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Week 9
NFL Preview |
| Colts
(6-2) at Bears
(1-7), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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4: Number of games the Bears have lost by seven points or less.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Colts RB Edgerrin James (league-leading 921 yards) against Bears defense that ranks 28th in league against the run (139.0 yards per game). |
| Player to Watch |
| Jim Miller, QB, Chicago: Must improve on his relief appearance from two weeks ago, when he completed just 14 of 34 passes for 128 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. |
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Steelers
(5-3) at Titans
(7-1), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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6: Consecutive victories for Titans (Oilers) against Steelers (including a 23-20 win in Week 4), Tennessee's longest streak in the series.
Stats
matchup | Preview
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| Key Matchup |
| Steelers LB Joey Porter (7.0 sacks) against multi-dimensional Titans QB Steve McNair.
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| Player to Watch |
| Jerome Bettis, RB, Pittsburgh: The Steelers' five-game winning streak began when Bettis rushed for 97 yards against Jacksonville in Week 4. However, Pittsburgh was fortunate to beat Baltimore last week because Bettis gained just 65 yards in a 9-6 victory. |
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Dolphins
(6-2) at Lions
(5-3), 1 p.m. |
Key Stat
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30.7: Average amount of points allowed by Lions in their three losses.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Lions offensive line against Dolphins defensive ends Trace Armstrong (11.0 sacks, third in NFL) and Jason Taylor (7.0, tied for eighth). |
| Player to Watch |
| Charlie Batch, QB, Detroit: His quarterback rating is a paltry 67.1 and he was just 18 of 39 for 190 yards in a 30-18 loss to the Colts. |
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| Giants
(6-2) at Browns
(2-7), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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68.8: Average rushing yards per game for the Browns, a number that ranks 30th in the league.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Giants RBs Ron Dayne and Tiki Barber against Cleveland's 29th-ranked rushing defense. |
| Player to Watch |
| Browns rookie RB Travis Prentice: Has a combined rushing total of 88 yards (2.9 per carry) despite an increased workload the last two weeks. |
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| Buccaneers
(4-4) at Falcons
(3-6), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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8-0: Touchdown-to-interception ratio for QB Shaun King in the Bucs' four victories. King has thrown two TD passes and six INTs in four losses.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Bucs defensive linemen Warren Sapp (10.5 sacks, fourth in NFL) and Marcus Jones (10.0 sacks, fifth) against a Falcons offensive line that has allowed the third-most sacks (32) in the league. |
| Player to Watch |
| Keyshawn Johnson, WR, Tampa Bay: He's coming off the best game with the Bucs with six catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Not coincidentally, the Bucs routed Minnesota 41-13 for Tampa Bay's most impressive victory of the season. |
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| Bills
(4-4) at Patriots
(2-6), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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27-13: Career starting record of former Patriots and current Bills QB Doug Flutie .
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Bills WR Eric Moulds (832 yards, fourth in NFL) against Patriots CBs Ty Law and Otis Smith . |
| Player to Watch |
| Drew Bledsoe, QB, New England . Bledsoe has thrown 10 TDs, just six INTs and remains a dangerous foe for the Bills despite the Patriots' lack of a supporting cast. |
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| Ravens
(5-4) at Bengals
(2-6), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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80: Number of points scored by the Bengals in their first eight games, the lowest total in the league.
Stats
matchup | Preview
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| Key Matchup |
| Bengals RB Corey Dillon (207.5 average yards rushing in last two games) against Ravens LB Ray Lewis (league-leading 68 tackles). |
| Player to Watch |
| Trent Dilfer, QB, Baltimore: Ravens starter was awful (11 of 24, 152 yards, 1 INT, 0 TD) in his first start in place of Tony Banks . Rookie Chris Redman is the other option besides Dilfer and Banks. |
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| 49ers
(2-7) at Saints
(5-3), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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103.7: Rating for 49ers QB Jeff Garcia, third-best mark among regulars.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Saints DT La'Roi Glover (12.0 sacks, tied for first in NFL) against 49ers offensive line that has allowed just 10.0 sacks, third-fewest in the league. |
| Player to Watch |
| Jeff Blake, QB, New Orleans: The 49ers have the worst passing defense in the league (289.9 yards per game) and Blake could benefit from a San Francisco emphasis on stopping Ricky Williams. |
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| Cowboys
(3-5) at Eagles
(5-4), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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10: Number of years since Philadelphia swept Dallas. The Eagles clobbered the Cowboys 41-14 in Dallas in Week 1.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Eagles DE Hugh Douglas (12.0 sacks, tied for first in league) against Cowboys offensive line. |
| Player to Watch |
| Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia: There's increased pressure on Philadelphia's second-year signal-caller without RB Duce Staley . The Eagles managed just 72 rushing yards last week in a 24-7 loss to the Giants and McNabb was his team's leading runner with 42 yards. |
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| Redskins
(6-3) at Cardinals
(2-6), 4:05 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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9-5: Cardinals' record against the Redskins since 1993.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Redskins QB Brad Johnson (11 interceptions, second-most in the league) against Cardinals CB Aeneas Williams , who does not have an interception this season. |
| Player to Watch |
| Jake Plummer, QB, Arizona: Fourth-year QB has NFL-most 14 interceptions and his poor play is a big reason the Cardinals are a combined 8-16 during the last two seasons. |
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| Chiefs
(5-3) at Raiders
(7-1), 4:15 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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58: Rushing yards for the Chiefs in a 20-17 loss to the Raiders three weeks ago.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Raiders QB Rich Gannon lit up the Chiefs defense in Week 7, completing 28 of 33 passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns. |
| Player to Watch |
| Derrick Alexander, WR, Kansas City: Has had three games with more than 100 yards receiving in last four weeks, but his low during that stretch was a 78-yard performance against the Raiders.
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| Broncos
(4-4) at Jets
(6-2), 4:15 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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+12: Turnover ratio for Broncos, tied for the league's best mark.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Broncos WR Rod Smith (835 receiving yards, 7 TDs) against Jets CBs Aaron Glenn and Marcus Coleman .
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| Player to Watch |
| Lavernues Coles, WR, Jets: Rookie caught five passes for 131 yards against the Bills in a 23-20 loss. |
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| Chargers
(0-8) at Seahawks
(2-7), 8:35 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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60.1: Average rushing yards per game for the Chargers, the lowest total in the NFL.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Seahawks RB Ricky Watters (128 total yards against Chiefs last week) against Chargers LB Junior Seau . |
| Player to Watch |
| Freddie Jones, TE, San Diego: The Chargers' leader in receiving yardage caught 10 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns in a 15-13 loss to the Raiders. |
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| Panthers
(3-5) at Rams
(7-1), 8:35 p.m. |
| Key Stat
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330: Number of points for the Rams through the first half of the season. At that pace, St. Louis would score 660 points and shatter the record set by the 1998 Vikings (556 points).
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Rams WRs Isaac Bruce (950 yards, second in NFL) and Torry Holt (729, sixth) against Panthers cornerbacks Doug Evans and Eric Davis . |
| Player to Watch |
| Steve Beuerlein, QB, Carolina: Coming off his worst game of the season with no touchdowns and three intereceptions in a 13-12 loss to the Falcons. |
| Vikings
(7-1) at Packers
(3-5), 9 p.m. Monday |
| Key Stat
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5, 190, 2: Catches, yards, touchdowns for Randy Moss in a 37-24 Monday night win at Lambeau Field in 1998.
Stats
matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Vikings RB Robert Smith (786 yards, 5th in league, 5.2 average) against Packers defense (100.9 yards per game, 10th against rush).
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| Players to Watch |
| Antonio Freeman: Held to two catches for 10 yards in Packers' 28-20 loss at Miami last week. |
