The NFL playoffs have arrived and the first round offers some thrillers for the Wild Card weekend. Many of these match ups could go either way. Most of the regular season was a crap shoot week to week. Many headscratchers leaving many people without any hair.

Maybe your girl lost her hair watching yourself rip it out in chunks. That is the way the NFL wants Any Given Sunday that anybody can beat you, me, and the moose. No Kansas City Chiefs. No Baltimore Ravens. Three teams come into post-season red hot. Can the Eagles defend their title from last season? The league has their oldest rivalry going at it. Everything shapes up like it will be a barn burner every game. I will throw my darts pick out of the hat or maybe pick the better helmet out of each match up. I’ll pick each winner out of each match up. Not promising you I will do a great job. You do not know if I’m drunk right now. I will roll out the Wild Card picks in the first 6 post-season games of the tournament. Grab the big canister of cheese balls at Menard’s and enjoy!!

ROUND 1 NFL PLAYOFFS

NFL WILD CARD WEEKEND

SATURDAY GAMES

NFC

#5.LA RAMS (12-5) AT #4.CAROLINA PANTHERS (8-9)

REGULAR SEASON HEAD TO HEAD: Panthers beat the Rams in week 13, 31-28

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Panthers (1-0) Rams

The Panthers ended the Rams’ greatest show on turf dynasty back in 2003-04 in the NFC divisional round.

The cool thing for the Carolina Panthers is their quarterback Bryce Young will get his first taste of playoff action. Which could be a learning experience because I don’t think Carolina will win this game. The Panthers backed into post-season as they lost their last two games which included a week 18 match up versus the Buccaneers. They needed help from the Falcons to get into the doggie door of the post-season tournament. The Panthers running game has vanished their last two games. In the first match up, Matthew Stafford threw three interceptions. I don’t see that happening this go around. Sean McVay will be well prepared for this rematch. The Rams will be getting Davante Adams back on the field who has been out with a hamstring injury since week 15. I feel the Rams defense could force Young into some stupid throws. Stafford is 5-5 post-season all-time as the Panthers become another notch on his MVP season. The Panther by far are the worst team in this post-season, and they even come in with a losing record. The playoff experience the Rams have coming into this game makes this a very easy pick.

OUR PICK: RAMS

NFC

#7.GREEN BAY PACKERS (9-8) AT #2.CHICAGO BEARS (11-6)

REGULAR SEASON HEAD TO HEAD: Split the two game series

December 20th Bears won in OT 22-16 over the Packers in Chicago.

December 7th Packers beat the Bears 28-21 at their place

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Split the two post-season meetings

1941 Western Division playoff game, Bears won at Wrigley Field 33-14

2010 NFC Championship, Packers won 21-14

The last time Jordan Love was on the field was the December 20th game versus the Bears when he was knocked out of that contest. He has been out with a concussion ever since and will suit up and play this one. These two teams already played each other twice in the month of December. It’s the NFL’s oldest rivalry. I could see some more head hunting in this match up by both teams because they already have some bad blood that happen in the last two games. The Packers come into the playoffs losing the last 4 games. Last week they rested their guys as they were locked in at the number 7 seed. The Bears were playing for the number two seed. They have lost two straight coming into this game. If the Commanders did not beat the Eagles, this match up would not be happening this round. The Packers have the playoff experience over this Bears team. Ben Johnson has been involved in the playoffs with the Lions as the offensive coordinator. Can Caleb Williams get off to a fast start? The Bears’ slow starts coming from behind in the 4th quarter is much more difficult to do in the post-season. The Bears won that OT game with a lucky on side kick they recovered to send that one into overtime. In both games the Bears running game had the Packers defense on the ropes gasping for air trying to stop Chicago’s two-headed monster they have at the running back position. How will Love respond coming back against the team that knocked him into tomorrow land? That is the biggest question in a match up that can go either way. The Bears defense worries me. If they do not get takeaways they really are not stopping teams. The history of this rivalry does not favor Chicago. I think the Bears will not be the big cheese in this game.

OUR PICK: PACKERS

THE SUNDAY TILT

AFC

#6.BUFFALO BILLS (12-5) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (13-3)

REGULAR SEASON HEAD TO HEAD: Did not play each other.

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Jaguars (2-0) Bills

1996 Wild card game Jaguars 30-27 Bills

2017 Wild Card game Jaguars 10-3 Bills

This may not be a great match up for the Buffalo Bills in this first round. The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the league’s hottest teams coming into the post-season as they have won 8 straight games. The Bills closed out Rich Stadium in the last regular season there as they are moving to a new stadium next year. The Bills handled the Jets and rested many of their starters who have been banged up. This game features the top run defense in the game the Jaguars have. The Bills offense features James Cook who won the NFL rushing title. Here are some of the important facts we have. The Bills head coach Sean McDermott has a 0-5 record on the road in post-season which included a loss in 2017. The Bills did not have Josh Allen that game as he was drafted in 2018. With McDermott 0-5 on the road, that means Allen has a 0-4 record on the road. However Allen is 2-1 in regular season vs Trevor Lawrence, the Surf Nazi who Must Die in this match up.

Allen has won at least 1 playoff game in the last 5 consecutive seasons the Bills have made it to the post-season. The Bills defense on the road give up 33.5 points per game. While at home it’s a different story with 19.8 points per game. The Jaguars could exploit the Bills run defense which has been very leaky this season. The Jags have the history behind them 2-0 all-time versus Bills in playoffs. However history can change as the Bills have much more playoff experience than the Jaguars. I expect Josh Allen to put on his Superman cape, notch his first playoff win on the road, and really change the dynamic of the post-season in the Bills’ favor. No Chiefs in the post-season. I like that it’s the last season for former Jaguar, Gabe Davis, to have his moment. Big Game Gabe will get a touchdown in this one.

OUR PICK: BIILS

NFC

#6.SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (12-5) AT #3.PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-6)

REGULAR SEASON HEAD TO HEAD: Did not play each other this regular season

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Split between both teams in two games

1996 Wild Card game 49ers 14-0 Eagles

2023 NFC Championship Eagles 31-7 49ers

The Eagles are the defending champions from last season and are ready for their first title defense with the 49ers coming to play in cold weather. The interesting match up here is the 49ers offensive mastermind of Kyle Shanahan vs the defensive guru of Vic Fangio of the Eagles. Both teams coming off losses last week. The Eagles had a chance for the number two seed and lost to the Commanders. The Eagles rested their starting quarterback Jalen Hurts. The 49ers had a chance at the NFC West title which the number 1 seed came along with it with Seattle. The Seahawks defense held the 49ers to 3 points in that loss. The 49ers are dealing with multiple injuries which seems like always the case. Brock Purdy will play but suffered a shoulder stinger and hurt his thumb in that loss to Seattle. The Eagles defense will be a problem for the 49ers. Purdy is 4-2 all-time in post-season. Hurts has a 6-3 record all-time. I think the Eagles will be able to get productive yardage from their star running back Saquon Barkley as Seattle gashed the 49ers for multiple big chunks of yardage. I think the Eagles can generate more points on the 49ers defense than San Francisco’s offense on that stout Philly defense which is the key to this Wild Card game. This game will be a low scoring affair. In the end the Eagles’ first title defense is successful in Philadelphia. The 49ers looked like they could have had the number one seed the way they were playing. Those injuries mean that defense will not cut the mustard against this Eagles team.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

AFC

#7.LA CHARGERS (11-6) AT #2.NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (14-3)

REGULAR SEASON HEAD TO HEAD: Did not play each other this season.

PLAYOFF HISTORY: Patriots 3-1 Chargers All-time

1961 AFL Championship, Chargers 51-10 Patriots

2007 AFC Divisional, Patriots 24-21 Chargers

2008 AFC Championship, Patriots 21-12 Chargers

2019 AFC Divisional, Patriots 41-28 Chargers

This is an interesting game to pick from with two solid coaches going against each other. Mike Vrabel for the Patriots who has them winning the AFC East snapping the Bills run of the last 5 seasons. They have the number two seed. Then Jim Harbaugh’s second season with the Chargers he has them in the post-season in back to back years. Harbaugh’s first NFL coahing job he took the 49ers all the way to the Superbowl. Vrabel’s first NFL head coaching gig his Titans derailed the team he used to play and head coach for, which was Bill Belichick and the Patriots in 2020. Vrabel has a 3-5 record as head coach in the post-season. While Harbaugh has a 5-4 record as a head coach in the post-season. This is Drake Maye’s first ever post-season start. Justin Herbert is looking for his first playoff win in his career. Is the 3rd time the charm for Herbert? Can the Chargers protect Herbert as their line could be a weakness for the Patriots to exploit? The Chargers defense is very good against the pass. Will the Patriot missiles in the aerial attack turn into scuds?

How will the Chargers do in cold weather? Along with a long flight from the West coast to the East? The Patriots are coming into the post-season winning three in a row and has a chance for the number one seed but Denver won. The Broncos beat the Chargers who took a knee in this game and rested players including Herbert who fractured his hand in week 17. The Chargers could have played for a higher seed in the AFC brackets. Instead they dropped to a seven. Is this what Harbaugh really wanted in this first match up in the AFC? The Patriots had most of this season played a easy schedule. They were perfect on the road, but their 3 losses come at home. Harbaugh may look like a mad genius here. I like the Chargers defense. I think the Chargers offense can get enough points to pull this out on the road and give the AFC conference another shocker in the wild card round.

OUR PICK:CHARGERS

MONDAY NIGHT

AFC

#5.HOUSTON TEXANS (11-5) AT #4.PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-7)

REGULAR SEASON HEAD TO HEAD: Did not play each other this season.

PLAYOFF HISTORY: First ever playoff game between the two teams.

Will Anderson Jr. along with Danielle Hunter means Aaron Rodgers is a dead duck. The Texans can kill the quarterback.

The Texans defense is one of the best or the best unit in the post-season. It took a wide right field goal by the Ravens kicker to get the Steelers the AFC North title and into the dance. The Ravens are another team that comes into the post-season red hot winning 9 straight games. The Steelers have lost six straight playoff games as they have been one and done is their pattern. The difference is Aaron Rodgers is why the Steelers signed him. All the playoff experience. He is 12-10 all-time in the post-season. This may be his last moment in the post-season. If he goes out with a whimper, he will run and hide before coming out of the darkness retreat & hanging up the spikes. The Texans CJ Stroud has a 2-2 record in the post-season. He’s done well in the wild card round. Can the Steelers line protect the old man from being knocked into tomorrow land?

The Steelers will get back Rodgers’ number one receiver DK Metcalf who was suspended two games for punching the fan in Detroit. The Steelers are the fastest team at getting rid of the ball at 2.62 seconds which will keep Rodgers in one piece. I like the Steelers offense being able to get the points they need. The Steelers defense will find ways to get Stroud and that offense to turn over the ball. The Steelers luck continues as they outlast the Texans in the cold in a close one. In like a 21-20 nail biter.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (10-6)

Last week the Lions, Rams, and the Buccaneers laid a turd out there on the field costing me half my losses. Seeing the Ravens come to life in Green Bay was impressive but a loss. The Ravens should start Tyler Huntley this weekend and have him just hand the ball off to King Derrick Henry instead of trying Lamar Jackson. A guy who many by now should be soured on. Josh Allen should have converted the 2 point conversion on the Eagles & then I would have won that match up.

SEASON RECORD:(166-90)

NFL WEEK 18 STRAIGHT PICK-EM

Which villain in the final week of the NFL regular season will cause the most havoc? Will their plots be spoiled by the good? We will trot out the GOOD, BAD AND UGLY for week 18……..

SATURDAY GAMES

CAROLINA PANTHERS (8-8) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (7-9)

This game is for the dreaded NFC South title. I think most people would rather see the Saints or the Falcons represent this division in the post-season than either of these teams. The Buccaneers have lost 7 out of 8 games. They lost to a bad Dolphins team last week. They lost to this Panthers team two weeks ago. The Panthers have been very good at winning games after coming off a loss. They lost to Seattle last week but hung in there for most of the game until the Seahawks put them away in the second half. Can Baker Mayfield pull out one of those gutty performances and put on the cape? The Buccaneers have more experience in these games. Bryce Young will be facing a blitz at him which will include everything including the kitchen sink. I think Young will falter with the game pressure and the blitz, especially if the Buccaneers stop the running game. I have to bet on Baker coming up big here & then finding a way to knock off a team in the wild card round after this weekend.

OUR PICK:BUCCANEERS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (13-3) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (12-4)

This game has a lot riding on it. The winner will get the number 1 seed in the NFC and a first round bye along with the NFC West title. Sam Darnold a few seasons back was the back up for the 49ers starting QB Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy. This game reminds you of the Legion of Boom defense Seattle used to back when these two teams would mix it up being the two superior teams back then in the NFC and in present times. I have to give Seattle the nod at having the better defense. Purdy won a shootout versus Caleb Williams and the Bears last week as the 49ers defense did not look very good. The 49ers have the better offense even though Seattle can score. Seattle is not far off from the 49ers scoring machine. If Darnold has a bad game, I like the 49ers in this one. Let’s remember the Seahawks came close to beating the Rams the first time this season with a 4 interception day from Darnold. I like great defense over great offense as on any day. Seattle will hold on to the number 1 seed with a huge win on the road to get the bye for next week.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

THE SUNDAY TILT

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (6-10) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (7-9)

For the Saints, is this the last time we see aging players like Taysom Hill, Demario Davis and the great Cameron Jordan suiting up for New Orleans? The Saints have marched to their 4th straight victory while the Falcons are flying high winning their 3rd in a row. The Falcons shocked the Rams on Monday night. The Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Slough has been impressive 3 straight games with at least 250 passing yards and zero interceptions. Slough will have to play this one without his number 1 guy, wide receiver Chris Olave, who has a blood clot in his lung. Kirk Cousins is playing better. The Falcons have Drake London getting back to his old self who has a few games in from his injury that sidelined him for weeks. I’d like to see the Saints win this one. This game could go as a coin flip. My gut is telling me Atlanta as Cousins has the big game, delivers the decisive blow, and ends the Saints winning streak.

OUR PICK: FALCONS

TENNESSEE TITANS (3-13) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (12-4)

Game show question involving Jaguars quarterbacks for 100 dollars. You would think a guy like Trevor Lawrence will have a very easy time rewriting all the Jaguars QB records. Sometimes we find some unique ones. Lawrence has accounted for 35 touchdowns this season. He has thrown 26 and rushed for 9 scores. He needs two more whatever combo he chooses to tie the Jaguars legendary Blake Bortles, who set the franchise record of 37 back in 2015. The Titans have been playing much better down the stretch as Cam Ward is starting to look like a keeper. The Jaguars need a win to win the AFC South. If they do not win, they need Houston to lose to the Colts. The Jaguars have won 7 straight games. They have won the last three meetings against the Titans. This is a division rivalry as both teams dislike each other. It will be close until the Jags pull away in the second half. Lawrence and that Jags offense have been lighting up the scoreboard and I don’t think the Titans will be able to match the score at this time.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-8) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (11-5)

This match up has both these teams going into different directions. The Texans have won 8 straight game and need to win this with a Jaguars loss, then they would win the AFC South. If the Texans can accomplish the division title, it would be their 3rd straight. The Colts have imploded losing six straight games in the second half after starting off 8-2. Indiana’s Daniel Jones got hurt. The Colts brought back Phillip Rivers out of retirement and he could not save their season losing all 3 of his starts. The Colts will give their rookie QB his first ever start in the NFL. Riley Leonard, a 6th round draft pick from Duke and Notre Dame, has played in 4 games this season. He has not really done well completing only 54.5% of his passes while tallying up 145 passing yards with two interceptions. The Texans defense is dangerous. Especially for rookie QB’s. I think the Texans will be quick and painless as Houston will put down the Colts like a horse heading to the glue factory after a long race while being a long shot having problems getting out of the gates.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

DALLAS COWBOYS (7-8-1) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (3-13)

This game does not mean much for either team. The Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka got his first NFL win last week versus a bad Raiders team. The Cowboys with a win would not finish the season with a losing record. A Cowboys win would also give them a 5-1 record in their own division. The Giants will be playing all their starters to give the Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart ending his rookie season on a high note. The Cowboys QB Dak Prescott has something to play for. Coming in he leads the NFL in passing yards. No Dallas QB has ever finished leading the league in passing yardage as Prescott would like to be the first. I can’t see Dart matching Prescott here in scores. Should be a close one. In the end, the Boys get the W.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-12) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-10)

The Battle of Ohio subplot has the single season sack record on the line. Myles Garrett tied TJ Watt’s and Michael Strahan’s record at 22 sacks but has not been able to get that final notch to be the king of the season. Joe Burrow is one of the guys along with Lamar Jackson Garrett who has sacked the most in his career. I like Garrett getting the record with his 23rd sack on Burrow. Both teams are coming off victories last week. I like the Bengals getting the victory as Burrow will get the last laugh in a big day over the Browns defense to win the battle of Ohio which does not really mean much these days.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

GREEN BAY PACKERS (9-7) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (8-8)

The Packers have already locked up the number 7 seed in the post season. This last game does not mean anything for them as they can’t move up and better themselves with a win. A Vikings win would give them a winning record for the season. Former Houston University and Arizona Cardinals draft pick Clayton Tune will get his second career start. He’s a QB that has not been tuned in so far in his career. In 14 games with one start which he lost, he is only completing 55.65 of his passes. He has tallied up only 78 passing yards and has thrown 3 interceptions. JJ McCarthy will start at QB for the Vikings. His number one wide receiver Justin Jefferson is 53 yards shy of 1,000 receiving yards. The Packers will rest many of their starters. The Vikings defense will play the great Clayton Tune that will turn into a folk song somewhere on the ice in Minnesota waters while ice fishing.

OUR PICK: VIKINGS

DETROIT LIONS (8-8) AT CHICAGO BEARS (11-5)

How would you like to be a Lions fan right now? The Lions have lost three straight games and will not be making it to the post-season. Your division rival poached your talented offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and now he has the Bears in post-season and with a chance to get the two seed in the NFC. In week 2 the Lions blew the doors off the Bears defense in 52-21 massacre. Last week Detroit laid a turd on the field as Jared Goff had his worst game as a Lion. The Lions lost to a rookie quarterback making his second start versus the Vikings. The Bears hung with one of the cream of the crop teams in the NFC, the 49ers. Johnson has created the best QB in Bears history as Caleb Williams needs 270 passing yards to be the first Bears QB to ever reach 4,000 passing yards. The Lions are dead in the water thinking about their off-season plans. Playing outside with the Bears will not help get them tuned into this game. Johnson will execute a nice game plan for his team to win this one, and I think the Bears will feast off Goff as his turnover problem will linger into this contest.

OUR PICK BEARS

ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-13) AT LA RAMS (11-5)

The Rams are playing their starters in this one. They are playing for seeding. If they win week 18 with help from Seattle beating the 49ers, they would get the 5th seed. If Rams lose and the 49ers lose versus Seattle, then they would get the 6th seed. The Rams have lost two straight games. Most of the season everyone was talking about Matthew Stafford as MVP. He laid an egg on Monday night versus the Falcons throwing three interceptions. The Rams want to get the bad taste out of their mouths and go into the post-season on a high note. The Cards will help with that as they have lost 8 straight games. They have no division wins this season. The Cards defense has been horrible. They will play the role being that girl that helps men after break ups. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am.

OUR PICK: RAMS

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-10) AT (2-14) LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Raiders vs Chiefs is one of the best rivalries in the NFL. Coming into this one both teams combined have lost their last 15 games. This could be Travis Swift’s last game as a Chief. This could be the last game of his NFL career. Can you imagine no more Taylor Swift sightings? No more bone-headed responses in interviews by the Meathead Kelce. The silver and black fans can have a week without watching Geno Smith as their quarterback. The Raiders will give Kenny Pickett playing time as he was 0-1 in the only start he had this season. However, they get back their 3rd year guy Aidan O’Connell who has been out most of the year with a wrist injury. He will get playing time and could be the X-factor in this match up. O’Connell has a 7-10 career record in two seasons as starter in the NFL. The Chiefs without Patrick Mahomes will roll with Chris Oladokun who lost his only start of his career vs Denver last week as he tallied up only 66 passing yards in that one. The Chiefs should just let the Raiders win to knock them out of the running for the number one draft pick while improving their own draft status. This game will be an ugly one. The Chiefs in their last 4 games had had either 1 touchdown or zero touchdowns. I like the Raiders in this one especially O’Connell showing me he is the best available QB still standing on both teams. COYOTE UGLY SPECIAL!!!

OUR PICK: RAIDERS

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-12) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (11-5)

The Eagles gave the Commanders a beat down two weeks ago.

I suspect we will see another beat down here. The Eagles have something to play for. They need a win and a Bears loss to take the number two seed in the NFC. However the Eagles will be resting some of their guys like their quarterback Jalen Hurts. The Commanders will be without 11 projected starters in this one as veteran Josh Johnson will get another start behind center for Washington. He has only 1 career win in the NFL which goes way back to the 2018 season where he suited up at that time for the Washington Redskins. The Eagles will give 25 year old Tanner McKee his second start in his NFL career. He was drafted by the Eagles in the 6th round from Stanford back in 2023. In 5 games so far in his NFL career, he has completed 68.8% of his passes and thrown 4 touchdown passes with no interceptions. He won his first career start in the NFL and should have no problem against a bad defense Washington has. Maybe this one will not be a beatdown. The result will end up in a Eagles win.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

LA CHARGERS (11-5) AT DENVER BRONCOS (13-3)

The Chargers don’t care about this game versus the Broncos. That’s why they will start Trey Lance in this one and rest Justin Herbert who has been dealing with an ongoing wrist injury. The Chargers have a wild card and don’t care if they drop in the seedings. They want to do their best to be healthy in the post-season whoever they face. The Broncos have something to play for. A win means they will clinch the number one seed in the AFC Conference. Lance, the former North Dakota State Bison, has 5 NFL starts and has won two of them. He has completed 56.4% of his passes while throwing 5 touchdown passes to 4 interceptions in 15 total games. The Broncos got a kneel down last year versus the Chiefs in the last week to win the game that got them in the post-season. They will get another easy kneel down game from the Chargers that will give them the top seed in the tournament.

OUR PICK: BRONCOS

MIAMI DOLPHINS (7-9) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (13-3)

The Patriots are beating up women and their opponents this season. Two Patriots that may be charged with a felony starting with wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who beat up his chef and did not pay the bill for her cooking. Then defensive lineman Christian Barmore beating up his girlfriend which is the first time this happened. The Evil Empire is going down the same road as the last dynasty. The visiting Dolphins will probably turn into freeze pops playing in the cold here. Quinn Ewers was impressive for the Dolphins last week vs the Buccaneers in his second career start as he is 14-22 for 172 passing yards and threw two touchdown passes. The Patriots do have a shot in a way at the number 1 seed. The Chargers are giving the Broncos the grand prize pretty much laying down in that game. I think the Cons will prevail over the Dolphins in this one. Miami will make it interesting, but will eventually think about getting back to the palm trees in Florida as the cold will doom them once again.

OUR PICK: PATRIOTS

NEW YORK JETS (3-13) AT BUFFALO BILLS (11-5)

This will be the last regular season game at Highmark Stadium for the Buffalo Bills. It has had multiple names and opened up back in 1973. The Bills will wear the old 1990’s helmet that Jim Kelly wore when he led those great teams to 4 straight Superbowls. The Jets come in projected to get the number two draft pick. The rookie Brady Cook will get his 4th start for the Jets. The Bills come in as the 7th seed as they took a tumble with the loss to the Eagles last weekend. They could improve their status if they win this game, and the Chargers lose, and even the Texans lose. It would mean they could jump two spots by the end of the weekend. Will Josh Allen play as he’s dealing with a lower leg issue? The Bills could probably beat the Jets with their back up quarterback Mitch Trubisky. I can see Allen playing some of this game to get the Bills off to a solid start and end the old stadium in regular season on a high note. James Cook is going for a rushing title. The Jets’ Cook has not been stellar so far in his 3 starts. The Bills defense played very well in the second half versus the Eagles last week. I think we will see them do the same thing in this one and give Cook a bad day at the office as the Bills’ Cook will do most of the cooking this weekend.

OUR PICK: BILLS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-8) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (9-7)

What will hurt each teams’ chances of winning this last game of the year for all of the marbles? Yes, the winner goes to the playoffs while loser goes home. The AFC North is at stake. The Steelers really missed their number one wide receiver last week as DK Metcalf was suspended two games for punching a Lions fan a few weeks back. For the Ravens, if Lamar Jackson gets the nod behind center will his back up hold up? The Ravens played one of their best games last week with their back up QB Tyler Huntley feeding the ball to his beast running back, Derrick Henry. The Steelers looked like they cared more about preventing Myles Garrett getting the sack record than the overall game versus the Browns. The Steelers won the first meeting a few weeks back. Can Aaron Rodgers be that guy and take the Steelers to the post-season? The Steelers will have TJ Watt back in the fold. I think Jackson will blow over like a house of cards. Rodgers will have a gritty performance. The Steelers defense will contain Henry for the win and the AFC North title.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

The Nacua brothers have played football together all their lives. I imagine they played at the same high school together. Before that, grammar school or Pop Warner. I’m sure they envisioned each other playing in the NFL together. Perhaps playing on the same team in the NFL. They did accomplish the family dream as both brothers ended up playing together at the college level at BYU. One brother would be drafted and become one of the best receivers right now in the game, Puka Nacua. The other brother went undrafted and has had a cup of coffee twice in NFL training camps. Samson Nacua has played two seasons in the UFL to improve his skills thinking, “One day I will get to the NFL with my brother.” Off the field, the Nacua brothers have tarnished their family reputation in their own stupid ways. The dream has probably died because of one brothers off-the-field news. For Puka, like many wide receivers. they come off very stupid when they speak. Stupid runs in the family with these guys.

It starts with Samson Nacua tarnishing his brother’s reputation his family’s by getting caught stealing a car. Samson and his partner in crime, a guy named Trey Rose, stole a SUV off LA Lakers rookie Adou Thiero. Thiero has played in only nine games in the NBA so far. He is 21 years of age and was drafted in the first round 36th overall. The two geniuses went to a hotel somewhere in West Hollywood and checked the stolen car in with the valet services. I guess neither guy has ever seen C.S.I. The police were able to track the stolen SUV to the hotel. They seem to have forgotten to remove the GPS tracking. I can see a rookie athlete with all their money spending a pretty penny on a ride with some security systems. I think most new cars have tracking devices.

The two morons should know that the world today has video cameras all over the place. Especially at a hotel that has a valet service. Police looked at the video footage. Wham bam thank you ma’am and it’s an easy bust as they arrested Samsom and Trey on the spot. That is good police work. They made their work easy throwing a huge meat ball down the center of the plate that anybody could connect on. The worst part of this is you steal a car in the same town your brother is a professional athlete in, and from another athlete in the LA sporting landscape. What would the conversation be when Puka and Adou run into each other at the same restaurant or sports banquet? Awkward!!!!

If you have Puka Nacua on your football fantasy team, he can’t do anything wrong for you as you are happy as a clam. This year he has 119 catches for 1,639 receiving yards with 9 touchdowns for the Rams. Puka was drafted in the 5th round of the NFL 2023 draft. In three seasons so far he has 303 catches for 4,115 yards with 18 touchdowns. He’s a two time Pro-Bowler in 3 seasons. If you are a Rams fan you are ecstatic as Puka is putting up Hall of Fame numbers. All other fan bases would love to have him on their team right now. You hate watching him play against your team. This season Matthew Stafford is having a great season & the Rams are in the post season. The Rams have a shot at getting to the Superbowl. Then he opens his mouth to complain about the officiating. Saying stuff like, “The worst & they want to be on TV,” suggesting the refs are making bad calls to get their mug on your screen.

Puka Nacua went on a rant, “Some of the rules aren’t…these guys want to be. These guys are lawyers. They want to be on TV too. You don’t think he’s texting his friends in the group chat like, ‘Yo you guys just saw me on Sunday night football.’ That wasn’t pass interference, but I called it.”

Then Puka double downed on his previous comments after the Rams suffered that loss versus the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night. Eventually the NFL fined the wide receiver $25,000 dollars for his comments. after which he erased the stuff he wrote on social media. He apologized to his team for being a distraction. Overall his comments are not helping his team moving forward. Maybe the referees will miss a call on purpose at an important time in the post-season. I doubt it as the NFL should be monitoring what their referees are doing. The league I think will not be kind to some ref looking for revenge on Puka for his stupid comments. Players get away with stuff. Refs may not call certain things and let them play. Overall the wide receiver comments do not help his team moving forward. You know someone on the coaching staff, probably which most likely was Sean McVay the head coach of the Rams, told him to shut up and apologize immediately. Puka is not helping anyone including his own self. Play the game and do what you do is the only way to help your team win. Puka can’t control what the refs are calling. It’s better to be incognito than having a target on your back.

Samson Nacua I hope graduated from BYU and has something to fall back on instead of football. He played two seasons in the UFL for the Michigan Panthers. It is his only professional experience he has gotten in a game that counts. Yes, he did sign with the Colts and hook on with the Saints for preseason or in their camp but was cut as he never played a NFL game. In 2024, Samson caught 11 passes with the Panthers for 125 receiving yards. In 2025 he caught 9 passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns. His anger got to him after a game where video footage caught him striking a fan during an April game. It was after the game concluded when the Panthers played the BattleHawks. The UFL suspended Samson for one game after the incident.

It seems most NFL wide receivers have the foot and mouth disease. It’s very contagious as it has spread through all the teams in the league. I think Puka Nacua has learned not to use his NFL soap box as a loaded weapon against the referees. It first will make your bank account lighter, and it does not do your team any favors. Then having to deal with the embarrassment of your family. How many times had we heard about Patrick Mahomes drunken father and all of his DUIs? The deep rooted issues of Aaron Rodgers family such as how the Steelers quarterback does not have any communication with his parents and his brother. These stories could inure and hook on to Puka’s entire career now. If the Rams make the Superbowl, some reporter will ask about how his brother is doing or what’s his opinion about the referees that are calling that game. Puka should be able to escape what he said about the referees with his solid play on the field and not lashing out on social media about bad calls. If his brother is done being an idiot, life will go on and that story will be eventually be buried under the rug. These stories will go away if nothing else happens and the wide receiver just continues to play the way he does on the field. For now, the Nacua brothers have tainted their family with headlines they do not want.

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (13-3)

Last week was the best week we had in straight pick-em and it was a 16 game slate. We lost picking the Chiefs to beat a bad Titans team. Which everyone in the football world picked Chiefs over Titans. The Ravens screwed us. Maybe Lamar Jackson had to get home early to play video games after exiting with a back injury in the New England game. The Lions wish they held on to Ben Johnson as Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers beat Detroit. We did well with picks like Bears over Packers. Maybe got lucky with Seahawks over the Rams on that epic Thursday night game. The Panthers pick was savvy over a troubled Buccaneers team. Hopefully the figgy pudding over the holidays doe not ruin our Spidey senses for week 17. Week 17 has many tricky match ups we hope to conquer.

SEASON RECORD: (156-84)

We are out to seek more justice in the NFL while we slay the majority of the week 17 match ups coming at you right up the middle of the defense.

NFL WEEK 17 STRAIGHT PICK-EM

DALLAS COWBOYS (6-8-1) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-11)

The Washington Commanders may not be thankful for their Christmas gift at the QB position on Jesus’s birthday. In his second stint with Washington, Josh Johnson will be the starter since Jayden Daniels is shut down for the season. The other Washington quarterback, Marcus Mariota, is out with an injury. The Cowboys come in losing three straight games and were eliminated from the playoffs with a loss from the Chargers last week. Washington has been eliminated for awhile as this game looked great on paper before the season started. Now it has that feel of eating fruit cake and being forced to do so. Johnson in ten seasons in the NFL has 1 win in 9 starts. The one win came in 2018 in his first stint with Washington as they were known as the Redskins at the time. Johnson had more wins playing in the spring leagues as he suited up for the San Diego Fleet in 2019 in the Alliance of American Football league. Then in 2020 in the XFL first reboot with the LA Wild Cats. I think Johnson will be able to engineer some scoring drives for Washington. That Dallas defense has been let down the last three weeks. I know Dak Prescott will be able to generate more points than Johnson off one of the worst defenses in the league the Commanders have.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

DETROIT LIONS (8-7) AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-8)

The Lions are falling apart at the worst time of their season. The Vikings, even though they are eliminated from the post-season, are on a hot streak as they won three straight games. The Lions need to win out and need help to make it into the post-season. The Vikings will be without their starting quarterback JJ McCarthy who was injured early on last week in a win versus the Giants. The other Vikings rookie QB will make his second start. Max Brosmer finished the Giants game by going 7-9 for 52 passing yards no turnovers. It’s better than the 4 interception game he had in his first NFL game he started versus Seattle. Vikings won the first meeting between these two teams. I think the Vikings can generate some points on offense as the Lions defense is very giving around the Holidays. They were on Thanksgiving versus the Packers. The Lions defense should be able to contain Brosmer. The Vikings defense will come after Jared Goff, but the Lions offense will counter with short passes and a solid running game to avoid trouble from their pressure. Lions need this game while Brosmer just does not want to look foolish out there in front of an entire nation watching.

OUR PICK: LIONS

DENVER BRONCOS (12-3) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-9)

Can the Kansas City Chiefs play spoilers and be like the Grinch that stole the Denver Broncos Christmas? The Broncos winning streak of 11 games was snapped by Jacksonville last weekend with a beat down ON Denver. Could the Chiefs give the division rival another loss to help the Patriots get the number 1 seed in the AFC? The Chiefs will be without the face of the franchise in Patrick Mahomes. They lost their second string quarterback Gardner Minshew early in the game last week in another loss versus a bad Titans team. It will be up to Chris Oladokun making his first start in the NFL against one of the best defenses in the league which the Broncos have. The Chiefs will give the Broncos a game because it’s Christmas and everyone is watching. I do not like the Chiefs chances in this. Broncos will want to get that bad Jaguars loss out of their mouths quickly and take care of business in this one. They are very close to securing the number 1 seed which gives them the first round bye in the AFC post-season. The Broncos defense shuts down the Chiefs offense which seals the deal and keeps the number 1 seed in their grasp.

OUR PICK: BRONCOS

SATURDAY GAMES

HOUSTON TEXANS (10-5) AT LA CHARGERS (11-4)

Last time the Chargers and Texans got together was in January of 2025 in the wild card round. The Texans defense devoured Justin Herbert as they sacked him while picking him off 4 times in a 32-12 rout. I would say the Texans defense is better this go round. The Texans have won seven straight games but did not play the Raiders, a bottom feeder of the league, very well. The Chargers aerial attack bombarded the Cowboys defense with Herbert having a big game. The Chargers have won 4 straight. The Chargers have the top wild card and probably will not catch the Broncos. The Texans still have a chance at the AFC South division title. The Chargers are in the post-season while Houston still needs to nail down their berth. The Chargers have the Bills on their heels with the second wild card spot so a loss and Bills win would not go well for LA. Who wins this game? I think Jim Harbaugh’s teams are hard to beat a second time around even though these teams have not played each other since the wild card round. Herbert is the better QB than the Texans’ CJ Stroud. Can the Chargers defense contain Stroud and the Texans offense? Even though this a road game for Houston, it may look like a home game for them as Chargers have no fans. I think Herbert’s memories will play a factor as the Texans change the entire structure of the AFC post-season seedings with a win.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-8) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (9-5-1)

Ravens running back Derrick Henry needs only 64 rushing yards to pass up former Cowboys star Tony Dorsett on the NFL all-time rushing list. Henry will then be in the top ten running backs in yards all-time in NFL history and could continue to move up the charts in years to come. The running game is what both teams will need in this Saturday night game. The Packers will not have their starting QB. Jordan Love has been ruled out with a concussion he suffered versus the Bears. For the Ravens, Lamar Jackson is doubtful due to a back injury he suffered in the loss to the Patriots. The back up QB for the Packers is Malik Willis who suffered a shoulder injury versus the Bears filling in for Love. The Packers 3rd string QB is Clayton Tune. The Ravens will have to rely on Tyler Huntley in a must win game for the Ravens if Jackson can’t go. The Packers are still chasing the Bears for the NFC North title and are in the post-season due to the Lions losing on Thursday vs the Vikings.

The Packers should thank the two former Aaron’s who once suited up for the green and gold. Aaron Rodgers helped his old team beating the Lions last week. While Aaron Jones helped his former team beat the Lions once again on X-mas as he is suiting up for the Vikings these days. Huntley is 1-0 this season filling in as a starter for the Ravens as he beat the Bears this season. Huntley is 6-9 all-time as a starter in the NFL. Willis went 2-0 as the Packers starter last year in 2024. He was running the ball with big chunks of yardage last week vs the Bears. Huntley was not impressive filling in when Jackson left the game vs the Patriots. I like Willis.

The Packers are at home. The Ravens have not played well most of the year even with Jackson behind center most of the time.

OUR PICK: PACKERS

THE SUNDAY TILT

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-10) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (3-12)

Is this the farewell stretch for the Mormon Missile, the Saints’ Swiss Army Knife for the last 9 seasons? Hill is 35 years old, will be a free agent next season, and could decide to call it a career. The Saints have been marching winning their last three games in a row. The Titans may no longer be the laughing stock of the league as they are 2-1 in their last three coming off a win versus the Chiefs minus Patrick Mahomes. Cam Ward has thrown six touchdown passes in the last three games. He had only seven in the first 12 games. You have to like what Tyler Shough has done for the Saints this season. He has already set the franchise record for most wins as a quarterback breaking Archie Manning’s rookie record of 3 wins. The Saints head coach Kellen Moore has got something in Shough who has played well and is 4-3 as the starter now. The Titans have been doing well with their running game. I like the Saints defense stopping Tony Pollard, bringing the Titans running back to a grinding halt. Shough will do his thing which is not fancy but gets the job done. The Mormon Missile will have a big play in this one to end his career with somewhat of a bang. But not a whimper as Saints marched to their 4th in a row.

OUR PICK: SAINTS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (12-3) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (8-7)

If the Panthers beat the Seahawks in this game, since they beat the Rams weeks ago you could say they would have wins over the best two teams in the NFC conference. The Seahawks are already in the playoffs and need to win this while hoping the 49ers and Rams lose to clinch the NFC West. If the Seahawks win the division, they certainly will have the first round bye which is the number one seed in the NFC. The Panthers win and Buccaneers lose, they win the dreaded NFC South. The Panthers beat the Buccaneers last week and play them again in week 18. The Seahawks won a wild one that went to OT to knock off the Rams last week. If Seahawks lose, they may be coming back to Carolina in the post-season in the wild card round. Can Sam Darnold knock off one of his former teams he has played for? Seattle is the better team. I think their defense can halt the Panthers rushing attack and limit Bryce Young. Darnold will focus on getting the win rather than getting any kind of revenge on a former team. The Seattle offense will be able to generate enough points to give Panthers fans high blood pressure for a rematch against the Buccaneers in week 18.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (11-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-7)

Imagine if Phillip Rivers had a few more games than only the two recent ones in this comeback tour, he may have better outcomes. On Monday in the Colts loss to the 49ers, in that first half Rivers was wheeling and dealing. He finished the night tallying 277 passing yards with two touchdown passes but could not stop the bleeding. The Colts have lost 5 straight games now. They face one of the hotter teams in the league, the division rival Jaguars who have won six straight. Earlier this month, the Jags held Jonathan Taylor to 74 rushing yards and won big in Jacksonville versus the Colts. If the Colts want to win this game, they need Taylor and Rivers to have their biggest games of the year. The Colts are still alive somehow but need to win out. They need help as well. The Jags win the division with a win and need a Texans loss. Taylor at home in the last 3 games versus the visiting Jaguars has torched them for 546 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.The Jags have a top notch run defense this season like earlier in the month. Trevor Lawrence is red hot and the Colts defense has too many injuries to stop the Jaguars QB and running game. Old man Rivers is good for at least one pick in this game. Say good bye to the Colts season after this game. It was a nice run by Rivers though as he played well coming back at 44 years of age.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (9-6) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-12)

Can Shedeur Sanders join two other Browns rookie quarterbacks by beating the Mike Tomlin-led Steelers in their first start against Pittsburgh? He can join the Browns greats such as Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Brandon Weeden. The Browns defensive end, Myle Garrett, tied the single season sack record last week versus the Bills. With one more sack, he could break both TJ Watt’s and Michael Strahan’s previous record of 22 sacks. The Steelers are in control over the AFC North. They need a win or a Ravens loss on Saturday to win the division and cement themselves into the post-season. The Browns gave the Bills a battle last week on their home turf. Mistakes by the Bills may have kept the Browns alive. I like the Steelers in this one to get the job done. Garrett gets the sack. The Steelers get the win and will get a takeaway or takeaways from you know who, Shedeur Sanders, who has 8 interceptions already and is 1-4 as the starring QB for the Browns this season. The Steelers will run the ball down the Browns throats and keep Cleveland perhaps looking at another QB in next year’s draft.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (7-8) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-9)

Right now the Miami Dolphins are the only Florida NFL team that will be home for the post-season. They have time to take down their X-mas lights. The Dolphins can also prevent the Buccaneers making the post-season by giving them a loss this weekend. The Buccaneers have to win out to be able to win the NFC South, their only way to get into the post-season. The Buccaneers started off hot at 6-2. Since then they have dropped 6-7 games. Last week they lost to the Panthers and play them once again in the final week of the season. The Panthers could be dropped by Seattle this week which a Buccaneers win keeps them alive. The Dolphins are starting their rookie QB once again. Quinn Ewers will be making his second start of his NFL career. In his first versus a bad Bengals defense, he tallied up 260 passing yards but threw two picks as the Dolphins were blown up. Bake Mayfield has not shone in weeks, however I think he has a big game here to get by the Dolphins and make week 18 a showdown versus the Panthers.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS

ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-12) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-10)

Before Arizona, the Cardinals played in St.Louis. Before Arch-town they played their home games at the old Comisky Park in Chicago, where they probably played the most cold games of their franchise history at home. In present day I would say the Cardinals will be affected by the cold weather in Cincinnati being from Arizona in the dry heat. Maybe Cincinnati has a dry cold. Joe Burrow put up over 40 points of offense on the Dolphins last week. The Cardinals have given up 40 points or more twice in the last three games. The Cardinals defense has been decimated with injuries. They have lost seven straight games. They have locked in a definite top ten pick in next year’s draft. Jacoby Brissett will face a bad Bengals defense in this match up. Burrow vs Brissett in cold conditions, even in warmer conditions, I have to give the nod to Joe over Jacoby. The Bengals will light up the scoreboard. The Cards will score about 20 points and lose by two scores or more.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (12-3) AT NEW YORK JETS (3-12)

The Jets rookie quarterback Brady Cook is not doing any cooking on the field as he started two games and played in 3 total contests. The Patriots are still looking to clinch the AFC East and go perfect on the road as they come in 7-0. In 11 quarters of frozen meats with Cook: He has 6 interceptions, 3 fumbles which he lost only 1, while being sacked 17 times. He has engineered two touchdown drives. He has thrown 1 touchdown pass. Meanwhile Drake Maye engineered a comeback win over the Ravens in a big win they needed in order to stay ahead of the Bills last week on Sunday night football. This game seems unfair for the Jets. Perhaps losing out they can get a better draft pick come April. This one should be a blow out for the Patriots.

OUR PICK: PATRIOTS

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-13) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-13)

The Raiders will be without their star defender Mad Maxx Crosby who has been dealing with a lingering knee injury. He will be at home for the final two games of the Raiders season. He can quickly forget how bad this season was for the silver and black, and the visiting New York Giants. Both teams have the same record at 2-13 and have lost 9 straight games. The winner here snaps the 9 game losing streak. The loser here will get the number 1 draft pick next season. It’s a win/win. If it ends up in a tie, do they split the first pick down the middle? Which half would your team want? The Raiders offense had some life last week versus the Texans. The Giants lost another close game. Geno Smith will become the interception king after this contest because he is tied with Dolphins QB, Tua Tagovailoa. Give me Jaxson Dart to have his best game as a rookie this season as the Giants open the playbook and land their first road win of the season giving Pete Carrol the number 1 draft pick. Which he planned the entire time since he took the Raiders gig.

OUR PICK: GIANTS

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-5) AT BUFFALO BILLS (11-4)

Can the Bills get their white whale? The Eagles are the only team that head coach Sean McDermott and Josh Allen have not beaten in their tenure. The last time these two teams met, it was an epic game where the Eagles won. Both Allen and Eagles QB Jalen Hurts threw multi-touchdown passes and scored multi-times. Can the Bills defense stop the Eagles running game with Saquon Barkley? The Bills have had plenty of injuries piling up but they have won 4 straight games. The Bills defense have made plays in crunch time in those 4 victories. The Eagles have already clinched the NFC East. They come into week 17 as the number three seed and want to improve their seeding by winning on the road and leapfrogging the Bears. The Bills have clinched a playoff spot and are one game back of the Patriots with two games left on the docket. Bills may not win the AFC East, but they need stay ahead of the Texans and could jump the Chargers who are one seed ahead of them. This will be a good game. I like the Bills at home. I can see them playing much better than their performance last week vs the Browns even though they won. The Eagles have beaten cream puffs the last two weeks. Before that, they took on losses to the Chargers and Bears.

OUR PICK: BILLS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

CHICAGO BEARS (11-4) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (11-4)

This is a big game for both the 49ers and Bears. Both teams have already clinched a playoff spot. Both teams are still in the hunt for the number 1 seed in the NFC conference. Both teams will be cheering for Seattle to lose who have a 12-3 record. The Bears lead their division after beating Green Bay last Saturday in an epic OT game. They need to win and with a Packers loss, they win the division. The 49ers are in the second spot in the NFC West with the same record as the Rams at 11-4 and both teams are chasing Seattle who is ahead of them by 1 game. This game is important for seeding for the 49ers just in case Seattle wins earlier, they want to keep ahead of the Rams who play on Monday night. The Bears have the most victories this season trailing in the last two minutes of the game with 6. The 49ers have won 5 straight games by double digits coming into this Sunday night melee. The Bears have gotten off to too many slow starts this season and have to make that comeback to win the game. The Bears converted on a onside kick last week versus the Packers late in that game which is unheard of nowadays. That play helped the Bears bring that game to overtime. When the Bears are good and face the 49ers when they are good, it has not worked out for Chicago over the decades. This game has a shoot out written all over it even though both defenses are not Bengals-like. Both offenses have a ton of talent and Brock Purdy and Caleb Williams are just clicking on all cylinders seeing the field perfectly. The slow start will doom the Bears as the 49ers will prevent the comeback as Chicago’s luck runs out, this week at least.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

LA RAMS (11-4) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (6-9)

Will the Rams continue to feast on Holiday bird by beating the Falcons on Monday night? I’m sure most of the Rams players indulge in turkey or perhaps goose on Christmas. Perhaps Kirk Cousins will be the jive turkey the Rams dogs on defense devour. The Rams come in already having clinched a playoff spot. A win over Atlanta and some help from other teams could help them get a better seed in the post-season. The Falcons have some insight information on the Rams. Will it help Atlanta that their former defensive coordinator, Raheem Morris, is the Falcons head coach? The Falcons are second in the league in sacks this season. Only problem is Matthew Stafford is very good versus the blitz and is very hard to sack because he delivers the ball out quickly. Cousins all-time on Monday football, his record is 3-10. However he is 3-1 in the last 4 games. The Rams are coming off that wild game versus Seattle with a debatable ending that did not go their way. I like Stafford getting the best over Cousins in this one. Falcons are too up and down for me to pick them even though Captain Kirk is playing better. Eventually Atlanta will bend and break, not being a part of the post-season.

OUR PICK: RAMS

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (10-6)

We had faith in the wrong teams last week picking the Cowboys and the Chiefs thinking they had some life left in them. How do you figure the Ravens shut out the Bengals? Joe Cool was cooled off with that Ravens defense. The Giants continue to screw us. We did pick a nice upset getting the Saints over the Panthers as our gem of the week.

SEASON RECORD: (143-81)

We are transforming and rolling out week 16.

NFL WEEK 16 STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

LA RAMS (11-3) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (11-3)

NFL week 16 comes out of the gates with a shoot out at the O.K Corral of the NFC West with the second meeting between the Rams and Seahawks this season. The Rams won the first meeting between these two teams. It was not a high scoring shoot out as defense was played as the Rams picked off Sam Darnold 4 times that game. Matthew Stafford is having an MVP season. The Rams will be without one of their star wide receivers Davante Adams. Both teams feature well-balanced offenses as they can run the ball and attack you in the air with the best of them in the NFL. The Seahawks have the better run defense. I give the Rams the better pass defense and they’re very good at getting to the opponent’s quarterback. It seems unfair that both teams are in the same division because they may be 1-2 the best in the conference. The Rams loss from the Panthers could haunt LA if they lose this one. Seattle has to split this series or they have no chance at winning the NFC West. This will be one of the best games of the week. I like Seattle at home. The thing that jumps out to me when these teams met November 16th was the score. Rams won it 21-19. Darnold had a bad game with 4 interceptions and look how close that game was. No way Darnold has that bad game this go around. I like Seattle this time.

OUR PICK:SEAHAWKS

THE SATURDAY GAMES

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-5) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-10)

The Eagles got back on track with a Raiders opponent that is like that girl in the old neighborhood who would be very giving during the Holidays coming to her after a break up. Most importantly, Eagles snap a 3 game skid. The Commanders had a rare win last week versus a Giants team that I thought would win that match up. Marcus Mariota did not do much behind center completing only 52.6% of his throws. It’s only the second start he has won this season filling in for Jayden Daniels. He has had 7 starts and will start this game. This is a rematch of the NFC Championship from last year. Both teams are nowhere close to their former selves from last year. If Eagles win along with a Cowboys loss, they would win the NFC East which would be the first repeat in that division in 20 seasons. The Eagles offense will thrive versus a bad Commanders defense. The Eagles will stop Washington’s running game that has been up and down all season. I don’t have faith Mariota is going to beat you throwing the ball. Eagles win their second in a row.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

GREEN BAY PACKER (9-4-1) AT CHICAGO BEARS (10-4)

The first game between the Bears and Packers was epic. A close game as the Packers defended the Bears from tying things up with under a minute to play and got the win at their place. I know the sequel will not be Weekend at Bernie’s II. The Packers lost to the Broncos last week while the Bears took care of business versus the Browns which resulted in the teams flip flopping in the NFC North as Chicago is in first place. The winner of this match up can clinch a playoff spot with a Lions loss. The Packer lost their best pass rusher last week in that loss to the Broncos as Micah Parsons’ season will end with a knee injury.

Caleb Williams may have had his best game of the season versus the Browns. Williams has 3 games left to break a single season record held by Erik Kramer for most passing yards in one season in Bears history. He needs 689 passing yards to beat Kramer’s 1995 record of 3,838. The history is never on the Bears side in this rivalry. Last time the Bears beat up the Packers consistently, you have to go back to the 1980’s. Current Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is 12-1 all-time versus the Bears. Now the Bears team belongs to another mad genius in Ben Johnson, and you just have to believe that he is the guy to turn this rivalry around and stop it being one sided. The Packers QB Jordan Love is 4-1 all-time versus the Bears. When these two teams have something on the line like in the 2010 NFC Championship, it always goes Green Bay’s way. History is not on the Bears’ side. The coffee has not settled in my mindset while I write this. I pick the Bears to win at home, slay the Packers demons, and swing this rivalry into a two way street. Without Parsons, Williams may have a game Bears fans will remember for years to come.

OUR PICK: DA BEARS

THE SUNDAY TILT

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-8) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (2-12)

The ghost of the future could have these two quarterbacks facing off in a NFC Championship someday. Suddenly JJ McCarthy is on fire the last two games with both victories for the Vikings. He is now 4-4 as a starter and set a career high in passing yards last week vs the Cowboys. Meanwhile Jaxson Dart has 13 touchdowns to 4 interceptions for the Giants and is 2-7 as their starter this season. McCarthy now has 11 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions. A few weeks back, he had more interceptions. The Giants do not have any kind of killer instinct in any close games. Another problem like last week when they fell behind to the Commanders and fought back. Same results & no killer instinct to finish games. The Vikings will throw everything including the kitchen sink at Dart with all kinds of creative blitz packages. I don’t trust the Giants to find a way to win this one even if they get out of the blitzkrieg. McCarthy has sizzled against bad passing defenses such the Commanders and Cowboys, and now the Giants which are lumped in the same category and same division.

OUR PICK: VIKINGS

BUFFALO BILLS (10-4) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-11)

The Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is one sack away from tying Michael Strahan and TJ Watt’s single season record of most sacks. If Garrett gets 1.5 sacks, he will break the record. On the other side of this match up, Josh Allen for the Bills needs 1 more touchdown to be the youngest and fastest player to reach 300 scores. The Bills can clinch a playoff berth with a win and would need either the Texans or Colts to lose this weekend. The Browns rookie quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, comes off a 3 interceptions game versus the Bears in Chicago last week. While the Bills erased a 21 points deficit to beat the Patriots on the road last week. The Browns defense will keep things interesting for a little while. I think the Bills can generate points off the Browns defense. I think the Bills defense will get creative and find ways to rattle Sanders’ cage, getting some takeaways in the process. I think Garrett will tie the record while Allen gets the scoring record. Bills will win and sweep the entire AFC North in the process.

OUR PICK: BILLS

LA CHARGERS (10-4) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (6-7-1)

I’m off the Cowboys band wagon as I continue to have picked them the last few weeks thinking they would get back on track. I found myself not believing in the Chargers picking against them the last few weeks. The Chargers last week eliminated the Chiefs from post-season play.

Now the Chargers fans and players can wave to Travis Swift going home for the post-season since he likes to wave at guys being ejected from the game. Will the Chargers have a let down here vs Dallas? If the Eagles win Saturday, the Cowboys will be ousted from playoff contention. The Chargers still need to maintain their spot as top wild card in the AFC. I think Justin Herbert will play well against the Cowboys defense that went back to their old ways from the beginning of the season. Jerry Jones’ trades at the deadline looked good for a short time. I’m going Chargers and now watch the Cowboys win this one is just my luck.

OUR PICK: CHARGERS

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (7-7) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (7-7)

The NFC South is the worst division in the NFL. The Panthers and Buccaneers are playing to win the NFC South and will play each other twice in the next 3 weeks starting with the first match up Sunday. The Buccaneers have lost two straight games, both to divisional opponents. The Saints swept the Panthers last week. The Saints have been a thorn in both these two teams. Baker Mayfield seems to have slowed his roll weeks ago. The Buccaneers defense has not been anything to write home to mom about. The Panthers offense has issues up and down, so you never know what you will get. All the teams in the NFC South do not do what they are told when I pick them or against them. I think the Panthers will get the first major blow in this series. They are 4-2 at home. They are 6-0 coming off a loss. They shocked the Rams a few weeks back. They have a pulse unlike the Buccaneers. The talk is always that it will be Mayfield to dazzle us in grit performance and guide this team to a division title. I’m not seeing it. Maybe he will pull it out in the second meeting in Tampa. This round I like the Panthers.

OUR PICK: PANTHERS

CINCINNATI BENGALS (4-10) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-8)

Both the Dolphins and Bengals laid clunkers last week on the field. The Bengals were shut out by the Ravens. Both teams have been eliminated from the post-season play with those losses. The Dolphins will bench their starting QB Tua Tagovailoa and start rookie Quinn Ewers who the Dolphins drafted in the 7th round this year. He will make his first start versus a bad defense the Bengals have. Ewers has played in one game versus the Browns where he threw 8 passes & completed 5 of them. If Joe Burrow says he’d like to play we will see what he does on the field this week. The Bengals looked like they called it a season versus the Ravens last Sunday. I think the Dolphins should go in another direction than rely on Tua in the future. The Bengals defense will make Quinn look good, but they should still be able to contain him because he is a rookie 7th rounder. I think Burrow will have a big game here just to get rid of the bad taste in his mouth and get his team back on track. Now with no pressure of the post-season, he will be able to let it rip. His talented receivers will be able to exploit a Miami defense that is playing better, but overall is not a great unit.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-8) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (2-12)

“Ding dong the Chiefs are dead,” has been sung from the mountains to the prairies as Kansas City has been eliminated from the post-season. I find it odd if you are a Titans fan and having your rookie quarterback saying he wants his say who the next head coach will be. Maybe Cam Ward needs to do a little more on the field before we have him being involved at making key decisions for the franchise. You could say he may have a better thought process than the guys in the Titans front office getting rid of Mike Vrabel a few years ago. The Chiefs back up quarterback may be the Grinch that stole Christmas here for the Chiefs being an inside job. With Patrick Mahomes out for the rest of the season with the knee injury he suffered vs the Chargers, Gardner Minshew is the starting quarterback for the Chiefs. Minshew can get the job done as he has a record of 17-29 as a starter in the NFL. Everywhere he has played in his career, either a starter or back up, he has seen action on the field and has made more than one start each season. Not saying Minshew hurt Mahomes. Somehow Minshew has that spell that is cast down wherever he plays because he finds the field every year. Even with a guy like Mahomes who has played every game of his career. Minshew still finds the field. Back to the game. The Chiefs will win this game with Minshew as the QB as they are the better team while breaking a three game skid.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

NEW YORK JETS (3-11) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-10)

Brady Cook vs Tyler Slough sounds like something from the Clash of the Titans in some low rated Bowl game in college football. Cook’s first start was horrific versus the Jaguars. Three interceptions. Meanwhile Slough is 3-3 as the starter as he has beaten Carolina twice. Can Slough beat a team that does not reside in the same division the Saints reside in? The Jets have fired their defensive coordinator. The Saints will have some of their young rookie playmakers out with injuries. I like the Saints defense in this one to prevent Cook from actually getting something cooking in this contest. Slough is not making the mistakes with the football and growing more confidence with every start.

OUR PICK: SAINTS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-12) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (9-5)

The Raiders offensive line trying to defend the Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. will be a nightmare for the silver and black. The Texans are playing for the post-season and still eyeballing the division title, have won six straight. Meanwhile the Raiders keep trotting out Geno Smith as their starting quarterback and getting the same results. Raiders are last in the NFL in points per game with 14. Would Kenny Pickett be any better than Smith? Bad offensive line can’t give these guys any time. Maybe the Raiders need Kenny’s Brother Joe Pickett to come in and show how things should be done. Houston has the best defense in the league. The Raiders are just a chew toy for these guys as this one will be a rather easy victory for them.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

ATLANTA FALCONS (5-9) AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-11)

Kirk Cousins may have had his best game as a Falcons quarterback last week vs the Buccaneers. He threw for 373 passing yards in a win along with three touchdown passes. This may have been his best game since before that injury in his last year in Minnesota for the Vikings. Meanwhile the Cardinals have lost 6 straight games. Their defense has been decimated with injuries and in the last two games have given 40 or more points. Captain Kirk Cousins may cash in on another big day at the office against a team that is 1-6 this season at home. The Falcons defense are a little more put together than the Cardinals health-wise. They should be able to keep the Cardinals offense in check when the game is on the line. Falcons will fly higher by the time the clock reaches zeros in this contest.

OUR PICK: FALCONS

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (10-4) AT DENVER BRONCOS (12-2)

The Broncos have won 11 straight games while the Jaguars have won 5 straight games. The Jaguars have the Colts and Texans on their heels for the division race. A Chargers loss and Broncos win gives Denver the AFC West title. The Broncos defense is one of the best units in the game. They are the best unit in the red zone. The Jaguars offense ranks number 13 in the NFL in the red zone. Trevor Lawrence has the most touchdown passes with 10 in the red zone. Other interesting tidbits include that Denver is one of the quickest defenses in the league to get pressure on the QB. While Lawrence has been one of the most difficult quarterbacks to get pressure on. Beating the Broncos in Denver will be difficult. I think Green Bay should have won there last week. I think Lawrence can be effective versus the Broncos defense because he has been red hot in the last 4 games with 9 touchdown passes and no interceptions. The Jaguars defense is good at getting takeaways. Look for them to create one on Bo Nix as the Broncos’ winning streak comes to an end. The Jaguars will stay ahead of the Texans and Colts.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (8-6) AT DETROIT LIONS (8-6)

Both teams need this game badly. The Steelers beat up the Dolphins on Monday night while the Lions lost to the Rams. Lions are tough at home and usually do well the next week if they come off a loss. The motor city is one of Aaron Rodgers’ ole stomping grounds playing for the Packers all those years, he is familiar with Ford Field. The Steelers will be again without TJ Watt who was out last weekend with a collapsed lung. The Steelers defense played well last week without him. They will also be without Nick Herbig who injured his hamstring in the Dolphins game. The Lions offense is a different animal than the Dolphins literally. The Steelers defense will have to contend with all their fire power they have. Rodgers will engineer some scoring drives but not enough to keep up with the Lions high octane offense at home. The Steelers looked good two weeks in row. The Lions defense will get more stops than the Steelers defense and keeps the Lions’ playoff chances alive. While the Steelers will have another crack at the Ravens for the entire enchilada.

OUR PICK: LIONS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (11-3) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-7)

How do the Patriots respond after the Bills snapped their 10 game losing streak as the go on the road to face Baltimore? The Ravens shut out Joe Burrow and the Bengals, which is very hard to do with those top notch receivers they have. The Patriots were out to clinch the division last week and had a 21-0 lead on the Bills and had the second half collapse and lost 35-31. The Ravens lost the very first game to Buffalo as they watched Josh Allen erase a double digit lead late in that game for a loss. The Patriots are 6-0 on the road this season.

The Ravens are 3-5 at home and another loss would give them one of the worst records of all-time eating home cooking. The Ravens are desperate & they need to win to keep their eye on the prize, the AFC North division, which Steelers are 8-6 coming into week 16. The Ravens do have another game versus Pittsburgh. The Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel bitched and moaned about the officials after the loss with Buffalo. Will that have a carry over into this game if the ball or calls don’t go their way? I like the Ravens snapping the Patriots’ road winning streak. Once you get hit like the Pats did, it’s hard to get your feet back from under you. Drake Maye has not been in many close games this season where the ball is in his hands for the game winning drive or tying things up. Lamar Jackson has won many close games in his career and in these situations. I can see the Ravens winning this one in a close affair to keep alive for their late push on the Steelers and the AFC North title.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (10-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-6)

In Phillip Rivers’ return to the NFL with the Colts, they lost a close one to the Seahawks 18-16. Your first game facing Seattle is a real challenge.The 49ers beat up on the Titans to get their 10th win of the season. The 49ers have won 4 straight games while the Colts have lost 4 straight games. This is the 3rd game this Colts team has been held under 20 points. The Colts had a very easy schedule most of the year & now they are going through the meat grinder part of it which started with Seattle, now the 49ers, then Jaguars and finishing with the Texans. That’s a hard task for a 44 year old QB to take on. Rivers completed 66.7% of his passes last week for only 120 passing yards. He did throw a touchdown pass and an interception. The 49ers did give up points to a bad Titans offense. The Colts could put a few more points on the board than usual in this one. I think the 49ers are the better team and even if Rivers was younger and completely rust free, maybe the Colts would have the better shot. If the 49ers can slow down Jonathan Taylor, which I think they will, and have Rivers try to beat them through the air. They will just come up short. Rivers will make a mistake with a costly interception. The 49ers need a win to clinch a playoff spot & they will get it. Brock Purdy will have another solid game and be clutch at the same time.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

The return of Phillip Rivers will make things interesting in week 15. Can the Colts survive? In week 15, there are lots of solid match ups to decipher.

LAST WEEK: (7-7)

Last week we broke even at 7-7. Many upsets and picks that were chosen backfired to get 7 losses. This week I have my playoff mentality going as every match up is very important for seeding. I’m sure we will have plenty of crazy outcomes, as that is the norm. We stride for the winning record each week. We strive for excellence every week, but we have not provided that. We will stay optimistic with our week 15 picks though.

SEASON RECORD: (133-75)

WEEK 15 STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

ATLANTA FALCONS (4-9) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (7-6)

The AFC South is a crap shoot trying to predict the winners. The New Orleans Saints upset the Buccaneers last weekend and beat the Panthers weeks ago. The Falcons come into this short Thursday game losing their last three games. The Falcons are very unpredictable. Atlanta seems to play better at home than on the road.The Buccaneers have had problems keeping their playmakers on the field. Baker Mayfield is banged up.

When is Kirk Cousins going to find his old self before that brutal injury he suffered last year in Minnesota? He is 1-3 as the starter since filling in for Michael Penix Jr. who is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Captain Kirk is 37 years old and seeing Joe Flacco at 40 playing better than him. Aaron Rodgers at 42 is playing better. Now the return of Phillip Rivers. If he plays better, than maybe it’s time Kirk hangs up the spikes. Anything can happen on a short week. From watching these teams with my eyes, Tampa Bay is the better team. The NFL wants to make all of them half blind. I just don’t see Atlanta rebounding from the beat down Seattle gave them last week, this soon. Tampa Bay has more on the line here and they will find a way with a gutsy performance by Mayfield to get the Buccaneers back in the win column.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS

THE SUNDAY TILT

BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-7) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (4-9)

Joe Burrow beat Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on Thanksgiving night as he returned from an injury earlier in the season. The Ravens have lost two straight games and a biggie versus the Steelers last Sunday. Jackson vs Burrow has Lamar with the better record of 6-2. Lamar Jackson is 4-0 in Cincinnati where he has thrown 15 touchdown passes to 1 interception. Burrow threw two picks late in the game last week versus Buffalo that cost them a win. Before those two picks, Burrow and that Bengals offense was rolling in Buffalo. Jackson in the last 4 games has not been very good, throwing 1 touchdown pass to 4 interceptions. Both teams’ defenses are not very good. I guess you chalk up Ravens D being better. Last year during this time span, Burrow and the Bengals played very well down the stretch. With Burrow being back, the team overall is playing better. I’m going with the hotter hand in this one. Burrow defends his home turf versus Jackson and has the bigger game setting the Ravens further back from repeating as AFC North champions.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

BUFFALO BILLS (9-4) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (11-2)

Since the Buffalo Bills traded Stefon Diggs to Houston, now with the Patriots he is 2-0 versus his former team. Diggs torched the Bills this season in the first meeting and his return to Buffalo earlier this season. The Patriots have won 10 straight games. The Bills have won two straight games. If Patriots win this game, they sweep the Bills and will win the AFC East which the Bills have owned for the last few years. Patriots have won 21 division titles since the AFL AND NFL merger back in 1970, which is 4th most in the NFL. This game will be different from the earlier match up. More on the line, if you are the Bills. This is a game they need. The Bills have played well against teams with better records. I think Josh Allen will put on his superman cape in this one and make a statement against this Patriots team and a man named Diggs. I think this go around the Bills can run the ball better on this Patriots defense that has a few injuries. I like how the Bills defense has made some huge impact plays the last few weeks that have changed the momentum of the games. The Patriots’ two losses have occurred at home.

OUR PICK: BILLS

LA CHARGERS (9-4) AT KANSAS CITY (6-7)

I’m sick of picking the Chiefs as I feel they are done, dead in the water. But something in my gut tells Patrick Mahomes is like that slasher movie killer when you think he’s dead and the movie is over, he comes at you again. If the Chargers win this game, it would be the first time they have swept Kansas City in a season since 2013. The Chiefs have lost two straight games and Mahomes has never missed the playoffs. The Chiefs are 5-2 at home. They are 1-6 in one possession games this season. The Chargers had a big win on Monday night which took OT to beat the Eagles and they are chasing the Broncos for the AFC West title. If Chargers win one more game, they will hit double figures in wins two years straight under Jim Harbaugh. The Chiefs should stop throwing the ball to the MEATHEAD Travis Swift as he had another costly error for them last week on an important 4th quarter drive vs the Texans that could have changed the tide of the game. The Meathead has cost the Chiefs multiple victories this season. The Chiefs defense will rise up in this one like they had great moments vs the Texans last Sunday night. This game will be Mahomes’ rally cry. The Chiefs are better at home and you know they will make one last try like a slasher killer to get on track and make the playoffs. It will be cold in Kansas City and they will benefit with a big win to even up their record at sevens.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-11) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (8-5)

Combined, both these teams have lost 10 straight games. The Raiders have 7 of those defeats. While the Eagles shockingly have three. The Raiders is offense one of the worst in the league. The Raiders should be playing to lose to get the first pick in the draft and select a quarterback. Geno Smith is the newest version of the Crab Man Jameis Winston as the interception king. The last time the Raiders scored 20 or more points in a game, you have to go back to early November when they scored 29 in an OT loss versus the Jaguars. The Eagles defense can feast on a bad Raiders O-line. The Raiders are the perfect team after a break up, losing streak, etc etc, for opponents to get back on track. Eagles will soar high as the Raiders will lose and may suffer some frost bite at the same time playing in the Philadelphia cold elements.

No snowballs in this game towards the big fat man in the the stands watching. Not needed with a victory. However they are Eagles fans and most of them appear on the naughty list.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

NEW YORK JETS (3-10) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (9-4)

The Jets are going to start their rookie quarterback Brady Cook who filled in last weekend for the injured Tyrod Taylor, who left the game with a groin injury. Cook is undrafted from Missouri University & threw two interceptions in his NFL debut, both in the red zone. He also fumble twice but the Jets recovered bot of them. Meanwhile the Jaguars have won 4 straight games. They are leading the AFC South by 1 game. Cook will make his first start in the NFL against a Jaguar defense that is tied for second in takeaways. Trevor Lawrence in the last three games is stringing his best performances of the season. Cook will probably not be the next Brady terrorizing the AFC East for years to come. He may play better getting all the first team reps in practice during the week. The Jaguars are playing better and should keep rolling along.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-10) AT HOUSTON TEXANS (8-5)

Trey McBride may be the best tight end in the game. With Travis Kelce deteriorating and George Kittle always injured, McBride is young and has already been up and coming. This season he has 93 grabs for 937 yards and 8 touchdown catches. Last year he had 111 grabs. Jacoby Brissett is 5-1 all-time versus the Texans in his career. Let’s come back to earth now. The Cardinals have lost 5 straight games. The Texans have won 5 straight games. This is not the Houston defense Brissett has beaten in his career. The Cardinals will be without their star wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. who will miss the game with a heel injury. Look for the Texans to focus on McBride. Brissett will be doomed with the Texans pass rush from the start of the game. CJ Stroud should have his way with the Arizona defense and keep the Texans march to the post-season alive.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-10) AT CHICAGO BEARS (9-4)

This could be one of the coldest games in Bears history as the temperatures should hover around 10 degrees. I should remind Shedeur Sanders about the wind chills at a hasty -10 degrees. Sanders is overrated in my opinion, only completing 52.4% of his passes. He has 3 interceptions in 4 games. He likes to fumble the ball. Sanders was the starter last week when the Browns lost to the worst team in the league, the Titans. The Bears came very close versus the arch-rival Packers. The loss broke their long 5 game winning streak that included a big win in Philadelphia. In cold games, teams want to run the rock. The Bears can do so averaging 152.6 yards on the ground per game. Cleveland has a great defense that should help keep them in this game for awhile. The Bears defense will cause all kinds of problems for Sanders who will turn over the ball multiple times, is my prediction. The Browns are not playing for anything. Eventually against the cold and the Bears running game, they will give in like bad Dawgs going to the vet to get neutered.

OUR PICK: DA BEARS

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-10) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (2-11)

Which team will get flushed in this toilet bowl game of the week? Combined, the Giants and Commanders have lost 15 straight games. Washington has 8 of them while New York is guilty of 7 straight losses. The Giants interim head coach Mike Kafka is still looking for his first win since taking over for the fired Brian Daboll. Washington keeps trotting Jayden Daniels onto the field and getting the same results. He gets injured. Last week again with the elbow. The Giants had a bye week last week. The Commanders were shut out by the Vikings who scored over 30 points off Washington’s defense. I like Jaxson Dart in this one. I think he could have one of his best games of the season against this Commanders defense. The Giants defense is not the flaming heap that the Commander defense is. The G-Men on defense could slow down Marcus Mariota. This game will most likely be ugly. The Giants get a W for the interim guy.

OUR PICK: GIANTS

CAROLINA PANTHERS (7-6) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (3-10)

The New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback is still looking for his first ever win at home. Tyler Shough has two victories since taking over the Saints starting job and he has beaten the Panthers and Buccaneers on the road. Last week it was the Buccaneers. If Tyler can earn 1 more victory before regular season comes to an end, he will tie the great Archie Manning for the most victories by rookie QB in Saints history. Archie went 3-5-2 in his rookie season of 1971. The Panthers come off their bye week after upsetting one of the best NFC teams in the league, the Rams, in week 13. This looks too easy as we can say Panthers. It was week 10 when the Saints marched in Carolina and beat them. The Saints have nothing at stake while the Panthers have a chance to win this flaming heap they call the NFC South. The Panthers have not done well lately when they are favored. I smell an upset in the air. The Saints seem dialed in on division opponents. Look out Arch, Tyler is tying your record in this one.

OUR PICK: SAINTS

TENNESSEE TITANS (2-11) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (9-4)

Last week we saw a Tony Pollard sighting for the Titans. I did not think the Titans running back was still in the league. Pollard had a great day at the office helping the Titans earn their second victory of the year. He ran for 161 rushing yards with two touchdowns. The 49ers come of their bye week as they have won three straight games. The last time a Titans team won consecutive games, you have to go back to November of 2022. The Titans played their best game of the season in that win. They beat the Browns who may be checked out for the season and a rookie quarterback in Shedeur Sanders. The Titans offense has only averaged 15.5 points per game this season. Cam Ward has been sacked 49 times this season. The 49ers defense will be able to handle the Titans offense. Brock Purdy will have a clean game. The 49ers need this win to stay in striking distance of both the Rams and Seahawks, two teams in the division. Then you have other NFC teams trying to grab a wild card spot if you can’t win that crazy NFC West. The 49ers will not break this week.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-5) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (10-3)

Can the 44 year old quarterback Phillip Rivers who has stolen all the headlines this week come back from retirement and win a big game against a hot Seattle team? The Seahawks have won three straight games. The Colts are desperate and that’s why they brought back Rivers because they have lost 3 straight games and are falling out of the playoff picture. The Seahawks are 5-1 at home this season. The Colts are missing some pieces especially the back end of the defense. The Seahawks have an explosive offense. The Seahawks defense is a strong unit. I’m not sure if I would start Rivers in this one. Another loss puts the Colts further back in the division and post-season. Rivers is the best chance the Colts have right now. He’s a competitor. He will be rusty. I don’t think he can win a shoot out style of game in his first start back since 2021. It’s a great story, so let’s hope Jags and Texans lose to make next week interesting for Rivers’ second game just in case he loses his first.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

GREEN BAY PACKERS (9-3-1) AT DENVER BRONCOS (11-2)

The Packers and Broncos come into this week both sitting at the number two seed in their respective conference. The Packers beat the Bears last week, took over first place in the division, and now have won 4 straight games. The Broncos continue to be in cruise control as they have won 10 straight games. With a Broncos win, they can clinch a playoff berth. Both teams have an elite quarterback hunter. The Packers have Micah Parsons while Broncos have Nik Bonitto. Both hunters have 12.5 sacks coming into this game. The Broncos defense has the better D unit over the Packers as a whole. This game will come down to which QB has the bigger game: Bo Nix or Jordan Love? I think Love with his arm will dial it up long distance and hook up on some big pass plays to put away the Broncos and snap their 10 game winning streak to make a statement.

OUR PICK: PACKERS

DETROIT LIONS (8-5) AT LA RAMS (10-3)

Remember when Matthew Stafford was the starting quarterback for the Lions while Jared Goff was the Rams guy? Since that trade, the Rams have won a Superbowl with Stafford while the Lions have been a staple in the post-season the last two years. Goff leads the head to head match up all-time vs Stafford 3-1 in 4 meetings including a playoff game where Jared won. The Rams are the number 1 seed in the NFC. They have Seattle right on their rear though in the division and the number 1 seed spot. The Lions come off a big win over a hot Cowboys team that needs wins because the Bears and the Packers are ahead of them in the division. The Rams rebounded nicely versus the Cardinals last week after being upset by the Panther in week 13. This will be a shoot out. I like the Rams defense better than the Lions to make the key stops to stop the bleeding.

OUR PICK: RAMS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (5-8) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (6-6-1)

JJ McCarthy had a huge game last week coming off a concussion that sidelined him for a game. The Cowboys lost in a shoot out on Thursday night versus the Lions in Detroit. The Cowboys are well rested and need to get back on track after the Lions snapped their winning streak. The Vikings beat up on the Commanders last week where McCarthy picked apart the worst pass defense in the league. Can he have the big style game on the road? The Cowboys average 32.6 points at home where the Vikings offense on the road does not quite match up with Dallas. The Cowboys need to win out pretty much if they want to make the playoffs. The Eagles will eventually win a game. The Cowboys are going to try to win the division, but just in case they need to also stay in the wild card hunt which is crowded right now. This is a perfect opponent to get back on track. The Vikings defense is solid, but Dak Prescott will get this Cowboys offense rolling as they should hit high 20’s in points or lower 30’s. The Vikings offense will not get that much off the Cowboys defense. The Cowboys have played well and had some chances with the Lions until Detroit pulled away. Cowboys stay alive in the playoff push.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-7) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-7)

The Dolphins have won 4 straight games coming into this Monday night match up. The Steelers will be without their best pass rusher, TJ Watt, who was hospitalized experiencing lung discomfort. The Steelers come off an impressive win over their arch rival Baltimore Ravens last week. If the Dolphins lose they will be eliminated officially from the post-season. The Dolphins have played better football in this 4 game win streak. The Dolphins defense are still the weakest link in this match up which the Steelers will exploit. Last week perhaps the temperatures were not under 40 degrees in New Jersey where they beat the Jets. I know Pittsburgh means it will be colder temperatures and that does not work for the Dolphins as they have lost 13 straight games when the thermometer reads under 40. Fish popsicles for all Steelers fans after the game. Being a night game, it should be colder in Pittsburgh. Dolphins will once again miss the post-season.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

The Indianapolis Colts were cruising to the post-season with aN 8-2 record leading the AFC South. The two hottest teams in the AFC have been the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos. The Colts were keeping up with those two teams eyeing the number 1 seed. During pre-season, the Colts decided to give Daniel Jones the starting nod over their number 1 pick, Anthony Richardson. The former quarterback for the New York Giants has resurrected into Indiana Jones who was having his best season in the NFL this season. The Colts have the best running back in the league with Jonathan Jones. Suddenly the wheels fell off the bus as the Colts have lost three straight games. Jones is lost for the season tearing his right Achilles tendon last weekend. Former Colts and Charger Phillip Rivers is coming out of retirement to try to save this season for Indianapolis, the team he called home for one season. It was the last team Rivers has played for.

Why not just insert Anthony Richardson into the starting job to be Daniel Jones’ replacement for the rest of the season? Instead of bringing a guy out of retirement, it makes a lot of sense. Richardson has been on the injured list since way back from pre-season. During warm ups he fractured his orbital which are tiny little breaks around the eye socket. Richardson was drafted in the 1st round of the 2023 NFL draft 4th overall out Florida University. He does have a winning record at 8-7 as a starter in the NFL. He has only completed 50.6% of his passes. He has thrown 13 interceptions to only 11 touchdown passes. He has been injury prone as the eye socket is not the first of his injuries he has had in the NFL. The Colts do have a rookie quarterback in Riley Leonard, who they drafted in the 6th round from Notre Dame. He has seen some action in two games, has an interception, and has tallied 145 passing yards. Filling in for Jones he did hurt his knee in that game. He may be able to start versus the Seahawks. The Colts also activated another veteran quarterback, a journeyman Brett Rypien, who may see action as well. Rypien is 2-2 as a starter in his NFL career. He has played in 11 total games. He has 4 touchdown passes to 9 interceptions. Now you see the reasons for giving Phillip Rivers a call. Rivers then did a workout for the Colts. The coaching staff obviously seem satisfied to then have the front office sign him. We may see Rivers back on the NFL field after the Seattle game this weekend.

Phillip Rivers is 44 years of age. He has not played in the NFL since the Colts playoff game in Buffalo on January 9th of 2021. The Colts lost that game to the Bills 27-24. Rivers had a pretty good game throwing for 309 passing yards with two touchdown passes and had one interception. In 2020, his last year in the NFL, during regular season he started 16 games and went 11-5 as the Colts starter that season. He was completing 68% of his passes while throwing 24 touchdown passes to only 11 interceptions. Rivers has the gunslinger mentality & he is not afraid to throw a interception as he had 209 of them over a 17 year career in the NFL. He also threw 421 touchdown passes and tallied up 63,440 passing yards along the way. He was drafted in the first round 4th overall in the 2004 NFL draft. Rivers was an 8x Pro Bowler. He played in 12 post-season games as he had a record of 5-7 in the playoffs and never made it to the Superbowl.

Phillip Rivers has gone toe to toe against the best quarterbacks of his time in Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Brady played until he was 45 years of age. Rivers has played with two 40 or older quarterbacks backs that are still in the league playing in today’s NFL. Joe Flacco, now with the Bengals, started with the Browns earlier this season. He is 2-8 as a starter this season. He has completed 60.2% of his passes while throwing 15 touchdown passes to 10 interceptions and he is 40 years of age. Aaron Rodgers beat the Ravens last week to help put the Steelers in first place by themselves. Rodgers is 42 years of age and he has completed 65.4% of his passes and thrown 20 touchdown passes to 7 interceptions. He is 7-5 as the starter for the Steelers this year. If these two guys can be productive, why can’t Rivers make a successful comeback? The Colts have a solid offensive line. Best running back in the league. He also has some play makers that Daniel Indiana Jones had no problems hitting in stride this season.

The Colts record stands right now at 8-5 and they have lost three straight games. The Texans are 8-5 as well in the NFC South but have won the first meeting of the year two weeks ago. The Jaguars are winning the division and they are currently 9-4. The Colts lost to the Jags last week. The AFC conference is stacked with many teams trying to claim three wild card spots, if they can’t win their division. It’s very hard for three teams in the same division to make the post-season but it has happened. After the Seahawks game this weekend, the Colts play the 49ers and have rematches against both the Texans and Jaguars. Phillip Rivers has stayed in shape as he has coached some high school football which has been a successful program that has turned into a state powerhouse. He has also coached his own son, Gunner Rivers, a highly touted 2027 Quarterback prospect. Gunner has been the quarterback for the Catholic high school in Alabama, St. Michael. Rivers has ten children so he has been busy and not a couch potato since his retirement. His body has healed since his last throw in the NFL. I think in today’s NFL game the league protects the quarterback position so guys can thrive in their 40’s if they have longevity. Not sure I would run Rivers out against the Seahawks defense. I think he could play well versus the 49ers defense. This may be the only chance the Colts have to save their season. It’s not like quarterbacks are growing on trees where teams can just pluck one when they need one. Rivers may be the best chance they got. He knows the Colts offense. I believe he uses a similar style when he coaches as well. It would be a great story if he guides the Colts to the playoffs. Remember Nick Foles did the same thing for the Eagles and helped them win their first ever Superbowl beating the Patriots in that one. I think it will be tough because of all the teams in the thick of things. They would need to win most of all these games and would have to rely on help from other teams. The Colts dug themselves a gigantic hole losing three straight games. You never know with a gunslinger, they could get hot and things could happen.