First of all, they scheduled the Indianapolis Colts on a Thursday, and the Colts dispatched the Jaguars in familiar fashion -- by forcing Colts fans to suffer for three hours before some huge game-winning play brings a sigh of relief.

So, with my day job covering the Colts out of the way, I can spend the weekend being an NFL fan.

This weekend's schedule is a perfect Christmas gift. Much better than a sweater. Let's take a look:

--Ravens at Cowboys, tonight. This rare Saturday game is worth watching for a number of reasons, including the fact playoff berths are in the balance for both teams. Even better, one of the Ravens' ferocious defenders, such as Ray Lewis or Ed Reed, could end up knocking the chip off Terrell Owens' shoulders.

Did you catch T.O.'s ESPN interview with Stephen A. Smith? Apparently the NFL casts T.O. as a villain, ignoring the fact he's really a great guy and an even better teammate devoted to winning and not selfish at all. Who knew?

I picked the Cowboys to make the Super Bowl in the preseason. (We won't discuss my AFC pick, the San Diego Charge-less.) Dallas remains a potent offensive team. It'll be interesting to see the Ravens' defense put the pressure on Tony Romo and demonstrate whether, as some suspect, Romo crumbles under crunch-time pressure.

--Steelers at Titans, 1 p.m. Sunday. This showdown is for regular-season AFC supremacy. These two teams have been the AFC's best all season, keyed by two hard-hitting, opportunistic defenses.

My suspicion is that the Titans are regular-season wonders, opponents will figure out how to beat them in the playoffs and Kerry Collins' limitations will eventually become an issue. How they handle the Steelers at home should indicate whether the Titans have postseason staying power. They're a little banged up. Let's see how much character they conjure.

If I'm any AFC team, I don't want to go to Pittsburgh in the playoffs. There's always a chance Ben Roethlisberger will take one risk too many, but the defense is nearly impenetrable.

--Falcons at Vikings, 4:15 p.m. Sunday. Now here's a pair of would-be postseason contenders. The Vikings were a trendy Super Bowl pick before the season, then they struggled and now they're on the verge of clinching the NFC North. But Tarvaris Jackson is back at quarterback and his decision-making is sometimes the gift that keeps on giving.

The Falcons are the surprise team of the league, and the team's front office deserves praise for rebuilding so quickly after the disastrous Michael Vick era. Like the Vikings, they have flaws. They also have a tough path to land a wild-card spot.

--Panthers at Giants, 8:15 p.m. Sunday. This is the NFC's version of Steelers-Titans. We were ready to christen the Giants as Super Bowl favorites three weeks ago, prior to Plaxico Burress' shot heard round the world. Since then, they've been shaky at best. The Panthers dominated a solid Tampa Bay team and might finally have found that season where they overachieve rather than underachieve.

Panthers receiver Steve Smith has been a diva along the lines of T.O. and Burress, but seems to have genuinely turned into a team-first guy. So maybe change is possible. I know he'll be hard for the Giants to cover if they don't get the pressure on Jake Delhomme.

If those four games don't produce some pre-holiday cheer, there's always Packers vs. Bears on Monday night.

But, compared to the other games that might be leftover eggnog.

Power Poll

1. Titans. Time to flex those muscles in showdown with the Steelers.

2. Steelers. AFC favorite tag on the line with road trip to Tennessee.

3. Colts. They're full of flaws, but keep winning. Peyton's on fire.

4. Giants. NFC control on the line in Sunday night game vs. Carolina.

5. Panthers. If they can win in New York, they can make it anywhere.

6. Ravens. They won't go away without a major, knockdown fight.

7. Patriots. No team has a better track record when the pressure's on.

8. Jets. With all those Pro Bowl picks, shouldn't they have 10 wins already?

9. Cowboys. Dysfunctional, yes. Dangerous, too. Ravens game crucial.

10. Buccaneers. Beat up on the Chargers, or leave this power poll.

-- Reggie Hayes

This column is the commentary of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The News-Sentinel. E-mail Reggie Hayes at rhayes@news- sentinel.com.

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