NFL PREVIEW \ Sunday's games

CLEVELAND at CINCINNATI
Time: 1 p.m.
TV/radio: WKBN (27), WOIO (19), WKBN-AM (570), WNCD-FM (93.3)
Series history: Browns lead 33-29. Browns beat Bengals 34-17 on Oct. 17 at Cleveland.
Key matchup: Browns MLB Andra Davis vs. Bengals RB Rudi Johnson. Last week, the Jets ground down the Browns' defense as backup RB LaMont Jordan rushed for 61 yards in fourth quarter. Johnson, who has 847 yards rushing, is on pace for first 1,000-yard season. Cincinnati's workhorse is fourth in NFL with 222 carries. Browns allow 119.5 yards rushing per game.
Streaks, stats and notes: Browns have won past two games in Cincinnati. ... Bengals CB Tory James is tied for NFL lead with six INTs, including two off Browns QB Jeff Garcia in October. ... Bengals have plus-7 turnover differential. Browns are minus-7. ... Browns TE Aaron Shea has four TDs receiving. Ozzie Newsome was last Cleveland TE to have five in a season in 1985. Shea sold his uniform No. 80 to rookie TE Kellen Winslow Jr. in September, before Winslow was lost for the season with broken leg.
WASHINGTON at PITTSBURGH
Time: 1 p.m.
TV/radio: WYFX (17/62), WBBG-FM (106.1)
Series history: Redskins lead 42-29-3. Steelers beat Redskins 24-3 on Dec. 16, 2000, at Pittsburgh.
Key matchup: Redskins' front seven vs. Steelers RBs Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley. Subbing for injured Staley last week, Bettis ran for over 100 yards for third consecutive game. Relegated to goal-line duty earlier in the season, Bettis is still fresh. He's tied for second in NFL with 10 TDs rushing. Redskins allow just 89.7 yards rushing per game, third best in league, and have allowed only five TDs. With WR Plaxico Burress (hamstring) out, Steelers will be dependent on workhorse RBs. Staley (hamstring) hasn't practiced since Nov. 4, but could start Sunday.
Streaks, stats and notes: With win, Steelers would be 10-1 for first time since 1975, when they won their second Super Bowl. ... Redskins last won in Pittsburgh in 1991. ... Steelers LB Kendrell Bell (groin) and DL Brett Keisel (hamstring) are out with injuries. ... Redskins haven't scored more than 18 points in game all season. ... Redskins QB Patrick Ramsey, who has played in only three games this year, has passer rating of 50.5. Steelers rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger is 8-0 as a starter and is third in AFC with 101.6 rating.
TENNESSEE at HOUSTON
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Titans lead 4-1. Texans beat Titans 20-10 on Oct. 17 at Tennessee.
Key matchup: Titans' wounded secondary vs. Texans WR Andre Johnson. Titans DB Andre Woolfolk had wrist surgery and is done for year. Rookie safety Justin Sandy broke his ankle last week. CB Samari Rolle had to leave last week's game with knee problem. Johnson leads NFL with 15 receptions of 20 yards or more, and excels at gaining yards after catch. He leads AFC with 859 yards receiving.
PHILADELPHIA at NEW YORK GIANTS
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Giants lead 75-64-2. Eagles beat Giants 31-17 on Sept. 12 at Philadelphia.
Key matchup: Eagles DE Jevon Kearse vs. Giants QB Eli Manning. Manning, who showed signs of promise in second half of first NFL start last week, will have to contend with Eagles' pass rush. Eagles have 29 sacks, tied for third in league, and Kearse leads charge with seven. Although Manning was sacked only once last week by Atlanta's potent rush, Giants have allowed 41 sacks, most in NFL.
SAN DIEGO at KANSAS CITY
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Chiefs lead 47-40-1. Chiefs beat Chargers 28-24 on Nov. 30, 2003, at San Diego.
Key matchup: Chargers TE Antonio Gates vs. Chiefs SS Greg Wesley and FS Jerome Woods. Gates has emerged as favorite target of young QB Drew Brees. Gates is tied for NFL lead with 62 receptions and is tied for AFC lead with nine TDs receiving. Chiefs have one of NFL's most generous secondaries, allowing 243.2 yards receiving per game and total of 18 TDs.
TAMPA BAY at CAROLINA
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Buccaneers lead 4-3. Panthers beat Buccaneers 27-24 on Nov. 9, 2003, at Carolina.
Key matchup: Buccaneers RT Kenyatta Walker vs. Panthers LDE Julius Peppers. Peppers is tied for seventh in NFL with eight sacks on team that has just 19 for season. Buccaneers have allowed 29 sacks this season, eighth most in league. Peppers was taken No. 2 overall in 2002 draft and went on to win defensive rookie of the year honors. He had two sacks last week and will be looking for fourth consecutive multi-sack game.
JACKSONVILLE at MINNESOTA
Time: 1 p.m.
Series history: Tied 1-1. Jaguars beat Vikings 33-3 on Dec. 23, 2001, at Minnesota.
Key matchup: Jaguars QB Byron Leftwich vs. Vikings WR Randy Moss. Both teams' offensive stars may return to action after injuries. Moss (hamstring) made two token appearances without catching pass and did not dress for last three games, but is still tied for third in NFC with eight TD receptions. Without Leftwich (knee), Jaguars passed for 299 yards in last two games. Leftwich had been averaging 237 yards passing per game.
NEW ORLEANS at ATLANTA
Time: 4:05 p.m.
Series history: Falcons lead 41-29. Saints beat Falcons 23-20 in OT on Nov. 16, 2003, at New Orleans.
Key matchup: Saints defensive coordinator Rick Venturi vs. Falcons offensive coordinator Greg Knapp. With versatile weapons such as QB Michael Vick, RB Warrick Dunn and TE Alge Crumpler, Knapp has numerous ways to attack porous New Orleans defense. Saints rank last in NFL in total defense, rushing defense, passing defense, yards allowed per play, and first downs allowed per game. Vick is team's leading rusher with 640 yards. Crumpler leads in receptions with 39, while Dunn has seven TDs.
BUFFALO at SEATTLE
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Series history: Seahawks lead 6-3. Seahawks beat Bills 23-20 on Nov. 18, 2001, at Buffalo.
Key matchup: Bills CBs Nate Clements and Terrence McGee vs. Seahawks WRs Jerry Rice and Darrell Jackson. Rice will take place of Koren Robinson, who was suspended for four games for violating NFL's substance-abuse policy. He scored first TD with Seattle last week. Jackson leads team with 51 receptions, 742 yards receiving and four TDs. Bills allow just 183.3 yards passing per game, sixth best in league. Clements returned punt for TD last week, while McGee has two kickoff return TDs this season.
NEW YORK JETS at ARIZONA
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Series history: Jets lead 3-2. Jets beat Cardinals 12-7 on Nov. 7, 1999, at Jets.
Key matchup: Jets RB Curtis Martin vs. Cardinals RB Emmitt Smith. Never in NFL history have two backs faced each other with as many combined yards rushing (30,817). Smith, the league's all-time leading rusher with 18,076, is third in NFC with eight TDs rushing. He hasn't had 10 in a season since 1999 with Dallas. Martin ranks third in NFL with 1,072 yards rushing this season, and sixth all-time with 12,741. He topped 1,000 for the season last week, joining Barry Sanders as only players in history to reach 1,000 in each of first 10 seasons.
MIAMI at SAN FRANCISCO
Time: 4:15 p.m.
Series history: 49ers lead 5-4. 49ers beat Dolphins 21-0 on Dec. 16, 2001, at San Francisco.
Key matchup: Dolphins P Matt Turk vs. 49ers P Andy Lee. In game featuring NFL only one-win teams, field position could make difference. Turk has punted 59 times, sixth most in league, while Lee is tied for seventh with 57. Turk has a better net average than the rookie Lee (37.0 to 35.2), while Lee is slightly better in gross average. Last week, Lee had 81-yard punt, longest in NFL this season.
BALTIMORE at NEW ENGLAND
Time: 4:15 p.m.
TV: WKBN (27), WOIO (19)
Series history: Patriots lead 2-0. Patriots beat Ravens 20-3 on Jan. 2, 2000, at New England.
Key matchup: Ravens' opportunistic defense vs. Patriots' steady offense. Ravens have surrendered fewest points in league (140). Patriots are averaging 32 points per game since their 21-game winning streak ended on Oct. 31. Certainly, Ravens needs to stop Patriots QB Tom Brady and rest of New England's efficient attack, but this matchup goes both ways. Ravens are 5-0 this season when their defense scores TD, and only 2-3 when relying on offense and special teams for all their points.
OAKLAND at DENVER
Time: 8:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Series history: Raiders lead 53-35-2. Broncos beat Raiders 31-3 on Oct. 17 at Oakland.
Key matchup: Raiders' front seven vs. Broncos RB Reuben Droughns. In last meeting, Droughns ran for 176 yards on 38 carries and one TD. In his last six games, he has rushed for more than 110 yards five times. Raiders allow 125.8 yards rushing per game, but hold opposing RBs to only 3.7 yards per carry. Droughns averages 4.9 yards per carry, fourth best in NFL among back with at least 100 carries.
Associated Press