NFL Week 15: Miami’s mission, potential AFC Final match-up & more
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Wild Card race hots up in both conferences
It is well and truly crunch time in the NFL. Just three games of the regular season remain, and the battle for all four Wild Card spots could well go down to the wire.
In Week 15, Miami Dolphins look to make last week’s giant-killing the spur for their playoff push. Elsewhere, there’s an all-AFC showdown which could prove a warm-up game for the eventual Conference Final.
They’re among the key storylines the Coral News Team are looking at ahead of the weekend’s action.
Is Patriots win springboard as Miami face Wild Card rivals?
Miami surprised NFL fans everywhere by inflicting New England Patriots’ first away defeat since January 2016, last weekend. The Florida side picked up a valuable 27-20 victory, racking up 16 points in the third quarter.
That result took the AFC East side to a 6-7 record, following a comfortable defeat of Denver Broncos the weekend before.
The Dolphins now sit just one win behind their divisional rivals Buffalo Bills, with the latter currently occupying a coveted Wild Card spot. And the sides do battle in upstate New York on Sunday.
Sunday sees first of two meetings on the cards, with the Bills making the trip down south for the final Regular Season game.
Miami have won the last two Head-to-Heads, and Sean McDermott’s hosts have lost four from their last six after a strong start to the season. The Coral News Team fancy Miami to Win.
Is Sunday’s clash AFC Final dress rehearsal?
The stats say they’re the top two sides in the AFC. Pittsburgh Steelers have won the North division already with an 11-2 record.
As for 2016 Super Bowl winners New England Patriots, they’re 10-2 and need a single win to confirm progression as Eastern champions.
Pittsburgh have home advantage this weekend, but they also have form on their side. While the Pats fell short in Miami last time out, the Steelers’ offense has been steamrollering sides.
Mike Tomlin’s side have scored 133 points in their last four games, and have now won eight matches in succession.
A high-scoring Steelers victory could well be on the cards here, but don’t be surprised to see the pair meet again in the post-season.
Can NFC’s top Quarterback be Detroit’s saviour?
After an utterly barren decade in the noughties, Detroit Lions have made the playoffs in three of the past six seasons. QB Matthew Stafford has been the fulcrum of that success.
The man who made the 2014 Pro Bowl has been sensational this year. No other QB in the NFC can match the 3,683 yards he’s thrown for so far this season.
Those throws have delivered 23 Touchdowns, and kept the Lions in the hunt for the Wild Card spots. As it stands, they’re two places and a single win outside of those playoff places.
They host Chicago Bears on Saturday, and having already seen off their divisional rivals at Soldier Field, the Coral News Team are expecting the Lions to pull off a potentially crucial win.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
