The Dallas Cowboys made a huge statement of intent Sunday night as they blasted the Philadelphia Eagles 38-27 to take control of the NFC East. They will look to stretch their lead even further and bolster their playoff credentials when they face the Indianapolis Colts this coming Sunday in a marquee clash between division leaders.
This much-anticipated matchup is part of an entertaining 16-game schedule which includes a crucial NFC West showdown between Arizona and Seattle and a pivotal clash between Denver and Cincinnati. Read on below for our complete Week 16 predictions as we draw ever closer to the start of the 2014-15 NFL Playoffs.
[sc:Football ]
Complete NFL Week 16 Picks
Thursday, December 18
Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (8:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Jaguars -3
[sc:NFL240banner ]Tennessee’s losing woes continued on Sunday as they stumbled to their eighth consecutive defeat, this time losing to the New York Jets. They have now lost 11 of their last 12 games, making this the worst losing skid for the Titans ever since relocating to Tennessee from Houston back in 1997.
They can snap their losing rut this coming Sunday when they face fellow strugglers Jacksonville in a battle of slumping teams. It won’t be that easy, though, as the Jaguars are 3-2 in their last five meetings with the Titans at EverBank Field.
Saturday, December 20
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins (4:30 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Eagles -8.5
Philadelphia’s playoff aspirations are hanging in the balance after they were thrashed by the Dallas Cowboys 38-27 to lose their grip in the NFC East division race. As unthinkable as it sounds, the Eagles will miss the playoffs if the postseason started right now.
Luckily for the Eagles, they have two more games to salvage their season. That starts this coming Sunday when they face the Washington Redskins who are in the midst of a six-game tailspin. Part of the reason behind their struggles are their failings on the defensive end. They have allowed 26.4 points per game this season, sixth-worst in the NFL.
San Diego Chargers vs. San Francisco 49ers (8:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Chargers +2.5
Things are going from bad to worse for coach Jim Harbaugh and the rest of the San Francisco 49ers. They lost to Seattle 17-7 Sunday, thus eliminating them from the playoff race. It is the first time in Harbaugh’s four-year tenure that the 49ers will not see postseason action in January.
It’s also the first time that the 49ers have lost three straight games with Harbaugh at the helm. They would want nothing less than to snap their losing rut this coming Sunday against the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers, like the 49ers, are losing some steam heading into the homestretch. They have lost their last two games but they will be buoyed by their recent record against San Francisco. They are 3-0 in their last three meetings with the 49ers.
Sunday, December 21
Minnesota Vikings vs. Miami Dolphins (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Vikings +6.5
The Minnesota Vikings may have started the season very poorly but they sure are finishing it strong. The Detroit Lions can attest to that fact after they survived a major scare from the Vikings, winning 16-14 in nerve-wracking fashion Sunday. Leading the way for the Vikings once again is Teddy Bridgewater who’s playing beyond his years in his rookie season for the club. He completed 31 of 41 passes for 315 yards and a touchdown against Detroit. The Vikings are 4-3 in Bridgewater’s last seven starts.
Bridgewater and the Vikings take on the slumping Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins’ playoff dreams are all but over after a 41-13 defeat to the New England Patriots. Still, Miami’s fourth-ranked passing defnese (209.2 yards allowed per game) may prove problematic for the Vikings’ rookie quarterback.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Ravens -5.5
Defense was the name of the game for Baltimore Sunday as they edged past Jacksonville 20-12 in a tight and nervy affair. The Jaguars were still up 12-10 at the halftime break but the Ravens’ vaunted defense made sure they will keep pace in the congested AFC North race as they blanked Jacksonville in the final 30 minutes to grab the all-important victory.
They will fancy their chances of extending their winning streak to three games when they travel to Houston to face the Texans. They are 7-1 all-time against Houston in their eight meetings with the Texans franchise.
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick:Lions -7
Jay Cutler’s horrible season took a turn for the worse Monday night as the Chicago Bears succumbed to the New Orleans Saints in a marquee Monday night clash. Cutler threw three interceptions for the Bears who dropped to 2-5 at home this season.
It won’t get any easier for them this coming Sunday as they host the red-hot Detroit Lions. The Lions are on top of the NFC North once again after squeaking past the Minnesota Vikings, 16-14.
Cleveland Browns vs. Carolina Panthers (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick:Panthers
Johnny Manziel’s first NFL start didn’t go exactly as planned as he was humiliated in grand fashion by the Cincinnati Bengals 30-0 in a pivotal AFC North showdown Sunday. Manziel completed 10 of 18 passes for 80 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions as he found the going tough against a relentless Cincinnati defense.
He may have a much better performance against the 5-8-1 Carolina. The Panthers are back in the running for the NFC South title after their 19-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday. Derek Anderson carried the offensive cudgels for the Panthers in the absence of Cam Newton, completing 25 of 40 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown to send Carolina to a half-game lead over the New Orleans Saints in the division.
Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick:Packers -10.5
Wouldn’t you know it? Aaron Rodgers is human after all. The former Super Bowl MVP had his worst performance of the season, completing just 17 of 42 passes for 185 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions as the Packers stumbled to a 21-13 defeat to the Buffalo Bills Sunday.
Rodgers is due for a big game going against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers which is 10th-worst in the NFL in passing defense this season, allowing 250.4 yards per game. In fact, the Bucs allowed a total of 269 passing yards against Carolina. Definitely not good considering that came against unheralded quarterback Derek Anderson.
Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick:Saints -6
The New Orleans Saints regained sole possession of first place in the relatively weak NFC South as they thrashed the hapless Chicago Bears, 31-15, Monday night. Drew Brees was the star of the show for the Saints as he tied Peyton Manning’s record of 46 300-yard, three-touchdown games.
The Saints will be in a dogfight, however, when they face the Atlanta Falcons who are just one game back in the team standings at 5-9. A main concern for the Saints is that they are 0-4 in their last four games at the Superdome.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick:Steelers -3
For the first time in three years, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a winning season after they roared past the Atlanta Falcons 27-20 to go 9-5 for the season with two games remaining in the schedule. Ben Roethlisberger was simply unstoppable, completing 27 of 35 passes for 360 yards to record his eighth 300-yard game of the season.
Roethlisberger will have a fight ahead of him this coming Sunday. Lying in wait are the Kansas City Chiefs whose secondary is second-best in the NFL in passing defense, allowing 199.2 yards per game this season.
New England Patriots vs. New York Jets (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Patriots -10.5
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots made history Sunday as they became the first team in NFL history to win 11 division titles in 12 years following their 41-13 conquest of the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots were exceptional, particularly in the third quarter where they scored a record 24 points to finally snap their two-game losing streak to the Dolphins.
The Patriots have a chance to extend their winning streak to three games when they face the struggling New York Jets. They will fancy their chances of doing just that as they are 6-1 in their last seven games with the Jets.
New York Giants vs. St. Louis Rams (4:05 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Giants +5
It may already be a lost season for the New York Giants but the future looks definitely bright for them especially with the way Odell Beckham is playing right now. The rookie wide receiver was in scintillating form Sunday against the Washington Redskins, catching three touchdown passes to power the Giants to a comfortable 24-13 victory.
That’s also good news for Eli Manning who looks like he still has a future with the club after struggling for most of the season with the Giants’ new West Coast offense. They can further test their burgeoning partnership this coming Sunday when they face the St. Louis Rams. They will face a tall task, though, as the Rams have allowed a total of 12 points in their last three outings.
Buffalo Bills vs. Oakland Raiders (4:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Raiders +6
Buffalo’s playoff dreams are very much intact after they shocked the streaking Green Bay Packers 21-13 in a stunning upset Sunday. One week after holding Peyton Manning to a 56.9 passer rating – his lowest since 2008 – the Bills stifled another future Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers who only managed to put up a 34.3 passer rating, the worst of his career.
The Bills are in prime position to bolster their postseason chances even further when they face the Oakland Raiders this coming Sunday. Even though the Raiders carry an atrocious 2-12 record this season, they have won their last two games at O.co Coliseum.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Dallas Cowboys (4:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Cowboys -3
The Dallas Cowboys staked a major claim in the race to win the NFC East title after they dismantled the Philadelphia Eagles 38-27 in a pivotal division clash Sunday night. Dez Bryant was the star of the show as he caught a career-best three touchdown passes to help Dallas move one game clear of Philadelphia in the hotly-contested division race.
They will look to stretch their advantage even further when they host the Indianapolis Colts in a battle of division leaders. The Colts have recovered nicely from their defeat last month to the New England Patriots, winning their last four games by an average of 12.5 points.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Arizona Cardinals (8:30 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Seahawks -8
There’s just no stopping the defending champion Seattle Seahawks after they rolled to their fourth consecutive victory Sunday with a 17-7 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Defense has been the catalyst for the Seahawks’ late-season surge, allowing an average of just 7.8 points per game in their last four victories.
The Seahawks are in prime position to grab a share of the NFC West lead when they face the Arizona Cardinals in a top-of-the-table clash this coming Sunday. They will need to be wary, though, of the Cardinals’ rejuvenated ground game which has been lights out the past two games. The Cardinals are averaging 142 rushing yards in their last two games, almost double their season output of 84.4 YPG.
Monday, December 22
Denver Broncos vs. Cincinnati Bengals (8:30 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Broncos -3.5
Cincinnati staked a major claim in their bid to win back-to-back AFC North titles after they walloped the Browns 30-0 in front of a stunned Cleveland crowd. The Bengals were just dominant on the defensive end, limiting the Browns to just 107 yards in total offense, the lowest mark for an NFL team this season.
The Bengals carry the momentum from this huge win this coming Monday when they host the Denver Broncos in a battle of division leaders. It won’t be that easy, though, as the Broncos have won 12 consecutive games on the road, an NFL-record. The Broncos are fresh from winning their fourth consecutive AFC West title after beating the San Diego Chargers, 22-10.
