NFL Week 16 - Friday Christmas Eve Preview Part 2

Tennessee Titans (8-6) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12) - EverBank Field

There is no room for slip ups for the Titans as they head to Divisional rivals the Jaguars with real hopes of winning the AFC South. The Titans are 8-6 and in a tie for first place in the Division with the Houston Texans, who they host in the final week of the regular season. The Titans have won their last three games including 7 of their last 10 and are surging towards the finish line after finishing the Division in last place last season. The Titans have not made the playoffs since 2008. The Jaguars coughed up another lead last week to lose 21-20 and fired Head Coach Gus Bradley in the process. Doug Marrone has been promoted as Head Coach on an interim basis. 

Verdict - Titans 25 Jagurs 18

The Jaguars have found all manner of ways to lose this year and I see this happening again this week. The Titans do not often win games by big margins, so I expect this to be a grinding affair, however they have way too much on the line and will get the win. 

Indianapolis Colts (7-7) @ Oakland Raiders (11-3) - Oakland Coliseum

The Raiders can go a long way to winning their first AFC West title since 2002 with a victory over the Colts at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday. The Raiders finally ended 14 seasons without a playoff appearance with a gritty 19-16 victory over the Chargers last week, and with the Chiefs slipping up at home, now hold a one game lead in the AFC West. Two more victories to close  out the season and the Raiders can secure the Number 2 seed, a first round bye, and a 2nd round home playoff game. The Colts kept their  playoff chances alive with a strong 34-6 victory over the Vikings away from home last week. The Colts trail both the Titans and Texans by one game in the AFC South. 

Verdict - Oakland 33 Colts 24

The Raiders have been patchy the last few weeks in terms of their high powered offense. I think against the Colts, Derek Carr might return to somewhere near his best and get another vital win for the Raiders. Expect plenty of points in Oakland. 

San Fransisco 49ers (1-13) @ Los Angeles Rams (4-10) - Los Angeles Coliseum

The 49ers will be looking to break a horrific 13-game losing streak when they head down the road to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. The 49ers last victory was way back in Week 1 against the Rams, where they shut them out 28-0. The Rams won 3 of their first 4 games this season, however have been awful since, losing 9 of their last 10 games. Number 1 draft pick rookie quarterback Jared Goff is 0-5 as a starter, and will be looking for his first  victory as a Pro over the 49ers. 

Verdict - Rams 14 49ers 13

What a game this one is! Coin flip - landed on Rams. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-6) @ New Orleans Saints (6-8) - Superdome

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can clinch their first playoff berth since 2007 by winning their final two games, starting with a visit to the Saints on Saturday. Just two weeks ago, the Bucs' defence was dominant in claiming a vital 16-11 home victory over the Saints,   forcing Drew Brees into 3 interceptions. The Bucs' 4-game winning streak was ended last week in Dallas, as they went down narrowly 26-20 to the Cowboys. The Saints are staring down the barrel of three straight seasons outside the playoffs, sitting at 6-8.  Even in the Saints six victories this season, their opponents have averaged 29 points, making a very high degree of difficulty for Drew Brees.

Verdict - Saints 28 Bucs 27

Going with a bit of a gut feeling here and the Saints to edge out a high scoring game. The Bucs are still a bit raw I think and the Saints played them close away just 2 weeks ago. This loss would be very damaging for Tampa.

Arizona Cardinals (5-8-1) @ Seattle Seahawks (9-4-1) - CenturyLink Field

The Cardinals are playing for pride on Saturday as they visit Division leaders and bitter rivals the Seattle Seahawks. When the sides played earlier in the season, they played out a remarkably physical and brutal 6-6 tie. Both sides missed chip shot field goals to secure the victory in one of the lowest scoring games the NFL has seen in recent years. The Seahawks have already secured the NFC West title, however their form has been patchy of late as they try and head into the playoffs with some momentum. 

Verdict - Seahawks 27 Cardinals 10

I think the Seahawks make a statement of intent here for the playoffs with a resounding win over the Division rivals. Their offense has been patchy of late and I think Russell Wilson will play well and get this team rolling, heading into the playoffs. 

Cincinnati Bengals (5-8-1) @ Houston Texans (8-6) - NRG Stadium

The Texans playoff hopes are on the line when they welcome in the Bengals to NRG Stadium on Saturday. The Texans made a huge move last week, benching $72 million dollar quarterback Brock Osweiler in favour of Tom Savage. Savage rallied the team to a critical 21-20 come from behind victory over the Jaguars, and has been named the starter on Saturday. There is no room for slip ups for the Texans who are tied with the Titans for first place in the AFC South, with a visit to the Titans looming large in Week 17. The Bengals will miss the playoffs for the first time in six seasons, after a season of near misses and poor performances. Head Coach Marvin Lewis might be on the hot seat as his star studded team were expected to do much better this season. 

Verdict - Texans 23 Bengals 22

It's been a year of near misses for the Bengals and I expect that to continue here. I like the quarterback change for the Texans and think they can pull off a crucial home win here.