Times staff writer Sam Farmer breaks down five areas worth watching in todayâs NFL matchups
5 BOUND FOR A REUNION
-Mark Brunell
Washington, QB
* Former Jaguar holds virtually every franchise passing record.
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Corey Dillon
New England, RB
* Making his first return to Cincinnati, he is Bengalsâ all-time rushing leader.
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Jake Delhomme
Carolina, QB
* Had the Saints held onto him, they might have had a lot more success in recent years.
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Antoine Winfield
Minnesota, CB
* Former first-round pick of the Bills returns to Buffalo as a key member of Vikings secondary.
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Az-Zahir Hakim
Detroit, WR
* He and Mike Martz, the Lionsâ offensive coordinator, are both in St. Louis to face their old team.
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5 PRIMED FOR A BREAKDOWN
* QB Brad Johnson, Minnesota -- He has struggled against the AFC, losing seven of his last nine starts and going 0-4 on the road.
* QB Steve McNair, Baltimore -- The Chargers are pretty rough on opposing quarterbacks -- especially when Shawne Merriman is coming hard off the edge.
* QB David Carr, Houston -- Although Carr has had a respectable rating of 95.0 or better in each of his three starts this season, Texans have lost 10 in a row when heâs at 90.0 or better.
* QB Andrew Walter, Oakland -- Heâs making his first start after completing only 37.5% of his passes with three interceptions in his first two games.
* QB Jon Kitna, Detroit -- Playing well guarantees nothing; Lions have lost seven straight in which theyâve rolled up at least 400 yards of offense.
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5 COACHES WHO NEVER REACHED
THE SUPER BOWL
* Marty Schottenheimer (188 victories) -- Maybe this will be the season when âMartyballâ takes the Chargers all the way.
* Chuck Knox (186) -- âGround Chuckâ helped put Seahawks on the map, but that wasnât enough.
* Jim Mora (125) -- He was a good coach, but his son and namesake might wind up being better.
* Don Coryell (111) -- He created a lot of excitement in San Diego with his innovative passing attack.
* Dennis Green (109) -- His old Minnesota teams had a lot more Super Bowl potential than his current Cardinals.
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5 LOCKS
* Atlanta over Arizona -- The Falcons will regroup after being emotionally overwhelmed in New Orleans.
* Dallas over Tennessee -- T.O. circus might be a distraction, but Cowboys should be able to handle Vince Young-led Titans.
* St. Louis over Detroit -- The Rams are no juggernaut, but the Lions have lost 36 of last 41 on the road.
* Indianapolis over New York Jets -- The Colts are starting to hit stride on offense; the Jetsâ pass defense is struggling.
* Philadelphia over Green Bay -- The Eagles will get back on track after losing four consecutive Monday night games.
* Last week: 4-1.
* Season: 13-2.
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Source: STATS LLC
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5 PRIMED FOR A BREAKOUT
* QB Daunte Culpepper, Miami -- Yes, heâs 7-28 in his last 35 starts on the road, but heâs facing the leagueâs lowest-rated defense.
* RB Deuce McAllister, New Orleans -- He has averaged 99.8 yards rushing and has scored five touchdowns in four starts at Carolina.
* RB Larry Johnson, Kansas City -- Heâs ultra-tough at home, averaging 162.3 yards from scrimmage in eight games.
* WR Steve Smith, Carolina -- He felt good in practice after making season debut last week. Keyshawn Johnson takes a lot of pressure off him.
* QB Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia -- His last start against Green Bay: 464 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.
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