The Patriots have some breathing room in the East with a two game lead over the Miami Dolphins. New England will attempt to run away with this division, but with the East’s tough remaining schedule, the Dolphins could continue to make it interesting. AFC East teams will face some tough matchups this week with the season winding down and playoff hopes in sight. Here’s a look at this week’s games.
Detroit Lions at New England Patriots, Sunday 1:05p.m. EST
The Lions are currently tied with the Green Bay Packers for first place in the NFC North with a 7-3 record, but are coming off a tough 14-6 loss to the Arizona Cardinals last week. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has had little success on the road in his career, especially against good teams. He is 0-15 on the road against teams finishing the season with a winning record; last week was just another example of that. Detroit couldn’t get into an offensive rhythm only putting six points on the board. Defensively, they played well against Drew Stanton and the Cardinals, but the offense couldn’t find the endzone. This week, they will be in a tough road environment at Gillette Stadium against a good Patriots team with an explosive offense.
Now, the Pats are on a roll and winners of six straight. They are now 8-2 and sit atop the AFC East. After a few losses caused by poor play, the Pats finally found their mojo and haven’t looked back. They showed up on Sunday Night Football last week and dominated the Indianapolis Colts 42-20 on the road. Tom Brady threw for 257 yards and two touchdown passes, but the Pats offense dominated the run game behind Jonas Gray’s four touchdowns and 199 yards rushing. The running back set a franchise record with his four touchdowns in his fourth career game. This team is on a hot streak and will host a Lions squad that has struggled on the road against the better teams in the league.
Detroit is ranked as the number one total defense in the NFL, as they have kept some of the most explosive offenses in the league relatively quiet. When it comes to this matchup, they will take on one of the best quarterbacks to play the game in a tough road environment. The Pats have shown they are back and capable of beating anyone anywhere.
Final Prediction
Lions 17 Patriots 27
Miami Dolphins at Denver Broncos, Sunday 4:25p.m. EST
The Miami Dolphins are 6-4 and in second place of the AFC East. They had a crucial win last Thursday against the Bills, 22-9, as they make their playoff push. Ryan Tannehill got off to a shaky start, but recovered nicely with 240 yards and two touchdowns. The Dolphins offense had trouble finding the endzone, that is until they were able to put it all together in the second half.
Miami’s defense held off the Bills offense. Their defense is ranked second-best overall in the league, allowing 3,025 yards for an average of 302.5 yards per game. They are also ranked second in pass defense, right behind the Chiefs.
The Broncos were stifled by the Rams defense last week, and couldn’t get a good rhythm going offensively. They struggled to score points and Manning’s two picks just made matters worse.
Tannehill is a big part of the Dolphins offense, but so is their run game. Miami has ran the ball for 1,273 yards this season, seventh-best, while the Broncos are second-best defensively against the run.
Denver’s offense is ranked second when it comes to the pass game, which should be an interesting battle with the second-best pass defense in the league.
Final Prediction
Dolphins 14 Broncos 23
New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, Monday 7:00p.m. EST
This game was originally going to be played in Buffalo, but due to an intense snowstorm the NFL decided to relocate this matchup to Ford Field in Detroit. Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo is completely covered in snow, which has even caused concerns for their next home game, November 30, against the Cleveland Browns.
Due to the immense amount of snow, Bills players have been unable to practice the past few days, and some players even needed assistance getting from their home to the airport to travel to Detroit.
Weather aside, the Bills playoff hopes are dwindling and this matchup against the last-place Jets is a must win. Buffalo lost last week’s matchup against the Dolphins as they fell to 5-5 and now sit in third place in the East. Kyle Orton and the Bills offense struggled as they were unable to reach the endzone. The Dolphins defense stepped up and the Bills couldn’t find their rhythm.
The Jets had the bye last week, but stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-13 as they earned their second win of the year. The Jets have had their fair share of problems this season, but will look to play spoiler and crush the Bills chances at making a playoff push.
With the Bills losing an important division matchup to the Dolphins, they are slipping in this playoff picture. While it doesn’t look likely they will make the playoffs this year, if they want to continue to make a push, they absolutely have to win this game Monday evening and take advantage of a struggling Jets team.
Final Prediction
Jets 10 Bills 20