CLEVELAND BROWNS (6-4) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (4-6)
SERIES LEADER:Cleveland 10-3
STREAKS:Cleveland has won two of past three games.
PETTINE VS. ATLANTA:0-0
SMITH VS. CLEVELAND:1-0
LAST GAME:10/10/10: Falcons 20 at Browns 10: Atlanta WR Roddy White had 5 receptions for 101 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown. Falcons RB Michael Turner rushed 19 times for 140 yards.
NOTES
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BROWNS: **Have won 2 of past 3 on road. In 13 starts with Cle., QB BRIAN HOYER is 9-4 with 3,157 pass yards & 16 TDs vs. 8 INTs. Is 3-0 vs. NFC with Browns, passing for 825 yards & 6 TDs. Rookie RB ISAIAH CROWELL (undrafted) had 91 scrimmage yards (61 rush, 30 receiving) in 1st career start last week. Has 5 rush TDs, tied for most among NFL rookies. RB TERRANCE WEST (Round 3, No. 94 overall) ranks 2nd among AFC rookies with 408 rush yards. WR ANDREW HAWKINS had 6 catches for 97 yards, incl. 32-yard TD, vs. Texans. Leads team with career-high 601 receiving yards this season. In 2 career starts vs. Atl. (with Cowboys), WR MILES AUSTIN has 13 catches for 247 yards (19.0 avg.) & 2 TDs. Browns lead AFC with 14 INTs. CB JOE HADEN had 1st INT of season vs. Texans last week. Since 2013, S TASHAUN GIPSON leads all NFL players with 11 INTs.
FALCONS:QB MATT RYAN won only start vs. Cle. Is 17-9 (.654) in career vs. AFC with 44 TDs & 15 INTs. Is 38-11 (.776) at Georgia Dome with 80 TDs, 30 INTs & 98.1 rating. When he starts & has 100 rating, team is 36-3 (.923). RB STEVEN JACKSON rushed for 128 yards vs. Cle. on 11/13/11 (with StL). WR JULIO JONES has 35 catches for 466 yards (93.2 per game) & TD in past 5 vs. AFC. In past 6 at Georgia Dome, has 45 catches for 734 yards (122.3 per game) & 3 TDs. In 2 meetings, WR RODDY WHITE has 10 catches for 200 yards (100 per game) & TD. In past 3 vs. AFC, has 24 catches for 285 yards (95 per game) & TD. Has TD in 3 of past 4 & aims for 3rd in row with TD. LB PAUL WORRILOW leads team with 97 tackles. Had sack last week. DE KROY BIERMANN had 31-yard INT-TD in last meeting. DE OSI UMENYIORA has 4 sacks in past 6 vs. AFC. S KEMAL ISHMAEL aims for 3rd in row with INT. Is 2nd on team with 55 tackles. CB DESMOND TRUFANT is 2nd on team with 10 PD, his 2nd consecutive season with 10 PD. Had INT last week, 1st of season & 3rd of career.
CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-3-1) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (5-5)
SERIES LEADER:Tied 3-3
STREAKS:Houston has won past three games.
LEWIS VS. HOUSTON:2-5
O'BRIEN VS. CINCINNATI:0-0
LAST GAME:12/11/11: Texans 20 at Bengals 19: Houston rookie QB T.J. Yates threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns. Texans TE Owen Daniels had 100 receiving yards and WR Kevin Walter added a receiving touchdown.
NOTES
BENGALS:Last week, QB ANDY DALTON completed 16 of 22 (72.7 pct.) for 220 yards & 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs for career-high 143.9 rating. Bengals are 17-2 (.895) when Dalton has 100 rating. Has .629 (36-21-1) career win pct., best of any QB in club history (min. 20 starts). RB JEREMY HILL (Rd. 2, No. 55 overall) rushed for 152 yards on 27 att. (5.6 avg.) last week & is 2nd Bengals rookie with 2 150-yard rush games (PAUL ROBINSON, 1968). Leads NFL rookies in rush yards (556) & is tied for 1st in rush TDs (5). In past 6, RB GIOVANI BERNARD is averaging 85.8 scrim. yards/game (515 total; 398 rush, 117 rec.) with 5 rush TDs. Last week, WR A.J. GREEN led team with 127 rec. yards on 6 catches (21.2 avg.). Has 18 career 100-yard games, tied with CRIS COLLINSWORTH for 4th-most in club history. Since entering NFL in 2011, has 4,341 rec. yards, 3rd-most in AFC. TE JERMAINE GRESHAM (21) had season-high 2 TDs last week & is 4th TE in club history with 20 career. Since 2012, GENO ATKINS has 20 sacks, 2nd among AFC DTs.
TEXANS:In 1st NFL start, QB RYAN MALLETT had 211 pass yards & 2 TDs with 95.3 rating vs. Cle. In 3 career meetings (incl. playoffs), RB ARIAN FOSTER has 430 scrimmage yards (334 rush, 96 rec.) & 3 rush TDs. Needs 100-yard rushing game to surpass PRIEST HOLMES (31) for most ever by undrafted player. Has 100 yards in 6 of past 8. Since 2010, leads AFC in rush yards (5,628) & rush TDs (49). Last week, RB ALFRED BLUE (Rd. 6, No. 181 overall) had club-record 36 carries for 156 yards, tied for most in game by Hou. rookie (STEVE SLATON). WR ANDRE JOHNSON (982 rec., 13,292 yards) needs catch to surpass RANDY MOSS (982) for No. 10 all-time & 91 yards to eclipse TORRY HOLT (13,382) for No. 12 all-time. For career, averages 6 rec./game, best in NFL history (min. 100 games). WR DE ANDRE HOPKINS aims for 5th in row with 80 rec. yards. Last week, DE J.J. WATT became 1st player since 1982 with sack, FF, FR & TD rec. in same game. 1 of 2 players in history with 2 TD rec., INT-TD & FR-TD in season (JAY ARNOLD, 1938).
BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-4) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-6)
MONDAY NIGHT RECORD:Baltimore 9-9, New Orleans 17-18
SERIES LEADER:Baltimore 4-1
STREAKS:Baltimore has won past two games.
HARBAUGH VS. NEW ORLEANS:1-0
PAYTON VS. BALTIMORE:0-2
LAST GAME:12/19/10: Ravens 30 vs. Saints 24: Baltimore RB Ray Rice had 233 scrimmage yards (153 rushing, 80 receiving) and two touchdowns (1 rushing, 1 receiving). Ravens TE Ed Dickson added one touchdown reception.
NOTES
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RAVENS: **Aim for 6th consecutive win vs. NFC. In only career meeting, QB JOE FLACCO passed for 2 TDs for 112.9 rating. Ravens are 42-7 (.857) when Flacco posts 90 rating. RB JUSTIN FORSETT leads NFL RBs with 5.4 rush avg. (133 att., 721 yards). Tied career-high with 2 TDs vs. Titans, rushing for 112 yards. RB LORENZO TALIAFERRO (Rd. 4, No. 138 overall) has 4 rush TDs, tied for 3rd most among NFL rookies. WR STEVE SMITH, SR. (79) needs TD to become 1 of 6 active players with 80 career (71 rec., 4 PR, 2 rush, 2 KR). Had 17-yard TD catch in last game at NO (12/8/13 with Car.). WR TORREY SMITH has 6 TDs in past 7, incl. 32-yarder vs. Ten. LB C.J. MOSLEY (No. 17 overall) leads NFL rookies with 87 tackles. LB TERRELL SUGGS (99.5) needs half sack to become 1st Raven to reach 100 career. LB ELVIS DUMERVIL has 10.5 sacks in past 9.
SAINTS:QB DREW BREES has won 9 of past 10 on MNF with 29 TDs, 5 INTs & 118.6 rating. Aims for 3rd in row vs. Bal. with 3 TDs. In past 19 at home, has 6,234 yards (328.1 per game), 58 TDs, 13 INTs & 114.3 rating. Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL with 41,804 pass yards & 302 pass TDs. Since Week 8, RB MARK INGRAM leads NFL in rushing (459 yards). WR MARQUES COLSTON had 6 catches for 163 yards & 2 TDs in last home meeting. TE JIMMY GRAHAM had 2 TDs in last meeting. Has 17 TDs in past 15 vs. AFC. Has 14 TDs in past 14 at home. Has 8 TDs in past 6 on MNF. Since 2011, leads NFL TEs with 329 catches, 4,130 yards & 43 TDs. LB JUNIOR GALETTE has 12 sacks in past 13 at home. Has 7 sacks in past 9 vs. AFC. DE CAMERON JORDAN has 11 sacks in past 12 at home. Has 17.5 sacks in past 25. Has 4 sacks in past 3 games on MNF.