Preview all of today’s NFL games!

Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl – It’s week 12 in the NFL, check out the match-ups after the jump…

GREEN BAY AT ATLANTA, 1 P.M. ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Well, Falcons QB Matt Ryan is 18-1 in the Georgia Dome while thePackers enter riding a three-game winning streak in which they have allowed only 10 points. With the win in the Metrodome last Sunday, the Packers are 10-3 in dome games under coach Mike McCarthy. The Packers offense hasn’t been as prolific as expected, but also has not turned the ball over in three consecutive games for the first time since 1963. Green Bay will have to make the most of its possessions because Atlanta will likely dominate the clock. They average 32:43 TOP this season. If the offensive line can protect QB Aaron Rodgers, he’ll find the mismatches downfield. WR Greg Jennings (32 catches, six TDs in past six games) has been particularly hot.

The Falcons are averaging 31.5 points over their past four games and you can bet they will use their no-huddle offense in this game. Ryan hasn’t been sacked in three of his past four games while the Packers are very aggressive and enter with 29 sacks. So look for the Falcons to be conservative and feature plenty of RB Michael Turner on first and second downs. And that’s Atlanta’s advantage in this game. The Falcons have a power running game and the Packers do not. In fact, McCarthy is considering giving RB Dimitri Nance, a former Falcons practice squad player, more carries. He has also benched TE Donald Lee (four receptions for 32 yards in last five games) in favor of rookie Andrew Quarless.

Ryan heavily targets receiver Roddy Whiteand it’s been working. He became the first WR in the NFL to surpass the 1,000-yard receiving mark this season, with has 79 catches and 1,017 yards through 10 games. White is the first Falcons player to reach the century mark in receiving in as few as 10 games.

MINNESOTA AT WASHINGTON, 1 P.M. ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Vikings hope the switch to interim coach Leslie Frazier provides a mental boost similar to what the Cowboys enjoyed with Jason Garrett. For that to happen, the maligned secondary has to clamp down on big completions — and they’ll be tested by Donovan McNabb’s strong arm and speedy duo of WRs Santana Moss and Anthony Armstrong (WR Joey Galloway was released on Saturday). Washington QB Donovan McNabb passed for 376 yards atTennessee last Sunday, moving past Hall of Famer Jim Kelly into 15th place all-time with 35,495 yards. Rookie RB Keiland Williams is expected to get his third straight start for the Redskins with Clinton Portis placed on injured reserve.

Vikings QB Brett Favre has lobbied for and seems to have gotten a pared-down playbook. He has an NFL-high 17 interceptions, but a second week with WR Sidney Rice back, plus a healthy Percy Harvin, should help attack a Washington secondary minus injured safety LaRon Landry. Favre does need a strong game from Adrian Peterson, whose offensive line is minus physical guardAnthony Herrera. The Vikings are 1-9 in their past 10 road games while McNabb is 5-0 all-time against the Vikings.

CAROLINA AT CLEVELAND, 1 P.M. ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Cleveland’s QB carousel spun again this week and like coach Eric Mangini said, it was a no-brainer for him to start a healthy Jake Delhomme against his former team after rookie Colt McCoy suffered a high ankle sprain against the Jaguars. The Panthersstarted journeyman Brian St. Pierre (shoulder) last week, but will start rookie Jimmy Clausen, who has been cleared after suffering a concussion. Delhomme is the winningest quarterback in Panthers history and the guy who helped the team get to their only Super Bowl back in the 2003-04 season. The Panthers cut Delhomme this past offseason after he suffered a meltdown in the 2008 NFL playoffs against Arizona (six turnovers) and continued to struggle last season with 18 interceptions and only eight touchdowns. The Browns, though, paid Delhomme $7 million this season to come north.

The Browns are stout on defense and put their offense’s running game in the hands of RB Peyton Hillis, the team’s leading rusher and receiver. The Browns simply lack playmakers on offense. They were buoyed by wins over New Orleans and New England, but two straight losses have them grumbling about being 3-7, with six of the losses by seven points or fewer. Carolina’s ground game has improved enough with Mike Goodson’s consecutive 100-yard games. He’ll start again withJonathan Stewart, also back from a concussion, in a reserve role.

PHILADELPHIA AT CHICAGO, 4:15 P.M. ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Eagles QB Michael Vick has yet to throw an interception this season in 191 pass attempts and actually has a streak of 220 passes without a pick dating back to 2006, when he played for the Falcons. He did fumble twice Sunday against the Giants, losing one of them. The Bears have the NFL’s top scoring defense — allowing 14.6 points per game — while they butt heads with the NFL’s No. 2-ranked offense. The Giants did an excellent job of preventing Vick from rolling or escaping to his left, where he is far more dangerous. He has two of the best young receivers in football, led by DeSean Jackson, who had eight catches for 107 yards and one TD vs. the Bears last season. Jackson has seven catches of 40-plus yards this season. Jeremy Maclin has 35 catches in the last six games, including nine for 120 yards in last week’s win over the Giants. The Bears’ secondary plays a lot of Cover-2 and tries to keep the ball in front of them, but Chicago will be at a speed disadvantage the longer Vick extends the action.

The improved play of Chicago’s offensive line has helped the running game and also reduced pressure on Jay Cutler. Chicago has won three straight and in all three of those wins, the Bears ran the ball for more than 100 yards — plus Cutler was sacked just five times after going down 19 times in his previous three games. After calling only 30 runs in the previous two games, offensive coordinator Mike Martz called at least 30 runs in each of the last three games. “I think the offensive line is coming together,” Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said. “Obviously that’s critical.”

TAMPA BAY AT BALTIMORE, 4:15 P.M. ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Bucs QB Josh Freeman is 9-4 over his last 13 starts and has won six of his last seven games even though his team starts seven rookies, led by WR Mike Williams — who has six TD receptions, one shy of the Michael Clayton’s rookie record. The Ravens’ once-impenetrable run defense is allowing 4.2 yards per carry and look for the Bucs to give RB LeGarrette Blount and Cadillac Williams plenty of early cracks at the front seven. Freeman doesn’t want the Ravens to be able to line up constantly in blitz formations. Freeman hasn’t thrown an interception in five of his past six games, but no one is better at baiting quarterbacks young and old into mistakes than Ravens FS Ed Reed, who has four picks in his last four games.

Likewise, Baltimore doesn’t want QB Joe Flacco forced into attacking CBs Aqib Talib and Ronde Barber (eight combined interceptions). The Ravens, despite the influx of new receivers, still don’t seem to have an offensive identity with Ray Rice their main running threat. The Bucs give up 136.5 yards per game on the ground, although rookie S Cody Grimm is getting better weekly while largely playing in the box. The Bucs are 0-3 against teams currently with winning records.

ST. LOUIS AT DENVER, 4:15 P.M. ET

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Rams are still in the NFC West playoff race with a 4-6 record, but the Broncos will miss the playoffs for a fifth straight season. Denver hasn’t won consecutive games since last Thanksgiving and the offense simply hasn’t been consistent enough. The Broncos enter with the league’s second-worst run defense (allowing 143.5 yards per game) and that is good news to Rams RB Steven Jackson. The defense, a group with seven starters at least 30 years old, is giving up far too many big plays. Safety Brian Dawkins seems to hit the end of the line. Jackson hasn’t had over 100 rushing yards since Week 7. While rookie QB Sam Bradford lacks great experience in his receiving corps, Denver has allowed 40 completions of 20-plus yards.

Denver’s offense has gone with far more two-tight end sets of late to improve pass protection forKyle Orton and also to aid the ground game. Broncos WR Brandon Lloyd is the first player since Dallas’ Michael Irvin in 1992 to break 1,000 receiving yards through 10 games while averaging at least 19 yards per reception.

OTHER SUNDAY GAMES

Tennessee at Houston, 1 p.m. ET: With Kerry Collins hurting and Vince Young on IR, the Texans will face rookie QB Rusty Smith and that is great news for their awful pass defense, one that is allowing 301 yards passing per game. The Texans will be allowed to focus on stopping RB Chris Johnson, who averaged 174 rushing yards on 7.7 yards per carry in two meetings last season. If Johnson gets going, it might help Smith connect with receivers Nate Washington and Randy Moss. The big news is what will owner Bud Adams do with both Fisher and Young going into the last year of their contracts in 2011. His decision may get tabled if there’s no new CBA in the offseason.

Pittsburgh at Buffalo, 1 p.m. ET: Buffalo’s passing game has improved under QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has set career marks with 1,961 yards passing and 18 touchdowns this season. He has thrown a touchdown in 15 of his 18 games with the Bills. Still, is he really the future for the team at the position with a quality class of rookies entering the league next season? He’s only thrown two interceptions at home. Steelers WR Mike Wallace averages 22.1 yards per catch on the road. He and Ben Roethlisberger have connected on six touchdowns of 40 yards or more in the last two seasons. Pittsburgh RB Rashard Mendenhall doesn’t have a 100-yard rushing game in eight weeks, but he could get well against the NFL’s worst run defense.

Jacksonville at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m. ET: Giants RBBrandon Jacobs has five TDs in his past seven games and starts in place of fumble-prone Ahmad Bradshaw. Jacobs will get the majority of the work, considering Eli Manning is short on quality receivers. He will be focusing on Mario Manningham and TE Kevin Boss. The Jaguars are averaging 26 points per game on the road. That won’t happen if they don’t help their offensive tackles stave off the Giants’ front four (17 sacks in five home games). RB Maurice Jones-Drew seeks his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game, but the Giants are allowing only 89 rushing yards per game this season.

Miami at Oakland, 4:05 p.m. ET: The Dolphinswant to be more balanced on offense and maybe that’s why coach Tony Sparano is leaning toward starting QB Chad Henne while also using more of the Wildcat offense. If the Dolphins keep losing, Sparano could be in trouble with owner Steven Ross. Miami has won four straight in Oakland, but the Raiders are trying to win their fourth straight home game, something they last did in the 2002 season. It looks like Tom Cable is benching QB Jason Campbell again in favor ofBruce Gradkowski, believing he is better equipped to handle the Miami pass rush. Oakland averages 152 rushing yards a game.

Kansas City at Seattle, 4:05 p.m. ET: The Seahawks are short-handed on the defensive line, and that is bad news against the Chiefs’ physical offensive line and No. 1-ranked ground game. The Chiefs have also only turned over the ball seven times this season and are on pace to break their own NFL record of 12 set in 1982. The Seahawks will look to spread out the Kansas City defense. Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck has consecutive 300-yard passing games, but he will be minus big threat, WR Mike Williams (strained foot), today. Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe has caught a TD pass in a team-record six consecutive games.

San Diego at Indianapolis, 8:20 p.m. ET: The Chargers are 2-1 against the Colts in the postseason and have won four of the last five meetings. The Colts, though, are 4-0 at home this season. The key to the game could be San Diego’s offensive line against the fierce Colts’ pass rush. In four games, Dwight Freeney has two sacks and two forced fumbles on Philip Rivers while his running buddy, Robert Mathis, has three sacks and one forced fumble in three games. Look for the Chargers to try to run Mike Tolbert with the Colts allowing 137 rushing yards per game. The Colts’ Jacob Tamme, who replaced the injured Dallas Clark, leads all NFL tight ends with 31 catches in November.