🏈 NFL 2020 Week 14 Preview 🏈

           

  

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Here were are, the final quarter of the 2020 NFL season. A couple of teams already have officially clinched playoff spots, while a few more are virtual sure things to make it official in the next week or two. There are also teams that are in fairly strong position, but need to seal the deal. Others are clinging to their playoff hopes. And some, of course, have no chance, having officially been eliminated, like the Jaguars and the Jets.

I have my own expectations, as well as hopes, for which teams will make it, and which teams might look strong once the second season, the playoffs, actually roll around. In the meantime, stakes are growing, and time is running out on this regular season. 

Let's take a look at the upcoming games this weekend:

Arizona at NY Giants - As a fan of the G-Men, this game scares me. The Giants have won four straight, and the Cardinals have lost three straight. That would suggest that these two teams are going in opposite directions. But the Cardinals are fighting for their playoff lives, and can be very dangerous. Plus, Kyler Murray still has very quick legs that can catch defense off guard, and that makes them unpredictable. Still, the Giants have been playing lights out football. They have home field advantage, and every incentive to win, which is what I ultimately think that they will do. My pick: NY Giants

Tennessee at Jacksonville - The Titans are very much in the playoff hunt, and in fact, fighting to stay in a first-place tie, at the very least, with the Indianapolis Colts. They also were just humbled with a sobering home loss to the Browns, where they allowed far too many points, especially in the first half. So, they know that they cannot afford a letdown in this one. Tennessee is the far better football field, and they should prove it in this one with a convincing win. My pick: Tennessee

Kansas City at Miami - Now, this is a solid match-up. The high flying Chiefs, with their elite offense and a surprisingly tough defense, heading down to Miami to take on the surprising, 8-4 Dolphins. It is hard not to be impressed with how well the Fins have played this season. But that said, they are taking on the defending champion Chiefs, and they look like a well-oiled machine at the moment. A very tough thing to ask for an emerging team like Miami. Have to go with KC here. My pick: Kansas City

Houston at Chicago - Two struggling teams who, realistically, have already been eliminated from playoff contention. The Bears have lost six straight and fallen out of playoff contention, realistically, although a win could change the perspective, somewhat. The Texans have been playing better in recent weeks, recovering from a truly miserable start to their season, so that is something. A tough one to decide, but the Texans look like they are playing better, while Chicago looks like they have been finding new ways to lose with each week. My pick: Houston

Minnesota at Tampa Bay - A battle between two playoff contenders, yet neither of these two teams can really afford to lose this one. For now, the Vikings are clinging to the seventh and final seed in the NFC, but they are in a tough race, as they look over their shoulders to see several contenders nipping at their heels. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay may have looked like a possible elite team earlier this season, but the re carpet has been pulled out from under them. Now, they need to keep winning just to secure a playoff spot that looked almost like a lock just a few short weeks ago. A loss at home - any loss anywhere, really - just will not do for a Bucs team that almost seems to have forgotten what it takes to win. But I suspect that they will remember this weekend. My pick: Tampa Bay

Denver at Carolina - A rematch of Super Bowl 50, kind of. Some of the players on both sides were there for that meeting, although neither team is anywhere near as impressive as they were in that 2015-16 season. However, the Broncos look and feel like perhaps the slightly better team, although home field advantage should help the Panthers. This one's a toss up. My pick: Carolina

Dallas at Cincinnati - Neither of these two teams are going to the playoffs, so this has no real relevance. The Cowboys are still in the NFC East division race, but this really feels like a lost season for them. It has been a long time since Big D was quite this bad, and their defense seems incapable of stopping anyone. The Bengals have had a long and trying season, although they were expected to be in a rebuilding mode, so the disappointment is not so strong for them. Expect a Cincy win at home against the sliding 'Boys. My pick: Cincinnati

NY Jets at Seattle - Wow. The Jets lost a heartbreaker last weekend, in what most likely was their best chance, possibly their last best chance, to win a game this season. Now, they head up to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seahawks, who are fighting to remain in a first-place tie, at least, with the LA Rams. The Seahawks have a very potent offense, and so Gang Green will have their hands full. The Jets offense seems to be playing better lately, and so this might be a high-scoring game. But in the end, it is difficult to see how the Jets can win this one. My pick: Seattle

Indianapolis at Las Vegas - The Raiders finally snapped their losing streak last weekend, but just barely, and to the Jets, at that. The Colts are fighting for the AFC South title, and have been the more impressive of these two teams overall this season. Look for the Colts tough defense to give the Raiders problems, and look for the Colts to earn an impressive road victory to stay in first. My pick: Indianapolis

Atlanta at LA Chargers - Two teams that are pretty much irrelevant in terms of playoff chances. The Falcons have some enormous talent on offense, but will once again miss the postseason. And the Chargers are an inconsistent team, which makes them unpredictable from week to week. But in the end, the Falcons are likely the better overall team, and that is why I am picking them to pull off the road win here in this one. My pick: Atlanta

Washington at San Francisco - Most battles between 5-7 teams are not usually quite this important. Neither team can afford to lose this game, which could be fatal to their playoff hopes. Washington is coming off a very impressive win at previously unbeaten Pittsburgh, and so they should have momentum. The 49ers beat the Rams a couple of weeks ago, but the loss to the Bills last weekend had to be sobering. Look for Washington to come up with another big win. My pick: Washington

Green Bay at Detroit - The Lions have desperately been clinging to their playoff hopes, and are in a position where they cannot afford to lose any games. But this is a tough test. True, the Lions have home field advantage, but it is questionable how much they will benefit from this. Still, I believe that the Packers are more vulnerable than perhaps their record indicates, and so at the risk of sounding and appearing crazy, this will be my upset special prediction this week. My pick: Detroit

New Orleans at Philadelphia - Another game with playoff ramifications. But the Eagles playoff hopes are seriously flickering at the moment. They seemed to be emerging as the clear-cut favorites to win the weak NFC East just weeks ago, but a losing streak at a most inopportune time, just as Washington and New York were starting to win and move past Philly, has the Eagles staring down a remaining schedule where they cannot afford to lose a single game. Only, snapping a losing streak is hard enough, but it is even harder when you have to do it against one of the hottest and most talented teams in the entire league. My pick: New Orleans

Sunday Night Football: Pittsburgh at Buffalo - Oh, wow, this is a great game! The Steelers, having suffered only their first defeat of the season last week, head off to frigid Buffalo, to take on the 9-3 Bills, who's confidence must surely be soaring after knocking off the 49ers in San Francisco. This is a huge game for both teams, as the Steelers can come that much closer to clinching their division title, and maintain the top seed in the AFC playoff picture in the process. But the Bills, if they can win, can pass yet another tough test and validate themselves and their accomplishments this season in a huge way should they win. This will be a hard game for both teams, and it would not be surprising no matter who wins. In the end, I will go with the home team for a narrow win. My pick: Buffalo

Monday Night Football: Baltimore at Cleveland - What a game! The Ravens finally managed to stop their free fall this season with an important and surely hugely satisfying win against the Cowboys. However, they are playing a far better team this week, and will have to do so on the road. The Browns will need to be careful, because the Ravens are a familiar opponent, and managed to blow out the Browns earlier in the year during the first meeting between these two clubs. At the end of the day, though, the Browns have improved enough to show that they merit serious playoff discussion. That is a rare opportunity for this franchise, and they do not want to miss it. A win over the Ravens would put them in excellent position to finally reach the playoffs for the first time since 2002, the longest active playoff drought in the NFL right now. Look for the Browns to try and make a statement in this game, although they better watch out for Baltimore's running game. My pick: Cleveland