In Cincinnati, the Bengals (5-2) will host the Baltimore Ravens (4-3) on Sunday with hopes of completing a sweep of last season's conference finalists while maintaining their first place tie in the AFC North with the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals have one playoff appearance since 1990.

"We're in a good spot right now," Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer said. "Being 5-2 and tied for first in the division — it's ours to lose, really.

"We just need to hang on for as long as we can and finish the season with a bunch of wins and see what happens as far as the playoff picture's concerned. But that's a little far down the road for us right now. It's about Baltimore, and then it's about Pittsburgh. "

In the first meeting, Cedric Benson rushed for 120 yards, breaking the Ravens' 39-game streak of not allowing a runner to top the century mark.

However Baltimore ended a three-game slide last weekend by thumping the previously undefeated Denver Broncos 30-7.

Elsewhere the suddenly hot Miami Dolphins (3-4), the reigning AFC East champions, visit the perennial division powerhouse New England Patriots (5-2), who missed the postseason a year ago. Last year in Foxborough, Mass., the Dolphins unveiled their now-famous Wildcat formation, scoring four touchdowns on six plays using the alignment to stun the Patriots 38-13 while snapping their NFL-record 21-game regular-season winning streak.

Miami tailback Ronnie Brown ran for four touchdowns and threw for another that day.

Of course in that game, Chad Pennington started at quarterback for Miami while Matt Cassel subbed for injured New England star Tom Brady. Brady's back now, and Pennington (shoulder) is on injured reserve.

"This one's a huge game for us," said Brady, who didn't face Miami last year after sustaining a season-ending knee injury.

After an 0-3 start, the Dolphins have won three of four and are 3-0 in the division, factors that emboldened loquacious linebacker Joey Porter this week.

"The division goes to the last champion, period," he said. "We have the championship until we lose it."

In the AFC South, the 1-6 Tennessee Titans have virtually no chance of repeating given the Indianapolis Colts' 7-0 start. The Colts host the upstart Houston Texans (5-3), who have dropped 13 of 14 contests to their division rivals but are seeking their first-ever winning season and playoff berth.

Texans quarterback Matt Schaub leads the NFL in passing yards (2,342), and his 16 TD passes pace the AFC. But it may be Houston's defense, which has improved drastically in the last month, that proves key.

"If we want to be the type of defense that we think we are and that we know we can be, we've got to go out and make a statement," said cornerback Dunta Robinson.

"The best way to beat this team is keep this offense off the field and that's what we have to do."

Surprising AFC West leader Denver (6-1) hosts Pittsburgh on Monday night and will try to hold its two-game lead on the San Diego Chargers (division champs since 2006) while hoping to prove last week's loss to Baltimore was a slip and not the start of a slump.

Enlarge By Andy Lyons, Getty Images QB Carson Palmer and the Bengals will try for a season sweep of the Ravens on Sunday.