“I want to hear it ASAP, louder when L.T. is about to get the ball and going to break another record or something.” said NFL sacks leader Shawne Merriman. The New England Patriots will be traveling across the country only to be confronted with a hostile Southern California crowd whos decibel level might impede in Tom Brady’s play calling. Not to mention that the Pats will be facing a 14-2 record home-field advantage team. It has already been announced that no more tickets to Sunday’s playoff game will be sold to Southern California residents. Me being from Cali I wouldnt mind watching the game at home with an ice cold corona and a bet on the Chargers.The teams have faced off only once in the playoffs, at Balboa Stadium in San Diego in the 1963 AFL title game. The Chargers won 51-10 behind a big game from another outstanding running back– 206 yards rushing and 123 yards receiving by Keith Lincoln. The last meeting in San Diego came in 2002 when the Chargers won 21-14 against the Patriots, the defending Super Bowl champions at the time. Those were different teams in different seasons, but playing at home should fire up the Chargers on Sunday.
 

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The Colts have dropped one game behind the San Diego Chargers in the race for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Heading in the opposite direction are the Bengals, proud owners of a 4-0 record both straight up and against the spread  during the past four weeks.

Credit the turnaround to a Cincinnati defense that has allowed a microscopic 8.2 PPG over that four-game span. In addition, the Bengals have yielded just 17 points in their last three outings.

It’s not a surprise that the Colts are a pathetic 1-4 ATS in the last five games with a defense that is allowing 26.5 PPG during that span.

Cincinnati cornerback Deltha O’Neal, who was inactive last week following a driving arrest, is listed as “questionable” this week. The Bengals will need his help to slow the aerial combination of Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. The trio leads an offense that is averaging 381.4 YPG.

Indianapolis safety Bob Sanders is once again listed as “questionable,” while both Joseph Addai and Dominic Rhodes are expected to play.

All eyes will be on Bengals running back Rudi Johnson this week after the Jacksonville Jaguars exploited the Indy defense for 375 rushing yards in its previous game. Rudi’s 30 carries last week versus Oakland were a season high.

If Johnson is successful, expect Carson Palmer to have great success finding Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry. The Bengals have averaged 24.3 PPG overall this season and 28.4 PPG in their last five contests.

Not surprisingly, the ‘total’ for this game has sky-rocketed from 51 to 54 ½. The ‘over’ has cashed during the two previous meetings between these clubs, with Indy winning both games and going 1-1 ATS.

Manning got the best of Palmer during the Colts’ 45-37 win at Cincinnati in November 2005. Manning threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns, while Palmer passed for 335 yards and two scores with an interception.

The game featured 943 yards, with 492 accumulated by the Bengals and 451 by the Colts.

Manning was nearly flawless on Indianapolis’ first five possessions, which all resulted in touchdowns. He compled 16-of-20 passes for 272 yards and three scores as the Colts built a 35-17 lead.

Indianapolis has a stellar 6-0 SU and 4-2 ATS home record this season, while the Bengals have been an impressive 4-2 both SU and ATS on the road. Cincinnati has been outscored on the road in the first quarter by an average of three points, but has responded to outscore the opposition by an astonishing 22.6 points the remainder of the game.

This has ignited the Bengals to a 13.6 margin of victory, while the Colts have won by an average of 8.4 PPG. The Colts have averaged 29.3 PPG at home, while the Bengals have allowed just 16.3 PPG on the road.

New England is the lone opponent these teams have in common. Indy traveled to Foxboro Stadium and defeated New England by seven points. Cincinnati played the worst game of its season, losing at home to the Patriots by 25 points.

Cincinnati has three tough games to end the season. After Indy, the club faces Denver on the road before returning home versus Pittsburgh. The Colts finish the season at Houston and then return home against Miami.

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Week 10 NFL Power Rankings

1 (1) Indianapolis Colts (8-0) Absolutely dominated the Patriots - so there’s only one question about the Colts: Can they be beaten? I don’t think it can be done. With their newfound defense this team may very well be invincible. We could be looking at the next dynasty, as there are only three or four teams in the league that come close to the completeness that the Colts have.

2 (3) Seattle Seahawks (6-2) They had no problem beating the Cardinals, although that isn’t saying much. This week they have a pivotal game against the St. Louis Rams, and a win by the Seahawks would all but lock up first place in the NFC West.

3 (4) Cincinnati Bengals (7-2) One of the few teams in the league that matches up against Indianapolis, one of the very few that has a legitimate chance to actually beat them. However, they’ll struggle due to their lack of big game experience. Soon though…

4 (8) Denver Broncos (6-2) Leading the division in the AFC West is no small task, and the Broncos deserve it. They’ve played well for the majority of the season, and like the Bengals have a chance at stopping the Colts. However, they need to shore up their pass defense to stand a chance.

5 (10) New York Giants (6-2) They beat the 49ers when they were on cruise control, and they should have a similar experience against the Minnesota Vikings. Eli Manning could very easily take this team to the Super Bowl - they have the talent in the weak NFC.

6 (9) Carolina Panthers (6-2) Is Carolina that good, or is Tampa Bay really that bad? The Panthers had a pretty easy time, stacking eight guys in the box and forcing Chris Simms to beat them with his arm - which he couldn’t do. Carolina is poised to make some noise this year, and could return to the Super Bowl.

7 (6) San Diego Chargers (5-4) They had a harder time against the Jets than they should’ve, but they did win. They will have to be better than that if they want to stay in the playoff race. Fortunately they have a bye-week coming up to work on those things that are lacking.

8 (2) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) They won - so why the drop? The reason: the absence of Big Ben. Until Ben Roethlisberger gets healthy, the Steelers are not an elite team. A very good team, yes, but not an elite team.

9 (7) Atlanta Falcons (6-2) They let the Dolphins hang around in the 4th quarter, but still came away with the win. They shouldn’t have many problems with Green Bay, but after that they’ve got Tampa Bay, and if Chris Simms has found his arm, the Bucs could give them some problems.

10 (5) Dallas Cowboys (5-3) A terrible week in practice dropped the Cowboys five spots - actually, the drop is due to other teams playing well and passing the Cowboys, rather than bad practices. They have a huge game coming up against Philadelphia on Monday Night - a win here would almost knock the Eagles out of the divisional race.

11 (12) Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3) Only beat the Texans by a touchdown - they’re going to need to play much better to have similar success against the Baltimore Ravens this week.

12 (13) Chicago Bears (5-3) Chicago could be the spoiler in the playoffs. They have the defense, and the offense is slowly coming together. If it every gets on track, this team will be dangerous. This week against the 49ers is just another opportunity for them to cement the NFC North title.

13 (11) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3) Until Chris Simms proves he can win games, Tampa Bay is going to continue their freefall. You have to have a somewhat balanced offense to win games in the NFL, and Cadillac Williams can’t do it all. The defense is still there though.

14 (19) Washington Redskins (5-3) It wasn’t pretty, but a victory over Philadelphia has to count for something. They looked a lot better in an ugly win than the 36-0 loss to the Giants. They’ll need to be better to catch the Giants though.

15 (18) Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) A brilliant call by Dick Vermeil gave the Chiefs a much needed win over the Raiders. They shouldn’t have too much trouble against the Buffalo Bills this week… and they better hope they don’t, otherwise the Broncos will continue to slip away with the division.

16 (17) Oakland Raiders (3-5) After last week’s game against the Chiefs this team does look like a playoff caliber team. It may be a case of too little too late though.

17 (14) Miami Dolphins (3-5) They look like a shadow of the team they were when they handled Denver at the start of the season. They hung around against the Falcons, but just couldn’t pull it off. Things might be getting worse, as the New England Patriots are coming to town.

18 (15) New England Patriots (4-4) Well, the good news is they’re playing in a fairly weak division this year. Which team do you think is better than them? Buffalo? Miami? No, not yet. Their defense must be improved for them to go for that third straight Super Bowl, but don’t count on it.

19 (16) Philadelphia Eagles (4-4) Fresh off a loss against the Redskins, the Eagles have to face the Cowboys on Monday Night Football - minus Terrell Owens. This game has so many storylines - have the Eagles lost their season? Can they win without Terrell Owens? Who will step up to fill the void?

20 (20) Tennessee Titans (2-7) They’ve been competitive in almost all of their games, but they just can’t buy a break. They’ve got a week off coming up, maybe they’ll be able to salvage something. One thing is for sure - the Titans aren’t going to make the playoffs.

21 (21) Detroit Lions (3-5) Hammered by the Vikings of all teams, that’s not good. Will they show any signs of life against the Cardinals this week?

22 (23) St. Louis Rams (4-4) They had the bye-week leading into what may turn out to be the most important game of the year for the Rams - the game against the Seahawks. If they lose they are essentially four games back, if they win, they’re back by one.

23 (24) Buffalo Bills (3-5) Did the bye-week give the Bills enough time to prepare for the Chiefs, and keep the slim chance of winning the division alive? Doubtful, at best.

24 (22) Baltimore Ravens (2-6) This offense can’t do anything. Not just their passing game, but their running game as well. These last eight games may be Kyle Boller’s last chance to show that he belongs in the NFL.

25 (28) Cleveland Browns (3-5) They won against the Titans, but asking for a win in Pittsburgh - even when they’re without Big Ben, is way too much. It’s not going to happen.

26 (27) New York Jets (2-6) They almost - ALMOST - were able to pull off the upset against the Chargers. In the NFL, though, almost isn’t good enough. They’ll need to play perfectly to keep pace with the Carolina Panthers this week.

27 (25) Green Bay Packers (1-7) This just in - Brett Favre can’t do it all. He needs to have some form of a team around him, and the Packers management are just realizing that. It’ll be disappointing if he goes out like this.

28 (29) New Orleans Saints (2-7) They kept pushing against the Bears, but that defense just wouldn’t give. They’ll finally get a chance to catch their breath this week, giving them time to reflect on the disaster this season has become. Everything that can go wrong - will.

29 (26) Arizona Cardinals (2-6) Will the real quarterback please stand up? This team lacks a leader, among other things. Until they find one, they’re doomed to be a laughingstock.

30 (31) Minnesota Vikings (3-5) Oh joy they get to go and play one of the best teams in the NFC. Well, as long as they take the plane there and not a cruise ship.

31 (32) Houston Texans (1-7) They kept pace with the Jaguars, but in the end it just wasn’t enough. Traveling to Indianapolis this week is not going to be pretty. I’ll be surprised if they stay within 14.

32 (30) San Francisco 49ers (2-6) They were out of the basement for a week, but after being dominated by the Giants, they’re right back in it. They have a shot against the Bears, but don’t put money on it.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers might be the defending Super Bowl champions, but that title isn’t doing much for them right now. The Steelers have lost two straight games, are in third place in the AFC North, have allowed more points than they’ve scored, and have the same number of victories as the Cleveland Browns.

The San Diego Chargers started the season with two straight wins - but they were over league doormats Oakland (27-0) and Tennessee (40-7). The Chargers came up short against a good team last week, losing 16-13 to the undefeated Baltimore Ravens. That loss dropped San Diego into a tie with the Denver Broncos atop the AFC West division, and tripled their points-allowed this season.

So both Pittsburgh and San Diego will be looking to make a statement when they meet on the gridiron at Qualcomm Stadium on Sunday night (with kickoff at 8:15pm ET on NBC). The Steelers will be trying to show that they’re still an elite team, and not a step below the other AFC powers. The Chargers will be trying to show that they can beat a football team that isn’t currently winless on the season.

The oddsmakers have the Chargers pegged as slight home favorites right now, listing the game at San Diego -3. The Chargers had no troubling covering the spread in their wins over Oakland and Tennessee, but they were tagged with an ATS loss against the Ravens. Pittsburgh covered the spread in Week 1 against Miami, but picked up ATS losses in contests against Jacksonville and Cincinnati.

The total for Sunday’s night game is currently sitting at 37.5 points. The Steelers are 2-1 OVER/UNDER this season, and are averaging 16 points scored and 18 points allowed in 2006. San Diego is 1-2 OVER/UNDER so far this year, and are averaging 26.7 points scored and 7.7 points allowed through their three games.

These two teams met once last season, with the Steelers coming away with a 24-22 road victory on October 10. San Diego had been favored by 3 points in that game, while the combined score fell UNDER the posted total of 47 points.

The last time San Diego beat Pittsburgh was way back on January 15, 1995, when the Chargers won 17-13 on the road. The Steelers had been 6.5-point favorites in that playoff contest, and the combined score was an UNDER result.

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Grizzled veteran Brett Favre gets one more turn in the limelight tonight as the Green Bay Packers travel to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to face Donovan McNabb and the Eagles.

The Packers enter the game as huge 11.5-point underdogs against an Eagles team that has looked very tough for 11 of their 12 quarters of action so far this season. But for a fourth-quarter meltdown in Week 2 that cost them a 30-24 overtime decision to the division rival New York Giants, Philadelphia has looked ready to take command of the competitive NFC East this season. Favre and the Pack meanwhile, have performed pretty much as anticipated based on low preseason expectations. A 31-24 win over the Detroit Lions last week was Green Bay’s first of the campaign, and came largely on the strength of Favre’s 25-of-36 passing performance for 340 yards and three touchdowns. That followed another 340-yard outing in Week 2, when Favre uncorked a whopping 55 attempts and completed 31 in a 34-27 setback against the inspired New Orleans Saints.

McNabb though, has delivered so far on his mission to lead the Eagles to success in the wake of last season’s forgettable campaign. At 29 years of age and in his eighth NFL season after being drafted second overall by Philadelphia back in 1999, McNabb has thrown for an average of 320 yards per game in three starts this year with seven majors, a single interception, and a QB rating of 105.3 (third overall entering Week 4 action).

If Brian Westbrook (knee) and Donte’ Stallworth (hamstring) are both in the lineup tonight - both are listed as questionable - then expect McNabb to have all the tools he needs at his disposal to put up some more big numbers against a Green Bay defense which has allowed 28 points per game to rank 28th overall out of 32 NFL teams. The Philly offense has put up 28.7 points per game and ranks third overall in the NFL. The number for this game has climbed this week to a current total of 48.5. Philadelphia knocked off visiting Green Bay last November by a 19-14 count, covering the 4-point spread as a home chalk. Coverage begins at 8:30 pm ET on ESPN.
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Two unbeaten teams will take to the field in this week’s Sunday night matchup, as the 3-0 Seattle Seahawks travel to Soldier Field in Chicago to do battle with the 3-0 Bears (with kickoff, as always, at 8:15pm ET). However, the Seahawks will be missing a key player in this game, as RB Shaun Alexander will be on the sidelines with a cracked foot.

Alexander was officially listed as ‘doubtful’ on Wednesday’s initial injury report, but he was then downgraded to ‘out’ on Thursday’s followup release. The star RB had said earlier in the week that he would suit up against the Bears (thanks in part to the power of prayer), but apparently the Seahawks’ medical staff had other ideas about his status.

And that makes Maurice Morris Seattle’s new starting running back. Morris has played sparingly so far in 2006, and obviously won’t attract Alexander-level attention from the Bears’ defense on Sunday. Last week, Morris ran for 18 yards on 15 carries in the team’s win over the New York Giants (Alexander picked up just 47 yards on 20 carries).

But when your quarterback throws five touchdown passes in a game, rushing numbers don’t really mean too much. Matt Hasselbeck connected with receivers five times in the end zone against the Giants last week, despite only going 24-of-33 for 227 yards, and getting picked off three times as well. Seattle actually led that game 42-3 at one point, before the Giants finally woke up in the third quarter and tossed 27 points on the board.

So the Bears will be mainly focused on stopping Hasselbeck on Sunday night. Against the Vikings last week Chicago’s defense allowed just three field goals and a defensive touchdown (a seven-yard INT return by Antoine Winfield), but it still took a late TD pass by Rex Grossman to give them a 19-16 victory and keep them undefeated on the year.

Prior to their game against the Vikings, the Bears had only given up seven points over two contests, and they’ve allowed half as many points as the Seahawks so far this season (23 compared to 46). As well, surprisingly, they’ve outscored Seattle 79-72 so far in ‘06 against similar competition (Packers, Lions, Vikings vs. Lions, Cards, Giants).

Throw in home-field advantage, and the oddsmakers currently have the Bears listed as 3.5-point favorites in this contest (with a total sitting at 34.5 points). The last time these teams met? That was back in 2003, when the Bears lost 24-17 to the Seahawks in Seattle. Chicago covered the 11-point spread, and the total ended up an UNDER play.

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After being rocked and rattled by the withering power of Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana Superdome will be shaken by a much less dangerous force tonight when the stadium is filled to capacity with fired-up football fans as the New Orleans Saints play host to the division rival Atlanta Falcons.

This week’s Monday Night Football matchup would be special enough just to mark a milestone along the way to New Orleans’ recovery from Katrina, but who could have imagined that both the Saints and Falcons would be a perfect 2-0 heading into the game? The Saints have backed up the increasing buzz around rookie running back Reggie Bush with season-opening wins over the Cleveland Browns and the Green Bay Packers.

Quarterback Drew Brees, who signed with the Saints in the offseason after the Chargers handed the reins to Philip Rivers, has completed 42 or 71 passes for 523 yards in the two victories with three touchdown passes and a QB Rating of 84.4. Bush has picked up only 72 yards on 21 carries but surprisingly leads the Saints with 15 receptions for 120 yards as well. Deuce McAllister has delivered solid production out of the backfield with 137 yards rushing on 34 carries and a pair of majors.

The story out of Atlanta is a familiar one, as QB Michael Vick is on a mission this season to secure respect both for himself and his Falcons. Atlanta has fired out of the gate with impressive wins over the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, scoring 34 points combined while allowing a meager nine points against. The Falcons lead the entire NFL with an eye-popping average of 279 yards rushing per game, and rank fifth in overall offense with 383.5 yards per game.

Vick has completed 20 of 37 passing attempts for 232 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing 21 times for 175 yards and one major. RB Warrick Dunn is off to an electrifying start with 50 carries for 266 yards in just two games.

Last season the Falcons posted a pair of victories over the Saints, by scores of 36-17 and 34-31. Both results were OVER plays.

Despite the hearty support New Orleans will undoubtedly get from its proud fans tonight, Atlanta is listed as a 4-point favorite with the total set at 44.
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The New England Patriots might be undefeated this season, but they haven’t exactly looked like a dominating team so far in ‘06. The Denver Broncos picked up a victory last week, but it probably wasn’t deserved. Those teams will get a chance to turn around the doubters when they battle at Gillette Stadium in the Sunday night game (8:15pm ET).

The Patriots had to come from behind to defeat the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 - they scored a third-quarter touchdown, then added a field goal and a safety in the final frame to pull out a 19-17 home victory. Pats QB Tom Brady went just 11-of-23 for 163 yards passing against Buffalo, but did have two touchdown strikes to go along with one interception.

New England then had to hold on for a victory in Week 2 against the Jets, as New York came back from a 24-0 deficit in the third quarter to lose just 24-17. Brady was just over 50% with his passing against the Jets, going 15-of-29 for 220 yards, with one touchdown toss and one interception. Corey Dillon ran for 80 yards and a touchdown.

The Broncos, meanwhile, needed to go to overtime to grab their first win of the season last week - but they didn’t need to score a touchdown to secure the victory. Jason Elam kicked field goals in the third quarter, fourth quarter, and overtime frame to give his team a 9-6 win over a Kansas City Chiefs team playing without starting QB Trent Green.

Denver’s top quarterback, Jake Plummer, was largely ineffective against last week - the veteran went just 16-of-30 for 173 yards passing, with one interception. For Plummer, though, it was an improvement from Week 1, when he completed 13-of-26 pass attempts for 138 yards, with no TD strikes and three INTs in an 18-10 loss to the Rams.

The last time these two teams met, of course, was when the Broncos defeated the Patriots by a score of 27-13 in Denver in January. The Broncos had been a 3-point favorite in that game, while the combined score was an UNDER play. Last October the Broncos topped the Patriots 28-20 at home (also as 3-point favorites) in an OVER play.

Oddsmakers like New England’s chances of getting to 3-0 on Sunday night, as the Patriots are currently listed as 7-point home favorites against the Broncos (with the total at 39 points). Be sure to watch out for line moves and injury updates over the weekend.
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Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers is expected to start tonight as the defending Super Bowl champions travel south to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in this week’s Monday Night Football matchup.

After undergoing a recent appendectomy, Roethlisberger is listed as questionable on Pittsburgh’s official injury report but practiced with the club this week and - barring late-breaking misfortune - will take over from stand-in Charlie Batch at the helm of the Steelers.

Pittsburgh now sits as a 2.5-point road favorite against Jacksonville, with the total set at 37.

Despite Roethlisberger’s absence, the Steelers didn’t miss a beat in Week 1 as Batch threw for more than 200 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-17 romp over the Miami Dolphins at Heinz Field. Willie Parker turned in a solid rushing performance with 115 yards on 29 carries.

The Jags, meanwhile, will also have their sights set on a 2-0 start to the season after dumping Dallas 24-17 in Week 1 action. Quarterback Byron Leftwich had a decent outing while throwing for 237 passing yards, but the real story last week was the charged-up Jaguars’ defense which kept the Cowboys in disarray for most of the game.

The Steelers and Jaguars, who have become bitter rivals over the years since Jacksonville began play as a surprisingly competitive expansion franchise back in 1995, met previously in October 2005 when Jacksonville secured a 23-17 overtime win in Pittsburgh as road dogs. Roethlisberger did not play in that game, and a Tommy Maddox pass attempt was intercepted in OT and run back for the game-winning major.

Back in December 2004, the black-and-gold failed to cover while posting a 17-16 victory in Jacksonville on a last-second field goal by Jeff Reed, following a clinical last-minute drive engineered by the rookie Roethlisberger.

The two teams have met 17 times in their history so far with the Jaguars holding a 9-8 lead in the series, straight up, including 6-3 in Jacksonville.

Here is the official Week 2 injury report for both teams.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger QB Questionable Week 2 (Appendectomy); Jerame Tuman TE Probable Week 2 (Hamstring); Troy Polamalu S Probable Week 2 (Shoulder); Max Starks T Probable Week 2 (Knee); Hines Ward WR Probable Week 2 (Hamstring); Nate Washington WR Probable Week 2 (Knee).

Jacksonville Jaguars: Marcedes Lewis TE Questionable Week 2 (Ankle); Mike Peterson LB Questionable Week 2 (Knee); Gerald Sensabaugh S Questionable Week 2 (Ankle); Paul Spicer DE Questionable Week 2 (Groin); Marcus Stroud DT Questionable Week 2 (Ankle).

Kickoff is slated for 8:30 pm ET, on ESPN.
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Both the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys lost their season-opening contests last week. Barring a rare tie, one of those teams will grab their first victory of the year this week when they battle in the Sunday night contest (8:15pm E.T.) at Texas Stadium.

The Redskins were blanked in the fourth quarter last week as they fell by a score of 19-16 to the visiting Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football. Washington QB Mark Brunell couldn’t get much going on offense, completing 17-of-28 pass attempts for 163 yards in the air, with no TD strikes and no interceptions. Clinton Portis, nursing a shoulder injury, scored the team’s lone touchdown, but only picked up 39 rushing yards.

The Cowboys got a touchdown out of Terrell Owens in their Week 1 contest, but that fourth-quarter score proved to be meaningless in a 24-17 road loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Dallas quarterback Drew Bledsoe had a terrible game against the Jags, going 16-of-33 for 246 yards passing, with the one TD strike and three interceptions. Owens had six catches for 80 yards in the loss, and Terry Glenn caught four balls for 81 yards.

So both the Redskins and the Cowboys are currently 0-1 straight-up, and 0-1 against-the-spread as well. For Week 2 the oddsmakers have Dallas pegged as a 6-point home favorite, with the total hovering around 37 points. Washington won both meetings between these teams last year (35-7 at home in December, and 14-13 on the road in September), and covered both times. One game was an OVER play, the other an UNDER play, and it was the first season series sweep for Washington since 1995. The Redskins, though, have not won two straight contests in Dallas since the late eighties.

On the injury front, the Redskins have more issues than the Cowboys. Portis is still on the injury report as questionable with his shoulder troubles for Week 2, although he’s expected to get an increased workload this week. CB Shawn Springs, who is coming off abdominal surgery, is listed as doubtful versus the Cowboys, while S Pierson Prioleau was placed on IR with a torn ACL, and is out for the season. That could spell trouble for the Redskins’ secondary, which will be asked to contain Owens in Dallas this weekend.

For the Cowboys, kicker Mike Vanderjagt was not included on the team’s initial injury report this week, so he’s expected to be available on Sunday night; whether or not Bill Parcells plays the flaky Vanderjagt remains to be seen. And Bledsoe isn’t hurt, but another poor outing could find the veteran QB getting benched in favor of Tony Romo.
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