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MillerLite · 11-17-2006, 08:26 AM

(Courtesy of USAToday.com/sports)

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Atlanta Falcons (5-4) at Baltimore Ravens (7-2) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox Surface: Sportexe Momentum. Sheridan's line: Ravens by 4.
Keys to the game: The Falcons won't win by trying to attack the Ravens while coming from behind, so they must get off to a strong start in a tough road environment. QB Michael Vick has committed six turnovers the past two games, and the running game has not been as dominant with young Gs P.J. Baltimore's running game is hardly explosive, but RB Jamal Lewis can still be a big factor against Atlanta's depleted defensive line that lost DE Patrick Kerney for the season.

Indianapolis Colts (9-0) at Dallas Cowboys (5-4) Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: Sportfield Realgrass. Sheridan's line: Colts by 1.
Keys to the game: Cowboys RB Julius Jones has averaged 3.3 yards a carry the past four games, but he and Marion Barber will get a big helping of carries as Dallas attempts to keep the ball away from the Colts' high-powered offense. Indianapolis has the league's worst run defense, allowing 159.3 yards a game and 5.1 yards a carry, and the Cowboys want to exploit that to set up shots downfield against the Colts' small cornerbacks. The Colts want to get off to a quick start and force Cowboys QBTony Romo to come from behind. Indianapolis has a big advantage in its passing game.

San Diego Chargers (7-2) at Denver Broncos (7-2) Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET NBC
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Broncos by 2½.
Keys to the game: Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson is second in the league in rushing and has 15 TDs over his past five games. The Broncos' running game has struggled of late with RB Tatum Bell nicked up and LT Matt Lepsis out for the year. QB Jake Plummer has increasingly turned to his tight ends in the short passing game. But the outcome could hinge on the Chargers' ability to prevent WR Javon Walker from making big plays.

RETRO MATCHUP

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) at Cleveland Browns (3-6)Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Steelers by 3½.
Keys to the game: This will be a litmus test for the Browns' revised blocking schemes designed to better protect QB Charlie Frye. He was dropped eight times in a 41-0 loss to Pittsburgh last December. Steelers RB Willie Parker is coming off a 213-yard effort and will pound away against a Browns run defense allowing 143.6 yards a game. But with QB Ben Roethlisberger appearing to regain form, the Steelers will attack Cleveland's injury-ravaged secondary.

BEST OF THE REST

Chicago Bears (8-1) at New York Jets (5-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Bears by 7.
Keys to the game: After knocking off the Giants last weekend, the Bears go for the rare back-to-back at the Meadowlands. Chicago suddenly has reason to worry about its run defense, which has allowed an average of 141 yards over the past three games. The Jets hardly have a dominating ground game, but they certainly want to use the tandem of RBs Leon Washington and Kevan Barlow to set up the play-action pass for QB Chad Pennington. Defensively, the Jets know they have to get after Bears QBRex Grossman and force him into costly mistakes downfield.

Minnesota Vikings (4-5) at Miami Dolphins (3-6) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Dolphins by 3½.
Keys to the game: The Vikings would love to put the onus on inconsistent QB Joey Harrington. Minnesota has its own quarterback issues with QB Brad Johnson's five interceptions vs. one touchdown during a three-game losing streak. The Dolphins will stack the box against RB Chester Taylor and dare Johnson to beat them through the air. Johnson's struggles are partly due to a lack of a go-to receiver.

Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) at New Orleans Saints (6-3) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: Sportexe Momentum. Sheridan's line: Saints by 3½.
Keys to the game: With Saints rookie WR Marques Colston leading the NFL in receiving and Joe Horn close to returning from a groin injury, the Bengals have to be concerned about their secondary. New Orleans has a balanced attack, but Cincinnati still can make an impact defensively with the Saints minus 6 in turnover margin. Regardless, the Bengals must try to establish a running game and control the clock. Saints are vulnerable vs. the run, and the Bengals can take the crowd out of the game with an early scoring drive or two.

Oakland Raiders (2-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Chiefs by 10.
Keys to the game: The Chiefs expect QB Trent Green to be rusty in his first game since the season opener, but they're hoping they don't need to rely on him to win the game. Kansas City would be content to dominate a field-position game with RB Larry Johnson, especially with the Raiders' defense having allowed just 68 points and five touchdowns over the past five games.

New England Patriots (6-3) at Green Bay Packers (4-5) Sunday, 1p ET, CBS
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Patriots by 6.
Keys to the game: The Patriots are still without FS Rodney Harrison, and Packers QBBrett Favre should put up big numbers if he's allowed to sit in the pocket and survey the field. Patriots QBTom Brady working against the league's lowest-rated pass defense. With temperatures expected in the high 30s and a chance of snow showers, New England's ground game, led by RBs Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney, could play an important role.

St. Louis Rams (4-5) at Carolina Panthers (5-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Panthers by 6½.
Keys to the game: Expect the Rams to lean more on RB Steven Jackson in the early going to get Goldberg into the flow of the game and hopefully take some of the sting out of the Panthers' pass rush — especially now that it will be difficult to provide RT Alex Barron help against DE Julius Peppers. The Panthers' offense is still seeking to put together four quarters of solid football. The unit has been inconsistent, which can be dangerous against a Rams team that is plus 8 in turnover margin and capable of putting up points in a hurry.

Tennessee Titans (2-7) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Eagles by 13.
Keys to the game: The Titans must keep the game close, because the Eagles' defense is built to stop the pass when opponents are trying to come from behind. Tennessee should have an opportunity to pound away with RB Travis Henry against an undersized Philadelphia defensive line that has struggled against the run. Elusive RB Brian Westbrook presents another challenge for the Titans.

Seattle Seahawks (6-3) at San Francisco 49ers (4-5) Sunday, 4:05p ET, Fox
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: No line.
Keys to the game: The 49ers have won two in a row but have been outscored by a combined 115 points vs. their four opponents that have winning records. Seattle's secondary is vulnerable, but the Seahawks also blitz heavily from the linebacker spot and could rattle QB Alex Smith against a line not as adept at pass blocking. Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander practiced this week and should split duty with backup Maurice Morris, but QB Matt Hasselbeck could be another week away from playing.

New York Giants (6-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4) Monday, 8:30p ET, ESPN
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Jaguars by 3½.
Keys to the game: Both offenses run well but need better play from their quarterbacks to keep defenses off balance. Giants QB Eli Manning can be inaccurate at times, and he must do a better job of getting TE Jeremy Shockey involved early. The Jaguars will rotate fourth WR Cortez Hankton into the mix. The Jaguars need RBs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to be effective against the Giants' eighth-ranked run defense.

OTHER MATCHUPS

Buffalo Bills (3-6) at Houston Texans (3-6) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Texans by 2½.
Keys to the game: The Bills aren't good enough to waste scoring opportunities and must improve in the red zone, where they have scored eight touchdowns in 20 trips this season. RB Willis McGahee will miss another game, although Anthony Thomas hasn't been much of a drop-off. The Texans won last week thanks to creating four turnovers, but they need their running game to provide a decent complement to QB David Carr.

Washington Redskins (3-6) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-7)Sunday 1pET, Fox
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Buccaneers by 3.
Keys to the game: QB Jason Campbell not only makes his first career start for the Redskins, he also will see his first regular-season action. RB Clinton Portis is out for the season, so Ladell Betts will be counted on to pound away at the Bucs' banged-up defense and allow Campbell to get comfortable. Defensively, Washington will load the box like all recent Tampa Bay opponents in an effort to clamp down on RB Carnell Williams.

Detroit Lions (2-7) at Arizona Cardinals (1-8)Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Cardinals by 2.
Keys to the game: The Lions want to attack the Cardinals' secondary, which will be overmatched on the outside against WRs Roy Williams and Mike Furrey. But Lions QBJon Kitna acknowledged he must be wary of SS Adrian Wilson, the Cardinals' top defensive playmaker who is also used liberally in blitz packages. Arizona is still searching for an offensive line combination that can create running lanes for RB Edgerrin James.

11-17-2006, 08:26 AM	#1 (permalink)
MillerLite Top Ranked Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 691 Points: 196,940 Bank: 0 Total Points: 196,940 Donate	NFL Grid - Week 11 (Courtesy of USAToday.com/sports) Partially deleted to fit in 10000 characters posting bracket Atlanta Falcons (5-4) at Baltimore Ravens (7-2) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox Surface: Sportexe Momentum. Sheridan's line: Ravens by 4. Keys to the game: The Falcons won't win by trying to attack the Ravens while coming from behind, so they must get off to a strong start in a tough road environment. QB Michael Vick has committed six turnovers the past two games, and the running game has not been as dominant with young Gs P.J. Baltimore's running game is hardly explosive, but RB Jamal Lewis can still be a big factor against Atlanta's depleted defensive line that lost DE Patrick Kerney for the season. Indianapolis Colts (9-0) at Dallas Cowboys (5-4) Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET, CBS Surface: Sportfield Realgrass. Sheridan's line: Colts by 1. Keys to the game: Cowboys RB Julius Jones has averaged 3.3 yards a carry the past four games, but he and Marion Barber will get a big helping of carries as Dallas attempts to keep the ball away from the Colts' high-powered offense. Indianapolis has the league's worst run defense, allowing 159.3 yards a game and 5.1 yards a carry, and the Cowboys want to exploit that to set up shots downfield against the Colts' small cornerbacks. The Colts want to get off to a quick start and force Cowboys QBTony Romo to come from behind. Indianapolis has a big advantage in its passing game. San Diego Chargers (7-2) at Denver Broncos (7-2) Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET NBC Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Broncos by 2½. Keys to the game: Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson is second in the league in rushing and has 15 TDs over his past five games. The Broncos' running game has struggled of late with RB Tatum Bell nicked up and LT Matt Lepsis out for the year. QB Jake Plummer has increasingly turned to his tight ends in the short passing game. But the outcome could hinge on the Chargers' ability to prevent WR Javon Walker from making big plays. RETRO MATCHUP Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) at Cleveland Browns (3-6)Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Steelers by 3½. Keys to the game: This will be a litmus test for the Browns' revised blocking schemes designed to better protect QB Charlie Frye. He was dropped eight times in a 41-0 loss to Pittsburgh last December. Steelers RB Willie Parker is coming off a 213-yard effort and will pound away against a Browns run defense allowing 143.6 yards a game. But with QB Ben Roethlisberger appearing to regain form, the Steelers will attack Cleveland's injury-ravaged secondary. BEST OF THE REST Chicago Bears (8-1) at New York Jets (5-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Bears by 7. Keys to the game: After knocking off the Giants last weekend, the Bears go for the rare back-to-back at the Meadowlands. Chicago suddenly has reason to worry about its run defense, which has allowed an average of 141 yards over the past three games. The Jets hardly have a dominating ground game, but they certainly want to use the tandem of RBs Leon Washington and Kevan Barlow to set up the play-action pass for QB Chad Pennington. Defensively, the Jets know they have to get after Bears QBRex Grossman and force him into costly mistakes downfield. Minnesota Vikings (4-5) at Miami Dolphins (3-6) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Dolphins by 3½. Keys to the game: The Vikings would love to put the onus on inconsistent QB Joey Harrington. Minnesota has its own quarterback issues with QB Brad Johnson's five interceptions vs. one touchdown during a three-game losing streak. The Dolphins will stack the box against RB Chester Taylor and dare Johnson to beat them through the air. Johnson's struggles are partly due to a lack of a go-to receiver. Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) at New Orleans Saints (6-3) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Surface: Sportexe Momentum. Sheridan's line: Saints by 3½. Keys to the game: With Saints rookie WR Marques Colston leading the NFL in receiving and Joe Horn close to returning from a groin injury, the Bengals have to be concerned about their secondary. New Orleans has a balanced attack, but Cincinnati still can make an impact defensively with the Saints minus 6 in turnover margin. Regardless, the Bengals must try to establish a running game and control the clock. Saints are vulnerable vs. the run, and the Bengals can take the crowd out of the game with an early scoring drive or two. Oakland Raiders (2-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Chiefs by 10. Keys to the game: The Chiefs expect QB Trent Green to be rusty in his first game since the season opener, but they're hoping they don't need to rely on him to win the game. Kansas City would be content to dominate a field-position game with RB Larry Johnson, especially with the Raiders' defense having allowed just 68 points and five touchdowns over the past five games. New England Patriots (6-3) at Green Bay Packers (4-5) Sunday, 1p ET, CBS Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Patriots by 6. Keys to the game: The Patriots are still without FS Rodney Harrison, and Packers QBBrett Favre should put up big numbers if he's allowed to sit in the pocket and survey the field. Patriots QBTom Brady working against the league's lowest-rated pass defense. With temperatures expected in the high 30s and a chance of snow showers, New England's ground game, led by RBs Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney, could play an important role. St. Louis Rams (4-5) at Carolina Panthers (5-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Panthers by 6½. Keys to the game: Expect the Rams to lean more on RB Steven Jackson in the early going to get Goldberg into the flow of the game and hopefully take some of the sting out of the Panthers' pass rush — especially now that it will be difficult to provide RT Alex Barron help against DE Julius Peppers. The Panthers' offense is still seeking to put together four quarters of solid football. The unit has been inconsistent, which can be dangerous against a Rams team that is plus 8 in turnover margin and capable of putting up points in a hurry. Tennessee Titans (2-7) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Eagles by 13. Keys to the game: The Titans must keep the game close, because the Eagles' defense is built to stop the pass when opponents are trying to come from behind. Tennessee should have an opportunity to pound away with RB Travis Henry against an undersized Philadelphia defensive line that has struggled against the run. Elusive RB Brian Westbrook presents another challenge for the Titans. Seattle Seahawks (6-3) at San Francisco 49ers (4-5) Sunday, 4:05p ET, Fox Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: No line. Keys to the game: The 49ers have won two in a row but have been outscored by a combined 115 points vs. their four opponents that have winning records. Seattle's secondary is vulnerable, but the Seahawks also blitz heavily from the linebacker spot and could rattle QB Alex Smith against a line not as adept at pass blocking. Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander practiced this week and should split duty with backup Maurice Morris, but QB Matt Hasselbeck could be another week away from playing. New York Giants (6-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4) Monday, 8:30p ET, ESPN Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Jaguars by 3½. Keys to the game: Both offenses run well but need better play from their quarterbacks to keep defenses off balance. Giants QB Eli Manning can be inaccurate at times, and he must do a better job of getting TE Jeremy Shockey involved early. The Jaguars will rotate fourth WR Cortez Hankton into the mix. The Jaguars need RBs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew to be effective against the Giants' eighth-ranked run defense. OTHER MATCHUPS Buffalo Bills (3-6) at Houston Texans (3-6) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Texans by 2½. Keys to the game: The Bills aren't good enough to waste scoring opportunities and must improve in the red zone, where they have scored eight touchdowns in 20 trips this season. RB Willis McGahee will miss another game, although Anthony Thomas hasn't been much of a drop-off. The Texans won last week thanks to creating four turnovers, but they need their running game to provide a decent complement to QB David Carr. Washington Redskins (3-6) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-7)Sunday 1pET, Fox Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Buccaneers by 3. Keys to the game: QB Jason Campbell not only makes his first career start for the Redskins, he also will see his first regular-season action. RB Clinton Portis is out for the season, so Ladell Betts will be counted on to pound away at the Bucs' banged-up defense and allow Campbell to get comfortable. Defensively, Washington will load the box like all recent Tampa Bay opponents in an effort to clamp down on RB Carnell Williams. Detroit Lions (2-7) at Arizona Cardinals (1-8)Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Cardinals by 2. Keys to the game: The Lions want to attack the Cardinals' secondary, which will be overmatched on the outside against WRs Roy Williams and Mike Furrey. But Lions QBJon Kitna acknowledged he must be wary of SS Adrian Wilson, the Cardinals' top defensive playmaker who is also used liberally in blitz packages. Arizona is still searching for an offensive line combination that can create running lanes for RB Edgerrin James.