Wallace, 30 before the season, offers very little upside, but has shown the ability to at least keep a team competitive in spot starts. He holds a career completion rate of 59.9 and TD-to-INT ratio of 25:14. If training camp began today, he would compete with Brady Quinn to start.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Tampa Bay: Buccaneers acquired WR Reggie Brown from the Eagles in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. Brown, 29, fell out of the Eagles’ receiver rotation in 2008 following three pedestrian seasons as a starter to begin his career, and caught just nine balls in seven games last year. While not a difference-making talent, the 2005 No. 35 overall pick is a worthwhile pickup for a Bucs team that currently has the league’s weakest receiver corps. Brown could ascend to a starting job in Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a good offseason.

New England: NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi reports that the Patriots have re-signed free agent CB Leigh Bodden. Bodden’s player rep, however, is denying the report. “Reports of Leigh Bodden re-signing with the Patriots are not true and premature at best,” agent Alvin Keels tweeted Monday night. “Leigh is still evaluating his options.” Bodden took a visit to Houston on Sunday. It appears the New England Patriots may have a deal in place with him, but pen has not yet been put to paper.

Pittsburg: Steelers signed WR Antwaan Randle El to a three-year contract. Randle El, going on 31, managed just 17 catches for 102 yards in 16 games last year. He hasn’t scored a touchdown since 2006 and lost most of his burst on punt returns, but can still contribute off the bench as a slot receiver.

Pittsburg: Steelers re-signed FS Ryan Clark to a four-year, $17 million contract, including $5 million in the first year. Smartly, the Steelers didn’t stop pursuing Clark after their Monday addition of backup-caliber safety Will Allen. Also smartly on Clark’s part, he leveraged Pittsburgh Steelers by taking a Monday visit to the Dolphins. Clark turns 31 during the upcoming season and has never been a big-time playmaker, but is a banger in the back end with above-average range. His return is good news for a Steelers secondary that may experience major overhaul at cornerback.

Detroit: Lions acquired CB Chris Houston from the Falcons in exchange for a 2010 sixth-round pick and an exchange of fifth-rounders in April’s NFL Draft. A three-year starter in Atlanta, Houston goes to Detroit with lots of talent but a resume consisting of just three career interceptions and maddening ups and downs. The Lions’ gamble is that Houston’s press cover skills will fit better in aggressive coordinator Gunther Cunningham’s man-to-man secondary. Though the compensation doesn’t seem like much, Houston immediately becomes the Lions’ top cornerback.

Detroit: Lions released DE Dewayne White. While White was a productive rusher in his first two years with Detroit, he was too often on the shelf, missing 10 of a possible 32 games since 2007. He also didn’t have sack last year. The signing of Julius Peppers may lessen Chicago GM Jerry Angelo’s interest, but Bears DL coach Rod Marinelli has been a longtime believer in White.

Oakland: Raiders released WR Javon Walker and DE Greg Ellis. In exchange for 15 catches, 196 yards and one touchdown in two years on Oakland’s roster, the club paid Walker $21 million. Typical Raiders business. Owner Al Davis should’ve let Walker retire when he threatened to during the 2008 offseason, even offering to return his $11 million signing bonus. Walker, 31, lost all his speed after microfracture surgery and is likely done as a pro. Ellis had seven sacks last year to lead the team, but Davis wants to move forward with Matt Shaughnessy opposite Richard Seymour.

Kansas City: Chiefs re-signed WR Chris Chambers to a three-year, $15 million contract, including $5.9 million guaranteed. Chambers looked done in San Diego before the Chiefs claimed him off waivers prior to Week 8 last season. He became an immediate starter in K.C., averaging four catches for 68 yards per game with four TDs in nine appearances. While he was clearly a better fit for Todd Haley’s offense than Norv Turner’s, Chambers’ re-signing shouldn’t prevent the Chiefs from exploring wideouts early in April’s draft. He turns 32 before the season.

Indianapolis: Colts released LG Ryan Lilja. Lilja started in the Super Bowl, but struggled badly as a run blocker along with much of Indianapolis’ front five last season. The 28-year-old missed all of 2008 due to multiple knee surgeries, returning in 2009 without much left. The Colts are likely to pursue interior line help in April’s draft.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Green Bay: NFL Network’s Jason LaCanfora reports the Packers are now planning to place the franchise tag on NT Ryan Pickett. The Green Bay Packers’ use of the tag would further highlight the increasing value of 3-4 nose tackles, giving the position a clean-sweep of franchise players this year. The sides are still working on an extension, but the Packers are prepared to pay the $7M for one year to retain their run-stuffer.

Philadelphia: Eagles coach Andy Reid indicated at Tuesday’s press conference that LeSean McCoy “will take the ball from here” following Brian Westbrook’s release. McCoy will be the Philadelphia Eagles feature back in 2010, with fullback Leonard Weaver chipping in.

San Diego: According to beat writer Kevin Acee, the San Diego Chargers have no intention of using the franchise tag on RB/KR Darren Sproles for a second straight season. The Bolts will talk to Sproles’ agent during the Combine this week. They remain interested in a long-term deal, but Sproles won’t be receiving a one-year offer at close to $7.3M. GM A.J. Smith maintains that Sproles is maxed out as a return ace and backup runner, so expect the free agent to test the market this time around.

Arizona: The Cardinals are not expected to seriously discuss a contract extension with Pro Bowl DE Darnell Dockett before the 2010 season starts. This is starting to mirror Anquan Boldin’s situation from the past couple of years. The Cardinals will want to figure out how much of their budget is left over after filling holes and signing their own players this offseason. We’re not expecting a Dockett extension until next offseason, if at all.

Oakland: Beat writer Rich Cimini believes the Jets could realistically be interested in a trade for Nnamdi Asomugha, who is reportedly being dangled by the Raiders. ESPN AFC East blogger Tim Graham also considers it a possibility. Asomugha made news at the Pro Bowl when he said he was interested in joining Darrelle Revis as a dynamic shutdown duo. As a final eight team, the Jets can’t sign free agents, but they’re free to improve their team through trades. Asomugha would have to be open to restructuring his deal to play for a contender.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

St. Louis: Rams QB Marc Bulger will have an MRI on his fractured shinbone this week. The St. Louis Rams and the QB believe there is a chance he could return this season. This would help out the value of WRs Donnie Avery and Brandon Gibson.

Houston: After undergoing an MRI on his left shoulder, Matt Schaub remained optimistic that he will be able to play Sunday.

New York: New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez will war a brace on each knee if he plays against the Bucs on Sunday. It looks like he will play but expect him to be limited in practice this weekend.

Washington: Though agent Drew Rosenhaus claimed that Clinton Portis (injured reserve, concussion) will make a complete recovery for 2010, Portis was less optimistic Tuesday. “If it’s my time, I think I had a great career,” said Portis, who was not cleared to play by a concussion specialist in Pittsburgh Monday. “The doctor feared that if I took another hit like that, [the vision problems] would get worse … He said it rattled the vision and that was his main concern.”

Pittsburg: Hines Ward (concussion) is expected to be a game-time decision Thursday night after missing a second straight practice Tuesday. “It probably will come down to the eleventh hour,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “I’d say it’s a mild hamstring issue but having a Thursday night game complicates matters to the point that we’ll have to wait and see if he’s ready.” Mike Wallace is expected to see extended playing time, even if Ward is able to play.

Denver Broncos: RT Ryan Harris is done for the season after re-injuring the big toe on his right foot that was dislocated Nov. 1 at Baltimore. Harris visited a specialist Tuesday and was informed that he wouldn’t be able to play even in the playoffs. Harris was having a beak out year and was playing at a top-ten NFL tackle level.

Offense:
Points Per Game: 23.1 (15th)
Total Yards/GM: 379.8 (6th)
Rush Yards/GM: 111.6 (17th)
Pass Yards/GM: 268.2 (5th)

Defense:
Points Per Game: 18.4 (8th)
Total Yards/GM: 277.9 (1st)
Rush Yards/GM: 69.2 (1st)
Pass Yards/GM: 208.7 (12th)

Baltimore (5-5):

Offense:
Points Per Game: 23.7 (12th)
Total Yards/GM: 349.4 (13th)
Rush Yards/GM: 115.5 (14th)
Pass Yards/GM: 233.9 (15th)

Defense:
Points Per Game: 17.1 (5th)
Total Yards/GM: 310 (9th)
Rush Yards/GM: 92.1 (5th)
Pass Yards/GM: 217.9 (17th)

What is at Stake?

The winner of the Pittsburgh Steelers/Ravens game will take over control of second place in the AFC North standings, possibly moving to the inside track of making the playoffs. For Pittsburg, winning this game would move the team within ½ game of the Bengals. If the Ravens should win this hard-noised matchup, the club will move into a tie for second place in the division. With a win, each team will also be in a position to over-take the upstart Cincinnati Bengals if the sputter down the stretch.

Key Matchup:

The key matchup of the game is the emerging Ray Rice versus the Pittsburg number one ranked rush defense. The Steelers have consistently shut down top rushers throughout the entire season, only yielding 69 yards to Adrian Peterson, forcing teams to become “pass happy.” However, believe it or not, this could become a detriment to the Steelers. Rice has the ability to defeat a team with his pass-catching ability.

The Skinny:

Whether it’s on the ground or in the air, Rice will be a factor in this game. If the Steelers to an effective job of limiting the touches, including catches, of Rice then their chances of winning the game dramatically increase.

Prediction: Pittsburg 21, Baltimore 14.

Miami @ Carolina

Prediction: Miami 21, Carolina17: Williams and the Wildcat will run wild in this one.

Washington @ Dallas

Prediction: Dallas 31, Redskins 13: I’m not brave enough to predict the upset n this one. Good time for the Dallas Cowboys to need a pick-me-up game.

Cleveland @ Detroit

Prediction: Detroit 28, Browns 24: Its really hard to say, but the Lions win on having the more stable franchise at the moment.

San Francisco @ Green Bay

Prediction: Green Bay 21, San Francisco 20: The 49ers can easily win this game, but I’m not brave enough to pick them.

Pittsburg @ Kansas City

Prediction: Pittsburg 27, Kansas City 10: Look for the Pittsburgh Steelers to have 200+ yards rushing in this game.

Seattle @ Minnesota

Prediction: Minnesota 21, Seattle 13: The pass-happy Seahawks will have trouble consistently moving the ball.

Atlanta @ New York Giants

Prediction: Atlanta 21, New York Giants 17: In a mild upset, the Falcons steal one on the road and the New York Giants struggles continue.

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay

Prediction: New Orleans 35, Tampa bay 3: Blow out city.

Buffalo @ Jacksonville

Prediction: Jacksonville Jaguars 17, Buffalo 13: How about winning one for the skipper? Not with the Jags rushing attack, that will have to wait a few weeks.

Indianapolis @ Baltimore

Prediction: Indianapolis 24, Baltimore 14: The Ravens defense is not the same, especially without Suggs.

Arizona @ St. Louis

Prediction: Arizona 41, St. Louis 6: The Cardinals have their second bye week of the year.

San Diego @ Denver

Prediction: San Diego 24, Denver 21: Nobody would believe me when I said that Denver Broncos is overrated.

Cincinnati @ Oakland

Prediction: Cincinnati 31, Oakland 0: It cannot get much worse than this…

New England @ New York Jets

Prediction: New England 31, New York Jets 17: Payback. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots ran up the score a bit.

Philadelphia @ Chicago

Prediction: Philadelphia 28, Chicago 17: How many pics will Cutler throw?

Tennessee @ Houston

Prediction: Houston 31, Tennessee 28: Houston has too much firepower in this one.

Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers
This is pretty simple, the Packers can’t lose this game. If they fall to 4 – 6 it will be very difficult for them to earn a playoff spot, unless everyone crumbles around them. Green Bay is coming off two straight tough losses and will be looking to rebound against a good Bears team. This is one of the biggest rivalries in all of football, and I look forward to a great game. For the Packers to win QB Aaron Rodgers will need to get good protection so that he can get the ball down the field to his play makers Driver and Jennings. The Bears won’t make this easy on them by putting constant pressure on Rodgers and trying to force him to make mistakes. The Bears defense is all about turnovers and stopping the run. Kyle Orton should return at QB for the Bears this week, but the key to there offensive plan will be running back Matt Forte. Forte and the Bears will look to exploit the Packers 28th ranked rush defense and pound the ball at them all day long. The Bears are also coming off a loss and would love nothing more then to burry the Packers on Sunday and give themselves some breathing room atop the division. To win the Bears will need to take care of the ball on offense and look to force turnovers on defense.  This game is at Lambeau Field which always plays a factor, but the Packs inability to run or stop the run will make it tough for them to win. I like the Bears this week in a pick em, final score Bears 17 – Packers 14.

San Diego Chargers vs Pittsburgh Steelers
All of a sudden Pittsburgh is in a dog fight in there division and San Diego is desperate for a victory on Sunday. San Diego has glaring problems on defense, and are the worst team in the league against the pass. If they have any chance to win, they will have to slow Roethlisberger and the Steeler offense down. Roethlisberger will exploit this defensive problem, by testing the Chargers defense with deep balls to Hines Ward and company. San Diego has been able to move the ball freely on offense with QB Phillip Rivers having a stellar season. Pittsburgh will try to slow down the pass attack of the Chargers by blitzing and blitzing a lot. If San Diego wants to win they need LaDainian Tomlinson to have a productive game on the ground and keep the Steelers defense honest. The Steelers have the leagues 3rd ranked defense and only allow a leagues best 240 yards a game. The Steelers defense really has no weaknesses 2nd against the run and 1st against the pass, which all adds up to be a long day for the Chargers. To add to this the Chargers haven’t traveled well all year long losing in Buffalo, Miami and London. Pittsburgh is to good and I think they will win this game pretty easily at home on Sunday. Roethlisberger will have a big day and lead the Steelers to a 41 – 17 victory.

Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons
Not a lot of people expected either one of these teams to be as good as they are, and here we are in week 11 with them playing a big game. A Falcon win could put them in a great position to earn a playoff spot, while the Broncos need to keep winning to stay ahead of there division. The Falcons defense plays a bend, but don’t break game and don’t allow a lot of points. If Denver wants to win they will need some production on the ground and QB Jay Cutler will need to limit mistakes. Matt Ryan, Michael Turner and Roddy White will look to exploit the Broncos 28th ranked defense. The Falcons offense should be able to move the ball effectively against this defense, and if they avoid turnovers should win this game. This game is in Atlanta and I think they should win the game out right and score a lot of points. Look for a big game out of Michael Turner and an Atlanta victory by a score of 31 – 21.

AFC East – How the times have changed, a couple weeks ago it looked as if the Bills were in complete control of this division and now it is wide open. The Patriots and Bills lost in week 9 and the Jets and Dolphins won, making the division the closest in all of football. The Jets, Bills and Patriots are all tied at 5 – 3, while the Dolphins are 4 – 4.  This sets up a huge match up in week 10, Bills vs Patriots, that will feel like a must win for both teams. Both teams are coming off losses and will look to bounce back on Sunday. Miami has a home game vs Seattle and the Jets are home as well against the Rams, you have to expect both teams to win. Right now it looks like 10 -6 might get you into the playoffs in the AFC, therefore only two of these teams can make it. I think this division will stay close all year long and you should look for big match ups in the last week of the season.

The Brady Quinn era will get under way in week 10. The Browns announced that Anderson has been benched in favor of the 1st round pick and popular Quinn.

Ben Roethlisberger - It was only a matter of time, Ben Roethlisberger missed the second half on Mondays game with a shoulder injury. “Big Ben” gets sacked more then any quarterback in the league and has had a sore shoulder since early in the season. Steelers fans should be concerned without Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh becomes an ordinary team that might struggle for wins. They do have a suitable back up in Byron Leftwich, that is capable of playing a solid QB for this team. Fantasy players should keep an eye on the news to find out more about Ben and his status in week 10.

Daunte Culpepper signs a 2 year deal with the Detroit Lions. I had a feeling Culpepper wouldn’t stay retired for long and hopefully he can still play at a high level. No doubt he is an upgrade for the still winless Lions, and should add some stability to there offense. Culpepper is only 31 years old and if he returns to near the form he had prior to his injuries he can lead the Lions to a victory or two.

Donte Whitner , the Bill safety, suffered a separated shoulder in week 9′s game against the Jets. Whitner has become a reliable safety for the Bills and is one of there leaders on defense and in the locker room. His status is unclear for next weeks match up against the Patriots, but its likely he will be out. This is a big blow to the Bills, who are already struggling in the middle of this season.

Second Half Favorites - We are approx. half way through this season and it is time to take a look at who the favorites might be to compete for a Super Bowl at season end. We are only half way through the year and a lot of things are going to change, but there are some clear cut favorites emerging. In the NFC the New York Giants look like the heavy favorites to return to the Super Bowl this season. The Giants boast the 2nd raked offense to go along with there 4th ranked defense, and they have proved they can beat teams in a variety of ways. Its unclear who the true competition for Giants will be in the NFC, but the Carolina Panthers are looking good at 6 – 2 and I think the Philadelphia Eagles are going to step it up in the second half. The AFC has become a bit more foggy in the past couple weeks, but the perfect Tennessee Titans look like they will continue to role. The Titans are starting to remind me of the Super Bowl winning Ravens who won there title with all defense. The question will be whether or not the Titans are ready to perform on the big stage, and I personally look for the Pittsburgh Steelers to give them a run in the second half. Pittsburgh looks like the Steelers of old, but a lot will depend on the health of Ben Roethlisberger. The Patriots and Colts are still hanging around and with big second halves can get into the discussion, because they have been there before. My mid season prediction is a New York Giants vs Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl.

The Detroit Lions looked like they might get there first win of the season in week 9, but 14 unanswered second half points led the Bears to victory. The final score was 27 – 23 and had to be disappointing to the fans and management of the Lions.  The Lions have a tough schedule remaining and there best chance to win might be next week against the Jaguars. After that they might have to hope in week 17 that the Packers rest some players getting ready for the playoffs, and they can steal a win from a better team.

We are about half way through the year and things are starting to get  interesting. Here’s some storylines to watch for in the coming weeks, can the Bills rebound, can the Colts fight for a playoff spot, can the Lions win and can the Titans remain perfect. Enjoy the upcoming weeks of NFL football and the run for the Super Bowl.

Dallas Cowboys - What is going on in Big D, injuries, trades and suspensions have dominated the headlines this week. First off “Pacman” Jones has been suspended indefinitely by the league, and is anyone surprised. Jones knew when he got reinstated prior to this season that any screw up know matter how small would get him suspended again. He got into a fight and know he may not play for the rest of the year. If this guy wants to play football ever again, he needs to figure this stuff out and stop it. Losing “Pacman” is a big loss, but nothing compared to the injury status of QB Tony Romo. Romo has a broken pinky and will be out as the starter for up to 4 weeks.  We have already heard rumblings from there all pro wide out Terrell Owens about not getting the ball enough and now 40 year old Brad Johnson will be the starter in Dallas. As if all this wasn’t weird enough the Cowboys went out and traded for highly talented, yet under achieving wide receiver Roy Williams. I makes no sense to me you have Owens complaining because he isn’t getting the ball, so you go out and get another wide receiver who will want the ball as well. Not to mention the fact that the Cowboys best chance to win might be by running the ball with Barber. I don’t know how this is all going to play out, we all remember what Owens can do when he isn’t happy with an organization. Maybe this will work out perfect, maybe Owens is happy to lose catches to Williams, maybe Johnston plays like he’s 28 again and maybe even “Pacman” gets back on the field. All I know is there is going to be a lot of question marks that need answering in Dallas over the next few weeks, it should be entertaining to watch.

AFC East - This division has been owned by the New England Patriots for a long time, but we might be seeing a changing of the guard. The Buffalo Bills have gotten off to a 4 -1 start and the Dolphins and Jets are playing better then a lot expected. All these teams have soft schedules and may have better records then they should. In week 7 a big game between the Chargers and Bills to see whether or not the Bills are for real and can take charge of this division. On Sunday it looks like Bills QB Trent Edwards will play, giving them a much better chance of competing with the Chargers. I think this might be the best division to watch coming down the stretch this year, no one is out of it and if they all play well they all might have a chance at the division crown.

Shaun Alexander signs a one year deal with the Washington Redskins
Willie Parker (Pit), Joseph Addai (Ind), Felix Jones (Dal) are all injured running backs
Carson Palmer (Cin), Matt Hasselbeck (Sea) are both out as QB’s this week

Most Valuable Player - It’s a little early, but lets take a look at who have been the best players and front runners for the MVP this year. Lets start a QB and take a look at Drew Brees. Brees leads the league in throwing yards, with 12 TD passes so far this year. Drew has a QB rating of 105 and is probably the front runner so far, if the award was given out today he would win. Other QB’s Jay Cutler and Kurt Warner are also off to great starts and if they keep it up will be in the MVP discussion at seasons end. If you want to look at running backs, you need to start with the Redskins Clinton Portis. Portis is averaging almost 5 yards a carry and has amassed 640 yards and 6 TD’s so far this year. If you had to pick an MVP right now it would be between Portis and Brees, both guys have led there teams thus far. If you want to look at wide outs Greg Jennings (GB), Roddy White (Atl) and Larry Fitzgerald (Arz) are leading the league at this point.

Playoff Predictions - There are still a lot of question marks, but lets make some early season playoff predictions. In the AFC I think Pittsburgh and Tennessee will win there divisions pretty easily. The other two divisions aren’t that easy, but I like the Bills to hang on in the East and the Chargers to start playing better and win the West. The two wild card spots will be grabbed up by the Colts and Patriots. The NFC division winners will be the Packers, Panthers, Cardinals and Giants. There is going to be some very disappointed teams here, but I think the wildcard teams will be the Cowboys and Saints. Potential Super Bowl match up Pittsburgh Steelers vs New Orleans Saints ??

Predictions are what they are, fun to examine, but ultimately only time will tell. I think we should see a lot of great battles over the next few weeks and after that I will take a look and re-evaluate my MVP and playoff predictions. The biggest story over th next couple of weeks will be the Cowboys, they have a lot of talent and if they some how can manage to use all of it they will be great.

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Jacksonville Jaguars
These are two of the most physical teams in the NFL and you should look forward to a smash mouth game. Defense will be the name of the game and the game will be one by the QB who manages to move the ball in key situations. The Steelers are banged up in the back field, which will force Rothlisberger to beat the Jags through the air. The Jags win games with defense and a solid running game, and they will have to follow that game plan to win this week. Both these teams have had a tough start playing a lot of close games and being in stressful situations. This will be a low  scoring game and if you like to watch good defense this will be he game for you this week. I am concerned about the running game in Pittsburgh and I think if Jags QB David Garrard can avoid big mistakes the Jaguars will win this game. The game will be low scoring and will be won in the fourth quarter. My pick is the Jags, by maybe just a field goal.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Denver Broncos
An NFC South match up, both team are 3- 1 and will be looking to be first in the division at weeks end. This is a game about momentum, the Bucs are coming off a big win against Green Bay while the Broncos had a surprising loss last week. Both the teams QB’s have been playing very well and they will be looked at lead there respective teams to victory this week. Denver is off to a good start, but not because of there defense who are near last in almost every category. Denver will have to be extremely better then they were last week, if they want to have a chance on Sunday. Look for the Bucs to run the ball with Graham and Dunn all day, and make Denver’s poor defense try to stop them. For Denver to win they will need a big game out of Cutler and some turnovers on defense. I am not sold on Denver and think Tampa will win this game easily. Look for Ernest Graham to have a big game, but the key for the Bucs will be whether or not Griese can take care of the ball at QB. The Buccaneers will win and take control of the NFC South for the rest of the year.

Tennessee Titans vs Baltimore Ravens
The Titans are off to a 4 -0 start and will be looking to prove to the league that they are real contenders. Baltimore is 2  – 1 and are led by one of the leagues best defenses. The Titans defense is also very good, and this game looks like it will be low scoring affair. The Titans get a lot of pressure on the QB led by Albert Haynesworth, which might mean trouble for Ravens rookie Joe Flacco. To get some pressure off Flacco look for the Ravens to run a lot and if they do throw look for short passes and bootlegs. I don’t think the Ravens will score a lot of points so the key there success will be stop the Titans on offense. The Titans will also look to run the ball a lot, but they will take some deep chances to stretch the field. I think the Titans will be 5 -0 after this week, I just don’t like Flacco playing against the Tennessee defense. There won’t be a lot of points in this one and the team that runs the ball the best will win the game.

Minnesota Vikings vs New Orleans Saints
Monday night game this week and it should be a high scoring affair. The Saints lead the league in passing yards and attempts. The Vikings defense is 17th against the pass and the Saints QB Drew Brees will look to take advantage of that. Minnesota will try and slow this game down by running the ball a lot with Adrian Peterson. Peterson should be able to have a big game, the Saints defense is 20th against the run so far. These team have contrasting styles on offense and the winner will have to figure the other one out to win. The Saints will throw the ball all over the field and Peterson will have a great day. Look for Peterson to have a fantastic day along with Brees from the Saints. My pick is the Saints to win in a shoot out, if you like offense you will like this game. If the Saints want to win they cannot allow Minnesota to have any success throwing the ball, Peterson is going to get his yards, but do not let them get big plays threw the air.

Both players Simmons and Mendenhall have been put on the IR and will be lost for the rest of the year.  With Willie Parker already on the sideline for an extended period of time, the Steelers might have the worst running back situation in the NFL with their top two backs on the shelf.  There are running back free agents out their like Shawn Alexander, but the pickings are very slim.  The Steelers will be starting running back Mewelde Moore- who the Steelers signed as a free agent during the summer.  This year Big Ben Roethlisberger’s arm will be counted on more than ever for a team that has been known forever as a running team.  Which why the the loss of Kendall Simmons will be even more devastating to an offensive line that has played mediocre to say the least.  Whoever Pittsburgh picks to replace Simmons won’t matter if the offensive line as a whole doesn’t step up and play better than they have.  Their franchise quarterback Big Ben already has 3 nagging injuries that he is going to have to play with for the rest of the season-including his throwing hand.  If this offensive line continues to struggle, then the Steelers will have to air it out a lot often then they have in the past or more than Coach Mike Tomlin would like to.   The teams wide receivers and tight ends will have to get ready to become a whole lot more integral to the overall offensive scheme.  Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians will earn his paycheck as he will be forced to make huge adjustments to the offensive play calling and might have to make numerous changes to the play book.

There will be tremendous pressure on the Pittsburgh Steelers defense because they are the current strength of the team, and will be asked to do more than the already outstanding performance that they have displayed during their first four games.  The biggest key for the defense is to stay healthy, especially to keep superstar safety Troy Polamalu.  Polamalu has had injury problems in the past and he is the one player the Steelers can least afford to lose on defense.  The defensive line has been hit hard already by a couple of injuries including run stopper Casy Hampton.

Every team in the NFL has to deal with injuries, so you won’t hear anyone crying for the Steelers-especially the New England Patriots.