NFL Week 16 Predictions: 25 Bold Predictions for This Week's Games

Week 16 of the 2011 National Football League season is upon us, and while that means that the regular season is rapidly nearing its end, there's still plenty of time for surprises, as last week's win by the Indianapolis Colts and loss by the Green Bay Packers clearly demonstrated.

I, of course, predicted neither of those, but I've never let little things like being consistently, completely, utterly wrong dissuade me from making a fool of myself. So in that spirit, here's a look at 25 bold predictions for Week 16's action.

1. Arian Foster and Ben Tate Will Both Top 100 Rushing Yards

After falling to the Carolina Panthers a week ago, the Houston Texans will come out looking to pound the proverbial rock against the Indianapolis Colts. Both running back Arian Foster and backup Ben Tate will top the century mark as the Texans roll over the Colts.

2. Ray Rice Will Gash the Browns for 200 Yards...Again

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice racked up 204 rushing yards against the Cleveland Browns in Week 12. With top wide receiver Anquan Boldin sidelined by a knee injury, the Ravens will feature a run-heavy game plan that will open the door to a second straight 200-plus yard game from the fourth-year pro.

3. The Baltimore Ravens Will Shut Out the Cleveland Browns

You'd think that a Cleveland fan would grow weary of predicting that the Browns will get shut out, but going up against an angry Ravens team after getting smoked by the San Diego Chargers, the Seneca Wallace-led Browns are going to be hard pressed to do anything on offense.

4. Tim Tebow Will Score Four Touchdowns

Tim Tebow will present his legion of fans with an early Christmas present Saturday afternoon, as the Denver Broncos quarterback will throw for two scores and run for two more, as the Broncos pummel the Buffalo Bills.

5. Von Miller Will Rack Up Three Sacks

Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller has performed as advertised in the National Football League, amassing 11.5 sacks so far in his rookie season. The former Texas A&M star will add to that total by getting to Buffalo Bills signal-caller Ryan Fitzpatrick three times Saturday.

6. Raheem Morris Will Explode Saturday...Literally

It's been a very long, very disappointing season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the year will hit a new low Saturday when head coach Raheem Morris becomes so frustrated by his team's poor play that he spontaneously combusts on the sideline.

7. Cam Newton Will Explode Too

Unlike Morris, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton will do his exploding on the field against the Buccaneers this week, throwing for over 300 yards for the first time since Week 4 in a Panthers victory.

8. The Arizona Cardinals' Playoff Dreams Will Die in Cincinnati

The Arizona Cardinals have won six-of-seven games to claw their way back into the playoff hunt in the NFC, but traveling east to play an early game this week against the Cincinnati Bengals will prove to be the straw that broke the Redbirds' playoff backs.

9. Romeo's Boys Will Continue Their Romance Against the Raiders

Interim head coach Romeo Crennel led the Kansas City Chiefs to a shocking win over the Green Bay Packers last week, and Kansas City will come out swinging again Saturday at home against the hated Oakland Raiders.

10. Glenn Dorsey Will Score a Touchdown

Talk about going big with a prediction.

Not only will the 6'2", 316-pound defensive lineman for the Chiefs intercept a deflected Carson Palmer pass against the Raiders, but the fourth-year veteran will rumble 30 yards for a touchdown in a Kansas City victory.

11. The Miami Dolphins Will Shock the New England Patriots

The Miami Dolphins will deal the New England Patriots chances of locking up the AFC's top playoff seed a blow Saturday, shocking the Patriots in Foxboro in a game that will come down to the last two minutes.

12. Matt Moore Will Throw for 350 Yards and Three Touchdowns

A big part of the credit for the Miami Dolphins' upset of the New England Patriots will lie with quarterback Matt Moore, as the fifth-year veteran will pick apart a leaky New England secondary to the tune of 350 passing yards and a trio of scoring strikes.

13. The G-Men Will Win the Battle of New York

The shortest road trip in the history of the National Football League will be a successful one for the New York Giants, as the G-Men will keep their fading playoff hopes alive with a close win over the New York Jets Saturday.

14. Darrelle Revis Will Get Burned...Twice

Saturday's loss to the New York Giants will be a game that Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis would as soon forget, as the Pro Bowl defensive back will allow a red-zone score to wide receiver Hakeem Nicks and get burned on a long bomb to Victor Cruz.

15. The St. Louis Rams Will Down the Pittsburgh Steelers

In what will go down as one of the ugliest games of the 2011 season, the Charlie Batch-led Pittsburgh Steelers will drop their second straight game, this time to the lowly St. Louis Rams in a contest in which neither team crosses the goal line on offense.

16. Maurice Jones-Drew Will Keep the Tennessee Titans Reeling

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew won't let the Tennessee Titans forget about their loss to the previously winless Indianapolis Colts a week ago, as Jones-Drew will rush for over 150 yards as the Jaguars become the second straight bad team to beat the Titans.

17. The Vikings/Redskins Game Will Be Cancelled

This week will mark a first in the National Football League, as the contest between the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings will be cancelled when it is discovered that not one soul on the face of the Earth cares about this game even a little bit.

Except Mike Shanahan, and we all know he has no soul.

18. The San Diego Chargers Will Keep on Rolling

There may well be no hotter team in the NFL than the San Diego Chargers, and that hot streak will continue when Philip Rivers and the boys roll into the Motor City and down the Detroit Lions in one of Week 16's better matchups.

19. Calvin Johnson Will Pull Another Vanishing Act

After erupting for over 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Oakland Raiders last week, Detroit Lions wideout Calvin Johnson will be held in check by the San Diego Chargers' sixth-ranked pass defense, catching five or fewer passes for less than 50 yards.

20. The Philadelphia Eagles Will Keep Hope Alive

Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles will both keep their slim playoff hopes alive, and all but dash those of an NFC East rival, beating the Dallas Cowboys by two touchdowns in a game that will beg the question of where the hell the Eagles were in the first half of the 2011 season.

21. Tony Romo Will Have Another December Debacle

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is well known for his struggles in the month of December. With the Dallas run game decimated by injuries, another turnover-filled Yuletide Ro-meltdown will all but quash any hopes Jerruh's Boys have of making the playoffs.

22. Skittles Will Rain Down in Seattle

The Seattle Seahawks have reeled off three straight victories and have an outside shot at making the playoffs. Behind the beastly running of Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks will make it four wins in a row with an upset of the division champion San Francisco 49ers.

23. The Green Bay Packers Will Lose Two Games in a Row...

...at some point in the future, say in 2013 or so.

It's not happening this week though, as an angry Packers team, coming off their first loss of the season, will take their frustrations out on Christmas Night against a Chicago Bears squad that has been ravaged by injuries on offense.

24. Drew Brees Will Break Dan Marino's Yardage Record Monday Night

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees needs 305 yards to break the NFL record for passing yards in a season. With the Saints in a dogfight for the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, Brees won't waste any time hitting that milestone against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night.

25. Everyone Will Have a Merry Christmas

If there's a single prediction I get right this week, I hope it's this one.

Have a safe and Merry Christmas everyone!