TODAY'S MATCHUPS

BUFFALO (6-7) at TENNESSEE (9-4)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Titans lead 23-16. Last meeting: Bills beat Titans 16-13 on Sept. 3, 2000, at Buffalo.
Last week: Bills beat Jets 17-6. Titans lost to Colts 29-27.
Key matchup: Bills T Marques Sullivan vs. Titans DE Jevon Kearse. Sullivan and Bills have allowed 38 sacks this season, tied for most in NFL. They will have to contain Kearse, who enters with 91/2 sacks, leading Titans' pass rush that is tied for fifth in NFL with 33.
MINNESOTA (8-5) at CHICAGO (5-8)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Vikings lead 46-37-2. Last meeting: Vikings beat Bears 24-13 on Sept. 14 at Minnesota.
Last week: Vikings beat Seahawks 34-7. Bears lost to Packers 34-21.
Key matchup: Vikings WR Randy Moss vs. Chicago secondary. Moss has 90 catches for 1,372 yards this season, second in NFL in each category to Rams WR Torry Holt. He also has 13 TD receptions to lead league. Bears' pass defense has allowed just 186.9 yards per game, and CB Charles Tillman is tied for rookie lead with three INTs.
ATLANTA (3-10) at INDIANAPOLIS (10-3)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Colts lead 11-1. Last meeting: Colts beat Falcons 41-27 on Dec. 16, 2001, at Indianapolis.
Last week: Falcons beat Panthers 20-14 in OT. Colts beat Titans 29-27.
Key matchup: Falcons QB Michael Vick vs. Colts QB Peyton Manning. Manning needs two TDs to become first QB in NFL history with 25 in six straight seasons. His 97.4 passer rating is second in league. Vick made first start of season in last week's win, throwing for 179 yards and rushing for 141.
SEATTLE (8-5) at ST. LOUIS (10-3)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Rams lead 6-4. Last meeting: Seahawks beat Rams 24-23 on Sept. 21 at Seattle.
Last week: Seahawks lost to Vikings 34-7. Rams beat Browns 26-20.
Key matchup: Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander vs. Rams RB Marshall Faulk. Seahawks have won 11 of Alexander's 13 career 100-yard games. They may try to establish running game early in effort to keep Rams' offense -- which leads NFC with 373 points -- off field. Faulk has 127 TDs, four behind Cris Carter for fourth all-time. Last season, Faulk scored four TDs and rushed for 183 yards in Rams' 37-20 win over Seahawks.
DETROIT (4-9) at KANSAS CITY (11-2)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Chiefs lead series 6-3. Last meeting: Chiefs beat Lions 31-21 on Sept. 26, 1999, at Kansas City.
Last week: Lions lost to Chargers 14-7. Chiefs lost to Broncos 45-27.
Key matchup: Lions vs. Arrowhead Stadium. Loss to Chiefs would be Lions' 23rd straight road setback, tying NFL record. Chiefs are looking to set team mark for consecutive home victories with 12. Lions' last road win came Dec. 17, 2000, against Jets. Their road skid is tied with Bills (1983-86) for second longest in NFL history, one shy of Oilers' 23 straight from 1981-84.
HOUSTON (5-8) at TAMPA BAY (6-7)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: First meeting. Last meeting: First meeting.
Last week: Texans lost to Jaguars 27-0. Buccaneers beat Saints 14-7.
Key matchup: Texans T Chester Pitts vs. Buccaneers DE Simeon Rice. Pitts has played every offensive play for Texans since team's inception. Rice has 15 sacks for third time in career and leads NFL; he needs just two more to set career high. Texans allowed QB David Carr to be sacked league-record 76 times last season, but have improved in 2003, yielding just 30 sacks.
SAN FRANCISCO (6-7)at CINCINNATI (7-6)
Time: 1 p.m.
TV: WYFX (17/62), WJW (8).
Series history: 49ers lead 9-2. Last meeting: Bengals beat 49ers 44-30 on Dec. 5, 1999, at Cincinnati.
Last week: 49ers beat Cardinals 50-14. Bengals lost to Ravens 31-13.
Key matchup: 49ers' secondary vs. Bengals WRs Chad Johnson and Peter Warrick. 49ers DB Tony Parrish has INT in five straight games, one short of Kermit Alexander's team record. He'll look to continue streak against offense that has had surprising success passing.
JACKSONVILLE (4-9)at NEW ENGLAND (11-2)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Patriots lead 3-1. Last meeting: Jaguars beat Patriots 25-10 on Jan. 3, 1999, in AFC wild-card game at Jacksonville.
Last week: Jaguars beat Texans 27-0. Patriots beat Dolphins 12-0.
Key matchup: Jaguars RB Fred Taylor vs. Patriots' front seven. Taylor is fifth in AFC with 1,200 yards rushing and tied for fifth among RBs with 41 receptions. If Jaguars are to pull upset, Taylor will need to run effectively against Patriots, who allow just 90.1 yards per game on ground.
BALTIMORE (8-5) at OAKLAND (3-10)
Time: 4:05 p.m.
Series history: Ravens lead 3-0. Last meeting: Ravens beat Raiders 16-3 on Jan. 14, 2001, in AFC championship game at Oakland.
Last week: Ravens beat Bengals 31-13. Raiders lost to Steelers 27-7.
Key matchup: Ravens K Matt Stover vs. Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski. Two of NFL's best kickers face off. Stover has made 29 of 31 FGs and all 29 PATs for 116 points, third most in league. Janikowski has made 19 of 20 FGs inside 50 yards.
DALLAS (8-5) at WASHINGTON (5-8)
Time: 4:15 p.m.
TV: WYFX (17/62), WJW (8).
Series history: Cowboys lead 51-34-2. Last meeting: Cowboys beat Redskins 21-14 on Nov. 2 at Dallas.
Last week: Cowboys lost to Eagles 36-10. Redskins beat Giants 20-7.
Key matchup: Cowboys' pass rush vs. Redskins' offensive line. In first meeting, Redskins QB Patrick Ramsey was battered by Cowboys, leaving twice with injuries to non-throwing hand and forcing backup Tim Hasselbeck to throw for first time in NFL career.
CAROLINA (8-5) at ARIZONA (3-10)
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Series history: Cardinals lead 2-1. Last meeting: Cardinals beat Panthers 16-13 on Oct. 6, 2002, at Carolina.
Last week: Panthers lost to Falcons 20-14 in OT. Cardinals lost to 49ers 50-14.
Key matchup: Panthers' secondary vs. Cardinals QB Josh McCown. The favored Panthers will face relatively unknown commodity in McCown, expected to make first NFL start. In last week's blowout loss, he threw first two TDs of career and finished 11-of-20 for 120 yards.
GREEN BAY (7-6) at SAN DIEGO (3-10)
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Series history: Packers lead 6-1. Last meeting: Packers beat Chargers 31-3 on Oct. 24, 1999, at San Diego.
Last week: Packers beat Bears 34-21. Chargers beat Lions 14-7.
Key matchup: Packers RB Ahman Green vs. Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson. AFC's leader in total yards from scrimmage, Tomlinson has 1,260 rushing and 556 receiving. Green leads NFC in TDs and is trying to hold off Saints' Deuce McAllister for conference lead in rushing -- Green's 1,463 yards put him one ahead of McAllister.
N.Y. GIANTS (4-9)at NEW ORLEANS (6-7)
Time: 8:30 p.m.
TV/radio: ESPN; WBBW-AM (1240).
Series history: Giants lead 13-8. Last meeting: Giants beat Saints 21-13 on Sept. 30, 2001, at New York.
Last week: Giants lost to Redskins 20-7. Saints lost to Buccaneers 14-7.
Key matchup: Giants QB Kerry Collins vs. the end of his consecutive start streak. Eliminated from playoff contention, Giants have dropped five straight for longest losing streak since seven in a row in 1994. Collins, who sprained ankle in third quarter of last week's loss, did not return. Collins is listed as doubtful.
-- Associated Press