Week 15 Fantasy Football Matchups
To prepare you as best we can for your week of Fantasy Football, we've devised this series of previews for each NFL game. We'll give you a taste of what to expect, then rank each significant Fantasy contributor on a scale from 0-5 logos (with five logos suggesting can't-miss; a player or unit without any logos suggests you probably shouldn't start him under any circumstances). The rankings take the matchup into account, but injuries and other significant factors also contribute.
| Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars Thursday, 8:20 pm, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium |
| There's no doubt now that the Colts will go for 16-0, and judging by their recent history against Jacksonville, they should come away with a win here. The question is, how soon can they book that win? Expect Peyton Manning to have a solid game against a secondary that's perked up in recent weeks but still has plenty of flaws. Manning is making the most out of all four of his receivers and Joseph Addai, so he's borderline unstoppable right now. Look for the Colts to build a lead through the air and then use all their healthy running backs to grind the clock and keep the points flowing. The only Colt I'm nervous about is Addai; Indianapolis could easily rotate him with Chad Simpson and Mike Hart and essentially still have the same effect against that solid Jaguars run defense. The Jaguars' game plan has traditionally been to run the ball against the Colts and lean on Maurice Jones-Drew. They'll best be served by doing this since their receiving corps is dwindling. The matchup is horrid for David Garrard, and for the Jaguars to have a chance he'll have to make his fair share of plays. If the Colts can bottle up Jones-Drew, their starters will be wearing sideline caps by the middle of the third quarter. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Peyton Manning |  | QB | David Garrard |  |
| Joseph Addai | | RB | Maurice Jones-Drew | |
| Chad Simpson | RB | Rashad Jennings | ||
| Reggie Wayne | | WR | Mike Sims-Walker | |
| Pierre Garcon | | WR | Torry Holt | |
| Austin Collie | | WR | Mike Thomas | |
| Dallas Clark | | TE | Ernest Wilford | |
| Matt Stover | | K | Josh Scobee | |
| Colts | | DST | Jaguars | |
| Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints Saturday, 8:20 pm, Superdome |
| If the Cowboys can execute properly and play mistake-free football, they'll have a chance to win this. Obviously, running the ball has been a problem for them and the Saints will keep it that way. But the Saints have allowed back-to-back 300-yard passers (Jason Campbell and Chris Redman, no less) and are starting to show signs of weakness in the secondary. The Cowboys, like the Saints, have plenty of receiving options and can make life difficult for New Orleans so long as Tony Romo doesn't feel much pressure from the Saints' pass rush and blitz. He hasn't been sacked more than twice in each of his last four games and New Orleans hasn't topped two sacks in each of its last three. Romo should continue throwing the ball effectively, which should bode well for his receivers. The Saints will have little choice but to pass here; the Cowboys are solid against the run. Don't expect the Cowboys to blitz a lot beyond DeMarcus Ware, who could be limited following a sprained neck suffered last week. Dallas will attempt to keep the Saints' receivers in front of them and limit their effectiveness. They have the speed in the secondary to keep up but the Saints should overpower them with a big dose of Drew Brees throwing the ball. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Tony Romo |  | QB | Drew Brees |  |
| Marion Barber | | RB | Reggie Bush | |
| Felix Jones | | RB | Pierre Thomas | |
| Miles Austin | | WR | Marques Colston | |
| Roy E. Williams | | WR | Robert Meachem | |
| Jason Witten | | TE | Jeremy Shockey | |
| Nick Folk | | K | Garrett Hartley | |
| Cowboys | | DST | Saints | |
| New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills Sunday, 1:00 pm, Ralph Wilson Stadium |
| Weather might play a role in how the Patriots choose to operate here. But even if it's sunny with a light breeze you can expect Laurence Maroney to storm through the Bills defense. Buffalo's run defense is the worst on paper and the worst on film too, and if there's one thing to know about Bill Belichick's teams, it's that they find an opponents' weakness and attack relentlessly. Maroney has a dream matchup here and he should lead the way for the Patriots' offense. The Pats have proven that they're not the high-profile passing team of 2007 (or 2008), but they won't have to pass all over the Bills. But, if the weather cooperates, Tom Brady will put up his fair share of numbers. The Bills will try to get physical with Randy Moss, and it would be in the best interests of the Patriots to get him involved, but Wes Welker is the one with the consistent history against the Bills, though neither receiver has scored on Buffalo since 2007. As for the Bills, their plan of attack will be to run the ball. New England's defense is nowhere near as intimidating as it has been in the past and Buffalo has been getting surprisingly good play out of its offensive line. Fred Jackson has been a Patriots killer, gaining 276 total yards and a touchdown in his last two against them. Granted, those stats came without Marshawn Lynch playing, but Lynch and Jackson should combine for a big game (Jackson is the better option). And with the Patriots' secondary struggling, Terrell Owens has a legitimate shot to do well, but the Patriots have typically schemed well for Owens. If the Bills can get him going and prove to be diverse on offense, they'll give New England all they can handle in what amounts to Buffalo's own personal Super Bowl at home against a bitter rival. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Tom Brady |  | QB | Ryan Fitzpatrick |  |
| Laurence Maroney | | RB | Fred Jackson | |
| Kevin Faulk | | RB | Marshawn Lynch | |
| Wes Welker | | WR | Terrell Owens | |
| Randy Moss | | WR | Lee Evans | |
| Benjamin Watson | | TE | Shawn Nelson | |
| Stephen Gostkowski | | K | Rian Lindell | |
| Patriots | | DST | Bills | |
| Houston Texans at St. Louis Rams Sunday, 1:00 pm, Edward Jones Dome |
| Matt Schaub should find the ball in his hands plenty this week. That's not to say the Texans won't run -- they will -- but the passing game is the safest element Houston has and the Rams are a pushover. Expect the Texans to set up the run with the pass and target Andre Johnson against the Rams' average cornerbacks. When they do run, figure Ryan Moats to see the majority of reps at first, though the team likes what it has in rookie Arian Foster and could continue to give him playing time, especially if they build a big lead in the second half. Kevin Walter isn't a terrible choice either given the Rams' secondary. It's expected that Kyle Boller will resume the quarterbacking role for the Rams, not that it matters much, but at least he can make some better decisions than Keith Null. The Texans' defense is expected to clamp down on Steven Jackson, whose back might be taking a toll on him to the point where he can't be overly effective. Houston's run defense hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in three games and just one from Week 4 until now. Jackson will have his work cut out for him and could disappoint. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Matt Schaub |  | QB | Kyle Boller | |
| Ryan Moats | | RB | Steven Jackson |  |
| Arian Foster | | RB | Kenneth Darby | |
| Andre Johnson | | WR | Donnie Avery | |
| Kevin Walter | | WR | Brandon Gibson | |
| James Casey | TE | Randy McMichael | ||
| Kris Brown | | K | Josh Brown | |
| Texans | | DST | Rams |
| San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, 1:00 pm, Lincoln Financial Field |
| Very tough spot for the 49ers, even after scoring an emotional home win against the Cardinals. Flying across the country on a short week to take on a very aggressive Eagles defense isn't exactly what the doctor ordered. The Niners' best hope is a familiar one: Lean on Vernon Davis to deliver a punch to the Philadelphia secondary while Frank Gore carries the rest of the load. The Eagles have been stingy against the run -- no 100-yard rushers allowed all season -- and Gore's worst games have come on the road. Alex Smith hasn't been great under pressure and that's what he'll have to deal with here. The Eagles should come out throwing, making good use of DeSean Jackson and Brent Celek against a boom-or-bust secondary. The Niners don't have the speed to hang with Jackson or the safeties to cover Celek, and their other receivers should do enough to play a complementary role. As for the Philly run game, LeSean McCoy has disappointed while Leonard Weaver is making the most of his opportunities. Neither one will be great here -- the Niners are good against the run -- but they'll each take a decent amount of reps. Ultimately, the 49ers won't have the man power to keep up with the Eagles. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Alex Smith |  | QB | Donovan McNabb |  |
| Frank Gore | | RB | LeSean McCoy | |
| Glen Coffee | RB | Leonard Weaver | | |
| Michael Crabtree | | WR | DeSean Jackson | |
| Josh Morgan | | WR | Jason Avant | |
| Vernon Davis | | TE | Brent Celek | |
| Joe Nedney | | K | David Akers | |
| 49ers | | DST | Eagles | |
| Miami Dolphins at Tennessee Titans Sunday, 1:00 pm, LP Field |
| This is essentially a playoff game for positioning in the AFC. Tiebreaker implications are significant; the Titans will definitely be out of the race with a loss and the Dolphins would be on life support with a loss. Expect Miami to continue its game plan from last week and essentially the game plan over the course of the season: Run the football. Ricky Williams should get some good, not great, numbers against the Titans' defensive front. Since the bye Tennessee has allowed just one 100-yard rusher as it has clamped down on the run. They've also done well against the pass, an area where the Dolphins have been hot and cold. It goes without saying that quarterback Chad Henne will have to post stats as he did two weeks ago in order for the Dolphins to have a chance here. That said, he's lacked consistency, and that means he and the Dolphins receivers are not reliable options. The Titans have the ultimate weapon in Chris Johnson but should find the going easy in passing to receivers in single coverage against the Dolphins' safeties. That should result in Bo Scaife having a big game. Considering the Dolphins' pass rush, Vince Young is better suited for this matchup, but if it's Kerry Collins under center, he'll still be able to lean on Scaife, dump passes to Johnson and take shots downfield. If the Dolphins continue to roll with Jason Allen at cornerback ahead of Vontae Davis, the Titans will look for that matchup. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Chad Henne |  | QB | Vince Young |  |
| Ricky Williams | | RB | Chris Johnson | |
| Lex Hilliard | RB | LenDale White | ||
| Greg Camarillo | | WR | Kenny Britt | |
| Brian Hartline | | WR | Nate Washington | |
| Anthony Fasano | | TE | Bo Scaife | |
| Dan Carpenter | | K | Rob Bironas | |
| Dolphins | | DST | Titans | |
| Arizona Cardinals at Detroit Lions Sunday, 1:00 pm, Ford Field |
| In theory, the Cardinals will be able to do whatever they want here. With no pass rush to bother Kurt Warner, he'll have time to throw, and his receivers should out-class the Lions defensive backs. But with Larry Fitzgerald gimpy following a sprained knee, there's a chance that the Cardinals could opt to be a bit more run oriented. The matchup is obviously good for them, and we'd expect Beanie Wells to see plenty of action. The other issue is that the Cards may choose to rest some of their starters once they build a lead -- they don't want to risk a serious injury, and the Fitzgerald knee sprain was a reminder of that. Naturally, the Cardinals' studs will play a role in getting a lead built on the Lions, so they'll be good for something. If Fitzgerald is out, look for Steve Breaston to see a huge bump in stats. Detroit will battle back with ... well, not much. Calvin Johnson will be an easy target for the Cardinals to double- and triple-cover; everyone else on the Lions' offense doesn't warrant more than your standard amount of attention. If the Lions' offense has any firepower to it, Daunte Culpepper will have to put the ball in the air more than anyone would possibly like, but it doesn't mean a big game for Johnson against a defense that's allowed just four 100-yard receivers all season. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Kurt Warner |  | QB | Daunte Culpepper |  |
| Beanie Wells | | RB | Maurice Morris | |
| Tim Hightower | | RB | Aaron Brown | |
| Anquan Boldin | | WR | Calvin Johnson | |
| Larry Fitzgerald | | WR | Dennis Northcutt | |
| Steve Breaston | | WR | Bryant Johnson | |
| Stephen Spach | TE | Will Heller | | |
| Neil Rackers | | K | Jason Hanson | |
| Cardinals | | DST | Lions |
| Atlanta Falcons at N.Y. Jets Sunday, 1:00 pm, Giants Stadium |
| The Falcons are in for a long day whether or not Matt Ryan and Michael Turner play. The Jets do such a good job of taking away a receiver with Darrelle Revis and applying pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Chris Redman is almost a better choice than an injured Ryan, especially considering his play outdoors over his career. Running the ball won't be an easy task either as the Jets have improved their run defense over the last four weeks. Even Roddy White is a Fantasy no-no this week because of the Revis factor. Tony Gonzalez will be the only handful for the Jets defense, though Michael Jenkins is showing up in single coverage and there's no hesitation from the Falcons to use him. As for the Jets, expect more of the same from them: Running the football. True, the matchup suggests a solid day for Gang Green's receivers, but whether it's Kellen Clemens or Mark Sanchez under center, the Jets will take care of the football and do what they do best. It's going to be another solid week for Thomas Jones, though it wouldn't be a big surprise to see Braylon Edwards score on the Falcons' smallish cornerbacks. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Chris Redman |  | QB | Kellen Clemens |  |
| Jason Snelling | | RB | Thomas Jones | |
| Jerious Norwood | | RB | Shonn Greene | |
| Roddy White | | WR | Braylon Edwards | |
| Michael Jenkins | | WR | Jerricho Cotchery | |
| Tony Gonzalez | | TE | Dustin Keller | |
| Matt Bryant | | K | Jay Feely | |
| Falcons | | DST | Jets | |
| Chicago Bears at Baltimore Ravens Sunday, 1:00 pm, M&T Bank Stadium |
| Great matchup for the Ravens, awful for the Bears. If you've been shy about benching Matt Forte, this week is your chance to get up your courage. The Ravens' run defense should be able to handle him and the Bears' weak O-line, leaving Jay Cutler to throw against a secondary that shouldn't have too many problems. Devin Aromashodu has had Cutler's eye for a while, including his breakout game last week (12 targets and a touchdown in single coverage vs. Charles Woodson). If you're desperate, Aromashodu might land some decent gains in mop-up duty. But really, he's the only Bear you should count on, and even he's a stretch. Look for the Ravens to lean heavily on their ground game, giving Ray Rice and Willis McGahee each the chance to score. They can pretty much roll out their same game plan as last week and come away successful. This does mean that Joe Flacco, in spite of the matchup, cannot be trusted. The Ravens are clearly not going to let him throw over and over -- the win is more important than padding his stats. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Jay Cutler |  | QB | Joe Flacco |  |
| Matt Forte | | RB | Ray Rice | |
| Kahlil Bell | RB | Willis McGahee | | |
| Devin Aromashodu | | WR | Derrick Mason | |
| Johnny Knox | | WR | Kelley Washington | |
| Greg Olsen | | TE | Todd Heap | |
| Robbie Gould | | K | Billy Cundiff | |
| Bears | DST | Ravens | |
| Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, 1:00 pm, Arrowhead Stadium |
| The Browns are at the point in the season where no idea is too farfetched. Winning is the best thing everyone on that team can do for themselves with the prospect of major roster upheaval coming this offseason. With that in mind, the team is rumored to be considering Josh Cribbs for work at running back. That would be interesting, and it certainly could provide Fantasy owners stuck with limited receiver options with a player who could put up points like a tandem running back. There's no better opponent to try it out on than the Chiefs, who can't stop the run. Expect the Browns to use Chris Jennings alongside Cribbs to grind down Kansas City. The Chiefs are at the same point as the Browns, though their coaching staff appears to be on solid ground. Cleveland's defense did a great job last week against the Steelers and face another soft offensive line here, but the Chiefs have a strong equalizer in Jamaal Charles. He's been red hot and should slice and dice the Browns. Kansas City will also have Dwayne Bowe back, and while we shouldn't expect big yards from him, a touchdown is not out of the question. Matt Cassel should do well having Charles, Bowe and Chris Chambers all on the field at the same time. And there's one last piece of motivation for the Chiefs: This is their final home game of the year against a beatable opponent. They should put up a strong effort. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Brady Quinn |  | QB | Matt Cassel |  |
| Chris Jennings | | RB | Jamaal Charles | |
| Jerome Harrison | RB | Tim Castille | ||
| Josh Cribbs | | WR | Dwayne Bowe | |
| Mohamed Massaquoi | | WR | Chris Chambers | |
| Aaron Walker | TE | Leonard Pope | ||
| Phil Dawson | K | Ryan Succop | | |
| Browns | | DST | Chiefs | |
| Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos Sunday, 4:05 pm, Invesco Field at Mile High |
| The Raiders are expected to go with Charlie Frye at quarterback, and the Broncos will love every minute of it. Oakland's ability to run the ball will be tested here by Denver as its run defense has turned things around over the last four weeks. And with Frye under center, the passing game is severely flawed. Hard to like any Raiders this week, but Darren McFadden continues to rack up touches and yardage. He's not bad as a flex in deeper leagues. The Broncos will love the matchup on offense too, and this should be the week Knowshon Moreno makes his case for Rookie of the Year. The Raiders run defense is awful and playing at Denver won't help their cause. Moreno might be alone in the backfield and in line for close to 25 touches. He should be a beast, but he'll also limit the amount of passing Kyle Orton does. A week after Brandon Marshall caught 21 passes, he'd be lucky to catch one-quarter of that amount as the Raiders' pass defense should be able to corral the Broncos' receivers. Expect modest totals from him, though he'll have the chance to score. The Broncos should win this one going away. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Charlie Frye | QB | Kyle Orton |  | |
| Darren McFadden |  | RB | Knowshon Moreno | |
| Justin Fargas | | RB | Peyton Hillis | |
| Louis Murphy | WR | Brandon Marshall | | |
| Chaz Schilens | WR | Jabar Gaffney | ||
| Tony Stewart | TE | Tony Scheffler | ||
| Sebastian Janikowski | | K | Matt Prater | |
| Raiders | DST | Broncos | |
| Cincinnati Bengals at San Diego Chargers Sunday, 4:05 pm, Qualcomm Stadium |
| This game might ultimately determine who gets the No. 2 seed in the AFC, and it's a near-impossible matchup for the Bengals. Cincy's lost their last two road games and continue to put up a limited amount of points. Only once since their blowout win vs. Chicago have the Bengals topped 20 points. That's not a good thing when going up against the Chargers offense. Cedric Benson will remain the primary catalyst for the Bengals' offense, but the Chargers' defensive front has been lights out for months (not weeks) and should be capable of containing Benson. He'll be a decent option but not a great play thanks to his mostly healthy offensive line. The Bengals' passing attack will have a hard time as the Chargers will follow the form of Cincy's past opponents and roll coverage to Chad Ochocinco's side. San Diego has allowed one 100-yard receiver since its bye -- don't expect it to be two after this week. The Bengals also boast some good cornerbacks, and they too have allowed just one 100-yard receiver since their bye. This will not be a walk in the park for the Chargers but we do expect Antonio Gates to lead the way in the passing game. This would also be a good week for the Chargers to spring Darren Sproles loose -- that's not to say they will, but if Cincinnati can cover all of Philip Rivers' receivers then backfield screens to Sproles could devastate the Bengals. Expect LaDainian Tomlinson to shoulder a good amount and possibly score, but not to average more than around three yards per rush. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Carson Palmer |  | QB | Philip Rivers |  |
| Cedric Benson | | RB | LaDainian Tomlinson | |
| Larry Johnson | RB | Darren Sproles | | |
| Chad Ochocinco | | WR | Vincent Jackson | |
| Laveranues Coles | WR | Malcom Floyd | | |
| J.P. Foschi | TE | Antonio Gates | | |
| Shayne Graham | | K | Nate Kaeding | |
| Bengals | | DST | Chargers | |
| Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, 4:15 pm, Heinz Field |
| Aaron Rodgers has to be salivating over this matchup as the Packers' receivers should do real well against the Steelers' secondary. The matchup simply dictates that Rodgers will have to throw as Ryan Grant should get stonewalled against the Pittsburgh run defense. Expect the Steelers' cornerbacks to be more aggressive here, but the Packers should throw enough to give them more than they can handle. The Steelers will essentially face a defense they once resembled, namely strong everywhere with a great secondary. This will make for a tough matchup for Pittsburgh; Charles Woodson should be just fine covering Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes might struggle a little bit with up-and-coming cornerback Tramon Williams blanketing him. Furthermore, Ben Roethlisberger's mobility could be nullified by the Packers' blitz because their pass rushers are fast and should be able to get to him. Throw in a defensive line that's banged up but still much better than the Browns' front from a week ago and it could get messy for the Steelers. Pittsburgh's thin O-line is a huge issue, which makes Rashard Mendenhall an unappealing choice, and that line could further impact Roethlisberger, who will drop back and throw a bunch here, albeit likely with less success than Rodgers will have. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Aaron Rodgers |  | QB | Ben Roethlisberger |  |
| Ryan Grant | | RB | Rashard Mendenhall | |
| Brandon Jackson | RB | Mewelde Moore | ||
| Donald Driver | | WR | Santonio Holmes | |
| Greg Jennings | | WR | Hines Ward | |
| James Jones | WR | Mike Wallace | | |
| Jermichael Finley | | TE | Heath Miller | |
| Mason Crosby | | K | Jeff Reed | |
| Packers | | DST | Steelers | |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks Sunday, 4:15 pm, Qwest Field |
| The Buccaneers have to like their chances after the Texans scorched the Seahawks last week. Seattle has allowed a 300-yard passer and 100-yard receiver in each of its last two games and should be ripe for the picking -- if Josh Freeman can gather himself and not make silly mistakes. Freeman has zero touchdowns and eight interceptions over his last two games, so clearly he's no sure thing. The Buccaneers should have some success running the ball here, so perhaps they'll go for a little more ball control and use the run to set up the pass. Freeman will have his easiest matchup in weeks, so that helps his (and Antonio Bryant and Kellen Winslow's) outlook. The Seahawks couldn't get their ground game going last week ... actually they couldn't get anything going last week. With Nate Burleson sidelined and the Buccaneers' run defense a mess, expect the Seahawks to run. And who's been the better running back of late for the 'Hawks? Justin Forsett, in our opinion, and he should see more work and have the chance to post some really nice totals. Julius Jones isn't even a bad choice this week as he's previously rocked bad run defenses. This should result in just modest passing totals for the Seahawks, but it wouldn't be a complete shock to see T.J. Houshmandzadeh score one. The Seahawks have nothing to play for but have a solid investment in their receiver. This is the Seahawks' easiest opponent left on the docket and winning one for the home crowd is just what they need. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Josh Freeman |  | QB | Matt Hasselbeck |  |
| Cadillac Williams | | RB | Justin Forsett | |
| Derrick Ward | RB | Julius Jones | | |
| Antonio Bryant | | WR | T.J. Houshmandzadeh | |
| Maurice Stovall | WR | Deon Butler | | |
| Kellen Winslow | | TE | John Carlson | |
| Connor Barth | K | Olindo Mare | | |
| Buccaneers | | DST | Seahawks | |
| Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers Sunday, 8:20 pm, Bank of America Stadium |
| The Vikings should cruise here as the Panthers are back to square one. Their defensive line has regressed because of injuries, just in time for Adrian Peterson to come to town. Look for the Vikings to be balanced, though they'll be in a position where they could continue to limit Brett Favre's pass attempts. One reason to like Favre: Panthers cornerback Richard Marshall is hurt, making their secondary a bit thinner. Another reason to like Favre: Percy Harvin is expected to return, giving him his full complement of receivers. But the Vikings won't need him to win this game, and that could be reflected in his final stat line. The Panthers, meanwhile, are hopeless. After losing left tackle Jordan Gross earlier in the year, the team put right tackle Jeff Otah on IR this week. Jared Allen and the Vikings' front four should have a field day, and that will make life impossible for quarterback Matt Moore. Thus, life will be tough for Steve Smith -- and he'll see some tight coverage unlike what happened last week at New England. That leaves DeAngelo Williams' potential in a lurch too; his line takes a huge hit with Otah out, and the Vikings are great against the run. There's a real argument here to bench Williams, even this late in the Fantasy season, if you have the running backs to replace him with. The hunch here is that he'll struggle with no help from a passing game or offensive line that looked much, much better 15 weeks ago. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Brett Favre |  | QB | Matt Moore | |
| Adrian Peterson | | RB | DeAngelo Williams |  |
| Chester Taylor | | RB | Jonathan Stewart | |
| Sidney Rice | | WR | Steve Smith | |
| Percy Harvin | | WR | Muhsin Muhammad | |
| Bernard Berrian | | WR | Dwayne Jarrett | |
| Visanthe Shiancoe | | TE | Dante Rosario | |
| Ryan Longwell | | K | John Kasay | |
| Vikings | | DST | Panthers | |
| N.Y. Giants at Washington Redskins Monday, 8:30 pm, FedEx Field |
| The Giants have to throw here if they're going to win. It only makes sense -- Eli Manning has a very talented receiving corps around him right now, and the Redskins' secondary will struggle with Steve Smith on inside seam routes as well as Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham on deep routes. Protecting Manning will be key, and with right tackle Kareem McKenzie sidelined, that job becomes tougher. Running against the Redskins hasn't worked for most teams and the Giants, in spite of last week's efforts, just aren't a reliable running offense. Will the Giants shed their identity and go with a pass attack? Eventually in the game they will -- they proved last week that they can throw the ball well. History is not on Manning's side on this, though: He has thrown no more than one touchdown in each of his last five against the Redskins. Meanwhile, Washington's offense has come alive under Jason Campbell. He's had time to throw and has been playing relaxed, confident football. Look for that to continue against a Giants secondary that clearly has some issues. Worse yet, the Giants' pass rush has been underperforming, which will in turn keep Campbell upright and firing downfield. As for Quinton Ganther, he's good enough to use as a flex and might even turn out to be the best running back in this game. |
| Name | Rating | Pos. | Name | Rating |
| Eli Manning |  | QB | Jason Campbell |  |
| Brandon Jacobs | | RB | Quinton Ganther | |
| Ahmad Bradshaw | | RB | Rock Cartwright | |
| Steve Smith | | WR | Santana Moss | |
| Hakeem Nicks | | WR | Devin Thomas | |
| Mario Manningham | | WR | Antwaan Randle El | |
| Kevin Boss | | TE | Fred Davis | |
| Lawrence Tynes | | K | Shaun Suisham | |
| Giants | | DST | Redskins | |
