Rivalry games spice weekend
Ravens-Steelers at top of the marquee
Steelers-Ravens, BroncosChiefs and Vikings-Packers. Big rivalry games with plenty on the line. Happy Holidays. There’s been plenty of complaining about the NFL schedule this season. Not for Week 16, when those three gems and a few other strong matchups with postseason implications provide some extra gleam to this time of year.
Pittsburgh can ruin Baltimore’s January plans with a win that would clinch the AFC North. Kansas City can eliminate defending champion Denver from contention by winning; both of those games are Sunday.
And while Minnesota has virtually no shot at making the playoffs, it could damage Green Bay’s chances by knocking off the Packers.
“Most definitely,” Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said. “If we can’t go, they can’t go. That’s how we’re going to look at it. ”
The penultimate week of the regular season began Thursday when the Philadelphia Eagles snapped a five-game slide by beating the visiting New York Giants 24-19.
Malcolm Jenkins had the second two-interception game of his eight-year career, returning one for a touchdown for the Eagles (6-9). The loss put the Giants (10-5) in a more difficult spot for ending their four-season playoff drought. They still own the top wild-card position heading into their finale at Washington, and can still get in this weekend if Detroit, Green Bay, Tampa Bay or Atlanta loses. Baltimore (8-6) at Pittsburgh (9-5): Only the Steelers can reach the postseason in this one. But a Ravens win would give them a sweep of Pittsburgh and the tiebreaker with one week remaining.
This one, kicking off late Sunday afternoon, figures to be a brutal, give-no-quarter match.
“When I got here it was just you don’t like Baltimore,” Steelers safety Mike Mitchell says. “It was like growing up in the Cold War, you don’t like Russia.”
Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is a bit more, uh, diplomatic.
“It might be a little bit illogical, but I think people are going to love it,” he says. “I think people are going to be sitting at home on Christmas and loving the fact that they get to watch Ravens-Steelers.” Denver (8-6) at Kansas City (10-4): The nightcap on Christmas night can’t possibly match the first meeting in Week 12, perhaps the game of the year, a 30-27 overtime classic.
KC is in with a win or a Ravens loss or tie. Denver’s chore is much more difficult; it can’t win the AFC West and is in a tight race for a wild card. A loss would be devastating for the champs . Minnesota (7-7) at Green Bay (8-6): A defeat eliminates the Vikings from playoff contention. It doesn’t help that star running back Adrian Peterson, who returned from a knee injury last week, is out again with knee and groin injuries.
A Packers victory would set up a Week 17 game at the Lions for NFC North title. They climbed back into contention because Aaron Rodgers has 22 TD passes and six games with a 100-plus passer rating since Week 7.
Detroit (9-5) at Dallas (12-2),
Monday: The Cowboys won the NFC East and secured homefield advantage throughout the conference playoffs when the Giants lost at Philadelphia.
Detroit, riding a superb season by quarterback Matthew Stafford and some clutch performances in the fourth quarter and overtime, takes the division with a win and a Packers loss or tie. San Diego (5-9) at Cleveland
(0-14): The only team to go 0-16, the 2008 Lions, is also the only one to go 0-15. Robert Griffin III gets another start to show the Browns he has a future with them. But rookie QB Cody Kessler figures to get a look at some point in the final two games.
The Chargers are the only NFL team with a takeaway in every game this season. Tennessee (8-6) at Jacksonville (2-12): After victories over Denver and Kansas City, this should be easy for the Titans, right? But with the Jaguars changing coaches from the fired Gus Bradley to interim Doug Marrone, many jobs are on the line in the final two weeks.
The Titans have won three straight and seven of 10, and need a victory to make next week’s game against Houston for the AFC South title. Their strong running game could dictate matters. Tampa Bay (8-6) at New
Orleans (6-8): Despite trailing Atlanta in the NFC South, the Bucs can make playoff plans with a win and losses by Green Bay, Detroit and Washington.
This has the elements of a potential shootout, but the Bucs’ defense seems more capable of keeping down the score than does the Saints’.
However, Drew Brees emerged from a two-game slump in style last week, passing for 389 yards and four TDs at Arizona. Atlanta (9-5) at Carolina
(6-8): Atlanta moves into the postseason with a win and a Tampa Bay loss, owning the division. There are a few scenarios that give the Falcons at least a wild card if the Bucs also win.
The Panthers are eager to reach 8-8 and not have a completely
lost season, and they showed their gumption in Washington on Monday night. They’ll need to protect Cam Newton from Vic Beasley, who has five sacks and two forced fumbles in his past two road games.
Carolina’s Greg Olsen needs 8 yards receiving to become the first tight end with three straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Miami (9-5) at Buffalo (7-7): A Dolphins victory and a Denver loss puts Miami into the postseason. That’s due to Miami winning eight of nine while Denver has swooned.
Miami QB Matt Moore makes his second consecutive start in place of Ryan Tannehill (strained left knee). Moore had a career-best four TD passes last week.
Buffalo is closing in on extending the NFL’s longest active playoff drought to 17 seasons. It probably needs a big performance from RB LeSean McCoy, who has 1,462 yards from scrimmage, 30 percent of the team’s 4,847 yards on offense. Washington (7-6-1) at Chicago (3-11): Barely breathing in the wild-card race, Washington needs lots of help this weekend. The Redskins have won six straight against Chicago.
The Bears have been competitive recently despite their record, and RB Jordan Howard is second among rookies with 1,059 yards rushing. The Redskins are allowing 4.5 yards per carry — 28th in the league. New York Jets (4-10) at New England (12-2): The road to the AFC crown once again will run through Gillette Stadium if the Patriots handle the Jets. The Patriots have won four of the past five meetings, while the Jets have lost five of their past six games overall.
Tom Brady has 22 regularseason wins against the Jets as a starter. One more and he would join Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks with at least 23 wins against two opponents; Brady has 26 wins vs. Buffalo. Indianapolis (7-7) at Oakland
(11-3): Already earning its first playoff spot since making the Super Bowl in the 2002 season, the Raiders get the AFC West with a win and a Chiefs defeat.
But the Colts have won four straight in this series and need to win out to have any chance for the playoffs.
Frank Gore needs 109 yards to become the first Colts runner to reach 1,000 yards in a season since Joseph Addai in 2007. Gore would join Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (11), Curtis Martin (10), Walter Payton (10) and Barry Sanders (10) as the only players with at least nine 1,000-yard seasons. Arizona (5-8-1) at Seattle
(9-4-1): With the NFC West in their pocket, the Seahawks will earn a first-round bye by winning and having the Lions and Falcons fall. The league’s only undefeated team at home, Seattle is seeking the fourth perfect home record in franchise history.
But Arizona has won two of its past three visits, and it dominated Seattle in the teams’ 6-6 tie in October.
RB David Johnson has more than 100 yards from scrimmage in all 14 games, the longest streak to start a season in NFL history. Cincinnati (5-8-1) at Houston (8-6): If the Texans win out, they take the AFC South. Coach Bill O’Brien benched the inefficient Brock Osweiler and his $72 million contract for untested Tom Savage last week. Savage led Houston to victory against Jacksonville and now gets the start.
Houston catches a break with Cincinnati tight end Tyler Eifert ruled out with a back injury. Eifert had four TD receptions in his past four games and leads all NFL tight ends with 18 TD catches since 2015. However, wide receiver A.J. Green, listed as questionable, could play for the first time since injuring a hamstring in Week 11. San Francisco (1-13) at Los
Angeles (4-10): Not much to recommend in this one. San Francisco opened with a win over the Rams in their first game back in Los Angeles. The Niners haven’t won since.
LA at one point was 3-1, fell apart, and Jeff Fisher was canned as coach. That didn’t help at all in a lopsided loss at Seattle in interim coach John Fassel’s first game at the helm.