Football-filled weekend
Bowl watchability 3C; NFL Week 15 previews
Texans (9-4) at Jets (4-9)
Time, TV: 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday, NFL Network Pregame.com line: Texans by 61⁄ 2 Jets’ keys: One of their priorities will be containing Houston’s Deshaun Watson as they have struggled defending against mobile quarterbacks. Another must is protecting their own quarterback, rookie Sam Darnold.
Texans’ keys: Houston needs to knock around Darnold. New York has played much better in the trenches recently, but that shouldn’t really be an issue for a pass rusher such as J.J. Watt.
Who wins? Although the Jets are flying high after their 27-23 comeback win against the Bills, the Texans, with their eyes on the playoffs, present a much tougher challenge. Titans, 30-17
Browns (5-7-1) at Broncos (6-7)
Time, TV: 8:20 p.m. ET Saturday, NFL Network
Line: Broncos by 3
Broncos’ keys: After trading Demaryius Thomas and losing Emmanuel Sanders to injury, the Broncos are thin at receiver. Still, Denver has to do more than line up and run the ball every play.
Browns’ keys: Cleveland’s defense needs to focus on stopping Denver’s rushing attack (rookies Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman). On offense, QB
Baker Mayfield needs to protect the football and allow RB Nick Chubb to do most of the heavy lifting.
Who wins? The Browns might be better than their record suggests. Denver has won three of four since its bye and seems to always have the upper hand when at home. Broncos, 24-17
Cardinals (3-10) at Falcons (4-9)
Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox Line: Falcons by 9
Cardinals’ keys: Arizona will need a strong performance from rookie QB Josh Rosen. C Mason Cole and LT Korey Cunningham must lead the way for an offensive line that has been sporadic at best in pass protection.
Falcons’ keys: In last weekend’s loss, rookie RB Ito Smith had 60 yards on 11 carries and RB Tevin Coleman chipped in 45 on 10 carries. Offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian must set up big play-action calls off those runs. Who wins? Atlanta has been playing below its competition, but it’s hard to see it losing at home. Falcons, 22-19
Buccaneers (5-8) at Ravens (7-6)
Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox Line: Ravens by 71⁄ 2
Buccaneers’ keys: Attacking with their tight ends is a safe way to get big completions against Baltimore.
Ravens’ keys: They need to be physical with Buccaneers WRs DeSean Jackson and Mike Evans. Harassing QB Jameis Winston while keeping him contained will be tough, but the Ravens will need to do that to stop the big play.
Who wins? Baltimore is riding a winning formula in asking the offense to control the clock and kick field goals while the defense shuts down the best offenses. Ravens, 23-13
Lions (5-8) at Bills (4-9)
Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS Line: Bills by 3
Lions’ keys: Rushing leader Kerryon Johnson is dinged up, so RBs Theo Riddick and LeGarrette Blount will have to keep the defense on its toes. Bills’ keys: They need more from their rushing game than QB Josh Allen. RBs LeSean McCoy, Chris Ivory and Marcus Murphy have struggled.
Who wins? Detroit’s defense should be able to force Allen into some sloppy play. Lions, 24-21
Packers (5-7-1) at Bears (9-4)
Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox Line: Bears by 6
Packers’ keys: Their injured offensive line has to find a way to hold up against a Chicago pass rush that is playing at its best, and QB Aaron Rodgers himself has to take care of the football. Bears’ keys: Head coach Matt Nagy must again commit to RB Jordan Howard to keep the pressure off of QB Mitchell Trubisky. Who wins? Rodgers, whose team trailed 20-0 in the third quarter, led a comeback with 21 fourth-quarter points as the Packers beat the Bears in Week 1. But the teams have gone in opposite directions since then. Bears, 21-13
Raiders (3-10) at Bengals (5-8)
Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS Line: Bengals by 3 Raiders’ keys: Prioritizing RB Jalen Richard as a receiver and constantly dipping into the TE Jared Cook well should keep the offense moving. Bengals’ keys: Feed RB Joe Mixon. Get him passes over the middle. Get him passes behind the line. Anything. Who wins? The Bengals field the NFL’s worst defense (in yards and points allowed), allowing at least 24 points in games since Week 6. Raiders, 35-21
Cowboys (8-5) at Colts (7-6)
Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox Line: Colts by 3
Cowboys’ keys: QB Dak Prescott will be able to lean on WR Amari Cooper if the offensive line holds its own. RB Ezekiel
Elliott will want to get his share of looks, but leaning on the pass might help as Indianapolis is allowing the second-highest completion percentage
(71.9) in the NFL. Defensively, the pass rush led by DE DeMarcus Lawrence will need to apply steady pressure on Colts QB Andrew Luck, who averaged 14.8 yards per completion in Week 14.
Colts’ keys: They have found success through the air with Luck leaning on TE
Eric Ebron in the red zone while WR T.Y. Hilton has recorded at least 125 receiving yards in three of the last four games. Getting RB Marlon Mack going is needed for a backfield averaging 2.3 yards per carry over the last two games. Defensive coordinator Matt
Eberflus should continue blitzing on third down to add help for a pass rush led by DT Denico Autry, who has five sacks in the last two games.
Who wins? This will be a really close game and it could go either way, but the Colts haven’t lost at home since September because of a potent offense and an overachieving defense. Colts, 21-20
Redskins (6-6) at Jaguars (4-9)
Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS Line: Jaguars by 7 Redskins’ keys: Much of Jacksonville’s offense is hurt, so Washington won’t have to worry about the Jaguars scoring much. The Redskins should ride with RB Adrian Peterson.
Jaguars’ keys: RB Leonard Fournette needs to have a big day. That could open up opportunities for QB Cody Kessler and WR Dede Westbrook.
Who wins? This is the Jaguars’ last home game and they’ll fight hard to make amends for a poor 2018. But they won’t be able to score much behind their makeshift O-line. Redskins, 14-10
Dolphins (7-6) at Vikings (6-6-1)
Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS Line: Vikings by 7 Dolphins’ keys: They are coming off an emotional win against the Patriots and are in the playoff hunt. Miami will need to protect QB Ryan Tannehill, who threw for 265 yards and 3 TDs in Week
14 but had a sore ankle the next day. The Dolphins are 1-5 on the road this season.
Vikings’ keys: If Minnesota’s defense shows up to play, it should be enough to carry the Vikings to victory even if the offense can’t get going. Minnesota RB Dalvin Cook’s per-game numbers are down from last season, but he has played well of late.
Who wins? Both have a lot at stake. Miami leads the series 8-4 and has won the last three meetings. The difference in this game is Minnesota is good at home and the Dolphins have looked flustered on the road. Vikings, 31-17
Titans (7-6) at Giants (5-8)
Time, TV: 1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS Line: Giants by 21⁄ 2
Titans’ keys: Every Giants opponent’s goal has been to stop RB Saquon Barkley. QB Marcus Mariota, RBs Derrick
Henry and Dion Lewis and the offense will aim to control the clock to keep New York’s rookie off the field.
Giants’ keys: New York needs to figure out how to stop Henry, who had a 98yard TD run in Week 14. The run defense, however, has become a weakness since Damon Harrison was traded to Detroit. WR Odell Beckham Jr.
(thigh) might miss his second game in a row. Who wins? The Giants are rolling a bit since their bye, while the Titans continue to be inconsistent. This game likely will be a low-scoring affair and, in typical Giants’ fashion, come down to the final play. Giants, 19-17
Seahawks (8-5) at 49ers (3-10)
Time, TV: 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox Line: Seahawks by 5
Seahawks’ keys: RB Chris Carson and company demolished the 49ers 43-16 in Week 13, opening the deep passing game for QB Russell Wilson, who threw for four TDs on just 17 attempts.
49ers’ keys: San Francisco can’t turn the ball over as it did in Week 13. QB Nick Mullens threw a red-zone interception, RB Jeff Wilson fumbled in the red zone and WR Richie James muffed a punt. The 49ers moved the ball but couldn’t score because of the turnovers.
Who wins? Seattle is working on playoff positioning while the 49ers are playing out the string. Seahawks, 31-10
Patriots (9-4) at Steelers (7-5-1)
Time, TV: 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox Line: Patriots by 2
Patriots’ keys: The Patriots will want to feed the football to TE Rob Gronkowski early and often. Pittsburgh has never been able to slow him down. QB Tom Brady also has had Pittsburgh’s number
(3,124 passing yards over 10 games). Steelers’ keys: They need to get all of their injured players back, especially RB James Conner. Pittsburgh will also have to figure out a way to avoid their slow starts on defense. LB T.J. Watt and DL Cam Heyward will need to start fast and keep their feet on the pedal to help protect a struggling secondary. Who wins? With the injuries and inconsistency on the Pittsburgh roster, New England just has to be good to extend its winning streak against the Steelers to six games. Patriots, 35-21
Eagles (6-7) at Rams (11-2)
Time, TV: 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday, NBC Line: Rams by 101⁄ 2
Eagles’ keys: Philadelphia’s run defense has struggled despite its stout defensive line, ranking near the bottom in yards allowed per carry, which could prove to be troublesome against a Rams team that loves to run the ball with MVP candidate Todd Gurley (1,203 yards). LB Jordan Hicks must play with discipline so he doesn’t bite on fakes.
Rams’ keys: The Eagles’ offense doesn’t do one thing exceptionally well, so Los Angeles will focus on keeping pressure on whoever plays quarterback (Carson Wentz is battling a back injury).
Who wins? The Rams are too difficult a matchup for the Eagles, even if Wentz plays. Rams, 34-27
Saints (11-2) at Panthers (6-7)
Time, TV: 8:15 p.m. ET Monday, ESPN Line: Saints by 61⁄ 2
Saints’ keys: They got complacent after winning 10 in a row, turning into a onedimensional, predictable offense that was almost shut out by the Cowboys and pushed hard by the Bucs. Working QB Taysom Hill and Pro Bowl RB Mark
Ingram back into the script can help New Orleans dictate game flow.
Panthers’ keys: Get yards after the catch. QB Cam Newton’s shoulder hasn’t looked right for weeks, and it’s making it tough for him to push the ball deeper. Carolina must put RB Christian
McCaffrey and WR Curtis Samuel in position to evade tacklers.
Who wins? The Saints got their mojo back last weekend against Tampa Bay, turning up the pass rush, which is bad news for a Panthers team that struggles to keep Newton clean. Saints, 20-14