Watch Carolina Panthers vs New York Giants Live Online

Home-field advantage at stake for NFC powerhouses

Even Justin Tuck says his New York Giants aren't the best team in the NFC right now. They can reclaim that stature Sunday night, or the Carolina Panthers will prove it belongs to them.

Home-field advantage throughout the playoffs will be on the line as the stumbling Giants try to silence their doubters and potentially prevent the Panthers from even clinching a postseason berth.

Though both teams are 11-3 and could end the regular season with identical records regardless of Sunday's result, the one that wins will earn the tiebreaker and wrap up the No. 1 seed in the conference.

"We have a big game against Carolina this week, we all know it, we know what is at stake in it," Tuck said. "I really expect us to come out and not only try, but really right the ship because let's call it what it is, we haven't played well the last two games for whatever reason that may be and no one wants to go into the playoffs like we have the last two games."

While New York is on the verge of its first three-game losing streak since 2006 -- maybe still feeling the after-effects of the distraction caused by the Plaxico Burress case -- it's facing a Carolina team which has won three straight and seven of eight.

"My motto has always been, 'to be the best you have to beat the best,' and right now Carolina ... is probably the best team in the NFL," said Tuck, the defensive end recently named to his first Pro Bowl. "They look that good to me. We know we have our hands full, but we feel as though when we play Giants football we can handle anybody and that is what we have to get back to doing."

If they lose Sunday while Minnesota wins, the NFC East champions would need to beat the Vikings in Week 17 just to get a first-round bye.

The difference between winning and losing this week is just as great, if not more so, for Carolina.

While a victory keeps the Panthers at home throughout the playoffs, a loss could send them into Week 17 possibly needing a victory just to make the postseason. If Dallas, Tampa Bay and Atlanta all win their final two games, Carolina would miss the playoffs by losing its last two.

"The games do get better. That's the NFL," Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme said. "That's part of it. That's what you want. You live to play in these situations."

watch Atlanta Falcons vs Minnesota Vikings Live Online

Vikings look to clinch NFC North as they play host to Falcons

After a 1-3 start, the Minnesota Vikings are now one win away from clinching their first division title since 2000.

Standing in their way will be an upstart Atlanta Falcons team that has just as much motivation this weekend.

The Vikings host the Falcons on Sunday, looking to wrap up the NFC North with their fifth straight victory.

Minnesota (9-5) has overcame a slow start in which the offense averaged just 17.8 points in the first four games to take a one-game lead over Chicago in the division. While the Vikings' offense has been vastly improved, averaging 29.8 points in their last four contests, their defense has also been strong, holding opponents to 18.0 points.

With a win Sunday or a Bears' loss on Monday to Green Bay, Minnesota would clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2004 and a division title for the first time since 2000.

"Coach wants us to go one game at a time, but of course we do think ahead a little bit," tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "But that is motivation. The thing is it's right there for the taking.

"These are teams that I feel we can really beat," he added. "I'm going to say something kind of outlandish, but if we play our A-game, I don't see any team in the NFL beating us, to be honest."

The Vikings have good reason to feel confident with Adrian Peterson -- the NFL's leading rusher -- on their side and a dominant 35-14 win over Arizona last Sunday to build on.

Watch San Diego Chargers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Live Online

Chargers, Buccaneers look to stay in postseason conversation

Back-to-back defeats haven't helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' chances for postseason contention. The San Diego Chargers, meanwhile, have kept themselves in the mix behind consecutive victories.

As each team continues to battle for a playoff spot, the Buccaneers put their perfect home record on the line Sunday as they match up against a Chargers team that is riding a late-season surge for a second straight year.

Tampa Bay (9-5) was cruising toward the postseason entering Week 14, but has stumbled in its last two contests. After falling at Carolina on Dec. 8, the Buccaneers were slowed by a 13-10 overtime loss at Atlanta last Sunday that put the teams into a second-place tie in the NFC South, with both trailing Carolina by two games.

Still, Tampa Bay can clinch a playoff berth this weekend with a win over San Diego (6-8), a loss by Atlanta and a loss by either Dallas or Philadelphia.

The Chargers' postseason hopes were hampered by three straight losses at the end of November, but they've won both games this month, rallying for a 22-21 win at Kansas City last Sunday to improve to 12-0 in December contests since 2006.

To stay alive, second-place San Diego needs to beat Tampa Bay and hope AFC West-leading Denver falls to visiting Buffalo on Sunday.

Last season, the Chargers rode a six-game winning streak into the playoffs before falling to New England in the conference championship. But while coach Norv Turner is hopeful, he knows his team's quest this season is a bit more grueling.

"We've known it's going to be difficult, but the only control we have is getting ready to go play and play at the best level we can in Tampa," Turner told the Chargers' official Web site. "We're playing a very good football team that has a lot to play for. It'll be a real challenge for us."

Tampa Bay's defense is smarting after allowing big efforts on the ground in its last two contests. Carolina rushed for 299 yards in its 38-23 win on Dec. 8 before Atlanta amassed 175 yards on the ground last weekend against the Buccaneers.

Defensive tackles Chris Hovan and Jovan Haye both missed last week's loss with knee injuries, but are expected to be back Sunday. Defensive ends Gaines Adams and Greg White, however, are both battling injuries before this game.

Watch Miami Dolphins vs Kansas City Chiefs Live Online

Dolphins look to stay in AFC East title race with win over Chiefs

It didn't take long for Carl Peterson to build the Kansas City Chiefs into a winner.

The Miami Dolphins are finding their new regime to be just as efficient.

After a week in which Peterson -- one of the most successful executives in NFL history - decided to step down, the Dolphins continue their quest to make the playoffs in their first season under the leadership of Bill Parcells as they visit the Chiefs on Sunday.

Kansas City went 4-11 in two straight seasons before Peterson took over as general manager in 1989, but went 8-7-1 in his first year and went on to make six straight playoff appearances. Peterson, in his 20th year with the Chiefs (2-12), announced Monday he'd be stepping down at the end of the season.

Miami (9-5), meanwhile, went a league-worst 1-15 in 2007, then brought in Parcells to be the team's executive vice president of football operations. Parcells hired Tony Sparano to be the Dolphins' coach, and they're now in a three-way with the New York Jets and New England for first place in the AFC East.

By winning its final two games, Miami would clinch a playoff berth. Anything less, though, and the Dolphins may fall short.

"We have full control over what's going to happen," said Miami linebacker Joey Porter, who was named to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday. "It's exactly what you want. You don't want to be in a situation where you're hoping this team loses or that team loses to benefit you."

The Dolphins conclude the regular season on Dec. 28 with a road game against the Jets, who would win the division with victories in their final two games.

Miami has won three straight, sparked by a defense that was reeling following a 48-28 loss to New England on Nov. 23. Since then, though, the Dolphins have not allowed a touchdown.

In its last three games, Miami has allowed a total of 24 points -- eight field goals -- to beat St. Louis, Buffalo and San Francisco. The Dolphins' streak without allowing a TD is their longest since 1973, the last time they won the Super Bowl.

Miami is giving up 19.2 points per game after allowing 27.3 last year.

"They're learning how to communicate very well out there," Sparano said. "There are guys covering for one another. And they're becoming pretty resilient. They don't really get flustered a whole lot, even when somebody makes a big play against them."

There's no question the Dolphins' defense is greatly improved, but it has faced teams ranked in the bottom third in the league in yards per game over the past three weeks.

Watch Pittsburgh Steelers vs Tennessee Titans Live Online

AFC's top spot at stake as Titans host Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers guaranteed a first-round bye and home playoff game with a division-clinching road win in their last game.

With another victory away from Heinz Field this week, they likely won't have to play a road game again this season.

The AFC's No. 1 playoff seed will effectively be on the line Sunday in Nashville, where the injury-plagued Tennessee Titans can wrap up the conference's top spot or the Steelers can put themselves on the brink of doing the same with a sixth consecutive win.

It seemed like a foregone conclusion a month ago that the Titans (12-2) would host the AFC championship game on Dec. 18. Tennessee was undefeated through Week 11, had all but wrapped up the AFC South while allowing a league-low 13.1 points per game.

The Titans, though, have come back to the pack since they were routed 34-14 at LP Field by the New York Jets on Nov. 23. After blowout wins over Detroit and Cleveland, Tennessee's shortcomings were evident again last Sunday in Houston.

Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson torched the Titans' secondary for 207 yards and a touchdown, and Tennessee never found the end zone in a 13-12 loss.

To make matters worse, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth went down late with a sprained MCL that will keep him out until the playoffs.

"I think we were on vacation this week, knowing we got a bye and whatever other good stuff happened for us last week," linebacker Keith Bulluck said. "But I know as a team we need to ... come out and play football. Pittsburgh is playing for way more than us (on Sunday)."

Hours after Bulluck's post-game quote, it became apparent that both teams have the same goal. Trailing 9-6 with under four minutes to play in Baltimore on Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger led a 12-play, 93-yard drive that culminated in a controversial touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes.

The initial call was the ball didn't break the plane of the goal line, but after a lengthy review the decision was reversed, giving Pittsburgh a 13-9 win and the AFC North title.

With a win at Tennessee and another victory at home next weekend against the woeful Browns, who the Steelers (11-3) have beaten 10 straight times, coach Mike Tomlin's team will be the AFC's top seed.

"We would love to have that No. 1 spot, and try to get the easiest path there," said receiver Hines Ward. "But in the AFC, I don't think there is any easy way."

Neither team has particularly fond recent memories of being the conference's top seed. Tennessee was 13-3 in 2000 and had home-field throughout the playoffs, but lost its first game. Pittsburgh was the No. 1 seed in 1994, 2001 and 2004, but lost the conference championship game at home each time.

The last time the Steelers have won five in a row came in 2004 - Roethlisberger's rookie season - when they rattled off victories in their final 13 regular-season games. None of these wins have been easy, though. Pittsburgh has rallied each time, and was losing with less than three minutes remaining in three of the victories.

With an offense that's struggled to run the ball - the Steelers rank 23rd with 102.9 yards per game - it's been the NFL's top defense that's made Pittsburgh so formidable.

The Steelers lead the league in rush defense, pass defense and total defense, and could become the first team to finish No. 1 in all three categories since the 1991 Philadelphia Eagles. Led by Pro Bowlers James Harrison, James Farrior and Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh also has the No. 1 scoring defense (13.7 ppg).

The Steelers haven't allowed 300 yards all season, and if they can hold Tennessee below that, they'll surpass the 1973 Los Angeles Rams for the longest streak to start a season since the NFL merger in 1970.

"We step up to challenges. We've faced a bunch of hot offenses and hot quarterbacks, and they take it personal," Tomlin said. "They respond to challenges. We have a unique group."

The Titans allow 14.1 ppg, right behind the Steelers, but with Haynesworth out and star defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch also sidelined until the playoffs, backups Jason Jones and Dave Ball will have to step up.

Tennessee has the AFC's top rushing attack with Chris Johnson, the conference's second-leading rusher, and LenDale White. But against a Pittsburgh defense that gives up 3.2 yards per carry, the pressure may fall onto quarterback Kerry Collins.

Collins has seemingly been a perfect fit for a team with a run-oriented offense and solid defense, but when he's had to make plays over the past few weeks, he's struggled. Collins has completed 51.8 percent of his passes with three interceptions in his last two games.

"Guys gotta help Kerry out there," tight end Bo Scaife said. "We have to catch balls and run the right routes, and we can't just put it on him, you know. We all have to do better."

If Pittsburgh needs additional incentive to avoid a potential trip back to Nashville for the AFC championship game, it just needs to look at its history there.

Since the franchise moved to Tennessee in 1997, the Titans have won six of seven at home against the Steelers. Pittsburgh's most recent visit came in the 2003 divisional playoffs, a 34-31 overtime loss.

Watch Arizona Cardinals vs New England Patriots live Online

Patriots look to stay in playoff hunt vs. Cardinals

Eight wins were enough for the Arizona Cardinals to secure their first division title in more than 30 years.

Eleven victories may leave the New England Patriots out of the playoffs altogether.

The Patriots will try to keep pace in the crowded AFC playoff chase on Sunday against Arizona, which will be looking for just its third win in its last 22 trips to the Eastern time zone.

New England (9-5) sits in a three-way tie atop the AFC East and still has a chance to go 11-5 without reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of the team's opening game.

But even if the Patriots win their final two games, they could become the second team to miss the postseason at 11-5. The 1985 Denver Broncos didn't make the playoffs after posting that record.

In order to win the division, New England would have to win out and need the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins -- who face each other in Week 17 -- to each lose one of their final two games. The Patriots could also earn a wild-card berth if they win twice and Baltimore loses one of its last two.

"I'm not even thinking about it. I'm not sure exactly what all the scenarios are. It doesn't make any difference," New England coach Bill Belichick said. "There's a million things that can happen and the only thing we can control is how we prepare and play against Arizona."

The Patriots took care of business on their recent West Coast trip, edging Seattle 24-21 on Dec. 7 before spending the following week in San Jose to prepare for last Sunday's 49-26 drubbing of Oakland.

Against the Raiders, Matt Cassel threw for 218 yards and a career-high four touchdowns just six days after the death of his father, while the Patriots piled up 277 rushing yards - their most in a game since 1985. Sammy Morris led the way with 117 yards on the ground.

New England's recent victories have come despite a bevy of injuries. Aside from Brady, running back Laurence Maroney and safety Rodney Harrison, all of whom are on injured reserve, the Patriots are also playing without linebackers Adalius Thomas, Tedy Bruschi and Pierre Woods, prompting them to sign veterans Junior Seau and Rosevelt Colvin.

Left tackle Matt Light injured his shoulder against the Raiders and could miss Sunday's game.

"Everybody has to lean on each other because we knew once Tom, Hot Rod's (Harrison) and all the other injuries happened, that everybody else was going to be against us and we had to pull together and carry each other," second-year safety Brandon Meriweather said.

Meriweather, who forced a key fumble to clinch the win in Seattle, leads the team with four interceptions, while rookie linebacker Jerod Mayo is the leading tackler.

The youngsters and the rest of New England's patchwork defense should have a tough test against the Cardinals (8-6), who have already clinched the weak NFC West - their first division title since 1975. They will be making their first playoff appearance since 1998.

Arizona has succeeded thanks in part to the second-best passing offense in the NFL. Behind quarterback Kurt Warner and Pro Bowl receivers Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals rack up 299.0 yards per game through the air.

"The quality of the whole group is really outstanding. It's hard to zero in on one guy," Belichick said. "They have a very diversified passing game, one that attacks all areas of the field, and it's very well executed."

Watch Baltimore Ravens vs Dallas Cowboys Live Online

Ravens, Cowboys in final regular season game at Texas Stadium

Big games have been commonplace through the years at Texas Stadium, where the Dallas Cowboys have clinched five of their record eight NFC championships.

If they have any intention of making yet another trip to the Super Bowl this season, they'll almost certainly need to close their historic 38-year-old venue with a victory.

The Cowboys will say goodbye to their longtime home Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens, whose first and last trip to Texas Stadium will feature a pair of teams desperate for a win to boost their playoff chances.

One of the NFL's most glamorous franchises continues to spend plenty of time in the limelight, with its performance on the field grabbing as many headlines as topics like the injury to star quarterback Tony Romo, another suspension to cornerback Adam Jones and a perceived feud between Romo, Jason Witten and the petulant Terrell Owens.

Somewhat under the radar has been the closing of Texas Stadium, which on Saturday will host its final game before Dallas (9-5) moves into a $1.3 billion facility in Arlington next season. The only way another game would be played there is if the Cowboys got the No. 5 seed in the playoffs and were to play the No. 6 seed in the NFC championship game.

If nothing else, the Cowboys haven't let their old venue go out quietly. After blowing a 10-point fourth-quarter lead in Pittsburgh on Dec. 7 that put the NFC East title out of reach, Dallas came home Sunday night and kept its wild card hopes very much alive, dominating the division champion New York Giants in a 20-8 victory.

Romo threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns, capping a tumultuous week in which Owens insinuated his quarterback was freezing him out of the offense and looking primarily for Witten.

"It's just part of playing football," Romo said after bouncing back from a four-turnover performance in Pittsburgh. "We have a lot of highly competitive individuals who want to win. I give a lot of credit to T.O. and Jason for drumming this whole thing up to take attention away."

Owens denied having a reported verbal confrontation with Witten in the days leading up to the game, but was all smiles after the win -- despite being heavily booed by Dallas fans before and during the victory.

"It was just something we had to deal with," said Owens, who has totaled six catches the past two weeks. "We just stuck together. We knew what was important and that was the game today.

"Winning cures everything."

With two more, Dallas can ensure it will be in the postseason, but a loss Saturday may cripple its chances. Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Atlanta also are in the hunt for one of the NFC's two wild card spots, and a road game against the Eagles looms in Week 17.

Watch Indianapolis Colts vs Jacksonville Jaguars Live Online

Colts to battle Jaguars on NFL Network on Thursday night

The Indianapolis Colts knew two weekends ago that their five-year reign as AFC South champions was over. All they're concerned with, however, is extending their six-year streak of making it to the playoffs.

That's exactly what they can do with a win Thursday night in Jacksonville, where the Jaguars will try to partially salvage their season of failed expectations by at least delaying Indianapolis' seventh straight entrance into the postseason.

The Colts' chances of claiming a sixth consecutive division title -- or even making the playoffs -- appeared to be over early, as they stumbled to a 3-4 start while Tennessee was in the process of winning its first 10 games.

Indianapolis (10-4), though, hasn't lost since late October, winning seven in a row to put itself at the top of the AFC wild-card standings. With a win in Jacksonville, the Colts will be back in the playoffs, continuing the NFL's longest active streak and locking themselves into the No. 5 seed.

"At 3-4, we knew what the problems were," coach Tony Dungy told the team's official Web site. "A lot of it was ourselves and our execution. That's what we focused on, more so than pointing the finger at someone or figuring out who was to blame. A lot of that gets back to the players really listening to the coaches."

One of those first four losses came at home to the Jaguars (5-9), who never broke out of their early season funk. Josh Scobee hit a 51-yard field goal in the waning seconds on Sept. 21, lifting Jacksonville to a 23-21 victory over the Colts, their first win of the season.

Despite improving to 2-2 the following week, the Jaguars never found the groove they did last season when they went 11-5. Jacksonville has gone 4-7 since its visit to Indianapolis, leaving it with nothing to play for down the stretch.

To Dungy though, Jacksonville's motivation is simple -- ruin the season of one of its biggest rivals.

"I'm sure they would like to knock us out," Dungy said. "We haven't really been in that situation, but when you are and you can't get in, that's the motivation, especially if it's a division rival. I'm sure they'd like to keep us out of the playoffs, so I'm sure we'll get their best."

The Colts were hardly at their best last week despite piling up 421 total yards against Detroit. They let the winless Lions tie it at 21 early in the fourth quarter before securing a 31-21 victory.

Tight end Dallas Clark was Indianapolis' offensive star, grabbing 12 of Peyton Manning's passes for a career-high 142 yards and a touchdown.

Manning finished 28-of-37 for 318 yards, his third 300-yard game of the season and his fourth straight game completing at least 70 percent of his passes.

"You could tell the focus was on (Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne)," Clark said. "I know they're not too happy, because they want to get their receptions and their catches and their looks, but I'm just glad to be able to step up like that and make some catches."

Manning and his receivers may need to have another big day against Jacksonville. The Colts have the worst rushing offense in the AFC, averaging 80.1 yards and 3.4 per carry.

Despite facing three of the 10 worst rush defenses in the league the past three weeks, Indianapolis hasn't gotten its ground game going. It gained 3.2 yards per carry in wins over Cleveland, Cincinnati and Detroit, and against the Lions didn't have starter Joseph Addai, who was out with a right shoulder injury.

Addai is expected to play Thursday, but running against the Jaguars won't be easy. Jacksonville has given up 3.6 yards per carry in its past six games, the seventh-stingiest average in the NFL in that stretch.

The Jaguars, though, placed second-leading tackler Daryl Smith on injured reserve Tuesday. Without the linebacker for the final two games, team captain Mike Peterson will return to the starting lineup.

Stopping Green Bay in short-yardage situations on Sunday made the difference for the Jaguars, who beat the Packers 20-16 to avoid their first five-game single-season losing streak since 2001.

The Packers ran for 84 yards on 28 carries (3.0 ypc), and nursing a 13-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, were stuffed on a fourth-and-1 at the Jacksonville 44-yard-line. The Jaguars took over, and nine plays later David Garrard found Maurice Jones-Drew from 14 yards out to take a 14-13 lead.

"That was the turning point in the game," defensive end Paul Spicer said. "The momentum could have gone either way."

With Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor finding running room difficult to come by, the Jaguars' lack of a solid rushing attack has been their downfall. Jacksonville was second in the league last season in rushing, gaining 149.4 yards per game, but that average has slipped to 110.8 this season.

The one game when the Jaguars had rushing success, though, came in Indianapolis, as Taylor and Jones-Drew each went over 100 yards and Jacksonville ran for 236.

Taylor, however, is out for the season, leaving the onus on Jones-Drew, who's averaged 6.8 yards per carry in five career games against the Colts.

Watch Oakland Raiders vs San Diego Chargers Live Online

The San Diego Chargers have not lose a single season in the last 5 years and it's been a long time since their last loss to the Oakland Raiders.

One of the most disappointing team of this NFL season needs to ensure that neither of those streaks will end on Thursday night, with the San Diego Chargers against the Oakland Raiders and hoping to prevent their slim playoff hopes this weekend.

The NFC West won three of the last four years, San Diego is three games behind leader Denver with four more games to play. This will mean that if the Chargers lose on Thursday, they will be eliminated from postseason contention if the Broncos beat Kansas City on Sunday.