Hi Folks,

Here's our look at the Rushing Matchups for this week. Thanks to Footballguy Mark Wimer for rounding these up.

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 Priest Holmes is playing the toughest rush defense in the league, that just means he's got a tough matchup that week. He's also your starter. In the same way, if the worst RB on your roster has a "great" matchup, that doesn't necessarily mean you start him, it just means he'll likely fare better this week than he normally would.

Bottom line, the cheatsheets are the final word.

Let's jump to it.

Joe

Travis Henry has responded to the provocative draft-day move that the Bills made for Willis McGahee with a very solid pre-season. He was held out of the pre-season finale, but put up 4/24 week 3 vs. St. Louis and 3/69 vs. Tennessee week 2 - he looks like he is in mid-season form heading into the season opener vs. division-rival New England. However, his offensive line has not been sharp in pre-season. The linemen have been often penalized in games as the coaching staff has tinkered with the starting lineup, inserting several different players while declaring an open competition for RG between Marques Sullivan and Mike Pucillo. The result has been a lack of cohesion along the OL.

New England's run defense was a bottom-feeder last season in the NFL, ranking 31st in the league while allowing an average of 137.4 yards per game. NT Ted Washington was acquired via trade, and LB Roosevelt Colvin came over to the Patriots via free agency, but that was about the extent of personnel brought in to address the problems up front vs. the rush. As good as Washington and Colvin are, they are going to need the other players to turn it up a notch if New England is to rise above the bottom echelon of run defense in the NFL. In week 3 of the pre-season, Correll Buckhalter slashed the defensive front for 38 yards on only 8 rushes (4.75 ypc average) and week 4 the Bears' Anthony Thomas gained 5.3 yards per carry on 7/37 work. It doesn't look like the problems have been solved yet.

Both units enter week 1 of the regular season with their starting lineups essentially intact, injury-wise.

The forecast for Sunday calls for almost-perfect football weather, partly cloudy with 10% chance of precipitation and a temperature range of 57F to 75F.

Travis Henry has looked great in the pre-season, and the Patriots have yet to prove they can do much of anything to stop the run. This one looks like a great matchup for Henry owners.

Indianapolis' Edgerrin James vs. The Cleveland Defense (Great Matchup)

Edgerrin James looks like he is fully recovered from his catastrophic knee injury of two seasons ago. His combination of speed and power is back on tap in 2003, and he looks ready to make everyone forget the disappointing 2002 campaign. Also, the Colts acquired TE Dallas Clark in the draft this year to team with Marcus Pollard, allowing the team to run the two-TE set that yielded so much success for the Colts when Ken Dilger was still with the team. James is a major part of the passing game in Indianapolis, and the double TE set figures to benefit him by 1. opening up running lanes and 2. freeing James up for lots of short dump-offs from Manning. It looks like the sky is the limit for James this year.

Cleveland's defense has basically spun its' wheels all pre-season, and hasn't looked very sharp in most of the action to date. Maybe the club was distracted by the QB derby, or maybe they just haven't jelled yet. Whatever the case, they were 0-3 up until the week 4 game vs. Atlanta, and have allowed 38 points in 2 of their 3 losses before limiting the Vick-less Falcons to 9 points in the season finale. Not exactly an inspiring pre-season. Courtney Brown has looked sluggish, and Gerard Warren took until the finale to get his first tackle of the pre-season. The LB corps is a green group, with a trio of second-year LB's starting (Kevin Bentley, Andra Davis and Ben Taylor). They don't look measurably better than the unit that ranked 27th in the NFL during 2002, allowing an average of 129.9 yards per game on the ground.

The starters for both units are ready to rock and roll on Sunday, with no major injuries to report for either squad.

The forecast for Cleveland calls for partly cloudy skies with a high of 76F to a low of 59F, with a 10% chance for precipitation.

Look for James to thrive as the Colts dissect the Browns' defenders on Sunday.

Miami's Ricky Williams vs. The Houston Defense (Great Matchup)

Ricky Williams has struggled to find running room in the pre-season, mainly because his OL has been missing some key players (Tim Ruddy, the starting C and LT Mark Dixon). The good news is that it looks like Ruddy will be able to go on Sunday, the bad news is that Dixon probably won't be able to go. However, remember that the pre-season is a time of vanilla offenses and try-outs for the players on the bubble - which Ricky Williams definitely is not. Once regular season starts up, and the Dolphins go full-blast with their complete offensive packages, look for Williams to perform to expectations.

The Texans aren't a laughingstock on defense, but they aren't a power house either. Last year they ranked 28th in the league vs. the run, allowing an average of 130.6 yards per game. Complicating the picture heading into Sunday is the probable absence of one of their best players, LDE Gary Walker, due to an injured left shoulder. Walker is one of the team's best run defenders.

Besides the injuries noted above, the units should be good to go on Sunday.

The forecast for Sunday calls for thunderstorms with a 40% chance of rain, with a high of 86F to a low of 77F.

Look for Williams to tear up the Texans at home in Miami on Sunday.

Carolina's Stephen Davis vs. The Jacksonville Defense (Good Matchup)

Stephen Davis fits the Panther's offensive philosophy like a hand in a glove. Pound the ball, limit mistakes at the quarterback position, and let the defense provide you a short field in which to punch in touchdowns. After the much-ballyhooed return of DeShaun Foster fizzled in the glaring light of his 2 carries for 3 yards, 1 catch for 6 yards appearance, it is clearer than ever that Davis is the entrenched starter at running back in Carolina. The team hopes that Davis' average is closer to his pre-season week 4 performance vs. Pittsburgh - 2/12 - rather than his 10/20 outing vs. Green Bay week 3.

Jacksonville was 25th in the NFL vs. the rush in 2002, allowing an average of 129.4 yards per game on the ground. In the off-season, DE Hugh Douglas came over from Philadelphia in free agency to team up with youngsters John Henderson and Marcus Stroud on the DL in an attempt to upgrade the unit. In pre-season week 4, they held Washington's second-teamers to 3.4 yards per carry (17/58), while week 3 the Buccaneers averaged 4.3 yards per carry (with 1 score) on 29 carries for 125 yards.

Both units enter the game with a clean bill of health - no major injuries to report.

The forecast for Ericsson stadium on Sunday is for partly cloudy skies (a 20% chance of precipitation) and a temperature range of 64F to 84F.

Davis is blessed with a great defense and a very solid offensive line - look for him to capitalize on his opportunities vs. the rebuilding Jaguars.

Cincinnati's Corey Dillon vs. The Denver Defense (Good Matchup)

Cincinnati's hopes for a decent 2003 season lay at the feet of Corey Dillon once again. He is their workhorse, who should easily see 25 touches a game, every game in 2003. Expect no less when the Bengals open against the Denver Broncos at home in Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday. Our best look at Dillon in the pre-season came week 3, when he carried the ball 7 times for 34 yards against the Tennessee Titans (he sat out week 4 for precautionary reasons). There is no sign of a drop-off in Dillon's power and explosiveness heading into regular season. With rookie LG Eric Steinbach firmly entrenched on the OL, Dillon has a great new blocker up front to open holes in 2003, too.

The Denver defense has undergone a major overhaul with the off-season departure of former coordinator Ray Rhodes. New DC Larry Coyer brought in Daryl Gardener to team with Trevor Pryce on the right side of the DL, but Gardener is currently sidelined with a broken-but-healing wrist and may be weeks away from playing. In the mean time, Monsanto Pope steps in to fill the gap (the Broncos hope). Lional Dalton is now a Redskin, thanks to a pre-season trade. They held Seattle to 22/75 in pre-season week 4 (starter Shaun Alexander did not play), but allowed Edgerrin James to rack up a 5.4 ypc average week 3 (7/38 yards in limited action). Clearly, the jury is still out on this unit, which faded badly down the stretch in 2002. The three starting line-backers (John Mobley, Al Wilson and Ian Gold) are top-notch, but need the line to stiffen if the team is to play effective run defense.

Aside from Gardener's injury woes, both starting units come into Sunday ready to tangle.

The forecast for Cincinnati calls for partly cloudy skies with a high of 79F to a low of 60F, with a 10% chance for precipitation. Basically, perfect football weather is forecast.

With a respectable passing game piloted by Jon Kitna, and a decent line in front of him, Dillon has a good shot at a strong opening week effort against the Broncos' defenders who are still searching for answers in the rushing phase of the game.

Denver's Clinton Portis vs. The Cincinnati Defense (Good Matchup)

Clinton Portis is at the top of his game, and at or near the top of almost everybody's fantasy football wish-list. His 5.5 yards per carry average over the entire 2002 season says it all - he's a phenomenally productive running back. During the pre-season, the team played precariously thin at OT, with both starters Ephraim Salaam and Matt Lepsis missing significant portions of time, so Portis has had a hard time finding running room at points in the pre-season. However, Salaam and Lepsis both played in the pre-season finale, and the OL looks set to go heading into week 1. Portis put up 13/49 pre-season week 3 vs. the Colts, before taking the night off week 4. He should be fresh and ready to rock on Sunday vs. Cincinnati.

Last year, the Bengals ranked 22nd in rushing yards allowed per game, averaging 125.2 yards per game. In the off-season, Cincinnati lost team leader LB Takeo Spikes to Buffalo. However, the new starting trio of Kevin Hardy, Brian Simmons and Adrian Ross (and company) is getting the job done - the D held Eddie George to 10/21 week 3, and followed that up by limiting the Colts (sans Edgerrin James) to 3 yards per carry as a team week 4. HC Marvin Lewis' forte is defense, and it looks like he has the Bengals D heading in the right direction to begin regular season.

Aside from Salaam and Lepsis' troubles, both teams come into the matchup relatively injury-free.

The forecast for Cincinnati calls for partly cloudy skies with a high of 79F to a low of 60F, with a 10% chance for precipitation. Basically, perfect football weather is forecast.

Clinton Portis is a prime-time player who will take advantage of every opening the improving Bengals give him on Sunday. Portis is the difference in this matchup, and what a difference he makes.

Kansas City's Priest Holmes vs. The San Diego Defense (Good Matchup)

Priest Holmes will once again be the focus. His hip is healthy, and he is playing ball while the Chiefs' management and his agent negotiates a contract extension. His OL is one of the best in the game. He is a dominant fantasy football force by any yardstick.

San Diego's rushing D was respectable last year, allowing only 108.7 yards per game on average (11th in the NFL). The Chargers said goodbye to Junior Seau in the off-season, and his backup Zeke Moreno moves over to the MLB spot while Donnie Edwards takes over for Seau at WLB. Ben Leber is coming off a strong rookie season and will start at SLB. These three will help stiffen the DL front composed of Marcellus Wiley and Raylee Johnson at DE and Jamaal Williams and Jason Fisk at DT. A very solid defensive front, all around, that helped hold all 4 pre-season opponents to 20 points or less while the team went 2-2.

Marcellus Wiley has missed some time due to injury during camp, but is good to go for the regular season. Otherwise, both sides enjoy relative good health to start out 2003.

The forecast for Kansas City calls for sunny skies with a high of 82F to a low of 62F, with a 10% chance for precipitation.

Holmes is one heck of a back, but the Chargers' defenders are not slouches either. Still, we have to call this a good matchup for Holmes.

New Orleans' Deuce McAllister vs. The Seattle Defense (Good Matchup)

Deuce McAllister is an essential cog in the Saints' offensive attack. With Joe Horn and Donte Stallworth challenging the defenders and drawing the linebackers into pass coverage, McAllister finds abundant opportunities to run the ball. In week 3 of the pre-season, McAllister flashed a polished game against the 49'ers as he rushed for 74 yards on 17 carries (4.4 yards per carry) and he snagged 3 balls for 20 yards receiving before going to the sidelines. Week 4 McAllister rested so that he'd be fresh for the Season opener vs. Seattle.

Seattle was spectacularly bad defending the rush in 2002, ranking dead last in the league while allowing 152.6 yards per game on the ground. They added Chike Okeafor from San Francisco, and Norman Hand from New Orleans to the DL in 2003, only to see DT Chad Eaton go down for the season. John Randle is healthy again, which should help. Also, Ray Rhodes has come to town as defensive coordinator - hopefully he can come up with a scheme to limit the rushing yardage surrendered. The LB corps is talented but fragile - hopefully Anthony Simmons and Randall Godfrey can stay in the game in 2003.

Heading into the contest, both teams' current starting units are healthy.

Seahawks Stadium is expecting cloudy conditions with a high of 68F to a low of 53F on Sunday, with a 30% chance of precipitation.

The Seahawks have the potential to improve drastically on defense, but don't expect miracles against Deuce McAllister, one of the best running backs in the NFL.

New York Giants' Tiki Barber vs. The St. Louis Defense ( Good Matchup)

The Giants' running game has been molded to suit the talents of Tiki Barber. In case there were any questions about that, the Giants emphasized the point this week by promoting Delvin Joyce to #2 RB, behind Barber. Coach Fassel said that Joyce was the best fit (as opposed to Dorsey Levens or Ron Dayne) for what the Giants do on offense - Joyce is a back cast in the same but slightly smaller mold as Barber. In any case, with Toomer, Hilliard and Shockey challenging the oppositions' DB and LB corps in the secondary, Barber should find opportunities to make good things happen on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis LB corps is long on talent but short on experience, with 3rd year man Tommy Polley at WLB, 2nd year man Robert Thomas starting at MLB and rookie Pisa Tinoisamoa at SLB. The starting front four are anchored by Grant Wistrom and Leonard Little at the ends, with youngsters Ryan Pickett and Damione Lewis in the middle.

Both starting units head into the game in good health.

The forecast for Sunday calls for partly cloudy skies with a 10% chance of rain, with a high of 82F to a low of 64F. Sounds like ideal football weather to us.

Barber and his compatriots on the offense have the twin advantages of experience and playing on their home field. It's enough to tilt the tables in favor of the home-team in this phase of the game.

New York Jets' Curtis Martin vs. Washington Defense (Good Matchup)

Curtis Martin hasn't done much of anything during the pre-season games, but he hasn't carried the ball much either (14 carries for 19 yards). That's because the Jets already know that he is a reliable, tough-as-nails back. Look for the Jets to feed Martin the ball early and often in week one, while Vinny Testaverde continues to re-acclimate into his starting role for the Jets. The Jets' offensive line lost some veteran depth when Tom Nutten announced his retirement two weeks ago - Brent Smith, late of Miami, has stepped into his spot as the starter at RG. Last Thursday, the Jets averaged 3.5 yards per carry vs. the Eagles during a game in which neither Martin nor his backup Lamont Jordan saw action.

Washington's defensive front was 12th in the NFL last season, allowing 109.6 yards per game on average - but that was before they lost Dan Wilkinson to free agency and Brandon Noble to injury. The new DL is a cobbled-together affair, with Bruce Smith and Regan Upshaw expected to share time at RDE. The interior of the line is made up of much-traveled veteran Bernard Holsey at RDT, and Jermaine Haley at LDT. Rounding out the line is ex-Jaguar Renaldo Wynn at LDE. In order to bolster the line after the loss of Wilkinson and Noble, the 'Skins traded for Chase Martin from New Orleans and Lional Dalton from Denver - both are still learning the defensive system. The starting trio of line-backers - LaVar Arrington, Jeremiah Trotter and Jessie Armstead - will do their best to help out, but confusion on the part of the newly-minted line will give Martin some nice opportunities on Thursday. In the final pre-season game, the Jaguars' Fred Taylor gouged the Redskins for 7.3 yards per carry in limited action.

Excepting Brandon Noble, the Redskins defensive front is basically healthy heading into the game Thursday. The situation is similar on New York's side of the ball, although C Kevin Mawae has struggled with a tweaked left knee during recent weeks.

The forecast for Washington calls for scattered thunderstorms (50% chance of precipitation), with temperatures ranging from 82F to 69F.

All in all, we like Martin's chances to run up a respectable set of statistics against a Redskins' unit struggling to jell.

Minnesota's Moe Williams / Onterrio Smith vs. The Green Bay Defense (Good Matchup)

The Vikings head into the regular season with only 2 viable options at running back (Doug Chapman is still injured), Moe Williams and Onterrio Smith. In week 4 of the pre-season, Minnesota didn't run the ball much at all, and Smith managed only 9 yards on 5 carries (Williams was 1/5). However, both looked fairly decent in week 3, vs. Oakland, when Williams went 6/39 and Smith racked up 6/38 with a touchdown. As running backs coach Dean Dalton has recently pointed out, when the starting offensive line (left tackle Bryant McKinnie, left guard Chris Liwienski, center Matt Birk, right guard David Dixon and right tackle Mike Rosenthal) has been in the game during pre-season, the Minnesota backs have averaged 5.5 yards per carry. We'll see if they can continue that success into the regular season. Look for Williams to see the bulk of the work early and for Smith to get a chance to prove himself.

Green Bay's defense has been banged up in pre-season, but it appears that the main elements of the unit that were injured are now on the mend (or at least healthy enough to play). NT Gilbert Brown, WLB Na'il Diggs and FS Darren Sharper are all expected to practice and play in the season opener vs. Minnesota. Brown in his role as a run-stopper is especially important to the unit. In 2002, Green Bay was 21st in the league allowing 124.9 yards rushing per contest - not too good.

Brown's torn biceps muscle will be an issue all year long, but otherwise the Packers are good to go. The Vikings will likely be without Doug Chapman's services on Sunday.

Lambeau field is expecting sunny conditions with a high of 77F to a low of 56F on Sunday.

Minnesota brings in a great offensive line and respectable backs to match against the Packers' middle of the road unit. Even without Michael Bennett, the advantage lies with the Vikings in this matchup.

San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson vs. The Kansas City Defense (Good Matchup)

San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson is one of the elite fantasy football backs for 2003, playing in a run-first, run-second offense that is geared for his bruising talents as a featured back. Because the coaching staff already knows what Tomlinson can do, and saw no reason to risk him in meaningless games, we haven't seen much of Tomlinson in the weeks leading up to regular season. Don't worry, he's still the world-class back he's always been - and he's healthy for regular season.

Kansas City's run defense was porous last season - they ranked 24th in the NFL allowing 129.2 yards per game. To address the problem, Vonnie Holliday was added from the Packers (and DT Ryan Sims returns from an injury-ruined 2002 campaign), in the hopes that a better right side of the DL would free up LDE Eric Hicks to make some plays. LB Shawn Barber was imported from Philly to help Mike Maslowski firm up the LB corps. To date, the changes have yielded mixed results, as the D gave up 42 and 24 points in losses to Seattle and San Francisco, but only 16 and 6 in wins over Minnesota and St. Louis.

The forecast for Kansas City calls for sunny skies with a high of 82F to a low of 62F, with a 10% chance for precipitation.

San Diego has an elite running game, and Kansas City is still tinkering with their run defense in hopes of improvement. The advantage goes to the big back from the coast in this matchup.

Seattle's Shaun Alexander vs. The New Orleans Defense (Good Matchup)

Seattle ended 2002 as one of the hottest offenses in the land, and they hope to begin 2003 where they left off. Shaun Alexander scored 18 TD's last year, and has looked sharp in limited duty during pre-season (3/13 week 4 in very limited duty, with an 8/41 outing week 3 vs. KC). The big problem with Seattle right now is that T Chris Terry has been suspended for 4 weeks by the NFL, and Walter Jones has only recently signed his contract and reported for duty - the line is thin and could be in trouble if Jones isn't in game shape.

New Orleans has problems of it's own - starting DE's Darren Howard and Charles Grant may not be able to play Sunday, and starting LB Derrick Rodgers is suspended by the NFL for 4 games, so the defensive front isn't looking very stout heading into the opener. Last year, the Saints were a mediocre 19th in the NFL allowing 124.4 yards per game to opposing rushers.

The Saints will definitely list Howard and Grant on the injury report. The Seahawks have no injuries of note to report as of this writing on their starting unit.

Seahawks Stadium is expecting cloudy conditions with a high of 68F to a low of 53F on Sunday, with a 30% chance of precipitation.

Shaun Alexander is a very strong back, it'll be interesting to see how his OL fares. New Orleans' defense is tattered and none-too-solid at the moment. Slight Advantage, Seahawks.

Arizona's Emmitt Smith vs. The Detroit Defense (Neutral Matchup)

The Cardinals have a very talented offensive line - if it can stay healthy, collectively. The loss of Frank Garcia to a 4-week ephedra suspension hurts the depth, though. The big question is, can the passing game generate enough of a genuine threat so that opposing defenses can't just stack the line and bury Smith and Marcel Shipp as they emerge from the backfield? We begin to find out on Sunday, when Smith and company face full-speed NFL talent and complete defensive packages (the Cardinals were 4-0 in the pre-season). Cardinals' backs certainly had room to run in the pre-season (backup Damien Anderson shredded Minnesota for 119 yards and a score on 5 carries week 4; Travis Prentice went 6/81 vs. Chicago week 3).

Detroit, meanwhile, worked hard in the off-season to improve its defense, bringing in LB's Earl Holmes and Wali Rainer, drafting Boss Bailey, and adding Dan Wilkinson to the DL during training camp. Last season, the team ranked 17th vs. the run allowing 122.9 yards per game - a mark the improved personnel should be able to better.

Both units head into regular season in good health, excepting Luther Eliss' torn pectoral muscle (he's on the Non Football Injury list right now).

Ford Field is a dome, so weather is not a factor.

This matchup pits two lower-echelon teams against each other, and neither looks like it has a major advantage over the other. It'll be well worth watching though, just to see how Emmitt Smith fares in a Cardinal uniform.

Atlanta's Warrick Dunn vs. The Dallas Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Warrick Dunn has become even more of a focal point for the Falcons in the wake of Michael Vick's injury precisely because new starter Doug Johnson is not noted for his scrambling ability. Until Vick returns to the lineup, Dunn will be leaned upon to provide the bulk of the ground game, with some help from 2nd year man T.J. Duckett. Dunn put up 5/29 week 4 vs. the Browns, but struggled against Miami week 3 (5/13).

Dallas ranked 15th in the NFL last season, allowing 113.6 yards per game on the ground. This year LB Dat Nguyen is recovered from injury and back in the lineup, which should strengthen the unit even further. Fellow LB's Dexter Coakley and Al Singleton (signed from Tampa Bay) are playmakers, too. La'Roi Glover is the run-stopper in the middle of the line, and a good one, too.

The Falcons and the Cowboys come into the contest essentially healthy (excepting Vick's injury, of course).

Texas Stadium is expecting partly cloudy conditions with a high of 89F to a low of 70F on Sunday, with a 10% chance of precipitation.

The Falcons have plenty of weapons with which to challenge the Dallas defense in the absence of Vick, so Dunn should get his opportunities to make something good happen on Sunday. However, the Cowboys play solid defense, so this matchup looks about even heading into the season opener.

Baltimore's Jamal Lewis vs. The Pittsburgh Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Baltimore chose to go with a rookie, Kyle Boller, at QB - which means that one of his main duties (during the early weeks of the season, even more than usual), will be to feed Jamal Lewis the ball. After struggling to move the ball during most of pre-season (Lewis was 5/4 week 3 vs. Washington) the Ravens pounded the ball down the Giants' collective throat in week 4 - Lewis was 6/38, sporting a hefty 6.3 yards per carry - so the team's rushing attack enters the regular season on a high note. The OL is a nice blend of veteran experience and youthful talent with stalwart Jonathan Ogden out a LT.

The Steelers, meanwhile, have suffered through an agonizing, 1-3 pre-season. The latest blow was the loss of starting LB Joey Porter to a gunshot wound (Porter was an innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, evidently). Jason Gildon, Kendrell Bell and James Farrior will have to work hard to make up for his absence from the starting lineup (Clark Haggans steps into Porter's slot). In 2002, the Steelers were #1 vs. the rush, allowing a mere 85.9 yards per game on average.

Aside from Porter's wounds, both teams come into the game relatively healthy.

The weather forecast for Sunday says partly cloudy skies with a 10% chance of rain, with a high of 76F to a low of 58F. Sounds like ideal football weather to us.

The Ravens are a run-oriented team, and the Steelers are built to stop the run. Sounds like a neutral matchup to us.

Cleveland's William Green vs. The Indianapolis Defense (Neutral Matchup)

William Green and the Browns' OL have struggled for most of the pre-season, and they absorbed a huge hit to the starting unit when starting LT Ross Verba was lost for the season with a ruptured biceps tendon in the pre-season finale vs. Atlanta. That leaves only one player on the Browns' OL that has experience at LT, Barry Stokes, who has assumed the starting duties for Verba. Green did finally get something going in the pre-season finale vs. Atlanta, managing to score a TD while rushing 10 times for 20 yards before giving way to James Jackson. However, the line just hasn't given him much running room - and that was with Verba in the mix.

Indianapolis' defense finished 2002 ranked 20th in the league vs. the rush, allowing 124.5 yards per game on average. Dwight Freeney, Brad Scioli and Chad Bradtzke form a solid DL nucleus, but the LB corps just hasn't provided enough run support to date. It is up to MLB Rob Morris to elevate his game now that regular season has arrived in order to stem the oppositions' running game. Week 3, Clinton Portis and Mike Anderson basically had their way with the Colts, and in week 4 the Bengals' scrubs found room to roam against Indianapolis. The Colts defense isn't stuffing opposing rushers heading into the regular season.

Aside from Verba's loss, both teams come into the contest healthy and ready to play some football.

The forecast for Cleveland calls for partly cloudy skies with a high of 76F to a low of 59F, with a 10% chance for precipitation.

Two struggling units lock horns in this one, and neither has a clear advantage over the other.

Detroits' Running Backs vs. The Arizona Defense (Neutral Matchup)

With James Stewart out for the season, Detroit is now faced with a tough conundrum - how do they generate a rushing phase of the offense with a limping Shawn Bryson, youngster Avon Cobourne and new-comer Olandis Gary? At least for this week, Coach Mariucci plans to use a RBBC. As he noted to the Detroit News on 9-2-03, "You know that thing about starting? That's a little bit overrated with all the specialty substituting we do nowadays. It's not going to matter much who starts a game. Right now, our initial thinking could be we very well could use all three backs. We do have to go through a week of practice to see who's prepared to do this, who's healthy, who's most ready." In other words, there won't be a clear fantasy-friendly starter for a few weeks, at least.

Arizona's defense was 30th in the NFL during 2002 vs. the rush, averaging 134.1 yards per game allowed - look on the bright side, there is nowhere to go but up in 2003. Unfortunately, the loss of Kyle Vanden Bosch to a catastrophic knee injury limits the talent pool that the Cardinals can field along the DL. Rookie Calvin Pace looks good, but he's only one guy. There's not a lot of help at LB besides Raynoch Thompson.

Among the guys who are on the opening day 53-man rosters, neither starting unit has injuries of note.

This game will be played in a dome, so weather is not a factor.

In this battle of sub-par units, neither unit looks decisively better than the other.

Green Bay's Ahman Green vs. The Minnesota Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Green Bay is counting on Ahman Green to provide spark to the offense like he did in week 3 of the pre-season, when Green ran 12 times for 77 yards and a score against a very tough Panthers squad, before spending the rest of the game on the sidelines. The Packers may be without starting RG Marco Rivera on Sunday, but RT Mark Tauscher is expected back in the lineup, which will be a big boost to the line.

Minnesota brings in a defense that was ranked 10th vs. the run last season, allowing only 104.1 yards per game on average. They added Chris Claiborne to the mix, a veteran LB who has fine athletic skills but had attitude problems in Detroit - he seems to have regained his competitive fire in Minnesota, however. Kenny Mixon and Chris Hovan anchor the DL and make trouble for opposing rushers. The Vikings sport a very solid front 7.

Rivera has the lone injury problem that may impact this matchup on Sunday.

Lambeau field is expecting sunny conditions with a high of 77F to a low of 56F on Sunday.

Green and his fine line face a formidable rush defense in Minnesota's squad - neither has a clear advantage over the other.

New England's Antowain Smith/Kevin Faulk vs. The Buffalo Defense (Neutral Matchup)

New England has shuffled the deck at running back often during the pre-season, and heading into week 1 it looks like a running back by committee situation, with Antowain Smith and Kevin Faulk both getting opportunities to make something happen against the Bills. The problem is, their offensive line is still not set after the entire pre-season. RT Kenyatta Jones has yet to see time on the field while rehabbing his surgically repaired knees, so oft-injured Adrian Klemm will have to fill the gap until Jones is ready to play (sometime after week 7 - he's currently on the PUP list). G Joe Andruzzi has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. G Brenden Stai surprised everyone with his retirement (and he had been penciled in as a starter), leaving the Patriots without much veteran depth. However, even given all the chaos along the line, Smith managed to put up 47 yards on 9 carries in the pre-season finale (albeit it was against the lowly Bears).

The Bills, on the other hand, were horrid against the run in 2002, ranking a lowly 29th in the league allowing 132.6 yards per game on average. In the off-season, they imported LB's Takeo Spikes and Jeff Posey, and DT Sam Adams (to name a few key guys) in order to fix the defense's woes. Marshall Faulk ripped them up for 43 yards on 11 carries (with one TD) in pre-season week 3, and James Stewart put up 7/27 against the Bills week 4 - so the Bills haven't exactly stuffed the opposition's starters in the closing weeks of pre-season.

Besides Kenyatta Jones' bad knees, the Patriots' C Damien Woody has a bruised lower leg that might bother him. The Bill's run defenders are basically healthy heading into the game Sunday.

The forecast for Sunday calls for almost-perfect football weather, partly cloudy with 10% chance of precipitation and a temperature range of 57F to 75F.

Neither unit has a huge advantage over the other in this matchup - it looks even to us.

Oakland's Charlie Garner vs. The Tennessee Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Charlie Garner was just a few snaps away from a 1000/1000 season last year, and he could threaten to do it again this year, barring injury. He and Gannon are together in the passing game, and Garner averaged a mind-blowing 5.3 yards per carry last season. With a training camp battle between Adam Treu and Matt Stinchcomb to replace Super-Bowl absentee Barret Robbins settled (Stinchcomb won), the Raiders' line is set to blow open holes for Garner again in 2003. Garner's knee seems ok.

Tennessee's defense is still coming together, as Jevon Kearse continues to work back into game shape after rehabbing his foot injury. Last year, the Titans allowed 89 yards per game rushing (2nd in the NFL), and that was without Kearse. The Titans will be without starting MLB Rocky Calmus against Oakland (hamstring injury), although Keith Bulluck (knee) is expected to play.

Besides Calmus' hamstring injury, there are no other problems of note for either starting unit.

Nashville is expecting partly cloudy conditions with a high of 82F to a low of 63F on Sunday, with a 20% chance of precipitation.

Tennessee has a great defense, and Oakland has a great offense. It sounds like a toss-up to us.

St. Louis' Marshall Faulk vs. The New York Giants Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Last year, Marshall Faulk suffered through a variety of injuries (high ankle sprains, most predominantly). Last year, the offensive line imploded, and running room was scarce. Last year, Kurt Warner was out with injuries to his throwing hand and fingers. The Rams are convinced last year was last year.

This year, St. Louis has an excellent and veteran line (Orlando Pace, Andy McCollum, Dave Wohlabaugh, Adam Timmerman and Kyle Turley), Faulk is healthy and explosive again, and Warner is throwing with his old zip and accuracy. It looks like a renaissance season is in store for Faulk and his compatriots on the Rams' offense.

Meanwhile, the New York Giants have battered their way through the pre-season (at a 1-3 mark), and enter 2003 with post-season aspirations of their own. Keith Hamilton is coming off a torn Achilles tendon (and has some off-field legal issues), but could make a real difference on the DL teamed up with Cornelius Griffin, Michael Strahan and Kenny Holmes. Mike Barrow and company at LB form a solid corps in support of the line. Last year, the Giants were 16th in the league allowing 114.4 yards per contest in rushing yardage - they'd like to do better than that in 2003.

Both starting units come into the game relatively healthy, although the Rams may need to line up a TE (Cam Cleeland or Brandon Manemaleuna) at FB to lead block due to problems at the position.

The forecast for Sunday calls for partly cloudy skies with a 10% chance of rain, with a high of 82F to a low of 64F. Sounds like ideal football weather to us.

Two very talented units face off in this matchup, with neither enjoying a clear-cut advantage over the other.

San Francisco's Garrison Hearst / Kevan Barlow vs. The Chicago Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Garrison Hearst has staved off Kevan Barlow's challenge for the top spot in San Francisco again this year, and was named the opening day starter heading into Sunday's matchup. Expect both players to see time in the game, much like the tandem was employed in 2002. Aggregately, it's a great rushing attack. Unfortunately, the RBBC limits both players' fantasy value.

Chicago had a horrible season last year (26th in the NFL, allowing 129.8 yards rushing per game on average), but they were only 1 season removed from going 13-3. The defense in 2003 has the potential to play at the high level of 2001, with the return to the LB corps of Warrick Holdman (helping to offset the loss of Roosevelt Colvin) boosting Brian Urlacher and company. Phillip Daniels and Keith Traylor make the DL very respectable as well.

Neither team has serious injury problems on these units as the season begins.

Hearst and Barlow play for a high-octane defense, but the Bears have the horses to match up with the 49'ers in this phase of the game - it looks like a neutral matchup moving towards opening Sunday.

Washington's Trung Canidate vs. The New York Jets Defense (Neutral Matchup)

Coach Spurrier has anointed Trung Canidate the starter for week one - and the team released one of his early rivals for the top job, Kenny Watson, to make the 53 man roster limit. Backup Ladell Betts sprained his shoulder in the pre-season finale, so the job is definitely Canidate's - for now. Canidate was held out of the pre-season finale for precautionary reasons, but did put up 8 rushes for 20 yards and a touchdown in the Redskins' sole pre-season victory week 3. Over his career, Canidate has averaged 5..1 yards per carry (98/495) and 8.6 yards per reception (22/189), so he definitely has shown explosive capability.

New York's defense was horrible to start the 2002 season, but ended up being very respectable - overall, they ranked 18th in the league allowing 123.3 yards per game. John Abraham is one of the top 5 defensive linemen in the league, and the unit has veteran depth, too - Chester McGlockton springs to mind. Moe Lewis, Marvin Jones and Sam Cowart form a stalwart second line of defense, as well.

Both units enter the game basically healthy, with no injuries of note to report.

The forecast for Washington calls for scattered thunderstorms (50% chance of precipitation), with temperatures ranging from 82F to 69F.

Washington has a lot of weapons to bring to the table, with wideouts Laveranues Coles and Rod Gardner likely to challenge the secondary and draw LB's into pass coverage. That should give Canidate the opportunity to make something happen in the rushing phase - although the Jets have a very solid defensive front with which to contain him. It looks like neither team has a decisive edge in this phase of the game.

Dallas' Troy Hambrick vs. The Atlanta Defense (Tough Matchup)

Troy Hambrick has worked very hard all season to become Bill Parcell's # 1 running back, and it appears that he is succeeding. The release of Adrian Murrell on roster cut-down day indicated that Hambrick is tightening his grip on the top job. His 12/60 performance (with 2 TD's) in the pre-season finale vs. Oakland didn't hurt his chances either.

However, the Atlanta rush defense is very solid, and has been playing inspired football all pre-season. The return of Travis Hall to the DL rotation has elevated the entire unit's play - and they were pretty good already with Patrick Kerney and Brady Smith at either end of the line. One concern has cropped up this week, though, as new starting SLB Sam Roger's knee injury (torn cartilage and loose bodies in the knee) has flared up and caused a lot of pain and swelling - just as the Falcons discovered that backup SLB Keith Newman was suspended for 4 weeks due to a substance violation. That leaves Matt Stewart and Karon Riley as the only LB's available to play SLB. Neither has much experience at the position.

Besides Roger's problems for the Falcons, the Cowboys have a creaky Larry Allen on their hands - his ankle keeps swelling up and causing pain. Both figure to be on the injury report, and may miss the game.

Texas Stadium is expecting partly cloudy conditions with a high of 89F to a low of 70F on Sunday, with a 10% chance of precipitation.

Hambrick and the Cowboys are a work in progress, while Atlanta has a stout defense that is showing signs of hitting their stride early in the season - the defense has the upper hand in this phase of the game.

Jacksonville's Fred Taylor vs. The Carolina Defense (Tough Matchup)

Fred Taylor is the man in Jacksonville, and will be in at the goal-line this season now that Stacey Mack hangs his cleats in Houston's locker room. The question is, will all that tantalizing, explosive talent be on the field to capitalize on the potential fantasy bonanza? We start to find out this week - Taylor kicks off the 2003 campaign against one of the premier defensive lines in pro football, the Carolina Panthers. Taylor has looked decent in limited action during the pre-season, averaging 7.3 yards per carry against the Redskins week 4 (3/22), but only 2.75 yards per carry vs Tampa week 3 (4/11). He was bothered by a knee bruise early on in pre-season, but that injury is now apparently healed.

Carolina fields one of the top defensive lines in the NFL - last year, they ranked 7th in yards allowed per game, with 103.3 on average - and they should be even better in 2003 with Julius Peppers in the lineup for a full 16 games. Mike Rucker, Kris Jenkins and Brentson Buckner aren't slouches, either. One key pre-season loss hit the team's LB corps when SLB Mark Fields was diagnosed with Hodgkins' disease (a form of cancer), but the team likes Greg Favors to fill in and do a solid job replacing Fields. MLB Dan Morgan and WLB Will Witherspoon are all-around solid players.

Aside from Fields' disease, neither team has significant health problems on these units heading into week 1.

The forecast for Ericsson stadium on Sunday is for partly cloudy skies (a 20% chance of precipitation) and a temperature range of 64F to 84F.

Fred Taylor is a great talent, but so are Peppers, Rucker, Jenkins and Buckner. This looks like a tough matchup for Taylor and the Jaguars.

Philadelphia's Correll Buckhalter / Duce Staley vs. The Tampa Bay Defense (Tough Matchup)

Staley returned to the fold late in pre-season and his performance in the final pre-season game was predictably tentative and out of rhythm. He dropped the only pass thrown his way and averaged 1.3 yards per carry. It looks like working out in S.C. isn't the same as being at training camp. Correll Buckhalter, in his appearance week 3, was 8/38 rushing before heading to the sidelines. It looks like Buckhalter will be the starter and featured runner while Staley gets himself into game shape, in the short term, at least. On the official depth chart, Staley is listed as the third back behind Buckhalter and Westbrook.

Tampa Bay's defense is superb. They were tied for 5th last season in rush defense, allowing only 97.1 yards per game on average. Ryan Nece, the son of Ronnie Lott, moves into the LB slot Al Singleton left when he departed, and Dwight Smith moved from CB to FS to replace the departed Dexter Jackson. Otherwise, it is the same cast of Buccaneers gearing up for another run at the Super-Bowl.

Both units enjoy good health heading into week 1.

Lincoln Financial Field is expecting partly cloudy conditions with a high of 78F to a low of 60F on Monday, with a 10% chance of precipitation.

Anytime you play the Buccaneers, it is a tough matchup. Even when you have Donovan McNabb under center and a good offensive line in front of you.

Tampa Bay's Michael Pittman vs. The Philadelphia Defense (Tough Matchup)

Michael Pittman looks like the starting running back for the Buccaneers, at least for now. He has played hard in the preseason and his performance on the field is looking very solid, although he hasn't seen much time in the pre-season games . The coaching staff was busy preparing Thomas Jones in case Pittman's legal troubles end up yanking him away from the NFL although that seems to be less likely than it was.

Philadelphia comes into the game with some injury problems - DE Jamaal Green is out for the season, and fellow DE Jerome McDougle (who was expected to start) is out for at least two games. Derrick Burgess, Corey Simon, Darwin Walker and N.D. Kalu form a formidable front, but they may wear down due to a lack of depth along the line. Last year, the Eagles were the 9th ranked run defense in the NFL, allowing only 103.8 yards per contest on average.

Other than the Eagle's DE woes, both squads enjoy good health coming into the Monday night game.

Lincoln Financial Field is expecting partly cloudy conditions with a high of 78F to a low of 60F on Monday, with a 10% chance of precipitation.

Facing the Eagles defense at home on a Monday night is a tall order for any team - and it will be tough for the Buccaneers to find room to roam in this grudge-match.

Tennessee's Eddie George vs. The Oakland Defense (Tough Matchup)

Eddie George just keeps on playing and cracking the 1,000 yard barrier year after year. He's done it 6 out of 7 seasons, but his yards per carry average has been in a steady decline for some time now (it hasn't been above 4.0 since 1999). However, there is no one else on the roster to take the top job away, so he's the man in Tennessee again in 2003. Heading into the season opener, George has seen limited action in the pre-season, with a 10/21 yard effort week 3 marking his most extensive playing time so far. One disturbing note: George got above 3.0 yards per carry only once during pre-season (week 1, 3.4).

Oakland is coming off a huge disappointment in the Super-Bowl, but they didn't just mope around in the off-season. Dana Stubblefield was acquired to team with John Parrella and Rod Coleman to form a solid wall against opposing rushers. The LB corps, led by Napoleon Harris and Eric Barton, bring lots of support to the defensive front. This is a tough group of defenders that should be hard to run on. Last year, without Stubblefield, the team ranked 3rd in the NFL allowing only 90.8 yards per game on average.

Both units are enjoying good health in the early going, and should be at full strength on Sunday.

Nashville is expecting partly cloudy conditions with a high of 82F to a low of 63F on Sunday, with a 20% chance of precipitation.

Look for George and the Titans to fight the Raiders tooth and nail for every inch on Sunday. It will be an uphill battle for the aging superstar.

Chicago's Anthony Thomas vs. The San Francisco Defense (Bad Matchup)

Chicago has had a devil of a pre-season, with all kinds of problems along the OL. Marc Colombo is still battling injuries and may not see action for some time. The latest blow was when starting LG Rex Tucker went down to a season-ending ankle injury last week. Just 2 days before the season opens on Thursday Night, the Bears have signed OL Corbin Lacina (just recently released by the Patriots) in an attempt to bolster their line. In the midst of all this chaos, Anthony Thomas - he of the lack-luster 2002 - managed to put up 7/37 week 4 vs. the Patriots, and he managed 3/12 week 3 vs. Arizona. Right now, he stays atop the depth chart at RB (but he can feel Adrian Petersen breathing down his neck).

The 49'ers fielded a 7th ranked run defense last year, allowing only 103.3 yards per game on the ground. They may be even better this year, with Jamie Winborn back in the LB corps and Andre Carter really coming of age at DE. Derek Smith, Julian Peterson and Jeff Ulbrich round out a stellar starting quartet of LB's.

The Bears' linemen have been nicked up a lot in camp and will probably show up on the injury report come Wednesday. San Francisco is good to go heading into the opener.

3-Com Park is expecting partly cloudy conditions with a high of 72F to a low of 56F on Sunday, with a 10% chance of precipitation.

The Bears are struggling, and the 49'ers are poised to make a run to the playoffs if everything breaks right for them. In this matchup, the defense has the upper hand.

Houston's Stacey Mack vs. The Miami Defense (Bad Matchup)

To no ones' surprise, the Houston Texans went 0-fer in the pre-season, and struggled to put up points against the better defenses that they played against (3 pts vs. Tampa Bay week 4, 6 pts. vs. Dallas week 2). The OL remains a work in progress (Tony Boselli never made it back, and retired in the pre-season), with the right side completely retooled with imports G Zach Wiegert (Jax) and T Greg Randall (NE). Finding a rhythm has been elusive for the unit, which has yet to jell. Topping off the problems, starting lead-blocker Jarrod Baxter (FB) went down for the season, and was just this week replaced by Greg Comella, late of the Tennessee Titans. No wonder Mack hasn't had a ton of room to roam.

Miami has one of the elite defenses in the NFL. They were fifth against the rush last year, allowing 97.1 yards per game on average. Sporting big names like DE Jason Taylor and LB Zach Thomas, this unit makes you pay for every yard you gain on the ground.

Currently, both units look basically healthy heading into Sunday's contest.

The forecast for Sunday calls for thunderstorms with a 40% chance of rain, with a high of 86F to a low of 77F.

The lowly Texans don't have the horses to compete with the Dolphins. This is a bad matchup for Mack and company.

Pittsburgh's Amos Zereoue / Jerome Bettis vs. The Baltimore Defense (Bad Matchup)

The Steelers have not looked good in the rushing phase of the game during the pre-season, with neither Zereoue or Bettis really finding a groove. Part of the problem is the departure of LT Wayne Gandy. Another part of the problem is plain old poor play along the OL. Whatever the reasons, the Steelers' running game was stone cold heading into week 4 of the pre-season, when Zereoue finally put up a decent effort with 5/33 yards rushing and a TD.

Baltimore's defense is back from its detour into the "No Lewis" zone, and the linebacking corps is once again the backbone of the defense. Ed Hartwell developed into an impact player in 2002 while Lewis was out, and looks poised to continue his great play into the 2003 season. Rookie Lee Suggs teams with Peter Boulware on the outside to provide a great quartet of linebackers. These guys make it hard on opposing ball carriers - the Ravens were the 13th ranked run defense in 2002 WITHOUT Ray Lewis or Suggs, averaging 110.1 yards per game allowed. With Lewis and Suggs on the field, this unit should be scary again.

Both units head into Sunday in relatively good health, with no major complaints among the starters.

The weather forecast for Sunday says partly cloudy skies with a 10% chance of rain, with a high of 76F to a low of 58F. Sounds like ideal football weather to us.

Anytime you try and run the ball against Ray Lewis and company, you are in for a tough day - especially when your team is struggling in this phase as much as the Steelers have during pre-season.