It’s the last quarter of the NFL season. The playoff picture is anything but finished. Usual mainstays like the Patriots only need to solidify their chance at a first-round bye. Up and coming teams like the Texans and Chargers look to spoil the party. The Chiefs have looked like the best team in the AFC all season long but will the loss of Kareem Hunt once again send Kansas City home early. They haven’t made the AFC Championship since 1993 so it will be interesting to see if they can break a 25 year drought. In the NFC, the Seahawks have stunningly taken a stronghold on the top wildcard spot. Who will claim the last spot? The Vikings? Panthers? Eagles? Redskins? Check out who will make a push to get into the big dance on “NFL Updates Express: Week 14 2018.”
Week 13 Prediction Record: 10-6
Total Prediction Record: 122-68-2
Week 13 Awards:
Most Entertaining Game: Chargers vs Steelers
Upset of the Week: Cowboys over Saints
Player of the Week: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs (295 yards passing, 4 TDs0
Team of the Week: New England Patriots
Rookie of the Week: Dante Pettis, WR, 49ers (5 REC for 128 yards receiving, 2 TDs)
This game will be an ugly, low scoring affair. It seems that every year now is a TNF matchup between these two squads. Now this one doesn’t quite have the same lust as it once did, with the Jags sitting at 4-8 and Tennessee clinging to playoff relevance. Following the benching of Blake Bortles, Jags QB Cody Kessler is trying to prove in the final four weeks that he can be a starter for Jacksonville or another team. Tennessee and Jacksonville defenses are among the NFL’s elite. The offenses? Not so much. Expect a heavy dose of Leonard Fournette and Derrick Henry for the duration of this contest. In a narrow one, a hint of desperation kicks in for Mike Vrabel’s team who edges out this contest.
Tennessee Titans 15, Jacksonville Jaguars 12
Personally, I believe the Panthers played their hearts out against Seattle. When they came up short at home, it felt like their season was over. In Tampa Bay, Cam Newton was inaccurate, tossing four picks in a game for the first time since his rookie year. Baker Mayfield struggled as well, throwing three interceptions against the surging Texans. I’m not sure who wins this game. The Panthers have been terrible ever since the Steelers debacle on Thursday Night. Lose this game and we might have seen the last of Riverboat Ron in Carolina. Despite losing four straight, Carolina still has a small sliver of opportunity to get the sixth seed in the NFC. The Vikings are the only other true contender. It’s not over yet but it’s looking grim if they fail to win on the road.
Carolina Panthers 20, Cleveland Browns 17
It’s a new era in Kansas City without star running back Kareem Hunt and his sudden fall from grace. People often forget how great Spencer Ware was before his devastating knee injury. Speaking of running backs, the Ravens lost Alex Collins, a key cog in their offense. They will now turn to Kenneth Dixon and Gus Edwards for the remainder of the season. Personally, I can’t see the Ravens producing enough points to keep pace with the high octane offense of the Chiefs. If Baltimore manages to grab the upset, it would go a LONG way towards clinching their first playoff berth since the 2014 season.
Kansas City Chiefs 41, Baltimore Ravens 28
If the Texans continue to blaze the path and finish the season on a thirteen game winning streak, they could finish with a first round bye. I’m not sure that has ever happened for a team that started 0-3. Meanwhile, the blazing Colts hit a surprising setback with an embarrassing loss to the Jaguars in which they may look back and say “that’s the reason we didn’t make the playoffs.” If they can end the Texans winning streak, all is forgiven. It will be a tough game for sure but if Marlon Mack could get rolling, I could see an upset brewing. At the end of the day, expect the Texans to notch their TENTH straight win.
Houston Texans 30, Indianapolis Colts 22
The Patriots may not be the offensive juggernaut that they’ve been in the past but they still find ways to win. Congratulations to Tom Brady who finally crossed the 1K rushing barrier. At first glance, this would seem like an easy win for the Pats. It probably will be. I also said the same thing when Jay Cutler took down the Patriots in primetime last year. It’s no secret that Brady has had some mediocre performances in South Beach so I would keep an eye on this. Tannehill has been about as efficient as he has for the duration of his career. Not amazing but not terrible. That being said, I’m not picking against Tom Brady in December.
New England Patriots 31, Miami Dolphins 21
Poor Redskins. They just can’t catch a break. Well..if it includes their starting quarterbacks legs. All jokes aside, the Skins are now down to their third string quarterback in Mark Sanchez. I’m not sure if Washington wins another game at this point. If they manage to sneak in the postseason with injuries to their top two quarterbacks, their starting receiver and starting guards, give HC Jay Gruden the coach of the year award. The Giants are on a roll, knocking off the NFC North-leading Bears in overtime. I honestly wouldn’t call this game an upset. New York will win this game. They’ve underachieved with the talent on their roster and now they are starting to put it together, abit too late.
New York Giants 20, Washington Redskins 16
The Saints suffered a stunning loss to the Cowboys on the road. I wouldn’t be that concerned though. New Orleans was due for a bad game and now the worst defense in Tampa Bay can be the remedy to get the Saints back on track. Don’t overthink this game. Saints take the dub.
New Orleans Saints 39, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 15
The LA Chargers are a team you do NOT want to see in the playoffs. Coming into Pittsburgh in primetime and pulling off the win is almost impossible. Winning after being down two scores takes quite the special team to pull off the stunner. The Chargers may end up as just the fifth seed but come January, I guarantee you that Rivers is in it to win it. Don’t be surprised to see the Bolts make a deep playoff run. The Bengals have mailed it in and may not win another game this season. Expect this one to get ugly.
Los Angeles Chargers 31, Cincinnati Bengals 14
The league keeps sleeping but slowly, the Broncos have asserted themselves into the playoff picture. It was a tough break to see Emmanuel Sanders go on IR. Courtland Sutton has been playing fantastic and the Broncos shouldn’t be affected too much. DaeSean Hamilton will take over the number two receiver spot and I’m excited to see him play. The 49ers defense will leave a lot of holes open for him to step up and make an impact. Philip Lyndsay should carry the load to help give the Broncos their fourth straight win.
Denver Broncos 28, San Francisco 49ers 18
If the Eagles want to sneak into the postseason, they MUST win this game. Their only realistic road to the playoffs seems to be through winning the NFC East. Dallas is playing as well as they have since Dak’s rookie season when the Cowboys took over the league by storm. The Amari Cooper trade is making dividends and elevating this offense to new heights. The bigger story is the performance of the defense. Shutting down the Saints? That is nearly impossible. Coming into 2018, the secondary has a huge question mark but they have played as well as anyone could’ve hoped for. Golden Tate will need to be a big factor. His 7 REC for 85 yards and one score helped Philly zoom past Washington. It will be a back and forth battle but ultimately, I have Dallas taking this one.
Dallas Cowboys 23, Philadelphia Eagles 17
Will this be the game that Mitchell Trubisky returns? Chase Daniel had a rough game but came alive late and nearly stole a victory on the road. The Bears will have their toughest test of the season as the second best passing offense comes to the Windy City for Sunday Night. Whether or not Trubisky shows up, the Bears defense will need to step up for their biggest challenge yet. Tarik Cohen continues to impress me. He can run, catch, return kicks, and even pass for a touchdown. The ultimate swiss-army knife. The Lions made life interesting for the Rams but Gurley was able to help salt away the victory. In a similar style game, the Rams take a potential NFC title game showdown.
Los Angeles Rams 26, Chicago Bears 23
Huge Monday Night Football game with serious playoff implications. Minnesota has not been the team that went 13-3 last season. Their offense isn’t quite clicking despite Cousins looking better on the stat sheet than Keenum did. Minnesota is a dangerous team if they manage to grab a postseason spot. They may be able to go 8-7-1 or 9-6-1 and make the playoffs. I’d like them to make a concerted effort to employ Dalvin Cook into the offense. He’s only averaging about 10 carries per game. Yes, I know Diggs and Thielen are fantastic. However, the offense doesn’t want to become predictable, especially against a rising Seattle defense. I’m torn on who wins this game. Seattle has their swagger back at home so in a narrow battle, the MVP-caliber Russell Wilson gives the Seahawks their eighth win of the season.
Seattle Seahawks 30, Minnesota Vikings 27
Other games w/ minimal playoff impact:
Green Bay Packers 26, Atlanta Falcons 23
Buffalo Bills 28, New York Jets 20
Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Oakland Raiders 30
Detroit Lions 16, Arizona Cardinals 13
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