Five outrageous predictions for Week 15 of the NFL season

Can the Carolina Panthers remain undefeated against a New York Giants team that will be more than prepared to knock them off?

Is Russell Wilson going to be able to continue his historical recent play against a bad Cleveland Browns defense?

These are two big questions we plan on delving into below. They are also among the five outrageous predictions for Week 15 of the NFL season.

1. Russell Wilson will put up five touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns head coach Mike Pettine apparently didn't get the memo. There is no reason for the head of a three-win team to give the red-hot two-time defending NFC champions some bulletin board material before the two play:

"Would you put him (Wilson) there with the guys that can transcend their supporting cast? The (Tom) Bradys, whether it's Aaron Rodgers, (Drew) Brees, (Ben) Roethlisberger, the ones that you would consider the two, three, four elite guys? No," Pettine said about Wilson on Wednesday. "But he's certainly played himself into that next tier."

We can talk elite until we are blue in the face and get nowhere. The line keeps moving on this discussion, rendering it moot.

What we do know is that Wilson is in the midst of one of the strongest stretches for a quarterback in the recent history of the league. He is completing over 70 percent of his passes for 1,171 yards with 16 touchdowns compared to zero picks over the past four games. It's not a coincidence that Seattle is undefeated and averaging 35 points during that span.

It might also help if Pettine had some confidence in his defense to actually stop Wilson. Cleveland ranks 31st in the NFL in points allowed and is in the bottom 10 in total defense.

Yeah, that's going to work well against the Seahawks in Seattle. Look for another absolutely huge game for Wilson in this one.

2. A.J. McCarron will gain 300-plus yards in Cincinnati Bengals win

Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson made it clear this week that he's not going to water down the playbook with Andy Dalton sidelined. That's probably a good idea against a San Francisco 49ers defense that ranks in the bottom six of the NFL against the pass.

McCarron actually performed at a decent level considering what he was going up against after taking over for Dalton last week. Despite throwing two interceptions, the second-year quarterback did complete 22-of-32 passes for 280 yards with two scores against Pittsburgh.

Taking on a much lesser opponent — one that seemed to quit on its coach last week — the expectation here has to be that Cincinnati will steamroll San Francisco. If so, McCarron will play a big role in that.

3. Derek Carr will lead the Oakland Raiders to upset win

It looked bleak as all get out at half against the Denver Broncos last week. Oakland had actually passed through two quarters with negative total yardage.

Then something changed. It might have been Khalil Mack treating the Broncos offensive line as a punching bag. It could have also been the Raiders' understanding that their season was on the brink. Either way, Oakland came out to play in the second half — pulling off a surprising 15-12 win in Denver.

Now taking on another first place team with their season on the line, the Raiders should be more than inspired to put up a solid performance in front of the home crowd. That's only magnified by the fact that this could be the team's second-to-last game in Oakland.

4. Statement game for the Philadelphia Eagles

It seems that Chip Kelly has found the right mix on offense. The idea here is to utilize a three-men backfield while taking the onus off Sam Bradford at quarterback.

During the team's two-game winning streak, Philadelphia is averaging a solid 122 rushing yards per game. Nothing really fancy, but it's the commitment to the run that has played a huge role.

In those two games, the Eagles have attempted 67 runs. It's not a coincidence that Bradford has thrown three touchdowns compared to one interception while helping limit Philadelphia's turnover total to just two during this stretch.

Potentially more than any other top contender in the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals rely on the turnover to lead the way. They have yielded 340-plus yards in four of the past five games while giving up an average of just 16.8 points during that span.

If Philadelphia can find a way to limit its mistakes at home on Sunday, it could very well put up that statement performance in a game that it needs in order to remain viable in the NFC East race heading into Week 16.

5. Carolina Panthers undefeated season comes to an end

This is probably the fifth time we have predicted the Panthers to lose a game this season. At 13-0, Cam Newton and Co. are continuing to laugh at their detractors.

That could very well come to an end on Sunday in New Jersey.

Not only is Carolina taking on a New York Giants team that is in desperation mode, it is going up against a squad, particularly a quarterback, that doesn't wilt under the pressure. Just ask Tom Brady and Co. about this.

Specifically, there are a couple matchups that seem to favor New York in this game. First off, its mid-tier run defense likely won't be tested as much with Jonathan Stewart out of action.

Secondly, the combination of Will Tye and Rueben Randle could help Eli Manning overcome the very real possibility of having to avoid Odell Beckham Jr, who will be lining up against Josh Norman.

Tye, a rookie from Stony Brook, was inserted into the lineup five weeks ago when tight end Larry Donnell went down with a season-ending injury. In those five games, the first-year player has racked up 21 receptions and a touchdown. He could cause some issues for the linebacker tandem of Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis in Carolina.

Meanwhile, Randle has had to take on a starting role with Victor Cruz still sidelined. Despite erratic overall play, the former LSU standout has found a way to put up five-plus receptions in six games this season.

That is what will be key here. Is Eli going to have to force the issue to Beckham? If not, can he take advantage of mismatches in his team's favor? If history tells us one thing here, Manning will be more than prepared to take the Panthers out come Sunday. It's now all about those two players stepping up.

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