Houston At Tampa Bay
The Buccaneers have been playing some good football lately. Jameis is leading the league in passing, which makes you think he isn’t all that bad. However, he also leads the league in Interceptions and pass attempts, so it leads me to believe that he’s a bust. I’ll get Jameis some credit though, after losing Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, the Bucs still put up 38 points. Their defense also impressed by holding the Lions to only 17 points. They’re playing for pride now as they have been eliminated from the playoffs. Jameis is fighting to sign a new contract. He could have a HUGE day against the Texans if he had his star WRs, it’ll be interesting to see how he manages without them.
The Texans’ defense is bad. Scratch that, the whole team is bad except for Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins. But man, luckily they are one of the best at their position respectfully. While this young Bucs secondary has improved, I’m not sure they have what it takes to hold Hopkins. For that reason, and that reason alone, I’m taking the Texans.
Final Prediction: Houston Texans 38, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34
Texans playoff scenarios: Clinch AFC South with win or Titans loss.
Clinch Wild Card berth with Steelers loss.
Buffalo At New England
The Patriots are declining…rapidly. I don’t care what the final score was for their game last week against the Bengals. If you watched the first half of that game it was BAD. It looked bad and against the Bengals?! Their offense has been pretty lackluster as of late. Let’s be honest, most of it is on Tom Brady, and they shouldn’t bring him back next year. Their defense has been holding them up in games and carrying them. They’re going to have a tough game against the Bills this week.
I’m a big fan of the Bills right now. 1. I never expected them to beat this good. 2. They’re a threat to the Patriots. While I’ve never been a big fan of the Bills offense, it has been steadily improving over the last few weeks. Singletary is a stud, Cole Beasley and John Brown are a great duo, and Josh Allen is progressing really well. This offense is young and will only get better as time goes on. However, they’re also going to have a tough time against a stout Patriots defense. The Bills defense is going to make it hard on the Patriots offense as well though. This game could go either way, but expect a low scoring game and avoid any fantasy options in this one. I’m playing favorites and going with the Bills on this one.
Final Prediction: Buffalo Bills 21, New England Patriots 20
Patriots playoff scenarios: Clinch AFC East title with a win.
Clinch first-round bye with Win and Chiefs loss.
Los Angeles Rams At San Francisco
The Rams are very streaky. They had a great game against the Seahawks, making us believe they could somehow snag a playoff berth. Then they get embarrassed against the Cowboys. With that, I can only tell you that this streakiness will not get them into the playoffs. While their offense might be good and their defense is adequate, it really just comes down to one thing: Jared Goff. He is showing how his contract was a huge mistake. He can’t win games unless he is spoon-fed what to do. That’s where I think Sean McVay is a genius. He’s had to carry garbage like Goff around and still win. Against one of the best defenses in the NFL I. The 49ers, I see Goff failing his team again.
The 49ers schedule has been pretty tough as of late. They beat the Packers convincingly, barely lost to the Ravens, and beat the Saints in a shootout. But they severely underestimated the Falcons which cost them a win. This was supposed to be an easy one if they took care of business and beat them offensively. It’s hard to contain the Falcons offense but the 49ers should have dominated them on offense. They didn’t play bad but it just wasn’t that good either, it was just a meh performance. After a tough 3 game stretch, I can see where the 49ers could be tired. Their gameplan is easy this week. Force Goff to make mistakes and the game is theirs. They cannot lose to the Rams anyone another way if they force Goff to make mistakes. I’m taking the 49ers in this one.
Final Prediction: San Francisco 49ers 27, Los Angeles Rams 21
Rams are eliminated from the playoffs with loss or Vikings win
New Orleans At Tennessee
The Titans were scaring the entire league for a second. They won 4 games in a row, which included the Chiefs. They may have lost last week but that doesn’t mean they’re any close to being done. They can show that they deserve to be here with a win against the Saints this week. That is way easier said than done but it is doable. Ryan Tannehill seems to be the QB of the future for the Titans and is impressively good. I think Tannehill will manage and hold his own against the Saints. But what worries me for the Titans is the Saints offense.
Saints have really one superb WR, and then just average receivers after that. Then the RB tandem of Latavious Murray and Alvin Kamara is working wonders for the Saints. Of course, with Drew Brees at the helm, this offense can bang with anyone and against any defense. I’ve praised this Titans defense and I think they’re slept on, but I don’t think they have enough to handle the Saints offense. The Saints don’t win games from stopping you from scoring, they try to win by shootouts. I trust the Saints offense to take care of business here.
Final Prediction: New Orleans Saints 34, Tennessee Titans 24
Titans can’t win AFC South title with loss.
Baltimore At Cleveland
The Browns just don’t make any sense. I hate talking about them because I was hoping this is the year they just wouldn’t be so Brown-ish. And here they are, Browning it up as usual. They have one of the BEST rosters on paper and nothing to show for it. They’re a bunch of frauds and it’s annoying. This game makes it easy though with their playoff hopes already obsolete, they’re nonexistent now as they play the Ravens this week.
The Ravens look just about unstoppable right now. Lamar Jackson will be MVP, their defense is back to being elite, and they might just be the best team in the league. I think this game is a no brainer which is why I haven’t offered much analysis. At 12-2 and only the Browns and the Steelers next, there’s a real chance that the Ravens go 14-2 to end the year. Obviously give me the Ravens over the dysfunctional Browns.
Final Prediction: Baltimore Ravens 38, Cleveland Browns 21
Ravens clinch home-field advantage with win OR losses by Chiefs AND Patriots.
If Ravens lose, they can clinch a 2nd seed or higher with a Chiefs OR Patriots loss.
Browns need to win and need the Titans and Steelers to lose, while the Colts win.
Jacksonville At Atlanta
The Jaguars officially spoiled the Raider’s last home game in Oakland and now I officially hate them for it. It’s not necessarily their fault though, it’s more on the Raiders (more on that later). The Jaguars looked bad against a bad Oakland defense for 45 minutes of the game. In the last 15 minutes though, something clicked and they scored 14 points in the 4th quarter to win. I don’t know what it is about this offense. Minshew isn’t that bad of a QB, their WR options are adequate. I’d Leonard Fournette actually wants to play he’s decent, but the offense is still pretty bad. Looks like that is more on the coaching and play calling in my opinion. Now they play arguably better defense with a better offense that just beat the 49ers. I don’t like their chances.
The Falcons offense is clicking. Despite losing Sanu. the Falcons offense is insanely good. They really don’t have a running game either. But they can throw all day on you. The fact the Falcons beat the 49ers and the Saints in the Second half of the season just shows you this is a different team than the first half of the season. After the Jaguars stole a game against the Raiders, I expect the Falcons to crush them with their offense and their momentum. The Jaguars will have tons of trouble holding Julio Jones and their offense can’t put up points at the rate the Falcons do. Falcons win this one.
Final Prediction: Atlanta Falcons 30, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
Carolina At Indianapolis
The Panthers looked good for about 2 weeks and then completely shit the bed. After it looked like it was time to move on from Cam Newton, it looks like he’s coming back next year. Kyle Allen got exposed, and now he doesn’t even look like that good of a QB. Christian McCaffrey is going to have back problems at 30 from trying to carry this team. The Panthers are now on a 6 game losing streak. They just don’t look good and that shouldn’t change this week against the Colts.
Speaking of not looking good, the Colts have had that same problem lately. Jacoby Brissett has been just meh lately and the offense, in general, feels like that. Their defense is playing decent enough to keep them in games, but other than that, they just haven’t been winning. They’ve lost 4 in a row and 6 of the last 7 games. Someone has to win this game however, it’s a toss-up but it will just be a bad game. Give me the Colts…I GUESS.
Final Prediction: Indianapolis Colts 24, Carolina Panthers 20
Pittsburgh At New York
The Jets had a really good game against the Raiders and have been pretty irrelevant since. They barely beat the Dolphins by one point and then lost to the Bengals and the Ravens. They have Sam Darnold and Le’Veon Bell, who isn’t even playing well, and that’s it. The defense has improved but was no match for Lamar Jackson. Now playing another decent defense in the Steelers, their work seems to be cut out for them on offense. Maybe Bell will be fires up to play against his old team and ball out.
The Steelers offense has been banged up by injuries, they haven’t had JuJu in a while and James Connor just came back. The Steelers are still 8-6 and honestly, Mike Tomlin deserves Coach of the Year just for that. Even with Juju out, the Steelers could have a good day against the Jets secondary. This game will depend on how well Bell plays, if he plays well, the Jets have a real chance for the win, if not, it’s a blowout. I think it’s the latter. Steelers win this one.
Final Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers 26, New York Jets 21
New York At Washington
ZzZzZzZzZz…SNOOZEFEST. This game just screams boring as hell. I won’t lie to you, I really don’t give two shits about this game so my analysis will be leaving much to be desired. Basically the Giants looked better with Eli Manning back at center and Saquon Barkley had a good day. Dwayne Haskins is improving but lacks the weapons to be consistent. I think the Giants have enough to beat them with just their offense. If I’m wrong, who cares, this game is meaningless.
Final Prediction: New York Giants 27, Washington Redskins 24
Cincinnati At Miami
ZzZzZzZzZzZz….SNOOZEFEST PART 2. Yes, sir, we got two of these bad boys this week. After bashing the game before, expect the same for this game, who the hell cares. I guess If you’re worried about the draft you care but football-wise this is just a drink bleach game. Same rules apply here, there’s not a lot of analysis here, the Dolphins were playing better. The Bengals offense is too inconsistent to really make some noise, even on a Dolphins defense. I don’t know, I think the Dolphins have a better chance and that’s who I’m rolling with.
Final Prediction: Miami Dolphins 31, Cincinnati Bengals 27
Oakland At Los Angeles
Well, the Raiders suck. They just lost their 4th straight game and lost the last ever game that will probably be in Oakland. Somehow they still have a playoff chance, but I don’t think it matters because you have to win games to try to go in the playoffs. The Raiders offense starts fast and then stalls in the second half. The defense is horrendous, it’s just not a good team. To make matters worse, the Chargers are better than when we faced them the first time. They will be better on both sides of the ball since last time. I’m not feeling very hopeful, but expect the Raiders to rely on Darren Waller this week mostly as Josh Jacobs is out. Other than that, if the Raiders lose, my heart can’t be any more dead inside than it is already.
The Chargers had a really bad game against the Vikings last week. The good news is they kicked the Jaguars ass convincingly the week before and the Raiders couldn’t do that. So the Chargers are already looking good to win this game. Given the fact the defense seemingly got worse on the Raiders, the Chargers offense could have a big day and just thrash the Raiders. I don’t expect a blowout but I don’t see a good game from the Raiders.
Final Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers 30, Oakland Raiders 17
Raiders need a win and the Steelers and Titans to lose and the Colts to win to have a chance at the playoffs
Detroit At Denver
Ever since the Lions lost Matthew Stafford, they’ve been significantly worse. Don’t get it twisted though, the team is actually more talented than you think. However, the passing defense for the Lions has been killing them. It’s hard for David Blough to keep up the pace of scoring points as much as the Lions are giving it up. Against a very convincing Drew Lock and a stout Denver Defense, it doesn’t look good for the Lions.
Drew Lock is the future for the Broncos. He has proven that he can be a good QB in the league. Don’t take the game in Kansas City too serious, the weather was bad. Despite only having one reliable receiver in Courtland Sutton. Drew Lock has been passing quite a bit, mostly to him. Look for him to impress again on a weak Lions secondary. The Denver defense should be able to hold this Lions squad who had trouble against a young Bucs defense. The Broncos should win here.
Final Prediction: Denver Broncos 31, Detroit Lions 21
Dallas At Philadephia
The Eagles are not that good of a football team, but they have been taking advantage of an easy schedule. They are now tied with the Dallas Cowboys for first place. However, no matter what happens, whoever wins this game is going to the playoffs almost certainly. The problem for the Eagles is they don’t have nearly the amount of talent the Cowboys have. Miles Sanders is finally progressing into his own, however, other than Zach Ertz, Carson Wentz doesn’t have any reliable receivers. It shows too. I’d love for the Eagles to win but they’re lacking on both sides of the ball. Their secondary is arguably one of the worst in the NFL, but their front 7 are adequate at least. As much as Carson Wentz will try, I don’t think he can win by himself, despite being the better QB between him and Dak Prescott.
There’s one thing going for the Eagles: Jason Garrett. The guy is an absolutely shit coach, and he is almost guaranteed to get fired at the end of the season. Jerry Jones said it’s Super Bowl or Bust and despite the talent on the roster, they’re not going to the Super Bowl. It’s actually embarrassing that the Cowboys are 7-7 when they should have rolled over everyone in the NFC East. Dak Prescott could pass all day on the Eagles defense but ultimately it’s whatever Jason Garrett calls. I’m picking the Cowboys based on talent, but if it’s a one-possession game, look for Carson Wentz to shine.
Final Prediction: Dallas Cowboys 34, Philadelphia Eagles 24
Cowboys clinch NFC East title with a win.
Arizona At Seattle
The Cardinals offense is fun to watch. Kyler Murray has shown that despite his height, he’s a good ass QB. Of course, he knows the offense better than anyone and the pairing with Kliff Kingsbury is a match made in heaven. But the biggest thing with the Cardinals is their defense. It’s one of the worst in the NFL. Only a few teams can win in this league without a defense and the Cardinals ain’t one of them. Add in the fact they play MVP Candidate Russell Wilson with Tyler Lockett and Chris Carson, it’s chalk.
The Seahawks are just better than the Cardinals on both sides of the ball. Russell Wilson is better, Tyler Lockett is better than an old Fitzgerald and Young Kirk, Chris Carson is better than David Johnson and Kenyan Drake, and the defense is way better than the Cardinals. I don’t really need to offer much more analysis here, the better team wins here, and it’s the Seahawks.
Final Prediction: Seattle Seahawks 34, Arizona Cardinals 26
Kansas City At Chicago
The Bears defense is one of the best in the league and is the only thing holding the Bears up. Sure, Mitch Trubisky is playing better, but even a broken clock is right twice a day. Mitch Trubisky will fail you. You’d think the Bears could carry him again but not this week. The Chiefs have way too many weapons for that. Despite the Chief’s defense is one of the weaker defenses, they have improved over the year and Chicago’s offense isn’t simply good enough to win games on their own.
The Chiefs can outscore anyone. That’s simply how they’ll try to win here. We don’t trust the Bears offense and I definitely trust the Chiefs offense and Andy Reid. Throw in the fact that Patrick Mahomes is one of the most talented QBs I’ve seen, it’s a no brainer. I can’t see the Chiefs not scoring no matter who the defense is. The Chiefs will put up points in any way they can. If they can “force” Mitch Trubisky to have a bad day, it should be an easy win for the Chiefs.
Final Prediction: Kansas City Chiefs 27, Chicago Bears 17
Green Bay AT Minnesota
The Packers are a great football team, hell they are 11-3. Aaron Rodgers is one of the best in the business. Aaron Jones and Davante Adams are studs. Why don’t I believe in this Packers team? It’s the defense. They’re talented on defense, they have to be given some performances they’ve had this year. But it’s inconsistent and ultimately will fail Aaron Rodgers. Packers defense does well against teams without the best offense but against good offenses, it has looked less than stellar. The Viking has a great offense, therefore the Packers defense will look bad.
The Minnesota Vikings are hosting the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football for week 16. The Vikings are a damn good football team, Kirk Cousins is playing his best ball yet. He should too with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. There’s no reason why he shouldn’t pass well. Also, he had Dalvin freaking Cook in the backfield. It’s hard not to succeed with those pieces. I think the Vikings are much more talented than the Packers. I would say defense they are about the same, give or take. But the offense will make all the difference. The Vikings have a better supporting cast but the Packers have Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings front 7 should do okay holding Aaron Jones. If the Vikings can shut down Davante Adams down and force the Packers to throw elsewhere, I like their chances this week. Give me the Vikings.
Final Prediction: Minnesota Vikings 35, Green Bay Packers 31
Packers clinch NFC North title with a win.
Vikings clinch a playoff spot with win AND Rams loss.
