Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills look to clinch the AFC East title when they visit Chicago in what is expected to be one of the Bears’ coldest home games. The Bills have clinched their fourth straight playoff berth, and need a win or a tie to secure their third straight division title. The game figures to be played in frigid conditions with National Weather Service predicting a high of 10 degrees with gusting wind in Chicago on Saturday. And that’s after heavy snow on Thursday and Friday. Chicago will try to stop a seven-game losing streak and avoid matching the worst skid in franchise history.
KEY MATCHUP: Bills WR Stefon Diggs against Bears CB Jaylon Johnson. Assuming he plays, Johnson gets to go against another top receiver after going at it with A.J. Brown last week. Though Brown had nine receptions for a career-high 181 yards, Johnson made him work for it and broke up a season-best three passes. Now, he faces the league’s third-leading receiver in Diggs, who has 1,299 yards
ATLA
NTA (5-9) at BALTIMORE (9-5)
The Atlanta Falcons have never beaten the Ravens on the road. Atlanta also never beat the Colts in Baltimore when that franchise played there. Both teams are struggling to pass the ball and cold weather is expected. In the most recent meeting in 2018, each team scored a defensive touchdown in the Ravens’ victory.
KEY MATCHUP: Baltimore’s second- ranked rushing attack vs. Atlanta’s third-ranked running game. The running backs in this matchup won’t face each other directly, but with both teams struggling to pass the ball and the cold weather, whoever moves the ball more effectively on the ground could have the edge.
CINC
INNATI (10-4) at NEW ENGLAND (7-7)
The Cincinnati Bengals will look to extend their winning streak to seven when they visit the New England Patriots. New England has lost three of its past four games and enters the week eighth in the AFC. The Patriots have won three straight meetings with the Bengals and eight of the past 10. New England is 10-2 at home all time in the series, including 4-0 at Gillette Stadium. Cincinnati is one of 11 teams the Patriots have a perfect home record against.
KEY MATCHUP: Joe Burrow vs. Patriots secondary. The Patriots best chance of slowing down the Bengals offense will be by limiting Burrow in the passing game. New England enters allowing opponents only 202 passing yards per game and already has three interception returns for touchdowns.
DETR
OIT (7-7) at CAROLINA (5-9)
The Carolina Panthers are coming off a rough weekend running the football, held to 21 yards on 16 carries in a 24-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. But that won’t deter the run-first Panthers from trying to control the line of scrimmage with some smash-mouth football. D’Onta Foreman had just 9 yards on 10 carries against the Steelers, but hopes to get back on track against a suspect Lions defense that is 26th in the league against the run.
KEY MATCHUP: Panthers RBs D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard vs. Lions defense. The Panthers are coming off a rough weekend, held to 21 yards on 16 carries as a team. Foreman had just 9 yards on 10 carries. But the Panthers will look to stick with their strengths and pound the ball against a suspect Lions defense, all the while looking to control the clock and keep Detroit’s high-powered offense off the field.
HOUS
TON (1-12-1) at TENNESSEE (7-7)
The Tennessee Titans are trying to hold onto their slipping grip atop the AFC South with a rookie starting at quarterback. They will try to stop a four-game slide Saturday when they host the Houston Texans in what could be the coldest home game in franchise history. The Titans will be without veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill because of an injured ankle. Rookie Malik Willis will make his third start and second this season against Houston. The Texans are looking for their second victory this season. The Texans have lost nine straight. Yet they have a habit of playing Tennessee tough no matter the records of either team.
KEY MATCHUP: The NFL’s worst run defense against two-time league rushing champ Derrick Henry. Not only is Henry the NFL’s second-leading rusher with 1,303 yards, he has run for at least 200 yards and at least two TDs in each of his past four games against Houston. Henry also is the first player ever to run for at least 150 yards in four straight games against the same opponent. Henry is averaging 167 yards from scrimmage in four games in the AFC South this season.
N.Y.
GIANTS (8-5-1) at MINNESOTA (11-3)
The Minnesota Vikings host the New York Giants in a potential preview of an NFC wild-card round playoff game. The Vikings are 11-3 and have won the NFC North. The Giants are 8-5-1. They can clinch a playoff spot this week with a win at Minnesota and losses by two of their three closest pursuers: Detroit, Seattle and Washington. The Vikings beat the Colts with the biggest comeback in NFL history from 33 points down.
KEY MATCHUP: Giants RB Saquon Barkley vs. Vikings defense. Barkley needs 138 rushing yards to beat his previous single-season best, set as a rookie in 2018, but he had just 239 yards on 71 carries over the past five games plus 18 catches for 97 yards. The most individual rushing yards the Vikings have allowed this season is 90 by Jets rookie Zonovan Knight on 15 carries in Week 13.
NEW
ORLEANS (5-9) at CLEVELAND (6-8)
The weather will be frightful for the Saints and Browns. Their playoff chances are already there. With a forecast for temperatures in single digits and wind gusts up to 50 mph, both teams will lean heavily on their running games. The conditions would figure to hurt New Orleans, which plays in a dome. The Saints still have a path to the postseason, but they can’t afford any more losses. The Browns have a 1 percent chance of making the playoffs and could be eliminated even with a win. This will be quarterback Deshaun Watson’s fourth game back since returning from his 11-game NFL suspension.
KEY MATCHUP: Saints TE/backup QB Taysom Hill vs. Cleveland’s defense. Hill’s versatility as a runner could come into play with the inclement, cold weather supposed to be a major factor. Hill has run for 449 yards and he’s capable of delivering a big pass play.
SEAT
TLE (7-7) at KANSAS CITY (11-3)
The Chiefs will try to keep pace with Buffalo for the best record in the AFC when they face the slumping Seahawks on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City already has clinched its seventh consecutive West Division title. Seattle is slipping out of playoff contention after losing four of its past five games. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is riding a streak of 20 consecutive completions, just five off the NFL record, and is putting together a strong case for his second league MVP award. The Seahawks expect to be without injured wide receiver Tyler Lockett on Saturday.
KEY MATCHUP: Chiefs RBs Isiah Pacheco and Jerick McKinnon could feast against the Seattle run defense, which is better than only one other team in the league. Pacheco has at least 66 yards rushing in six straight games, and McKinnon has five touchdowns on the ground or through the air over the past three.
WASH
INGTON (7-6-1) at SAN FRANCISCO (10-4)
The San Francisco 49ers have clinched the NFC West but still have more work to do in the regular season if they want to get a better playoff seed. The Niners have won seven straight games, allowing 17 points or fewer in all of them, as they have been the NFL’s top team the past two months. They take on Washington this week with the Commanders looking to bounce back from last week’s loss to the Giants. The Commanders are clinging to the seventh seed in the NFC, but can’t afford many more slip-ups if they want to make the playoffs.
KEY MATCHUP: Washington red zone offense vs. San Francisco red zone defense. The Commanders have struggled in the red zone, converting just one of three trips into TDs last week against the Giants. They have scored TDs on just 11 of 23 trips since Taylor Heinicke replaced Carson Wentz as the starter and rank 29th on the season, scoring 4.32 points per drive in the red zone. San Francisco has been one of the stingiest defenses near the goal line, ranking fifth in the league allowing 4.45 points per red zone drive.
PHIL
ADELPHIA (13-1) at DALLAS (10-4)
Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts is expected to be out with a sprained right shoulder when the Eagles visit the Dallas Cowboys. Gardner Minshew is set to start if Hurts can’t play. Philadelphia can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a victory. Dallas has clinched a playoff spot and is likely headed for the fifth seed. Receiver T.Y. Hilton could make his Dallas debut almost two weeks after signing as a free agent.
KEY MATCHUP: Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb vs. Eagles CB Darius Slay. These two figure to see plenty of each other in the rematch after Slay stepped in front of Lamb for one of three interceptions of Cooper Rush in the Dallas backup’s final game filling in for the injured Prescott in Week 6. Slay hasn’t had an interception since, and Lamb is on perhaps the best stretch of his career with three 100-yard games in the past six.
LAS
VEGAS (6-8) at PITTSBURGH (6-8)
The Pittsburgh Steelers and Las Vegas Raiders meet on Christmas Eve in a renewal of their longtime rivalry. The game will be held just three days after the passing of Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris. Harris died on Dec. 21, just two days before the 50th anniversary of his “Immaculate Reception” against the Raiders in the 1972 playoffs. Pittsburgh will retire Harris’ No. 32 in a halftime ceremony. The Steelers and Raiders both enter the game with 6-8 records. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.
KEY MATCHUP: Steelers defensive front vs. Raiders RB Josh Jacobs. Pittsburgh’s erratic run defense made an emphatic response last week against Carolina after getting pushed around in a loss to Baltimore. The Steelers held the Panthers to just 21 yards rushing. With frigid temperatures and gusty winds expected, both teams are likely to try and keep the ball on the ground. If Jacobs runs wild, the Steelers could be in trouble.
GREE
N BAY (6-8) at MIAMI (8-6)
The Green Bay Packers are coming off back-to-back wins against the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams. They are hoping to get a win over the Miami Dolphins to keep their playoff hopes alive. Miami is on a three-game losing streak, but still controls its playoff fate if it can stop its skid in the remaining three games.
KEY MATCHUP: Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa vs Packers secondary. Tagovailoa has already surpassed his career total in yards passing with 3,238 yards, 24 TDs and just five interceptions. The Packers have one of the best passing defenses in the league, highlighted by cornerback Jaire Alexander’s four interceptions. Only the Eagles have allowed fewer passing yards than Green Bay.
DENV
ER (4-10) at L.A. RAMS (4-10)
The Denver Broncos will visit the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday as two of the most disappointing teams in the NFL meet for a nationally televised Christmas Day game. Quarterback Russell Wilson will return for the Broncos after being held out of their 24-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals as a precaution after sustaining a concussion. The Rams, who are coming off a 24-12 loss at the Green Bay Packers on Monday, are the second team to lose 10 games after winning the Super Bowl the previous season.
KEY MATCHUP: Broncos QB Russell Wilson vs. Rams OLB Leonard Floyd. Wilson has been sacked multiple times in every game this season, which has been attributed to both struggles in pass protection by the offensive line and his tendency to extend plays. After Wilson sat out against Arizona because of a concussion, Denver will have to put together a game plan that protects their $242 million man from Floyd, who had two sacks against the Packers for his third multi-sack showing.
TAMP
A BAY (6-8) AT ARIZONA (4-10)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are clinging to a one-game lead in the NFC South when they travel to face the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. The Bucs have lost three of their past four games. The fading Cardinals are down to third-string quarterback Trace McSorley and have lost six of seven games, including four in a row. The Cardinals will be playing their fourth game on Christmas Day while the Bucs will be making their debut on Dec. 25.
KEY MATCHUP: Bucs QB Tom Brady might have a chance for a big passing game against the depleted Cardinals cornerbacks group. The team’s top three corners — Antonio Hamilton, Byron Murphy Jr. and Marco Wilson — all missed last week’s game with injuries and it’s unclear if any will be able to return on Sunday.
L.A.
CHARGERS (8-6) at INDIANAPOLIS (4-9-1)
Nick Foles will try to give the Indianapolis Colts a fresh start Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers. The 33-year-old quarterback will make his first start with the Colts, replacing the benched Matt Ryan. The move comes one week after the Colts blew a 33-point lead at Minnesota to allow the largest comeback in NFL history. Los Angeles has won two straight and could be in position to clinch a playoff spot if it gets some help in Week 16. The Chargers have lost their past three Monday night road games.
KEY MATCHUP: Chargers QB Justin Herbert vs. Colts pass rush. Herbert has league highs in completions (76), yards (818) and touchdowns (eight) throwing on the run while Indy has struggled against quarterbacks who escape the pocket. No, Herbert isn’t the same running threat as some other quarterbacks but containing him will be the key to Indy’s success.