Thursday Night Football: Los Angeles Chargers (5-8) @ Las Vegas Raiders (5-8) – 8:15 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video (Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung)
Radio: Westwood One (Kevin Kugler, Tony Boselli)
I really wish this rivalry had one game where both teams are really good and playing for something meaningful. They played two such games in 2021 and the season-opener of 2022, but they haven’t played any such games since.
Thursday night will feature both teams starting backup quarterbacks and coming off disappointing losses. The Raiders lost the first 3-0 NFL game in 16 years while the Chargers lost to Denver 17-7, their second straight game scoring less than 10 points. Eve worse, they lost quarterback Justin Herbert to a season-ending fractured finger. But even before Herbert went down, this was team was massively underachieving on both sides of the ball. At least the Raiders, playing under an interim head coach, have been competitive in most of their games this season. Both teams are headed towards the offseason as opposed to the postseason, and this game will reflect that.
Game pick: Raiders 16 Chargers 13
Saturday Showdown: Minnesota Vikings (7-6) @ Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) – 1 p.m. on NFL Network (Chris Rose, Jason McCourty, Steve Wyche)
Radio: Westwood One (John Sadak, Ross Tucker)
What both teams have done with backup quarterbacks this season has been admirable. For the Bengals, it’s been remarkable. The Bengals offense, now with Jake Browning at quarterback, has looked like Joe Burrow has still been playing the last two weeks. Two weeks ago, the Bengals looked out of the postseason race. Now, they’re right back in it.
As for Minnesota, they haven’t found a consistent answer at quarterback since Kirk Cousins went down in week eight. Yet, they currently hold the sixth seed in the NFC. This week, they will be starting Nick Mullens. But the key to Minnesota’s winning record since Cousins was lost for the season has been their defense. Minnesota has 36 sacks, including 13.5 from Danielle Hunter, and 19 turnovers through 13 games. They’re coming off a shutout of the Raiders on the road, and going back to their week 12 loss to the Bears on Monday Night Football they have not allowed a touchdown.
Despite the Vikings strong resurgence on defense, their offense has struggled the last two games. The Bengals have stayed afloat since Joe Burrow was lost for the season, and their defense turned in one of their best games of the season last week against Indianapolis. Expect a moderate scoring game in this interconference showdown with massive playoff implications for both teams.
Game pick: Bengals 21 Vikings 17
Saturday Showdown: Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6) @ Indianapolis Colts (7-6) – 4:30 p.m. on NFL Network (Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, Jamie Erdahl)
Radio: Westwood One (Bill Rosinksi, Mike Mayock)
The fact that both teams are still in playoff contention at this point of the season is remarkable. Maybe we all thought Pittsburgh would be here given that Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season as head coach of the Steelers. But the Colts? Expectations were low going into the season with a first-year head coach. Then they lost rookie quarterback early in the season. And yet, here they are 7-6.
Here both teams are currently in the playoffs in the season ended today. Both teams are playing with backup quarterbacks in this game. Both teams are also coming off disappointing losses last week. In the case of Pittsburgh, they have lost two games in a row to two teams who entered the game 2-10. Fun fact: both those teams, the Patriots and Cardinals, are now eliminated from playoff contention.
This game will be ugly, but close. And the winner of this game will still have an inside track at the NFL Playoffs.
Game pick: Colts 24 Steelers 14
Saturday Showdown: Denver Broncos (7-6) @ Detroit Lions (9-4) – 8:15 p.m. on NFL Network (Kevin Harlan, Trent Green, Melanie Collins)
Radio: Westwood One (J.P. Shadrick, Mike Golic)
The NFL certainly saved the best for last on Saturday with this game. I’m really intrigued by this game.
For the first time this season, there is pressure on Detroit. They have struggled the last three weeks, really four weeks. After starting 8-2, the Lions have dropped division games to Green Bay and Chicago and barely hung on at New Orleans. While the Lions have been a great story this season, we are getting to the home stretch of the season. Detroit needs to start to win some games against quality opponents to improve their playoff seed.
Denver has been strong since mid-October. When they lost 19-8 to Kansas City to fall to 1-5, everybody wrote them off. But all they have done since then is improve on defense, stack some wins including some against really good teams and climb right back into the thick of the AFC Playoff race. They’re still susceptible to the run on defense and they’re not very explosive on offense, but Russell Wilson has won a lot of games in December throughout his career.
This is going to be a fun game. The Lions are a fun watch, and Denver is a fun story.
Game pick: Lions 28 Broncos 24
Sunday
New York Jets (5-8) @ Miami Dolphins (9-4) – 1 p.m. on CBS (Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson)
I’m worried about Miami. I know their offense is electric and their defense has improved throughout the season. But there’s something about them that makes me think they’re not built to win in December and January. We saw evidence of that on Monday Night against the Titans, who aren’t a very good team but can make life rough for finesse teams like Miami.
Now the Jets come into town, and even though their season has not gone as hoped they did just beat the Texans. Zach Wilson is coming off a spectacular game last week, and the Jets defense allows less than 20 points and 300 yards per game.
The Dolphins bludgeoned the Jets 34-13 on Black Friday in New York just three weeks ago. The Dolphins have made a habit out of blowing out bad teams, but this time around the Jets might be a little closer.
Game pick: Dolphins 37 Jets 20
San Francisco 49ers (10-3) @ Arizona Cardinals (3-10) – 4:05 p.m. on CBS (Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn)
When they are healthy, the 49ers are absolutely the best team in the NFL. They have so many good players on their roster, their offense is nearly impossible to defend and their defense is extremely physical and so talented.
The Cardinals season isn’t going anywhere. However, they have been competitive against some really good teams. They had the lead on the 49ers back in week four, and they have wins over Dallas and Pittsburgh.
The race to the number one seed in the NFC is ferocious with three teams, including the 49ers, all at 10-3. That makes games like this “take care of business games”, games you have to win if you’re the 49ers.
Game pick: 49ers 31 Cardinals 21
Kansas City Chiefs (8-5) @ Arizona Cardinals (3-10) – 1 p.m. on FOX (Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston, Pam Oliver)
This was originally scheduled as a Monday Night game, but it was flexed out a few weeks ago. This is the first season since 2001 that the Patriots will not be on Monday Night Football.
But the big story in this game is the Chiefs, who are on a two game losing streak and have lost three out of their last four games. Their offense is struggling. It doesn’t look anything like a Chiefs offense that we have seen over the last few seasons.
What’s been the Chiefs saving grace has been their defense. The Chiefs defense is only allowing 17.5 points per game and a tick less than 300 yards per game.
The Chiefs cannot take this game lightly. New England is already eliminated from playoff contention, but they did just play spoiler to the Steelers. It’s weird seeing the Chiefs in so much uncertainty heading into the home stretch of the regular season. Then again, it’s also weird to see New England eliminated from playoff contention before Christmas.
Game pick: Chiefs 24 Patriots 14
Dallas Cowboys (10-3) @ Buffalo Bills (7-6) – 4:25 p.m. on FOX (Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi)
I’m really excited for this matchup. These are two really good and talented teams. It’s December football in Buffalo. It’s a rematch of Super Bowls XXVIII and XXVIII. And there’s a lot on the line in this game.
Dallas has not just been playing great football over the last five weeks. They have been playing dominant football. Dak Prescott has been on fire since the Cowboys came off the bye week, with 19 touchdowns and just two interceptions in the Cowboys last seven games. He’s leading a humming Dallas offense that’s scoring over 30 points per game. And on defense, the Cowboys have been more then stellar, allowing just a tick under 18 points per game and less than 300 yards per game.
Buffalo has had an up-and-down season, but they might be starting to catch fire at the right time. Since making a change at offensive coordinator, Josh Allen and the Bills offense is showing signs of who we came to know them as over the last few seasons. And they always seem to be overlooked, but the Bills defense is once again among the NFL’s best with 42 sacks and allowing less than 20 points per game.
Dallas struggles to win big games away from home. Buffalo rarely loses big games at homes this time of year. Something has to give in this matchup.
Game pick: Bills 31 Cowboys 24
Sunday Night Football: Baltimore Ravens (10-3) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5) – 8:20 p.m. on NBC (Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark)
Radio: Westwood One (Ryan Radtke, Ryan Leaf)
This is Jacksonville’s first Sunday Night game in 15 years. And waiting for them: maybe the best team in the NFL in the Baltimore Ravens.
Lamar Jackson was worth every penny of his contract extension this past offseason. His numbers this season are really good. Look past that he only has 16 touchdowns. He leads all NFL quarterbacks with 644 rushing yards and is coming off a win over the Rams in which he threw for over 300 yards and rushed for over 50 yards. On defense, the Ravens are as stout as they come. Any thoughts of regression from their peak days are now squashed. Baltimore is only allowing 16.8 points per game and well under 300 yards per game.
Jacksonville has shown last season wasn’t a fluke, but how good are they really? How healthy they are might be a bigger question. Trevor Lawrence is still nursing through a high-ankle sprain, and their receiving corps is also banged up.
Lamar Jackson is 5-1 on Sunday Night Football in his career. The Jaguars have lost four of their five games at home this season. The Ravens are strong in a lot of facets, so this will be a big test for the Jaguars.
Game pick: Ravens 34 Jaguars 24
Monday Night Football: Philadelphia Eagles (10-3) @ Seattle Seahawks (6-7) – 8:15 p.m. on ESPN/ABC (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters); ESPN2 (Peyton & Eli Manning and select guests)
Radio: Westwood One (Kevin Harlan, Kurt Warner)
This wasn’t originally scheduled for Monday Night Football, but it was flexed in when the Chiefs-Patriots game was flexed out.
Two weeks ago, it seemed like the Eagles were going to find ways to win enough games and grab the number one seed in the NFC for the second straight season. But after two straight losses, they now find themselves in a dogfight with Dallas for the NFC East title.
Seattle has lost four straight, knocking them from a promising 6-3 start to the outside looking in at the playoffs. They have endured a brutal schedule since Thanksgiving Night against the 49ers, but after this game the schedule lightens up significantly down the stretch. And in the NFC, 9-8 could be enough, once again, to get in the Playoffs.
Game pick: Eagles 27 Seahawks 24
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 