CAR vs. ATL - ATL is tied for first place in the N.F.C. South. They can't afford to lose to the one-win Panthers if they want to stay in contention for the division title.
CLE vs. CHI - 'Da Bears' have won two in a row and three of their last 4 while the Browns have lost 2 of their last 3. Should be a good game on the shores of Lake Erie this Sunday.
G.B. vs. T.B. - the Packers had their 3-game winning streak snapped last week in their first-ever December loss under Matt LaFleur but they've still won 4 of their last 6 while the Buccaneers have won two straight (and 3 of their last 5) in their effort to finish top of their division. Who wins this "Battle of the Bays" in this game between former division rivals?
MIA vs. the NYJ - the Dolphins were upset at home by the TEN Titans on Monday night while the Jets thumped the HOU Texans the previous day. Can the Jets upset their division rivals on the road this week?
N.E. vs. K.C. - this game was flexed out of the Monday night slot this week no doubt because N.E. has been so poor this year. Ironically, N.E. won last week while the Chiefs lost. The Chiefs have not looked particularly impressive this year (at least not on offense) - can the Patriots win in an upset for the 2nd straight week?
'N'awlins' vs. the NYG - the Saints beat the hapless CAR Panthers last week while the NYG have won 3 in a row! Will the Saints keep pace for the N.F.C. South division crown or will Los Gigantes make a win over them their 4th in a row?
TEN vs. HOU - the Titans pulled the upset over MIA last Monday while the Texans lost soundly at the NYJ (and also lost their rookie QB to a concussion). This is the first meeting between the two teams this season - they meet again on New Year's Eve.
the LAR vs. WAS - the Rams take on the last-place-in-their-division Commanders. If they win they'll even their record at 7 - 7 and ensure that they're in 2nd place in their division with 3 games left in the regular season.
ARZ vs. SFO - the 49ers can't afford to overlook the last-place Cardinals with a big game against A.F.C.-leading BAL coming up next.
BUF vs. DAL - the Bills have generally had a disappointing season but they upset the defending league champions last week. Can they beat a top N.F.C. contender this week?
JAX vs. BAL (Sunday night) - though they still lead their division the Jaguars have lost two in a row and 3 of their last 5 (after a 5-game winning streak). Are they up to the task of taking on the team with the best record in the A.F.C.?
SEA vs. PHI (Monday night) - this is the match-up that the N.F.L. saw fit to replace N.E. vs. K.C. with. Not sure why, but that's what they did. Both teams come in on losing streaks: 2 for PHI and 4 for SEA. A Seahawks' loss guarantees DET a playoff berth while if the 'Iggles' lose they may no longer be on the "inside track" for a top four finish in the playoff hunt.