The
St. Louis Rams are very quietly a legitimate contender in the NFC Wildcard
hunt. They simply have to defeat the Bills this week to keep hopes alive.
Running the ball and stopping the run are the keys to his game. Stephen
Jackson, C.J. Spiller, and Fred Jackson ignite their offenses, but with totally
different running styles. Jackson is relentless, compiling much of his yardage
after contact while the Bills running backs are more elusive, speedy rushers.
Facing running backs like Stephen Jackson has been the Bills downfall this
year. Their inability to slow down the Rams rushing offense will be the reason
the Bills lose at home in week 14. The Rams will control time of possession and
improve to 6-6-1 inching into the playoff picture.
St.Louis- 24
Buffalo-
20
Dallas at
Cincinnati
How
much longer will Jerry Jones stand for mediocrity? Well, it depends on how much
longer he is the general manager of the Cowboys. He drafts unique talents and
clearly cares about the success of his organization with the money he puts in,
but the system isn’t working. Unless “America’s Team” gets a miracle, they will
miss the playoffs for the third year in a row and questions will continue to
linger concerning the head coaching situation. Could we see Sean Payton roaming
the Cowboys sidelines in 2013? Week 14 is instrumental for both these teams.
The Bengals have to keep pace with the Steelers and Colts in the AFC Wildcard
and Dallas has to win their next four games to have a shot at the playoffs. Eliminating
A.J. Green with man-to-man coverage is essential for Dallas. Expect the Cowboys
defense to put pressure on Andy Dalton and shut down Green, carrying Dallas to
a crucial victory.
Dallas- 31
Cincinnati-
27
Kansas City at
Cleveland
The
Jovan Belcher story and tragedy involved should help us all remember and
realize that while professional athletes are elevated to a higher status, they
have problems like everyone else. Their issues are even worse sometimes given
the publicity and media attention those stories receive. While week 13 was an
escape from reality for the Chiefs on the football field, this week between
games will be an emotional rollercoaster for the players that were close with
Belcher. After surprising Cam and Carolina last week, Kansas City will look to
defeat the Cleveland Browns who are in the midst of a two game win streak. The
Browns young team has improved with each week and their defense has forced key
turnovers. Expect the Browns win streak to continue in a low scoring contest.
Kansas
City- 13
Cleveland- 17
Tennessee at
Indianapolis
Andrew
Luck was often compared to Peyton Manning when he was being drafted this year.
Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to three victories in his first year. Andrew
Luck has eight already with four games left, with an incredible five fourth
quarter comebacks. The two quarterbacks might not yet be comparable in terms of
knowledge of the game and adjustments they make at the line of scrimmage, but
Luck’s poise, confidence, and composition are comparable to any quarterback in
the league. This is a rematch of a week eight matchup between these AFC South
rivals. Luck led the Colts on a fourth quarter drive to send the game into
overtime and threw a touchdown pass to Vick Ballard to seal the win. Overtime
won’t be necessary in this game. Both teams have gone in completely different
directions since week eight. Indianapolis has won four of its last five games,
while the Titans have lost three of their last four. Those trends will
continue. Andrew Luck will throw 300 yards for the seventh time this
season as the Colts further enhance their chances of making the playoffs as an
AFC Wildcard.
Tennessee-
23
Indianapolis- 30
Chicago at
Minnesota
These
NFC North games are always exciting to watch. Teams in this division genuinely
dislike each other, they hit hard, and this year, there are playoff
implications for both teams. The Minnesota Vikings are in the final game of a
four game stretch where they have played four straight divisional opponents. It
is imperative that the Vikings run the ball effectively and control the clock.
Adrian Peterson is the only reason Leslie Frazier has been able to sleep this
year. Peterson is giving Peyton Manning a run for his money as comeback player
of the year and has singlehandedly kept the Vikings in the NFC WildCard hunt.
If Minnesota is able to avoid giveaways and put pressure on Jay Cutler with
four defensive linemen they should be able to eliminate Brandon Marshall from
Chicago’s offense. That is what happens in week 14 as Minnesota improves to 7-6
and Chicago falls to 8-5.
Chicago-
26
Minnesota- 27
Philadelphia at
Tampa Bay
It
is no coincidence that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have lost two games in a row
and rookie running back Doug Martin has struggled. The reason this offense went
from being one that scored 17 points per game in 2011 to one that scores close
to 28 points per game this year is the arrival of Martin. However, in the Bucs
last two games, Martin has only rushed for a combined 106 yards, averaging 2.7
yards per carry. He is hitting the rookie wall and the Bucs are suffering as a
result. Week 14 looks as though it should be a reprieve from a difficult
schedule, but the Philadelphia Eagles are not a team that will lie down.
Rookies Nick Foles and Bryce Brown impressed last Monday Night and will build
off those strong performances. In a high-scoring affair, the Bucs will get
their first win against an NFC East opponent as Doug Martin rushes for over 125
yards.
Philadelphia-
30
Tampa Bay- 34
Baltimore at
Washington
RGIII
has given Andrew Luck serious competition for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Both rookies have 17 touchdown passes, but RGIII has thrown 12 less
interceptions and has a completion percentage 10% higher than that of Luck. Much
of that credit goes to the offense developed by Head Coach Mike Shanahan and
Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan. They have developed an offense that
maximizes the talents of both RGIII and rookie runningback Alfred Morris. That
game plan is perfect to combat the aggressive defense of the Baltimore Ravens.
The zone-read and option game out of shotgun that the Redskins have mastered
could be the Ravens downfall, particularly with injuries to several key players
including the most recent injury to Terrell Suggs. Expect Washington to
continue to play inspired football with their playoff lives on the line, as Joe
Flacco and the Ravens offense continues to struggle.
Baltimore-
21
Washington- 24
Atlanta at
Carolina
Carolina
defensive end Greg Hardy stated earlier in the week that the Carolina Panthers
were better than the Atlanta Falcons. 11-1 vs. 3-9. Bill Parcells once said
that “You are what your record says you are”. Coach Parcells should give this
exact message to Greg Hardy. Other Panthers players are emphasizing that they
want revenge on Matt Ryan for the disrespect he showed them by yelling expletives
at them, telling the team to get off his field. Imagine the revenge they will
want after this Sunday when the Atlanta Falcons roll into Bank of America
Stadium and send Carolina to a 3-10 record. Carolina is simply outmatched at
every position in this game. The Panthers will find it impossible to cover the
Falcons plethora of offensive weapons as Atlanta improves to 12-1 moving closer
to a first round bye in the playoffs.
Atlanta- 35
Carolina-
21
NY Jets at
Jacksonville
It
finally happened and what a relief it is. Instead of holding a football for his
picture on the front of GQ magazine, it should have been the item Sanchez will
be holding for the rest of his career; a clipboard. Life won’t be much easier
for either Tim Tebow or Greg McElroy as they replace Sanchez given the futility
of the players surrounding them. Wait, Rex Ryan has declared Sanchez the
starter again for New York? What does he expect to change? So now because
Sanchez knows Ryan will pull him, he is going to play better? He is not a good
enough decision maker to be successful. The physical tools might be there, but
decision-making, intelligence, and accuracy are more than half the battle. Ask
former Jet quarterback Chad Pennington. Even with the debacle at the
quarterback position in New York, the Jets are better off than the Jacksonville
Jaguars. The Jaguars offense is yet again among the worst in the league and
will once again struggle in week 14 as they play the fourth ranked pass defense
in yards allowed per game. Despite Sanchez’ best efforts to lose the game for
New York, the ineptitude of the Jaguars offense will allow the Jets to win
another ugly, low-scoring game.
NY Jets- 16
Jacksonville-
13
San Diego at
Pittsburgh
Before
the season, the Chargers were predicted to battle the Denver Broncos for the
AFC West crown and be a contender in the AFC. The San Diego Chargers have only
four wins this year and those wins have come against the Raiders, Titans, and
Chiefs twice. The problem with the Chargers is their lack of star power. Philip
Rivers has been a shadow of his old self and Antonio Gates might not be in the
conversation as a top ten tight end this year. The Chargers have to make a big
splash in the draft this year to return to relevance in the playoffs. The
Chargers should look to the Steelers as a model for success in the off-season
as the Steelers are perennial contenders. Despite a trip from west to east for
San Diego, expect them to compete in this contest. Pittsburgh’s offense, even
if Big Ben returns from injury, is not explosive enough to pull away from
teams. Expect a low-scoring affair won by the team that runs the ball best.
Steelers win.
San
Diego- 17
Pittsburgh- 20
Miami at San
Francisco
The
San Francisco 49ers fate last Sunday was determined by two poor calls. The
first poor call came by the referees when they granted the Rams a free two
points on a safety that was not a safety. Colin Kaepernick barely got outside
the tackle box and threw a pass that landed about 2 yards passed the line of
scrimmage out of bounds. However, on what is a judgment call by the referees
and one that is not reviewable, the officials determined that the pass did not
reach the line of scrimmage resulting in a safety. The second bad call came by
the coaches on an option play with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. If
Kaepernick had just handed off to one of his backs, the Rams would have gotten the
ball with one possession left to score a touchdown; something they were unable
to do all game. Those two poor calls resulted in a loss for the 49ers and have
led to even more questioning of Harbuagh’s decision to stick with Kaepernick at
quarterback. The 49ers should get back to their winning ways in week 14 as the
Miami Dolphins visit Candlestick Park. A trip across country to take on a
defense that allows only 14 points per game will not be one rookie Ryan
Tannehill will want to remember. 49ers win big.
Miami-
10
San Francisco-
27
Arizona at
Seattle
The
Seattle Seahawks grabbed Matt Flynn in the off-season as a free agent to take
over as their starting quarterback. Not many predicted that Russell Wilson
would be the starter, let alone put up a performance like he has in his rookie
season. Wilson’s masterful performance in the fourth quarter last week against
the Bears demonstrated why the Seahawks should have high hopes for the next decade.
Wilson, Marshawn Lynch, and an outstanding defense make this a team that no
other team wants to face in the playoffs. One team that does not want to play
the Seahawks is the Cardinals who will be visiting CenturyLink Field in week
14. John Skelton has been named the starter following Ryan Lindley’s two
ghastly performances. While Skelton gives them a better chance to win, the
Cardinals simply don’t stand a chance in this game. Arizona’s defense will keep
this game close, but their offensive futilities will prove too much to
overcome.
Arizona-
16
Seattle- 24
New Orleans at
NY Giants
Following
New York’s most recent loss to the Washington Redskins, the Giants find
themselves in a must-win situation in week 14. A loss to the Saints, a Redskins
victory, and a Cowboys victory would tie all three teams at 7-6 with three
games to play. With trips to Atlanta and Baltimore looming in weeks 15 and 16,
the Giants need a win now. A win won’t come easy against the New Orleans Saints
who still believe they have a chance at making the playoffs. The emergence of a
Saints rushing attack could spell disaster for a Giants defense that has
struggled to stop opponents rushing offense. This game will be won though by
the quarterback who does not turn the ball over. Brees has thrown seven
interceptions in his last two games. Manning has been better at taking care of
the ball in recent weeks, but has gone through long stretches this year where
turnovers have been a huge problem. Brees will not have three bad games in a
row. The Saints will hinder the Giants chances at winning the NFC East as Brees
plays turnover free football.
New Orleans- 34
NY
Giants- 28
Detroit at Green
Bay
While
Aaron Rodgers statistics aren’t as impressive as 2011’s, he still ranks in the
top five in touchdown passes, completion percentage, and overall quarterback
rating. Despite Rodgers efforts, the Packers offense has yet to be consistent
enough to dominate as it did last year. That is a scary thought for opposing teams.
Detroit’s defense should be scared. A defense that allowed Andrew Luck
and the Colts to drive almost 70 yards in one minute at home now has to travel
to Lambeau to take on Rodgers. The crowd who accepts players for the Lambeau
Leap should get ready for a lot of action Sunday Night. Rodgers will light up
the Lions secondary sending Detroit to their ninth loss of the season.
Detroit-
27
Green Bay- 42
Houston at New
England
Monday
Night Football in Week 14 could be a preview of the AFC Conference Championship
game. Tom Brady is quietly putting together yet another MVP campaign, leading
the Patriots to close to 36 points per game, a full touchdown more than any
other team. The Texans strength is their defense but that has been an
inconsistent unit over the last four weeks. Putting pressure on Brady is
essential for the Texans. If Brady has time in the pocket, Wes Welker will have
ample time to elude defenders and find space in the defense. This Monday Night
Brady will prove why the Patriots are the class of the AFC as they put up 35
plus points for the fifth time in six games.
Houston-
28
New England- 38
Denver at
Oakland
Who
doesn’t love that there has been football on Thursday nights? There are only
four days of the week without football and those four days are split because of the
Thursday Night game. The answer to that original question is the players
and coaches. With only three days to prepare, teams have to be exhausted both
mentally and physically. There are only a handful of players in the league who can
prepare quick enough for these games and the best one of all time is in this
game; Peyton Manning. Manning’s return to the NFL has been nothing short of
miraculous as he has not only vaulted the Broncos to the top of the AFC West,
but he is also the front-runner for the MVP award. A showdown with the Oakland
Raiders is a perfect way to pad those MVP statistics. The 25th
ranked defense in passing yards per game on three days rest against Peyton
Manning will be a recipe for yet another ugly Thursday Night Football game.
Denver- 34
Oakland-
14
