Wednesday, November 24, 2010

NFL Preview Week 12

Aloha... when you think of Thanksgiving, you generally think of NFL football... but with the college football season coming to a climax this weekend... could the NFL be underrated somehow?... Anyway... let's get it... Winners in bold...
  • Patriots @ Lions - Thursday - 12:30 - The Lions are feisty at home... let's get that out of the way... but I'm as high as anyone can be on the Pats, and Detroit can't run the ball (at all) putting a ton of pressure on Shaun Hill, who definitely isn't Matthew Stafford... seems like a recipe for a comfortable Pats win...
  • Saints @ Cowboys - Thursday - 4:00 - The Cowboys resurgence has been a little overstated, but they are certainly playing better... on the other hand, I think NO is getting in gear, they could/should have at least one of Bush/Thomas back this week, and basically, there's no way I can pick Kitna and that running game against the Saints... done... and just a note... check out the love for the Salvation Army on the Cowboys thanksgiving halftime... do it for me...
  • Bengals @ Jets - Thursday - 8:15 - Cincy stinks... and now they have to go against a real, live defense? And TO is talking trash about Revis?... This could get ugly... Cincy's only hope is "bad" Sanchez appearing, and even then, I think the Jets will run the ball very effectively here...
  • Packers @ Falcons - Sunday - 1:00 - Game of the week... If this game was played anywhere but the Georgia Dome, I'd pick GB but I'll take the Falcons (with no conviction)... Matt Ryan is playing the best football of his career, but this is a major test against an elite defense.... The real x-factor in this game will be whether ATL can slow Rodgers down... the run defense has been very, very good (led by Babineaux who looks like a pro bowler), but the Falcons can be thrown on, and with Driver back and playing, Jennings getting right, and depth everywhere, GB can wing it...
  • Steelers @ Bills - Sunday - 1:00 - Tough spot for the Bills here... their offense is looking better every week and they may have found legit starters in Fred Jackson and Steve Johnson... that being said, Pittsburgh is a different animal than Detroit and Cincy... Mendenhall should go nuts against that putrid Buffalo run D, and Pittsburgh gets healthy here... but hey... The Bills won 2 in a row..
  • Vikings @ Redskins - Sunday - 1:00 - I can't think of a single reason why Leslie Frazier would start Brett Favre here... he's been an unmitigated disaster, and won't be back next year... to the point where it's pretty much accepted that Tarvaris would actually be BETTER right now... anyway... Washington looked good against the Titans last week, the defense especially, and I think they can score on Minny...
  • Jags @ Giants- Sunday - 1:00 - If the season ended today... Jacksonville would win the AFC South... read that sentence again... anyway, that ends here... The Giants should be able to stack the box on MJD, grind them down with Bradshaw (yes, I know Jacobs is starting... but unless Coughlin is nuts, he'll remember that Jacobs isn't any good), and win this one going away...
  • Chiefs @ Seahawks - Sunday - 4:00 - The Chiefs are a different (worse) team on the road... the Seahawks are a different (better) team at home... seems simple enough? Hasselbeck is playing quite well right now, and Cassel is due for a clunker as well... KC's only shot is getting Charles/Jones off against that banged up Seahawks front 7...
  • Eagles @ Bears - Sunday - 4:00 - I continue to be un-sold on the Bears... and I think the Eagles are very, very good... in an "off" game for Vick on Sunday night, he was still quite good and had a TD dropped by Avant (who doesn't drop passes)... and the Bears defense is legitimately good, but I still don't trust Cutler against a good defense...
  • Bucs @ Ravens - Sunday - 4:00 - I was wrong about Tampa... Josh Freeman is good... done and done... but Baltimore on the road isn't the place to plant that flag... I still don't think the Bucs are more than a 9 win team, and Baltimore is just better...
  • Rams @ Broncos - Sunday - 4:00 - Interesting game here... I think the Rams are feisty, but going on the road to Mile-high is never easy... This could be a bit of a shootout, and honestly, I'm flipping a coin and picking the home team... but man, there are some young QBs I like right now... Ryan, Bradford, Freeman, Flacco... even Colt McCoy showing some life... crazy
  • Chargers @ Colts - Sunday - 8:00 - Tough game to pick... Rivers continues to be fantastic and gets his #1 toy back in Vincent Jackson this year... but against Indy, you need to run the ball right at them, and I'm not sure they can... on the other side, Peyton Manning playing at home, at night... Watch out for Jacob Tamme... SD is always brutally bad against the tight end...
  • 49ers @ Cards - Monday - 8:20 - What an awful football game... anyway, I don't think I'd pick AZ over anyone in the league not named "Carolina", so there's that... and I do think Troy Smith is a reasonable QB... whoever sucks least wins...

THE PICKS! (35-30-2 pending CFB)

  • Niners -1 over Arizona - I think Arizona stinks... out loud... and Troy Smith is semi-competent...
  • Philly -3 over Chicago - I'll bet against Chicago until the cows come home... especially against that Eagles team...
  • Patriots -6 over Lions - It's an absolute myth that Detroit and Dallas "play better on Thanksgiving" (check out the numbers)... and without Stafford or a running game?...

Enjoy it...

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