It’s a loaded Week 14 slate in the NFL with three pivotal division showdowns, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs playing for their season against the league’s top defense, the reigning Super Bowl champs looking to avoid a three-game losing streak while traveling across the country and QB Jayden Daniels making his return for Washington.
The playoff picture could look a lot different after these next two days.
Let’s take a closer look at every game on the Sunday/Monday schedule and make some predictions.
5 Best Games
Chicago Bears (9-3) at Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)
4:25 p.m. Sunday on FOX
Even as the Bears have piled up wins week after week — nine in their last 10 games — many weren’t ready to take this team for real until it went into Philadelphia last week and won 24-15 on the road against the reigning Super Bowl champs.
This is another opportunity for Chicago, first-year head coach Ben Johnson and second-year QB Caleb Williams (2,722 passing yards, 17 TDs and 5 INTs) to make a statement.
The Bears have a half-game lead atop the NFC North standings over the Packers, who are suddenly playing their best football in recent weeks, including a 31-24 win at Detroit last week as QB Jordan Love threw for a season-high 4 TDs.
Chicago will be without leading receiver Rome Odunze (44 catches for 661 yards and 6 TDs) due to a foot injury, so it could lean heavily on its rushing duo of D’Andre Swift (774 rushing yards, 4 TDs) and Kyle Monangai (591-3).
Green Bay is a 6.5-point favorite.
Prediction: Packers 27, Bears 17
Houston Texans (7-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)
8:20 p.m. Sunday on NBC/Peacock
The Chiefs are officially out of slack at this point. They are presently outside the playoff picture and almost certainly need to win out to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2014.
And this could well be the game that knocks them out.
Kansas City could be down three starting offensive linemen with left tackle Josh Simmons placed on injured reserve, and right tackle Jawaan Taylor and guard Trey Smith doubtful for this game. That’s bad timing as the Chiefs go up against the NFL’s best defense. Houston leads the league in points allowed (16.5 per game) and yards allowed (265.7 per game).
The Texans are one of the hottest teams in the league overall with four straight wins while surging back in the playoff hunt.
It’s just hard to believe Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are going to go down like this, though.
Kansas City is a 3.5-point favorite.
Prediction: Chiefs 24, Texans 21
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6) at Baltimore Ravens (6-6)
1 p.m. Sunday on CBS
This is the first of two meetings between the rivals and current AFC North co-leaders, and neither comes into this game with any momentum whatsoever.
Baltimore had won five in a row before a humbling 32-14 loss to the Bengals on Thanksgiving, but even during that winning streak the Ravens haven’t looked like the Ravens of old.
QB Lamar Jackson hasn’t been a threat to run since returning from his hamstring injury, averaging just 19.6 rushing yards over the last five games. RB Derrick Henry is closing in on another 1,000-yard season (931 rushing yards, 10 TDs), but he hasn’t been the same reliable weekly wrecking ball with just four 100-yard rushing games.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is a mess. Chatter is mounting as to whether it’s time for the team to move on from longtime head coach Mike Tomlin. The team has lost two straight and five of its last seven games and just doesn’t project much overall upside. Veteran QB Aaron Rodgers is playing through a fractured left non-throwing wrist and has shown his age this season overall while ranking 23rd in the league with 2,086 passing yards (19 TDs, 7 INTs).
Baltimore is a 5.5-point favorite.
Prediction: Ravens 28, Steelers 24
Indianapolis Colts (8-4) at Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)
1 p.m. Sunday on CBS
This is a huge division game with the Colts and Jaguars tied atop the AFC South and the Texans just a game back.
The Colts are sliding after their strong start, though, losing two straight and three out of four games while QB Daniel Jones has been playing through a fractured fibula. Jonathan Taylor still leads the NFL in rushing with 1,282 yards and 17 total TDs, but he’s looked mortal the last two weeks while rushing for 58 and 85 yards.
The Jaguars, meanwhile, have won three straight since a mid-season slide, but QB Trevor Lawrence is third in the NFL with 11 interceptions and remains a weekly wildcard, but the Colts will be without their top cornerback in injured Sauce Gardner.
Indianapolis is a 1.5-point favorite.
Prediction: Colts 27, Jaguars 21
Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) at Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
8:15 p.m. Monday on ESPN/ABC
The Eagles have become the NFL’s weekly soap opera.
QB Jalen Hurts and RB Saquon Barkley have gone from Super Bowl champion stars among the most dynamic players at their respective positions to unreliable week-to-week wildcards, as fans clamor for first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo to be fired after consecutive losses to the Cowboys and Bears.
It doesn’t help that Pro Bowl right tackle Lane Johnson remains out with a foot injury. Also, star defensive tackle Jalen Carter has been ruled out with a shoulder injury, which is good news for the Chargers’ beleaguered and depleted offensive line.
Los Angeles is expected to get running back Omarion Hampton back for the first time since he fractured his ankle in Week 5. He had just had a breakout game the week before that with 128 rushing yards and a TD (and 37 receiving yards).
Philadelphia is a 2.5-point favorite.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Chargers 24
Rounding Out The Slate
Other Sunday 1 p.m. games:
Seattle Seahawks (9-3) at Atlanta Falcons (4-8): The Falcons have lost six of seven games as the Raheem Morris Era looks to be nearing its end in Atlanta. Falcons star WR Drake London will miss his third straight game with a PCL strain. Seattle is coming off a dominant 26-0 shutout of the Vikings and has established itself as one of the better teams in the league. Seattle is a 6.5-point favorite. Prediction: Seahawks 34, Falcons 17
Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) at Buffalo Bills (8-4): The Bengals beat the Ravens last week in QB Joe Burrow’s return and should be able to at least make things interesting with the ever-unpredictable Bills, who are just 4-4 in their last eight games. WR Tee Higgins is expected back for Cincinnati, while Buffalo will be without DE Joey Bosa but could get TE Dalton Kincaid (knee/hamstring) back. Buffalo is a 6-point favorite. Prediction: Bills 28, Bengals 21
Tennessee Titans (1-11) at Cleveland Browns (3-9): Myles Garrett leads the NFL with 19 sacks. Titans QB Cam Ward leads the NFL in taking 48 sacks this season. Cleveland is a 4.5-point favorite. Prediction: Browns 17, Titans 10
Washington Commanders (3-9) at Minnesota Vikings (4-8): J.J. McCarthy is back at QB for Minnesota this week after missing a game while in concussion protocol, and he might actually have been missed after Vikings fans saw the alternative last week with undrafted rookie Max Brosmer throwing 4 picks in a 26-0 loss to the Seahawks. But the bigger news is that QB Jayden Daniels is back for Washington and will play for the first time since dislocating his left non-throwing elbow on Nov. 9. Washington is a 1.5-point favorite. Prediction: Commanders 20, Vikings 16
Miami Dolphins (5-7) at New York Jets (3-9): The Mike McDaniel Revival Tour travels to New York as the Dolphins look to add to their three-game winning streak. They’ve won four of their last five games overall after a 1-6 start. The Jets are also coming off a win (over the Falcons) and not tanking for draft standing. Miami is a 2.5-point favorite. Prediction: Dolphins 21, Jets 19
New Orleans Saints (2-10) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5): The Bucs snapped a three-game losing streak with a much-needed 20-17 win over the Cardinals last week, but they still don’t look like the same team that started the season 5-1. Tampa Bay has a half game lead in the NFC South on the Panthers, who are on a bye this week. The Bucs will be without starting left tackle Tristan Wirfs (oblique). Tampa Bay is a 7.5-point favorite. Prediction: Buccaneers 24, Saints 17
Other Sunday 4:05/4:25 p.m games:
Denver Broncos (10-2) at Las Vegas Raiders (2-10): The Broncos have won nine straight while the Raiders have lost six in a row and 10 of their last 11 games. That sums up this matchup. Denver is a 7.5-point favorite. Prediction: Broncos 31, Raiders 13
Los Angeles Rams (9-3) at Arizona Cardinals (3-9): The Rams are looking to bounce back from a surprising 31-28 loss to the Panthers that snapped a six-game winning streak. Matthew Stafford doubled his season interception total in that loss, tossing 2 picks, but his numbers are still sterling overall with 3,073 passing yards, 32 TDs and 4 INTs. The Cardinals have lost four straight and nine of their last 10. This is the first of two meetings between the teams. Los Angeles is a 9.5-point favorite. Prediction: Rams 33, Cardinals 21
