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Editor's note: ESPN senior NFL writer John Clayton's weekly "First And 10" column takes you around the league with a look at the best game of the week followed by primers for 10 other games. Here's his look at Week 14.

First … New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers: Coming out of training camp, the Steelers and Jets both looked like potential playoff teams. The Jets revamped their defense with speedier linebackers and a younger secondary. The Steelers switched from a quick passing, finesse attack to a power running game thanks to the addition of Duce Staley and the return of veteran halfback Jerome Bettis.

With the Chiefs and Titans falling off the playoff map, both teams stepped up and are close to claiming postseason spots. The Steelers have been the surprise team in the AFC with an 11-1 record and will win the AFC North barring a total collapse. The Jets are destined for a wild-card berth.

The game will be more of a test for the Jets than it is the Steelers. The Steelers have all but wrapped up the AFC North, and even though their closing schedule is almost as hard as the Jets', the stretch run is less crucial. They have a two-game advantage over the Colts for clinching a first-round bye, so even if they stumble a little, they should be set to get a one-week break at the end of the season.

The Jets know their playoff run will likely start on the road as a wild-card team, but they still have to make sure they make the postseason. The only team they have beaten with a winning record is the Chargers in Week 2, and like the Steelers, the Jets have only faced three winning teams. The closing schedule includes games against the Steelers, Patriots, Seahawks and Rams. Winning two of those games would be golden and it would set up a potential trip to Indianapolis or San Diego in the first round of the playoffs.

More than anything else, the Jets will find out over the next month how playoff ready they are. They have let Curtis Martin, the league's leading rusher, carry them all season. He's the league's most active running back with 282 carries, but coach Herman Edwards has helped him of late by getting LaMont Jordan more carries.

Edwards needs to be careful not to overuse him over the next four weeks because Martin won't get a break in the playoffs, since the Jets won't get a bye. Edwards has to manage as though he is preparing for the playoffs.

That may put quarterback Chad Pennington in the position to throw a little bit more than normal. The Jets don't ask Pennington to throw 30 or more passes a game too often. There is no need for it because the Jets rely so much on the run.

The Steelers don't ask rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to throw more than 25 passes a game. The Steelers run the ball 61 percent of the time, and the strategy works. It should work better because Staley, approaching his second game since returning from a hamstring pull, is fresh.

Expect this to be a fast game because both teams will run the ball. Also, both teams may not want to throw too much of the playbook at each other because they could meet again in the playoffs.

The great things about both teams is that they have played like playoff teams all season. Unfortunately for the Jets, they have to play in a place that the Patriots and Eagles have lost.

And 10. Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings: It's not out of the question for these teams to meet again in the first round of the playoffs. What can't be figured out is whether they'll make the playoffs as division winners or wild-cards -- if it all. Of course, the Seahawks shouldn't be thinking about the playoffs as bad as they have played. They barely beat the Dolphins at home and followed that uninspired performance with home losses to the Bills and the Cowboys. At 6-6, the Seahawks should be embarrassed to be considered a playoff team, but the NFC West is a mess. The Rams share the same record and are struggling themselves. The Seahawks defense is in a free fall. After starting the season ranked among the best, the Seahawks have fallen to 20th in yards allowed with 341.2 yards a game and are giving up 22.2 points a game. Injuries to Chad Brown and Anthony Simmons have destroyed the linebacking corps. The front four can't put pressure on the quarterback and the defensive tackle position is hurting because of the loss of first-round pick Marcus Tubbs for a couple of weeks with an ankle injury. The Seahawks don't have a safety who can cover, so expect Daunte Culpepper to pick apart the defense. The question is whether quarterback Matt Hasselbeck can play a 60-minute game and keep the scoring up to stay with the Vikings. Hasselbeck put 39 points on the board against the Cowboys and lost. On the road, the Seahawks aren't as effective on offense, but they need to be.

9. New York Giants at Baltimore Ravens: Remember when coach Tom Coughlin was 5-2 and a hero? Those days are gone. Coughlin is taking heat from even his own players about the offensive strategy during the team's five-game losing streak. Eli Manning is 0-3 as a starter and is completing less than 42 percent of his passes. Tight end Jeremy Shockey wants to make more big plays. The receivers can't get separation from defensive backs. The offensive line isn't very good. And, another loss ends virtually any hope of making the playoffs. So this may be Coughlin's most important game to try to turn around the team's fortune. But it's a lot to ask of Manning to beat the Ravens defense on the road in a game that is vital to the Ravens' playoff bid. The Ravens defense is mad. It collapsed in the fourth quarter against the Bengals at home last week, and the secondary is leaking yardage and big plays. It's no fun playing an angry Ravens defense. Manning may long for his college days during this one.

8. Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans: Indy quarterback Peyton Manning needs four touchdown passes to tie Dan Marino's record of 48 and he goes against a defense that has surrendered a league-worst 29 touchdown passes. This could be the week, and it doesn't help matters that the Texans lost free safety Marcus Coleman and linebacker Jay Foreman for the season. Manning has been unstoppable. On Nov. 14, he threw five touchdowns against Houston and some of the Texans players were mad coach Tony Dungy allowed Manning to keep firing passes in the fourth quarter. The Colts haven't been trying to run up the score, but their offense has been so good, Manning could leave most games in the third quarter. In normal circumstances, the crowd at Reliant Stadium can make it tough for a visiting team, but this may not be the case for Manning. He makes a lot of calls at the line of scrimmage, and this offense focuses better in road games against noisy crowds. Should Manning get hot early, the crowd could turn on the Texans and start cheering for the MVP quarterback, hoping to see history. Manning also knows the defensive mind of Texans defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who used to coach in Indianapolis.

	Chris Chandler Quarterback St. Louis Rams Profile
	2004 SEASON STATISTICS Att Comp PaTD RuTD Int Rat 27 18 1 0 1 87.9

7. St. Louis Rams at Carolina Panthers: If the Panthers beat the Rams, they would have come from competing for the top pick in next year's draft to a possible wild-card bid in five weeks. They've won four in a row thanks to their formula -- good defense, strong running and timely quarterback play by Jake Delhomme. Julius Peppers has been a sack machine of late. Nick Goings has filled the need for a 100-yard runner. John Fox is doing some of his best coaching. For the Rams, though, this is crisis time. Marc Bulger is out with a shoulder injury and 39-year-old Chris Chandler is the quarterback. Chandler won last week following Bulger's shoulder injury, but he only managed 16 points against the lowly 49ers. If Bulger's injury wasn't bad news, rookie Steven Jackson is bothered by a sore knee and the team may have to rely more on Marshall Faulk, who also has a sore knee. Rams coach Mike Martz has defensive coordinator Larry Marmie going back to some of the strategies used by former defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, who's now coach of the Bears. A Rams win could put them back in control of the NFC West. A loss, however, could jeopardize both their division and wild-card bids.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Diego Chargers: The Bucs really do have a shot at a wild-card bid. Monte Kiffin has rejuvenated the defense, and the offense is clicking with Brian Griese at quarterback and Michael Pittman as the halfback. Kiffin is using more man-to-man coverages and is blitzing a little more. But the Chargers are the league's surprise team. Wide receiver Keenan McCardell says this game won't be any different, but it will be for him. McCardell held out from the Bucs with hopes of being traded. He blasted Jon Gruden and the organization during the process. He got his way and was traded to the Chargers, who have been phenomenal this season. McCardell isn't being quoted this week, but he would like nothing more than to knock the Bucs out of the playoffs. Long-time Chargers know the importance of this game to them. They were 8-4 two years ago and didn't make the playoffs because of a four-game losing streak. Chargers quarterback Drew Brees has to watch out because defensive end Simeon Rice is getting hot and could give him a few painful hits. The other worry for the Chargers is a letdown. They have just completed a stretch in which they had three mentally draining games against AFC West rivals. They won all three, including two on the road. This is a good team, but they could be a little drained.

5. Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots: Corey Dillon has never been 11-1 during his NFL career. He never had a winning season with the Bengals, so he pushed for the offseason trade that allowed him to move to New England where he has become the focal point on a potential Super Bowl team. This game will be all about Dillon. He has a lot of friends on the Bengals, but no friends among the front office and ownership. His exit from the team was nasty and he hasn't been afraid to blast them when he's gotten the chance. Dillon is the league's fourth-best rusher with 1,221 yards and a 4.8 yard average. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis will have no problem motivating his defense to try to stop Dillon. The Bengals are 6-6 and playing inspired football. Carson Palmer is getting more confident with each week. But this is the Patriots in Foxboro. Dillon has the Bengals right where he wants them.

4. Chicago Bears at Jacksonville Jaguars: Who would have thought Chad Hutchinson would throw three touchdown passes against the Vikings? Many wondered if Hutchinson could stay in the league after his bad experience in Dallas. Hutchinson's fiery leadership inspired the offense and he gave hope to the defense. Lovie Smith's defense plays hard. Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher is coming off one of the best games of his career. And Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich isn't as mobile as he was early in the season because of the knee he injured a few weeks ago. Expect the Bears to continue to blitz more than earlier in the season and try to put pressure on Leftwich. Charles Tillman is back as a starting cornerback and gives the defense the ability to do more man-to-man. The blitz worked well last week in forcing Daunte Culpepper to throw quicker passes, and Leftwich isn't as mobile and elusive as Culpepper.

3. Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills: The Bills running game suffered a couple of tough hits. Right tackle Mike Williams may be out with a sore knee, and tight end Mark Campbell is out for the season. Of course, they are playing against a Browns team that is just going through the motions. Terry Robiskie is a fiery interim coach, but the team can't wait until the offseason. Guys hated playing for Butch Davis and they want to get into the offseason and see if ownership brings them a coach to get them motivated and make them happy. However well the Browns defense plays probably won't matter much. William Green isn't getting it done as the running back, and the team may go back to Luke McCown at quarterback for another game. The Browns are doomed.

	Joey Harrington Quarterback Detroit Lions Profile
	2004 SEASON STATISTICS Att Comp PaTD RuTD Int Rat 344 196 15 0 8 80.2

2. Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers: Green Bay coach Mike Sherman wasn't happy about the Packers' defensive performance last week. The Eagles destroyed them 47-17, and it didn't matter whether the team was in zone or in man coverage, it was manhandled. The Lions don't have the offensive firepower yet, and no one is going to confuse Joey Harrington with Donovan McNabb. Harrington had a decent game in beating Arizona last week, but his receivers are banged up and he's been inconsistent. The Packers have to bounce back from the Eagles loss quickly because they finish their home schedule this week and next with the Lions and a visit from the Jaguars. The Packers drilled the Lions, 38-10, earlier this season. It's hard to fathom the Lions can do much to reverse that outcome.

1. Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins (8:30 p.m. ET Sunday, ESPN) : Maybe there is some life with the Redskins offense. Patrick Ramsey picked apart the Giants for a 31-7 victory last week, completing 19 of 22 passes. Clinton Portis had 148 yards rushing on 31 carries. Redskins fans have been waiting all season for this. The Eagles have clinched the NFC East and are well on their way to clinching home field for the playoffs, so maybe they won't play with their normal edge. But Andy Reid will use the fact that this is a division game to keep the team's focus, and he's done a great job of that all season. The Eagles have won nine games by 10 or more points in the NFC, and no team in this conference has shown an ability to give the Eagles a close game. The Redskins will try, but even if they succeed, it won't change the fact that the Eagles have the best team in the NFC. What a Washington victory would do is give Redskins players some confidence that Joe Gibbs' plan is starting to work. It could be a building block for next year.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.