N.Y. GIANTS AT BUFFALO Giants RB Brandon Jacobs vs. Bills RB Marshawn Lynch. The Giants tried to pass in the wind last week and it didn't work. Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo is very hard on quarterbacks this time of year because of the winds coming in on the open end. Both backs are strong runners. Jacobs averages 4.9 yards per carry, while Lynch is having a terrific rookie campaign. The winner of this running matchup will probably win what figures to be a low-scoring and fast-paced. Photos by Getty Images.

DALLAS AT CAROLINA Cowboys DE DeMarcus Ware vs. Panthers QB Matt Moore. With the uncertainty of Tony Romo's thumb (he'll start, but how much will the injury affect his play?), Dallas needs a big defensive effort to ensure a win. The Cowboys are very good versus the run, which may discourage Carolina from running and put the burden on undrafted rookie quarterback Matt Moore to both control the ball and put points on the board. Interestingly, Moore originally signed with Dallas and was with them most of the summer; he was waived after the final preseason game. Photos by Getty Images and US Presswire.

PHILADELPHIA AT NEW ORLEANS Eagles CB Lito Sheppard vs. Saints QB Drew Brees. If the Saints are going to have a chance to make the playoffs, then Brees needs a big game against a pass defense that has allowed just 16 TD passes all season. Philadelphia held Tony Romo to zero TDs and a 22 rating in last week's upset of the Cowboys, and Sheppard did a nice job last week against Terrell Owens. Now he faces Marques Colston, who has 7 TD receptions in his last eight games. Photos by Getty Images.

DENVER AT SAN DIEGO Broncos QB Jay Cutler vs. Chargers CB Antonio Cromartie. Cutler plays well on Monday night -- in his past two MNF appearances, he has 5 TD passes, 498 yards and zero INTS, completing 71.2 percent. Cromartie was not even a starter at the beginning of the year, but he leads the NFL with 10 interceptions. Still, San Diego ranks 22nd in pass defense, allowing 220 yards per game. Photos by Getty Images and US Presswire.

ATLANTA AT ARIZONA Falcons CB DeAngelo Hall vs. Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald. This is a good matchup between a pair of top eight picks from the 2004 draft. Both are 24 years old and in their fourth NFL season. Fitzgerald was named a Pro Bowl starter and leads the Cardinals with 83 catches. Hall leads the Falcons with 5 INTs and always charged with covering the opponent's top threat. Photos by Getty Images.

TAMPA BAY AT SAN FRANCISCO Buccaneers RB Earnest Graham vs. 49ers LB Patrick Willis. Graham is tied for the NFC lead with 10 rushing TDs and he set a team record by scoring at least one rushing TD in six straight weeks. Willis, voted to the Pro Bowl as a rookie, leads his team in tackles with 142 -- 56 more than the next-best player on the team. Photos by Getty Images.

N.Y. JETS AT TENNESSEE Jets LB David Harris vs. Titans RB LenDale White. Harris leads the team with 96 tackles despite starting half the season. He's been a pleasant surprise for an improving Jets defense. The Titans, who are fighting to get a playoff spot, run 64 percent of the time and average 134 yards per game, so Harris will be busy. White is leading the team with 960 yards. Photos by Getty Images.

BALTIMORE AT SEATTLE Ravens S Ed Reed vs. Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck. This is the Ravens' first trip to Seattle -- a 2,783-mile plane ride. Reed has six INTs and is very good at reading defenses and locating the ball. Seattle has abandoned the run for the most part and relied on Pro Bowl QB Hasselbeck and the passing offense -- he's got 25 TD passes this season. Baltimore has allowed 23 TD passes in 14 games. Photos by Getty Images.

WASHINGTON AT MINNESOTA Redskins QB Todd Collins vs. Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson. Both teams are very good at running the ball (Clinton Portis and Adrian Peterson are both in the top 6 in rushing), but they also are both very good at stopping the run. With that said, this game could come down to 36-year-old Collins, making his second start in 10 years, against 24-year-old Jackson, who has started 12 games over two years and has won six consecutive starts this season. Photos by Getty Images.

OAKLAND AT JACKSONVILLE Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan vs. Jaguars RB Fred Taylor. Jacksonville averages 150 rushing yards per game. Taylor averages 5.1 yards per carry in December for his career, and has something to prove after missing out on the Pro Bowl again -- despite reaching the 10,000-yard mark for his career and having several big games in recent weeks. Ryan's run defense ranks 31st overall, allowing 143 per game, and has allowed the most rushing TDs (21) in the NFL. Photos by Getty Images.

CLEVELAND AT CINCINNATI Browns RB Jamal Lewis vs. Bengals QB Carson Palmer. If you said before the season that one team in this matchup would be 9-5 and the other would be 5-9, would you ever have guess that Cleveland would be the 9-win team that needs one more win toclinch a playoff spot? That's the case, and one reason is because Lewis ran for 216 yards in a Week 2 win over the Bengals. The teams combined for 96 points in that game, with Palmer passing for 401 yards and 6 TDs. Photos by Getty Images.

MIAMI AT NEW ENGLAND Dolphins DE Jason Taylor vs. Patriots QB Tom Brady. Miami is the only team ever to hold a Brady-led offense scoreless, beating the Patriots, 21-0, last December. Taylor has 8.5 career sacks against Brady, most by any opposing player. In their first meeting this season, Taylor had an interception -- but that didn't stop Brady from throwing a career-high 6 TD passes, five in first half. Brady needs 5 TD passes to break Peyton Manning's season mark of 49; Randy Moss needs 4 TD catches to break Jerry Rice's mark of 22. The Patriots would love to get those records in their regular-season home finale. But Miami is fourth in the NFL in pass defense. Photos by Getty Images.

GREEN BAY AT CHICAGO Packers RB Ryan Grant vs. Bears LB Brian Urlacher. Grant has been a revelation for the Packers since being acquired in the preseason. He's averaging 4.6 yards per carry and has solidified a once-dormant Packers ground attack. Urlacher, meanwhile, had his best game of the season last week and has something to prove after not getting elected to the Pro Bowl. Chicago's defense ranks 29th overall, 25th against the run. Photos by US Presswire.

HOUSTON AT COLTS Texans DE Mario Williams vs. Colts LT Tony Ugoh. The Texans are 7-7 and have never won eight games in a season, so they will be highly motivated here. The Colts need to protect QB Peyton Manning, who has sacked 12 times in the last eight games. Indy hasn't run very well lately, either. Williams will line up on both sides of the line, but most of the time he's at RE, so Ugoh will have the brunt of the responsibility for him. Williams has been playing great in recent weeks, and has something to prove now that he's been snubbed for the Pro Bowl. If Houston wins out, it would be the first time in NFL history that every team from one division finished above 500. Photos by Getty Images.

KANSAS CITY AT DETROIT Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe vs. Lions WR Calvin Johnson. Battle of rookie receivers who were first-round picks. Bowe is the leading rookie receiver with 61 catches for 885 yards; Johnson is second with 42 grabs for 665 yards. Neither team has been running the ball very well lately (Kansas City averages 80 yards per game; Detroit, 78 yards per game), so these receivers will be key to victory. Photos by Getty Images.