The weekend is finally here, and that means one thing – Sunday Night Football.
Well, ‘wee hours of Monday morning’ football for us Aussie plebs on the wrong side of the sports time zone.
After Thursday night’s slow and steady zero-touchdown game between the Cardinals and the Rams (the Cardinals’ first Thursday night win since 1948, just quietly), I’d like to hope we’re gearing up for some interesting games in Week 15 as the playoffs begin to approach.
Here’s my predictions on this week’s big games to watch.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers
I am fascinated by this game purely because of Carolina’s blowout 41-10 win over the Saints last week. Who knew they had it in them?
If they were to pull off another massive offensive effort like that again, Tampa Bay are the perfect team to be facing. The 2-11 Bucs are an absolute mess, and even with Panthers quarterback Cam Newton out after an unfortunate car accident (he’s okay), I don’t see them coming close.
Backup quarterback Derek Anderson had no trouble taking down the Bucs earlier in the season, and with the Panthers still holding a slight hope at nabbing the NFC South title, I’m expecting a great game here.
Prediction: Panthers by 20
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
There’s a lot of deserved buzz around Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, and the Colts could be set to take the AFC South for the second year in a row. With a win on Sunday, they’ll seal the deal.
The Texans have never won in Indianapolis, an intimidating statistic. On the flip side, the Texans’ JJ Watt is more than capable of raising hell, the team are great in the Red Zone, and the Colts will need to bring their defensive A-game.
The odds and the monolithical Andrew Luck may be stacked against the Texans, but with the possibility of taking the division title at stake here I envision the Colts cracking under pressure. I’m rooting for the underdogs in what should turn out to be a furious, exciting game of football.
Prediction: Texans with a three-point upset
Green Bay Packers @ Buffalo Bills
The Bills’ defence is on fire, especially at home where they’re averaging a modest 206 passing yards allowed per game. But the 2014 Packers are a force to be reckoned with. Putting the fact Green Bay gave up 20 points in the fourth quarter last week – damn near giving up the game to Atlanta – behind us, the Packers are 10-3 and on a five game winning streak.
I don’t expect them to end that here. Buffalo could be surprising and I expect them to make Green Bay work for it, but I don’t see them managing the upset facing a team that can in all likelihood win this year’s Super Bowl. Are we tired of watching the Packers win yet? No.
Prediction: Green Bay by 10
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks beat the 49ers at home 19-3 in Week 13, and it’s not going to be any easier for SF when they head to Seattle this Sunday. The 49ers are a mess, with a defence that seems to be only getting worse as the season goes on.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks have only allowed 20 points in total over their last three games. The brutal loss to the Raiders last week was bad enough for Colin Kaepernick (affectionately known in my household as Colon Crappernick) and company, but they won’t be finding this game any less painless.
Prediction: Seahawks in a blowout
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