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PRO FOOTBALL EXTRA NEWSLETTER
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MATCHUP OF THE WEEK by SI's Peter King
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I love the Green Bay-Chicago rivalry. I'll never forget the time, back in 1990, covering Bears-Packers at Lambeau, when I followed the Chicago team buses from Appleton, about 30 minutes away, to the stadium on Sunday morning. As the convoy passed a farm, two kids began beating a large stuffed bear, hung in effigy from a tree, in full view of the buses. How about that? The kids knew they were the Bears' buses. They knew about when they'd be passing. And they put on a great show. Somehow I think the intensity might be as good this weekend at Soldier Field. The Bears will send the house (in the form of Rosevelt Colvin, Brian Urlacher, Philip Daniels and Bryan Robinson) at Brett Favre for four quarters. Ahman Green will have to rise to the occasion and take some pressure off Favre by running the ball effectively. Chicago had allowed but two sacks all season until last week when Courtney Brown got three for the Browns, and I look for the Pack, aiming for the NFL sack record with !
ru!
shers who have come from nowhere, to make life hard for the Chicago passing game. Key to the game? Simple. Ball-possession by the Pack. If Favre and Green can lead four or five long, clock-eating drives, the Bears won't be able to make the magic they've made the past two weeks.

Catch Sports Illustrated's Peter King live from Cleveland with the latest football news Sunday at 10 a.m. on NFL Preview.


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POWER RANKINGS from SI's Dr. Z
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1) Oakland Raiders (6-1)
Their offense looked like a military drill team Monday night.  Defensively, well, I still can't figure out why all-pro cornerback Charles Woodson, who left the field with a turf toe, made cameo appearances thereafter but not when the Broncos drove deep. I mean he's either hurt or he's not hurt, or maybe there were times when the painkiller wore off and he was waiting for the new shot to kick in. Odd, eh?

2) St. Louis Rams (6-1)
Their bye, coupled with the Steelers' loss, occasioned this position switch. Memo to potential Mailbaggers: Any moaning about this will produce exactly the same comment as you just read, unless you threaten me personally, and then I'll attack your grammatical structure.

3) Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)
The offensive line held firm, and the Ravens rushers hardly got a sniff of Kordell, which was why, I believe, he put up good numbers.  I was particularly impressed with the job that former taxi squadder Oliver Ross, subbing for injured Wayne Gandy at LT, did against Michael McCrary.  With help, of course. Always with help.

For more Power Rankings, click here:
http://cnnsi.com/football/news/2001/11/06/power_rankings/


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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW by SI's Peter King
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1. Just curious if Jets safety Damian Robinson would have gotten a game's suspension instead of just a fine if he'd done what it looked like he was trying to do the other night, which was attempting to break Aaron Brooks' neck. Weak penalty, NFL. Very weak.

2. The Redskins love Fresno State quarterback David Carr. The Redskins do not love Tony Banks, who hasn't fully learned Washington's offensive playbook. It'll be interesting to see -- if the Redskins keep winning -- how much they'll trade to move up to get a quarterback near the top of the first round of the draft.

3. The Ravens wish Elvis Grbac were tougher.

4. Mike Holmgren has a real decision on his hands. To show his team he's trying to do everything he can to win now, Trent Dilfer has to be his quarterback Sunday against Oakland, not the erratic Matt Hasselbeck, even though I'm a proponent of Hasselbeck getting experience now.

Click here to send a question to Peter King's mailbag:
http://cnnsi.com/football/nfl/news/2000/08/30/submit/  


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UNSUNG HEROES by CNNSI.com's Pat Kirwan
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I'm not surprised that rookie free agent running back Dominic Rhodes has filled in for Edgerrin James in an exceptional way. Last week in a win over Buffalo, Rhodes rushed for 100 yards and caught four passes for 45 yards. I spent a considerable amount of time with Rhodes last winter and I was amazed that so many NFL teams really didn't know about this kid. Rhodes was a high school legend in Texas before he enrolled at Midwestern Texas State. If he had gone to Texas or A&M he might have been a second-round pick. It's a tribute to Bill Polian, who uncovered the back and got him without using a draft pick. Believe me, Rhodes won't be a backup his whole career, either.

Click here for more of Pat Kirwan's Unsung Heroes:
http://cnnsi.com/inside_game/pat_kirwan/news/2001/11/07/unsung_heroes/
 

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FANTASY TIP OF THE WEEK by CNNSI.com's James Quintong
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While the Jets defense can be prone to giving up lots of yards, they are definitely among the top fantasy defenses by the sheer number of turnovers they've forced. The Jets defense has picked off 11 passes and forced 13 fumbles this year, both great fantasy numbers. It's something to look out for if you've got a turnover-prone player taking on the Jets in upcoming weeks.

After sitting out the past couple of weeks with a knee injury, Marshall Faulk is healthy and ready to go for the Rams. Go ahead and activate him as he has a favorable matchup at home against a Carolina team that's ranked next to last in total defense.      

For more fantasy news and tips click here:
http://cnnsi.com/fantasy/

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BEAT THE EXPERTS
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Do you think you can Beat the Experts? Prove it at CNNSI.com. Here are the standings through Week 8:

EXPERTS        WEEK 8      SEASON
Trev Alberts   10-4        71-41
Bob Lorenz     9-5         70-42
Irving Fryar   11-3        69-43
Pat Kirwan     9-5         68-44
Peter King     10-4        68-44

CELEBRITIES    WEEK 8      SEASON
Clyde Drexler  9-5         73-39
Scott Winters  9-5         70-42
Larry King     10-4        69-43
Cynthia Cooper 8-6         65-47
Johnny Bravo   10-4        65-47 
 
Click here to sign-up today: http://football.cnnsi.com
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NFL PREVIEW POLL
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Are you rooting for Ryan Leaf to succeed in Dallas?

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Click here to vote
http://cnnsi.com/thenetwork/nflpreview_showpage/

Results on NFL Preview - Sunday, 10 a.m. on CNN

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