NFL Picks, Week 14

After a week full of upsets, we're primed for a Week 14 that features several big matchups.  Teams that are tied for the division lead meet in the AFC North and AFC South, first place is also on the line in an NFC North rivalry game, and the Sunday night game is basically for playoff elimination.  And no one can clinch this week, which is rare this late in the season.  It does mean we've got a great December's worth of games ahead of us, though.

Thursday Night: Dallas (Loss)

Seahawks (9-3) at Falcons (4-8): Seattle-There are four possibilities for the Seahawks this week.  They'll either be tied with the Rams for first, tied with the 49ers for second, it'll be a three-way tie, or, best of all, they'll be in sole possession of first.  They could even conceivably be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.  Every remaining game is that significant for all three NFC West teams.  Of course, all of the scenarios where the Seahawks control their own fate require a win over Atlanta.  Losing to the Falcons really isn't an option.

Bengals (4-8) at Bills (8-4): Buffalo-Just when we thought the Bengals were out of it, they go and dominate Baltimore on Thanksgiving night.  They've still got a long way to climb and probably need to win out to even think about the playoffs.  But there's still a chance.  The Bills, meanwhile, know their chances of catching the Patriots hinge on a win here.  If they don't beat Cincinnati, they know they're likely staring at a wild card.

Titans (1-11) at Browns (3-9): Cleveland-Game two of Shadeur Sanders as the Browns' starter didn't go quite as well as game one.  That's the difference between playing the Raiders and playing the 49ers for you!  Fortunately for Cleveland, the Titans are more Raiders than 49ers.  In fact, Tennessee is probably worse than the Raiders.  That should bode well for Shadeur to pick up win No. 2.

Commanders (3-9) at Vikings (4-8): Minnesota-Two playoff teams last season that have had very different experiences in 2025.  Washington's simply had too many injuries, while the law of averages caught up with Minnesota after the Vikings won so many close games last year.  They were obviously each expecting this matchup to have playoff implications.  Instead, they're both out of contention.  This is a chance, though, for J.J. McCarthy to show what he's got over the last month of the season.

Dolphins (5-7) at Jets (3-9): Miami-Miami hopefully won't wear those ridiculous black helmets they wore the first time they played the Jets.  Although, the Jets showed off their field design, which leads me to believe they'll be the ones wearing a ridiculous alternate uniform instead.  The Dolphins have won three straight and, while they're still well out of the playoff race, they've definitely got some positive momentum going.  They might just save Mike McDaniel's job yet.

Saints (2-10) at Buccaneers (7-5): Tampa Bay-Suddenly, the Bucs have some competition in the NFC South.  Their lead over Carolina (who's on their bye this week) is only a half-game, and, with a loss to the lowly Saints, they'll be tied.  Fortunately, Tampa Bay's still in the driver's seat.  Four of their last five games are against their division rivals (including both matchups with the Panthers).  Their first meeting with the Saints ended 23-3.  Don't expect this one to be much different.

Colts (8-4) at Jaguars (8-4): Jacksonville-If this game had been a few weeks ago, I'd say the Colts were the clear favorites in this one.  That was when they had a two-game lead and before their back-to-back losses to Kansas City and Houston.  The Jaguars, meanwhile, have won three straight to even up the division.  These two will meet again in Indianapolis in Week 17, but Jacksonville will have the edge heading into that one.

Steelers (6-6) at Ravens (6-6): Baltimore-At one point, Pittsburgh was 4-1 and had a 2.5-game lead in the division.  The Ravens were 1-5 then.  Baltimore is 5-1 since, with the only loss coming on Thanksgiving night against Cincinnati.  The Steelers, meanwhile, are 2-5 over that same span, including two straight defeats.  Suddenly, they're looking at being left out of the playoff field entirely.  Problem is, their momentum is going in the wrong direction.  And they'll be looking up at the Ravens for the first time all season after this one.

Broncos (10-2) at Raiders (2-10): Denver-The Patriots finally have their bye this week, so a win would move the Broncos up to the No. 1 seed in the AFC with four games left.  Those games are against Green Bay, Jacksonville, Kansas City and the Chargers, none of which are easy.  Which means they need to take care of business against the Raiders.  No excuses if they don't.  Especially because that could mean the AFC West is suddenly back in play.

Bears (9-3) at Packers (8-3-1): Green Bay-Chicago got its statement win on Black Friday against Philadelphia, and now the Bears aren't just in first place, they're the No. 1 seed in the NFC.  In order to keep it, they'll have to earn it.  Two of their next three games are against the Packers, who I still think are the best team in that division.  They've both got brutal remaining schedules, so this is an important game for both.  And the Bears will no longer be the NFC's No. 1 seed after it.

Rams (9-3) at Cardinals (3-9): Rams-Last week's loss at Carolina didn't just knock the Rams out of the 1-seed in the NFC.  It dropped them right back into a first-place tie in the NFC West.  Fortunately for them, they haven't played the Cardinals yet.  They can't get caught in a trap and look past Arizona, but they're far too disciplined for that.  I still think the Rams are the best team in the NFC, if not the entire NFL.  Last week's glitch shouldn't faze them.

Texans (7-5) at Chiefs (6-6): Kansas City-Kansas City's string of AFC West titles is all but over.  The Chiefs' main concern is keeping their string of playoff appearances alive.  Which makes the Sunday night game effectively a must-win.  Not only would a loss drop them to 6-7, they'd also have losses to all of the teams they're battling for a wild card.  Instead, they'll flip-flop Houston and still very much have a chance.

Eagles (8-4) at Chargers (8-4): Chargers-Have we learned something about the Philadelphia Eagles over the last two weeks?  The Cowboys had that big second half comeback, then the Bears totally shut them down.  Things won't get any easier with a Monday night trip to SoFi, where they'll face a Chargers team that wants to make a statement nearly as much as Chicago did.  If the Chargers want to be taken seriously not just as playoff contenders, but a team that can win in January, beating the Super Bowl champions would go a long way towards doing that.

This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 8-8
Overall: 123-71-1