NFL Week 15 Picks: Playoff-Hopeful Teams on Upset Alert

With so many playoff hopefuls squaring off to keep their seasons alive in Week 15, there will be several teams labeled as substantial favorites in Sunday's action.

Some of the perceived lowly teams in the league are making late surges, as many players and coaches are either auditioning for other franchises or battling to keep their current jobs. That adds in an element of unpredictability to these apparent, playoff-bound favorites.

Here is a look at three games that could prove to be shocking upsets.

St. Louis Rams vs. Minnesota Vikings

With a 4-0-1 record in the NFC West and three consecutive wins overall, the hosting Rams have to be considered the favorite, even though the spread is rather thin. Minnesota has only won one game away from home this year, and Christian Ponder looks like more and more of a liability at QB every game.

As much as the Rams defense has improved under new head coach Jeff Fisher, no one has been able to stop Vikings running back Adrian Peterson. Even if he were to run for zero yards in the last three games, All Day would still be averaging 100 yards per game for the season.

The Edward Jones Dome has harbored St. Louis victories over the 49ers, Seahawks and Redskins, and two of those three are more than likely bound for the postseason.

This game will essentially be a playoff game, as the loser can likely say goodbye to its fleeting playoff chances.

It will be a point of emphasis for the Vikings to stop the running game of the Rams, led by longtime RB Steven Jackson, putting the game on the arm of Sam Bradford.

Suddenly, though, Bradford has a decent receiving corps, with the underrated Brandon Gibson, emerging speedster Chris Givens and the reliable vet Danny Amendola. But it will be interesting to see how this young Rams core responds with a playoff berth on the line.

Considering the general lack of point production from Bradford and company and the amount of clock Peterson can eat up, I like the Vikings to pull the minor upset in this one.

Final Score: Vikings 20, Rams 17

Washington Redskins at Cleveland Browns

This will be an underrated road test for the 'Skins, because the Browns have won three straight and are beginning to come together. The coaching staff is doing all it can to impress the franchise's new ownership team of Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner.

Plus, there's the question of whether Washington will even have QB Robert Griffin III, who suffered a sprained LCL ligament in last week's dramatic overtime victory over another AFC North foe, the Baltimore Ravens.

The Redskins are a solid 3-3 away from FedEx Field but still sit just outside the bubble for the playoffs at No. 7 in the NFC.

Even if Griffin does play, his mobility will likely be at least somewhat limited; if he doesn't, it will be a severe test for Kirk Cousins in his first NFL start. The Browns have a stellar, improving defense, ranked ninth in the league in points per game allowed.

Speaking of defense, Washington's has looked better in recent weeks under coordinator Jim Haslett. However, the secondary is a huge concern. Cleveland finally has an emerging No. 1 receiver in Josh Gordon, and Greg Little is beginning to find his potential after struggling with drops to start off his career.

It's a must-win scenario for both teams for far different reasons, and given the Browns' recent form, they should not be underestimated.

However, the lack of tape on Cousins may work to the Redskins' advantage, and Cleveland's past two wins came against the lowly Raiders and Chiefs. It will be a tight one, but Washington should come out on top.

Final Score: Redskins 31, Browns 27

Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills

Thankfully for Pete Carroll's young and exciting team, this game will be held in Toronto rather than Ralph Wilson Stadium. That said, this has the makings of being the upset special of Week 15.

The Bills will essentially be the home team, and Seattle will once again be without stud CB Brandon Browner, who is serving the second game of a four-game suspension. That didn't show up much in last Sunday's 58-0 dismantling of the Arizona Cardinals thanks to incompetent QB play, but it could this weekend.

C.J. Spiller figures to get plenty of touches against the extremely athletic front seven of the Seahawks, which has actually seen a decline in rush defense as the second half of 2012 has unfolded.

Meanwhile, Buffalo's defense has improved immensely, as the talented defensive line led by $100 million man Mario Williams is beginning to realize the promise that should have kept the Bills more relevant this season.

Spiller's counterpart, Marshawn Lynch, has indeed been in constant Beast Mode, only being helped by the steady improvement of rookie quarterback Russell Wilson.

Seattle has been a much different team away from the friendly confines of CenturyLink Field. If the Seahawks can take care of business against an inferior opponent on the road, they will establish themselves as a legitimate playoff team.

Sunday will be the time for them to prove it, and I believe they will.

Final Score: Seahawks 24, Bills 14