With two weeks left in the regular season, 21 teams still have a shot at qualifying for the playoffs. The odds are long for some of them, but only four are in at this point – the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts as division winners and the Arizona Cardinals as at least a wild card.

That should provide plenty of intrigue, despite a Thursday night kickoff to Week 16 that matched two 2-12 teams (the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars).

GAMES WE’RE WATCHING

Kansas City Chiefs (8-6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-5): The Chiefs are alive in the wild-card hunt, while the Steelers are a half-game behind the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North and play the Bengals in the season finale. The Chiefs haven’t won in Pittsburgh since 1986.

Indianapolis Colts (10-4) at Dallas Cowboys (10-4): The Colts are in, and the Cowboys lead the NFC East, which they haven’t won since 2009. Dallas running back DeMarco Murray (11 rushing TDs) may try to play with a broken left hand that is heavily padded.

Seattle Seahawks (10-4) at Arizona Cardinals (11-3): The Cardinals have lost two quarterbacks to injury and are playing No. 3 Ryan Lindley against Seattle’s ferocious defense. The Cardinals had cut Lindley during the preseason and re-signed him off the San Diego Chargers’ practice squad on Nov. 11.

The Seahawks beat the Cardinals in Week 12, so a sweep would put the defending Super Bowl champions in a commanding position in the NFC West. Big stakes for the Cardinals, because a win gives them the division, a first-round bye in the playoffs and overall home-field advantage through the playoffs. And where is the Super Bowl in February? At Arizona’s University of Phoenix Stadium.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman .