This NFL season has been one HELL of a ride. Just when we fans finally believe that we can classify a handful of teams as "elite", each and every one of those teams suffers a major loss within the last few weeks. The Saints were absolutely dominated by the Seahawks, the Seahawks were beaten by the 49ers, and the Broncos fell to the Chargers at home. The Patriots DID beat the Browns in an extremely close game last weekend, but they lost Rob Gronkowski in the process and face two tough road trips against teams fighting desperately for the final playoff spot. Peyton Manning has now lost two out of his last three cold weather games, and his latest cold weather loss came only days after Manning used some choice dismissive words in response to critics that claimed he struggled in frigid environments. Clearly, the critics had the last laugh. In the NFC, it appears as though either the Seahawks or the Saints will likely go straight to the Super Bowl if either of them has homefield advantage the entire way through the postseason. A few weeks ago, many might have said the same thing about either the Patriots or Broncos, but now the AFC appears wide open.
Our beloved Ravens have won 4 out of their last 5 games to improve to 7-6 with control of the final spot in the playoffs if they can simply stay ahead of the Dolphins and Chargers. The Chargers appeared doomed to miss the playoffs before they upset the Broncos in Denver only a few nights ago. At 7-7, the Broncos could easily win out and improve to 9-7 and snag the final wildcard spot if the Ravens don't manage to handle their own business. The Dolphins will host the Patriots at 1:00 on Sunday, and they'll have the pleasure of Rob Gronkowski's aforementioned absence. The Steelers host the Bengals at 4:25 for what will be their last chance to avoid a losing season and possibly get to the playoffs if the other wildcard frontrunners lose out. The Ravens, meanwhile, travel to Detroit to face on Monday a Lions team that has done little but lose in the past month, and yet somehow most of the sports world still believes they should be favored.
The Ravens have one distinct advantage over the rest of the wildcard contenders that still have yet to play their game for this week. Baltimore gets to sit and watch on Sunday to see what the Steelers, Bengals, and Dolphins do before they play their own game the following night. If the Dolphins lose, the Ravens know that they have a small amount of breathing room if somehow they end up losing to the Lions. If the Dolphins beat the Patriots, however, the Ravens know that Detroit is an absolute must-win game with zero room for error. If the Bengals beat the Steelers, the Ravens will know that they have almost no chance to win the AFC North division. Regardless of the scenario, the only way the Ravens can guarantee themselves a spot in the playoffs is to win all three of their remaining games, and that's precisely what they aim to do. Let's take a look at this week's picks!
WEEK 15 NFL PREDICTIONS
TEXANS AT COLTS- The Texans appear doomed to set a record this season for most games lost by 3 points or less. This team has an elite defense in regards to yardage allowed and a solid offense in regards to yardage allowed, but coaching and quarterback issues have turned them into the biggest letdown in the league this season. The Colts haven't looked truly impressive for many weeks since the game in which they beat the Broncos but lost Reggie Wayne. Regardless, the Texans lost to the Colts in Houston after Reggie Wayne went down, and they definitely should lose in Indy on Sunday. COLTS 33-27.
REDSKINS AT FALCONS- The Redskins are in total disarray, but then again, so are the Falcons. This could actually be the most meaningless game played this season. In showdowns between two total duds such as these teams, I generally tend to pick the team with homefield advantage. FALCONS 28-21.
BEARS AT BROWNS- We saw what the Browns could do last week, and the Bears will be starting a quarterback that hasn't played in weeks. The Browns defense should be able to limit the Bears offense enough to give their own offense the chance to outscore Chicago. A lot of teams feel high on themselves after beating the Cowboys, but they shouldn't because they just beat a team without a functional defense. BROWNS 26-17.
PATRIOTS AT DOLPHINS- This game is painful for me. I love the city of Miami and actually root for the Dolphins when they're not playing the Ravens. I also hate the Patriots with every fiber of my being. The Ravens, however, benefit greatly if the Patriots win this game. The Patriots simply aren't the same team without Gronkowski. The Dolphins offensive line has solidified since the addition of Bryant McKinnie, and the Fins have looked downright dominant in the last month with their only loss to the Panthers...and it was quite narrow loss at that. I originally picked the Patriots to win this game, but the Dolphins have finally proven they can put up big points even in harsh environments. They're capable of beating a wounded Patriots team in their own house. DOLPHINS 31-28.
EAGLES AT VIKINGS- Don't let last week's snowy touchdownfest fool you. The Vikings are still a bad team. The Eagles are simply too dangerous offensively speaking, and with both Adrian Peterson and Toby Gerhart questionable, there's no way in my mind that the Vikings could possibly keep up with the Eagles' offensive attack. EAGLES 38-27.
SEAHAWKS AT GIANTS- The Seahawks are unquestionably a better team than the Giants. This game will, nevertheless, be much closer than most expect it to be. No Jason Pierre Paul means no real pass rush for the G-Men. SEAHAWKS 24-19.
49ERS AT BUCCANEERS- The Buccaneers have won 4 out of their last 5 games, but they've mostly only beaten teams without elite defenses this season. The 49ers have a great defense and they aren't afraid to use it. 49ERS 20-17.
BILLS AT JAGUARS- The Jaguars have suddenly become a good football team. JAGUARS 23-14.
CHIEFS AT RAIDERS- Earlier in the season I would have said the Raiders were capable of pulling off an upset of the Chiefs, but not at this point. The Chiefs will be hungry for a win after the Broncos gave them hope that they could possibly win the division. CHIEFS 35-21.
JETS AT PANTHERS- Do I have to actually give an explanation here? PANTHERS 30-9.
PACKERS AT COWBOYS- The Cowboys defense is impossibly bad, but the Packers aren't winners without Aaron Rodgers. COWBOYS 28-23.
CARDINALS AT TITANS- I bet Bernard Pollard isn't so pumped about his new team now...not that I don't still miss his punishing hits on Wes Welker and many others. The Cardinals are playing extremely well recently and should win this game. Watch out, NFC, this dark horse could make a strong playoff run. CARDINALS 27-20.
SAINTS AT RAMS- The Rams are capable of playing strong teams well at home, but the Saints will be right in their own wheelhouse in a dome environment and they're unquestionably the stronger team. SAINTS 42-24.
BENGALS AT STEELERS- The Bengals healed well in their bye week and haven't lost a game since. The Steelers are no longer strong at home, but that doesn't mean they won't put up a fight in this one.
RAVENS AT LIONS- If I'm wrong and the Dolphins lose to the Patriots (which is highly possible) the Ravens don't ABSOLUTELY need to win this game...but they kind of do anyway. If the Ravens are going to win any games in the playoffs, they'll need to be able to win on the road. With only a single road win this season, the Ravens have yet to prove that they can even begin to compete in the postseason. The Lions are a one-dimensional team, and their so-called "nasty" defensive line has actually underperformed to an extreme degree in the pass rushing department this season. The Ravens are the healthiest they've been all season, and the Lions have only won a single game in the last month. We got this. RAVENS 28-24.
TEAM OF DESTINY 2.0?
AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
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