Were it not for the setback they suffered in Philadelphia, the New Orleans Saints would have come to their duel against the Kansas City Chiefs on equal terms: with the first planting of their conference.
The reality is different, though not very different. The Saints have the second best mark in the NFC just for the tiebreaker, but that does not detract from the duel against the Chiefs and the two come with a combined score of 22-4 (846), the fourth highest for a match scheduled for Week 15 or later in the Super Bowl era (1966).
Also, Kansas City’s visit to New Orleans is the only duel in which the faces with winning teams will be seen this week.
When two teams with the best marks in their conferences meet at this time of the regular season, several like to describe this duel as an advanced Super Bowl. We’ll see if in seven weeks, Chiefs and Saints live up to that prediction.
NOTE: The picks of each expert are in uppercase and lowercase.
ALFONSO Mancilla / Twitter: @poncho_mancilla
– HAVE THE PACKERS SHOWN ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED FAVORITE TO WIN THE NFC TITLE?
The coldness of the numbers supports this idea. Thanks to another great year from Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers arrive in Week 15 with the best attack in the league (31.5 points on average per game). Looking at the defensive performance and experience that head coach Matt Lafleur has surely gained, the 2020 version of Green Bay is better than the one that in 2019 stayed in the NFC Finals.
The doubt Green Bay needs to clear in the postseason is about their ability to beat teams that oppose an ironic defensive strategy. It is no coincidence that their defeats this season have been against Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Indianapolis, squads that managed to neutralize Rodgers, Davante Adams and Aaron Jones.
Of course, the Packers’ chances of reaching the Super Bowl would rise compared to 2019, if they keep the first seed in the NFC and play the Playoffs at home.
FANTASY Predictions
QB with more yards by air: Josh Allen (Buffalo), 390 yards
RB with more yards per floor: Derrick Henry (Tennessee), 135 yards
Defensive that will allow fewer points: Bouquets (6 points)
PICKS
BUFFALO against Denver
SAN FRANCISCO against Dallas
N. England vs. MIAMI
Philadelphia Vs. ARIZONA
KANSAS CITY vs. N. Orleans
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TAMPA BAY vs. Atlanta
EDUARDO VARELA / Twitter: @LaloVarelaTV
– CAN THE STEELERS KEEP THE WAY TO WIN THE NORTH AFC TITLE?
The Steelers are still a good team and have to win the division. For the Postseason, Mike Tomlin must have fixed the situation on his offense and run more with the ball. Beyond the balance, it is the lack of forcefulness with his runners and the excess of passes with Ben Roethlisberger that has affected his attack. The strange defense to Devin Bush and Bud Dupree, but they can fix without them.
FANTASY Predictions
QB with more yards by air: Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh), 360 yards
RB with more yards per floor: Derrick Henry (Tennessee), 150 yards
Defensive that will allow fewer points: Pittsburgh (9 points)
PICKS
BUFFALO against Denver
Sant Francesc vs. DALLAS
N. England vs. MIAMI
Philadelphia Vs. ARIZONA
KANSAS CITY vs. N. Orleans
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Detroit Vs. TENNESSEE
SEBASTIÁN M. CHRISTENSEN / Twitter: @SebastianMCESPN
– DOES THE SAINTS ‘OFFENSIVE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ENGAGE IN AN EXPLOSIVE DUEL WITH THE ATTACK OF THE CHIEFS?
I do not think so. The rest of the league seems to have adapted to Taysom Hill in the last two weeks, as the Saints have scored just an average of 21 points in recent games. Drew Brees is getting closer and closer to coming back and New Orleans needs him.
Having said that, if Hill is behind center, you should allow him to use his legs more and not try to prove to the world that he can be a pure pocket quarterback. Likewise, these Saints are not a team that is going to score 37 points per game, rather, they are a balanced team that has an elite defense.
The Chiefs have not won any of their last five games by more than six points and while they seem to have room for error, they are not as up to date as they were last year. I don’t think it’s an explosive attacking duel but a closed game with fewer points than expected, as happened in the duel between Kansas City and Denver.
FANTASY Predictions
QB with more yards by air: Jared Goff (Rams), 412 yards
RB with more yards per floor: Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis), 171 yards
Defensive that will allow fewer points: Bouquets (9 points)
PICKS
BUFFALO vs. Denver
SAN FRANCISCO vs. Dallas
N. England vs. MIAMI
PHILADELPHIA vs. Arizona
KANSAS CITY vs. N. Orleans
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Chicago Vs. MINNESOTA
CARLOS NAVA / Twitter: @TapaNava
Of course Derrick Henry should be considered in the race for the MVP appointment. He is the undisputed leader of his offensive. Without him, the Titans would not be close to winning their first divisional championship since 2008.
Henry has more yards and touchdowns per run than anyone else in the league, totals seven games of 100 or more yards, a couple of games of at least 200 yards and always lifts the helmet in the toughest games and against major rivals. For example, he scored three times and surpassed the hundred yards in the first half of the victory over the Colts in Week 10, a performance that climbed Inidianapolis to first place in the AFC South, where they have remained ever since. .
FANTASY Predictions
QB with more yards by air: Tom Brady (Tampa Bay), 412 yards
RB with more yards per floor: Derrick Henry (Tennessee), 189 yards
Defensive that will allow fewer points: Pittsburgh (10 points)
PICKS
BUFFALO against Denver
SAN FRANCISCO against Dallas
N. England vs. MIAMI
Philadelphia Vs. ARIZONA
KANSAS CITY vs. N. Orleans
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Houston Vs. INDIANAPOLIS
IVIS ABURTO / Twitter: @IvisAburto
– CAN THE DEFENSIVE LOAD THE WASHINGTON TEAM IN MOURNING IN FRONT OF THE SEAHAHKS?
One would think that a trip from the West Coast to the East Coast to play at 1 pm ET, time that in the biological clock of who makes the trip is 10 in the morning, and do it in front of a defensive that has dominated in the recent weeks is reason enough to consider the Seattle Seahawks arriving as victims in the duel against Washington.
However, the Seahawks have the best win percentage (846, 11-2 mark) when they play at 1.pm on the U.S. East Coast since 2015 and another incentive they have is that a win puts them in the Playoffs.
Washington’s defense is one of the most pressured by rival quarterbacks in the last four weeks (58 pressures) and they often penetrate the protection bag and annoy rival rivals. The duel will not be easy for Russell Wilson and his offense, but the experience will have a specific weight against a Washington team that is in the process of learning to win important games.
FANTASY Predictions
QB with more yards by air: Tom Brady (Tampa Bay), 390 yards
RB with more yards per floor: Derrick Henry (Tennessee), 150 yards
defensive which will allow fewer points: Bouquets (7 points)
PICKS
BUFFALO vs. Denver
SAN FRANCISCO vs. Dallas
N. ENGLAND vs. Miami
PHILADELPHIA vs. Arizona
KANSAS CITY vs. N. Orleans
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CLEVELAND vs. Giants
PABLO Viruega / Twitter: @PabloViruega
– DOES IT AFFECT THE NFL THAT DALLAS COWBOYS ARE NOT TRANSCENDENT?
It will always come in handy in all professional leagues that the most popular teams do well in the season. Dallas Cowboys is a team that will always give something to talk about, for all those teams that go for it and for all those that hate it. For something year after year we see them in prime time no matter how they have gone in previous years, but there are things that can not be sustained and in the end the most important thing for any professional league will be to present the best product for have the best rating levels. Dallas is a very important team for the NFL, but this season it is not playing at a level that is appealing to the viewer.
FANTASY Predictions
QB with more yards by air: Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay), 390 yards
RB with more yards per floor: Derrick Henry (Tennessee), 175 yards
Defensive that will allow fewer points: Bouquets (16 points)
PICKS
BUFFALO against Denver
SAN FRANCISCO against Dallas
N. England vs. MIAMI
PHILADELPHIA against Arizona
KANSAS CITY vs. N. Orleans
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SEATTLE against Washington