Last Week: 12-4
Season: 137-87
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Thursday Night


Chargers at Raiders

The Chargers got up for their last game (ever?) in San Diego, or as “up” as a team needs to be in order to beat the putrid Dolphins. The Raiders look like a good team with some promising young players and a (GASP!) bright future. Winner: Raiders

 
Saturday Night

Eagles (Home)

I hope that the visiting team wins this game and locks up the NFC East title. It’s just the embarrassment that the league deserves. Loser: Eagles


 
Sunday


49ers at Lions

A meaningless game, but one the Lions should be able to win. Winner: Lions

 
Steelers at Ravens

Pride will bring out the maximum effort from the home team, but the talent gap will make this the least dramatic game of one of the league’s best rivalries. Winner: Steelers

 
Cowboys at Bills

The Bills are better, but their lack of discipline might help the Cowboys hang around in this meaningless contest. Winner: Bills

 
Bears at Buccaneers

Just a hunch, but the Bears will squeak out  a close one with nothing to play for. Winner: Bears

 
Panthers at Falcons

Carolina now finds itself in the interesting position of wanting to keep winning and playing their style of football, while worrying about how a key injury could potentially wreck the whole thing. A better team than the Falcons might take advantage of the situation. Winner: Panthers

 
Colts at Dolphins

As bad as the Colts are, I wouldn’t pick Miami against a high school team. Winner: Colts

 
Patriots at Jets

It’s almost comical how many key injuries the Pats have endured this season; to some of their more Neanderthalesque haters, it probably is comical. And yet, here they are, once again, at the top of the conference. (YAWN!) Winner: Patriots

 
Texans at Titans

Come on, Houston; let’s lock this thing down. They might be one-and-done come playoff time, but fans want to see JJ Watt in the postseason. Winner: Texans

 
Browns at Chiefs

Every day, and in every way, the Cleveland Browns suck. Winner: Chiefs

 
Jaguars at Saints

Sometimes it looks like the Jags’ offence can really get it done; other times, not so much. If they can’t score against New Orleans, then I don’t know what to say. Winner: Jaguars

 
Packers at Cardinals

I love this Cardinals team, so I was particularly bummed about Tyrann Mathieu’s injury as the team seems poised for a deep playoff run. If Green Bay’s offence was better, I’d look for them to take advantage of Mathieu’s absence, but it’s not and they won’t. Winner: Cardinals

 
Rams at Seahawks

Rams always seem to play the Seahawks extra hard, but they’ll come up well short of the mark this time. Winner: Seahawks

 
Giants at Vikings

Dear Giants’fans: Instead of looking for straw men to blame for OBD’s suspension, put the blame where it truly belongs, with the referee of the game, and with the Giants’ coaching staff, particularly Coughlin. If the ref had ejected Beckham when he should have, or the coaches had sat him down when they could have, the league wouldn’t have needed to suspend him. Earlier this season, I wrote about how I hoped that the Giants would win this division because they were the only team in it that wasn’t an embarrassment. I take it all back. This isn’t the NFC East the league needs, but it is the one the league deserves. Winner: (Go) Vikings (!)
 

Monday Night

Bengals at Broncos

This will be a defensive struggle, featuring two of the league’s top units. Unfortunately, McCarron’s noodle-arm does the Bengals in in this one. Winner: Broncos

Last Week: 10-6
Season: 125-83

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Thursday Night


Buccaneers at Rams

I don’t really care about this one. I’m leaning toward Tampa, because they seem to bring their best effort every week, whereas the Rams are maddeningly inconsistent. Winner: Buccaneers

 

Saturday Night


Jets at Cowboys

The Jets have very real playoff hopes, while Dallas is truly hopeless. Winner: Jets

 

Sunday


Panthers at Giants

Josh Norman vs. Odell Beckham Jr. might be the matchup of the week. Hard to pick against Carolina the way they’ve been scoring, especially with the way the Giants have been tackling (or not tackling).  Winner: Panthers

 
Titans at Patriots

Even with the injuries piling up, the Pats should cruise against Tennessee. Winner: Patriots

 
Bills (Visitors)

The only thing consistent about Buffalo this season is how consistently undisciplined they’ve been. The Rex Ryan experience has been a disappointment thus far. Loser: Bills

 
Chiefs at Ravens

I have to confess that I have no idea who’s starting at QB for Baltimore this week. I also have to confess that it doesn’t matter. Winner: Chiefs

 
Texans at Colts

This is the week that Houston finally seizes control of this wretched division. Winner: Texans

 
Falcons at Jaguars

I’m always a little nervous picking the Jags when they’re expected to win, but what are you gonna do? Winner: Jaguars

 
Bears at Vikings

The Bears shocked the Packers, then lost a couple of very winnable games when their formerly sure-footed kicker became a shank machine. I figure they’re due another shocker, this time against the can’t-win-the-big-one Vikes. Winner: Bears

 
Packers at Raiders

Beating the Broncos, especially in Denver, is like an in-season championship for Oakland. They’re due a letdown this week. Winner: Packers

 
Browns at Seahawks

Every day, and in every way, the Cleveland Browns suck. Winner: Seahawks

 
Bengals at 49ers

With the timeline for Andy Dalton’s playoff availability so dependent on Cincy securing a first round bye, and with at least two very winnable games left, Bengals’ fans should be sending thank you notes to Oakland after last week’s squeaker against the Broncos (even if some of them were inexplicably cheering after Denver beat New England a few weeks ago). Winner: Bengals

 
Dolphins at Chargers

How bad is San Diego? This bad. Winner: Dolphins

 
Broncos at Steelers

Speaking of teams rooting for other teams, smart Bengals’ fans will need to take a long, hot shower after cheering hard this week for the hated Steelers. Yep, it’s been that kind of season. Winner: Steelers

 
Cardinals at Eagles

I still don’t believe in Philly, but I do believe in Arizona. Winner: Cardinals
 

 
Monday Night


Lions at Saints

It seems fitting to me somehow that Week 15 both begins and ends with an essentially meaningless game. I like Detroit in a shootout, because of the Saints’ turnstile defence. Winner: Lions

Last Week: 8-8
Season: 115-77

 
Sunday


Bills at Eagles

Call me crazy, but I’m not ready to start thinking that Philly is suddenly a contender because they fluked a win in Foxborough last week. Winner: Bills

 
Seahawks at Ravens

Playoff-bound versus high draft pick. Winner: Seahawks

 
49ers at Browns

This game shouldn’t do anything to impede Cleveland’s getting first pick in next year’s draft. Winner: Browns

 
Lions at Rams

Jeff Fisher fired his offensive coordinator after last week’s latest pathetic Rams loss. Fisher should fire himself. Winner: Lions

 
Titans at Jets

This game shouldn’t hurt the Jets’ push towards the playoffs. Winner: Jets

 
Steelers at Bengals

Though their offence makes the Steelers a nightmare matchup for any team right now, I still think that this Bengals team is special. Winner: Bengals

 
Colts at Jaguars

I like the way Blake Bortles is playing right now, and I haven’t much liked the Colts at all this season. Winner: Jaguars

 
Chargers at Chiefs

Even without Justin Houston, KC should be able to take the putrid Chargers. Winner: Chiefs

 
Bears (Home)

I like Chicago by the narrowest of margins. Winner: Bears

 
Falcons at Panthers

The Panthers are the real deal, while the Falcons’ playoff hopes seem to have evaporated. Winner: Panthers

 
Saints at Buccaneers

The way the Bucs have been playing of late, they shouldn’t have much trouble scoring against New Orleans’s disastrous defence. Winner: Buccaneers

 
Raiders at Broncos

Denver’s defence is the difference here, like it has been all season. Winner: Broncos

 
Cowboys at Packers

Whatever troubles they might be having, the Packers should be more than a match for Dallas at Lambeau. Winner: Packers

 
Patriots at Texans

The Texans are dangerous and the Pats are vulnerable until they get healthier, but it’s just so hard to imagine New England losing again after how terribly they executed last week. Winner: Patriots

 

Monday Night


Giants at Dolphins

Once again the Giants have a chance to seize control of their division, if they can put together a consistent effort, and if they can’t beat Miami, then they probably don’t deserve to be on the playoffs. Winner: Giants

Thursday Night

Vikings at Cardinals

Right off the bat, you have to look at the fact that Arizona’s high-powered offence is facing a Minnesota defence that is hurting, as a number of key defenders are listed in the team’s injury report (including FOUR safeties). I expect Minnesota to try and grind out a win by riding Adrian Peterson, which, in and of itself, is not a bad strategy, except that Arizona’s secondary is so good that the Cards can devote extra personnel to stopping the run. The Vikings have made a habit this season of coming up short in key games, and a Thursday night game on the road against one of the league’s elite teams does not bode well. Winner: Cardinals

Last Week: 8-8

Season: 107-69
 
My new work schedule leaves me precious little time for anything, so I’m flying through this week’s games again.
 
Sunday


Jets at Giants

It’s the battle of New York, in New Jersey. Giants rule the Met. Winner: Giants

 
Cardinals at Rams

Foles or Keenum. Keenum or Foles. It’s Nick Foles this week. Bet they wish they still had Austin Davis. Too bad Jeff Fisher wouldn’t know a good QB if one bit him on his ass. Winner: Cardinals

 
Falcons at Buccaneers

Falcons free-fall continues against the up-and-coming Bucs. Winner: Buccaneers

 
Seahawks at Vikings

I doubt that Russell Wilson can repeat last week’s performance against Minnesota. Winner: Vikings

 
49ers at Bears

The Bears, and particularly Jay Cutler, are playing extremely well right now. Winner: Bears

 
Jaguars at Titans

Jags should win a close one in this battle for third place in the AFC South. Winner: Jaguars

 
Texans at Bills

That Houston defence has really hit its stride. Points will be tough to come by for the home team. Winner: Texans

 
Ravens at Dolphins

The Ravens are such a mess; I guess I’ll take Miami. Winner: Dolphins

 
Bengals at Browns

FINALLY! Austin Davis gets the start for Cleveland. Davis came off the bench last week and almost led the team to victory, before the Browns browned all over themselves. Still, I have to stick with Cincy, though I hope Davis plays well. Winner: Bengals

 
Chiefs at Raiders

KC made a nice comeback last week after falling behind early against the Bills. Without Justin Houston’s QB pressure, look for Derek Carr to have a strong showing. Winner: Raiders

 
Broncos at Chargers

Denver’s defence should shut down San Diego’s attack. Winner: Broncos

 
Eagles at Patriots

Injuries or not, this is a mismatch. Winner: Patriots

 
Panthers at Saints

New Orleans is in for another bad week against a top defence. Winner: Panthers

 
Colts at Steelers

Enough is enough; Hasselbeck loses this week. Winner: Steelers

 
Monday Night

Cowboys (Visitors)

It would take a pretty bad team to lose to this Dallas squad, and their opponent this week is not a bad team. Loser: Cowboys

Thursday Night

Packers at Lions

The Lions have had a nice little run since their bye, winning three in a row, including a 45-14 drubbing of Philadelphia on Thanksgiving. Both the Lions and the Packers feature defences that are playing very well, so points could be at a premium here. And that, dear readers, is when we come to the real story of this game, the problems with Green Bay's offence. And, make no mistake about it, there are problems. It's obvious from the team's performance on the field. If you've heard any of the comments from Aaron Rodgers over the past few weeks, it would appear that there are some issues with how some of the players are preparing for the games. Now, I don't know what the nature of these problems might be, but if your QB is talking about them to the press, then you know that things have reached a critical point of frustration. To me, it all comes down to leadership, particularly to coaching, and I don't think that Mike McCarthy is a very good coach from a leadership standpoint. I wish I had more time to discuss this, but all the evidence is there. So, as for this game, I think Green Bay will squeak by, keeping their hopes for a division title alive. As for the season, well, poorly prepared teams get eaten alive come playoff time. Winner: Packers