Pittsburgh 21, Chicago 9: When the Steelers are balanced on offense and stay committed to the run, they are very difficult to stop -- even for the best defense in the NFL. Jerome Bettis' big rushing day (101 yards and two touchdowns) and Willie Parker's 68 yards on the ground were a nice complement to the efficient passing of Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh's defense did a splendid job of stuffing Chicago's running game, and putting the onus on rookie quarterback Kyle Orton to carry the offensive load. Not surprisingly, Orton was unable to deliver, leading the Bears to only one touchdown and a field goal.

Tampa Bay 20, Carolina 10: The Buccaneers showed plenty with this triumph. First, they showed that they have what it takes mentally and emotionally to step up to the challenge of battling for the top spot in the NFC South. Second, they showed that they can still play smothering defense when it counts, holding DeShaun Foster to a mere 46 rushing yards and Jake Delhomme to 220 yards through the air while intercepting him once. Delhomme did connect with Ricky Proehl for a touchdown, but that was pretty much the extent of the Panthers offense. Third, the Bucs showed that they still have an outstanding ground game with Cadillac Williams, who ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns. That paved the way for young quarterback Chris Simms to run an efficient, though not particularly explosive, passing game that saw him complete passes to seven different receivers.

Dallas 31, Kansas City 28: Drew Bledsoe can still throw a football with the best of them ... if he has the time. And, thanks to some strong work by young tackles Torrin Tucker and Rob Petitti, he had the time to throw for three touchdowns in a 332-yard passing performance. Larry Johnson was his typically dominant self, rushing for 143 yards and three touchdowns. And Trent Green held his own with Bledsoe by throwing for 340 yards and a score. These were evenly matched teams, and the Cowboys showed that when Bledsoe has the time to sit in the pocket and wait for receivers to get open (which hadn't been the case recently), he is extremely difficult to stop.

N.Y. Giants 26, Philadelphia 23 (OT): This time in overtime, Jay Feely kicked the winning field goal … on his first try. Of course, this game didn't figure to come down to that, especially considering the sorry state of the Eagles. But the Giants had to earn every inch of this win, even though Eli Manning threw for 312 yards and a touchdown and Tiki Barber ran for 124 yards. Manning did throw three interceptions, however, which has to create some major concerns about the state of the Giants as they move closer to the postseason. Andy Reid deserves credit for finding a way to inspire his team to try and recapture its dignity after the humiliating Week 14 shutout against the Seahawks. And Ryan Moats deserves recognition for stepping in for injured Brian Westbrook and running for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

Minnesota 27, St. Louis 13: No, the Rams aren't much of a test, just as the Lions weren't much of a test in Week 13. But winning six games in a row in the NFL is impressive, regardless of the opponents. After their disastrous start, the Vikings have no reason to apologize for their recent run of success. And Mike Tice doesn't have to apologize for being prominently mentioned as a coach-of-the-year candidate. He does deserve some of the blame for his players' embarrassing indiscretions during their bye, but he also deserves much of the credit for the team climbing back from the abyss. Some of the credit includes picking the right quarterback to lead this amazing comeback in Brad Johnson, who is 6-0 as a starter. Minnesota's defense also has done a tremendous job of making plays, intercepting rookie quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick five times and forcing a fumble, and stuffing the run.

New England 35, Buffalo 7: The Patriots are playing as a team on a mission, which is to wrap up another AFC East championship. Many have scoffed at the Pats' chances for a Super Bowl three-peat, particularly with the dominance of the Colts. But if/when the Pats secure another playoff spot, they should be considered dangerous, if only because they know their way to the top of the mountain. After their Week 13 meltdown in Miami and the controversy over the team's decision to suspend Eric Moulds for one game, the Bills are in as much turmoil as they have ever been in recent memory. Speculation that front-office and coaching changes could be forthcoming will continue to intensify, but owner Ralph Wilson is not going to do anything hasty. He will think through the situation carefully, and render a verdict after the season.

Miami 23, San Diego 21: Gus Frerotte, showing no ill effects from the blow to the head he took in Week 13 vs. Buffalo, threw two touchdowns to the red-hot Chris Chambers to prevent the Patriots from clinching the AFC East. The Dolphins, who are playing hard for first-year coach Nick Saban, had no success running the ball, but were opportunistic on defense. On a day when LaDainian Tomlinson had what, for him, was a modest 75 rushing yards, Drew Brees seemingly provided San Diego with enough offense by throwing for a pair of touchdowns. But the Chargers suffered from too many turnovers, including an interception and fumble by Brees and a fumble by reserve running back Darren Sproles.

Cincinnati 23, Cleveland 20: Maybe it wasn't as easy as or as pretty as it should have been. The Bengals don't care. At least, they shouldn't care. The fact they found a way to win against a Browns team with plenty of fight left was impressive. The Bengals struggled because their main cog, Carson Palmer, struggled. He threw for only 93 yards and a touchdown, and was intercepted. Cincinnati's workhorse was Rudi Johnson, who ran for 169 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Browns continue to play hard for first-year coach Romeo Crennel and to receive an encouraging glimpse of the future with another strong game from Charlie Frye, who threw for a touchdown and ran for another.

Seattle 41, San Francisco 3: Eighty-three points in two weeks. That pretty much sums up the dominance of the Seahawks, doesn't it? In Week 13, the Seahawks overwhelmed the Eagles, 42-0, with a strong defensive effort. Against the 49ers, the Seahawks did it with offense. Matt Hasselbeck threw for four touchdowns. Shaun Alexander ran for 108 yards and a score. And the 49ers got nowhere against Seattle's defense, which has taken its game to a championship level at the perfect time.

Denver 12, Baltimore 10: The Broncos are 10-3, but you wouldn't know it by the way they struggled to beat the 4-9 Ravens. Denver could not get its running game going to the level it had been when the Broncos established themselves as one of the top teams in the league. Jake Plummer had a solid day, throwing for a touchdown without being intercepted. The Broncos did intercept Kyle Boller twice. Boller and running back Chester Taylor each lost a fumble as well, giving the anemic Ravens the virtually impossible task of overcoming four turnovers.

Washington 17, Arizona 13: The Redskins are playing to their strength offensively by pounding the ball on the ground. For the second week in a row, they asked their big Hogs to muscle up and plow open holes for Clinton Portis, who finished with 105 rushing yards and a touchdown. That helped Washington overcome the three interceptions by Mark Brunell. The Redskins defense stuffed the run and forced Kurt Warner to attempt 41 passes. The result was a score, an interception, and not nearly enough offense despite Washington's limited offensive production.

N.Y. Jets 26, Oakland 10: The Jets still aren't overwhelming anyone with an offense devastated at quarterback. Mike Nugent kicked four field goals, and that would have been enough to beat a Raiders team that has turned the keys to the offense over to Marques Tuiasosopo, who threw two interceptions to one touchdown pass. Brooks Bollinger barely did enough to move the offense missing injured running back Curtis Martin, but for a team struggling as badly as the Jets, they'll take a win any way they can get it.

Tennessee 13, Houston 10: The Titans had Steve McNair at quarterback. The Texans had David Carr. In the end, McNair was more effective at making plays and moving the ball, and that was all of the edge Tennessee needed to win the game against a team moving closer to the top overall pick of the draft. Domanick Davis' 139-yard rushing day was impressive, but it could not overcome the mere 116 yards Carr had through the air.