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MillerLite · 11-24-2006, 04:37 PM

(Courtesy of USAToday)
* Partially deleted to fit 10000 characters posting bracket *

TOP GAMES

CHICAGO BEARS (9-1) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (7-3)
Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET, Fox
• Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Patriots by 3½.
• Keys to the game: The Patriots' new surface was installed since the last home game Nov. 12. Chicago's secondary can be vulnerable, but New England also doesn't want to overexpose QB Tom Brady to the Bears' deep and talented group of pass rushers. The Chicago offense will lean on its ground game, which produced a season-high 173 yards Sunday. Of course, the Bears offense probably will go only as far as QB Rex Grossman takes it — a matter of whether Jekyll or Hyde shows up.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (6-4) at ATLANTA FALCONS (5-5)
Sunday, 1 ET, Fox
• Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Falcons by 3.
• Keys to the game: Saints QB Drew Brees is riding a franchise-record four-game streak of 300-yard passing games, but WRs Marques Colston and Terrance Copper are trying to recover from ankle injuries in time to face Atlanta. The Falcons also hope to take advantage of the Saints' carelessness with the ball: New Orleans has 20 turnovers and a minus 9 turnover margin. But Atlanta is thin in the secondary and at defensive end, so keeping Brees in check could prove difficult.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-6) at BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-2)
Sunday, 1 ET, CBS
• Surface: Sportexe Momentum. Sheridan's line: Ravens by 3.
• Keys to the game: Ravens QB Steve McNair has averaged 253 passing yards with a 95.7 rating in four games since coach Brian Billick took over the play-calling. A big reason for McNair's improvement has been Billick's willingness to stick by the run even if Jamal Lewis is averaging less than 4.0 yards a carry. Billick will look to establish the run again in an effort to set up play-action. Defensively, the Ravens want to force the game onto QB Ben Roethlisberger's arm. With RB Willie Parker averaging 50.6 rushing yards on the road, it probably will be up to Roethlisberger to move the ball.

BEST OF THE REST

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-5) at ST. LOUIS RAMS (4-6)
Sunday, 1 ET, Fox
Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Rams by 5.
• Keys to the game: WRs Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce already pose problems for the 49ers secondary, which could be without top CB Shawntae Spencer. That would force Sammy Davis, torched by Seattle as soon as he entered the game Sunday, into the starting line The key for San Francisco is keeping the game close so RB Frank Gore, who has 379 rushing yards in the last two games, remains the focal point of the offense. With the Rams likely to load the box in an effort to contain Gore, QB Alex Smith will be asked to do more than simply manage the game.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (5-5) at INDIANAPOLIS (9-1)
Sunday, 8:15 ET, NBC
• Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Colts by 81/2.
• Keys to the game: With RB Brian Westbrook showing no ill effects from 59 combined touches the last two games, he can expect another heavy workload. QB Jeff Garcia makes his first start in place of Donovan McNabb. While he lacks the strong arm the Eagles prefer for their passing attack, he has been effective using running backs and tight ends in the passing game throughout his career. While the Eagles have held three of their last four opponents below 100 net yards passing, that's highly unlikely to continue against Peyton Manning & Co. Still, look for Indianapolis to test the ground game early in an attempt to set up play-action.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (6-4) at BUFFALO BILLS (4-6)
Sunday, 1 ET, CBS
• Surface: AstroPlay. Sheridan's line: Jaguars by 3.
• Keys to the game: With RB Willis McGahee recovering from broken ribs, the Bills need QB J.P. Losman to continue the progress he showed last week. But consistency could be hard to find against the Jaguars, especially if DTs Marcus Stroud and John Henderson shut down the Buffalo ground game and stick Losman in long passing situations. Offensively, Jacksonville will attempt to control field position and time of possession with RBs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Jaguars QB David Garrard continues to play well, but WRs Matt Jones and Reggie Williams drop too many passes.

CINCINNATI BENGAS (5-5) at CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-7)
Sunday, 1 ET, CBS
• Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Bengals by 3.
• Keys to the game: All eyes will be on WR Chad Johnson working against the Browns' injury-depleted secondary, but it's RB Rudi Johnson who might most concern Cleveland. Bengals QB Carson Palmer needs to orchestrate scoring drives because even the Browns' moribund offense can move the ball against Cincinnati. The problem for Cleveland is capitalizing on its drives; the Browns have scored one touchdown in eight red-zone possessions since Jeff Davidson took over as offensive coordinator four weeks ago. But something has to give with the Bengals allowing 27 touchdowns this season.

OAKLAND RAIDERS (2-8) at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (8-2)
Sunday, 4:05 ET, CBS
• Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Chargers by 13½.
• Keys to the game: QB Aaron Brooks provided a bit of a spark Sunday, but San Diego sacked him seven times (and Andrew Walter twice more) in the season opener. Brooks is playing behind an injury-ravaged line and without injured RB LaMont Jordan. Backup Justin Fargas must be productive on first and second down. Defensively, the Raiders have the ability to keep the game respectable into the second half. Tomlinson has been held below 100 yards in four of last five meetings. San Diego QB Philip Rivers has proved he can make teams pay when they overplay the run, but he has to be careful against a Raiders defense that has 13 interceptions.

•CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-4) at WASHINGTON REDSKINS (3-7)
Sunday, 1 ET, Fox
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Panthers by 4.
• Keys to the game: The Redskins like QB Jason Campbell's mobility, which will need to be on display with the Panthers registering seven sacks last Sunday — none from DE Julius Peppers. But for Campbell to be effective in his second career start, he needs help from RB Ladell Betts. The Panthers aren't sure if RB DeShaun Foster will be ready to go, but rookie DeAngelo Williams is equally effective. And with WRs Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson attacking Washington's 30th-ranked pass defense, Carolina might not need much help from its ground game.

NEW YORK GIANTS (6-4) at TENNESSEE TITANS (3-7)
Sunday, 4:15 ET, Fox
• Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Giants by 3½.
• Keys to the game: Giants QB Eli Manning spent the better part of the week insisting he hasn't lost confidence, but he has completed fewer than 50% of his passes in consecutive games. That coincides with the loss of WR Amani Toomer. New York needs to get TE Jeremy Shockey involved in the offense early and find some sort of rhythm. The Giants also need to stick with the running game after RB Tiki Barber sounded off on the play-calling this week. If not, they run the risk of getting hammered in time of possession. The Titans lead the league with an average of 166.2 rushing yards the last seven weeks.

OTHER MATCHUPS

HOUSTON TEXANS (3-7) at NEW YORK JETS (5-5)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
• Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Jets by 6.
• Keys to the game: Coming off their second shutout loss of the season, the Jets need QB Chad Pennington to rebound from a tough six-game stretch of four touchdown passes against nine interceptions. The opportunities should be there against a Texans defense that allowed a pair of 83-yard touchdown passes last week. Offensively, Houston is looking to minimize its mistakes. QB David Carr completed 22 consecutive passes last week and leads the NFL with a 69.5 completion percentage, but a red zone turnover likely cost the team the game. RBs Wali Lundy and Samkon Gado will again share the rushing load; the Jets are still struggling to stop ground games in their 3-4 scheme.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-8) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-6)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
• Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Vikings by 6.
• Keys to the game: The Cardinals' offense was more effective with RB Edgerrin James involved in a more balanced attack last weekend. But re-creating that success will be difficult against the league's top-ranked run defense. Then again, the Vikings allow 227.2 yards a game through the air. QB Matt Leinart was more comfortable with help from James, but he'll likely be asked to spread the ball around in three- and four-receiver sets. With the Cardinals soft against the run, expect to see plenty of RB Chester Taylor early on to help create more manageable passing situations.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-6) at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-4)
Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
• Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Seahawks by 9.
• Keys to the game: Packers QB Brett Favre said he expected to play despite an elbow injury that forced him out of last Sunday's game. Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck was slated to return after missing four games with a knee injury. Look for Green Bay to get back to the ground game after watching San Francisco pile up 262 rushing yards vs. Seattle. The Seahawks defense is aggressive at home, where the noise at Qwest Field causes problems for opposing offenses, and will take any chance to rush linebackers vs. a Packers offensive line that is likely to start three rookies.

11-24-2006, 04:37 PM	#1 (permalink)
MillerLite Top Ranked Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 691 Points: 183,146 Bank: 0 Total Points: 183,146 Donate	NFL Week 12 Previews (Courtesy of USAToday) * Partially deleted to fit 10000 characters posting bracket * TOP GAMES CHICAGO BEARS (9-1) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (7-3) Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET, Fox • Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Patriots by 3½. • Keys to the game: The Patriots' new surface was installed since the last home game Nov. 12. Chicago's secondary can be vulnerable, but New England also doesn't want to overexpose QB Tom Brady to the Bears' deep and talented group of pass rushers. The Chicago offense will lean on its ground game, which produced a season-high 173 yards Sunday. Of course, the Bears offense probably will go only as far as QB Rex Grossman takes it — a matter of whether Jekyll or Hyde shows up. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (6-4) at ATLANTA FALCONS (5-5) Sunday, 1 ET, Fox • Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Falcons by 3. • Keys to the game: Saints QB Drew Brees is riding a franchise-record four-game streak of 300-yard passing games, but WRs Marques Colston and Terrance Copper are trying to recover from ankle injuries in time to face Atlanta. The Falcons also hope to take advantage of the Saints' carelessness with the ball: New Orleans has 20 turnovers and a minus 9 turnover margin. But Atlanta is thin in the secondary and at defensive end, so keeping Brees in check could prove difficult. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-6) at BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-2) Sunday, 1 ET, CBS • Surface: Sportexe Momentum. Sheridan's line: Ravens by 3. • Keys to the game: Ravens QB Steve McNair has averaged 253 passing yards with a 95.7 rating in four games since coach Brian Billick took over the play-calling. A big reason for McNair's improvement has been Billick's willingness to stick by the run even if Jamal Lewis is averaging less than 4.0 yards a carry. Billick will look to establish the run again in an effort to set up play-action. Defensively, the Ravens want to force the game onto QB Ben Roethlisberger's arm. With RB Willie Parker averaging 50.6 rushing yards on the road, it probably will be up to Roethlisberger to move the ball. BEST OF THE REST SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (5-5) at ST. LOUIS RAMS (4-6) Sunday, 1 ET, Fox Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Rams by 5. • Keys to the game: WRs Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce already pose problems for the 49ers secondary, which could be without top CB Shawntae Spencer. That would force Sammy Davis, torched by Seattle as soon as he entered the game Sunday, into the starting line The key for San Francisco is keeping the game close so RB Frank Gore, who has 379 rushing yards in the last two games, remains the focal point of the offense. With the Rams likely to load the box in an effort to contain Gore, QB Alex Smith will be asked to do more than simply manage the game. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (5-5) at INDIANAPOLIS (9-1) Sunday, 8:15 ET, NBC • Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Colts by 81/2. • Keys to the game: With RB Brian Westbrook showing no ill effects from 59 combined touches the last two games, he can expect another heavy workload. QB Jeff Garcia makes his first start in place of Donovan McNabb. While he lacks the strong arm the Eagles prefer for their passing attack, he has been effective using running backs and tight ends in the passing game throughout his career. While the Eagles have held three of their last four opponents below 100 net yards passing, that's highly unlikely to continue against Peyton Manning & Co. Still, look for Indianapolis to test the ground game early in an attempt to set up play-action. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (6-4) at BUFFALO BILLS (4-6) Sunday, 1 ET, CBS • Surface: AstroPlay. Sheridan's line: Jaguars by 3. • Keys to the game: With RB Willis McGahee recovering from broken ribs, the Bills need QB J.P. Losman to continue the progress he showed last week. But consistency could be hard to find against the Jaguars, especially if DTs Marcus Stroud and John Henderson shut down the Buffalo ground game and stick Losman in long passing situations. Offensively, Jacksonville will attempt to control field position and time of possession with RBs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew. Jaguars QB David Garrard continues to play well, but WRs Matt Jones and Reggie Williams drop too many passes. CINCINNATI BENGAS (5-5) at CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-7) Sunday, 1 ET, CBS • Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Bengals by 3. • Keys to the game: All eyes will be on WR Chad Johnson working against the Browns' injury-depleted secondary, but it's RB Rudi Johnson who might most concern Cleveland. Bengals QB Carson Palmer needs to orchestrate scoring drives because even the Browns' moribund offense can move the ball against Cincinnati. The problem for Cleveland is capitalizing on its drives; the Browns have scored one touchdown in eight red-zone possessions since Jeff Davidson took over as offensive coordinator four weeks ago. But something has to give with the Bengals allowing 27 touchdowns this season. OAKLAND RAIDERS (2-8) at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (8-2) Sunday, 4:05 ET, CBS • Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Chargers by 13½. • Keys to the game: QB Aaron Brooks provided a bit of a spark Sunday, but San Diego sacked him seven times (and Andrew Walter twice more) in the season opener. Brooks is playing behind an injury-ravaged line and without injured RB LaMont Jordan. Backup Justin Fargas must be productive on first and second down. Defensively, the Raiders have the ability to keep the game respectable into the second half. Tomlinson has been held below 100 yards in four of last five meetings. San Diego QB Philip Rivers has proved he can make teams pay when they overplay the run, but he has to be careful against a Raiders defense that has 13 interceptions. •CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-4) at WASHINGTON REDSKINS (3-7) Sunday, 1 ET, Fox Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Panthers by 4. • Keys to the game: The Redskins like QB Jason Campbell's mobility, which will need to be on display with the Panthers registering seven sacks last Sunday — none from DE Julius Peppers. But for Campbell to be effective in his second career start, he needs help from RB Ladell Betts. The Panthers aren't sure if RB DeShaun Foster will be ready to go, but rookie DeAngelo Williams is equally effective. And with WRs Steve Smith and Keyshawn Johnson attacking Washington's 30th-ranked pass defense, Carolina might not need much help from its ground game. NEW YORK GIANTS (6-4) at TENNESSEE TITANS (3-7) Sunday, 4:15 ET, Fox • Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Giants by 3½. • Keys to the game: Giants QB Eli Manning spent the better part of the week insisting he hasn't lost confidence, but he has completed fewer than 50% of his passes in consecutive games. That coincides with the loss of WR Amani Toomer. New York needs to get TE Jeremy Shockey involved in the offense early and find some sort of rhythm. The Giants also need to stick with the running game after RB Tiki Barber sounded off on the play-calling this week. If not, they run the risk of getting hammered in time of possession. The Titans lead the league with an average of 166.2 rushing yards the last seven weeks. OTHER MATCHUPS HOUSTON TEXANS (3-7) at NEW YORK JETS (5-5) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS • Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Jets by 6. • Keys to the game: Coming off their second shutout loss of the season, the Jets need QB Chad Pennington to rebound from a tough six-game stretch of four touchdown passes against nine interceptions. The opportunities should be there against a Texans defense that allowed a pair of 83-yard touchdown passes last week. Offensively, Houston is looking to minimize its mistakes. QB David Carr completed 22 consecutive passes last week and leads the NFL with a 69.5 completion percentage, but a red zone turnover likely cost the team the game. RBs Wali Lundy and Samkon Gado will again share the rushing load; the Jets are still struggling to stop ground games in their 3-4 scheme. ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-8) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-6) Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox • Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Vikings by 6. • Keys to the game: The Cardinals' offense was more effective with RB Edgerrin James involved in a more balanced attack last weekend. But re-creating that success will be difficult against the league's top-ranked run defense. Then again, the Vikings allow 227.2 yards a game through the air. QB Matt Leinart was more comfortable with help from James, but he'll likely be asked to spread the ball around in three- and four-receiver sets. With the Cardinals soft against the run, expect to see plenty of RB Chester Taylor early on to help create more manageable passing situations. GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-6) at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-4) Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN • Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Seahawks by 9. • Keys to the game: Packers QB Brett Favre said he expected to play despite an elbow injury that forced him out of last Sunday's game. Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck was slated to return after missing four games with a knee injury. Look for Green Bay to get back to the ground game after watching San Francisco pile up 262 rushing yards vs. Seattle. The Seahawks defense is aggressive at home, where the noise at Qwest Field causes problems for opposing offenses, and will take any chance to rush linebackers vs. a Packers offensive line that is likely to start three rookies.