SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2010 NFL WEEK 10 TELEVISIONGAMES
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Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears
1 p.m.,WTTG-5, WBFF-45, Vikings by 1
Minnesota has dropped eight straight on the road, including last season’s NFC championship game atNewOrleans. Its last road win wasNov. 1, 2009 at Green Bay. Chicago QB Jay Cutler, above, leads the NFL with 28 sacks against, although he was sacked just once last week.
SMARTER STATS: Brad Childress and Brett Favre have each said in recent days that they are open to more no-huddle in the Vikings’ offensive game plan—it’s one of the fewthings on which the two men can agree. But if they go that route against the Bears, they might want to avoid the shotgun formations that are frequent sights in no-huddle sets. The Vikings rank 29th in shotgun formations, and 17th when Favre is under center.
USERS PICKING THE VIKINGS 55% GAMESNOTONTELEVISION
Detroit at Buffalo 1 p.m., Bills by 2
MATCHUP
The Lions have lost 24 straight road games, one shy of breaking the NFL record they set in 2003. The Bills are off to the third-worst start in team history and are halfway to matching the Lions’ 0-16 finish in 2008. The two teams also are tied for the NFL’s longest active playoff drought , which dates from the 1999 season.
N.Y. Jets at Cleveland 1 p.m., Jets by 3
Browns Coach Eric Mangini will face his former team for the first time since he was fired by the Jets after the 2008 season. Mangini’s replacement, Rex Ryan, will match wits with his twin brother, Rob, the Browns’ defensive coordinator. Rex Ryan leads Rob Ryan, 3-0, in head- to-head matchups as NFL assistants.
Tennessee at Miami 1 p.m., Titans by 1
Titans newcomer Randy Moss has 10 touchdowns in 10 games against Miami, but was shut out playing for New England when he faced Dolphins and CB Vontae Davis on Oct. 4. Miami’sWildcat offense has netted 30 yards in 20 snaps this season. The Dolphins are 0 for 4 converting fourth downs; their opponents are 7 for 13.
Carolina at Tampa Bay 1 p.m., Buccaneers by 7
With RBs DeAngeloWilliams (foot), Jonathan Stewart (concussion) and Tyrell Sutton (ankle) expected to remain sidelined, the Panthers likely will turn to fourth-stringer Mike Goodson, a second-year pro who’s rushed for 50 yards on 16 carries. Tampa Bay has an NFL-low six sacks; four came during a 20-7 win over Carolina inWeek 2.
Houston at Jacksonville 1 p.m., Jaguars by 11/2
Jaguars K Josh Scobee has made all 13 field goal attempts this season. Jacksonville DE Aaron Kampman has sacked 34 different quarterbacks in his career, but is out for the remainder of the season. TexansWRAndre Johnson has 76 receptions against Jacksonville, his most against any opponent.
Kansas City at Denver 4:05 p.m., Chiefs by 1
The game features punting brothers, Kansas City’s Dustin Colquitt vs. Denver’s Britton Colquitt. Dustin is averaging 43.9 yards a punt; Britton 44.4. The Chiefs lead the eague with a rushing average of 179.6 yards a game. BroncosWRBrandon Lloyd has five 100-yard receiving games and leads the NFL with 878 yards.
Seattle at Arizona 4:15 p.m., Cardinals by 3
The game features two of the NFL’s top kickoff returners. Arizona’s LaRod Stephens-Howling returned one 96 yards for a touchdown last week at Minnesota, his second return for a score this season. Seattle’s LeonWashington returned two for touchdowns in one game, Sept. 26 against San Diego.
St. Louis at San Francisco 4:15 p.m., 49ers by 51/2
San Francisco has won two of three following an 0-5 start, including beating the Broncos in London on Oct. 31. Rams rookie QB Sam Bradford, among the midseason front-runners for offensive rookie of year, has thrown five touchdown passes with no interceptions over the last three games.
Redskins Insider Excerpts from
washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider
RBTorainwill likely start against Philly Ryan Torain appeared on
track to startMonday night’s game against the Eagles. It seems doubtful that Clinton Portiswill return to the lineup thisweek. Torain, slowed because of a
hamstring injury, practiced again Saturday and has not suffered any setbacks recently after sitting out the second half of the 37-25 loss toDetroit inWeek 8. Coach Mike Shanahan expects the second-year back to be available when theRedskins host the Eagles at FedEx Field. “Last two, three days, he’s been feelingmuch better,”
Shanahan said of Torain. Shanahan, however, did not
seemas encouraged about Portis. Although Shanahan said the
nine-year veteran, sidelined since suffering a severe groin tear in Week 4 against Philadelphia, “got a little bitmore practice in today, I’mjust hesitant to put himin too quick. I don’twant to set him back. I’ll get a better feel [for the situation] after tomorrow.” Shanahan said Portiswould be a game-time decision. Portis,who hopes to return
against Philadelphia, has experienced swelling and soreness in his groin areawhile practicing thisweek. The swelling has decreased,
Shanahan said, but theRedskins will not “take a chance ifwe don’t think it’s in the best interests of himand the best interests in the team. That’swhywe’re evaluating it.” The two-time Pro Bowler
“took a number of reps” Saturday, Shanahan said. “You see howhe feels tomorrow.He’s a veteran player.He’s very competitive. You’ve gotta dowhat’s right for himaswell as the football team. And youwant tomake sure that if he does play, that it doesn’t set himback the rest of the season.” After Portis’s injurywas
diagnosed, Shanahan said the teamexpected Portis to be sidelined four to sixweeks.As of Sunday, Portiswill have been sidelined sixweeks. If Portis does not play against the Eagles, he likelywould playNov. 21 against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. “I believe so,” Shanahan said.
Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts
1 p.m.,WUSA-9,WJZ-13, Colts by 7
Cincinnati ranks third in the NFL in turnover differential (plus 44) sinceMarvin Lewis took over in 2003. Indianapolis (plus 78) isNo. 1 in that category over the same span. Colts DE Dwight Freeney, above, needs two sacks to pass Hall of Famer John Randle forNo. 8 all-time. Freeney has 84; Randle had 85½.
SMARTER STATS: If you had made bets before the season that Terrell Owens would be the NFL’s most targeted receiver at the halfway point, you probably would have made a fewbucks. But there’s T.O. with 99 targets, the highest number in the league. Chad Ochocinco has 79 targets, but Ocho’s facing more double coverage this season, which makes T.O. Carson Palmer’s best buddy.
USERS PICKING THE COLTS 96%
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
4:15 p.m.,WTTG-5, WBFF-45, Giants by 131/2
After taking over for the firedWade Phillips, Jason Garrett, above, makes his Cowboys coaching debut against his former team, the Giants, who have won five straight. Dallas is looking to avoid its first six-game losing streak since the end of 2000 and start of 2001.
SMARTER STATS:NewCowboys defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni is a man who will have his hands full with the Giants’ extremely efficient and multi-faceted offense. By the Football Outsiders’ metrics,NewYork ranks 12th in passing and fourth when running the ball. The Dallas defense that was left unattended when Phillips tried to pull double duty is 30th in against the pass and 17th against the run.
USERS PICKING THE GIANTS 96% SMARTER STATS
Starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, who may be out for the season with yet another shoulder injury, enteredWeek 9 as the NFC’s best fourth-quarter passer by quarterback rating (109.9). Stafford’s possible backups, Drew Stanton and Shaun Hill, rank 12th and 13th in the NFC in that same specific efficiency metric.
Mark Sanchez has the league’s third-longest average pass length at 9.62 yards, and he’s tied with Arizona’s Derek Anderson for the fourth- highest average yardage per completion at 7.54. But Sanchez gets tripped up in the minutiae : He has a completion percentage of 54 percent.
Setting aside the route sloppiness and occasional malaise, Moss is still an excellent deep receiver, and he’ll get his shots as he takes the place of the injured Kenny Britt. ThroughWeek 9, Vince Young leads the league in average completion length by almost 1.4 yards over second- place Michael Vick (9.12 to 7.76).
The Panthers rank sixth defensively against No. 1 receivers and first against No. 2 receivers, but how often does their scoring-impaired offense force opposing teams to air it out? More than you might think. The Panthers have faced 7.7 targets for 46.6 yards per game against No. 1 receivers, and 5.9 targets for 32.9 yards against No. 2 receivers.
If the Texans somehow manage to make the playoffs, would it be time to take running back Arian Foster seriously as a most valuable player candidate? Foster leads the league in yards from scrimmage (1,179), scoring for non-kickers (10 touchdowns) and rushing yards (864).
Mike Nolan engineered one of the more impressive defensive turnarounds in recent history in 2009, and after the Broncos let him go in January, he’s doing good work in Miami this year. Meanwhile, the Broncos have plummeted back to 30th in defense vs. opponents average after finishing seventh in 2009.
In the Seahawks’Washington and the Cardinals’ LaRod Stephens- Howling, each team has an amazing return man who has been taken out of the running back rotation because of his specific skill set. The Seahawks rank first in Football Outsiders’ kick return metrics, and the Cardinals rank second.
In one game, Troy Smith did what no other 49ers quarterback through the Alex Smith era has been able to do consistently: put together a game that led his team to victory. Smith did that against the Broncos, and it put him at the top of the defensive-adjusted yards above replacement list among quarterbacks with 67 or fewer passes.
Banks doubtful vs. Eagles It appears doubtful that
rookie return specialist Brandon Bankswill play against the Philadelphia Eagles because of his ongoing rehab fromknee surgery. Although theRedskinswere
hopeful that Banks,who underwent surgery during the byeweek,would recover in time to contributeMonday night, “he was a little sore today,” Shanahan said after practice atRedskins Park. “You could kind of guess thatwas gonna happen. . . . The good part about it, there’s a chance.” Bankswill be a game-time
decision, Shanahan said, but the teamplans to proceed cautiously with the dynamic, diminutive playmaker. Banks injured his knee in the 37-25 loss toDetroit inWeek 8.AnMRI examrevealed
ameniscus tear, and Banks then traveled to Birmingham,Ala., on Nov. 3 tomeetwith renowned orthopedist JamesAndrews,who recommended immediate surgery. The normal recovery time for the procedure is two to threeweeks. In the first eight games, Banks
ranked second in the leaguewith 234 yards on punt returns and thirdwith a 13.8-yard average. Banks’s 27.3-yard average on kickoff returns ranks seventh in theNFL. Nickel cornerback Phillip
Buchanon,whomBanks supplanted as the primary punt returner earlier this season, probablywould handle punts against the Philadelphia. Running back Chad Simpson could be the team’s primary kickoff returner against the Eagles.
—JasonReid
New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
8:20p.m.,WRC-4,WBAL-11,Steelersby41/2
Since 1994, thePatriots leadtheNFLwith189 victories.The Steelers are secondwith181. The Steelers allowanNFL-low15.4points and58.3 yards rushingper game.ThePatriotshave lost successive games only twice since 2003,during the 2006 and2009 seasons.
SMARTERSTATS:BenJarvusGreen-Ellis, above, may be the key toNewEngland’snew,more- balancedoffense.Among qualifying running backs,Green-Ellis ranks fifthinDefense-adjusted YardsAboveReplacement andthirdinDefense- adjustedValueOverAverage.Hehas six rushing touchdowns andputupone of the best Success Rates (downanddistance efficiencyper situation andopponent) inthe league.
USERS PICKINGTHE STEELERS 73% USER PICKS
50% picked the Bills
75% picked the Jets
73% picked the Titans
98% picked the Buccaneers
64% picked the Texans
81% picked the Chiefs
77% picked the Cardinals
54% picked the Rams
JONATHAN NEWTON/THE WASHINGTON POST
Ryan Torain practiced Saturday and appears on track to start Monday night after being slowed by a hamstring injury.
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