Tennessee/Cincinnati
Stop whining Tennessee, the refs made the correct call and you were in an illegal formation plus it looks like Bruce Matthews was getting a rolling start anyway. On top of it all, you were not the better team. Do you think that Kevin Dyson's playthings mention that he is inches short? Can the Bengals keep this insane ride moving forward? They blew a chance Week 9 to remain a serious contender and this is another swing at a mediocre team. When will Peter Warrick have the monster game he had at Florida State? He looks destined for the Troy Brown/Derrick Mason career and those guys were not drafted fourth overall. Watch Justin Smith as he is coming fast as a pass rushing demon. The big thing to watch as always with the Titans is Eddie George. Will he ever have his first big game of 2001 or is this the year he finishes below 800 rushing yards? If no one has noticed, Jevon Kearse woke from his beauty rest and has five sacks in the past two games. Jon Kitna should be a delightful snack.

Philadelphia/Dallas
In the first match the Eagles scored 40 points in about half a game. They were frightening on defense as the Cowboys had the ball for nine drives and gained, from our crude math, eight yards in the first half. It was even worse than that on the television as the Cowboys were totally overmatched. Will this happen again or can the Cowboys, now fueled by Ryan Leaf's QB expertise, keep the game on some level of decorum. Sorry, roll the laugh track. Who runs the ball for the Cowboys? Emmitt is hurt, Troy Hambrick is hurt, and Michael Wiley is primarily a third down back. The Eagles are not stout against the run and the best way to keep the game from a jailbreak is to hold the ball for a long drive. What will Ryan Leaf's reaction be when the Eagles blitz from all angles. We are betting on calling for mommy. A good QB, given his line and receivers, might be able to make a few plays but this is Ryan Leaf we are talking about. There isn't much on the Philly side except for the presence of Freddie Mitchell who is edging Todd Pinkston out of a job. What happened to Chad Lewis?

Atlanta/Green Bay
Some games are ugly. They are ugly when first put on the schedule, they are ugly as the game gets nearer, and they are especially ugly when the teams meet. This is one of those games. Neither team looked like a prize at the beginning of the season, granted there was hope with the Packers but the Falcons smelled from far away. As the season has gone along this game has gotten worse and worse. At this point it looks like "Who let the dogs out" and the safety of Chris Chandler is at risk. Is Bill Schroeder healthy? Will Ahman Green hold onto the rock? Will he carry it into the end zone? Will Dorsey Levens find happiness on the bench? There isn't much to expect from the Falcons other than to figure out the over/under on when Chris Chandler is toe-tagged. We book it as midway through the second quarter.

Jets/Miami
The schedule this week is flat and the Jets and Dolphins represent the best the NFL has to offer Week 10. We hope that us Angelenos are given the pleasure of actually viewing the titanic battle. Got to get a dish. The biggest question surrounds the running game of the Dolphins. Lamar Smith is miserable. Smith has had only two games with an average of over three yards a carry. Due to Smith's poor play, we have to keep an eye on Travis Minor. Minor, even though the Dolphins have given Smith a vote of confidence, has gone from two or three touches to six and nine the last couple weeks. The Dolphins can't go far without the running game and if they can't run against the Jets they may be in trouble. Watch the play of Chris Chambers. He had two big plays Week 9 but had few catches. Can he turn into the type of receiver that strings together games of six or eight catches a week or will he be a one trick pony that can be defended a la Alvin Harper. It is way too early for any serious thoughts on Chambers but if he can start stringing good games together, then we have something. For the Jets the key is to run the ball against a tough Dolphins defense. Curtis Martin had a good day against the Dolphins Week 5 and if he runs well it will soften the pass defense of Miami, which is already weakened by the loss of Sam Madison. One other thing to look for is Santana Moss. We don't expect him to get many touches in the passing game but he could be madness on special teams.

Indianapolis/New Orleans
This should be a big game but it is really a battle for survival. Both of these teams are out and the loser will be toast. While the Colts had defensive problems to begin the season, and it is not a shock to see them struggle, the Saints should be a better team. They can run the ball, they can stop the run, they can rush the passer, but they can't throw the ball consistently and have been miserable in the red zone. The red zone miseries are attributed to Aaron Brooks. As one anonymous Saint said this week "The kid is killing us". Watch the red zone work of Brooks. Watch how well Manning holds up with a fractured jaw in light of a good pass rush. Watch to see if Reggie Wayne is picking it up or not. The game can be pretty daunting to a rookie wide out and a lot of pressure will be on Wayne as Pathon is hurt again and we have little faith in Dominic Rhodes. Matter-of-fact, if the Colts have to rely on Rhodes as the main back, they are done.

Chicago/Tampa Bay
If there was a game that revealed the problems for the Buccaneers it was the game Week 9 against the Lions. Against a team who looks admiringly at the XFL rosters for the amount of talent they held, the big, bad, Buccaneers struggled to get free. It took a last second field goal by Martin "I'm sick of the overreactica" Gramatica to get the win. A good team slaps the Lions around. The Buccaneers are not a good team. The defense has always been a little soft against the run and this year is no different. The offense is too conservative with passes that don't go far enough down the field - 25th in passing yards-per-attempt - and Keyshawn Johnson has yet to catch a touchdown pass. The funny thing is that the game Week 9 revealed the problems with the Bears as well. The biggest problem with the Bears is the same problem with the Buccaneers in that they never throw the ball down the field - they are 28th in passing yards-per-attempt. Watch to see which team blinks in the passing game; this could be deadly for the Buccaneers who can't stop the pass rush. Watch to see which Bucs back gets the rock as it was Dunn last week and if that holds this week he probably has the job. That is, of course, if they win. Watch David Terrell, as he has not beaten out Dez White yet and will when he gets the short passing game down. Tampa coach Tony Dungy is on the edge of employment and a loss here might be the final straw.

San Francisco/Carolina
For a weekend, pacifists decrying our involvement in Afghanistan will have their attention turned to a much larger bloodbath and that is the game between the 49ers and Panthers. After missing the beatdown the Rams put on the Panthers, they will have their signs and chants raring to go Sunday. The only real thing to watch is the scoreboard, as it will be turning over faster than a $10 hooker at a Shriners convention. If you care about good football, avoid Ericsson Stadium.

Cleveland/Baltimore
The Browns are reeling after losing heartbreakers against the Steelers and Bears. The Ravens could push them into the dumpster with a win. The first thing to figure is that the Browns will not be able to run the ball against the Ravens, as the Ravens are first in the NFL against the run. What they could do is pass the ball against the Ravens, which has been a good tactic because it keeps Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams - The Fat Boys - on the field rushing the passer where they are as skillful as avoiding thirds of mashed potatoes. Problem is the Browns don't like to pass. They are twenty-eighth in pass attempts as even the Kordell-led Steelers have passed more. It is not that they suck, because they have been a statistically good passing team but Butch Davis would rather send James Jackson into the line for 2.7-yard runs. Watch the Ravens running back rotation, as they have to sell out on Jason Brookins or give up on the running game. If he doesn't get 20 or more carries against the weakass run defense of the Browns someone is on the pipe and it isn't Ken Caminiti - well, it is Ken Caminiti. Like field goals, these AFC Central matches are full of them and this should be five-fingers worth.

Jacksonville/Pittsburgh
With a half to go Week 9 the Jaguars were staring at the possibility of a 2-6 record and elimination. They sucked it up - what is "it" and do any of us really want to ingest it - beating the Bengals with a third quarter performance reminiscent of Jag teams of yore. All the inspirational win did was stave off the inevitable. The Jags aren't good enough to run off eight straight wins or go 7-1, which is what it will take to get a seat at the end of season banquet. Why are the Jags in this precarious position? It is simple Sluggo, they are not better than average in any of the four important aspects of the game. They beat the Steelers at the beginning of the year but the Steelers and Jags have taken different roads since then and the Jags lost their GPS system. Watch to see if Stacey Mack starts and if they keep him in the game. Fred Taylor's situation is still a little mysterious as he probably doesn't play against the Steelers and each week is another week listening to Tom Coughlin coachspeak his way through explaining Taylor's absence. If Mack plays well he could keep Taylor off the field another week but if he doesn't look for Mack to sit and someone - Le'Shai Maston, perhaps - to take his job. The Steelers need to score touchdowns once they get to the red zone. They have scored only six touchdowns when in the red zone - we believe only the offensive juggernaut in Washington is worse. An inefficient red zone offense is what keeps them from being one of the elite. Still, we own Kris Brown in plenty of leagues and he is on a pace for 48 field goal attempts - the record is 49 held by Bruce Gossett and Curt Knight --, which on good days means plenty of field goals.

San Diego/Oakland
If there were a team needing a rest it is the Chargers. The middle of the defense is banged up, the tight end is hurt, the quarterback recently had his head shorted, and the tailback keeps asking when SMU is on the schedule. They need a rest. This is not a week to rest as they go to Oakland to play the pissed off Raiders. The Chargers are 2-4 recently and smell like a team that doesn't quite have enough players to get into the playoffs, especially on offense. The offensive line and receiving crew is mediocre. And as much as it pains me, Doug Flutie is best with a team that can play tough defense and run the ball well. If he has to run a passing offense, then he is of little help. The Chargers are having problems running the ball with LaDainian Tomlinson as the last five weeks he has ended with less than 80 yards rushing. Watch to see if the defense can stuff the Raiders running game because if they can't this could be the first blowout game for the Chargers. For Oakland, watch to see who gets the egg in the running game. We suspect that Zack Crockett and Randy Jordan will find the bench and that Tyrone Wheatley, if healthy, will split time with Charlie Garner but take some of the red zone lugs. These two teams have different goals this season and after nine weeks it does look like the Raiders are heading deep in the playoffs and the Chargers will be improved but still need work.

Washington/Denver
This is a strange little game. The Redskins were dead and buried four or five weeks ago and the Broncos looked like a potential Super Bowl participant. Now the Broncos are trying to get some playoff security and the Redskins could keep the playoff fire burning with a win. Rumors out of Denver have Olandis Gary starting instead of Mike Anderson but that could be Mike Shanahan trying to be sneaky. With Rod Smith a game-time decision and Eddie Kennison retiring to a life of playing checkers at the Seniors Center, the Broncos' passing game is shaky, at best. Without the passing game and with a running game that hasn't been very good without Terell Davis, the whole Broncos offense is in question. The reason the Redskins are still talking playoffs is they started running the ball effectively and then had Tony Banks go to his only strength, which is tossing the pig down field. If you dink and dunk with Banks you die. The Broncos have been decent against the run and the Redskins offensive line must give Stephen Davis some room to run or it is boom, boom, out go the lights because that would mean putting the ball in Tony Banks' tiny hands. Think the Redskins would like that 9-7 loss to the Cowboys back? Better believe they would.

Detroit/Arizona
The Lions have one huge game all season and it is Thanksgiving. They have been a mediocre team the past century - they have seven years with 10 or more wins and 12 years with 10 or more losses - but every fourth Thursday in November they become America's team. Millions root for the Lions because they see the Lions every Thanksgiving and because, well, they usually suck. No better day than Thanksgiving to root for the underdog. If they don't beat the Cardinals Week 10 they will be the biggest underdog Thanksgiving since Grenada tried to show Ronald Reagan the back of their hand. The Lions are horrible but have somehow managed to get their opponents to play down to their level. Still, they have botched every opportunity at victory. There is nothing to watch on the Lions. Will we be able to figure out whether Mike McMahon can play by attempting one pass? Nope and neither can Marty "can't get out of the bed in the" Morningwheg but until they win a game, that is all they are going to let McMahon do. The pressure is on Jake Plummer. If he can't lead the Cardinals past the Lions there should be serious questions regarding his worth as a starting quarterback. Granted, they have Dave Brown sitting behind him - Brown has already flunked the starting QB test - and no one in their right mind - damn, right, this is the Cardinals we are talking about - would have Brown start. Watch to see if the Cardinals offensive line pushes the Lions around as the Lions have had trouble stopping the run and it is about time that Pete Kendall and Leonard Davis get physical.

St. Louis/New England
Can you imagine a game with two running backs on the same team both gaining over 140 yards on the ground? The Panthers couldn't either but that is what they gave up to Marshall Faulk and Trung Canidate. The biggest question is simple. Are the Patriots for real? That doesn't mean they have to beat the Rams but have to be competitive. Keeping the game within two scores and being in the game at the half is good enough. The other question is how short is the leash on Tom Brady? With the rather large and stiff shadow of Drew Bledsoe hanging over the stadium like the Budweiser blimp, will Bill Belichick honestly give Brady a couple games worth of errors or does the Patriots coach have playoff fever and Brady looking over his shoulder with each incompletion. Forget the Rams, as the only question hanging on their season is when they clinch home field advantage.

Giants/Minnesota
Remember this match was the NFC Championship game last season. It is hardly a rematch fitting that remembrance. The Vikings have lost their last two games by the combined score of 89-31 and it wasn't that close. The Giants have been dancing along the edge of the canyon going 2-3 the last five games with four of those games decided by a touchdown or less. That means the potential of winning all five games or, of course, losing all five. A team with a mediocre offense and kicker has to get away from their opponents but they can't because they have - repeat after me - a mediocre offense and kicker. Who gets the egg in the ongoing sagas at running back for New York or Minnesota? Will Randy Moss show up before the game has ended or will he catch one touchdown pass well after the game has been lost? What will Red McCombs' reaction be if the Vikings lose another game? Remember that owners' memories are only as long as the last play from scrimmage. A vote of confidence one week can be snuffed by a three downs and out in the first set of downs the next. If the Vikings lose will Cris Carter lose it on Monday night, we hope so as anything that keeps Dennis Miller from commentating on the game is okay with us.

:: comments to mark bond