Week 9 Game Analysis

Patriots (8-0) @ Colts (7-0)

Last week: Colts beat Panthers 31-7; Patriots beat Redskins 52-7 

Game notes: Colts started slow last week against the Panthers. That marks the second week in a row that the Colts offense was kept in check in the first quarter. The Panthers held the Colts to one field goal in the first quarter Sunday and 10 points in the first half. Manning didn’t complete a pass in the first quarter. (Although, the Panthers had the ball for over 11 minutes in the first.) Last week, the Colts were held scoreless for nearly the entire first quarter until Joseph Addai scored on a goal-line run with 35 seconds remaining. If the Colts start slow again this week, their opponent won’t be so forgiving. The Patriots have scored more points than any team in the NFL. And they have scored on their first possession in every game this season. Update: Colts WR Marvin Harrison has been cleared to play Sunday. Two Patriots defenders are out: safety Eugen Wilson and linebacker Eric Alexander.

Edge: Patriots. As we said, the Colts have been getting off to a slow start, having scored only 10 first-quarter points combined in the last two weeks. The Patriots should take advantage early.

Broncos (3-4) @ Lions (5-2)

Last week: Lions beat Bears 16-7; Broncos lost to Packers 19-13 

Game notes: the Broncos almost came away with another last-second win against Green Bay. (Actually, I don’t know how they didn’t score a touchdown from three yards out.)  But no cornerback could have stopped the throw from Brett Favre in overtime. The Broncos three wins have come by a combined seven points…I said a COMBINED seven points. That’s both good and bad. The good: they’ve found a way to win late, with last-second field goals from Jason Elam. The bad: they could easily be 0-7.   

Edge: Lions  

49ers (2-5) @ Falcons (1-6)

Last week: Falcons had bye; 49ers lost to Saints 31-10  

Game notes: Drew Brees ate up the 49ers pass defense for 336 yards and 4 touchdowns last week. The 49ers offense did little against the Saints. Smith passed for 190 yards in his first week back from injury and Frank Gore totaled 41 yards on only 12 carries. Gore has been down-graded to questionable. The Falcons are giving up 126.4 yards per game on the ground. Update: Gore is inactive for Sunday

Edge: Falcons

Bengals (2-5) @ Bills (3-4)

Last week: Bengals lost to Steelers 24-13; Bills beat Jets 14-3 

Game notes: The Bills will start QB J.P Losman in place of Trent Edwards. Edwards needs more time to recover from a sprained right wrist. Losman took over for Edwards last week and produced two scoring drives in the 14-3 win over the Jets. The teams’ defenses are equally bad. It looks like it will be an offensive battle. Bills RB Marshawn Lynch is ranked No. 10 among running backs with 537 yards on the season. But Cincinnati has a back of its own in Kenny Watson, and Rhudi Johnson is expected back this week.  

Edge: Bengals. Carson Palmer is ranked 4th in passing yards and the Bengals are putting up over 25 points a game. The Bills defense doesn’t match up well; they are giving up 253 passing yards/game (that’s 29th in the league).

Panthers (4-3) @ Titans (5-2)

Last week: Titans beat Raiders 13-9; Panthers lost to the Colts 31-7 

Game notes: the Titans are on a five-game winning streak, but their offense barely produced enough in a 13-9 win over the Raiders. It took the team until the third quarter to score a touchdown. Vince Young finished 6-of-14 for 42 yards (no, that’s not a typo). One player that did put up numbers was LenDale White, who had 25 rushes for 133 yards, a 5.3 average. The Panthers opening drive against the Colts lasted 11 minutes, covered 80 yards in 18 plays, and resulted in a touchdown. Though the score wouldn’t indicate it, the Panthers gave the Colts a game for the first half of play. The Colts took a 10-7 lead before the half, but the Panthers opening drive made a big statement. Vinny Testaverde sat out practice Wednesday while David Carr took the snaps at quarterback. The Panthers’ defense has given up five passing plays of 40+ yards this season. Will Vince Young take advantage? Carolina has a great one-two punch at running back with DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams, but the Titans run-defense is ranked No. 1 in the league.  

Edge: Titans 

Packers (6-1) @ Chiefs (4-3)

Last week: Chiefs had a bye; Packers beat Broncos 19-13 

Game notes: Was that a running game I saw with the Packers last week? Yeah, that’s right, the Packers actually ran the ball and did it well. Ryan Grant totaled 104 yards on 22 carries, a 4.7 average. And then there’s Brett Favre. His game-winning 82-yard toss on the first play of overtime could not have been more perfect. The Chiefs offense just did enough in week 7 against the Raiders. Huard had only 177 yards, but Larry Johnson broke the 100-yard mark with 112 yards on 24 carries and one score. But Favre has still got it. And the Packers have momentum.  

Edge: Packers 

Chargers (4-3) @ Vikings (2-5)

Last week: Vikings lost to Eagles 23-16; Chargers beat Texans 35-10 

Game notes: Tomlinson is back on track but should be challenged against the Vikings run defense, which is giving up a mere 74.4 yards a game. The pass might be a better option for San Diego; the Vikings are giving up an NFL-high 288.3 yards per game through the air.  

Edge: Chargers 

Jaguars (5-2) @ Saints (3-4)

Last week: Jaguars beat Bucs 24-23; Saints beat 49ers 31-10 

Game notes: Saints are on a three-game win streak, but the Jags have won five straight, including a 24-23 win over the Bucs last week. However, Jags QB David Gerrard is out; Quinn Gray will start in his place. The Jags won with the running game last week, but the Saints run defense is ranked No. 10th in yards per game. The Saints blasted San Fran last week, but surprisingly it wasn’t because of Reggie Bush. Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 336 yards and four touchdowns. Bush, meanwhile, had 64 yards on 10 carries.   

Edge: Saints

Redskins (4-3) @ Jets (1-7)

Last week: Jets lost to Bills 14-3; Redskins lost to Patriots 52-7 

Game notes: The Redskins experienced just how good the Patriots are last week in a 52-7 loss. Jets backup QB Kellen Clemens was named the starter over Chad Pennington…which shouldn’t really matter Sunday. What would help Clemens is a good running game. Too bad the Jets don’t have one. Redskins QB Jason Campbell didn’t put up big numbers, but it was better than the ‘Skins ground game. Clinton Portis totaled 27 yards on 11 carries. Look for the Redskins to run more against the Jets. They’re ranked 27^th in rushing yards allowed per game.  

Edge: Redskins 

Cardinals (3-4) @ Bucs (4-4)

Last week: Cardinals had a bye; Bucs lost to Jacksonville 24-23 

Game notes: Bucs’ Jeff Garcia threw his first interception of the year in the Bucs 24-23 loss to Jacksonville (he finished with three interceptions). I’ve been high on the Bucs the last couple of weeks but they have let me down both times. This week they’re bouncing back. 

Edge: Bucs 

Seahawks (4-3) @ Browns (4-3)

Last week: Seahawks had a bye; Browns beat Rams 27-20 

Game notes: Browns offense came through again. After falling behind 14-0 in the first quarter, the Browns came back to tie it up 17-17 at halftime and held on for the 27-20 win. But the Browns defense…um, how do I put this…sucks.  

Edge: Browns

Texans (3-5) @ Raiders (2-5)

Last week: Texans lost to Chargers 35-10; Raiders lost to Titans 13-9 

Game notes: Raiders: their offense is non-existent. They didn’t even score a touchdown last week against the Titans and were held scoreless for the entire second half. It has been the reason for their losses as of late. Culpepper doesn’t deserve to start another game, not the way he is playing. I don’t see Kiffin handing No. 1 pick JaMarcus Russell the starting QB job yet; but I do see him making the switch back to Josh McCown. McCown has been sidelined since he was injured in week three. Justin Fargas should see more action in the backfield. He’s averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Texans: Schaub is not expected to start at quarterback. Sage Rosenfels would start in Schaub’s place. It will be Rosenfel’s third start of his career and his first since 2005. Rosenfels took over for Schaub last week against the Chargers and put up 176 yards on 17-of-27 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Raiders defense has been the most consistent part of their team this season. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will likely try to throw some things at him he hasn’t seen. Raider linebackers Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard could add an interception or two to their season stats. Update: The Raiders named Josh McCown the starting quarterback over Daunte Culpepper.

Edge: Raiders 

Cowboys (6-1) @ Eagles (3-4)

Last week: Cowboys had a bye; Eagles beat Vikings 23-16 

Game notes: The Eagles have been up-and-down all season. Last week was an up week. Next week is a down week, and it doesn’t help that they’re playing the Cowboys.  

Edge: Cowboys 

Ravens (4-3) @ Steelers (5-2)

Last week: Ravens had a bye; Steelers beat Bengals 24-13.  

Game notes: The Steelers are on a five-game winning streak, and their offense is too much for the Ravens here. And not because the Ravens defense is poor (it isn’t) but because the Ravens offense can’t score any points. The Steelers running game will be challenged, though. 

Edge: Steelers