Updated: November 29, 2002, 11:13 AM ET

NFL Mismatches: Week 13

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By by Ryan Early
Each week we preview the biggest mismatch in each game, one that should make an impact either through its exploitation or in changing a team's plans to try to compensate. This week's games start on Thanksgiving Thursday, but the contests with the biggest playoff implications take place late in the week.

The Jets and Raiders face off Monday night after playing twice last year, including in the wild-card round of the playoffs. On Sunday night, the Saints will try to narrow the Bucs division lead, and Broncos-Chargers and Dolphins-Bills are exciting division games that could determine who gets to play in January.

Patriots at Lions
Bill Belichick vs. Marty Mornhinweg
The Lions have won six of their last eight Thanksgiving Day games and almost upset the Packers last year. losing 27-29. While the Lions on Thanksgiving is a long standing tradition, it will be difficult for the Lions to win this game. A lot has been said about the poor decisions made by Lions coach Marty Mornhinweg at the end of last week's game against the Bears, but what is worse than the result of those decisions is the players' lost confidence in their coach. It will be difficult for the Lions to play as hard as they can knowing their coach is not putting them in the best position to win. Meanwhile, Patriots coach Bill Belichick has suffered through a roller coaster season as the defending Super Bowl champ, but he still knows how to confuse a rookie quarterback with things Joey Harrington has never even dreamed of seeing on a football field.

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