NFL Week 16 Predictions

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (NFL Network)

The schedule could not have set up better for the Ravens, who are playing their best football while seeing their weakest opponents at the end of the year. Aside from a loss to the Steelers two weeks ago, Baltimore has handled its post-bye week opponents with ease. That should be the case again with Indianapolis visiting. The Colts are still in play to have the second-worst record in the league, and they provide precious little to be excited about on either side of the football. Baltimore's running game has been clicking, and Joe Flacco looks just about as good as he has all season. With the Bengals looming after this game, and Buffalo having to deal with New England this week, 10-6 should be more than adequate to get the job done. Two touchdowns is a big point spread, but there's no reason why Baltimore shouldn't thrash the Colts.

Pick: Ravens

Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

With the playoffs out of the question, the Packers did the smart thing and shut Aaron Rodgers down for the rest of the year. They also made life much easier for the Vikings, who can clinch a first-round bye with a win and a Carolina loss. The Vikings could arguably be considered the NFC favorite at this point, since Philadelphia figures to be much less intimidating minus Carson Wentz. Should the Vikings somehow end up with the first seed, they would be a very difficult challenge for any opponent, given the crowd noise in Minneapolis, and the viciousness of Everson Griffen and the defense. The Packers without Rodgers are, as has already been revealed, a shell of themselves, and even at home, should not provide much resistance to a Minnesota attack that translates nearly as well away from home as it does in the friendly confines.

Pick: Vikings

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Fun, and somewhat unbelievable fact: the Bears have never won as a favorite under John Fox. I've read the stat several times today and can still scarcely believe it. Chicago is 13-26 as an underdog, and 0-7 as a favorite during Fox's tenure. A date at home with the winless Browns and DeShone Kizer, a player whose confidence may be shot, given what his coach is saying about him, would seem to offer a golden opportunity to finally get that elusive win as a favorite. The Browns haven't completely packed it in and stopped trying, but Kizer is simply too careless with the football for them to compete in most games. Cleveland's defense is not as bad as their points allowed total would suggest, with that sloppy offense putting the defense in bad positions more often than not. If the Browns can stop the run and force Mitch Trubisky to beat them, they have a good chance. It says here that they'll do just that, and Fox's futility as a favorite will continue.

Pick: Browns

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Marvin Lewis is reportedly stepping down as Bengals head coach at season's end, and his players looked like they had already packed it in before the start of their tilt with the Vikings, one that saw them get pasted for the second straight week by an NFC North opponent. Cincy finishes their tour of that division with a date against Detroit, with the Lions desperate to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Falcons currently sit a game ahead of Detroit, but they have New Orleans and Carolina left, and might actually lose both games. The Lions must win out to have a chance, and there aren't many opponents that would seem more ripe for the picking than the Bengals. Cincy should have Joe Mixon back, but no matter who takes the field, one doesn't envision Lewis' charges sending him off with a pair of stirring, emotional performances. It's tempting to say that Detroit will win but not cover, but it's also impossible to ignore how bad the Bengals have looked lately.

Pick: Lions

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Last week, the Rams obliterated the Seahawks, with Todd Gurley avenging a quiet first game against Seattle by shredding them for 152 yards and three rushing touchdowns, as well as a receiving score. This week, Los Angeles can cement the changing of the guard in the NFC West and clinch the division with a win. Tennessee is still in playoff position, but absolutely nothing about them is impressive. Had they taken care of business against Arizona and San Francisco, they would be sitting pretty at 10-4. Instead, they have the look of a team staggering to the finish, and 8-8 seems much more realistic than some sort of late-season rally. Marcus Mariota's season has been a major disappointment, one that has seen him at times banged up, and extremely sloppy in terms of taking care of the football. The Titans' stout rush defense will test Gurley, but they don't have enough answers in other areas to deal with Los Angeles.

Pick: Rams

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Are the Chiefs finally rounding back into form? If so, it's not a minute too soon. They beat back a challenge from the Chargers last week, and will make the playoffs with two more wins. All K.C. has to do is avoid losing out and they are home free. A win in this one would clinch the AFC West for them, and give them a chance to rest players, as they would be locked into the fourth seed if Jacksonville wins. Miami played its best game of the season against New England, and perhaps Jay Cutler would have been better off riding into the sunset on a high note, because things came crashing down in a hurry against the Bills. Miami figures to provide only token resistance in this one, though things could get very interesting if the bad version of Kansas City's defense shows up again. Guess here is that the good Chiefs will show up in all phases, and put an end to what became a very stressful division race.

Pick: Chiefs

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

It's tempting to pick the Bills, it really is. LeSean McCoy could have a big day against a Patriots defense that will be without Alan Branch again this week. Tyrod Taylor, if he takes care of the football, is the kind of play-extending wild card that could give New England problems, even in their own building. Still, while it's enticing to consider giving in to those thoughts, they are more wild fantasy than anything. New England met the only team in the AFC that can likely play them on even terms last week, and they still found a way to escape with an improbable victory. Buffalo still has a playoff berth on their minds, but it's also very plausible that one or multiple Bills wants a pound of flesh from Rob Gronkowski after his cheap shot on Tre'Davious White. It would not be surprising to see this one turn ugly, with Buffalo defenders looking to line up Gronkowski and hit with less than pure motivations. New England will win, but this one might stay a little closer than the spread.

Pick: Bills

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

A Saints win coupled with a Carolina loss clinches the division for New Orleans, while Atlanta can punch their playoff ticket and all but lock in the NFC playoff field with a win. The Falcons survived their first meeting with the Saints thanks to a spectacular, late interception by Deion Jones. Things figure to be a little different with this game happening in the Superdome. Drew Brees should have Ted Ginn back in this one, and with a full offensive complement, should have no trouble putting up points on the Falcons. Atlanta's win over Tampa Bay on Monday night was too close for comfort, and while the Falcons have won five of their last six, most of them in impressive fashion, that game's surprising level of competitiveness surprised some. The bottom line in this one is that the Saints are the better team with the more versatile offense, and they're playing at home. The Falcons could really use this win, but they won't get it. 

Pick: Saints

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

The Chargers blew their chance, losing to the Chiefs last week, when a win would have put them in control of their own destiny. Now, they have to win out while hoping that Kansas City stumbles and drops each of their final two games. That seems highly unlikely, but Los Angeles should have minimal trouble dispatching the Jets, specifically since New York doesn't have Josh McCown. A loss would do New York more good than a win, since it would help their draft position for next year. Bryce Petty will continue to get a chance to show what he can do, and he'll have to hope it's something more impressive than his putrid outing last week. The Chargers can't give up hope completely, as there exists the chance that the Dolphins do something unexpected and trip up the Chiefs, and fortunately for Los Angeles, the Jets appear to be in no position to pull any surprises in this one. 

Pick: Chargers

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

It seems like every Denver game carries with it the feeling of being colossally unimportant. That feeling certainly exists here, with the going-nowhere Broncos traveling across the country to take on the equally going-nowhere Redskins. Denver's two consecutive wins do nothing to mask the fact that the team that was once 3-1 and in possession of a big win over the Cowboys went on to lose its next eight games in a row in spectacularly awful fashion. The Broncos are a team with a great defense, the best in the league in terms of yards allowed, and literally no answers whatsoever at quarterback. Interestingly, if you grafted Kirk Cousins onto Denver's roster, chances are you'd have the makings of a division champion. Alas, Cousins will have to settle for sending his offense, mostly devoid of playmakers, out there against Von Miller and company. These are  two proud fan bases, and it's sort of shame that either one of them has to be subjected to this game. Denver will win, in any case.

Pick: Broncos

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

A win or tie gets Carolina into the playoffs. Whether or not they see the same frisky Bucs team that played Atlanta tough is another matter. The Panthers are a very intriguing team. They handled Minnesota in Charlotte a few weeks ago, and their defense laid waste to the Packers last week. Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey are making things happen offensively, Devin Funchess should be healthy enough to go and is a major threat, and a healthy Luke Kuechly ensures that the defense should maintain its high level of play. Tampa Bay is merely playing out the string in a lost season, but if last week's effort is any indication, they've not thrown in the towel completely. The Bucs' last three losses have all been by six points or less, including an overtime defeat, so it seems safe to assume they'll keep this one closer than many expect. The Panthers will win, but it's tough to say whether they'll dominate. If they do, the rest of the NFC will very much be on notice.

Pick: Panthers

Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)

San Francisco is suddenly very interesting, with Jimmy Garoppolo having transformed them from a team whose only win was over the hapless Giants to one that has won three straight games, including one over a possible playoff team in Tennessee. The test gets much tougher against Jacksonville this week, even though the Jags have to travel across the country. Blake Bortles is playing excellent football, despite what frustrated opponents have said about him lately, and the Jags are still eyeing a potential two seed in the AFC. Garoppolo appears to be the real deal, but Leonard Fournette's likely return for the Jags would figure to give them too many weapons with which to hurt San Francisco. If Garoppolo can find a way to engineer a fourth straight victory, the 49ers might offer him a long-term contract before he can even jog to the locker room. That won't happen, though, because the Jaguars are a different beast from the teams he has beaten so far. 

Pick: Jaguars

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

It felt like the end of an era in Seattle last week. The Seahawks were completely humiliated by the Rams, as Todd Gurley single-handedly laid waste to the defense formerly known as the Legion of Boom. Russell Wilson's presence means that the Seahawks should still be competitive year-in and year-out, but their identity as the league's most vicious, intimidating defense is long gone. There is plenty at stake in this game, as it serves as a playoff eliminator for both teams, though wins by Atlanta and Carolina would eliminate Dallas and Seattle no matter what. The Cowboys have righted themselves with three straight wins, and have managed to run the ball very effectively in all three games. In light of what Gurley did to Seattle, is it that much of a stretch to imagine Alfred Morris doing something similar? Dallas doesn't control their fate, but they'll seal Seattle's.

Pick: Cowboys

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

This game is jockeying with Denver-Washington for the weekend's worst. Nothing about either team even feels newsworthy at this point, as the Giants' problems clearly went much deeper than Ben McAdoo. Arizona's season was lost the moment David Johnson went down with an injury, though it has been impressive to see Larry Fitzgerald continue to put up numbers even in the absence of a running game or competent quarterback. Fitzgerald will almost certainly pass 1,000 yards on the season, and might also hit 100 catches. His career will forever be a question of "what if," and he deserves better than the anonymity that comes with playing out the string for a team without a whole lot of hope unless they get dramatically better play under center. As for the Giants? Well, there really isn't anything to say about them. A complete rebuild seems not only necessary, but inevitable. If a game happens in the desert but no one pays any attention to it, did it really happen?

Pick: Cardinals

Monday, 4:30 p.m. ET (NBC)

Pittsburgh can't afford to gripe about Jesse James' go-ahead touchdown that wasn't, as Jacksonville is only a game behind them in the race for the AFC's second seed, and owns the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Steelers. One positive to take out of the loss to New England is that Martavis Bryant looked like a much more dangerous weapon in the absence of Antonio Brown, and continued development from Bryant could make the Steelers nearly unstoppable if and when Brown returns for the playoffs. Houston would not seem to have much to offer in the way of resistance, though one imagines DeAndre Hopkins licking his chops at the thought of going against the Steelers' secondary, a unit that has regressed ever since Joe Haden was lost with a broken fibula. That said, Haden is likely to return in this one, so perhaps he will be the cure to what has ailed the black and gold on the back end. Mike Tomlin's teams have lost road games to bad opponents, but that won't happen here.

Pick: Steelers

Monday, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Philadelphia still owns the league's best record, and the Eagles can clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win in this one. Oakland stands as one of the league's most disappointing teams, never able to find any consistent traction, especially early in the season, and unable to take advantage of Kansas City's near collapse. Philly fans ready to throw in the towel on this season after Carson Wentz was lost for the year had to be heartened by Nick Foles' four touchdown, no interception performance, even if it came against the lowly Giants. The Eagles will have to rely on balance the rest of the way, and if Foles can play turnover-free football, they can still be a threat. Oakland has nothing to play for except pride, and given what they've shown all year, they may not have much of that left. Philadelphia has a chance to rest some players with a win, and they can make a statement that they're still a force even without Wentz. They will.

Pick: Eagles