NFL 2025 Week 15 Prequel
In September, all 32 NFL teams are like little puppies with dreams in their eyes. This is December. Put the NFL puppies to bed. December brings the words of John Randle and Mike Singletary that ring as true as a quarterback getting his bell rung.
“This is when the big dogs come out.”
You can yap and yelp in September. You better be snarling mad dog mean to win in the National Football League in December.
This is when the big dogs come out.
There is room for finesse in September. The weather is colder in December. The bodies are bruised, beaten, battered and bloodied. The best of these men will refuse to stay down. Talking does not win Super Bowls. The Lombardi Trophy is not hoisted by engaging in words. Winning teams in December bring their battering rams. December is smash-mouth offense, bone-crunching defense, and brutal, blustery football weather.
This is when the big dogs come out.
September brings sunshine and ease at moving the ball. December is a war of attrition where every yard is contested. Fourth and goal at the one is not so easy when the men in the trenches are fighting the elements of rain, snow, and cold as well as each other. Every loss brings a team closer to the season’s end short of the goal. In December, only the very strongest of the strong survive. The very strongest of those men thrive.
This is December football. These are the big dogs. This is when the big dogs come out.
Thursday, December 11, 2025, 8pm
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-4 1/2) — The Falcons are bad. The Buccaneers are better. Baker Mayfield has more weapons than Kirk Cousins has. The Buccaneers are trying to win their division and will be ready. Buccaneers cover
Sunday, December 14,, 1pm
Buffalo Bills (-1 1/2) at New England Patriots — The Patriots are 11-2 yet home underdogs. On paper, Josh Allen is better than Drake Maye and the Bills do have a high-powered offense. The Bills have dominated the AFC East for the last 5 years. The Patriots would love to deliver the knockout blow but champions do not go down easy. This could be the closing of the Bills window, so expect them to bring everything they have. Bills cover
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (-2 1/2) — Two weeks ago Joe Burrow returned and he Bengals went into Baltimore and belted the Ravens. The Ravens went from winning 5 straight to losing 2 straight at home. Home field does not matter in this series. John Harbaugh is a better coach than Zac Taylor. If Derrick Henry can get going, the desperate Ravens will get revenge against a Bengals team with nothing to play for. Upset special, Ravens win outright
New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars (-3 1/2) — The Jets are awful. The Jaguars are now clicking on all cylinders. Trevor Lawrence guided the Jaguars to first place in the AFC South. Go with the better team with everything to play for. Jaguars cover
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (-5 1/2) — The Chiefs are on the brink of elimination. The Chargers got a big overtime win against Philadelphia and might be exhausted. The Chargers could finish off the Chiefs for good but Justin Herbert is playing with an injured hand. This is another case of a champion fighting to the bitter end. Chiefs win but fail to cover
Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans (-9 1/2) — The Cardinals are awful. The Texans have a tough defense. The spread is too high given that the Texans offense does not do that much. The Texans got a big emotional win at Kansas City and may start out sluggish. Texans win but fail to cover
Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears (-7 1/2) — The Browns have a defense but no offense. The Bears in the last couple of weeks have gone from a team seen as frauds to a tea that is for real. Losing at Green Bay was a bump in the road. Bears cover
Washington Commanders at New York Giants (-2 1/2) — League rules required that this game be played and not get canceled. In the Jayden vs Jaxson roller coaster, Jaxson Dart is back from injury while Jayden Daniels is out injured. Go with a healthy Dart at home. Giants cover
Las Vegas Raiders at Philadelphia Eagles (-11 1/2) — The Eagles have lost 3 straight including an overtime heartbreaker last week. They have a lights out defense but their offense is malfunctioning. The Raiders have lost 7 straight because they only have a very good defense and a completely non-functioning offense. The spread is high and the Raiders lose close games. A garbage touchdown is possible, especially with Kenny Pickett starting in place of the injured and inept Geno Smith. Eagles win but fail to cover
4pm
Indianapolis Colts at Seattle Seahawks (-14) — With a gruesome injury finishing Daniel Jones for the year and anthony Richardson already on injured reserve, the Colts brought in retired 44 year Old Man Philip Rivers, who just keeps rolling along. The Seahawks are a whopping 14 point favorites. The Seahawks are playing great football and have won several blowouts. Their defense could batter Rivers back into retirement. As great as Rivers was, he has not thrown a pass in three years. Seahawks cover
Green Bay Packers (-2 1/2) at Denver Broncos — The Packers have won four straight while the Broncos have won 10 straight. Somehow the Broncos are home underdogs. This makes zero sense. The Broncos defense is playing spectacular football. Jordan Love and Bo Nix are both very good, so go with the home tea and the better defense. Upset special, Broncos win outright
Tennessee Titans at San Francisco 49ers (-12 1/2) — The Titans were the worst team in football but somehow got their second win of the year last week. They even won on the road. Now back to reality. The 49ers are a good team that is getting healthy at the right time. This game could be over by halftime 49ers cover
Carolina Panthers (-2 1/2) at New Orleans Saints — The Saints got a road win last week but the Panthers are fighting for a playoff spot. Tyler Shough has shown competence and has been an upgrade over Spencer Rattler. The Panthers have been too inconsistent to trust against a bad but improving Saints squad. Upset special, Saints win outright
Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Rams (-6) — This is why we watch football. Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford again face off against their former teams. Both high-powered offenses could make this a great shootout. The Lions defense still has not fixed the problems that doomed them last year. The spread is too high given that the Lions at their best can score at will. So can the Rams. Rams win but fail to cover
8pm
Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys (-5 1/2) — Both teams have fallen far below expectations. The Cowboys have the better offense and the worse defense. Dak Prescott can still spread the ball around. The Cowboys are clinging to playoff life and will not see their postseason dreams dashed at home by an inferior team. Cowboys cover
Monday, December 15, 8pm
Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) — Every time the Steelers are about to be counted out, Mike Tomlin gets a big win. Going on the road and taking down Baltimore matters. The Dolphins are not eliminated but the Steelers at home in cold weather should be able to run the ball and get the job done. Steelers cover