WEEK 15 CAPSULES

MINNESOTA AT CHICAGO

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Vikings by 3.

Introduction: With Daunte Culpepper and Randy Moss, the Vikings will always have a dangerous offense. But playing outside on the road will make things interesting.

Plot: Although Chicago is out of the playoff hunt, the Bears are 4-2 at home. Quarterback Rex Grossman, the Bears’ first-round pick this year, will make his first NFL start. Culpepper has passed for 2,800 yards and 20 touchdowns with eight interceptions. Moss is second in the NFC in receiving with 92 catches for 1,372 yards and a league-best 13 touchdowns. The Vikings have lost their last three road games, by an average of 18 points.

Bottom line: If the Vikings want to be considered a serious playoff contender, their defense needs to shut down the Bears.

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SAN FRANCISCO AT CINCINNATI

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Bengals by 3.

Introduction: After losing last weekend at Baltimore, the Bengals have to win their final three games to retain a shot at the playoffs.

Plot: Cincinnati quarterback Jon Kitna struggled against the Ravens with three fumbles and two interceptions, but he still has thrown for 3,025 yards and 23 touchdowns. The Bengals need running backs Corey Dillon and Rudi Johnson to have big games to help open things for Kitna and receiver Chad Johnson. The 49ers’ Jeff Garcia had a career day last week against Arizona, throwing for four touchdowns and running for two more.

Bottom line: The Bengals have plenty to play for and should be able to slow Garcia and Terrell Owens enough to get back on track.

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ATLANTA AT INDIANAPOLIS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Colts by 7 1/2.

Introduction: Now that quarterback Michael Vick is back and Dan Reeves is gone as coach, the Falcons will be one of the league’s most interesting teams to watch over the final three weeks of the season.

Plot: With their victory over Tennessee last week, the Colts took control of the AFC South. Quarterback Peyton Manning continues to have his best season as a pro with an NFL-best 3,312 yards passing and 23 touchdowns. In his first start of the season, Vick passed for 179 yards and ran for 141 more in the Falcons’ overtime victory over Carolina. Atlanta is last in the league in total offense.

Bottom line: Vick makes Atlanta a better team, but the Colts have too much firepower with Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison and Manning.

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JACKSONVILLE AT NEW ENGLAND

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Patriots by 7.

Introduction: The Patriots have moved into a tie with Kansas City for the league’s best record.

Plot: In leading the Patriots to 11 victories this season, quarterback Tom Brady has passed for 3,050 yards and 15 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. New England’s Deion Branch is tied for fourth in the AFC in third-down catches with 22 for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Jacksonville rookie quarterback Byron Leftwich has passed for 2,233 yards and 11 touchdowns. Defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson provide great strength for the Jaguars’ defense against the run, which leads the league.

Bottom line: The Patriots should be able to get enough pressure on Leftwich to defeat the Jaguars.

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DETROIT AT KANSAS CITY

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Chiefs by 14.

Introduction: The Chiefs suffered their worst defeat of the season last weekend at Denver and will be looking to get back on track against the struggling Lions.

Plot: Coach Dick Vermeil will be looking for a better defensive effort from the Chiefs, who gave up more than 500 yards against the Broncos. Kansas City’s defense has given up 137 points in the last five games. The Chiefs’ Priest Holmes has rushed for 1,221 yards and caught 62 passes for 592 more. The Lions are coming off a dismal 14-7 loss to San Diego. Detroit quarterback Joey Harrington has thrown 20 interceptions and 13 touchdown passes.

Bottom line: The Chiefs have not lost successive games all season and don’t figure to now.

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PITTSBURGH AT N.Y. JETS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Jets by 3.

Introduction: Because the Jets and Steelers are playing for next season, look for plenty of passes from quarterbacks Chad Pennington and Tommy Maddox.

Plot: The Steelers are coming off a victory over Oakland in which running back Jerome Bettis had his first 100-yard rushing game. Wide receiver Hines Ward leads the AFC with 82 catches. The Jets’ Pennington is 11-7 as a starter with 4,159 passing yards and 34 touchdowns. New York running back Curtis Martin needs 47 rushing yards to become the second player in NFL history with 1,000 yards in each of his first nine seasons.

Bottom line: As long as Pennington doesn’t turn over the ball, the Jets will register their first victory over a Bill Cowher-coached Steeler team.

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SEATTLE AT ST. LOUIS

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m., Ch. 11.

Line: Rams by 7.

Introduction: With the playoffs right around the corner, the Rams are playing their best football, running back Marshall Faulk having provided the spark to the offense.

Plot: The Rams blew a 23-10 lead and lost by a point when they played the Seahawks earlier in Seattle. Quarterback Marc Bulger is 16-3 as a starter for St. Louis, which can clinch the NFC West title with a victory. Faulk has scored 127 touchdowns and needs four more to tie Cris Carter for fourth on the NFL’s all-time list. The Seahawks’ Matt Hasselbeck has thrown at least two touchdown passes in seven of his last 13 games.

Bottom line: The Rams are playing too well at home to lose to the Seahawks, who are only 1-5 on the road.

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HOUSTON AT TAMPA BAY

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Off.

Introduction: If the Texans upset the Buccaneers, Houston will have the same record as the defending Super Bowl champions.

Plot: Quarterback David Carr’s status is questionable, so the Texans may start Dave Ragone for the second consecutive week. In his first start, Ragone passed for only 71 yards in a 27-0 loss to Jacksonville. Tampa Bay quarterback Brad Johnson has thrown 22 touchdown passes and needs one more to establish a single-season franchise record. Johnson leads the NFL with eight fourth-quarter touchdown passes.

Bottom line: The Texans’ secondary will be in for a long day if the Buccaneers decide to rely on Johnson and Keenan McCardell, who has a team-high 72 catches for 990 yards.

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BUFFALO AT TENNESSEE

Kickoff: Sunday, 10 a.m.

Line: Off.

Introduction: Titan quarterback Steve McNair is hurt again, and his injured ankle may keep him out of the lineup against the Bills. But based on his injury record, don’t count on it.

Plot: After losing at home to Indianapolis last week, the Titans find themselves playing for a wild-card berth in the AFC. If McNair does not play, Tennessee will turn to Billy Volek, who has completed 18 of 28 passes this season for two touchdowns. The Bills have won two in a row and still have an outside chance to make the playoffs.

Bottom line: For the Bills to pull off a road upset, Travis Henry will need to have a huge game. The Titans, however, have not given up 100 yards to a running back in their last 27 home games.

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CLEVELAND AT DENVER

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m., Ch. 2.

Line: Denver by 10 1/2.

Introduction: Coach Mike Shanahan and the Broncos have won two straight and three of their last four since quarterback Jake Plummer returned to the lineup.

Plot: After cruising past Kansas City, Denver will continue giving the ball to running back Clinton Portis, who scored five touchdowns against the Chiefs. Portis leads the Broncos in rushing with 1,452 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Browns are expected to start Tim Couch at quarterback. He came off the bench and completed six of nine passes for 98 yards and a touchdown in Monday night’s loss to St. Louis.

Bottom line: The Broncos’ underrated defense should not have a problem against the Browns, who will have enough problems with Portis.

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BALTIMORE AT OAKLAND

Kickoff: Sunday, 1 p.m.

Line: Ravens by 6 1/2.

Introduction: Running back Jamal Lewis needs to average 126 yards over the Ravens’ final three regular-season games to reach 2,000.

Plot: In last weekend’s victory over Cincinnati, Lewis rushed for 180 yards and recorded the first three-touchdown game of his career. He leads the NFL in rushing with 1,622 yards. Quarterback Anthony Wright has passed for seven touchdowns for the Ravens, who have won three consecutive games. The Raiders have lost their last three and eight of their last nine. Oakland quarterback Rick Mirer has thrown four interceptions, with only two touchdowns.

Bottom line: Look for the Ravens to pound Lewis against the Raiders, who have one of the worst run defenses in the league.

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CAROLINA AT ARIZONA

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

Line: Panthers by 6 1/2.

Introduction: After a strong start, the Panthers have lost three in a row and could be in trouble if they lose to the struggling Cardinals.

Plot: Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme has thrown for 2,532 yards and 14 touchdowns, with 13 interceptions. The Panthers’ Stephen Davis has rushed for a franchise-record 1,339 yards. Carolina receiver Steve Smith needs 86 more yards for his first 1,000-yard season. The Cardinals will start second-year quarterback Josh McCown in place of veteran Jeff Blake. Arizona receiver Anquan Boldin leads all rookies with 79 catches for 1,155 yards.

Bottom line: The Panthers may have more trouble than they expect against the Cardinals if they plan to win by just running Davis.

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DALLAS AT WASHINGTON

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m., Ch. 11.

Line: Even.

Introduction: Coach Bill Parcells’ Cowboys have lost their last two games. Coach Steve Spurrier’s Redskins are coming off a victory over the Giants.

Plot: The Cowboys will be hoping to bounce back after a tough loss at Philadelphia. Dallas quarterback Quincy Carter has passed for a career-high 14 touchdowns but he has also thrown 18 interceptions. Washington will start Tim Hasselbeck, who against the Giants notched his first victory at quarterback. Hasselbeck, starting for the third time this season, has thrown for 555 yards and three touchdowns, with two interceptions.

Bottom line: With Carter and the offense having problems, look for Dallas to try to win with defense.

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GREEN BAY AT SAN DIEGO

Kickoff: Sunday, 1:15 p.m.

Line: Packers by 5.

Introduction: To stay in the playoff hunt, the Packers will need quarterback Brett Favre to stop throwing costly interceptions.

Plot: Favre has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 22 consecutive games and has 337 in his career, third-highest in NFL history. Green Bay running back Ahman Green has 1,463 yards rushing and needs 12 more to pass Jim Taylor for the franchise’s single-season record. The Chargers’ LaDainian Tomlinson leads the AFC with 1,816 yards from scrimmage. Tomlinson leads San Diego in rushing (1,260 yards) and receiving (75 catches for 556 yards).

Bottom line: Linebacker Donnie Edwards and his defensive mates may be ready to lead the Chargers to their second victory in two weeks.

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N.Y. GIANTS AT NEW ORLEANS

Kickoff: Sunday, 5:30 p.m., ESPN.

Line: Saints by 7.

Introduction: The inconsistent Saints will be looking to get back to .500 and hoping to keep alive their slim postseason hopes.

Plot: Kerry Collins probably will not start at quarterback for the Giants. Collins injured an ankle last weekend against Washington. Jesse Palmer will get the first start of his three-year career if Collins does not play. New Orleans running back Deuce McAllister ended a streak of nine consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing last week against the Buccaneers. New Orleans quarterback Aaron Brooks has thrown for 2,711 yards and 16 touchdowns, with eight interceptions.

Bottom line: Expect the Saints to throw the works against the slumping Giants, who have lost five in a row.

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PHILADELPHIA AT MIAMI

Kickoff: Monday, 6 p.m., Ch. 7.

Line: Dolphins by 2.

Introduction: Quarterback Donovan McNabb has led the Eagles to eight consecutive victories and into the driver’s seat for home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Plot: After failing to score last week at New England, the Dolphins will be looking to end the Eagles’ winning streak. But Miami will have to do it with a gimpy quarterback in Jay Fiedler, who aggravated a knee injury against the Patriots. McNabb started slowly but his passing numbers have steadily improved in his last six games. The Eagles are 26-5 in November and December since 2000, the best in the NFL.

Bottom line: This will be a test for the Eagles’ defense against the run, but if they can control Ricky Williams, their streak will continue.