NFL Picks Week 16: Crystal Ball Projections for Saturday's Games

NFL football on Christmas Eve—anything better?

Not with my family.  

A perfect way to spend the holidays, right?

Here, I'll give predictions at all of Saturday's game, many of which have playoff implications. 

Oakland at Kansas City 

The Chiefs are riding high after their stunning upset of the defending Super Bowl champion Packers. You think Todd Haley regrets not starting Kyle Orton immediately after he was signed?

I do.

The Raiders are regressing both on offense and defense, and they were given word that Darren McFadden is done for the year. The clubs are going in different directions.

I see Orton leading the Chiefs to another huge win in front of what should be a raucous Arrowhead Stadium crowd.

Jacksonville at Tennessee 

What happened to the Titans in Week 15?

They had a fantastic opportunity to jump into the AFC playoffs, and they were beat down in nearly every phase of the game by the winless Colts.

Yikes.

They should get back on track against an almost equally as inept Jaguars team at home. Mike Munchak, please start Jake Locker. He's the future, and he has been great in his two recent relief appearances. Titans win in a close one.

Miami at New England 

This game will be scary for the Patriots.

Although I don't doubt Tom Brady for a second, the Dolphins are a much-improved club and should be able to exploit New England's horrendous defense with a steady dose of Reggie Bush and Brandon Marshall.

The loss of Andre Carter is a major blow for the Pats. We'll have an old-school AFC East slugfest, with Bill Belichick's club pulling it out late in front of their home crowd.

Arizona at Cincinnati 

The Cardinals have won four straight.

Really?

Yes, really, and two of those victories came against the Cowboys and 49ers. Another game that should be tightly contested. I could be wrong in my analysis of him, but I'm not nearly as high on Andy Dalton as everyone else is.

He was mostly ineffective against a brutal Rams defense last week and will have similar problems against a superior Arizona defense.

This contest will come down to the big plays of Larry Fitzgerald and A.J. Green. One of my upsets of the week. 

Denver at Buffalo 

The Broncos are the league's top run offense, and Buffalo allowed over 200 yards to Reggie Bush last week.

Denver's defense was exploited by Tom Brady in Week 15, and don't be surprised to see C.J. Spiller continue his progression as a Bush-type player who can contribute on the ground as well as in the passing game.

In the end, the Bills offensive struggles have come from a lack of pass protection from Ryan Fitzpatrick, and we all know about Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil. The Broncos continue Buffalo's losing streak in a close one.

St. Louis at Pittsburgh

There's a chance Big Ben won't suit up for this one, with the Steelers already eyeing the playoffs. It won't matter.

The Rams are incredibly banged up and don't have the offensive firepower to move the ball consistently against Pittsburgh's defense that'll get James Harrison back from suspension.

A laugher in the Steel City.

New York Giants at New York Jets 

One of NYC's teams will come out of this one majorly disappointed with an unrelenting media firestorm awaiting.

Both teams are wildly inconsistent, looking like a Super Bowl-caliber club one week, then a cellar dweller the next.

It'll come down to quarterback play, and I'm taking Eli Manning with his ultra-talented group of wideouts.

No drops, Hakeem Nicks. 

Minnesota at Washington

One of the few games that has no bearing on the playoffs.

The Redskins are coming off a season sweep of the rival Giants, and with time, Rex Grossman can be a semi-competent quarterback.

Don't forget about Roy Helu, either; he's a factor in both the run and passing game. The Vikings are downright awful with no real game-changer on defense outside of Jared Allen. Redskins at home by a touchdown or two. 

Tampa Bay at Carolina 

Cam Newton should all but wrap up the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in this game, if he hasn't already done so.

The Buccaneers have been victimized by nearly every quarterback they've faced during there appalling eight-game losing streak, and the Panthers played their most complete game of the year last week in their win against the Texans in Houston.

Three touchdowns for Newton en route to victory. 

Cleveland at Baltimore 

Remember Ray Rice's 29-carry, 204-yard performance against the Browns in Cleveland a few weeks ago?

I don't know if he accumulates that much ground yardage in this one, but expect him to receive a similar amount of carries.

An angry Ravens defense is never a good thing for an opponent, and after they were humiliated on Sunday night against the Chargers, they'll be eager to bounce back against a pedestrian Cleveland club.

San Diego at Detroit 

Two eerily similar teams.

Both have dynamic offensive weapons and somewhat inconsistent defenses. Look for this to be a Matt Stafford-to-Calvin Johnson and Philip Rivers-to-Vincent show.

Lots of offense with both teams fighting for one of the final playoff spots in their respect conferences. I like Detroit at home in their biggest game in ages. 

Philadelphia at Dallas 

Tough to call this one. The Eagles looked like the team we thought they'd be all season in their rout of the Jets on Sunday.

The Cowboys took care of a poor Buccaneers club on Saturday. Something's got to give. My second upset pick of the week.

Whenever LeSean McCoy is given more than 20 carries, I like the Eagles' chances, and they do that this week in a win that utterly devastates an up-and-down Cowboys club. 

San Francisco at Seattle 

The Seahawks have won five of their last six, and the 49ers just beat down the Steelers on Monday Night Football. Suddenly, this game has some intrigue.

Marshawn Lynch should have more success against the San Fran defense that you'd initially expect, and we know how incredibly tough it is to win inside Qwest Field, regardless of the Seahawks record.

This game goes down to the final minutes, with a Tarvaris Jackson turnover being the difference.