Ramblin’ Fan’s NFL Picks and Predictions: Week 16

The NFL regular season is winding down as it is time to make our NFL picks and predictions for week 16.  Playoff scenarios are all over the place, and unfortunately the Rams are no longer in the hunt.  That doesn’t mean there is nothing to play for, as the Rams still have a chance to secure their first 8-8 season since 2006.  Which would be an impressive feat considering Sam Bradford went down during week 7.  The Rams also have a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Robert Quinn, who has been dominant this season as he is second in the NFL in sacks, first in forced fumbles, and first in tackles for loss.  Last week our NFL picks and predictions were very sub par finishing the week at 8-8.  We are hoping to finish this season strong but end of the season parody might make that difficult.  NFC West games have been marked in bold lettering in the table below. Thank you for reading and as always Go Rams!!!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ St. Louis Rams. The Rams will host the Bucs in the final game of the season in the Edward Jones Dome. The Bucs have played much better in the 2^nd half of the season following their 0-8 start. The Rams have been wildly inconsistent this season with blowout victories over division leaders, as well as double-digit losses to middle tier teams. The Rams success has largely hinged on the ability to run the ball on offense, and stop the run on defense. If they can get both of those things going early it could be another big day for Offensive Rookie of the Year dark horse candidate Zac Stacy as well as Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Robert Quinn. Kellen Clemens is coming off of perhaps the finest performance of his career, if he can continue to perform at a high level the Rams should win this comfortably. Rams win 38 – 24.

Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins have been on quite a run since the Incognito-Martin scandal erupted. Having won 4 of their last 6 games they are in a position to make the playoffs in the AFC, and could even clinch a spot this weekend. I would expect the Dolphins to win this game against a Bills team that has struggled all year. One thing the Bills do well though is rush the passer, and no quarterback has been sacked more this season than Ryan Tannenhill so this could be a very close game. Dolphins win 28 – 24.

Minnesota Vikings @ Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are one of those teams that has been much better at home than on the road. The Vikings on the other hand have been a disappointment this season following their 2012 playoff appearance. Adrian Peterson missed the game last weekend, and yet the Vikings still blew out the Philadelphia Eagles at home. Peterson is expected to return to action this weekend, but against a much tougher Bengals defense. Bengals win 21 – 17.

Indianapolis Colts @ Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs offense absolutely exploded last weekend against the Raiders with Jamaal Charles having a huge receiving day out of the backfield. The Raiders defense has allowed some huge games this season (Nick Foles’ 7 Tds in 3 Quarters) so I wouldn’t anticipate another 50+ game from the Chiefs. The Colts have struggled quite a bit since the loss of Reggie Wayne though, and with the AFC South already in hand they don’t have much to play for while the Chiefs are still battling the Broncos for the AFC West title. Chiefs win 28 – 14.

Cleveland Browns @ New York Jets. The Browns and Jets are both out of the playoff race, but will still be looking to put together some good games to close out the 2013 season on a high note. The Jets defense has been exceptional this season and should be able to do enough to get them the win. The Browns Josh Gordon has been on an absolute tear lately so there may be fireworks in this one. Jets win 23 – 20.

Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Redskins. The Cowboys absolutely imploded last week against the Green Bay Packers, so how do they recover against what may be the worst team in the NFL? The Redskins nearly pulled off the win against the Falcons last week, and appeared to get a bit of a spark from Kirk Cousins at QB. Rams fans should be cheering loudly for the Cowboys this weekend and hope they avoid a letdown against an inferior football team. Cowboys win 28 – 21.

New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers. The Saints have really struggled on the road this season so, and this game is huge in the NFC South race. The one thing that hasn’t changed from two weeks ago when the Saints blew out the Panthers is the matchups. The Panthers have been vulnerable to the deep ball all season and Drew Brees will likely take advantage of that yet again. There is no one in the Panthers LB corps or secondary that can cover Jimmy Graham and I expect him to have another big game. Saints win 24 – 14.

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars. The Titans and Jaguars are both out of the playoffs but the Titans may be playing to save their head coaches job. The Jaguars have really rebounded following their slow start and have been playing pretty good football for Gus Bradley. The Titans are a more talented team at this point and should be able to win a close one. Titans win 24-21.

Denver Broncos @ Houston Texans. The Broncos will be looking to shake off their loss to the Chargers last weekend, and what better way to do that then face the Texans? Peyton Manning is only 4 Tds away from breaking Tom Brady’s record and could hit that mark this weekend as long as the offensive line can protect him from JJ Watt. Broncos win 38 – 13.

New York Giants @ Detroit Lions. The Lions have been wildly inconsistent this season and have really missed out on a golden opportunity to walk away with the NFC North title. The Lions are still fighting to make the playoffs and should be able to take advantage of the Giants to stay in the hunt. Lions win 27 -17.

Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks. The Cardinals playoff hopes are still alive, but they will likely need to win out to make that happen. That is going to be a tall order as the Seahawks haven’t lost at home since the 2011 season. The Cardinals defense has been good this season, but the loss of the Honey Badger in the secondary may prove costly against the Seahawks. Seahawks win 28 – 17.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Green Bay Packers. The Green Bay Packers are somehow still alive in the NFC North despite the fact that Aaron Rodgers has been out for the past 7 weeks. Rodgers is once again expected to be out, leaving Matt Flynn in as the starting QB. The good news for the Packers is that Eddie Lacy has been an absolute beast since Aaron Rodgers went down. Expect the Packers to try to ride Lacy to victory again and keep their playoff hopes alive. Packers win 20 – 17.

Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers. The Chargers got a huge win against the Broncos last weekend, largely behind an improved defense. The Raiders have struggled on offense and defense this season and I just don’t see how they win this game. Of course this is a fierce AFC West rivalry, and in rivalry games you always toss out the records. Still the Chargers have faint playoff hopes and they wont allow them to go up in flames at home against a division rival. Chargers win 31 – 24.

New England Patriots @ Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are starting to look more and more like the team that got hot in the playoffs last season. While the offense still can’t seem to find a running game the Patriots defense has struggled with injuries that has made them vulnerable to the run. This will have a playoff game feel and could quite possibly be a preview of a potential playoff matchup, the Ravens need this game more than the Patriots and will get a close win at home. Ravens win 21 – 17.

Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (SNF). The Bears defense has been very porous this season and the Eagles should be able to take advantage of that. The Eagles offense was stymied in Minnesota last weekend so they will be looking to get LeSean McCoy back on track at home. The Bears have really struggled to stop the run this season, which could mean a huge game from McCoy. Eagles win 28 – 20.

Atlanta Falcons @ San Francisco 49ers (MNF). The final regular season game at Candlestick Park will feature current Falcons runningback and Rams legend Steven Jackson. Jackson had a good game against the Redskins last weekend with two powerful touchdown runs to help secure the victory. The 49ers are still alive in the hunt for the NFCs first overall seed, although it would require them to win out and the Seahawks to lose out. As unlikely as that is to happen you can be sure that the 49ers will take care of business at home against a struggling Falcons team. 49ers win 28 – 17.

NFL Week 16 Matchups

Pick

Bucs @ Rams

Rams

Dolphins @ Bills

Dolphins

Vikings @ Bengals

Bengals

Colts @ Chiefs

Chiefs

Browns @ Jets

Jets

Cowboys @ Redskins

Cowboys

Saints @ Panthers

Saints

Titans @ Jaguars

Titans

Broncos @ Texans

Broncos

Giants @ Lions

Lions

Cardinals @ Seahawks

Seahawks

Steelers @ Packers

Packers

Raiders @ Chargers

Chargers

Patriots @ Ravens

Ravens

Bears @ Eagles (SNF)

Eagles

Falcons @ 49ers (MNF)

49ers

Last Week

8-8

Overall Record

129-94