2015 NFL Season: Pokorny's Week 15 Picks

Note: This prediction was posted on Thursday; it is re-posted here for record-keeping purposes.

Thursday Night Football: The Rams were in a major funk before snapping their 5-game losing streak against the Lions last week. They are mathematically alive in the playoff race -- to get in, they'd have to win out and hope the Seahawks lose against either the Browns or the Cardinals. It's not totally out of the realm of possibility, but I think the Buccaneers will end all doubt for them this week with a stellar performance on the road. It will be fun to get a taste of Jameis Winston in prime time; a win would put the Buccaneers at 7-7 with a moderate chance at attaining a wildcard spot. Buccaneers 23, Rams 17

Saturday Night Football: Jets take on the Dallas Cowboys on the first Saturday Night Football session of the year. Ryan Fitzpatrick has had the Jets on a roll, and they are in good shape to maintain their AFC wildcard status against a Cowboys team that remains incompetent without Tony Romo under center and now out of the hunt. Jets 24, Cowboys 13

Opposite Directions: The Falcons are unlikely to get into the postseason after having lost six straight games. Are some heads going to roll in Atlanta, specifically when it comes to offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan? Meanwhile, Jacksonville might have a golden ticket to the top of the AFC South with their remaining games against Atlanta, New Orleans, and Houston. This is their final home game and they struggle on the road, so this is a must win for them, and I think Blake Bortles' red-hot offensive play will continue another week. Jaguars 24, Falcons 20

Maintaining Pace for the Division Lead: The Redskins are tied for the division lead in the NFC East at 6-7, while the Bills are two games behind a wildcard spot in the AFC with the same record. Neither team has had a shred of consistency from week-to-week, so it'll be interesting to see what gives when these teams are paired together. One advantage I do see is the fact that the Redskins are 5-2 at home, and this is their final home game of the regular season. Taking the home team might be a recurring trend for me this week. Redskins 27, Bills 24

Three to Go: The Panthers are on their way to a perfect 16-0, with the Giants posing the biggest threat on that road. It's tempting to select the Giants for an upset this week because the combination of Eli Manning and Odell Beckham can flip the script in a game at a whim's notice. The stakes remain high for the Giants in the NFC East division lead, but Carolina has been rolling teams too easily to pick against them. Panthers 31, Giants 21

Run Game and Defensive Superiority: The Bears are out of contention after losing two games in a row, so the only team with playoff aspirations here are the Vikings. Minnesota has a comforting two-game lead in the NFC wildcard picture, and should be favored to control this week's game against Chicago. The Vikings' goal is to stay one game behind the Packers heading into the final week of the season, when they would then travel to Lambeau Field to determine the winner of the NFC North. Vikings 23, Bears 20

Least-Hyped Division Game: This is as bizarre as it gets in the NFL: the Texans and Colts are playing a very high-stakes game for the division lead in the AFC South, but it's a battle of the backup quarterbacks with T.J. Yates taking on Matt Hasselbeck. The Texans had a rough outing last week while the Colts were blown out by the Jaguars. The Colts' luck is running out -- Hasselbeck's play is catching up to him, and Indianapolis' defense is a chaotic mess compared to Houston's. Texans 17, Colts 16

Just a Formality, Part I: Is it a formality that the Chiefs have to suit up this week? Riding the AFC's longest winning streak (seven games), they avoided an upset last week by winning ugly against the Chargers by a score of 10-3. I always say that a testament to a good team is that even when you're not at your best, you still find a way to win. The Ravens have nothing left, and worse off for them is the fact that the Chiefs will be motivated to avoid the same situation they experienced a week ago. Chiefs 35, Ravens 10

Just a Formality, Part II: With Rob Gronkowski back in the fold last week, the Patriots had the extra offensive punch to snap their two-game slide. They re-gained the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and they will solidify their position against the Titans in a game that might see the backups come in mid-way through the fourth quarter. Patriots 42, Titans 13

Compelling Game of the Week: The Packers and Raiders might not be a national game heading into the week, but it's the most compelling one. The Packers have re-gained their offensive spark over the past two weeks, doing it two weeks ago via the passing game and last week on the ground with Eddie Lacy. Those were two straight Thursday night games, so Green Bay has the advantage of extra rest heading to the West Coast. The Raiders are still alive for the AFC wildcard race after upsetting the Broncos on the road last week. Can their defense, behind Khalil Mack, send the Packers' offense back into disarray? I'll vote "no," but I'd love to see this game. Packers 28, Raiders 21

QB Won't Matter This Week: The absence of Andy Dalton will certainly matter down the stretch, and could still impact the Bengals' lead in the AFC North on the Steelers. With how pathetic the 49ers played last week, though, I'd be stunned if they couldn't just play relatively competent defense, and then control the game offensively by pounding away with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard. Bengals 31, 49ers 7

Not Ready Yet: Peyton Manning isn't ready to come back just yet, and that could pose a big problem for the Broncos. Their once-comfortable division lead could be trimmed to one game this week, and could even evaporate the following week against the Bengals. The Steelers are riding high again with Ben Roethlisberger with a passing game that even the Broncos' defense won't be able to contain this week. The Steelers' defense is vulnerable, but Brock Osweiller doesn't string together enough drives to match what Roethlisberger will orchestrate. Steelers 26, Broncos 18

Dud of the Week: Chalk this up to the "least entertaining game of the week" category. Neither team is playing well, but I'll go with Philip Rivers having one of his big 400+ yard passing days as he'll go after Brent Grimes just like Eli Manning did a week ago. Chargers 31, Dolphins 17

Sunday Night Football: One thing is for certain when it comes to the Arizona Cardinals: their prime time games are always entertaining as hell. I question whether the season-long inconsistency known as the Eagles. Philadelphia might not win this week, but their next two games are what count: division games against the Redskins and Giants. Cardinals 27, Eagles 20

Monday Night Football: The Lions and Saints are both out of playoff contention, but the Saints still have a remote chance of finishing at .500 if they can beat the Saints, Jaguars, and Falcons. Will that be enough for the club to retain Sean Payton another year? In Detroit, is Jim Caldwell's job safe with the team playing better over the second half of the year? Those might be the topics of conversations for Jon Gruden; as far as the outcome, I'll go with the Saints at home. Saints 20, Lions 17

Challenging Game for Manziel: Given the Browns' performance against the 49ers, it'll be intriguing to see how Johnny Manziel and company build off of that as heavy underdogs in Seattle. My full game preview will be up later.