NFL Week 15 Predictions: Sorting Things Out for Playoff Time
The NFL playoffs seem to be finally taking shape in Week 15. Last week really showed separation and proved who the elite teams in the league are. Oftentimes, rivalry/divisional games tend to do that late in the season.
Once again this week, divisional battles take center stage. The NFL's January slate will start to become known, as the playoff participants will be decided soon. On both sides, there are viable teams that will make it, but also some good ones who will be watching from home.
The NFC's Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons appear to be the top teams in their conference. In the AFC, it's all about Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
But don't forget those feisty Pittsburgh Steelers and their tenacious defense. It will be interesting to watch things play out over the next three weeks. Who's ready?
Here are predictions for Week 15 in the NFL.
San Francisco 49ers at San Diego Chargers
1 of 16
Phillip Rivers is having a banner year in San Diego yet it still may not be enough to get to the playoffs. The Chargers just dominated divisional leader Kansas City last week and are only one game out now.
There have been some growing pains for the Chargers this season, but Rivers has remained a constant through it all. After losing star running back LaDainian Tomlinson, their running game hasn't been the same.
Rookie runner Ryan Mathews will be very good but isn't there just yet. Mike Tolbert has been the mainstay at running back and has been a pleasant surprise for the offense.
Mike Singletary was nearly on his way out earlier this season in San Francisco. A lot has changed as the Niners have turned it around but this still won't be enough for them to make the playoffs. At 5-8, they still have an outside chance, but they'd likely have to win out.
This impressive comeback may be enough to save Singletary's job. Until they find a true No. 1 QB though, they won't be going anywhere. The Smiths just aren't the long-term answer.
Prediction: San Diego 27, San Francisco 14
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
2 of 16
Michael Vick saved the Philadelphia Eagles' season. His uncanny ability to make plays and keep the Eagles flying has been instrumental to their season. Now with a big finish, Vick could give the Eagles the NFC East crown.
Regardless of stats, he always seems to find a way to win football games. At this point in the season, that's all that matters. Vick's supporting cast of LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin have also been very good this year. Once again, the future is bright in Philadelphia as they "re-tool."
New York needs to win this game on Sunday. This can't be stressed enough. With a win on Sunday, they take the NFC East lead and even the season series.
If Philly wins though, the G-Men wouldn't have the tiebreaker and would then need to outright win the division. Their Lightning and Thunder running duo has been beneficial for them and provided another solid offensive season.
Now on a three-game winning streak, the Giants must finish strong if they are to make the playoffs.
The Eagles now look to write new history in the New Meadowlands starting on Sunday afternoon. Expect another classic NFC East showdown.
Prediction: Eagles 24, Giants 20
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
3 of 16
The above picture just about says it all for the Cincinnati Bengals' 2010 season. It's been that bad so far. At 2-11 and now on a 10-game losing slide, the Bengals will fortunately land a top pick in the NFL Draft.
This entire year for them has been a wash. At least Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, stars of the T. Ocho show, have helped keep things fun.
Cleveland has enjoyed a pretty decent year in 2010. For once, things are starting to look up for the Browns.
Cleveland may not have recovered from LeBron James, but at least Peyton Hillis has slightly eased their pain. Colt McCoy has helped establish a solid foundation moving forward, and Mike Holmgren really believes in them.
Prediction: Cincinnati 24, Cleveland 13
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Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys
4 of 16
Hopefully, Alex Barron won't try to mug any of the Washington d-line this time, that is of course if he gets in the game at all. In their first meeting, Barron was called for several penalties, the most notable coming on the final play and costing Dallas the win.
A lot has changed since then, though. Dallas was a Super Bowl contender then and had Wade Phillips at the helm. Washington was in the midst of their honeymoon with Donovan McNabb and generally his "cardiovascular endurance" was still intact.
Dallas is a pathetic 1-6 at home and mercifully ends its home slate on Sunday. This rivalry is among the best in the NFL but has no meaning to the 2010 playoff picture.
Prediction: Dallas 23, Washington 21
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
5 of 16
This was the scene that Cortland Finnegan and Andre Johnson caused in their last meeting. In the MMA fight that broke out, Johnson won by KO and so did the Texans.
Houston's explosive offense was enough to take down the Titans three weeks ago. Their defense did the job as well by shutting out the Titan offense.
Tennessee's entire season fell apart when Vince Young decided to go awry. Young "stuck it" to Jeff Fisher and left the Titans stranded.
Now, their season can't end soon enough. Yet, amazingly whoever wins this game could somehow still be alive if the Colts defeat the Jaguars.
The Texans are in a little bit better shape. Matt Schaub still can't win the "big game" but the Texans' future is bright if they can finally break through that ceiling.
The talent is there but the execution is poor and Gary Kubiak's job may be gone because of it. How much longer will they settle for no playoffs?
Prediction: Texans 20, Titans 7
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
6 of 16
This is one of the biggest games of the NFL season so far. The Colts desperately need this win. Every game is now a playoff game as their season is on the line.
The Jaguars won the first meeting and are one whole game ahead of the Colts. With a win this weekend, the division is practically theirs.
Maurice Jones-Drew has been so strong for the Jags this season. He's an outside MVP candidate and has helped David Garrard lead the offense. Jacksonville has won five of their last six and are looking to steal the AFC South from the Colts.
Peyton Manning has done everything humanly possible to keep the Colts in the hunt. Injuries have really hampered their ability to play as well as they usually do, though.
So many key contributors have gone down for the Colts this season, but Manning's been the one constant.
Prediction: Colts 27, Jaguars 21
Kansas City Chiefs at St. Louis Rams
7 of 16
Sam Bradford has the St. Louis Rams on the cusp of the playoffs. Unfortunately though, they'd have to win a weak NFC West just to make the playoffs. Even then, they may not have to finish at .500, that's how bad the division is.
Either way, it will come down to a divisional showdown with Seattle in the final weekend to decide. The Rams have been one of the "feel good" stories of the season and have made a nice turnaround from last year.
Kansas City's miracle season has been highlighted by their running game and the emergence of Dwayne Bowe. Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles have a deadly duo and helped turn the tide in Kansas City.
This interstate rivalry is sure to be nasty and the Chiefs will need to bring their A-game to hold onto their slim AFC West lead.
Prediction: Chiefs 27, Rams 14
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
8 of 16
Buffalo's had a tough year in 2010. From their 3-10 record to Steve Johnson "blaming God" for a missed TD in overtime, Chan Gailey's first year has been an adventure.
Ryan Fitzpatrick has been the lone bright spot on a team that's in some trouble. The rebuilding process could be long and drawn out for the Bills. Their being in the AFC East doesn't help either.
Miami hasn't been all that bad this season. They now have a foundation in place and the opportunity to finish strong with a winning season.
Chad Henne still isn't a proven No. 1 quarterback at this point. Although he's played well in Miami this season, there still will be growing pains going forward.
Prediction: Dolphins 16, Bills 10
Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9 of 16
Things are still as ugly as they've ever been in Detroit. The Lions are loaded with question marks and are struggling once again. The personnel is in place as young talent have flocked to Detroit, but it hasn't been enough to save them from damnation.
Tampa Bay has improved drastically but still doesn't have enough to be a major player in the NFC. They are the third-best team in their division and that in itself says a lot from where they were last year. Josh Freeman has been very good for them and has restored relevancy in Tampa.
Prediction: Bucs 24, Lions 13
Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers
10 of 16
It's been a year to forget for both of these teams. Arizona has played horribly at times and are again at the bottom of the NFL food chain. Larry Fitzgerald has been solid, but no one else has performed for them this season.
Carolina is in even worse shape. It's only a matter of time before John Fox is gone and then maybe they can start to truly rebuild the franchise. Getting the top pick in the NFL Draft ought to be a good starting spot.
Prediction: Cardinals 17, Panthers 7
New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens
11 of 16
In what could be Game of the Week, these two powerhouses are ready to stake their claim. Chris Ivory has been all positive for the defending champs in the absences of Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush. He's been a nice weapon for Drew Brees.
Brees has been dealt a tough hand but will likely sneak the Saints into the playoffs again.
Baltimore's offense has really taken off with Joe Flacco and Ray Rice leading the way. Their defense is still among the best in the NFL and should lead them back into the playoffs.
Future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis is still an elite linebacker and is the team leader.
Prediction: Saints 27, Ravens 21
Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks
12 of 16
Atlanta's been the class of the NFC to date. Matt Ryan has established a winning attitude down south and helped form a deadly team in Atlanta.
Michael "Burner" Turner's bounce-back year was also instrumental to their success. They're likely going to have home-field throughout the duration of the NFC playoffs.
Seattle's up-and-down season has somehow culminated in their being involved in the NFC West lead. They've had a bad year overall, but have kept pace with the Rams and could steal the division from them.
Their division is so bad that at 6-7, they are right at the top for the time being. A Week 17 showdown in Seattle will decide it all. The Seahawks lost to the Rams 20-3 back in October.
Prediction: Falcons 24, Seahawks 13
Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
13 of 16
By looking at individual stats (Brandon Lloyd, Kyle Orton), you would never know that the Broncos are 3-10. With the recent firing of Josh McDaniels, the Broncos will be looking for a fresh start in 2011.
The talent is there, though. Prior to this season, they were competitive and kept the Chargers honest out west. But now, the entire landscape of the division has shifted.
Oakland is growing little by little. This season could've went even better than it did, but Al Davis ought to settle, as anything is an improvement from previous years.
After many top draft picks, the team is finally heading in the right direction. Darren McFadden is a future star in this league in the backfield.
Prediction: Raiders 16, Broncos 13
New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers
14 of 16
"The Battle of Santonio Holmes" is upon us. The Jets and Steelers will do battle in Pittsburgh on Sunday afternoon.
Ben Roethlisberger is the toughest QB in the NFL. Did you see him playing with the broken nose last week? That was impressive.
The Steelers defense is downright nasty and is aiming to bring home a seventh Super Bowl this season. Rashard Mendenhall has become an elite back and will continue to grow.
Mark Sanchez has been bad as of late and is looking to right the ship. The Steelers defense may not be the team to do that against.
Expect this nasty defense to be raring to go against Rex Ryan's Jets. A rebirth of LaDainian Tomlinson has helped New York, who still might miss the playoffs.
Prediction: Steelers 17, Jets 6
New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers
15 of 16
This should be a great Sunday Night game in a rematch of Super Bowl XXXII. Aaron Rodgers will likely be out for this game, which will hamper the Pack on offense.
Defensively though, Green Bay is among the game's best and does it all. They force turnovers, apply pressure and do all the right things. They will count on their defense to keep them in this game if Rodgers can't go.
What more can you say about the Patriots? Again, they're clearly the best team in the league and possess the game's best player in Tom Brady.
Even with his top weapon (Randy Moss) gone, Brady has been able to do it with the team around him. The only hole in their game may be their young defense. For now though, Brady makes up for a lack of defense.
Prediction: Patriots 27, Packers 10
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
16 of 16
Minnesota's hellish season is nearly over. To add insult to injury, their Metrodome was wiped out last week and forced them to move their remaining games.
Even Brett Favre sat last weekend, forcing Tarvaris Jackson to start. Then Jackson got hurt in that game. Emergency QB Joe Webb will get the nod. At least they get to see what they have moving forward.
The Bears needed an extended week after getting shellacked by the Patriots last week. This stretch run is very important for them. They are in position to get the bye, but expect the NFC East winner to be breathing down their necks.
The fact that this game will be outdoors could also make a huge difference.
Prediction: Bears 20, Vikings 10
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