NFL Wild Card Round Preview

I apologize for not posting any weekly NFL Previews the last three weeks. I had a lot going on with working two jobs and have barely had any time to myself. I even took a break from writing about RAW the last two weeks. It didn't help that those two RAWs were on Holiday Eves, but I just needed a break to recharge. But I am now back and am starting a new year.

The NFL Playoffs start this week with the Wild Card Round. I never posted any official Playoff Predictions to start the season, but I can say that I correctly picked 4 out of the 6 AFC teams (Missed Cincinnati and Indianapolis, picked Buffalo and Tennessee instead). I correctly picked 3 out of 6 NFC teams (Missed Minnesota, Washington and Seattle, picked Detroit, NY Giants and Chicago instead). A little better than 50% so not great. There are a couple of hot teams heading into the post-season and also a couple sliding teams. Without wasting time, lets get into the Preview. Each Preview will be accompanied by 3 bullet points then a prediction at the end.

JC's Take: Stars, Goats & Notes From Week 12 of the NFL

Team of the Week: Washington Redskins
-Three weeks ago, Mike Shanahan was talking about players playing to be on the team next season. Many people questioned Shanahan giving up on the season so early. Two wins later, Washington now sits at 5-6, one game out of a Wild Card spot and two games back in the NFC East, with a big game coming up against the Giants next Monday night. The Redskins went into Dallas on Thanksgiving and lit up the Cowboys. Robert Griffin made some big time throws and he looks like every bit a QB that the Redskins expected him to be. Griffin has a rocket for an arm and the velocity on some of his passes is amazing. You never know what Giants team to expect week in and week out, so that is why next week is so big for the Redskins. Even if Washington doesn't get to the Playoffs this year, the future looks bright for them. Had it not been for injuries to Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan on defense, they might be in better shape.

NFL Week 12 Picks

So close to perfection. Damn You Rams!

I went 3-0 on Thanksgiving. If you don't believe me check my Twitter!

Last Week's Record: 13-1
Year to Date: 107-52

Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears
Chicago needs Jay Cutler in a bad way. I understand Jason Campbell went up against a very good defense last week, but he still looked beyond terrible against the 49ers. He looked uncomfortable in the pocket and did not deal well with the pressure that the 49ers brought. Cutler still has not been cleared to play yet, so that makes his status for this game a question mark. Cutler makes a world of difference for this team. You know the Bears defense will be out to make a statement after a poor performance against the 49ers. It was the most points the Bears have given up all year, and it was to a QB starting his first game. The Vikings wanted to use their bye week to get their star WR Percy Harvin healthy, but Harvin has yet to practice this week. Having Harvin play takes pressure off of Adrian Peterson. Without Harvin, teams can crowd the box to stop Peterson. Christian Ponder has struggled mightily in his last few games, even failing to go over 100 passing yards in two of his last four. Both teams may be missing stars, but I like the Bears defense to take advantage of Christian Ponder and grind out a win here.

Chicago 17  Minnesota 13

JC's Take: Stars, Goats and Notes from Week 11 of the NFL

Team of the Week: San Francisco 49ers
-In the battle of back-up QBs, Colin Kapernick won. And he may have just created a QB controversy in San Francisco. The 49ers dominated the entire football game Monday night. Not only that, but they had continued success driving down the field against a very good Bears defense. The 49ers defense got to Jason Campbell, causing six sacks and two interceptions. San Francisco imposed their will on both sides of the ball and finally looked like the team I picked to go to the Super Bowl at the start of the year. You have to wonder if Jim Harbaugh goes back to Alex Smith or rides the hot hand with Kapernick next week. Great performance by the 49ers.

Game of the Week: Houston 43  Jacksonville 37 (OT)
-Thank You Andre Johnson. Thank You Matt Schaub. In my picks blog this week, I said that if Jacksonville won, I would write a 10,000 word blog talking about the Jaguars victory. I wasn't kidding. I was getting ready to start working on that today. But the Texans offense saved my ass and came up with a big play in over time to secure the Texans a late victory. When Blaine Gabbert left the game in the first quarter, Chad Henne took command and the Jaguars looked like a completely different team with him under center. You have to wonder why Henne hasn't been starting earlier. I know they wanted to develop Gabbert, but it was evident after five games this year that he wasn't the answer. For the Texans, this game exposed some holes they have and need to be fixed. It also showed that they are beatable and are now sure fire bets to win the AFC in a run away.

The "Adrian Peterson Is On A Bye, So I Have To Pick Other Guys" 3 Stars Of The Week
3. Julian Edelman
The one thing I like about Bill Bellicheat is that he always finds ways to have one guy you didn't expect play a big part in beating you. This week that guy was Julian Edelman. Edelman returned a punt for a touchdown and also caught a pass for a touchdown. He was also one tackle away from returning a kickoff for one as well. Edelman isn't someone who wows you with his athletic ability, but he's a hard worker who can make a play if you take him lightly.

2. A.J. Green
If you still have doubts about A.J. Green being one of the Top 5 WRs in the league, then you don't know football. Green had another touchdown catch this week in Cincinnati's rout of the Chiefs. That gives Green 10 on the year. He's had one in every game this year except for Week 1. You have to wonder where Cincinnati's offense would be without Green. They really don't have too many other weapons. Sooner or later, teams will have to start doubling him like they do Calvin Johnson.

1. Matt Schaub/Andre Johnson
These two share the award because they both put up some tremendous stats this week against Jacksonville. Schaub threw for 527 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Johnson caught 14 passes for 273 yards and scored the game winning touchdown. This is just an example of what the Texans could have been like all these years if everyone on offense had stayed healthy. Things are finally starting to come together in Houston, and they have the Super Bowl in their sights.

The Almost As Bad As Most Cancelled Fall TV Shows 3 Goats of the Week
3. Philadelphia Eagles Defense
I don't know how much more evidence you need to see that the Eagles have quit on this season. That may have been some of the worst coverage I have seen in my football watching life this past week. Robert Griffin had all day to throw and the secondary just had complete lapses in coverage, allowing WRs to get open. I'm surprised Andy Reid is still coaching this team.

2. Ken Wisenhunt
OK. I understand that John Skelton has been struggling lately. But why in your right mind would you pull him, on the road, with your team surprisingly in the lead, against one of the best team's in the NFC. And it isn't even like it was a veteran. It was a rookie QB who has not seen the field this year. Needless to say, Ryan Lindley did not fair to well, and Arizona lost their lead. Is Wisenhunt trying to lose his job?

1. Bart Scott
Bart Scott used to be a very good team leader for the Jets.Now, you have to wonder if he has just lost his damn mind. Scott tried leading a locker room mutiny against the media after their win against the Rams. Of course, this is because of the story that came out last week that un-named Jets players ripped Tebow for being terrible. Well guess what Bart, the players on your defense are the ones that are bringing unwanted attention to this team. Your media mutiny only made you guys look like bigger fools than you already were. The Jets have become a side show act. No one takes them seriously anymore.

Other Week 11 Notes
-If I am the Pittsburgh Steelers, I am very concerned about making the Playoffs. At 6-4 they stand in the final Wild Card position. But as they showed last night, it is going to be a struggle for them with all of these injuries catching up to them. Ben Roethlisberger just makes that team so much better. And now it looks like Byron Leftwich is down, meaning that Pittsburgh will have to turn to Charlie Batch at QB. Now they are bringing in WR Plaxico Burress because they are down at that position too. I wouldn't even worry about catching the Ravens, I would just be worried about holding on to the spot they have now. They go to Cleveland next week, a team that the Steelers struggle with at times. The game is always low scoring, and that is with Big Ben at QB. They then go to Baltimore and face another dog fight there. The Steelers need to find different ways to win these games coming up. If the Steelers lose the next two games, Big Ben will have a lot riding on his shoulders if he returns with four games left.

-Jason Garrett still needs to be worried about his job, even after yesterday's come from behind win against the Browns. Why should Garrett be worried? Because his team had to come from behind to beat the Browns. I've always thought Cleveland would be a team that will fight tooth and nail until the end of every game this year. That's their mentality. But the Cowboys have more talent and should have won that game without any problems at home. Then again, they are the Cowboys. A team that for some reason only likes to show up in the second half of each game. Add to the fact that Browns President Mike Holmgren was seen talking to Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones on the sidelines, and Garrett has even more to be worried about. A report came out that this weekend that Holmgren would only return to coach the Cowboys. Holmgren is stepping down as Browns President, Garrett is on the hot seat, this report comes out, and Holmgren is seen talking to Jones. Pieces keep falling into places.

-We are only heading into Week 12, but it looks like every division in the AFC is wrapped up. New England has a two game lead in the AFC East, but no other team has the talent in that division to catch them. The Texans have a three game lead in the AFC South and still play the Colts twice. They also hold wins over Denver and Baltimore, and still play New England. The Texans essentially control their own destiny for the #1 seed in the AFC. Denver holds a three game lead over the Chargers and have beaten them twice. No one is catching Denver there. And the Ravens hold a two game lead over Pittsburgh and just beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh. What does this all mean? It means the question of resting players will come into effect pretty early for all of these teams. Now these four teams are looking to establish themselves and work out the final kinks they have before the Playoffs role around. All four of these teams have their own strengths and weakness, and they will look to fix those weaknesses with the Playoffs looming.

The HOT HOT HOT SEAT
-These Guys Should Just Start Packing Their Desks Already
1. Andy Reid, Philadelphia
2. Norv Turner, San Diego
3. Ron Rivera, Carolina
4. Romeo Crennel, Kansas City

-The I Wouldn't Buy A House Quite Yet In That Town Group
1. Jason Garrett, Dallas
2. Pat Shurmur, Cleveland
3. Ken Wisenhunt, Arizona

Random One Liners
-Why was everyone all hyped up about the Dolphins again?

-Why do the Steelers have so may awful uniforms?

-I bet Larry Fitzgerald regrets signing that contract extension now.

-If only Sam Bradford had some actual weapons to help him out on offense.

-Someone should give Mason Crosby the leg of the turkey for dinner.

-Maybe Jon Gruden will just leave the announce booth and start coaching the Eagles next week.

The FAB FIVE
1. Houston Texans
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. New England Patriots
5. San Francisco 49ers

The TURRIBLE FIVE
28. Cleveland Browns
29. Oakland Raiders
30. Carolina Panthers
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
32. Kansas City Chiefs

Three Games I'd Like To See Next Week
Green Bay at New York Giants: Did the bye week help the reeling Giants?
San Francisco vs New Orleans: Classic defense vs offense battle.
Atlanta vs Tampa Bay: Can Bucs keep up impressive run?

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 7 Picks

I apologize for my abomination of a job picking last week. If I don't do better this week, you can riot.

Last Week: 6-8
Year to Date: 53-37

Seattle Seahawks vs San Francisco 49ers
If you like defensive struggles, then this one will be right down your ally. Seattle has arguably the best defense in the league. They gave up some yards last week to Tom Brady, but they did not break in their victory over New England. We also saw Russell Wilson come of age and lead a game winning drive right down the field. Wilson had his best performance as a starter and silenced any critics he had coming into the game. Wilson's reward for having such a good game? Going to San Francisco on short rest to face an angry 49ers team. The 49ers were schooled in every aspect of the game last week against the Giants. You know it has to be getting under everyone's skin in San Francisco. That is how this team thinks mentally with Jim Harbaugh at the helm. The 49ers gave Colin Kapernick the chance to play a bit more last week, and you wonder if he will get more time as the weeks go on. Especially if Alex Smith struggles again. This game gives the winner the early lead in the NFC West. The 49ers rebounded nicely after their loss to Minnesota, and I think they do that again here.

San Francisco 20  Seattle 16

NFL Week 6 Picks

Two good weeks in a row. Here's hoping for 3.

Last Week's Record: 10-4
Year to Date Record: 47-29

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Tennessee Titans
The Steelers pulled out a much needed win last week at home against the Eagles. While the defense shut down Mike Vick, the offense had problems moving the ball. The Eagles defense has been playing better, but the Steelers should have been able to put up more points. Rashad Mendenhall looked good in his return and he added an added punch to the Steelers running game. The Steelers defense will once again be without Troy Polamalu. He re-injured his calf against the Eagles. Can he ever stay healthy? But that shouldn't be a concern for the Steelers. The Titans have looked absolutely dreadful the last couple of weeks. Matt Hasselbeck gets the call again this week. Expect the immobile veteran QB to face a heavy pass rush. And what the hell is wrong with Chris Johnson? Maybe getting paid is all he cares about now. Tennessee might keep it close early, but the Steelers will win this one handily in the end.

Pittsburgh 27  Tennessee 13

NFL Week 4 Picks

Picks for Week 4. Hopefully, none of you took my advice last week.

Week 4 Record: 8-8
Year to Date Record: 26-21

Carolina Panthers vs Atlanta Falcons
So, is it time to panic in Carolina? Everyone was hyped up for them against the Giants and expected them to take care of the short handed Giants last Thursday. Instead, the Panthers were whipped like a government mule. The offense couldn't move the ball at all, and the defense could not stop the Giants on the ground or through the air. Steve Smith called out Cam Newton after the game and told him to quit pouting. People seem to be making a bigger story out of it than it seems. Now the Panthers risk the possibility of going 1-3 with this trip to Atlanta. The Falcons have looked almost unstoppable on offense. And last Sunday the defense went into San Diego and shut down a pretty good Chargers offense. If the Panthers couldn't stop Ramses Barden, what makes me think they will stop Julio Jones and Roddy White? Nothing. Falcons win this one.

Atlanta 31  Carolina 20

NFL Week 1 Picks

Yes, its back. The NFL Season is finally here and with that it is the return of my picks! Nothing changes from last year. I will post my picks here with some analysis. I know I missed Thursdays game. I will try to tweet my pick for that game before hand so I have proof of it. Good thing I didn't do that this week. Hopefully I can get some of these games right.

Indianapolis Colts vs Chicago Bears
Tough way for Andrew Luck to break into the league. Luck had a decent pre-season, but he is walking into a very tough match-up against the Chicago Bears and their defense. Luck can expect to face some heavy pressure from Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher. It will be tough for the Colts offense to get anything going either on the pass or on the ground. Jay Cutler, meanwhile, finally gets the #1 WR he has been so desperately missing since he has come to Chicago. Cutler and Brandon Marshall were very good together in Denver and Chicago is expecting the same thing from them. The Bears also have a great one-two punch in the backfield with Matt Forte and Michael Bush. The Bears can't afford any slip ups if they want to compete for the NFC North Title, and I think they win this one rather easily.

Chicago 31  Indianapolis 13

NFL Off-Season Preview: NFC North Edition

Its time for preview number two. This time, we look at the NFC North. I would consider the NFC North one of the toughest, if not the toughest division in the NFL. Three of the four teams in the division could easily make the Playoffs. The Lions finally made the next step last year and made the Playoffs. The Packers dominated the regular season but fell short in the Playoffs. And they return the majority of their team this year. Chicago added Brandon Marshall to help out Jay Cutler. Then there's the Minnesota Vikings. Well, at least they're staying in Minnesota! I would expect the division race to come down to the last few weeks of the season this year.

NFL Off-Season Preview: NFC North Edition

The NFC North was dominated by the Green Bay Packers last year. They were undefeated for most of the year and looked unstoppable at times. They ended up losing to the Chiefs, then were taken out at home by the Giants in the NFC Divisional Round. The Lions took a big step last year and made their first Playoff appearance in a decade. The offense was finally all systems go with a healthy Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. The Bears struggled on offense and couldn't make it into the Playoffs after winning the division in 2010. And the Vikings had one of their worst seasons in recent memory and still appear to be the 4th best team inside the division. This is still a pretty strong division. The Packers, Lions, and Bears can all make the Playoffs, and with some improvements on defense, the Lions could challenge the Packers for the division title this year.

NFL Divisional Round Preview

Here I am, back again. It is Playoff Weekend again in the NFL, but now the big boys in both conferences are here. I went 3-1 last week, with my only loss being Pittsburgh against Denver. But you have to hand it to big play Tebow in that one. First let me share my thoughts on the losing teams from Wild Card Weekend.

-Cincinnati played tough, but that pick 6 killed all of their momentum heading into the second half. That is the one thing Andy Dalton had to avoid heading into half time. The Bengals are still a young team and will be back in the hunt for a Playoff spot next year. Having Jay Gruden stay on as offensive coordinator and not leave for Jacksonville or Miami is huge for them. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green will continue to grow into one of the best QB-WR tandems in the league, and that defense isn't going anywhere. Hopefully next year people actually come to watch this team play.

NFL Week 15 Review

Quite the newsworthy week in the NFL. Lots of upsets. Lets take a look at everything.

Team of the Week: Kansas City Chiefs
-With the Chiefs firing their coach earlier in the week, and the undefeated Green Bay Packers coming to town, Chiefs fans probably weren't expecting much. The Chiefs got out to an early 6-0 lead, and shut the Packers out in the first half. Then the Packers started mounting a comeback. But in the end, the Packers defense couldn't get Aaron Rodgers the ball back, and the Chiefs turned the NFL World upside-down. You have to wonder if the players really hated Todd Haley, because it looks like they played their hearts out for interim coach Romeo Crennel. In his first game as interim head coach, Crennel made as strong a case possible to become the permanent head coach in Kansas City. The Chiefs have played very erratically this year, so they could come out and lay a giant egg next week. But for now, the Chiefs are walking around with a bit more of a strut today after their huge upset.

NFL Week 13 Review

NFL Review time? You bet!

Team of the Week: San Francisco 49ers
-I think this may be the third time the 49ers won this award in the season. But the 49ers won the NFC West on Sunday with a great all around performance against the lowly St. Louis Rams. The 49ers shutout the Rams and had a great game offensively, taking the Rams to the wood shed. Alex Smith continues his career resurrection under Jim Harbaugh, which comes as a complete surprise to a lot of people. The defense is going to make this team a real threat come January. One under-rated guy on this team? Kicker David Akers. Akers has been pretty spot on this year, and he hit another four field goals on Sunday. I don't think Jim Harbaugh rests any players yet. Frank Gore may see a slightly lighter work load, but I don't know if anyone else rests considering the 49ers are still fighting for a 1st round bye. I predicted the 49ers to finish last in the NFC West. I will eat crow here, Congrats to the 49ers on a great season.

Game of the Week: Green Bay Packers 38  New York Giants 35
-This one really isn't close. The Giants were blown out at New Orleans on Sunday night, so you were kind of expecting something similar here. But the Giants stood toe-to-toe with the Packers on Sunday. They drove down the field with less than 5 minutes remaining to tie the game with a touchdown and 2 point conversion. Problem is, they left time on the clock for Aaron Rodgers to go 4 plays down the field to get into field goal position. It reminded me a lot of the Giants/Patriots game from the Patriots undefeated season. The Giants hung with the Pats the entire game before Tom Brady & Co. pulled it out in the end. The Giants fell to 6-6, but the Cowboys also lost so it wasn't a season-ender. The Packers just continue to roll and have already clinched the NFC North. The Packers are showing some flaws on defense, and I wouldn't consider them a lock to roll to the Super Bowl in the NFC.

Dog of the Week: Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys
-Come on man, really? That was some terrible clock management by the Dallas Cowboys at the end of their game against the Arizona Cardinals. They wasted 20 seconds getting lined up to spike the ball when they still had two timeouts in their pocket. Then, Garrett called a timeout right before kicker Dan Bailey booted the kick right through the uprights. So what happened on Bailey's next attempt? He was short and to the left. Garrett said after the game he thought the play clock was getting low. It wasn't low enough to prevent Bailey from getting the kick off on time. If you think the kick isn't going to get off on time, call the timeout before your kicker gets set. The Cowboys went on to lose the game in overtime and blew the chance to take a two game lead on the Giants.

Other Week 13 Notes
-Did you know that all Tim Tebow does is win? He did it again on Sunday, and this time he did it with his arm. Tebow had 2 TD passes in Denver's win over Minnesota. The Broncos are now 6-1 this year under Tebow, and that is all that matters when it comes down to it. Tebow won one of those games by only completing two passes, and he won another by scoring all of the team's points in the final 3 minutes. The Broncos now sit on top of the AFC West thanks to Tebow, and some much better play by their defense. The next two games are huge for the Broncos, home against the Bears and Patriots. If the Broncos can win those two, especially against the Patriots, then there's no reason to think they won't make the playoffs.

-At what point do you just start feeling bad for the Bears and Texans? Lets start with the Bears. First they lose Jay Cutler for what looks like the rest of the regular season. Then, they lose Matt Forte for 2-6 weeks with a sprained MCL. Now who do the Bears turn to on offense? Caleb Hanie has not done well his first two games, and Marion Barber is not an every down back. The Bears remain in a 3 way tie with the Falcons and Lions for the last 2 Wild Card spots, and it won't be easy. The Texans lost Andre Johnson again for another couple weeks after injuring his other hamstring. So the Texans lost Mario Williams, Andre Johnson and Matt Schaub. They get Johnson back then lose him again. They still pulled out a good win at home against Atlanta. The defense stepped up big time, holding the Falcons to only 10 points. It was big because it doesn't look like the Titans are going away. Being up 2 games with 4 games left is a huge advantage.

-The last Wild Card spot in the AFC may very well come down to the final week of the season. The Bengals, Jets, Titans, and Broncos/Raiders are all 7-5 and all have difficult schedules ahead. The Bengals looked particularly bad this past week against Pittsburgh. They went from being competitive against the Steelers at home to getting blown out on the road. Youth may be catching up to Cincinnati. The Jets pulled away late against Washington but looked shaky for 3 quarters. The Raiders were blown out in Miami and now go to Green Bay next week. Tennessee has won three of their last four but go to New Orleans next week. The Broncos are playing the best football, but they will win the AFC West in my opinion. If I'm a betting man, I'm going with the Jets to get the last Wild Card spot. They always find a way to sneak into the playoffs and I think they will again.

-I think it is finally to the point where this dysfunction in Philadelphia will cost Any Reid his job. The Eagles look like they have given up on Reid, and you don't need any more evidence than Thursday nights game against Seattle. That team just doesn't care anymore. They were suppose to be Super Bowl contenders but now they are contenders for a Top 10 pick. If Reid is back, DeSean Jackson won't be. I doubt Jackson will be back anyway. The defense, specifically the linebackers, look like a joke. I guess that is what happens when you make your offensive line coach your defensive coordinator. At this point, I wouldn't even  risk further injury to Mike Vick. Finishing 4-12 isn't out of the realm of possibility if this team really has quit, but I think they win their final game against Washington to get to 5-11.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-Are you happy you gave Jacksonville two home MNF games now, ESPN?

-Is it really just Ndamukong Suh that is dirty in Detroit?

-I would still take all of this Tebow talk over a potential Brett Favre return.

-Is the NFC West actually better than the NFC East?

-Can I play QB for the Rams this week?

-Hey Donovan McNabb, take all of this as a sign that it is time to retire.

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. New England Patriots  9-3  at Washington
2. Baltimore Ravens  9-3  vs Indianapolis
3. Houston Texans  9-3  at Cincinnati
4. Denver Broncos  7-5  vs Chicago
5. Pittsburgh Steelers  9-3  vs Cleveland
6. Cincinnati Bengals  7-5  vs Houston
------------------------------------------------------------
7. Tennessee Titans  7-5  vs New Orleans
8. Oakland Raiders  7-5  at Green Bay
9. New York Jets  7-5  vs Kansas City

This week would be the perfect opportunity for the Jets to grab the #6 Wild Card spot. They get a bad Kansas City team coming into their building. The Titans and Bengals both have tough home games, while the Raiders travel to undefeated Green Bay. If the Jets can win this week, they may be all alone in the #6 Wild Card spot come weeks end.

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. Green Bay Packers  12-0  vs Oakland
2. San Francisco 49ers  10-2  at Arizona
3. New Orleans Saints  9-3  at Tennessee
4. Dallas Cowboys  7-5  vs NY Giants
5. Chicago Bears  7-5  at Denver
6. Atlanta Falcons  7-5  at Carolina
-------------------------------------------------------
7. Detroit Lions  7-5  vs Minnesota
8. New York Giants  6-6  at Dallas

Obviously the big game this week is Giants/Cowboys. Winner takes the lead in the NFC East race. Atlanta and Chicago have tough road tests. That gives the Lions the opportunity to take advantage with a win against a bad Vikings team.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
New Orleans Saints vs Tennessee Titans: If the Titans want some attention, a win here would help.
Houston Texans vs Cincinnati Bengals: Can the Bengals stop their apparent downfall?
Dallas Cowboys vs New York Giants: Hopefully Jason Garrett freezes the other kicker this week.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 13 Picks

More football, more picks!

Last Week's Record: 12-4
Year to Date Record: 112-64

Philadelphia Eagles vs Seattle Seahawks
This starts off a bunch of stinkers for Thursday night games in the coming weeks. Now of course, I can't blame the NFL for this one. On paper at the beginning of the year it looked like a good game. The "Dream Team" Eagles head to Seattle, which is always a tough place to win. But the Eagles have an array of problems at their hands. Mike Vick is out again. DeSean Jackson was benched last week. The only positive in the last few weeks has been the improved play of the defense, even though the Patriots had their way with them last week. Seattle has been playing well as of late, but they won't catch San Francisco for the division. Marshawn Lynch is running like a #1 running back which has been good for Seattle. You have to wonder if the Eagles haven't already packed it in. I'm taking Seattle here. They don't have a bunch of drama surrounding their team.

Seattle 23  Philadelphia 21

Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
These appear to be two teams headed in opposite directions. The Panthers look like a team on the rise with Cam Newton under center. Their offense is fun to watch. Newton looks like the franchise quarterback everyone thought he could be. The Panthers have also finally got their two headed running attack of DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart going. The Bucs, meanwhile, have regressed mightily after a strong season last year. The offense isn't as potent, and the defense is having problems stopping the run. That's bad for Tampa considering that the Panthers love to run the football. Tampa coach Raheem Morris is on the hot seat, and this game here won't do anything to cool it down. The Panthers run wild on Tampa and win in this one, sending the Bucs to the bottom of the NFC South.

Carolina 34  Tampa Bay 28

Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers
A huge game in the AFC Playoff Picture. The Bengals have a one game lead on the Jets, Titans, and Broncos in the AFC Wild Card Race. They rebounded last week with a win against Cleveland, but didn't get the lead in the game until the final 2 minutes. The Bengals struggled to get anything going offensively. When the Steelers visited Cincinnati a few weeks ago, Andy Dalton struggled a bit against the Steelers defense. He threw a couple bad picks. Now Dalton will have to play better, but this time on the road. It's a shame that this team, even at 7-4, can't sell out their home games. The Bengals are a good football team. The Steelers survived last Sunday night against Kansas City. The offense looked brutal at times last week. The Bengals have a stout defense, so they may find more trouble to move the ball this week. Troy Polamalu will play for Pittsburgh, although you have to be worried about the "concussion like" symptoms he has. The defense will need to pressure Andy Dalton here and not allow time for him to throw. Expect a low scoring affair, with the Steelers pulling out a close one in the end.

Pittsburgh 17  Cincinnati 13

Atlanta Falcons vs Houston Texans
A big game for both teams. The Falcons are in a three way tie for the two Wild Card spots in the NFC. But the offense has finally gotten going for the Falcons and that will be a big help for them. Michael Turner is struggling through a nagging groin injury, and the Falcons need to hope that it isn't bothersome for him down the stretch. The Falcons might also be down their top two cornerbacks for this game. If that is the case, it should help new Texans QB T.J. Yates a bit when it comes to passing against the Falcons. Yates looked ok last week after being thrown into action after Matt Leianrt's injury. Yates might have to throw this week because the Falcons are good against stopping the run. Arian Foster and Ben Tate might have some trouble getting going here. The good thing for Yates is that he has one of the best defenses in the league backing him up. That should take a good amount of pressure off of Yates. Expect a close game here, but I'm still going with the Texans here. I guess I like their home field advantage. And they have a slightly better defense.

Houston 27  Atlanta 23

New York Jets vs Washington Redskins
The Jets found a way to win last week against the Bills. Mark Sanchez threw 4 TD passes, yet he is still getting booed by his home fan base. Sanchez did have his moments last week. He didn't put together a complete game. The defense was also thrown on a bit too much by Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Jets need to establish their running game more. They haven't done a good job of doing that all year. Shonn Greene may be the most under-utilized running back in the league. The Redskins pulled off a good, come from behind win last week in Seattle. Rex Grossman hit a couple of nice deep passes, and Roy Helu had another strong game in the Washington back field. The Redskins defense will try to pressure Mark Sanchez into making bad throws here. Last week the Bills sat back in coverage, but the Redskins will pressure him instead. I think this is a close game, but the Jets pull out the win late because they are the more talented team.

NY Jets 20  Washington 16

Indianapolis Colts vs New England Patriots
Once a great AFC rivalry, this year it is a meaningless game. It was taken out of the Sunday night prime time slot, and for good reason. The Colts stink. They are starting Dan Orlovsky at QB this week, but it won't matter. The Patriots are clicking on offense and on defense. The Pats rolled through the Eagles last week, and look poised to win out for the rest of the season. There's just no chance for the challenged everywhere Colts team. Patriots roll, no need to over-analyze.

New England 38  Indianapolis 14

Oakland Raiders vs Miami Dolphins
This has all of the makings of a trap game for the Raiders. The Dolphins are playing some really good football in the last month and had won three in a row before falling on a last second field goal against Dallas on Thanksgiving. Matt Moore is showing signs of being a competent NFL QB, Reggie Bush is looking like a starting NFL RB, and Brandon Marshall is playing like the #1 WR everyone thought he could be. And the defense is playing much better. If they played like this at the start of the year, they could be in the middle of the playoff race and Tony Sparano might have a job in Miami next year. The Raiders have a one game lead in the AFC West on the Broncos. The Raiders couldn't get into the end zone last week against Chicago. Only 1 TD and eight field goals. The Raiders are hoping to get Darren McFadden back this week. That would be a huge help for them. A two headed running attack of Darren McFadden Michael Bush is scary to think about. If the Dolphins can pressure Carson Palmer in the pocket they have a very good shot and winning, and I think they do. Miami pulls off the upset.

Miami 28  Oakland 23

Denver Broncos vs Minnesota Vikings
Tim Tebow is the messiah. I've come to accept it. The Broncos could be down by 21 with two minutes left, and I still think that the Broncos would come back and win. Tebow doesn't do it pretty, but he does enough to help his team win. The Vikings have one of the better run defenses in the league, but their pass defense is atrocious. The Broncos defense has also improved greatly in recent weeks. Von Miller is a beast in the linebacker core with 10.5 sacks. They should feast upon Christian Ponder this week. Adrian Peterson has a shot at playing this week, but even if he does he probably won't be at 100%. The Broncos should be able to shut down the Vikings offense. Percy Harvin might have a big play or two up his sleeve, but the Broncos just have this ray of luck shining over them right now, and I think they pull out another win. That means more Tim Tebow talk dominating ESPN for a week.

Denver 26  Minnesota 17

Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills
The Bills had last week's game against the Jets last week all wrapped up. But defensive miscues caused the Jets to score the game winning TD late, and a dropped past and mis-thrown ball on offense stopped the Bills from scoring the go ahead TD in the final seconds. The Bills four game losing streak has made their 5-2 start a distant thing of the past. The offense finally looked better last week, but they didn't make the big play when they needed it, and penalties hurt them as well. Stevie Johnson has been talked about enough, so expect him to try and shut his critics up here. The Titans quietly keep winning and know they have a shot of winning the AFC South with the Texans now on their third string QB. Chris Johnson should have a big game here against the poor Bills run defense. He's finally gotten going after a slow start to the season. If Matt Hasselbeck can put together a strong outing then the Titans have a good shot to win. But you have to think the Bills will be motivated coming home after three straight on the road. While the Bills fans, this guy included, don't think they can make the playoffs, the team still does. The Bills pull out a win here and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Buffalo 30  Tennessee 27

Kansas City Chiefs vs Chicago Bears
I for the life of me cannot understand why Todd Haley is again going with Tyler Palko here. Even if Kyle Orton doesn't know the whole playbook, can he really be that much worse than Palko? What about Ricky Stanzi? Is he worse than Palko? At this point the Chiefs should at least give him one game to see what he has. But instead, Palko is the guy again and he still hasn't scored a TD in his two games as a starter. The Bears lost a close one last week against Oakland. Caleb Hanie didn't look terrible, but he did make a really bad decision driving late with the delayed spike. Hanie should have a good game here against the lowly Chiefs. But expect a heavy dose of Matt Forte here from the Bears. The Bears will lean on Forte here and will take down the lowly Chiefs lead by the lowly Tyler Palko

Chicago 24  Kansas City 10

Baltimore Ravens vs Cleveland Browns
This is one of those games where you expect the Ravens to win, but after their questionable losses this season, they could just as easily lose. The Ravens have been without Ray Lewis the last two weeks, but that really hasn't mattered. They shut down the 49ers last week, only allowing 6 points and sacking Alex Smith 8 times. Joe Flacco looked alright against the 49ers. He has his trio of weapons at WR back with Lee Evans returning. And he still has Ray Rice in the backfield, who should be leaned on heavily here. The Browns almost pulled off the upset of Cincinnati last week on the road, but they couldn't stop the Bengals in the second half and their own offense sputtered in the same half. The Ravens will bring the pressure on Colt McCoy and force him to make quick decisions. Even though the Browns offense looked better last week, I would expect them to struggle against Cleveland. There is always the original Browns leaving for Baltimore factor here that adds a bit to this rivalry, but I think the Ravens pull off the win. But I wouldn't be shocked to see the Browns win either given the Ravens road struggles against bad teams.

Baltimore 21  Cleveland 19

Dallas Cowboys vs Arizona Cardinals
The Cowboys may have played the best football in the month of November. They went 4-0 and Tony Romo had his best month of the season. The Cowboys now have a one game lead on the Giants in the NFC East and control their own destiny. DeMarco Murray should have a field day against the poor Cardinals run defense. The Cowboys may get Miles Austin back this week, which adds another weapon to what has been a very good Cowboys offense in the last month. The Cardinals have won 3 out of their last 4 games with John Skelton at QB. Beanie Wells had a monster game last week running for 228 yards. And Patrick Peterson has been a beast returning punts for the Cardinals this year. While the Cowboys defense has been better, they can still be thrown on. Expect a big game from Larry Fitzgerald. I think this game is closer than people think it will be. The Cardinals can score, but the Cowboys score a bit more to get the win.

Dallas 35  Arizona 31

Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants
Going back three weeks, I thought the Giants had a good shot to win this game. But now? Not so much. The Giants have lost 3 in a row after beating New England. And the Giants did not look good at all Monday night against New Orleans. The defense couldn't shut down Drew Brees, which makes it highly unlikely that they will be able to shut down Aaron Rodgers. Eli Manning will be able to throw against the Packers secondary, but he can't play defense. The Giants will likely have Ahmad Bradshaw back, but I don't know if that will help them enough to win. The Giants pass rush needs to have an all star game for the Giants to have a chance, and I don't think that happens. The Packers have just as many weapons on offense as the Saints do. Aaron Rodgers should be able to find all of his weapons at some point during the game. The Packers are just playing to well right now to lose. Give me the Pack in this one.

Green Bay 31  NY Giants 23

St. Louis Rams vs San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have had more than a week to get the bad taste of their loss to Baltimore out of their mouth. The offense looked terrible last week. The Ravens showed that if you shut down Frank Gore, Alex Smith will not beat you. The 49ers defense held up their end for the most part, but the offense struggled. That may hurt the 49ers come playoff time. The Rams offense continues to sputter and coach Steve Spagnuolo may be the next coach to get fired. The Rams have only scored 4 TDs in the last four weeks, and 3 of them have been to Brandon Lloyd. The Rams woes continue here, as the 49ers are out to show that last week's game was not an indication of how they will perform against the better teams come playoff time.

San Francisco 24  St. Louis 9

Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints
This has all the makings of a shootout in the Big Easy. The Saints rolled the Giants Monday night. Drew Brees and Company just look unstoppable at times. The Saints look like a team ready to make a run into late January. Drew Brees has so many weapons that defenses just can't focus on one guy to stop. They also have a nice three headed trio at the running back position. Expect the Saints defense to blitz and blitz often, forcing Matthew Stafford to make quick decisions. The Lions don't have much of a running game to speak of, so if the Saints can shut down Matthew Stafford, they have a good shot of shutting down the Lions. The Lions will most likely be without Ndamukong Suh pending appeal of his two game suspension. But even with Suh, I don't think the Lions have a shot of shutting down the Saints. Drew Brees finds his open targets and the Saints continue their roll.

New Orleans 35  Detroit 28

San Diego Chargers vs Jacksonville Jaguars
How did the Jaguars get two Monday night home games? I can't wait to see how the ESPN crew tries to hype this game up as watchable. The Jaguars fired Jack Del Rio this week, so there's something to talk about. But Blaine Gabbert doesn't look like the franchise QB the Jags thought he could be. I don't think the Jags will attract a big name coach. The Chargers have struggled mightily this year, and that will probably cost Norv Turner his job. Philip Rivers may be playing hurt, and the defense can't stop anyone. It's been quite the disappointing season for San Diego, as their Super Bowl window for that team has come and gone. The Chargers still have a better offense, so they win here.

San Diego 21  Jacksonville 13

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week's Record: 3-1
Year to Date Record: 28-19-1

Houston +2.5 vs Atlanta: I still think the Texans are the better team.

Denver +1.5 at Minnesota: How can you bet against Tim Tebow at this point?

Buffalo -1.5 vs Tennessee: My Bills homerism lead me to this pick.

Carolina +3.5 at Tampa Bay: Panthers are playing better football.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 12 Review

It's NFL Review Time!

Team of the Week: New Orleans Saints
-Sure they had a bye week to prepare for the Giants, but they absolutely dismantled them Monday night. They took a good Giants defense to the woodshed. Drew Brees was on his game last night. No sacks, no turnovers, no interceptions. Brees has a ton of weapons at his disposal and he knows exactly how to use each one. The Saints spread the ball out so much that you can't gameplan for just one weapon. The Saints defense under Greg Williams brings the pressure almost every down. Williams loves to blitz and isn't afraid to leave their secondary in single coverage. The Saints have a shot at the #2 seed with San Francisco losing this week. They won't get home field, but a bye week helps.

Game of the Week: New York Jets 28  Buffalo Bills 24
-Good back and forth game throughout. This game went a long way to helping out the Jets playoff chances, and probably put the nail in the coffin for the Bills. Mark Sanchez didn't play his best game, but he did throw 4 TD passes, including a great scramble and throw to Santonio Holmes with under 2 minutes to play. Sanchez also made a big throw to Plaxico Burress on 3rd and 11 to keep that drive going. The Bills had multiple opportunities to win late. Stevie Johnson dropped a wide open pass at the 20 that probably would have gotten the Bills inside the 10. On the next play, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw slightly behind an open Johnson in the end zone. It was a nice win for the Jets after losing two in a row. For the Bills, they have no one to blame but themselves after another crushing defeat.

Dog of the Week: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Detroit Lions
-Lots of choices for this week's award, but this clearly goes to Suh. Suh stomped the arm of a Packers offensive lineman during their Thanksgiving day game. Suh has a reputation for being a dirty player, and clearly this incident didn't help. Suh originally claimed that he was trying to get his footing under him, which might be one of the worst lies I have ever heard. Suh later apologized, but he is still facing a suspension. According to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Suh will be suspended for two games. The suspension seems just about right, I might have given him an extra game. This will definitely hurt the Lions defensively, especially going to New Orleans next week.

Other Week 12 Notes
-Lots of WRs have come under the gun this week, and deservedly so. I already talked about Stevie Johnson. His TD celebration was a bit excessive, and it cost the Bills field position. Then there is Eagles WR DeSean Jackson, who shied away from hits multiple times and it caused him to drop a few passes, including one in the end zone. Jackson was benched in the 4th quarter because of it. Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe jumped for a pass late in the 4th, but he never put his arms up and the ball sailed over his head into the arms of the Steelers secondary. You could label all 3 of these guys pre-madonna WRs, and they showed that label this week. Jackson probably won't be back in Philadelphia next year. Johnson is a UFA and may not be back in Buffalo. Bowe may not survive a potential coach change in Kansas City. Someone will sign these guys, but they have to deal with the excess baggage they potentially bring along.

-At this point, you have to feel sorry for the Houston Texans. Sure they are still 8-3, but now they lost Matt Leinart for the rest of the year with a broken collarbone. Now the Texans will rely on rookie T.J. Yates to lead this team into the playoffs. Yates wasn't bad in relief this week, but he was also playing the Jacksonville Jaguars. The good thing for Yates is that he is taking control of one of the better offenses in the league. He has a great two headed running attack with Arian Foster and Ben Tate. Andre Johnson is a playmaker at WR. The Texans defense is also one of the better defenses in the league. The Texans next two games are tough, home to Atlanta and at Cincinnati. A split there would be great. The last 3 are winnable: home to Carolina, at Indianapolis, home to Tennessee. 11-5 is doable, 10-6 should still win the AFC South. But can T.J. Yates really lead this team to the Super Bowl? Sorry, but I don't think so. The Texans had a chance with Matt Schaub, but not with Yates.

-Well, it looks like the New York Giants are destined for another late season collapse. They started off their brutal second half well after beating New England. But they've lost 3 straight and their loss to New Orleans is by far the worst loss yet. The Giants defense was just torn apart by Drew Brees. The Saints bottled up the Giants pass rush, and that exposed the Giants secondary. The loss of Ahmad Bradshaw has hurt the Giants offense as well. Eli Manning played well, but he can't do everything as well. Now the Giants get the undefeated Packers in New York this week. Even if the Giants lose this week, they still get the Cowboys twice and can win the NFC East. But the Cowboys are playing much better football than the Giants are. If the Giants don't get things right quickly, Tom Coughlin's head may be on the chopping block.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-Has Andrew Luck been fitted for his Colts jersey yet?

-Are the Bengals the only 7-4 team that can't sell out their home games?

-When will John Elway just learn to love Tim Tebow?

-I bet Kyle Orton wishes he was still in Denver.

-Who's starting the "When Will Tony Romo Choke" calendar?

AFC Playoff Picture
1. Houston Texans  8-3  vs Atlanta
2. New England Patriots  8-3  vs Indianapolis
3. Baltimore Ravens  8-3  at Cleveland
4. Oakland Raiders  7-4  at Miami
5. Pittsburgh Steelers  8-3  vs Cincinnati
6. Cincinnati Bengals  7-4  at Pittsburgh
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7. Denver Broncos  6-5  at Minnesota
8. New York Jets  6-5  at Washington
9. Tennessee Titans  6-5  at Buffalo

A big game in the AFC Wild Card race with the Bengals visiting Pittsburgh. A loss their by the Bengals opens up the last Wild Card spot for every team below them. The Broncos are playing the best football of all four of these teams in my opinion, but they have a rough schedule after Minnesota. The Jets are very hot and cold, and they could just as easily lose to Washington as beat them.

NFC Playoff Picture
1. Green Bay Packers  11-0  at NY Giants
2. San Francisco 49ers  9-2  vs St. Louis
3. New Orleans Saints  8-3  vs Detroit
4. Dallas Cowboys  7-4  at Arizona
5. Chicago Bears  7-4  vs Kansas City
6. Atlanta Falcons  7-4  at Houston
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7. Detroit Lions  7-4  at New Orleans
8. New York Giants  6-5  at Green Bay

Big games for all parties involved in the NFC Playoff race. The Packers/Giants and Lions/Saints match-ups could bring some separation to the picture. The Falcons face a big road game at Houston with them down their QB. Chicago looks to rebound against a down Kansas City team. And if I were the Cowboys, I wouldn't overlook the Cardinals. They are playing good football as of late and could play spoiler for the Cowboys.

THE COACHING HOT SEAT
1. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville: FIRED!
-Early this morning Del Rio was fired as coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Del Rio's record was 69-73 as Jacksonville's coach and was 1-2 in the playoffs. Del Rio has publicly blamed the team's offensive coordinator in recent losses, which is never a good thing to do. And now there are reports that Jacksonville has been sold. I find it difficult to believe the Jaguars will land a big time coach. Maybe Brian Billick if they get lucky. But they are more than likely looking at a coordinator promoted to first time coach.

2. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams
-Yes, the Rams have been decimated by injuries this year. Yes, they have had a difficult schedule. But there were high expectations in St. Louis this year after the team finished 7-9 last year and looked like a young, up-and-coming team in the process. But the Rams have taken a drastic step back this year. They have no one to protect Sam Bradford, and the defense gets continually burned by opposing running backs. Spags can't go 3 season with only winning 10 games. Expect a change. They may just promote Josh McDaniels, but the Rams may attract a good coach because of the young talent on the team. Jeff Fisher would be an ideal fit.

3. Norv Turner, San Diego Chargers
-Norv Turner has always found ways to bring his team back after a slow first half of the season, but that isn't happening this year. The Chargers aren't the same Chargers they have been in years past. Philip Rivers looks off, and the defense can't get offenses off the field. Turner has had numerous opportunities to win the Super Bowl with this team, but that time is up. Turner and GM A.J. Smith are probably both gone this odd-season. That means a new front office will evaluate this roster of veterans and see who fits, and who doesn't.

4. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles
-Philly fans are ready with their pitchforks. There was a very audible "Fire Andy" chant at the Eagles game this past Sunday. Reid seems to have lost control of his team. There is a clear disconnect with WR DeSean Jackson, and who knows the real story behind the injury to Mike Vick. The star-studded secondary hasn't lived up to the billing either. Reid is a good coach, and he might have faced to high expectations coming into the season. If Reid stays Jackson is probably gone. If it were me, I would keep Reid around. If he does get fired, he will probably get hired almost immediately.

5. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-The Bucs were expected to be competitive this year after finishing 10-6 last season. With a 4-7 record this season, they will definitely finish with a worse record. Morris takes some of the blame for not continuing to build on a young offense that looked good last year. Josh Freeman has regressed a bit, and the defense can't stop anyone in the running game. With Ron Rivera turning the Panthers around into a fun team, the Bucs are staring at the division cellar if they can't get going and turn things around.

OTHERS
-Todd Haley, Kansas City: Haley's team has regressed tremendously since winning the AFC West last year. Losing Matt Cassel, Eric Berry, and Jamaal Charles hurts, but they aren't excuses.

-Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins: The team is playing better, but expect a change. Owner Stephen Ross wants to make a big splash and finally get people into the seats.

-Jim Caldwell, Indianapolis Colts: No Peyton Manning and injuries have hurt, but if the team finishes 0-16, you almost have to make a change. Can't let that stain be on the team forever.

-Ken Wisenhunt, Arizona Cardinals: He finally got his veteran QB, but he has played worse than expected. The defense as a whole is a mess. Wisenhunt may not get another year.

Three Games I'd Like to See Next Week
Cincinnati Bengals vs Pittsburgh Steelers: Can the Bengals finally pass a big test?
Detroit Lions vs New Orleans Saints: Saints look to stay hot, Lions look to make a statement.
Green Bay Packers vs New York Giants: Can the Giants save their season with a huge upset?

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 12 Picks

I will be occupied all day tomorrow and with NFL games starting early on Thursday, I figured I would get my picks done while I have the time today and very early tomorrow. There are a lot of big games this week with many playoff implications.

Last Week's Record: 9-5
Year to Date Record: 100-60

Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions
For the first time in a very long time, the Lions are playing a relevant game on Thanksgiving. The Lions host the undefeated Packers in a huge NFC showdown. A win by the Lions here might give them hope for a division title, but I think that might be stretching it a bit too much. A win here would help a lot because of the loss of Jay Cutler for the Bears. The Lions offense came back to life last week against Carolina. The Packers defense isn't the greatest, so expect a big game from Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Now with that being said, the Lions pass defense is nothing to write home about, so expect Aaron Rodgers to throw at will. All of this leads to one word: SHOOTOUT. This game features two of the best passing offenses in the league. Aaron Rodgers seems unstoppable, although he did get a good test last week from Tampa Bay. If the Lions can LIMIT Rodgers and not let him throw at will they may have a chance. Detroit's front seven needs to pressure Rodgers and make him throw it early. For the Lions, Matthew Stafford needs to limit his mistakes and not force throws to Calvin Johnson. But I think the Packers front seven is better than the Lions, and their added pressure give the Packers a win.

Green Bay 38  Detroit 34

Miami Dolphins vs Dallas Cowboys
These may be the two teams playing the best football in the last 3 weeks. The Dolphins have won 3 in a row after starting the season 0-7. Reggie Bush is running like a number one back for the first time in his career. Matt Moore is making people forget about Andrew Luck in Miami. And the Dolphins defense is shutting down the run and pressuring the QB into bad mistakes. If this Dolphins team had shown up earlier in the year, they may at least be .500 and in the hunt for a playoff spot. Tony Sparano may be saving his job. I still think its unlikely, but its possible. The team is playing hard for him, but they are also still playing in front of half empty stadiums. The Cowboys have won three in a row as well as their offense has come to life in recent weeks. Tony Romo has thrown at least 3 TDs in the last two games, and has put the Cowboys in a tie for first in the NFC East. With the Cowboys easy schedule in the coming weeks they have no excuses for a let down. But the Dolphins will be a tough out here. They will play just as hard as they have been in recent weeks and will look to spoil the Cowboys run at the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Cowboys are the more talented team and will win a close one.

Dallas 27  Miami 22

San Francisco 49ers vs Baltimore Ravens
It's Harbaugh vs Harbaugh. I'm sure it is the exact way the Harbaugh family envisioned spending their Thanksgiving. On the 49ers side, Jim Harbaugh has the 49ers at 9-1 and within one game of clinching the NFC West. If the 49ers win this week and Seattle losses, the division goes to San Francisco. Now, that doesn't mean a let up from the 49ers. They are still within a game of Green Bay for the top spot in the NFC. The Packers could slip up in the coming weeks, they have some difficult match-ups. Second, I don't think let up is in Jim Harbaugh's vocabulary. He will have his team playing hard every week because that is how he coaches. No let up whatsoever. On the Baltimore side, John Harbaugh has his team in a good spot. At 7-3, they are tied with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North. They have had let downs against lesser teams this year, but I wouldn't expect that against San Francisco. But the 49ers defense is very stingy and will shut down Ray Rice, or at least attempt too. If Joe Flacco can get time, he should find Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith open. The 49ers secondary isn't the greatest. But I like the 49ers here. They play a similar game to Baltimore: smash mouth, grind it out, run stuffing defense. But the likely loss of Ray Lewis will hurt the Ravens defense in the end. San Francisco wins a low scoring affair.

San Francisco 20  Baltimore 17

Houston Texans vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Let the Matt Leinart Era begin in Houston. This is a good first test for him. Leinart isn't being thrown to a top team, he's being thrown to a Jacksonville team that couldn't beat Cleveland last week. Leinart will more than likely have stud WR Andre Johnson back, which is a huge help. Even with Johnson back, expect a heavy dose of RBs Arian Foster and Ben Tate from the Texans. That will help take the pressure off of Leinart early on. The Jaguars continue to struggle offensively with Blaine Gabbert under center. But with teams focusing on Maurice Jones-Drew, Gabbert will eventually have to win a game himself. That will be tough to do against an improved Houston defense. Jones-Drew will get his touches and yards, but Gabbert still isn't good enough to win a game like this. Jack Del Rio's clock continues to tick as the Texans win here.

Houston 24  Jacksonville 13

Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets
Talk about two teams that are heading in the wrong directions. Three weeks ago the Bills were 5-2, but that seems like an eternity ago. The Bills have lost 3 straight, including an embarrassing home loss to the Jets. The offense has scored a combined 26 points the last three weeks. They didn't even get into the end zone last week against Miami. Ryan Fitzpatrick has looked terrible, and the defense is getting burned deep by anything that moves. Injuries are also mounting for the Bills. RB Fred Jackson has a bruised right calf that may keep him out. WR Donald Jones and C Eric Wood are out for the year, and both WRs Stevie Johnson and David Nelson are banged up. The Jets have lost two in a row after winning three straight. Mark Sanchez has looked terrible in both losses. They have injuries at RB with Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson both banged up. And the hyped defense couldn't stop Tim Tebow from driving 95 yards on them at the end of the game last week. The Jets, however, are still in better shape than the Bills overall. They are healthier, have a better coaching scheme, and are playing at home. That gives the Jets the win this week.

NY Jets 21  Buffalo 13

Cleveland Browns vs Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals were brought down to Earth the last two weeks after back-to-back losses against Pittsburgh and Baltimore. They only lost by a touchdown both games, but they were also in position to win both of those games in the end. But Andy Dalton threw a bad interception at the end of the game against Pittsburgh, and he had no time to throw against Baltimore in the closing seconds. That's not to take anything away from Cincinnati. The Bengals are still holding on to the last Wild Card spot, and are still playing better football than everyone below them in the AFC. The Bengals should get WR A.J. Green back this week, which will help open up the offense more. The Browns finally won a game last week against Jacksonville, and they will have revenge on their mind after a bad opening week loss at home against Cincinnati. Expect the Browns to be motivated for their cross state rivals. If Colt McCoy can get time to throw they might have a chance. But I don't see that happening. The Bengals rebound here and take care of the Browns in a low scoring affair.

Cincinnati 23  Cleveland 16

Minnesota Vikings vs Atlanta Falcons
The only reason to really watch the Vikings is out for a few weeks. RB Adrian Peterson suffered an ankle sprain last week and will likely miss this week's game. Toby Gerhart replaces AP, but he may not be half the running back Peterson is. Expect a lot of Percy Harvin in the backfield to try and throw off the Falcons. The Falcons will be able to drop a few more people back in the secondary, which should cause problems with Christian Ponder. The Falcons got a nice win last week at home against Tennessee. Expect Matt Ryan to have a big day against a bad Vikings secondary. If he gets Julio Jones back, then it will be a big day for them. Michael Turner should have a nice game as well. The Falcons are the all-around better team and should dispose of the Vikings rather easily here.

Atlanta 31  Minnesota 17

Arizona Cardinals vs St. Louis Rams
Um, does anyone care about this game? The Rams and Cardinals have both had equally disappointing seasons. The Cardinals acquisition of Kevin Kolb has been a colossal bust for them. The team is playing better under 2nd year QB John Skelton than Kolb. At least he remembers who Larry Fitzgerald is. The defense that was suppose to be improved has disappointed mightily. The Rams were beat up by injuries and a brutal early schedule. Sam Bradford has been injured, and injuries on the offensive line haven't helped him. The defense has finally come around. The acquisition of Brandon Lloyd has helped Bradford a lot, and the Rams should do everything possible to try and re-sign him in the off-season. Expect a big game from Steven Jackson, which leads to a win for the Rams.

St. Louis 28  Arizona 23

Carolina Panthers vs Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are one lucky franchise. After years of glory under Peyton Manning, they have one bad year and now will soon have years of glory under Andrew Luck. The Colts will take Luck if they get the 1st overall pick, no questions asked. And I think they will. The Colts have nothing going for them on offense or defense. And the defense will struggle against Cam Newton this week. Expect Newton, Johnathan Stewart, and DeAngelo Williams to run wild on the Colts poor run defense. If the Colts can get their run game going they might have a chance, but the Panthers offense can put up points in bunches, and they should have no problem doing that against Indianapolis. The Panthers rebound after a bad couple of weeks and pick up a win.

Carolina 31  Indianapolis 21

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Tennessee Titans
Hey, give Tampa Bay credit. They gave Green Bay one of their toughest games of the year last week. Josh Freeman was able to find open WRs and LaGarrette Blount found holes and just ran over the Packers defense. It may be too little too late for Tampa Bay. At 4-6, their playoff chances are all but down the drain. They are two games back of the last NFC Wild Card Spot. The Bucs may finally be putting everything together, but I don't think it will help them make the playoffs. Coach Raheem Morris blamed Tampa's struggles on the lockout, but that is not an excuse. Tampa showed last year they are good enough to win now, but they failed to live up to the hype this year. Tennessee failed to win a big game against Atlanta last week. They lost Matt Hasselbeck with an elbow injury, but he may be able to return this week because there was no structural damage to the elbow. Chris Johnson couldn't get going again, but against a bad Tampa defense he should be able to find holes. Tampa will give Tennessee a fight, but the Titans have more to play for and pull out a win here.

Tennessee 24  Tampa Bay 21

Chicago Bears vs Oakland Raiders
Well, let the Caleb Hanie Era begin in Chicago. It is his team for pretty much the rest of the regular season. The good thing is Hanie knows the system so he should be able to step right in with no problem. The bad news is he is still unproven for the most part in the league. He stepped in well during the NFC Championship, but that was it. Expect a heavy dose of Matt Forte from the Bears. But if the defense keeps playing well, the Bears shouldn't have a problem staying in all their games. The Raiders just keep winning under Carson Palmer. Palmer should have time to throw here against the Bears secondary. Palmer has to love the help he is getting from Michael Bush at running back, and if Darren McFadden returns this week, it gives the Raiders a dangerous two headed attack at running back. Before Cutler's injury, I would have picked the Bears. Now? I think the Raiders take this one and continue their stranglehold on the AFC West.

Oakland 27  Chicago 24

Washington Redskins vs Seattle Seahawks
Another game I don't know if anyone really cares about. The Redskins finally played a good game last week against Dallas. They showed signs of life on offense against Dallas. Problem is, their field goal kicker let them down again. Graham Gano missed a 52 yard field goal in OT, allowing the Cowboys to come back and win. Seattle, meanwhile, has played some good football in recent weeks and have won two in a row on the back of Marshawn Lynch, who finally looks like a #1 running back. Expect Lynch to have a good game again this week, and carry Seattle to their third win in a row.

Seattle 23  Washington 14

Denver Broncos vs San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are just in an absolute free fall. They've lost 5 in a row, and haven't won a game since they beat Denver in Week 5. Philip Rivers isn't playing like Philip Rivers. He doesn't have time to throw in the pocket and is making some bad decisions in the pocket. Injuries to different offensive playmakers throughout the year hasn't helped either. The defense also is getting picked apart rather easily. Meanwhile, the Broncos have won 4 out of 5 with Tim Tebow and have adopted their offense to fit his skill set. Oh, and the defense is playing lights out football. Von Miller is a beast at linebacker for the Broncos, and Champ Bailey is playing like the shut down corner he used to be. Tim Tebow should be able to make big plays against the Chargers, and I think he does to help them win here.

Denver 31  San Diego 27

New England Patriots vs Philadelphia Eagles
This is an interesting game. The Patriots look like they may have finally come together as a whole team. The defense has looked respectable in the last couple weeks. The Patriots have also been trying to get some kind of run game going, but that still hasn't happened yet. Tom Brady won't win them every game, even though having TE Rob Gronkowski and WR Wes Welker helps out matters. But it will be interesting to see Brady match-up with the Eagles secondary, who seem to have finally come around in Philadelphia. They shut down the Giants offense last week. If they can do the same thing to Tom Brady, it could mean trouble for the Patriots. No matter who starts for the Eagles, Vince Young or Mike Vick, both men should be able to make plays against the Patriots defense. It may be a mild upset, but I like the Eagles to shut down the Patriots and win here. They will be motivated after last week's win.

Philadelphia 28  New England 24

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Kansas City Chiefs
Why was this game not flexed out of the Sunday night slot? Even two weeks ago, the Chiefs still looked like a bad football team. Now they are even worse without Matt Cassel under center. Tyler Palko did not look good at all against New England. What do you expect from him against a good Steelers defense? The Chiefs defense might be able to contain the Steelers for a little bit, but they can't score points for them. I expect a Steelers win, and a rather easy one too with them coming off the bye.

Pittsburgh 35  Kansas City 14

New York Giants vs New Orleans Saints
Is this the beginning of the Giants collapse? It may very well. They shouldn't have gotten shut down so easily against Philadelphia. Eli Manning is better than that. The Giants really have missed Ahmad Bradshaw, who gives them a good running attack on offense. The Saints have had a bye week to prepare for the Giants. The Saints should rely on quick passes to avoid the Giants pass rush. If they do that, Drew Brees should be able to make plays with all of his offensive weapons. I would think Darren Sproles might be in for a good game out of the backfield for the Saints. With the game in New Orleans, I think the Saints win and make Tom Coughlin's seat even hotter than it was already.

New Orleans 24  NY Giants 23

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week's Record: 2-2
Year To Date Record: 25-18-1

Miami +7 at Dallas: Dolphins will put up a fight til the end.

Atlanta -9.5 vs Minnesota: No AP means no chance for the Vikings.

Denver +6.5 at San Diego: Even if the Broncos lose, it will still be a close game.

Pittsburgh -10.5 at Kansas City: Chiefs have pretty much no chance.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 11 Review

NFL Time! Two for one today. Because of the short week for me, I will have my picks up later!

Team of the Week: Denver Broncos
-Tim Tebow gets all of the attention on this team, but they have been putting together some solid all around efforts the past few weeks. This week against the Jets was no different. They shut down the Jets offensive attack and drove 95 yards down the field on a good Jets defense to win. The Broncos have won four out of their last five and are one game back of the Raiders in the AFC West. You have to give credit to coach John Fox, who has tailor made an offense that works for Tim Tebow. Can the Broncos win the AFC Wes or make the playoffs? Its possible. They have two winnable road games at San Diego and Minnesota, then two tough home games against Chicago and New England. It will be an interesting month ahead for Denver.

Game of the Week: Dallas 27  Washington 24- OT
-Hey, who knew that the Redskins could score 24 points? They gave Dallas everything they could handle. It almost seemed like the Redskins played the game against Dallas as if it were their Super Bowl. The Cowboys found a way to pull out the game in the end, and it gave them the lead in the NFC East thanks to their tiebreaker over the NY Giants. Tony Romo connected on 3TD passes, including a nice pass to Jason Witten. The Redskins caught a bad break on Graham Gano's missed field goal. You got to give the Skins credit for playing hard and not quitting. Where has this effort been the last few weeks?

Dog of the Week: New York Jets
-Had a tough time handing out this award this week. No one really did anything stupid. Rex Ryan cursed at a fan, so he was given a $75,000 fine by the NFL. But the Jets also failed to show up offensively for a second week in a row, and have now fallen a game out of the last Wild Card spot in the AFC and two games back plus a tiebreaker of the Patriots in the AFC East. The Jets play the Bills this week, a team they completely dominated a few weeks ago. But neither team can score recently. The Jets better win here, if not they can kiss their playoff hopes goodbye.

Other Week 11 Notes
-Another week, another injury to a starting QB on a potential playoff team. Jay Cutler broke his thumb and underwent surgery on it, and will likely be out for the rest of the regular season. Coach Lovie Smith thinks Cutler might be able to return, but that would be stretching it I think. This means Caleb Hanie takes over the reigns at QB. Hanie showed during the NFC Championship last year that he can play, and almost lead the Bears to the Super Bowl. The Bears play the rest of the AFC West then home to Seattle before finishing the season at Green Bay and Minnesota. The Bears have a good shot at the playoffs because they hold the tiebreaker over Atlanta and may over Detroit by years end, but the road just got a lot tougher. Expect more Matt Forte from the Bears from here on out. I still think the Bears make the playoffs. They have an easier schedule than Detroit, who have to play the Packers twice still.

-Does anyone want to claim the last playoff spot in the AFC? The Bengals are currently sitting in 6th place at 6-4, but they've lost 2 in a row. Then the Broncos, Titans, Jets, and Bills are all 5-5. The Jets have lost two in a row after winning three in a row. The Bills have lost 4 of their last 5, and the Titans like to trade off wins and losses every week. At this point, you would have to consider the Broncos the favorite for the last Wild Card Spot. They're playing the best football out of everyone in this group of teams. No one really knows what is going on with the Bills. All of the sudden they can't score points. Mark Sanchez is playing like bad Mark Sanchez for the Jets. Maybe Tim Tebow really is Jesus and he will lead the Broncos to a playoff birth on Christmas Eve right before his return? Who knows.

-So are the Eagles relevant again now? You know football analysts. When a team wins a big game like Philadelphia did, they are all of the sudden back in the playoff mix. But when they lose like they did last week against Arizona? Nope, they're done. That is why I hate most football analysts. They just go by how a team plays for the most part. They flip flop every week. But the Eagles defense finally played the way people expected them to play all year. They shut down the Giants offense and got a nice revenge win after the Giants beat the Eagles in Philadelphia. The Giants are now tied for 1st with the Cowboys, and the Giants have the Saints and Packers coming up. I still don't think the Eagles make the playoffs. They're 3 games back of Chicago and 2 back of Atlanta, and both of those teams have tiebreakers over the Eagles. If Mike Vick is back in time, maybe they can get to 9 wins, but the playoffs seem out of reach.

Hey I'm Just Sayin...
-A 49ers win and a Seahawks loss this week gives San Fran the NFC West. Will the 49ers ease up?

-Maybe that ends the John Skelton/Kevin Kolb debate in Arizona.

-Cam Newton just scored 3 TDs. So ESPN, I don't think he hit a rookie wall.

-Hey, at least the Colts didn't lose this week!

-Is there anything better than football, turkey, and family on Thanksgiving?

AFC Playoff Picture
Place  Team  Record  Next Opponent
1. New England Patriots  7-3  at Philadelphia
2. Baltimore Ravens  7-3  vs San Francisco
3. Houston Texans  7-3  at Jacksonville
4. Oakland Raiders  6-4  vs Chicago
5. Pittsburgh Steelers  7-3  at Kansas City
6. Cincinnati Bengals  6-4  vs Cleveland
---------------------------------------------------------------
7. Denver Broncos  5-5  at San Diego
8. Tennessee Titans  5-5  vs Tampa Bay
9. New York Jets  5-5  vs Buffalo
10. Buffalo Bills  5-5  at NY Jets

NFC Playoff Picture
Place  Team  Record  Next Opponent
1. Green Bay Packers  10-0  at Detroit
2. San Francisco 49ers  9-1  at Baltimore
3. New Orleans Saints  7-3  vs NY Giants
4. Dallas Cowboys  6-4  vs Miami
5. Detroit Lions  7-3  vs Green Bay
6. Chicago Bears  7-3  at Oakland
---------------------------------------------------------
7. Atlanta Falcons  6-4  vs Minnesota
8. New York Giants  6-4  at New Orleans

Three Games I Would Like To See Next Week
Green Bay Packers vs Detroit Lions: Can the Lions end the Packers perfect season?
San Francisco 49ers vs Baltimore Ravens: Which Ravens team show up? And a big statement game for the 49ers.
New York Giants vs New Orleans Saints: Can the Giants stop themselves from going into a free fall?

Kept it short this week, but I'm crunched for time starting tomorrow. Have to get picks done today too.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka

NFL Week 11 Picks

NFL Picks Time! Woo Woo Woo, You Know It!

Last Week's Record: 7-9 YUCK!
Year to Date Record: 91-55

New York Jets vs Denver Broncos
Just when it looks like the Jets are about to become the team to beat in the AFC East they go and lay an egg against the Patriots. It looked like the same Jets team I thought had problems earlier in the year. Mark Sanchez struggling, the run game not going, and the defense looking confused a bit at times. Now the Jets have to go to Denver to face a Broncos team that has won three of their last four games. They beat the Chiefs by only completing two passes, and only attempting eight! No matter how much we try to deny it, Tim Tebow has brought new life to this Broncos team. Now, I don't think the Broncos can beat the Jets throwing only eight passes and running 54 times. But the Jets may have problems stopping the Broncos new option offense on such a short week. But if there is one guy that can do it, it may be Rex Ryan. I think this game is close, and the Broncos may very well pull off the upset. But the Jets have more talent and win in a very close affair.

NY Jets 20  Denver 16

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Green Bay Packers
And the Packers just keep rolling rolling rolling. They just swept the Vikings under the rug on Monday night. That passing offense may be one of the better passing attacks in the league history. Aaron Rodgers is winning the MVP award, end of story. There are some other nice stories but it is Rodgers award to lose. The Packers still have some flaws in their pass defense, but their front seven makes up for it with a great attack. Can they go undefeated? Absolutely. In order for a team to beat them, they need a great front seven that can pressure Rodgers. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, they do not have that. Tampa looked terrible in their loss to Houston last week. It's frightening to see how much the offense has regressed this year. And the defense was exposed big time by Houston. I would expect Green Bay to do much of the same to Tampa. They will shut down LaGarrette Blount and force Josh Freeman to beat them, which is not happening. Packers win.

Green Bay 34  Tampa Bay 21

Carolina Panthers vs Detroit Lions
Both of these teams are coming off losses they would like to forget. I thought the Panthers would be a good second half spoiler, but the Titans may have demoralized them last week. They came up with a great defensive strategy that shut down Cam Newton. The Panthers special teams was also burned big time for a couple of plays. The Lions, meanwhile, were absolutely trounced by the Bears in Chicago. Matthew Stafford can't throw the ball 60+ times and be expected to win. The lack of a running game for the Lions is disturbing. They really miss Jahvid Best, and he may not be back for the rest of the year. That could hurt the Lions when it comes to their playoff chances. Their secondary is also weak and that could be a problem this week. Steve Smith could be in line for a big game. The Panthers could easily walk into Detroit and steal one, but I think the Lions are a better team and they will win a close one.

Detroit 28  Carolina 23

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Cleveland Browns
This may be a game between the two worst offenses in the NFL. Neither team seems able to eclipse the 24 point mark this year. Blaine Gabbert has shown some signs of improvement the last few games, but he still is just an average QB at best for Jacksonville. The Browns can't get anything going at all on offense. They were only able to score 12 points last week against St. Louis. It's almost like they are afraid to go into the end zone. Both teams have some strengths on defense. Jacksonville can stop the run, whereas Cleveland can stop the pass. But Cleveland has problems stopping the run, so Maurice Jones-Drew should have a nice game. Jacksonville wins a game no one watches.

Jacksonville 19  Cleveland 9

Oakland Raiders vs Minnesota Vikings
In the weekly "Favorite to Win the AFC West" contest, Oakland has taken a one game lead over everyone else in the division. Carson Palmer finally looks comfortable under center. He should look more comfortable here as the Vikings have one of the worst pass defenses in the league, and they just lost CB Antoine Winfield for the year with a broken collarbone. Darren McFadden is likely to miss this game, but the Raiders shouldn't miss a beat with Michael Bush, who had a breakout game last week. The Vikings struggled Monday night against the Packers. Hopefully it wasn't too deflating for them. Christian Ponder was pressured a lot by the Packers defense. Expect another game with a heavy dose of Adrian Peterson from the Vikings. The Vikings will improve eventually, but the Raiders are the better team right now and are playing the better football. Carson Palmer has a big game and the Raiders roll.

Oakland 27  Minnesota 17

Buffalo Bills vs Miami Dolphins
Where have everyone's Lovable Bills gone. After scoring 30 points with ease their first few games, the Bills have scored a combined 18 points in their last two outings. They have steered away from handing off the ball to Fred Jackson, which is what they should be doing more often. The loss of Center Eric Wood for the year will hurt, as he was arguably their best offensive linemen. The defense, especially the secondary, has also been pushed around the last few weeks. Tony Romo was nearly perfect against them. While the Bills have lost two in a row, the Dolphins have won two in a row. Reggie Bush has looked like a feature back these last two games. Matt Moore looks comfortable in the pocket. The defense is also playing much better. A few weeks ago this looked like a very winnable game for the Bills. Now? It could be much worse. If Brandon Marshall keeps up his hot play, it could mean trouble for the Bills. But the Bills are the more talented team, and they should pull out a close victory here.

Buffalo 28  Miami 24

Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Redskins
The Cowboys looked like the team everyone thinks they are last week. Tony Romo looked like Aaron Rodgers, and DeMarco Murray continues to run all over any defense he faces. And the defense looks like they have finally come around after getting smoked by the Eagles a few weeks ago. The Cowboys have a very soft schedule left. Their only tough games are against the Giants. The Redskins, well, who knows. They probably hope that the Dolphins and Seahawks continue to win so they can get a higher pick the Draft next year. It is pretty clear Mike Shanahan doesn't care for either Rex Grossman or John Beck. Grossman started last week and looked almost as bad as Beck did. The offense is right up there with the Jaguars and Browns as far as bad offenses go. How did they win 3 games? They don't win this one. The Cowboys walk all over the Redskins.

Dallas 34  Washington 17

Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens
Another huge AFC North showdown. The Bengals were brought back down to earth a bit last week with their home loss to Pittsburgh. They competed the whole game which was a good sign. Andy Dalton made a couple rookie mistakes, including that interception had the end of the game. The Bengals may be without WR AJ. Green for this game. That would be a huge loss for the Bengals, as it takes away their main offensive threat. The Bengals also lost CB Leon Hall for the rest of the year with a torn ACL. That's a big loss for a good Bengals defense. Hall was their best corner, and now teams may be able to throw on them more often. The bad Ravens showed up again last week, getting beat by the Seahawks in Seattle. How do you only give Ray Rice five carries? He is your best offensive weapon, he should be touching the ball 20+ times a game. Joe Flacco shouldn't carry your offense, Ray Rice should. The Ravens defense should stack the box and force Dalton to beat them. I think the Ravens will re-focus on Ray Rice here. If they don't, the Ravens may start to question the thinking of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Ravens in another close one.

Baltimore 21  Cincinnati 20

Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers
Don't look now, but the Cardinals have won two in a row with John Skelton at QB. He even threw for 3 touchdowns last week against a pretty good Eagles secondary. Do they even go back to Kolb when he gets healthy? The Cardinals suspect defense also shut down Mike Vick last week. If they can shut down Vick, can they do the same to Alex Smith? The 49ers have won eight in a row and seem poised to lock up the NFC West by the beginning of December. Frank Gore may sit out this game, but they wouldn't drop too far off with Kendall Hunter in the backfield. Hunter already proved he can handle the workload in the backfield. Expect Smith to look for Vernon Davis a lot in this game. The 49ers defense shouldn't have a problem shutting down an injured Beanie Wells, but Larry Fitzgerald may have a good game with the 49ers secondary playing just average. I like the 49ers here to get to 9-1.

San Francisco 23  Arizona 17

Seattle Seahawks vs St. Louis Rams
The Seahawks shocked everyone last week with an upset of the Ravens. Marshawn Lynch is finally running like the feature running back everyone thought he could be when he was traded to Seattle. Lynch's moves to get the first down to seal the game for Baltimore were great. Expect another heavy dose of Lynch from the Seahawks in this game. Seattle may be without WRs Sidney Rice and Doug Baldwin, as both men suffered concussions last week. The Rams picked up an ugly road win last week at Seattle. The Sam Bradford-Brandon Lloyd connection looks like it could be a good one in the future. The Rams should do everything they can to sign Lloyd in the off-season. Those two combined with Steven Jackson could form a nice trio for the Rams. The Rams defense has stepped up its game recently, so expect them to do everything they can to shut down Lynch and make Tavaris Jackson beat them. I like the Rams to win here. They're finally getting healthy on offense.

St. Louis 30  Seattle 20

Tennessee Titans vs Atlanta Falcons
This may actually be the biggest game of the week as far as playoff implications go. Both of these teams are 5-4 and hanging on to their wild card lives. The Falcons are coming off an OT loss to New Orleans which saw them go for a 4th and 1 at their own 29 and not convert. I defended Mike Smith and still do, but a lot of people are questioning that decision. The Falcons are still a good team. They have the talent to make the playoffs, but they need to figure out who the primary threat is on offense and focus on that. This game, the Falcons should focus on their passing attack and take advantage of a weak Tennessee secondary. The Titans keep winning and sticking around in the playoff race despite no one talking about them. Chris Johnson has played surprisingly well the last couple games, but he faces a stiff test here in the Falcons front seven. And if that front seven can pressure Matt Hasselbeck it could be a long day for the Titans offense. I think the Falcons are the better team and they pull out the win here.

Atlanta 27  Tennessee 21

San Diego Chargers vs Chicago Bears
Talk about two teams heading in opposite directions. Lets start with the Chargers, losers of four straight after a hot 4-1 start. The Kansas City debacle may comeback to be the turning point of the season. Or you could go back to the week before where the Chargers lost a double digit second half lead against the Jets. Philip Rivers isn't the same Philip Rivers of recent years. Sure he's putting up big stats, but he's also making some bad throws and questionable decisions. The defense is also having problems stopping anything through the air, and the run defense was torched by Michael Bush last week. The Bears, meanwhile, have won four in a row and have looked like the same team that won the NFC North last year. Jay Cutler is getting time to throw and Matt Forte is arguably the best running back in the league this year. And Devin Hester is a serious threat on special teams. And with the problems the Chargers have on special teams, they may find it best to just punt away from Hester in this one. The Bears front seven will pressure Rivers and force him into the same mistakes he's been making. Bears win in a high scoring affair.

Chicago 35  San Diego 30

Philadelphia Eagles vs New York Giants
The Eagles are the drama darlings of the NFL. Last week DeSean Jackson was benched for missing a team meeting, and the offense struggled without the threat of his big play ability. Then Mike Vick suffered broken ribs during the game. When it happened remains a question we probably won't ever find out. And then there is the defense. The Big $$$ secondary was burned by a QB named John Skelton. This team may have packed it in already for all we know. The players may cost Andy Reid his job. The Giants lost on the road last week, starting their tough stretch 1-1. They hung around and were driving late but they couldn't find a way to get into the end zone. Eli Manning looks good when he has all of his weapons at his disposal. They held San Francisco in check early, but couldn't keep them contained the whole game. This is a big game for the Giants and a needed win. They have New Orleans and Green Bay back to back coming up, a loss here would hurt their division chances. But the Giants are the more complete team, are in better shape mentally, and have already beat Philadelphia in Philly. And with Mike Vick not likely to play, the Giants should roll rather easily here.

NY Giants 30  Philadelphia 17

Kansas City Chiefs vs New England Patriots
A few weeks ago this game looked promising after Kansas City won three straight and looked like a good team on offense again. But the last two games? They scored a combined 13 points and look like the same bad team that started the season. And now they lost Matt Cassel for likely the rest of the year with a hand injury. The defense got shredded by the Tim Tebow option. They won't have to worry about that this week, as Tom Brady will just throw the ball at will on them. The Patriots once again looked like the favorite in the AFC East last week against the Jets. They still don't have much of a running game to speak of, which could hurt later on. The defense looked improved last week and will gain more confidence this week playing a bad Chiefs offense. No reason to think the Patriots won't role here.

New England 41  Kansas City 17

My Vegas $$$ Picks
Last Week's Record: 1-3
Year to Date Record: 23-16-1

Buffalo +2 at Miami: Bills are the more talented team.

Chicago -3.5 vs San Diego: Bears are playing much better than the Chargers right now.

NY Giants -4 vs Philadelphia: No Vick pretty much means no chance for Philadelphia.

New England -15 vs Kansas City: Chiefs may not score 15 points.

Survivor Series Preview up probably early Saturday.

Until Next Time,
Justin C
Follow Me On Twitter @JCWonka