Week 15 NFL Picks and Preview

By Matt Quinn

We’re getting into crunch time now, where wins are much more meaningful and losses are all the more devastating. Week 15 offers up potentially the best late afternoon slate of games that we’ve had all season. There’s big games everywhere you look. The Steelers travel to Philadelphia for a huge cross state showdown with the Eagles. Arguably the two best teams in the league and a potential Super Bowl preview goes down in Detroit between the Lions and Bills. There is an awful lot at stake in this weekend’s slate of games, so let’s not waste any more time and get right into it.

Dolphins at Texans- 1pm

First up we have probably the best game of the early window, with both teams eyeing playoff spots, though the Texans would have to really collapse to lose their grip on the AFC South title. This game really means more to the Dolphins, as they are still fighting for that final wildcard spot. Since the return of Tua to the lineup, the Dolphins have been more like the team we’re accustomed to seeing with a healthy lineup. They still have some flaws, but the offense has the ability to be explosive and they’ll need all of that this Sunday against a rested Texans team. Throughout this season the Texans have been solid but far from the explosive team we saw most of last year, you can point to significant injuries to Stefon Diggs and Nico Collins as reasons why they’ve struggled at times, but something has just seemed off for them this year at times. Either way I think plenty of rest will do the Texans well as they pull out a win at home and all but cancel any postseason plans the Dolphins have had. Texans win 28-20.

Colts at Broncos- 4:25pm 

Next up we have another matchup with playoff implications. Denver needs to continue to win to help solidify their spot in the playoffs, which will most likely be the seventh seed if they get in, depending on what happens with the Chargers. As for the Colts, they need a bit of help. Not only do they essentially have to win out, they need some teams ahead of them to falter down the stretch. Anthony Richardson has been up and down most of the year in the games he has played in, but he has come on a bit in recent weeks, helping to keep the Colts heads afloat. The benching earlier in the season did seem to help him and there’s no question now that he gives this Colts team their best chance to win. The Broncos have been riding high off of the steady improvement of their young rookie QB Bo Nix. Though he hasn’t been spectacular by any means, he’s made some big time throws in some pretty clutch moments while having a strong defense to back him up. I think the Broncos end the Colts season here in Denver. Broncos win 24-13.

Steelers at Eagles- 4:25pm

Now we get into one of the best matchups of the week. The Eagles are playing at an extremely high level, winning nine games in a row coming into this game. Saquon Barkley continues to make his case for MVP each and every week and they have yet to come across a team that can stop him. This week may just provide that challenge, as the Steelers bring in a defense that ranks 4th in the league in stopping the run. They had previously held other stud RB Derrick Henry to his lowest output of the season so it will certainly be an interesting matchup. A big factor in this game will not be who is matching up against who, it’s who isn’t on the field. Steelers star WR George Pickens will likely miss his second straight game due to a hamstring injury. So it will be up to Russell Wilson and his experience to get the ball to his other young receivers, as well as utilize tight end Pat Freiermuth and newest Steeler WR Mike Williams. The Eagles will look to continue their winning streak to keep pace with the equally red hot Detroit Lions. Jalen Hurts and company will have to block out the noise from the small dust up between Hurts and WR A.J. Brown. Ultimately, this game will most likely come down to who wins up front, in a battle between two very good teams in those aspects. This game I see coming down to a late mistake, whether that’s a turnover or a missed field goal. Steelers win 20-17.

Bills at Lions- 4:25pm

Next up is the potential game of the season to this point. The Bills have been fantastic all year and just came off a heartbreaking loss to the Rams in a shootout. QB Josh Allen became the first player ever to account for 3 rushing touchdowns and 3 passing touchdowns. The loss makes this game all the more important, as they try and stay ahead of the Steelers for the number 2 seed. A loss here coupled with a Steelers win will move the Bills down to the third seed, all but guaranteeing just one home playoff game instead of two or potentially home field advantage if the Chiefs slip up. The Lions on the other hand are trying to clinch the number one seed for the first time in franchise history. Riding a franchise best 11 game win streak, the Lions have been the clear best team in the NFL for a good majority of the season. Only suffering one loss early in the season, they’ve cruised through most of their schedule, with an occasional close game or division game that comes down to the wire. The Bills are the more desperate team here but the Lions are the better one. Lions win 41-35. 

So there you have it, my most intriguing matchups for this weekend’s games. Honorable mention goes to the Monday Night Football game between the Packers and Seahawks, as those two have had some wild games in the past. Overall this is setting up to be an incredibly exciting end to the season and with 4 more weeks left to play, there’s alot more that can happen and throw a wrench in the playoff picture.