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Week 14 NFL Previews
By Chris Cluff
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
Vikings (5-7) at Lions (2-10), 1 ET
WagerWeb.com line: Lions -1.5 (39.5)
Storyline: Neither team has gotten very good performances out of its quarterback. Jon Kitna will nonetheless remain Detroit’s quarterback despite 16 interceptions and six lost fumbles. Minnesota coach Brad Childress has decided but not said whether Brad Johnson will remain the starting QB. With No. 2 Brooks Bollinger hurt and the Vikings still mathematically alive in the playoff hunt, Childress probably is staying with Johnson, who threw four interceptions last week and has 14 this season. The Lions will be without DT Shaun Rogers, who was placed on injured reserve.
Best Bet: The Vikings have dominated the Lions recently, winning nine straight and 13 of the past 14. Minnesota, 20-13.
Raiders (2-10) at Bengals (7-5), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Bengals -10.5 (38.5)
Storyline: The Bengals are on the prowl, with three straight wins after beating Baltimore 13-7 last week. This is their easiest game in a final four that also includes games at Indianapolis and Denver and at home vs. Pittsburgh. While the offense has finally found a rhythm, the defense has allowed just one touchdown in the past two games. The split-personality Raiders have not scored more than 14 points in any of the past five games – all losses – but they rank third in the league on defense.
Best Bet: Oakland has lost nine straight road games and 27 of its past 31. Cincinnati, 24-10.
Giants (6-6) at Panthers (6-6), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: No line (Panthers’ QB situation)
Storyline: Quarterback Jake Delhomme is questionable with a sprained thumb, so Chris Weinke might make his first start for Carolina since 2002. Delhomme was under fire anyway because he has made too many errors as Carolina has blown five fourth-quarter leads this year. The Giants have lost four straight to fall into a tie with Carolina, Philadelphia and Atlanta in the NFC wild-card race. This effectively could be a loser-out game.
Best Bet: The Panthers shut out the Giants in the playoffs last season and will use home-field advantage in this one. Carolina, 24-20.
Eagles (6-6) at Redskins (4-8), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Eagles -1 (40.5)
Storyline: The Eagles are coming off a big win over Carolina that kept them in the playoff hunt. Jeff Garcia threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns in that win and has six touchdowns and no interceptions since replacing the injured Donovan McNabb three games ago. Garcia will lead the Eagles through a season-ending gauntlet that will take them to Washington, New York and Dallas and then a finale at home against Atlanta. Washington has lost three of four, including a 24-14 home loss to Atlanta last week.
Best Bet: The Eagles have won eight of the past 10 in the series, five of six at Washington. Philadelphia, 24-13.
Falcons (6-6) at Buccaneers (3-9), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Falcons -3 (37)
Storyline: Atlanta ended a four-game losing streak with a win over Washington last week, keeping the Falcons in the hunt for a wild-card spot. The Falcons rushed for a franchise-record 306 yards against Tampa Bay in a 14-3 victory on Sept. 17, and they figure to run the ball right at the Bucs again. Michael Vick is 71 yards short of becoming the first 1,000-rushing-yard quarterback in NFL history. He needs 40 yards to surpass the record of 968 yards set by Chicago’s Bobby Douglass in 1970. The Bucs are sticking with rookie QB Bruce Gradkowski even though he has thrown eight interceptions in the last four games.
Best Bet: The Bucs are 4-1 at home against the Falcons since 1999, and Coach Jon Gruden is 7-3 vs. Atlanta. Tampa Bay, 24-17.
Ravens (9-3) at Chiefs (7-5), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Chiefs -3 (36)
Storyline: The Ravens lost a chance to clinch the AFC North title when they lost to Cincinnati last week. They can earn a playoff spot this week if they win and the Bengals, the New York Jets and Denver all lose. This game is equally important for the Chiefs, who fell into a five-way tie in the wild-card race when they lost to Cleveland in overtime last week. Trent Green showed he is completely back, throwing four TD passes against the Browns. But he and the Chiefs will go against the league’s best defense in this one.
Best Bet: The Chiefs have won 18 straight home games in December. Kansas City, 13-10.
Patriots (9-3) at Dolphins (5-7), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Patriots -3.5 (37)
Storyline: The Patriots have been living on the edge recently, turning the ball over too often (18 over the past six games) and getting too many penalties but still coming up with victories (three straight). New England beat Miami 20-10 in October despite gaining a season-low 213 yards. The Dolphins had won four straight until losing to Jacksonville last week. Miami will be without starting RB Ronnie Brown (hand) for the second straight week.
Best Bet: The Dolphins have won six of their last eight home games against the Patriots. Miami, 20-14.
Colts (10-2) at Jaguars (7-5), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Pick ’em (44)
Storyline: The Colts, who were beaten by Tennessee kicker Rob Bironas’ 60-yard field goal last week, aim to win the AFC South by winning in Jacksonville for the third straight year and fifth time in six games. The Colts also can clinch a playoff spot if the Jets, Bengals, Broncos and Chiefs all lose. The Jags beat Miami last week to stay in the playoff race. The Colts beat the Jaguars 21-14 in Indianapolis in September.
Best Bet: The Jags have given up 47 points at home, with a 5-1 record that includes two shutouts. Jacksonville, 24-20.
Titans (5-7) at Texans (4-8), 1 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Texans -1 (42)
Storyline: Behind rookie QB Vince Young, the Titans have won three straight and five of seven. The past two wins came after Young rallied the team in the fourth quarter against the Giants and Colts and Rob Bironas kicked the game-winners, including a 60-yarder vs. the Colts. The Texans are going for two straight wins for the first time in two seasons. They beat Oakland last week despite finishing with negative passing yards. Young led the Titans past the Texans 28-22 in October and will play in his hometown for the first time as a pro.
Best Bet: The Titans are too hot to handle and will improve to 8-2 vs. Houston. Tennessee, 31-21.
Packers (4-8) at 49ers (5-7), 4:05 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: 49ers -4.5 (43.5)
Storyline: The Packers’ playoff hopes have faded with three straight losses, the most recent a humiliating 38-10 home defeat to the New York Jets. The Packers actually have been better on the road (3-3) than at home (1-5). The 49ers, meanwhile, are on life support after back-to-back losses. They have lost their past four home games in December.
Best Bet: The 49ers are 4-2 at home and have the NFC’s top rusher, Frank Gore. San Francisco, 20-13.
Seahawks (8-4) at Cardinals (3-9), 4:05 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Seahawks -3 (45)
Storyline: The Seahawks are 2-0 since QB Matt Hasselbeck came back, and they hope to get their offense in gear over the final four games, even as they jockey with Dallas and New Orleans for a first-round bye. The Seahawks can win the NFC West by beating Arizona and getting a loss out of San Francisco. Arizona, led by rookie QB Matt Leinart, has won two of three since a 1-8 start and is coming off a 34-20 upset of the Rams in St. Louis. The Cardinals have not won consecutive games since 2004.
Best Bet: The Seahawks have won four straight against Arizona, including a 21-10 result in Week 2. Seattle, 24-14.
Broncos (7-5) at Chargers (10-2), 4:15 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Chargers -7.5 (41)
Storyline: A seventh straight victory would give the Chargers a playoff spot, and a loss by Kansas City would also give them the AFC West title. The Chargers have been led by the MVP-caliber performance of LaDainian Tomlinson, who leads the NFL with 1,324 rushing yards and needs just three touchdowns to break the NFL record of 28 set by Shaun Alexander last season. This will be the second start for Denver rookie QB Jay Cutler, who lost to the Seahawks last week and whose Broncos have not won since they lost to San Diego three weeks ago. Cutler will have to face LB Shawne Merriman and the NFL’s best pass-rushing defense.
Best Bet: The Chargers are nigh unstoppable with Tomlinson and the league’s highest-scoring offense. San Diego, 31-13.
Bills (5-7) at Jets (7-5), 4:15 p.m. ET
WagerWeb.com line: Jets -3.5 (37)
Storyline: The Jets have won five of their past seven games, the most recent a 38-10 shellacking of the Packers in Green Bay. Chad Pennington has been stellar in two straight wins, completing 74.2 percent of his passes for 549 yards and three scores. The Bills lost to San Diego last week to drop two games behind in the playoff race. They will be without LB Angelo Crowell, their second-leading tackler who is out for the season with a broken leg.
Best Bet: The Jets have won four straight home games against the Bills and won in Buffalo in September. New York, 24-17.
Saints (8-4) at Cowboys (8-4), 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC
WagerWeb.com line: Cowboys -7.5 (47.5)
Storyline: Sean Payton takes his surprising Saints to Dallas to face his mentor, Coach Bill Parcells, in a pivotal NFC game. The winner gains the edge in the three-way race with the Seahawks for the conference’s No. 2 playoff seed. It’s also possible for the winner of this game to clinch a playoff spot. The Cowboys are going for their fifth straight win. The last was a huge NFC East victory over the Giants, which came on a 46-yard field goal with one second left by new kicker Martin Gramatica. Dallas is the league’s No. 2 scoring team (27.7) and is even better at home, where its 28.4 points per game have led to a 4-1 record. The Saints have the league’s top offense by yards, and Drew Brees has a league-best 3,649 passing yards. He might be without his top two receivers, however. Marques Colston has already missed the past two games with a high ankle sprain, and Joe Horn is questionable because of a persistent groin injury. The defense, meanwhile, will be without DT Hollis Thomas, who was suspended (steroids) for the final four games of the season.
Best Bet: The Dallas defense is better than the Saints’, and that will be the difference. Dallas, 27-24.
Bears (10-2) at Rams (5-7), 8:30 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN
WagerWeb.com line: Bears -6 (40.5)
Storyline: The Bears, who won the NFC North last week, are still marching toward the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed. And they will do it behind Rex Grossman despite the quarterback’s ongoing struggles. He threw for just 34 yards, with three interceptions and a putrid 1.3 passer rating, in the division-clinching win over Minnesota last week. Because the Bears are winning, Coach Lovie Smith said he is sticking with Grossman and not putting in Brian Griese. The Rams have fallen apart since a 4-1 start, losing six of seven. But they have not given up because they are just one game out of the NFC wild-card race. On the contrary, after the loss to Arizona, QB Marc Bulger called out unnamed offensive teammates for not preparing well or caring enough.
Best Bet: The Rams will respond to Bulger’s bugle call, and Grossman will continue to struggle on the road, where he has six touchdowns and 11 interceptions. St. Louis, 23-13.
LAST WEEK: 8-8
SEASON: 121-71
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