There have been times this season when the Seattle Seahawks were a bit out of sync, but they’ve pulled things together and found their groove. Their strength was on display last Sunday when they beat the Patriots in New England – something no other team has done this season with Tom Brady under centre. The Seahawks have momentum on their side and are emerging as the team to beat in the NFC.
Seahawks Impress
The Seahawks are 5-1-1 in their last seven contests and are now tied with the Dallas Cowboys at +250 to win the NFC. As of now, the Seahawks only have one game left against a team with a winning record: the Philadelphia Eagles (5-4) this week. The Seahawks could get on a roll as we head down the home stretch.
Steelers Falling Behind
At one point this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were a healthy 4-1. Before losing to the Miami Dolphins in Week 6, the Steelers had back-to-back wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets by a combined margin of 74-27. They’ve since lost four straight and now have an uphill battle to make the playoffs.
The Steelers are currently in ninth place in the AFC at 4-5 SU and ATS and are three games behind the Denver Broncos. Within the seven remaining games this season, the Steelers get to face the winless Cleveland Browns twice, which will give them a boost, but time is ticking. Their margin of error is paper-thin these days.
NFC Playoff Race
There’s been a lot of focus on struggling NFC teams like the 5-4 Philadelphia Eagles, 5-4 Minnesota Vikings, 4-5 Green Bay Packers, 4-5 Los Angeles Rams, and 4-5 New Orleans Saints. Despite their struggles, these teams are still in the thick of things. That’s because the sixth seed in the NFC is the 5-3-1 Washington Redskins, who will play two of these struggling NFC teams in the coming weeks. The Redskins will have an opportunity to slow down Green Bay this week and Philadelphia in Week 14..
Important Injuries
Rob Gronkowski (NE): The Patriots tight end suffered the hardest hit of his career in the second quarter of the Patriots-Seahawks game. A chest injury that’s considered “not overly serious” could keep him out of the San Francisco game this week.
Jordan Howard (CHI): The Bears running back had just two carries in the second half last week, and afterwards, head coach John Fox said that an injury limited Howard despite his insistence that he’s fine. Keep an eye on this odd situation because the Bears will be a sizable underdog against the New York Giants on Sunday.
Larry Fitzgerald (ARI): Fitzgerald has been battling a slew of injuries all season. Last week, he was targeted 18 times when the Cardinals faced the San Francisco 49ers, injuring his neck and possibly his knee in the process. He was sent for a precautionary MRI on Monday.
*Odds as of November 16, 2016