NFL Week 15 Projections

Let’s keep this train rolling! More and more teams are showing us how truly mediocre they can be. Others are shutting up the haters and willing themselves week in and week out. Plus we are seeing some top tier teams slip as of late.

Sadly another loss for Pittsburgh but against a truly great team. The Bills are looking like a real threat to the Chiefs to win this AFC. The defense is legit, Diggs is a baller and the Allen is taking the steps necessary to win, on a small contract. It’s almost like a perfect recipe right there. 

I don’t want to dig too deep into the Saints but that loss was ugly. This Packers are running away with NFC and I don’t see anyone in the north to really challenge them. But are the Saints a real team? Can the Miami Dolphins keep up high hopes for a playoff run? Is there anyone good in the NFC North besides the Packers? Let’s find out!

New England Patriots 6-7 @ Miami Dolphins 8-5 (-2.5)

When can we say this Cam Newton experiment is over? They are only averaging 230 yards of TOTAL offense in the last three games. Yeah they have won two of those but those wins fell on the defense winning their matchups and putting the offense In good field positioning. They really only ask him to throw when they really need him too. Yet he is completing passes at a 56.5% clip over the same last three. He isn’t moving the ball consistently, isn’t able to make the throws necessary and they have zero money ties to him. This offense needs a rebuild. The line is a solid base but they need better weapons. Harris is a solid running back that they should just unleash, but no pass catchers inspire me. They have no tight exploit mismatches against linebackers. It’s just not a quality team on the offensive side but they will always be in games because of that defense, but that didn’t help the 2019 Steelers did it?

Well lt wasn’t pretty the whole game but they managed to turn around and push the Chiefs late. There is something to hang their hat on in that loss. For starters, their heart is undeniable. This team was down twenty points to arguably the best team in the league and they didn’t roll over. They came out and in the last twenty minutes, they outplayed the Chiefs.   Tua needed to come out and prove he can sling the ball to come back. His career high so far in attempts netted him a career high in yards. He showed he has the athleticism to buy time and get yards with his legs. I’m slowly becoming a believer. The connection he is forming with Gesicki is proving to be beneficial. I think that’s crucial because Mike could be their best pass catcher. We should also remember that this Dolphins team is the best at getting turnovers and then they came out and picked off Pat three times. More than he has thrown all year! Please keep sleeping on these guys in Miami, they will keep surprising you. 

Miami is a whopping 11-2 ATS this year. They are continually getting gifted lines that I feel like took bettors half the season to finally catch on. Miami is in the thick of the playoff race and I don’t see their mindsets wavering. We know that they have no quit in them and they have the talent to compete week in and week out. Miami should come out and beat these boys and start to take that Patriots monkey off his back. Miami -2.5

Chicago Bears 6-7 @ Minnesota Vikings 6-7 (-3)

Let’s hope Matt Nagy has finally realized that Trubisky is his best option at QB. That’s not exactly a good situation to be in but his mobility and accuracy towards Allen Robinson are proving to be better than Foles. This Bears team has put up 25 or more points in each of the last three weeks, do you know the last time they even had a 25 or more points? Week three, the last time Trubisky started a game. How was it so obvious for everyone else but not the coaching staff? Yeah he makes mistakes but at least he pushes the ball. David Montgomery has found new life with Mitch as well. In these three games with Mitch, he is averaging 96 yards and one TD with another four catches and 40 yards through the air. The defense isn’t as stout as earlier in the year but they are still a problem. But where could this team of been if they gave Trubisky the year to really prove himself and move the offense. Maybe the benching really inspired him. But I think we should all remind ourselves that this offense is better than what some people will want to believe. They are sixth in yards and points over this new surge with Trubisky, and this Vikings defense still has some serious issues. 

I’m honestly surprised at what I saw last week. This Vikings team has been putting up 27+ points a game in the last three and then faced a Buccaneers team who has been getting roasted lately. Justin Jefferson still dominated targets but neither him or Thielen could get anything done. Now they really have to win out if they want any hope at sniffing that last playoff spot. This could be a huge blow for a team who had a window for playoff success but it’s closing fast. They are bottom ten defensively in every category and sadly I’ve seen nothing to tell me that’s gonna change. Kirk Cousins was sacked six times, yet Tom Brady didn’t hit the ground once. The one way to beat him was pressure and they got zero. They could only muster one tackle for loss for crying out loud. The front seven has been an issue for this team all year and I’m nervous that they could get exposed by an average QB.

Am I weird for being on this Bears train? Like I know they aren’t all that good but they just seem to have a little bit of momentum coming into a make or break game. The offense has shown some abilities to put up points. The he defense can bottle up Cook for less than 100 yards and allow the Bears to cover the +3.

Kansas City Chiefs 12-1 (-3) @ New Orleans Saints 10-3

Now with the pressure all on the Chiefs to be the best team in the league, can they come through? No one can doubt this offenses firepower. Once again we saw them put up a lot of points but last week against a top ten team in points against. Mahomes did look human with three interceptions but they were still able to win the game. Now they have to try and beat arguably the best defense in the league as of late. The Saints have been pretty solid against tight ends this year but no one in this league is like Kelce. He is leading the league in receiving this year by 70 yards. This could be the first time a tight end ever finishes the year with the most receiving yards in the league. Dallas Goedert was able to be the most productive ball catcher last week, and with Lattimore on the outside, it’s a perfect recipe for Kelce to take advantage. This offense is better when Kelce is going off. It allows the defense funnel in. Then we will see Hill and Watkins use their speed in single coverage. This defense is going to get pressure on Mahomes, can he take it?

What the hell happened? The Jalen Hurts led Eagles, in his first start mind you, made this defense look silly at times. Surprisingly the athleticism of Hurts looked to catch the Saints off guard. Hut he didn’t throw the ball all that well. Outside of an 82 yard run, miles sanders was bottled up. He had 13 carries for 33 yards outside of that. I think the latter is going to be what’s in store for Bell/Helaire. The Chiefs are only 17th In rush yards a game, while the Saints are second. But can Taysom Hill keep up with the Chiefs? The offense is a slow, drain the clock, run the ball and let the defense make plays to put them in good field positioning. He will likely throw for 230+ yards but he will need to be careful with the ball. The Chiefs don’t generate a ton of pressure so he should see time or at least open running lanes. Plus the talk is starting, people are wanting to see Winston. Hill won’t go down easy I feel. 

The Chiefs are 0-5 ATS lately. They have been favored by seven or more points in four of those games. It’s so difficult to hit big spreads. I’m any sport really, these are professional athletes and even when they aren’t as good as their opponents, they can surprise you. The Saints are a very good team and this could quite possibly be the future Super Bowl matchup. But I don’t see the Chiefs losing this one. It’ll be close but they cover the three and Hill goes off. Chiefs +3