Nfc Central

NFC Central Chicago Rd. No. Player Pos. College 1 9 Brian Urlacher LB New Mexico 2 39 Mike Brown S Nebraska, 3 69 Dez White WR Georgia Tech 3 87 Dustin Lyman TE Wake Forest 4 125 Reggie Austin DB Wake Forest 6 170 Frank Murphy RB Kansas State 6 174 Paul Edinger K Michigan State 7 223 James Cotton DE Ohio State 7 254 Mike Green DB N'western State Pick to watch: WR Dez White -- On a team that likes to throw, White can fit right in immediately....

Chicago Bears Last season: 13-3, first place, NFC Central. Lost divisional game to Philadelphia, 33-19. Coach: Dick Jauron (24-24), fourth year with Bears. Story line: Can the Bears come close to matching last year's success -- and good fortune -- while playing home games in Champaign, Ill.? Power game: Featuring a pair of wide bodies at defensive tackle in Ted Washington and Keith Traylor and a Pro Bowl pick in MLB Brian Urlacher, the Bears copied the Super Bowl champion Ravens' concept and finished with similar results.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The head of the NFL champions lies uneasy today, but, as the Green Bay Packers proved yesterday, the heart is working just fine.Invoking their Lambeau Field advantage, the Packers halted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' momentum -- temporarily, at least -- with a 21-16 victory that was as shaky as Green Bay's fourth-quarter defense.The ultimate winner in the Battle of the Bays may not be decided until Dec. 7, when these teams meet again in Tampa. But for now, the Packers can take solace in dealing the Bucs (5-1)

Playoff possibilities The NFL playoff possibilities for Week 16: AFC East Miami: Clinches playoff berth with win or tie (vs. Indianapolis today). Miami clinches AFC East with win (vs. Indianapolis on Sunday) and New York Jets loss or tie (vs. Detroit). New York Jets: Clinch playoff berth with win (vs. Detroit). Also still alive: Indianapolis. AFC Central Tennessee: Has clinched playoff berth. It clinches AFC Central and first-round bye with win (vs. Cleveland) and Ravens loss or tie (vs. Arizona)

The NFL playoff possibilities for Week 15: AFC East Miami: Clinches playoff berth with a win or tie (vs. Tampa Bay) or with Indianapolis loss or tie (vs. Buffalo). New York Jets: Clinch playoff berth with win (vs. Oakland) and with Pittsburgh loss or tie (vs. N.Y. Giants). AFC Central Tennessee: Clinches playoff berth with win or tie (vs. Cincinnati) or if Indianapolis-Buffalo game ends in tie. Ravens: Clinch a playoff berth with win (vs. San Diego). AFC West Oakland: Clinches playoff berth with win or tie (vs. N.Y. Jets)

Playoff possibilities The NFL playoff possibilities for Week 16: AFC East Miami: Clinches playoff berth with win or tie (vs. Indianapolis today). Miami clinches AFC East with win (vs. Indianapolis on Sunday) and New York Jets loss or tie (vs. Detroit). New York Jets: Clinch playoff berth with win (vs. Detroit). Also still alive: Indianapolis. AFC Central Tennessee: Has clinched playoff berth. It clinches AFC Central and first-round bye with win (vs. Cleveland) and Ravens loss or tie (vs. Arizona)

NFL playoff scenarios as provided by the league:AFC EastNew York Jets: Have clinched AFC East title and a first-round bye.Miami: Has clinched playoff berth.Buffalo: Has clinched playoff berth.New England: Has clinched playoff berth.AFC CentralJacksonville: Has clinched AFC Central title.AFC WestDenver: Has clinched AFC West title and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.NFC EastDallas: Has clinched NFC East title.Arizona: Can clinch playoff berth with a win or a N.Y. Giants loss.

Chicago Bears Last season: 13-3, first place, NFC Central. Lost divisional game to Philadelphia, 33-19. Coach: Dick Jauron (24-24), fourth year with Bears. Story line: Can the Bears come close to matching last year's success -- and good fortune -- while playing home games in Champaign, Ill.? Power game: Featuring a pair of wide bodies at defensive tackle in Ted Washington and Keith Traylor and a Pro Bowl pick in MLB Brian Urlacher, the Bears copied the Super Bowl champion Ravens' concept and finished with similar results.

Playoff picture AFC East Miami (10-4): Clinches a playoff berth with an Indianapolis loss or tie vs. Buffalo tonight. New York Jets (9-5): Clinch a playoff berth with a win vs. Detroit next week. AFC Central Tennessee (11-3): Clinched a playoff berth with a win over Cincinnati yesterday. Ravens (10-4): Clinched a playoff berth with a win over San Diego yesterday. AFC West Oakland (11-3): Clinched a playoff berth with a win over the New York Jets last night. Denver (10-4): Clinches a playoff berth with a Buffalo loss or tie vs. Indianapolis.

At the halfway point of the season, the NFL has two division races -- AFC West and NFC Central -- and four runaways. That prompts two questions:If the New Orleans Saints can lose to the Chicago Bears at home, do they have any chance against the Washington Redskins in RFK?What can Warren Moon's run-and-shoot attack do in a Buffalo blizzard in January?Here's a capsule review of the season's first nine weeks.* HEAD OF THE CLASS:1. Redskins (8-0) -- Only a major injury keeps them from Minneapolis.

Playoff picture AFC East Miami (10-4): Clinches a playoff berth with an Indianapolis loss or tie vs. Buffalo tonight. New York Jets (9-5): Clinch a playoff berth with a win vs. Detroit next week. AFC Central Tennessee (11-3): Clinched a playoff berth with a win over Cincinnati yesterday. Ravens (10-4): Clinched a playoff berth with a win over San Diego yesterday. AFC West Oakland (11-3): Clinched a playoff berth with a win over the New York Jets last night. Denver (10-4): Clinches a playoff berth with a Buffalo loss or tie vs. Indianapolis.

The NFL playoff possibilities for Week 15: AFC East Miami: Clinches playoff berth with a win or tie (vs. Tampa Bay) or with Indianapolis loss or tie (vs. Buffalo). New York Jets: Clinch playoff berth with win (vs. Oakland) and with Pittsburgh loss or tie (vs. N.Y. Giants). AFC Central Tennessee: Clinches playoff berth with win or tie (vs. Cincinnati) or if Indianapolis-Buffalo game ends in tie. Ravens: Clinch a playoff berth with win (vs. San Diego). AFC West Oakland: Clinches playoff berth with win or tie (vs. N.Y. Jets)

NFC Central Chicago Rd. No. Player Pos. College 1 9 Brian Urlacher LB New Mexico 2 39 Mike Brown S Nebraska, 3 69 Dez White WR Georgia Tech 3 87 Dustin Lyman TE Wake Forest 4 125 Reggie Austin DB Wake Forest 6 170 Frank Murphy RB Kansas State 6 174 Paul Edinger K Michigan State 7 223 James Cotton DE Ohio State 7 254 Mike Green DB N'western State Pick to watch: WR Dez White -- On a team that likes to throw, White can fit right in immediately....

When the NFL realigned the National Football Conference after the 1970 merger, the owners could never agree on one plan.They finally narrowed the options down to five, put them in a bowl and had then-commissioner Pete Rozelle's secretary pick out the one the teams still use 29 years later.Except for the addition of Tampa Bay to the NFC Central in 1977 and Carolina to the NFC West in 1995, the NFC remains unchanged. The AFC remains unchanged except for the addition of Seattle to the AFC West and Jacksonville to the AFC Central.

NFL playoff scenarios as provided by the league:AFC EastNew York Jets: Have clinched AFC East title and a first-round bye.Miami: Has clinched playoff berth.Buffalo: Has clinched playoff berth.New England: Has clinched playoff berth.AFC CentralJacksonville: Has clinched AFC Central title.AFC WestDenver: Has clinched AFC West title and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.NFC EastDallas: Has clinched NFC East title.Arizona: Can clinch playoff berth with a win or a N.Y. Giants loss.

In a division owned by the Green Bay Packers the last three years, the Minnesota Vikings have found the great equalizer. Now everyone knows what coach Dennis Green knew last April when he took wide receiver Randy Moss with the 21st pick.This wasn't the steal of the draft, it was the steal of the decade.There is no minimizing Moss' impact on the Vikings in the NFC Central race. In two games against Green Bay this season, Moss turned the Packers into wild cards and the Vikings into front-runners.

When the NFL realigned the National Football Conference after the 1970 merger, the owners could never agree on one plan.They finally narrowed the options down to five, put them in a bowl and had then-commissioner Pete Rozelle's secretary pick out the one the teams still use 29 years later.Except for the addition of Tampa Bay to the NFC Central in 1977 and Carolina to the NFC West in 1995, the NFC remains unchanged. The AFC remains unchanged except for the addition of Seattle to the AFC West and Jacksonville to the AFC Central.

Still feisty after all these stretch runs, New York Giants general manager George Young will make no concessions when it comes to the NFC East's long-held supremacy.Forget Green Bay's Super Bowl victory last January. Disregard the three teams tied for first place in the top-heavy NFC Central at 8-3. While many would argue that the NFC Central is the NFL's best division this season, Young is in no rush to join the crowd."I won't concede it," he said this week. "Let the season play out."Understandably, Young has his reasons.