NFL Week 6 preview

By Jim McBride
Globe staff /  October 13, 2012
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Page 2 of 3 --

Oakland at Atlanta

Time: 1 p.m. Line: Falcons by 9.

Records: Raiders 1-3 (1-3 vs. spread), Falcons 5-0 (4-1 vs. spread).

Comments: Well, this hardly seems like a fair fight . . . Falcons have never been 5-0 before (seems like Raiders are 1-3 every year) . . . Atlanta’s Roddy White has 93 receptions for 1,343 yards and 11 TDs in last 12 vs. AFC . . . Oakland’s Darren McFadden has rushed for at least 105 yards in three straight vs. NFC . . . Player to watch: Atlanta’s Michael Turner’s teams are 21-1 when he gets 23-plus totes.

Key injuries: RAIDERS: OUT: T Khalif Barnes (groin), TE Richard Gordon (hamstring), CB Shawntae Spencer (foot). QUESTIONABLE: DT Tommy Kelly (foot). PROBABLE: TE David Ausberry (shoulder), WR Darrius Heyward-Bey (concussion), K Sebastian Janikowski (left groin), RB Taiwan Jones (shoulder), RB Darren McFadden (shoulder), TE Brandon Myers (shoulder), C Alex Parsons (shoulder), DT Richard Seymour (knee). FALCONS: OUT: TE Michael Palmer (shoulder), RB Antone Smith (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE: DT Jonathan Babineaux (groin), LB Stephen Nicholas (ankle). PROBABLE: WR Kevin Cone (knee), WR Drew Davis (knee), DT Peria Jerry (thigh), C Todd McClure (pectoral), S William Moore (hip), G Garrett Reynolds (back), CB Dunta Robinson (shoulder).

Cincinnati at Cleveland

Time: 1 p.m. Line: Bengals by 2½.

Records: Bengals 3-2 (2-2-1 vs. spread), Browns 0-5 (2-2-1 vs. spread).

Comments: Bengals lead the all-time Buckeye Bowl series, 42-36, and have won 13 of last 16 . . . Cincy QB Andy Dalton is 3-0 with 5 TDs and a 114 passer rating vs. Cleveland . . . Brownies allowed zero sacks last week, snapping a streak of 18 games with at least one sack allowed . . . Bengals have posted an NFL-best 18 sacks . . . Player to watch: Browns rookie QB Brandon Weedon has passed for 1,288 yards.

Key injuries: BENGALS: QUESTIONABLE: CB Jason Allen (quadriceps), DE Wallace Gilberry (calf), CB Dre Kirkpatrick (knee), LB Dontay Moch (illness). PROBABLE: WR A.J. Green (knee), CB Adam Jones (back), CB Terence Newman (groin), T Andrew Whitworth (knee). BROWNS: OUT: S Tashaun Gipson (knee), WR Mohamed Massaquoi (hamstring), CB Dimitri Patterson (ankle). DOUBTFUL: WR Travis Benjamin (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE: LB Scott Fujita (shoulder, neck), DT Ahtyba Rubin (calf), S Ray Ventrone (hand, calf), S T.J. Ward (hand). PROBABLE: LB D’Qwell Jackson (head), DE Frostee Rucker (shoulder), TE Alex Smith (head).

St. Louis at Miami

Time: 1 p.m. Line: Dolphins by 4½.

Records: Rams 3-2 (4-1 vs. spread), Dolphins 2-3 (3-2 vs. spread).

Comments: Give yourself a silver star if you knew the Dolphins had the league’s best rush defense (61 yards per game) . . . Rams’ only win in Miami came in 1976 . . . St. Louis rookie Greg Zuerlein is 13 of 13 on field goal attempts, including four of 53 yards or longer . . . Miami’s Dan Carpenter is 0 for 4 on FGs of 47 yards or longer . . . Player to watch: Dolphins’ Cameron Wake has 5½ sacks in his last two games.

Key injuries: RAMS: OUT: WR Danny Amendola (shoulder), LB Mario Haggan (thigh), T Rodger Saffold (knee). QUESTIONABLE: DT Matthew Conrath (knee), DE William Hayes (back), RB Brit Miller (ankle). PROBABLE: QB Sam Bradford (knee), S Matthew Daniels (thigh), DE Eugene Sims (head). DOLPHINS: OUT: CB Richard Marshall (back), RB Daniel Thomas (concussion). QUESTIONABLE: LB Kevin Burnett (ankle). PROBABLE: RB Reggie Bush (knee), CB Nolan Carroll (Achilles), WR Brian Hartline (quadriceps), S Reshad Jones (back, heel).

Detroit at Philadelphia

Time: 1 p.m. Line: Eagles by 3½.

Records: Lions 1-3 (0-4 vs. spread), Eagles 3-2 (1-3-1 vs. spread).

Comments: Any other non-fantasy owners know that the Lions’ Matthew Stafford has yet to throw a TD pass to Calvin Johnson this season? . . . Eagles have held foes to just five TDs in 16 red zone trips . . . Detroit has been outscored, 60-31, in the first half . . . Philly TE Brent Celek has 1,062 yards and 6 TDs in last 16 games . . . Player to watch: Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh (looks like a Scrabble rack) has 16½ sacks since 2010.

Key injuries: LIONS: OUT: DT Corey Williams (knee). QUESTIONABLE: DE Cliff Avril (back), S Louis Delmas (knee), DT Sammie Hill (toe). PROBABLE: LB Travis Lewis (quadriceps), TE Brandon Pettigrew (knee), S Amari Spievey (groin), LB Stephen Tulloch (knee), WR Titus Young (knee). EAGLES: PROBABLE: S Colt Anderson (knee), WR Jason Avant (wrist), RB Bryce Brown (shoulder), WR Riley Cooper (collarbone), C Jon Dorenbos (ankle), T King Dunlap (hamstring), RB Stanley Havili (quadriceps), LB Akeem Jordan (hamstring), LB Mychal Kendricks (ankle), DT Derek Landri (knee), DE Darryl Tapp (foot).Continued...