Tuesday Morning Philosophy: The Big Question NFL Teams Are Being Asked This Week

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With each new week in the NFL comes a new pressing issue for each team.

Whether it is what a team needs to do to make a playoff run or simply what a team needs to do to win next week, every Tuesday morning I dive into the issues to shed some light on the direction that each team is heading as the season moves forward.

So let's take a look at the issues that affect each NFL team this week.

AFC East

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New England Patriots: Another week, another player steps up. Can anything slow down the Pats offense?

Miami Dolphins: Only the Jaguars and Chiefs have scored less points in the AFC than the Dolphins. Can Ryan Tannehill get some offense going before the end of the season?

New York Jets: Is there anything that shows the weakness of the AFC more than the Jets still being in the playoff hunt?

Buffalo Bills: The Bills head to the country up North for their final home game. Is anyone in America going to miss them?

AFC North

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Baltimore Ravens: Will the firing of Cam Cameron make Joe Flacco capable of scoring on the road?
 
Pittsburgh Steelers: Apparently just showing up is not all it takes to beat San Diego. Did the Steelers bring Big Ben back too quick?
 
Cincinnati Bengals: Can the Bengals avoid overlooking the Eagles on their way to Pittsburgh?

Cleveland Browns: The Browns have now won three games in a row. Could they finally be moving in the right direction?

AFC South

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Houston Texans: The Texans are burned again by an elite QB. Is their defense as good as advertised?
 
Indianapolis Colts: The Colts look better with each passing week. Is a home playoff game within reach?

Tennessee Titans: Has anyone had a quieter rushing year than Chris Johnson for 1,000 yards?

Jacksonville Jaguars: Can Chad Henne lead the Jags to a win over his former team?

AFC West

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Denver Broncos: The Broncos defense has not allowed more than 23 points in two months. Are the Broncos now the favorite in the AFC?

San Diego Chargers: The Chargers will not face a team with a winning record for the rest of the season. Will winning out save Norv Turner's job?

Kansas City Chiefs: With Dwayne Bowe done for the year, can we pencil in the Chiefs for the first pick in April?

Oakland Raiders: The last time the Raiders won a game was against Kansas City a month-and-a-half ago. Are the Chiefs the cure for the Raiders' woes?

NFC East

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New York Giants: With the dismantling of the Saints, are the Giants the team to be in the NFC?
 
Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys played inspired football this week. Can they keep it going all the way to the playoffs?
 
Philadelphia Eagles: Quarterback Nick Foles had his first career comeback victory. Is there hope for Philly after all?

Washington Redskins: Is Kirk Cousins capable of leading the Redskins to a much needed victory?

NFC North

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Chicago Bears: Can the Bears get their problems fixed before Green Bay visits this weekend?
 
Green Bay Packers: The Packers keep winning with backups all over the place. Are they the deepest team in the league?

Minnesota Vikings: Can the Vikings jump on AP's back and ride him to the playoffs?
 
Detroit Lions: At this point the issue doesn't seem to be whether Calvin Johnson will break the record or not, rather it's how much he will break it by.

NFC South

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Atlanta Falcons: Have the Falcons become complacent now that they've clinched the division?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Three straight losses have effectively ended the Bucs' playoff hopes. Can they finish the season with a winning record?
 
New Orleans Saints: It took one of the worst defenses in NFL history to keep Drew Brees out of the playoffs. Can he throw for 5,000 yards in back-to-back seasons?
 
Carolina Panthers: Where has this Cam Newton been all season?

NFC West

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San Francisco 49ers: Can the Niners maneuver through a tough final three weeks and earn a first round bye?
 
Seattle Seahawks: With all the attention on Andrew Luck and RGIII, will Russell Wilson end up making it the deepest into the playoffs?

Arizona Cardinals: Things to do this offseason: get a quarterback, get a quarterback and get a quarterback. Right?
 
St. Louis Rams: The Rams' young defense hasn't allowed more than 17 points in a month. Can they keep it going and sneak into the playoffs?