Mark Craig's Week 15 NFL picks: Yes, really, some star QBs are healthy and playoff contenders

As the NFL runs out of quarterbacks, Week 15 marches on with a slate of five games between teams with winning records.

The 10-3 Cowboys and MVP candidate Dak Prescott travel to Buffalo to face Josh Allen and a Bills team that's 7-6 and currently 11th in the stacked AFC.

The 10-3 Ravens and Lamar Jackson have won three straight and travel to 8-5 Jacksonville, which has lost back-to-back games with Trevor Lawrence nursing a bum ankle.

And, of course, in Cincinnati, the QB matchup we all anticipated way back in July — Jake Browning vs. Nick Mullens — will unfold on Saturday. Mullens will become the Vikings' fourth starting quarterback this season. Browning will be going for his third straight win in his fourth straight start.

The former Vikings practice squad player has posted a 113.4 passer rating in his first three starts. The top four passer ratings for QBs through four starts in NFL history belong to Kurt Warner (136.0), Patrick Mahomes (125.8) and Frank Reich (114.9).

Here are seven games to keep an eye on this week, which features three Saturday games:

Vikings (+2½) at Bengals: Browning and the Bengals have scored 68 points the past two games. The Vikings? 13. Bengals 24, Vikings 17

Buccaneers (+3½) at Packers: 6-7 vs. 6-7. No. 4 seed vs. No. 7 seed. Playoff fever, NFC style! Packers 24, Buccaneers 21

Bears (+3½) at Browns: Joe Flacco looks efficient. The Bears are playing defense. Justin Fields is winning. Pigs are flying … Browns 20, Bears 13

49ers (-12½) at Cardinals: After two consecutive losses, the LOTW will once again take a wild guess that a very good NFL team will beat a very bad NFL team. 49ers 31, Cardinals 17

Chiefs (-7½) at Patriots: If you thought Patrick Mahomes was mad last week, imagine losing to Bill Belichick. What's that guy ever done? Patriots 24, Chiefs 20

Ravens (-3½) at Jaguars: Can Baltimore avoid its usual late-season slide with a fourth consecutive victory, on the road, in a battle of division leaders? Ravens 34, Jaguars 31

Upset special: 4-10.

Lock of the Week: 11-3.