1st Prize: NFC East
First Posted:
at PITTSBURGH
OPENING LINE: Steelers by 7
SERIES RECORD: Steelers lead 62-57
LAST MEETING: Browns beat Steelers 20-14, Nov. 25
LAST WEEK: Browns lost to Broncos 34-12; Steelers lost to Bengals 13-10
DID YOU KNOW? Steelers eliminated from playoff contention last week. ... Browns last swept Steelers in 1988. ... Pittsburgh TE Heath Miller out with right knee injury. ... Cleveland’s last win in Pittsburgh came in 2003. ... Browns forced eight Pittsburgh turnovers in previous meeting. ... Cleveland QB Brandon Weeden nursing right shoulder injury and may not play. ... Steelers haven’t finished with losing record since 2003. ... Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has touchdown pass in all 12 games he’s played. ... Steelers have third-highest home winning percentage (.732) since Heinz Field opened in 2001
Cleveland K Phil Dawson has converted 28 of 29 field goals ... Weeden’s five wins are most by rookie Browns QB in team history. ... Steelers average time of possession (32:14) second in NFL ... Cleveland RB Trent Richardson’s 12 touchdowns leads NFL rookies ... Cleveland’s 82 combined rookie starts most in league
at N.Y. GIANTS
OPENING LINE: Giants by 9 1/2
SERIES RECORD: Giants lead 82-75-2
LAST MEETING: Eagles beat Giants 19-17, Sept. 30
LAST WEEK: Eagles lost to Redskins 27-20; Giants lost to Ravens 33-14
DID YOU KNOW? Giants must beat Eagles in what might be Andy Reid’s final game as Philadelphia’s coach, then have Minnesota and Chicago lose and have Washington beat or tie Dallas to make playoffs. ... Eagles have had Giants number in recent years, winning seven of eight, including September game in which Giants K Lawrence Tynes was short on late 54-yard field goal attempt. ...With rookie Nick Foles out with broken hand, Michael Vick returns to starting lineup for first time since suffering concussion Nov. 11. It might also be last start with team. ...RB LeSean McCoy has rushed for at least 100 yards in last three games against New York, averaging 121.3 yards.
After 6-2 start, Giants missing playoffs for third time in four years seems likely for defending Super Bowl champs. ... Manning needs 260 yards passing to record fourth straight 4,000-yard season. In past four meetings, he has 11 TDs, three interceptions and 101.5 quarterback rating. ... Victor Cruz has gained at least 100 yards receiving in last three games vs. Eagles.
at MINNESOTA
OPENING LINE: Packers by 3
SERIES RECORD: Packers lead 54-48-1
LAST MEETING: Packers beat Vikings 23-14, Dec. 2
LAST WEEK: Packers beat Titans 55-7; Vikings beat Texans 23-6
DID YOU KNOW? Packers have won 12 straight against NFC North opponents, tied for longest since realignment in 2002. A win would help them surpass Colts from 2004-06 and Ravens from 2010-12 for longest streak of new alignment era. ... Packers have won four in row and 10 of last 11. ... Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 5,927 yards, 49 TDs and just eight INTs in 20 career games indoors. His 116.1 QB rating indoors is best in NFL history. ... Rodgers has thrown 20 TDs and four INTs in nine career starts vs. Vikings. ... Packers averaging 129.9 yards per game on ground, seventh in NFL, over last seven games.
Vikings RB Adrian Peterson 102 yards away from 2,000 for season and 208 away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record set in 1984. He rushed for 210 in a loss to Packers Dec. 2. ... Peterson has rushed for more yards (1,243) against Packers than any other opponent. ... Vikings lead NFL with 29 runs of at least 20 yards and seven runs of at least 50.
at WASHINGTON
OPENING LINE: Redskins by 3 1/2
SERIES RECORD: Cowboys lead 62-41-2
LAST MEETING: Redskins beat Cowboys 38-31, Nov. 22
LAST WEEK: Cowboys lost to Saints 34-31 OT; Redskins beat Falcons 27-20
DID YOU KNOW? NFC East title on line in 256th and final game of regular season, also 106th edition of 52-year-old division rivalry. Cowboys can only make playoffs by winning: they would own tiebreaker over Washington: while Redskins could lose and still get wild-card berth if both Chicago and Minnesota lose. ... Dallas seeking first division title and playoff berth since 2009. ... Cowboys QB Tony Romo has franchise-record 4,685 yards passing. ... Dallas WR Dez Bryant coming off career-high 224-yard game last week, has 808 yards in last seven games. ... Cowboys’ Jason Witten has 103 catches, single-season NFL record for a tight end.
Washington has won six straight, seeking first seven-game streak since 1996. ... Redskins QB Robert Griffin III can set several more NFL rookie records. His 104.1 passer rating currently tops Ben Roethlisberger’s 98.1 in 2004, his 66.4 completion percentage is just shy of Roethlisberger’s 66.44 in 2004, and his 1.3 percentage of passes intercepted is better than Charlie Batch’s 1.98 in 1998. Griffin already has league record for rushing yards by a rookie QB (752). ... RB Alfred Morris (1,413) is NFL’s rookie rushing leader and needs 104 yards to break Clinton Portis’ single-season Redskins record (1,516 in 2005).
