Five Players To Watch During Week 13

Added on Dec 03, 2010 by Scott in

NFL

Excellent matchups galore on the Week 13 schedule, including key divisional battles in the AFC West and NFC South, and a pair of primetime showdowns between four of the AFC’s best teams. The Colts will look to rebound from their recent skid, while the Giants attempt to maintain pace in the NFC East by knocking off the Redskins. Here are five players to keep a close eye on.

5. Calvin Johnson (Lions) – Despite the quarterback woes in Detroit, Megatron has been his incredible self for most of the season. The Bears have the best scoring defense in the league and will be facing third-stringer Drew Stanton. If Stanton can’t get the ball to Calvin early and often it will be a long day in the motor city. Johnson will also be seeking a little redemption after the controversial touchdown reversal in Week 1.

4. Chris Johnson (Titans) – After posting the worst game of his career a week ago it’ll be interesting to see how he responds against a soft Jaguars defense. The Titans are in free-fall with four straight losses. Kerry Collins’ return to the lineup should help, but Johnson has been struggling to find running room all year. He’s been held under 70 yards rushing five times so far. That happened only twice in 2009.

3. Peyton Manning (Colts) – Peyton has looked, dare I say, like a mere mortal in recent weeks. He’s tossed seven picks the last two games and just doesn’t look comfortable in an offense depleted by numerous injuries. Joseph Addai’s absence has rendered the rushing attack ineffective. Manning is at his best when he can utilize play action to freeze the secondary and go deep. However, the long ball just hasn’t been there in 2010. Maybe a generous Cowboys defense will provide a helping hand.

2. Gerald McCoy (Bucs) – The rookie defensive tackle notched his first three sacks during the last two games. He’ll have to be a disruptive force on Sunday in order to slow down Atlanta’s dangerous combo of Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. The Bucs still need to prove they can defeat a winning team in order to make the playoffs. If McCoy and his mates control the line of scrimmage an upset is possible.

1. Ray Lewis (Ravens) – The NFC North title is on the line as the Ravens look to sweep the Steelers. This is a game tailor-made for Lewis. At 35, Ray Ray can still makes plays and is enjoying another excellent season with 95 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions. Baltimore isn’t the dominant defense they once were, but Lewis has a tendency of coming up huge in the spotlight.