Hurley's Picks: Chaos, Not Parity, Set To Determine Final Outcomes In NFL Season
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- As the season heads into the final three weeks, there is no reason to feel overly confident in any one team's likelihood of winning the Super Bowl. This is exactly what the NFL wants.
Sure, the 13-0 Panthers are currently atop the pack, and the 11-2 Patriots look to be the best team in the AFC. Yet the Patriots lost at home to the Eagles just two weeks ago, and there are plenty of people who aren't sure the Panthers will beat the 6-7 Giants this weekend, let alone win the Super Bowl.
Whether it's injuries, lack of experience, bad coaching, not enough talent, bad quarterbacking or some combination of it all, there's no flawless team out there. And there's no team that you'd really feel comfortable with if you had to bet your house on a Super Bowl winner.
While that reality is sure to make for some stressful Sundays in various parts of the country between now and Feb. 7, it will also guarantee that ratings will continue to soar, and we'll all have our eyes glued to the action.
It's not parity, because there are far too many terrible teams for anyone to try to make the case that there is any level of equality across the board in the NFL. But it is nevertheless captivating, and it should make for a pretty fun couple of months.
For now, it's on to Week 15.
(Home team in CAPS; Wednesday lines)
ST. LOUIS (-2) over Tampa Bay
Hard to really get a read on what either of these teams will do on a weekly basis. But I like the Rams' weird jerseys better than the Bucs' weird jerseys, so I'll go with that.
New York Jets (-3.5) over DALLAS
"Saturday night football! Yeah baby! Let's turn it on ohhhhh no it's the Jets and the Cowboys. Oh no."
--America, Dec. 19, 2015, at 8:26 p.m. ET
Chicago (+5.5) over MINNESOTA
Atlanta (+3) over JACKSONVILLE
Kansas City (-7.5) over BALTIMORE
Green Bay (-3) over OAKLAND
Houston (no line) over INDIANAPOLIS
There are certain games about which most reasonable adult humans should not have opinions. These five should top that list.
NEW ENGLAND (-14) over Tennessee
The Patriots are nearly decimated by injuries yet they'll still probably win 27-9. The Titans probably won't mind being one step closer to a top two overall pick for the second straight year. There should be a rule against that.
NEW YORK GIANTS (+5) over Carolina
Going 16-0 is hard, man. And under Tom Coughlin, the Giants kind of have a knack for competing well with undefeated teams.
WASHINGTON (+1) over Buffalo
The Redskins are not a juggernaut. They're not even very good. But I must have missed whatever it was that turned them into a home underdog against the Bills, who are 3-4 on the road with only one of those wins (Jets) coming against a decent team.
SEATTLE (-15) over Cleveland
Russell Wilson is on a pretty historic run. Given how awful that offensive line looked early in the year, I did not see that one coming.
Also Pete Carroll is climbing lockers.
Get down, Peter. Get down right this instant.
PITTSBURGH (-6) over Denver
The mess has finally made it to the Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning is back from his "injury" and he wants to play. Gary Kubiak continues to say no. Brock Osweiler wasn't spectacular last week in taking one-hundred-thousand sacks against Oakland. Now he travels to Pittsburgh to face a hot Steelers team that's gunning for a playoff spot.
If ever there were a time to trot out the overused "Get your popcorn ready" phrase, I think it's for this game right here.
Miami (+2) over SAN DIEGO
The Chargers are in the hunt for the No. 1 pick and so I can't trust where their effort, energy and focus level is going to be in Week 15.
Can the Dolphins wear those throwbacks again? Those things were pretty. Hey, the Chargers can go powder blue and it can be a big jumbled mess. Why not? It's not like the game matters.
SAN FRANCISCO (+4.5) over Cincinnati
People dump all over Andy Dalton all the time, and I've probably been guilty myself over the years. But I believe we'll see this week how valuable he is to that Bengals team. Tats McCarron may not be ready for this.
Arizona (-3.5) over PHILADELPHIA
The last time the Eagles were on national TV, it was Thanksgiving, and they seemed to take joy in embarrassing themselves and their head coach in front of the country.
NEW ORLEANS (-3) over Detroit
Drew Brees and the Saints on Monday Night Football is as much of a sure thing as there is in this crazy, mixed-up world of professional football. I foresee nothing short of 7 TDs and 425 yards.
Last week: 8-8
Season: 92-113-3
Read more from Michael Hurley by clicking here. You can email him or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
