The New Year’s weekend is upon us in the National Football League. Here are the key injuries, player statistical projections and possible upsets for Week 16.
Key Injuries
The most notable injury in Week 16 was on the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line as offensive tackle La’el Collins of Baton Rouge, Louisiana tore his anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament last week against the New England Patriots in a 22-18 Cincinnati win. Collins is a major part of the Bengals offense in protecting quarterback Joe Burrow.
Meanwhile, Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard will not play Thursday night against the Tennessee Titans because of a thigh injury. This means that Ezekiel Elliott will likely dominate the load. The Cowboys still have a chance to win the NFC East.
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Player Statistical Projections
Despite having a terrible season, the Denver Broncos still have a strong pass defense. That said, Patrick Mahomes is a fantastic quarterback, and is still projected to have 313 passing yards, 18 rushing yards, and three touchdowns for a Kansas City franchise hoping to finish first in the AFC regular season.
In Los Angeles, running back Austin Ekeler is battling a minor knee issue. However he is still expected to suit up for the Chargers on Sunday when they face the Los Angeles Rams. Ekeler’s projections are 63 rushing yards and 46 receiving yards for 109 total yards and one touchdown.
At wide receiver, Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings will look for his second great game against the Green Bay Packers this season. In week one, he had nine catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns. In week 17 at Lambeau, Jefferson is projected to get eight catches for 115 yards and one touchdown.
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Projected Upsets
Even though the Detroit Lions are winners of three of their last four games, there continues to be holes on their defense. Detroit has given up 264.1 yards against, the third most in the NFL. This is why I am picking the Chicago Bears, especially with what appears to be a healthy Justin Fields.
I also like the Carolina Panthers to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Panthers have won three of their last four games with Steve Wilks as their head coach. Don’t forget, the Panthers dominated the Buccaneers 21-3 back on October 23.
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