NFL Week 16

I went 9-7 on my picks last week, which is pretty terrible...although I did make one pick that I'm extremely proud of: Cowboys over Saints. Last night, I picked the Titans in a Christmas upset. How'd that work out for me?

Here are the rest of my picks for the 2nd to the last week of the regular season. I think I'll get no fewer than 11 correct:

Buffalo (5-9) at Atlanta (7-7): The Falcons got it done against the Jets last week, and I suspect they'll do the same this week, 20-13.

Kansas City (3-11) at Cincinnati (9-5): The Bengals have lost two in a row...but those two losses were to the Vikings and the Chargers. They gave San Diego a really good run last week...and I'm convinced the Bengals are the 3rd best team in the AFC. I like the Bengals at home against the miserable Chiefs, 27-9.

Oakland (5-9) at Cleveland (3-11): Although this game may sound like a terrible one, it's really not all that bad. Oakland deserves a lot of credit for finding a way to win 5 games- they have more quality wins than any below-.500 club...and more quality wins than many above-.500 teams as well. Cleveland has now won two straight games, a real feat for a team as bad as they are. I'm going to take the Browns, since the Raiders seem to beat good teams and lose to bad teams. Browns 27, Raiders 23.

Seattle (5-9) at Green Bay (9-5): The Seahawks have really had a forgettable year, culminating in a loss last week to the woeful Buccaneers. The Packers need a win to bounce back from their heartbreaking loss to the Steelers last week AND remain a game ahead of the Giants for the wild-card. I like the Pack at Lambeau, 34-17.

Houston (7-7) at Miami (7-7): Winner remains alive in the increasingly insane AFC playoff picture, loser can start making tee times for late January. Look for the fightin' Dolphins to run the ball effectively against the Texans and wear them down, 31-21.

Baltimore (8-6) at Pittsburgh (7-7): This is an excellent game. The Steelers showed a whole lot of heart last week in their dramatic last-second victory, and they kept their playoff hopes alive with that win. I think the Steelers win again this week at home, dealing the Ravens a crushing blow and clouding the playoff picture even more. Steelers 30, Ravens 28.

Carolina (6-8) at New York Giants (8-6): Carolina had an impressive win last week over the Vikings. While the Panthers looked good, I think the loss was more of a sign of the Vikings starting to falter. The Giants need this win at home, and I think they'll get it, 35-24.

Jacksonville (7-7) at New England (9-5): The Patriots have a chance to clinch the division at home with a victory- and I think they'll get it done, though it won't be easy. If the Jaguars run the football, they could make things very interesting. Let's say, Patriots win 23-17.

Tampa Bay (2-12) at New Orleans (13-1): The Saints, like the Vikings, have shown signs of floundering over the past three weeks. But the good news is, the Bucs are pretty bad. Bad enough so that Drew Brees should have a field day, and the Saints should win, 41-10.

St. Louis (1-13) at Arizona (9-5): The Cardinals are yet another team faltering in the NFC- so who's left? Packers? Eagles? Cowboys? GIANTS? But Arizona should have enough to beat the worst team in football, 33-13.

Detroit (2-12) at San Francisco (6-8): What a disappointing season for the 49ers, who began the season 2-0 and appeared poised to make it 3-0 against the Vikings. But Coach Singletary will get his team to play hard and try to get back to .500. They'll get to 7-8 tomorrow, beating the Lions 23-14.

Denver (8-6) at Philadelphia (10-4): The Broncos have unraveled since their bizarre 6-0 start, just as I figured they would. The Eagles are one of the hottest teams in football- and certainly they look better than any team in the NFC at present. Look for Philly to keep rolling, 32-20.

New York Jets (7-7) at Indianapolis (14-0): My Jets blew a great opportunity last weekend against Atlanta to gain an important bump in the wild-card standings. They're living proof that you need a viable QB to win in this league...and it's so frustrating, because they really are just one player short of a very solid ball club. Indy is the complete team...and I think Peyton Manning wants very badly to show up Tom Brady and make his undefeated run last through the Super Bowl. For the record, I don't think the Colts are going to do it. But I also don't think they'll lose this week. Colts win, 24-12.

Dallas (9-5) at Washington (4-10): I used to pity Jim Zorn a bit...but last week's decision to use that trick play before halftime after they had already lined up in that formation once already erased any of that pity. The 'Skins are embarrassing, and the Cowboys appear to be poised to go on a run after a very impressive win over the Saints. Dallas wins, 30-14.

Minnesota (11-3) at Chicago (5-9): This is a very dangerous game for the Vikings...but it's also an opportunity for them to stop the bleeding and prove that they are still a Super Bowl contender, if no longer a favorite. The Bears should play them tough at home...but not tough enough. Vikings 27, Bears 24.