Reflections on NFL Week 14

Hitting the stretch run toward the NFL playoffs, week 14 was dubbed as "Show and Prove" weekend for many teams. Wanting to make a statement as well as jockey for positioning in their respective conferences, a win was critical for those with sights set on a date in February on South Beach and Super Bowl XLIV.
Five questions going into this weekend of action:

1. Could Indianapolis and New Orleans continue their respective pursuits of perfection?
At no time in NFL history had two teams been 13-0 in the same season.
The Colts and Saints changed all that on Sunday, remaining perfect after late runs by their opponents.
Indianapolis' defense had trouble defending Denver wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who set a record by hauling in 21 receptions during the game. However, his effort was not enough as Peyton Manning despite throwing three interceptions led the Colts to a 28-16 win.
The victory earned Indianapolis (13-0) the AFC's top seed and homefield advantage throughout the postseason. It also was the Colts' 22nd consecutive victory during regular season play, breaking the record of 21 set by New England earlier this decade.
It may not always look pretty, but New Orleans continues to find ways to win.
Surviving a late flurry from Atlanta, the Saints got a 38-yard field goal from Garrett Hartley and made enough plays on defense at the end to remain undefeated, defeating the Falcons 26-23.
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns in the win, two of which went to Reggie Bush.
The win gives New Orleans (13-0) the NFC South title and a first round bye in the NFC playoffs. It also keeps the Saints two games in front of Minnesota for the conference's top seed and homefield advantage throughout the postseason.
Going into the final three weeks of the season, it will be interesting to see if these teams will continue to pursue perfection, or try to rest starters for the playoffs.
New Orleans has a favorable schedule (vs. DAL, vs. TB, @ CAR), while the Colts' road is a bit tougher facing tough defensive matchups in Jacksonville and the New YOrk Jets the next two weeks.
Indianapolis ends the season with a trip to Buffalo.

2. Could San Diego continue its December roll, or would Dallas put an end to its late season woes?
It's not always about how you start, but how you finish.
Over the past several seasons, San Diego has proven this time and again, making late season runs propelling the team into the playoffs.
On the other hand, the Cowboys have had their troubles in December, watching seasons with hopes of success disintegrate in the year's final month.
The trend for both teams continued Sunday as San Diego rode the arm of Phillip Rivers to a 20-17 victory Sunday at Cowboys Stadium.
Rivers completed 21 of 32 passes for 272 yards against Dallas Sunday, with a 14-yard touchdown pass to tight end Antonio Gates breaking a 10-10 tie in the fourth quarter.
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo did not have a bad day, completing 19 of 30 passed for 249 yards and two touchdowns. But Dallas did not make the most of its opportunities, wasting opportunities in the red zone,including not being able to score after getting three cracks from the 1-yard line.
The loss drops the Cowboys (8-5) out of first place in the NFL East, falling a game behind Philadelphia with three games to go. Wins are necessary for the team to have any chance of earning a playoff berth, and that will be tough considering Dallas must travel to New Orleans and Washington before ending the season at the rival Eagles.
San Diego (10-3) on the other hand can earn the AFC's no. 2 seed and a first round bye by beating Cincinnati this Sunday. The Chargers also won their 16th straight game in December, an NFL record.

3. Who would take control of the NFC East?
Knowing Dallas had lost earlier on in the day, Philadelphia and New York knew the teams' meeting at Giants Stadium had added incetive - first place in the division.
A rivalry noted for its many defensive struggles, Sunday's contest wound up with the offenses taking center stage.
However, no one's star shone more brightly than Eagles' second year receiver DeSean Jackson, making two trips to the end zone to lead Philadelphia to a 45-38 win over the Giants.
Jackson caught six balls for 178 yards, including a 60-yard bomb from Donavon McNabb that helped the Eagles regain the lead after New York jumped in front 31-30 midway through the third quarter. He also had a 72-yard punt return go for a score, adding to his notoriety as one of the league's most dangerous players.
The Giants, who were hoping to create a logjam at the top of the NFC East, fell to 7-6 with the loss. New York has lost 6 of its last 8 games after a 5-0 start to the season.
If a playoff run is in the Giants' future, it will almost likely have to run the table against Washington, Carolina and Minnesota, which may rest players to prep for the playoffs in week 17.
Philadelphia (9-4) can really take advantage of the division in the next few weeks, getting San Francisco and Denver at home before ending the regular season in Dallas.

4. Could New England end its losing streak?
Losing streaks of any kind are rare for the New England Patriots.
Suffering two straight losses at the hands of New Orleans and Miami, New England was looking to get back in the win column against Carolina.
The Patriots found things a bit tougher than expected, however, having to work to put away a scrappy squad of Panthers 20-10.
Tom Brady threw for 192 yards and his third quarter touchdown pass to Ben Watson broke a 7-7 tie, giving the Patriots a lead they would not relinquish.
Carolina had no answer for New England receiver Wes Welker, who went over 100 receptions for the season in the contest after hauling in 10 passes in the game.
Surprisingly, Randy Moss was a non-factor in the game, only making one catch for 16 yards. Moss would lose a fumble on the play, and would be targeted only a few more times in the contest.
The win helps the Patriots (8-5) keep their one game advantage over Miami and the New York Jets, both 7-6.

5. Could Brett Favre and Minnesota keep the heat on unbeaten New Orleans in the race for the NFC's top seed?
Brett Favre only threw for 192 yards in Minnesota's contest with Cincinnati Sunday.
However, it was all that was needed to lead the Vikings to their 11th win of the season, claiming a 30-10 victory over the Bengals.
In what was arguably the team's best performance of the year, Minnesota held Cincinnati to 210 total yards, which included holding Carson Palmer to 92 yards passing.
Sidney Rice continued to be a thorn in the side of opposing defenses, making his fifth touchdown grab of 2009. The South Carolina product has caught 67 passes this year for 1,075 yards.
The Vikings will try to clinch the NFC North Sunday when the team travels to Carolina for a 1 p.m. kickoff.