Week Sixteen NFL Predictions

Texans @ Colts - The Texans struggled to stop an explosive offense against Carolina, and T.J. Yates threw two interceptions in the loss. The Colts are coming off their first win of the season, and Donald Brown ran for 161 yards in the contest. The Colts will have tougher sledding against a much stouter Texans defense, and Arian Foster and Ben Tate should both have good days against the bad run defense of Indianapolis.
Prediction: Texans 30, Colts 13.
Browns @ Ravens - Cleveland let a ten-point fourth quarter lead slip against the Cardinals, but have played much better football the past couple of weeks. Greg Little recorded his first 100 yard receiving game in that contest, and could turn into a very good receiver as he develops. The Ravens got embarrassed by the Chargers in San Diego this past week. Ray Rice was given only three carries in the second half with the game still in the balance. Look for a close game early, with the big offensive line wearing down the Browns defense in the second half.
Prediction: Ravens 27, Browns 10.
Broncos @ Bills - Tebow-mania took a week off, and the defense struggled to contain the Patriots passing attack. The Bills haven't won since October 30th, and Ryan Fitzpatrick's struggles have mirrored the team, as he now leads the league with 19 interceptions thrown. The Broncos will run the ball early and often against the Bills soft run defense.
Prediction: Broncos 28, Bills 20.

Buccanneers @ Panthers - Tampa Bay has struggled on both sides of the ball this season, and Mike Williams wasn't even targeted by Josh Freeman once in their 31-15 loss to Dallas. The Panthers got their best win of the season over 10-4 Houston. Cam Newton didn't turn the ball over, and the team put up 28 points on one of the best defenses in the league. Whichever team is able to run the ball better against fairly porous run defenses should take this game.
Prediction: Panthers 31, Buccanneers 27.
Cardinals @ Bengals - The Cardinals have won four of their past five, and John Skelton has done a great job filling in for injured QB Kevin Kolb. The Bengals beat the Rams this past week, but will need to find more consistency to take pressure off of Andy Dalton. This should be a hard fought game, as both are still in the hunt for the Wild Card in their respective conferences.
Prediction: Bengals 23, Cardinals 20.
Raiders @ Chiefs - The Raiders are reeling after dropping a game they should have won against the Lions. Oakland has to shore up their pass defense, which has allowed a combined 674 yards and six passing touchdowns the past two weeks. The Chiefs recorded the upset of the year, beating previously unbeaten Green Bay at Arrowhead Stadium in interim head coach Romeo Crennel's first game. The loser of this game could find themselves out of contention for the AFC West crown.
Prediction: Oakland 24, Chiefs 20.
Dolphins @ Patriots - Dolphins RB Reggie Bush racked up over 200 yards rushing against the Bills, and Matt Moore threw two touchdown passes to continue his steadying play at quarterback for Miami as they beat Buffalo 30-23. The Patriots beat the Broncos 41-23, and Tom Brady has three legitimate receiving options in WR Wes Welker, and TE's Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The Patriots are trying to lock up a first-round bye, but their run defense will face a stiff test.
Prediction: Patriots 31, Dolphins 24.
Giants @ Jets - Both teams had horrific performances this past week, with the Giants falling at home to the Redskins 23-10, and the Jets getting thumped 45-19 by the Eagles in Philadelphia. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives, and will be chippy in their inter-city matchup. I'll be watching the Jets CB tandem of Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie against Giants WR's Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz.
UPSET OF THE WEEK!!!! Prediction: Giants 24, Jets 21.
Rams @ Steelers - Kellen Clemens did a decent job replacing Sam Bradford at quarterback, but the Rams still fell to Cincinnati. Steven Jackson had 70+ yards both rushing and receiving and is one of the most underrated backs in the league. The Steelers ran into a focused 49ers team, and an already injured Ben Roethlisberger got beat up by the ferocious San Francisco pass rush in their 20-3 loss. If the Steelers struggle to protect Roethlisberger, this could still be competitive.
Prediction: Steelers 27, Rams 17.
Jaguars @ Titans - The Jags will have had a week and a half to lick their wounds from a 41-14 road loss to Atlanta. Maurice Jones-Drew is the AFC's leading rusher, and will need to continue to carry the load for Jacksonville, as their passing game is a work-in-progress to put it mildly. Tennessee had a let-down against the Colts, and allowed Donald Jones to run for 161 yards in handing the Colts their first win. Look for the Titans to rebound, whether its Jake Locker or Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback, though MJD could still win the game for the Jags.
Prediction: Titans 20, Jaguars 17.
Vikings @ Redskins - Adrian Peterson returned to the lineup, but was limited to 10 carries as the Vikings fell behind against the Saints and were forced to throw. Their offensive line hasn't been able to protect Christian Ponder, and Percy Harvin was held to 8 yards on three catches in the game. The 'Skins are coming off a big win against the Giants, and Rex Grossman was solid in the win. On paper this game should be close, but the Redskins have a decent run defense and two good young pass rushers in Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan, and the Vikings secondary has played terrible all season.
Prediction: Redskins 28, Vikings 20.
Chargers @ Lions - The Chargers have won three straight, and now find themselves only one game back of the Broncos for first in the AFC West. Philip Rivers is back on track, and Ryan Matthews broke the 1,000 yard barrier against the Ravens. The Lions came back from 13 down against the Raiders, but still surrendered over 450 yards of offense. A Detroit win would clinch their first playoff berth since the 1999 season, but can't afford to play from behind against a potent San Diego offense.
Prediction: Chargers 31, Lions 27.
Eagles @ Cowboys - The Eagles still have a small chance to reach the postseason, and are coming off a demolishing of the visiting Jets this past week. Their defense was able to force four turnovers, and Jason Babin added three sacks to his league high total (which now stands at 19). The Cowboys should be well rested, Tony Romo accounted for four touchdowns and the running game racked up 160 yards against the Bucs. The key to this game will be the Cowboys ground game. If they can establish the run, it should help Romo use the play-action pass.
Prediction: Cowboys 28, Eagles 23.
49ers @ Seahawks - The 49ers looked great against the Steelers, and Alex Smith continues to play smart football. With a defense that's great at both stopping the run and rushing the passer, they're a team that nobody will want to see on the field in the playoffs. The Seahawks thumped the beat-up Bears 38-14, and Marshawn Lynch continued his consecutive games with a TD streak (which now stands at a team-record 10). I like how Seattle has played, but they're playing a little bit better version of them in all facets, and the 49ers pass rush will be the deciding factor.
Prediction: 49ers 20, Seahawks 16.
Bears @ Packers - The Bears have struggled mightily without their two best offensive players, and got soundly beaten by the Seahawks at Soldier Field. Josh McCown takes control of the offense, replacing the turnover-prone Caleb Hanie. Green Bay is coming off its first loss of the season, and should be able to exploit the Bears secondary, even without Greg Jennings, who is recovering from an MCL strain.
Prediction: Packers 35, Bears 17.
Falcons @ Saints - Two of the hottest teams in the league will face off this week, as they won their previous games by a combined 85-34 last week. Matt Ryan has been unstoppable since getting rookie WR Julio Jones back from injury, while Drew Brees is on pace to crush Dan Marino's passing yardage record, need only a little over 300 yards in their last two games. The Falcons will need their pass rush to get after Brees, as if he has time to throw, he's nearly unbeatable.
Prediction: Saints 34, Falcons 31.

Last Week: 10-6 (.625)
Season: 150-74 (.669)