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| Battle for the Great White North |
| The battle between probably the two coldest teams in the league (yes Buffalo, we see your shivering arm raised), but at this point the seasons are not at all comparable. Green Bay is currently playing for playoff seeding and is in the driver's seat for the 1st wildcard spot; meanwhile, Minnesota has been snakebit this season so far, as they are now in danger of falling to the cellar. Tough times indeed Eric, and I can't predict the trials to end this week. Green Bay 28, Minnesota 21. |
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| Battle for the Playoffs, Part 1 |
| After starting the season 0-3, the Colts have gone 8-2 and appear to have a solid chance to making it out of the current 3-way tie for the playoffs. Philly got thoroughly spanked by the Giants last week, and would need to really get their offense going against a tough Colts defense in order to score the upset. Rick knows how to win tough games; I just doubt the Eagles have the bullets to compete. Indianapolis 27, Philadelphia 17. |
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| Can the Chargers keep it going |
| The Chargers have been a team of ups and downs this season, starting off looking unbeatable to start 5-0, then losing 6 in a row before winning their last two. They need to win this week to keep their playoff hopes alive, and they do have the benefit of having won the first game between the two. The Cardinals managed to shut down their main rivals last week and stand only a game out of first, but all of that can go like a fart in a breeze with a loss this week. To stand a chance I am, of course, picking LAC to win; this should be a very good game regardless. Los Angeles (A) 21, Arizona 17. |
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| Not going to be pretty....probably |
| Jacksonville is like a locomotive, just chugging along with no team really putting up a challenge (except for the Raiders). Miami secured a tie with Detroit last week, showing the Fins have a bit of life in them afterall, though it does take them out of the 1st draft pick for at least the moment. I would love to give comfort and support to Miami and explain how I think they could score the upset....but I can't. Miami 10, Jacksonville 42. |
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| The Panthers are slowly creeping away with the division |
So...the Panthers swept the season series against the Giants, have the current H2H against the Redskins and in lin line to be favored to finish out the season; at the rate they are going, they just may secure a 1st round bye for the playoffs. Pittsburgh has finished last in the division before, but this Steelers team feels like they won't be cellar-dwellers for long. I am going with Carolina for obvious reasons, but wouldn't be shocked if Pittsburgh keeps it closer than expected. Carolina 28, Pittsburgh 21.
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| Cincinnati continues their march to the division |
| I think that last week's loss to Buffalo might have put the nail in Tennessee's playoff coffin, though this might be the week where it becomes much more official. Of course, the Bengals are slowly gaining speed, though their Week 16 game against Indy just might be a battle for the division. Either way, I kinda see Tennessee not able to keep up as they work to secure 3rd place in the division. Tennessee 17, Cincinnati 31. |
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| Can Tampa make it 4 straight? |
| Tampa started the season 2-8 before something clicked, and the Bucs have won their last 3, by not all that close scores. Chicago has won their last 10, though they haven't been quite as dominant as they were last year. On paper, the Bears are a tough out, so I won't be picking Tampa, but if for any reason Hurts stumbles a bit...watch out. This Bucs team is for real, and only lost by 4 in the game right before this current win streak. Chicago 31, Tampa Bay 27 |
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| Speaking of hot teams... |
| After starting the season 2-4, the Giants have pulled off 6 of their last 7 games to firmly set themselves in the playoff talk. Washington meanwhile, have lost their last 4 and look perilously close to slipping out of the playoff picture altogether with a loss this week. The Commanders have had a helluva season so far, and have nothing to hang their heads about, but I have to go with the Giants this week to solidify the NFC playoff race. New York (N) 27, Washington 21 |
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| The Cowboys are due...but then again... |
| I seriously want to see our league founder Len be in the middle of the playoff race, but his road is not an easy road. Injuries have decimated the Cowboys secondary and usage issues are becoming an issue as well. At least Dallas has some tools to work with next year, as it appears they will have a top 2 draft pick. Detroit, with a win and a Minnesota loss, escapes the basement in the Central. Dallas 17, Detroit 28 |
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| Buffalo trying to secure the sweep |
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I think Don has done a masterful job with the Saints this year; kinda like running a deli with only baloney behind the counter. Regardless of how the season ends, he deserves alot of credit. Buffalo has been on a bit of a roll as of late, so picking the Saints is a rough pick. That said, there are still 4 weeks of football to play, so who knows?. Buffalo 27, New Orleans 17.
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| The Raiders look to clench this week |
| The Raiders locked up the division a few weeks ago, and look to secure a playoff bye with a win this week; One item of note is that the 49ers have sort of recovered from their early season malaise to win 4 of their last 5 to climb up to 2nd in the division. Will it matter this week; no. San Francisco 14, Las Vegas 35. |
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| The Chiefs primed to secure 3rd or better in division |
| Seattle is circling the calendar for both the draft and the start of next season, when the anticipated infusion of talent comes in and starts to swing the results. Same thing for KC next year; for this game though, it really does matter if the Chiefs continue to decide to monitor their stars on the bench, or plays them this week. Per the roster, I think the Chiefs should win the game, Seattle 13, Kansas City 24 |
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| Warning....a game that might not go like you expect it to. |
| The Redbirds got a hard-fought win over the Rams last week, something that rivals a solar eclipse in frequency, but that hard fought game had some consequences. Currently the Rams are down to only 2 healthy DL for the next 2 games, and 2 of their 5 healthy LB's look to be vulnerable as well. I do not make a habit of picking against Kenny, but this is a game that appears to be very iffy. For the upset special of the week.... Los Angeles (N) 24, Atlanta 26 |
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| The slow grind for the Brownies |
| Despit a season where scoring has not come easily, the Browns have been very consistent in stopping teams from scoring. While the Denver offense has been average, facing the Browns D doesn't put them in a good position to score the upset. At least Denver has a high draft pick in their future, which should help the rebuild. Cleveland 21, Denver 17 |
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