NFL MATCHUPS Today's games

CHICAGO (3-5) at DETROIT (2-6)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Bears lead 83-59-5. Last meeting: Bears beat Lions 24-16 on Oct. 26 at Chicago.
Last week: Bears beat Chargers 20-7. Lions beat Raiders 23-13.
Key matchup: Bears' kickoff return team vs. Lions' kickoff return team. Lions boast NFC's second-best return unit, and Bears rank fourth. In teams' last meeting, Jerry Azumah broke 89-yard TD return for Bears to open second half, and Reggie Swinton later answered for Lions with 96-yard TD return. Azumah leads NFL with 30.2-yard average.
MIAMI (5-3) at TENNESSEE (6-2)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Dolphins lead 15-12. Last meeting: Dolphins beat Titans 31-23 on Sept. 9, 2001, at Tennessee.
Last week: Dolphins lost to Colts 23-17. Titans had bye, beat Jaguars 30-17 in Week 8.
Key matchup: Dolphins RB Ricky Williams vs. Titans' front seven. Williams, 2002 NFL rushing champion, was held to 36 yards Last week: his fifth straight game below 100. He'll try to get back on track against stingy Titans, who have given up league-best 75.4 yards per game on ground. Titans haven't allowed 100-yard rusher in 24 straight home games, longest active streak in NFL.
ATLANTA (1-7) at N. Y. GIANTS (4-4)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Falcons lead 8-7. Last meeting: Falcons beat Giants 17-10 on Oct. 13, 2002, at New York.
Last week: Falcons lost to Eagles 23-16. Giants beat Jets 31-28 in OT.
Key matchup: Falcons TE Alge Crumpler vs. Giants TE Jeremy Shockey. Game features two of league's best at their position. Shockey leads NFL TEs with 45 receptions and 489 yards receiving. Crumpler has seven catches of 20-plus yards, most among NFC TEs. He is on pace for 48 receptions, which would break Junior Miller's team record for position.
SEATTLE (6-2) at WASHINGTON (3-5)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Redskins lead 7-4. Last meeting: Redskins beat Seahawks 14-3 on Nov. 3, 2002, at Seattle.
Last week: Seahawks beat Steelers 23-16. Redskins lost to Cowboys 21-14.
Key matchup: Redskins QB Patrick Ramsey vs. the trainer's room. Ramsey hasn't gone start-to-finish for three straight games. He had to leave last week's loss to Cowboys twice because of injuries to non-throwing arm and has taken 26 of Redskins' league-high 29 sacks allowed. Priority No. 1 for Redskins is keeping him in one piece for entire game. Seahawks LB Chad Brown is coming off two-sack performance last week and leads team with four.
HOUSTON (3-5) at CINCINNATI (3-5)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Bengals lead 1-0. Last meeting: Bengals beat Texans 38-3 on Nov. 3, 2002, at Houston.
Last week: Texans beat Panthers 14-10. Bengals lost to Cardinals 17-14.
Key matchup: Bengals WR Chad Johnson vs. Texans CBs Aaron Glenn and Marcus Coleman. Johnson is averaging 18.4 yards per catch and ranks second in AFC with 718 yards receiving. He also leads NFL with five catches of 40-plus yards. Coleman, tied for third in AFC with four INTs, and Glenn will have their hands full as NFL's 30th-ranked pass defense tries to contain Johnson.
TAMPA BAY (4-4) at CAROLINA (6-2)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Buccaneers lead 4-2. Last meeting: Panthers beat Buccaneers 12-9 in OT on Sept. 14 at Tampa Bay.
Last week: Buccaneers lost to Saints 17-14. Panthers lost to Texans 14-10.
Key matchup: Buccaneers K Martin Gramatica vs. Panthers DT Kris Jenkins. Gramatica is just 6-of-12 on field goals this year. In teams' first meeting, he had three kicks blocked, two by Jenkins, including PAT that would have won it. Gramatica was 129-for-129 on PATs for his career before Jenkins' block. Opponents have averaged just 14.3 points per game against Buccaneers and 17.4 against Panthers, so this could be another low-scoring game decided by special teams.
INDIANAPOLIS (7-1)at JACKSONVILLE (1-7)
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Colts lead 5-0. Last meeting: Colts beat Jaguars 23-13 on Sept. 21 at Indianapolis.
Last week: Colts beat Dolphins 23-17. Jaguars lost to Ravens 24-17.
Key matchup: Colts QB Peyton Manning vs. Jaguars RB Fred Taylor. Manning is major reason Colts have never lost to Jaguars. In four wins, he has 111.9 passer rating. Taylor rushed for season-high 126 yards against Colts in Week 3, and he'll be counted on to help keep Manning on sidelines as Jaguars try to control line of scrimmage. Colts' run defense has allowed 120.5 yards per game.
MINNESOTA (6-2) at SAN DIEGO (1-7)
Time: 4:05 p.m.
TV: WJW (8).
Series history: Tied 4-4. Last meeting: Vikings beat Chargers 35-27 on Nov. 28, 1999, at Minnesota.
Last week: Vikings lost to Packers 30-27. Chargers lost to Bears 20-7.
Key matchup: Vikings WR Randy Moss vs. entire San Diego receiving corps. Moss has nine TD catches this season, one more than Chargers' whole team. Chargers WR David Boston started slowly and has just 33 receptions. RB LaDainian Tomlinson is third in AFC with 47 catches, but Chargers will hope for more production from Boston and rest of receivers.
BUFFALO (4-4) at DALLAS (6-2)
Time: 4:15 p.m.
TV: WKBN (27), WOIO (19), KDKA (2).
Series history: Cowboys lead 5-3. Last meeting: Bills beat Cowboys 10-7 on Sept. 22, 1996, at Buffalo.
Last week: Bills had bye, lost to Chiefs 38-5 in Week 8. Cowboys beat Redskins 21-14.
Key matchup: Bills RB Travis Henry vs. Cowboys RB Troy Hambrick. With nine TDs, Henry is second in AFC in scoring among non-kickers. He'll go against defense for Cowboys that has allowed just one 100-yard rusher in last 13 games. Surprising Hambrick has 544 yards rushing. He lost two fumbles last week in win over Redskins, but made up for it with two TDs and 100 yards rushing. Hambrick needs 36 more yards on ground to pass his career high, set in 2001.
N. Y. JETS (2-6) at OAKLAND (2-6)
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Series history: Raiders lead 21-13-2. Last meeting: Raiders beat Jets 30-10 on Jan. 12 at Oakland in AFC divisional playoff game.
Last week: Jets lost to Giants 31-28 in OT. Raiders lost to Lions 23-13.
Key matchup: Jets QB Chad Pennington vs. Raiders CB Charles Woodson. After controversy-filled weekend in which he criticized coach Bill Callahan, Woodson will look to have big game against Jets. Neither team figures to run much: Raiders rank last in NFL with 168 rushing attempts, and Jets are 29th with 198. Pennington, who missed first two months of season after breaking wrist, threw for 281 yards and four TDs last weekend in first start. His performance could determine who wins battle of pass-happy offenses.
BALTIMORE (5-3) at ST. LOUIS (5-3)
Time: 8:30 p.m.
TV/radio: ESPN, WBBW-AM (1240).
Series history: Tied 1-1. Last meeting: Rams beat Ravens 27-10 on Sept. 12, 1999, at St. Louis.
Last week: Ravens beat Jaguars 24-17. Rams lost to 49ers 30-10.
Key matchup: Ravens RB Jamal Lewis vs. Rams RB Marshall Faulk. With 1,045 yards, Lewis is only player in NFL to surpass 1,000 through Week 9. But he could be overshadowed by return of Faulk, who hasn't played in Rams' last five games because of broken left hand and injured right knee that required arthroscopic surgery. Rams went 4-1 without Faulk, thanks greatly to QB Marc Bulger (298 yards passing per game). Now, Faulk will return and try to bolster team's 30th-ranked running game.
-- Associated Press