Saturday 13 December 2014 12:54, UK
Sky Sports News' Richard Graves previews the upcoming NFL action and gives his predictions for the next round of games.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns - Live on Sky Sports 2, 5.30pm
This is a big game in the AFC North. Tie breakers mean it's almost impossible for the Cleveland Browns to now make the playoffs - last weekend's gut-wrenching defeat to the Colts effectively ended their hopes. Once again they were outstanding on the defensive side of the ball, scoring two touchdowns and sacking Andrew Luck on three occasions. As good as they were though, QB Bryan Hoyer was as bad, connecting on just 14 passes for a meagre 140 yards with two interceptions. All this means rookie Jonny Manziel will get his first NFL start on Sunday.
The Bengals are once again in danger of losing top spot in the NFC North. A desperately disappointing defeat to the Steelers leaves them just half a game ahead and let's not forget, the Browns humiliated them 24-3 in Cincinnati just over a month ago! Without doubt their recent form has been a cause for concern. Not just last week's defeat but the manner in which they limped past the Buccaneers seven days earlier as well.
There will be a playoff type atmosphere to this game. The stage is set for Jonny Manziel to provide the spark this Browns offence has been sorely missing.
Pick: Cleveland Browns
Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers - Live on Sky Sports 2, 9pm
Defeat to the New England Patriots certainly didn't extinguish the Chargers' playoff hopes but it certainly didn't help them ahead of this weekend's visit by Denver. San Diego are currently locked in a three-way battle for a Wildcard spot at 8-5 with a number of teams just behind them on 7-6. An earlier meeting this season at Mile High ended with the Broncos running out 35-21 winners. A repeat of that result would give the AFC West title to Denver and leave San Diego needing help to make the post-season.
Peyton Manning's streak of 51 straight games with a touchdown pass ended last weekend as running back CJ Anderson scored three TDs in the 24-17 win over Buffalo. In fact, Manning finished the day with just 173 passing yards and two interceptions! Perhaps more concerning now for opponents though, is in the last three weeks, the Broncos have discovered a legitimate running game and no longer appear to be relying solely on the arm of their veteran QB.
Expect a playoff type atmosphere inside Qualcomm stadium for this game with the prize evident for all to see, but Denver should prevail.
Pick: Denver Broncos
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Atlanta Falcons
It shouldn't be underestimated just how BIG Pittsburgh's win in Cincinnati was last Sunday! Not only did it keep their playoff hopes alive but - at 8-5 - it now leaves them just half a game back from the Bengals and very much in the hunt for the AFC North title. Running back Le'Veon Bell was once again their "bell cow" as he ran for 185 yards and two TDs. It also throws up the question of exactly what are the Pittsburgh Steelers? They suffered defeats to the lowly Buccaneers and Saints this season but have also beaten the high scoring Colts and Bengals. It makes for an interesting trip to Atlanta against a Falcons side who are still in the playoff hunt themselves.
The Falcons record slipped to 5-8 following Monday's defeat in Green Bay but that's still good enough for top spot in the NFC South. Star WR Julio Jones had a career night, posting 259 receiving yards and a touchdown - the Falcons will hope the hip injury which forced him from the game late on isn't too serious.
The Steelers will lean again on Bell to pound the ball on Atlanta's 23rd-ranked rush defence, while the Falcons will rely on Matt Ryan's arm to attack Pittsburgh's secondary and their 25th-ranked pass defence. There should be plenty of points in this game.
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Baltimore Ravens
The Jags picked up where they left off against the Giants last week as they took a 13-10 lead into the break over Houston but inconsistency has dogged this team all year and ultimately it was the Texans who won the game. Now they must travel to Baltimore to face a team who showed all the qualities required to make the post-season with a win on the road over Miami.
The Ravens trailed 10-0 early but rallied to win in a game which saw them put consecutive scoring drives of 97 and 75 yards together and convert on 4th & 1 from their own 34 yard line in the third quarter. QB Joe Flacco and WR Steve Smith made big plays when the team needed them most to lift them to an 8-5 record and in contention for the AFC North title.
The Jaguars are a franchise building for the future, the Ravens are a franchise playing for success right now and should have enough to win on Sunday.
Pick: Baltimore Ravens
Green Bay Packers @ Buffalo Bills
Ever since they came out of their bye week in week 10, the Packers have been rolling past opponents. They've strung together five straight wins which has taken them to the top of the NFC North. They are now the No 1 ranked scoring team in the NFL, averaging 32.5 points per game and on Monday night Aaron Rodgers picked apart the Falcons secondary at will. What will have concerned Green Bay though, is the way Atlanta were able to stay in the game, ultimately losing by just six points, 43-37.
That being said, this week's opponents Buffalo are in the bottom half of the league when it comes to scoring, averaging just 21.6 points per game and although their defensive line is one of the best in the NFL, it's difficult to see them containing an offence which has scored at least 24 points in each of Green Bay's last 10 games.
With a 7-6 record, defeat would effectively end Buffalo's slim playoff hopes. The Packers are just a game clear of the Lions, having already lost in Detroit earlier this season.
Pick: Green Bay Packers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers
Two teams who right now are playing in the worst division in football - the NFC South.
The Carolina Panthers come into this game off the back of a thumping 41-10 win in New Orleans - just their fourth this season. That means they're now only half a game behind the Saints and Falcons and first place in the division. In the absence of DeAngelo Williams, RB Jonathan Stewart had a big day, running for 155 yards and a TD, while Cam Newton threw three TDs and ran another in himself.
The Panthers won't have their talismanic quarterback available this week though after he was involved in a car crash on Tuesday. He escaped with two small fractures in his back but was kept in hospital overnight and it remains to be seen whether he'll return to action this season. Derek Anderson will start in his absence on Sunday.
The Buccaneers are only too aware of what Anderson can do - he was under centre when they lost to the Panthers on the opening weekend is season. That was a sign of things to come for the Bucs but through it all they appear to have unearthed a real star in rookie WR Mike Evans. He caught another two touchdown passes in the defeat at Detroit - that's 10 for the season! He will cause the Panthers secondary plenty of problems and may turn out to be the difference in a battle between two sides which have struggled and failed to live up to expectations.
Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions hold their destiny in their own hands but they face a tough end to their regular season schedule, facing all three divisional rivals. Just 17 points were enough to win when Detroit went to Minnesota earlier this season but the return to fitness of WR Calvin Johnson has coincided with a big improvement in their offence. The Lions have scored 68 points in their last two games, prior to that they scored 57 points in four games.
For a relatively young Vikings team, this is a big challenge - trying to contain Stafford, Johnson and co. while scoring points on a defensive unit which ranks second in the league. There's no shortage of character as they proved in their overtime win over the New York Jets last weekend but their offence ranks a lowly 28th in the NFL and only scores around 20 points per game. All of which points to a home win for the Lions.
Pick: Detroit Lions
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
It was a struggle in Cleveland but eventually the Colts did what they had to do and got the win. Which is a good thing, as so too did the Houston Texans to stay within two games of Indianapolis in the AFC South! Had Andrew Luck not been able to engineer that final game winning drive on Sunday then, as good as the Colts have been in 2014, this match-up would have been for the divisional lead. That's right, for all the talk in Houston about who should start at quarterback this season, the Texans are on he edge of playoff contention with a 7-6 record. They've won three of their last four games and with RB Arian Foster healthy again they have options on offence complimented by the recent good form of WR DeAndre Hopkins, whose is now over 1000 receiving yards for the season.
Before we get too carried away though, let's remember who the Texans are up against this weekend. The Indianapolis Colts still have the league's No 1-ranked offence. They're second in points scored, averaging around 31 per game and they will look to attack the Houston secondary, primarily through WR TY Hilton and TE Coby Fleener, which potentially will provide the league's leading defensive lineman, JJ Watt with opportunities to get to Andrew Luck.
The Colts got out of Texas with a five-point win earlier this season. Expect another close contest in Indianapolis with home advantage giving the edge to the Colts.
Pick: Indianapolis Colts
Oakland Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs
The Raiders won another game - this time beating the 49ers! Now look who's next on the schedule...the team they won their first game against this season, the Kansas City Chiefs. Of course, Oakland backed up that first win over the Chiefs by getting hammered, 52-0 in St Louis!
There's a case to be made that, that defeat in Oakland has delivered a terminal blow to the Kansas City Chiefs' season. Including that loss, they're now on a three-game losing streak. A record which was once 7-3 has slipped to 7-6 and any playoff hopes are hanging by a thread. All the more reason then to extract revenge for that humiliating defeat a month ago. The Chiefs struggled against a depleted Arizona defence last weekend though and an offence without its starting quarterback or starting running back was able to score just enough points for the Cardinals to win.
The Raiders are showing signs of life. Their offensive line was hugely impressive against a good 49ers defence, allowing Derek Carr time in the pocket with little pressure as he finished the day completing 24 of 28 passes for 254 yards and three TDs. Oakland also welcomed back RB Latavius Murray for the first time since he left the first game against the Chiefs with concussion after wracking up 112 yards and two TDs on just four carries.
There's certainly some cause for optimism in Oakland but they've still to win on the road this season and Arrowhead Stadium is a tough place to do that.
Pick: Kansas City Chiefs
Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots
It's the last throw of the dice for the Miami Dolphins. Complete an improbable double over the Patriots this Sunday and their season's alive. Lose and it's time to start planning for next season!
Miami had their destiny in their own hands and when they took an early 10-0 lead over Baltimore last weekend, everything was going according to plan but a second-half collapse in which they were able to score just three points while giving up 20 changed all that. Once again the offence was unable to move the ball and too often their big-name players appeared to be on different wavelengths - something which must be frustrating for what is a good Miami defensive unit.
New England bounced back from their defeat in Green Bay with a good road win in San Diego, rallying from an early deficit to win 23-14 and in so doing, clinch their 12th, 10-game winning season in a row under HC Bill Belichick. Victory over the Dolphins will clinch the division this Sunday.
The Dolphins this week placed safety Louis Delmas on season-ending IR and there's little to suggest his team-mates will be able to gain anything in Foxborough.
Pick: New England Patriots
Washington Redskins @ New York Giants
Often we hear form goes out of the window when divisional rivals meet. Well I certainly hope that's the case in this match-up! Between them, the Giants and the Redskins have won just six games all year and quite frankly you wonder if the Redskins could beat their way out of a paper bag right now. They were shut out - at home - by the St. Louis Rams last Sunday and the fans were heard chanting for RGIII. They got their wish when Colt McCoy was forced out of the game late on with a neck strain after being sacked for the sixth time in the game!
To compound matters, much respected former Redskins LB London Fletcher then called out Washington's defensive coordinator, Jim Haslett saying, "he's clueless as a defensive coordinator. He lacks attention to detail. He lacks feel on how to call a game. Some of the calls he used to call when I was playing were head-scratching. They were so bad, I used to change them, like, 'we're not running that."
In short, the Washington Redskins are in total disarray. Everything is in the favour of the New York Giants - including coming into this game on the back of a win for the first time in eight games.
Regardless of who starts at quarterback this weekend for the Redskins, it's unlikely to make much difference to their chances. The Giants won in a 45-14 blowout in Washington in September - expect Big Blue to prevail again.
Pick: New York Giants
New York Jets @ Tennessee Titans
As with the Redskins, Giants match-up, outside of fans of these two franchises, this isn't a game people will be rushing to see! Both teams have just two wins to their credit this season and but for playing each other, it's difficult to see how they would add to that.
If it's possible things got worse for the Titans this week with the news that their rookie QB Zach Mettenberger is out of the rest of the year with a shoulder injury. As was the case a week earlier, Jake Locker replaced him against the Giants and immediately threw an interception. Not for the first time this year, their fans were booing before the end and for some it was so bad, they stuck paper bags over their heads!
The Jets at least showed some spirit in their overtime defeat at Minnesota but ultimately it was to no avail as they allowed WR Jarius Wright to take a short pass 87 yards for the game-winning score. Jets WR Percy Harvin appears doubtful for this game after sustaining an ankle sprain at the weekend, potentially removing another weapon from their already limited offence.
RB Chris Johnson is one player who will definitely have a point to prove after leaving the Titans last year and that may be enough to be a deciding factor in this game.
Pick: New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
At the start of the season many observers had this match-up circled as an NFC West title decider...not now! The San Francisco 49ers appear to be regressing. Following their near-stagnant offensive performance at home to Seattle on Thanksgiving Day, QB Colin Kaepernick followed that up by throwing an interception on the first play from scrimmage and being sacked on the last against the Oakland Raiders.
Without doubt this is the lowest point in Jim Harbaugh's tenure as head coach of the 49ers and it now looks likely they'll miss out on the playoffs for the first time in that period. They currently hold a 7-6 record, two games behind three teams battling for a Wildcard place.
In stark contrast the Seattle Seahawks seem to be hitting form at exactly the right time. Their defence has produced hugely impressive displays against Arizona, San Francisco and Philadelphia in the past three weeks. They've moved to within one game of the NFC West leading Cardinals with a 9-4 record and can now eliminate their fierce rivals from the playoff race with a win over the 49ers this weekend.
While many still see the Green Bay Packers as the best team in the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks are now looking scarily similar to the team which won the Super Bowl last February.
Pick: Seattle Seahawks
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles
This is the stand out game of week 15 - and it's all on the line! The winner takes the outright lead in the NFC East and if that's the Eagles, then barring a spectacular collapse they will effectively punch their ticket into the playoffs by sweeping the series with Dallas.
Of course two weeks ago, the Eagles dominated the Cowboys in Texas and there's little to suggest much has changed between these two sides since then. This is a divisional rivalry though and nothing is ever predictable in this division. The Seattle Seahawks showed how to beat Philly last weekend, dominating the time of possession 2:1 and shutting down their running game, forcing the ball into the hands of Mark Sanchez. Sanchez completed just 10 passes in the entire game for only 96 yards!
Dallas responded to that embarrassing defeat by literally pounding the Chicago Bears into submission. DeMarco Murray ran the ball 32 times for 179 yards while Tony Romo was flawless, throwing for 206 yards and three TDs. The 10 days' rest Dallas have to prepare for this game will undoubtedly suit Romo and his surgically-repaired back but this game will once again come down to the battle in the trenches. It's a battle the Eagles won two weeks ago in Dallas and the defensive front they face this week isn't on the same level as the Seahawks but if the Cowboys O-Line can establish the run and force the ball back into hands of Mark Sanchez, this game becomes a lottery.
Pick: Philadelphia Eagles
Monday December 15
New Orleans Saints @ Chicago Bears
Both teams have a losing record. Both teams go into this game off the back of humbling defeats. In fact the New Orleans Saints defeat was so bad, it prompted a brutally honest response from HC Sean Payton. Following Sunday's game against Carolina he said: "That's embarrassing how we played and coached...we have to look closely at everything, starting with me." That may be true but Rob Ryan's defence is certainly not without blame. His unit now ranks 31st in he NFL, they've conceded an average of 27.6 points per game - that's 30th in the NFL and in the last five games (four of which have resulted in losses) they've got worse, giving up 161 points - an average of 32.2 points per game.
Chicago have been just as bad in that same period, conceding a total of 156 points. Defeat at home to Dallas last week, ended their interest in this season's playoff race and has since led to some questioning whether QB Jay Cutler is worth the $100m+ contract he received last year. WR Brandon Marshall is out for the season after breaking ribs and sustaining a collapsed lung against the Cowboys. While the Bears defence gave up 194 yards on the ground in that game.
It's almost inconceivable that this could be a low-scoring affair and given Payton's scathing criticism after last week's defeat, expect a response from the Saints.
Pick: New Orleans Saints
