Hope Is Where Heart Is for All but a Few Teams

The Times’ ratings scale for this week’s games:

**** -- Don’t miss a down.

*** -- Could be good.

** -- Who let the dogs out?

-- Stupor Bowl.

*

NFL playoff hope springs eternal ... everywhere but Cleveland, Miami and San Francisco.

The teams from those cities have been eliminated from postseason contention. But each of the other 29 teams in the league has at least a mathematical possibility of making the playoffs, remote as some of those scenarios might be.

Philadelphia already has claimed the NFC East, and four more teams can clinch division titles Sunday with varying combinations of victories by them and losses by rivals. On the verge of winning their divisions are New England, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Atlanta.

Even teams that are .500 or below can take solace in this: In eight of the last 10 seasons, at least one team with a 6-6 record or worse at this point in the season has advanced to the playoffs. The 6-6 Green Bay Packers did it last year.

** Oakland (4-8) at Atlanta (9-3), 10 a.m. -- Even though the Raiders have fared well against the Falcons lately, Oakland quarterback Kerry Collins hasn’t. Collins, who’s in his first season with the Raiders, has one touchdown pass and eight interceptions in his last four games against Atlanta. The Falcons have won seven of their last eight home games.

** New York Giants (5-7) at Baltimore (7-5), 10 a.m. -- These teams haven’t met since Super Bowl XXXV and each is trying to regain its equilibrium after a rough few weeks. The Giants haven’t scored a touchdown in nine consecutive quarters and have only one in the last 14 quarters. In his last two games, Baltimore quarterback Kyle Boller has no touchdowns and two interceptions.

* Cleveland (3-9) at Buffalo (6-6), 10 a.m. -- The Browns are 0-5 on the road and have lost nine of their last 10 games away from Cleveland. Buffalo has won its last four home games, and its defense has limited opponents to 17 points or fewer in those games. Why is Buffalo playing so well at home? During their 4-0 home stretch, the Bills have only one turnover and have given up two sacks.

*** Cincinnati (6-6) at New England (11-1), 10 a.m. -- Patriot running back Corey Dillon should have all the incentive he needs when he faces his former team. He’s rolling too, with seven 100-yard games this season. The Patriots have won 17 consecutive home games, including the playoffs. But the Bengals aren’t pushovers. They’ve won two in a row and four of five.

*** Indianapolis (9-3) at Houston (5-7), 10 a.m. -- All eyes will be on Peyton Manning as he closes in on Dan Marino’s single-season record of 48 passing touchdowns. Manning needs five touchdown passes to break the record, which was set in 1984. When he faced the Texans in Week 10, he threw five.

* New Orleans (4-8) at Dallas (5-7), 10 a.m. -- The Saints have lost three in a row and have a minus-7 turnover differential in that stretch. Dallas is riding a two-game winning streak and aiming for at least a .500 record at home for the 14th time in 15 seasons.

** Detroit (5-7) at Green Bay (7-5), 1:15 p.m. -- The Packers, coming off a miserable loss at Philadelphia, return to the friendly confines of Lambeau Field, where they have won their last three games. The Lions have lost their last three road games after starting the season 3-0 away from home.

** Chicago (5-7) at Jacksonville (6-6), 10 a.m. -- Six of Jacksonville’s 12 games this season have been decided by three points or fewer. The Jaguars are 4-2 in those games. Chicago’s defense plays particularly well on the road. STATS Inc. notes that opponents have converted only five of 44 third downs (11.4%) in Chicago’s last three road games.

*** Seattle (6-6) at Minnesota (7-5), 10 a.m. -- Three of Seattle’s final four opponents -- Minnesota, the Jets and Atlanta -- are likely to make the playoffs. Minnesota is 5-1 at home and has outscored opponents, 55-26, in the fourth quarters of those games.

* Miami (2-10) at Denver (7-5), 1:05 p.m. -- If the Dolphins lose 11 games, it will be the first time since 1966, their inaugural season. The Broncos, who have lost their last two games by a total of four points, haven’t won a regular-season game against Miami since 1968.

* San Francisco (1-11) at Arizona (4-8), 1:15 p.m. -- San Francisco’s quarterbacks have been sacked at least three times in each of the last 10 games. Arizona has committed four turnovers in each of the last three games.

*** St. Louis (6-6) at Carolina (5-7), 1:15 p.m. -- The Rams, who led the league with 46 takeaways last season, are last in the league in that department with 11. Carolina, which has won four in a row, has 15 takeaways in the last four games.

*** Tampa Bay (5-7) at San Diego (9-3), 1:15 p.m. -- Tampa Bay is 1-5 away from home, even though only one of those opponents had a winning record. San Diego has won six in a row, tying its longest winning streak since 1994.

*** New York Jets (9-3) at Pittsburgh (11-1), 1:05 p.m. -- The Steelers, led by rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, have won 10 in a row. One more victory and they’ll tie the team record, set in 1975. The Jets, who have won three in a row, have never won in Pittsburgh.

** Philadelphia (11-1) at Washington (4-8), 5:30 p.m. -- Philadelphia dominated Green Bay last Sunday, and Donovan McNabb threw five touchdown passes. Two more and he’ll have 30, something only Sonny Jurgensen and Randall Cunningham have done in an Eagle season. The Redskins, coming off a victory, haven’t won consecutive games since starting last season 2-0.

** Kansas City (4-8) at Tennessee (4-8), 6 p.m. Monday -- Tennessee, once perhaps the best home team in football, is 1-4 at home.