NFL PREVIEW | Today's games

CLEVELAND at BALTIMORE
Time: 1 p.m.TV: (27) (19) WKBN-AM (570)Key matchup: Turnover margin. Cleveland has forced a turnover in a league-high 17 straight games. Baltimore has the worst turnover margin in the AFC with a minus 9. Baltimore needs to take care of the ball and use its second-ranked defense (262.0 yards per game) to force a few turnovers. Last week's meltdown (21 penalties) didn't help, either. A loss to the Browns would bury the Ravens in the AFC North cellar by two games.Streaks, stats and notes: Cleveland is ranked last in the AFC inside the opponent's 20. In seven possessions, Browns have one TD and six FGs. ... QB Trent Dilfer helped the Ravens win the 2001 Super Bowl. Last week, Dilfer made his 100th career start where he got his 100th and 101st career TD passes. ... RB Lee Suggs broke his right thumb last week and will be out at least four weeks. ... Rookie WR Braylon Edwards will likely miss Sunday's game at Baltimore and could miss several more weeks, depending on the severity of his elbow infection. ... Baltimore is off to the worst start in its 10-year history. ... DE Terrell Suggs and S Ed Reed were fined $15,000 apiece after being ejected for making impermissible contact with officials last week. ... Baltimore's 21 penalties (147 yards) were one short of the NFL record.
JACKSONVILLE at PITTSBURGH
Time: 1 p.m.TV/radio: (2) WBBG-FM (106.1)Key matchup: Jacksonville run defense vs. Pittsburgh running backs. Willie Parker will continue to start. However, Parker has been held to 81 yards in two games since running for more than 100 yards in each of the first two games. He was replaced for much of the second half Monday by Jerome Bettis. Bettis, playing for the first time since injuring a calf, ran for 54 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Duce Staley is also expected to play. Jacksonville ranks 29th in the league in rushing defense, giving up 130 yards a game on the ground. Tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson can expect to see a lot of action as Pittsburgh will rely on the running game more than ever after quarterback Ben Roethlisberger injured his left knee Monday night.Streaks, stats and notes: Only 12 points (Jaguars 288; Steelers 276) separate these teams in the 16 games played against each other. ... Jaguars extended the NFL's longest streak of not scoring at least 30 points to 54 games. ... Rookie OT Khalif Barnes made his first career start against Cincinnati. The Jaguars averaged a season-high six yards per play. They also didn't allow a sack for the first time in five games. ... Pittsburgh has a plus-8 in turnover differential. ... Steelers have won 11 of past 12 games at Heinz Field. ... Roethlisberger, 16-1 as an NFL starter, sustained a hyperextended left knee and a bone bruise. ... QB Charlie Batch, 12-12 in home starts, last started a game on Dec. 2, 2001, with Detroit. Batch has thrown eight passes in four seasons since signing with the Steelers.
CAROLINA at DETROIT
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Carolina run defense vs. Detroit RB Kevin Jones. The Panthers have allowed 82.8 yards rushing per game. Second-year back Jones is averaging 107 yards in the past six home games (642 yards for 4.8 per carry). Jones seems to excel at home -- he has averaged 70.4 yards per game over his 19 career games. Detroit has struggled passing the ball and injuries haven't helped. Kevin Johnson finished last week's game as Detroit's only healthy receiver.
NEW YORK GIANTS at DALLAS
Time: 1 p.m.Radio: WBBW-AM (1240)Key matchup: New York offense vs. Dallas defense. The Giants, through four games, have scored 136 points, the most in the NFC. They have scored more than 40 points twice this season, the first time they've accomplished that feat since 1972. ... Dallas is coming off shutting down the potent Philadelphia offense. ... The Cowboys allowed only 129 total yards, their fewest since Sept. 8, 1996. The Eagles came in averaging a league-best 432 yards per game. Dallas also held Philadelphia to six first downs and 19 yards rushing.
MINNESOTA at CHICAGO
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Minnesota's offensive line vs. Chicago's defensive front seven. The Vikings used the bye to address their holes on the offensive line. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper was sacked nine times by the Falcons, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. Pro Bowl center Matt Birk's season-ending injury has been a big blow. Undersized backup Cory Withrow has struggled, and newcomer Melvin Fowler hasn't had enough time to learn the line calls. Adam Goldberg will start at right guard. Chicago's defense is holding opponents to a 66.7 passer rating, second in the NFC. The Bears have the third-best defense in the league, allowing 269.8 yards per game.
ATLANTA vs. NEW ORLEANSAt San Antonio
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Atlanta front seven vs. New Orleans QB Aaron Brooks. Deuce McAllister likely will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last week at Green Bay. With no rushing threat, the Falcons can tee off on Brooks. The Falcons have 18 sacks, second best in the NFL. DT Rod Coleman has five of those sacks. McAllister had three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons plus three straight seasons with 30 or more receptions. He has rushed for 335 yards and a 3.6 average this season with three touchdowns.
CINCINNATI at TENNESSEE
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Cincinnati WR Chad Johnson vs. Cincinnati QB Carson Palmer. Johnson caught five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown in a loss at Jacksonville, then complained that the Bengals didn't do enough to get him the ball. He also got into a sideline argument with Palmer that had to be broken up by coach Marvin Lewis. The Bengals lead the AFC in offense with a 380.6 average. Lewis can't afford to have a rift between two of the main elements of that attack. Chad Johnson leads the AFC with 31 receptions (426 yards, 4 TDs). Palmer has the second-highest passer rating (111.4) in the league.
MIAMI at TAMPA BAY
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Miami RB Ronnie Brown vs. Tampa Bay RB Carnell Williams. Brown, the No. 2 overall pick in the April draft and Williams, the No. 5 pick, played together at Auburn. Brown has rushed for 229 yards in the past two games, setting a two-game rookie record at Miami. Williams leads NFL rookies with 447 yards rushing, which ranks third in the NFC. Williams, the first player in NFL history to begin his career with three consecutive 100-yard games, sat out last week's game because of foot and hamstring injuries.
WASHINGTON at KANSAS CITY
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Washington coach Joe Gibbs vs. Kansas City coach Dick Vermeil. A matchup between two of the most successful coaches in NFL history. They meet for the first time since Nov. 28, 1982. Gibbs holds a 3-1 advantage over Vermeil. Gibbs, winner of three Super Bowls, has a 149-76 career record. Vermeil, who has led two teams to the Super Bowl, has a 118-110 record. Gibbs would become the 14th coach with 150 career victories with a win.
NEW YORK JETS at BUFFALO
Time: 4:15 p.m.Key matchup: New York QB Vinny Testaverde vs. Buffalo QB Kelly Holcomb. Both quarterbacks instilled some stability on offense for each team. Testaverde came off his couch to lead the Jets to an inspiring victory over Tampa Bay. He finished 13-of-19 for 163 yards with an interception, and moved the offense efficiently -- something the Jets hadn't done much of this season. Holcomb, making his first start for Buffalo and the 14th of his career, went 20-of-26 for 169 yards and a touchdown. He engineered scoring drives on each of Buffalo's first three possessions. That's a big turnaround for an offense that had managed 29 points in its previous 14 quarters.
SAN DIEGO at OAKLAND
Time: 4:15 p.m.Radio: WBBW-AM (1240)Key matchup: San Diego run defense vs. LaMont Jordan. The Chargers held the Raiders to a total of 75 yards rushing in two games last year. This year, the Chargers are holding opponents to 93.8 yards per game on the ground. LaMont Jordan had a career-high 126 yards and a score two weeks ago to rejuvenate a rushing attack that gained only 21 rushing yards against Philadelphia. Even with that game, the Raiders still average 78.5 yards per game on the ground.
NEW ENGLAND at DENVER
Time: 4:15 p.m.TV: (27) (19) (2)Key matchup: New England vs. NFL schedule maker. The Patriots are playing their fourth road game in the past five. They have won the last two on the road against 2004 division winners (Pittsburgh and Atlanta). A home game against San Diego, the 2004 AFC West winner, fell in between those two. Now New England heads to Invesco Field at Hile High, where Mike Shanahan is 65-18 (.783).
HOUSTON at SEATTLE
Time: 8:30 p.m.TV/radio: ESPN, WBBW-AM (1240)Key matchup: Seattle receivers vs. Houston secondary. QB Matt Hasselbeck has not thrown an interception in 146 straight pass attempts and is ranked third in AFC passing at 97.1. Seattle racked up 433 yards against the Rams while missing receivers Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram because of injury. Last week, Joe Jurevicius and D.J. Hackett started in Jackson and Engram's place. Jurevicius had a career-high nine catches for 137 yards and a touchdown, while Hackett had five catches for 43 yards. The Texans' defense is 25th in the league, allowing 342.6 yards per game. Houston also hasn't generated a pass rush, with just four sacks this season. Highly touted offseason acquisition Phillip Buchanon was benched as starting cornerback after just two games for poor play, as was former first-round pick Jason Babin.
Associated Press
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