Broncos 23-10 Bengals

If you want an idea on how bad the Bengals season has been after their 4-1 start, look at the fact that they’re considering Hue Jackson as a top contender to take the head coaching job next year. Andy Dalton is out for the year, AJ Green is dealing with a toe injury, and their defense is the worst in the league. Yikes. The Broncos deserve serious props for ending both the Steelers and Chargers winning streaks in back to back games. They have the third bet defense in the league, as well as the third best rushing attack in the league. Phillip Lindsay has been the surprise rookie this year, and Case Keenum has improved with coaching adjustments. There’s nothing that suggests the Broncos won’t keep their streak going.

Packers 31-20 Cardinals

The Packers playoffs hopes might not be officially over, but the reality is that they most likely won’t be playing in January. They need a lot to go right in the next 5 weeks. Playing the Josh Rosen-led Cardinals at home is a start.

Rams 40-17 Lions

The Lions are simply a mess. Matt Patricia hasn’t done much in his first year. They have one of the worst rushing defenses in the league, so a match-up with potential MVP Todd Gurley won’t be pretty. With Marvin Jones on IR and Kerryon Johnson probably out, the Lions should get dominated on both sides of the ball by one of the best teams in the league off of bye.

Panthers 30-24 Buccaneers

The Panthers season will pretty much be decided here. After a frustrating loss to the Seahawks, the Panthers are officially in a slump. They also have to play the Saints twice over the last five weeks, which isn’t exactly what a team fighting for a playoff spot wants. They will need a win in order to stay in contention for the NFC Wildcard spot.

Colts 27-16 Jaguars

The Colts are winners of five straight, and Andrew Luck, who has been sacked so much over the years, has been sacked just once over the last 6 weeks. I’m starting to think Eric Ebron is better than Gronk. Seriously. On the other hand, the Jags are of course in shambles after losing 7 straight after a 3-1 start. Jalen Ramsey made headlines last week for calling players on the Bills trash, and then preceded to get beat by the worst offense in the league. The amount of talent the Jags have is still there, but they simply aren’t playing good this year. Leonard Fournette will be out from suspension, and Cody Kessler isn’t much better (or worse) than Blake Bortles.

Falcons 22-23 Ravens

Lamar Jackson is now 2-0 as a starter, but his wins were against the lowly Bengals and pathetic Raiders. Sunday will be his biggest test so far. If Jackson wins on Sunday, the Ravens will be hesitant to bench him when Joe Flacco returns next week. The Falcons have stumbled to 4-7, but still have slim playoff chances. The Ravens have a 41 percent chance of making the playoffs, while the Falcons are a long shot at 4 percent.

Bears 19-13 Giants

In this game, it should be clear why the Bears are 8-3 and why Eli Manning is on his last leg. The Bears defense is simply dominant. Yes, Khalil Mack is a big part of it, but Akiem Hicks, Roquan Smith and Eddie Jackson are all key parts of their success. Regardless of if Mitchell Trubisky returns or not, the Bears should win this game.

Dolphins 20-17 Bills

Josh Allen has finally given the Bills some kind of hope after a disastrous season. The Dolphins may be the most average team in the league, as they are statistically below the league average on both sides of the ball,  but the fact that they still have playoff hopes should motivate them to win over the leagues second worst offense.

Texans 28-23 Browns

The Texans have probably the most unimpressive 8 game winning streak in recent memory, but the fact is that a win is a win. With the Browns, Colts, Jets, Eagles, and Jags set to close out the Texans season, there’s a real chance that the streak carries on into the playoffs. In this game, the Texans dominant defensive line should help cool Baker Mayfield’s hot streak.

Titans 31-10 Jets

While the Titans may have gotten crushed last week, they are still a solid team. The Jets are not. With the Titans likely needing to win out to have a real playoff chance, they should have no mercy on one of the most pathetic franchises in football.

Chiefs 45-24 Raiders

With the Raiders likely tanking, the Chiefs are due for another offensive massacre. There is no one on the Raiders defense who can compete with the speed of Tyreek Hill, the arm of Patrick Mahomes, or the legs of Kareem Hunt. The Chiefs will continue to be the top dog in the AFC.

Seahawks 27-17 49ers

Russell Wilson has carried his team into the playoff picture. With a third string quarterback on deck, the Seahawks shouldn’t have many problems improving their resume.

Vikings 23-24 Patriots

With a 6-4-1 record and chasing the Bears, a Patriots match-up comes at the absolute worst time for the Vikings. This should be the best game this week. Tom Brady has finally taken a step back this season, but he has still been efficient and has still done what he does best: win football games. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen post a challenge for any team, and with Dalvin Cook finally fully healthy, the Vikings have an array of weapons. Their defense has also been solid this year on the heels of Danielle Hunter and Harrison Smith, but you need more than that to beat Bill Belichick.

Chargers 34-31 Steelers

The Chargers will be missing Melvin Gordon in a crucial Sunday Night showdown. The Chargers are just one game back of the Chiefs, and if they want the division, they have to win this game. It won’t be easy, but Phillip Rivers has had one of the best years of his career and Austin Ekeler is one of the best backup running backs in the league. This will be a great game, and features the likes of Antonio Brown and Juju Smith-Schuster going against the likes of Casey Hayward and Desmond King. Whoever wins will probably be favorites (along with the Pats) to beat the Chiefs in the playoffs.

Eagles 31-17 Redskins

The Eagles seem destined to join the list of Super Bowl Champions who missed the playoffs the next year. But don’t forget about what got the Eagles their title in the first place: their fight. They should stick around in the playoff picture until the end, and I expect them to win a crucial prime time game.