NEW YORK -- Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Rams playoff contenders at 4-9? Strange but true. And the postseason pretenders slug it out Sunday in Tampa to keep the dream alive. San Francisco and Dallas are smugly mapping out a route to Miami for the last weekend in January with gaudy 11-2 records. But the lowly Bucs and Rams have just as real a shot at Super Bowl XXVIX -- on paper.


Even Bucs coach Sam Wyche can't help but break into a grin thinking about the possibility.


The complex set of circumstances necessary for either team to qualify for the playoffs isn't likely to happen. Tampa Bay and the Rams should soon join Houston, Cincinnati and Washington as playoff spectators.


If the Rams and Bucs are still in the running, that means most of this weekend's games have some playoff implications.


San Francisco at San Diego is a potential Super Bowl preview on Sunday. The schedule gets an early start Saturday with Detroit at the New York Jets and Cleveland at Dallas.


The Cowboys won their last games two games without Troy Aikman. It appears they'll get a chance to win the next one with him. Aikman was sidelined with a sprained left knee but took charge of the team Tuesday as the Cowboys prepared for Saturday's game against Cleveland.


"I plan on playing,'' Aikman said.


In other games Sunday, Buffalo plays host to Minnesota, Chicago is at Green Bay, Denver visits the Los Angeles Raiders, Philadelphia faces Pittsburgh, Cincinnati visits the New York Giants, Indianapolis is at New England, Seattle is at Houston, Washington is at Arizona and New Orleans is at Atlanta in a night contest. Kansas City visits Miami on Monday night. The Raiders, who appeared to be so much on the outside looking in after losing to Pittsburgh 21-3 on Nov. 27, may instead have the inside track to not only the playoffs but a division title.


By denying San Diego's attempt at clinching the AFC West Division title, the Raiders suddenly put the division championship back into question.


San Diego has the upper hand at 9-4, two games ahead of the Raiders, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs (all 7-6).


They have shots at the other two second-place teams from the AFC West. Denver is at the Coliseum on Sunday, while Kansas City visits on Dec. 24. In between, the Raiders visit the 5-8 Seahawks.


San Diego gets its second straight shot at locking up the AFC West title, but that looks like a tough assignment against the 49ers. San Francisco is riding an eight-game winning streak, including three games in which they've scored 40 or more points.


The Chargers started the season like they were going to be equally imposing in the AFC. But after winning their first six, San Diego (9-4) has stalled, failing to win consecutive games since then.


"I would go as far as saying if there were a game that would make a big change in our season, this is it,'' said defensive tackle Shawn Lee.


Difficult as it may be for some to accept, Buffalo's improbable "Drive for Five'' Super Bowl berths is still alive. The Bills' impressive win over Miami Sunday night put them back in the thick of the AFC East chase. But Buffalo (7-6) has had a tendency in '94 has been to falter after big wins.


Minnesota (8-5) is coming off a 10-day rest after beating Chicago to tie the Bears for first in the NFC Central. But Vikings quarterback Warren Moon has nightmares about playing in Buffalo. Moon's Houston Oilers blew a 32-point lead to lose to the Bills in the 1992 playoffs.


Even though Miami (8-5) has lost three of its last four, the Dolphins still lead the AFC East by one game. But the slide is reminiscent of last year's December swan dive that cost the Dolphins a playoff berth.