With just three weeks left in the 2023 NFL’s regular season, the Houston Texans are firmly in contention for a playoff berth.
When the season began, Texan fans would have been happy with a six-win season, but first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans and his team had grander plans.
Not much was expected of Ryans in his first year as an NFL head coach. The Texans were starting a rookie quarterback in C.J. Stroud and were coming off a three-win season in 2022 and over the last two years had mustered seven total wins.
Well, two weeks ago, Houston surpassed the sevenwin plateau with a 22-17 home win over Denver to end the Broncos five-game winning streak. Last Sunday, the Texans played a struggling Jets team in New Jersey. If they won that game, which they should have, they would be looking at eight wins heading into another road game this Sunday when they visit Nashville to take on a struggling Tennessee Titans game in an important AFC South contest for Ryan’s team.
Ryans has to be considered for Coach of the Year and Stroud appears a lock for Rookie of the Year, and while individual awards are nice, Ryans is all about the team. Should they win at Tennessee on Sunday, the Texans could very well come home with a 9-5 record heading into their final three games, two of which are at home (against Cleveland and Tennessee). Houston closes out the season at Indianapolis. The Colts defeated the Texans in Week 2 at home, so the season finale in Indy could be very significant.
The Denver win was costly for the Texans as rookie wide receiver Tank Dell (47 receptions, 709 yards, 7 TDs) was lost for the season when he sustained a broken fibula in the game. Dell is Stroud’s deep threat and replacing his speed and big-play ability won’t be easy.
While the Texans hit the road this Sunday, so to do the Dallas Cowboys, who will head north to take on the Buffalo Bills. There are a lot of places other than western New York the Cowboys would like to be in mid- December, but the schedule is what the schedule is and if Dallas wants to remain in the hunt for the NFC East title, they will need to forget about the weather and just play.
The Bills are in danger of not making the playoffs, which will not sit well with their fans. Should Buffalo fail to qualify for the post season, head coach Sean McDermott’s job could be in jeopardy.
This is the time of year when the NFL plays Saturday games just as the college bowl season cranks up. The league gives us a triple header on Saturday as Minnesota visits Cincinnati, Pittsburgh visits the Colts and Denver heads to the Motor City to take on the Lions.
The Sunday Night Football crew has a good one as Baltimore visits Jacksonville, with the winner remaining in the hunt for the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Baltimore, Jacksonville and Miami entered last weekend’s games with nine wins each. It’s going to be an interesting finish in the AFC.
Week 15 concludes with Monday Night Football with the Eagles visiting the desperate Seahawks. Seattle can’t afford to lose any more games if Pete Carroll’s team hopes to make the playoffs. Hosting Philly won’t be easy.
As the bowl season starts up, college football fans will have plenty of games to watch as they wait for the College Football Playoff semifinals on Jan. 1. Texas (ranked No. 3 in the CFP ranking) fans are ecstatic over landing one of the four CFP berths and they will face No. 2- ranked Washington in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s night, while No. 1-ranked Michigan faces No. 4-ranked Alabama in the Rose Bowl. Florida State fans are livid that their 13-0 Seminoles were excluded from the CFP in favor of 12-1 Alabama. While I understand their frustration and anger, the CFP committee got it right. Alabama defeated No. 1- ranked Georgia, the two-time national champ and in the process ended Kirby Smart’s teams 30-game winning streak. I think an SEC title outweighs an ACC title, but that’s just me. FSU and Georgia will meet in the Orange Bowl and take out their frustrations on being excluded from the CFP on each other.
Before we take a look at this weekend’s key NFL games, let’s review last week’s record. A 6-2 mark upped the season record to 97-45 (68%). Now, onto this weekend’s game.
NFL
Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas: Week 15 starts with Thursday Night Football as the Chargers and Raiders meet in an AFC West contest. The Chargers are one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL. They have a lot of talent, but always seem to underachieve. Two weeks ago, they won an ugly game at New England, 6-0. This could turn into an offensive shootout as Justin Herbert (3,038 yards, 20 TDs), running back Austin Ekeler (446 rushing yards, 4 TDs/31 receptions, 295 yards, 1 TD) and wide receiver Keenan Allen (102 receptions, 1,175 yards, 7 TDs) look to take out their frustrations against the Raiders. Vegas is once again playing for next year and is giving rookie QB Aiden O’Connell (1,933 yards, 4 TDs) a look. He’ll count on running back Josh Jacobs (771 yards, 6 TDs) and wide receiver Davante Adams (69 receptions, 814 yards, 4 TDs) to help him out against the Chargers. Look for the Raiders to continue to make things miserable for the Chargers. My pick, Las Vegas 31, Los Angeles Chargers 27
Minnesota at Cincinnati: Two desperate teams meet in Cinci on Saturday as the Vikings visit the Bengals. Both of these team’s playoff chances are slim, so look for both teams to play hard on Saturday to keep their fledgling postseason hopes alive. The Vikings need a better effort from QB Joshua Dobbs (832 yards, 5 TDs/5 interceptions). He has some weapons in tight end T.J. Hockenson (80 receptions, 786 yards, 5 TDs), and rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison (54 receptions, 686 yards, 7 TDs). Dobbs should also have star wideout Justin Jefferson (36 receptions, 571 yards, 3 TDs in just five games) back after he missed five games with a hamstring injury. The Bengals have been ravaged by injuries, most notably to starting QB Joe Burrow. The Bengals picked up a big road win two weeks ago when they upset Jacksonville, 34-31 in overtime. Backup QB Jake Browning (649 yards, 3 TDs) is playing well in place of Burrow, but he will need help from running back Joe Mixon (689 yards, 6 TDs0 and big-play wideout Ja’Marr Chase (86 receptions, 1,063 yards, 7 TDs) to keep the Bengals’ playoff hopes alive. My pick, Cincinnati 23, Minnesota 20
Pittsburgh at Indianapolis: Two weeks ago, the Steelers were embarrassed at home by the then two-win Arizona Cardinals, 24-10. They also lost starting QB Kenny Pickett to an ankle injury. If Pickett is unable to play this week, the Steelers are going to be in deep, deep trouble. Running back Najee Harris (661 yards, 4 TDs) will need to pick up the slack. Two weeks ago, the Colts defeated the Titans 31-28 in overtime behind backup QB Gardner Minshew (2,284 yards, 10 TDs) and wide receiver Michael Pittman (87 receptions, 889 yards, 4 TDs). Look for the Colts to defend their home turf on Saturday as they look to remain in the AFC Wild Card race. My pick, Indianapolis 24, Pittsburgh 18
Denver at Detroit: The Saturday triple header concludes on Saturday night as Russell Wilson (2,385 yards, 21 TDs) and the Broncos visit the Lions. Two weeks ago, Denver saw its five-game winning streak come to an end with a loss to the Texans, while the Lions offense got rolling in a 33-28 win at New Orleans. Denver has a solid defense and should make Lions QB Jared Goff (3,288 yards, 20 TDs) earn his yards. Goff has a lot of talent to turn to in running back David Montgomery (704 yards, 10 TDs), wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (84 receptions, 1,042 yards, 6 TDs) and rookie tight end Sam LaPortta (64 receptions, 677 yards, 6 TDs). Detroit is tough to beat at home and head coach Dan Campbell can smell a division title. Look for the Lions to fire on all cylinders on Saturday night. My pick, Detroit 31, Denver 23
Houston at Tennessee: The Texans can expect the Titans to pull out the Luv Ya Blue uniforms on Sunday, which should serve as motivation heading into this key AFC South contest for Houston. Stroud (3,540 yards, 20 TDs) has thus far proven he is up to the task either playing at home or on the road and he will face a Titans team that would like nothing more than to put a wrench in the Texans playoff hopes. With Dell gone, Stroud will rely on fellow wide out Nico Collins (59 receptions, 991 yards, 6 TDs), tight end Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown to make plays in the passing game. The Houston defense will need to slow down their nemesis, running back Derrick Henry (he has rushed for more than 200 yards four times against the Texans). Henry has 841 rushing yards and eight TDs this year. Look for the Houston defense to get after rookie QB Will Levis (1,266 yards, 7 TDs) as that unit steps up and helps lead the Texans to a key road win. My pick, Houston 26, Tennessee 23
Dallas at Buffalo: After playing three straight home games, the Cowboys face a stern test when they visit Western New York on Sunday to take on a desperate Bills team. Dallas QB Dak Prescott (3,234 yards, 26 TDs) is having perhaps his best year as a pro and he has plenty of weapons to help him out in running back Tony Pollard (737 yards, 5 TDs), wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (90 receptions, 1,182 yards, 7 TDs) and tight end Jake Ferguson (46 receptions, 498 yards, 5 TDs). The Dallas defense will need to bring it’s “A” game when it faces Bills QB Josh Allen (3,214 passing yards, 24 TDs/342 rushing yards, 9 TDs), running back James Cook (731 yards, 1 TD) and big-play wide receiver Stefon Diggs (83 receptions, 969 yards, 8 TDs). Two weeks ago, Seattle torched the Dallas secondary for 334 yards and three TDs. If that unit doesn’t tighten things up, Dallas could be in for a long day against Allen. My pick, Dallas 30, Buffalo 27
Baltimore at Jacksonville: A good one on Sunday Night Football pits two of the best teams in the AFC. Both teams are alive (along with Miami) for the top seed in the AFC, so look for a tight, competitive game on Sunday night in Jacksonville. The Ravens are once again led by QB Lamar Jackson (2,618 yards, 13 TDS/574 rushing yards, 5 TDS). He’s getting help in the running game from Gus Edwards (590 yards, 10 TDs) and in the passing game by rookie wide receiver Zay Jones (58 receptions, 613 yards, 2 TDs). The Jags suffered a big blow two weeks ago in their 34- 31 overtime loss at home to Cincinnati when starting QB Trevor Lawrence (3,004 yareds, 14 TDs) suffered a right ankle sprain. It’s not known how long Lawrence will be out, but if he’s unable to go against the Ravens, the Jags could be in for a long night. The Jags will need a big night from running back Travis Etienne (771 yards, 9 total TDs) and wide receivers Christian Kirk (57 receptions, 787 yards, 3 TDs) and Calvin Ridley (51 receptions, 689 yards, 5 TDs to make life easier for backup QB C.J. Bethard if Lawrence is unable to play. The Jags are tough to beat at home and the Ravens will discover that on Sunday night. My pick, Jacksonville 26, Baltimore 23 (if Lawrence plays); Baltimore 24, Toss it into the can. It’s a neat idea. Help keep East Aldine clean… Jacksonville 17 (if Lawrence does not play)
Philadelphia at Seattle: Week 15 concludes on Monday Night Football as the Eagles travel cross country to take on the Seahawks. Two weeks ago, the Eagles were dominated at home by the 49ers en route to a 42-19 thrashing, while Seattle lost a shootout at Dallas, 41-35. The Eagles defense must play better than it did against SF and should be able to force a turnover or two from Seattle QB Geno Smith (2,918 yards, 15 TDs/9 interceptions). Seattle should get running back Kenneth Walker III (613 yards, 6 TDS) back after he missed a couple of games with an injury. Smith will look to make plays in the passing game to wideouts DK Metcalf (49 receptions, 812 yards, 6 TDs) and Tyler Lockett (59 receptions, 622 yards, 4 TDs). Philly will need a big game from QB Jalen Hurts (2,995 passing yards, 19 TDs/430 rushing yards, 12 TDs), running back D’Andre Swift (783 yards, 4 TDs) and wide receivers A.J. Brown (81 receptions, 1,164 yards, 7 TDs) and DeVonta Smith (64 receptions, 834 yards, 6 TDs). The Eagles have the Cowboys breathing down their necks in the NFC East, so look for Philly to pick up a big road win on Monday night. My pick, Philadelphia 31, Seattle 24