A dangerous way for someone to prove his ability to swim is to bring him into deep waters and force him to showcase his mettle. Several teams face this reality in a figurative test for week 16 of the NFL season. There are two 8-6 teams, five 7-7 teams, and five 6-6 teams who have a realistic shot of a wild card spot or even winning their division. Some of these teams started the season flying out of the blocks but have cooled off. However, others are now peaking at the right time while there are a few stuck in mediocrity of being hot and cold. Therefore, they are hard to predict what team they will be like from week to week. Week 16 can be seen as a form of Judgement Day. It is the week to either swim to the shores or get eaten by the sharks. One of the games not making the cut but is a top matchup this weekend is the Jaguars vs Jets. I have the Jaguars defeating free the falling New York Jets. With that out of the way, let’s predict the five biggest matchups in week 16.
Last week: 5-0
Overall: 50-25
1. Cincinnati Bengals (10-4) at New England Patriots (7-7)-Saturday, 1 p.m., CBS
The Patriots and Bengals head into this matchup as polar opposites based on what transpired in week 15. The Bengals outscored the Buccaneers 31-6 in the second half to win comfortably. However, the Patriots lost after leading late in the fourth quarter because Jakobi Myers’ made a lateral pass in a tied game intercepted by Chandler Jones for an easy touchdown. The truth from a Patriots fan is that New England is not a good team. The team fails to execute a coherent offensive game plan and suffers from bad coaching. When they put good drives together, they fail to score touchdowns and make costly penalties which is not a formula for winning games. The Bengals are peaking at the right time, and their defense has allowed 3.7 points in the fourth quarter (second in the league). I have the Bengals winning a close game, but I hope I am wrong.
Bengals 27-Patriots 23
2. Seattle Seahawks (7-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)- Saturday, 1 p.m., Fox
The Seahawks are one of the teams having a downturn at the wrong point in the season. The team has lost three of the past four games, and the defense has been dissected by opposing offenses in giving up 28.5 points per game during that period. Therefore, it will be a tall task to face a Chiefs offense that ranks as one of the best in the league. Patrick Mahomes is currently my choice for MVP, and he will want to take advantage of this opportunity to make his in this matchup and increase the chance for home-field advantage in the AFC. I have the Chiefs winning big in this game.
Chiefs 33-Seahawks 20
3. New York Giants (8-5-1) at Minnesota Vikings (11-3)- Saturday, 1 p.m. ET Fox
The two teams won in week 15 in contrasting fashion, with the Giants controlling their game again the Commanders while Minnesota had to mount a historic comeback to beat the Colts. The Vikings can feel at ease because they have clinched the division, but the Giants are still fighting for a wild card spot. The Giants must be weary of a letdown after an emotional divisional win and are at a disadvantage because of one day less rest and going on the road. The Vikings did stymie the Colts’ offense in the second half but to give up 36 points to that unit still is a sign of weakness. I think the Vikings will win this game in another nail-biter with Justin Jefferson playing a starring role.
Vikings 28-Giants 27
4. Washington Commanders (7-6-1) at San Francisco 49ers (10-4)- Saturday, 4:05 p.m., CBS
This is a difficult matchup for the Commanders because the 49ers are at home and have four days to rest. The Commanders’ offense struggled last week to score and managed only 12 points against the Giants. It doesn’t get any tougher in the NFL than the 49ers’ defense, and I expect them to dominate in the matchup. I expect Brock Purdy to go 3-0 as a starter after winning this game.
49ers 24-Commanders 13
5. Philadelphia Eagles (13-1) at Dallas Cowboys (10-4)- Saturday, 4:25 p.m., FOX
The big news entering this matchup is that Jalen Hurts is questionable to play with a sprained shoulder. It is a damper for fans because Dak Prescott was missing from the first matchup, and we will potentially not see these two teams play against each other at full strength. The game is more important to the Cowboys after the disastrous collapse in Jacksonville. The Cowboys also have recent history in their favor having won the last four home games against the Eagles and three in blow-out fashion. I think the Cowboys will win even if Hurts plays although it will be a fairly close game.
Cowboys 31-Eagles 23.