NFL mismatches: Where to find the edge in Sunday's games
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Browns receiver Braylon Edwards vs. Bengals’ secondary
Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards was named to the Pro Bowl roster this week, a measure of his success this season. The wide receiver has grown into one of the NFL’s most dangerous players.
Edwards is the first Browns player since 2001 to make the Pro Bowl roster, and was voted in with Indy’s Reggie Wayne and the Pats’ Randy Moss. He has 13 touchdowns and 1,170 yards this season and is on course to break franchise records for both.
Cincinnati’s secondary will not be looking forward to seeing Edwards again. He piled up 146 yards and two touchdowns against them on Sept. 16, a game the Browns won 51-45. Overall, the Bengals are allowing 228 yards per game in the air, the ninth worst record in the league.
Buccaneers’ turnovers gained vs. 49ers’ turnovers lost
Tampa Bay’s defense ranks third in yards per game (278.5) and first in points allowed per game (15.6) this season. It is also one of the best in the league in a less examined defensive area – turnovers gained.
The Buccaneers have forced opponents to turn over the ball 31 times – 14 interceptions and 17 fumbles. Defensive end Greg White and safety Jermaine Phillips are largely responsible for the team’s success in this area. White has 8.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles, while Philips has four interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Conversely, the 49ers have struggled to protect the ball. They have turned over the ball 32 times this season, split evenly between interceptions and fumbles.
Titans running back LenDale White vs. Jets’ rush defense
LenDale White has rushed for a combined 266 yards and two touchdowns in his last three games. The Titans running back should continue that form against the New York Jets – the third worst rush defense in the NFL.
White ranks 14th in the league in rushing yards this season (960) and has a team-leading 13 touchdowns. The second-year pro has two games left to reach the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career.
Barring disaster, White will reach that milestone against the Jets. New York is giving 141.1 yards per game on the ground, and has allowed an opposing running back to break the 100-yard mark in three of its last four contests.
Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant vs. Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller
Marcus Trufant leads the NFC in interceptions and is one of five Seahawks defenders to be named to the Pro Bowl roster. The cornerback will try to celebrate the achievement with a big outing against the Ravens, and QB Kyle Boller in particular.
Trufant has made opposing quarterbacks pay for sloppy passing. The fifth-year pro has engineered seven interceptions and returned them for a total of 150 yards. He picked off three passes against Arizona’s Kurt Warner on Dec. 9, his second multi-interception game of the season.
He could get his third against Boller. The Ravens quarterback has thrown more picks than touchdowns this season. He’s been picked off in each of his last three outings, including a three-interception day earlier this month against the Colts.
Packers’ red zone offense vs. Bears’ red zone defense
With Brett Favre at the helm, it’s not surprising that the Packers have one of the best offenses in the red zone.
The Packers have broken into their opponents’ red zones on 44 occasions, converting 25 of those opportunities into touchdowns. Favre has thrown 16 of those red zone touchdowns, while running back Ryan Grant produced four of the other nine.
Chicago, meanwhile, is one of the worst teams in the league in red zone defense. Depleted by injuries this season, the Bears have allowed opponents to score 25 touchdowns on 48 attempts – a 52.1 percent average.
Texans defensive end Mario Williams vs. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning
Mario Williams, the No. 1 draft pick in 2006, has lived up to the hype in recent weeks. The defensive end has recorded sacks in five straight games and will be gunning for Peyton Manning this Sunday.
Williams is tied for second place in the league with 14 sacks, but the bulk of those have come in the past five games. The second-year pro has nine sacks over that period, including a game with 2.5 and another with 3.5. He also has two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Manning is not usually considered a vulnerable quarterback, but the Colts’ pass protection has been lacking this season. He has been sacked 19 times in 14 games – 7 times in his last four games alone.