AFC

Thanksgiving Day kicks off a triple-header with the Detroit Lions hosting the Houston Texans.  Are they primed to upset the AFC powerhouse or will they come up short once again?  Let's take a closer look at why I think the Texans will continue to roll.

Wow! Can you believe that we are six weeks away from the National Football League 2012 regular season to finally end. This has been an unbelievable season. Many ups and downs for many teams just like one of them in this article today.

It is interesting to see how teams evolve in the NFL. A few years ago, the AFC North was a smash-mouth division, home to solid running games and fearsome defences. This year, however, it is the stomping ground of two of the league’s premier aerial attacks.

And when the Baltimore Ravens (7-2), head to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers (6-3) these two attacks will meet. Of course, with the potentially life-threatening injury to Steelers quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, one of the aerial attacks has been almost extinguished. Backup, Byron Leftwich is a capable starter but is immobile and has a long release motion that makes him more vulnerable to the pass rush. Fortunately for him, the Baltimore defence has been running on reputation for a couple years now and it has started to show. Linebacker Ray Lewis past his prime quite a few seasons ago and was more a liability than an asset against the run and the pass. However, his analytical mind has clearly been missed by the Ravens since his season ending injury.

When the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8) hosted the Houston Texans (8-1) earlier in the season, they received a fairly thorough drubbing.

This week, when they head to the Texan s’ Reliant Stadium for the second leg of their AFC South divisional rivalry, there is none of that early season hope. It is now clearly a story of two teams heading in different directions.

The Texans will be looking to secure the first seed in the AFC for the playoffs. They are currently holding first place in the conference, with the Baltimore Ravens chasing. Meanwhile the Jaguars are quickly falling into the lead for the first overall pick in the draft. Currently Jacksonville and the Kansas City Chiefs are tied for last in the league and have a nose in front of the rest of the league in the race for worst.

This week we once again get the old rivalry of the Indianapolis Colts versus the New England Patriots. The drama of this matchup has decade long implications. Yet for only the second time in a decade the Indianapolis Colts will head to Foxboro without a player wearing number 18 under center. Andrew Luck and The Indianapolis Colts boast a four-game winning streak heading to Foxboro to take on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. To get that streak to five games the Colts will need to win their individual matchups, and keep Brady from carving up their secondary. Brady and company will look to continue their offensive success, and pressure Andrew Luck into making some rookie mistakes.

Patriots Offense vs. Colts Defense

The New England Patriots are 1st in the NFL in yards per game and points per game. The key to their success this year has been the running attack. Second year player Stevan Ridley has added a consistent and dangerous element to the Patriots already versatile offense. Currently sixth in the league in rushing yards, Ridley has eliminated the running back by platoon system Belichick had favored in previous seasons.