NFL Lineal Title

Much better slate of games this week, and this goes up just in time for the not-so-good Thursday night game.

What is the Median Expected Score?

Away	MXS	Home	Time (ET)	TV	DTV	Announcers	NTR	SIRIUS		Notes
								Away	Home
#25(4-9)	14¼-27¾	#9(8-5)	Thu 8:20 PM			Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan	WW1	92	93	"You’re down by 20 in the fantasy semis!" "MJD was the only starter on either one of our teams that played Thursday night."
#13(7-6)	27-20	#28(4-9)	Sat 8:20 PM			Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan	WW1	92	93	It’s almost incredible how bad the Bucs have gotten, and the Cowboys need a bounce-back.
#15(7-6)	23¼-16¾	#31(2-11)	Sun 1:00 PM		704	Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf		91	138	Most of America will see this game. Not the most inspiring first game of a doubleheader in the world.
#24(4-9)	19½-26	#6(10-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		710	Ron Pitts, Charles Davis		136	113	TJ Yates should continue to manage the game admirably against the porous Panther defense.
#19(6-7)	16¼-19¾	#16(7-6)	Sun 1:00 PM		708	Chris Myers, Tim Ryan	CMP	139	93	Might the Seahawks prove they’re legitimate playoff contenders with a win over the Bears?
#27(4-9)	19¾-26¼	#12(7-6)	Sun 1:00 PM		707	Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver	USA	134	94	If the Skins can pull off the upset, it’ll be very unlikely the Giants-Cowboys rematch won’t be for the division.
#14(7-6)	23¾-17¼	#32(0-13)	Sun 1:00 PM		706	Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts		112	128	The Titans got an early Christmas present for their hopes to keep up in the wild card.
#22(4-9)	20½-20½	#23(5-8)	Sun 1:00 PM		705	Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots		85	104	Can the Dolphins’ hard charge finally pull them out of the cellar over the freefalling Bills?
#3(10-3)	28¾-22¼	#30(2-11)	Sun 1:00 PM		709	Dick Stockton, John Lynch	WW1	92	106	AP might be coming back! Too bad it’ll be against one of the best teams in the league.
#1(13-0)	30-16	#26(5-8)	Sun 1:00 PM		711	Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa		86	137	Will it matter who the Chiefs put out at quarterback against the Packers?
#11(8-5)	24½-23½	#17(7-6)	Sun 4:05 PM		712	Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin	CMP	135	92	Two teams desperately seeking to make it in the playoffs.
#29(4-9)	15¼-21¾	#20(6-7)	Sun 4:15 PM		713	Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker		91	93	The Hawks have gotten more attention for their attempt to make the playoffs, but the Cards have done the same and should continue.
#5(10-3)	19½-26½	#8(8-5)	Sun 4:15 PM		714	Jim Nantz, Phil Simms	WW1	86	94	Tom Brady and Tim Tebow square off in the game at the heart of last week’s network tug-of-war.
#10(8-5)	20½-23½	#21(5-8)	Sun 4:15 PM		715	Marv Albert, Rich Gannon	USA	85	132	The Jets have become a clear #2 in the division and solid playoff contender, so why are they dogs to the not-so-Dream Team?
#2(10-3)	23½-21	#18(6-7)	Sun 8:20 PM			Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya	WW1	92	93	Actually a tighter spread than the game NBC actually wanted, but the Bolts face a major obstacle to playoff contention.
#4(10-3)	18¼-21¼	#7(10-3)	Mon 8:30 PM			Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber	WW1	92	93	The Monday Night slump ends in a big way with a showdown between two teams fighting for first-round byes.

Thanks to Tebow-Kraftgate, the Flex Schedule Watch is coming sometime Thursday. This week isn’t a particularly attractive slate of games either (just look at all the huge point spreads), and I’m rushing to get something important done. And that’s on top of the bad taste the way the college football season ended left in my mouth. Bad vibes all the way around.

What is the Median Expected Score?

Away	MXS	Home	Time (ET)	TV	DTV	Announcers	NTR	SIRIUS		Notes
								Away	Home
#28(4-8)	12½-26½	#4(9-3)	Thu 8:20 PM			Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan	WW1	92	93	Not a good sign when your struggling team goes Ravens-Steelers back-to-back.
#26(4-8)	19¼-18¼	#30(3-9)	Sun 1:00 PM		712	Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington		136	117	Can you believe the Bucs were playoff contenders not that long ago?
#24(5-7)	13¾-22¾	#11(7-5)	Sun 1:00 PM		706	Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts	CMP	137	93	Can Kyle Orton repeat his Soldier Field magic at the Met?
#7(9-3)	17½-20½	#15(7-5)	Sun 1:00 PM		707	Marv Albert, Rich Gannon	USA	86	104	The Texans seem to be doing okay with T.J. Yates. Will that continue against the Bengals?
#6(9-3)	28-20	#27(4-8)	Sun 1:00 PM		704	Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf		91	134	Will getting scared by the worst team in the league cause the Patriots to play with fire against the Skins?
#T9(7-5)	25¼-22¾	#25(4-8)	Sun 1:00 PM		710	Ron Pitts, Jim Mora		112	125	Hey, Cam Newton has a winning streak! But can it continue against a potential playoff team?
#23(4-8)	21-24	#18(4-8)	Sun 1:00 PM		711	Chris Myers, Tim Ryan		132	113	Two teams going in very opposite directions.
#5(9-3)	26-22½	#14(7-5)	Sun 1:00 PM		713	Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver	WW1	94	128	The Titans are scratching and clawing for a playoff spot… good luck getting it against the Saints.
#32(0-12)	12½-28½	#2(9-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		708	Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker		106	85	The Colts showed signs of life against the Patriots, but the Ravens defense won’t be any easier.
#29(2-10)	20¾-28¾	#12(7-5)	Sun 1:00 PM		709	Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin		138	92	Maybe the Vikings won’t solve the Lions’ penalty problem, but they will make it matter less.
#16(7-5)	16¼-19¾	#8(7-5)	Sun 4:05 PM		715	Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa	CMP	135	93	Tebowmania is reaching a fever pitch, but will it continue against a hungry Bears defense?
#3(10-2)	21¾-17¾	#21(5-7)	Sun 4:05 PM		714	Dick Stockton, John Lynch	USA	92	139	The Cardinals might be a long shot for the playoffs, but it’ll be difficult getting past the Niners.
#22(5-7)	20¼-27¼	#20(5-7)	Sun 4:15 PM		716	Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots	WW1	91	85	The Chargers are going on their late-season charge, while the Bills’ season is entering a tailspin.
#13(7-5)	20½-31½	#1(12-0)	Sun 4:15 PM		705	Jim Nantz, Phil Simms		94	86	Good luck defending your division lead against the Tebow onslaught playing the Packers.
#17(6-6)	22¾-26¼	#T9(7-5)	Sun 8:20 PM			Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya	WW1	92	93	First of two for NFC East supremacy.
#31(2-10)	17½-22	#19(5-7)	Mon 8:30 PM			Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber	WW1	92	93	Rematch of last year’s NFC West title game with substantially less importance this time around.

A day late, entirely my fault, though NFL.com’s schedule page STILL not having the Sunday Ticket channel for Colts-Pats didn’t help.

What is the Median Expected Score?

Away	MXS	Home	Time (ET)	TV	DTV	Announcers	NTR	SIRIUS		Notes
								Away	Home
#18(4-7)	23¼-20¼	#22(4-7)	Thu 8:20 PM			Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan	WW1	92	93	Betcha you didn’t realize these two teams were this close.
#14(6-5)	20½-17½	#25(4-7)	Sun 1:00 PM		704	Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts		91	106	The Jets hope to continue building their playoff case against an iffy Skins team.
#24(4-7)	15¼-22¼	#10(7-4)	Sun 1:00 PM		705	Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots	CMP	135	94	Welcome to Kansas City, Kyle Orton! Say hello to the Bears defense.
#13(7-4)	18-24½	#6(8-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		709	Jim Nantz, Phil Simms	WW1	113	86	The two current AFC Wild Card teams face off not only for their spots, but divisional positioning as well.
#9(7-4)	20¼-17¾	#7(8-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		712	Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa		134	92	The Texans try desperately to find a quarterback that can stay standing against a Falcons team fighting for the playoffs.
#15(6-5)	18-19½	#T29(2-9)	Sun 1:00 PM		713	Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin		112	125	A rare network swap means it’ll be Fox (and Church of Tebow pastor Brennaman) bringing you Tebow’s latest heroics.
#27(3-8)	22-25	#20(4-7)	Sun 1:00 PM		711	Ron Pitts, Jim Mora		136	117	The Bucs’ season is going into a tailspin. Might gorging on the Panthers defense help?
#32(0-11)	14-34	#4(8-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		710?	Marv Albert, Rich Gannon	USA	132	93	Hey, remember when this was the NFL’s greatest rivalry? Then Manning went down and NBC flexed out a month in advance.
#17(6-5)	21-22½	#19(5-6)	Sun 1:00 PM		706	Spero Dedes, Steve Beuerlein		137	128	Two teams with distant playoff hopes slug it out… again.
#11(7-4)	20-23	#23(3-8)	Sun 1:00 PM		707	Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf		139	85	It took a last-minute FG for the ‘Boys to finish the Dolphins at home. Should the Raiders be scared heading into SunLife?
#2(8-3)	22¼-15¾	#28(4-7)	Sun 4:05 PM		708	Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker		104	112	Hey fantasy nerds, Peyton Hillis is back! Just in time for the end of the fantasy regular season, against the Ravens D.
#1(11-0)	29½-23	#16(6-5)	Sun 4:15 PM		715	Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver	WW1	94	86	Could the Pack go 16-0? The Giants probably represent their biggest obstacle left.
#8(7-4)	25-20½	#26(4-7)	Sun 4:15 PM		714	Dick Stockton, John Lynch	CMP	93	128	Maybe that Sunday Night showdown won’t be for the division lead after all, with this big an opportunity for the Boys.
#31(2-9)	12¼-25¾	#3(9-2)	Sun 4:15 PM		716	Chris Myers, Tim Ryan	USA	138	92	The woeful Rams should be just what the doctor ordered for a Niners team looking to bounce back from the Ravens loss.
#12(7-4)	22¼-31¼	#5(8-3)	Sun 8:20 PM			Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya	WW1	92	93	No Suh, but still a spotlight game between two teams fighting for the playoffs.
#21(4-7)	21-18	#T29(3-8)	Mon 8:30 PM			Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber	WW1	92	93	Because if it comes down to Mo Jo-Drew or Vincent Jackson for a fantasy playoff spot, you want everyone to watch.

We’re finally out of the byes, and this week we’re getting a Thanksgiving feast featuring two matchups between top-ten teams and… the Cowboys game?

What is the Median Expected Score?

Away	MXS	Home	Time (ET)	TV	DTV	Announcers	NTR	SIRIUS		Notes
								Away	Home
#1(10-0)	31¼-24¾	#9(7-3)	Thu 12:30 PM			Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver	WW1	92	86	They’re not undefeated, but whoda thought the Lions wouldn’t be putting people to sleep Thanksgiving…
#23(3-7)	18¾-25¾	#10(6-4)	Thu 4:15 PM			Jim Nantz, Phil Simms	WW1	92	86	…or that their game would be more attractive than the Cowboys’ (or that the Lions might be better than the Cowboys)?
#2(9-1)	18¼-21¾	#5(7-3)	Thu 8:20 PM			Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan	WW1	92	86	And whoda thought the Harbaugh Bowl would include one of the two best teams in the league… and it’s not the Ravens?
#19(5-5)	16¾-25¼	#15(5-5)	Sun 1:00 PM		705	Marv Albert, Rich Gannon	CMP	134	86	Two teams trying to keep pace in the wild card and divisional races.
#T27(2-8)	17½-27	#11(6-4)	Sun 1:00 PM		707	Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin	USA	112	93	Adrian Peterson, Michael Turner, and others put up the fantasy stats!
#30(2-8)	24-21	#32(0-10)	Sun 1:00 PM		709	Chris Myers, Tim Ryan		91	104	The Colts need two wins to tie only three teams, so this is what passes for a Luck Sweepstakes clash: two teams who don’t need QBs.
#20(4-6)	20-23	#18(5-5)	Sun 1:00 PM		710	Dick Stockton, John Lynch	WW1	136	92	Two teams with distant playoff hopes slug it out.
#29(3-7)	18¾-21¾	#31(2-8)	Sun 1:00 PM		708	Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington		117	138	Got Larry Fitzgerald or Steven Jackson in fantasy? This is the game for you!
#25(4-6)	15-22½	#13(6-4)	Sun 1:00 PM		706	Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker		113	85	The Browns should be just what the doctor ordered for the Bengals to recover from the Ravens loss.
#7(7-3)	20½-17	#T27(3-7)	Sun 1:00 PM		704	Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots		128	137	Matt Leinart starts his run at the helm against a Jags defense that’s become fantasy stars recently.
#26(3-7)	16½-20½	#22(4-6)	Sun 4:05 PM		712	Ron Pitts, Jim Mora		94	139	The Hawks hope to continue gorging on iffy teams to climb back into playoff contention.
#8(7-3)	18½-23	#15(6-4)	Sun 4:05 PM		711	Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa	CMP	135	86	Caleb Hanie starts his run at the helm against a hungry Raiders defense.
#6(7-3)	26¾-23¾	#17(4-6)	Sun 4:15 PM		713	Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf	WW1	93	132	Could Vince Young bring the Eagles up to his own “dream team” rhetoric? Good luck against the Pats.
#16(5-5)	17¾-24¼	#21(4-6)	Sun 4:15 PM		714	Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts	USA	85	92	A month ago, whoda thunk the Broncos would be a better team, in the standings and the rankings, than the Chargers?
#3(7-3)	25¼-14¾	#24(4-6)	Sun 8:20 PM			Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya	WW1	92	93	Welcome to Kansas City, Kyle Orton! Say hello to the Steelers defense.
#12(6-4)	22-29	#4(7-3)	Mon 8:30 PM			Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber	WW1	92	93	The best non-Thanksgiving game of the weekend has two of the league’s best quarterbacks fighting for playoff position.

AFC Playoff Picture

DIVISION LEADERS	WILD CARD	WAITING IN THE WINGS (4-5)
WEST 45-4	56-3
All others at 4-5
EAST 36-3	66-3
2 tied at 5-4
NORTH 27-3	5-4
2 tied at 6-3	5-4
SOUTH 17-3	5-4
5-4

NFC Playoff Picture

DIVISION LEADERS	WILD CARD	WAITING IN THE WINGS (4-5)
EAST 46-3	56-3
5-4
SOUTH 37-3	66-3
5-4
WEST 28-1	5-4
2 tied at 3-6	5-4
NORTH 19-0
2 tied at 6-3

To help me see where I’d rather have the playoff picture chart, I’m reposting it on this post this week. Last four byes this week: three really good teams… and the Colts.

What is the Median Expected Score?

Away	MXS	Home	Time (ET)	TV	DTV	Announcers	NTR	SIRIUS		Notes
								Away	Home
#T13(5-4)	22¾-16¼	#20(4-5)	Thu 8:20 PM			Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan	WW1	92	93	Jets try to bounce back from getting embarrassed in primetime.
#27(2-7)	20¼-27¼	#10(6-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		710	Dick Stockton, John Lynch		113	91	Suh and the Lions defense try to get back on track against Newton and the Panthers.
#19(4-5)	17¼-31¼	#1(9-0)	Sun 1:00 PM		711	Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver	USA	136	86	Bucs may need to score the huge upset in the Battle of Bays to stay in playoff contention.
#12(5-4)	24½-17	#28(3-6)	Sun 1:00 PM		709	Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa	CMP	93	134	Cowboys hope to take advantage of their struggling rivals to keep pace in the playoff race.
#11(6-3)	16¾-23¾	#7(6-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		708	Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf	WW1	112	92	Big showdown for a share of the AFC North lead and the top wild-card spot.
#15(5-4)	23-22	#25(2-7)	Sun 1:00 PM		704	Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots		85	117	Mystified at Raiders being only a one-point favorite over a bad Vikings team.
#16(5-4)	20½-22½	#29(2-7)	Sun 1:00 PM		706	Marv Albert, Rich Gannon		137	94	Don’t get too excited Fins fans – you’re still closer to Luck than the playoffs, but the Bills are reeling.
#26(3-6)	16¾-17¾	#31(3-6)	Sun 1:00 PM		707	Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker		104	132	The Jags defense is starting to make noise for fantasy teams, and the Browns offense should oblige.
#23(3-6)	18-21	#30(2-7)	Sun 4:05 PM		712	Chris Myers, Tim Ryan		106	138	The Rams want to recover something from their season, but the Hawks got an even huger win.
#24(3-6)	15¾-25¼	#2(8-1)	Sun 4:05 PM		713	Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin	CMP	139	92	The Niners continue their march to dominate the NFC West.
#17(5-4)	19-25	#T13(5-4)	Sun 4:15 PM		705	Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts	WW1	85	93	Interconference showdown between two teams fighting for a playoff spot.
#18(4-5)	20¾-24¼	#8(6-3)	Sun 4:15 PM		714	Jim Nantz, Phil Simms	USA	86	94	Two name teams fighting for the playoffs but going in different directions.
#21(3-6)	21½-25½	#9(6-3)	Sun 8:20 PM			Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya	WW1	92	93	If the Dream Team couldn’t beat the lowly Cardinals, what could they possibly do against the Giants?
#22(4-5)	15¾-30¾	#5(6-3)	Mon 8:30 PM			Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber	WW1	92	93	The Chiefs have started looking horrible again, and the Patriots will be no help.

Bye:

No thanks to Awful Announcing, you get the schedule a day after the Thursday Night game. I’ve kept the MXS and records for that game what they were prior to the game. AA says they should have it up Wednesday or Thursday afternoon from now on, but if they don’t next week I may have to look for a site that posts complete announcer information for each game before Thursday – I don’t use the506 because in my experience, they don’t do sideline reporters. Speaking of the506, they’re the real problem; the thread I get radio assignments from wasn’t updated late Thursday night, after the game was over.

And with that, we are now in the second half of the NFL season, with some teams crossing the border last week.

What is the Median Expected Score?

Away	MXS	Home	Time (ET)	TV	DTV	Announcers	NTR	SIRIUS		Notes
								Away	Home
#19(4-4)	20½-27½	#16(4-4)	Thu 8:20 PM			Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock, Alex Flanagan	WW1	92	93	Showdown for divisional supremacy kicks off the Thursday Night schedule.
#28(2-6)	16¼-30¼	#17(3-5)	Sun 1:00 PM		710	Dick Stockton, John Lynch, Jennifer Hale		137	85	After the loss to the Bears, can the Eagles get back on track, or are the Cards too desperate for respect?
#26(2-6)	20¼-17¼	#32(0-9)	Sun 1:00 PM		708	Spero Dedes, Steve Beuerlein		106	112	More bad news: Colts are now the last winless team. Can they get off the schnide against the Jags?
#24(3-5)	19¼-22¼	#20(4-4)	Sun 1:00 PM		709	Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker	CMP	113	94	The Chiefs just got embarrassed by the Dolphins, and now they have Tim Tebow to deal with.
#6(6-3)	22¼-19¼	#9(6-2)	Sun 1:00 PM		707	Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts	USA	91	82	The AFC North has been dominant, but the Bengals aren’t getting respect; will that change if they beat Pittsburgh?
#14(5-3)	21¼-26¾	#15(4-4)	Sun 1:00 PM		704	Jim Nantz, Phil Simms		86	132	Interconference showdown between two teams fighting for a playoff spot.
#5(6-3)	25-25	#T12(5-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		712	Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa		92	134	Showdown for divisional supremacy one of the highlights of the early games.
#31(1-7)	17¼-20¾	#27(3-5)	Sun 1:00 PM		714	Ron Pitts, Jim Mora		138	128	People haven’t noticed the Browns aren’t that bad, or that the Rams are.
#25(3-5)	17-20½	#30(1-7)	Sun 1:00 PM		713	Chris Myers, Tim Ryan		135	104	Can the high from the Dolphins’ first win continue into a home clash with the Redskins?
#21(4-4)	21¼-24¾	#T22(2-6)	Sun 1:00 PM		705	Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots		80	93	Looking at the power rankings and line, you’d never guess the Titans had two more wins.
#8(6-3)	24¼-21¼	#18(4-4)	Sun 1:00 PM		706	Marv Albert, Rich Gannon	WW1	117	136	The Texans spent nearly a decade without making the playoffs. Now they could get a first-round bye.
#3(6-2)	23¾-17¼	#29(2-6)	Sun 4:05 PM		715	Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf	USA	113	93	Will the homes of the Fox early games really want to see the hapless Seahawks get crushed by the Ravens?
#7(6-2)	21¼-23¾	#T12(5-3)	Sun 4:15 PM		711	Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin	CMP	94	92	Da Bears would be in the playoffs right now, and revenge against the Lions would make all Cutler’s sacks worthwhile.
#4(6-2)	19½-23	#2(7-1)	Sun 4:15 PM		716	Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver	WW1	85	86	The Niners have a chance to prove their bona fides against Eli and Co. in front of a nearly national audience.
#10(5-3)	22¾-24¼	#11(5-3)	Sun 8:20 PM			Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya	WW1	92	93	Showdown for divisional supremacy starts the NBC flex schedule.
#T22(2-6)	18¾-32¼	#1(8-0)	Mon 8:30 PM			Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber	WW1	92	93	The Packers get a primetime showcase for their dominance against a hated rival.

Gotta get this done earlier next week once Thursday night games start. Vegas seems to disagree with the power rankings a lot, I notice. Favorite playing at home can’t fully explain some of these lines.

What is the Median Expected Score?

Away	MXS	Home	Time (ET)	TV	DTV	Announcers	NTR	SIRIUS		Notes
								Away	Home
#14(4-3)	21¼-23¾	#6(5-2)	Sun 1:00 PM		704	Jim Nantz, Phil Simms	WW1	92	112	Who would have thought these two teams would be fighting for the division lead? Or that the Bills would be favored?
#25(3-4)	15¼-25¾	#10(5-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		705	Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts		106	137	Why is Houston favored by so much over a team around .500?
#31(0-7)	18¼-22¼	#18(4-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		706	Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots		94	138	Should be easy for the Chiefs to continue their comeback against the stinky Dolphins.
#28(2-5)	17-28	#20(3-4)	Sun 1:00 PM		707	Chris Myers, Tim Ryan		117	85	Evidently Vegas thinks these teams are separated by a lot more than one win and eight spots.
#2(6-1)	20¾-16¾	#T23(3-4)	Sun 1:00 PM		709	Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa	CMP	139	93	The Niners continue to showcase their surprisingly good team against the floundering Skins.
#17(4-3)	21-29	#8(5-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		708	Dick Stockton, John Lynch	USA	136	86	Saints better come back from the Rams shocker quickly with the division lead on the line.
#12(4-3)	25¾-19¼	#32(0-8)	Sun 1:00 PM		710	Ron Pitts, Jim Mora		91	113	Can the Falcons avoid their division mate’s fate against a winless team?
#27(2-5)	17¾-25¼	#19(4-3)	Sun 4:05 PM		711	Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf	CMP	104	139	Showdown of two new quarterbacks on the hot seat quickly.
#11(5-2)	19¼-22¼	#21(4-3)	Sun 4:05 PM		712	Marv Albert, Rich Gannon		93	134	Power rankings say Bengals substantially better; Vegas disagrees. Still can’t get no respect.
#9(5-2)	21-30	#4(5-2)	Sun 4:15 PM		714	Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver	USA	86	94	What luck: same year Eli compares himself to Tom, Giants play Pats… and he may actually be outplaying Brady.
#1(7-0)	28¼-22¾	#15(4-3)	Sun 4:15 PM		715	Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin	WW1	85	92	Bad time to have a heartbreaking loss, entering a game against the best team in the league.
#29(1-6)	19-22	#30(1-6)	Sun 4:15 PM		713	Sam Rosen, Chad Pennington		138	91	Divisional showdown between two Luck contenders.
#5(5-2)	19½-22½	#3(6-2)	Sun 8:20 PM			Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya	WW1	92	93	Ravens embarrassed Steelers in Game 1 of this classic rivalry. Pittsburgh wants revenge, and to prove themselves.
#13(4-3)	20-27½	#16(3-4)	Mon 8:30 PM			Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber	WW1	92	93	The Eagles get another primetime game to try to move back into playoff position.

Bye:

Here’s the schedule, finally, mere hours before the games begin. A lot fewer ties in the RCS rankings this week. For the record, I updated the lineal title page for the Packers’ bye a little over 24 hours before this post.

What is the Median Expected Score?

Away	MXS	Home	Time (ET)	TV	DTV	Announcers	NTR	SIRIUS		Notes
								Away	Home
#T3(5-2)	30½-17	#30(0-6)	Sun 1:00 PM		709	Chris Myers, Tim Ryan, Jennifer Hale		91	138	Can the Saints light up the scoreboard against a winless team two weeks in a row?
#31(0-6)	16-26	#10(4-2)	Sun 1:00 PM		705	Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf	CMP	136	86	Dysfunctional Dolphins just try to survive their second trip to the New Met.
#25(2-5)	15½-25	#11(4-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		704	Marv Albert, Rich Gannon		112	92	Can the Jaguars maintain the momentum of the Ravens upset against the division leaders?
#29(1-5)	15¼-27¾	#6(4-2)	Sun 1:00 PM		707	Sam Rosen, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin	WW1	137	93	The Ravens need to recover from the Monday night debacle; will the floundering Cards help?
#27(1-6)	21½-25	#23(2-5)	Sun 1:00 PM		708	Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa		113	94	Two teams looking to pick up their disappointing seasons.
#32(0-7)	17½-26	#22(3-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		706	Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots	USA	117	85	Manning-less Colts could be just what the doctor ordered after that devastating loss to Houston.
#7(5-2)	22¼-19¼	#26(2-4)	Sun 4:05 PM		711	Dick Stockton, John Lynch, Jamie Maggio		135	92	Will the Lions defense give Tim Tebow a rude awakening?
#21(3-3)	20¼-25¼	#8(4-2)	Sun 4:05 PM		710	Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver	CMP	134	93	The Redskins try not to lose their season in Toronto.
#14(4-2)	19½-18	#28(2-4)	Sun 4:15 PM		714	Bill Macatee, Steve Tasker	USA	112	94	The Bengals are quietly impressive. But how much of it is playing teams like the Hawks?
#2(5-1)	27½-25	#5(5-2)	Sun 4:15 PM		712	Jim Nantz, Phil Simms	WW1	91	86	Showdown between possibly the two best teams in the AFC – now and the past few years.
#24(3-3)	14¾-23¾	#T3(5-1)	Sun 4:15 PM		713	Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts		113	85	Are the Niners really this good? Well, they should have no trouble with the Browns.
#16(3-3)	22¾-25¾	#19(2-4)	Sun 8:20 PM			Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya	WW1	92	93	Divisional showdown between two teams fighting for playoff relevancy.
#9(4-2)	23½-20½	#20(3-3)	Mon 8:30 PM			Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber	WW1	92	93	If the Chiefs want to get back on track, they’d better get past the class of the division.

Bye:

There are a lot of ties in RCS’ Consensus Power Rankings, suggesting the way this season has played out has blindsided a lot of people and we aren’t quite sure what to make of it, at least beneath the dominant Packers.

What is the Median Expected Score?

Away	MXS	Home	Time (ET)	TV	DTV	Announcers	NTR	SIRIUS		Notes
								Away	Home
#T22(1-4)	23½-27	#18(2-3)	Sun 1:00 PM		710	Dick Stockton, John Lynch		135	93	Fresh off the Packer defeat, the Falcons look to get back on track, but Cam and the Panthers will not make it easy.
#21(1-4)	25-22	#11(3-1)	Sun 1:00 PM		707	Sam Rosen, Brian Billick, Laura Okmin	CMP	132	86	The Skins want to show they’re for real. The Eagles want to show they are who we thought they were.
#T31(0-4)	16¾-30¾	#1(5-0)	Sun 1:00 PM		709	Chris Myers, Tim Ryan	USA	138	92	The best team in the league… against maybe the worst. How big a blowout can it get?
#29(1-4)	13¾-26¼	#T8(3-2)	Sun 1:00 PM		706	Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts	WW1	148	94	Not quite as lopsided as Rams-Packers, but probably pretty close.
#T6(4-1)	23½-27	#13(3-2)	Sun 1:00 PM		704	Jim Nantz, Phil Simms		112	91	Giants are humiliated for losing to Seattle, and the Bills will be far tougher.
#T8(4-1)	21¼-25¼	#T3(5-0)	Sun 1:00 PM		708	Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa		128	85	Who would have thought this would be one of the biggest matchups of the year?
#T31(0-5)	17-23½	#19(3-2)	Sun 1:00 PM		705	Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots		113	106	If I’d told you before the season this would be 0-5 vs. 3-2, which would you have thought would be which?
#T22(2-2)	19-25½	#12(3-2)	Sun 4:05 PM		712	Marv Albert, Rich Gannon		92	139	The Browns want people to notice they’ve started pretty good, too.
#10(3-2)	19-26	#5(3-1)	Sun 4:05 PM		711	Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf	USA	93	134	The Texans continue their gauntlet of tough opponents.
#2(4-1)	27¾-21¾	#14(3-2)	Sun 4:15 PM		714	Ron Pitts, Jim Mora	WW1	94	136	Big home test for the Bucs if they want to challenge for the NFC South.
#16(2-2)	24¾-30¾	#T3(4-1)	Sun 4:15 PM		713	Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver	CMP	137	86	Which Tony Romo will it be? With the Pats’ iffy defense, look for surprises.
#26(1-4)	19½-22	#20(2-3)	Sun 8:20 PM			Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya	WW1	92	93	The other half of the NFC North squares off in primetime in a game that must have looked good at the time.
#30(0-4)	18-24½	#17(2-3)	Mon 8:30 PM			Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden, Ron Jaworski, Suzy Kolber	WW1	92	93	The woeful Dolphins could prove to be just what the doctor ordered for the underperforming Jets.

Bye: