WEEK 14 BREAKDOWN

CINCINNATI AT CAROLINA

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Carolina by 3 1/2

Quick slant: Panthers, streaking again.

Plot: The Panthers were never as good as their record suggested back when they were 3-0. Were they as bad as their record suggested when they then went 0-8? The argument could be made. Now, after having won again, in hard-to-watch fashion over Cleveland last Sunday, Carolina is primed for a 2-0 run with this home game against the 1-11 Bengals. Why play this one? The league apparently has its reasons. Carolina rookie defensive end Julius Peppers has decided to bail out now, giving up on the appeal of his four-game suspension. The pressing question is: Can he bear to watch?

Monday’s headline: “Panthers Sweep Ohio; Well, There’s Always the Fiesta Bowl”

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SAN FRANCISCO AT DALLAS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: San Francisco by 4 1/2

Quick slant: Teams of the ‘90s: Where are they now?

Plot: They said it would never happen, but last week the Cowboys finally ended the drought and managed to win consecutive games for the first time since December 2001. Sunday, the 49ers try to end another drought, one that has vexed them since 1997. The last time San Francisco won the NFC West title, Jeff Garcia was still rolling out across Canada with the Calgary Stampeders. Since then, the 49ers have watched Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis twice win the West -- but Sunday, the title will be theirs with a win in Dallas coupled with a St. Louis loss or tie. Realignment’s been a huge hit in the Bay Area.

Monday’s headline: “Playoffs: 49ers Clinch Them, Cowboys Try To Remember Them”

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CLEVELAND AT JACKSONVILLE

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Off

Quick slant: When in doubt, punt the kicker.

Plot: All things considered, Jacksonville kicker Richie Cunningham thought he’d had a pretty good day Sunday. He made the only field-goal attempt he tried and went two for two on extra points. But the Jaguars lost to Pittsburgh, 25-23, and Coach Tom Coughlin couldn’t fire his defense -- though he probably thought about it -- so he decided to cut Cunningham and sign free agent Danny Boyd, the fourth kicker through Coughlin’s revolving door since September. Coughlin said he didn’t like how Cunningham handled kickoffs, both on-side and regular. See, the Jaguars do a lot of kicking off.

Monday’s headline: “Browns Win on Safety; Good Thing Boyd’s Only Renting”

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ST. LOUIS AT KANSAS CITY

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Kansas City by 5

Quick slant: Chiefs in a show-them state of mind.

Plot: Remember when Dick Vermeil coached the Rams? Back then, Kurt Warner passed like Trent Green, Marshall Faulk ran like Priest Holmes and the Rams won the Super Bowl. Vermeil hasn’t been back to the Super Bowl since, and he won’t be going this season, but at 6-6, his Chiefs remain playoff-hopeful and upbeat, unlike the 5-7 Rams, who spent the week getting an earful from Warner’s wife Brenda, who beat the Rams to this brainstorm: Maybe someone ought to X-ray Kurt’s right hand. So the Rams did. Hairline fracture. That explains Warner’s wobblers. But what about Mike Martz’s?

Monday’s headline: “Vermeil Shows Rams ‘The Way We Were’ ”

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BUFFALO AT NEW ENGLAND

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

TV: Channel 2

The line: New England by 4 1/2

Quick slant: Waiting for Bledsoe.

Plot: There’s a “Countdown to Bledsoe Bowl II” clock on the Boston Globe Web site, ticking off the days, hours, minutes and seconds until ex-Patriot Drew Bledsoe returns to Foxboro. (For those less obsessed, kickoff is Sunday, 1 p.m. EST.) The tone in the Boston-area newspapers has changed a bit since the countdown to Bledsoe Bowl I, which is to say the panic about the Patriots getting rid of the wrong quarterback has subsided some. The Patriots won Bledsoe Bowl I, 38-7, on Nov. 3 -- in Buffalo. Now the Patriots are 7-5 and tied for first and their fans are firmly behind Tom Brady until ... what’s that clock say?

Monday’s headline: “Bledsoe, Bills Down for Count”

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HOUSTON AT PITTSBURGH

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Pittsburgh by 13 1/2

Quick slant: Thanks for the help, Kordell. Now take a seat.

Plot: If Kordell Stewart really thought he had a chance to reclaim the Steelers’ starting quarterback job when Tommy Maddox was injured, he has the correct answer now. Despite winning both of his relief starts and netting almost 300 combined pass-rush yards last week against Jacksonville, Stewart returns to the bench Sunday as Maddox returns to the lineup. That’s life as a backup quarterback -- and if Stewart needed any clarification, there it is: Maddox No. 1, Stewart No. 2. It could be worse. Stewart could be quarterbacking the Texans. Poor David Carr needs his own collision air bag.

Monday’s headline: “Carr Takes a Seat Seven Times Against Steelers”

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ATLANTA AT TAMPA BAY

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

TV: Channel 11

The line: Tampa Bay by 4

Quick slant: Michael Vick revisits the last speed bump.

Plot: The world was much different on Oct. 6, the day Tampa Bay defeated the Falcons in Atlanta, 20-6. Those were Vick’s pre-sainthood days, back when the scouting reports read: Injury Waiting to Happen. Those seemed to be the same old Falcons as well -- off to yet one more 1-3 start. So much has changed since then, including the NFL, which has yet to figure out how to stop Vick or the Falcons, who haven’t lost since Oct. 6. Now the Falcons are the hottest team in pro football, Vick is an established superstar and Tampa Bay is 9-3 and relying almost entirely on its defense. Some things never change.

Monday’s headline: “Brief Setback for the Vick Revolution”

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INDIANAPOLIS AT TENNESSEE

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Tennessee by 2

Quick slant: Guess who’s top seeded in the AFC.

Plot: The Colts began November in the throes of a three-game losing streak, with fans beginning to question the wisdom of the Tony Dungy hire and the crunch-time ability of Peyton Manning. Four weeks later, the Colts are 8-4 and seeded No. 1 in the AFC, which goes to show what one good month in today’s NFL can do for a team. Indianapolis hasn’t lost since Nov. 3, the last time the Colts played the Titans. Tennessee won that game, 23-15, after opening a 20-0 lead. The Titans have won six of seven and are one game behind the Colts in the AFC South. Finally, realignment produces its first new rivalry.

Monday’s headline: “No One’s Seeded No. 1 for Long in This League”

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N.Y. GIANTS AT WASHINGTON

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

The line: Washington by 2 1/2

Quick slant: Opportunity squandered.

Plot: Three weeks ago, the Giants beat the Redskins, 19-17, on the same day Philadelphia lost Donovan McNabb to a broken ankle. At the time, the Giants were 6-4, on a three-game winning streak, one game behind the Eagles in the NFC East standings. Despite a rash of injuries and their perpetually stop-start offense, the Giants sensed the season opening up for them, the division title theirs for the taking. And then, they bobbled it, losing consecutive games to Houston and Tennessee to fall to 6-6, three games behind the Eagles. In the NFC East, when the going gets tough, the tough play for Andy Reid.

Monday’s headline: “Too Little Too Late for Giants”

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DETROIT AT ARIZONA

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m.

The line: Arizona by 1 1/2

Quick slant: Lots of good reasons to stay away.

Plot: If hockey is ever going to make it in Arizona, Arizona needs more football games like this one. The Lions are 5-23 since September 2001. The Cardinals are 0-6 since teasing local fans with a 4-2 start -- the latest loss a 49-0 shutout against Kansas City, the worst defeat in Cardinal history, which includes many bad defeats in Chicago and many more in St. Louis. Things are so bad, an Arizona Republic sports columnist has advised fans to boycott Sunday’s game. That shouldn’t be difficult. Without editorial assistance, football fans in Arizona have been boycotting the Cardinals for years.

Monday’s headline: “Cardinals Continue To Boycott Victory Column”

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NEW ORLEANS AT BALTIMORE

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m.

The line: New Orleans by 2 1/2

Quick slant: Jeff Blake Reunion Tour continues.

Plot: Baltimore Coach Brian Billick has named Blake his starting quarterback for the rest of the season, which is not especially surprising when you consider that, A) Chris Redman is not Brett Favre; B) the Ravens are 6-6 and still have an outside shot at the playoffs; and C) the Ravens’ next opponent is New Orleans, where Blake spent the previous two seasons. Billick is smart enough not to underplay the Blake revenge factor. Last month, Blake played against another former team, Cincinnati, and won, 38-27. The Saints, coming off an emotionally and physically taxing win over Tampa Bay, had best be wary.

Monday’s headline: “L.A. Kings Advise Saints: You Should’ve Kept Blake”

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PHILADELPHIA AT SEATTLE

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m.

The line: Philadelphia by 3

Quick slant: Making the quarterback position irrelevant.

Plot: So, what was that we were saying about Donovan McNabb being the most valuable player in pro football? Since McNabb broke his ankle, the Eagles have started their second- and third-string quarterbacks -- and are 2-0. First, Koy Detmer beat the 49ers in San Francisco. Then, A.J. Feeley stepped in after Detmer dislocated an elbow and defeated the Rams. Three games, three quarterbacks, three victories. How deep does the Eagle depth chart run? Fourth string belongs to Tim Hasselbeck, younger brother of Matt, also known as the losing quarterback of Sunday’s game in Seattle.

Monday’s headline: “We Kid You Not: A.J. Feeley Is 2-0”

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DENVER AT N.Y. JETS

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

The line: Denver by 1

Quick slant: Masters of no one’s destiny.

Plot: Never let facts get in the way of a rousing good pep talk, Herman Edwards always says. Trying to rally his Jets for a December stretch drive, Edwards told his players that they will make the playoffs if they win their last four games. Nice try, Herm, but no. The best the Jets can finish is 10-6. AFC East rivals Miami and New England and wild-card hopefuls Tennessee and Denver all have chances to finish 11-5. If three of them do, the 10-6 Jets will be spending January at home. Denver knows this too, and is bringing in quarterback Brian Griese on Sunday to see if he can do something about it.

Monday’s headline: “Jets Do the Math, Wait Till Next Year”

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OAKLAND AT SAN DIEGO

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

TV: Channel 2

The line: Oakland by 3

Quick slant: L.A. Past versus L.A. Future.

Plot: An AFC West first-place showdown between the Raiders and the Chargers on the second Sunday in December? Who’d have thought it? Not the Broncos, but that was before three losses on game-ending field goals left them 7-5, one game behind the good-month, bad-month Raiders and the suddenly charmed Chargers, who would be 6-6 today if Jose Cortez and Jason Elam had converted overtime field-goal attempts. Yes, the Chargers have been lucky. Yes, the Raiders seem just the team to put the Chargers in their place. Intriguing stat: Marty Schottenheimer is 20-5 in his last 25 games against the Raiders.

Monday’s headline: “Future Is Now for First-Place Raiders”

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MINNESOTA AT GREEN BAY

Kickoff: Sunday, 5:30 p.m.

TV: ESPN

The line: Green Bay by 9 1/2

Quick slant: Chad Clifton, Vikings done for the season.

Plot: Green Bay wrapped up the NFC North championship with four weeks to spare, thanks to Brett Favre (he keeps winning, no matter who’s playing wide receiver) and Mike Sherman (in his previous life, he plugged the holes in wheels of Swiss cheese) and the across-the-board collapse of the Bears, Lions and Vikings -- each 3-9. Sherman lost another offensive lineman this week when Clifton went on injured reserve. Sherman could use this month to rest some injured starters, but the Packers are seeded third in the NFC. The drive for home-field advantage begins here.

Monday’s headline: “No Rest for Weary Until Packers Clinch Home Field”

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CHICAGO AT MIAMI

Kickoff: Monday, 6 p.m.

TV: Channel 7

The line: Miami by 9

Quick slant: Dave Wannstedt feeling better about things now.

Plot: Wannstedt coached the Bears for six uneventful seasons, never fashioning more than a 9-7 record and signing off with 4-12 seasons in ’97 and ’98. After a year off, he moved to Miami and has gone 11-5, 11-5 and 7-5 heading into Monday night’s reunion. The Bears, meanwhile, still have a chance to turn the very rare trick of following a 13-3 season with a 3-13 reversal. They should lose to the Dolphins, who need to win to maintain a share of first place in the AFC East. Then Chicago gets the Jets, Panthers and Buccaneers. It could come down to Carolina.

Tuesday’s headline: “Bears: On Second Thought, 4-12 Sounds Pretty Good”