Couch Potato Heaven
Indianapolis at Jacksonville
6:30 p.m. Monday, Colts by 3
Last meeting: Jaguars won 44-17 at Jacksonville on Dec. 10, 2006.
Peyton Manning vs. 4-1 Jags. Gentlemen, start your flip channels! … Colts plus-7 in turnovers. Oh, and has anyone noticed their D has allowed only 278 yards per? … Five weeks later, Jax QB David Garrard still hasn’t thrown a pick. His 104.7 passer rating is third in AFC, one notch down from Archie’s kid. … Colts can join Packers (1929-31) and Rams (1999-01) as only teams to have back-to-back-to-back 6-0 starts. … Jags have won four straight since opening day L to Titans. … Indy TE Dallas Clark has caught a TD pass in four straight.
Prediction: Colts 27, Jaguars 20
Minnesota at Dallas
2:15 p.m., Cowboys by 9 1/2
Last meeting: Vikings won 35-17 at Minnesota on Sept. 12, 2004.
News flash: Cowboys just allowed another TD to Pats. … ‘Boys lead NFC in points (203), total offense (405 per) and passing offense (274 per). … Vikings’ Tarvaris Jackson last week tied career long with 60-yard TD pass to Troy Williamson. … Vikings 2-3, but plus-5 in turnovers. … Texas native Adrian Peterson is, like, really good. Dude leads the loop with 607 rush yards on 6.3 per carry. … We’ll take Vikes in an upset here, what with Cahboas on a downer after big L to Pats.
Prediction: Vikings 23, Cowboys 20
Worth the Electricity
Tampa Bay at Detroit
11 a.m., Lions by 2 1/2
Last meeting: Buccaneers won 17-13 at Tampa on Nov. 2, 2005.
Bucs’ D gittin’ ‘er done, witness NFC-leading plus-6 turnover ranking. … Bucs have won four straight, six of seven vs. Putty Tats. … Bucs TE Alex Smith, a card-carrying Denver kid, has two catches in past two. … Different area code, same results: Ex-Broncos Tatum Bell and George Foster have landed on Lions’ bench. Bell asked for trade, but will stick around as Kevin Jones’ backup. … Lions’ Jon Kitna has 15 TD tosses in past seven games, dating to 2006.
Prediction: Bucs 20, Lions 19
Tennessee at Houston
11 a.m., Titans by 1 1/2
Last meeting: Titans won 26-20 (OT) at Houston on Dec. 10, 2006.
Young expected to play in this one after missing big chunk of loss at Tampa. … Anybody noticed that the AFC South has been the most competitive division in the blockin’ and tacklin’ bid’ness? … Titans, who once couldn’t find a road W with a map and a compass, have won five of past six with pillow mints. … Texans have won four of past five at home. … Best TE in the biz you’ve never heard of? Try Hugheston’s Owen Daniel, he of the five-plus catches in five straight games.
Prediction: Texans 27, Titans 24
Chicago at Philadelphia
2:15 p.m., Eagles by 5
Last meeting: Eagles won 19-9 at Chicago on Oct. 3, 2004.
Chicago native Donovan McNabb loves to play vs. boyhood team. He’s 4-0 career vs. Teddy Bears. Iggles not as bad as record indicates. They’re getting healthy after several early injuries. … Bears? They have no running game – Cedric Benson: 3.1 yards per – so they have to rely on Brian Griese, never a solid proposition. Griese coming off 381 passing yards vs. Vikings, but Bears lost game. … ChiTown minus-7 in turnovers. … Philly coach Andy Reid 5-0 career vs. Da Bears.
Prediction:Eagles 27, Bears 19
Beats Cleaning The Garage
New England at Miami
11 a.m., Patriots by 16 1/2
Last meeting: Dolphins won 21-0 at Miami on Dec. 10, 2006.
Pats beat cleanin’ the garage lineup? Tells ya how bad Phish are. They unofficially bailed on their season by trading WR Chris Chambers to Chargers. … Point spread opened at 13 1/2 but leaped to 16 1/2. If game were at NE, it would be in 20s. … Pats lead the Not For Long in every category worth categorizing, including Victoria’s Secret models and gray hoodies. … Cleo Lemon will start at QB for Dawfins. Who knows if he’ll finish, what with Pats’ pass rush nastier than liver ‘n’ onions.
Prediction: Patriots 34, Dolphins 10
San Francisco at N.Y. Giants
11 a.m., Giants by 9
Last meeting: Giants won 24-6 at San Francisco on Nov. 6, 2005.
Niners’ QB situation unsettled via injuries, but Peyton’s Little Bro is tearing it up for G-Men: 11 TD passes, second in the Junior Varsity Conference. … San Fran coming off bye week. Come to think of it, Niners didn’t show up in previous week’s 9-7 L to Ravens, either. … Niners gotta get Frank Gore goin’. That 3.6 per carry isn’t gonna get it. … Giants WR Plaxico Burress isn’t just another wideout named Plaxico. He’s tied for league lead (Randy Moss) with eight TD catches.
Prediction: Giants 27, 49ers 16
Arizona at Washington
11 a.m., Redskins by 8 1/2
Last meeting: Redskins won 17-13 at Arizona on Dec. 11, 2005.
Tim Rattay, walking the streets two weeks ago, will start at QB for House of Cards. So far, so bad for Rattay, who has thrown three INTs, no TD passes in mop-up duty. … ‘Skins S Sean Taylor is bad news off field, good on it. He has an INT in three straight and is tied for league lead with four. … Cards’ Larry Fitzgerald leads NFC with 40 catches, 545 yards. … Wash D among best in the biz, allowing 259 yards per.
Prediction: Redskins 24, Cardinals 3
Kansas City at Oakland
2:05 p.m., Raiders by 1/2
Last meeting: Chiefs won 20-9 at Oakland on Dec. 23, 2006.
Raiduhs runnin’ the rock, ranking No. 3 in the NFL at 166 yards per. … Oak LBs among the best in the bid’ness. Thomas Howard (4), Kirk Morrison (3) have seven of team’s nine INTs. … Howard is first ‘backer since 1980 to record an INT in four straight games. … What’s wrong with this picture? Larry Johnson has one rushing TD. Howard has returned two INTs for TDs. … Ex-Bronco Gerard Warren leads Raiders with 3.0 sacks. … KC WR Dwayne Bowe leads Not For Long rookies with 29 catches, 415 yards.
Prediction: Raiders 16, Chiefs 13
Baltimore at Buffalo
11 a.m., Ravens by 3
Last meeting: Ravens won 19-7 at Baltimore on Dec. 31, 2006.
With Steve Mac hurting, Ravens will hand keys to Kyle Boller in this one. You remember Boller. Trevor Pryce, now a teammate, once said Boller “was scared out there” in game vs. Broncos. … From the believe-it-or-not dept.: Bills 20,000 leagues below .500, but stand plus-5 in turnovers. … Balt WR Derrick Mason is essentially a RB. He’s averaging 9.2 yards per on league-leading 49 catches. … Six of Bills’ past seven at home have been decided by three points or fewer, but they couldn’t buy a W with Bill Gates’ money.
Prediction: Bills 16, Ravens 15
Get A Life, Bubba
Atlanta at New Orleans
11 a.m., Saints by 9
Last meeting: Saints won 31-13 at Atlanta on Nov. 26, 2006.
Hapless Saints giving nine in this one. What does that say for Dirty Birds? … N’Awlins swept season series last year and figures to this year, too. … Joe Horn returns to Big Easy to face former mates. No, he won’t have a cellphone in the goalpost. … Good news is Reggie Bush leads NO in rushing and receiving. Now for the bad news: He’s averaging a mere 4.1 yards per touch. … Don’t ask how, but Falcons are plus-4 in turnovers.
Prediction: Saints 30, Falcons 20
N.Y. Jets at Cincinnati
2:05 p.m., Bengals by 6
Last meeting: Jets won 31-24 at the Meadowlands on Sept. 12, 2004.
Cincy D gets an F so far. Low point came last week, when Bengals allowed 27 points to Bad News Chiefs. … New Yawk tabs filled with news of Chad Pennington’s possible benching. Right. Like that’s Jets’ only problem. … Chad Johnson gets the endorsements, but T.J. Houshmandzadeh puts up the numbers for Bengals. His 47 catches are second in the league, his seven TD catches third.
Prediction: Bengals 31, Jets 27
St. Louis at Seattle
2:15 p.m., Seahawks by 9
Last meeting: Seahawks won 24-22 at Seattle on Nov. 12, 2006.
Seahawks missed wake-up call last week, falling behind ‘Aints 28-10 at halftime. … Marc Bulger back in lineup for Rams after the Tin Man and Dorothy put him back together. … Rams O-line might be the worst in the biz, hence team’s minus-8 turnover ranking. … Seattle has won four straight in series. … Seahawks TB Shaun Alexander in search of sixth straight 100-yarder vs. St. Looie.
Prediction: Seahawks 31, Rams 13
