NFL prop shop: Schaub in shootout in the desert

I went 2-0 with QB props last week, but missed the mark with two others as Maurice Jones-Drew and Ted Ginn Jr. were surprisingly non-factors in their teams’ blowout victories.

We have a promising board to work with this week and I’m aiming for my first 4-0 sweep of the season.

Let’s get to the picks.

Most rushing yards

Clinton Portis (Washington Redskins) vs. DeAngelo Williams (Carolina Panthers)

It’s probably not a bad idea to fade the Redskins any way you can at this point.

I’ll do so by calling for DeAngelo Williams to outrush what appears to be a less-than-100-percent Clinton Portis.

Portis has yet to turn in a 100-yard rushing performance this season, picking up just 281 yards on 72 carries so far. That’s despite going up against three consecutive weak defenses in St. Louis, Detroit and Tampa Bay.

Carolina’s run defense has been dreadful, allowing 5.4 yards per rush, but I think having an extra week to prepare for this game should help their cause. This is a better defense that it has shown so far this season.

DeAngelo Williams will continue to get the bulk of the carries as long as Jonathan Stewart is struggling. Williams picked up 5.8 yards per rush against the Cowboys last time out.

Stewart hasn’t been much of a factor this season, running the ball only 23 times through three games.

Take: Williams

Most passing yards

Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons) vs. Shaun Hill (San Francisco 49ers)

Shaun Hill hasn’t been asked to do too much, and it’s paid off for the 3-1 Niners.

However, this week I look for Hill to play a bigger role in the offense.

Keep in mind, RB Frank Gore isn’t expected to suit up.

The Falcons secondary hasn’t exactly been a shut-down unit, allowing 245.3 pass yards per game on 6.5 yards per pass play. Even Jake Delhomme was able to throw for over 300 yards against them.

While Atlanta has struggled in pass coverage, San Francisco has thrived. The 49ers are holding opponents to just 210.2 pass ypg on 5.4 ypp.

Mike Smith has had the tendency to go conservative with his offense on the road, and that should be the case again here. Ryan completed only 17 passes against the Patriots in his last road contest.

Take: Hill

Matt Schaub (Houston Texans) vs. Kurt Warner (Arizona Cardinals)

The Texans and Cardinals should be involved in a fun shootout Sunday afternoon, and I’ll give the nod to Matt Schaub over Kurt Warner in terms of passing yardage.

Arizona hasn’t been able to stop anyone through the air, allowing a whopping 280.3 pass yards per game on 7.7 yards per pass play.

Is that going to change against Schaub, who has already thrown for over 1,000 yards and picked up more than eight yards per pass this season?

Kurt Warner has had one great game, and two mediocre games. Less seems to be more with the aging QB, and I think Ken Whisenhunt has figured that out.

Watch for the Cardinals to use a gameplan similar to the one that helped them win 31-17 in Jacksonville a few weeks back. Warner threw the ball only 26 times in that contest, while the Cards ran the ball 24 times.

That type of balance keeps Warner from winning this passing duel.

Take: Schaub

Most pass receptions

Mike Sims-Walker (Jacksonville Jaguars) vs. T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Seattle Seahawks)

Mike Sims-Walker is emerging as a star in Jacksonville, and he’s doing so with little fanfare.

That serves to give us additional value in his matchup with T.J. Houshmandzadeh Sunday.

Sims-Walker has already developed excellent chemistry with Jaguars QB David Garrard, hauling in at least six catches for more than 80 yards in each of his last three games.

Houshmandzadeh is still trying to get on the same page as his Seahawks quarterbacks.

It looks like Matt Hasselbeck will be back for the Seahawks this week but that doesn’t bode well for T.J.

In his first two games of the season, Houshmandzadeh caught only 10 passes for 110 yards from Hasselbeck.

Take: Sims-Walker