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CNNSI.com's Jon A. Dolezar breaks down this week's games.

Week Six Previews
	Buffalo (0-4)	8:30 p.m. EDT Thursday
	Jacksonville (2-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	9-3 -- Bills' record after bye weeks, second only to the Vikings' 10-2 mark.
Key Matchup	Jaguars running back Stacey Mack (44 carries for 188 yards this season) against Bills' run defense which is ranked 29th in the league, allowing 144.5 yards per game and a league-worst 4.9 yards per carry.
Player to Watch	Rob Johnson, QB, Buffalo: Struggling seventh-year signal-caller (five interceptions in 90 attempts) to face his former team for the first time since being traded to the Bills in 1998.
	Atlanta (2-3)	1 p.m. EDT Sunday
	New Orleans (3-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	.587 -- Falcons' winning percentage (37-26 record) against the Saints, though New Orleans won both meetings last season.
Key Matchup	Falcons running back Maurice Smith (58 carries for 191 yards and two touchdowns) against Saints' fifth-ranked run defense, which allows only 86.5 yards per game.
Player to Watch	Ricky Williams, RB, New Orleans: Emerging as a top all-around threat just a tier below Marshall Faulk and Edgerrin James, Williams has 356 total yards in the past two games, and is averaging 141.4 yards per game in his past 14 games.
	New England (2-3)	1 p.m. EDT Sunday
	Indianapolis (2-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	.613 -- Patriots' winning percentage against the Colts, including wins in nine of their past 11 meetings.
Key Matchup	Colts running back Edgerrin James (139.1 total yards per game in his career) against speedy Patriots linebacker Tedy Brucshi (23 total tackles, one stuff this season).
Player to Watch	Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis: Though his quarterback rating of 85.7 is better than his rookie-year rating of 71.2, Manning's INT percentage this season is 6.62 compared to 4.87 percent in his rookie season and a combined 2.72 percent in 1999 and 2000.
	Baltimore (3-2)	1 p.m. EDT Sunday
	Cleveland (3-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	19.3 -- AFC-leading yards per catch for Baltimore's Qadry Ismail, who has 19 catches for 366 yards and two touchdowns.
Key Matchup	Browns wide receiver Kevin Johnson (on pace to have 80 catches for 1,113 yards and nine touchdowns) against Ravens cornerbacks Duane Starks and Chris McAlister (27 combined interceptions in 88 career games).
Player to Watch	Ray Lewis, LB, Baltimore: After allowing 391 total yards to the Packers, Lewis and the Ravens will be looking to punish the Browns and prove the 31 points allowed was a one-week aberration.
	Chicago (3-1)	1 p.m. EDT Sunday
	Cincinnati (3-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	10.8 -- Points per game allowed by the Bears, second in the league to only the Packers' 10.0 points per game surrendered.
Key Matchup	Bengals defensive ends Vaughn Booker (13.5 career sacks) and Justin Smith (making first career start after two sacks in past three games) against Bears' offensive line which has allowed a league-low two sacks this season.
Player to Watch	Anthony Thomas, RB, Chicago: Rookie is taking carries from James Allen, thanks to his 5.0 yards per carry compared to Allen's paltry 2.9 yards per rush.
	Pittsburgh (3-1)	1 p.m. EDT Sunday
	Tampa Bay (2-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	5.73 -- Steelers' league-leading average yards per carry, .01 yards shy of the NFL single-season record of 5.74 by Cleveland in 1963.
Key Matchup	Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart (25 carries for 136 yards and one touchdown this season) against Bucs' front four, which needs to contain the scramble better than they did against Steve McNair (nine carries for 54 yards and one touchdown).
Player to Watch	Jerome Bettis, RB, Pittsburgh: Has rushed for 379 yards in the past three games and is averaging a career high 5.3 yards per carry this season, though he hasn't scored a touchdown.
	Tennessee (1-3)	1 p.m. EDT Sunday
	Detroit (0-4)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	25-7 -- Titans' record when Eddie George has a touchdown run.
Key Matchup	Lions quarterback Charlie Batch (31 interceptions in 41 career games) against Titans cornerbacks Michael Booker and DeRon Jenkins (10 interceptions in combined 143 games).
Player to Watch	Jevon Kearse, DE, Tennessee: Hasn't been as dominant as some thought he would be this season with Kevin Carter playing opposite him. "The Freak" has only two sacks and 10 total tackles this season.
	St. Louis (5-0)	1 p.m. EDT Sunday
	New York (3-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	42.2 -- Rams' average points per game in their past five games against AFC opponents.
Key Matchup	Rams quarterback Kurt Warner (73 touchdowns and 35 interceptions in 33 careers games) against Jets cornerbacks Marcus Coleman and Aaron Glenn (combined 20 interceptions since start of 1999 season).
Player to Watch	Trung Canidate, RB, St. Louis: Marshall Faulk is impossible to replace, but on a team full of speedsters, Canidate is the ultimate track star.
	Carolina (1-4)	1 p.m. EDT Sunday
	Washington (0-5)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	191.8 -- Difference between yards allowed (376.4) and yards gained (184.6) per game for the Redskins.
Key Matchup	Panthers left tackle Todd Steussie (team has allowed nine sacks this season) against Redskins defensive end Bruce Smith (11 sacks in 19 games with Washington).
Player to Watch	Fred Smoot, CB, Washington: Rookie has three interceptions and four passes defensed and has learned quickly from veteran tutor Darrell Green.
	Denver (3-2)	4:05 p.m. EDT Sunday
	San Diego (3-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	.660 -- Broncos' winning percentage against the Chargers (31-16), including wins in nine of the past 10 meetings.
Key Matchup	Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie (only five interceptions in past 16 games) against Broncos cornerback Deltha O'Neal (four interceptions against Chiefs in Week 4).
Player to Watch	LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, San Diego: On pace for 1,555 rushing yards, which would top Mike Anderson's 1,487 yards last season.
	Kansas City (1-4)	4:05 p.m. EDT Sunday
	Arizona (1-3)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	19-7 -- Chiefs' league-best record in interconference games since 1995.
Key Matchup	Chiefs running back Priest Holmes (543 total yards and five touchdowns) against Cardinals linebacker Ronald McKinnon and Rob Fredrickson (combined 70 tackles and four stuffs).
Player to Watch	Jake Plummer, QB, Arizona: Has three touchdowns and only one interception in the past two games after throwing four picks in the first two games.
	Green Bay (4-1)	4:15 p.m. EDT Sunday
	Minnesota (2-3)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	49.5 -- Average combined point total in the past six meetings.
Key Matchup	Packers quarterback Brett Favre (on pace for career highs of 364 completions and 4,476 yards) against Vikings cornerbacks Robert Tate and Kenny Wright (only four combined interceptions in 103 games).
Player to Watch	Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, DE, Green Bay: Speedy undersized second-year wonder has league-leading nine sacks in part-time role, and the Vikings are vulnerable a good pass rush, having surrendered 17 sacks.
	Philadelphia (2-2)	9 p.m. EDT Monday
	New York (3-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	9-0 -- Jim Fassel's record against the Eagles.
Key Matchup	Eagles right tackle Jon Runyan (team has allowed 14 sacks this season) against Giants defensive end Michael Strahan (8.5 sacks in past three games).
Player to Watch	Kerry Collins, QB, New York: Though he's struggling so far this season, Collins has always owned the Eagles, with no interceptions in five career games against Philadelphia and a 101.4 quarterback rating in two meetings last season.

 

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