Five Thoughts about each of Sunday’s games:

Dallas (+2.5) at Minnesota

1. Is the Dallas defense for real? They have allowed just two touchdowns in the last 12 quarters, and have looked almost unbeatable, but that has come in two games against the obviously deeply flawed Eagles and a game at the terrible Redskins. This is a big step up in competition for them.

2. Is Bryant McKinnie back? The left tackle has typically been a real, reliable talent. The last half of this season, though, he has been increasingly awful. DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer are going to be hunting for Favre’s scalp all game, so McKinnie has his task cut out for him, and they can’t afford him to have another off day.

3. Which running back emerges? Felix Jones has had a very solid season this year, while Adrian Peterson, though not at his best, is still a very elite player. Given the strength of both players, this is going to be an important matchup.

4. Can Romo keep it up? He was very good last week, and has been solid all the way down the stretch. He doesn’t have a great history of holding up in the playoffs, though, so the pressure will certainly be on him.

5. Will Wade Phillips be looking over his shoulder? I still don’t believe that Phillips is totally secure in his job if he doesn’t win this game. That’s obvious pressure, but it’s pressure that he has been dealing with for years.

New York Jets (+7) at San Diego

1. The line movement here is very interesting. It’s the only game of the four that has moved significantly. It opened at 9.5, and has since dropped to the key number of seven. That means that, despite San Diego’s 11 game winning streak, the public and the smart money are likely both on the Jets.

2. The Jets can run, and they were particularly good on the ground last week. The Chargers are not particularly good at stopping the run, and got worse as the season progressed. This is going to be a key matchup in this game. If the Jets can establish the run then they can control the pace of the game and stand a chance of, at the very least, keeping it close.

3. Darrelle Revis. He’s one of the top two or three cover corners in the league, and he’ll make things miserable for Philip Rivers if any throws go his direction. Rivers will have to look for ways to exploit the secondary without getting caught up byRevis.

4. What crazy things will Rex Ryan say between now and then? He’s perhaps the most entertaining coach in the league because he’ll say pretty much anything, but unlike a guy like Eric Mangini he has the talent to back it up.

5. Is Sanchez up for the challenge? Last week the offensive coaching staff did a brilliant job of planning so that Sanchez didn’t have to make big plays, and so that he wasn’t in any risk of blowing the game himself. There is a good chance that they can do that again, and they will have to. The success of Joe Flacco in the playoffs last year has made it easy to forget that this is a heady place for a rookie to be.