NFL - Week Fifteen Preview

This weekend's games will be do-or-die for some teams around the NFL.
It gets started with the Thursday Night Football game between the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers, a game which both teams desperately need to stay in playoff contention.
There are some intriguing matchups between division rivals as well as some inter-conference games that will go a long way in determining the playoff picture around the league during the final three weeks of the 2010 season.
Here is a capsule of the games this weekend, with predictions for Week 15 to follow.

San Francisco (5-8) at San Diego (7-6) - Philip Rivers & company won't let this opportunity slip away... Chargers roll.

Buffalo (3-10) at Miami (7-6) - This game could go either way because Miami stinks at home.

Philadelphia (9-4) at NY Giants (9-4) - This one is for ALL the marbles in the NFC East.

Washington (5-8) at Dallas (4-9) - The Cowboys and the Redskins battle to avoid the NFC East cellar.

Kansas City (8-5) at St. Louis (6-7) - Will Chiefs' QB Matt Cassel play? It might not matter because the Rams are a hungry team in 2010.

Houston (5-8) at Tennessee (5-8) - These two teams looked like locks in early October... what happened?

Arizona (4-9) at Carolina (1-12) - Hard to believe these two teams battled each other in the NFC playoffs just two years ago.

Detroit (3-10) at Tampa Bay (8-5) - The Bucs still have a shot at a wild card spot.

Cleveland (5-8) at Cincinnati (2-11) - The battle of Ohio... Yawn!

Jacksonville (8-5) at Indianapolis (7-6) - This one is for ALL the marbles in the AFC South... at "Peyton's Place."

New Orleans (10-3) at Baltimore (9-4) - A possible Super Bowl preview?

Atlanta (11-2) at Seattle (6-7) - Seattle actually needs this one more than the Falcons.

Denver (3-10) at Oakland (6-7) - The Raiders hung 59 points on the Broncos in Denver last month... not this time.

NY Jets (9-4) at Pittsburgh (10-3) - Two solid defenses go at it in this one... take the Steelers.

Green Bay (8-5) at New England (11-2) - The Packers are in trouble and the Patriots are on a roll.

Chicago (9-4) at Minnesota (5-8) - NFL Football fans have got to love this one! A game between the Bears and Vikings in Minnesota OUTSIDE in December? Cue the voice of John Facenda and NFL films circa the 1970's.

Here are the picks for Week 15 . . . (Home teams listed in BOLD)

San Diego over San Francisco
St. Louis over Kansas City
Buffalo over Miami
Dallas over Washington
Tennessee over Houston
Arizona over Carolina
Philadelphia over NY Giants
Tampa Bay over Detroit
Cincinnati over Cleveland
Indianapolis over Jacksonville
Baltimore over New Orleans
Atlanta over Seattle
Oakland over Denver
Pittsburgh over NY Jets
New England over Green Bay
Chicago over Minnesota

Last Week's Record: 11-5

SEASON RECORD: 138-70