Week 15 picks
The Jets had a good win over the Bills last week, and they play better at home. That said, go with Deshaun Watson and the Texans, who will bounce back from their loss to the Colts because they have to.
The Browns are running the ball and sticking with it, and that’s allowing their defense to stay fresh. The Browns are stopping the run well, too, and that’s key against a Broncos team coming off a bad loss.
The Bears might not be rolling on offense, but their defense is smothering. That will be good enough against the up-and-down Packers, especially because Aaron Rodgers can struggle in Chicago.
The Bills defense is fairly stingy, but the Lions are a bit better team. Two mediocre teams that can occasionally get hot. Go with the more experienced quarterback in this one, Matthew Stafford, even though he’s on the road.
The Buccaneers can be explosive on offense, but maybe not against this defense, which gave the Chiefs all they could handle last week. The Ravens grind it out on the ground, playing typical December football.
As disappointing as this season as been for the Falcons, they should be able to handle the Cardinals, particularly in Atlanta. The Cardinals were able to generate only three points last week in a home loss to the Lions.
The Bengals played a lot better at the Chargers last week than most people expected. The Raiders are coming off a huge win over the Steelers. The Bengals don’t have to travel and are used to the weather.
Both teams have won two in a row, and the Titans really have the ground game going. The Giants finally have figured out what they want to do on offense and are prepared to hold serve.
A team that fires a coach during the season tends to play well the next week, even if it’s just a coordinator. So go with the Vikings over a Dolphins team that’s coming off an emotional, stunning win over the Patriots.
Two teams in dueling tailspins. Apparently, you can run it on the Jaguars now, as the Titans discovered in dramatic fashion. The Redskins are capable of cobbling together a close win.
The Cowboys are feeling good about themselves, as they should. The Colts are riding high, too, after an impressive division win. Leave it to Andrew Luck to find a way to take the Cowboys down a notch.
These aren’t quite the Seahawks of old, but they’re winning in familiar fashion. The playoffs are inching ever closer. Niners coach Kyle Shanahan deserves credit for keeping that M*A*S*H unit competitive.
The Steelers are really struggling, and they’re facing a brutal 1-2 punch coming in the Patriots and Saints. The Patriots rebound from their shocking, last-second loss to the Dolphins.
After a so-so game and a terrible game, Jared Goff returns to form at home, and the Rams start looking like a top-shelf offense again. Watch them pull away in the second half of this one.
The Saints are back on track for the No. 1 seed and they’re determined not to let the Panthers derail them. The Panthers defense is a shell of its former self, and Drew Brees will capitalize on that.
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