After going 13-3 in Week 15, my year-to-date record improved to 140-83-1 (.627). I need to win 29 of the season’s final 32 games to tie my all-time best, which was set in 2011. Stranger things have happened, folks!
(NOTE: All games on Sunday afternoon unless otherwise noted.)
Houston 27, Tampa Bay 24 (Saturday afternoon): To my way of thinking, this is the time when the cream rises to the top. The Bucs got away with their usual spate of turnovers against the Colts, but they won’t against a Houston team that should be better and more consistent than it has shown.
New England 20, Buffalo 17 (Saturday afternoon): This is one of the better games on the card, and it deserves the Saturday spotlight. Buffalo lost the earlier meeting at home, 16-10, thanks in part to a blocked punt that was run back for a touchdown. But that game pointed out the Patriots’ offensive deficiencies as much as it did the Bills’ tough defense.
San Francisco 31, Los Angeles Rams 27 (Saturday night): After the Rams were blown out at home by Baltimore, I didn’t expect them to rebound as well as they have. But with a playoff spot at stake, I admire the way Los Angeles has played since. The problem this week is that it’s a game in San Francisco against one of the league’s most consistent teams.
Baltimore 34, Cleveland 17: I know the Browns won the earlier meeting, but there’s no way anyone can say that the Browns are better than Baltimore. The Ravens didn’t have Brandon Williams in that game, and Nick Chubb ran wild. Williams has had perhaps his finest year as the Ravens’ rebuilt linebacker corps has improved the defense by leaps and bounds.
Pittsburgh 27, New York Jets 20: The Jets have lost four games against winless teams this year, and they have also beaten teams like Dallas. A confounding bunch, they are. But the Steelers’ second-half surge has been one of the league’s great stories this year.
Miami 16, Cincinnati 13: Many observers believed this (uh) titanic showdown would be played with the top overall draft pick at stake. It doesn’t quite have that luster now, and…. (Well, who are we kidding?) There’s no luster to this game at all.
New York Giants 20, Washington 12: Eli Manning’s re-insertion under center for the Giants has seemed to bring a spark of life back into that team. The Redsdkins, on the other hand, are merely playing out the string.
Atlanta 29, Jacksonville 15: Which Deep South team will be able to climb out of its deep hole? For the Jaguars, the hole seems to have gotten deeper as the season has progressed, while the Falcons have at least shown occasional signs of life.
Indianapolis 23, Carolina 10: The star of Panthers quarterback Kyle Allen has fallen just as quickly as it rose, so the Panthers will have rookie Will Grier under center this week. For the Colts, this game is probably its last opportunity to be a playoff team.
Tennessee 27, New Orleans 24: As with all interconference games, these teams don’t play each other often. Nevertheless, this is an intriguing matchup. New Orleans wants the NFC’s top seed, and the Titans are still shooting for an AFC wild-card berth.
Dallas 23, Philadelphia 20: Let’s face it: two teams fighting for a division title should be better than this. The Cowboys have underachieved, but they have more talent and have been healthier than the up-and-down Eagles.
Oakland 27, Los Angeles Chargers 10: On the surface, you can look at this game as just a couple of teams going nowhere. While that may be true, the Raiders at least show occasional fight.
Denver 30, Detroit 16: Even though they had been hanging on by a thread, the Broncos were still alive for an AFC wild-card playoff spot until deep into the season. That, plus the fact they’re at home and have the better young quarterback in Drew Lock, makes them a ‘lock’ here (ouch!).
Seattle 24, Arizona 9: The Seahawks are back home for this NFC West game. The Cardinals are noticeably better than they have been, but they aren’t on the Baltimore-New Orleans level yet (teams that have knocked off the Seahawks in Seattle this year).
Kansas City 27, Chicago 24 (Sunday night): About a month ago, this game looked like a real snoozer. With Patrick Mahomes and Mitch Trubisky healthy and playing well, it could turn into an entertaining evening at Soldier Field.
Green Bay 30, Minnesota 27 (Monday night): There’s nothing like a good knock-down, drag-out NFC North Division game in December, played in the cold and snow. What? This game is indoors! Oh, well, the Vikings and Packers should still put on a good show in a game that has division title implications.
