The Eagles and Ravens exposed vulnerability in the
New England Patriots.
An extra defender in pass coverage can minimize the impact of Wes Welker in the slot. Double coverage can frustrate and neutralize Randy Moss. Exotic blitz packages occasionally result in hits and pressure on Tom Brady.
On offense, the Eagles and Ravens proved that a good running back can take advantage of the age of New England's linebackers. Passing holes do exist in the middle of the Patriots' defense. But in the end, Brady can rally the forces and pull out the victory.
So it comes down to the Steelers perhaps being Don Shula's and the NFL's last hope of ruining the Patriots' perfect season. Given the information provided from two games of tape, can the Steelers slay the NFL's dragon?
Safety Anthony Smith, a backup until the Steelers had recent injuries, guarantees the Patriots' winning streak will end Sunday. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin probably cringed when he heard those words. The first-year coach doesn't want to rile the beast within the Patriots. Thanks to Bill Belichick, New England is already on a mission to destroy those in its path.
Belichick gave the Patriots Wednesday off to get them a little fresher after playing three consecutive Sunday nights. He saw a tired team against the Ravens on Sunday. Smith's comments might invigorate them.
While Belichick tries to get his players to focus only on the next game, it's pretty hard for the Patriots not to think ahead. If the Patriots beat the Steelers, the perfect season seems to be almost certain. The Jets and the Dolphins are the next two opponents and could be 30-point underdogs.
After that, the Patriots close their season against the Giants, who could wrap up a wild-card spot Sunday. Since the Giants would have to play in the first round of the playoffs, coach Tom Coughlin likely would rest QB Eli Manning, WR Plaxico Burress, DE Michael Strahan and other key starters to keep them fresh for the playoffs.
The Steelers have some of the elements of a team that could frustrate the Patriots. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is a master of the zone blitz, but in some ways the scheme might not completely derail the Patriots. Steelers cornerbacks don't play much press coverage, which will give Moss, Welker and Donte Stallworth a chance to get into their routes.
The key for LeBeau's crew is to get hits on Brady and try to confuse him. Good luck. Brady has been the best in football against the blitz. In those situations, he's completed 100 of 135 passes for 1,267 yards and 13 touchdowns. His quarterback rating against the blitz is an NFL-best 131.9.
Brady is the equalizer for all the Patriots' minor problems. Sure, they don't have a shut-down defense, but the D doesn't have to be on the field that much because of the way the offense moves the ball and scores points.
For the Steelers to have any chance, they have to score touchdowns and be at least 10 points ahead of the Patriots with two minutes remaining. Brady has proven he can overcome a two-score deficit, and he doesn't need much time to do it.
Whatever the Eagles and Ravens exposed, Brady can cover it up. If he does it Sunday, the Patriots are set to go unbeaten.
LaDainian Tomlinson
Running Back
San Diego Chargers
1. San Diego at Tennessee: The Chargers are finally starting to look like the Chargers. LaDainian Tomlinson is hitting his stride and could challenge for the league's rushing title again. The attack is present once again in the defense. Shawne Merriman is re-establishing himself as a feared pass-rusher and the defensive line is starting to get healthier and better at stopping the run.
At 7-5, the Chargers are poised to win the AFC West, but they are facing a desperate team in Nashville. The Titans' defense regained its growl in Week 13 when DT Albert Haynesworth returned from a hamstring injury. During his three-game absence, the Titans lost their fire. Haynesworth will have a favorable matchup against Chargers center Nick Hardwick and the interior of the Chargers' offensive line. The Titans know they need to get this win to stay in the playoff race.
2. Arizona at Seattle: Each week is becoming more of a challenge for Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt. Somehow, he's kept the Cardinals' playoff hopes alive despite numerous problems. Quarterback Kurt Warner is playing with torn ligaments in his left elbow. Whisenhunt has lost his two top pass-rushers, Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor. He's lost his best defensive player, safety Adrian Wilson. He could face the Seahawks without wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.
The Cardinals lose the NFC West to the Seahawks if they lose this game, but they still would have an outside shot at the NFC's final wild card. The Seahawks, particularly after their road victories over the Eagles and Rams, feel as though they are getting that late-season swagger back. This is the last of the eight division races still in play, but the Seahawks could close out the title if they win Sunday.
3. N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia: As great as Giants coach Tom Coughlin must feel about being 8-4 and within a victory of clinching a wild-card berth, this team must be driving him crazy. Although the Giants pulled out a comeback victory over the Bears in Week 13, they appear to be in the midst of another second-half fade. Among Coughlin's chief concerns is his team's turnover ratio. The Giants, despite an 8-4 record, are
minus-6 in that category.
The Giants know they can't keep winning if they continue to pile up mistakes. Eli Manning continues to make bad quarterback decisions. With RB Derrick Ward out for the season, Coughlin needs to get this victory so he can rest oft-injured RB Brandon Jacobs and keep him fresh for the playoffs.
4. Dallas at Detroit: Lions fans are losing faith. During the team's 6-2 start, fans were starting to believe Jon Kitna's forecast of a 10-win season. Now, mired in a four-game losing streak, Lions fans are worried about witnessing another 10-loss season.
The Cowboys come to town with a high-powered offense and a defense that could pump up its sack numbers. Kitna will play despite having a beat-up body. Gone is wide receiver Roy Williams, who suffered a knee sprain. The running game is invisible. The Lions play with great energy at home, but even that is starting to slip away. A loss would be emotionally hard for the Lions to overcome.
Joseph Addai
Running Back
Indianapolis Colts
5. Indianapolis at Baltimore: The Ravens' defense left its hearts and souls on the field Monday night in a hard loss to the Patriots. The Ravens had the Patriots on the ropes, but somehow Brady pulled out the victory in the final seconds. As proud as this unit is, it's going to be hard for the Ravens' defense to generate the energy and emotion to play at an elite level against the Colts. At 4-8, the Ravens are playing for next year and it's hard for veteran defenders to accept that.
Colts QB Peyton Manning might not have Marvin Harrison back, but he's getting the most out of RB Joseph Addai and the rest of his receiving corps. Ravens QB Kyle Boller played one of his best games against an aging Patriots defense, but he will have to readjust to the speed of the Colts' D.
6. Oakland at Green Bay: Packers QB Brett Favre should be able to extend his consecutive games streak, but how effective will he be? A year ago, Favre suffered an elbow injury and didn't miss a start. But he looked shaky for two games, throwing only one touchdown pass and five interceptions. To make matters worse, the Raiders do one thing well, and that's defend against the pass.
The Packers have to bounce back from their loss to the Cowboys, even though they don't have a lot of incentive to play at their peak. The NFC North is theirs. They know they are going to be the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Their closing schedule doesn't have a team with a winning record.
7. Minnesota at San Francisco: Thanks to RB Adrian Peterson, the Vikings are making a playoff run, and I do mean run. Peterson and Chester Taylor have made it easy for QB Tarvaris Jackson to manage the offense without having to win games through the air.
The Vikings head to San Francisco with the notion that a spot in the playoffs is suddenly becoming theirs to lose. They host the Bears on Monday night in Week 15 and finish with Washington and Denver. This should be their easiest game. The 49ers' defense is beat up, and Frank Gore should have a tough time running against the Vikings' defense.
8. Cleveland at N.Y. Jets: Finally, the Browns had a call go against them at the end of a game. They beat the Seahawks (Week 9) in overtime when a replay official overturned a first-down spot. They beat the Ravens (Week 11) after Phil Dawson's double-doink field goal sent the game into overtime. In Week 13, tight end Kellen Winslow appeared to be forced out after catching a potential game-winning touchdown pass, but the Browns couldn't get the call.
The Browns catch the Jets at the right time, and this game shouldn't come down to the final seconds. Quarterback Derek Anderson should be able to move the ball on the Jets' defense and the Jets' offense isn't potent enough as it tries to develop around QB Kellen Clemens. This should be an easy win for the Browns.
9. Buffalo at Miami: After losing to the Jets in Week 13, a winless season is becoming a reality in Miami. The Bills are a banged-up team, but RB Marshawn Lynch should be back a little early from his ankle injury, and that will be a lift. What's interesting is that this is a matchup of rookie quarterbacks -- Trent Edwards of the Bills and John Beck of the Dolphins -- and all of a sudden Edwards is looking like the steal of the draft. The Bills need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive for a Week 15 meeting against the Browns.
10. New Orleans at Atlanta: In Week 13, Saints coach Sean Payton realized he blew it minutes after calling a double reverse with a three-point lead. That play led to a Devery Henderson fumble and the Bucs getting the game-winning drive. Henderson is among the league leaders in dropped passes. Reggie Bush will miss the game with a left knee injury, and fans are wondering whether he was the most talented player in the 2006 draft. Payton must refocus the team and finish strong. Atlanta coach Bobby Petrino will start Chris Redman at quarterback because he's tired of benching Joey Harrington every other week. The Falcons are waiting for Byron Leftwich to get healthy, but Leftwich has been waiting for his ankle to get healthy since college.
John Clayton, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame writers' wing, is a senior writer for ESPN.com.