– NFL Preview –

Chargers-Ravens

• A very tough road game for San Diego….Bolts final 5-games are second toughest slate in NFL….San Diego faces opponents with combined record (38-18).
• Bolts had 5-game win streak early in year against teams combined record (16-36)….Big question-how will shaky San Diego OL hold up against Ravens very big-very physical defensive front.
• Chris Watt becomes fourth different starting OC this year for Philip Rivers….Chargers will have to block pass rushers Terrell Suggs-Elvis Dumervil….interior OL must hold up against massive DTs Hloti Ngata-Terrance Cody-Chris Canty.
• Baltimore secondary thin because of injuries….Chargers defense played tough against subpar Raiders-Rams offenses…QB-Joe Flacco mad bomber throwing down field…Has big play WRs-Torrie Smith (17YPC)-Steve Smith (15YPC) and TE-Owen Daniel, plus RB-Justin Forsett (5.8YPC).
• Can Chargers run the ball with Ryan Mathews? Can they protect Rivers from the edge rushers? Will blitz package led by Dwight Freeney bother Flacco; can San Diego take Forsett out of game and make Ravens throw the ball?  Bolts open critical part of the schedule and get beat.

Denver-Kansas City

• It does not get any better than this, in fight for lst place in AFC-West, and home field advantage…Peyton Manning (34TD) passes will have to hold up against Chiefs elite pass rush (31QBX)…Broncos have OL problems, will try to run ball with CJ Anderson to slow down the rush…Manning is (5-0) vs Chiefs since signing in Denver.
• Kansas City’s RB-Jamal Charles will try to play ball control to keep Manning off the field…KC playing with heavy heart with loss of S-Eric Berry to possible cancer surgery.
• Chiefs can make statement about winning AFC-West with a win here, and still to come season ending game vs Chargers…Manning can light up defenses, but has had problems with substandard pass blocking four games in a row…Broncos find a way to win in a very tough game.

New England-Green Bay

• What a matchup…Tom Brady-vs-Aaron Rodgers….Equally interesting will be the RB-matchup of Shane Vereen-LeGarrett Blount-Jonas Gray vs Eddie Lacy…Pats big secondary led by Revis-Browner will try to smother WR-Jordy Nelson….Patriots are on a roll and could win a shootout.

Arizona-Atlanta

• Cardinals need a win to stay ahead of pack in chase for overall home field advantage in NFC….WR-Larry Fitzgerald still uncertain with knee strain…QB-Drew Stanton needs strong game…Falcons in freefall with little help for QB-Matt Ryan….Cardinals win this to to to (10-2),

Saints-Steelers

• QB-Drew Brees playing on a battered football team-now has to go on road after New Orleans lost 3-in row at Kingdome…Steelers on a mission to pull away from rest of AFC-North….Pittsburgh gets help with as many as 4-defensive players coming off injuries, including Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor…Steelers win and Saints leave with stunning (4-8) record.

Redskins-Colts

• Andrew Luck and high powered passing game go after wreckage that is Washington secondary…QB-Colt McCoy back in lineup after firestorm of controversy over poor play of QB-Robert Griffin III, benched after going (0-3) as starter..Coach Jay Gurdon under fire too….Redskins will drop to (3-9) when this over.

Texans-Titans

• Houston starts BE-Ryan Fitzpatrick after season ending loss to impressive backup Ryan Mallet….Titans, strong on paper, but poor on field, stay with Zach Mettenberger at QB-but little else seems to be working…Houston wins.

Browns-Bills

• Huge game for Buffalo after last weekends hammer-job win over the Jets….Browns need win to stay in first place fight…Bills on outside right now in wildcard playoff face and running out of time.
• WR-Josh Gordon had huge game first outing back from drug suspension…QB-Bryan Hoyer goes against really aggressive Buffalo defense….Browns will survive this and win.

Giants-Jaguars

• Neither sideline is very happy right now…Eli Manning throwing for big yardage games, but still throwing picks…Jacksonville QB-Blake Bortels getting sacked, making mistakes, turning ball over at alarming rate….Giants win.

Bengals-Bucs

• Andy Dalton cannot afford a road letdown in this game…Cincinnati getting injured people back in lineup…Bucs having all sorts of offensive problems…RB-Doug Martin looks like half the player he was as a rookie..QB-Josh McCown nothing special at QB….Cincinnati wins.

Raiders-Rams

• Oakland is playing really hard for interim coach Tony Sporano, though sacks and picks are up the last couple of weeks with QB-Derek Carr showing signs of fatigue and batterings….RB-Latavius Murray may be the key guy to help offense if cleared from concussion….Rams playing very well on defense will likely make this a fiel goal kicking contest…Raiders might win again.

Carolina-Minnesota

• On paper, this would be fun to watch, Cam Newton-vs-Teddy Bridgewater…but neither team has done much around its QBs…think Vikings, who have played a bunch of close games, pull this one out.

Dolphins-Jets

• QB-Geno Smith returns as starter, but all the flash of growth last year, seems gone…Turnovers-sacks-bad decisions throwing into coverage’s, he has regressed….Miami still with feint hopes of staying in playoff race, gets this done against emotionally worn out Jets team.

– Thursday Night Football –

Eagles-W-Cowboys (33-10)

• RB-LeSean McCoy (159R)…QB-Mark Sanchez (210P-TD)…Philadelphia defense 4-QBX-2 picks of Tony Romo…Cowboys gave up nearly 300-yards in lst half-looks burned out-never got back into game…Eagles take over lst place in NFC-East (9-3)…two teams meet against in 17-days.

Seahawks-W-49ers (19-3)

• Legion of Boom defense drops hammer on San Francisco…Richard Sherman 2-interceptions…Seahawks defense 4-sacks..held 49ers (164Y-offense)….QB-Colin Kaeperneck held (75P) thru 3-quasrters..finished (121P)…Seattle (8-4)…Niners (7-5)-might miss playoffs.

Lions-W-Bears (34-17)

• Detroit QB-Matthew Stafford lets it rip (390Y) passing and 3-TDs….Lions defense chews up QB-Jay Cutler 2-interceptions-2 QBX-lots of pressure…Lions go to (8-4) to stay in playoff race.