NFL Week 15

by StockJockey

Sunday, December 14, 2008 - 11:53 am

Are the Colts 17 points better than the Lions?

Yeah, they are probably 30 points better. Here are Kevin’s week 15 thoughts, from Eatdrinkandsleepfootball.com

San Diego Chargers -6 (over Chiefs): Despite their horrible start to the season, the Chargers are 1 of only 2 teams to not lose a game by double-digits this season. Although they are a huge disappointment, they have much more talent than the Chiefs. They beat up on the Raiders last week. The Chargers may not win out, but back-to-back wins against the Raiders and Chiefs? Absolutely. Take the Chargers in what I expect to be a similar performance to last week.

Detroit Lions +17 (over Colts): The Colts are definitely 17 points better than the Lions. Heck - they are probably 28 points better too. But this is the NFL. Any given Sunday, right? The Lions are 1-20 in their last 21 games. Their win was against the Chiefs in week 16 last year. But the Lions have started games o.k. The problem is there are 4 quarters. Talk of Peyton Manning for MVP (Peter King of SI and Chris Mortenson of ESPN) is increasing according to Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio. The Colts have won 6 straight and face division opponents in weeks 16/17. This is the classic definition of a trap game. I expect the Colts to win, but won’t blow out the Lions.

Carolina Panthers -7.5 (over Broncos): DeAngelo Williams leads the Panthers’ rushing attack’s 1-2 punch and has been doing so in record-breaking fashion lately. Two weeks ago, he had 4 TDs against the Falcons and he extended his consecutive games with a TD streak to 7 games to take sole possesion of the franchise record. Williams has 9 rushing TDs in the past 4 weeks. (Insert your favorite DeAngelo stat here to further my argument.) You get the point. Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart, who has 8 rushing TDs this season, are going to run all over (literally) the Denver Broncos. Plus, the NFC South teams and Carolina Panthers are too strong at home: 24-2 and 7-0, respectively.

Pittsburgh Steelers +2.5 (over Ravens): If you love defense, this is your Super Bowl. These 2 teams play stingy defense, punish offensive players and have playmaking safeties (Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu) that are all over the field. While rookie QB Joe Flacco is playing well (60% completion, 13 TDs, 10 INTs), this is the most important game of his young career. He played mistake-free in their first encounter, but there was less pressure after 2 games and the weather wasn’t as cold. The Steelers offense will be the difference in this game.

Tennessee Titans -3 (over Texans): This week has a nostalgic feel for the former Oilers franchise as they play the Houston Texans. With a 2-game lead over the Steelers for #1 seed and their final 2 games against the Steelers and the Colts, who have won 6 straight, the Titans need to (and should) take care of business this week. The Titans rank 3rd in the NFL in rushing offense (146.1 ypg) and the Texans rank 24th in stopping the run (127.2 ypg). Expect a heavy dose of Thunder and Lightning or Smash and Dash (or your favorite nickname for the Titans’ RB duo) and give the 3 points.