NFL Picks Week 15: Breaking Down Top Matchups on Tap

NFL fans will have no shortage of excellent matchups to enjoy this week, as several games with divisional and playoff implications highlight Week 15.

From an NFC East clash that will likely decide the division winner to an NFC West contest between teams going in opposite directions—and that's just the tip of the iceberg, folks—Week 15 is shaping up to be a dandy.

Below, you'll find picks for every game on tap, including an extended look at the most compelling matchups.

Predictions

Thursday, Dec. 11	Time (ET)	Prediction
Sunday, Dec. 14	Time (ET)	Prediction
Monday, Dec. 15	Time (ET)	Prediction
Arizona at St. Louis	8:25 p.m.	Rams win, 17-13
Oakland at Kansas City	1 p.m.	Chiefs win, 28-20
Pittsburgh at Atlanta	1 p.m.	Falcons win, 30-27
Washington at NY Giants	1 p.m.	Giants win, 24-14
Miami at New England	1 p.m.	Patriots win, 31-21
Houston at Indianapolis	1 p.m.	Colts win, 31-27
Jacksonville at Baltimore	1 p.m.	Ravens win, 28-10
Green Bay at Buffalo	1 p.m.	Packers win, 26-14
Tampa Bay at Carolina	1 p.m.	Panthers win, 20-17
Cincinnati at Cleveland	1 p.m.	Bengals win, 23-21
NY Jets at Tennessee	4:05 p.m.	Jets win, 17-14
Denver at San Diego	4:05 p.m.	Broncos win, 34-28
Minnesota at Detroit	4:25 p.m.	Lions win, 24-21
San Francisco at Seattle	4:25 p.m.	Seahawks win, 24-13
Dallas at Philadelphia	8:30 p.m.	Eagles win, 31-30
New Orleans at Chicago	8:30 p.m.	Saints win, 38-30

Philadelphia over Dallas 

When last these teams met on Thanksgiving, the Philadelphia Eagles literally ran over and around the Dallas Cowboys, winning 33-10 behind LeSean McCoy's 159 rushing yards and an impressive defensive showing that included three forced turnovers and four sacks of Tony Romo.

You could play the numbers game to support either team winning. The Eagles are 6-1 at home this year; the Cowboys are 6-0 on the road. The Eagles are fifth in yards per game and fourth in points per contest; the Cowboys are ninth and eighth respectively. 

The one number that might matter, however, is that the Cowboys are 9-11 in December since Jason Garrett took over as the head coach in 2010. The Cowboys have developed a habit of losing key games this time of year.

Ultimately, however, this game will come down to which team is able to establish the running game. In the first contest, the Cowboys could never quite get DeMarco Murray going, and the Eagles ratcheted up the pressure against Romo. Dallas never had an answer. 

The Eagles' high-octane attack is based on gashing teams on the ground and taking the pressure off the shoulders of Mark Sanchez. Whichever team runs the ball successfully and limits the other team on the ground will almost assuredly win this game.

Based on what we've already seen, it seems safer to roll with the Eagles at home in a key NFC East battle.

New England over Miami

Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Nobody is hotter than the New England Patriots at the moment. Take away a road loss to the Green Bay Packers, and Aaron Rodgers and the Patriots have won eight games after starting off 2-2 in September, including wins over the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, Detroit Lions and San Diego Chargers, all playoff contenders. 

Add in the fact that the Pats are 6-0 at home this year, and it's hard to see how the Miami Dolphins can pull off the upset. They will need a heroic performance from their defensive line and a flawless game from Ryan Tannehill if they're going to earn a win in Foxborough.

Seattle over San Francisco

Have you seen the Seattle Seahawks lately?

They've held their last three opponents to a combined total of 20 points, which included holding the Niners to three points on Thanksgiving and one of the NFL's most explosive offenses, the Eagles, to just 14 points last week. They are also 14-2 at home in the past two seasons, so the 12th man is sure to chip in on Sunday against the Niners.

Have you seen the Niners lately?

They've scored a total of 16 combined points in their last two games and just lost to the hapless Oakland Raiders. Colin Kaepernick has regressed, and the Niners offense looks disjointed and ineffective. The Jim Harbaugh rumors that suggest he'll be coaching another team next season can't be helping anything.

Oh, and the Niners are 1-3 against Seattle in the past two seasons. 

The Niners might turn everything around and find a way to win this game. But the Seahawks simply look like the far superior side at the moment, and it would be a shock if they lost this key divisional game at home.

Denver over San Diego

Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

The Denver Broncos are 3-1 in their last four meetings with the San Diego Chargers in the past two seasons, so they will naturally be the favorites in this one. The emergence of running back C.J. Anderson to go along with Peyton Manning and one of the league's top passing attacks has made Denver's offense incredibly difficult to slow down, while the retooled defense is fourth in yards allowed per game. 

After a 5-1 start, meanwhile, the Chargers have stumbled, going 3-4 since that included tight wins over the Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams and Baltimore Ravens that each could have easily been losses. 

With Ryan Mathews and Corey Liuget both missing practice again on Thursday, per Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com, the Chargers could be going into this game without two key players. It will be too much to overcome against Denver if those two can't play, especially in a game they'd have a hard time winning even if they were 100 percent.

Cincinnati over Cleveland 

None of us can wait to see Johnny Manziel in action, can we? Manziel was truly one of the most exciting college players in years, and now he finally gets the chance to show what he can do in the pros.

He isn't exactly getting that chance in the easiest of games, however. 

This one is tough to call for a number of reasons. Manziel is an exciting player, and the Cincinnati Bengals have struggled in their games against mobile quarterbacks (Cam Newton rushed for 107 yards against them), but Manziel is unproven and could lay an egg. 

A.J. Green is red-hot at the moment, but he has traditionally been stymied by Cleveland Browns corner Joe Haden. Still, the last times these teams played—a 24-3 Browns win—Green was still less than 100 percent, dealing with his toe injury.

Playing at home and the fact that Cleveland won the first meeting seem like advantages for the Browns. A more well-rounded roster and experience in big games seem to favor the Bengals. 

I'm giving the slight edge to the team that has proved it can reach the playoffs in recent years, Cincinnati. But expect a fight.

Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy questions and tweet some corny jokes too. It's more fun than a Colin Kaepernick press conference.