FOOTBALL NFL ARTICLES

The Atlanta Falcons are clinging to the final wild card spot in the NFC, and any loss could put their chance at defending their NFC title in question down the stretch. Atlanta could be a dangerous team come playoff time but it has to get there first. A win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15 would be another step forward toward clinching a spot.... 

The Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders are both hanging around in their respective playoff pictures, but are on the outside looking in. They will each need to be impressive down the stretch in order to have a chance at the postseason, and the loser of their Week 15 matchup will find it nearly impossible to reach the postseason after each did so a year ago.... 

The Jimmy Garoppolo era is off to a roaring start. The San Francisco 49ers only have three wins on the season but are 2-0 since the quarterback took over and will aim to keep it rolling next time out. The Tennessee Titans are 8-5 on the season but are actually the underdogs when they head to San Francisco for this Week 15 matchup.... 

The Jacksonville Jaguars used a big-time win over the Seahawks last time out to gain control of the AFC South. They can take another step toward controlling the division by knocking off the Houston Texans in Week 15. Both of these teams looked like contenders early in the season, but a torn ACL to Deshaun Watson helped sink Houston’s chances at a successful year.... 

The NFC West is a two-team race, and there could be a lot more clarity after Sunday’s titanic Week 15 matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks. Los Angeles has been the more impressive team this season and enters with a one-game lead, but the Seahawks won the first head-to-head matchup earlier this year.... 

The top seed in the AFC is on the line when the New England Patriots hit the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 15 of the regular season. New England is a game behind Pittsburgh in the standings after a surprising upset loss to the Dolphins last time out, but can move back ahead with the win since it would give the Patriots the head-to-head tiebreaker.... 

The Green Bay Packers are hanging around on the periphery of the playoff picture, but they have a huge reinforcement coming on the horizon. Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been medically cleared after breaking his collarbone early in the season and hopes to lead the team to a postseason spot.... 

The Arizona Cardinals need about 1,000 things to go right to have a chance at making the playoffs this season. The only thing they can control is winning in Week 15 over the Washington Redskins, but that in itself is going to be a tough task.... 

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl hopes took a huge blow last time out. The game result was good, as they picked up a critical win over the Rams. But the injury news was horrific, as star quarterback Carson Wentz was lost for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. The Eagles can still get the top seed in the conference with a strong finish, and will be the road favorites in Week 15 against the New York Giants.... 

The NFC is a muddled mess, of which the New Orleans Saints are smack dab in the middle. They will aim to stay atop their division and push for a top two seed in the conference when they face off against the New York Jets in Week 15 of the regular season.... 

The Cleveland Browns came oh-so-close to their first win of the season last time out, falling to the Packers in overtime. They are running out of chances to get off the schneid but hope to be competitive in Week 15 when they host the Baltimore Ravens.... 

The Buffalo Bills survived a crazy weather game in Week 14, defeating the Indianapolis Colts in the middle of a snowstorm at home. They will remain there for Week 15, and it remains to be seen if the elements play a big factor once again.... 

The Minnesota Vikings are currently in line for the second seed in the NFC playoffs, but have reason to believe they can jump up to the top spot. A torn ACL to quarterback Carson Wentz was a big blow to the conference-leading Eagles last week, as they will aim to hold on to a one-game lead over Minnesota. The Vikings may need to win out to surpass Philadelphia, and that trek would begin in a Week 15 home matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.... 

The Denver Broncos aren’t going to be making the playoffs this year, but they would love to get some swagger back heading into the offseason. It was only two years ago that this team was a Super Bowl champion behind a ferocious defense.... 

The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and have a chance to take over first place in the AFC West with a win in Week 15. They will hit the road for a critical showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that could help one of these teams make the playoffs and could make it tough for the other to reach the postseason.... 

The Detroit Lions are hanging around in the NFC playoff race, but need to dominate down the stretch and get some help in order to qualify for the postseason. They have a very winnable game next time out when they host the Chicago Bears in Week 15 of the regular season.... 

The Pittsburgh Steelers can wrap up another AFC North crown if they can knock off old rival the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14 of the regular season. This is an important game for both side. The Steelers are tied with the New England Patriots for the best record in the AFC and would love to claim the top seed in the postseason.... 

The Dallas Cowboys are hanging onto playoff contention by a thread. They will most likely need to go undefeated the rest of the way and get some help in order to return to the playoffs in 2017. The first hurdle to clear will be a road win over the hapless New York Giants in Week 14 of the regular season.... 

The Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams have surprised everyone by shooting to the top of the NFC in 2017, and each is looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender. They will face off in Week 14 in what will be a titanic clash full of playoff repercussions.... 

The Los Angeles Chargers have bounced back from a poor start to the season and now sit in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC West. They look like the most dangerous team in the division and hope to finish on top, although there are only four games left to pass the Chiefs and Raiders. The Chargers have a critical home game in Week 14 where they will host the Washington Redskins.... 

The Tennessee Titans are zeroing in on a playoff berth, as they are sitting at 8-4 on the season despite a negative point-differential. While this may not be an elite team, it has won enough close games to be sitting pretty in the AFC. The Titans can take a key step toward clinching a berth while also staying atop the AFC South with a road victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14 of the regular season.... 

The Seattle Seahawks have long been one of the best teams in the NFL, and this year is no different. The Jacksonville Jaguars have long been one of the worst in the league, but this year has been a big change. Both of these teams fancy themselves title contenders and they will face off in a critical Week 14 matchup.... 

It’s been a stunning slide for the Denver Broncos this season, and that is reflected in this week’s spread. The New York Jets will come to town and are actually favored to win this Week 14 matchup, which seemed pretty unfathomable before the start of the season.... 

The Jimmy Garoppolo era got off to a great start last week, as the San Francisco 49ers won just their second game of the season in his starting debut. The fans of the team will really get excited if the 49ers can pull off a second consecutive road victory in Week 14 against the Houston Texans.... 

The Cincinnati Bengals blew a fantastic chance to get back to .500 and remain in the playoff race in the AFC. At 5-7 they might already be out of the chase, but will definitely be so with one more loss. The Bengals should be able to bounce back in Week 14 as they will host the Chicago Bears....