Seattle's Shaun Alexander, who played at Boone County High School, needs 98 yards rushing today at Kansas City to break Eric Dickerson's NFL record for most rushing yards gained in the first eight career starts.

        Records have been kept since 1970.

        Alexander has 898 yards in his first seven starts, including a 74-yard showing last season when he started alongside Ricky Watters in a two-back set at Kansas City. Dickerson's record is 995 yards.

        Alexander has 10 touchdowns in his first seven starts. Dickerson and former Bengals running back Ickey Woods hold the eight-start record for touchdowns with 12.

        Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren tinkered with Alexander's style earlier in the season but now has let Alexander's “gifts” take over.

        “I think you have to be very careful with players like Shaun Alexander because I think he has great natural instincts,” Holmgren said. “Really, who am I to tell him how to run with the football? Really. He has some great natural gifts that God gave him. As far as vision and instinct, I don't think you even want to mess with that.”

        This week's games:

        SEAHAWKS (5-4) at CHIEFS (2-7): Kansas City is allowing 4.6 yards a rush and 142 rushing yards a game, second worst in the NFL, and appear primed to get hit hard again by Alexander. The Chiefs have allowed more than 170 rushing yards in four of their last six games and at least 190 in three of those games. The Seahawks are 3-0 when Alexander rushes for 100 or more yards. Kansas City is 0-4 when giving up at least 100 yards to an individual runner. SEAHAWKS 23-20.

        CARDINALS (3-6) at CHARGERS (5-5): SD's passing offense has suffered since No.3 WR Tim Dwight was lost with a collapsed lung. The Chargers have won four of last five meetings, but the last two have been decided by a field goal. CHARGERS 27-21.

        FALCONS (5-4) at PANTHERS (1-9): Carolina quarterback Chris Weinke had 276 passing yards in the first meeting this season, an Atlanta victory, but will be without WR Muhsin Muhammad. Atlanta is 3-1 on the road this season and has outscored opponents 90-63 in those four games. FALCONS 24-17.

        RAVENS (6-4) at JAGUARS (3-6): Jacksonville wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell have an NFL record nine games where both have had 100 yards in the same game. Four have come against the Ravens. Elvis Grbac has lost teammates' support and can lose the game by himself, but Ravens have enough on defense to overcome both Grbac and Jags QB Mark Brunell. RAVENS 16-10.

        DOLPHINS (6-3) at BILLS (1-8): The home team has won eight of the last 10. But that's little comfort to the Bills, who have lost seven consecutive home games and have been outscored 185-95. Miami looks good if QB Jay Fielder can protect the ball; he has accounted for 18 of the team's 26 turnovers. DOLPHINS 24-12.

        SAINTS (5-4) at PATRIOTS (5-5): New England is 5-0 when scoring 21 or more points, but they won't get 21 today and won't get the victory. Ricky Williams might get all of the 144 yards he needs to become the only running back in New Orleans' history to have consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. SAINTS 24-16.

        RAIDERS (7-2) at GIANTS (5-5): Oakland leads the AFC with 27.8 points a game, and New York's defense didn't put up much of a fight against Minnesota on Monday night. Oakland QB Rich Gannon has attempted at least 30 passes in his last three games and passed for at least 240 yards. RAIDERS 27-17.

        STEELERS (7-2) at TITANS (4-5): Besides their suffocating defense, the Steelers are winning because of the improved play of QB Kordell Stewart, who has rushed for 323 yards and thrown for 1,602 while limiting his interceptions to four. He has won 11 of his last 14 starts. STEELERS 16-13.

        49ERS (7-2) at COLTS (4-5): The injury-riddled Colts are in survival mode. Running back Edgerrin James and wide receiver Jerome Pathon are out for the year. Quarterback Peyton Manning has a broken jaw but has thrown a touchdown pass 11 games in a row. SF quarterback Jeff Garcia is on pace to throw for 4,023 yards, which would make him the first 49ers' quarterback to do that. 49ERS 34-31.

        REDSKINS (4-5) at EAGLES (6-3): If Kent Graham starts for the Skins at quarterback because of Tony Banks' concussion, he would be the team's 12th different starter since 1993. Only New Orleans has had as many starting QBs in that time. The performance of running backs Duce Staley (Philadelphia) and Stephen Davis will determine the outcome. EAGLES 21-17.

        BEARS (7-2) at VIKINGS (4-5): If the Bears win this one, they've truly got an angel on their shoulder. Chicago is last in the NFL in pass defense (251.7 yards a game), and the Daunte Culpepper-led Vikings pass offense is seventh. Minnesota is avering 28.5 points in a game in their last four at the Metrodome. VIKINGS 30-24.

        BUCCANEERS (4-5) at RAMS (8-1): The Tampa Bay defense made Chicago's Jim Miller and Marty Booker look like, well, Kurt Warner and Isaac Bruce, who the Bucs will get to see Monday night. It's the first meeting since the 1999 NFC title game won 11-6 by the Rams. RAMS 27-13.

        BENGALS at BROWNS:

BROWNS 20, Cincinnati 19

        LAST WEEK: 10-7. OVERALL: 88-56.

Dillon key to Battle of Ohio Browns favored for first time Balanced offense worked the first time Who's got the edge? Players to watch Bengals-Browns by the numbers NFL power ratings Today's NFL predictions

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