With two weeks left in the 2009 NFL season, there are six teams who have clinched playoff berths. This leaves eleven teams fighting for the remaining six spots.
Find out who will keep their Super Bowl aspirations alive with the NFL Week 16 predictions and those five must see games every NFL fan needs to make sure they see over the holidays.
San Diego Chargers at Tennessee Titans
The Chargers clinched the AFC West title last week will face a big test against the Titans, who have fought back from a 0 – 6 start to remain in contention for the playoffs. The Titans defense ranked 31st against the pass will have their hands full when they take on MVP candidate Phillip Rivers and the Chargers’ talented receiving corps.
The Titans running back, Chris Johnson, will be looking to exploit a Chargers run defense that allows 116.9 on the ground per game. Do not expect the Chargers to coast through this game with a first round bye week for the playoffs on the line. The Chargers will lock up the second seed with a narrow win.
Prediction San Diego 27 Tennessee 24
Carolina Panthers at New York Giants
Both teams are coming off solid defensive performances and will be ready to play smash mouth football on Sunday. The Panthers Julius Peppers should continue to play like a man possessed, harassing Eli Manning and forcing him to make bad decisions.
The real pressure will be on Panthers quarterback Matt Moore. He will have to deal with a Giants defense that sacked the Redskins’ Jason Campbell five times. The revitalized unit will produce at least two big plays for the Giants and help secure an easy home win.
Prediction New York 20 Carolina 14
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
These hated rivals, the Ravens and Steelers, will square off in what many think will be the most physical game of the week. The Ravens are in the driver seat and can just about clinch a playoff berth with a win. Their offense is firing on all cylinders, scoring 79 points in their last two games.
This is bad news for a Steelers defense that has given up 36 points to the Packers. On the other side, the Ravens defense has buckled down since the return of Terrell Suggs to the lineup. When the final whistle sounds and the smoke clears, the Ravens will be on top and the Steelers chance of repeating will be over.
Prediction Baltimore 17 Pittsburgh 10
New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts
The Jets enter Week 16 hanging on to a very slim playoff hope as opposed to the Colts who are ready to start resting their star players for the playoffs. The key match-up in this game will be between Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis and the Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne.
If Revis is able to shut down Wayne, the rest of the Jets defense can focus on the one man wrecking crew, Colts tight end Dallas Clark. If the Jets can keep this game close through three quarters, they may have a chance to sneak away with a win and end the Colts unbeaten streak.
Prediction Indianapolis 17 New York 14
Denver Broncos at Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles will be raring to go when they welcome the Broncos to the City of Brotherly Love. They have been dominant on both sides of the ball and will be looking to keep pace with the Vikings for the second seed in the NFC.
The Broncos defense needs to step up this week and shut down Donovan McNabb if they want to leave Philadelphia with a win. This is easier said than done, considering McNabb has been solid in his last four games. The Eagles look like they can compete with the Saints and will show why when they dominate the Broncos this weekend.
Prediction Philadelphia 31 Denver 14
The Rest of the Schedule
Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers
The Seahawks come into this game with little on the line while the Packers are still fighting for a playoff berth. The Packers defense should have an easier time this week against an inconsistent Seahawks offense. The Packers will bounce back in front of the home crowd and earn their tenth win of the season.
Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins
The Texans and the Dolphins both have a 7 – 7 and need some major help to remain in the AFC playoff picture. The Texans Andre Johnson has been on fire, hauling in 20 receptions for 389 yards with two touchdowns in their last two games. The Dolphins defense has done a better job of limiting big plays in recent weeks and will be ready for the Texans. The Dolphins will come up with enough offense to secure a win this week.
Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals
The Chiefs and the Bengals will rely upon their explosive running games this week to try and gain the upper hand in the contest. The Bengals need a win to clinch an improbably AFC North title. Hopefully the Chiefs defense learned how to tackle this week otherwise Cedric Benson may match Adrian Peterson’s single game rushing record. The Bengals will step up and in this game outright.
Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons
NFL fans should expect a defensive battle when the Bills take on the Falcons this week. Even though both teams are out of the playoff picture, the have shown no signs of taking it easy on their opponent. This game will be solid from start to finish and a big play will decide the game in the Falcons favor.
Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots
The Patriots can win the AFC East this weekend and knock the Jaguars out of the playoff hunt in one fell swoop. This game would be ideal for Tom Brady to correct his recent mediocre passing against a Jaguars defense ranked 27th in the NFL. The Jaguars will be able to put up some points against the Patriots but in the end it will not be enough for the visiting team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
The Buccaneers will need another mind blowing defensive performance if they want to knock off the top team in the NFC. The Saints offensive line will need to work out their recent kinks against their division foe if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs. The lack of a consistent offense will hurt the Bucs who will end up losing by double digits.
Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns
The roller coaster season for these two teams is slowly coming to an end. Both teams did show signs of promise during their victories last week. The Browns will use Jerome Harrison to exploit the Raiders’ weak run defense and given them the improbable two game winning streak.
Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers
The Lions are lost without their starting quarterback Matt Stafford, which could be trouble if the 49ers offense was still running smoothly. The 49ers need quarterback Alex Smith to breakout of his funk against the worst passing defense in the NFL. When this snoozer is over, the 49ers will have their sixth win of the season.
St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals
The Rams and Cardinals will take the field in what promises to be another game where there is little at stake. Despite this, the Rams have been playing teams tough and will be ready to take on the explosive offense of the Cardinals. Defense will be the star in this game and help led the Cardinals to victory.
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
Fortunate for the Cowboys, the Redskins were beaten into submission by the Giants and will enter the game with little to prove. The Cowboys defense will continue to rev up for a playoff run. The Redskins defense is going to perform better than last week but it will not be enough as the Cowboys earn their second win in December.
Year to Date 119 – 62
