NFL Week 15 Preview

Week 14 had no shortage of headlines. The Bills and Colts went to overtime in a blizzard, there were two shootouts of 75+ points, and the Browns nearly won a game. Unfortunately, we also had to see MVP favorite Carson Wentz tear his ACL, ending his season. The opposite of that is Aaron Rodgers' return to action this coming week. As we go into another week, who knows how many more new and intriguing stories could come around. There is know way of knowing where the headlines will come from. But I do know that there are 4 huge games that will affect the playoff picture.

The Must See Games of the Week

#1: Patriots vs Steelers

The much anticipated battle for the AFC is finally here. I have said multiple times that these are the only good teams in this conference. Meaning that I don't believe anybody else can represent the AFC in this year's Super Bowl. Whoever wins this game will hold the 1st Seed with only 2 games left to play. Regardless of who takes that spot, we will probably see these two face off in the AFC Championship, but this game could determine who will get the home-field advantage when that game would come.

Many would look at recent performance and pick Pittsburgh. The Steelers have put together two impressive comebacks in the last two weeks, while the Patriots just lost in Miami without converting on 3rd down in 11 attempts. So clearly the Steelers should win at home, right? I don't think so. Do the Patriots still have Tom Brady? Do they still have Bill Belichick? Are they still one of the greatest road teams of all time? Yes, yes, and yes. A lot of people seem to forget all of that once the Patriots lose a game. The Patriots are still the Patriots. The Steelers are a very talented football team, but they aren't the Patriots. Pittsburgh will put up a good fight, but I don't believe they will win this game.

Outcome: Patriots win 34-30

#2: Chargers vs Chiefs

It is amazing that this game has so much riding on it. Kansas City started this season with 5 straight wins, while L.A. didn't pick up a single win until week 5. However, the script has flipped. The Chargers are currently on a 4-game winning streak, and the Chiefs finally stopped their 4-game skid with a win last week. Now they are all evened up going into Saturday Night.

The Chargers seem to have all the momentum, but that doesn't always mean much in the NFL. L.A. may look like the better football team, but for the most part they have looked rather unimpressive on the road. They also played their worst game of the year against the Chiefs. Part of the problem when the Chargers play this team is how well the Chiefs control the ball. In their first matchup, the Chiefs did not turnover the ball once, and the Chiefs have only turned it over 9 times all year, which is the fewest in the NFL. The Chargers are a very turnover dependent team. Only once have they won a game without taking the ball away multiple times. They are also 2-4 when they do not record a takeaway.

Even though I believe the Chargers are a better football team, I think they are playing the wrong team at the wrong time. I think that could be the death of their playoff hopes.

Outcome: Chiefs win 17-20

#3: Rams vs Seahawks

Here we have another huge division game where the winner will claim 1st place for the time being. Each team will still have two games to play, but it really feels like the winner will end up winning the division. The Seahawks won back in week 5 when these two played. It was an ugly score of 16-10. What that score tells me is that the Rams had little trouble stopping Seattle's offense. The problem was scoring on the Seahawks' top notch defense. Well, that was before the defense got pummeled with injuries, most notably Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor. This defense isn't quite the same without them here. This would appear to give the Rams a big advantage. However, those injuries could be essentially cancelled out by Seattle's home-field advantage.

The Rams have been good on the road, but playing in Seattle is a whole different animal. The Seattle crowd is still very much alive, and they still make a huge impact on opposing offenses. The noise could be especially troubling for a young QB like Jared Goff.

Outcome: Seahawks win 16-23

#4: Packers vs Panthers

Just when it seemed like the Packers hopes were gone, the tables turn. It was announced on Tuesday that Aaron Rodgers was medically cleared to play, and he would be back in action this Sunday against the Panthers. For them to have any chance at making the playoffs, they need to win this week, and probably the last two as well. With Rodgers, that is possible. Even if he isn't fully recovered, just his presence makes this team better. He is probably one of few QBs in the NFL who make their defense better. I think opposing offenses tend to feel a little rushed when he is suited up. They try to do too much, and they make more mistakes. And few contending teams make as many mistakes as Carolina.

The Panthers a really good football team, but they, particularly Cam Newton, play largely on emotion. You need to have some emotion on the field, but you don't want to have too much. When things start to go bad, they can get ugly real quick if you let it get to you. Green Bay tends to play much more calm, collected, and "relaxed" even when things go South. I believe that will be the difference in this game.

Outcome: Packers win 24-20

The Lesser Games of the Week

Colts over Broncos

Lions over Bears

Bills over Dolphins

Ravens over Browns

Vikings over Bengals

Saints over Jets

Eagles over Giants

Redskins over Cardinals

Jaguars over Texans

Titans over 49ers

Raiders over Cowboys

Falcons over Buccaneers