New York Giants 13 at Philadelphia 17

A brilliant second half from the Eagles defense clinches the NFC East. 

Philadelphia
John Walton 10/23 129yds
Ricky Bell 20car/145yds 2TDs
Alfred Jackson 4tt/3rec/62yds
Vann McElroy 9 tackles 1 knockdown

New York
Joe Reed 18/30 237yds 1TD
Chuck Muncie 22car/56yds 1Fumble
Jim Robinson 5tt/4rec/82yds 1TD
Brad Van Pelt 8 tackles

New YorkNFC (9-5) at Philadelphia (11-3)

   NYG offense  20th   71.8 rush - [22nd] / 197.1 pass - [12th]
       defense  7th    83.6 rush - [10th] / 175.9 pass - [8th]
       scoring         16.4 for - [15th] / 14.8 against - [6th]

  Phil offense  8th    121.8 rush - [1st] / 182.2 pass - [19th]
       defense  22nd   68.6 rush - [5th] / 241.3 pass - [28th]
       scoring         24.2 for - [3rd] / 21.7 against - [23rd]


   key matchups:

       HB Ricky Bell (1098 yds/10 TDs) vs. LB Brad Van Pelt (97 Tackles)
       TE Charlie Young (34 rec/341 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Brad Van Pelt (2 INTs)
       DT Don Smith (25 sacks) vs. G Jerry Sisemore
       WR Jim Robinson (59 rec/1140 yds/9 TDs) vs. CB Ted Watts

   prediction:

       New YorkNFC 19, Philadelphia 23

Denver 0 at San Diego 13

A solid performance from the Chargers to clinch the AFC West. 

San Diego
Dan Fouts 21/35 268yds 1TD
Rickey Young 20car/61yds
Dwight McDonald 10tt/5rec/65yds 1TD
Manu Tuiasosopo 3 tackles 3 sacks
Mark Merrill 6 tackles 1 sack

Denver
Danny White 20/35 222yds
Rickey Anderson 14car/28yds
Riley Odoms 10tt/4rec/35yds
Terrence Yunker 5tt/4rec/55yds
Donald Dykes 13 tackles
Randy Gradishar 12 tackles

Denver (5-9) at San Diego (9-5)

   Den offense  24th   84.0 rush - [18th] / 159.4 pass - [25th]
       defense  14th   98.2 rush - [22nd] / 178.4 pass - [10th]
       scoring         12.4 for - [27th] / 16.6 against - [14th]

  S.D. offense  26th   46.7 rush - [28th] / 183.6 pass - [18th]
       defense  4th    87.9 rush - [13th] / 160.7 pass - [3rd]
       scoring         14.1 for - [22nd] / 13.9 against - [4th]


   key matchups:

       TE Riley Odoms (41 rec/358 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Mark Merrill (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Denver 13, San Diego 18

Dallas 28 at Washington 21

Dallas completely dominated this game early and though Washington rallied it wasn't enough.  This knocks Washington out of the playoff picture. 

Dallas
Roger Staubach 11/20 142yds 1TD
Earl Campbell 19car/78yds 1TD
Johnny Lam Jones 2tt/2rec/50yds
Lester Hayes 6 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int 1TD

Washington
Joe Theismann 27/49 332yds 2TDs 1Int
Mike Thomas 16car/94yds
Frank Grant 10tt/5rec/65yds
Joe Rose 5tt/4rec/70yds
Brad Dusek 7 tackles
Mark Moseley 2 of 4 long of 51yds

Dallas (8-5-1) at Washington (7-7)

Dall offense  16th   95.4 rush - [11th] / 185.3 pass - [16th]
       defense  18th   81.9 rush - [9th] / 208.4 pass - [20th]
       scoring         20.3 for - [8th] / 15.4 against - [8th]

  Wash offense  2nd    103.7 rush - [8th] / 220.1 pass - [7th]
       defense  20th   95.4 rush - [19th] / 203.1 pass - [17th]
       scoring         20.7 for - [7th] / 23.2 against - [26th]


   key matchups:

       QB Joe Theismann (26 TDs/3417 yds) vs. Dallas pass D
       WR Frank Grant (65 rec/944 yds/4 TDs) vs. CB Lester Hayes (6 INTs/2 TDs)
       WR Drew Pearson (42 rec/847 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Walter Tullis (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Dallas 22, Washington 21

Cleveland 6 at Pittsburgh 17

The dream is dead for Cleveland after a poor performance in a must win game. 

Pittsburgh
Terry Bradshaw 19/30 211yds 1TD
Franco Harris 15car/38yds 1TD
John Stallworth 5tt/4rec/59yds
Lawrence Taylor 8 tackles
Roy Gerela 1 of 4 long of 47yds

Cleveland
Dave Mays 23/41 248yds 1TD 1Int
Nate Beasley 4car/2yds
Tom Fleming 12tt/9rec/106yds
Art Still 6 tackles 1 sack

Cleveland (6-8) at Pittsburgh (4-10)

Clev offense  23rd   55.6 rush - [25th] / 201.9 pass - [10th]
       defense  3rd    90.3 rush - [16th] / 154.4 pass - [2nd]
       scoring         13.0 for - [26th] / 15.0 against - [7th]

  Pitt offense  25th   75.7 rush - [21st] / 162.8 pass - [23rd]
       defense  23rd   104.6 rush - [25th] / 210.5 pass - [21st]
       scoring         13.3 for - [25th] / 17.4 against - [16th]


   key matchups:

       WR Lynn Swann (58 rec/718 yds/0 TDs) vs. CB Luther Philyaw (2 INTs)
       TE Tim Wrightman (67 rec/676 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Lawrence Taylor (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Cleveland 15, Pittsburgh 17

NFL 1982 Week 15 Preview

Cleveland kept their playoff dreams alive last week with a win over Miami and a Houston loss to Kansas City.  This week the Browns will be in Pittsburgh, while Houston will be in Buffalo.  The Browns need the same outcome as last week. 

In the AFC West the Chargers seem to be a lock to win the Division, though the Chiefs are charging hard.  Right now the  Chiefs are the best team fighting it out for the final playoff spot.  That spot is still held by Oakland though and the Raiders are at Seattle while the Chiefs are at San Francisco.  Everything in this final playoff spot could change up this week. 

Even with the loss to Cleveland and a Jets win the Dolphins still hold onto the AFC East Division lead.  New England is still just one win away from tying it up with New York and Miami. 

In the NFC East the Eagles are sitting on top and playing like the best team.  The Giants are the only one left with chance to take the Division while the Cowboys are limping down the stretch. 

Minnesota has stunned everyone and taken the lead in the NFC Central while the Packers pull their annual choke.  Detroit's unbelievably bad defense has done them in, but look out for Chicago who is making a big move and only one win away from the top of the Division.

The 49ers are getting a real challenge from the Rams who are playing great.  It is amazing how the Rams have managed to stay on top of the NFC. 


Stats
QBs
Phi John Walton 96.9
SF Jim Plunkett 93.6
LA James Harris 92.9

RBs
Phi Ricky Bell 1,098yds
KC Ted Brown 1,089yds
Bal Billy Sims 1,078yds

Recs
Det Mel Jacobs 1,236yds
NYJ Ronnie Moore 1,148yds
NYG Jim Robinson 1,140yds
 

Games to Watch
Dallas 8-5-1 at Washington 7-7
     The Cowboys are struggling down the stretch and could be vulnerable to the Redskins who are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive.

New York Giants 9-5 at Philadelphia 11-3
     A win here clinches the Division for the Eagles.  This should be an interesting game. 

Kansas City 7-7 at San Francisco 11-3
     The Chiefs are going to have to play their best football of the season to win this game, and they need the win to keep up with Oakland.  The 49ers meanwhile are trying to hold off the Rams and also take home field into the playoffs.

New York Jets 9-5 at Minnesota 7-7
     The Vikings have done great to get this far, and this will be a true test to see just how good they are.  The Jets have a tough road game while Miami is at home against the Bengals this week.

Green Bay 7-7 at Chicago 6-8
     If the Bears win this one and Minnesota loses then it's a three way tie for the Division lead.  This should be a heck of a game. 

Houston 7-6-1 at Buffalo 6-8
     The Oilers need to win this one to clinch the Division.

Oakland 7-7 at Seattle 6-8
     If Oakland wins here and the Chiefs lose the Raiders will I believe secure the final wild card slot.  A loss here will open everything up again.



Playoff Picture
AFC
Miami 9-5
San Diego 9-5
Houston 7-6-1
New York 9-5
New England 8-6
Oakland 7-7
--------------------------
Kansas City 7-7
Buffalo 6-8
Baltimore 6-8
Cleveland 6-8
Seattle 6-8


NFC
San Francisco 11-3
Philadelphia 11-3
Minnesota 7-7
Los Angeles 10-4
New York 9-5
Dallas 8-5-1
-------------------------
New Orleans 8-6
Green Bay 7-7
Washington 7-7

NFL 1982 Week 14 Standings

American Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Miami          9  5  0  226  155    L1  5-2-0  4-3-0     5-2-0    8-4-0
New YorkAFC    9  5  0  290  221    W4  6-1-0  3-4-0     4-3-0    6-5-0
New England    8  6  0  207  161    W1  4-2-0  4-4-0     4-4-0    6-6-0
Buffalo        6  8  0  160  222    L1  1-5-0  5-3-0     3-4-0    5-5-0
Baltimore      6  8  0  221  236    L4  4-4-0  2-4-0     2-5-0    4-7-0


Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Houston        7  6  1  267  252    L1  5-2-1  2-4-0     5-0-0    7-3-0
Cleveland      6  8  0  182  210    W2  4-3-0  2-5-0     3-1-0    6-4-0
Pittsburgh     4 10  0  186  244    W1  1-5-0  3-5-0     0-4-0    2-8-0
Cincinnati     1 13  0  236  355    L6  1-7-0  0-6-0     1-4-0    1-9-0


Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Diego      9  5  0  198  194    W1  5-2-0  4-3-0     3-3-0    7-5-0
Oakland        7  7  0  218  316    W1  5-3-0  2-4-0     5-2-0    7-4-0
Kansas City    7  7  0  275  258    W2  5-3-0  2-4-0     4-3-0    7-4-0
Seattle        6  8  0  226  261    L2  4-2-0  2-6-0     2-4-0    4-6-0
Denver         5  9  0  174  233    L1  3-4-0  2-5-0     2-4-0    5-5-0




National Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Philadelphia  11  3  0  339  304    W1  6-1-0  5-2-0     5-1-0    7-3-0
New YorkNFC    9  5  0  229  207    W3  5-3-0  4-2-0     4-3-0    6-4-0
Dallas         8  5  1  284  216    L3  6-2-0  2-3-1     4-2-0    6-4-0
Washington     7  7  0  290  325    L1  3-3-0  4-4-0     1-5-0    3-7-0
St. Louis      5  9  0  329  371    L3  3-4-0  2-5-0     2-5-0    4-8-0


Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Minnesota      7  7  0  251  227    W1  4-3-0  3-4-0     4-3-0    6-5-0
Green Bay      7  7  0  188  188    L2  5-2-0  2-5-0     4-2-0    6-4-0
Chicago        6  8  0  240  266    W2  3-4-0  3-4-0     3-3-0    6-6-0
Detroit        6  8  0  300  313    L1  3-4-0  3-4-0     4-4-0    5-7-0
Tampa Bay      4 10  0  220  300    W1  3-4-0  1-6-0     2-5-0    3-8-0


Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Francisco 11  3  0  342  230    W1  5-1-0  6-2-0     3-3-0    8-3-0
Los Angeles   10  4  0  380  219    W7  6-1-0  4-3-0     2-2-0    7-3-0
New Orleans    8  6  0  284  204    L1  5-2-0  3-4-0     3-2-0    5-6-0
Atlanta        6  8  0  190  244    L1  4-2-0  2-6-0     2-3-0    3-7-0

Minnesota 31 at Detroit 22

A solid road win by the Vikings to put them atop the NFC Central Division. 

Minnesota
Mike Rieker 24/38 302yds 2TDs
Chuck Foreman 15car/69yds
Ahmad Rashad 7tt/6rec/68yds
Matt Blair 8 tackles 1 knockdown

Detroit
Greg Landry 20/27 228yds 2TDs
Ottis Anderson 17car/63yds 1TD 1Fumble
Mel Jacobs 11tt/7rec/107yds 2TDs
Jim Meeks 11 tackles

Minnesota (6-7) at Detroit (6-7) [MNF]

Minn offense  18th   91.2 rush - [14th] / 184.2 pass - [17th]
       defense  13th   82.7 rush - [10th] / 186.2 pass - [15th]
       scoring         16.9 for - [15th] / 15.8 against - [11th]

   Det offense  1st    108.5 rush - [6th] / 219.8 pass - [7th]
       defense  22nd   90.6 rush - [14th] / 221.8 pass - [24th]
       scoring         21.4 for - [6th] / 21.7 against - [22nd]


   key matchups:

       WR Mel Jacobs (67 rec/1129 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Walt Williams (2 INTs)
       TE Junior Miller (21 rec/240 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Ken Fantetti (3 INTs/0 TDs)
       WR Leonard Willis (58 rec/971 yds/5 TDs) vs. CB Jim Meeks (1 INT)
       TE Stu Voight (26 rec/175 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Garth Ten Napel (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Minnesota 19, Detroit 22

Pittsburgh 22 at Baltimore 13

A big home loss for the Colts who may have just seen their playoff hopes come to an end.  Four turnovers doomed the Colts.

Pittsburgh
Terry Bradshaw 17/32 179yds 1Int
Jack Deloplaine 6car/42yds
Theo Bell 8tt/4rec/42yds
Lawrence Taylor 7 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int
Jack Lambert 7 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown 1 int
JT Thomas 7 tackles 1 knockdown 1 fumble recovery
Roy Gerela 5 for 6 long of 51yds

Baltimore
Bert Jones 23/42 284yds 2TDs 2Ints 1Fumble
Billy Sims 13car/17yds
Roger Carr 12tt/7rec/119yds 2TDs
Frank Russell 13tt/8rec/66yds
Derrel Luce 9 tackles 1 knockdown
Stan White 7 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int

Pittsburgh (3-10) at Baltimore (6-7)

Pitt offense  25th   74.2 rush - [21st] / 162.4 pass - [23rd]
       defense  24th   111.3 rush - [26th] / 205.7 pass - [16th]
       scoring         12.6 for - [26th] / 17.8 against - [19th]

   Bal offense  15th   94.0 rush - [10th] / 191.4 pass - [13th]
       defense  18th   76.2 rush - [6th] / 211.0 pass - [20th]
       scoring         16.0 for - [18th] / 16.5 against - [14th]


   key matchups:

       HB Billy Sims (1061 yds/9 TDs) vs. LB Lawrence Taylor (86 Tackles)
       TE Randy Grossman (13 rec/153 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Kirby Criswell (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Pittsburgh 15, Baltimore 20

Green Bay 9 at Tampa Bay 13

A big loss for the Packers on the road.  With the Vikings and Lions playing each other this week, one of those teams will end up tied with the Packers at the front of the Central Division. 

Tampa Bay
Rich Campbell 15/27 193yds 1TD 1Int
Charles Alexander 18car/61yds
Lawrence Sampleton 8tt/5rec/53yds
Tom Cousineau 6 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown
Mike Washington 10 tackles

Green Bay
Lynn Dickey 18/35 200yds 1TD
David Overstreet 15car/24yds
Isaac Curtis 12tt/8rec/89yds 1Fumble
Dan Bunz 12 tackles 1 sack
Gary Spani 5 tackles 1 sack 1 int
Jim Burrow 9 tackles 1 knockdown

Green Bay (7-6) at Tampa Bay (3-10)

G.B. offense  27th   53.8 rush - [26th] / 154.8 pass - [27th]
       defense  1st    41.9 rush - [1st] / 144.8 pass - [1st]
       scoring         13.8 for - [22nd] / 13.5 against - [3rd]

T.B. offense  10th   113.5 rush - [4th] / 183.8 pass - [18th]
       defense  21st   101.8 rush - [22nd] / 210.3 pass - [19th]
       scoring         15.9 for - [19th] / 22.4 against - [24th]


   key matchups:

       DT Barry Bennett (15 sacks) vs. G Melvin Jackson
       DE Mark Gastineau (19 sacks) vs. T Keith Van Horne
       DT Dan Hampton (27 sacks) vs. G Everett Little
       WR Isaac Curtis (52 rec/716 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Curtis Jordan (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Green Bay 18, Tampa Bay 19

Buffalo 14 at New York Jets 28

A solid performance by the Jets puts them atop the AFC East, and it ends what hopes the Bills had left of making the playoffs.

New York
Vince Evans 22/39 214yds 1Int 1Fumble
Horace Ivory 18car/69yds 2TDs
Ronnie Moore 14tt/8rec/79yds
Greg Buttle 6 tackles 1 knockdown

Buffalo
Joe Ferguson 20/50 178yds 1TD 2Ints
Jewerl Thomas 3car/20yds 1Fumble
Bob Chandler 14tt/7rec/60yds 1TD
Keena Turner 6 tackles 1 int

Buffalo (6-7) at New YorkAFC (8-5)

  Buff offense  28th   48.0 rush - [27th] / 158.0 pass - [24th]
       defense  12th   103.9 rush - [24th] / 163.9 pass - [5th]
       scoring         11.2 for - [28th] / 14.9 against - [7th]

   NYJ offense  5th    85.9 rush - [16th] / 222.5 pass - [4th]
       defense  9th    82.8 rush - [11th] / 181.4 pass - [11th]
       scoring         20.2 for - [9th] / 15.9 against - [12th]


   key matchups:
       WR Ronnie Moore (75 rec/1069 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Jackie Williams (1 INT)
       DT Rod Horn (18 sacks) vs. G Joe Fields
       TE Reuben Gant (31 rec/319 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Greg Buttle (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       Buffalo 14, New YorkAFC 21

Atlanta 6 at San Francisco 20

A solid win for the 49ers.  They dominated this game on both sides of the ball.

San Francisco
Jim Plunkett 24/35 264yds 1TD 1Int 1Fumble
Delvin Williams 23car/112yds 1TD
Keith Wright 8tt/5rec/88yds
Aaron Mitchell 5 tackles 3 sacks 1 knockdown

Atlanta
Guy Benjamin 15/34 165yds 2Ints
Bubba Bean 5car/16yds
John Spagnola 8tt/4rec/36yds
Oliver Davis 10 tackles 1 knockdown
Pat Curto 7 tackles 1 sack
Ralph Ortega 5 tackles 1 int

Atlanta (6-7) at San Francisco (10-3)

   Atl offense  20th   73.8 rush - [22nd] / 198.8 pass - [12th]
       defense  16th   105.1 rush - [25th] / 177.6 pass - [10th]
       scoring         14.2 for - [21st] / 17.2 against - [17th]

  S.F. offense  6th    82.3 rush - [18th] / 225.9 pass - [3rd]
       defense  15th   93.8 rush - [19th] / 185.2 pass - [14th]
       scoring         24.8 for - [2nd] / 17.2 against - [16th]


   key matchups:
       HB Delvin Williams (826 yds/11 TDs) vs. LB Ralph Ortega (97 Tackles)
       DE Dennis Harrison (17 sacks) vs. T Keith Fahnhorst
       TE John Spagnola (63 rec/593 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Bruce Elia (1 INT)

   prediction:
       Atlanta 16, San Francisco 24

Seattle 0 at New England 31

An easy win for the Patriots to finish off the disappointing Seahawks season. 

New England
Glenn Carano 18/25 267yds 4TDs
Don Calhoun 15car/122yds
Steve Burks 6tt/5rec/87yds 1TD
Prentice McCray 3 tackles 1 sack 2 knockdowns

Seattle
Brian Sipe 11/27 137yds
Sterling Rolfe 18car/85yds
Trey Hann 11tt/6rec/82yds
Ernie Jones 11 tackles

Seattle (6-7) at New England (7-6)

   Sea offense  17th   110.0 rush - [5th] / 171.5 pass - [21st]
       defense  11th   84.9 rush - [12th] / 182.7 pass - [13th]
       scoring         17.4 for - [12th] / 17.7 against - [18th]

  N.E. offense  23rd   93.5 rush - [11th] / 154.8 pass - [26th]
       defense  8th    82.2 rush - [9th] / 176.2 pass - [9th]
       scoring         13.5 for - [23rd] / 12.4 against - [2nd]


   key matchups:
       HB Don Calhoun (933 yds/8 TDs) vs. Seattle run D (3.6 rush avg)
       WR Steve Largent (52 rec/842 yds/7 TDs) vs. CB Mike Haynes (3 INTs)

   prediction:
       Seattle 15, New England 19

Chicago 24 at New Orleans 20

It has taken almost the entire season, but the Bears and Ken Anderson have finally found their groove.  After holding the Saints to a field goal to keep within a touchdown, the Bengals put together a brilliant go ahead drive capped by a two point conversion.  The Saints had time, but had no answer. 

Chicago
Ken Anderson 16/24 215yds
Walter Payton 15car/75yds 2TDs
Rodney Parker 6tt/6rec/98yds
Vaughn Lusby 7 tackles

New Orleans
Peil Pennington 30/42 309yds 1TD 1Int
Tony Dorsett 11car/65yds
Jerold McRae 10tt/10rec/113yds 1TD
Kenny Downing 6 tackles 2 knockdowns

Chicago (5-8) at New Orleans (8-5)

   Chi offense  11th   81.5 rush - [19th] / 213.2 pass - [9th]
       defense  7th    91.1 rush - [15th] / 166.3 pass - [6th]
       scoring         16.6 for - [16th] / 18.9 against - [21st]

  N.O. offense  12th   108.0 rush - [7th] / 183.8 pass - [19th]
       defense  10th   51.2 rush - [3rd] / 215.5 pass - [22nd]
       scoring         20.3 for - [8th] / 13.8 against - [5th]


   key matchups:
       DT Myron Lapka (21 sacks) vs. G Emanuel Zanders
       TE Ronald Parker (37 rec/371 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Junior Hardin (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       Chicago 15, New Orleans 23

Houston 21 at Kansas City 31

With this Houston loss the Browns keep their playoff hopes alive.  The Chiefs meanwhile seem to be peaking at the right time.  Of all the teams fighting for the last playoff spot, they are playing the best right now.

Kansas City
Greg Hendrickson 22/30 342yds 4TDs
Ted Brown 11car/54yds
Carl Roaches 9tt/7rec/138yds 1TD
Armand Jackson 9tt/7rec/125yds 1TD
Bob Gregolunas 8 tackles 1 sack

Houston
Dan Pastorini 17/27 222yds 3TDs 1Int
Ralph Nelson 17car/81yds
Ron Smith 7tt/5rec/64yds
Billy Johnson 4tt/3rec/48yds 3TDs
Dwight Hicks 8 tackles

Houston (7-5-1) at Kansas City (6-7)

   Hou offense  7th    88.6 rush - [15th] / 215.5 pass - [8th]
       defense  17th   56.6 rush - [4th] / 230.0 pass - [26th]
       scoring         18.9 for - [10th] / 17.0 against - [15th]

  K.C. offense  13th   121.8 rush - [1st] / 167.6 pass - [22nd]
       defense  26th   102.7 rush - [23rd] / 226.8 pass - [25th]
       scoring         18.8 for - [11th] / 18.2 against - [20th]


   key matchups:
       HB Ted Brown (1035 yds/6 TDs) vs. Houston run D (2.8 rush avg)
       WR Armand Jackson (47 rec/835 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Willie Alexander (2 INTs)
       WR Ken Burrough (44 rec/749 yds/5 TDs) vs. CB Gerald Jackson (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       Houston 19, Kansas City 21

Dallas 17 at Los Angeles 27

Sloppy play cost the Cowboys in a game they very much dominated.  The Rams were able to take advantage of every opportunity given them. 

Los Angeles
James Harris 17/30 213yds 2TDs 1Int
William Andrews 15car/23yds 1Fumble
George Lantz 8tt/3rec/57yds 1Fumble
John Barefield 8 tackles 1 fumble recovery 1 TD
Brian Cabrail 6 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown

Dallas
Roger Staubach 14/31 151yds 1TD 1Int
Earl Campbell 18car/60yds
Johnny Lam Jones 4tt/3rec/45yds
Calvin Favron 6 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int

Dallas (8-4-1) at Los Angeles (9-4)

  Dall offense  16th   92.0 rush - [13th] / 189.5 pass - [14th]
       defense  19th   86.5 rush - [13th] / 208.8 pass - [18th]
       scoring         20.5 for - [7th] / 14.5 against - [6th]

  L.A. offense  4th    93.1 rush - [12th] / 231.4 pass - [2nd]
       defense  6th    82.0 rush - [8th] / 174.5 pass - [8th]
       scoring         27.2 for - [1st] / 15.5 against - [9th]


   key matchups:
       QB James Harris (24 TDs/3029 yds) vs. Dallas pass D
       WR George Lantz (55 rec/991 yds/9 TDs) vs. CB Lester Hayes (6 INTs/2 TDs)
       WR Drew Pearson (40 rec/826 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Monte Jackson (4 INTs/3 TDs)

   prediction:
       Dallas 18, Los Angeles 24

Denver 19 at Oakland 20

So far the Raiders have done just enoughto stay in the playoff picture.  This win was just enough to get them to 7-7 and give them a 7-4 record in the AFC and a 5-2 record in the Division. 

Oakland
Ken Stabler 16/31 147yds 2TDs
James Owens 22car/80yds
Dave Casper 10tt/6rec/49yds
Monte Johnson 5 tackles 1 int

Denver
Danny White 14/30 191yds 1TD 1Int
Rickey Anderson 19car/90yds 1TD
Terrence Yunker 6tt/5rec/61yds 1TD
Steve Foley 9 tackles

Denver (5-8) at Oakland (6-7)

   Den offense  24th   83.5 rush - [17th] / 157.6 pass - [25th]
       defense  14th   96.0 rush - [21st] / 181.7 pass - [12th]
       scoring         11.9 for - [27th] / 16.4 against - [13th]

   Oak offense  21st   117.1 rush - [3rd] / 153.8 pass - [28th]
       defense  27th   116.5 rush - [27th] / 219.8 pass - [23rd]
       scoring         15.2 for - [20th] / 22.8 against - [25th]


   key matchups:
       TE Riley Odoms (41 rec/358 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Jim LeClair (3 INTs)

   prediction:
       Denver 17, Oakland 19

Philadelphia 43 at St. Louis 17

Early mistakes by the Cardinals gave the Eagles the lead and they never looked back. 

Philadelphia
John Walton 18/25 231yds 1TD
Ricky Bell 15car/94yds 2TDs
Charlie Smith 9tt/8rec/117yds 1TD
Vann McElroy 8 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int 1TD

St. Louis
Mike Phipps 16/38 227yds 2TDs 1Int
Mike Strachan 16car/44yds
Ike Harris 11tt/3rec/41yds
Pat Tilley 9tt/5rec/95yds 1TD
Craig Puki 9 tackles 1 sack
Kern Coleman 6 tackles 1 sack

Philadelphia (10-3) at St. Louis (5-8)

  Phil offense  8th    119.4 rush - [2nd] / 181.2 pass - [20th]
       defense  23rd   69.3 rush - [5th] / 243.7 pass - [28th]
       scoring         22.8 for - [4th] / 22.1 against - [23rd]

   StL offense  2nd    63.1 rush - [24th] / 262.8 pass - [1st]
       defense  25th   93.8 rush - [18th] / 230.5 pass - [27th]
       scoring         24.0 for - [3rd] / 25.2 against - [27th]


   key matchups:
       QB Mike Phipps (24 TDs/3758 yds) vs. Philadelphia pass D
       HB Ricky Bell (1004 yds/8 TDs) vs. St. Louis run D (3.5 rush avg)

   prediction:
       Philadelphia 24, St. Louis 26

San Diego 23 at Cincinnati 15

Turnovers killed whatever chances the Bengals had of pulling off an upset, and the Chargers get a win despite a poor performance. 

San Diego
Dan Fouts 13/30 143yds
Rickey Young 18car/75yds 1TD
Jesse Wolfram 6tt/3rec/70yds
Mark Merrill 8 tackles 2 sacks 1 int

Cincinnati
Bob Bateman 26/49 264yds 2TDs 4Ints
Charles White 10car/28yds
Cleveland Rocker 13tt/10rec/103yds
Joe Dale Harris 12tt/7rec/71yds 1TD
Danny Johnson 7 tackles

San Diego (8-5) at Cincinnati (1-12)

  S.D. offense  26th   42.7 rush - [28th] / 187.2 pass - [15th]
       defense  3rd    91.2 rush - [16th] / 155.2 pass - [2nd]
       scoring         13.5 for - [24th] / 13.8 against - [4th]

  Cinn offense  9th    79.5 rush - [20th] / 220.4 pass - [6th]
       defense  28th   139.1 rush - [28th] / 206.2 pass - [17th]
       scoring         17.0 for - [13th] / 25.5 against - [28th]


   key matchups:

   prediction:
       San Diego 20, Cincinnati 18

Washington 9 at New York Giants 17

A big home win for the Giants against a Division rival.  The Redskins dominated this game in many ways, but could not score any points. 

New York
Joe Reed 13/18 95yds 1TD
Chuck Muncie 20car/67yds 1Fumble
David Hill 9tt/6rec/48yds
Brad Van Pelt 10 tackles

Washington
Joe Theismann 19/36 215yds 1TD
Mike Thomas 17car/70yds
Don Westbrook 7tt/6rec/76yds
Ken Bordelon 8 tackles

Washington (7-6) at New YorkNFC (8-5)

  Wash offense  3rd    103.4 rush - [8th] / 221.5 pass - [5th]
       defense  20th   95.2 rush - [20th] / 211.8 pass - [21st]
       scoring         21.6 for - [5th] / 23.7 against - [26th]

   NYG offense  19th   69.8 rush - [23rd] / 205.3 pass - [11th]
       defense  5th    81.7 rush - [7th] / 173.9 pass - [7th]
       scoring         16.3 for - [17th] / 15.2 against - [8th]


   key matchups:
       DT Don Smith (24 sacks) vs. G Ron Saul
       WR Jim Robinson (56 rec/1116 yds/8 TDs) vs. CB Walter Tullis (2 INTs)
       QB Joe Theismann (25 TDs/3202 yds) vs. New YorkNFC pass D
       TE Jean Fugett (4 rec/48 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Brad Van Pelt (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       Washington 18,  New YorkNFC 23

Miami 6 at Cleveland 9 (OT)

Cleveland easily drove the field in overtime against a tired Miami defense to get the win.  A big loss for Miami who are in a tight race in the AFC East, but Cleveland managed to keep their own playoff hopes alive. 

Cleveland
Dave Mays 16/27 165yds
Greg Pruitt 18car/33yds
Tom Fleming 10tt/3rec/39yds
Aundra Thompson 7tt/6rec/83yds
Art Still 4 tackles 3 sacks
Tony Peters 4 tackles 3 knockdowns 1 int
Luther Philyaw 5 tackles 1 int

Miami
Bob Griese 21/44 162yds 2Ints
Benny Malone 14car/42yds
Willis Adams 18tt/6rec/61yds
Reggie Wilkes 10 tackles
Rick Sanford 8 tackles 1 sack
Mike Singletary 7 tackles 1 sack

Miami (9-4) at Cleveland (5-8)

   Mia offense  14th   103.2 rush - [9th] / 185.8 pass - [16th]
       defense  2nd    48.7 rush - [2nd] / 162.9 pass - [4th]
       scoring         16.9 for - [14th] / 11.2 against - [1st]

  Clev offense  22nd   56.8 rush - [25th] / 207.0 pass - [10th]
       defense  4th    93.2 rush - [17th] / 157.2 pass - [3rd]
       scoring         13.3 for - [25th] / 15.7 against - [10th]


   key matchups:
       TE Tim Wrightman (64 rec/657 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Lyman White (1 INT)
       DT Larry Bethea (15 sacks) vs. G Doug Kleber

   prediction:
       Miami 16, Cleveland 15

NFL 1982 Week 14 Preview

The NFC is turning into a real battle.  There are 10 teams still in the playoff hunt. 

In the East the Eagles lead the way, but Dallas and New York are close behind them.  The Redskins have moved to a 7-6 record and seem poised to make a run at the playoffs.  They will need much better play out of their defense if they hope to have any chance. 

In the Central it's down to Green Bay, Detroit, and Minnesota.  But even the Bears have a shot at 5-8 with only the Packers having a winning record.  Hard to believe but if Ken Anderson and the Bears can run off three straight wins they could surprise everyone with a right combination of losses by the other three. 

In the West the 49ers are struggling to close the deal.  The Rams have closed to within a game and the Saints just pounded the 49ers last week to get to two games back. 

The AFC is all about the final playoff spot.  There are five teams currently tied for this spot. 

The Dolphins still lead the AFC East but it's a close race with New York and New England.  The Colts and Bills both sit tied for the final playoff spot. 

In the Central the only team making the playoffs is Houston with a weak 7-5-1 record.  Cleveland still has a shot at winning the Division, but Houston will have to lose their last three. 

In the West it's all San Diego.  Kansas City is playing better and may grab a playoff spot, but Seattle and Oakland seem to be fading. 


Statistics
QBs
Phi John Walton 95.7
SF Jim Plunkett 94.1
NYJ Vince Evans 93.8

RBs
Bal Billy Sims 1,061yds
KC Ted Brown 1,035yds
Phi Ricky Bell 1,004yds

Recs
Det Mel Jacobs 1,129yds
NYG J Robinson 1,116yds
NYJ Ronnie Moore 1,069yds


Games to Watch
Washington 7-6 at New York Giants 8-5
     This is a must win situation for the Redskins.  Their defense will have to play a great game to pull this one out. 

Dallas 8-4-1 at Los Angeles 9-4
     This should be an interesting game.  Two veteran teams with a mix of younger players both playing better than expected.  Look for the Rams to take this one.

Minnesota 6-7 at Detroit 6-7
     This will be a battle.  The Vikings have surprised everyone by getting this deep into the season still in the hunt. 

Buffalo 6-7 at New York Jets 8-5
     It will be stunner if the Bills get the win here.  This will probably be the end of their playoff hopes.

Seattle 6-7 at New England 7-6
     The same can be said for Seattle which was said for Buffalo.

Houston 7-5-1 at Kansas City 6-7
     The Oilers have played well when they needed to this year and they need this win to clinch their Division and cut out the Chiefs. 


Playoff Standings
AFC
Miami 9-4
San Diego 8-5
Houston 7-5-1
New York 8-5
New England 7-6
Oakland 6-7
------------------------
Kansas City 6-7
Buffalo 6-7
Baltimore 6-7
Seattle 6-7

NFC
San Francisco 10-3
Philadelphia 10-3
Green Bay 7-6
Los Angeles 9-4
Dallas 8-4-1
New York 8-5
------------------------
New Orleans 8-5
Washington 7-6

1982 Week 13 Standings

American Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Miami          9  4  0  220  146    W3  5-2-0  4-2-0     5-2-0    8-3-0
New YorkAFC    8  5  0  262  207    W3  5-1-0  3-4-0     3-3-0    5-5-0
New England    7  6  0  176  161    L3  3-2-0  4-4-0     4-4-0    5-6-0
Buffalo        6  7  0  146  194    W2  1-5-0  5-2-0     3-3-0    5-4-0
Baltimore      6  7  0  208  214    L3  4-3-0  2-4-0     2-5-0    4-6-0


Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Houston        7  5  1  246  221    W1  5-2-1  2-3-0     5-0-0    7-2-0
Cleveland      5  8  0  173  204    W1  3-3-0  2-5-0     3-1-0    5-4-0
Pittsburgh     3 10  0  164  231    L3  1-5-0  2-5-0     0-4-0    1-8-0
Cincinnati     1 12  0  221  332    L5  1-6-0  0-6-0     1-4-0    1-8-0


Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Diego      8  5  0  175  179    L1  5-2-0  3-3-0     3-3-0    6-5-0
Oakland        6  7  0  198  297    L1  4-3-0  2-4-0     4-2-0    6-4-0
Kansas City    6  7  0  244  237    W1  4-3-0  2-4-0     4-3-0    6-4-0
Seattle        6  7  0  226  230    L1  4-2-0  2-5-0     2-4-0    4-5-0
Denver         5  8  0  155  213    W2  3-4-0  2-4-0     2-3-0    5-4-0




National Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Philadelphia  10  3  0  296  287    L1  6-1-0  4-2-0     4-1-0    6-3-0
Dallas         8  4  1  267  189    L2  6-2-0  2-2-1     4-2-0    6-3-0
New YorkNFC    8  5  0  212  198    W2  4-3-0  4-2-0     3-3-0    5-4-0
Washington     7  6  0  281  308    W2  3-3-0  4-3-0     1-4-0    3-6-0
St. Louis      5  8  0  312  328    L2  3-3-0  2-5-0     2-4-0    4-7-0


Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Green Bay      7  6  0  179  175    L1  5-2-0  2-4-0     4-1-0    6-3-0
Detroit        6  7  0  278  282    W1  3-3-0  3-4-0     4-3-0    5-6-0
Minnesota      6  7  0  220  205    L1  4-3-0  2-4-0     3-3-0    5-5-0
Chicago        5  8  0  216  246    W1  3-4-0  2-4-0     3-3-0    5-6-0
Tampa Bay      3 10  0  207  291    L2  2-4-0  1-6-0     1-5-0    2-8-0


Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Francisco 10  3  0  322  224    L1  4-1-0  6-2-0     2-3-0    7-3-0
Los Angeles    9  4  0  353  202    W6  5-1-0  4-3-0     2-2-0    6-3-0
New Orleans    8  5  0  264  180    W1  5-1-0  3-4-0     3-2-0    5-5-0
Atlanta        6  7  0  184  224    W1  4-2-0  2-5-0     2-2-0    3-6-0

Green Bay 7 at Buffalo 14

A very disappointing road loss for the Packers against a weak opponent.  A win here would have given the Packers a good hold over the NFC Central Division, but tunovers killed them. 

Buffalo
Joe Ferguson 10/19 110yds
Roland Hooks 16car/37yds
Jack Novak 6tt/3rec/34yds
John Anderson 7 tackles 1 fumble recovery 1TD
Rod Horn 2 tackles 3 sacks
Cliff Frazier 3 sacks

Green Bay
Lynn Dickey 18/34 264yds 2Fumbles
David Overstreet 19car/18yds 1TD
Isaac Curtis 8tt/6rec/87yds
Curtis Green 5 tackles 1 sack

New England 17 at New York Jets 24

A big Division win for the Jets puts them alone in second place in the AFC East.

New York
Vince Evans 20/40 258yds 1TD 1Int
Clark Gaines 2car/60yds
Trent Smock 6tt/5rec/67yds
Bob Martin 5 tackles 1 sack

New England
Glenn Carano 12/19 196yds 1TD
Don Calhoun 14car/25yds 1TD
Darryl Stingley 13tt/4rec/73yds
Bryan Ferguson 12 tackles
Tim Fox 6 tackles 4 knockdowns 1 int
Donnie Thomas 5 tackles 1 sack