NFL NFC Week 15 Predictions
After 14 weeks of action the playoff picture in the NFC is coming into focus. New Orleans won their 13th straight game beating Atlanta 26-23. With this win the Saints have clinched a first round bye and are in excellent position to have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Falcon are now 6-7 and basically out of the post season picture. Minnesota hammered Cincinnati 30-10 to move to 11-2 on the year. They have a two game lead in the NFC North and can clinch with one more win or a Green Bay loss. The Packers beat Chicago 21-14 and at 9-4 have a solid hold on a wildcard position in the playoffs. Philadelphia survived a 45-38 shootout against New York to open up a one game lead in the NFC East. They are now 9-4 and control their own destiny in the division. The Giants fell to 7-6 and are currently on the outside looking in. Dallas lost to San Diego 20-17 and at 8-5 would be the other wildcard team in the conference. Arizona fell flat on Monday night, losing to San Francisco 24-9. With an 8-5 record they still lead the NFC West by two games over the 49ers and can clinch this week with a win over Detroit.
Moving onto week 15 in the NFC, the key match ups we will be reviewing are; Dallas @ New Orleans, San Francisco @ Philadelphia, and New York Giants @ Washington.
Dallas Cowboys @ New Orleans Saints (-7) Current Over/Under 53.5
If there ever was a must win game for Dallas this would be it. They have lost two straight games to open the month of December and a loss on Saturday night would guarantee a 13th straight year of not having a winning record in the final full month of the season. Not only that, a loss could put a serious dent in their post season plans. Ironically, New Orleans has started this season with 13 straight wins. They need a win and a Minnesota loss to clinch home field advantage, so there is something on the line for them in this game as well. It is hard to put a finger on why the Cowboys have lost their last two as QB Tony Romo has been playing extremely well and the defense has kept them within striking distance right up to the final gun. Missed field goals, stupid penalties, and questionable play calling are some of the things that have got in their way, but in both games they still played well enough to win. I see this as a potential trap game for the Saints as they have survived close calls in their two games and may finally fall in this one. My pick would be the Cowboys and the OVER.
San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles (-9) Current Over/Under 43.5
San Francisco kept their faint playoff hopes on life support with a win over Arizona this past Monday night. Unfortunately, Philadelphia is primed to pull the plug in front of the home town crowd at Lincoln Financial Field this Sunday. Last week, the Eagles lit up the N.Y. Giants for the second time this season with three long touchdown scores. While looking for big play opportunities is a weekly staple in the Eagles’ game plan, they have also developed a very effective running game with rookie RB LeSean McCoy and FB Leonard Weaver. Their defensive secondary has been gashed for a number of yards in the past few games and will be tested by the 49ers new pass happy offense. Look for the Eagles’ defense to dial up the pressure on QB Alex Smith to force him into some bad decisions. There is still too much on the line for Philadelphia to falter in this one. I’m going with the Eagles and the OVER.
New York Giants (-2.5) @ Washington Redskins Current Over/Under 43
The Giants are still trying to figure out how they lost a game they generated over 500 yards of total offense and scored 38 points. None the less they came out on the short end and are now fighting for their life to make the post season. After three straight heart breaking losses in games they had all but won and let them slip away in the 4th quarter, Washington finally put together a solid four quarter performance in a 31-13 win over Oakland. In this classic NFC East match-up look for the Redskins to once again play a tough, close game as they would love nothing more than helping to knock the Giants out of the playoffs. The main concern for Washington, whose defense is ranked 22nd against the run will be stopping RB Brandon Marshall. If New York can establish their running game early and keep from getting behind on the scoreboard, they should be able to grind out a win against the best 4-9 team in the league. I’ll go with the Giants and the UNDER.
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