Cover photo taken from ESPN.
Last Week: 10-6
Season Total: 151-86-2
Cowboys 24-13 Titans 
Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video
It’s only fitting that we get such a dud as the final Thursday nighter of the season. The Titans are starting Josh Dobbs at QB for whatever reason, so this one might be even more of a blowout than I expected. You gotta feel bad for Malik Willis. The Cowboys won’t have to do much in this game to come away with a win, even on the road in primetime. They do have some injuries to key players like Tony Pollard, but they should still be able to run the ball just fine. And I trust Dak Prescott to limit his mistakes and make the necessary throws to win the game. Unless Tennessee comes out and plays their best game of the season on defense, they really don’t stand a chance. That’s just fine for them, since their season comes down to next week.
Falcons 16-13 Cardinals 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
This is an abhorrent game between two of my least favorite teams in the league to watch. I want absolutely nothing to do with it. It’s important for draft positioning, I suppose, but other than that, it’s a complete waste of time. So, I’m just giving you this pick and moving on to more pressing matchups.
Lions 27-24 Bears 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
The Lions are probably very happy to be back home after a stretch of tough road games. Ford Field is where they thrive, especially against a putrid team like Chicago. Their offense should be firing on all cylinders once again. But their defense still concerns me. They were absolutely shredded on the ground, and now face an even better rushing attack led by Justin Fields and David Montgomery. That’s why I think that this will be close at the very least. Fields will likely run wild in this game and keep the Bears in it with his legs. But we all know Chicago simply lacks the offensive firepower in a spot like this. They don’t have it in them to win a road game against a divisional opponent fighting for their season. The Lions know what they have to do, and I think they’ll get the job done in the end.
Chiefs 27-10 Broncos 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
Remember how scorching hot the Chiefs were in that first half in Denver a few weeks ago? Yeah, I’m seeing a repeat performance of that back home at Arrowhead. This is going against one of my patented philosophies of teams bouncing back after getting embarrassed on national TV like the Broncos were on Christmas, but that philosophy only applies to teams worth a damn. Denver is not. They are going to get smacked once again by a vastly better team. It’s going to be ugly. I can’t wait to see it.
Patriots 20-17 Dolphins 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
The Dolphins will likely be without Tua Tagovailoa in this game. If the games he missed earlier this year were any indication, Miami is rather screwed without him. I think Teddy Bridgewater is a plenty capable backup, do we think he can go into Foxboro and win this pivotal divisional clash with both teams jockeying for a playoff spot? I don’t. It’s extremely hard to put any faith in the Patriots, but I feel like they can win in a spot like this, especially at home. Teddy will have his hands full with a solid Patriots defense that flies all over the place. If he can get the ball out quick to his playmakers, the Dolphins can win. It’s just hard to bet on that happening.
Giants 22-14 Colts 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
I put my faith in the Colts to keep it close on Monday night. I will not make that mistake again. I do think the Giants are much worse than the Chargers are, but I don’t see a world where the Nick Foles-led Colts go on the road and beat a playoff team. Perhaps it will be closer than their last game, but they won’t come out on top. The Giants put up a good fight last Sunday, as I presumed they would, and I think they’ll be eager to get back in the win column against a lowly Indianapolis team that looks like they’re tanking. It should be an easy one.
Eagles 27-14 Saints 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
Regardless of who starts under center for the Eagles in this game, it should not be close. The Saints are a nice story and have been playing well as of late, but they haven’t faced a team like Philly in a while. To expect them to go on the road and win is foolish, even if the Birds are starting Gardner Minshew again. The backup QB did his thing last week and I’m plenty confident in his ability to lead this team to wins, even against a tough New Orleans defense. I am a bit concerned about Philadelphia’s own defense, but this is a great chance for them to bounce back against Andy Dalton and a poor Saints offense. The Eagles want to lock up that 1 seed, and I think they’ll do so emphatically.
Panthers 23-16 Buccaneers 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
I told you all on Tuesday that I am fully convinced the Panthers will win this division. It all comes down to this game. If Tampa Bay wins, then they are going to the playoffs as champions of the NFC South. Carolina needs to win their final two games in order to stop that. It is remarkably difficult to go on the road and beat a division rival, especially when they’re led by Tom Brady. But I have eyes. I have watched these two teams as of late. While the Panthers have new life and play rather inspired football, the Buccaneers have never looked more dead. I don’t think they have it in them to rise to this occasion and assert themselves to clinch the division title. I think the Panthers will be able to get after Brady and the lifeless Bucs offense, doing just enough offensively to put themselves over the top in the clutch. And this division race will come down to the final day of the season.
Commanders 23-10 Browns 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
Every time I pick us to beat an opponent convincingly, it goes awfully. I have not learned my lesson. This one feels a bit more justifiable, though. The Browns have looked awful since Deshaun Watson has returned, not being able to muster more than 13 points on offense. Now, they go on the road and play one of the more stout defenses in the league. There has been a lot of discourse around the starting QB for the Commanders, but it doesn’t matter in this game. I assure you that our defense will be the differentiating factor. I am totally in favor of Carson Wentz starting for the rest of the year, and I don’t think he’ll have to do that much to win this one. Just make the necessary throws and let your run game and defense do the rest against a team that is absolutely reeling to stay alive in the playoff picture. It is so simple. Please don’t let me down again… please.
Jaguars 19-13 Texans 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
The Jaguars have a very easy, simple path to the playoffs in front of them. This game virtually doesn’t even matter; all they have to do is beat Tennessee next week. For that reason, I think the Jags will make the mistake of looking ahead to Week 18 and struggle a bit in this game against a clearly capable Texans team. I have no doubt in their ability to come away with a win, but this will definitely be a slugfest. People forget that the Texans’ lone win before last week came against this very Jaguars team earlier this season. Jacksonville has improved greatly since then, as has Trevor Lawrence, but I think this will be a classic close divisional game. I expect Lawrence to make the plays at the end of the game to put his team over the top. But, like I said, this game is largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
49ers 34-10 Raiders 
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX
The Raiders have thrown in the towel on the 2022 season. Derek Carr has been benched in a strategic move that essentially ends his tenure in silver and black. It’s almost sad, but this franchise has nothing to blame but itself. Jarrett Stidham will be their starting QB for the last two games, and his first test is against the best defense in years. It’s not going to be pretty. San Francisco will control this game from start to finish and absolutely embarrass their former Bay Area neighbors.
Seahawks 24-20 Jets 
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, FOX
This is a remarkably intriguing game, even though it may not seem like one on paper. Like MIA-NE and CAR-TB, this game essentially decides the season for both of these teams as they continue to fight to sneak into the playoffs. And it feels so hard to pick. These teams match up with each other really well and have had nearly identical seasons up to this point. Great rookie classes have these teams vastly overachieving, but as the season has moved forward and injuries have racked up, they find themselves on the outside looking in. So, what gives in such an even matchup? I would say home field advantage, but the Seahawks haven’t won in Seattle since before Halloween, which is pretty staggering. I would say the run games, but neither one is particularly effective. I would say the defenses, but like everything else, they are almost identical. I would give the Jets the slight advantage due to their front seven, but both of these defenses have found themselves struggling in recent weeks, and it’s hard to put faith in either one. So, it comes down to the offenses. Do you trust Mike White or Geno Smith more? It’s a very even split. With both of these teams spiraling downwards so steeply, I’d be better off flipping a coin for this pick. But I’m taking the Seahawks because I trust their coaching and their offense just a tiny bit more than I can trust New York’s. The tiniest bit more.
Vikings 23-20 Packers 
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS
This has been one of the most impossible picks of the season. I haven’t stopped going back and forth all week. Vegas sees the Packers as the better team in this game, and that’s not a completely irresponsible take. Green Bay has strung together some nice performances to keep their season alive. Any more losses and they’re done. They need to play their best game of the year by a solid margin against a team that embarrassed them in Week 1. At home in a massive spot like this, it’s hard to envision them not coming out and doing just that. But will it be enough? The Vikings have been the chosen ones of this season, winning every game by the skin of their teeth and improbably coming out on top week after week. I don’t know when their luck is going to run out, but I don’t think it will be here. It is immensely difficult to go to Lambeau and beat the Packers in a spot like this where Green Bay has infinitely more to play for. But I just can’t pick against the Vikings while they continue to pull out win after win. I genuinely think the Packers will win this game, but I just have a sneaking suspicion that Minnesota is not quite yet out of miracles.
Chargers 26-14 Rams 
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, CBS
The battle for Los Angeles looked infinitely better on paper in the offseason than it is right now. What should have been a potential Super Bowl preview has been reduced to another easy win for the Chargers. I do think this game can be fun though. I always enjoy watching both teams play in their own stadium. But the Chargers are infinitely better than the Rams, and I don’t see them getting complacent after clinching a playoff spot last week. They won’t have to do too much to assert themselves. If Justin Herbert continues playing lights out and their defense continues their dominant ways against a Rams offense that has looked solid but we all know is awful, they will win without breaking a sweat.
Ravens 13-10 Steelers 
Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC
Nothing like Steelers-Ravens in primetime late in the season with so much on the line. This is football heritage. We still don’t know if Lamar Jackson will be playing in this game for the Ravens, but in my opinion, that is largely irrelevant. Just a few weeks ago, we saw this matchup in Pittsburgh, and Baltimore came away with a convincing win without Lamar. At home in primetime, why can’t they do the same? Well, it’s hard to beat any team twice. It’s even harder to beat your bitter rival twice. At the very least, this game will be extremely low-scoring and close, dominated by both defenses as the lowly offenses struggle. I’m picking the Ravens because I believe their defense is ever so slightly better, and I can see them making life hell for Kenny Pickett and the Steelers. If Tyler Huntley and Baltimore’s offense puts together just enough good offensive possessions, they will win. A Justin Tucker walkoff field goal feels inevitable in a spot like this.
Bengals 30-27 Bills 
Monday, 8:30 PM EST, ESPN
There aren’t many games that I’ve been looking more forward to this season than this clash of giants in primetime. Getting this matchup after the Rose Bowl on Monday evening is better than any Christmas present. These are two Goliaths of their conference and the league as a whole, and feasibly could have been the AFC Championship Game last year. Perhaps it’s a preview of this year’s title game. In any case, I just know that this is going to be a classic between two of the best teams in football. It’s easy to say that it could go either way, but that’s the truth of it. The spread is paper thin for a reason. These teams match up perfectly with one another with each boasting star-studded offenses led by their stellar young QBs in Joe Burrow and Josh Allen and superstar WR1s in Ja’Marr Chase and Stefon Diggs. Both defenses are going through it with injuries but are still plenty capable. While I like Cincinnati’s offense more than Buffalo’s, I give the edge to the Bills’ defense over the Bengals’. It makes this game so hard to pick. But I have to give the edge to Burrow and the Bengals at home. These guys simply win every massive game they play in. They have been much better than the Bills in the last 3 months or so. And I trust Burrow more than I trust Allen. He is far more cautious with the ball, and he has more weapons at his disposal. The Bills will not back down, and their offense will certainly do their thing against a battered Cincy defense, but I just don’t see a world where the Bengals lose a game of this magnitude at home. Their playmakers will do what they have to do down the stretch to set up a late win in an incredible primetime environment. It’s going to be a sight to behold. I can’t wait for it.
All stats taken from ESPN.
Raza Talks Sports 