It seems the Seahawks just found a lucky Penny. Seattle took Rashaad Penny with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, but he hadn’t quite lived up to the “first round” bill… until Sunday, that is.
Penny powered the Seahawks to a 33-13 win over lowly Houston in Week 14 to keep the team’s slim playoff hopes alive. The 25-year old running back racked up a career-high 137 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries. Those two TD runs came from 32- and 47-yards out. It marked only the third time Penny reached 100 or more yards in a game over his four-year career. More importantly, though, Penny’s performance shows promise to a Seattle offense lacking consistency and balance. The more Russell Wilson can rely on the run, the better for the Seahawks.
The last time a Seattle runner reached the 100-yard mark was back in Week 6 when Alex Collins netted 101 yards in an overtime loss to Pittsburgh. Outside of that – and a 73-yard run on a fake punt by Travis Homer two weeks ago against San Francisco – no Seahawks player had totaled more than 41 rushing yards in a game since.
Seattle entered last week at No. 15 out of 16 teams in the NFC standings, but the Hawks moved up to No. 13 after last week’s win. No, Seattle is NOT in control of its destiny – it needs help to reach the postseason – but the best path to the playoffs is the one in which the team wins out. Next up is no easy task as the Seahawks travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams.
LA currently sits in second place in the NFC West standings and are fifth in the NFC overall at 9-4. Wilson suffered a mallet finger in the teams’ last meeting back in Week 5, a 26-17 Rams win. Since that Thursday Night showdown, the teams have been on exact opposite paths as LA has posted a 5-3 record against Seattle’s 3-5.
Regardless of what’s taken place since their last matchup, the Seahawks still have a shot, and sometimes that’s all a team needs.
Time for my weekly forecast.
My season picks record: 10-4 last week, 114-65 overall
Seattle (5-8) at Los Angeles Rams (9-4)
There will be a lot of new faces in this one compared to the Week 5 matchup. Since seeing each other last, LA lost Robert Woods, signed Odell Beckham Jr., and traded for Von Miller. Seattle will feature Penny instead of Collins, and Wilson will be under center again – he missed most of the second half in Week 5 after injuring his finger. It will be close as Wilson and Co. don’t want to know what it’s like to finish a season with a losing record. The Rams just downed the NFL’s best with a less-than-full roster. Look for LA to hand Seattle its ninth loss and first losing season since 2011.
Pick: Rams 26, Seahawks 23
Kansas City (9-4) at Los Angeles Chargers (8-5) – Thursday
Just how many points will these two teams combine for? Both coming off blowout wins, the offensive firepower between them is beyond enticing. The Chiefs scorched the Raiders for 48 while LA put up 37 on the Giants. It’s tempting to pick LA – which won the previous matchup in Week 3 – but I think KC avenges that earlier loss here.
Pick: Chiefs 37, Chargers 33
Las Vegas (6-7) at Cleveland (7-6) – Saturday
Once 5-2, the Raiders have lost five of their last six games. While the Browns haven’t been much more impressive, they’ve been a .500 team over their last six, which is a bit better than 1-5. Cleveland’s run game should power the Brownies past Las Vegas.
Pick: Browns 22, Raiders 19
New England (9-4) at Indianapolis (7-6) – Saturday
The Patriots have won seven straight games, including last week’s 14-10 victory in windy Buffalo with a mere three passing attempts from Mac Jones. New England ran 46 times for 222 yards. The Colts sport quite the rushing attack themselves as Jonathan Taylor currently leads the NFL with 1,348 yards, over 300 yards more than the next closest on the list – Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon at 1,036. If Taylor can get going, Indy has a shot. But I think New England’s defense is the difference here.
Pick: Patriots 27, Colts 20
Carolina (5-8) at Buffalo (7-6)
Despite the winning record, it’s been a disappointing season for the Bills, who were picked by many to win the Super Bowl. The frustration will boil over this week as Buffalo will dominate a decimated, reeling Carolina squad that’s gone 2-8 since its 3-0 start.
Pick: Bills 44, Panthers 17
Arizona (10-3) at Detroit (1-11-1)
Before we get to the pick here, can we just take some time to admire the Lions’ flawless symmetry in that 1-11-1 record? Ah, so pretty. Now we know what all those losses were going toward. Mission accomplished, Detroit, mission accomplished… Now that that’s out of the way… Cards win easily.
Pick: Cardinals 34, Lions 16
New York Jets (3-10) at Miami (6-7)
Here’s another team on a winning streak – the Dolphins have quietly won five straight. Tua Tagovailoa seems to be thriving since returning from an early-season injury, and the Miami defense has been solid. This doesn’t bode well for New York.
Pick: Dolphins 24, Jets 13
Dallas (9-4) at New York Giants (4-9)
The Giants just can’t get their team healthy and on the field together. Daniel Jones is set to miss his third straight game while Saquon Barkley seems to be getting better week-to-week since returning from injury. Regardless, Dallas shouldn’t have too much of a problem against Mike Glennon.
Pick: Cowboys 31, Giants 16
Washington (6-7) at Philadelphia (6-7)
Two things have come to my attention regarding this game: 1) Philadelphia has been horrendous at home this year (1-4); and 2) It seems nearly half of Washington’s roster has been placed on the COVID-19 list, including Jonathan Allen and Montez Sweat. Seriously, check out this tweet:
So, who do I pick? Probably gotta go with the one that can actually field a team.
Pick: Eagles 20, WFT 17
Tennessee (9-4) at Pittsburgh (6-6-1)
It isn’t how they envisioned it during the offseason, but the Titans have somehow pieced together a solid season so far. Gone are Derrick Henry (somehow still the fourth-leading rusher in the NFL despite being out since Week 9) and A.J. Brown (the team’s leader in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdown receptions), yet Tennessee finds ways to win. The Titans’ defense shut out a bad Jacksonville team in Week 14, but shutouts are hard to come by in the NFL regardless. Look for Tennessee to continue the trend and win an ugly one against Pittsburgh behind the run game.
Pick: Titans 20, Steelers 19
Houston (2-11) at Jacksonville (2-11)
Here we are, ladies and gentlemen—the heavyweight bout. The star power on display will be unmatched as this year’s No. 1 overall pick in Trevor Lawrence goes up against… hold on… well, it’s also a rookie – a third-round pick… named Davis Mills. Ok, so no one’s heard of him. But the list goes on! Jacksonville has James Robinson, and Marvin Jones Jr. Houston has Brandin Cooks and… Yeah, so this could be a disaster of a game. Jags win.
Pick: Jaguars 20, Texans 15
Cincinnati (7-6) at Denver (7-6)
Sometimes the game takes a backseat to real life. It was an emotional week in Denver as former Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas passed away at the age of 33. Thomas played in the Mile High City for nine seasons, appearing in 143 regular season games, ten playoff games, and two Super Bowls, including Denver’s iconic win over Carolina in SB 50. The four-time Pro Bowler ranks second all-time in Broncos history in targets (1,095), receiving yards (9,055), and touchdown receptions (60) while hauling in the third-most catches at 665. Denver paid tribute to the 2011 first round pick during Week 14’s matchup against Detroit with No. 88 decals on each player’s helmet, an encircled 88 painted on each sideline, and a pre-game video honoring the 6-3, 225-pound stud receiver. The Broncos’ offense lined up with only ten men on the field to start their first possession, leaving Thomas’ former X spot open. Upon being called for a delay of game, the Lions declined the penalty in a classy move. Denver won that game 38-10 in memory of Thomas. As for this week, I think Cincy comes out on top.
Pick: Bengals 26, Broncos 24
Atlanta (6-7) at San Francisco (7-6)
The Niners have quietly won four of their last five while the Falcons are 5-2 on the road this season. Something’s gotta give here, and I think it’s Atlanta. San Francisco continues to roll to keep pace in the NFC playoff race.
Pick: 49ers 31, Falcons 24
Green Bay (10-3) at Baltimore (8-5)
It’s looking like Lamar Jackson will sit this one out, and Tyler Huntley will get the nod. Huntley nearly completed the comeback against Cleveland in Week 14, but Green Bay is a different animal. Baltimore falls at home.
Pick: Packers 30, Ravens 22
New Orleans (6-7) at Tampa Bay (10-3)
Remember when the Saints downed the Bucs 36-27 to improve to 5-2 back in Week 8 despite losing starting quarterback Jameis Winston? Well, New Orleans has only won one game since then. Tampa gets its revenge this week.
Pick: Buccaneers 36, Saints 24
Minnesota (6-7) at Chicago (4-9) – Monday
What a performance by Dalvin Cook and the offensive line last week against Pittsburgh. The star running back racked up 205 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. That comes to 7.6 yards per carry. You’re going to win a lot of games if you can do that consistently. I doubt his average is that high against Chicago, but look for Cook to lead Minnesota to a win in the Windy City.
Pick: Vikings 29, Bears 26
