Couch potato heaven
Philadelphia at Dallas
2:15 p.m., Eagles by 3
Last meeting: Eagles won 12-7 at Philadelphia on Dec. 19, 2004
Eagles continue to dominate NFC East. They’ve won 25 of past 29 vs. division rivals. … Andy Reid has two-chin advantage over Bill Parcells. Not only that, his teams have punked ‘Boys through the years. Reid’s teams are 10-2 vs. Dallas, with Iggles having outscored Cahboas 345-155 in those 12. … Eagles’ Donovan McNabb is hurting, but you wouldn’t know it from his numbers. Dude leads the league with 1,333 passing yards, 11 TD passes. … This ought to sum up differences in teams’ offenses. Terry Glenn leads ‘Boys with 16 catches. Terrell Owens leads Eagles with NFL-best 32. … He also leads league with 506 receiving yards and is tied for first in NFC with four TD catches.
Prediction: Eagles 20, Cowboys 19
Pittsburgh at San Diego
7 p.m. Monday, Chargers by 3
Last meeting: Steelers won 40-24 at Pittsburgh on Dec. 21, 2003
Ben Roethlisberger vs. Marty Schottenheimer? Gentlemen, start your spell checks. … Stillers have NFL’s best record in October for 10 years running: 29-10. … Chargers back on the planet with back-to-back Ws over Giants and Patriots. … Big Ben hasn’t thrown an INT in three games. … Chahjuhs QB Drew Brees has thrown two TD passes in four straight home games. … Steelers WR Hines Ward, one of league’s most underrated players, has two TD catches in back-to-back games. … Pitt TB Willie Parker is averaging 5.1 yards per carry. Not bad for a kid who didn’t start in college. … Schottenheimer and Steelers coach Bill Cowher go way back. Schottzie hired Cowher for his first NFL coaching gig – in 1985 with original Browns.
Prediction: Steelers 30, Chargers 27
Worth the electricity
Miami at Buffalo
11 a.m., Bills by 2 1/2
Last meeting: Bills won 42-32 at Miami on Dec. 5, 2004
Don’t know much, but we know this: Winner of today’s game will win teams’ second meeting, too. That’s the drill with Bills-Dolphins series. Past six seasons have ended in a sweep. … Bills QB J.P. Losman (not pronounced Lose-man, for the record) completing fewer than 50 pct. of his tosses – 45-for-94, one TD, two INTs. Kelly Holcomb is now slated to start. … Memo to Bills coach Mike Mularkey: You can’t be four games into the season and be starting a QB with one TD pass. … Miami rookie Ronnie Brown, the other RB from Auburn, finally got on track in third game with 100-plus yards vs. Panthers. … Bills leadin’ league in pass D at 121.3 yards per. … Things bleak in Buffalo, but Bills are better off than in 2004, when they lost their first four.
Prediction: Bills 16, Dolphins 10
Tampa Bay at New York Jets
11 a.m., Bucs by 3
Last meeting: Jets won 21-17 at Tampa on Sept. 24, 2000
Bucs after first 5-0 start since 1997. … Tampa rookie TB Cadillac Williams iffy with hamstring, foot problems. If he plays, Bucs’ offense much more dangerous. He leads league with 99 carries, ranks third with 447 yards. … For the record, no rookie has won NFL rushing title since Barry Sanders in 1989. … Tampa D gettin’ it done. Bucs are tops in the league in overall D – first vs. run, No. 3 vs. pass. … Aging, er, ageless Vinny Testaverde will start for Jets. He was Bucs’ No. 1 in 1987. … T.B. QB Brian Griese coming off three-INT game vs. Lions.
Prediction: Bucs 22, Jets 17
Indianapolis at San Francisco
2:05 p.m., Colts by 14 1/2
Last meeting: Niners won 40-21 at Indianapolis on Nov. 25, 2001
Niners survived the water in Mexico. Now they get a taste of the Colts, the best team in the bidness during the season’s first month. And with rookie Alex Smith making his first start at QB, no less. … Smith got a $51 million contract. … A lot of good it will do him against nasty Indy D. … Peyton Manning, who threw a league-record 49 TD passes last season, is on pace for fewer than half that many (24). … Colts O linemen, who haven’t allowed a sack, will have their hands full with Niners DT Bryant Young, who at 30-something leads NFL interior linemen with six sacks. … Indy pass rush the best it has been during Manning era. Colts DEs, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, tied for second in AFC with four sacks.
Prediction: Colts 37, 49ers 19
Cincinnati at Jacksonville
6:30 p.m., ESPN, Jaguars by 3
Last meeting: Jaguars won 29-15 at Jacksonville on Dec. 15, 2002
Bengals off to their usual 4-0 start. Yeah, right. And Tom and Roseanne are getting back together. … Cincy a ridiculous plus-13 in turnovers and ranks No. 3 in NFL in offense. … Ex-Bronco Deltha O’Neal leads league with four INTs. … Don’t ask how, given a dreadful performance vs. Broncos, but Jaguars running game ranks 18th in league. … How far has Bengals QB Carson Palmer progressed? He’s the lone NFL QB to record a 100-plus passer rating every game this season. … Bengals fifth in NFL in points allowed (9.5 points per). … Ex-Bronco Reggie Hayward tied for Jax team lead with 3 1/2 sacks. … Jags QB Byron Leftwich making first career start vs. Performers Formerly Known as Pussycats.
Prediction: Jaguars 19, Bengals 16
Beats cleaning the garage
New Orleans at Green Bay
11 a.m., Packers by 3
Last meeting: Saints won 35-20 at New Orleans on Sept. 15, 2002
Packers experiencing deep freeze on Lambeau tundra. … Will Brett Favre retire after the season? Heck, if Pack is losing, will he retire at halftime? … Favre 83-21 career at Lambeau. But then, most of those were when he had some talent around him. … Packers minus-9 in turnovers, Saints minus-5. … Saints QB Aaron Brooks was Pack’s fourth-rounder in 1999 and makes first career start at G.B. … Saints CB Mike McKenzie returning to Wisconsin for first time since contract holdout ended with trade to N’Awlins. … A tale of two struggling tailbacks: Deuce McAllister, 3.7 yards a carry; Ahman Green, 3.4 per. … If Green is ever going to snap out of it, this is the week. … Saints 29th in the league in run D.
Prediction: Packers 27, Saints 20
Seattle at St. Louis
11 a.m., Rams by 3
Last meeting: Rams won 27-20 playoff game at Seattle on Jan. 8, 2005
Rams up to old tricks at minus-4 in turnovers. They were minus-24 in 2004. … Now for the fine print: Three of Rams’ first four games have been on the road. A W today and they could make a run with three of their next four in St. Looie. … Rams need to get back to playing smash-mouth. Stephen Jackson, at 230-plus, can wear down a defense, but he has carried the ball only 59 times. … Seattle’s Shaun Alexander leads league with 455 rushing yards and ranks No. 1 in NFC with six TD runs. … Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren is 7-7 against Rams in his career. … Rams have beaten Seahawks by an average of 11 points in past three under the Arch.
Prediction: Rams 34, Seahawks 27
Carolina at Arizona
2:15 p.m., Panthers by 2 1/2
Last meeting: Panthers won 35-10 at Carolina on Nov. 21, 2004
Cardinals drew their usual 100,000-plus for last week’s home game vs. 49ers. What’s that? The game was in Mexico City? Never mind. … Now that they’re back in Arizona, they’ll be lucky to draw 40,000. … One QB threw 29 TD passes and 15 INTs last season, the other 30 and 17. OK, so why is it Jake Delhomme, who threw the 29 TD passes, never gets any love, and Brett Favre, who threw the 17 picks, is the highest-profile QB in the league? … ‘Zona O linemen should wear a matador’s cape for this one. Carolina’s Julius Peppers has three sacks in each of past two meetings with Deadbirds, not to mention a forced fumble in each.
Prediction: Panthers 31, Cardinals 16
Get a life, bubba
Chicago at Cleveland
11 a.m., Browns by 3
Last meeting: Bears won 27-24 (OT) at Chicago on Nov. 4, 2001
Who knew? Bears first in the league in red-zone TD pct. on offense (80 pct.) and D (12.5 pct). … Chi Town TB Thomas Jones has four 100-yard games in past five and has scored at least one TD in each of past four (six total). … Remember when rookie QB Kyle Orton threw a TD pass vs. Lions in opener? He’s still waiting for his second. Dude has one TD pass, six INTs. … Ex-Bronco Reuben Droughns: 54 carries, 204 yards, leaving him on pace for 1,088. … Browns’ pass rush nothing to write about. They don’t have anyone with more than one sack. … Bears LB Brian Urlacher healthy and dealin’. Dude has three sacks in as many games.
Prediction: Browns 13, Bears 9
Baltimore at Detroit
11 a.m., Lions by 1 1/2
Last meeting: Ravens won 19-10 at Baltimore on Dec. 27, 1998
Balt offense juggering for naught. Club is minus-7 in turnovers, thanks to lousy QB play. … Jamal Lewis could use his Cal Penal League stats right about now. He has 55 carries for 138 yards – 2.5 yards per. … Ravens have allowed 15 rushing TDs in past 35 games – tied for fewest in the league in that span (Tampa Bay). … First-time meeting between coaches Brian Billick and Steve Mariucci. … Joey Harrington catching media heat in Detroit – three TD passes, five INTs – but he has won three of past four at home. … Can you say scoreless tie? Ravens 26th in the league in offense, Lions 29th.
Prediction: Ravens 20, Lions 16
Tennessee at Houston
11 a.m., Texans by 3
Last meeting: Texans won 31-21 at Houston on Nov. 28, 2004
Hugheston 32nd, dead last in the league in offense. New offensive coordinator Joe Pendry didn’t fare much better than predecessor Chris Palmer as Texans accounted for 10 points last week. … Titans coach Jeff Fisher searching for 100th career victory in city where he began his career. He’s only head coach Titans have ever known. … Tenn DE Kyle Vanden Bosch resurrecting his career with AFC-leading five sacks plus 24 tackles, third on club. … Houston D stepping up with offense struggling. Texans have allowed one TD in past five quarters.
Prediction: Titans 31, Texans 26
