Five NFL Games to Watch in Week 15

So with the end of the season fast approaching, teams are in full playoff swing: with the way the 2014 season has played out, it looks like both the AFC and NFC might have ten win teams that will not make the playoffs — something that happened to the Arizona Cardinals last year. So in our excitement for week 15 football, uSports thought it would recommend five NFL games to watch this coming Sunday.

Dishonorable Mentions

New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans

New York Giants vs. Washington

Could not decide which was a worse game to watch: unfortunately, my unrequited love for the Giants will force me to observe the latter. All four teams combine for a record of 11-41: which means if any of these teams were in the NFC South then they would have a shot for the division title.

Games to Watch

Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots

Perhaps only a few find this game interesting: the Dolphins, who are a good team on paper, have yet to get over the proverbial hump. Every year, it seems like they go on this midseason run to ultimately blow it in November and December. On the other side of the ball, the Patriots are in playoff form: with their offense looking virtually unbeatable. Will Miami’s sixth rank defense be able to stop the unstoppable? Furthermore, how will Belichick run his offense: Miami has been amazing stopping the pass (3), but average stopping the run (22). Will he try to establish the run with his middling running game (19) or continue to dominate with Brady through the air (7)?

Pick: New England Patriots

San Francisco 49ers v. Seattle Seahawks

At the moment, it looks like any semblance of playoff hope for the 49ers is out the window: but usually this rivalry equals to some fantastic television — will anyone ever forget Richard Sherman trash talking Michael Crabtree after the NFC Championship game? And the division rivals’ record in the 2010s is deadlocked at 5-5: perhaps the horrendous 19-3 home loss for 49ers is not a good example. But for the sake of good football, lets hope San Francisco bounces back from two straight abysmal losses.

Pick: Seattle Seahawks

Cincinnati Bengals v. Cleveland Browns

Let’s be honest, this game shot to the top of our list once Johnny Manziel was confirmed to start. It became even more interesting when Bengals coach called Manziel a “midget.” But this is not solely interesting because of the rookie QB: the AFC North is still completely up for grabs with the first place Bengals (8-4-1) taking on the last placed Browns (7-6). Will Johnny Football give the Browns that last second playoff push or will he crash and burn in his first start? Either way, this type of scenario is why football fans wake up on Sunday.

Pick: Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys v. Philadelphia Eagles

Now, the Cowboys vs. Eagles game was not much of a competition last time: with Philadelphia destroying America’s team on Thanksgiving 33-10. But despite Tony Romo history, uSports believes this will be a game to watch: we will even go out on a limb and say the Cowboys will be out for revenge. But DeMarco Murray needs to do a lot better than the previous Eagles game to secure that: if Dallas controls the tempo, then they will have a fantastic shot. As for the Eagles, the offense — the main redeeming quality of the team — was out of sync against Seattle: if they want to beat Dallas, they need to fix Mark Sanchez fast.

Pick: Dallas Cowboys

San Diego Chargers v. Denver Broncos

Will the San Diego Chargers get over the hump and contend for the AFC West title? Or will the Denver Broncos maintain their stranglehold over the division? These are two questions that will be answered Sunday when the 10-3 Broncos go to San Diego to fight off the 8-5 Chargers. The last time the two teams met, the Chargers were on a bit of a slide — in the midst of a three game losing streak — but they have somewhat regained their footing, despite losing to New England last week. Again, Philip Rivers is exceptional in December — 30-8 record, 67 touchdowns, 21 interceptions and a rating of 98.2 — but will that be enough to stop Peyton Manning: uSports is certainly excited to find out.

Pick: Denver Broncos