PREVIEW | Today's games

JACKSONVILLE at CLEVELAND
Time: 1 p.m.TV/radio: (19), WKBN-AM (570)Key matchup: Jacksonville QB David Garrard vs. Cleveland defense. Garrard is set to make his fourth career start. He has completed 45 of 89 passes (50.6 percent) with two TDs and one interception in his other three starts. Last week, Garrard replaced Byron Leftwich in the first series. He wasn't sharp, but didn't have any turnovers as the Jaguars stayed in the playoff hunt with their fourth consecutive win, the first such streak since the 2000 season. Cleveland has the best red zone defense (45.5) in the AFC. Browns have given up just 15 touchdowns in 33 trips inside their 20.Streaks, stats and notes: Jacksonville's defense is allowing an AFC-low third-down conversion percentage of 30.9, second lowest in NFL. ... In three career games vs. Cleveland, RB Fred Taylor has five TDs rushing and 462 yards rushing (154.0 per game average). Taylor has not rushed for less than 136 vs. Browns ... Leftwich, the team's offensive captain, is the third Jaguars captain to be injured this season. Defensive captain Donovin Darius suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the second week of the season, while special teams captain Nick Sorensen was lost for the year following his broken ankle in November. ... Cleveland has the worst red zone offense in the AFC (26.9). Browns have scored just seven TDs in 26 visits inside the opponent's 20. ... RB Reuben Droughns needs 59 yards to be reincarnated Browns' first rusher with 1,000. ... TE Steve Heiden has career-high 35 receptions, sixth most among AFC TEs. ... Browns have allowed only 37 points in past four home games (9.3 average). ... Phil Dawson (20 of 21, .952) is NFL's third-most accurate kicker.
CINCINNATI at PITTSBURGH
Time: 1 p.m.TV/radio: (27) (2) WBBG-FM (106.1)Key matchup: Cincinnati WRs Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh vs. Pittsburgh secondary. Two reasons the Bengals are in first place in the AFC North is the receiving tandem of Johnson and Houshmandzadeh. Johnson has 66 catches for 1,085 yards, hurting defenses with his speed and athleticism. Houshmandzadeh has 51 catches for 655 yards, making the tough catches with his sure hands. When defenses double- and triple-team Johnson, Palmer looks to Houshmandzadeh. The Ravens' defensive backs allowed Johnson five catches for 88 yards. Houshmandzadeh was sensational, getting 147 yards on nine catches. Pittsburgh will have to contend for the second consecutive week (Indianapolis) with the no-huddle. In the past two weeks, the Bengals have totaled 931 yards and 79 points by emphasizing the no-huddle.Streaks, stats and notes: Cincinnati leads NFL with 20-plus turnover margin. ... Bengals are 4-1 on the road. ... RB Rudi Johnson needs 32 yards to reach 1,000 for second consecutive season. ... RB Chris Perry (46) is third among NFL RBs in receptions. ... CB Deltha O'Neal has three INTs in past four games and shares NFL lead (7) with Darren Sharper of Minnesota. ... QB Carson Palmer has only one sub-100 passer rating (53.8) this year, vs. Pittsburgh in Week 7. ... Pittsburgh has won six of last seven against Cincinnati. ... Steelers have a plus-9 turnover margin. ... Bill Cowher is 20-7 against Bengals, his most against any team. ... In three career starts vs. Bengals, QB Ben Roethlisberger is 3-0 with 102.4 passer rating, completing 41 of 60 (68.3 percent) for 405 yards with four TDs and one INT. ... Jeff Reed has made 29 consecutive FG tries inside 40 yards.
BUFFALO at MIAMI
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: CB-KR Terrence McGee vs. Miami kickoff coverage team. McGee leads the NFL with a 31.6 kickoff return average. The Dolphins have the third-best kickoff coverage team in the league. The opponents' average drive start after kickoffs is 24.3.
MINNESOTA at DETROIT
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Vikings' defense vs. Detroit offense. Led by nose tackle Pat Williams and free safety Darren Sharper, the Vikings have been downright potent on defense. The defense has forced 15 turnovers and sacked the quarterback 13 times. With Williams stuffing the run and Sharper tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions, including two for touchdowns, the team has allowed 16 points per game in the past four games vs. 27.6 in first seven games. The Lions' porous offensive line has added to their passing- and running-game woes. QB Joey Harrington has been a bust and 35-year-old Jeff Garcia has been nagged by injuries and an inability to throw deep passes, but will start.
DALLAS at NEW YORK GIANTS
Time: 1 p.m.Radio: WBBW-AM (1240)Key matchup: Dallas kicker Billy Cundiff vs. New York K Jay Feely. Dallas and New York are tied for the NFC East lead after both lost 24-21 in overtime. The Cowboys had a chance to go ahead midway through the fourth quarter against Denver, but Cundiff -- just four days after kicking a franchise-record 56-yard field goal in his first game back after being released -- was wide left on a 34-yard attempt. Feely missed three chances to kick the Giants past Seattle, on the final play of regulation and twice in overtime.
GREEN BAY at CHICAGO
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Green Bay QB Brett Favre vs. Chicago defense. Favre has 19 touchdowns and 19 interceptions this season. He has a 21-5 record as starter vs. Bears, including a touchdown pass in 26 straight games, the longest streak vs. one opponent all time. Chicago has No. 1 ranked defense in NFL, allowing league-low 254.2 yards per contest. The Bears also have top-ranked pass defense, allowing 161.5 yards per game.
HOUSTON at BALTIMORE
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Houston defense vs. Baltimore offense. Houston has allowed 325 points, most in AFC and second most in NFL. The Texans reached a new low against the Rams. They allowed the Rams to storm back from a 24-3 halftime deficit, the largest collapse in Texans history. Worse still, St. Louis did all that with Ryan Fitzpatrick as the quarterback -- a rookie third-stringer. Baltimore scored four second-half touchdowns after falling behind 34-0. That's more points than it scored in any game this season, the first time the Ravens had scored more than 20.
TENNESSEE at INDIANAPOLIS
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Tennessee QB Steve McNair vs. Indianapolis defense. McNair has had plenty of success against the Colts, leading the Titans past Indianapolis in the 1999 playoffs on the way to their only Super Bowl appearance. Tennessee later beat Indianapolis twice in 2002 on its way to the AFC South title and tied the Colts for the division title in 2003. In six regular-season starts against the Colts, McNair has completed 68 percent of his passes for 1,185 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. The Colts are tied for second in the league in sacks, but getting to McNair won't be easy.
ATLANTA at CAROLINA
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Atlanta secondary vs. Carolina WR Steve Smith. Falcons will try to win their fourth straight against Carolina, but Smith did not play last year after suffering a season-ending knee injury in the Panthers' opener. Smith has returned better than ever. He leads the NFL in catches (75), yards receiving (1,161) and touchdowns (nine). The statistic that most impresses Falcons CB DeAngelo Hall is Smith's league-high 560 yards after the catch. The Falcons rank 15th in passing defense and have been spotty against top receivers this year. They held Joey Galloway without a catch, but still lost to Tampa Bay. They allowed Terrell Owens 112 yards on seven receptions, but beat Philadelphia.
TAMPA BAY vs. NEW ORLEANSat Baton Rouge, La.
Time: 1 p.m.Key matchup: Tampa Bay vs. NFL schedule maker. The Bucs trail Carolina by one game in the NFC South. Tampa Bay is on the road for three weeks. The Bucs face New Orleans this week and visit Carolina on Dec. 11 and New England on Dec. 17 -- a stretch that will go a long way toward determining if the Bucs make the playoffs. Tampa Bay is 3-2 away from home this season, winning at Minnesota, Green Bay and Atlanta and losing close road games to San Francisco and the New York Jets.
WASHINGTON at ST. LOUIS
Time: 4:05 p.m.TV: (17/62)Key matchup: Washington pass defense vs. St. Louis QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick came off the bench, throwing for 310 yards, including the tying touchdown in the final 30 seconds and the winning touchdown in the Rams' improbable overtime victory. The NFC offensive player of the week and seventh-round draft pick from Harvard should get his first NFL this week. Washington lost in overtime at home, a game it led 17-7 in the fourth quarter. The loss marked the third consecutive week the Redskins blew a lead in the final period.
ARIZONA at SAN FRANCISCO
Time: 4:05 p.m.Key matchup: Arizona red zone offense vs. San Francisco red zone defense. Cardinals have the worst red zone offense in NFC (33.3), scoring only 11 TDs and 16 FGs in 33 trips inside the opponent's 20. Arizona should improve facing a defense which has allowed 27 TDs and 15 FGs in 48 trips inside its 20, second worst in the NFC.
DENVER at KANSAS CITY
Time: 4:15 p.m.TV: (27) (19) (2)Key matchup: Denver running backs vs. Kansas City run defense. Denver, second in the league in rushing (165.6), has the only RB attack with two backs with at least 600 yards, Mike Anderson (813) and Tatum Bell (640). In eight career games vs. Kansas City (102 rushes), Anderson averages 4.9 per carry. In three games against the Chiefs, Bell has 108 yards rushing on 16 carries (6.8 average). Chiefs hold the longest active NFL streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher, 18 games. Kansas City, ranked fifth against the run (88.2), could activate defensive tackle Ryan Sims. Sims injured his right foot severely in the season opener on Sept. 11. His strong suit has always been as a run-stopper.
NEW YORK JETS at NEW ENGLAND
Time: 4:15 p.m.Radio: WBBW-AM (1240)Key matchup: New York QB Brooks Bollinger vs. New England QB Tom Brady. Bollinger is 0-4 as a starter this year. Brady is 6-2 career against New York, and has posted a 100.9 rating in the last four meetings with five touchdowns and no interceptions. Both were low-round draft picks from Big Ten, Bollinger from Wisconsin, Brady from Michigan. Of course, Brady has won three Super Bowls.
OAKLAND at SAN DIEGO
Time: 8:30 p.m.TV/radio: ESPN, WBBW-AM (1240)Key matchup: Oakland QB Kerry Collins vs. San Diego pass defense. Collins will face a defense that ranks sixth overall and is eighth in the NFL with 35 sacks. The Chargers are riding a four-game winning streak. The 32-year-old Collins has been sacked 29 times this season, but has completed 223 of 406 passes for 2,882 yards and 15 touchdowns while throwing nine interceptions. For four straight weeks, Collins and the Oakland offense has started slowly. Since scoring 17 points in the opening quarter at Tennessee on Oct. 30, the Raiders have gotten into the end zone just once in the first half of the last four games.
Associated Press