NFL Picks Week 16: Predicting Each Winner and Who Will Get the Game Ball

Week 16 is upon us, which means there are just two weeks remaining in the NFL regular season. 

These last two weeks of the season are often the most exciting, as many teams' playoff fates are decided through numerous wins and losses.

While seven teams have already clinched the playoffs, many more—like the Cowboys, Falcons, Lions, Jets and Giants, as well as a few others—are still hunting.

For these teams, Weeks 16 games will be very crucial. 

On top of that, things like first-round byes and home-field advantage are still up for grabs to those who have clinched.

Ahead are projected Week 16 picks and game-ball recipients.

Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts

Obviously, this game already took place on Thursday night, and the Colts prevailed by scoring a last-minute touchdown to pull of the 19-16 victory.

In a slow offensive game by both teams, the Colts made it to the red zone five times before finally converting on their last try.

The Texans' one and only touchdown came on their first drive of the game, and the rest of the contest consisted of field goals.

Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne had a huge game, catching eight passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, but he gave the game ball to quarterback Dan Orlovsky after Orlovsky completed 60 percent of his passes and threw the game-winning touchdown. 

The win for the Colts put their chance for the No. 1 draft pick up in the air, and the loss for the Texans could ultimately cost them their first-round bye.

Denver Broncos @ Buffalo Bills

Coming off of a six-game win streak, Denver finally lost a game last week to the New England Patriots. This week, the Broncos head to Buffalo to take on the Bills and work on keeping their playoff dreams alive.

Meanwhile, the Bills are on a downward spiral that just keeps spiraling, losing their last seven straight. Hampered by injuries, the Bills have been downright awful since starting off the season in a promising fashion.

A win for the Broncos paired with a loss by the Raiders would clinch the division for Denver and guarantee them a spot in the playoffs.

Expect to see the Broncos come out victorious in this one and the game ball go to Tim Tebow.

Because let's be honest: We know that's who they'll give it to.

Arizona Cardinals @ Cincinnati Bengals

Playing the Cardinals at home on Saturday, the Bengals have little margin for error in order to keep their playoff chances alive. 

The way things stand, if the Bengals can beat the Cardinals, then they will still be in position to earn an AFC wild-card spot.

On the other hand, the Cardinals are on a four-game hot streak and have playoff hopes of their own. After going 1-6 in their first seven games, the Cardinals have since won six out of their last seven games.

The Cardinal's playoff chances are slimmer than those of the Bengals, but if Arizona wins out, they have an outside shot of making it in as well.

With the Bengals playing at home, give them the edge on Saturday. However, Dalton's favorite target, A.J. Green, is still not 100 percent, so they will have to run the ball in order to get the win.

Therefore, this week's game ball will go to Bengals running back Cedric Benson.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans

The Titans' game this Sunday is at home against the 4-7 Jacksonville Jaguars.

With the Titans' still holding on to slim playoff hopes, this would seem like a good matchup for Tennessee to have.  

However, on a two-game losing streak, after losing again last week to the Colts and giving them their first win of the season, no victory is an easy victory for the Titans.

Despite losing quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in the fourth quarter of last week's game, the Titans will have their starter back this week.

Tennessee is definitely the favorite to win, but they will need to get a lot from running back Chris Johnson and be successful at shutting down Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew.

Look for Chris Johnson—who's run only for 78 yards in the last two games—to pick things back up yet again, and lead his team to victory and capture game-ball honors.

Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs

This AFC West battle could prove to be a critical game, as the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs are both still in the chase for a playoff spot.

The Raiders are in the midst of battling multiple injuries and coming off of a three-game losing streak, while the Chiefs just won their biggest game of the year last week, beating the then-undefeated Green Bay Packers.

Playing at home and with momentum on its side, Kansas City will win this game, and the game ball will go to quarterback Kyle Orton. 

Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots

With home games against 5-9 Miami and 5-9 Buffalo remaining on the schedule for the New England Patriots, it seems all but guaranteed that they will clinch the No. 1 spot in the AFC.

On a six-game win streak and having lost just one game at home all year, the Patriots are definitely the favorites to win this Saturday against the Dolphins.

To prevent a major upset, the Patriots are going to need their usual stellar performances from quarterback Tom Brady and offensive threats Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski.

But more importantly, their defense is going to need someone to step up and fill the void of the teams' leading pass rusher, Andre Carter, who suffered a season-ending injury last week.

As we all know, this time of the year is Tom Brady time. Watch the two-time NFL MVP lead his team to victory on Saturday and earn himself game-ball honors.

New York Giants @ New York Jets

The Giants and Jets will play one of the bigger games of the weekend, with both New York teams battling for playoff spots and lots of trash talk surrounding the game.

The loser of this game will see their postseason chances all but whisped away, while the winner could gain a significant boost.

The Giants have not looked good as of late, losing five of their last six games, while the Jets are 3-1 in their last four.

However, the Jets are coming off of a tough loss last week in which the Eagles put a 45-19 whooping on them in Philadelphia.

This game is going to be a battle that comes down to which team is the most prepared and focused and makes the fewest number of errors.

Between Eli Manning and Mark Sanchez, I'll take Manning and give his team the victory and him the game ball.

St. Louis Rams @ Pittsburgh Steelers

On Saturday, the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have already clinched their playoff spot, will take on the dismal, 2-12 St. Louis Rams.

While the Rams offense has certainly no competition to offer the Steelers defense, the playing field could be leveled a little if Pittsburgh is forced to play without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

There is a good chance Roethlisberger will not play on Sunday, as he has a high ankle sprain which did not bode well for his play on Monday night.

The Steelers seemed to have control of the AFC before losing to San Francisco on Monday, but now these next couple of games will be crucial to whether or not they get home-field advantage.

Even without Roethlisberger, the Steelers can pull off a win, led by their defense and linebacker James Harrison, who returns this week after serving a one-game suspension.

Look for Harrison to return with fire and rattle off a couple of sacks on Sam Bradford on his way to earning the game ball. 

Minnesota Vikings @ Washington Redskins

In a game that really doesn't matter, the only people who will care about result are Viking fans and Redskin fans.

And chances are, both teams' fans will be cheering for the opposing team as they battle it out for a better position in the 2012 NFL Draft.

For the fun of it, we'll still make a prediction and say that Minnesota pulls off their third victory of the season, beating the Redskins at home.  

Running back Adrian Peterson will lead the way for the Vikings as he insists on playing for his love of the game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers

In another game that doesn't matter, the storyline for Tampa Bay at Carolina will be Cam Newton's quest to break the NFL's all-time rookie passing record. 

With Newton just 17 yards away from the record held by Peyton Manning, there is a good chance that the rookie will not only break the record, but shatter it.

Averaging almost 266 passing yards a game, Newton should have the record broken on the Panther's first drive.

There is a chance that Tampa could pose a small challenge, but playing at home, Newton will guide his team to the win.

Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have a game at home on Saturday against the 4-10 Cleveland Browns and therefore an opportunity to give themselves a big boost in securing their first-round bye.

The Ravens, who have not lost at home yet this season, have also won their last seven games against the Browns.

Second in the league in sacks, led by Terrell Suggs and his 13, the Ravens will disrupt the Browns offense all game and attack their quarterback. 

San Diego Chargers @ Detroit Lions

After losing six straight, the Chargers are currently on a hot, three-game winning streak, in which they have beaten every opponent by 20 points or more.  

On Saturday, they head to Detroit to play the 9-5 Lions, who are on a mission to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.

With a home game against San Diego and an away game against Green Bay left on the schedule, the Lions need just one more win to clinch the postseason.

But, San Diego is on a playoff hunt of its own. Trailing the AFC West leader, Denver, by one game, the Chargers need all the wins they can get to keep their playoff chances alive.

Last week, Calvin "Megatron" Johnson came alive again for the Lions, catching nine passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns.

Having played his whole career with the Lions, Johnson should step up big again this week and finally get the franchise back in the postseason.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles both have one thing in common going into Saturday: They're both rooting for the Jets to beat the Giants.

The Cowboys currently have a one-game lead over the New York Giants in the NFC East, so if the Giants lose and the Cowboys beat the Eagles, then Dallas will clinch a playoff birth.

The Eagles, on the other hand, need a few things to happen in order to land in the playoffs. First, they need the Giants to lose, then they have to win out, beating the Cowboys and the Redskins, and then they need the Giants to beat Dallas in Week 17.

While the Cowboys control their own fate, the Eagles obviously need a lot more factors to go in their favor, but without a win Saturday, either team's fate could be sealed.

Although this game will definitely be a battle, look for the Eagles to pull the upset, led by quarterback Michael Vick.

Earlier this season against the Cowboys, Vick finished with a passer rating of 129.9, throwing for 279 yards and two touchdowns.

San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks

The San Francisco 49ers are 11-3 and currently competing with the New Orleans Saints for second place in the NFC and a first-round bye.

Saturday, the 49ers travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks, who are also in tight battle to keep their own playoff chances alive.

While the 49ers will face a large challenge trying to stop Seahawks' running back Marshawn Lynch, it will be difficult for Seattle's offense to compete with San Francisco's defense.

The 49ers defense has not a allowed a rushing touchdown all year and averages almost 2.5 turnovers a game.

Rookie linebacker Aldon Smith has been great all season and will put pressure on quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. After recording 2.5 sacks against the Steelers last week, Smith will again continue his dominance and earn the game ball.

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

The Chicago Bears go on the road this week for an NFC North battle against the Green Bay Packers.

While the Bears still have a small shot at the playoffs, they have gone 0-4 since losing quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte.

Though the Packers are battling a few injuries of their own and coming off of a tough loss, it is still unlikely that the Bears will have what it takes to beat them.

Even if Aaron Rodgers does not play the whole game, backup quarterback Matt Flynn has enough to get the job done.

It's hard to say how many minutes everyone will play, but Aaron Rodgers is always a good choice for game MVP.

Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints

The Saints-Falcons game will be another battle come Saturday.

The New Orleans Saints have already earned a spot in the postseason and will now battle it out these last few weeks with the San Francisco 49ers for a first-round bye.

The Falcons are currently on the outside looking in, but need to win just one game to get in.

It is unlikely that Drew Brees will allow his team to drop a game as important as this at home.

Therefore, look for him to lead the high-powered offense and guide the Saints to a win.