NFL Week 16 Picks: Most Crucial Battles in Playoff Hunt

Week 16 of the NFL season boasts an in-state rivalry, a critical divisional matchup and battle for a wild card spot.

Need I say more?

With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, things are heating up and it's only a matter of time before some playoff contenders are going to get burned.

Here are three playoff hopefuls who will fall in Week 16:

3. San Diego Chargers (7-7)

The Chargers are just too inconsistent for me to trust them, especially against a playoff team like the Detroit Lions fighting for a wild-card spot in the NFC.

Yes, the Chargers have won three straight games, and, yes, they defeated the Baltimore Ravens, but the Ravens simply didn't look awake all game long in Week 15. They did that against the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks this season, too.

The Lions are coming off a big win against the Oakland Raiders, and I expect them to play better than the Chargers in Week 16.

2. Philadelphia Eagles (6-8)

There's a very good chance the Eagles actually prove me wrong against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, but I still don't have enough faith in them to give them a shot.

The Eagles' pass defense and rush defense has been suspect all season long, and despite a 45-19 victory over the New York Jets in Week 15, they are too inconsistent to be trusted.

The inconsistent Cowboys have actually been more consistent than the Eagles...now that's bad.

Plus, this game is being played in Dallas.

1. New York Jets (8-6)

This is a very hard matchup to predict.

Both the Jets and the New York Giants are coming off bad losses, and both have been wildly inconsistent this season.

However, in the end, I think the outcome of this game will be determined by who has the better quarterback, and Eli Manning is better than Mark Sanchez (no matter what Rex Ryan says).

Plus, the Jets have had trouble defending the run this season, so Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw should pose problems.