There may only be four regular season weeks left in the 2024 NFL campaign, but there is little doubt that the biggest news story leading into the latest round of games actually involves College Football.
The Playoff Bracket was set, but even that has been overshadowed by the very surprising decision made by Bill Belichick to become the new Head Coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Most anticipated that Belichick would join a NFL team in the off-season as he looks to pass Don Shula in the list for all-time wins, but apparently there has not been enough interest in the former New England Head Coach to persuade Belichick to wait for offers and ignore the approach from North Carolina.
It is a coup for the Tar Heels and the rumour is that Bill Belichick has only accepted this job with the succession plan in place that would see son Steve take over as Head Coach when his father steps down. The younger Belichick is expected to leave the Washington Huskies and join up with Bill in what has to be one of the most surprising moves made by a College Football school in recent times.
There is no doubting that it is a huge boost for the Tar Heels, who have underachieved and who are looking to join the elite schools in becoming a regular that plays in the College Football Playoff, especially with the new expanded format set to only get wider in the years ahead. And some are still suggesting that there will be some break in the contract that allows Belichick to think again about returning to the professional ranks at the end of the 2025 season.
A lot of the talking heads will place their own opinion on the record during Week 15 of the regular season, but the players are only focusing on a strong end to the season and the chance to play for a Championship.
Some things did clear up after Week 14- the Kansas City Chiefs look like they have a clear edge to the Number 1 Seed in the AFC, while the NFC North might be down to a two-way battle for the Divisional Championship after the Lions edged past the Green Bay Packers.
The margin for error has certainly lessened a bit more with four games left and there are some big games on slate in Week 15 which is going to have an impact on both Conference Playoff pictures.
After a really strong start to the season for the NFL Picks, the fine margins have just turned and it was another tough week for the selections made.
In another week we could have easily finished 4-2, but it was a 2-4 record when all was said and done and that has just extended the poor run a little too long for my liking.
Week 15 offers another chance to bounce back with the selections kicking off on Thursday Night Football with a big NFC West Divisional battle.
Los Angeles Rams @ San Francisco 49ers Pick: Four weeks remain in the regular season and the tightest Division in the NFL will kick things off on Thursday Night Football in Week 15.
All four teams in the NFC West can still see a pathway through to the Playoffs by winning the Division, although time is a factor now. It does also mean that the Divisional games left on the schedule are hugely important for all four teams and you would say exceptionally so for the San Francisco 49ers (6-7) who are propping up the Division and who have a 1-3 record against fellow NFC West rivals.
That means tie-breakers are another factor that could come into play against the 49ers, a team that reached the Super Bowl several months ago and were considered the team to beat in the NFC in some quarters. Injury has made it very difficult for San Francisco, but the blowout win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday has snapped a three game losing run and this is a team that still believes, despite the adversity faced.
Next up is game against the Los Angeles Rams (7-6) who are a game behind the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West, but who have won two in a row including the back and forth with the Buffalo Bills. The Rams also hold a road victory over the Seahawks and look to have plenty of momentum in their bid to return to the Playoffs, despite playing with some inconsistency for much of the season.
Matthew Stafford's experience at Quarter Back has been hugely important for the Rams and helped them come through games even playing with third or fourth string Receiving options. Going into Week 15, Stafford will be very comfortable with the top names back and there could be another boost for the Offensive unit if Tyler Higbee is activated having recovered from a serious knee injury that has kept him out all year.
The Rams make the relatively short journey on a short week, but there will be confidence coursing through the team after the way they held off the Buffalo Bills in Week 14. There was a stubbornness to persist with Kyren Williams on the ground and the Running Back did have a couple of Touchdowns while working up to 87 yards, although it took 29 carries to reach that mark.
Once again the game plan has to be to attack the 49ers on the ground and there have been one or two holes up front that has prevented the Defensive Line from clamping down on the run nearly as well as they would have liked. Running the ball is key to the while Offensive plan that the Rams have so they will look for Williams to continue to pound the rock and see if that leaves their talented Receivers to find spaces to break into out of the play-action.
An experienced Super Bowl winning Quarter Back is obviously going to help, but Cooper Kuup continues to make things easier for Matthew Stafford. He also has an improving Puka Nacua fresh off a day in which he caught 162 passing yards, and the potential return of Tyler Higbee will be a huge boost too.
However, they will be throwing against a 49ers Secondary that can make plays as long as they are able to get some pressure up front from the pass rush. Nick Bosa looks set to miss out on the short week, which will impact that pressure, but the 49ers may still feel they can rush Matthew Stafford and try and stall drives.
Injuries to the likes of Bosa have impacted the Defensive unit, but it is the other side of the ball where San Francisco have really suffered and look to continue to suffer. Already down to a third string Running Back, Kyle Shanahan is only hopeful that Isaac Guerendo is able to go after seeing both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason ruled out for the season.
Running the ball has proven to be a very effective way of attacking the Los Angeles Rams, but being down to a potential fourth string Running Back is one probelm. Arguably a bigger one for the 49ers is the continued absence of Trent Williams on the Offensive Line, a player that has paved the way for the run, and it has just made things a little tougher all around for the 49ers.
Patrick Taylor Jr would be next up for San Francisco at Running Back and had decent numbers in limited appearances for the Green Bay Packers before signing with the 49ers. He did have a Touchdown last week and the 49ers will believe the system allows them to plug in a Running Back that can exploit some of the weaknesses on the Rams Defensive Line.
It certainly helps with Brock Purdy back at Quarter Back and he is likely going to have a bit of time to make his plays down the field with the limited pass rush pressure the Rams have produced in recent games. There are key players out in the Receiving department too, but Purdy has decent chemistry with those that are going to suit up and he can help the 49ers keep the chains moving.
Los Angeles somehow won the first meeting between the Divisional rivals and they have won two in a row overall against San Francisco.
However, you do have to wonder how much intensity they can bring after putting a huge emotional effort into beating the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in Week 14. They are looking healthier at a good time, but San Francisco are desperate and the win over Chicago has just reminded the team what they can still achieve.
It could be a close, competitive game, but the feeling is that the 49ers will find a way to establish the more effective running game and ultimately Brock Purdy makes a play or two more than Matthew Stafford to help the home team pick up a very important win to keep their Playoff hopes alive.
Miami Dolphins @ Houston Texans Pick: They return from the Bye Week in a really strong position in the AFC South, but the Houston Texans (8-5) would love to wrap up the Division as soon as possible.
They do hold the tie-breaker over their nearest challengers, the Indianapolis Colts, but the Texans face the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens next with both on relative short weeks and the team will be keen to enter those contests with some momentum.
It is only the second year with DeMeco Ryans as Head Coach and CJ Stroud at Quarter Back, but expectations have been raised by reaching the Divisional Round of the Playoffs last season. 2024 has been tough in terms of consistency with injuries perhaps contributing to the feeling of underachievement, but the Texans are pretty much where they would want to be with the Division close to being secured, which would mean at least one home Playoff game coming up.
They have been hit with a couple of key injuries, but the Texans should be rested and ready to go with the run towards the Super Bowl beginning in Week 15.
Next up is a home game with the Miami Dolphins (6-7) who barely kept their own post-season hopes alive in Week 14 with an Overtime win over AFC East rivals New York Jets. Even then, it is going to likely need the Dolphins to win out and hope one of the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers or Baltimore Ravens slip up in their remaining four games with the Dolphins still two games out of the Wild Card spots.
It is a big ask, but the team and the Head Coach have spoken about focusing only on this Week 15 game with the Dolphins feeling in Playoff mode already. The 1-3 run without Tua Tagovailoa looks like being fatal to their hopes of making the Playoffs and there will be some big decisions that need to be made in the off-season with plenty of Miami fans feeling the window to win a Super Bowl may already be closed for the current roster.
Tua Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to the Touchdown drive to beat the Jets in Overtime last week, and the feeling is that the pressure will be on his shoulders again. In recent weeks the Miami Offensive Line have simply not been able to help establish the run as effectively as they would have hoped and they are not expected to get a lot of change out of this Texans Defensive Line.
Quick passes have been used in lieu of a traditional running game and that has helped Miami, while Tua Tagovailoa may feel there are holes in this Houston Secondary that can be exploited. Those may look a bit bigger after news that the Texans have lost Jalen Pitre for the remainder of the season, but much is going to depend on how much time the Dolphins Offensive Line can give Tagovailoa when he steps back to throw.
If in obvious passing situations, the Houston pass rush has the potential to disrupt drives as long as they can come up and tackle efficiently when the Miami Quarter Back decides to use quick passes to negate that rush.
Miami will feel they can drive the ball up and down the field, but the Houston pass rush might be key if the team are not able to run the ball and become one-dimensional in their play-calling.
That should not be an issue for the Texans who have found a decent balance on the Offensive side of the ball, even if CJ Stroud has perhaps not been as strong as his Quarter Back year. He has not been helped with Nico Collins missing time, but the top Wide Receiver is back for Houston and Joe Mixon has shown there is plenty left in the tank at Running Back.
Unlike Miami, Houston are going to be confident in being able to hand the ball to Mixon and have him keep the team in third and manageable spots, which also means the play-action becomes a real advantage for the Texans.
This should just offer CJ Stroud the time to attack a Miami Secondary that made Aaron Rodgers look more like the Green Bay version of the Quarter Back rather than the one that has been playing for the Jets this season. With Collins and Tank Dell around, the Texans may just be able to sustain drives that much easier than the Miami Dolphins and it may end up giving the home team the edge.
There is a desperation about the Dolphins that can inspire, but it has long been said that 'needing' to win games is not exactly a glowing recommendation about strength of the team involved. Coming out of a Bye Week, the Houston Texans should be healthy and ready to compete and they may just have the balance on the Offensive side of the ball that forces Miami into positions where they have to throw.
This is where the Houston pass rush could come into their own and they can win this game and just move a step closer to locking down the Number 4 Seed in the AFC.
MY PICKS: San Francisco 49ers - 2.5 Points @ 1.86 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Houston Texans - 2.5 Points @ 1.83 Bet Fred (1 Unit)
Week 14: 2-4, - 2.23 Units (6 Units Staked, - 37.17% Yield)
Week 13: 1-3, - 2.17 Units (4 Units Staked, - 54.25% Yield)
Week 12: 2-4, - 2.17 Units (6 Units Staked, - 36.17% Yield)
Week 11: 2-3, - 1.23 Units (5 Units Staked, - 24.60% Yield)
Week 10: 1-6, - 5.05 Units (7 Units Staked, - 72.14% Yield)
Week 9: 3-2, + 0.73 Units (5 Units Staked, + 14.60% Yield)
Week 8: 4-2, + 1.72 Units (6 Units Staked, + 28.67% Yield)
Week 7: 4-3, + 0.73 Units (7 Units Staked, + 10.43% Yield)
Week 6: 4-2, + 1.67 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.83% Yield)
Week 5: 4-2, + 1.64 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27.33% Yield)
Week 4: 6-2, + 3.45 Units (8 Units Staked, + 43.13% Yield)
Week 3: 3-3, - 0.23 Units (6 Units Staked, - 3.83% Yield)
Week 2: 4-2, + 1.62 Units (6 Units Staked, + 27% Yield)
Week 1: 5-2, + 2.67 Units (7 Units Staked, + 38.14% Yield)
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