NFL Week 7 Capsules
SUNDAY'S GAMES
Philadelphia (4-2) at Tennessee (4-2)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Titans -3 Total: 42½
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: Low 80s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: When these teams last met in 2006, the Titans won at Philadelphia 31-13 as a 13-point underdog, their biggest upset since 1984. ... The Eagles' Mike Vick, the league's top-rated passer, won't start (questionable, ribs). The NFL's No. 7 passer, Kevin Kolb, will be the man. ... Tennessee QB Vince Young (questionable, knee/ankle) will be a game-day decision. If he can't go, the Titans will again turn to veteran Kerry Collins. ... The Eagles are without WR DeSean Jackson (concussion), but still have leading WR Jeremy Maclin, who has six TDs. ... RB Chris Johnson caused fantasy hysteria Monday night with his rub-it-in 35-yard touchdown run in the final two minutes of a 30-3 rout of Jacksonville.
■ Analysis: Eagles coach Andy Reid did well masking the shortcomings of his injury-ravaged offensive line with razzle-dazzle plays for Jackson. This week the arsenal is depleted and Philly faces the league's top pass-rushing defense (24 sacks). The Titans should be able to have Kolb throwing off his back foot.
■ Forecast: Titans 24, Eagles 17
Cincinnati (2-3) at Atlanta (4-2)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Falcons -3½ Total: 42½
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: Indoors
■ Facts: Cincinnati lost two straight as a favorite going into last week's bye. ... Coach Mike Smith's Falcons were 3-1 against the spread facing teams after their byes last season. Conversely, teams coming off Week 6 byes the past four seasons are 11-4-1 against the line. ... Cincinnati WR Chad Ochocinco had 12 catches for 159 yards and a TD in Week 1, but has totaled 157 yards and no TDs since. ... Atlanta QB Matt Ryan has fallen from 11th to 17th on the passer charts the past three weeks despite facing two teams ranked in the bottom 10 in defensive passer rating.
■ Analysis: The Falcons fell behind 14-0 at Philadelphia last week and abandoned a running game that had averaged 172 yards the previous four games. In this game, they'll attack a Cincinnati defense that allowed the Bucs' woeful running game 5.7 yards a carry in Week 5.
■ Forecast: Falcons 28, Bengals 14
Jacksonville (3-3) at Kansas City (3-2)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Chiefs -9½ Total: 37½
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: Low 70s, 20 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: Jacksonville QB David Garrard (concussion) is out and backup Trent Edwards (right thumb) is questionable, so the Jaguars might have to use Todd Bouman, a fourth-string QB signed Wednesday. ... The Chiefs lost last week at Houston 35-31 despite rushing for 228 yards. Over the past three seasons, teams are 81-8 when gaining 200-plus on the ground. ... Jacksonville's Josh Scobee is the only perfect kicker on FG tries this season, going 11-for-11. He was 9-for-9 in exhibitions, too.
■ Analysis: Kansas City, which already has held the Nos. 1 and 2 offenses of San Diego and Indianapolis below their averages, now takes a significant drop in class against a wounded Jaguars team, rated 25th offensively and playing away from home on short rest.
■ Forecast: Chiefs 23, Jaguars 7
Pittsburgh (4-1) at Miami (3-2)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Steelers -3 Total: 40½
TV: CBS (8)
■ Weather: Mid-80s, 20 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: Pittsburgh has started 13 drives in enemy territory this season, one off the league lead. Conversely, Miami has gone five games without a short field even once, the longest drought by any team the past two seasons. ... Pittsburgh is embarking on a three-game trip, its first since sweeping through Cincinnati, Indy and Denver during the 2005 postseason. ... Miami is on a four-game home losing streak (0-2 this year), including a season-ending 30-24 defeat to Pittsburgh in 2009. From 1977 to 2002, though, the Dolphins went an NFL-record 26 years without a losing home record. ... Ben Roethlisberger's first career start was at Miami in 2004 in a torrential rain. The Steelers won, 13-3.
■ Analysis: It's a pseudo home game for the Steelers, with their leather-lunged fans likely to drown out the home crowd in South Florida. And, since Miami yielded 20 points to crippled Green Bay last week, a suddenly balanced Pittsburgh attack should maintain control here.
■ Forecast: Steelers 27, Dolphins 17
Washington (3-3) at Chicago (4-2)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Bears -3 Total: 40
TV: Fox (5)
■ Weather: Low 70s, 60 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: The Bears entered last week's game against Seattle with the worst third-down conversion rate in the league over the past 20 years. Then they went 0-for-12. ... QB Donovan McNabb directed Washington on TD drives of 89 and 92 yards against Indianapolis on Sunday. No other team has had TD marches that long in a game this season. ... Chicago was pinned inside its 10 to start five possessions last week, a league high for a game. ... The Bears, along with the Eagles and Cardinals, are the worst at protecting the QB, yet all three teams are at least in a tie for first place in their division.
■ Analysis: Washington DB Carlos Rogers had this to say about the Bears' pass-protection schemes: "They've been leaving holes open everywhere." And if anyone knows what makes Chicago QB Jay Cutler squirm in the pocket, it's his old boss, Redskins coach Mike Shanahan.
■ Forecast: Redskins 29, Bears 21
Cleveland (1-5) at New Orleans (4-2)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Saints -13 Total: 43
RADIO: KXNT-FM (100.5)
■ Weather: Indoors
■ Facts: The new Browns were 0-7 and a 9-point underdog their inaugural year in 1999 when they beat Mike Ditka's host Saints 21-16 on a Hail Mary. New Orleans gave up a Hail Mary to the Giants the week before, too. ... Cleveland rookie QB Colt McCoy is scheduled to make his second start. He completed 69.7 percent last week against Pittsburgh's seventh-rated pass defense. New Orleans' is 16th. ... Backup Saints RB Chris Ivory had a week-high 158 rushing yards against Tampa Bay in Week 6. He'll have to carry the ground load again with Pierre Thomas (ankle) and Reggie Bush (leg) both out.
■ Analysis: The Saints didn't suddenly turn Super on the basis of a 31-6 victory against defensively challenged Tampa Bay. Cleveland is tops in the league in allowing only one rushing TD, and that's New Orleans' primary weakness. Plus, Browns RB Peyton Hillis should find running room up the middle to keep it close.
■ Forecast: Saints 24, Browns 21
Buffalo (0-5) at Baltimore (4-2)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Ravens -13 Total: 40
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: Low 70s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: In the previous 90 years, no 0-5 team has reached the postseason, but one did have a winning record: the 1962 Bills at 7-6-1. ... Baltimore faces a third consecutive passer rated in the top 10; Ryan Fitzpatrick is No. 4. He was 26th last season. ... Buffalo is giving up 182.4 rushing yards per game, the most by any team since 1981. ... Since his four-interception implosion in a Week 2 loss at Cincinnati, Ravens QB Joe Flacco has six touchdown passes and one interception.
■ Analysis: The Bills like to change in midstream. Last summer, they fired their offensive coordinator during the exhibition season. In Week 3 this year, they switched QBs and cut original starter Trent Edwards. Now they used their bye week to institute a return to the 4-3 from their failed 3-4 experiment. Right. That'll change everything.
■ Forecast: Ravens 30, Bills 6
San Francisco (1-5) at Carolina (0-5)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: 49ers -3 Total: 35½
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: High 80s, clear
■ Facts: This is the 49ers' second trip across three time zones for an early Sunday game. West Coast teams in this spot are 14-28 against the spread the past five years, but the 49ers covered at Atlanta in Week 4. ... Carolina used its bye to reintroduce QB Matt Moore as the starter. His passer rating (33.3) is so low that it will improve if he throws nothing but incompletions Sunday. ... Teams off a bye last week were 4-0 ATS. ... San Francisco QB Alex Smith, who has a league-high nine INTs, faces the team with the NFL's top defensive passer rating.
■ Analysis: Carolina's offense has been abysmal since the summer, when the unit didn't produce even one offense TD in four exhibitions. Now its norm of 13 first downs a game is the worst by any team the past five years. San Francisco enjoys this stopover on the way to London.
■ Forecast: 49ers 24, Panthers 10
St. Louis (3-3) at Tampa Bay (3-2)
Time: 10 a.m. Line: Buccaneers -3 Total: 38
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: High 80s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: There have been seven drives of 17-plus plays in the league this year. Two were engineered by St. Louis QB Sam Bradford, including a 17-play march against San Diego's No. 1-rated defense last week. ... Tampa Bay is giving up 5.3 yards per rush, the worst rate in the league the past four seasons. ... The Rams had seven sacks of the Chargers' Philip Rivers last week, the third most by any team this year.
■ Analysis: St. Louis has been gangbusters at home (3-1), but is still seeking its first road win. Bradford should enjoy life in the pocket against a Bucs defense that's not only soft against the run but hasn't gotten to the QB in four of five games this season, a league worst.
■ Forecast: Rams 31, Buccaneers 20
Arizona (3-2) at Seattle (3-2)
Time: 1:05 p.m. Line: Seahawks -6 Total: 40½
RADIO: KXNT-FM (100.5)
■ Weather: Mid 50s, 70 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: Arizona free-agent rookie QB Max Hall makes his first road start. The other three rookie starters this year were 2-1 ATS in their first road games. ... This is the first time in four years the Seahawks are playing a team coming off a bye. ... The Cardinals have committed a turnover on their opening possession three times. ... The Seahawks haven't yielded 100 yards rushing in a game this season. In their final 10 games last season, foes reached 100 eight times.
■ Analysis: Hall got a lot of high-fives after his first start, a stunning 30-20 upset of New Orleans. But Arizona generated only 194 yards of total offense. It will be interesting to see how he handles the signal calling in the rain while Seattle's fans scream themselves hoarse.
■ Forecast: Seahawks 28, Cardinals 10
New England (4-1) at San Diego (2-4)
Time: 1:15 p.m. Line: Chargers -3 Total: 47½
TV/RADIO: CBS (8), KWWN (1100 AM, 98.9 FM)
■ Weather: Mid-60s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: For the fourth straight game, the enemy QB against the Patriots set a season high for completion percentage last week, but New England prevailed against Baltimore, 23-20 in OT. This week the Patriots face the league's No. 3 passer, Philip Rivers. ... WR Deion Branch returned to the Patriots and made nine catches for 98 yards in his first game. In four-plus seasons with Seattle, he never had that many receptions in a game. ... With Chargers kicker Nate Kaeding out (groin), Kris Brown was signed. He missed a league-high 11 FG tries last year with Houston.
■ Analysis: San Diego's passing game is hobbled. The team's leader in receiving yards, Malcom Floyd, is doubtful (hamstring) and TE Antonio Gates, with an NFL-high seven TD catches, is questionable (toe). Plus they have a retread kicker. So, what chance does San Diego coach Norv Turner have of outwitting Bill Belichick?
■ Forecast: Patriots 28, Chargers 21
Oakland (2-4) at Denver (2-4)
Time: 1:15 p.m. Line: Broncos -8 Total: 41½
TV/RADIO: None
■ Weather: Mid-60s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: In last year's meeting at Denver, the Raiders won 20-19 as a 14-point underdog, gouging the Broncos for 241 rushing yards. ... The Raiders have failed to score a TD the past 18 times they began a drive in enemy territory. ... Denver is 22-8 in the series since 1995, but the Raiders had a 24-2-2 advantage from 1963 to 1977. ... Oakland might resort to Plan C at QB with Kyle Boller because Bruce Gradkowski (right shoulder) and Jason Campbell (knee) are both questionable.
■ Analysis: Boller was a laughingstock playing in relief for St. Louis last year and has been blistered on TV by his former coach, Brian Billick, who hinted Boller passes as if wearing a blindfold. If Oakland turns to Campbell, it's not much of an upgrade. His passer rating last week was 10.7. How bad is that? Think JaMarcus Russell, then subtract about 30 points.
■ Forecast: Broncos 34, Raiders 14
Minnesota (2-3) at Green Bay (3-3)
Time: 5:20 p.m. Line: Packers -3 Total: 44
TV/RADIO: NBC (3), KBAD-AM (920)
■ Weather: Low 60s, 60 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: Brett Favre and the Vikings had only 188 yards of total offense in a 24-21 victory over Dallas last week, their puniest total since 2006 when they had 104 in a 9-7 loss to Favre's Packers at Green Bay. ... Minnesota's leading receiver, Percy Harvin, who returned the second-half kickoff for a TD last week, is probable despite a hamstring injury. ... Green Bay yielded a league-high 51 sacks last year, 14 by Minnesota. The Packers have given up 14 total this season. ... Green Bay was 63-9 in the regular season at home from 1994 to 2002, but has gone 33-26 since.
■ Analysis: Favre (probable, ankle/elbow) has been a relative albatross to Minnesota's offense compared to last year, but luckily RB Adrian Peterson keeps bringing his "A" game. He should be the difference in a game against a team that's missing too many weapons.
■ Forecast: Vikings 20, Packers 14
MONDAY'S GAME
New York Giants (4-2) at Dallas (1-4)
Time: 5:30 p.m. Line: Cowboys -3 Total: 44
TV/RADIO: ESPN (30), KWWN (1100 AM, 98.9 FM)
■ Weather: High 80s, 10 percent chance of rain
■ Facts: New York, despite a plus-4 turnover edge, needed a last-second FG to beat Dallas 33-31 last year in the opener of JerryWorld. Teams at plus-4 are 40-0 since 2008. ... Over Dallas' past three games, former bust Roy Williams has five TD receptions, three off his career high for a season. ... Dallas, on a two-game skid, hasn't lost three straight since the final three games of the Bill Parcells era in 2007. ... At Dallas' current pace, it will tie Kansas City's league mark with 158 penalties this season.
■ Analysis: In the past two weeks, Dallas opponents had an average starting field position at their 40. That's unlikely to happen a third-straight game. Plus, much like in the Cowboys' victory over high-flying Houston in Week 3, Dallas should respond to its desperate status with gusto.
■ Forecast: Cowboys 30, Giants 16
Last week: 7-5-1 vs. spread; 9-5 straight up
Season total: 47-38-4 (.553) vs. spread; 54-36 (.600) straight up
