NFL week 13: somebody give me a Ouija board!
The New York Jets battled the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night. This was nowhere close to the best that the NFL has to offer. This was a display of some bad offensive football.
The Philadelphia Eagles versus the Atlanta Falcons. This game could be called “Desperation City.” Both teams really need to win this game in order to stay in the playoff hunt. Both have been playing up-and-down football. In spite of the Eagles looking mediocre at best, they’ve won six of their last seven games. Look for the Eagles to find some way to to win this game also. Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan is not scheduled to play. This really hurts Atlanta’s offense.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers versus the Carolina Panthers. Although the Buccaneers have not been winning, they look better every single week. They’ve been playing hard. They’ve been making few mistakes. I can’t say the same for the Carolina Panthers. Their quarterback, Jake Delhomme, who has been in the Christmas spirit all year by giving away the football, is out for this week’s game. Cornerback Matt Moore will make the fourth start of his career. Also, D’Angelo Williams is listed as questionable. This game is a toss-up. If I have to choose, I’ll go with the Buccaneers in this one.
The St. Louis Rams versus the Chicago Bears. The Bears have been decimated by injuries. The St. Louis Rams desperately need an offensive line. Every week, I’ve been saying that Jake Cutler is going to play better. This week, just to be consistent, I will continue this trend. Both the Bears and the Rams need some help on their offensive lines. If Cutler can take care of the ball, the Bears can win. If he can’t, look for another three- or four-interception outing.
The Detroit Lions versus the Cincinnati Bengals. Although the Bengals have been playing some good football of late, they hit a rough spot in their schedule. Their offense has been struggling, although their running game has remained strong. The one thing that struggling offense needs is the Detroit Lions. Look for Carson Palmer and Larry Johnson to have big games. The Cincinnati Bengals should win this one by more than a touchdown.
The Tennessee Titans versus the Indianapolis Colts. This is one of the marquee matchups. Vince Young has yet to lose a game as a starter this year. The once hapless Titans have now won five in a row. Chris Johnson, their All-Pro running back, looks unstoppable. Look for the Colts to shake off their doldrums on the offensive side of the ball. If the Colts have aspirations to wander into the Super Bowl, they’re going to have to play better offensive football in the first half of these games. If the Colts are able to open up an early lead, this game could be over by the middle of the third quarter. On the other hand, if Peyton Manning throws a couple of early interceptions, Vince Young may be hard to handle. When the Colts made their run to the Super Bowl, couple years ago, their defense slowly tightened up. They were able to stop the run and pressure the quarterback. I look for them to shut down the Titans’ offense. If the Colts cruise to victory, that will shut down a lot of the talk about how great the Titans have become over the last five weeks.
The Houston Texans versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. Both of these teams have played some good football and they both have stunk pretty badly. The Jaguars need to be more consistent on offense. The Texans need to quit shooting themselves in the foot. Both teams have good running games, but to win in the NFL in 2009, you need to throw the ball down the field. There is a trick to winning consistently in the NFL and neither of these teams has learned that trick. I give the Houston Texans a slight edge in this game. This may come down to a last-minute field goal.
The Denver Broncos versus the Kansas City Chiefs. In spite of the Chiefs’ record, they’re playing hard. The Denver Broncos are trying to figure out what happened over the last couple of weeks. It’s time for Denver to prove that they are truly a playoff team. Look for them to handle the Kansas City Chiefs.
The New England Patriots versus the Miami Dolphins. All the Miami Dolphins need is a real quarterback. If the Dolphins had a quarterback they would have two to four more wins. Unfortunately, they haven’t been able to find a real quarterback over the last several weeks. I look for this game to be relatively close throughout the first half. The Dolphins will try to keep the ball away from the New England Patriots’ offense. The Patriots’ defense is clearly suspect. I look for Miami to try to pound the ball. Ronnie Brown should be back this week to help carry the load. Ricky Williams is running like he is 25 or 26 years old again. I truly commend the Dolphins for playing so hard and so well over the last 12 weeks. Unfortunately, I just don’t see how they get by New England this week unless, Tom Brady is in a giving mood. The Patriots by more than a touchdown.
The Oakland Raiders versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. Look for the Pittsburgh Steelers to turn things around. From the opening kickoff, they’re going to want to make a statement that they are serious about going to the playoffs. They can’t allow the Oakland Raiders to hang around. They need to jump out to a serious lead and take advantage of a mediocre Raider offense. I look for the Steelers to blow these guys out. Steelers by 10.
The New Orleans Saints versus the Washington Redskins. I’ve spoken with many Redskins fans who seem to blame Jason Campbell for all their problems. When I look at the Redskins, I see their offensive line as their problem. They also really don’t have any big playroom wide receivers. They’ve allowed their receivers to get old. They’re dependable running back, Clinton Portis, has been out with a head injury. This is a trap game for the New Orleans Saints. They’re coming off of a huge Monday night victory over the New England Patriots. In that game, they played almost perfect football. It’s hard to get up for the Redskins after you spank Tom Brady on Monday Night Football. I think the Redskins will play hard and keep the game close. I think New Orleans offense will wake up late in the third quarter and get their act together enough to eek out a victory.
The San Diego Chargers versus the Cleveland Browns. The Chargers should roll. Enough said. Philip Rivers will throw at least three or four touchdowns.
The Dallas Cowboys versus the New York Giants. The Dallas Cowboys seem to have ignited their running attack. Their offense played extremely well last week. Those big and explosive plays came in bunches. The New York Giants have problems on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Neither line is very good right now. The Dallas Cowboys should take advantage of this and put an enormous amount of pressure on Eli Manning. The Cowboys allowed Steve Smith to run free through their secondary and their first meeting earlier this year. The good news, for Cowboys fans, is the cowboy defense have been playing exceptionally well of late. Terence Newman and Michael Jenkins have been playing very well at corners. I look for them to continue this trend. In my view, the only way that the Giants are going to be able to win this game is for them to get Brandon Jacobs going. If he begins to — the Cowboys for large chunks of yards, this will open up the play action pass. The Dallas Cowboys are going to have to stop him with their front seven. Both teams really need this game. If Tony Romo can protect the football, the Cowboys should roll. (Now’s a great time for the Cowboys to go on a roll and break that December curse.)
The San Francisco 49ers versus the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle is a team that’s going backwards. The 49ers is a team that still trying to find its identity. The 49ers are playing hard. Alex Smith may be learning how to play quarterback in the NFL. Look for San Francisco to make enough plays to win this game.
The Minnesota Vikings versus the Arizona Cardinals. I think that Kurt Warner is scheduled to play, but I’m not sure that’s going to help. The Minnesota Vikings have looked incredibly good. I just think the Vikings have too much offense for Arizona. Also, I don’t think that Arizona is going to be able to protect their quarterback. I think the Vikings may be upset by all the publicity that the New Orleans Saints have been getting. This could be a good game if Kurt Warner is able to protect the football. I just don’t think that Warner’s going to be able stay upright. I look for the Vikings to garner a couple of turnovers and break this game open in the third quarter.
The Baltimore Ravens versus the Green Bay Packers. Both teams looking to get into the playoffs. Both teams are playing a little bit worse than they expected. Look for the Packers to make enough plays, especially on offense, to win this game in Lambeau Field.
