Clinton Portis of the Washington Redskins will miss this rematch with the Dallas Cowboys. That is too bad as the Cowboys have ranked as one of the worst ten rush defenses over its past three games. However, this match-up bodes well for RB Ladell Betts who is returning from an MCL injury and who wouldn't surprise if he does a Kevin Smith imitation at worst (40-60 yards rushing with a TD and 3 and 30 receiving.)
Seeing the Cincinnati Bengals on the favorable end of the rushing match-up gets ideas of Cedric Benson starting. Could he possibly repeat his 100+ yard effort of a couple weeks ago? Maybe, but his team would have to keep the game close, and the Philadelphia Eagles should be able to score enough points to keep the Bengals playing catch-up. But just the thought of starting Cedric Benson was unthinkable until very recently.
Michael Turner faces the Denver Broncos' rush defense and should be good for 100+ yards and a TD or two. Given the prolific nature of the Broncos passing game, the Falcons will have every reason to run the ball to keep the clock moving. As a result, Jerious Norwood could even find himself with 100 total yards.
Ten Worst Rushing Defenses:
| Rank | Team | RYA | Vs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Oakland | 202 | @MIA |
| 31 | Denver | 164 | @ATL |
| 30 | St. Louis | 160.3 | @SF |
| 29 | Green Bay | 157 | CHI |
| 28 | Detroit | 148.7 | @CAR |
| 27 | Houston | 148 | @IND |
| 25 | Cleveland | 143 | @BUF |
| 25 | Dallas | 143 | @WAS |
| 24 | Philadelphia | 127.3 | @CIN |
| 23 | New Orleans | 122 | @KC |