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NY Giants at Chicago – Two of the worst teams in the NFC face off in the Windy City. The G-Men have lost four straight games and were just blown out in Philly. They never had much of a chance at qualifying for the postseason. Yet, surely they would like to earn one more win before the long offseason begins. As for the Bears, they just earned a surprising win in Seattle, which might just be the most important win that Chicago has had this season. Justin Fields may play, although it is uncertain. Nick Foles produced some late magic in that game against the Seahawks, and the Bears, with home field advantage, may actually have garnered some momentum with the win. Perhaps Big Blue can produce an upset and get the better of Da Bears in this game, although my suspicion is that Bears fans will get to enjoy a win by their hometown team in their final home game for this season. My pick: Chicago
Tampa Bay at NY Jets – Well, the Buccaneers might be the road team here, and the weather might not be very accommodating. But all of that is immaterial, because the Bucs are just a much better team overall. They have a tough defense, and they also have Tom Brady, who knows a thing or two about beating Gang Green, including at the Meadowlands. True, the Jets won a game last weekend, and against a Florida team, to boot. But this is a very different Florida team that they are facing, and the Bucs, who just won their division title, still are fighting to try and earn the top seed throughout the NFC playoffs, and to get a playoff bye in the process, which could come in handy for some of the veterans like Brady. In other words, they have more incentive, and as the better team by far, it seems to me that they are not necessarily ripe for a letdown. Look for the Bucs to jump out early and earn a convincing win. My pick: Tampa Bay
Jacksonville at New England – The Patriots were the hottest team in the league just a couple of weeks ago. But after dropping two straight games, they need to win now. They still have a chance to win the AFC East, but they also need to win to make sure and clinch a playoff spot once and for all. So in come the Jacksonville Jaguars, the team with the worst overall record. It is like a late Christmas gift for New England, who are hungry to get back to winning football games. Look for Belichick to have this team ready and focused here for this one. No letdown likely. Look for the Pats to dictate the tempo of this game early, and ultimately, they should earn a convincing, even a lopsided, win against the hapless Jags. My pick: New England
Atlanta at Buffalo – Atlanta is still clinging to their slim and flickering playoff hopes. But now they go up to Buffalo, where it is supposed to be cold and possibly to snow, in hopes of keeping their playoff dreams alive. The Bills just beat the Patriots up in New England to get some revenge on an earlier loss, and to get back into first place in the division. They have won two games in a row, and are tough to beat at home. Right now, they feel like a team with lot of momentum, and they just might be reaching their peak at the right time. Josh Allen looks back in his old form. This should be a win for the Bills. My pick: Buffalo
Kansas City at Cincinnati – Wow, what a game this one should be! Two division leaders taking each other on. One is the hottest team in the league, and the other is pretty hot themselves at the moment, having won two straight games and placed themselves in sole possession of first place in the AFC North. That should make this a very good game. However, the Chiefs not only are the hottest team in the league at the moment, but they also are the team with far and away the most experience in the league. After all, when they clinched the division title just days ago, it was for a sixth straight season. They have reached the AFC Championship Game for three straight years, and went all the way to the Super Bowl in the past two seasons. So they are np strangers to huge games like this. Meanwhile, the Bengals are new to it, and they have not had a ton of success in big games against teams not in their division. So for me, it feels like this one goes in favor of the Chiefs, even though they are the visiting team. KC is just very hot at the moment, and they want to clinch the top seed in the AFC, which they are, in fact, quite close to doing. Look for them to dictate the tempo early and cruise to a win. My pick: Kansas City
Philadelphia at Washington – It is actually a little bit sad to see what has happened to a once promising season for Washington. They had a mixture of bad luck with Covid cases mixed with incredibly bad timing with key, and very tough, games on their schedule. Here is yet another game against a divisional opponent who is seeking to qualify for the playoffs and seems to be peaking at the right time. Home field advantage or not, the Eagles should be able to take this game, and convincingly at that. My pick: Philadelphia
Las Vegas at Indianapolis - Both of these teams have looked impressive lately, pulling off impressive wins and runs in an effort to reach the playoffs. But the hotter team, and most likely the better one, is easily the Colts. They have a physical style that will be tough for any team to beat, no matter where they play. And this game is going to be played in the dome at Indianapolis, which is yet one more disadvantage for the Silver and Black. Look for the Colts to effectively pound the Raiders into submission, and I expect this game to be decided well before the fourth quarter rolls around. My pick: Indianapolis
Carolina at New Orleans - The Panthers won the first meeting between these two teams this season. But in this second one, they enter as one of the coldest teams in the league, sporting an active losing streak of six straight, and having long ago been knocked out of the playoffs. Also, this game will be played in the Superdome, and the Saints are fighting for their playoff lives. True, they lost a heartbreaker at home last week to the Dolphins. But the Panthers are nowhere near as good as the Fins, and the Saints should be far and away, clearly the better team in this one. Not sure if it will be enough to push them to the postseason, but the home team should at least win this game. My pick: New Orleans
Miami at Tennessee - Two playoff contenders go at it. The Titans have the incentive to win to make the playoffs official, and also to finally clinch the AFC South division title. The Dolphins want to follow up on their seven straight wins by winning what would be a huge and impressive game on the road against one of the relative elites in the AFC. Miami's defense looked incredible against the Saints, who could simply do nothing against the Fins on Monday evening, and that in a must win game for them. The Titans are probably better than the Saints, but the Dolphins are tough, and very, very hot. Only one team, the Chiefs, have a longer active winning streak. Yet still the Titans are favored, by more or less a field goal, despite their inconsistent play of late. Also, the Titans are not at full strength. All of that should help the cause of the Dolphins to get their eighth in a row, and inch closer to that improbable playoff berth that might start to feel like destiny should Miami pull off a win here. My pick: Miami
LA Rams at Baltimore - The question of whether or not Lamar Jackson will be anywhere near full strength here, or even if he plays in this game, is very much still in doubt. The Ravens clearly need him, because they now are playing for their playoff lives, despite seemingly being in control not only of their playoff fate, or even of the division, but of the AFC just weeks ago. But after four straight losses at the worst possible timing, all that remains are question marks. And who should come to town but one of the hottest teams in the league, a team with a very tough defense. This one should prove to be a little too tough for a Ravens team still not anywhere near 100 percent. My pick: LA Rams
Denver at LA Chargers - Two teams who's playoff possibilities feel a lot more limited after recent losses than they did just a few weeks ago. The Broncos lost to the Bengals and then the Raiders, and while they are not yet mathematically eliminated, they realistically are. As for the Chargers, they also have lost two in a row. The first was not a shock, as the Chiefs basically clinched the division title, de facto, with a win at Los Angeles. But the loss to the Texans was inexcusable, and you cannot help but wonder if the Chargers failed to put that past loss to KC behind them on time for the Texans game. So either team can lose this game, but both are also capable of playing well enough to win. For the purpose of making a prediction, I will go with the home team here for this one. My pick: LA Chargers
Houston at San Francisco - Like the Lions, the Texans are a lowly team suddenly playing some of their best football all season in these final weeks of the 2021 regular season. But having to go on the road out west to San Francisco, to take on a talented 49ers team that is fighting to clinch a playoff spot seems like a very tall order. The Texans can play spoiler once or twice, maybe. But this one feels like too much of a challenge, as the Niners should be at fairly full strength, and especially fired up, given what is at stake for this team. Look for them to dictate the tempo early, and cruise to a relatively easy win. My pick: San Francisco
Detroit at Seattle - The Seahawks just suffered a surprising home loss to a bad NFC North team. Not, they face that prospect for a second week, although now, they themselves have been eliminated from playoff contention. The Lions were flirting for a while with a winless season. But they won two of three games before their loss to Atlanta last week, and they played tough in that one. They finally are playing better than they had all season long, although by now it is a lost cause. That tells me that they have a chance. However, both teams are playing for pride here, and the Seahawks will surely show some pride in wanting to win and get the bitter taste of that loss to Chicago out of their mouths. They are still a decent team, one that many figured to be a playoff team at the beginning of the season, and should find a way to win this one, as well. My pick: Seattle
Arizona at Dallas - The Cowboys have officially clinched the NFC East division. Meanwhile, the Cardinals looked like they surely would be the best in the NFC West. But after an impressive undefeated start after eight games, they have lost five of their past seven, and three in a row in particular. Their season has spiraled out of control. Meanwhile, the 'Boys still have an outside shot at the top seed in the NFC playoffs, and should be able to find the motivation and the talent to get past the shaky Cardinals here in this one. My pick: Dallas
SNF: Minnesota at Green Bay - The Vikings desperately need to find a way to win this game. But the Packers have been the most consistent winning team in the league, and enjoy the best record in the NFL as a result entering this weekend. They have already clinched the division title, but are close to clinching the top seed in the NFC playoffs for a second year in a row. If they win out, they get it, and both of their remaining game - this home game against the Vikings and a road game at Detroit - feel winnable. Green Bay has won four in a row and, ironically, their last loss was to the Vikings, although that one was in Minnesota. This should be a very intense game, and I think it will be very close. Either team could pull this one off, and they both need it to get what they really want at this point. If ever there was a great time for the Vikings to pull off a win like they need here, this would be it. But my suspicion is that the Pack still find a way to win and stay on course for home field throughout, and that all valuable playoff bye. My pick: Green Bay
MNF: Cleveland at Pittsburgh - Last year, for one game, the Browns pulled off a stunner against the team that has tormented them for a very long time, and surely more than any other franchise in the league, at least in recent memory. Yes, the Browns went to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh last January and dominated the Steelers, who as you perhaps remember, had started last season 11-0, and then lost four of their final five regular season games, then lost that Wildcard Game to the Browns, ending what had once been a very promising season in disappointment. Neither of these two teams looks as good this season as they looked last season, but they are both still in the running for a playoff spot, and even a possibly shocking division title. But that will only really be true of the team that emerges from this one with a win, because realistically, the team that loses will be done. The Steelers got the better of the Browns in the first meeting in Cleveland this season. Look for the Browns to return the favor and effectively end the Steelers season in Heinz Field for a second year in a row, in my upset special. My pick: Cleveland
