As the NFL turns to December, many interesting games are on the Week 13 schedule.   

On Thursday night, only the eighth meeting in history between teams with 10-1 or better records takes place when the 10-1 Green Bay Packers visit the 10-1 Dallas Cowboys (NFL Network, 8:00 PM ET).  

On Monday night, the New England Patriots can become only the sixth team in history to start a season with a 12-0 record when they travel to the Baltimore Ravens (ESPN, 8:30 PM ET).  

Teams to begin an NFL season at 12-0 or better:  

  As the final five weeks of the season approach, here are some of Week 13’s big games:  

  STORYLINE:  A classic?  

Forty years after one of the NFL’s most memorable games – the 1967 “Ice Bowl” NFL title game between these two teams on December 31 -- the Cowboys and Packers meet in another 2007 “epic” game.  

Two 10-1 or better teams have met only seven times before – the first in 1926 (12-1-1 Frankford vs. 11-0-2 Chicago Bears) and the last in 1990 (10-1 San Francisco vs. 10-1 New York Giants).  

Thursday night is filled with scenarios:  the NFL’s No. 2 offense (Cowboys) against the No. 3 offense (Packers)… Wisconsin-reared QB TONY ROMO pitted for the first time against his boyhood idol, Packers QB BRETT FAVRE (Romo was 12 when Favre made his first Green Bay start in 1992.  “He just brought a flair for the game that I’ll never forget,” says Romo)…Cowboys WR TERRELL OWENS, with 30 catches for 537 yards and eight touchdowns in his last four games, against one of the top CB tandems in the league, CHARLES WOODSON and AL HARRIS…and the sackers – the only teams with two players each in the top-10 in sacks in the league – Green Bay’s AARON KAMPMAN (11.0, tops in the NFL) and KABEER GBAJA-BIAMILA (9.5) against Dallas’ DE MARCUS WARE (9.0) and GREG ELLIS (8.5)       

With a win and other scenarios, one of these teams will clinch its division.  “It’s going to be a great game,” says Owens.  “”It’s a great challenge.”   

  STORYLINE:  Never this close this late.  

That is the situation with the Colts and Jaguars.  Since the teams joined the AFC South Division in realignment in 2002, they have never met in December separated by only one game.  

**********************************************************************************************************

NFL FACTOID  

TOP TEAMS:  The top three teams in the NFL (New England, 11-0; Dallas and Green Bay, 10-1) combine for a 31-2 record, which matches 1984 (Miami, 11-0; Denver and San Francisco, 10-1) as the only NFL seasons with the top three teams with such a record through 11 games.  

**********************************************************************************************************

“We know what’s in front of us,” says Jaguars RB FRED TAYLOR.  “We know what’s at stake.”  

The division can be at stake.  With a win and other outcomes this week, the Colts will earn their sixth consecutive playoff berth.  These teams inevitably play it close.  Other than the last two games between the two (a split) every Colts-Jaguars meeting since 2002 has been decided by no more than 10 points.  

Jacksonville last week got its quarterback back, DAVID GARRARD, who proceeded to set a team mark for attempts without an interception at 209.  The Colts kept up their passing game on Thanksgiving with the continued absence of WR MARVIN HARRISON (who they hope will return on Sunday).  Rookie wideout ANTHONY GONZALEZ took up the slack with 105 yards in receptions.  

Go for it:  the Jaguars lead the league in fourth-down attempts with 26.  

STORYLINE:  Saints feel like they’re coming on as the division leaders come to town.

Two games separate them in the NFC South.  The Bucs want to pad their lead.  The Saints think they can cut it in half.  

“It doesn’t get any better than it’s about to get: Tampa Bay coming to our house,” says New Orleans QB DREW BREES.     

Last Sunday, the Saints opened up their passing game, with Brees throwing to nine different receivers for 260 yards and three TDs.  The same day, though, Tampa Bay showed its toughness on defense – it ranks No. 6 overall in the league – with six takeaways, with four leading to points.  

The Saints will again have to contend with their personal nemesis – JOEY GALLOWAY.  The Bucs’ WR has 23 catches for 473 yards and nine TDs in six games against New Orleans – plus a punt-return TD.  

  STORYLINE:  A hot rivalry – and Cincinnati just turned hot.  

Even if they didn’t win last week, this would be a big game, because “Bengals-Steelers” always is.  But Cincinnati turned on the offense last Sunday in a 35-6 victory over Tennessee, and this AFC North rivalry that always seems to favor the road team just heated up more (nine of the last 10 games in the series have been won by the road team).  

  In Week 12, Cincinnati QB CARSON PALMER posted a career-high 84.2 completion percentage on 32-of-38 passing for three TDs.  Those three went to WR CHAD JOHNSON on a career-high 12 catches.      

But the Bengals will face the NFL’s No. 1 defense, with the top pass defense.   Pittsburgh leads the league in fewest first-downs allowed (150), so Cincy might have a hard time replicating its 14-of-18 third-down conversions of last week.  

Cincinnati will try to shut down RB WILLIE PARKER -- not as easy task.  The No. 2 rusher in the league (1,006 yards), he has six 100-yard games this year, and 81 in the rain on Monday night.  

Daunting in December:  Since 2001, Pittsburgh is 23-7 in December-January regular-season games.  

  STORYLINE:  Will the Ravens copy the Eagles?  

It came close to working Sunday night when the Philadelphia Eagles blitzed the Patriots often.  They sacked the NFL’s top-rated quarterback, TOM BRADY, three times -- tying for his most this year – while their DBs knocked their receivers off their routes.  That tactic basically shut down top receiver RANDY MOSS, but WES WELKER made up for it with a career game (13 catches, 149 yards).         

The tactic slowed down AFC East-champion New England in its 31-28 win, its smallest margin of victory this season.   Baltimore ’s strength is its defense, which is ranked No. 4 overall.  One of the key people New England will be preparing for is S ED REED, who ties for third in the league with five interceptions.  

New England will seek to negate the league’s No. 3 receiver DERRICK MASON (79 catches, behind Welker at 81 and T.J. HOUSHMANDZADEH at 83).   

Patriots head coach BILL BELICHICK is not letting his team’s record influence his players.  “Records don’t mean anything,” he says.  “The only thing that matters on Monday night is how well they play and how well we play.”  

Thomas returns:  Patriots LB ADALIUS THOMAS, the Ravens’ No. 4 career sacker (38.5) who was signed as a UFA in the offseason, plays his first game against his former team.