NFL Week 10 Capsules
SUNDAY'S GAMES
Cincinnati (2-6) at Indianapolis (5-3)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Colts -7 Total: 47
TV: CBS (8)
■ Weather: Indoors
■ Facts: The Bengals are a league-worst 3-13 against the spread since Week 11 last season after opening 7-2 ATS in 2009. The Colts are 13-5 ATS in the same stretch, including their run to the Super Bowl. ... Cincinnati will be without OLT Andre Smith (broken foot). Meanwhile, QB Carson Palmer (probable, shoulder) avoided throwing during midweek practices. ... Indianapolis set an NFL season high with eight first downs on its final TD drive at Philadelphia last week. ... The Colts have allowed four rushers to reach 100 yards, tied for the league high. Cincinnati's main RB, Cedric Benson, hasn't surpassed 70 yards in his past three games.
■ Analysis: The Bengals surely are demoralized after their season-wrecking, close-call home loss to Pittsburgh on Monday night and now face a hard-rushing Colts team at noisy Lucas Oil Stadium. It could make for high drama on the chaotic sideline for 85 and T.O.
■ Forecast: Colts 27, Bengals 13
Houston (4-4) at Jacksonville (4-4)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Jaguars -1½ Total: 49½
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: Mid-70s, clear
■ Facts: Under coach Jack Del Rio, the Jaguars are 2-5 against the line after byes, including a 27-7 road loss to the Texans as a 9-point favorite in 2006. Jacksonville will be without DE Aaron Kampman (ACL). ... Teams coming off byes were 6-0 last week (3-2-1 ATS), but in 2009, clubs that had Week 9 off were 1-5 the next week (1-4-1 ATS). ... Houston has allowed at least 24 points in nine straight games, but that streak is well off the NFL record of 15 by the Packers from 1950 to 1952. ... The Texans had four drives of 10-plus plays last week against the Chargers' No. 1-ranked defense, but still lost 29-23. ... Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew had the third-most productive game of his five-year career with 135 rushing yards against Dallas two weeks ago.
■ Analysis: Until its 35-17 victory over self-destructing Dallas, Jacksonville had a minus-10 turnover differential in its previous three games. This team is too clumsy with the ball to give points to a desperate Houston club that faces a meat-grinder schedule of five straight winning teams from Weeks 11 to 15.
■ Forecast: Texans 31, Jaguars 27
Tennessee (5-3) at Miami (4-4)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Titans -1½ Total: 43
RADIO: KWWN (1100 AM, 98.9 FM)
■ Weather: Low 80s
■ Facts: It's out with the new and in with the old for Miami, which benched third-year QB Chad Henne for 34-year-old Chad Pennington, who will be shooting for his second Comeback Player of the Year award since 2008. ... Titans QB Vince Young (questionable, ankle) is expected to play. ... The Dolphins face a team coming off a bye for the second straight week. Miami was a 26-10 loser at Baltimore last Sunday. ... Newly acquired Titans WR Randy Moss is expected to stretch the field for last year's rushing champion, Chris Johnson. However, with Minnesota, Adrian Peterson averaged 4.0 a carry with Moss on the team, 5.6 without him.
■ Analysis: The Dolphins actually weren't that miserable against the Ravens, considering they had a 17-yard disadvantage in average starting field position (39-22). Their hard-charging pass rush could cause troubles for Young or immobile Kerry Collins.
■ Forecast: Dolphins 21, Titans 16
Minnesota (3-5) at Chicago (5-3)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Vikings -1 Total: 40½
TV/RADIO: Fox (5), KXNT-FM (100.5)
■ Weather: High 40s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: In Week 12 last year, the host Vikings had 537 yards of total offense and ran 45 more plays than the Bears in a 36-10 victory. ... The bell cow of the Bears' offensive line, center Olin Kreutz, is questionable (hamstring). ... Minnesota's Brett Favre threw for 539 yards last week, but only 446 to his own guys. Now he faces the NFL's second-rated pass defense. ... In the Vikings' 27-24 overtime win against Arizona last week, the Cardinals' average starting field position was their 17, matching the worst by any team the past two seasons. But the Vikings still didn't cover.
■ Analysis: Although Minnesota matched its season sack total with six against Arizona, the guys on TV said the Cardinals' center was tipping the snap count. That won't happen again. Plus, the Vikings won't be playing on a carpet this week. Also, WR/KR Percy Harvin (questionable, migraines) is in agony again.
■ Forecast: Bears 21, Vikings 17
Detroit (2-6) at Buffalo (0-8)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Bills -3 Total: 44
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: Mid-50s, 30 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: Something's gotta give: The Lions have lost 24 in a row on the road; the Bills are the last winless team in 2010. ... Teams with 0-8 records have gone 15-8-1 against the spread the past 35 years. ... Detroit has eight TD drives of 80-plus yards, tied for most in the NFL, but is again without QB Matthew Stafford (shoulder). Shaun Hill takes over after healing from a broken arm. He was 4-1 ATS during his previous relief stint. ... Buffalo got a push against Chicago last week at Toronto despite a minus-2 turnover margin.
■ Analysis: In some ways, Detroit's situation mirrors that of the Cowboys. Last week, when the Lions lost their starting QB -- maybe for the season -- they frittered away a late 10-point lead and lost in overtime. Now they're facing a team that likely won't have a better chance for a victory this season.
■ Forecast: Bills 35, Lions 21
New York Jets (6-2) at Cleveland (3-5)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Jets -3 Total: 37½
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: High 50s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: Cleveland is 5-4 straight up as an underdog dating to the end of last season, including last week's 34-14 victory over New England. ... Jets QB Mark Sanchez has his team tied for the best record in the AFC despite having the worst completion percentage (53.6) among qualifying passers. ... Browns RB Peyton Hillis had 184 rushing yards against a Pats defense that hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher all season. ... Cleveland coach Eric Mangini gets to face the team that fired him after the 2008 season. Last week he beat the team he left willingly after 2005.
■ Analysis: For the second straight season, the Jets have come out of their bye flat, being shut out by Green Bay on Oct. 31 and barely beating Detroit. As long as Hillis' name isn't on the injury report and QB Colt McCoy gets to take snaps, it's OK to get behind the 3-5 team.
■ Forecast: Browns 24, Jets 20
Carolina (1-7) at Tampa Bay (5-3)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Buccaneers -7 Total: 36½
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: High 70s, clear
■ Facts: Tampa Bay has a league-low six sacks this season, but four came in a 20-7 victory at Carolina in Week 2. ... Panthers QB Jimmy Clausen is the starter again after Matt Moore's season-ending shoulder injury. Clausen leads the league in subterranean passer ratings with three (39.6 or below). ... The Bucs went a league-record 31 straight years without returning a kickoff for a TD, but have returned one in each of the past four seasons. ... Carolina is the runaway leader in giveaways with 25. ... Fourth-string RB Mike Goodson is the likely starter for the Panthers.
■ Analysis: What a mess in Carolina. Coach John Fox is checking want ads while fielding a backfield that couldn't start for some Mountain West Conference teams. Plus, it probably wasn't good for team confidence that Clausen says the speed of the game often bewilders him.
■ Forecast: Buccaneers 30, Panthers 9
Kansas City (5-3) at Denver (2-6)
Time: 1:05 p.m. Line: Chiefs -1 Total: 43
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: Low 40s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: Kansas City is favored at Denver for only the second time since 1976. ... The Broncos lost to the visiting Chiefs 44-24 in the season finale last year as a 10-point favorite, the most lopsided loss by a double-digit pick the past two seasons. ... Kansas City's streak of three consecutive games with 200-plus yards rushing ended last week at Oakland. The last team with such a run was the Giants in 2008. ... The Chiefs committed 15 penalties last week, the second most by any team this year.
■ Analysis: The Broncos, off a bye, reportedly have their offensive line they way they like it. Also, starting RB Knowshon Moreno has declared himself healthy. Not to mention, Kansas City's short-yardage offense has gotten stagnant, going 0-for-5 on third-and-1 plays last week.
■ Forecast: Broncos 28, Chiefs 23
Dallas (1-7) at N.Y. Giants (6-2)
Time: 1:15 p.m. Line: Giants -14 Total: 45½
TV: Fox (5)
■ Weather: Low 60s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: The Cowboys play their first game under interim coach Jason Garrett, who replaces Wade Phillips, who was fired Monday after the team's fifth straight loss. ... Dallas hasn't been this big an underdog since 2001. ... The Cowboys' season was turned upside down Oct. 25 in its 41-35 home loss to the Giants, when QB Tony Romo's clavicle was broken. New York erased a 13-point deficit against QB Jon Kitna, now the league's 29th-ranked passer. ... Since 2000, teams are 4-9 against the spread in their first games under new coaches, 2-11 straight up. ... Double-digit favorites are 3-7 ATS this season.
■ Analysis: Twelve QBs have had a single-game passer rating of 130-plus this season, with three coming against Dallas, whose defensive passer rating mark of 109.1 is the worst in the league. Eli Manning should find comfort in that, no matter how rah-rah Dallas' defense suddenly gets.
■ Forecast: Giants 38, Cowboys 17
St. Louis (4-4) at San Francisco (2-6)
Time: 1:15 p.m. Line: 49ers -6 Total: 38
RADIO: KXNT-FM (100.5)
■ Weather: Mid-60s, clear
■ Facts: The Rams, who share the NFC West lead with Seattle, were the second-biggest long shot to win a division (20-1) according to the Venetian two days before the season opener. ... 49ers QB Troy Smith gets his second start after rallying his team past Denver in London two weeks ago. ... St. Louis begins a stretch of four of five games on the road, where it has lost six straight dating to last year (3-3 ATS). ... San Francisco's Frank Gore has the longest current streak of 100-yard-plus rushing games with three. St. Louis, meanwhile, held Tampa Bay to 25 rushing yards before the bye, the NFL's fifth puniest total all season.
■ Analysis: Both teams are returning from a week off, but the 49ers needed the break more after the preseason West favorites staggered through the first half of the season. Maybe coach Mike Singletary is right saying he believes his team can still win the division. That's the 49ers' motivation in this game.
■ Forecast: 49ers 20, Rams 10
Seattle (4-4) at Arizona (3-5)
Time: 1:15 p.m. Line: Cardinals -3 Total: 41½
RADIO: KWWN (1100 AM, 98.9 FM)
■ Weather: Mid-70s, clear
■ Facts: Seattle is coming off consecutive losses of 30-plus points, which hadn't happened to a team since the Giants checked out early in Weeks 16 and 17 last season. At least the Seahawks get back QB Matt Hasselbeck (concussion). ... The Cardinals have eight nonoffensive TDs, twice as many as any other team. ... Seattle ran a league season-low 37 plays last week in its 41-7 home loss to the Giants, 42 fewer than New York. ... Arizona was outgained 250 yards to minus-9 while blowing a late 24-10 lead at Minnesota last week.
■ Analysis: A key for the Seahawks, besides the return of their QB and OLT Russell Okung, is that they get back DT Brandon Mebane (calf) after a four-game absence. Seattle was third-best in rushing yards allowed (72.8) through Week 4, but yielded 152.5 per game while Mebane was out and plummeted to 14th on the charts.
■ Forecast: Seahawks 28, Cardinals 14
New England (6-2) at Pittsburgh (6-2)
Time: 5:20 p.m. Line: Steelers -4½ Total: 45
TV/RADIO: NBC (3), KWWN (1100 AM, 98.9 FM)
■ Weather: Low 60s, 30 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: Since the Patriots released WR Randy Moss after Week 4, QB Tom Brady (probable, right shoulder, foot) has dropped from second to sixth in the passer ratings. ... In 2004, the 6-0 Patriots lost at Pittsburgh 34-20, tying a league record with only six rushes. ... Pittsburgh has started a league-high 21 drives in enemy territory, twice more than all of last year. ... The Patriots signed kicker Shayne Graham to replace Stephen Gostkowski (IR). Graham was let go by Cincinnati after missing 28- and 35-yard field goals tries in last year's playoffs.
■ Analysis: Pittsburgh returns from a three-game road trip with the left side of its offensive line in tatters. Tackle Max Starks is out (neck) and guard Chris Kemoeatu is doubtful (knee/ankle). With Ben Roethlisberger already a sack magnet, his propensity to throw with defenders hanging on him could prove costly.
■ Forecast: Patriots 23, Steelers 20
MONDAY'S GAME
Philadelphia (5-3) at Washington (4-4)
Time: 5:30 p.m. Line: Eagles -3 Total: 42½
TV/RADIO: ESPN (30), KWWN (1100 AM, 98.9 FM)
■ Weather: High 50s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: In Washington's 17-12 victory at Philadelphia in Week 4, former Eagles QB Donovan McNabb was 8-for-19, matching the fewest completions for a team all season. ... Eagles RB LeSean McCoy has 41 receptions, and 12 (for 110 yards) came against the Redskins. ... The last time Washington coach Mike Shanahan faced the Eagles, in 2005 while with Denver, his Broncos won 49-21, the second most points in franchise history. Those Eagles didn't have QB Mike Vick and WR DeSean Jackson.
■ Analysis: Shanahan showed his lack of faith in McNabb when he benched him late in the Redskins' last game. With top RBs Clinton Portis (groin) and Ryan Torain (hamstring) both limited during practice, the rushing load could fall on rookie Keiland Williams. Doesn't look good for Washington.
■ Forecast: Eagles 33, Redskins 21
Last week: 5-7-1 vs. spread; 8-5 straight up
Season totals: 66-59-5 (.528) vs. spread; 75-55 (.577) straight up
