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Barring a collapse by the Colts or Titans, both 9-2 in the AFC South, one will have to travel to Cincinnati or Baltimore for a wild-card game against a team that is now 6-5.

"This might be a good test case," Tony Dungy said of reviewing the format. But the Colts coach also said his team can't blame anyone else if it's in that position, because it has the opportunity to win the division by facing the Titans again.

WHAT A RUSH: Priest Holmes has rushed for 15 touchdowns, and only the Eagles have as many touchdowns on the ground. Holmes would join the Cowboys' Emmitt Smith (25 in 1995) and the Redskins' Terry Allen (21 in 1996) as the only players in history to rush for more touchdowns than every other team in the league.

SCOUTING KORDELL: Bears coach Dick Jauron is learning the same hard lesson that Steelers coach Bill Cowher had to learn: Kordell Stewart is a better backup quarterback than a starter.

Stewart played well last year in a Steelers loss at Tennessee before starting and beating the Bengals and Jaguars while Maddox healed.

Against Denver last week, Stewart replaced injured Chris Chandler and scored the only touchdown in the Bears' 19-10 victory.

CLOSE COUNTS: Twelve games were decided last weekend by seven or fewer points, the most since 1993. And for the first time in history, 13 or fewer points decided all 13 games.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden: "There are no guarantees that anybody else in the league wins another game, based on what I've seen. You've got all these experts, and no one expected Kansas City to be leading the AFC. No one expected Carolina and Dallas to be on top of the NFC. I don't know how you predict next week's games, either."

SACKED: Last season, the Texans allowed 76 sacks. They've allowed 23 through 11 games, on pace for 33. That would be a difference of 43, the largest since the league started keeping sack stats in 1982. The previous best for a one-season difference was 42 by New England (65 in 1992 and 23 in 1993).

HOMEBODIES: The 49ers' road woes continued last week with a 20-10 loss at Green Bay. The 49ers are 0-5 away from home and play today at Baltimore. Their remaining road games after the Ravens are the Bengals (Dec. 14) and Eagles.

NUMEROLOGY: Bucs wide receiver Keenan McCardell has seven touchdown catches, all in losses. . . . The Falcons have lost the last five games in which they led at halftime. . . . Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt is perfect on 26 field-goal attempts this season and has made 30 in a row in the regular season.

WINE WHINE: Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil, partner in a Napa Valley vineyard, enticed kicker Morten Andersen before the game-winning field goal last week against Oakland with a $500 bottle of Vermeil's Bryant Family Vineyards.

The NFL has flagged the Cabernet Sauvignon bonus because of salary-cap implications.

"It's something the Management Council will speak to the Chiefs about," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "Anytime something of value is given to a player, it raises issues under our salary cap."

Vermeil was flabbergasted by the No Fun League's stance: "I can't believe it. We'll have to wait until after the season to share a glass of wine at my house."

AFC NORTH: The Ravens achieved the biggest comeback in their eight-year history against Seattle. They were down 17 points with seven minutes left. In addition to clock help from officials, the Ravens did their part on offense: Averaging 290.8 yards, they erupted for 426 yards, including 41 points after halftime. . . . Browns running back William Green is finishing up a four-week NFL suspension, and his short- and long-term futures are in doubt. There were reports of further substance abuse since his suspension. Green is living away from his home after the mother of his two children stabbed him in a domestic incident. Police, executing a search warrant, reportedly found marijuana stashed in four different locations. He also has a pre-trial hearing Wednesday on DUI and marijuana possession charges.

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Written from notes submitted by NFL beat writers.

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