ESPN analyst Joe Theismann answers five key questions about the NFL's Week 16:

How do you see the AFC East shaking out between the Pats, Dolphins and Jets?
The Miami Dolphins (9-6) are the only team of the three that controls its own destiny.

If the Dolphins can go on the road and beat the New England Patriots (8-7), they win the AFC East. If the Patriots and New York Jets (8-7) both win next week -- the Jets host the Packers -- then the Jets win the division. If the Patriots defeat the Dolphins and the Jets lose, New England takes the East crown.

The Dolphins haven't played well on the road -- they lost Saturday at Minnesota -- so next week is a tough game for them. And New England has been inconsistent all season. If the Jets hadn't started so slowly (1-4), they'd have the division locked up already. It's really tough to say, but the Jets might have the best shot.

The AFC in general is wide open. The Oakland Raiders (10-5) look like the AFC's best team, and the Tennessee Titans (10-5) are on a roll, with a 9-1 record in their past 10 games after a 1-4 start. But there are no locks.

In both the AFC and NFC, I believe that home-field advantage will be critical in determining who plays in the Super Bowl. The Jets may be an exception, if they reach the playoffs. They've proven they can go on the road to places like San Diego and New England and post impressive wins.

Should we expect to see much scoring between the Bucs and Steelers tonight?
No. I expect defense to dominate when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-3) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-5-1) on Monday Night Football (ABC, 9 p,m, ET). This could be a game that's decided by special-teams and defensive touchdowns: a punt or kickoff return, or an interception or fumble return.

The Steelers need to find a way to run the ball, but that will be tough against Tampa Bay's league-leading defense. And if you're forced to throw against the Bucs, you're in trouble because they rarely give up big plays. To win this game, Pittsburgh probably will need a big play from either Hines Ward or Plaxico Burress.

In one sense, the Steelers need this game more because they're still fighting for their postseason lives in the AFC North. But the Bucs, who have clinched the NFC South, are fighting for home-field advantage -- so you could say they're fighting for their lives in the postseason.

I give the Bucs the edge in this contest. They're at home, and they know how important the home field will be in the NFC playoffs. Whoever gets it will have a decided advantage.

Who's more likely to get the big road win next weekend -- Eagles or Packers?
The Philadelphia Eagles (12-3) and the Green Bay Packers (12-3) are traveling to the same location next weekend: Giants Stadium in New Jersey. The Eagles play the Giants on Saturday, while the Packers play the Jets on Sunday.

I think the Eagles are more likely to win. The Packers will have their hands full with the Jets, and the Eagles have been playing better overall football than Green Bay (especially given the injury absence of QB Donovan McNabb).

I expect coach Andy Reid to start QB Koy Detmer against the Giants, because the Eagles might need Detmer to start the first round of the playoffs. No. 3 QB A.J. Feeley has won four straight games as the starter in relief of No. 2 Detmer, who dislocated his left elbow late in his first game as the starter in relief of No. 1 McNabb (broken ankle).

Which team -- Broncos, Chargers or Saints -- has surprised you most with its late-season collapse?
The Denver Broncos (8-7). The Chargers and Saints have faded as well, but I don't think either team had the same preseason expectations that Denver had.

Going into the season, I felt the Broncos could compete for the AFC championship. In fact, you could make a case that the Broncos are the NFL's most disappointing team this season. They have more talent than their record indicates. But they've had some bizarre things happen to them, such as missed field goals at inopportune times by kicker Jason Elam and made field goals by opponents.

It appears the Broncos also have a situation with Brian Griese. Can he take them as far as they want to go? He has been injury-prone, and they might need to re-evaluate their QB situation this offseason.

Which of these AFC guys -- Bill Callahan, Butch Davis or Jeff Fisher -- is most overlooked as a coach-of-the-year candidate?
Probably Titans coach Jeff Fisher. The Titans were buried and left for dead when they were 1-4. All they've done since then is go 9-1 and clinch the AFC South.

Cleveland Browns coach Butch Davis is No. 2 in this trio. He gets the Browns to play 60 minutes of hard-nosed football every time they take the field. Still, the Titans' amazing resurgence leads me to give the nod to Fisher. Oakland's Bill Callahan also has done a fantastic job in his first year as the Raiders' head coach.

Andy Reid has gone through three quarterbacks and the Eagles are still flying high at 12-2, so he's also a strong coach-of-the-year candidate.

But if the season ended today, I'd give the award to New York Giants coach Jim Fassel. The Giants are a team without stars, and Fassel has found a way for them to control their own playoff destiny heading into the season's final week. That's remarkable considering their earlier struggles, highlighted by a loss to the Texans. If the Giants beat division-rival Philly at home next week -- no small task, of course -- they'll claim one of the two NFC wild-card spots.

Two years ago, in the Giants' Super Bowl season, Fassel made a guarantee that his team would make the playoffs (he made a guarantee last year too, but that's another story). This year, Fassel made a dramatic change in coaching duties as he decided to take on the play-calling responsibilities. He does what it takes and pushes the right buttons to achieve results.

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.