Well, the College Football regular season is over, with the exception of the Army - Navy game next Saturday....GO NAVY! In the NFL, Green Bay had a miraculous comeback win over Detroit based on a highly questionable face mask call at the end of the game that gave the Packers one last shot on an un-timed down, which resulted in a Hail Mary game winning touchdown for Green Bay in an effort to keep their playoff hopes alive.
This week's games see a lot of divisional match ups that have post season implications. A struggling Falcons team heads to Tampa Bay, Arizona tries to stay within striking distance of Carolina by winning in St. Louis, Carolina meanwhile tries to lock in their NFC South crown at New Orleans, Cincy takes on Austin Davis in Cleveland, Denver continues to go with Brock Osweiler against a bad San Diego team, the Chiefs look to continue their winning streak against Oakland, and Washington tries to move into first place at home against Dallas. So, let's take a look at the games this weekend.
NY Jets -2.5
at NY Giants
While technically this is a home game for the Giants, both teams call MetLife Stadium home, so this is really as close a neutral site game as you can get. Both the Giants and Jets right now are on the outside looking in to the playoffs, so this game is vital. Odell Beckham, Jr. won't have Revis shadowing him, as Revis Island is closed for business for a 2nd straight week, and that's good news for Giants fans. The bad news is, their offensive line is a mess, and they don't have any semblance of running the ball, or an ability to play sound defense; all things that the Jets do well. If the Giants are going to win, it's going to be on Eli and Beckham's shoulders. I think the Giants know that they can't fall another game back of Washington, and with the Redskins playing the Cowboys, that's almost a guaranteed win. Give me the Giants to make just enough plays to get a win against their cross town rivals. Giants 27 Jets 23.
Arizona -4.5
at St. Louis
I feel like Bruce Arians has told his entire starting offensive line, whatever you do, protect Carson Palmer, because if he goes down, like a ton of other QBs have that have faced the Rams, the Cardinals season is over. The Rams got the best of the Cards in the desert earlier this year, and you can bet Arizona would like some payback as they head to St. Louis. In recent weeks, the NFL has figured out that if you stop Todd Gurley, the Rams can't beat you, and Arizona will stack the box and make Nick Foles beat you with his arm. That's not a winning formula for Jeff Fisher's team. Arizona 30 St. Louis 17.
Atlanta
at Tampa Bay Even
The Dirty Birds look to stop their losing skid, having lost 5 of their last 6, after starting 5-0. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan has had some serious questions raised about his play during this stretch, but the Falcons have said they're going to stick by him. Tampa Bay on the other hand, has played pretty well this year. They've run the ball well, and Winston has been better than a lot of people expected. The Falcons get their leading rusher, Devonta Freeman, back this week, and I think that helps them out tremendously. If Atlanta limits their turnovers, they should be able to get a win in Tampa, and I think this is the week Matt Ryan turns it around. Atlanta 24 Tampa Bay 20.
Seattle -1.5
at Minnesota
That Seattle-Pittsburgh game last week was a fun game to watch. Seattle looked like they finally found some rhythm on offense without Beast Mode. Minnesota meanwhile, clearly has an identity, run the ball with Adrian Peterson, play good defense and have Teddy Bridgewater manage the game for you, only making plays only when he has to. That's a good game plan, and being that Minnesota is at home, I like the Vikings to get their 9th win of the year and keep a one game lead over the Packers. Vikings 22 Seattle 17.
Houston
at Buffalo -3.5
The honeymoon for Rex is officially over, and if the Bills don't get their problems fixed soon, they're going to be well out of the playoff race. Houston has been fire lately, due largely to playing phenomenal defense. They ended Drew Brees's touchdown streak last week, and that wasn't easy to do for a future 1st ballot hall of famer. The way Houston's defense is playing, I think the Bills are going to have some serious problems scoring, so I'll take Houston on the road to go and get an upset win. Texans 23 Bills 17.
Baltimore
at Miami -3.5
What a finish that Baltimore - Cleveland game had on Monday night! I know people were hoping for Flacco vs JFF, but that game was pretty good with 2 back up QBs starting. Neither of these teams are going to be heading to the postseason, but it should be interesting to see if Ryan Tannehill, who is now on his 3rd offensive coordinator of the season, can get things turned around. Based on the number of injuries Baltimore has suffered, Miami has better skill position players, and I think they'll make enough plays at home to get a win. Dolphins 30 Ravens 20.
Cincinnati -9
at Cleveland
You've got to feel for Browns fans. They've been through a lot, and things don't get better this week as the AFC North leading Bengals come to town. Cincy is fighting for a 1st round bye against Denver and New England, so every game matters going forward. Cincy is just the vastly superior team, and facing a back up QB, they'll win by double digits, even though the game is at Cleveland. Bengals 31 Cleveland 17.
Jacksonville
at Tennessee -2.5
At this point, it's pretty evident the Jags and Titans won't be going to the postseason. The Jags won a close game in their previous meeting with the Titans in Jacksonville 19-13, and they'll look to get their 5th win today, as they head to Nashville. Jacksonville will be without Allen Hurns for this game, so they're going to have to rely heavily on Allen Robinson and Julius Thomas. That having been said, I think the Jags just have better players than Tennessee and the overall better team, and they'll get a win on the road. Jaguars 20 Tennessee 13.
San Francisco
at Chicago -6.5
I've been pleasantly surprised at how well the Bears and Jay Cutler have played this year. John Fox has done a very nice job with this team in Chicago. I wondered if they'd win 5 games all year, and they're about to be 6-6 after today. San Francisco, meanwhile appears to be looking to 2016, and either drafting or trading for a new QB. The Bears defense has played very well lately, giving up less than 20 points in each of the last 4 games, and that doesn't bode well for a 49ers team that struggles to score. I think Chicago continues to play well today and they get to 6-6 at home with a win over San Fran, 24 - 13.
Denver -3.5
at San Diego
I think it's fair to call it, the Peyton Manning era in Denver is officially over. Osweiler beating the Patriots in the snow, something Manning has struggled to do, signaled that the Broncos feel more confident with Brock than with Peyton. Manning may play one more season, but it likely won't be at Mile High. The weather should be a little warmer in San Diego today, but I don't think that will really effect the outcome. With the Broncos defense, and San Diego's struggles on both sides of the ball, this looks like it should be Osweiler's 3rd straight win since Peyton went down. Give me the Broncos to win 27 - 20.
Kansas City -3
at Oakland
Kansas City is on a roll and at this point, I'm not going to bet against the Chiefs, even though I like Oakland. Kansas City has won 5 in a row, and Oakland got a win against Tennessee last week, but it wasn't easy. The real question for Kansas City though is how long are they going to be without Justin Houston, and is that injury going to cost them a game or two. As for this week, I think they still find a way to get it done in a close game in Oakland. Alex Smith doesn't make mistakes and I think even with their injuries Kansas City is the overall better team. Chiefs 17 Raiders 14.
Carolina -6.5
at New Orleans
The Panthers - Saints game originally scheduled at 1:00, was flexed to 4:25pm, thus the location on this chart. This game sees two teams headed in opposite directions. Carolina remains the only unbeaten team in the NFL, while the Saints just dropped to 4-7, with a loss against the Texans. The Brees/Payton era may be coming to a close in New Orleans, and while they're still not going to roll over in this game, Carolina is just the better football team. If Brees plays lights out, the Saints have a shot, but I think the Panthers defense and their ability to make big plays when they need them give them a clear edge. Carolina 34 New Orleans 24.
Philadelphia
at New England -8
I don't see New England losing this game for a number of reasons: it's at home; they're coming off a loss; the Pats get Amendola back; they still have Tom Brady; and they're playing an Eagles team that's just quite frankly not very good. Despite New England's injuries concerns, I believe in Tom Brady and Bill Belichick far more than I do Chip Kelly and Sam Bradford/Mark Sanchez. Give me the Patriots to win at home, 31 -17.
Indianapolis
at Pittsburgh -7.5
Hasselbeck did what he was supposed to do last week against the Bucs, and got the Colts to 6-5. He's undefeated as a starter this season, but I think that streak ends tonight in Pittsburgh. The Steelers badly need this win after losing a hard fought game in Seattle last week, and I think they'll get it at home. While fans were hoping for Luck vs Big Ben, this should still be an exciting game to watch. Pittsburgh is going to lean heavily on Deangelo Williams and Antonio Brown, while Indy will look to Moncrief and Hilton to help them keep pace in the AFC South. The Steelers win, but just barely. Pittsburgh 23 Indy 21.
Dallas
at Washington -4
Without Tony Romo, Dallas just ain't the same team. Washington on the other hand has been very very good at home this year. For all the jokes about how much of a dumpster fire Washington has been in recent years, their coach might have the best job security in the NFC East right now. I don't think this game's a blowout, but I do think Washington will make enough plays to get their team to 6-6 and remain in 1st place in the NFC East. Redskins 27 Cowboys 23.
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With Saturday taking a back seat to Sundays now that the college regular season is over, and the bowl season only a couple of weeks away, I think a lot of us are excited to enjoy the Holidays because the doldrums of January and February will be here soon. Cheers.
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