NFL Week 9 Biggest Individual Matchups

When it comes to matchups this season, no doubt the San Diego Chargers would enjoy squaring off against their longtime AFC West rivals a few more times.

That’s because on Thursday night, the Bolts completed their sweep of the Kansas City Chiefs via a 31-13 victory in which their defensive unit scored a pair of touchdowns.

All told, the Chiefs turned over the football four times (adding to their league-leading total, which now stands at 29), and the victory enabled Norv Turner’s team to even its record at 4-4.

The Chargers have forced 17 turnovers in eight games this season, 10 of those in the sweep of Kansas City (three returned for touchdowns) and only seven in their other six games in 2012. Combined with a 37-20 victory at Arrowhead Stadium five weeks ago, Turner’s club bested their traditional rivals by a combined 68-33 this season.

Now that’s what you call a favorable matchup.

And while we're on the subject...

Carolina Panthers TE Greg Olsen vs. Washington Redskins FS Madieu Williams

It has not been the season most were expecting in Carolina.

Losers of five straight, the Panthers are now finding ways to lose games, their last four setbacks by a total of 12 points and each by five points or less.

This week, quarterback Cam Newton and company head to Washington, a place the Panthers have never won in five previous attempts.

Last Sunday, the Redskins fell to Pittsburgh, 27-12, as Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes, all to his tight ends and running backs.

No team in the NFL has given up more scores through the air than Mike Shanahan’s team (19), meaning it’s already been a busy year for Redskins free safety Madieu Williams.

It will be an even busier afternoon with Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen, the team’s second-leading receiver with 29 catches, making his way deep downfield.

Arizona Cardinals LILB Daryl Washington vs. Green Bay Packers ROLB Clay Matthews

It may surprise some people to know that the Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are tied for the NFL lead with 26 sacks each.

While the name Clay Matthews is more than familiar to most, many are not as familiar with Daryl Washington.

But all it takes is one look on the league’s leader board, and you’ll find Matthews second in the NFL with 9.0 sacks (already three more than last season) and Washington (who also leads the Cardinals in tackles) third with 8.0 sacks.

Now all one has to do is realize that the only team to give up more sacks than the Packers (28) are the Cardinals (39), the latter surrendering 33 of those in their last five games.

One from the outside and the other from the inside, it does not take a genius to know that both Aaron Rodgers and John Skelton will be focused on each of these outstanding defenders.

Detroit Lions RDE Kyle Vanden Bosch vs. Jacksonville Jaguars LT Eugene Monroe

It’s just possible that the Detroit Lions are starting to wake up.

Following a 1-3 start, Jim Schwartz’s team has won two of its last three games—dramatic victories over the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks—and is now a victory away from evening its record at 4-4.

It’s not nearly that simple for the Jacksonville Jaguars. At 1-6 and losers of four straight games, it’s shaping up as another long year for the franchise.

And it could be a long afternoon for former first-round pick Eugene Monroe, who takes on one of the better defensive ends in the league in Kyle Vanden Bosch. The veteran performer is tied for second on the Lions with 3.5 sacks and hopes to better that total at the expense of Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

Meanwhile, Mike Mularkey’s team has already surrendered 20 sacks in seven games, three or more in four out of seven contests this season.

Chicago Bears CB Tim Jennings vs. Tennessee Titans WR Kenny Britt

To say it’s been a banner year for Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings would be an enormous understatement.

After totaling only seven interceptions in his six previous seasons with the Colts and Bears, Jennings has picked off a league-high six passes in just seven games. Two of those, including a 25-yard return for a score, came in last week’s come-from-behind win over the Panthers.

Jennings also ranks third on the team with 39 tackles and leads the club with 13 passes defensed.

This week, the Chicago defense will be tested by veteran Matt Hasselbeck, who is extremely familiar with Lovie Smith’s unit due to his many clashes with the team when the Titans quarterback was in Seattle. Hasselbeck is hoping that wideout Kenny Britt is ready for a breakout game.

While the talented receiver has caught just 20 passes this season, 13 of those receptions have come in the last four weeks.

If the Bears are to avoid an upset loss in Nashville, Jennings and company need to prevent Britt from enjoying his 2012 coming-out party. 

Denver Broncos C Dan Koppen vs. Cincinnati Bengals MLB Rey Maualuga

Familiarity breeds a lot of things. Sometimes it gets you a new starting center.

Dan Koppen had spent the previous nine seasons with the New England Patriots but missed all but one game in 2011. When the Pats released him in September, the Denver Broncos added him to their roster.

When John Fox’s team lost starting center J.D. Walton for the season back in Week 4 vs. the Oakland Raiders, it turned to Koppen, who now snaps the ball to Peyton Manning. Both players are very familiar with each other due to the numerous regular-season and playoff clashes between the Pats and Colts.

This week, Denver hopes to extend the Cincinnati Bengals’ current miseries. With the Bengals losers of three straight games after a 3-1 start, Marvin Lewis is looking for some of his players to step up and end the bleeding.

Bengals middle linebacker Rey Maualuga leads the team with 58 tackles, and while cooling a red-hot Peyton Manning is essential, stopping running back Willis McGahee is a huge key in that regard.

Baltimore Ravens DT Haloti Ngata vs. Cleveland Browns RB Trent Richardson

The Baltimore Ravens must do a better job of stopping the run.

It almost feels like a typo when you write it, much less read it, but John Harbaugh’s defensive unit has fallen on hard times in 2012, especially in this area.

Just seven games into this season, the Ravens have allowed 1,000 yards rushing (142.9 yards per game) after surrendering only 1,482 yards on the ground (92.6 YPG) in 16 contests a year ago. Baltimore has allowed at least 180 yards rushing in three straight games.

Meanwhile, Cleveland Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson rolled up 122 yards in last week’s 7-6 win over the San Diego Chargers. In this season’s first meeting with the Ravens, the third overall pick in April totaled 104 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown on 18 touches.

With defenders such as Ray Lewis and Lardarius Webb sidelined, it’s up to stars such as defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who's certainly hurting these days, to step up even more. But does Harbaugh’s team have enough to slow down the talented Richardson?

Miami Dolphins CB Sean Smith vs. Indianapolis Colts WR Reggie Wayne

Coming off a 2-14 showing and with a departure list unlike any other this offseason, the Indianapolis Colts were primed for rebuilding in 2012.

With veterans such as Peyton Manning, Dallas Clark, Jeff Saturday and more gone, it was start-over time for Jim Irsay, who brought in a new general manager in Ryan Grigson, a new coaching staff led by Chuck Pagano and the first overall pick in quarterback Andrew Luck.

But perhaps the most familiar face that opted to remain with the organization was standout receiver Reggie Wayne, somewhat of a surprise considering many felt the free agent would follow Manning to wherever he landed.

But Wayne re-signed with the team and, now paired with Luck, is off to a tremendous start, third in the NFL in receptions (54) to go with a league-leading 757 receiving yards.

The Miami Dolphins have upped their game as of late, and only one team has allowed fewer rushing yards per game. But the team’s pass defense has been very suspect, and cornerback Sean Smith is hoping not to make matters worse as he squares off with the prolific pass-catcher.

Buffalo Bills LDE Mario Williams vs. Houston Texans RT Derek Newton

Happy homecoming!

Not.

During the offseason, the Buffalo Bills put a lot of time and resources into fixing their defense, especially its deficiency when it came to getting to the quarterback. Chan Gailey’s club totaled only 29 sacks in 2011, and 10 of those came in a win over the Redskins in Toronto.

You do the math.

In any case, the team went out and signed not only Mark Anderson, whose 10.0 sacks with the Patriots in 2011 tied for the club lead, but also former No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams, who spent six fairly productive seasons with the Houston Texans (although the final two years were cut short by injury).

But so far it's been iffy for Williams in his short stint with the Bills, as the former Pro Bowler has totaled just 3.5 sacks for a team that has allowed an astounding 180 points in its four losses this season.

It will be up to Houston Texans right tackle Derek Newton to make sure the former Texans standout is only a memory this Sunday afternoon.

Minnesota Vikings CB Josh Robinson vs. Seattle Seahawks WR Sidney Rice

It wasn’t all that long ago that current Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice was a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

The talented receiver spent his first four seasons in the Twin Cities before leaving for the Great Northwest in 2011. In 2009, with a big assist from quarterback Brett Favre, Rice enjoyed a Pro Bowl campaign, catching 83 passes for 1,312 yards and eight touchdowns. He also reveled in a big postseason, as the Vikings came within a game of the Super Bowl.

Injuries were a big part of Rice’s career in 2010 and 2011, limiting him to a combined 15 games with Minnesota and then Seattle. But he’s looking fairly healthy these days, as the New England Patriots will attest to three weeks ago. Rice has caught 28 passes for 367 yards and three scores, playing in all eight games in 2012.

Vikings rookie cornerback Josh Robinson, taking over for injured veteran Chris Cook, will look to keep Rice under wraps. Perhaps veteran Antoine Winfield will get a chance to line up against his former teammate as well.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers RB Doug Martin vs. Oakland Raiders LLB Philip Wheeler

It’s been an up-and-down season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under first-year head coach Greg Schiano.

While there have probably been a lot of “what could have been” reflections by this team (as in blowing 14-point leads in losses to the Giants and Saints), the fact is that the Bucs are 3-4, firmly entrenched in the wacky playoff race in the NFC and a far cry from the club that lost its last 10 games a season ago.

But at least there's rookie running back Doug Martin. The former Boise State standout ran for one score and caught a pass for another in the 36-17 win at Minnesota over a week ago, and he is currently tied for sixth in the NFL with 767 total yards from scrimmage.

The Oakland Raiders defense is getting better but still ranks in the middle of the pack in the major categories. Those numbers could get worse if linebacker Philip Wheeler, the former Colts defender who now leads the Silver and Black with 59 tackles, isn’t up to the challenge.

Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger vs. New York Giants QB Eli Manning

They are two of the members of what has become one of the best first-round quarterback classes in league annals, and both Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning still have a long way to go in their careers.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants have combined for five Super Bowl appearances and four NFL titles since 2005, and their prized signal-callers are a big reason why.

The irony attached to the duo is astounding.

In 2007, the Giants capped off a 17-14 upset of the Patriots when Manning threw a touchdown pass to former Steelers wideout Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds to play.

A year later against the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, Roethlisberger connected with Santonio Holmes (now a former Steelers receiver) in the end zone with 35 seconds remaining to beat Arizona, 27-23.

These days, both appear at the top of their games. Roethlisberger has thrown 14 touchdown passes compared to only three interceptions, and he has been money on third down. Manning has saved most of his best for last, as he and his cohorts have rescued the Giants after some slow starts this season, enabling Tom Coughlin’s team to sit atop the NFC East.

This one could be fun.

Dallas Cowboys TE Jason Witten vs. Atlanta Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez

Last week was a record-setting week for one of these tight ends. This Sunday night, the other hopes to reach yet another milestone.

Despite the heartbreaking loss to the Giants, Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten pulled down 18 passes last weekend—not only the most ever by a tight end in a game, but tied for the third-most in a contest by any player in NFL history.

What more can be said about Atlanta Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez? Only Jerry Rice has caught more passes in league annals. In Gonzalez's 16th NFL season, he leads his team with 46 receptions and is averaging 10.0 yards per catch.

Gonzalez has also scored four touchdowns, bringing his career total to 99. With his next catch in the end zone, he will become just the eighth player in NFL history with 100 career touchdown receptions and just the 21st player to reach the century mark in overall touchdowns.

It’s time to sit back and enjoy two of the best at their craft when it comes to the gift of grab. It would be a huge surprise if either Witten or Gonzalez disappointed us on Sunday night.

Philadelphia Eagles LT King Dunlap vs. New Orleans Saints RDE Will Smith

There’s been so much Michael Vick talk this week that this will be the last time we write those words in this slide.

The New Orleans Saints have suffered through a difficult season to date due to dealing with one of the more unprecedented offseasons ever.

The Philadelphia Eagles are off to a 3-4 start but, unlike the Saints, are dealing with other kinds of issues.

Andy Reid’s team can’t seem to play a complete game. Last week vs. the Atlanta Falcons, the Eagles didn’t commit a turnover for only the second time this season. But they allowed Atlanta to score on each of its first six possessions and fell at home, 30-17, in their third straight loss.

One of the culprits for the Birds' woes has been an offensive line in disarray thanks mainly to injuries.

Still, the Eagles won’t be getting any sympathy from the Saints, who are 2-5 and running out of time to make a playoff run. The New Orleans defense has been abysmal, and last week at Denver it surrendered 500-plus total yards for the third time in its last five games.

Last season, the Saints struggled to generate a pass rush from their defensive front, as safety Roman Harper led the team with 7.5 sacks. This season, Steve Spagnuolo’s unit has totaled 13 sacks, and veteran defensive end Will Smith has a pair—a figure he would probably at least like to double as he squares off vs. Philadelphia left tackle King Dunlap and the Eagles' struggling offensive front.