The NFL Preview With The Rizz 12.15.07: Week 15 (Part 3)

Posted by Randy Isbelle on 12.15.2007

And now for the FINAL part of my 3 part look at Week 15 in the NFL

Click HERE for part 2!

The new format seems to be causing issues

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So I had to break it up into three parts

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Here is Part 3 of my NFL Preview

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Enjoy

Week 15
11-2	Indianapolis Colts (-10 1/2)	versus	Oakland Raiders	4-9
December 16, 2007, 4:05 PM EST – McAfee Coliseum

Last Three Weeks

Indianapolis Colts: After falling off the horse for two weeks against New England and San Diego, the Colts have fixed their issues (minus all the injuries) and have won four games in a row. With games against the Raiders, Texans and Titans left on their schedule, Indianapolis has a good chance of running the rest of the table, and earning that second bye in the AFC. The Colts are getting healthier, and will be a definite threat come playoff time. Peyton Manning has thrown 11 touchdown passes in the last three games and has shown that even without Marvin Harrison, this Colts' offense is an unstoppable force. Marvin Harrison should be ready come their first playoff game and that will make a huge difference for the Indianapolis offense. With a win this week against the Raiders the Colts will become the first team in NFL history to reach the 12-win mark for five consecutive seasons, the Colts are an amazing 61-16 over that span (second only to the Patriots who are 63-14).

Oakland Raiders: The Oakland Raiders are also on pace to do something they have done the last four years, but they would rather not reach that mark again. With a loss, the Raiders will have lost at least ten games for the fifth season in a row; Oakland is a league-worst 19-58 since the 2003 season. The one that that I just cannot figure out about the Raiders is the fact that they were getting blown out last week against the Packers, and they still did not put in rookie, JaMarcus Russell, when your season is over how do you not look towards your future? This is why Oakland will not be a playoff contender in the next five years, at least. The one bright spot in the Raiders' 2007 season is their running back Justin Fargas, who has three 100-yard games in their last six games, and is just 80 rushing yards from his first 1,000-yard season in his career.

Prediction: This one is simple, Indianapolis is great and Oakland is horrible.

Vs. Spread	Straight Up

Indianapolis Colts

Oakland Raiders

@ Atlanta

W 31-13

@ Kansas City

W 20-17

Jacksonville

W 28-25

Denver

W 34-20

@ Baltimore

W 44-20

@ Green Bay

L 7 -38

Indianapolis

Team

Oakland

29.3 (3rd)

Pts For

18.5 (23rd)

274.4 (3rd)

Pts Against

342.6 (20th)

366.5 (4th)

Total Offense

302.5 (23rd)

252.5 (6th)

Passing Yards

171.4 (29th)

114.0 (12th)

Rushing Yards

131.2 (5th)

274.4 (2nd)

Total Defense

342.6 (23rd)

166.8 (1st)

Passing Defense

192.2 (5th)

107.5 (17th)

Rushing Defense

150.4 (31st)

+16 (2nd)

Turnover Diff.

-7 (21st)

Indianapolis Leaders					Oakland Leaders
Passing	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD	Passing	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD
Manning	273	425	3358	27	Culpepper	108	186	1331	5
Rushing	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	Rushing	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Addai	236	975	4.1	11	Fargas	196	920	4.7	3
Keith	105	450	4.3	3	Jordan	144	549	3.8	3
Receiving	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	Rushing	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
Wayne	78	1211	15.5	9	Curry	49	659	13.4	3
Clark	50	542	10.8	9	Porter	36	611	17.0	5

Week 15
5-8	Philadelphia Eagles	versus	Dallas Cowboys (-11)	12-1
December 16, 2007, 4:15 PM EST - Texas Stadium

Last Three Weeks

Philadelphia Eagles: Once a challenger in the NFC wild-card picture, the Eagles have lost their last three games and are basically eliminated from the playoffs. The sad thing for Eagles' fans is the fact that Philadelphia has been in each of those three losses, in fact they have only lost those three games by a combined 10 points. Donovan McNabb looks to be ready for his second straight start after sitting on the sidelines with an injured thumb and ankle. The quarterback issues that the Eagles have faced this season have really hurt the team, but with the quarterback play down, Brian Westbrook is taking advantage. Westbrook has already rushed for 1,110 yards on only 236 carries, and is only 107 yards away from his career high. Philadelphia still has to go up against the Saints and Bills after this game against the Cowboys, and with being down a game to the Minnesota Vikings that schedule does not bode well for the Eagles.

Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys look to win their thirteenth game this season, the first time they would have completed such a feat since they did it in the same season they won their first of their three Super Bowls during their run in the early 1990s. Dallas has already clinched the division, but with a win against the Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys will have clinched the first bye in the NFC. Last week, Tony Romo rallied his team, who was down 14 points in the fourth quarter, completing 35 of his 44 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns including a 16-yd touchdown pass to Jason Witten with 18 seconds left in the game to give the Cowboys a 28-27 lead that eventually was the final score. Terrell Owens looks to dominate the Eagles like he did in Philadelphia earlier this season, where he had 10 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown while Dallas routed the Eagles by 21 points. The Cowboys are obviously the favorite in the NFC, and most fans believe that they will get their second shot at the New England Patriots in Arizona.

Prediction: Philadelphia has been keeping games close in their last three losses, but none of those games were against a division rival. Dallas will jump out early and win this game by two touchdowns, and I get to sit on my computer and listen to a good buddy of mine, co-411 writer Ken Schmidt, cuss about his favorite football team every 15 minutes, good times.

Vs. Spread	Straight Up

Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Cowboys

@ New England

L 28-31

NY Jets

W 34-3

Seattle

L 24-28

Green Bay

W 37-27

NY Giants

L 13-16

@ Detroit

W 28-27

Philadelphia

Team

Dallas

20.8 (18th)

Pts For

32.5 (2nd)

20.2 (10th)

Pts Against

21.2 (15th)

352.9 (8th)

Total Offense

389.2 (2nd)

230.8 (12th)

Passing Yards

270.4 (3rd)

122.1 (8th)

Rushing Yards

118.8 (9th)

317.3 (10th)

Total Defense

310.5 (8th)

219.5 (18th)

Passing Defense

219.8 (20th)

97.8 (9th)

Rushing Defense

90.7 (4th)

-8 (27th)

Turnover Diff.

+6 (11th)

Philadelphia Leaders					Dallas Leaders
Passing	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD	Passing	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD
McNabb	215	356	2508	14	Romo	287	426	3654	35
Rushing	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	Rushing	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Westbrook	236	1110	4.7	7	Barber	169	839	5.0	9
Buckhalter	49	258	5.3	3	Jones	141	550	3.9	2
Receiving	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	Rushing	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
Curtis	59	930	15.8	5	Owens	74	1270	17.2	14
Westbrook	74	642	8.7	5	Witten	80	955	11.9	7

Week 15
6-7	Detroit Lions	versus	San Diego Chargers (-12)	8-5
December 16, 2007, 4:15 PM EST - Qualcomm Stadium

Last Three Weeks

Detroit Lions: Once a great story, the Detroit Lions have lost five games in a row and are all but dead in the NFC wild-card picture. Last week, Detroit brought the Dallas Cowboys to the limit, reminding us that the Lions are actually still a great team, even if they haven't been able to get the wins lately. Mike Martz has really hurt this team with his all pass, no run style of play which is completely making Kevin Jones the most useless running back in the NFL even though he is actually a good player. If Detroit can finally get some sense of balance on the offensive side of the ball then they will be a playoff contender next season, but if they don't, then any team with an okay secondary will dominate the Lions. The loss to the Cowboys really put the nail in the coffin for the Lions, even though they are still mathematically alive, when you give up a late fourth quarter lead against a team that would change your season if you would have won the game, it is just that much tougher to get up and play the following week.

San Diego Chargers: On the opposite side of the comeback story, the San Diego Chargers found themselves down by 14 points midway through the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans. San Diego came roaring back to tie the game with nine seconds left with a touchdown pass from Philip Rivers to Antonio Gates, and a 16-yard touchdown run by LaDainian Tomlinson midway through the overtime period gave the Chargers the surprising victory. The win was the fourth straight for the Chargers, who have finally shown the brilliance of the team from last year, and what was the change? They gave the ball to LT. A win against the Lions will clinch the AFC West for San Diego for the third time in four years, and if they can win out, San Diego has a chance to move past Pittsburgh into the third seed, avoiding a tough Jacksonville Jaguars team in the first round of the playoffs.

Prediction: I can't believe the line in this game, yes both teams are going in opposite directions, but they are not that far apart in ability. I give the game to San Diego, but only by a touchdown, if that.

Vs. Spread	Straight Up

Detroit Lions

San Diego Chargers

Green Bay

L 26-37

Baltimore

W 32-14

@ Minnesota

L 10-42

@ Kansas City

W 24-10

Dallas

L 27-28

@ Tennessee

W 23-17

Detroit

Team

San Diego

22.6 (14th)

Pts For

23.7 (9th)

26.1 (30th)

Pts Against

19.2 (9th)

331.5 (16th)

Total Offense

310.8 (20th)

248.5 (7th)

Passing Yards

195.6 (21st)

82.9 (30th)

Rushing Yards

115.2 (11th)

371.2 (31st)

Total Defense

327.3 (16th)

266.8 (31st)

Passing Defense

214.1 (13th)

104.4 (16th)

Rushing Defense

113.2 (19th)

+6 (9th)

Turnover Diff.

+13 (2nd)

Detroit Leaders					San Diego Leaders
Passing	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD	Passing	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD
Kitna	298	452	3405	15	Rivers	233	391	2686	17
Rushing	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	Rushing	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Jones	140	550	3.9	8	Tomlinson	265	1195	4.5	12
Duckett	33	194	5.9	2	Turner	48	235	4.9	1
Receiving	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	Rushing	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
Williams	63	836	13.3	5	Gates	67	890	13.3	9
McDonald	67	800	11.9	4	Jackson	33	534	16.2	3

Week 15
6-7	Washington Redskins	versus	New York Giants (-4)	9-4
December 16, 2007, 8:15 PM EST - Giants Stadium

Last Three Weeks

Washington Redskins: After losing four games in a row to basically end their season, the Redskins returned to the winning side of things against the Chicago Bears last Thursday night. However, the news coming out of that game was more on the sad side, as the Redskins seem to have lost their starting quarterback, Jason Campbell, for the rest of the season after he dislocated his kneecap. Todd Collins came in for his first game since 2005 and led the Redskins to four scoring drives, completing 15 of 20 passes for 224 yards and two touchdowns. Clinton Portis is just 44 yards shy of the 1,000 yard plateau, which he is looking to reach for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

New York Giants: It is tough to decide whether or not the New York Giants are a good team or a great team, as they have won nine of their last 11 games after losing their opening two games against the Cowboys and Packers. The most intriguing statistic on the Giants is the fact that they are 9-0 this season against teams that currently have losing records, but are 0-4 against teams who have winning records, and after the Redskins the Giants get the Bills and then the undefeated Patriots to end the year. The Giants only need one win in the final three to clinch a playoff spot, but if they can't get it done against the Redskins, they might not actually get that win and will have to hope to get some help to make the playoffs. The Giants are only 3-3 at home this season, while losing their last two games at the Meadowlands, so the home-field advantage could be a non-factor.

Prediction: The 9-0 stat is a major one for me and it shows that the Giants take care of business against teams that they should beat, and the Redskins are just that. The Giants are only giving four points, which makes them a great favorite for a lock of the week.

Vs. Spread	Straight Up

Washington Redskins

New York Giants

@ Tampa Bay

L 13-19

Minnesota

L 17-41

Buffalo

L 16-17

@ Chicago

W 21-16

Chicago

W 24-16

@ Philadelphia

W 16-13

Washington

Team

New York

19.5 (20th)

Pts For

22.3 (16th)

21.0 (14th)

Pts Against

20.8 (12th)

331.1 (17th)

Total Offense

330.5 (18th)

217.2 (15th)

Passing Yards

204.2 (19th)

113.9 (13th)

Rushing Yards

126.2 (7th)

317.8 (11th)

Total Defense

302.8 (7th)

222.9 (23rd)

Passing Defense

206.8 (10th)

94.8 (6th)

Rushing Defense

96.1 (7th)

-8 (26th)

Turnover Diff.

-7 (22nd)

Washington Leaders					New York Leaders
Passing	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD	Passing	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD
Campbell	250	417	2700	12	Manning	250	429	2790	18
Rushing	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	Rushing	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Portis	255	956	3.7	7	Jacobs	137	669	4.9	2
Betts	70	256	3.7	0	Ward	125	602	4.8	3
Receiving	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	Rushing	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
Cooley	58	677	11.7	7	Burress	62	900	14.5	10
Randle El	43	636	14.8	0	Toomer	50	620	12.4	3

Week 15
5-8	Chicago Bears	versus	Minnesota Vikings (-10)	7-6
December 17, 2007, 8:30 PM EST – Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

Last Three Weeks

Chicago Bears: The Bears season ended last Thursday in their eight point loss to the Washington Redskins, and with that loss Chicago is doing the smart thing (Oakland please pay attention) and are experimenting with a young quarterback. Kyle Orton will get the start for the Bears this week, his first start since starting fifteen games in his rookie season back in 2005 where he had a 10-5 record and won the NFC North Division before being benched for the Rex Grossman era. Looking back at Orton's 2005 season, he threw for 1,869 yards, nine touchdowns and 12 interceptions with a 59.7 quarterback rating. Not great numbers, but the thing to remember is that Orton was a rookie then, and is now two years older, and even though he might not be the answer, it is not a horrible idea to give him another start.

Minnesota Vikings: After getting shutout by the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings have not only won four games in a row, but they have dominated their last three opponents, outscoring those three teams 110-34. Adrian Peterson is back and healthy and the Vikings now find themselves in the sixth and final wild-card spot in the NFC, however the pressure is on as they are only one game ahead of four teams who are all hungry to get into the playoffs. Peterson looks for a repeat performance from his first visit to Chicago, where he ran for 224 yards, most surrendered by the Chicago Bears ever, as he single handedly kept the Vikings in the game until the end where Ryan Longwell drilled a 55-yard field goal to win the game for Minnesota. Peterson is looking for a sort of personal retribution after gaining only three yards on 14 carries last week against the 49ers.

Prediction: Minnesota will need a big day from Peterson, but if Orton has not improved from his rookie season, then the Vikings shouldn't have too much to worry about. Minnesota should win this game and move to only two games away from making the playoffs.

Vs. Spread	Straight Up

Chicago Bears

Minnesota Vikings

Denver

W 37-34

@ NY Giants

W 41-17

NY Giants

L 16-21

Detroit

W 42-10

@ Washington

L 16-24

@ San Francisco

W 27-7

Chicago

Team

Minnesota

19.5 (20th)

Pts For

23.5 (10th)

22.8 (19th)

Pts Against

18.8 (8th)

305.2 (22nd)

Total Offense

336.6 (13th)

223.2 (14th)

Passing Yards

164.4 (31st)

82.0 (31st)

Rushing Yards

172.2 (1st)

355.1 (29th)

Total Defense

344.0 (25th)

231.9 (26th)

Passing Defense

273 (32nd)

123.2 (24th)

Rushing Defense

70.7 (1st)

-6 (20th)

Turnover Diff.

+10 (6th)

Chicago Leaders					Minnesota Leaders
Passing	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD	Passing	COMP	ATT	YDS	TD
Griese	161	262	1803	10	Jackson	112	193	1267	6
Rushing	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	Rushing	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Benson	196	674	3.4	4	Peterson	198	1200	6.1	10
Peterson	91	291	3.2	2	Taylor	136	716	5.3	7
Receiving	REC	YDS	AVG	TD	Rushing	REC	YDS	AVG	TD
Berrian	64	883	13.8	4	Wade	40	451	11.3	1
Clark	41	532	12.8	3	Rice	30	386	12.9	4