Week 14 predictions
Friday 1:20am
Cleveland Browns 13-33 Pittsburgh Steelers
With Colt McCoy looking more and more like an average NFL backup QB, this looks like a total mismatch at Heinz Field, especially after the Steelers crushed the Cincinnati Bengals last week. The Steelers will use Rashard Mendenhall and Isaac Redman A LOT, and this should set up a large day for Mike Wallace.
Sunday 6:00pm
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-10 Jacksonville Jaguars
Apart from Maurice Jones-Drew, the Jags have nothing on offense, at all. So the Bucs will stack the box with their new acquisition Albert Haynesworth and hope to stop the run. Having Josh Freeman back at the helm will help Tampa, but to be honest Josh Johnson could put them in a position to win as well. Expect LeGarette Blount to get 25+ carries.
Houston Texans 17-16 Cincinnati Bengals
This is the closest game of the weekend, with two defenses playing really great football (if you exclude the blowout the Bengals suffered last week). TJ Yates has been good so far, managing games well, but with Andre Johnson out again, that’s one main target down, so running the ball will again be the order of the day. I think whoever has the better day out of Cedric Benson and Arian Foster wins the game, and I’m going with the awesome Foster.
Minnesota Vikings 23-38 Detroit Lions
This is actually a potentially good game, with two teams airing it out at the moment, and they will both come across dodgy secondaries. But the Vikings’ defensive back situation is so dire that you have to go with Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Jared Allen will get pressure on the QB, but with Ndamukong Suh serving the second game of his suspension, the Lions will have to step up their pass rush, and Nick Fairley is the man to do it, he’s been a beast this year. If you’ve got some Detroit receivers in your fantasy team (Burleson, Young), it’s time to play them, because they could have a large day.
New England Patriots 27-19 Washington Redskins
This could be a tougher game for New England than the Redskins’ record suggests, they are good against the pass, and could limit Tom Brady. However, you just can’t depend on Rex Grossman to win you games, even against the Pats’ porous secondary that gave up 350 yards to Dan Orlovsky last week. So you still have to go with New England, but it should be closer than you might expect.
Kansas City Chiefs 6-15 New York Jets
This game will be all about defense, and the Jets know that, so Rex Ryan will have them playing at their best this week. Mark Sanchez is having a poor year, but he won’t have to do much come Sunday, just to manage the game, as Tyler Palko is just awful for KC. That Hail Mary touchdown pass he threw was awful, and the Bears were incredibly unlucky that it fell to a Chief. I can’t see past the Jets in this one.
Atlanta Falcons 27-23 Carolina Panthers
The Falcons missed a big opportunity last week against the banged up Texans, and will look to make up for it against Cam Newton’s Panthers, who were impressive in beating the Bucs. The Falcons only gave Michael turner the ball 14 times last week, and against the Carolina run defense, expect this number to double. It wouldn’t surprise me if they gave him the ball 30 times during this game. Cam will do what Cam does, but I don’t think the Panthers’ defense is good enough to give him a chance to win the game.
Philadelphia Eagles 24-26 Miami Dolphins
Miami are a totally different team to the one that started the season, Reggie Bush is looking like a star, and the defense is stepping up to the plate. While Philly are 4-8. Ouch. They won’t reach the playoffs now, so players will be playing for their jobs next season, however, some look like they don’t want to be there already. The return of Mike Vick will help the Eagles, but their terrible run defense could allow the Dolphins to dictate the game, so for me, Miami could take this one.
New Orleans Saints 30-23 Tennessee Titans
Tennessee are one of the best teams against the pass, but that status will be tested to the maximum against an on-fire Drew Brees, I personally think he is playing the best football of his life, and if the Saints were to play the Packers tomorrow, they would have a serious chance of winning. As for the Titans, CJ2K is back! Another 150 yard game last week, and no doubt they will give him the ball a lot again this week to try and keep Brees off the field as much as possible. It will be the acid test for Aubrayo Franklin, the run stopper that New Orleans put so much faith in. But all in all, no-one is stopping Drew Brees right now, no matter how many yards Johnson goes for.
Indianapolis Colts 10-31 Baltimore Ravens
The Patriots let the Colts back into the game in the 4th quarter last Sunday, but the ravens won’t make that mistake. Ray Rice will pound Indy into submission. You can put your house on this one. Ravens win big, and Rice could get two 200 yard games in a row.
Sunday 9:05pm
Chicago Bears 13-16 Denver Broncos
Tebow Time at Mile High again, and without their #1 QB and RB, the Bears will have to rely on their defense to win them the game, but against the ‘Tebow Offense’, no-one has yet managed this. The Broncos’ defense will be strengthened by the return of Von Miller, and expect Caleb Hanie to be battered, while he throws at least two picks. Somehow, Denver win again.
San Francisco 49’ers 26-17 Arizona Cardinals
Bench Beanie Wells if you’re a fantasy owner. I have never seen a team as dominant against the run as the 49’ers, who STILL haven’t given up a rushing touchdown this season among the 71 yards per game that they allow other teams. Arizona’s run defense has been stouter in recent weeks as well, but their offense will rely on Kevin Kolb hooking up with Larry Fitzgerald a lot, which will give the 49’ers defence lots of opportunity to score points. The Cards could make this closer than you might expect, but San Francisco will win.
Sunday 9:15pm
Buffalo Bills 20-27 San Diego Chargers
Finally the Chargers showed us a bit of potential on Monday Night Football, when they battered the Jaguars, but the Bills have a lot more going for them on offense. Having said that, they have a lot less going for them on defense, you can run and pass on Buffalo, so no matter how well Ryan Fitzpatrick plays, Philip Rivers, Mike Tolbert, Ryan Matthews and Vincent Jackson should have enough at the Qualcomm.
Oakland Raiders 23-41 Green Bay Packers
A lot of Packers fans had this game pinpointed as a massive threat to their perfect record. Ok, the Raiders run the ball well and have real burners on the outside, but have you seen that defense? Aaron Rodgers will pick it apart like he’s picked apart every defense this season. Another relatively comfortable win for the Pack.
Monday 1:20am
New York Giants 34-31 Dallas Cowboys
Without doubt the game of the weekend. Not quite a playoff game yet, that will be the week 17 encounter between these two at the Meadowlands. I don’t think either team will hold back and play it safe on Sunday Night Football, so it should be a very entertaining game. Eli Manning has a good record against the Cowboys in Dallas and I think it carries on here. Rob Ryan will try to shut down the middle of the field, but the Giants’ receivers will relish the one on one coverage on the outside. Both teams should score points, but the Giants are the better all-round side.
Tuesday 1:30am
St Louis Rams 10-30 Seattle Seahawks
The Rams are making a play for the NFL’s worst team right now, their offensive line is playing some horrible football at the moment, so is it any wonder that Sam Bradford and AJ Feeley are both struggling to play this Monday Night Football? Steven Jackson should be their main weapon, but as defenses stream through his blockers, he must be considering a career change. The Seahawks are improving week on week, especially defensively, so expect nothing less than a win for Seattle at Qwest Field.
