National Football League

Top 10 matchups for Week 16 of the NFL season

Published Dec. 23, 2015 2:54 p.m. ET

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Individual matchups within specific games this week will tell us a lot about the playoff picture heading into January.

Can a certain New York Giants receiver step up with his teammate out due to suspension? Is New York Jets receiver Brandon Marshall prepared to put the hurt on a division rival in a must-win game for his team?

Can Zach Mettenberger back up his talk and help lead his Tennessee Titans past the J.J. Watt-led Houston Texans?

These are some of the biggest questions among the top 10 matchups of the second-to-final week of the NFL season.

1. Zach Mettenberger vs. J.J. Watt

We aren't exactly too sure Mettenberger is relishing the opportunity to go up against Watt after what transpired between the two last season and during the summer. But with Tennessee Titans starting quarterback Marcus Mariota shut down, that's exactly what is going to happen this week.

After the Houston Texans defensive lineman called Mettenberger out for taking selfies prior to a game last season, the quarterback responded in kind this past summer:

"J.J. had to say it's a bit high school-ish that I take selfies and I think he still rags me on Instagram every time he posts a selfie," Mettenberger said back in July, via the Houston Chronicle. "At the same time, if that's high school-ish, he got a letterman jacket made, a Texans letterman jacket. That's pretty high school-ish to me, don't you think?"

Watt responded with a pretty awesome quote himself:

"A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinions of a sheep. Time to attack the day."

It sure looks like the two were attempting to manufacture a rivalry that had not existed between these two AFC South teams.

If that's indeed the case, Sunday's game should be a blast. Not only will Watt be chomping at the bit to put a hurting on Mettenberger, but he will be line up against a right tackle in Byron Bell who has allowed five sacks and 18 quarterback hurries in just seven games this season.

As if Watt needed any more inspiration here, he will be doing so looking to help the Texans clinch the AFC South.

2. Brandon Marshall vs. Logan Ryan

What Marshall has done in his first season with the New York Jets has been nothing short of amazing. He's put up eight 100-yard games, leads the team in all major receiving categories and is one touchdown away from matching his career high.

With seven more receptions he will also become the first receiver in NFL history to put up 100-plus receptions six times.

Yeah, it's been somewhat of a spectacle to watch him abuse opposing defensive backs throughout the year. It's also one of the primary reasons that the 9-5 Jets are right in the thick of the AFC playoff race.

Marshall will face one of the most difficult tests of the season in a New England Patriots corner who's been among the best in the game this season.

Most of the talk surrounding the Patriots' pass defense has involved Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler. And for good reason, he's had a heck of a season.

However, it's Ryan who has been tasked with following around the opponent's top receiver for the vast majority of the season. In this, he's performed at an elite level.

The former Rutgers standout is allowing less than 57 percent of the passes thrown in his direction to be completed on the season. He's also given up two touchdowns compared to four interceptions for an incredibly low 68.7 quarterback rating.

When these two are going at it Sunday, it's going to be a thing of beauty. Whoever comes out on top should play a major role in the outcome of this all-important AFC East matchup.

3. Carson Palmer vs. Green Bay Packers pass defense

This one matchup could help dictate the outcome of the NFC playoff race in the final two weeks of the season. A win here by Green Bay and it still has a chance to earn that first-round playoff bye. A loss would give Arizona that all-important nod.

Palmer's performance this season is by now well-known. The MVP candidate has put up nearly 4,300 yards with 32 touchdowns compared to nine interceptions while leading the league's second-best scoring offense at 31.8 points per game.

Now taking on a Green Bay Packers defense that has been surprisingly good against the pass this season, it's important for Palmer to keep up his stellar play come Sunday.

In this, the biggest key here will be taking advantage of an inexperienced cornerback group in Green Bay that includes two rookies playing substantial snaps. With his veteran moxie and the talent he has at wide receiver, Palmer might just be able to do this.

4. A.J. Green vs. Chris Harris

There is absolutely no other way to put it, Harris got absolutely torched by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown last week. In fact, the top Denver Broncos corner said as much following Brown's absurd 16-catch, 189-yard performance:

"It was the best versus the best, and he won. I haven’t given up a touchdown in two years. For me to come out here and play the way I played is disappointing,” Harris said. “I definitely let the team down."

It was a disappointing performance from a player in Harris who has been among the best at his position over the past three years or so.

It also set into motion a possibility that Denver could actually miss out on the playoffs if things don't go the team's way in the final two weeks. That's how much Pittsburgh's second-half comeback and Brown's domination over Harris hurt the Broncos.

With an opportunity to go up against another upper-echelon receiver in yet another huge game Monday night, Harris has a chance to redeem himself in front of a national audience.

The ramifications here are huge. Denver can wrap up a playoff spot with a win. Meanwhile, Cincinnati is still attempting to clinch the AFC North title. In this, Green against Harris promises to be one of the best matchups of Week 16.

5. D'Brickashaw Ferguson vs. Chandler Jones

Despite what have been major struggles this season, Ferguson did hold his own against Greg Hardy last week. He allowed four quarterback hurries and two hits on Ryan Fitzpatrick but didn't yield a sack for the second consecutive game.

This is going to have to repeat itself against a defensive end in Jones who leads all players at his position with 13 sacks on the season.

We know the New York Jets don't possess the most athletic of quarterbacks. We also know this New England Patriots pass rusher is an absolute freak from an athletic standpoint. If Jones is able to get free runs on Fitzpatrick throughout the day, it's going to be a long game for the Jets.

The expectation here has to be that left guard James Carpenter will come in to chip away at Jones. Even then, the Pro Bowl pass rusher presents a major threat to New York's hopes of remaining in the AFC playoff race.

It's a huge game for a player in Ferguson who was once among the top performers at his position. That much cannot be denied.

6. Randall Cobb vs. Patrick Peterson

With Tyrann Mathieu now lost for the season after tearing his ACL last week, the expectation here has to be that Arizona will send its top remaining defensive player to cover Cobb in the slot in three-wide sets. This changes the entire dynamic of the game for both the Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals.

Unlike one of his chief NFC West rivals, Peterson is well-known for following around the opposing team's top receiver. That would have been mitigated a tad this week if Mathieu were able to suit up.

As the top cover guy for one of the top pass defenses in the NFL, Peterson should be able to handle a player in Cobb who has struggled a great deal with Jordy Nelson sitting out the entire year.

That's going to put the onus on the likes of James Jones and Davante Adams to get the job done in the passing game. Based on their recent performances (24 combined catches on 65 targets over the past four games), it's hard to imagine Aaron Rodgers being able to rely on them a great deal in this all-important NFC matchup.

7. Tom Brady vs. New York Jets pass defense

This is going to be the big matchup in a game that could dictate whether the AFC East gets two representatives in the playoffs for the first time since both the Jets and Patriots earned that distinction back in 2010.

New England's offense runs through Brady. That is well-known. However, with the influx of injuries to the team's running back group, this has been magnified even more. Now more than at pretty much any previous point in the Brady era, New England is relying a great deal on the short-to-intermediate passing game to get the job done.

Enter into the equation a New York Jets defense that has intercepted 17 passes in 14 games while yielding a 78.3 rating to opposing quarterbacks.

Considering the Jets' defense ranks second in the NFL against the run, the primary focus here will be to make the Patriots one-dimensional. If that happens, New York has more than enough able bodies to contain Brady and the Pats passing game.

8. Amari Cooper vs. Jason Verrett

A top Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate against one of the best young corners in the NFL in a game that means nothing outside of draft positioning.

We had to look long and hard for a top-flight matchup for some games this week, but this one represents that to a T.

Cooper broke out of a mini slump in a close Oakland Raiders' loss to the Packers last week. He recorded six receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets. This put Cooper over the 1,000-yard mark and gave him his fifth 100-yard game of the season.

Injury-plagued as a rookie last year, Verrett has stepped up big time for an otherwise dormant San Diego Chargers team this season. Going up against the opposing team's top receiver throughout the year, Verrett has allowed as many touchdowns as interceptions (three) while holding quarterbacks to a 86.0 rating through 14 games.

This is the second of what could be more than a dozen one-on-one matchups between these two young stars. And while the game doesn't mean a whole lot for either team, both of these players want to go out on a high note.

9. Kirk Cousins vs. Philadelphia Eagles pass defense

There really is no other way to put it, Cousins has been downright awesome recently.

He's coming off a five-touchdown performance against the Buffalo Bills and has tallied 19 total touchdowns compared to three interceptions over the past eight games.

Common logic here suggests Cousins will have another elite-level game against a Philadelphia Eagles defense that has allowed 30 touchdown passes on the season and ranks in the bottom 10 against the pass.

That's until we look into home/away splits.

Cousins has compiled 20 total touchdowns compared to two interceptions in eight home starts. Washington is 6-2 in those eight games. It's a completely different story on the road where Cousins boasts a 1-5 record with seven total scores and nine touchdowns.

The ramifications here are clear. Washington wins the NFC East with a victory over Philadelphia on Saturday night. On the other hand, Philadelphia will control its destiny in the division with a win. In this, Cousins' performance will likely play a major role in the outcome.

10. Rueben Randle vs. Xavier Rhodes

With Odell Beckham Jr. slated to serve a one-game suspension after losing his mind last week, Randle takes over as the New York Giants' top receiver in a must-win game against a Minnesota Vikings squad that can clinch a playoff spot with a win.

This specific matchup pits an inconsistent Randle against one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL thus far this season.

With a touchdown in two consecutive games and four of his past six outings, Randle has picked it up some recently. He has, however, failed to put up more than three catches seven times this season. That's going to have to change with OBJ out of action.

As it relates to Rhodes, he hasn't performed at anywhere near the clip many expected heading into his second season. Through 14 games, the corner has put up an uninspired performance. He's allowing a 63 percent completion rate and 108.0 quarterback rating when targeted on the year.

Check out Vincent’s other work on eDraft.com and follow him on Twitter. His work can also be seen on MSN, Fox Sports and Forbes.

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