Tom Brady needs five touchdown passes to break Peyton Manning’s NFL single-season record of 49. If things go the way Bill Belichick hopes, Brady will have the record by halftime of Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. And then he’ll throw another five in the second half.
The Boys of Belichick don’t want a piece of the Jets. They want all the pieces of the Jets. Stuff happens when your coach turns another coach into the league office for illegally videotaping coaches’ hand signals. Yes, sports fans, the Spygate payback game has arrived. The unbeaten Patriots vs. the 10-loss Jets. Belichick vs. his old defensive coordinator, Eric Mangini, whose whistle-blowing antics will cost the Pats a first-round draft pick.
If you’ve lost your handy refrigerator-magnet schedule, the Patriots have three games left in their quest to run the table. After Sunday, they play the Dolphins at New England and the Giants at the Meadowlands. Not that they’ll, you know, look past the Jets.
To the contrary. They’ve been looking toward this game for three months. Bookmakers in Las Vegas once considered the first 30-point spread in NFL history, but the betting line is hovering around 23.
Will the Patriots win in a blowout? Who knows? But this much is certain: If the Pats have a big lead late, they’ll try to make it bigger.
Follow Jim Armstrong’s daily Broncos commentaries on The Jimmy Page at 7 a.m. and noon, and read his columns Sundays and the day after Broncos games at .
Couch Potato Heaven
Buffalo at Cleveland
11 a.m., Browns by 5 1/2
Last meeting: Bills won 37-7 at Buffalo on Dec. 12, 2004
Bills at Browns a slice of Couch Potato heaven? Darn straight, bubba. One or both going to the playoffs. Bills winning with a rookie QB (Trent Edwards). Browns, meanwhile, gittin’ ‘er done with little- known Derek Anderson. Bills have won four straight in series. But make no doubt, these Browns aren’t those Browns. Cleveland TE Kellen Winslow, primed to surpass 1,000 receiving yards, a serious comeback POY candidate.
Prediction: Browns 27, Bills 20
N.Y. Jets at New England
11 a.m., Patriots by 23
Last meeting: Patriots won 38-14 at the Meadowlands on Sept. 9
Don’t remember that first meeting, do you? Nah, didn’t think so. Just wondering: That spread of 23 — points or touchdowns? Jets QB Kellen Clemens: four TD passes, nine INTs, no chance vs. NE pass rush. Go figure. Pats’ leading rusher, Laurence Maroney, has 529 yards. Tom Brady career vs. Jets: 10-2, 24 TD passes, five INTs.
Prediction: Patriots 45, Jets 0
Jacksonville at Pittsburgh
11 a.m., Steelers by 3 1/2
Last meeting: Jaguars won 9-0 at Jacksonville on Sept. 18, 2006
Steelers looking to rebound from 21-point loss to Pats. Stillers TB Willie Parker tops the loop w/1,217 yards. Jags QB David Garrard: 13 TD passes, one INT. Jags plus-8 in turnovers, Steelers plus-2. Steelers 7-0 at home. Jax TB Fred Taylor searching for fourth straight 100-yarder. He needs 56 to reach 1,000-yard mark. … Jax CB Rashean Mathis has three INTs in past two games vs. Stillers.
Prediction: Jaguars 23, Steelers 20
Worth the Electricity
Seattle at Carolina
11 a.m., Seahawks by 7 1/2
Last meeting: Seahawks won 23-17 at Seattle on Oct. 31, 2004
Don’t look now, but Seahawks could be NFC’s second-best team. Seattle leads conference with plus-13 turnover ranking. What a long, strange trip Panthers’ season has been. They have one, count it, one win at home, and four on the road. Vinny Testaverde, older than some NFL QBs’ fathers, expected to start for Carolina. Seahawks DE Patrick Kerney has 10 sacks, 3 FFs in past five games.
Prediction: Seahawks 30, Panthers 20
Green Bay at St. Louis
11 a.m., Packers by 9 1/2
Last meeting: Rams won 23-20 at Green Bay on Oct. 8, 2006
Pack has won 15 of past 17. GB WR Greg Jennings has 11 TD catches in past 11 games. Brett Favre leads NFC with 3,678 passing yards, is second with 24 TD passes. Are those the numbers of a QB planning to retire? Rams competitive since breaking into W column. They’re 3-4 in past seven. St. Looie minus-8 in turnovers, Packers plus-6. GB DE Aaron Kampman has 26.5 sacks in past 29 games.
Prediction: Packers 32, Rams 26
Indianapolis at Oakland
2:05 p.m., Colts by 10 1/2
Last meeting: Colts won 35-14 at Indianapolis on Oct. 10, 2004
Indy needs one W to become first team in Not For Long history with five straight 12-plus-win seasons. Just wondering: Why is Josh McCown starting for Raiders? What, JaMarcus Russell is going to learn how to play by standing on the sideline? Indy TB Joseph Addai needs 25 yards to reach 1,000 mark. Not only that, he’s a righteous dude. Raiduhs TB Justin Fargas averaging 98 yards per in six starts.
Prediction: Colts 35, Raiders 14
Philadelphia at Dallas
2:15 p.m., Cowboys by 10 1/2
Last meeting: Cowboys won 38-17 at Philadelphia on Nov. 4
He won’t get any MVP votes, but Eagles TB Brian Westbrook is some kinda player: 1,110 rush yards, 4.7 per, and 74 catches, tops among NFL RBs. Terrell Owens in first meeting vs. old teammates: 10 catches, 174 yards, 1 TD. Cowboys lead NFC in points scored at 423, putting them on pace for 500-plus. Iggles DE Trent Cole had two sacks last week, giving him 10 in past 11 games.
Prediction: Cowboys 34, Eagles 20
Beats Cleaning the Garage
Cincinnati at San Francisco
6 p.m. Saturday, Bengals by 8 1/2
Last meeting: Bengals won 41-38 at Cincinnati on Dec. 14, 2003
Niners, looking for answers and offseason tee times, have turned to Shaun Hill as their QB-by- default. He threw first Not For Long TD pass in last Sunday’s 20-point loss to Vikings. Cincy 13-6 vs. NFC under Marvin Lewis. Bengals’ T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the slowest autograph in the league, but leads NFL with 96 catches.
Prediction: Bengals 31, 49ers 16
Tennessee at Kansas City
11 a.m., Titans by 4
Last meeting: Chiefs won 49-38 at Tennessee on Dec. 13, 2004
Chiefs unsure whether Brodie Croyle or Damon Huard will start at QB. Not that it matters. K.C. offense crashed and burned weeks ago. … Titans coming off come-from-ahead L vs. Chargers. They led by 14 in the 4Q, only to lose in OT. … Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe leads NFL rookies with 56 catches, 821 yards. … Tenn’s Jeff Fisher, NFL’s longest-tenured coach, is 1-4 career vs. Chiefs.
Prediction: Titans 20, Chiefs 13
Arizona at New Orleans
11 a.m., Saints by 3 1/2
Last meeting: Cardinals won 34-10 at Arizona on Oct. 3, 2004
Remember that awful start — one TD pass, nine INTS — Drew Brees had? As we speak, he has 23 TD passes, 15 INTs. Do the math, bubba. … Reggie Bush gone for season, leaving Aaron Stecker as Saints’ go-to RB. He had 100-plus in “MNF” win over Dirty Birds. … ‘Zona QB Kurt Warner 3-0 career at NO. … Cards’ Larry Fitzgerald leads NFC receivers with 81 catches.
Prediction: Saints 24, Cardinals 17
Detroit at San Diego
2:15 p.m., Chargers by 10
Last meeting: Chargers won 14-7 at Detroit on Dec. 7, 2003
LaDainian Tomlinson has 1,195 yards. Five more and he would join Eric Dickerson as only NFL players to start careers with seven 1,200-yard seasons. Now if L.T. would just mend the fences with QB Philip Rivers. Or maybe you missed L.T. snubbing Rivers on sideline at Tennessee. … Lions have lost five straight after 6-2 start.
Prediction: Lions 24, Chargers 23
Washington at N.Y. Giants
6:15 p.m., Giants by 4 1/2
Last meeting: Giants won 24-17 at Washington on Sept. 23
Home sweet home? Eli Manning has 18 TD passes, 17 INTs — 10 TDs, seven INTs on the road, eight TDs, 10 INTs at the Meadowlands. Todd Collins in charge as ‘Skins QB with Jason Campbell gone for the season. Since joining NFL in 2002, Giants’ Jeremy Shockey leads all TEs with 369 catches, 4,210 yards. N.Y. DE Justin Tuck so good, they named a rule after him. Dude has a career-high 9.0 sacks.
Prediction: Giants 20, Redskins 10
Get A Life, Bubba
Atlanta at Tampa Bay
11 a.m., Buccaneers by 13 1/2
Last meeting: Buccaneers won 31-7 at Atlanta on Nov. 18
If former coach Bobby Petrino was sick ‘n’ tired of watching Dirty Birds, why should we want to? Bucs would clinch NFC South with a dubya. Jeff Garcia, who has battled back problems, finally getting healthy for Bucs. TB rookie DE Gaines Adams had two sacks in teams’ first meeting. Atlanta WR Roddy “Free Michael Vick” White has 19 catches, three TDs in past three games.
Prediction: Buccaneers 31, Falcons 0
Baltimore at Miami
11 a.m., Ravens by 3 1/2
Last meeting: Ravens won 30-23 at Baltimore on Jan. 2, 2005
Welcome to the Tidy Bowl. Teams lost by a combined 45 points last week. Dolphins 0-13 and could be 30-point underdogs next Sunday at New England. Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how’s the season going? Balt minus-17 in turnovers, Miami minus-12. Dolphins 3-0 at home vs. Ravens.
Prediction: Dolphins 16, Ravens 13
Chicago at Minnesota
6:30 p.m. Monday, Vikings by 10
Last meeting: Vikings won 34-31 at Chicago on Oct. 14
Line jumped to 10 from 7. Why? Two words: Kyle Orton. He’ll make first start for Bears since 1/ 1/06. Game features matchup of Adrian Peterson (1,200 yards, offensive rookie of the year award) and The Other Adrian Peterson (3.2 yards per carry for Bears). Did you know? Vikings plus-10 in turnovers, and with a young QB (Tarvaris Jackson) learning on the job. Minnie DT Kevin Williams has 7.0 sacks in past eight vs. Teddy Bears.
Prediction: Vikings 34, Bears 13
