NFL FACTOID

COLD-WEATHER RUSHING: The axiom that says that when the weather turns colder in the NFL, teams stay on the ground seems to be proving true.  In the past three weeks, there have been 37 100-yard rushing games – the most over any three-week span in NFL history.

What a way to start December!

Call it the "Super Six Showdown Weekend" or "How-Did-The-NFL-Schedule-Makers-Arrange-This?"

Whatever the term, NFL 2003 Week 14 is crammed with six got-to-watch games between high-ranking teams.  The Super Six-Pack (including five division games) features two games between first-place teams and four between first- and second-place clubs.

"It’s exciting," says quarterback DONOVAN MC NABB of the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the teams involved in the weekend’s donnybrook.  "That’s why we love this game so much.  It’s a challenge.  We love this."

But just because the 12 teams in these games are riding high does not mean that the race to the playoffs is over as the NFL begins the final month of its season.  Far from it.

Proof?  In the past 10 years, 16 teams with a record of .500 or lower at this point in the season qualified for the playoffs.  Last year, the 6-6 Cleveland Browns and New York Giants and Jets pulled off the feat.

And three of the teams involved in this weekend’s "Super Six" were eliminated from playoff contention at this time last year – Cincinnati, Minnesota and Seattle.

On top of all this Week 14 excitement, division titles and playoff berths can be clinched

CAROLINA PANTHERS can clinch the NFC South Division with a win and a New Orleans loss.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS can earn the AFC West title with a win or tie, or can earn a playoff berth with Indianapolis or Miami losses.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS can take the AFC East crown with a win, or earn a playoff berth with a tie and a Cincinnati loss and a Denver loss or tie, or a tie and a Baltimore loss and a Denver loss or tie.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES can clinch a playoff berth with a win, or with a tie and losses or ties by Green Bay and New Orleans.

ST. LOUIS RAMS can earn a playoff berth with a win and a New Orleans loss or tie, or with a tie and a Green Bay loss or tie and a New Orleans loss.

The breakdown of Week 14’s "Super Six" matchups:

MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-4, Second) at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (10-2, First)

Two teams that play each other tight.  The last two games between the clubs have gone to overtime, with the Patriots winning both.  In fact, five of the seven games between the teams this decade have been decided by seven points or less.

On October 19 in Miami, New England survived two potential game-winning field-goal attempts to win in overtime on an 82-yard TOM BRADY to TROY BROWN pass.  Brady (.714) and the Dolphins’ JAY FIEDLER (.694) rank Nos. 1 and 3 (sandwiching KURT WARNER, .700) as the NFL’s winningest active quarterbacks (25 starts).

The key to the game could be Dolphins running back RICKY WILLIAMS – with three 100-yard efforts in a row – against the Pats’ stout No. 5 NFL rush defense, now bulked up with the return of 6-5, 365-pound nose tackle TED WASHINGTON.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (7-5, First) at BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-5, First)

"As long as I’ve been here, December was just December," says Cincinnati running back COREY DILLON.  "It didn’t mean much.  This is different."

"This" is the Bengals’ six-wins-in-their-last-seven-games streak – one that began with their 34-26 defeat of Baltimore on October 19.  That is their best record at this point in a season since 1990 (the last time they went to the playoffs), and includes their first back-to-back road wins (the past two weeks at San Diego and Pittsburgh) since October 19 and November 12 of 1995.

It will be two hot quarterbacks squaring off.  Cincy’s JON KITNA – the only QB in the NFL to take every snap this season – has thrown 18 TD passes and only one interception in the team’s seven wins.  Baltimore’s ANTHONY WRIGHT, a third-stringer for most of the year, has led the club to the first 40-point back-to-back games in its history.  Much of that production comes from his five TD passes to wide receiver MARCUS ROBINSON, his college teammate at South Carolina.  

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (9-3, First) at TENNESSEE TITANS (9-3, First)

Two angry teams, because they both come off losses, and in the conference, no less.

After losing three in a row to Tennessee (and six out of their last seven), the Colts dominated the Titans this September 14, 33-7.  But now the Colts are in the Titans’ lair.  And Tennessee has two streaks going for it.

The Titans have won 10 in a row at home and have an NFL-best 26-game home streak of not allowing a 100-yard rusher.  Colts RB EDGERRIN JAMES, 177 yards away from 1,000 yards, will face the NFL’s No. 1 rush defense.

This is the type of game – for first place – that the starting quarterbacks live for.  The Titans’ STEVE MC NAIR and Colts’ PEYTON MANNING – two of the most resourceful QBs in the NFL -- are ranked first and third in AFC passer rating, respectively.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-1, First) at DENVER BRONCOS (7-5, Second)

Chiefs can clinch their first division title since 1997 with a win or tie.  The Broncos have to win to have a reasonable shot at the playoffs.

That said, this is still an AFC West battle where the events of past games just ratchet up the excitement.  Like on October 5 of this year.  There was Chiefs kick returner DANTE HALL darting every which way – even backwards – on a 93-yard punt-return TD halfway through the fourth quarter that provided the winning points in a 24-23 Chiefs victory.  It was the fourth consecutive game between the two that was decided by seven or less points, including two overtimes.

The Broncos’ main task will be to stop Chiefs running back PRIEST HOLMES, who has run for 17 TDs, more than any other team in the NFL this year, and eight behind the NFL season record of EMMITT SMITH (25, 1995). 

DALLAS COWBOYS (8-4, Second) at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-3, First)

Could be an old-time December grind-it-out game that Cowboys head coach BILL PARCELLS was so used to in his New York Giants days.

The Eagles have won seven in a row – their best season streak since 1980 – but, amazingly, have surrendered a 100-yard rushing effort in five of them.

Each club presents a tri-part rushing attack that has gone over 1,000 yards.  The Eagles’ BRIAN WESTBROOK, CORRELL BUCKHALTER and DUCE STALEY have combined for 1,189 yards.  The Cowboys’ TROY HAMBRICK, AVEION CASON and RICHIE ANDERSON have teamed for 1,068.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (8-4, Second) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-5, First)

Two teams with high-octane offenses coupled with solid takeaway defenses.

The Vikings rank No. 1 in the league on offense, the Seahawks No. 4.  They sit fourth (Vikings, 27) and fifth (Seahawks, 25) in the NFC in takeaways.

The quarterbacks are the highest-rated in the conference.  Minnesota’s DAUNTE CULPEPPER has a 94.6 passer rating, Seattle’s MATT HASSELBECK a 94.2 mark.

Each club is wondering which opponent will show up – the Vikings, who won their first six games but have gone 1-5 since, or the Seahawks, who are undefeated at home (7-0) but 1-4 on the road. 

LAST WEEK’S NFL RESULTS

 (Home teams in capitals)

New England 38, INDIANAPOLIS 34
Miami 40, DALLAS 21
DETROIT 22, Green Bay 14
Cincinnati 24, PITTSBURGH 20
BALTIMORE 44, San Francisco 6
Philadelphia 25, CAROLINA 16
Denver 22, OAKLAND 8
HOUSTON 17, Atlanta 13
CHICAGO 28, Arizona 3
Kansas City 28, SAN DIEGO 24
Buffalo 24,  N.Y. GIANTS 7
ST. LOUIS 48, Minnesota 17
N.Y. JETS 24, Tennessee 17
SEATTLE 34, Cleveland 7
New Orleans 24, WASHINGTON 20
JACKSONVILLE 17, Tampa Bay 10

THIS WEEK’S NFL SCHEDULE – DECEMBER 7 - 8, 2003

 (All times local)

Cincinnati at Baltimore, 1:00
San Diego at Detroit, 1:00
Chicago at Green Bay, 12:00
Houston at Jacksonville, 1:00
Seattle at Minnesota, 12:00
Oakland at Pittsburgh, 1:00
Tampa Bay at New Orleans, 12:00
Indianapolis at Tennessee, 12:00
Washington at N.Y. Giants, 1:00
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo, 4:15
Dallas at Philadelphia, 1:00
Kansas City at Denver, 2:15
Arizona at San Francisco, 1:05
Miami at New England, 4:15

Carolina at Atlanta, 8:30 (ESPN)

St. Louis at Cleveland, Monday, 9:00 (ABC)