ESPN NFL

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 17:

Brady for 5,000: With all the fanfare last week surrounding Drew Brees' surpassing Dan Marino's single-season passing record, there has been very little hype for New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's also eclipsing 5,000 yards this week. Brady needs just 103 passing yards Sunday against the Buffalo Bills to reach the milestone. Brady is on pace to surpass Marino's old mark (5,084) but probably won't have enough to catch Brees (5,087), who could play the entire Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers.

Wrong side of history: The Patriots could enter the record books for the wrong reasons Sunday. According to ESPN Stats & Information, New England needs to allow just 122 passing yards to set an NFL record for most passing yards allowed in a season. New England's 32nd-ranked defense allows 293.8 yards per game, making the record a near certainty. Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick throws the ball a lot and could give New England that record before halftime. This is an area the Patriots must address.

Bills on the road: The Bills ended a season-high seven-game losing streak last week. But they still have another ugly streak hanging over them. Buffalo is just 1-6 on the road this year and has lost six straight games away from Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills' first and only road win of the season came in Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. Since then, Buffalo has been outscored 194-93 on the road.

Marshall vs. Revis II: One of the matchups I'm most looking forward to this weekend is Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall against New York Jets corner Darrelle Revis. These two have had great battles in the past, including earlier this season when Marshall had six receptions for 109 yards but Revis had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown. Marshall is arguably Revis' toughest matchup in the AFC East. Both players made the Pro Bowl this season.

Fond farewell: The Miami Dolphins will say goodbye Sunday to one of the franchise's greatest players. Defensive end Jason Taylor will retire after 15 NFL seasons. He played 13 seasons with Miami. Taylor, 37, is second on the Dolphins with seven sacks this season. That has been his best skill throughout his career. Taylor is sixth on the NFL career list with 139.5 sacks. Miami would love to send Taylor out with a victory against a division rival.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 14:

Feeding frenzy: No team has been dominated by the AFC East this season more than the Kansas City Chiefs. They are 0-3 against the division and have been outscored an astounding 106-13. The Patriots (34-3), Buffalo Bills (41-7) and Miami Dolphins (31-3) all crushed Kansas City this year. The New York Jets get Kansas City on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. The Jets are 7-5, fighting for their playoff lives, and could do themselves a favor by completing the AFC East sweep.

Disappearing running game: One of the things lost in the New England Patriots' four-game winning streak is the sudden disappearance of their running game. New England has dropped to 21st in the league in rushing and hasn't had a 100-yard rusher since Week 5. The Patriots were successful running the football in the first half of the season. Naturally, they rely a lot on quarterback Tom Brady's arm. But it would help if the Patriots found some balance again before the playoffs.

Brady, others chasing Marino: Speaking of Brady, he has 3,916 yards passing and remains on pace to surpass Dan Marino's single-season record of 5,084 yards. But Brady is not alone. Both New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (4,031 yards) and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (3,844 yards) are on pace to pass Marino. Whoever throws for the most yards this year will own the NFL record by season's end. But the next two quarterbacks could be second and third all-time.

Moore's winning formula: Want to know the biggest ingredient for Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore's success? It's avoiding turnovers. In Moore's four wins as a starter, he's thrown seven touchdowns, one interception and has a 110.1 passer rating. This week the Dolphins play a Philadelphia Eagles team that has plenty of talent but struggles on defense. Philadelphia will have trouble beating Miami if Moore continues to take care of the football.

More Spiller: Buffalo running back C.J. Spiller continues his late-season audition against the San Diego Chargers. The season-ending leg injury to Fred Jackson has given Spiller, a former first-round pick, his first chance to be a full-time starter. Spiller is coming off the best game of his career last week against the Tennessee Titans, when he rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown. He could have had more, but the Bills went away from the running game too early. The Titans led throughout but were never too far ahead. Buffalo needs to run well to have a chance for the upset in San Diego. The Chargers have the NFL's 26th-ranked run defense. Spiller has a chance at his first 100-yard game if Buffalo sticks with the run.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 13:

"Gronk" on historic pace: New England Patriots second-year tight end Rob Gronkowski has been a force with 11 touchdowns in 11 games. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Gronkowski needs just three touchdowns to set a single-season scoring record for tight ends. San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers both share the NFL record with 13 touchdowns in a season.

Not road warriors: One of the biggest reasons the New York Jets are fighting for their playoff lives is their sudden struggles on the road. New York coach Rex Ryan was 11-5 on the road his first two seasons. But this year the Jets are 1-4 away from MetLife Stadium entering their must-win road game against the Washington Redskins. New York's only road win came in Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills.

Wild-card watch: Not only do the Jets (6-5) have to handle their business against Washington, New York also could use help from several teams this weekend. Perhaps the biggest game is the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) against the Cincinnati Bengals (7-4). Cincinnati currently holds the final wild-card spot in the AFC. Other games of interest are the Denver Broncos (6-5) against the Minnesota Vikings (2-9) and Buffalo (5-6) against the Tennessee Titans (6-5).

Chris Johnson vs. Bills: Titians tailback Chris Johnson has struggled all season. But, unfortunately for Buffalo, Johnson may be hitting his stride. Johnson is coming off an impressive 190-yard rushing performance in Tennessee's victory last week over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Johnson averaged 8.3 yards per carry. It's not a good matchup for Buffalo, which is 21st against the run.

Marshall chasing 1,000: Miami Dolphins receiver Brandon Marshall is quietly chasing his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season. Marshall has 59 receptions for 850 yards. Don't expect Marshall to get 150 yards this week against the Oakland Raiders. But he's a virtual lock for another 1,000-yard season with five games remaining. What's even more impressive about Marshall's season is that he's had to produce this year with two different quarterbacks: Matt Moore and Chad Henne.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 12:

Win or go home: If you're looking for a game with a playoff-type feel, look no further than Sunday's AFC East showdown between the Buffalo Bills (5-5) and New York Jets (5-5). If the season ended today, neither team would be in the playoffs. That means neither club can afford to lose. New York won the first meeting 27-11 in Week 9 and is trying to sweep Buffalo for the third time in four seasons.

Sanchez can't be a liability: The time to step up is now for Jets third-year quarterback Mark Sanchez. New York is in must-win mode, and he no longer can be a liability as the team's franchise quarterback. Sanchez isn't all to blame for the Jets' inconsistencies, but he is an important piece of the puzzle. In New York's five wins, Sanchez has an 89.6 passer rating. But in New York's five losses, he has just a 71.6 passer rating. Sanchez has proved to be clutch late in the season and in the playoffs before. He needs to do so again if the Jets hope to make the postseason.

Spiller draws tough assignment: C.J. Spiller will make his first start of the season at running back against New York's physical defense. Starting tailback Fred Jackson (leg) is out for the year, so the Bills will rely on their 2010 first-round draft pick for the remainder of the season. This will be a good showcase for Spiller. Some Bills fans have labeled him a bust, but Spiller hasn't had many opportunities to show what he can do. New York's run defense hasn't been as good as in previous years, but the Jets still have a lot of talented players in their front seven.

Patriots' defense vs. Eagles' offense: Have the New England Patriots finally turned the corner on defense? We will find out this weekend when New England travels to play the Philadelphia Eagles. New England has been ranked at or near the bottom of the NFL in total defense all season. Yet, the Patriots put together their best two-game stretch of the year defensively against the Jets and Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams have struggled on offense. Philadelphia has not. The Eagles are ranked third in total offense. They have a dynamic group of skill players that could give New England's defense issues, regardless of whether the injured Michael Vick (ribs) or Vince Young starts at quarterback.

Spoiler role continues: The Miami Dolphins lost to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, but they still have an opportunity to spoil the seasons of a lot of other teams down the stretch. Miami’s remaining schedule is against five teams currently in the playoff hunt. It starts next week against the AFC West-leading Oakland Raiders (6-4). Miami will have 10 days to prepare for that home game at Sun Life Stadium. The Dolphins also play the Eagles (4-6), Bills (5-5), Patriots (7-3) and Jets (5-5).

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Here are five nuggets of knowledge about Week 11:

Prime-time Patriots: The New England Patriots will play their second prime-time game in a row and third this season. That's good news, because New England has stepped up this season when the spotlight is at its brightest. The Patriots are 2-0 in prime-time games and both were won in impressive fashion. New England outscored the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins in night games by a combined score of 75-40. The Patriots also will be heavy favorites at home against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football.

Pressuring Palko: Look for New England to do some heavy blitzing this week. Kansas City will start little-known backup quarterback Tyler Palko because of a hand injury to Matt Cassel. Palko has thrown just 13 career passes. The Patriots are ranked last in the NFL in total defense, but played a great game last week against the Jets. New England registered a season-high five sacks against New York. Starting defensive end Andre Carter had 4.5 of those sacks. The Chiefs were 27th in passing when Cassel was healthy. Don't expect it to get much better with Palko.

Gut check for Buffalo: The Buffalo Bills are falling out of the playoff race and running out of time. Buffalo is fortunate for its fast start. The Bills remain in the AFC East and wild-card race despite being 2-4 in their past six games. But Buffalo cannot afford to continue its slide and has a huge gut-check game Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. If the Bills (5-4) can't beat the 2-7 Dolphins, they're clearly not a playoff team this season.

Dolphins getting defensive: Last year's sixth-ranked defense finally showed up to play in the 2011 season. Miami’s defense has been lights out the past two weeks, allowing just six points per game in that span. Miami hasn't allowed a touchdown since Oct. 30. The Dolphins’ defense has gradually climbed up the rankings and is now at No. 20 in yards allowed. Miami also gets to face a Buffalo offense that has struggled as of late.

Wild-card watch: The Bills and Jets will be watching several teams of interest this weekend. The biggest game involves the AFC North battle between the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (6-3). If the season ended today, those teams would be the two wild cards in the AFC. Baltimore owns the head-to-head tiebreaker over New York. The Bengals own the head-to-head advantage over the Bills. Also in the mix are the Tennessee Titans (5-4), who play on the road against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Here are five nuggets of knowledge about Week 10:

Battle in the trenches: If you're looking for a big-time matchup in Sunday's AFC East grudge match, look no further than the battle between New York Jets Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold and New England Patriots Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. These are two of the best at their positions, and both have a lot of respect for one another. It's no secret the Jets want to ground-and-pound New England's struggling defense. The winner of the Mangold-Wilfork matchup will have a lot of say in who wins this game.

Greene picking up steam: One of the biggest reasons for the Jets' turnaround is the increased production of starting tailback Shonn Greene. The third-year player has 188 rushing yards in New York's past two games, wins against the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills. He averaged 4.82 yards per carry in those games, well above his season average of 3.8 yards. Greene, a power back, is known for having his best games late in the season. The Jets hope he turns it on again in November and December to help New York make a playoff run.

Another week, another Ryan: The Bills get another tall task in facing Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. His twin brother, Rex Ryan, gave Buffalo's offense fits last week in a 27-11 trouncing by the Jets. Dallas also runs a 3-4 scheme with some similar concepts. The goal for the Cowboys is to pressure and confuse the quarterback. That happened last week to Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He had his worst game of the season against the Jets' defense, throwing for 191 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Homecoming for Jackson, Nelson: It will be a homecoming in Texas for two of the Bills' key players. Tailback Fred Jackson grew up a Cowboys fan and was raised in Arlington, Texas, where Dallas' new mega stadium was built. Jackson is excited to return home and play against his childhood team. Bills receiver David Nelson grew up Dallas. And here is an interesting wrinkle: Nelson's girlfriend is a Cowboys cheerleader.

Bringing life to Sun Life Stadium: Will the Miami Dolphins finally win a home game? Miami is 1-12 in its past 13 games at Sun Life Stadium and hasn't won at home since Nov. 14, 2010. The Dolphins (1-7) have a winnable game Sunday against the struggling Washington Redskins (3-5). Miami plays three of its next four at home and has a chance to gather some momentum.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Here are five nuggets of knowledge about Week 9:

Rex Ryan versus Buffalo: The New York Jets should feel very confident facing the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. New York swept the Bills last season by a combined score of 76-21, and Ryan is 3-1 against Buffalo since 2009. On paper, the Jets have plenty of good matchups against the Bills. New York is one of the few teams talented enough and deep enough at defensive back to defend Buffalo's spread offense successfully.

Winless on the road: The Jets remain one of seven NFL teams yet to win a road game. New York is 0-3 away from MetLife Stadium and losing by an average margin of 12 points. The Jets have to turn that around if they want to remain in playoff contention. New York (4-3) is just one game behind the New England Patriots (5-2) and Buffalo (5-2) in the AFC East. The Bills are 4-0 at home, which includes last week's win in Toronto over the Washington Redskins.

Protecting Sanchez: New York's offensive line is playing better. But it faces Buffalo's front seven, which is coming off its best performance of the season. The Bills recorded an astounding 10 sacks against Washington, which was the second most in franchise history. The Jets have allowed 16 sacks of quarterback Mark Sanchez in seven games. New York allowed only 27 sacks last season.

Slowing down the Pats: What's happened to the New England Patriots’ high-scoring offense? The Patriots have scored their lowest point totals of the season the past two weeks. New England scored 17 and 20 points against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Dallas Cowboys, respectively. That has many wondering whether teams have finally figured out quarterback Tom Brady
& Co. The Patriots were fortunate enough to get a late touchdown against Dallas to pull out a 20-16 victory. But opponents are not giving up huge yards and are controlling the clock against New England. Look for Sunday's opponent -- the New York Giants -- to have a similar game plan.

Thunder and lightning: The winless Miami Dolphins (0-7) have been unable to get their running back duo of Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas on the same page. Sometimes that's been because of injuries and other times it was questionable game plans and play calling. But this week is a good opportunity for Bush and Thomas to help Miami. The Kansas City Chiefs have the NFL's 22nd-ranked run defense. Bush is coming off his first 100-yard game this season, and Thomas (hamstring) is expected to return. Miami's best chance to pull the upset is for Bush and Thomas to run wild against the Chiefs, who are coming off a short week of preparation.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 7:

Cross-country advantage: The New York Jets are slight underdogs against the San Diego Chargers. But one big advantage New York will have is playing against a team traveling across the country. According to ESPN Stats & Information, teams traveling at least two time zones are 9-13 this season. The Chargers are traveling three time zones to New York, which is one of the longest road trips in the NFL. New York struggled with a similar trip in Week 3, when it lost to the Oakland Raiders.

Familiar faces: Expect Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson and starting cornerback Antonio Cromartie to have extra motivation this week. Both are playing the Chargers for the first time since leaving the team two seasons ago. Tomlinson was one of the best players in franchise history but was released unceremoniously. He is expected to start Sunday. Cromartie had other issues, including a claim that Chargers doctors withheld injury information about a cracked hip during his tenure.

Don’t forget Marshall: Consider it "Reunion Week" in the AFC East. Another player facing his former team is receiver Brandon Marshall of the Miami Dolphins, who will host the Denver Broncos Sunday at Sun Life Stadium. Marshall is coming off one of his best games of the season against the Jets. He caught six passes for 109 yards. The Dolphins need Marshall to be consistent for backup quarterback Matt Moore to have a chance to win this season.

Move the chains: Miami is the worst team in the NFL on third downs. The Dolphins convert on just 24 percent of third downs and were an abysmal 2-for-13 in last week's loss to the Jets. Moore, making his second start for the Dolphins, has to do a better job on the most important down in football. Moore has the ability to scramble on broken plays, but he rarely used it last week.

Tough road after byes: The New England Patriots (5-1) and Buffalo Bills (4-2) are getting healthy on their bye weeks. But both teams have rough stretches coming up. New England will travel to play the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) in Week 8, followed by games against the New York Giants (4-2) and Jets (3-3). The Bills (4-2) will host the Washington Redskins (3-2), then play the Jets and Dallas Cowboys (2-3) in their next three games.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 6:

Can Rex Ryan beat the Dolphins? Surprisingly, New York Jets coach Rex Ryan has had more success against the New England Patriots in the AFC East than the Miami Dolphins. Ryan is just 1-3 against Miami since joining the Jets in 2009. Ryan has never beaten the Dolphins at home. Miami has come into East Rutherford and beaten the Jets two years in a row. That streak has to end for New York, because this is a must-win game for the Jets (2-3). New York is on a three-game losing streak and is falling behind in the AFC East and playoff races.

Kerley's time: The Jets believe they got a steal in fifth-round pick Jeremy Kerley. The rookie from TCU has shown promise in the return game and at wide receiver. That is why the Jets were not hesitant this week to trade unhappy veteran receiver Derrick Mason to the Houston Texans. Kerley will get a chance to play Mason's former role as the No. 3 receiver against the Dolphins. Kerley caught three passes for 35 yards and a touchdown last week after Mason was benched in a loss to New England.

Battle of No. 28s: Miami's defense entered the season with high expectations. It was ranked No. 6 in the NFL last year. But not much has gone right for this group in its first four games. The Dolphins (0-4) are ranked No. 28 in total defense but have a chance to get back on track against the Jets' struggling offense, which also is ranked 28th. Something has to give between these two underachieving units. Miami's biggest issue is giving up big passing plays. The Dolphins are ranked 31st in passing yards allowed. New York hasn't made many big plays in general in recent weeks.

Pats face a second Ryan: One week after beating Rex Ryan and the Jets, the Patriots host his twin brother, Rob Ryan, who is the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. Both brothers have similar philosophies. Therefore, expect heavy blitzing and attempts to confuse and batter quarterback Tom Brady. Rob Ryan had success against New England's offense last year. As defensive coordinator of the Cleveland Browns, Ryan and Cleveland pounded New England 34-14 last November.

Rookie contributions: The Buffalo Bills are getting strong contributions from their rookie class. It's been a quiet part of Buffalo's 4-1 start. First-round draft pick Marcell Dareus has been a force on the defensive line all season. Third-round pick Kelvin Sheppard is starting to come on at linebacker, and fourth-round pick Chris Hairston is expected to start his second game at left tackle in place of the injured Demetrius Bell. Rookie defensive back and second-round pick Aaron Williams also contributed before his collarbone injury in Week 3.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 5:

Welker visits Revis Island: How do you stop New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker? That's been a huge topic of discussion this week as the Patriots prepare to face the New York Jets. The Jets have a trio of talented corners in Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson. Although New York won't reveal its game plan, expect Revis to cover Welker, the NFL's leading receiver, for some or all of this game. The Jets love to put top receivers on "Revis Island." It would make a lot of sense for the Jets to slow down Welker with Revis and see whether other receivers can beat New York's defense. Welker does a lot of damage from the slot. But Revis is good enough to cover all parts of the field.

Mangold's impact: Jets coach Rex Ryan says ground-and-pound football is back. It starts Sunday against New England. New York is expected to get Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold back from a high ankle sprain. The Jets' offensive line has been horrendous in the two games Mangold has been out. Mangold should have an impact, even if he's not 100 percent. He won't get an easy assignment. Mangold will have to battle Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork a lot in his first game back.

Big week for Fred Jackson? Buffalo is a pass-first offense. But the Bills also have been able to run the football efficiently in the first month of the season. That might be Buffalo's best chance to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Eagles are ranked 30th against the run and are allowing 5.3 yards per carry. Bills tailback Jackson is averaging a 5.8 yards per carry. Methodically moving the chains will keep Philadelphia's explosive offense off the field.

Winning third downs: Buffalo's offense has been very good. But third-down conversions were suddenly a problem for the Bills in last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Buffalo was 4-for-14 on third-down conversions. The Bills' offense couldn't stay on the field and mustered only three points in the second half. That helped Cincinnati overcome a 14-point deficit. The Bills have to execute a lot better at home to beat the Eagles.

Dolphins issues: Miami's bye week comes at a good time, because the team has a ton of issues to fix. The biggest is how to get last year's sixth-rated defense back on track. This season Miami's defense, which has many of the same players, has been awful. The group is ranked No. 30, a drop of 24 spots from 2010. The running game also needs to be fixed. Starting running back Reggie Bush hasn't been as effective as the team hoped. Finally, can quarterback Matt Moore do anything to spark the team? Miami is in the dumps after losing four straight. Moore needs to infuse energy into the team when the Dolphins play their next game against the Jets on Oct. 17.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 4:

Strength vs. strength: What happens when the NFL's highest-scoring team meets the league's third-rated defense? We are about to find out. The undefeated Bills (3-0) travel to play the Cincinnati Bengals (1-2). Despite their struggles, the Bengals have been solid defensively under veteran assistant coach Mike Zimmer. The Bills and their spread offense will present plenty of challenges. Buffalo is averaging 37.7 points per game.

No letdown: Bills head coach Chan Gailey offered a new challenge to his players. Gailey wants to see how his locker room handles praise and success after Buffalo's surprising start. The national media is all over Buffalo this week, and the players are enjoying the unusual spotlight. This is a young group not accustomed to success. "It's a double-edged sword. If you play great you get [attention], but you've got to learn how to handle it," Gailey said. "If you can't handle it, then it won't be around long because you'll not play the way you’re capable of playing. I’m talking to a lot to these guys about handling all this stuff and making sure they don't get away from what got us to where we are."

Must-win for Sparano: Last week's game against the Cleveland Browns was a must-win for Miami as a team. Now, it appears the Dolphins are headed for their third consecutive non-playoff year. But Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers (2-1) could be a must-win for Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano. Ownership will be watching closely to see if the Dolphins still play hard for Sparano, who is in the hot seat after a poor start. Miami has a bye after the Chargers game, which could be dangerous for Sparano. If the Dolphins fall to 0-4, that gives the front office plenty of time to reevaluate the coaching situation for the remainder of the season.

Bounce-back Brady: New England Patriots quarterback and reigning MVP Tom Brady had one of the worst games of his career in Week 3. He threw for a lot of yards but had four interceptions in a loss to the Buffalo Bills. For perspective, Brady threw only four interceptions all last season. Brady rarely has two bad games in a row. Also, the matchup against the Raiders sets up pretty well for New England's offense. Oakland has the NFL's No. 28th-ranked defense. The Raiders also are 28th against the pass.

Focus on preparation: If not for former Jets quarterback Joe Namath, no one would pay attention to New York's focus and preparation this week. Namath criticized Jets coach Rex Ryan for the way he prepares his team. Namath also hinted that the Jets are overconfident. Expect New York to give its best effort against the Ravens in a prime-time showdown. The teams share mutual respect and have similar styles. This is a big game for New York, which travels to New England for another huge game in Week 5.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 3:

Rex on the road: The New York Jets have been very comfortable on the road under coach Rex Ryan. According to ESPN's Stats & Info, Ryan is 6-0 on the road against non-divisional opponents. Sunday the Jets will travel across the country to face the Oakland Raiders. New York to Oakland is one of the longest road trips in the NFL. It spans approximately 2,900 miles.

Looking ahead: Despite a 2-0 start, the Jets' game against Oakland is bigger than you think. New York follows this week with brutal back-to-back road games against the Baltimore Ravens (Oct. 2) and New England Patriots (Oct. 9). Both will be tough to win away from home. If New York beats Oakland and gets off to a 3-0 start, it takes some pressure off the next two weeks. But a loss to the Raiders on Sunday could put New York in a tough spot.

Safety a concern: New England's safety position continues to be a concern. The combination of injuries, defections and lack of performance has made it one of New England's few areas of weakness. The latest is the recent thumb surgery for Patrick Chung, who hasn't practiced this week. He is out for Sunday's big game against the Buffalo Bills (2-0). The Patriots are ranked No. 31 against the pass after two games. New England is lacking depth at the position with Chung's injury and the recent release former Pro Bowler Brandon Meriweather.

Jackson factor: The Bills' player with the best chance of slowing down Patriots quarterback and MVP candidate Tom Brady doesn't play defense. Buffalo running back Fred Jackson, the NFL's leading rusher, could be a headache for New England's defense. Jackson is running with a purpose. He's averaging 114.5 rushing yards per game and 6.5 yards per carry. The more first downs Jackson gains on the ground, the more Brady stays off the field. Both teams are expected to score a lot of points.

Must-win for Miami: The Dolphins' road game against the Cleveland Browns is pivotal. Not only would a 0-3 start put the Dolphins in a huge hole, but a lot of people in Miami's organization would be on the hot seat. It starts with coach Tony Sparano. He has been a lightning rod in Miami this past week. Dolphins fans and sports talk shows in South Florida already are starting to discuss potential replacements. Quarterback Chad Henne, who has improved this year, has been a hot topic the past couple of years. The Dolphins can quiet the talk for at least a week with a road win against Cleveland. Miami was one of the NFL's top road teams last season, posting a 6-2 mark away from Sun Life Stadium.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 16:

Maybe it was watching the Cowboys beat the Saints last week, but I can picture the Jets knocking off the Colts. We'll find out quickly how important an undefeated season is to the Colts. The Jets might see more Curtis Painter than Peyton Manning, which wouldn't hurt their cause. But the Jets could beat the Colts straight up. They do own the NFL's top scoring defense and run offense. The Colts are average against the run. As always, the difference will how well rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez performs against the No. 20 pass defense.

The Patriots can't afford to scratch Vince Wilfork and Ty Warren this week. The resourceful Patriots found a way to stop Bills running backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch despite the absences of two substantial defensive linemen. They'll need Wilfork and Warren to keep Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew in check. Jones-Drew is tough to tackle. ProFootballFocus.com says he leads the NFL with 831 yards after contact, almost 250 more than the next most persistent runner.

The Dolphins' pass rush will be pivotal to defeating the Texans. The Dolphins' sense of urgency should manifest itself in the pressure it puts on Texans quarterback Matt Schaub. Through the air is the only way the Texans should be able to win. Their rushing offense is tied for last in the NFL. Miami's rookie cornerbacks will need all the help they can get from Jason Taylor, Joey Porter, Cameron Wake and Randy Starks in trying to contain premier receiver Andre Johnson. In games when Schaub gets sacked at least twice, the Texans are 3-6.

Bills fans should expect anything they see from Brian Brohm to be a bonus. Brohm likely will make his first NFL start Sunday at Atlanta. He joined the Bills from the Green Bay Packers' practice squad barely a month ago, and until this week, has been running the scout squad. So Bills fans should not a) expect too much; b) project his performance as any significant indicator for the future. Brohm was a 2008 second-round draft pick who was never higher than third on the Packers' depth chart.

No matter what, the Patriots have ensured they will finish with the division's best record for the ninth straight season. The Miami Dolphins still can win the AFC East if they win their last two games and the Patriots lose their last two. But one of the more remarkable accomplishments of the Bill Belichick era is that no division rival has finished with a better record since his first year as Patriots head coach.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 10:

The New England Patriots don’t need to win Sunday night, but they must beat either the Indianapolis Colts or New Orleans Saints. If the Patriots go 0-2 on the road against undefeated teams that are considered Nos. 1 and 2 in virtually every power rankings poll, Patriot Nation won't unravel. But if the Patriots want to re-establish themselves as an elite team, they should knock off either the Colts this weekend or the Saints in Week 12. Both games are in prime time, an occasion to step up.

An out-of-the blue hip injury may signal the beginning of the end for Terrell Owens' career. For those who don't believe Owens' stats are an indicator -- he's on pace to have the worst season of his NFL career -- Wednesday's news that he is suffering from a strange hip injury could be the omen. The Bills were on a bye last week. He was fine at Monday's practice, then on Tuesday (a day off) he told the Bills he was hurt. Owens will turn 36 next month.

The young Miami Dolphins' secondary will be very good in the near future. Two weeks ago, the Dolphins started three rookies in their defensive backfield, including cornerbacks Sean Smith and Vontae Davis and safety Chris Clemons. Smith had a sensational training camp and has held his own during the season. Davis, in for out-of-commission starter Will Allen, has shown flashes in recent weeks, including a great interception to deny Randy Moss a long bomb In Week 9. Of course, Moss later abused Davis on the game's two biggest plays, but the experience the Dolphins' secondary is getting in 2009 will be enormous for next year and beyond.

The New York Jets must make a statement. The Jets are 4-4 and have a faint playoff pulse. They've had plenty to think about during their bye week and must emerge with a convincing victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at the Meadowlands to get themselves in the right frame of mind for the homestretch. The Jets' remaining opponents have a .563 win percentage. They need to back up their big words immediately. Nobody cares what a non-playoff team has to say.

Patriots safety Brandon McGowan will have a bigger role Sunday night than any other defensive player. Other players might have a more explosive game in terms of stats, but McGowan's job might be the toughest. He must make sure Colts tight end Dallas Clark has a quiet night, and I like McGowan's chances. He has been an under-the-radar performer, signed as a situational defensive back and special-teamer. But he has evolved into a remarkable defender. He has shut down Pro Bowlers Tony Gonzalez (one catch, 16 yards) and Kellen Winslow (two catches, 9 yards) so far.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 8:

	Jim O'Connor/US Presswire
	The Jets will get Jerricho Cotchery back in the lineup at full speed.

The Miami Dolphins' offensive line isn't getting the credit it deserves. Last year, most outside observers didn't notice the high-quality play of quarterback Chad Pennington because Wildcat highlights mesmerized everybody to the point they believed it was Miami's base offense.

This year, Miami's offensive line is being overlooked. All of the talk about the offense focuses on Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, then Chad Henne and probably Ted Ginn. But the five blockers up front -- center Jake Grove, guards Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas and tackles Jake Long and Vernon Carey -- have the Dolphins tied for most rushing touchdowns and ranked fifth at 4.8 yards per carry. Blocking is necessary in the Wildcat, too, folks.

For those who believe rookie Shonn Greene alone will replace Leon Washington in the New York Jets backfield, hold on. Washington was an integral component in the Jets' passing game. Greene, by his own admission, has hands of stone.

Here are some of Rex Ryan's first impressions of Greene from May: "He hits that hole and you say 'Man, that's a big man coming through there.' He runs low. He's a big ol' rascal. They bounce off him. Unfortunately, some of the passes bounce off him. ... It was funny. In the afternoon practice, [Mark] Sanchez throws him a pass, and it just banged off of him, and Mark says 'Sorry, I should have put that on the other shoulder.' And [Greene] responded 'I just don't catch very well.' At least the kid's honest."

The Buffalo Bills look like they're headed to 7-9 a fourth straight year. In the preseason, I predicted the Bills would be a game below .500 again but be a better team than they have been in the past. The first part of that statement might be bearing out, at least.

As awful as they've played on offense, and as terrible as they are at stopping the run, the Bills can enter their bye week with an even record if they beat the Houston Texans in Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills still have winnable games against the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Kansas City Chiefs and could steal another one here or there.

The New England Patriots won't run away with the AFC East. The Patriots went into their bye week atop the division after crushing the Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, victories they hope got their groove back because they're about to encounter their schedule's toughest stretch.

The Patriots' next five games include two of the NFL's elite, the undefeated Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, and three divisional opponents. The Patriots will play the defending AFC East champs twice and the Jets, who beat them 16-9 in Week 2.

Jerricho Cotchery's return should inject some life into the Jets offense. Because of a hamstring injury, Cotchery hasn't been a true threat since Week 4. That was before the Jets acquired No. 1 wideout Braylon Edwards. They played one game together (the first game versus the Dolphins in Land Shark Stadium), but Cotchery was so gimpy the Jets threw two him only twice. He finished with one catch for 4 yards.

With Cotchery back, the Jets' passing game becomes more complete. We finally should get a decent idea of what the Jets envisioned when they made the Edwards trade. The Dolphins totally removed tight end Dustin Keller from the game three weeks ago, but needing to defend a healthy Cotchery could make him a better option in Sunday's rematch.