ESPN analyst Joe Theismann answers some key questions about Week 13 in the NFL:

Which NFC team -- Bears, Redskins or Seahawks -- has been the bigger disappointment?
The Chicago Bears. The Seattle Seahawks have struggled at QB with Matt Hasselbeck, while the Washington Redskins are a team in transition under Steve Spurrier. But the Bears won the NFC Central last season with a 13-3 record. Today, they're 3-9.

	Miller

The Bears had more players in place for success this season. They also came out of the gate well, winning their first two ... before losing eight straight (including two in overtime). The Bears snapped the losing streak last week against the Lions, but lost again Sunday to the Packers.

The Bears had an opportunity to build on last season's success. But in their defense, they've been hurt by injuries that have derailed their defense. It's also been tough playing home games in Champaign, Ill. (at the University of Illinois) while Soldier Field is being renovated.

The cloudy quarterback situation hasn't helped, either. If you can keep your quarterback healthy, you have a chance to succeed. But it's tough to be competitive when your QB is bothered by injuries.

The quarterback position has been too unsettled in Chicago for too long. It's gone back and forth between Jim Miller and Chris Chandler. The question has been: Can Jim Miller stay healthy long enough to consistently lead the Bears? The answer is no.

Are the New England Patriots now the team to beat in the AFC East?
They're the defending Super Bowl champions, so to me they were always the team to beat. But despite that Lombardi trophy, too many people never gave them respect.

Remember, the Patriots finished strong last year, winning their last six regular-season games -- for an 11-5 mark overall -- and then three straight in the playoffs.

The Patriots' schedule is in their favor, with three of their final four games at home. Next week they host the Bills, then they travel to Tennessee before closing out with the Jets and Dolphins at home. That home cooking gives New England the edge. The Patriots' fate is in their own hands: If they win their last four games, they'll win the AFC East.

If the NFC South's top three teams make the playoffs, do you give any of them a shot at reaching the Super Bowl?
Definitely. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3) lead the division, with the Atlanta Falcons (8-3-1) second and the New Orleans Saints (8-4) third. If the season ended today, the Falcons and Saints would win the two NFC wild cards.

	Vick

Of the three, I believe the Bucs have the best shot at getting to the Super Bowl, even though they lost to the Saints on ESPN's Sunday Night Football. Tampa Bay still has the league's top-ranked defense, both in yards (252.2) and points (12.4) allowed per game.

The Saints need to get away from the trend of playing well against good teams but playing down to the the level of lesser teams like Detroit. That's the biggest hurdle. They need to be mature enough to beat the teams they're supposed to beat. Maturity can help you avoid the mental lapses that lead to such losses. Meanwhile, Atlanta's defense has been playing well but has been overshadowed by the phenomenal play of QB Michael Vick. Vick's touchdown run in overtime to beat the the Vikings on Sunday is another reminder of his amazing ability with his legs.

In fact, I believe each of these teams has a realistic chance of reaching the Super Bowl. I could make a case for all three. But the Bucs have the best chance because of their rock-solid defense.

Should we expect to see changes at quarterback next week for the Rams and Broncos?
For the Denver Broncos (7-5), it's simple: Backup Steve Beuerlein is the starter until Brian Griese gets healthy.

The Broncos easily could have won the past two weeks when Beuerlein started in place of Griese, who injured his knee Nov. 17 late in a 31-9 win over the Seahawks. The next week, the Broncos lost to the Colts 23-20 in overtime, and then they lost to the Chargers 30-27 on Sunday -- again in OT. In October, the Broncos lost to Miami 24-22, so they're just three plays away from being 10-2 and in charge of the AFC West.

For the Rams (5-7), it's a bit more complicated. Marc Bulger is 5-0 this season as the starter. But even though Kurt Warner is winless this season, I believe Martz will stick with him. The Rams' offensive line couldn't block the Eagles on Sunday, so their offensive woes weren't all Warner's fault. But it looks like the organization has an interesting QB decision to make this offseason.

Which QB -- Rich Gannon or Chad Pennington -- will fare better in Monday night's matchup?
If you evaluate it on experience alone, give Rich Gannon the edge -- by leaps and bounds. But it might not be that simple when the Oakland Raiders (7-4) host the New York Jets (6-5) on Monday Night Football (ABC, 9 p.m. ET).

This is an interesting youth vs. experience matchup, at quarterback and otherwise. The Jets have talented young receivers Santana Moss and Laveranues Coles. And the Raiders? Just a couple of veterans (and sure-fire Hall of Famers) named Tim Brown and Jerry Rice.

	Pennington

	Gannon

Rice and Brown don't give the Raiders the same downfield, big-play capability the Jets have with Moss and Coles. But the Raiders' West Coast offense doesn't require as many deep routes -- and you still don't want to put a lone cornerback on either veteran in single coverage. They're still way too good for that.

Back to the QBs: One similarity between Gannon and Pennington is that each is extremely accurate and has a wonderful command of his offense. Pennington is the AFC's top-rated passer (99.8 rating), with Gannon second (99.1). But I give Gannon the edge in terms of his savvy game management. So based on his experience, he should fare better tonight. Plus, Gannon has the advantage of playing in front of the Raider Nation faithful.

Still, don't sell the Jets short on the West Coast. They beat the Chargers 44-13 in San Diego on Nov. 3 -- a victory that turned their season around. The Jets were 2-5 heading into that game but haven't lost since, and they carry a four-game winning streak into Oakland. The Raiders ride the crest of a three-game winning streak into Monday night after opening the season with four straight wins (followed by four straight losses).

A game analyst for ESPN's Sunday Night Football, former NFL QB Joe Theismann won a Super Bowl and a league MVP award. He reviews the NFL each week for ESPN.com in Cup o' Joe.