Carucci: Burning Questions For Week 5

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Burning questions for Week 5 By Vic Carucci

National Editor, NFL.com

(Oct. 7, 2005) -- Four burning questions for Week 5:

Will the New England Patriots rebound from their stunningly lopsided loss to the San Diego Chargers with a victory in Atlanta?

Not likely.

The Patriots have simply taken too many defensive hits to be able to stand up against an offense as potent as the one the Falcons possess. The Chargers exposed the vulnerability of New England's secondary in run support in Week 4, and Atlanta should be able to do the same this week.

Michael Vick is still dangerous even if he isn't 100 percent healthy. After losing hard-hitting safety Rodney Harrison to a season-ending knee injury, on top of the losses of inside linebackers [highlight]Tedy Bruschi[/highlight] and Ted Johnson, the Patriots are left with a back seven that does not share his tackling skills. Their linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks have a tendency to tackle too high, which is a recipe for disaster against the highly talented rushing trio of quarterback Michael Vick and running backs Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett. Vick and Dunn have too much balance and Duckett too much power to be stopped by outstretched arms rather than defenders who wrap up and step into the ball carriers.

New England's back seven also isn't performing with a whole lot of confidence. And Falcons offensive coordinator Gregg Knapp will take advantage of that with a game plan loaded with designed quarterback runs for Vick and alternate doses of Dunn outside and Duckett between the tackles. Unless the Patriots' defensive line dominates up front, Atlanta will be able to control the clock and the tempo -- something New England usually does -- and ultimately come out on top.

Are the Cincinnati Bengals able to keep their winning streak alive against the strongest opponent it has faced to date in Jacksonville?

Regardless of the dubious quality of their previous opponents, the Bengals merit a great deal of respect for their 4-0 start. They have displayed a variety of strengths, from first-rate quarterbacking by Carson Palmer to a smothering, big-play generating defense.

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The Bengals also have shown that they can run the ball effectively, although even more important than the yards that Rudi Johnson generates with his legs is the fact that Cincinnati's coaches stay committed to the running game. The Bengals lead the NFL in time of possession, which allows them to control the clock and wear down opposing defenses. Johnson's running also helps make Palmer's play-action passing more effective.

It used to be a given that the Jaguars would shut down the run, but Denver had 188 yards on the ground in Week 4, with Mike Anderson too often powering through the middle of the line -- supposedly the strongest area of the Jaguars. The Bengals are weaker on their offensive line after losing both centers, Rich Braham and Larry Moore, to knee injuries. Consequently, instead of challenging tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson head on, look for them to widen their running game and run toward ends Reggie Hayward and Paul Spicer, who are better at rushing the passer than stopping the run. Chris Perry, Cincinnati's other running back, also is likely to occasionally work as a receiver out of the slot, thus forcing Jacksonville to move a linebacker away from the line and into coverage and providing Johnson more room to run.

The Jaguars have been bothered by injuries and inconsistency on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Byron Leftwich will be in for a long day against the Bengals pass rush if Fred Taylor again disappears, as he did in Week 4 against Denver.[highlight]

Have the Denver Broncos turned the corner after their opening-day flop in Miami?

Absolutely. And they will continue to prove as much against the Washington Redskins.

The heart of the Broncos' success is their defense, which has been surprisingly enhanced by a line rebuilt with Cleveland Browns castoffs Gerard Warren, Courtney Brown and Michael Myers. Just ask Jacksonville's Fred Taylor, whom the Broncos made disappear in Week 4, how effective that enhancement has been.

Courtney Brown and the Broncos defense is fourth in the NFL with a plus-5 turnover ratio. Warren's power and Myers' quickness give Denver a pair of solid tackles capable of shutting down running back Clinton Portis in his return to the Mile High City. Portis also will have a tough time running outside against Brown and fellow end Trevor Pryce, both of whom have the strength to hold their own at the point of attack while also being fast and agile enough to prevent Portis from turning the corner.

Denver's linebackers are solid enough to prevent Portis from doing too much damage inside or outside. Few middle linebackers play with as much of an ornery attitude as Al Wilson, although it will be important for him to avoid wearing down in the late stages of the game. Outside linebackers D.J. Williams and Ian Gold do a superb job in sideline-to-sideline pursuit.[/highlight]

Who will win the classic strength-on-strength battle of the Pittsburgh Steelers' running game and the Chargers' run defense?

I'll go with Pittsburgh, although this should go a long way toward making for an extremely close game that likely will be decided in the final moments.

Despite the willingness of offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt to allow quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to run a more wide-open offense, the Steelers still are a run-oriented club, as evidenced by the fact they have had 36 more rushing attempts than passing attempts in three games.

And for the first time this season, they will be working with a healthy, deep and versatile backfield of Willie Parker, Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis. The Steelers will try and make the most of it by spreading out the Chargers defense with frequent use of three-receiver sets -- with one back, two backs or one tight end -- in order to dictate fronts with six or seven defenders rather than eight.

Although San Diego has a strong defensive line of nose tackle Jamal Williams and ends Igor Olshansky and Jacques Cesaire, the Steelers have one of the largest and strongest interior lines (consisting of center Jeff Hartings, and guards Alan Faneca and Kendall Simmons ) it will face this year. As long as they can consistently block with minimal use of double teams, the Steelers will hold a major advantage in this key AFC showdown.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/8937548

[Parlett316]

The text color hurt my eyes.

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The text color hurt my eyes.

It hurts mine too, I tried to change it with blah,blah,blah and for some reason it didnt work so gave up cause I was getting irritated! Sorry guy!

I tried to use a tag code thingie..to green like up top, but it dont work I think its because..those players names are already highlighted.

[odogg007]

they have the best receiving core in my opinion! :dallasuck