NFL Week 14 Preview

 

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I can't believe it's already Week 14. We're getting down to the end of the regular season and I still don't think I know anything about most of these teams. There's a few interesting matchups this weekend that can shift playoff seeding around, so I'm gonna do my best to preview the games for today.

Texans (-1.5) @ Bears

Deshaun Watson has been cooking over the last few weeks. He's quietly had a very good season, albeit for a not so good Texans team. They've been much better since Romeo Crennel took over as interim head coach. I think that has more to do with Bill O'Brien than Romeo, but it's nice to see the Texans look more like an actual football team. The Bears are a disgrace. Ryan Pace has no idea how to find a competent starting quarterback. He's been in Chicago since 2015 and his best player at the position has probably been Jay Cutler, who he inherited. Pace's QB's of choice have been Matt Barkley, Mitchell Trubisky, and Nick Foles. That isn't exactly a great group of players right there. Trubisky and Foles have both played at times for Chicago this season. Neither of them have been very impressive and their play is holding them back from being a playoff contender. Trubisky is starting today, so my pick is easy.

My Pick: Texans (-1.5)

Cowboys (-3) @ Bengals

Honestly man, who cares? This game sucks. Andy Dalton revenge tour, I guess. 

My Pick: Cowboys (-3)

Chiefs (-7) @ Dolphins 

This is the early game that interests me the most. Kansas City has been a wrecking ball again this season, currently sitting at 11-1. The Dolphins have been arguably the biggest surprise in the league. They're 8-4 right now, which has them in a wildcard position. Tua Tagovailoa has had some flashes of fantastic play at the quarterback position for them, and their defense is one of the better units in the league. Kansas City will be a great test to see how good this Miami team actually is. I think the Chiefs will win, but I'll pick Miami to cover. I trust Brian Flores.

My Pick: Dolphins (+7)

Cardinals (-2.5) @ Giants

Arizona's struggles over the last few weeks are concerning. They should easily secure the 7th seed in the NFC over the Vikings, but it's looking like it'll be a struggle for that position. Kyler Murray being banged up has limited the potential of their offense, and their defense is still a work in progress. A win over a Giants team on the climb would be great to get them back on track. The Giants are coming off a shocking win at Seattle last Sunday. Colt McCoy started that game for the G-Men and somehow got them a victory. Daniel Jones is back this week, and that will help the offense score more than 17 points, hopefully. I'm going with Arizona because I don't trust anyone from the NFC East, but I won't be surprised if the Giants win.

My Pick: Cardinals (-2.5)

Vikings @ Buccaneers (-7)

The Bucs are the first home team to be favored this week. They're coming off a bye week and before that they were going through a rough stretch. 7 points is a lot for two teams separated by only one game, but the Vikings probably aren't any good. They have an unbelievably bad special teams unit, shocker, and their offense is inconsistent, also shocker. Kirk Cousins has been fine this year, I guess. Dalvin Cook is going to need to carry the Vikings into the playoffs for them to have any chance. The Bucs are a lot more trustworthy than a team quarterbacked by Kirk Cousins, so I'm gonna roll with Tom Brady and the Boys. 

My Pick: Buccaneers (-7)

Broncos @ Panthers (-3.5)

These teams aren't very talented, but they fight hard and are well coached. I like Vic Fangio as a defensive coordinator and that Denver defense is tough. Matt Rhule has done a great job of making the Panthers competitive this season with the talent they have. The Panthers are down Christian McCaffrey and DJ Moore today, so I guess I'll go with the Broncos. I don't feel good about it though.

My Pick: Broncos (+3.5)

Titans (-7.5) @ Jaguars 

The Jaguars are going to try their hardest, but they're simply outmatched by this Tennessee team. James Robinson will probably keep them in the game for a little while though. Jaguars first half spread might not be bad. The Titans have too much talent offensively for this game to be close at the end. Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill are gonna put up huge stat lines on the way to an easy Titans victory.

My Pick: Titans (-7.5)

Colts (-3) @ Raiders

It took the Raiders until the last play to beat the Jets last week, so you would think they'll struggle this against a good Colts team. Unfortunately, you can't trust either of this teams to do anything expected, so I'll go with Vegas. Derek Carr needs to play better down the stretch for them to get back into the postseason. I think it'll happen. I'm a Derek Carr apologist, so it isn't my fault if this is wrong. 

My Pick: Raiders (+3)

Jets @ Seahawks (-15) 

15 is a lot of points to give to an NFL team. Luckily for Seattle, the Jets aren't one of those. 

My Pick: Seahawks (-15)

Packers (-8) @ Lions

I believe Aaron Rodgers is still the starting quarterback for the Packers, so I'm gonna take them. It could be -15 and I'd still go with Green Bay. The Lions are bad.

My Pick: Packers (-8)

Saints (-8) @ Eagles

The Saints are 3-0 under Taysom Hill, but those wins are against a Broncos team without a QB and the Falcons, twice. Taysom Hill isn't very good, but neither are the Eagles. Jalen Hurts is making his first career start for the Birds today. He looked okay last weekend in mop-up duty, but starting a game is a whole different animal. I think this game will be a lot closer than people are expecting because Taysom Hill isn't very good. The Saints will probably still win the game, but I like Philly to cover. I'm sure it's just because I'm an Eagles fan, but I think they can keep this one close.

My Pick: Eagles (+8)

Falcons @ Chargers (-1)

I'll never bet on an Anthony Lynn coached team. Especially when they're favored against a team of equal skill. This will certainly be a comedy of errors, but it's must watch television. 

My Pick: Falcons (+1)

The Football Team @ 49ers (-3)

This is another crapshoot. I don't like either of these teams to cover 3 points. Washington is in a playoff race, so I'll go with them.

My Pick: Washington (+3)

Steelers @ Bills (-2.5)

I think someone else will probably cover this game, so I'll just fire off my pick. 

My Pick: Steelers (2.5)

A preview for the Monday Night Game will be released separately this week. I'll do a recap on Tuesday for my picks and to see how they did. I'm expecting to finish well under .500 because I'm bad at this.