NFL Week 16 Predictions

The playoff race is getting intense, as many teams saw their hopes come to a close with divisions getting clinched and wild-card seats getting all but locked. Only two weeks remain, as four teams are left battling for the last seat in each conference. The biggest wins of Week 15 have to go to the Steelers, as they got things going in the right direction again betting the big AFC enemy in the Patriots and knocking them out of a current bye spot in the playoffs. The Chargers, doing what very few have over the past couple seasons and taking home the W at Arrowhead and matching the record of their division rival. The Bears, taking down an opponent they have had a very tough time overcoming with their win over Rodgers and the Packers to go from worst to first in the NFC North locking up the division. And the Eagles and Colts, both beating hot teams to keep their playoff hopes alive. The biggest loses have to start with the Panthers dropping the game at home with McCaffrey showing the only hope on offense and falling out of contention. The Cowboys losing their chance to lock up the NFC East, getting their winning streak cut off in a shutout while their division foes looking to catch them both get the wins. And the Rams, getting beaten in who's house? Rams house! While the Saints get the W giving them basically no hope for home field in the playoffs and a likely trip back to New Orleans where they have already lost, if they both get that far. Our guest Lindsey had the best record last week, while Marcus widened his lead in the season competition. Jaime is our guest this week, check out the predictions of Week 16.  
Week 15 Records
Tommy 9-7
Lauren 7-9
Marcus 10-6
Lindsey (Guest) 11-5
Redskins (7-7) vs Titans (8-6)
Tommy - Johnson is getting some attention, as he has put on a good performance acting as the fourth QB of the year for Washington. But he will be taking on a Titans defense that has looked tough these last couple weeks. The Redskins have a strong secondary with Norman, but I bet Henry exposes their line. Henry had another great game with 170 yards vs JAX and I look for him to continue. TEN 20-12
Lauren - Tennessee looks a lot better when Derrick henry is on his game. Their defense is great and feeling great after shutting out New York. Josh Johnson got his first NFL win as a starting QB, but I imagine that will probably be his only one of the season. The Titans defense is too good for him to beat. TEN 27-14
Marcus - The Titans have had success against the NFC East this season, so I am taking my brotha from anotha motha, Marcus Mariota to lead the Titans to another win. TEN 24-17
Jaime (Guest) - The Titans are on a three game winning streak fighting for a playoff spot, and the Redskins are on their 4th string QB facing a defense whose given up the second fewest points the league. Look for that to continue. TEN 24-13
Ravens (8-6) vs Chargers (11-3)
Tommy - It is tough to go against either of these teams right now. Lamar Jackson shined again running and throwing in his win over Tampa, but it looks like Gordon will be back and if the Chargers can take out KC at arrowhead without him, I can't imagine what they'll do at home with him. A very important game for both teams, but I have to take the Chargers. LAC 23-17
Lauren - The Chargers are on top of the world after their huge comeback win over the Chiefs. Their offense looks amazing even with their two running backs out. Rivers looks in it to win all. Lamar Jackson got another win and it looks as though Joe Flacco has lost his job. The Ravens defense is good, but I think the Chargers offense is on fire and not cooling down. LAC 24-14
Marcus - San Diego Super Chargers!! The Chargers are the real deal this year, they have beat Pittsburgh and now the Chiefs and they will take this one. LAC 21-14
Jaime - The Chargers coming off a big win last week face another test against Baltimore. Should be another close win for the Bolts. LAC 23-20
Bengals (6-8) vs Browns (6-7-1)

Tommy - The strength to Cleveland is they have an offense that shares the ball and doesn't rely particularly on two-three guys. Mayfield found six different receivers for 25 or more yards in their win over DEN. Being able to spread the ball around like that will be the key again as they beat their division foe from Cincy. CLE 27-23
Lauren - Cleveland got a big win in Denver and Baker looks like the QB of the future. Cincy won a game I thought they would lose for sure, but it was against the Raiders. I think the Browns are going to stay in the win column this week. CLE 21-19
Marcus - Playing the Raiders these days will make any team look good, but the Bungels are playing a pretty a pretty good Cleveland team this week. I will be taking the Brownies this week. CLE 30-13
Jaime - The Browns have not been to the playoffs in 16 years (2002) but they have a chance if they win out and get some help. I'll take the Dawg Pound in the battle of Ohio. CLE 27-17
Buccaneers (5-9) vs Cowboys (8-6)
Tommy - The Cowboys are pissed, now they get to go back home and meet a team playing for a pick. Mike Evans was the only offensive factor for Tampa against the Ravens, if they want a chance to keep up with Elliot and Cooper, they will need to come through on some of those big third downs. Dak finds Cooper for a couple deep passes, as the Cowboys get back on track. DAL 28-16 
Lauren - The Cowboys got shutout by the Colts last week and it was beautiful to behold. Tampa lost to the Ravens, unable to get by their impressive defense. I'm pretty sure Dallas is going to bounce back this week, especially at Jerryworld. DAL 23-17
Marcus - The Cowboys had a set back last week but I can see them bouncing back this week against the Bucs. Should be a high scoring game but the Boys take this one. DAL 31-28
Jaime - America's Team threw up a goose egg last week but don't expect that again as the Cowboys play better at home. DAL 24-16
Vikings (7-6-1) vs Lions (5-9)
Tommy - The Vikings had nine sacks against the Dolphins and though they will now be on the road, that kind of pressure is going to get to Stafford. I expect a few turnovers, as Diggs and Cook put up big numbers. MIN 33-17 
Lauren - The Vikings put a hurt on Miami last week with Dalvin Cook having a great game. The Lions lost a close one to Buffalo, so I imagine they will be a sad sight against Minnesota's defense. The Vikings will win this one. MIN 30-20
Marcus - A new offensive coordinator, no problem! TheVikings looked unstoppable last week and they are playing a Lions team who had had their tales between their legs since the season started. MIN 25-20
Jaime - Detroit will try and play spoiler this week but look for the Vikings to come out on top in this division matchup. MIN 27-24
Giants (5-9) vs Colts (8-6)

Tommy - Nothing appears to be getting in the Colts way right now. The shut out win over Dallas was beautiful, as they displayed great talent on all sides of the ball. It wasn't all Andrew Luck, as Mack put up 139 yards and scored twice. The Giants were shutout as well without OBJ in action. It will be a little closer than the shutouts from last week, but the Colts will win again to stay in the hunt. IND 31-23
Lauren - Both of these teams are coming off of shutouts, but they were each on a different end of one. Andrew Luck and his offense look powerful, and the Giants defense will need to step up to stop them. The Colts defense just held Dallas scoreless, but I don't know if they will be so lucky this week. IND 24-13
Marcus - My dude Andrew Luck has been playing great the last few weeks and I like for him to get a victory against the G-Men. IND 24-21
Jaime - After starting 1-5 the Colts have won seven of their last eight making a strong push for the playoffs. The Giants have been playing better lately. Don't expect a easy win for Indy. IND 30-24
Jaguars (4-10) vs Dolphins (7-7)
Tommy - It is very hard to put any faith in the Jaguars right now. Kessler threw for a whopping 57 yards in their loss to the Redskins. Not that Tannehill did much better with 108, but I will take the Dolphins as they strive to still catch the Ravens for the last seat while the Jaguars are long gone. MIA 17-9
Lauren - Jacksonville had no offense whatsoever. Bortles, Kessler, it doesn't matter, they stink. Miami can score points, but cannot exploit defensive weaknesses. Miami should be able to win this, but don't be surprised to see Tannehill get picked a couple times. MIA 21-13
Marcus - The Dolphins have a slim chance of making the playoffs and I see them playing well enough to beat the Jags. MIA 24-17
Jaime - The Jaguars have been a disappointment all year but look for them to ruin Miami's playoff hopes. JAX 16-9
Bills (5-9) vs Patriots (9-5)
Tommy - The Patriots have dropped a couple in a row and have currently lost a seat for a bye in the playoffs. The Patriots made some big drops leading to the Steelers win. Belichick is going to do whatever it takes to make sure they win their next one. Brady will throw for 300 yards and Michel will need to give them more than 59 yards in order to win this one at home. NE 30-20
Lauren - The Patriots lost their second game in a row for the first time since 2015 and it was my favorite game of the week. Brady is looking old and his receivers cannot hold on to anything. Buffalo's defense looks really good and Josh Allen looks like a great leaders. I'm crossing my fingers for a third loss in a row for the Pats, but I doubt it. Pat at home. NE 27-21
Marcus - The Pats are back home in their safe confines of Gillette Stadium, plus they are playing the Bills. The Pats are 6-0 straight up at home, I'll take New England. NE 28-10
Jaime - The last time the Pats lost three in a row was back in 2002. Don't hold your breathe for it to happen against the Bills. NE 35-17
Packers (5-8-1) vs Jets (4-10)
Tommy - Rodgers can't stay healthy this season. From his original ding in Week 1 to the strain he got throwing bombs last week. I would be surprised if the Packers let Rodgers play at all with their playoff hopes now gone. Darnold showed improvement last week against Houston and I bet he will rip up Green Bay's defense. NYJ 24-23
Lauren - The Jets defense looks good right now, and that doesn't bode will for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Chicago's defense was able to get across the line pretty easily which means the Jets will be able to as well. I see Rodgers getting picked once or twice too. Still, I'm sure the Pack will keep it close. NYJ 28-27
Marcus - With Rodgers possibly benched the rest of the season, I will take the NY J E T S, Jets, Jets to win this week against the Pack. NYJ 21-20
Jaime - Rodgers may not even play this game. Either way should still be a good game. I'll lean on the Packers in this one. GB 21-20
Texans (10-4) vs Eagles (7-7) 

Tommy - Foles is back at it, the Eagles just seem to play better when he is taking the snaps. But that guy Hopkins makes every play and I will take Watt, who had two sacks last week and that Texans defense over the Eagles in the Week 16 matchup. HOU 21-18
Lauren - Philly beat the Rams, which no one was expecting. Their defense was able to get to Goff and cause trouble. Houston's defense leader Watt had 2.5 sacks last week against the Jets, I wonder if he'll be able to get to Foles too. I think the Eagles offense will edge out Houston's. PHI 26-20
Marcus - Okay here are two random stats for you, Houston is 3-10 against the spread in early afternoon games. Philly is 9-2 straight up, in their last 11 home games against teams with a winning record. Foles looks ready for another late season surge. PHI 24-20
Jaime - The Eagles are flying high with Nick Foles at QB. If they get into the playoffs they could be a sleeper. Eagles keep that momentum going against the Texans. PHI 26-20
Falcons (5-9) vs Panthers (6-8)
Tommy - Cam Newton has fallen apart. The Panthers put up nine points against New Orleans and he had nothing to do with any of them. McCaffrey threw for the only Panthers TD while putting up 170 yards in total offense. Newton couldn't come through on the third downs, throwing the ball short or getting picked when they needed the big play. Not that I believe in the Falcons, but they are coming off a much more promising week scoring 40 points. So I will go Atlanta in this meaningless game. ATL 29-24
Lauren - Carolina lost their sixth game in a row last week. They cannot finish a game for their lives. Atlanta finally won a game after a while, but it had to be against Arizona. I think maybe Carolina's defense will be able to keep the Falcons from outscoring them. Panthers finally get another won. CAR 21-17
Marcus - The Panthers are on free fall, loosing six straight and can't catch a break. While the Dirty Birds looked good last week, granted against the Cardinals but here is a stat for you, ATL is 5-1 straight up against the Panther sin their last six games. Dirty Birds win. ATL 28-17
Jaime - These two teams have been playing bad football lately. Somebody has to win right? I'll give the edge to the Panthers defense. CAR 20-17
Rams (11-3) vs Cardinals (3-11)
Tommy - The Rams made some mistakes in their fall to the Eagles. After a couple off weeks, especially from Gurley, I expect the Rams to step it up and have a blast against the team looking for the first overall pick. Rosen will get sacks a few times, as the Rams look to book the bye round. LAR 37-20
Lauren - If the Cardinals were smart they would keep Rosen bubble-wrapped and let Glennon finish out the season. They won't win this game anyway. The Rams are going to be angry that they lost to the Eagles and want to win. The Cards won't be able to get by the defense. LAR 31-20
Marcus - The Rams have not played to well the last couple weeks but definitely need a rebound game at the hands of the struggling Cardinals, but they win close. LAR 28-27
Jaime - The Cardinals are above .500 when playing the Bay Area teams this year. It's to bad LA isn't in the Bay Area. Look for the Rams to get back in the win column. LAR 38-14
Bears (10-4) vs 49ers (4-10)
Tommy - The Bears have won the NFC North and are going to bring the young Mullens a real challenge. The Niners have gotten hot all of a sudden though, I wouldn't be surprised if they come up with some slick tricks to catch Chicago off guard. SF 23-21
Lauren - The 49ers busted out a great win against the Seahawks last week. Mullens looks to have good future in the NFL. But the Bears defense can penetrate any offensive line it seems. Mullens will be chased by Mack all night. CHI 27-21
Marcus - Khalil Mack and the monsters of the midway will crush and destroy all hopes of the Santa Clara Niners. Bears win this one big. CHI 34-3
Jaime - The 49ers go into Soldier Field to face one of the best defenses in the league. Khalil Mack and company will be ready for what they do best, get after the QB. Bears win big. CHI 30-7
Steelers (8-5-1) vs Saints (12-2)
Tommy - The Saints offense has hit a speed bump on their three game road trip, but now they will be back home in the dome where they can't seem to help but put up big points scoring at least 31 in their last four home games. This game will be a shootout, as Brees and Big Ben hit their targets for big plays. The Steelers look to be getting their RB back, as the run game will make the difference. I'll take the Pro Bowler. PIT 38-35
Lauren - The Saints won last week, but boy did their offense look bad. Only 12 points against a team that had lost its last five games. That is not something to be proud of. Pittsburgh is riding a high after beating New England and are probably thinking they can beat this awesome offense too. I disagree and think the Saints win at home. NO 33-28
Marcus - I'll take the Saints, even though they have struggled the last couple weeks. I see them playing a big game against the Steelers. NOLA is 4-0 straight up in their last four home games. Saints march on to victory. NO 31-24
Jaime - This game has offense written all over it. The Saints have struggled to put big points up the last couple weeks but that changes this week. Saints beat the Steelers in a shootout. NO 42-33
Chiefs (11-3) vs Seahawks (8-6)
Tommy - Mahomes dropped a game at home where the Chiefs never lose and now gets to visit a team that rarely loses at home. Both of these defenses will need to step it up to have a shot in this one. But I can't go against the Seahawks in Seattle. Another big scoring matchup, as Wilson out does the young Mahomes on the clutch plays. SEA 33-31  
Lauren - I think maybe Mahomes and the Chiefs are on a down swing. They cannot stop points from being scored, so they are forced an absurd amount of points. Seattle's defense isn't what it used to be, but I think they may be enough to stop KC. SEA 24-23
Marcus - Could KC really lose two in a row? Seattle plays great at home and has winning records in night games and as home underdogs. Seahawks win an exciting game. SEA 28-24
Jaime - The Chiefs are an offensive juggernaut. The Seahawks like the ground attack which ranks them first in the league. Seattle survives by playing keep away from Mahomes and a little help from the 12th man. SEA 28-24
Broncos (6-8) vs Raiders (3-11)

Tommy - The last game at the Coliseum for the Raiders. Monday Night Football is the right way to close it out. Unfortunately it won't close on a good note. Lindsay is gonna run through the Raiders weak line, as Keenum is given time to find his receivers, a lot more than Carr will taking on Miller. DEN 24-16 
Lauren - Denver lost a close game last week to Cleveland. Their defense looks good, and they'll look better against Oakland's awful offense. The Raiders cannot get their stuff together and it's too late to think they will this season. DEN 20-10
Marcus - Christmas Eve, a fitting end for the Raiders in Oakland. To play a Monday Night game against one of their heated rivals. The Silver and Black leave Oakland on a high note, with the upset win over the division foe. OAK 27-24
Jaime - It's a classic AFC West showdown on MNF. These teams don't have much left to play for except bragging rights. Denver has wonn 11 of their last 15 in Oakland, this shouldn't be any different. DEN 21-17
Season Standings
Marcus 141-81
Tommy 136-86
Lauren 136-86
Guest 118-77