Week 13 NFL Predictions
James Lang-USA TODAY Sports
The excitement of the NFL playoff race is heating up heading into Week 13. The Tennessee Titans are putting pressure on the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South. Eli Manning faces off against Ben Rothelisberger for the fourth time on Sunday.
Green Bay's defense looked good for once last week but can it sustain stability. Kirk Cousins has been rolling on offense with the Redskins, but will they be able to stop anyone defensively? The Dolphins and Giants are currently on a 6-game win streak. I am 110-65-2 on the year. I went 12-4 last week.
Dallas Cowboys 28, Minnesota Vikings 14: The Dallas offense can't be and won't be stopped any time soon. They will be on the field a lot since, Sam Bradford and the Vikings offense will continue to struggle.
Kansas City Chiefs 31, Atlanta Falcons 24: Alex Smith made the plays when he needed to when the game was on the line. If Jeremy Maclin returns this week, it will be a bonus for the Chiefs offense. The Falcons will surely miss Desmond Trufant on defense, but the Falcons offense will make the game interesting.
Miami Dolphins 17, Baltimore Ravens 23: The Dolphins will be tested against a solid Ravens defense and will fail. They will shut down the running game and force Tannehill to throw the ball. I think the Ravens will take those chances and force a couple of turnovers. Kenneth Dixon is starting to emerge in the running game, and if the Ravens offense struggles, Justin Tucker will bail them out.
San Francisco 49ers 10, Chicago Bears 24: The loser of this game will most likely have the 2nd pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. What would you rather do lose to get a better pick or play for pride? From a match-up perspective, Jordan Howard will run it down the 49ers throats.
Philadelphia Eagles 17, Cincinnati Bengals 21: Tyler Boyd has done a nice job filling in for A.J. Green. Andy Dalton hasn't lived up to expectations and this game will make or break his season. Philly has struggled and will continue to do so.
Houston Texans 20, Green Bay Packers 30: It seems like the Texans haven't got over the Raiders game, and will continue to struggle against the Packers. Aaron Rodgers will shred the Texans defense. Question will be can the Packers defense make enough stops.
Denver Broncos 42, Jacksonville Jaguars 7: After losing to Kansas City, Denver must be licking their chops on having to face the Jaguars this week. The Broncos defense will feast on Blake Bortles all game. Trevor Siemian will have another big day through the air.
Los Angeles Rams 21, New England Patriots 42: Tom Brady will light up the Rams defense. Jared Goff played well last week, but the Patriots defense will make him look like a scaredy cat.
Detroit Lions 27, New Orleans Saints 24: This game could be interesting. The Lions have trailed in every game in the fourth quarter this season, and have won 7 of them. The Saints offense could have a big day, but the Lions defense is better than people think it is.
Buffalo Bills 29, Oakland Raiders 24: Rex Ryan's squad already defeated a top team in the AFC on the road, so why can't they do it again? Derek Carr has been sensational all season, but the team doesn't look as comfortable at home compared to on the road. Buffalo is also fighting for their playoff lives.
Washington Redskins 27, Arizona Cardinals 31: Sooner or later, a talented Cardinals team will break through with another win in the victory column. Carson Palmer needs to play a turnover free game against a bad Redskins defense or Kirk Cousins will make him pay.
New York Giants 35, Pittsburgh Steelers 38: This one is too close to call. Both offenses have the potential to explode for points or we could be surprised by a defensive battle. Reality is Eli Manning and Ben Rothelisberger will match point for point, until some team messes up in the turnover or special teams department.
Tampa Bay Buccaners 31, San Diego Chargers 28: Jameis Winston is playing his best football at the right time. They are still in contention for the NFC South crown. The defense has looked better in the pas couple of weeks, making life easier on the offense. Phillip Rivers will struggle this week.
Carolina Panthers 13, Seattle Seahawks 16: The Seahawks will be energized when they return home this week. Russell Wilson struggled last week, and he will bounce back. They need to find consistency in the running game. Cam Newton will continue to struggle, and Jonathan Stewart will help him out.
Indianapolis Colts 14, New York Jets 17: Andrew Luck and Ryan Fitzpatrick might be selling turnovers at the game on Monday Night. The Jets defense will play better than the Colts defense.
Byes: Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns.
