Did you know ...?

All data from the players' 1982 Topps cards:

Bears G Noah Jackson "holds the distinction of being one of a select few players to have started playoff games in the Canadian Football League and the NFL. He played 3 seasons with the Toronto Argonauts before entering NFL with the Baltimore Colts."

Bears LB Jerry Robinson: "At UCLA he was college football's 1st 3-time All-Ameircan since Doak Walker (1947-1949). Extremely quick and agile."

Bucs CB Mike Washington: "Mike's height (6-3) is an asset to preventing the deep pass."

Bengals T Chris Ward: "At Ohio State, Chris played 1049 minutes in 44 games, more than any other player in the history of the school."

Seahawks T Marvin Powell: "One of his biggest assets is his dedication to his work. He's always watching films and is truly a student of the game."

Colts WR Roger Carr: "Roger's first 2 Colt receptions went for 90 and 89-yard TD's" in 1974.

Browns T Doug Dieken: "Doug moves into his 12th pro season with a 153-game string of consecutive starting assignments at offensive left tackle for the Browns. He has the ability to 'absorb' a defensive player, to stay in front of him. Doug is also smart. He studies the opponent and has great finesse. Doug is durable and plays despite nagging injuries."

Browns C Tom DeLeone: "Patience, hard work and total dedication have combined with natural ability to bring Tom to the point where he is recognized as one of the finest centers in pro football. Quiet confidence has marked Tom's progress since he became a regular in 1975."

Browns DE Art Still: "Art was Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1977" at the University of Kentucky.

Browns P Chuck Ramsey: "Began punting without a shoe in 1979 and his average increased."

Los Angeles (14-5) at New YorkAFC (13-6)

L.A. offense  13th   71.4 rush - [21st] / 198.6 pass - [8th]
       defense  3rd    69.3 rush - [6th] / 153.8 pass - [4th]
       scoring         25.8 for - [1st] / 16.5 against - [15th]

   NYJ offense  23rd   70.7 rush - [22nd] / 175.9 pass - [17th]
       defense  4th    71.0 rush - [7th] / 157.8 pass - [7th]
       scoring         19.0 for - [10th] / 15.3 against - [7th]


   key matchups:
       WR Ronnie Moore (89 rec/1221 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Monte Jackson (4 INTs/3 TDs)
       TE Brian Nemeth (40 rec/332 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Greg Buttle (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       Los Angeles 21, New YorkAFC 22

NFL 1982 Super Bowl Preview

Los Angeles 11-5 at New York 10-6
     The big story surrounding this game is the state of James Harris.  It looks as though Pat Haden will get the start for the Rams with Harris sitting injured on the sideline.  Pat Haden put up good numbers against the 49ers, but the Rams only managed to score 3 points in the second half.  The Jets will have their leader Vince Evans on the field.  He proved last week what he could do against a top rate defense and he'll have to do it again this week.  A lot of attention is payed to the Rams offense, but their defense was ranked 3rd in the League for yards allowed.  This should be a great match up. 

Los Angeles 26 at San Francisco 20 (OT) (Conference Championship Game)

Despite losing James Harris for the second game in a row the Rams held on for the win.  They only managed 3 points in the second half and saw their 14 point halftime lead fade away, but they never panicked.  Then on the 49ers first possession in overtime Larry Anderson read a little dump pass play perfectly, picking off Jim Plunkett and setting up the game winning touchdown.  The Rams are returning to the Super Bowl for their 3rd time in seven seasons.  If the 49ers had won this one we would be remembering the brilliant final drive during regulation that sent this game into overtime, but it was not to be for the 49ers.

Los Angeles
James Harris 8/14 166yds 2TDs
William Andrews 15car/78yds
George Lantz 8tt/6rec/160yds 2TDs
Larry Anderson 8 tackles 1 int
Henry Laws 8 tackles 2 knockdowns

San Francisco
Jim Plunkett 24/37 211yds 1Int
Terry Miller 15car/85yds
Jim Lash 10tt/5rec/52yds
Kim Anderson 7 tackles

Los Angeles (13-5) at San Francisco (14-3)

L.A. offense  9th    75.4 rush - [21st] / 209.7 pass - [5th]
       defense  4th    73.2 rush - [6th] / 162.3 pass - [6th]
       scoring         25.8 for - [1st] / 16.3 against - [13th]

  S.F. offense  7th    78.2 rush - [19th] / 209.2 pass - [6th]
       defense  9th    87.5 rush - [15th] / 162.9 pass - [7th]
       scoring         25.6 for - [2nd] / 15.9 against - [9th]


   key matchups:
       WR Jim Lash (62 rec/919 yds/4 TDs) vs. CB Monte Jackson (4 INTs/3 TDs)
       TE Brian Nemeth (40 rec/332 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Bruce Elia (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       Los Angeles 21, San Francisco 24

New York 20 at Miami 17 (Conference Championship Game)

The key to this game was the 3rd quarter.  At the half Miami was ahead 10-7, at the end of the 3rd quarter Miami was ahead 17-10, but Miami had only managed 1 play of offense in the entire 3rd quarter, with 1:15 left, and that was a fumble which setup the Jets tying score early in the 4th.  When the game was all tied up 17-17 and Miami punted the ball out of bounds at the five with 2:09 left in the game, the Jets had no doubt they could put together a drive to win the game.  The Dolphins defense was completely exhausted and had nothing left.  90 yards later Pat Leahy kicked through the game winner and the Jets were crowned the Conference champs.  Vince Evans lived up to his hype playing a brilliant game.

New York
Vince Evans 21/33 260yds 2TDs
Horace Ivory 19car/45yds 1Fumble
Ronnie Moore 11tt/7rec/103yds
Ken Schroy 5 tackles 1 knockdown

Miami
Bob Griese 12/20 116yds 1TD
Benny Malone 18car/70yds
Mike Green 3tt/2rec/41yds 1TD
Mike Singletary 10 tackles 1 sack
Reggie Wilkes 4 tackles 1 fumble recovery 1 TD
Rick Sanford 8 tackles 2 knockdowns

New YorkAFC (12-6) at Miami (11-6)

NYJ offense  21st   74.7 rush - [22nd] / 185.7 pass - [14th]
       defense  7th    74.9 rush - [7th] / 166.6 pass - [9th]
       scoring         18.9 for - [10th] / 15.2 against - [7th]
   Mia offense  18th   92.1 rush - [11th] / 173.3 pass - [19th]
       defense  2nd    47.6 rush - [4th] / 154.4 pass - [3rd]
       scoring         15.8 for - [17th] / 10.8 against - [1st]


   key matchups:
       DT Larry Bethea (18 sacks) vs. G Joe Fields
       TE Ronnie Lee (26 rec/332 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Greg Buttle (2 INTs)

   prediction:
       New YorkAFC 15, Miami 18

NFL 1982 Conference Championships Preview

New York 10-6 at Miami 10-6
     These two teams met twice during the regular season, with Miami winning both easily.  They will be looking to make it a third time and that's always a hard task.  These two teams have very similar styles.  Both look to their defense to set the stage while their ball control offense manages field position and the clock.  In fact that's the formula in the AFC.  As we saw last week Houston and San Diego both play the same style of ball.  Usually in a match up like this it comes down to quarterback, and we have a great pair in this game.  Vince Evans for the Jets is in his 6th season and is considered one of the top quarterbacks in the League.  He'll be going up against Bob Griese who is in his 16th season and has been the best big game quarterback in the League for years.  Both teams will look to get their running games going early and take the pressure off of their quarterbacks, but in the end it will be their play that makes the difference. 

Los Angeles 11-5 at San Francisco 13-3
     For years the 49ers have been one of the top teams in the League, but they have been overshadowed by their Division rivals the Los Angeles Rams.  In the past six seasons the Rams have made two Super Bowls, while the 49ers have made none.  Both teams are aging, but both teams are thought by many to be the best team in the League.  Both teams have solid defenses and both teams have explosive offenses.  This should be a real shootout.  The 49ers have one serious injury with Delvin Williams unlikely to start.  They will need someone to step up at the running back position. 

New Orleans 16 at San Francisco 45 (Divisional Playoff Game)

When the Saints went up 10-0 early in the first quarter I thought it looked bad for the 49ers.  Twice earlier in the season they had faced the Saints and twice the Saints had easily beaten them.  But it was not to be.  The 49ers would end up completely dominating the second half of this game and coming away with a very impressive win.  Jim Plunkett had a phenomenal day and the 49ers are on their way to the 1982 NFC Conference Championship Game.

San Francisco
Jim Plunkett 25/36 405yds 6TDs
Delvin Williams 14car/52yds   3tt/3rec/25yds 1TD
Keith Wright 7tt/6rec/119yds 1TD
Jim Lash 8tt/5rec/92yds 2TDs
Jerry Butler 8tt/5rec/95yds 1TD
Larry Brune 8 tackles

New Orleans
Peil Pennington 14/25 151yds
Tony Dorsett 15car/24yds 1Fumble
Freddie Solomon 9tt/4rec/91yds
Sidney Brown 11 tackles 1 knockdown
Tom Rudd 4 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown

New Orleans (11-6) at San Francisco (13-3)

  N.O. offense  7th    104.6 rush - [7th] / 190.2 pass - [14th]
       defense  4th    49.6 rush - [3rd] / 195.7 pass - [16th]
       scoring         21.6 for - [5th] / 13.7 against - [5th]

  S.F. offense  4th    83.1 rush - [15th] / 222.2 pass - [3rd]
       defense  12th   93.0 rush - [19th] / 173.1 pass - [10th]
       scoring         24.4 for - [2nd] / 15.9 against - [9th]


   key matchups:

       HB Delvin Williams (1048 yds/12 TDs) vs. New Orleans run D (2.4 rush avg)
       TE Ken MacAfee (31 rec/404 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Junior Hardin (2 INTs)
       TE Bruce Hardy (22 rec/263 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Bruce Elia (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       New Orleans 19, San Francisco 22

New York 17 at San Diego 13 (Divisional Playoff Game)

The Jets scored with 1:52 left in the game and then held on for the win.  The Chargers defense did all they were suppose to.  They forced Vince Evans into errors and gave their offense chances, but the Chargers offense could not get the job done. 

New York
Vince Evans 22/31 243yds 1TD 2Ints
Horace Ivory 18car/59yds 1TD
Ronnie Moore 11tt/8rec/99yds
John Tate 5 tackles 1 sack

San Diego
Dan Fouts 21/39 226yds
Rickey Young 15car/63yds 1TD
Dwight McDonald 11tt/5rec/70yds
Mark Merrill 9 tackles 1 int

New YorkAFC (11-6) at San Diego (10-6)

   NYJ offense  16th   79.1 rush - [20th] / 196.6 pass - [11th]
       defense  9th    79.4 rush - [10th] / 176.4 pass - [12th]
       scoring         19.1 for - [10th] / 15.3 against - [8th]

  S.D. offense  26th   46.7 rush - [27th] / 187.9 pass - [15th]
       defense  7th    87.0 rush - [14th] / 163.2 pass - [4th]
       scoring         13.6 for - [24th] / 13.4 against - [4th]


   key matchups:

       TE Jim Obradovich (40 rec/347 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Greg Buttle (2 INTs)
       WR Ronnie Moore (89 rec/1221 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Mike Fuller (1 INT)
       TE Willie Scott (19 rec/158 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Mark Merrill (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       New YorkAFC 16, San Diego 17

Los Angeles 27 at Philadelphia 14 (Divisional Playoff Game)

What a dominating performance from the Rams who clearly looked like the better team.  When James Harris was carried off the field early in the first quarter you had to wonder what chance the Rams had, but Pat Haden filled in and played perfectly.  Meanwhile the Rams defense completely bottled up the Eagles.  This was an impressive performance by the Rams.  Harris did make an appearance on the Rams final possession so he should be ready to start next week.

Los Angeles
Pat Haden 16/28 241yds 2TDs
John Cappelletti 11car/38yds 1TD
Freeman Johnson 9tt/5rec/120yds 1TD
Larry Anderson 9 tackles 1 knockdown 1Fumble recovery

Philadelphia
John Walton 15/28 192yds 1TD 1Int
Ricky Bell 18car/54yds 1TD 1Fumble   6tt/6rec/55yds 1TD
Howie Long 2 tackles 3 sacks
Vann McElroy 9 tackles 2 knockdowns

Los Angeles (12-5) at Philadelphia (12-4)

  L.A. offense  6th    79.8 rush - [19th] / 222.0 pass - [5th]
       defense  6th    77.5 rush - [7th] / 171.9 pass - [9th]
       scoring         25.7 for - [1st] / 16.4 against - [13th]

  Phil offense  8th    121.1 rush - [1st] / 173.3 pass - [20th]
       defense  23rd   72.7 rush - [5th] / 240.4 pass - [28th]
       scoring         23.1 for - [4th] / 21.9 against - [24th]


   key matchups:

       HB Ricky Bell (1314 yds/14 TDs) vs. LB John Barefield (101 Tackles)
       WR James Lofton (55 rec/910 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Monte Jackson (4 INTs/3 TDs)
       QB James Harris (30 TDs/3854 yds) vs. Philadelphia pass D
       WR George Lantz (66 rec/1195 yds/10 TDs) vs. CB Ted Watts

   prediction:

       Los Angeles 24, Philadelphia 23

Houston 9 at Miami 10 (Divisional Playoff Game)

Both teams played their defensive schemes to perfection and so we got a very tight ballgame.  Houston contained the Miami running game and forced Bob Griese into some critical turnovers and a safety, while Miami managed to shut down Dan Pastorini limiting him to only one sustained drive.  In the end Miami's defense was the difference. 

Miami
Bob Griese 14/27 240yds 2Ints
Benny Malone 25car/80yds
Mike Green 9tt/5rec/110yds
Mike Singletary 4 tackles 2 sacks

Houston
Dan Pastorini 14/35 224yds 1TD
Ralph Nelson 11car/6yds
Billy Johnson 8tt/2rec/56yds
Greg Bingham 7 tackles 1 int
Willie Alexander 8 tackles 2 knockdowns 1 int
Barry Krauss 3 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown 1 safety
Wilson Whitley 3 sacks
Doug Betters 2 tackles 3 sacks

Houston (9-7-1) at Miami (10-6)

   Hou offense  13th   84.9 rush - [14th] / 197.1 pass - [10th]
       defense  13th   49.2 rush - [2nd] / 218.5 pass - [24th]
       scoring         19.8 for - [9th] / 16.7 against - [16th]

   Mia offense  14th   97.9 rush - [10th] / 184.1 pass - [17th]
       defense  2nd    50.6 rush - [4th] / 164.0 pass - [5th]
       scoring         16.1 for - [16th] / 10.9 against - [1st]


   key matchups:

       DT Larry Bethea (18 sacks) vs. G Ed Fisher
       WR Willis Adams (55 rec/869 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Willie Alexander (3 INTs)

   prediction:

       Houston 15, Miami 19

NFL 1982 Divisional Playoffs Preview

Houston 8-7-1 at Miami 10-6
     The best Houston team showed up and pounded Seattle last week.  They will need to repeat that effort this week against the Dolphins.  They will look to shut down the running attack and force Griese to beat them in the air.  Miami will be looking to do just the opposite.  Contain Dan Pastorini and you contain the Houston offense.  The wildcard round was dominated by defense, this game should be another big defensive battle.

New York 10-6 at San Diego 10-6
     The Chargers win by their defense.  Their offense is almost non existent. They will have to get some production out of their offense if they hope to win this game.  The Jets play a very balanced game.  Like the Chargers they look to their defense to lead the way, but with Vince Evans they feel confident they can score points.  I wouldn't be surprised if this was a low scoring affair.

Los Angeles 11-5 at Philadelphia 12-4
     I gave the Cowboys defense no chance against the Rams, but they played a great game.  I give the Eagles defense no chance and will be stunned if they can keep the Rams below 24 points.  While the Eagles are one dimensional, all offense, the Rams have a very solid defense.  It's not a good match up for the Eagles and I wouldn't be surprised to see this one turn into a blowout for the Rams.  If the Eagles can get their offense rolling this could be a real shootout.

New Orleans 10-6 at San Francisco 13-3
    The Saints easily beat the 49ers both times they played in the regular season, but it's hard to beat such a talented team three times in a season.  The Saints have to get better production out of their offense than they did against the Packers and not turn the ball over.  The 49ers will look to get their offense going, which has struggled against the Saints this year. 

New Orleans 7 at Green Bay 6 (Wildcard Game)

The Packers defense played as good a game as they could.  They forced turnovers and contained the Saints offense, but it wasn't enough.  The Packers offense was also going up against a quality defense and in the end, their offense just didn't have enough juice.  The Saints get by with a shaky offensive showing, but they get by.

New Orleans
Peil Pennington 15/25 170yds 2Ints
Tony Dorsett 14car/37yds
Jerrold McRae 5tt/5rec/66yds
Craig Cassady 4 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown
Junior Hardin 4 tackles 2 sacks

Green Bay
Lynn Dickey 15/30 186yds 1Int
David Overstreet 21car/45yds 2 fumbles
Steve Odom 8tt/4rec/61yds
Rickey Jackson 4 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int
Gary Spani 8 tackles 1 int

New Orleans (10-6) at Green Bay (9-7)

  N.O. offense  5th    111.2 rush - [5th] / 202.1 pass - [11th]
       defense  8th    52.7 rush - [4th] / 207.9 pass - [20th]
       scoring         22.5 for - [5th] / 14.2 against - [5th]

  G.B. offense  27th   55.3 rush - [25th] / 160.3 pass - [27th]
       defense  1st    42.8 rush - [1st] / 146.9 pass - [1st]
       scoring         13.3 for - [25th] / 12.1 against - [3rd]


   key matchups:

       DE Mark Gastineau (21 sacks) vs. T Don Morrison
       DT Dan Hampton (30 sacks) vs. G Emanuel Zanders
       TE Keith Krepfle (23 rec/234 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Junior Hardin (2 INTs)
       HB Tony Dorsett (1153 yds/6 TDs) vs. Green Bay run D (2.1 rush avg)

   prediction:

       New Orleans 17, Green Bay 18

New England 0 at New York 7 (Wildcard Game)

The Patriots big problem all season was their lack of offense and it caught up to them in this game.  With the Jets defense playing their best game of the year, the Patriots had absolutely no answer.  The Patriots also put together a great defensive effort, but in the end they finally gave way to the Jets.

New York
Vince Evans 17/37 216yds 1TD
Horace Ivory 23car/64yds
Ronnie Moore 11tt/5rec/60yds 1TD
Greg Buttle 9 tackles 1 sack
Bob Martin 6 tackles 1 sack 1 int
Pat Leahy 0 for 4

New England
Steve Grogan 16/33 109yds 1Int
Don Calhoun 14car/27yds
Darryl Stingley 10tt/2rec/16yds
Carlos Pennywell 6tt/2rec/22yds
Donnie Thomas 10 tackles 1 sack

New England (9-7) at New YorkAFC (10-6)

  N.E. offense  20th   99.6 rush - [9th] / 168.6 pass - [22nd]
       defense  6th    84.0 rush - [11th] / 168.6 pass - [6th]
       scoring         14.9 for - [21st] / 12.1 against - [2nd]

   NYJ offense  10th   84.0 rush - [16th] / 208.9 pass - [8th]
       defense  11th   84.3 rush - [12th] / 187.4 pass - [12th]
       scoring         19.8 for - [9th] / 16.3 against - [12th]


   key matchups:

       WR Ronnie Moore (89 rec/1221 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Mike Haynes (3 INTs)
       HB Don Calhoun (1122 yds/8 TDs) vs. New YorkAFC run D (3.5 rush avg)
       TE Russ Francis (37 rec/348 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Greg Buttle (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       New England 16, New YorkAFC 19

Dallas 10 at Los Angeles 16 (OT) (Wildcard Game)

I had picked the Rams to win this one 35-10 because I thought the Rams defense was good enough to shut down the Cowboys and that the Cowboys defense had no hope of shutting down the Rams, boy was I wrong.  The only touchdown the Rams got in regulation was a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.  The Cowboys were able to put constant pressure on James Harris and in the end it was the 49ers running game that broke the tie when John Cappelletti broke free for a 47yd pickup to setup the game winning score. 

Los Angeles
James Harris 20/35 227yds 1TD 1Int
William Andrews 11car/52yds
George Lantz 12tt/5rec/85yds 1TD
Brian Cabrail 10 tackles 1 sack
Bill Barnett 2 tackles 3 sacks
John Barefield 9 tackles 1 fumble recovery 1TD

Dallas
Roger Staubach 12/29 134yds 1Int
Mario Cage 3car/9yds
Earl Campbell 17car/2yds
Drew Pearson 10tt/4rec/53yds
Randy White 1 tackle 5 sacks

Dallas (10-5-1) at Los Angeles (11-5)

  Dall offense  17th   95.1 rush - [12th] / 183.6 pass - [18th]
       defense  22nd   83.4 rush - [9th] / 226.8 pass - [26th]
       scoring         21.2 for - [7th] / 16.1 against - [11th]

  L.A. offense  3rd    84.8 rush - [15th] / 235.9 pass - [2nd]
       defense  9th    82.3 rush - [8th] / 182.6 pass - [10th]
       scoring         26.3 for - [1st] / 16.8 against - [15th]


   key matchups:

       QB James Harris (30 TDs/3854 yds) vs. Dallas pass D
       WR George Lantz (66 rec/1195 yds/10 TDs) vs. CB Lester Hayes (7 INTs/3 TDs)
       WR Drew Pearson (51 rec/1050 yds/8 TDs) vs. CB Monte Jackson (4 INTs/3 TDs)
       TE Ozzie Newsome (31 rec/258 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Jim Youngblood (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Dallas 19, Los Angeles 24

Seattle 13 at Houston 24 (Wildcard Game)

I had picked Seattle to win this one 24-10, I was way off, but the good Houston team showed up and they were way too much for Seattle.  Dan Pastorini has had a very solid year and had a fantastic day.  Houston also got a solid game from Ralph Nelson who has had a very quiet year, and they put constant pressure on Brian Sipe.

Houston
Dan Pastorini 22/30 274yds 2TDs
Ralph Nelson 21car/90yds 1TD
Ron Smith 6tt/5rec/53yds
George Andrews 6 tackles 1 sack
Dwight Hicks 4 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown 1 Fumble recovery

Seattle
Brian Sipe 16/25 234yds 2TDs
Sterling Rolfe 16car/32yds 1 Fumble
Duke Fergerson 5tt/5rec/58yds 1TD
Keith Butler 9 tackles

Seattle (8-8) at Houston (8-7-1)

   Sea offense  15th   114.2 rush - [2nd] / 167.9 pass - [23rd]
       defense  14th   90.4 rush - [15th] / 186.9 pass - [11th]
       scoring         16.3 for - [16th] / 17.6 against - [18th]

   Hou offense  8th    90.3 rush - [13th] / 209.4 pass - [7th]
       defense  17th   52.3 rush - [3rd] / 232.2 pass - [27th]
       scoring         19.5 for - [10th] / 16.9 against - [16th]


   key matchups:

       WR Steve Largent (60 rec/966 yds/7 TDs) vs. CB Willie Alexander (3 INTs)

   prediction:

       Seattle 17, Houston 22

NFL 1982 Wild Card Games Preview

Seattle 8-8 at Houston 8-7-1
     I thought at the beginning of the year the Seattle could contend as the best team in the AFC.  Their offense was very good in 1981 and they had put a lot of work into improving their defense in the off season.  Oddly in 1982 it is their offense that has struggled.  They have managed to turn things around late and may prove to be very dangerous in the playoffs.  Everyone knew coming into the 1982 season that the AFC Central was the weakest Division in the League.  The Oilers were viewed as a aging version of the powerful team they once were and that's one reason why the Browns were being eyed as a surprise team.  But the Oilers managed to put together a solid season at times looking like their younger selves.  It really depends on what Houston team comes out to play as to whether they are any good or not. 

     I'm picking Seattle to win this one 24-10.


New England 9-7 at New York 10-6
     The Jets were thought to be one of the best teams in the AFC and they lived up to expectations.  Their defense has struggled at times, but have played well down the stretch.  The Patriots were a bit of a surprise this year.  No one was expecting much from the Patriots but they have played solid all season.  Their defense is their strength. 

     I'm picking New York to win this one 21-14.

Dallas 10-5-1 at Los Angeles 11-5
     Dallas is never quite what you expect, but their defense has been much improved this season and it has given the Cowboys more consistency.  At times they can look pretty ordinary, but they are not to be overlooked.  The Rams meanwhile have completely surprised everyone.  They seem to be ageless looking like the best team in the League by the end of this season.  Their defense and offense are playing incredibly well going into the playoffs. 

     I'm picking Los Angeles to win this one 35-10

New Orleans 10-6 at Green Bay 9-7
     Since making the Super Bowl in 1979 the Saints have struggled offensively, but they seemed to get their spark back this year, and are now playing the best football they have played all season.  Depending on which New Orleans offense shows up this can be a completely dominating team.  The Packers are another team that struggles offensively, and have again this season.  They rely solely on their defense to win games.

     I'm picking New Olreans to win this one 24-3

NFL 1982 Regular Season Wrap Up

The Miami Dolphins have once again topped the AFC.  As expected the AFC East was a battle between Miami and New York with the Dolphins taking the last game of the season to win the Division and win home field throughout the playoffs.  New England also made their way back into the playoffs, but Baltimore fell short just missing the final playoff spot. 

Houston won the AFC Central.  They were the only team with a winning record in the Central Division and dominated the Division from the beginning of the year.  I had predicted the Browns to take the Division but they struggled early finally making a run late in the season.  They have a solid defense and passing attack, but no running game.  The will be looking for running in the off season. 

San Diego and Seattle were expected to fight out for the AFC West, but Seattle struggled along letting the Chargers take the Division easily.  Seattle did manage to make the playoffs and could be a surprise team.  The big surprise in the AFC West was the Raiders who were in the playoff hunt until the final game.  No one had expected anything from Oakland.  The other big surprise was the fall off of the Chiefs.  They were suppose to be the third team fighting for the West title, but their offense really struggled this year. 

In the NFC no one was surprised to see San Francisco set the best record.  In fact the NFC West put in 3 of their 4 teams to the playoffs, with Atlanta being the only team to fail to make it.  It could be argued that the Rams are playing the best football right now of any team in the League.  They racked up an incredible 421 points in the regular season that's 26.3 points per game.  The Saints found their form late, but too are playing well going into the playoffs.  Their trade for Tony Dorsett has paid off as he put together a 1,000yd rushing season and finally given Peil Pennington some help on offense. 

The NFC Central was a battle all season.  We had expected the Lions and the Packers to fight it out, but the Lions struggled defensively and so in the end only Minnesota had a shot, but the Packers easily beat them in the final game of the season to clinch the Division.  They'll go into the playoffs with their powerful defense, but no one is expecting much from the lowest scoring team in the NFC.

The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the NFC East.  Their incredible offense was backed up by a much improved defense this season, though they still are the weak point of the Eagles.  The Cowboys have also made the playoffs.  They got off to a hot start and have struggled a bit down the stretch.  The Giants missed the final playoff spot by losing their final game of the season.  The Giants, like the Browns, lack any kind of running game. 


Stats
QBs
1. SF Jim Plunkett 280/436 3,678yds 22TDs 11Ints 97.0 rating
2. LA James Harris 285/474 3,854yds 30TDs 16Ints 93.0 rating
3. Hou Dan Pastorini 294/503 3,702yds 24TDs 7Ints 91.5 rating
4. StL Mike Phipps 347/614 4.721yds 30TDs 10Ints 90.6 rating
5. Was Joe Theismann 282/517 4,012yds 30TDs 11Ints 90.3 rating

RBs
1. Bal Billy Sims 319car 1,372yds 4.3avg 13TDs
2. Phi Ricky Bell 261car 1,314yds 5.0avg 14TDs
3. KC Ted Brown 251car 1,235yds 4.9avg 6TDs
4. NO Tony Dorsett 254car 1,153yds 4.5avg 6TDs
5. Was Mike Thomas 262car 1,142yds 4.3avg 8TDs

Recs
1. Det Mel Jacobs 85rec 1,405yds 16.5avg 8TDs
2. NYG Jim Robinson 63rec 1,222yds 19.3avg 10TDs
3. NYJ Ronnie Moore 89rec 1,221yds 13.7avg 6TDs
4. LA George Lantz 66rec 1,195yds 18.1avg 10TDs
5. Min Leonard Willis 68rec 1,118yds 16.4avg 6TDs

Ints
1. Dal Lester Hayes 7 ints 3TDs
2. Atl Rowland Lawrence 5 Ints
3. StL George Floyd 5 Ints
4. SF Larry Brune 5 Ints
5. 6 tied at 4Ints

Sacks
1. GB Dan Hampton 30 sacks
2. NYG Don Smith 27 sacks
3. Chi Myron Lapka 25 sacks
4. Buf Rod Horn 23 sacks
5 2 tied at 21 sacks

NFL 1982 Week 16 Standings

American Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Miami         10  6  0  258  175    W1  5-3-0  5-3-0     6-2-0    9-5-0
New YorkAFC   10  6  0  317  260    L1  6-2-0  4-4-0     4-4-0    6-6-0
New England    9  7  0  239  193    L1  5-3-0  4-4-0     4-4-0    6-6-0
Baltimore      8  8  0  262  255    W2  4-4-0  4-4-0     3-5-0    5-7-0
Buffalo        6 10  0  169  278    L3  1-7-0  5-3-0     3-5-0    5-7-0

Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Houston        8  7  1  312  271    L1  5-2-1  3-5-0     5-1-0    8-4-0
Cleveland      7  9  0  204  240    W1  5-3-0  2-6-0     4-2-0    7-5-0
Pittsburgh     6 10  0  227  263    W3  3-5-0  3-5-0     2-4-0    4-8-0
Cincinnati     2 14  0  263  390    L1  1-7-0  1-7-0     1-5-0   2-10-0

Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf 
San Diego     10  6  0  218  215    L1  6-2-0  4-4-0     4-4-0    8-6-0
Seattle        8  8  0  261  281    W2  6-2-0  2-6-0     4-4-0    6-6-0
Oakland        7  9  0  244  372    L2  5-3-0  2-6-0     5-3-0    7-5-0
Kansas City    7  9  0  300  309    L2  5-3-0  2-6-0     4-4-0    7-5-0
Denver         6 10  0  194  257    W1  4-4-0  2-6-0     3-5-0    6-6-0



National Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Philadelphia  12  4  0  370  351    L1  7-1-0  5-3-0     6-2-0    8-4-0
Dallas        10  5  1  339  257    W2  6-2-0  4-3-1     6-2-0    8-4-0
New YorkNFC    9  7  0  252  241    L2  5-3-0  4-4-0     4-4-0    6-6-0
Washington     8  8  0  345  367    W1  4-4-0  4-4-0     2-6-0    4-8-0
St. Louis      5 11  0  372  422    L5  3-5-0  2-6-0     2-6-0   4-10-0

Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Green Bay      9  7  0  213  194    W2  6-2-0  3-5-0     6-2-0    8-4-0
Chicago        7  9  0  266  292    W1  3-5-0  4-4-0     4-4-0    7-7-0
Minnesota      7  9  0  272  267    L2  4-4-0  3-5-0     4-4-0    6-6-0
Detroit        7  9  0  335  349    W1  3-5-0  4-4-0     4-4-0    5-7-0
Tampa Bay      4 12  0  250  336    L2  3-5-0  1-7-0     2-6-0    3-9-0

Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Francisco 13  3  0  390  254    W3  7-1-0  6-2-0     3-3-0    9-3-0
Los Angeles   11  5  0  421  269    W1  6-2-0  5-3-0     3-3-0    8-4-0
New Orleans   10  6  0  360  227    W2  6-2-0  4-4-0     4-2-0    6-6-0
Atlanta        7  9  0  230  298    L1  5-3-0  2-6-0     2-4-0    4-8-0

Dallas 27 at St. Louis 20

A good road win for the Cowboys to finish off their season.  They have struggled a bit down the stretch, so this might help build a little confidence for the playoffs.

Dallas
Roger Staubach 9/21 214yds 2TDs
Earl Campbell 18car/57yds
Drew Pearson 10tt/7rec/175yds 2TDs
Thomas Henderson 6 tackles 1 fumble recovery 1TD
Efren Herrera 2 of 4 long of 50yds

St. Louis
Mike Phipps 24/36 401yds 1TD
Mike Strachan 18car/51yds
Ike Harris 9tt/5rec/102yds
Pat Tilley 6tt/4rec/97yds 1TD
George Floyd 8 tackles
Rex Robinson 2 of 4 long of 37yds

Dallas (9-5-1) at St. Louis (5-10) [MNF]

  Dall offense  17th   96.5 rush - [10th] / 181.7 pass - [17th]
       defense  20th   84.0 rush - [11th] / 215.7 pass - [23rd]
       scoring         20.8 for - [7th] / 15.8 against - [8th]

   StL offense  2nd    61.3 rush - [24th] / 264.1 pass - [1st]
       defense  25th   95.3 rush - [19th] / 227.3 pass - [26th]
       scoring         23.5 for - [4th] / 26.3 against - [28th]


   key matchups:

       QB Mike Phipps (29 TDs/4320 yds) vs. Dallas pass D
       WR Ike Harris (74 rec/994 yds/7 TDs) vs. CB Lester Hayes (7 INTs/3 TDs)

   prediction:

       Dallas 24, St. Louis 23

Miami 21 at New York Jets 6

The past two seasons the best big game quarterback has been Bob Griese and he came through for the Dolphins again today.  The Jets could never get their offense moving.

Miami
Bob Griese 13/23 233yds 3TDs 1Int
Benny Malone 24car/84yds
Mike Green 7tt/4rec/157yds 2TDs
Rick Sanford 7 tackles

New York
Vince Evans 9/23 108yds
Horace Ivory 15car/31yds
Ronnie Moore 8tt/3rec/50yds
Dennis Thurman 9 tackles

Miami (9-6) at New YorkAFC (10-5)

  Mia offense  18th   95.2 rush - [11th] / 180.9 pass - [18th]
       defense  2nd    50.4 rush - [2nd] / 169.8 pass - [6th]
       scoring         15.8 for - [18th] / 11.3 against - [1st]

   NYJ offense  6th    86.0 rush - [17th] / 217.7 pass - [6th]
       defense  9th    80.7 rush - [7th] / 184.4 pass - [11th]
       scoring         20.7 for - [9th] / 15.9 against - [9th]


   key matchups:

       WR Ronnie Moore (86 rec/1171 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Sid Dixon
       DT Larry Bethea (16 sacks) vs. G Gary Puetz
       TE Ronnie Lee (25 rec/326 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Greg Buttle (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Miami 16, New YorkAFC 19

Baltimore 24 at Buffalo 6

I just realized that I had looked at the numbers wrong and if I'm right now then Seattle is in over Baltimore, so this win was for nothing more than getting to 8-8.  Down the stretch Baltimore lost 4 of their last 6 games.  It should be noted though that of Baltimore's 8 losses this season 6 were to playoff teams. 

Baltimore
Bert Jones 13/19 145yds 1Int
Billy Sims 31car/215yds 3TDs
Roger Carr 5tt/5rec/64yds
Gary Roberts 5 tackles 2 sacks

Buffalo
Gary Marangi 21/36 239yds
OJ Simpson 14car/21yds
John Holland 18tt/12rec/139yds
John Anderson 7 tackles 1 sack
Doug Jones 6 tackles 1 int

Baltimore (7-8) at Buffalo (6-9)

   Bal offense  13th   89.9 rush - [13th] / 197.9 pass - [12th]
       defense  15th   78.3 rush - [6th] / 203.1 pass - [18th]
       scoring         15.9 for - [17th] / 16.6 against - [13th]

  Buff offense  28th   44.7 rush - [28th] / 160.1 pass - [26th]
       defense  12th   100.3 rush - [24th] / 169.1 pass - [5th]
       scoring         10.9 for - [28th] / 16.9 against - [16th]


   key matchups:

       DT Rod Horn (22 sacks) vs. G Bob Van Duyne
       TE Reuben Gant (34 rec/366 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Kirby Criswell (2 INTs)
       HB Billy Sims (1157 yds/10 TDs) vs. LB John Anderson (104 Tackles)

   prediction:

       Baltimore 16, Buffalo 17

Minnesota 3 at Green Bay 19

Green Bay completely dominated this game to win the NFC Central.

Green Bay
Lynn Dickey 18/35 228yds 1TD
David Overstreet 24car/75yds
Steve Odom 11tt/4rec/73yds
Ken Payne 10tt/7rec/66yds 1TD
Dan Bunz 2 tackles 1 sack 2 knockdowns
Chester Marcol 4 of 5 long of 37yds

Minnesota
Mike Rieker 14/32 131yds
Chuck Foreman 10car/32yds
Ahmad Rashad 5tt/3rec/34yds
Johnny Lynn 7 tackles 2 knockdowns

Minnesota (7-8) at Green Bay (8-7)

  Minn offense  15th   93.2 rush - [12th] / 193.4 pass - [15th]
       defense  11th   81.5 rush - [8th] / 187.7 pass - [13th]
       scoring         17.9 for - [12th] / 16.5 against - [12th]

  G.B. offense  27th   52.7 rush - [25th] / 155.8 pass - [27th]
       defense  1st    42.8 rush - [1st] / 150.6 pass - [1st]
       scoring         12.9 for - [25th] / 12.7 against - [3rd]


   key matchups:

       DE Mark Gastineau (20 sacks) vs. T Steve Riley
       DT Dan Hampton (29 sacks) vs. G Ed White
       WR Ken Payne (62 rec/828 yds/3 TDs) vs. CB Walt Williams (2 INTs)
       TE Keith Krepfle (21 rec/215 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Ken Fantetti (3 INTs/0 TDs)
       WR Leonard Willis (66 rec/1102 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Henry Monroe (1 INT)

   prediction:

       Minnesota 15, Green Bay 18

Detroit 22 at New England 19

With 24 seconds left Greg Landry connected with Andre Tillman for the game winning score. 

Detroit
Greg Landry 14/27 194yds 2TDs 1Int
Ottis Anderson 13car/82yds
Mel Jacobs 9tt/5rec/103yds
Ronnie Lott 11 tackles 2 knockdowns
Gary Shugrue 10 tackles

New England
Steve Grogan 23/37 281yds 2TDs
Don Calhoun 23car/67yds
Darryl Stingley 10tt/4rec/50yds 1TD
Steve Burks 9tt/6rec/103yds
Mike Haynes 7 tackles 1 knockdown

Detroit (6-9) at New England (9-6)

  Det offense  3rd    104.3 rush - [6th] / 214.4 pass - [7th]
       defense  24th   93.2 rush - [17th] / 223.8 pass - [24th]
       scoring         20.9 for - [6th] / 22.0 against - [24th]
  N.E. offense  22nd   101.4 rush - [9th] / 161.9 pass - [24th]
       defense  5th    83.4 rush - [9th] / 168.1 pass - [4th]
       scoring         14.7 for - [21st] / 11.4 against - [2nd]


   key matchups:

       HB Don Calhoun (1055 yds/8 TDs) vs. Detroit run D (3.5 rush avg)
       TE Russ Francis (31 rec/310 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Garth Ten Napel (2 INTs)
       WR Mel Jacobs (80 rec/1302 yds/8 TDs) vs. CB Mike Haynes (3 INTs)

   prediction:

       Detroit 16, New England 21

Chicago 23 at Tampa Bay 20

A good end of the season win for the Bears on the road. 

Chicago
Ken Anderson 9/26 150yds
Walter Payton 23car/122yds 1TD
Brian Baschnagel 10tt/5rec/101yds
Myron Lapka 2 tackles 3 sacks
Bob Thomas 3 of 4 long of 44yds

Tampa Bay
Rich Campbell 15/30 161yds 2TDs
Steve Atkins 9car/56yds
Glenn Olgesby 4tt/3rec/44yds 1TD
Tom Cousineau 3 tackles 2 sacks 1 knockdown
Danny Reece 7 tackles 4 knockdowns
Eddie Edwards 1 tackle 3 sacks

Chicago (6-9) at Tampa Bay (4-11)

   Chi offense  12th   78.1 rush - [19th] / 210.0 pass - [9th]
       defense  7th    87.9 rush - [13th] / 174.1 pass - [8th]
       scoring         16.2 for - [14th] / 18.1 against - [19th]

  T.B. offense  14th   107.9 rush - [5th] / 178.9 pass - [19th]
       defense  21st   97.3 rush - [22nd] / 205.3 pass - [19th]
       scoring         15.3 for - [20th] / 20.9 against - [22nd]


   key matchups:

       DT Myron Lapka (22 sacks) vs. G Everett Little
       WR James Scott (71 rec/1065 yds/4 TDs) vs. CB Curtis Jordan (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Chicago 19, Tampa Bay 20

Kansas City 11 at Denver 20

A big loss for the Chiefs.  They needed this win to keep their playoff hopes alive, but their offense struggled and they fell short.  Seattle fans are now waiting to see what happens with Baltimore.  If the Colts lose the Seahawks are in. 

Denver
Danny White 15/27 231yds 1Int
Rickey Anderson 25car/107yds 2TDs
Art Monk 12tt/3rec/46yds
Terrence Yunker 4tt/3rec/70yds
Randy Gradishar 6 tackles 1 sack

Kansas City
Greg Hendrickson 21/33 259yds 1TD 2Ints
Ted Brown 12car/36yds
Armand Jackson 11tt/7rec/108yds 1TD
Bob Gregolunas 4 tackles 1 sack 1 int

Kansas City (7-8) at Denver (5-10)

  K.C. offense  11th   117.1 rush - [3rd] / 173.5 pass - [21st]
       defense  28th   104.9 rush - [26th] / 227.0 pass - [25th]
       scoring         19.3 for - [11th] / 19.3 against - [21st]

   Den offense  25th   79.9 rush - [18th] / 160.7 pass - [25th]
       defense  14th   95.4 rush - [20th] / 184.4 pass - [12th]
       scoring         11.6 for - [27th] / 16.4 against - [11th]


   key matchups:

       WR Terrence Yunker (51 rec/619 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Gerald Jackson (2 INTs)
       HB Ted Brown (1199 yds/6 TDs) vs. LB Randy Gradishar (116 Tackles)

   prediction:

       Kansas City 18, Denver 19

New York Giants 10 at San Francisco 17

All the Giants had to do to clinch their spot in the playoffs, was fly to San Francisco and beat what has been the best team in the League all season.  They couldn't do it.  Their defense played a brilliant game, but they gave up two interceptions for touchdowns.  That puts Dallas and New Orleans in the playoffs.

San Francisco
Jim Plunkett 11/14 158yds
Delvin Williams 12car/22yds
Jerry Butler 3tt/3rec/44yds
Kim Anderson 12 tackles
Aaron Mitchell 5 tackles 1 knockdown 1 int 1TD

New York
Joe Reed 15/36 138yds 1TD 2Ints
Chuck Muncie 20car/123yds
David Hill 11tt/6rec/74yds 1TD
John Jefferson 8tt/6rec/74yds 1TD
Don Smith 9 tackles

New YorkNFC (9-6) at San Francisco (12-3)

   NYG offense  20th   71.2 rush - [22nd] / 199.0 pass - [11th]
       defense  6th    87.9 rush - [14th] / 171.1 pass - [7th]
       scoring         16.1 for - [15th] / 14.9 against - [6th]

  S.F. offense  5th    87.5 rush - [15th] / 228.2 pass - [3rd]
       defense  10th   89.9 rush - [15th] / 176.7 pass - [9th]
       scoring         24.9 for - [2nd] / 16.3 against - [10th]


   key matchups:

       HB Delvin Williams (1026 yds/12 TDs) vs. LB Brad Van Pelt (105 Tackles)
       TE Ken MacAfee (28 rec/364 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Brad Van Pelt (2 INTs)
       DT Don Smith (27 sacks) vs. G John Watson
       WR Jim Robinson (63 rec/1222 yds/10 TDs) vs. CB Eric Harris (1 INT)
       TE David Hill (53 rec/425 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Bruce Elia (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       New YorkNFC 16, San Francisco 23

San Diego 7 at Seattle 21

So Seattle has done what they needed to make the playoffs here in the last week.  At the beginning of the season I had picked Seattle to win their Division, and if they had played this way all year they would have.  As it is they need the Chiefs and the Colts to lose. 

Seattle
Brian Sipe 14/27 207yds 3TDs
Sterling Rolfe 15car/71yds
Duke Fergerson 8tt/4rec/85yds 3TDs
Lodie Dixon 3 sacks
Mike Stensrud 1 tackle 3 sacks
Dave Brown 6 tackles 1 sack

San Diego
Dan Fouts 17/32 223yds 1TD
Rickey Young 12car/34yds
Jesse Wolfram 9tt/4rec/97yds
Jesse Baker 6 tackles 1 sack

San Diego (10-5) at Seattle (7-8)

  S.D. offense  26th   47.3 rush - [27th] / 189.3 pass - [16th]
       defense  3rd    83.6 rush - [10th] / 161.9 pass - [3rd]
       scoring         14.1 for - [23rd] / 12.9 against - [4th]

   Sea offense  16th   112.6 rush - [4th] / 166.9 pass - [22nd]
       defense  16th   93.9 rush - [18th] / 188.2 pass - [14th]
       scoring         16.0 for - [16th] / 18.3 against - [20th]


   key matchups:

       TE Pete Holohan (3 rec/20 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Mark Merrill (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       San Diego 16, Seattle 17

Oakland 13 at New Orleans 42

If the Raiders won this game they would have locked up the last playoff spot in the AFC, but their defense had no answer for the Saints who racked up over 500 yards of offense.  The Saints now have to wait for the outcome of Dallas and New York.  They need one of these teams to move to make the playoffs.

New Orleans
Peil Pennington 20/31 283yds 4TDs 1Int
Tony Dorsett 20car/153yds
Jerrold McRae 8tt/8rec/149yds 2TDs
Freddie Solomon 6tt/4rec/66yds 2TDs
Craig Cassady 6 tackles 1 sack

Oakland
Ken Stabler 9/24 157yds 1TD
James Owens 15car/22yds
Derrick Jensen 3tt/3rec/47yds
Tommy Campbell 10 tackles

Oakland (7-8) at New Orleans (9-6)

   Oak offense  19th   117.4 rush - [2nd] / 155.6 pass - [28th]
       defense  27th   116.9 rush - [27th] / 212.5 pass - [21st]
       scoring         15.4 for - [19th] / 22.0 against - [25th]

  N.O. offense  10th   103.6 rush - [8th] / 196.9 pass - [13th]
       defense  13th   54.3 rush - [4th] / 215.1 pass - [22nd]
       scoring         21.2 for - [5th] / 14.3 against - [5th]


   key matchups:

       TE Bruce Hardy (21 rec/255 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Jim LeClair (3 INTs)
       TE Dave Casper (43 rec/458 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Junior Hardin (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Oakland 15, New Orleans 25

Cincinnati (2-13) at Pittsburgh (5-10)

   Cinn offense  7th    77.3 rush - [20th] / 226.1 pass - [5th]
       defense  26th   129.4 rush - [28th] / 199.8 pass - [17th]
       scoring         16.7 for - [13th] / 24.4 against - [27th]

  Pitt offense  24th   76.8 rush - [21st] / 165.4 pass - [23rd]
       defense  22nd   97.4 rush - [23rd] / 211.1 pass - [20th]
       scoring         13.5 for - [24th] / 16.7 against - [14th]


   key matchups:

       TE Dan Ross (50 rec/458 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Lawrence Taylor (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Cincinnati 17, Pittsburgh 22

Los Angeles 31 at Atlanta 16

The Rams are in the playoffs after overwhelming the Falcons. 

Los Angeles
James Harris 24/34 341yds 3TDs
William Andrews 14car/40yds 1TD
Mike Cobb 6tt/6rec/79yds 2TDs
John Barefield 10 tackles 1 sack 1 int

Atlanta
Marc Wilson 25/45 280yds 2TDs 2Ints
Bubba Bean 14car/35yds
Wes Chandler 10tt/7rec/91yds
Ralph Ortega 11 tackles
Oliver Davis 11 tackles 1 knockdown

Los Angeles (10-5) at Atlanta (7-8)

  L.A. offense  4th    86.3 rush - [16th] / 229.8 pass - [2nd]
       defense  8th    85.9 rush - [12th] / 177.2 pass - [10th]
       scoring         26.0 for - [1st] / 16.9 against - [15th]

   Atl offense  21st   68.8 rush - [23rd] / 195.5 pass - [14th]
       defense  18th   101.8 rush - [25th] / 191.8 pass - [15th]
       scoring         14.3 for - [22nd] / 17.8 against - [18th]


   key matchups:

       DE Dennis Harrison (19 sacks) vs. T Arthur Scott
       WR Al Jenkins (49 rec/600 yds/5 TDs) vs. CB Monte Jackson (4 INTs/3 TDs)
       TE John Spagnola (67 rec/629 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Jim Youngblood (1 INT)
       QB James Harris (27 TDs/3513 yds) vs. Atlanta pass D
       WR George Lantz (64 rec/1170 yds/10 TDs) vs. CB Ron Mabra

   prediction:

       Los Angeles 22, Atlanta 19

Houston 13 at Cleveland 16

Cleveland gets their win to finish out the season.  They need a lot of losses and luck to get the final playoff spot.  If the Browns can find any kind of running game in the offseason they will be the favorites to take the AFC Central next season.

Cleveland
Dave Mays 14/20 269yds 2TDs 1Fumble
Greg Pruitt 15car/23yds
Aundra Thompson 6tt/5rec/187yds 2TDs
Tom Fleming 10tt/6rec/65yds
Art Still 7 tackles 1 sack
Dave Graf 7 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown

Houston
Dan Pastorini 15/29 162yds 1TD
Ralph Nelson 21car/107yds
Ron Smith 5tt/3rec/40yds
Barry Krauss 4 tackles 3 sacks 1 knockdown

Houston (8-6-1) at Cleveland (6-9)

   Hou offense  8th    88.7 rush - [14th] / 213.8 pass - [8th]
       defense  17th   53.9 rush - [3rd] / 231.7 pass - [27th]
       scoring         19.9 for - [10th] / 17.0 against - [17th]

  Clev offense  23rd   51.7 rush - [26th] / 203.1 pass - [10th]
       defense  4th    90.4 rush - [16th] / 157.6 pass - [2nd]
       scoring         12.5 for - [26th] / 15.1 against - [7th]


   key matchups:

       WR Tom Fleming (69 rec/989 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Willie Alexander (3 INTs)
       TE Tim Wrightman (71 rec/723 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Barry Krauss (1 INT)
       WR Ken Burrough (53 rec/865 yds/5 TDs) vs. CB Luther Philyaw (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Houston 18, Cleveland 19

Philadelphia 14 at Washington 34

The Eagles were never in this game and John Walton struggled.  A good way for the Redskins to end their season, they finish with an 8-8 record.

Washington
Joe Theismann 15/27 263yds 2TDs
Mike Thomas 23car/104yds 2TDs  1 Fumble  1tt/1rec/12yds 1TD
Don Westbrook 9tt/4rec/112yds 1TD
Walter Tullis 8 tackles 1 knockdown

Philadelphia
John Walton 14/29 142yds 3Ints
Ricky Bell 13car/70yds 2TDs
James Lofton 7tt/5rec/40yds
Cliff Odom 7 tackles 1 sack

Philadelphia (12-3) at Washington (7-8)

  Phil offense  9th    123.6 rush - [1st] / 177.0 pass - [20th]
       defense  23rd   68.3 rush - [5th] / 240.3 pass - [28th]
       scoring         23.7 for - [3rd] / 21.1 against - [23rd]

  Wash offense  1st    104.3 rush - [7th] / 226.5 pass - [4th]
       defense  19th   96.4 rush - [21st] / 198.3 pass - [16th]
       scoring         20.7 for - [8th] / 23.5 against - [26th]


   key matchups:

       QB Joe Theismann (28 TDs/3749 yds) vs. Philadelphia pass D
       HB Ricky Bell (1243 yds/12 TDs) vs. Washington run D (3.5 rush avg)
       WR James Lofton (50 rec/870 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Walter Tullis (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Philadelphia 24, Washington 25

NFL 1982 Week 16 Preview

The Eagles sit atop the NFC East as they have all season and are playing this last week for home field through the playoffs.  There is a shot the East could send three teams to the playoffs.  The Giants have the toughest road since they have to travel to San Francisco for their final game. 

In the NFC Central it is down to two teams, the Packers and the Vikings, and they play this week.  The Vikings beat the Packers in their first game 10-6, so if they can go into Green Bay and win the game, they win the Division. 

The NFC West is also looking to send three teams to the playoffs.  The 49ers are in and get a first week bye.  The Rams and the Saints though still need to win games.  If the Rams lose and the Saints, Giants, and Cowboys all win, the Rams may be in trouble. 

In the AFC It's all about the final playoff spot.  There is a chance the AFC East could send four teams to the playoffs.  The Jets, the Dolphins, and the Patriots are all in and all playing this last week to determine the Division champ.  The Colts are for the last wild card spot as are the Bills. 

The Colts and Bills are competing against the Chiefs, the Seahawks, the Raiders, and the Browns for the last spot.  The Browns have rallied late in the season to give themselves a shot but will have to beat Division champs Houston and everyone of these other teams will have to lose if they hope to get in.

In the AFC West the Chargers will be playing for home field through the playoffs, and everyone but Denver will be playing for the final playoff spot.  Buffalo and Baltimore are the only two teams playing each other for the final spot, so it could be interesting to see how this works out. 


Statistics
QBs
SF Jim Plunkett 96.4
Phi John Walton 94.8
Hou Dan Pastorini 92.2

RBs
Phi Ricky Bell 1,243yds
KC Ted Brown 1,199yds
Bal Billy Sims 1,157yds

Recs
Det Mel Jacobs 1,302yds
NYG Jim Robinson 1,222yds
NYJ Ronnie Moore 1,171yds


Playoff Picture
AFC
San Diego 10-5
New York 10-5
Houston 8-6-1
Miami 9-6
New England 9-6
Oakland 7-8
----------------------
Baltimore 7-8
Kansas City 7-8
Seattle 7-8
Buffalo 6-9
Cleveland 6-9

NFC
San Francisco 12-3
Philadelphia 12-3
Green Bay 8-7
Los Angeles 10-5
Dallas 9-5-1
New York 9-6
----------------------
New Orleans 9-6
Minnesota 7-8


Games to Watch
Oakland 7-8 at New Orleans 9-6
     This is a must win game for both teams.  If the Raiders win they are in, the Saints still need the Giants to lose to get in. 

New York Giants 9-6 at San Francisco 12-3
     This is a must win for the Giants, while the 49ers are playing for home field throughout.  This should be a high scoring affair. 

Minnesota 7-8 at Green Bay 8-7
     The winner of this game takes the NFC Central.

Miami 9-6 at New York Jets 10-5
     The winner of this game takes the AFC East.

Baltimore 7-8 at Buffalo 6-9
     For Buffalo to make the playoffs it would take a miracle, but miracles to happen.  The Colts are second in line to the Raiders so all they need is a win and a Raiders loss to get into the playoffs.

San Diego 10-5 at Seattle 7-8
     Quite a few teams have to lose for the Seahawks to make the playoffs, but they have to win.  The Chargers are playing for home field throughout.

NFL 1982 Week 15 Standings

American Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
New YorkAFC   10  5  0  311  239    W5  6-1-0  4-4-0     4-3-0    6-5-0
Miami          9  6  0  237  169    L2  5-3-0  4-3-0     5-2-0    8-5-0
New England    9  6  0  220  171    W2  5-2-0  4-4-0     4-4-0    6-6-0
Baltimore      7  8  0  238  249    W1  4-4-0  3-4-0     2-5-0    4-7-0
Buffalo        6  9  0  163  254    L2  1-6-0  5-3-0     3-4-0    5-6-0

Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Houston        8  6  1  299  255    W1  5-2-1  3-4-0     5-0-0    8-3-0
Cleveland      6  9  0  188  227    L1  4-3-0  2-6-0     3-2-0    6-5-0
Pittsburgh     5 10  0  203  250    W2  2-5-0  3-5-0     1-4-0    3-8-0
Cincinnati     2 13  0  250  366    W1  1-7-0  1-6-0     1-4-0    2-9-0

Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Diego     10  5  0  211  194    W2  6-2-0  4-3-0     4-3-0    8-5-0
Oakland        7  8  0  231  330    L1  5-3-0  2-5-0     5-3-0    7-5-0
Kansas City    7  8  0  289  289    L1  5-3-0  2-5-0     4-3-0    7-4-0
Seattle        7  8  0  240  274    W1  5-2-0  2-6-0     3-4-0    5-6-0
Denver         5 10  0  174  246    L2  3-4-0  2-6-0     2-5-0    5-6-0



National Conference
Eastern Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Philadelphia  12  3  0  356  317    W2  7-1-0  5-2-0     6-1-0    8-3-0
Dallas         9  5  1  312  237    W1  6-2-0  3-3-1     5-2-0    7-4-0
New YorkNFC    9  6  0  242  224    L1  5-3-0  4-3-0     4-4-0    6-5-0
Washington     7  8  0  311  353    L2  3-4-0  4-4-0     1-6-0    3-8-0
St. Louis      5 10  0  352  395    L4  3-4-0  2-6-0     2-5-0    4-9-0

Central Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
Green Bay      8  7  0  194  191    W1  5-2-0  3-5-0     5-2-0    7-4-0
Minnesota      7  8  0  269  248    L1  4-4-0  3-4-0     4-3-0    6-5-0
Detroit        6  9  0  313  330    L2  3-5-0  3-4-0     4-4-0    5-7-0
Chicago        6  9  0  243  272    L1  3-5-0  3-4-0     3-4-0    6-7-0
Tampa Bay      4 11  0  230  313    L1  3-4-0  1-7-0     2-5-0    3-8-0

Western Division
               W  L  T   PF   PA   Stk   Home   Away    vs Div   vs Conf
San Francisco 12  3  0  373  244    W2  6-1-0  6-2-0     3-3-0    8-3-0
Los Angeles   10  5  0  390  253    L1  6-2-0  4-3-0     2-3-0    7-4-0
New Orleans    9  6  0  318  214    W1  5-2-0  4-4-0     4-2-0    6-6-0
Atlanta        7  8  0  214  267    W1  5-2-0  2-6-0     2-3-0    4-7-0

Kansas City 14 at San Francisco 31

If Kansas City wins this game they are in control of the final AFC playoff spot, but the 49ers were too much to handle.

San Francisco
Jim Plunkett 17/26 276yds 3TDs
Delvin Williams 22car/88yds
Randy Reutershan 4tt/3rec/73yds
Reggie Lewis 4 tackles

Kansas City
Greg Hendrickson 14/27 150yds 1TD 1Fumble
Ted Brown 18car/110yds
Carl Roaches 6tt/4rec/65yds
Steve Bograkos 8 tackles

Kansas City (7-7) at San Francisco (11-3) [MNF]

  K.C. offense  11th   117.3 rush - [3rd] / 177.6 pass - [21st]
       defense  26th   103.8 rush - [24th] / 225.1 pass - [25th]
       scoring         19.6 for - [10th] / 18.4 against - [19th]

  S.F. offense  5th    85.1 rush - [17th] / 226.4 pass - [3rd]
       defense  11th   88.2 rush - [14th] / 181.1 pass - [12th]
       scoring         24.4 for - [2nd] / 16.4 against - [13th]


   key matchups:

       HB Delvin Williams (938 yds/12 TDs) vs. LB Kim Bokamper (94 Tackles)
       WR Jim Lash (58 rec/841 yds/3 TDs) vs. CB Gerald Jackson (2 INTs)
       HB Ted Brown (1089 yds/6 TDs) vs. San Francisco run D (3.9 rush avg)
       TE Walter White (38 rec/351 yds/3 TDs) vs. LB Bruce Elia (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Kansas City 18, San Francisco 24

Green Bay 6 at Chicago 3

The Packers got a big road win that puts them in control of the NFC Central and knocks the Bears out of the playoff hunt.

Green Bay
Lynn Dickey 15/23 147yds
David Overstreet 19car/48yds
Steve Odom 6tt/5rec/58yds
Dan Bunz 8 tackles 1 sack 1 knockdown

Chicago
Ken Anderson 23/38 216yds
Walter Payton 12car/16yds
James Scott 11tt/6rec/67yds
Ronald Parker 9tt/8rec/78yds
Jerry Robinson 7 tackles

Green Bay (7-7) at Chicago (6-8)

  G.B. offense  27th   51.7 rush - [26th] / 156.5 pass - [27th]
       defense  1st    44.1 rush - [1st] / 147.8 pass - [1st]
       scoring         13.4 for - [24th] / 13.4 against - [3rd]

   Chi offense  13th   81.9 rush - [19th] / 211.4 pass - [9th]
       defense  9th    89.4 rush - [15th] / 176.1 pass - [9th]
       scoring         17.1 for - [13th] / 19.0 against - [21st]


   key matchups:

       DT Myron Lapka (22 sacks) vs. G Melvin Jackson
       WR James Scott (65 rec/998 yds/4 TDs) vs. CB Henry Monroe (1 INT)
       DE Mark Gastineau (20 sacks) vs. T Dan Jiggets
       DT Dan Hampton (27 sacks) vs. G Revie Sorey

   prediction:

       Green Bay 16, Chicago 18

Baltimore 17 at Detroit 13

A win would have kept the Lions playoff hopes alive, but they could do nothing offensively in the second half and the Colts took a critical road win to instead keep their playoff hopes alive.

Baltimore
Bert Jones 15/21 219yds 1Int
Billy Sims 24car/79yds 1TD 1Fumble
Bill Malouf 2tt/2rec/60yds
Kirby Criswell 5 tackles 1 knockdown

Detroit
Greg Landry 11/25 135yds
Ottis Anderson 20car/83yds 1TD
Mel Jacobs 10tt/6rec/66yds
Ronnie Lott 8 tackles 1 int

Baltimore (6-8) at Detroit (6-8)

   Bal offense  14th   88.5 rush - [14th] / 197.2 pass - [11th]
       defense  16th   77.6 rush - [6th] / 207.9 pass - [18th]
       scoring         15.8 for - [18th] / 16.9 against - [15th]

   Det offense  1st    105.5 rush - [6th] / 220.1 pass - [6th]
       defense  24th   92.0 rush - [17th] / 225.0 pass - [24th]
       scoring         21.4 for - [5th] / 22.4 against - [24th]


   key matchups:

       WR Mel Jacobs (74 rec/1236 yds/8 TDs) vs. CB Ray Griffin
       TE Junior Miller (24 rec/276 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Kirby Criswell (2 INTs)
       HB Billy Sims (1078 yds/9 TDs) vs. Detroit run D (3.5 rush avg)
       TE Doug Marsh (32 rec/293 yds/2 TDs) vs. LB Garth Ten Napel (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Baltimore 19, Detroit 22

Houston 32 at Buffalo 3

A solid road win for the Oilers.  They had struggled the last few weeks so maybe this will build their confidence as we get closer to the playoffs. 

Houston
Dan Pastorini 20/32 227yds 3TDs
Ralph Nelson 16car/43yds 1TD
Ken Burrough 8tt/7rec/70yds
Dwight Hicks 6 tackles 1 sack 1 safety

Buffalo
Joe Ferguson 8/17 127yds 1Int
OJ Simpson 13car/17yds
John Holland 7tt/5rec/91yds
John Anderson 11 tackles

Houston (7-6-1) at Buffalo (6-8)

   Hou offense  7th    90.7 rush - [13th] / 214.6 pass - [8th]
       defense  19th   56.7 rush - [4th] / 235.6 pass - [27th]
       scoring         19.1 for - [11th] / 18.0 against - [18th]

  Buff offense  28th   46.9 rush - [27th] / 158.8 pass - [26th]
       defense  12th   103.1 rush - [23rd] / 166.7 pass - [5th]
       scoring         11.4 for - [28th] / 15.9 against - [11th]


   key matchups:

       DT Rod Horn (20 sacks) vs. G Ed Fisher
       WR Bob Chandler (54 rec/737 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Willie Alexander (2 INTs)

   prediction:

       Houston 17, Buffalo 18

New York Jets 21 at Minnesota 18

A good road win for the Jets puts them alone atop the AFC East.  It also matches them with San Diego for the best record in the AFC.

New York
Vince Evans 18/28 179yds 2TDs
Horace Ivory 17car/60yds 1TD
Howard Satterwhite 7tt/5rec/73yds 1TD
Raymond Clayborn 10 tackles 1Int

Minnesota
Mike Rieker 23/36 244yds 1TD 1Int
Chuck Foreman 17car/85yds 1Fumble
Leonard Willis 6tt/5rec/103yds
Matt Blair 10 tackles 2 knockdowns

New YorkAFC (9-5) at Minnesota (7-7)

   NYJ offense  6th    86.4 rush - [16th] / 221.1 pass - [5th]
       defense  8th    79.2 rush - [7th] / 180.5 pass - [11th]
       scoring         20.7 for - [6th] / 15.8 against - [10th]

  Minn offense  15th   92.6 rush - [12th] / 190.1 pass - [15th]
       defense  13th   81.5 rush - [8th] / 188.9 pass - [15th]
       scoring         17.9 for - [12th] / 16.2 against - [12th]


   key matchups:

       WR Leonard Willis (61 rec/999 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Dennis Thurman
       TE Stu Voight (29 rec/227 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Greg Buttle (2 INTs)
       WR Ronnie Moore (83 rec/1148 yds/6 TDs) vs. CB Walt Williams (2 INTs)
       TE Willie Scott (16 rec/127 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Ken Fantetti (3 INTs/0 TDs)

   prediction:

       New YorkAFC 18, Minnesota 20

Tampa Bay 10 at New England 13

The Patriots rallied back to pull out the win.  With just 35 seconds left in the game Steve Grogan connected with Bill Kellar on the go ahead 19 yard touchdown pass.

New England
Steve Grogan 17/29 220yds 1TD
Walter Abercrombie 4car/60yds
Darryl Stingley 4tt/3rec/44yds
Larry McGrew 8 tackles

Tampa Bay
Rich Campbell 10/18 132yds
Louis Carter 6car/23yds 1TD
Glenn Oglesby 5tt/4rec/62yds
Curtis Jordan 5 tackles 1 sack
Eddie Edwards 2 tackles 3 sacks

Tampa Bay (4-10) at New England (8-6)

  T.B. offense  12th   110.6 rush - [4th] / 184.1 pass - [17th]
       defense  21st   96.3 rush - [20th] / 208.1 pass - [19th]
       scoring         15.7 for - [19th] / 21.4 against - [22nd]

  N.E. offense  22nd   100.6 rush - [9th] / 161.6 pass - [24th]
       defense  5th    84.4 rush - [11th] / 172.6 pass - [7th]
       scoring         14.8 for - [21st] / 11.5 against - [2nd]


   key matchups:

       WR Darryl Stingley (51 rec/640 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Curtis Jordan (2 INTs)
       DT Barry Bennett (15 sacks) vs. G John Hannah
       WR Morris Owens (57 rec/749 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Mike Haynes (3 INTs)

   prediction:

       Tampa Bay 14, New England 21

St. Louis 23 at Atlanta 24

The Cardinals scored late but missed the extra point kick to tie the game up.  This is a good win for the Falcons who could possibly end with a .500 record. 

Atlanta
Marc Wilson 13/26 161yds 2TDs
Bubba Bean 18car/60yds 1TD
Joe Stewart 6tt/4rec/70yds 1TD
Rolland Lawrence 6 tackles 2 knockdowns 2 ints
Rick Woods 10 tackles

St. Louis
Mike Phipps 29/44 335yds 3TDs 2Ints
Mike Strachan 14car/28yds
Ike Harris 14tt/9rec/103yds 1TD
Mike Sensibaugh 8 tackles 1 knockdown

St. Louis (5-9) at Atlanta (6-8)

   StL offense  3rd    62.9 rush - [24th] / 259.0 pass - [1st]
       defense  25th   98.1 rush - [21st] / 227.9 pass - [26th]
       scoring         23.5 for - [4th] / 26.5 against - [28th]

   Atl offense  21st   69.6 rush - [23rd] / 193.8 pass - [13th]
       defense  17th   106.3 rush - [26th] / 181.6 pass - [13th]
       scoring         13.6 for - [23rd] / 17.4 against - [17th]


   key matchups:

       DE Dennis Harrison (19 sacks) vs. T Dan Dierdorf
       TE John Spagnola (67 rec/629 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Reggie Mathis
       QB Mike Phipps (26 TDs/3985 yds) vs. Atlanta pass D

   prediction:

       St. Louis 20, Atlanta 23

Cincinnati 14 at Miami 11

The Bengals outplayed Miami on both sides of the ball for their second win of the year. 

Cincinnati
Bob Bateman 17/33 311yds
George Ragsdale 8car/48yds
Charles White 22car/24yds 1TD 1fumble
Billy Brooks 10tt/6rec/147yds
Lucius Sanford 5 tackles 1 sack

Miami
Bob Griese 17/35 204yds 1TD 1Int
Benny Malone 16car/32yds
Willis Adams 6tt/4rec/70yds 1TD
Gary Green 7 tackles 3 knockdowns

Cincinnati (1-13) at Miami (9-5)

   Cinn offense  9th    77.0 rush - [20th] / 221.3 pass - [4th]
       defense  28th   136.2 rush - [28th] / 201.3 pass - [16th]
       scoring         16.9 for - [14th] / 25.4 against - [27th]

   Mia offense  17th   99.6 rush - [10th] / 181.0 pass - [20th]
       defense  2nd    48.1 rush - [2nd] / 161.0 pass - [4th]
       scoring         16.1 for - [16th] / 11.1 against - [1st]


   key matchups:

       DT Larry Bethea (16 sacks) vs. G Dave Lapham

   prediction:

       Cincinnati 14, Miami 24

New Orleans 34 at Los Angeles 10

A solid win for the Saints on the road.  It is hard to tell from week to week which Saints team will show up, but when the good one arrives opponents watch out.

New Orleans
Peil Pennington 16/32 270yds 3TDs
Tony Galbreath 7car/55yds 1TD
Jerrold McRae 12tt/5rec/63yds
Tinker Owens 4tt/4rec/86yds 1TD
Freddie Solomon 7tt/4rec/88yds
Don Latimer  3 sacks
Junior Hardin 4 tackles 2 sacks
Craig Cassady 6 tackles 1 int
Sidney Brown 6 tackles 1 int

Los Angeles
James Harris 17/32 271yds 1TD 3Ints
William Andrews 19car/45yds
George Lantz 11tt/6rec/122yds 1TD
Jim Youngblood 5 tackles 1 sack

New Orleans (8-6) at Los Angeles (10-4)

  N.O. offense  10th   105.1 rush - [7th] / 192.4 pass - [14th]
       defense  10th   53.9 rush - [3rd] / 213.6 pass - [22nd]
       scoring         20.3 for - [9th] / 14.6 against - [5th]

  L.A. offense  4th    88.1 rush - [15th] / 229.4 pass - [2nd]
       defense  6th    86.1 rush - [12th] / 171.3 pass - [6th]
       scoring         27.1 for - [1st] / 15.6 against - [9th]


   key matchups:

       QB James Harris (26 TDs/3242 yds) vs. New Orleans pass D
       WR George Lantz (58 rec/1048 yds/9 TDs) vs. CB Kenny Downing (1 INT)
       TE Brian Nemeth (35 rec/285 yds/1 TDs) vs. LB Junior Hardin (2 INTs)
       WR Jimmy Childs (22 rec/418 yds/2 TDs) vs. CB Monte Jackson (4 INTs/3 TDs)

   prediction:

       New Orleans 18, Los Angeles 24

Oakland 13 at Seattle 14

With 1:49 left in the game Oakland had the ball first and goal at the seven down 14-13.  That's when John Zimba, the one defensive standout for Seattle, made the big play of the game.  He knocked the ball out of Ken Stabler's hand, then picked up the ball and ran it all the way out to the 44.  Oakland did get the ball back and came close actually to scoring again, but time ran out. 

Seattle
Brian Sipe 15/25 177yds
Sterling Rolfe 16car/72yds 1TD
Steve Largen 6tt/5rec/86yds
Keith Butler 13 tackles
Lodie Dixon 3 sacks

Oakland
Ken Stabler 16/31 225yds 1Fumble
James Owens 14car/76yds 1TD
Cliff Branch 11tt/4rec/80yds
Jim LeClair 7 tackles

Oakland (7-7) at Seattle (6-8)

   Oak offense  19th   117.8 rush - [2nd] / 152.5 pass - [28th]
       defense  27th   114.7 rush - [27th] / 217.1 pass - [23rd]
       scoring         15.6 for - [20th] / 22.6 against - [25th]

   Sea offense  18th   110.1 rush - [5th] / 168.1 pass - [22nd]
       defense  15th   92.6 rush - [18th] / 187.4 pass - [14th]
       scoring         16.1 for - [17th] / 18.6 against - [20th]


   key matchups:

       TE Ron Howard (21 rec/189 yds/0 TDs) vs. LB Jim LeClair (3 INTs)

   prediction:

       Oakland 17, Seattle 22