KANSAS CITY (8 - 5) at NY GIANTS (9 - 4)

Week 15 Saturday, 12/17/2005 5:00 PM  vs   Analysis   Saturday Game: Wide right!!! A missed 41 yard field goal as time expired and the Chiefs playoff hopes began to fade Sunday as they lost 31-28 to the Dallas Cowboys. The final play was only part of the frustration for Kansas City. The Chiefs also wasted 143 yards rushing and three touchdowns by Larry Johnson and 340 yards passing by Trent Green, plus a chance to move up in the AFC wild-card chase because of a loss by division rival San Diego. The Giants finally managed to win an OT game on Sunday when they nipped the arch-enemy Eagles 26-23. Previously the G-Men were 0-2 in OT games, losing to Dallas and Seattle. Jay Feely's 36-yarder with 3:55 left in overtime was huge, remember, Feely cost the Giants a victory in Seattle two weeks ago by missing three late kicks, but made all four of his attempts against the Eagles, who played in the last four NFC championship games. Tiki Barber had 124 yards rushing and one TD catch and the Giants overcame Eli Manning's three interceptions in the fourth quarter and overtime. Osi Umenyiora sacked Mike McMahon and Kenderick Allen recovered McMahon's fumble at the Eagles 27 in OT, setting up Feely's winning kick four plays later. The Chiefs still have a glimmer of hope but they must win in the Meadowlands on Saturday. Not an easy task as the Jints are 6-1 SU, 5-2 ATS at home and 8-1 SU, 6-3 ATS as a favorite. Another rough game in store for the G-Men who have managed to eek out wins the last two weeks with solid defensive efforts and just enough offense, so expect another close one. KC can score, but the KC "D" will be hard pressed to stop Tiki and the men from Gotham. Forecast: KC Chiefs 17, NY Giants 21

 

DENVER (10 - 3) at BUFFALO (4 - 9)

Week 15 Saturday, 12/17/2005 8:30 PM  vs   Analysis   This is a long road trip for Denver (10-3 SU, 8-4 ATS), though at least they are used to the frigid weather they'll experience in Buffalo. However, Denver is just 3-3 SU, 4-2 ATS on the road scoring and allowing 22 ppg. By contrast, they are 7-0 SU at home outscoring opponents by 13-points per contest. With a 10-3 record, the Broncos have a two-game lead in the division with three games to go. And their next two games are against 4-9 Buffalo and 4-9 Oakland. Denver ran into a strong Baltimore defensive front, which contained their running game (96 yards) in a 12-10 Broncos win. The previous three games Denver had rushed for 131, 144 and 191 yards. For the season, they average 157 rush yards, second best in the NFL. Buffalo (4-9 SU, 6-7) has lost 4 in a row and 6 of 7. The Bills' run game managed 14 yards on 12 attempts. QB J.P. Losman and the passing offense were horrible again. The Patriots showed a lack of respect for the Bills' passing game by stacking up against the run, daring the Bills to throw, then blitzing six men in almost every obvious passing situation. Denver does have secondary concerns, as rookie cornerback Darrent Williams, who has started nine games for the Denver Broncos, could miss the balance of the season with a groin injury sustained in Sunday's win over the Ravens. Fellow rookie Domonique Foxworth, a third-round choice who has logged considerable playing time, will replace Williams at right cornerback. Forecast: DEN Broncos 20, BUF Bills 13

PITTSBURGH (8 - 5) at MINNESOTA (8 - 5)

Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 1:00 PM  vs   Analysis   The "Bus" Jerome Bettis, plowed through the Bears and snow for two touchdowns and 101 yards and the Steelers (8-5 SU, 7-6 ATS) beat Chicago 21-9 on Sunday to end the Bears' eight-game winning streak. Before Bettis got rolling, Ben Roethlisberger threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward on Pittsburgh's first drive after hitting Willie Parker for 45 yards, both on screen passes. After that, the Steelers (8-5) played a nearly error-free game to end a three-game losing streak, stay alive in the AFC playoff race and cut the Bears' lead over Minnesota (8-5 SU, ATS) to one game in the NFC North. The streaking Vikings won their sixth straight Sunday when they defeated the St. Louis Rams 27-13. The Vikings forced six turnovers and held Steven Jackson to 67 yards rushing. Minnesota pulled within one game of the division lead in a season that appeared lost after a 2-5 start. And the Bears still have to come to town on the final Sunday of the season. Michael Bennett had 18 Rushes for 70 yds and 1 TD while Brad Johnson was 16-for-25 for 146 yards. A couple of very motivated team in what promises to be one of the better games of the day. Brad Johnson is making winning look easy. Rothlisberger, still nursing a bad thumb, will be handing the ball to the "Bus" which works outdoors and indoors. Minnesota is 5-1 SU/ATS at home, however. Are the Vikings for real? After all, they've beaten the Lions (twice), Rams, Browns, and Packers during this win streak. They get a chance to prove something here....or flop. Forecast: PIT Steelers 24, MIN Vikings 20

SAN DIEGO (8 - 5) at INDIANAPOLIS (13 - 0)

Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 1:00 PM  vs   Analysis   So what on earth happened to the Chargers? San Diego (8-5 SU, 8-4-1 ATS) had been on a roll hoping to make a late playoff run, but Sunday's shocking 23-21 home loss to the Dolphins as a 13-point favorite sent a jolt through the Bolts' playoff hopes. With games at Indianapolis and Kansas City and the finale at home against Denver remaining, the Chargers' postseason hopes are thin. "Now our backs are really against the wall," linebacker Shawne Merriman said. Many Miami players said the Chargers were talking a lot in the first half, confidently pointing out the fact they were dominating. The Chargers had a 101-yard edge in yardage and had the ball almost 13½ minutes more than the Dolphins in the first two quarters. Yet they took just a 7-3 lead into halftime: That happens often with conservative Marty-ball. They are the unlucky team of 2005 with five losses by a total of 14 points! The Colts (13-0 SU, 9-3 ATS) couldn't be more opposite, the club that's getting all the breaks in a magical season. Indy stomped on a good Jacksonville defense Sunday, leading 26-3, before hanging on in a 26-18 win. They are the fourth team in NFL history to open a season 13-0, joining the 1998 Denver Broncos, '72 Miami Dolphins and '34 Chicago Bears. The offense is No. 3 overall, and they are outscoring opponents by a 31-16 average at home (6-0 SU, 3-3 ATS). The quick-striking Colts haven't trailed since the third quarter of their 45-28 win over St. Louis on Oct. 17. That's a span of seven-plus games -- 438 minutes, 16 seconds! However, San Diego has the talent on offense and the motivation to make this a close one. The Chargers rush defense is No. 1 in the NFL. San Diego is 4-2 SU, 4-1-1 ATS on the road and 9-5 SU, 11-1-2 ATS its last 14 road games. A year ago, the Colts won 34-31 in overtime as a 7-point favorite on this field over San Diego, overcoming a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter. La Dainian Tomlinson had 81 yards rushing and 95 receiving in that game which sailed "over" the total of 56. QB Peyton Manning was 27-of-44 for 383 yards with two TDs in that game, though the Chargers defense confused Manning for 31/2 quarters with blitzes and extra defensive backs. After being sacked just nine times all season, the Chargers got to Manning four times, forced two fumbles and intercepted Manning once. QB Drew Brees was 21-of-31 for 290 yards with 3 TDs, and WR Eric Parker caught seven passes for 103 yards. This should be a fun one, and a close one. Forecast: IND Colts 36, SD Chargers 30

SAN FRANCISCO (2 - 11) at JACKSONVILLE (9 - 4)

Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 1:00 PM  vs   Analysis   San Francicso (2-11 SU, 5-8 ATS) is getting no respect from oddsmakers. And can you blame them? The 49ers have the dubious distinction of being last in the NFL in total offense and total defense! The 49ers were held to a season-low 113 yards of offense in a 41-3 loss at Seattle, the seventh time they have been held below 200 yards in a game. Defensively, they surrendered 438 yards; it was the eighth time an opponent had eclipsed 400. This is an inept football team away from home: San Fran is 0-6 SU, 1-5 ATS on the road where they are getting outscored by 25 points per game (36-11)! That is truly astounding in the NFL, which makes parity and competitiveness achievable. That's just the kind of medicine the Jaguars (9-4 SU, 7-4-2 ATS) need after getting beat by the Colts, 26-18. Jacksonville RB Fred Taylor returned and he and RB Greg Jones never found a rhythm against the Colts, but here they take on a 49er run defense that is 10th worst in the NFL. The Jags will own this one with their running game and defensive front, but this is not an explosive offense. Remember, before losing to the Colts the Jags had beat the Titans, Cardinals and Browns by 3, 7 and 6 points, and they beat the Texans by 7 earlier in the year. Forecast: JAC Jaguars 17, SF 49ers 3

SEATTLE (11 - 2) at TENNESSEE (4 - 9)

Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 1:00 PM  vs   Analysis   Seattle (11-2 SU, 8-5 ATS) keeps on rolling, carrying a 9-game win streak (6-3 ATS) into this one. Seattle is the top team in the NFC. At 11-2, the Seahawks have a two-game lead in the NFC standings over the Bucs, Giants, Panthers and Bears, who are all 9-4. Seattle has the No. 2 offense in the NFL (375 total yards per game) with great balance: 29 points pg, (154 yds rushing, 221 passing). The rushing offense is No. 3 in the NFL and they are 11th in total defense, allowing 16 points pg. Against the 49ers Sunday, QB Matt Hasselbeck completed 21 of 25 throws -- an 84 percent completion rate -- for 226 yards with 4 TDs. All in three quarters. RB Shaun Alexander (1,496 yards, 4.9 ypc, 23 TDs) is four short of matching the NFL record for rushing TDs. Seattle is also 9-4 "over" the total. The Tennessee Titans (4-9 SU, 5-8 ATS) have won 2 of 3 behind QB Steve McNair (14 TDs, 9 INTs.) However, those wins were unimpressive: 33-22 over the hapless 49ers and 13-10 over Houston. Tennessee is 5-10 SU/ATS the last 15 home games (3-4 SU/ATS in 2005). They've given up 35 to the Colts (35-3 loss), 31 to Jacksonville, lost 20-14 to the Browns, gave up 34 to Oakland, and lost 20-10 at Arizona. The Titans are 2-8 SU, 4-6 ATS as a dog this season and 5-14 SU, 7-12 ATS its last 19 games as a dog. Tennessee is also 5-13 ATS its last 18 home games. Seattle has too much firepower, but will the Seahawks be looking ahead to next week's game against the Colts, a potential Super Bowl matchup? Forecast: SEA Seahawks 28, TEN Titans 20

ARIZONA (4 - 9) at HOUSTON (1 - 12)

Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 1:00 PM  vs   Analysis   The battle of the miserable. The only person in the country watching this game will be Reggie Bush, to find out where he'll be playing next season. Arizona (4-9 SU/ATS) has been overrated all season, with a banged up offensive line, no running game and little defense. They do have a good passing offense (No. 1 in the NFL) behind QB Kurt Warner and WRs Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald. However, all that passing hasn't resulted in points, averaging 19 ppg. They've scored 17, 17 and 13 points the last three games, and one of those was against the 49ers. For all of Warner's yards, he has 10 TDs, 9 picks. The Cardinals are 2-4 SU/ATS on the road this season and 5-25 SU, 9-21 ATS their last 30 road games. Houston (1-12 SU, 6-7 ATS) has had nothing go right all year in this "Season of the Witch." Despite being a dog of +3.5, +8 and +5, the Texans have lost by 6 (in OT), 1 and 3 the last three games. They lost 13-10 at Tennessee Sunday as QB David Carr was sacked six times, including five in the first half. HC Dom Capers has long believed that running the ball and stopping the run - playing good defense and controlling the clock - are what wins. A week ago, the Texans gave up just 16 points. They ran for a 4.9 per-carry average and limited the Ravens to 3.2, but lost. On Sunday, the Texans gave up just 13 points. They ran for an impressive 5.8 yards per carry and limited the Titans to 3.1 yards -- and lost again. Look for them to run the ball a lot, as Arizona allows 4.2 yards per rush (10th worst). Dominick Davis should have a good game running the football, but Houston is 1-5 SU/ATS at home.   Forecast: ARI Cardinals 14, HOU Texans 17

NY JETS (3 - 10) at MIAMI (6 - 7)

Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 1:00 PM  vs   Analysis   The Jets (3-10 SU, 4-9 ATS) have no reason to show up for this game after ending a 7-game losing skid with a 26-10 win at home over the Raiders. The Jets pleased the home fans with a big win, now go on the road for another loss. RB Curtis Martin is out with season-ending knee surgery. He had started 119 straight games, an incredible feat for a running back. Jets QB Brooks Bollinger won his first NFL game as a starter in six tries, hit 14 of 26 passes for 119 yards. He rushed six times for 56 yards, the most rushing yards ever for a Jets quarterback. Herm Edwards jokingly called Bollinger "Crazylegs Hirsch." However, there is some hope with the improvement of Bollinger and the surprising running game. Without Martin, the Jets still rushed for a season-high 184 yards on 43 carries. Rookie Cedric Houston rushed for 74 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in his first NFL start. But that was against the Raiders, and Miami allows only 3.8 ypc, 10th best in the NFL. The Dolphins (6-7) are incredibly riding a 3-game win streak, winning twice as a big dog at Oakland (+7) and Sunday at San Diego (+13). They gang-tackled RB LaDainian Tomlinson, who was kept to 75 yards on 21 carries in the 23-21 upset. The Jets are 0-7 SU/ATS on the road getting outscored by a 24-6 average!    Forecast: NY Jets 10, MIA Dolphins 21

CAROLINA (9 - 4) at NEW ORLEANS (3 - 10)

Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 1:00 PM  vs   Analysis   Carolina lost to Tampa Bay 20-10 Sunday as the Bucs pulled into a tie with Carolina for first place in the NFC South. Both Tampa Bay (9-4) and Carolina (9-4) have NFC South rivals Atlanta and New Orleans remaining, and the Falcons (8-5) are 1 game out. "We put ourselves in a situation where we've got to work for three more weeks," Carolina safety Mike Minter said. "We've got to go out and take care of these next three weeks like its the playoffs." Jake Delhomme's passing was spotty, and Carolina coach John Fox's determination to establish the run frustrated the crowd, which booed loudly. RB DeShaun Foster was held to 46 yards rushing in his first start of the season. The Saints who played on Monday are playing out the string, which was evident in Monday's 36-17 loss at Atlanta, giving up 406 yards. Jim Haslett and his staff don't make many halftime adjustments, getting shut out after scoring 17 first half points. You need to contain the rush when playing Carolina, and the Saints are at a disadvantage here allowing 135.7 yards rushing per game, 4th worst in the NFL. New Orleans won the first meeting 23-20 in early September, but not here with so much at stake for Carolina. Forecast: CAR Panthers 24, NO Saints 17

DALLAS (8 - 5) at WASHINGTON (7 - 6)

Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 4:15 PM  vs   Analysis   Bi-annual NFC East dogfight between these rivals! The Cowboys narrowly defeated Kansas City Sunday when a last second tying field goal by the Chiefs went wide right, preserving a wild 31-28 win. QB Drew Bledsoe stole the show, throwing for 332 yards and three touchdowns. He led Dallas (8-5 SU, 6-5 ATS) on a go-ahead drive early in the fourth quarter, then took the club 68 yards in 14 plays for the winning score. "This was a hugely important game for us," said Bledsoe. Dallas is 3-3 SU/ATS on the road, and a respectable 3-4 SU, 4-3 ATS as an underdog. Washington (7-6 SU/ATS) rallied to beat the Arizona Cardinals 17-13 and keep their slim playoff hopes alive. RB Clinton Portis ran for 105 yards and a touchdown and Mark Brunell finished 18-of-28 for 122 yards with an uncharacteristic three interceptions. The Dallas victory did more for their confidence and outlook than it did in the standings. This shapes up as a defensive duel between two teams that prefer careful, conservative offenses. The Redskins are 8-5 "under" the total and 4-2 "under" at home. Washington, which is still alive for a wild card, won the first meeting 14-13. Expect this game to be low scoring and another nail-biter. Forecast: WAS Redskins 21, DAL Cowboys 20

CINCINNATI (10 - 3) at DETROIT (4 - 9) Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 4:05 PM  vs   Analysis   With their narrow 23-20 win over Cleveland Sunday, the Bengals (10-3 Su, 7-5 ATS) were able to maintain their two-game lead over Pittsburgh in the AFC North and can clinch the title with a win Sunday in Detroit. QB Carson Palmer was baffled by the wind causing a rare off day Sunday, but RB Rudi Johnson's 169 rushing yards and Shayne Graham's 37-yard field goal on the final play preventing a Browns upset. Going indoors will help this explosive and balanced offense that is 4th in the NFL, averaging 124 yards rushing, 242 passing per game. Cincy is also 5-1 SU, 5-0 ATS on the road! The Lions (4-9) came up empty on four goal line runs and the Packers managed a field goal in OT of a 16-13 Detroit loss on Sunday night. Said coach Dick Jauron: "We had confidence we could score, and if we didn't, we'd have them backed up." The Packers shut the Lions out after the first quarter. In overtime, Bret Favre drove the Packers 56 yards in overtime to set up a winning 28-yard field goal, set up by a bone-headed penalty by Detroit's Shaun Rogers, showing how careless and undisciplined this team is, unlike the Bengals. Detroit is 1-7 SU as an underdog this season, and the miserable offense has scored 13, 16, 7 and 7 points the last 4 games! They average 15 ppg overall and will need twice that to keep pace with the Bengals. Forecast: CIN Bengals 31, DET Lions 23   CLEVELAND (4 - 9) at OAKLAND (4 - 9) Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 4:05 PM  vs   Analysis   Tick...tick...tick...That ticking sound you here is the clock on when Norv Turner gets fired. There were strong expectations this season with the addition of WR Randy Moss, but this club has packed it in, riding a 1-5 SU/ATS run. The Raiders take on a Cleveland club (4-9 SU, 6-7 ATS) that doesn't have a lot of offense, but is playing competitive defense for coach Romeo Crennel. They showed their hustle in a 23-20 loss at Cincinnati Sunday as a +12 dog. Rookie QB Charlie Frye makes his third start here, and played well against Cincy. Frye was 16 of 24 for only 138 yards, but he got the Browns in the end zone on their first two trips inside the 20, scoring on a 3-yard run option and picking out Steve Heiden in traffic for a 2-yard touchdown. The Browns will run Reuben Droughns right at the Oakland rush defense that has allowed 145, 130 and 184 rushing yards the last three games. Oakland (4-9 SU, 5-8 ATS) has a new QB of its own in Marques Tuiasosopo, who threw two interceptions, lost two fumbles, and got sacked six times and passed for only 124 yards in the 26-10 loss at the NY Jets. The Raiders committed 13 penalties for 88 yards, allowed 184 yards rushing and didn't do much that fazed Brooks Bollinger. "We didn't just get beat by the Jets," Raiders DT Ed Jasper said, "I'm feeling pretty low. Anybody that even showed up to the game should feel embarrassed about this. That was terrible." The Raiders are 2-4 SU/ATS at home while the Browns are 1-8 SU, 3-6 ATS as an underdog. Cleveland is 9-3 "under" the total, and with a couple of kid quarterbacks, don't look for an offensive show. Forecast: OAK Raiders 21, CLE Browns 17   PHILADELPHIA (5 - 8) at ST LOUIS (5 - 8) Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 1:00 PM  vs   Analysis   Time and tide ran out for the NFC defending champ Eagles Sunday when they lost to division rival New York in OT 26-23. One of the Eagles (5-8 SU, 4-9 ATS) bright spots was rookie Ryan Moats, who was filling in for the injured Brian Westbrook, and picking up 114 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the Eagles. Coming off a 42-0 home loss to Seattle on Monday night, the Eagles played their best all-around game in weeks. But they fell to 0-5 against the East. Philly is 1-5 SU/ATS on the road, though their offense should be able to move the ball on a terrible Rams defense that is second worst in the NFL allowing 370 yards each game. Confused and battered rookie Rams quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was intercepted five times by the Vikings Sunday in a 27-13 loss for the fading Rams (5-8 SU, 4-9 ATS). Their 29 ppg allowed is second worst in the league. Six of the Eagles 10 players that went to the Pro Bowl last year were lost to injuries, free agency or suspension, including Donovan McNabb, RB Westbrook and the banished Terrell Owens but they still came to play last week when their defense almost pulled out a win. The Rams offense will be overmatched here, as rookie Rams QB Fitzpatrick continues to take his lumps. In their last home game, the Rams (2-4 ATS as a favorite) and Fitzpatrick were smoked 24-9 by the Redskins.  Forecast: STL Rams 23, PHI Eagles 21    ATLANTA (8 - 5) at CHICAGO (9 - 4) Week 15 Sunday, 12/18/2005 8:30 PM  vs   Analysis   A short work-week for the Falcons (8-5) who hosted New Orleans on Monday. Atlanta needed a win badly after losing 3 of 4, and got it in a 36-17 rout. The great concern, though, is that Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was hurt. He bruised his ribs early in the second quarter Monday when he tackled New Orleans Saints cornerback Jason Craft after an interception that led to a touchdown. Vick slowly walked to the sideline, fell to his knees on the bench and did not get up for several minutes as medical staffers tried to coax him to sit on the bleachers. The win moved the Falcons to 8-5 and thrust them right back into the playoff mix. They now sit one game behind NFC South division leaders Tampa Bay and Carolina, and drew even with Dallas and Minnesota in the tightening playoff race with three games remaining. Atlanta is 2-3 SU/ATS as a dog. Da' Bears 8-game winning streak came to an abrupt end Sunday when they fell to the Steelers 21-9. The Steelers' three touchdowns matched a season high against the Bears, and their 21 points were the most against Chicago since a 24-9 loss to Cincinnati on Sept. 25. The Steelers out-gained the Bears 363-268 and outrushed them 190-83 after being held below 100 yards rushing during each game of the three-game losing streak. The Bears' defense allowing only 68 points during their longest winning streak since the 1985 Super Bowl championship team won 12 in a row, rookie quarterback Kyle Orton kept winning -- even while fumbling 11 times and throwing 13 interceptions. Chicago is still No. 1 in total defense and 10-2 "under" the total.  Forecast: CHI Bears 17, ATL Falcons 14 GREEN BAY (3 - 10) at BALTIMORE (4 - 9) Week 15 Monday, 12/19/2005 9:00 PM  vs     Analysis   In the (3-10 SU, 5-8 ATS) Packers' 16-13 OT win over Detroit on Sunday night, rookie RB Samkon Gardo torched the Lions for 171 yards and Bret Farve was a conservative 21-for-31 for 170 yards as Green Bay won for just the third time this season. Detroit ran for 113 yards but the Packers outgained them 330-241 for the game. Green Bay is 1-6 SU, 3-4 ATS on the road and 0-4 ATS overall the last 4 games. The Ravens are coming off another strong defensive effort which resulted in a loss. On Sunday, they lost to Denver 12-10, the sixth time in 13 games they've been held to 10 points or less. Most of their problems Sunday revolved around -- who else? -- struggling quarterback Kyle Boller, along with a questionable decision by coach Brian Billick. Boller threw for 251 yards but turned it over three times -- including two awfully thrown interceptions with the Ravens in scoring range. Baltimore's is 6-0 "under" the total at home, averaging 12 ppg while giving up 13 ppg! The Ravens are 4-2 SU, 3-3 ATS at home despite averaging just 12 pppg there. The Packers head to balmy Baltimore to face a Ravens D team that is like nails. New Packer running back Gardo will be in for a long afternoon Sunday as the Ravens defense yields just 93 rushing yards per game and has a 31-17 turnover advantage. Forecast: BAL Ravens 17, GB Packers 14