User: jsoprano Time: 10-06-2012 21:40 Product: Times_Leader PubDate: 10-07-2012 Zone: Main Edition: Main_Run PageName: sports_06 PageNo: 9 C
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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2012 PAGE 9C
NFL SUNDAY AMERICAN CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA N.Y. Jets ................................. 2 2 0 .500 81 109 New England .......................... 2 2 0 .500 134 92 Buffalo ..................................... 2 2 0 .500 115 131 Miami ....................................... 1 3 0 .250 86 90 South W L T Pct PF PA Houston ................................ 4 0 0 1.000 126 56 Indianapolis .......................... 1 2 0 .333 61 83 Jacksonville.......................... 1 3 0 .250 62 97 Tennessee............................ 1 3 0 .250 81 151 North W L T Pct PF PA Baltimore ................................. 3 1 0 .750 121 83 Cincinnati ................................ 3 1 0 .750 112 112 Pittsburgh................................ 1 2 0 .333 77 75 Cleveland ................................ 0 4 0 .000 73 98 West W L T Pct PF PA San Diego ............................... 3 1 0 .750 100 71 Denver..................................... 2 2 0 .500 114 83 Kansas City............................. 1 3 0 .250 88 136 Oakland ................................... 1 3 0 .250 67 125 NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA Philadelphia............................ 3 1 0 .750 66 83 Dallas ...................................... 2 2 0 .500 65 88 Washington ............................ 2 2 0 .500 123 123 N.Y. Giants.............................. 2 2 0 .500 111 84 South W L T Pct PF PA Atlanta ................................... 4 0 0 1.000 124 76 Tampa Bay............................ 1 3 0 .250 82 91 Carolina ................................ 1 3 0 .250 80 109 New Orleans......................... 0 4 0 .000 110 130 North W L T Pct PF PA Minnesota ............................... 3 1 0 .750 90 72 Chicago ................................... 3 1 0 .750 108 68 Green Bay ............................... 2 2 0 .500 85 81 Detroit...................................... 1 3 0 .250 100 114 West W L T Pct PF PA Arizona ..................................... 4 1 0 .800 94 78 San Francisco .......................... 3 1 0 .750 104 65 St. Louis.................................... 3 2 0 .600 96 94 Seattle ....................................... 2 2 0 .500 70 58 Thursday's Game St. Louis 17, Arizona 3 Sunday's Games Baltimore at Kansas City, 1 p.m. Atlanta at Washington, 1 p.m. Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. Green Bay at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. Cleveland at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. Miami at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Seattle at Carolina, 4:05 p.m. Chicago at Jacksonville, 4:05 p.m. Buffalo at San Francisco, 4:25 p.m. Tennessee at Minnesota, 4:25 p.m. Denver at New England, 4:25 p.m. San Diego at New Orleans, 8:20 p.m. Open: Dallas, Detroit, Oakland, Tampa Bay Monday's Game Houston at N.Y. Jets, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11 Pittsburgh at Tennessee, 8:20 p.m.
A F C
L E A D E R S
Quarterbacks Att Com Roethlisberger, PIT.. 120 82 Schaub, HOU............ 124 83 Dalton, CIN................ 126 85 Brady, NWE .............. 154 101 P. Manning, DEN...... 153 99 Flacco, BAL............... 156 99 P. Rivers, SND ......... 126 87 Locker, TEN .............. 106 67 Fitzpatrick, BUF ........ 125 72 C. Palmer, OAK........ 162 99 Rushers Att Yds J. Charles, KAN .......... 72 415 A. Foster, HOU ........... 103 380 Re. Bush, MIA ............ 67 369 Jones-Drew, JAC ....... 72 352 Spiller, BUF ................. 41 341 Ridley, NWE ............... 74 339 McGahee, DEN .......... 69 325 R. Rice, BAL................ 64 317 Green-Ellis, CIN ......... 82 286 T. Richardson, CLE ... 64 222 Receivers No Yds A.. Green, CIN ............. 27 428 Hartline, MIA ................ 25 455 Welker, NWE................ 25 380 Bowe, KAN ................... 25 342 Lloyd, NWE .................. 25 287 Decker, DEN ................ 24 322 Wayne, IND .................. 23 294 R. Rice, BAL ................. 22 174 De. Thomas, DEN ....... 21 325 Bess, MIA ..................... 20 297
Scoring
Yds TD Int 904 8 1 953 7 1 1111 8 4 1227 7 1 1162 8 3 1269 7 3 897 6 4 781 4 2 931 12 7 1081 5 2 Avg 5.76 3.69 5.51 4.89 8.32 4.58 4.71 4.95 3.49 3.47
LG TD 91t 2 22 4 65t 2 59t 1 56t 3 20 3 31 3 43 3 19 2 32t 3
Avg 15.9 18.2 15.2 13.7 11.5 13.4 12.8 7.9 15.5 14.9
LG TD 73t 3 80t 1 59 0 33t 3 27 1 35 1 30t 1 37 0 71t 2 23 0
Touchdowns TD Rush Rec Ret Pts A. Foster, HOU ........ 5 4 1 0 30 Battle, SND ............... 4 3 1 0 24 Chandler, BUF.......... 4 0 4 0 24 H. Miller, PIT............. 4 0 4 0 24 T. Richardson, CLE. 4 3 1 0 24 Spiller, BUF .............. 4 3 1 0 24 McGahee, DEN........ 3 3 0 0 20 Bowe, KAN ............... 3 0 3 0 18 J. Charles, KAN ....... 3 2 1 0 18 A.. Green, CIN ......... 3 0 3 0 18 Kicking PAT FG LG Pts Gostkowski, NWE .......... 14-14 10-13 53 44 Tucker, BAL .................... 13-13 8-9 56 37 S. Graham, HOU............ 15-15 7-8 41 36 Nugent, CIN .................... 13-13 7-7 47 34 M. Prater, DEN ............... 11-11 7-7 53 32 Succop, KAN .................. 8-8 8-9 45 32 P. Dawson, CLE ............. 7-7 8-8 52 31 Janikowski, OAK ............ 5-5 8-8 51 29 Bironas, TEN .................. 9-9 6-8 38 27
N F C
L E A D E R S
Quarterbacks Att Com M. Ryan, ATL ............ 147 102 Griffin III, WAS.......... 124 86 Ale. Smith, SNF........ 113 76 Ponder, MIN.............. 123 84 Kolb, ARI ................... 107 67 A. Rodgers, GBY...... 156 109 E. Manning, NYG ..... 160 103 C. Newton, CAR ....... 107 68 Brees, NOR............... 191 110 Stafford, DET ............ 173 114 Rushers Att Yds M. Lynch, SEA ............. 92 423 L. McCoy, PHL ............ 81 384 Morris, WAS................. 82 376 A. Peterson, MIN ......... 79 332 Gore, SNF .................... 66 326 M. Turner, ATL ............ 55 257 Griffin III, WAS ............. 39 252 D. Martin, TAM ............. 71 247 Murray, DAL ................. 61 237 Benson, GBY ............... 64 228 Receivers No Yds Cruz, NYG .................... 32 388 Amendola, STL ............ 31 351 Harvin, MIN .................. 30 299 Ca. Johnson, DET ....... 29 423 R. White, ATL............... 27 413 Gonzalez, ATL ............. 26 265 J. Graham, NOR .......... 24 248 B. Marshall, CHI........... 23 352 Pettigrew, DET............. 23 223 Sproles, NOR............... 23 207
Scoring
Touchdowns TD Rush Ve. Davis, SNF ........ 4 0 Griffin III, WAS ......... 4 4 Morris, WAS ............. 4 4 Roberts, ARI ............ 4 0 And. Brown, NYG .... 3 3 Mi. Austin, DAL ........ 3 0 Ma. Bennett, NYG ... 3 0 M. Bush, CHI............ 3 3 Gonzalez, ATL ......... 3 0 Gore, SNF ................ 3 3 Kicking PAT Ja. Hanson, DET ............ 8-8 Tynes, NYG .................... 10-10 Zuerlein, STL .................. 5-5 M. Bryant, ATL................ 13-13 Akers, SNF ..................... 11-11 Gould, CHI ...................... 12-12 Walsh, MIN ..................... 9-9 Barth, TAM....................... 7-7 Cundiff, WAS .................. 15-15
Yds TD Int 1162 11 2 1070 4 1 784 5 1 824 4 0 752 7 2 1064 7 3 1320 7 4 1013 4 5 1350 10 5 1182 3 4 Avg LG TD 4.60 36 2 4.74 34 1 4.59 39t 4 4.20 20 2 4.94 23t 3 4.67 27 2 6.46 19 4 3.48 17 1 3.89 48 1 3.56 11 1 Avg LG TD 12.1 80t 2 11.3 56 2 10.0 24 0 14.6 51 1 15.3 59 3 10.2 25 3 10.3 24 3 15.3 34 2 9.7 24 1 9.0 25 2
Rec Ret Pts 4 0 24 0 0 24 0 0 24 4 0 24 0 0 20 3 0 18 3 0 18 0 0 18 3 0 18 0 0 18 FG LG Pts 12-13 53 44 11-12 49 43 12-12 60 41 9-9 42 40 9-12 63 38 8-8 54 36 9-10 55 36 9-9 57 34 6-10 45 33
RICH SHEPOSH
WHAT’S ON TELEVISION
S T A N D I N G S
FANTASY FOOTBALL
Ever need a good kick STATE OF WAR in the head?
EAGLES at STEELERS 1 p.m., FOX-56, WOLF
A
BROWNS at GIANTS 1 p.m., CBS, WYOU-22
BRONCOS at PATRIOTS 4:25 p.m., CBS, WYOU-22
CHARGERS at SAINTS 8:20 p.m., NBC, WBRE-28
PHILADELPHIA at PITTSBURGH
OPENING LINE: Steelers by 4 SERIES RECORD: Eagles lead 47-27-3 LAST MEETING: Eagles beat Steelers 15-6, Sept. 21, 2008 LAST WEEK: Eagles beat Giants 19-17; Steelers had bye DID YOU KNOW? Steelers haven’t lost back-to-back games since 2009, coming off 34-31 loss to Oakland two weeks ago ... Steelers have started season 6-2 in each of coach Mike Tomlin’s first five seasons ... Pittsburgh leads NFL in time of possession, averaging more than 35 minutes a game ... Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger second in NFL in quarterback rating at 109.2 ... Pittsburgh is 26-6 in last 32 games against NFC opponents and 4-1 coming off bye week under Tomlin. Pittsburgh has won seven straight home games against NFC teams, last loss 21-14 to Giants in 2008 Philadelphia is 9-3-1 against AFC North under coach Andy Reid, including 2-0 this season ... Philadelphia holding opposing quarterbacks to passer rating of 65.8, third-best in NFL … Philadelphia QB Michael Vick first quarterback in 12 years to lead team to three fourth-quarter comebacks in first four games of season ... Eagles lead NFL in yards per game differential, averaging 417.8 yards while giving up 298.3. .. Eagles haven’t allowed punt or kickoff return for touchdown since 2008, longest active streak in league.
CLEVELAND at N.Y. GIANTS OPENING LINE: Giants by 10 1⁄2 SERIES RECORD: Browns lead 26-19-2 LAST MEETING: Browns beat Giants 35-14, Oct. 13, 2008 LAST WEEK: Browns lost to Ravens 23-16; Giants lost to Eagles 19-17 DID YOU KNOW? Browns have lost 10 straight games dating to last season. Last win was against Jacksonville Nov. 20. ... Rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden has thrown for at least 300 yards in two of last three games. ... Rookie running back Trent Richardson has run for a touchdown in three straight games. ... Browns have played defending Super Bowl champions in four of last five seasons. Quarterback Eli Manning has won seven straight vs. AFC foes, and has at least 200 yards passing in 23 consecutive games, second longest streak in NFL history. His 1,320 yards passing is 30 yards shy of leagueleader Drew Brees. ......RB Ahmad Bradshaw has 981 yards from scrimmage (722 rushing, 259 receiving) and nine
with at least one touchdown pass. Only players ahead are Drew Brees and Johnny Unitas, with 47 each. In last Sunday’s win over Oakland, Manning completed 30 of 38 passes for 338 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions: and wasn’t sacked. ... Denver 5-2 in last seven games at New England. ... Dan Koppen expected to start at center for Broncos after eight seasons as Patriots starting center. ... Willis McGahee leads active NFL players with 32 games of at least 100 yards rushing. He ran for 112 against Raiders. ... Denver’s Eric Decker has 24 catches and Demaryius Thomas 21, tying for second in receptions by teammates this season. The Patriots are first with Wes Welker and Brandon Lloyd catching 25 passes each.
SAN DIEGO at NEW ORLEANS
AP FILE PHOTO
If the Steelers want to win today, they need to avoid scenes like this. When the teams play, QB Ben Roethlisberger tends to get sacked a lot by the Eagles. TDs in last 10 games vs. AFC opponents. ... Rookie David Wilson third in NFL, averaging 30.2 yards on kickoff returns. ... WR Victor Cruz leads NFL with 32 receptions. ... Domenik Hixon had six receptions for 114 yards last week, starting for injured Hakeem Nicks. … Fullback Henry Hynoski’s father, Henry Sr., played for Browns in 1975.
DENVER at NEW ENGLAND OPENING LINE: Patriots by 7 SERIES RECORD: Broncos lead 27-18 LAST MEETING: Patriots
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW WEEK 5 >> EAGLES VS. STEELERS: Did you know that the Eagles used to be the Steelers and the Steelers the Eagles? It’s true. Way back in 1940, Steelers owner Art Rooney actually sold the team and bought a share of the Eagles franchise. With World War II looming and player shortages inevitable, his goal was to have an all-Pa. team called the Pennsylvania Keystoners. But NFL politics intervened and the idea was nixed. Since Rooney wanted to stay in Pittsburgh, he and the new Pittsburgh owner agreed to a swap. The Pittsburgh team moved east and Philadelphia’s team moved west. Somehow, it must be no comfort to Eagles fans that “their” team has won six Super Bowls. >> FALCONS VS. REDSKINS: The Washington Redskins are a very balanced team. And not in a good way. The team ranks fourth in the NFL in points scored with 123. Problem is, they’ve also given up 123 points. Not surprisingly the team is 2-2. The Atlan-
beat Broncos 45-10, Jan. 14, 2012 LAST WEEK: Broncos beat Raiders 37-6; Patriots beat Bills 52-28 DID YOU KNOW? Patriots have scored at least 41 points in each of last three wins against Broncos and are 3-1 in last four matchups. ... Denver has outscored opponents in fourth quarter by league-high 45 points. New England scored 31 against Buffalo in fourth quarter last Sunday. ... Tom Brady and Peyton Manning meet for 13th time and first since Manning joined Broncos. Brady has won eight of 12 meetings. … Brady tied with Brett Favre for third place with 36 consecutive games
OPENING LINE: Saints by 3 SERIES RECORD: Chargers lead 7-3 LAST MEETING: Saints beat Chargers 37-32, Oct. 26, 2008 LAST WEEK: Chargers beat Chiefs 37-20; Saints lost to Packers 28-27 DID YOU KNOW? Teams’ last meeting came in Wembley Stadium in London. ... Chargers are 2-0 on road. ... Chargers QB Philip Rivers replaced Saints’ Drew Brees as starter in San Diego in 2006. ... . Rivers passed for 341 yards, three TDs and one INT with a 104.3 rating in only start vs. New Orleans, marking one of only eight career losses when rating 100 or better. ... TE Antonio Gates has 7,907 career yards receiving, and with 74 more yards will surpass Hall of Famers Jackie Smith (7,918) and Ozzie Newsome (7,980) for fourth-most career yards receiving by TE. Saints seek to avoid first 0-5 start since 1996, when they finished 3-13. ... Brees seeks NFL record 48th straight regular season game with TD pass. He’s tied with Hall of Fame QB Johnny Unitas, who had a TD pass in 47 straight from 1956-60. ... Last time Brees did not throw TD pass was Oct. 4, 2009, a 24-10 win over N.Y. Jets. ... Since joining the Saints in 2006, Brees has passed for 29,744 yards. ... Brees has faced Chargers once, passing for 339 yards with three TDs in 37-32 win in 2008.
Tom Brady, meet Peyton Manning. Peyton. Tom. Oh, you two have met before? Yeah, like 13 times before. And usually, it’s Brady’s Patriots coming out on top. He’s won eight of those meetings. This will be the first time Manning is wearing Bronco orange, however. Not that color schemes have anything to do with winning or anything.
ta Falcons can also score a few points. They’re good for third in the NFL with one more point than Washington. Toss in the random fact that the last NFL game that ended in a tie involved the Falcons, and you can go to Vegas and bet the house on a tie. Just make sure it’s your neighbor’s house. >> TEXANS VS. JETS: When the NFL returned to Houston in the early 2000s, team big wigs were bandying about potential nicknames and, obviously, they chose the Texans. But that wasn’t the first time the name was used. In 1974, the Houston Texans played in the short-lived World Football League – one of several leagues back in the ‘70s and ‘80s that tried and failed to compete with the NFL. The original Texans didn’t even finish their first season in Houston before moving to Shreveport, La., and becoming the Shreveport Steamer.
>> BRONCOS VS. PATRIOTS: You might have heard of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Each has won the Super Bowl, multiple league MVP awards and have nice side jobs as TV pitchmen. And they are also in a small group of NFL players to have hosted “Saturday Night Live.” So who gets the hosting edge? Hard to say. Manning cursed at children when he was on and Brady was walking around in his underwear. Cursing at children seems meaner, so … advantage Manning. >> BILLS VS. 49ERS: People probably think the San Francisco 49ers did nothing as a franchise before Joe Montana arrived in 1979. But the 49ers had a number of good years before Joe. What they didn’t have was a logo that stayed out of trouble until 1968. From the team’s’ inception in 1946, this old coot was the face of the franchise. He looks like a guy named “Pappy” who got all liquored up, fired off a few rounds and spent the night in the drunk tank. And someone should work on him with his firing technique. From that position, he could shoot out more than his eye. -- Rich Sheposh
WHEN I WAS about 6-years-old, I set out to discover gold. Really. I had one of those kids’ encyclopedias that had little pictures of what each state in the U.S. produced – Pennsylvania had a little mining pick and some coal, Wisconsin a cow and a bottle of milk … you get the idea. But it was glorious Alaska that caught my eye. It had the little mining pick, but with a nugget of gold next to it. Gold, I knew, was valuable, and I had only to go to Alaska and start digging and I would be fabulously wealthy – I might even make $20. So, I packed some peanut butter sandwiches, bananas and chocolate milk in some boxes, stored them under my bed and waited for the excursion to begin. A week later, my mom discovered an ONE FACT interesting smell in my TO KNOW room and found the green-covered remains If your fantasy of what was to be my defense is strugstores for the journey. gling, take a look It was at this time I at the Rams. was introduced to the They’ve shut down concept of distance, the Seahawks and mining expertise and Cardinals the last the limitations parents two weeks, and could put on a 6-year- after two brutal old. matchups – Green Sometimes reality is Bay and New just one big old kick in England – six of the head. their next seven And a kick in the opponents have head is exactly what I so-so offenses. need right now. Not a literal one, of course. After four weeks of trying to figure out the fantasy landscape, it’s time for a king-sized reality check. It’s time to rethink what I already thinked I thunk. Like … Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins offense isn’t a fantasy wasteland. Silly me. I thought the Cardinals defense would have its way with run-oriented Miami. But 431 yards passing for Tannehill and 253 receiving yards for Brian Hartline say otherwise. Now, don’t expect those kinds of numbers every week, but Tannehill has entered the conversation as a good fantasy option. And Hartline has become a great spot starter at WR. The Vikings defense is one you should get. They held the 49ers running attack down in a Week 3 upset and bottled up the Lions in Week 4. Toss in a couple of special teams touchdowns and you’ve got yourself a valuable squad. Maybe this wasn’t the year to get a QB early. Oh you can’t go wrong with Drew Brees. He’s just darn good. But fellow first round choices Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Cam Newton have been up and down, and Matthew Stafford’s just been down. Meanwhile, mid-round pick-ups Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Robert Griffin III have been racking up the fantasy points. Darren McFadden was overvalued. “If he only stays healthy,” my brain said. “He’ll be the best back in the NFL.” My brain has trust issues. McFadden’s stats are padded by one 64-yard TD run. Take that away, and his top rushing output of the year is 49 yards. Jamal Charles was undervalued. Charles, was coming back from an ACL tear and had goal-line vulture Peyton Hillis to deal with. How’s that working out? Charles has dealt with those issues to the tune of 513 total yards and 3 TDs. Charles is the better back.
START THESE GUYS … Reggie Wayne, WR, Colts. The Packers will put up points, which means the Colts will be throwing early and often to keep up. And Wayne is Andrew Luck’s favorite target. Ryan Matthews, RB, Chargers. So, he was supposed to be a top-three RB this year? That ain’t happening. But he will have the chance to play like one against the wet napkin that is the Saints defense. Matt Cassel, QB, Chiefs. Teams have been able to throw on the Ravens defense. They just can’t stop the Ravens offense. If that trend holds, Baltimore will rack up the points and Kansas City will be forced to pass a whole lot. Them’s good stats for Cassel.
NOT THESE … Stevan Ridley, RB, Patriots. New England is funny with its running backs. Ridley has shown he can be a good one, but the Pats only rely on him in certain game plans. This game smells like an up-tempo affair, and the last time they had one of those -- New England vs. Baltimore -- Ridley was an afterthought. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Steelers. Two things work against Ben this week. The Eagles have been good at pressuring opposing QBs and the Steelers have been lousy at pass protection. Doesn’t sound like a recipe for 300 yards and three TDs, does it? Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jaguars. The Bears defense knows how to scheme against an opponent. And when you play Jacksonville, your game plan is, “Don’t let JonesDrew beat you.”
User: jsoprano Time: 11-03-2012 21:11 Product: Times_Leader PubDate: 11-04-2012 Zone: Main Edition: Main_Run PageName: sports_06 PageNo: 9 C
THE TIMES LEADER
www.timesleader.com
CMYK
Color: C K Y M
➛ WWW.TIMESLEADER.COM/SPORTS
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2012 PAGE 9C
NFL SUNDAY AMERICAN CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA New England .......................... 5 3 0 .625 262 170 Miami ....................................... 4 3 0 .571 150 126 Buffalo ..................................... 3 4 0 .429 171 227 N.Y. Jets ................................. 3 5 0 .375 168 200 South W L T Pct PF PA Houston................................... 6 1 0 .857 216 128 Indianapolis............................. 4 3 0 .571 136 171 Tennessee.............................. 3 5 0 .375 162 257 Jacksonville ............................ 1 6 0 .143 103 188 North W L T Pct PF PA Baltimore ................................. 5 2 0 .714 174 161 Pittsburgh................................ 4 3 0 .571 167 144 Cincinnati ................................ 3 4 0 .429 166 187 Cleveland ................................ 2 6 0 .250 154 186 West W L T Pct PF PA Denver..................................... 4 3 0 .571 204 152 San Diego ............................... 4 4 0 .500 185 157 Oakland ................................... 3 4 0 .429 139 187 Kansas City............................. 1 7 0 .125 133 240 NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct PF PA N.Y. Giants.............................. 6 2 0 .750 234 161 Philadelphia............................ 3 4 0 .429 120 155 Dallas ...................................... 3 4 0 .429 137 162 Washington ............................ 3 5 0 .375 213 227 South W L T Pct PF PA Atlanta ................................... 7 0 0 1.000 201 130 Tampa Bay............................ 3 4 0 .429 184 153 New Orleans......................... 2 5 0 .286 190 216 Carolina ................................ 1 6 0 .143 128 167 North W L T Pct PF PA Chicago ................................... 6 1 0 .857 185 100 Minnesota ............................... 5 3 0 .625 184 167 Green Bay ............................... 5 3 0 .625 208 170 Detroit...................................... 3 4 0 .429 161 174 West W L T Pct PF PA San Francisco......................... 6 2 0 .750 189 103 Arizona .................................... 4 4 0 .500 127 142 Seattle...................................... 4 4 0 .500 140 134 St. Louis .................................. 3 5 0 .375 137 186 Thursday's Game San Diego 31, Kansas City 13 Sunday's Games Arizona at Green Bay, 1 p.m. Chicago at Tennessee, 1 p.m. Buffalo at Houston, 1 p.m. Carolina at Washington, 1 p.m. Detroit at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Denver at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Baltimore at Cleveland, 1 p.m. Miami at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. Minnesota at Seattle, 4:05 p.m. Tampa Bay at Oakland, 4:05 p.m. Pittsburgh at N.Y. Giants, 4:25 p.m. Dallas at Atlanta, 8:20 p.m. Open: N.Y. Jets, New England, San Francisco, St. Louis Monday's Game Philadelphia at New Orleans, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 8 Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 8:20 p.m.
A F C
L E A D E R S
Quarterbacks Att Com P. Manning, DEN...... 257 176 Roethlisberger, PIT.. 268 179 Brady, NWE .............. 320 209 Schaub, HOU............ 222 140 Dalton, CIN................ 243 156 P. Rivers, SND ......... 263 175 Fitzpatrick, BUF ........ 218 133 C. Palmer, OAK........ 269 162 Flacco, BAL............... 252 150 Hasselbeck, TEN ..... 185 118 Rushers Att Yds Ridley, NWE ............... 150 716 A. Foster, HOU ........... 168 659 J. Charles, KAN .......... 132 634 Chr. Johnson, TEN .... 131 595 McGahee, DEN .......... 123 554 R. Rice, BAL................ 106 524 Spiller, BUF ................. 72 523 Greene, NYJ ............... 139 509 Re. Bush, MIA ............ 112 493 T. Richardson, CLE ... 127 470 Receivers No Yds Welker, NWE................ 60 736 Wayne, IND .................. 54 757 Bowe, KAN ................... 45 571 A.. Green, CIN ............. 44 636 R. Gronkowski, NWE .. 43 580 Ant. Brown, PIT............ 40 480 Ke. Wright, TEN........... 40 351 De. Thomas, DEN ....... 39 679 Decker, DEN ................ 38 484 Lloyd, NWE .................. 37 435
Scoring
Touchdowns TD Rush A. Foster, HOU ........ 10 9 A.. Green, CIN ......... 7 0 R. Gronkowski, NWE .......................... 7 0 H. Miller, PIT............. 6 0 T. Richardson, CLE. 6 5 Decker, DEN ............ 5 0 Greene, NYJ ............ 5 5 R. Rice, BAL ............. 5 5 Ridley, NWE............. 5 5 Spiller, BUF .............. 5 4 Kicking PAT Gostkowski, NWE .......... 29-29 Janikowski, OAK ............ 11-11 S. Graham, HOU............ 25-25 Suisham, PIT .................. 15-15 Tucker, BAL .................... 18-18 Succop, KAN .................. 11-11 Bironas, TEN .................. 18-18 Folk, NYJ......................... 18-18 P. Dawson, CLE ............. 16-16 Nugent, CIN .................... 19-19
N F C
Yds TD Int 2113 17 4 1987 14 3 2408 16 3 1650 10 4 1831 13 10 1866 12 10 1435 15 9 1941 9 5 1837 9 6 1167 6 4 Avg 4.77 3.92 4.80 4.54 4.50 4.94 7.26 3.66 4.40 3.70
LG TD 41 5 46 9 91t 2 83t 2 31 4 43 5 56t 4 36 5 65t 3 32t 5
Avg 12.3 14.0 12.7 14.5 13.5 12.0 8.8 17.4 12.7 11.8
LG TD 59 2 30t 2 46 3 73t 7 41 7 27 1 35 3 71t 4 55 5 27 3
Rec Ret Pts 1 0 60 7 0 42 7 6 1 5 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
42 38 36 30 30 30 30 30
FG LG Pts 17-20 53 80 18-19 52 65 13-14 51 64 16-17 52 63 14-15 56 60 16-18 52 59 12-15 47 54 12-13 54 54 12-12 52 52 11-12 48 52
L E A D E R S
Quarterbacks Att Com A. Rodgers, GBY...... 297 205 M. Ryan, ATL ............ 265 182 Ale. Smith, SNF........ 209 145 Griffin III, WAS.......... 223 149 Jo. Freeman, TAM.... 223 123 Brees, NOR............... 315 188 E. Manning, NYG ..... 294 184 Kolb, ARI ................... 183 109 Ponder, MIN.............. 262 171 Bradford, STL ........... 249 153 Rushers Att Yds A. Peterson, MIN........ 151 775 M. Lynch, SEA............ 159 757 Morris, WAS................ 151 717 Gore, SNF ................... 119 656 Bradshaw, NYG.......... 126 570 Do. Martin, TAM.......... 129 543 L. McCoy, PHL ........... 127 504 Griffin III, WAS............ 70 476 Forte, CHI.................... 95 436 M. Turner, ATL ........... 108 415 Receivers No Yds Harvin, MIN .................. 60 667 Cruz, NYG .................... 52 650 Witten, DAL .................. 51 487 B. Marshall, CHI........... 50 675 Gonzalez, ATL ............. 46 459 Fitzgerald, ARI ............. 45 511 Cobb, GBY ................... 42 463 Ca. Johnson, DET ....... 41 638 D. Bryant, DAL ............. 41 488 R. White, ATL............... 40 591
Scoring
Touchdowns TD Rush Cruz, NYG ................ 7 0 Jam. Jones, GBY..... 7 0 Griffin III, WAS ......... 6 6 And. Brown, NYG .... 5 5 J. Nelson, GBY ........ 5 0 Rudolph, MIN ........... 5 0 Cobb, GBY ............... 5 0 Colston, NOR........... 5 0 Harvin, MIN .............. 5 1 V. Jackson, TAM...... 5 0 Kicking PAT Tynes, NYG .................... 22-22 M. Bryant, ATL................ 21-21 Walsh, MIN ..................... 17-17 Akers, SNF ..................... 21-21 Ja. Hanson, DET ............ 15-15 Zuerlein, STL .................. 10-10 Gould, CHI ...................... 20-20 Barth, TAM....................... 19-19
RICH SHEPOSH
WHAT’S ON TELEVISION
S T A N D I N G S
Yds TD Int 2165 21 4 2018 17 6 1659 12 5 1778 8 3 1800 14 5 2310 20 8 2301 12 8 1169 8 3 1743 10 7 1797 8 7 Avg 5.13 4.76 4.75 5.51 4.52 4.21 3.97 6.80 4.59 3.84
LG TD 64t 4 77t 3 39t 5 37 4 37 4 41 3 34 2 76t 6 39 2 27 3
Avg 11.1 12.5 9.5 13.5 10.0 11.4 11.0 15.6 11.9 14.8
LG TD 45 3 80t 7 35 1 34 4 25 4 37t 3 39t 4 51 1 55 2 59 4
Rec Ret Pts 7 0 42 7 0 42 0 0 36 0 0 32 5 0 32 5 0 32 4 1 30 5 0 30 3 1 30 5 0 30 FG LG Pts 24-26 49 94 16-17 55 69 17-18 55 68 14-19 63 63 16-17 53 63 17-20 60 61 13-15 54 59 13-15 57 58
FANTASY FOOTBALL
Time to cast a ballot with OLD TYME FOOTBALL roster moves BRONCOS at BENGALS 1 p.m., CBS, WYOU-22
PANTHERS at REDSKINS 1 p.m., FOX, WOLF-56
STEELERS at GIANTS 4:25 p.m., CBS, WYOU-22
PITTSBURGH at N.Y. GIANTS
OPENING LINE: Giants by 31⁄2 SERIES RECORD: Giants lead 44-28-3 LAST MEETING: Giants beat Steelers 21-14, Oct. 26, 2008 LAST WEEK: Steelers beat Redskins 27-12; Giants beats Cowboys 29-24 DID YOU KNOW? This will be 76th meeting between the Steelers, who joined league in 1933, and Giants, who were founded in 1925, but only fifth time since 1994. ... Steelers coach Mike Tomlin looking for 60th career win. ... Pittsburgh leads NFL with a 51.9 percent conversion rate on third down. ...Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger 23-7 against NFC teams. He threw for three TDs last week vs. Washington. ...T ight end Heath Miller has caught six TD passes. ...LB Larry Foote leads team with 50 tackles. It will be Pittsburgh’s first game at MetLife Stadium. ... Steelers 400-253-2 during regular season since 1970, making them first franchise to win 400 since AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Giants QB Eli Manning has won eight in row against AFC teams, passing for 2,194 yards with 14 TDs and five interceptions. ... Running back Ahmad Bradshaw has 408 yards and six TDs in last four games. ... Victor Cruz’s 52 receptions fourth best in league. His seven TD catches tied for first overall with Packers’ James Jones. ...Defensive end Jason PierrePaul has four sacks in past three games and seven in last six against AFC teams. ... Kicker Lawrence Tynes leads league with 94 points.
DENVER at CINCINNATI OPENING LINE: Broncos by 31⁄2 SERIES RECORD: Broncos lead 18-8 LAST MEETING: Broncos beat Bengals 24-22, Sept. 18, 2011 LAST WEEK: Broncos beat Saints 34-14; Bengals had bye DID YOU KNOW? Last time Broncos played at Paul Brown Stadium, Brandon Stokley caught deflected pass and went 87 yards for touchdown with 11 seconds left for 12-7 win, longest game-winning TD play from scrimmage in final minute of game in NFL history. ... QB Peyton Manning 7-0 career against Cincinnati with 17 TD passes and three INTs. He has thrown for at least three TDs in four of those games. ... WR Eric Decker has caught TD pass in four consecutive games. He can become fifth
COWBOYS at FALCONS 8:20 p.m., NBC, WBRE-28
winners: Carolina’s Cam Newton (2010) from Auburn and Washington’s Robert Griffin III (2011) from Baylor. ... Newton had 256 yards passing and two touchdowns (one rushing, one passing) in win over Redskins last year. ... Carolina has lost five straight, last four by combined 12 points. Redskins have 1,330 yards rushing at season’s midpoint, second most for franchise through eight games since 1970. ... Griffin leads NFL rookies with 66.8 completion percentage and 97.3 rating. He leads all QBs with 476 yards rushing six touchdowns. ... Redskins will be wearing throwback uniforms based on their 1937 NFL championship team, complete with modern helmets designed to resemble their leather predecessors.
DALLAS at ATLANTA
AP PHOTO
New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning will get reaquianted with Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Larry Foote and the Steeler defense when the two teams meet today. player in franchise history to do it in five straight games with TD catch Sunday. Dalton has thrown an interception in each of Cincinnati’s seven games. He has thrown 10 INTs overall, including six in last three games. ... Bengals have lost three in row for first time since 2010, when they dropped 10 straight and finished 4-12. ... WR A.J. Green has caught TD pass in six straight games, tied for third-longest streak in franchise history. Carl Pickens holds team record of 10. T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught TD pass in eight straight.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW WEEK 9 >> STEELERS VS. GIANTS: If the original “gameplan” had held during the 2004 NFL draft, Ben Roethlisberger would be a Giant today. And Eli Manning? He’d be a Charger. Back then, San Diego had the No. 1 overall pick and was going to take Manning. New York was poised to select Big Ben at No. 4. But Eli didn’t want to play for the Chargers and was very public about it. So New York and San Diego arranged a deal where the Giants selected Philip Rivers for San Diego and the teams swapped QBs. And Roethlisberger fell into the Steelers’ lap at No. 11. It worked out nicely too. Ben and Eli have two Super Bowl titles apiece. >> COWBOYS VS. FALCONS: The Cowboys and Falcons rivalry isn’t exactly one of NFL lore. Historically, when the Cowboys have been good, the Falcons have been anything but – and versa vice. But on Jan. 4, 1981, the teams actually played a game with championship implications, and it looked like the Falcons were going to snatch up a win. It was an NFC playoff
CAROLINA at WASHINGTON OPENING LINE: Washington by 31⁄2 SERIES RECORD: Redskins lead 7-3 LAST MEETING: Panthers beat Redskins 33-20, Oct. 23, 2011 LAST WEEK: Panthers lost to Bears 23-22; Redskins lost to Steelers 27-12 DID YOU KNOW? Game features last two Heisman Trophy
game, and Atlanta was at home and up 10 points late in the fourth quarter. And they would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for that meddling combination of Danny White to Drew Pearson. White hooked up with Pearson for two TD passes, the clincher with 47 seconds left, and Dallas left Atlanta with a 30-27 win. >> PANTHERS VS. REDSKINS: Hey, Cam Newton, meet the “new” Cam Newton. In 2011, Newton made quite the splash as a rookie, setting all kinds of records as a dynamic, rushing QB. Then, Robert Griffin III enters the league and has proceeded to “out-Cam” Newton. Or so you’ve been led to believe. Through eight game in his rookie year, RGIII, as the abbreviatedminded like to call him, has 1,778 yards passing and 8 TDs, and 487 yards rushing with 6 TDs. Newton’s 2011 marks at the halfway point looked like this: 2,390 yards passing with 11 TDs, and 319 rushing yards with 7 TDs. The edge goes to Newton. Although RGIII has better hair. >> BEARS VS. TITANS: This is more than a NFCAFC matchup. It’s a battle between two of America’s most iconic musical styles. Nashville is home to Sistine Chapel of country music – the
OPENING LINE: Falcons by 4 1/2 SERIES RECORD: Cowboys lead 16-8 LAST MEETING: Cowboys beat Falcons 37-21, Oct. 25, 2009 LAST WEEK: Cowboys lost to Giants 29-24; Falcons beat Eagles 30-17 DID YOU KNOW? Cowboys top Falcons in total offense and total defense, but defining stat is turnover ratio: Dallas minus 11, Atlanta plus 10. Cowboys QB Tony Romo and Falcons QB Matt Ryan have similar numbers in completions and yards passing, but Romo has 13 interceptions and nine TD passes. Ryan has six interceptions and 17 TDs. ... Romo completed 21 of 29 passes for 311 yards and three TDs in 2009 win over Atlanta. .. TE Jason Witten’s 18 catches last week against Giants most by a tight end in game in NFL history. Falcons WR Roddy White’s 511 catches since 2007 lead NFC. White has 22 catches for 343 yards, four TDs, in last three home games. ... Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez needs one TD catch to reach 100 for career. ... Falcons 28-0 when Ryan has 100plus QB rating.
Where have you gone, Ickey Woods? The former Bengals’ running back would showcase his “Ickey Shuffle” after every TD back in the glory days of 1989-90. Now there’s a guy who should be on “Dancing With the Stars.” Not to be outdone, The Broncos had their own TD celebration in the late 1990s, when Terrell Davis would give the “Mile-High Salute.”
Grand Ole Opry. It’s a stage where legends like Hank Williams, Roy Acuff, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, and the cast of “Hee Haw” have sang about “doom, despair and agony” since 1925. Chicago is a musical melting pot that gave birth to the guitarharmonica infused “Chicago Blues.” Chicago’s musical all-stars include Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy and Bo Diddley. At face value, it looks like a draw, but there’s one act that tips the scales Chicago’s way -Jake and Elwood Blues. Advantage: Bears. >> BRONCOS VS. BENGALS: The story of the Cincinnati Bengals is one of betrayal, revenge, helmets and lust – without the lust. It begins in Cleveland in 1961, when Browns founder and namesake Paul Brown sold a majority interest in the team to Art Modell. Two years later, Modell fired him. But Brown was not finished. When the AFL expanded to Cincinnati in 1968, Brown was part-owner, coach and general manager. He chose the name Bengals, after a short-lived team that had played in Cincy in the 1930s. And for their helmets … well, there are some who say as a slight to Modell, Brown took the exact orange as the Cleveland Browns helmets and slapped the word “Bengals” on it. Take that, Modell.
CAN YOU smell it? Ahhhh, yes. That’s the smell of politics in the air. You can tell it’s politics by the distinctive aroma of hot air and horse doo-doo, mixed with equal doses of cologne and negativity. It’s that final weekend before America votes and chooses the guy we’re going to complain about for the next four years. Time to ratchet up the campaigns! Not wanting to miss out on the fun, it seems like a good time to hold our own “fantasy football election.” Here are the races, complete with some campaign ads. Hey. It wouldn’t be a real election without them. 1: MVP OF THE SECOND HALF Candidate A: Peyton Manning. Born into a football family, Peyton Manning learned hard work from his father, who was a Saint. He Volunteered in college and went on to the NFL, where he created over 400 jobs for touchdown-starved receivers. Manning promises more yardage and TDs in the second half. And with a creampuff schedule, he can deliver. Candidate B: Adrian Peterson. On Dec. 24, 2011, Peterson’s world came crashing in. An ACL tear ended his season and put his future in jeopardy. But Peterson is a fighter. He fought back with intense rehab. He fought back with a positive attitude. He fought back against those who said he couldn’t do it. And if elected, Peterson will fight for the yardage and scores your fantasy teams needs. ONE FACT Results: Manning TO KNOW 54%, Peterson 46% 2: INJURED STAR LIKELY TO REBOUND The Dallas defense Candidate A: Maurice has been fantasy death to QBs. Jones-Drew. Maurice Through seven Jones-Drew SAYS he will play again this year. games, the Cowboys have held But his team won’t say when. Troubling. When teams under 250 yards passing six other players were times, and only reporting for training Jay Cutler threw camp, Jones-Drew was for more than one playing video games in TD in a game his luxurious mansion. against them – two Why? And, unlike his on Oct. 1. opponent, Jones-Drew has two last names. Can we really trust a man who uses a hyphen? Candidate B: DeMarco Murray. Handed the Cowboys starting job, Murray responded with a 131-yard effort in Week 1. Since then, his season is a broken trail of broken promises that he broke. Poor production. One TD. Injuries. Uncertainty. Are you ready to put your team in the hands of a man named “DeMarco?” Results: Jones-Drew 58%, Murray 42% 3: “STUD” PLAYER YOU CAN’T TRUST Candidate A: Stevan Ridley. Four quality fantasy starts. Four single-digit fantasy starts. Ridley’s eight games in 2012 have been a lesson in schizophrenia. He says he’s a No. 1 RB, but in crunch time, he lets other players carry the load. And the Frostbite Falls Picayune Intelligence calls Stevan Ridley “bad for middle-class fantasy owners.” Candidate B: Jamaal Charles. On Sept. 23, Jamaal Charles teased America with 233 yards and a touchdown. Four weeks later, he rushed for 4 yards. Who is the real Jamaal Charles? Jamaal Charles claims he stands for rushing values, but in his four worst games, he’s totaled 86 yards. Jamaal Charles: Bad for your fantasy team. Bad for America. Results: Charles 51%, Ridley 49%, 4: "BUST" WHO CAN HELP YOU Candidate A: Cam Newton. As a child, Newton knew he was destined for greatness. With his superior talent, one college was not enough for Newton, so he went to three. At Auburn, he won the Heisman Trophy, and in the NFL, he’s won over 26 percent of his games. Newton’s plan is to feast on bad passing defenses and lead your team to a title. Candidate B: Chris Johnson. Many running backs face challenges. Johnson inherited a position ruined by the failed policies of the LenDale White administration. After early struggles, Johnson is ready to be a strong voice in your playoff run. There is still work to do. But with the Colts, Jets and Jaguars on the schedule, Johnson is the man to do it. Results: Newton 60%, Johnson 40%.
Start these guys … Mikel LeShoure, RB, Lions. A big disappointment so far in 2012. But against the NFL’s lastplace run defense, he’s a sneaky play. Cam Newton, QB, Panthers. Is your QB suffering? Try Redskins-brand defense. Redskinsbrand defense: Good for your stat line. Doug Martin, RB, Bucs. His audition for first round fantasy draft status in 2013 continues against Oakland.
Not These … Julio Jones, WR, Falcons. Yeah, he’s a stud, and you’re not supposed to sit them. But did you see what the Cowboys D did to Victor Cruz last week? (2 catches, 23 yards) Vick Ballard, RB, Colts. His OT touchdown last Sunday will make year-end highlight reels. He won’t be on any this week. Christian Ponder, QB, Vikings. If he’s your bye week fill-in, look elsewhere.
User: jsoprano Time: 12-08-2012 20:50 Product: Times_Leader PubDate: 12-09-2012 Zone: Main Edition: Main_Run PageName: sports_06 PageNo: 9 C
THE TIMES LEADER
www.timesleader.com
Color: C K Y M
CMYK SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2012 PAGE 9C
➛ WWW.TIMESLEADER.COM/SPORTS
NFL SUNDAY AMERICAN CONFERENCE East W L T Pct y-New England....................... 9 3 0 .750 N.Y. Jets ................................. 5 7 0 .417 Buffalo ..................................... 5 7 0 .417 Miami ....................................... 5 7 0 .417 South W L T Pct x-Houston............................. 11 1 0 .917 Indianapolis.......................... 8 4 0 .667 Tennessee ........................... 4 8 0 .333 Jacksonville ......................... 2 10 0 .167 North W L T Pct Baltimore ................................. 9 3 0 .750 Pittsburgh................................ 7 5 0 .583 Cincinnati ................................ 7 5 0 .583 Cleveland ................................ 4 8 0 .333 West W L T Pct y-Denver............................... 10 3 0 .769 San Diego............................. 4 8 0 .333 Oakland ................................ 3 10 0 .231 Kansas City .......................... 2 10 0 .167 NATIONAL CONFERENCE East W L T Pct N.Y. Giants.............................. 7 5 0 .583 Washington ............................ 6 6 0 .500 Dallas ...................................... 6 6 0 .500 Philadelphia............................ 3 9 0 .250 South W L T Pct y-Atlanta ................................. 11 1 0 .917 Tampa Bay ............................. 6 6 0 .500 New Orleans .......................... 5 7 0 .417 Carolina .................................. 3 9 0 .250 North W L T Pct Green Bay ............................... 8 4 0 .667 Chicago ................................... 8 4 0 .667 Minnesota ............................... 6 6 0 .500 Detroit...................................... 4 8 0 .333 West W L T Pct San Francisco......................... 8 3 1 .708 Seattle...................................... 7 5 0 .583 St. Louis .................................. 5 6 1 .458 Arizona .................................... 4 8 0 .333 x-clinched playoff spot y-clinched division Thursday's Game Denver 26, Oakland 13 Sunday's Games Chicago at Minnesota, 1 p.m. Baltimore at Washington, 1 p.m. Kansas City at Cleveland, 1 p.m. San Diego at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m. Tennessee at Indianapolis, 1 p.m. N.Y. Jets at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Atlanta at Carolina, 1 p.m. Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m. St. Louis at Buffalo, 1 p.m. Dallas at Cincinnati, 1 p.m. Miami at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m. Arizona at Seattle, 4:25 p.m. New Orleans at N.Y. Giants, 4:25 p.m. Detroit at Green Bay, 8:20 p.m. Monday's Game Houston at New England, 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13 Cincinnati at Philadelphia, 8:20 p.m.
A F C
PF 430 228 277 227
PA 260 296 337 249
PF 351 265 248 206
PA 221 306 359 342
PF 303 254 302 229
PA 242 230 260 265
PF 375 258 248 188
PA 257 257 402 322
PF 321 312 280 217
PA 243 301 295 320
PF 317 333 321 235
PA 229 285 327 292
PF 296 294 262 300
PA 259 198 272 315
PF 289 242 221 186
PA 171 202 267 234
L E A D E R S
Quarterbacks Att Com P. Manning, DEN...... 483 330 Brady, NWE .............. 460 298 Roethlisberger, PIT.. 316 209 Schaub, HOU............ 413 266 Dalton, CIN................ 412 262 C. Palmer, OAK........ 533 324 Fitzpatrick, BUF ........ 373 228 P. Rivers, SND ......... 424 277 Flacco, BAL............... 426 252 Hasselbeck, TEN ..... 221 138 Rushers Att Yds A. Foster, HOU ......... 283 1102 J. Charles, KAN ........ 222 1055 Ridley, NWE .............. 225 1010 Chr. Johnson, TEN... 204 993 Spiller, BUF ............... 137 907 Green-Ellis, CIN........ 226 885 R. Rice, BAL .............. 198 872 T. Richardson, CLE.. 229 827 Greene, NYJ ............. 210 806 McGahee, DEN......... 167 731 Receivers No Yds Welker, NWE .............. 92 1064 Wayne, IND................. 88 1156 A.. Green, CIN............ 76 1107 De. Thomas, DEN...... 74 1197 And. Johnson, HOU .. 74 1114 B. Myers, OAK............ 70 728 Decker, DEN............... 64 790 Hartline, MIA............... 60 891 Bowe, KAN.................. 57 731 Bess, MIA.................... 56 728
Scoring
Yds TD Int 3812 30 10 3537 25 4 2287 17 4 3062 21 9 2980 24 13 3805 22 14 2471 20 12 2969 18 15 3038 15 8 1367 7 5 Avg 3.89 4.75 4.49 4.87 6.62 3.92 4.40 3.61 3.84 4.38
LG TD 46 13 91t 3 41 9 83t 4 56t 5 48 5 43 8 32t 7 36 5 31 4
Avg 11.6 13.1 14.6 16.2 15.1 10.4 12.3 14.9 12.8 13.0
LG TD 59 4 30t 3 73t 10 71t 8 60t 3 29 4 55 8 80t 1 46 3 39 1
Touchdowns TD Rush Rec Ret Pts A. Foster, HOU ........ 15 13 2 0 90 A.. Green, CIN ......... 10 0 10 0 60 R. Gronkowski, NWE .......................... 10 0 10 0 60 Ridley, NWE............. 9 9 0 0 54 Decker, DEN ............ 8 0 8 0 48 R. Rice, BAL ............. 8 8 0 0 48 T. Richardson, CLE. 8 7 1 0 48 De. Thomas, DEN ... 8 0 8 0 48 H. Miller, PIT............. 7 0 7 0 44 Shorts, JAC .............. 7 0 7 0 42 Kicking PAT FG LG Pts Gostkowski, NWE ......... 50-50 24-30 53 122 M. Prater, DEN ............... 42-42 21-26 53 105 S. Graham, HOU ........... 40-40 21-26 51 103 Tucker, BAL.................... 31-31 24-26 56 103 Suisham, PIT.................. 24-24 24-25 52 96 Janikowski, OAK............ 22-22 24-26 55 94 Nugent, CIN ................... 35-35 19-23 55 92 P. Dawson, CLE............. 22-22 23-24 52 91
N F C
L E A D E R S
Quarterbacks Att Com A. Rodgers, GBY...... 414 279 Griffin III, WAS.......... 325 218 Ale. Smith, SNF........ 217 152 R. Wilson, SEA ......... 317 201 M. Ryan, ATL ............ 462 312 Brees, NOR............... 492 304 Jo. Freeman, TAM.... 388 217 Romo, DAL................ 483 324 Kolb, ARI ................... 183 109 C. Newton, CAR ....... 355 204 Rushers Att Yds A. Peterson, MIN ...... 234 1446 M. Lynch, SEA .......... 250 1138 Do. Martin, TAM ........ 236 1106 Morris, WAS .............. 230 1106 Gore, SNF ................. 199 972 Bradshaw, NYG ........ 185 836 S. Jackson, STL........ 195 772 L. McCoy, PHL.......... 177 750 Forte, CHI .................. 179 749 Griffin III, WAS .......... 105 714 Receivers No Yds B. Marshall, CHI ......... 91 1182 Witten, DAL................. 88 818 Ca. Johnson, DET ..... 86 1428 Gonzalez, ATL ........... 73 770 D. Bryant, DAL............ 71 978 R. White, ATL ............. 68 1023 Cruz, NYG................... 68 883 Cobb, GBY.................. 64 675 Harvin, MIN................. 62 677 Colston, NOR ............. 61 828
Scoring
RICH SHEPOSH
WHAT’S ON TELEVISION
S T A N D I N G S
Yds TD Int 3124 29 8 2660 17 4 1731 13 5 2344 19 8 3590 22 13 3674 31 16 3003 23 8 3660 19 15 1169 8 3 2933 14 10 Avg 6.18 4.55 4.69 4.81 4.88 4.52 3.96 4.24 4.18 6.80
LG TD 82t 8 77t 6 70t 9 39t 6 37 6 37 5 46 2 34 2 46 3 76t 6
Avg 13.0 9.3 16.6 10.5 13.8 15.0 13.0 10.5 10.9 13.6
LG TD 56 8 36 1 53 5 25 7 85t 8 59 4 80t 8 39t 7 45 3 40 8
Touchdowns TD Rush Rec Ret Pts Do. Martin, TAM ....... 10 9 1 0 60 Jam. Jones, GBY..... 9 0 9 0 54 A. Brown, NYG......... 8 8 0 0 50 D. Bryant, DAL ......... 8 0 8 0 50 A. Peterson, MIN ..... 8 8 0 0 50 Rudolph, MIN ........... 8 0 8 0 50 Cobb, GBY ............... 8 0 7 1 48 Colston, NOR........... 8 0 8 0 48 Cruz, NYG ................ 8 0 8 0 48 J. Graham, NOR ...... 8 0 8 0 48 Kicking PAT FG LG Pts Tynes, NYG.................... 31-31 32-36 50 127 M. Bryant, ATL ............... 32-32 29-34 55 119 Ja. Hanson, DET ........... 31-31 25-28 53 106 Barth, TAM ...................... 34-34 23-28 57 103 D. Bailey, DAL ................ 27-27 23-25 51 96 Walsh, MIN..................... 24-24 24-27 55 96 Akers, SNF ..................... 32-32 21-30 63 95
FANTASY FOOTBALL
CHARGERS at STEELERS 1 p.m., CBS, WYOU-22
EAGLES at BUCCANEERS 1 p.m., FOX-56, WOLF
SAINTS at GIANTS 4:25 p.m., FOX-56, WOLF
LIONS at PACKERS 8:20 p.m., NBC, WBRE-28
A GIANT MATCHUP NEW ORLEANS at N.Y. GIANTS
OPENING LINE: Giants by 6 SERIES RECORD: Giants lead 14-12 LAST MEETING: Saints beat Giants 49-24, Nov. 28, 2011 LAST WEEK: Saints lost to Falcons 23-13; Giants lost to Redskins 17-16 DID YOU KNOW? Playoff implications for both teams. Saints in almost-must-win situation to keep hopes alive for fourth straight postseason berth; Giants clinging to one-game lead over Washington and Dallas in NFC East. ... Saints have three-game winning streak against Giants, including blowouts in 2009 and last season. ...Quarterback Drew Brees 4-0 vs. New York with 11 touchdowns, no interceptions and 122.1 rating. He has eight touchdowns and 143.8 rating in last two. Quarterback Eli Manning threw for 406 yards and two touchdowns last season against Saints. In last eight home games, including playoffs, he has completed 176 of 279 for 2,316 yards, 17 TDs and seven interceptions. ...Ahmad Bradshaw has run for touchdown in three of last four home games. ...Wide receiver Victor Cruz had nine catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns against Saints last season. ...Fellow receiver Hakeem Nicks averaging 100.5 yards against Saints. ...Tight end Martellus Bennett had careerhigh 82 yards on five catches last week. ...Defensive end Justin Tuck has three sacks in last three home games.
PHILADELPHIA at TAMPA BAY OPENING LINE: Buccaneers by 81⁄2 SERIES RECORD: Eagles lead 8-7 LAST MEETING: Eagles beat Buccaneers 33-14, Oct. 11, 2009 LAST WEEK: Eagles lost to Cowboys 38-33; Buccaneers lost to Broncos 31-23 DID YOU KNOW? In past four games against Philadelphia, 16-year veteran Ronde Barber has three interceptions and returned all of them for TDs. ... With Michael Vick sidelined by concussion, Philadelphia coach Andy Reid has named Nick Foles as starting quarterback for rest of season. With LeSean McCoy sitting out past two weeks because of a concussion, Bryce Brown started at running
season (14-0). ... Pittsburgh 9-2 in December over last three seasons. ... Pittsburgh CB Ike Taylor will miss first game in eight years due to fractured right ankle. Second-year CB Cortez Allen will start in Taylor’s place. ... Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger needs 134 yards passing yards to become 25th player in NFL history to top 29,000 career passing yards. Chargers have six defensive touchdowns this season, second in league behind Chicago’s seven. ... Pittsburgh TE Heath Miller’s seven touchdowns this season have tied career high he previously set in 2007. ... Steelers allowing 12.4 points at Heinz Field this season, fewest in NFL. ... Chargers QB Philip Rivers will make his 109th straight start on Sunday, second-longest streak by QB in NFL behind New York Giants QB Eli Manning.
DETROIT at GREEN BAY
AP FILE PHOTO
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will face off against the New York Giants and Osi Umenyiora with playoff implications for both teams. back, and joins Gary Brown as only players since 1970 to rush for 150-plus yards in each of first two starts. Tampa Bay’s 2002 Super Bowl championship team will be honored at halftime. S Ronde Barber is only player from that team remaining on roster. His fourth-quarter interception and 92-yard return for touchdown sealed club’s victory over Eagles in that season’s NFC title game. Bucs rookie Doug Martin third in NFL in rushing with 1,106 yards. He’s second in yards from scrimmage with 1,480, a club rookie record. Martin 73 yards shy of breaking Cadillac Williams’ record for most rushing yards by rookie.
SAN DIEGO at PITTSBURGH OPENING LINE: Steelers by 7 SERIES RECORD: Steelers lead 22-8 LAST MEETING: Steelers 38, Chargers 28, Oct. 4, 2009 LAST WEEK: Chargers lost to Bengals 20-13; Steelers beat Ravens 23-20 DID YOU KNOW? Chargers have lost four straight and six of last seven. ... Steelers unbeaten at home against San Diego during regular
OPENING LINE: Packers by 61⁄2 SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 92-65-7 LAST MEETING: Packers beat Lions 45-41, Jan. 1, 2012 LAST WEEK: Lions lost to Indianapolis 35-33; Packers beat Vikings 23-14 DID YOU KNOW? Green Bay has won 21 straight against the Lions in Wisconsin, streak that dates back to Dec. 6, 1992, win at County Stadium in Milwaukee. ... The 20 straight regularseason wins (Packers won another in playoffs) is longest in NFL history. Washington has won 18 straight against Lions, and Pittsburgh has 16-game winning streak against Cleveland. ... Lions have lost four straight, last three by combined nine points. ... Teams meeting for second time in three weeks. Packers have won 10 straight against NFC North opponents, longest divisional winning streak in NFL. ... Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been sacked NFL-high 39 times, including three by Lions in Nov. 18 meeting at Ford Field. Lions DT Nick Fairley sacked Rodgers twice. ... Packers have three rushing touchdowns this season.
The Steelers and Eagles are set for rematches with teams that ruined their Super Bowl dreams at one time or another. It 1995 it was the Chargers shocking Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship. And in 2003, Ronde Barber and Tampa Bay kept the Eagles from the Super Bowl.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW WEEK 14 >> SAINTS VS. GIANTS: How can a team play a “home” game and NOT have homefield advantage? It’s tough to do, but that’s exactly what the New Orleans Saints did on Sept. 19, 2005. Because of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans was forced to move their scheduled game against the Giants from the Superdome to the Meadowlands. They may have been designated the “home” team and got to wear their black unis, but the crowd was 68,031 strong pure, partisan Giant fans. The result was predictable. RB Tiki Barber scored two TDs as New York steamrolled the Saints, 27-10. >> BEARS VS. VIKINGS: Here’s an NFL myth: The NFC North is the toughest division in football. Wait. Isn’t that true? After all, it gets nasty cold and windy in the Midwest this time of year, and that should make for some weather-hardened teams, right? Think again. While the Packers and Bears play in cold-weather meccas, the
Lions and Vikings took the easy way out and make their abodes in comfy, cozy domes. But it wasn’t always that way. Until 1981, the Vikings used to play the frigid outdoor confines of Metropolitan Stadium – a place nicknamed “The Ice Palace.” The coldest game ever played there was in December 1972, when Minnesota beat the Bears 23-10. Game time high was minus 2 with a wind chill of 26 below. Toasty. >> CHARGERS VS. STEELERS: When the San Diego Chargers came into Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship game on Jan. 15, 1995, they weren’t given much of a chance. The Steelers “Blitzburgh” defense had evoked memories of the 1970s’ “Steel Curtain,” while the Chargers scuffled just to get into the postseason. For the most part, the game went according to plan. The Steelers dominated from every point on the field, except one: the Chargers owned Pittsburgh’s 43 yard line. Trailing 13-3 in the second half, San Diego’s Stan Humphries threw two 43-yard TD passes and the Chargers held off a desperate last minute charge to win 17-13. >> RAVENS VS. REDSKINS: Welcome to the fight for the state of Maryland. It’s
the Patapsco River vs. the Potomac. Obrycki’s Crab House vs. Ben’s Chili Bowl. I-695 vs. I-495. The Inner Harbor vs. the National Mall. Fort McHenry vs. Fort Stevens. “Tin Men” vs. “All the President’s Men.” Fell’s Point vs. Georgetown. Lord Baltimore vs. George Washington. The National Aquarium vs. The Smithsonian. The Orioles vs. the Nationals. Harbaugh vs. Shanahan. Rice vs. Morris. Flacco vs. Griffin III. Random phrases vs. complete thoughtful sentences. >> CHIEFS VS. BROWNS: Talk about going over to the other side. When Lamar Hunt, one of the founders of the old AFL, bought his own franchise, he put it in Dallas and called it the Dallas Texans. Its logo was a runnin’, shootin’ cowboy with the state of Texas as a backdrop. But the team couldn’t compete with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, so in 1963, he moved it to Kansas City. Since the Kansas City Texans made no sense, he changed the team’s name to the Chiefs. The Cowboy became an American Indian and Texas became the outline of six Midwestern states. It’s a shame no one told “Mr. Chief” to wear any pants. And what’s up with that 1980s “hair band” thing he’s got going on?
Oh bother... who to start in playoffs
WHAT DOES Winnie the Pooh have to do with fantasy football? In reality, not much. Author A.A. Milne never wrote a book called “Winnie the Pooh and Cam Newton Too.” But philosophically? … Ah. Now you’re cookin’ with honey. There is a quote from our favorite stuffed bear about the value of patience that comes in handy this time of year: “Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” And that’s relevant, how? You see, after months of patiently going with the flow of the season, we are “here.” We have arrived at the playoffs. You lose now, and you’re done until August. No one wants that. Well, your opponent does. So, to make sure that doesn’t happen, here are some suggestions for the “ultimate” lineup to help in Week 14. Obviously, if you have Aaron Rodgers, CalONE FACT vin Johnson, Adrian TO KNOW Peterson or any other “stud” player, you’ll Much has been start them. This is a made of Andrew start and sit list for Luck’s great rookie those who don’t have year, but when you those guys. look at his stats, QB: Eli Manning, he’s thrown 17 TD Giants: It’s hard to passes and 16 criticize Eli because interceptions. even though he seems Average that out to define inconsisover 16 games and tency, he somehow you’ll get 23 TD ends up winning the passes and 21 INTs. Super Bowl. ManCompare that to ning’s looked pathetic another rookie’s at times and then he numbers: 26 TD rises up and dompasses and 28 inates against the INTs. Those were NFC’s best. This is Peyton Manning’s one of those “rise up” stats in 1998. weeks against the Saints. Also consider -Brandon Weeden, Browns: He’s been improving and he plays the Chiefs at home. Avoid – Tony Romo, Cowboys: Cincy has shut down the last four QBs they’ve faced. And it’s December. Romo doesn’t like December. RB: Doug Martin, Bucs: He’s probably earned his way onto the “stud” list, but his value gets an extra boost because Tampa plays the mess that is the Eagles. If I had a farm, I’d bet it on Martin scoring at least two TDs. Alfred Morris, Redskins: You’ve heard of RG3, but almost as important to Washington’s success is AM1. The rookie out of Florida Atlantic is a tough runner. And he gets a Ravens D ranked 23rd against the run. Also consider – Chris Johnson, Titans: The only worry is if the Colts jump out to a big lead, Johnson could be forgotten. Avoid -Arian Foster, Texans: He may get a score, but with the playoffs sewed up, Houston’s been limiting his carries. WR: Julio Jones, Falcons: He’s been good, but falls short of true superstar status. He’s also got this weird thing going where his best games are on the road and on alternate weeks. In case you were wondering, Atlanta is in Carolina, and Jones had five catches for 48 yards last week. Anquan Boldin, Ravens: For good or bad, Baltimore has become more of a passing offense. With Ray Rice around, that may not be a smart football decision, but it definitely helps Boldin’s numbers. And you can throw against Washington. Also consider – Josh Gordon, Browns: If Weeden has a good game, Gordon benefits. And Weeden should have a good game. Avoid -- Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: Sitting Fitzgerald should be understood by now. TE: Heath Miller, Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger should be back at QB for the Steelers and that will help Miller. Even with Batch at QB, he has more value than many expected. Also consider – Jared Cook, Titans: He’s had his best games at the ends of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. And his stats have been heading up in recent days. Avoid – Vernon Davis, 49ers: Remember when he thought Colin Kaepernick was the right fit at QB? Davis has had four targets and two catches since then. K: Rian Lindell, Bills: Seriously? Does it matter who your kicker is? Well, if you must have a pick, try Lindell. The Bills are at home and the Rams have a decent defense. Translation: Buffalo could move the ball, but end up with FG opportunities. Also consider – Shaun Suisham, Steelers: With or without Ben, how often will the Steelers get into the end zone? Avoid – Nick Folk, Jets: Do you really have to ask why? Defense: Browns: They’ve scored doubledigit fantasy points in five of the last seven weeks. And Kansas City is not exactly an offensive juggernaut. Also consider – Chargers: San Diego has been good for a defensive TD a week, and who knows how healthy Roethlisberger’s going to be? Avoid – Texans: Monday night in New England. Unless there’s Sam Adams and clam chowder involved, opposing teams usually don’t like those words.