Out on a Limb
Fantasy Football Predictions

Broncs head to Lambeau minus a back

The views expressed in this column each week are not compiled from all of our correspondents, nor should they be used for gambling purposes.

Broncs Head to Lambeau Minus a Back

As we head down the homestretch, there are five games remaining that will determine who's in and who's out of the NFL's second season. The Bengals and Seahawks need a win and help to get in, while Minnesota, Green Bay, and Baltimore can all get in with a win. A few of the other games can have an impact on seeding, but all of them involve teams that have already punched their ticket to the playoffs.

In our Game of the Week, the Packers will try and clinch at least a wildcard berth, with the possibility of yet another NFC North title if the (cough) Cardinals should find some way to upset Minnesota. Technically speaking, the Pack could lose out if Dallas and Baltimore both lose later in the day, but they'll expect a postseason berth if they can take advantage of one of the biggest homefield advantages in the league.

Game of the Week: Denver at Green Bay

When Denver has the ball: The Broncos will be at an extreme disadvantage with Clinton Portis riding the pine on Sunday. With their own playoff spot wrapped up, they're better off resting Portis for another week as they enter the postseason, and they're pretty much locked into the AFC's sixth seed. Quentin Griffin did a phenomenal job in relief of the injured Portis last Sunday night, and he'll be counting on a lot of help from the Broncos' outstanding offensive line. Jake Plummer has started to regain his early season form, and Rod Smith, Ashley Lelie, and Shannon Sharpe give him three terrific targets. Nonetheless, it all starts with the line for the Broncs, and they should be able to dominate a bit against an overrated D-line for Green Bay.

When the Packers have the ball: Brett Favre showed us all once again that he's the most resilient superstar in the league last week. Just a day after the death of his father, Favre turned in his best game of the last two years, and had over 300 yards and four touchdowns in the First Half! Donald Driver remains his favorite target, but Javon Walker has really emerged as a fantastic number two guy this season. Walker leads the team in receiving yardage (675) and receiving touchdowns (9), though he has just 38 catches overall. His astounding 17.8 yards per reception have been key to the Packers' return from the dead in the second half, and he'll be asked to stretch the defense with some deep balls. Ahman Green continues to be one of the best two-way backs in the league, and has already surpassed 2,000 total yards on the season (1,665 on the ground, 358 through the air). Najeh Davenport has emerged as a guy who can spell Green without the Pack missing a beat. They'll try and spread the defense and then pound a softer middle of the defense.

Special Teams: Neither team has an overwhelming return game, but both are extremely strong in the kicking game. Jason Elam and Ryan Longwell are both veteran kickers who are among the most accurate of all-time. Both coaches should go to them with confidence if the game is on the line, and you can take them both to the bank.

Coaching/Intangibles: A lot of people scratched their heads when the Packers signed Mike Sherman, with all of one year of experience as anything more than a positional coach. What has Sherman done, though? He's only about to lead the Packers to a second straight division title and a third straight playoff appearance. The system that he's put in place gives the team more offensive balance than it ever had under the man who the media automatically compared him to when he was hired, Mike Holmgren. Mike Shanahan is known for his tremendous scripts to start the game, and he's been through the grind of taking the Broncos all the way... twice. Shanny may have made a questionable decision a few weeks ago when he wouldn't just kick the field goal and saw his star get injured, but he'll find ways to beat you when you least expect them. The key here, though, is that this game will mean so much to the Packers and is pretty meaningless for the Broncos.

The Verdict: It's awfully hard to bet against Brett Favre at home with a chance to clinch in the final week of the season, so we won't. Favre won't likely put up the kind of numbers that he did last week, but he'll get plenty of help from Ahman Green. If Denver had more to play for, this could be a fantastic game, but the Packers just need this one more. Packers 27, Broncos 17

Lock of the Week: Philadelphia at Washington - Rumors were suddenly spreading that Steve Spurrier could become the next coach of the Miami Dolphins, meaning that Wayne Huizenga must be about due for a psychiatric evaluation. Spurrier still does nothing to prove that he should be coaching in this league, and the Eagles shouldn't have any problem rebounding from last week's loss as they regroup for the playoffs. Eagles 26, Redskins 13

Upset Special: Pittsburgh at Baltimore - It's time to see just how proud of a franchise the Steelers are. While they have no hope of winning their division, they won't want to hand it over to the Ravens so easily. With a Bengals win earlier in the day, the Ravens will be fighting for their playoff lives, but Bill Cowher will use that as even more motivation and scowl his team to victory. Jamal Lewis should surpass the 2,000 yard mark in this one, but don't expect him to get the 160 or so yards that he needs to break Eric Dickerson's record. He's never rushed for over 100 yards against the Steelers, and that's unlikely to change against one of the NFL's best rushing defenses. Steelers 23, Ravens 20

And now, as we try and figure out if any of the NFL's athletes can act like they've scored before, let's breeze through the rest, starting with the games with playoff impact....

Seattle at San Francisco - The anti-road warrior battle... Seattle needs to find a way to win their second game on the road all season if they want a shot at the playoffs. The Niners will try and finish .500, and to do that, they'll have to finish 7-1 at home. Missing T.O. will factor in a lot more than anyone expects, and the Seahawks will come through in a must-win, but will it be enough? Seahawks 31, Niners 27

Cleveland at Cincinnati - As much as you've gotta love Marvin Lewis, who would have expected the Bengals to be alive entering the final week of the season? They've been terrific at home, and the Browns have just looked awful lately. Look for more of the same this Sunday, as the Bengals roll towards the most surprising division title of the season. Bengals 34, Browns 20

Minnesota at Arizona - The Vikings haven't been that great on the road, but let's be serious here for a second. The Cardinals would be lucky to beat a high school team right now, and Randy Moss should have a huge day as the Vikes wrap up the NFC North with a victory. Vikings 34, Cardinals 13

Indianapolis at Houston - The Colts will get a reprieve after being blown out at home by the Broncos last week. Don't expect them to waste it, although the Texans will give them one heck of a battle. Colts 31, Texans 24

Tampa Bay at Tennessee - The Bucs may be passing the torch in this one against a team that could have a legitimate shot at heading to Houston in late January. Expect Steve McNair and the Titans to do everything that they can to pull out the AFC South, but they won't get the help they need out of Houston. Titans 27, Bucs 23

Dallas at New Orleans - Joe Horn won't have his cell phone handy, but he may want it after this one. Horn will have a big day as the Cowboys will find they have little to play for on Sunday. After the Eagles clinch the division on Saturday night, they'll be locked in as a wildcard. Saints 23, Cowboys 17

St. Louis at Detroit - The Lions set the record for road futility last weekend, but they're really not much better at home. Expect Bulger, Faulk, Holt and Co. to roll towards homefield in the NFC with a blowout on Sunday. Lambs 30, Lions 13

Buffalo at New England - Payback can be fun, can't it? After the Bills started the Patriots season by thrashing them, the best team in the NFL should be ready for a little revenge to close out the year. They'll send the Bills out to pasture with a blowout of epic proportions. Patriots 37, Bills 6

Chicago at Kansas City - If the Bears somehow win this game on the road, they'll be the most deceptive 8-8 team in the history of the league. Rex Grossman has looked really good lately, but they just don't have the talent offensively or defensively to hang with the Chiefs. Chiefs 34, Bears 13

Jacksonville at Atlanta - Mike Vick continues to look better and better each week, and he should have little trouble disposing of the Jags, who are the poster boys for mediocrity in the NFL. Fred Taylor should give the Falcons pathetic defense fits, but nowhere near the fits that Vick will give the Jags. Falcons 27, Jaguars 23

New York Jets at Miami - They've had some battles over the years, but they usually mean something. Chad Pennington has done a terrific job turning the J-E-T-S back around after a poor start without him, and he should be able to have a little fun finishing the Dolphins' season a little early for the second straight year. J-E-T-S 28, Mammals 24

Carolina at New York Giants - Jim Fassel's tenure in New York will end with a whimper rather than a bang. The Panthers can't really use this as much of a tuneup, because the Giants aren't nearly the caliber of the opponent they'll be facing next weekend. Panthers 24, Giants 13

Oakland at San Diego - In what should prove to be the final game for many of the Raiders' geriatric squad, they'll have too much trouble chasing around Ladainian Tomlinson on their walkers. The Chargers will finally face what they've needed to face all season... an offense that can't move the ball. Chargers 30, Raiders 20

(Last Week in Parentheses)

On the Year: 144-79 (10-5)
Game(s) of the Week: 9-9 (0-1)
Lock of the Week: 10-5 (0-1)
Upset Special: 5-10 (0-1)

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