Taking a spin around the NFL to get you ready for Week 13:

The big questions

Can the Pittsburgh Steelers take control of the AFC North?

The matchup to watch here is the New York Giants' pass rush against the Steelers' offensive line. According to ESPN Stats & Information, since Week 6, the Giants have produced sacks on 7.7 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, the top mark in the league.

New York made a massive investment in its defense this offseason, and so far it has paid off. The Giants are up to No. 7 from No. 30 last season in defensive efficiency, according to Football Outsiders.

Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers get a visit from a much-improved Giants pass rush in Week 13. AP Photo/David Richard

Ben Roethlisberger, meanwhile, has been tough to bring down. He has the fifth-lowest sack rate (3.6 percent) and pressure rate (20.5 percent) in the NFL. The Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens are tied atop the AFC North at 6-5. Baltimore has the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL, while Pittsburgh's ranks 23rd.

The Steelers are 6.5-point favorites at home.

Can the Seattle Seahawks protect Russell Wilson versus the Carolina Panthers?

In Seattle's Week 12 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Wilson was sacked six times and hit 11 more as the offense managed just one field goal in 11 offensive possessions. It was the third time this season the Seahawks failed to produce an offensive touchdown.

Per OverTheCap.com, the Seahawks currently have $6.29 million committed to the offensive linemen on their roster, the lowest amount of any NFL team. No one else is below $13.9 million.

The Panthers have produced sacks on 6.7 percent of their opponents' dropbacks, sixth best in the league.

The Seahawks are well-positioned to go on a run with a three-game lead in the NFC West and the defense getting healthy. But their ability to protect Wilson will determine whether Seattle gets back to the Super Bowl for the third time in four seasons.

The Seahawks are 7-point favorites at home.

Will Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers make up ground in the NFC North?

Rodgers is coming off a brilliant Week 12 performance and will look to get the Packers (5-6) back to .500 with a win over the visiting Houston Texans.

Green Bay got cornerback Damarious Randall back from injury last week. According to ESPN Stats & Info, when the Packers have had Randall, Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Quinten Rollins on the field together, they've allowed a Total QBR of 57.5. Without all four healthy, they've been at 79.3.

That's bad news for Brock Osweiler and a Texans passing offense that ranks last in the NFL in efficiency.

A Packers victory combined with a Detroit Lions loss would put Green Bay one game out of a first-place tie.

The Packers are 6-point favorites at home.

Numbers that matter

107.7: Kirk Cousins' passer rating since Week 9 of last season. That's second-best in the NFL. During the 20-game stretch, the Washington Redskins quarterback has completed 69.4 percent of his passes (third), averaged 8.38 yards per attempt (first) and thrown 40 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. In the past three games, Cousins has completed 72.4 percent of his passes, thrown for 1,086 yards and totaled eight touchdowns without an interception. If the season ended today, the Redskins would be the No. 6 seed in the NFC. They are 2.5-point underdogs in Arizona on Sunday.

44: The Kansas City Chiefs' pressure percentage when Justin Houston is on the field. That number is 25 percent without Houston, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The 8-3 Chiefs are currently the No. 5 seed in the AFC but have the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, per Football Outsiders. The Atlanta Falcons (7-4), their opponents Sunday, have a one-game lead in the NFC South and are the No. 1 team in DVOA going into Week 13. Atlanta is a 5-point favorite at home.

2.6 (to 1): Tom Brady's touchdown-to-interception ratio since 2010 without Rob Gronkowski, according to ESPN Stats & Info. As a point of reference, that would rank 16th in the NFL this season. With Gronkowski, that number is 5.1. Brady and the Patriots are 13.5-point home favorites against the Los Angeles Rams.

What we'll be talking about after Week 13

Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints: Brees is completing an NFL-best 71.5 percent of his passes, and the Lions are allowing opponents to complete a league-high 74.0 percent. The Saints' three most recent losses have been by a total of 11 points. With a victory, New Orleans would get back to .500 at 6-6.

LeSean McCoy's monster day: He has been a handful for opponents all season long. McCoy has 819 rushing yards and is averaging 5.22 YPC. His elusiveness combined with the Buffalo Bills' blocking has led to a yards-before-contact average of 3.81, the top mark among all NFL running backs. The Oakland Raiders' defense is 27th against the run, and according to the Elias Sports Bureau, their plus-32 point differential is the second-worst mark in league history among teams that have started 9-2 or better.

The end of the Miami Dolphins' win streak: The Dolphins have won six in a row, but they face a difficult matchup against Baltimore. The Ravens have the top defense in the NFL and the sixth-ranked special-teams unit through the first 12 weeks. Adam Gase has done an excellent job in his first season in Miami, but this is a tough spot for the Dolphins, who are 3.5-point underdogs.