Smith’s Fantasy Tidbits Week Thirteen

Arizona Cardinals (@ Detroit)

The Cardinals are 21-31-5 lifetime against the Lions
The team is averaging 105.8 rushing yards and 165.2 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 133.0 rushing yards and 199.4 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 16.4 points per game and surrendering 20.6
The Cardinals are only averaging 3.6 yards per carry on the season. That is the 4^th worst mark in football
The Cardinals ten rushing touchdowns tie them for 10^th overall in the NFL
The Cardinals are 4-4 in their last eight games
WR Anquan Boldin has caught 28 passes in his five games since returning from injury but is only averaging 10 yards per carry and hasn’t scored
In the last six weeks, rookie WR Larry Fitzgerald has had one good week, followed by one poor effort:
- Week Seven: 4 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown
- Week Eight: 0 receptions
- Week Nine: 5 receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown
- Week Ten: 1 reception for 2 yards
- Week Eleven: 7 receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown
- Week Twelve: 2 receptions for 21 yards
- Week Thirteen: Should be a good week

Atlanta Falcons (@ Tampa Bay)

The Falcons are 10-12 lifetime against the Buccaneers
The Falcons beat the Buccaneers 24 to 14 earlier this season (week ten)
The team is averaging 162.6 rushing yards and 157.8 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 101.3 rushing yards and 232.1 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 21.1 points per game and surrendering 19.5
The Falcons are leading the NFL with a 5.1 YPC average
The Falcons have scored 13 rushing touchdowns on the season. RB Warrick Dunn leads the way with 7 scores
The Falcons leading rusher with 709 yards is QB Michael Vick
Vick has thrown 7 touchdown passes in the last four games after throwing only 4 in the first seven contests
TE Alge Crumpler has caught four touchdown passes in the last three weeks
Crumpler has 351 receiving yards in the past four weeks

Baltimore Ravens (vs. Cincinnati)

The Ravens are 12-5 lifetime against the Bengals
The Ravens beat the Bengals 23 to 9 in Cincinnati earlier this season
The team is averaging 116.5 rushing yards and 131.9 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 107.7 rushing yards and 173.1 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 18.8 points per game and surrendering 14.9
The Ravens are averaging a surprisingly low 3.9 YPC on the year. Last year they averaged 4.8
The Ravens leading receiver, WR Travis Taylor only has 27 receptions for 309 yards and hasn’t scored a touchdown
The Ravens are only averaging 5.48 yards per passing attempt. That is the 2^nd lowest mark in the NFL.
The Ravens have only scored 76 points in six road games this season and have scored 131 points in five home games
QB Kyle Boller is only averaging 5.5 yards per attempt on the year
Boller threw for 126 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals earlier this season
Jamal Lewis has said he will not be playing this weekend, leaving Chester Taylor in as the starting running back
Chester Taylor has been very disappointing over the last two weeks with only 94 rushing yards on 31 carries

Buffalo Bills (@ Miami)

The Bills are 31-49-1 lifetime against the Dolphins
The Bills knocked off the Dolphins earlier this season by a score of 20-13
The Bills are 2-3 in Miami over the last five seasons
The Bills have won 5 of their last 7 games
The team is averaging 108.1 rushing yards and 172.6 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 96.8 rushing yards and 182.5 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 19.8 points per game and surrendering 17.5
The Bills have scored 37+ points in three of their last five games
RB Willis McGahee has rushed for 100+ yards in five of the last seven games. Each time he reached that mark, the Bills have won
McGahee has scored seven touchdowns on the year and all have come in the last five games
The Forgotten Man: RB Travis Henry only has fourteen carries in the last five games
WR Eric Moulds has only one 100-yard receiving effort this season and hasn’t scored a touchdown in the last four weeks
Rookie WR Lee Evans has scored twice in the last four weeks

Carolina Panthers (@ New Orleans)

The Panthers are 9-9 lifetime against the Saints
The team is averaging 98.5 rushing yards and 217.3 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 126.7 rushing yards and 216.5 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 19.7 points per game and surrendering 21.5
The Panthers have won their last three games by a combined score of 93 to 51
In his last five starts, QB Jake Delhomme has tossed 12 touchdowns against only 3 interceptions
WR Muhsin Muhammad has already caught 9 touchdown passes. That is his career high
Delhomme is on pace to throw for 3,673 yards
The Panthers leading rusher on the year is Nick Goings who has rushed for 357 yards with a strong 4.5 yards per carry average since taking over the starting job
Goings has two straight 100-yard rushing games
Rookie WR Keary Colbert is on pace to finish with a strong 960 receiving yards

Chicago Bears (vs. Minnesota)

The Bears are 38-47-2 lifetime against the Vikings
The Vikings beat the Bears 27 to 22 earlier this season
The team is averaging 105.5 rushing yards and 131.7 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 135.5 rushing yards and 196.5 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 15.6 points per game and surrendering 20.1
The Bears have lost two straight games by a combined score of 62 to 17
After three weeks, RB Thomas Jones had rushed for 329 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. Since then he has rushed for only 287 yards and scored once
The Bears two leading receivers, David Terrell and Bobby Wade have yet to score a single touchdown on the year
QB Craig Krenzel is averaging 118.9 passing yards per game and has a completion percentage of 46.5
The Bears are the 2^nd worst team in the NFL when it comes to passing yardage and have thrown only five touchdown passes on the season

Cincinnati Bengals (@ Baltimore)

The Bengals are 5-12 lifetime against the Ravens
The Bengals lost 23 to 9 to the Ravens earlier this season
The team is averaging 111.9 rushing yards and 196.5 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 137.4 rushing yards and 206.1 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 21.9 points per game and surrendering 22.4
The Bengals have won four of their last six games (only losses were to Pittsburgh and Tennessee)
RB Rudi Johnson has quietly rushed for 1052 yards on the season. That is good for 6^th best in the NFL this season
1^st round draft pick RB Chris Perry has only touched the ball five times on the season
WR Chad Johnson has been red-hot. He has caught 42 passes in the last six games for 576 yards and scored 3 times
QB Carson Palmer has thrown for 200+ yards in four of the last five games

Cleveland Browns (vs. New England)

The Browns are 12-7 lifetime against the Patriots
The Browns were defeated 9 to 3 last year in New England
The team is averaging 107.0 rushing yards and 191.9 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 131.6 rushing yards and 205.4 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 20.5 points per game and surrendering 24.2
The Browns fired Head Coach Butch Davis this past week thanks to a terrible season. He leaves with a mark of 24-35 with the Browns
QB Kelly Holcomb threw for 413 yards and 5 touchdowns last week. The last time he played that well was against the Cardinals last season in week eleven (392 passing yards- 3 TDs). The next game he threw 0 touchdowns and 2 interceptions (against the Steelers)
RB William Green is averaging 4.1 YPC and RB Lee Suggs is averaging a terrible 3.2 YPC
WR Antonio Bryant has two 100-yard receiving games on the season with two different franchises (Cowboys and Browns)
The Tight end position for the Browns has caught 8 touchdown passes (four for Aaron Shea and four for Steve Heiden)

Dallas Cowboys (vs. Seattle)

The Cowboys and Seahawks have met only eight times with the Cowboys winning five of those contests
The team is averaging 103.1 rushing yards and 225.4 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 113.5 rushing yards and 217.3 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 17.5 points per game and surrendering 26.3
In the last five games, QB Vinny Testaverde has thrown 6 touchdown passes against 10 interceptions
TE Jason Witten has been the Offensive MVP. He has caught 58 passes and scored 5 touchdowns
In the last two games, RB Julius Jones has carried the ball 63 times for 233 yards and scored twice

Denver Broncos (@ San Diego)

The Broncos are 49-38-1 lifetime against the Chargers
The Broncos won 23 to 13 earlier this year against San Diego
The team is averaging 138.8 rushing yards and 245.6 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 96.8 rushing yards and 200.8 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 23.4 points per game and surrendering 17.5
The Broncos have the 6^th best rushing yards per game but have surprisingly only scored five rushing touchdowns (Last year the Broncos scored 20 rushing touchdowns)
Since taking over the starting job in week five, RB Reuben Droughns has rushed for 916 yards in only seven games. He failed to reach the 100-yard mark only once
Interesting note: Flash back to the preseason and there was a very heated debate on the forums in regards to who would emerge as the starting RB. The debate raged on for months between Mike Anderson, Garrison Hearst, rookie RB Tatum Bell and 2^nd year back Quentin Griffin. Nobody mentioned Droughns who is averaging a sizzling 130.9 rushing yards per game. Gotta love the NFL.
Before this season, QB Jake Plummer’s career high in touchdown passes was 18. This season he has thrown 22 touchdown passes
Plummer has thrown 37 touchdown passes against only 18 interceptions since joining the Broncos last season
Plummer has had four straight 200-yard passing games and has thrown 11 touchdowns during that stretch
Plummer is on pace to throw for a career-high 4,001 yards
WR Rod Smith has caught four touchdown passes in his last five games

Detroit Lions (vs. Arizona)

The Lions are 31-21-5 lifetime against the Cardinals
The team is averaging 90.5 rushing yards and 169.2 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 124.3 rushing yards and 225.2 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 17.5 points per game and surrendering 23.4
The Lions have only scored three rushing touchdowns on the year
The Lions have lost five straight games. They have only scored 76 points in that span and surrendered 134
In his last three starts, QB Joey Harrington has only thrown for 368 yards and a single touchdown
On the season, Harrington has made strides by throwing 14 touchdowns against only 7 interceptions
RB Kevin Jones is beginning to emerge as a threat. He has rushed for 280 yards in the last three weeks (but hasn’t scored)
Since returning from injury four weeks ago, WR Roy Williams has been quiet. He has only caught 11 passes without scoring a touchdown during that stretch. He just may catch that many passes this week alone against the Cardinals.

Green Bay Packers (@ Philadelphia)

The Packers are 23-10 lifetime against the Eagles
The team is averaging 135.1 rushing yards and 275.5 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 104.9 rushing yards and 240.3 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 27.4 points per game and surrendering 22.5
The Packers started the season an abysmal 1-4 and had the fans irate but have since ran off six wins in a row
In those six wins, the Packers have outscored the opposition 202 to 105
The ageless wonder QB Brett Favre continues to amaze. He is on pace to throw 32 touchdown passes this season which would be the 8^th time he’s hit that mark
Favre has thrown for 200+ yards in seven straight games
All the media focus at the receiver position has been on Javon Walker (60 rec. for 960 yards and 9 touchdowns) and he deserves it but Donald Driver is quietly having a great comeback season with 61 receptions for 804 yards and 6 scores
TE Bubba Franks has now scored five touchdowns on the season

Houston Texans (@ New York Jets)

The Texans lost the only other meeting against the Jets 19 to 14
The team is averaging 108.2 rushing yards and 231.8 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 113.3 rushing yards and 252.5 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 20.8 points per game and surrendering 23.6
QB David Carr hasn’t been as hot over the last three weeks as he was to start the year. He has thrown for 580 yards, 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in that span
Carr’s progress is remarkable over the last three seasons:
- 2002: 52.5% completion rate; 5.8 YPA; 9 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions
- 2003: 56.6% completion rate; 6.8 YPA; 9 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions
- 2004: 62.1% completion rate; 7.9 YPA; 12 touchdown passes and 9 interceptions
RB Domanick Davis has scored six times over the last four weeks. He has also rushed for 363 yards during that span

Indianapolis Colts (vs. Tennessee)

The Colts are 10-10 lifetime against the Titans
The Colts beat the Titans 31 to 17 earlier this season
The team is averaging 126.9 rushing yards and 286.4 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 118.8 rushing yards and 257.1 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 34.5 points per game and surrendering 21.7
The Colts have scored 24 or more points in every game this season
The Colts have scored over 30 points in five straight games
The Colts are on pace to score 553 points which would be the most since the 1998 Vikings scored 556 points and went 15-1
Props to the defense: In the last three weeks the Colts have only surrendered 33 points
QB Peyton Manning has thrown gulp 24 touchdown passes in the last gasp five weeks
Manning hasn’t thrown less than two touchdown passes in a game all season
Manning is on pace for 4,649 yards, 60 touchdowns and only 10 touchdowns. Unbelievable!
RB Edgerrin James has had six 100-yard rushing games on the year
James has only scored one touchdown in the last six weeks
The Colts have three # 1 receivers so far in 2004 (all three are in the top ten):
- Exhibit A: Brandon Stokley: 47 receptions for 729 yards and 8 touchdowns
- Exhibit B: Reggie Wayne: 50 receptions for 779 yards and 9 touchdowns
- Exhibit C: Marvin Harrison: 63 receptions for 764 yards and 11 touchdowns
The Colts have five players with 5+ touchdown receptions (the three above plus tight ends Dallas Clark and Marcus Pollard)
Harrison has only two 100-yard receiving games on the year

Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Pittsburgh)

The Jaguars are 8-7 lifetime against the Steelers
The team is averaging 115.9 rushing yards and 214.8 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 106.0 rushing yards and 216.7 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 16.5 points per game and surrendering 18.9
The Jaguars have lost three of their last four games
QB Byron Leftwich has only thrown one touchdown pass in his last two games and has a YPA of only 6.24
When it comes to rushing yardage, RB Fred Taylor has been on a tear. He has had three straight 100-yard rushing games (394 rushing yards)
Taylor didn’t rush for 100 yards once in the first six weeks of the season. Since then he has done it in four of the five games
Stunningly, Taylor has only scored two touchdowns during the entire season
Once Fragile Fred has now played in 43 straight games
WR Jimmy Smith is on pace to catch 80 passes for 1322 yards but has only caught 3 touchdowns so far
Rookie Reggie Williams is only averaging 8.9 yards per reception

Kansas City Chiefs (@ Oakland)

The Chiefs are 44-42-2 lifetime against the Raiders
The team is averaging 150.2 rushing yards and 261.3 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 115.7 rushing yards and 254.8 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 27.9 points per game and surrendering 27.2
Just how bad is the defense for the Chiefs? The Chiefs have lost four straight games despite scoring 101 points during that stretch
You can’t blame QB Trent Green for the Chiefs downfall. Since his terrible first two games, he has …
- Completed 70.0% of his passes
- Thrown 15 touchdowns against only 8 interceptions
- Had five 300-yard passing games
Is Priest that good or is it the Chiefs system? A comparison between Holmes and Derrick Blaylock (I still believe Holmes is that good. You can’t score that many touchdowns over a three-year period unless you are ultra-talented
- Blaylock is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and is scoring one touchdown every 13.1 carries
- Holmes is averaging 4.6 yards per carry and is scoring one touchdown every 14.0 carries
TE Tony Gonzalez is still the # 1 receiving option for the Chiefs. He has caught 64 passes for 838 yards on the season

Miami Dolphins (vs. Buffalo)

The Dolphins are 49-31-1 lifetime against the Bills
The Dolphins lost 20-13 to the Bills earlier this season
The team is averaging 81.6 rushing yards and 184.8 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 136.6 rushing yards and 152.3 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 14.9 points per game and surrendering 20.6
After a miserable offensive start this season, the Dolphins have rebounded to score 119 points in the last five games
QB A.J. Feeley has had two straight starts. He completed 51.3% of his throws in those games, had a YPA of 4.97 and threw 3 touchdowns
The Good News: The Dolphins are running the ball a little better than earlier in the season.
The Bad News: They are still only averaging 3.31 yards per carry
WR Chris Chambers has had three 100-yard receiving games in the last five weeks

Minnesota Vikings (@ Chicago)

The Vikings are 47-38-2 lifetime against the Bears
The Bears lost 27 to 22 to the Vikings earlier this season
The team is averaging 117.3 rushing yards and 280.6 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 126.5 rushing yards and 226.9 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 26.5 points per game and surrendering 23.8
QB Daunte Culpepper has thrown at least one touchdown pass in the last sixteen games
Culpepper has thrown four times more touchdowns than interceptions this season and is on pace to finish with 41 touchdown passes
After a sizzling start Culpepper appeared to have Marino’s passing records in sights. However in the last six games, he has thrown for more than 235 yards in a game only once and tossed only 10 touchdowns to fall off the pace
The Vikings leading rusher this season has a grand total of only 398 yards and a single touchdown (Onterrio Smith)
Thanks to WR Randy Moss missing three games with injury, WR Nate Burleson is leading the team in receptions and yardage (50 receptions for 640 yards and 5 touchdowns)
Moss is still leading in touchdowns though with nine touchdown receptions in only eight games
TE Jermaine Wiggins has quietly caught 47 passes for 465 yards on the season

New England Patriots (@ Cleveland)

The Patriots are 7-12 lifetime against the Browns
The Patriots defeated the Browns last season 9 to 3
The team is averaging 123.7 rushing yards and 227.2 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 103.9 rushing yards and 203.3 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 26.2 points per game and surrendering 15.8
The Patriots have scored 20+ points in all but one game this year
QB Tom Brady failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in fourteen games last week against the Ravens
Brady has thrown for at least 217 yards in nine of the eleven games this year
Brady is 44-13 as a starting NFL quarterback
RB Corey Dillon hasn’t rushed for less than 94 yards in a game in the last seven weeks and has hit the 100-yard mark five times
Dillon has scored six touchdowns in the last six games
WR David Givens has only caught 12 passes for 111 yards and no scores in the last three weeks
In his last two weeks since returning from injury, WR Deion Branch has caught 10 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown
TE Daniel Graham caught five touchdowns in the first four weeks of the season but has not scored one since in the last seven games

New Orleans Saints (vs. Carolina)

The Panthers are 9-9 lifetime against the Saints
The team is averaging 93.8 rushing yards and 232.8 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 153.8 rushing yards and 264.5 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 21.1 points per game and surrendering 28.4
The Saints have only won two of their last eight games
QB Aaron Brooks has only thrown 13 touchdowns against 10 interceptions this season
Brooks has thrown at least one interception in six of the last seven games
Brooks has only had two multiple-touchdown pass games this season
RB Deuce McAllister has been a big disappointment this season but still has three 100-yard rushing games and 6 touchdowns (scored over a four game stretch)
The only receiver worth mentioning is WR Joe Horn who is having another stellar season with 68 receptions for 940 yards and 6 touchdowns

New York Giants (@ Washington)

The Giants are 82-58-4 lifetime against the Redskins
The Giants won by six against the Redskins earlier this season
The team is averaging 134.5 rushing yards and 187.5 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 127.9 rushing yards and 179.9 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 18.4 points per game and surrendering 18.1
The Giants have lost four games in a row and have scored only 51 points in that stretch
Rookie QB Eli Manning has been embarrassingly terrible in limited action. He has completed only 38.8% of his throws and has 1 touchdown against 4 interceptions
WR Amani Toomer has been almost invisible this year. He has only caught 42 passes for 566 yards and has not scored a single touchdown
Toomer has had only two games with more than 66 receiving yards
TE Jeremy Shockey has scored a touchdown in five of his last eight games
There’s no quit in RB Tiki Barber. He has had three straight 100-yard rushing games and has eight on the season
In the last two weeks Barber failed to score a touchdown. That was the first time this year he failed to score in back-to-back games

New York Jets (vs. Houston)

The Jets won the only other meeting against the Texans
The team is averaging 146.9 rushing yards and 189.2 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 101.3 rushing yards and 195.1 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 20.5 points per game and surrendering 15.3
The Jets have won their last two games, both on the road despite scoring only 23 combined points (the defense only gave up 10)
The Jets have only given up 168 points on the year. That is the 4^th best mark in the NFL
QB Quincy Carter has been serviceable for the Jets. He has completed 60.3% of his throws, has a 8.6 YPA and has thrown only one interception
The Jets as a team have only thrown four interceptions
RB Curtis Martin has only had one 100-yard rushing game in the last four outings but is still averaging over 100 yards rushing per game
Martin hasn’t scored a touchdown in four of the last six football games
The Bad News: WR Santana Moss has only scored two touchdowns on the season and has only two 100-yard receiving games
The Good News: Moss scored both those touchdowns and got his 100-yard games in the last four weeks
WR Justin McCareins has still never had a 100-yard receiving game in the NFL

Oakland Raiders (vs. Kansas City)

The Raiders are 42-44-2 lifetime against the Chiefs
The team is averaging 75.4 rushing yards and 242.5 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 125.5 rushing yards and 227.3 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 18.8 points per game and surrendering 26.7
The Raiders have won two of their past three games
QB Kerry Collins has thrown for more than 200 yards in five straight games
Collins has thrown 6 touchdowns against only 2 interceptions in the last two weeks
Collins hasn’t had a rushing touchdown since the 2000 season
The Raiders leading rusher (Amos Zereoue) only has 337 yards on the season… Paging Ricky Williams, Paging Ricky Williams…Coach Turner would like to speak with you.
Emerging receiver Ronald Curry has caught a touchdown in back-to-back weeks
WR Jerry Porter had more touchdowns (3) last week than in the previous twenty-one games combined

Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Green Bay)

The Eagles have only won ten of the thirty-three games played between the two teams
The team is averaging 109.0 rushing yards and 249.2 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 120.7 rushing yards and 205.6 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 26.6 points per game and surrendering 14.9
The Eagles have given up less than 20 points in eight of the eleven games this year
QB Donovan McNabb is having his career season passing the football:
- Completion percentage is 63.8% - previous best was 58.4%
- Yards per attempts is 8.2 – previous best was 6.7
- 2.1 touchdown passes per game – previous best was 1.7
- Averaging 263 passing yards per game – previous best was 228.9
McNabb has had over 200 passing yards in all but one game this season. Last year he failed to reach that mark nine times
RB Brian Westbrook is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and 8.5 yards per reception
Westbrook has exploded for five touchdowns in the last three weeks
WR Terrell Owens has only hit the 100-yard mark once in the past four weeks and hasn’t scored a touchdown in two of those games
WR Todd Pinkston has had three straight games with fifty-nine or more receiving yards

Pittsburgh Steelers (@ Jacksonville)

The Steelers are 7-8 lifetime against the Jaguars
The team is averaging 156.7 rushing yards and 158.8 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 75.4 rushing yards and 168.8 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 23.3 points per game and surrendering 15.3
When will rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger lose? He has won nine straight games as a starting quarterback
Roethlisberger has only thrown for more than 200 passing yards once on the season
Roethlisberger has only thrown one touchdown pass in the last three games
Roethlisberger has twice as many touchdown passes as interceptions (12 to 6) and is completing 2/3 of his passes
In the last four weeks, RB Jerome Bettis has carried the ball 122 times for 481 yards. The Bus isn’t out of gas yet!
Bettis has enjoyed four straight 100-yard rushing games for the first time since the start of the 2001 campaign
Bettis needs one more touchdown run to set a personal-high in that department (scored 11 touchdowns in 1996)
The only real disappointment in Pittsburgh is the numbers for Hines Ward. He has caught only nine passes in the last three weeks for ninety-nine yards

San Diego Chargers (vs. Denver)

The Chargers are 38-49-1 lifetime against the Broncos
The Chargers lost 23-13 to the Broncos earlier this season
The team is averaging 138.9 rushing yards and 226.0 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 79.1 rushing yards and 234.5 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 29.0 points per game and surrendering 20.1
If the Chargers can win just once in their last five games, they’ll accomplish something the franchise hasn’t done since 1995. Win nine games
While Peyton Manning is setting the league on fire and will almost certainly win the MVP award, how about a special shout out to QB Drew Brees. Check out his numbers…
- 65.8% completion percentage
- 223.5 passing yards per game
- one touchdown pass every 14.9 attempts
- one interception thrown every 104.3 attempts
- a terrific YPA of 7.9
In the last four games, Brees has thrown 12 touchdown passes and 0 interceptions
RB LaDainian Tomlinson is only averaging 3.8 yards per carry but has scored in eight straight games and sixteen of the past seventeen
In the last seven weeks, Tomlinson has rushed for more than 71 yards only once
WR Keenan McCardell has caught 4+ passes in all five games he has played with the Chargers
TE Antonio Gates hasn’t caught less than 4 passes in a game all season
Gates has scored eight touchdowns in the last four weeks
Gates is on pace to catch 100 passes which would be a tight end record. Here is how that matches up to the all-time greats:
- Kellen Winslow – 89 receptions
- Shannon Sharpe – 87 receptions
- Tony Gonzalez – 93 receptions
- Todd Christensen – 95 receptions
- Ben Coates – 96 receptions (I believe that is the NFL record. If I am wrong, email me and let me know who has the record)

San Francisco 49ers (@ St. Louis)

The 49ers are 51-57-2 lifetime against the Rams
The 49ers lost 24 to 14 against the Rams earlier this season
From 1983 to 1998, the 49ers never won less than ten games. In the last six years, they have endured four losing seasons (including this year)
The team is averaging 84.5 rushing yards and 216.5 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 114.2 rushing yards and 210.7 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 17.5 points per game and surrendering 29.1
The 49ers are suffering through their worst season since the 1979 year (2-14 in Bill Walsh’s first season)
The 49ers are the worst team in the NFL in points surrendered and are near the bottom in points scored
QB Tim Rattay has slumped. He has tossed one touchdown pass in his last three starts against five interceptions
RB Kevan Barlow is averaging only 3.2 yards per carry
Barlow has only rushed for 80+ yards once in this entire season
WR Cedrick Wilson has had two 5 reception games in the last three weeks
WR Brandon Lloyd has only caught 3 passes for 22 yards in the last two weeks after playing well for the previous five weeks
WR Curtis Conway has only caught 5 passes in the last three weeks
TE Eric Johnson has caught five or more passes in eight games this season but only has two scores

Seattle Seahawks (vs. Dallas)

The Seahawks are 3-5 lifetime against the Cowboys
The team is averaging 136.5 rushing yards and 212.8 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 108.2 rushing yards and 227.2 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 21.7 points per game and surrendering 20.3
The Seahawks have only won three of their past eight games
A Tale of Two Seasons: QB Matt Hasselbeck…
- 2002: 61.0% completion rate, 7.5 YPA, 26 touchdown passes, 15 interceptions
- 2003: 53.9% completion rate, 6.5 YPA, 12 touchdown passes, 11 interceptions
In the last six games, Hasselbeck had one good performance against the 49ers. In the other five games he has thrown only three touchdown passes against nine interceptions
Hasselbeck still only has one 300-yard passing game this season
Last week, RB Shaun Alexander was shut down by the Bills (only 39 rushing yards). In the four weeks prior, he rushed for 627 yards
WR Darrell Jackson is on pace for 80 receptions this season and seemingly that many dropped passes
Jackson only has 117 receiving yards in the last three games
Hang ‘em up Mr. Jerry Rice. He has had over twenty-seven receiving yards just once this season
TE Jerramy Stevens needs two more receptions to set a personal best (current high is 26 set in his rookie season in 2002)

St. Louis Rams (vs. San Francisco)

The Rams are 57-51-2 lifetime against the 49ers
The Rams defeated the 49ers by ten points earlier this season
The team is averaging 104.0 rushing yards and 273.5 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 145.8 rushing yards and 218.1 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 21.5 points per game and surrendering 27.2
The Rams have lost four of their last five games (gave up an average of 38.3 points per game in those losses)
QB Marc Bulger has thrown a touchdown pass in eighteen straight games
Bulger is on pace to throw for 4,752 passing yards
Bulger has had seven straight games with at least 262 passing yards
RB Marshall Faulk has only scored four touchdowns this season. His career low was 7 touchdowns set way back during the 1996 season (13 games played)
Faulk’s yards per reception has dropped in each of the last six seasons (12.0, 10.2, 9.2, 6.7, 6.4, 6.0)
It appears near certain that WR Isaac Bruce will lead the Rams in receiving yardage for the first time since the 1999 season
WR Torry Holt is only on pace to catch 85 passes for 1130 yards. Not bad for most NFL receivers but a disappointment when it comes to Holt
Holt has only had three 100-yard receiving games this year. Last season he had ten
Bruce has had six 100-yard receiving games this year. Last season he had two

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Atlanta)

The Buccaneers are 12-10 lifetime against the Falcons
The Buccaneers lost to the Falcons 24 to 14 earlier this season
The team is averaging 92.5 rushing yards and 216.9 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 119.7 rushing yards and 166.1 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 18.7 points per game and surrendering 18.5
The Buccaneers are now 11-16 since winning the Super Bowl two seasons ago
QB Brian Griese continues to impress. He is completing 69.8% of his throws, has a YPA of 8.3 and has 12 touchdown passes against 5 interceptions
RB Michael Pittman has been dynamite since returning to the team in week four. He has scored nine touchdowns in eight games (only scored eight times combined in the previous three seasons.
Pittman has rushed for 100-yards three times and also enjoyed a 100-yard receiving effort
In the first game against the Falcons, Pittman had 78 total yards and didn’t score a touchdown
Rookie WR Michael Clayton is the real deal. He has caught 60 passes on the season
Clayton has caught 4+ passes in eight straight games
In the first game against the Falcons, Clayton caught 6 passes for 90 yards and a score
WR Joe Jurevicius has caught nine passes in the last two games

Tennessee Titans (@ Indianapolis)

The Titans are 10-10 lifetime against the Colts
The Titans lost 31 to 17 against the Colts earlier this season
The team is averaging 125.3 rushing yards and 203.2 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 115.3 rushing yards and 196.5 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 18.8 points per game and surrendering 22.1
QB Steve McNair finally looked like his old self last week. He completed 73.5% of his passes and tossed 3 touchdowns
In relief of injured running back Chris Brown over the last two weeks, Antowain Smith has carried the ball 45 times for 185 yards and scored once
WR Derrick Mason has been terrific once again in 2004. He is on pace to catch 102 passes for 1212 yards
WR Drew Bennett has caught at least four passes in seven games this season
TE Erron Kinney had the first multiple-touchdown game of his NFL career last week

Washington Redskins (vs. New York Giants)

The Redskins are 58-82-4 lifetime against the Giants
The Redskins lost the earlier meeting this season 20 to 14
The team is averaging 103.4 rushing yards and 152.8 passing yards per game
The team is are surrendering 91.3 rushing yards and 176.5 passing yards per game
The team is scoring 12.5 points per game and surrendering 17.6
The Redskins are only averaging a miserable 5.11 yards per passing attempt. That is the worst mark in the NFL
The Redskins have only scored two (yes, that’s right two) rushing touchdowns on the season
The Redskins have the 8^th best scoring defense in the NFL but suffer with the NFL’s worst offensive attack (by far)
The Redskins haven’t score more than 18 points in a game all season
Quarterbacks have been inept… Enough said
RB Clinton Portis has begun appearing on the sides of Milk Cartons… Enough said (* 2)
Receivers Laveranues Coles and Rod Gardner have been big disappointments… Enough said (*3)