Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears
The impending suspensions of cornerbacks Brandon Browner and Richard Sherman are worrisome for a Seahawks team competing for a playoff spot. The bigger worry is the team's road woes, as they have just one win away from CenturyLink Field this season. The Bears defense should be able to keep Marshawn Lynch in check on the ground, and their own cornerback duo of Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman will make some big plays.
Prediction: Bears 20, Seahawks 13.
Houston Texans @ Tennessee Titans
Andre Johnson has racked up 461 receiving yards the past two weeks, and the entire Houston offense should have a field day against a sloppy Titans defense. Tennessee running back Chris Johnson ran for 140 yards in the teams' last meeting, but will have trouble duplicating that success against a Houston team that's working hard to earn the AFC's top seed.
Prediction: Texans 31, Titans 16.
New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins
The Patriots offense will miss tight end Rob Gronkowski (broken wrist), but with playmakers like Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Lloyd will help ease that concern. Miami's offense has looked less than stellar in recent weeks, and the New England secondary has been playing better of late, as the addition of cornerback Aqib Talib and the promotion of Tavon Johnson to the first unit has paid dividends.
Prediction: Patriots 27, Dolphins 17.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Denver Broncos
The Bucs offense has been producing big time in recent weeks, and were it not for several hard luck losses (Giants, Saints and Falcons), Tampa could be 9-2. The Broncos are strong at home, and Peyton Manning should put up big numbers against a Buccaneers defense that gives up big chunks of yards. Expect a close game, with Manning making just enough plays through the air to pull it out.
Prediction: Broncos 28, Buccaneers 23.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Buffalo Bills
Chad Henne has played well in place of Blaine Gabbert, and could earn the starting job going into camp next season with a strong finish to the season. Not coincidentally, rookie wide receiver Justin Blackmon's performance has improved with Henne at quarterback (298 yards, 2 TD last two games). The Bills should be able to put up points against the Jaguars defense, and the front four has played much better for Buffalo in recent weeks. Mario Williams had three sacks last week against the Colts, and is now up to 8.5 on the season after a nagging wrist injury hampered his performance earlier in the season. The Bills absolutely need to win out to have a chance at the playoffs, which is likely a pipe dream at this point.
Prediction: Bills 27, Jaguars 20.
Indianapolis Colts @ Detroit Lions
The Colts continue to win close games, and Andrew Luck continues to put up big yardage through the air. If Indianapolis is to be a true playoff contender, they need to run the ball more effectively and force more turnovers. Detroit is on the opposite side of the Colts, as they seem to lose almost all of their close games. While the playoffs likely are out of reach at this juncture, Detroit needs a win to build more continuity and confidence for next season.
UPSET OF THE WEEK!!!!!! Prediction: Colts 24, Lions 23.
Carolina Panthers @ Kansas City Chiefs
The Panthers got a road win against the Eagles last week, but need to shore up their run defense, which gave up over 200 yards on the ground. Kansas City has struggled massively with turnovers this season, but Carolina doesn't force a lot of mistakes. I expect a heavy dose of Jamaal Charles and the Chiefs ground game.
Prediction: Chiefs 20, Panthers 16.
Arizona Cardinals @ New York Jets
Quarterback play for both teams has been spotty at best this year, and neither offensive line has done a great job of run blocking either. Third-string quarterback Ryan Lindley will get the start this week, and will need to make better decisions this week after throwing four interceptions against the Rams last Sunday. I like Arizona's defense, and while they have struggled to run the ball most of the season, they could find some holes in a so-so Jets defense.
Prediction: Cardinals 24, Jets 23.
San Francisco 49ers @ St. Louis Rams
The 49ers were lucky to escape with a tie against the Rams in their first meeting, as they played quite poorly on defense in that game. I expect a more focused 49ers team, and despite a strong pass rush from St. Louis' front four, Colin Kaepernick will make plays with both his arm and legs. 49er linebacker Aldon Smith has 11 sacks in his last four games, and his 16.5 on the season leads the NFL. With the Rams already without their top receiving threat in Danny Amendola, there are just too many challenges to overcome in this one.
Prediction: 49ers 27, Rams 10.
Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers
The Vikings will need a big day from Adrian Peterson, as quarterback Christian Ponder has struggled after a hot start to the season. The Packers will look to rebound after getting throttled on the road by the Giants last Sunday. Protecting Aaron Rodgers will be a key in this game, so I expect to see more quick hitting pass plays to keep Jared Allen and the Vikings pass rushers at bay.
Prediction: Packers 28, Vikings 25.
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Baltimore Ravens
Even if Big Ben played last week against the Browns, I doubt the team would have won, as they had eight turnovers (including five lost fumbles) against Cleveland. Jonathan Dwyer appears to be the de facto feature back, but the teams' offense is pretty mundane with Roethlisberger. Baltimore will struggle to gain much headway against Pittsburgh's defense, but Joe Flacco plays much better at home.
Prediction: Ravens 17, Steelers 13.
Cleveland Browns @ Oakland Raiders
The Browns got a rare win against the Steelers last week, and that game should help build confidence for a young football team. Trent Richardson should have a big day against Oakland's bad run defense, which gave up 194 rushing yards to Cincinnati. The Raiders just don't have enough playmakers on defense, and the offense has become one-dimensional for most of the season.
Prediction: Browns 21, Raiders 17.
Cincinnati Bengals @ San Diego Chargers
The Bengals are fighting for a playoff spot, and the emergence of rookie wide receiver Mohamed Sanu has been a big benefit to the passing game. The Chargers couldn't get a 4th and 29 stop against the Ravens that would have sealed the game last week, and are headed for yet another disappointing end to the season. Despite being at home, I just can't trust San Diego as long as Norv Turner is running things, as it seems they are consistently able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Prediction: Bengals 28, Chargers 20.
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
Both teams' play has been disappointing this year, and their head coaches (Andy Reid and Jason Garrett) are squarely on the hot seat. Without Michael Vick yet again, the team will need rookie quarterback Nic Foles to have a good game, but the offensive line's poor pass blocking has made life difficult regardless of who is playing quarterback. Dallas couldn't stop RGIII last week in their home loss, but face a traditional pocket passer this week. I expect the Cowboys to come out aggressive on both sides of the ball and take this one.
Prediction: Cowboys 24, Eagles 14.
New York Giants @ Washington Redskins
The G-Men eked out a 27-23 win in their first meeting, but had trouble keeping RGIII contained. After nearly a month of poor performance out of their passing game, Eli Manning threw for 249 yards and 3 TD in a 38-10 rout of the Packers. The key for the Giants will be containing the running game, as Alfred Morris is fifth in the league in rushing, while RGIII is on pace for about 1,000 yards rushing.
Prediction: Redskins 31, Giants 24.
Last Week: 7-6 (.538)
Season: 101-60 (.627)
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