The Fantasy Football Blog

SUNDAY, JAN. 22

Carolina at Seattle, 6:30 p.m. (FOX)

Latest Line: Seahawks by 3.5

Injury Report: Panthers: OUT: RB DeShaun Foster (ankle/IR). QUESTIONABLE: RB Brad Hoover (ankle); C Jeff Mitchell (knee); DT Kindal Moorehead (ankle); DE Julius Peppers (shoulder); G Tutan Reyes (toe). PROBABLE: DT Jordan Carstens (illness); S Mike Minter (wrist). Seahawks: QUESTIONABLE: DT Rocky Bernard (foot); WR Bobby Engram (lower back); WR Darrell Jackson (knee). PROBABLE: RB Shaun Alexander (concussion).

Outlook: The Panthers have won two straight road playoff games and wide receiver Steve Smith has been positively Jerry Rice-esque in wins at the New York Giants and Chicago Bears. The bad news is that they are down to their third-string running back, however, after Deshaun Foster suffered an ankle injury against the Bears. The good news is that Nick Goings is among the top third-stringers in the NFL.

The Seahawks earned an impressive win despite losing MVP Shaun Alexander (RB) early on to a concussion. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was terrific against a very good defense. Both teams have good defenses, but I think the Seahawks will do a better job against Smith than the Bears did and force Goings to beat them. That won’t happen.

The Pick: Seahawks, 27-17


Pittsburgh at Denver, 3 p.m. (CBS)

Latest Line: Broncos by 3

Injury Report: Steelers: DOUBTFUL: LB James Harrison (ankle). PROBABLE: LB James Farrior (calf); LB Larry Foote (knee); CB Chidi Iwuoma (shoulder); DE Travis Kirschke (groin); LB Joey Porter (hip); QB Ben Roethlisberger (right thumb); CB Deshea Townsend (knee); DE Kimo Von Oelhoffen (knee). Broncos: PROBABLE: TE Stephen Alexander (toe); DE Courtney Brown (shoulder/knee); LB Keith Burns (knee); WR Todd Devoe (wrist); CB Darrent Williams (groin); LB Al Wilson (thumb).

Outlook: Both AFC games last weekend had numerous strange moments as the Steelers overcame an atrocious non-interception call and an incredibly rare Jerome Bettis fumble to defeat the Colts. The Broncos, meanwhile, took advantage of a late pass interference call to take the lead against two-time defending champion New England late in the first half and held on for the win.

The teams are very similar in philosophy. Both run the ball as much as anyone in the league and want their quarterbacks to limit mistakes more than make game-breaking plays. The Steelers have won two road games to advance to this weekend. I expect the Steelers to force Jake Plummer into a mistake with the same kind of pressure they brought at Peyton Manning last weekend and for Pittsburgh to win.

The Pick: Steelers, 20-14

LAST WEEK: 2-2
OVERALL: 6-2