It’s a big day for football on Sunday as playoffs are approaching. Some teams, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts, are gunning for a shot at the playoffs. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots are looking to keep their unbeaten season intact on the road against one of the best defenses in the league, the Denver Broncos. Read on for today’s top action when football takes center stage.
There are plenty more exciting football games to get you going. Check out our complete previews for the Bills vs. Chiefs and Vikings vs. Falcons.
[sc:MultiSportArticles ]Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Indianapolis Colts (1:00 PM ET)
Line: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+3) at Indianapolis Colts (-3); total 46.5 – view all NFL lines
[sc:NFL240banner ]This year’s first overall draft pick, quarterback Jameis Winston, had quite a Week 11 in a 45-16 blowout against Philadelphia. He threw for 246 yards and a whopping five touchdowns with no turnovers. He had plenty of help from running back Doug Martin, who kept Philadelphia’s defense honest with 235 yards rushing on 27 carries. The duo could dissect a very leaky Indianapolis defense, which has allowed 392.3 yards per game (27th in the league).
While a young gunslinger in Winston leads Tampa Bay, an old lion controls the reins of the Colts offense. Matt Hasselbeck didn’t have the biggest games last week, completing 23 of 32 passes for 213 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Hasselbeck should still have the calm demeanor of a vet in dissecting Tampa Bay’s passing defense, which has allowed the third-most passing touchdowns this year.
Writer’s Prediction
The Bucs (+3) win a shootout on the road.
New England Patriots vs. Denver Broncos (8:30 PM ET)
Line: New England Patriots (-3) at Denver Broncos (+3); total 43.0 – view all NFL lines
The New England Patriots may be unbeaten, but they’ll have a very tough time against Denver’s solid defense. The Patriots struggled offensively against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night as Tom Brady threw for a season-low 51.3 percent completion rate.
Brady will be starved for targets against Denver’s talented secondary; wide receiver Danny Amendola won’t play after injuring his knee against the Bills, while Julian Edelman and pass-catching running back Dion Lewis are already out for the season. All the injuries leave Rob Gronkowski as Brady’s top target, but he could be kept in check after being held by Buffalo to just 37 yards receiving.
The Broncos have a very solid defense to keep the Pats’ offense off the field. They allow just 284.3 total yards per game. Denver also has a solid running back, Ronnie Hillman to help kill the clock. Hillman ran for 102 yards on 21 carries against the Bears last week. Hillman may be up for a big game to keep pressure away from backup Brock Osweiler, starting for an injured Peyton Manning. Osweiler had a good outing last week, passing for 250 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Writer’s Prediction
The Broncos (+3) end New England’s unbeaten season.
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