The NFL postseason is only a month away and teams are making final preparations going into week 12 of the 2008 season.
Last night’s game between the Bengals and the Steelers has pretty much no intrigue.
An influential game in the standings will be between the Eagles and the Ravens. Baltimore’s beat-up defense is still one of the league’s best.
The Eagles are a team that likes to throw in the run to set up deep throws downfield. The winner of this game will be which defense stays off the field most.
Meanwhile Houston and Cleveland are teams going in different directions. The Texans have the talent to be competitive but their defense is too shallow when it matters.
The Browns have an iffy offense that can score on occasion meaning this game boils down to who scores most.
The Niners are in turmoil in spite of a decent offense. The Cowboys on the other hand look on the upswing after a quality showing against Washington. The key here will be defense and who can shut down the passing game.
Tampa Bay are one of the best squads in the league and have a shut-down defense to lean on.
Detroit are a hopeless and winless side that can’t get anything going. The Lions can get the upset but will have to shut down a respectable pass game.
The Vikings and Jaguars are two underachieving and scuffling sides. Both are run-heavy teams with iffy defenses. The winner here will be who can use the deep ball best.
The Bills are all of a sudden at the bottom of their division. Most of the blame has to go to Edwards being shaky of late.
Kansas City though are simply a punching bag in the NFL. Buffalo needs to get back to basics and let Lynch ram the ball down the gut.
A great match-up this week will be between the Patriots and Dolphins. Miami won their first encounter using a great run game and that’ll be key for them again. For New England to win they’re going to have give Cassell protection and time to find Moss deep.
Chicago are a rollercoaster team whose offense comes and goes. St. Louis meanwhile are seeming pretenders whose defense is awfully porous. The winner here will be who brings out their ‘A’ game for four quarters.
The Jets and the Titans will have an epic showdown in Nashville. New York’s offense, courtesy of Favre, is dangerous while Tennessee has weathered the storm of all pass attacks up to now.
Defense will be at a premium but whoever manages the clock best is sure to win.
The Broncos have a lot of issues and the biggest is arguably their inconsistency. One minute their offense is rolling and the next their defense can’t hold a lead. The Raiders are not much of a threat on either side of the field but they could pull off an upset via special teams.
Arizona’s pass protection is going to get a work out against a tough Giants defense.
Warner needs time to throw, is fragile and can’t afford to be hurried and sacked often. For the Cardinals a fluid running game and a defensive showcase of a game may be the only way they can tire out New York for an upset.
Carolina and Atlanta are similar teams fighting for the division crown.
The difference between them is defense as the Panthers secondary can stand up to anyone. The run game will be the difference here as whoever runs for more yards should win.
Washington are looking to rebound from a heart-breaker against Dallas. Seattle’s weak makeup will be a welcome sight. Portis is not 100 per cent but Campbell has the make-up and tools for a solid offense. Seattle’s only chance is if they can score more than 10 points.
Two of the AFC’s best years ago are a couple of also-rans this season. Both Indy and San Diego are reliant on a pass-happy offense to win but hardly have a defense to speak of. The key here will be who can run the ball with authority for good play-action.
Monday’s match-up shows two NFC teams eyeing a playoff spot.
Both the Packers and the Saints have the offense, in particular the pass attack, to do well. In their match-up the winner will be whose defense steps up and stops the big plays down field.
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