NFL Week 15 Preview
Fantasy Football Start Em’ Sit Em
Quarterback Start: Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan, Derek Carr, Tyrod Taylor
Quarterback Sit: Philip Rivers, Matthew Stafford, Marcus Mariota
Running Back Start: LeGarrette Blount, Thomas Rawls, Tevin Coleman, Kenneth Dixon
Running Back Sit: Mark Ingram, Todd Gurley, Doug Martin, Rashad Jennings
Wide Receiver Start: DeSean Jackson, Steve Smith Sr., Dontrelle Inman, Taylor Gabriel
Wide Receive Sit: Brandon Marshall, Kelvin Benjamin, Randall Cobb, Julian Edelman
Tight End Start: Kyle Rudolph, Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green, Jermaine Gresham
Tight End Sit: Delanie Walker, Coby Fleener, Zach Ertz
Defense/ST Start: Ravens, Bills, Texans
Defense/ST Sit: Broncos, Rams, Bengals
Week 15 Game Picks
Rams vs. Seahawks: Following last week’s embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Packers, the Seahawks should be ready to get back on track against the rudderless Rams. Fans of the Rams will likely still be celebrating the departure of Jeff Fisher and likely won’t care about the results. One thing to note is that the Rams are notorious for giving Seattle a tough game. Some teams just matchup better for one reason or another, but that won’t matter in this one. Seattle should have no trouble beating LA on Thursday night.
Dolphins vs. Jets: The Dolphins playoffs hopes took a hit with Ryan Tannehill’s injury, but at least Matt Moore has solid NFL experience to call upon. Against the mess that are the New York Jets, they should still be favored to win this one. After all, Moore is far more trustworthy than any of the Jets quarterbacks. And with Nick Mangold out, the Jets will have to overcompensate when blocking Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake. That leaves some open opportunities for other pass rushers to get on the hunt. The Dolphins should take this one.
Browns vs. Bills: It won’t be wet or snowing, but it’ll still be cold in Buffalo. The Bills will be looking to redeem themselves after an embarrassing performance last week. Yes they picked off Big Ben three times, but they also got ran over by Le’Veon Bell. Expect the Browns to hang around, but still lose the game. Their defense simply doesn’t have the players necessary to stop the Bills running attack. Cleveland’s best chance at victory will come next week.
Lions vs. Giants: The Giants are riding high after shutting down the Cowboys. That game was really a showcase of what the Giants defense is capable of when they’re playing at a high level. Against Detroit, they should be able to find even more success. The Lions lack a running game that’s as good as the Cowboys. They rely on a variety of passing plays. Against New York’s secondary, they may run into trouble. Against a good Lions pass rush, look for the Giants to resort to quick passing to negate it. In a close game, I believe the Giants will win.
Eagles vs. Ravens: Too bad this didn’t happen a few months ago. Back then it would’ve made for a good matchup, but now the Eagles have hit the wall. Their defensive front doesn’t get the push it once did and their secondary is still in shambles. The Ravens have counters to those weaknesses with a solid offensive line and quick receivers. It looks like all Ravens in this matchup.
Steelers vs. Bengals: Le’Veon Bell is making a late push as an MVP candidate for good reason. He’s carried the Steelers offense for a while now. The Bengals rush defense will have trouble slowing him down much like the Bills did. As long as Big Ben can cut back on the turnovers, the Steelers should have little trouble winning this one.
Colts vs. Vikings: The Colts struggled against the Texans defense and faces another good unit this week. The Vikings have the pass rushers to get after Andrew Luck and the secondary to contain the Indy receivers. The only question is if the Vikings offense can produce. Against the Colts defense they should have no issue doing that. I’m picking the Vikings to win.
Packers vs. Bears: Hey look! The Packers are getting hot at the right time. Bad news for a Bears team that won’t be able sustain a decent pass rush against Aaron Rodgers or a secondary to slow down their receivers. The Packers shouldn't have much trouble here.
Titans vs. Chiefs: I began liking this Titans team a month ago, but even I didn’t think they would out Bronco the Broncos. With Derrick Johnson out, the Titans should look forward to running the heck out of the football all day long. The problem here is the Arrowhead factor. The Chiefs are the toughest team to beat at home in the AFC. Plus, Alex Smith is playing well lately and getting everyone involved. It will be close, but I’ll pick the home team to win.
Jaguars vs. Texans: Look for the Texans to depend on Lamar Miller and their defense to top the Jaguars.
Saints vs. Cardinals: A simple explanation for the Cardinals struggles this season: failure to protect their quarterback. Everything goes south when Carson Palmer begins taking hits. Sad thing is even the Saints should have no trouble attacking the quarterback in this game. Couple that with a Saints defense that can score on anyone (when not turning the ball over like crazy) and you have a close Saints win.
49ers vs. Falcons: The Falcons should have no problems lighting up the Niners in this one.
Patriots vs. Broncos: Seeing how the Broncos defense is still a viable threat to the Patriots Super Bowl hopes, I’m sure they’re putting extra emphasis on knocking them out of the picture. Expect a far different game than last year’s AFC Championship Game. The Patriots can pound the rock with their running game to open up the passing game. I’m sure the Patriots saw the Titans film and knows it can be done. Brady will do just enough to ice the game in a Patriots victory.
Raiders vs. Chargers: The NFL should send a thank you card to the NFL and Chargers owner. With the Chargers pending relocation, their fans won’t be showing up to this one. That means a Raider takeover and a subsequent home game for Oakland. Their fans are known to flock down to San Diego for their annual matchup, but I don’t expect many fans in San Diego to continue supporting a team that’s on their way out of town. Not that it matters anyway since the Chargers have no blocking, no running game, a turnover prone QB and very little hope to slow down the Raiders attack. This one may get out of hand as the Raiders win.
Buccaneers vs. Cowboys: I’m going to pick the Buccaneers to win this one simply out of respect. After all, this blog has been picking against them just about all year. Plus, the Cowboys are beginning to play a little down. Ezekiel Elliott hasn’t looked unstoppable for a couple of weeks. The Buccaneers defense features the quickness to slow down his big play ability. And if you force Dak Prescott into a lot of third and long situations, he’s prone to more mistakes than normal.
Panthers vs. Redskins: Carolina feasted on a battered and mentally checked out Chargers team last week. So hold the talk on the Panthers defensive revival for now. They’re playing a much better offensive unit and a team with something to play for. Plus, they get to see their old friend Josh Norman again. Washington has the options on offense to attack the panthers secondary with ease and I expect Norman to get after Kelvin Benjamin. With that, I’m picking Washington to win.
