Pro Football Top 5 Exciting Games Week 15 – 2022

This article covers predicted Pro Football top 5 games to watch and top 5 upsets. Thursday night football is right around the corner on 12/15/22 and that means pro football is starting. Time to get into a weekly cadence of highlighting the best games to watch. Also determining the potential upsets lurking below the radar. Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl 55 at their home field (Raymond James Stadium) to close out the 2020 NFL season. Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl 56 at their home field (SoFi Stadium) to close out the 2021 NFL season. Since trends usually happen in threes, will the Arizona Cardinals win Super Bowl 57 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona? Time will tell after eighteen weeks of the regular season.

2022 Week 14 Picks Recap

Top 5 games to watch – 4/5 correct thanks to Buffalo, Philadelphia, New England and Kansas City

Top 5 upsets that could happen – 2/5 correct thanks to Jacksonville and Baltimore

Overall picks – 6/10 correct which is one standard deviation above the mean

2022 All Picks Recap

Top 5 games to watch – 53/70 correct

Top 5 upsets that could happen – 32/70 correct

Overall picks – 85/140 correct which is one standard deviation above the mean

Pro Football Top 5 Games to Watch

5. Tennessee vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Late afternoon kickoff (4:25 PM EST) from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on 12/18/22. Titans enter this matchup at 7-6 and are sputtering on a bad three game losing streak. Tennessee will be missing seven players in Week 15 due to injury, with four of those players being starters. Still have a comfortable two game lead in the AFC South over Jacksonville, but the holiday season is not the perfect time to blow a tire. RB Derrick Henry had a monster game in Week 14 (121 rushing yards, 1 TD) and will need to put this team on his back, if they are going to get into the AFC playoffs.

Chargers are starting to emulate the 2021 Minnesota Vikings, due to playing in six straight games with the average margin of victory being 4.33 points. Currently tied for the #7 seed in the AFC playoff field, but need a lot of help from other teams. Could easily finish the season on a five game winning streak (Miami, Tennessee, Indianapolis, Los Angeles Rams, Denver), which would vault them up the playoff bracket. QB Justin Herbert (3706 passing yards, 21 TDs) has raised his quality of play since the calendar flipped to December. Perfect timing to see if the Chargers are trending up or teasing NFL fans yet again.

Prediction: Los Angeles Chargers are a steady 3.0 point home favorite and win a tight game by 6 points

4. Miami vs. Buffalo

Primetime evening kickoff (8:15 PM EST) from Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York on 12/17/22. Old fashioned AFC East matchup between two rivals, to be contested in front of the Bills Mafia. Saturday night football doesn’t get any better than this game. Dolphins have shown their roster youth and inexperience in big stage games, due to back-to-back losses against the Los Angeles Chargers (23-17) and San Francisco (33-17). Defensive unit has been getting gashed lately by allowing 350.8 yards and 24.0 points per game. Offense is a hair better at gaining 367.8 yards and scoring 24.3 points per game. Scoring differential of 0.3 points (24.3-24.0) won’t cut it in a deep AFC East division, let alone the AFC playoff bracket.

Bills are humming along nicely with a four game winning streak and the current #1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Have a legitimate chance to finish the regular season with a 14-3 record, but can’t look too far ahead for a Week 17 matchup at Cincinnati. QB Josh Allen is starting to run the ball on set plays, approximately eight to ten times per game. That game planning by head coach Sean McDermott, loosens up defenses to allow for running sweeps and opening up crossing patterns for the TE corps. Good luck to the AFC East teams trying to slow down Buffalo’s offense.

Prediction: Buffalo is a solid 7.0 point home favorite and they grind out a 3 point win

3. Dallas vs. Jacksonville

Early afternoon kickoff (1:00 PM EST) from TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida on 12/18/22. Most intriguing matchup in the entire NFL for Week 15. Cowboys look efficient and focused at 10-3 and are comfortable playing on the road (3-2). Need to keep the pedal down and try to reel in the first place Philadelphia Eagles (12-1) in the NFC East. The team that doesn’t win the NFC East will have a more difficult playoff path with most likely all road games. Does Dallas have the mental fortitude to keep playing top notch football on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and not look too far ahead or listen to the media? All NFL fans will find out over the next four weeks.

Jaguars are only two games behind Tennessee in the AFC South and playing their best football of the season. Currently on a win-lose pattern over the last five games, so they are trending towards a loss. Haven’t beaten an NFC team yet this season (0-4), but do play well at home (3-3). QB Trevor Lawrence (3202 passing yards, 20 TDs) is questionable with a toe injury, but is expected to play this week. Underrated WR/TE corps led by Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Evan Engram will cause defensive coordinators to lose some sleep during the holidays.

Prediction: Dallas is a 4.0 point road favorite and they’ll win a close game for three quarters by 9 points

2. Cincinnati vs. Tampa Bay

Late afternoon kickoff (4:25 PM EST) from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on 12/18/22. Bengals QB Joe Burrow vs. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady. The kid with ice water in his veins vs. the goat who doesn’t know when to retire. Potential passing of the torch from the old generation to the new generation in the NFL. Cincinnati is on a five game winning streak and have won seven of their last eight games. Currently tied with Baltimore for first place in the AFC North. WR Ja’Marr Chase showed everyone he was back and 100% healthy in Week 14 against Cleveland (10 receptions, 119 receiving yards, 1 TD). WR Tee Higgins is listed as questionable for this game due to a bad hamstring injury.

Buccaneers feel like an every other week team, after getting drilled by San Francisco in Week 14 (35-7). Have found a way to go 4-3 at home this season, but this squad looks tired and uninspired. Can’t find a switch to turn on or off when a game needs to change momentum. Still lead the NFC South Division by one game over Carolina and Atlanta, but need someone to step up and not only move the chains on critical downs, but also score touchdowns. Maybe RB Leonard Fournette and WR Doug Evans are versed in sandbagging, and simply getting ready to deliver the mail during the last four games of the regular season.

Prediction: Cincinnati is a 3.5 point road favorite and they win by 3 points in walk-off fashion

1. Philadelphia vs. Chicago

Lock of the week is an early afternoon kickoff (1:00 PM EST) on 12/18/22, from Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. Rematch of the Fog Bowl game played in the 1988 NFC Divisional playoffs. Eagles are clicking at 12-1 and on a four game winning streak. Can’t let up or coast each week due to fast approaching Dallas in the NFC East standings. QB Jalen Hurts (3157 passing yards, 22 passing TDs, 686 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs) will start to push QB Patrick Mahomes in the NFL MVP discussion.

Bears have cratered to 3-10, thanks to a six game losing streak. Three of those losses were by three points or less. QB Justin Fields is now a poor man’s clone of Baltimore’s QB Lamar Jackson, both trying to be Superman on offense. Until the Bears make smart draft picks and coach their inhouse talent, seasons will pass by with only brief moments of grandeur.

Prediction: Philadelphia is a solid 8.5 point road favorite and they win by 14+ points

Pro Football Top 5 Upsets that might happen

5. Baltimore vs. Cleveland

This blogger is simply looking at both teams records and the current betting line to deem this matchup a potential upset. Ravens are 9-4 and currently in first place in the AFC North. Cobbled together a two game winning streak, without starting QB Lamar Jackson due to a knee injury. Backup QB Tyler Huntley has done more right things than wrong, to keep the Ravens ship pointed in the right direction. Browns are 5-8 and hanging by a thread in the AFC playoff picture. RB Nick Chubb (1153 rushing yards, 12 TDs) continues his career year. Browns are a 3.0 point home favorite, but the Ravens have no issues winning games in an ugly fashion.

4. Atlanta vs. New Orleans

Battle for second place in the weak NFC South and keeping pace with first place Tampa Bay. Falcons are 5-8 and have lost four out of their last five games. With QB Marcus Mariota being placed on injured reserve this week, rookie QB Desmond Ridder will get his first NFL start. Two rookies, RB Tyler Allgeier (604 rushing yards, 1 TD) and WR Drake London (533 receiving yards, 4 TDs), will try their best to be Ridder’s security blanket during this matchup.

Saints are still trying to forget their late game implosion against Tampa Bay in Week 13 (17-16 loss). QB Andy Dalton has been serviceable in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage. RB Alvin Kamara was last seen on the side of a milk carton (550 rushing yards, 1 TD). Only bright spot has been rookie WR Chris Olave (887 receiving yards, 3 TDs). New Orleans is a 4.0 point home favorite due to their fan base and a rookie QB having his first pro career start. Gut feeling has the Falcons playing close for sixty minutes and maybe stealing a road win.

3. Detroit vs. New York Jets

No one wants to play the streaking Lions right now due to their physical style of ball in all three phases of the game. Have won five of their last six games and playing with a ton of confidence, due to the coaching style of Dan Campbell. Currently 1.5 games out of the NFC playoff bracket, but anything can happen during the last month of the regular season. Trio of QB Jared Goff, RB Jamaal Williams and WR Amon-Ra St. Brown are gelling just in time to be last minute stocking stuffers for Christmas.

Jets had reached their inflight cruising altitude after Week 9, due to beating Buffalo to get to 6-3. Have lost three of their last four games to be 7-6, and now they welcome QB Zach Wilson back to his starting gig. To call Wilson anything other than a locker room cancer, would be a compliment. Head coach Robert Salah has his work cut for him this week, trying to unite a talented team without a true leader at the QB position. New York Jets are currently a 1.0 point home favorite, but the Lions will continue their barnstorming tour back to relevance.

2. New England vs. Las Vegas

Video-gate History

Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels can and should thank Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for his coaching career path. McDaniels worked on the New England staff from 2001 to 2008, and may/ may not have been videotaping the St, Louis Rams walkthrough prior to Super Bowl 36. Headed to the Denver Broncos as head coach from 2009-2010. Was fired with cause, due to one of his assistants videotaping the San Francisco 49ers walkthrough prior to a regular season game in 2010. Seems like a coincidence or is it circumstantial evidence?

Was the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams during the 2011 season. Returned to Belichick’s New England staff in 2012 and stayed there for ten seasons, before being named the Las Vegas head coach in 2022. Most NFL fans forget that McDaniels was going to be the new head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 2018, but got cold feet and went back to Belichick. That’s what happens when you win six Super Bowl rings together as coaches.

Upset Alert

Patriots are 7-6 and holding onto the #7 slot in the AFC playoffs by a fingernail. Will rely on their defense, due to numerous injuries in their RB corps and second year QB Mac Jones is still learning how to run the offense. Raiders have been a disappointment this season at 5-8, with McDaniels looking outmatched and outthought during most games. Las Vegas has reverted to playground football with QB Derek Carr throwing the ball all over the field to WR Davante Adams. Mix in a power running game from time to time, and the Raiders have won three out of their last four games. Betting line has fluctuated daily this week and Las Vegas is currently a 1.0 point home favorite. Despite not liking McDaniels due to the damage he did to the Broncos, I’ll take the learner to beat the master this week.

1. New York Giants vs. Washington

Key NFC East showdown between the Giants (7-5-1) vs. the Commanders (7-5-1). Rematch of the Week 13 game that ended in a 20-20 tie. New York Giants are currently the #7 seed and Washington is the #6 seed in the NFC playoffs bracket. Both teams need to get on a winning streak, if they want to play in the postseason. Giants haven’t won a game since Week 10, due to their offense being in a slumber (328.1 yards and 20.5 points per game). Commanders defense has tightened up significantly during the course of the season (only allowing 310.5 yards and 19.7 points per game). Time for new head coach Brian Daboll, to show why he made the jump from the University of Alabama, to the Buffalo Bills OC, to his dream job with the G-Men. Being 4.0 point road underdogs won’t deter the Giants from playing hard.

Storylines Heading into Week 16

• Who is leading the NFL MVP race after Week 15? Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts or Patrick Mahomes?
• Which coach is on the hot seat after Week 15?
• Crank up the hype machine for Bengals vs. Patriots and Eagles vs. Cowboys

Same bat time, same bat channel next week. I’ll review the results of Pro Football Top 5 Week 15 and try again in Week 16.

Never walk away from the table when you’re on a heater in Vegas!

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