Friday 28 November 2014 06:19, UK
Sky Sports News' Richard Graves previews and gives his predictions for the rest of the week 13 games.
Sunday November 30
San Diego Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens
A last minute red zone interception saved the day for the San Diego Chargers against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. It meant their record improved to 7-4 for the season - tied with the second placed Chiefs and just a game out of first place.
The good news, is that the Chargers are on a two game winning streak, the bad news is that they've struggled in both games but this is the stage of the season when all that matters is getting the "W!" RB Ryan Mathews flashed glimpses of his best form in scampering for a 32 yard TD - he finished the game with 105 yards from just 12 carries and the Chargers will need more from him if they are to secure a place in the post season.
The Ravens are also in the hunt for a playoff berth on the back of a career night from RB Justin Forsett as they won in New Orleans. Forsett rushed for 182 yards from only 22 carries and two TDs. That win lifts Baltimore to 7-4 in what is arguably the most competitive division in the NFL this season. All four teams in the AFC North are separated by just half a game!
San Diego will need no reminding of what happened when they last travelled across country - they were shut out in a humbling 37-0 defeat in Miami! Baltimore is a tough place to go. They have more weapons offensively than either the Raiders or Rams (the teams San Diego have beaten in the last two weeks) and they are likely to have too much for the Chargers on Sunday.
Pick: Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns @ Buffalo Bills
Both teams go into this game on the back of good road wins. Ok, so Buffalo's was officially a home game but played in Detroit due to the snow! Officials insist the conditions have improved and the game will take place, as planned in Buffalo this weekend.
Both teams are in playoff contention but both know a slip now will leave them with a mountain to climb to make the post season. The Bills were impressive in dispatching the Jets on Monday night. Their defense shut down the Jets with neither Michael Vick nor Geno Smith able to move the ball effectively. Offensively Buffalo scored four TDs with veteran RB Fred Jackson seeing an increased role as he comes back from injury, splitting reps in the backfield and scored a touchdown.
The Browns were in control for much of the second half of their win in Atlanta but QB Bryan Hoyer did his best to surrender the game, throwing two interceptions late on, allowing the Falcons to kick the go ahead field goal. Thankfully for Cleveland, the time management shown by Falcons coach Mike Smith was dreadful and Billy Cundiff kicked the game winner as time expired. The Browns had to be pleased with what they saw from returning WR Josh Gordon, he finished the day with 120 yards. Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell performed well, running the ball, combining for 150 yards. Defensively this team is good and should knock the Bills out of playoff contention.
Pick: Cleveland Browns
Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans
You could almost feel the air deflate out of the Texans on Monday as they got the news that QB Ryan Mallett is done for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. That means Ryan Fitzpatrick has the reins on this offense for the rest of the year and that likely means any lingering playoff ambitions are gone. However, that doesn't mean to say they won't win this weekend.
The Tennessee Titans head to Houston with just two wins all year! Rookie QB Zach Mettenberger is still a work in progress although he has shown flashes in both of their last two games. However, this week he'll see JJ Watt lining up against him and with the no. 1 draft pick, Jadeveon Clowney also in the line up, it's enough to give any rookie nightmares! The Texans were comfortable winners last month in Tennessee. Watt got to Mettenberger then, there's no reason to expect anything different this time around.
Pick: Houston Texans
Washington Redskins @ Indianapolis Colts
What a difference a day makes. On Monday Redskins HC Jay Gruden said of Robert Griffin III "Robert's my guy, right now" By Tuesday that apparently didn't mean RGIII was his guy, this week! Colt McCoy will be Washington's starting QB in Indianapolis on Sunday and it's not really a surprise.
The Redskins have suffered three straight defeats since RGIII returned from injury. They've only scored one touchdown in each of their last two games and Griffin is now 4-14 as a starter since the start of last season. The irony of course is that Colts QB Andrew Luck was drafted No 1 three years ago and Griffin went at two after Washington gave up a king's ransom to trade up for him!
Luck and the Colts continue to go from strength to strength but while they have a 7-4 record and are top of the AFC South, the Redskins have won just 3 games all season and are last in the NFC East.
The Colts go into this game with the league's best offense and are ranked 4th in points scored per game (30). The Redskins average less than 20 points per game and are conceding around 25 points per game.
Even with a change at quarterback it's unlikely to produce a change of luck in Indianapolis. Andrew and the Colts will likely be No 1 again on Sunday.
Pick: Indianapolis Colts
New York Giants @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The Giants are tied for last in the NFC East with a 3-8 record but if Sunday's defeat showed anything, it showed they still have plenty of fight and despite a raft of injuries, they're still a competitive outfit. They're currently on a six game losing streak but look at the team's who've beaten them, Dallas - twice, the 49ers, the Seahawks, the Colts and the Eagles. Those teams have a combined 38-17 record! The play of rookie WR Odell Beckham is certainly a cause for optimism. THAT catch for a TD against the Cowboys got plenty of attention but his overall play suggests the Giants have a real star in the making.
The Jaguars are also a team looking to cling to positives and for the first half in Indianapolis they were a match for the Colts. They limited them to just three points in that period and finished the game with five sacks on Andrew Luck but coach Gus Bradley has said all season long they lack consistency - the product of a young and inexperienced team. Like the Giants they are riding a losing streak - currently at four - one of them has to end this week.
Pick: New York Giants
Carolina Panthers @ Minnesota Vikings
The Panthers are coming off a bye week and somehow still find themselves just half a game outside of first place in the NFC South with a 3-7-1 record. The Vikings fought hard in a three-point loss to the Packers but are now 4-7 - that'd be good enough for a share of first place in the NFC South!
Carolina will look to get their run game going against a defense that struggled against Eddie Lacy last weekend and hope that the extra week off has allowed QB Cam Newton some time to get healthy and find some of last season's form. Minnesota have struggled to get last year's first round pick, WR Cordarrelle Patterson involved amid speculation he isn't running crisp routes and with Adrian Peterson missing all but one game this year they've struggled to get anything going on the ground. Their defense has been a positive though and if they can disrupt the Panthers this game is there for the taking.
Two poor teams where home field advantage might prove to be the difference.
Pick: Minnesota Vikings
New Orleans Saints @ Pittsburgh Steelers - live on Sky Sports 2 at 17:30
The Saints season is falling apart. On Monday night Baltimore handed them a third straight defeat at home and Justin Forsett embarrassed them on the ground - running for 182 yards as New Orleans blew the chance to take the outright lead in the NFC South. After the game QB Drew Brees admitted, "On both sides of the ball right now, we aren't doing enough to get the job done" In a division where a .500 record will likely be good enough to clinch it, that's a problem.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are well rested, coming off a bye week and having just seen their divisional rivals take care of the Saints, they'll be keen to do the same - especially outdoors, in the cold, on home turf! New Orleans don't travel well. They've won just one road game this season and after their defense was terrorised by Justin Forsett, here comes Le'Veon Bell. Bell put on a show in the Steelers win in Tennessee last time out, running for 204 yards as he closed out the win over the Titans. With three teams on 7-4 and just a game behind AFC North leaders, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers can't afford to lose this game and they won't.
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
Oakland Raiders @ St. Louis Rams
The Raiders celebrated last week's win over the Kansas City Chiefs like they'd just won the Super Bowl and who can blame them?! It was their first win of the season, heck - it was their first win in over a year!! They'll hope RB Latavius Murray comes through concussion protocol and is available for the trip to St. Louis after he rushing for 112 yards and two TDs on just four carries against the Chiefs as they attempt to keep a Rams defense at bay which appears to be getting better every week.
The Rams will be disappointed not to have backed up their huge win over Denver with another in San Diego. Shaun Hill's interception at the goal line with the Rams well placed for the game winning score was a heart breaker. On the plus side CB Janoris Jenkins once again displayed his predatory instincts as he picked off Phillip Rivers for a 99 yard touchdown return.
The Oakland Raiders require another overhaul of their roster this off season while the Rams appear to have the nucleus of a good team on both sides of the ball - that may well be proven in this contest.
Pick: St. Louis Rams
Cincinnati Bengals @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QB Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals have bounced back well from that disappointing outing against the Cleveland Browns a few weeks ago with wins on the road in New Orleans and Houston. On paper at least, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should be a more straight forward proposition. The Bengals know they can't afford anymore off days though in a division where all four teams are chasing down a playoff berth.
Cincinnati look a team rejuvenated with WR AJ Green and RB Giovani Bernard fully fit and back in the lineup and they should provide a real headache for the Bucs defense.
Once again highlighting how bad the NFC South is this year, Tampa Bay, with a 2-9 record, are only one win ahead of picking first in next year's draft but just 2 wins outside of first place in the division. RB Doug Martin's return as their lead back against the Bears didn't do anything to spark the Buccaneers offense as he gained only 27 yards from 11 carries. Their one cause for optimism though lies in rookie WR Mike Evans. He scored the Bucs lone TD last weekend as he increasingly becomes a cornerstone in their offense; however, he can't beat the Bengals on his own!
Pick: Cincinnati Bengals
Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons
The Arizona Cardinals have reacted immediately to their defeat in Seattle by signing the former Bears and Raiders running back Michael Bush. He's seen as someone who can help in short yardage situations to keep drives alive - something they were unable to do against the Seahawks. That defeat though wasn't too damaging to their playoff hopes. They still hold a two game lead in the NFC West with a 9-2 record although last weekend's loss does keep both the Seahawks and 49ers in the race to finish top.
Drew Stanton didn't show the same poise at QB as he had seven days earlier against the Lions, managing just 149 yards passing, an interception and 0 TDs. The Cardinals also struggled on third down, converting just 3 of 12 attempts but their defense was stout and repeatedly forced Seattle to settle for field goals, keeping Arizona in the game.
The Falcons certainly don't provide the same caliber of opponent and anything that can go wrong for them seemingly is at the moment. That includes calling a timeout and stopping the clock when driving for a game winning field goal. The result...Cleveland were left with enough time to drive down field themselves and win the game as time expired. Atlanta has offensive weapons in receivers, Julio Jones and Roddy White but their ground game is poor, averaging just 93 yards per game and their defense is dead last in the NFL. Expect the Cardinals to bounce back from the disappointment in Seattle and become the first team with 10 wins this season
Pick: Arizona Cardinals
New England Patriots @ Green Bay Packers - live on Sky Sports 2 at 21:00
While a few matchups may lay claim to being the game of the week, this IS the game of the week! The Patriots at the Packers throws together the top two scoring offenses in the NFL. Both average more than 32 points per game and while the Patriots will look to find TE Rob Gronkowski in he middle of the field, the Packers have WR Jordy Nelson who can burn the secondary.
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are two quarterbacks at the top of their game right now and with a passer rating of 119.2 this season, the stats say Rodgers is the best QB in the league. Brady is ranked sixth with a rating of 101.0. Both teams have big, physical running backs as well. Green Bay's Eddie Lacy was as impressive as has been all season as he scored two TDs and racked up 138 all purpose yards against the Vikings while LaGarrette Blount was only re-signed last week by the Patriots but scored two TDs and had 78 yards on just 12 carries in the dominant win over Detroit.
Defensively, there's little to separate the sides and crucially when it comes to turnover differential, these are the top two teams in the league. Green Bay are +15, New England are +11.
In every sense this is a huge matchup and one many think we could see again in Arizona on February 1 in Super Bowl XLIX. With so little to choose between the teams it comes down to a gut feeling. The Packers have the advantage of being on home turf at Lambeau Field but the Patriots might just be the best team in the NFL right now.
Pick: New England Patriots
Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs will be kicking themselves, believing they should be hosting a matchup for the outright lead in the AFC West. A shock defeat in Oakland last week though means it's the Broncos who go into Arrowhead Stadium with a one game lead and a win here would give them a clean sweep of the Chiefs.
Kansas City are dealing with the loss for the year of their top safety, Eric Berry after an MRI scan revealed a mass in his chest. The news comes as a shock for everyone concerned but it's also sure to act as a rallying point for his teammates. On Sunday they'll face a Peyton Manning led offense that hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders in recent weeks but still found a way to overcome the Dolphins despite trailing late in the game last Sunday.
If the Chiefs can contain Denver offensively, they'll lean on their star running back Jamaal Charles to pound the ball and keep Manning off the field. Two weeks ago they were able to execute that game plan against the Super Bowl champions, Seattle Seahawks but Seattle did have opportunities which their offense couldn't convert. Denver are not likely to be so generous.
Pick: Denver Broncos
Monday December 1
Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets
Week 13 closes out with an AFC East clash that on paper appears to be a certain Miami win...but divisional matchups are rarely so straight forward!
The Jets were simply dreadful in the defeat to Buffalo on Sunday night - so bad in fact, they benched Vick and inserted Geno Smith at QB during the game. Unsurprisingly, that didn't change their fortunes. It's difficult to find anything positive to say about the New York Jets at the moment. Another humbling loss leaves them bottom of the division with a 2-9 record and vying for the first overall pick in next year's draft.
In contrast, the Dolphins are chasing a Wildcard spot in the playoffs and know they have to win to maintain realistic hopes of achieving it. They gave the Broncos all they could handle in Denver last week and led late in the game, only to see it slip away. Their defense is ranked 5th overall and 4th in passing defense. They give up 20 points per game - a total the Jets offense has only achieved in 3 games this season.
Pick: Miami Dolphins
