Three quarters of the 2015 NFL season is behind us. Every team has four games left to play, and the playoff picture is taking shape.
Each of these four games have playoff implications, and they all have upset potential. Sports Book Review’s consensus odds as of Friday morning were used for the point spreads.
Pittsburgh (+3) at Cincinnati
The Bengals (10-2) can clinch the AFC North title with a win, but the Steelers (7-5) won’t make it easy. They might downplay it, but the Steelers aren’t very fond of the Bengals these days. The Bengals have ended Le’Veon Bell’s season in each of the last two years. A Reggie Nelson hit hyperextended his knee last year and a Vontaze Burfict tackle tore up Bell’s knee this year. The Steelers felt that Burfict celebrated the tackle knowing Bell was injured. “We don’t like them. They don’t like us,” Steelers guard David DeCastro told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Ben Roethlisberger is 10-2 in his career at Cincinnati, including playoffs. The Bengals lost two in a row after starting 8-0, then beat the Rams and Browns. They need to beat a quality opponent to prove they didn’t peak too early in the season.
The #Steelers will post its 12th straight year with 8 wins w/ its next win. Only New England (15) has a longer active 8-win season streak.
— Dom Rinelli (@drinelli) December 11, 2015
Washington (+3 1/2) at Chicago
The Redskins are 0-5 on the road this season, but the Bears are 1-5 at home. Both teams are 5-7 and coming off crushing defeats on their home turf, but the Bears’ playoff hopes were damaged more severely. Their 26-20, overtime loss to the 49ers dropped them two games out of the final playoff spot in the NFC. The Redskins, meanwhile, currently lead the NFC East and are in the playoffs if they win their last four games. Kirk Cousins has thrown 11 touchdown passes and two interceptions and completed 71 percent of his passes over the last two games. The Bears have lost tight end Martellus Bennett, their leading pass catcher, for the season. Look for the Redskins to win their first road game of the season.
Buffalo (+1) at Philadelphia
This wouldn’t be a huge upset, and if this turns into a pick ’em, pick the Bills. LeSean McCoy is going up against his former team, and the revenge factor can’t be ignored. McCoy is third in the AFC with 792 rushing yards and has had at least 100 all-purpose yards in six straight games. The Eagles (5-7) are allowing 124.7 rushing yards per game, 27th in the NFL. The Eagles bounced back from allowing 45 points in back-to-back games and stunned the Patriots 35-28 at New England in Week 13 to break a three-game losing streak. The Bills (6-6) have a more consistent body of work than the Eagles, at least when McCoy is healthy. They have a respectable 3-3 road record. Rex Ryan got his revenge on the road against the Jets. Now it’s McCoy’s turn.
New England at Houston (+3 1/2)
A lot of factors in this game point to a Patriots win. The Patriots (10-2) haven’t lost three in a row since 2002.
Patriots have played 213 straight games without a 3-game losing streak, 2nd-longest streak in NFL history (49ers: 292, 1980-99) @EliasSports
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 10, 2015
Bill Belichick is coaching against former assistant Bill O’Brien, and he’s 8-6 against former assistants, according to WEEI. The Patriots could have Rob Gronkowski back. However, Tom Brady has been sacked eight times and hit 29 times over the past three games and he’s completed just 52.5 percent of his passes in those games. Even with a broken hand J.J. Watt could be problematic for the Patriots’ suspect offensive line. Since Week 7, when they lost 44-26 and trailed 41-0 at halftime in Miami, the Texans have won four of their last five. They’ve recovered from the low point of their season, while the Patriots are experiencing their low point right now.