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)

PIC GHOST OF THE FUTURE

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.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I did feel like Charlie Brown with my picks from last week.

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: (9-5)

SEASON RECORD: (115-63)

NFL WEEK 13 STRAIGHT PICK-EM

THE THURSDAY THANKSGIVING DAY GAMES

GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-3-1) AT DETROIT LIONS (7-4)

When division games are played on Thanksgiving, they normally turn out well. Even with winning records, both the Lions and Packers are looking up at the Bears leading the NFC North. That can’t be right. This is is a big game for both teams. Both these teams struggled to get by the Giants. Both teams score under ten points versus the Eagles in recent weeks. The Packers defense was impressive vs the Vikings. JJ McCarthy for the Vikings has struggled though throwing more interceptions than touchdown passes. The Lions offense lost one of their key weapons in tight end Sam LaPorta. The Lions offense can still hum with the best of them. I give the Packers a slight edge on the defensive side of the ball over the Lions. The Packers on opening day this season held the Lions offense to 13 points. The Packers have not been humming quite as they like to on offense. Can Jordan Love take advantage of a questionable Lions secondary? The Lions have the better running game over the two teams. I like how the Lions play at home. They also always play better on Thanksgiving Day. This game is too close to call. It is hard to sweep teams in the same division. I like the Lions winning this one in the last minute of the game in a battle the entire way. It sets the tone of some great football games in week 13.

OUR PICK: LIONS

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-5) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (5-5-1)

The Chiefs saved their season in a win versus the visiting Colts last week. The Cowboys are in the same boat as the Chiefs and they had a big win versus their arch rival, the Eagles, last week. The Cowboys have won two straight games since their bye week and are creeping up in the NFC conference. Both teams probably have no chance to win their own division. The Chiefs and Cowboys are fighting to land a wild card spot. In big games, Patrick Mahomes has gotten the job done for the Chiefs in the past over the Cowboys QB, Dak Prescott. The Cowboys on paper have the better offense. The Chiefs have the better defense. The Cowboys defense is better with the additions they added at the trade deadline. Overall, it’s a better unit and not the laughingstock of the league like it was. The Chiefs sit at 1-4 on the road this season. The Cowboys are better at home where they are 3-1. The Chiefs are favored to win this one. The Cowboys have the extra emotion playing for their fallen teammate, Marshawn Kneeland, who committed suicide over the team’s bye week. I like the Cowboys rushing attack over the Chiefs. The Chiefs will have a hard time running the ball versus the Cowboys’ front seven. The Chiefs are without their starting guard, Trey Smith, & that will eventually hurt Mahomes. The Cowboys’ new addition, former Jets defensive lineman, is trouble with a capital T for the Chiefs to handle. He will be the X-factor to help his team win their 3rd straight and sets the Chiefs back once again this season.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-8) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-5)

HE’S BACK!!! Joe Burrow is back from his injury from earlier this season, and he will start the game for the Bengals. Can Burrow save the Bengals season? The Ravens have saved their own season winning 5 straight games after starting 1-5 out of the gates. The Ravens find themselves on top of the AFC North which is familiar territory for Lamar Jackson and company. With six games left for the Bengals, they pretty much need to win them all and hope other teams help them during that span to make it into the playoffs. The Bengals will have their star wide receiver returning, J’aMarr Chase, after getting suspended by the league 1 game for spitting on Steelers defensive back Patrick Ramsey. Burrow may be rusty. With those receivers he has, the Bengals will still score some points. Can Burrow win a shoot out in his first game from the injury? We have been waiting for the Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson since he has been back from his injury to have that big offensive game which he has not had. Jackson going against the Bengals defense means he could have a big night. The Ravens can lean heavily on their running game as well with Derrick Henry in the back field to kill the clock and keep Burrow on the sideline. It’s a division game. It will be close most of the way. The Ravens pull away late in this one to win their sixth straight while the Bengals lose their 5th straight.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

THE BLACK FRIDAY GAME

CHICAGO BEARS (8-3) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (8-3)

Shop until you drop or watch football on Friday afternoon the day after Thanksgiving. Which do you choose? The NFL has me sold watching football on BLACK FRIDAY!!! Can you place the Bears in the same conversation as the Eagles as two of the top teams of the NFC Conference? The Bears keep winning. The Eagles were snake bitten by the rebrand of those Cowboys last Sunday. The Eagles are defending champs and they have brought NFC North offenses to a screaming halt holding the Packers to just 7 points. Then the Lions to only 9 points. The Bears have the luxury of playing an easy schedule because they were horrific last year. The Bears did beat the Steelers last week. It was a Steelers team minus Aaron Rodgers who owns the Bears when he played for Green Bay. The Bears have beaten teams like the Saints, Raiders, Commanders, Giants, & Bengals without Joe Burrow, Vikings, and the Cowboys. That was when their defense was giving up way more than a whorehouse giving out free mints. The Bears losses have come from Ravens, Lions, and Vikings in week 1. You have to believe the Eagles will rebound from the division loss. They are playing this game in Philly. I don’t see any last minute heroics from Caleb Williams with that Eagles defense. The Bears defense is banged up & the Eagles should be able to run the ball well. Jalen Hurts should have no problem moving the offense with their aerial attack. The Bears need the Eagles to get in a bus crash on the way to the stadium to win this game.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

THE SUNDAY TILT

ATLANTA FALCONS (4-7) AT NEW YORK JETS (2-9)

The Falcons broke a long losing streak with their back up QB Kirk Cousins, who got it done in New Orleans last week. The Jets will have their back up QB facing Captain Kirk as they trot out Tyrod Taylor once again for his second start in two weeks.

The Jets former interim head coach will making his first appearance facing his old team. The X-factor Jeff Ulbrich is now the Falcons defensive coach. Ulbrich was the Jets defensive coordinator until he got promoted last year. The year of DARKNESS RETREAT with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Ulbrich has his current Falcons defensive unit number 3 in the league in sacks. The Jets, despite some changes on their current defense, have played well against the run which is the Falcons’ bread and butter. Jets have won each game when they face their opponents back up QB as Cousins will be the third. Falcons are playing outside. Atlanta has not won two games in a row. I like how the Jets have been playing as they have been battling. They could have mentally cashed out weeks ago. I like an upset here.

OUR PICK: JETS

HOUSTON TEXANS (5-4) AT INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-3)

Will Anderson Jr. is BEAST MAN from He-Man Masters of the Universe. He was all over Josh Allen last week as the Texans defense is for real as they had 8 sacks. The Colts have a kink in their armor. Indianapolis Jones, AKA Daniel, played his worst game as the starting QB in Indianapolis versus the Chiefs. Anderson Jr. former Texan & Mario Williams with six straight games with a sack. The Texans have won three straight and are back in the playoff picture. They have this winning streak because of Davis Mills, the back up QB who started all three games. The Colts still have the best running back in the game with Jonathan Taylor. The Texans will have their starting QB CJ Stroud back behind center. This is the first match up of the season between these division rivals. The Colts are 6-0 at home this season. I think Jones will be a sitting duck behind center playing with a fracture in one of his legs. I think Texans will get a spark from Stroud. The Texans defense will contain Taylor’s efforts, win the first one, and make things really interesting in the AFC South.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-8) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-5)

Will Baker Mayfield suit up for the Buccaneers? The Buccaneers back up is veteran Teddy Bridgewater as Mayfield has a shoulder injury. The visiting Cardinals have their back up QB behind center for several weeks with Jacoby Brissett. The Cardinals are not winning games, but they are playing in many close games. They have lost three straight. The Buccaneers have also lost three straight as injuries have hurt Tampa Bay at their playmaker positions. The Cardinals will not make it to post-season as they are playing spoiler. The Buccaneers are lucky teams in the division like Panthers and Falcons have not strung victories together during this losing streak. This will be a close game. Mayfield will play, gut this one out, and help his team break this current losing streak. He’ll find the win column and keep the Buccaneers ahead in the NFC South.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-9) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (4-7)

After the Saints rookie quarterback, Tyler Shough, won his first ever start, New Orleans regressed against a bad Falcons team. Meanwhile Miami was on their bye week and they have won two straight. The Dolphins have played better at home where they have a 3-3 record. Last week the Saints running back, Alvin Kamara, twisted his ankle and had to leave the game. They may not have Kamara’s services this week. Which leaves a rookie running back or the Saints’ Swiss Army knife.

Taysom Hill, AKA the Mormon Hill, can play tight end, wide receiver, quarterback, and running back. He has a career of 34 rushing touchdowns, but if the Saints have him carry the full load, they may be in trouble as he averaged only 2.2 yards per carry this season. The Dolphins defense is not very good but during this win streak they have played better all of a sudden. The Dolphins running back, De’von Achane, has been hot carrying the rock as he seeks his 3rd straight game with 100 or more rushing yards. The Saints on offense have problems scoring points. The Dolphins offense will get at least 20 or more points which will be enough to get another W in the win column.

OUR PICK: DOLPHINS

LA RAMS (8-2) AT CAROLINA PANTHERS (6-5)

The Carolina Panthers are the box of chocolate from which no one in the world knows what to expect.

The Panthers defense last week picked off Brock Purdy three times. However Bryce Young threw two interceptions versus the 49ers D. The Panthers can win a shoot out with Atlanta and shit the bed versus the Saints. Panthers are 3-2 at home and are still in the conversation for now about the post-season. Now you face a better team in the Rams than the 49ers, like you did on Monday night. Young is too erratic for my taste. The Rams offense is rolling. Matthew Stafford is the best QB right now in the league. The Panthers have a good defense, but those wide receivers are too much for them to handle. The Rams defense can stop the Panthers offense. How does a Panthers offense keep up with the best team in the NFC right now in scoring? That is the biggest question. I think you know the answer.

OUR PICK: RAMS

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (8-3) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-8)

Now all of sudden Shedeur Sanders is the best thing since sliced bread because of his first start. Yes, he is the first Cleveland rookie QB to win his first start since the 1990’s. This breaking a string of 17 games. Why did the Raiders fire their offensive coordinator after this game? Chip Banks running that Raiders offense has done a very bad job. Sanders completed 11-20 throws which is good for 55% for 209 passing yards. He did throw a touchdown pass but also threw a pick. I’m not buying what he is selling, or the Browns organization, or his following. The 49ers team is a different animal. History is not on the 49ers side. The 49ers last time they won in Cleveland you have to go back to 1984. The Browns defense has kept them in most games this season. Jim Schwartz, the D-Coordinator in for the Browns in 3 games versus Kyle Shanahan’s offense, has held the 49ers to 15.7 points per game. Brock Purdy will have to do better than he did on Monday night versus the Panthers throwing three picks. I believe Purdy will rebound and have a flawless game. Christian McCaffrey will help doing the heavy lifting running the ball and taking short passes for scores. If I was a betting man, I bet Sanders will have a bad day at the office versus the 49ers defense that can get turnovers. That unit will be licking their chops ready to go beast mode on the rookie.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (7-4) AT TENNESSEE TITANS (1-10)

The Jaguars are chasing the Colts in the NFC South while the Texans suddenly caught fire and are chasing both Jacksonville and Indianapolis. Could the Jaguars look past the Titans due to facing the Colts next week? Cam Ward has upped his game as the QB rating is creeping up. Ward has had back to back games where he engineered two scoring drives to pull within one score of their opponents in the 4th quarter. The Jags are one of the teams that give up the most points in the 4th quarter. The stat that favors the Jaguars defense is they have tallied up 9 sacks in the last two games. Ward is the most sacked quarterback in the NFL. The Jaguars has a hot back in their back field in Travis Etienne Jr. the last few games. The Titans defense has their share of problems with running backs this season getting chunks of yardage. The Jaguars defense will get the pressure on Ward and that offensive and create a few turnovers to put away the Titans in this one. The Titans are playing better. I think Jacksonville will not give this game away.

OUR PICK: JAGUARS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-7) AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-3)

Oh if only the Vikings had a quarterback this season. The Vikings defense has played solid most of the year. Former Viking QB Sam Darnold will face his old team from last year where he stayed there one season and led Minnesota to the post-season. The Viking starting QB JJ McCarthy is out with a concussion in this game. He has thrown more interceptions than touchdown passes this season, his rookie season. Vikings veteran QB Carson Wentz is out with a shoulder injury. Now the Vikings are relying on an undrafted rookie in Max Brosmer, who played in the Big Ten last year with the Gophers at the University of Minnesota. I would love the underdog story of the undrafted QB playing football at the local University & then playing with the pro team and winning games. This is a tall task to ask for any kid trying to win in Seattle and starting his first ever game. The Seahawks have a great defense. Darnold has done well leading the offense this season and rebounded last week from his worst game two weeks ago versus the Rams. The Vikings have averaged 16.8 points per game in the last six games where they have lost 5 of them. I just don’t see Max coming out blazing in his first start in the NFL in a stadium that gets loud.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

BUFFALO BILLS (7-4) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (6-5)

The Steelers will have Aaron Rodgers back this week versus the Bills. Rodgers sat out last week versus the Bears with a fractured wrist on his non-throwing hand. The Bills will be without their two stud offensive linemen in Spencer Brown and Dion Dawkins. Josh Allen was sacked 8 times in the Bills loss to the Texans a week before Thanksgiving. The Steelers will rely heavily on the run as the Bills have had problems stopping it this season. The Steelers defense has done very well at creating turnovers. The Bills have been making plenty of mistakes as Josh Allen has thrown 5 interceptions in last three games. The Bills are having some fumble issues as well. The thing the Bills could do is run the ball with James Cook who is one of the best running back in the NFL this season. He is averaging 5.4 yards per carry and has 8 touchdowns. The Steelers have 5 games they have allowed 30 points or more. The Bills do better at home than on the road. Some of the road losses the Bills offense have scored under 20 points. After some big losses this season, the Bills have came back and have won the next game. I think the mentality of the next man up will play big for the Bills. I think this team will come together and find a way to beat the Steelers on the road and get back on track.

OUR PICK: BILLS

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-8) AT LA CHARGERS (7-4)

The Raiders fired their offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. I think it’s time for the entire Raiders offense to walk the plank, especially their quarterback Geno Smith. The Chargers were embarrassed last time out as the Jaguars tortured LA for 35 points and left Justin Herbert eating the Florida turf. The Chargers coming off their bye week probably welcome the Raiders with open arms. The Raiders have lost 5 straight games. The Chargers are 3-0 versus the Raiders since he has taken over as head coach for LA. I think the Chargers addressed their offensive line issues in the bye week. They will have a better plan to protect Herbert. The Chargers defense will play better because their last time out there was not pretty. Before the Jaguars, the Chargers defense was playing well. The Raiders should start their back up Kenny Pickett. Smith will get the nod while the Chargers get back in the win column.

OUR PICK: CHARGERS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

DENVER BRONCOS (9-2) AT WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-8)

Both the Broncos and Commanders are coming off their bye week. The Commanders last time we saw them in Europe were losing a close game to the Dolphins. The Broncos have won 8 straight games. The Commanders have lost 6 straight games. The Commanders will have Scary Terry McLaurin back from an injury.

However, the Commanders will not have their starting quarterback as Jayden Daniels will miss another game. His replacement veteran Marcus Mariota is 1-4 behind center this season as the starter. The Broncos are the best defense in the NFL. The Commanders have one of the worst even though their head coach Dan Quinn is calling the plays on defense. Their defense did better versus the Dolphins. The Broncos should have no problems dismantling the Commanders offense. Look for Bo Nix and the Broncos offense to have better overall performance on the scoreboard in this one. The Broncos streak stays alive and well.

OUR PICK: BRONCOS

THE MONDAY NIGHT GAME

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-10) AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (10-2)

The Giants lost another game giving up the lead late. The NFC North teams have had their way with New York as the Lions won last week in over time. The Packers came back to beat the Giants the week before. Then The Bears did it. Meanwhile the Patriots have struck lightning in a bottle and now have won 9 straight games. The Giants have lost six straight games. The Patriots will have a bye next week and could be winners of ten straight. The Giants fired their defensive coordinator as the coaching staff continue to be shaken up. They fired Shane Bowen and now Charlie Bullen will call the defense. The way this week has played out, I see the Patriots stumbling here.

The Patriots have some injuries at the offensive line. I can see Drake Maye ending up on Dexter’s table. Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns of the Giants defensive line will have a huge impact in this game and give Maye his worst game of the season. Burns already has 13 sacks this season. A new voice calling the plays. Plus, the Giants are getting their rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart back from his concussion he suffered during the Bears game. Dart is a duel threat and will not turn over the football like the others -Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson. I see the Patriots looking at their bye week and overlooking the G-Men who have been losing to many close games. Now they figure it out.

OUR PICK: GIANTS

The 2024 NFL class of quarterbacks that were drafted in round one have now all seen action in the league. All six quarterbacks have become the face of their franchise. Each franchise hoping they have found their solution behind center for the next ten seasons at least. It has been one full season and we are about 10 to 11 games into the second season. We have seen some ups and downs. We have seen improvement into the sophomore year. We have seen some of these top picks fizzle in their second season that leaves fans questioning if they got the right guy. Last year Jayden Daniels was by far the most impressive QB out of the bunch. Bo Nix was the sleeper pick who was the last guy standing out of the half dozen that Denver ended up with. Some of these guys have benefited with new coaches in their second year and a system that works for them. Are a few of these guys already skating on thin ice? We will rank the class from worst to first. Some of these franchises are bright with their guy. While dark clouds will follow some of these other franchises, and it’s not Chicago.

#6. Michael Penix Jr. (Atlanta Falcons)

The Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. out of Washington University at number 8. Michael saw some action in his rookie year for the struggling Kirk Cousins. In three games in 2024, he gave the Falcons a jolt in their offense. This season Penix Jr. has a 3-6 record as a starter. He went 1-2 in his rookie season as the starter. He has completed 60.1% of his passes for 9 touchdown passes and 3 interceptions. In two seasons, he is 4-8 as a starter while completing 59.6% of his passes for 12 touchdown passes and six picks. His season ended last week as he tore his left ACL and will need a season-ending surgery. The Falcons should have been well aware of his injury history in college where he tore two ACL’s, fractured a collar bone, and needed shoulder surgery.

The word Fragile is not Italian describing Penix Jr. here. The Falcons were not getting enough offense from him when he was behind center this season. The Panthers shut out the Falcons in their first meeting earlier in the season. If I were the Falcons front office, I may look elsewhere next season for another quarterback.

#5. JJ McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings)

JJ McCarthy was selected after Michael Penix Jr. at the number 10 selection by the Minnesota Vikings from University of Michigan. This is McCarthy’s first season as he was injured in preseason and missed the entire 2024 season. McCarthy is another injury prone Quarterback as he has missed time this season already. He has missed several weeks and has only made 5 starts this year. The Vikings are 2-3 when McCarthy is the starter. He is only completing 52.9% of his passes. He has more interceptions than touchdown passes. Those numbers are 6 and 8. Do you give McCarthy a hall pass since it is his rookie season in the NFL? He is definitely behind the 8 ball more than the rest of the class. You can’t blame the Vikings system of head coach Kevin O’Connell who is a QB whisperer. Sam Darnold had a monster year last season and saved his NFL career playing in O’Connell’s system with very talented playmakers the Vikings have. You may have to say the jury is still out on the former college National champion. The lower completion percentage and interceptions will not keep him in the driver’s seat very long.

#4. Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)

Washington fans do not want to hear they may have their next R G III with Jayden Daniels. Robert Griffin III came into the league like gang busters just like Daniels last year. R G III was a duel threat and was doing things with his legs and arm as the Redskins at that time were winning games. Injuries caught up to the running man. In year two, Daniels has only made six starts so far after one hell of a rookie campaign. This season when Daniels has played, he has done well. He has a record 2-4 though. He has completed 62.5% of his passes and thrown 8 touchdowns to two interceptions. In two seasons, he is 14-9 as a starting QB in the NFL while completing 62.3 % of his passes. He has thrown 33 touchdown passes to only 11 interceptions. He has used his legs for impressive runs and has found the end zone multiple times. He has engineered some epic game winning drives including a Hail Mary pass to beat the Bears in 2024. He was selected number two overall by the Commanders from LSU. He was the Rookie of the Year last year. This season the injuries could just be a few bumps in the road. To me it looks like the ghost of R G III. Daniels’ size is a concern because running quarterbacks like him take way too many hits.

#3. Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears)

I have to admit the Chicago Bears have found a franchise quarterback in Caleb Williams. Mr. Number 1 draft choice overall in the 2024 NFL Draft out of USC. The Bears had to take him. If they went Drake Maye, everyone would have been yelling and screaming about the next coming of Mitch Trubisky. This as the New England quarterback went to North Carolina University like the Biscuit. Last time the Bears had a legit quarterback, you have to go back to the 1940’s with Sid Luckman. I know the punky QB Jim McMahon helped the Bears win their only Superbowl. He was a winner most definitely, but he won ugly. Injuries prevented him from being even better. Would Jayden Daniels have been that good his rookie season in a Bears uniform? Probably not. Williams is playing better than his rookie season because of the new head coach offensive genius, Ben Johnson. Williams this season as Bears starter is 7-3 as he completing 59.7% of his passes which could be higher. He has thrown 13 touchdown passes to 4 interceptions so far this season. He had a losing record with the old coaching staff his rookie season so as a starter in two seasons so far he is 12-15. He has for his career completed 61.4% of his passes, so you know he is capable. He has thrown 33 touchdown passes compared to 10 interceptions. The last Bears quarterback, Justin Fields, could not throw the ball down the field consistently. He is having the same problems in a Jets uniform. When Fields had control of the offense with the game on the line tied, down by a score he shit the bed. Williams is one of the top leaders in game winning drives this season. You knock him for that because why does he not have a complete game from the start of the game until the finish. Sometimes Williams’ throws are off the mark. You can point that on some cases, the receiver did not finish his route or did not time it out correctly. With Johnson’s offense, it will take time for everyone to be on the same page. I will be curious to see what Williams does if the Bears make the post-season. If the Bears do make the post-season, how will he do next season when the schedule gets tougher as Chicago is playing an easier one being bad last season. Williams is still a guy that is developing and has potential for playing like a number overall pick at some point.

#2. Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)

In my opinion, Bo Nix was second best out of the 2024 QB class last season. This season he is still second best. Only Jayden Daniels was better than Nix out of this class last year. Nix was drafted number 12 overall from Oregon University by the Broncos and was the last quarterback selected in the first round. Nix started off slow & then adapted to the speed of the NFL game and led the Broncos to the post-season in his first year as a pro. The Broncos this season have a difficult schedule from making it to the post-season last year, but Nix has responded. The Broncos are 9-2 and slayed the Chiefs demon last week and Denver should win the AFC West which Kansas City has owned for years. Nix as a starter this season is 9-2 and is completing 61.2% of his passes. He has thrown 18 touchdown passes to only 8 interceptions. So far in two seasons as a starter, he is 19-9 with a completion percentage of 61.2% and has 47 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions. Nix could be number 1 overall, but the Broncos offense has slowed it’s roll the last few games. Thank the lord they have that defense to help them continue to put up W’s in the win column. Nix looks like he has the stones to be the guy Denver has been looking for since Peyton Manning hung up the spikes for good.

#1. Drake Maye (New England Patriots)

It seems very unfair the Patriots have found their quarterback this soon. It seems like yesterday the Evil Empire was blowing up the league with Tom Brady. The Patriots have been red hot with Drake Maye behind center for them in year two as something has clicked. Maye was drafted third overall from North Carolina University. This year he is 9-2 with him as the starter. He has produced some sick numbers in a great way. First of all he’s completing 71.9% of his passes. Did he have Brady DNA pumped into his body? Maybe Bill Belichick back then found a way to tap into his former quarterback Brady just in case he left him high and dry. Which he did and Belichick would end up getting canned a few seasons after Tom went down to Tampa. Maye has thrown 20 touchdown passes and has only 5 interceptions. In two seasons so far, he does have a winning record due to this year he is 12-11 now. His completion rate all-time so far is still high at 69.1%. He has 35 touchdown passes overall to 15 picks. The Patriots are playing an easy schedule. The way Maye is playing, the Patriots will reclaim the AFC East that the BIlls have ran over the last dozen years. Maye is another guy who has a new head coach in Mike Vrabel. Along with a new offensive coordinator.The Patriots offensive coordinator is Josh McDaniels, who was a staple of the old dynasty is doing the same job. McDaniels sucks being a head coach in the NFL. However, he has mastered the offensive coordinator position and has helped Maye get better in his second season. The Patriots have an easy schedule this season being bad last year. I think Maye will still do well having a difficult schedule which he will most likely have next season. I’m curious how Maye will do in post season. If he is the new Brady, we are all in trouble. Right now his play on the field is the best out of this entire 2024 class of quarterbacks chosen in the first round.