Mattie T’s Week 12 Predictions of the 2007 NFL Season

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Week 11: 11-5

Overall: 103-57 (.643)

vs.
(9-1) Green Bay Packers vs. (6-4) Detroit Lions from Ford Field in Detroit, MI.

11:30 AM CST Thursday on

Did you know? Green Bay has won 5 of the last 6 meetings.

Lions QB Jon Kitna has been intercepted 33 times since the start of 2006, which leads the NFL.

Packers QB Brett Favre has seven games of 100+ ratings & Green Bay is 7-0 during that timeframe. Overall, the Packers have won 11 straight games when Favre’s rating is 100 or higher & is 88-8 all-time when Favre reaches the century mark.

Packers RB Ryan Grant suffered an ankle injury during the team’s Week 11 win over Carolina & is probable for Thursday’s game. Grant has averaged 91.5 YPG over his last 4 games. (Green Bay is 4-0 during that timeframe)

Mattie T’s Prediction:

This could easily be a trap game for the Packers, seeing that they have a HUGE game against the Cowboys next Thursday at Texas Stadium.

I don’t think you’ll see a letdown on Thursday from Mike McCarthy’s team. Green Bay has won their last 6 road games overall & are averaging 26 PPG this season in 4 games away from Lambeau Field.

Packers QB Brett Favre should have another big game against Detroit’s 30th ranked pass defense (allowing 257.9 YPG).

Detroit is the only team in the NFC with a winning record despite allowing more points on defense (232) than points scored on offense (231).

The rest of the Lions’ 2nd half schedule is not easy. After Thursday’s game, they will play Minnesota (who will most likely have Adrian Peterson back), Dallas, San Diego, Kansas City & Green Bay again to finish the season. That 6-2 start can easily become an afterthought once it’s all said & done.

But as for Thursday, i am picking Green Bay to win.

vs.
(2-8) N.Y. Jets vs. (9-1) Dallas Cowboys from Texas Stadium in Irving, TX.

3:15 PM CST Thursday on

Did you know? Dallas has won 6 of the 8 career meetings.

Jets WR Laveranues Coles (ankle) will miss Thursday’s game. Since 2001, the Jets are 0-4 when Coles misses a game due to injury.

2nd year WR Brad Smith will replace Coles in the starting lineup. Smith has played in 9 of the Jets’ 10 games this season & has caught 21 receptions for 222 yards & 1 touchdown.

Jets RB Thomas Jones became the 1st player in 35 games to rush for 100 yards on Pittsburgh’s defense during their Week 11 win over the Steelers, but has 190 consecutive carries this season without a touchdown which is tops in the NFL.

Cowboys WR Terrell Owens tied a franchise record, previously held by Bob Hayes with his 4 touchdown receptions during the team’s Week 11 win over Washington.

Owens needs 2 receiving touchdowns on Thursday to tie Frank Clarke for the single-season record of 14.

Owens also needs 4 receiving touchdowns on Thursday to tie Cris Carter for 2nd place on the NFL’s all-time list. (126 career receiving TD’s)

Mattie T’s Prediction:

Since Eric Mangini’s Jets will most likely miss out on the 2007 playoffs, their role now is to play spoiler & try to ruin their opponent’s playoff seeding.

It certainly worked during Week 11 against Pittsburgh. If the playoffs were to start today, the Steelers WOULD NOT have a 1st round bye, thanks to the Jets’ upset win on Sunday.

I don’t think Thursday’s game will be a blowout. Yes, the Jets are 0-3 this season against the NFC East, but their margin of defeat is only at 7 PPG.

As for Dallas, they will look to win their 4th straight game in a row & either tie or take the lead for the NFC’s best record, depending on the outcome of Green Bay’s game against Detroit.

Dallas has won 3 straight, but i have noticed that their point total on offense has decreased in each game while the number of points they have allowed defensively has increased.

The Jets will try & use a similiar blueprint on Tony Romo (6 TD’s & 6 Int’s in 3 games this season against AFC East opponents) like they did on Ben Roethlisberger, who was sacked 7 times on Sunday.

Don’t be shocked if this game is close heading into the 4th quarter. But in the end, Dallas will pull away & prepare themselves for next week’s big showdown against Green Bay.

I like for Dallas to win here.

vs.
(8-2) Indianapolis Colts vs. (3-7) Atlanta Falcons from Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA.

7:15 PM CST on

Did you know? Indianapolis has won 12 of the 13 career meetings.

Colts QB Peyton Manning completed 16 of 32 passes for 163 yards, no touchdowns & 1 interception during the team’s Week 11 win over Kansas City.

With Sunday’s victory, Manning became the 5th fastest player in NFL history to win his 100th career game.

Falcons RB Warrick Dunn needs 26 rushing yards on Thursday to reach 10,000 for his career.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

When the NFL’s schedulemakers picked this game as part of this year’s Thanksgiving Day tripleheader, they were expecting a superstar matchup at QB between Peyton Manning & Michael Vick.

Instead, Vick will be spending his Thanksgiving at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, VA as he awaits his sentencing in connection with his dogfighting case.

That basically killed Atlanta’s playoff chances before their season even started, because Joey Harrington & Byron Leftwich have both been equally terrible to watch at quarterback.

Harrington is no stranger to playing on Thanksgiving Day thanks to his 4 years spent in Detroit, but Harrington has lost his last 3 Turkey Day starts by a margin of 23 points. OUCH!!!

Can you guess when’s the last time Peyton Manning threw 6 touchdown passes in a single game? It was on Thanksgiving Day in 2004, as Manning provided one of the best performances of his career, completing 23 of 28 passes for 236 yards, six touchdowns & no interceptions during the Colts’ 41-9 win over the Lions.

Look for Indianapolis to use a good dose of Joseph Addai against Atlanta’s 25th ranked run defense. (Allowing 124 YPG).

I think Indianapolis will win this game big.

vs.
(4-6) New Orleans Saints vs. (4-6) Carolina Panthers from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.

12:00 PM CST on

Did you know? Carolina has won the last 4 meetings.

Panthers QB Vinny Testaverde will make his 5th start of the season, but Carolina is 1-3 this season when Testaverde has started.

Panthers WR Steve Smith (shin) is set to return on Sunday after missing the team’s Week 11 loss to Green Bay.

Smith has yet to record a touchdown reception at home since his 3 touchdown effort against Houston in Week 2.

Saints RB Reggie Bush has yet to record an 100 yard rushing game this season, but has averaged 101 yards from scrimmage over his last 7 games.

Saints WR Marques Colston has 3 straight 100 yard receving games & 27 receptions during the month of November, which leads the NFL.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

Carolina has been one of those bad-luck teams for Drew Brees, at least since he joined the Saints in 2006.

Brees had 4 games last season where his QB rating was at 100 or higher (2-2 record), but both of those losses were to Carolina.

I know the Panthers’ offense has not been pretty this season, but it should receive a big-time boost with the return of Steve Smith on Sunday.

Smith will most likely be matched up against Saints CB Jason David, who has struggled bigtime this season & looked lost while getting beat by Houston’s Andre Johnson for a 73 yard touchdown during the team’s Week 11 loss to the Texans.
I see Smith having similar success on Sunday, which will lead to a win for the home team.

I like Carolina to win this game.

vs.
(6-4) Tennessee Titans vs. (3-7) Cincinnati Bengals from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, OH.

12:00 PM CST on

Did you know? Tennesseee has won 10 of the last 13 meetings.

Titans QB Vince Young threw for a career-high 305 yards during the team’s Week 11 loss to Denver, but has also thrown 2 interceptions or more over his last 3 games.

Titans K Rob Bironas has made 17 consecutive field goals & has 90 points this season, which leads the NFL.

Bengals QB Carson Palmer threw a career-high 4 interceptions during his team’s Week 11 loss to Arizona. Cincinnati has also lost 5 straight games when Palmer (329 passing yards in Week 11) has thrown for 300 yards or more.

Bengals K Shayne Graham has made 21 consecutive field goals, which is a new franchise record.

Bengals WR’s T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chad Johnson, Chris Henry & RB Kenny Watson all had 8 receptions during Week 11, which is the 1st time since 1970 that 4 players from the same team recorded 8 catches or more during the same game.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

Has anyone else noticed how bad Tennessee’s defense has looked without Albert Haynesworth?

The Titans’ previously top-ranked run defense has now slipped to 5th after allowing 166 rushing yards apiece to Jacksonville & Denver over their past 2 games.

Before Haynesworth’s injury, the Titans were only allowing 15.5 PPG per game defensively, which includes that wild 38-36 win over Houston in Week 7.

But since Haynesworth got hurt, the Titans have allowed 31 PPG defensively, which will not get them into the playoffs.

I sense that the Bengals will have a big day on offense with Kenny Watson & Rudi Johnson, who should run all over the place if Haynesworth is inactive for a 3rd straight week. I wouldn’t be surprised if this game turned into a shootout.
Time for an Upset special! I’m picking Cincinnati to win this game.

vs.
(5-5) Houston Texans vs. (6-4) Cleveland Browns from Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, OH.

12:00 PM CST on

Did you know? Houston has won the last 2 meetings.

Texans QB Matt Schaub returned from a knee injury to complete 21 of 33 passes for 293 yards & 2 touchdowns during the team’s Week 11 win over New Orleans.

Texans WR Andre Johnson also returned from a knee injury to catch 6 receptions for 120 yards & 1 touchdown in Week 11. Johnson has now recorded three 100 yard receiving games this season & Houston is 3-0 during that timeframe.

Texans RB Ron Dayne will most likely start on Sunday, replacing an injured Ahman Green (knee).

Dayne has averaged 105.5 YPG over his last 2 games. (both wins)

Browns K Phil Dawson delivered an heroic effort during the team’s Week 11 win over Baltimore, as he attempted a controversial game-tying 51 yard field goal that struck the left upright & hit the center of the crossbar before coming back onto the field of play.

NFL officials first ruled Dawson’s kick no good, but later overturned the call after watching several video replays.

Cleveland then won the overtime coin toss & promptly marched 43 yards downfield to set up Dawson’s game-winning 33 yard field goal.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

This game has shootout written all over it.

I am really starting to wonder how good Houston would be if Matt Schaub & Andre Johnson remained healthy all season.

If Johnson kept his current pace (127.3 YPG) & appeared in all 10 games, he would be currently leading the NFL in receiving.

I’ve noticed that both of Matt Schaub’s multi-touchdown games (Week 2 against Carolina & Week 11 against New Orleans) have both come with Johnson in the lineup. It’s clear to see that these two have a great connection with each other down the field, which will make Houston very tough to beat down the stretch as they actually have a shot to post their 1st winning season in franchise history.

Cleveland may have suffered a fatal blow to their secondary with the injury of rookie CB Eric Wright (leads team with 68 tackles & tied for 1st with 8 pass deflections), who is reportedly expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury, which could hurt the team’s chances for contending for a playoff spot.
Cleveland will definitely score some points in this one, but i don’t think they’ll make many stops with their league-worst defense, who is allowing a league-high 29.4 PPG & 406.3 YPG this season. This was evidenced last week when the Browns let the anemic Ravens offense score 16 fourth-quarter points to get back into the game before winning on Dawson’s 2 field goals.

I’m picking Houston to win this game.

vs.
(5-5) Buffalo Bills vs. (7-3) Jacksonville Jaguars from Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, FL.

12:00 PM CST on

Did you know? Buffalo has won 4 of the 6 career meetings.

Jaguars QB David Garrard returned from an ankle injury to complete 15 of 24 passes for 189 yards, 2 touchdowns & no interceptions during the team’s Week 11 win over San Diego.

Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew is averaging 1 rushing touchdown per every 18.8 attempts this season, which leads the NFL among running backs with 100 carries or more.

Bills RB Marshawn Lynch (ankle) will most likely miss his 2nd straight game, which means that Anthony Thomas will make his 2nd straight start. Thomas rushed for just 31 yards on 11 carries during the team’s Week 11 loss to New England.

Thomas had 1 of the best performances of his career against Jacksonville in 2001, when he rushed 33 times for 160 yards & 1 touchdown as a member of the Chicago Bears.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

Even though Jacksonville has battled through injury problems (8 starters have missed time due to injuries) all season, they find themselves just 1 game out of 1st place with a huge showdown looming next weekend against Indianapolis.

This could be a trap game for the Jaguars, who will face a Bills defense that gave up a season-high 56 points to New England in Week 11.

Buffalo has won their last 2 road games against the Jets & Dolphins, who have a combined record of 2-18.

The Jaguars are now 5-1 in games that David Garrard has played from start to finish, so they’re ready to make a playoff run in the AFC.

I’m picking Jacksonville to win this game.

vs.
(2-8) Oakland Raiders vs. (4-6) Kansas City Chiefs from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, MO.

12:00 PM CST on

Did you know? Kansas City has won the last 9 meetings.

Priest Holmes announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday after suffering a neck injury during the team’s Week 11 loss to Indianapolis that knocked him out of football for almost 2 years before attempting his most recent comeback.

Holmes finishes his career with a combined 8,172 rushing yards in his 11 seasons spent with both Baltimore & Kansas City, which is the highest total by any undrafted player since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

Holmes retires as Kansas City’s franchise record holder for rushing yards (6,070), rushing touchdowns (76) & total touchdowns (83).

With Larry Johnson expected to miss Sunday’s game with a foot injury, rookie Kolby Smith is in line to receive the 1st start of his NFL career.
Smith rushed for 894 yards at Louisville in 2006 while scoring 7 touchdowns & averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

Chiefs QB Brodie Croyle will make his 1st home start on Sunday & outplayed 7-time Pro Bowler Peyton Manning despite losing 13-10 on a last-second FG by Adam Vinatieri.

Raiders QB Daunte Culpepper threw for a season-high 344 passing yards during the team’s Week 11 loss to Minnesota.

It was Culpepper’s first 300 yard passing game since September of 2005 against New Orleans, when Culpepper was a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

Kolby Smith could make his 1st career NFL start a very memorable one against Oakland’s 31st ranked run defense (allowing 152.6 YPG per game).

The Raiders have allowed 7 different backs to run for 100 yards or more against them & Smith could be the 8th player to do it on Sunday.

As long as the Chiefs pound the ball on the ground, there’s no way the Raiders will be able to stop them.

I’m picking Kansas City to win this game.

vs.
(4-6) Minnesota Vikings vs. (7-3) N.Y. Giants from Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

12:00 PM CST on

Did you know? Minnesota has won 3 of the last 4 road meetings.

Giants DE Michael Strahan recorded his first 3 sack game since December of 2003 during the team’s Week 11 win over Detroit. Strahan now has 8 career games where he has registered 3 sacks or more.

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs (hamstring) will miss Sunday’s game, which will clear the way for Reuben Droughns to make his 1st start as a Giant & 1st overall in the NFL since Christmas Eve of 2006.

Giants LB Mathias Kiwanuka broke his left leg during Week 11 & will miss the rest of the 2007 season. Kiwanuka led all Giants linebackers with 4.5 sacks this season.

4th year player Reggie Torbor will start in Kiwanuka’s place on Sunday.

Vikings RB Chester Taylor totaled 202 yards from scrimmage (164 rushing & 38 receiving) during the team’s Week 11 win over Oakland. Minnesota is 5-0 all-time when Taylor rushes for 100 yards or more.

Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe caught 2 receptions for 94 yards during Week 11, which is the highest total for the team since Troy Williamson’s 102 yard game against Carolina in September of 2006.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

Minnesota could make this game competitive on Sunday. Although they do sport a 1-4 road record, 3 of those losses have been by 10 points or less.

If it wasn’t for their bad performances against the Cowboys, Tom Coughlin’s team could have or be tied for the best record in the NFC.

Eli Manning should have his way with Minnesota’s pass defense, who is ranked dead last in the NFL. (allowing 288 YPG)

I like for the N.Y. Giants to win this game.

vs.
(6-4) Seattle Seahawks vs. (2-8) St. Louis Rams from Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, MO.

12:00 PM CST on

Did you know? Seattle has won the last 5 meetings.

Rams RB Steven Jackson rushed for 92 yards without reaching the end zone during the team’s Week 11 win over San Francisco. It was the 1st time since October of 2006 that the team has won a game despite not getting a rushing touchdown from Jackson.

Rams WR Issac Bruce (13,817 carer receiving yards) needs 82 yards on Sunday to tie Cris Carter for 5th place on the NFL’s all-time list.

Seahawks WR D.J. Hackett caught 9 receptions for a career-high 136 yards during the team’s Week 11 win over Chicago & has back-to-back 100 yard receiving games for the 1st time in his career.

Seahawks DE Patrick Kerney recorded 3 sacks during Week 11 & is 2nd on the team with 7.5 sacks. Seattle is 5-0 this season when Kerney records 1 sack or more during a game.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

The Rams are finally showing signs of life with their first 2 game win streak since December of 2006.

This definitely coincides with the return of Steven Jackson, who is finally healthy after missing 4 games this season with groin & back injuries.

Despite winning his last 2 games, Marc Bulger is still having problems with his offensive line, which has allowed 10 sacks over the past 2 games. That could spell lots of trouble against a Seattle pass rush that is 2nd in the NFL with 31 sacks.

The Rams are now turning to 37 year old & 2 time Pro Bowler Todd Steussie to try & save their banged-up offensive line. They’ll need him badly against an aggresive Seahawks pass rush that could sack Bulger multiple times on Sunday & possibly force some fumbles as well.

But i have a feeling that this game can easily turn into a shootout & due to Seattle’s poor road record (1-4 with only win coming against 2-8 49ers), i think an upset is in store for Sunday.

Going with the upset here & picking St. Louis to win.

vs.
(5-5) Washington Redskins vs. (6-4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL.

12:00 PM CST on

Did you know? Tampa Bay has won 3 of the last 4 meetings.

Redskins QB Jason Campbell threw for a career-high 348 yards during the team’s Week 11 loss against Dallas. It also marked the highest passing yardage total by a Redskins quarterback since Patrick Ramsey threw for 348 yards in September of 2003.

Redskins RB Clinton Portis has rushed for 292 yards & scored 2 touchdowns in 2 career games against Tampa Bay.

Buccaneers CB Ronde Barber returned a 41 yard fumble for a touchdown & now has 4 fumble returns for touchdowns during his career.

Buccaneers RB Earnest Graham rushed for 102 yards during the team’s Week 11 win over Atlanta & now is the 1st player in team history to record back-to-back 100 yard games since Carnell Williams did it in 2005.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

Jason Campbell will return to Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, where he made his 1st career NFL start on November 19th, 2006 & completed 19 of 34 passes for 196 yards, 2 touchdowns & no interceptions.

Campbell will be tested against Tampa Bay’s 3rd ranked pass defense. (allowing 177.3 YPG)

Washington’s pass defense will have major problems with the loss of Sean Taylor, who will miss Sunday’s game with a knee injury.

They had no answer for Terrell Owens on Sunday & will have no answers for Joey Galloway, who is still a very dangerous home-run threat downfield.

I’m picking Tampa Bay to win this game.

vs.
(2-8) San Francisco 49ers vs. (5-5) Arizona Cardinals from University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ.

3:05 PM CST on

Did you know? Arizona has won 4 of the last 5 meetings.

49ers RB Frank Gore rushed for a season-low 32 yards during the team’s Week 11 loss to St. Louis. Gore has rushed for 5 touchdowns in his last 3 games against Arizona.

49ers P Andy Lee leads the NFL with a net average of 49.7 yards per punt this season & has also attempted a league-high 68 punts.

Cardinals QB Kurt Warner has 5 touchdowns & 1 interception over his last 2 games (both wins) & is 7-0 in his career as a starter against San Francisco.

Cardinals CB Antrel Rolle became the 5th player in franchise history to return a pair of interceptions for touchdowns during the team’s Week 11 win over Cincinnati.

Rolle is also the first NFL player to accomplish this feat since Tampa Bay’s Ronde Barber did it in October of 2006 against Philadelphia.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

I think a missing report needs to be filed for San Francisco’s offense, who is last in the NFL with 11.3 PPG, 221.1 YPG, 136.8 pass yards per game, 12.6 first downs per game, 27.0 % 3rd down percentage & a TOP (Time of Possession) of 25 minutes & 56 seconds.

Are the 49ers ready to admit that letting Norv Turner (head coach of San Diego) go was a big mistake?

While San Francisco has a decent pass defense (9th in NFL allowing 205.3 YPG), Edgerrin James should be able to have a good game against their run defense (24th in NFL allowing 122.6 YPG)

I’m picking Arizona to win this game.

vs.
(5-5) Denver Broncos vs. (4-6) Chicago Bears from Soldier Field in Chicago, IL.

3:15 PM CST on

Did you know? Denver has lost 5 of their last 6 games against NFC opponents.

Bears QB Rex Grossman finished the team’s Week 11 loss to Seattle without a touchdown or interception for only the 4th time in his career.

The last time Grossman won a game without throwing either a touchdown or an interception was in December of 2003 against Minnesota.

Bears RB Cedric Benson ran for 48.3% of his 89 rushing yards on a 43 yard touchdown run during Week 11.

Benson has only rushed for 100 yards or more once this season, which was during Week 2 against Kansas City.

Broncos QB Jay Cutler completed 16 of 21 passes for 200 yards, 2 touchdowns & no interceptions for a 137 QB Rating during the team’s Week 11 win over Tennessee. (career-high)

Broncos WR Javon Walker could return to the starting lineup on Sunday after missing the last 7 games with a knee injury.

Walker posted back-to-back 100 yard receiving games to start the season before injuring his knee against Jacksonville in Week 3.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

Don’t look now, but Denver has a legitimate shot of not only winning this game, but the AFC West as well.
Chicago’s once powerful defense is struggling, as they are ranked 26th against the run (allowing 125.7 YPG) & 22nd against the pass (allowing 222.8 YPG). Their 6 interceptions are tied among 3 other teams for the lowest amount in the NFL.
For the 1st time all season, the Broncos have suddenly displayed a high-scoring offense (61 points in the last 2 games) while doing a solid job defensively (31 points allowed in the last 2 games) & will now shoot for their first 3 game win streak of the season. They’ll get it Sunday in Chicago against a Bears team that is quickly starting to see their playoff hopes slip away.

I’m picking Denver to win this game.

vs.
(4-6) Baltimore Ravens vs. (5-5) San Diego Chargers from Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA.

3:15 PM CST on

Did you know? Baltimore has won the last 3 meetings.

Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson needs 29 yards on Sunday to reach 10,000 for his career. Tomlinson scored a rushing touchdown during the team’s Week 11 loss to Jacksonville & has 7 total touchdowns over his last 5 games.

Ravens RB Willis McGahee rushed for 102 yards during the team’s Week 11 loss to Cleveland & has at least 1 rushing touchdown in each of his last 5 games.

Ravens LB Ray Lewis returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown during Week 11 for Baltimore’s 28th interception return for a TD, which is tied alongside New England for tops in the NFL.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

For the first time since late September, Baltimore’s offense showed signs of life. Still, it wasn’t enough to snap their 4 game losing streak.

The Ravens’ main problem offensively has been turnovers. They are tied alongside Houston with 26 turnovers this season, which is tops in football. San Diego will gladly rise to the challenge, as their defense has produced 26 takeaways this season which is tied for 2nd best in the AFC.

This game will be close, but the Chargers will escape with a much-needed victory.

I’m picking San Diego to win here.

vs.
(5-5) Philadelphia Eagles vs. (10-0) New England Patriots from Gilette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.

7:15 PM CST.

Did you know? Philadelphia has won 4 of the last 5 meetings.

Eagles QB Donovan McNabb suffered an ankle injury during the team’s Week 11 win over Miami & will be a game-time decision for Sunday’s game.

If McNabb can’t play, then A.J. Feeley will start for the 1st time since December of 2004.

Feeley won his only previous career start against New England in 2004, as he rallied his team from a 11 point deficit with under 5 minutes to play in the 4th quarter for a 29-28 win as a member of the Miami Dolphins.

Eagles RB Brian Westbrook rushed for a career-high 148 yards during Week 11. Philadelphia has won 5 straight games when Westbrook tops the century mark.

Patriots QB Tom Brady has 38 passing touchdown through the team’s first 10 games of the season & needs just 12 touchdowns over his next 6 games to break Peyton Manning’s single-season record of 49, which was set in 2004.

Patriots WR Randy Moss has at least 1 touchdown reception in 5 straight games & has already set a franchise record with 16 receiving touchdowns.

Moss needs 1 touchdown on Sunday to tie his career-high of 17 receiving touchdowns, which was set during his rookie season in 1998 as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

Even if McNabb does play in this game, there’s no guarantee that he’ll be 100%, which is bad news for an Eagles offense that will be facing the Patriots’ 3rd ranked defense (allowing 15.7 PPG & 270.6 YPG).

The only way Philadelphia even has a chance of ending New England’s perfect season is if Brian Westbrook can run the ball effectively against the Patriots’ 6th ranked run defense. (allowing 89.3 YPG)

Easier said than done, as the Patriots have allowed just 3 rushing touchdowns by an opposing back all season & only 1 at home.

I’m picking New England to win here.

vs.
(0-10) Miami Dolphins vs. (7-3) Pittsburgh Steelers from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA.

7:30 PM CST.

Did you know? Pittsburgh has won the last 2 meetings & is 12-0 at home all-time on Monday Night Football.

Dolphins RB Ricky Williams has a chance to make his 2007 season debut on Monday. If so, it will be Williams’ first NFL game since New Year’s Day of 2006, when he rushed 28 times for 108 yards & scored 1 touchdown against New England.

Dolphins WR Ted Ginn Jr. returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown during the team’s Week 11 loss to Philadephia.

It was the first punt return for a touchdown in team history since Jeff Ogden did it against Green Bay in 2000.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger threw a 7 yard touchdown pass to WR Santonio Holmes during the team’s Week 11 loss to the N.Y. Jets, which sets a new franchise record of 15 straight games with at least 1 touchdown pass thrown.

Mattie T’s Prediction:

There are many people out there (including myself) that are pulling for Miami to get their 1st win of the season…but not this week.

Pittsburgh is simply going to play very mad after losing to an N.Y. Jets team that came in at 1-8. All of the Steelers’ 3 losses have been to teams under or right at the .500 mark & i don’t think that’s something Mike Tomlin will accept at all.

Heinz Field will have new grass for Monday Night’s game, so it will be interesting to see how the players perform on it since there have been complaints in the past about the field conditions. Willie Parker should be able to run wild against Miami’s run defense, which is ranked dead-last in the NFL allowing 154.9 YPG.

Monday’s game will also mark the return of Joey Porter, who ranks 4th on the Steelers’ all-time sack list with 60 & helped them win a Super Bowl just 2 years ago. I know Porter wants to have a big game & let Pittsburgh know that cutting him was a big mistake.

It won’t be enough Joey. Not this week.

I’m picking Pittsburgh to win this game.

As i type this, people are in the malls at this very minute taking advantage of all the wonderful Black Friday sale offers. I’ll have to do my Christmas shopping a little earlier than usual this year since i’ll be spending the holiday out of Illinois.

It will be in….*drum roll*

Las Vegas!!!

I always catch somebody famous last there, ran into Pete Rose last time i visited. It’s a great city, but i’m good for just a couple of days thanks to their very addicting slot machines.

Justice League Update: I got nice performances out of Greg Jennings & Mason Crosby yesterday, who gave me a combined 25 points. Left 6 points on the bench with Kevin Jones, but hopefully that won’t come back to hurt me. After an 0-4 start, i now find myself knocking on the doorstep of a playoff seed with 3 wins in my last 4 games.

Did dodge a huge bullet though with Tony Romo only getting 8 points yesterday due to his 3 sacks & 1 interception which were his only misfires on a solid afternoon.

I still got a lot of firepower left for Sunday & can actually move up to the #7 seed with some help, so my playoff run is in full effect!! While we’re at it, gotta congrat DJ Special Blend’s Inner City Youth team for making the playoffs 2 years in a row.

I might have something to say about him getting that #1 seed though after this week.

Until then,

Mattie T

Sports Writer for BMS Radio Chicago

www.BMSRadio.com

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