With the half of the 2008 NFL season already passed, most teams will look to streak down the home stretch towards their goal of making the postseason. Getting the chance to play in January isn’t easy, and it looks to be a long, bitter journey for many bubble teams, which at this point, is just about everybody minus Tennessee and the Giants.

Look for some key matchups this week, including several that will have major implications on division races. Among the best of this week are big-time rivalries, like Baltimore-Cleveland and Buffalo-NY Jets. The Sunday night game should be incredible to watch with two AFC powers dueling inside Lucas Oil Stadium, along with an old-fashioned NFC East dogfight at the Meadowlands.

So forget about baseball; instead, you should see…..
The Top 10 Must-See Games of Week 9

(All times E.S.T.)
Might Be Worth Your Time…..

10. Jacksonville at Cincinnati, 1 p.m., CBS
Battle of the ‘jungle cats’ from Cincy. The Jags really surprised folks when they dropped a close game to the Browns at home last week. Everyone pretty much expected them to compete with Tennessee for the division title with the Colts playing so poorly, yet that hasn’t been the case. A win over the Bengals would get Jacksonville back to .500 and give them a shot to catch the Titans later. RB Maurice Jones-Drew needs to have a big day; Cincinnati’s run defense is ranked 27th. The Bengals, along with Detroit, have gone from big game cats to simply cuddly kitties. The team is still winless through seven games and has been blown out in its last two. WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is the Bengals only hope of pulling an upset of Jacksonville; if the Jags physical defense can contain the receiver, this game will be over early.

9. Baltimore at Cleveland, 1 p.m., CBS
Still think Browns fans harbor any ill feelings to the team that packed up and left Cleveland? Despite playing mediocre football, the Ravens find themselves one game behind Pittsburgh with a chance to steal one against the Browns. Baltimore has won only two games since last year and historically does not play well on the road anywhere. It will once again be up to QB Joe Flacco to win the turnover battle along with the fierce Ravens defense. The Browns saved their season with a big win in Jacksonville last week and, thanks to a Steelers loss, sit only two games out of first place. TE Kellen Winslow is set to return to action after the team sat him out for his public comments. QB Derek Anderson is also critical for Cleveland; he has not turned the ball over in his last three games. Expect a low-scoring, 10-6 kind-of-game.

8. Philadelphia at Seattle, 4:15 p.m., FOX
How could a 4-3 team be in dead last place of its division? It’s not hard to see why when Philadelphia is unfortunate enough to be aligned with the Giants, Redskins and Cowboys. QB Donovan McNabb is playing well so far, especially when complemented with RB Brian Westbrook, who completely changes the game for opposing defenses. QB Seneca Wallace should be tested all day with blitzes and coverage disguises. Wallace won’t be able to win the game on his own; RBs Julius Jones and Maurice Morris will need to take on the load and generate some offense to keep Seattle close. If their offense can stay on the field, the Seahawks just may have a chance against Philadelphia. But that’s asking for a whole lot here.

7. NY Jets at Buffalo, 1 p.m., CBS
This may shake up to be an interesting battle in the AFC East. Every team is within two games of each other, so big rivalry showdowns like these will do a lot in separating the contenders and pretenders. QB Brett Favre is tied with Drew Brees for second in the league in touchdown passes (15), yet has been prone to interceptions in the past few weeks. RBs Leon Washington, who played great in last week’s win, and Thomas Jones will need to be productive on the road. Although they are undefeated at home so far, the Bills will need to rely on its stout run defense to make the Jets one-dimensional and force Favre to try to beat them through the air. All eyes should be on WR Lee Evans, who has 15 receptions and 205 yards in his last two games.

Be Near a TV…..

6. Miami at Denver, 4:05 p.m., CBS
We’re never quite sure what to make of both of these teams. One week Miami knocks off New England on the road, and then drops one in Houston the next. Tough loss in Baltimore followed up by a shocking win against Buffalo. Who knows if the Dolphins are for real? One thing for sure is that they will jump back to .500 and into the division race with a win in Colorado. Although QB Chad Pennington should have a favorable matchup, the key for Miami will be for RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to attack Denver’s 30th-ranked rushing defense. For the Broncos, QB Jay Cutler remains one of the most potentially explosive players. His 1,862 passing yards and 13 touchdowns are both near tops in the NFL, and he will need to utilize WRs Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal to find their early season chemistry all over again. Cutler will have to watch out for LB Joey Porter, the NFL’s leading sack-artist with 10.5 on the season.

5. Green Bay at Tennessee, 1 p.m., FOX
Can you say “trap game for the Titans?” The Packers are coming off wins against Seattle and Indianapolis, two playoff teams last season, and had the luxury of a bye last weekend. RB Ryan Grant, who was unofficially proclaimed ‘The Bust of 2008’ has made a strong return in Green Bay’s last two wins, racking up 195 rushing yards and a touchdown. Defensively, CBs Nick Collins and Charles Woodson are tied for the league lead with four interceptions apiece. Although Tennessee did not overlook Indy last Monday night, it is still too early for the Titans to think the AFC South is all wrapped up. They need to focus on this one before looking ahead to the season’s biggest road game in Week 10 at Soldier Field in Chicago. Look for Tennessee to establish the run game early and often in order to wear down the Packers defensive line. The less QB Kerry Collins has to air it out, the better the Titans chances of hitting 8-0 will be.

4. Arizona at St. Louis, 1 p.m., FOX
Anyone have this game marked down as one with huge division implications three weeks ago? Arizona has had trouble winning games even with a division lead that has seemed like theirs to lose. QB Kurt Warner and WR Anquan Boldin reunited last week, but it was not enough to stop Carolina away from home. The Cardinals are 1-3 on the road, and even with the better team, it will be tough to win against a motivated Rams squad. St. Louis was dead and buried heading into their bye after they fired head coach Scott Linehan. Yet Jim Haslett has renewed the team’s spirit and brings them in as winners of two of their last three and just a stone’s throw away from the NFC West peak. St. Louis has weapons to present problems for Arizona’s defense, so expect fireworks from both sides under the dome.

Getcha’ popcorn ready…..

3. New England at Indianapolis, 8:15 p.m., NBC (SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL)
The last meeting between these perennial juggernauts was the 2006 AFC Championship Game, which later sent Indianapolis on to a Super Bowl XLI victory. The difference between then and now is astonishing: New England’s 5-2 record is solid and the Pats are right where they want to be, yet Tom Brady is not at the helm. QB Matt Cassel has yet to cost his team a game, and has earned an 84.6 passer rating in leading New England to a first place tie in the division. Meanwhile, Indianapolis is a loss or two away from falling out of the playoff hunt in the AFC. After pummeling Baltimore 31-3, the Colts were embarrassed by both Green Bay and Tennessee. The glitzy, glamorous look of these two teams is gone in 2008; it will be fun to see which team gets it done on Sunday Night Football.

2. Dallas at NY Giants, 4:15 p.m., FOX
These teams will meet again in December, but this matchup could tell us a lot about who rules the NFC East. The Cowboys 2008 roller coaster ride suddenly rebounded with an ugly 13-9 win over Tampa Bay, one in which QB Brad Johnson looked equally as horrible as his debut two weeks ago. Dallas’ defense looked fantastic against the Bucs, but will need to step up against a much better Giants offense. New York’s Eli Manning has emerged as one of the league’s best quarterbacks, and more importantly has played well against Dallas. RBs Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward will butt heads with an athletic Cowboys defensive line, while the Giants top ranked defense will look to contain RB Marion Barber.

1. Pittsburgh at Washington, 8:30 p.m., ESPN (MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL)
This game will be all about matchups: The Steelers enter D.C. with the league’s third best rushing defense, stacked up against the NFL’s leading rusher Clinton Portis. Washington’s second ranked rushing game has not been tested all year, so a trench war with Pittsburgh’s physical defensive line should make for some great action. Washington’s defense is especially effective in stopping the run as well, so look for the Steelers to shy away from the running game with Willie Parker still banged up. Redskins QB Jason Campbell still has not thrown an interception through eight games this season, but don’t be surprised if he throws up a couple turnovers under the enormous pressure by Pittsburgh sack leaders James Harrison (8.5) and LaMarr Woodley (7.5).