LINE: Giants BY 3?

Noon / TV: None

Redskins need win to keep pace in the NFC East

This is a rematch of the season opener that the Giants? defense controlled ? while QB Jason Campbell and the Redskins were still adjusting to new coach Jim Zorn?s offense. A Redskins victory would tighten the NFC East. The resilient Giants didn?t skip a beat last week without injured RB Brandon

Jacobs and WR Plaxico Burress. They just plugged in Derrick Ward and

Domenik Hixon and outlasted the Cardinals.

Key stat: New York has won 14 of 15 road games, including playoffs.

Prediction: Giants 27-23

Colts (7-4) at Browns (4-7)

Noon / TV: CBS

LINE: Colts BY 5

Key stat: Browns NT Shaun Rogers has 13 career blocked kicks.

Lowdown: This is a dangerous game for the Colts, who have won four straight to remain in wild-card contention. They?re missing center Jeff Saturday (strained calf), a key to the offensive line. The Browns are frustrated. Coach Romeo Crennel is on the hot seat. Derek Anderson takes over at quarterback, with Brady Quinn out for the year.

Prediction: Colts 30-17

Dolphins (6-5) at Rams (2-9)

Noon / TV: None

LINE: Dolphins BY 8

Key stat: Miami?s Joey Porter leads the AFC with 14? sacks.

Lowdown: At this time last season, Miami was still winless while St. Louis held the same mark through 12 weeks (2-9). The Dolphins? six-win swing is proof enough of chief executive Bill Parcells? successful turnaround job, while the Rams continue to be hindered by injuries to the offensive line and inconsistent play at RB and QB.

Prediction: Dolphins 28-21

Panthers (8-3) at Packers (5-6)

Noon / TV: Fox

LINE: Packers BY 3

Key stat: Panthers RB DeAngelo Williams has four straight 100-yard rushing games.

Lowdown: These teams got their blocks knocked off in Week 12. The Falcons exposed some Panthers defensive weaknesses and kept the NFC South tight. The Saints tore up the Packers? previously successful pass defense, and dented their wild-card hopes. Still, Green Bay at the onset of winter is a tough place to get your rhythm back.

Prediction: Panthers 24-23

49ers (3-8) at Bills (6-5)

Noon / TV: None

LINE: Bills BY 6?

Key stat: 49ers lead the NFL with 52 offensive plays of 20 yards or longer.

Lowdown: Both teams have been plagued by inconsistency at QB, but Buffalo?s Trent Edwards seemingly broke his funk last week with a four-TD effort, while the 49ers? Shaun Hill has posted a triple-digit passer rating in two straight games. Watch for San Francisco?s Frank Gore and Buffalo?s Marshawn Lynch to tear up some turf as well.

Prediction: Bills 29-24

Ravens (7-4) at Bengals (1-9-1)

Noon / TV: None

LINE: Ravens BY 7

Key stat: The Bengals have the fewest rushing touchdowns (4) in the NFL.

Lowdown: The Ravens have been .ying high with rookie QB Joe Flacco, and are 6-1 when the youngster throws no interceptions. The Bengals have a win, a loss and a tie in their past three outings, and faced the league?s top defense last week at Pittsburgh. Now they get the Ravens? second-ranked defense at home.

Prediction: Ravens 33-19

Saints (6-5) at Buccaneers (8-3)

Noon / TV: None

LINE: Buccaneers BY 4

Key stat: The Saints? Lance Moore has caught a TD pass in 4 straight games.

Lowdown: After the Saints won the .rst meeting on opening day, some figured Tampa Bay would be playing spoiler by Thanksgiving. But a stout defense has the Bucs tied for .rst in the NFC South. That big win over the Packers gives the last-place Saints a chance to make noise, especially if the defense can again set up Drew Brees.

Prediction: Buccaneers 26-23

Falcons (7-4) at Chargers (4-7)

3:05 p.m. / TV: None

LINE: Chargers BY 5

Key stat: The Falcons? Michael Turner has a league-best 13 rushing TDs.

Lowdown: Spurred by rookie WR Harry Douglas, the Falcons beat Carolina last week to stay one game back in the NFC South. The presence of Douglas and rookie QB Matt Ryan, and bringing in RB Michael Turner, are signs of an organization on the way up. This young team must be wary of L.T. and the wounded Chargers, who have the tools to sidetrack it.

Prediction: Chargers 21-20

Broncos (6-5) at Jets (8-3)

3:15 p.m. / TV: CBS

LINE: Jets BY 8

Key stat: The Jets are 6-1 when Brett Favre throws one or no interceptions.

Lowdown: Last week, both teams gave the league a shock: The Broncos were embarrassed in a 31-10 loss to the Raiders, while the Jets stunned the unbeaten Titans with a 34-13 upset. And while the Jets? running game has been taking off, injury flurries at Mile High have the Broncos relying on rising rookie Peyton Hillis out of the backfield.

Prediction: Jets 27-23

Chiefs (1-10) at Raiders (3-8)

LINE: Raiders BY 3?

3:15 p.m. / TV: None

Key stat: K.C.?s Gonzalez has TE record 25 career 100-yard receiving games.

Lowdown: Following their conquest of Denver, here?s another defense the Raiders can be confident against. Buffalo rang up 54 last week, the most points ever scored against the Chiefs. The Raiders? JaMarcus Russell limited his throws and let RBs Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden do key work.

Prediction: Raiders 31-20

Steelers (8-3) at Patriots (7-4)

3:15 p.m. / TV: None

LINE: Patriots BY 1

Key stat: The Pats? Cassel has thrown for six TDs and 815 yards the past two weeks.

Lowdown: Both teams dominated division rivals last week, and now face an opponent with similar, but opposite circumstances. The top-ranked defense has kept Pittsburgh in the AFC race while QB Ben Roethlisberger battled injury. Meanwhile, the Patriots? offense has gotten a boost at QB from young Matt Cassel, while an aging defense has slipped into mediocrity.

Prediction: Patriots 28-23

Bears (6-5) at Vikings (6-5)

7:15 p.m. / TV: NBC

LINE: Vikings BY 3

Key stat: The home team has won 11 of the past 13 in this series.

Lowdown: First place in the NFC North is on the line. The Bears got a shot of confidence in pounding the Rams last week, but that?s all. Their injury list is long, but S Mike Brown (calf) and DT Tommie Harris (knee) were listed as probable. CB Nathan Vasher (hand) is out. The Vikings were error prone in an earlier loss to the Bears.

Prediction: Bears 21-16

Monday?s game: Jaguars at Texans (7:30 p.m., ESPN) ? Off week: None ? Capsules by John Rodino and Graham Archer

Predictions by John Rodino ? Record last week: 10-6; Season: 108-68 ?