After picking 8 winners out of 14 games played last weekend, my season prediction record stands at 101 correct and 59 wrong. Here are the week 12 picks, starting with 3 very interesting Thanksgiving Day games:
Green Bay at Detroit – the Lions usually treat this game like it’s their Super Bowl, and have righted themselves after a brief slump. I believe they will shock the football world and upset the Packers.
Miami at Dallas – the Dolphins are riding high with 3 straight wins, and should stay competitive, but the Cowboys are the better team and won’t blow an opportunity to stay on top of the NFC East. Dallas wins at home.
San Francisco at Baltimore – the battle of the Harbaugh brothers should be a real slugfest. John’s Ravens have one of the NFL’s toughest defenses, but Jim’s 49ers have quietly played some stingy D all year also in compiling a 9-1 record. The Ravens have been terribly inconsistent all year, but I think their experience edge over the young Niners will carry them to the win.
Buffalo at New York Jets – the playoff hopes of the loser of this game will be effectively over. The Jets have not been the world-beaters they proclaimed themselves, but they have the Bills’ number lately, and Buffalo is in the midst of an epic collapse that they appear to not know how to get out of. The Jets win easily.
Minnesota at Atlanta – this should be a one-sided win for the Falcons on their home field, especially if Adrian Peterson is still hobbled from an injury suffered last week.
Carolina at Indianapolis – Cam Newton’s play has leveled off since early in the year, and I believe the Colts need to put it together and win a game to placate their disappointed fan base. The Colts win their first game of the year in a high-scoring game.
Houston at Jacksonville – Matt Leinart, a high draft pick bust in Arizona, gets an opportunity to revive his career as he takes over at QB for the Texans in place of the injured Matt Schaub. The Texans will win this game because of the play of their defense, which will stymie the Jaguars as Leinart finds his way.
Cleveland at Cincinnati – the Bengals have been sent back to Earth after consecutive losses to the Steelers and Ravens, but they still have a shot at the playoffs and are a much better team than the Browns, and will win on their home field.
Arizona at St. Louis – two teams playing out the string, and a very tough game to handicap since both are inconsistent. I’ll go with the Rams at home.
Tampa Bay at Tennessee – this has been a disappointing season for the Bucs, who especially haven’t done well on the road. The Titans keep their playoff hopes alive with a big win.
Washington at Seattle – the Seahawks are coming off a win, while the Redskins lost an overtime heartbreaker to Dallas. While the ‘Skins are still playing hard, they don’t have the horses to win this game. Seattle wins handily.
Chicago at Oakland – this is a game with serious playoff implications for both teams. The Bears’ defense will be the difference as they control the Raider offense and nail down a hard-fought low scoring game.
New England at Philadelphia – the Patriots, as they always do, are peaking at the right time. They’ll win this game to put the final nail in the coffin of the Eagles’ playoff hopes.
Denver at San Diego – the Tebow magic ends here. The Chargers are too good of a team to continue playing the sloppy football they’ve played this year, and they’ll put together a solid effort and win.
Pittsburgh at Kansas City – the Steeler defense against Chief QB Tyler Palko is a complete mismatch. Pittsburgh wins handily.
New York Giants at New Orleans – if the Giants can win at New England, they can win here. The Saints are considered a Super Bowl contender, but their defense can’t stand up to the physical Giants’ running game. I’ll pick New York to win and stay tied for their division lead.