NFL 1982 Week 12 Standings

American Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Miami          8  4  0  200  143    W2  4-2-0  4-2-0     4-2-0    7-3-0
New England    7  5  0  159  137    L2  3-2-0  4-3-0     4-3-0    5-5-0
New YorkAFC    7  5  0  238  190    W2  4-1-0  3-4-0     2-3-0    4-5-0
Baltimore      6  6  0  205  194    L2  4-3-0  2-3-0     2-4-0    4-5-0
Buffalo        5  7  0  132  187    W1  0-5-0  5-2-0     3-3-0    5-4-0

Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Houston        6  5  1  225  206    L1  4-2-1  2-3-0     4-0-0    6-2-0
Cleveland      4  8  0  160  197    L1  2-3-0  2-5-0     2-1-0     4-4-0
Pittsburgh     3  9  0  157  218    L2  1-5-0  2-4-0     0-3-0    1-7-0
Cincinnati     1 11  0  206  311    L4  1-6-0  0-5-0     1-3-0    1-7-0

Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Diego      8  4  0  172  170    W1  5-1-0  3-3-0     3-2-0    6-4-0
Oakland        6  6  0  179  262    W2  4-2-0  2-4-0     4-2-0    6-4-0
Seattle        6  6  0  223  210    W1  4-2-0  2-4-0     2-3-0    4-4-0
Kansas City    5  7  0  235  234    L2  4-3-0  1-4-0     3-3-0    5-4-0
Denver         4  8  0  135  210    W1  2-4-0  2-4-0     1-3-0    4-4-0



National Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Philadelphia  10  2  0  287  263    W2  6-0-0  4-2-0     4-1-0    6-2-0
Dallas         8  3  1  267  175    L1  6-1-0  2-2-1     4-1-0     6-2-0
New YorkNFC    7  5  0  198  198    W1  4-3-0  3-2-0     2-3-0    4-4-0
Washington     6  6  0  254  287    W1  3-3-0  3-3-0     0-4-0    2-6-0
St. Louis      5  7  0  291  301    L1  3-2-0  2-5-0     2-3-0    4-6-0

Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Green Bay      7  5  0  172  161    W1  5-2-0  2-3-0     4-1-0    6-3-0
Minnesota      6  6  0  199  178    W1  4-3-0  2-3-0     3-2-0    5-4-0
Detroit        5  7  0  247  265    L1  3-3-0  2-4-0     3-3-0    4-6-0
Chicago        4  8  0  189  225    L3  2-4-0  2-4-0     2-3-0    4-6-0
Tampa Bay      3  9  0  190  260    L1  2-3-0  1-6-0     1-4-0    2-7-0

Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Francisco 10  2  0  309  193    W3  4-1-0  6-1-0     2-2-0    7-2-0
Los Angeles    8  4  0  329  193    W5   5-1-0  3-3-0     2-2-0    5-3-0
New Orleans    7  5  0  233  167    L1  4-1-0  3-4-0     2-2-0    4-5-0
Atlanta        5  7  0  149  205    L1  4-2-0  1-5-0     2-2-0    3-6-0

Dallas 7 at Green Bay 16 [MNF]

In front of a national audience the Packers played their best game of the year.  Their defense simply overwhelmed the Cowboys and their offense was very consistent.  They still need to perform better inside the ten, but this was a very impressive performance for the Packers.

Green Bay
Lynn Dickey 22/37 233yds 1TD 1Int
David Overstreet 23car/51yds
Ken Payne 12tt/5rec/45yds 1TD
Isaac Curtis 5tt/5rec/70yds
Dan Bunz 4 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown
Dan Hampton 3 tackles 3 sacks

Dallas
Roger Staubach 10/20 125yds
Doug Dennison 3car/41yds
Ozzie Newsome 5tt/4rec/50yds
Lester Hayes 4 tackles 1 int 1TD

Dallas (8-2-1) at Green Bay (6-5) [MNF]

  Dall offense  8th    101.0 rush - [9th] / 200.5 pass - [11th]
       defense  21st   87.4 rush - [11th] / 215.3 pass - [24th]
       scoring         23.6 for - [4th] / 14.5 against - [5th]

  G.B. offense  28th   55.7 rush - [26th] / 144.1 pass - [27th]
       defense  1st    41.5 rush - [1st] / 153.7 pass - [1st]
       scoring         14.2 for - [23rd] / 14.0 against - [4th]


   key matchups:
       DE Mark Gastineau (18 sacks) vs. T Pat Donovan
       DT Dan Hampton (24 sacks) vs. G Burton Lawless
       WR Ken Payne (51 rec/722 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Lester Hayes (5 INTs/1 TDs)

   prediction:
       Dallas 19, Green Bay 17

Baltimore 0 at New York Jets 16

A few years ago the Jets made a good run down the stretch of the regular season backed by their defense.  As their offense has come along, their defense has always been a constant.  They aren't a dominant defense but a very effective defense.  This year after a hot start their defense fell apart.  This shutout of the Colts has to be a good sign for Jets fans, and a very big win. 

New York
Vince Evans 22/35 249yds 1TD
Horace Ivory 22car/58yds
Ronnie Moore 10tt/8rec/84yds
Ken Schroy 6 tackles

Baltimore
Bert Jones 15/28 177yds 2Ints
Billy Simes 13car/50yds
Bill Malouf 8tt/4rec/57yds
Mike Bell 8 tackles 1 sack

Baltimore (6-5) at New YorkAFC (6-5)

   Bal offense  10th   103.7 rush - [8th] / 195.2 pass - [13th]
       defense  18th   76.0 rush - [6th] / 212.2 pass - [23rd]
       scoring         18.6 for - [12th] / 16.2 against - [9th]

   NYJ offense  7th    83.7 rush - [18th] / 219.0 pass - [5th]
       defense  13th   90.5 rush - [14th] / 182.8 pass - [12th]
       scoring         20.2 for - [9th] / 17.3 against - [17th]


   key matchups:
       QB Vince Evans (19 TDs/2630 yds) vs. Baltimore pass D
       WR Ronnie Moore (67 rec/985 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Ray Griffin
       TE Willie Scott (12 rec/91 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Kirby Criswell (2 INTs)
       HB Billy Sims (990 yds/9 TDs) vs. New YorkAFC run D (3.5 rush avg)

   prediction:
        Baltimore 18, New YorkAFC 21

Buffalo 9 at New England 7

The Partiots paid for their lack of offense in a big loss at home to the Bills.  With the AFC East so hotly contested they couldn't afford to lose a home game against a sub par team.

Buffalo
Joe Ferguson 17/27 137yds
Roland Hooks 26car/79yds 1Fumble
Bob Chandler 7tt/5rec/55yds
John Anderson 7 tackles 1 sack
Ross Browner 3 sacks

New England
Steve Grogan 12/24 146yds 1Int
Don Calhoun 18car/112yds 1TD
Darryl Stingley 11tt/5rec/61yds
Mike Haynes 8 tackles

Buffalo (4-7) at New England (7-4)

  Buff offense  27th   44.7 rush - [27th] / 166.8 pass - [22nd]
       defense  12th   109.2 rush - [25th] / 164.1 pass - [3rd]
       scoring         11.2 for - [27th] / 16.4 against - [10th]

  N.E. offense  23rd   97.2 rush - [11th] / 155.4 pass - [26th]
       defense  4th    78.2 rush - [7th] / 174.7 pass - [8th]
       scoring         13.8 for - [25th] / 11.6 against - [1st]


   key matchups:
       HB Don Calhoun (795 yds/6 TDs) vs. LB John Anderson (71 Tackles)
       DT Rod Horn (15 sacks) vs. G John Hannah
       WR Bob Chandler (41 rec/605 yds/1 TDs) vs. CB Mike Haynes (3 INTs)

   prediction:
       Buffalo 11, New England 18

Philadelphia 34 at Detroit 24

A big loss for the Lions at home as the Eagles continue to win with their overwhelming offense.

Philadelphia
John Walton 24/32 297yds 3TDs
Ricky Bell 17car/109yds 1TD
James Lofton 7tt/7rec/96yds
Howie Long 3 tackles 2 sacks

Detroit
Greg Landry 23/32 250yds 3TDs
Ottis Anderson 12car/104yds 1Fumble
Charlie Thomas 11tt/8rec/60yds 2TDs
Curtis Dickey 4tt/4rec/68yds
Garth Ten Napel 11 tackles 1 knockdown

Philadelphia (9-2) at Detroit (5-6)

  Phil offense  9th    122.5 rush - [2nd] / 177.3 pass - [18th]
       defense  20th   61.1 rush - [5th] / 237.6 pass - [28th]
       scoring         23.0 for - [5th] / 21.7 against - [23rd]

   Det offense  3rd    100.2 rush - [10th] / 218.6 pass - [6th]
       defense  19th   91.0 rush - [15th] / 207.2 pass - [20th]
       scoring         20.3 for - [8th] / 21.0 against - [22nd]


   key matchups:
       WR Mel Jacobs (57 rec/999 yds/5 TDs) vs. CB Ted Watts
       HB Ricky Bell (851 yds/7 TDs) vs. Detroit run D (3.4 rush avg)

   prediction:
       Philadelphia 22, Detroit 24

Cincinnati 10 at Denver 36

An easy win for the Broncos over the rebuilding Bengals. 

Denver
Danny White 15/23 171yds
Rickey Anderson 30car/163yds 1TD
Art Monk 8tt/5rec/50yds
Mike Davis 4 tackles 1 int 1TD
Matt Millen 4 tackles 1 fumble recovery 1TD
Eddie Murray 3 of 4 long of 48yds

Cincinnati
Bob Bateman 25/50 218yds 1TD 2Ints
Charles White 10car/52yds 1Fumble
Lonnie Allgood 10tt/6rec/51yds
Joe Harris 12tt/8rec/81yds 1TD
Danny Johnson 9 tackles

Cincinnati (1-10) at Denver (3-8)

  Cinn offense  6th    86.5 rush - [15th] / 218.5 pass - [7th]
       defense  28th   136.1 rush - [28th] / 207.7 pass - [21st]
       scoring         17.8 for - [13th] / 25.0 against - [27th]

   Den offense  25th   69.6 rush - [22nd] / 160.6 pass - [25th]
       defense  17th   95.2 rush - [19th] / 191.5 pass - [15th]
       scoring          9.0 for - [28th] / 18.2 against - [19th]


   key matchups:

   prediction:
       Cincinnati 18, Denver 20

Tampa Bay 3 at Minnesota 14

A big win for the Vikings to get to a 6-6 record. 

Minnesota
Mike Rieker 16/29 258yds 2TDs 2Ints
Chuck Foreman 15car/45yds
Leonard Willis 11tt/3rec/44yds 1TD
Sammy White 4tt/3rec/90yds 1TD
Johnny Lynn 5 tackles 1 int
Matt Blair 6 tackles 1 fumble recovery

Tampa Bay
Rich Campbell 15/32 161yds 1Int
Charles Alexander 11tt/61yds
John McKay 8tt/4rec/50yds
Ken Stone 6 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int

Tampa Bay (3-8) at Minnesota (5-6)

  T.B. offense  11th   122.0 rush - [3rd] / 175.2 pass - [19th]
       defense  22nd   97.7 rush - [21st] / 207.2 pass - [19th]
       scoring         17.0 for - [16th] / 22.4 against - [25th]

  Minn offense  19th   93.4 rush - [12th] / 180.5 pass - [17th]
       defense  9th    78.4 rush - [8th] / 183.6 pass - [13th]
       scoring         16.8 for - [17th] / 15.9 against - [8th]


   key matchups:
       WR Leonard Willis (49 rec/798 yds/3 TDs) vs. CB Curtis Jordan (1 INT)
       DT Barry Bennett (15 sacks) vs. G Ed White
       WR Morris Owens (45 rec/547 yds/1 TDs) vs. CB Walt Williams (2 INTs)
       TE Lawrence Sampleton (40 rec/446 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Ken Fantetti (3 INTs/0 TDs)

    prediction:
       Tampa Bay 16, Minnesota 23

Kansas City 17 at Seattle 30

A solid win for the Seahawks to pull themselves up to 6-6.  This could have been the death blow for the Chiefs hopes of making the playoffs. 

Seattle
Brian Sipe 30/47 360yds 2TDs
James Betterson 9car/51yds
Trey Hann 13tt/8rec/101yds 1TD
Steve Largent 14tt/7rec/106yds 1TD
Otis Wilson 7 tackles

Kansas City
Greg Hendrickson 12/22 220yds 1TD 1Int
Ted Brown 14car/63yds 1TD
Armand Jackson 6tt/4rec/78yds
Gerald Jackson 8tackles 2 knockdowns
Durwood Keeton 10 tackles
Kim Bokamper 13 tackles

Kansas City (5-6) at Seattle (5-6)

  K.C. offense  12th   124.5 rush - [1st] / 170.4 pass - [21st]
       defense  27th   108.7 rush - [24th] / 219.9 pass - [25th]
       scoring         19.8 for - [10th] / 18.5 against - [20th]

   Sea offense  18th   108.4 rush - [6th] / 166.1 pass - [24th]
       defense  11th   82.5 rush - [9th] / 186.7 pass - [14th]
       scoring         17.5 for - [15th] / 17.5 against - [18th]


   key matchups:
       WR Steve Largent (44 rec/724 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Gerald Jackson (2 INTs)
       HB Ted Brown (856 yds/5 TDs) vs. Seattle run D (3.5 rush avg)

   prediction:
       Kansas City 19, Seattle 21

St. Louis 21 at San Francisco 34

If the Cardinals had a real defense they would be a dangerous team and would have won this game.  Jim Plunkett had a miserable game throwing four picks, but it didn't matter because he was also able to throw four TDs against the non existent Cardinal defense. 

San Francisco
Jim Plunkett 16/26 264yds 4TDs 4Ints
Delvin Williams 21car/92yds 1TD
Keith Wright 7tt/5rec/116yds 2TDs
Check DeJurnett 3 sacks

St. Louis
Mike Phipps 17/32 173yds 3TDs 1Int
Mike Strachan 15car/48yds
Sam Scarber 4tt/3rec/56yds
Jeff Griffin 10 tackles 1 knockdown
Mike Sensibaugh 6 tackles 1 sack
Daryle Skaugstad 1 tackle 3 sacks

St. Louis (5-6) at San Francisco (9-2)

   StL offense  1st    62.1 rush - [24th] / 273.2 pass - [1st]
       defense  24th   84.5 rush - [10th] / 222.7 pass - [26th]
       scoring         24.5 for - [3rd] / 24.3 against - [26th]

  S.F. offense  5th    85.5 rush - [16th] / 225.2 pass - [3rd]
       defense  14th   92.5 rush - [18th] / 181.8 pass - [11th]
       scoring         25.0 for - [2nd] / 15.6 against - [7th]


   key matchups:
       HB Delvin Williams (699 yds/10 TDs) vs. St. Louis run D (3.3 rush avg)
       QB Mike Phipps (19 TDs/3324 yds) vs. San Francisco pass D

   prediction:
       St. Louis 20, San Francisco 28

Cleveland 6 at San Diego 13

A needed win for the Chargers who have been on a bit of slide.

San Diego
Dan Fouts 19/29 206yds
Rickey Young 21car/60yds 1TD
Dwight McDonald 9tt/5rec/66yds
Marty Lyons 1 tackle 3 sacks
Toni Fritsch 2 of 4 long of 39yds

Cleveland
Dave Mays 14/30 115yds
Greg Pruitt 10car/25yds 1TD
Tim Wrightman 6tt/4rec/35yds
Gary Gorrell 6 tackles 1 sack

Cleveland (4-7) at San Diego (7-4)

  Clev offense  17th   60.5 rush - [25th] / 217.6 pass - [8th]
       defense  3rd    96.8 rush - [20th] / 154.3 pass - [2nd]
       scoring         14.0 for - [24th] / 16.7 against - [12th]

  S.D. offense  26th   38.0 rush - [28th] / 188.5 pass - [15th]
       defense  7th    91.7 rush - [17th] / 166.7 pass - [6th]
       scoring         14.5 for - [20th] / 14.9 against - [6th]


   key matchups:
       WR Jesse Wolfram (53 rec/778 yds/3 TDs) vs. CB Luther Philyaw (1 INT)
       TE Tim Wrightman (54 rec/566 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Mark Merrill (1 INT)

   prediction:
       Cleveland 14, San Diego 19

Washington 16 at Atlanta 10 (OT)

A big win for the Redskins on the road.  Atlanta dominated the first half, but Washington bounced back and finished the game off following a Bubba Bean fumble deep in Atlanta territory.

Washington
Joe Theismann 21/31 165yds
Mike Thomas 17car/92yds 1TD
Don Westbrook 10tt/7rec/59yds
Joe Norman 6 tackles 1 int
Brad Dusek 6 tackles 1 fumble recovery

Atlanta
Guy Benjamin 20/35 214yds 1TD 1Int
Bubba Bean 20car/42yds 2Fumbles
John Spagnola 11tt/7rec/60yds
Al Jenkins 8tt/6rec/77yds 1TD
Rick Woods 9 tackles 1 knockdown
Carl Russ 7 tackles 1 sack

Washington (5-6) at Atlanta (5-6)

  Wash offense  4th    91.4 rush - [14th] / 219.9 pass - [4th]
       defense  23rd   100.9 rush - [22nd] / 205.9 pass - [18th]
       scoring         21.6 for - [6th] / 25.2 against - [28th]

   Atl offense  22nd   62.8 rush - [23rd] / 190.2 pass - [14th]
       defense  15th   101.4 rush - [23rd] / 179.0 pass - [10th]
       scoring         12.6 for - [26th] / 17.2 against - [15th]


   key matchups:
       DE Dennis Harrison (14 sacks) vs. T Terry Hermeling
       WR Al Jenkins (36 rec/451 yds/3 TDs) vs. CB Walter Tullis (2 INTs)
       TE John Spagnola (56 rec/533 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Joe Norman
       QB Joe Theismann (23 TDs/2674 yds) vs. Atlanta pass D
       WR Frank Grant (54 rec/815 yds/4 TDs) vs. CB  Ron Mabra

   prediction:
       Washington 19, Atlanta 22

Oakland 22 at Houston 20

Dan Pastorini struggled with turnovers and it cost the Oilers.  This is a very big win for the Raiders.

Oakland
Ken Stabler 15/27 248yds 2TDs 1Int
James Owens 15car/86yds 1Fumble
Cliff Branch 8tt/4rec/78yds 1TD
Tommy Campbell 6 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int

Houston
Dan Pastorini 18/32 284yds 1TD 2Ints
Ralph Nelson 15car/70yds
Ken Burrough 9tt/5rec/98yds 1TD
Tom Hannon 9 tackles 1 knockdown

Oakland (5-6) at Houston (6-4-1)

   Oak offense  21st   118.7 rush - [4th] / 142.5 pass - [28th]
       defense  25th   109.5 rush - [26th] / 211.4 pass - [22nd]
       scoring         14.3 for - [21st] / 22.0 against - [24th]

   Hou offense  13th   84.7 rush - [17th] / 209.5 pass - [10th]
       defense  16th   54.5 rush - [3rd] / 227.9 pass - [27th]
       scoring         18.6 for - [11th] / 16.7 against - [11th]


   key matchups:
       TE Kellen Winslow (36 rec/428 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Jim LeClair (3 INTs)
       WR Cliff Branch (35 rec/452 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Willie Alexander (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       Oakland 16, Houston 23

Chicago 7 at Los Angeles 38

Pat Haden spelled a banged up James Harris and had a great game for the Rams in their blowout win.  Since getting Ken Anderson from the Bengals the Bears have been pretty awful, this game was no exception. 

Los Angeles
Pat Haden 19/23 211yds 4TDs
William Andrews 14car/69yds
George Lantz 8tt/6rec/67yds 2TDs
Jim Youngblood 7 tackles 1 sack 2 knockdowns
Larry Anderson 7 tackles 1 knockdown 1int

Chicago
Ken Anderson 22/47 228yds 1TD 3Ints
Walter Payton 13car/26yds
James Scott 15tt/5rec/83yds 1TD
Vaughn Lusby 7 tackles

Chicago (4-7) at Los Angeles (7-4)

   Chi offense  14th   82.3 rush - [19th] / 209.6 pass - [9th]
       defense  5th    91.2 rush - [16th] / 164.5 pass - [4th]
       scoring         16.5 for - [19th] / 17.0 against - [14th]

  L.A. offense  2nd    92.7 rush - [13th] / 228.1 pass - [2nd]
       defense  10th   87.5 rush - [12th] / 176.3 pass - [9th]
       scoring         26.5 for - [1st] / 16.9 against - [13th]


   key matchups:
       WR George Lantz (46 rec/876 yds/7 TDs) vs. CB Allan Ellis
       DT Myron Lapka (15 sacks) vs. G Dennis Harrah
       WR James Scott (48 rec/735 yds/3 TDs) vs. CB Monte Jackson (4 INTs/3 TDs)

   prediction:
       Chicago 17, Los Angeles 25

Miami 6 at Pittsburgh 0

Turnovers kept the Steelers in this one, but Miami held on for the win. 

Miami
Bob Griese 19/32 254yds 2Ints 1Fumble
Benny Malone 23car/93yds
Ronnie Lee 6tt/4rec/67yds
Gary Green 9 tackles
Garo Yepremian 2 of 4 long of 33yds

Pittsburgh
Terry Bradshaw 12/30 138yds 1Int
Willie McClendon 13car/19yds
Lynn Swann 12tt/4rec/77yds
Lawrence Taylor 10 tackles
Jack Lambert 4 tackles 2 sacks 1 int

Miami (7-4) at Pittsburgh (3-8)

   Mia offense  15th   107.2 rush - [7th] / 181.9 pass - [16th]
       defense  2nd    53.7 rush - [2nd] / 165.0 pass - [5th]
       scoring         17.6 for - [14th] / 13.0 against - [2nd]

  Pitt offense  24th   80.7 rush - [20th] / 166.6 pass - [23rd]
       defense  26th   119.3 rush - [27th] / 201.7 pass - [16th]
       scoring         14.3 for - [22nd] / 19.3 against - [21st]


   key matchups:

   prediction:
       Miami 18, Pittsburgh 17

New Orleans 9 at New York Giants 15 (OT)

The Giants pull off the upset in overtime.  They got a great game out of their defense and Joe Reed.

New York
Joe Reed 17/31 281yds 1TD
Gordon Bell 5car/14yds
Jim Robinson 7tt/6rec 123yds 1TD
John Jefferson 9tt/7rec 125yds
Larry Mallory 10 tackles
Don Smith 6 tackles 2 sack

New Orleans
Peil Pennington 21/39 230yds 1TD 1Int
Tony Galbreath 9car/33yds
Larry Burton 9tt/6rec/94yds
Sidney Brown 11 tackles

New Orleans (7-4) at New YorkNFC (6-5)

  N.O. offense  16th   110.3 rush - [5th] / 174.9 pass - [20th]
       defense  6th    56.1 rush - [4th] / 202.1 pass - [17th]
       scoring         20.4 for - [7th] / 13.8 against - [3rd]

   NYG offense  20th   71.6 rush - [21st] / 199.5 pass - [12th]
       defense  8th    88.8 rush - [13th] / 171.5 pass - [7th]
       scoring         16.6 for - [18th] / 17.2 against - [16th]


   key matchups:
       DT Don Smith (20 sacks) vs. G Emanuel Zanders
       WR Jim Robinson (44 rec/826 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Kenny Downing (1 INT)
       TE David Hill (40 rec/322 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Junior Hardin (2 INTs)
       HB Tony Dorsett (818 yds/5 TDs) vs. LB Brad Van Pelt (74 Tackles)
       TE Bruce Hardy (15 rec/172 yds/1  TDs) vs. LB Brad Van Pelt (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       New Orleans 19, New YorkNFC 18

NFL 1982 Week 12 Preview

The Miami Dolphins find themselves once again atop the AFC East.  They are going for their third straight AFC title and seem to be moving into a good position.  A surprise team in the mix may be the Houston Oilers.  The Oilers have a 6-4-1 record, but are 6-1 in Conference play.  They easily handled Baltimore last week and are playing some of the best football in the AFC right now.  The Chargers, meanwhile, still sit atop the AFC West, but no one is now saying they are the team to beat.  Their defense has struggled of late, and their offense has gone completely silent.  They really need to get things turned around quick if they still hope to win the Division and do anything in the playoffs.

Until the Dolphins drubbed the Patriots, I was looking on them as the best team in the AFC.  Their defense had been incredible, but suddenly they look very vulnerable.  Mostly because like the Chargers they have no offense.  If they don't find any offense, it won't matter how good their defense is they won't go far in the playoffs.  Of course the Jets are still a team to watch.  Though they just snapped a five game losing streak they still have the best QB in the AFC.  If their defense can settle down and play how they were at the beginning of the year I still think they are the best team in the AFC.

In the NFC it is looking more and more like the 49ers year.  They have outscored their opponents by 103 points and sit with a 9-2 record.  They have a very solid defense and a fantastic offense.  I believe their biggest competition to the NFC title is the Dallas Cowboys who have outscored their opponents by 101 points or the Los Angeles Rams who have outscored theirs by 105 points.  These are some very good teams, all with very explosive offenses and solid defenses.  In fact the Cowboys probably have the best defense in this group of three. 

I would put the Saints right behind this group of teams along with the Eagles.  The Saints have suddenly found a good balance of offense and defense, while the Eagles just have such an overwhelming offense they seem to be able to always win games. 

It's hard to say who will win the NFC Central, but it really doesn't matter.  None of these teams have a real shot to go anywhere in the playoffs. 


Statistics
QBs
SF Jim Plunkett 97.0
Phi John Walton 96.8
NYJ Vince Evans 96.8

RBs
Bal Billy Sims 990yds
KC Ted Brown 856yds
Phi Ricky Bell 851yds

Recs
Det Mel Jacobs 999yds
NYJ Ronnie Moore 985yds
LA George Lantz 876yds


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


NFC
San Francisco 9-2
Philadelphia 9-2
Green Bay 6-5
Dallas 8-2-1
New Orleans 7-4
Los Angeles 7-4
-----------------------
New York 6-5


Games to Watch
New Orleans 7-4 at New York Giants 6-5
     This should be a hard hitting slug fest of a game.  The Giants are sliding away and really need this win to stay in the playoff race.

Dallas 8-2-1 at Green Bay 6-5
     The Packers lost to the Eagles last week and now have to take on the other NFC East power.  This match up would seem to favor the Cowboys who have a solid defense and a very good offense.  The Packers are all defense, but at this point I'm not sure they are as good as the Cowboys.

Baltimore 6-5 at New York Jets 6-5
     All of these AFC East games are crucial.  Right now the East would send four teams into the playoffs, but with them playing each other so much it's hard to imagine that number will stay so high.  This should be a pretty even match up.  Both teams have very good offenses and struggling defenses.

Kansas City 5-6 at Seattle 5-6
     I have a feeling whoever loses this game will be out of the playoff picture.  It's really the Chiefs game to lose even though they are on the road.  They are playing much better football right now than the Seahawks.

Oakland 5-6 at Houston 6-4-1
     The Oilers have been dominating their AFC opponents and I have a feeling this will be the end of the Raiders playoff dreams.

NFL 1982 Week 11 Standings

American Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Miami          7  4  0  194  143    W1  4-2-0  3-2-0     4-2-0    6-3-0
New England    7  4  0  152  128    L1  3-1-0  4-3-0     4-2-0    5-4-0
Baltimore      6  5  0  205  178    L1  4-3-0  2-2-0     2-3-0    4-4-0
New YorkAFC    6  5  0  222  190    W1  3-1-0  3-4-0     1-3-0    3-5-0
Buffalo        4  7  0  123  180    L1  0-5-0  4-2-0     2-3-0    4-4-0

Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Houston        6  4  1  205  184    W3  4-1-1  2-3-0     4-0-0    6-1-0
Cleveland      4  7  0  154  184    W1  2-3-0  2-4-0     2-1-0     4-3-0
Pittsburgh     3  8  0  157  212    L1  1-4-0  2-4-0     0-3-0    1-6-0
Cincinnati     1 10  0  196  275    L3  1-6-0  0-4-0     1-3-0    1-6-0

Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Diego      7  4  0  159  164    L2  4-1-0  3-3-0     3-2-0    5-4-0
Oakland        5  6  0  157  242    W1  4-2-0  1-4-0     4-2-0    5-4-0
Kansas City    5  6  0  218  204    L1  4-3-0  1-3-0     3-2-0    5-3-0
Seattle        5  6  0  193  193    L3  3-2-0  2-4-0     1-3-0    3-4-0
Denver         3  8  0   99  200    L1  1-4-0  2-4-0     1-3-0    3-4-0



National Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Philadelphia   9  2  0  253  239    W1  6-0-0  3-2-0     4-1-0    5-2-0
Dallas         8  2  1  260  159    W2  6-1-0  2-1-1     4-1-0     6-1-0
New YorkNFC    6  5  0  183  189    L1  3-3-0  3-2-0     2-3-0    3-4-0
St. Louis      5  6  0  270  267    W1  3-2-0  2-4-0     2-3-0    4-5-0
Washington     5  6  0  238  277    L2  3-3-0  2-3-0     0-4-0    1-6-0

Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Green Bay      6  5  0  156  154    L1  4-2-0  2-3-0     4-1-0    5-3-0
Detroit        5  6  0  223  231    W1  3-2-0  2-4-0     3-3-0    4-5-0
Minnesota      5  6  0  185  175    L1  3-3-0  2-3-0     2-2-0    4-4-0
Chicago        4  7  0  182  187    L2  2-4-0  2-3-0     2-3-0    4-5-0
Tampa Bay      3  8  0  187  246    W1  2-3-0  1-5-0     1-3-0    2-6-0

Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Francisco  9  2  0  275  172    W2  3-1-0  6-1-0     2-2-0    6-2-0
New Orleans    7  4  0  224  152    W2   4-1-0  3-3-0     2-2-0    4-4-0
Los Angeles    7  4  0  291  186    W4  4-1-0  3-3-0     2-2-0    4-3-0
Atlanta        5  6  0  139  189    W1  4-1-0  1-5-0     2-2-0    3-5-0

New England 14 at Miami 33

One key reason the Dolphins have played in two straight Super Bowls, is that when they need a big game from Bob Griese they get it.  He delivered again today with an outstanding performance against what many considered to be the most dominate defense in the League.

Miami
Bob Griese 15/27 230yds 3TDs
Rolf Mequita 7car/53yds
Willis Adams 11tt/6rec/124yds 3TDs
Lyman White 6 tackles 1 int
Gary Green 5 tackles 1 knockdown 1 fumble recovery
Garo Yepremian 4 of 4 long of 46yds

New England
Steve Grogan 14/31 199yds 1TD 1Int
Don Calhoun 21car/53yds 1TD
Steve Burks 4tt/3rec/66yds
Dave Waymer 9 tackles

New England (7-3) at Miami (6-4) [MNF]

  N.E. offense  23rd   99.4 rush - [10th] / 153.6 pass - [26th]
       defense  3rd    75.4 rush - [9th] / 170.4 pass - [7th]
       scoring         13.8 for - [23rd] /  9.5 against - [1st]

   Mia offense  14th   107.3 rush - [7th] / 178.3 pass - [18th]
       defense  2nd    51.6 rush - [2nd] / 164.2 pass - [4th]
       scoring         16.1 for - [19th] / 12.9 against - [3rd]


   key matchups:
       DT Larry Bethea (11 sacks) vs. G John Hannah
       WR Willis Adams (29 rec/493 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Mike Haynes (3 INTs)
       HB Don Calhoun (742 yds/5 TDs) vs. Miami run D (2.2 rush avg)

   prediction:
       New England 13, Miami 16

Buffalo 3 at Tampa Bay 24

Whatever dream Bills fans had of their chances to sneak into the playoffs were dashed with this loss.  After Rich Campbell went out hurt the Buccaneers got a great game from their backup quarterback Scott Hunter.

Tampa Bay
Rich Campbell 7/14 51yds 1TD 1Int
Scott Hunter 12/14 118yds 1TD
Charles Alexander 16car/51yds
Lawrence Sampleton 5tt/4rec/41yds
Lee Roy Selmon 1 tackle 3 sacks
Barry Bennett 2 tackles 4 sacks
Mark Cotney 7 tackles 1 sack

Buffalo
Joe Ferguson 18/34 236yds 2Fumbls
Roland Hooks 8car/3yds
Bob Chandler 10tt/6rec/95yds
Glenn Lott 6 tackles 1 int

Buffalo (4-6) at Tampa Bay (2-8)

  Buff offense  27th   49.1 rush - [27th] / 164.5 pass - [25th]
       defense  13th   106.6 rush - [22nd] / 164.4 pass - [5th]
       scoring         12.0 for - [26th] / 15.6 against - [9th]

  T.B. offense  11th   120.7 rush - [3rd] / 176.6 pass - [19th]
       defense  24th   107.4 rush - [24th] / 208.9 pass - [20th]
       scoring         16.3 for - [18th] / 24.3 against - [26th]


   key matchups:
       DT Barry Bennett (11 sacks) vs. G Reggie McKenzie
       DT Rod Horn (14 sacks) vs. G Everett Little

   prediction:
       Buffalo 18, Tampa Bay 19

St. Louis 19 at Chicago 16 (OT)

The Cardinals just crushed whatever playoff hopes the Bears had left.  Mike Phipps in his 13th season is finally finding success.  He does it in part by spreading the ball around.  He completed passes to 14 different players in this game.

St. Louis
Mike Phipps 30/53 308yds 1TD
Mike Strachan 15car/45yds
Ike Harris 9tt/5rec/68yds 1TD
Craig Puki 6 tackles 1 sack
Steve Henry 10 tackles
George Floyd 9 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int
Rex Robinson 4 of 4 long of 43yds

Chicago
Ken Anderson 17/35 257yds 1TD 1Int
Walter Payton 23car/56yds
Brian Baschnagel 7tt/4rec/93yds
Myron Lapka 4 tackles 2 sacks
Al Harris 10 tackles
Mike Hartenstine 4 tackles 2 sacks
Darrol Ray 9 tackles 1 knockdown
Bob Thomas 3 of 4 long of 37yds

St. Louis (4-6) at Chicago (4-6)

   StL offense  1st    60.6 rush - [23rd] / 273.8 pass - [1st]
       defense  20th   84.3 rush - [10th] / 220.4 pass - [25th]
       scoring         25.1 for - [1st] / 25.1 against - [27th]

   Chi offense  13th   81.9 rush - [19th] / 206.0 pass - [10th]
       defense  4th    92.6 rush - [17th] / 154.3 pass - [2nd]
       scoring         16.6 for - [17th] / 16.8 against - [15th]


   key matchups:
       DT Myron Lapka (13 sacks) vs. G Conrad Dobler
       QB Mike Phipps (18 TDs/3016 yds) vs. Chicago pass D

   prediction:
       St. Louis 21, Chicago 24

Seattle 3 at New Orleans 27

The Saints win easily and push the Seahawks under .500.

New Orleans
Peil Pennington 16/27 217yds 1TD 1Int
Tony Dorsett 23car/140yds 1TD
Freddie Solomon 6tt/6rec/98yds
Sidney Brown 8 tackles 3knockdowns
Leo Wisniewski 1 tackle 3 sacks

Seattle
Brian Sipe 11/23 166yds
Sterling Rolfe 13car/57yds
Steve Largent 12tt/7rec/124yds
Steve Manstedt 5 tackles 1 sack

Seattle (5-5) at New Orleans (6-4)

   Sea offense  15th   112.4 rush - [6th] / 171.0 pass - [22nd]
       defense  8th    74.0 rush - [7th] / 184.3 pass - [11th]
       scoring         19.0 for - [11th] / 16.6 against - [13th]

  N.O. offense  18th   104.6 rush - [8th] / 171.3 pass - [21st]
       defense  10th   54.9 rush - [3rd] / 210.6 pass - [21st]
       scoring         19.7 for - [10th] / 14.9 against - [6th]


   key matchups:
       DT John Harty (11 sacks) vs. G Emanuel Zanders
       TE Ron Howard (15 rec/124 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Junior Hardin (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       Seattle 17, New Orleans 21

Los Angeles 41 at Kansas City 17

Greg Hendrickson committed four turnovers in this game and that sparked the Rams blowout.  Los Angeles continues to be the hottest team in the League.

Los Angeles
James Harris 18/31 163yds 2TDs 2Ints
William Andrews 11car/52yds 1TD  3tt/1rec/2yds 1TD
Brian Nemeth 7tt/4rec/42yds
Henry Laws 4 tackles 2 ints 1TD 1fumble recovery
Monte Jackson 8 tackles 1 int 1TD
John Barefield 10 tackles

Kansas City
Greg Hendrickson 12/23 154yds 1TD 3Ints 1Fumble
Ted Brown 19car/68yds 1TD 1Fumble
Armand Jackson 9tt/5rec/88yds
Kim Bokamper 8 tackles 1 int
Steve Bograkos 8 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int

Los Angeles (6-4) at Kansas City (5-5)

  L.A. offense  3rd    91.6 rush - [14th] / 234.6 pass - [2nd]
       defense  9th    86.5 rush - [11th] / 175.9 pass - [8th]
       scoring         25.0 for - [2nd] / 16.9 against - [16th]

  K.C. offense  12th   127.2 rush - [2nd] / 169.4 pass - [23rd]
       defense  27th   109.2 rush - [25th] / 225.6 pass - [27th]
       scoring         20.1 for - [8th] / 16.3 against - [11th]


   key matchups:
       HB Ted Brown (788 yds/4 TDs) vs. Los Angeles run D (3.8 rush avg)
       WR Armand Jackson (35 rec/631 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Monte Jackson (3 INTs/2 TDs)
       QB James Harris (19 TDs/2522 yds) vs. Kansas City pass D
       WR George Lantz (43 rec/853 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Gerald Jackson (2 INTs)

    prediction:
       Los Angeles 21, Kansas City 22

Denver 0 at Atlanta 21

A solid win for the Falcons who dominated this game.  The Falcons are getting very close to .500.

Atlanta
Guy Benjamin 18/24 217yds
Bubba Bean 35car/138yds 2TDs
Wes Chandler 9tt/7rec/83yds
Steve George 3 sacks

Denver
Danny White 12/27 139yds
Rickey Anderson 9car/41yds
Art Monk 4tt/3rec/38yds
Lyle Alzado 3 sacks
Randy Gradishar 13 tackles
Matt Millen 12 tackles

Denver (3-7) at Atlanta (4-6)

   Den offense  25th   71.7 rush - [22nd] / 166.9 pass - [24th]
       defense  15th   89.2 rush - [14th] / 190.4 pass - [14th]
       scoring          9.9 for - [28th] / 17.9 against - [18th]

   Atl offense  24th   53.6 rush - [26th] / 188.9 pass - [14th]
       defense  18th   106.6 rush - [23rd] / 187.1 pass - [13th]
       scoring         11.8 for - [27th] / 18.9 against - [21st]


   key matchups:
       DE Dennis Harrison (12 sacks) vs. T Claudie Minor
       TE John Spagnola (51 rec/492 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Randy Gradishar

   prediction:
       Denver 14, Atlanta 18

San Diego 7 at Oakland 10

The Raiders take a big win at home to keep their playoff hopes alive, and suddenly the Chargers no longer look like one of the best teams in the AFC.

Oakland
Ken Stabler 15/23 158yds 1TD
George Rogers 10car/68yds
Cliff Branch 6tt/4rec/73yds
Charles Philyaw 3 sacks
Ray Oldham 7 tackles 1 sack

San Diego
Dan Fouts 18/25 197yds 1TD
Rickey Young 13car/56yds
Jesse Wolfram 9tt/7rec/81yds 1TD
Woodrow Lowe 6 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown

San Diego (7-3) at Oakland (4-6)

  S.D. offense  26th   35.8 rush - [28th] / 190.7 pass - [13th]
       defense  7th    89.2 rush - [13th] / 168.0 pass - [6th]
       scoring         15.2 for - [20th] / 15.4 against - [7th]

   Oak offense  21st   118.9 rush - [4th] / 141.3 pass - [28th]
       defense  26th   114.5 rush - [26th] / 215.8 pass - [22nd]
       scoring         14.7 for - [22nd] / 23.5 against - [25th]


   key matchups:
       TE Jim Obradovich (23 rec/182 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Jim LeClair (3 INTs)

   prediction:
       San Diego 19, Oakland 18

Detroit 13 at New York Giants 8

Joe Reed had a miserable game as the Giants struggled on offense.  This is a big loss for the Giants at home.  This win helps to keep the Lions playoff hopes alive.

Detroit
Greg Landry 18/33 190yds 1TD
Ottis Anderson 12car/43yds
Mel Jacobs 13tt/8rec/101yds
Charles Braswell 6 tackles 1 knockdown
Kelby Walker 2 of 4 long of 51yds

New York
Joe Reed 16/43 128yds 1TD 3Ints
Chuck Muncie 11car/46yds
David Hill 17tt/3rec/14yds 1TD
John Jefferson 6tt/5rec/47yds
Brad Van Pelt 7 tackles 2 sacks
Phil Tabor 2 tackles 6 sacks
Don Smith 4 tackles 4 sacks

Detroit (4-6) at New YorkNFC (6-4)

   Det offense  2nd    100.8 rush - [9th] / 230.5 pass - [3rd]
       defense  23rd   95.5 rush - [19th] / 216.0 pass - [23rd]
       scoring         21.0 for - [7th] / 22.3 against - [23rd]

   NYG offense  16th   74.2 rush - [21st] / 207.5 pass - [9th]
       defense  11th   88.3 rush - [12th] / 178.7 pass - [9th]
       scoring         17.5 for - [14th] / 17.6 against - [17th]


   key matchups:
       DT Don Smith (16 sacks) vs. G Lynn Boden
       WR Jim Robinson (43 rec/817 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Jim Meeks (1 INT)
       WR Mel Jacobs (49 rec/898 yds/5 TDs) vs. CB Bill Bryant
       TE Junior Miller (17 rec/204 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Brad Van Pelt (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       Detroit 19, New  YorkNFC 23

Baltimore 20 at Houston 34

A huge game from Houston a team which is playing better and better. 

Houston
Dan Pastorini 26/34 385yds 3TDs 1Int 1Fumble
Ralph Nelson 18car/56yds 1TD 1Fumble
Kellen Winslow 7tt/6rec/111yds
Billy Johnson 8tt/6rec/106yds 2TDs
George Andrews 6 tackles 1 sack

Baltimore
Bert Jones 17/25 279yds 2TDs 1Int 1Fumble
Billy Sims 9car/18yds
Roger Carr 7tt/6rec/94yds 1TD
Kirby Criswell 11 tackles 1 int

Baltimore (6-4) at Houston (5-4-1)

   Bal offense  7th    112.8 rush - [5th] / 188.8 pass - [15th]
       defense  12th   73.4 rush - [6th] / 196.2 pass - [17th]
       scoring         18.5 for - [12th] / 14.4 against - [5th]

   Hou offense  17th   83.0 rush - [17th] / 193.2 pass - [12th]
       defense  16th   58.6 rush - [4th] / 224.8 pass - [26th]
       scoring         17.1 for - [15th] / 16.4 against - [12th]


   key matchups:
       HB Billy Sims (972 yds/9 TDs) vs. Houston run D (2.8 rush avg)
       WR Roger Carr (33 rec/470 yds/3 TDs) vs. CB Willie Alexander (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       Baltimore 17, Houston 19

Green Bay 23 at Philadelphia 31

I think if you had told me that Green Bay would score 23 points and hold Philadelphia to a measly 131yds of net offense I would have said the Packers win easy, but no.  Turnovers and special teams killed the Packers in this one.  Philadelphia had a Scott Fitzkee 102yd kickoff return for a TD and two fumbles they returned for TDs. 

Philadelphia
John Walton 10/20 159yds 1TD 1Int 1Fumble
Ricky Bell 10car/16yds
James Lofton 6tt/4rec/95yds
Cliff Odom 6 tackles 1 sack
Vann McElroy 10 tackles 2 knockdowns
Ted Watts 4 tackles 6 knockdowns

Green Bay
Lynn Dickey 16/33 175yds 1TD 1Fumble
David Overstreet 18car/25yds 1Fumble
Ken Payne 12tt/6rec/65yds
Dan Hampton 2 tackles 3 sacks
Johnnie Gray 6 tackles 2 sacks
Chester Marcol 3 of 4 long of 44yds

Green Bay (6-4) at Philadelphia (8-2)

  G.B. offense  28th   57.8 rush - [25th] / 144.7 pass - [27th]
       defense  1st    43.7 rush - [1st] / 157.9 pass - [3rd]
       scoring         13.3 for - [24th] / 12.3 against - [2nd]

  Phil offense  5th    132.8 rush - [1st] / 183.8 pass - [16th]
       defense  22nd   63.7 rush - [5th] / 247.6 pass - [28th]
       scoring         22.2 for - [6th] / 21.6 against - [22nd]


   key matchups:
       HB Ricky Bell (835 yds/7 TDs) vs. Green Bay run D (2.1 rush avg)
       DE Mark Gastineau (16 sacks) vs. T Stan Walters
       DT Dan Hampton (21 sacks) vs. G Jerry Sisemore

   prediction:
       Green Bay 17, Philadelphia 20

New York Jets 23 at Pittsburgh 10

The Jets snap their five game losing streak with a solid performance on the road.  Vince Evans finally gets some help from his running game and defense. 

New York
Vince Evans 21/35 257yds 2TDs
Horace Ivory 18car/61yds 1Fumble
Ronnie Moore 14tt/6rec/94yds 1TD
Luther Bradley 6 tackles 1 knockdown

Pittsburgh
Terry Bradshaw 9/31 107yds 1TD
Franco Harris 17car/81yds
Lynn Swann 9tt/3rec/37yds
Lawrence Taylor 11 tackles
Jack Lambert 6 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown

New YorkAFC (5-5) at Pittsburgh (3-7)

   NYJ offense  10th   82.3 rush - [18th] / 215.8 pass - [7th]
       defense  17th   91.6 rush - [16th] / 192.1 pass - [15th]
       scoring         19.9 for - [9th] / 18.0 against - [19th]

  Pitt offense  22nd   80.9 rush - [20th] / 174.3 pass - [20th]
       defense  25th   121.4 rush - [27th] / 196.8 pass - [18th]
       scoring         14.7 for - [21st] / 18.9 against - [20th]


   key matchups:
       WR Ronnie Moore (61 rec/891 yds/5 TDs) vs. CB Wentford Gaines (1 INT)

   prediction:
       New YorkAFC 19, Pittsburgh 20