Saturday
Houston Texans (9-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (13-1), 1 p.m. ET, NBC
After the Texans clinched the AFC South division title for the second consecutive season last week, they can breathe a little easier about the rough road ahead. It’s the same schedule the Chiefs are on with a Saturday game before playing again Wednesday in the NFL’s Christmas Day spotlight games. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) was hobbled and Carson Wentz finished the 21-7 win at Cleveland last week, but he’ll answer the bell for Kansas City on Saturday. There’s some concern about the health and performance of the offensive line safeguarding Mahomes after he was hit 12 times last week. The Texans boast the only tandem of defenders with 10-plus sacks – Danielle Hunter with 12 and Will Anderson Jr. at 10.5 – and Houston’s secondary has playmaking chops starting with CB Derek Stingley Jr. With the AFC West title in hand plus a two-game lead over the Buffalo Bills in the race for the top seed in the conference, the Chiefs still are playing for something: a win couple with a Buffalo tie or loss vs. New England gives Kansas City a first-round playoff bye and homefield through the conference title game.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) at Baltimore Ravens (9-5), 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX
The Steelers clinched a playoff berth for the fourth time in the past five seasons but Saturday’s game will go a long way toward determining the AFC North champion, which will get a home game in the playoffs. The Ravens are coming off a 35-14 beatdown of the Giants, their league-leading sixth game with at least 35 points. There are some sweaty palms in Baltimore over the recent accuracy issues of PK Justin Tucker, who went 1-for-3 in the 18-16 loss at Pittsburgh last month. Two weeks later in a home loss against the Eagles (24-19), Tucker missed an extra point and two more FG attempts. QB Lamar Jackson has done his part, but still is searching for answers against the Steelers. He had his worst game of the season – 16 of 33, 207 yards, TD, INT – at Pittsburgh in a year he had otherwise dominated at every turn. He has nine games with two-plus TD passes and zero interceptions, a streak only Tom Brady (11, 2010) and Aaron Rodgers (three times) have pushed to 10 games in a single season. Pittsburgh is 5-2 all-time against Jackson, who has five TDs and eight INTs against the Steelers, forcing him to contend with edge pressure from T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.

Sunday
Detroit Lions (12-2) at Chicago Bears (4-10), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
The last undefeated team on the road this season, the Lions are 6-0 and driven to prove injuries and last week’s loss won’t derail their season. Having the NFL’s highest-scoring offense (32.8 points per game) helps their cause. The Lions have work to do with the Eagles riding a 10-game winning streak and the Vikings also tied with Detroit for the NFC’s best record. Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown is 0-2 since he replaced Matt Eberflus one day after Chicago’s bungled clock management in the final minute of a 23-20 loss at Detroit. Chicago returns home trying again to end a losing streak that stands at eight games. Brown says the Bears are still fighting. Lopsided losses at San Francisco, 38-13, and Minnesota, 30-12, aren’t helping Brown’s case. Chicago has been outscored 53-0 in the first half of its past three contests.

Philadelphia Eagles (12-2) at Washington Commanders (9-5), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Ground-and-pound Philly went to the air last week to hush concerns over the working relationship between QB Jalen Hurts and WR A.J. Brown. But the recipe for success this season for the Eagles has been an unstoppable ground game. With a single-season franchise-record 10 consecutive wins, the Eagles streak into Washington behind Hurts and NFL leading rusher Saquon Barkley. Barkley leads the NFL with a franchise-record 1,688 rushing yards and 1,964 total yards. He also owns Washington, averaging 136.2 yards per scrimmage against the franchise dating to his days with the Giants. But Barkley destroyed the Commanders in the first meeting this season, racking up 198 total yards and two rushing TDs. He has 1,362 total yards and 10 touchdowns (six rushing, four receiving) in 10 career games against Washington. The Commanders are in playoff position with three games to go. A loss to the Eagles would set up a critical matchup with the Falcons (7-7) next week. Washington’s Jayden Daniels is the fourth rookie quarterback in league history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards.

Arizona Cardinals (7-7) at Carolina Panthers (3-11), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
The Cardinals are flirting with NFC playoff position after halting a three-game losing streak with a 30-17 victory over the visiting New England Patriots last weekend. But the margin is thin in an overcrowded wildcard race. The Panthers have lost four games in a row entering the home finale and closer to the top of the 2025 draft than the playoffs. There are signs of life from the Panthers despite growing pains. Carolina lost tight games to divisional leaders Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia before dropping a 30-14 decision to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday. Running backs are critical to the success of both teams. Cardinals RB James Conner has rushed for a team-high 973 rushing yards and had 110 yards to beat New England for his second-highest total of the season and his fifth 100-yard game this season. Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark earlier this month, but he was held to the second-lowest total of the season with 32 yards on the ground last week.

New York Giants (2-12) at Atlanta Falcons (7-7), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Quarterback changes are commonplace for the Giants this season and New York turns to Drew Lock for his third start in 2024 after Tim Boyle and Tommy DeVito split the chores in Week 15. There’s no split in Atlanta where rookie Michael Penix Jr. is ticketed for his debut. The Falcons made the move knowing time is short to find the passing lane with the playoffs still within reach but their offense skidding and erratic behind Kirk Cousins. Penix was a Heisman Trophy finalist and took Washington to the national championship game last season. The 24-year-old receives high marks from teammates for maturity and accuracy. But this week’s practices represented his first extended work with top targets, pointing to a plan of pounding Bijan Robinson and Tyson Allgeier against New York’s injury-riddled defense. The Giants are allowing 4.9 yards per carry and the Ravens gained 170 rushing yards last week.

Cleveland Browns (3-11) at Cincinnati Bengals (6-8), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Joe Burrow might be on the road to the greatest 9-8 – perhaps worse – season in league history and his top target is right there with him. Ja’Marr Chase, 43 yards shy of the franchise mark for single-season receiving yards, leads the NFL with 102 receptions, 1,413 receiving yards and 15 touchdown receptions and can become the third player in NFL history with at least 100 catches, 1,500 yards and 15 TD receptions in his first 15 games in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Randy Moss (2003) and Jerry Rice (1995). Burrow had two TD passes in the Week 7 matchup with the Browns. He leads the NFL with 3,977 pass yards and 36 TD passes. Cleveland is turning to Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback. He makes his fourth career start with Jameis Winston benched and RB Nick Chubb (knee) placed on IR this week. WR Jerry Jeudy has been the best playmaker on the Browns’ roster since the last game against Cincinnati, ranking second in the NFL with 786 receiving yards since Week 8.

Tennessee Titans (3-11) at Indianapolis Colts (6-8), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Anthony Richardson survived the QB yoyo earlier in the season but the Titans still are trying to find the right fit behind center entering Week 16. Mason Rudolph was named the starter following another turnover-filled showing by Will Levis. Levis tossed three interceptions and coughed up a fumble in 2 1/2 quarters, getting the hook after giving up a pick-six that helped sink the Titans to a 3-11 mark. If the Titans don’t win this game and stack a few more losses, they should be in position to look for a new face of the franchise at QB should first-year coach Brian Callahan decide to start over. Turnovers hurt the Colts last week in a loss at Denver that erased playoff aspirations. Richardson has three consecutive home starts without an INT. Richardson has made just 14 NFL starts due to injuries that cost him most of last year, is completing only 47 percent of his passes for 1,683 yards with seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2024.

Los Angeles Rams (8-6) at New York Jets (4-10), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Rams rookie DE Kobie Turner and LB Jared Verse are helping turn the Los Angeles defensive into a surging strength. Turner had 2.0 sacks last week and Verse leads all rookies with 11 tackles for loss. Resurgent QB Aaron Rodgers and the Jets know all too well that protection has been a pain point. Rodgers and WR Davante Adams are fully reconnected. Adams had nine catches for 198 yards and two TDs in Week 15 and the Rams have allowed 23 TD passes. Rodgers gets another matchup with former division rival Matthew Stafford. Stafford was with the Lions and in the NFC North during most of Rodgers’ run with the Packers. His targets are big-play threats, too. Cooper Kupp was held without a reception last Thursday at San Francisco but Puka Nacua had seven grabs. If he gets 100 receiving yards Sunday, Nacua would join Justin Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr. as the only players with 12 games of 100-plus receiving yards in their first two seasons.

New England Patriots (3-11) at Buffalo Bills (11-3), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Josh Allen appears to be on a one-way path to his first NFL MVP award, long removed from offseason worries the Bills would take a step back without a defined No. 1 receiver. By beating the Lions 48-42 last week, Buffalo became the fifth team to score 30 points in eight consecutive games in a single season and first since the 2013 Denver Broncos. Allen has 36 combined passing and rushing touchdowns (25 passing, 11 rushing) and can join Aaron Rodgers (six seasons) as the only players in NFL history with five career seasons with at least 40 combined passing and rushing touchdowns. All of those accomplishments are window dressing to Buffalo’s search for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, which requires two wins over the Patriots in the next three weeks and a little luck given Kansas City’s 13-1 record. Sunday marks the first game for Patriots QB Drake Maye in the AFC East rivalry. A win Sunday would be No. 75 in the regular season for Allen, tying Russell Wilson for the most in league history for a quarterback through his first seven seasons.

Minnesota Vikings (12-2) at Seattle Seahawks (8-6), 4:05 p.m. ET, FOX
A seven-game winning streak is the tailwind for the Vikings as they touch down in Seattle, but neither team is locked into playoff positioning. Minnesota clinched a postseason bid but shares the NFC’s best record with the Eagles and Lions. If the Vikings can survive the Seahawks, Packers and Lions unscathed and finish 15-2, they’ll have the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson would become the third player in league history to start his career with five consecutive 1,300-yard seasons with just 57 yards in the next three weeks. The Seahawks are back in chase mode. Seattle had a four-game winning streak snapped by the Packers in Week 15 and coughed up the NFC West lead last week. The Seahawks fell behind the Rams (8-6) but can set up a meaningful Week 18 date with Los Angeles. Geno Smith (knee) is pushing through an injury and leading rusher Kenneth Walker III (calf) is expected to play after missing the past two games.

Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-12), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said the franchise is measuring effort and intensity in the final games of the 2024 season to determine which players are worth keeping around. Backup-turn-QB1 Mac Jones set season highs had 294 passing yards, 29 rushing yards, 31 completions and two TD passes last week. Leaning on rookie WR Brian Thomas Jr., who had 10-105-2 last week, Jones has found a rhythm the offense lacked in previous weeks. Not much has gone according to plan for either team and the Raiders are starting a third different quarterback in four games with former Jaguars starter Gardner Minshew out for the season and Desmond Ridder back to the bench with Aidan O’Connell returning from a knee bruise. The Raiders are down top talent elsewhere, too, placing DE Maxx Crosby on IR this week. Las Vegas is leaning into its own first-round receiver, TE Brock Bowers, to put up points. Bowers is tied for fourth in NFL with 90 catches and ranked No. 8 in the league with 968 receiving yards.

San Francisco 49ers (6-8) at Miami Dolphins (6-8), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
Brock Purdy doesn’t seem to mind hitting the road and has 23 touchdowns and two interceptions in his past 10 starts away from home. The 49ers beat Miami in 2022 in Purdy’s first career start on a run to the NFC Championship game but fortunes are down on both sides of this matchup. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa looks to rebound from a rough outing against the Texans last week. He leads the NFL in completion percentage at 75.6 and is second in the NFL with 2,169 passing yards since Week 8. Injuries are a running theme for both teams. San Francisco likely is to be down to its fourth starting running back with rookie Isaac Guerendo out, leaving Patrick Taylor and Isreal Abanikanda to fill the role. Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill is dealing with multiple ailments but is expected to play.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6) at Dallas Cowboys (6-8), 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
Armed with a four-game winning streak and desperate to hold a one-game lead in the NFC South over the Atlanta Falcons, the Buccaneers enter playoff mode early. Dallas has three wins in the past four games, but the Cowboys are three games behind Washington. The Commanders (9-5) hold the final wild-card spot in the NFC entering Week 16 and the Cowboys are given a 1 percent chance of qualifying for the playoffs by NFL.com playoff predictor. Their last two wins came against teams long eliminated from the playoff picture, Carolina (3-11) and the New York Giants (2-12). Tampa Bay’s voluminous offense looms as troubling for a Dallas defense that has allowed 380 points to carry a worrisome minus-82 point differential. The Buccaneers lead the NFL with eight games of 400-plus total yards and four games with both 300-plus yards passing and more than 100 rushing. The Los Angeles Chargers were the NFL’s best scoring defense before the Bucs arrived last week and delivered a 40-17 thrashing led by QB Baker Mayfield tossing four TDs to add to his career-high 32.

–Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys (5-8) at Carolina Panthers (3-10) 1 p.m. ET, FOX
What are the odds the Carolina Panthers are favorites in a game this season? This is the week. Oddsmakers for the first time since December 2022 are giving the Panthers the edge — they’re 2.5-point favorites as of Friday afternoon — over the Cowboys. Dallas rolls into Charlotte on a short turnaround from a 27-20 home loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. Playoff prospects are dimming for Dallas after a botched blocked punt gave the ball back to the Bengals for their game-winning score. The Panthers are familiar with bum luck. Carolina lost its last three games but had chances to win each one late in setbacks to the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas has been in one-possession games for three consecutive weeks, winning the first two of those. Cooper Rush remains at quarterback with Dak Prescott out. He didn’t reach the 200-yard mark in passing the past two weeks with RB Rico Dowell providing a boost with back-to-back games 100-plus-yard games on the ground. One name and face the Panthers know from their 33-10 loss to Dallas last season is LB Micah Parsons. Parsons had six tackles, including 2.5 sacks, in the 2023 meeting. Panthers QB Bryce Young threw an interception for the first time in four games last week and head coach Dave Canales continues to celebrate his progress and competitive fire.

Kansas City Chiefs (12-1) at Cleveland Browns (3-10) 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Andy Reid has a 9-0 record against Cleveland and has two wins over Kevin Stefanski with the Browns, including a playoff victory in 2021. The Chiefs (12-1) clinched the division for the ninth straight season by edging the Los Angeles Chargers 19-17 last Sunday night. They could add PK Harrison Butker back to the roster from injured reserve, a weapon Kansas City would be glad to have given its penchant for close games this season. Pass rush is a constant talking point for both coaches, and in turn, pass protection. Breakdowns have led to turnovers — the starting quarterbacks have combined for 20 interceptions — and flipped momentum throughout the season. Browns QB Jameis Winston has 1,975 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has a 68.1 completion rate with 3,189 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Cleveland increased production on offense with Winston at quarterback. But a 27-14 setback against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week officially eliminated the Browns from playoff contention. The Chiefs are hoping to stockpile wins as they begin a stretch of three games in a 11 days sitting on a two-game lead in the AFC homefield race.

Miami Dolphins (6-7) at Houston Texans (8-5), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Slim and none are too harsh to describe Miami’s playoff chances, but those might be applicable tags if the Dolphins drop an eighth game of the season on Sunday at Houston. The Dolphins have won four of their past five games, but they remain a long shot to qualify for the AFC playoffs. The Dolphins went 1-3 and averaged 10 points per game while standout quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined due to a concussion and are still trying to climb out. They lost their first two games after Tagovailoa returned from IR and have topped 30 points in three of their past four games. Hope stayed alive last week. The Dolphins, who trailed by eight entering the fourth quarter, received a tying 52-yard field goal from Jason Sanders with seven seconds left to force overtime and beat the Jets. Off a bye last week, Houston could claim consecutive division titles on with a win Sunday and a loss by the Indianapolis Colts against the Denver Broncos. The Texans lead the Colts by two games and swept the two-game season series to hold the all-important tiebreaker. Because of a challenging closing schedule — Miami is the first of three opponents in a span of 11 days — head coach DeMeco Ryans wants all of Houston’s focus on Miami. The Texans visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 21 and then host the Baltimore Ravens four days later on Christmas Day, which falls on a Wednesday. The Texans are still trying to find firm footing with just two wins since a 5-1 start.

New York Jets (3-10) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-10), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
A matchup that feels quite draft-y, the Jaguars entered December in the race for the No. 1 overall pick for the third time in five years (2021, 2022). They’re even with the Jets with three wins meaning the losing team would have the draft order advantage in April. A dose of positive news would be welcome on either side. Jacksonville won for the first time since Oct. 20 snapping a five-game losing streak. The Jets last won on Halloween and extended their own losing streak to four games at Miami last week. The Jets have lost nine of their last 10 games, including four in a row. They are 2-7 in one-score games and have lost the last three games by a total of 12 points. QB Aaron Rodgers turned 41 this month but Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson, a longtime Packers backup to Brett Favre, said he isn’t showing his age. Rodgers passed for 339 yards and a score in a 32-26 overtime loss at Miami. He 2,966 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’ll face Jaguars QB Mac Jones with Trevor Lawrence (concussion, shoulder) on IR.

Washington Commanders (8-5) at New Orleans Saints (5-8), 1 p.m., FOX
Saints fans, please welcome … Jake Haener? It’s possible New Orleans rolls out Haener for his first career start or turns to him early given the health of QB Derek Carr (hand). Maybe he’ll borrow from Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels, who is back in Louisiana where he starred as the Heisman Trophy winner at LSU last season. Daniels can become the fourth rookie QB with 3,000 passing yards (2,819) and 500 rushing (589). It also could be a homecoming for Commanders cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who was acquired by Washington in a trade with New Orleans on Nov. 5. The four-time Pro Bowler has missed the past five games because of a hamstring injury sustained while with the Saints, but he practiced in full on Wednesday and Thursday. If you need a little inspiration to squeeze in a holiday workout, consider the career of Commanders LB Bobby Wagner. He has 104 tackles in 2024 at age 34, giving him 100 tackles for the 13th consecutive season. Only London Fletcher has a streak that long since 2000. He gets a matchup with Saints RB Alvin Kamara worth watching. Kamara leads all backs with 64 receptions this season, ranks third in the NFL with 1,423 yards from scrimmage yards and is 62 yards shy of his first-ever 1,000-yard rushing season. Kamara also needs only 15 yards to hit 500 receiving yards for the season for his fifth time.

Baltimore Ravens (8-5) at New York Giants (2-11), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
It will be a marathon 11 days for the Ravens. Currently fifth seed in the conference playoff picture, there’s still time for Baltimore to make a jump in the standings. Just two games behind division-leading Pittsburgh with four games to go, the Ravens have a home date with the Steelers in Week 16 in the midst of a three-games-in-11-days gauntlet that includes a Christmas Day trip to Houston. One explicit focus for the Ravens is getting PK Justin Tucker fixed. He kicked outside in the rain this week while the Ravens were indoors working out in hopes of snapping a funk causing panic because of his existing legacy as one of the most reliable in the NFL. Tucker, who has a total of 10 missed kicks this season including two PATs, missed multiple kicks in the 24-19 loss to the Eagles in Week 13 before the Ravens’ bye week. It’s been an ultramarathon for the Giants already. With an eight-game losing streak, the Giants are making a QB change once more to start Tommy DeVito this week. DeVito was named starter after Daniel Jones was released last month. But he was battered by the Buccaneers in that game and Drew Lock started the Thanksgiving Day loss at Dallas. DeVito returns with the Giants still chasing their first win at home this season. First-round WR Malik Nabers wasn’t targeted in the first half of DeVito’s previous start. Still he’s been incredibly consistent — five-plus receptions in 10 of 11 games — while the QB carousel spins. Nabers has 80 receptions more than an NFL player in league history through their first 11 career games.

Cincinnati Bengals (5-8) at Tennessee Titans (3-10), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Titans head coach Brian Callahan might be one of the few professionals who could pitch a believable plan to stop Joe Burrow’s flame-throwing run through the NFL this season. Callahan became Titans head coach in January after serving as offensive coordinator of the Bengals and a direct tutor of Burrow. The student is glad to show his work on Sunday. Burrow leads the NFL with 3,706 pass yards & 33 TD passes in 2024. At Dallas on Monday, he posted his seventh game this season with three-plus TD passes, his sixth game with at least 300 yards passing and if Burrow overcomes a sore knee to do both Sunday in Nashville, he’ll join former 49ers QB Steve Young (1998) as the only players with 300-3 in five consecutive games. There’s another probable All-Pro on Callahan’s mind this week: WR Ja’Marr Chase. While Titans leading receiver Calvin Ridley has 738 yards in 13 games, here’s what Chase has done the past four games: 602 yards (150.5 per game), 8 TDs. Chase leads the NFL with 93 catches, 1,319 yards and 15 TDs. The Titans could soon be on the clock looking for their Burrow clone. Will Levis was thought to be a potential franchise quarterback but results in 2024 are uneven to date. There has been improvement from Levis taking care of the ball after struggling in that area to start the season. He’s INT-free for the past two games.

New England Patriots (3-10) at Arizona Cardinals (6-7), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
First-time general manager Eliot Wolf was on the clock with the No. 3 pick in the draft and two marquee players stood out: North Carolina QB Drake Maye and Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Wolf and the Patriots took the passer, and Maye is making strides. He hit 24 of 30 passes and one TD and rushed for 59 yards in Week 13 before New England’s bye week. During the time off Wolf & Company had a chance to take a look at Harrison Jr., who went one spot after Maye in the draft to the Cardinals. He leads all rookies with seven TD catches in 2024. Harrison is not the lead option for Arizona. TE Trey McBride is in the midst of an unstoppable stretch with seven-plus receptions (31 total) in the past three games. His 80 catches are tops on the Cardinals by a wide margin. The Patriots and Maye want to avoid playmaking S Budda Baker, who had 18 tackles last week and is second in the NFL with 132 tackles in 2024. Arizona is two games out of both the NFC West lead and the last wild-card spot, giving them two options to chase. While they would need to jump three teams to land a wild-card berth, they have to slip past two teams — the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams — to take the division.

Indianapolis Colts (6-7) at Denver Broncos (8-5), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
The Broncos hold a two-game lead over the Miami Dolphins (6-7) and Colts in the wild-card race, and they meet Sunday after a December bye week that opened additional time to prepare for what Colts head coach Shane Steichen is framing as a must-win in his own locker room. That’s because the Colts are two games behind the Texans in the AFC South and Houston holds the tiebreaker. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor could hold the key to keeping his team from folding in a feisty road environment. He has six 100-yard games this season, but the Broncos are among the league’s best at penetrating to disrupt timing in the backfield. That often means sending LB Nik Bonitto (11.0 sacks this season) and causing interior linemen to communicate protections to also account for DE Zach Allen (12 tackles for loss in 2024). Denver steps into the final four games of the season after a bye last week and the Broncos are riding a three-game winning streak. Not many projected the Broncos’ Bo Nix-to-Courtland Sutton combination to be one of the best in the league this season, but here they are on the doorstep of the playoffs and five consecutive games with at least six connections and 70 yards. That’s more than any QB-WR combo in the NFL this season.

Buffalo Bills (10-3) at Detroit Lions (12-1), 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
A clash of conference frontrunners at Ford Field might point to a possible preview of the Super Bowl, but more imminently signals a lot of points. The Lions are the NFL’s top-scoring team at 32.5 points per game and the Bills are first in the AFC with 30.5 ppg. Already safely in the postseason, neither team wants to drop a game at this juncture because of the likely ramifications on home-field advantage through the conference title games. Playing outside of their comfortable home environment, Buffalo already has three losses this season. The Bills lost on the road to the Rams in one of Josh Allen’s top career performances — 424 yards (342 passing, 82 rushing), career-high six TDs (three pass, three rush) — and are trying to avoid back-to-back road defeats for the second time this season. Detroit is withstanding the gravity of losing several key defensive players to date. Explosive with depth on the offensive side of the ball, the Lions are already in playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 1993-95. QB Jared Goff has 25 touchdown passes to seven receivers and one to himself (no, seriously) and Detroit can grind with the best of them behind a powerful offensive line and RBs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. The Lions compiled 1,964 rushing yards and averaged 4.6 as a team in 2024. The NFC homefield fight could be decided Jan. 5 at Ford Field when the Minnesota Vikings visit.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) at Los Angeles Chargers (8-5), 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
In the playoff field as of final play of Week 14, there’s no ground to give for either team with four games remaining on the regular-season schedule. Up next for the Chargers is division rival Denver, which has a matching 8-5 record. Before the Chargers can get there, they’ll need to deal with Tampa Bay’s improved running game and QB Baker Mayfield. With Chargers leading receiver Ladd McConkey sidelined last week, WR Quentin Johnston seemed to awaken from a rough patch at Kansas City last week and has become a primary read for QB Justin Herbert again. Herbert rarely has put the ball in harm’s way with a run of 11 consecutive games and an NFL-record 335 consecutive attempts without an interception. Tight margins are customary to the Chargers. Los Angeles leads the NFL in points allowed (15.9 per game) but half of its eight wins were decided by seven points or fewer. Tampa Bay is back on track with three wins in a row, but the Buccaneers built that streak against the Raiders, Giants and Panthers. Those teams own a combined 7-32 record. Often overlooked in the NFC playoff picture because the South is anchored by three sub-.500 teams, the Buccaneers have wins over the Lions, Eagles and Commanders — two division leaders and one of the current wild-card spot holders. Tampa Bay has games with the Cowboys, Panthers and Saints left on the schedule.

Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (11-2), 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
It’s feasible that Eagles WR A.J. Brown snuck a peek ahead at the schedule to see the Steelers coming and wanted a public decree to remind peers of his run of dominance against Pittsburgh. He had six catches for 153 yards and a career-high three TDs the last time he saw the Steelers and has consecutive games with at least 6-150-1 in the matchup. While “passing” has been backburnered, there’s a good and epically productive reason Philadelphia is last in the NFL in pass attempts: Saquon Barkley. He leads NFL and already set a franchise-record with 1,623 rushing yards this season. That’s the second-most all-time by a player in the first 13 games of season since 2000. Barkley leads the NFL with 1,890 scrimmage yards. The Eagles might appreciate the existing trend in this series with the home team winning nine of the past 10 meetings. But the Steelers are 6-1 with Russell Wilson at quarterback this season. Wilson is 5-0 in his career against the Eagles. He’s down his top wideout in George Pickens on Sunday. Pittsburgh does have familiar defensive stalwarts back together. LB Alex Highsmith was back in the lineup last week and record a sack. He’s the sidekick to T.J. Watt, who needs 0.5 sacks to hit 10 in a season for the sixth time in his career.

Green Bay Packers (9-4) at Seattle Seahawks (8-5), 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
The “12s” raise the flag on Sunday night encouraged to know the home team has won four straight in the often-dramatic Packers-Seahawks rivalry. The potential playoff preview brings added significance to possible tiebreaking — and homefield — scenarios in January. To ensure a home game in the playoffs, Seattle would like to stay a game ahead of the pack of NFC West teams in close pursuit following the Rams (8-6) win over the 49ers on Thursday. The Seahawks might have unintentionally unearthed an unstoppable backfield pairing with starter Kenneth Walker III idle last week. Zach Charbonnet set career highs in catches (seven), total yards (193), rushing yards (134) and two rushing TDs in a critical victory over Arizona. His emergence coincides with the rapid rise of WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba in a corps of receivers that also includes DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Given the newfound playmaking, it’s a good time for Green Bay to have top corner Jaire Alexander (knee) healthy for the first time in a month and rookie LB Edgerrin Cooper expecting to play after a long absence. The Packers continue to push RB Josh Jacobs toward peak production. He has eight rushing touchdowns in the past four games. And in Jacobs’ only career game against the Seahawks while he wore a Raiders’ uniform, Jacobs delivered a career-high 229 rushing yards, 74 receiving and two TD runs. Seattle DT Leonard Williams plopped himself in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year conversation with a run of highlight reel games the past month.

–Field Level Media