NFL Week 14 predictions, best bets: Picks against the spread for every game

It’s week 14 in the NFL, and with the Giants at 2-11 and Jets at 3-9, it’s already draft season in the East Rutherford. Let’s not get too deep into the question of whether the Jets should tank for Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, because they’re not doing that. (As an early aside, we don’t really even know yet if Mendoza will end up being “The Guy.” There’s still a showdown with Ohio State on Saturday, the entire College Football Playoff, and all of the pre-draft hype and marketing).The Jets have won two in a row to drop below the expected Mendoza line, and any more success would cause them to have to trade way too much of the haul they just got for Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. You can also make the case that it would be better for the Jets to build their team out a little more and add the QB of the future next year, when they have three No.1 picks.

If Oregon’s Dante Moore and/or Alabama’s Ty Simpson stay on campus, the 2027 draft will be chock-full of quarterbacks.It could be instructive that the current holders of the top two picks — the Titans and Giants — drafted quarterbacks into bad teams and already have fired their head coaches.Cam Ward (first) and Jaxson Dart (25th) could still end up being cornerstone players, but their teams remain in terrible shape.If I’m Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn, I look for a home-run hitter at wide receiver and keep building the wall on the offensive line.

Whenever the new quarterback arrives, he’d be equipped to succeed.I’d also trade down a few times to add picks in the third and fourth rounds.

This is how Glenn will be able to build the defense he wants with “his guys.”As for Sunday’s game against the Dolphins at MetLife Stadium, I think the tank fans will get to keep grousing.The Jets have risen to seventh in rushing yards per game while the Dolphins are 29th in rushing yards allowed.

The Jets special teams also could continue to make a difference.Now, if they could only ...