TheAOSN.com picks:
Carolina has been reeling, but may fancy their chances against a Minnesota team that showed some encouraging signs against Green Bay last week, but ultimately showed they still lack a finishing quality. With Jerick McKinnon out, Minnesota has lost a potential game-changer, and it will make Luke Kuechly‘s and the rest of the Carolina defense’s job a lot easier. Look for a battle of dueling tight ends here, with both Greg Olsen and Kyle Rudolph capable of leading their teams to victory.
An impressive Monday night romp over New York may have earned Buffalo respect around the league, especially given the circumstances the game had to be rescheduled, but Cleveland will be coming to town to keep their own rise to respectability going. If not for a certain Josh Gordon, the receiver to watch in this game might be Sammy Watkins. Then again, both teams also boast of good defenses. There is a chance this game could swing to either of two extremes: a shootout, or a tight low-scoring affair.
There are really very few reasons to favor Washington’s chances here on the road, especially with the upheaval at quarterback. Then again, with all the rumors of locker-room grumbling, Colt McCoy might be able to inspire his teammates to an upset here. It’s hard to look beyond the poise of Andrew Luck on the other side, though, as Indianapolis continues its march towards the playoffs.
Several “What if…” scenarios will surely surround St. Louis as they look back on 2014. Wrecked by injuries, the team has limped along to a 4-7 record, but it is perhaps one of the most impressive losing records in the league, with 2 division wins and another win over Denver so far. The defense has been coming through as expected, and with Oakland’s shiny new weapon at running back Latavius Murray forced to sit out, Shaun Hill should find the going fairly easy as he seeks to atone for the game-deciding interception he threw at the end of week 12. Do not overlook Derek Carr, however, who showed good poise and composure as he led a time-consuming drive in the 4th quarter to give Oakland the lead and ultimately their first win of the season against Kansas City last week.
The race for the AFC North could not be any tighter at the moment, and even though a matchup against a Drew Brees–led team would seem normally daunting, this matchup might be coming at an opportune time for Pittsburgh. New Orleans simply cannot defend much of anything at the moment, and Ben Roethlisberger has the option of handing off to Le’Veon Bell or throwing to Antonio Brown (with Martavis Bryant and Heath Miller keeping New Orleans’ defense honest). Their secondary is fairly vulnerable as well, so this may be a game where Jimmy Graham and Kenny Stills will also put up big numbers. Don’t count on it for a team that struggles on the road, though.
Inconsistent is a good word to describe Cincinnati. Yet, at 7-3-1, they hold a 1/2 game lead over the rest of the AFC North. Playing against a weak team in Tampa Bay, Andy Dalton will look to keep Cincy in the driver’s seat. Now, if Tampa Bay somehow wins, they stay in the running for the NFC South with a record of 3-9. Impressive? I think not. With the team being as bad as it is, Cincinnati should have a field day behind Dalton, Mohamed Sanu, A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard.
Both teams have not won since October. In advance, congrats to the winner of this game. Anyways, Eli Manning is running out of time. Yes, he has 2 Super Bowl titles. Yes, he has lost a few pieces. But a great quarterback shows their skill when faced with adversity. This also goes for head coach Tom Coughlin. At this point, any win is just damage control. Blake Bortles has the benefit of playing at home but who knows how much that actually helps for Jacksonville. I shall just take a will guess and say that New York has a big day through Odell Beckham Jr.
The AFC picture runs through this game. With both teams being 7-4 and ranked 6th and 7th in the playoff standings, the loser will take a huge blow, possibly being the odd man out when Week 17 rolls around. Baltimore’s success will run through the pass rush. King Dunlap and D.J. Fluker have not been their best this season and Philip Rivers has had to pay for it. Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs will present many problems for San Diego’s o-line. We should not play down San Diego’s defense though. Although their pass rush is not the best, the secondary has been solid. With Brandon Flowers and Eric Weddle in the defensive backfield, it will present some problems for Joe Flacco. This game is too tough to call but we shall give it to the home team.
With 5 games left and a 5-6 record, the Houston Texans are 2 games behind the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. At this point, that is their only lifeline when it comes to a shot at making the playoffs. Tennessee rookie QB Zach Mettenberger will have all he can handle against J.J. Watt. No question that the Houston defense can shut down the Tennessee offense. The question marks revolve around the offense. Ryan Fitzpatrick was replaced by Ryan Mallett but Mallett was injured in his second game, landing him on IR. In order to open up a flawed air game, the offense will run through Arian Foster on the ground.
After their first blemish since a week 5 loss to the Denver Broncos, Arizona looks to bounce back against the 4-7 Atlanta Falcons, who currently lead the lowly NFC South. Both teams realize the importance of this match-up and it is best not to sleep on an Atlanta team that knows they must win with all teams in their division, as pathetic as it sounds, still have a shot at the playoff spot. Arizona’s defense will be too much for Matt Ryan and Atlanta. Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie will surely make it nearly impossible for the ball to get downfield. As for the Arizona offense, Drew Stanton is very good without the pressure. If his line can protect him, as they have for the majority of the time he has started, both he and Michael Floyd are bound for great days.
The Green Bay Packers have been the best team in the NFC. No doubt about it. Going up against the best team in the AFC in the New England Patriots makes for a possible Super Bowl preview. Jordy Nelson has been incredible for Green Bay and the addition of Julius Peppers on defense has done wonders for the pass rush. The key to success will be containing New England’s run game. With a running back squad consisting of LeGarrette Blount, Jonas Gray, and Shane Vereen, Green Bay will have its hands full but will pull out the win as Aaron Rodgers rolls at home.
In a match-up that will likely decide the eventual AFC West winner, Denver will have one of their toughest games yet as they visit Arrowhead. Kansas City was shocked last week after a close loss to the then 0-10 Oakland Raiders, while Denver rallied to beat the Miami Dolphins. C.J. Anderson had a huge week for Denver on the ground as he rushed for 167 yards after replacing Montee Ball and Ronnie Hillman. His play could play as a factor is this game as Peyton Manning will surely receive some pressure from the likes of Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. In the pass game on the defensive side of the ball., Kansas City will surely miss Eric Berry.
Miami gave all Denver could handle but came up just short. The loss left them at 6-5 and in 10th place in the AFC standings. A win and losses by Kansas City, San Diego, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland would be huge. In all honesty, that scenario is not outside the realm of possibility. Unlikely, yes. Impossible, no. The New York Jets are now in spoiler mode and played the same role last year in Week 17, knocking Miami out with a 20-7 win. With Geno Smith back at the helm of the terrible New York offense and Ryan Tannehill playing great for Miami, it does not seem that the spoiler will come into play on Monday night.
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