Seven for Sunday: All eyes on Mark Sanchez vs. Seahawks
The contrast in styles between the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks sets up a riveting matchup.
Eagles coach Chip Kelly's offense against Seattle's revitalized "Legion of Boom" defense.
The difference could be that Pete Carroll's 8-4 Seahawks have to fly cross country because the defending Super Bowl champions are just 3-3 away from CenturyLink Field.
Even after losing defensive tackle Brandon Mebane to a torn hamstring three weeks ago, the Seahawks are playing their stingiest defense at the right time.
Kelly's Eagles are almost as hot, winning four of their last five. Their defense owns 42 sacks, including 12 by their best defensive playmaker -- linebacker Connor Barwin.
Here are seven of Sunday's most compelling Week 14 matchups beginning with Seahawks vs. Eagles:
Seattle's secondary vs. Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez
The skinny: The Seahawks have surrendered a total of six points in wins over the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers by identical 19-3 results.
Why it matters: If the 9-3 Eagles lose to the Seahawks, next week's game against the Dallas Cowboys would be huge since both would be 9-4. The 8-4 Seahawks are a game off the NFC lead as they attempt to hit the postseason running with remaining games against the 49ers, Cardinals and St. Louis Rams.
Who has the edge: Seahawks. Insider knowledge could prove huge here. Carroll urged his 2009 Rose Bowl-winning quarterback against leaving a year early only to have Sanchez bolt for the NFL. Sanchez is still prone to turnovers. And Carroll has just the pressure defense to coax an interception or two from his former protégé'.
As cornerback Richard Sherman explained, the Seahawks have stopped up-tempo offenses before, throttling Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. The difference is that the Broncos didn't boast Philadelphia's dynamic running tandem of LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles.
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady vs. San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers
The skinny: This is a battle for "Mr. December" bragging rights. Philip Rivers is 33-6 in December.
That's a nice record. But Rivers is 0-5 against Tom Brady. Oh, and Brady is 45-7 in December.
Why it matters: Bill Belichick's 9-3 Patriots are trying to maintain their AFC home-field advantage over the 9-3 Broncos. Belichick decided to spend the week practicing in Southern California to help his players adapt to Pacific Coast time. Win and the 8-4 Chargers close the gap on New England and Denver.
Who has the edge: Brady. After Aaron Rodgers, Brady is next in line for league MVP honors, leading his team on a 7-1 tear since that Week 4 Kansas City loss. He's forged a trust with former Carolina Panthers receiver Brandon LaFell, whose seven touchdowns are two fewer than team leader Rob Gronkowski. The Chargers don't have much of a pass rush with just 18 total sacks. So Brady should have plenty of time to pick San Diego apart. Consider also that the Patriots haven't lost back to back games since 2012.
Kansas City Chiefs pass defense vs. Arizona Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton
The skinny: Stanton has gone 1-2 since replacing injured starter Carson Palmer. He'll have a tough time finding his rhythm against a voracious Chiefs defense.
Why it matters: Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith told Paste BN Sports this week that it's no time to panic, though the 7-5 Chiefs have lost two straight and stand two games behind the division-leading Broncos. The 9-3 Cardinals have also dropped two straight and need Stanton to play better.
Who has the edge: Chiefs defense. Linebacker Justin Houston leads the league with 14 sacks. His wingman, Tamba Hali has tallied another five sacks. Bob Sutton likes to drop Houston into coverage. Stanton has thrown just three touchdowns compared to five interceptions in three starts since Palmer was felled by a season-ending knee injury. The Cardinals need to run the ball better. Yet tailback Andre Ellington is out with a hip injury. So the Cardinals must stop their two-game slide with backup Stepfan Taylor.
Baltimore Ravens defense vs. Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill and tailback Lamar Miller
The skinny: Life just got easier for Miller after Ravens lynchpin defensive lineman Haloti Ngata was lost for the remainder of the regular season due to a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.
Why it matters: Coming off a Monday night win against the New York Jets, the 7-5 Dolphins are getting hot at the right time in their bid to earn the AFC's second wild-card berth. The Ravens are still in the mix to win the AFC North. But if they don't, their head-to-head tiebreaker against the Dolphins is critical in the wild-card scramble.
Who has the edge: Tannehill and Miller. Since Dolphins coach Joe Philbin challenged Tannehill by not announcing who would start the week of Miami's early-season trip to London, Tannehill has responded with a career year. He is completing 70% of his passes the last five games with 20 touchdowns with nine interceptions overall. Rookie left tackle Ja'Wuan James has done a good job filling in for injured Branden Albert. James must slow Elvis Dumervil, who has 12 sacks and Terrell Suggs, who has seven. That's where Miller, averaging 4.9 yards per carry, is critical to helping blunt Baltimore's edge rush.
Pittsburgh Steelers tailback Le'Veon Bell vs. Cincinnati Bengals defensive line
The skinny: Bell is the only player in the league with 1,000 rushing and 600 receiving yards.
Why it matters: The 8-3-1 Bengals own a 1 ½-game lead in the AFC North. This battle represents a make-or-break stand for the 7-5 Steelers: They must win to make their regular-season finale against Cincinnati relevant.
Who has the edge: Bengals. The Steelers offense runs through Bell. But a 25th-ranked Bengals run defense has gotten healthy with the return of inside linebacker Rey Maualuga. The Bengals are 6-1-1 with Maualuga. With Geno Atkins playing stouter, Cincinnati has allowed just 3.1-yards per carry over the past three games. And the Bengals have two good coverage safeties in Reggie Nelson and George Iloka, who could help contain Bell from opening up deep threat Antonio Brown off play action for Ben Roethlisberger.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck vs. Cleveland Browns pass defense
The skinny: The Browns know first-hand that Trent Richardson isn't a threat to hurt them with his legs. Their former first-round pick is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. So the Colts go as far as Andrew Luck can take them Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Why it matters: The 8-4 Colts own a two-game lead in the AFC South over the 6-6 Houston Texans who they face next week. The 7-5 Browns are fighting for their playoff lives.
Who has the edge: Luck. The last four games, Luck has thrown 12 touchdowns and two interceptions. Compare that to Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, who has thrown six picks to one interception over the same span. Cleveland's defensive signal caller Karlos Dansby is unlikely to return two weeks early from a sprained knee. Outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo is playing hurt with a shoulder injury. For the Browns to prevail, they'll need to score a couple of defensive touchdowns to derail a high-powered Colts offense that has scored 30 or more points six times.
Buffalo Bills defensive front four vs. Peyton Manning and his Denver Broncos line
The skinny: The Bills lead the league with 48 sacks. And the Broncos recently shuffled their offensive line with the insertion of Will Montgomery at center shifting Manny Ramirez to right guard and Louis Vasquez to right tackle.
Why it matters: The 9-3 Broncos are hoping to edge the Patriots for home-field advantage. The 7-5 Bills face an uphill playoff climb: After Manning, they face Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers and end the regular season at the Patriots on Dec. 28.
Who has the edge: Manning. Despite a rugged Bills front that creates matchup issues, Manning is exceptional at making sharp pre-snap, run-pass checks based on the numbers he spots in the box. C.J. Anderson has proved the missing answer at running back. While the Bills have the rushers in Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus and Jerry Hughes to knock Manning off his spot, Buffalo's weakness is its secondary. Figure Manning, Emmanuel Sanders, Demaryius Thomas and Wes Welker to exploit that soft spot.