Friday Afternoon Quarterback for NFL Week 15

BY ADAM GREENE

If you managed to get on Twitter last night and pull yourself away, even for a moment, from the pulse-pounding excitement of the Baltimore Ravens’ 42-21 victory over the New York Jets, you maybe you noticed a trend.

Specifically, this was all Jets head coach Adam Gase’s fault. For some reason Twitter felt that with better coaching the New York Jets could have somehow competed and even defeated the current best team in the NFL.

Who takes this Jets team into Baltimore and wins this game? I’m not defending everything Gase has done in New York this season, but what universe was this going to be a ‘W?’ Fire him. Don’t fire him, but this game isn’t the metric to judge Gase’s performance as a head coach this season.

The Bengals loss was.

Let’s pick some games.

SUNDAY

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (+10, O/U 41.5)

All the jokes about the Patriots needed to cheat against the Bengals have been made long before you’ll click on this column. But let me just put out this little nugget; as much handwringing that’s going around about the Patriots and their “down” 10-3 season, watch the sportsworld go nuclear if they lose this game. They won’t, but it’s fun to think about for a while. PATRIOTS 28, BENGALS 14

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS AT DETROIT LIONS (+4, O/U 45.5)

It’s time for Jameis Winston to really put in his auditions to be the back up on a good team next year. If I’m Tampa Bay, I’m ready to cut bait. Or crab legs, as it were. BUCS 27, LIONS 10

CHICAGO BEARS AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (-4, O/U 40.5)

Mitchell Trubisky has put together a nice December and hopefully he’ll continue to do so. It just won’t matter in this one. PACKERS 28, BEARS 20

HOUSTON TEXANS AT TENNESSEE TITANS (-3, O/U 51.5)

The Titans are streaking, they’ve got one of the hottest quarterbacks in the league under center and this would be just the right time for Mike Vrable to completely ruin everything. But Bill O’Brien will beat him to it. TITANS 23, TEXANS 20

DENVER BRONCOS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (-10, O/U 45)

This game looks a lot better now than it did two weeks ago. The Chiefs will still kill them, but for a quarter, this one will really be worth watching. CHIEFS 38, BRONCOS 20

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK GIANTS (-3.5, O/U 46.5)

Somebody is really going to mess up their draft position by winning this game and since Pat Shurmer is pretending he won’t get fired at the end of the season, I’m sure it’ll be New York. GIANTS 23, DOLPHINS 20

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT WASHINGTON REDSKINS (+5, O/U 39)

Dwayne Haskins is now 2-3 as the Redskins starter this season which, if recent Washington QB play is any indication, should have already earned him a spot in the Ring of Honor. EAGLES 27, REDSKINS 13

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (+6.5, O/U 49)

A few weeks ago this game might have made Seattle a little nervous, but the Panthers have already folded their tent, loaded it up in the back of the truck and are sitting in the passenger seat with the engine running pointing at their watch. SEAHAWKS 31, PANTHERS 16

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT OAKLAND RAIDERS (-6.5, O/U 45.5)

I will say it again. This is the team Jon Gruden fielded on purpose this season. Sure, you could say minus Antonio Brown, but how big a difference would that have made at this point? Eight years and $80 million left of this, Raiders. RAIDERS 20, JAGUARS 17

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (+3, O/U 49)

After a nice win over the Bengals, this is just the type of game the Browns would lose. And they will. CARDINALS 27, BROWNS 26

MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (+1.5, O/U 45)

The Vikings probably have to win out to keep their playoff spot. The Chargers are just playing to stay inside the continental United States at this point. CHARGERS 31, VIKINGS 24

LOS ANGELES RAMS AT DALLAS COWBOYS (+1, O/U 48.5)

If the Vikings do stumble, the Rams take over the final Wild Card spot with a win over the Cowboys. In two games against Dallas, Sean McVay and the Rams have scored 35 and 30 points and the third-year head coach is 2-0 against Jason Garrett. If L.A. is going to stumble in its playoff push, it shouldn’t be this week. RAMS 34, COWBOYS 20

ATLANTA FALCONS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (-11, O/U 48)

It’s Dan Quinn vs his old offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The last time these two guys teamed up they blew a 28-3 lead to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI. You’ll probably not hear a thing about that Sunday. 49ERS 41, FALCONS 23

SUNDAY NIGHT

BUFFALO BILLS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-1, O/U 37)

Here’s where our playoff math starts to come in. If the Titans beat the Texans and the Steelers lose this game, then Houston is the sixth seed and Pittsburgh is outside looking in. If the Texans beat Tennessee, then the Steelers are still the sixth seed win or lose. I think the Bills get them. Sean McDermott is building something in Buffalo. BILLS 20, STEELERS 17

MONDAY

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-8, O/U 46.5)

The Saints lost first place in the NFC and a shootout against the San Francisco 49ers at home last week. They’ll take it out on the Colts Monday night. SAINTS 41, COLTS 26

THIS WEEK

STRAIGHT UP: 1-0
AGAINST THE SPREAD: 0-1

LAST WEEK

STRAIGHT UP: 12-4
AGAINST THE SPREAD: 7-9

SEASON

STRAIGHT UP: 135-72-1
AGAINST THE SPREAD: 114-94

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