NFL Week 15 Picks: Quick Predictions for the Week's Marquee Matchups

With playoff berths on the line, Week 15 features four contests that may ultimately determine which teams are in and which teams are out and who wins their respective divisions. 

From high-stakes contests between two of the NFL's best teams to a must-win conference matchup, these four games are the most compelling of the week.

Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

If the Dallas Cowboys want to make the postseason, they'll have to do it without star running back DeMarco Murray, who is out for the season after suffering a broken right ankle in Week 14.

But, losing Murray is just one of the Cowboys issues. Dallas continues to make the kinds of little mistakes that add up to a losing effort, and they're going to have to turn this trend around against the slumping Tampa Bay Buccaneers if they have any shot of making the playoffs.

If the Cowboys cannot produce a convincing defeat of the Buccaneers, who have lost seven straight games and have one of the league's weakest defenses, then there is little chance that they can overtake the New York Giants for control of the NFC East or secure a Wild Card berth.

I see the Cowboys handily defeating the Buccaneers on Saturday night, simply because Dallas is the overall superior team. However, there are ways they can lose this contest. If they cannot divest themselves of the little errors that have cost them games all season long, then it's not going to be such an easy go this week.

With the playoffs on the line, Dallas should manage a convincing win, but don't count out Tampa Bay, who could play the role of spoiler on Saturday.

Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers

If the San Diego Chargers want to salvage their season, they're going to need wins. The 6-7 squad entered the season as Super Bowl favorites, and now they're not likely to make the playoffs.

However, a major win over the Baltimore Ravens this week would do wonders for team morale, and it's certain they're going to be playing hard on Sunday night in hopes of ending the season at .500 or better.

The Ravens are in control of the AFC North, but that can change this week should they fall to the Chargers. Though they posses the league's toughest defense, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has proven in the past that such defenses don't faze him—though, for what it's worth, not so much this season.

All Baltimore has to do is stop the Chargers run game, force Rivers to throw and hope he continues to make the mistakes he has throughout the season; his ill-timed and poorly-thrown passes resulted in him throwing a career-high 17 interceptions.

On offense, the Ravens need to rely more on their running game behind Ray Rice more than the arm of quarterback Joe Flacco. Exploiting San Diego's weakness against the run should nab Baltimore a victory in what should be a very close game.

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos

The New England Patriots are the first real challenging team that the Tim Tebow-era Denver Broncos will face this year, and it's hard to predict just how this game will play out.

The Patriots offense, led by quarterback Tom Brady, is one of the most productive in the league. Brady is averaging 328.7 passing yards per game and has thrown 33 touchdowns to 11 interceptions this season.

This high-scoring aerial attack should be enough to force the Broncos' Tebow to have to play from significantly behind, and while he's assisted his team in a number of late comebacks this year, they might just be too far behind to catch up.

But the Broncos have one of the strongest defenses in the NFL and they're only getting stronger, and if they can manage a way to hold Brady below 200 yards (a feat accomplished just once this season), then the Denver offense has a good chance to build a lead of their own.

This is especially true when one considers that Patriots defense. It's giving up 308.7 passing yards on average per game. Though Tebow hasn't come close to throwing for that high of yardage this season, it does present him a unique opportunity to throw the ball more, which could either help the Broncos' bottom line or ultimately sink them.

I see the Patriots besting the Broncos by a significant margin. However, I wouldn't be surprised if a combination of Denver's tough defense—which has notched 868 tackles and 37 sacks so far this year—containing Brady plus the offense's signature come-from-behind skills put the Broncos over the top in the final seconds.

You know, if the trend continues, which it very well could.

Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers

On Monday night, two of the NFL's most brutal defenses meet, and it could determine both teams' playoff positioning.

The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers. Both teams are 10-3, but only San Francisco has clinched itself a playoff spot. The Niners need wins if they want to secure a first-round bye, and the Steelers need a win simply to remain competitive in the AFC playoff picture.

Already beaten by the Baltimore Ravens (another AFC North team), the San Francisco 49ers will need to do a better job of protecting quarterback Alex Smith, who was sacked five times in his team's Week 14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and a whopping nine times when the team met the Ravens on Thanksgiving night.

That pressure should make all the difference again in this game, but there's also the issue of the Niners' tough defense to consider as well.

They have the most interceptions and forced fumbles of any squad in the league and this Monday night will be seeing the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger, who suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 14 that could see him making strange throws depending on his level of discomfort.

If they can pressure Roethlisberger into making errors, turnovers could make all the difference in this contest. If the Niners can force more than a single Steelers turnover, then they have a better chance of winning.

I believe the Steelers will be able to beat San Francisco this week, but it's not going to be easy. It's not a given, either—it will come down to which offense can make the fewer errors and which defense is truly the most dominant.

While I say the Steelers come out on top in both categories, the 49ers are a strong, well-balanced team, and with a close-scoring game likely, I give Pittsburgh just a slight edge in this contest.