The NFL is giving fans plenty of games to watch during Christmas weekend as the league has game scheduled for Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and a triple-header on Christmas Day.
Ah, nothing says the holidays like the NFL saturating the airwaves.
The Texans host the Browns on Christmas Eve at NRG Stadium in an important game for both teams. The winner keeps their AFC Wild Card hopes alive, while the loser will need some help in the final two weeks of the season to earn a playoff spot.
But then again, if Jacksonville continues to struggle down the stretch (they entered last Sunday night’s game against Baltimore riding a two-game losing streak) and the Texans win out, Houston has a chance to win the division.
Stranger things have happened in the NFL and when the season began, most experts figured a six-win season would be quite an accomplishment for firstyear head coach DeMeco Ryans. Well, the Texans had seven wins heading into last Sunday’s game at Tennessee and they return home on Sunday to face a tough Browns team that is also in the hunt in its division, the AFC North.
Two weeks ago, the Texans suffered a bad 30-6 loss to the lowly Jets as the weather and the New York defense never let C.J. Stroud and the Houston offense get going. The game was played in horrible conditions as wind and rain persisted throughout the contest. To make matters worse, Stroud sustained a concussion late in the game and was placed in the NFL concussion protocol. Ryans hopes Stroud was able to play against the Titans and if he missed that game, he should be cleared by Sunday when the Texans face a solid Cleveland defense.
With just two weeks to go after this game, the Texans know they can’t afford anymore slip ups if they hope to continue to be one of the good stories of the 2023 season.
While the Texans host the Browns, the Dallas Cowboys hit the road for the second straight week and face a second straight AFC East foe (Dallas played at Buffalo last Sunday) when they travel to Miami to take on the Dolphins and their high-scoring offense.
Two weeks ago, the Cowboys dominated the Eagles 33-13 at Jerry World to move to 10-3 on the season and move into a tie with Philly atop the NFC East. Dallas has a tough final three weeks. After the trip to Miami, Dallas returns home to face NFC North leader Detroit then closes out the season with a road game at Washington.
The Eagles, on the other hand, face the woeful Giants twice and three-win Arizona in the final three weeks of the season. The Eagles are probably the favorites to win the division, and relegate Dallas to a Wild Card team.
Other key games this holiday weekend has New Orleans visiting the Rams on Thursday Night Football, Cincinnati visiting Pittsburgh and Buffalo visiting the Los Angeles Chargers. Both of those games will be played on Saturday.
Detroit will look to wrap up the NFC North on Sunday with a win at Minnesota, while Jacksonville visits Tampa Bay. On Christmas Day, we get a triple header leading off with Las Vegas at Kansas City, followed by New York at Philadelphia and the nightcap is a good one as Baltimore visits San Francisco.
Before we take a look at this weekend’s games, let’s review last week’s record. A 4-4 week brought the season record to 101- 49 (67%).
I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. This has been a tough year for me and my family, but thanks to all of the love and support we have received, it’s made a very difficult year a bit more bearable.
Now, onto this weekend’s games.
NFL
New Orleans at Los Angeles Rams: Week 16 kicks off with the Saints visiting the Rams on Thursday Night Football in a game both teams need to win to remain in the NFC Wild Card hunt. The Rams have been playing well as of late thanks to the play of QB Matthew Stafford (3,062 yards, 19 TDs), and wide receivers Puka Nacua (82 receptions, 1,113 yards, 4 TDs) and Cooper Kupp (41 receptions, 547 yards, 3 TDs). They also have a strong running game led by Kryen Williams (801 yards, 7 TDs). The Saints have struggled on offense due to inconsistent play from quarterback Derek Carr (2,880 yards, 13 TDs). Carr should rely on running back Alvin Kamara (564 rushing yards, 5 TDs/63 receptions, 402 yards, 1 TD) and wide receiver Chris Olave (72 receptions, 918 yards, 4 TDs). Look for the Rams defense to force a turnover or two from Carr as the Rams get the win on Thursday night. My pick, Los Angeles Rams 26, New Orleans 23
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh: The first of two Saturday games is a key AFC North contest between the Bengals and Steelers. Despite losing starting QB Joe Burrow to a season-ending wrist injury, the Bengals are still in the AFC Wild Card race. Backup QB Jake Browning (649 yards in three games, 3 TDs) has done an admirable job of running the offense. It helps that running back Joe Mixon (689 yards, 6 TDs) has been playing well in recent weeks. Browning still has star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (86 receptions, 1,063 yards, 7 TDs) to throw to. The Steelers just aren’t very good on offense and if starting QB Kenny Pickett misses another game with an ankle injury, the Steeler faithful could be in a foul mood at the end of the day. It won’t be a Merry Christmas in the Steel City. My pick, Cincinnati 23, Pittsburgh 16
Buffalo at Los Angeles Chargers: The Bills head west to take on a beat-up Chargers team that is simply playing out the string, which could cost head coach Brandon Staley his job. Two weeks ago, Buffalo may have saved its season, and its head coach Sean McDermott’s job, with a 20-17 win at Kansas City. That win gave the Bills new life. Look for QB Josh Allen (3,447 passing yards, 25 TDs/374 rushing yards, 10 TDs) to carve up the Chargers defense. Buffalo finally has a running game led by James Cook (789 yards, 4 total TDs) and Allen will look to Cook to soften up the LA defense and then make plays down field to wideout Stefon Diggs (87 receptions, 993 yards, 8 TDs). LA should be without starting QB Justin Herbert, who fractured the index finger on his passing hand two weeks ago in a loss to Denver. Backup Easton Stick just doesn’t have what it takes to win at the NFL level, even with a strong running back in Austin Ekeler (497 rushing yards, 5 TDS/36 receptions, 344 yards, 1 TD) and steady wide receiver Keenan Allen (108 receptions, 1,243 yards, 7 TDs). Look for the Bills to get another road win on Saturday in LA. My pick, Buffalo 31, Los Angeles Chargers 23
Detroit at Minnesota: The Lions take on the Vikings in a key NFC North contest on Sunday in Minnesota. A win by the Lions should secure a playoff spot and quite possibly the NFC North title. But they will have to do it on the road, which has not been kind to the Lions this year. Two weeks ago, Detroit lost at Chicago 28-13. QB Jared Goff (3,449 yards, 21 TDs) needs a big day, and he has plenty of weapons to help him get the job done with running backs David Montgomery (770 yards, 10 TDs), Jahmyr Gibbs (692 yards, 6 TDs), wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (87 receptions, 1,063 yards, 6 TDs) and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta (66 receptions, 702 yards, 6 TDs). The Vikings struggle on offense (they scored a whopping whole 3 points two weeks ago in a 3-0 win at Las Vegas) due to the inconsistent play of QB Joshua Dobbs (895 yards, 5 TDs/5 interceptions). Dobbs has some weapons in rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison (56 receptions, 713 yards, 7 TDs) and tight end T.J. Hockenson (85 receptions, 839 yards, 5 TDs), but they don’t have much of a running game. Look for the Lions defense to get after Dobbs early and often and force a key turnover or two as the Lions give their fans an early Christmas present by clinching a playoff berth on Christmas Eve. My pick, Detroit 26, Minnesota 15
Cleveland at Houston: A key game for both teams as both the Texans and Browns hope to keep their playoff hopes alive on Sunday at NRG Stadium. Cleveland has remained in the playoff hunt thanks to veteran QB Joe Flacco (565 yards, 5 TDs in his first two games after signing with the Browns in early December). Two weeks ago, Flacco led the Browns to a 31-27 win over Jacksonville as he hooked up with tight end David Njoku (59 receptions, 600 yards, 4 TDs) for two TDs. The Houston defense will need to first stop running back Jerome Ford (698 yards, 3 TDs) and then set their sights on the immobile Flacco. The Texans hope to have starting QB C.J. Stroud (3,631 yards, 20 TDs) back for this game. Stroud sustained a concussion two weeks ago in Houston’s 30-6 loss to the Jets and Stroud had his worst day as a pro throwing for only 91 yards. The Texans could also be without wide receiver Nico Collins (60 receptions, 1,004 yards, 6 TDs) who suffered a calf injury in the New York game. If Collins is out again, that could make things dicey in the passing game. Someone else needs to step up, but that’s been the case all season long for this team. Look for the Texans defense to rise to the occasion as they lead the hometown team to a huge win on Sunday. It won’t be pretty, but a win is a win at this point in the season. My pick, Houston 16, Cleveland 13
Jacksonville at Tampa Bay: The Jags visit the Bucs on Sunday with both teams needing a win to remain in the playoff hunt. Two weeks ago, the Jags dropped their second straight game losing at Cleveland, while TB took over the top spot in the weak NFC South with a road win at Atlanta. The Jags will need a big day from QB Trevor Lawrence (3,261 yards, 17 TDs), running back Travis Etienne (806 yards, 9 TDS) and wide receiver Calvin Ridley (55 receptions, 742 yards, 5 TDs). Tampa Bay will be led by QB Baker Mayfield (2,934 yards, 20 TDs), running back Rachaad White (745 yards, 5 TDs) and wide receiver Mike Evans (62 receptions, 1,002 yards, 10 TDs). Look for Lawrence to step up and lead the Jags to a much-needed win on Sunday. My pick, Jacksonville 26, Tampa Bay 23
Dallas at Miami: The Cowboys head to South Beach to face a Dolphins team that lost at home to a four-win Tennessee team two weeks ago. Not only did Miami lose the game, but star wide receiver Tyreek Hill (97 receptions, 1,542 yards, 12 TDs) suffered an ankle injury. Hill returned to the game but was limited. If that injury lingers, that will be a huge blow to Tua Tagovailoa (3,697 yards, 24 TDs) and the rest of the Miami offense. Hill is definitely the star of this offense, but Miami has other weapons in running backs Raheem Mostert (924 yards, 16 total TDs), and De’Von Achne (581 yards, 7 TDs) and fellow wideout Jaylen Waddle (63 receptions, 822 yards, 3 TDs). Miami will face a Dallas defense that is playing as well as any unit in the NFL. Two weeks ago, they did not allow a touchdown to the high-powered Philly offense and forced three turnovers in the 33- 13 win. The Dallas offense is also rolling behind QB Dak Prescott (3,505 yards, 28 TDs). Prescott is firmly in contention to be the league MVP and a big game on another national stage could go a long way in securing that honor. But Dallas is not a one-man offense. Running back Tony Pollard (796 yards, 5 TDs) has been playing well lately and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (96 receptions, 1,253 yards, 8 TDS) is having an All-Pro year. Secondyear tight end Jake Ferguson (51 receptions, 570 yards, 5 TDs) is becoming a clutch receiver as well. This should be a highscoring game but look for the Dallas defense to make a play or two down the stretch to hand the Cowboys a huge road win on Sunday. My pick, Dallas 33, Miami 26
Las Vegas at Kansas City: The Raiders and Chiefs meet on Christmas Day as these two renew one of the NFL’s most storied rivalries. To say the Raiders have struggled on offense would be an understatement. Two weeks ago, Vegas only mustered 196 total yards of offense in a 3-0 home loss to Minnesota. That’s inexcusable in today’s NFL. Rookie QB Aiden O’Connell (1,365 yards, 4 TDs) just doesn’t seem to have what it takes to be an NFL QB. Vegas will need a big day from running back Josh Jacobs (805 yards, 6 TDs) and wide receiver Davante Adams (76 receptions, 805 yards, 6 TDs) if they hope to pull off the upset. The Chiefs haven’t exactly been lighting things up on offense, which is strange with a QB of Pat Mahomes (3,398 yards, 23 TDs) ability. The problem is, Mahomes has only one dependable receiver to throw to in tight end Travis Kelce (80 receptions, 896 yards, 5 TDs). The wideouts are suspect. The offense should get a boost with the return of running back Isiah Pacheco (779 yards, 7 total TDs) who missed KC’s 20-17 loss two weeks ago against Buffalo with a shoulder injury. Look for the Chiefs to roll on Christmas Day. My pick, Kansas City 34, Las Vegas 12
Baltimore at San Francisco: The NFL is providing a nice Christmas night present when the Ravens and 49ers meet in prime time on ABC and ESPN. This could very well be a Super Bowl preview as both teams are the best in their respective conferences at this point of the season. Two weeks ago, the Ravens got a 76- yard punt return for a touchdown in overtime to upend the Rams, 37-31, while the 49ers rolled to a 28-16 win over Seattle at home. Baltimore QB Lamar Jackson (2,934 passing yards, 16 TDS/644 rushing yards, 5 TDs) will test a SF defense that has not been its dominant self this season. The Ravens also have a capable runner in Gus Edwards (605 yards, 10 TDs) and a big-play rookie wide receiver in Zay Flowers (64 receptions, 673 yards, 3 TDs). The 49ers are loaded on offense led by QB Brock Purdy (3,553 yards, 25 TDs), running back Christian McCaffrey (1,177 rushing yards, 12 TDs/52 receptions, 437 yards, 5 TDs), wide receivers Deebo Samuel (45 receptions, 739 yards, 9 TDs) and Brandon Aiyuk (56 receptions, 1,053 yards) and tight end George Kittle (53 receptions, 811 yards, 6 TDs). Look for the 49ers to send a message to the rest of the league that they are serious about winning it all this season. My pick, San Francisco 31, Baltimore 23