AFC SOUTH
The Texans dropped their third straight game after their 6-3 start to start the season, and are now tied atop the AFC South with the Titans. Quarterback
Week 14: at Indianapolis, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Win, and be in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South. Lose, and the obstacles Indianapolis faces in winning the division become that much more challenging. That's what is at stake for the Colts in their Monday night game at the New York Jets. The Colts will move into a tie in first place with Houston and Tennessee if they beat the Jets. Indianapolis is only 1-4 when it plays on Monday Night Football with quarterback Andrew Luck, who was cleared from the concussion protocol on Saturday. -- Mike Wells
Week 14: vs. Houston, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Week 14: vs. Minnesota, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
As the Titans come off their bye and focus on the Broncos, they officially hold a share of first place in the AFC South with the same record as Houston after the Texans' loss at Green Bay. The Texans won the first matchup and play at the Titans on New Year's Day. But Tennessee needs a better record than Houston to win the division. The Texans are in position to have divisional record and common opponent tie-breakers. Still lurking: the 5-6 Colts, who play at the Jets on Monday night. -- Paul Kuharsky
Week 14: vs. Denver, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
AFC WEST
With a rookie quarterback in Paxton Lynch filling in for the injured Trevor Siemian (foot) on a day when Denver's offense gained just 206 yards and was 1-of-13 on third downs, the Broncos' defense came up with a well-timed big day as the group forced three turnovers, including Bradley Roby's 51-yard interception return for a touchdown, in a 20-10 victory over the Jaguars. The win keeps the Broncos in a tight AFC playoff race. -- Jeff Legwold
Week 14: at Tennessee, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
The Chiefs unveiled a big-play offense with a season-high seven plays of more than 20 yards. In doing so, they took advantage of what they believed were favorable matchups against the Falcons, but they could be comfortable taking the aggressive approach Thursday night against the Raiders and beyond. Certainly it will be interesting to see how the Chiefs handle things, because quarterback Alex Smith responded with perhaps his best game of the season. -- Adam Teicher
Week 14: vs. Oakland, Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET
The Raiders cleared their latest hurdle with their sixth comeback in the fourth-quarter or overtime this season, courtesy of Sunday's 38-24 defeat of the Bills, but an even bigger challenge awaits: in Kansas City, on a short week, against a team that already handled them this season. Thursday's meeting at Arrowhead Stadium will be more than an AFC West showdown between the first-place Raiders and second-place Chiefs; it will be another opportunity for quarterback Derek Carr, who played exclusively out of the shotgun to protect his still-healing right pinkie finger after it was dislocated last week, to burnish his candidacy for MVP consideration, as well as Khalil Mack, who had another strip-sack and fumble recovery, to solidify his standing as a defensive player of the year candidate. -- Paul Gutierrez
Week 14: at Kansas City, Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET
San Diego's postseason aspirations are on life support after another disheartening loss, this one a 28-21 setback at the hands of the Buccaneers. The Chargers are now 6-17 in games decided by eight points or less under head coach Mike McCoy. And at 5-7 on the year, the Chargers are now in evaluation mode, including whether the franchise will retain the services of McCoy in 2017. "In this business, you've got to make the most of every opportunity you get week in and week out," McCoy said. "This is the National Football League." -- Eric D. Williams
Week 14: at Carolina, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
NFC EAST
Sunday was a great day for the Cowboys, and they spent it on the couch. With the Redskins' loss to the Cardinals, the Cowboys clinched a playoff spot for the second time in three years. With a win against the Giants next week, the Cowboys could clinch the NFC East and inch closer to possibly gaining home-field advantage. Yet perhaps more important than earning the playoff spot, the Cowboys were able to get some rest over the weekend. While Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott don't believe in a "rookie wall," getting a few days off can only help. With veterans like Jason Witten, Orlando Scandrick, Doug Free and Sean Lee, the rest will help, as it will with younger veterans battling through injuries, such as Tyron Smith. -- Todd Archer
Week 14: at New York Giants, Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET
The Giants' six-game winning streak came to a crashing halt in Pittsburgh. The step up in competition proved too much against the Steelers. They were shut out in the first half and left with Odell Beckham Jr. unhappy with the officiating and Victor Cruz unhappy with his role in the offense after failing to be targeted. Now the Giants have another tough matchup with the Cowboys on the horizon, and a wild-card spot is looking more difficult to attain. -- Jordan Raanan
Week 14: vs. Dallas, Sunday, 8:30 p.m. ET
The scrutiny of head coach Doug Pederson figures to intensify over the final four weeks of the season. His team has dropped seven of nine now, and gave its most uninspired performance of the season in a 32-14 loss to the Bengals on Sunday. First year or not, he needs to show that he has command of this team and prevent an all-out free fall. -- Tim McManus
Week 14: vs. Washington, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
The Redskins lost their ability to control their playoff fate and now trail Tampa Bay by half a game with four remaining. They do get left tackle Trent Williams back, which is good considering his replacement, Ty Nsekhe, is banged up and left Arizona with a walking boot on his left foot. But the Redskins did not play like a playoff team Sunday against the Cardinals, allowing 10 of 16 third-down conversions. The inability to make key stops is a big reason why Tampa Bay has surpassed them. There's a reason coach Jay Gruden was so upset with his players after the game. -- John Keim
Week 14: at Philadelphia, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
NFC NORTH
The Bears probably cost themselves a chance at one of the first two draft picks by defeating San Francisco on Sunday, but it was refreshing to watch the defense play a complete game. Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick accomplished almost nothing against the Bears -- sacked five times and ultimately benched by head coach Chip Kelly. The Bears got terrific push from their front-seven, specifically Akiem Hicks and rookie Leonard Floyd, who finished the game with two sacks each. For Floyd, the performance had to have been gratifying, since only two weeks ago he left MetLife Stadium in an ambulance. -- Jeff Dickerson
Week 14: at Detroit, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
The Lions are legitimate contenders in the NFC. They proved it after finally not having to come from behind in a 28-13 win over New Orleans -- a game in which they played their best combined offense and defense all season. Detroit held Drew Brees to 13 points and picked him off three times. While the Lions still have a tough schedule the rest of the way, including games at the Giants and Dallas, if they can string together wins like Sunday, they might be a real third contender for the NFC title. -- Michael Rothstein
Week 14: vs. Chicago, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Next Sunday's game against the Seahawks at Lambeau Field remained relevant because the Packers pulled themselves back to .500 with their 21-13 win over the Texans in the Green Bay snow. Although they're still two games behind the Lions (8-4) in the NFC North, they at least have some momentum and some hope for the postseason as they enter the final month of the season. After the Seattle game, they close with three straight division games: at Chicago, home against the Vikings and at the Lions. -- Rob Demovsky
Week 14: vs. Seattle, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
The Vikings went home last Thursday talking about how they can make the playoffs by winning out, and it's looking increasingly like that's what it will take for them to secure a second straight postseason bid. Tampa Bay's win on Sunday put another team ahead of the Vikings in the wild-card race, and Minnesota is now tied with Green Bay for second in the NFC North. The Lions' win on Sunday means Detroit is two games ahead of the Vikings, and can eliminate the Vikings from NFC North contention with two more wins. -- Ben Goessling
Week 14: at Jacksonville, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
NFC SOUTH
Week 14: vs. San Diego, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
The Falcons saw three key players hobbled by injuries on Sunday, with wide receiver Julio Jones suffering a lower-leg issue, wide receiver Mohamed Sanu hurting his groin and left tackle Jake Matthews tweaking his knee. Matthews might be the most serious of the three, as he was replaced by Tom Compton. If Matthews misses any amount of time, teams likely will be able to generate more pressure on quarterback Matt Ryan. Both Jones and Sanu said they are good to go, but their status will be worth monitoring this week in preparation for next Sunday's game against the Rams. -- Vaughn McClure
Week 14: at Los Angeles, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
The Saints took their inconsistency to a new level Sunday, following up their biggest win of the season (a 49-21 victory over the Rams in Week 12) with a 28-13 loss to the Lions on Sunday, their biggest of the season. This up-and-down nature has plagued the Saints for three years, and it's why their playoff chances seem so dismal even though they still trail the Falcons by only two games in the NFC South. "We don't like the up and down," Saints QB Drew Brees said. "We don't like having that on our resume. Unfortunately, that's the way it's been the past few years." -- Mike Triplett
Week 14: at Tampa Bay, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
The Bucs overcame a 14-7 deficit in the first half to defeat the Chargers 28-21, improve to 7-5 and move into a first-place tie with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. They lost two receivers in the process in Cecil Shorts (knee) and Adam Humphries (concussion). Tampa Bay's depth at the position could be an issue heading into the final stretch of the season. -- Jenna Laine
Week 14: vs. New Orleans, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
NFC WEST
The most important byproduct of Sunday's 31-23 win over Washington for the Cardinals was that they're still in the playoff hunt with four games left. The second-most important byproduct was that they found their deep passing game with a 42-yard touchdown pass from QB Carson Palmer to WR J.J. Nelson. Arizona had been looking for its vertical game all season, and if it's truly back, then their notion of "winning out" that was popular after last week's loss to Atlanta may not seem like such a stretch. But Arizona is going cross-country to Miami next week, and anyone who knows anything about the Cardinals knows they haven't fared well on the East Coast this season. -- Josh Weinfuss
Week 14: at Miami, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Sunday was an awkward day for the Rams. It began with news leaking about Jeff Fisher's extension, then finished with his team getting thoroughly outplayed on the road against the Patriots. The Rams have lost seven of their past eight games, and the organization clearly wanted to wait until the end of the season to announce Fisher's extension. The deal was in place before even the first preseason game, Fisher confirmed in the postgame media conference. But his team is now 4-8, despite winning three of its first four games. If it doesn't turn it around in the last quarter of the season, a change at head coach can still be made. -- Alden Gonzalez
Week 14: vs. Atlanta, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET
San Francisco got a familiar result with its 11th straight loss on Sunday, this time to the Bears. The loss also raised a familiar question: Who will play quarterback moving forward? Colin Kaepernick said he was surprised to be pulled in favor of Blaine Gabbert in the fourth quarter, but he also acknowledged he has no say in who starts next week. Head coach Chip Kelly said the move to Gabbert was intended to spark the offense, but didn't offer much of a response when asked whether Kaepernick will start next week against the Jets. -- Nick Wagoner
Week 14: vs. New York Jets, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
Week 14: at Green Bay, Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET