NFL Primer: Offensive fireworks expected as Eagles visit Packers

Each week, TSN.ca takes a look at the top storylines in the NFL and gives you all you need to know heading into Sunday's action. All in!

Offensive Battle at Lambeau

The Packers and Eagles have spent the better part of the season making it look easy on offence. Even since Nick Foles went down with a broken collarbone a couple weeks ago, Philadelphia’s offence has looked just as strong and perhaps better with Mark Sanchez now at the helm. Green Bay and Philly are a fantasy player’s dream, with as much as nine players that should be in your lineup between the two teams.

This game should provide some offensive fireworks with the over/under set at 55, surprisingly only the second highest of the week. Both teams are much better at home, which should give the Packers an edge.

Chiefs game a measuring stick for Seahawks

The Seahawks have been a hard team to figure out this season. Of course the defending Super Bowl champions are still a good team, but are they still really good? Or just pretty good?

We should get an answer Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. If Seattle can get past a streaking Chiefs team, winners of their past four games, and playing at home, then Super Bowl defence stories will start popping up again. If they lose, they’ll fall to 6-4 and it’ll be hard to consider them anything more than just ‘pretty good.’

This is an important game for KC as well. The Chiefs are looking a lot more like the team many thought they would be at the start of the season during their four-game win streak, but three of those four wins came against the Rams, Jets, and Bills. A win over Seattle would add some needed legitimacy to Kansas City’s mid-season run.

Can the Lions’ luck persist another week?

A quick look at the standings produces a few surprises but none bigger than the Detroit Lions’ 7-2 record atop the NFC North. The Lions aren’t a bad team but few believe they’re a great one and the team has had some tremendous luck accumulating seven wins so far this season – their one-point win over the Falcons in England immediately comes to mind.

The team’s good fortunes will last for at least one more week as they take on a strong Arizona Cardinals’ team only without their starting quarterback Carson Palmer, who was lost for the year with a torn ACL last week.

For the Cardinals it will be a good test to see what they can do with Drew Stanton at QB for the remainder of the season. Stanton went 2-1 as a starter earlier in the year when Palmer was injured.

Brady’s Backup Bowl

This matchup doesn’t look great on first inspection, although the Browns are currently atop the AFC North, but there’s one interesting side story that’s of interest to Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady at least.

With Ryan Mallett making his first career start, the QB battle is between two former Patriots and two former backups of Brady in Mallett and Brian Hoyer. Referred to as Brady’s Backup Bowl, if nothing else this game should give current Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo a glimpse at his future potential.

The Rivalry Continues

Many thought the rivalry would end with Peyton Manning’s departure to Denver, and it definitely took a hit, but New England vs. Indianapolis remains must-see TV.  This game certainly feels like a Patriots-Colts clash of old with both teams vying for a first round bye and quarterbacks Tom Brady and Andrew Luck using the week leading up to praise each other. This is the third matchup of future Hall of Famer against probably future Hall of Famer, Brady has taken the first two rounds by a score of 102-46. Sunday will give Luck another chance to knock off Brady though, and a chance to prove the Colts belong amongst the elite atop the AFC.

Falcons have rare opportunity to turn season around

Most teams at 3-6 cling to rapidly fading playoff hopes, with the knowledge the their chances are slim to none of making the dance. However, despite dropping five of their last six games to sit just there at 3-6, the Atlanta Falcons sit just one game behind the New Orleans Saints at the top of the NFC South. With a win over the Panthers (3-6-1) and a Saints loss against the Bengals on Sunday, the Falcons would own the tiebreak for the division's playoff spot and in position to host a Wild Card game. The Falcons have a tough schedule ahead - five of their final seven opponents own winning records - but a win Sunday would give the Falcons a lot more to play for in the final six weeks of the season than any other 3-6 team.