Hard to believe, with the New Orleans Saints already missing Ricky Williams and Jeff Blake because of injury, but things may be even worse than they appear.
New Orleans has two games left against division-leading St. Louis, including Sunday at the Trans World Dome in St. Louis. Head-to-head record is the first tiebreaker in determining playoff positioning, so both games will be crucial for NFC positioning, as well as determining who wins the West.
The Rams have dropped two in a row at home and could have problems against the Saints' third-ranked defense. Jim Haslett's team is 5-1 on the road so far, and is still perfect (4-0) against NFC West opponents.
New Orleans has a slightly easier schedule than St. Louis down the stretch, with the Saints' last five opponents boasting a combined .526 winning percentage (30-27), compared to a .600 winning percentage (33-22) for the Rams' opponents.
The NFC West race could come down to a Week 17 meeting between the two teams in New Orleans, where the Saints have struggled to only a 2-3 record this season.
| Week 13 NFL Preview |
| Patriots (3-8) at Lions (7-4), 12:30 p.m. Thursday |
| Key Stat |
| 31-27-2: Lions' all-time record on Thanksgiving Day (.533 winning percentage), including wins in five of the past six. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Lions defensive end Robert Porcher (five sacks in past two games) against Patriots offensive line that has allowed 38 sacks this season. |
| Player to Watch |
| Herman Moore, WR, Detroit: Has 45 catches for 704 yards and four touchdowns in the past seven Thanksgiving games. |
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Vikings (9-2) at Cowboys (4-7), 4 p.m. Thursday |
| Key Stat |
| 21-10-1: Cowboys' all-time record on Thanksgiving Day (.672 winning percentage), including seven wins in the 1990s.
Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss (163 yards receiving and three touchdowns on Thanksgiving Day in 1998) against Cowboys cornerbacks Phillippi Sparks (26 career interceptions) and Ryan McNeil (20 career interceptions). |
| Player to Watch |
| Emmitt Smith, RB, Dallas: Needs 193 yards for 10th consecutive 1,000-yard season. Smith has been the key for Dallas on Thanksgiving Day during the last decade, averaging 115.4 yards rushing in the Cowboys' seven wins and only 39 yards in their three losses. |
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Saints (7-4) at Rams (8-3), 1 p.m. |
Key Stat |
| 73-26: Scoring total in the Rams' two victories against the Saints in 1999, with Marshall Faulk running for 256 yards and four touchdowns. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Saints defensive linemen Joe Johnson (nine sacks, including five in the past two games), Norman Hand (two sacks, three stuffs), La'Roi Glover (13 sacks) and Darren Howard (seven sacks, three stuffs) against Rams offensive line that has allowed 31 sacks. |
| Player to Watch |
| Chad Morton, RB, New Orleans: Ricky Williams' replacement had 107 total yards in his first career start and should fare well against a Rams defensive unit that allows 354.4 yards per game. |
| Multimedia |
 Saints QB Aaron Brooks says his teammates will find out what they're made of vs. the Rams. (150 K)
Saints WR Joe Horn knows the Rams will be ready. (84 K)
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| Bills (7-4) at Buccaneers (6-5), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 0: Number of meetings between the Bills and Bucs in Buffalo, though Sunday's game will be the seventh in Tampa. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Bills inside linebacker Sam Cowart (123 total tackles, 1 1/2 stuffs, two interceptions) against fellow former Florida State, and now Buccaneers outside linebacker, Derrick Brooks (105 total tackles, 5 1/2 stuffs, four fumble recoveries). |
| Player to Watch |
| Donnie Abraham, CB, Tampa Bay: Tied for second in the NFL with six interceptions, and will be asked to shut down Bills wide receiver Eric Moulds, who is leading the league with 76 catches this season. |
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| Browns (3-9) at Ravens (8-4), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 3-0: Ravens' record against the expansion Browns, including a 12-0 win in Cleveland in Week 5. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis (101 total tackles, 5 1/2 stuffs) against Browns rookie running back Travis Prentice (388 yards rushing, four touchdowns). |
| Player to Watch |
| Jamal Lewis, RB, Baltimore: Needs 75 yards to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, something only 37 other rookies have done previously. |
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| Bears (3-8) at Jets (7-4), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 138: Yards needed by Jets running back Curtis Martin to become the third player (joining Barry Sanders and Eric Dickerson ) in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his six seasons. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Bears running back James Allen (842 total yards, but only one touchdown) against Jets strong safety Victor Green (68 total tackles, 4 1/2 stuffs, four interceptions). |
| Player to Watch |
| Brian Urlacher, LB, Chicago: Has 87 total tackles, six sacks, 3 1/2 stuffs, and could make the NFC Pro Bowl squad and contend for defensive rookie of the year honors. |
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| Eagles (8-4) at Redskins (7-4), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 40: Yards needed by Eagles punt returner Brian Mitchell (18,269) to pass Barry Sanders (18,308) for third on the all-time total yardage list. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas (13 sacks, seven stuffs, two fumble recoveries) against Redskins rookie left tackle Chris Samuels. |
| Player to Watch |
| Stephen Davis, RB, Washington: Ranks third in NFL with 1,073 yards rushing and his 10 touchdowns are tied for the lead in the NFL with Indianapolis' Edgerrin James and Miami's Lamar Smith. |
| Multimedia |
QB Jeff George says the Redskins can take charge of their playoff destiny. (93 K)
Redskins WR Irving Fryar thinks it's time for offense to step up. (101 K)
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| Steelers (5-6) at Bengals (2-9), 1 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 1,032: Rushing yards by Steelers running back Jerome Bettis in 10 career games against the Bengals. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Bengals quarterback Akili Smith (50.1 quarterback rating) against Steelers linebacker Joey Porter (eight sacks, two fumble recoveries, one interception) and Jason Gildon (eight sacks, five stuffs). |
| Player to Watch |
| Corey Dillon, RB, Cincinnati: Has rushed for 411 yards in past five against the Steelers, and needs only 66 yards to become the eight player in league history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons. |
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| Falcons (3-9) at Raiders (9-2), 4:05 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 265: Career games in which Falcons kicker Morten Andersen has scored at least one point, an NFL record. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon (2,399 yards passing, career-high 340 rushing yards) against Falcons strong safety Marty Carter (65 total tackles, one sack, 1 1/2 stuffs, one fumble recovery). |
| Player to Watch |
| Zack Crockett, FB, Oakland: Seldom-used backup fullback has received more playing time with Tyrone Wheatley out, and has responded with five touchdown runs in the past three games, giving him six on a mere 29 carries this season. |
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| Broncos (7-4) at Seahawks (4-7), 4:15 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 29-16: Broncos' record against the Seahawks (.644 winning percentage), including wins in seven of the past eight. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Seahawks quarterback Jon Kitna (38 interceptions in 954 career passing attempts) against Broncos cornerback Terrell Buckley (five interceptions this season), who will need to step up his play with Ray Crockett expected to be out for up to four weeks. |
| Player to Watch |
| Gus Frerotte, QB, Denver: Broncos will have a hard time winning if Frerotte needs to throw 58 times again this week, but his 462-yards, five-touchdown performance in Denver's comeback win against San Diego sure was fun to watch. |
| Multimedia |
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Denver coach Mike Shanahan can't explain Terrell Davis' leg ailments. (196 K)
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| Chiefs (5-6) at Chargers (7-4), 4:15 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 18: Point differential in the Chargers' past five losses. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Chiefs wide receiver Derrick Alexander (54 catches for 1,005 yards and nine touchdowns) and tight end Tony Gonzalez (63 catches for 828 yards and six touchdowns) against Chargers secondary that allows 239.3 passing yards per game. |
| Players to Watch |
| Elvis Grbac, QB, Kansas City: Has thrown nine touchdown passes in his past three games against the Chargers. Grbac has thrown for 1,458 yards in the past four weeks, but the Chiefs have lost three of those four games. |
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| Dolphins (8-3) at Colts (7-4), 4:15 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 40-20: Dolphins' record against the Colts (.667 winning percentage), including wins in three of the past four. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Colts running back Edgerrin James (1,586 total yards and 14 touchdowns)against Dolphins middle linebacker Zach Thomas (57 total tackles, 5 1/2 stuffs in six games this season). |
| Player to Watch |
| Lamar Smith, RB, Miami: Has rushed for 432 yards and seven touchdowns in the past five games, and needs only 163 yards to become the first Dolphins running back with 1,000 yards since Karim Abdul-Jabar ran for 1,116 in 1996. |
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| Titans (9-2) at Jaguars (3-8), 4:15 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| 22-3: Titans' record in their past 25 division games. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Jaguars running back Fred Taylor (810 rushing yards in eight games projects to 1,620 yards in a full season if he had been healthy) against Titans linebacker Randall Godfrey (81 total tackles, five sacks, three fumble recoveries, two interceptions). |
| Player to Watch |
| Derrick Mason, KR, Tennessee: On pace for an NFL record 2,855 all-purpose yards, and has 19 catches for 244 yards and one touchdown in the past three games. |
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| Giants (7-4) at Cardinals (3-8), 8:35 p.m. |
| Key Stat |
| -14: Cardinals' turnover margin, second-worst in the league (Chargers -16). Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Giants running backs Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne (combined 1,792 yards and nine touchdowns) against Cardinals strong safety Pat Tillman (96 total tackles, including 61 in the past six games). |
| Player to Watch |
| Simeon Rice, DE, Arizona: Has 5 1/2 sacks in the past five games, and an impressive 51 1/2 in his 74-game career. |
| Multimedia |
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Giants coach Jim Fassel guarantees that his team will make the playoffs. (385 K)
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| Packers (5-6) at Panthers (4-7), 9:00 p.m. Monday |
| Key Stat |
| 2-0: Green Bay's all-time record at Ericsson Stadium (3-1 overall vs. Carolina). Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Packers quarterback Brett Favre (1,238 yards and 12 touchdowns in four games against Carolina) against Panthers secondary that allows 226.5 passing yards per game. |
| Player to Watch |
| Ahman Green, RB, Green Bay: Improving in his third NFL season, Green has 1,053 total yards and five touchdowns, and has shown a Dorsey Levens -like ability to catch passes out of the backfield, with 44 catches for 361 yards. |
| Multimedia |
Reggie White still holds the Packers organization in high regard. (198 K)
Packers QB Brett Favre thinks White is till a great player. (65 K)
Packers coach Mike Sherman says White can cause problems for his offense. (122 K)
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