Saints (9-2) at Falcons (4-7): New Orleans-They were obviously playing a team without a quarterback, but the Saints were still impressive last week in Denver. And the fact that Drew Brees is out may actually be helpful. Because it's showing that they're more than just an offense. Their defense is pretty good too! They've shown that they can win different ways, which they'll have to do in the playoffs. Speaking of the playoffs, it's mathematically possible (although unlikely) that they can clinch this week.
Lions (4-7) at Bears (5-6): Chicago-Fun fact: both of these teams lost 41-25 in nationally-televised games last week. Fun fact No. 2: they went a combined 1-8 in November. Something's obviously gotta give as they begin December against each other. They've both got a lot of stuff to figure out over the season's final five games, too. Because neither one is very good. The Bears are slightly less bad, though, so I think they end their five-game losing streak.
Browns (8-3) at Titans (8-3): Cleveland-People either don't realize or don't care that Cleveland has the third-best record in the AFC, which might be exactly how the Browns want it. Remember last year when they had all those expectations and never recovered from a bad start? Sure seems like a long time ago, doesn't it? Anyway, the Browns currently hold the No. 1 AFC wild card and can really cement their position if they go into Nashville and win.
Bengals (2-8-1) at Dolphins (7-4): Miami-Miami starts a three-game homestand sitting comfortably in a wild card position and just one game behind the Bills in the division. And the Dolphins look more and more like a playoff team each week. Things get a lot harder next week when Kansas City comes in, but Miami has taken advantage of its schedule. Back-to-back games against the Jets and Bengals is a good way to gain some confidence heading into that matchup with the Chiefs.
Jaguars (1-10) at Vikings (5-6): Minnesota-Of all the teams on the outside looking in at the NFC playoff picture, Minnesota might be the one that has the best shot. The Vikings are on a roll, and that comeback last week against Carolina has them only one game behind Arizona for the last spot. They still go to Tampa and New Orleans, so it'll be tough, but it's doable. If they lose at home to Jacksonville, though, they don't deserve to make the playoffs.
Raiders (6-5) at Jets (0-11): Las Vegas-Looking at their remaining schedule, this might be the Jets' best chance for a win. It really depends on which Raiders team shows up. Will it be the Raiders who beat the Chiefs in Kansas City? Or will it be the Raiders who were an absolute dud last week in Atlanta? If it's the good Raiders, this could get ugly quick. If it's the bad Raiders, the Jets may not need to worry about 0-16.
Colts (7-4) at Texans (4-7): Indianapolis-Once again, I'm left confused about the Indianapolis Colts. They beat the Packers to take over first place, then they give up 45 points and had first place right back to the Titans. Now they play two out of their next three against the Texans, who are a lot better than their 4-7 record. Houston could actually jump right back in it if they win both. But Indianapolis rarely plays two bad games in a row.
Rams (7-4) at Cardinals (6-5): Arizona-The Cardinals must be happy to be back home. Back-to-back road losses have dropped them from the No. 3 seed in the NFC to the No. 7 seed. Adding to the importance of this one is the fact that their opponent is the Rams, who they haven't seen yet this season. With Seattle now ahead of both teams, the loser will have virtually no chance of winning the NFC West. So, yeah, this is a big game.
Giants (4-7) at Seahawks (8-3): Seattle-First-place teams square off in Seattle! Laugh all you want, but the New York Football Giants would be hosting a playoff game if the season ended today. And I'm gonna enjoy it while it lasts. Because they don't have the easiest December schedule. The Seahawks, meanwhile, have two playoff races to worry about. They're hoping to hold off the Cardinals and Rams in the NFC West while also battling the Saints and Packers for the bye. So, yeah, I don't see the Seahawks taking the Giants lightly.
Eagles (3-7-1) at Packers (8-3): Green Bay-To anyone who still thinks Philadelphia is the best team in the NFC East, I refer you to the Eagles' game against the Seahawks on Monday night. Things are only gonna get worse with Green Bay, New Orleans and Arizona as their next three opponents. The Packers know that they can only control so much. They need a Saints loss to have any shot at the NFC bye, regardless of what the Seahawks do. In other words, they can't afford a loss to the Eagles.
Patriots (5-6) at Chargers (3-8): New England-Does Anthony Lynn want to keep his job? Because I seriously can't understand what that guy does at the end of games. It's like he's trying to lose by one possession. And that's the reason why the Chargers are 3-8. As for the Patriots, they actually still have a reasonable chance at a wild card. Their postseason prospects will be a lot clearer after their little two-game trip to LA, the first of which should get them back to .500 for the first time since they were 2-2.
Broncos (4-7) at Chiefs (10-1): Kansas City-Hopefully the Broncos will have a quarterback. Nobody was expecting that to be pretty last week, but it was even worse than we all thought. But that's what you get for not following the protocols! Kansas City can theoretically win the division in this one, but the Chiefs are more concerned with the fact that a second loss will really hurt their chances of catching Pittsburgh.
Washington (4-7) at Steelers (11-0): Pittsburgh-What the Steelers are doing this season is really impressive. They keep having games moved because of COVID outbreaks on other teams. They play random Wednesday afternoon games a week late. Yet they're still undefeated. And they find a way to win when they don't play well, like the Ravens game. They need to play better over their final five games (against strong opponents) or someone will trip them up. I don't think it happens on Monday, though.\
Bills (8-3) vs 49ers (5-6): Buffalo-Just when the 49ers started getting all their players back and playing well, they get kicked out of California! Fortunately they found a temporary home in Arizona. The Bills might not feel so fortunate, however. The memory of what happened to them three weeks ago in that very stadium is still fresh in their minds. They'll be out to rectify that and move one step closer to clinching the AFC East.
Cowboys (3-8) at Ravens (6-5): Dallas-It took the Ravens almost a week to finally play their Thanksgiving game (on a Wednesday afternoon!). The Cowboys actually did play theirs, so now they'll have almost two full weeks off before this one. I don't know why, but I still think Dallas can win the NFC East. Call me crazy, but I think all that time off will be good for them. And we still don't know who's gonna be available for the Ravens, who'll end up playing on four consecutive short weeks after that extended break (Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday, Sunday).
Last Week: 9-7
Overall: 111-65-1
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