Week 14 NFL Picks: Browns Get Revenge on Ravens, Steelers Beat Bills

Will Ragatz's prediction for every remaining game in the Week 14 NFL slate.

Only four more weeks of regular season NFL football, folks. Let's enjoy it while we can. This should be a fun one, with five games between teams who both have a .500 record or better, including the primetime games on Sunday and Monday. Interesting storylines and playoff implications are all over the place in this week's slate.

Let's get to my picks.

Note: home teams in BOLD. Record last week: 9-6

Noon games

Broncos over PANTHERS

Neither of these teams has a shot at the playoffs, so the loser might actually benefit more by moving up in the draft order. With Christian McCaffrey still out for the Panthers, I'll take Drew Lock and the Broncos.

Texans over BEARS

Hey, it's a battle between the No. 2 overall pick in 2017 and one of the elite quarterbacks the Bears passed on. Deshaun Watson is without most of his weapons and doesn't have a great defense, but he's good enough to beat Chicago by himself.

Cowboys over BENGALS

This is another game where the main intrigue is about how the outcome affects the draft order. The Cowboys have looked decent in three of their past four games, and decent is all that's needed to beat the Brandon Alled-led Bengals.

Titans over JAGUARS

The 1-11 Jaguars have lost by four points or less in four of their past five games. It feels like they're due to get blown out, and the Titans should be able to do just that. I don't expect Jacksonville to have any answer for Derrick Henry, A.J. Brown, or Corey Davis.

Chiefs over DOLPHINS

It feels a little weird that I've picked five straight road teams so far, but I'm not breaking that streak by picking against Patrick Mahomes. The Dolphins are an exciting team with a great defense, but the Chiefs are clearly the best team in the NFL.

GIANTS over Cardinals

Why are the Cardinals favored in this game? They've lost three straight, and that would be five in a row if not for a miraculous Hail Mary against the Bills. They're on the road against a team with a great defense that has won four in a row. I don't understand it. The G-Men stay hot with a narrow victory over Kyler Murray and the Cards.

BUCCANEERS over Vikings

I expect this game to be close, but it's hard for me to pick the Vikings without Eric Kendricks. That's a massive loss for a defense that will have its hands full against Tom Brady and his stable of weapons. The Vikings' weak defensive line will struggle to get pressure on Brady, which isn't a recipe for success. On the other side of the ball, Dalvin Cook will be kept in check and although Kirk Cousins will put up big numbers, he'll also be forced into a mistake or two by Todd Bowles' aggressive defense. Tampa pulls away late.

Last week's Vikings pick: Vikings 31, Jaguars 23. Season record: 5-7

Late afternoon games

Colts over RAIDERS

This one comes with sky-high stakes for both teams, who are right on the bubble of the AFC playoffs. The Raiders are getting healthier at a good time, but they've been remarkably inconsistent this year. I think the Colts have a more complete roster and will win this one on the road if Philip Rivers can take care of the ball.

SEAHAWKS over Jets

Not this week, Jets. If they can't stun the struggling Seahawks, New York's last chance to avoid 0-16 will likely come in Week 17 against Bill Belichick and the Patriots. It's looking more and more likely that this team will join the 2008 Lions and 2017 Browns in the history books.

Packers over LIONS

With D'Andre Swift expected to be back, I can see the Lions putting up some points and keeping this game close. They're not going to be able to stop the Packers, though. Aaron Rodgers and company have put up 40-plus points in three of their four divisional games, and that could easily become four of five after this week.

Falcons over CHARGERS

Even with no Julio Jones, I'll take the Falcons to win this battle of disappointing teams who have a tendency to choke in close games. The Chargers are just a complete mess right now.

Saints over EAGLES

Jalen Hurts should provide a spark for the Eagles' offense, but this is a tough spot for his first career start. The Saints have an outstanding defense and have been rolling on offense with Taysom Hill at the helm of the attack.

Washington Football Team over 49ers

I picked the Giants to keep their winning streak going, and I'm doing the same with Washington. Beating the Steelers wasn't a fluke – they simply outplayed them. This defense will fluster Nick Mullens and Alex Smith will make enough plays to win.

Sunday Night Football

Steelers over BILLS

The Steelers are far from a perfect football team, which was exposed in their loss to Washington last Monday. However, they're still very, very good. I expect them to bounce back in Buffalo in what should be one of the best games of the week. Josh Allen could legitimately enter the MVP conversation if he has a big game against this Pittsburgh defense, but I don't see it happening.

Monday Night Football

BROWNS over Ravens

This one is going to be fun. The Ravens smacked the Browns 38-6 back in Week 1, but Cleveland has come a long way since then. They'll be fired up for a shot at revenge, and I think they'll get it done. Kevin Stefanski will lean on his running game and emerge as the frontrunner for Coach of the Year after an impressive primetime victory.

Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis. Also, click the follow button in the upper right-hand corner of this page (mobile users, tap the bell icon – you may have to click ‘News’ first), leave comments below, and follow me on Twitter.