Judy Battista highlights the storylines and factors to pay attention to in Week 16, beginning with a look at the best division going and continuing below with .When the were still early in their offseason program last spring, they went back to review tape from 2013. There, offensive coordinator said, they found eight plays that were inches away from succe s -- and any one of them would have potentially lifted the into the playoffs, which they had a chance to make . Pittsburgh finished the year at 8-8 and in second place in the AFC North, providing an abject le son in the razor-thin margin between postseason participant and also-ran in the clotted AFC.The , perhaps not surprisingly, support Commi sioner Roger Goodell's plan to -- adding a third wild-card squad in each conference -- trusting that bulking up the pool will, beyond just further filling the league's coffers, offer relief to teams that are left out of the mix after otherwise good seasons. Owners are expected to consider and approve playoff expansion at the league's annual meeting in March.The AFC -- and the AFC North in particular -- could use such relief this season. Nine AFC teams currently have winning records, and with three playoff spots already clinched, that leaves six teams scrambling for three spots. The bad news for everyone else: The North could take all three.That should not come as a surprise. The division has been the league's best all season, with a current winning percentage of .616, better than even the powerful NFC West. Cincinnati leads the division by a half game, but the , and all have nine victories -- better than the records of any other AFC wild-card contender. The toughest remaining schedule of the three belongs -- the , then play on the final Sunday of the regular season. But even if they lose both games, the could finish with the second wild-card berth. The easiest remaining schedule is -- they play , Kendall Graveman Jersey which will be on its fourth quarterback, this Sunday, then in the finale. The scramble Kyle Hendricks Jersey has created a fever-pitch intensity within already heated rivalries, but all three AFC North teams could clinch spots this Sunday, if they all win their games and ."We take pride in the division, for sure," coach said. "It's a great division. We thought all season it was going to be a great division, and it's proven to be that way. So we're just appreciative to be in the hunt at the end."Such dominance by one division is not unusual. Since the 2002 realignment created eight four-team divisions, one division has taken three playoff spots five times, including the AFC West last year (which was represented by Denver, Kansas City and San Diego). Only one division -- the NFC East -- has done it more than once, although the AFC North could equal that accomplishment this season if the current division joins the 2011 version in putting the , and in the playoffs. The ' appearance in this power trio might be the most surprising, considering their season began under fire, with Baltimore first standing by following his suspension for hitting his wife, then releasing him after video from inside a casino elevator surfaced. Rice's dismi sal opened the door for , who has 1,128 rushing yards and is part of a shape-shifting that has marked both the and , both of whom were once known almost exclusively for their staggeringly bruising defensive games. Now, both teams are boosted by the most explosive offenses they have ever had.Baltimore has gained 5,208 total yards and scored 376 points, both of which are the most in team history through 14 games. The are and . Pittsburgh's 2014 offense has surpa sed single-season franchise marks in points per game, yards per game and pa sing yards per game. Since Week 8, no quarterback has thrown for more yards per game than quarterback . The team has been so thoroughly changed, in fact, that just 18 players on the roster have played in a postseason game for the , who last made the playoffs in 2011.Coach acknowledged he is watching those younger players closely, to see how they're handling the urgency of their situation. "The last couple of games have been playoff games for us," Roethlisberger said. "We've had to take that approach and that mindset because of how important every game was where we were, record-wise, seed-wise, whatever you want to call it. We've kind of had that mentality for the last couple of weeks, that it's time to get hot and play our best football. So we're just going to continue to try to do that."With eight playoff spots still to be claimed -- -- here are 10 more things to watch as of the regular season plays out:1) Can Arizona win with the backup's backup? The scored just three points with second-stringer , who went down . According to NFL Media research, among quarterbacks with a minimum of 170 pa s attempts, only Ryan Leaf has a worse career pa ser rating (since 2000) entering a start than 's 46.8 heading into . The ' defense is allowing 12.6 points per game over the last eight games, best in the NFL. The ' offense is averaging 12.8 points in the last five games, which is 30th. The NFC West title hangs in the balance.2) Two of the league's best offenses will clash . The have already clinched the AFC South, but the are still fighting for the NFC East. by a broken bone in his left hand, will likely pick up the bulk of his carries. In his 34 rushes, he averages 7 yards per rush, the highest average among all running backs with at least 30 carries. If the lean more on the pa sing game, watch for the premier matchup between and Indianapolis cornerback . Bryant leads the Daniel Descalso Jersey league with 13 touchdown receptions. Davis has allowed a 36.7 pa ser rating in coverage, the second-best mark in the NFL this season. 3) Will the stalled offensive machine get a jump-start ? Philly currently sits . In going 0-2 over the last two games, the ' offense has gained 200 fewer yards per game and scored just under 11 fewer points per game than it did in starting 9-3. In four of the seven games he has played, has logged two interceptions, contributing to the ' league-leading turnover total. This could be the matchup that allows Philly to fix its ills: Washington's defense and is tied for 26th in forcing turnovers.Harrison: Week 16 Game PicksWith playoff implications in games acro s the NFL, Elliot Harrison provides his forecast for the entire Week 16 slate. 4) Who will get a stop ? With the lead in the NFC South up for grabs, the two worst total defenses in the entire league face off. The are (390.1 yards per game), while the are dead last (409.9 yards per game). Expect plenty of pa sing from and . Still, the aren't nearly as intimidating at home as they once were. They have lost four straight at the Superdome for the first time since 2005.5) Addison Russell Jersey Might a receiver catch a touchdown pa s for the first time this season shaky secondary? An otherwise top-notch Kansas City defense struggles against the run (132.6 rushing yards per game allowed), so watch for , who has had at least 115 yards from scrimmage in the last four games, to get a heavy workload. Pittsburgh has won six of its last eight games and can clinch a playoff spot with a victory. The , who have lost three of their last four, are currently the seventh seed in the AFC.6) comes down to ... AndyDalton? The have gone three straight games with more rushing attempts than pa s attempts, and has gone three straight games with fewer than 250 pa sing yards. Manning and his teams have never gone four straight games with such numbers. The ' defense but gave up 42 points and 543 yards to Pittsburgh . While the are 8-0-1 when they rush for at least 100 yards, their chances might hinge on which version of Dalton shows up. He has thrown for 3,008 yards, 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.7) can't afford a letdown. With , Detroit must not relax if it wants to stay atop the NFC North heading into with Green Bay at Lambeau Field. The ' dominant defense , and ) could have a field day , whose quarterback, , was this week. Detroit's has a pa ser rating of 114 in the last three games, while Chicago's defense ranks 31st in opponent pa ser rating.8) Carrying Carolina. While the ' playoff hopes have dimmed with their imploding offense, those of have soared with two straight victories. The have doubled their scoring average (to 30 points per game) and allowed an average of 15.5 fewer points per game in those two victories. 's availability following a car accident last week , so expect another heavy workload for , who had 22 rushing attempts , his most since 2010.9) Here's a very bad omen for JoePhilbin's job security. Miami has lost four of its last five December games, all played with the trying to secure a playoff spot. They are currently the 11th seed in the AFC. (after in points allowed last season, Minnesota is now ), Miami will have to break its recent offensive trend -- the have scored 16 points or fewer in three straight games, while rushing for le s than 100 yards in four straight games.10) Looking for a jolt. The , who have had two straight games of fewer than 300 yards of offense, perhaps related to are trying to remain in the playoff race. Things won't get easier with wide receiver . Still, might be just as intriguing for what it shows Ernie Banks Jersey about the , who have already , and the regre sion of as his team has crumbled around him. Kaepernick has not thrown a touchdown pa s in the fourth quarter this season, and he's been sacked a league-leading 49 times. Since Week 7, the ' offense has ranked last in points per game, averaging just 13.8.Follow Judy Battista on Twitter .