V23 Iss 20

BECOME AN NFLINSIDER BYREADING SCOUTS EYE EVERYMONDAY... ONLYATPROFOOTBALLWEEKLY.
COM
NOVEMBER 23, 2008
SCOUTING THE TOP O-LINE
TALENT FOR THE 2009 DRAFT
AL DAVIS, RAIDERS CANT SEEM
TO FIND A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
ALSO INSIDE
WEEK 12 PREVIEWS
WAYWE HEAR IT: K.C.S NEW
OFFENSE NOT L.J.-FRIENDLY
RAY OF LIGHT
RAY OF LIGHT
RAVENS MLB RAY LEWIS ILLUMINATES TEAMMATES AND OPPONENTS ALIKE
WITH HIS EXAMPLE ON AND OFF THE FIELD
Al Davis offseason spending spree has failed miserably.
CREATORS & FOUNDERS
Arthur Arkush, Robert Drazkowski and Joel Buchsbaum
ADMINISTRATION
Publisher/Editor Hub Arkush
General manager Mike Waters
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-chief Keith Schleiden
Managing editor Mike Holbrook
Executive editors Dan Arkush
Neil Warner
Senior editors Nolan Nawrocki
Eric Edholm
Mike Wilkening
Associate editors Matt Sohn
Dan Parr
Michael Blunda
Production assistant Matt Quinnan
Editorial assistants Matt Feminis
Seth Gruen
COLUMNISTS
Ron Borges, Barry Jackson, Jerry Magee
AFC REPORTERS
Baltimore Ravens Jamison Hensley
Buffalo Bills Chuck Pollock
Cincinnati Bengals Mark Curnutte
Cleveland Browns Tony Grossi
Denver Broncos Frank Schwab
Houston Texans Megan Manfull
Indianapolis Colts Tom James
Jacksonville Jaguars Vito Stellino
Kansas City Chiefs Rick Dean
Miami Dolphins Harvey Fialkov
New England Patriots John Tomase
New York Jets Mark Cannizzaro
Oakland Raiders Michael Wagaman
Pittsburgh Steelers Jim Wexell
San Diego Chargers Chris Jenkins
Tennessee Titans Jim Wyatt
NFC REPORTERS
Arizona Cardinals Kent Somers
Atlanta Falcons D. Orlando Ledbetter
Carolina Panthers Charles Chandler
Chicago Bears Bob LeGere
Dallas Cowboys Mickey Spagnola
Detroit Lions Nicholas J. Cotsonika
Green Bay Packers Bob McGinn
Minnesota Vikings Sean Jensen
New Orleans Saints Mike Triplett
New York Giants Paul Schwartz
Philadelphia Eagles Dave Weinberg
St. Louis Rams Jim Thomas
San Francisco 49ers Kevin Lynch
Seattle Seahawks Clare Farnsworth
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Roy Cummings
Washington Redskins John Keim
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Tom Danyluk, Art Edelstein,
Pat Fitzmaurice, Court E. Mann
STATISTICIAN
Rick Arkush
NEWMEDIA
Publisher Sue Nemitz
Web developer Tom OBrien
BUSINESS OFFICE
Business manager Christine Klimusko
Network support technician Bob Boklewski
Distribution manager Arthur Arkush
Subscription manager Kristine Carlsson
ADVERTISING SALES
Vice president, marketing Phil Hornthal
National sales manager Chris Belec
AD SALES OFFICE 1-847-940-1100
ProFootball Weekly(ISSN: 0032-9053, USPSPub. #000-509)
ispublishedbyProFootball WeeklyLLC, 302SaundersRoad,
Suite100, Riverwoods, IL60015, onceinApril, twiceinMay, once
inJuneandJuly, threetimesinAugust, threetimesinSeptember,
five times in October, four times in November, four times in De-
cember, four times in January and twice in February for a total
of 30issues annually. The subscriptionprice is $99.95for 30is-
sues. Periodicalspostageispaidat Deerfield, IL, andat additional
offices.
Canada Post International Publications Mail Product (Canadian
Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 1356097
POSTMASTER: Send address change to: Pro Football Weekly,
302 Saunders Road, Suite 100, Riverwoods, IL60015
SUBSCRIPTION: 1-800-FOOTBALL (1-800-366-8225)
PRINTED IN U.S.A.
12
GET ONLINE
UPDATES
Sign up for Pro Football
Weeklys E-newsletter and
get the best of PFWdelivered
right to your in-box. Youll get
the hottest news from the
NFL, fantasy football tips
from PFWexperts and links
to the must-read features on
our Web site. To sign up, go to
ProFootballWeekly.com and
click on the link to join the
PFWmailing list.
T
I
M
S
A
D
L
O
N
Ray Lewis still is a force to be reckoned with at age 33.
J
E
D
J
A
C
O
B
S
O
H
N
/
G
E
T
T
Y
I
M
A
G
E
S
Get 30 issues of PFW, access to exclusive online content,
and a PFWT-shirt for $79.95. Call 1-800-366-8225.
14
CONTENTS
2 Pro Football Weekly November 23, 2008
2008-09
PRO
PROSPECTS
PREVIEW
Look for it
on newsstands now
COVER STORY 12
Ravens LB Ray Lewis is not only an inspirational leader both for
teammates and other NFL players in his 13th NFL season, but hes
also playing as well as he ever has.
STRUGGLING FOR ANSWERS 14
We look at the black hole Raiders owner Al Davis has plunged his
beloved team into and look at ways he can turn things around. Plus,
what will Davis decide regarding free-agent CB Nnamdi Asomugha?
TOP OL PROSPECTS 33
Nolan Nawrockis weekly positional series analyzing the top prospects
for the 2009 draft continues with a look at the top offensive linemen.
THE WAYWE SEE IT..................3
POWER RANKINGS ..................3
THE WAYWE HEAR IT ..............4
OPINION: Editorial, letters,
Publishers Pen ..........................16
COLUMNISTS:
Jerry Magee, Barry Jackson,
Dan Arkushs A-bombs ............17
FANTASY FOOTBALL:
The Buzz, Fantasy Doctor,
fantasy statistics ....................18
HANDICAPPERS CORNER:
Staff selections,
Stephen Nover column ..........20
WEEK 12 GAME PREVIEWS ......22
WEEK 11 GAME COVERAGE......28
AFC INDIVIDUAL STATS LEADERS ..29
TEAM STATISTICS..................30
TEAM RANKINGS....................31
NFC INDIVIDUAL STATS LEADERS ..32
2009 NFL DRAFT NOTES ......34
AUDIBLES................................35
NFL TRANSACTIONS..............35
ONLYAT PROFOOTBALLWEEKLY.COM
THE WAYWE HEAR IT League observers have been particularly im-
pressed by the Patriots evolving situation at linebacker, with first-round
draft pick Jerod Mayo (20 tackles vs. the Jets, 16 solo) and undrafted
rookie Pierre Woods making their presence felt.
NFLIST Mike Wilkening talked to current and former Ravens coaches,
as well as GM Ozzie Newsome, for their memories of five of Ray Lewis
top games in his illustrious playing career.
START OR SIT PFWfantasy football expert Michael Blunda examines
the upcoming weeks games and tells you which players have the most
favorable matchups and which players have the least favorable ones.
Cover photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS
Brett Favre and Matt Cassel waged a compelling duel that showed both QBs are ready to play key roles in their teams playoff hopes.
POWER RANKINGS
Monday-night game results not factored in.
RANK THE SKINNY
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
Tennessee Titans Who knew Justin
Gage could get downfield like that?
New York Giants Not many third-string
backs can rip off 77-yarders vs. the Ravens.
Carolina Panthers Not exactly beating
up on lesser competition.
Pittsburgh Steelers Got jobbed on
that late touchdown.
Arizona Cardinals Theyve scored at
least 20 points in 17 of last 18 games.
New York Jets Starting to get Super
Bowl dark-horse sentiment.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Will go as
far as Jeff Garcia can take them.
Washington Redskins Need more
than Clinton Portis guts these days to win.
New England Patriots Matt Cassel:
future millionaire.
Indianapolis Colts Still havent had
that classic Colts offensive outburst.
Baltimore Ravens Seemed to take loss
to Giants in stride.
Dallas Cowboys Jay Ratliff has gradu-
ated from the ranks of the underrated.
Atlanta Falcons Roddy White will swal-
low hard when he sees that dropped TD again.
Philadelphia Eagles They ran 78
plays, and 17 went to Brian Westbrook.
Denver Broncos Cant overlook Peyton
Hillis achievements in tough situation.
Miami Dolphins Sunday wont be the
last hold-on-to-your-hat game they play.
Green Bay Packers Inspired defensive
effort when they needed it most.
Buffalo Bills Where is the pass rush
going to come from?
Chicago Bears Imagine what would
have happened if Rex Grossman had started.
Minnesota Vikings Special-teams er-
rors continue to haunt them.
New Orleans Saints Pierre Thomas
makes case for carries after Bush returns.
San Diego Chargers This is the kind
of defense Ron Rivera expects.
Jacksonville Jaguars Games like this
might make Del Rio dream of a college job.
Cleveland Browns Its not just sacks,
but Kamerion Wimbley is struggling.
Houston Texans Theyll figure out how
to beat the Colts one day.
San Francisco 49ers Makes you won-
der why Shaun Hill wasnt playing sooner.
Seattle Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck
used to own the Cardinals.
St. Louis Rams Accepting new nick-
names for Steven Jackson while he rests.
Kansas City Chiefs Have to convert
inside the 10-yard line.
Cincinnati Bengals Voted most likely
to tie a game before this season.
Oakland Raiders Voted most interest-
ing in a losing effort every season.
Detroit Lions Maybe Culpepper, Kevin
Smith can steal a game at some point.
Barber delivers close-
shave win for Cowboys
All the pregame talk of Cowboys-Red-
skins was about the health of Tony
Romo and Clinton Portis, but the story
afterward was Marion Barber. He was
the best player on the field, and he
might be the Cowboys best player not
named DeMarcus Ware. If offensive co-
ordinator Jason Garrett had been guilty
of something, it had been not getting
Barber enough touches at times until
Sunday. With the game in the balance,
the Cowboys leaned on Barber, and
Barber leaned on the Redskins. Hard.
He broke at least one tackle on almost
every carry, and it led to 66 yards in the
fourth quarter alone. Bet the house that
the Cowboys wont get away from using
Barber early in games or late
again. Eric Edholm
The Jets might have taken temporary control of the AFC East
with their 34-31 overtime escape job in Foxborough that
couldnt have gotten Week 11 off to a more entertaining start. But
it will be a major surprise indeed if the Patriots dont continue nip-
ping at the Jets heels down to the wire following their equally im-
pressive performance in defeat.
Expect both of these teams to have a great deal to say about the
AFC playoff landscape moving forward, with Brett Favre looking
more comfortable every week directing the Jets well-balanced of-
fense, and Patriots QB Matt Cassel continuing to emerge before
our eyes as perhaps the hottest commodity in the free-agent mar-
ketplace this coming offseason.
With Favre leading the way, the Jets many newcomers on both
sides of the ball appear to have turned the team into a rock-sol-
id playoff contender. Massive NT Kris Jenkins, for one, could war-
rant serious consideration for league Defensive MVP honors.
With Cassel leading the way, Bill Belichicks ever-resilient Pa-
triots just keep on picking up the pieces, overcoming a host of se-
rious injuries to key players with quality replacement parts. On
defense, first-round rookie LB Jerod Mayo (20 tackles vs. Jets,
including 16 solo) could warrant equally serious consideration for
Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Dan Arkush
Jets, Pats make statements in Week 11 opener
DYNAMIC DUO
FEED THE HORSE
NFL needs to address its
senseless OT system
There are few aspects of the NFL less
satisfying than ties, a notion epitomized
by Donovan McNabbs lifeless mono-
tone in the aftermath of Phillys 13-13
yawner in Cincinnati. More importantly,
there are few NFL injustices more se-
vere than the method to overtime mad-
ness, which needs to be amended
because of the distinct advantage it
gives to the team lucky enough to win
the coin toss. Afusion of current NFL
and NCAArules is the best approach, a
system that would incorporate kickoffs
(NFL) and equal possessions (NCAA).
Its amazing how the NFL can be Amer-
icas most successful sports league
while staging an extra session that
should brim with excitement but in-
stead is arbitrary and dull. Matt Sohn
MAKEOVER(TIME)
Garcia proving himself as
Bucs best bet once again
Alittle more than a month ago, it
wasnt clear if Jeff Garcia ever would
play another down for the Bucs. Brian
Griese had replaced Garcia in the start-
ing lineup. An icy relationship with the
teams management made it seem that
they would part ways when he became
a free agent after this season. Griese,
however, was injured in Week Five. Since
retaking the job, Garcia has led the Bucs
to a 4-1 record and with the winless
Lions waiting for them next, its hard not
to see Tampa improving to 8-3 with a
second consecutive playoff berth well in
sight. At age 38, Garcia led the Bucs
over the Vikings on Sunday with a level
of energy a rookie would find hard to
match, keeping plays going even when
they looked dead. Dan Parr
THE RIGHT FIT
Our weekly take on the hottest
topics from around the NFL.
THE WAY WE SEE IT
V
I
S
U
A
L
I
M
A
G
E
,
I
N
C
.
T
O
M
B
E
R
G
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC EASTBy Matt Sohn
WHISPERS
Asource close to
the Patriots tells us
that the team is better
equipped to handle
the likely season-end-
ing loss of OLB Adal-
ius Thomas than
initially believed. OLB
Pierre Woods, a
third-year career
backup who was once
thought to be nothing
more than a situa-
tional pass rusher,
proved against the
Jets that he can stand
up surprisingly effec-
tively against the run.
Also, his liability in
coverage is somewhat
mitigated by versatile
LB Gary Guyton, an
undrafted rookie reve-
lation who can play
both inside and out-
side.
Among the numer-
ous Dolphins veter-
ans whove stepped
up their game under
Tony Sparanos
watch is DE Vonnie
Holliday, who has
responded well to the
kick in the pants he
has received from the
coaching staff, as
well as from the com-
petition provided by
rookie DE Philip
Merling.
Two of the most
highly regarded left
guards in the NFL,
the Jets Alan
Faneca and the Pa-
triots Logan Mank-
ins, were
manhandled in their
clubs Thursday-
evening meeting. Nei-
ther could handle the
power-speed combi-
nation brought by his
defensive counter-
part across the line.
Although Faneca has
been a big part of the
Jets running-game
success, he hasnt
been nearly the pass
protector the team
thought he was when
it signed him to a
blockbuster deal in
the offseason.
Aclub source tells
us that its very real-
istic Bills DE Aaron
Schobel wont play
another down this
season. Afoot injury
has kept Schobel, a
Pro Bowler and the
teams best pass
rusher, sidelined
since Week Five.
Coaches often stress the impor-
tance of not getting too high or too
low in response to whatever situa-
tion a team finds itself in. Dick Jau-
ron and the Bills are doing that well
too well, in fact. In talking to
sources close to the club, the lack of
emotion and fiery leadership both
on the coaching staff and on the
roster kept Buffalo from escaping
the doldrums of their three-game
losing streak heading into their
Week 11 Monday-nighter. After being
praised for his calm in the pocket in
a terrifically efficient start to the
season, Trent Edwards measured
stoicism has reflected the offensive
stagnation he has directed. Mean-
while, Donte Whitners absence
with a shoulder injury left the de-
fense without more than just its
most talented defensive back.
Dontes really the only guy this
team can rally around, one source
said. Without him, theres nobody
on this team who will make sure
youre busting your tail out there.
Entering the season, the prevail-
ing sentiment around the league
was that a postseason berth for the
Dolphins would likely require them
catching some lucky breaks. Head-
ing into Week 12, they find them-
selves squarely in the postseason
mix at least partially due to one
particular break injury avoid-
ance. With the exception of losing
starting OG Donald Thomas in
Week One, the Fins havent suf-
fered any significant injuries and
have routinely been filing near-
empty injury reports. Yet, attribut-
ing their enviable health status to
dumb luck may be selling the Dol-
phins short. These coaches have
ingrained it in their players that
they cant show any signs of weak-
ness, one source close to the club
said. If theyre complaining of pain
or limping around the locker room,
they know they can get cut, so they
suck it up and play. Theyve
toughed it out, and the results are
showing on the scoreboard.
Matt Cassels career-best per-
formance in the Patriots overtime
loss to the Jets confirmed what
some have been suspecting for
weeks. That being, theres almost no
way the free-agent-to-be remains
with the Patriots next season. The
Patriots season-long replacement
for Tom Brady did his best Brady
impersonation yet against the Jets
ferocious pass rush, completing 30-
of-51 passes for 400 yards and a
trio of touchdowns, including a
spectacular 16-yard TD connection
with Randy Moss with a second
left in regulation to send the game
into overtime. According to a source
close to the club, the only chance
the Patriots decide to dish out the
cash is if Brady experiences another
rehabilitation setback that jeopard-
izes his 2009 availability. Given
Kurt Warners age, the word were
hearing from around the league is
that Cassel has played his way into
what will likely be the most lucrative
QB contract in free agency.
In the wake of the Jets nerve-
rattling, overtime victory over the
Patriots on Thursday, the defense
didnt spend much time worrying
about why it gave up 511 yards of
offense. Ashoddy performance,
without doubt, but not one that
made them question the legiti-
macy of a unit that deserves much
of the credit for lifting the Jets to
the top of the AFC East standings.
New England made some plays
and got a lot production out of
screens and stuff, OLB Calvin
Pace told PFWon Friday. I dont
think that game is going to make
us feel any less of ourselves as a
defense.
Its hard to find fault with Paces
assertion given the defenses over-
all body of work. Aseason after a
defensive meltdown that nearly
cost coordinator Bob Sutton his
job, the Jets have proven that some
fresh blood was all that was
needed. Playing out of position as a
4-3 defensive end his first four
years in Arizona, Pace parlayed a
breakout 2007 campaign in his first
year as a 3-4 outside linebacker in
Arizona into a six-year, $42 million
deal in the Big Apple, picking up
where he left off in the desert. A
guy my size (6-4, 270 pounds) is a
little too big to be playing a (tradi-
tional) linebacker role, but is a little
too small to be playing down as an
end on an every-down basis, Pace
said. The 3-4 is perfect for me be-
cause you get all sorts of matchups
that allow me to use my athleticism
all over the field. It definitely has
helped my career a lot.
Its helped the Jets defense, too.
The philosophical basis of Suttons
defense is centered around versa-
tility, which was something it had
little of a season ago given its per-
sonnel limitations. The additions of
Pace and superb NT Kris Jenkins
has considerably opened up the
defensive playbook, especially in
terms of rushing the passer. After
recording just 29 sacks in 07, the
Jets have taken down opposing
quarterbacks 34 times in 08, four
of which have come from Pace.
One of the few players who has-
nt made his presence felt defen-
sively is first-round pick Vernon
Gholston. This is a difficult
scheme to pick up, but hes going
to be fine, Pace said. I talk to him
all the time and just tell him to
watch and learn. In my opinion,
hes actually in a great position be-
cause hes not just being thrown
into the fire and being told, Go out
there and be a savior.
It looks increasingly likely that Patriots QB Matt Cassel, given his development, will play elsewhere in 2009.
V
I
S
U
A
L
I
M
A
G
E
I
N
C
.
BUFFALO
BILLS
MIAMI
DOLPHINS
NEWENGLAND
PATRIOTS
NEWYORK
JETS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC NORTHBy Mike Wilkening
WHISPERS
The Ravens ac-
tively tried to get the
ball to TE Todd
Heap early and more
often in the Week 10
win at Houston, and
he snagged a season-
high five passes, two
of them going for
touchdowns.
Whether QB Joe
Flacco will utilize
Heap more down the
stretch is an issue
that bears watching,
according to a source
close to the club. Last
week against the Gi-
ants, Heap caught
three passes for 16
yards.
At the least,
Browns CB Brandon
McDonald figures to
lose playing time to
Travis Daniels, if
not lose his starting
job completely, after
McDonald had diffi-
culties in coverage in
losses to the Ravens
and Broncos.
Ravens QB Samari
Rolles coverage abil-
ity is not in doubt
after his return from
a painful neck injury,
but his tackling could
be an issue going for-
ward.
The way we hear it,
Bengals WLB Bran-
don Johnson has
played relatively well
in Keith Rivers ab-
sence. In Week 11,
Johnson tied for the
team lead in tackles
with six and had a
tackle for loss and an
interception. John-
sons versatility has
been a plus.
Were told Bengals
TE Ben Utecht is
likely to be a bigger
part of the offense in
the final weeks of the
season. One of the
Bengals biggest off-
season signings,
Utecht had only 12
catches in his first
seven games of the
season and missed
time with a chest in-
jury.
To date, the Bengals havent re-
ceived the initial expected contri-
bution from their 2008 draft class.
Injuries certainly have played a role
in this; WLB Keith Rivers, the
teams first-round pick, suffered a
broken jaw on Oct. 19 just as he
was starting to make major strides
in his play. Injuries also have ham-
pered the development of rookie
WRs Jerome Simpson and
Andre Caldwell, who have com-
bined for only one catch for two
yards in Cincinnatis first 10 games.
However, in the long term, this
could be a draft class the Bengals
are quite happy with, especially
when it comes to the help it could
provide the defense. Rivers is re-
garded as a future star, and DT Pat
Sims, a third-round pick, has
started to come on of late. Both
figure to be starters, and key con-
tributors, on defense in 2009. The
roles of Simpson and Caldwell in
09 are a little less clear, although
more will be expected of both.
QB Ben Roethlisberger and
RB Willie Parker overcame
shoulder injuries to pace the Steel-
ers offense in Week 11, no doubt
alleviating some concerns about
both players health going forward.
Roethlisberger completed 31-of-41
passes for 308 yards in an 11-10
win vs. San Diego, while Parker
rushed for 115 yards on 25 carries.
Roethlisbergers injury limited his
practice time leading up to the
Week 10 game vs. Indianapolis,
and he was intercepted three
times vs. the Colts. He practiced
throughout the week leading up to
the Chargers game and appeared
noticeably sharper on gameday,
avoiding the mistakes that
plagued him the previous week.
Parker suffered a partially dislo-
cated shoulder Week Nine at
Washington and sat out vs. Indi-
anapolis in Week 10 before return-
ing to face the Chargers, and he
proved able to carry on a heavy
workload on a windy, snowy day.
It could very well be that we ulti-
mately remember the 2008
Browns more for a series of contro-
versies than anything the team did
on the field. The latest disturbance:
RB Jamal Lewis suggesting that
some of his teammates quit vs. the
Broncos in Week 10, with RS-WR
Joshua Crubbs adding that the
team needed to weed out the
quitters. All of this talk of the
Browns effort did not sit well with
head coach Romeo Crennel, who
said that the word quit had
taken on a life of its own. Said
Crennel: Now the Cleveland
Browns are quitters, the coach has
lost control of the team and there
is division in the locker room, and
that is not the case.The way we
hear it, Crennel hasnt lost his play-
ers, and much of the talk of quit-
ting was largely driven by Lewis
word choice. Yet, how the Browns
finish the season will likely go a
long way in determining whether
Crennel is back for a fifth season.
Oh, the defensive tackles that
could be playing on the AFC side in
the Pro Bowl. The Titans Albert
Haynesworth looks to be a sure-
fire selection. The Jets Kris Jenk-
ins has recaptured his dominant
form with his new club. So, too, has
the Browns Shaun Rogers,
whose work might go unappreci-
ated because of Clevelands disap-
pointing season.
On the other end of the spec-
trum from Rogers is Ravens NT
Haloti Ngata, who has been over-
looked for his work on a star-stud-
ded Baltimore defense. But that is
quickly changing.
Ngata is simply playing too well
for that to happen any longer.
The 6-4, 345-pound Ngata has
played exceptionally in his third
NFL season. In addition to being a
force vs. the run, hes having a re-
markable season defending the
pass. Through Week 11, Ngata has
defended five passes and inter-
cepted two. In Baltimores 41-14 win
over Houston on Nov. 9, Ngata did
something you seldom see from a
defensive tackle: He dropped into
coverage, leaped to deflect a Sage
Rosenfels pass with both hands,
tracked down the ball and caught it
in the endzone, ending a Houston
scoring opportunity.
How strong and quick is Ngata?
The Ravens occasionally use him on
offense, where he has made appear-
ances in the teams goal-line pack-
age, as well as on special teams.
The way we hear it, there are
some around the Ravens who be-
lieve Ngata has been playing this
well the past two years, but only
now is he starting to get wide-
spread recognition.
His teammates are doing their
share in that regard. Ravens RILB
Bart Scott recently ended an in-
terview with ESPNs Pardon the
Interruption by singing the praises
of Ngata unprompted. Make no
bones about it, the best defensive
lineman in the game right now is
Haloti Ngata, and I dare you guys
to put on the film and compare him
to anybody you got in the league,
Scott said.
Hes a phenomenon, Ravens
LILB Ray Lewis told Baltimore re-
porters recently of Ngata. Hes
playing the game at a very, very
high level. Its surprising when you
do see it. Ive been around football
a long time, but to see that guys
gifts athletically and what he does
to destroy offenses, its really spe-
cial definitely when youre play-
ing behind him.
Ravens NT Haloti Ngata, an absolute beast this season, is beginning to get deserved leaguewide attention.
A
L
M
E
S
S
E
R
S
C
H
M
I
D
T
/
G
E
T
T
Y
I
M
A
G
E
S
CINCINNATI
BENGALS
PITTSBURGH
STEELERS
CLEVELAND
BROWNS
BALTIMORE
RAVENS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC SOUTHBy Mike Wilkening and Matt Sohn
WHISPERS
Even though No. 2
RB Dominic
Rhodes has been
more efficient with
his carries, the Colts
have no plans to work
him into more of a
featured role over
Joseph Addai. Ide-
ally, the Colts want
the snaps divided 60-
40 in Addais favor,
believing that his
value as a receiver
out of the backfield
helps mitigate the
difficulty hes had
running the ball.
Addai had his best
game of the season
in Week 11, rushing
for 105 yards and a
touchdown on 22
carries and catching
three passes for 48
yards and TD. Rhodes
contributed 48 yards
on 10 carries and
caught three passes
for 26 yards.
We hear that much
of the reason Jack
Del Rio has felt com-
fortable taking such a
hard-line stance with
MLB Mike Peterson
who was fined and
deactivated by the
Jaguars in Week 10
for getting into a
seemingly innocuous
verbal confrontation
with his coach during
a team meeting is
because he believes
he has a very capable
LB trio even without
Peterson. Natural
OLB Daryl Smith,
one source contends,
is even an upgrade in
the middle. The prob-
lem, however, is that
the Jaguars lack ade-
quate depth at line-
backer.
Texans rookie CB
Antwaun Molden is
likely to start getting
more playing time in
the weeks to come.
And hes not the only
rookie who could
start getting more
work for the Houston
defense. Of Molden,
head coach Gary
Kubiak said, It is
time for guys like
him, (LB Xavier)
Adibi, (S Do-
minique) Barber,
young guys that
youre really counting
on for your future, to
start getting more
and more reps.
The Jaguars two headlining free-
agent acquisitions, Drayton Flo-
rence and Jerry Porter, both have
been major disappointments. Flo-
rence was reeled in with a six-year,
$36 million deal to lock down the
starting CB spot opposite Rashean
Mathis in defensive coordinator
Gregg Williams man-cover
schemes. But pass-rushing woes
have forced the defense to employ
more zone schemes, which Florence
is not equipped to handle. The irony
here is that Florence was eager to
regain a starting job in Jacksonville
after being relegated to the nickel
package in San Diego following An-
tonio Cromarties emergence, and
he now finds himself filling the same
capacity with the Jags. Porters sim-
ilarly exorbitant, six-year, $30 mil-
lion deal also has proven wasteful.
The minimal impact he has made on
Sundays only partially can be attrib-
uted to his offseason hamstring in-
jury, as he has shown no drive to
excel after collecting his bounty.
When the Texans surrendered 41
points to Baltimore in Week 10, an-
other round of speculation of the di-
rection of the club on coach Gary
Kubiaks watch began. But the way
we hear it, the locker room contin-
ues to back Kubiak, whos in his
third year on the job, and there does
not appear to be an undercurrent of
any dissatisfaction with him. Owner
Bob McNair and CB Dunta Robin-
son, a team leader, publicly sup-
ported McNair last week. Given the
continued improvement of the of-
fense, Kubiak probably doesnt
have to worry about job security. I
have a lot of coaches, a lot of play-
ers and a lot of people in this organ-
ization busting their tail and I would
be very selfish to worry about my-
self, Kubiak said. While Kubiak ap-
pears safe, whispers about
defensive coordinator Richard
Smiths future continue as the Tex-
ans D struggles. Houston allowed
474 yards and 33 points in a loss to
Indy last week.
The Titans had to wonder if WR
Brandon Jones was ever going to
develop into a key part of the of-
fense. Injuries hampered Jones in
two of his first three seasons, and
expectations were not particularly
high for him entering the 08 cam-
paign. But it appears Jones is start-
ing to finally deliver on his promise.
Injuries to starting WRs Justin
Gage and Justin McCareins at
various points of the season have
allowed Jones to log more playing
time, and he has stepped up, never
more so than at Chicago on Nov. 9,
when he hauled in a career-best
eight catches in a 21-14 win marked
by the Bears selling out vs. the run-
ning game unlike any other Ten-
nessee opponent this season. If the
Titans were going to prevail, it was
going to be with the passing game,
and Jones was perhaps never bet-
ter than in that pivotal game. In
Week 11s win over the Jaguars,
Jones contributed two catches for
23 yards and a touchdown.
These are strange defensive
days in Indianapolis. On the one
hand, the club is becoming in-
creasingly optimistic thanks to its
improved run defense. In recent
weeks, the Colts stiffened in the
trenches, holding the Ravens, Ti-
tans and Steelers all to less than
100 yards. Things went awry last
week, though, as the Colts allowed
the Texans to run for 177 yards.
One particular player who we
hear the club strongly believes will
play an integral role in the run de-
fense through the rest of the sea-
son is unheralded DT Antonio
Johnson, whom the Colts signed
off the Titans practice-squad prior
to the victory over the Steelers.
The 6-3, 310-pound Johnson is the
biggest player the Colts have in
their DT rotation, and has afforded
his less bulky linemates some
sorely needed breathers.
Yet, not all is well and good with
the Colts front seven. In contrast to
the improvements against the run,
Tony Dungys crew has failed in
generating the type of consistent
pass rush thats of paramount im-
portance to the Tampa-2 scheme.
The Colts have notched a mere 14
sacks through 10 games. Particu-
larly telling about that statistic is
that 12 of those sacks have been
recorded by DEs Dwight Freeney
(seven) and Robert Mathis (five).
Although Dungy has stated that he
doesnt see the low sack numbers
as an indication of a problem
there have been numerous pres-
sures which affect the quarter-
backs but dont show in the stat
sheet, he said its very unlike
Dungys defense to have such a
meager pass rush from the inside.
Dating back to his days coaching
Warren Sapp in Tampa Bay,
Dungy has placed a priority on ob-
taining the type of quick, penetrat-
ing defensive tackles capable of
doing more than just clogging lanes
and tying up offensive linemen.
The current Colts team not only
lacks such penetrating tackles, but
the club also has been resistant to
compensate by blitzing its line-
backers. Even in a defensive
scheme that aims to generate
most of its pressure from its line,
Indys reluctance to ask its line-
backers to help improve the ane-
mic sack numbers is viewed by
some as a sign that the team be-
lieves its more important to keep
its run defense steady, a notion
thats difficult to argue with given
how badly it had been gashed in
the first four games.
Jerry Porter was supposed to help improve the Jaguars WR corps, but he hasnt done much to date.
H
A
R
R
Y
S
C
U
L
L
J
R
.
JACKSONVILLE
JAGUARS
HOUSTON
TEXANS
TENNESSEE
TITANS
INDIANAPOLIS
COLTS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
AFC WESTBy Dan Parr and Michael Blunda
WHISPERS
We hear Raiders
WR Ronald Curry is
as good as gone
when the season
ends. Sources say
Currys recent ban-
ishment to the inac-
tive list in Week 10,
even though he was
healthy enough to
play, is another sign
of the madness in
Oakland. Curry is a
team captain, and the
Raiders certainly
could use his help in
a receiving corps
thats short on talent
and experienced
players, especially
now that Javon
Walker has likely
been lost for the rest
of the season. While
Curry led the Raiders
in receiving in Week
11, we hear he likely
wont be brought
back for 2009.
The way we hear it,
Broncos RB Selvin
Young is confirming
his doubters cri-
tiques. Youngs dura-
bility has always been
questioned since he
entered the league.
Even his own head
coach, Mike Shana-
han, didnt think he
could handle being a
15- to 20-carry run-
ning back. Youngs re-
cent bout with a
lingering groin injury,
despite averaging
just nine carries per
game in five starts
this season, high-
lighted the concern
that he cant handle
the bulk of the work
for Denvers back-
field.
Sources close to
the Chargers say that
2007 first-round WR
Buster Davis has
completely fallen out
of favor with the or-
ganization. Between
injuries and a serious
lack of production,
Davis has failed to
live up to his lofty
draft status and
doesnt appear to be
in the team's future
plans, especially with
the recent emer-
gence of WR Mal-
com Floyd.
RB Larry Johnson has been
the focal point of the Chiefs of-
fense since the 2005 season, but a
change in philosophy might force
him to take a reduced role going
forward. Even with Johnson, who
was either inactive or suspended in
Weeks Seven through 10, returning
last week, we hear that K.C. has no
plans to ditch its successful pass-
first spread attack. Installed in
Week Eight to make QB Tyler
Thigpen more comfortable, this
scheme has led to four of the
teams top five offensive outputs of
08. From what we hear, Johnson
could be asked to adapt his game
to better fit the system, as his
straight-ahead running style wont
necessarily work in this new forma-
tion. In fact, a smaller, quicker back
like rookie Jamaal Charles might
be more suitable for the teams
spread look, but he has been hob-
bled with an ankle injury. Johnson
rushed for 67 yards on 19 carries in
a loss to the Saints in Week 11.
After a disappointing start,
sources in Denver say Broncos DE
Elvis Dumervil could be in for a
strong second half of the season. In
the past few weeks, Dumervil has
looked more like the player that
hunted down quarterbacks for 12
1
2
sacks last season. He didnt have a
sack through the first four games,
when he was playing basically with
just one able hand. His injured right
pinkie had pins in it, which severely
limited his ability to gain leverage.
Dumervil, whos undersized for a
defensive end, relies more than
most players on his arms and
hands to gain an advantage. Since
the pins were removed in late Sep-
tember, the third-year veteran has
three sacks, and another one was
negated by a Dolphins penalty in
Week Nine. In Week 11, Dumervil
didnt have any sacks but did
record a QB hit. With the defense
ailing from a slew of injuries,
Dumervil is being counted on to
make big plays down the stretch.
For all the hype about new de-
fensive coordinator Ron Rivera
ratcheting up the pressure of the
Chargers defense, the on-field re-
sults certainly have not played out
this way. In Riveras first game at
the helm, the Bolts notched just
one sack, which came when Chiefs
QB Tyler Thigpen voluntarily ran
out of bounds. They also failed to
force any interceptions or fumbles.
In Week 11 vs. the Steelers, the
Chargers notched four sacks but
failed to record a turnover. We do
hear that Rivera has brought a
mental aggression to the unit,
and that he has turned the defen-
sive backs loose in hopes of creat-
ing more pass breakups and picks.
Whether this strategy works,
though, will depend on the contri-
butions of CB Antonio Cromar-
tie, who has struggled this season
after breaking out in 07. We hear
that the corner looks very tentative
and is lacking confidence, almost
as if he is afraid of getting burned.
Alack of direction and continuity
within the organization has jeop-
ardized the development of
Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell,
the way we hear it. Sources in Oak-
land say his numbers, which are re-
spectable, aside from a poor
completion percentage, and calm
demeanor tend to disguise the true
nature of his situation. Serious
damage has been done to the
2007 No. 1 overall picks progress
in the past few months.
Its bad enough when a young
quarterback experiences a change
in head coaches during his first full
season as a starter, especially one
that was as ugly as Al Davis dis-
missal of Lane Kiffin. Russell had
to deal with Davis telling the media
that Kiffin, who is still close to Rus-
sell, never wanted to draft him.
That public embarrassment pro-
vided a huge obstacle. Plus, the
team is on its third play-caller in
the past two months. Kiffin han-
dled the duties before offensive co-
ordinator Greg Knapp took over
in full when Kiffin was fired. Knapp
was stripped of the responsibility
prior to Week 10, when interim
head coach Tom Cable started
handling it.
Things only have grown worse
for Russell since the head-coach-
ing change, close observers of the
team say. Cables decision to im-
plement a more open passing
game was a mistake, by most ac-
counts. Even Cable has hinted that
it was too much for Russell to han-
dle. Fans of the team and Davis
were frustrated by Kiffins slow, de-
liberate approach with Russell, but
it appears to have been the correct
one. Russell was playing much bet-
ter under a more conservative
scheme.
As young quarterbacks like the
Ravens Joe Flacco and the Fal-
cons Matt Ryan are flourishing
on well-structured teams with solid
talent surrounding them, Russell
has been left with a club in peril.
The Raiders lost to both Baltimore
and Atlanta this season, and the
difference in the QB situations,
along with the direction of the fran-
chises, could not have been
clearer.
Despite all the shuffling and los-
ing, Russell has displayed remark-
able poise. He has a strong arm
and huge frame, but his sense of
calm is arguably his best quality.
Its a good thing he has it. Acool
head might be the one thing that
can get him through this trying
start to his professional career.
The development of QB JaMarcus Russell has been hampered by the dysfunctional state of the Raiders.
K
E
I
T
H
S
C
H
L
E
I
D
E
N
KANSAS CITY
CHIEFS
DENVER
BRONCOS
SAN DIEGO
CHARGERS
OAKLAND
RAIDERS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC EASTBy Eric Edholm
WHISPERS
The Giants expect
to increase the rush-
ing load of RB Ahmad
Bradshawas the reg-
ular season wears on.
Its a plan they have
designed, just as
Bradshaw went from
nobody to major con-
tributor in the final
few weeks of last sea-
son. The coaches
hope using Bradshaw,
whom they like, will
provide a changeup
for defenses and allow
Brandon Jacobs
and Derrick Ward to
avoid getting burned
out before the play-
offs.
The Eagles probably
are a couple of weeks
removed from decid-
ing the fate of ORG
Shawn Andrews this
season. He hasnt
been allowed to fly
back to the Philadel-
phia area after back
surgery and might not
be able to get into
game shape by sea-
sons end. The Eagles
are carrying a roster
spot for him but might
need to make a move
as the playoff run
draws near.
One factor in decid-
ing who will back up
Tony Romo in Dallas
is which quarterback
can hold on extra
points and field-goal
tries. Brad Johnson
was demoted to the
No. 3 spot in terms of
QB hierarchy, behind
Brooks Bollinger,
but he has been the
holder, and the team
didnt like its other op-
tions there (Bollinger,
WR Patrick Crayton
or P Sam Paulescu).
Some Redskins ob-
servers were sur-
prised that it was CB
Leigh Torrence, not
DE Erasmus James,
who was let go when
the team signed free-
agent CB DeAngelo
Hall. Even more sur-
prising is that defen-
sive coordinator
Greg Blache said
that he didnt really
see James getting
more snaps going
forward unless there
were injuries.
It has not gone unnoticed that
while the Cowboys offense went
sour during QB Tony Romos three
games of missed action, RB-KR
Felix Jones has missed even more
time with a partially torn hamstring.
Not shockingly, both the run game
and special teams have fallen off.
With Jones in the lineup, the Cow-
boys were averaging 4.8 yards per
rush and Jones was averaging 27.1
yards per kickoff return. In the four
games Jones has missed, the Cow-
boys have gained 3.9 yards per
carry and 20.2 yards per kickoff re-
turn. Even when Jones doesnt get
the ball on offense, he still has an
effect on the defense, which knows
hes a home-run threat from almost
anywhere on the field. Jones did not
play last Sunday despite declar-
ing himself 100 percent healthy
after not practicing all week. The
Cowboys, though, were effective on
the ground vs. the Redskins, with
Marion Barber rushing for 114
yards and a TD on 24 carries.
The Eagles know they probably
need to win a close game if they are
going to make the playoffs and ad-
vance deep into the postseason. So
far this season, they havent, and
the trend dates back even farther
than that. In fact, the Eagles have
lost 10 of their past 12 games that
have been decided by six points or
fewer and are 6-16-1 (including last
weeks 13-13 tie vs. the Bengals) in
their past 23 such games. This sea-
son, the Eagles have led in each of
their three NFC East contests but
have lost all three following the 36-
31 loss to the Giants in Week 10.
The four losses this season have
come by a combined 19 points, and
the three division losses have been
by a total of 15. If we want to be
even more critical, QB Donovan
McNabb has an even worse record
in these situations. Throwing out
the three close wins Jeff Garcia
had late in 2006, the McNabb-led
Eagles have won only one of the
past 13 close games he has started.
The Giants were absolutely giddy
about first-round S Kenny Phillips
this summer, and yet the team
didnt need to start him until Week
10 when James Butler was hurt
against the Eagles. LB Chase
Blackburn had toiled for most of
the season (and his career) as a
backup and special-teamer until he
played a terrific game against the
Eagles. Now, both are starting and
might not give up their spots.
Phillips has played very well as a
subpackage safety and third option,
and the Giants knew it was only a
matter of time before he broke into
the starting lineup. He has great ball
skills and range and is the most ath-
letic safety the team has had in
years. Blackburn is an overachiever
and has benefited from hard work
and film study to take the starting
WLB position that has been a bit of
a revolving door with Gerris Wilk-
erson, who is injured, and Bryan
Kehl, who made some plays but
also some rookie mistakes.
The Redskins have been living
dangerously, with their defense not
making a lot of big plays in terms
of interceptions, fumbles and
sacks, so they were more than
happy to add a player such as CB
DeAngelo Hall. For all his cover-
age concerns early in the season,
Hall has shown a knack in his
young career for making intercep-
tions and he had one in the first
quarter of his first game with his
new team and he could help the
team in that category.
But the team also will look to
sign Hall long term if he shows any-
thing at all over the final half of the
season, and his signing likely would
lead to the departure of Shawn
Springs, who has battled injuries
the past few seasons and would
carry an unwieldy salary for 2009.
It would be surprising for the Red-
skins to pick up his entire contract,
and Springs likely wouldnt want to
renegotiate unless the team added
years to his deal.
That said, the team would love to
have Springs healthy this season
for whatever time he has left. Right
now, hes battling a calf injury,
which kept him out against of last
weeks loss to the Cowboys. Car-
los Rogers (heel) and Fred
Smoot (groin) have also been bat-
tling nagging injuries, but both
managed to start Week 11.
There has been talk for more
than a year of moving Springs to
safety, but that wouldnt be in
place of either LaRon Landry or
Chris Horton. Rather, the team
could use Springs as the center
fielder in its Cobra package that
uses three safeties. This also would
move Landry closer to the line of
scrimmage with the hopes that he
can help with the takeaway prob-
lems.
Springs still has value to this
team. He shut down Cowboys WR
Terrell Owens in Week Four by
playing tough, man-press de-
fense, and, when healthy, Springs
can match up with some of the
best in the league. Springs also
can play the slot effectively, which
the Redskins need. But Hall was
brought in to guard against the in-
juries lasting longer than ex-
pected.
When all four corners are
healthy, the Redskins will have a
wealth at the position. They could
play dime defense with four cor-
ners and match up well against
some of the best passing teams
and not lose that much in the run
defense or tackling departments.
Cowboys QB Tony Romo returned to action in Week 11 after missing three games with a broken pinkie.
J
A
M
E
S
D
.
S
M
I
T
H
DALLAS
COWBOYS
PHILADELPHIA
EAGLES
NEWYORK
GIANTS
WASHINGTON
REDSKINS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC NORTHBy Dan Arkush and Eric Edholm
WHISPERS
The Vikings are not
disappointed that
second-year DE Brian
Robison has only one
sack after getting 4
1
2
as a rookie. In fact, he
has carved out a nice
role for himself,
spelling starting DEs
Jared Allen and Ray
Edwards and also
moving inside on
passing downs. Robi-
son has a good motor
and has come back
nicely after having
blood clots in his leg
in August.
Lions QB Dan
Orlovsky will not
have surgery yet and
hopes to play again
this season despite
two fractures and a
torn ligament in his
right thumb. And
theres still a chance
he could play in the
final few games if hes
able, despite the sign-
ing of Daunte
Culpepper. Of
course, Orlovsky, a
free agent at seasons
end, also wouldnt
mind getting a little
more exposure.
There are some
Bears observers who
believe second-year
pro Nick Roach
should not have re-
placed the older,
slower Hunter Hil-
lenmeyer at strong-
side linebacker. Our
sources dont think
Roach did anything
well enough to de-
serve such a promo-
tion. Said one source:
Theyre really jump-
ing the gun putting
Roach ahead of Hil-
lenmeyer. Hes done
nothing special at all
as a starter.
We hear more than
a few Bears oppo-
nents continue to be
extremely impressed
by rookie DT Marcus
Harrison.
How good a run
blocker is Packers
WR Ruvell Martin?
Hes the best run
blocker Ive seen, fel-
low WR Donald Dri-
ver told one team
insider. And I played
with a lot of guys.
It has been hard to ignore the dis-
appointing efforts of players such
as DT Tommie Harris and MLB
Brian Urlacher who recently have
signed long-term deals. But one
freshly minted high-profile Bear
who has more than earned his keep
is WLB Lance Briggs, whose six-
year, $36 million contract extension
last March including more than
$12 million in guaranteed money
appears to have been money very
well spent. Hes the one guy in this
defense who you notice every
week, a veteran team insider said
of Briggs, whose return to the Bears
this season seemed like a long shot
a year ago at this time. You could
make a case for this being the year
that he surpasses Urlacher as the
teams signature defender. Briggs
has been particularly solid against
the run and is among a select few
NFL defenders this season to have
at least half a sack, one forced fum-
ble, one fumble recovery and one
interception to his credit.
Already struggling mightily
against the run this season, the
Packers defense could ill afford to
lose starting MLB Nick Barnett,
who were told is facing at least an
eight-month rehab stretch after
tearing his ACL in the Week 10 loss
to the Vikings. Team sources be-
lieve Barnett was probably playing
his best game of the year when he
went down for the count early in
the third quarter. Although Barnett,
the teams leading tackler four of
the last five years, wasnt playing
nearly as well as he was a year ago
at this time he was the teams
leading tackler entering Week 10
but did not have a sack or an inter-
ception his speed, knowledge of
the defense and nonstop intensity
are expected to be sorely missed.
Former first-round draft pick A.J.
Hawk has moved over from the
weak side to replace Barnett, but
word is second-year pro Desmond
Bishop could still see plenty of
playing time in the middle.
The gruesome dislocated ankle
injury to CB Charles Gordon will
end his season and put the Vikings
in a spot two spots, actually.
They must find a new nickel cor-
nerback and a new punt returner.
Although Gordon had his flaws at
both spots, he appeared to be
making strides in recent weeks. On
defense, it appears that Benny
Sapp, who caught a lot of eyes by
making interceptions in training
camp but also for getting burned
on deep passes routinely, will take
the vacancy. He likely will take the
nickel spot and play in the slot;
Antoine Winfield might be the
best slot corner on the team, but
hes also the best outside, where
the coaches would prefer to leave
him. The team put in a claim on
former Redskins CB Leigh Tor-
rence, who landed with the Saints,
and could promote rookie CB
Marcus Walker from the practice
squad but havent made a move
for now.
The job of the media is not to
bury coaches, especially when the
players appear to be giving the kind
of effort for which any head coach
could ask. But Rod Marinellis sit-
uation in Detroit bears close watch
because his team now has lost 17 of
18 games, including all 10 in 2008.
The Lions players have not given
up, and its evident in watching the
games. The team still is playing
hard, but its execution has been so
poor that the immediate reaction is
to question the coaching, the
schemes and the teams lack of ad-
justments despite such similar
themes week in and week out.
Marinelli lamented the fact that
the Jaguars essentially ran four
basic run plays in the 38-14 loss in
Week 10 and that the Lions were un-
able to adjust or stop them. That
kind of admission will get most
coaches fired.
Marinelli often uses a digging
metaphor when talking about con-
tinuing to go to work every week,
but when asked metaphorically if it
might be time to change shovels, he
said: No, thats where I totally dis-
agree because thats soft. You can
blame it on your shovel, you blame it
on this. No. You just keep going with
belief and expectations. Thats what
I do. I dont do that, what you just
did. I disagree 100 percent.
Team observers respect the fact
that Marinelli and his coaches have
remained unwavering in their ap-
proach, believing that their system
can work. But the fact that it hasnt
worked at all to date bears out two
clear facts: the Lions simply dont
have a talented or deep roster and
the coaches have been unable to do
anything about it.
The first fact got GM Matt
Millen fired in September. The sec-
ond could lead to Marinellis ouster
at seasons end.
The Lions must win multiple
games in order to prevent their
coach from being fired, it appears,
but the list of possible wins shrinks
with each harrowing loss. The com-
bined record of the teams left on the
schedule (Tampa Bay, Tennessee,
Minnesota, Indianapolis, New Or-
leans and Green Bay) is 38-22.
All of the remaining six oppo-
nents either are in first place, tied
for first place or are in serious con-
tention for a wild-card spot or their
division title.
The Lions have already faced two
of their remaining opponents, los-
ing 48-25 to the Packers in Week
Two and 12-10 to the Vikings in
Week Six.
Head coach Rod Marinelli has not been able to get the Lions on the winning track since arriving in Detroit.
S
P
O
R
T
P
I
C
S
CHICAGO
BEARS
GREEN BAY
PACKERS
MINNESOTA
VIKINGS
DETROIT
LIONS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC SOUTHBy Dan Parr
WHISPERS
The Panthers have
been eager to get C
Ryan Kalil back on
the field, but close
observers of the team
say it mishandled his
return from an ankle
injury. Carolina
started Kalil in Week
10, but he aggravated
the injury and had to
leave the game. It set
him back, we hear,
and could keep him
out for a longer pe-
riod than would have
been necessary had
the Panthers re-
mained patient.
The right side of the
Falcons offensive line,
OG Harvey Dahl and
OT Tyson Clabo, is
coming up on free
agency this offseason.
Both players will be
restricted free agents.
We hear Atlanta would
like to keep that
scrappy unit together,
although it will not be
willing to issue a high
tender on either
player.
In addition to pro-
viding a mental boost
for the final stretch,
sources say Cadillac
Williams return
should give the Bucs a
good read on what
theyll have in their
backfield heading into
next season. Rather
than having to wait
and see what Williams
can do in game ac-
tion, Tampa should
have a sense of what
shape hes in following
a serious knee injury,
which kept him out for
more than a year.
Tampa might need to
retool its backfield,
especially with War-
rick Dunn nearing
the end of his career
and Williams trying to
restart his own.
Word out of New Or-
leans is the Saints feel
Billy Miller is a bet-
ter bet for them at
tight end than Je-
remy Shockey in the
two-minute offense.
The frustration with
Shockey, who has
been plagued by in-
juries as well as a soft
grasp of the playbook,
is mounting within the
organization. It ap-
pears Miller will get
the nod in passing sit-
uations late in games.
The Buccaneers offense has
dealt with being labeled as too pre-
dictable for much of this season.
Prior to the teams Week 10 bye,
defenses seemed to have a good
feel for what Tampa Bay had
planned. Akey component to
changing those perceptions is WR
Joey Galloway, according to
sources in Tampa. Galloway missed
five games with a foot injury before
returning in Week Eight and close
observers say he has not looked
sharp since coming back. Last
week vs. the Vikings, Galloway was
held without a catch. We hear it has
taken the soon-to-be 37-year-old
quite a bit of time to get back into
playing shape, and he still might
not be 100 percent. Head coach
Jon Gruden has been hesitant to
throw the deep ball, but if Galloway
can prove hes back at full health,
that is likely to change. When Gal-
loway is speeding down the field at
full tilt, he is one of the leagues
most dangerous receivers.
We hear that its no coincidence
that the Falcons improved play on
defense came at almost the same
time CB Domonique Foxworth
was elevated to the starting lineup.
He has stabilized the left corner
spot after his predecessor, Brent
Grimes, who had played in two
games prior to this season,
scrapped his way through a six-
game starting stint before suffer-
ing a knee injury. Having the bigger,
stronger, more polished Foxworth
on the field has allowed Atlanta to
play more man coverage, close ob-
servers say, which has freed up SS
Lawyer Milloy to do what he does
best more often, such as coming
up to the line to stick tight ends
and help stuff the run. Atlanta
traded for Foxworth just before the
season began, but he quickly grew
frustrated with his new team when
he was relegated to backup duty.
Foxworth, who will be a free agent
this winter, isnt complaining any-
more.
DeAngelo Williams has out-
performed Jonathan Stewart re-
cently, but sources in Carolina say
they dont expect the Panthers to
change their approach to splitting
carries, which has slightly favored
Williams thus far. We hear the
clubs coaching staff still views the
RB situation as a platoon and
Stewart isnt going to have his role
diminished, despite a bit of a
slump prior to Week 11. The two-
headed RB attack was highly suc-
cessful last week vs. the Lions,
when Stewart rushed for 130 yards
on 15 carries and Williams con-
tributed 120 yards on 14 rushes.
During Stewarts dry spell, he was
not being decisive enough with his
carries, and he dealt with a heel in-
jury recently, which also could ex-
plain his struggles. Many figured
Stewart, the Panthers first-round
pick (13th overall), would be the
featured back at some point this
season, but Williams strong play
has altered those perceptions.
Sources in New Orleans say its
hard to get a feel for where the ma-
jority of blame will go when the
Saints coaches and executives
gather after the season to evaluate
their porous defense.
There is the scheme, employed
by defensive coordinator Gary
Gibbs, which hasnt seemed to
work well since the start of last
season. The personnel, though, has
been just as disappointing. Typi-
cally a calm, collected bunch,
things have become so bad that
theyve taken to finger pointing on
the sideline, as in the case of CB
Mike McKenzie, who went off on
S Roman Harper in Week 10.
Whether its Gibbs or some
players, there likely will be a scape-
goat, sources say, if the team
misses the playoffs for the second
consecutive season, which ap-
pears to be a very real possibility
as things stand. Changes are
bound to be made with the focus
on the secondary, the way we hear
it.
Gibbs defense is designed to
not allow the big play, although the
Saints corners and safeties get
beat for long gains quite frequently
anyway, which is what happened to
Harper before McKenzie started
hollering. Last week against the
Chiefs, the Saints allowed passing
plays of 42 and 31 yards.
The D isnt an overly aggres-
sive one and blitzes rarely are
called. As the theory goes, with
such a great offense, the clubs de-
fense can afford to bend and even
spring a leak once in awhile. The
bending, however, has led to a full-
on break far too often.
Injuries have no doubt been a
problem for the secondary. Rookie
Tracy Porter had earned a start-
ing job before he injured his wrist in
an Oct. 6 loss to the Vikings and
was lost for the season. McKenzie,
who is regarded as the teams best
corner, worked his way back from a
torn ACL only to break his right
kneecap in New Orleans Week 10
loss to the Falcons, ending his sea-
son. Sources are concerned that
after two major knee injuries,
McKenzie, 32, might have to shut it
down and retire. The squad is left
to make do with a collection of
backups to get through the rest of
the season.
This offseason, the Saints will
have to rebuild around Porter, be-
cause as a close observer of the
team put it, hes the only one of the
defensive backs that needs to be
around beyond 2008.
The Buccaneers would like to see Joey Galloway be the catalyst to boost their deep-passing attack.
H
A
R
R
Y
S
C
U
L
L
J
R
.
TAMPA BAY
BUCCANEERS
ATLANTA
FALCONS
CAROLINA
PANTHERS
NEW ORLEANS
SAINTS
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
NFC WESTBy Dan Arkush
WHISPERS
Although the Cardi-
nals are apparently
not happy at all with
the inconsistent
punting of Dirk
Johnson, we hear
they are reluctant to
make a change be-
cause Johnson also
serves as the holder
for PK Neil Rackers,
who had problems
last season adjusting
to a change in hold-
ers after the team cut
P Scott Player.
Our Niners sources
believe that Vernon
Davis 18-yard TD
catch with Arizona
SS Adrian Wilson
covering him like a
blanket in the teams
Week 10 Monday-
night loss to the Car-
dinals will work
wonders for the
flawed but extremely
talented tight ends
confidence. Said one
team insider of Davis
effort: He had never
had a catch like that
in such a clutch situ-
ation, and it came
against one of the
best athletes in the
NFL. Davis also
scored a touchdown
in Week 11.
Rams RB Brian
Leonard recently
told team insiders
that his season-end-
ing shoulder injury
wasnt as serious as
originally feared and
that he should be 100
percent healthy for
the teams next off-
season training pro-
gram.
Our Seahawks
sources are question-
ing the wisdom of
having wasted a fifth-
round draft pick in
the trade with the
Broncos for WR
Keary Colbert, who
was released after
managing only seven
catches in seven
games. We hear the
Seahawks release of
Colbert had more to
do with giving a sec-
ond chance to a
hopefully more re-
laxed Courtney Tay-
lor, who was elevated
from the practice
squad after having
struggled in a start-
ing role earlier this
season.
Team sources tell us to be on the
lookout for more new wrinkles in
the Cardinals creative offense, with
their version of the Wildcat forma-
tion (the Pahokee, named after
WR Anquan Boldins hometown
and high school) at the top of head
coach Ken Whisenhunt and offen-
sive coordinator Todd Haleys list.
Theyre just scratching the surface
with the Wildcat, a veteran team
insider said of the formation the
Cardinals displayed in the first half
of their Week 10 victory over the
Niners, when Boldin carried the ball
three times for 19 yards from the
tailback slot. Theyve just been
waiting for Anquan to get fully
healthy again. With him being a for-
mer quarterback, he has great skills
for that formation. Speaking of
Haley, who quietly assumed the
teams play-calling duties from
Whisenhunt late last season, we
hear he could be one of the hottest
candidates for head-coaching va-
cancies in the offseason.
Our Rams sources agree that LB
Will Witherspoon would be better
off moving back to the weak side
his prior position with the Panthers
after no longer being able to fill
the bill as the teams starting mid-
dle linebacker. I have no idea
whats happened to him, a team in-
sider said of the Rams' MVP last
season, whose numbers are way
down from a year ago at this time.
Hes looked hesitant filling gaps,
and hes been getting just wiped out
at the second level. I think his shoul-
der could be hurting him because
he just hasnt looked right. He really
does appear to be badly miscast as
a middle linebacker right now.
Witherspoon did post a big tackle
total in Week 11 with 11 takedowns.
Coach Jim Haslett was critical of
his LB corps play in the Rams loss
to the Jets. SLB Quinton Culber-
son, who was starting because
Chris Draft is out, had what one
team insider described as just a
terrible, mistake-filled game.
When the Seahawks signed PK
Olindo Mare off the NFL scrap
heap this past offseason, word is
most of the teams higher-ups be-
lieved he merely would provide
veteran competition for seventh-
round rookie PK Brandon
Coutu, who was expected to be-
come the replacement for popular
free-agent departee Josh
Brown. But 11 weeks into the sea-
son, with Coutu not even kicking
in practice, Mare is making a
strong case as the teams MVP,
missing only one field goal (a 38-
yarder) in 16 attempts. Just as im-
portantly, Mare, who generates
surprising leg strength from his
wiry 5-11, 190-pound frame, con-
sistently has nailed his kickoffs
deep into the oppositions end-
zone or near the goal line. We hear
the team has decided to keep
Coutu on the roster as insurance
because of the hip issues that
plagued Mare last season with the
Saints.
After getting burned by an em-
barrassing goal-line meltdown on
the Week 10 Monday-night stage
but managing to more than hold
their own against the NFC West-
leading Cardinals in a 29-24 defeat,
the Niners continued to be, at the
very least, tremendously entertain-
ing in their second game under
new head coach Mike Singletary.
Singletary notched his first win
in his new position in Week 11.
Hes very ambitious, a long-
time team insider said of Single-
tary, who hasnt stopped making
changes since grabbing the reins.
Look what hes done in just two
weeks. Hes changed the starting
quarterback (replacing J.T. OSul-
livan with Shaun Hill). He re-
vamped the starting offensive line
(moving David Baas to left guard
and Adam Snyder to right
tackle). Hes added new wide re-
ceivers (Jason Hill and Do-
minique Zeigler) and has created
a situation with the players at that
position now competing for playing
time every day in practice.
Then, with the defense, hes
going with much more 3-4. Hes
playing (first-round rookie DE)
Kentwan Balmer more. Its all
quite dramatic, maybe almost too
ambitious. But one thing has be-
come pretty clear: If hes going
down, hes going down swinging.
And the way were now hearing it,
offensive coordinator Mike Martz
who took the blame for the Nin-
ers costly clock mismanagement in
the waning moments of their Mon-
day-night loss is totally on board
with Singletary and the new head
coachs apparent desire for a more
conventional, power-oriented attack.
What you saw Monday night was
very un-Martz like, the team insider
said. But hes a very smart guy,
and I think he sees the handwriting
on the wall, that he needs to adapt.
You have to question if his system is
even viable in todays NFL. Unless
you have a New York Giants-type of-
fensive line, it just isnt going to
work, and there certainly isnt a line
like that in San Francisco.
There is a line, however, with a
new, more physical look, and Sny-
der, who had problems at left
guard, is now in a situation where
we hear the starting ORT job is his
to lose. It had been assumed that
veteran Jonas Jennings, who has
been injured, was healthy enough
to regain the starting ORT job.
But, according to the team in-
sider, It just looks like Jonas might
be out of the mix.
Seahawks PK Olindo Mare was expected to be a camp body last summer but has emerged as a true weapon.
P
A
U
L
S
P
I
N
E
L
L
I
/
G
E
T
T
Y
I
M
A
G
E
S
ARIZONA
CARDINALS
ST. LOUIS
RAMS
SEATTLE
SEAHAWKS
SAN FRANCISCO
49ERS
MENTOR
AND PEER
Ravens LB Ray Lewis has been an invaluable resource for many
NFL players and hes not slowing down at age 33 By JAMISON HENSLEY
COVER STORY
OWINGS MILLS, Md. Two-time Defensive Player of
the Year. Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. One of the great-
est middle linebackers in football history.
Now, the Ravens Ray Lewis can add another title to his
illustrious career: The Godfather of the NFL.
While Lewis is known for slamming players to the
ground, he is the first to pick them up off the field, becom-
ing a confidant to many around the league.
From Chargers OLB Shawne Merriman to Seahawks MLB
Lofa Tatupu to Vikings
RB Adrian Peterson,
Lewis has mentored the
NFLs young superstars
on the game, training reg-
imen and, most impor-
tantly, life.
Lewis estimated that
he talks, sends text mes-
sages to and counsels 15 to
20 players on some days.
Its a rush for me. Its a
high for me, Lewis said.
My greatest legacy will not be about how hard I hit on the
field but how many people I was able to bless.
Lewis first runs into players at the Pro Bowl and at dif-
ferent social events. The meetings usually end with Lewis
giving out his cell phone number.
When players find themselves with a problem, thats when
Lewis usually hears from them again.
It was just last training camp when disgruntled Bengals
WR Chad Ocho Cinco phoned Lewis for advice.
Lewis message: Stop complaining and start appreciat-
ing life in the NFL.
Hes my spiritual father when Im having problems, Ocho
Cinco said earlier this season. Ray has been there for me
through everything. Ray is really the only reason Ive some-
what shut up and calmed down and came back and refo-
cused my energy on helping my team get to the playoffs and
all my energy being positive.
So, Ray is really the reason Im back here happy, smil-
ing and ready to go again.
Lewis routinely will call players and tell them a favorite
scripture passage. He ll remind them to drink the right
amount of water. Hell even chat for a half-hour about dis-
secting the screen pass, like he did recently with 49ers LB
Patrick Willis.
Before the Ravens Monday-night game at Pittsburgh on
Sept. 29, Lewis received a text message from Willis, his
newest pupil, which read: Show me what you got because
you know I ll be watching.
It turns into a real brotherhood from our conversation,
Lewis said.
But Lewis knows the connection extends beyond a
brotherhood.
He has become a father figure to many players, much like
Shannon Sharpe and Rod Woodson were for him years ago.
When I was a child, thats the thing I never had, said
Lewis, 33, who was raised by his mother. As a man, thats
what youre looking for some real good advice from some-
body they can trust.
While Lewis seems to be giving so much advice, time
and energy he insists that he receives more in return.
What I get out of it is watching these guys grow, he said.
Thats the reward for any parent. When you instill some-
thing in a kid and you get it put into fruition, youre like,
Wow. He really listened.
Lewis has not only grabbed the attention of the players
around the NFL. After recent injury-marred seasons,
Lewis is playing like an elite linebacker again.
Run up the middle of the Ravens defense at your own
risk. Draws dont work, and neither do screens.
Its getting to the point with Ray where its almost ridicu-
lous, Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said. Hes
a phenom. His contact and tackling is as crisp and as good
as I can remember. He is still flying around and is always
in the right spots. If I had to describe one thing about Ray
that stands out, I couldnt, because he is the total package.
The Ravens are in a transition season with a new coach
in John Harbaugh and a new quarterback in Joe Flacco.
The one constant has been the Ravens top-notch defense,
whose determination comes from Lewis.
That was proven in Week Three, when the Ravens
trailed the Browns 10-7.
On the third play of the third quarter, Lewis crushed Kellen
Winslow over the middle, dislodging the ball from the
Browns physical tight end. CB Chris McAlister plucked the
ball from the air and ran 12 yards to the Cleveland 12-yard
line, setting up the go-ahead touchdown in the Ravens 28-
10 victory.
He just knew he had to make a play, and thats what lead-
Coaches, teammates and opponents all agree that
Ray Lewis is playing as well as he ever has.
WEB
EXCLUSIVE
NFList: Five memorable
games in Ray Lewis career.
READ IT ONLY ON:
P r o F o o t b a l l We e k l y . c o m
S
P
O
R
T
P
I
C
S
ers do, Ravens ROLB Terrell Suggs said of the Lewis hit.
I mean, were yall shocked?
The biggest surprise is how Lewis can maintain this lev-
el of play.
After years of chasing down running backs, all of the NFLs
great middle linebackers eventually found something
they themselves couldnt elude time.
Bears star Mike Singletary decided to retire after 12 sea-
sons, before his play declined. Pittsburghs Jack Lambert
walked away after 11 years because of a severe toe injury.
And the Bears Dick Butkus stopped after nine seasons be-
cause of multiple knee injuries.
So, how can Lewis continue to remain in Pro Bowl form
after 13 seasons?
His play on the field is dictated by his work off it.
His workouts are legendary. He still runs steep hills with
a log on his back. He is constantly in the sauna and always
is stretching, which helps to cut down on injuries.
At home, he has hired a personal chef, who cooks fish and
vegetables. He keeps himself hydrated by drinking two gal-
lons of water daily.
Then, at night, Lewis watches hours of film. He ll pick
up how a lineman puts his hand down on certain plays. Hell
note how a running back stands before a screen play.
These details help him predict where the ball is going be-
fore it is snapped.
My greatest reward is in my sacrifice how much film
I watch, Lewis said. Some of them might want to run a
screen or try to run in my area. Im like, Are you serious?
You dont think I watched that all week?
I would never want to be in my 20s again. I know too
much right now.
Colts QB Peyton Manning has a firsthand knowledge of
Lewis film work.
Theres many a time when Ive heard Ray calling out our
plays, and hes been pretty accurate at times, Manning said.
Lewis psychological game even extends to running
backs. With some vicious head-on hits, he is putting fear
into opposing runners. He ended Steelers RB Rashard
Mendenhalls season in Week Four. It was the same back
in 2000 when he train-wrecked Jerome Bettis, Corey Dil-
lon and Eddie George.
I was pretty intimidated by him, and I was on his team,
Ravens LOLB Jarret Johnson said.
Still, how long will Lewis remain on the team?
Lewis is scheduled to make $6.5 million in the final sea-
son of a seven-year, $50 million contract. That included a
$19 million signing bonus (an NFL record at the time).
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said earlier this year that
the team would actively pursue Lewis if he reaches free
agency.
If he becomes a free agent, I think the Ravens would prob-
ably outbid other teams, Bisciotti said at the NFL meetings
in March. We know Rays value more than the other teams.
We know the leadership he brings to the team. We know the
commitment and the effort he gives to winning.
This is the first time the Ravens have allowed Lewis to
reach the final year of his contract.
There is a possibility that the Ravens could use the fran-
chise tag on Lewis to keep him for another season. Lewis
hopes it wont come to that.
If the season ends and Im a totally free agent, for the
first time in my life I will be totally free, he said. You know
what that feels like for a man? Its one thing to deal with
a contract. Its one thing to deal with life without a contract.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel to make my own
decision.
Jamison Hensley covers the Ravens for the Baltimore Sun.
Ray Lewis has proven in 2008 that he still is a force both on the field and off it and has been a big reason why
the Ravens defense ranks among the leagues best in numerous categories.
S
P
O
R
T
P
I
C
S
FEATURE STORY
LOST
IN THE
BLACK
HOLE
ALAMEDA, Calif. As he draws closer to his 80th birth-
day in July, Raiders owner Al Davis remains one of the most
influential men in the NFL. He was part of the search com-
mittee formed to find a new commissioner two years ago
and is regularly consulted when the league faces revenue-
producing issues like the renewal of television contracts.
Yet it is in his own domain that Davis finds himself strug-
gling for answers.
After opening his checkbook this past offseason to fund
the leagues highest payroll, Davis has watched as the Raiders
devolved into what one player fittingly described as the
laughingstock of the league. Oakland enters Week 12 with
a 2-8 record, riding a four-game losing streak and steam-
rolling toward what almost assuredly will be a sixth
straight losing season.
How bad have things become? During a 24-0 loss at home
to Atlanta on Nov. 2, the Raiders were outgained in
yardage in the first half 309 to minus-2. Oakland managed
77 yards of total offense by games end, the fewest in the NFL
by any team since Dec. 12, 2004, when Cleveland had 26
yards against Buffalo. It also marked the fewest by any
Raiders team since 1961.
Yet that was just a bump in the road compared to what
else has gone on under Davis watch over the past year.
Four games into the season he fired head coach Lane Kif-
fin, ending a six-month feud between the two men that was
capped by a uniquely Al-like press conference in which
Davis brazenly and repeatedly called Kiffin a liar and ac-
cused him of not wanting to draft QB JaMarcus Russell
with the No. 1 overall pick last year. Later, he bizarrely
charged that the Patriots had tampered with then-Oak-
land WR Randy Moss.
Moments before introducing Kiffins replacement, offen-
sive line coach Tom Cable, Davis leaned over to an assis-
tant and asked who was going to introduce Cable to the as-
sembled media because I dont know that much about him.
Television cameras caught the exchange, replays of which
were shown numerous times on ESPN.
Following the Raiders 17-6 loss to Carolina in Week 10,
which stretched Oaklands touchdown-less streak to nine
quarters, Davis stripped offensive coordinator Greg Knapp
of his play-calling duties and turned them over to Cable, who
is now the third person calling plays for the team since the
season began.
For a team with a young quarterback like Russell, who
is trying to find his footing in the NFL, thats not exactly
a blueprint for success.
Several former Raiders players, most notably 2002
NFL MVP Rich Gannon, have been outspoken in their crit-
icisms of Davis and the franchise over the past several
months. Warren Sapp, who retired after last year, having
spent four years wearing the Silver and Black, said he would
never advise a player to sign with Oakland given the cur-
rent state of the franchise.
Al Davis still just wants
to win, but his recent
decisions have left the
Raiders with few victories
and no sense of direction
By MICHAEL WAGAMAN
JEDJACOBSOHN / GETTY IMAGES
BLACKED OUT Eric Edholm
O
akland is the black hole these days
the place where good players go to die.
Case in point: Nnamdi Asomugha, a
player whom many NFL fans still dont
know much about or much less can pro-
nounce him name. To most, it looks like a
typo.
But ask Steve Smith, one of Asomughas
latest victims, how good the cornerback is.
Smith had difficulty enunciating Aso-
mughas name this offseason as he watched
tape on him, but Smith now knows his
game inside out, after being held to one
catch for nine yards in Week 10.
It was one of my better games, Aso-
mugha told PFW. There were a number of
times where, if they kept throwing, I was
in a position (to make a play).
The list of receivers Asomugha has shut
down the past two seasons is long and dis-
tinguished: among them, Roddy White,
Derrick Mason, the Jets Jerricho Cotchery
and Laveranues Coles, and the Packers
Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. In
Week Three, Lee Evans dared to catch a
seven-yard pass on Asomugha and
promptly had the ball stripped. He even
covered TE Tony Gonzalez in Week Two
and held him down on those plays.
As the Raiders flounder through a 2-8
season, having lost 18 of their past 22
games, having fired their coach and axed
their most costly offseason addition,
DeAngelo Hall (costing them $8 million
and two draft picks for eight games serv-
ice), Asomugha is left to wither as the best
player by a mile on a bad football team.
He waits for the offseason, when hes set
to hit free agency again after having been
given the franchise tag coming into this
year. And with the team cutting Hall and
saving future money, the word is that the
Raiders are prepared to tag Asomugha a
second time, despite a 120 percent kicker
that likely will pay him in the neighborhood
of almost $12 million for another season.
But one more year in Oakland just
might break Asomughas will. A source
close to the player told PFW that Aso-
mugha is not happy in Oakland and cer-
tainly doesnt want the tag again.
I didnt want it coming into this sea-
son, he said. Its a big question mark. You
could get injured, you have to perform
theres just so much that goes into that one
year. You want some sort of insurance, and
I didnt get that coming into this season.
Asomugha has voiced his opinion loudly
on Hall, questioning the wisdom of invest-
ing so much in a player and simply cutting
him after eight games. He has been blind-
sided by Lane Kiffins firing, and as team
captain, Asomugha was unhappy with the
benching of Ronald Curry and Michael
Huff, to the point where he sought an au-
dience with owner Al Davis to express his
and his teammates unhappiness.
That was another one of the shockers
because you work so hard, Asomugha
said, pausing to choose his words carefully,
to get a quiet moment. A moment where
theres nothing going on in the media.
You want to play football and focus on
that, and maybe get a victory this week so
people arent laughing at us or calling us
the worst team in the league. But then you
get something that big to happen, and it
puts you right back in the news again.
It not only frustrated me, but it also
frustrated a lot of my teammates. Were
trying to change this from being, whatever
you want to call it, Crazytown. We want it
to be serious football.
Asomugha has taken his job very serious-
ly, turning around a career that was border-
ing on going bust after his first three sea-
sons, where he wasnt playing very well and
it wasnt clear where his best position was.
He made a name for himself in 2006, when
he intercepted eight passes, crediting vora-
cious film study and off-field work for his
improvement, even working on his hands
by catching passes with the wide receivers.
Despite intercepting only two passes his
past 26 games, Asomugha said his 07 and
08 seasons have been even better. In that
time teams largely have ignored Asomugha,
choosing not to throw in his direction.
Brett Favre has played him twice the
past two years, one NFL talent evaluator
said, and I dont think he even looked to
that side of the field either time.
In 07, teams threw in Asomughas direc-
tion 30 times. In the first nine games in
08, teams threw to the man Asomugha
was covering 11 times. The Panthers went
his way three times in Week 10 one was
intercepted, one was tipped and one was
overthrown. The lack of action has meant
fewer interceptions, and for a guy set to hit
free agency, it has been frustrating.
You come into games prepared, youve
studied the whole week and youre just so
ready to make so many plays, and you
dont see any action. Thats one of the most
frustrating feelings for a corner if they ever
get to deal with that, he said.
More frustrating has been Asomughas
plight in Oakland. He was drafted in 03,
four months after the Raiders lost Super
Bowl XXXVII. In his six seasons, the team
has a 21-69 record, and Asomugha said he
already has sensed an every man for him-
self atmosphere around the team facility.
I have felt that every single year I have
been here, but never this early, he said.
Despite his improvement into perhaps
the best cover man in the NFL, Asomugha
is suffering as a relatively unknown name
on a team going nowhere. And if the
Raiders have their way, they ll suck him
back into the black hole for another year.
You can definitely as I think I have
go overlooked, he said. Youre playing
well, but no one is seeing your highlights.
It then just becomes the coaches and play-
ers who watch the game film that know
that youre a decent football player.
I just hope I get a chance to show that,
wherever it might be.
Asomugha withers away as great player on bad team
An increasingly frustrated fan base also has set its
sights on Davis, with Internet message boards littered with
pleas for Davis to step down.
Through it all, Davis remains as he always has: defiant,
unrepentant and steadfast in his belief that the Raiders are
not as far away from being a playoff contender as most think.
Since 2002, however, the Raiders have lost more games
than any other NFL team. Barring a dramatic turn of events
over the final two months of the season, Davis is staring at
a top-five draft pick for the third consecutive year.
Many fans and sportswriters have suggested that the only
way the Raiders will improve is for Davis to step down as
the controlling force of the franchise, but there are no in-
dications of that happening any time soon.
Shortly after the coaching change, Davis ordered a ma-
jor roster shakeup. Veteran wide receiver and team captain
Ronald Curry was benched in favor of rookie Chaz Schilens.
FS Michael Huff, the teams first-round draft pick in 06,
also was removed from the starting lineup. OLT Kwame Har-
ris, another of the teams free-agent acquisitions, is in dan-
ger of losing his job to second-year player Mario Hender-
son.
Five days prior to Oaklands Nov. 9 game against Caroli-
na, Davis decided to cut ties with two-time Pro Bowl CB
DeAngelo Hall after just eight games. Davis traded second-
and fifth-round picks to the Falcons in order to obtain Hall,
who later was given a $70 million, seven-year contract by
the club.
But after giving up several big plays during the first two
months of the season and becoming a favorite target of quar-
terbacks around the league, Hall was unceremoniously
dumped in the middle of the season.
The moves have Davis fingerprints all over them.
Cable, who had minimal coaching experience in the NFL
and whose only head-coaching experience came during four
losing years at the University of Idaho, insisted the changes
were his doing, but that was difficult to believe. He praised
Hall at length one week before the Raiders cut him. Cable
also was emphatic in saying Henderson had no chance of
starting against the Panthers in Week 10, only to reverse
course 24 hours later and say that Henderson and Harris
would split time against Carolina.
So how does Davis get out of the mess he has created?
He began by waiving Hall, who was paid $8 million for eight
games ($7 million signing bonus, $1 million in base pay).
And although WR Javon Walker remained on the roster,
he also was rumored to be on the chopping block, and his
situation undoubtedly will be reviewed in the offseason. In
addition, SS Gibril Wilson, who signed a $39 million deal,
and DT Tommy Kelly ($55 million) will have to restructure
their deals or face getting cut.
Sources say Davis plans to use the savings to address Oak-
lands shortcomings along the offensive and defensive
lines. Harris and ORT Cornell Green almost assuredly will
be playing elsewhere next season, and the Raiders have to
find someone to help improve a run defense that has been
no better than 22nd in the NFL since 2002.
But personnel alone wont do the trick. As Wilson
pointed out, We need to have a vision of where were try-
ing to take this team. If you dont have a vision and youre
just trying to plug in players, then youre always going to
get the same results.
Therein lies the rub. The vision of the Raiders is Davis
and his alone. Although he talked about the possibility of
hiring someone to help with the football operations when
discussing the coaching change, its unlikely hell ever hand
over complete control of the decisions to anyone.
Even if he did hire someone to help, its debatable how
much leeway that person would be given or how Davis would
react if the two men had a difference of opinion. Since the
season began, sources say, Davis quit talking to two long-
time high-ranking officials after they tried to step in and
calm the situation between him and Kiffin.
It would also help if Davis would give his head coaches
a little more rope. Since 2001, Davis has hired and fired
Bill Callahan, Norv Turner, Art Shell and now Kiffin. Ca-
ble, who was not given an upgraded contract when he was
promoted, almost assuredly is out the door at seasons end,
as well. That would mean another coaching change, anoth-
er new system being brought in and another year of start-
ing over.
Michael Wagaman is a beat writer for Silver&Black Illus-
trated.
OPINION
PUBLISHERS PEN Hub Arkush, publisher/editor
WHAT WE THINK WHAT YOU THINK
LETTERS POLICY
Sendletterstoletters@pfwmedia.com, byfaxto
(847) 940-1108or byU.S. mail toLetterstotheEditor,
ProFootball Weekly, 302SaundersRoad, Suite100,
Riverwoods, IL60015. Limit of 250words. Include
name, hometownanddaytimephonenumber
(phonefor verificationpurposesonly). Wereservethe
right toedit lettersfor content andbrevity.
T
he media business is beyond tough
these days, so much so that an awful
lot of us have tried to pick up an extra
gig or two on the side just to keep our fam-
ilies nourished, warm and mobile. Im for-
tunate enough to be roaming the sidelines
this year and reporting for Westwood
Ones national radio broadcasts of the
NFLs Thursday-night football games this
season and so far have been treated to two
outstanding ballgames.
The reason I mention it here is the over-
time battle between the Patriots and Jets at
the Razor in Foxborough left me with a
few lasting impressions that could have
long-range implications across the NFL.
The game gave us two quarterbacks who
could very well prove to be two of the
biggest stories of the season when the his-
tory is written on 2008; two clubs that
could end up seeing each other again in
the playoffs, with one possibly ending up
in the Super Bowl; a coaching matchup in
which the master mopped up the field with
the student everywhere but on the score-
board; and a cast of supporting characters
on the Jets who dont get nearly enough
national ink but are playing at a level well
above most of the rest of the NFL.
Matt Cassel may have gone seven full
seasons without ever starting a football
game in college or the NFL, but he is not
only the starting quarterback of the Patri-
ots now, his performance against the Jets
practically guaranteed him a three- to
four-year contract after this season to go
start at quarterback for somebody else, for
something in the range of $25-$30 mil-
lion. Thats the going rate Derek Anderson
established last season.
Absurd as it is to call Brett Favre the oth-
er guy, what a privilege it is to watch an
artist at work. Here is everything you need
to know about Favre today: Hes not just a
surefire, first-ballot Hall of Famer, hes still
playing very much at that level. As impres-
sive as the additions of Alan Faneca, Kris
Jenkins, Calvin Pace and others have been,
it is Favre who now makes the Jets a truly
legitimate Super Bowl threat.
For those of you who wrote off the Patri-
ots after Tom Brady went down, shame on
you. Even after losing Laurence Maroney,
Adalius Thomas, Rodney Harrison and
several other significant contributors, Bill
Belichick has managed to make Cassel a
big-time threat at QB while plugging each
and every hole left by his losses. And after
his club went down 24-6 to the Jets in the
second quarter, he rewrote his game plan
on the fly and completely dominated Eric
Manginis Jets all the way to overtime. If
the Jets dont win the coin toss, the Pats
probably end up with a miracle comeback.
But lets get back to the Jets, because
while I never would have thought it before
this ballgame, I now believe Favre has
every reason to be thinking Super Bowl.
Its not as if Mangini cant coach he
did inspire that 24-6 lead and OT win
hes just still in over his head with Be-
lichick, just like the rest of the league. On
offense you have to add the best blue-collar
running back in the NFL, Thomas Jones;
an offensive line that gets better very week;
as good a third-down, change-of-pace back
as you ll find in the league in Leon Wash-
ington; quality and depth at the WR spots;
and the next Dallas Clark in rookie Dustin
Keller. On defense, talk all you want about
Albert Haynesworth, but Kris Jenkins is
the best D-lineman Ive seen play this year,
Calvin Pace is who they thought hed be
when the Jets lavished millions on him,
and Shaun Ellis, Kerry Rhodes and Dar-
relle Revis are all difference makers.
Im not at all sure the king is dead, be-
cause this game proved to me that rumors
of the Patriots demise are premature. But
if the Jets arent the heir apparent, they are
the most impressive new heavyweight con-
tender Ive seen in a while. Could it be the
Giants and the Jets in Tampa? Probably
not what anyone outside of the Big Apple
would hope for, but after what we saw in
Week 11, it wouldnt surprise me at all.
T
he NFLs slate of Thursday-night
games is off to a roaring start.
Two weeks ago the Broncos beat the
Browns in a 34-30 shootout. Brady
Quinns highly anticipated debut as a
starting quarterback was overshadowed
by Jay Cutlers 447-yard, three-touch-
down performance, which included a
last-minute TD pass to win the game.
Last week the Jets beat the Patriots 34-
31 in a key division matchup. New Eng-
land QB Matt Cassels huge game includ-
ed a game-tying touchdown pass to
Randy Moss with just one second left.
But the Jets won it in overtime on a Jay
Feely field goal.
Two great games. And you probably
didnt get to see either one.
Thats because the games were shown
on NFL Network, which is available in
fewer than 40 percent of homes in the
U.S. thanks to a fight between the NFL
and some of the nations largest cable and
satellite providers.
The network isnt available on Time
Warner, Charter or Cablevision, three of
the five largest cable providers. You can
only get it on Comcast, the nations
largest cable company, if you pay extra for
the digital sports tier. Dish Network
dropped the NFL Network this year from
its top-100 package to the top-200 pack-
age, which costs $12 more and has about
4 million fewer subscribers.
Its all about money and control, of
course. And while battalions of lawyers
fight it out, millions of NFL fans can only
read about games they wish they could
have watched.
The NFL has sued Comcast and Dish
Network to try to force them to more
widely distribute the network, and it has
filed a Federal Communications Commis-
sion complaint against Comcast. The
league accuses Comcast of violating fed-
eral laws by relegating the NFL Network
to a sports tier while making its own Golf
Channel and Versus widely available, and
by demanding an ownership stake in
NFL Network.
In a preliminary ruling in October, the
FCC said the league had made enough of
an argument to send the case to an ad-
ministrative law judge. But even if the
judge orders Comcast to distribute the
network more widely, it probably would
not happen this season.
The league has put the games on free
TV in the home markets of the teams
playing each week but in some cases has
too narrowly defined those markets. For
example, last weeks Patriots-Jets game
was not shown in parts of New England
that follow the team.
Were not sure whether the fault lies
with the NFL for hoarding late-season
games for its own proprietary network or
the big cable companies for refusing to
give the network the broader distribution
their customers want. But we know that
neither side is serving its constituents
well. If they cant settle this dispute them-
selves, we hope the courts do it for them
before another season is lost.
Jets look like heir apparent in AFC
Deliver NFL Network to the masses
Suggestions for Panthers
The Panthers will have some tough
choices to make this coming offseason as
it relates to free agents DE Julius Pep-
pers, OTJordan Gross, and CB Chris
Gamble. Re-signing more than one will be
difficult. In my opinion, Peppers should be
the odd man out. While he can be domi-
nating when his A game is there, Pep-
pers just hasnt shown the consistency
needed to be rewarded with a big-money
deal from Carolina, anyway. With Terrell
Suggs (Baltimore) and Kevin Carter
(Tampa Bay) hitting the open market this
offseason, they could be more attractive,
and possibly less-expensive, options.
Gamble is another enigma. Like Pep-
pers, he has shown flashes of being a
great player. However, he gets burned on
big plays too often for a first-round pick
to give up. With Ken Lucas and Richard
Marshall having good tenures in Carolina,
its possible that Gamble will be allowed
to leave in free agency. The Panthers
could fill the need with a lower-cost CB
through free agency or the draft.
OTJordan Gross is the one player who,
in my opinion, the Panthers cannot afford
to let go. He has been a model of consis-
tency over the past few years. Whats
more, other than missing some brief time
this season after sustaining a concussion,
he has stayed injury-free. QB Jake Del-
hommes success has come, in part, be-
cause of Gross providing excellent
protection.
Another possible area the Panthers will
have to address this offseason will be
adding a wide receiver. Steve Smith is the
offensive catalyst. Bringing back Muhsin
Muhammad was a good move. Although
Muhammad has played solidly this sea-
son, he is on the downside of his career.
The signing of D.J. Hackett is turning out
to be a bust. Dwayne Jarrett looks like a
bust as well. That said, the Panthers
should make a run at Philadelphias Hank
Baskett, who is turning into a reliable tar-
get for Donovan McNabb. Baskett will be
a restricted free agent this offseason, but
since he was an undrafted free agent
coming out of college, it wouldnt cost the
Panthers a draft pick.
Whats the future hold for the Panthers
this coming offseason? We can only wait
and see!
Chuck Williford, Wilmington, N.C.
OPINION
FLEX-LESS Barry Jackson
F
lexible scheduling should have a lim-
ited impact. Of the six games eligible
to be moved off Sunday nights, per-
haps only one or two will be changed.
NBC and the NFL stuck with Dallas-
Washington on Nov. 16 and Indianapolis-
San Diego on Nov. 23. Chicago-Minneso-
ta on Nov. 30 has a good chance of stick-
ing, although Denver-N.Y. Jets is an op-
tion. N.Y. Giants-Dallas Dec. 14 is safe.
The game most at risk is New England-
Seattle on Dec. 7, largely because Fox ten-
tatively protected Dallas-Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, San Diego-Tampa Bay on
Dec. 21 could survive after CBS protected
Pittsburgh-Tennessee.
There is no night game tentatively
scheduled for Week 17. Among possibilities
that final day of the season: Tennessee-In-
dianapolis, Denver-San Diego, Miami-N.Y.
Jets and New England-Buffalo.
Only three teams can make as many as
six prime-time appearances. And no team
can appear more than four times on NBC.
AROUND THE DIAL
Stuart Scotts breathless, misleading
hype on ESPN grows tiresome. On elec-
tion eve, he told us Chris Bermans inter-
views with Barack Obama and John Mc-
Cain would appear only on SportsCen-
ter. Of course, the interviews had just
aired a half hour earlier at halftime of
Monday Night Football.
NFL Networks Rich Eisen would be
much more effective if he stopped forcing
puns. He said of Brady Quinns touch-
down passes to Kellen Winslow: You
might call it infectious. Since when was
Winslows staph infection a laughing
matter?
ESPNs Trent Dilfer was out of line
with his over-the-top rip job on the
Browns for benching Derek Anderson
and starting Quinn. You never bench a
quarterback when youre a bad football
team! Dilfer protested. What a ridicu-
lous generalization. Then he said, Its an
organization thats highly dysfunctional.
Thats why they havent been winners in
the past and wont be in the future. Dil-
fer who played a year for the Browns
shares the same agent as Anderson.
For those who believe John Maddens
work has diminished, his recent NBC
work suggests otherwise. Case in point
was his explanation of subtleties about
the Colts offense. He explained that the
slot receivers and tight ends, not Peyton
Manning, actually tell the Colts outside
receivers what to do on certain plays.
An FCC administrative law judge is
expected to rule in the next few months
on whether Comcast can continue plac-
ing NFL Network on a pay-extra tier. The
FCCs media bureau ruled recently that
Comcast was discriminating against the
channel by doing that. NFL Network is in
just 42 million of the nations 114 million
homes and remains in a stalemate with
several major cable operators.
Although ESPNs Sunday pregame
show remains the most comprehensive, it
wastes too much time on manufactured
topics that serve no purpose but to fill
time. Before Titans-Bears, we had to hear
five commentators weigh in on, Whos
the more important rookie in the game
Chris Johnson or Matt Fort?
As if the two of them cant be equally
important?
Barry Jackson covers sports media for
the Miami Herald.
Prime-time schedule to remain static
COACHING CALAMITY Jerry Magee
D
ropping trou is acceptable conduct
only in circumstances of the greatest
intimacy. Be advised, Mike Singletary.
At halftime of his first game as Mike
Nolans successor as the coach of the
49ers, Singletary, for reasons that remain
obscure, in the locker room is understood
to have lowered his pants to half mast.
What point was he endeavoring to make?
At the time, the Seahawks led the Nin-
ers 20-3. Perhaps Singletary was utilizing
his gesture to underscore that his side
was being embarrassingly exposed.
Whatever, the coachs action did nothing
to rouse the San Franciscans, who would
become 34-13 losers in the Oct. 26 game.
In this game, Singletary expressed his
dissatisfaction with the efforts of one of
his athletes, Vernon Davis, by banishing
him to the teams dressing quarters.
Two weeks later, the 49ers were posi-
tioned in the games closing minute for a
victory over Arizona, but they mishan-
dled the clock. Eventually, on the final
play, Singletarys side sent the fullback up
the middle from the 2
1
2-yard line. The
play failed and Arizona escaped with a
29-24 victory.
Singletary is recognized as the most in-
tense of persons. Through his time as a
middle linebacker with the Bears, his eyes
were like lasers, burning with a fine, shin-
ing light. But the emotional and tactical
problems Singletary has experienced in
San Francisco suggest that intensity is
not necessarily an asset in an NFL coach.
We have to wonder about Singletary.
The suggestion here is that he cease pub-
licly embarrassing one of his athletes, as
he did Davis, keep his pants on and brief
himself on how matters are handled by of-
ficials in a games final minute. After the
Niners had malfunctioned vs. Arizona,
wishing to learn how Singletary would be
explaining this, I dialed up a transcript of
the teams next-day news conference.
What Singletary said, in part: I was on
the field constantly talking to a couple of
the officials about where the ball would be
spotted and how much time we needed to
get back on the clock. I thought we needed
12 seconds to be back on the clock. They
gave us four and then the ball was moved
as I left those two guys, going back to the
sideline. They moved the ball back to the
2
1
2-yard line, or something like that.
Meanwhile, (offensive coordinator)
Mike Martz gets the information that
the clock will start on the whistle rather
than the snap because, to me, that is the
rule. What I was trying to do was just get
the information, which we were not get-
ting clearly, and if we were, it was not the
correct information.
I cant make head or tails of that. If I
have read what follows correctly, the Nin-
ers wound up running from the 2
1
2-yard
line a play that they intended to run only
from the one-yard line.
Singletary contends he has not been
daunted by how his stewardship of the
49ers has begun.
It is so exciting to me, very exhilarat-
ing to be in the middle of that. At the
same time, its frustrating, but its what I
need. I dont want what I want, I want
what I need. My goal is to be one of the
greatest coaches of all time one of these
days. I need all the help I can get. I need
all the fire I can get, and Im getting it,
and thats OK with me.
Fine thoughts, sir, but you might tone
down the intensity a bit. Its useful for
linebackers. For coaches, no.
Singletary out of his element on sideline
A-BOMBS
Pack looks like its back
Showing no mercy last week against a
Bears team that was undefeated at Lam-
beau Field under the direction of head
coach Lovie Smith, Mike McCarthys
Packers made a strong case for NFC
North favorite honors with a dominating
37-3 victory that nobody really saw com-
ing. Coming off consecutive losses to the
Titans and Vikings, McCarthy had been
subjected to some unaccustomed heat,
but with QB Aaron Rodgers looking
razor-sharp after two uneven efforts in
defeat, and RB Ryan Grant regaining the
form he displayed the second half of last
season behind a charged-up offensive
line, the Bears defense looked hopelessly
befuddled. The Packers defense, mean-
while, performed admirably without MLB
Nick Barnett, out for the season with a
torn ACL suffered in Week 10, limiting the
Bears to 83 rushing yards one week after
getting steamrolled by Vikings RB Adrian
Petersons 192 rushing yards. With pos-
sible suspensions closing in on three-
quarters of Minnesotas vaunted D-line,
Green Bay could be ready to pack a divi-
sion-winning punch.
Carolina needs to be careful
Even though they moved to 8-2 to
maintain a one-game lead in the NFC
South, the Panthers hardly looked like a
polished playoff contender in their too-
close-for-comfort 31-22 victory over the
winless Lions. After managing to beat the
Raiders 17-6 despite the worst game of
QB Jake Delhommes career one week
earlier, the Panthers fell behind Detroit
10-0, and then held on for dear life after
the Lions fought back to within 24-22
with 6:05 remaining. Thankfully, they
were up against a wretched Detroit run
defense that allowed their backfield com-
bination of Jonathan Stewart and
DeAngelo Williams to combine for 250
yards and three TDs. The going gets a lot
tougher starting this Sunday in Atlanta,
when the Panthers play the first of four
road affairs in their remaining six games.
Two weeks later, theyll be back home for
what could be a crucial divisional clash
against the under-the-radar Buccaneers,
lurking one game behind them with a red-
hot Jeff Garcia at the helm.
Productive week for Steelers
The Steelers were breathing easier after
a very strange 11-10 home victory over the
Chargers. But they had even better news
last week off the field when Dan Rooney
reportedly all but put the finishing
touches on an agreement with his broth-
ers that would enable him to remain ar-
guably the NFLs most respected owner.
After agreeing on a sales price of $800
million less money than was offered by
New York-based billionaire Stanley
Druckenmiller the deal is expected to
be sealed before the end of the year.
Dan Arkush un-
leashes his Week
11 reflections.
By Michael Blunda
Associate editor
If you were making a list of the biggest fan-
tasy busts through 10 weeks, it would be hard
not to include Colts RB Joseph Addai. Af-
ter all, the coveted back hadnt rushed for
more than 78 yards in a game and had scored
just four times. In fantasy football, howev-
er, a strong finish far outweighs a slow start.
Those patient enough to hold on to Ad-
dai through his down period might have
struck gold. His breakout performance last
week against the Texans 22 carries for 105
yards and a TD, plus four catches for 48
yards and a score very well could be a sign
of things to come. Dont believe it? Just look
at his remaining schedule.
Addai does not face another stout run de-
fense until Week 17, at which point most
leagues have ended anyway. Before then, he
gets mouthwatering matchups with the
Browns, Bengals and Lions, all units he
should gash for big yardage and scoring
numbers. Few, if any, teams have this favor-
able of a schedule in the fantasy playoffs.
Plus, its not like Addai is some Johnny-
come-lately. The guy has surpassed the
1,000-yard mark in each of his first two sea-
sons, and he racked up 15 TDs in 07. We
know the Indy rusher can produce, and his
ugly first half means he has a lot of making
up to do in these final six weeks.
Addai might not be the only downtrod-
den back that turns into monster in the sec-
ond half. Green Bays Ryan Grant, the dar-
ling of many fantasy teams last season, is an-
other likely candidate.
After having just one 100-yard game
and crossing the goal line a measly two times
entering Week 11, Grant blew up for 145
yards and a TD against a Bears defense that
had been allowing only 74.9 rushing yards
per game. And this likely wont be his last
big day of 08. With upcoming opponents
like New Orleans, Houston and Jack-
sonville, Grant still has a chance to finish the
year in a blaze of glory.
Looking for other disappointing run-
ning backs who could turn it around? Ear-
ly fantasy picks like Marshawn Lynch, Lar-
ry Johnson and Steven Jackson (if healthy)
all could make a splash in the homestretch.
Each one will face his share of vulnerable de-
fenses before its all said and done.
So while a bunch of fantasy wins in the first
couple months might look nice, all they re-
ally do is get you into the playoffs. Its what
you do now that makes or breaks your year.
WEEK 12
Matchups to
exploit or avoid
Bears RB Matt Fort hasnt had a
rushing touchdown since Week Seven,
but he has a great chance to end that
streak Sunday at St. Louis. The Rams
have given up a mind-boggling 18 scores
on the ground already, and with QB Kyle
Orton still nursing a sore ankle, Chicago
likely will feed Fort in this one. Expect
the talented rusher to get back on track.
Redskins QB Jason Campbell and
company get an enticing matchup with
one of the leagues worst pass defenses
in the Seahawks this week. Like most QBs
before him, Campbell should have little
trouble picking them apart through the
air, frequently targeting WR Santana
Moss and TE Chris Cooley.
Moving the ball against the Giants is no
easy task, and this week the mighty Car-
dinals will take a crack at them. While Ari-
zonas passing attack is humming, RB
Tim Hightowers production has slowed
recently, and the G-Men have only surren-
dered four rushing scores. This could be a
good time to avoid using the rookie.
Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck fi-
nally returned last week after missing
much of the season with injuries, but that
doesnt mean you should have him in
your lineup. Hasselbeck is still not 100
percent and faces a Washington pass de-
fense that has contained most opponents
thus far. Youre best off looking elsewhere.
MARKET REPORT
Stock rising
Chiefs QB TYLER THIGPEN
Solid eight TD passes in past four outings.
Titans QB KERRY COLLINS
Last two games: 519 yards and five TDs.
Panthers RB JONATHAN STEWART
Healthy again and back to producing.
Ravens WR DERRICK MASON
Bum shoulder didnt slow him down a bit.
Jets TE DUSTIN KELLER
Developing into one of Favres top targets.
Stock falling
Texans QB SAGE ROSENFELS
Has one TD, five INTs in past two weeks.
Buccaneers RB EARNEST GRAHAM
Poor play, injuries have crushed his value.
Lions RB RUDI JOHNSON
Has fallen to distant No. 2 on depth chart.
Saints WR DEVERY HENDERSON
Getting lost in deep receiver stable.
Chargers WR CHRIS CHAMBERS
Hasnt seen the endzone since Week Five.
Better late than never
Early 2008 fantasy picks like Colts RB Joseph Addai might have let you down to this point,
but a second-half turnaround by these players could be the key to your championship run.
Its time to officially consider Panthers RB
DeAngelo Williams a fantasy stud. With
120 yards and two scores last week, Williams
now has run for at least 100 yards and a TD
in three straight games. He also already has
eight total TDs, showing he can find paydirt
as well. It looks like Carolinas addition of RB
Jonathan Stewart didnt hurt Williams
after all.
Patriots QB Matt Cassel did his best
Tom Brady impression last week, exploding
for 400 yards, three TDs and no INTs against
the Jets. And if that werent enough, he also
chipped in 62 yards on the ground. While he
wont repeat this huge effort, Cassel has im-
proved enough to where he should have
some fantasy value in the right matchups.
After three games of suffering through
Brad Johnson under center, the Cowboys
finally got QB Tony Romo back last week at
Washington. It wasnt Romos best effort,
throwing for 198 yards with a TD and two in-
terceptions, but he figures to improve once
the rust is gone. If nothing else, his presence
in the lineup sure helped unleash RB Marion
Barber, who had been stuck in a rut in his
last two outings. Barber had his second-best
rushing day of 08, going for 114 yards and a
score. Things also should get better for own-
ers of WRs Terrell Owens and Roy
Williams very soon.
The Giants O-line is playing so well right
now, New Yorks rushers are basically
matchup-proof. The Ravens entered last
week with the No. 1 rushing defense but got
gashed for 207 yards by the G-Men, includ-
ing 73 yards and two TDs from Brandon Ja-
cobs. As long as he can stay healthy, Jacobs
is proving to be among the fantasy elite.
It had been awhile since Bengals WR T.J.
Houshmandzadeh really went off, but he
certainly did so last week vs. a tough Eagles
secondary, hauling in 12-149-1. With Housh
set to become a free agent, look for the
wideout to put forth added effort down the
stretch in an attempt to maximize his value.
After being inactive or suspended for the
past four games, Chiefs RB Larry Johnson
returned last Sunday against the Saints. Al-
though he had 19 carries, he could only
churn out 67 yards, and it could take him
time to adjust to K.C.s new spread offense.
The good news for L.J.s owners is that he at
least remains a key part of the offense.
Texans RB Steve Slaton returned to
being a fantasy monster last week at Indy,
rushing for 156 yards and a score on only 14
carries. But unfortunately for his owners,
Slatons day couldve been even better if
Ahman Green hadnt vultured two TDs
from him. It looks like as long as the brittle
Green can stay out of the trainers room, hes
going to be Houstons goal-line back.
THE BUZZ
S
P
O
R
T
P
I
C
S
FANTASY FOOTBALL
FANTASY FOOTBALL
FANTASY DOCTOR Michael Blunda
C
ongratulations if your team appears
headed for the fantasy playoffs; youve
taken a major step toward grabbing that
elusive brass ring. But before you go celebrat-
ing your playoff berth, know this: Your
mission is not finished. Just because your ros-
ter got you this far doesnt mean it will car-
ry you all the way to a fantasy title.
A lot can change from the initial weeks of
the regular season to the final month
which happens to be fantasy playoff time
and youll likely need to adjust your person-
nel accordingly.
For one, teams with a postseason spot
locked up could begin to rest players. Take
the Titans, for example, who figure to win
the AFC South with a few weeks remaining
in the season. If that happens, dont be
shocked if Tennessee scales back the work-
load of RB Chris Johnson. Johnson is a
smallish rookie back who has racked up a
bunch of carries, and the team certainly
wouldnt want him hitting the wall prior to
January. Giants RB Brandon Jacobs, a
physical runner with a history of injuries,
could be in the same boat. Im not saying to
dump either one, but just to temper expec-
tations for them in the final few games.
Something else to watch for is out-of-con-
tention clubs that might opt to sit their vet-
erans in order to get a better look at their
younger players. Do you really expect the
Chiefs to be running Larry Johnson into the
ground when they have zero chance of
making the playoffs? Will the Bengals be ea-
ger to rush Carson Palmer back knowing
they are headed for a high draft pick?
Teams well out of the hunt have little to gain
by using their vets extensively, so be care-
ful of guys who fall into this category.
Then theres the often-overlooked variable
that can wreak havoc on football games
come December: inclement weather. When
temperatures take a dive, the ball can get
quite hard and slick, making it difficult for
receivers to hang on to. And if its not only
cold but also raining or snowing too, forget
about it. Trying to throw or catch in those
conditions can be next to impossible. So be-
ware of QBs wholl play the bulk of their late-
season games in northern or eastern cities
such as Donovan McNabb, Ben Roeth-
lisberger or Aaron Rodgers because
foul weather likely will affect their produc-
tion.
The fantasy playoffs can be a tricky beast,
and these are just a few things you might
want to consider as you prepare your ros-
ter for the final push. Obviously, there are
other major factors, like the strength of a
teams upcoming opponents, but its too late
in the game to trade for every guy with a fa-
vorable schedule. Do what you can to im-
prove your lineup, and just remember that
the safest fantasy options probably will
come from contending teams that play in
warm weather or indoors. Nothing like a ros-
ter full of Dolphins and Vikings, right?
Q. I have both Kurt Warner and Drew Brees,
and Im focusing on the playoffs. I want to
offer one of them (and Thomas Jones) for
Adrian Peterson. My other RBs are LaDain-
ian Tomlinson, Earnest Graham and Kevin
Smith. Which QB do I trade? Do you agree
that L.T. still has more value than Jones
down the stretch?
David, St. Louis
A. I like your strategy here, David. If you
can only start one QB, theres no sense in
keeping two great ones like Warner and
Brees, especially if you can improve in an-
other area. If you had to deal one, I think
Warner would be the guy Id trade away.
While I like him as a fantasy player, Im not
sure how safe Id feel if he was my only top
QB. Hes 37 years old, has a history of injuries
past and has two tough, cold-weather road
trips Philly and New England still on
the schedule. Brees, meanwhile, is about as
rock-solid as they come, both in production
and durability. Plus, he only has one bad-
weather game late, going to Chicago. And
yes, I think you have to stick with L.T. down
the stretch, even though Jones has outplayed
him thus far. Tomlinson just has more up-
side, and San Diegos schedule is very favor-
able. Getting Peterson for Warner and
Jones would give you a tremendous team.
Lots to consider when preparing your playoff roster
To have your questions answered by the Fantasy Doctor,
send your inquiries to Fantasydoctor@pfwmedia.com.
QUARTERBACKS
PASSING RUSHING RECEIVING 2-pts. Tot.
Player Team TDs Ydg Pts TDs Ydg Pts TDs Ydg Pts Pass Scor. Pts.
Warner Ariz. 20 157 0 0 0 0 0 0 237
Brees N.O. 18 162 0 0 0 0 0 0 234
Cutler Den. 19 141 0 11 0 0 1 0 229
Rivers S.D. 21 125 0 1 0 0 2 0 212
Rodgers G.B. 15 117 3 12 0 0 0 0 207
McNabb Phil. 14 135 1 8 0 0 0 0 205
Manning Ind. 17 128 1 1 0 0 1 0 204
Favre N.Y.J. 18 111 0 1 0 0 0 0 184
Cassel N.E. 10 110 1 18 0 0 1 0 175
Manning N.Y.G. 15 103 1 0 0 0 0 0 169
Garrard Jax. 8 107 1 21 0 0 0 0 166
Ryan Atl. 11 107 0 7 0 0 0 0 158
Romo Dall. 15 94 0 0 0 0 0 0 154
Flacco Balt. 8 90 2 14 0 4 1 0 153
Pennington Mia. 8 118 0 3 0 0 0 0 153
J. Campbell Wash. 9 106 0 8 0 0 0 0 150
Roethlisberger Pitt. 10 99 1 3 0 0 0 0 148
Orton Chi. 10 95 1 4 0 0 1 0 146
Schaub Hou. 10 88 2 5 0 0 0 0 145
Delhomme Car. 11 97 0 0 0 0 0 0 141
Thigpen K.C. 10 66 1 17 1 3 1 0 139
Frerotte Minn. 11 87 0 0 0 0 0 0 131
RUNNING BACKS
Player Team TDS Ydg Pts TDS Ydg Pts TDS Ydg Pts Pass Scor. Pts.
Portis Wash. 0 0 7 106 0 15 0 0 163
Peterson Minn. 0 0 7 110 0 9 0 0 161
Gore S.F. 0 0 6 83 1 32 0 1 159
Jacobs N.Y.G. 0 0 11 87 0 3 0 0 156
Jones N.Y.J. 0 0 9 85 1 11 0 0 156
Barber Dall. 0 0 6 77 2 30 0 0 155
Turner Atl. 0 0 9 97 0 1 0 0 152
Forte Chi. 0 0 4 77 3 32 0 0 151
Jones-Drew Jax. 0 0 11 49 0 28 0 0 143
Brown Mia. 1 0 9 60 0 18 0 0 136
Johnson Ten. 0 0 5 78 1 20 0 0 134
D. Williams Car. 0 0 6 78 2 7 0 0 133
Tomlinson S.D. 0 0 5 68 1 29 0 0 133
Slaton Hou. 0 0 6 70 1 19 0 0 131
Westbrook Phil. 0 0 6 50 2 21 0 0 119
White Ten. 0 0 11 47 0 1 0 0 114
Lynch Buff. 0 0 6 51 0 19 0 0 106
Kev. Smith Det. 0 0 5 51 0 21 0 0 102
Graham T.B. 1 0 4 56 0 17 0 0 101
Jackson St.L. 0 0 4 52 0 25 0 0 101
J. Lewis Clev. 0 0 4 59 0 14 0 0 97
Grant G.B. 0 0 3 77 0 1 0 0 96
Bush N.O. 0 0 2 29 3 36 0 0 95
Moore Pitt. 0 0 5 37 1 20 0 0 93
McGahee Balt. 0 0 5 48 0 12 0 0 90
Stewart Car. 0 0 6 51 0 1 0 0 88
Hightower Ariz. 0 0 7 29 0 16 0 0 87
Ward N.Y.G. 0 0 1 53 0 26 0 0 85
Addai Ind. 0 0 5 38 1 10 0 0 84
L. McClain Balt. 0 0 5 37 1 10 0 0 83
Norwood Atl. 0 0 2 38 1 24 0 0 80
J. Jones Sea. 0 0 2 61 0 6 0 0 79
Rhodes Ind. 0 0 3 33 1 17 0 1 76
Faulk N.E. 0 0 2 31 1 26 0 0 75
Williams Mia. 0 0 3 43 0 13 0 0 74
Dunn T.B. 0 0 1 47 0 20 0 0 73
L. Washington N.Y.J. 0 0 2 24 2 22 0 1 72
L. Johnson K.C. 0 0 3 48 0 3 0 0 69
Parker Pitt. 0 0 4 44 0 0 0 0 68
Pittman Den. 0 0 4 32 0 11 0 0 67
Buckhalter Phil. 0 0 2 23 1 24 0 0 65
Morris N.E. 0 0 4 32 0 9 0 0 65
James Ariz. 0 0 3 38 0 7 0 1 65
Taylor Minn. 1 0 1 22 1 26 0 0 64
WIDE RECEIVERS
Boldin Ariz. 0 0 0 6 10 79 0 0 145
Fitzgerald Ariz. 0 0 0 0 6 94 0 0 130
C. Johnson Det. 0 0 0 0 7 83 0 1 127
White Atl. 0 0 0 0 6 90 0 0 126
Jennings G.B. 0 0 0 0 5 86 0 0 116
A. Johnson Hou. 0 0 0 0 3 95 0 0 113
Wayne Ind. 0 0 0 0 5 79 0 1 111
Marshall Den. 0 0 0 0 4 80 0 0 104
Moss Wash. 0 0 0 2 5 70 0 0 102
Ward Pitt. 0 0 0 0 5 68 0 0 98
Houshmandzadeh Cin. 0 0 0 0 4 72 0 0 96
Bowe K.C. 0 0 0 0 5 66 0 0 96
Walter Hou. 0 0 0 1 6 57 0 0 94
Smith Car. 0 0 0 1 4 68 0 0 93
Royal Den. 0 0 0 2 4 65 0 1 93
Evans Buff. 0 0 0 2 3 70 0 1 92
Jackson S.D. 0 0 0 3 4 64 0 0 91
Moss N.E. 0 0 0 0 5 61 0 0 91
Berrian Minn. 0 0 0 0 4 66 0 0 90
L. Moore N.O. 0 0 0 0 5 60 0 0 90
Owens Dall. 0 0 0 2 6 50 0 0 88
D. Jackson Phil. 0 0 1 8 1 65 0 0 85
Cotchery N.Y.J. 0 0 0 0 4 59 0 0 83
Mason Balt. 0 0 0 0 2 68 0 1 82
Coles N.Y.J. 0 0 0 0 5 52 0 0 82
Welker N.E. 0 0 0 2 1 71 0 0 79
Henderson N.O. 0 0 0 3 3 55 0 0 76
Driver G.B. 0 0 0 0 3 57 0 0 75
Muhammad Car. 0 0 0 0 3 56 0 0 74
A. Bryant T.B. 0 0 0 0 2 62 0 0 74
Avery St.L. 0 0 1 6 2 48 0 0 72
M. Jones Jax. 0 0 0 0 2 58 0 0 70
TIGHT ENDS
Gonzalez K.C. 0 0 0 0 5 58 0 0 88
Gates S.D. 0 0 0 0 6 47 0 0 83
Witten Dall. 0 0 0 0 2 58 0 0 70
Daniels Hou. 0 0 0 0 2 55 0 0 67
Cooley Wash. 0 0 0 0 1 57 0 0 63
Clark Ind. 0 0 0 0 3 45 0 0 63
Winslow Clev. 0 0 0 0 3 36 0 0 54
Shiancoe Minn. 0 0 0 0 4 29 0 0 53
Keller N.Y.J. 0 0 0 0 3 34 0 0 52
Olsen Chi. 0 0 0 0 2 39 0 0 51
Scaife Ten. 0 0 0 0 1 45 0 0 51
Z. Miller Oak. 0 0 0 0 1 43 0 0 49
Fasano Mia. 0 0 0 0 3 30 0 0 48
Scheffler Den. 0 0 0 0 2 35 0 0 47
Boss N.Y.G. 0 0 0 0 4 21 0 0 45
Carlson Sea. 0 0 0 0 2 33 0 0 45
Total fantasy points = TD passes (4 fantasy points each) + passing-yardage points (1 point for every 20 yards) + rushing/receiving TDs (6 points) + rushing- or receiving-yardage points (1 point for every 10 yards) + two-point passes (1 point) + two-point scores (2
points). For kickers, total fantasy points = 18-39-yard field goals (3 fantasy points each) + 40-49-yard field goals (4 points) + 50-plus-yard field goals (5 points) + extra points (1 point). Week 11 Monday-night game not included.
FANTASY STATS
KICKERS
FIELD GOALS
18- 40- 50 Tot.
Player Team 39 49 plus PAT pts.
FIELD GOALS
18- 40- 50 Tot.
Player Team 39 49 plus PAT pts.
GostkowskiN.E. 16 8 0 19 99
Elam Atl. 11 9 1 24 98
Crosby G.B. 12 4 3 31 98
Akers Phil. 19 3 0 28 97
M. Bryant T.B. 21 3 0 19 94
Carney N.Y.G. 18 3 0 27 93
Prater Den. 10 2 5 27 90
Longwell Minn. 11 5 3 22 90
Rackers Ariz. 13 4 1 29 89
Feely N.Y.J. 12 4 2 27 89
Kasay Car. 10 7 1 24 87
Nedney S.F. 10 7 1 24 87
Suisham Wash. 9 9 1 16 84
Kaeding S.D. 16 2 0 26 82
Gould Chi. 9 7 0 26 81
J. Brown St.L. 7 7 4 12 81
Scobee Jax. 8 3 4 23 79
Lindell Buff. 9 7 1 19 79
Reed Pitt. 9 6 1 21 77
K. Brown Hou. 9 5 0 26 73
Hanson Det. 2 5 6 16 72
Mare Sea. 10 3 2 19 71
Dawson Clev. 14 1 2 15 71
Janikowski Oak. 14 2 2 10 70
Carpenter Mia. 7 6 0 24 69
Stover Balt. 11 2 0 24 65
Vinatieri Ind. 7 3 1 25 63
Folk Dall. 5 2 2 29 62
Graham Cin. 6 7 0 9 55
Gramatica N.O. 3 2 1 16 38
Novak K.C. 4 2 0 7 27
Barth K.C. 5 0 0 9 24
HANDICAPPERS CORNER
PFW
consensus
WEEK 12 Early pointspreads as of Sunday, Nov. 16
Hub
Arkush
Publisher/
editor
Keith
Schleiden
Editor-
in-chief
Mike
Holbrook
Managing
editor
Dan
Arkush
Executive
editor
Eric
Edholm
Senior
editor
Mike
Wilkening
Senior
editor
Matt
Sohn
Associate
editor
Dan
Parr
Associate
editor
Michael
Blunda
Associate
editor
In a tough
week for locks,
the Cardinals
will struggle
here, trying to
take a huge
step up in
class. Look for
Giants ground
game to domi-
nate one more
time.
In their first
meeting of the
season, the
Panthers de-
feated the Fal-
cons 24-9 in
Week Four. Im
surprised the
Falcons are fa-
vored. It says
here Carolina
completes the
season sweep.
The Jets un-
derrated run
defense can
hold the Titans
in check and
keep this
game close. I
see this one
coming down
to a field goal.
The Titans
seem to play
everybody
close despite
their unde-
feated record.
This could be
the week Ten-
nessee gets its
first blemish
courtesy of a
well-rested
Jets team.
The Jets not
only will cover,
theyll hand
the Titans their
first loss. The
Jets CBs will
make plays
against the Ti-
tans receivers
and force
Kerry Collins
into a tough
game.
The Bengals
played the Ea-
gles tough for
five quarters in
their first
game after the
bye; another
huge effort on
short rest is
unlikely. Look
for Pittsburgh
to roll.
The Redskins,
fighting for
their playoff
lives, have
every reason
to unleash
their full com-
plement of su-
perior talent
against a team
biding its time
until the sea-
son ends.
Even with
Mewelde
Moore as their
featured back,
the Steelers
dominated the
Bengals about
a month ago.
Willie Parker is
back, and
Pittsburgh will
cruise to a lop-
sided win.
I can't see the
Patriots losing
to the Dol-
phins again.
Bill Belichick
will have his
troops ready
to avenge their
embarrassing
Week Three ef-
fort.
LOCK OF THE WEEK
Which of your best bets do you feel
strongest about?
PFW STAFF
SELECTIONS
BEST BETS
N.Y. Jets +5
1
2 vs. TENNESSEE
N.Y Giants -3
1
2 vs. ARIZONA
Washington -3 vs. SEATTLE
N.Y. Giants vs. ARIZONA(48) OVER
LASTWEEK: 2-3 / SEASON: 25-18-1
EARLY LAS VEGAS LINE Home team in caps. Asterisk (*) denotes team will cover pointspread but lose game. Boldface selection indicates best bet. Some Over-Unders were not available at presstime.
THURSDAY NIGHT
PITTSBURGH -10
1
2 vs. Cincinnati (36) Pittsburgh Cincinnati* Pittsburgh Cincinnati* Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Cincinnati* Pittsburgh Cincinnati* Pittsburgh
SUNDAYAFTERNOON
ATLANTA-1 vs. Carolina (43) Atlanta Carolina Carolina Carolina Carolina Carolina Atlanta Carolina Atlanta Carolina
BALTIMORE-1 vs. Philadelphia (38
1
2) Baltimore Baltimore Philadelphia Baltimore Philadelphia Baltimore Baltimore Philadelphia Baltimore Baltimore
CLEVELAND-3 vs. Houston(50
1
2) Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Houston Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland
DALLAS-10 vs.San Francisco (48) Dallas San Francisco* Dallas Dallas San Francisco* Dallas San Francisco* San Francisco* San Francisco* San Francisco*
Tampa Bay -9 vs. DETROIT(41) Detroit* Tampa Bay Tampa Bay Detroit* Detroit* Tampa Bay Detroit* Tampa Bay Detroit* Detroit*
JACKSONVILLE-2
1
2 vs. Minnesota(39) Minnesota Jacksonville Jacksonville Minnesota Jacksonville Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota Jacksonville Minnesota
Buffalo -4 vs. KANSAS CITY(43
1
2) Buffalo Kansas City* Kansas City* Kansas City* Kansas City* Buffalo Kansas City* Kansas City* Kansas City Kansas City*
MIAMI -2
1
2 vs. New England (42) New England New England New England New England Miami Miami New England Miami New England New England
Chicago -7
1
2 vs. ST. LOUIS Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago Chicago St. Louis* St. Louis* St. Louis* St. Louis* Chicago
TENNESSEE-5
1
2 vs. N.Y. Jets (40) N.Y. Jets N.Y. Jets* N.Y. Jets* N.Y. Jets* N.Y. Jets Tennessee N.Y. Jets* N.Y. Jets* N.Y. Jets* N.Y. Jets*
DENVER-9
1
2 vs. Oakland (43) Denver Denver Denver Denver Oakland* Denver Oakland* Denver Denver Denver
N.Y. Giants -3
1
2 vs. ARIZONA(48) N.Y. Giants N.Y. Giants N.Y. Giants Arizona N.Y. Giants N.Y. Giants N.Y. Giants N.Y. Giants Arizona N.Y. Giants
Washington -3 vs. SEATTLE (44) Washington Washington Washington Seattle Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington Washington
SUNDAY NIGHT
SAN DIEGO-3 vs. Indianapolis (50) San Diego Indianapolis Indianapolis San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego San Diego
MONDAY NIGHT
NEWORLEANS -2
1
2 vs. Green Bay (52
1
2) Green Bay New Orleans Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay Green Bay New Orleans New Orleans Green Bay
Last week vs. spread 8-8 10-6 5-11 7-9 9-7 9-7 10-6 8-8 6-10 8-8
Season to date vs. spread 74-83-2 77-80-2 77-80-2 76-81-2 74-83-2 86-71-2 81-76-2 78-79-2 70-87-2 81-76-2
Last week best bets 2-2 3-1 0-4 3-1 0-3 2-1 2-0 1-3 2-2 2-3
Season to date best bets 17-16 15-18 16-16-1 20-12 17-16 19-14 16-15-1 17-16 18-14-1 25-18-1
Last week straight-up 12-3-1 13-2-1 13-2-1 11-4-1 13-2-1 13-2-1 10-5-1 13-2-1 13-2-1 14-1-1
Season to date straight-up 99-59-1 99-59-1 103-55-1 102-56-1 96-62-1 107-51-1 98-60-1 100-58-1 96-62-1 104-54-1
WEEK 12 OPPONENTS VS. SPREAD H home, A away, N neutral, followed by teams score; number in parentheses is number of points by which that team
was favored to win; E game was rated as even; W beat the pointspread; * team beat the pointspread in both regular-season meetings that year; T neither beat the
pointspread; P playoff game; OT overtime.
10-YEAR SERIES RECORDS
Cincinnati at PITTSBURGH 14-7 (5-5) (4-6)
Carolina at ATLANTA 14-6 (7-3) (6-3-1)
PHILADELPHIA at Baltimore 1-0 () ()
Houston at CLEVELAND 3-2 (2-0) (2-0)
San Francisco at Dallas 2-2 (S.F. 2-1) (Dall. 2-1)
TAMPABAY at Detroit 6-5 (3-3) (1-5)
MINNESOTA at Jacksonville 2-1 () ()
Buffalo at Kansas City 2-2 (K.C. 2-1) (Buff. 2-1)
New England at Miami 10-10 (Mia. 7-3) (Mia. 7-3)
Chicago at ST. LOUIS 4-1 (2-1) (1-2)
N.Y. JETS at Tennessee 3-1 (2-1) (3-0)
Oakland at DENVER 15-5 (8-2) (5-4-1)
N.Y. GIANTS at Arizona 7-4 (3-3) (3-3)
WASHINGTON at Seattle 4-3 (1-3) (1-3)
Indianapolis at San Diego 3-3 (1-1) (1-1)
Green Bay at NEWORLEANS 2-1 (1-0) (1-0)
Series leader is listed in CAPS with its record
below. Series leaders record at this weeks game
site is listed in parentheses, followed by series
leaders record vs. pointspread at this weeks site.
This years games not included.
MATCHUP 2008 2007
Cincinnati H-10 A-10W H-13
at Pittsburgh A-38(-8
1
2)W H-24(-7)W* A-24(-4)W
Carolina H-24(-7)W H-13(-3
1
2) A-27(-4)W
at Atlanta A-9 A-20W H-20
Philadelphia Have not played Did not play
at Baltimore
Houston Have not played A-17
at Cleveland H-27(-3)W
San Francisco Have not played Did not play
at Dallas
Tampa Bay Have not played A-16
at Detroit H-23(-2
1
2)W
Minnesota Have not played Did not play
at Jacksonville
Buffalo Have not played Did not play
at Kansas City
MATCHUP 2008 2007
New England H-13(-12
1
2) H-28(-22) A-49(-16)W
at Miami A-38W A-7W H-28
Chicago Have not played Did not play
at St. Louis
N.Y. Jets Have not played A-6W
at Tennessee H-10(-8)
Oakland H-14 H-34W* A-20W
at Denver A-41(-3)W A-20(-3
1
2) H-23(-10)OT
N.Y. Giants Have not played Did not play
at Arizona
Washington Have not played A-14P
at Seattle H-35(-3)W
Indianapolis Have not played H-24(-10
1
2)P A-21(-3
1
2)
at San Diego A-28W H-23W
Green Bay Have not played Did not play
at New Orleans
WHOS HOT
Editors Note: The Week 10 Packers-
Vikings straight-up result was mis-
scored in last weeks edition, and the
individual editors and consensus
records have been updated to reflect
the Vikings victory.
LAS VEGAS CALLING Stephen Nover
Will Lions go winless?
In Vegas, you can bet on it
T
emples football team was so bad in 1993
that bookmakers didnt bother putting
up four of its games that year.
If the Detroit Lions were a college team,
and the comparison has been made, they
could be treated the same way. But bookmak-
ers cant really keep an NFL team off the
board no matter how non-competitive that
club is. They can book insulting proposition
wagers, though.
The Lions bid to become the first team to
go 0-16 in a season caught the eye of Jim-
my Vaccaro, the director of sports operations
for the Luckys Race & Sports Books chain
in Nevada. The Luckys sportsbooks in
Northern Nevada and Las Vegas have put
up a line on whether Detroit will indeed go
winless this season.
Detroit is minus-$3.30 (lay $330 to win
$100) to win at least one game and plus-
$2.60 (lay $100 to win $260) to go without
a victory. The betting has been all one-sided
and it hasnt been favorable to the Lions.
There hasnt been one minus bet, Vac-
caro said. Weve been taking about $1,000
to $1,200 a week just in $20s and $50s.
Squares (recreational bettors) like to bet
these things. The price is bad, but people love
to take the dog in these spots.
This one-sided action is a reason why
many other bookmakers dont put up a sim-
ilar prop.
We know a prop like that is only going
to get one-way action, said Fred Crespi, di-
rector of race and sports for the Palms Ho-
tel in Las Vegas. We like to focus on teams
doing well and not step on the poor.
When it comes to the Lions, go ahead and
step. Step hard. Aside from possibly Bobby
Ross, the Lions havent had a decent head
coach since Buddy Parker in the early
1950s. Its hard to find sympathy for Lions
owner William Clay Ford and his son, Bill
Jr., when they not only hired Matt Millen to
run their team but actually kept the buffoon
on the job for more than seven years before
finally pulling the plug on him this season.
The Lions made an exciting run at 0-16
during Millens first year in 2001, running
up 12 straight defeats before finally winning.
Now theyre strong bidders again. Bookmak-
ers dont mind losing teams as long as
these clubs are competitive. But even with
a pointspread that often is inflated, the Li-
ons are only 5-13 against the spread during
their past 18 games going into Week 12.
This makes it difficult to get the betting
public to play on Detroit. People are justi-
fiably staying away from the Lions.
There hasnt been too much play on
them, said Mark Marion, a sportsbook
supervisor at the Orleans hotel in Las Ve-
gas. It usually happens when you get to this
part of the season.
Professional gamblers will back the Lions,
but only if the price is right. Crespi says book-
makers sometimes have shaded Detroit
games by a point in hopes of attracting
wiseguy action to balance the public con-
stantly playing against the Lions.
Smaller players are staying away from the
Lions or teasing (playing a teaser) the Lions
opponent down, Crespi said. But the big-
ger money (bettors) will play on them if they
see a spot.
Can the Lions actually go 0-16? History says
no. Cold reality may spell yes. Detroit hosts
Tampa Bay in Week 12 followed by a Thanks-
giving home game vs. Tennessee and anoth-
er game at Ford Field against Minnesota.
Detroits final three games are at Indi-
anapolis, home to New Orleans and at
Green Bay, where it last won at in 1991. The
Lions dont figure to be favored in any of their
remaining matchups.
Vaccaro isnt worried about losing mon-
ey on the Lions winless prop. His places al-
ready have made money on a similar prop
with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals
were 9-1 to go winless. That ended when the
Bengals upset Jacksonville.
On the flip side, Luckys has a two-way
prop, too, on Tennessee going unbeaten dur-
ing the regular season. The opening line was
35-1 on it not occurring and 25-1 that the Ti-
tans would go 16-0.
That line currently is 16-1 on the Titans
not going unbeaten (wager $1,600 to win
$100) and 12-1 on going unbeaten. Vaccaro
said he has taken a couple of $1,000 wagers
on the prop, but mostly the action has
been small. Drips and drabs, he said.
But we havent had one bet on the minus.
Writer, analyst and handicapper Stephen
Nover has been covering the Las Vegas
sports betting scene since 1984. He is the au-
thor of three books, Las Vegas Sportsbeat,
Sports Gamingbeat and Winning Fantasy
Football.
HANDICAPPING HANDICAPPING
Stick with ProFootballWeekly.com
for your daily football fix!
Get all the facts, then follow the HOT HAND
For the third year in a row, ProFootballWeekly.com is offering a premium online service
that provides the best in handicapping information on the upcoming weeks games.
As a member of the Handicapping Inner Circle, youll see the selections of each of the nine
PFW editors for every regular-season and playoff game, along with their best bets, as early
as Monday evening. Youll see the picks of the three experts on the PFW television show
Hall of Famer Dan Hampton, ex-Bear Tom Waddle and
PFW publisher/editor Hub Arkush. Youll have access to
our confidence pool picks, which are a useful tool if you
participate in office pools.
The cost of this premium service is $109.95. For more
details or to join, go to ProFootballWeekly.com and click
on the PFW Inner Circle channel. CHECK OUT
Lions head coach Rod Marinelli
J
E
F
F
F
I
S
H
B
E
I
N
GAME OF THE WEEK
Brett Favre has led the Jets to
four straight victories.
Kerry Collins arm has powered
the Titans offense recently.
JETS
AT
TITANS
When the Jets
have the ball
Thomas Jones is a disappointment no
longer. The AFCs leading rusher, the
muscle-shredded Jones has been on a tear
over the past five weeks, as the Jets
have realized that feeding him the ball
early and often actually opens up more
offensive options. His surge has been en-
abled in large part due to a hefty offen-
sive line in weight and name recogni-
tion that took time meshing early in
the season given the arrival of two new
players, Alan Faneca and Damien Woody.
This game matches strength against
strength as Jones and his line mash
hats with a normally stout Titans defen-
sive front that was uncharacteristically
shaky in giving up 140 rushing yards to
the Jaguars last week. Theyre led up front
by Defensive Player of the Year candidate
Albert Haynesworth, a well-rounded D-
tackle who collapses the pocket as well
as he clogs running lanes.
Haynesworths versatility is a micro-
cosm of the overall challenge confronting
offensive coordinator Brian Schotten-
heimer, as he wont fool such a disciplined
defense with trickery or misdirection. The
Titans dont need to blitz much to gen-
erate pressure, and the superb coverage
abilities of DBs Cortland Finnegan and
Michael Griffin, along with an active LB
corps, mean Brett Favre cant make any
of the poor decisions that plagued him be-
fore the offense went to a more conser-
vative, ground-based approach. With
his arm and creativity, however, hes ful-
ly capable of making things happen giv-
en the run-after-the-catch talents of re-
ceivers Laveranues Coles and Jerricho
Cotchery, in addition to emerging TE
Dustin Keller, whose size and speed
make him a tough matchup.
When the Titans
have the ball
Make no mistake, the Titans want to
pound the ball with the thumping LenDale
White and the electric Chris Johnson.
Their last two opponents, the Bears and
Jaguars, knew this full well and countered
by stacking the box. Thats when Kerry
Collins proved that Tennessee could do
some damage through the air, too. The
newly found success with the aerial attack
should give them a shot of confidence
heading into this matchup, as the Jets have
been stonewalling running backs with
their Kris Jenkins-led 3-4 scheme.
Nevertheless, the Titans place a premi-
um on getting Johnson, easily their most
explosive player, involved in some capac-
ity. Screens and dump-offs could be
quite successful given the frequency
with which the Jets send their lineback-
ers on the blitz.
In a sense, the Titans deliberate offense
and the Jets high-risk, high-reward de-
fense are polar opposites, and the Titans
know that capitalizing on New Yorks
gambling ways requires them to move the
ball through the air. Justin Gages home-
run catches last week aside, they operate
better in the short-to-intermediate zones
with Gage, Brandon Jones and TE Bo
Scaife, their most consistent pass catch-
er. The line is exceptional in pass protec-
tion, having yielded just five sacks.
The line has its hands full against the
sack-happy Jets, but it should be in fine
shape because of Collins short drops and
the strength of their line being on the
edge, where most of the Jets pass rush
comes from. Also, as good as OLBs
Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas are on the
blitz, theyre not special in coverage.
Likewise, CB Dwight Lowery and S
Abram Elam can be coverage liabilities.
JETS SCHEDULE
Pointspread Refers to New York
DATE OPPONENT SPREAD SCORE
Sept. 7 At Miami (-3) 20-14
Sept. 14 New England (+1) 10-19
Sept. 22 At San Diego (+8) 29-48
Sept. 28 Arizona (-1) 56-35
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 12 Cincinnati (-9.5) 26-14
Oct. 19 At Oakland (-3) 13-16*
Oct. 26 Kansas City (-14) 28-24
Nov. 2 At Buffalo (+5) 26-17
Nov. 9 St. Louis (-9.5) 47-3
Nov. 13 At New England (+3) 34-31*
Nov. 23 At Tennessee
Nov. 30 Denver
Dec. 7 At San Francisco
Dec. 14 Buffalo
Dec. 21 At Seattle
Dec. 28 Miami
* Overtime
TITANS SCHEDULE
Pointspread Refers to Tennessee
Sept. 7 Jacksonville (+3) 17-10
Sept. 14 At Cincinnati (0) 24-7
Sept. 21 Houston (-5) 31-12
Sept. 28 Minnesota (-3.5) 30-17
Oct. 5 At Baltimore (-1) 13-10
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 At Kansas City (-8.5) 34-10
Oct. 27 Indianapolis (-4) 31-21
Nov. 2 Green Bay (-3.5) 19-16*
Nov. 9 At Chicago (-3) 21-14
Nov. 16 At Jacksonville (-2.5) 24-14
Nov. 23 New York Jets
Nov. 27 At Detroit
Dec. 7 Cleveland
Dec. 14 At Houston
Dec. 21 Pittsburgh
Dec. 28 At Indianapolis
* Overtime
L
E
S
B
E
N
T
L
E
Y
R
O
B
E
R
T
L
E
I
T
E
R
THE MATCHUPS
Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008, 1 p.m. ET
LOCATIONLP Field TURF Grass MEETING OF THE YEAR Only
QB
RB
WR
OL
DL
LB
DB
ST
Coach
WEEK 12
OVERVIEW
Two long TD receptions from Justin
Gage were all the Titans needed last week
to separate themselves from the Jaguars and
keep their quest for perfection alive. Jeff Fish-
er, the longest-tenured coach in the NFL, has
crafted a defense that has smothered the op-
position on a weekly basis, allowing more
than 17 points just once in 11 weeks. In his
second stint in the Music City, offensive co-
ordinator Mike Heimerdinger has fostered
success with a methodical, run-first scheme
that can wing it downfield when necessary.
The Jets havent been a season-long jugger-
naut like the Titans, but have been as im-
pressive as any team in their four-game win-
ning streak. The numerous headlining ac-
quisitions the Jets executed in the offseason
have facilitated much of their improve-
ments, lifting the Jets to the top of the meat-
grinder AFC East after emerging victorious
in a thrilling overtime grudge match last
Thursday in New England.
7-3-0 Season record 10-0-0
6-4-0 Season record vs. spread 9-1-0
3-2-0 Home/road record 5-0-0
3-2-0 Home/road record vs. spread 4-1-0
1-2-0 Record on natural turf 8-0-0
1-2-0 Record on natural turf vs. spread 7-1-0
NEWYORK JETS Advantage TENNESSEE TITANS
TITANS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 19 McCareins / 87 Hawkins* / 17 C. Davis
OLT 71 Roos / 70 Loper / 66 Otto
OLG 54 Amano / 64 Harris / 70 Loper
C 68 Mawae / 64 Harris
ORG 73 Scott / 64 Harris / 70 Loper
ORT 76 Stewart / 70 Loper
TE 83 Crumpler / 80 Scaife / 88 Stevens*
WR 12 Gage / 81 B. Jones / 11 P. Williams
QB 5 Collins / 10 Young / 8 Simms
RB 28 C. Johnson* / 25 White / 42 Henry / 35 Ganther
FB 45 Hall
DEFENSE
DLE 90 Kearse / 78 Ford / 95 Hayes*
DLT 97 Brown / 91 J. Jones*
DRT 92 Haynesworth / 96 Vickerson
DRE 93 Vanden Bosch / 78 Ford / 98 Ball / 91 J. Jones*
SLB 53 Bulluck / 56 Allred / 59 Keglar*
MLB 55 Tulloch / 52 Fowler
WLB 50 Thornton / 57 Stamer / 58 Amato
LCB 20 Harper / 21 Hill / 29 Carr
RCB 31 Finnegan / 30 King
SS 24 Hope / 23 Nickey / 29 Carr
FS 33 Griffin / 22 Fuller
SPECIALISTS
P 15 Hentrich
PK 2 Bironas
H 15 Hentrich
PR 29 Carr / 17 Davis / 81 Jones
KR 29 Carr / 28 C. Johnson* / 87 Hawkins*
LS 58 Amato / 68 Mawae
* Rookie
JETS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87 Coles / 16 B. Smith / 15 Wright
OLT 60 Ferguson / 78 Hunter
OLG 66 Faneca / 68 Montgomery
C 74 Mangold / 75 Turner
ORG 65 Moore / 75 Turner
ORT 67 Woody / 78 Hunter
TE 86 Baker / 81 Keller* / 88 Franks
WR 89 Cotchery / 83 Stuckey / 17 Clowney
QB 4 Favre / 11 Clemens / 5 Ratliff
RB 20 Jones / 29 Washington / 26 Mason
FB 49 Richardson
DEFENSE
DLE 92 Ellis / 70 DeVito
NT 77 Jenkins / 91 Pouha
DRE 93 K. Coleman / 69 Mosley
LOLB 99 Thomas / 56 Gholston*
LILB 50 Barton / 57 Trusnik
RILB 96 Bowens / 52 Harris / 53 Spencer
ROLB 97 Pace / 94 Murrell
LCB 24 Revis / 31 Poteat / 30 D. Coleman
RCB 34 Lowery* / 22 Law / 31 Carroll
SS 27 Elam / 33 E. Smith / 36 Barrett
FS 25 Rhodes / 44 Ihedigbo
SPECIALISTS
P 6 Hodges
PK 3 Feely / 1 Nugent
H 6 Hodges
PR 29 Washington / 34 Lowery*
KR 29 Washington / 21 Miller
LS 85 Dearth
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK 12
BENGALS GAME PROFILE STEELERS
0-5-0 Road/home record 3-2-0
2-3-0 Road/home record vs. spread 1-4-0
BENGALS
AT
STEELERS
BENGALS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Cincinnati
Sept. 7 At Baltimore (-2) 10-17
Sept. 14 Tennessee (0) 7-24
Sept. 21 At NewYork Giants (+13) 23-26*
Sept. 28 Cleveland (-1) 12-20
Oct. 5 At Dallas (+16) 22-31
Oct. 12 At NewYork Jets (+9.5) 14-26
Oct. 19 Pittsburgh (+8.5) 10-38
Oct. 26 At Houston (+9) 6-35
Nov. 2 Jacksonville (+7) 21-19
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 Philadelphia (+9) 13-13*
Nov. 20 At Pittsburgh
Nov. 30 Baltimore
Dec. 14 Washington
Dec. 21 At Cleveland
Dec. 28 Kansas City
* Overtime
BENGALS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 85Ocho Cinco / 16Holt / 89Simpson*
OLT 76L. Jones / 73Collins* / 77Whitworth
OLG 75Kooistra / 60Crummey* / 77Whitworth
C 53Ghiaciuc
ORG 63Williams / 75Kooistra
ORT 79Andrews / 73Collins*
TE 82Kelly / 81 Utecht / 86Coats / 80Lawrie
WR 84Houshmandzadeh/ 15Henry / 83Chatman
QB 11 Fitzpatrick / 5J. Palmer / 9C. Palmer
RB 32Benson/ 23Perry / 33Watson
FB 86Coats
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Geathers / 68Fanene
DLT 94Peko / 95Harris
DRT 97Thornton/ 90Sims*
DRE 98Odom/ 92Rucker
SLB 93Jeanty / 50Henderson
MLB 57 Dh. Jones / 51 Mays / 52Hodge
WLB 59B. Johnson/ 56Blackstock / 51 Mays
LCB 22Joseph/ 25Fletcher
RCB 29Hall / 20Da. Jones
SS 41 Ndukwe / 42Crocker / 34Hebert
FS 26White / 42Crocker / 34Hebert
SPECIALISTS
P 19Larson
PK 17 Graham
H 19Larson
PR 83 Chatman / 84 Houshmandzadeh / 29 Hall
KR 16Holt / 87 Caldwell*
LS 48St. Louis
* Rookie
OVERVIEWAfter a pair of tough home losses to the Colts and
Giants, the Steelers finally pulled out a close one at Heinz
Field, tipping San Diego on a last-minute field goal. The Ben-
gals tied the Eagles in Week 11 and played Pittsburgh close for
more than three quarters on Oct. 19 before the Steelers pulled
away with three fourth-quarter TDs.
MATCHUP TO WATCH In the first meeting, Steelers ROLB
James Harrison and LOLB LaMarr Woodley each notched a
pair of sacks. To have any chance at upsetting Pittsburgh, the
Bengals offensive tackles must give QB Ryan Fitzpatrick as
much time as possible in the pocket. Fitzpatrick is fairly mo-
bile, but he has a tendency to hold on to the ball too long.
Jones was benched in favor of Andrew Whitworth last week
before Whitworth suffered an ankle injury. Jones reportedly
also has a leg injury, so the clubs plan at left tackle may be
fluid. Stacy Andrews starts at right tackle.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Bengals have won three of the last
five in the series at Heinz Field.
Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008 8:15 p.m. ET
STEELERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Pittsburgh
Sept. 7 Houston (-6.5) 38-17
Sept. 14 At Cleveland (-7) 10-6
Sept. 21 At Philadelphia (+3.5) 6-15
Sept. 29 Baltimore (-6) 23-20*
Oct. 5 At Jacksonville (+5.5) 26-21
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 At Cincinnati (-8.5) 38-10
Oct. 26 NewYork Giants (-2.5) 14-21
Nov. 3 At Washington (+2.5) 23-6
Nov. 9 Indianapolis (-3.5) 20-24
Nov. 16 San Diego (-4.5) 11-10
Nov. 20 Cincinnati
Nov. 30 At New England
Dec. 7 Dallas
Dec. 14 At Baltimore
Dec. 21 At Tennessee
Dec. 28 Cleveland
* Overtime
STEELERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
SE 86Ward/ 85Washington
OLT 78Starks / 79Essex / 66Hills* / 77 M. Smith
OLG 68Kemoeatu/ 79Essex
C 62Hartwig / 72Stapleton
ORG 72Stapleton/ 79Essex
ORT 74Colon/ 78Starks / 79Essex / 65Parquet
TE 83Miller / 89Spaeth/ 49McHugh
FL 10Holmes / 14Sweed*
QB 7 Roethlisberger / 4Leftwich/ 2Dixon*
RB 39Parker / 21 Moore / 33Russell
FB 38Davis
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Aa. Smith/ 90Kirschke / 96Roye
NT 98Hampton/ 76Hoke
DRE 99Keisel / 93Eason
LOLB 56Woodley / 53Davis*
LILB 51 Farrior / 57 Fox
RILB 50Foote / 94Timmons
ROLB 92Harrison/ 54Frazier / 55Bailey*
LCB 24Taylor / 31 Bryant / 30Lewis* / 26Townsend
RCB 22Gay /37 Madison/ 20McFadden
SS 43Polamalu/ 23Carter
FS 25Clark / 23Carter / 27An. Smith
SPECIALISTS
P 5Ernster
PK 3Reed
H 5Ernster
PR 10Holmes
KR 21 Moore
LS 61 Retkofsky
* Rookie
EAGLES GAME PROFILE RAVENS
1-1-1 Record on artificial turf 3-3-0
2-1-0 Record on artificial turf vs. spread 3-3-0
EAGLES
AT
RAVENS
EAGLES SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Philadelphia
Sept. 7 St. Louis (-8.5) 38-3
Sept. 15 At Dallas (+6.5) 37-41
Sept. 21 Pittsburgh (-3.5) 15-6
Sept. 28 At Chicago (-3) 20-24
Oct. 5 Washington (-6.5) 17-23
Oct. 12 At San Francisco (-5) 40-26
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 Atlanta (-9.5) 27-14
Nov. 2 At Seattle (-7) 26-7
Nov. 9 NewYork Giants (-3) 31-36
Nov. 16 At Cincinnati (-9) 13-13*
Nov. 23 At Baltimore
Nov. 27 Arizona
Dec. 7 At NewYork Giants
Dec. 15 Cleveland
Dec. 21 At Washington
Dec. 28 Dallas
* Overtime
EAGLES DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 80Curtis / 81 Avant / 84Baskett
OLT 72T. Thomas
OLG 79Herremans / 68McGlynn*
C 67J. Jackson/ 59N. Cole
ORG 62Jean-Gilles / 73Andrews
ORT 69Runyan/ 74Justice
TE 82L.J. Smith/ 87 Celek / 89Schobel
WR 86R. Brown/ 10D. Jackson* / 83G. Lewis
QB 5McNabb/ 4Kolb/ 14Feeley
RB 36Westbrook / 28Buckhalter / 25Booker
FB 49Klecko / 32Eckel
DEFENSE
DLE 75Parker / 78Abiamiri / 91 Clemons
DLT 98Patterson/ 93Laws
DRT 97 Bunkley
DRE 58Cole / 90Howard/ 63B. Smith*
SLB 57 Gocong / 50Daniels
MLB 55Bradley / 51 Mays*
WLB 96Gaither / 56Jordan/ 54White
LCB 22Samuel / 21 Hanson
RCB 24S. Brown/ 26Sheppard
SS 27 Mikell / 37 Considine
FS 20Dawkins / 39Demps*
SPECIALISTS
P 6Rocca
PK 2Akers
H 6Rocca / 4Kolb/ 14Feeley
PR 10D. Jackson* / 39Demps*
KR 39Demps* / 25Booker
LS 46Dorenbos
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Eagles could not shake off the pesky Bengals
last week and played Cincinnati to a tie, the first in the NFL
since 2002. In cold and sometimes blustery conditions, the
Eagles elected to run only 18 times at Cincinnati and could
again employ a pass-heavy attack vs. a Ravens defense thats
generally strong vs. the run (though not so much last week,
when the Giants rolled up 207 yards on the ground). Baltimore
was taken out of its game early last week at New York but
should relish a return home after five of six on the road.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Ravens QB Joe Flacco has handled
pass-rush pressure better than most rookies do, but the Ea-
gles generate a lot of it. Eagles DEs Trent Cole and Darren
Howard each had two sacks in Philadelphias eight-sack effort
at Cincinnati. Even if the Eagles ends arent collapsing the
pocket from the side, Eagles coordinator Jim Johnsons blitzes
are legendary. In short, Flacco must keep his wits about him.
BYTHE NUMBERS Eagles RB Brian Westbrook is averaging
49 rushing yards in his last three games.
Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 1 p.m. ET
RAVENS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Baltimore
Sept. 7 Cincinnati (+2) 17-10
Sept. 14 BYE
Sept. 21 Cleveland (-2.5) 28-10
Sept. 29 At Pittsburgh (+6) 20-23*
Oct. 5 Tennessee (+1) 10-13
Oct. 12 At Indianapolis (+4) 3-31
Oct. 19 At Miami (+3) 27-13
Oct. 26 Oakland (-8) 29-10
Nov. 2 At Cleveland (+3) 37-27
Nov. 9 At Houston (+2) 41-13
Nov. 16 At NewYork Giants (+7) 10-30
Nov. 23 Philadelphia
Nov. 30 At Cincinnati
Dec. 7 Washington
Dec. 14 Pittsburgh
Dec. 20 At Dallas
Dec. 28 Jacksonville
* Overtime
RAVENS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89Clayton/ 15Copper
OLT 71 Gaither / 78Terry / 64Cousins*
OLG 66Grubbs / 65Chester / 76Hale*
C 60Brown/ 65Chester
ORG 65Chester / 78Terry
ORT 79Anderson/ 78Terry / 64Cousins*
TE 86Heap/ 83Wilcox / 84Jones
WR 85Mason/ 81 Ma. Smith* / 16Figurs
QB 5Flacco* / 10T. Smith/ 2Bouman
RB 23McGahee / 27 Rice* / 33L. McClain
FB 33L. McClain/ 42Neal
DEFENSE
DLE 90Pryce / 91 Douglas
NT 92Ngata / 68McKinney / 96Divens
DRE 94Bannan/ 91 Douglas
LOLB 95Johnson/ 53J. McClain*
LILB 52Lewis / 59Greisen
RILB 57 Scott / 51 Ayanbadejo
ROLB 55Suggs / 50Barnes
LCB 31 Washington/41 Walker / 35Ivy
RCB 22Rolle / 35Ivy / 25Oglesby
SS 36Leonhard/ 28Zbikowski* / 43Nakamura*
FS 20Reed/ 43Nakamura / 39Stone
SPECIALISTS
P 4Koch
PK 3Stover / 6Hauschka
H 4Koch
PR 16Figurs / 36Leonhard/ 28Zbikowski*
KR 16Figurs / 36Leonhard/ 27 Rice*
LS 70Katula
* Rookie
TEXANS GAME PROFILE BROWNS
TEXANS
AT
BROWNS
TEXANS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Houston
Sept. 7 At Pittsburgh (+6.5) 17-38
Sept. 14 BYE
Sept. 21 At Tennessee (+5) 12-31
Sept. 28 At Jacksonville (+7) 27-30*
Oct. 5 Indianapolis (+4) 27-31
Oct. 12 Miami (-3) 29-28
Oct. 19 Detroit (-11) 28-21
Oct. 26 Cincinnati (-9) 35-6
Nov. 2 At Minnesota (+5.5) 21-28
Nov. 9 Baltimore (-2) 13-41
Nov. 16 At Indianapolis (+7.5) 27-33
Nov. 23 At Cleveland
Dec. 1 Jacksonville
Dec. 7 At Green Bay
Dec. 14 Tennessee
Dec. 21 At Oakland
Dec. 28 Chicago
* Overtime
TEXANS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 80A. Johnson/ 11 Davis
OLT 76D. Brown* / 74Salaam
OLG 69Pitts / 64Studdard
C 55Myers / 63White / 65Brisiel
ORG 65Brisiel / 63White
ORT 73Winston/ 78Butler
TE 81 Daniels / 87 Bruener / 85Dreessen
WR 83Walter / 12Jones / 89Anderson
QB 18Rosenfels / 16Nall / 8Schaub
RB 20Slaton* / 30Green / 21 Moats
FB 44Leach/ 33Sapp
DEFENSE
DLE 98Weaver / 94Kalu/ 96Cochran
DLT 91 Okoye / 66De. Robinson
DRT 99T. Johnson/ 92Zgonina / 97 Okam*
DRE 90Williams / 93Bulman
SLB 57 Bentley / 52Adibi* / 51 Thompson
MLB 59Ryans / 57 Bentley
WLB 56Greenwood/ 52Adibi* / 53Coley
LCB 23Du. Robinson/ 38Faggins / 28Molden*
RCB 35Reeves / 32Bennett / 26Wilson
SS 25Ferguson/ 31 Harrison/ 34Barber*
FS 26Wilson/ 47 Demps
SPECIALISTS
P 1 Turk
PK 3K. Brown
H 1 Turk / 18Rosenfels
PR 12Jones / 89Anderson / 20Slaton*
KR 12Jones / 20Slaton* / 11 Davis
LS 48Pittman
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThis has been a season of streaks for the Texans:
four straight losses to start the campaign, then three wins,
then three more defeats. The Texans defense had a game to
forget in Week 11, surrendering 474 yards to Indianapolis in a
33-27 defeat. Cleveland played Monday night at Buffalo.
MATCHUP TO WATCH How will the Browns defend Texans
WRs Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter and TE Owen Daniels?
When Cleveland faced a similarly tough receiving trio in Week
10 (Broncos WRs Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal and TE
Tony Scheffler), its linebackers and defensive backs struggled
mightily. How the Browns fare in coverage could come down to
their pass rush, and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker could be
compelled to blitz more if Cleveland continues to have prob-
lems mustering pressure with just four rushers.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Colts converted 10-of-15 third downs
vs. Houston last week. Texans RB Ahman Green scored a
pair of rushing touchdowns in Week 11, his 14th game of two
rushing TDs or more in his career.
BROWNS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Cleveland
Sept. 7 Dallas (+6) 10-28
Sept. 14 Pittsburgh (+7) 6-10
Sept. 21 At Baltimore (+2.5) 10-28
Sept. 28 At Cincinnati (+1) 20-12
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 13 NewYork Giants (+8) 35-14
Oct. 19 At Washington (+7) 11-14
Oct. 26 At Jacksonville (+7) 23-17
Nov. 6 Denver (-3) 30-34
Nov. 17 At Buffalo
Nov. 23 Houston
Nov. 30 Indianapolis
Dec. 7 At Tennessee
Dec. 15 At Philadelphia
Dec. 21 Cincinnati
Dec. 28 At Pittsburgh
BROWNS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 17 Edwards / 12Steptoe / 83Sanders
OLT 73Thomas / 77 Shaffer
OLG 65Steinbach/ 79Young
C 66Fraley / 68McKinney
ORG 70Hadnot / 68McKinney
ORT 77 Shaffer / 61 Sowells
TE 80Winslow/ 82Heiden/ 87 Dinkins / 86Rucker*
WR 18Stallworth/ 16Cribbs
QB 10Quinn/ 3Anderson/ 11 Dorsey
RB 31 Lewis / 29Wright / 35Harrison
FB 47Vickers / 41 Ali
DEFENSE
DLE 99C. Williams / 93Leonard
NT 92Rogers / 91 S. Smith/ 71 Rubin*
DRE 91 S. Smith/ 93Leonard/ 97 S. Thomas
LOLB 55McGinest / 96Hall*/ 51 Orr
LILB 54Davis / 94L. Williams / 58Bell*
RILB 52Jackson/ 53Griffin
ROLB 95Wimbley / 96Hall*
LCB 24Wright / 25Cousin
RCB 22McDonald/ 23Daniels / 30Lawson*
SS 26Jones / 20Adams / 27 Sorensen
FS 21 Pool / 20Adams
SPECIALISTS
P 15Zastudil
PK 4Dawson
H 15Zastudil
PR 16Cribbs / 12Steptoe / 22McDonald
KR 16Cribbs / 29Wright / 35Harrison
LS 64Pontbriand
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK 12
49ERS GAME PROFILE COWBOYS
49ERS
AT
COWBOYS
49ERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to San Francisco
Sept. 7 Arizona (+2.5) 13-23
Sept. 14 At Seattle (+6) 33-30*
Sept. 21 Detroit (-5) 31-13
Sept. 28 At New Orleans (+4) 17-31
Oct. 5 New England (+3) 21-30
Oct. 12 Philadelphia (+5) 26-40
Oct. 19 At NewYork Giants(+10.5) 17-29
Oct. 26 Seattle (-5.5) 13-34
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 10 At Arizona (+10) 24-29
Nov. 16 St. Louis (-7) 35-16
Nov. 23 At Dallas
Nov. 30 At Buffalo
Dec. 7 NewYork Jets
Dec. 14 At Miami
Dec. 21 At St. Louis
Dec. 28 Washington
* Overtime
49ERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 84Morgan* / 89J. Hill / 82Johnson
OLT 74Staley / 65Sims
OLG 64Baas / 68Snyder
C 66Heitmann/ 59Wallace*
ORG 69Wragge / 62Rachal*
ORT 68Snyder / 75J. Jennings / 65Sims
TE 85Davis / 46Walker / 47 Bajema / 81 Ryan
WR 88Bruce / 83Battle / 17Zeigler
QB 13S. Hill / 14OSullivan/ 10Martin
RB 21 Gore / 29Foster
FB 24Robinson/ 46Walker
DEFENSE
DLE 91 McDonald/ 96Balmer*
NT 90Sopoaga / 92Franklin/ 93Fields
DRE 94J. Smith/ 96Balmer*
OLB 99Lawson/ 95Banta-Cain
ILB 51 Spikes / 53Ulbrich
ILB 52Willis / 55Brooks
OLB 98Haralson/ 54Green
LCB 22Clements / 30Strickland/ 25Brown
RCB 27 Harris / 23Hudson/ 31 R. Smith*
SS 32M. Lewis / 28K. Lewis
FS 26Roman/ 38Goldson
SPECIALISTS
P 4Lee
PK 6Nedney
H 4Lee / 83Battle
PR 20Rossum/ 83Battle / 22Clements
KR 20Rossum/ 46Walker / 24Robinson
LS 86B. Jennings / 47 Bajema
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Cowboys might have saved their season by
beating the Redskins and going to 6-4, avoiding last place in
the division in the process. The 49ers might not be able to
save their season, per se, but they are moving toward sal-
vaging it with head coach Mike Singletary and QB Shaun Hill.
The new direction favors a ball-control offense run through Hill
with short passing and lots of RB Frank Gore.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The 49ers havent been bad against
the run, although reserve RB Antonio Pittman had a few big
runs late last week and the Rams gained 5.5 yards per carry.
Theyll have to clean that up against a Cowboys team that
showed it can, and will, lean on RB Marion Barber as the of-
fense gets back into form. The Cowboys O-line might have its
flaws, but it can be downright nasty in the power run game. The
Niners front seven has playmakers but can be worn down.
BYTHE NUMBERS The 49ers scored TDs on all five red-zone
possessions last week. In his first game back, Cowboys QB
Tony Romo was picked twice but completed 19-of-27 passes.
COWBOYS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Dallas
Sept. 7 At Cleveland (-6) 28-10
Sept. 15 Philadelphia (-6.5) 41-37
Sept. 21 At Green Bay (-3) 27-16
Sept. 28 Washington (-10) 24-26
Oct. 5 Cincinnati (-16) 31-22
Oct. 12 At Arizona (-5) 24-30*
Oct. 19 At St. Louis (-7.5) 14-34
Oct. 26 Tampa Bay (-1.5) 13-9
Nov. 2 At NewYork Giants (+8.5) 14-35
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 At Washington (-2) 14-10
Nov. 23 San Francisco
Nov. 27 Seattle
Dec. 7 At Pittsburgh
Dec. 14 NewYork Giants
Dec. 20 Baltimore
Dec. 28 At Philadelphia
* Overtime
COWBOYS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 81 Owens / 19Austin
OLT 76Adams / 68Free
OLG 63Kosier / 71 Procter
C 65Gurode / 67 Berger
ORG 70L. Davis / 64Holland
ORT 75Colombo / 77 McQuistan
TE 82Witten/ 80Bennett* / 89Curtis
WR 11 Williams / 84Crayton/ 86Stanback
QB 9Romo / 5Bollinger / 14B. Johnson
RB 24Barber / 28F. Jones* / 29Choice*
FB 34Anderson
DEFENSE
DLE 96Spears / 97 Hatcher
NT 90Ratliff / 66T. Johnson
DRE 99Canty / 72Bowen
LOLB 98Ellis / 93Spencer
LILB 56James / 54Carpenter
RILB 55Thomas / 57 Burnett
ROLB 94Ware / 50Rogers / 52Polk
LCB 41 Newman/ 31 Jenkins* / 20Ball
RCB 42Henry / 32Scandrick* / 36Butler
SS 29K. Davis / 25Watkins
FS 26Hamlin/ 27 Brown
SPECIALISTS
P 2Paulescu
PK 6Folk
H 14B. Johnson/ 2Paulescu/ 84Crayton
PR 84Crayton
KR 19Austin/ 86Stanback / 28F. Jones*
LS 91 LaDouceur
* Rookie
BUCCANEERS GAME PROFILE LIONS
BUCCANEERS
AT
LIONS
BUCCANEERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Tampa Bay
Sept. 7 At New Orleans (+3) 20-24
Sept. 14 Atlanta (-7) 24-9
Sept. 21 At Chicago (+3) 27-24*
Sept. 28 Green Bay (-2) 30-21
Oct. 5 At Denver (+4) 13-16
Oct. 12 Carolina (-2) 27-3
Oct. 19 Seattle (-11.5) 20-10
Oct. 26 At Dallas (+1.5) 9-13
Nov. 2 At Kansas City (-9.5) 30-27*
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 Minnesota (-4.5) 19-13
Nov. 23 At Detroit
Nov. 30 New Orleans
Dec. 8 At Carolina
Dec. 14 At Atlanta
Dec. 21 San Diego
Dec. 28 Oakland
* Overtime
BUCCANEERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 84Galloway / 10D. Jackson*
OLT 70Penn
OLG 78Sears / 76Zuttah*
C 52Faine / 79Mahan
ORG 75Joseph/ 76Zuttah*
ORT 65Trueblood/ 79Lee
TE 81 A. Smith/ 88Gilmore / 86Stevens
WR 89A. Bryant / 19Hilliard/ 80Clayton
QB 7 Garcia / 8Griese / 12McCown
RB 34Graham/ 28Dunn/ 22C. Smith*
FB 35Askew/ 33Cook / 34Graham
DEFENSE
DLE 93Carter / 91 White
DLT 95Hovan/ 96Peterson
DRT 71 Haye / 98Sims
DRE 90Adams / 97Wilkerson
SLB 59June / 58Black
MLB 51 Ruud/ 57 Hayward
WLB 55Brooks / 54Hayes*
LCB 31 Buchanon/ 25Talib*
RCB 20Barber / 43Mack*
SS 21 Piscitelli / 30Nicholson
FS 36T. Jackson/ 26Allen
SPECIALISTS
P 9Bidwell
PK 3M. Bryant
H 9Bidwell
PR 22C. Smith* / 19Hilliard
KR 22C. Smith*
LS 48Economos
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Buccaneers held serve and hung on at home
against the Vikings. Now, theyll get a chance to put them-
selves in an even stronger position with division contenders
Carolina and Atlanta set to play each other. The Lions are play-
ing for little more than pride, although they lost with a strong
effort against the Panthers last week.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Buccaneers would love nothing
more than to re-establish the run game, and they have some
key pieces back. FB B.J. Askew is back, and RB Cadillac
Williams might be ready to contribute for the first time this
season. The Vikings were a stout test last week, and the Bucs
totaled only 108 yards on 33 rushing attempts. Luckily, the
Lions are more than giving in this department, allowing the
Panthers to run for a franchise-record 264 yards last week.
The Bucs should be able to control the line of scrimmage.
BYTHE NUMBERS Lions rookie RB Kevin Smith had his best
rushing day as a pro with 24-112 vs. Carolina. The Bucs
sacked Vikings QB Gus Frerotte five times on 25 dropbacks.
LIONS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Detroit
Sept. 7 At Atlanta (-3) 21-34
Sept. 14 Green Bay (+3) 25-48
Sept. 21 At San Francisco (+5) 13-31
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 Chicago (+3.5) 7-34
Oct. 12 At Minnesota (+13) 10-12
Oct. 26 Washington (+7.5) 17-25
Nov. 2 At Chicago (+12.5) 23-27
Nov. 9 Jacksonville (+6.5) 14-38
Nov. 16 At Carolina (+14) 22-31
Nov. 23 Tampa Bay
Nov. 27 Tennessee
Dec. 7 Minnesota
Dec. 21 New Orleans
Dec. 28 At Green Bay
LIONS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 84McDonald/ 16Standeford/ 80Jennings
OLT 76Backus / 74Cook
OLG 64Mulitalo
C 51 Raiola / 67 McCollum
ORG 63Ramirez / 66Peterman
ORT 77 Cherilus* / 72Foster
TE 86Gaines / 82FitzSimmons / 83Owens
WR 81 C. Johnson/ 87 Furrey
QB 11 Culpepper / 5Stanton/ 6Orlovsky
RB 34Kev. Smith* / 32R. Johnson/ 36Cason
FB 45Felton* / 44Norris
DEFENSE
DLE 97Alama-Francis / 95DeVries
NT 91 Darby / 75Cody / 98Cohen*
UT 78Redding / 96Fluellen*
DRE 99White / 92Avril / 93C. Smith
SLB 55Nece / 59Lewis
MLB 53Lenon/ 57 Dizon*
WLB 50Sims / 52Cannon
LCB 25Kelly / 21 Fisher
RCB 28Bodden/ 23Kei. Smith/ 38Robinson
SS 27 Bullocks / 24Pearson
FS 26D. Smith/ 35Hicks
SPECIALISTS
P 2Harris
PK 4Hanson
H 2Harris
PR 84McDonald/ 87 Furrey
KR 36Cason/ 87 Furrey
LS 48Muhlbach
* Rookie
VIKINGS GAME PROFILE JAGUARS
VIKINGS
AT
JAGUARS
VIKINGS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Minnesota
Sept. 8 At Green Bay (+2.5) 19-24
Sept. 14 Indianapolis (+1.5) 15-18
Sept. 21 Carolina (-3) 20-10
Sept. 28 At Tennessee (+3.5) 17-30
Oct. 6 At New Orleans (+3) 30-27
Oct. 12 Detroit (-13) 12-10
Oct. 19 At Chicago (+3) 41-48
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 Houston (-5.5) 28-21
Nov. 9 Green Bay (-2.5) 28-27
Nov. 16 At Tampa Bay (+4.5) 13-19
Nov. 23 At Jacksonville
Nov. 30 Chicago
Dec. 7 At Detroit
Dec. 14 At Arizona
Dec. 21 Atlanta
Dec. 28 NewYork Giants
VIKINGS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87 Berrian/ 89Ferguson
OLT 74McKinnie
OLG 76Hutchinson/ 79Hicks
C 78Birk / 65Sullivan*
ORG 64Herrera
ORT 62Cook / 72M. Johnson
TE 81 Shiancoe / 40Kleinsasser / 45Mills
WR 18Rice / 19Wade / 84Allison
QB 12Frerotte / 7T. Jackson/ 4Booty*
RB 28Peterson/ 29Taylor / 43Hicks
FB 38Tahi / 83Dugan
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Edwards / 73Grigsby
NT 94P. Williams / 90Evans
UT 93K. Williams / 97Wyms / 98Guion*
DRE 69Allen/ 96Robison
SLB 52Greenway / 50Er. Henderson
MLB 99Harris / 54Ciurciu/ 58Herron
WLB 51 Leber / 55Thomas
LCB 26Winfield/ 21 McCauley
RCB 23Griffin/ 41 Gordon/ 22Sapp
SS 42Sharper / 39Abdullah
FS 20M. Williams/ 25T. Johnson* / 37 Frampton
SPECIALISTS
P 5Kluwe
PK 8Longwell
H 5Kluwe / 12Frerotte
PR 41 Gordon/ 84Allison
KR 29Taylor / 43M. Hicks / 84Allison
LS 46Loeffler
* Rookie
OVERVIEWCoupled with the Packers throttling of the Bears,
the Vikings loss to the Buccaneers last Sunday puts 5-5 Min-
nesota in a tie with Green Bay and Chicago atop the NFC
North. The Jaguars are also coming off a loss, as the unde-
feated Titans pulled away late. The loss leaves 4-6 Jacksonville
with a challenging, yet manageable task of making the post-
season for the second straight season.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Although the Jaguars arent quite as
physical in their LB corps with Mike Peterson being relegated
to reserve duty, theyre quicker with one of the leagues more
athletic trios. That speed should help them contain Adrian Pe-
terson, who turns the corner and heads upfield in a blistering
fashion, on the outside. If theyre able to filter Petersons runs
inside, theyll feel more comfortable deploying safeties Brian
Williams and Reggie Nelson in the box for extra bulk.
BYTHE NUMBERS Peterson has averaged 129.6 rushing
yards over the past five games. The Jaguars have a 12-3
record in their last 15 games vs. the NFC.
JAGUARS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Jacksonville
Sept. 7 At Tennessee (-3) 10-17
Sept. 14 Buffalo (-4.5) 16-20
Sept. 21 At Indianapolis (+4.5) 23-21
Sept. 28 Houston (-7) 30-27*
Oct. 5 Pittsburgh (-5.5) 21-26
Oct. 12 At Denver (+3.5) 24-17
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 Cleveland (-7) 17-23
Nov. 2 At Cincinnati (-7) 19-21
Nov. 9 At Detroit (-6.5) 38-14
Nov. 16 Tennessee (+2.5) 14-24
Nov. 23 Minnesota
Dec. 1 At Houston
Dec. 7 At Chicago
Dec. 14 Green Bay
Dec. 18 Indianapolis
Dec. 28 At Baltimore
* Overtime
JAGUARS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 18M. Jones / 80Porter / 86Northcutt
OLT 69Barnes / 72Spencer
OLG 77 Nwaneri / 78Reyes
C 63Meester / 62Norman/ 77 Nwaneri
ORG 64Brown/ 61 Miller
ORT 79Pashos / 72Spencer
TE 89Lewis / 83Estandia / 85Angulo
WR 11 R. Williams / 84Williamson/ 81 Walker
QB 9Garrard/ 17 Lemon
RB 28Taylor / 32Jones-Drew/ 34Washington*
FB 33G. Jones / 24Owens
DEFENSE
DLE 95Spicer / 93Groves*
DLT 92Meier / 66Landri
DRT 98Henderson/ 96McDaniel / 73Kennedy
DRE 97 Hayward/ 91 Harvey*
SLB 51 Ingram/ 52Smith/ 59Iwuh
MLB 52Smith/ 54Peterson/ 53T. Williams
WLB 56Durant / 59Iwuh
LCB 27 Mathis / 26Lowe / 36Gardner*
RCB 21 Florence / 22James / 38Witherspoon*
SS 29B. Williams / 43Sensabaugh
FS 25Nelson/ 20Prioleau
SPECIALISTS
P 3Podlesh
PK 10Scobee
H 3Podlesh
PR 38Witherspoon* / 86Northcutt
KR 38Witherspoon* / 32Jones-Drew
LS 88Zelenka
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK 12
BILLS GAME PROFILE CHIEFS
BILLS
AT
CHIEFS
BILLS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Buffalo
Sept. 7 Seattle (-1.5) 34-10
Sept. 14 At Jacksonville (+4.5) 20-16
Sept. 21 Oakland (-10) 24-23
Sept. 28 At St. Louis (-8.5) 31-14
Oct. 5 At Arizona (+2.5) 17-41
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 San Diego (0) 23-14
Oct. 26 At Miami (0) 16-25
Nov. 2 NewYork Jets (-5) 17-26
Nov. 9 At New England (+3.5) 10-20
Nov. 17 Cleveland
Nov. 23 At Kansas City
Nov. 30 San Francisco
Dec. 7 Miami
Dec. 14 At NewYork Jets
Dec. 21 At Denver
Dec. 28 New England
BILLS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 83Evans / 11 Parrish/ 13St. Johnson*
OLT 71 Peters / 77 Bell*
OLG 66Dockery / 65Whittle
C 75Preston/ 67 Fowler
ORG 73Chambers / 60Butler
ORT 68Walker / 73Chambers
TE 84Royal / 80Schouman/ 86Fine*
WR 81 Hardy* / 82Reed
QB 5Edwards / 7 Losman/ 10Hamdan
RB 23Lynch/ 22Jackson/ 25Omon*
FB 38McIntyre
DEFENSE
DLE 90Kelsay / 96Bryan
DLT 99Stroud/ 97 McCargo
DRT 95Williams / 91 Sp. Johnson
DRE 92Denney / 93Ellis* / 94Schobel
SLB 56Ellison/ 54Costanzo
MLB 51 Posluszny / 53Buggs / 58Lehman
WLB 59Mitchell / 57 Corto
LCB 33Greer / 28McKelvin*
RCB 24McGee / 27 Corner*
SS 20Whitner / 43Scott / 29Wendling
FS 30Simpson/ 37Wilson
SPECIALISTS
P 8Moorman
PK 9Lindell
H 8Moorman
PR 11 Parrish/ 28McKelvin*
KR 28McKelvin* / 24McGee
LS 72Neill
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Bills, coming off a Week 11 Monday-nighter,
have slowed down after their barnstorming start to the season
and find themselves needing a win to keep pace in what has
emerged as a strong AFC East. The Chiefs, meanwhile, are just
looking for anything to feel good about. Dating back to last
season, Herm Edwards crew has lost 18 of its last 19 games.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Chiefs beleaguered run defense
has stiffened recently, in spite of or perhaps because of a
rash of injuries in their front seven that have forced numerous
reserves into action. The Bills have been unable to muster
much on the ground but havent lost faith in RB Marshawn
Lynch. His hard-charging style behind Buffalos massive O-line
has the chance to wear down Kansas Citys understaffed D-
line and LB corps if it gets into a groove, so its incumbent
upon the Chiefs D to assert its physicality early, which would
put more pressure on the Bills erratic passing game.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Chiefs have recorded a league-worst
six sacks and have given up 28.
CHIEFS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Kansas City
Sept. 7 At New England (+16) 10-17
Sept. 14 Oakland (-3.5) 8-23
Sept. 21 At Atlanta (+6) 14-38
Sept. 28 Denver (+9) 33-19
Oct. 5 At Carolina (+9.5) 0-34
Oct. 12 BYE
Oct. 19 Tennessee (+8.5) 10-34
Oct. 26 At NewYork Jets (+14) 24-28
Nov. 2 Tampa Bay (+9.5) 27-30*
Nov. 9 At San Diego (+15) 19-20
Nov. 16 New Orleans (+6) 20-30
Nov. 23 Buffalo
Nov. 30 At Oakland
Dec. 7 At Denver
Dec. 14 San Diego
Dec. 21 Miami
Dec. 28 At Cincinnati
* Overtime
CHIEFS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 82Bowe / 85Franklin* / 14Robinson*
OLT 76Albert* / 75Taylor / 71 Carnahan
OLG 54Waters / 74W. Smith
C 64Niswanger / 74W. Smith
ORG 73Jones / 74W. Smith
ORT 77 McIntosh/ 75Taylor / 67 Richardson*
TE 88Gonzalez / 87 Cottam* / 45Merritt*
WR 83Bradley / 81 Darling / 80Webb
QB 4Thigpen/ 8Gray
RB 27 L. Johnson/ 25Charles* / 29Savage*
FB 42Cox*
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Hali / 70Boone / 92Gilberry*
DLT 93Tyler / 70Boone / 95R. Edwards
DRT 72Dorsey* / 95R. Edwards
DRE 90McBride / 70Boone / 94Babin
SLB 59D. Edwards / 53Williams / 50Boiman
MLB 55Thomas / 57 Dacus*
WLB 56D. Johnson/ 53Williams / 52Walden*
LCB 39Carr* / 34Macklin/ 23Surtain
RCB 24Flowers* / 31 Leggett* / 30Colclough
SS 49Pollard/ 38Morgan* / 35Celestin
FS 44Page / 47 McGraw
SPECIALISTS
P 2Colquitt
PK 5Barth*
H 2Colquitt
PR 29Savage* / 25Charles* / 14Robinson*
KR 29Savage* / 25Charles* / 14Robinson*
LS 48Gafford
* Rookie
PATRIOTS GAME PROFILE DOLPHINS
PATRIOTS
AT
DOLPHINS
PATRIOTS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to New England
Sept. 7 Kansas City (-16) 17-10
Sept. 14 At NewYork Jets (-1) 19-10
Sept. 21 Miami (-12.5) 13-38
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 At San Francisco (-3) 30-21
Oct. 12 At San Diego (+6) 10-30
Oct. 20 Denver (-3) 41-7
Oct. 26 St. Louis (-8.5) 23-16
Nov. 2 At Indianapolis (+6.5) 15-18
Nov. 9 Buffalo (-3.5) 20-10
Nov. 13 NewYork Jets (-3) 31-34*
Nov. 23 At Miami
Nov. 30 Pittsburgh
Dec. 7 At Seattle
Dec. 14 At Oakland
Dec. 21 Arizona
Dec. 28 At Buffalo
* Overtime
PATRIOTS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 83Welker / 10Gaffney / 15Washington
OLT 72Light / 65Britt / 64LeVoir
OLG 70Mankins / 71 Hochstein
C 67 Koppen/ 64LeVoir
ORG 61 Neal / 74Yates / 64LeVoir
ORT 77 Kaczur / 65Britt
TE 84Watson/ 86Thomas
WR 81 Moss / 18Slater*
QB 16Cassel / 5OConnell* / 7 Gutierrez
RB 42Green-Ellis* / 33Faulk / 34Morris
FB 44Evans / 32Jordan
DEFENSE
DLE 94Warren/ 99Wright
NT 75Wilfork / 90Smith
DRE 93Seymour / 97 Green
LOLB 50Vrabel / 58Woods
LILB 51 Mayo* / 59Guyton*
RILB 54Bruschi / 52Alexander / 53Izzo
ROLB 58Woods / 96Thomas
LCB 27 Hobbs / 29L. Sanders / 22Wheatley*
RCB 21 ONeal / 24Wilhite* / 23Webster
SS 31 Meriweather / 41 Ventrone
FS 36J. Sanders / 31 Meriweather
SPECIALISTS
P 6Hanson
PK 3Gostkowski
H 6Hanson
PR 33Faulk / 83Welker
KR 27 Hobbs / 18Slater*
LS 66Paxton
* Rookie
OVERVIEWAs much as the Patriots have revenge on their
mind after getting blasted 38-13 by the Dolphins in Week
Three, theres far more at stake in this critical AFC East
matchup. Both the Pats and Fish trail the Jets in the division
race by one game and are jockeying for position down the
stretch. Matt Cassel had his best performance yet in the loss
to the Jets. Miami has won four in a row by a total of 22 points.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Head coaches Bill Belichick and Tony
Sparano ascribe to the belief of mentor Bill Parcells that foot-
ball is won in the trenches, and there will be a tremendous bat-
tle between Pats DE Richard Seymour and Dolphins OLs Jake
Long and Justin Smiley. Seymour has been unblockable at
times in 2008 after injuries hampered him in 07, and hell
need to help generate a pass rush. Smiley is Miamis most
consistent O-lineman, but the powerful and heavy-footed Long
is vulnerable against the outside speed rush.
BYTHE NUMBERS Miami held a commanding 461-215
yardage advantage in the teams first meeting on Sept. 21.
DOLPHINS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Miami
Sept. 7 NewYork Jets (+3) 14-20
Sept. 14 At Arizona (+6.5) 10-31
Sept. 21 At New England (+12.5) 38-13
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 San Diego (+6) 17-10
Oct. 19 Baltimore (-3) 13-27
Oct. 26 Buffalo (0) 25-16
Nov. 2 At Denver (+4) 26-17
Nov. 9 Seattle (-8) 21-19
Nov. 16 Oakland (-10) 17-15
Nov. 23 New England
Nov. 30 At St. Louis
Dec. 7 At Buffalo
Dec. 14 San Francisco
Dec. 21 At Kansas City
Dec. 28 At NewYork Jets
DOLPHINS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 19Ginn/ 15Bess* / 18Wilford
OLT 77 Long* / 76Frye
OLG 65Smiley / 61 Murphy*
C 64Satele / 57Alleman
ORG 68Ndukwe / 61 Murphy*
ORT 72Carey / 75Garner*
TE 81 Fasano / 88Martin/ 81 Haynos*
WR 83Camarillo / 17 London
QB 10Pennington/ 7 Henne* / 9Beck
RB 23Brown / 34Williams / 38Cobbs
FB 36Polite / 30Cramer
DEFENSE
DLE 70Langford* / 94Starks / 90Wright
NT 95Ferguson/ 96Soliai
DRE 91 Holliday / 97 Merling* / 71 Dotson*
OLB 55Porter / 56Anderson
LILB 52Crowder / 53Torbor
RILB 51 Ayodele / 53Torbor
OLB 98Roth/ 74Moses / 93Ninkovich
LCB 25W. Allen/ 22Lehan
RCB 21 Goodman/ 32J, Allen/ 33Jones
SS 37 Bell / 28Condren
FS 24Hill / 29Culver
SPECIALISTS
P 2Fields
PK 5Carpenter*
H 2Fields
PR 15Bess* / 19Ginn
KR 19Ginn/ 15Bess*
LS 92Denney
* Rookie
BEARS GAME PROFILE RAMS
BEARS
AT
RAMS
BEARS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Chicago
Sept. 7 At Indianapolis (+10.5) 29-13
Sept. 14 At Carolina (+3) 17-20
Sept. 21 Tampa Bay (-3) 24-27*
Sept. 28 Philadelphia (+3) 24-20
Oct. 5 At Detroit (-3.5) 34-7
Oct. 12 At Atlanta (-3) 20-22
Oct. 19 Minnesota (-3) 48-41
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 Detroit (-12.5) 27-23
Nov. 9 Tennessee (+3) 14-21
Nov. 16 At Green Bay (+3.5) 3-37
Nov. 23 At St. Louis
Nov. 30 At Minnesota
Dec. 7 Jacksonville
Dec. 11 New Orleans
Dec. 22 Green Bay
Dec. 28 At Houston
* Overtime
BEARS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 81 R. Davis / 23Hester / 85Bennett*
OLT 78St. Clair / 74C. Williams*
OLG 67 Beekman/ 72Buenning
C 57 Kreutz
ORG 63Garza / 72Buenning
ORT 76Tait / 69Miller
TE 88Clark / 82Olsen/ 87 K. Davis*
WR 80Lloyd/ 86Booker
QB 18Orton/ 8Grossman/ 12Hanie*
RB 22Fort*/ 27Jones / 29Peterson/ 25Wolfe
FB 37 McKie
DEFENSE
DLE 93Ogunleye / 71 Idonije / 99Baldwin*
DT 91 Harris / 94Harrison*
NT 98Dvoracek / 95A. Adams / 75Toeaina
DRE 96A. Brown/ 97Anderson
WLB 55Briggs / 52J. Williams / 90LaRocque*
MLB 54Urlacher / 53Roach
SLB 53Roach/ 92Hillenmeyer / 58McClover
LCB 33Tillman/ 21 Graham
RCB 31 Vasher / 26McBride / 24 Hamilton
SS 44Payne / 20Steltz*
FS 30M. Brown/ 38D. Manning
SPECIALISTS
P 4Maynard
PK 9Gould
H 4Maynard
PR 23Hester / 31 Vasher / 85Bennett*
KR 23Hester / 38D. Manning / 81 R. Davis
LS 65Mannelly / 82Olsen/ 88Clark
* Rookie
OVERVIEWBoth teams are coming off lopsided losses. The
Bears were totally dominated on both sides of the ball in a 37-3
defeat to the division-rival Packers. The Rams were down by 32
points at halftime of their 35-16 loss to the division-rival Niners,
their fourth straight defeat after winning their first two games
under head coach Jim Haslett. The Rams again could be with-
out offensive centerpiece Steven Jackson, who has missed
three of the last four games with a thigh injury. Back from a
one-game layoff due to injury, Bears QB Kyle Orton completed
only two passes to wide receivers against the Packers.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Bears pass rush, which has man-
aged only five sacks in the past five games, might have better
luck matched up against a Rams offensive line that has yielded
at least four sacks in half of its games, including last week.
BYTHE NUMBERS One week after allowing the Titans only
20 yards rushing, the Bears defense surrendered 200 yards
rushing to the Packers. The Rams are 0-7 in games Jackson
has missed entirely due to injury since the start of 2007.
RAMS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to St. Louis
Sept. 7 At Philadelphia (+8.5) 3-38
Sept. 14 NewYork Giants (+8.5) 13-41
Sept. 21 At Seattle (+8.5) 13-37
Sept. 28 Buffalo (+8.5) 14-31
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 12 At Washington (+11.5) 19-17
Oct. 19 Dallas (+7.5) 34-14
Oct. 26 At New England (+8.5) 16-23
Nov. 2 Arizona (+3) 13-34
Nov. 9 At NewYork Jets (+9.5) 3-47
Nov. 16 At San Francisco (+7) 16-35
Nov. 23 Chicago
Nov. 30 Miami
Dec. 7 At Arizona
Dec. 14 Seattle
Dec. 21 San Francisco
Dec. 28 At Atlanta
RAMS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 81 Holt / 89Looker
OLT 76Pace / 73Goldberg
OLG 63Bell / 73Goldberg / 67 Schuening*
C 60Leckey / 65Romberg
ORG 68Incognito / 79Greco*
ORT 70Barron/ 79Greco*
TE 88Klopfenstein/ 87 Becht / 46Fells
WR 17Avery* / 14Burton* / 19Stanley
QB 10Bulger / 12Green/ 13Berlin
RB 30Pittman/ 22Minor / 33Darby / 39Jackson
FB 36Kreider
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Little / 94Adeyanju
UT 90Carriker / 97 Glover
NT 95Ryan/ 90Carriker
DRE 72Long* / 96J. Hall / 92Moore
SLB 53Culberson/ 52Draft
MLB 51 Witherspoon/ 52Draft / 55Stills
WLB 50Tinoisamoa / 57 Chamberlain*
LCB 24Bartell / 31 Craft / 26Hill
RCB 34F. Brown/ 20Wade
SS 25Chavous / 25Johnson
FS 21 Atogwe / 24Bartell / 41 Bassey
SPECIALISTS
P 5Jones
PK 2J. Brown
H 5Jones / 89Looker
PR 19Stanley / 89Looker
KR 19Stanley / 20Wade / 14Burton*
LS 45Massey
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK 12
PANTHERS GAME PROFILE FALCONS
PANTHERS
AT
FALCONS
PANTHERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Carolina
Sept. 7 At San Diego (+9) 26-24
Sept. 14 Chicago (-3) 20-17
Sept. 21 At Minnesota (+3) 10-20
Sept. 28 Atlanta (-7) 24-9
Oct. 5 Kansas City (-9.5) 34-0
Oct. 12 At Tampa Bay (+2) 3-27
Oct. 19 New Orleans (-3) 30-7
Oct. 26 Arizona (-5) 27-23
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 9 At Oakland (-10) 17-6
Nov. 16 Detroit (-14) 31-22
Nov. 23 At Atlanta
Nov. 30 At Green Bay
Dec. 8 Tampa Bay
Dec. 14 Denver
Dec. 21 At NewYork Giants
Dec. 28 At New Orleans
PANTHERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89Smith/ 80Jarrett
OLT 69Gross / 76Omiyale
OLG 70Wharton/ 63Hangartner / 73Bridges
C 67 Kalil / 63Hangartner
ORG 68Vincent / 73Bridges
ORT 79Otah* / 76Omiyale
TE 47 King / 88Rosario / 82Barnidge*
WR 87 Muhammad/ 18Hackett
QB 17 Delhomme / 12McCown/ 3Moore
RB 34Williams / 28Stewart*
FB 45Hoover / 37 Goings
DEFENSE
DLE 96Brayton/ 95Johnson
DLT 99Kemoeatu/ 91 Gibson
DRT 92Lewis / 93Walker
DRE 90Peppers / 66Taylor*
SLB 53Diggs / 54Johnson/ 55Curry
MLB 52Beason/ 59Seward
WLB 58Davis / 50Anderson
LCB 20Gamble / 31 Marshall
RCB 21 Lucas / 23Wesley / 27Wilson
SS 43Harris / 26Teal
FS 30Godfrey* / 25Salley
SPECIALISTS
P 7 Baker
PK 4Kasay / 5Lloyd
H 7 Baker
PR 84Jones
KR 84Jones / 28Stewart *
LS 56Kyle
* Rookie
OVERVIEWTwo NFC South contenders meet in the Georgia
Dome, where the Falcons were undefeated this season prior to
a Week 11 loss to Denver. Carolina beat the winless Lions last
week. The Panthers, who have won four straight, held the Fal-
cons without a touchdown in Week Four, winning 24-9.
MATCHUP TO WATCH In the Panthers Sept. 28 win over At-
lanta, Carolina limited QB Matt Ryan to 158 passing yards.
Ryan has learned a lot in the six contests since then, and the
Panthers should count on seeing a smarter, more experienced
signalcaller this time. That said, the Panthers have one of the
best secondaries in the NFC. If DE Julius Peppers (two sacks
last week, nine this season) continues to wreak havoc, Ryan
will be forced to scramble out of the pocket. If hes careless,
forcing throws on the run, Carolinas defensive backs will step
into passing lanes for a batted ball or interception.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Panthers have a 10-0 record over the
past three seasons in games that RB DeAngelo Williams gets
at least 80 rushing yards.
FALCONS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Atlanta
Sept. 7 Detroit (+3) 34-21
Sept. 14 At Tampa Bay (+7) 9-24
Sept. 21 Kansas City (-6) 38-14
Sept. 28 At Carolina (+7) 9-24
Oct. 5 At Green Bay (+5.5) 27-24
Oct. 12 Chicago (+3) 22-20
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 At Philadelphia (+9.5) 14-27
Nov. 2 At Oakland (-3) 24-0
Nov. 9 New Orleans (-1.5) 34-20
Nov. 16 Denver (-6.5) 20-24
Nov. 23 Carolina
Nov. 30 At San Diego
Dec. 7 At New Orleans
Dec. 14 Tampa Bay
Dec. 21 At Minnesota
Dec. 28 St. Louis
FALCONS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 12Jenkins / 19Robinson
OLT 74Weiner / 76Ojinnaka / 72Baker*
OLG 63Blalock / 67Wilkerson
C 62McClure / 69Stepanovich/ 67Wilkerson
ORG 73Dahl / 77 Clabo
ORT 77 Clabo / 74Weiner
TE 89Hartsock / 87 Peelle
WR 84White / 83Douglas* / 86Finneran
QB 2Ryan* / 8Redman/ 3Shockley
RB 33Turner / 32Norwood/ 44Snelling
FB 34Mughelli
DEFENSE
DLE 98J. Anderson/ 75Fraser
NT 91 G. Jackson/ 99Jefferson
UT 95Babineaux / 94Moorehead
DRE 55Abraham/ 92Davis
SLB 59Boley / 54Nicholas
MLB 50Lofton* / 51 Gilbert
WLB 56Brooking / 52Wire
LCB 24Foxworth/ 20Grimes / 22C. Jackson*
RCB 23Houston/ 30Irons
SS 36Milloy / 41 Harris
FS 26Coleman/ 28DeCoud*
SPECIALISTS
P 9Koenen
PK 1 Elam
H 9Koenen
PR 83Douglas*
KR 32Norwood
LS 46Schneck
* Rookie
RAIDERS GAME PROFILE BRONCOS
RAIDERS
AT
BRONCOS
RAIDERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Oakland
Sept. 8 Denver (+3) 14-41
Sept. 14 At Kansas City (+3.5) 23-8
Sept. 21 At Buffalo (+10) 23-24
Sept. 28 San Diego (+8.5) 18-28
Oct. 5 BYE
Oct. 12 At New Orleans (+7) 3-34
Oct. 19 NewYork Jets (+3) 16-13*
Oct. 26 At Baltimore (+8) 10-29
Nov. 2 Atlanta (+3) 0-24
Nov. 9 Carolina (+10) 6-17
Nov. 16 At Miami (+10) 15-17
Nov. 23 At Denver
Nov. 30 Kansas City
Dec. 4 At San Diego
Dec. 14 New England
Dec. 21 Houston
Dec. 28 At Tampa Bay
* Overtime
RAIDERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87 Lelie / 15Higgins / 84Walker
OLT 77 Harris / 75Henderson
OLG 76Gallery
C 71 Wade / 64Grove / 51 Morris
ORG 66Carlisle / 78Wakefield
ORT 74Green
TE 80Z. Miller / 86Stewart
WR 81 Schilens / 89Curry / 19Watkins
QB 2Russell / 16Walter / 8Tuiasosopo
RB 25Fargas / 20McFadden* / 29Bush
FB 44Lawton
DEFENSE
DLE 58Edwards / 56Burgess / 91 Scott*
DLT 93Kelly / 90Sands
DRT 61 Warren/ 90Sands
DRE 98Richardson
SLB 54Williams / 57 Brown
MLB 52Morrison
WLB 53Howard/ 55Alston
LCB 21 Asomugha / 32Waddell
RCB 26Routt / 37Johnson
SS 28Wilson/ 33Branch*
FS 31 Eugene / 24Huff
SPECIALISTS
P 9Lechler
PK 11 Janikowski
H 9Lechler
PR 15Higgins
KR 15Higgins / 22J. Miller
LS 59Condo
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Raiders gave the Dolphins a scare last week
but were unable to hold on, losing 17-15. The Broncos won for
the second week in a row, becoming the first team this season
to beat the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. Denver has won nine
of its last 11 vs. the Raiders and scorched them in a 41-14 Week
One drubbing.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Oakland had no answer for the Bron-
cos offense in Week One, and while injuries have taken their
toll on Denvers running game, the aerial attack is still at full
strength. Jay Cutler will throw early and often, focusing mainly
on rookie Eddie Royal, who had nine catches for 146 yards and
a TD in his debut vs. the Raiders, since Brandon Marshall will
be covered closely by one of the best corners in the game,
Nnamdi Asomugha. Royal will have a more favorable matchup
against Stanford Routt, who replaced DeAngelo Hall.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Raiders offense has not scored a
touchdown in the past three games. In Tom Cables six games
as interim head coach, Oakland has 50 points.
Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 4:05 p.m. ET
BRONCOS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Denver
Sept. 8 At Oakland (-3) 41-14
Sept. 14 San Diego (-1) 39-38
Sept. 21 New Orleans (-5.5) 34-32
Sept. 28 At Kansas City (-9) 19-33
Oct. 5 Tampa Bay (-4) 16-13
Oct. 12 Jacksonville (-3.5) 17-24
Oct. 20 At New England (+3) 7-41
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 Miami (-4) 17-26
Nov. 6 At Cleveland (+3) 34-30
Nov. 16 At Atlanta (+6.5) 24-20
Nov. 23 Oakland
Nov. 30 At NewYork Jets
Dec. 7 Kansas City
Dec. 14 At Carolina
Dec. 21 Buffalo
Dec. 28 At San Diego
BRONCOS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 15Marshall / 82D. Jackson
OLT 78Clady* / 76Polumbus*
OLG 50Hamilton/ 67 Lichtensteiger*
C 62Wiegmann/ 67 Lichtensteiger*
ORG 73Kuper / 67 Lichtensteiger*
ORT 74Harris
TE 89Graham/ 88Scheffler / 81 N. Jackson
WR 19Royal* / 14Stokley / 16C. Jackson
QB 6Cutler / 4Hackney
RB 48Hillis* / 35Young / 31 Pope
FB 46Larsen* / 48Hillis*
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Ekuban/ 60Engelberger / 96Crowder
DLT 63Robertson/ 90Peterson
DRT 79Thomas / 93Clemons / 95Shaw
DRE 92Dumervil / 94Moss
SLB 51 Winborn/ 52Green
MLB 46Larsen/ 53Koutouvides / 58Webster
WLB 59Woodyard* / 55D. Williams
LCB 41 Paymah/ 24C. Bailey
RCB 32Bly / 26J. Williams* / 34Bell
SS 33Manuel / 39Fox
FS 37 Lowry / 20McCree / 43Rogers
SPECIALISTS
P 1 Kern*
PK 5Prater
H 1 Kern*
PR 19Royal*
KR 19Royal*
LS 83Leach
* Rookie
GIANTS GAME PROFILE CARDINALS
GIANTS
AT
CARDINALS
GIANTS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to NewYork
Sept. 4 Washington (-5) 16-7
Sept. 14 At St. Louis (-8.5) 41-13
Sept. 21 Cincinnati (-13) 26-23*
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 Seattle (-7) 44-6
Oct. 13 At Cleveland (-8) 14-35
Oct. 19 San Francisco (-10.5) 29-17
Oct. 26 At Pittsburgh (+2.5) 21-14
Nov. 2 Dallas (-8.5) 35-14
Nov. 9 At Philadelphia (+3) 36-31
Nov. 23 At Arizona
Nov. 30 At Washington
Dec. 7 Philadelphia
Dec. 14 At Dallas
Dec. 21 Carolina
Dec. 28 At Minnesota
* Overtime
GIANTS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 17 Burress / 87 Hixon/ 82Manningham*
OLT 66Diehl / 77 Boothe
OLG 69Seubert / 65Ruegamer
C 60OHara / 65Ruegamer
ORG 76Snee / 77 Boothe
ORT 67 McKenzie / 61 Koets
TE 89Boss / 88Matthews / 84D. Johnson
WR 81 Toomer / 12Smith/ 83Moss
QB 10E. Manning / 8Carr
RB 27Jacobs / 34Ward/ 44Bradshaw/ 28Ware
FB 39Hedgecock
DEFENSE
DLE 91 Tuck / 99Wynn/ 95McDougle
NT 96Cofield
DT 98Robbins / 93Alford
DRE 97 Kiwanuka / 71 Tollefson
SLB 55Clark / 51 DeOssie
MLB 58Pierce / 57 Blackburn/ 54Goff*
WLB 59Wilkinson/ 53Kehl*
LCB 31 Ross / 35Dockery / 30Thomas*
RCB 23Webster / 29Madison/ 25McQuarters
SS 37 Butler / 26Knight
FS 20M. Johnson/ 21 Phillips*
SPECIALISTS
P 18Feagles
PK 9Tynes / 5Carney
H 18Feagles
PR 25McQuarters / 44Bradshaw/ 87 Hixon
KR 44Bradshaw / 87 Hixon/ 34Ward
LS 51 DeOssie / 93Alford
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThe Giants amassed 207 yards on the ground
against the Ravens top-ranked run defense in a 30-10 home
victory. The Cardinals held off the Seahawks, culminating a
sweep of divisional road games with a 26-20 victory that
moved their record to 7-3 for the first time since 1977, when
they were in St. Louis. Winners of seven straight home games,
the Cardinals, who outgained Seattle 458-196, could clinch the
NFC West title if they can beat the Giants and the Cowboys
can beat the Niners in Week 12.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Cardinals WRs Anquan Boldin and
Larry Fitzgerald, who had a combined 23 catches for 337
yards against the Seahawks, will tangle with quality Giants CBs
Corey Webster and Aaron Ross, who had two interceptions, in-
cluding one returned for a TD last week.
BYTHE NUMBERS The Giants have rushed for 200 or more
yards in three straight games. Kurt Warner completed 19 of
his first 21 passes last week and registered his franchise-
record fourth straight 300-yard game.
Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 4:15 p.m. ET
CARDINALS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Arizona
Sept. 7 At San Francisco (-2.5) 23-13
Sept. 14 Miami (-6.5) 31-10
Sept. 21 At Washington (+3) 17-24
Sept. 28 At NewYork Jets (+1) 35-56
Oct. 5 Buffalo (-2.5) 41-17
Oct. 12 Dallas (+5) 30-24*
Oct. 19 BYE
Oct. 26 At Carolina (+5) 23-27
Nov. 2 At St. Louis (-3) 34-13
Nov. 10 San Francisco (-10) 29-24
Nov. 16 At Seattle (-3) 26-20
Nov. 23 NewYork Giants
Nov. 27 At Philadelphia
Dec. 7 St. Louis
Dec. 14 Minnesota
Dec. 21 At New England
Dec. 28 Seattle
* Overtime
CARDINALS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 11 Fitzgerald/ 85Urban/ 87 Morey
OLT 69Gandy / 72Keith*
OLG 74Wells / 81 E. Brown
C 63Sendlein/ 70Ross
ORG 76Lutui / 61 E. Brown
ORT 75L. Brown/ 68Vallejo
TE 82Pope / 89Patrick / 84Tuman/ 83Spach
WR 81 Boldin/ 15Breaston/ 80Doucet*
QB 13Warner / 7 Leinart / 2St. Pierre
RB 34Hightower* / 32James / 28Arrington
FB 45T. Smith/ 46Castille
DEFENSE
DLE 94A. Smith/ 91 Iwebema*
NT 97 B. Robinson/ 98Watson/ 78Branch
DT 90Dockett / 93Campbell*
DRE 55LaBoy / 92Berry
SLB 56Okeafor / 53Haggans
MLB 54Hayes / 52Beisel
WLB 58Dansby / 51 Togafau
LCB 26Hood / 20R. Brown
RCB 29Rodgers-Cromartie* / 25Green
SS 24Wilson/ 47 Francisco
FS 21 Rolle / 22Ware
SPECIALISTS
P 9D. Johnson
PK 1 Rackers
H 9D. Johnson/ 87 Morey
PR 15Breaston/ 21 Rolle / 26Hood
KR 15Breaston/ 28Arrington/ 87 Morey
LS 48Hodel / 84Tuman
* Rookie
GAME PREVIEWS
WEEK 12
REDSKINS GAME PROFILE SEAHAWKS
REDSKINS
AT
SEAHAWKS
REDSKINS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Washington
Sept. 4 At NewYork Giants (+5) 7-16
Sept. 14 New Orleans (0) 29-24
Sept. 21 Arizona (-3) 24-17
Sept. 28 At Dallas (+10) 26-24
Oct. 5 At Philadelphia (+6.5) 23-17
Oct. 12 St. Louis (-11.5) 17-19
Oct. 19 Cleveland (-7) 14-11
Oct. 26 At Detroit (-7.5) 25-17
Nov. 3 Pittsburgh (-2.5) 6-23
Nov. 9 BYE
Nov. 16 Dallas (+2) 10-14
Nov. 23 At Seattle
Nov. 30 NewYork Giants
Dec. 7 At Baltimore
Dec. 14 At Cincinnati
Dec. 21 Philadelphia
Dec. 28 At San Francisco
REDSKINS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89Moss / 83Thrash/ 12Kelly*
OLT 60Samuels / 75Rinehart*
OLG 66Kendall / 76Jansen
C 61 Rabach/ 68Geisinger
ORG 77 R. Thomas / 69Fabini
ORT 76Jansen/ 74Heyer
TE 47 Cooley / 86Davis*
WR 82Randle El / 11 D. Thomas*
QB 17J. Campbell / 15Collins / 5Brennan*
RB 26Portis / 37 S. Alexander / 31 Cartwright / 46Betts
FB 45Sellers
DEFENSE
DLE 55Taylor / 92Evans / 98Jackson*
DLT 96Griffin/ 79L. Alexander
DRT 64Golston/ 94Montgomery
DRE 99Carter / 95Wilson/ 78James
SLB 53Washington/ 51 Fincher
MLB 59Fletcher / 54Blades
WLB 52McIntosh/ 50K. Campbell
LCB 24Springs / 27 Smoot
RCB 22Rogers / Hall / 20Tryon*
SS 48Horton* / 25Green
FS 30Landry / 41 Moore*
SPECIALISTS
P 1 Plackemeier
PK 6Suisham
H 1 Plackemeier
PR 82Randle El / 83Thrash/ 89Moss
KR 31 Cartwright / 83Thrash/ 46Betts
LS 67Albright
* Rookie
OVERVIEWThis playoff rematch from last season will have a
different look. No Joe Gibbs, no Todd Collins (at least not as a
starter) and the Redskins are favored. Thats because they
have been far more successful this season, despite losing to
the Cowboys, while the Seahawks have struggled all season.
MATCHUP TO WATCH The Redskins passing game has not
been as fluid lately, and its partially tied into the lack of op-
tions at wideout. Santana Moss is the unquestioned No. 1 tar-
get, and he has been a key element of QB Jason Campbells
success. But besides Moss, the Redskins other wideouts have
caught only 56 passes with two TD receptions. The Seahawks
havent defended the pass well this season, although they
have some playmakers in the secondary. Check the status of
CB Marcus Trufant, who suffered a concussion against the
Cardinals.
BYTHE NUMBERS In his first game since Week Five, Sea-
hawks QB Matt Hasselbeck completed 17-of-29 passes for 170
yards with a TD and three interceptions.
Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 4:15 p.m. ET
SEAHAWKS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Seattle
Sept. 7 At Buffalo (+1.5) 10-34
Sept. 14 San Francisco (-6) 30-33*
Sept. 21 St. Louis (-8.5) 37-13
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 At NewYork Giants (+7) 6-44
Oct. 12 Green Bay (0) 17-27
Oct. 19 At Tampa Bay (+11.5) 10-20
Oct. 26 At San Francisco (+5.5) 34-13
Nov. 2 Philadelphia (+7) 7-26
Nov. 9 At Miami (+8) 19-21
Nov. 16 Arizona (+3) 20-26
Nov. 23 Washington
Nov. 27 At Dallas
Dec. 7 New England
Dec. 14 At St. Louis
Dec. 21 NewYork Jets
Dec. 28 At Arizona
* Overtime
SEAHAWKS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 18Robinson/ 82Kent
OLT 71 W. Jones / 75Locklear
OLG 68Wahle / 66Wrotto
C 65Spencer / 69Vallos
ORG 77Womack / 74Willis / 66Wrotto
ORT 75Locklear / 74Willis
TE 89Carlson* / 85Heller
WR 84Engram/ 83Branch/ 86Taylor
QB 8Hasselbeck / 15S. Wallace / 5Frye
RB 22J. Jones / 20Morris / 45Duckett
FB 43Weaver / 35Schmitt*
DEFENSE
DLE 55Tapp/ 91 Atkins / 97 Kerney
DLT 92Mebane / 94Green/ 79Bryant*
DRT 99Bernard/ 93Terrill
DRE 95Jackson*
OLB 56Hill / 58Lewis / 50Laury
MLB 51 Tatupu/ 58Lewis / 59Hawthorne*
OLB 98Peterson/ 58Lewis / 54Herring
LCB 23Trufant / 32Hobbs
RCB 26Wilson/ 21 Jennings
SS 24Grant / 27 Babineaux
FS 25Russell / 39C.J. Wallace / 36Adams*
SPECIALISTS
P 9Ryan
PK 10Mare / 7 Coutu*
H 9Ryan/ 8Hasselbeck
PR 30Forsett*
KR 26Wilson/ 30Forsett* / 42Duckett
LS 49Robinson
* Rookie
COLTS GAME PROFILE CHARGERS
COLTS
AT
CHARGERS
COLTS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Indianapolis
Sept. 7 Chicago (-10.5) 13-29
Sept. 14 At Minnesota (-1.5) 18-15
Sept. 21 Jacksonville (-4.5) 21-23
Sept. 28 BYE
Oct. 5 At Houston (-4) 31-27
Oct. 12 Baltimore (-4) 31-3
Oct. 19 At Green Bay (-2.5) 14-34
Oct. 27 At Tennessee (+4) 21-31
Nov. 2 New England (-6.5) 18-15
Nov. 9 At Pittsburgh (+3.5) 24-20
Nov. 16 Houston (-7.5) 33-27
Nov. 23 At San Diego
Nov. 30 At Cleveland
Dec. 7 Cincinnati
Dec. 14 Detroit
Dec. 18 At Jacksonville
Dec. 28 Tennessee
COLTS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 87Wayne / 11 Gonzalez / 85Garcon*
OLT 67 Ugoh/ 76Federkeil
OLG 74Ch. Johnson/ 61 Richard*
C 63Saturday / 53Justice*
ORG 78Pollak* / 61 Richard
ORT 71 Diem/ 76Federkeil
TE 44Clark / 84Tamme*
WR 88Harrison/ 83Hall
QB 18Manning / 12Sorgi
RB 29Addai / 38Rhodes / 35Simpson
TE 47 Robinson/ 86Santi*
DEFENSE
DLE 79Brock / 91 Thomas / 94Cu. Johnson*
DLT 68Foster* / 95Reid
DRT 96Dawson/ 99A. Johnson/ 90Muir
DRE 93Freeney / 98Mathis / 92Howard*
SLB 55Session/ 50Wheeler*
MLB 58Brackett / 52Davis
WLB 54Keiaho / 51 Senn*
LCB 26Hayden/ 20Hughes / 42Graham
RCB 23Jennings / 31 Ratliff
SS 21 Sanders / 33Bullitt / 43Giordano
FS 41 Bethea / 40Silva
SPECIALISTS
P 17 Smith
PK 4Vinatieri
H 17 Smith
PR 85Garcon*
KR 85Garcon*
LS 48Snow
* Rookie
OVERVIEWIn a rematch of last seasons divisional playoff
contest, the surging Colts travel west to play the disappointing
Chargers. With a 33-27 victory last week over the Texans, Indy
is riding a three-game winning streak. QB Peyton Manning
looks like his vintage self again, and the Colts defense has
done a tremendous job stopping the pass. San Diego, mean-
while, enters off a crushing last-minute, one-point loss at Pitts-
burgh. The Chargers pass defense continues to be a huge
issue, as it has allowed at least 246 yards on eight occasions.
MATCHUP TO WATCH It hasnt been great in 08 for Charg-
ers CB Antonio Cromartie, who might be in for his toughest as-
signment yet vs. Colts WR Reggie Wayne. Unlike last season,
Cromartie has been hesitant in coverage and hasnt aggres-
sively pursued the ball. If he plays that way Sunday, Wayne is
likely to rack up receptions and keep Indy on the move.
BYTHE NUMBERS Chargers QB Philip Rivers leads the NFL
with 21 TD passes. The Colts defense has allowed a league-
low two TD passes against it this season.
Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 8:15 p.m. ET
CHARGERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to San Diego
Sept. 7 Carolina (-9) 24-26
Sept. 14 At Denver (+1) 38-39
Sept. 22 NewYork Jets (-8) 48-29
Sept. 28 At Oakland (-8.5) 28-18
Oct. 5 At Miami (-6) 10-17
Oct. 12 New England (-6) 30-10
Oct. 19 At Buffalo (0) 14-23
Oct. 26 At New Orleans (-3) 32-37
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 9 Kansas City (-15) 20-19
Nov. 16 At Pittsburgh (+4.5) 10-11
Nov. 23 Indianapolis
Nov. 30 Atlanta
Dec. 4 Oakland
Dec. 14 At Kansas City
Dec. 21 At Tampa Bay
Dec. 28 Denver
CHARGERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 89Chambers / 80Floyd/ 84Davis
OLT 73McNeill / 70Shelton
OLG 68Dielman/ 63Mruczkowski / 67 Forney
C 61 Hardwick / 62Newberry
ORG 79Goff / 63Mruczkowski
ORT 66Clary / 70Shelton
TE 85Gates / 86Manumaleuna / 88Wilson
WR 83Jackson/ 11 Naanee / 81 Osgood
QB 17 Rivers / 7Volek / 6Whitehurst
RB 21 Tomlinson/ 43Sproles / 22Hester*
FB 35Tolbert* / 22Hester*
DEFENSE
DLE 99Olshansky / 97 Bingham
NT 76Williams / 97 Bingham/ 98Scott
DRE 93Castillo / 74Cesaire
OLB 95Phillips / 92Harris / 90Applewhite
ILB 54Cooper / 53Waters
ILB 51 Dobbins / 57Wilhelm/ 59Siler
OLB 94Tucker / 92Harris / 90Applewhite
LCB 23Jammer / 24Gordon
RCB 31 Cromartie / 20Cason*
SS 42Hart / 28Gregory
FS 32Weddle / 27 Oliver / 36Battle
SPECIALISTS
P 5Scifres
PK 10Kaeding
H 5Scifres
PR 43Sproles / 31 Cromartie / 84Davis
KR 43Sproles / 31 Cromartie / 84Davis
LS 50Binn
* Rookie
PACKERS GAME PROFILE SAINTS
PACKERS
AT
SAINTS
PACKERS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to Green Bay
Sept. 8 Minnesota (-2.5) 24-19
Sept. 14 At Detroit (-3) 48-25
Sept. 21 Dallas (+3) 16-27
Sept. 28 At Tampa Bay (+2) 21-30
Oct. 5 Atlanta (-5.5) 24-27
Oct. 12 At Seattle (0) 27-17
Oct. 19 Indianapolis (+2.5) 34-14
Oct. 26 BYE
Nov. 2 At Tennessee (+3.5) 16-19*
Nov. 9 At Minnesota (+2.5) 27-28
Nov. 16 Chicago (-3.5) 37-3
Nov. 24 At New Orleans
Nov. 30 Carolina
Dec. 7 Houston
Dec. 14 At Jacksonville
Dec. 22 At Chicago
Dec. 28 Detroit
* Overtime
PACKERS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 85Jennings / 82Martin
OLT 76Clifton/ 73Colledge
OLG 73Colledge / 78Barbre
C 63Wells / 72Spitz
ORG 72Spitz / 71 Sitton*
ORT 65Tauscher / 75Moll / 68Giacomini*
TE 86D. Lee / 84Humphrey / 88Finley*
WR 80Driver / 89Jones / 87 Nelson*
QB 12Rodgers / 10Flynn* / 11 Brohm*
RB 25Grant / 32Jackson/ 42Wynn
FB 35Hall / 30Kuhn
DEFENSE
DLE 74Kampman/ 57 Hunter / 93Pettway
DLT 79Pickett / 90Cole
DRT 97Jolly / 91 Harrell
DRE 99Thompson* / 96Montgomery
SLB 51 Poppinga / 54Chillar / 58Lansanah*
MLB 50Hawk / 55Bishop/ 56Barnett
WLB 54Chillar
LCB 21 Woodson/ 27 Blackmon/ 22P. Lee*
RCB 31 Harris / 38Williams / 24Bush
SS 20Bigby / 37 Rouse / 24Bush
FS 36Collins / 26Peprah
SPECIALISTS
P 6Frost
PK 2Crosby
H 6Frost / 10Flynn* / 82Martin
PR 27 Blackmon/ 38Williams / 87 Nelson*
KR 27 Blackmon/ 87 Nelson* / 38Williams
LS 61 Goode* / 75Moll / 71 Sitton*
* Rookie
OVERVIEWGreen Bay improved to 5-5 and moved into a
three-way tie with the Bears and Vikings in the NFC North with
a surprisingly easy 37-3 victory over Chicago. The Saints, also
at 5-5 after a 30-20 decision over the lowly Chiefs for their
first road victory of the year, will be trying to win two games in
a row for the first time in 2008. The Packers defense, which
performed admirably in its first game without MLB Nick Bar-
nett (out for the season with a torn ACL), probably will have to
contend with Saints RB Reggie Bush, who is expected back
after missing the past three games with a knee injury.
MATCHUP TO WATCH Packers WR Greg Jennings, who had a
team-leading 64 yards vs. the Bears as well as his first TD
catch since Week Six, could cause all kinds of problems for an
undermanned Saints secondary that has lost starting CBs
Mike McKenzie and Tracy Porter to season-ending injuries.
BYTHE NUMBERS Green Bay has limited seven of its 10 op-
ponents to fewer than 200 passing yards. The Saints have
gained at least 228 yards passing in all but one game.
Monday, Nov. 24, 2008 8:30 p.m. ET
SAINTS SCHEDULE
Point spread refers to New Orleans
Sept. 7 Tampa Bay (-3) 24-20
Sept. 14 At Washington (0) 24-29
Sept. 21 At Denver (+5.5) 32-34
Sept. 28 San Francisco (-4) 31-17
Oct. 6 Minnesota (-3) 27-30
Oct. 12 Oakland (-7) 34-3
Oct. 19 At Carolina (+3) 7-30
Oct. 26 San Diego (+3) 37-32
Nov. 2 BYE
Nov. 9 At Atlanta (+1.5) 20-34
Nov. 16 At Kansas City (-6) 30-20
Nov. 24 Green Bay
Nov. 30 At Tampa Bay
Dec. 7 Atlanta
Dec. 11 At Chicago
Dec. 21 At Detroit
Dec. 28 Carolina
SAINTS DEPTH CHART
OFFENSE
WR 12Colston/ 81 Patten/ 15Roby
OLT 70Brown/ 74Bushrod
OLG 77 Nicks* / 67 Nesbit
C 76Goodwin/ 68Lehr
ORG 73Evans
ORT 78Stinchcomb/ 64Strief
TE 88Shockey / 80Campbell / 83Miller
WR 19Henderson/ 16Moore / 17 Meachem
QB 9Brees / 11 Brunell / 3Harrington
RB 26McAllister / 23P. Thomas / 25Bush
FB 44Karney
DEFENSE
DLE 93McCray / 97 Charleston
NT 71 Clancy / 99H. Thomas
UT 98Ellis* / 96Lake
DRE 91 Smith
SLB 55Fujita / 54Evans
MLB 51 Vilma / 50Mitchell
WLB 58Shanle / 56Dunbar
LCB 31 Glenn/ 42David/ 24Torrence
RCB 20Gay / 28U. Young / 35Pittman
SS 41 Harper / 39Reis
FS 29Bullocks / 43Kaesviharn
SPECIALISTS
P 4Pakulak
PK 5Hartley
H 4Pakulak
PR 16Moore / 25Bush
KR 23P. Thomas / 15Roby / 27 Stecker
LS 47 Houser
* Rookie
NFL STANDINGS
WEEK 11
EAST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
New York Jets 7 3 0 .700 289 221 3 1 0 5 3 0
Miami 6 4 0 .600 209 197 2 1 0 5 3 0
New England 6 4 0 .600 219 194 2 2 0 4 4 0
Buffalo* 5 4 0 .556 192 189 0 3 0 3 3 0
NORTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Pittsburgh 7 3 0 .700 209 150 3 0 0 6 1 0
Baltimore 6 4 0 .600 222 180 3 1 0 6 3 0
Cleveland* 3 6 0 .333 172 194 1 3 0 2 4 0
Cincinnati 1 8 1 .150 138 249 0 3 0 1 6 0
SOUTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Tennessee 10 0 0 1.000 244 131 4 0 0 7 0 0
Indianapolis 6 4 0 .600 224 224 2 2 0 5 2 0
Jacksonville 4 6 0 .400 212 210 2 2 0 3 6 0
Houston 3 7 0 .300 236 287 0 4 0 2 6 0
WEST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Denver 6 4 0 .600 248 271 2 1 0 3 4 0
San Diego 4 6 0 .400 254 229 2 1 0 4 4 0
Oakland 2 8 0 .200 128 235 1 2 0 2 5 0
Kansas City 1 9 0 .100 165 273 1 2 0 1 5 0
* Monday-night game not included
EAST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
New York Giants 9 1 0 .900 292 170 3 0 0 6 0 0
Washington 6 4 0 .600 181 182 2 2 0 5 3 0
Dallas 6 4 0 .600 230 229 2 2 0 4 4 0
Philadelphia 5 4 1 .550 264 193 0 3 0 4 4 0
NORTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Chicago 5 5 0 .500 240 231 3 1 0 4 4 0
Green Bay 5 5 0 .500 274 209 3 1 0 4 4 0
Minnesota 5 5 0 .500 223 234 2 2 0 4 3 0
Detroit 0 10 0 .000 173 308 0 4 0 0 8 0
SOUTH W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Carolina 8 2 0 .800 222 155 2 1 0 5 2 0
Tampa Bay 7 3 0 .700 219 160 2 1 0 6 2 0
Atlanta 6 4 0 .600 231 198 1 2 0 4 3 0
New Orleans 5 5 0 .500 266 249 1 2 0 2 4 0
WEST W L T PCT PF PA DIVISION CONF
Arizona 7 3 0 .700 289 228 4 0 0 5 2 0
San Francisco 3 7 0 .300 230 275 2 3 0 3 6 0
Seattle 2 8 0 .200 190 257 2 2 0 2 6 0
St. Louis 2 8 0 .200 144 317 0 3 0 2 5 0
NFC AFC
WEEK 11 RESULTS
NewYork Jets 34, New England 31 (OT) (Thur.)
Denver 24, Atlanta 20
Carolina 31, Detroit 22
Philadelphia 13, Cincinnati 13 (OT)
Green Bay 37, Chicago 3
Indianapolis 33, Houston 27
New Orleans 30, Kansas City 20
Miami 17, Oakland 15
New York Giants 30, Baltimore 10
Tampa Bay 19, Minnesota 13
San Francisco 35, St. Louis 16
Arizona 26, Seattle 20
Pittsburgh 11, San Diego 10
Tennessee 24, Jacksonville 14
Dallas 14, Washington 10
Cleveland at Buffalo (Mon.)
WEEK 12 MATCHUPS
ALLTIMES EASTERN
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 8:15 p.m. (Thur.)
Buffalo at Kansas City, 1:00 p.m.
Carolina at Atlanta, 1:00 p.m.
Chicago at St. Louis, 1:00 p.m.
Houston at Cleveland, 1:00 p.m.
Minnesota at Jacksonville, 1:00 p.m.
New England at Miami, 1:00 p.m.
New York Jets at Tennessee, 1:00 p.m.
Philadelphia at Baltimore, 1:00 p.m.
San Francisco at Dallas, 1:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Detroit, 1:00 p.m.
Oakland at Denver, 4:05 p.m.
New York Giants at Arizona, 4:15 p.m.
Washington at Seattle, 4:15 p.m.
Indianapolis at San Diego, 8:15 p.m.
Green Bay at New Orleans, 8:30 p.m. (Mon.)
LINE OF THE WEEK OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK TEAM ON THE DECLINE
Matt Cassel QB New England Patriots
Four months ago, few outside New England knew his name. Four weeks ago, few in
New England believed in him. But Matt Cassel has raised his profile and changed
opinions in recent weeks, and in the Patriots 34-31 overtime loss to the Jets in Week
11, Cassel had his finest day as a pro and because he rarely played in college, you
could say it was his best game ever. Cassel kept the Patriots in the game despite an
18-point deficit, throwing for 400 yards Tom Brady, the man Cassel replaced has
only one 400-yard game and three TDs, including a brilliant, 16-yard strike to
Randy Moss with one second left in regulation. Cassel also ran for 62 yards, the
most by a Patriots quarterback since Steve Grogan had 65 in 1978.
Jerod Mayo LB New England Patriots
Matt Cassel wasnt the only Patriot who stood tall in defeat last week. Jerod Mayo,
who has been one of the few rookie linebackers to make such an immediate impact
under Bill Belichick, was all over the field in the loss to the Jets, making an astound-
ing 20 tackles, including two for losses, plus one pass defended. In the fourth quar-
ter and overtime, Mayo made a ridiculous 13 tackles, likely wrapping up the
Defensive Rookie of the Year award in the process. Said Belichick of Mayo: Hes in-
stinctive. He has a nose (for) where the ball is, he gets to it and he is a good tackler;
he doesnt miss many. So, he has been productive for us all year and was productive
for us (against the Jets).
Leon Washington RS New York Jets
It would be almost criminal to have two Patriots win Player of the Week honors and
have no Jets the team that beat them in New England represented. Worry not.
Leon Washington is often overlooked, but he again showed his value to the Jets with
a big night of returns on special teams and also on offense in the Jets victory. Wash-
ington took the opening kickoff to the Jets 38-yard line, and he capped the drive with
a seven-yard TD reception. Washington returned his next kickoff 37 yards, and that
possession ended in a Jay Feely field goal. But his best work was on his third return,
taking the short kick, finding a seam and running it back for a 92-yard score, giving
the Jets a 17-6 lead. The rest of the night, the Pats avoided him like the plague.
DeAngelo Williams and
Jonathan Stewart RBs Panthers
OPPONENT RUSHES. YDS. AVG. TD
Lions 29 250 8.6 3
Stewart bolted for a career-high 130 yards, and Williams
rushed for 120, marking the first time in the Panthers 14-
year history that two backs rushed for more than 100 yards
in the same game. Carolina set a team record, gaining 264
rushing yards, which was just enough to hold off the hungry
Lions, who came close to getting their first win of the season.
The backs big game helped Carolina improve to 8-2.
The Bears were hanging by their fingertips to a share of
the lead in the NFC North. Then they played the Packers,
who handed Chicago the worst loss (37-3) it had suffered to
the division rivals to the north in 14 years. Once a proud and
effective group, Lovie Smiths defense is being picked apart.
The Bears have allowed 304 yards or more in seven of their
last eight games. Ryan Grant rushed for 145 yards and a TD,
and Aaron Rodgers had his way with Chicagos secondary in
Week 11. Losers of two in a row, the Bears now find them-
selves in a three-way tie for the divisions top spot.
Chicago Bears
TEAM ON THE RISE
The Colts offense may not be as great as it once was, but
it isnt done yet. Afew weeks back, Indianapolis sat at 3-4,
and its long run as a contender in the AFC was in jeopardy.
Three consecutive victories later, the Colts are back from a
prematurely declared death. The Texans had Indy on its
heels throughout their Week 11 meeting, but Peyton Manning
and company kept answering the call, coming back from
being down twice on the way to a 33-27 win. Aparticularly
good sign came from RB Joseph Addai, who had his first
100-yard game since November 2007.
Indianapolis Colts
RUSHING
Player Team Att Yds Avg Lg TD
Jones N.Y.J. 190 854 4.5 31 9
Johnson Ten. 177 787 4.4 66 5
Slaton Hou. 138 701 5.1 71 6
Tomlinson S.D. 182 686 3.8 41 5
Brown Mia. 144 605 4.2 62 9
J. Lewis Clev. 167 593 3.6 29 4
Lynch Buff. 146 512 3.5 22 6
Jones-Drew Jax. 115 499 4.3 46 11
L. Johnson K.C. 112 484 4.3 65 3
McGahee Balt. 134 481 3.6 17 5
White Ten. 122 470 3.9 80 11
Parker Pitt. 112 448 4.0 32 4
Fargas Oak. 121 440 3.6 42 0
Williams Mia. 102 437 4.3 51 3
Taylor Jax. 115 416 3.6 34 0
Addai Ind. 113 387 3.4 15 5
L. McClain Balt. 98 376 3.8 17 5
Moore Pitt. 94 376 4.0 32 5
Rice Balt. 85 375 4.4 60 0
McFadden Oak. 70 354 5.1 50 1
Rhodes Ind. 90 338 3.8 38 3
Morris N.E. 74 321 4.3 34 4
Pittman Den. 76 320 4.2 20 4
Faulk N.E. 59 319 5.4 20 2
Charles K.C. 52 286 5.5 30 0
Benson Cin. 88 283 3.2 30 1
Young Den. 48 268 5.6 49 1
C. Perry Cin. 97 258 2.7 25 2
Green Hou. 61 255 4.2 14 3
Green-Ellis N.E. 65 252 3.9 15 4
Bush Oak. 64 240 3.8 32 1
L. WashingtonN.Y.J. 51 240 4.7 60 2
Jackson Buff. 60 237 4.0 22 1
Garrard Jax. 48 210 4.4 24 1
Cassel N.E. 51 185 3.6 19 1
Fitzpatrick Cin. 29 182 6.3 22 1
Thigpen K.C. 24 174 7.3 32 1
Sproles S.D. 34 161 4.7 21 0
Hall Den. 35 144 4.1 16 0
Flacco Balt. 36 142 3.9 38 2
Harrison Clev. 17 127 7.5 33 0
Cutler Den. 30 119 4.0 18 0
B. Smith N.Y.J. 10 116 11.6 36 0
Jordan N.E. 24 106 4.4 11 0
Ko. Smith K.C. 35 100 2.9 19 1
Maroney N.E. 28 93 3.3 17 0
Russell Oak. 11 85 7.7 24 1
Hillis Den. 21 82 3.9 12 2
Torain Den. 15 69 4.6 19 1
Clayton Balt. 5 69 13.8 42 1
Cribbs Clev. 7 67 9.6 27 0
Mendenhall Pitt. 19 58 3.1 12 0
Watson Cin. 14 55 3.9 7 0
Schaub Hou. 20 54 2.7 10 2
Savage K.C. 15 53 3.5 11 0
Moats Hou. 10 51 5.1 12 0
Anderson Clev. 22 50 2.3 15 0
Ginn Mia. 3 44 14.7 40 1
Russell Pitt. 13 43 3.3 15 0
J. Wright Clev. 12 43 3.6 11 0
RECEIVING
Player Team No Yds Avg Lg TD
Houshmandzadeh Cin. 73 726 9.9 26 4
Welker N.E. 73 718 9.8 29 1
A. Johnson Hou. 71 955 13.5 61 3
Marshall Den. 63 803 12.7 47 4
Wayne Ind. 56 790 14.1 65 5
Royal Den. 56 659 11.8 93 4
Bowe K.C. 55 666 12.1 36 5
Gonzalez K.C. 55 583 10.6 34 5
Ward Pitt. 54 685 12.7 49 5
Mason Balt. 53 680 12.8 54 2
M. Jones Jax. 50 586 11.7 35 2
Camarillo Mia. 49 538 11.0 33 1
Cotchery N.Y.J. 48 597 12.4 56 4
Moss N.E. 46 615 13.4 66 5
Coles N.Y.J. 46 525 11.4 54 5
Daniels Hou. 45 555 12.3 34 2
Scaife Ten. 44 450 10.2 44 1
Ocho Cinco Cin. 41 383 9.3 19 4
Walter Hou. 40 574 14.4 61 6
Gates S.D. 40 479 12.0 30 6
Gonzalez Ind. 40 473 11.8 58 2
Clark Ind. 39 459 11.8 29 3
Harrison Ind. 39 434 11.1 67 4
Ginn Mia. 38 508 13.4 64 1
Evans Buff. 37 700 18.9 87 3
Jackson S.D. 37 646 17.5 60 4
Winslow Clev. 36 362 10.1 30 3
Tomlinson S.D. 36 294 8.2 32 1
Holmes Pitt. 34 482 14.2 48 2
Slaton Hou. 32 198 6.2 30 1
Stokley Den. 31 322 10.4 32 2
Jones-Drew Jax. 31 280 9.0 26 0
Faulk N.E. 30 263 8.8 22 1
L. WashingtonN.Y.J. 30 226 7.5 40 2
Johnson Ten. 30 203 6.8 25 1
Z. Miller Oak. 29 430 14.8 63 1
B. Jones Ten. 29 321 11.1 26 1
Edwards Clev. 27 472 17.5 70 3
Keller N.Y.J. 27 341 12.6 54 3
Moore Pitt. 27 204 7.6 25 1
Lynch Buff. 27 199 7.4 42 0
Reed Buff. 26 288 11.1 24 0
Royal Buff. 25 257 10.3 30 1
Rhodes Ind. 25 171 6.8 18 1
Rice Balt. 24 208 8.7 21 0
Washington Pitt. 23 393 17.1 65 3
Gaffney N.E. 23 240 10.4 19 1
Jackson Buff. 23 190 8.3 33 0
Lewis Jax. 22 306 13.9 30 2
Fasano Mia. 22 305 13.9 24 3
Bradley K.C. 22 250 11.4 56 2
Jones N.Y.J. 22 119 5.4 19 1
Gage Ten. 21 376 17.9 56 4
Miller Pitt. 21 240 11.4 22 1
Clayton Balt. 21 235 11.2 47 1
Heap Balt. 21 211 10.0 20 2
Chatman Cin. 21 194 9.2 25 0
Kelly Cin. 21 139 6.6 15 0
Scheffler Den. 20 351 17.6 72 2
D. Martin Mia. 20 263 13.2 28 1
Stuckey N.Y.J. 20 228 11.4 31 3
Northcutt Jax. 20 223 11.2 20 0
Brown Mia. 20 181 9.1 39 0
R. Williams Jax. 20 180 9.0 32 1
Chambers S.D. 19 294 15.5 48 5
Bess Mia. 19 188 9.9 27 1
Watson N.E. 19 179 9.4 29 1
Bush Oak. 18 156 8.7 25 0
Crumpler Ten. 17 177 10.4 28 1
Parrish Buff. 17 164 9.6 22 1
Williams Mia. 17 134 7.9 47 0
Charles K.C. 17 98 5.8 17 0
Cobbs Mia. 16 256 16.0 80 2
McGahee Balt. 16 120 7.5 35 0
C. Perry Cin. 16 53 3.3 12 0
Sproles S.D. 15 221 14.7 66 1
Graham Den. 15 202 13.5 28 4
Heiden Clev. 15 200 13.3 51 0
Walker Oak. 15 196 13.1 29 1
J. Lewis Clev. 15 144 9.6 18 0
Baker N.Y.J. 15 128 8.5 29 0
Spaeth Pitt. 15 126 8.4 13 0
L. McClain Balt. 15 109 7.3 25 1
Floyd S.D. 14 266 19.0 49 3
Walker Jax. 14 176 12.6 32 0
Curry Oak. 14 147 10.5 16 1
McCareins Ten. 13 204 15.7 37 0
Williams Balt. 13 180 13.8 70 1
Tolbert S.D. 13 171 13.2 67 1
G. Jones Jax. 13 116 8.9 22 1
Addai Ind. 13 100 7.7 23 1
Taylor Jax. 13 79 6.1 17 0
Steptoe Clev. 12 147 12.3 53 0
D. Anderson Hou. 12 118 9.8 22 2
McFadden Oak. 12 94 7.8 25 0
Morris N.E. 12 90 7.5 28 0
Utecht Cin. 12 80 6.7 12 0
Hillis Den. 11 146 13.3 47 1
Stallworth Clev. 11 104 9.5 19 1
N. Jackson Den. 11 84 7.6 19 1
Pittman Den. 10 112 11.2 40 0
Benson Cin. 10 72 7.2 21 0
Santi Ind. 10 64 6.4 13 1
Ko. Smith K.C. 10 52 5.2 8 0
Green Hou. 10 24 2.4 7 0
D. Thomas N.E. 9 93 10.3 18 0
Hardy Buff. 9 87 9.7 17 2
Griffith Oak. 9 85 9.4 24 1
Higgins Oak. 8 170 21.3 84 1
Schilens Oak. 8 124 15.5 60 0
Henry Cin. 8 82 10.3 18 0
J. Wright Clev. 8 65 8.1 17 1
ManumaleunaS.D. 8 56 7.0 17 0
Davis Hou. 7 123 17.6 49 0
Darling K.C. 7 121 17.3 68 0
Lelie Oak. 7 105 15.0 23 1
Porter Jax. 7 101 14.4 31 1
Stewart Oak. 7 43 6.1 11 0
L. Johnson K.C. 7 32 4.6 20 0
D. Jackson Den. 6 99 16.5 48 1
Harrison Clev. 6 82 13.7 23 1
Cottam K.C. 6 61 10.2 19 0
Hawkins Ten. 6 54 9.0 19 0
Vickers Clev. 6 51 8.5 16 0
Dreessen Hou. 6 50 8.3 13 0
Franks N.Y.J. 6 47 7.8 25 0
B. Smith N.Y.J. 6 43 7.2 18 0
Leach Hou. 6 40 6.7 9 0
Hall Ten. 6 35 5.8 15 0
Robinson Ind. 6 29 4.8 12 0
Cox K.C. 6 12 2.0 4 0
SCORING
Player Team TD XP/att FG/att 2XP Pts
Gostkowski N.E. 0 19/19 24/26 0 91
Feely N.Y.J. 0 27/27 18/22 0 81
Bironas Ten. 0 26/26 18/21 0 80
Kaeding S.D. 0 26/26 18/22 0 80
Prater Den. 0 27/27 17/21 0 78
Lindell Buff. 0 19/19 17/21 0 70
Reed Pitt. 0 21/22 16/17 0 69
K. Brown Hou. 0 26/26 14/14 0 68
Scobee Jax. 0 23/23 15/17 0 68
Dawson Clev. 0 15/15 17/19 0 66
Jones-Drew Jax. 11 0/0 0/0 0 66
White Ten. 11 0/0 0/0 0 66
Janikowski Oak. 0 10/10 18/24 0 64
Carpenter Mia. 0 24/24 13/15 0 63
Stover Balt. 0 24/24 13/18 0 63
Jones N.Y.J. 10 0/0 0/0 0 60
Vinatieri Ind. 0 25/25 11/14 0 58
Brown Mia. 9 0/0 0/0 0 54
Graham Cin. 0 9/9 13/15 0 48
Slaton Hou. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
Addai Ind. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Gates S.D. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Johnson Ten. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Lynch Buff. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
L. McClain Balt. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Moore Pitt. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Tomlinson S.D. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Walter Hou. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
L. WashingtonN.Y.J. 5 0/0 0/0 1 32
Wayne Ind. 5 0/0 0/0 1 32
Bowe K.C. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Chambers S.D. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Coles N.Y.J. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Gonzalez K.C. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
McGahee Balt. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Moss N.E. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Ward Pitt. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Rhodes Ind. 4 0/0 0/0 1 26
Royal Den. 4 0/0 0/0 1 26
Novak K.C. 0 7/7 6/10 0 25
Barth K.C. 0 9/9 5/5 0 24
Cotchery N.Y.J. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Gage Ten. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Graham Den. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Green-Ellis N.E. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Harrison Ind. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Houshmandzadeh Cin. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Jackson S.D. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
J. Lewis Clev. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Marshall Den. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Morris N.E. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Ocho Cinco Cin. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Parker Pitt. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Pittman Den. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Edwards Clev. 3 0/0 0/0 2 22
Evans Buff. 3 0/0 0/0 1 20
Clark Ind. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Cobbs Mia. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Fasano Mia. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Faulk N.E. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Floyd S.D. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Green Hou. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Hillis Den. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
A. Johnson Hou. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
L. Johnson K.C. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Keller N.Y.J. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Stuckey N.Y.J. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Washington Pitt. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Williams Mia. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Winslow Clev. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Mason Balt. 2 0/0 0/0 1 14
Sproles S.D. 2 0/0 0/0 1 14
D. Anderson Hou. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Bradley K.C. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Clayton Balt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Cribbs Clev. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Daniels Hou. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Flacco Balt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Ginn Mia. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Gonzalez Ind. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Greer Buff. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Hardy Buff. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Heap Balt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Higgins Oak. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Holmes Pitt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
M. Jones Jax. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Jones Hou. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Lewis Jax. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Mathis Jax. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
M. Owens Jax. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Parrish Buff. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
C. Perry Cin. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Schaub Hou. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Scheffler Den. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Stokley Den. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Suggs Balt. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Thigpen K.C. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Gaffney N.E. 1 0/0 0/0 1 8
AFC INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
WEEK 11 Monday-night game not included.
PUNT RETURNS
Player Team No FC Yds Avg Lg TD
Jones Hou. 18 10 259 14.4 73 2
Parrish Buff. 13 6 172 13.2 63 1
L. Washington N.Y.J. 21 7 270 12.9 37 0
Sproles S.D. 13 7 148 11.4 28 0
Higgins Oak. 32 6 322 10.1 93 1
Carr Ten. 20 16 190 9.5 33 0
Bess Mia. 14 7 127 9.1 25 0
Cribbs Clev. 20 2 180 9.0 32 0
Chatman Cin. 21 5 158 7.5 34 0
Holmes Pitt. 21 3 139 6.6 23 0
Figurs Balt. 15 5 98 6.5 35 0
KICKOFF RETURNS
Royal Den. 13 406 31.2 95 0
L. WashingtonN.Y.J. 25 739 29.6 94 1
Hobbs N.E. 31 880 28.4 81 0
Cribbs Clev. 23 636 27.7 92 1
Carr Ten. 26 707 27.2 52 0
Sproles S.D. 31 829 26.7 103 1
McKelvin Buff. 34 888 26.1 85 0
Witherspoon Jax. 29 741 25.6 51 0
Holt Cin. 37 933 25.2 60 0
Savage K.C. 26 633 24.3 59 0
Higgins Oak. 36 842 23.4 69 0
Hall Den. 21 469 22.3 28 0
Player Team No Yds Lg TD
Finnegan Ten. 4 100 99 1
Hope Ten. 4 53 39 0
Revis N.Y.J. 4 32 32 1
Griffin Ten. 4 21 15 0
Polamalu Pitt. 4 16 12 0
Bullitt Ind. 4 7 3 0
Mathis Jax. 3 147 72 2
E. Wright Clev. 3 131 94 1
ONeal N.E. 3 49 47 0
R. Lewis Balt. 3 43 29 0
McAlister Balt. 3 28 16 0
Meriweather N.E. 3 6 6 0
Page K.C. 3 2 2 0
Flowers K.C. 2 118 91 1
Suggs Balt. 2 86 44 2
Reeves Hou. 2 77 44 1
Greer Buff. 2 75 42 2
Carr K.C. 2 67 35 0
W. Allen Mia. 2 62 32 1
Cromartie S.D. 2 52 52 1
Pool Clev. 2 37 24 0
Wilson Hou. 2 36 19 0
B. Williams Jax. 2 31 27 0
Sensabaugh Jax. 2 23 23 0
Adams Clev. 2 18 18 0
Harper Ten. 2 11 11 0
Jennings Ind. 2 9 6 0
Baker Oak. 2 8 8 0
Hobbs N.E. 2 7 4 0
Rolle Balt. 2 5 3 0
Ngata Balt. 2 1 1 0
McFadden Pitt. 2 0 0 0
McGee Buff. 2 0 0 0
PASSING
Comp TD Int Avg
Player Team Att Comp Pct Yds TD Pct Lg Int Pct Gain Rating
Rivers S.D. 296 191 64.5 2,513 21 7.1 67 10 3.4 8.49 100.8
Favre N.Y.J. 315 220 69.8 2,237 18 5.7 56 12 3.8 7.10 93.0
Pennington Mia. 300 201 67.0 2,374 8 2.7 80 5 1.7 7.91 92.8
Schaub Hou. 227 154 67.8 1,762 10 4.4 61 8 3.5 7.76 91.0
Cutler Den. 369 230 62.3 2,832 19 5.1 93 11 3.0 7.67 90.7
Cassel N.E. 318 209 65.7 2,200 10 3.1 66 7 2.2 6.92 87.0
Edwards Buff. 245 164 66.9 1,845 7 2.9 49 7 2.9 7.53 86.9
Manning Ind. 380 234 61.6 2,568 17 4.5 75 9 2.4 6.76 86.6
Garrard Jax. 318 201 63.2 2,144 8 2.5 35 6 1.9 6.74 83.4
Collins Ten. 271 160 59.0 1,755 8 3.0 56 4 1.5 6.48 82.0
Roethlisberger Pitt. 281 175 62.3 1,994 10 3.6 65 11 3.9 7.10 79.1
Flacco Balt. 276 171 62.0 1,813 8 2.9 70 9 3.3 6.57 77.2
Thigpen K.C. 230 123 53.5 1,337 10 4.3 56 5 2.2 5.81 76.3
Fitzpatrick Cin. 210 132 62.9 1,050 5 2.4 26 6 2.9 5.00 71.3
Russell Oak. 238 120 50.4 1,445 6 2.5 84 4 1.7 6.07 70.8
Anderson Clev. 243 121 49.8 1,454 9 3.7 70 7 2.9 5.98 68.9
NON-QUALIFIERS
Quinn Clev. 35 23 65.7 239 2 5.7 30 0 0.0 6.83 104.3
Rosenfels Hou. 118 78 66.1 956 4 3.4 61 7 5.9 8.10 77.5
Palmer Cin. 129 75 58.1 731 3 2.3 36 4 3.1 5.67 69.0
Huard K.C. 81 50 61.7 477 2 2.5 68 4 4.9 5.89 65.7
Walter Oak. 32 14 43.8 143 0 0.0 28 2 6.3 4.47 31.1
PUNTING
Gross Ins Ret Net
Player Team No Yds Lg Avg TB 20 Blk Ret Yds Avg
Scifres S.D. 30 1,440 67 48.0 3 13 0 13 92 42.9
Lechler Oak. 60 2,965 70 49.4 7 22 0 31 326 41.7
Colquitt K.C. 47 2,149 73 45.7 3 20 0 23 189 40.4
Koch Balt. 47 2,130 74 45.3 4 17 0 24 168 40.0
Moorman Buff. 36 1,656 62 46.0 4 14 0 13 147 39.7
Kern Den. 31 1,447 64 46.7 3 9 0 20 164 39.5
Zastudil Clev. 41 1,807 59 44.1 5 13 0 17 120 38.7
H. Smith Ind. 38 1,712 64 45.1 2 13 0 19 205 38.6
Berger Pitt. 42 1,760 61 41.9 2 14 0 24 121 38.1
Podlesh Jax. 43 1,866 60 43.4 4 12 0 23 187 37.2
Hentrich Ten. 57 2,458 75 43.1 6 22 0 21 236 36.9
Turk Hou. 30 1,306 59 43.5 4 8 0 13 120 36.9
Hanson N.E. 32 1,416 70 44.3 8 13 0 7 90 36.4
Fields Mia. 49 2,195 71 44.8 4 15 0 26 427 34.4
Larson Cin. 62 2,490 57 40.2 2 16 1 31 362 33.1
Weatherford K.C. 38 1,606 61 42.3 7 6 0 19 244 32.2
FIELD-GOAL ACCURACY
Avg Avg Avg
1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50 or Yds Yds Yds
Player Team Yds Yds Yds Yds Longer Total Att Made Miss Lg
K. Brown Hou. 0-0 5-5 4-4 5-5 0-0 14-14 35.1 35.1 0.0 48
.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 .000 1.000
Reed Pitt. 1-1 4-4 4-4 6-6 1-2 16-17 36.7 35.8 51.0 53
1.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 .500 .941
Gostkowski N.E. 0-0 6-6 10-10 8-10 0-0 24-26 36.4 35.4 48.5 49
.000 1.000 1.000 .800 .000 .923
Dawson Clev. 0-0 7-7 7-7 1-1 2-4 17-19 35.3 33.3 52.5 54
.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 .500 .895
Scobee Jax. 0-0 5-5 3-5 3-3 4-4 15-17 38.4 38.5 37.5 53
.000 1.000 .600 1.000 1.000 .882
Graham Cin. 0-0 3-3 3-4 7-8 0-0 13-15 35.7 34.7 42.0 45
.000 1.000 .750 .875 .000 .867
Carpenter Mia. 0-0 3-3 4-4 6-8 0-0 13-15 38.0 37.1 44.0 47
.000 1.000 1.000 .750 .000 .867
Bironas Ten. 0-0 4-4 6-6 8-11 0-0 18-21 38.0 36.6 46.3 49
.000 1.000 1.000 .727 .000 .857
Kaeding S.D. 0-0 9-9 7-7 2-6 0-0 18-22 33.4 30.9 44.3 49
.000 1.000 1.000 .333 .000 .818
Feely N.Y.J. 0-0 6-6 6-9 4-5 2-2 18-22 34.8 34.3 37.0 55
.000 1.000 .667 .800 1.000 .818
Lindell Buff. 1-1 3-3 5-5 7-9 1-3 17-21 40.0 38.1 48.3 53
1.000 1.000 1.000 .778 .333 .810
Prater Den. 0-0 5-6 5-6 2-4 5-5 17-21 38.3 37.6 41.0 56
.000 .833 .833 .500 1.000 .810
Vinatieri Ind. 0-0 0-0 7-8 3-5 1-1 11-14 39.8 39.4 41.3 52
.000 .000 .875 .600 1.000 .786
Janikowski Oak. 0-0 8-8 6-6 2-4 2-6 18-24 39.1 33.4 56.0 57
.000 1.000 1.000 .500 .333 .750
Stover Balt. 0-0 4-4 7-8 2-5 0-1 13-18 35.9 32.7 44.4 47
.000 1.000 .875 .400 .000 .722
Novak K.C. 0-0 3-3 1-3 2-3 0-1 6-10 35.5 31.0 42.3 43
.000 1.000 .333 .667 .000 .600
Player Tm Sks
Porter Mia. 13.5
J. Harrison Pitt. 12.0
Woodley Pitt. 9.5
M. Williams Hou. 8.0
Ellis N.Y.J. 7.0
Freeney Ind. 7.0
Haynesworth Ten. 7.0
Seymour N.E. 6.0
K. Edwards Oak. 5.0
Mathis Ind. 5.0
Suggs Balt. 5.0
A. Thomas N.E. 5.0
Rogers Clev. 4.5
Thomas N.Y.J. 4.5
Bowens N.Y.J. 4.0
Jenkins N.Y.J. 4.0
Pace N.Y.J. 4.0
Phillips S.D. 4.0
Pryce Balt. 4.0
Timmons Pitt. 4.0
Tucker S.D. 4.0
Ball Ten. 3.5
T. Brown Ten. 3.5
Roth Mia. 3.5
Bulman Hou. 3.0
Dumervil Den. 3.0
Ekuban Den. 3.0
Ford Ten. 3.0
Hall Clev. 3.0
Holliday Mia. 3.0
J. Johnson Balt. 3.0
Odom Cin. 3.0
Peterson Den. 3.0
Scott Oak. 3.0
Aa. Smith Pitt. 3.0
Vanden BoschTen. 3.0
Warren Oak. 3.0
Geathers Cin. 2.5
Harris S.D. 2.5
Harvey Jax. 2.5
Kearse Ten. 2.5
Kelly Oak. 2.5
Moss Den. 2.5
Smith Jax. 2.5
Stroud Buff. 2.5
D.J. Williams Den. 2.5
W. Allen Mia. 2.0
Cesaire S.D. 2.0
Cochran Hou. 2.0
Farrior Pitt. 2.0
Henderson Jax. 2.0
Ingram Jax. 2.0
Jackson Clev. 2.0
Landri Jax. 2.0
Langford Mia. 2.0
Meier Jax. 2.0
Mitchell Buff. 2.0
Ndukwe Cin. 2.0
Olshansky S.D. 2.0
Richardson Oak. 2.0
Sands Oak. 2.0
Spicer Jax. 2.0
Vrabel N.E. 2.0
Warren N.E. 2.0
Webster Den. 2.0
Wimbley Clev. 2.0
Barton N.Y.J. 1.5
Bingham S.D. 1.5
Burgess Oak. 1.5
Castillo S.D. 1.5
Cooper S.D. 1.5
Eason Pitt. 1.5
Foote Pitt. 1.5
Groves Jax. 1.5
Hayward Jax. 1.5
D. Johnson K.C. 1.5
J. Jones Ten. 1.5
J. McClain Balt. 1.5
Mosley N.Y.J. 1.5
SACKS
INTERCEPTIONS
NFL TEAM STATISTICS
1-8-1 7-3-0 3-7-0 6-4-0 5-4-0 1-9-0 5-5-0 2-8-0 7-3-0 10-0-0 8-2-0 6-4-0 5-4-1 6-4-0 3-7-0 3-6-0
159 177 176 188 152 162 168 139 198 174 165 197 197 202 214 143
43 55 55 71 48 54 60 51 62 69 62 76 55 93 67 49
102 107 104 102 97 97 101 79 119 96 92 101 128 94 133 81
14 15 17 15 7 11 7 9 17 9 11 20 14 15 14 13
2426 3002 3154 3422 2734 2927 3146 2710 3365 3163 3200 3613 3638 3188 3701 2533
242.6 300.2 315.4 342.2 303.8 292.7 314.6 271.0 336.5 316.3 320.0 361.3 363.8 318.8 370.1 281.4
837 994 1095 1159 810 1110 1078 959 1251 1327 1337 1534 953 1473 1143 909
83.7 99.4 109.5 115.9 90.0 111.0 107.8 95.9 125.1 132.7 133.7 153.4 95.3 147.3 114.3 101.0
1589 2008 2059 2263 1924 1817 2068 1751 2114 1836 1863 2079 2685 1715 2558 1624
158.9 200.8 205.9 226.3 213.8 181.7 206.8 175.1 211.4 183.6 186.3 207.9 268.5 171.5 255.8 180.4
242 275 250 261 227 244 285 236 282 335 307 347 239 369 252 233
3.5 3.6 4.4 4.4 3.6 4.5 3.8 4.1 4.4 4.0 4.4 4.4 4.0 4.0 4.5 3.9
343 305 303 322 267 342 332 309 321 293 277 283 391 278 345 278
210 189 177 197 180 195 196 176 223 172 157 169 234 173 232 144
61.2 62.0 58.4 61.2 67.4 57.0 59.0 57.0 69.5 58.7 56.7 59.7 59.8 62.2 67.2 51.8
38 35 36 17 25 28 18 32 19 6 13 12 15 18 24 11
203 209 222 114 160 190 99 223 149 29 88 80 97 155 160 69
10 11 13 13 8 9 6 10 13 6 9 6 9 9 15 7
102 111 298 271 148 144 62 320 276 52 128 29 150 87 172 112
0 1 2 0 1 1 1 3 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 2
63 49 40 47 36 59 59 56 33 57 52 40 52 47 30 42
39.5 40.8 47.0 44.4 46.0 45.1 40.5 49.0 42.3 43.1 42.1 37.9 43.6 45.3 43.5 43.8
2 2 5 5 4 7 3 2 1 6 3 3 3 4 4 5
33.1 37.4 39.2 36.6 39.7 37.9 36.7 40.0 36.6 36.9 38.2 36.1 38.3 40.0 36.9 38.6
1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0
23 25 15 23 20 18 22 17 21 22 29 28 35 25 18 22
8.0 6.0 12.7 6.9 14.2 5.2 6.6 8.4 12.9 8.9 11.5 7.4 9.9 8.1 14.4 9.2
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0
44 36 54 42 40 47 49 55 34 29 32 33 42 33 51 34
24.6 19.8 24.3 22.2 24.9 23.6 22.0 20.3 26.1 26.0 23.5 24.2 22.9 20.4 21.8 24.0
0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
55 64 77 76 42 47 59 64 48 64 68 49 46 75 41 63
434 544 593 590 316 359 472 499 354 460 472 408 412 576 308 389
18 14 20 17 16 11 11 14 14 10 9 8 11 16 15 10
9 3 12 6 10 3 9 8 5 4 6 4 6 7 7 3
13 12 11 14 12 17 11 14 20 13 18 10 15 7 9 7
7 4 3 8 7 11 8 7 10 5 9 4 9 2 3 4
148 136 120 129 112 143 144 131 127 139 129 142 134 140 120 117
52 54 42 61 46 55 56 40 56 51 45 61 47 62 57 42
35.1 39.7 35.0 47.3 41.1 38.5 38.9 30.5 44.1 36.7 34.9 43.0 35.1 44.3 47.5 35.9
10 9 8 7 4 10 9 10 9 6 7 9 6 8 13 7
6 1 3 6 2 4 3 4 8 2 2 3 3 5 6 3
60.0 11.1 37.5 85.7 50.0 40.0 33.3 40.0 88.9 33.3 28.6 33.3 50.0 62.5 46.2 42.9
27:48 30:50 28:45 29:46 29:52 28:20 29:05 27:22 31:41 30:10 29:30 31:24 29:57 33:29 31:02 28:26
14 23 25 29 20 19 27 13 34 27 24 24 28 25 28 17
4 10 8 9 8 5 9 5 11 16 12 11 11 13 11 4
8 12 13 18 9 13 12 7 18 9 11 11 14 9 14 11
2 1 4 2 3 1 6 1 5 2 1 2 3 3 3 2
12/12 21/22 24/2429/29 19/19 16/16 26/26 12/12 29/2926/26 24/24 24/24 28/28 24/24 26/26 15/15
0/2 0/1 1/1 0/0 1/1 1/3 1/1 0/1 1/5 1/1 0/0 0/0 0/0 1/1 0/2 2/2
14/16 16/17 18/20 9/11 17/21 11/15 16/19 18/21 18/23 18/21 18/19 21/23 22/26 14/19 14/14 17/19
138 209 230 230 192 165 240 144 289 244 222 231 264 222 236 172
249 150 275 229 189 273 231 317 221 131 155 198 193 180 287 194
194 159 198 175 163 205 203 220 193 164 167 186 165 147 196 189
72 42 67 59 64 77 56 100 46 53 57 60 53 31 80 72
109 105 115 102 92 121 137 106 134 95 97 117 95 102 105 106
13 12 16 14 7 7 10 14 13 16 13 9 17 14 11 11
3377 2376 3417 2936 2783 4025 3367 3921 3210 2818 2930 3460 2927 2679 3438 3349
337.7 237.6 341.7 293.6 309.2 402.5 336.7 392.1 321.0 281.8 293.0 346.0 292.7 267.9 343.8 372.1
1311 689 1068 1056 935 1654 874 1584 813 951 1076 1196 987 796 1330 1307
131.1 68.9 106.8 105.6 103.9 165.4 87.4 158.4 81.3 95.1 107.6 119.6 98.7 79.6 133.0 145.2
2066 1687 2349 1880 1848 2371 2493 2337 2397 1867 1854 2264 1940 1883 2108 2042
206.6 168.7 234.9 188.0 205.3 237.1 249.3 233.7 239.7 186.7 185.4 226.4 194.0 188.3 210.8 226.9
314 233 291 249 253 324 254 335 241 250 271 246 276 233 297 281
4.2 3.0 3.7 4.2 3.7 5.1 3.4 4.7 3.4 3.8 4.0 4.9 3.6 3.4 4.5 4.7
328 346 351 323 284 310 405 279 356 356 338 347 330 307 279 270
204 206 217 201 179 204 254 180 228 204 195 202 186 165 182 169
62.2 59.5 61.8 62.2 63.0 65.8 62.7 64.5 64.0 57.3 57.7 58.2 56.4 53.7 65.2 62.6
11 36 18 29 14 6 17 20 34 28 21 18 36 20 17 14
81 266 91 188 106 38 139 138 200 177 146 101 211 150 102 80
8 10 10 4 5 10 13 6 9 15 9 9 9 15 6 10
149 71 139 34 107 198 216 109 246 162 172 232 139 191 113 227
0 0 1 1 2 1 1 0 3 1 0 2 1 3 1 1
47 55 42 42 38 34 49 41 42 58 57 48 65 51 39 35
42.8 43.3 41.7 44.3 45.4 45.1 41.7 45.0 43.4 41.2 45.9 44.9 42.3 44.0 46.3 42.6
6 3 4 4 2 6 3 8 4 6 7 2 3 5 3 4
36.3 39.5 35.2 38.6 36.9 38.9 37.5 37.6 35.0 35.7 37.6 39.8 36.1 38.1 38.2 34.5
0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
31 26 23 27 13 28 21 42 19 21 29 10 27 24 13 17
11.7 4.8 9.1 9.7 11.3 10.3 7.9 11.1 8.9 11.2 4.9 1.4 8.0 7.0 9.2 7.1
29 43 43 42 33 38 44 31 50 41 32 48 48 43 43 33
22.2 19.4 23.5 22.4 21.7 25.3 22.9 24.6 22.1 26.4 23.4 22.1 24.1 22.7 22.5 20.4
68 62 72 68 41 53 63 58 61 60 60 72 58 74 51 55
468 585 583 476 290 358 474 435 423 453 545 587 432 512 406 425
140 143 138 134 118 130 141 122 133 142 134 130 148 124 121 114
63 53 54 54 45 66 49 52 52 47 45 53 49 41 56 50
45.0 37.1 39.1 40.3 38.1 50.8 34.8 42.6 39.1 33.1 33.6 40.8 33.1 33.1 46.3 43.9
7 11 10 9 9 3 11 5 13 16 14 9 7 9 7 11
3 5 7 4 4 2 4 3 9 6 4 4 4 1 7 7
42.9 45.5 70.0 44.4 44.4 66.7 36.4 60.0 69.2 37.5 28.6 44.4 57.1 11.1 100.0 63.6
29 14 28 24 19 30 25 37 25 15 16 24 20 19 34 24
12 4 10 8 11 16 10 18 7 10 5 11 5 3 15 10
14 9 15 13 7 12 13 15 14 5 8 13 13 12 17 12
3 1 3 3 1 2 2 4 4 0 3 0 2 4 2 2
27/27 14/14 27/27 22/22 19/1928/28 24/2536/36 22/22 14/14 14/14 24/24 19/19 18/18 32/32 23/23
0/2 0/0 0/1 0/1 0/0 1/2 0/0 1/1 2/3 0/1 0/2 0/0 0/1 0/1 2/2 0/1
16/17 16/17 26/30 21/24 18/22 21/23 19/23 19/20 15/18 9/16 15/17 10/13 18/19 16/16 15/17 9/13
7-3-0 0-10-0 5-5-0 4-6-0 6-4-0 6-4-0 6-4-0 2-8-0 2-8-0 6-4-0 9-1-0 7-3-0 6-4-0 4-6-0 5-5-0 5-5-0
197 152 181 200 213 196 189 158 130 214 222 228 199 179 178 215 183.2
60 44 66 70 90 69 71 64 51 63 92 57 53 45 60 58 62.0
126 95 99 116 111 119 106 80 70 132 109 155 132 120 104 142 107.8
11 13 16 14 12 8 12 14 9 19 21 16 14 14 14 15 13.4
3516 2769 3309 3142 3464 3535 3363 2538 2558 3888 3725 3927 3271 3357 3303 4115 3240.7
351.6 276.9 330.9 314.2 346.4 353.5 336.3 253.8 255.8 388.8 372.5 392.7 327.1 335.7 330.3 411.5 326.1
1151 809 1395 1177 1322 1175 1394 1083 1189 1089 1727 869 777 931 1083 918 1126.8
115.1 80.9 139.5 117.7 132.2 117.5 139.4 108.3 118.9 108.9 172.7 86.9 77.7 93.1 108.3 91.8 113.4
2365 1960 1914 1965 2142 2360 1969 1455 1369 2799 1998 3058 2494 2426 2220 3197 2113.9
236.5 196.0 191.4 196.5 214.2 236.0 196.9 145.5 136.9 279.9 199.8 305.8 249.4 242.6 222.0 319.7 212.7
281 211 312 285 315 280 300 257 276 244 328 252 224 244 273 251 272.4
4.1 3.8 4.5 4.1 4.2 4.2 4.6 4.2 4.3 4.5 5.3 3.4 3.5 3.8 4.0 3.7 4.1
378 329 308 320 334 313 310 291 272 373 305 386 380 296 323 398 322.0
245 187 175 201 220 209 200 151 135 232 184 273 234 191 207 266 197.9
64.8 56.8 56.8 62.8 65.9 66.8 64.5 51.9 49.6 62.2 60.3 70.7 61.6 64.5 64.1 66.8 61.5
11 37 28 26 33 20 26 22 33 8 12 18 11 14 21 8 21.1
60 236 163 179 157 100 182 123 223 52 86 140 74 87 137 54 134.4
9 12 12 6 7 5 3 10 6 11 7 7 9 10 6 11 8.9
170 222 226 19 52 111 16 196 33 120 183 182 290 139 30 197 145.3
1 3 2 0 0 2 0 1 0 1 2 1 3 1 0 2 1.1
47 57 51 43 32 49 47 61 60 31 36 33 38 30 40 34 45.3
44.7 43.6 46.5 43.4 44.3 44.8 39.6 44.2 49.4 46.7 43.6 42.4 45.1 48.0 42.8 43.0 43.9
5 3 7 4 8 4 3 9 7 3 4 4 2 3 5 3 4.2
38.3 38.8 34.1 37.2 36.4 34.4 31.9 35.6 41.7 39.5 39.7 35.4 38.6 42.9 37.0 34.8 37.4
0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.3
29 12 23 21 21 20 31 26 32 16 27 23 13 16 22 15 22.2
7.5 8.9 5.3 10.3 11.9 8.7 8.7 11.0 10.1 12.3 10.4 7.0 6.2 10.3 13.0 20.4 9.6
0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 0.3
32 51 44 39 40 35 31 46 46 43 34 37 42 39 39 43 40.5
24.8 21.4 22.2 23.5 25.9 19.5 24.5 25.7 22.1 23.9 20.2 22.1 21.5 23.9 20.2 22.6 22.9
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0.2
67 52 64 64 31 42 53 42 75 53 68 80 64 52 78 61 58.9
586 446 509 505 308 376 428 320 540 465 584 540 472 401 710 555 466.6
12 19 17 9 12 11 9 8 19 13 13 15 4 10 15 15 13.0
8 5 9 4 6 3 6 5 8 9 3 10 1 5 5 6 6.1
10 14 23 9 7 16 10 19 15 11 13 20 16 12 9 8 13.0
6 8 9 4 5 8 3 7 6 6 3 12 6 4 2 5 6.1
144 130 138 134 144 123 132 126 136 124 121 127 130 115 136 127 131.2
60 38 49 53 64 43 48 39 30 58 55 56 62 53 57 60 51.6
41.7 29.2 35.5 39.6 44.4 35.0 36.4 31.0 22.1 46.8 45.5 44.1 47.7 46.1 41.9 47.2 39.4
8 12 11 15 13 10 9 8 14 4 5 10 11 3 10 11 8.9
3 6 6 10 8 8 5 6 7 2 3 6 7 2 4 5 4.7
37.5 50.0 54.5 66.7 61.5 80.0 55.6 75.0 50.0 50.0 60.0 60.0 63.6 66.7 40.0 45.5 52.1
32:2926:50 31:19 31:57 32:12 31:27 31:49 25:53 27:28 27:41 33:27 32:44 27:15 27:58 30:57 30:45 30:00
21 19 23 24 21 24 18 21 10 28 32 34 27 28 31 32 24.1
6 7 8 13 11 14 7 8 3 8 14 11 9 5 7 11 9.0
10 12 13 8 10 9 10 10 6 19 16 20 17 21 15 18 12.6
5 0 2 3 0 1 1 3 1 1 2 3 1 2 9 3 2.4
19/19 16/17 22/22 23/23 19/19 24/24 16/16 19/19 10/10 27/27 30/3029/29 25/25 26/26 31/31 30/3122.5/22.6
1/2 1/2 0/1 0/1 1/2 0/0 0/2 0/2 0/0 1/1 0/2 1/4 2/2 2/2 0/0 0/1 0.6/1.4
24/2813/14 19/23 15/17 24/26 13/15 19/25 15/16 18/24 17/21 22/23 18/20 11/14 18/22 19/23 14/1916.9/19.8
219 173 223 212 219 209 181 190 128 248 292 289 224 254 274 266 219.7
160 308 234 210 194 197 182 257 235 271 170 228 224 229 209 249 219.7
149 215 160 182 166 171 160 201 206 207 152 174 200 224 181 190 183.2
45 93 45 63 42 55 48 61 88 71 46 59 82 66 80 50 62.0
91 113 105 102 113 99 101 129 98 126 90 99 103 139 78 125 107.8
13 9 10 17 11 17 11 11 20 10 16 16 15 19 23 15 13.4
2815 4017 2967 3282 3084 3139 2764 3807 3592 3866 2658 2998 3279 3722 3237 3462 3240.7
281.5 401.7 296.7 328.2 308.4 313.9 276.4 380.7 359.2 386.6 265.8 299.8 327.9 372.2 323.7 346.2 326.1
993 1715 739 1132 1040 913 843 1155 1645 1431 910 898 1381 1052 1474 1110 1126.8
99.3 171.5 73.9 113.2 104.0 91.3 84.3 115.5 164.5 143.1 91.0 89.8 138.1 105.2 147.4 111.0 113.4
1822 2302 2228 2150 2044 2226 1921 2652 1947 2435 1748 2100 1898 2670 1763 2352 2113.9
182.2 230.2 222.8 215.0 204.4 222.6 192.1 265.2 194.7 243.5 174.8 210.0 189.8 267.0 176.3 235.2 212.7
260 339 235 262 260 245 229 292 345 293 228 239 323 258 300 261 272.4
3.8 5.1 3.1 4.3 4.0 3.7 3.7 4.0 4.8 4.9 4.0 3.8 4.3 4.1 4.9 4.3 4.1
307 278 328 295 282 317 327 353 291 337 307 309 298 395 330 342 322.0
177 184 208 184 184 190 184 236 171 233 174 192 206 271 170 194 197.9
57.7 66.2 63.4 62.4 65.2 59.9 56.3 66.9 58.8 69.1 56.7 62.1 69.1 68.6 51.5 56.7 61.5
20 17 26 19 19 27 15 24 24 20 31 23 14 22 17 18 21.1
121 103 174 124 147 145 89 134 151 115 220 147 93 106 102 115 134.4
12 2 6 9 10 7 8 5 11 4 14 10 10 6 16 7 8.9
222 -2 6 201 71 85 61 199 87 29 281 170 46 71 533 83 145.3
2 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 0 0 2 1 0 1 6 0 1.1
52 44 50 47 46 41 56 43 50 34 49 41 29 38 47 41 45.3
43.5 41.8 43.2 43.3 45.0 47.9 43.3 45.4 43.7 45.9 43.8 45.2 45.6 44.2 43.7 42.8 43.9
8 5 2 5 6 3 5 2 4 4 4 3 4 2 2 4 4.2
36.3 37.1 40.0 36.6 37.0 42.2 36.7 37.8 35.7 37.8 36.5 39.8 40.0 38.9 36.7 33.4 37.4
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.3
22 30 27 23 7 26 24 32 31 20 12 14 19 13 19 20 22.2
9.3 7.1 18.1 8.1 12.9 16.4 12.5 10.8 10.5 8.2 4.9 10.7 10.8 7.1 6.9 10.9 9.6
46 34 47 33 38 41 39 30 25 37 57 48 39 49 48 44 40.5
20.7 21.1 22.4 20.3 24.7 27.3 19.7 24.5 24.8 26.2 21.5 22.9 23.4 22.7 22.5 23.9 22.9
58 59 74 53 47 58 55 51 44 53 77 56 40 57 66 60 58.9
449 525 660 472 364 418 458 413 368 490 575 493 320 469 516 489 466.6
137 123 127 124 122 137 129 144 141 135 123 120 132 128 138 126 131.2
45 50 43 50 53 50 48 63 60 58 43 49 63 49 52 47 51.6
32.8 40.7 33.9 40.3 43.4 36.5 37.2 43.8 42.6 43.0 35.0 40.8 47.7 38.3 37.7 37.3 39.4
12 5 6 6 4 10 7 8 4 11 13 9 5 14 13 8 8.9
5 3 3 3 1 6 5 4 3 7 5 7 2 8 8 5 4.7
41.7 60.0 50.0 50.0 25.0 60.0 71.4 50.0 75.0 63.6 38.5 77.8 40.0 57.1 61.5 62.5 52.1
15 37 26 25 22 21 20 26 27 29 19 28 21 25 21 25 24.1
1 17 9 7 5 5 7 9 15 13 4 7 15 6 9 5 9.0
13 16 8 18 16 12 10 15 12 14 12 19 2 17 11 16 12.6
1 4 9 0 1 4 3 2 0 2 3 2 4 2 1 4 2.4
14/1436/36 25/25 24/24 21/21 18/18 18/1926/26 25/25 27/27 18/18 25/25 19/19 19/20 20/2023/2322.5/22.6
1/1 0/1 1/1 0/1 1/1 0/3 1/1 0/0 2/2 1/2 1/1 1/3 1/2 1/5 0/1 1/2 0.6/1.4
18/2016/19 17/24 12/13 13/15 17/20 14/1625/28 14/20 22/25 12/14 11/14 25/28 18/23 19/2224/2816.9/19.8
TB DET MIN JAX NE MIA WAS SEA OAK DEN NYG AZ IND SD GB NO NFL
AVG
GAMES (W-L-T)
FIRST DOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Penalty
TOTALYARDS GAINED
Average Per Game
RUSHING (NET)
Average Per Game
PASSING (NET)
Average Per Game
RUSHES
Average Yards
PASSES ATTEMPTED
Completed
Percent Completed
Sacked
Yards Lost
Had Intercepted
Yards Opp. Ret.
Opp. TDs On Int.
PUNTS
Gross Average
Touchbacks
Net Average
Blocked
PUNT RETURNS
Average Return
Return For TD
KICKOFF RETURNS
Average Return
Returns For TD
PENALTIES
Yards
FUMBLES
Fumbles Lost
Opponent Fumbles
Opponent Fumbles Rec.
3RD-DOWNATTEMPTS
Conv. to 1st Down
3rd Down Efficiency
4TH-DOWNATTEMPTS
Conv. to 1st Down
4th-Down Efficiency
Time of Possession
TOUCHDOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Returns
1-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
2-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
FG/FGA
Total Points
OPP. POINTS
OPP. 1ST DOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Penalty
OPP. YDS. GAINED
Avg. Per Game
RUSHING (NET)
Avg. Per Game
PASSING (NET)
Avg. Per Game
OPP. RUSHES
Avg. Yards
OPP. PASSES
Completed
Pct. Comp.
Sacked
Yards Lost
Intercepted By
Yards Ret.
Ret. for TD
OPP. PUNTS
Gross Avg.
Touchbacks
Net Avg.
Blocked
OPP. PUNT RET.
Avg. Ret.
OPP. KICKOFF RET.
Avg. Ret.
OPP. PENALTIES
Yards
OPP. 3RD-DOWNATT.
Conv. To 1st Down
3rd Down Efficiency
OPP. 4TH-DOWNATT.
Conv. To 1st Down
4th-Down Efficiency
OPP. TOUCHDOWNS
Rushing
Passing
Returns
1-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
2-PT. PAT/ATTEMPTS
OPP. FG/FGA
CIN PIT SF DAL BUF KC CHI STL NYJ TEN CAR ATL PHI BAL HOU CLE OFFENSE
TB DET MIN JAX NE MIA WAS SEA OAK DEN NYG AZ IND SD GB NO NFL
AVG
CIN PIT SF DAL BUF KC CHI STL NYJ TEN CAR ATL PHI BAL HOU CLE DEFENSE
NFL TEAM RANKINGS
Total Yards/Game
Rushing Yards/Game
Avg. Gain/Rush
Passing Yards/Game
Avg. Gain/Pass Play
Pct. Had Intercepted
Pct. QB Sacks Allowed
First Downs/Game
Avg. Gain/Off. Play
3rd Down Efficiency
4th Down Efficiency
Punt Return Avg.
Kickoff Return Avg.
Gross Punting Avg.
Net Punting Avg.
Points/Game
Extra Point Pct.
Field Goal Pct.
Opp. Yards/Game
Opp. Rush Yds./Game
Avg. Gain/Rush
Opp. Pass Yds./Game
Avg. Gain/Pass Play
Pct. Intercepted By
QB Sack Pct.
Opp. 1st Downs/Game
Avg. Gain/Def. Play
3rd Down Efficiency
4th Down Efficiency
Opp. Punt Return Avg.
Opp. Kickoff Ret. Avg.
Opp. Gross Punt Avg.
Opp. Net Punt Avg.
Opp. Points/Game
Opp. Field Goal Pct.
Point Differential
Turnover Edge
Penalty Yards Edge
Punt Ret. Differential
KO Return Differential
Time of Possession
19 24 32 27 3 5 17 23 26 8 10 12 30 25 14 20
3 28 30 22 18 15 32 11 16 12 8 9 10 23 26 7
19 29 31 23 6 4 30 16 3 15 14 8 12 28 25 22
29 13 30 27 3 5 6 21 26 9 12 14 32 18 7 25
23 10 32 26 4 7 13 25 29 5 22 15 31 20 2 16
22 20 18 15 19 32 13 6 16 2 8 30 10 26 24 7
17 25 28 8 3 19 4 21 22 16 26 15 32 30 12 2
7 23 27 28 4t 4t 9 8 26 14 6 10 32 20 18 22
27 17 32 25 2 5 15 22 28 7 20 11 31 24 3 21
9 15 24 22 5 2 1 17 19 27 8 10t 32 16 6 20
8 15t 10t 22 15t 20 7 5t 23t 3 9 1 15t 32 5t 28t
22 3 23 16 7 2 29 12 32 20 8 5 14 30 13 18
27 5 7 11 12 24 25 16 14 32 3 1 22 31 13 2
8 7 31 16 5 20 10 21 9 11 14 26 1 28 3 22
3 6 31 11 7 19 10 16 14 29 22 21 2 15 1 18
17t 21 31 25 8 11 15 22 29 23t 19t 2t 32 23t 7 9
1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 31 1t 1t
30t 24t 13 11 24t 1 26 12 32 14 7 27 29 4 22t 15t
3 13 20 26 29 22 17 18 32 14 12 15 25 1 27 6
3 13 23 27 26 24 25 20 31 9 14 4 30 1 15 10
4 9 19 25 29 24 22 23 32 10 17 3 27 1 18 12
8 14 15 22 29 17 9 18 27 19 13 28 12 1 32 6
10 16 13 29 25 28 12 26 30 22 24 14 15 1 21 2
1 27 21 7 31 23t 9 13 11 22 8 19 6 14 28 4
14t 27 31 24 20 19 28 16 32 6 13 4 7 2 21 9
1 15 20 29 28 21 23 16 26 11 9 19 27 4 32 7
6 13 16 28 29 27 15 26 31 19 21 14 20 1 22 2
2 14 29 28 25 30 31 19 32 9 26 16 23 10 15 3
1 10t 9 24t 24t 32 7 14t 26 19t 2 27 30 13 17t 5
6 27 28 7 13 16 23 12 19 31 30 14 20 2 9 26
17 8 11 4 30 15 20 3 29 32 27 9 28 1 16 31
18 27 7 6 29 31 28 10 24 32 23 13 16 12 19 1
22 15 10 3 20 23 31 12 28 32 16 5 4 25 27 6
6 13t 24t 15 27 30 17 13t 28 10 9 16 23 2 19t 1
32 8 28t 2 20 21t 23t 27 26 12 16t 10 3 28t 6 1
10 17 30 24 23 26 20 18 29 15 12t 4 28 8t 12t 2
17t 26t 22 9 30 32 6t 10t 2 3t 15t 17t 10t 20 23t 1
25t 22 13 12 15 3 30 23 18 10 9 7 31 11 8 19
17 11 26 13 7 6 29 12 30 31 20 8 19 16 10 23
29 6 7 4 27 19 26 5 25 32 11 3 30 13 9 18
1 18 26 23 27 12 30 6 24 9 5 8 28 14 25 16
BAL BUF CIN CLE DEN HOU IND JAX KC MIA NE NYJ OAK PIT SD TEN OFFENSE
2 7 18 22 11 28 16 15 1 4 6 21 31 29 9 13
29 2 6 21 13 31 19t 4 27 1 25 17 19t 24 14 5
32 9 11 26 7 24 21 5 27 1 20 10 13 18 17 2
2 15 24 16 10 22 11 23 1 19 4 17 31 28 8 20
3 6 12 19 8 27 11 24 1 14 9 18 30 28 17 21
4 9 23 3 29 27 5 28 17 11 12 31 25 21 14 1
10 9 11 14 13 29 18 24 1 7 6 31 20 27 5 23
1 11t 25 24 16 30 19 17 3 2 11t 21 29 31 11t 15
4 10 12 23 8 26 14 19 1 6 9 13 30 29 18 16
10t 12 28 18 3 31 13 23 4 7 25 26 29 30 14 21
10t 28t 31 28t 2 15t 23t 14 21 10t 15t 26t 4 23t 26t 13
26 25 9 28 27 17 4 31 1 11 15 6 10 21 24 19
21 10 15 23 19 26 29 20 18 30 17 9 4 28 6 8
25 32 27 29 13 19 24 6 23 18 17 4 15 2 12 30
25 26 23 20 24 9 17 30 28 5 12 8 27 4 13 32
2t 12 17t 10 13t 28 4 16 5 1 6 13t 26 30 19t 27
1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 32 1t 1t 30 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t 1t
9t 8 3 19 22t 6 20t 20t 30t 2 18 9t 5 15t 15t 28
11 23 8 19 9 31 16 10 24 2 7 21 28 30 5 4
7 22 18 6 16 32 28 2 19 8 11 17 21 29 12 5
11 28 15 5 20 31 30 2 21 16 6 7 14 26 13 8
16 21 5 30 7 23 3 20 26 2 11 25 31 24 4 10
19 17 4 11 7 31 3 18 23 5 6 20 27 32 8 9
10 18 17 12 30 32 2 26 25 3 16 15 29 23t 5 20
10 23 17 30 5 18 25 8 22 3 1 26 12 11 14t 29
12 17 10 25 13 30 14 5t 18 3 8 22 24 31 2 5t
18 24 4 10 9 32 11 12 23 5 3 17 25 30 7 8
22 21 5 7 18 20 13 6 12 8 4 17 27 24 1 11
31 10t 3 4 10t 19t 22 14t 23 6 17t 28 14t 19t 8 29
21 1 3 10 18 8 5 32 24 4 11 15 22 25 17 29
19 10 21 18 13 6 14 12 23 7 24 22 25 26 5 2
25 21 30 3 20 4 15 9 8 17 5 2 26 22 14 11
26 29 19 8 24 17 14 30 1 11 9 2 21 18 7 13
18 11 3 21 19t 31 12 22 24t 5 8 29 26 32 4 7
7 5 21t 9 18t 11 15 4 13t 13t 30 16t 23t 31 25 18t
7 11 5 16 19 31 6 22 14 1 3 25 27 32 8t 21
8 10t 10t 6t 28t 28t 3t 26t 23t 3t 10t 31 21 23t 17t 15t
24 1 6 17 28 5 32 2 27 20 16 21 4 25t 29 14
27 4 2 21 25 15 3 32 1 5 14 9 18 24 22 28
20 8 15 21 17 14 28 16 24 23 22 12 10 31 2 1
3 10 20 21 19 31 13 11 15 2 17 22 32 29 4 7
AZ ATL CAR CHI DAL DET GB MIN NO NYG PHI SF SEA STL TB WAS
BAL BUF CIN CLE DEN HOU IND JAX KC MIA NE NYJ OAK PIT SD TEN DEFENSE AZ ATL CAR CHI DAL DET GB MIN NO NYG PHI SF SEA STL TB WAS
BAL BUF CIN CLE DEN HOU IND JAX KC MIA NE NYJ OAK PIT SD TEN MISCELLANEOUS AZ ATL CAR CHI DAL DET GB MIN NO NYG PHI SF SEA STL TB WAS
AFC NFC
TEN. 0 1 1 4 6 10 0 1 1 5 15 20 +10
K.C. 0 1 1 3 9 12 0 1 1 11 10 21 +9
G.B. 0 1 1 5 6 11 1 0 1 2 16 18 +7
MIA. 1 0 1 3 5 8 0 0 0 8 7 15 +7
N.Y.G. 0 1 1 3 7 10 0 2 2 3 14 17 +7
CHI. 1 0 1 9 6 15 0 1 1 8 13 21 +6
IND. 0 0 0 1 9 10 0 1 1 6 10 16 +6
ARIZ. 2 1 3 10 7 17 1 3 4 12 10 22 +5
CLEV. 0 0 0 3 7 10 0 0 0 4 10 14 +4
ATL. 0 1 1 4 6 10 0 0 0 4 9 13 +3
CAR. 1 0 1 6 9 15 2 2 4 9 9 18 +3
JAX. 0 1 1 4 6 10 0 1 1 4 9 13 +3
OAK. 0 0 0 8 6 14 1 0 1 6 11 17 +3
PHIL. 1 3 4 6 9 15 1 0 1 9 9 18 +3
N.E. 1 0 1 6 7 13 1 0 1 5 10 15 +2
WASH. 0 1 1 6 3 9 0 2 2 3 8 11 +2
BALT. 0 2 2 7 9 16 0 1 1 2 15 17 +1
N.Y.J. 1 0 1 5 13 18 1 0 1 10 9 19 +1
T.B. 1 0 1 8 9 17 2 0 2 6 12 18 +1
PITT. 0 0 0 3 11 14 0 2 2 4 10 14 +0
SEA. 1 3 4 5 10 15 2 1 3 7 5 12 -3
CIN. 1 0 1 9 10 19 1 3 4 7 8 15 -4
N.O. 0 1 1 6 11 17 0 1 1 5 7 12 -5
S.D. 0 2 2 5 10 15 0 0 0 4 6 10 -5
ST.L. 1 2 3 8 10 18 2 0 2 7 6 13 -5
BUFF. 0 0 0 10 8 18 0 0 0 7 5 12 -6
MINN. 2 0 2 9 12 21 1 0 1 9 6 15 -6
DALL. 0 2 2 6 13 19 0 1 1 8 4 12 -7
DET. 2 2 4 5 12 17 1 0 1 8 2 10 -7
DEN. 0 0 0 9 11 20 0 1 1 6 4 10 -10
S.F. 2 0 2 12 13 25 1 2 3 3 10 13 -12
HOU. 0 1 1 7 15 22 0 0 0 3 6 9 -13
GAME SEASON GAME SEASON DIF
FumInt Tot FumInt Tot FumInt Tot FumInt Tot
1. N.O. 657 3.66 7.87 6.26
2. DEN. 625 4.46 7.35 6.22
3. S.D. 554 3.82 7.83 6.06
4. ARIZ. 656 3.45 7.57 5.99
5. HOU. 621 4.54 6.93 5.96
6. N.Y.G. 645 5.27 6.30 5.78
7. MIA. 613 4.20 7.09 5.77
8. DALL. 600 4.44 6.68 5.70
9. PHIL. 645 3.99 6.61 5.64
10. ATL. 642 4.42 7.05 5.63
11. N.Y.J. 622 4.44 6.22 5.41
12. CAR. 597 4.36 6.42 5.36
13. S.F. 589 4.38 6.07 5.35
14. G.B. 617 3.97 6.45 5.35
15. IND. 615 3.47 6.38 5.32
16. WASH. 636 4.65 5.86 5.29
17. BUFF. 519 3.57 6.59 5.27
18. T.B. 670 4.10 6.08 5.25
19. MINN. 648 4.47 5.70 5.11
20. N.E. 682 4.20 5.84 5.08
21. TEN. 634 3.96 6.14 4.99
22. JAX. 631 4.13 5.68 4.98
23. CHI. 635 3.78 5.91 4.95
24. PITT. 615 3.61 5.91 4.88
25. CLEV. 522 3.90 5.62 4.85
26. DET. 577 3.83 5.36 4.80
27. BALT. 665 3.99 5.79 4.79
28. K.C. 614 4.55 4.91 4.77
29. ST.L. 577 4.06 5.13 4.70
30. SEA. 570 4.21 4.65 4.45
31. OAK. 581 4.31 4.49 4.40
32. CIN. 623 3.46 4.17 3.89
1. PITT. 615 2.96 4.42 3.86
2. TEN. 634 3.80 4.86 4.44
3. PHIL. 642 3.58 5.30 4.56
4. CAR. 630 3.97 5.16 4.65
5. N.Y.G. 566 3.99 5.17 4.70
6. BALT. 560 3.42 5.76 4.78
7. T.B. 587 3.82 5.57 4.80
8. WASH. 571 3.68 5.62 4.84
9. DALL. 601 4.24 5.34 4.89
10. CHI. 676 3.44 5.91 4.98
11. G.B. 647 4.91 5.08 5.00
12. MINN. 589 3.14 6.29 5.04
13. BUFF. 551 3.70 6.20 5.05
14. N.Y.J. 631 3.37 6.15 5.09
15. IND. 635 4.28 6.08 5.16
16. CIN. 653 4.18 6.09 5.17
17. S.F. 660 3.67 6.37 5.18
18. ARIZ. 571 3.76 6.33 5.25
19. MIA. 589 3.73 6.47 5.33
20. OAK. 660 4.77 6.18 5.44
21. N.E. 561 4.00 6.79 5.50
22. S.D. 675 4.08 6.40 5.51
23. N.O. 621 4.25 6.53 5.57
24. ATL. 611 4.86 6.20 5.66
25. SEA. 669 3.96 7.03 5.69
26. JAX. 576 4.32 6.85 5.70
27. HOU. 593 4.48 7.12 5.80
28. CLEV. 565 4.65 7.19 5.93
29. DEN. 650 4.88 6.82 5.95
30. ST.L. 634 4.73 7.82 6.18
31. K.C. 640 5.10 7.50 6.29
32. DET. 634 5.06 7.80 6.34
OFF RUSH PASS OFF
OFFENSE PLAYS AVG AVG AVG
DEF RUSH PASS DEF
DEFENSE PLAYS AVG AVG AVG
OFF TOT TOT SCOR TD
OFFENSE POSS TD FG % %
OFF TOT TOT SCOR TD
DEFENSE POSS TD FG % %
1. IND. 29 21 6 .931 .724
2. TEN. 32 21 10 .969 .656
3. DET. 19 12 4 .842 .632
4. PITT. 27 17 8 .926 .630
5. DEN. 35 22 9 .886 .629
6. MIA. 28 17 7 .857 .607
7. DALL. 27 16 4 .741 .593
8. JAX. 29 17 7 .828 .586
9. ARIZ. 47 27 11 .809 .574
10. G.B. 28 16 10 .929 .571
11. CHI. 30 17 10 .900 .567
12. K.C. 27 15 9 .889 .556
13. HOU. 37 20 10 .811 .541
14. CAR. 26 14 9 .885 .538
15. N.Y.J. 45 24 12 .800 .533
16. N.O. 38 20 10 .789 .526
17. BALT. 31 16 9 .806 .516
18. S.F. 33 17 10 .818 .515
19. N.Y.G. 49 25 18 .878 .510
20. N.E. 38 19 16 .921 .500
21. PHIL. 40 20 16 .900 .500
22. SEA. 24 12 9 .875 .500
23. CIN. 20 10 7 .850 .500
24. S.D. 39 19 16 .897 .487
25. WASH. 32 15 9 .750 .469
26. CLEV. 28 13 13 .929 .464
27. BUFF. 26 12 9 .808 .462
28. ATL. 32 14 11 .781 .438
29. MINN. 25 10 11 .840 .400
30. ST.L. 15 5 8 .867 .333
31. T.B. 42 14 21 .833 .333
32. OAK. 23 6 13 .826 .261
1. PITT. 29 10 13 .793 .345
2. BALT. 27 10 11 .778 .370
3. CAR. 24 9 9 .750 .375
4. N.O. 39 16 19 .897 .410
5. G.B. 29 12 12 .828 .414
6. T.B. 19 8 11 1.000 .421
7. IND. 35 15 16 .886 .429
8. BUFF. 32 14 12 .813 .438
9. S.F. 38 17 15 .842 .447
10. SEA. 32 15 14 .906 .469
11. N.Y.G. 21 10 8 .857 .476
12. K.C. 39 19 13 .821 .487
13. MINN. 30 15 9 .800 .500
14. MIA. 30 15 11 .867 .500
15. N.Y.J. 39 20 10 .769 .513
16. S.D. 37 19 10 .784 .514
17. ATL. 31 16 7 .742 .516
18. TEN. 27 14 7 .778 .519
19. PHIL. 23 12 8 .870 .522
20. CHI. 36 20 12 .889 .556
21. DEN. 36 20 13 .917 .556
22. DALL. 34 19 13 .941 .559
23. WASH. 25 14 9 .920 .560
24. OAK. 34 20 9 .853 .588
25. CIN. 32 19 12 .969 .594
26. CLEV. 28 17 4 .750 .607
27. ARIZ. 26 16 5 .808 .615
28. DET. 42 26 10 .857 .619
29. N.E. 29 18 9 .931 .621
30. ST.L. 38 24 10 .895 .632
31. JAX. 31 21 7 .903 .677
32. HOU. 29 23 4 .931 .793
TURNOVERS TAKEAWAYS TEAM EFFICIENCY INSIDE THE RED ZONE
MORE STATS!
For the most comprehensive listing
of additional NFL statistics, visit:
Find the leaderboards link on the PFWhome page (in the More NFL News and Analysis section, following STATS NFL links).
Scroll down to More Stats section, where you will find pull-downs for more than 170 unique NFL team and individual statistics.
PASSES DROPPED THROWN-TO DATA RED-ZONE RECEPTIONS SECOND-HALF YARDS PER CARRY RED-ZONE COMPLETIONS
FOURTH-QUARTER PASSING FIRST-DOWN PASSING CONVERSIONS ON THIRD DOWN
RUSHING
Player Team Att Yds Avg Lg TD
Peterson Minn. 225 1,100 4.9 54 7
Portis Wash. 215 1,063 4.9 31 7
Turner Atl. 228 971 4.3 66 9
Jacobs N.Y.G. 164 879 5.4 44 11
Gore S.F. 177 834 4.7 41 6
D. Williams Car. 153 782 5.1 69 6
Barber Dall. 196 779 4.0 35 6
Forte Chi. 205 777 3.8 50 4
Grant G.B. 198 770 3.9 57 3
J. Jones Sea. 139 616 4.4 33 2
Graham T.B. 132 563 4.3 68 4
Ward N.Y.G. 100 531 5.3 22 1
Jackson St.L. 128 525 4.1 56 4
Kev. Smith Det. 117 513 4.4 50 5
Stewart Car. 118 513 4.3 28 6
Westbrook Phil. 123 508 4.1 39 6
Dunn T.B. 109 476 4.4 38 1
James Ariz. 111 385 3.5 16 3
Norwood Atl. 68 383 5.6 44 2
Bradshaw N.Y.G. 45 301 6.7 77 1
Hightower Ariz. 95 299 3.1 30 7
McAllister N.O. 81 299 3.7 12 3
Bush N.O. 87 294 3.4 29 2
F. Jones Dall. 30 266 8.9 60 3
P. Thomas N.O. 52 238 4.6 18 4
Buckhalter Phil. 57 233 4.1 28 2
Pittman St.L. 57 224 3.9 24 0
Taylor Minn. 61 222 3.6 13 1
R. Johnson Det. 69 217 3.1 27 1
Morris Sea. 39 175 4.5 45 0
Betts Wash. 39 157 4.0 14 0
Jackson G.B. 31 157 5.1 19 1
OSullivan S.F. 30 145 4.8 18 0
Rodgers G.B. 34 126 3.7 21 3
Arrington Ariz. 21 123 5.9 30 1
Duckett Sea. 44 113 2.6 29 6
Jones Chi. 34 109 3.2 16 0
J. Campbell Wash. 26 89 3.4 22 0
McNabb Phil. 23 88 3.8 17 1
D. Jackson Phil. 12 80 6.7 21 1
Choice Dall. 13 72 5.5 15 0
Ryan Atl. 31 72 2.3 17 0
Weaver Sea. 15 67 4.5 13 0
T. Jackson Minn. 11 65 5.9 19 0
Wolfe Chi. 11 65 5.9 38 0
Avery St.L. 6 61 10.2 37 1
Boldin Ariz. 7 60 8.6 30 0
Darby St.L. 11 58 5.3 14 0
Douglas Atl. 8 51 6.4 33 0
Garcia T.B. 15 49 3.3 8 0
Hasselbeck Sea. 7 48 6.9 15 0
Orton Chi. 14 45 3.2 12 1
RECEIVING
Fitzgerald Ariz. 67 942 14.1 75 6
Boldin Ariz. 62 792 12.8 79 10
White Atl. 58 903 15.6 70 6
Cooley Wash. 55 576 10.5 28 1
L. Moore N.O. 52 609 11.7 47 5
A. Bryant T.B. 50 625 12.5 47 2
Moss Wash. 49 701 14.3 67 5
Jennings G.B. 48 865 18.0 62 5
Breaston Ariz. 48 639 13.3 46 1
Witten Dall. 48 583 12.1 42 2
C. Johnson Det. 45 839 18.6 96 7
Driver G.B. 45 572 12.7 50 3
Forte Chi. 43 322 7.5 19 3
D. Jackson Phil. 42 652 15.5 60 1
Bush N.O. 42 366 8.7 42 3
Muhammad Car. 41 561 13.7 47 3
Smith Car. 40 681 17.0 65 4
Owens Dall. 40 505 12.6 72 6
Barber Dall. 39 303 7.8 70 2
Holt St.L. 38 412 10.8 45 2
Wade Minn. 38 399 10.5 46 1
Randle El Wash. 37 455 12.3 31 1
Smith N.Y.G. 37 357 9.6 25 1
Burress N.Y.G. 35 454 13.0 33 4
Gore S.F. 35 325 9.3 26 1
Avery St.L. 34 485 14.3 69 2
Hilliard T.B. 34 280 8.2 23 3
Berrian Minn. 33 667 20.2 86 4
Olsen Chi. 33 391 11.8 52 2
Westbrook Phil. 32 218 6.8 18 2
Toomer N.Y.G. 30 365 12.2 31 2
Carlson Sea. 30 337 11.2 25 2
Shockey N.O. 30 262 8.7 26 0
Jenkins Atl. 29 450 15.5 62 3
R. Davis Chi. 29 369 12.7 36 2
McDonald Det. 29 267 9.2 25 1
D. Lee G.B. 29 202 7.0 26 3
Miller N.O. 28 388 13.9 41 0
Crayton Dall. 27 380 14.1 55 2
Clayton T.B. 27 289 10.7 29 0
Ward N.Y.G. 27 266 9.9 35 0
Taylor Minn. 27 260 9.6 47 1
Kev. Smith Det. 27 212 7.9 27 0
Bruce S.F. 26 433 16.7 63 4
Hester Chi. 26 318 12.2 32 2
Dunn T.B. 26 207 8.0 36 0
Jackson St.L. 25 259 10.4 53 0
Clark Chi. 25 255 10.2 35 0
Jackson G.B. 25 159 6.4 18 0
Battle S.F. 24 318 13.3 36 0
Norwood Atl. 24 248 10.3 67 1
Williams Dall. 23 306 13.3 28 2
Shiancoe Minn. 23 293 12.7 34 4
Johnson S.F. 23 281 12.2 42 2
Graham T.B. 23 174 7.6 24 0
Hightower Ariz. 23 166 7.2 20 0
Henderson N.O. 22 554 25.2 84 3
Baskett Phil. 22 359 16.3 90 3
Engram Sea. 22 222 10.1 21 0
Buckhalter Phil. 21 247 11.8 44 1
Nelson G.B. 21 247 11.8 29 1
Stevens T.B. 21 238 11.3 31 1
Portis Wash. 20 156 7.8 29 0
K. Robinson Sea. 19 231 12.2 90 2
A. Smith T.B. 19 228 12.0 34 3
Curtis Phil. 19 217 11.4 26 1
Boss N.Y.G. 19 217 11.4 26 4
Urban Ariz. 19 215 11.3 56 2
Gaines Det. 19 192 10.1 21 0
Davis S.F. 18 216 12.0 57 2
Avant Phil. 18 203 11.3 31 1
Furrey Det. 18 181 10.1 25 0
L.J. Smith Phil. 18 157 8.7 21 2
Lloyd Chi. 17 266 15.6 32 1
Celek Phil. 17 239 14.1 44 0
G. Lewis Phil. 16 225 14.1 52 0
King Car. 16 150 9.4 31 1
P. Thomas N.O. 16 138 8.6 24 0
Peterson Minn. 16 95 5.9 16 0
Colston N.O. 15 252 16.8 49 0
Hixon N.Y.G. 15 245 16.3 41 1
Morgan S.F. 15 214 14.3 31 2
Rosario Car. 15 166 11.1 24 1
J. Jones Sea. 14 66 4.7 17 0
R. Brown Phil. 13 192 14.8 40 1
Finneran Atl. 13 109 8.4 14 0
Pittman St.L. 13 80 6.2 22 0
D. Williams Car. 13 79 6.1 25 2
Austin Dall. 12 255 21.3 63 3
Bennett Dall. 12 206 17.2 34 2
Douglas Atl. 12 160 13.3 47 0
J. Hill S.F. 12 153 12.8 33 1
Galloway T.B. 12 134 11.2 22 0
Gilmore T.B. 12 124 10.3 36 1
Campbell N.O. 12 121 10.1 29 2
Arrington Ariz. 12 121 10.1 35 1
D. Hall St.L. 12 105 8.8 20 0
M. Booker Chi. 11 183 16.6 51 2
Weaver Sea. 11 164 14.9 62 2
Patten N.O. 11 162 14.7 39 1
Hackett Car. 11 144 13.1 37 0
McMichael St.L. 11 139 12.6 31 0
R. Johnson Det. 11 89 8.1 34 1
D.Thomas Wash. 11 77 7.0 16 0
Looker St.L. 10 137 13.7 30 2
Allison Minn. 10 109 10.9 21 0
McAllister N.O. 10 76 7.6 15 1
James Ariz. 10 73 7.3 16 0
Askew T.B. 10 48 4.8 18 0
Peelle Atl. 9 99 11.0 17 1
Stecker N.O. 9 52 5.8 12 1
Meachem N.O. 8 244 30.5 74 2
Walker S.F. 8 130 16.3 53 1
Humphrey G.B. 8 97 12.1 37 0
Darby St.L. 8 83 10.4 30 0
Patrick Ariz. 8 71 8.9 19 0
Betts Wash. 8 71 8.9 20 0
Jones G.B. 8 69 8.6 18 1
Morris Sea. 8 58 7.3 13 1
Doucet Ariz. 8 50 6.3 9 0
McKie Chi. 8 48 6.0 12 0
FitzSimmons Det. 8 48 6.0 16 1
Tahi Minn. 8 20 2.5 7 0
SCORING
Player Team TD XP/att FG/att 2XP Pts
Akers Phil. 0 28/28 22/26 0 94
M. Bryant T.B. 0 19/19 24/28 0 91
Carney N.Y.G. 0 27/27 21/22 0 90
Crosby G.B. 0 31/31 19/23 0 88
Elam Atl. 0 24/24 21/23 0 87
Rackers Ariz. 0 29/29 18/20 0 83
Longwell Minn. 0 22/22 19/23 0 79
Kasay Car. 0 24/24 18/19 0 78
Nedney S.F. 0 24/24 18/20 0 78
Gould Chi. 0 26/26 16/19 0 74
Suisham Wash. 0 16/16 19/25 0 73
J. Brown St.L. 0 12/12 18/21 0 66
Jacobs N.Y.G. 11 0/0 0/0 0 66
Mare Sea. 0 19/19 15/16 0 64
Boldin Ariz. 10 0/0 0/0 0 60
Folk Dall. 0 29/29 9/11 0 56
Hanson Det. 0 16/17 13/14 0 55
Turner Atl. 9 0/0 0/0 0 54
Barber Dall. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
Bush N.O. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
Westbrook Phil. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
D. Williams Car. 8 0/0 0/0 0 48
Gore S.F. 7 0/0 0/0 1 44
C. Johnson Det. 7 0/0 0/0 1 44
Forte Chi. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
Hightower Ariz. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
Peterson Minn. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
Portis Wash. 7 0/0 0/0 0 42
Duckett Sea. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Fitzgerald Ariz. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Moss Wash. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Owens Dall. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Stewart Car. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
White Atl. 6 0/0 0/0 0 36
Gramatica N.O. 0 16/16 6/10 0 34
Jennings G.B. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
L. Moore N.O. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Kev. Smith Det. 5 0/0 0/0 0 30
Berrian Minn. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Boss N.Y.G. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Bruce S.F. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Burress N.Y.G. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Graham T.B. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Jackson St.L. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
F. Jones Dall. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
McAllister N.O. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Shiancoe Minn. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Smith Car. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
P. Thomas N.O. 4 0/0 0/0 0 24
Hartley N.O. 0 5/5 5/5 0 20
James Ariz. 3 0/0 0/0 1 20
A. Smith T.B. 3 0/0 0/0 1 20
Arrington Ariz. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Austin Dall. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Avery St.L. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Baskett Phil. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Buckhalter Phil. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Collins G.B. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
R. Davis Chi. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Driver G.B. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Grant G.B. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Henderson N.O. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Hilliard T.B. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
D. Jackson Phil. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Jenkins Atl. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
D. Lee G.B. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Mehlhaff N.O. 0 9/10 3/4 0 18
Muhammad Car. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Norwood Atl. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Rice Minn. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Rodgers G.B. 3 0/0 0/0 0 18
Lloyd Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 1 14
Bennett Dall. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Blackmon G.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
M. Booker Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Bradshaw N.Y.G. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
A. Bryant T.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Campbell N.O. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Carlson Sea. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Crayton Dall. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Davis S.F. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Grossman Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Hester Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Holt St.L. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
R. Johnson Det. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Johnson S.F. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
J. Jones Sea. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Karney N.O. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Looker St.L. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
McKie Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Meachem N.O. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Morgan S.F. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Moss N.Y.G. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Olsen Chi. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
K. Robinson Sea. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Rossum S.F. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
L.J. Smith Phil. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Taylor Minn. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Toomer N.Y.G. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Urban Ariz. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Weaver Sea. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Williams Dall. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Winfield Minn. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Witten Dall. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Woodson G.B. 2 0/0 0/0 0 12
Tuck N.Y.G. 1 0/0 0/0 0 8
NFC INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
WEEK 11
PUNT RETURNS
Player Team No FC Yds Avg Lg TD
Bush N.O. 13 2 285 21.9 71 3
Blackmon G.B. 22 7 285 13.0 76 2
Jones Car. 28 16 333 11.9 55 0
Hixon N.Y.G. 19 7 218 11.5 50 0
Forsett Sea. 18 1 195 10.8 29 0
D. Jackson Phil. 33 11 341 10.3 68 1
Breaston Ariz. 23 7 162 7.0 22 0
Jennings Atl. 23 6 151 6.6 37 0
Randle El Wash. 29 12 183 6.3 21 0
Hester Chi. 16 9 100 6.3 25 0
A. Jones Dall. 16 0 80 5.0 18 0
D. Jackson T.B. 20 0 97 4.9 19 0
C. Gordon Minn. 15 11 66 4.4 20 0
KICKOFF RETURNS
Rossum S.F. 38 1,061 27.9 104 1
F. Jones Dall. 16 434 27.1 98 1
Norwood Atl. 28 740 26.4 85 0
Wilson Sea. 40 1,032 25.8 61 0
Jones Car. 14 358 25.6 59 0
Cartwright Wash. 29 715 24.7 58 0
Roby N.O. 14 340 24.3 54 0
Demps Phil. 37 893 24.1 63 0
P. Thomas N.O. 27 642 23.8 56 0
Forsett Sea. 16 378 23.6 32 0
D. Jackson T.B. 14 327 23.4 45 0
Stewart Car. 15 349 23.3 38 0
M. Hicks Minn. 26 580 22.3 34 0
Austin Dall. 16 355 22.2 32 0
Player Team No Yds Lg TD
Collins G.B. 5 230 62 3
Woodson G.B. 5 124 62 2
Atogwe St.L. 4 91 43 0
T. Williams G.B. 4 73 39 0
Hall Wash. 4 33 21 0
Payne Chi. 3 111 50 0
Webster N.Y.G. 3 65 57 0
E. Coleman Atl. 3 48 32 0
Talib T.B. 3 32 19 0
Spikes S.F. 3 14 13 0
Samuel Phil. 3 14 14 0
Horton Wash. 3 13 10 0
Wilson Sea. 2 133 75 1
Lucas Car. 2 74 43 0
Ross N.Y.G. 2 60 50 1
Tillman Chi. 2 52 26 1
Beason Car. 2 52 44 0
Adams T.B. 2 50 45 1
Dansby Ariz. 2 47 34 0
Mikell Phil. 2 41 41 0
Wilson Ariz. 2 37 28 0
Grant Sea. 2 31 31 0
W. Harris S.F. 2 25 1 0
Gamble Car. 2 19 19 0
M. Johnson N.Y.G. 2 18 18 0
Butler N.Y.G. 2 15 9 0
Clements S.F. 2 13 0 0
Ruud T.B. 2 10 10 0
Houston Atl. 2 10 10 1
Rodgers-Cromartie Ariz. 2 6 6 0
Winfield Minn. 2 5 4 0
PASSING
Comp TD Int Avg
Player Team Att Comp Pct Yds TD Pct Lg Int Pct Gain Rating
Warner Ariz. 381 270 70.9 3,155 20 5.2 79 7 1.8 8.28 105.5
Romo Dall. 227 147 64.8 1,887 15 6.6 72 7 3.1 8.31 99.9
Brees N.O. 398 266 66.8 3,251 18 4.5 84 11 2.8 8.17 95.4
Rodgers G.B. 318 205 64.5 2,351 15 4.7 62 6 1.9 7.39 94.5
Garcia T.B. 230 160 69.6 1,618 5 2.2 47 3 1.3 7.03 91.2
J. Campbell Wash. 307 198 64.5 2,122 9 2.9 67 3 1.0 6.91 90.3
Orton Chi. 270 164 60.7 1,910 10 3.7 52 4 1.5 7.07 88.3
Ryan Atl. 283 169 59.7 2,159 11 3.9 70 6 2.1 7.63 87.8
Manning N.Y.G. 304 183 60.2 2,079 15 4.9 41 7 2.3 6.84 87.6
McNabb Phil. 382 227 59.4 2,711 14 3.7 90 8 2.1 7.10 84.7
Delhomme Car. 277 157 56.7 1,951 11 4.0 65 9 3.2 7.04 78.4
Orlovsky Det. 156 88 56.4 1,033 5 3.2 96 4 2.6 6.62 76.7
Frerotte Minn. 246 143 58.1 1,757 11 4.5 86 11 4.5 7.14 76.6
OSullivan S.F. 220 128 58.2 1,678 8 3.6 63 11 5.0 7.63 73.6
Bulger St.L. 266 154 57.9 1,668 7 2.6 80 8 3.0 6.27 72.7
Griese T.B. 147 84 57.1 804 4 2.7 38 6 4.1 5.47 64.6
Hasselbeck Sea. 147 75 51.0 826 3 2.0 34 7 4.8 5.62 55.0
NON-QUALIFIERS
S. Hill S.F. 83 49 59.0 603 5 6.0 42 2 2.4 7.27 91.6
S. Wallace Sea. 121 64 52.9 669 5 4.1 90 1 0.8 5.53 79.5
Kitna Det. 120 68 56.7 758 5 4.2 47 5 4.2 6.32 72.2
T. Jackson Minn. 60 31 51.7 316 1 1.7 24 1 1.7 5.27 65.7
Grossman Chi. 62 32 51.6 257 2 3.2 29 2 3.2 4.15 59.7
Culpepper Det. 45 25 55.6 311 1 2.2 51 3 6.7 6.91 56.8
Green St.L. 42 22 52.4 306 0 0.0 53 2 4.8 7.29 56.3
Br. Johnson Dall. 78 41 52.6 427 2 2.6 36 5 6.4 5.47 50.5
PUNTING
Gross Ins Ret Net
Player Team No Yds Lg Avg TB 20 Blk Ret Yds Avg
Jones St.L. 55 2,725 63 49.5 2 16 0 42 465 40.4
Feagles N.Y.G. 36 1,569 61 43.6 4 16 0 12 59 39.7
Lee S.F. 40 1,878 82 47.0 5 7 0 23 209 39.2
N. Harris Det. 57 2,483 58 43.6 3 17 0 30 212 38.8
Rocca Phil. 52 2,268 65 43.6 3 16 0 27 215 38.3
Bidwell T.B. 47 2,103 64 44.7 5 18 0 22 204 38.3
Baker Car. 49 2,188 63 44.7 3 20 3 29 142 38.2
Frost G.B. 40 1,712 65 42.8 5 8 0 19 132 37.0
Ryan Sea. 49 2,244 63 45.8 9 10 1 26 224 36.8
Maynard Chi. 59 2,392 67 40.5 3 22 0 21 166 36.7
Johnson Ariz. 33 1,399 59 42.4 4 12 0 14 150 35.4
Koenen Atl. 40 1,516 60 37.9 3 19 1 10 14 35.2
Kluwe Minn. 51 2,369 60 46.5 7 18 1 27 488 33.5
Brooks N.O. 26 1,030 60 39.6 0 9 0 12 195 32.1
Plackemeier Wash. 31 1,279 56 41.3 3 6 1 18 224 31.1
FIELD-GOAL ACCURACY
Avg Avg Avg
1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50 or Yds Yds Yds
Player Team Yds Yds Yds Yds Longer Total Att Made Miss Lg
Carney N.Y.G. 0-0 13-13 5-6 3-3 0-0 21-22 30.8 30.6 35.0 48
.000 1.000 .833 1.000 .000 .955
Kasay Car. 0-0 4-4 6-6 7-7 1-2 18-19 38.1 37.2 54.0 50
.000 1.000 1.000 1.000 .500 .947
Mare Sea. 0-0 4-4 6-7 3-3 2-2 15-16 37.0 36.9 38.0 51
.000 1.000 .857 1.000 1.000 .938
Hanson Det. 0-0 1-1 1-2 5-5 6-6 13-14 45.3 46.2 33.0 56
.000 1.000 .500 1.000 1.000 .929
Elam Atl. 0-0 7-7 4-5 9-9 1-2 21-23 37.0 36.5 42.0 50
.000 1.000 .800 1.000 .500 .913
Nedney S.F. 0-0 5-5 5-5 7-9 1-1 18-20 37.4 36.9 42.0 53
.000 1.000 1.000 .778 1.000 .900
Rackers Ariz. 0-0 6-6 7-9 4-4 1-1 18-20 34.6 34.4 36.0 54
.000 1.000 .778 1.000 1.000 .900
M. Bryant T.B. 0-0 9-9 12-12 3-5 0-2 24-28 34.9 32.5 48.8 49
.000 1.000 1.000 .600 .000 .857
J. Brown St.L. 0-0 5-5 2-2 7-8 4-6 18-21 41.8 40.2 51.0 54
.000 1.000 1.000 .875 .667 .857
Akers Phil. 2-2 9-9 8-8 3-4 0-3 22-26 33.5 30.4 50.3 44
1.000 1.000 1.000 .750 .000 .846
Gould Chi. 0-0 4-4 5-5 7-10 0-0 16-19 37.8 36.3 46.3 48
.000 1.000 1.000 .700 .000 .842
Crosby G.B. 0-0 5-5 7-9 4-4 3-5 19-23 38.3 37.2 43.5 53
.000 1.000 .778 1.000 .600 .826
Longwell Minn. 0-0 6-6 5-6 5-8 3-3 19-23 38.6 37.2 45.3 54
.000 1.000 .833 .625 1.000 .826
Folk Dall. 0-0 1-1 4-5 2-3 2-2 9-11 40.5 40.3 41.5 52
.000 1.000 .800 .667 1.000 .818
Suisham Wash. 0-0 4-4 5-7 9-11 1-3 19-25 39.1 37.6 43.8 50
.000 1.000 .714 .818 .333 .760
Gramatica N.O. 0-0 0-0 3-3 2-5 1-2 6-10 43.1 40.8 46.5 53
.000 .000 1.000 .400 .500 .600
Player Tm Sks
Abraham Atl. 11.0
Ware Dall. 11.0
Peppers Car. 9.0
Tuck N.Y.G. 8.5
Allen Minn. 8.0
Howard Phil. 8.0
K. Williams Minn. 7.0
Kampman G.B. 6.5
Kiwanuka N.Y.G. 6.5
Ratliff Dall. 6.0
Robbins N.Y.G. 5.5
White Det. 5.5
Kerney Sea. 5.0
Parker Phil. 5.0
Haralson S.F. 4.5
C. Johnson Car. 4.5
Little St.L. 4.5
Adams T.B. 4.0
Berry Ariz. 4.0
T. Cole Phil. 4.0
Greenway Minn. 4.0
LaBoy Ariz. 4.0
Long St.L. 4.0
McCray N.O. 4.0
Peterson Sea. 4.0
Evans Wash. 3.5
J. Hall St.L. 3.5
Tollefson N.Y.G. 3.5
White T.B. 3.5
Bernard Sea. 3.0
A. Brown Chi. 3.0
Carter T.B. 3.0
Dansby Ariz. 3.0
Dockett Ariz. 3.0
Ellis Dall. 3.0
Grant N.O. 3.0
James Dall. 3.0
Mebane Sea. 3.0
Okeafor Ariz. 3.0
Redding Det. 3.0
Ruud T.B. 3.0
Smith N.O. 3.0
J. Smith S.F. 3.0
Gaither Phil. 2.5
Jenkins G.B. 2.5
Ogunleye Chi. 2.5
Adeyanju St.L. 2.0
J. Anderson Atl. 2.0
Babineaux Atl. 2.0
Barber T.B. 2.0
Bunkley Phil. 2.0
Canty Dall. 2.0
Carter Wash. 2.0
Charleston N.O. 2.0
Clancy N.O. 2.0
C. Clemons Phil. 2.0
Cofield N.Y.G. 2.0
N. Cole Phil. 2.0
Craft St.L. 2.0
Dawkins Phil. 2.0
DeVries Det. 2.0
Gocong Phil. 2.0
Golston Wash. 2.0
R. Green S.F. 2.0
T. Harris Chi. 2.0
Harrison Chi. 2.0
Hawk G.B. 2.0
Henry Dall. 2.0
Idonije Chi. 2.0
Jackson Sea. 2.0
Klecko Phil. 2.0
Lawson S.F. 2.0
M.M. Lewis S.F. 2.0
C. Smith Det. 2.0
Tapp Sea. 2.0
Wilkerson T.B. 2.0
Wilson Ariz. 2.0
Winfield Minn. 2.0
Woodson G.B. 2.0
SACKS
INTERCEPTIONS
NFL DRAFT 2009
By Nolan Nawrocki
Senior editor
Editors note: This is the fifth article in a
series previewing the top NFL prospects by
position for the 2009 draft. Underclassmen
include juniors and draft-eligible third-
year sophomores.
T
his seasons OT class might not feature
eight first-round left tackles like there
were in 2008, but it should feature at
least half as many and could be very good
with the help of some underclassmen.
There are some solid interior linemen as well,
with more talented centers in this years draft
than usual. The OG class is not especially
strong and does not figure to receive a lot of
help from the underclassmen ranks, which
only should increase the premium that re-
cently has been placed on the position in free
agency.
OT PROSPECTS
1
OLT Andre Smith, Alabama (Jr.)
6-4e, 330e, 5.3e
A massive, naturally strong left tackle who
earned a starting job the minute he stepped
on campus, Smith shed 25 pounds in the off-
season and improved his agility and balance. A
key reason why the Crimson Tide has risen to
the top of the college football world and have
yet to lose a game, Smith mashes defensive
linemen with his overpowering size and phys-
icality and clears wide running lanes. Does not
have as much length as Orlando Pace but is a
similar type of natural talent. With more ath-
letic feet than Panthers ORTJeff Otah, Smith
possesses the reflexes and recovery speed to
stay on the left side in the pros. Should step
into a starting lineup immediately and start a
long time in the NFL. Will improve if he can
convert more baby fat into muscle.
2
OLT Eugene Monroe, Virginia (Sr.)
6-5
1
8, 310, 5.2e
Excellent-sized, finesse left tackle with very
good feet, Monroe has the ease of movement
to mirror his man effortlessly and handle the
speed rush. Is not a glass eater and overall
toughness could be called into question, al-
though he did show he would hit USC LB Brian
Cushing in the mouth. Furthermore, Monroe
does not need to be a war daddy on the left
side, where his most important assignment is
in pass protection. Awell-coached, solid tech-
nician who understands blocking angles and
maintains good positioning, he should be able
to contribute readily in a similar mold as Jets
2005 fourth overall selection DBrickashaw
Ferguson, whom he backed up upon entering
Virginia. Was not elected a team captain and
may not be a vocal leader but is a solid, smart,
steady presence.
3
OLT Jason Smith, Baylor (Sr.)
6-4
1
2e, 300e, 5.15e
A converted tight end with natural athletic
ability and foot quickness, Smith plays in an
option offense where hes asked to vertical set
out of a two-point stance and could take some
time adjusting to the pro game. However, he
has shown he can kickslide and protect the
edge and should get better with coaching. He
lacks lower-body strength to anchor and needs
to continue getting stronger, but Smith is
smart, has very good work habits, has contin-
ually improved and shows the attitude and de-
sire on tape to excite evaluators. Flashes some
nastiness and is very efficient pulling and mov-
ing in space. If he can retrain his feet to where
he does not have to rely so much on his upper-
body strength, he could start for 10 years.
4
OLT Michael Oher, Mississippi (Sr.)
6-5e, 330e, 5.2e
Oher is an enigma who looks every bit the
part with long arms and natural strength and
athletic ability that cannot be taught. After cy-
cling through the foster system, he has had to
deal with three different position coaches in
four years and has had difficulty finding the
stability and continuity needed to truly blos-
som. Shows the ability to knock defenders on
their backs one play but can look completely
disinterested the next. Has been coddled
throughout college and could be challenged
to handle the trappings of success that come
with the NFL. Initially began his career inside
at Ole Miss, where he had help on each side
and could be better covered up, and some
evaluators are convinced his best chance will
come inside. Whether inside or outside, Oher
will require some time to adapt to the pro
game and possesses as much bust potential
as any elite tackle in the draft.
5
OLT Trent Williams, Oklahoma (Jr.)
6-4
1
2e, 310e, 5.15e
Similar to Saints ORT Jammal Brown, who
played on the right side at Oklahoma before
being moved to the left side in the NFL,
Williams has the athletic ability and foot quick-
ness to project to the left side in the pros. He
is a more natural athlete than Sooners OLT
Phil Loadholt, grades out highly as a run
blocker and pass protector and shows the
ability to dominate. The most talented blocker
on a solid, senior-laden offensive line, Williams
could benefit by returning to school for an-
other season, but he has the type of physical
traits to warrant considerable interest.
INTERIOR OL PROSPECTS
1
C-OG-OT Max Unger, Oregon (Sr.)
6-4
1
2, 310, 5.25e
Not many centers or guards have the foot
quickness and playing strength to handle play-
ing on an island, but Unger has shown he can
and his five-position versatility has drawn a lot
of attention from NFL evaluators. Few NFL
teams have a center with his size, quickness
and versatility, and those that do still can plug
him in as a guard. Would not be effective start-
ing at left tackle but is good enough to fill in
during a pinch, as he has done at Oregon, and
can get a team through a game or two. Has
good balance, hand quickness and efficiency
to get to the second level and has positioned
himself as the top center in the draft.
2
OLG Duke Robinson, Oklahoma (Sr.)
6-5
1
2e, 335e, 5.3e
When Robinson wants to play, he can be
very effective and block out the moon with his
sheer size and overall mass, but he too often
has gotten away with just going through the
motions. With a bad body that looks like it has
never seen a weight room, Robinson needs to
commit himself to the game and reshape him-
self to correct his balance issues, stay healthy
and remain out of trouble. Abig, physical road
grader who knocks defenders off the ball and
flashes the ability to dominate as a drive
blocker, Robinson has been slowed by an ankle
injury this season and needs to take the game
more seriously to maximize his potential.
3
C Alex Mack, California (Sr.)
6-3
7
8, 310, 5.1e
Is smart, naturally strong, very tough and
will grind defenders into the ground with the
warriors mentality with which he plays. How-
ever, he does not always play to his size be-
cause his hips are so tightly wound that he
struggles to bend, uncoil and stay on his feet,
resulting in too much time on the ground. His
lack of hip flexibility has left evaluators ques-
tioning his core functional football playing
strength, which is very important when trying
to match up with big-bodied pluggers. Should
be a solid NFL starter but always could strug-
gle handling massive widebodies.
4
OLG Herman Johnson, LSU (Sr.)
6-6
7
8, 370e, 5.3e
A big-boned, massive power masher who
can bring value as a run blocker, Johnsons
giant size and lack of quickness will knock him
off the draft boards of teams such as the Bron-
cos and Texans, who desire more quickness in
the trenches to reach, pull and zone off areas.
However, for teams such as the Dolphins, Pan-
thers and Bears that favor a power running
game, Johnson will warrant more interest. Has
weighed as much as 400 pounds and must
show that he can control his weight to make it
in the NFL. The heavier he gets, the more he
struggles bending and finishing blocks. Would
be most effective at less than 350 pounds.
5
OG-C Andy Levitre, Oregon State (Sr.)
6-2, 320, 5.25e
A college left tackle who will be limited on
the outside in the pros by his lack of height
and arm length, Levitre projects to guard in
the NFL. Has the intelligence and quickness to
perhaps be an even better center than guard.
However, he never has played guard to date
and will have to show evaluators in postsea-
son all-star games that he can handle the
move. Is innately strong with quick and strong
hands and shows enough athletic ability to
pull, trap and move in space. A good, tough
football player with inside versatility, Levitre
has improved his draft stock with a solid sen-
ior showing.
NFL DRAFT
5-YEAR BREAKDOWN
Round-by-round recap of where OLs were drafted
Rd 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 TOT
08 8 2 4 8 3 5 10 40
07 4 5 5 7 5 8 7 41
06 3 8 5 7 7 8 12 50
05 4 5 6 10 10 9 6 50
04 3 4 5 5 5 8 11 41
Avg 4.4 4.8 5.0 7.4 6.0 7.6 9.2 44.4
OL class is talented, balanced
S
P
O
R
T
P
I
C
S
U
N
I
V
E
R
S
I
T
Y
O
F
A
L
A
B
A
M
A
The 2009 draft isnt as loaded with offensive tackles as 08, but Alabama OT Andre Smith
(left) could head the class if he comes out early. Oregons Max Unger is the top center.
By Nolan Nawrocki
Senior editor
Bob Stoops has enjoyed so much success
at Oklahoma that in his 10 years with the
Sooners, he has produced six NCAA head
coaches. The first to be plucked from his staff
after only one season was Stoops hand-
picked choice as offensive coordinator,
Mike Leach. Leachs offense at the Univer-
sity of Kentucky was so difficult for Stoops
to defend when he was Steve Spurriers de-
fensive coordinator at Florida that he
brought the unorthodox offense to Norman.
The spread offense has since taken the Big
12 by storm and helped the conference
rise to new heights this season with its high-
scoring output. As No. 2 Texas Tech descends
into Norman to face the 9-1 Sooners, the only
certainty is that the scoreboard will light up
frequently, featuring the only two Football
Bowl Subdivision programs to score at
least 35 points in every contest.
It also features two of the nations Heis-
man front-runners under center and could
have national championship implications as
well. The team that can slow down the game
with its rushing attack and apply more
pressure on the quarterback will have an
edge. The Sooners, behind a massive line,
have the more potent rushing attack and a
more talented defensive line, ranking third
in the nation collectively in the sack depart-
ment headed by talented third-year soph-
omore DT Gerald McCoy.
Both teams enter the contest coming off
byes and are well rested, but the Sooners
have been hit harder by injuries after losing
LB Ryan Reynolds to a torn ACL injury
against Texas and DE Auston English three
weeks ago to a sprained knee voiding their
defense of two of its top tempo-setters.
The Sooners trademark cover-2 defense
is designed to eliminate big plays and
places a premium on physical corners who
can tackle. The Sooners will need to be ef-
ficient wrapping up Techs Michael Crabtree
and eliminate yardage after the catch if it
hopes to avenge last years 34-27 loss in Lub-
bock.
Stoops possesses a 6-2 record against his
former coordinator and will be challenged
to stop a quarterback, Graham Harrell,
who gets rid of the ball so quickly that he is
not easily affected by an aggressive array of
pressures. Two of Sooners sophomore QB
Sam Bradfords greatest traits are his poise
and ability to keep his eyes downfield in the
face of pressure. However, in the Sooners
only loss (against Texas), when he was
heavily pressured and forced to get rid of the
ball more quickly, his rhythm was affected.
In a game of prolific offenses, the team with
the better defense should prevail.
DRAFT AUDIBLES
I like (Liberty RB Rashad) Jennings.
He does not have great acceleration, but
hes big, hes strong, hes got upside. Hes
in the same class with (Cardinals 2008
fifth-rounder Tim) Hightower.
(Oregon S Patrick) Chung is disap-
pointing. Hes built more like a corner
than a safety. He does not play strong. I
was expecting to see a better hitter and a
more instinctive player. He does not start
for us I know that much.
(Miami CB Bruce Johnson) has nat-
ural cover skills but hes not going to hit
anyone. Hes a shadow and mirror guy.
(Oregon OT Fenuki Tupou) is too stiff.
He plays tall. Hes not quick-footed. Hes a
size prospect and not much more.
(Boston College NT) B.J. Raji will rise
like the phoenix if the DT class is as bad
as I hear it is.
Virginia was a good visit. Ive walked
away from most school (visits) disap-
pointed (this year). Virginia has a lot of
good prospects. They got a pair that will
warrant early consideration the left
tackle (Eugene Monroe) and (Clint
Sintim). And they have a lot of other
solid prospects that will get drafted and
play in the league.
THE WAY WE HEAR IT
In most given years, there are only one
or maybe two elite rush linebacker
prospects in the draft. There were De-
Marcus Ware and Shawne Merriman
in 2005; Kamerion Wimbley and
Manny Lawson in 2006; Anthony
Spencer and LaMarr Woodley in 07
and Vernon Gholston in 08. This year,
with the inclusion of underclassmen, it
could be as good of a year for rush line-
backers as there has been in some time.
Texas senior DE Brian Orakpo is an
excellent athlete with natural pass-rush
ability to fit seamlessly in a 3-4 front. Vir-
ginia SLB Clint Sintimis coming on and
has been described as a perfect hybrid
player, lining up in the same strong-side
position that Merriman played at Mary-
land. Connecticut DE Cody Brown and
Northern Illinois DE Larry English both
fit the mold as well and have drawn in-
creasing attention from evaluators. Tal-
ented underclassmen, particularly Florida
State fourth-year junior Everette Brown
and Penn State third-year sophomore
Aaron Maybin strengthen the position.
Penn State underclassmen have a history
of returning to school and Maybin may be
persuaded to return given that he has two
years of eligibility remaining. However,
after notching three sacks twice in the
last four games, Brown is likely to declare.
Leach to match wits with Stoops
Sophomore DT Gerald McCoy leads Oklahomas pass-rushing attack with six sacks.
Since Florida was upset by Ole Miss on
Sept. 27, it has won by more than four touch-
downs in its last six games and made a
statement in handing Steve Spurrier his
worst loss ever last week when it stomped
South Carolina 56-6. The Gators have been
explosive on offense with a stable of play-
makers and very opportunistic on defense,
creating turnovers and scoring points. They
also have been creative on special teams,
consistently producing big plays.
Vanderbilt junior CB D.J. Moore, moon-
lighting as a receiver, used his quickness to
beat the jam and separate down the field
against Kentucky, tracking the ball well over
his shoulder and giving the Commodores
their first TD in a 31-24 victory over Kentucky
that likely ended the longest bowl drought for
a BCS team. Moore finished with 3-51-2 re-
ceiving, and is seeing more extended action
on offense. Vandy has not been to a bowl
game since 1982, and the work of head coach
Bobby Johnson hasnt gone unnoticed.
Oregon State senior CB Keenan Lewis
sealed a 34-21 win over Cal with a 25-yard in-
terception return in the final minute, but
scouts passing through the Beavers campus
have been disappointed with his perform-
ance. He wont tackle his own shadow,
struggles in off coverage and does not show
the instincts to be effective in zones.
Ohio State senior CB Malcolm Jenkins
had a huge day against Illinois, breaking up
three passes and storming off the edge to
block a punt into the endzone that resulted
in a safety.
Florida junior MLB Brandon Spikes
notched his third interception of the season
and second interception return for a TD
against South Carolina. Junior RB Percy
Harvin, who leads the Gators in rushing and
receiving yards, also had a career-best 80-
yard run when he accelerated past four
would-be tacklers. He finished with 167 yards
on only eight carries. He looked like he was
moving at a different speed than the de-
fense. Both are expected to depart early.
Oklahoma State sophomore WR Dez
Bryant made an exceptional one-handed
grab coming across the field against Col-
orado that few NFL receivers could make.
Physically, he is as talented as any receiver
in college football.
Troy senior FS Sherrod Martin is gaining
steam on the scouting trails. Despite lining
up at free safety, Martin shows the man-
cover skills, quickness and burst to transition
to play cornerback in the NFL. Although he is
not the athlete that his former roommate
and current Buffalo Bill Leodis McKelvin is,
Martin is bigger, more physical and has bet-
ter ball skills. His added versatility will only
improve his draft value.
COLLEGE NOTES
P
A
U
L
J
A
S
I
E
N
S
K
I
/
G
E
T
T
Y
I
M
A
G
E
S
NFL DRAFT 2009
TRANSACTIONS
(As reported, Nov. 10-15)
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
BALTIMORE Nov. 11: Reserve/injured: S
Dawan Landry (neck); CB Chris McAlister (knee).
Roster additions: WR Marcus Maxwell (released by
Bengals 8/21, 10/14); LB Robert McCune (released
by Ravens 8/30).
BUFFALO Nov. 12: Practice-squad addition:
CB Dustin Fox (released by Bills 8/30). Practice-
squad deletion: OT Chris Denman.
CINCINNATI Nov. 10: Placed on waivers: CB
Geoffrey Pope. Nov. 11: Practice-squad deletion: FB
J.D. Runnels. Nov. 12: Practice-squad addition: CB
Geoffrey Pope (released by Giants 8/30, by Bengals
9/23, 11/10).
DENVER Nov. 10: Reserve/injured: RB Ryan
Torain (knee). Roster addition: RB Alex Haynes (re-
leased by Ravens 8/30). Nov. 11: Roster addition:
RB Tatum Bell (released by Lions 9/2). Placed on
waivers: WR Glenn Martinez.
KANSAS CITY Nov. 10: Reinstated: RB Larry
Johnson (from reserve/suspended by commis-
sioner). Placed on waivers: RB Jackie Battle. Prac-
tice-squad deletions: RB Omar Cuff; DE Jermaine
McGhee. Nov. 11: Practice-squad addition: QB Ingle
Martin (released by Chiefs 11/6). Practice-squad
deletion: S Michael Grant. Nov. 12: Reserve/in-
jured: DE Brian Johnston (calf). Roster addition: DE
Jason Babin (released by Seahawks 9/17). Practice-
squad additions: RB Jackie Battle (released by
Chiefs 11/10); LB Kyle Shotwell (released by Colts
8/30, by Buccaneers 11/4).
INDIANAPOLIS Nov. 14: Practice-squad addi-
tions: TE Eric Butler (released by Giants 8/30, from
Giants practice squad 9/23); S Brannon Condren (re-
leased by Colts 8/30, by Rams 10/10, by Dolphins
11/10). Practice-squad deletions: CB A.J. Davis; QB
David Greene.
MIAMI Nov. 10: Roster addition: S Courtney
Bryan (released by Dolphins 8/30). Placed on
waivers: S Brannon Condren. Practice-squad addi-
tion: WR Todd Lowber (released by Cowboys 8/30).
Nov. 11: Practice-squad addition: OT Kirk Barton
(released by Bears 9/10, by Dolphins 10/15, by 49ers
11/8). Practice-squad deletion: DTAnthony Toribio.
Nov. 15: Reserve/injured: OG Matt McChesney
(knee). Roster addition: DE Rob Ninkovich (from
Dolphins practice squad).
N.Y. JETS Nov. 11: Roster addition: CB Ty Law
(released by Chiefs 3/3). Placed on waivers: CB
Justin Miller.
OAKLAND Nov. 10: Reserve/injured: OG Fred
Wakefield (knee). Nov. 12: Assigned on waivers: CB
Justin Miller from Jets. Placed on waivers: TE John
Madsen. Practice-squad addition: QB Jeff Otis (re-
leased by Raiders 8/28).
PITTSBURGH Nov. 10: Placed on waivers: LB
Donovan Woods. Practice-squad addition: S Ryan
Mundy (released by Steelers 8/30). Nov. 11: Roster
addition: CB Fernando Bryant (released by Patriots
8/30). Practice-squad deletion: CB Grant Mason.
Nov. 12: Practice-squad addition: LB Donovan
Woods (released by Steelers 10/25, 11/10). Nov. 15:
Roster addition: CB Roy Lewis (from Steelers prac-
tice squad). Placed on waivers: WR Dallas Baker.
SAN DIEGO Nov. 12: Assigned on waivers: RB
Michael Bennett from Buccaneers. Placed on
waivers: LB Derek Smith. Nov. 15: Roster addition:
S Tra Battle (from Chargers practice squad). Placed
on waivers: OT Corey Clark.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
ATLANTA Nov. 11: Roster addition: DE Bran-
don Miller (from Falcons practice squad). Placed on
waivers: WR Adam Jennings. Practice-squad addi-
tion: WR Chandler Williams (released by Falcons
8/30).
CHICAGO Nov. 11: Roster addition: DE Ervin
Baldwin (from Bears practice squad). Placed on
waivers: S Terrence Holt.
DETROIT Nov. 11: Roster additions: RB Aveion
Cason (released by Lions 9/4); WR John Standeford
(released by Lions 8/30, 11/8). Placed on waivers:
FB Darian Barnes; WR Brandon Middleton. Nov. 12:
Assigned on waivers: WR Adam Jennings from Fal-
cons. Placed on waivers: QB Drew Henson. Prac-
tice-squad addition: CB Antonio Smith. Nov. 14:
Practice-squad addition: QB Drew Henson (re-
leased by Lions 8/30, 11/12). Practice-squad dele-
tion: RB Ervin Allen.
GREEN BAY Nov. 13: Practice-squad addi-
tion: DTAnthony Toribio (released by Dolphins 8/31,
from Dolphins practice squad 10/4, 10/11, 11/11).
Practice-squad deletion: DT Fred Bledsoe.
MINNESOTA Nov. 10: Reserve/injured: CB
Charles Gordon (ankle).
NEWORLEANS Nov. 10: Reserve/injured: CB
Mike McKenzie (knee). Assigned on waivers: CB
Leigh Torrence (from Redskins). Nov. 12: Roster ad-
dition: CB David Pittman (released by Ravens 9/1).
Placed on waivers: DT Remi Ayodele. Practice-
squad addition: FB David Kirtman (released by Sea-
hawks 8/30, from Chargers practice squad 10/15, by
49ers 11/3). Nov. 14: Practice-squad addition: DT
Remi Ayodele (released by Cowboys 8/30, by Saints
11/12). Practice-squad deletion: CB Tanard Davis.
Practice squad; suspended by commissioner: RB
Lynell Hamilton. Nov. 15: Reserve/injured: NTBrian
Young (knee). Roster addition: TE Buck Ortega.
ST. LOUIS Nov. 11: Practice-squad deletion:
RB Darius Walker. Nov. 12: Practice-squad addition:
S David Roach (released by Saints 8/29, from Saints
practice squad 10/7, by Rams 11/4). Practice-squad
deletion: LB Ben Moffitt.
SAN FRANCISCO Nov. 12: Practice-squad ad-
dition: WR Mark Bradford (released by Cowboys
8/30).
SEATTLE Nov. 11: Placed on waivers: WR
Keary Colbert. Nov. 12: Roster addition: WR Court-
ney Taylor (from Seahawks practice squad). Prac-
tice-squad addition: WR Trent Shelton (released by
Seahawks 8/30, from Seahawks practice squad
10/9). Nov. 15: Roster addition: S Jamar Adams
(from Seahawks practice squad). Placed on waivers:
TE Jeb Putzier.
TAMPABAY Nov. 10: Roster addition: S Donte
Nicholson (released by Buccaneers 8/31). Nov. 11:
Activated: RB Carnell Williams (from reserve/phys-
ically unable to perform). Placed on waivers: RB
Michael Bennett. Nov. 12: Reserve/injured: WR
Maurice Stovall (hamstring). Roster addition: WR
Brian Clark (from Buccaneers practice squad). Prac-
tice-squad addition: LB Marc Magro (released by
Rams 8/30, from Rams practice squad 9/23, from
Dolphins practice squad 10/14.
Chris McAlister
J
E
F
F
F
I
S
H
B
E
I
N
AUDIBLES
David Garrard had one good year and everyone got all ga-ga. Hes throwing to the same
guys this year the same guys that (Byron) Leftwich had. So what happened all of a sud-
den? The problem is that theyve spent too much on their defense. Youve got a top-notch
defense and youre still building it and neglecting the offense. They needed to invest in the
offensive line. After Jake Long, they could have had their choice of offensive linemen.
(Falcons P Michael Koenen) is an un-
believable weapon. Its not easy to find a
punter who can pin opponents with preci-
sion the way he does, but to double as a
kickoff (specialist) is rare for a punter. Id
love to have a chance to coach him.
(Rams DT) Adam Carriker and (DE)
Chris Long look like big stiffs. They are try-
hard guys. They stand straight up off the
ball and cannot get off blocks. What I want
to know is how any team can put together
an 11-minute drive? Do you have your
backs run three yards and kneel? The Jets
ended the game (against the Rams) with
an 11-minute drive. Thats unheard of. Ei-
ther the Jets offensive line is dominant or
the Rams defensive line sucks.
(Atlanta president) Rich McKay got ran
out of Tampa Bay. Then he goes to Atlanta
and gave Michael Vick the richest contract
in the history of the NFL and hires a head
coach who could not wait to get out of the
mess he created. There was very little
turnover that year they could have had the
coach of their choice and he picks Bobby
Petrino, a tough-guy college coach who
ruled with an iron fist and had a reputation
at Louisville for not being able to relate to his
players? What else does a guy have to do to
prove he does not know how to run an NFL
franchise? Im surprised he is still in Atlanta,
but he clearly has not been heavily involved
in the football decisions. Now I hear he may
be a candidate in Motown. It would be like
Rick Spielman getting another shot in Min-
nesota the cat who has nine lives. How
many times does a guy have to fail before his
track record is evaluated for what it is?
(Steelers backup QB) Byron Leftwich
may not be a good foot athlete and may
have had problems staying in shape, but he
has proven he can take a team to 10-6. Hell
command interest on the open market.
He looked better than (Ben) Roethlis-
berger when he got a chance.
I dont know why (Pittsburgh offensive
coordinator) Bruce Arians is there. Hes so
pass-happy with an offensive line that can-
not pass-protect, especially when Marvel
(Smith) was out. (49ers head coach Mike)
Singletary came in and changed the of-
fense to being run-first. I dont know why
Mike Tomlin does not do the same thing.
The other major problem you have Ben
Roethlisberger has a difficult time han-
dling blitzes. Its why he is slow through his
progressions. He has trouble recognizing
when to throw hot routes. He had a reputa-
tion as not being a grinder when he was
coming out of college. He likes the glamour
but is not willing to do the work to prepare.
The difference with the old staff is they un-
derstood it and kept it simple for him.
The Vikings opened up the vault as soon
as Mike Tice left, and what do they have to
show for it? (Brad) Childress won six and
eight games his first two years and needs
12 this year to match what Tice won in his
last three. He (could) win the rest of his
games (and not) match the last three years
of Tice. (Tice) won 26 games in three years,
and the Vikings ranked in the bottom third
of the league in money spent (on talent).
The problem with too many coaches
they have a little success and it changes
who they are. They let it go to their head.
They dont know how to handle success.
H
A
R
R
Y
S
C
U
L
L
,
J
R
.
The following quotes are from NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel, speaking
on the condition of anonymity.

V23 Iss 20

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

V23 Iss 20

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

BECOME AN NFLINSIDER BYREADING SCOUTS EYE EVERYMONDAY... ONLYATPROFOOTBALLWEEKLY.

You might also like