Dowdle has been hot these past two weeks after a rough start to the season, eclipsing the 100 yard mark in back to back games for the first time in his career. He is receiving a good amount of carries too, so volume shouldn’t prove to be a problem. This week against the league’s worst rushing defense, he should continue his hot streak.
Adams has been getting a ton of looks from old friend Aaron Rodgers in recent weeks. As the Jets’ season spirals more and more out of control, Rodgers has turned to the receiver he has connected with the most in his career. He has gotten over 10 targets in 4 out of the 5 games. With that type of volume, especially against a terrible Jacksonville defense, he should get enough targets to start in any playoff lineup.
The Eagles have become a tough matchup for wide receivers this year. This due to the presence of defensive rookie of the year favorite Quinyon “Quintonamo Bay” Mitchell. He has been left on an island in coverage against some of the best wide receivers in the game and delivered shutdown performances game in and game out. Add that to the presence of perennial pro bowl corner Darius Slay at the opposite side of the field, and Avonte Maddox covering the slot, throwing on the birds has proved to be a challenge. Pickens is coming off an injury and won’t be 100% in this game (if he even plays) – which you need to be against this star studded secondary.
On the list of most disappointing players this season, rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. has to be near the top, if not at the top. Many thought coming into the season if there was any chance of the Cardinals being good, the connection between the generational receiver prospect and his franchise quarterback Kyler Murray had to be great. Although the Cardinals have been competitive this season, Murray and Harrison have not found a rhythm, even this late into the season. It’s possible they find one through the Cardinals playoff push, but at this point it isn’t likely. Harrison just isn’t reliable enough to be a starter in the playoffs.
The script has totally flipped between these two teams. The Bucs were one of the teams most crippled by injuries earlier in the season, missing key pieces on both sides of the ball. This forced them to incorporate both young and veteran players into their system. These players have added needed complexity to the overall offense. Incorporating a split backfield rushing attack has added dimensions the team previously lacked. The Bucs have flipped from a team that relied on its Baker Mayfield led passing attack, to a team that uses passing to compliment its good run game. That’s how the Chargers started out, they ran first with running back JK Dobbins and used the pass sparingly. However recently, the Chargers have been forced to lean more and more on star quarterback Justin Herbert with an injury to the aforementioned Dobbins. These teams have changed, the Bucs have gotten better and the Chargers have gotten worse, that should show on Sunday with a Bucs’ win. – Will, (3-3)
For this week, I’m choosing the Buffalo Bills over the Detroit Lions in Detroit. Although the Lions are still standing at a whopping 12-1 record, and they’ll have home field advantage, I believe that the Bills have a chance to play their cards right and put their potential MVP quarterback, Josh Allen, to good use. Allen had a great game against the Rams, passing for 342 yards and picking up 6 touchdowns. Not only that, but Allen has been performing well in away games this season. Buffalo is also consistent running the ball, with the 7th ranked best rush success rate in the league. On paper, the Bills are one of the best teams in the league, alongside being a fun team to watch, giving the Lions a tough matchup for Sunday football. – Isaiah, (5-2)
It is clear why this game is big for Arizona. They are right in the middle of the hunt for their division as well as for an NFC Wild Card spot, but there’s bad news, Week 15 is crucial to staying alive for Arizona. The Cardinals have two division losses to Seattle who are first in the West. It now looks like Arizona has little chance of winning their division, so the most realistic way to make the playoffs is through the wildcard. When looking at this game, the Patriots have continued to show improvement on offense. Drake Maye has three straight games over 200 passing yards and has a passing touchdown in 5 straight games. I think the Patriots will be able to get pressure on Kyler Murray who continues to struggle down the stretch of the season with 4 touchdowns and 5 interceptions over the last four weeks. Those struggles will continue because Kyler looks very out of sorts and the Patriots have improved through the season. Defensively both of these teams are lackluster but I trust Drake Maye to protect the ball over Kyler Murray, so that’s why I’m taking the Patriots over the Cardinals.