Merry Christmas everyone!!! Week sixteen already! Why it seems like just yesterday that the last of the week fifteen games were played. Wait a minute! It was just yesterday! Another busy week ahead with four more days of scheduled games and God only knows how many days of currently unscheduled games.
We start out this week with the Niners and Titans squaring off on Thursday night. Both teams are currently in the playoffs, but a loss could help knock either one back, and possibly out of the playoffs completely. I'll take the Titans in this one because I want the Niners to lose. (Sorry Niners, but you could be in the way of the Eagles making the playoffs.)
Next up are a pair of Christmas day games. The Browns take on the Packers. The Browns really, really need the win, while the Packers are on cruise control, having already locked up the NFC North. Will desperation (the Browns) overcome talent (the Packers)? God only knows. I guess I'll take the Packers.
The Colts look to run over the Cardinals. The Colts are on a roll while the Cards seem to have forgotten how to win, losing two straight they shouldn't have lost. I'll go with the hot team here in the Colts and assume that Jonathan Taylor continues to just run over everyone in his way.
On to the Sunday games! The Giants come to Philly. The Eagles find themselves having their postgame and pregame press conferences oddly overlap after playing on Tuesday then again on Sunday. Assuming the Eagles players can get out of the hot tub in time to play on Sunday, I expect the Eagles to dominate this one. The Eagles had four dropped TD passes, two red-zone turnovers, and a ton of untimely penalties in the last matchup and still almost won. The Giants acted like they'd won the Super Bowl after the game was pretty much handed to them on a silver platter and the Birds will look to remind the Giants of how lucky they were, and that luck doesn't hold out forever. I expect a big, one-sided Eagles win. 42-7 wouldn't shock me.
The Rams take on the Vikings. Go Rams! The Vikings need to lose a game or two to help the Eagles sneak into the playoffs, so go Rams! Cooper Kupp is a heck of a wide receiver and likely more than the Vikings can handle. (Also, part of why Carson Wentz still isn't an Eagle. Carson was asked about WRs in the year Kupp came out and really wanted him. They'd worked out together and had developed a good chemistry. The Eagles said, "Nah!" Each year he recommended a top WR and each year the Eagles went with someone else. Each time Carson was correct, and the front office/scouts were wrong. It was a factor in Carson leaving Philly.) I'll take the Rams.
The Bills and the Patriots square off for the AFC East lead. (Why is this a one o'clock game and not flexed into a better time slot?) This should be quite the fight. I'm taking the Bills just to liven things up a bit.
Tampa Bay goes to Carolina. The Bucs should get the win here, but they've been really dinged with new injuries so it may not be a pretty win. They're dusting of Le'Veon Bell yet again due to injuries to their RBs. I'll take the Bucs but it won't be pretty.
The Jaguars and Jets square off in a game for draft position. The Jags have an edge over the Jets in the draft now having won just two games to the Jets three, but the Jets can make up that ground with a loss. I'll take the Jaguars to roar to a tie with the Jets for that draft slot by getting the win. Jags for the win!
Detroit and Atlanta face one another in a game where both teams are likely asking, "Why are we playing this game?" Winning or losing won't really change anything too much for either team. They are what they are. I guess I'll take the Falcons.
The Chargers get to be the next team to beat the Texans. I'll take the Chargers.
The Ravens and Bengals fight for supremacy in the AFC North. Both teams are at 8-6 with one going to 9-6 and the other to 8-7. The Ravens are pretty badly beat up so I'll give a slight edge to the Bengals.
The Bears and Seattle face off. Will Russell Wilson put on a good show for the Bears, who were widely rumored to be in the hunt for him this past offseason? Probably not, but he should do enough to get the win. I'll take Seattle.
The Steelers take on the Chiefs. The Steelers really, really need this game. The Chiefs don't need it as much and are dealing with lots of covid issues. I'll give the slightest possible edge to the Steelers. (If the Chiefs get healthy pregame, it'll likely be the Chiefs winning though.)
The Broncos take on the Raiders. Desperation time for both teams. Neither is likely to make the playoffs, but a loss would pretty much ensure they don't. I'll give a slight edge to the Broncos in this one.
Whatever's left of the WFT takes on the Cowboys. The WFT are pretty much out of players at this point. They need to do some fast healing and then hit the road to Dallas. Yeah. I'm not optimistic about their chances in this game. I'll take Dallas for the win. (I'd rather the WFT win though. I just don't see it happening.)
And finally, Monday night finds the Dolphins and Saints battling it out. Both teams need a win to stay relevant in the playoff hunt. Only one can get the win. The Dolphins are hot and playing well so I'm giving them the slightest edge in this one.
Fly!!! Eagles!!! Fly!!!
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