Sunday Playbook
For some road warriors, home field is overrated
For some road warriors, home field is overrated
Published: November 22, 2009, 12:11 am
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Home teams have an 82-63 advantage (.566 winning percentage) in National Football League games so far this season. Five teams, including four of the league's eight division leaders, are unbeaten at home.
Despite that evidence, there are some notable exceptions to home rule. For example:
• Today's top game will be the San Diego Chargers' visit to Denver for an AFC West first-place showdown with the Broncos. Since the controversial 39-38 loss at Denver (the Ed Hochuli Game), the Chargers have won their last four divisional road games.
• The Arizona (formerly St. Louis) Cardinals will try to go to 5-0 on the road when they play the Rams in St. Louis.
• Oddest of all: If the New York Giants defeat the Atlanta Falcons today at Giants Stadium it will be the first win for the home side in the all-time series between the teams since 1979. The visitors have won the last 12.
Six visiting teams are favored in today's 14 league games.
Game of the day
Kickoff: 4:15 p.m.
The line: No line.
The scoop: Chargers have won last four since losing at home to Broncos, 34-23, on Oct. 19 when Denver's Eddie Royal returned a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns. ... Denver has lost last three after 6-0 start. In 2008, the AFC West champion Bolts didn't catch Denver until final day, ending regular season with four straight wins to wipe out a three-game deficit. ... Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson averaging only 3.3 yards per rush. ... Chris Simms will start at QB for Denver if Kyle Orton (ankle) can't go.
Outlook: Broncos need Orton to have a chance. Chargers, 31-20.
Top attractions
Game of the day
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
The line: Colts (-1)
The scoop: Colts have won last 18 in regular season and need win to establish second-longest winning streak in NFL history. Also, Indy has won last seven, including playoffs, over Ravens since 2001. ... Billy Cundiff is new kicker for Ravens. ... Baltimore shut out Cleveland, 16-0, on Monday night to end 1-4 slide.
Outlook: Peyton Manning having most effective year. Colts, 24-14.
TV: Ch. 4, 4:15 p.m.
The line: Patriots (-10½)
The scoop: Jets have lost five of last six ... Pats saw three-game win streak end with 35-34 loss at Indianapolis last Sunday night when coach Bill Belichick lost fourth-down gamble on own 28 in last two minutes. ... Jets going for third straight win over Patriots, won, 34-31, on OT field goal by Jay Feely in last trip to Foxborough. New York scored game's only touchdown in 16-9 win over Patriots at Giants Stadium on Sept. 20. That win had New York fans thinking of an all-New Jersey Super Bowl. How things have changed in two months. ... New England QB Tom Brady has 19 TD passes. Rookie Mark Sanchez of Jets has 9-12 TD-INT ratio.
Outlook: Rex Ryan had better start kissing Belichick's three Super Bowl rings. Patriots, 27-13.
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
The line: Giants (-7).
The scoop: Falcons have lost three of last four. Giants coming off bye after four straight losses. Falcons RB Michael Turner, who has run for 10 TDs, is questionable with a sprained ankle. ... Giants went 5-0 against soft early schedule but there will be no easy ones from now through end of season unless it's old rival Washington on road Dec. 21.
Outlook: Falcons may be on way to extending franchise record of never having two winning seasons in a row. Giants, 24-16.
TV: Ch. 2, 8:20 p.m.
The line: Eagles (-3)
The scoop: Chicago has lost four of last five, including rout at home against Arizona two weeks ago. ... Eagles struggling even with plus-10 turnover margin, second best in league. ... Philly lost last week despite Donovan McNabb's 450-yard passing game. Bears have lost last two despite 300-plus yard passing games by Jay Cutler, whose 17 INTs lead league. ... Eagles missing RB Brian Westbrook (concussion).
Outlook: Cutler getting the Rex Grossman-Cade McNown treatment from skeptical Chicago fans. Eagles, 16-12.
TV: ESPN, Monday, 8:30 p.m.
The line: Texans (-4½)
The scoop: Titans have won last three with Vince Young at quarterback after 0-6 start. ... Texans coming off bye. They won three of previous four with the loss at Indianapolis. Houston will be trying to win three in a row over Tennessee for first time ever. Titans had won previous seven in series. ... Texans QB Matt Schaub has 17 TD passes, third in AFC. Titans' Chris Johnson leads league with 1,091 rushing yards and has 1,353 scrimmage yards (rushing and receiving).
Outlook: Could be most entertaining MNF game of the year. Titans, 35-33, and Bud Adams thumbs nose at Houston again.
Best of the rest
TV: Ch. 4, 1 p.m.
The line: Jaguars (-8½)
The scoop: Bills have lost two in a row with fourth-quarter collapses. ... Jaguars' wins last two weeks put team in wild-card picture. ... Ryan Fitzpatrick will get QB start for Buffalo in first game under interim head coach Perry Fewell. ... Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew leads NFL with 12 rushing TDs, two fewer than franchise record by Fred Taylor (14).
Outlook: Bills try hard for Perry, too, and Fitzy gives them a shot. Jaguars, 24-17.
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
The line: Cowboys (-11)
The scoop: Redskins ended four-game losing streak with win at home over Denver last week while Cowboys were shut out until last 0:38 in loss at Green Bay, ending their four-game win streak. Washington rookie LB Brian Orkapo leads all NFL rookies with seven sacks. Redskins have won on two of last four trips to Dallas.
Outlook: Eleven of last 18 games between NFC East rivals decided by six or fewer points. Cowboys, 20-17.
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
The line: Packers (-6½)
The scoop: Packers bounced back from embarrassing loss at Tampa Bay with their upset of Cowboys ... Niners responded to three-game losing streak with home win over Bears. ... Packers have won 11 of last 12 against Niners since 1995, with lone loss in '98 playoffs.
Outlook: Pack still overrated. Gore, Vernon Davis lead Niners, 21-20.
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
The line: Vikings (-10½)
The scoop: Seattle's only win in last four games was at home against Detroit. Vikings in control of NFC North, where they are 4-0 with only home-and-home against Chicago left. Brett Favre of Vikings leads league with 107.5 passer rating, has thrown only three INTs in 285 attempts. WR Sidney Rice leads NFC with 786 receiving yards and has 17.9 average per catch but has scored only twice.
Outlook: Vikes need to keep Favre healthy to have shot at No. 1 seed. Minnesota, 34-20.
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
The line: Saints (-11)
The scoop: Since waxing Giants, Saints have gotten a little careless, falling behind against Miami and Carolina and having to hold off Atlanta and St. Louis. Gregg Williams' great defense ranks 21st in the league and is giving up 21.9 ppg. Fortunately, Saints' offense averages 36.8 points. Drew Brees has thrown for 19 TDs, tops in NFC.
Outlook: Saints have scored 48, 46 and 30 on grass so far. New Orleans, 42-24.
Kickoff: 4 p.m.
The line: Cardinals (-9)
The scoop: Cards favored to keep clean road record although Rams won over Detroit and made Saints sweat in their last two games. ... Kurt Warner returns to Edward Jones Dome, where he first enjoyed NFL success. Warner has 18 TD passes, second in NFC. Five of 11 INTs he's thrown came in Nov. 1 home loss to Carolina.
Outlook: Rams had first rushing TD of season last week. Cardinals, 38-17.
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
The line: Steelers (-10)
The scoop: Steelers' five-game win streak ended last week by Bengals. Chiefs won at Oakland for their second victory. ... Pittsburgh is second in league in total defense. ... Chiefs are 30th in league in offense and 27th in defense.
Outlook: Polamalu knee injury and whipping by Bengals takes some of swagger out of Steelers. Pittsburgh, 21-10.
Kickoff: 4:15 p.m.
The line: Bengals (-9½)
The scoop: Bengals have won last three and are second in league in fewest points allowed (147) ... Bengals signed ex-Chief Lawrence Johnson as insurance at RB after Cedric Benson left last week's Pittsburgh win with hip injury. Benson expected to play today. ... If Raiders had any kind of effective quarterbacking they would be a threat but JaMarcus Russell and Bruce Gradkowski combined have a 2-11 TD-INT ratio. Gradkowski will start today.
Outlook: Bengals starting to get beat up but have Browns and Lions at home next two weeks. Cincy, 27-10.
Dog of the day
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
The line: Lions (-3½)
The scoop: Browns have lost last four since beating Bills, have scored nine points total in last three games. Lions working on another losing streak. They've lost last six since win over Redskins. Browns QBs have 3-15 TD-INT ratio. Cleveland has only seven TDs, just five by the offense, and is averaging only 214 yards per game.
Outlook: Believe it or not, these franchises played for NFL title four times a half century ago. Detroit, 14-9.
Last week: 9-5 straight up, 6-7-1 versus spread.
Season's record: 93-49 straight up, 66-71-1 versus spread.
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