Week 16 Capsules

ATLANTA AT TAMPA BAY

Kickoff: Saturday, 10:30 a.m., Channel 11.

Line: Buccaneers by 7.

Introduction: A week after Indianapolis shut down Michael Vick, the Buccaneers can show off the original blueprint on how to stop the Falcons’ dynamic quarterback, as they did a year ago in a 34-10 victory.

Plot: By winning three of their last four games, the Buccaneers have kept alive their slim playoff hopes. Tampa Bay quarterback Brad Johnson has thrown 22 touchdown passes and needs one more to break his franchise single-season record. Johnson has passed for 9,824 yards with the Buccaneers. Atlanta’s T.J. Duckett has scored a touchdown in seven consecutive games and rushed for 590 yards.

Bottom line: Vick will again have trouble and the Buccaneers will stay in the hunt for a postseason berth.

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DETROIT AT CAROLINA

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Panthers by 10.

Introduction: The playoff-bound Panthers have to get back to running the ball with Stephen Davis to jump-start their slumping offense.

Plot: The Lions have lost 23 consecutive road games and can break the NFL record they share with the Houston Oilers of the early 1980s if they lose to the Panthers. Detroit quarterback Joey Harrington has had 21 passes intercepted, and he has thrown only 14 touchdown passes. Running back Shawn Bryson leads the Lions with 52 receptions and is also the team’s top rusher with 580 yards. The Panthers have won seven games by three points or fewer.

Bottom line: As long as the Panthers remember that Davis is the key to their offense, they should not have any trouble with the road-weak Lions.

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TENNESSEE AT HOUSTON

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Off.

Introduction: The Titans’ quarterback situation is up in the air because of injuries to starter Steve McNair and backup Billy Volek.

Plot: Volek stepped in for McNair last week and suffered a season-ending spleen injury in a victory over Buffalo. If McNair is unable to play again because of an ankle injury, the Titans will turn to untested rookie Jason Gesser or recently signed veteran Neil O’Donnell. Houston quarterback David Carr, who has been having problems with a shoulder injury, is listed as probable. The Texans have lost two games in a row. Houston rookie Domanick Davis needs 119 yards to reach 1,000 yards rushing.

Bottom line: Even if the Titans have to start Gesser, they have too many weapons to lose to the struggling Texans.

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SAN FRANCISCO AT PHILA.

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Ch. 11.

Line: Eagles by 7 1/2.

Introduction: The Eagles are playing with confidence and have become a dominant team at home, whereas the 49ers have not won a road game.

Plot: Quarterback Donovan McNabb does not put up impressive passing numbers, but his play has sparked the Eagles to nine consecutive victories. Philadelphia rookie tight end L.J. Smith has 25 catches for 309 yards. The Eagles are 11-1 when McNabb completes a touchdown pass to wide receiver James Thrash. Defensive tackles Corey Simon and Darwin Walker lead Philadelphia in sacks with 5 1/2 each. The 49ers’ Kevan Barlow has rushed for a career-high 830 yards, 239 in the last two weeks.

Bottom line: Look for the Eagles to jump on the 49ers early.

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KANSAS CITY AT MINNESOTA

Kickoff: Saturday, 2 p.m., Ch. 2.

Line: Chiefs by 3.

Introduction: The Chiefs are in the playoffs, but they need to keep winning if they want to gain home-field advantage. The Vikings just need to win.

Plot: After losing last week at Chicago, the Vikings find themselves in a fight to the finish with Green Bay in the NFC North. Minnesota quarterback Daunte Culpepper is second in the league on third downs with 999 yards passing and 11 touchdowns. The Vikings’ Moe Williams leads NFC running backs with 611 receiving yards in 61 catches. The Chiefs’ Trent Green passed for 341 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s victory over Detroit.

Bottom line: The Chiefs may have problems slowing Randy Moss and Culpepper, but they will score more than enough points.

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WASHINGTON AT CHICAGO

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Bears by 4 1/2.

Introduction: It may be a little late in the season, but the Bears have become a difficult team to play because of their improved defense and running game.

Plot: Washington Coach Steve Spurrier’s team certainly has lost steam since opening the season 3-1. The Redskins have lost four of their last five games, including a 27-0 loss to Dallas at home last weekend. With Patrick Ramsey sidelined for the rest of the season, Tim Hasselbeck will get his fourth consecutive start at quarterback for the Redskins. The Bears have won five of their last eight games and are expected to give rookie quarterback Rex Grossman his second consecutive start.

Bottom line: Look for the Bears to win by pounding the Redskins with running back Anthony Thomas.

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NEW ORLEANS AT JACKSONVILLE

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Jaguars by 1 1/2.

Introduction: New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks has quietly stepped up his play and kept the Saints’ postseason hopes alive.

Plot: Brooks has thrown 21 touchdowns, five last week against the Giants, with only eight interceptions. New Orleans running back Deuce McAllister has rushed for 1,542 yards and needs 132 more to surpass George Rogers’ franchise single-season record. The Saints are 16-3 in games when receiver Joe Horn has at least 100 yards receiving. Rookie quarterback Byron Leftwich has either thrown or run for a touchdown in 11 of 13 games this season for the Jaguars.

Bottom line: First-year Coach Jack Del Rio has the Jaguars playing hard every week and they may be ready to knock the Saints out.

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ARIZONA AT SEATTLE

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

Line: Seahawks by 13 1/2.

Introduction: The Seahawks will be shooting for a franchise record ninth consecutive home victory; the Cardinals are winless on the road.

Plot: Arizona’s Anquan Boldin leads NFL rookies with 86 receptions for 1,228 yards and seven touchdowns. Boldin needs five more catches to match the NFL single-season record for rookies, set in 1996 by Terry Glenn. Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has thrown for 3,347 yards and 23 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. Shaun Alexander leads the Seahawks in rushing with 1,216 yards and is second in the AFC in touchdowns with 11. Defensive back Reggie Tongue leads Seattle with four interceptions.

Bottom line: Since they’re playing at home, the Seahawks should not have problems with the Cardinals.

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NEW ENGLAND AT N.Y. JETS

Kickoff: Saturday, 5:30 p.m., ESPN.

Line: Patriots by 3.

Introduction: With every victory, the Patriots gain more support as the NFL’s best team, but their running attack is still a little shaky.

Plot: The Jets are eliminated from the playoff picture but don’t expect Coach Herman Edwards’ team to roll over. New York quarterback Chad Pennington is 12-7 as a starter with 4,303 passing yards and 34 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. With 1,127 yards, the Jets’ Curtis Martin joins Barry Sanders as the only players in NFL history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in each of their first nine seasons. New England quarterback Tom Brady is 31-12 as a starter.

Bottom line: Pennington, Martin and receiver Santana Moss will give the Jets enough offense to upset the Patriots.

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BALTIMORE AT CLEVELAND

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Ravens by 3.

Introduction: The Browns’ season would get a boost with a victory over the Ravens, who can’t afford to lose another game if they expect to make the playoffs.

Plot: Baltimore quarterback Anthony Wright had a tough game in last Sunday’s loss at Oakland, but he should recover against the Browns, who give up nearly 310 yards a game. The Ravens lead the league with 126 fourth-quarter points. Baltimore’s Jamal Lewis leads the NFL in rushing with 1,747 yards and set an NFL single-game record of 295 yards against the Browns early in the season. The Browns are expected to start Tim Couch at quarterback.

Bottom line: Lewis may not break any rushing records this time, but he’ll again be the difference for the Ravens.

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CINCINNATI AT ST. LOUIS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m., Ch. 2.

Line: Rams by 7.

Introduction: The Bengals face a tough challenge against quarterback Marc Bulger and the Rams, who have won their last 13 games at home.

Plot: Cincinnati is two games over .500 this late into the season for the first time since 1988, when the Bengals won the AFC title. Quarterback Jon Kitna has thrown 20 touchdown passes, with only one interception, in the eight games won by the Bengals. Cincinnati’s Rudi Johnson, who rushed for 174 yards against San Francisco last week, needs 125 yards to reach 1,000. St. Louis clinched the NFC West title with last weekend’s victory over Seattle. Bulger is 17-3 as a starter and leads the NFC with 3,446 yards passing to go along with 19 touchdowns.

Bottom line: The Rams have too much speed on both sides of the ball.

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DENVER AT INDIANAPOLIS

Kickoff: Sunday, 5:30 p.m., ESPN.

Line: Off.

Introduction: Running back Clinton Portis has been carrying the Broncos the last few weeks, but he’s questionable because of injuries to his ankle and knee.

Plot: If Portis -- who has rushed for 100 yards in six consecutive games -- is unable to play, the Broncos will need quarterback Jake Plummer to start producing more. Plummer has thrown 14 touchdown passes but only three over the last four weeks. Denver defensive end Bert Berry is tied for third in the AFC with 11 sacks. The Colts’ Peyton Manning had five touchdown passes last weekend against Atlanta, giving him a league-high 28.

Bottom line: The Broncos will be in trouble if Portis is not 100% because Manning has been nearly unstoppable at home.

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MIAMI AT BUFFALO

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Bills by 1 1/2.

Introduction: This figures to be Coach Dave Wannstedt’s last stand with the Dolphins if they lose to the Bills and are eliminated from playoff contention.

Plot: The Dolphins played one of their better offensive games of the season but lost at home to Philadelphia last Monday. Miami quarterbacks Jay Fiedler and Brian Griese have combined to throw 14 touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. The Dolphins’ Ricky Williams has rushed for 1,188 yards but at only 3.8 yards a carry. Miami is 9-11 after November under Wannstedt. The Bills have won two of their last three games.

Bottom line: The Bills have been playing solid football recently, and the Dolphins are just trying to keep things together.

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N.Y. GIANTS AT DALLAS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m., Channel 11.

Line: Cowboys by 10 1/2.

Introduction: The Cowboys are coming off an impressive victory over Washington and Coach Bill Parcells would like nothing better than to add to the Giants’ woes.

Plot: With the playoffs approaching, Dallas turned to a methodical running game last week against the Redskins with Troy Hambrick rushing for a career-high 189 yards in 33 carries. That’s not good news for the Giant defense, which has been giving up almost 340 yards a game. Giant Coach Jim Fassel will not return next season but will coach the final two games. New York has lost six games in a row.

Bottom line: The Giants may want to win one for Fassel, but they’ll need more than a motivational ploy to defeat the Cowboys.

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SAN DIEGO AT PITTSBURGH

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m.

Line: Steelers by 6.

Introduction: The Chargers haven’t quit on Coach Marty Schottenheimer, but they are still having a rough time winning games.

Plot: The Steelers’ inability to stop the run cost them in last week’s 6-0 loss to the New York Jets. Look for San Diego to try the same thing with running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who has rushed for 1,311 yards. Tomlinson, who also leads the Chargers in catches with 86, is the NFL leader in total yards from scrimmage with 2,011. Pittsburgh quarterback Tommy Maddox has passed for 3,146 yards and needs 579 more to break Terry Bradshaw’s single-season team record.

Bottom line: The Steelers couldn’t slow down the Jets’ Curtis Martin, so imagine what Tomlinson is going to do to them.

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GREEN BAY AT OAKLAND

Kickoff: Monday, 6 p.m., Ch. 7.

Line: Packers by 5.

Introduction: Now that quarterback Brett Favre has announced that he will return next season, the Packers can keep this season going with a late run into the playoffs.

Plot: Green Bay appeared out of the postseason mix a month ago but has recovered and moved into a first-place tie with Minnesota in the NFC North. With Ahman Green having a banner season and Favre throwing for touchdowns every week, the Packers control their destiny. The Raiders may start Rob Johnson at quarterback if Rick Mirer is unable to play. Johnson would be the Raiders’ fourth starter at the position.

Bottom line: The Packers are in the driver’s seat in the NFC North, but the Raiders, who beat Baltimore last week, have a great chance of playing the spoiler role.