STRAIGHT PICK-EM WEEK 13

LAST WEEK’S RECORD: 10-6

SEASON RECORD: 102-78

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

The last two times the Bills have faced the Patriots, Buffalo has owned New England including the playoff game last year. This is a huge game for both teams. Bills trying to get the number one seed in the playoffs and most importantly, start taking care of the division foes. Meanwhile Patriots getting a win will keep them in the hunt for a wild card and keep up with all the stacked teams in the AFC East. Bills are 0-2 in the division this season. Patriots are 2-0 in the division & both are wins over the Jets who the Bills lost to.

Bills get healthier on their defense with Tremaine Edmunds back from an injury. Those last two games these two teams have played each other, Bills have not punted in either game. Patriots do not match up with the Bills receivers. Josh Allen is starting to feel better from the elbow issue he had in that Jets game several weeks ago. Patriots have the Jets’ numbers & Bills will have the Patriots number.

OUR PICK: BILLS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

PITTSBURGH STEELERS AT ATLANTA FALCONS

The Falcons are still in the thick of things in a very bad NFC South. The Steelers have been developing their rookie, Kenny Pickett, who helped lead his team over the Colts last week. The Steelers have one of the best run defenses in the league. Hot-Atlanta relies heavily on the running attack with their three-headed back field and Marcus Mariota’s legs. Can Kenny Pickett pick apart the Falcons’ weakness which is their secondary? Atlanta has played everyone tough this season and are 4-2 at home. This will be a close game. Too close to call and could go any way. Steelers may be playing without their top running back Najee Harris who they lost in the Colts game. Can Brandon Snell carry the entire load? I like the Falcons being at home and coming up with a big play from either special teams or offense or even the defense to decide this gate late and stay on the Buccaneers’ heels.

OUR PICK: FALCONS

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS AT DETROIT LIONS

Anyone who predicts this game right deserves a metal. Both the Jaguars and Lions have been the laughingstock of the league for it seems forever. Both teams have played better and come in with the same exact record of 4-7. Jaguars stunned the Ravens with a walk off 2-point conversion call. Lions played Buffalo very tough on Thanksgiving but came into that game winning three in a row. Since 2019, the Jaguars are 1-21 on the road the way which they are 1-4 this season away from Florida. Lions are 0-10-1 in their past 11 non-conference games. Trevor Lawrence has been playing much better over his last three games with no interceptions and 6 touchdown passes. Jared Goff has played very well for the Lions in the last 4 games. I like the Lions offensive line creating nice holes for the Lions’ run game. Jamaal Williams leads the NFL with the most rushing touchdowns with 13. Most by any Lion running back since the 1990’s when Barry Sanders was carrying the rock.

Lions control the clock and prevail with a big win at home.

OUR PICK: LIONS

NEW YORK JETS AT MINNESOTA VIKINGS

The Jets and the Vikings might be two of the luckiest teams with winning records. Vikings responded after getting ram-rodded by the Cowboys beating the Patriots on Thanksgiving night. The Jets benched Zach Wilson, and Mike White had the game of his life versus a very bad Bears defense. The Jets young defense has played very well this year, but the Vikings receiver will absolutely sauce rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner. Vikings defense should be able to bring Mike White back down to earth. The Vikings will be able to generate points of the Jets defense. I just don’t think the Jets can match the scoring with the Vikings. Look for Dalvin Cook to have a big game for the Vikings as he has been quiet in the last few weeks… too quiet.

OUR PICK:VIKINGS

WASHINGTON COMMADERS AT NEW YORK GIANTS

The Commanders are on the rise. While the Giants are slowly coming back down to earth with that hot start. Giants have lost two in a row while the Commanders have won 3 in a row. Both teams are just averaging 20 points per game coming in. Watch this one be a shoot-out. Giants are 0-2 in their division. The Commanders have been playing solid defense as they find a way to get to the quarterback. As a team they sit around the top ten in the league in sacks. Giants win close low scoring games which this one could be. The Commanders have only lost one game with Taylor Heinicke behind center. Daniel Jones & the Giants, when feeling pressure which this game is a pressure cooker, play poorly. I like how the Commanders play when Heinicke is the quarterback. They grind out games until the opposing team is buried in the turf on the final whistle.

OUR PICK: COMMANDERS

GREEN BAY PACKERS AT CHICAGO BEARS

This game between the Packers and the Bears might be the World Series for both teams that have very bad records. It’s like the Packers have been brought down to the Bears level. This game was slated to have both teams using back-up quarterbacks. Justin Fields missed last Sunday’s game due to a shoulder. Bears’ landlord Aaron Rodgers went out last Sunday game with a rib injury. Trevor Siemian, the Bears starter from last week, is out definitely with an injury. Bears only have Nathan Peterman.

Years ago, Peterman made a start for the Buffalo Bills and threw 5 interceptions against the Chargers. Oh the humiliation that would be having him replay that performance versus the Packers. Suddenly Justin Fields is back. Instead of Jordan Love taking over for the Packers’ mess to finish the season, Aaron Rodgers wants one more crack at the Bears. Packers have won way too many in a row. Anything can go in this one. I think the Bears make a stand in which this will be the last time they see Rodgers in a Packers uniform, and they bury him. Rodgers has played poorly. Fields on the field means Bears can score points. Bears win the game, conclude the season, and get a high pick in the draft which is a win-win season in Chicago.

OUR PICK: DA BEARS

TENNESSEE TITANS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Titans lost a close one against the Bengals last Sunday. The Eagles fought off the Packers to stay tops in the NFC. Will this be A.J Brown’s revenge game? Former Titan could not get paid left town and got the money in Philly. Football players don’t hold grudges. The Eagles defense should be able to contain Titans running back Derrick Henry at some point of the game. Eagles will do that by building a big lead where the Titans will have to pass the ball. Titans’ defenses are very good at stopping the run, but duo-threat quarterbacks can make things difficult for Tennessee. I like Jalen Hurts escaping the pocket in crucial third downs to keep the Titans defense on the field longer. Beating the Eagles at home is a very difficult task.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

DENVER BRONCOS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS

I’m done picking the Broncos. Owen Wilson is inside Russell Wilson’s body.

Broncos will not be crashing no weddings in Baltimore. The Ravens were embarrassed last week being humiliated versus the Jaguars. Ravens come out hungry and take care of business against Owen Wilson’s bad Bronco offense.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

CLEVELAND BROWNS AT HOUSTON TEXANS

Only in the NFL they find a way to make the suspended Dashaun Watson return against his old team in his first game action of the season. Watson returns from his 11 game suspension. His ole stomping grounds. All of Watson’s accusers will be on hand in Houston at the game.

Finally Houston fans get to boo like all those teams that boo their baseball team. Maybe the Astros can bring the trash cans to the game. If only Lovie Smith had some great game plan. A quarterback. The Browns will struggle. The Texans will come out to play. Nick Chubb should have a big game. This is the NFL and I feel the good guys will win one for the Zipper.

Watson will be rusty. I don’t know how. Texans prevail as Watson will make the mistake that costs the Browns the game in his return.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT LA RAMS

Seattle gets off the two-game skid with a win versus a bad Rams team. Rams offense has nothing but a few sparks left in their zippo lighter as who knows who they will have behind center in this one. The Rams defense is struggling with injuries. I think Seahawks have too many weapons to keep them off the score board. Rams will need a shutout to actually win this one. Geno Smith and Seattle’s offense rebounded from Germany by putting up a ton of points against the Raiders. The Seattle defense gave up more points not being able to stop the Vegas offense. The Seahawks defense should rebound this week. Tyler Lockett is one receiving touchdown short of tying a Seahawks record. If Lockett catches a touchdown pass, he will have one of those in his 5th straight game. I like the chances of him getting that.

OUR PICK: SEAHAWKS

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT SAN FRNCISCO 49ERS

Great offense meets great defense. Dolphins’ offense is a high-powered offense with both a running attack and passing attack against one of the best defenses in the league. The 49ers who pitched a shut out against the Saints last Sunday. Dolphins have scored at least 30 something points in the last 4 games which tied their longest streak in franchise history. The 49ers have not allowed points in six straight quarters. The 49ers are the best defense allowing the fewest points in the second halves this season of games. Will Jeff Wilson Jr. come back to town and haunt his former team in a Dolphin uniform? I like San Francisco offense able to score points off the Dolphins defense. Jimmy Garoppolo… all’s he does is win games. The 49ers play better when the competition is to their level. I like the 49ers prevailing at home and pop the bubble of this Dolphins attack and bring the pressure to Tua Tagovailoa to force him to make mistakes.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS

Rematch of last year’s AFC Championship game in which we know the Bengals prevailed. Last few road games the Chiefs have put up 40-point games. Bengals have won three in a row all without their number one receiver and Cincinnati has been playing without their star running back. Will JaMarr Chase and Joe Mixon return for this monster show down. Bengals still chasing the Ravens in the division. Meanwhile the Chiefs have just been destroying teams as they have won 5 straight, many of them against bad teams. Joe Cool Burrow is…

2-0 versus the Chiefs in his career. I like the Bengals in this one because they have been fighting each week and played in bigger games than the Chiefs have been in. I think Bengals give the Chiefs a fat lip sandwich when it’s all set and done.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

LA CHARGERS AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

Raiders suddenly have won two games in a row which includes that stunner last week in Seattle. Chargers are another team that had a walk off 2-point conversion to put an end to the Cardinals. Chargers versus Raiders are always entertaining games as these two played at the very end of last season in the last game of regular season that decided who was going in as the last wild card in the AFC. Can anybody stop Josh Jacobs who emerged as one of the best running backs in the game right now? Raiders play much better in Vegas. Chargers have been up and down all season. Justin Herert in 5 games versus the Raiders has 13 touchdown passes to one interception. The stat that sticks out to me the most is the Chargers are giving up an average of 5.44 rushing yards per carry this season. Run, Forrest, run. I mean Josh Jacobs.

OUR PICK:RAIDERS

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT DALLAS COWBOYS

The Jeff Saturday excitement streak is over after that first win versus the Raiders as the Colts are back to their losing ways. Cowboys have been gobbling up quarterbacks with 45 sacks this season. The Colts have given up 43 sacks as Matt Ryan’s days are numbered as the starter in Indianapolis. Dak Prescott has done very well against teams with losing records. Cowboys are chasing the Eagles in the division while the Colts know they can settle in for a good pick in the draft.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

NEW ORELANS SAINTS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

The Saints are too unpredictable to pick them to win this game. It would not surprise me if they did win this game. Saints have played Tom Brady very tough since he arrived in Tampa Bay. The Saints defense have found different ways to create turnovers on Brady as he has 11 turnovers compared to 9 touchdown passes. Saints with a win could still be alive for the division. Buccaneers won the last match up this year in New Orleans. Andy Dalton is his own turnover machine. Saints got blanked last week. Tampa Tom has not been cutting the rug on the dance floor. With a playoff chance, Tom Brady thrives. Buccaneers defense could just do enough for Brady to get one more score than the Saints to win the game.

OUR PICK: BUCCANEERS