NFL Weekend Preview: Week 16

It should be fun to see if the Titans can keep hope alive against the red hot Chargers.

Fun weekend if you're a fan of AFC football, we should have a slightly better idea of the playoff picture once this week is done, as of right now there are 8 teams in the hunt for the final 2 spots. The NFC is relatively boring, as basically it's down to whether or not the Cowboys or the Giants will get the last spot. Either way, as we near the playoffs EVERY GAME MATTERS...well, except for any games that include the teams that have been eliminated and the games for teams like Indianapolis, New England, and the like who are pretty much locked into their playoff spot, but other than those games...you get the idea!

San Diego at Tennessee – Halfway through the season, the Christmas Night game looked dismal, now it’s a dandy. The Chargers don’t have a ton to play for, as they are all but locked into the #2 seed. The Titans need the game more, although I don’t think the Chargers will go easy on them, I’m going to say desperation wins the game. Titans 27 Chargers 24

Kansas City at Cincinnati - The Bengals offense may struggle at times, but this is the Kansas City Chiefs. A great team to work out your offensive struggles against. Bengals 27 Chiefs 7

Buffalo at Atlanta – So, I have to wonder who was the more disappointing fantasy player in 2009? Terrell Owens with his negligible stats, or Michael Turner who was taken second overall in most leagues and was no where near deserving of being taken that high? Both of these teams are eliminated, and unless you are in your fantasy football championship game (like me!) or you’re a Falcons or Bills fan, you probably don’t have any reason to care about this one. Falcons 29 Bills 13

Oakland at Cleveland – Cleveland comes into this game on a two game win streak against a Raiders team that went into Denver and won one of the weirder games of the NFL season last week. It’s almost incomprehensible yet true…no matter what happens in this game, the winner will emerge with at least a two game win streak. Raiders 23 Browns 20

Seattle at Green Bay – The Packers are desperate for a win to hold on to the wild card spot they currently occupy, fortunately for the Pack the Seahawks look to have thrown in the towel on this season, getting blown out 24-7 by a team that had previously only won games in which they were dressed like orange sherbet. When you’re losing in your own stadium by the New Economy score of 24-7 to Tampa, you’re not trying that hard anymore. Pack should win big. Packers 34 Seahawks 6

Baltimore at Pittsburgh – The second rematch this year of last season’s AFC Championship is on tap at Heinz Field on Sunday. Both the Steelers and the Ravens really need this game as they are in the bunch of eight teams trying to qualify for the final two spots in the AFC. Unlike the Championship Game in January, I think the Ravens will be able to win in the stadium with seats the color of bright redneck mustard. Ravens 19 Steelers 16

Houston at Miami – This is a defacto playoff game, the winner isn’t necessarily in, but the loser is most assuredly out. The Texans have pulled themselves to .500, but they have a nasty habit of pooping the bed in games like this. The Dolphins have been a well coached, well run, solid team with the unfortunate problem of not being terribly talented. Seriously, their current collection of wide receivers is one of the worst in the history of the league. Who on this list impresses you? Brian Hartline, Ted Ginn, Jr., Davone Bess, Greg Camarillo, Patrick Turner, Anthony Armstrong, and Ernest Wilford. Their receiving corps could double as the Federal Witness protection program. Even with this lack of talent, Tony Sparano has done a terrific job, and Chad Henne has had a better season that you’d probably believe. I’ll take the home team which is also probably the better team. Dolphins 26 Texans 20

Jacksonville at New England – My crusade against the Jacksonville Jaguars continues in Foxborough on Sunday. It’s gotten to the point where I’m actually rooting for the Patriots to win. The Jaguars will not make the playoffs if I have anything to say about it! (Don’t worry, Jags fans (both of you), I have nothing to say about it.) All of us together can band together and use the collective power of our wills to keep Jacksonville out of the playoffs. Come on people, "YES WE CAN!" (Hey, if it worked for Obama, I can try to co-opt it, right?) Patriots 33 Jaguars 16

Tampa Bay at New Orleans – Losing to the Cowboys is actually probably a good thing for the Saints. Yes, it takes away the fun story of the potential of two 18-0 teams in the Super Bowl, but it also provides New Orleans with a wake up call. It’s much better to get those kind of calls in week 15 than in the playoffs where you don’t get the chance to bounce back. The Bucs won in Seattle last week, but going to play the Saints is a bit of a tougher challenge. Saints 38 Buccaneers 13

Carolina at New York Giants – These two teams put on some impressive victories last weekend. The Giants slaughtered the Redskins mercilessly on Monday Night by a count of 45-12, and the Panthers induced Favre-Childress bickering on the sidelines of the Vikings. The Panthers have nothing to play for, but I’m sure they’d love to put an end to the slim hopes the Giants have for sneaking into the playoffs. I think they’ll get close, but I’ll take “Unstoppable” Eli Manning and the Giants to win in a squeaker. Giants 17 Panthers 16

Detroit at San Francisco – Both of these teams have slapped stamps on their seasons, yup. They’re mailing it in. This game reminds me of a song by “Ben Folds Five.” They are truly “Fighting the battle of who could care less.” I say the 49ers care slightly more about winning, if for no other reason than they don’t want Coach Singletary to moon them again. 49ers 23 Lions 10

Saint Louis at Arizona – The Rams fans don’t want their team to do anything that could damage the possibility that Saint Louis will get the first draft pick overall, and with it a chance to draft Ndamukong Suh. I don’t think their team will let them down, as even though the Cards don’t seem to have much possibility of moving any higher than the 4th seed in the NFC, they should easily make quick work of the hapless Lambs…er, Rams. Cardinals 30 Rams 10

New York Jets at Indianapolis – The Jets are desperate to get a win not only to ruin the Colts perfect season but also because a loss will mean that they have no shot to make the postseason. The Colts have no reason to play hard other than the fact that it’d be pretty cool to go 16-0. If the Jets don’t send the house after Peyton Manning early and often to take big shots on the Colts Quarterback in order to discourage Jim Caldwell from leaving him in the game, then they don’t have a strategic bone in their body. The best way the Jets can get a win in Indy is to scare the Colts coach out of keeping the franchise player in to play a meaningless game. That said, I’m rooting for the Colts to stay in and keep their perfect season alive. Not only because a perfect season is cool, but also because it would help out my Broncos. Colts 30 Jets 27

Denver at Philadelphia – The Broncos probably saw their playoff chances go up in smoke last Sunday as JaMarcus Russell played the unlikely anti-hero at Invesco Field that day, but the fact remains that they still do not need any help to make the postseason, they just need to win their final two games. However, the Eagles have really hit their stride in the past few weeks, and I will be shocked by any result that doesn’t include a Philadelphia victory, probably by a large margin, I’m guessing. This Broncos team looks to me like they are just about to give up. Eagles 31 Broncos 3

Dallas at Washington – These two classic rivals play a game that is exceptionally important to the Cowboys and almost completely meaningless for the Redskins. Part of me feels like the Cowboys win against the Saints was a bit of fools gold and that they are due for an upset in the nation’s capital, however the Redskins could not have looked any worse than they did on Monday Night against the Giants. Now they have a short week of prep with a lame duck coach against a team playing for their playoff lives and desperate to shake the December choker moniker. It doesn’t look good for the Skins. Cowboys 27 Redskins 10

Minnesota at Chicago – Brett Favre isn’t going to let anyone take him out of his game…not even his head coach. Since it is apparent that Favre is running this team instead of Brad Childress, many might say that is a bad sign. However, I say if there is ANYONE else running the team besides Childress that has to be a good sign for Minnesota. I even feel better about the Vikes chances to win it all now that they officially under the regime of Head Coach Brett Favre. I’m not sure if Coach Favre is going to be able to win it all, but he should have enough against the Bears. The most interesting thing about Chicago right now is seeing just how many more interceptions that Jay Cutler is capable of in the final two games of the season. He’s up to 25 at the moment, and he’s -120 right now to go over 30. (That’s gambling lingo, if you don’t know what it means, that just means you’re not a degenerate, so don’t feel bad.) I like Minnesota to bounce back HUGE here. Vikings 37 Bears 26


My Picks Scorecard:

Last Week: 10-6
Season to Date: 144-80