2021 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 14

Detroit Lions (1-10-1) at Denver Broncos (6-6)

Sunday, December 12, 4:05PM ET

Congrats, Detroit Lions. You avoided a winless season. You can rest easy now. While it was a necessary step for the franchise’s future, it’s not going to change the overall outlook of their season. The Lions have been and still will be one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2021.

As for the Denver Broncos, you can still hear their name mentioned from time to time in the playoff conversation. It’s going to take a strong push in the final few weeks, but we certainly can’t count them out at this point. Teddy Bridgewater is still a quality quarterback, Javonte Williams is coming into his own, and the Denver defense is a force to be reckoned with.

Furthermore, they get an ideal matchup in Week 14 with the Lions coming to town. Even though they finally broke the seal and got a W, they’re far from an intimidating opponent. Goff is one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL, and the Broncos D will remind us all of that come Sunday.

Denver gets the win to stay relevant in the AFC playoff scenario, and the Lions are immediately brought back down to Earth. There will be no sudden win streaks for Detroit, as they remain in prime position to lock down the top pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Prediction: Broncos win 24-16 | Spread: Broncos (-8)