Waddle's World

Dolphins at Steelers

If life weren't difficult enuff for the 0 and 10 Dolphins, this week they travel to Pittsburgh to face a VERY angry group of Steelers. The Steelers layed an egg in the Meadowlands last Sunday as they were pushed around by the lowly Jets. The loss leaves them at 7 and 3 and just a game ahead of the Browns, who moved to 6 and 4 with a win over the Ravens. This one should be a laugher, but, then again, that's what I said about last weeks matchup with the "Mangenius". Lightening wont strike twice, as the Dolphins have no answer for the Steelers balance on offense. The Fish allow more than 330 yards and 27 points per Sunday. Willie Parker and Big Ben Rothlesberger will both bounce back, the Steelers will get out to an early lead, and then the James gang, Harrison and Farrior that is, will be all over John Beck like a bad rash. And trust me, there is no saave to prevent that rash from being irritating and debilitating. Its not likely the Dolphins will go winless the entire season, but this wont be the week they get off the schnide. Steeler get back on track with a decisive victory.

Packers/Lions

Is there anything better than watching football on Thanksgiving day? The short answer is no, especially when the game is meaningful. Thursday morning the Detroit Lions host the Green Bay Packers in the Motor City's annual Turkey Day game. Its an NFC North battle between two teams moving in opposite directions. Let's start with the Packers. Green Bay moved to 9-1 last week with a 31-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Brett Farve continues to get the best of father time, After 3 more TD passes last Sunday, Favre has 19 for the season, and is just 25 passing yards away from 3,000. Donald Lee, Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, and James Jones are as good a quartet of receivers as there are in the league. And with Ryan Grant running the ball, these Packers are now showing the balance necessary for a run deep into the playoffs. As for the Lions, they are falling back to earth. Against the Giants, Jon Kitna threw 3 picks and Kevin Jones rushed for 25 yards on11 carries. As I've been telling you for weeks, if Mike Martz doesn't remain patient with the ground game, the Lions simply cannot win. A one-dimensional attack with an offensive line that can't protect their quarterback is a recipe for disaster. The Lions losing streak reaches 3. Green Bay will feast on the Lions! Get it?



Jets/Cowboys

Good news for the executives at CBS, they get to showcase the 9-1 Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. The bad news… they'll host the 2-8 Jets. Yes, the Jets did upset the Steelers last week, but, trust me, lightening wont strike twice. It was nice to see Thomas Jones finally get back on track with his 3rd-100 yard game of the season, but, Jones alone isn't enuff to get the best of the Cowboys in "Big D". The best way to stay in this game is by controlling the clock and keeping the NFL's 2nd best offense off the field, but eventually Kellen Clemens is gonna have to make some big throws. Good luck. Not sure if you caught TO's act last week, but 8 catches for 173 yards and 4 touchdowns is a pretty good day at the office. Tony Romo aint half bad, himself, with 27 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. And The 1-2 punch of Marion Barber III and Julius Jones isn't too shabby either. This one should be over by halftime. I like the Cowboys big…



Colts/Falcons

Everyone excited for Thanksgiving dessert? Well good, because while you're settling down for huge helping of pumpkin pie, you'll also get a full serving of the Colts and Falcons in the Georgia Dome. Don't worry-I'll make this quick…The Falcons are a disaster. Bobby Petrino decided to start Byron Leftwich last week against the Bucaneers 3rd-ranked defense . The result? A 31-7 home loss to Tampa Bay, thanks to 4 Leftwich turnovers. Joey Harrington, who shouldve never been replaced in the first place, took over late and actually played well . Truth is, it doesn't really matter who Petrino goes with in this one. The Colts are banged up, and yes, theyve been out of sorts since their 2nd-half collapse to the Patriots, and they still do have some issue, but they have way too much for the disjointed Falcons. It may not be a blowout, but, I'm very confident the Colts will come away with a victory.



Saints/Panthers

A compelling NFC South matchup this weekend in Charlotte as the Panthers play host to the Saints. Or at least it looked that way before the season began. The Saints year has been a a nauseating rollercoaster . They lost four in a row to start the season, then won the next four. They were a heavy favorite to beat the Rams at home and promptly got blown out. And then they went to Houston last week, and were dominated once again. That leaves them at 4 and 6 and on the outside looking in. Despite the presence of Reggie Bush, they can't run the ball. Bush is averaging less than 50 yards per game on 3 and a half yards per carry. Overall, the Saints rank 27th in rushing, and that has put enormous pressure on Drew Brees, who hasn't delivered. BUT, on the bright side, they will play this one in Carolina, where the Panthers miraculously haven't won a game since last November. I expect that trend to continue. The Panthers have obvious issues at quarterback and their defense has been one of the league's biggest disappointments. The Panthers beat the Saints in the Superdome. I say Brees and friend return the favor. I like the Saints on the road.

Titans/Bengals

The Bengals and Titans meet in the Queen City this weekend, and don't expect any surprises. The formula for success is very simple for Jeff Fisher's gang: Run the ball and stop the run. They've done it all year and they're certainly not going to change the plan now. Vince Young has been average at best, but that should be good enuff against a Bengal defense that couldnt stop you and 10 off of your closest friends. With the return of Chris Henry, the Bengals are tough to defend, but its quite a burden to have to score 40 points a game to compete each and every Sunday. When you are forced to take to the air on every down, mistakes are going to happen. Ask Carson Palmer, who was picked off 4 times last week by the Cardinals, twice for touchdowns. Until the Bengals solve their problems on defense, the free fall will continue. I like the Titans to grind it out and win on the road.

Vikings/Giants

An interesting matchup Sunday afternoon in the Meadowlands as the 7-3 Giants host the 4-6 Vikings. Minnesota had an offensive explosion last week in their win over the Raiders, but, then again, it WAS the Raiders. With Adrian Peterson out, Chester Taylor took over the familiar role of feature back and gashed the Raiders for 164 yards and 3 touchdowns. They take a step up in class this week and face a Giants team that is balanced on offense and has improved on defense. With Brandon Jacobs joining Derreck Ward on the sidelines, they'll turn to Rueben Droughens to carry the rock. But, I expect the Giants to air it out. The injuries in the backfield and the Vikings stout front 7 should entice Tom Coughlin to pin his hopes on Eli Manning and his talented group of receivers. Burress, Toomer and Shockey should have their way with a Vikings secondary that ranks last in the NFL, giving up nearly 300 yards per Sunday. Defensively, the GMEN will put 8 defenders in the box and dare Tavarus Jackson to beat them thru the air. Jackson will be in for a rough ride as The Giants lead the NFL with 35 sacks. I say Tom Coughlin gets his team to 8-3 with an ugly victory in New Jersey.



Seahawks/Rams

You remember a couple weeks back when I told you the Rams were actually going to win a few games in the second half of this season! I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. They now own a 2-game winning streak thanks to a thrilling win over the Niners last Sunday. Marc Bulger was efficient, completing over 60 percent of his passes without an interception. Steven Jackson is getting healthy, and I'm telling you, they're gonna make life miserable for a few teams down the stretch. The Rams season is over but they haven't quit. You have to give Scott Linehan a lot of credit for keeping this team together. This week they host the division leading Seahawks. They've built a 2 game win streak of their own thanks to the excellent play of Matt Hasselbeck who threw for 344 yards and 2 touchdowns last week against my Chicago Bears. Unfortunately for the Seahawks, they don't travel well, with a 1 and 4 record on the road. This one takes place in the Edwards Jones Dome, so I think you can guess which way Im leaning. Call me crazy, but I say the Rams make it 3 in a row at home.



Redskins/Buccaneers

An excellent NFC battle Sunday afternoon in Tampa as the Buccaneers host the Washington Redskins. After a quick start, the skins have now lost 3 of 4 and sit at 5-5. They actually played well last week in Dallas but the Tony Romo-Terrell Owens connection was just too much for them to overcome. Jason Campbell had his best day as a pro as the Redskins passing game has finally taken off. Santana Moss decided to show up and caught 9 passes for more than 100 yards and a score in the loss. As for Chucky's guys, they continue to play stifling defense. They are the NFC's toughest to score against. Offensively, it's nothing fancy. Establish the run with Ernest Graham, force the Redskins to stack the line of scrimmage, and then beat them deep with Joey Galloway. This isn't a sexy matchup on paper, but I promise this will be an intense, hard-hitting battle. I like the Buccaneers to squeak by and stay on top in the NFC South.

Eagles at Patriots

The Eagles travel to Foxboro this weekend to become the 11th victim of the season for the machine known as the New England Patriots. With an ankle sprain and a bum thumb, it looks like Dononvan McNabb may sit this one out. A J Feeley stepped in against the Dolphins last week and played well. Memo to A J: These aren't the Dolphins! Do yourself a favor and practice handing off to Brian Westbrook this week. I could waste your time and tell you how this is a solid Eagles defense that allows just over 300 yards and 19 points per Sunday, and that they'll keep this one close, but Grandpappy Waddle always warned me about the evils of lying. So out of respect for GW, I'll tell you how it plays out. Tom Brady will come out throwing. Moss here, Welker there, a dash of Stallworth, a pinch of Ben Watson, more of Moss, and they'll head into the lockeroom up 30 zip at the half. Believing the Eagles are just a turnover away from getting back into this one, Bellicheck will order Brady to come out firing again. And Again, they will wear out the endzone. This one's over before it begins. Patriots continue to roll.



Ravens at Chargers

The "Unpredictable Bowl" will take place in San Diego this weekend as the Chargers host the Ravens. Last year, the Chargers went 14 and 2….the Ravens were 13 and 3….. this year its 5 and 5 versus 4 and 6. Each team has a laundry list of issues, and neither coaching staff seems to have the answers. Norv Turner has NOT connected with his team as players are bickering amongst themselves and sniping at their coaches. And they haven't cornered the market on disgruntled behavior, ask Ray Lewis how he feels about the Ravens dysfunctional offense. Just a few weeks back he called out Brian Billick and the entire offense for not having a plan. But, Ray may wanna take a closer look at his play and the play of his defense. The Ravens aren't scaring anyone these days. They are still solid against the run, but their secondary is aging and ailing and they're allowing more than 200 passing yards per game. He is right, the Ravens offense is dreadful, but they are coming off a 30 point performance….against the Brown, who happen to be the leagues most generous defense. They'll face a Chargers defense that has lost its identity and shockingly allows 350 yards and 21 points per game. They're not stopping the run and they aren't getting to opposing quarterbacks. Offensively, they are being held back by inconsistent quarterback play. If the Chargers are to get out of their funk, Phillip Rivers is gonna have to lead the way. The Ravens have lost 4 in a row. Make that 5 in a row…..I say the Chargers bounce back at home.

49ers at Cardinals

This week is officially "I Told You So Week"! First the Rams, now the Cardinals! Didn't I tell you these Cardinals were gonna be much improved?! With a big win over the Bengals on the road, The Cards moved to 5 and 5 on the season and remain within a game of the division leading Seahawks. Yes, they are just a Kurt Warner injury away from joining the NFL scrapheap, but as long as the "Gray Beard" stays healthy and takes care of the football, they've got a chance. Oh yeah, by the way, they're hosting the 49ers this week. The niners have now lost 8 in a row and are every bit as bad as the Dolphins. Lets not dwell on them, let me tell you why the Cardinals are solid. They're newly committed to a balanced attack with Edgerrin james leading the way, the have a phenomenal tandem of wideouts in Anquon Bolden and Larry Fitzgerald, and their defense is getting after people. They rank 11th in total defense and allow just 312 yards per Sunday. They are making big plays at crucial times and are starting to gain confidence. That confidence will continue to build with a win over the Niners.

Texans at Browns

I told you the Browns were gonna be good this year! Okay, Im joking, I definitely wasn't on the Browns preseason bandwagon, but Im willing to purchase a ticket now. Not so much for their league worst defense, but their high power offense and youthful enthusiasm is contagious. This week they host the Houston Texans, a team that snapped a 3 game losing streak last week, and at 5 and 5, sits in the cellar in the toughest division in football, the AFC South. The Texans offense got healthy last week with the return of Matt Shaub and Andre Johnson. That connection was good for 6 catches for 120 yards and a score in a win over the Saints. That combo will be active again in this one, as will the Derek Anderson to Braylon Edwards hook up. These guys are the future stars of the National Football League and I expect them to light up the scoreboard in the weekends biggest shootout. When measuring each arsenal, I say the Browns have more firepower. Add Joe Jurevisious and Kellen Winslow Jr to the equation and these Browns are gonna air it out. At 6 and 4, they are just a game behind the Steelers in the AFC North. They will ride the wave of emotion at Browns Stadium this weekend, and they will get the best of the Texans.

Bills at Jags

The Bills and Jags mix it up in Jacksonville this weekend. The Jags look to make it 3 in a row, while the Bills try and bounce back after a spin in the Patriots meatgrinder last Sunday night. I don't know about you, but the more I watch these Jags, the more I like what I see. We all know they can run the football with the Maurice Jones Drew-Fred Taylor combo. Taylor is better on the perimeter, Jones-Drew is a hammer between the tackles. Together, they've run for nearly 1200 yards. And as we saw last week against the Chargers, David Garrard makes them balanced, and dangerous. Gerrard in the NFLs 4th highest rated quarterback and has yet to throw an interception. The Jacksonville defense is bending, but not breaking. They allow more than 350 yards per game, but just 18 points per Sunday. The Bills wont reach either mark. As you've grown tired of hearing me say, the Bill play hard, but they're starting to run outta steam as the injuries continue to mount. With Marshawn Lynch hobbled by an ankle injury, Lee Evans is the only weapon JP Losman has left. It was a great story while it lasted, but the Bills are gonna get rolled by these Jaguars.



Raiders and Chiefs

The Raiders and Chiefs meet in Arrowhead this weekend, so expect lots of fights both on the field and in the stands. This is one of football's classic rivalries, that has obviously lost its importance due to the Raiders ineptitude. But don't tell the players on either team. They are taught to hate each other and it shows twice a year. The Chiefs won a 12-10 slugfest in Oakland back in week 7. It was the continuation of a trend as the Chiefs have won 9 in a row in this series. The Chiefs need to make that 10 straight if they're gonna stay in the hunt in the mediocre AFC West. They shouldn't have much trouble getting the best of these Raiders. They only thing they do well is run the football. They average 129 rushing yards per game, good for 6th in the league. When they drop back, disaster ensues. Dante Culpepper has been inaccurate, and immobile as the Raiders boast the leagues 28th best passing game. Defensively, they are soft as a grape up front. The are next to last in run defense and, consequently, they'll see a heavy dose of Priest Holmes. Whiles he's at it, Holmes may want to administer last right for these Raiders. They've been on life support for the last 6 weeks. The Chiefs will win at home.