NFL WEEK 14 STRAIGHT PICK-EM

Week 14 will be do or die for some teams still being talked about in the play-off conversation.

SEASON RECORD: (118-75)

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-10) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7-5)

What’s the over and under in this epic Thursday night showdown? Twenty points. Both the Patriots and Steelers have a problem putting points on the score board. This match up will have both teams’ back-ups going as Mitch Trubisky for the Steelers will get the start while Bailey Zappe will get the nod for the Patriots. The Patriots way is in question by people as this team has been dreadful all year. The Steelers just lost to a bad Arizona team at home. Steelers have found ways to win 7 games and their defense will be the difference. It’s time Mitch Trubisky proves he can be at least a back-up quarterback in this league.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-7) AT ATLANTA FALCONS (6-6)

We go from the toilet bowl game on Thursday to the top of the stink stack with this NFC South match-up. The Buccaneers and Falcons square off in A big division game. Hip hip hooray… the Buccaneers beat the Panthers last week. Barely. The Falcons have won two straight of which one of those games was the Saints, another division foe. This game will be tight & low scoring. I like the Falcons defense making a few key plays to turn the tide of this one. Falcons defense has not been talked about this season. I feel they can get to Baker Mayfield. The Falcons running game will control the clock & Atlanta has done well at home.

OUR PICK: FALCONS

LA RAMS (6-6) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (9-3)

A few weeks ago you would have said this game would be a walk in the park for the Ravens. Suddenly with a healthy Matthew Stafford, the Rams suddenly have come back to life and won three straight. The Ravens have won two straight and are well rested for LA coming into their back yard. This will be a game. The Ravens defense has been slowing down their pace. I think the rest they got off the bye helps them return as that stingy unit is not willing to give up much. Matthew Stafford is due for that awful game as he has been too clean with the football lately. This Rams defense is not the same unit that won the Superbowl, so Ravens will execute and do what they do well to NFC teams when they play with Lamar Jackson behind center.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

DETROIT LIONS (9-3) AT CHICAGO BEARS (4-8)

I feel the tables will turn in part two of the Bears and Lions saga. Last time these two teams met, the Bears had the Lions on the meat hook with 3 minutes left. Lions roared back to life. The Lions have played sloppy for now the last few games. The Bears defense, since landing Montez Sweat at the trade deadline, have been one of the better defenses in the league and Jared Goff is very sloppy with the ball. As long as Justin Fields does not dance before the game ends, the Bears will win and split this series. The Lions defense looks like the Bears defense from earlier in the season. The Bears offense should be able to generate some nice scoring drives in this one.

OUR PICK: DA BEARS

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-5) AT CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-6)

The Bengals found a way to put Joe Burrow’s brain in Jake Browning’s body. The Bengals suddenly look like a team that is not going away. Then in other news, the Colts who play in the AFC South, are in a division that suddenly is turning into the power house conference of teams with 3 that could make it into the post-season. I love to see Gardner Minshew have his big day and eat his cake in a win over the Bengals. I think Minshew has the big game, but Colts lose the game because the Bengals don’t go away, are streaky, and find their second straight victory at home.

OUR PICK: BENGALS

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (8-4) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-5)

The Jaguars will be without their Spicoli, Trevor Lawrence, who’s out with a high ankle sprain. This match up features C.J Beathard versus the second coming this season of veteran Joe Flacco. Beathard started his career with the 49ers & has been in the NFL six seasons, & has 18 touchdown passes with 14 interceptions. As a starter behind center, he has a record of 2-10. Flacco only completed 52.3% of his passes last week in his first start of the year and in a Browns uniform as he had two touchdown passes and was picked off once. The Browns lost. The Jaguars have been road warriors as they are 5-0 on the road. I think this game comes down to defense which the Browns get the edge on that and the win.

OUR PICK: BROWNS

CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-11) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-7)

The Saints need a win and the Panthers right now are the perfect team to play. The Panthers have lost 5 straight. Since the firing of Frank Reich, nothing has changed in Carolina as they gave the Buccaneers a game last week. The Saints have lost three straight – all close affairs. Derek Carr looks like he will return to the field and start which is a good thing. I like Carr having a big game. I like the Saints defense in this one to have a better game as they played badly last week.

OUR PICK: SAINTS

HOUSTON TEXANS (7-5) AT NEW YORK JETS (4-8)

We know the Jets have a good defense… blah blah blah. The Jets offense is dreadful. The Texans are a much better team and will score enough to beat the junior varsity offense the Jets throw out there every week.

OUR PICK: TEXANS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-6) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (5-7)

The Vikings and Raiders come off their bye week and need this game to stay in the play-off conversation. Both teams have lost their last two games. The Vikings were beat by the Bears and it was a bad scene as turnovers and the opposing kicker’s foot gave them the lost. The Raiders since the removal of the turd Josh McDaniels are playing good football but losing close games. The Raiders defensive superstar Maxx Crosby said to the Raiders owner they want Antonio Pierce as the team’s coach beyond this season. I like this Raiders team playing for the coach’s future. I think Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs has ran out of luck.

OUR PICK: RAIDERS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-6) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (9-3)

The Seahawks are fearing their worst nightmare right now as they could be under 500 for the first time in several weeks and their play-off hopes could be crushed. The 49ers right now have won 4 straight, blew up the Eagles last weekend, and look like the best team in the NFL. Last time the 49ers met the Seahawks was weeks ago and they beat them up in Seattle. The Seahawks defense picked a bad time to stop sniffing glue.

The Seahawks defense has fallen on hard times. Geno Smith is dealing with a groin injury and he does not look like the same guy from last year.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

BUFFALO BILLS (6-6) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (8-4)

I thought the Bills played well versus the Eagles on the road last time out and they should have won that game, period. The Chiefs found out the hard way playing a Green Bay team that has put everything together with a loss on the road in cheese land. The Bills come off their bye week.

Patrick Mahomes versus Josh Allen is always an epic battle when these two teams meet. The Chiefs have ruled out a few of their starters due to injuries. The Bills are well rested. The Bills are an animal right now trapped and ready to fight back. Buffalo gets it done on the road and find their way back in the playoff talks.

OUR PICK: BILLS

DENVER BRONCOS (6-6) AT LA CHARGERS (5-7)

I’m still amazed that Chargers only scored 6 points, but still won the game last week. The Broncos winning streak came to an end. Russell Wilson looked sloppy like the 2022 version of himself versus the Texans. You have to figure the Chargers offense will score more points in this game. The Broncos have clawed their way back into the thick of things after digging themselves a gigantic hole to start the season. Lots of road games during that win streak. Watch… it will take a toll on them in this divisional game versus the Chargers who you don’t know what you will get with them. I worry Wilson will continue to make mistakes on a Chargers defense that can pressure the quarterback and force him into mistakes to cost the Broncos a big game at this time of the year.

OUR PICK: CHARGERS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-2) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (9-3)

Philadelphia is a Rocky Balboa town. I’m going to use the Rocky movies to explain my pick in this rematch between the Eagles and Cowboys. The Eagles are the Russian guy Ivan Drago going through the season winning games & making it look easy. When Rocky makes Drago bleed for the first time, all of a sudden Eagles collapse like a folding chair at the end of church picnic. The 49ers gave the Eagles a gut punch last week and it will be hard for them to forget. I know the Cowboys struggle versus winning teams, but right now the Eagles are coming to their back yard on the ropes. The Cowboys will knock the Eagles into Tomorrow Land as Philadelphia will see it coming and know it’s coming. The Eagles will have to wait another week to get back on track while the Cowboys, who have been playing solidly, get a big win in front of the entire nation watching.

OUR PICK: COWBOYS

DOUBLE HEADER MONDAY NIGHT GAMES

TENNESSEE TITANS (4-8) AT MIAMI DOLPHINS (9-3)

The Dolphins unleash everything including the kitchen sink on teams with inferior records on offense. The next victim will be a Titans team that struggles on the road at a place many teams have hard times winning. South Beach. Last week, Titans quarterback Will Levis and DeAndre Hopkins were not on the same page.

Having a rookie quarterback like Levis getting in your face probably will not go well for Hopkins or this duo. This game looks to be another blow-out for the Dolphins.

OUR PICK: DOLPHINS

GREEN BAY PACKERS (6-6) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (4-8)

The Giants have been battling as they have won two straight. This may not look like an easy match-up for the Packers as they have won three straight including a big victory at home versus the visiting Chiefs. Jordan Love may have arrived as another changing of the guard at the QB position as Green Bay has not missed a beat. The Giants back up QB now starter, Danny DeVito, is suddenly 2-1 as a starter and has thrown 7 touchdown passes to only three interceptions. This will not be an easy game for the Packers, but they will get the win. It will be a well fought battle to the end. I like the Packers defense who’ve been coming on strong the last few weeks to make the stand that wins this one.

OUR PICK: PACKERS