I'm trying to think of a reason why the Lions could keep this game close without new local hero Matthew "My Shoulder Is Fine, Really'' Stafford. And for the 36th consecutive noonish Thanksgiving Day game, I can't.

Preview not available yet.

Dallas is scoreless on 21 of the last 23 possessions, and quarterback Tony Romo has an aching back. Against most teams, that would be big trouble. Against the Raiders, it's a nine-point win.

Preview not available yet.

Do you remember the last time New York played in Denver? If you guessed it was the night before 9/11, you win. By the way, I see the Giants have been complaining about flying 2,000 miles to a road game 68 hours after after finishing an overtime tilt with Atlanta. Unfair, perhaps. But not much more unfair than Oakland flying to Dallas for a Thursday game, and no more unfair than Seattle flying to Dallas for one last year. In some ways, this is the Karma Gods getting even with the Giants for the ninth home game in 2005, when the Saints played a home game at Giants Stadium post-Katrina.

Preview not available yet.

Feel free to call me on this prediction: Matt Ryan's in the midst of a 1-4 run of losing. It's the last time in his career he'll be on such a run.

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 11:08PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 11:08PM

The Atlanta Falcons are struggling to stay in the playoff hunt, but three straight games at home could be what they need to get back on track.

Facing the lowly Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday would also seem to help, but while the Falcons have a stellar record at Georgia Dome over the past two seasons, the Buccaneers gave them all they could handle in the previous matchup there.

After making its first playoff appearance in four years in 2008, Atlanta seemed prime for a return to the postseason after a 4-1 start. The Falcons, however, have dropped four of five since then, including last week's 34-31 overtime road loss to the New York Giants.

Their second straight defeat pushed them one game behind the Giants, Green Bay and Philadelphia, who they face Dec. 6, in the NFC wild-card race.

"We've got to win, man," wide receiver Roddy White said. "That's the biggest thing for us right now."

Victories have been frequent at the Georgia Dome since the team hired Mike Smith and drafted quarterback Matt Ryan with the third overall pick in 2008. Atlanta (5-5) is 11-1 at home over the past two seasons with a 4-0 mark this year.

The Falcons could get another boost if leading rusher Michael Turner is ready to return from a high right ankle sprain. Turner, who had three straight 100-yard games before suffering the injury Nov. 15 against Carolina, returned to practice Wednesday but was limited.

"Hopefully we'll get a good read on him after practice and then tomorrow," Smith told the team's official Web site.

Even if Turner returns, the Falcons' homestand won't be easy. After facing the Buccaneers and Eagles (6-4), they finish up against possibly unbeaten New Orleans on Dec. 13.

That makes Sunday's matchup critical as the Buccaneers (1-9) are one of three losing teams Atlanta will face over its final six games.

The Falcons will play Tampa Bay again to wrap up the regular season Jan. 3 and visit the New York Jets on Dec. 20. Their only other home game against a losing squad comes Dec. 27 versus Buffalo.

"We can't have no setbacks. We've got to go out there and win six games," White said. "If we win six games, we'll control our own destiny."

After seeming to show signs of improvement over the previous two weeks, the Buccaneers (1-9) absorbed a 38-7 defeat to the visiting Saints last week as rookie quarterback Josh Freeman had a season-high three interceptions and a fumble in the third quarter.

New Orleans converted those miscues into 17 of its 38 unanswered points.

"It's just one of those days," Freeman said. "An off day. ... I don't see it as a problem going forward."

Ryan had a couple of off days against the Buccaneers last season with four interceptions and no touchdowns in two meetings. He completed 50 percent of his passes for an average of 182 yards.

Tampa Bay also held Turner to 42 yards on 14 carries in a 24-9 home win last season, but allowed him to rush for 142 in their meeting at the Georgia Dome.

That was enough to help the Falcons escape with a 13-10 overtime victory on Jason Elam's 34-yard field goal.

Elam, however, has struggled this season in converting just 6 of 12 attempts from 30-plus yards. His miss from 35 yards cost the Falcons a chance to win in regulation last week.

Ryan rallied the team from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter with a pair of touchdowns in the final 6:01, including an 11-yard pass to Tony Gonzalez with 28 seconds left that sent the game into overtime.

The Falcons, however, lost the coin toss and the Giants converted a 36-yard kick for the victory.

Atlanta brought in four kickers for a tryout Tuesday but decided to stick with the three-time Pro Bowler as it tries to avoid its first three-game skid since losing six in a row Oct. 18-Dec. 23, 2007.

"I've had slumps before," Elam said. "Over 17 years, you have some hiccups at various times. I've always been able to kick my way out of it. Hopefully, that's what will happen this time."

Tampa Bay has won 12 of 17 over Atlanta dating back to 1997, but the Falcons are 3-2 at home against the Buccaneers since 2004.

At various points in the past five years, Ricky Williams has been a) a new-age medical student; b) high on life; c) totally disinterested in football; d) the key to any playoff hopes the Dolphins have; or e) all of the above. Correct answer, obviously, is "e.''

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 08:52PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 08:52PM

The Buffalo Bills' porous rush defense won't see Ronnie Brown lining up in the Miami Dolphins' backfield in their second meeting this season, but their assignment Sunday isn't likelier to be any easier.

Ricky Williams' back-to-back 100-yard games have given Miami a lift after Brown's season-ending injury, and he'll look to keep the Dolphins' highly-ranked ground attack moving and boost their playoff hopes at Ralph Wilson Stadium against the sputtering Bills.

Miami (5-5) looked to be in deep trouble in its attempt to defend its AFC East title after losing three straight games to begin the season, but it's won five of seven since to become a factor in the wild-card picture while giving itself a chance to remain in the division race.

The Dolphins' turnaround began against Buffalo (3-7) in Week 4, as their run-heavy offense gashed the Bills for a season-high 250 yards in a 38-10 victory.

Brown had 115 yards and two touchdowns while Williams totaled 85 yards and a score, but only Williams will be in the backfield Sunday as Miami seeks its fourth straight win over Buffalo. Brown suffered a season-ending foot injury in the Dolphins' 25-23 win over Tampa Bay on Nov. 15, leaving Miami without its wildcat triggerman and putting the onus on Williams to keep the team's fourth-ranked rushing attack (156.0 yards per game) going.

Williams ran for 102 yards in the win over the Buccaneers, and kept the offense moving Nov. 19 at Carolina. He gained 119 yards on the ground and scored three touchdowns - two rushing - in the Dolphins' 24-17 win, making the 32-year-old the oldest Miami running back to run for 100 yards in consecutive games.

"He's not 32, I don't care what he says,'' rookie receiver Brian Hartline said. "He definitely doesn't look 32 out there, and he definitely has a lot of gas left in his wheels.''

Williams - the AFC's offensive player of the week - hasn't rushed for 100 yards in three straight games since 2003.

After the win over the Panthers put Miami at .500 for the first time this season, the Dolphins' biggest task may be avoiding a letdown in Buffalo with a visit from division-leading New England looming next week.

"It puts us on the right track,'' Williams said. "We have been trying to get here all year, and we finally got here. It's just the next step to where we want to go.''

The Dolphins' big rushing effort against the Bills in Week 4 was part of a four-game stretch in which Buffalo allowed 240.5 yards per game - including an NFL season-high 318 in a 16-13 win over the New York Jets on Oct. 10.

The Bills' struggles on both side of the ball were enough to get coach Dick Jauron fired after a 41-17 loss at Tennessee on Nov. 15, and while they played better last Sunday in Jacksonville, the result was the same. Mike Sims-Walker caught a touchdown from David Garrard with 56 second left to lift the Jaguars to an 18-15 win in Perry Fewell's debut as interim coach.

"Emotional week for all of us and this was an emotional loss for us,'' Fewell said. "I thought our guys fought their hind ends off. They battled down to the wire. We just didn't get it done.''

Fewell's home debut will come days after the team met with former Denver coach Mike Shanahan about its vacancy, but while the team's temporary leader may only be on the sidelines for six games, there were some positive developments in Fewell's debut.

Buffalo held Maurice Jones-Drew to 66 rushing yards and Jacksonville as a team to 102, the best it's done against the run since holding Tampa Bay to 57 yards in a Week 2 win. Additionally, Terrell Owens caught nine passes for 197 yards and hauled in his first touchdown since scoring against the Bucs.

Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two interceptions in Jacksonville, but his connection with Owens - which included a 98-yard pass in the third quarter - has the quarterback optimistic about the Bills' offense.

"It's been a long and frustrating season, and it hasn't gone the way we want offensively,'' Fitzpatrick said. "But we've got six games now to kind of turn that around and make a positive out of it.''

Some key injuries, however, may make connecting with Owens tougher this week. While running back Marshawn Lynch is expected to play after leaving Sunday's game with a shoulder injury, Buffalo lost guards Eric Wood (broken leg) and Seth McKinney (knee) for the season, leaving it with five healthy offensive linemen on the roster.

The Bills have allowed 109 fourth-quarter points this season, second-most in the NFL behind Miami's 110.

In the sixth round last April, the Bengals had two picks. They selected cornerback Morgan Trent of Michigan and running back Bernard Scott from Abilene Christian. This weekend, they'll be terrorizing Brady Quinn and rushing for 100 yards, respectively, in a rout of Cleveland.

Posted: Friday November, 2009 03:18PM, Updated: Friday November, 2009 03:18PM

A last-minute collapse against one of the worst teams in the NFL kept the Cincinnati Bengals from increasing their lead in the AFC North. Possibly getting Cedric Benson back Sunday for a meeting with the lowly Cleveland Browns might be just what they need to bounce back.

Cincinnati (7-3) opened the season with a 16-12 loss to Denver after giving up a fluky 87-yard touchdown catch with 11 seconds left. The Bengals then surprisingly won seven of eight, posting an 18-12 victory at Pittsburgh on Nov. 15 to move into sole possession of first in the division.

They were in prime position to expand that lead last Sunday as the other three teams in the North lost, but the Bengals gave up 10 points in the final 33 seconds to fall 20-17 at Oakland. Cincinnati committed eight penalties, fumbled three times and missed a field goal to see its three-game winning streak come to an end.

The Bengals are 5-0 in the North and looking to become the first team in franchise history to win all six division games in a season.

"I think it's more disappointing because everybody lost and we also lost," safety Chris Crocker said. "We're not happy that we didn't get another game up on our division opponents. That's probably the most disappointing thing. This was a team we should have beat."

Cincinnati has another chance to increase its hold on the North, as Pittsburgh visits Baltimore on Sunday night while it hosts the last-place Browns (1-9).

The Bengals have won two straight and eight of the last 10 meetings with the Browns. A 31-yard field goal by Shayne Graham with 4 seconds left gave them a 23-20 overtime victory in Cleveland on Oct. 4.

Possibly having Benson back could help Cincinnati continue that dominance.

Benson didn't play last week due to a hip injury suffered against the Steelers, but coach Marvin Lewis said the running back "seems to be very close" to returning.

Benson has rushed for 859 yards and six touchdowns, but rookie Bernard Scott - a sixth-round draft pick from Abilene Christian - has emerged in the last two games.

He returned a kickoff 96 yards for the only touchdown against Pittsburgh while gaining 33 yards on 13 carries after Benson left the game. Scott ran for 119 yards on 21 carries last week.

"Bernard has earned an opportunity to continue to play," Lewis said. "He'll have a chance, and he'll get some opportunities one way or the other. If Ced is back and playing, Bernard will still play a considerable amount this week."

Larry Johnson also could see more time on the field in his second game since signing with Cincinnati. He ran twice for five yards against the Raiders.

The Bengals will be facing a defense that is ranked last in the NFL, giving up 402.0 yards per game - 154.9 on the ground.

Cleveland was on the verge of its second win last week but allowed a 1-yard TD pass as time expired to fall 38-37 at Detroit.

The Browns, who have lost five in a row and 14 of 15, showed some improvement offensively, gaining a season-high 439 yards.

"The real positives are, we have been struggling offensively, and to have a game where we don't turn the ball over, to be able to get the production that we got and move the ball as effectively as we had, that's real progress and it's positive," coach Eric Mangini told the Browns' official Web site.

Brady Quinn is looking to build on the best game of his career when he faces the Bengals for the first time. He completed 21 of 33 passes and set personal bests with 304 yards, four TDs and a 133.1 passer rating last week.

Something's got to give in Nashville. Titans have won four straight. Cards are 5-0 on the road. Vince Young's on fire. Kurt Warner left last Sunday's game with a ringing headache. It might be that simple -- plus, I think Warner's only going to have nine or 10 possession. That's what the ball-control offense of the Chris Johnson-led Titans can do to you.

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 04:09PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 04:09PM

Arizona's Kurt Warner has made 41 straight starts and it appears that streak will continue. Vince Young's streak pales in comparison at four, but the surging Tennessee Titans couldn't be more pleased with his results.

The quarterbacks will likely meet for the first time Sunday, with Warner looking to return from concussion-like symptoms as the Cardinals try to snap the Titans' four-game win streak.

Warner's head slammed into the turf on a hit from Rams safety O.J. Atogwe in the second quarter of last weekend's 21-13 victory. He stayed in to finish a touchdown drive before leaving for good.

Warner - among the league leaders with 20 touchdown passes - went through a full practice Wednesday and said he passed the required mental tests. He said he plans to be cautious as he prepares through the week but all signs were good that he would start.

If Warner can't go, Matt Leinart would start after he failed to produce any points against the Rams. That would match up Leinart and Young for the first time since their epic showdown in the 2006 Rose Bowl, when Young rushed for 200 yards and three scores as Texas won 41-38 over Leinart and Southern California.

That effort was a big reason why Young was the first quarterback taken in the draft that year at No. 3 overall - seven spots ahead of Leinart. It's well documented how Young started his first two seasons before losing his job to Kerry Collins in 2008 as the Titans went 13-3 for the league's best record.

Young has taken over and produced four victories since the Titans' 0-6 start, giving him eight straight and a record of 22-11 as a starter. Only Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Philip Rivers have better winning percentages among quarterbacks drafted since 2000.

Young showed some of the running skills he displayed in that Rose Bowl in Monday's 20-17 win at Houston. He rushed 11 times for 73 yards - with six carries for first downs.

"Just be patient. If it's there, take advantage of it. If it's not there, get the ball to our guys underneath and use my legs as well. It's just all about being patient. And if it's not there, we'll punt the ball away and let our defense go out there and give the ball back to us," Young said.

The Titans are the first team to win four straight after an 0-6 start.

"We're playing real good and we have a lot of confidence going with this team right now, and we are just going to keep playing and keep taking it one by one," linebacker Keith Bulluck said. "We got four, and right now we are going for five."

Young hasn't been forced to do too much with NFL leading rusher Chris Johnson in his backfield. Johnson has already surpassed his total of 1,228 yards as a rookie last year, and has five straight 100-yard efforts with an average of 161.5 during the winning streak.

Johnson scored two touchdowns in three straight games before failing to reach the end zone Monday.

Whoever starts at quarterback for the Cardinals (7-3) will try to take advantage of the worst pass defense in the AFC. The Titans are allowing 271.7 yards per game through the air, and Matt Schaub recorded the sixth 300-yard effort against them with 305 on Monday.

Arizona has won three straight and leads San Francisco by three games in the NFC West. The Cardinals are 5-0 on the road for the first time since winning all seven of their away games while based in Chicago in 1948.

This is the Cardinals' first visit to Tennessee. Arizona won 20-10 in 2005 in the last meeting.

If you sell this one out, Kevin Demoff, you're executive of the century.

Posted: Friday November, 2009 08:14PM, Updated: Friday November, 2009 08:14PM

It's been almost a year since the Seattle Seahawks won a game on the road. That came against the St. Louis Rams, who have gone even longer without a victory at home.

The struggling Seahawks look to snap a six-game road losing streak while trying for a 10th consecutive win over the lowly Rams on Sunday.

While St. Louis (1-9) is tied with Tampa Bay for the worst record in NFC and has already clinched a third straight losing season, Seattle is not playing much better.

The Seahawks (3-7) are trying to avoid a third straight loss overall after falling 35-9 at Minnesota last Sunday. Seattle's six straight road losses have all come by double digits, and it has allowed an average of 32.5 points in those games. Its last road win came Dec. 14, 23-20 at St. Louis.

"We can't get used to this,'' quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said. "We can't get used to losing."

Unfortunately for the Seahawks, losing has been the norm the last two seasons. Seattle is 7-19 since its last playoff appearance in January 2008.

"There's no magic potion. We've just got to perform (better)," said Hasselbeck, who was 19 of 26 for 231 yards and one interception against Minnesota.

The Seahawks, however, are averaging 29.7 points during their nine-game winning streak over the Rams. St. Louis, which has lost 10 in a row at home since beating Dallas in October 2008, last beat Seattle 23-12 on Nov. 14, 2004.

In order to continue dominating this series, Seattle must find a way to bounce back from another blowout loss.

Last in the NFL with 84.4 rushing yards per game, the Seahawks gained a franchise-low 4 yards on 13 carries against the Vikings.

Replacing the injured Julius Jones, Justin Forsett had rushed for 123 yards on 17 carries in a 31-20 loss at Arizona the previous week, but was held to 9 yards and a touchdown against Minnesota.

"We tried to stick with it, but there was a point where we were beating our head against a wall,'' coach Jim Mora said.

Jones, who suffered a lung contusion two weeks ago against Arizona, will be a game-time decision for Sunday.

Whether Jones or Forsett is running the ball, the Seahawks have a chance for a big game on the ground against the Rams, who are giving up 146.4 rushing yards per contest. Seattle ran for a season-high 167 yards in a 28-0 season-opening win over St. Louis on Sept. 13.

Hasselbeck, who's been playing with broken ribs and a sore shoulder for about a month, was 25 of 36 for 279 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions against the Rams earlier this season. He's thrown for 2,915 yards and 19 TDs with nine interceptions while going 9-3 as a starter versus St. Louis.

St. Louis won't have quarterback Marc Bulger available Sunday, but should have star running back Steven Jackson in the lineup.

Despite missing practice Wednesday due to lower back spasms, Jackson should be ready as he tries for a fifth consecutive 100-yard rushing game.

"Oh, he's going to play,'' Mora said. "Big deal. That's not unusual for a running back who's carrying the ball as much as he has, to miss a day of practice.''

Second in the NFL with 1,031 rushing yards, Jackson had 116 and a TD on 24 carries in a 21-13 home loss to Arizona last Sunday. Jackson, who became the first Rams player to post five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, has rushed for 721 yards in 10 games against the Seahawks, but has failed to reach 100 yards in any single one of those contests.

Kyle Boller will make his third start of the season in place of Bulger, expected to miss three to six weeks with a broken left shin bone suffered last Sunday. The Rams have lost two in a row by a combined 13 points since beating Detroit 17-10 on Nov. 1.

Boller has thrown for 481 yards and thrown two TDs with three interceptions this season, but hasn't played since a 38-10 loss to Minnesota on Oct. 11.

"I think our offense has made huge strides,'' he said. "It's one of those deals where I'm excited to be in there with these guys."

Boller has never faced Seattle.

The Vikings and Bears will meet twice in a 29-day span. Chicago will regret both encounters.

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 06:38PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 06:38PM

Before the start of the season, the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears made big headlines by acquiring star quarterbacks expected to help lead their respective teams to the playoffs.

So far, it's only working out for one of them.

Brett Favre looks to lead the Vikings to their 10th win Sunday when they host struggling Jay Cutler and the free-falling Bears.

Minnesota (9-1) signed Favre during the preseason, and after a disappointing year with the New York Jets, the 40-year-old is emerging as an MVP candidate. Favre has 21 touchdown passes to three interceptions, helping the Vikings stay on the heels of undefeated New Orleans for the top seed in the NFC.

"There's nothing he can do to surprise anybody anymore," Minnesota center John Sullivan said. "He's a great player. We know that as long as we protect him, him and the receivers and Adrian (Peterson), they're all going to make plays."

Opposing defenses keyed on Peterson in his first two seasons, and he still amassed 3,101 rushing yards. This year, defenses also have to respect Favre and the passing game.

In last Sunday's 35-9 win over Seattle, Favre completed a career-high 88.0 percent of his passes (22 of 25) for 213 yards and four touchdowns. It was his second four-touchdown performance in three games and the 22nd of his career, surpassing Dan Marino for the record.

"Getting back to that confidence that I had when I didn't know any better, that was pretty good," Favre said. "And I'm feeling more confident. I'm more of a realist at this age, but that doesn't mean you can't go out there and turn it loose."

This will be Favre's first game against the rival Bears in a Minnesota uniform. Although he's lost five of the last six meetings while playing for Green Bay, the three-time league MVP should benefit from lining up in the backfield with Peterson, who needs one more yard for 1,000.

In four games against the Bears, Peterson has rushed for 554 yards and eight touchdowns, his most scores against any opponent.

The Vikings are 3-1 against Chicago since drafting Peterson and have won six of the last seven meetings in the Metrodome.

While everything seems to be going Favre and the Vikings' way lately, Cutler is mired in an awful stretch.

The Bears (4-6) had high hopes after pulling off the blockbuster trade with Denver for Cutler, but with losses in five of its last six, it appears Chicago will miss the playoffs for the third straight season.

"This wasn't part of the master plan," coach Lovie Smith said after last Sunday's 24-20 loss to Philadelphia.

Cutler, leading the league with 18 interceptions, has been a big reason the team is falling short of expectations.

After throwing a career-worst five interceptions in a 10-6 loss to San Francisco on Nov. 12, Cutler was 24 of 43 for 171 yards with one touchdown and one pick against Philadelphia. His interception in the final minute sealed the win for the Eagles.

While Cutler made poor decisions against the 49ers, he was largely inaccurate last week. At one point, he overthrew a wide open Greg Olsen and Devin Hester on back-to-back plays for possible touchdowns, forcing Chicago to settle for a field goal.

"I haven't played up to my expectations," Cutler said. "I think that's the most important part. I can play better. I know that."

While Cutler is receiving a bulk of the blame, it's not entirely his fault.

The offensive line has struggled to give Cutler time and will now face a pass rush that tops the NFL with 36 sacks. The line has also had little luck opening holes for running back Matt Forte.

Chicago ranks 28th in rushing, averaging 89.3 yards, and it will likely be tough to get the ground game going against the vaunted Minnesota defense.

The Vikings boast the third-best rush defense, giving up 85.5 yards per game, and limited the Seahawks to four rushing yards on 12 attempts last week - the second-fewest yards allowed in franchise history. Minnesota has led the league in rush defense in each of the past three seasons.

How long's it been since a team with two three-game losing streaks in one season is in wild-card contention? Ever? A win here could have the Jets a game out of the second wild card Sunday night with five games to play. Pretty fortunate for a team that's 1-6 since September and playing like lost sheep in the pasture of life.

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 03:47PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 03:47PM

Coming off a season when they tied for the best record in the NFC, the Carolina Panthers clearly expected to return to the playoffs. Instead, injuries and poor play are dimming those postseason hopes.

The Panthers will try to overcome an injury-ravaged defense Sunday when they visit the New York Jets, another team fading in the playoff race.

Carolina (4-6) went 12-4 last season, winning the NFC South and matching the New York Giants for the best record in the conference. That success was muted when the Panthers were upset in the divisional playoffs, falling 33-13 to Arizona.

Despite that disappointment, the Panthers were expected to mount another run at the division title this season.

Things haven't worked out that way.

Carolina lost its first three games before seemingly turning around the season with a 4-2 stretch, but a 24-17 home loss to Miami on Nov. 19 may be tough to overcome. It was the fourth time this season the Panthers had a chance to reach .500 but failed.

While the division title is out of reach, Carolina is still within two games of a wild-card spot.

"I'm sure outside of that (team meeting) room, there will be a lot of people that don't give us a chance," coach John Fox said. "Until the math says it, we'll feel like we have a chance."

For the Panthers to return to the playoffs, they must overcome a schedule that includes meetings with division leaders New England and Minnesota, as well as the Giants and currently unbeaten New Orleans.

That schedule may seem more daunting with a myriad of injuries to the Carolina defense, including one to defensive end Julius Peppers that has been defined as a "messed up hand" by Fox.

Peppers, hurt in a loss at New Orleans on Nov. 8, didn't appear on the injury report last week, but was only used on passing downs against the Dolphins. The four-time Pro Bowler is the Panthers' all-time sack leader with 77 1/2 and tops the team this season with seven, but he has none in the last three games.

"No comments on that," defensive end Everette Brown said when asked about Peppers. "I don't really know the situation, what's going on. I won't go in depth about it."

The defense is also dealing with the loss of linebacker Landon Johnson, placed on injured reserve Tuesday after hurting his medial collateral ligament against Miami. It was his second start at weakside linebacker in place of Thomas Davis, who also was lost for the season.

Johnson's injury leaves James Anderson as the likely starter Sunday at New York (4-6).

Fox denied that DeAngelo Williams' sore left knee played a role in him getting only 13 carries last week. He did run for 122 yards, putting him among the league leaders with 982.

Jake Delhomme threw his first interception in four games last week, but it was a costly one as he tried to force a pass to Steve Smith near the goal line. His 14 interceptions are two more than all of last season and two shy of his career high.

The Jets have had their own problems at quarterback.

Coach Rex Ryan is keeping rookie Mark Sanchez as the starter even after he threw four interceptions and lost a fumble in a 31-14 loss to New England last Sunday. During the Jets' current 1-6 slump, Sanchez has thrown six touchdown passes and 14 interceptions.

"I just think that he's not going to get better unless he gets out and plays," Ryan said. "It's clearly not just Mark's fault. There's a reason he was named the starter, that I thought he gave us the best opportunity to win, and I still feel that."

One thing that will change is Ryan becoming more involved in other areas after leaving the offense exclusively to coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and special teams to Mike Westhoff.

"I need to be more of the game manager than probably what I even realized before," said Ryan, who calls defensive plays. "There's been some people here that have been critical of that, and it's probably more accurate than I wanted to believe."

Ryan made one big change on the defensive side of the ball this week, demoting starting safety Kerry Rhodes in favor of Eric Smith. Rhodes has started every game of his five-year NFL career, but he has no interceptions, sacks, forced fumbles or fumble recoveries this season.

The Panthers have split four meetings with the Jets, winning the last one 30-3 on Nov. 13, 2005. They haven't visited the Jets since a 48-21 loss Nov. 29, 1998.

Welcome to the DeSean and LeSean Show. Jackson and McCoy account for 21 points at the Linc, and fans get off Andy Reid's back for one Sunday.

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 11:28PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 11:28PM

In the midst of a tight three-team race for the NFC East lead, the Philadelphia Eagles can't afford a slip-up against the division's last-place club.

Based on the Washington Redskins' play away from the nation's capital, that shouldn't be a problem.

The Eagles look to hand the banged-up Redskins a team record-tying ninth straight road loss Sunday, but to do so they'll have to snap a two-game home skid against Washington.

Philadelphia (6-4) is trying to give the NFC East a third different winner in the past three seasons, but the two most recent champions are standing in their way.

The Eagles could have fallen a game behind the New York Giants and two in back of division-leading Dallas with a loss Sunday in Chicago, and entering the fourth quarter down 20-17 it looked like they might. But one drive after rookie running back LeSean McCoy lost what looked to be a critical fumble, he capped a 12-play drive with a 10-yard touchdown run to lift Philadelphia to a 24-20 victory.

"Before we started the drive, we kind of huddled up and said a few words," said McCoy, who had a season-high 99 yards filling in for the injured Brian Westbrook. "(Donovan McNabb) spoke to us and said, 'Let's go. We've been in this position before, let's do it.' And I think everybody just kind of got together and drove down, inch by inch and play by play."

The Eagles cap a stretch of four road games in five weeks by visiting Atlanta and the Giants to begin December, but in an East race that may come down to which team has the best record within the division, beating the Redskins (3-7) is critical.

Washington has lost five of six since a 2-2 start, but it hasn't been blown out. Five of the Redskins' seven losses have been by eight points or fewer, and they outgained both opponents that beat them by double digits, with four turnovers crippling them in a 27-17 home loss to the Eagles on Oct. 26.

Jason Campbell and Washington's offense outgained Dallas 324-305 on Sunday, holding a 6-0 lead with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Patrick Crayton caught a touchdown pass from Tony Romo with 2:41 to play, however, and the Cowboys held on to win 7-6 and hand the Redskins their eighth consecutive road loss.

"To lose it like that in the end in a hostile situation, it's just so hard,'' coach Jim Zorn said. "Yet, we hung in there. I believe this is a special team of players who will not just chuck things in being 3-7."

A loss in Philadelphia would tie Washington's record for consecutive road losses at nine, set from Nov. 6, 1960, to Nov. 5, 1961.

Unfortunately for Zorn, his list of healthy players is seemingly dwindling by the day. Running back Ladell Betts, backing up the injured Clinton Portis, tore the MCL and ACL in his left knee Sunday, and two other Redskins joined him this week on injured reserved - including guard Chad Rinehart.

Rinehart is the third Washington offensive lineman to be put on IR, and guard Mike Williams is unlikely to play again this week due to an ankle injury. If he can't go, undrafted rookie Edwin Williams will get the start at right guard, becoming the 10th Redskins offensive lineman to start a game.

Defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (hip) and cornerback DeAngelo Hall (knee) are questionable, while tight end Chris Cooley (ankle) remains out.

"Brutal. Brutal. It's been brutal,'' said running back Rock Cartwright, who on Sunday will make his first start since Dec. 27, 2003 - also against the Eagles. "Hate to lose a guy like Ladell. Hate to lose a guy like Rinehart. We lost a lot of key guys we planned on having for the season.''

The potential loss of Hall could be critical to the league's No. 1 pass defense (161.6 yards per game), while missing Haynesworth for a second straight week may allow McCoy more room to run.

Perhaps Washington's biggest concern, though, is DeSean Jackson. The speedy second-year receiver had eight catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in Chicago, and he had a 57-yard TD reception and a 67-yard scoring run in the Week 7 win over Washington.

Jackson also returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown in a 23-17 home loss to the Redskins last season.

Donovan McNabb hasn't thrown an interception in six consecutive games versus Washington, but his TD to Jackson last month was the only one he's thrown in his past three contests against the Redskins.

McNabb has a career 76.2 passer rating at home against Washington, and Philadelphia's offense has produced one offensive touchdown in the series' past two games at Lincoln Financial Field despite not having a turnover.

And so the dream dies here, the dream of a perfect Indy season, at Reliant Stadium, where the Colts have had an increasingly difficult time winning. I understand the Colts are 14-1 against the Texans in their history together, but in the past three years, the Colts have been just one measly touchdown better than the Texans in Reliant. Composite 2006, '07 and '08 score when they meet in Houston: Colts, 85-78. One final factor: Houston has much to play for. Indy? Not so much. Because the Colts know their new coach, just like the last coach, will probably yank the starters as soon home-field in the AFC is clinched, rendering the run for perfection moot.

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 04:31PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 04:31PM

Although the Indianapolis Colts have a perfect record, they've been quite vulnerable over the past few weeks, escaping with several close calls.

The Houston Texans have been on the opposite end of the spectrum, losing back-to-back games in agonizing fashion - including once at Indianapolis.

The Colts look to remain undefeated and move closer to locking up a playoff spot Sunday when they visit a Texans team trying to win its first game in a month.

Indianapolis (10-0) holds a three-game lead in the chase for the AFC's top seed and its 19-game winning streak is the second-longest in NFL history behind New England's 21-game run from 2006-08. Nothing, though, has come easy for the Colts lately.

Indianapolis, which can clinch the AFC South for the sixth time in seven years with a victory this week coupled with a Jacksonville loss to San Francisco, has won its last four games by a combined 10 points.

In the latest thriller, middle linebacker Gary Brackett picked off Joe Flacco's pass at the Indianapolis 13-yard line with 2:42 remaining to preserve last Sunday's 17-15 victory at Baltimore.

That came a week after Indianapolis scored 14 points in the final 2:23 of a 35-34 victory over New England. The Colts took advantage of Bill Belichick's risky fourth-down gamble, allowing Peyton Manning to hit Reggie Wayne in the end zone for the winning score with 13 seconds left.

On Nov. 8 against Houston, Kris Brown missed a potential tying 42-yard field goal as time expired and the Colts hung on for a 20-17 win.

"We certainly feel we've developed a pretty solid mental toughness," Indianapolis first-year coach Jim Caldwell said. "Hopefully, it's going to serve us down the road and make us continue to get better. Hopefully we can benefit from it."

Houston hasn't had the same luck as Indianapolis.

The Texans (5-5) entered the Nov. 8 matchup riding a three-game winning streak and in the thick of the playoff picture, but they've lost their last two by identical 20-17 scores sandwiched around a bye week.

Similar to the loss to the Colts, Brown missed a potential tying 49-yard attempt with 1 second remaining Monday night against Tennessee.

"We know what kind of capabilities we have, and this is a very young, good football team," said linebacker Brian Cushing, who leads the Texans and all rookies with 88 tackles. "It's just been so disappointing with the way we've lost games, but it happens. We are not going to sulk."

The Texans know they'll probably have to win a majority of their last six games to secure their first playoff berth in eight seasons.

"We just need to win," said receiver Andre Johnson, who had 10 catches for 103 yards against the Colts earlier this month. "That's all that matters. If we win the rest of our games, we get in. If we don't we will be packing our bags at the end of the season again. I don't really think about (playoffs), we just have to win."

Getting a win against Indianapolis might not be that easy, considering the Colts are 14-1 versus the Texans.

Manning, who has topped 3,000 yards for a 12th consecutive season - second to Brett Favre's 17 - has been stellar in those 15 games. The three-time league MVP has thrown for 4,177 yards with 34 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Like the Colts, Houston's offense also relies heavily on the passing game. Matt Schaub, who has a career-best 19 touchdown passes, threw for 305 yards and two TDs last week for his sixth 300-yard game.

With these two strong-armed quarterbacks paired with sputtering ground games, both teams will likely try to move the ball through the air.

The Texans rank 30th in the NFL with 87.4 rushing yards per game, one spot ahead of the Colts (85.0).

Oh, how I wanted to pick the Chiefs to make it three in a row. I would have, if I thought they could cover the basketball team known as the San Diego receiver group. Vincent Jackson, Malcom Floyd, Kassim Osgood, Antonio Gates ??? it's an NBA team, a bunch of 6-foot-5 athletes with great hands.

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 06:00PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 06:00PM

The last time San Diego faced Kansas City, the Chargers were in desperate need of an AFC West victory.

When San Diego hosts the Chiefs on Sunday, it will look to continue its push for a fourth consecutive division title.

The Chargers try to win their sixth straight overall and fifth in a row over Kansas City, which is attempting to notch three consecutive victories for the first time in three years.

Coming off a 34-23 loss to Denver six days earlier that dropped it 3 1/2 games behind the Broncos for the West lead, San Diego (7-3) routed Kansas City 37-7 at Arrowhead Stadium on Oct. 25.

"Hopefully, this is something we can build on," Philip Rivers said after throwing for 268 yards and three touchdowns in that victory.

The Chargers have since gone undefeated, winning 32-3 last Sunday in Denver to move atop the division.

Rivers completed 17 of 22 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown, LaDainian Tomlinson and Mike Tolbert each ran for a score and the defense forced three turnovers and had three sacks in what coach Norv Turner called the team's most complete effort of the season.

"The best thing about it is that we're not anywhere near where we can be," said Turner, whose team looks for its first six-game winning streak since the end of the 2007 regular season.

San Diego, though, is not about to overlook the 3-7 Chiefs, who beat Pittsburgh 27-24 in overtime last week.

"For Pittsburgh to go in there and lose to Kansas City, that's a real eye opener to everybody in the NFL," offensive tackle Marcus McNeill told the Chargers' official Web site. "It doesn't matter who you play. You've got to come to play. We're on a little streak right now and we want to keep it going."

So do the Chiefs, who look for their first three-game winning streak since Oct. 22-Nov. 5, 2006.

"A lot of hard work has gone into it and our coaches and players and everybody has really bought in," said rookie Ryan Succop, who kicked the winning field goal against the Steelers.

That includes veteran wide receiver Chris Chambers, who caught four passes for a season-high 119 yards. His 61-yard reception in overtime set up the winning kick.

"I think the feeling is definitely good, the confidence is starting to build a little bit," said Chambers, who will face the Chargers for the first time since they waived him Nov. 2.

Chambers' production comes at a good time for Kansas City, as leading receiver Dwayne Bowe will serve the second of his four-game suspension Sunday for violating the league's policy against performance-enhancing substances.

Without Bowe, Matt Cassell looks to build on a solid second half last Sunday when he threw a pair of TDs, including a 2-yarder to running back Jamaal Charles with 4:54 left in regulation that made it 24-all.

"I've got to hand it to him, the kid's a fighter," coach Todd Haley said of Cassell, who threw for 97 yards with a career-high three interceptions last month against San Diego.

Charles returned six kicks for 147 yards in that game and had 158 return yards last week, including a 97-yard TD on the opening kickoff for the Chiefs' first kickoff return for a score in four years.

Charles will face a San Diego rush defense that is 21st in the league, allowing 118.5 yards per game.

Tomlinson, who has rushed for five touchdowns in the last four weeks, will be running behind newly signed right tackle Jon Runyan after Jeromey Clary (ankle) was placed on injured reserve.

Chargers cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who picked off his team-leading third pass last Sunday, is under investigation for assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly hitting someone in the head with a champagne bottle at a San Diego bar early Monday morning.

Cromartie, who is expected to play this week, posted the following message on his Twitter account in response to the allegations: "I want to apologize to charger nation and my fans. There's sum stuff out abt me that's not true. It will come out. God Bless."

Aubrayo Franklin and Isaac Sapoaga over Maurice Jones-Drew. MJD held to 43 total yards, and the 49ers advance to 5-6. They've got a wild-card pulse.

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 11:20PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 11:20PM

Jacksonville's last trip to the West Coast more than a month ago proved to be a turning point in its season.

A more confident team since then, the Jaguars look for a fourth straight victory when they again head west to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Even before they took the field, the Jaguars (6-4) should have known their trip to Seattle on Oct. 11 wouldn't be a good one.

Defensive end Quentin Groves caused a three-car accident on his way to the airport, missed the charter flight and got fined by coach Jack Del Rio. Receiver Mike Sims-Walker missed curfew before the game and got benched. On the field, David Garrard was sacked five times and Jacksonville lost 41-0 for its most lopsided defeat in Del Rio's seven seasons.

Since then, the Jaguars have climbed back into AFC wild-card contention after winning four of five, including three straight over Kansas City, the New York Jets and Buffalo - teams currently on the outside of the playoff picture.

"Everybody makes mistakes,'' said running back Maurice Jones-Drew, who called out the team and questioned play-calling, personnel decisions and the offense's identity after the loss in Seattle. "We learn from our mistakes.''

Jacksonville is facing San Francisco (4-6) for the first time since a 10-9 home win Dec. 18, 2008. The Jaguars are 2-0 all-time against the 49ers, but have never played at Candlestick Park.

San Francisco has dropped five of its last six, including a 30-24 defeat at Green Bay last Sunday.

After winning their last three games by a combined eight points and their last two on the final drive, the Jaguars aren't going to take another opponent with a losing record lightly.

"We're not content, we're not comfortable," said Sims-Walker, who has 47 receptions for 694 yards and six TDs. "We know we still have a lot of work to put in and a lot of work to do to reach the playoffs. We've got to keep fighting. We're not letting up at all.''

One week after Garrard drove the Jaguars down the field to set up Josh Scobee's game-winning 21-yard field goal in a 24-22 victory over the Jets, he guided them 68 yards and hit Sims-Walker for a 3-yard touchdown pass with 56 seconds left to beat Buffalo 18-15 last Sunday.

Jones-Drew rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. His 13th TD tied a career high set in 2006. Jones-Drew has run for at least one touchdown in five straight games and has scored 25 times on the ground since the beginning of the 2008 season - the most among AFC players.

The Jaguars' star running back should pose a serious challenge for the 49ers, who gave up 129 yards on the ground to Green Bay's Ryan Grant last week - a below-average effort for a defense that ranks sixth in the league with 94.7 rushing yards allowed per contest.

Despite his team's decline since a 3-1 start, San Francisco coach Mike Singletary still believes the 49ers can challenge for a playoff spot.

"At the very start of the season, our goal was to win enough games to go to the playoffs. That is still our goal. That will not change,'' said Singletary, whose club's last four losses have been by a combined 20 points. "We're a team, in my mind, good enough to do that. We're running out of games, and we're running out of time.''

Inconsistency on the offensive side of the ball continues to plague the 49ers.

After squeaking out a 10-6 win over Chicago on Nov. 12, San Francisco scored 21 second-half points to rally from a 23-3 deficit before falling short against the Packers.

Frank Gore rushed seven times for 59 yards and caught a TD pass last weekend, giving him a touchdown in four straight games. Gore, who's rushed for 610 yards this season, ran the ball 19 times for 79 yards in his only game against Jacksonville in 2005.

Alex Smith threw three of his nine touchdown passes last Sunday, but was also intercepted to increase his season total to seven.

Hines Ward, James Harrison and James Farrior have circled the wagons this week in Pittsburgh. Last year, when the veterans drew a line in the sand and said Baltimore's not crossing over, the Steelers beat Baltimore by 3, 4 and 9 points. I respect Baltimore resiliency, but I like Pittsburgh's players better, even in the killer Maryland venue. The one thing I know about this game is that midway through the third quarter, after Ray Lewis knocks Rashard Mendenhall into next week, Dick Ebersol's going to be in the NBC truck, smiling, and thinking, "Thank God I didn't flex out of this game.''

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 04:43PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 04:43PM

The last time the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens met, a place in the Super Bowl was at stake. This time, the matchup could play a big role in which team reaches the postseason.

The AFC North rivals meet Sunday night in Baltimore with neither in first place, both searching for answers and Ben Roethlisberger expected to start for the Steelers despite his fourth concussion since 2006.

Pittsburgh (6-4) beat Baltimore (5-5) three times in 2008 en route to its record sixth Super Bowl title, and its 23-14 win in the AFC title game may have been the most bruising encounter of the bunch. The defensive battle saw each team punt seven times, with the Steelers putting the game out of reach with Troy Polamalu's 40-yard interception return for a touchdown with 4:24 left.

Both teams trail North leader Cincinnati, which is 7-3. These clubs meet twice in the next five weeks and the stakes are completely different less than 10 months since they last played.

That doesn't change anyone's expectation of a hard-hitting, tightly contested matchup.

"The way we play each other, it's always a physical ballgame, it's always going to come down to one of the last plays," Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. "It's just the way it is."

Baltimore failed to score an offensive touchdown for the second straight game last Sunday, falling 17-15 to unbeaten Indianapolis. Pittsburgh's loss last Sunday was much more surprising, blowing a 10-point lead in a 27-24 overtime defeat to a Kansas City team which entered with a 2-7 record.

The Steelers' second consecutive loss and the Ravens' fourth in six games helped jumble the AFC playoff picture, and has added fuel to this edition of the rivalry.

"You know it's fireworks every time we play these guys, we're excited about preparing for them," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "You know they're a similar team that we remember competing against. They can say similar things that we're saying, that they're a 5-5 team and not happy with where they are."

Tomlin expects to start Roethlisberger after the quarterback's head inadvertently struck the knee of the Chiefs' Derrick Johnson while he was being dropped for a 1-yard loss in overtime last week. Roethlisberger needs to pass post-concussion tests.

"It could be characterized as a mild concussion, but I hesitate to use the word mild because concussions are not anything to be taken mildly," Tomlin said. "We're proceeding with caution. ... If any symptoms re-occur, or he feels less than fine, we're going to act appropriately."

It's unlikely Polamalu will play, although he hasn't been ruled out after missing last week's loss with his second knee injury of the season. Pittsburgh is 2-3 without him, and the five-time Pro Bowl safety saw action for only a few plays in an 18-12 loss to the Bengals on Nov. 15.

The Ravens also have a big injury concern on defense. It's unclear if three-time Pro Bowl linebacker Terrell Suggs will return after sitting out last week, missing his first NFL game in seven years due to a sprained knee.

His absence would only benefit Roethlisberger, who was sacked 10 times in three games against Baltimore last season.

As important as protecting their quarterback may be, the Steelers may be more concerned with their poor special teams play. They have allowed an NFL-high four kick-return touchdowns in their last five games after surrendering one on the opening kickoff last week.

Since 1994, the only other team to allow as many kickoff-return scores in a single season was the Minnesota Vikings, who gave up four in 1998.

"Five touchdowns on special teams coupled with 25th in the league in turnover ratio will make a team that's capable of moving the ball and stopping people 6-4," Tomlin said.

Baltimore is seeking to revive a struggling offense that has produced one touchdown in the last three games. Joe Flacco has gone three straight games without a touchdown pass for the first time in his career after throwing for 256 yards - 142 to Derrick Mason - in last week's loss.

Getting untracked against the Steelers' top-ranked defense won't be easy for the Ravens, whose losses have all come against current division leaders.

"These losses have been against teams that are quality football teams," coach John Harbaugh said. "Call them elite football teams in the league, but we aspire to that."

Flacco had one touchdown, five interceptions and a 44.9 completion percentage while getting sacked 10 times in the three losses to Pittsburgh last season.

Slightly alarming trend: Pats have been outscored in the second half of their three losses 47-10. More alarming trend Monday night: Drew Brees has about 11 favorite receivers. There can't be too much hype for this game. It's going to be really good. Gregg Williams is going to have to be really good to put his beat-up secondary in position to make enough plays against the great Brady to win.

Posted: Wednesday November, 2009 09:08PM, Updated: Wednesday November, 2009 09:08PM

The New Orleans Saints' bid for a 16-0 regular season is about to face its toughest test yet - the only team in NFL history to accomplish the feat.

The high-powered Saints put their perfect record on the line Monday night in the Superdome against a New England Patriots club that nearly knocked off the league's other unbeaten two weeks ago.

The Saints have steamrolled through the league while winning their first 10 games, averaging 36.9 points behind quarterback Drew Brees and a dynamic offense that's seen 12 different players score touchdowns.

Such a run might seem unprecedented if it hadn't been done even better two short years ago. The 2007 Patriots also opened 10-0 while averaging an almost unfathomable 41.1 points. They went on to achieve the NFL's only perfect 16-game regular season, though their run ultimately ended with bitter disappointment and a 17-14 Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.

While New England completed its unbeaten regular season, it also provided a cautionary tale on how difficult that feat is to achieve. The Patriots blew out their first 10 opponents by an average of 24.4 points, but that margin dwindled to 10.2 over the final six weeks with three of those contests decided by only a field goal.

A similar struggle could be in store for this year's Saints, who have taken advantage of opponents with a combined 37-63 record but must face New England (7-3) and NFC East-leading Dallas before season's end.

"We can learn a little bit from them and what happened to them and know you can't take any game lightly,'' said Saints running back Reggie Bush, who expects to play Monday after sitting out last week's 38-7 win at Tampa Bay due to swelling in his left knee.

"Any given Sunday you can be beat by any team no matter what the record is. We're finding ways to win and no matter how much you win by or how (little) you win by, a win is a win in this league. ... Even the worst team in the league has great all-star players.''

The Patriots have more great players than most, especially on offense. Tom Brady has hit his stride after missing nearly all of last season due to knee surgery, exceeding 300 passing yards in each of his last five games while throwing for 14 touchdowns in that span. While Randy Moss has drawn much of the coverage from opposing defenses, fellow wideout Wes Welker has taken advantage by catching a league-leading 79 passes despite sitting out two September games with a knee injury.

In last week's 31-14 victory over the New York Jets, Welker caught 15 passes for 192 yards - both career highs.

"We play those guys straight up but their one-two punch got the best of us,'' Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis said. "On one play, (Welker) did a triple move that was crazy, man. He's great."

The Saints' offense is also great, with depth a major reason for its success. Running backs Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell have rushed for more than 500 yards apiece, while Bush has scored five TDs and is averaging 5.0 yards per carry as a change-of-pace option. Leading the entire unit, Brees has thrown touchdowns to nine different receivers including six scoring passes apiece to wideouts Marques Colston and Robert Meachem.

"One of the things that our quarterback does well is read defenses and recognizes the weaknesses of defenses,'' New Orleans head coach Sean Payton said. "We've had to insert some players in because of injury, and some of those guys have stepped up. ... A number of receivers have gotten their hands on balls.''

Though New Orleans is trying to establish itself among the NFL's elite and the Patriots have won three Super Bowls this decade, New England may also enter this contest feeling the need to prove itself. The Patriots nearly dealt Indianapolis - the NFL's other 10-0 team - its lone defeat two weeks ago, but squandered a 17-point fourth-quarter lead in a 35-34 loss marked by coach Bill Belichick's failed fourth-and-2 gamble with two minutes remaining.

Perhaps the Patriots will be inspired by returning to the site of one of their greatest triumphs. This will be New England's first game in the Superdome since beating St. Louis in 2002 for its first Super Bowl title on Adam Vinatieri's last-second field goal.

"You never forget that day,'' Brady said. "That was pretty unbelievable for all of us. A lot of us you know, your first chance to play in a Super Bowl and winning the Super Bowl, and of course the circumstances of that year with 9-11 happening and U2 performing at halftime - that was pretty unbelievable.''

The underdog Patriots may have been fan favorites on that day, but they know this time the sell-out crowd will be loudly cheering its beloved Saints, who may be poised for their first Super Bowl run.

"You can just tell by the fans how badly they want it,'' said Patriots running back and Louisiana native Kevin Faulk. "They always did love the Saints. They just didn't have enough to cheer for.''

New England is 4-0 in its regular-season visits to the Superdome, and 8-3 against the Saints overall including victories in the last three meetings.