Faceoff: Thursday mover? Jackson high-five? Collapsing?

CBSSports.com pro football writers Pete Prisco and Clark Judge face off weekly throughout the season.

PRISCO: Can I say neither? I don't think either one will get there, but if I had to make a choice it would be the Dolphins. Why? Schedule. Have you taken a look at the Carolina schedule? It is brutal. After facing the Dolphins, they play at the Jets, home against Tampa Bay -- two winnable games -- but then close at New England, home against Minnesota, at the Giants and home against the Saints. Good luck. Miami's schedule is a tad softer. The Dolphins have games left with Buffalo, Tennessee and Jacksonville, and their tough games are at home against Houston, New England and Pittsburgh. So my choice is Miami. But the reality is I don't think either one will make it.

JUDGE: I'll take Carolina even though the Panthers just lost Thomas Davis and Jordan Gross, and here's why: They're beginning to get their act together, committing few mistakes and letting DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart -- not Jake Delhomme -- win games. That is critical because the Panthers can't win by relying on the inconsistent arm of Delhomme, and they know it. So they do what they do best, which is run the ball -- and the last three games they're averaging 212 yards per start. More important, they're not committing turnovers. They have three in three games. Opponents have 10. They've beaten Arizona and Atlanta the past three weeks, too, and barely lost out to New Orleans. That tells me they're getting confident as they build momentum. The clincher, though, is Miami's loss of Ronnie Brown. You can beat Carolina on the ground, but the Panthers' pass defense is effective. Losing Brown puts undue pressure on Chad Henne, and he doesn't need it. Not here. Not now.

PRISCO: It's Steven Jackson -- by a big margin. Have you seen the numbers he's putting up for that bad St. Louis Rams team? He's having a huge season, and nobody is paying attention. Jackson has 915 yards rushing, is averaging 4.8 per rush and has 33 catches. He's doing it on a team that doesn't have great players outside in the passing game. That means teams can load up to stop the run. He sees a lot of eight-man fronts. That can make it tough to run, but Jackson keeps putting up big numbers. In talking to some of the defensive players around the league, they rave about Jackson. He's a load to tackle and he plays hard all the time. I think the respect for Jackson is going up this year more than ever. He's a great player on a bad team. You wonder what he'd be like if he played on a good team, one with a passing game.

JUDGE: Steven Jackson. A few weeks ago we were asked to choose the best running back not named Adrian Peterson. I would like to amend my answer and say Steven Jackson. I can't fathom how he is doing what he is doing this season, and what he is doing is just about everything. He is the NFL's third-leading rusher, behind Chris Johnson and Adrian Peterson. He averages five yards a carry. He has three straight 100-yard performances. He's the Rams' leading receiver. Basically, he does it all, and he does it with a bad football team beginning to show signs of life because ... well because Steven Jackson is carrying the Rams. Frankly, I don't know how he motivates himself, but he does. And he's doing it right. Imagine what happens if and when St. Louis surrounds him with talent. The guy already is a load. When opponents have to concentrate on others he'll be the NFL version of a nuclear weapon.

PRISCO: Broncos. Collapse might be a strong word, but I just don't think they can maintain what they did early in the season. They are too limited on offense. The Eagles can throw it well with Donovan McNabb. The Giants can with Eli Manning. I'm not sure Kyle Orton can when the going gets tough. McNabb and Manning have been there in tough games, and done it. Orton never has. That means something. This is a quarterback league. The Broncos got off to the fast start with that defense, but that unit hasn't played as well lately. So I'll pick the Broncos because their offense isn't good enough. If they lose Sunday to the Chargers, they won't be in first place. We'll see how they react to that.

JUDGE: Broncos. And I say that knowing Denver still have Oakland and Kansas City (twice) on their schedule. But here's the problem: If you can't beat Washington you might not be able to beat Kansas City -- especially in Kansas City, where the Broncos have lost three of their last five. Anyway, what bothers me here is the Broncos' defense. Once it was bulletproof. Now it is not, and that's trouble for Kyle Orton and an offense not designed to play tennis with opponents. Denver must win and must win now, otherwise the roof could collapse. Following Sunday's game with San Diego, the Broncos have the Giants, followed by road games in Kansas City and Indianapolis. That's not easy, particularly if Orton is hurt. The Broncos are beginning to look like the club we thought they were -- not enough defense or offense to make a difference -- but can make a statement with a win Sunday. Win or lose, they will.

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