Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

THE STORY: The Tennessee Titans are a long shot at best to make the playoffs, but if they pull off a post-Christmas miracle, they will get a valuable sneak preview of the team they would meet. The Titans on Sunday visit the AFC South champion Houston Texans, who are locked in as the No. 3 seed. The Titans need a victory and a Bengals' loss, plus one of the following scenarios to occur: 1. Jets win and Raiders lose; 2. Jets win and Broncos lose; 3. Jets lose and Raiders and Broncos win. If Tennessee somehow tip-toes through that minefield, it would return to Houston next week for a wild card playoff game. Houston rolled at Tennessee 41-7 in Week 7 behind Arian Foster's 234 yards from scrimmage, but that was with Matt Schaub at quarterback. He is out for the season with a foot injury, so the Texans will head to the playoffs with up-and-down rookie T.J. Yates.

TV: CBS, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Titans -3, O/U 40.5

ABOUT THE TITANS (8-7): Chris Johnson needs 14 yards to reach 1,000 for the fourth time in his four-year NFL career, but it is a far cry from the 1,364 he gained last year or especially the 2,006 in 2009. If Johnson fails to reach 1,000, his 2012 salary would be reduced by $300,000. Johnson's off season is part of the reason Tennessee is out of playoff position. Inconsistent play from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions) hasn't helped and neither did a Week 15 loss at then-winless Indianapolis.

ABOUT THE TEXANS (10-5): Yates won his first two starts but has lost his last two. He has completed 60 percent of his passes with three touchdowns and three interceptions, but needs to take his game to a higher level for Houston to advance deep in the playoffs. Two key components are expected to return Sunday: wide receiver Andre Johnson and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Johnson has missed nine games with injuries to both hamstrings while Phillips is recovering from kidney and gall bladder surgery.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Houston is No. 2 in the NFL in yards allowed (280.7) and fourth in points allowed (17.0). It also has a team-record 41 sacks, sixth in the NFL.

2. Hasselbeck needs 147 passing yards to become the 25th player in NFL history to reach 33,000.

3. Johnson would join Earl Campbell (five) and Eddie George as the only players in club history with four straight 1,000-yard seasons.

PREDICTION: Titans 24, Texans 13. Tennessee takes care of the task at hand, but doesn't get what it needs in the late games and misses the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

THE STORY: The Pittsburgh Steelers have already locked up a playoff berth but go into the final week of the regular season with a chance to finish anywhere from first to fifth in the AFC. The Steelers are weighing how much that playoff seeding means to them as they decide whether to let injured players like Ben Roethlisberger and LaMarr Woodley suit up on Sunday at the Cleveland Browns. Even if the Steelers win the game, they still could be looking at the No. 5 seed due to the Baltimore Ravens holding the tiebreaker in the NFC North. Roethlisberger, who missed last week's win over the St. Louis Rams with a high ankle sprain, has practiced this week and could play Sunday. The Cleveland Browns are almost certain not to have their starting quarterback. Colt McCoy has still not been cleared to practice due to a concussion suffered in a Week 14 loss to Pittsburgh. Steelers linebacker James Harrison, who delivered the hit that knocked McCoy out, will be the target of plenty of jeers from the Cleveland faithful.

TV: CBS, 4:15 p.m. ET. LINE: Steelers -7, O/U 37.

ABOUT THE STEELERS (11-4): If Roethlisberger cannot make the start, Charlie Batch will take the snaps looking for another performance like the 208 yards he threw up last weekend. Either way, the Steelers will try to take advantage of the Browns' suspect run defense with a healthy dose of Rashard Mendenhall, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown last week. Pittsburgh will clinch the No. 1 seed with a win and losses by Baltimore and New England.

ABOUT THE BROWNS (4-11): Cleveland is in that NFL nether-region, where it is not nearly good enough to earn a playoff spot but not quite bad enough to challenge for the No. 1 overall draft pick. Wherever they end up inside the top 10 in the draft, the Browns will likely consider a quarterback after McCoy posted a 74.6 rating in his 13 games. Cleveland has dropped five games in a row, including the 14-3 setback at Pittsburgh.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Pittsburgh has dominated the series recently, winning 20 of the last 22 meetings.

2. Roethlisberger needs 144 yards to reach 4,000 for the second time in his career.

3. Browns rookie receiver Greg Little needs six catches to pass Kevin Johnson (66) for the team rookie record.

PREDICTION: Steelers 24, Browns 10. Cleveland does not have the offense - with or without McCoy - to keep pace with Pittsburgh.

THE STORY: The Oakland Raiders need help to reach the postseason for the first time since 2002, but they also must take care of business themselves when they host the AFC West rival San Diego Chargers on Sunday. Oakland, which has lost three of four at home, kept its playoff hopes alive when it ended a three-game losing streak with an overtime win at Kansas City in Week 16. It now must defeat San Diego and have the Chiefs knock off the Denver Broncos to capture the division title. The Raiders also can clinch a wild-card berth with a victory, a loss by Cincinnati and either a win by the New York Jets or a loss by Tennessee. The Chargers saw their postseason chances end last week when their three-game winning streak was halted in Detroit. They look to end a three-game skid against Oakland and avoid their first sub-.500 season since 2003.

TV: CBS, 4:15 p.m. ET. LINE: Raiders -3; O/U: 49.

ABOUT THE CHARGERS (7-8): San Diego had won 13 straight meetings with the Raiders prior to its current slide. It has captured six of its last seven games in Oakland. However, the Chargers have lost four of their last five overall on the road. Philip Rivers, who shares the league lead with a career-high 19 interceptions, needs 186 passing yards to become the fifth player in NFL history to record at least 4,500 yards in consecutive seasons. The others are Dan Fouts, Warren Moon, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees.

ABOUT THE RAIDERS (8-7): Oakland, which held a lead with two minutes remaining against Detroit on Dec. 18 only to lose, nearly had it happen a second straight time last Saturday as Kansas City tied the game with 62 seconds remaining and lined up for a winning field-goal attempt on the final play of the fourth quarter. But Richard Seymour blocked his second kick of the day, and Sebastian Janikowski booted the winner in OT. While running back Darren McFadden is likely to miss his ninth straight game, receiver Jacoby Ford could return from his foot injury as he participated in practice on a limited basis Wednesday. Ford suffered his injury in Oakland's 24-17 win at San Diego on Nov. 10. Cornerback Stanford Routt is likely to be targeted by Rivers as he has been called for pass interference or holding seven times in the last two games.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Raiders have won 10 of their last 12 divisional games.

2. Oakland's Michael Bush is 89 yards away from becoming the 11th running back in franchise history to gain 1,000 in a season.

3. Chargers safety Eric Weddle is tied for the league lead with seven interceptions.

PREDICTION: Chargers 27, Raiders 20. Oakland falls short in its quest for a playoff berth as Weddle picks off Carson Palmer with the Raiders driving for the potential game-tying score in the final minute.

THE STORY: With their playoff hopes already extinguished, the Philadelphia Eagles are aiming for a .500 record when they host the NFC East rival Washington Redskins in the season finale for both teams on Sunday. Picked by many in the preseason to reach the Super Bowl, Philadelphia was unable to recover from a disappointing 1-4 start as it lost four of its next seven games. The Eagles, who also were without quarterback Michael Vick for several weeks due to injury, still entered last week's matchup against Dallas with a chance to repeat as division champions but were eliminated with the New York Giants' victory over the cross-town Jets. Washington, which has won two straight on the road, looks to end Philadelphia's three-game winning streak and split the season series. The Redskins were unable to overcome a 20-point deficit at home on Oct. 16 and dropped a 20-13 decision.

TV: FOX, 1 p.m. ET. Line: Eagles -9, O/U 46.5.

ABOUT THE REDSKINS (5-10): Washington has lost four of its last five meetings with the Eagles, with the only victory in that span coming in Philadelphia last season. Receiver Jabar Gaffney is 81 yards shy of his first career 1,000-yard campaign. Kicker Graham Gano is three field goals away from tying Mark Moseley's single-season team record of 33 set in 1983. Gano booted his fourth field goal of 50 or more yards this season in last week's loss to the Minnesota Vikings, matching the club mark held by Moseley (1977) and John Hall (2003).

ABOUT THE EAGLES (7-8): Running back LeSean McCoy is likely to play after suffering a sprained ankle in last week's dominant win over Dallas. McCoy leads the NFC in rushing with a career-high 1,309 yards and tops the NFL with a franchise-record 20 touchdowns. He needs 27 carries to become the first Eagle since Duce Staley in 1999 with 300 attempts. Vick threw three or more touchdown passes three times in 2010. He has yet to accomplish the feat this year. Vick has been interception-free in just three of his 12 games this season. Defensive end Jason Babin is tied for second in the league with a career-high 18 sacks, including eight in his last four contests. Minnesota's Jared Allen has 18 1/2.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Eagles own a 16-9 record against the Redskins under coach Andy Reid.

2. Philadelphia safety Kurt Coleman, who intercepted Rex Grossman three times in the first meeting this season, was placed on injured reserve this week with a biceps injury.

3. Grossman, who needs 105 passing yards to reach 3,000 for the second time in his career, is tied for the league lead with 19 interceptions.

PREDICTION: Eagles 33, Redskins 17. Vick tosses three TD passes and Philadelphia gives its fans hope for next season as it finishes the campaign with a four-game winning streak.

THE STORY: It takes talent - and a little luck - to succeed in the NFL. Fans of the Indianapolis Colts are hoping they get to find out if that's true. The Colts will look to wrap up their season with a third consecutive win when they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. A victory will not be the best outcome for the Colts, who have jeopardized their lock on the No. 1 pick in next year's draft by posting back-to-back wins. Indianapolis is tied with the St. Louis Rams for the league's worst record and could blow a shot at drafting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with a win over Jacksonville. The Jaguars have also endured a miserable season in which coach Jack Del Rio was fired.

TV: CBS, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Jaguars -3.5, O/U 37

ABOUT THE COLTS (2-13): In a season short on highlights, Indianapolis pulled off a dramatic win when Dan Orlovsky threw a TD pass to Reggie Wayne for a 19-16 win over Houston last week. Orlovsky has won back-to-back games after staring his career 0-9. It marked only the third 100-yard game of the season for Wayne, who is in the final year of his contract. The Colts held an opponent under 20 points for the second straight week after doing it just once in the previous 13 games - a 17-3 home loss to Jacksonville in Week 10.

ABOUT THE JAGUARS (4-11): RB Maurice Jones-Drew and losing have been the constants for Jacksonville. Jones-Drew leads the league in rushing with a career-high 1,437 yards, a stat much more impressive on a team bereft of a passing attack. He needs 136 yards to surpass Fred Taylor (1,572) for the franchise record. The Jaguars ranked last in the league with an average of 161.2 passing yards per game. Rookie QB Blaine Gabbert has surpassed 200 yards in a game three times and has the lowest passer rating in the league at 64.3.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Wayne needs 113 yards to reach 1,000 for the eighth straight season.

2. Orlovsky missed practice Wednesday after his wife gave birth to triplets.

3. Since the AFC went to four divisions in 2002, Jacksonville has never swept the Colts in a season.

PREDICTION: Jaguars 19, Colts 16. Jones-Drew wins the rushing title and Indy wins the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.

THE STORY: Aside from the Indianapolis Colts, few teams have had their seasons derailed due to quarterback issues more than the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings. When the NFC North rivals square off in Sunday's regular-season finale at Minnesota, the Vikings expect to have rookie Christian Ponder under center while the Bears counter with Josh McCown, who was coaching high school football last month and made his first start in four years a week ago. Chicago's season careened off the tracks following a broken thumb suffered by QB Jay Cutler. The Vikings never recovered from an awful start under Donovan McNabb and are trying to avoid matching the worst record in franchise history.

TV: FOX, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Vikings -1, O/U 41

ABOUT THE BEARS (7-8): Chicago was officially eliminated from postseason contention with Sunday night's 35-21 loss at Green Bay, its fifth consecutive defeat since Cutler went down. RB Matt Forte has missed the past three games and was placed on season-ending injured reserve along with Cutler this week. RB Khalil Bell was impressive in his first career start, rushing for 121 yards on 23 carries. McCown could be auditioning for a backup slot Sunday. Given his inactivity, the journeyman QB held up well against the mighty Packers, throwing for 242 yards with one TD and two interceptions.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (3-12): Minnesota snapped a six-game losing streak with a 33-26 victory at Washington, but it came at a heavy price. Star RB Adrian Peterson suffered two torn ligaments in his knee and is expected to be sidelined for eight to nine months after undergoing surgery. Ponder also sustained a concussion in the game but was cleared to return to practice this week. Backup QB Joe Webb relieved Ponder for the second time in three weeks and rallied the Vikings by throwing for a pair of touchdown passes and running for another.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Chicago has won the last four meetings, including a 39-10 rout earlier this season.

2. A loss would give the Vikings the worst mark in franchise history, matching the 3-13 mark by the 1984 team.

3. Bears WR/KR Devin Hester has four of his 19 career return touchdowns against the Vikings.

PREDICTION: Vikings 20, Bears 17. Hard to imagine Chicago putting forth any kind of inspired effort after season-killing five-game skid.

THE STORY: With a chance for a first-round playoff bye technically still on the table, the New Orleans Saints plan to play their starters when they host the Carolina Panthers in the regular-season finale Sunday. Saints coach Sean Payton said Wednesday that the Saints are "playing; it full speed ahead," presumably meaning QB Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints' stars will start. The Saints can still earn the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, but they need some help from San Francisco. New Orleans will clinch the No. 2 seed with a win and a 49ers loss or tie, or a tie and a 49ers loss. The Saints have won the past three meetings, but two of them have gone down to the wire, including a 30-27 road win Oct. 9 in which Brees threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Thomas with 50 seconds left.

TV: FOX, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: Saints -9, O/U 55

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (6-9): While the 49ers have a seemingly easy win lined up against St. Louis, the Saints could have their hands full with Carolina, which has won two straight in convincing fashion behind rookie QB Cam Newton. Newton has 34 total touchdowns (20 passing, 14 rushing), the most by a rookie in NFL history. His 3,893 passing yards are the most by a rookie, and his 14 rushing touchdowns are the most by any quarterback in league history.

ABOUT THE SAINTS (12-3): New Orleans has won seven straight to lock up the NFC South title, but it still might not be enough to avoid playing in the first round of the playoffs. That's about the only thing left for the Saints to play for this week, as Brees already has broken Dan Marino's NFL record with 5,087 passing yards. Unable to control their own fate, the Saints might be content to keep their offensive machine running smoothly. They have a team-record 6,857 total yards. Brees has at least one touchdown pass in 42 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in NFL history (Johnny Unitas, 47), and has at least 20 completions in an NFL-record 35 straight games.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Saints TE Jimmy Graham needs four catches to become the first tight end in NFL history with 95 catches, 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns in a season.

2. Panthers WR Steve Smith is third in the NFC with 1,308 receiving yards and needs 92 to reach 1,400 for the third time in his career. Smith leads the NFL with 27 catches of 20 or more yards.

3. Saints WR Marques Colston has 998 receiving yards and needs two yards to reach 1,000 for a team-record fifth season.

PREDICTION: Panthers 23, Saints 20. If the 49ers jump out early, Payton is likely to pull his starters, giving Newton and the Panthers a chance to close the season on a winning note.

THE STORY: With the NFC West title long since secured, the San Francisco 49ers can lock up the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye with a win at St. Louis on Sunday. San Francisco can also clinch the No. 2 seed with a tie and a New Orleans loss or tie or with a New Orleans loss. But the easiest route to a more convenient path to the Super Bowl would be a second win over the struggling Rams in less than a month. The 49ers won the first meeting 26-0 on Dec. 4 in San Francisco.

TV: FOX, 1 p.m. ET. LINE: 49ers -10.5, O/U 35.5

ABOUT THE 49ERS (12-3): San Francisco's resurgence has followed the same arc as QB Alex Smith's rise. Smith has won 13 of his past 16 starts dating to last season and needs only 69 passing yards for his first 3,000-yard season. But the 49ers have been anything but a one-dimensional team - they lead the NFL in scoring defense (13.5 points per game) and have one of the best kicking games in the league with K David Akers, who has made an NFL-record 42 field goals, and Pro Bowl punter Andy Lee, who leads the NFC with 50.5 yards per kick.

ABOUT THE RAMS (2-13): St. Louis has had a revolving door at quarterback this season with starter Sam Bradford battling various injuries. Bradford has missed the past two games with a high ankle sprain, and backup A.J. Feeley has been sidelined by a broken thumb, making Kellen Clemens the starter the past two games. Clemens struggled in last week's 27-0 loss at Pittsburgh with only 91 yards on 9-of-24 passing.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Smith is 5-1 in his past six starts against St. Louis and had a 142.3 rating in the most recent meeting. The 49ers are 10-0 when Smith starts and has a rating over 100.

2. Rams RB Steven Jackson has rushed for 1,069 yards, his team-record seventh consecutive season over 1,000.

3. San Francisco DE Aldon Smith leads NFL rookies with 14 sacks and needs one for the most ever by a rookie.

PREDICTION: 49ers 23, Rams 3. St. Louis has struggled to score against everyone, and that won't change against one of the league's best defenses.

THE STORY: With Dan Marino's NFL single-season passing record squarely in his sights, Drew Brees will lead the New Orleans Saints into a critical divisional matchup with the visiting Atlanta Falcons on Monday night. Brees needs 305 yards to surpass the mark of 5,084 set by Marino in 1984, a fairly decent proposition given the fact he has thrown for a league-record 11 300-yard games this season. Of more importance to both teams is how the game will impact both their postseason fates. Winners of six straight, New Orleans can wrap up the NFC South title with a victory but remains in contention for the No. 2 seed in the conference. Atlanta still has an outside shot at winning the division and holds a tiebreaker edge over Detroit for the No. 5 seed.

TV: ESPN, 8:30 p.m. ET. LINE: Saints -6.5, O/U 53

ABOUT THE FALCONS (9-5): Atlanta has won four of five since an overtime home loss to the Saints on Nov. 13. The Falcons have had ample time to prepare since thumping Jacksonville 41-14 on Dec. 15. QB Matt Ryan threw for a modest 224 yards and three TDs, including a pair to Roddy White, who had 10 receptions for 135 yards. It was the second 10-catch performance in four games for White, who has five TDs in that stretch. In an attempt to keep Brees off the field, Atlanta could feature a heavy dose of Michael Turner, who has rushed for 265 yards and two TDs in the last two visits to New Orleans.

ABOUT THE SAINTS (11-3): How good has Brees been? In his last five games, he has thrown for 1,776 yards with 16 touchdowns and zero interceptions. He threw five TD passes in last week's 42-20 rout at Minnesota and has completed 20-plus passes in a league-record 34 straight games. Top pick Mark Ingram (toe) sat out the last two games, but it hasn't slowed New Orleans, which got 151 rushing yards from RBs Christopher Ivory, Pierre Thomas and Darren Sproles last week. Sproles has been a major weapon out of the backfield with 79 receptions, including at least five in 12 games. Jimmy Graham leads NFL tight ends in receptions (87) and yards (1,171).


EXTRA POINTS:

1. Although the Saints have won nine of past 11 meetings overall, each of the last four with Atlanta have been decided by three points.

2. Brees has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 41 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in NFL history behind Johnny Unitas' 47.

3. "I; hope he's at his highest level because if he plays any better I don't know if there's any way to stop him." - Falcons coach Mike Smith on Brees' recent play.

PREDICTION: Saints 34, Falcons 31. Atlanta keeps it close but Brees and Saints' high-powered offense extend win streak to seven.

THE STORY: With their dreams of a perfect season snuffed out, it's no secret what the Green Bay Packers want for Christmas - home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The Packers can achieve that goal by snuffing out the reeling Chicago Bears on Sunday night - or it already may be settled by the time they wake up Christmas morning if the Seattle Seahawks can knock off the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday. Should the Niners lose, Green Bay will secure the No. 1 overall seed and Packers coach Mike McCarthy will have the luxury of resting some of his key players. That's an option McCarthy would love to have after watching top wide receiver Greg Jennings and starting RT Bryan Bulaga sidelined the past two weeks with knee injuries.

TV: NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET. LINE: Packers -13.4, O/U 45

ABOUT THE BEARS (7-7): Chicago has gone belly up since QB Jay Cutler suffered a broken thumb, absorbing four consecutive losses to put its postseason hopes on life support. The Bears finally pulled the plug on Caleb Hanie, who looked overmatched in his four-game stint. He had two interceptions returned for TDs last week as Seattle scored 31 unanswered points in a 38-14 win. In a desperate measure, the Bears will start Josh McCown, who was coaching at the high school level last month and last started in the United Football League last year. McCown hasn't started an NFL game since 2007, and his task won't be any easier with RB Matt Forte sitting out a third straight game.

ABOUT THE PACKERS (13-1): With Jennings out of the lineup, Aaron Rodgers had his roughest game of the season in Sunday's 19-14 loss at Kansas City. He failed to throw multiple TD passes for the first time this season, completed fewer than half his passes and his 235 passing yards were a season low. It also represented the fewest points scored by Green Bay since a 10-3 victory over Chicago in the 2010 regular-season finale. The running game should get a boost with the expected turn of James Starks, who has sat out the last two games with an ankle injury. Ryan Grant rushed for 151 yards while Starks was out, but he had a total of only 22 carries in the two games.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Packers have beaten the Bears three straight, including a 21-14 win in last season's NFC title game and a 27-17 victory earlier this season. The last two have been in Chicago.

2. McCown has appeared in 48 games with five different teams. He has thrown 35 TD passes and 41 interceptions in his career.

3. Rodgers broke the franchise record with his 40th TD pass last week, becoming the fifth player in NFL history to reach that milestone.

PREDICTION: Packers 27, Bears 13. Green Bay sews up the No. 1 seed by beating Chicago at home for the fourth straight time.