Many big matchups in Week 17, including battle for NFC East title

1 p.m. ET, CBS | TicketsIndianapolis at Buffalo Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: Buffalo leads the series, 34-30-1. Streaks: The Colts have won the past six in a row. » Vote: Who will win? They might have had a date with history, but the Colts pulled Peyton Manning in the third quarter when they could have defeated the Jets and focused instead on the Super Bowl. Can't imagine key starters playing more than a quarter of here, if that, especially if Mother Nature is up to her usual tricks in Western New York this time of year. The Colts' league-record 23 game regular-season winning streak ended last week. ... Indianapolis' Dwight Freeney needs three sacks in the season finale to surpass his career-high total of 16. ... Buffalo's Terrell Owens needs one more TD catch to avoid tying his career-low for a season (four). ... If the Bills lose this game, they will have their worst home record in a season since 2001.

1 p.m. ET, FOX | TicketsNew Orleans at Carolina Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: Carolina, 16-13. Streaks: The Panthers have won six of eight against the Saints. » Vote: Who will win? Another game with no huge playoff ramifications, but man will it be interesting. The Saints are spiraling some, dropping two in a row, including one to the lowly Bucs. Suddenly talk of 16-0 sounds played out — they could just use a decent win as a playoff springboard. They also need corners Randall Gay and Jabari Greer, as well as tight end Jeremy Shockey to get healthy, too. And the Panthers, sans Jake Delhomme, are playing quality football and are back to mauling people at the line of scrimmage. John Fox is entering a lame-duck year, and thus is on the hot seat. But man is his team playing hard, and if he would have gone to Matt Moore sooner they could be right in the playoff fight. They could still finish .500, and with three straight wins. Carolina came awful close to snapping New Orleans' winning streak in early November. This is a good game and great test for the Saints. The Saints have averaged only 17 points the last two weeks, after averaging 36 points over the first 13 games. ... New Orleans has not swept Carolina since 2001. ... Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart had 10 rushing TDs as a rookie last season, and needs one more TD on the ground to reach that mark this season. ... Carolina's Matt Moore has just one less touchdown in four starts (seven) than Jake Delhomme did in 11 starts (eight).

1 p.m. ET, CBS | TicketsJacksonville at Cleveland Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: Jaguars, 8-3. Streaks: These teams have split their last six meetings. » Vote: Who will win? Jacksonville has slim playoff hopes, but given its woeful scoring margin and string of losses down the stretch, it's hard to envision the Jaguars in it. Still, it's a nice rebound year for Jack Del Rio. Cleveland has strung together some wins, adding at least some question as to whether Mike Holmgren will keep Eric Mangini as coach. They've fought very hard despite losing a bunch of starters to injury. I still don't see Mangini and Holmgren sharing enough philosophically to make this a marriage — they come from diametrically different coaching trees and in essence speak a different language — but another victory would give them four in a row. Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew leads the league with 16 touchdowns. ... Mike Sims-Walker is Jacksonville's first wide receiver to have at least 800 yards receiving in a season since Jimmy Smith did it in 2005. ... The Browns are averaging just 91 passing yards per game over their three-game winning streak. ... Cleveland's Jerome Harrison has 434 rushing yards in the last two weeks.

1 p.m. ET, CBS | TicketsNew England at Houston Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: New England has won the only two meetings. Streaks: See above. » Vote: Who will win? New England has wrapped up the AFC East, but is never satisfied. The Texans still have playoff life, and are also playing to cement coach Gary Kubiak's job status. Houston had a big statement win against Miami, and we could be in store for a shootout here. You know Tom Brady and Randy Moss want to keep their recent momentum going into the postseason. The Texans have never finished above .500, and a win here does that, and potentially puts them in the playoffs. The Patriots have a chance to win 11 games in a season for the seventh time this decade. ... New England's Tom Brady needs two TD passes to reach 30 for the second time in his career. ... The Texans can secure the first winning season in franchise history with a victory. ... Houston's Matt Schaub leads the league in passing yards with 4,467.

1 p.m. ET, FOX | TicketsN.Y. Giants at Minnesota Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: Minnesota, 13-10, including the playoffs. Streaks: The Vikings have taken the past three meetings. » Vote: Who will win? Another game with plenty of reasons to watch, beyond playoff stuff. New York's abysmal showing last week killed its playoff hopes (and made me look foolish for sticking with the Giants all season and thinking they'd sneak in). The Vikings are looking like a wounded boxer down the stretch, and though they long ago wrapped up their division, the Brett Favre/Brad Childress dynamic is fascinating. Clearly there are issues there. You think any cameras will be fixed on those two on the sidelines? Um, yeah. The Giants will miss the playoffs this season for the first time since 2004. ... New York's Brandon Jacobs is averaging his fewest yards per carry (3.7) since his rookie season of 2005. ... The Vikings have won back-to-back NFC North titles. ... Minnesota's Visanthe Shiancoe has a career-high in touchdowns with 10.

1 p.m. ET, FOX | TicketsSan Francisco at St. Louis Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: The Rams have a 60-58-2 overall edge, including the playoffs. Streaks: San Francisco has won four of the last five meetings. » Vote: Who will win? St. Louis finally gave beat-up workhorse back Steven Jackson a week off, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he returned for the home finale. The Rams made it a two-team race for the first-overall pick last week when their loss was coupled with Tampa Bay’s win. Everyone else in the league has at least three victories, save for the Rams (one) and Lions (two). 49ers RB Frank Gore is the first player in franchise history with four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. ... San Francisco has a chance to record its first non-losing season since 2002. ... The Rams can wrap up the No. 1 pick in the draft with a loss or a Lions win. ... St. Louis' James Laurinaitis leads all rookies with 102 solo tackles.

1 p.m. ET, FOX | TicketsAtlanta at Tampa Bay Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: The Buccaneers have an 18-14 overall series edge. Streaks: The teams have split their last 12 meetings. » Vote: Who will win? Atlanta has found itself some since Matt Ryan got back under center, but ultimately it was too late. The Falcons could still finish strong. The Bucs have a decision to make about rookie coach Raheem Morris and are considering other options, most notably Bill Cowher. But after a spirited win over the Saints last week, they too could send a message to management and ownership by knocking off another division rival. With a victory, the Falcons will record back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. ... Atlanta's Matt Ryan needs 307 passing yards to record successive 3,000-yard seasons. ... Bucs CB Ronde Barber needs an interception to avoid his first season without a pick since his rookie year of 1997, when he played in just one game. ... Tampa Bay's Kellen Winslow, who has five touchdowns, can establish a new career high by scoring against Atlanta.

1 p.m. ET, CBS | TicketsPittsburgh at Miami Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: The series is tied at 11, including the playoffs. Streaks: The Steelers have won four of the last five against the Dolphins. » Vote: Who will win? Pittsburgh is about a resilient a bunch as we have in this league. That miracle finish against Green Bay propelled the Steelers to a close win over Baltimore. This looked like it might be a playoff game in and of itself a few weeks back, but the Dolphins have stumbled and the loss of Ronnie Brown — and thus their Wildcat creativity — has taken a toll. It’s going to take a lot of help for either squad to get in, but with Baltimore not playing until 4:15 p.m. ET and the Jets going Sunday night, it’s going to be on in Miami. People in the Pittsburgh organization are hopeful safety Troy Polamalu will be back for this one after missing much of the season with knee injuries. The Dolphins have converted the fourth-most fourth downs in the league this year (13). ... Miami leads the league with 21 rushing touchdowns. ... Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked a career-high-tying 47 times this year. ... Pittsburgh can make the playoffs with a win and help. Get a look at the complete postseason picture.

1 p.m. ET, FOX | TicketsChicago at Detroit Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: Chicago, 90-64-5. Streaks: The Bears have won seven of the past nine meetings. » Vote: Who will win? We’ve reached the point where nothing is at stake. Chicago needs to show something with coach Lovie Smith on the hot seat. A loss to the lowly Lions might prove too much for the powers that be to overlook. Detroit is without a road win for a second straight season. The Lions are beaten and beat up. Bears QB Jay Cutler leads the league in interceptions with 26. ... Chicago's Johnny Knox is second in the league with a kickoff return average of 29 yards (minimum 15 attempts). ... With one more tackle, Lions LB Larry Foote will reach 100 on the season for the second time in his career. ... Fifteen Detroit players have caught a pass this season.

4:15 p.m. ET, FOX | TicketsPhiladelphia at Dallas Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: Dallas, 55-44, including the playoffs. Streaks: The teams have split their last 10 meetings. » Vote: Who will win? Our lone division title up for grabs. Tony Romo threw for over 300 yards in Dallas’ win over the Eagles in November, and he’s been special this December for all the right reasons. Philadelphia has looked vulnerable on the back end, but so has Dallas. DeSean Jackson seems to rise to the big stage, and there could be some fireworks here. What we already know is that both of these clubs are going to the postseason. These teams met last season in Week 17 with a playoff berth on the line and the Eagles won 44-6. ... The winner of this game will claim the NFC East title. ... Eagles CB Asante Samuel needs one more interception to tie his career high of 10. ... Dallas' Tony Romo has thrown a career-low eight interceptions.

4:05 p.m. ET, CBS | TicketsKansas City at Denver Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: Kansas City, 53-46, including the playoffs. Streaks: The Broncos have won five of the last seven meetings. » Vote: Who will win? We know how much fun it would be for Kansas City to possibly knock a rival out of the postseason. And this Broncos team, long ago 6-0, has not handled pressure well lately. That loss to Oakland is haunting them now, and it’s already probably too late. The defense has fallen off big time in the second half of the season, and the offense remains limited without a consistent vertical game. Could the Broncos collapse and blow not just the division, but the playoffs entirely, for the second straight year, with two different coaches? Looks like it. Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles needs 139 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season. ... Kansas City has the league's second-worst overall defense. ... Broncos QB Kyle Orton has a career-high 20 touchdown passes this season. ... Denver can sneak into the playoffs with a win and some help. Take a look at the complete playoff picture.

4:15 p.m. ET, CBS | TicketsBaltimore at Oakland Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: The Ravens have won five of the six meetings all-time. Streaks: See above. » Vote: Who will win? Baltimore, despite giving away games with mental gaffes and ridiculous penalties all season long, can clinch a wild-card spot with a win. For all that young coach John Harbaugh has accomplished, the culture of personal fouls and back-breaking penalties has to change. The Ravens haven’t made anything easy on themselves all season long, so I can’t imagine them doing so now. Baltimore has pounded inferior teams all season, but the Raiders have already knocked off Cincy, Philly, Pittsburgh and Denver. They’re capable of playing up to the competition and it’s a long way for the Ravens to travel. A Ravens team that has managed to stub its toe at every clutch moment has a final shot to step up when needed most. The Ravens will earn a playoff berth with a victory. ... Baltimore's Derrick Mason has eight 1,000-yard receiving seasons in the last nine years. ... Raiders P Shane Lechler leads the league with a 51.1 average. ... Oakland's Louis Murphy has the longest TD catch of any rookie this season (75 yards).

4:15 p.m. ET, CBS | TicketsTennessee at Seattle Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: Seattle, 9-5, including the playoffs. Streaks: The Seahawks have won five straight over the Titans. » Vote: Who will win? Only one thing to watch for here, but man is it a big one. Chris Johnson gets to finish his magical season against a horrid defense and a Seattle club with nothing to play for. Johnson will top 2,000 yards rushing if he has a typical game. It will take 234 yards to beat Eric Dickerson’s single-season record, but I’m not ruling it out, especially with the Titans intent on trying to get him the mark if possible. No one in NFL history breaks off more 80-plus yard runs than this cat, and I have the feeling my boy Scott Hanson is going to be updating this situation throughout his final RedZone Channel broadcast of the season. Otherwise, Vince Young could use a bounce-back game. Titans RB Chris Johnson needs 234 rushing yards to break Eric Dickerson's single-season record. ... With a win, Tennessee can become the first team to finish the season with a .500 mark after starting 0-6. ... Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck has thrown a career-high 16 interceptions this season. ... Seattle has a league-worst 27:30 average time of possession.

4:15 p.m. ET, FOX | TicketsWashington at San Diego Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: Washington, 6-2. Streaks: After dropping their first six to the Redskins, the Chargers have won two in a row. » Vote: Who will win? Jim Zorn’s future was pretty much sealed way back in September after losing to Detroit. In reality, from the moment he took the job, it was impossible to see him lasting more than two years given all the organizational decay, dysfunction and personnel follies he inherited. It’s a long way for him to go for what will be his final game coaching the Redskins. He’s handled a trying situation with class. But his team has failed to show up lately and the Chargers are playing the best football in the NFL, looking to enter the playoffs on an 11-game run. Even playing reserves, San Diego could do it here. The Redskins are the only team in the league with two players who have at least 11 sacks this season. ... Washington's Santana Moss needs 153 yards receiving to reach 1,000 for the fourth time in his career. ... San Diego's Nate Kaeding leads the AFC in points with 135. ... The Chargers are locked in as the AFC's No. 2 seed.

4:15 p.m. ET, FOX | TicketsGreen Bay at Arizona Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: Green Bay, 43-22-4, including the playoffs. Streaks: The Packers have won five of the past six meetings. » Vote: Who will win? We already know the Cards have won the NFC West and the Packers are a wild-card team. If both teams come out and play like it matters, this could be the most entertaining game of the week and a possible playoff preview. However, that may be unlikely given Kurt Warner’s age and concussion history. Sure, the Cards would like to get that bye, but they need some help to get it. For the Packers, their superior defensive line has been nursing all kinds of injuries. If I’m them, I’m resting some of those guys, because we know they won’t be getting a bye, no matter what. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been sacked a league-high 50 times. ... Green Bay has the NFC's top-ranked defense. ... Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald, who has 12 touchdowns, can establish a new career-high by scoring next week. ... Arizona still has an outside shot at earning a first-round bye. Take a look at the complete playoff picture.

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC | TicketsCincinnati at N.Y. Jets (watch live online) Matchup Jason La Canfora's storyline Did you know? Series leader: New York, 14-7, including the playoffs. Streaks: The Jets have won six of the past seven meetings. » Vote: Who will win? Kudos to the Bengals for wrapping up their division within days of having to bury teammate Chris Henry. I cannot pretend to fathom what that must be like. But this team is not exactly rolling right now. The passing attack is anemic and they can’t stretch the field. If they have to try to win a third straight game against Baltimore or Pittsburgh in the wild-card round, I don’t fancy their chances. I love the two-headed rushing monster, though. In the meantime, the Jets luck out by getting to play another team likely to sit every player. It’s all Thomas Jones and the defense with them. Mark Sanchez seems likely to struggle again in the playoffs, but rookie coach Rex Ryan has more than delivered on his preseason bluster. He creates elite defenses. Jets QB Mark Sanchez leads the AFC with 20 interceptions. ... New York can clinch a playoff berth with a victory. ... Cedric Benson became the only Bengal in franchise history to record six 100-yard rushing games in a single season last week. ... Cincinnati and Indianapolis are the only two teams in the league with a perfect division record.