After another dramatic Colts win, the still-undefeated Saints try their luck against the Cowboys on Saturday night while the second seed in the AFC is on the line on Sunday. Let's start the Opening Drive of week 15 in the NFL!
(8-5) Dallas Cowboys at (13-0) New Orleans Saints
Dallas' DeMarcus Ware is going to play less than a week after suffering a neck strain, but that may not be enough for the free-falling Cowboys. Going into New Orleans and escaping with a victory will require near-flawless play and a lot of luck. Even without tight end Jeremy Shockey, Drew Brees has an abundance of weapons at his disposal. If the Saints move to 14-0, it will could signal the end of Dallas' playoff hopes and the end of Wade Philips' tenure as head coach.
***UPDATE: Dallas freaking did it. I'll be sure to cover this stunner in the Final Drive.
(8-5) New England Patriots at (5-8) Buffalo Bills
Don't look now, but the rest of the AFC East is catching up to the Patriots. If Bill Belichick's squad loses another road game (which they've done consistently this season) and Miami or the Jets win, the Pats will fall out of the division lead and risk a playoff berth entirely. In a up-and-down season in Buffalo, this could be a signature win to carry them over into next year.
(9-4) Cincinnati Bengals at (10-3) San Diego Chargers
In the most significant game of the weekend, San Diego and Cincinnati are essentially playing for the number two seed in the AFC and an additional home game in the playoffs. San Diego has been lighting teams up in December while the Bengals were just lambasted by Minnesota. After the tragic loss of Chris Henry, I can't believe the Bengals are going to have enough in the tank to head out west and win.
(9-4) Green Bay Packers at (6-7) Pittsburgh Steelers
At this point, Mike Tomlin's Steelers are just looking to salvage their season and avoid falling further below .500. They'll get a tough challenge from the Packers, who are hoping to lock down a wildcard slot. Aaron Rodgers will likely tear apart a struggling Steelers secondary that will probably be without Troy Polamalu for another week. Big Ben will need more time in the pocket and a better running game to beat this far superior opponent.
(7-6) New York Giants at (4-9) Washington Redskins
Change is a comin' in D.C., where Vinny Cerato was replaced by Bruce Allen amidst rumors negotiations have taken place with Mike Shanahan to be the 'Skins' next head coach. Perhaps Dan Snyder has finally learned what it takes to be successful in the NFL? For the Giants, a loss would drop them to 7-7 and out of the post-season race.
Enjoy another great week in the NFL!
