NFL picks--Week 13

Last week: 11-4
Season record: 117-59

I have four words for you--NO MORE BYE WEEKS.  Right as the fantasy postseason looms and the weather is getting colder in most NFL cities, we have a full slate of games the last five weeks of the season.  And as one of football's great traditions, there will be games on Thanksgiving Day, which is tomorrow--three of them, and they are all NFC divisional rivalries.  Oh yeah!  So let's see what's on tap and how we expect the games to shake out....

Chicago at Detroit--I'm not sure what's more amazing.  That the Lions have the fewest points allowed in the NFL (190) or that only four teams have scored fewer points (Oakland, Tennessee, Jacksonville, NY Jets).  Seriously, a team with Calvin Johnson and Matt Stafford and Golden Tate and Reggie Bush and Joique Bell should not struggle to put up points, right?  The Bears, they are a completely different story, and not a good one.  Lions 23, Bears 17

Philadelphia at Dallas--As a Giants fan, my hatred for these two teams runs deep.  It runs even deeper when they are both competing for the NFC East title and a first round bye.  But this season, I hate the Eagles just a little less.  Cowboys 34, Eagles 31

Seattle at San Francisco--The Richard Sherman/Michael Crabtree rematch.  Both teams have struggled a little more than you'd expect after playing for the NFC title ten months ago, and while this one could go either way, I have this funny feeling about Kaepernick for tomorrow.  Niners 26, Seahawks 24

Washington at Indianapolis--Wow, the Skins are a mess.  RG3 has been benched for Colt McCoy, which means this Dan Snyder abomination has seen both RG3 and Kirk Cousins play themselves out of a job.  Meanwhile, the Colts are set at the QB position for the next 15 years or so.  Again.  Colts 37, Redskins 20

Tennessee at Houston--Okay so there is a full slate of games, but this is one of them.  Texans 24, Titans 13

Cleveland at Buffalo--I think it's still snowing in Buffalo.  This game is technically the Snow Belt Bowl, but for the first time in years both teams have something to play for.  Browns 19, Bills 16

San Diego at Baltimore--These teams are so evenly matched that they are both 7-4 and each have just one loss at home.  Well, at least that makes it easy to pick this game.  Ravens 27, Chargers 20

NY Giants at Jacksonville--Tom Coughlin returns to his old stomping grounds, and his Giants are playing so bad they may remind him of the Jags' expansion season.  Jaguars 23, Giants 13

Cincinnati at Tampa Bay--The Bengals are clinging to the division lead in the AFC North at 7-3-1, while the Bucs are still in contention for a division title in the NFC South at 2-9!  Two and NINE.  There are seriously no words here.  Bengals 24, Bucs 6

Oakland at St. Louis--The Raiders may be feeling frisky after beating the Chiefs for win number one last Thursday, but they will be lucky to put up any points at all against this Rams' D.  Rams 17, Raiders 3

New Orleans at Pittsburgh--Well, the Saints can't blame the fact that their head coach was suspended.  This time, they just aren't playing well, period.  Or maybe they think they have a great shot at the NFC South title even if they win 6 games.  Steelers 30, Saints 27

Carolina at Minnesota--I wonder if DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will still be the Panthers' backfield combo in 2027.  Panthers 20, Vikings 16

Arizona at Atlanta--A classic clash of division leaders, yet the Cards have more than twice the number of wins (9) as the Falcons (4).  Cards 16, Falcons 13

New England at Green Bay--The game of the week could be the game of the year, and a rematch of Super Bowl 31.  Get your popcorn ready.  For my money, Brady and Rodgers are the two best QBs in the game.  Patriots 41, Packers 38

Denver at Kansas City--It would be awesome if KC followed up that loss to the Raiders with an upset of the Broncos.  And you know what?  I think it's more than possible.  Chiefs 31, Broncos 27

Miami at NY Jets--I'm seriously taking privileges away from ESPN to carry Monday Night Football if they can't pick competitive games.  They've had some of the most horrendous matchups of the season on MNF, prompting all of us to watch 2 Broke Girls instead.  Dolphins 22, Jets 10










 

NFL picks--Week 12

Last week: 9-5
Season record: 106-55

In this wacky NFL season, it just doesn't get any easier to pick these games, does it?  I did put a feather in my own cap for picking the Rams to beat the Broncos.  From what I could tell, I was the only person in the civilized world that did.  But I got five wrong last week too.  My biggest blunder was taking the Browns over the Texans, but I wasn't the only one.  And who saw the Bengals beating the Saints in the dome?  Yikes.  With that, let's have a look at Week 12 (another yikes, this season is going too fast for my liking). 

Kansas City at Oakland--Oh how I wanted to pick the Raiders here.  They haven't won a game since like last October, but division games are always strange, and the Raiders haven't exactly shit the bed every game.  Okay, maybe a few turds.  But then I realized that Andy Reid will have his hot KC team ready and I wised up.  Chiefs 27, Raiders 17

Cleveland at Atlanta--So now that the DIVISION LEADING Falcons smell blood, they may actually start playing better.  Otherwise, let's face it, a 6-10 team could make the playoffs.  The Browns came back down to earth last Sunday against Houston but this defense will not scare them like one with JJ Watt and that Clowney fella.  And Josh Gordon is back.  Browns 23, Falcons 20

Tennessee at Philadelphia--The Titans made things interesting against Pittsburgh, and we'll see if Mark Sanchez last week just had a bad game or if he's still the same buttfumbler the Jets let go of.  Eagles 37, Titans 13

Detroit at New England--This is a tough one.  The Patriots are positively on fire, but the Lions have the NFL's best defense.  Not only that, they are number 1 against the rush and number 1 against the pass.  That is scary.  But I can't bet against Brady and Belichick at home.  Patriots 26, Lions 20

Green Bay at Minnesota--The cold on Minnesota's frozen tundra isn't much different than Green Bay's.  Packers 40, Vikings 24

Jacksonville at Indianapolis--After that rude awakening against New England, at least the Colts have a lay up here.  Colts 33, Jaguars 9

Cincinnati at Houston--The way things are going, we could very easily see these two mediocre teams meet in the playoffs again.  I wish they could both lose this game.  Texans 21, Bengals 17

NY Jets at Buffalo--Did I hear correctly that there are six FEET of snow in Buffalo?  Holy crap.  If they actually get to play this one, it won't be very entertaining, so why bother?  Bills 20, Jets 10

Tampa Bay at Chicago--Don't think Lovie Smith didn't circle this one on his calendar.  Bucs 27, Bears 24

Arizona at Seattle--It's been a nice season for the Cards, but this is a major test and I don't think they pass it.  Seahawks 19, Cards 16

St. Louis at San Diego--Don't be fooled by some of the upsets the Rams have dished out.  They are still the Rams.  Chargers 23, Rams 13

Miami at Denver--There sure are a lot of games I don't care about this week.  On paper, the Dolphins' D may give Peyton fits, but a few Omahas and he'll be good to go.  Broncos 30, Dolphins 17

Washington at San Francisco--Oh boy, here are two teams with some locker room issues.  At least the Niners are winning.  The Redskins have a serious QB dilemma and it seems to not matter who coaches this team, there are always issues and losses mounting.  Niners 31, Redskins 10

Dallas at NY Giants--I just don't get why NBC didn't flex out of this one, so now I get to watch my Giants lay another egg on national TV.  Get your popcorn ready.  Cowboys 41, Giants 24

Baltimore at New Orleans--Wait, does New Orleans play any road games?  Saints 26, Ravens 23

NFL picks--Week 11

Last week: 8-5
Season record: 97-50

Okay, so I'm slipping and slacking a bit.  Slipping in my pick-age and slacking that I am getting these up a day late.  Regardless, let's see....I should first say I would have picked Miami last night.  Last week I told you I would have picked Cincinnati so you know I would not cheat.  So, with that, let's see what the rest of the slate looks like. 

Minnesota at Chicago--For me this conjures up memories of Chuck Foreman and Walter Payton, and these teams had some epic games in the '70's.  Alas it's 2014 and both of them are tumbling.  Bears 20, Vikings 17

Houston at Cleveland--A letdown would be natural for the Browns after they absolutely destroyed the Bengals in Cincinnati, where the home team almost never loses.  But these Browns are different and I'm rooting for them.  Browns 20, Texans 13

Atlanta at Carolina--Talk about teams that are tumbling.  Wow, there are some disappointments this year, and also some feel good stories like the Browns.  Panthers 21, Falcons 20

Cincinnati at New Orleans--The Bengals were #1 in a lot of power rankings a few weeks ago.  The Saints were a preseason Super Bowl pick for many.  Now it's a game between two mediocre teams possibly going in opposite directions.  Oh, and Jimmy Graham....that was dumb.  I can say that knowing you're a couple thousand miles away.  Saints 31, Bengals 17

Tampa Bay at Washington--Wait, is RG3 still the QB?  Is Kirk Cousins still a Redskin?  Is Lovie Smith a bad coach or was he dealt a crappy team?  These are the things I think about when I have nothing else to think about.  Redskins 34, Bucs 20

Denver at St. Louis--My boy Drew Magary accurately said in his column on Deadspin yesterday that Peyton Manning loses big games because he unravels when things don't go exactly his way.  This is so true.  On Sunday, Jeff Fisher's Rams are going to give Manning all the defense he can handle, just like Seattle did in the Super Bowl.  Oh yeah, upset city.  Rams 23, Broncos 20

San Francisco at NY Giants--Oh Giants, why do you torture me so?  Well he's the good news.  The Niners are back in the hunt and the Giants are not, so there are no expectations on my team anymore.  Just get a good draft pick.  Niners 37, Giants 24

Seattle at Kansas City--The Seahawks are vulnerable on the road, and the Chiefs are pretty good at home.  You can see where I'm going here, though I'm having a hard time actually pulling the trigger.  Chiefs 20, Seahawks 19

Oakland at San Diego--Since Tony Sparano took over for Dennis Allen, the Raiders are what, 0-4?  He's about to match Allen's record in 2014.  So much for burying that football before his first game.  Chargers 27, Raiders 10

Detroit at Arizona--Holy moly, the late games (except for the one above this) are awesome.  This game could quite possibly be a preview of the NFC title game.  Cards 19, Lions 16

Philadelphia at Green Bay--Holy moly, this game could also quite possibly be a preview of the NFC title game.  Packers 41, Eagles 38

New England at Indianapolis--A few years ago, my buddy Dave and I went to Indy for the Pats/Colts game when they were both 7-0 or something.  It was Manning vs. Brady in one of the most epic games of that rivalry and New England won.  We sat next to James Sanders' (S for Pats) family and were high-fiving his parents.  Why do I say this?  Because this could quite possibly be a preview of the AFC title game, and Luck vs. Brady is pretty freaking cool too.  Colts 30, Patriots 27

Pittsburgh at Tennessee--And then we have yet another Monday night clunker.  Look at this slate of games in Week 11.  You mean to tell me you guys couldn't have picked a better one?  Sheesh.  Steelers 26, Titans 17

NFL picks--Week 10

Last week: 9-4
Season record: 89-45

okay so since I didn't get these picks up on Thursday, let me just say for the record that I absolutely would not have picked the Browns to win.  Not that I gave them no chance, but the Bengals are usually money at home.  But I'm sure going to be interested in the Browns and more likely to pick them after that utter annihilation.  On to the rest of the games.....

Kansas City at Buffalo--Halfway home, these two teams are 5-3, and the Browns are 6-3.  I just checked out my window and the sky isn't falling.  Chiefs 20, Bills 17

Miami at Detroit--The Lions are quietly leading the AFC North at 6-2 despite Calvin Johnson being injured.  This is definitely a team to watch.  The Dolphins at 5-3 are also a team to watch.  (nope, sky is still in its place).  Lions 19, Dolphins 13

Dallas vs. Jacksonville at London--Will Tony Romo and his broken back bones play?  It appears there is a good chance, but I really really find it hard to believe.  And if he doesn't play (or if he does and is terrified of getting hit), I gotta be honest--the Jags are going to steal this game.  Jaguars 23, Cowboys 20

San Francisco at New Orleans--Okay, so one place the sky may really be falling is San Francisco.  At 4-4 and coming off a devastating loss to the Rams at home, they now go into the Superdome as the Saints have woken up.  Saints 31, Niners 27

Tennessee at Baltimore--The Titans visit the LAST PLACE Ravens, who are 5-4 and will soon be 6-4 to kick the 5-3-1 Bengals into last place.  Yikes.  Ravens 31, Titans 10

Pittsburgh at NY Jets--This is just the kind of game the Jets will fall backwards into a win.  Then again, nahh.  Steelers 24, Jets 14

Atlanta at Tampa Bay--The 2-6 Falcons have lost five straight since beating the Bucs 56-14.  And so, guess what?  The Bucs will return the favor.  Well, maybe not by scoring 56 points.  Bucs 27, Falcons 26

Denver at Oakland--This game may be surprisingly close, but let's face it--the Raiders are 0-8 and the Broncos cannot afford another loss.  Broncos 27, Raiders 16

St. Louis at Arizona--Two stout defenses and the Rams are surprising folks and turning heads with wins over Seattle and San Fran.  But the Cards' D is too good for St. Louis.  Cards 16, Rams 6

NY Giants at Seattle--Oh yikes.  My Giants are looking flat awful lately, and now they get to visit the defending champs.  Seattle may be vulnerable lately, but let's be real here--this is gonna be ugly.  Seahawks 38, Giants 17

Chicago at Green Bay--The Bears are falling fast and it's going to be cold on Sunday night at the Tundra.  Packers 41, Bears 24

Carolina at Philadelphia--Mark Sanchez?  Yes, and he's going to win another one and maybe more.  Which is going to have Jets' fans really pulling their collective hair out.  Eagles 30, Panthers 17