NFL Picks Week 14
Lately my picks have been okay. Last week, I only went 7-9. Not good. Well, let me try to gain some more momentum back with the 16 games this week.
Fantasy football playoffs start now! Bring you’re A games now!
Season to date: 92-99-1 after thirteen weeks. Decent. Not there yet.
Bonus picks: 2-3 this week, 39-26 to this point. Could have been better.
Thursday Night Football: NFL Network: Dallas at Chicago: This is an important game involving two of the three losers on Thanksgiving. Dallas lost to Philadelphia and now are in more danger of not only losing the NFC East (again), but missing the playoffs entirely. Having losses to other NFC teams who may be fighting for a wild-card spot (Seattle, Arizona, Philly), Dallas needs to win out to get in and avoid another December swoon. Chicago is barely in the wild-card race, but with cold weather arriving, these Bears have a shot, but they also need to win out to get to the playoffs. Weather will be a factor and the Cowboys having only one home game left to play doesn’t help.
Who wins? Short and sweet…This will be a fight. Chicago and Dallas have both failed to get it done in big games recently. Both teams can run, but the Cowboys have more overall available weapons and defenders to get this win. But it is not easy to win in cold Chicago, so a upset here is not a total surprise, especially with Chicago still in a playoff chase. But I have less faith in Chicago QB Jay Cutler than I do in Dallas QB Tony Romo. That is saying a lot. I am taking common sense and taking Dallas.
Dallas 30 Chicago 24
Sunday’s games:
Tennessee at Houston: This is another of those games no one cares about. Houston has slim playoff hopes and a win here keeps it there for another week, especially with other AFC wild-card contenders playing each other today. Tennessee will give them a fight…but Houston has too much.
Who wins? The Titans are a good spoiler team, but the Houston defense will shut them down and the offense is a little better than the Titans offense. That adds up to a Houston win. Sorry.
Houston 27 Tennessee 17
Baltimore at Miami: The Ravens must be really not happy after falling to the Chargers at home last week. However, they can’t be upset long, for another big game is this week as they travel to face Miami. Both teams are in that mix of 6 AFC teams with 7-5 records. For now, Miami has the tie-breaker which makes them the current 6 seed (second wild-card). Whoever loses this game may be done as far as the playoffs, especially the Ravens, assuming the other AFC North teams win. Miami cannot assume the Patriots will keep losing, but they will face them in Foxborough soon. This is a must-watch game in a week with a bunch of those.
Who wins? The
. Baltimore wins.
Baltimore 30 San Diego 27
Kansas City at Arizona: The surprise NFC West leaders is reeling with two straight losses as all of the adversity is starting to get to them. BUT, if they win out, including over Seattle and San Francisco, the Cardinals can still control their destiny for a playoff spot. The Chiefs were beat by Denver (again) and have to figure the AFC West title is beyond their reach (again). But they still have at slight advantage for the wild-card, but half the teams in the AFC is right behind or right with them. They cannot afford another (conference) loss, period. This game will be interesting and may show more of who is a true contender in their conference and who is a pretender..
Who wins? The Cardinals have looked like a playoff team, despite everything. This game is at home against a team who had a big loss just like them. Home cooking helps a lot and if WR Larry Fitzgerald can play, they may have enough to save their season….for now. Cardinals win.
Arizona 35 Kansas City 24
Seattle at Philadelphia: This is a big game. This is also the first time NE QB Tom Brady has faced Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers in a regular season game. Really? Yes, it is true. You know the players and the rest. This is a must-watch game.
Who wins? Both teams are rolling….this comes down to where the game is being played. Green Bay can be magical at home when all of their players are playing well. The Patriots are good on the road….but that won’t be enough this time. I am taking Green Bay….but a tie would work for me, too.
Green Bay 38 New England 37
St. Louis at Washington: Even with last week’s
win, the Rams may be happy to be out of town considering bigger matters nearby.
They also have to think they can win here. The two teams that were involved in
the trade that brought Robert Griffin III to DC play here. The Redskins are
screwed. This season is a disaster. Who will start this week? Does it matter?
Neither team has a good QB playing right now. It will be cool and wet and rainy
in DC and the field will probably be nasty. Dome teams usually don’t do well on
wet grass outdoors (and this field may not be that good), so in a game few care
about, this one will be ugly.
Who wins? Regardless of the Washington starter, the Redskins
just plain have more weapons on offense than the Rams. A wet nasty field
actually helps a defense that is used to it and hurt a confident dome team who
doesn’t see this too often. Who won the trade? Washington did…just barely. Who
wins this game? I think the Redskins will…barely. This game will not tally 52
points….total.Washington 20 St. Louis 17
San Francisco at Oakland: Oakland got destroyed at St. Louis. Period. But this team is still a dangerous spoiler and the remaining opponents cannot afford a loss to Oakland. Period. First up, San Francisco who was embarrassed by those Seahawks at home. They go up there for the rematch next week. Surely they will not look past Oakland…right? With the turmoil around whether coach Jim Harbaugh will still be here next year, playoffs or not swirling, this team has to be distracted, as if they did not have enough this year already. Still, with Arizona starting to swoon, the Niners know they still have a chance to win out and get to the playoffs with Seattle and Arizona on the horizon. But they must win this one first. They have the talent and have the advantage everywhere. Will they win or will SF get upset?
Who wins? Forget the records. Oakland is a spoiler team that should scare everyone. They have nothing to lose. They will not lay down when Bay area bragging rights are on the line. The Niners cannot afford another loss…and Oakland knows it. This team will be motivated…and that should scare San Francisco. Oakland gets that upset win.
Oakland 28 San Francisco 24
Sunday Night Football: New England at San Diego: The complexity of this game has changed a bit. San Diego got an important road win last week at Baltimore while NE was humbled (some) by Green Bay at Lambeau. While NE may be in safer position for the playoffs, playoff seeding matters. The Chargers realize a win over this team could be big IF they win the AFC West…and they cannot assume Denver will lose again (other than to them, maybe). This will be a good game.
Who wins? This game will be big for the playoff picture and so on. NE is a easy pick, but I have issues taking them on the road…when they got crushed in KC on MNF and a loss to GB may sit with them for a bit. Both teams need this win, but the Chargers at home are dangerous and right now, Chargers QB Phillip Rivers has the momentum Patriots QB Tom Brady used to have. I am taking the Chargers.
San Diego 30 New England 27 (OT)
Monday Night Football: Atlanta at Green Bay: Okay….Atlanta should not be in the playoff race at 5-7, but they are. Forget all that. Who really thinks this team will go into the cold of Green Bay…on MNF…with Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers playing as well as he is, ESPECIALLY AT HOME….AND WIN? The weather (meaning cold) will factor in, but what can you do? This is a week where several dome team are playing outdoors in not so great conditions. Yes, the Saints won in Pittsburgh last week, but the weather wasn’t that bad there (luckily for the Saints). Wisconsin in December…at night…..that is another matter. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan is good, but he is not Michael Vick 10 years ago and this is not the Packers team that choked a playoff game here to these Falcons, hurting the Lambeau (cold-weather) mystique. Like Rodgers said, R-E-LA-X!
Who wins? The Falcons will fight, especially on prime-time TV, knowing that a (improbable) playoff berth is in the balance. But Green Bay has too much for these Falcons without the weather and the home field, as long as they don’t make dumb mistakes or Rodgers gets hurt, like he was at this time last year. Green Bay will not choke this game knowing Detroit is still lurking and they still get them here in the finale (if the race isn’t over by then). There is upsets and there is NFWIFH (you can figure out the acronym, adults). This is the latter. Green Bay wins again.
Green Bay 34 Atlanta 20
Bonus picks:
College football winners: Championship Week Saturday:
1. Oklahoma State upsets 20 Oklahoma
2. 3 TCU beats Iowa State
3. SEC Championship:1 Alabama beats 16 Missouri (but by 10 or less)
4. 6 Baylor beats 9 Kansas State
5. Big Ten Championship: 13 Wisconsin upsets 5 Ohio State
6. ACC Championship: 4 Florida State beats 11 Georgia Tech
7. 22 Boise State beats Fresno State
8. Marshall beats Louisiana Tech
9. Temple beats Tulane
Projected Final College Football Playoff Field: Released Sunday at 1230pm:
1. Alabama (12-1) SEC champion
2. Oregon (12-1) Won Pac 12 title Friday night
3. Florida State (13-0) ACC champion (2 years straight), undefeated defending national champions
4. Baylor (12-1): co-conference champs, passes TCU by beating top 10 team in final game, head to head win over TCU.
Just missed:
5. TCU (12-1) lost to Baylor head to head, beat a weak team in scheduled final game.
6. Ohio State lost Big Ten title game OR wins Big Ten title and committee takes Baylor or TCU instead. Cannot bump Alabama or Florida State unless they lose.
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