🏈 NFL 2020 Week 16 Preview 🏈

               

  

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Week 16 Preview

New York Giants at Baltimore - I would like to think that the Giants have a real chance to win the division. Unfortunately, though, they seem to have peaked too soon, and appear to be running out of gas. They looked flat and just lifeless at home against the Cardinals, and followed that up with another disappointing loss to the Browns. That, at a time when the stakes could not be bigger. Now, they head on the road to face the red hot Ravens in Baltimore, just as that team is really heating up and getting hot. The defense will have their hands full against Lamar Jackson and the offense, and as for the Giants offense? Well, they have scored a whopping 13 points in the last eight quarters, and I suspect that they just will not be able to generate enough offense to seriously entertain any chances of winning. My pick: Baltimore

Cleveland at NY Jets - Gang Green finally got their first win of the season, and it was an impressive one, at Los Angeles against a likely playoff team in the Rams. But the Browns provide a different kind of challenge, and they will not likely be caught by surprise, like the Rams did. Cleveland can score some points, and their defense can likely contain the still troubled and weak Jets offense. Plus, the Browns know how important this game is. With a win, they improve to 11-4, and the playoffs would be a virtual lock. Plus, they still might have an outside chance at an AFC North title. So, no second straight miracle for Gang Green in this one, as I suspect the visiting Browns will play a solid game and come away with a win. My pick: Cleveland

Atlanta at Kansas City - The Falcons have improved rather dramatically from earlier in the season. Dan Quinn being fired was likely the right move, as Atlanta never recovered psychologically from the Super Bowl collapse. But they are a troubled team, with a lot of problems. And this week, they are heading to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, where they take on the Chiefs, who have won nine straight, and own the best record in the league. I believe that the Chiefs have the best overall team, with an explosive offense and a defense that has been stepping up in a big way this season to this point. Hard to see how the Falcons can win this one. My pick: Kansas City

Chicago at Jacksonville - Da Bears have come alive in an attempt to salvage their once very promising season, and not a moment too soon! They got hot at the right time, and now, they go up against the Jaguars, who are a serious contender for worst team in the league. The Bears are on the road, but they should be the far better team entering this game. Also, they know that they cannot afford to lose this one. No reason why the Bears should fail to win this game, frankly. My pick: Chicago

Indianapolis at Pittsburgh - Now, here is a huge game! The 10-4 Colts, who are tied with the Titans atop their division, versus the 11-3 Steelers, who are clinging to a one game lead in the AFC North over the Browns. Neither team wants to give up any ground to their rivals, and both can take a huge step forward with a win here. Pittsburgh has clinched a playoff berth, although they seem to be in trouble, having lost their rhythm, or something, because they went from an incredible 11-0 perfect start - the very best start in the history of this storied franchise - to losing three straight, and appearing out of sync. The Colts, meanwhile, have been going the other way, getting hot, having won five of their last six games. I like the way that the Colts are playing right now, and am suspect of the Steelers. Still, Heinz Field is not an easy place for road teams to play in, so it will not be easy. Frankly, this is the kind of game that is hard to pick, because it is only too easy to see it going either way. Ultimately, though, the Colts should hold the advantage, because they appear to be peaking more or less at the right time, while the Steelers feel like they are imploding a bit. I am going with the road team. my pick: Indianapolis

Cincinnati at Houston - Two teams already eliminated from playoff competition square off in what may appear either a meaningless game, or next to meaningless. This may have some relevance in terms of the ultimate pecking order for the draft in the spring, but it certainly will not alter in the least this year's playoff picture. Still, it is a game that will be played, and both teams will likely show up with eyes on winning. The Bengals just got a big win, one that snapped an active five game losing streak overall, as well as a 10-game losing streak specifically to their division rival Steelers. As for the Texans, they got off to a horrendous start to the season, one that they were never going to be able to actually recover from and make a serious go of it this season. But they have played better since, more or less in the second half of this season. Both teams are playing for pride, though I really liked the way that the Bengals played last weekend. Of course, that was a home game, and this is a road game. The Texans would love to get a win to end their three game skid, and my guess is that they will do it. Yes, they have lost a vast majority of their games, but they also have had a very tough - even brutal - schedule this season. That means that they are likely better than their record suggests, and they should show that this week against the Bengals. My pick: Houston

Denver at LA Chargers - Another meeting between two teams that have been out of the playoff picture for some time now already. Both of these teams are in the AFC West, and they are the two bottom feeders, at least for the past couple of seasons. The Chargers have made a habit of losing in the most unlikely and heartbreaking manner in the past couple of seasons, while the Broncos have lost too many games for one reason: a lack of offense. Neither team has had much good luck this season, and the coronavirus has wreaked havoc on both of their seasons in some ways, creating even more instability to seasons that already were rather chaotic, and which were filled with losses. All of that makes this game kind of difficult to make a pick, because it is only too easy to see either of these teams falling into their old bad habits that have caused a culture of losing to settle in. My guess, though, is that the Chargers find a way to win. They have lost some real tight games this season, especially within their own division. That includes two losses that could easily have been wins at the Raiders, as well as at Denver. So they likely want to avenge that earlier loss. Also, the Chargers are enjoying their best streak right now, having won their last two, and three of their last five overall. They got revenge on the Raiders for that earlier loss, when the Raiders really could not afford to lose and were doing everything possible to get a win. And so that is why I expect them to find a way to beat Denver here, even if it might hurt them come draft time. Still, a win is a win, and I do expect the Chargers to earn on this weekend again. My pick: LA Chargers

Carolina at Washington - This game does not bode well for the rest of the NFC East. Washington is 6-8, which is not an impressive record. But they have been coming on as of late, playing well. That is particularly true of their defense, and I suspect that the Panthers, who have won one game in the last two months, will struggle here in this game. Washington's offense is not exactly the most explosive offense, yet they can produce, and should be able to get more than enough points to come away with this win. The Panthers are just struggling a lot lately, and finding a way to pull off a road win in the nation's capital when their opponents have been playing so well and are so close to finally clinching the division outright, as Washington would with a win here? All of that feels like too much for a Panthers team just playing for pride and trying to play the role of spoilers. It should not be enough, and I suspect that Washington rolls all over them and makes their status as division champs official, finally. My pick: Washington

Philadelphia at Dallas - This could be a big divisional showdown, especially depending on what happens with the other two NFC East teams, particularly Washington. One thing is for sure: whoever loses this game is out of the NFC East race. Neither of these two teams can hope to recover for a division title if they lose this game. The Cowboys feel like they have been playing better in recent weeks, while the Eagles managed a win recently, but generally have grown cold in recent weeks. They are better than their record suggests, I suspect. But this just has not been their season. Still, overall, I suspect that they are the better of these two teams, and in a big game which could be the last stand for either of these two teams, I believe that the road team, the Eagles, will find just enough offense against that terrible Cowboys defense to finally pull off a win and put the Cowboys out of their misery for this season. My pick: Philadelphia

LA Rams at Seattle - A huge divisional showdown! This game will very likely decide who wins the NFC West. The Rams just suffered a humiliating defeat, and are looking for redemption. I suspect that they will play exceptionally well, and also suspect that they were overlooking the Jets in anticipation of this big showdown. The Seahawks, meanwhile, can clinch the division outright with a win here, and they can remain very much in the race for the second seed in the NFC, and possibly even home field advantage throughout, if luck is on their side. So both teams enter this game knowing just how much is at stake. Really, it does not get much bigger or better than this. The Rams, when they are playing at their best, are a tough team to have to face, and seem to have a ton of energy. But they are inconsistent. The Seahawks, also, have lacked consistency, and their offense does not look as explosive or unstoppable as they did earlier in the season. This, too, could go either way, and my suspicion is that this goes to the fourth quarter, with both teams playing well and having their opportunity. In the end, though, I suspect that the home team finds a way to pull it off, albeit barely, and possibly in the final possession. My pick: Seattle

SNF: Tennessee at Green Bay - An intriguing match-up between two of the top teams in each conference. The Titans rank among the elite teams so far in the AFC, but that could be jeopardized if they lose any ground to the Colts. Indy will be playing Pittsburgh, so that is a tough game, but the Colts definitely have a shot. And the Titans will have their hands full up at Green Bay, but they are a good enough team that they might be able to pull off a tough road win. Then again, the Packers can lock up the top spot in the NFC playoffs with a win, so they have incentive, as well. A good game, and it could go either way. Tough to pick, but I will go with the road team for an upset. My pick: Tennessee

MNF: Buffalo at New England - The final Monday Night Football game of the season! And this is a good one. The Bills, having just clinched their first AFC East division title in a quarter of a century, now go to New England to take on the team that has tormented them the most for the past two decades now. The Patriots may have been dominant in the last two decades, but nobody was dominated by them quite like the Buffalo Bills. But now, the Bills have a chance to put an exclamation point on the end of that dominance with what would be a statement win at Foxboro to complete a season sweep, and to stay at the number two position in the AFC playoff picture in the process. Plus, they could force the Patriots to clinch a losing season, their first in the 21st century. I am willing to bet that the Bills are fired up at these prospects, and will find a way to win on the road to stay red hot. My pick: Buffalo