NFL Week 13

TEN @ DET: TEN (DET is struggling so much, and just when it seems they might be able to start putting things together, more things fall apart. I don't think they'll have the ignominy of being the only team to go 0-16, but this won't be the game to reverse their fortunes. Collins is still doing very well, and if his receivers can catch the ball, TEN should be able to deliver on both the pass and the run. 27-12)

SEA @ DAL: DAL (Two quarterbacks back in action for the third game after injuries, and Romo looks pretty good, while Hasselback is still struggling. What with the passing game and a decent run defense, DAL should dominate. 33-21)

ARI @ PHI: ARI (Frankly, right now Philadelphia is probably going to be more hostile towards their home team than the other team. If McNabb isn't stellar, he is going fighting down the resounding chorus of boos. That kind of strips away the benefit of home field advantage. PHI seems to be crumbling, and at the moment, I don't see any reason to believe that the crumbling will stop. McNabb seems to be on his way out, and a big rebuilding process looms in the horizon. On the other hand, ARI--while coming off a loss--is a team that is all together and performing well. The only problem will a west team going east, which so far has spelled doom. We'll probably see a first half controlled moderately well by PHI, but ARI will probably come alive in the second half and win not just the game, but their division. 24-23)

SF @ BUF: BUF (Hopefully Edwards has rediscovered confidence, especially after a high-scoring thumping of KC. SF is doing all right, but they have a number of factors against them. Their season is essentially over, while BUF is still fighting for a playoff berth, and they are a west team coming east. While I think ARI will overcome that, I don't think SF will. 32-19)

BAL @ CIN: BAL (A top notch defense against the league's worst offense should at least keep this a low scoring game for CIN. Flacco is doing well, still, and I expect that he'll keep the race alive atop the AFC North. 24-9)

CAR @ GB: GB (It wasn't until the second-half, as NO started to open the divide between the two teams, that GB progressed from workman-like to forced to struggling. Against the league's highest powered offense, GB stood toe to toe until one mistake really turned the game against them. Both teams, though, have fluctuated with lopsided victories and losses. However, CAR in the last three games has lost big, and then played very close games, very sloppy games, against two of the league's worst teams. In GB's last three games, they lost big to NO, thumped CHI, and very nearly beat MIN. I think they have the edge this game. 30-27)

NYG @ WAS: NYG (NYG is steamrolling at the moment, and WAS has just started to get their feet back under them. However, they are at home, and this game is by far more important to them than to NYG. If WAS wins, then they'll have only split their games head-to-head, not devastating by any means, and NYG will maintain a 2 game lead in any case. Normally this would lead me to lean towards WAS, but NYG's defense is still playing strong. They won a high-scoring match against ARI, squashed BAL, and won a shoot-out against PHI. WAS has lost against DAL, lost against PHI, and only picked up a win against hapless SEA. It will take some serious effort on their part to win, and I don't think we'll see it. 24-20)

NO @ TB: TB (While NO is great at racking up the yards, they don't do well on the road. Moreover, TB has a top-rated pass defense, which means that Drew Brees might struggle. NO is predominantly a passing team, and it will be interesting to see if TB can truly ruin the passing game. Either way, it will be tough. If it comes down to a shootout, TB will still probably eek out a win, but it will probably be TB in the lead the whole time, though never comfortably. 27-24)

IND @ CLE: IND (Manning seems to be back in rhythm, while CLE has to go on without their star rookie QB, as Quinn has a broken finger. We'll probably see more of a running game, but IND should keep the game well in hand. 27-16)

MIA @ STL: MIA (MIA has been doing fairly well this season, though their record might make them seem slightly better than they are. But while STL has won a pair of interesting games, they've done nothing since, dropping five straight. In the past three games, they've averaged barely more than a touchdown a game. MIA should be able to run all over STL. 27-13)

ATL @ SD: ATL (I think that what we'll see is a game predominantly controlled by ATL's running game, assisted by a passing game that should do well against SD's last-place pass defense. While Rivers will probably be able to keep it close, ATL should be able to punch it home with their running duo. 31-21)

KC @ OAK: KC (While OAK managed to run up the score on DEN, KC has been more consistent in their play of late. They've managed to score points and play some good games in their recent losses. Even the blowout against BUF shouldn't be that demoralizing considering KC scored 31 points. KC should be able to move the ball against OAK and score. OAK, on the other hand, is struggling, even with their victory over DEN. In their four prior games, they barely managed to meet that total they scored against DEN. In this case, the more consistent play should win. 28-13)

PIT @ NE: PIT (This will be NE's first big challenge to their offense, and it is quite possible PIT will shut them down. Expect this one to be close. 20-17)

DEN @ NYJ: DEN (And only because I feel obligated to pick DEN. NYJ looks to have this well in hand, with a power offense that has taken on beaten down the league's last undefeated team. DEN looks sloppier and sloppier, though that in part is due to injuries. The hope will be that Cutler will be able to throw the ball sufficiently to keep the game a tight race, and that DEN will come through at the end with a last-second field goal. 34-31)

CHI @ MIN: MIN (In CHI's last four game, two have been losses, and the two wins were against teams that currently have two wins between them. When CHI and MIN last met, it was a 48-41 shootout, and it will probably seem that way at first. MIN will probably take control of the game late in the third and never look back. 30-21)

JAC @ HOU: HOU (HOU played it close last time, and for their record they're doing fairly well. JAC, on the other hand, is really struggling. Isn't about time that HOU didn't end up at the bottom of their division? Well, if they win this one, they'll have at least one week not there. 23-20)

Confidence: 10-6

Week 12: 13-3
Week 11: 13-3
Week 10: 11-3
Week 9: 8-6
Week 8: 8-6
Week 7: 6-8
Week 6: 8-6
Week 5: 9-5
Week 4: 7-6
Week 3: 12-4