I'll keep my eyes open for them.
Seahawks-Bills: Both teams can run, but lead backs have different styles
QB WR DL LB DB ST Coach = Seahawks
RB OL = Bills
Win game on ground: Both teams employ a run-first philosophy and are among the top 10 when it comes to yards per carry and yards rushing per game. Although their top backs are different in style, both are counted on to lead their teams as they use the run to set up a controlled passing attack. Buffalo's C.J. Spiller is more explosive and a bit more elusive in space, while Marshawn Lynch is more of the violent, powerful type of runner who gets a lot of his yards after initial contact. The team that wins this game will likely end up with a significant lead in yards gained on the ground.
Tighten up third-down defense: The Bills are giving up third-down conversions at a 44 percent clip, third worst in the NFL. A good place to start looking when talking about correcting that is their run defense, which is giving up 4.8 yards per carry, third highest in the league. Buffalo's defense needs to limit Seattle's production on early downs in order to force the Seahawks into more third-and-long situations.
Win on special teams: Both teams have quality kickers and punters, but Seattle has the dynamic, explosive return specialist in Leon Washington. Buffalo has been struggling in punt coverage, giving up a league-high 15.7 yards per return. Washington has one kickoff return for a touchdown this year and has been close on several others, as well as on a few punt returns. A big return would provide a huge emotional spark and give the offense good field position.
Home QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick is a solid starting quarterback with adequate skills who leads with intelligent play and good decision-making. He lacks the arm strength to drive the ball through tight windows but does throw a nice deep ball when dropping it in over the top of defenders. He is much more effective when throwing from a pocket than when on the move and understands how to read coverages and go through his progressions. He is a solid game manager who isn't likely to lose a game but also is not apt to be a difference-maker who pulls the team to upset wins.
Away QB: Russell Wilson has given the Seahawks a spark during his rookie season and has surpassed nearly everyone's expectations. He is mature beyond his years and a student of the game who rarely makes the same mistake twice. He is undersized but has an excellent feel for passing lanes and does a good job of seeing the field and distributing the ball. He has a strong arm and is athletic and can be extremely accurate when throwing on the move from the perimeter. While not an elite quarterback, he has shown the ability to win games with big plays.
Key positional battle -- Bills' OTs vs. Seahawks' DEs: The Seahawks are able to generate a dynamic pass rush off the edge with defensive ends Chris Clemons and Bruce Irvin. Although Irvin is not considered a starter, he generally comes in as a designated pass-rusher on third downs and is second on the team in sacks with eight. Clemons leads with nine. Buffalo's Cordy Glenn and Sam Young will have their hands full on passing downs and will likely get some help in the form of an extra tight end or a chipping fullback.
Featured player: The Bills needs a big day out of Spiller if they hope to upset the Seahawks in Toronto. He is one of the most explosive offensive weapons in the NFL and has the potential to turn virtually every run into a long touchdown with just a single missed tackle. If his line is able to create some run lanes early and get him on a roll, the Bills have a chance to set the tone and put up some big numbers against a Seattle defense that has been somewhat inconsistent against the run over the past few weeks.
Film room nuggets: Wilson is being allowed to use more and more of the team's playbook as the season wears on. You can see him scanning the whole field as he goes through his progressions as opposed to looking at just half of the field, like he often did early in the season. ... Fitzpatrick knows how to read coverages and make quick decisions. What he lacks is the live, powerful arm that allows him to thread the needle and the foot speed and agility to extend plays and get the ball out from the perimeter with accuracy and velocity.
Prediction
Seattle 21
Buffalo 20
Seattle has learned how to win on the road and enjoyed an easy win over the Cardinals in Week 14. This has a chance to be a letdown game as the Seahawks travel all the way across the country and have to play in what could easily be icy weather.
Lions-Cardinals: Lions look to end skid, keep Cardinals reeling
QB RB WR OL DL LB = Lions
DB ST Coach = Cardinals
Work for balance offensively: The Lions have shown a more effective ground attack in 2012, and the Cardinals have been poor defending the run. Detroit can put up big numbers in the passing game, but Arizona fields a formidable secondary. Look for Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan to spread the Cardinals out and run the football early in the game to force Arizona to commit extra defenders at the line of scrimmage.
Be creative to establish run: The Cardinals, ranked 32nd at 78.5 yards per contest, have been dismal rushing the football. Detroit has been inconsistent defending the run, yielding 4.7 yards per attempt. With major quarterback struggles, Arizona needs to get something going on the ground. Look for offensive-minded head coach Ken Whisenhunt to be more creative, possibly even using a Wildcat concept, to get more out of the Cardinals' running game.
Turnover battle and special teams: Arizona is in the middle of the pack with an even turnover margin. Detroit has been marginal at minus-6 in this phase of the game. The Cardinals were a minus-7 in Week 14 when they were beat down by Seattle. The Lions were a minus-1 in their loss to the Packers. Both clubs have solid place-kickers, but Arizona appears to have the advantage with its punter and coverage units. Detroit has given up four touchdowns in the kicking game in 2012. The Cardinals will have to win both of these phases of the contest to have a chance at a win.
Home QB: The Cardinals have been abysmal at the quarterback position in 2012. They have played three different signal-callers, Kevin Kolb, Ryan Lindley and John Skelton. With Kolb injured, the job has bounced between Skelton and Lindley with little success. Both played in the 58-0 Week 14 debacle, with Skelton throwing four interceptions and Lindley hitting on less than 50 percent of his attempts. Both players have good size and appear to have raw talent but must have the aid of an effective ground attack to consistently move the chains.
Away QB: Matthew Stafford is coming off marginal outing in Week 14 versus the Packers. He had a breakout season in 2011 with 41 touchdown passes, but his production is down in 2012. He is a big, strong-armed quarterback with good athleticism. Stafford works best from the pocket but has shown ability to improvise and make plays down field. He can fit the ball into tight spaces but can rely on his arm strength too often rather than his reads. Stafford has excellent release quickness and can put up huge numbers if given time to scan the field.
Key positional battle -- Lions' WR vs. Cardinals' secondary: Even with a couple of their starting receivers injured, the Lions field excellent targets in Calvin Johnson, Kris Durham and now Mike Thomas. Athletic tight ends Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew are capable of stretching the seams. Johnson and Durham create tough matchups due to their great length, while Thomas adds a dimension of quickness and speed. Arizona fields an experienced secondary (22 years in the league for three players) that is anchored by talented second-year cornerback Patrick Peterson. The Cardinals have been solid against the pass most of the season. They're No. 3 in the league with 19 interceptions and No. 5 with 197 yards allowed per game.
Featured player: Johnson leads the league with 1,546 receiving yards while averaging 16 yards per catch. He has an excellent combination of size, strength and athleticism. He has great hands and ability to adjust and make the tough grab in traffic. He is almost impossible to cover in the end zone with one defender. Johnson is a physical blocker on the perimeter in the running game. He has come on strong the second half of the season and is always a threat to make a big play downfield. The Lions will likely run the ball more in Week 15, but look for Stafford to also target Johnson often.
Film room nuggets: Arizona linebacker Daryl Washington gets to the ball as well as any defender in the league. His instincts, quickness, toughness and effort make him a factor in all phases -- defending the run, coverage and blitzing. ... Detroit defensive Ndamukong Suh usually draws double teams, which leaves Nick Fairley one-on-one to make big plays. Fairley is an explosive interior defender who is tied for second on the team in sacks and has become a disruptive force versus the run.
Prediction
Detroit 27
Arizona 20
Both teams are struggling, but the Cardinals are almost dysfunctional at quarterback and haven't been able to mount an effective ground attack. The Lions have lost five in a row but are more talented and should get this win on the road.
Panthers-Chargers: Chargers want Newton to pass, not run
QB DL LB = Chargers
RB WR OL DB ST Coach = Panthers
Take away the option: The Panthers have found a lot of success with Cam Newton using belly option reads to ramp up their ground game. Whether Chargers defensive coordinator John Pagano assigns a spy to keep an eye on Newton or crowds the box with extra defenders, the Chargers need to do something to keep the quarterback from getting untracked early. The Chargers like their chances a lot better if they can force Newton to beat them with his arm rather than his legs.
Protect the football: Last week's win over the Steelers was just the third time this season that San Diego had no turnovers. This is an offense that is one of the most generous in the NFL when it comes to giving up the ball. When it can sustain drives and protect the rock, the Chargers are a very dangerous team that can score on anyone. When the line protects QB Philip Rivers and gives him time to go through his progressions, he can be one of the most accurate passers in the NFL.
Challenge San Diego downfield: San Diego's secondary can give up big yards on downfield passing plays as it doesn't have a lot of speed on the back end. If the Panthers can find any success with their ground game, especially the option runs, it should force the Chargers to push their defenders up, which will make them particularly susceptible to the long pass. Look for Carolina to take a few downfield shots to the likes of WRs Steve Smith and Louis Murphy, whose top-end speed can give the Chargers problems.
Home QB: It's been a steady downhill slide for Rivers as his team continues to struggle. He has prototypical dimensions for the position but appears to be pressing as he tries to find wins for the Chargers. He can make all the necessary throws but has a tendency to take too many chances and throw to the wrong-colored jersey. Where he used to make defenses pay for dialing up pressure, he is now the one making the mistakes. A solid game against the Steelers in Week 14 was a step in the right direction, but he needs to show more overall consistency.
Away QB: Newton has seen his play improve over the past few weeks as the Panthers are asking him to throw less. He is getting the ball out more quickly and looking more decisive when throwing the ball, but perhaps the most impressive thing is that he is doing a much better job of protecting the football. Newton possesses rare physical traits and is just now starting to match the mental game with the physical. Long term, he needs to run the ball less frequently, but the option to run is a very valuable threat due to his rare combination of size and speed.
Key positional battle -- Panthers' RBs vs. Chargers' LBs: I'm including Newton among Carolina's running backs as the quarterback is an integral part of the Panthers' ground game. When the backs move the chains and produce on the ground, the Panthers can be a very difficult team to stop. San Diego's linebackers need to keep Newton and DeAngelo Williams under wraps and out of the open field, where they would be a threat to take it all the way.
Featured player: For the Chargers, this game rests pretty much on the shoulders of Rivers. When he makes good decisions and throws with accuracy, he can be one of the best. The Chargers don't have the kind of dynamic defense or powerful ground game that can simply wear opponents down, so they need Rivers to provide the spark with a precise passing game.
Film room nuggets: Newton is playing the game a lot faster than he was early in the season. The Panthers appear to have reduced his reads, allowing him to make quicker decisions and get the ball out of his hands sooner. He is looking more comfortable, more in control and more confident on the field. ... A healthy Danario Alexander gives the Chargers a much more potent passing attack. He lacks premier downfield speed but possesses excellent leaping skills and great hand-eye coordination when going up for the ball in a crowd.
Prediction
San Diego 30
Carolina 24
The Chargers like to finish seasons strong and the Week 14 win over the Steelers could be the start of a late-season surge. Look for San Diego's big receivers to put up some numbers on the outmatched Carolina secondary.
