NFL Week 15, Five Bold Predictions: Bill Belichick Beats Former Assistant; Desmond Ridder wins his first start

The san francisco 49ers got Week 15 off to a fun start by winning its seventh straight game, defeating division rival Seattle Seahawks Thursday night football.

The weekend roster is a bit different than usual, as the NFL will invite us to three Saturday games and just 10 Sunday contests this week. However, a different schedule won’t stop us from making our usual batch of bold predictions. We’ll only be sure to distribute them over the weekend, so there’s a Saturday prediction to kick things off for you folks who will be tuned in on your TVs.

Without any more preambles …

dolphins the offensive fall continues

Through the first 12 weeks of the season, the Dolphins had one of the best and most explosive offenses in the NFL. They ranked third in the NFL in yards per play and per game, sixth in points per game, second in expected aggregate (EPA) points per play from Tru Media, and second in DVOA from Football Outsiders. They also created big plays at the highest rate in the league, with 25.6% of their plays resulting in a gain of 10 or more yards, according to Tru Media. In the two games they have played against the 49ers and chargers in the last two weeks, the Dolphins have gained 527 total yards and scored a combined 34 points. They posted a season-low 14 first downs in each of those games, during which Tua Tagovailoa went 28 of 61 combined for 440 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while taking five of the 17 sacks he has produced all-time. the season. how we write In the past weekThe Dolphins will face a similar challenge this week to the one posed by the 49ers when they face division rival buffalo bills. Throw in the expected bad weather (there’s a significant chance of snow and the temperature will be in the south of 30 degrees) that should suppress passing game production and it’s not hard to see Miami once again having a slow offensive game.

The Saints they have lost four of their last five games, with the only win coming against a rams team that lost Matthew Stafford midway through the game. New Orleans has occasionally been vulnerable to explosive games from opponents’ running attacks, and we’ve seen throughout this season that, despite not having top-level personnel, Arthur Smith can plan the game. hawks into fast-paced success against almost any opponent. That’s what happens here, as the Falcons downplay the work their rookie quarterback must do and clinch a win against a division rival, miraculously keeping their playoff hopes alive for another week in the process.

Jets slow explosive lions passing game

Do you know when was the last time an opponent had over 200 net passing yards against the Jets? If you guessed Week 7, you would be correct. That’s when Brett Rypien was 24 of 46 for 225 yards and an interception against them in New York’s 16-9 win over the broncos. All season, the most net passing yards (passing yards minus yards lost to sacks) the Jets have allowed is just 261, and that was against the bengalis. The Jets just shut down Josh Allen and the Bills and Justin Jefferson and the vikings in the past two weeks, while the Lions have seen a dramatic drop in passing game performance in road games compared to those played in the friendly confines of Ford Field, which has essentially become the version of Coors Field football this season. On the grass and in the elements at MetLife Stadium, the guess here is that they put on another poor showing.

Bill Belichick punches a former assistant

I was very surprised to learn that Belichick’s win-loss record against his former assistants isn’t that great. Through the patriots‘ official website: “The only thorn in Belichick’s side over the last 23 seasons with the Patriots is facing his former assistant coaches and players. In matchups against his former protégés, Belichick has a 15-13 record, with a 5-mark. 9 against his students since 2018”. One of those losses came against the Josh McDaniels-led Denver Broncos in 2009. This time against a team coached by McDaniels, Belichick is going to get the better of his former offensive coordinator. Prepare to hear a lot of the phrase “1-Double 17,” which is the coverage we’re likely to see the Patriots use against Davante Adams. That means he’ll be double-teamed all afternoon. The raiders They don’t have many other ways to move the ball through the air, so when they take Adams away, they’re much easier to stop.

Two weeks ago, the Giants and Commanders tied 20-20 in what was, quite frankly, one of the most depressing football games of the year. Things won’t get much better in the rematch, but the Communists will secure a victory on Sunday Night Football, thanks in no small part to the fact that they are the healthiest team at the moment. It will allow them to edge out their division rivals in playoff seeding and give them a pretty decent shot at clinching a wild card berth.