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

Week Eight Previews
	Jacksonville (2-4)	1 p.m. EST Sunday
	Tennessee (2-4)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	7-7 -- Head-to-head record between Jeff Fisher and Tom Coughlin.
Key Matchup	Titans backup RB Mike Green (six career carries for 20 yards) against Jaguars LBs Kevin Hardy (46 tackles, 5.5 sacks this season) and Hardy Nickerson (28 tackles).
Player to Watch	Kevin Carter, DE, Tennessee: After getting his first two sacks as a Titan in Week 6 against the Lions, the Steelers held Carter to just one assist last week.
	Tampa Bay (3-3)	1 p.m. EST Sunday
	Green Bay (4-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	.849 -- Brett Favre's home winning percentage (62-11), the best in NFL history ahead of Terry Bradshaw's .848 percentage (67-12).
Key Matchup	Packers RB Ahman Green (107 carries for 512 yards and three touchdowns this season) against Buccaneers SS John Lynch (37 total tackles).
Player to Watch	Warren Sapp, DT, Tampa Bay: Has 14 tackles and one sack in his past three games after struggling early, and Sapp always plays well against his good buddy Favre, with seven sacks in their past seven meetings.
	Baltimore (4-3)	1 p.m. EST Sunday
	Pittsburgh (5-1)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	6 -- Catches needed by Ravens tight end Shannon Sharpe to break Ozzie Newsome's record (663) for a TE.
Key Matchup	Steelers RB Jerome Bettis (112 carries for 612 yards and three touchdowns) against Ravens LB Ray Lewis (55 tackles).
Player to Watch	Kendrell Bell, LB, Pittsburgh: Playing like Ray Lewis Lite, this rookie has 35 tackles and four sacks as part of the NFL's best scoring defense (10.8 points per game).
	New England (3-4)	1 p.m. EST Sunday
	Atlanta (3-3)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	48-3 -- Margin by which the Falcons have outscored their opponents in the first quarter this season.
Key Matchup	Falcons RB Maurice Smith (80 carries for 274 yards) against Patriots SS Lawyer Milloy (45 tackles).
Player to Watch	Troy Brown, WR, New England: Tied for second in the league with 48 catches and fifth with 579 yards, and has been especially dangerous since Tom Brady took over as quarterback, with 28 catches for 323 yards in three games.
	Carolina (1-6)	1 p.m. EST Sunday
	Miami (4-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	39.6 -- League-leading net punting average for Carolina's Todd Sauerbrun, who also tops the league with 19 punts inside the 20-yard line.
Key Matchup	Panthers QB Chris Weinke (58.1 completion percentage, six TDs and 11 INTs) against Dolphins CBs Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain .
Player to Watch	Doug Evans, CB, Carolina: Has picked off one pass in each of his past six games after picking off only six in his previous 41.
	Dallas (2-4)	1 p.m. EST Sunday
	New York (3-4)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	.623 -- Cowboys' winning percentage (47-28-2) against the Giants, though New York has won four of the past five at Giants Stadium.
Key Matchup	Giants WRs Amani Toomer and Joe Jurevicius (62 catches for 870 yards and four TDs) against Cowboys CBs Izell Reese and Mario Edwards .
Player to Watch	Clint Stoerner, QB, Dallas: Though he has a 75.3 quarterback rating (compared to 61.1 for Anthony Wright and 14.6 for Quincy Carter), Ryan Leaf is breathing down Stoerner's neck and will see action at the slightest slip-up.
	Indianapolis (3-3)	1 p.m. EST Sunday
	Buffalo (1-5)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	47 -- Receiving yards needed by Bills RB Larry Centers to hit the 6,000-yard mark.
Key Matchup	Bills QB Rob Johnson (47 of 67 passing, 548 yards, two TDs, one INT in past two games) against Colts LB Mike Peterson (36 tackles, 1/2 sack, 1 INT).
Player to Watch	Dominic Rhodes, RB/KR, Indianapolis: Averaging 25.4 yards per kickoff return and 14.3 yards per rush after his 77-yard touchdown scamper against the Chiefs last week.
	Detroit (0-6)	4:05 p.m. EST Sunday
	San Francisco (4-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	100.3 -- Charlie Batch's quarterback rating in the Lions' past three games.
Key Matchup	49ers RB Garrison Hearst (4.4 yards per carry, 264 total yards in past two games) against Lions OLB Chris Claiborne (38 tackles).
Player to Watch	Jeff Garcia, QB, San Francisco: Completing 64.6 percent of his passes and is on pace to rush for a career-high 568 yards.
	Philadelphia (3-3)	4:05 p.m. EST Sunday
	Arizona (2-4)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	26:1 -- Donovan McNabb's career touchdown-to-interception ratio in the red zone.
Key Matchup	Eagles wide receiver James Thrash (24 catches for 329 yards and three TDs) against Cardinals FS Kwamie Lassiter (three INTs).
Player to Watch	David Boston, WR, Arizona: Though he has only one TD, Boston has emerged as a top deep threat with 15.5 yards per catch.
	Kansas City (1-6)	4:15 p.m. EST Sunday
	San Diego (5-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	32:06 -- Chargers' average time of possession, the second most in the AFC.
Key Matchup	Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez (35 catches for 520 yards and two TDs) against Chargers SS Rodney Harrison (60 tackles, four passes defensed).
Player to Watch	Ronney Jenkins, KR, San Diego: Leads the NFL with 29.8 yards per kickoff return, and seems to be able to come up with a big return when the Chargers need it, as evidenced by his 72-yarder to set up Doug Flutie's game-winning TD run last week.
	Cleveland (4-2)	4:15 p.m. EST Sunday
	Chicago (5-1)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	104.1 -- Tim Couch's fourth-quarter passer rating, the best in the AFC.
Key Matchup	Bears rookie RB Anthony Thomas (5.9 yards per carry) against Browns LBs Dwayne Rudd and Jamir Miller (77 combined tackles).
Player to Watch	David Terrell, WR, Chicago: Has 10 catches for 110 yards and two TDs in two games since taking over for the injured Marcus Robinson.
	Seattle (3-3)	4:15 p.m. EST Sunday
	Washington (2-5)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	16-8 -- Marty Schottenheimer's career record against the Seahawks.
Key Matchup	Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander (104 carries for 432 yards and five TDs) against Redskins LB LaVar Arrington (48 tackles).
Player to Watch	Rod Gardner, WR, Washington: After catching six passes for 208 yards in Week 6, Gardner slumped to only two catches for 20 yards last week, but still is averaging 18.2 yards per catch.
	New York (4-3)	8:30 p.m. EST Sunday
	New Orleans (4-2)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	1,295 -- Combined rushing yards of conference leaders Curtis Martin (738) and Ricky Williams (557).
Key Matchup	Jets OTs Jason Fabini and Ryan Young against Saints DEs Joe Johnson and Darren Howard (combined eight sacks).
Player to Watch	Aaron Brooks, QB, New Orleans: Has fared well in three games against AFC opponents, throwing for 837 yards and seven TDs.
	Denver (4-3)	9 p.m. EST Monday
	Oakland (5-1)	• Preview • Stats Matchup • Injury Report
Key Stat	11-1 -- Mike Shanahan's career record against the Raiders, including wins in the past seven meetings.
Key Matchup	Broncos WR Rod Smith (57 catches for 758 yards and six TDs) against Raiders CB Charles Woodson (11 career INTs).
Player to Watch	Brian Griese, QB, Denver: After throwing six TDs and no INTs in the first two weeks, Griese has tossed seven TDs and 10 INTs in the past five games, three of which the Broncos have lost.

 

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SI's Dr. Z: NFL Week 8 Forecast SI's Dr. Z: NFL Week 8 Power Rankings CNNSI.com's NFL Week at a Glance: Week 8 CNNSI.com's Burning Questions: NFL Week 8
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