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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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New York Giants at Philadelphia, Sunday. What a difference a drive makes. Entering Week 6 this year at Giants Stadium, the Giants had won nine in a row over the Eagles. And after 55 minutes of that October game, one of the dullest in recent NFL history, New York had a 9-3 lead. Donovan McNabb could do nothing. Then he led a very un-epic 40-yard drive, found James Thrash for an 18-yard touchdown and the Eagles had broken the schneid with a 10-9 win. That one drive does not convince me the Giants still don't have the Eagles' number. These teams have changed very little -- except at receiver for Philadelphia -- since the Giants went 3-0 by a margin of 42 points over the Eagles in 2000. The key Sunday will be whether Kerry Collins can make five or six plays. The Giants need to score 14 or 17 points to win, because their secondary is susceptible to some McNabb playmaking. And, because the weather won't be a factor and the game should be determined on the merits of the players alo!
ne!
, I like Michael Strahan and Keith Hamilton to combine for three sacks, Tiki Barber to churn out, somehow, 112 total yards, and Collins to make a play or two in the fourth quarter. New York, 17-12.

Catch Sports Illustrated's Peter King live from Giants Stadium 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) St. Louis (11-2)
A very interesting shift in philosophy occurred during the week.  Mike Martz lifted the punt receiving duties from Az-Zahir Hakim, who keeps both sides in the game.  You never know whether he'll pop one or drop one, and Martz now says he'll trade excitement for steadiness, i.e. Dre' Bly.  Could this also mean, as the playoffs loom, that he'll try to get Kurt Warner to go a little more conservative, in order to cut down on the picks (two against the Panthers, bringing his season's total to 18, highest in the NFC)?  I don't think so, but I didn't think he'd ground Hakim, either.
 
2) Pittsburgh  (12-2)
I almost made the Men of Steel my No. 1 this week after their huge win Sunday.  But hey, it was against Detroit.  OK, we all know that the true No. 1 will be determined only after Super Bowl XXXVI, and all this stuff is just window dressing, but I will be monitoring the last two contests of both the Rams and Steelers very closely to see which team really deserves the annual prize award.  What's the prize?  Well, I'll be damned if it'll be a trip to Disneyland. 

3) Chicago (11-3)
Raiders fans, you're gonna have to wait your turn, and it's going to take longer than you'd like. The Bears made a valiant comeback on a typical week-after-clinching downer, while Oakland was taking its lumps from the Titans.  Chicago earned this position.  And I hope this serves as an adequate response to all the e-mail heat I know I'm going to receive.

For more Power Rankings, click here:
http://cnnsi.com/football/news/2001/12/27/power_rankings/


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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW by SI's Peter King
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1. Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver sees the chinks in Tom Coughlin's armor. He knows some players hate their head coach, and that the organization has been beaten down by him. But Weaver also sees a coach who's gotten a lot out of his thinning talent over the past couple of years. That's why I see Weaver extending Coughlin's contract two or three years after this season and allowing him to preside over the tearing down and reconstruction of the franchise. That will take a solid three years.

2. The Rams are trying hard to get London Fletcher's contract done before he hits free agency. He's more valuable to St. Louis than he would be to most teams, and they can't afford to lose him if that defense hopes to continue to play so well next season.

3. I can promise you that Mike Shanahan is staying in Denver. Promise. I've never been as sure of anything in my 18 years covering this game.

4. I keep hearing Notre Dame is keeping the seat warm for Jon Gruden.

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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The Tampa Bay Bucs finally looked like the offense that was advertised last spring when they acquired Brad Johnson. It's amazing what adversity will do and how the offense had to get away from the conservative "just don't lose the game" mentality when the possibility of missing the playoffs was an issue. Offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen got a chance to open it up and the end result was 42 offensive points against a tough Saints team.

Click here for more of Pat Kirwan's Unsung Heroes:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/inside_game/pat_kirwan/news/2001/12/26/kirwan_unsung/
 

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FANTASY TIP OF THE WEEK by CNNSI.com's James Quintong
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Trung Canidate could be worth a start as a second or third running back in the last couple of games if the Rams build up big early leads in their last two games, which is entirely possible with home games against the Colts and Falcons. Marshall Faulk should still put up big numbers but could be rested if games get out of hand early, giving Canidate plenty of chances to shine.

Jerome Bettis may actually see some playing time this week but don't look for him to make much of a fantasy impact. The Steelers pretty much have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs already locked up and there's no real reason for Bettis to see a lot of action. Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala continues to be a solid start, especially with fellow backup Amos Zereoue dealing with an injured shoulder.

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 15:

EXPERTS                WEEK 15          SEASON
Irving Fryar           11-4             147-70
Peter King             12-3             147-70
Bob Lorenz             13-2             146-71
Jerry Glanville        11-4             146-71
Pat Kirwan             10-5             142-75

CELEBRITIES            WEEK 15          SEASON
Clyde Drexler          12-3             147-70
Scott Winters          11-4             145-72
Johnny Bravo           12-3             143-74
Larry King             10-5             140-77
Cynthia Cooper         12-3             134-83 
 
Click here to sign-up today: http://football.cnnsi.com
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NFL PREVIEW POLL
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Who is the best "money" receiver?

- Marvin Harrison 
- Keyshawn Johnson 
- Randy Moss 
- Terrell Owens 
- Jimmy Smith 
- Rod Smith 

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

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