NFL Picks Week 16: Playoff paths are set, an Ian Book start, and what to do about Bills-Patriots
The playoff race will get a bit tighter in an unpredictable Week 16.
The road to the 2021 NFL postseason has been a mostly inclusive affair. In Week 16, some junkers are about to get towed away.
Only two teams, the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys, have punched their playoff tickets for January. Only five others have been eliminated from the proceedings entirely. The league’s ruling class is as weak as it has ever been and the middle ground between it and the dregs is wider than ever. There’s only room for 14 teams in the second season, however. Some people gotta go.
The Pittsburgh Steelers path to a Wild Card bid is currently blocked by the Kansas City Chiefs. The Minnesota Vikings’ quest to stay alive for the playoffs butts up against the Los Angeles Rams’ hopes to earn a division crown. The Buffalo Bills can either stake their claim to a second-straight AFC East crown by toppling the New England Patriots in Foxborough or sink to the Broncos/Raiders tier of the conference.
The combination of desperation and lingering Covid-19 absences makes Week 16 a tough one to predict. We can’t even bank on the Jets-Jaguars combo platter of defeat since they’re playing each other. That doesn’t mean we’re not gonna try and pull some picks out of the ether for a full weekend of holiday football.
Let’s take a look at what else we’ve got, including the famous Rhody Scumbag Lock of the Week (now 6-11 on the season!). Want the full lineup? Those can be found here.
Here are my breakout picks. All odds via Tipico.