MillerLite

(Courtesy of USAToday/Sports)
* Partially deleted to fit 10000 characters posting bracket *

DALLAS COWBOYS (8-5) at ATLANTA FALCONS (7-6)
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, NFL Network
Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Cowboys by 3½.

Keys to the game: Atlanta QB Michael Vick isn't highly accurate, and his receivers drop far too many passes. Making life even more difficult is the possibility of the Falcons' top-ranked running game playing without injured RBs Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood, limiting Atlanta's ability to set up shots downfield. It adds up to the Falcons needing to generate a few momentum-changing plays defensively. Cowboys QB Tony Romo has come down to Earth the last few weeks. Dallas needs to avoid sticking Romo in difficult long passing situations.

CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-9) at BALTIMORE RAVENS (10-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: Sportexe Momentum. Sheridan's line: Ravens by 11.

Keys to the game: Cleveland faced 52 runs in its last game and can expect a lot of the same against Baltimore until the Browns prove they can stop the ground game. Ravens QB Steve McNair will focus on being efficient and not doing the Browns any favors, with Cleveland likely to have QB Derek Anderson making his second career start in place of injured Charlie Frye. The Ravens should be able to stop the Browns running game with just their front seven, sticking Anderson in difficult passing situations.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (8-5) at TENNESSEE TITANS (6-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Jaguars by 3½.

Keys to the game: The Jaguars rushed for 375 yards against Indianapolis last Sunday and face a Titans defense allowing 140.9 rushing yards a game. To protect the defense and keep time of possession respectable, the Titans also need a strong effort from RB Travis Henry. QB Vince Young could find scrambling for big gains harder to come by against Jacksonville's fast defense. The Jaguars want to force Young to beat them through the air.

MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-7) at BUFFALO BILLS (6-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: AstroPlay. Sheridan's line: Bills by 1.

Keys to the game: RB Willis McGahee has been battling a variety of ailments, but the Bills desperately need a solid outing from him. Miami allowed seven sacks in the first meeting, but the offensive line is playing much better and QB Joey Harrington's mobility should help avoid a repeat. Harrington is developing chemistry with WR Marty Booker, who has a TD in each of the last three games. But Harrington is prone to mistakes under pressure.

NEW YORK JETS (7-6) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Vikings by 3½.

Keys to the game: The Jets probably will spread the field and attempt to move the chains with the short and intermediate passing game. Vikings RB Chester Taylor expects to play after missing a game with bruised ribs and along with backup Artose Pinner will pound away at the Jets' 3-4 run defense that struggles vs. the run at times. But if the Jets can contain the run and pressure QB Brad Johnson, they might be able to produce the turnovers they need to provide shorter fields.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-7) at CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-7)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: No line.

Keys to the game: The Panthers need a huge game out of DEs Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker getting in the face of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger. Carolina has been besieged by hamstring injuries in the secondary and will have a difficult time keeping tabs on anyone downfield for long. QB Chris Weinke appears likely to make his second consecutive start for Carolina.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-10) at CHICAGO BEARS (11-2)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Bears by 13½.

Keys to the game: For the Bucs, it's all about the ground game. The good news for Tampa Bay is Chicago has allowed at least 100 rushing yards in five of the seven games since S Mike Brown was lost for the season. The bad news is the Bears don't fear the Bucs passing game, so they will dedicate eight- and nine-man fronts toward stopping RB Carnell Williams. Tampa Bay has improved a bit against the run and must find a way to force Chicago QB Rex Grossman into producing turnovers.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS (4-9) at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (9-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Saints by 9½.

Keys to the game: With the amount of offensive weapons the Saints boast, the Redskins' best bet to keep the game competitive into the fourth quarter is to get a third consecutive monster effort out of RB Ladell Betts. Washington needs to dominate the time of possession and can't abandon the running game even if it falls behind early.

DETROIT LIONS (2-11) at GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-8)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Fox
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Packers by 5½.

Keys to the game: The Packers allowed eight pass plays of at least 15 yards in the first meeting, and their secondary can expect to come under even more fire with the Lions losing RB Kevin Jones for the season. Detroit will likely spread the field and put the game into the hands of QB Jon Kitna, who is amassing big statistics but also struggling with turnovers. Green Bay will attempt to be far more balanced offensively, especially considering its youth on the offensive line. If RB Ahman Green is productive early on, QB Brett Favre could be in for a huge day, because the Lions don't have anyone who can put heat on the passer consistently.

HOUSTON TEXANS (4-9) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Patriots by 11½.

Keys to the game: The Patriots have had three sloppy performances in a row and are just 4-3 at home, with five games decided by seven points or fewer. Look for an inspired performance with New England coming off a shutout loss in Miami. QB Tom Brady should be able to drop back and dissect the Texans' secondary with Houston possessing only one true pass-rushing threat in rookie DE Mario Williams. The Texans could find it difficult to run vs. league's No. 3 run defense. That will put more heat on QB David Carr, whose future could be determined over next three weeks.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (7-6) at NEW YORK GIANTS (7-6)
Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET, Fox
Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Giants by 5.

Keys to the game: Expect plenty of offense, with both lines protecting their quarterbacks very well. Garcia's mobility is playing a major role, as is his ball control — no interceptions in 133 pass attempts since taking over for Donovan McNabb. If he's able to find passing lanes, Eagles WRs Reggie Brown and Donte' Stallworth shouldn't take long to gain separation vs. the Giants' mediocre secondary. Manning cut down on his mistakes last weekend, but he is erratic and the Eagles pounce on mistakes. So the Giants will lean heavily on RB Tiki Barber working against a defense allowing 142.5 rushing yards a game and 4.5 yards a carry.

DENVER BRONCOS (7-6) at ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-9)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Broncos by 3.

Keys to the game: Arizona discovered rare offensive balance in victories against St. Louis and Seattle, but Denver has a significantly superior run defense to the other two. If the Broncos can bottle up RB Edgerrin James, they can blitz rookie QB Matt Leinart more often and attempt to push him into bad decisions working against CBs Champ Bailey and Darrent Williams. Denver has to force the issue because it can't be certain what it will get out of its own rookie signal-caller. QB Jay Cutler was effective working out of the shotgun last weekend, but the Broncos remain a run-first offense.

ST. LOUIS RAMS (5-8) at OAKLAND RAIDERS (2-11)
Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET, Fox
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Raiders by 3.

Keys to the game: The Raiders have spent most of the season in search of a running game to take heat off of their weak pass protection. The Rams present as good an opportunity as Oakland will find. St. Louis allows 154.8 rushing yards a game, and Oakland will try to attack with whoever can provide positive yardage out of RBs Justin Fargas, ReShard Lee and Zach Crockett. The Rams' best run defense is for their offense to get off to a hot start and put the Raiders in come-from-behind mode. The Rams have their own offensive line issues, so they need RB Steven Jackson producing on early downs to help buy Bulger time in the pocket.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (7-6) at SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (11-2)
Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC
Surface: Grass. Sheridan's line: Chargers by 8½.

Keys to the game: There's no doubt the Chargers are the more balanced offensive team. The Chiefs need to be able to control field position, and RB Larry Johnson had 132 yards on 28 carries in the first meeting. Kansas City QB Trent Green, who threw two costly interceptions last Sunday, must avoid those mistakes and make sure long offensive drives don't end in field goals.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (8-5) at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10-3)
Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Surface: FieldTurf. Sheridan's line: Colts by 3½.

Keys to the game: With defenses looking to take away the big play, Indianapolis QB Peyton Manning needs a more consistent ground game to set up play-action. Manning knows he has to put points on the board because the Colts can't stop anyone defensively. The Bengals have won 11 of their last 15 road games and probably will attack the Colts' run defense (5.4 yards a carry) early. Then Cincinnati QB Carson Palmer can take shots to his big-play receivers.