1. Kansas City Chiefs (7-2) ◄►

BYE Week Review

The Chiefs are coming off a big win over the Dolphins prior to the bye in week 10.

Kansas City picked up a pair of de facto “wins” during their bye week—in the form of losses by the Ravens and Jaguars.

KC enters the weekend with a one-game advantage over their closest foes in the AFC’s race for the number one seed. The Chiefs are enjoying a three-game edge in the loss column in the division.

Philadelphia Eagles Preview 

Monday, November 20
5:15 pm PT, ABC/ESPN

The Chiefs may have put the AFC on notice by limiting Miami to 14 points. This week they have a chance to put the NFL on notice with the Philadelphia Eagles coming to Kansas City for a Monday Night match up.

Both teams had an extra week of rest as they are coming off byes.

The Chiefs’ offensive line will need to play better this week than they did against Miami. The Dolphins pressured Mahomes 11 times and had a strip sack.

The Philly front seven is far more formidable than that of the Dolphins. If the Chiefs can control the line of scrimmage, they could make the Eagles pay.

The Philly passing attack was on target against Dallas, but the passing defense two weeks ago was not.

My Pick: Chiefs 26, Eagles 24

[Advice: Kansas City is a three-point favorite at home, I think the Chiefs win the game, but Philly keeps it within three. The total will go over 46]

2. San Francisco 49ers (6-3) ◄►

Jaguars Review 

San Francisco got healthy and they looked like a dominant team once again.

The Jags and Niners entered going in different directions. San Francisco had not won in a month while Jacksonville had a five-game winning streak. Needless to say, the Niners looked like they were back.

Under Kyle Shanahan, San Fran has been a very good late-season team going 32-20 in November, December, and January.

Brock Purdy looked like his old self and the defense got immediate impact from newly acquired Chase Young. The 49ers sacked Trevor Lawrence five times and hit him 10 more times.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Preview 

Sunday, November 19
1:05 pm PT, FOX

This week, San Fransisco will get a visit from Tampa Bay. The Bucs also righted their ship last week breaking a four-game losing streak with a 20-6 win over Tennessee.

The Bucs’ offense still could not get the running game going as they averaged 2.7 yards per carry. Tampa averages an NFL-worst 3.1 yards per carry this season.

The 49ers front seven could have a field day.

My Pick: 49ers 27, Buccaneers 14

[Advice: San Francisco is favored by 11, and they will cover that at home. The point total is set at 41.5 and looks to be almost spot on. I’ll go under by the half point.]

3. Seattle Seahawks (6-3) ◄►

Commanders Review 

Geno Smith rebounded from his worst game in a Seattle uniform with a solid performance against Washington.

Smith did not turn over the football after having eight in his prior four games.

The offense was not all good against the Commanders though. The Seahawks entered Week 10 ranked 30th in third-down conversions and converted on just 4-of-14 attempts in the win.

Los Angeles Rams Preview 

Sunday, November 19
1:25 pm PT, CBS

Seattle has been waiting for the rematch with the Rams since the week one meeting ended. The Seahawks were outscored 23-0 after halftime in the opener in Seattle.

The teams are heading in different directions now. The Rams have lost three in a row and sit at 3-6 while Seattle is 6-3.

If the Seahawks want to avenge the first loss of the season, they will need to produce something on the ground and Geno Smith will have to take care of the football.

My Pick: Seattle 20, Rams 17

[Advice: The Seahawks are one-point favorites on the road, and they will win the game and it will be by more than a solo point. This one will go just over the 46-points on offer.]

4. Denver Broncos (4-5) ▲1

Bills Review 

Denver was 1-5 and gave up 70 points to the Dolphins. They have now won three in a row with a pair of two of them coming over the Chiefs and Bills, two of the supposed AFC heaveys.

Now I say “superseded” because while the Chiefs are good, Buffalo is fraudulent. But it’s still a big win for Denver in Buffalo.

The Broncos forced four turnovers and controlled the ball for over 37 minutes, that is a good way to beat Josh Allen. (Also, as shocking as it sounds Allen actually leads the NFL with 11 interceptions thrown this season).

The point is, Denver is making a push at being a legitimate playoff contender.

Minnesota Vikings Preview 

Sunday, November 19
5:20 pm PT, NBC

It will be back-to-back primetime games for Denver. The Broncos will host Minnesota next Sunday night.

The Vikes will enter that one even hotter than Denver. Minnesota has won five in a row and after a 1-4 start are sitting at 6-4 with playoff aspirations of their own.

Kirk Cousins is out but Josh Dobbs has been great since he stepped in after being traded from Arizona.

The Vikings running game has struggled this season, but Denver is last in the NFL in run defense. That could end up being a difference maker and I think the Broncos have the edge with their run D.

The Vikings have the longest win streak in the NFL currently and will be tough to beat, Justin Jefferson also might be returning to the lineup this week.

At home, I think Denver has a slight edge.

My Pick: Broncos 23, Vikings 21

[Advice: Denver is favored by 1.5 early, but this one will be close by Denver gets the cover. The total is set at 43.5. I see this one hitting 44. Go the over, but tentatively.]

5. Las Vegas Raiders (5-5) ▲1

Jets Review 

The Raiders are 2-0 under Antonio Pierce. Las Vegas is at .500 and in the two wins under the new head coach have won putting up points against the Giants and got a defensive victory over the Jets.

As you can see, the two wins were over the two New York teams, not the juggernauts of the league this season.

The Raiders certainly do have momentum and more energy in the last two weeks. Josh Jacobs also ran for a season-high 116 yards in the win over the Jets.

The Raiders have to hope they will get more of that, and Jacobs is starting to find his 2022 form.

Miami Dolphins Preview 

Sunday, November 19
10:00 am PT, CBS

Beating the Jets and Giants is one thing, getting a win in Miami is another ball of wax.

The Dolphins are coming off a bye week following their tough loss to KC in Germany.

Miami’s explosive offense will be too much for the Raiders to handle.

My Pick: Dolphins 32, Raiders 17

[Advice: The Dolphins are a 12-point favorite in South Florida, and they will cover that over Vegas. The point total is set at 48 and it will go just over that.]

6. Los Angeles Chargers (4-5) ▼2

Lions Review 

The Chargers entered week 10 winning four of their last six as they reached the .500 mark. They are back below that mark after the loss to the Lions.

The good news is that Justin Herbert looks like he is back. After having the worst game of his career statistically with just 136 yards passing, he threw for 323 against Detroit. That was his highest passing total since week 3.

The bad news is the defense let them down. When the offense struggled against the Jets, it was the defense that bailed them out. This week the offense got it back and the D allowed a season-high 41 points.

Against the run, L.A. was especially bad. A unit that entered Week 10 eighth best in the NFL against the Run allowed the Lions to rush for 177 yards and three touchdowns in the first half!

Detroit would end with 200 on the day along with 333 in the air.

Green Bay Packers Preview 

Sunday, November 19
10:00 am PT, FOX

The Packers offense has nowhere near the firepower of Detroit. The Pack rank 21st in the league in offense and 21st in rushing offense.

So, the numbers point to a successful day for Los Angeles. Green Bay was able to move the ball much more effectively against the Steelers last week than they have this season.

The issue in their loss was inside the 20 and laid squarely with Jordan Love. The QB had a pick in the scoring zone and missed some open receivers that could have turned the game in favor of GB.

L.A. is 1-4 this season against teams with a winning record and 3-1 against teams with losing records, Green Bay is three games under .500.

Los Angeles should have no trouble getting back to .500 with a road win over the Packers.

My Pick: Chargers 27, Packers 17

[Advice: The Chargers are favored by three on the road, and they will get that cover. The over/under is set at 44 and that is exactly what I see this one hitting, so if you get a half-point either way, take it. For the sake of my record keeping, I’ll say over…. but if it is a push, I may have to call it a win.]

7. Los Angeles Rams (3-6) ◄►

BYE Week Review

The bye week came at a good time to get Matthew Stafford healthy. The QB is expected to be back from his thumb injury.

Things were not pretty offensively for the Rams against Green Bay without Stafford. L.A. is riding a three-game losing streak.

Seattle Seahawks Preview 

Sunday, November 19
1:25 pm PT, CBS

The Rams failed to gain more than 100 yards in either half against the Packers and the Seahawks will offer a much more difficult challenge than Green Bay did.

The Rams defense was able to create turnovers two weeks ago but the offense could not capitalize. If L.A. can force Geno Smith into errors, then, they could have a path to a sweep of Seattle.

Stafford will not come up empty on the takeaways. The offense will be better if Stafford is back, but in the final outcome, it may not matter who is starting under center.

My Pick: Seattle 20, Rams 17

[Advice: The Seahawks are one-point favorites on the road, they will win the game and it will be by more than a solo point. This one will go just over the 46-points on offer.]

8. Arizona Cardinals (2-8) ◄►

Falcons Review 

Joshua Dobbs continues to have success in Minnesota, but there is a reason the Cardinals were able to part with him. That reason is Kyler Murray.

Arizona has played hard in just about every game this season and has played a lot of close games. Kyler Murray may just give them that edge to get over the hump in those tight games.

The offense looked reinvigorated against Atlanta.

Trey McBride may have been the player that benefited the most from the return of QB1 as the former Colorado State TE went over 100 yards for the first time in his career with 131 on the day.

Houston Texans Preview 

Sunday, November 19
10:00 am PT, CBS

The Cardinals are coming off a big win and so are the Texans. Houston got a three-point win over the Bengals.

CJ Stroud looks like the favorite for Rookie of the Year and the Houston running game found its legs against Cincinnati.

The Cardinals offense was better with Murray but still struggled to convert third downs. Arizona was 3-for-11 on the money down in the win over Atlanta. The Cardinals are 24th in the league with a conversion rate of 35.7% this season.

My Pick: Texans 23, Cardinals 20

[Advice: The Texans are four-point favorites, and they will get the win, but Arizona will cover the spread. The point total is set at 48 and it will stay under that total.]