Cleveland (9-5) at Cincinnati (5-9)

Cleveland Browns Defense
28th Ranked against the Run
29th Ranked against the Pass
Cleveland Browns Offense
14th Ranked in Rushing
11th Ranked in Passing

Cincinnati Bengals Defense
24th Ranked against the Run
25th Ranked against the Pass
Cincinnati Bengals Offense
23rd Ranked in Rushing
5th Ranked in Passing

The Browns game in Cincinnati this Sunday is a pivotal game in the race for the only division in pro football that has not yet been clinched. By losing to the Jaguars at home last week, Pittsburgh has opened the door for Cleveland to snatch the division crown in the final two weeks of the season. Of course in order to do that, Cleveland will need to win it’s last two games against the Bengals and the 49ers, and the Steelers would have to lose their only remaining game at Baltimore. If Cleveland were only to tie Pittsburgh with an 11-5 or a 10-6 record, the Steelers 5-0 division record would give them the AFC North.

But before they can mount any serious challenge for the division, Cleveland’s first and foremost focus is on getting to the playoffs. They can clinch a wild card with a win at Cincinnati because at worst it would give them a season record of 10-6, and a strength of victory rating which the Titans could not match even if they closed out the season with three wins.

In the second week of the season, the Browns and Bengals combined to put up 96 total points on the scoreboard with Cleveland barely getting the better of the exchange and a 51-45 win. It’s true that the Bengals have scored remarkably few points recently; over the last three weeks they’ve averaged only 14 points per game, this after starting the season by scoring an average of better than 25 points in their first eleven games. And yet, this weeks matchup might still figure to be another high scoring shootout. Here’s why;

Defense; Neither team has one. The Bengals are fifth worst in the league and the Browns are dead last. Cleveland’s defense has allowed a league high 27 touchdown passes this year while 26 have been tossed against the Bengals. Each has allowed their opponents to score an average of 25 points per game.

Offensive Line; These are two units that protect their quarterback extraordinarily well, in fact they are tied with each other for second place in the league in fewest sacks by their opponents. Moreover, neither team ranks higher than 27th in sacks, so they haven’t had much luck pressuring their opponents passer either.

Quarterbacks; Browns Derek Anderson and Bengals Carson Palmer are among the top nine QB’s in the NFL for both yardage and for touchdowns, although Anderson has a slight edge with more touchdowns and fewer INT’s than Palmer.

Receivers; These two teams each have a pair of receivers that have combined for over 2000 yards on the season. The Browns WR/TE combo of Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow have caught 140 passes for 2141 yards while Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson and tight end T.J. Houshmandzadeh have 2293 yards and 186 catches between them. Only New England and Dallas have receiver tandems that have reached that mark, and only four other receiving duos in the league have as many touchdowns as Cleveland and Cincinnati.

Running Backs; Browns running back Jamal Lewis is the 7th leading rusher in the NFL, already having gained over 1000 yards this season. He’s also 5th in the league with 9 rushing touchdowns. The Bengals spread the running responsibilities between Kenny Watson and Rudi Johnson, who between them have combined for 8 touchdown runs and over 1000 yards.

But whether it’s a pair of monster offensive performances or a blowout, you have to believe that Cleveland is going to pull off the win. They have the momentum, a better balanced offense to handle any weather concerns and with the AFC North title still on the table they just have a lot more to play for.

Detroit 14, San Diego 51

The Lions post-season prospects ended today in San Diego, and if you really want your football team to go down in flames with maximum impact, Detroit has furnished you a blueprint showing you exactly how to do it. After nearly knocking off the NFC’s first seed last week but losing by only one point after an 83 yard Dallas touchdown drive in the last two minutes, Detroit has completed it’s self destruction. Since their much heralded 6-2 start and amidst growing hopes that Lions QB John Kitna’s prediction of a 10 win season were coming true, Detroit has dropped six straight games starting with the famed contest against the Cardinals where Detroit rushed for minus 18 yards. The only other team to rush for less than negative 18 yards was – you guessed it – the Lions who rushed for minus 53 yards in 1943 against – you guessed it again – the Cardinals.

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NFL Football Week 16 – The Great Ticket Monopoly

“Tickets!! Get your tickets!!   The NFL has expanded it’s interest in the ticketing business by asking it’s existing partner in primary ticket sales to handle the ticket resale business as well.   Starting with the 2008 football season, the company called Ticketmaster‘ will be the NFL’s official ticket resale service, which would be used by sports fans who have previously bought tickets to an NFL game (or games) but now want to sell them to other fans.   According to Eric Grubman, executive VP of the NFL, “…fans demand more creative opportunities to experience our games. We will now be able to meet their expectations with our safe, consistent and guaranteed service.”
The new service would be accessible through the Ticketmaster website as a feature called ‘TicketExchange’ and would also be linked directly from the NFL’s own website. Read more

Jacksonville (9-4) at Pittsburgh (9-4)

Jacksonville Jaguars Defense
5th Ranked against the Run
27th Ranked against the Pass
Jacksonville Jaguars Offense
2nd Ranked in Rushing
20th Ranked in Passing

Pittsburgh Steelers Defense
2nd Ranked against the Run
2nd Ranked against the Pass
Pittsburgh Steelers Offense
3rd Ranked in Rushing
24th Ranked in Passing

This week’s contest between the Steelers and the Jaguars is a pivotal game for both teams but also for the Cleveland Browns who trail Pittsburgh by only one game in the AFC North. Of the three teams that the pro football schedule has served up to Cleveland coming down the stretch, only one of them (Buffalo) has a winning record, and even the Bills have just barely gotten their noses above the .500 mark with a 7-6 record. A win by the Steelers would clinch a playoff berth and keep them in control of their division, while eroding the Jags status as frontrunner for the first AFC wild card. A win by Jacksonville however could leave the Steelers and Browns tied for first place in the AFC North if Cleveland also beats Buffalo.

Though the Steelers have put together a strong running game this year they face a Jacksonville line that hasn’t allowed any single player to gain more than 100 yards on the ground this season since Tennessee running back Chris Brown did it in the season opener. And no team has broken the 100 yard rushing mark against the Jags for the past five weeks. But Pittsburgh does have some advantages including a strong showing at home where they are 7-0 this year, and a highly rated quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger going up against a Jaguars squad that has not stopped their opponents passing game very well this season.

Expect the Steelers quality linebackers to keep Jaguars running backs Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew in check long enough for Pittsburgh to put some points on the board by mixing up the solid running of Willie Parker with some passing plays to wide receiver Hines Ward and tight end Heath Miller. Prediction – Steelers just squeeze past the Jags to keep their home record perfect.

Baltimore (4-9) at Miami (0-13)

Baltimore Ravens Defense
3rd Ranked against the Run
20th Ranked against the Pass
Baltimore Ravens Offense
18th Ranked in Rushing
22nd Ranked in Passing

Miami Dolphins Defense
32nd Ranked against the Run
3rd Ranked against the Pass
Miami Dolphins Offense
20th Ranked in Rushing
26th Ranked in Passing

The contest between Baltimore and Miami is one of only two games this week in which the participants truly have nothing to lose. The Ravens have been officially eliminated from playoff contention, and the Dolphins are desperately trying to avoid tying the worst losing record in the history of the NFL.

Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron has decided to start quarterback Cleo Lemon again this week. Lemon had been relieved of command to make way for the backup QB John Beck’s first start in pro football against the Eagles three weeks ago. Beck’s best performance was in the “Mud Bowl” against Pittsburgh where the Dolphins lost 3-0. In his last start against Buffalo however Beck was asked to sit down early in the first quarter after virtually handing the ball off to Bills safety George Wilson who easily ran it 20 yards into the end zone for his second defensive touchdown of the year. Lemon did make a nice pass to rookie receiver Ted Ginn for 54 yards on his first play off the bench after which Miami scored a TD, but he was still sacked twice and threw two interceptions. Cleo fumbled the ball four times but hey, he recovered three of them. What more could you ask from a quarterback?

The odds definitely favor Baltimore. Even through the Ravens difficult losing season, Baltimore running back Willis McGahee has emerged as a league leading rusher. With the fifth highest yardage tally in the NFL, McGahee figures to have a good day at Miami who now ranks dead last in stopping the run since Denver shut down KC for 16 yards on the ground last week. The Ravens defense may well stifle Miami while McGahee and QB Kyle Boller combine for enough offense to sink the blowholes once again, but with Baltimore’s streak of bad luck this year this is probably the best chance that the Dolphins have to win a game. It will likely come right down to the wire.

Tampa Bay 14, Houston 28

Houston backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels had the best day of his NFL career completing 27 of 36 for 209 yards and 3 touchdowns in a season saving performance for the Texans. Rosenfels had a perfect 158.3 QB rating two years ago in a game against the Chiefs, but that was based on completing his only attempt in the game for a touchdown. Although their chances of getting an AFC wild card are admittedly slim, Houston kept themselves from mathematical elimination by beating the Bucs this week. Had the Texans lost, they would have had a potential season record of 8-8 at best with a 2-4 division record, not good enough to beat Cleveland for sixth seed even if the Browns lost their 3 remaining games.

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Minnesota 27, San Francisco 7

On the first play of the game from scrimmage, San Francisco drew a false start penalty and was backed up to the 22 yard line with 1st and 15. That’s the best thing that happened to the 49ers on that series. On the following snap, SF quarterback Trent Dilfer hauled off and threw a bullet over the short middle where Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams was waiting. Williams had his hands raised high in the air to try and cause a deflection but it wouldn’t have mattered if he was knitting a sweater because Dilfer hit him right in the face with the football. Williams kept focused as the ball ricocheted off his head, pulled the ball out of the air and plodded his 311 pound carcass 19 yards into the end zone for a touchdown. Believe it or not it’s the second time he has run back an INT for a touchdown this year.

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The Weekly Buzz – NFL Football Week 15

Cyberspace; On the heels of the court hearing in which former Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in prison for his participation in an operation consisting of dog fighting, gambling, and cruelty towards animals, the famed YouTube website has posted a rather low class video that features mug shots of Vick and other NFL players. The video, which is sarcastically called “The NFL’s Finest” is accompanied by a soundtrack of the Trey Parker song “Montage” and gives a slide show of police booking photos of 49 current and former pro football players.

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San Diego (7-5) at Tennessee (7-5)

San Diego Chargers Defense
20th Ranked against the Run
21st Ranked against the Pass
San Diego Chargers Offense
15th Ranked in Rushing
22nd Ranked in Passing

Tennessee Titans Defense
7th Ranked against the Run
8th Ranked against the Pass
Tennessee Titans Offense
5th Ranked in Rushing
26th Ranked in Passing

Two teams come into this game with identical records but in very different circumstances. Division leader San Diego is out in front of the Denver Broncos by two games in the AFC West after winning their last two games while Denver has dropped both of theirs. The Chargers last two wins have been impressive, each one showcasing different talent at different positions. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers led a 3 touchdown performance against the Ravens in Week 12, and last week in Kansas City running back LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 177 yards and surpassed the great Walter Payton becoming third all time in NFL rushing touchdowns.

Tennessee on the other hand has lost three of their last four games, and after reaching a record of 6-2 in Week 9 and trailing the Colts by a single game in the AFC South they are now in third place in their own division and are looking uphill at Jacksonville and Cleveland as they watch their chances for a wild card ticket to the post season become less and less likely.

The Titans may keep it close but in spite of their confidence after the recent victory against Houston they will probably not be able to overcome San Diego by the final whistle. Although Tennessee has one of the leagues best defenses they are going up against a Chargers team that is second best in the NFL at protecting their quarterback and which had little trouble handling a Ravens defense that is ranked slightly higher than the Titans. San Diego is riding high after their recent surge, and LaDainian Tomlinson is just one of those players who, when he gathers momentum just keeps getting better and better.

New York Giants (8-4) at Philadelphia (5-7)

New York Giants Defense
5th Ranked against the Run
11th Ranked against the Pass
New York Giants Offense
6th Ranked in Rushing
18th Ranked in Passing

Philadelphia Eagles Defense
10th Ranked against the Run
18th Ranked against the Pass
Philadelphia Eagles Offense
10th Ranked in Rushing
12th Ranked in Passing

Yes it’s true that the Giants are 8-4, a record that would be good enough for first place in some other NFC divisions that don’t require their champions to exhibit any significant brainwave activity. But there’s something missing from the Giant’s victories; competition. Of the eight teams the Giants have beaten this year, the entire lot of them have losing records except for the Lions who are even at 6-6. Even one of New York’s four losses was to a Vikings squad that was 5-6 at the time.

Such a relatively easy schedule might paint a pretty picture on paper, but those who watch the Giants week in and week out know the real story. Giants quarterback Eli Manning is inconsistent and usually lacks the field generalship needed to keep the Giants offense executing all the way down the gridiron. Where earlier in the season Eli had better numbers than his brother in some categories, he has slipped in the rankings and has now thrown almost as many interceptions as touchdowns.

This weeks schedule pits the Giants against a losing team yet again as they play Philadelphia for the second time this season. Granted, some division rivals like the Eagles and Redskins are probably tougher than their records would indicate but the overall lack of solid adversaries through much of the season does not inspire hopes that the Giants can compete in the playoffs.

Nevertheless, Manning will most likely handle the Eagles this week. Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb is expected to start for the first time since the Washington game in Week 10, but will probably be a bit rusty. New York has a good defense against the run and thus are adequately prepared to slow down Eagles running back Brian Westbrook. And Philadelphia’s average pass defense can probably be exploited by the Giants if Plaxico Burress can fight his way through the pain of his sore ankle to come up with some big catches.

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