Paul Bearer's Week 16 Preview

By Kevin Adams aka Paul Bearer

Hey what's up people of The Corner and all my fellow posters in The Arena? I hope everyone had a good Christmas and a safe one with the family and all of that stuff. But now it's back to business, it's week 16 now in the NFL and the regular season is drawing to a close. Let's take a look at what we got this week.

Game Of The Week
My game of the week nod goes to the rivalry showdown in Pittsburgh, between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last time these teams met at Heinz Field it was the AFC Championship game, and while this one might not have the same stakes it is just as big for both teams who are clawing and scratching for playoff berths.

I'll start with the Ravens who beat the Steelers in a overtime matchup a few weeks ago, Baltimore is in the driver's seat in the AFC playoff race for a wild card spot. The Ravens are 8-6 and can clinch a playoff berth with a win Sunday and losses by Jacksonville and the New York Jets, the Ravens dominated Detroit and Chicago in consecutive weeks in impressive blowouts to set themselves up in this position. For Baltimore to reach the playoffs though, they must win at Heinz Field they are 2-8 since Heinz Field opened in 2001, they have had some tough losses at that place but they have to shake that away if they want to win. The Ravens control their own fate at this point in the season, if they dont make the playoffs it is on them.

The Steelers saved themselves and their season last week winning at the final gun over Green Bay on a Ben Rothlisberger touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, with that 37-36 win Pittsburgh gave itself new hope in the playoff race. Pittsburgh lost to the Ravens earlier this year, however Rothlisberger did not play, the Steelers will most definitely look to gain revenge and deal it's rival a blow to it's playoff hopes while giving themselves a boost. Unlike Baltimore however the Steelers need more outside help to get in, but they need to handle their business first on Sunday, the Steelers have an issue with their defense however, despite the win last week they were still lit up by Aaron Rodgers and have struggled as of late. A porous defense is not something the Steelers want to have going into the crunch weeks of the season.

The first game was a great one, a tough game that went into overtime and was greatly contested. Hopefully this one will be just as good as that one, and hopefully two certain posters will give us an encore in their rivalry in The Arena. (Lakersandravens and Stairway, I see y'all!)

What To Watch For
The Denver Broncos look to maintain control on their wild-card spot when they go to play the Philadelphia Eagles on the road on Sunday. The Broncos are 8-6 and clinch a playoff spot by winning their final two games, the Broncos blew an easy chance at improving their situation when they let Oakland steal win from them last week. It's not an easy order for Denver but they do control their fate. The Eagles however clinched a playoff spot in the NFC last week and sit at 10-4 and atop the NFC East ahead of the Cowboys by one game and trail Minnesota by one game for a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Eagles will welcome Brian Westbrook back to the team this week who will likely play a limited offensive role this week and also the Eagles welcome back former long-time Eagle and heart and soul of the team Brian Dawkins back to Philly.

The bickering Minnesota Vikings look to right the ship against the struggling Chicago Bears on Monday night. The Vikings are coming off their second poor performance in three weeks after their Sunday night loss to Carolina which was compounded by a disagreement between Brad Childress and quarterback Brett Favre. The Vikings have picked the wrong time to struggle both on the field and off the field, they have to get Adrian Peterson back involved, they need Percy Harvin back, they need Favre to not make mistakes, and they need the defense to step it up if they want to advance in the playoffs. They get the Bears this week who have have had their problems all season and Jay Cutler continues his mistake-filled play on the field, someone may get fired in Chicago at years end.

The Dallas Cowboys look to avoid a letdown and move closer to a playoff spot this week when they play the Washington Redskins. The Cowboys are coming off a huge win over New Orleans last week to move to 9-5 but that win will mean nothing if they lose this game. The Redskins could not have played worse last week when they were slaughtered by the New York Giants, 45-12 on Monday night. The Redskins will hope to bounce back and play spoiler against their rival this week.

The New York Jets who are mixed into a jumble of AFC 7-7 teams look to save their playoff hopes when the play the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. The Jets shot themselves in the foot last week after that loss to Atlanta and a loss would by all means eliminate the Jets from the playoff hunt, and the Jets have to go play for a win no matter who the Colts put on the field. Indy comes into this game still unbeaten at 14-0 and facing the same question from last week: Who will play and for how long? Peyton Manning is supposed to start this week for Indy against a desperate Jets team.

The New England Patriots look to clinch their division on Sunday when they meet the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Pats are 9-5 with a two game lead over Miami in the AFC East and can wrap it up with a win over 7-7 Jacksonville. The Patriots have not played their best football the last two weeks but yet still got wins they are in for another tough one on Sunday. The Jaguars lost a close one to the Colts last week and not hang by a thread in the AFC playoff race, a win over New England would do wonders for them. However at 7-7, they would need a lot of help to get into the playoffs.

The 8-6 New York Giants play host to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Giants come into this game at 8-6 but on the outside looking in when it comes to the NFC playoff race. A win coupled with losses by either Dallas or Green Bay will help the Giants, but New York has to focus on the task at hand. The Giants dominated the Redskins last week from start to finish in a impressive victory and now have to follow it up with another win this week. Carolina has no hope for the playoffs but can play spoiler and the season on a good finish, and can give the Giants trouble if they play like they played when they defeated Minnesota last week.

New Orleans looks to take out some frustration after losing it's first game and undefeated season against Dallas last week when they play Tampa Bay this week. The Saints got outplayed last week en route to a 24-17 loss and look to bounce back, the Saints had played with fire the last few weeks and finally got burned. The Saints are a great team and should respond well, but N.O. still has problems that need to be fixed before playoff time.

The Green Bay Packers look to shake off that tough loss against Pittsburgh when they meet a struggling Seattle squad on Sunday. Green Bay lost a heartbreaker but still sit good in the playoff race in the NFC, they take on a Seahawks team that seems to have hit rock bottom. I don't see Green Bay losing this one at all, especially after the way Seattle played against Tampa last week.

Two 7-7 teams meet in a game where the loser is eliminated from the playoff race, when the Houston Texans visit the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins lost a tough one in overtime against Tennessee last week which dropped them to 7-7 and losing control of their playoff destiny. The Texans beat St. Louis last week to keep their slim playoff chances alive, while a win doesn't ensure a playoff spot for either team a win keeps them with hope for a playoff spot. Also, the Texans look to keep up their chances for the first winning season in franchise history.

The now NFC West champion Arizona Cardinals host the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. The Cardinals beat Detroit last week and clinched the division when San Francisco lost to Philly last week, they now have another game against a lowly team when they meet St. Louis. The Cardinals still have faint hopes of catching Minnesota for a first round bye in the NFC. This should be a game where the Cardinals roll from start to finish.

Detroit meets San Francisco on Sunday, the Lions wind down another tough season yet again and then 49ers look to finish up a disappointing campaign on a high note. Both teams lost last week in tough games, and hopefully this one could be a good one. I look for Frank Gore to have a big game on the Lions defense.

The Cincinnati Bengals look to finally clinch a playoff berth after losses to two of the NFL's best teams in back to back weeks. The Bengals take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that can finally earn them that playoff spot. The Bengals have had it tough the past few weeks with the two losses and the tragic death of teammate Chris Henry, the Bengals would like nothing more than to finish strong this year and go into the playoffs with some momentum after all they have been through this year.

The Atlanta Falcons host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Falcons after making the playoffs with an 11-5 record last year will miss the playoffs this year but look to earn back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in franchise history. The Falcons defense played a great game last week in keep them into the game against the Jets and allowed Matt Ryan to win them a tough game. Buffalo winds down another disappointing season and comes into this game with injuries at the QB spot, Fred Jackson however has been a bright spot.

Two teams with exciting victories last week play on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns host the Oakland Raiders. The Browns are coming off a high scoring thriller with Kansas City last week winning 41-34, Josh Cribbs and Jerome Harrison were the stars of the game for Cleveland and look to be two pieces the Browns can build with as Mike Holmgren takes over the Browns now in the front office. The Raiders stole a 20-19 win over the Broncos last week after Jamarcus Russell pulled the game out with a touchdown pass to Chaz Schillens late for the win. Russell got in the game after injuries to both Charlie Frye and J.P. Losman, Frye however will get the start on Sunday.

Paul's Picks
Bills @ Falcons
Chiefs @ Bengals
Raiders @ Browns
Seahawks @ Packers
Ravens @ Steelers
Texans @ Dolphins
Panthers @ Giants
Jaguars @ Patriots
Bucs @ Saints
Rams @ Cardinals
Lions @ 49ers
Broncos @ Eagles
Jets @ Colts
Cowboys @ Redskins
Vikings @ Bears (MNF)


Ok folks, that's it until next time. Be sure to watch for my Week 16 wrap-up which will come on Tuesday, y'all be sure to enjoy this week of NFL football we have here. Be sure to come and drop comments on what you read, remember y'all the ones I do it for.