WEEK 13 FANTASY PROJECTIONS

December 2, 2005 5:00 PM ET

Week 13 is chock full of divisional matchups, where teams don't like each other much and you can throw the records out the window. As fantasy seasons wind down and playoff pushes heat up, here are a few tidbits we're eagerly anticipating this weekend.

Jamal breaks out: No, not out of the correctional facility in which he spent his offseason, but out of the three-month slump that left him on fantasy benches or maybe even splashing around in the free agent pool. The Ravens don't have any other healthy backs to give the ball to, meaning Jamal Lewis should get copious carries again this week. On the heels of his first 100-yard effort of the season, what will he do to the worst run D in the league, the Houston Texans, who have ceded a triple-digit rusher in three straight and eight of their 12 games this season?

Fisher king: In last year's visit to Indianapolis, the Titans attempted three onside kicks—in the first quarter. Sure, they ended up getting blown out, but it proved that Titans coach Jeff Fisher is willing to take whatever risks necessary to give his team a chance to win. What's he got up his sleeve this week when Tennessee visits the RCA Dome to try to besmirch the Colts' spotless record?

Chicago's Favre Field? The Packers have won 11 straight road games against the Bears; Brett Favre hasn't lost in the Windy City since 1993. However, in prior years he's brought with him an offense capable of putting up 30 points per game; the current version, sans Javon Walker and Ahman Green, might not be that explosive. Even if they were, do you really see this Bears defense giving up 30? In two games, maybe. Does Favre have one more miracle left, or should Peanut Tillman and Brian Urlacher start penning the sequel to the Super Bowl Shuffle?

Spin the bottle in Cleveland: The last time the Jaguars visited Cleveland, you could say things ended badly. An overturned call on an apparent fourth-down catch late in the game—after the Browns had run the next play—incited an avalanche of beer bottles onto the field as Browns fans expressed their disapproval (and shockingly, no, it wasn't Phil (Bad) Luckett at the helm; it was Terry McAulay. The good news is, all beer at Browns Stadium is now served in paper cups; the bad news is, after what could be a battle between backup quarterbacks David Garrard and Charlie Frye, those in attendance might want to take a bottle to their own head.

Blink again: The Bengals have shed the loser label, but in each of their two previous potential break-out games this season—against the Steelers and the Colts, both at home—they've come up short. In order to be the man, you got to beat the man, and right now even though Cincy leads the division the Steelers are still "the man" in the AFC North. The Steelers have to shake off last Monday's loss to the Colts, and Ben Roethlisberger has to shake off a thumb injury. And, as always, we're giddy with anticipation over Chad Johnson's next touchdown celebration.

Hello, Larry: Larry Johnson has put up dominating numbers, but he's been beating up some pretty lousy defenses. Sunday the Chiefs host Denver, which sports the league's top run-stopping defense—and it's just the first of four straight for LJ against top-10 run defenses. Johnson has Willie Roaf in front of him, which certainly stacks the deck in his favor, and the Chiefs always play the Broncos tough in Arrowhead. Can Denver keep the heat on the Colts for home field advantage? And what of Thanksgiving Day hero Ron Dayne? Will he take a bite out of Mike Anderson's carries, or just out of that blueberry cobbler CBS foisted upon him?

Feeling Randy in prime time: The bright lights of prime time will shine on Randy Moss Sunday night, and he's basked in that glow before—24 touchdowns in 23 prime time tilts. Moreover, it was the Chargers who roughed up Randy earlier this season, so he has multiple reasons to want to play this week… and against a bottom-feeding pass defense, no less. San Diego counters with LaDainian Tomlinson, which is really all you need to say.

Wrecked Rackers: How will the Cardinals fare without fantasy MVP Neil Rackers? The onus will be on Kurt Warner, Anquan Boldin, and Larry Fitzgerald to produce more than just copious yardage—and they may finally get some help from J.J. Arrington, who will get the bulk of the work as the club's only healthy back. The 49ers have played much better at home than on the road, but they'll be breaking Alex Smith back into the lineup. Brandon Lloyd has a touchdown or 100 yards in each of his last three against Arizona; can he single-handedly match the Cards' dynamic duo?

 

No more Mooch: The Dick Jauron Era kicks off in Motown against a Vikings team that has never lost to the Lions under Mike Tice. Jeff Garcia steps in (gingerly, as that leg still doesn't look to be 100 percent) for Joey Harrington against a defense that has come together over the past month. In a game that will feature Mewelde Moore, Marcus Robinson, Kevin Jones, and Roy Williams, the most likely scorer of a touchdown is probably Vikings safety Darren Sharper.

Curse of the Falcon: Atlanta has had Carolina's number in this series, and serious division and wild card ramifications ride on the latest installment. We're extremely anxious to see if D'Angelo Hall can shut down Steve Smith; after all, he's shut down everyone else, with the only touchdown he's allowed coming on a fluke garbage-time tipped ball that happened to land in Roy Williams' hands. A Carolina win drops the Falcons two games out of the division lead, while an Atlanta win makes things extremely tight atop the NFC South.

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