Denver (6-7) @ Houston (6-7): pick DEN +1.5/over 46

 

The loser of this game definitely has their playoff flame extinguished and the winner will have just a light flicker. The Broncos blew their chances on the road this season with a 2-4 record including three losses by at least two touchdowns. The Texans have had some injuries, but ultimately couldn’t handle Tennessee. Those two losses are the difference between being in one of the wild card slots and hoping for a miracle. First they have to sweep which includes a trip next week to Indianapolis and home finale against Jacksonville who beat them 37-17 the first time around. Then they either need two losses by either the Jags (at Pittsburgh, Oakland) or the Browns (at Cincinnati, San Francisco). Good luck with that. I love that Denver didn’t quit as evidenced by their 41-7 trashing of Kansas City last week, but other than a prior win over those Chiefs at Arrowhead they hadn’t won on the road since their opening day field goal antics in Buffalo. Houston has been very good at home all year at 4-2 with two close losses to Indianapolis (30-24) and Tennessee (38-36). They have been horrible running the ball with a 3.6 average rush, third worst in the NFL, but face the defense allowing the third highest average (4.5). At best Ron Dayne might muster some anger against the team who gave him just 53 carries during his one year stint with them in 2005. On the other side it’s Selvin Young back in the state of Texas, fresh off his best game as a pro running against an equally weak run defense with an offense that ranks behind only Minnesota in average rush (4.6). It will be on Rosenfels for the Texans to stay in this game. The passing offenses are both in the top 12 while the pass defenses are both in the bottom 10 where QB ratings are concerned. Cutler has been pretty hot lately and with the better running game supporting him it is hard to bet against him. Both teams have a propensity for giving up points. Seven times Houston has allowed 26+ even though only two of them came at home. Six times Denver has given up 28+ with four of those on the road. In a shootout take the balanced offense: Denver 31, Houston 27 – ACTUAL: HOUSTON 31, DENVER 13 (L, L, L)

 

Cincinnati (5-8) @ San Francisco (3-10): pick CIN -8/over 42

 

It has been a disastrous season for the Bengals who can’t buy a win on the road. They are 1-5 and even while beating Baltimore they didn’t score a touchdown. In the five losses they allowed at least 24 points with an average of 31.8. The 49ers were once great at home even during their recent down seasons. After opening with a win, they have lost their last five while scoring a grand total of 36 points. Does the movable object or the resistible force win out? Both passing defenses have been torched, ranking in the bottom 6 for QB rating and bottom 10 for TD passes allowed. The difference is that San Francisco has the fourth fewest interceptions (10) and must deal with an elite quarterback in Carson Palmer. The Bengals will be facing Shaun Hill, better known as the guy who wasn’t drafted and made his NFL regular season debut last week. The kid was sharp going 22/27. Now he has to do it with the pressure of coming into the week as their starter and for a team with the worst passing game in the league. One area the 49ers can smile about is their run defense. They have the sixth lowest average rush against (3.8) despite facing the third most rushes in the NFL. The Bengals have the seventh worst average (3.7) and will definitely not run them over. On the other hand San Francisco has to run just to survive. Frank Gore hasn’t followed up his breakout 2006 season and part of the blame could be in their play calling. He has just one game with over 16 carries since week 3. The Bengals are a more talented team and will be more interested in finishing up the season strong. The 49ers just want to go home: Cincinnati 27, San Francisco 17

 

Seattle (9-4) @ Carolina (5-8): pick SEA -7/over 37

 

It was just two seasons ago these teams were playing for a trip to the Super Bowl. The Panthers are realistically out of the playoff hunt thanks to losing quarterback Jake Delhomme early in the season and not getting what they might have expected from free agent David Carr. Obviously Vinny Testaverde wasn’t going to save their season although he has shown well for himself at 44 years old. Things are so bad that if Matt Moore were to get back into the mix and throw for 334 yards he would be their fourth quarterback to pass for 500+ yards this season. On the other side the Seahawks are a serious dark horse to win the NFC again. After starting 3-3 their only loss was a 33-30 heartbreaker in Cleveland. This won’t really be a road game for them because the Panthers are terrible at home having finally won on their turf two weeks ago against San Francisco. Worse yet, four times they have lost by two touchdowns. Hasselbeck is having a career year and has thrown for at least 249 yards in four of six road games during what has been a career year. The Panthers shouldn’t provide much resistance with an NFL low 16 sacks and middle of the pack pass defense. That won’t be the case for Testaverde. He will be roughed up by Kerney who is on a tear in the sack department leading the team to the second highest total (41). Seattle also has by far the lowest QB rating allowed (67.7) with the second most interceptions (20) in the NFL. Carolina’s only chance is to pound their two backs against an average run defense. However, Foster has just one game with over 94 yards rushing all year despite nine outings with 17+ rushes. Williams has been mostly an afterthought with no more than 7 carries in six of their past seven games although his average (4.8) is far better than Foster (3.6). Seattle will struggle to run against this defense as clearly Shaun Alexander is not close to his former MVP form. Still, they have the balance and will win the battle of field position. With Baltimore and a trip to Atlanta up next there is no reason to believe the Seahawks won’t quietly finish 12-4: Seattle 24, Carolina 16

 

Buffalo (7-6) @ Cleveland (8-5): pick CLE -5/over 39.5

 

It is definitely surprising to see this game have such an impact on the AFC wild card race. The Browns can almost punch their ticket with a win while the Bills will at least remain in the hunt if they can get it done on the road. So far Buffalo has had issues away from home against good teams. Games against Pittsburgh, New England and Jacksonville have produced losses by an average score of 33-8. Their wins were over struggling New York (Jets) Miami and Washington by a mere 14-10 tally. Cleveland has to be happy with their position. They have not lost at home since week 1, a 34-7 trashing against Pittsburgh. Their wins are by an average of 36-27 so fans certainly are getting their money’s worth if they like scoring. In a season with a lot of great quarterback play Derek Anderson has hung in there with the more proven stars of the league. He is ninth in yards passing and fourth in touchdown passes behind only Brady, Romo and Peyton Manning. Fans must be wondering why the team drafted Brady Quinn after watching him average 263 yards passing on this field thus far with 2.17 touchdown passes against 1.0 turnovers. He has taken just 11 sacks total on the season, second fewest among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts. Buffalo counters with rookie Trent Edwards who is proving to be a winner despite coming off a habitually losing college team at Stanford. The numbers are never spectacular, but he avoids mistakes. The past two games he hasn’t been sacked or turned it over. Neither secondary is very good and Cleveland has allowed an NFL high 27 touchdown passes. Part of the blame falls on their pass rush as both are in the bottom 8 for sacks. The Browns also have issues stopping the run with the second worst rushing average allowed (4.6) while the Bills are eleventh (4.2). Cleveland has Jamal Lewis going well with an average of 22 rushes for 102 yards over the past four games with 3 touchdowns. Buffalo has gotten a surprise lift from Fred Jackson’s 31 carries for 197 yards over the past two weeks. There will be scoring, and it comes down to which team avoids mistakes while striking for big plays. I like the home field advantage plus the team with stability in the backfield: Cleveland 32, Buffalo 26

 

Tennessee (7-6) @ Kansas City (4-9): pick TEN -3.5/over 34

 

Both teams are in a free fall. The Chiefs have lost all six games since entering the bye leading the AFC West at 4-3, giving up 26.3 points per game in the process. The Titans have lost four of their past five including three by at least two touchdowns, but are still very much alive for a wild card. Their slump has proven that Young can throw with his streak of four games with 246+ yards snapped last week against San Diego. Unfortunately that hasn’t translated into more scoring with a 16.8 average in the past five compared to 20.6 over their first eight. They want to run the ball, but LenDale White has been inconsistent in his quest to become the full time feature back. Chris Brown hasn’t been healthy enough to have a bigger impact and rookie Chris Henry is suspended. The shuffling has led to a middle of the pack average per rush (4.0, #15) even as they stand fourth with 133.5 yards per game. In this one Kansas City offers little resistance with the fourth highest average rush allowed (4.4). On the other side the Chiefs haven’t run a lick this season ranking dead last in average (3.2) and yards per game (80.2). Tennessee’s run defense is solid now that Haynesworth is back on the field. Asking Croyle to bail them out by passing the ball is unrealistic. He has yet to pass for 170 yards and faces a secondary allowing the fourth lowest QB rating (73.7). The Titans have the fourth most interceptions (18) and ninth most sacks (32). All signs point to another Kansas City loss. Not even Arrowhead can save this team. They have lost four in a row here. Tennessee has been decent on the road at 3-3 although they have lost three of their past four. This is a bad team and Vince Young should easily lead them to victory: Tennessee 24, Kansas City 14

 

Baltimore (4-9) @ Miami (0-13): pick BAL -3/under 38.5

 

The Dolphins have a golden opportunity to avoid history. The Ravens have lost seven in a row while allowing 32.5 points per game in six outings since their bye week. Miami has scored only 57 points in their past six and allowed 78 in their last pair of losses and lacks the weapons to take advantage. Cleo Lemon is back at quarterback and he probably gives them a better shot at victory. Samkon Gado is the new face in the backfield after scoring both of the team’s touchdowns during last week’s 38-17 loss to Buffalo. He’s not going anywhere against a defense giving up an NFL best 2.8 yards per carry. On the other hand Willis McGahee has a homecoming running on a group allowing the fourth highest average (4.4) sparking most experts to believe LSU defensive tackle Glen Dorsey will be their #1 pick in the draft. In three previous trips the former Hurricane has been a workhorse if not spectacular with an average of 25 carries for 88 yards and no touchdowns. At quarterback Kyle Boller will be trying to prove he can lead this team into the future now that it appears Steve McNair is done. In his last four games he has averaged 19/31 passing (63%) for 203 yards with a total of 5 touchdowns against 9 turnovers. He will have a chance to excel against a weak secondary allowing opposing quarterbacks the third highest QB rating (92.9). After closer analysis the Dolphins really don’t have much of a chance after all. For all their woes the Ravens have scored 22.0 points over their last four. I like that average: Baltimore 22, Miami 12

 

NY Jets (3-10) @ New England (13-0): pick NE -21.5/under 52

 

From the weather to Spygate to the Patriot “pursuit of perfection” (thanks for that ESPN) this game has more storylines than one would expect from what should be a blowout. On opening day New England blasted New York 38-14, holding them to 227 total yards. Other than sweeping Miami the Jets have just one victory all year, a 19-16 upset of Pittsburgh last month. The Patriots shook off two near upsets to blow by those same Steelers 34-13 last week. Quite frankly the snow could throw a lot of the statistics out the window. New England passes 57% of the time, but probably won’t be able to do that in these conditions. It doesn’t matter. They are more than capable of unleashing Maroney running the ball. He hasn’t run more than 15 times in a game since September, but that will change this week. New York has the seventh highest rushing average allowed (4.3) tied with New England. The Jets might make some headway there, especially aided by the snow, because Thomas Jones has played much better lately. Throwing out his game in Dallas on a short week he has averaged 26 carries for 99 yards in three of his past four. However, as a team they average just 3.7 yards per carry, seventh lowest in the NFL. This won’t be a pretty game and it won’t live up to the hype of some predicting an outlandish rout. If the conditions were different New England probably wins something like 45-10. Bad weather typically levels the playing field. Since the Patriots are at home it doesn’t level it nearly as much: New England 35, NY Jets 6

 

Arizona (6-7) @ New Orleans (6-7): pick NO -3.5/over 46.5

 

Even with losing records this is a game with wild card implications. The Saints can technically still win the NFC South, but Tampa Bay’s magic number is one. The loser here is realistically out meaning this is effectively a playoff game. New Orleans has rallied from their 0-4 start and after this face a pair of 5-8 teams (Philadelphia, at Chicago). A sweep plus any loss by Minnesota puts them back in the playoffs. Arizona’s remaining schedule is even easier as they host two 3-10 teams (St. Louis and Atlanta) but with 6 conference losses they need a little more help. It starts with winning on the road where they are 2-5 and allowing 26.3 points per game. New Orleans is only 2-4 at home where they have been very average even throwing out the nomadic 1-7 record in 2005. They were 10-14 during 2006, 2004 and 2003. One thing they have done lately is score with a 27.7 average in their last ten games. Both teams are tied for eighth with 23 passing touchdowns, but Arizona leads the NFL with 21 interceptions while New Orleans is in the middle (15). Both are in the top 7 for TD passes allowed meaning this should be a shootout. Neither team has had much success running the ball. Arizona has the third worst rushing average (3.6) and New Orleans is close behind (3.7). The Cards have the advantage of veteran lead back James while the Saints are down to Stecker with McAllister and Bush out. Defensively they are also similar with New Orleans sixth in average allowed (3.8) just ahead of Arizona (3.9). The difference is mistakes. Warner threw 5 interceptions last week and was sacked 5 times. His only game without a turnover this season came in his first outing back on September 23. Brees hasn’t turned it over in four of his last ten games while taking just 11 sacks total this season. The Saints are alive: New Orleans 33, Arizona 29

 

Jacksonville (9-4) @ Pittsburgh (9-4): pick PIT -3/under 39

 

The Steelers can beat the Patriots to something this week as they aim for this year’s first 8-0 finish at home. New England can tie that mark next week. The Jaguars have won the last two meetings including a memorable 9-0 blanking on national television early last season. Ultimately that cost Pittsburgh a chance to defend their Super Bowl title. Both teams are looking good for this year’s playoffs although nothing has been decided. The Steelers finish on the road against struggling St. Louis and Baltimore needing two wins total to win the AFC North regardless of what Cleveland does. The Jaguars are sitting in the #1 wild card position, two up on 7-6 Buffalo and Tennessee including an edge in conference record plus a win over the Bills. Winning this game coupled with a loss by the Titans puts them in the dance. Jacksonville wants to run, but Pittsburgh has the third best average against (3.6) with an NFL low 3 rushing touchdowns. The same holds true for the Steelers who will be facing a defense stung by the injury to Marcus Stroud. The similarities continue with efficient passing games. Both are in the top 6 for QB rating around teams led by the likes of Brady, Romo, Favre and Peyton Manning. They also each rank in the top 10 for QB rating allowed although Pittsburgh has the second lowest interception total (8). This game should be hotly contested. The Steelers are really tough to deal with at home though. They have given up a grand total of 64 points on this field (9.1 per game) and almost half of that came in a 31-28 win over rival Cleveland. Jacksonville is 4-2 on the road and on a scoring spree overall. In their last seven the Jags have put up at least 24 with an average of 28.3 over that span. I’m not sure that trend continues against this defense and they have allowed 21 points per game on the road. Willie Parker should take advantage of Stroud being out, a loss that could be felt similar to what Tennessee went through without Haynesworth. At Heinz Field this is no contest and unfortunately for the Steelers they will need to visit either New England or Indianapolis if they want a return trip to the Super Bowl: Pittsburgh 20, Jacksonville 12

 

Green Bay (11-2) @ St. Louis (3-10): pick GB -8/over 44

 

Reports of Favre’s struggles in domes have been greatly exaggerated. In Minnesota and Detroit this year he threw for a combined 725 yards with 5 touchdowns and no interceptions while completing 73.3% of his throws. The last time he failed to pass for 340 yards in a dome was 2005 and he hasn’t thrown for under 200 since way back in 2003. Ironically that effort came exactly one week after his last visit to St. Louis. In that one he was 23/32 for 268 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. This year he takes on a decent Ram secondary and might get into a duel with Bulger if he is healthy. The Packers have given up 20 touchdown passes, ninth most in the NFL, but have held opposing quarterbacks to the second lowest completion percentage (56.5). St. Louis will probably be throwing plenty with an offense averaging 3.6 yards per rush, third lowest in the NFL. Last week Steven Jackson continued his consistent recent showing with another 91 yards rushing, his fourth straight game with 90+. Amazingly Ryan Grant is outperforming him with 111.6 yards rushing on average over the last five weeks. Even with just 6 carries over the first six games he only has to run for 86 yards per game for a 1,000 yard season. His emergence as the feature back has helped them average 33.3 points over their last six. St. Louis has only three games over 20 points this season and probably can’t score with them at this point. The Packers want to secure the #2 seed and keep pressure on the Cowboys for #1. They will take away the fight in the Rams early on: Green Bay 31, St. Louis 20

 

Atlanta (3-10) @ Tampa Bay (8-5): pick TB -13/under 39

 

Things keep getting worse for the Falcons. Their head coach has abandoned them and the leader of their franchise will be behind bars until 2009. Now they travel to face a team just pounded them 31-7 in their stadium. Things don’t look good for them to win another game with playoff contenders Arizona (road) and Seattle (home) left on the schedule. The Bucs have a much different outlook. After sputtering to a 4-12 record in defense of their NFC South title they are one win away from clinching again. Their defense has the third stingiest run defense in yards per carry (3.6) and faces a quarterback who was selling insurance earlier this year. Redman did perform well last week going 23/40 for 298 yards and two touchdowns. His only interception came on a deflected pass. He’s not going to do much against a team giving up just 185.8 yards per game, fourth fewest in the NFL. If the Falcons score a touchdown in this game it could be considered an upset. Meanwhile Tampa Bay should run right at a defense giving up 4.3 yards per carry, seventh most in the NFL. Earnest Graham has come out of nowhere to rush for 88.9 yards per game over the last seven with 6 touchdowns. He needs just 67.3 yards per game to finish with 1,000. Luke McCown forms the other half of this surprise pair of quarterbacks. He has filled in well for Garcia with 579 yards passing in two games while completing 72% of his passes. This game will be much different than those when he passed 38 and 37 times. I expect more like a 20/25 showing and a bunch of rushes from Graham in a walkover win: Tampa Bay 27, Atlanta 3

 

Indianapolis (11-2) @ Oakland (4-9): pick IND -10/under 46

 

It is hard to believe Peyton Manning has never visited the Black Hole. Almost a decade ago he was the #1 pick and the Raiders have said they will at some point unveil the latest #1 pick JaMarcus Russell in this one. They were supposed to put him situations where he can succeed. I’m not sure how facing the team with the second lowest QB rating (72.0) allowed and least amount of yards per game (166.8) qualifies. Oakland’s secondary has been almost as daunting with a slightly higher QB rating (74.2) and NFL low 10 touchdown passes given up. The Raiders have improved this season by running the football. Despite drafting a running back (Michael Bush) signing another (Dominic Rhodes) and coming into the year with a high priced starter (LaMont Jordan) they have been led by Justin Fargas who will go over 1,000 with 80 more yards. When the season is over he will likely have doubled the production of the previous 4 years of his career. The Colts have a decent run defense and I expect them to commit extra men to the line of scrimmage. On the other side Oakland’s defense has allowed an NFL high 4.8 yards per rush. Indianapolis hasn’t gotten much production from Addai lately. He has no more than 72 yards rushing in his last five, but should run him plenty in this game. Dungy wants the path of least resistance and it might run through his former player Warren Sapp. Either way, the Raiders can’t keep up with the Colts who aren’t exactly slowed down by playing outdoors this season. How does a 29.5 scoring average strike you? They are even more potent on the road: Indianapolis 31, Oakland 13

 

Philadelphia (5-8) @ Dallas (12-1): pick DAL -10/under 49.5

 

Last year the Eagles won their last five games including a 23-7 win over the Cowboys as they rallied to win the NFC East. This year Dallas has already clinched the division and Philadelphia is, barring a miracle, out of the playoffs. Their 2-5 home record has ruined them including a 38-17 loss to Dallas. It might be an advantage for them to hit the road where they have won three of their last four. The only loss was the dramatic 31-28 heartbreaker in New England. Dallas has won four in a row at home and has yet to be held under 24 points in a game this season. They are averaging 32.9 points at home. The first time around Dallas got better play at quarterback. Romo completed 80% of his passes to 58.7% for McNabb with a 3-1 edge in touchdown passes. McNabb had two interceptions and was sacked three times while Romo was not sacked and threw only one interception. Neither team could get much going in the running game and it is easy to see why with Philadelphia sixth in yards per carry allowed (3.8) and Dallas close behind (3.9). However, both rank in the top 4 offensively in yards per carry. The slight edge goes to the Cowboys because their backs are more likely to be equally involved. I don’t see Westbrook wearing down a defense the way a combination of Jones and Barber could. Again it should come back to the quarterbacks. McNabb goes up against a team allowing the third lowest QB rating (73.2) with the fourth most interceptions (18) and fourth most sacks (34) in the NFL. Romo has failed to throw multiple touchdown passes just once all season and has just one game with more than one interception. Nine times he has thrown for at least 277 yards setting a pace for 4,497 with 43 touchdowns. He leads the way: Dallas 30, Philadelphia 16

 

Detroit (6-7) @ San Diego (8-5): pick SD -10/over 45.5

 

These teams are heading in different directions and the end of their respective games last week was a great indication. The Lions blew a 27-14 fourth quarter lead to Dallas, losing on a last second touchdown. The Chargers rallied from a 17-3 deficit in the fourth quarter at Tennessee and won in overtime. There will be more desperation on Detroit’s side because this is their season. They are a game back of Minnesota plus the tiebreaker for the second wild card. San Diego clinches the AFC West with a victory and can still chase down Pittsburgh for the #3 seed while remaining mathematically alive for the #2. Rivers has been blamed for the Chargers drop off after going 14-2 last season. His 20 turnovers certainly haven’t helped and they are 5-1 when he doesn’t give it away multiple times. Detroit’s secondary is allowing an NFL high QB rating (95.5) but they do have 16 interceptions, seventh most in the NFL. They also have 32 sacks, ninth best in the NFL, and Rivers has taken 7 sacks over the last two weeks. However, San Diego has even more sacks (34) and a league best 22 interceptions thanks to NFL leader Antonio Cromartie (9). Kitna has 18 turnovers and has taken 49 sacks, tops in the NFL. He is on pace for 4,190 yards passing but hasn’t thrown for multiple touchdowns in his last four games and last week marked the fourth time he failed to throw even one. In the running it might be surprising to find out they both average 4.1 yards per rush, and San Diego has just a 14-12 edge in rushing touchdowns. The story is the same for run defense with Detroit actually slightly better in average (4.1-4.0) and trailing 13-10 in rushing touchdowns allowed. However, Kevin Jones is still no Ladanian Tomlinson. The Lions are also a train wreck on the road where they have given up 56, 34, 31 and 42 in their four losses. San Diego has allowed just 92 points in six home games, a lot of that in an early 30-16 loss to Kansas City. They have won three of four and appear to be gaining momentum towards a playoff run as everyone’s attention focuses on Indianapolis and New England. The Lions are looking at a sixth straight loss: San Diego 33, Detroit 15

 

Washington (6-7) @ NY Giants (9-4): pick NYG -4/under 41

 

The Giants can secure a wild card with a win, but the Redskins are still very much alive for the other one. In fact if they win out the only help they need is one loss by New Orleans. Washington’s problem has been losing close games, which they seem to be involved in every week. They are 5-6 in games decided by 8 points or less. The Giants are 5-0 in such games including a 24-17 win over the Redskins in week 3. New York should be able to build a lead by running the football. They have the fourth best average per rush (4.4) and their most productive back Brandon Jacobs is healthy. On the other side Clinton Portis hasn’t been the same since rushing 66 times in weeks 9 and 10. He has averaged 18.5 carries for 47.5 yards (2.57 per rush) with only 1 touchdown in his past four games. Defensively these teams have a pretty similar output. They are around the middle of the pack for both rushing and passing. The Redskins have given up only 17.3 points in their last three games while the Giants have given up 16.3 points (discounting returns) over that stretch. This should be a typical black and blue NFC East battle. The difference could be which quarterback holds onto the football. Manning has 21 turnovers and Collins is, well, 36 years old. Collins did have a strong showing last week going 15/20 for 224 yards and 2 touchdowns while losing a fumble. The Giant faithful won’t let this team lose a third in a row at home. Even if the Redskins have already won in this stadium that 23-20 win was over the Jets who can’t beat anyone and that’s their only road win since week two: NY Giants 20, Washington 10

 

Chicago (5-8) @ Minnesota (7-6): pick MIN -7/over 42

 

With the Vikings currently sitting on the second wild card spot I suppose the Bears could put themselves back into the race with a win, but it would require passing four other 6-7 teams and two who are currently 5-8. In other words, don’t count on it. Should certain things go their way on Sunday their hopes could rise, but they have already been run over by Adrian Peterson once this season during a 34-31 loss at Soldier Field. Worse yet Chicago has allowed the fourth highest opposing QB rating (92.1) with the third fewest interceptions (9). They might even make Tarvaris Jackson look good. The first time he was just 9/23 for 136 yards with a touchdown and no turnovers. Chicago will turn to Kyle Orton at quarterback against a defense that is fourth in the NFL with 34 sacks. Orton was last seen as a rookie in 2005 leading them to an 11-5 season despite passing for just 1,869 yards with only two games exceeding 150. It is pretty much up to him because Minnesota leads the NFL allowing just 2.8 yards per rush. Their Adrian Peterson is the new lead running back and he has just 291 yards on the season. The Viking rookie had more than that in one game. Pride is one thing and I know the Bears will show up to play with a national audience watching. Eventually they will fall behind and Minnesota can slam “All Day” or Chester Taylor at them 35-40 times until the white flag comes out: Minnesota 27, Chicago 17