Strategic and personnel keys to each Week 14 game

The Patriots' Wes Welker has 84 catches for 896 yards and seven touchdowns this season. AP

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MORE GAME PLANS: Miami-Buffalo | San Diego-Tennessee | Tampa Bay-Houston | Carolina-Jacksonville | Oakland-Green Bay | Dallas-Detroit | St. Louis-Cincinnati | N.Y. Giants-Philadelphia | Arizona-Seattle | Minnesota-San Francisco | Cleveland-N.Y. Jets | Kansas City-Denver | Indianapolis-Baltimore

Pittsburgh at New England

Steelers' Game Plan

• Feature isolations and powers. After watching the Ravens rush for 166 yards on tough inside runs, the Steelers will copy a page from their playbook and direct their running game at Adalius Thomas, Junior Seau and Tedy Bruschi. By pounding the ball between the tackles, the Steelers can wear down the Patriots veteran trio and break off big runs late.

• Mix up the pressures. Dick LeBeau will attack the Patriots by using a variety of bluffs and pressures to keep Tom Brady off balance. But the key to pulling off the high pressure package will be the coverage of Wes Welker in the slot. Welker has become Brady's safety net against the blitz, so limiting his touches will be critical.

Patriots' Game Plan

• Quicken the tempo. The Patriots jump on opponents by aggressively attacking out of their spread formations. And the constant pressure of the quick strike offense forces teams to abandon their game plans early. Look for New England to use the quick game out of the spread to slow the Steelers' blitz.

• Use the 4-3. With the Steelers' second-ranked rushing attack coming to town, expect the Patriots to use more 4-3 looks. The 4-3 eliminates the soft bubbles of the 3-4 and gives them a bigger body to handle Pittsburgh's power running game.

Miami at Buffalo

Dolphins' Game Plan

• Scale it back. The Dolphins' attempt to open up the playbook against the Jets backfired as quarterback John Beck turned the ball over six times. Facing the Bills' two-deep scheme, look for Cam Cameron to boost Beck's confidence by running Jesse Chatman and using safe underneath throws to get the rookie signal caller into a groove.

• Attack up the middle. Trent Edwards has been solid as the Bills' starter, but is still prone to untimely turnovers. The Dolphins must test his decision-making and courage by sending multiple defenders through the A gaps. By keeping pressure in his face, the Dolphins may be able to force Edwards into a turnover or two.

Bills' Game Plan

• Safe and sound. The Bills' offense doesn't dazzle, but is an efficient combination of power runs and high percentage passes. Facing a Dolphins defense that surrendered 40 points to the lowly Jets, look for the Bills to feed Marshawn Lynch (if healthy) or Fred Jackson with an assortment of throws to the tight ends (Michael Gaines and Robert Royal) off play-action.

• Apply more pressure. Despite being primarily a two-deep team, the Bills have started incorporating more five-man blitzes into the package. Look for the Bills to apply more pressure against the Dolphins to rattle Beck in the pocket.

San Diego at Tennessee

Chargers' Game Plan

• Get L.T. on the edges. The Titans' defense is stingy against the run with Albert Haynesworth in the middle, but the Chargers must find a way to run the football effectively. Expect San Diego to avoid Haynesworth by using more perimeter runs to attack the Titans' undersized ends (Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy).

• Load it up. The Chargers must prepare to handle the Titans' fifth-ranked rushing attack by using more eight-man fronts on early downs. By keeping Clinton Hart or Marlon McCree in the box, San Diego should be able to limit the cutback lanes for LenDale White and Chris Brown on the Titans' zone runs.

Titans' Game Plan

• Throw early. The Chargers will enter the game focused on stopping the run, so the Titans need to mix in more play-action and movement passes to take advantage of the soft coverage. By connecting on a few passes early, the Titans will loosen up the eight-man fronts and create bigger running lanes for White and Chris Brown later.

• Pressure with four. The return of Haynesworth allows Tennessee to rely less on blitzing to create pressure upfront. If the Titans are able to successfully pressure with only, they will be able to blanket Antonio Gates and Chris Chambers with an assortment two-deep zones in the back end.

Tampa Bay at Houston

Bucs' Game Plan

• Grind it out. The Bucs' offense is built to control the tempo of the game behind the power running of Earnest Graham, complemented by efficient passing from Jeff Garcia. Facing a Texans' defense surrenders over 120 rushing yards a game, look for the Bucs to feature more runs with Graham between the tackles.

• Fast and physical. The Bucs' outstanding team speed on defense allows them to pressure the passer with only four rushers on most downs. And suffocate passing games with the seven remaining defenders roaming in two-deep coverage.

Texans' Game Plan

• Be patient in the passing game. The Bucs' two-deep scheme doesn't surrender many big plays, so the pressure falls on Sage Rosenfels to patiently move the ball down the field on short throws. If he can avoid the big mistake, the Texans should have a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter.

• Control the trenches. The Bucs' running game will test the Texans' front seven by pounding the ball relentlessly on an assortment of powers and isolation runs. The Texans must respond to the challenge by controlling the line of scrimmaging and flowing quickly to the ball. Look for Houston to use more stunts and slants to create better penetration in the running game.

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