Peterson: will beat the Bears

You have to say the Vikings can cope bettwe with Matt Forte - as good as he is - than the Bears can with Adrian Peterson and that is why I give them the edge.

Kevin Cadle
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SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
New Orleans @ Tampa
6.00pm, Sky Sports 2
Atlanta @ San Diego
9.00pm, Sky Sports 2
Chicago @ Minnesota
1.30am (Mon), Sky Sports 2
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Carolina @ Green Bay
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Denver @ NY Jets
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Every Sunday Sky Sports is showing no fewer than FIVE live NFL games. And every week here on skysports.com the one and only Kevin Cadle will preview the three main matches...

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay

New Orleans can't afford to lose any more games if they want to keep their season alive. And they certainly can't afford to lose to Tampa.

Right now the Saints would probably like to play a side that doesn't have it all to play for, but with Carolina and Atlanta right on their tails, this is just as important for the Buccs.

And they are a side that does nothing spectacular, but does what it has to to win - much like Tennessee.

They play solid defense, and thanks to Jeff Garcia, they take good care of the football on offense.

That's all you gotta do when your defense comes up big and what makes them a hard team to beat is the fact that they have got so many steady performers on either side of the ball. They just play with that veteran mentality.

That goes a long way when you get down to showtime and believe me, it's showtime in the NFC South right now!

Which is not good news for the New Orleans.

Basically that's when you need a defense that can come up with ways of stopping people and for the last six weeks they just haven't had that - and it's not gonna happen on Sunday night either.

It means Drew Brees and his receiving corps and Duece McAllister are basically having to out-score their opponents on their own.

They came up big and did that last week but if you look back a few weeks, they weren't able to do that and that is why their season is hanging by a thread.

Offensively the Saints have to get it done every single week but you are talking about the fourth best defense in the NFL in Tampa and I am not sure we can expect the same huge output and impact from them this week.

CADLE'S CALL: It's got to be Tampa here. Neither side can afford to lose this, but they have just got that solidity, that consistency and of course, homefield advantage.

Atlanta @ San Diego

There are not many sides who are 4-7 and still looking at the play-offs, but that's the thing with the NFC West - the divisional winners might have a losing record.

San Diego are only two behind the Denver Broncos and in all probability, are a better football team, so they still have an opportunity.

They got something like a big game out of LT last week and if he can find his form between now and the end of the season, they have every chance of the play-offs.

That said, I think Atlanta's plauying well right now and in Michael Turner they have a running back in form and a man keen to come back and do well against his old team.

The interesting point here though is that San Diego's defense tends to do well against the run. Their deficiency is on the pass but since Ron Rivera took over as defensive co-ordinator they have worked out how to contain teams a lot better on the ground.

The biggest problem San Diego has is losing so many games, so narrowly. It's four losses now on the last play of the game and the toughest job for Norv Turner and his staff has to be just keeping them positive.

If any more games are close as they get to the end, what's going to be on those players' minds? 'Here we go again'. Right now they don't think they can win a close game - and they can't.

They will be going some to get to that scenario on Sunday though, because Atlanta is playing some pretty good football.

Young Matt Ryan has shown he can come up with some big plays from quarterback, but it does help that Turner is there with that consistent running game.

Ryan might have more success on the pass against this Chargers defense, but whether or not he can win a game on his own right now I don't know.

CADLE'S CALL: I am gonna go for the Chargers, mainly because they are at home.

Chicago @ Minnesota

You can't split these two in the standings, but if there is going to be one difference on Sunday it is going to be Matt Forte.

He is the man that basically makes the Chicago offense sing. They don't have any receivers worth shouting about Kyle Orton isn't a dominant force at quarterback, so they need Forte.

And they are gonna need him here because the strength of Minnesota is their run defense. Every now and then they can get torched but that is where they are at their best and this game could well hang on how the rookie running back fares for Chicago.

It's a big ask for a freshman, and I would have to give the advantage to the Vikings in that department.

They are at home, it's a big game, it's a divisional game and it is asking a lot of one young man to win it on his own.

On the flipside Adrian Peterson is coming off a decent game and he should be able to find some holes in this Bears defense.

But if it is going to be won there then you have to say the Vikings can cope bettwe with Forte - as good as he is - than the Bears can with Peterson and that is why I give them the edge.

It might even be that the quarterbacks end up having a bigger say as well. Gus Frerotte has had a rough ride of late but is still in there and Orton has done OK, nothing more. I gotta give that one to Minnesota too.

CADLE'S CALL: I like Minnesota. Home advantage can make all the difference in these games, but so can a defense that can handle Matt Forte.