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 17.

First ... Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots: The closing of the AFC East is the essence of the way that this division has been the past few years. It's cut throat. If the Patriots beat the Dolphins and the Jets beat the Packers, the Patriots would not only knock the Dolphins out of the playoffs but in all likelihood themselves, too.

	Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense have been struggling some lately.

For years, the East has been used to having three and four teams in the division race right to the bitter end. In division games, AFC East teams don't have any breaks. That may be part of the explanation for the Dolphins annual December fade. It's not a division in which a team can breeze through the schedule and come out with an unbeaten division record.

Here's the Dolphins' dilemma. The Dolphins have been haunted for years by coming out of the AFC East and not going deep into the playoffs. Usually, they get one home game, and then, if they advance, lose in the divisional playoff round. Now, they could be on the verge of elimination if they lose.

The Dolphins gave up two first-round choice to acquire Ricky Williams and try to prevent a situation such as this. Williams has done his part by leading the NFL with 1,668 yards and scoring 14 rushing touchdowns. Jay Fiedler has done his part at quarterback. And, as a team, for the most part, the team has done its part. The Dolphins are 6-3 against teams with winning records.

What put them in a bind was the loss of Fiedler after the Broncos victory when he broke his thumb. The offense took a spill with Ray Lucas replacing Fielder and the Dolphins went on a three-game losing streak that puts them in a big bind.

The Patriots, meanwhile, haven't come close to gaining the momentum or swagger that carried them to a Super Bowl championship last season. After winning their first three games of the season, the Patriots have lost seven consecutive games to teams with winning records. A loss would leave them at .500.

But a win earns them a chance at the division title unless the Jets can upset the Packers. Against the run, the Patriots have been disappointing; ranking No. 27 and giving up 129 yards a game. On third downs, the Patriots defense is the sixth worst in football, allowing a 44-percent conversion rate.

Even quarterback Tom Brady is starting to fade. Although he's completing his standard 62.5 percent of his passes and has a respectable 87.1 quarterback rating, Brady's offense has been bottled up of late.

Still, one good game plan corrects all of that. Bill Belichick will have to design a way to stop Williams and force Fiedler to make mistakes. The Dolphins have to use some of the man-to-man strategies they used in getting Rich Gannon out of the rhythm of throwing his short passing attack.

The AFC East can still get two teams in the playoffs. But it won't be easy.

Of course, it never is easy in the AFC East.

And 10. Green Bay Packers at New York Jets: What a weekend for the Meadowlands. On Saturday, the Giants fight for a wild-card spot. On Sunday, the Jets vie for the AFC East title, but they need help. If the Dolphins lose to the Patriots and the Jets win, New York is the AFC East champion. The are also scenarios where the Jets could make it as a wild-card team if they beat the Packers. However, this game could be meaningless by kickoff depending on what happens in the early games. Meanwhile, there is pressure on the Packers to secure a bye week and possibly home field advantage (if the Eagles lose Saturday). Jets quarterback Chad Pennington is the league's second-highest rated passer at 101.2. Technically, he's No. 1 because Marc Bulger of St. Louis, who has a 101.5 rating, won't have enough passes thrown to qualify. A year ago, the Jets needed a regular-season finale win in Oakland to make the playoffs and they pulled it off. Can Herman Edwards pull a repeat? The Packers need a playoff bye week to rest players and regroup. They have lost their starting offensive tackles, and now Earl Dotson, has a bad back. They've been juggling defenders in their front seven all season.

9. Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland Browns: Each team has aspirations of getting a wild-card spot. The Falcons have the best chance. All they need is a victory Sunday or a Giants loss to the Eagles on Saturday. The Giants loss would allow the Falcons the luxury of resting a few players before a playoff game next week. That wouldn't be bad. In recent weeks, teams have done a better job containing quarterback Michael Vick. They are trying to take away his runs to the left and forcing him to stay in the pocket more. For the Browns, who knows? This has been quite a ride for this team. It started with a victory that turned into a loss because linebacker Dwayne Rudd removed his helmet and cancelled the game-ending play. The Browns have had 11 games decided by a touchdown or less. There are a half dozen combinations in which the Browns can make the playoffs as a wild-card, but more than anything else, they need to get a victory just to prove to themselves that they were worthy of making the playoffs. Blowing so many close games -- six -- plants that seed of doubt. But Butch Davis has them battling. If they finish 9-7 and don't make it, they have solid hopes of making it next year.

8. Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants: This Saturday's NFC showdown sets the table for the NFC playoff weekend. A Giants loss puts the Falcons in the playoffs and puts the Saints in position of beating the Panthers to make it. But a Giants win puts them ahead of the Saints and in the playoffs. That's easier said that done, though. The Giants are 1-4 against teams with winning records The only win was last week against the Colts. Losing Donovan McNabb with his broken ankle has only reminded the NFL of how well-balanced the Eagles are. Their passing offense is so sound that third-string quarterback A.J. Feeley can roll off four consecutive victories. The defense has been spectacular. It ranks second overall, sixth against the run and ninth against the pass. Two years ago, Giants coach Jim Fassel made the bold guarantee that the Giants would make the playoffs and he asked if fans and players wanted to jump aboard. This potential playoff run might be a little bumpier.

7. Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders: The Chiefs have a chance, but it doesn't look great. First, they have to play the Raiders without halfback Priest Holmes, who will miss his second game with a hip injury. Second, they need a Broncos loss to the Arizona Cardinals and a Patriots loss to the Dolphins just to have a chance at second place in the AFC West and a wild-card spot. That might be a lot to ask for. But the biggest challenge is going to be beating the Raiders in Oakland without Holmes. Johnnie Morton may be able to return to the receiving crew after missing two games with a sore back. And there may be holes in the Raiders pass defense. Tory James is coming back after missing two games with a broken fibula. James is expected to start, but who knows how long he will be able to play. Charles Woodson will not play. The Raiders are vying for a bye week and possible home field advantage in the playoffs. The Chiefs are fighting for survival.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts: Everyone knows that the Colts can clinch the No. 5 seed and a playoff spot by picking up their 10th victory. The real intrigue in this game is how the Jaguars will play for their coach, Tom Coughlin. There is a chance that Coughlin's eight-year run with this team could end Sunday. Even an inspired effort may not be enough to keep him around, but it will be telling how his players play for him. Coughlin's constant demands on the players almost year-round wears them down. Things don't look good. Quarterback Mark Brunell is banged up. The team has been average or below after all season. They rank 23rd on defense and 25th on defense. Empty seats are now common place at Jaguars home games. This game is in Indianapolis, and the one thing the Colts don't want to do is blow a playoff spot at home. Even if the Colts lose, there is a good chance they could back into the playoffs. But that doesn't buy credibility with the crowds. The Colts need to come out strong and stop their bad habit of falling behind in the first half. This is the team to do that against.

5. Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos: By all rights, the Broncos should be eliminated. Teams with 5-7 records in conference play shouldn't make the playoffs. Heck, in college, the Broncos wouldn't be bowl eligible if you take their conference record into account. Mike Shanahan isn't giving up, though. There figures to be a lot of changes on the Broncos after the season. Shanahan was thinking Super Bowl not wild-card with this team. He benched Brian Griese in favor of Steve Beuerlein. Sure, Griese's knee is bothering him, but he played so poorly last Sunday against the Raiders that Shanahan probably would have made the change regardless. Griese's legacy as a Broncos quarterback may be an average quarterback. He's 27-24 as a regular-season starter. Shanahan may go outside the organization to try to replace him next season. The Cardinals have lost their entire receiving corps and all but one starter on their offensive line because of injuries. They don't have a lot of ammunition to beat the Broncos. The interesting side story is that Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer, a free agent after this game, may be auditioning for the Broncos next season.

4. Tennessee Titans Houston Texans: Football fans in Houston have circled this date since the schedule came out in spring. Bud Adams, who pulled the Oilers out of Houston and renamed them the Titans, returns to town. The Texans would love nothing more than to beat the Titans and deprive them of possible home-field advantage during the playoffs. Even better, a Dolphins win and a Raiders win could force the Titans into the first round of the playoffs if the Texans beat the Titans. The Texans are 1-0 in vengeance. They opened the season with a victory over the cross-state rival Cowboys. Of course, Jeff Fisher knows this. He understands this could be a good rivalry in the AFC South. The Texans are undermanned on the offensive line with a rookie quarterback so he will try to confuse David Carr with different coverages and apply the pressure with Jevon Kearse and Kevin Carter on passing downs.

3. Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints: The Saints know they are backing into the playoffs if they make it. Since Nov. 17, they have lost four games. They need a Falcons loss or a Giants loss or tie to keep their hopes alive. And the Panthers aren't the easiest team to beat. The Panthers have won three of the past four games, and want to build momentum into next season by having a 7-9 record. The Saints are hard to figure. Sure, the offense makes too many turnovers. Quarterback Aaron Brooks wants to make that extra play and tends to make a critical fumble. The Panthers have been getting by with Rodney Peete at quarterback and Dee Brown at halfback. They've been showing toughness and pride for first-year coach John Fox. Saints coach Jim Haslett needs to rally his team to make the playoffs, but his team tends to play down to the competition. They've lost to the Bengals and Lions, the two worst teams in football. At least the Panthers are playing better than their 6-9 record. That may better inspire the Saints.

2. Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers: The Chargers just want to get to nine wins and pray that five other playoff contenders lose, but that will be known before the kickoff of this game. In other words, the Chargers will likely be playing for pride and the chance at a winning record. The Seahawks are playing knowing this could be the final game that Mike Holmgren is in charge. Holmgren isn't going to be fired for his coaching, but there will be conversations over the next few weeks to determine if Paul Allen, the owner, will force him to hire a general manager. If Holmgren stays, major changes are coming on the defensive staff. But that might be enough for Allen. The defense has retreated and needs to be almost totally rebuilt. Allen wants to make sure the right decision making process is there to make that happen. On the plus side, Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has the offense cooking. Koren Robinson is one of the league's hotter receivers. Shaun Alexander is hot again as a running back.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears: Could this be Rob Johnson playing against Chris Chandler? It could be. Brad Johnson has a bad back that sidelined him Monday night and could leave him along the sidelines. It's not Rob Johnson has performed that well. He holds on to the ball too long and gets too many sacks. For an offense that isn't good along the offensive line, that's not good. But Shaun King was horrible against the Steelers. The Bears hope that Chandler can start, but will he be able to finish? If he can't, Henry Burress is the quarterback, and he's isn't ready for that spot. The loss to the Steelers on Monday night probably cost the Bucs home-field advantage during the playoffs, and now they need to win and have the Packers lose so that they don't have to play on wild-card weekend.

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