Week 15 Picks By: Mark Bunster

Matchups ------------------- Wk 17 Quarterbacks Wk 17 Running Backs Wk 17 Wide Receivers Wk 16 QBs Wk 16 RBs Wk 16 WRs Wk 15 QBs Wk 15 RBs Wk 15 WRs Wk 14 QBs Wk 14 RBs Wk 14 WRs Wk 13 QBs Wk 13 RBs Wk 13 WRs Wk 12 QBs Wk 12 RBs Wk 12 WRs Wk 11 QBs Wk 11 RBs Wk 11 WRs Wk 10 QBs Wk 10 RBs Wk 10 WRs Wk 9 QBs Wk 9 RBs Wk 9 WRs Wk 8 QBs Wk 8 RBs Wk 8 WRs Wk 7 QBs Wk 7 RBs Wk 7 WRs Wk 6 QBs Wk 6 RBs Wk 6 WRs Wk 5 QBs Wk 5 RBs Wk 5 WRs Wk 4 QBs Wk 4 RBs Wk 4 WRs Wk 3 QBs Wk 3 RBs Wk 3 WRs Wk 2 QBs Wk 2 RBs Wk 2 WRs Wk 1 QBs Wk 1 RRs Wk 1 WRs

Marc Bulger vs SEA
All right Marc, you better not blow this. You've not been particularly successful against the Seahawks in two tries, and the last few weeks your personal production has really slacked off, even though you were still leading the Rams to wins. But teams have been teeing off on the Seahawks D the last few weeks, Marshall looks back, and at home in a game for the division, you should exploit the Seattle secondary. I promise not to stalk you if you screw this up, but I wouldn't read Wednesday's recap.

Jeff Garcia at CIN
The Bengals need a big game to keep pace with the Ravens, and Jon Kitna and Chad Johnson should bounce back against a fair SF defense. On the other side of the ball, the Bengals have been rather porous on the back line despite their surge. Garcia and Owens are working on a little late season rhythm in a contest that is meaningless for them, and being behind should produce passes.

Brad Johnson vs HOU
Man, all of a sudden Brad Johnson's numbers went into the crapper, didn't they? After 18 quick TDs, just four in his last four games. But against New Orleans he was able to air it out a little again, and Houston should provide ample opportunity for completed passes. Look for Thomas Jones to catch a few.

Rex Grossman vs MIN
If you're going to get your shot, this is a good team to do it against. The Vikings were just teasing earlier in the year about being a good defense; their secondary can pick off passes, but cannot defend for their lives otherwise. Kordell Stewart was able to mine this offense for some production; I bet Grossman does just fine.

Recap - 12/17

• You did pretty well, Bulger, but you got outpointed by Billy Volek and Drew Brees, so you'll get no huzzahs from me. Go huzzahless, you!
  
  
• Green came through in a game that could have easily featured more Holmes and less passing. The 2nd TD to Gonzo was the clincher.
  
  
• Did anyone else not get to start Vick all year, only to have a bye in his awesome week and then enthuastically start him against the Colts this week? Yeah, me too. Sorry.
  
  
• In retrospect I don't see what the big deal is, but I got some heat for having Favre this high after some mellow performances. He shredded the Chargers at will, as expected.
  
  
• Garcia was another decent but obvious call, and his week was even better. Once again the rushing yards and scores were key.
  
  
• Brooks another solid call in a nice matchup. I got four of the top six right, so if you bet big on big potential, you made out.
  
  
• And Manning makes five of the top seven. Five more TDs--I think he's definitely edged ahead of McNair for MVP.
  
  
• Looking back, I had McNabb pretty high for a road game against a team who desperately had to win. He did just OK, but very well in the game in the NFL sense.
  
  
• Culpepper I had the right sense on but wasn't ballsy enough to drop so low; the Vikes NEVER seem to play well at Soldier Field.
  
  
• Hasselbeck didn't play as well in a must have game as I thought he might, either. The Rams actually have a pretty solid defense.
  
  
• Kitna did OK, fairly close to the projection, but like McNabb on the NFL field he was dynamite. What the hell happened to this guy?
  
  
• The bottom half of the draw sours on me: Pennington was a big disappointment for many I'm sure, and I don't know WHAT I was thinking about Tim Hasselbeck vs the Cowboys. Grossman actually did a great job in his first NFL start, but his stats were godawful. Harrington was just a little shy, McNair was an injury I did not replace, and Maddox was as bad as the rest of the Steelers.
  
  
• Brad Johnson should have been higher, some thought, but Houston has played much better D the second half. I still gave him too much credit, although I was right that Thomas Jones would get the ball (although not really on passes).
  
  
• Drew Brees was some good luck--I just replaced Flutie into his slot--and some bad luck...he finished 7th, costing me four points. Bah.
  
  
• 60 percent is good-to-very-good for QBs, it seems. They're the easiest to get a good score on, but weird things still happen.