Week 15 NFL Picks: Down with the New Orleans Saints?

It's about time one of these perfect teams gets off its high horse and feels the wrath of an extremely competitive 2009 field.

Both the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts have done a fantastic job in staving off potential defeats, both experiencing several miracle endings that aided in their run for perfection.

But for one of those teams, the run is finally going to end.

To see which team falters in Week 15, as well as the rest of the NFL picks, read on.

Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The Colts were reportedly ready to start resting their high-profile players until recent reports suggested that head coach Jim Caldwell isn't yet committed to that philosophy. He'd be best advised to stick to his own guns.

In past years, the Colts have gotten off to hot starts or finished with a hot streak entering the playoffs, only to sit their starters and watch them underperform in the first round.

The 2006 Colts were 13-0, just like this season, only to finish 14-2 and fail to reach the Super Bowl. Last year's Colts won their final 11 regular season games, only to lose their first playoff game to an 8-8 San Diego Chargers team.

While this is definitely something to think about, the Colts' perfect record still figures to remain intact for at least one more week, as the Jacksonville Jaguars don't figure to offer much of a fight.

Colts 31, Jaguars 17

Dallas Cowboys @ New Orleans Saints

As stated above, Sean Payton and co. have declared war on the remaining three teams on their schedule and are fighting for a perfect 16-0 regular season record, with a 19-0 finish in their sights.

However, with just a three-point victory over an Atlanta Falcons team that was without Matt Ryan and Michael Turner, we have seen once again that teams can keep pace with these Saints.

The Cowboys are knee-deep in another December meltdown, but with Tony Romo's stellar play the past three weeks, there is still light at the end of the tunnel. If the Rams, Redskins, and Falcons can all push New Orleans to the limit, who is to say the Cowboys can't?

Cowboys 36, Saints 30

Cleveland Browns @ Kansas City Chiefs

The Browns are turning the corner, and while that may not mean Eric Mangini keeps his job, it at least means they might start getting more competitive. Brady Quinn wasn't on top of his game last week, but he's been better than Matt Cassel, which gives the Browns a very slight leg up in this contest.

Browns 20, Chiefs 17

Chicago Bears @ Baltimore Ravens

The Bears fought hard last week but may have given their final gasp toward a playoff push. The Ravens, on the other hand, still have a shot at the playoffs, and a win would put them in a nice position for a wild card spot. Baltimore has struggled with inconsistency and finishing games all season, but they're still too good to let their season be ended at the hands of Jay Cutler.

Ravens 24, Bears 17

Arizona Cardinals @ Detroit Lions

Arizona continued its mistaken identity crisis, as they have shown two different sides to their team in the past two weeks. Regardless of any shortcomings they may have, there is no reason to expect this game to be even remotely close.

Cardinals 41, Lions 10

Atlanta Falcons @ New York Jets

Atlanta came close to sending the New Orleans Saints to their first defeat last week, while getting absolutely dismantled by the Philadelphia Eagles the week prior. It's clear they just aren't an elite team without Matt Ryan and Michael Turner, both of which have a better chance of suiting up this week.

Regardless, the Jets are a game out of the division lead and boast a strong and versatile running corps that should have a field day against a weak Falcons run defense.

If Mark Sanchez and Ryan both play, this could be a passing of the rookie torch.

Jets 27, Falcons 24

Miami Dolphins @ Tennessee Titans

Essentially a playoff game, the winner of this battle will likely be a strong candidate for one of the two AFC wild card spots, while a win for Miami puts them one Patriots loss away from possibly stealing the AFC East division title.

Ricky Williams appears to be wearing down, and even though he's playing at a high level, he should have some issues against the Titans' strong front line. If the game has to be put on Chad Henne's shoulders, as good as he's been, the Dolphins probably don't stand a chance.

Titans 30, Dolphins 20

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles

The 49ers laid down the law against the Arizona Cardinals in front of the nation this past Monday night, exposing the Cardinals as an inconsistent and very beatable team. They also kept their playoff and division title hopes alive, pulling to 6-7.

If the 49ers win out and the Cardinals win just one more game, the NFC West could be theirs. However, getting past a feisty Eagles team that has looked impressive on both sides of the ball will be no easy task.

49ers 20, Eagles 16

New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills

The Patriots struggled against Carolina's elite pass defense last week, which makes this week's contest against a very solid Bills pass defense that much more interesting. The Bills should be able to hold Tom Brady in check, but after seeing what Jamaal Charles did to them, it's clear they'll likely have no answer for Laurence Maroney.

Patriots 24, Bills 20

Houston Texans @ St. Louis Rams

The Texans have played the hot-and-cold game all season, validating the assumption that they are a good "but never great" team. Still, there's little the Rams can do to stop the Texans from getting to 7-7 and teasing its fanbase with another late-season wild card run.

Texans 34, Rams 14

Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos

The Raiders are back to JaMarcus Russell ball, which can only mean bad things. Their stingy pass defense should keep Brandon Marshall from getting anywhere close to 20 catches this week, but that doesn't equate to a win. Knowshon Moreno should be leaned on heavily as Denver tries to get back to its bread and butter: the running game.

Broncos 27, Raiders 9

Cincinnati Bengals @ San Diego Chargers

This could be the game of the week, as the lethargic Bengals are pitted against a hot Chargers squad that hasn't lost in eight games. Norv Turner has this team believing it can accomplish "super" things and even has his management talking contract extension.

Unless the Bengals can muster up some respectability in their paltry pass offense, this game may not be as close as many are predicting.

Chargers 37, Bengals 20

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Seattle Seahawks

The Buccaneers have been severely plagued by rookie mistakes from Josh Freeman and simply don't have the talent to overcome turnovers right now.

Seattle, on the other hand, struggled mightily to put just one touchdown on the board last week and is surely out of the NFC playoff race. If there was any doubt that the Seahawks were one of the worst teams in the league, Tampa Bay will put it to rest.

Buccaneers 30, Seahawks 27

Green Bay Packers @ Pittsburgh Steelers

This is the game that solidifies the Packers as a real threat for the Lombardi Trophy or shows us that the Pittsburgh Steelers still have some pride.

Aaron Rodgers had been playing at a high level all season and is now basking in the glory of the rise of his new 3-4 defense. The Steelers, the original 3-4 kings, are going in the complete opposite direction, as they have lost five straight, compared to Green Bay's five straight wins.

Pittsburgh is at home, still has a gritty defense, and still has a shot at the playoffs. With all of those things coming into play, it's hard to bet against a Mike Tomlin squad, regardless of their awful performance against the Browns last week.

Steelers 17, Packers 13

Minnesota Vikings @ Carolina Panthers

Brett Favre brings three interceptions in his last two games (after throwing three all season) into a tough matchup with a very good Carolina pass defense. After seeing what this Panthers defense did against Tom Brady and the Patriots, Minnesota fans have to be at least a little worried.

I guess it's a good thing they still have Adrian Peterson and Matt Moore is throwing passes for the Panthers.

Vikings 31, Panthers 17

New York Giants @ Washington Redskins

It's make or break time for the Giants, who pushed the Cowboys down in the division two weeks ago and then lost a marathon game against the Eagles last week. They clearly still have the talent and know-how to win games and give a real run at the playoffs, but they are up against a Redskins team that has made vast improvements in recent weeks.

Washington owns a win over the Denver Broncos and forced the Saints into overtime, so they are no longer a team to be taken lightly, despite being 4-9.

Still, the Giants know the Redskins well, and a loss would likely end their playoff push.

Giants 27, Redskins 17

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