: FieldTurf
TV: FOX, Kenny Albert, Brian Baldinger, Jay Glazer
SERIES: 91st meeting. The Vikings lead the series 45-44-1. The teams are
actually at a 44-44-1 stalemate in the regular season, but Minnesota won the NFC
North rivals' lone postseason encounter, 31-17 at Green Bay in the NFC wild-card
round during the 2004 season. The Vikings have won the last three meetings,
earning their first series sweep last season since 1998. The Packers, though,
have won two of the last three games at the Metrodome.
2006 rankings: Packers: offense 10th (11th rush, 7th pass); defense 21st (10th
rush, 32nd pass). Vikings: offense 19th (14th rush, 18th pass); defense 6th (1st
rush, 18th pass)
PREDICTION: Vikings 23-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: If the Vikings are ever going to get their moribund passing
attack going, it should be at home against the league's No. 32-ranked pass
defense. The Packers are much stronger against the run, but the Vikings will
still attempt to establish RB Chester Taylor early on because QB Brad Johnson
has six turnovers in the past two games. Plus, Green Bay's own running game has
improved with RB Ahman Green rushing for a combined 346 yards on 5.6 yards per
carry the past three games. Still, the Vikings are extremely difficult to run
against and QB Brett Favre will have to make plays in the passing game for the
Packers to win. Vikings rookie CB Cedric Griffin will start if Fred Smoot (death
in the family) doesn't make it back in time for the game.
FAST FACTS: The past four regular-season meetings have been decided by a field
goal as time expired. Packers: DE Aaron Kampman leads the NFL with 9.5 sacks and
has at least one in five consecutive games. ... Rookie OLB A.J. Hawk leads the
team with 73 tackles, and has at least six in every game. Vikings: Outscoring
opponents 59-19 in the fourth quarter. ... Taylor is averaging 102.5 rushing
yards over the past four games.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Packers:
--WR Greg Jennings didn't practice for the second consecutive day and remains
questionable for Sunday's game at Minnesota. The rookie starter aggravated a
sprained right ankle in the last game. Coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday that
the team was aiming to have Jennings practice Friday before a determination is
made on his status for the game. First-year player Ruvell Martin would start if
Jennings is held out.
--CB Charles Woodson, who has a lingering bruised left knee, has yet to practice
this week and is questionable for Sunday. Woodson might practice Friday. The
team took the same course of action with the starter last week, keeping him out
of practice until Friday before clearing him for the game. Patrick Dendy, the
team's nickel back, stands to be the starting replacement if Woodson can't play.
--RB Ahman Green, as expected, returned to practice Thursday. Green is on the
injury report as probable because of knee soreness, but he's expected to make
the start Sunday. The team has resorted to resting Green on Wednesdays to
preserve his legs.
--TE Bubba Franks was back at practice Thursday after missing a day because of
an injury to his left wrist. Franks is probable for Sunday and should be in the
starting lineup.
--MLB Nick Barnett rejoined the team and practiced after being excused Wednesday
for a personal matter.
--DT Johnny Jolly practiced after being out Wednesday. The rookie backup is
probable with an ankle injury.
--RB Vernand Morency likely won't play for the second consecutive game because
of a lower back injury. He hasn't practiced this week and is doubtful for
Sunday. Noah Herron will continue as the top understudy to Green, while recently
signed rookie P.J. Pope will be available as the No. 3 back.
--FB Brandon Miree remains doubtful for the game because of a hyperextended left
elbow. William Henderson likely will start in Miree's absence for the second
consecutive game.
Vikings:
--CB Fred Smoot is spending the week in Mississippi after the death of his
half-brother on Sunday in a car accident. The funeral is Saturday, so there is a
chance Smoot won't play against the Packers. Rookie Cedric Griffin would start
in Smoot's place.
--C Norm Katnik was signed to the practice squad. The Vikings released G C.J. Brooks for the second time this season to make room for Katnik, a second-year
player out of USC.
--WR Marcus Robinson (lower back) has missed two consecutive games and did not
practice again Thursday. He is making progress in his rehab and is listed as
questionable for Sunday.
--MLB Napoleon Harris has not practiced this week because of a dislocated wrist
and could miss a second game Sunday. He is listed as questionable. Dontarrious Thomas would start again if Harris can't go.
--DE Darrion Scott hasn't practiced this week because of a high left ankle
sprain and is listed as questionable. He is able to get around without crutches.
--FB Tony Richardson missed a portion of practice on Wednesday and Thursday
because of a fractured right thumb but said he would be fine to play Sunday.
--NT Pat Williams missed a portion of practice on Wednesday and Thursday because
of a sore knee. He is listed as questionable. However, Williams also spent last
week on the injury report, and he was able to play against San Francisco.
--DT Kevin Williams played despite a high left ankle sprain last Sunday and is
listed as probable for the Green Bay game. The Vikings are simply being cautious
with him in practice.
--C Matt Birk has a sore neck and has sat out portions of practice the past two
days. However, he is listed as probable.
--S Will Hunter had lower back spasm that have caused him to miss part of the
last two practices. He is listed as probable for the Packers game.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Packers:
Until the Packers secondary finally sorts out its season-long communication
problems, the defense is relying on its line to make some disruptive noise for
opposing offenses.
The Packers are on pace at the midway point of the season to break the club
record of 52 sacks generated by the 2001 team. They have 27 thus far, with 21 by
linemen.
"When everybody wants to talk about (the shortcomings of the) pass coverage, the
best course of pass coverage is pass rush," coach Mike McCarthy said. "So, I
think you're seeing improvement in both those areas, and it really has nipped
the explosive gains down. They have been taken away pretty much the last two
games."
Indeed, the defense allowed all of three pass plays of at least 16 yards, which
fall under the team's "explosive" umbrella, in the recent games against Arizona
and Buffalo. That's a drastic improvement from the 44 explosive completions
yielded in the first six games.
The only big hitter the Bills managed through the air last Sunday was a 43-yard
touchdown pass from J.P. Losman to Lee Evans in the fourth quarter, which
spurred them to a 24-10 victory. Miscommunication among the defensive backs was
to blame for the play. Cornerback Al Harris played the route as though the
coverage was Cover 2 and allowed Evans to get 10 yards behind him when the ball
was thrown. The would-be safety help never arrived because Charles Woodson,
moved from cornerback to safety on the play, took another receiver on an inside
route in an apparent quarters coverage.
The costly completion overshadowed another strong effort by the guys up front.
The Packers sacked Losman five times and have 14 sacks in the last three games.
End Aaron Kampman leads the league with 9.5 sacks, and tackle Corey Williams has
five on the strength of a career-high three last weekend.
As the 3-5 Packers head to 4-4 Minnesota for a key rivalry game Sunday,
first-year coach McCarthy attributed the frequency of the sacks in part to the
quickness of the linemen.
"I look at the lines that were here before. I don't think they were asked to do
what they're asked to do now," he said. "I don't think that's saying that they
couldn't do it, but the quickness, particularly in our line play, is a strength
of ours than maybe more in the past. That's the way we want to go."
Vikings:
Vikings running back Chester Taylor was limited in practice for a second
consecutive day Thursday and is listed as questionable on the team's injury
report.
Taylor has said he will play Sunday against the Packers, but coach Brad
Childress acknowledged his decision to limit the veteran's reps wasn't just for
rest.
"It's not a freshen-up," Childress said. "He's having trouble moving around. ...
We need to keep our eye on him."
The fact Taylor is beat up comes as no surprise. After four seasons as a backup
in Baltimore, Taylor signed as a free agent with Minnesota so he could be a
workhorse back like his former teammate Jamal Lewis.
The Vikings certainly have delivered on their promise to use Taylor as a focal
point of their offense. He is third in the NFL in combined rushing attempts and
receptions with 205 touches (173 rushes and 32 catches). Only Kansas City
running back Larry Johnson (226 total) and San Diego running back LaDanian
Tomlinson (206) have had their hands on the ball more.
In the Vikings' loss to San Francisco on Sunday, Taylor touched the ball a
season-high 34 times. He said nothing in particular happened in that game to
land him on the injury report.
"Playing running back, you're going to get banged up every week," he said. "It
isn't just one game, it's the whole season. (Childress is) just trying to keep
me healthy because we've got eight more weeks."
Taylor, who is fourth in the NFL with 708 rushing yards, already has exceeded
his previous single-season high for carries. He had 160 with Baltimore in 2004,
13 fewer than he has through eight games.
Taylor said getting some rest from practices in the second half of the season
might be a good idea. "I feel like so I could be able to play on Sunday, the
best thing to do is rest me during the week," he said. "I don't have a problem
with that. I've just got to stay mentally focused on it."
==================================================
Houston Texans (2-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS, Craig Bolerjack, Rich Baldinger
SERIES: 10th meeting. The Houston Texans lead the series 5-4, but they haven't
won a road game in their past 12 tries. Their last victory in Jacksonville was
when they pitched their only shutout 21-0 on the day after Christmas 2004.
2006 rankings: Texans: offense 24th (28th rush, 15th pass); defense 28th (25th
rush, 23rd pass). Jaguars: offense 21st (6th rush, 26th pass); defense 7th (11th
rush, 7th pass)
PREDICTION: Jaguars 30-21
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Texans won the first meeting, 27-7, on Oct. 22, but that
was in Houston and against Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich. The rematch is on the
road, where Houston has lost a team-record 12 consecutive games, and the more
mobile David Garrard has taken over for Leftwich. Still, the Jaguars' receivers
are inconsistent and this remains a run-first offense. The Texans' first
priority is to keep the game close with the Jaguars having won their past two
home games by a combined score of 78-7. To do that, Houston must get a strong
effort from rookie RB Wali Lundy and cannot afford to lose the turnover battle.
QB David Carr did a good job of using his feet when pressured last weekend, but
the Texans are still lacking an attack that can keep the team in high-scoring
games.
FAST FACTS: Texans: Have won four of the past seven meetings. ... WR Andre Johnson has had at least eight receptions in six consecutive games. Jaguars: Are
4-0 at home. ... Garrard has won his past five starts.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Texans:
--DT Lional Dalton missed practice again Thursday with a twisted ankle. His
status for Sunday will be decided before the game.
--DE Mario Williams returned -- along with a number of other defensive linemen
-- to practice Thursday. They missed Wednesday's because of an illness they
caught from the Giants during last Sunday's game.
--WR Andre Johnson has a league-best 65 catches for 752 yards and four
touchdowns.
--LB DeMeco Ryans is ranked fourth in the NFL with 73 tackles.
--QB David Carr has nine touchdown passes and two touchdown rushes.
Jaguars:
--DT John Henderson remained questionable with a hamstring injury and didn't
practice Thursday.
--CB Rashean Mathis remained questionable with a hamstring injury and didn't
practice Thursday.
--S Donovin Darius remained questionable with an ankle injury and didn't
practice Thursday.
--TE George Wrighster was added to the injury report as questionable with a back
injury and didn't practice Thursday.
--DT Marcus Stroud remained doubtful with an ankle injury and is likely to miss
his fifth consecutive game.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Texans:
The Texans have reached the midway point of coach Gary Kubiak's first season,
and the players might learn something from the wisdom of defensive end N.D. Kalu.
Kalu, a 10-year veteran, found nothing beneficial in Sunday's 14-10 loss to the
Giants.
"I hope people don't feel good because we lost by only four points," Kalu said.
"Because the bottom line is that we're 2-6, and we should be embarrassed."
Embarrassed and disappointed are indeed fitting descriptions for the Texans, who
are one of eight NFL teams with a 2-6 record. Only the Cardinals (1-7) have a
worse record.
"I wanted to be a lot further along from that standpoint," Kubiak said about
having only two victories.
Some positive things can be said about the Texans up to this point:
--They've won one more game than at this time last season, which they finished
an NFL-worst 2-14.
--They've rebounded from an 0-3 start to go 2-3, including six- and four-point
road losses to the Titans and the Giants.
--They've got a rookie class, led by defensive end Mario Williams and middle
linebacker DeMeco Ryans, that is being recognized as one of the best in the
league.
--Quarterback David Carr has improved but still has a long way to go.
--Their defense has made significant progress over the past five games.
"I'm not happy with our record, but I'm excited about where I think we're
going," owner Bob McNair said. "We've played a very tough schedule, and I think
that's got something to do with our record.
"But if we keep playing like we did against the Giants, I think we're going to
win some games. I don't know how many, of course, but I truly believe we're
going to win some games."
Ideally, the Texans would win Sunday at Jacksonville, where they last won a road
game on Dec. 26, 2004. They've got a 12-game losing streak away from Reliant
Stadium.
Jaguars:
Fred Taylor is sticking to his "guarantee."
He said Sunday that the Jaguars would beat the Texans this week. When the
Houston writers asked him about the comment in a conference call Wednesday, he
said, "I just feel confident in our team. I guess that day I was feeling like
Muhammad Ali. He always did those type things, and that sort of stuff made him
great."
Taylor was asked about Ali in the Jaguars locker room Thursday, and he said, "He
was the greatest boxer, and that's what made him great, taking chances. You've
got to speak your mind. In sports, you've got to expect to win."
Taylor noted he didn't use the word guarantee, but he did say this game would be
different than the Jaguars' 27-7 loss "because we won't lose this time."
He wasn't taking the words back Thursday.
"I'm not backing down from it. It makes it more fun. They're going to come after
me and hit me," he said.
Texans defensive end Antwan Peek told the Houston Chronicle, "I guarantee he's
going to get hit."
Taylor shrugged that off, saying, "They're going to hit me anyway."
Taylor doesn't care if the Texans use the comment as motivation. "That bulletin
board material is overrated. If you need that as motivation, you're playing the
wrong sport," he said.
After the teams' first meeting, Texans defensive end N.D. Kalu said that
assistant coach Mike Sherman told the players the Jaguars disrespected them by
dancing on their logo at midfield. Taylor said the Jaguars dance in the end zone
in their warm-ups, not at midfield.
"That was a ploy to motivate the team, kind of like Jack (Del Rio) mentioning
the Ron Jaworski thing a couple of times," Taylor said. Jaworski had called the
Jaguars a "weak-minded" team.
"I don't need that to get me ready," Taylor said.
Taylor added that he wouldn't use his fumble late in the third quarter of the
first game as motivation.
"I just go out there and do whatever I can to help the team," he said.
==================================================
Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) at Miami Dolphins (2-6)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS, Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker
SERIES: 5th regular-season meeting. Series tied 2-2. Last year, the Chiefs and
Dolphins played in Miami on a Friday night because of a potential hurricane over
the weekend, with the Chiefs winning 30-20.
2006 rankings: Chiefs: offense 14th (9th rush, 17th pass); defense 13th (16th
rush, 12th pass). Dolphins: offense 16th (24th rush, 10th pass); defense 4th
(14th rush, 4th pass)
PREDICTION: Dolphins 24-20
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Dolphins have to continue to feature the running game that
showed signs of life with RB Ronnie Brown rushing for 157 yards in Chicago last
weekend because they know the Chiefs' offense will attempt to ram it down their
throats. Chiefs QB Damon Huard has 11 touchdowns and just one interception, but
that's in large part because RB Larry Johnson has made his job easier by
averaging 106.9 rushing yards in Huard's seven starts -- and a combined 449 the
past three games. If Johnson is rumbling freely early on, it sets up the
play-action to TE Tony Gonzalez that has been so effective in recent games. The
key for Miami is to establish a good run-pass balance offensively, keep the game
close and hope to steal the victory in the fourth quarter.
FAST FACTS: Chiefs: Are 14-4 when Johnson rushes for at least 100 yards. ...
Gonzalez's 59 touchdown receptions are a franchise record. Dolphins: WR Chris Chambers has a combined 10 catches for 73 yards in the first halves of games and
23 for 284 yards and all four of his touchdowns in the second halves. ... TE
Randy McMichael needs four receptions to break Bruce Hardy's franchise record of
256 catches by a tight end.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Chiefs:
--FS Greg Wesley remains truly questionable with a shoulder injury, but he was
able to participate in some of the Thursday practice.
--S Jarrad Page could get his first start and most extensive game time of his
first NFL season if he has to replace injured FS Greg Wesley against Miami. Page
has played mainly in situational defenses this year.
--G Chris Bober is the likely starter at left guard (replacing Brian Waters)
against Miami. However, coach Herm Edwards is playing coy with the possibility
that John Welbourn, who played mostly guard in Philadelphia before moving to
tackle upon joining the Chiefs in 2004, also could either start or play
extensively there. Welbourn played both tackle positions last week against St.
Louis in his first game back from an NFL suspension.
--DE Tamba Hali, sidelined by a hip pointer for the second half of the win in
St. Louis last week, worked out again Thursday and is considered probable for
this week's Miami game.
Dolphins:
--Rookie DL Rodrique Wright began practice this week and has changed positions
from tackle to end. The Dolphins have less than three weeks to decide to add him
to the 53-man roster or place him on injured reserve/non-football injury list.
Wright underwent shoulder surgery after the draft and has since lost 20 pounds.
--LB Zach Thomas, who practiced on a limited basis Wednesday because of a
migraine headache, participated fully Thursday and is ready to take on the
Chiefs and punishing RB Larry Johnson. Thomas is expected to play in his 156th
career game Sunday, the most by any Dolphins defender, passing Tim Bowens' 155.
--DE Kevin Carter, who has never missed a game in his 12-year career, has also
never scored a touchdown and is jealous of fellow defensive end Jason Taylor,
who notched his sixth career touchdown with an interception return last week
against the Bears. "He has a knack for scoring touchdowns. I don't know how he
does it. None, never in my life. It's a sore subject," Carter screamed in jest.
--QB Joey Harrington finally got his first win since joining the Dolphins with
Sunday's victory over the Bears. He became the 21st quarterback to notch at
least one win for the franchise.
--WR Chris Chambers extended his consecutive game streak with at least one catch
to 55 games, but he is still struggling in the early parts of games. Chambers
had two catches for 11 yards in the first half against the Bears, and he also
dropped two passes. He finished with five catches for 58 yards, including a
game-securing 24-yard touchdown grab. Chambers has 17 catches for 110 yards and
no touchdowns in the first three quarters, and 16 catches for 247 yards with
four touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Chiefs:
Add starting strong-side linebacker Derrick Johnson and right tackle Kevin Sampson to the list of Chiefs who won't play in this week's game at Miami.
That list already includes Pro Bowl left guard Brian Waters, who sustained a
sprained knee in last week's win over St. Louis, and quarterback Trent Green,
who for a second consecutive week will suit up and be the team's inactive third
quarterback even though he's not been medically cleared to play.
Coach Herm Edwards on Thursday ruled out Johnson, the second-year player who
sustained an ankle injury early in the win over the Rams. Sampson, the starter
at right tackle, missed the St. Louis game with an ankle injury.
Replacing Sampson won't be anything new to veteran tackle Kyle Turley, just as
replacing Waters won't be anything new to the two veterans who could play left
guard -- Chris Bober or John Welbourn.
But jumping into the starting lineup will be a new experience for replacement
linebacker Keyaron Fox, who will make his first NFL start after playing in 14
games over his previous two seasons in Kansas City.
"He did OK last week in having to play a lot for the first time," coach Herm
Edwards said of Fox, who played in only two games last year before sustaining a
season-ending knee injury.
"But there's a lot of mental anxiety involved when you go from playing 10 plays
a game to 50. There's a big difference between being a starter and a role
player. The mental part of playing down after down is hard on a young player.
They misfire, they miscue and the computer gets overheated. There's a difference
between being on the sideline wishing you could play, or playing eight plays and
saying, 'I should be the starter.'
"Sometimes you get your wish and become the starter. And sometimes you get
exposed. The mentally tough teams win when young players step up when they have
to play. We're going to find out about a lot of our (young) guys this week."
Dolphins:
Although the Dolphins are certainly familiar with Chiefs quarterback Damon
Huard, they seem far more concerned with containing running back Larry Johnson.
Johnson, who is third in the NFL with 816 rushing yards, second in multipurpose
yards (1,145) and second in touchdowns (11), has allowed Huard to be more
effective while managing the game efficiently (11 touchdowns and one
interception).
"(Johnson) has cutback ability, able to change directions. He's big, tough,
strong and fast, so basically, all things you need to be a great running back,
he's got," Dolphins defensive end Kevin Carter said. "If you can't stop the run,
then you can't win in this league."
Unless of course, you're the undefeated Colts, who have the 32nd-ranked run
defense but also have quarterback Peyton Manning to counteract that.
The Dolphins are ranked 14th in run defense, but they are fourth in yards per
carry (allowing 3.4). Johnson gained 93 yards on 23 carries in his only meeting
against the Dolphins last year, a 30-20 Kansas City victory at Dolphin Stadium.
"We pride ourselves on our front three guys, the guys that do all the grunt
work, and we've got some good tacklers behind the D-line," defensive end Jason
Taylor said. "It will be a good test for us."
==================================================
New York Jets (4-4) at New England Patriots (6-2)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS, Jim Nantz, Phil Simms
SERIES: 92nd meeting. Jets lead, 47-44-1. The Jets hold a slim three-game lead
in the all-time regular-season series but that margin is shrinking every time
the teams have met recently. The Patriots have beaten their AFC East foes seven
times in a row, including a 24-17 victory in Week 2 this season.
2006 rankings: Jets: offense 22nd (13th rush, 23rd pass); defense 31st (30th
rush, 22nd pass). Patriots: offense 11th (7th rush, 13th pass); defense 12th
(3rd rush, 28th pass)
PREDICTION: Patriots 31-24
KEYS TO THE GAME: To snap a seven-game losing streak in the series, the Jets
have to turn the tide in the running game on both sides of the ball. They fell
behind 24-0 in the first meeting and the Patriots were able to hold onto the
victory by out-rushing the Jets 147-51. The Jets haven't rushed for more than 55
yards in the past four meetings, but rookie RB Leon Washington has emerged as a
factor in recent weeks. If he can be productive on early downs, it will set QB
Chad Pennington up for shots downfield off play-action against a secondary minus
injured S Rodney Harrison. New England's offensive game plan has been pass-heavy
the past two weeks, but expect the Patriots to lean on RBs Corey Dillon and
Laurence Maroney until the Jets' 30th-ranked run defense proves it can stop the
ground game.
FAST FACTS: Jets: Coach Eric Mangini was an assistant for New England from
2000-05. ... Pennington is 7-3 (.700) in November as a starter. Patriots: Have
won 15 of their last 17 games against the AFC East. ... Are 4-0 all-time in
games immediately following a game in which QB Tom Brady has thrown three or
more interceptions.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Jets:
--QB Chad Pennington is listed as probable with a calf injury. He will play
Sunday.
--WR Laveranues Coles (calf) was limited in practice Thursday, but he will play
Sunday.
--RB Cedric Houston (knee) was limited in practice Thursday but could play
Sunday. He has missed the past four games.
--WR Justin McCareins (foot) was limited in practice Thursday. His role in the
offense has shrunk, as he has just one catch in the past six games.
--RB Kevan Barlow (calf) practiced Thursday and is listed as probable. His
carries could diminish even more once Cedric Houston gets back on the field.
Patriots:
--TE Daniel Graham, who has missed the Patriots' past four games with an ankle
injury, is listed as questionable for Sunday's game.
--G Stephen Neal (shoulder) has missed two games in a row and is listed as
questionable for this week's matchup with the Jets.
--S Eugene Wilson (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday's game. Wilson didn't
play against he Colts but would be a welcome addition to the Patriots secondary
this week with S Rodney Harrison out.
--RB Laurence Maroney (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game.
Maroney was on the injury report last week with the same injury, but it didn't
hinder him against the Colts.
--DL Richard Seymour injured his elbow in Buffalo but has started the Patriots'
past two games. He's listed as questionable for Sunday.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Jets:
New England's best defensive back, strong safety Rodney Harrison, is out with a
broken shoulder blade suffered in the Patriots' loss to Indianapolis.
But Jets quarterback Chad Pennington isn't about to get overconfident because of
that.
"Rodney Harrison is a great player, and he's a great player that plays with
instinct," Pennington said. "You've got to know where he is on the field at all
times. But we all know that New England epitomizes the team concept and they do
a great job when they face adversity with injuries and things like that.
"They're able to formulate a game plan and go out and still win games. We can't
put too much emphasis on that. We've got to realize that we're playing the
Patriots and not just one player. We're playing a full team that understands how
to win when they face adversity, and that's important."
Pennington faced plenty of adversity in his last game, going 11-for-28 with two
interceptions in a loss to Cleveland before the Jets' bye, meaning the cerebral
quarterback had plenty of time to analyze that performance.
"What I tried to do was really analyze the first eight games and see where I can
improve and see where I can be more consistent," he said. "It's really glaring
when you look at the six games compared to the two games, which was Cleveland
and Jacksonville, and look at the amount of production and the amount of
efficiency and consistency in those six games compared to the two games. It's
amazing to see the difference. It's like night and day."
He's correct. Pennington had no touchdown passes and five interceptions in those
two games, compared to a 9-4 ratio in the other six contests.
"I think that my goal is to become more consistent," he said. "Although you're
going to have bad plays and bad series, I want to focus on turning (around)
those bad plays and bad series, just not letting that carry over to a bad game.
I want to try to be on an even keel and keep the team in the game at all times
where we have a chance to win at the end."
Pennington said that "consistency is the common denominator, or lack of
consistency, but they were two different games. Jacksonville was more
decision-making and having three really bad decisions. Cleveland, it was just a
lot of different things, whether it was not being on the same page with my
receivers, but a combination of things. Jacksonville was just blatant, three bad
decisions."
Of course, a lot of quarterbacks make bad decisions against Bill Belichick-coached defenses, but Pennington had two touchdown passes and only one
interception in the earlier 2006 game between the teams. The Jets lost 24-17
after trailing 24-0.
"It was right there on the threshold of being a blowout," Pennington recalled,
"but we were able to keep our composure and poise and we were able to bounce
back and make it a game. What we've realized is that we have to start a little
faster, stay consistent early and carry that consistency through to the fourth
quarter."
Patriots:
Rodney Harrison will miss this week's game against the Jets because of a broken
scapula, and it's not clear when Harrison will return to the team.
"Rodney is going to be out for this game, unfortunately," coach Bill Belichick
said. "He was injured last week and we all hope he'll be back out there soon.
Nobody worked harder to get back out on the field this year than he did after
what happened last year. It's unfortunate, but I know he'll work hard and we'll
just do the best we can without him here."
Belichick wouldn't speculate about the severity of the injury, nor would he give
a timeline for Harrison's return.
"If I knew anymore I would tell you," he said. "We've had injuries, and we've
seen plenty of cases in this league where players have similar injuries and
they're out different lengths of time. There's no way to predict it. I know we
have a lot of experts out there that think everything can be very clearly
stated, but the fact of the matter is that's just not the case. You see many
examples of it throughout the league and throughout sports. ... I think he's a
pretty tough player, mentally and physically -- a tough player. I would say
that, regardless of what the situation was."
The injury was sustained when Harrison tackled Colts wideout Marvin Harrison and
fell hard on his right shoulder.
Rodney Harrison, 33, is in his 13th NFL season. He suffered a season-ending
injury in last season's Week 3 game against the Steelers, when he tore three
ligaments in his left knee. Harrison spent nine months recovering, though he was
healthy enough to return to the field before Game 1 of this season. Harrison
suffered a fracture to his left shoulder in 1999 when he was with the Chargers.
That injury forced him to miss 10 of San Diego's last 11 games.
The Patriots' starting free safety, Eugene Wilson, also has been plagued by
injuries, starting only one of the past four games, with Artrell Hawkins playing
in his place.
"We're all professionals. Whenever your number is called, you have to be ready
to play, no matter who you are, it doesn't matter whether you're Tom Brady or a
practice squad player," Hawkins said. "When your number is called, it's time to
go out there and shine. I think whoever is behind him is going to get the game
plan in and we're going to work extra hard this week so we have our
communication down, study a lot of tape, and we'll see what happens."
Filling in for Harrison most likely will be Chad Scott. Scott has played some
safety for the Patriots, although the 10-year veteran has been primarily a
cornerback since entering the league.
"Playing cornerback is more like running a track meet every play, where playing
safety is more about communication," Scott said.
While there's no question the Patriots will miss their emotional leader on
Sunday, the team is confident that Scott, Hawkins and the rest of the defensive
backs can pick up the slack in the secondary until he returns.
"Guys have to step up," linebacker Tedy Bruschi said. "We always pride ourselves
on when one guys goes down, someone else has to come in and do the job. Losing
Rodney is a big loss for us; he's a guy who did a lot of things for us. We have
to move on and worry about the Jets right now, and whoever is going to be in
there for him, they have to do the job."
==================================================
San Diego Chargers (6-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-4)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: Synthetic
TV: CBS, Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf
SERIES: 29th meeting. The Chargers lead the series, 17-11, which includes them
losing their only postseason matchup with the Bengals that cost them a trip to
their first Super Bowl. One week after beating the Dolphins in overtime in that
epic playoff game in humid Miami Beach, they fell to the Bengals in the Freezer
Bowl in the 1981 AFC title game. The wind-chill was 59-below and the Bolts lost,
27-7.
2006 rankings: Chargers: offense 3rd (2nd rush, 14th pass); defense 2nd (4th
rush, 8th pass). Bengals: offense 18th (25th rush, 11th pass); defense 24th
(24th rush, 21st pass)
PREDICTION: Chargers 24-23
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Bengals have to improve in two key areas: third-down
offense and rushing defense. They are converting just 31.7 percent on third
downs while giving up 129.2 rushing yards per game, which has led to an average
disparity of 5:12 in time of possession. The Chargers will attempt to exploit
that with RB LaDainian Tomlinson, who has rushed for 355 yards on 8.3 yards per
carry with five touchdowns in his past two games. That includes nine runs of 10
yards or longer, so the Bengals have to find a way to eliminate the big plays on
the ground. The Bengals will go no-huddle during the course of the game, but QB
Carson Palmer must keep RB Rudi Johnson involved in the game plan. It's in his
own best interest to do so against the Chargers, who have 20 sacks in their past
five games.
FAST FACTS: Chargers: Have a seven-game winning streak in November. ... Offense
has scored on 30 of 31 red-zone possessions (18 TDs, 12 FGs). Bengals: Past
three losses have been by a combined nine points. ... Johnson needs one rushing
touchdown to join Pete Johnson (64) and Corey Dillon (45) as only Bengals with
40.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Chargers:
--DE Jacques Cesaire would replace Luis Castillo (ankle) on Sunday.
--FS Marlon McCree (calf) was able to practice Thursday and looks to be a go for
Sunday.
--OLB Marques Harris would resume his backup role if Shaun Phillips (calf) is
fit.
--OLB Carlos Polk will continue to start in place of Shawne Merriman.
--OL Roman Oben, who is back practicing after a season-opening stint on the
physically unable to perform list prompted by a foot injury, has been working at
both tackle spots with the second units.
--S Bhawoh Jue (knee) returned to practice and will be available Sunday.
Bengals:
--RB Rudi Johnson (thigh) was added to the injury report Thursday and did not
practice.
--DT Sam Adams (knee) practiced Thursday and is probable for the Chargers game
Sunday.
--LB Brian Simmons (neck) remained doubtful Thursday and did not practice.
--S Kevin Kaesviharn (knee) remains doubtful and has not practiced this week.
--C Rich Braham has begun working out on the sideline with trainers. Out since
suffering a deep knee bruise Sept. 17 against the Browns, he is off crutches and
planning to come back this season. "I want to be on the field as soon as I can,"
said Braham, a 13th-year pro who has remained on the 53-man roster. "You know my
temperament by now. As soon as I can be out there, I'll be out there."
--LB Ahmad Brooks is his toughest critic. Though he has 40 total tackles, one
sack and two passes broken up in four starts and six games, Brooks expects more
of himself than the six tackles he delivered in Baltimore.
"You've got to come ready to play every day because it is a job and everyone is
doing this," Brooks said. "Over the past couple of weeks, I feel more confident
and (am) not worrying about the coaches trusting me. I think I've proven them I
can go compete on Sunday. I think I am learning things, but hopefully I can make
more spectacular plays and plays that are needed."
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Chargers:
Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips looked around at his defensive line and
stated the obvious: "We're a little thin out there."
He gave an accurate assessment of the Chargers in practice Thursday as they
prepare for Sunday's game with the Bengals.
Defensive end Luis Castillo spent the session hobbling around in his walking
boot to protect his sprained right ankle. He hasn't practiced this week and
looks to be a real longshot to suit up in Cincinnati.
Derreck Robinson, a defensive end backup who has held up when asked to
contribute, has a foot injury and he didn't work.
Igor Olshansky, who starts opposite Castillo, was absent because of a personal
matter. Olshansky is expected back at practice Friday and will start on Sunday.
It's anticipated that Robinson will be available, too, when the Chargers go for
their third consecutive victory.
But Castillo's body language said he would be sitting out Sunday.
"I've rolled my ankle before, but I have never had a high sprain like this,"
Castillo said.
The absence of Castillo in itself might not be a big deal. But it's imperative
the Chargers put pressure on Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, to help the
defense's back end keep Chad Johnson. T. J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry in
its sights.
So if Castillo is out, he takes with him his five sacks -- third best on the
team.
Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, who has a team-high 8.5 sacks, will miss the
second game of his four-game-suspension.
And Shaun Phillips, who possibly could to go Sunday, might not be 100 percent.
His game -- which has produced six sacks -- revolves around his speed. And if
he's hesitant to push off on an injured calf, he might not be as effective.
Bengals:
The Bengals will contend with another top receiving tight end Sunday.
And San Diego's Antonio Gates might be the best of the bunch the Bengals will
face this season, and that's quite a claim considering the list includes Kansas
City's Tony Gonzalez and Baltimore's Todd Heap.
Gates already has 34 catches for 406 yards and needs six touchdown receptions in
the final eight games to reach double digits for the third consecutive year.
"You're not necessarily treating him as a tight end," said Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, a former defensive coordinator. "You're treating him as a wide receiver.
I think the one thing that's a constant with these teams that everybody is
beginning to understand is that the focus isn't their receivers as much as it is
the tight end."
The Chargers might have the most balanced pass attack of any Bengals opponent
that emphasizes the tight end. Gates isn't the leading receiver; tailback
LaDainian Tomlinson has 38 catches for an 8.5-yard average and two touchdowns.
Wide receivers Eric Parker (29 catches for 434 yards) and Keenan McCardell (27
for 315) are productive. Neither wide receiver has a touchdown, though.
"It keeps you from devoting all your attention to the wide receivers," Bengals
linebacker Landon Johnson said of a tight end-oriented pass game. "When you have
a prominent pass-receiving tight end, it's somebody else to account for in pass
defense."
The Bengals have allowed 35 receptions to tight ends in eight games for 415
yards and four touchdowns. Overall, the Bengals have allowed 161 receptions for
1,828 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Individually, Heap had the most receiving yards, 84 last week. Gonzalez had the
most receptions, eight, and a touchdown. In Kansas City, Cleveland (Kellen
Winslow Jr.), New England (Ben Watson) and Atlanta (Alge Crumpler), the tight
end clearly is the best receiver and the focus of the offense. That point is one
Lewis made Thursday.
"Not to take anything away from their receivers, but these teams ... that's the
way they look to their tight end," Lewis said. "And at the end of the day, what
happens is somebody looks at their stat sheet and sees the tight end caught
eight balls and the receivers caught 12, total. It's just a matter that their
offense is put together that way."
==================================================
San Francisco 49ers (3-5) at Detroit Lions (2-6)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: FieldTurf
TV: FOX, Ron Pitts, Bill Maas
SERIES: 61st meeting. The 49ers lead 32-27-1, including victories in the past
four meetings.
2006 rankings: 49ers: offense 26th (15th rush, 24th pass); defense 29th (23rd
rush, 26th pass). Lions: offense 12th (29th rush, 6th pass); defense 26th (20th
rush, 27th pass)
PREDICTION: Lions 27-24
KEYS TO THE GAME: The 49ers aren't going to hold the Lions to three points like
they did to Minnesota last Sunday. San Francisco has lost its past two road
games by a combined score of 82-10, having fallen behind 41-0 in both contests,
so the first goal is simply being competitive against a Detroit team quickly
gaining confidence. The offense is starting to roll in coordinator Mike Martz's
system, and RB Kevin Jones' versatility will keep the 49ers from being overly
aggressive in attacking the line. Offensively, San Francisco must get a strong
effort from RB Frank Gore in order to control time of possession and protect the
defense. If the ground game is successful, QB Alex Smith can attack the Lions'
mediocre secondary and needs to get WR Antonio Bryant and his 17.9 per-catch
average involved downfield.
FAST FACTS: 49ers: First regular-season game at Ford Field. ... Are 3-0 when
Gore has at least 20 carries. Lions: TE Dan Campbell has 10 receptions, five
which have gone for at least 20 yards. His 16.9-yard average leads the team. ...
Have a league-leading 63 penalties.
PERSONNEL NEWS
49ers:
--QB Alex Smith has seen his passer rating plummet to 79.9 through the first
eight games of the season. Smith has thrown six touchdown passes and seven
interceptions in the past five games. In three road games, Smith has two
touchdown passes and four interceptions.
--LB Brandon Moore has moved into the starting lineup in place of Jeff Ulbrich.
Moore recorded 15 tackles and a sack last week against the Vikings. He plays
inside linebacker on first and second downs and shifts into a defensive end in
passing situations.
--CB Walt Harris, who missed practices Wednesday and Thursday with a hip injury,
is still listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions. Coach Mike Nolan said he expects Harris to start Sunday against the Lions.
--S Chad Williams went through practice Thursday and will be upgraded to
probable for Sunday's game against the Lions. Williams would resume his role on
the team's dime package if he plays.
--TE Vernon Davis did not practice this week and will not play Sunday against
the Lions. The 49ers hope he will be available next week against the Seahawks.
Sunday's game will be the sixth game he has missed since he sustained a broken
right leg.
Lions:
--DE James Hall, who leads all Lions defenders with five sacks in the first
eight games, was put on injured reserve and will miss the rest of the season
with a shoulder injury suffered in the Oct. 22 game against the Jets. Hall is
the third player in the Lions' starting front four to be lost for a significant
number of games. DT Shaun Rogers is currently sitting out a four-game
suspension, and DT Shaun Cody has missed the past three games with a dislocated
big toe.
--KR/PR Eddie Drummond is gradually lifting his production. His punt return
average has gone from 3.3 yards per attempt after the first game to 9.3 yards on
14 attempts after eight games. His kickoff return average went from his season
low of 17.3 after two games to the current 22.9-yard average on 33 attempts. The
return of several players from the injury list has provided additional help on
the special teams return units.
--LB Ernie Sims leads the Lions with 83 tackles in eight games, the most at the
NFL halfway mark for a Detroit defender since Stephen Boyd had 86 after eight
games of the 1997 season. Sims played virtually every play with the Lions
defense and special teams during the first eight games, but the return of LBs
Alex Lewis and Teddy Lehman are providing him occasional breaks in the action.
--TE Marcus Pollard is on a pace to finish the 2006 season with less than half
as many receptions as he had a year ago when he led the Lions with 46 receptions
for 516 yards and three touchdowns. This year, playing in an offense that
requires him to play the H-back role more than a receiving role, Pollard has
nine catches for 89 yards in eight games.
--K Jason Hanson is tied for fourth among NFC kickers with eight touchbacks in
the first eight games of the season. A year ago, playing with a nagging
hamstring injury, Hanson had only five touchbacks the entire season.
--QB Jon Kitna, who spent the past two seasons as a backup to Carson Palmer in
Cincinnati, is making the most of his starting status with the Lions. At the
halfway point of the season, Kitna leads all NFL quarterbacks with 187
completions, is second in attempts (296), fifth in passing yards (2,174) and
10th in completion percentage (63.2) among QBs averaging 20 passes per game.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
49ers:
Safety Tony Parrish was demoted Oct. 15, the first time he was not in the
starting lineup in his nine-year career. Now, he is helping another player in
the 49ers secondary cope with the disappointment of losing his starting job.
When Mike Adams received word last week that he was being ousted from the
starting lineup in favor of hard-hitting Keith Lewis, Parrish had some advice
for Adams.
"There are a lot of emotions going on, and you need to block it out and go to
work," Parrish said. "That's all you can do. Of course, it's difficult -- it's
definitely difficult. But just because you're in a difficult situation doesn't
mean you don't have to perform."
Parrish was a starter from the first day he entered the NFL in 1998 with the
Bears. He started the first 126 games of his career before getting demoted to
backup status in favor of Mark Roman.
"Whether you're happy about it or not, when it's time to go out there and
perform, you have to be expected to make a play when the opportunity arises,"
Parrish said.
Parrish and Adams both played well in the 49ers' 9-3 victory over the Vikings
last week. They are expected to see considerable action in backup roles Sunday
against the Lions.
Adams played nearly every snap on defense for the first six games of the season.
He was on the field for all but a handful of plays against the Bears two weeks
ago, but he received word last week that his playing time was going to be cut
dramatically in favor of Lewis. Parrish advised Adams to continue to work during
the week as if his role had not changed.
"It happened to him," Adams said. "Tony took a backseat before I did. My thing
is I want to go out and play hard and prove the coaches wrong. I don't want to
make it easy on them.
"You're still going to hear Mike Adams' name. I'm practicing hard and working
hard in the weight room. I'm not going to change anything because I still have a
lot to prove and a lot to work on."
Parrish is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent next season, and he does
not appear to fit into the team's future plans. Adams is scheduled to be a
restricted free agent. He declined a 49ers contract extension earlier this
season.
Lions:
The speculation already has begun -- even before there is a job opening at the
NFL head coaching level -- that Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz will soon
be in demand.
No one knows yet when the first firing will be, but the assumption is that
Martz, who was the offensive mastermind behind two Super Bowl trips by the Rams
and is now in the process of building a high-caliber offense for the Lions, will
be a very attractive candidate.
The Lions, who have floundered offensively in recent years despite the
investment of high draft choices and millions of dollars, currently rank 12th
among NFL teams in total offense and sixth in passing.
Third-year wide receiver Roy Williams is on pace for a possible 1,500-yard
season, third-year running back Kevin Jones has 880 total yards from scrimmage
(584 rushing, 296 receiving) and journeyman quarterback Jon Kitna has been
extremely productive.
The players rave about Martz, his system and his approach. They believe, to a
man, that Martz can find the soft spot in any defense in the NFL.
And the question -- premature as it might be -- is whether the Lions can keep
Martz as their offensive coordinator when other teams come to offer him more
money as a head coach.
Lions head coach Rod Marinelli had to convince Martz to take the Lions'
offensive coordinator job last February. Eventually Martz signed a three-year
contract, but it has the customary provisions for him to leave for a head
coaching job, although he said at the time he was not taking the Lions job as a
spring board to the next job.
Marinelli was asked this week, during preparations for the game Sunday against
San Francisco, if he has any reaction to speculation regarding Martz being an
attractive candidate at the end of the 2006 season.
"He's been a Super Bowl head coach," Marinelli said. "I think with all those
things, there's no question, he's a great one."
There seems to be little doubt about Martz's coaching ability; the question is
whether the Lions will be able to find a way to keep him on staff.
==================================================
Washington Redskins (3-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (4-4)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: Grass
TV: FOX, Dick Stockton, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa
SERIES: 143rd meeting. Redskins lead 75-62-5 (1-0 postseason). Washington won
both meetings last year after Philadelphia had won the previous seven dating to
2001. Eagles coach Andy Reid is 9-5 against Washington. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs
is 19-11 against Philadelphia.
2006 rankings: Redskins: offense 15th (8th rush, 21st pass); defense 30th (15th
rush, 30th pass). Eagles: offense 1st (10th rush, 2nd pass); defense 14th (18th
rush, 11th pass)
PREDICTION: Eagles 30-23
KEYS TO THE GAME: Eagles QB Donovan McNabb has a 41.3 first-half passer rating
in the team's past three games, but he has also been the victim of a high number
of dropped passes. Philadelphia has come under fire for being too pass-happy,
but the temptation will be there again with McNabb working against a secondary
that has allowed a league-high 35 completions of 20 yards or longer. However,
with RB Brian Westbrook coming off a week to rest his sore knee, he could get a
bump from the 19.5 touches he has averaged the past seven games. Washington
desperately needs to attack the Eagles' undersized run defense, but the
Redskins' success could hinge on WR Santana Moss' hamstring. If their best
big-play threat is out, the Eagles can load up against RB Clinton Portis.
FAST FACTS: Redskins: QB Mark Brunell is 4-0 in his career against Philadelphia
with 715 yards, three TDs and just one interception. ... Are the first team in
NFL history to score 22 points in three consecutive games. Eagles: Coach Andy
Reid is 7-0 in games immediately following a bye week. ... McNabb is 8-4 against
Washington.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Redskins:
--WR Santana Moss was back on the field for the second consecutive day after
being out since straining his left hamstring in the Oct. 22 loss at
Indianapolis. Moss officially remains questionable for Sunday's game at
Philadelphia.
--QB Mark Brunell returned after being held out of practice to rest his tender
rib muscles on Wednesday. Brunell is expected to start against the Eagles.
--TE Christian Fauria didn't practice for a second consecutive day because of
the sprained left ankle he suffered last week against Dallas. Fauria is
officially questionable for Sunday but doesn't seem likely to play.
--WR Brandon Lloyd sat out Thursday after straining his groin Wednesday. Lloyd
is probable for Sunday.
--OT Jon Jansen returned to practice after sitting out Wednesday because of the
ailing calf he injured Nov. 2. Jansen is expected to start against the Eagles.
--WR David Patten practiced again after missing the Dallas game with a strained
left hamstring. Patten is expected to be available after missing the past four
games with the hamstring or a pulled thigh muscle.
--TE Chris Cooley, who badly bruised a shoulder against Dallas, practiced again
and should start in Philadelphia.
Eagles:
--DT Brodrick Bunkley, who has been playing between 10-12 snaps a game, is
expected to have his role increased Sunday against Washington.
--CB William James probably won't be activated for Sunday's game against the
Redskins. If he does play, it would be in a very limited role.
--CB Rod Hood, who missed four of the Eagles' first eight games with a heel
injury, will return to his spot as the nickel corner Sunday.
--DT Mike Patterson, who had surgery last week to repair his broken hand, has
been practicing and will start Sunday against Washington.
--RB Brian Westbrook, who has been nursing a sore knee most of the season, has
practiced this week and is listed as probable for Sunday's game. He shouldn't be
limited in any way.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Redskins:
Pro Bowl receiver Santana Moss has been on the field past two days for the first
time since he strained his left hamstring in the Oct. 22 loss at Indianapolis.
While Moss took limited work both days, he was more positive on Thursday that
he'll play Sunday at Philadelphia after missing a game for the first time in his
two seasons with the Redskins.
"It was a productive day," Moss said. "As the week goes on, it's getting better.
I ran a lot more. I did more in seven-on-seven and team drills. I didn't go
downfield, but I ran some stop routes. Hopefully, I can be up to myself (on
Sunday)."
Redskins coach Joe Gibbs was encouraged by Moss being able to take some reps.
"We'll just have to see how the week progresses, but I think it was a good step
up," Gibbs said.
While Moss remains questionable, Gibbs and quarterback Mark Brunell were pleased
by the play of receivers Brandon Lloyd, Antwaan Randle El and James Thrash and
tight end Chris Cooley in Moss' absence against Dallas. Lloyd caught two passes
for 26 yards and drew a 48-yard pass interference penalty on Roy Williams that
set up Cooley's tying touchdown in the fourth quarter. Randle El didn't catch a
ball but drew two penalties on the opening drive. Thrash had a season-high three
catches for 52 yards. Cooley had three catches for 66 yards and the touchdown.
"Last week was a product of guys stepping up in Santana's absence," Brunell
said. "Brandon, Antwaan, James and Chris all stepped up. We're a better team
when all the guys are getting involved."
Eagles:
It doesn't seem likely that recently signed cornerback William James (formerly
Will Peterson) will be activated for Sunday's game against Washington.
Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson didn't say James definitely wouldn't
play, but it sounds as if the newcomer still doesn't have enough of a grasp of
the team's coverage schemes to play.
Johnson said that when James does get on the field, it will, at least initially,
be in a limited role. He'll probably be the sixth defensive back in the 4-1-6
dime package.
"It's a day-by-day process," Johnson said. "We'll see what we're going to do on
Sunday. We haven't made a final decision (on not activating him). He's come a
long way just in the last two days. He's working at it. Hopefully he'll have a
chance to play. But we'll see."
Johnson said Rod Hood, who missed four games with a heel injury, would return to
his spot as the nickel corner behind starters Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown.
Hood was activated for the game against Jacksonville two weeks ago, but he only
played on special teams.
The Eagles are hoping James can make a contribution to their pass defense as the
season progresses. He hasn't played since the second week of the '05 season when
he injured his back while playing with the Giants. He was released by the Giants
last May and signed with the Eagles two weeks ago.
"When he was in the league a couple of years ago, he was one of the better cover
corners," Johnson said. "That's one of the reasons we picked him up. We know
what he'd done in the past. He was an excellent cover corner. We'll see how fast
he comes along with our scheme, but he has picked it up a little bit."
==================================================
Denver Broncos (6-2) at Oakland Raiders (2-6)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS, Ian Eagle, Solomon Wilcots
SERIES: 93rd meeting. The Oakland Raiders have a 53-37-2 record against the
Denver Broncos, but the recent history is one-sided in Denver's favor. Since the
start of the 1995 season, when once-fired Raiders coach Mike Shanahan took over
in Denver, the Broncos are 18-5 against the Raiders and have swept them seven
times. The Broncos won the first meeting this season, a dull 13-3 win in which
there was only three second-half points combined.
2006 rankings: Broncos: offense 17th (3rd rush, 28th pass); defense 15th (6th
rush, 29th pass). Raiders: offense 32nd (18th rush, 32nd pass); defense 9th
(27th rush, 2nd pass)
PREDICTION: Broncos 20-10
KEYS TO THE GAME: If the Raiders don't protect QB Andrew Walter better, they'll
have a difficult time being competitive in any game. He was dropped nine times
Monday night, and Oakland must get back to relying on the running game because
they won't beat the Broncos by asking Walter to force the ball downfield. For
his part, Walter has to have a quicker internal clock and get rid of the ball
knowing the line won't hold for long. Oakland's defense is playing well enough
to win most games, so Denver would love to build an early lead and try to simply
grind out the victory like they did in the first meeting. Turnovers are the one
thing that can keep the Raiders within shouting distance, so Broncos QB Jake Plummer can't do Oakland any favors.
FAST FACTS: Broncos: WR Rod Smith has 100 career receptions against Oakland. ...
Coach Mike Shanahan is 18-5 against Oakland. Raiders: With the next sack
allowed, the Raiders will equal last season's total of 45. ... Have not allowed
a touchdown pass in the past two meetings.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Broncos:
--RB Tatum Bell (two injured big toes) practiced again Thursday and said he
would be ready to play Sunday. He missed the game against Pittsburgh last week
when the Broncos decided he wouldn't be at full speed and sat him out.
--WR Rod Smith should be ready to play this week. He practiced Wednesday and
Thursday despite being listed as questionable on the injury report with a
shoulder injury.
--WR Brian Clark has given the Broncos a bit of a spark as a kickoff returner.
He was signed off the practice squad and was given the job, which Quincy Morgan
held. The Broncos also like the rookie's upside as a receiver.
--RB Cedric Cobbs could be active again as the third running back. The Broncos
might not be 100 percent sure Tatum Bell can last a full game, so they could
have Cobbs ready for depth.
--CB Karl Paymah played a lot on defense when Darrent Williams was hurt last
week. Paymah is a good special teams player and the Broncos haven't given up on
the second-year player as a cornerback, but he doesn't have much experience.
Raiders:
--RB LaMont Jordan has played against Denver only twice in his five-year career,
carrying 37 times for 108 yards and no touchdowns -- both times with the
Raiders. Jordan, listed as probable with a lower back injury, practiced at full
speed and is expected to face Denver.
--FB Zack Crockett was the ball carrier the last time the Raiders had a rushing
touchdown against Denver 25 quarters ago in the third quarter of a 31-10 loss in
2003.
--WR Jerry Porter, who missed Wednesday's practice with an undisclosed personal
issue, returned Thursday and is expected to face Denver. Porter played the
majority of the snaps from the third series on against Pittsburgh but was used
sparingly against Seattle.
--LG Barry Sims missed practice Thursday. Although he is still listed as
questionable, coach Art Shell has ruled him out of the Denver game.
--SS Michael Huff has shown no effects from a slight concussion sustained
against Seattle and will be ready to face Denver.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Broncos:
The Broncos have 10 players listed as questionable on the injury list, but there
hasn't been much definitive word on who will play.
The team isn't giving many tips. The only player listed as worse than
questionable on the injury report was safety Sam Brandon, who has a knee injury
and already has been put on injured reserve.
For many of the injured players, coach Mike Shanahan offered the same
assessment. They're sore, and the Broncos don't know yet if they will play.
"We'll find out at the end of the week," Shanahan said.
Defensive ends Ebenezer Ekuban (thigh) and Patrick Chukwurah (hamstring) and
linebacker Ian Gold (hamstring) missed practice Wednesday and Thursday.
Cornerback Darrent Williams (shoulder) has practiced on a limited basis. The
other injured players have practiced, adding to the speculation of who will be
ready to play.
Williams thinks he'll be available.
"I'm feeling pretty confident," Williams said. "I think I'll be ready to go by
Sunday."
Running back Tatum Bell, who is listed as questionable with two injured big
toes, also said he would be ready.
"I'm playing this week," Bell said.
Raiders:
Corey Hulsey isn't asking for a do-over, but he is looking forward to a second
chance.
The Raiders reserve guard had a rough first start in Monday night's 16-0 loss to
the Seahawks, and he conceded the fast and furious pace got the better of him
for a while.
Hulsey started in place of Barry Sims at left guard, and it could be an extended
stay. Sims has an abdominal strain that could sideline him for a few more weeks.
Coach Art Shell said Hulsey would start against Denver on Sunday, and Hulsey
believes he will be better for the experience in Seattle.
"You can practice it all week and everything, but there's nothing like game
speed," Hulsey said. "We try to show it as much as we can, but there's no way
you can do it."
The first half, in particular, was a nightmare for the Oakland line. Quarterback
Andrew Walter was sacked seven times, the most in a half of football since Neil
O'Donnell of the Jets was dropped seven times in 1996.
Walter was sacked twice more in the second half, nothing to be proud of but
considerably better than seven.
The Raiders also got some things done with the running game in the third
quarter, although Shell admitted they had erred by not running more often.
Oakland finished with 13 carries for 64 yards.
With the Raiders having surrendered a staggering 44 sacks through eight games,
opponents will continue to apply the pressure until the line shows it can handle
it.
"Seattle kept coming, they never backed off," Hulsey said. "But we were able to
recognize it better and do a better job. We've just got to do that from the
get-go next time out."
It's been a strange year for Hulsey in that he began the season preparing to be
the starting center when Jake Grove was lost to a shoulder injury. Rather than
start veteran backup and long snapper Adam Treu, Shell instead tabbed Hulsey,
figuring his more powerful build would be better against San Diego nose tackle
Jamal Williams.
But Grove recovered faster than expected, and something strange happened. Hulsey
was declared inactive. He'd gone from starting center to inactive in a day, with
Shell explaining because of special teams and depth, it was the necessary move.
Hulsey remained inactive until the Seattle game. He deferred to the coaches for
making the decisions and took the same route with regard to the play-calling by
offensive coordinator Tom Walsh, which put the offensive line in too many pass
blocking sets against Seattle.
"It would help if we ran more, but it comes back to the players," Hulsey said.
"If coach Walsh calls 80 pass plays, then we've got to block 80 pass plays.
There's nothing we can do about it. We have to execute the game plan."
==================================================
New Orleans Saints (6-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (2-6)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: Grass
TV: FOX, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver
SERIES: 13th meeting. The series is tied, 6-6, after the Saints claimed three of
the last five meetings of the two teams. The Saints won the last matchup, 32-29,
in the Superdome. This will be their first appearance in Heinz Field and first
trip to Pittsburgh since dropping a 37-14 decision to the Steelers in 1993 in
Three Rivers Stadium.
2006 rankings: Saints: offense 7th (27th rush, 3rd pass); defense 10th (17th
rush, 5th pass). Steelers: offense 6th (16th rush, 5th pass); defense 8th (9th
rush, 9th pass)
PREDICTION: Steelers 23-20
KEYS TO THE GAME: QB Ben Roethlisberger proved last week he can rack up passing
yards, but the Steelers need him to make better decisions to have a chance to
win. Four of his league-high 14 interceptions have come near the goal line, and
the Saints will attempt to force more mistakes with pressure DEs Will Smith and
Charles Grant. That makes running the ball imperative for the Steelers, and the
Saints haven't shown they can stop a strong ground game consistently. New
Orleans has found balance offensively, but that will be tested against
Pittsburgh, which has allowed just one 100-yard rusher in its past 42 games. If
stuck in third-and-long, the Saints' offensive line will be under pressure to
protect QB Drew Brees from the Steelers' complex blitz packages.
FAST FACTS: Saints: WR Marques Colston has 700 receiving yards, just the third
player in NFL history with 700 or more through the first eight games of his
career. ... Brees is the first player in franchise history with at least three
touchdown passes in three consecutive games. Steelers: Must win the remainder of
their regular-season games to reach 500 franchise victories this year.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Saints:
--WR Joe Horn, who has a groin injury that kept him out of last week's game at
Tampa Bay, was able to participate in practice Thursday. He remains
questionable, however, for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.
--LT Jammal Brown returned to practice Wednesday and worked again Thursday after
missing last week's game with a sprained left ankle. He is listed as
questionable for Sunday.
--RCB Fred Thomas did not practice again Thursday to rest his strained
hamstring. He is questionable for Sunday's game.
--RCB Jason Craft, who is the team's nickel back, probably would get the start
if Fred Thomas (hamstring) is unable to go against the Steelers.
--FS Steve Gleason, who is one of the Saints' top special teams players, was
added to the injury report Thursday with a knee injury. Gleason did not practice
and is questionable for Sunday.
--TE Ernie Conwell had arthroscopic surgery on Oct. 18 to repair a torn meniscus
in his knee. He will be sidelined for a third consecutive game Sunday.
--TE Nate Lawrie has a back injury and did not participate in practice again
Thursday. He's questionable for the game with the Steelers.
--RB Reggie Bush, who sprained his ankle on Oct. 29, is listed as probable for
Sunday's game after practicing Wednesday.
Steelers:
--WR Santonio Holmes, benched as a return man last Sunday after he fumbled a
kickoff and then a punt, will get his job back as punt returner this Sunday
against New Orleans.
--WR Hines Ward's 41 receptions are tied for third in the AFC, and his 14.3-yard
average per carry is third among the top 10 receivers. His five TD receptions
are tied for first in the conference.
--LB James Farrior, the team's leading tackler, did not practice for the second
consecutive game because of a knee injury. He's listed as questionable.
--LB Larry Foote returned to practice Thursday after his ribs were injured
Wednesday. He was upgraded from questionable to probable.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Saints:
Playoff talk was tempered a little bit when the Saints were crushed by the
Ravens, but they came to life again after a 31-14 win over the Buccaneers on
Sunday.
As a result, first-year coach Sean Payton is doing everything he can to make his
6-2 team focus on the second half of the season -- and not what might come after
that.
Payton said Wednesday that playoff talk is premature considering that the Saints
still have eight games to play -- including road matchups at Pittsburgh and
Atlanta, games that are sandwiched around a home contest with the Bengals.
"I can only control the message I'm giving to the team," Payton said as he began
to get his team ready for Sunday's visit to Heinz Field. "We're at halftime, we
are right at the midway point, literally, so I'll probably downplay it -- not
talk about it because it's too early.
"This team's been 6-2 (in 2002) and not gone to the playoffs before. And I'm
sure the playoff discussion was rolling along there in Weeks 7, 8 and 9."
Payton said there will be plenty of time to talk about the playoffs -- if and
when the Saints, who lead the NFC South by one game over the Falcons and two
games over the Panthers, continue down the right path.
"Our focus is on this game, this is the ninth game of the season," Payton said.
"I think there's a time when you begin to discuss that, and that's all of your
(media) jobs to do, and I understand that completely. But I don't think the time
is yet. I mean, it's halftime.
"There will be some teams here that get on a roll and win four or five games and
make the postseason that no one would had given a chance to," he said. "Each
year there's teams that get off to a fast start that don't finish the same way
and are fighting for their chances. It starts this week with Pittsburgh, and I
think that's where our focus has got to go, and I really think that's the only
place it can go. Outside of that, you end up hurting yourself."
Steelers:
The Steelers are acting and sounding more and more like a desperate team which,
at 2-6, is probably an accurate description with half the season left to play.
Just look at what's happened over the past several days:
--Linebacker Joey Porter promised a victory Sunday over the Saints (6-2).
--Coach Bill Cowher will bench his best cornerback, Ike Taylor, after one bad
game. Cowher says he does not like to send messages, he delivers them, but some
Steelers privately believe he unfairly has singled out one man.
--Halfback Willie Parker said his team is not as hungry as it was last season
and said the trust is not there among teammates the way it should be.
The Steelers have fallen virtually out of playoff contention, and with eight
games left, their plight could go from desperate to disconsolate. Combine that
with the uncertain future of Cowher as their coach after this season, and the
second half of 2006 could be ripe for an implosion by the defending Super Bowl
champions.
"For the last two years, we had great records and we had success," receiver
Hines Ward said, "so this is new to a lot of guys on this team.
"Being one of the leaders on our team, I have to go out and work even harder,
try to lead by example, so these guys don't give up. I'm not going to give up."
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said it's time to shut up and put up.
"There's only so much yakking you can do," he said. "We need to start
performing, and everybody needs to say that it starts with me. I'm never a guy
who's out ranting and raving at guys, so just go out and start playing good
football."
==================================================
St. Louis Rams (4-4) at Seattle Seahawks (5-3)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: FieldTurf
TV: FOX, Matt Vasgersian, JC Pearson
SERIES: 17th meeting. Rams lead 9-7, but the Seahawks have won three straight in
the series, including a 30-28 victory in St. Louis on Oct. 15. Prior to this
stretch, the Rams had won four in a row over the Seahawks, including a 2004
playoff win in Seattle.
2006 rankings: Rams: offense 4th (23rd rush, 4th pass); defense 27th (28th rush,
15th pass). Seahawks: offense 20th (17th rush, 20th pass); defense 16th (13th
rush, 25th pass)
PREDICTION: Rams 34-24
KEYS TO THE GAME: Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said RB Maurice Morris can't
continually handle the 30 carries he received Monday night, but Seattle does
need to attack a Rams defense allowing 141.2 rushing yards per game and 5.0
yards per carry. That would also help QB Seneca Wallace, whose two big pass
plays in his two starts have come off pump-fakes. Wallace is also more mobile
than injured Matt Hasselbeck, so the Rams need to be wary of over-pursuing. St.
Louis WR Torry Holt has averaged 6.5 catches for 108 yards the past four
regular-season meetings and routinely abuses CB Marcus Trufant, who must have
good communication with FS Ken Hamlin to avoid back-breaking big plays. To that
end, Seattle's front seven needs to be able to handle the running game so the
safeties can focus on helping over the top.
FAST FACTS: Rams: QB Marc Bulger has just one interception this season in 290
attempts, and has not thrown on in the first half. ... Have allowed a combined
402 rushing yards the past two games. Seahawks: Have dropped 22 passes, equaling
the team's total for all of last season. ... Are 25-4 in their past 29 home
games.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Rams:
--LB Pisa Tinoisamoa practiced again Thursday, and it appears he will be able to
play Sunday against Seattle with his injured hand and elbow. Said coach Scott
Linehan, "He had another good day. Didn't miss a beat. It's looking more and
more positive for this week."
--DE Tony Bryant might be active for the first time since being signed Oct. 18.
Said coach Scott Linehan, "I think he's in much better shape now. He had a
little problem with soreness in his knee. He's had a knee that's bothering him
the last year or two. He looks much better this week. He's definitely a
candidate for being up this week."
--RB Kay-Jay Harris, signed earlier this week as a roster replacement for RB
Tony Fisher, likely will be active Sunday. He figures to participate on special
teams and serve as the No. 3 running back.
--RB Tony Fisher, out for the season after suffering a torn ACL Sunday against
Kansas City, is expected to undergo surgery in about two weeks.
--RB Steven Jackson has four runs of 20 yards or more with a long of 37 this
season. Opponent running backs have eight rushes of 20 yards or more with a long
of 51.
Seahawks:
--RT Tom Ashworth continues working with the starters this week because RT Sean Locklear is missing time with an ankle injury. Locklear has gone from probable
to questionable to doubtful in recent weeks. Ashworth has played well except for
three false-start penalties against the Raiders on Monday night.
--RT Sean Locklear is not practicing this week. He is doubtful on the injury
report with an ankle injury.
--C Robbie Tobeck returned to practice Thursday. The veteran suffered knee and
elbow injuries against the Raiders on Monday night. He's probable on the injury
report.
--SS Jordan Babineaux missed practice again Thursday. He has a shoulder injury.
Seattle might go back to SS Michael Boulware this week. Babineaux had replaced
Boulware in the lineup after Seattle allowed too many deep passes.
--WR Nate Burleson (foot) missed practice again Thursday. The team is listing
Burleson as questionable. Burleson is the Seahawks' new punt returner. If he
can't play, CB Jimmy Williams would take back punt-return duties.
--WR Bobby Engram, still battling a thyroid condition, missed practice Thursday.
It's unlikely he'll play against the Rams.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Rams:
The importance of Sunday's game in Seattle is obvious. Little has to be said.
The Rams trail the Seahawks by one game for the division lead.
A win for the Rams would create a tie for first place with both teams having 5-4
records. A win for Seattle would provide the Seahawks with a two-game lead,
which is actually three because Seattle's two victories over the Rams would give
them the tiebreaker if the teams finished the season with identical records.
Even in his first season as head coach, it didn't take long for Scott Linehan to
understand how the rivalry between the team has increased.
"I guess it's new in recent years, but I think this rivalry game, you appreciate
it more now that I've coached in one," Linehan said. "I think whoever wins that
football game, or wins that series, if you can split the series, this gives both
a chance to finish out the season based on how they play the rest of the teams.
Usually it's a pretty good indicator of who's going to win this division. Has
been historically, especially since it's been restructured."
The Rams lost at home to Seattle on a last-second, 54-yard field goal on Oct. 15
in a game in which running back Shaun Alexander did not play, but quarterback
Matt Hasselbeck did. This week, both are expected to be out, but Linehan said
Seneca Wallace has fit in as the starting QB.
"I think that's a testament to their system," he said. "Plugs right in. I don't
think they've changed much. Certainly Seneca's using his legs a little more than
Matt, although Matt had the longest run from scrimmage against us the last time
we played. Matt's a good scrambler.
"One thing they do a great job of is ... Seneca's looking to throw first. He's
not dropping back and looking around. He's going through his progressions and
going to the right guys, and he's really only running when people don't contain
him or do those things. He brings another dimension that makes it a little more
difficult to defend."
Linehan also realizes the Rams offense will have to be mistake-free going
against the Seattle defense and a rabid crowd. Against Kansas City last Sunday,
the offense had to use a silent count at one point because of the noise Chiefs
fans were making. Right tackle Alex Barron had false starts on two consecutive
plays at a critical part of the game in the fourth quarter.
"We've used it on the road every game, and it's a tool that you have to use
because otherwise guys are basically having to watch the ball and they're going
to be too late to set on the guys coming off the edge," Linehan said. "We've
addressed that weekly, and we can't accept it (false starts). If we continue to
do that, we're going to have a hard time winning football games."
As for Seattle's defense, Linehan concluded, "I think they've really stepped
their game up big by creating some key lost yardage plays against us. They went
on a pretty good tear as far as sacking the quarterback. I think they've really
improved from where they started, and they're playing their best football right
now."
Seahawks:
Seattle strong safety Michael Boulware couldn't be sure how long he'd have to
wait before getting another shot at the starting job. His wait might be over
after only two games.
Boulware, benched following an Oct. 22 loss to Minnesota, has been working with
the starters this week. His replacement, Jordan Babineaux, has a shoulder injury
and might not play when the Rams visit Qwest Field on Sunday.
"I didn't feel out of step, but I was a little anxious," Boulware said after
getting back on the field with the No. 1 defense. "I definitely wanted to put on
a good show, so to speak, and make sure that I was in the right place at the
right time. It was definitely great to get back out there."
Boulware played linebacker at Florida State. He has outstanding ball skills and
made big plays as a rookie in Seattle's nickel defense. The transition to strong
safety has had its ups and downs. Boulware isn't very natural in coverage. His
instincts sometimes resemble those of a linebacker, leading to blown
assignments.
Seattle coaches hoped time away from the lineup might help Boulware regroup.
They also hoped Babineaux's superior coverage skills would help prevent big
plays. Seattle gave up big plays in Babineaux's first start, at Kansas City, but
that had a lot to do with the Seahawks' inability to stop the run. The defense
dominated against Oakland's weak offense more recently.
Boulware, a second-round pick in 2004, had started 26 consecutive games before
his benching. The transition to the bench has been tough.
"It's something I've had to battle through, fight through, and I'm still
fighting through it," Boulware said. "My role has been limited, and I'm not
really sure what my role is going to be this week, but I'm going to be prepared
for whatever comes my way."
Rams receiver Torry Holt could be coming his way, for starters. Holt beat
Bouwlare for a 67-yard touchdown last month. Boulware was in position to make
the play. He even got his hands on the ball, but Holt tipped the ball to himself
and made a spectacular grab.
"I told Torry Holt after the game that he made me a better player on that play
because it was something I will never forget," Boulware said. "It was a
spectacular play on his part."
Said Holt: "He did a good job of staying over the top and competing for that
ball. It was just two athletes competing for the football ... and I was
fortunate to come down on the winning side of that one."
==================================================
Chicago Bears (7-1) at New York Giants (6-2)
==================================================
GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 8:15 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/12/06
SURFACE: FieldTurf
TV: FOX, Al Michaels, John Madden, Andrea Kremer
SERIES: 54th meeting, including eight in the postseason. The Bears lead the
series, 31-20-2, but only two of the games have been played in the past 10
years, with each team winning as the visitor.
2006 rankings: Bears: offense 13th (19th rush, 9th pass); defense 1st (7th rush,
1st pass). Giants: offense 8th (4th rush, 12th pass); defense 11th (8th rush,
16th pass)
PREDICTION: Giants 24-19
KEYS TO THE GAME: With QB Rex Grossman committing a combined six turnovers in
two of his past three games and the propensity for high winds at Giants stadium,
this is the time for the Bears' running game to step up. RB Thomas Jones has
just one carry for longer than 17 yards all season, but he and Cedric Benson
will get a chance to lead the charge. The Giants will be without DE Michael Strahan and likely Osi Umenyiora, and need rookie Mathias Kiwanuka to continue
his strong play because many of Grossman's mistakes have come while throwing off
his back foot. Offensively, the Giants lost WR Amani Toomer for the season
although Plaxico Burress should return, and with Bears MLB Brian Urlacher's
status uncertain, RB Tiki Barber should be an even bigger focus of the game plan
than normal. TE Jeremy Shockey also becomes QB Eli Manning's No. 2 option.
FAST FACTS: Bears: WR Muhsin Muhammad has been limited to a combined 10 catches
for 119 yards the past four games. ... Seek first 8-1 start since 1990. Giants:
Are 7-1 under coach Tom Coughlin when scoring a touchdown on their first
possession. ... Seek first 7-2 start since 2000, when the team reached Super
Bowl XXXV.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Bears:
--MLB Brian Urlacher didn't practice Thursday, and he officially remains listed
as questionable with a sprained big toe on his left foot. Neither he nor Bears
coaches have dropped any hints as to his status, but it appears to be more
doubtful than probable.
--WR Bernard Berrian is expected to be upgraded to questionable from doubtful on
Friday, but it still appears to be a huge stretch that he would be on the field
Sunday.
--WR Muhsin Muhammad (knee) was removed from the injury report.
--CB Dante Wesley (knee, questionable) missed practice for a second consecutive
day.
--LB Brendon Ayanbadejo is the likely starter on the strong side if Hunter Hillenmeyer is forced to move from there to Brian Urlacher's spot in the middle
Sunday night against the Giants.
Giants:
--ORT Kareem McKenzie fully expects to start this week after missing last week's
game with an acute migraine headache. His backup, veteran Bob Whitfield, filled
in with mediocre success.
--TE Jeremy Shockey was used as Plaxico Burress' "replacement" last week,
running the routes that helped open up the sidelines. He figures to do that
again this week, as the "replacement" for WR Amani Toomer (knee).
--RDE Osi Umenyiora (strained hip flexor) is still 50-50 for Sunday night's
showdown with Chicago, but there is a thought that the Giants are making no
effort to share that kind of information with the Bears.
--Coach Tom Coughlin defended KR/PR Chad Morton to an extent when discussing the
short returns. "It's not all Chad's fault," he said. "Our wedge has to do a
better job, too." Sounds like damning with faint praise, doesn't it?
--Three defensive rookies played last week vs. the Texans -- DE Mathias
Kiwanuka, LB Gerris Wilkinson and DT Barry Cofield.
--WR Plaxico Burress seems to have provided bulletin board material for the
Bears when he said: "I have studied their secondary and they make plays, but I
don't think they're anything special."
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Bears:
Hobbled middle linebacker Brian Urlacher didn't shed much light Thursday on his
status for Sunday night's showdown against the Giants, but he had some
interesting observations on other topics.
Last year's defensive player of the year did not practice Thursday, resting the
sprained big toe on his left foot.
"I still watch a lot of film, still watch practice pretty closely, so I should
be OK," he said. "I should be all right once I get back in there."
But it remains questionable at best that Urlacher would be allowed back for the
Giants game.
Although he said, "The toe's fine," Urlacher added, "The injury report says
questionable. So you can talk to them (coaches and trainers) and see what they
say about that."
Coach Lovie Smith said Urlacher was feeling better, and added that, "He did
about the same (Thursday). That's pretty much what he did (Wednesday), which was
very little. He's in better spirits, if that's what you're asking me."
Urlacher was more expansive in response to trash-talking from the Giants'
Brandon Jacobs and Plaxico Burress. The 6-foot-4, 264-pound Jacobs, a
second-year running back drafted out of Southern Illinois in the fourth round,
said he looked forward to going chest-to-chest with Urlacher.
"Now who's he? Is he one of the running backs?" Urlacher said. "If he gets the
ball, I'll try to tackle him. It probably won't be one-on-one because we have
too many guys getting to the football right now.
"If I get a chance," an exasperated Urlacher added, "I just have to try to hit
him and get him on the ground."
Burress, who leads the Giants with 510 receiving yards and a 16.5-yard average
per catch, has disparaged the man-on-man coverage ability of the Bears'
cornerbacks. He also questioned the strength of the Bears' schedule.
"They'll get a chance to prove it on Sunday night," Urlacher said. "If you're
going to talk, you just have to go out there and show what you can do on Sunday
night. But we've dealt with that since the season started, so what's new? Even
after the games we've won big, people still don't believe in us. That's the way
it goes. That's just the way it is with us, so we just have to go out there and
play hard."
Urlacher was injured last week with less than two minutes left in a 31-13 loss
to the Dolphins. That has fueled criticism of the coaching staff for exposing
him and other star players to injury in a game whose outcome was no longer in
doubt. That's a moot point, according to the five-time Pro Bowl player.
"I don't care if it's 100-0, I want to be in the field," Urlacher said. "I saw
some of the comments people made. I want to be on the field no matter what.
Coach and I get in this argument all the time because we've had a bunch of games
where we've been up this year. Coach has brought it up to us in the past, but
(weak-side linebacker) Lance (Briggs) and I don't like coming out too much. It's
hard to get us out of the game because we want to be out there protecting our
lead. You're kind of bored when you're watching from the sidelines, so you like
to be out there making plays."
Giants:
The loss of veteran wide receiver Amani Toomer and the unexpectedly abrupt
nature of the announcement was still causing ripples of concern and discontent
around the Giants' locker room and front office.
Toomer said he was "shocked" at the severity of the left knee injury (a
partially torn anterior cruciate ligament) and at the surprise he felt when the
MRI showed the problem.
"They don't really know when it happened because it didn't seem like it was
anything serious," he said. "The damage in the knee didn't seem like it was
anything that had happened actually during the game (Sunday vs. Houston). I
don't know, they don't know when it happened, but they know it happened during
this season, sometime after the (training camp) physical."
The loss of the 11-year veteran, who is the team leader in career receptions and
yardage, has created turmoil within the starting unit. Last week it was the
other starter, Plaxico Burress, who couldn't play, and so reserve Tim Carter
played for him. This week Carter probably will move to the flanker hole vacated
by Toomer, since Burress (back spasms) indicates he'll be able to go.
"The Z-spot (flanker) asks the receiver to be able to do a lot of things,"
Toomer said, "like to go deep and be able to go underneath and do a bunch of
different things. You have to block a little because you're not the strong side,
so naturally you block a lot. I couldn't give a good answer (as to which player
would best fit the role)."
There isn't a lot of choice. It's Carter or David Tyree, who made it to the Pro
Bowl last year as a special teams player. There is free agent Michael Jennings,
who made the team this year after spending 2005 on the practice squad, and if
you're looking for a real longshot, try second-round draft pick Sinorice Moss,
who has been unavailable except for a short period in the Giants' second game of
the season due to a strained quad muscle.
It seems as though there are other options the coaching staff won't discuss,
such as moving running back Tiki Barber out wide and using bruising Brandon
Jacobs as a more frequent ball carrier, or moving tight end Jeremy Shockey out
and bringing in second-team tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.
All coach Tom Coughlin would say is this: "We have players and we'll make do the
best we can. That's why every coach's prayer leaving training camp is to have
the same team you leave with healthy all season."
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6) at Carolina Panthers (4-4)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Monday, 8:30 ET
GAMEDATE: 11/13/06
SURFACE: Grass
TV: FOX, Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann, Tony Kornheiser, Suzy Kolber, Michele
Tafoya
SERIES: 13th meeting. Carolina leads the series 7-5. The Panthers took the
earlier meeting 26-24 in Tampa after building a 17-0 lead.
2006 rankings: Bucs: offense 31st (30th rush, 27th pass); defense 22nd (26th
rush, 17th pass). Panthers: offense 23rd (26th rush, 19th pass); defense 19th
(21st rush, 20th pass)
PREDICTION: Panthers 27-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Bucs have issues in the trenches on both sides of the
ball. Their secondary has come under fire, but DE Simeon Rice has only 2.0 sacks
and the front four as a unit isn't generating much pressure. If Panthers QB Jake
Delhomme has time in the pocket, he knows WRs Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson
will find the holes in the Cover-2 defense. With rookie QB Bruce Gradkowski
learning the ropes, the Bucs' offense ideally wants to feature RB Carnell Williams, but he has struggled behind a young offensive line. If Tampa Bay
stalls on first and second down, Gradkowski will face tremendous pressure on
third-and-long. Panthers DE Julius Pepper has been held without a sack for two
games, but will be working against rookie RT Jeremy Trueblood.
FAST FACTS: Bucs: Williams has just one 100-yard rushing game after producing
five as a rookie. ... Gradkowski has thrown just one interception in 186 pass
attempts. Panthers: Have lead entering the fourth quarter in seven of their
eight games, but have blown three of those leads. ... Have been shutout in the
second half of their past two games.
TV announcers: Mike Tirico, Joe Theismann, Tony Kornheiser, Suzy Kolber, Michele
Tafoya
PERSONNEL NEWS
Bucs:
--LB Shelton Quarles (knee) did not practice Thursday and is listed as
questionable for Monday night's game at Carolina. Barrett Ruud took most of the
reps with the first team at middle linebacker.
--DE Simeon Rice (shoulder) did not practice Thursday and is listed as
questionable for Monday night's game at Carolina.
--DT Ellis Wyms (ankle) did not practice Thursday and is listed as questionable
for Monday night's game at Carolina. Wyms has not missed a game this season and
likely will play.
--CB Juran Bolden (hip) was downgraded to questionable for Monday night's game
at Carolina.
--RB Michael Pittman (shoulder) did not practice Thursday and is listed as
questionable for Monday night's game at Carolina. If Pittman can't play, Earnest Graham would see some action as the third-down back.
Panthers:
--C Justin Hartwig did not practice again Thursday and remains doubtful for this
week's game against Tampa Bay after re-injuring his groin last week in the
weight room. Don't expect Hartwig back in the starting lineup anytime soon.
--DT Jordan Carstens is listed as out for the foreseeable future after being
hospitalized with a blood clot in his left lung. Carstens was on medication for
a kidney problem, and the clotting may have been associated with the medicine
he'd been taking. There's a chance this could end his season.
--RB DeAngelo Williams will play this week against Tampa Bay, but it remains
uncertain how many carries he will get.
--WR Keyshawn Johnson was back on the field Thursday after sitting out
Wednesday's practice with an illness. Johnson is expected to start against his
former team, Tampa Bay, Monday night at Bank of America Stadium. Johnson had
seven grabs for 97 yards and scored two touchdowns against the Bucs in Week 3,
both of those coming in the first half.
--K John Kasay had an NFL record four field goals of 46 yards or longer in
Carolina's Week 3 win over the Buccaneers.
--CB Ken Lucas returned to the practice field Thursday despite a slightly torn
muscle in his groin area. Lucas still hopes to play Monday night, but that could
come down to a coach's decision Sunday.
--CB Richard Marshall would start if CB Ken Lucas (groin) can't play.
--MLB Chris Draft is likely to remain the starter this week against Tampa Bay.
Coach John Fox had said the team might shake up the starting lineup this week,
but it appears Draft is safe.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Bucs:
The Bucs start the second half with a murderous stretch of three games in three
cities in 11 days.
It begins Monday night at Carolina and continues Sunday, Nov. 19, against the
Redskins at Raymond James Stadium, a contest that's a candidate to be moved from
1 p.m. to 8:15 by NBC. The stretch will conclude four days later with a
Thanksgiving Day game at Texas Stadium.
Coach Jon Gruden was asked if he's ever experienced a three-game stretch like
this one.
"No. Not really. Not in pro football," Gruden said. "But we thank the NFL for
our schedule. They did quite a good job."
Actually, the Bucs are not the first team to be dealt such a dreadful hand. Last
season, the Cowboys played a Monday night game at Philadelphia, played at Texas
Stadium against Detroit, then hosted the Broncos four days later on
Thanksgiving.
But the Bucs will become only the fourth team since 1978 to play three games
within 11 days, with two of the contests on the road. The three previous teams
to face this scenario finished a combined 2-7. Buffalo in '94 (1-2), Washington
in '90 (1-2) and Seattle in '80 (0-3) all failed to produce a winning record
during that stretch.
In addition to the obvious difficulties of trying to install a game plan for
three opponents in such a short time frame, there are issues of player safety.
There's a reason why NFL games are generally played once a week. Players say
they need anywhere from two to three days just to recover from the normal bumps
and bruises. Add an injury, and it might take up to a week.
Gruden said the scheduling hardship puts players' safety at greater risk.
"At the beginning of the year, we go to these meetings and they talk about
player safety, they give us a speech about it and I agree with it," Gruden said.
"I'm a big fan of player safety.
"I don't understand it, you know what I mean? I don't really understand it. I
don't know that it's ever been done since the inception of this bye (week)
particularly. I can't necessarily say it's unfair or fair, I don't want to sound
like a crier. But you play on Monday night and then you play on Sunday and
Thursday, that's a lot of football."
To account for the shortage of preparation days, coaches began studying tape of
the Redskins on Monday. They may use part of Monday in Charlotte to glimpse at
the Cowboys.
"For the next week against the Cowboys, I have no freaking idea what we'll do,"
linebackers coach Joe Barry said. "We work long hours as it is with (defensive
coordinator Monte) Kiffin, but when it comes to that, it's going to be
interesting."
Bucs players are not exactly embracing the grueling three-game stretch, but they
have had plenty of time to accept the idea.
"The upside is we like the revenue as players that (national television games)
generates," tight end Dave Moore said. "The bad news is you've got to play when
they tell you they want you to play.
"It's hard just going from a Monday to a Sunday, depending on the style of game
you wind up playing. If you play a physical game, it's tough duty. And the older
you get, the longer it takes for you to recover."
For players like defensive end Simeon Rice (shoulder) and Shelton Quarles
(knee), who have not practiced much the past two weeks and need six days to be
physically prepared to play in games, the short weeks could force them to sit
out a contest.
"It's been a struggle to practice, really, in some ways, with the number of
players who haven't practiced," Gruden said. "And the ones that do practice,
some are limited. So you've got to modify your schedule and you've got to say,
hey, we've got to do the best we can with what we have and that's what we're
going to do."
Running back Cadillac Williams, who has never played on "Monday Night Football,"
is taking a positive approach.
"If you look at it this way, we have a chance to get to 5-6 quick," Williams
said. "Two and six is definitely not a good feeling, and with the upcoming
schedule we have we should look at it like we have a chance to go 5-6 in a
couple days. That's the bright side of it."
Panthers:
This has been a frustrating season for Panthers starting cornerback Ken Lucas,
but he said he's trying to stay positive and not let a string of injuries get to
him.
"I have never been constantly just bothered with nagging injuries as the season
goes on," Lucas said. "I may have an injury here and there, but not as
frequently as this year. I'm just being tested right now. My faith is being
tested, but I'm not going to give up. I know this is going to make me stronger.
It makes me appreciate this game even more."
For the third time this season, Lucas was forced to leave a game when he
suffered a slight tear in his groin during Carolina's 35-14 loss to the Cowboys
before the bye week.
Previously, he left games at Minnesota in Week 2 with a strained neck and then
again in Week 7 against Cincinnati with a hip injury.
It may be just coincidence, but the Panthers blew fourth-quarter leads in all
three of those games, one of the major reasons they're 4-4 at the midpoint of
the season and not 7-1.
"They have been keeping me out of games in crucial situations where I need to be
out there," Lucas said. "I'm just trying to work hard in the weight room trying
to prevent some of these injuries from happening so I can be out there for four
quarters and help my team get a win."
Lucas entered this year with Pro Bowl aspirations after being shunned in 2005
despite a terrific first season with the Panthers. He had 72 tackles and six
interceptions in the regular season and two more picks in the NFC playoffs.
But this year has been one hurdle after another.
He came into the season having missed only three games out of a possible 80
during his previous five NFL seasons. He hasn't missed any this year, but has
had to leave three and play a limited role in a fourth.
So why is he struggling staying on the field this year?
Lucas wondered that, too, and after some careful self-examination, he believes
he's found the origin of the problem. He said he's been taking a legal
supplement to give him extra energy, but that it may be causing him to dehydrate
and the muscles to cramp.
"I have low body fat, and some things drain the fluids out of your body quicker
than not taking anything at all," Lucas said. "That is part of my problem last
week when I strained my groin. I've got to get off those things and drink a lot
of fluids.
"It's kind of hard to pull things when it gets cooler, and that's what I did. I
drank plenty of fluids before the game, and I still ended up pulling (my
groin)."
He said he's thrown away that supplement.
As for Monday night's game against Tampa Bay, he did practice some on Thursday
but remains questionable on the injury report.
"You'll have to kill me to stop me from getting on the field on Monday," Lucas
said.