NFL Picks Week 15: Michael Vick Among Many Fighting for Playoff Positioning
It's Week 15 of the NFL season and, as such, the playoff picture is coming into clearer focus.
That being said, there is still plenty of fuzziness around the edges, with division crowns still left to be determined.
Outside of the AFC East, where the New England Patriots have a commanding two-game lead on the New York Jets, just about every first-round home game is still up for grabs.
So how will this week's games affect the chase for the Super Bowl?
Read on to find out.
San Diego Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers, Thursday, 8:20 p.m. ET
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Week 15 kicks off with a Thursday night game between San Diego and San Francisco with much more than just West Coast pride on the line.
Both teams are coming off convincing Week 14 wins—the Chargers trouncing the AFC West leading Kansas City Chiefs, 31-0, and the 49ers defeating the NFC West leading Seattle Seahawks, 40-21.
Both squads also currently stand one game back of the lead in their respective divisions, making this inter conference match-up more crucial than one might expect.
At this point, neither team looks particularly primed to take this rematch of Super Bowl XXIX all the way to Cowboys Stadium on Feb. 6, but certainly crazier things have happened.
All that being said, the Bolts look like the better bet to come away with a win, assuming, of course, that they don't fumble it away on special teams.
Look for Philip Rivers to have a big night against the Niners' 20th ranked pass defense while Alex Smith struggles against the Chargers' unit, which is the most stingy in the NFL.
Prediction: Chargers 31, San Francisco 20
Kansas City Chiefs vs. St. Louis Rams, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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Chargers-Niners isn't the only contest between AFC and NFC contenders in the West this weekend.
The real match-up of division leaders will take place at the Edward Jones Dome, where the 6-7 St. Louis Rams play host to the 8-5 Kansas City Chiefs.
Todd Haley and the Chiefs have taken the AFC West by storm this year, thanks in large part to the resurgent play of quarterback Matt Cassel.
The Rams, on the other hand, have been far from dominant but are still in prime position to take the NFC West, a division that seemingly no one wants to win.
The Chiefs are expected to have Cassel back under center after he sat out last week's loss following an appendectomy. Assuming he's ready to play, KC should win the Battle for Missouri and keep the lead in the AFC West.
Prediction: Chiefs 28, Rams 24
Arizona Cardinals vs. Carolina Panthers, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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The Arizona Cardinals have one win on the road. The Carolina Panthers have one win...period.
Yes, Sunday's game in Charlotte should be something of a stinker, with both teams eyeing top-10 picks in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Frankly, it doesn't really matter who wins this one, but the Redbirds should have the upper hand, if for no other reason than the fact that they aren't the Panthers.
Prediction: Cardinals 20, Panthers 7
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Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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The New York Giants will host the Philadelphia Eagles at the new Meadowlands in the game of the week in the NFL.
Both teams enter the contest with 9-4 records, though the Eagles currently own the edge in the NFC East by virtue of a 27-17 win over the Giants in Week 11.
This one will likely come down to the wire, with NFL MVP candidate Michael Vick making a big play or two to put Philly over the top.
Prediction: Eagles 31, Giants 28
Detroit Lions vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, 1 p.m.ET
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This game looks like the perfect spoiler situation for the Detroit Lions.
Coming off a dismal 7-3 win over the Green Bay Packers, Jim Schwartz's squad has their sights set on taking down Tampa Bay, which, at 8-5, still has slim playoff hopes in the NFC.
That being said, Josh Freeman and the Buccaneers have plenty of momentum coming off a thrilling 17-16 win over the Washington Redskins and should be more than capable of taking care of the Lions at Raymond James Stadium
Prediction: Buccaneers 21, Lions 7
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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This year's Fight for Ohio has absolutely no playoff implications whatsoever, but it should be entertaining nonetheless.
The 2-11 Bengals will play host to the 5-8 Browns in Cincinnati, with the teams headed in opposite directions.
Cleveland has made some strides this season under Eric Mangini, particularly with the powerful running of Peyton Hillis propelling the Browns to as many wins already this season as they had all of last season (five).
Cincy, on the other hand, looks headed for a full-blown rebuilding project. Head man Marvin Lewis and quarterback Carson Palmer could both be on the chopping block this offseason, particularly with the upcoming draft so top-heavy in quarterback talent.
With that in mind, Hillis and the Browns shouldn't have too much trouble scoring points against the Bengals' 24th ranked rush defense in what should be a shootout.
Prediction: Browns 35, Bengals 34
Buffalo Bills vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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As is usually the case at this point in the season, Week 15's games are usually either highly meaningful or completely meaningless.
Chalk the game between the Bills and the Dolphins up to the latter category.
The Bills have played much better of late after starting the season 0-8, while the Dolphins have had a rather inconsistent season, with the most recent "up" coming in a 10-6 win over the New York Jets.
The fact that this game is taking place at Sun Life Stadium may actually serve as a disadvantage for the Dolphins, who sports a saddening 1-5 mark at home.
However, Buffalo isn't any better away from home, with a 1-5 record on the road.
That said, the Bills look primed for another upset to send Miami back on the down slope after defeating Cleveland last week, 13-6.
Prediction: Bills 17, Dolphins 14
Washington Redskins vs. Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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The march of meaningless grudge matches continues as the Cowboys host the Redskins on Sunday.
Neither team has any shot to play at Cowboys Stadium in February, but the bad blood between these two franchises should make this one interesting.
Dallas has played much better since Jerry Jones fired Wade Phillips and promoted offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to the top job, with the 'Boys winning three out of five while narrowly losing to New Orleans and Philadelphia in the process.
Across the sidelines, Mike Shanahan's 'Skins are in disarray, having lost their last three games and five out of their last six overall to freefall out of contention in the NFC East.
The Redskins have fared better on the road (3-3) than the Cowboys have at home (1-6), but the recent play of each team suggests that Dallas is in better shape to win the 100th meeting between these two storied rivals.
Prediction: Cowboys 24, Redskins 21
New Orleans Saints vs. Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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The game between the Saints and the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore should be one of the more interesting inter-conference contests of the day.
Both teams stand a game back of the lead in their respective divisions, and both sport 5-1 records in their respective situations (Baltimore at home, New Orleans on the road).
Additionally, both squads are among the stingiest in the NFL defensively.
This one could very well come down to quarterback play, with Drew Brees giving the Saints the edge over Joe Flacco and the Ravens to give New Orleans its 10th win in its last 11 tries against AFC teams.
Prediction: Saints 20, Ravens 17
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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It's been a while since the Indianapolis Colts have been in postseason jeopardy, but that's exactly where they find themselves heading into Sunday's game against the division-leading Jacksonville Jaguars.
Peyton Manning and the Colts had struggled mightily, losing three in a row while Manning tossed 11 interceptions, before bouncing back against Tennessee last week.
Meanwhile, the Jags have been red hot, winning five out of six games, thanks in large part to the steady quarterbacking of David Garrard and the spectacular running of Maurice Jones-Drew, whose 1,278 yards thus far place him second in the league in rushing.
Jacksonville won the previous match-up at home in Week 4, giving the Jags their fifth win against Indy in 19 tries.
With the division on the line and the fans at Lucas Oil Stadium rocking, don't expect Manning and the Colts to come away from this one empty-handed.
Prediction: Colts 45, Jaguars 38
Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
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Meanwhile, the rest of the AFC South will be in action as the Texans take on the Titans in Tennessee.
Both teams are firmly out of the playoff picture at 5-8, but this should still be a fun one to watch, if for no other reason than the rematch between Texans wide-out Andre Johnson and Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan.
Amidst Houston's 20-0 trouncing of Tennessee in Week 12, Finnegan sparked up a brawl with Johnson, earning both players ejections and $25,000 fines.
Whether or not the two play nice should have little effect on a game between two equally mediocre teams, though the Texans clearly have the edge on offense with Matt Schaub and NFL rushing leader Arian Foster, who has a 193-yard advantage over Chris Johnson, last season's rushing champ.
Prediction: Texans 28, Titans 20
Atlanta Falcons vs. Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET
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Sunday's slate of afternoon games begins with a bout between two division leaders as the Seattle Seahawks play host to the red-hot Atlanta Falcons.
Matt Ryan and the Falcons currently own a one-game edge over the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South thanks to a sparkling 11-2 record. The 'Hawks, on the other hand, would be out of the picture in any other NFL division with their 6-7 record, but just so happen to play in the dismal NFC West, where their competition is slim to none.
Honestly, this Battle of the Birds shouldn't even be close, with Atlanta's offense having no trouble scoring against Seattle's defense, which yields 25.3 points and 385.2 yards per game—good for second worst in the NFL.
Prediction: Falcons 35, Seahawks 17
New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET
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The New York Jets will be looking to put a number of streaks to a close as they head into Heinz Field to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
A win for Rex Ryan's crew would put an end to New York's two-game skid while bringing the Steelers' four-game win streak to a halt.
History certainly does not favor the Jets in Santonio Holmes' first game back in Pittsburgh, as New York has never won in the Steel City in seven tries.
As such, look for Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger to keep all three streaks rolling and the Steelers atop the AFC North.
Prediction: Steelers 17, Jets 10
Denver Broncos vs. Oakland Raiders, Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET
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A classic match-up with a less-than-classic feel.
The 3-10 Broncos stumble into the McAfee Coliseum to play their second game under interim head coach Eric Studesville, who took over after owner Pat Bowlen fired former offensive guru Josh McDaniels.
Kyle Orton has played surprisingly well for Denver this season, though the team's defense has been nothing short of dismal, ranking 28th overall in the NFL, including 31st against the run.
Such does not bode well for the Broncos against the Raiders, who sport the league's third-best rushing offense, led by Darren McFadden.
At 6-7, Oakland still has a slim shot at winning the division, which should be motivation enough for the Silver and Black to, well, just win.
Prediction: Raiders 24, Broncos 13
Green Bay Packers vs. New England Patriots, Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
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A few weeks ago, a Sunday night game between Green Bay and New England would've looked like a close contest.
Now, with Aaron Rodgers currently questionable to start for the Packers, this rematch of Super Bowl XXXI will likely be far from historically accurate.
It certainly doesn't help Green Bay any that the Pats have been on an absolute tear of late, winning five in a row, including routs in their last three. Tom Brady has led the charge, having thrown for 15 touchdowns in that span, and without a single interception to his name since Week 6.
With Bill Belichick's defense finally on board the winning train, the Pats seem primed for yet another Super Bowl run.
One that the Packers would be hard pressed to slow down this week.
Prediction: Patriots 34, Packers 20
Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings, Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET
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Monday night's match-up between the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings should be an interesting one, if for nothing other than the mounds of mitigating circumstances surrounding the two teams.
Amidst a turbulent season in which head coach Brad Childress was fired and Brett Favre's consecutive starts streak came to an end just three shy of 300, the roof finally caved in...literally.
A blizzard blew through Minneapolis last week, dropping enough snow on top of the aging Metrodome to cause the ceiling to collapse and thereby rendering the stadium unfit for play.
As such, the Bears and the Vikes will play outdoors on Monday night at TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
All of that aside, Minnesota looks to be in bad shape in this one, with rookie quarterback Joe Webb set to start under center following injuries to Favre and backup Tarvaris Jackson.
Thus, the Bears should be able to pull off a win here despite being trounced by the Patriots last week, 36-7.
Prediction: Bears 10, Vikings 9
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