Green Bay and Minnesota square off in a battle for NFC North supremacy with the two teams headed in opposite directions.
Arizona and Cincinnati hit the field for what seems sure to be a primetime, physical contest between two teams trying to prove themselves as true Super Bowl contenders.
That’s all before even mentioning the Rex Ryan-Bill Belichick matchup that is sure to steal much of the national spotlight.
Oakland at Detroit, 11 a.m. The Lions are on the heels of the best win of any team this season as they beat Green Bay at Lambeau Field last week. Oakland is trying to keep up with AFC wild card picture.
Indianapolis at Atlanta, 11 a.m. The Colts are fresh off a bye, but find themselves without Andrew Luck for at least a month. The Falcons are on a heavy tumble losing its last two games to the 49ers and Buccaneers.
New York Jets at Houston, 11 a.m. The Texans’ defense looks revived giving up only six points a game since allowing Miami to score 44 on them in late October. Ryan Fitzpatrick faces off against his former team.
Tampa Bay at Philadelphia, 11 a.m. Sam Bradford was starting to play some of his best ball before injuring his shoulder and suffering a concussion. It’ll be up to Mark Sanchez to take care of the ball and lead their team to a game they should win.
St. Louis at Baltimore, 11 a.m. The pride of the University of Houston, Case Keenum, gets the start for a Rams team that can’t do any worse at quarterback. Baltimore just wants to make it to the offseason.
Dallas at Miami, 11 a.m. Tony Romo returns, but can he save the Cowboys from the mess they created in his absence? Stopping Ndamukong Suh will be goal No. 1, if Romo hopes to survive the game.
Washington at Carolina, 11 a.m., KDVR-31. Washington has allowed 150 rushing yards in each of the last five games. The Panthers come in with the NFL’s No. 3 rushing offense.
Kansas City at San Diego, 2:05 p.m. The Chiefs are floating after a three-game winning streak and a big win over Denver. The Chargers have been one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments.
Green Bay at Minnesota, 2:25 p.m., KDVR-31. The NFC North has gone through Green Bay over the last four years, but the Vikings are threatening to take the crown. It starts with protecting their homefield Sunday.
San Francisco at Seattle, 2:25 p.m. This was once the game of the week. It competed for game of the year when Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson were leading their teams to the top of the NFC. Now, it’s two sub-.500 teams trying to stay afloat.
Game of the week
Cincinnati at Arizona, 6:30 p.m., KUSA-9.
The Bengals are who we thought they were or so the national narrative goes after Cincinnati laid an egg on national TV against a mediocre Texans team. Arizona has found itself behind Seattle and San Francisco’s shadow for the better part of the decade, now they are the class of the division. This one is all about respect, with each team feeling like they deserve more.
Buffalo at New England, Monday, 6:30 p.m., ESPN.
Bills-Patriots isn’t just an old AFC East rivalry anymore. With Rex Ryan now in Buffalo, the matchup will always have a little more juice. The Bills played the Patriots closer than any other team has this season.
Cameron Wolfe: 303-954-1891, cwolfe@denverpost.com or @CameronWolfe
