FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEKLY FEATURES

TB (5-10) vs ARZ (5-10)

Game Prediction: TB 17, ARZ 20

This is a game with nothing more on the line than minimal positioning for the 2005 NFL draft. Both teams spent a few weeks this year looking very good and twice as many looking not nearly good enough. That, appropriately, ends up 5-10.

Pre-Game Notes - TB

The Bucs are on a three game losing streak and have fallen apart since shutting out the Falcons in week 13. They come off two straight losses at home and now play on the road where they are only 1-6. Their only road win was that one Falcon game.

Running Backs: Michael Pittman's hot streak bottomed out against the Panthers when he only had 41 rushing yards on 10 carries. He has not scored in the last threw weeks and only once totaled 100 yards in that time. Mike Alstott has seen his role reduced as well and only had three carries over the last two games. He is no longer a factor in the running game and with the Bucs trailing so often lately, the running game itself if no longer a factor in matchups.

Wide Receivers: if there is a bright spot from the last month, it would clearly be the wideouts and Joey Galloway in particular. Galloway has scored in each of the last four games while Michael Clayton finally got back into the scoring column last week when he turned two scores on four catches for 66 yards against the Panthers. He now has six touchdowns on the year and only twice this entire rookie year has failed to catch at least four passes.

Tight Ends: No impact here.

Match Against the Defense: Michael Pittman will have a big game here as long as he gets the opportunities. The Cardinals have allowed virtually every #1 running back to top 100 yards and score this season with several games of 150+ yards and two or three rushing scores allowed.

Griese faces a better secondary this week that has been fairly stout but mainly because most teams like to run more against them. Expect at least a moderate game here that would favor Galloway with a shot at big numbers only if a shootout happens later in the game.

Pre-Game Notes - ARZ

The Cardinals conclude the inaugural season for Denny Green that contained a quarterback merry-go-round that ended, coincidentally, where it started.

Quarterback: Josh McCown comes off his best game of the year - 248 yards with three touchdowns against the Seahawks and he had 287 yards and two scores against the Rams. His only other big game was against the 49ers. McCown clearly loves the NFC West but then again so does all the rest of the league.

McCown injured his leg a bit last week but is expected to be fine for this game.

Running Backs: Emmitt Smith is winding down his season and had 23 carries last week for 65 yards. He'd need about 130 yards this week for a 1000 yard season but his nine scores are already a pleasant surprise. This realistically could be the final game that Emmitt ever plays - there's some motivation.

Wide Receivers: Anquan Boldin finally scored a touchdown this season when he had seven catches for 197 yards in Seattle last week. That makes two 100 yard games in the last three weeks and a sign that Boldin is finally clicking with McCown and healthy again. Larry Fitzgerald still has not topped 100 yards in a game but he has scored twice in each of the last two games and stands at eight touchdowns on the year.

Tight Ends: Freddie Jones has oddly disappeared in the last two weeks right when the passing game has looked the best. He only had one catch in each game and only managed two scores this entire season.

Match Against the Defense: The Buccaneer rush defense is nothing special anymore. They have allowed big yardage several times this season on the ground and three runners in the last five weeks have crested 100 yards though there has only been one touchdown during that time. I like Emmitt to be a little more motivated this week but that still will not necessarily spell a big game. He should be at least a moderate start this week.

The Bucs secondary has been fairly lax lately, allowing eight passing scores over the last three weeks and at least two in each game. The yardage is almost never high, but the scores are almost guaranteed. With McCown playing better and the wideouts performing well, look for a moderate game from McCown of around 200 yards with a good shot at two scores.

There's no weaker side to exploit so Fitzgerald should be the favored one to catch a score since he already has that chemistry with McCown though Boldin's hot play in the final weeks also makes him a decent start this week.