NFL Capsules: How they match up for last week of regular season

Friday, Dec. 20, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

SATURDAY

PATRIOTS (10-5) AT GIANTS (6-9)

LINE -- New England by 9.

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Patriots 7-8; Giants 7-8.

SERIES RECORD -- Giants lead series 3-1.

LAST TIME MET -- Giants edged Patriots 13-10 in 1990 in New England.

LAST GAME -- Patriots lost to Cowboys in Dallas 12-6. Giants were beaten by Saints at home 17-3.

NOTES -- New England has clinched AFC East title and will clinch first-round bye with a win or a Steelers loss at Carolina. ... Patriots' Terry Glenn has 82 catches and 1,008 yards receiving this season. The receptions are second most by a rookie, one shy of Earl Cooper's record set in 1980. He's also 11th rookie to break 1,000 yards. ... New England's six points vs. Dallas were its fewest since Oct. 8, 1995, when club scored three against Denver, a span of 26 games. ... Giants' Rodney Hampton will miss game and will fall short in quest for sixth consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season. He is 183 yards short of the mark. ... Giants, with NFL's worst-ranked offense, had only 138 net yards, including just 48 net (94 gross) passing vs. Saints.

SAINTS (3-12) AT RAMS (5-10)

LINE -- St. Louis by 5.

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Saints 6-9; Rams 6-9.

SERIES RECORD -- Rams lead series 29-24.

LAST TIME MET -- Rams beat Saints in New Orleans 26-10 in Week 14.

LAST GAME -- Rams beat Falcons in Atlanta 34-27. Saints defeated Giants in Meadowlands 17-3.

NOTES -- Saints coach Rick Venturi has won only two games as NFL head coach, both at Giants Stadium. One vs. the Jets and last week's victory over the Giants. Venturi is 3-47-1 as a head coach in college and professional ranks, including 1-31-1 at Northwestern from 1978-80, 1-10 at Indianapolis in 1991 and 1-6 this season after taking over from Jim Mora. ... New Orleans won on the road for first time this season, snapping a seven-game losing streak. ... Saints' Tyrone Hughes broke his own NFL record with 67th kickoff return of the season. ... Rams' Eddie Kennison's performance vs. Atlanta gave him 882 yards receiving, breaking Rams rookie record of 786 held since 1964 by Bucky Pope. ... Despite a 5-10 record, St. Louis clinched third place in the NFC West. ... Rams have lost 12 of last 16 games vs. Saints.

SUNDAY

CARDINALS (7-8) AT EAGLES (9-6)

LINE -- Philadelphia by 5 1/2 .

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Cardinals 12.2; Eagles 8-7.

SERIES RECORD -- Series tied 46-46-5.

LAST MEETING -- Cardinals edged Eagles at home in wild finish 36-30 in Week 13.

LAST GAME -- Cardinals nipped Redskins 27-26 in Arizona. Eagles rallied to beat Jets on Saturday 21-20.

NOTES -- Eagles clinched playoff spot last week. ... Eagles' Derrick Witherspoon returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown with Philadelphia trailing by nine and only three minutes remaining in earlier meeting with Arizona. Eagles then recovered onside kick and took one point lead on a field goal. Cardinals then won game with a touchdown with 14 seconds left. ... Eagles' Irving Fryar has 10,063 yards receiving in his career and is 13th player in NFL history to go over 10,000. ... Eagles' Ricky Watters has career-high 1,312 yards rushing this season. ... Arizona WR Rob Moore needs 5 yards receiving for his second 1,000-yard campaign in seven seasons. ... QB Kent Graham is 4-2 as Arizona's starter. ... Cardinals' Simeon Rice matched NFL rookie record for sacks with 12 1/2 , set by San Diego's Leslie O'Neal in 1986. Reggie White had 13 sacks in his first year in the NFL after two seasons with the USFL's Memphis Showboats.

FALCONS (3-12) AT JAGUARS (8-7)

LINE -- Jacksonville by 9.

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Falcons 5-10; Jaguars 7-8.

SERIES RECORD -- First meeting.

LAST TIME MET -- First meeting.

LAST GAME -- Falcons lost at home to Rams 34-27. Jaguars beat Seahawks at home Sunday night 20-13.

NOTES -- Jacksonville can earn first playoff berth in only second year of team's existence with win. ... Atlanta's streak of scoring on 29 consecutive possessions inside 20-yard line ended when Bobby Hebert threw interception in second quarter vs. Rams. ... Falcons K Morten Anderson has 13 seasons with at least 20 field goals, one short of NFL record held by Philadelphia K Gary Anderson. ... Hebert tied his team record for interceptions in a game, set in 1993. ... Atlanta's Eric Metcalf went over 2,000 yards in his career on punt returns, making him only second player to reach that mark in four different categories (rushing, receiving, punt returns and kickoff returns). ... Jaguar QB Mark Brunell became 19th player to throw for 4,000 yards in a season. He ranks in top eight in six major statistical categories -- attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, average gain -- and is only quarterback in league who has taken every snap for his team this season.

BEARS (7-8) AT BUCCANEERS (5-10)

LINE -- Tampa Bay by 2 1/2 .

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Bears 8-7; Buccaneers 7-8.

SERIES RECORD -- Bears lead series 29-8.

LAST TIME MET -- Bears beat Buccaneers in Chicago 13-10 in Week 10.

LAST GAME -- Bears defeated San Diego in Chicago 27-14 Saturday. Buccaneers lost to Vikings on the road 21-10.

NOTES -- Curtis Conway needs 71 yards to become first Bears player with back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons. ... Bears WR Bobby Engram is closing in on rookie record for kickoff returns. He has 24 for 561 yards, five shy of Brian Baschnagel's mark set in 1976. ... Bears TE Ryan Wetnight's touchdown vs. Chargers was first scoring reception by a Chicago tight end this season. ... Tampa Bay G Jim Pyne sustained broken leg in loss last week. ... Buccaneers CB Donnie Abraham's interception vs. San Diego was his fifth of season, matching team rookie record. ... Tampa Bay is 1-6 in the Central Division.

OILERS (7-8) AT RAVENS (4-11)

LINE -- Baltimore by 3.

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Oilers 9-6; Ravens 5-9.

SERIES RECORD -- Ravens (as Cleveland Browns) lead series 30-22.

LAST TIME MET -- Oilers beat Ravens at home 29-13 in Week 3.

LAST GAME -- Oilers lost at home to Bengals 21-13. Ravens lost to Panthers on the road 27-16.

NOTES -- Ravens are averaging 356.4 yards per game, third best in AFC. ... Oilers have won five of last six season finales. ... Oilers' Eddie George, who has 1,283 yards rushing, is 94 yards away from fourth place on club's season rushing list. He is 17 yards short of becoming fifth Heisman Trophy-winning running back to rush for 1,300 yards in rookie season. ... Houston K Al Del Greco has set club and personal record with 31 field goals, beating his 29 in 1993. ... Ravens QB Vinny Testaverde was named to AFC Pro Bowl team. ... Ravens lead AFC with 12 receivers with scoring receptions, including two offensive lineman. ... Baltimore is third in AFC with 318 first downs.

CHIEFS (9-6) AT BILLS (9-6)

LINE -- Buffalo by 5.

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Chiefs 6-9; Bills 8-7.

SERIES RECORD -- Bills lead series 16-13-1.

LAST TIME MET -- Bills routed Chiefs 44-10 at home in October 1994.

LAST GAME -- Chiefs lost to Colts 24-19 in Kansas City. Bills edged by Dolphins in Miami 16-14 on Monday night.

NOTES -- Either team will clinch playoff berth with win. Both teams will qualify with a tie or a Jacksonville loss. ... Chiefs are aiming for seventh straight playoff season, longest active streak in NFL. ... Kansas City has won every season finale since Marty Schottenheimer became coach in 1989. ... Home team has won nine of last 12 meetings between the clubs. ... Chiefs RB Marcus Allen leads NFL with 90 percent conversion rate on third downs (9 of 10). ... Bills' Andre Reed is 40 yards receiving away from fourth 1,000-yard campaign in 12 seasons. ... Chiefs T John Alt played in his 178th game, tying Jack Rudney for second on Kansas City's career list. ... Bills' Thurman Thomas has 990 yards rushing and can become second player to run for 1,000 yards in eight consecutive seasons. Barry Sanders was the first, earlier this year. ... Derrick Thomas has five sacks vs. Bills, most vs. any non-AFC West team.

DOLPHINS (7-8) AT JETS (1-14)

LINE -- Miami by 3 1/2 .

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Dolphins 6-9; Jets 7-8.

SERIES RECORD -- Dolphins lead series 31-29-1.

LAST TIME MET -- Dolphins beat Jets at home 36-27 in Week 3.

LAST GAME -- Dolphins held off Bills 16-14 in Miami on Monday night. Jets squandered lead at home to Eagles 21-20 on Saturday.

NOTES -- Jets clinched first overall pick in April draft for second consecutive season with loss to Eagles and Saints' victory over Giants last week. ... Dolphin S Louis Oliver has three interceptions this season and 24 in his career, one away from fourth best in club history. ... Jets' Keyshawn Johnson, the 1996 No. 1 pick, has eight touchdown catches, a Jets club record. He has caught 60 passes, seven away from Chrebet's team rookie record set last season. ... Jets WR Wayne Chrebet leads NFL with 30 third-down receptions and is third on New York's season list with 80 catches overall. ... Abdul-Jabbar needs 36 yards to become fourth Dolphins player to top 1,000-yard mark. ... Dolphins' Zack Thomas became first Dolphins linebacker to make three interceptions in a season since Earnie Rhone in 1981. ... Jets coach Rich Kotite has 4-27 record in two years since coming to New York.

VIKINGS (9-6) AT PACKERS (12-3)

LINE -- Green Bay by 11.

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Vikings 9-6; Packers 9-6.

SERIES RECORD -- Vikings lead series 36-33-1.

LAST TIME MET -- Vikings beat Packers in Minnesota 30-21 in Week 4.

LAST GAME -- Vikings beat Buccaneers at home 21-10. Packers routed Lions 31-3 in Detroit.

NOTES -- Viking RB Leroy Hoard has 379 yards rushing in five games vs. Vikings. ... Green Bay's Bret Favre has 49-27 record as a starting quarterback. ... Minnesota WR Jake Reed ranks first in NFL with 1,246 yards. ... Minnesota WR Cris Carter needs seven receptions to join Jerry Rice as only players to have three straight 100-catch seasons. ... Green Bay is 26-8 in last 34 regular season games and has captured last 14 home contests. ... Packers have outscored opponents 91-16 in second half. ... Favre has thrown 30 or more touchdown passes in each of last three seasons. ... Teams are a combined plus-18 in turnover differential, with Green Bay holding NFC best plus-15. ... Minnesota LB Dixon Edwards returned last week after missing two games with a pulled hamstring and picked up a sack vs. Tampa Bay. ... Minnesota Brad Johnson had string of 84 passes without an interception snapped last week.

STEELERS (10-5) PANTHERS (11-4)

LINE -- Carolina by 5 1/2 .

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Steelers 8-6; Panthers 12-3.

SERIES RECORD -- First meeting.

LAST TIME MET -- First meeting.

LAST GAME -- Steelers lost in Pittsburgh to 49ers 25-15. Panthers beat Ravens at home 27-16.

NOTES -- Carolina will clinch NFC West title and first-round bye with win, as long as Dallas doesn't beat Washington by more than 78 points. ... Anthony Johnson became first running back to rush for 1,000 yards for Carolina. He has 1,052 yards and six touchdowns on the season. ... Game features top sacking defenses in NFL. Carolina has league-best 56 quarterback drops. ... Steelers WR Charles Johnson needs 26 yards to become sixth player in club history with a 1,000-yard season and only second in last 11 seasons. ... Steeler RB Jerome Bettis has 10 100-yard rushing games this season. Five players have 11 in one campaign, to tie for second-highest total in league history. ... Panthers are undefeated (7-0) at home this season. Club is 6-1 in its brief history vs. the AFC, including last six matchups.

COWBOYS (10-5) AT REDSKINS (8-7)

LINE -- Washington by 1.

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Cowboys 7-8; Redskins 9-6.

SERIES RECORD -- Cowboys lead series 40-29-2.

LAST MEETING -- Cowboys beat Redskins at home 21-10 on Thanksgiving Day.

LAST GAME -- Cowboys beat Patriots in Dallas 12-6. Redskins were nipped by Cardinals in Arizona 27-26.

COWBOYS OFFENSE -- RUSH (No. 18), PASS (No. 18), OVERALL (No. 24)

NOTES -- Cowboys won fifth straight NFC East title with win over Patriots. ... This is final game at RFK Stadium. Redskins will move into 78,600-seat Redskins Stadium in Raljon, Md., beginning next season. ... Cowboys hold 18-17 record against Redskins in RFK. ... Troy Aikman is Cowboys career leader with 2,000 completions, 3,178 attempts and 22,733 yards passing. ... Smith has rushed for 1,305 yards and 15 touchdowns in his 12 career games vs. Washington. ... Redskin RB Terry Allen has club-best 1,428 yards from scrimmage and is third in NFC with 1,266 yards rushing. ... Redskin QB Gus Frerotte surpassed 3,000-yard passing mark for first time in three seasons. ... Washington WR Henry Ellard holds NFL lead with 19.1 yards per catch.

COLTS (9-6) AT BENGALS (7-8)

LINE -- Pick 'em.

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Colts 6-9; Bengals 8-6.

SERIES RECORD -- Colts lead series 9-6.

LAST TIME MET -- Bengals edged Colts in overtime 24-21 last September in Indianapolis.

LAST GAME -- Colts beat Chiefs in Kansas City 24-19. Bengals beat Oilers in Houston 21-13.

NOTES -- Bengals have lost five of last six meetings with Colts, all in Cincinnati. ... Colts have not had 10-win season since going 10-4 in 1977 and are trying to make consecutive playoff appearances for first time since three straight trips from 1975-77. ... Bengal WR Carl Pickens is trying to lead AFC in catches for second straight season after having 99 last season. He is six away from becoming first Bengals player to have 100 receptions in a season. ... Cincinnati victory would give Bengals best record since going 9-7 in 1980. ... Colts QB Jim Harbaugh started vs. Chiefs after missing previous two games with knee injury. ... Bengals Pickens and Jeff Blake have connected for 36 touchdowns the past three seasons, including 11 in 1996, making them league's top scoring duo. ... Blake started his 40th straight game at quarterback Sunday, the longest streak by any AFC quarterback. ... Cincinnati gave coach Bruce Coslet four-year contract. He is 6-2 since replacing Dave Shula, who was fired in October.

BRONCOS (13-2) AT CHARGERS (7-8)

LINE -- Denver by 1 1/2 .

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Broncos 9-5; Chargers 7-8.

SERIES RECORD -- Broncos lead series 38-34-1.

LAST MEETING -- Broncos beat Chargers 28-17 in Week 6 meeting in Denver.

LAST GAME -- Broncos beat Raiders at home 24-19. Chargers lost in Chicago 27-14 on Saturday.

NOTES -- Broncos are playing third game since wrapping up home-field advantage for entire AFC playoffs. ... Denver has tied club record of 13 wins, established in 1984. ... Denver QB John Elway set NFL record with his 126th victory as a starting quarterback. His 17 wins, including seven comebacks, over San Diego are most vs. any opponent. ... Chargers have won all four season finales since coach Bobby Ross took over in 1992. ...Charger WR Tony Martin has had 100-yard receiving games vs. all AFC West teams except Denver. ... San Diego RB Leonard Russell tore cartilage in his right knee early in the third quarter last Saturday and will have to undergo surgery. Russell had five carries for 22 yards in loss to Bears. ... Charger QB Stan Humphries has third-best starting record of active quarterbacks, 46-26 (.638). ...Bronco K Jason Elam became first NFL placekicker to reach the 100-point mark in four straight seasons.

SEAHAWKS (6-9) AT RAIDERS (7-8)

LINE -- Oakland by 4.

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Seahawks 7-8; Raiders 8-7.

SERIES RECORD -- Raiders lead series 21-16.

LAST MEETING -- Raiders beat Seahawks 27-21 on the road in Week 13.

LAST GAME -- Seahawks lost in Jacksonville 20-13. Raiders were beaten by Broncos in Denver 24-19.

NOTES -- Seahawks have lost three of last four games vs. Raiders by a total of only 14 points. ... Seven of eight Oakland losses this season are by six points or less. ...Seahawk WR Joey Galloway needs one touchdown to tie career-high of seven. He is 52 yards away from becoming fourth player to have 1,000 yards receiving in each of first two seasons. ... Raider QB Jeff Hostetler has thrown career-high 23 touchdowns this season and has tossed five scoring passes and no interceptions in last four games vs. Seattle. ... Raider WR Tim Brown has 1,039 yards receiving and has now posted four straight 1,000-yard seasons. ... Oakland's 20 penalties in loss to Broncos were three more than old team mark set on three different occasions. The total also was fourth-highest in an NFL game and most by any team in 20 years.

LIONS (5-10) AT 49ERS (11-4)

LINE -- San Francisco by 12 1/2 .

RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Lions 4-11; 49ers 8-7.

SERIES RECORD -- 49ers lead series 27-26-1.

LAST MEETING -- Lions edged 49ers 27-24 last September in Detroit.

LAST GAME -- Lions were routed by Packers at home 31-3. 49ers beat Steelers in Pittsburgh 25-15.

NOTES -- San Francisco can capture NFC West title and earn a first-round bye with a win and a Carolina loss to Pittsburgh. ... 49ers are NFL's best team in December since 1986 with 35-9 record. ...49er WR Jerry Rice became first player in league history to have 100 catches in three straight seasons. ... Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Bryant Young and Merton Hanks are San Francisco's representatives for the Pro Bowl. ... Lion WR Herman Moore is two receptions away from being first Lions wide receiver to have two consecutive 100-catch campaigns. He extended his consecutive games streak with at least one reception to 80, including five playoff games, last week. ... Lions will send Barry Sanders, Herman Moore and Kevin Glover to the Pro Bowl. ... 49ers have plus-10 takeaway-giveaway differential, Lions are a minus-7. ...49er K Rick Wilkins missed a 39-yard field goal in win over Steelers, his first miss inside the 45-yard line this season. ... Lions RB Barry Sanders had streak of six straight games with a TD rushing end in loss to Packers.

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