NFL Picks, 2012 Season, Week 15

The sense heading into the 2012 season was that if Peyton Manning could come back to anything resembling his earlier years, the Denver Broncos would be in position to have a pretty good season.

Manning has answered any doubters he may have had to the tune of 3,800 yards and 30 touchdowns heading into week 15. And the Broncos have won eight in a row, running away with a division that in recent years often has been won by whatever team can reach eight or nine wins for the season.

Kim Constantinesco, senior editor of Predominantly Orange, thinks the best is yet to come.

“When all three phases are playing well, this is undoubtedly the best team in the NFL,” she says. “If everyone stays healthy and takes care of business, the Broncos team is Super Bowl bound.”

I’m not sure the separation is that great yet. New England is playing well and, when on its game, Houston can play with anyone. But the Broncos are right in the mix to be playing for the town’s first title since John Elway retired.

Constantinesco joined Zoneblitz as our guest blogger for week 15. She follows Greg Cowan, managing editor and senior writer with Colts Authority. I’m not sure we’ll be inviting him back again – Cowan destroyed both of us by going 11-5. Andy was a brutal 6-10 and Tony finished a paltry 8-8. Tony maintains the lead as we head into the final three weeks of the season.

With visions of a rebound in mind, here are our picks for week 15.

Game of the week: One of us has been touting Houston as the class of the AFC most of the season. After the Texans took a drubbing at the hands of New England last weekend, that mind has been changed. New England and Denver are both playing better ball so far in December. Both of those teams have tremendously interesting matchups this week. The Broncos are traveling to Baltimore to take on the AFC North leading Ravens. That gets runner up status in these eyes. The best game of all has San Francisco flying cross-country for a Sunday night tilt with the Patriots. All four of these teams look like they’ll be playing deep into January.

Game of the weak: Once again there are any number of games that could fall into this category. Detroit and Arizona is interesting only because of Calvin Johnson’s pursuit of the 2,000 yard season … unless you’re interested in seeing if the Cardinals can duplicate their pathetic effort of a week ago. The Jets and Tennessee will present a Monday Night nationally televised game that almost nobody will want to watch. But most likely the worst game of all, sadly enough, pits two long-time AFL rivals in a matchup that used to mean something. Kansas City at Oakland is a game I will not set my alarm to watch.

To see our Best Bets for week 15, click here.