NFL Picks Week 16: Bold Predictions for Each Game

Last week in the NFL should be christened “Upset Week,” thanks to a few of the most surprising games this season.

But will Week 16 bring even more drama?

A number of teams will be angry and looking for redemption.

The Green Bay Packers are coming off of their first loss of the season. The Indianapolis Colts are coming off their first win. A Baltimore Ravens team that prides itself on defense was annihilated by the San Diego Chargers.

Several teams, such as the New York contingent (Jets and Giants) and the Cincinnati Bengals, are fighting for their playoff lives.

Even if Week 16 is not brimming with upsets, it will certainly be filled with exciting games.

Here are some bold predictions for each NFL game this week.

Houston at Indianapolis

Bold Prediction: Indianapolis will win their second game of the season.

The Indianapolis Colts’ first win of the season came thanks to miscues by their opponent, the Tennessee Titans.

Yes, the Houston Texans have a great defense (top five in the league in pass and rush defense), but they are also mistake-prone.

Both teams are relying on a third-string quarterback, but the Texans will be the team that feels the effects.

The Colts have put an end to the annoying 0-16 talk and can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Quarterback Dan Orlovsky and running back Donald Brown both had big games against the Titans and should have renewed confidence going into their matchup with the Texans.

Houston is coming off a sloppy game in which neither their offense nor defense was clicking. The Texans also hurt themselves committing three turnovers as well as six penalties for 60 yards.

Indianapolis’ win was due in a large part to their opponent's many turnovers and penalties.

Without Matt Schaub to steady the Texans and with the team still disappointed after last week’s loss, it will be difficult to avoid a similar downfall. Arian Foster could enjoy yet another 100-yard rushing game, but it won’t be enough. 

Houston is fading, while Indianapolis has the most confidence it has had all season. Indy takes this one.

Oakland at Kansas City

Bold Prediction: Carson Palmer will throw for at least three touchdowns.

Carson Palmer is prone to extremes.

In his brief career with the Oakland Raiders, the quarterback has thrown three touchdowns in a game once and at least three interceptions in a game three times.

He is due for a breakout performance, and hopefully a good one, as he appears to be settling into the offense in Oakland.

His statistics all season have been erratic, and there is no reason that this game shouldn't follow suit. Fortunately for Palmer, it will be extreme in a good way. 

The Kansas City Chiefs are on a high after handing the Green Bay Packers their first loss of the season. So much of a high that they will not be ready for the Raiders. 

The Chiefs were successful against the Packers because they were able to rush the quarterback. Oakland is allowing less than two sacks per game—good for top 10 in the league.

When Kansas City cannot get to the quarterback, their defense falters. 

Carson Palmer will be given time to throw, and he will connect. He’s due.

Jacksonville at Tennessee

Bold Prediction: Jack Locker will replace Matt Hasselbeck in first quarter.

The Tennessee Titans’ recent struggles have made it clear that it is time for a quarterback change.

What is not clear is why the team has waited so long to commit to the heir apparent. 

Rookie Jake Locker has performed admirably in the brief action he has seen so far this season.

At 7-7, what do the Titans have to lose? 

Hasselbeck is a veteran who should be teaching Locker from the sidelines, not throwing interceptions on the field.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have had an up-and-down season but have shown signs of a strong defense. They are at their best when picking off opposing quarterbacks.

Unfortunately for the Titans, Hasselbeck has been interception-prone this season, throwing 12 picks to go with just 15 touchdowns.

The Jaguars are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Falcons and will be out to prove themselves. 

Tennessee’s loss last week to the previously winless Indianapolis Colts shows just how far the team has fallen. 

The Titans will realize quickly that Hasselbeck cannot get it done for them. Much like the Jaguars at the beginning of this season and the Minnesota Vikings in the middle, Tennessee will hand the reins to their quarterback of the future.

Miami at New England

Bold Prediction: Reggie Bush will have his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game (at least), but New England will win.

It is no secret that the New England Patriots defense is nothing to write home about.

Injuries and a simple lack of talent have combined to create a unit that does not inspire fear in many.

New England’s secondary is their biggest weakness, but their front line is not much better.

The team is allowing almost 120 rushing yards per game, near the bottom of the pack in the NFL.

The Miami Dolphins and Reggie Bush will exploit the Patriots defensive line.

Bush has had three straight 100-yard games. Last week against the Buffalo Bills, he ran for 203 yards on 25 carries.

Bush is finding his stride and turning into the elite back many thought he would be. The Dolphins lean on their running game to take pressure off quarterback Matt Moore, so Bush will get a lot of touches and gain a lot of yards.

Fortunately for the Patriots, though, on the other side of the football, they have Tom Brady.

The Dolphins are not known for lighting up the scoreboard. Before their 23-point explosion last week, Miami had not scored more than 20 points since the first week of the season.

The Patriots are a different story. Even if the defense gives up 150 yards and three touchdowns to Bush, Brady can match him point-for-point and then some.

The Dolphins are giving up almost 250 passing yards per game.

Do you think Brady is aware of that stat? Definitely.

Bush will get his touches, but the Dolphins will be no match for a surging New England team.

Arizona at Cincinnati

Bold Prediction: Cincinnati will keep their playoff hopes alive—if Kevin Kolb starts at quarterback for Arizona.

I don’t get it. Who is John Skelton again?

He played for Fordham University? They have a football team? A real one?

Somehow, the unheralded Skelton is doing what the Arizona Cardinals’ newly acquired quarterback Kevin Kolb couldn’t do—win games.

Skelton is 5-1 as a starter and inspires the kind of confidence and great play in his teammates that Kolb could never bring out.

He’s the Tim Tebow of the southwest, but with some semblance of throwing mechanics. 

If Skelton starts, this game depends on Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green. If Green starts and plays to at least half of his ability, the Bengals and Andy Dalton have the desire to keep their playoff hopes alive another week. 

If Green does not start, then the Red Rifle and the Bengals defense must step up. Arizona has already dismantled the San Francisco 49ers' vaunted defense as well as steadily improving squads for the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. 

Either way, if Kolb starts, the Bengals win the game.

Kolb is 2-6 as the starter in Arizona. His completion percentage has been over 60 just three times. He simply does not have control of the team the way Skelton does. 

The Bengals are young, driven and want more than anything to make the playoffs. But Skelton keeps finding a way to win. The winner of this game is anyone's call.

Denver at Buffalo

Bold Prediction: Tim Tebow will play a complete game.

Just kidding.

Tebow will complete 30 percent of his passes for 37 yards in the first three quarters, then 90 percent of his passes for 5,084 yards in the fourth quarter, breaking Dan Marino’s passing record in one game.

Take that, Drew Brees!

Bold Prediction No. 2: Ryan Fitzpatrick will be forced to pay the entire Buffalo Bills front office after the game to make up for his miserable season.

Not kidding about this one! Well, kind of.

Ryan Fitzpatrick will not be able to right his steadily sinking season against the Denver Broncos.

Everyone knows the story by now, but for those who don’t yet, the Buffalo Bills were so excited to have a semi-serviceable quarterback that they gave Fitzpatrick a six-year, $59 million contract extension at the end of October. 

Through that point in the season, Buffalo was 4-2 and their quarterback was looking like a franchise player. Immediately after receiving the money, however, the Bills won one game, then quickly dropped seven in a row and Fitzpatrick came back to Earth. Hard.

Things will not improve for Buffalo in their game against the Broncos.

Denver’s defense has been stellar in recent weeks. If Fitzpatrick is not aware of this now, he will be after the game. 

Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil have combined for 20 sacks this season and will harass Fitzpatrick all day. 

Somehow, Tim Tebow has inspired the Broncos, and now that the team is knocking on the playoffs’ door, there is no stopping them. 

Buffalo lost everything it had to play for the minute Fitzpatrick inked that contract extension. Denver is playing for redemption, pride, success and all the other things in the world that makes a football team successful.

Just start paying back the money now, Ryan. Before management forces it out of you.

St. Louis at Pittsburgh

Bold Prediction: There will be 25 passes thrown in this game—total.

After watching Ben Roethlisberger’s performance in a Monday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers, it is clear that his ankle is not 100 percent.

Roethlisberger is one of the toughest players in the NFL and will play no matter what, but against a team like the St. Louis Rams, why risk further injury? 

Rams quarterback Sam Bradford might not play at all against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If he does, his sprained ankle does not allow him to plant his feet well enough to make good throws. 

If he doesn’t, recently acquired Kellen Clemmons will have had mere weeks to master the playbook and lead the Rams offense. 

Either way, it is likely that St. Louis will rely mostly on running back Steven Jackson to gain yards.

Yes, the Pittsburgh Steelers would like to be the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed. But it is also likely that they could beat the Rams without a stellar performance from Big Ben.

St. Louis’ passing defense is giving up a respectable 200 passing yards per game. It is their rush defense that needs work, as opponents are gaining more than 150 yards per game on the ground.

Pittsburgh’s running back, Rashard Mendenhall, is still looking to find his stride. Giving him more carries against a weak Rams defense might boost his confidence heading into the playoffs.

Neither team will rely much on passing in this game. The Steelers defense should set the tone early for a grind-it-out affair.

NY Giants at NY Jets

Bold Prediction: The Jets defense will win the game.

Both New York football teams are in an offensive funk.

The New York Jets managed just 241 yards of offense against the Philadelphia Eagles last week.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw for just over 250 yards against the Washington Redskins and had three interceptions for a 45.5 quarterback rating.

Neither team has a potent offense that is simply going through a brief lull. Both squads have a few playmakers but battle inconsistencies and sometimes terrible quarterback play. 

The one thing the Jets have going for them is their defense.

The unit was admittedly horrible against the Eagles, but defense is coach Rex Ryan’s specialty. He will not allow another subpar performance, especially with a trip to the playoffs on the line.

Manning is prone to mistakes. If Darrelle Revis can get an early pick, he could be in Manning’s head for the rest of the game.

The Jets will beat the Giants in this one, but it will not be an offensive spectacle.

Minnesota at Washington

Bold Prediction: Rex Grossman will throw for 250-plus yards and three interceptions.

Rex Grossman, as he often does, will stand out.

Despite his many miscues on the season, Grossman still tries to take shots downfield and throw to receivers in double-coverage. 

Against the Minnesota Vikings, Grossman might have some success. 

The Vikings are almost dead last in the NFL in pass defense. Grossman, who sometimes thinks he is Tom Brady, will surely look to take advantage of that.

Despite the Vikings secondary boasting the lowest number of interceptions per game in the league, they will undoubtedly snag one or two picks against the Washington Redskins.

Against Grossman, it’s hard not to.

Minnesota’s players must be instructed to keep their eyes up at all times. Grossman might be colorblind, as he often throws beautiful passes right into the chest of opposing safeties.

He is rarely dissuaded, however, and continues throwing those spirals downfield, crossing his fingers that a player in a Redskins uniform is somewhere in the vicinity. 

As Adrian Peterson is still nursing an injured ankle and rookie Christian Ponder is still acclimating to the NFL, the Vikings must rely on their defense to win this game. 

Despite Grossman’s three (at least) picks, he will connect on enough passes to keep Washington afloat and win the game.

Tampa Bay at Carolina

Bold Prediction: Cam Newton will throw for 300 yards.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to have given up on the season.

Saddled with much-too-high expectations at the beginning of the year, Tampa Bay has imploded down the stretch.

The Bucs have lost eight in a row and have gotten almost no contributions from quarterback Josh Freeman and the defense. 

In their last three games, Tampa Bay has given up 110 points.

Freeman has not thrown for 200 yards since the middle of November. 

The Carolina Panthers, however, remain competitive. They beat a good Houston Texans team last week and played tight games against the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions.

Cam Newton had a couple of awe-inspiring passing games to begin the season, but since then has cooled off a bit.

This week, expect him to resemble the passer he was in the first few weeks of the season. Having played—and beaten—the Bucs just three weeks ago, Carolina should be familiar with Tampa Bay’s defensive sets.

Steve Smith has had some great games recently, finishing with 125 yards and 82 yards receiving in the past two weeks.

Tampa Bay’s defense is giving up yards all over the place. Both Newton and running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart could have big days.

Cleveland at Baltimore

Bold Prediction: Cover your eyes, Browns fans.

If I were Colt McCoy, I would not want my first game back from a concussion to be against the Baltimore Ravens defense.

Especially not an angry Ravens defense.

Colt should do the right thing and sit, leaving Seneca Wallace to deal with Ray Lewis and company.

After losing an embarrassingly one-sided game to the San Diego Chargers 34-14, Baltimore will come out looking to prove they have not lost a step.

The defense was unable to sack Philip Rivers once last week and will undoubtedly take out their frustration on the unsuspecting Cleveland Browns.

With Ray Lewis as an emotional leader, you can bet that the entire defense will be up for this game.

Against a Cleveland team that is averaging less than 300 yards of total offense per game, Baltimore will deliver.

San Diego at Detroit

Bold Prediction: San Diego’s winning streak will continue.

It’s still December.

That means the San Diego Chargers will keep winning.

The Chargers have won a ridiculous 16 straight games in the month of December, dating back to 2005, when Drew Brees was still their quarterback.

This year is no different. Despite a miserable 4-7 record coming into the month, San Diego has won three straight to make an improbable run at the AFC West title.

Philip Rivers is looking more like an elite quarterback and less like the Rex Grossman clone he had become during the Chargers' six-game losing streak. 

Rivers’ completion percentage has been over 70 and his quarterback rating has been over 120 for the past three games.

Running back Ryan Matthews ran for 90 yards last week, barely snapping his streak of three-straight 110-yard games.

The Detroit Lions have a fairly good team themselves. They are coming off a comeback win against the Oakland Raiders and are still competing for a spot in the playoffs.

However, their lack of a running game and porous rush defense will doom them. As will San Diego’s freakish December record. 

Matthew Stafford is facing a tough Chargers secondary, and without a reliable running back, he will be forced to make too many plays. 

Rivers and San Diego will finish off the month with four straight wins, running their December streak to 17-0.

Philadelphia at Dallas

Bold Prediction: Tony Romo is due for a dip on the Romocoaster.

Okay, fine, I confess.

The main reason I like the Philadelphia Eagles to win this game is because Tony Romo has been playing too well. 

In his last two games, he has seven touchdowns and no interceptions. 

Other than an ugly two-interception performance against the Miami Dolphins during the last week of November, Romo has lasted almost three months without throwing multiple picks in a game. 

What happened to the Tony Romo that had interceptions returned for touchdowns every other week or who fumbled snaps to lose playoff games? 

My theory? He’s coming back in Week 16.

In the past two games, Philadelphia’s defense has begun to resemble the “Dream Team” formed at the beginning of the season. 

The pass-rush is getting to the quarterback, and the secondary is taking away deep throws. 

If Romo is pressured from the opening kickoff, things could get ugly for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Romocoaster has been inching up, up, up for weeks now. Sooner or later, it has to start coming down.

San Francisco at Seattle

Bold Prediction: Seahawks will be shut out.

Despite their three-game winning streak, the Seattle Seahawks will be no match for the San Francisco 49ers this week.

Tarvaris Jackson and Marshawn Lynch have been playing well for Seattle but have not faced a defense as overwhelming as the 49ers in recent weeks.

San Francisco is riding high after their win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Their defense has held opponents to fewer than seven points in five out of their last six games.

Seattle’s offense is not nearly high-powered enough to overcome a top five defense, and they will struggle to move the ball all game.

Chicago at Green Bay

Bold Prediction: Chicago might as well not show up.

Since Jay Cutler broke his thumb on Nov. 20, the Chicago Bears have lost four straight and dropped out of playoff contention. 

Their offense has struggled to score, as running back Matt Forte has also been nursing an injury.

The Green Bay Packers are coming off their first loss of the season.

Despite a 16-0 record being out of reach, the Packers still have the Super Bowl in their sights.

The team is eager to prove that it can regroup following a loss and will undoubtedly look to assert themselves early. 

Aaron Rogers had an uncharacteristically mediocre day last week, completing less than 50 percent of his passes for just 235 yards. 

Green Bay will attack Chicago’s weak passing defense early. The Bears secondary has improved this season but all too often falls prey to big plays.

Rogers will look to throw deep early to establish chemistry with other receivers, given Greg Jennings’ injury. 

This game will not be close. Chicago is just waiting for the season to end. Green Bay has something to prove.

Atlanta at New Orleans

Bold Prediction: Drew Brees will break Dan Marino’s passing record.

The New Orleans Saints are on a roll.

The team has won six straight games, scoring fewer than 25 points just once during their streak.

Drew Brees has been one of the biggest reasons for the Saints’ success.

The quarterback has just one interception in the last six games to go along with 18 touchdowns. He has thrown for less than 300 yards only once. 

Dan Marino, say goodbye to your record for most passing yards in a season.

Against an Atlanta Falcons defense that is allowing 230 passing yards per game, Brees and the Saints will get it done. 

Atlanta is clicking on offense, and receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White have finally found their stride.

But the way Brees has been playing, nothing will stop him. History will be made.