Having shattered the Steelers’ sword, those nameless Washington men should be dubbed the Mavericks. The Seahawks must fly a lot higher (and Sir Russell must improve his sparring) or ask: "Who were those masked men?" Washington can simultaneously open up a bigger division lead and play kingmaker for the surging Rams.
 
Lately, the Raiders are very "un-Raiderly." My, how mighty swords have fallen silent! No one will walk the plank after Vegas' horse breaks against the Chargers (who are themselves rather lame). Instead of galloping to a wild card finish, the Chargers are fading behind another stud-like herd with a hot rookie jockey (yes, it's a rarely-seen stampede — of Dolphins).
 
In red-hot Miami, those muzzled Patriots will again fire their muskets, needing a glorious battle day if they hope to raise their flagging fortunes. Don't look now, but the Bills are raring to trample the wounded Broncos (Saturday) and gain ground in their trifecta with the Steelers and Chiefs.
 
And now, my featured race on the weekend card!
 
The not-so-nice Saints may foil the Chiefs' plan to capture the AFC’s top seed. Scheming to retake the top NFC seed, the nasty boys may throw the entire Sean Payton playbook at the Chiefs' upsy-downsy defense. If Drew Brees remains in the paddock, starting Taysom Hill opposite Lord Patrick Mahomes, both gang leaders will be physically tough — and elusive. Let's also keep our eyes on those preening ball carriers — Edwards-Helaire, Bell, Kamara, Murray — who will be trying to out-prance each other.  
 
The rest of Week 15 could be predictable, but as we near season's end, losing football teams try to experience the winner's circle (meaningless wins, playoff-wise). We should not pack the grandstands; our best bets are matches between contenders.
 
My daily double, then, is the Seahawks-Washington row (if you can get it) and that big Chiefs-Saints headliner. If you're still chomping at the bit for more, perhaps the Baker Mayfield slingshot will not fell the Giants too quickly on SNF. In featured races, the Giants historically run better than "who they are" (and Jason Garrett will not be calling offensive plays).

Regarding that MNF pairing — Steelers vs. Bengals — the race could be over by the halfway pole, or (more likely) the only thing sloppier than the track will be the play. I know Mondays are more boring than watching fencing on TV, but you’ve been warned.
 
Here are all the Week 15 matches — and my picks.
 
        Home              Away               My Pick
 
1.    Chargers          Raiders            Raiders                       
2.    Bills                 Broncos           Bills    
3.    Panthers          Packers            Packers
4.    49ers              Cowboys          49ers
5.    Seahawks        Washington      Washington
6.    Bears              Vikings            Bears
7.    Patriots           Dolphins          Dolphins
8.    Jaguars           Ravens           Ravens
9.    Bucs               Falcons           Bucs
10.  Lions               Titans             Titans
11.  Texans             Colts               Colts   
12.  Eagles             Cardinals         Cardinals
13.  Jets                 Rams              Rams
14.  Chiefs              Saints             Chiefs
15.  Browns            Giants             Browns
16.  Steelers           Bengals           Steelers
 
Caution: teams are not who we thought they were. Viewer discretion advised.