PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-5) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (5-8)
SERIES LEADER: Pittsburgh 12-2-1
STREAKS:Pittsburgh has won 10 of past 12 games.
TOMLIN VS. ATLANTA:1-0
SMITH VS. PITTSBURGH:0-1
LAST GAME: 9/12/10: Steelers 15 vs. Falcons (OT): Pittsburgh RB Rashard Mendenhall rushed for game-winning 50-yard TD in OT. Steelers WR Hines Ward added 6 receptions for 108 yards.
NOTES**
STEELERS:In past 7,QB BEN ROETHLISBERGERhas 2,462 pass yards (351/game) with 21 TDs vs. 5 INTs for 110.4 rating. In only meeting, passed for 238 yards & 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 147.3 rating. Has 248 TD passes & needs 2 to be 1st in club history with 250.RB LE'VEON BELLleads AFC & is 2nd in NFL with 1,924 scrim. yards (1,231 rush, 693 rec.). Posted 235 scrim. yards (185 rush, 50 rec.) vs. Cin. & is 1 of 2 players in NFL history with 200 scrim. yards in 3 consec. games (WALTER PAYTON, 1977).WR ANTONIO BROWNleads NFL in catches (105) & is 2nd in rec. yards (1,375). 1st player in club history with 2 100-catch seasons (110 in 2013). Has 5 catches & 50 yards in 29 consec. games, longest streak in NFL history. RookieWR MARTAVIS BRYANT(Rd. 4, No. 118 overall) is 1 of 4 NFL players with 7 TD rec. in 1st 7 career games.LB LAWRENCE TIMMONSleads team with 104 tackles.LB ARTHUR MOATShad career-high 2 sacks last week.S TROY POLAMALU** aims for 3rd in row with INT vs. Falcons.
FALCONS: QB MATT RYAN is 39-12 (.765) at Georgia Dome with 84 TDs, 32 INTs & 98 rating. Has 736 yards (368 per game), 6 TDs & 111.3 rating in past 2. RB STEVEN JACKSON rushed for 103 yards in last game vs. Pit. (12/24/11 with StL). Has 100 yards or TD in 5 of past 6. WR JULIO JONES had 11 catches for team-record 259 yards with TD last week. In past 2, has 21 catches for 448 yards (224 per game) & 2 TDs. Reached 4,000 rec. yards (4,165) in 47th game, tied for 2nd fastest in NFL history. WR RODDY WHITE had 13 catches for 111 yards in last meeting. Has TD in 3 of past 4. WR HARRY DOUGLAS aims for 3rd in row with 100 yards or TD. CB DESMOND TRUFANT leads team with 14 PD.LB PAUL WORRILOW leads team with 116 tackles. DE OSI UMENYIORA aims for 3rd in row vs. Pit. with sack. Has 4 sacks in past 7 vs. AFC.DE KROY BIERMANN had sack in last meeting. S KEMAL ISHMAEL leads team with 4 INTs & has INT in 3 of past 5.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (2-11) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-5)
SERIES LEADER:Jacksonville 10-7
STREAKS:Jacksonville has won two of past three games.
BRADLEY VS. BALTIMORE:0-0
HARBAUGH VS. JACKSONVILLE:1-1
LAST GAME:10/24/11: Jaguars 12 vs. Ravens 7: Jaguars K Josh Scobee made 4 FGs (54, 54, 22, 51). Defense held Ravens to 146 total net yards.
NOTES**
JAGUARS: Last week,QB BLAKE BORTLES(No. 3 overall) passed for 205 yards & TD. Has 2,466 pass yards & needs 34 to joinBYRON LEFTWICH(2,819) as only Jags rookies with 2,500. Leads AFC QBs with 306 rush yards on 47 att. (6.5 avg.). In past 7,RB DENARD ROBINSONis averaging 82.1 scrimmage yards per game (575 total) & has 4 rush TDs. Last week, rookieWR MARQISE LEE(Rd. 2, No. 39 overall) had 67 yards on 5 rec. RookieWR ALLEN HURNS(undrafted) ranks 2nd among AFC rookies in TD catches (6) & 3rd in receiving yards (566).TE MARCEDES LEWISled team with 69 yards on 3 catches (23 avg.) vs. Hou. Defense has 39 sacks, 2nd in AFC & 3rd in NFL.DT SEN' DERRICK MARKShas 6.5 sacks in past 6, incl. 1.5 vs. Texans. Tied for 2nd among NFL DTs with career-high 8.5 sacks in 2014. In past 9,DE CHRIS CLEMONShas 6 sacks, 2 FF & FR. Has 4 sacks in past 3 on road.S JONATHAN CYPRIEN** leads team with 87 tackles.
RAVENS: QB JOE FLACCO has 24,803 career passing yards & needs 197 to become 1st player in club history to reach 25,000. In past 5, has completed 108 of 160 (67.5 pct.) for 1,209 yards with 8 TDs vs. 2 INTs for 101.3 rating. Aims for 4th in row with 100 rating. Ravens are 38-5 (.884) when Flacco posts 100 rating (incl. playoffs). RB JUSTIN FORSETTleads NFL RBs with 5.6 rush avg. (192 att., 1,080 yards). Rushed for 59 yards on 7 att. (8.4 avg.) in last meeting (with Hou.). Has 100 rush yards in 3 of past 4. WR STEVE SMITH, SR.has 13,086 career receiving yards & needs 4 to surpass HOFer STEVE LARGENT (13,089) for No. 15 all-time. Has TD catch in 2 of past 3. WR TORREY SMITH has 8 TDs in past 10. Needs 2 TD catches to join MICHAEL JACKSON (14 in 1996) as only Ravens with 10 TD rec. in season. Rookie LB C.J. MOSLEY (No. 17 overall) leads team with 110 tackles, tied for most in AFC. LB TERRELL SUGGS has 8 sacks in past 8 overall, incl. 1.5 last week. LB ELVIS DUMERVILhad 3.5 sacks last week & is tied for NFL lead with 16, surpassing single-season Ravens record (PETER BOULWARE, 15 in 2001).
CINCINNATI BENGALS (8-4-1) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-6)
SERIES LEADER: Cincinnati 43-39
STREAKS:Cleveland has won three of past four games.
LEWIS VS. CLEVELAND:15-8
PETTINE VS. CINCINNATI:1-0
LAST GAME:11/6/14: Browns 24 at Bengals 3. Cleveland RBs Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell & Ben Tate each scored a rushing TD. Defense had 3 interceptions.
NOTES
BENGALS: QB ANDY DALTONpassed for 302 yards with 128.8 rating & 3 total TDs (2 pass, 1 rush) last week, surpassing JEFF BLAKE (93) for 4th-most TD passes in franchise history (95). Has 38-22-1 (.631) record, highest win pct. of any Bengals QB (min. 20 starts). RB GIOVANI BERNARDhad 86 scrimmage yards in last meeting (45 rush, 41 rec.). In past 6, rookie RB JEREMY HILL (Round 2, No. 55 overall) has 604 scrimmage yards (100.6 per game) with 3 rush TDs. Leads NFL rookies in rush yards (729) & is tied for 2nd in rush TDs (6). Last week, WR A.J. GREENhad career-high 224 yards, 2nd-most in club history (CHAD JOHNSON, 260 yards on 11/12/06 vs. Chargers), on 11 catches with TD. Has 4,743 career receiving yards, 4th-most of any player in 1st 4 NFL seasons. In 3 career road meetings, has 15 catches for 227 yards & 3 TDs. Has 5 TDs in past 7 overall. Since 2012, GENO ATKINS has 20.5 sacks, tied for 2nd among AFC DTs. LB VINCENT REY leads team with 97 tackles, incl. game-high 15 vs. Steelers.
BROWNS:Rookie QB JOHNNY MANZIEL will make 1st career NFL start. Scored 1st NFL TD in Week 13 vs. Buf. (10-yard run). Browns are only NFL team with 2 rookies with 500 rushing yards –RBs TERRANCE WEST(556) & ISAIAH CROWELL(529). Crowell (undrafted) has 4 rush TDs in past 5 & leads NFL rookies with 8 rush TDs in 2014. West (Round 3, No. 94 overall) leads team & ranks 2nd among AFC rookies with 556 rush yards. Rushed for 94 yards & TD in last meeting. In past 17, WR JOSH GORDON has 104 rec. for 1,856 yards (109.2/game) & 9 TDs. Had 125 rec. yards on 5 catches (25 avg.) with TD in last meeting. CB JOE HADENhas INT in 3 of past 4.*Last week,S JIM LEONHARD posted INT & sack in same game for 1st time in career. Aims for 3rd in row with INT. Last week, rookieCB JUSTIN GILBERT(23-yard INT-TD) &LB CRAIG ROBERTSON(0-yard FR-TD) each scored 1st career NFL TDs.CB BUSTER SKRINEhad career-high 2 INTs in last meeting.S DONTE WHITNER leads team with 85 tackles.LB BARKEVIOUS MINGO* posted sack last week.
