Editor's note: ESPN senior NFL writer John Clayton's weekly "First And 10" column takes you around the league with a look at the best game of the week followed by primers for 10 other games. Here's his look at Week 13.

First ... San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams: Receiver Terrell Owens sat by his locker room for more than 90 minutes with his head down following the 49ers' 30-26 loss to the Rams on Sept. 23.

Owens dropped four passes and couldn't believe it. He wasn't alone. Over the past three years, the 49ers have closed the gap in rebuilding their salary cap-strapped squad, but the Rams have won five in a row against San Francisco. That's the way it used to be when the 49ers, in their Joe Montana and Steve Young eras, used to frustrate their NFC West opponents.

	Marshall Faulk helped run out the clock in the final 6:35 of the Rams' 30-26 win on Sept. 23.

The Rams held the lead throughout most of their first meeting at 3Com Park, but the 49ers' best efforts to come back came up short. The 49ers have won eight of their last nine since that game, and a victory would propel them into the lead in the NFC West.

But the Rams are at home, and coach Mike Martz realizes that he can't keep being the league's most generous offense. Two assistant coaching changes last week by Martz tried to bring new focus to the word "turnover." After giving up 32 turnovers in 10 games, the Rams handed the Falcons none and blew out Atlanta 35-6.

Over the next two weeks, the Rams could wrap up the division. If they can beat the 49ers, they would go into a Monday night showdown with a 10-2 record and a chance to eliminate the Saints from the race. They have a three-game edge over the Saints.

It's amazing to think that the 49ers' division race is set up so much like their Sept. 23 meeting. The Rams love being the front-runners. Martz calls aggressive first-quarter drives with the hopes of grabbing a lead and holding it.

For the 49ers to win, they need a pass rush. They've gotten by with only 15 sacks in 11 games. The coaches say the line is getting good pressure on the quarterback, but if Rams quarterback Kurt Warner has time, the 49ers are in trouble.

San Francisco quarterback Jeff Garcia said this week that he is a big fan of the Rams' revamped defense. He admires the way that the eight starting changes improved the athleticism of the Rams' defense. He respects how the scheme allows these athletes the chance to fly to the ball and make plays.

In many ways, Garcia is seeing the same type of effort from his team's defense. They are much more athletic at linebacker. Cornerbacks Ahmed Plummer and Jason Webster play smart, but they will have to be at their smartest to stop the Rams' potent offense.

The game should be high-scoring. It should be fun. But the Rams hold the edge as long as they don't turn over the football.

And 10. Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers: The Packers thought they put an end to the Bears' magical run of games by beating them 20-12 on Nov. 11 at Soldier Field. They were wrong. The Bears are back and come to Lambeau Field with a one-game lead in the NFC Central. In their last meeting, the Bears' offensive coaches were criticized for being too conservative. Unless the weather conditions prevent throwing downfield, the Bears better open up their Run-and-Shoop offense. The weather is supposed to be 42 degrees and dry, which isn't typical December weather. Chicago offensive coordinator John Shoop can't leave anything in his playbook unused. A loss by the Bears would give the division to the Packers and put the Bears in the predicament of having to return to Green Bay in the playoffs to get to the Super Bowl. Packers quarterback Brett Favre loves the bright lights of a big game, and Sunday's game can't be bigger. He's tied for the touchdown lead with 24, and his average gain is a respectable 8.08 yards a pass attempt, also second best in the league. The Bears figure to shut down Ahman Green on the ground, but they have to worry about him as a receiver, particularly on screens and shovel passes. The return of Bears halfback Anthony Thomas after two missed games is important because he's Chicago's best runner on grass, but the Bears will still use James Allen, who rushed for a combined 200 yards in Thomas's absence.

9. New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers: The Jets went too conservative in the second half of last Sunday's loss to the Patriots. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw only 10 second-half passes, completing just four and gaining a mere 20 yards. Consequently, they blew a 13-point lead to the Patriots. So expect the Jets to open up as they did in the Patriots game -- throwing the kitchen sink. They'll send Santana Moss on quick deep plays against Steelers cornerback Chad Scott, who has been picked on of late. Scott had a bad game last week against Randy Moss. They might try some trick plays. And if the Jets get the lead, they'll run Curtis Martin. The Steelers won't have The Bus, Jerome Bettis, who has driven the offense to Pittsburgh's incredible 9-2 start. Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala and Amos Zereoue will have to handle the running game. Without Bettis, the Jets may not commit eight defenders to stopping the run. Quarterback Kordell Stewart will have to handle more of the pressure, but he got a break when Jets cornerback Aaron Glenn sprained a knee last Sunday and will be out for a month.

8. New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons: Dan Reeves knows that this is the Falcons' last stand for making the playoffs. The Saints know they need to keep winning in order to fight the Buccaneers for the NFC's final wild-card spot. Reeves' biggest worry is pass protection. Quarterback Chris Chandler, bouncing back from what appeared to be a severe ankle injury, will lack mobility and that will be a problem. The Falcons have allowed 39 quarterback sacks this season, second worst in football. The Saints' defensive line came alive last week with eight sacks against Carolina to increase their sack total to 36, second best in the NFL. Reeves is particularly worried about stopping wide receiver Joe Horn, who is the big-play threat in the Saints' offense. If the Falcons want to win, they have to tighten up their third-down defense. They are the league's worst at 47.2 percent. That's not good when quarterback Aaron Brooks is getting into a passing rhythm. Reeves is telling halfback Maurice Smith that he needs to pick up his game or possibly be replaced.

7. San Diego Chargers at Philadelphia Eagles: The Chargers aren't getting offensive touchdowns. But they are still good on defense. So it's not out of the question to think this should be a low-scoring game that could go down to the last second. That's bad news for the Chargers. They've lost five games by five points or less in the final minutes and it's killed their season. The Eagles have a two-game lead in the NFC East and should run away with the division. What they need to do is play better at the Vet, where they have lost four games. Chargers quarterback Doug Flutie will be wearing his gloves and trying to make a last run at a good season. His quarterback rating has dropped to 74, which ranks 13th in the NFL. The Eagles will blitz Flutie and try to force him into turnovers.

6. Indianapolis Colts at Miami Dolphins: On Nov. 11, the Colts were only a game behind the Dolphins and Peyton Manning was trying to drive downfield for a game-winning score. Defensive end Lorenzo Bromell cracked Manning's jaw and the Colts have been going downhill ever since. Now they are 4-7, four games behind the Dolphins and on the verge of costing Jim Mora his job at the end of the season. Manning is throwing too much into two-deep zone coverage and getting intercepted. Six of his 17 interceptions have been returned for touchdowns, and the defense or special teams can't stop everybody. Cornerback Sam Madison separated a shoulder in that game, but he should return to give wide receiver Marvin Harrison problems. Meanwhile, Dolphins quarterback Jay Fiedler may be more patient and just let the running game take over. Last Sunday, Ravens coach Brian Billick was patient enough to let Moe Williams get over 100 yards against a Colts defense that has lost all confidence. Lamar Smith needs a good game to gain confidence for the stretch run.

	Todd Bouman may start in place of the injured Daunte Culpepper.

5. Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings: Steve McNair has a swollen left elbow. Daunte Culpepper has a bruised knee. Of the two, Culpepper might be the quarterback who sits, giving him a chance to rest up for the final four games. If that's the case, Todd Bouman gets the start in what has now just become a game of pride for the Vikings. The Titans still have an outside chance of making the playoffs, and coach Jeff Fisher is letting McNair win games through the air. He's put together four 240-yard-plus games in the past five. That makes for a nice matchup because the Vikings' secondary is playing better with Robert Grifftith back at strong safety and Dale Carter taking over at cornerback. The Titans are hoping that a quarterback change could allow defensive end Kevin Carter to come out of his season-long sack slump. Carter has only two sacks. The Titans continue to be banged up and have 15 players on the injury list. What's helping the passing game is that wide receivers Kevin Dyson and Derrick Mason are healthy.

4. Washington Redskins at Arizona Cardinals: Last Sunday's overtime victory over the Raiders was probably the most improbable since the Cardinals moved to Phoenix. The Cardinals have a massive offensive line that could have an edge on the ground against a light Redskins line. Quarterback Jake Plummer knows it will be tough throwing against cornerbacks Champ Bailey and Darrell Green, but both cornerbacks have to find a way to stop David Boston, who has seven 100-yard games this season and leads the NFL with 1,171 passing yards. It's still hard to believe the Redskins went on a five-game winning streak while having scored a league-low 14 offensive touchdowns and ranking among the worst in defensive quarterback sacks. Of course, Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer has done a wonderful job turning the team around after an 0-5 start. Dave McGinnis, meanwhile, has done wonders with a team that wasn't expected to win more than five or six games this season.

3. Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots: The Patriots can virtually knock the Browns out of the playoff race with a victory. Coach Bill Belichick will continue to work a short, safe passing offense that doesn't allow quarterback Tom Brady to get sacked or allow him to throw interceptions. To pressure Brady, the Browns will have to blitz. Defensive end Courtney Brown is out with a high ankle sprain. It was an incredible scene watching the normally calm Belichick hugging and high-fiving players following Sunday's victory over the Jets. He's jumped toward the top of the class for NFL Coach of the Year. Of course, Butch Davis has done some great coaching, too, getting the most out of this third-year expansion team. James Jackson appears to be healthy enough to return as the starting halfback. An interesting player to watch is Patriots receiver David Patten, whom the Patriots believe is a deep threat. The Browns let him go without a thought after last season.

2. Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders: What's happened to the Raiders' run defense? They are giving up 4.8 yards a carry and 128.5 yards a game, and that's not good when Priest Holmes comes to town with 978 yards and a five-yards-a-carry average. Defensive tackle Darrell Russell is on the verge of getting a possible one-year suspension for violations of the substance abuse policy, and his absence would make it tougher for Oakland to stop the run. Last Sunday's loss to the Cardinals was merely a wake-up call. The Raiders face three teams with losing records the next three weeks -- Kansas City, San Diego and Tennessee. A three-game win streak would wrap up the AFC West and put the Raiders back on pace for home-field advantage in the playoffs. Quarterback Rich Gannon continues to work his magic with 65.6 percent completions, 21 touchdown passes and a 101.9 quarterback rating. Plus, he's only thrown four interceptions.

1. Seattle Seahawks at Denver Broncos: It's hard to believe that this might be the last stand for the Broncos this season. Owner Pat Bowlen has spent more than $90 million for this team, but a seventh loss -- six to AFC teams -- kills them in any tie-breakers for the final playoff spot. The Broncos' defense will focus on stopping Seahawks halfback Shaun Alexander, who gained 142 yards on 33 carries in the Seahawks' 34-21 victory in Seattle on Oct. 14. Since that game, the Broncos have tightened up their defense. Ray Rhodes's unit ranks sixth in the NFL overall. Offensively, though, Mike Shanahan doesn't know if Rod Smith can play on his bad ankles. Smith sat out last week in a loss to the Dolphins. Without Smith, the passing offense is nonexistent. Terrell Davis came back last Sunday and ran like the Terrell Davis of old. Don't be surprised to see Ricky Watters take one for the team and help out as the third-down back while Alexander starts.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.