Five games you need to keep an eye on on this, the third NFL Sunday this year without the Patriots ...

1) Dolphins at Bills (1 p.m.): Realistic scenario -- Patriots lose to Saints, Dolphins win in Buffalo. If that happens, next week's Dolphins-Patriots clash, which will be in South Florida, gives Miami a chance to pull even. Pretty amazing the way the Dolphins have survived through some pretty major injuries after last year's remarkable health.

2) Browns at Bengals (1 p.m.): Cincinnati will be without Cedric Benson again, and it caused problems for them last week in a shocking loss to Oakland. So here come the listless Browns ... The Bengals have proven they can beat the good teams, sweeping Pittsburgh and Baltimore. Can they take care of business against the bad ones? The first-round bye accompanying the No. 2 seed is in play, with the Bengals, Chargers, and Patriots at 7-3.

3) Colts at Texans (1 p.m.): ... But not for the reason you might think. Forget catching the Colts. Not happening. Here's what might: The Texans game Week 17 in Houston could be big for seeding. Houston is a common opponent for the Bengals and Patriots, and that might come into play with tie-breakers, with Cincinnati having lost to Houston. How much will that season-ender mean to now 5-5 Houston. This is another game that'll help sort that out.

4) Steelers at Ravens (8:20 p.m.): Dennis Dixon will start for the Steelers, and Pittsburgh is clawing to hang on in the AFC race. Ultimately, I think the defending champs have the conference's most complete team. And so whether they make the playoffs or not -- which necessitates treading through some rough waters without Ben Roethlisberger or Troy Polamalu -- is a big thing for every AFC team.

5) Kansas City at San Diego (4:15 p.m.): This would be higher, but, then, I have a hard time not seeing San Diego cruise here. They might be playing as well as anyone in the NFL right now, and simply have the Chiefs outmanned.