Week 16 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.

San Diego Chargers at Tennessee Titans Friday, 7:30 pm, LP Field

While the Chargers might be tempted to modify their game plan by attacking the Titans' suddenly thin linebacker corps with the run, the likely bet is that they'll still lean on the pass. In that regard they're catching the Titans at the right time because they allowed nearly 350 yards to Miami last week and got exposed by the Dolphins' varied passing attack. San Diego won't involve nearly as many receivers, but look for them to make use of Darren Sproles, Legedu Naanee and Malcom Floyd in addition to Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chargers' defense will have its hands full with Chris Johnson; San Diego's been solid against the run over its last 10 games but it will struggle here on a fairly short week on the road. The Titans' game plan should continue to focus on Johnson leading the way and Vince Young playing off his run game to hit downfield targets. Bo Scaife should see some soft coverage as the Chargers have struggled with tight ends. No Titans receiver has had more than 75 yards over their last three games, a trend that should continue this week.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Philip Rivers		QB	Vince Young
LaDainian Tomlinson		RB	Chris Johnson
Darren Sproles		RB	LenDale White
Vincent Jackson		WR	Kenny Britt
Malcom Floyd		WR	Justin Gage
Legedu Naanee		WR	Nate Washington
Antonio Gates		TE	Bo Scaife
Nate Kaeding		K	Rob Bironas
Chargers		DST	Titans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints Sunday, 1:00 pm, Superdome

The Bucs have some confidence coming off of a solid win at Seattle last week, but this "measuring stick game" for them won't go as well. The Bucs should come out passing to test the Saints' secondary that's been banged around over the last three weeks, and it's unlikely that they'll get much consistency there. They should be able to move the ball a little bit so long as the Saints' secondary doesn't get healthy. But you have to expect Josh Freeman to make some mistakes, and you also have to expect the Bucs' run game to be ineffective. The other problem the Bucs have is that they are all that's standing between the Saints and home-field advantage for the playoffs. That's not good, and the Saints coming off their first loss of the season should be very prepared for this game. Look for the Saints to do what they do -- throw the ball in single-coverage mismatches -- while also running the ball. Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell aren't terrible Fantasy choices but are safest as No. 3 options. We could see an uptick in production from Lance Moore, who is working his way back into game shape and is someone the Saints want ready for the postseason. Also, Marques Colston has been relatively harmless in games against the Bucs while Robert Meachem scored twice in the matchup earlier this season (but has only 19 total yards in two games vs. Tampa Bay).

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Josh Freeman		QB	Drew Brees
Cadillac Williams		RB	Pierre Thomas
Derrick Ward		RB	Reggie Bush
Earnest Graham		RB	Mike Bell
Antonio Bryant		WR	Marques Colston
Maurice Stovall		WR	Robert Meachem
Michael Clayton		WR	Lance Moore
Kellen Winslow		TE	David Thomas
Connor Barth		K	Garrett Hartley
Buccaneers		DST	Saints

Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins Sunday, 1:00 pm, Land Shark Stadium

Gary Kubiak might be schizophrenic when it comes to his running backs, but we're pretty confident he's not going to take the ball out of Matt Schaub's hands. That's especially true this week in what amounts to a playoff game -- the loser will have eight losses and postseason dreams dashed. That said, expect the Texans to take advantage of the Dolphins young and off-and-on secondary by spreading the ball around to their receivers with an obvious emphasis on Andre Johnson. Tight end Joel Dreessen (six catches last two games) is a sleeper this week. The Dolphins have been exploiting defenses with their own short-area spread passing attack, and that should work here along with a healthy dose of Ricky Williams. The Texans have been stingy at allowing big yardage over the last four games but that will be challenged as Chad Henne is throwing the ball so much and putting up nice yardage totals. This could come down to how efficient both quarterbacks are, and the one who makes the fewest turnovers wins the game.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Matt Schaub		QB	Chad Henne
Ryan Moats		RB	Ricky Williams
Arian Foster		RB	Lex Hilliard
Andre Johnson		WR	Davone Bess
Kevin Walter		WR	Greg Camarillo
Joel Dreessen		TE	Anthony Fasano
Kris Brown		K	Dan Carpenter
Texans		DST	Dolphins

Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons Sunday, 1:00 pm, Georgia Dome

The Falcons' secondary gets a big break as Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't expected to play. That means Brian Brohm will see playing time for the Bills, and that's not good for Lee Evans and Terrell Owens. The Bills should implement a simple short- and mid-range passing attack to match with their run game, but if they fall behind and are forced to pass it could get ugly. Atlanta should come out of the locker room running the football, and whoever is the team's primary back is going to have a good game. The Bills can't tackle well and are giving up plenty of rushing yardage and touchdowns week after week. Jason Snelling is the guy to go with as a No. 3 or flex option if Michael Turner is out; Turner would otherwise be that guy. Look for Roddy White to get right here too as the Bills' secondary is bottoming out -- cornerback Terrence McGee and safety Jairus Byrd will miss the remainder of the season with injuries. Might even be a decent enough week for Matt Ryan.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Brian Brohm		QB	Matt Ryan
Fred Jackson		RB	Jason Snelling
Marshawn Lynch		RB	Jerious Norwood
Lee Evans		WR	Roddy White
Terrell Owens		WR	Michael Jenkins
Shawn Nelson		TE	Tony Gonzalez
Rian Lindell		K	Matt Bryant
Bills		DST	Falcons

Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, 1:00 pm, Paul Brown Stadium

The Chiefs will surely come into the game with the idea of playing spoiler, but the matchup is a tough one for them. Where they could have some success is through the air, which the Chargers did last week and came out winners in a close game with the Bengals. They've got the horses in Chris Chambers and Dwayne Bowe, but their offensive line is a huge detriment. Jamaal Charles will obviously be a huge part of what the Chiefs do, but he could make as big of a dent as a receiver than as a rusher, particularly since the Bengals have remained strong against the run even with defensive tackle Domata Peko out of action. We should see a big dose of Cedric Benson from the Bengals in this matchup as the Chiefs are coming off of giving up 286 rush yards to Jerome Harrison and are one of the absolute worst run defenses in the league. This also opens up the door for Larry Johnson to relieve Benson and try to do damage against his old team. Don't look for a lot of passing from Carson Palmer here since the run attack should do more than enough to put the game -- and the AFC North division title -- in the Bengals' hands.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Matt Cassel		QB	Carson Palmer
Jamaal Charles		RB	Cedric Benson
Tim Castille		RB	Larry Johnson
Chris Chambers		WR	Chad Ochocinco
Dwayne Bowe		WR	Laveranues Coles
Sean Ryan		TE	J.P. Foschi
Ryan Succop		K	Shayne Graham
Chiefs		DST	Bengals

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday, 1:00 pm, Heinz Field

It's obvious by now that passing on the Steelers is the way to go. Even head coach Mike Tomlin is losing confidence in his secondary after he tried an onside kick at a crucial point in their game last week against Green Bay. Joe Flacco got the confidence going again with a four-touchdown performance against an uninterested Bears secondary last week, and he should be as good this week. Demetrius Williams has long been a deep-ball threat who either came up short or got hurt too often. He'll get some chances this week if Mark Clayton is still out to make amends for past shortfalls. Derrick Mason is obviously the better option for Fantasy, and despite Todd Heap's miserable history against the Steelers, he could even get involved like he did last week. Ray Rice will also make contributions as a receiver, just not as a rusher. Ben Roethlisberger was out when the Steelers played the Ravens earlier this year, and as a result they ran the ball a bunch. That's not expected to repeat itself here, though it would help mask the defensive shortcomings. Look for the Steelers to keep throwing the ball against a Ravens secondary that is still shorthanded and continuously depleted. Santonio Holmes has been a Ravens killer throughout his career and the matchup is sparkling for him, Hines Ward and Mike Wallace to be effective in a must-win game at home. Unlike past meetings between these clubs, this could get high-scoring.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Joe Flacco		QB	Ben Roethlisberger
Ray Rice		RB	Rashard Mendenhall
Willis McGahee		RB	Mewelde Moore
Derrick Mason		WR	Santonio Holmes
Demetrius Williams		WR	Hines Ward
Kelley Washington		WR	Mike Wallace
Todd Heap		TE	Heath Miller
Billy Cundiff		K	Jeff Reed
Ravens		DST	Steelers

Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots Sunday, 1:00 pm, Gillette Stadium

The Jaguars' best bet continues to be riding the coattails of Maurice Jones-Drew. The Patriots have struggled with running backs this season in spite of yielding just three rushing touchdowns on the year. Even if they concentrate their efforts on guarding against Jones-Drew, he should still come out with some good totals. The New England secondary is also a mess, and that might bode well for Mike Sims-Walker. He scored last week and should be able to use his size and strength to out-muscle the Patriots' corners. Those two will be enough to keep the Patriots on their toes, so anything else David Garrard can do to keep Bill Belichick's defense off-kilter will only help the team. But one thing Garrard can't do is play cornerback, and that's where the Jaguars have all sorts of problems. Assuming the weather cooperates, this should be a big bounce-back week for Tom Brady and his receivers since Jacksonville has had a hard time with opposing receivers. Just last week they allowed four touchdowns to the Colts' high-powered offense, so the Patriots are more than likely to follow the same plan. Does this mean diminished stats for Laurence Maroney? It could since the Jaguars are good against the run, though the Patriots would surely lean on him once they build a lead to kill the game clock. Considering his frequent trips to the end zone, it would be difficult to get away from him without other really good options in Fantasy.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
David Garrard		QB	Tom Brady
Maurice Jones-Drew		RB	Laurence Maroney
Rashad Jennings		RB	Kevin Faulk
Mike Sims-Walker		WR	Randy Moss
Torry Holt		WR	Wes Welker
Marcedes Lewis		TE	Benjamin Watson
Josh Scobee		K	Stephen Gostkowski
Jaguars		DST	Patriots

Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers Sunday, 1:00 pm, Lambeau Field

We're not sure how Seattle will get motivated for this matchup. True, Matt Hasselbeck will be coming back to the city that drafted him, but with an offense full of veterans that are bummed about the dwindling season -- not to mention the matchup -- this is tough sledding for the visiting Seahawks. Their best bet is to follow the Steelers' plan from last week and use three- and four-receiver sets to spread out the Packers' cornerbacks and focus on matchups against their reserve DBs, but their talent isn't as consistent or effective as the Steelers' bunch. We could see John Carlson continue to put up some stats. The Packers should be able to do as they wish in this game, starting off balanced and then turning to Ryan Grant to grind down the Seahawks. It's hard to not like any Packers players this week, especially with the Seahawks pass defense ranked 29th in the league with 26 touchdowns allowed. Aaron Rodgers should stay hot -- the Seahawks have allowed all three passers they've faced over their last three games to get 250 yards, with two over 300 yards.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Matt Hasselbeck		QB	Aaron Rodgers
Justin Forsett		RB	Ryan Grant
Julius Jones		RB	Brandon Jackson
T.J. Houshmandzadeh		WR	Greg Jennings
Deion Branch		WR	Donald Driver
Deon Butler		WR	James Jones
John Carlson		TE	Jermichael Finley
Olindo Mare		K	Mason Crosby
Seahawks		DST	Packers

Carolina Panthers at N.Y. Giants Sunday, 1:00 pm, Giants Stadium

These teams met in New York a year ago -- both playoff bound -- and had an incredible game that was decided in OT. This year, the Panthers are going home in January and the Giants are hanging on to slim playoff hopes. But the game still has meaning to ex-Giants defensive coordinator John Fox, and of course the Giants need wins to make the playoffs. The Panthers have to be pleased with Matt Moore at this point, and the beat will go on for him as the Giants' secondary did a good job disguising itself last week against the Redskins in a game that got out of hand early on. Moore's mobility to get away from the Vikings' pass rush was a big key in extending plays and finding Steve Smith, among others, for modest gains. That's a good game plan to use again versus the Giants, and it could mean that Jonathan Stewart (and DeAngelo Williams if he's healthy) could see less work than last year against the Giants (24 carries and four touchdowns for Williams; nine carries and bupkis for Stewart). The Panthers' trio of mediocre tight ends has been effective against a Giants secondary that could be challenged by Carolina's short-area success. The Giants will likely try and crack the Panthers' front seven, which is something the Vikings couldn't do in limited attempts last week. The running game got back on track last week and so long as the offensive line holds up we could see a decent outing from Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. Seeing Bradshaw get two short-yardage red-zone touchdowns last week makes him fairly appealing here since that and his breakaway speed make for a dangerous combination. The Giants' passing game could be reeled in a bit this week if Hakeem Nicks is out. The Panthers will easily take away tight end Kevin Boss and match up fairly well with Steve Smith and Mario Manningham. That, combined with Julius Peppers coming off the end, might make for a long afternoon for Eli Manning. Expect the Giants to lean on the ground game and then use play-action to exploit the Panthers.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Matt Moore		QB	Eli Manning
Jonathan Stewart		RB	Brandon Jacobs
Tyrell Sutton		RB	Ahmad Bradshaw
Steve Smith		WR	Steve Smith
Muhsin Muhammad		WR	Mario Manningham
Gary Barnidge		TE	Kevin Boss
John Kasay		K	Lawrence Tynes
Panthers		DST	Giants

Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns Sunday, 1:00 pm, Cleveland Browns Stadium

The Raiders' run game should give them a decent chance here. Michael Bush and Darren McFadden should both be busy against a Browns run defense that really has played well in only one game this year (vs. Pittsburgh). With their D-line banged up, Oakland would0 be wise to take as much pressure off of JaMarcus Russell as possible and lean on its two best offensive players. The Browns have a good offensive player of their own in Jerome Harrison, and once again he's in a matchup that's too good to pass up. Even though Denver failed to do well against the Raiders last week, count on Cleveland leaning on its run game. Their offensive line did so well last week and should come together again to give Harrison room to run. Derek Anderson will take over under center for the Browns but isn't expected to throw much given the matchup and the Browns' poor receiving corps.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
JaMarcus Russell		QB	Derek Anderson
Michael Bush		RB	Jerome Harrison
Darren McFadden		RB	Chris Jennings
Chaz Schilens		WR	Mohamed Massaquoi
Louis Murphy		WR	Chansi Stuckey
Tony Stewart		TE	Evan Moore
Sebastian Janikowski		K	Phil Dawson
Raiders		DST	Browns

St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals Sunday, 4:05 pm, University of Phoenix Stadium

More of the same from the Rams: Ride Steven Jackson as much as possible. At least St. Louis is giving Keith Null a fair shake here, but the matchup is a real tough one for him. Not having quality receivers definitely hurts the passing game and ultimately makes the going tougher for Jackson. Then again, the Cardinals are in the midst of one of their spells of bad play against the run, so Jackson should be fine. The rest of the Rams, not so much. The Cardinals have routinely posted strong passing totals on the Rams and were on their way to doing so earlier this season when Kurt Warner was concussed and didn't play in the second half. He's healthy this time, and with coach Ken Whisenhunt ordering his first-team offense to establish some momentum leading into the playoffs, look for the Cardinals to feast on the St. Louis secondary. But that said, the Cardinals won't be dumb and run up the score with the first-team offense. Assuming they build a big lead, we could see Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and others in sideline caps before the end of the game. That's when the team might really pummel the Rams with Beanie Wells -- he'll play a bunch all game long and should repeat his performance from last week. So long as he stays healthy, he's a tremendous running option for the Cardinals both now and heading into the future.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Keith Null		QB	Kurt Warner
Steven Jackson		RB	Beanie Wells
Kenneth Darby		RB	Tim Hightower
Donnie Avery		WR	Anquan Boldin
Brandon Gibson		WR	Larry Fitzgerald
Danny Amendola		WR	Steve Breaston
Randy McMichael		TE	Stephen Spach
Josh Brown		K	Mike Nugent
Rams		DST	Cardinals

Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers Sunday, 4:05 pm, Candlestick Park

We got a surprise jolt out of Maurice Morris last week, and he was sort of hidden in the hoopla of other surprise free-agent running backs. His matchup is difficult, though, and the only way he'll be effective once again is if he can break away from the Niners' run defense for a long jaunt. He's played at San Francisco a number of times with the Seahawks and has never done well. But the reality is that Morris is a 15-carry candidate with good receiving potential, so there's a shot for him to be useful as a No. 3 running back or flex choice if you need help. As for Calvin Johnson, the expectation is that he'll struggle with double coverage all game long, and with a weak quarterback throwing his way, it's tough to expect him to put up good totals even in a matchup against a team that's been bad against the pass. The 49ers should be able to do whatever they'd like here and with Mike Singletary still commanding attention among his players, we should see a good effort. Frank Gore has two-touchdown potential against an awful Lions run defense, and Vernon Davis should lead the charge in the passing game against a depleted and ineffective Detroit secondary. Alex Smith might not have more than 250 yards or so but it would be a shock to see him throw fewer than two touchdowns.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Drew Stanton		QB	Alex Smith
Maurice Morris		RB	Frank Gore
Aaron Brown		RB	Michael Robinson
Calvin Johnson		WR	Michael Crabtree
Dennis Northcutt		WR	Josh Morgan
Will Heller		TE	Vernon Davis
Jason Hanson		K	Joe Nedney
Lions		DST	49ers

Denver Broncos at Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, 4:15 pm, Lincoln Financial Field

This is a tough spot for the Broncos, who need to win badly. And this is a tough spot for Fantasy owners too, because the Broncos have produced so many hot one week, cold the next performances that it's tough to tell who will do well. The most obvious Bronco who should put up numbers is Brandon Marshall, who has been exceptional of late and should find a way to top 100 yards and lead Denver in receiving against an Eagles defense that has allowed a pair of 100-yard receivers over their last three games. The Philly blitz will be an issue for Kyle Orton to deal with, but Marshall should still get his numbers. Knowshon Moreno is more of a mixed bag; he should have rocked the Raiders last week but couldn't get going despite 22 total touches. He's been struggling in short-yardage situations and might begin to lose touches this week against the Eagles. He's not a sure thing for Fantasy. The Eagles are expected to welcome back Brian Westbrook this week, and his presence will only muddle the Eagles' running back situation further. Our hunch is that Westbrook sees the most playing time through the first half and until the game is in hand, with LeSean McCoy working more in the second half with fresh legs. Leonard Weaver, assuming he's not jawing with an opponent when he's supposed to be lining up, should seemingly work in fewer roles than before -- a short-yardage/goal-line role makes sense. Regardless, the Eagles should be able to run fairly well here as the Broncos' run defense has bottomed out. The passing game should be good but not great -- Brian Dawkins will be amped to play and should do enough to take away Brent Celek on most plays. Still, DeSean Jackson is one of the toughest assignments in the league right now, and so long as Donovan McNabb has time to throw, Jackson will be a threat for massive stats. Champ Bailey won't be able to hang with Jackson.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Kyle Orton		QB	Donovan McNabb
Knowshon Moreno		RB	Brian Westbrook
Peyton Hillis		RB	LeSean McCoy
Brandon Marshall		WR	DeSean Jackson
Brandon Stokley		WR	Reggie Brown
Tony Scheffler		TE	Brent Celek
Matt Prater		K	David Akers
Broncos		DST	Eagles

N.Y. Jets at Indianapolis Colts Sunday, 4:15 pm, Lucas Oil Stadium

This is an interesting game as the Jets' defense will give the Colts problems. But the Jets' biggest problem of all is putting points on the board -- they're averaging 16.6 points per game over their last five, and that includes a 29-point outburst at Tampa Bay two weeks ago. They'll run with Thomas Jones for sure, but eventually they'll encounter some long distance situations that will cause some problems and turn the ball back over the Colts. Indy has allowed a pair of 100-yard rushers over their last three games, so Jones should be solid for them but that's about it; it's hard to trust Jets receivers so long as Mark Sanchez is under center, and it's unlikely that they'll have any long gains against a corralling Colts secondary. Peyton Manning has seen a lot of Rex Ryan's defensive scheme over the course of his career, and he's crushed it. With the Ravens, Ryan's defenses only kept Manning in check once in four games over the last five years -- a playoff game during the 2006 season. Manning has had at least 249 yards and two touchdowns in every other meeting, and this one shouldn't be any different. There is some concern about Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis clamping down on Reggie Wayne, but there's no promise that he'll be against him the whole time. It's clear that Dallas Clark has been a favorite target of Manning's, and Pierre Garcon (when healthy) has gotten the job done. We could see Revis move around a little bit depending on the down and distance, but will it matter much? Manning is the best in the league at reading the pre-snap defense and will trust whoever has the easiest matchup from play to play. That said, all Colts receivers have a chance to do something here, but it will be spread around so that no one option is safer than the others. If Garcon misses the game we could see Manning have a smidge of trouble. Joseph Addai has a challenging matchup and might not be a huge option this week.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Mark Sanchez		QB	Peyton Manning
Thomas Jones		RB	Joseph Addai
Shonn Greene		RB	Mike Hart
Jerricho Cotchery		WR	Reggie Wayne
Braylon Edwards		WR	Pierre Garcon
Brad Smith		WR	Austin Collie
Dustin Keller		TE	Dallas Clark
Jay Feely		K	Matt Stover
Jets		DST	Colts

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins Sunday, 8:20 pm, FedEx Field

The Cowboys have had problems playing at FedEx Field for years and struggled with the Redskins at home earlier this season, so this is far from a blowout. Dallas did a solid job of attacking the Saints' secondary last week and it can only be assumed that they'll do the same thing here since running the ball is a tough task against Washington. Miles Austin's deep-ball skills make him an obvious threat that the Redskins will have a hard time with, and Roy E. Williams should also be a candidate to catch more passes than normal. Jason Witten's history at Washington combined with his poor overall campaign make him a risky Fantasy choice. As for the Dallas run game, it'll be used but it can't be trusted to carry the team. Marion Barber is obviously a goal-line threat (both of his touchdowns last week came from inside the Saints 3) but big yardage isn't something that can be counted on with him or Felix Jones. The Redskins might have a hard time coming up with motivation, but with this being their last home game of the season against a bitter rival, they should put up a fight. The fate of the offense will rest with Jason Campbell since Quinton Ganther will face a stiff Dallas run defense. Campbell didn't get a lot of protection last week against the Giants, though he was pretty much forced to play from behind in the first half. The Cowboys' pass rush is playing great and will surely get in the face of Campbell, limiting his potential to make plays. The Redskins need to spread out the Cowboys secondary and lean on everyone from the running backs to the tight ends and wideouts as outlets for Campbell, but that even might not be enough to put points on the board. In spite of the Cowboys' past woes at Washington, they've got a great matchup on both sides of the ball.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Tony Romo		QB	Jason Campbell
Marion Barber		RB	Quinton Ganther
Felix Jones		RB	Rock Cartwright
Miles Austin		WR	Santana Moss
Roy E. Williams		WR	Antwaan Randle El
Jason Witten		TE	Fred Davis
Shaun Suisham		K	Graham Gano
Cowboys		DST	Redskins

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears Monday, 8:30 pm, Soldier Field

There are some reports of upheaval in Minnesota between Brett Favre and head coach Brad Childress, but those issues can be solved with a win. Fortunately, they're playing the right opponent for that to happen in the Bears. But a key mitigating factor -- playing outdoors late in the season, including in the cold -- could hurt Favre. From 2007 through last week Favre has played in six outdoor/grass late-season and playoff games, some in chilly weather. He's thrown five touchdowns (all in 2007 postseason, none in '08 or '09) and eight interceptions with no games over 236 yards passing. Even though the Bears defense is on its last legs right now, between that history and the in-fighting between him and Childress, it seems risky for Favre to even be trusted to handle the majority of the Vikings' game plan. But it's not a stretch to suggest that Adrian Peterson will lead the way for the Vikings, and he should. The Bears' run defense is atrocious, and Peterson has a history of mowing them down. Look for AP to shoulder the workload and even give some reps to Chester Taylor in an effort to simply run more than throw. Subsequently, Favre will be a good soldier and not audible out of runs as he did last week. The Bears' offense continues to fall apart, though some of last week's struggles can be blamed on the team's poor travel arrangements that kept the team from their typical road-game routine. Normally the Bears would be fired up in this situation -- their final game in front of the home crowd against a division rival -- but this year is different because of their poor play. The Bears' game plan in their earlier meeting against Minnesota was successful for a little while: Spread the ball around and keep the Vikings defense off their toes. They don't have the threats to really make that happen again here, but with the Vikings' run defense stalling over the past two weeks we could see a decent game from Matt Forte as a rusher and receiver. If he can get going, Jay Cutler might be able to stand up and deliver some mid-range passes and keep the chains moving. Remember, if the Bears' offense can stay on the field, the Vikings offense is on the sideline.

Name	Rating	Pos.	Name	Rating
Brett Favre		QB	Jay Cutler
Adrian Peterson		RB	Matt Forte
Chester Taylor		RB	Kahlil Bell
Sidney Rice		WR	Earl Bennett
Percy Harvin		WR	Johnny Knox
Visanthe Shiancoe		TE	Greg Olsen
Ryan Longwell		K	Robbie Gould
Vikings		DST	Bears