Game Capsules

By Dalton Del Don – Senior Writer

Editor’s Note: The following is written for RotoWire’s weekly “game capsules;” I cover the NFC home games.

Arizona (+3.5) at Green Bay, Sunday 1 p.m.

Comments: While the Packers are winless at home, the Cardinals are still looking for their first road victory, so something’s got to give Sunday. Green Bay has won a couple of road games, however, including a victory at Miami last week. The Packers’ offense has been able to score, but it’s the defense that’s been the major problem, ranking dead last in the NFL in yards allowed (389 per game). Brett Favre’s 6.2 YPA is a career-low, but he’s throwing the ball so often the yards accumulated are still there. He’ll be throwing to a banged up receiving corps Sunday, as Greg Jennings (ankle, doubtful) looks unlikely to play. Expect Donald Driver to get targeted a ton…Matt Leinart exemplified life as an NFL rookie quarterback by following a terrific performance against the Bears with a terrible effort against the previously winless Raiders. Continued inconsistency can be expected, but Leinart has a terrific matchup this week, facing an awful Green Bay secondary. He’s in store for a big day, as is Anquan Boldin. With Larry Fitzgerald (hamstring, doubtful) unlikely to suit up, Bryant Johnson should have a productive outing as well. Edgerrin James can complain all he wants about getting the ball more, but the fact remains he leads the entire league in touches. Since Green Bay is allowing just 3.7 YPC on the year, don’t expect a turnaround from James this week…Ahman Green (knee, probable) is expected to play for the Packers, while the Cardinals list Kendrick Clancy (ankle, doubtful), Karlos Dansby (hip, doubtful), Antrel Rolle (hip, probable) and Adrian Wilson (groin, probable) on the injury report.

Predictions: Brett Favre continues to sling it with great frequency, resulting in two interceptions but also two touchdowns as well. Donald Driver goes off for 110 yards and catches both of the scores. Ahman Green gets 95 yards and also reaches paydirt. Matt Leinart counters with a big effort himself, throwing for 260 yards and three scores. Anquan Boldin hauls in 10 catches for 120 yards and two TDs, while Bryant Johnson adds another 90 and a score. Edgerrin James remains an afterthought, but Arizona gets the upset. Cardinals 27-24.

Baltimore (+2) at New Orleans, Sunday 1 p.m.

Comments: After starting the season 4-0, Baltimore has dropped two straight games and its offensive coordinator. Steve McNair (concussion, questionable) looks likely to play, but it’s unclear if that’s a good thing for the Ravens’ anemic passing game. McNair’s 5.4 YPA and 5/7 TD/INT ratio won’t get it done. It also remains to be seen if coach Brian Billick now calling the plays will have a positive effect, as he hasn’t been able to produce a competent passing attack during his entire tenure in Baltimore. The Saints can be ran on, but Jamal Lewis looks just about done…Baltimore’s defense, on the other hand, has been one of the better units in the league. Still, Carolina exposed its secondary a couple of weeks ago, revealing the group’s weakness. Look for Drew Brees and company to attack the Ravens through the air, something that will result in moderate success. The Saints are going to be tough to beat at home this year, and the Ravens struggle on the road, amassing a 2-12 record in its last 14 games away from home…Neither team is dealing with any major injury issues.

Predictions: Steve McNair has a shaky outing, resulting in a couple of turnovers, 160 passing yards and a TD strike to Todd Heap. Jamal Lewis begins to lose more touches to Mike Anderson and Musa Smith, hindering his ability to gain more than 60 yards on the day. Drew Brees answers with 220 yards and a TD toss to Marques Colston, while Deuce McAllister (hamstring, probable) gains 70 yards on the ground with a late touchdown run to seal it for New Orleans. Saints 20-16.

Jacksonville (+6.5) at Philadelphia, Sunday 1 p.m.

Comments: Although Philadelphia comes in with a two-game losing streak, Jacksonville enters even more disappointed, having fallen to the hapless Texans by 20 points in Week 7. Both teams should be ready to play, determined to get back on track. Whether it be due to injury or inefficiency, David Garrard appears likely to replace Byron Leftwich (ankle, questionable) as Jacksonville’s signal caller this week. Garrard is much more elusive than Leftwich, something that could come into play Sunday against a fierce Philadelphia pass rush. Garrard amassed an 83.9 QB rating when filling in for Leftwich last year but hasn’t seen any game action since. Fred Taylor is having a solid season, but it would be fun to see what Maurice Jones-Drew could do if given a full load…While two of Donovan McNabb’s interceptions last week were returned for touchdowns, he was able to create big plays with his feet, got 8.6 YPA and threw three touchdowns, so it’s hard to find too much fault with McNabb’s game right now. Jacksonville hasn’t been easy to pass on, but McNabb is making plays this year no matter the opponent, and it looks like the loss of Mike Peterson (pectoral) is going to have a major impact on the Jaguars’ defense. Reggie Brown (quad, probable) is turning into quite the deep threat, evidenced by his five touchdowns already. Donte Stallworth (hamstring, probable) appears ready to return to action, making the offense that much more dynamic…Jacksonville lists Marcus Stroud (ankle, doubtful), Matt Jones (hamstring, questionable), Donovin Darius (knee, probable) and Marcellus Wiley (groin, probable) on the injury report, while Philadelphia does the same with Roderick Hood (heel, questionable), L.J. Smith (back, questionable), Darren Howard (groin, probable) and Lito Sheppard (hand, probable)… Jacksonville has beaten Philadelphia both times the teams have met but is just 1-4 in its last five games on the road.

Predictions: David Garrard throws for 220 yards and a TD to Reggie Williams. He also rushes for another 30 yards and a score. Fred Taylor gets nothing more than 70 rushing yards. Brian Westbrook (knee, probable), however, gets 120 combined yards and runs one into the end zone. Donovan McNabb throws for 260 yards and two TDs, with Reggie Brown and Donte Stallworth being the recipients, as Philadelphia ends its losing streak. Eagles 24-20.

San Francisco (+16.5) at Chicago, Sunday 1 p.m.

Comments: The 49ers are no longer doormats, but Chicago has outscored its opponents 111-20 during three games at home. Coming off a bye and a near disaster against the Cardinals, expect the Bears to again be tough to beat. Still, San Francisco played Chicago tough when the two teams met in Soldier Field last season, so a blowout here isn’t necessarily a foregone conclusion. San Francisco will need continued improvement from Alex Smith, as the Bears are yielding just 168 yards a game through the air. It remains to be seen just how much of an effect the loss of Mike Brown (foot) will have on the secondary. Frank Gore figures to be heavily involved in the offense, since the 49ers used its bye week to get the offensive line healthy, with both Larry Allen (knee) and Jonas Jennings (hand) probable to play…Rex Grossman was having a fantastic year until Week 6 saw him toss 4 interceptions while completing just 37 percent of his passes. A San Francisco secondary surrendering more than 240 passing yards a game should certainly help cure Grossman’s ills. Look for at least one long hookup with Bernard Berrian. Thomas Jones will still get the brunt of the carries, but offensive coordinator Ron Turner has stated that Cedric Benson will see increased action as well…Chicago labels Chris Harris (quad), and Adewale Ogunleye (hamstring) as questionable.

Predictions: The Bears harass Alex Smith all day, resulting in a couple of turnovers and only 160 yards passing. He does, however, find Antonio Bryant for a score. Frank Gore musters 80 yards, but the end zone eludes him. Rex Grossman bounces back with a nice performance, netting 260 passing yards and TD strikes to Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian. Thomas Jones loses some carries to Cedric Benson, but gets enough to total 100 yards and a score, helping maintain Chicago’s perfect record. Bears 24-10.

Tampa Bay (+9) at New York Giants, Sunday 1 p.m.

Comments: Both squads come in due for a letdown, as the Buccaneers won last week because of a 62-yard miracle field goal, and the Giants enter following a Monday night victory over division rival Dallas. Since Bruce Gradkowski’s impressive first start, he’s gotten just 4.1 YPA over two games. With Tampa’s shaky offensive line having to deal with a newfound fierce Giants’ pass rush, Gradkowski will have his work cut out for him Sunday. However, Osi Umenyiora (hip flexor, questionable) looks unlikely to play, and New York’s secondary can be beat…The Giants have had arguably the toughest schedule in football so far, and yet sit at an impressive 4-2 on the year after a three-game winning streak. A streak thanks in large part to its defensive line finally pressuring the passer, along with the continued maturation of Eli Manning, who is getting an impressive 7.5 YPA. Although his accuracy has waned a bit over the past couple of weeks, he’s still improved his completion percentage from last year by more than 10 percent. It’s the Bucs’ rushing defense, however, in which the Giants should attack, as Tampa Bay is surrendering 152 yards per game on the ground. While all the buzz surrounding Tiki Barber has been retirement talk, his 647 league-leading rushing yards are getting overshadowed. Amazingly, he’s yet score a touchdown, but that’s mostly due to the fact Brandon Jacobs is an unstoppable force near the goal line…Juran Bolden (hip) and Simeon Rice (shoulder) are both questionable for Tampa Bay, while Carlos Emmons (pectoral, questionable) and Sam Madison (hamstring, questionable) are for New York.

Predictions: Bruce Gradkowski continues to struggle, throwing for just 200 yards, two INTS and one TD to Joey Galloway. Cadillac Williams is involved heavily, leading to 90 total yards. Tiki Barber counters with another big day rushing the ball, as he goes off for 150 yards while finally reaching paydirt. Eli Manning tosses two scoring strikes, one to Jeremy Shockey and the other to Plaxico Burress (heel, probable), as New York continues its winning ways. Giants 24-16.

Dallas (+5.5) at Carolina, Sunday 8:15 p.m.

Comments: A quarterback controversy has supplanted Terrell Owens as Dallas’ new problem. While the offensive line deserved plenty of the blame, Drew Bledsoe’s play was hardly inspiring. Enter Tony Romo, a virtual unknown at this point. His mobility at least makes the offense more dynamic, as Jason Witten was finally involved when not asked to block as much. It’s also clear Romo has tunnel vision toward Owens, so expect an increase in his numbers, while Terry Glenn’s production may take a slight dip. Coach Bill Parcells will limit the opportunity for mistakes, so count on a heavy dose of Julius Jones Sunday night…Although no longer undefeated, when Steve Smith plays for Carolina the team becomes incredibly difficult to beat. Targeted 14 times last week, Smith is hauling in more than 60 percent of the passes thrown his way, mostly in double coverage. It’s clear he’s one of the most valuable players in all of football. It should be a good matchup Sunday, as Dallas’ secondary is a physical one. With DeAngelo Williams (ankle, questionable) still likely to be held out, DeShaun Foster will continue to carry the load, although the Cowboys’ run defense is one of the stingiest in the league. Keyshawn Johnson will remind Dallas what its missing, as the veteran is enjoying a solid season, getting the tough catches over the middle while also blocking well…The Cowboys don’t have any major injuries, but the Panthers list Thomas Davis (ribs, questionable), Ken Lucas (hip, probable) and Mike Minter (knee, probable) on the injury report.

Predictions: Tony Romo has an up and down first start, reaching 220 passing yards but also throwing a pair of picks. He continues to make Jason Witten relevant again, while also targeting Terrell Owens at a high rate, resulting in nine grabs for 120 yards and a score. Julius Jones gets 90 yards, but Marion Barber crosses the scoring stripe. Jake Delhomme answers with 240 yards and touchdown tosses to Keyshawn Johnson and Steve Smith. Smith gets 130 receiving yards as well. DeShaun Foster only gets 60 yards on the ground, but his TD run puts the Cowboys away for good. Panthers 24-20.

New England (-2) at Minnesota, Monday 8:30 p.m.

Comments: After ending Seattle’s long running home-winning streak, Minnesota returns home to face a Patriots team that has quietly only lost once this year. It’s amazing the Vikings are 4-2, considering Brad Johnson has only thrown four touchdown passes on the year. He’s doing a nice job “managing” games, however, and the defense has been one of the better units in football. Chester Taylor is basically carrying the offense, already touching the football 158 times this year. The receiving unit is in disarray though, as Marcus Robinson (back, questionable) isn’t expected to play and also both Troy Williamson (concussion, questionable) and Travis Taylor (concussion, probable) are banged up…No longer relying solely on Tom Brady’s arm, New England is winning with defense and a strong running game. Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney face a stern test Monday, as the 70 rushing yards Minnesota is yielding per game are the fewest in the NFL. Rookie Chad Jackson finally appears healthy and should continue to become a bigger part of the offense. While the Vikings are proving to be tough to beat, the team doesn’t have enough firepower to match the Patriots’ offense…New England lists 10 players as questionable, with Ellis Hobbs (wrist), Eugene Wilson (hamstring) and Richard Seymour (elbow) being the most noteworthy. The Vikings’ Kenechi Udeze (hip) and Pat Williams (foot) are also labeled as questionable…For what it’s worth, Tom Brady is 9-0 during his career while playing in dome stadiums and a remarkable 18-1 when playing on artificial surfaces.

Predictions: Brad Johnson throws for a modest 180 yards but finds Travis Taylor in the end zone. Chester Taylor gets plenty of opportunities and gains 90 hard fought yards with a score. The Corey Dillon and Laurence Maroney tandem are held scoreless with around 100 yards total. Tom Brady throws for 240 yards and scoring strikes to Doug Gabriel and Ben Watson, ending hopes for the home team. Patriots 20-17.