Matchups to exploit

With three more TD passes last week vs. the Bears, Vikings QB Brett Favre continues to tear up the league, and it should be no different this Sunday at Arizona. The Cardinals just gave up 369 passing yards to the Titans last week and have now yielded 16 TD tosses on the season. Look for Favre to be at his best in this prime-time showdown, working well with WRs Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin and TE Visanthe Shiancoe.

Owners haven't gotten many opportunities to use Buccaneers RB Cadillac Williams lately, but this week could be one of them. After scoring his fifth TD of the season last Sunday, Williams will face a suspect Panthers run "D" that's allowing 131.5 yards per game and has surrendered 12 rushing scores. Williams has a good chance to at least repeat, if not surpass, the 16-77-1 outing he had against them in Week Six.

Bengals QB Carson Palmer severely disappointed last week in a very favorable matchup with the Browns, throwing for just 110 yards and a TD as Cincy focused heavily on the running game. Against Detroit this Sunday, though, Palmer will have no choice but to air it out. The Lions rank dead last in the league vs. the pass, and they have yielded 27 scoring passes. Expect the QB to have one of his better games of the season, getting WR Chad Ochocinco heavily involved.

Nobody could have predicted that Bears QB Matt Forté would struggle the way he has this season, gaining 3.3 yards per carry with three TDs. A matchup with the Rams this week, though, represents a perfect opportunity for him to break out of his prolonged slump. St. Louis is giving up 148.5 rushing yards per contest and has allowed 16 scoring runs, meaning Forté should have a busy afternoon running on this shoddy defensive front.

Matchups to avoid

Chiefs QB Matt Cassel had been building some momentum before faltering last week, and he's not likely to be much better against the Broncos. Denver's talented secondary is giving up just 185 yards and less than one TD pass per game, so throwing on them can be a chore. Considering the problems Cassel has had at times this season, this is a week to avoid not only him but also all Kansas City wideouts.

After Packers RB Ryan Grant struggled to run on the lowly Lions, piling up only 61 yards on 20 carries, imagine how much trouble he'll have with the Ravens. Baltimore is allowing just 97.6 rushing yards on average, and it has surrendered a mere seven TDs on the ground. With Green Bay likely to focus on airing it out this week, Grant's chances to make an impact will be limited.

The Bills' passing game has found new life under QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has come through with 543 yards and two TDs over the past two games. But any success Fitzpatrick was having is very likely to end this week against the Jets, who have yielded a league-low seven TD passes. WR Terrell Owens also could be in for a rough outing, as CB Darrelle Revis will be guarding him tightly all night long.

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs hasn't quite lived up to anyone's expectations, scoring only three times all season and failing to register a 100-yard rushing game. That doesn't bode well for his meeting this week with the Cowboys, who have given up a paltry four TDs on the ground. Dallas already did a solid job containing Jacobs once this season, and they'll be concentrating on doing so again in Sunday's clash.