Passing Matchups

PLEASE NOTE: This does NOT replace the Cheatsheet ranking. The Cheatsheet rankings are the final say on where we see a player for that week. The Matchup Breakdowns are simply one more tool in the box when it comes to helping choose your lineup.

Also note, just because a player has a "bad" matchup, it does NOT mean he's not a starter in your league. If Steve McNair is playing the toughest pass defense in the league, that just means he's got a tough matchup that week. He's also your starter unless you're loaded at QB. In the same way, if the worst QB on your roster has a "great" matchup that week, it doesn't necessarily mean he's your starter. It means we think he'll fare better than normal that week.

Bottom line is that the cheatsheets are the final say.

Let's jump to it.

Joe

Bye Weeks:

Indianapolis: Peyton Manning/Marvin Harrison/Reggie Wayne are on bye.
Arizona: Jeff Blake/Anquan Boldin are on bye.

Pittsburgh: Tommy Maddox/Plaxico Burress/Hines Ward are on bye.
Jacksonville: Byron Leftwich/Jimmy Smith/Kyle Brady are on bye.

Cleveland's Passing Attack vs. The San Diego Defense (Great Matchup)

Tim Couch is still the man in Cleveland, head coach Davis announced on Tuesday, indicating that Kelly Holcomb is still not 100% healed from his cracked fibula and severely sprained ankle. Holcomb is having trouble just jogging, so Couch may be in the lineup indefinitely (if he doesn't simply win his job back outright). The Browns have suddenly started to win a few with Couch at the helm, and more importantly to fantasy owners, the offense is showing some signs of promise. Couch is the 13th best fantasy QB in the past 3 weeks, with 59/87 for 615 yards, 4 TDs and 2 Int (8/15/1 rushing to boot). Quincy Morgan has 10/157/1 in the last 3 weeks, and Dennis Northcutt sees a lot of balls (6 targets for 6 receptions worth 61 yards last week).

There is more good news for fantasy owners who have Browns on their roster: San Diego is awful in this phase of the game. In week 5 rookie Byron Leftwich lit them up for 19/28 and 336 yards, 2 TDs with 0 Int. In week 4, Rich Gannon and the struggling Raiders hit for 26/43 and 348 yards, 3 TDs and 1 Int. For the season, the Chargers rank as the 22nd pass defense in yards allowed (236.4), but are tied for 3rd worst with 10 passing scores allowed.

The Chargers come into this game off a bye week, while the Browns are healthy among their WR's and TE's (Kelly Holcomb's leg is still bothering him, although he isn't on the initial injury report).

The forecast for Cleveland Browns' Stadium calls for a high of 57F and a low of 42F, with a 10% chance for rain - a nice, cool day for a football game.

Couch has enough horses to run rings around the bottom-feeding Charger secondary.

New Orleans' Passing Attack vs. The Atlanta Defense (Great Matchup)

Aaron Brooks has been underperforming over the last 3 weeks - witness his 46/88 for 508 yards, 3 TDs and 3 Int. (11/46/0 rushing) - 24th among all fantasy QBs for that period. Joe Horn and especially Dante Stallworth have suffered as a result - the former is 20th among fantasy WR with 13/131/2 in 3 games, while Stallworth is 99th with 3/53/0. Last week against Chicago, Brooks managed his best game out of the last 3, with 14/29 for 153 yards, 2 TD and 0 Int. (5/14/0 rushing) - but those are not the sort of numbers we'd hoped to see from New Orleans' offense.

Atlanta is having difficulty stopping anyone right now: in week 6 Marc Bulger threw for 23/34 yielding 352 yards, 2 TDs and 2 Int. and in week 5 Gus Frerotte hit 14/24 for 239 yards, 2 TDs and 1 Int. In fact, the Falcons are near the bottom of the league in both yardage allowed (254.3 passing yards per game - 31st) and TDs surrendered (10, tied for 3rd-worst in the NFL).

Atlanta's secondary remains battered and bruised: starting S Cory Hall (knee) and backup DB Gerald McBurrows (neck) are doubtful to play, while CB Kevin Mathis is probable to go despite his sore shoulder. New Orleans' unit is in relatively good health.

This game is being played in a dome, so weather is not an issue.

Look for Brooks and company to find lots of opportunities this weekend against the tanking Falcons. We've had a hard time getting excited about the Saints lately, but if you've been considering starting some, it likely won't get much better than this.

St. Louis' Passing Attack vs. The Green Bay Defense (Great Matchup)

The combo of Marc Bulger and Torry Holt is fast becoming one of the most feared FF tandems in the league, with Bulger racking up 51/76 for 624 yards, 4 TDs with 3 Int (and 2 rushing scores to boot) over the last two weeks. Holt has 23/294/3 in the past two games, and saw 13 targets last week (11/161/2 was the result). Isaac Bruce is a great second fiddle - he saw 8 targets for 4/87/0 in the laugher over Atlanta. TE Brandon Manumaleuna was thrown to 5 times for 3/56/0 in the game, so he's going strong as well (13th fantasy TE last week).

Green Bay was bombed out by Trent Green last week: 27/45 for 400 yards, 3 TDs and 0 Int. says it all. In week 5, Matt Hasselbeck threw for a more pedestrian 23/39 for 225 yards, 0 TDs and 1 Int. After the Green debacle, the Packers rank 30th in the league allowing 248 passing yards per game, with 7 passing scores surrendered so far in 2003. Marques Anderson was a busy man last week, and ranked 3rd among all IDP DB's with 10 solo tackles, 3 assists and 2 passes defensed.

Outside of Marshall Faulk, St. Louis is in great shape health-wise (among their starters, at least), while Green Bay is missing starting SS Antuan Edwards (ankle) - starting LCB Mike McKenzie took a helmet in the back during the game last week and left the action due to back spasms - they are both questionable to play this week.

The game is being played in the Edward Jones Dome, so weather isn't a factor.

Bulger and the Rams are looking like a well-oiled machine lately, while Green Bay is coming into this game off a clunker, with injury concerns on top of everything else. Advantage, St. Louis.

Carolina's Passing Attack vs. The Tennessee Defense (Good Matchup)

Carolina doesn't ask much of Jake Delhomme (they have rushed the ball 40 and 41 times in their past two games).In return, Delhomme is careful with the football (44/70 for 473 yards, 2 TDs and 1 Int. in his past 3 games) and uses the openings defenses give him. That doesn't lead to much in the way of fantasy points, unfortunately - Delhomme is 30th among fantasy signal callers over the last 3 weeks - but Steve Smith is in the top 30 among fantasy WR's, with 12/163/1 in the last 3 games (26th-ranked).

Tennessee's secondary was very generous to David Carr (25/42 for 371 yards, 2 TDs and 3 interceptions last week) and company, although LCB Andre Dyson returned an interception 51 yards for a TD. Two weeks ago Tom Brady racked up 17/31 for 219 yards, 1 TD and 0 Int. Their season average indicates that Tennessee is 27th in the NFL allowing 240.3 passing yards per game, with 7 passing scores given up so far.

Tennessee is without starting CB Samari Rolle (elbow - out), while Carolina is healthy in this phase of the game.

The forecast for Ericsson Stadium calls for a high of 64F and a low of 44F, with a 10% chance for rain - perfect football weather.

When the Panthers call a pass play, Delhomme should have a good shot at completing his throw - but don't look for him to do much more than he has in weeks past, even though the matchup is favorable.

Dallas' Passing Attack vs. The Detroit Defense (Good Matchup)

Quincy Carter went back to being a fantasy non factor in week 6, throwing 14/25 for 146 yards, 0 TDs and 1 Int (with 7/31/0 rushing). His NFL team won, but fantasy owners of Galloway, Glenn and Bryant didn't appreciate Carter's under-whelming performance. Bryant did make an impressive catch for 49 yards (he had to wrestle it away from a DB), but that was about it for excitement on the day. Galloway caught a long pass, too, but it wasn't thrown by Carter (Aveion Cason threw a 37 yard strike to Galloway in the 3rd quarter).

Detroit's pass defense gives up yards and scores - in week 5 Jeff Garcia connected for 15/27 yielding 192 yards, 2 TDs and 1 Int. Week 4 Jake Plummer threw 25/34 for 277 yards, 2 TDs and 0 Int. A big part of Detroit's problem is that aside from CB Dre' Bly, they really don't have any talent at the other corner (3 guys are out with injuries). For the season, the Lions are ranked at 25th, allowing an average of 238.8 passing yards per game, and they have surrendered 10 passing scores so far in 2003.

Detroit is coming off a bye week, while Dallas lists starting TE Jason Whitten as questionable due to his broken jaw, while backup TE James Whalen is probable despite an injured leg - injuries aren't a major issue in this matchup.

This game is being played in a dome, so weather isn't an issue.

Carter has a great stable of WR's, if he can get them the ball to make plays with. He should find opportunities this Sunday thanks to the Lions, but its up to Carter to make something happen when opportunity knocks.

Denver's Passing Attack vs. The Minnesota Defense (Good Matchup)

Jake Plummer is out four weeks with a broken foot so once again the Broncos will turn to Steve Beuerlein. Beuerlein was good enough to win the game last week (17/28 for 172 yards, 2 TD and 2 Int.). Ashley Lelie owners, however, are worried about the change as Beuerlein didn't look to Lelie much (3 targets for 1 reception worth 5 yards) in preference for Rod Smith (8 targets, 4 receptions for 70 yards and 1 score) and Shannon Sharpe (9 targets, 6 receptions for 55 yards and 1 score).

Minnesota started strongly, but has been kind of soft in this pass defense phase recently, allowing Doug Johnson to throw for 28/40 yielding 352 yards, 2 TDs and 2 Int. week 5; while in the blowout win over San Francisco week 4 the 49ers put up 23/41 for 254 yards, 1 (late) TD and 3 Int. (Granted, some garbage yards are included but they still count) This season, Minnesota is allowing an average of 231.6 passing yards per game and surrendering 5 passing scores so far, although they are rushing the passer well and gathering quite a few interceptions. In a nutshell, they've been very good at times and not very good at others.

Minnesota is coming off their bye-week, so they are in good shape health-wise. Denver is concerned about Plummer's shoulder as noted above, and also have a foot injury to evaluate. Backup TE Mike Leah is questionable due to a bad case of the flu.

This game is being played in the Metrodome, so weather won't be a factor.

Whoever plays for Denver this week should have plenty of opportunities to make good things happen against the mediocre Vikings - as long as the QB takes care of the ball and makes good decisions.

Minnesota's Passing Attack vs. The Denver Defense (Good Matchup)

Daunte Culpepper is back in the starting lineup after proving to coaches he's 100% recovered from the fractured transverse processes in his lower back by absorbing strong hits and playing well in practice Monday and Tuesday. Before his injury, Culpepper and Randy Moss were tearing up the league (42/69 for 514 yards, 5 TDs and 0 Int., plus 18/83/2 rushing on Culpepper's ledger this year). Moss didn't skip a beat when Gus Frerotte stepped in for Culpepper, and has 13/253/5 TDs in the past 2 games - that's called being on a roll, folks.

Denver has limited some pretty good passing attacks in recent weeks, holding Tommy Maddox to 19/30 for 182 yards, 0 TDs with 0 Int. last week, and allowing Trent Green 15/28 for 128 yards, 2 TDs and 1 Int. week 5. However, their defensive scheme took a major blow this week when linchpin LB Ian Gold was lost for the season to a ruptured ACL. How the team will adjust to the loss remains to be seen. Currently, Denver ranks fifth in the NFL allowing only 163.5 passing yards per game on average, with 6 passing scores allowed so far.

Besides the loss of Gold, Denver is in pretty good shape health-wise. Minnesota is coming off their bye-week, but WR D'Wayne Bates is expected to miss this game due to his foot injury.

This game is being played in the Metrodome, so weather won't be a factor.

Culpepper and Moss are always dangerous, and Denver absorbed a huge loss on their D this week. An edge flows to the home team in this one due to Denver's mounting injury toll and Minnesota's home-field advantage.

New York Jets' Passing Attack vs. The Houston Defense (Good Matchup)

Vinny Testaverde may not have a laser for an arm anymore, but he can still get the ball in the end-zone, as he proved to us last week (11/17 130 yards, with 3 TDs and 0 Int.). Curtis Conway saw the most balls (5), which he converted into 2/41/0, while Anthony Becht turned 4 passes into 3/41/2. Santana Moss caught everything that came his way, 3/16/1. Nobody exploded for a ton of fantasy points, but it was a productive outing none the less.

Houston comes into this game shell-shocked by McNair's Titans (18/27 for 421 yards, 3 TDs and 0 Int.) They went into the bye week after punishing rookie Byron Leftwich to the tune of 17/36 for 231 yards, 1 TD and 3 Int. (LCB Kenny Wright had 2 Int. in that game). In fact, they are now the 32nd-ranked secondary in the NFL, allowing an average of 267.8 passing yards per game, with 10 scores surrendered.

A big part of Houston's problems was the lack of starting CB Aaron Glenn last week (groin - doubtful). The Jets are hale and hearty.

The forecast for Reliant Stadium calls for a high of 80F and a low of 59F, with a 10% chance for rain - sounds like a great day to play football.

The Jets are not a high-octane attack, but they have some horses to bring to the track. Houston looked really bad last week, and the Jets will take advantage of the weaknesses McNair and company revealed.

Seattle's Passing Attack vs. The Chicago Defense (Good Matchup)

Matt Hasselbeck has cooled off from his hot start this year, and over his last two games has been uninspiring with 40/66 for 432 yards, 1 TD and 2 Int. to his credit. Koren Robinson has 11/108/0 to his credit in that same span, and Darrel Jackson has 9/113/0. Jackson saw 9 balls for 5/55/0 last week, while Robinson had 6 for 3/32/0. Itula Mili snagged lone TD (2 targets for 1/15/1).

Chicago's defense played well week 5 vs. Rich Gannon (16/34 for 183 yards, 0 TDs and 2 Int.) then regressed week 6 vs. Aaron Brooks (14/29 for 153 yards, 2 TDs and 0 Int.).This season the Bears are 11th ranked allowing 190.2 passing yards per game, but they have coughed up 9 passing scores so far.

Both units look good to go according to the early injury report.

The forecast for Seahawk's Stadium calls for a high of 65F and a low of 53F, with a 50% chance for rain - the field and the football could get slick and tricky if the rains come down hard. Also, the wind swirls a lot in the confines of the Stadium, affecting accuracy in the passing game.

The Bears field a mediocre pass defense, while the Seahawks have a potentially-explosive attack. Advantage, Seattle.

Tampa Bay's Passing Attack vs. The San Francisco Defense (Good Matchup)

All Brad Johnson does is throw touchdowns lately - lots of touchdowns. In his last two games, Johnson has gone 48/69 for 586 yards, 7 TDs and only 1 Int. Michael Pittman (7) and Keyshawn Johnson (6) saw the most balls last week (3/34/0 for Pittman, 4/80/1 for Johnson), but backup TE's Todd Yoder (4 for 4/28/2) and Will Heller (1 for 1/4/1) made the most of their opportunities, accounting for 3 of Johnson's 4 TDs (22/30 for 268 yards, 4 TDs and 0 Int. on the day).

Week 6 Matt Hasselbeck threw for 17/27 for 207 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int. vs. the 49ers, and in week 5, Joey Harrington tossed 19/35 for 200 yards, 1 TD and 2 interceptions. Those aren't huge games, but they aren't games where the 49ers shut anybody down, either. Currently, San Francisco ranks 10th in the league allowing an average of only 186.8 passing yards per game, but has surrendered 11 passing scores (tied for next-to-last in the league at this point).

Tight end Ken Dilger suffered a plantar fascia tear in his left foot in the first quarter and is listed as questionable for this week. Backups Todd Yoder and Will Heller did combine for three touchdown catches against the Redskins, but Bucs coach Jon Gruden said the loss of Dilger could force the Bucs to make roster adjustments. WR Joe Jurevicius is doubtful (knee), while WR Keyshawn Johnson (quadriceps) and WR Karl Williams (knee) are probable. San Francisco is still without starting CB Jason Webster (knee - out). S Tony Parrish has a sore knee (probable).

The forecast for 3COM Park calls for a high of 69F and a low of 53F, with a 10% chance for rain - very good football weather.

Brad Johnson has been throwing a lot of TDs lately, and San Francisco gives up plenty of passing TDs. Sounds like a good matchup for Johnson, doesn't it?

Tennessee's Passing Attack vs. The Carolina Defense (Good Matchup)

Nobody is hotter than Steve McNair right now. 56/88 for 973 yards, 6 passing scores with only 1 interception over the past 3 weeks, and 13/25/2 rushing as well. Last week he and Derrick Mason blasted the Texans (18/27 for 421 yards, 3 TD and 0 Int. for McNair, and 6/177/3 for Mason). He is truly "Air" McNair once again.

Carolina is undefeated, but they barely escaped Peyton Manning and company week 6 (23/34 for 293 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int.). In week 5 Aaron Brooks only managed 16/31 for 189 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int. against them. For the season, they usually perform somewhere in between those extremes, with an average of 239.6 passing yards allowed per game (with only 5 passing scores surrendered so far in 2003).

Carolina's secondary is very healthy, while Tennessee lists TE's Frank Wycheck (concussion) and Shad Meier (concussion) along with backup WR Darrell Hill (back) as questionable.

The forecast for Ericsson Stadium calls for a high of 64F and a low of 44F, with a 10% chance for rain - perfect football weather.

McNair is on a tear, and the Panthers are only mediocre at defending the pass. Look for Tennessee to enjoy a productive outing on Sunday.

Buffalo's Passing Attack vs. The Washington Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Drew Bledsoe is in the doldrums lately, having amassed 70/118 for 709 yards in the last 3 games, but only 2 TDs with 1 Int. Last week, the Jets held him scoreless, with 24/40 for 202 yards and 1 Int. Part of Bledsoe's problem is that Eric Moulds was out last week with a groin injury, and neither Josh Reed or Bobby Shaw was able to perform as the #1 WR. 9 targets for 5/48/0 and 10 targets for 6/58/0, respectively, just isn't going to get it done. In fact, Reed hasn't been the replacement of Peerless Price that the Bills thought he would be - 38 targets for 17 receptions and 194 yards with 0 scores isn't what they were hoping for. This week, Moulds may be missing again, so things look kind of bleak for Bledsoe owners.

Washington did a good job two weeks ago against Donovan McNabb who threw for 16/30 and 157 yards, 1 TD and 2 Int., but they got shelled last week by Brad Johnson for 22/30 and 268 yards, 4 TDs with 0 Int. Worse yet, they lost starting CB Fred Smoot for a while with a deeply bruised and painful sternum. This season, the Redskins are dead last in TDs allowed, with 12, and 18th in the league in yardage allowed (207.3 passing yards per game). That isn't very good play, period.

Besides Smoot's injury, CB Champ Bailey continues to play through his wrist injury (probable). Moulds is questionable on the early injury report.

The forecast for Ralph Wilson Stadium calls for a high of 58F and a low of 38F, with a 10% chance for rain - a nice, cool day for a football game. This place gets pretty windy in the fall, which can cause passes to wobble and float on QBs.

Buffalo is struggling with injuries and playing poorly; Washington's secondary is struggling with injuries and playing poorly. Sounds like an ugly but even matchup.

Cincinnati's Passing Attack vs. The Baltimore Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Jon Kitna was playing decent football going into the bye week (49/75 for 440 yards, 3 TDs with 1 Int. in 2 games), and coming back out of the bye week his offense gets Corey Dillon and a credible running game back as well. Peter Warrick (49 targets for 29/280/2) and Chad Johnson (51 targets for 27/429/3) are his primary targets, with Johnson being the heavy-hitter in the tandem.

Baltimore has played the pass tough in recent weeks: in week 4 Trent Green threw for 17/28 yielding 159 yards, 1 TD and 0 Int. In week 6 Jeff Blake hit 22/36 for 247 yards, 2 TDs but also 3 interceptions. - LCB Chris McAllister snagged 2 interceptions and returned 1 for a TD. For the season, the Ravens are the 14th ranked pass defense in the league allowing an average of 197.8 passing yards per game (7 passing scores surrendered so far). They are pretty average, statistically speaking, though McAllister is a very fine CB.

Cincinnati is rested and ready to play football after their bye week. Baltimore's squad is also healthy.

The forecast for Paul Brown Stadium calls for a high of 64F and a low of 46F, with a 10% chance for rain - a nice, cool day for a football game.

Kitna and company are a credible but unspectacular aerial unit, and the Ravens are a credible but unspectacular pass defense. Sounds even to us.

Green Bay's Passing Attack vs. The St. Louis Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Brett Favre is on a tear over the past three weeks, with 65/91 for 636 yards, 7 TDs and only 2 Int. during that span (2/5/0 rushing). Donald Driver has caught 18/181/1 during that span, and was Favre's favorite target last week (8 targets for 7/59/0), while Ahman Green was second with 7 targets for 6/51/1. The Packers' attack is firing on all cylinders, at the moment.

St. Louis, meanwhile, has been playing tough pass defense in the recent weeks, holding Doug Johnson to 10/23 for 134 yards, 0 TDs and 1 Int. week 6, while smothering Arizona's QBs to the tune of 13/21 for 135 yards, 0 TDs and 0 Int. week 4. (Granted, not stellar offenses) This season, the Rams are 8th in the league allowing 182 passing yards a game, with 4 TDs surrendered so far - they have been even better than that lately. Aeneas Williams was the 6th best IDP DB last week, with 4 solo tackles, 2 assists, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass defensed. He was a busy man.

Both teams come into the game relatively healthy, although St. Louis continues to wait on S Jason Sehorn to get in the game (doubtful). The Rams also list S Adam Archuleta (ankle) and CB Kevin Garrett (hamstring) as questionable.

The game is being played in the Edward Jones Dome, so weather isn't a factor.

Green Bay has played well in this phase lately, but the Rams are also hot and defending the pass well. That sounds like a neutral matchup to us.

Houston's Passing Attack vs. The New York Jets' Defense (Neutral Matchup)

David Carr shook up the Titans' secondary last week for 25/42 for 371 yards, 2 TDs and 3 interceptions. You hate to see that many interceptions thrown, but several Texans ended the day with nice fantasy numbers - Carr's #1 target was RB Domanick Davis (12 for 8/86/0), #2 was Corey Bradford (9 for 5/127/1) and third-favorite was TE Billy Miller (8 for 6/47/0). Davis' proficiency in the passing game may have helped Stacey Mack find a seat on the bench for the rest of the season. In his past 2 games, Carr has 48/78 for 605 yards, 3 TDs and 4 interceptions - that puts him at #7 among all fantasy QBs in terms of FP per game over the last 3 weeks.

The Jets have been pretty stout against the pass recently, holding Drew Bledsoe to 24/40 for 202 yards, 0 TD and 1 interception last week. Before their bye, week 4, Quincy Carter only managed 11/23 for 165 yards, 1 TD and 1 Int. Actually, the Jets rank as the 3rd best pass defense in the league this season, with an average of only 160.2 yards allowed per game (and only 3 passing scores).

Unfortunately for the Jets, the win over Buffalo was costly. With starting CB Donnie Abraham already on the sidelines with a bum shoulder, the Jets can add starting FS Jon McGraw (shoulder - out) and reserve DB Jamie Henderson (knee - questionable) to the list of DB's not available for action Sunday. DB Leonard Myers also injured a shoulder, but is probable to play this week. Houston's squad is in good health, although Corey Bradford has a sore abdomen (probable).

The forecast for Reliant Stadium calls for a high of 80F and a low of 59F, with a 10% chance for rain - sounds like a great day to play football.

The Texans are finding their rhythm now, while the normally-stout Jets are challenged by injury. Look for Carr to take advantage of the Jets' problems on Sunday when the opportunity arises.

Kansas City's Passing Attack vs. The Oakland Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Trent Green wasn't boring vs. Green Bay, lighting up the sky for 27/45 for 400 yards, 3 TDs and 0 Int. Tony Gonzalez exploded for 4/121/1 last week, and Johnny Morton caught 6/109/1 while Eddie Kennison snagged 2/57/1 (he had 8 targets, though, and needs to convert more of these targets to receptions). In his last 3 games, Green has racked up 59/101 for 687 yards, 6 TDs and only 1 Int. - he's being pretty careful with the football (although Green Bay's Darren Sharper dropped an easy interception on Sunday).

Oakland's secondary has been playing fairly well lately - in week 5 Kordell Stewart threw for 13/24 and 160 yards, with 1 TD and 2 Int. (LCB Charles Woodson made both of the Int.). In week 6 Tim Couch was held to 16/26 for 127 yards, 0 TDs and 0 Int.

This season the Raiders are the 15th ranked pass D in the NFL, allowing an average of 200.5 yards per game and they have surrendered 8 TDs all told - their pass D is playing much better than those numbers indicate in the past few weeks, though.

S's Anthony Dorsett (elbow) and Rod Woodson (knee) are both listed as questionable to play. WR/KR Dante Hall is probable for action despite a sore shoulder.

The forecast for Network Associate Stadium calls for a high of 70F and a low of 53F, with a 10% chance for rain - it should be fine football weather Monday Night if the forecast holds up.

Kansas City can go off when they want to, while the Raiders are improving after early-season problems. Considering that the Chiefs have Priest Holmes and the Raiders are worst in the league at defending the run, don't count on another 400 yard day from Green - but he should have modest success throwing the ball when he wants/needs to.

Oakland's Passing Attack vs. The Kansas City Defense (Neutral Matchup)

How the mighty have fallen. Last week, Gannon was 17th among all fantasy QBs, with 21/33 for 165 yards, 1 TD and 0 Int. Over the past 3 weeks he's 63/110 for 696 yards, with 4 TDs and 3 interceptions (15th among all fantasy QBs). Jerry Rice and Tim Brown have fallen off a cliff somewhere and haven't been heard from in weeks. The whole offense is a shambles that doesn't seem to be getting better.

Kansas City has been generous to opposing passers in recent weeks, giving Jake Plummer 20/38 for 220 yards, 1 TD and 0 interceptions week 5. Brett Favre managed 25/36 for 262 yards, 2 TDs and 1 interception last week, in a shootout at Lambeau field. Kansas City is slightly below average among NFL defenses, allowing 228.3 passing yards per game (20th), and they have surrendered 8 passing scores this year. Greg Wesley was the 7th best IDP DB last week, with 10 solo tackles and 2 assists vs. Green Bay.

CB Darrius Johnson is doubtful due to a knee injury. Backup TE O.J. Santiago is nursing a sore hamstring on Oakland's side of the ball (questionable).

The forecast for Network Associate Stadium calls for a high of 70F and a low of 53F, with a 10% chance for rain - it should be fine football weather Monday Night if the forecast holds up.

Two mediocre units clash in this divisional rivalry. It looks like a neutral matchup to us.

Washington's Passing Attack vs. The Buffalo Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Washington's Patrick Ramsey has cooled off a bit recently, and has thrown for 56/104 for 629 yards, 2 TDs and 4 Int. in his last 3 outings (6/13/1 rushing in that span). Darnerien McCants has been the recipient of all the TD passes recently (8/131/2 in three games), while Coles (16/182) and Gardner (14/132/0) continue to see a lot of footballs. Ramsey's 21/32 for 211 yards with 1 TD and 2 Int. game (he got hit a lot last week) led to an outburst from Ramsey to coach Spurrier and Rob Johnson ending up under center to mop up. This week, Spurrier vowed to improve the protection his offense gives to his QB - we'll wait and see what happens in the game.

Buffalo had a bad game last week vs. Vinny Testaverde, who threw for only 11/17 for 130 yards, but connected for 3 TDs with 0 Int. In week 5 Jon Kitna threw for 26/44 yielding 225 yards, 0 TDs and 1 Int. For the season, the Bills average 159.8 passing yards per game allowed (2nd in the NFL), and have given up 5 passing scores so far - they've bounced around that average in the last two weeks.

Both units come into this game in good health.

Ramsey and the Redskins are in a funk, but loaded with talent at WR - the Bills got lit up for 3 passing TDs by the Jets last week, but have great CB's. It sounds like an even matchup to us.

Atlanta's Passing Attack vs. The New Orleans' Defense (Tough Matchup)

One week after his shootout vs. the Vikings, Doug Johnson stunk up the joint vs. St. Louis, throwing for 10/23 yielding 134 yards, 0 TDs and 1 Int. in a major disappointment on Monday Night Football. His team got blanked, Peerless Price was horrible (10 targets with 1 catch for 8 yards), and Alge Crumpler was nearly silenced (5 targets, with 2 receptions for 9 yards). It was ugly all over last week. So ugly, in fact, that Kurt Kittner is going to get his first NFL start this week. Good luck with that, coach Reeves.

New Orleans' secondary, meanwhile, has been handling some of the worst passing attacks in the NFL effectively. Week 6 Kordell Stewart tossed 10/21 for 151 yards, 1 TD and 0 Int. against the Saints, while in week 5 Jake Delhomme threw for 15/23 yielding 124 yards, 0 TD and 0 Int. Those weak passing offenses made New Orleans' pass D look good - currently they rank 12th in the league, allowing only 192.5 passing yards per game - however, they are tied for second-worst with 11 passing TDs coughed up so far. Part of that was due to early injury problems in the secondary (the loss of Dale Carter for a few weeks, for example). Last week LCB Fred Thomas was the 4th best IDP DB with 8 solo tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble and 2 passes defensed.

New Orleans' secondary is finally healthy, while Peerless Price (foot - questionable) and Alge Crumpler (ribs - probable) work to get healthy for this game. Reserve WR LaTarence Dunbar is doubtful due to his hamstring injury.

This game is being played in a dome, so weather is not an issue.

Atlanta is struggling, and has inserted a new QB in the lineup, while the Saints are actually on an even keel right now. Advantage, New Orleans.

Chicago's Passing Attack vs. The Seattle Defense (Tough Matchup)

Chicago has benched Kordell Stewart, and are seeking a spark with the venerable Chris Chandler. In 9 games last season, Chandler was 104/162 for 1023 yards, 4 TDs and 4 Int. Since it would be hard for things to get much worse for the Bears in this phase of the game, we think this move could possibly be good news for Marty Booker, Dez White and David Terrell owners - keep an eye on how live Chandler's arm is this weekend before you get too excited, though.

In week 5 Brett Favre threw for 19/25 and 185 yards, 2 TDs and 0 Int, while in week 6 Jeff Garcia was held to 16/27 for 168 yards, 0 TDs and 0 Int. This season, the Seahawks rank as the 16th pass defense in terms of yardage allowed (201.8 per game), but have only surrendered 4 passing scores all season. The return of CB Shawn Springs to action is a big boost to the secondary's depth, too.

The official explanation for Chandler's elevation is that Kordell Stewart has a swollen leg that is flaring up, making him unavailable to play on Sunday. CB's Ken Lucas (ankle) and Willie Williams (knee) are listed as questionable on the initial injury report.

The Bears' attack has been anemic this year, but maybe Chandler can pump it up. Seattle is tough to score on, so we call this a tough matchup for the new Chicago signal-caller.

Detroit's Passing Attack vs. The Dallas Defense (Tough Matchup)

Joey Harrington and company got terrible news last week - Charles Rogers is out for 4-8 weeks with a broken bone in his shoulder. Rogers was their #1 receiving threat (57 targets (more than twice the number anybody else has seen) for 24/264/3). Now it's back to the old tandem of Az-Zahir Hakim and Bill Schroeder (with whom Harrington managed 215/429 for 2294 yards, 12 TDs and 16 Int. in 14 games last year). Schroeder (26 targets for 12/134/1), Mikhail Ricks (24 targets for 14/200/1) and Hakim (21 for 8/51/0) figure to do the heavy lifting in Rogers' absence.

Dallas' pass defense is playing very well lately, limiting Donovan McNabb to 11/26 for 126 yards, 1 TD and 0 Int. last week, and grounding Jeff Blake week 5 (14/28 for 121 yards, 1 TD and 2 Int.) This season, the Cowboys are the 9th ranked secondary in terms of yards allowed (184.8 per game), and have surrendered 7 scores so far.

Excepting Roger's collarbone, both sides are relatively healthy, although reserve WR/KR Eddie Drummond remains sidelined with his ankle/knee injury.

This game is being played in a dome, so weather isn't an issue.

Harrington and company where average on their best days with Rogers - now, they are below average as a group and facing a top-ten secondary. Advantage, Dallas.

Miami's Passing Attack vs. The New England Defense (Tough Matchup)

Jay Fiedler is becoming the "King of the Dink and Dunk" - he isn't hitting anybody downfield right now, and hasn't thrown a TD in 2 weeks (28/53 for 314 yards, 0 TDs and 1 Int.). Chris Chambers owners are really suffering a power outage (5/36/0 in 2 games - 96th among all fantasy WR in fantasy points during the span). If Miami's passing game were a river, it would be cracked and dry at the moment.

New England, meanwhile, has been giving up lots of yards but few points in this phase of the game. In week 6 Kerry Collins threw 35/59 for 314 yards, 0 TDs and 4 Int. - SS Rodney Harrison made 2 of the interceptions. In week 5 Steve McNair threw 23/45 for 360 yards, 0 TD and 1 interception. On the season, the Patriots are 24th in the NFL with an average of 238 passing yards allowed per game, yet they have only surrendered 2 passing scores. Last week, Rodney Harrison was 2nd among all IDP DB's, with 5 solo tackles, 4 assists, 2 Int. and 2 passes defensed.

New England's starting LCB Ty Law is struggling with soreness in his injured ankle, and missed part of last week's game. S Je'Rod Cherry (knee) joins Law on the injury report as questionable. Miami's unit is healthy coming into the matchup.

The weather forecast for South Florida is for muggy conditions -- 86F for a high, 70F for a low with a 30% chance for rain. If the rain comes down hard, the field could get sloppy and slow, and ball handling will become more of an issue.

Fiedler and company haven't found ways to put points on the board lately, and even though coach Wannstedt is vowing to throw long more, this matchup isn't going to help mend matters. Advantage, New England.

New England's Passing Attack vs. The Miami Defense (Tough Matchup)

Tom Brady has been ho-hum over the last 3 weeks, with 50/90 for 620 yards, 3 TDs and 3 Int. to his credit during that span. Last week he only completed 8 out of 21 attempts for 112 yards, 0 TDs and 0 Int. We call that stone cold. David Patten got the most attention last week, with 6 targets yielding 3/55/0. The weather was horrible last week, so Brady gets a little slack from us - but not much. His receivers didn't help out much either - there were a lot of dropped balls in the game.

Miami, meanwhile, is proving that there are few defensive backfields in the NFL to match theirs - they rank 29th in the league allowing 245.2 yards per game, but have only coughed up 2 passing scores all season (tied for 1st). What's more, they are intercepting people like crazy lately - in week 5 Kerry Collins threw for 31/43 yielding 276 yards, but 0 TDs and 3 Int. -- LCB Patrick Surtain had 2 interceptions that day. Week 6 Byron Leftwich threw 24/32 for 256 yards, 0 TD and 3 Int., and RCB Sam Madison came up with 2 interceptions. Miami is tough to score on in this phase, folks, and forces mistakes from opposing QBs. Sam Madison led all IDP DBs last week with 6 solo tackles, 2 Int. 1 fumble recovery and 4 passes defensed.

New England's backup WR Deion Branch missed the game last week due to his injured ankle (questionable). Starting WR David Patten's knee is injured (questionable) as is backup TE Daniel Graham's shoulder (questionable). Tom Brady's arm is sore (probable). Miami's secondary is in great shape.

Brady has been struggling to make anything happen recently, and Miami is extremely dangerous - the Dolphins have the edge in this divisional grudge-match.

New York Giants' Passing Attack vs. The Philadelphia Defense (Tough Matchup)

Kerry Collins is throwing the ball like a crazed gunslinger lately - 66 completions on 102 attempts in the last 2 games, to be exact - but he isn't connecting for TDs - he has 590 yards to his credit, but 0 scores and 7 Int. Ouch. Ike Hilliard has led the WRs lately, with 13/131/0 - but nobody is hitting pay dirt. Jeremy Shockey is near the top of the TE board, because of his 19/190/0 in the last 2 games (3rd among fantasy TEs).

Philadelphia, meanwhile, has made do with a patchwork secondary and done a credible job of it. In week 6 Quincy Carter threw 14/25 for 146 yards, 0 TDs and 1 Int. against the replacements, while in week 5 Patrick Ramsey tossed 25/50 for 271 yards, only 1 TD and 2 Int. Not too shabby, considering that both starting CB's and the starting FS missed some or all of those games. This year, the Eagles are the 28th ranked passing defense in the league, with an average of 240.6 passing yards per game allowed, and they have surrendered 7 passing scores - but things are improving for the team, as the last two games show.

Jeremy Shockey has a foot injury that is causing him to limp quite a bit, but so far he has played through the pain (probable). Reserve WR Willie Ponder is questionable due to his hip injury. Philadelphia is still without FS Brian Dawkins (foot) and reserve CB Roderick Hood (hamstring), but hopes CB Bobby Taylor can get back in the game this week (questionable). CB's Troy Vincent (hamstring) and Lito Sheppard (toe) are probable to play.

The forecast calls for a high of 57F, with 43F for a low and a 50% chance for rain - sounds like another slippery, sloppy day is heading for Giants' stadium. If the wind kicks up, Collins may have trouble with his accuracy.

The Giants are putting up the ball a lot - now they just have to get it on target. Against Philadelphia, that may prove to be a tall order.

Philadelphia's Passing Attack vs. The New York Giants' Defense (Tough Matchup)

Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid are ignoring some pretty harsh statistics - McNabb has the worst completion percentage (49.1) and the second-worst passer rating (54.2) in the league, and he has played five games without throwing a touchdown pass to one of the team's wide receivers. The Eagle's passing game is obviously broken - or is it McNabb's thumb (on his throwing hand) that is broken? He claims that it is not injured, but "just hurts" - however, it is clear to everyone who has watched the Eagles that his accuracy is suffering in a big way. Whatever the problem is, fantasy owners who selected McNabb with a high draft pick are getting torched by his horrible play.

This week, the Eagles travel to division-rival New York, who have been very stingy to opposing QBs lately: In week 5 Jay Fiedler managed 14/26 for 167 yards, 0 TDs and 0 Int., while last week Tom Brady was frustrated by weather and the Giants' secondary to the tune of 8/21 for 112 yards, 0 TDs and 0 Int. For the season, the Giants are the 23rd ranked passing defense in terms of yards allowed (237 per game on average), but have only surrendered 3 passing TDs this year. In recent weeks they are playing much better than their average indicates. CB William Peterson led the secondary with 4 solo tackles and 4 assists last week.

Besides McNabb's ailing thumb (probable), Todd Pinkston's knee is injured (questionable). New York's secondary is in good shape at this juncture, although CB William Peterson's back is sore (probable).

The forecast calls for a high of 57F, with 43F for a low and a 50% chance for rain - sounds like another slippery, sloppy day is heading for Giants' stadium. If the wind kicks up, accuracy could be an issue for McNabb.

McNabb and company are struggling - the Giants and the weather will conspire to present a huge obstacle for the Eagles' in their quest to right their foundering aerial offense.

San Diego's Passing Attack vs. The Cleveland Defense (Tough Matchup)

Drew Brees had a hot hand going into the week 6 bye, having amassed 45/72 for 483 yards, 4 TDs and only 1 Int. in the 2 games before the break. David Boston actually showed up on the field and played a great game - 14/181/2 - the week after his suspension. Maybe Boston and Brees can keep the fire going this week?

Unfortunately for long-suffering Charger fans, Cleveland is pretty stout vs. the pass. In week 6 Rich Gannon threw 21/33 for 165 yards, 1 TD and 0 Int. The week before that, Tommy Maddox only managed 11/24 for 136 yards, 0 TDs and 2 Int. RCB Daylon McCutcheon returned one of the interceptions 75 yards for a TD in that game. All in all, Cleveland is just tough to throw on, ranking 4th in the league allowing 162 yards per game through the air, and they have only given up 4 passing scores.

San Diego is starting to get healthy, and lists TE Josh Norman as probable to play (hamstring), while WR Eric Parker is questionable due to his shoulder injury. Starting TE Stephen Alexander (groin) and starting WR Reche Caldwell (wrist) remain out, though. Cleveland's secondary is healthy.

The forecast for Cleveland Browns' Stadium calls for a high of 57F and a low of 42F, with a 10% chance for rain - a nice, cool day for a football game.

San Diego is showing some sparks, but the Browns' pass D looks like a wet blanket from where we sit. Advantage, Cleveland.

San Francisco's Passing Attack vs. The Tampa Bay Defense (Tough Matchup)

Jeff Garcia is struggling to play through injuries and to play with a moody but talented WR - and it shows in his numbers. In his last 3 games, Garcia has thrown 42/77 for 468 yards, 2 TDs and 4 Int. Last week, Terrell Owens got 9 chances to make plays, but only cashed in 4/36/0 - Tai Streets hauled in 5 out of 6 balls for 77 yards - who is the play-maker here?

Tampa Bay bounced back from their dramatic week 5 loss to Peyton Manning (34/47 for 386 yards, 2 TDs and 1 Int.) to abuse Patrick Ramsey week 6 (21/32 for 211 yards, 1 TD and 2 Int., with a multitude of hits and pressures). They are still a top 10 secondary (7th), allowing only 181.2 passing yards per game on average, and they have only given up 3 TDs in 2003 - although all the scoring has happened in the last two games. Dwight Smith was the 5th best IDP DB last week, with 7 solo tackles, 1 Int. and 2 passes defensed.

Aside from Garcia's bangs and bruises, San Francisco lists WR's Arnaz Battle (toe) and Tai Streets (quadriceps) as probable to play on Sunday. CB Brian Kelly is probable to play despite his sore chest.

The forecast for 3COM Park calls for a high of 69F and a low of 53F, with a 10% chance for rain - very good football weather.

Tampa is a very formidable defense, and San Francisco isn't at the top of their game right now. Advantage, Tampa Bay.

Baltimore's Passing "Attack" vs. The Cincinnati Defense (Bad Matchup)

Anytime your quarterback averages less than 100 yards passing per game in a season, you deserve to have the word "attack" put into scare quotes. Kyle Boller has been a fantasy disaster for Travis Taylor (31 targets for 14 receptions, 150 yards and 1 TD) and Todd Heap (32 targets for 17/162/1) this season. This team is all about Jamal Lewis running the football.

Heading into the bye week, Drew Bledsoe threw for 19/35 and 211 yards, 1 TD with 0 Int. vs. the Bengals. In week 4 Tim Couch hooked up for 23/36 and 280 yards, 2 TDs and 1 Int. This year, the Bengals are 6th in the league at defending the pass, allowing only 179.4 passing yards per game on average, with 4 scores surrendered so far in this phase. They're pretty good.

Cincinnati is rested after their bye week, although reserve WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is listed as questionable. Baltimore is good to go in this phase of the game.

The forecast for Paul Brown Stadium calls for a high of 64F and a low of 46F, with a 10% chance for rain - a nice, cool day for a football game.

Kyle Boller is very limited in what he can and needs to do - Baltimore is all about running the football and defense. This is a bad matchup for the rookie.