Here are my NFL Week 15 Picks
(10-6 last week, 137-70-1 for the season)
Bye teams: none
Ari @ STL – The Rams are the only team in the league who have scored the exact same amount of points they have allowed. Makes sense as to why they’re 6-7 and and have yet to define themselves in any way. And yet, in the last two games, they have scored 76 points while allowing 0. That’s zero, as in none, over the last two games combined. Can they do it a third time? Maybe, as Arizona isn’t the NFL powerhouse many saw them as, either because they lost their starting QB or because they simply came down to Earth. The Cards are still 10-3 and haven’t lost at home, but they’re 3-3 on the road and aren’t a particularly scary team right now.
Pit @ Atl – There is literally no way to predict this game. Pittsburgh is the better team on paper, with a much better record and more net points. But Atlanta is winning their division, oddly enough, because they’re 4-0 against the NFC South. Now here’s where it get’s tricky; the Steelers are 4-3 on the road and the Falcons are 3-3 at home. It doesn’t really seem like either of these teams is capable of making a run and rising above mediocrity, so here’s the stat I’m going to grab hold of; the Falcons are winless against the AFC. Also, the Stillers just drubbed the Bungles in Cinci, so who knows, maybe it’s time for a win-streak.
Jax @ Bal – And this matchup should be the polar opposite. I predict a blowout in this one, with too many stats to even begin with. So we’ll just keep it simple; the Jags are awful & the Ravens aren’t. Jacksonville is winless on the road and almost winless on the season. Baltimore is the best team in the AFC North and one of the best teams in the AFC period. They are excellent at home, score a ton, play great D, and are playoff caliber on every level. Problem is, they can’t beat Cincinnati, so they’re gonna hafta win the division or a Wild Card spot the hard way. They proved a lot by winning in Miami last week, and will win an easy one here.
GB @ Buf – Last year Peyton Manning was all of a sudden the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. This year it’s Aaron Rodgers. Now, I’m not saying he isn’t great, and I’m not saying that he isn’t having an excellent year, what I’m saying is that one more stellar season doesn’t affect the already amazing quarterback Rodgers is. So anyway, now that we didn’t clear that up, who’s gonna win this game? You’d think Green Bay, for sure, after the run they’ve been on, with the points they’ve been scoring. They’re 5-0 since their bye week, scoring an astounding 40 points per game. But in their last three, they’ve won by 3, 5, & 6 points. Close calls for what is supposed to be the best team in the league. Also, the Packers are 7-0 at Lambeau but only 3-3 on the road. Could this be an upset? Sure. Will it be? Probably not. GB is undefeated against the AFC this season.
TB @ Car – The big current NFL news story right now is Cam Newton’s car accident. He suffered some injuries, will miss at least this week, but should be good going forward. The Panthers are, oddly enough, not out of the playoffs at 4-8-1 since their division sucks, so this injury could actually be a big deal for this terrible team. Derek Anderson steps in as QB, not having played since Week 1. But here’s the thing; Week 1 the Panthers played the Bucs and beat ’em 20-14 in Tampa. Anderson is probably good enough to beat the same team at home, if just. And the Buccaneers are plain bad anyway, going 0-6 in Tampa Bay.
Cin @ Cle – It’s Johnny Football time!!!! Hold on to your butts, cause we’re about to watch a little man run around in circles for about thirty minutes of game time! Should be exciting. Well, not exciting exactly, and most likely not good football, but at least it should be fun. Whatever happens I think we’re in for some entertainment. If the Bengals completely cream Manziel on every single dropback, that’d be awesome. If he somehow looks like a god and shreds the Bungles, hilarious & excellent. And if this actually turns into an evenly balanced matchup, all the better. Any way you look at it, I think we’re in for a good time. I don’t even care who wins, and with the way these two teams have played this year, how can we guess?
Hou @ Ind – Only three teams are in the 400 point club on the season: New England, Green Bay, and Indianapolis. Not even Denver & Philadelphia have reached that mark, though they are the closest and no other team is even nearby. Point is, Andrew Luck & Co. know how to score. They don’t play wonderful defense though, allowing 24 points per game, so you can score against them, you had just better score a lot. Houston, although they are the nearest team to Indy in the division, isn’t nearly as good of a team. They are 3-1 in the division and 4-3 on the road, so it’s not like there’s zero hope, but the Colts ought to win this game at home without too much of a fight.
Oak @ KC – What do I always say; never pick against the Raiders. I mean, I pick them to lose quite often, but never with much certainty and always with the knowledge that they are a team that can surprise anyone any given Sunday. Hey, just ask Kansas City, who Oakland beat just a few weeks ago. And then they beat SF last week; those games account for their only wins on the season. This isn’t a matchup I’d put money on, but I still have to pick it, so I’m going Chiefs. KC plays well at home, allows the fewest points in the AFC, and is coming off a losing streak. The RAYDAHS are winless on the road and aren’t any good, despite the reckless abandon they play with.
Mia @ NE – When it comes to the AFC East, they should just hand the division title to the Patriots. They always win it anyway, and they’re headed in that direction again, currently 3 games ahead of the Dolphins. New England is undefeated in Foxboro & Brady is dialed in right now, putting up points in bunches. I like Miami, but they don’t have the offense to keep up nor the defense to dominate. They’re solid, but not scary, and Baltimore beating them last week made them look bad. I would imagine that this game won’t even be close, despite it being a division matchup. Look for the Pats to score 34 and the Dolphins to put up 20.
Was @ NYG – The Redskins have quickly become a joke. First, the name controversy and how that makes everyone involved with the team look bad. Then, RG3. If he doesn’t turn it around in the next two year with whatever team he plays for, he’ll go down as one of the biggest busts in NFL history. He’s spoiled, unfocused, over-hyped, and has completely lost the team that sold the farm to draft him. Perhaps ownership sticks it out with him because they feel invested, but he’s proven to be a failing project. With Colt McCoy replacing him and facing the Giants, I see yet another Washington loss, making it 6 in a row and launching the team into the worst team conversation.
Den @ SD – I thought the Broncos would lose in Kansas City, where it’s always tough to play. They won in a statement game, and have now developed a running game that can dominate if Peyton struggles at all. Before, his bad games always equaled losses, but no more. San Diego is another rough road game for Denver, but not one that’s insurmountable. The Chargers aren’t scoring points like they’re capable, although they are playing solid defense, and can be beaten by a resilient team. The Broncos have had their struggles on the road, but the warm California weather shouldn’t give them too much trouble.
NYJ @ Ten – It’s the Toilet Bowl! Come see which terrible team prevails! I’ve been calling out the Titans all year, reminding people that they too are extremely awful, just like the Jags, Raiders, Bucs, and Jets. They’ve got problems at seemingly every position and will take years to rebuild, pretty much just like the Jets. Oh wait, I forgot that NYJ has a Pro Bowl caliber QB, at least in Geno Smith’s own mind. What a joke. He’s bad, the team’s bad, and the only reason a team will win in this matchup is by default. And who knows, maybe they’ll tie, though if I have to pick the game I’ll go with the home team; the Jets are 0-6 on the road. ‘Titans’ seems like such a bad nickname right now.
Min @ Det – The Lion just keep winning, despite not scoring the amount of points they’re accustomed to scoring. It’s their defense that keeps them in games, allowing the fewest points in the league. They’re 6-1 at home, will have to finish the season with two road games, but have a great shot at securing a Wild Card spot. I’ve remarked on the Vikings being a solid team, well mediocre perhaps, but they’re not pushovers in any fashion. They are, however, 2-4 on the road and 0-4 within the division. Teddy might be the real deal, but he’s still a rookie with a rookie head coach and a team that needs a little time to come together. Give ’em a year or two; Minnesota will be legit.
SF @ Sea – My faith in the Niners has been shaken. I’ve been touting them all season, even when they were down, predicting them to get back on track, calling for them in the playoffs. After a devastating loss in Oakland, it might officially be time to jump off the bandwagon. Although, having said that, their next two games are at home vs the Chargers and the Cardinals, both winnable games. So let’s say they lose in Seattle this week, which they should, and they win the next two weeks after that. They’ll be 9-7; probably not good enough to get into the postseason. So I guess they better win this week too if they wanna have a chance, something I don’t think they can do.
Dal @ Phi – Here’s the most important game of Week 15, the game that might decide the NFC East. These teams are tied at 9-4, the Eagles are 6-1 at home, the Cowboys are 6-0 on the road. So something’s gotta give. Philly took care of Dallas with ease the last time these two teams played, in Dallas on Thanksgiving. I did not see that coming. I like Romo, I don’t like Sanchez, but perhaps it’s time to give credit where credit is due. The Eagles haven’t lost inside their division, can match points with anyone, and Mr. Butt Fumble is a real part of that success. Do I think he’s great? Not at all. But do I think he can win at home vs a team they already demolished? I guess.
NO @ Chi – My Super Bowl pick against my bold fantasy prediction; wow was I wrong. The Saints are an incredibly disappointing team, as are the Bears really, two offenses that should be lighting up scoreboards but just aren’t. Both are 5-8, both struggle at home & on the road, neither has a good defense, so really this should be a pretty evenly matched game. Cutler doesn’t play well in Chicago for whatever weird mental reason that no one can figure out, so look for him to struggle once again. And although that Saints don’t have a good defense, I’d put more trust in Brees to sneak out a win in a season that’s not going well. But hey, in the NFC South anyone can take it, so NO might still be SB bound.