Chicago Bears (9-2) vs. Green Bay Packers (8-3) Sunday, 1 p.m.
This is a classic rivalry. I had some friends from Chicago, and when we were in Green Bay, they spit on the Vince Lombardi statue outside the Packers' Hall of Fame. A bit childish, I admit, but indicative of the hatred between these teams.
Chicago is winning football games in an old-fashioned, Chicago way. Playing stingy defense and running the ball up their throats. The Packers do a little of that - their defense is the sixth best in the NFL - but they don't mind throwing the ball either. Quarterback Brett Favre looked MVP-like last Monday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and will have to maintain that play if the Packers are to claim a share of the NFC Central lead.
If the Bears can win they will build a two-game cushion in the Central, and virtually assure themselves a playoff spot.
San Francisco 49ers (9-2) vs. St. Louis Rams (9-2) Sunday, 1 p.m.
The Niners have lost twice this season. Once was a fluke overtime loss to the Bears, the other was a four point loss to the Rams. At the time, no one thought these two teams would be playing a game in December to decide the conference leader, but the Niners have surprised everyone this year, and they've done so with an offense that can hang with the Rams.Quarterback Jeff Garcia has become one of the best quarterbacks in the league, wide receiver Terrell Owens is probably the best receiver in the league, and while running back Garrison Hearst is no Marshall Faulk, he might be the next best thing.
A lot of points should be put on the board, and when you have two great offenses squaring off, turnovers and special teams usually decide the game. The Rams lead the league in turnovers, but the Niners are near the bottom in takeaways. In other words, you gotta watch this game, no one knows what will happen.
Cleveland Browns (6-5) vs. New England Patriots (7-5) Sunday, 1 p.m.
Both teams are on the cusp of playoff contention, it's just that the Patriots are a little closer to getting in than the Browns. It's not quite a must-win for the Patriots, but it's the next best thing. It is a must-win for the Browns, who would have a hard time bouncing back from a 6-6 record in a competitive conference.New England is high on confidence. The Pats have won two in a row, and six of their last eight, including a 17-16 win over conference-rival New York last Sunday. New England faces two problems on Sunday. First, the Patriots have a pattern of winning two games then losing one. They have won two straight. The second is that quarterback Tom Brady will be facing the fifth toughest defense in the NFL. The Browns yield only 16.5 points per game, and lead the league in interceptions with 25 - seven of those coming in a game against the 0-11 Detroit Lions.
-Jon Japha
