Orton was claimed off waivers by the Chiefs on Wednesday, but just a few days of practice is not enough time to be effective in tonight’s game. Instead, Tyler Palko will get his second straight start after a very disappointing performance last Monday night against the Patriots.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs are looking for a much better performance out of Tyler Palko tonight, as he went 24/37 with three interceptions and no touchdowns against New England in Week 11. He is clearly not the quarterback that Matt Cassel is, but he has to limit his mistakes in order for the Chiefs to even have a chance to beat the Steelers. This will likely be Palko’s last start of the season, as Orton should be ready to go for next week’s game against Chicago.

The defense will have to put pressure on Roethlisberger, who has a fractured thumb. The problem is that the Chiefs’ defense is among the worst in the NFL, ranking 22nd overall.

After three straight losses to start the year, The Chiefs rattled off four wins in a row to get to 4-3. They have gone on another three game losing streak since then, and could increase that streak as their next four opponents are the Steelers, Bears, Jets, and Packers.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are coming off a bye week, after winning five of their last six games. The extra week off gave Ben Roethlisberger extra time to nurse his fractured thumb, which will not hold him out of the action in tonight’s game.

Pittsburgh needs to win this game in order to keep pace in the AFC North with Baltimore, who won on Thursday night against the 49ers. A Steelers win would put both teams at 8-3, but the Ravens hold the tiebreaker as they beat the Steelers in both of their meetings this season.

The defense of the Steelers owns the third ranked pass defense and sixth ranked rush defense, so they should have no trouble shutting down the shorthanded Chiefs. No opponent of the Steelers has scored more than 23 points since Baltimore beat them 35-0 in Week 1.

Prediction

The Steelers will control the game from the very beginning, and will never let Tyler Palko and the Chiefs offense get anything going. Palko may even be pulled for Ricky Stanzi if things get too ugly.

Pittsburgh will easily take this game, and Roethlisberger’s injury will have no effect on his play.

Steelers 35 | Chiefs 10

**********

Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs

• Steelers-Chiefs Date, Time, and TV: Sunday, November 27th at 8:20 ET on NBC
• Steelers-Chiefs Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Steelers-Chiefs Point Spread: Steelers -10.5
• Steelers-Chiefs Over-Under Odds: 39.5

This game was described as a rematch of Super Bowl 44 on a commercial, which would have been a great advertisement at the beginning of the year. Now that Peyton Manning is out, it should not even be considered close to a Super Bowl rematch.

Saints-Colts Sunday Night Football Preview

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts could find themselves in a tricky situation at season’s end. They are now 0-6 and are most likely going to finish with the worst record in the NFL at the end of the season. This would give them the top pick in the draft, which means that they would be expected to take Andrew Luck.

I myself am not a fan of all the talk of Luck, but there is no doubt that he will be the top pick in the 2012 draft. If the Colts get that pick, they have options. They could take Luck, as most teams would do, and have him be Peyton’s understudy until Manning leaves the Colts through retirement or trade. The other option would be to trade the pick.

Trading the pick would be a smart option for the Colts. Any of the teams in the top five would surely trade to get that pick. Teams like Miami, Jacksonville, and Arizona will likely finish at the bottom of the standings, and would be willing to try and acquire Luck. This would be a smart move for the Colts assuming Peyton is healthy. The only question has to do with how long Peyton’s career will last. He should be in the league for at least five more years, so having Luck sit as Aaron Rodgers did behind Brett Favre might not make sense. It would be better to acquire more talent and worry about the quarterback issue in a later draft.

As for this Sunday in New Orleans, the Colts face a very tough New Orleans team. A good sign for the Colts is that they have performed very well in their last two primetime games this year. They nearly beat the Steelers on a Sunday Night game in Week 3, and they followed that up with a 24-17 loss in Tampa on Monday Night Football in Week 4.

The Colts problem, as it has been in the past, is their rush defense. They are 30th in the league, and the Saints will look to Mark Ingram and Darren Sproles to exploit the weakness.

The offense has been steadier than expected with Curtis Painter under center, but they have not been able to get the points at the end of the game when it matters. Don’t look for the Colts to pull off a miracle in New Orleans this week.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints are coming off of a 26-20 loss against Tampa Bay in which they saw their coach, Sean Payton, get injured. He tore his meniscus and broke his tibia when Jimmy Graham was tackled into him in the first quarter. He now must coach from the press box, which may have an impact going forward.

This game is the first of two against winless teams for the Saints, who will take on the winless Rams next week. They should be able to win both of these games and go into the Week 9 game against Tampa Bay with a record of 6-2.

There is little else to say about the Saints, or this game, as they are clear favorites and should win in this game easily

Colts-Saints Prediction: Saints 35 | Colts 17

**********

Indianapolis Colts at New Orleans Saints Game Info

• Colts-Saints Date, Time, and TV: Sunday, October 23rd at 8:20 ET on NBC
• Colts-Saints Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Colts-Saints Point Spread: Saints -14
• Colts-Saints Over-Under Odds: 48.5

Peppers’ injury occurred near the end of the first quarter. He seemed to plant his foot wrong while trying to get around Lions tackle Jeff Backus and proceeded to limp off the field.

He went to locker room for a brief moment, but quickly came back on the field. He didn’t look to be at full strength and the Lions did a good job at containing him throughout the game.

The play following Peppers exit from the game, the Lions were able to hit WR Calvin Johnson for a 73-yard touchdown. Peppers is clearly an asset to this Bears defense.

Nick Reed was the only other active pass rushing defensive end behind him on Monday night. Second-year end Corey Wootton is out with a broken hand, but Henry Melton could be an option moving forward at defensive end if needed.

Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune, who broke the story says, “the severity of Peppers’ MCL sprain is unclear but not believed to be serious.”

Its good news that his injury isn’t that serious. the Bears need an effective pass rush and without him they could be even worse.

Peppers hasn’t been ruled out for Sunday night’s matchup against the Vikings, expect Lovie Smith to keep it a mystery all week long.

Peppers will likely be out there Sunday night, but the Bears need to make some moves just in case he can’t go or last the entire game.

Other injury news:

DT Matt Toeaina, who went out with a knee injury in the fourth quarter Monday night, is expected to be okay. He was scheduled to have an MRI on his knee, which is said to be sprained.

It’s believed he will miss roughly two weeks with whats being called a sprained posterior cruciate ligament. Toeaina has been steady on the defensive line, but like the rest of the players out there, they haven’t played up to par.

That means second-round pick Stephen Paea will likely be active come Sunday night. It also means that Amobi Okoye will see more time on the field, which could bring some athleticism to the unit.

With only nine sacks all season, the Bears defensive line needs to provide the pass rush in order have the proper success on defense.

The Bears defense needs to get back to the basics, Toeaina and Peppers are players needed on the field for this unit to be effective.

**********

This article was originally published on Bearsbacker.com. 

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker for up to the minute news about the Bears.

Packers-Falcons Preview

Green Bay Packers

The Packers’ offense is one of the top in the NFL, which directly correlates to the success of many fantasy teams, including my own. Aaron Rodgers leads the league in QB rating, is second in touchdowns with 12, and has the highest completion percentage in the NFL at 73.1%.

The least amount of the points the Packers have scored in a game this year is 27, which came in their Week 3 win over the Bears.

The problem has to do with the defense. The Green Bay defense has allowed 23 or more points in three of the first four games of the season, and they have the 31st rated pass defense in the NFL. The offense has been able to bail out the lack of defense so far, but the Falcons are capable of putting up big numbers. The key will be the turnover battle.

Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are 2-2 in a very winnable division in the NFC South. They have already played on Sunday Night Football in Week 2, in a game which saw them beat the disappointing Eagles in a 35-31 game.

The Falcons have been a completely different team since their Week 1 loss to the Bears, in which the score was 30-12. They have the tenth ranked rush defense in the NFL, along with the eleventh ranked pass offense.

This game is much more important for Atlanta, as a loss would put them at 2-3. Their next four games are against the Panthers, Lions, Colts, and Saints. Three of those are tough games, with the exception of the game against the Colts. However, with the way Indy played against the Bucs on Monday night, they might not be as bad as previously thought.

Packers-Falcons Prediction

The Packers are the best team in football right now, and it is tough to pick against them until they prove they are mortal and lose a game. That is why I see them going into Atlanta and beating the Falcons. Matt Ryan has done nothing too special this season, and his top receiver, Roddy White, has had a problem with dropped passes all year.

The Falcons have a great rush defense, which means the Packers will be passing often, and with success.

Prediction: Packers 31 | Falcons 17

• Packers-Falcons Spread Pick: Packers -5.5
• Packers-Falcons Over-Under Pick: Under

**********

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons Game Info

• Packers-Falcons Date, Time, and TV: Sunday, October 9th at 8:20 ET on NBC
• Packers-Falcons Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Packers-Falcons Point Spread: Packers -5.5
• Packers-Falcons Over-Under Odds: 54

Not only are the Colts missing Peyton Manning, but Kerry Collins is now nursing a shoulder injury. He is expected to play, but he will not be at full strength.

The Colts are bad, and everyone knows it. They are a completely different team without Manning at the helm, and it is unfair for their fans to expect a playoff team this season. That is, unless Peyton makes a miraculous comeback before their record is too bad.

The game will certainly feature countless mentions of how Peyton Manning is hurt, and his effect on the team. What should be talked about is how well the Steelers played in their last game against Seattle, in which they shutout the Seahawks.

Steelers at Colts Preview

The Colts are coming off a loss to the Browns in which they could not generate much offense in the redzone. The Colts had a combined 109 rushing yards, but Collins and the receivers could not get anything going once they needed to convert a crucial third down.

The Steelers had an embarrassing loss to the Ravens in Week 1, but they quickly bounced back last week against the Seahawks. They won 24-0 and held Seattle to only 164 total yards, with only 31 on the ground.  They also had no turnovers after their seven turnover game in Baltimore.

The Steelers offense should have no problem against the Colts defense, whic has been awful in the first two games. They allowed 27 points to the Browns last week and 34 to the Texans in Week 1. The Texans clearly took it easy in the second half, otherwise the score could have been much higher.

The Colts defense is simply not a shutdown defense. They are a quick, athletic group that is meant to hold leads. They have a tough time repeatedly making stops when their offense is not scoring points. It is tough to ask any defense to make stops every possession, but the D needs to step it up in order to give the team a chance to compete.

Steelers at Colts Prediction

It seems impossible that the Steelers could lose this game. They are by far the better team, and the Colts are, right now, the worst team in the entire NFL. The Steelers are coming off of a shutout against Seattle, and it is very possible for them to do it again this week.

The Colts are in trouble, and their fortunes will not take a turn for the better this week.

Prediction: Steelers 31 | Colts 10

• Steelers-Colts Spread Pick: Steelers -10.5
• Steelers-Colts Over-Under Pick: Over

**********

Steelers at Colts Game Info:

• Steelers-Colts Date, Time, and TV: Sunday, September 25th at 8:20 ET on NBC
• Steelers-Colts Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Steelers-Colts Point Spread: Steelers -10.5
• Steelers-Colts Over-Under Odds: 39.5

I am talking about Michael Vick returning to Atlanta to take on the Falcons.

Matt Ryan is the new face of the franchise, and most Falcons fans have ultimately moved on from the situation that occurred with Michael Vick. Major media markets enjoy to hype up his return, but it is not as big a deal as they all make it seem.

Eagles-Falcons Preview

The Eagles are coming off of a commanding 31-13 win over the Rams, in a game which saw both Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson leave with injuries. Vick threw for 2 touchdowns and LeSean McCoy ran for 122 yards and a touchdown.

The Falcons are coming off of a very ugly 30-12 loss in Chicago. Matt Ryan threw for over 300 yards and Michael Turner rushed for 100 yards, but the offense failed to score a single touchdown.

Three turnovers proved to be costly for the Falcons, including a fumble that was returned for a touchdown by Brian Urlacher. Ball security will be very important for Matt Ryan and the Falcons as they go up against the “Dream Team’s” defense.

Eagles-Falcons Prediction

After their poor performance in week 1, I believe that the Falcons will be able to come out in their home stadium and score at least three touchdowns. This is, of course, assuming they do not turn the ball over against the Eagles’ D.

The Eagles put up 31 in week 1, and I don’t see them slowing down their pace anytime soon. It is tough for me to pick the Eagles to lose until I actually see them play a bad game. I know it was only one week, but they looked great against the Rams, while the Falcons looked awful against the Bears.

I have faith in Vick and the Eagles and just cannot see them losing after their performance last week.

Prediction: Eagles 34 | Falcons 27

Spread Pick: Eagles -2.5

What’s your prediction:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Philadelphia Eagles at Atlanta Falcons Game Info

• Eagles-Falcons Date, Time, and TV: Sunday, September 18th at 8:20 ET on NBC
• Eagles-Falcons Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Eagles-Falcons Point Spread: Eagles -2.5
• Eagles-Falcons Over-Under Odds: 50.5

Play will carry on as usual, with memorial services being broadcast on the video screens at every NFL game.

The last game on the night of September 11th will take place in New York, which is fitting considering the situation. The Jets will take on the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.

Cowboys-Jets Preview

The Jets are coming in after losing in the AFC Championship Game for the second year in a row under Rex Ryan. They lost Braylon Edwards to the 49ers, but they added Plaxico Burress at wide receiver.

The Cowboys are coming into the season with Tony Romo back at the helm, after he missed most of the 2010 after a season-ending collarbone injury. Jon Kitna took over, and the team finished the year with a disappointing record of 6-10.

This will be Jason Garrett’s first full season as coach of the Cowboys, after he took over for Wade Phillips during the middle of last season. The team finished the year 5-3 once Garrett took over, and fans of the Cowboys are expecting this success to carry over into this season.

The ‘Boys made some noteworthy moves in the offseason when they released both Roy Williams and Marion Barber. Dez Bryant and Miles Austin will be the primary targets this year, while Felix Jones will be the primary runner.

Another storyline in the game is the matchup of Rex and Rob Ryan, who is now defensive coordinator in Dallas. It would usually be a somewhat major storyline, but the date of the game is far more important than that sibling rivalry.

Image source: Buzzfeed via Twitter

Cowboys-Jets Prediction

I always find it hard to pick games in Week 1, due to the fact that unexpected teams like the Chiefs and the Bucs could come out and be stronger than expected. However, for this game the pick for me is a no-brainer.

I find it hard to believe that the Jets will lose this game. They will have a roaring crowd behind them, and will be inspired by the circumstances of the night.

• Jets-Cowboys Prediction: Jets 24, Cowboys 13
• Jets-Cowboys Spread Pick: Jets -4
• Jets-Cowboys Over-Under: Under

Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets Game Info

• Cowboys-Jets Date, Time, and TV: Sunday, September 11th at 8:20 ET on NBC
• Cowboys-Jets Point Spread: Jets -4
• Cowboys-Jets Over-Under Odds: 40.5
• Cowboys-Jets Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth

The Giants, once a Super Bowl team just a few short years ago, are playing like the Bears did the last two years: unmotivated and lazy. But this is not a young team. This is a team of veterans playing terribly.

With a 1-2 record things are not looking up for the Giants as they host a rising Chicago team Sunday night in Week 4.

Chicago Bears at New York Giants Primer

• Bears-Giants Date: Sunday, October 3
• Bears-Giants Kickoff Time: 8:20 pm
• Bears-Giants TV Network: NBC
• Bears-Giants Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Bears-Giants Odds: Giants -5 / 43.5

Chicago Bears at New York Giants Preview

The Bears offense has been surprisingly good so far. Sure, Jay Cutler is still taking hits (injury coming soon?), but the Bears have shifted to more short passes to compensate for the lack of throwing time. It’s not a permanent solution to the problem, but if it’s not broke, why fix it? Besides, that quick pass offense has opened up room for the deep pass as the corners tend to sneak up.

In other non-Cutler Bears news, Matt Forte is back in his groove, Greg Olsen is starting to play a key role in the offensive game, and the defense is finally showing some life.

That life can be credited to Brian Urlacher’s return to being an animal on the field, chasing down players like a predator stalking its prey. Paired with Lance Briggs is a match made in heaven. Finally, the linebackers are feared again in Chicago.

The secondary is nothing great, but it’s improving game after game. With the way the Giants are playing, and the way Manning is throwing picks, the secondary has a chance at a huge night.

Not everything is perfect though for the Bears. Defensive lineman Tommie Harris is under performing (again), making a case for his release. Their offensive line is still getting battered by better defenses. Unless that O-line gets fixed, the playoffs seem more like a wish right now despite the 3-0 start. And even if they do make the playoffs, with that O-line, they wouldn’t last past the first round.

But even those problems have been shoved under the rug, at least temporarily. As long as the Bears keep on winning there will be nothing but praise, mostly because most people never saw a 3-0 start from this team. Just like nobody predicted the 1-2 start from the Giants either.

Chicago Bears-New York Giants Prediction

The Giants have been playing badly lately, but it has to end, right? You’d hope so if you’re a Giants fan.

The same goes for the Bears. As well as the Bears are playing, it has to end one game.

Since it’s in New York I am going to have to pick the Giants over the Bears. As much as I’d love to see the Bears win, I think New York is a better team than they’ve been playing like, while the Bears probably are not quite as good as their 3-0 record might suggest.

Bears-Giants Pick: I have the Giants winning 27-24.

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles are two franchises that despise one another, which always makes for quality television, as well as a good game too. Yet, let’s not forget the last time these two teams met in December of 2008, which was a complete blowout and hardly a game Cowboys fans want to remember.

Losing to their most hated rival 44-6 on the final weekend of the season clearly was not a happy ending or cherry on top of a topsy-turvy 2008 season. For the Cowboys that game has been erased from their minds and currently the squad focused on the 3-game winning streak that has them at the top of the NFC East standings.

Ever since Tony Romo as been at the helm, the Cowboys are 11-1 in November, which includes a win against the Eagles in Philadelphia in 2007. This game means more for to the ‘Boys than the Eagles, especially with all the hype that surrounded this team last season and the scrutiny they continue to receive on a weekly basis.

Sunday Night Football

Dallas Cowboys (5-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)

• Dallas-Philadelphia Date: Sunday, Nov 8th
• Dallas-Philadelphia Kickoff Time: 8:20 pm
• Dallas-Philadelphia TV Network: NBC
• Dallas-Philadelphia Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Dallas-Philadelphia Point Spread: Eagles -3 (as of Saturday morning)
• Dallas-Philadelphia Over-Under: 50.5 (as of Saturday morning)
• Dallas-Philadelphia Spread Pick by Jerod: What a terrific game this should be. Philadelphia has rebounded from their Oakland loss to beat Washington despite playing an uneven game and then beating the Giants in a rout. Dallas, meanwhile, has quietly reasserted itself as a team to be reckoned with. The Cowboys, I believe, have actually been playing more consistent football than Philadelphia, and I think they will be out to avenge to last season’s shellacking at the end of the regular season. I think Dallas has a great chance to win this game outright, and I think they at least cover the three. Cowboys-Eagles free pick: Cowboys +3
• Dallas Sports Fans: Cowboys-Eagles Preview

4th and Short NFL Picks Podcast

Jerod and Myles discuss Week 9 of the 2009 NFL schedule

[Note: All MSF podcasts are available for free at iTunes. Intro and outro music provided by Indy's own Henry French and the Shameless.]

As for the Eagles, their win last week against the New York Giants was clearly a message sent to the entire league of how scary they can be when all cylinders are working.

Having Donovan McNabb behind center, a healthy Brian Westbrook, as well as a great receiving corps featuring DeSean Jackson, Brent Celek, and Jeremy Maclin, will certainly make things tough on the Dallas D. Putting pressure on McNabb is something the Cowboys must continue to do, which has been an ongoing theme that occurred against the Kansas City Chiefs, Atlanta Falcons, and Seattle Seahawks.

However, don’t sleep on this Eagles defense that has sacked their opponents quarterback 23 times, forced 8 fumbles, and has intercepted 14 passes.

This game should clearly live up to the hype, as well as feature some great plays, with both offenses stretching the field. Conversely, we should also see some terrific defense too.

Playing at home with a great home crowd will come in handy for the Eagles, which is why I believe the Eagles should indeed capture this contest, as well as take control of the NFC East. The Cowboys, however, will put up a good fight, with the only two question marks being whether or not Romo and the defense bring their A-game.

If so, then this game belongs to the Cowboys. And I think that’s what we will see.

Dallas-Philadelphia Prediction: Dallas Cowboys 31 – Philadelphia Eagles 26

**********

* – Tony Romo photo credit: Silent Archimedes

* – Donovan McNabb photo credit: ReceivingMe.com

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears will meet for the 178th time Sunday night at Lambeau Field. It will also be the 21st time the two teams have met in the season opener.

The storied teams split last year’s series, with the Packers routing the Bears at home 37-3, while the Bears escaped with a 20-17 overtime win on a frigid December night at Soldier Field. (I should know. I was there.)

Before we break down the two rosters, here are the particulars for Sunday night’s Packers-Bears matchup:

Chicago Bears (0-0) at Green Bay Packers (0-0)

• Bears-Packers Date: Sunday, September 13th
• Bears-Packers: TV & Kickoff Time: 8:30 ET on NBC
• Bears-Packers: Location: Lambeau Field in Green Bay
• Bears-Packers: Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Bears-Packers: Point Spread: GB -3.5
• Bears-Packers: Over-Under: 46.5
• StubHub: Packers-Bears tickets – Week 1 in Lambeau
• StubHub: all Green Bay Packers tickets
• StubHub: all Chicago Bears tickets
• StubHub: all 2009 NFL tickets

This year brings with it a lot of questions for both teams:

1. How will Green Bay adapt to its new 3-4 defensive scheme under new coordinator Dom Capers? 
2. How will Jay Cutler do in his new city with less-than-average receivers? 
3. Can Aaron Rodgers build on last year, when he threw for over 4,000 yards and 28 touchdowns? 
4. Will Cutler’s big arm mean more passing from the Bears offense? 
5. Will Ryan Grant return to his 2007 form, or was that just an anomaly?

The questions go on, and most will be answered, at least in the short term, Sunday night.

The Packers have been downright dominant in the preseason, posting a 3-1 record — the same as the Bears — with the first-team offense scoring touchdowns on nine of 13 possessions. The Packers were 3-0 before dropping the backup-filled finale to Tennessee.

The Pack seem to have a slight edge at quarterback, mainly because Cutler’s effectiveness is a relative unknown with receivers such as Earl Bennett, Devin Aromashodu, Rashied Davis and rookies Johnny Knox and Juaquin Iglesias. The supposed top receiver for the Bears is Devin Hester, who is still learning the ropes on offense bytdefinitely trumps any return specialist the Packers have.

The Packers certainly have a huge edge is at wideout. Aaron Rodgers has a plethora of weapons, including Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones and Jordy Nelson. Jennings, in fact, just might be emerging as the best player from the 2006 draft. Add Donald Lee and Jermichael Finley at tight end, and it makes the weapons pool even deeper for Rodgers.

The Bears have their own talented tight end in third-year player Greg Olsen, but neither Desmond Clark, Michael Clark, nor Kellen Davis give Chicago a 1-2 punch at tight end like Lee and Finley.

The running back edge belongs to Chicago, mainly because the versatile Matt Forte can flat out carry the rock and is effective catching passes out of the backfield. The second-year stud from Tulane ran for 1,238 yards last year to set a new franchise record for rookie tailbacks. Adrian Peterson is a nice change-of-pace back for Chicago, which recently lost Kevin Jones for the season.

Green Bay has plenty of runners, but none with the talent of Forte. Ryan Grant did eclipse 1,200 yards last year, but averaged less than four yards per carry. If he can get that number back up this year, the Packers will be all right. Spelling him in the backfield will be Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn.

Both teams have solid offensive lines, which they’ll need against the aggressive defenses they’ll see on Sunday night. Despite finishing the year 6-10, the Packers led the NFL in defensive touchdowns last season. Where they struggled was in the pass rush, something the new 3-4 scheme is supposed to remedy. Cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris are two of the best in the business, and safety Nick Collins was a Pro Bowl selection in 2008.

Chicago has another aggressive unit led by linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. If they can control the middle, the Bears can exert their will on pretty much any team. Green Bay’s backers are also good with Nick Barnett, A.J Hawk, Brandon Chillar, rookie Clay Matthews, and now Aaron Kampman added to the mix as an outside linebacker.

Kampman led the Packers with 9.5 sacks last season, his first year without registering double-digit sacks since 2005. If the Packers can get some pressure on Cutler, it could be curtains for the Bears.

It’s hard to overlook that Green Bay led last year’s game in Chicago 14-3 before imploding and handing the game back to Chicago. The Packers were clearly the more talented team last season, and look to be again this year.

Green Bay wins its home opener by beating up on the Bears, 31-13.

**********

* – Brian Urlacher getting owned photo credit: Mouth Piece Sports

This post is from the regular season. Follow the link if you are looking for the Colts-Chargers Wild Card Playoff Game Preview, Prediction, and Injury Reports.

(Sunday morning update: Bob Sanders is out for Indianapolis, and did not make the trip to San Diego with the team.)

Over the last few years, few teams have given the Indianapolis Colts as many problems as the San Diego Chargers, who they face this weekend on Sunday Night Football. We all remember when the Chargers ended Indy’s win streak and quest for a perfect season two years ago, as well as two losses at their hands last year. Things should change this year.

The Colts have finally started putting it together of late. The running game has been efficient, and other than dropped passes, the Colts have moved the ball down the field through the air well. Peyton Manning has spread the ball around, and with Marvin Harrison finally showing signs of life, the Colts are running on all cylinders. Joseph Addai posted his first 100 yard rushing game since last year’s loss to the Patriots, and Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark continue to play well on the offensive side of the ball.

On defense, the Colts have only played marginally well, but have shown an ability to force turnovers when the game is on the line. They continue to give up nearly 140 rushing yards per game, but have held up fairly well in the red zone. This is all without their best defensive player.

Bob Sanders continues to miss games due to complications from off season knee surgery. In his place, Melvin Bullitt has started to make a name for himself; first with his special teams play, but lately as a great addition to the defense. The Colts defensive secondary has the most depth in the league, as they have been forced to play without their two starting cornerbacks and starting free safety for the last few games and are still in the top 10 in defending the pass. Dwight Freeney has helped this by returning to form with 7.0 sacks on the season, and Robert Mathis (5.0 sacks) will benefit from the fact that Freeney is playing better.

On the other side of the field for Sunday night’s game will be a very hungry Chargers team.

Led by Phillip Rivers, the Chargers have had to rely on their passing game more and more as LaDainian Tomlinson has struggled all season, rushing for only 686 yards and 5 touchdowns. Philip Rivers has thrown for 21 touchdowns (the same amount he had on the season last year), and has a 100.9 passer rating. Vincent Jackson has played well as their go-to receiver, while Chris Chambers has struggled to return to form after returning from injury.

Their defense has struggled after the early season loss of Shawne Merriman, who led their defense in sacks last year. Their lack of a pass rush without Merriman has allowed teams to throw for nearly 270 yards per game, worst in the league, and they have been only average against the run, allowing just more than 100 yards per game. This does not bode well for them going against a Colts team who is very good through the air and rushed the ball well with the return of Joseph Addai.

This is a must win game for the Chargers who are looking to turn their season around after a disappointing start to the year. They stand at 4-6 and second in their division. A win against the Colts would give them a lot of confidence going forward. The Colts need this game as well. The Titans are surprisingly running away with this division, and the Colts at 6-4 sit in the Wildcard spot right now. Expect both teams to play hard for this win, as both still have expectations for playing in January.

My Sunday Night Football prediction: Tomlinson’s struggles on the ground are not because of any defenses he has played and will continue Sunday night. The Colts ability to force turnovers will keep the Chargers from putting six on the board more than once. Peyton Manning will have all day to throw and will have one of the biggest games of the year against a team the Colts are hungry to exact revenge on, even if it means hitting them while they’re down.

Colts 31, Chargers 16

[tags]san diego chargers, indianapolis colts, sunday night football, nfl[/tags]