NFL Week 17 Picks

Hello Readers! The final week of the regular season is upon us! Bringing with much intriguing matchups and a look ahead into next week's start of the playoffs. The blog will feature all the regular stuff as well as which head coaches could be seeing a spot in the unemployment line come January 1st.

The playoff picture going into last week was still hazy but with the Seahawks win over the Cowboys, Big D will be watching the playoffs at home after a disappointing season. The Rams win over the Titans last week gave them the NFC West division crown. The first time since 2003 since they were the St. Louis Rams (sorry St. Louis) and 1985 when they were the Los Angeles Rams. Here's a look at the playoff picture at the moment:

AFC:

#1: Patriots (12-3)
#2: Steelers (12-3)
#3: Jaguars (10-5)
#4: Chiefs (9-6)
#5: Ravens (9-6)
#6: Titans (8-7)

Wild card:
Titans @ Jaguars
Ravens @ Chiefs

In the hunt:
LA Chargers (8-7), Buffalo (8-7)

Eliminated:
Every other team not mentioned

NFC:

#1: Eagles (13-2)
#2: Vikings (12-3)
#3: Rams (11-4)
#4: Saints (11-4)
#5: Panthers (11-4)
#6: Falcons (9-6)

In the hunt:
Seattle (9-6)

Eliminated:
Every other team mentioned.

The playoff picture boils down to this: In order for Buffalo to get in they would need to win, and the Chargers + Titans to lose. Chargers beat the Bills earlier in the season so they would be ahead of the Bills due to head-to-head record. For the Seahawks to get into the playoffs, they would need to win and an Atlanta loss to get in. Much more easy to get into the playoffs if you were the Seahawks than the Bills.

Once the regular season is over and every game has been played 12 of the 32 teams will move on to the playoffs while the other 20 teams look for answers to get back to the playoffs for the next season. Much of these decisions loom largely on the coaching staff, or rather the head coach. There's a phrase used in the National Football League for head coaches that get fired/sacked the following Monday after the final week, BLACK MONDAY! Here's a list of head coaches who's on the hot seat, or have already made plans to step down:

Marvin Lewis, Cincinnati: The league's second longest tenured head coach made plans to step down back on December 17th of this year. Despite being the Bengals head coach since 2003, he has made the playoffs in 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. However, the name of the game is did you win the Super Bowl that season, and all those playoff appearances mean nothing if you don't win a playoff game. Sadly this news of stepping down should've happened a few years ago.

Chuck Pagano, Indianapolis: The Colts head coach has certainly been dealt with a bad hand especially this season. With no Andrew Luck to help the Colts this season, the brass at the Colts camp could be looking to get rid of Chuck Pagano. Bad draft picks, bad personnel decisions could be seeing this head coach out the door despite making the playoffs in 2012, 2013, and 2014 (making the AFC Championship game in 2014, mind you).

Hue Jackson, Cleveland: The season for the Browns has been horrible (which doesn't say much) and questions of Hue Jackson's tenure at Cleveland once again surfaces. The Browns are sadly a mess that can't necessarily be fixed in a day's time. It seems every time the Browns try to do something good, it comes back to haunt them twofold. For example, the AJ McCarron botched trade earlier in the season. Hue Jackson doesn't necessarily see eye-to-eye on upper management either which could play into it as well.

Other head coaches to look out for: Dirk Kotter (Tampa Bay), John Fox (Chicago), and Jay Gruden (Washington).

A fun contest that has also been had during this season is the pick-em contest between me and my roommate, Cardinal Viking. The winner doesn't get a fancy trophy, money, or get put into the higher echelon of Pick-Em's, nope. The greatest glory is the glory to BRAG! The beginning of the season saw dominance from me while down the stretch it was Cardinal Viking that has been the dominating factor. The last time I did a column for picks we were back to the deadlock tie. Let's take a look at last week's results:

My record:
12-4 (Packers lost, Lions lost, Giants and Cowboys lost, GRRR)

Cardinal Viking's record:
14-2 (only losses were the Lions and Cowboys)

Make a note that in the event of a tie when I write next week's column I'll go to the week results and determine who won.

Week 17 of the regular season will have no Thursday night games, no Saturday games, and no Monday night games. The week will have 7 early games and 9 late games. There won't be a Sunday night football game due to apparently this Sunday will be New Years Eve and who watches football in primetime (uh makes sense I guess). It would be the first time since 1977 that there won't be a prime-time game to end the regular season. Certainly the NFL could've at least gave NBC the Titans-Jaguars game or Panthers-Falcons which has some playoff implications on it. Current TV rules gives both CBS and FOX 8 weeks each to have a doubleheader and the final week will have both TV partners a doubleheader to finish off the week. The week will feature only division games. HERE ARE THE PICKS:

Chicago @ Minnesota: Vikings. Both teams took wins last week as the Bears beat the Browns and the Vikings beat the Packers. The Vikings stellar season finishes off by beating the Bears at home.

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh: Steelers. The Steelers got a win against the Texans and the Browns lost to the Bears last week. The 0-16 parade will happen for the Browns as the Steelers beat the Browns handily, even if the Steelers rest their starters.

Dallas @ Philadelphia: Eagles. The Cowboys lost to the Seahawks while the Eagles beat the Raiders last week. The Cowboys could play spoiler to the Philly faithful but when it comes to the Eagles/Cowboys rivalry, I don't think they could possibly let the Cowboys off easy with a win.

Green Bay @ Detroit: Lions. Both teams took losses last week as the Packers lost to the Vikings and the Lions lost to the Bengals. The Lions won easily the previous meeting of the two teams and I hope the Lions beat the Packers so bad, that Dom Capers (defensive coordinator of the Packers) hands his resignation letter and that Aaron Rodgers gives him the bird. Go Lions!

Houston @ Indianapolis: Texans. Both teams took losses last week as the Texans lost to the Steelers and the Colts to the Ravens. The Colts barely won the last time these two teams won and this will change this week as the Texans despite not having DeShaun Watson at QB. Give him something to cheer for!

NY Jets @ New England: The Patriots. The Jets lost to the Chargers and the Patriots beat the Bills last week. The Jets-Patriots rivalry reaches its conclusion for this season as I feel the Patriots will beat the Jets. If the game gets out of hand I feel the Pats could bench their starters in favor of having a healthy Brady come playoff time.

Washington @ NY Giants: Redskins. The Redskins beat the Broncos last week and the Giants lost to the Cardinals. The game could be close as all division games get in the NFC East but the Giants have had a terrible season and maybe they could win, but I won't give them a benefit of the doubt. HTTR

Arizona @ Seattle: Seahawks. Both teams picked up wins last week as the Cardinals beat the Giants and the Seahawks beat the Cowboys. The Cardinals could play a bit of a spoiler in the season finale but it seems to me that the Seahawks look to get hot at the right time and have momentum at their side come playoff time, should they get in.

Buffalo @ Miami: Bills. Both teams took losses last week as the Bills lost to the Patriots and the Dolphins lost to the Chiefs. The Bills look to get back into the playoffs since 1999 and I feel they can do it in this game as the Dolphins aren't particularly great. However, its the Bills and they can choke, still if they win, half the battle is over as they need help to get in.

Carolina @ Atlanta: Falcons. The Falcons lost to the Saints while the Panthers beat the Buccaneers last week. The last time these two teams met the game was very close and the final result came at the end of the game. The Falcons faithful will be loud as the Falcons make it back to the playoffs despite all the 28-3 jokes. I won't let that meme go.

Cincinnati @ Baltimore: Ravens. Both teams got wins last week as the Bengals beat the Lions and the Ravens beat the Colts. The game boils down to the whole spoiler vs hungry teams again. The Ravens look to get momentum on their side as they have a solid offense, great defense and special teams that could make a run into the playoffs. The Bengals however I don't trust them.

Jacksonville @ Tennessee: Jaguars. Both teams took losses as the Jaguars lost to the 49ers and the Titans to the Rams. The Jaguars will have a rebound week as they send the Titans packing out of their own building. The Titans could be out of the playoffs as well.

Kansas City @ Denver: Chiefs. The Chiefs beat the Dolphins last week and the Broncos lost to the Redskins. The Chiefs have had a limp season after starting 5-0, and I think they'll limp their way to a 10-6 record going into the playoffs.

New Orleans @ Tampa Bay: Saints. The Saints took a win last week against the Falcons and the Buccaneers lost to the Panthers. Drew Brees and company look to make a run to the playoffs as they hand their division rival a loss. The Saints could rest their starters as well.

Oakland @ LA Chargers: Raiders. The Raiders lost to the Eagles and the Chargers beat the Jets last week. The Raiders have the power to play spoiler to the Chargers postseason plans and I think I'll take them. Oakland has had a dreadful season with Derek Carr's injury early in the year and I think the Raiders can salvage their record to a 7-9. The game has playoff implications for the Chargers.

San Francisco @ LA Rams: Rams. Both teams got wins last week as the Rams beat the Titans and the 49ers beat the Jaguars. The last time these two teams met was way back in Week 3. The 49ers were a different team then and I don't think they'll quite get over the hump against their division rival. Jimmy Garoppolo of the 49ers hasn't had a loss yet, interesting fact.

Local TV Schedule (vis 506sports.com, subject to change)

CBS Early:
NY Jets @ New England
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

CBS Late:
Kansas City @ Denver
Beth Mowins, Jay Feely

FOX Early:
Chicago @ Minnesota
Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

FOX Late:
Carolina @ Atlanta
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more information on which game is shown in your area check out: NFL Week 17 Maps

Record:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 8-7

Week 8: 12-1

Week 9: 6-7

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 8-6

Week 12: 14-2

Week 13: 12-4

Week 14: 8-8

Week 15: 14-2

Week 16: 12-4

Overall: 156-84

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 4-10

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-5

Week 8: 11-2

Week 9: 7-6

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 12-2

Week 12: 13-3

Week 13: 10-6

Week 14: 9-7

Week 15: 13-3

Week 16: 14-2

Overall: 158-82

Here's a cool video of some of the best Week 17 playoff clinchers in NFL History. May your team get into the playoffs. The video also features the choke job of the 2003 Vikings (muahhahaha):

See you next week for the Wild-Card picks and playoff predictions, as well as what I got right and wrong back in the Week 1 column.

-Tom

NFL Week 16 Picks

Hello readers! The NFL regular season is 15 weeks past and only 2 more weeks left until the NFL's second season begins in January. The week that was Week 15 provided some great surprises, some blowouts, and some controversy to go long with it. Coming up on the blog I will feature a "Christmas" themed part where each of the 32 teams will possibly (maybe not likely) get for a present this year.

With the playoff picture, it is becoming clear and somewhat less clear on which teams will eke out a spot. After last week's festivities ended, 5 teams punched their ticket to January, while 7 teams still seek to get into their respected spots. Jacksonville gets a playoff berth after 10 years of futility, while the New England Patriots win the AFC East, the Minnesota Vikings win the NFC North and the Green Bay Packers will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008 (Aaron Rodgers first season as the starter). Here's the playoff picture right now:

AFC:

#1: Patriots (11-3)
#2: Steelers (11-3)
#3: Jaguars (10-4)
#4: Chiefs (8-6)
#5: Titans (8-6)
#6: Bills (8-6)

Wild card:
Bills @ Jaguars
Titans @ Chiefs

In the hunt:
Baltimore (8-6), LA Chargers (7-7), Oakland (6-8), Miami (6-8)

Eliminated:
NY Jets (5-9), Cincinnati (5-9), Denver (5-9), Houston (4-10), Indianapolis (3-11), Cleveland (0-14)

NFC:

#1: Eagles (12-2)
#2: Vikings (11-3)
#3: Rams (10-4)
#4: Saints (10-4)
#5: Panthers (10-4)
#6: Falcons (9-5)

Wild card:

Falcons @ Rams
Panthers @ Saints

In the hunt:

Detroit (8-6), Seattle (8-6), Dallas (8-6)

Eliminated:
Green Bay (7-7), Washington (6-8), Arizona (6-8), Tampa Bay (4-10), San Francisco (4-10), Chicago (4-10), NY Giants (2-12)

To find more on the playoff picture and scenarios check out: CBS Sports - NFL Playoff Picture

This week, as well as every other week, I have been in a "Bragging Rights" competition with my roommate, Cardinal Viking, in a fun, debacle over who is more of a bad picker. The week that was could solidify one's position in the overall record. When I wrote last week's column the overall record had a 1-game advantage, to Cardinal Viking. Here's last week's results:

Cardinal Viking:
13-3 (Only three losses were: Colts over Broncos, Titans over 49ers and Cards over Redskins)

My record:
14-2 (only losses were the Saturday games, Bears over Lions and Chargers over Chiefs)

The Christmas season is nearly at an end, where the climax will be held over next Sunday and Monday by opening gifts, eating food with friends/family, and watching television while staying warm. As far as Christmas music goes, there are many favorites of mine, but if I had to choose one that exemplifies Christmas, it would be this:

Keeping in the theme of Christmas, there are many teams during the NFL season who are less fortunate from those who usually get the best. With 32 teams in the National Football League there are going to be at least 20 teams who won't move past Week 17. While some of them have been good, there are some of them that have been naughty. Here is the list of what possibly each team will get for Christmas this year:

Arizona Cardinals: A new running back that won't get injured, but you'll have to wait until next season to use it.

Atlanta Falcons: You won't get the butt of all 28-3 lead jokes, but you'll get a gift card to use whenever you want to use your potent offense.

Baltimore Ravens: A brand new receiving corp! With a fruit cake!

Buffalo Bills: brand new tables for your dumb fans to break!

Carolina Panthers: new threads for Cam Newton to wear, while a playoff berth!

Chicago Bears: a lump of coal for Virginia McCaskey for ruining the Bears francise, while some bubble wrap for Mitch Trubisky.

Cincinnati Bengals: a gift certificate to use on a brand new head coach!

Cleveland Browns: lump of coal for Jimmy Haslem, while all the 0-16 jokes abundant!

Dallas Cowboys: a lump of coal for Jerry Jones for being a hypocrite, and nothing else.

Denver Broncos: A brand new QB because you have 20 QB's already, WHY NOT MORE!

Detroit Lions: a brand new version of Matt Stafford because you can't win without him.

Green Bay Packers: a brand new Defensive coordinator, and possibly a new head coach!

Houston Texans: A fixed version of Deshaun Watson and an injury free season for JJ Watt next year.

Indianapolis Colts: A gift card to fix the whole team! Its true.

Jacksonville Jaguars: A better barber for your owner and a rabbits foot for Blake Bortles.

Kansas City Chiefs: A walrus pet for Andy Reid and maybe some snake bite antidote for those nasty snake bites in the playoffs. 

Los Angeles Rams: some sunscreen for Sean McVay and sandals for the team!

Los Angeles Chargers: a lump of coal for Dean Spanos and some moving trucks (maybe) to San Diego, standing by. 

Miami Dolphins: a pack of cigarettes and a Pitbull concert.

Minnesota Vikings: a non-choking hazard signs all over US Bank Stadium and this song:

New England Patriots: A lease on life for Tom Brady and maybe a better defense. AH CLAM CHOWDA!

New Orleans Saints: A rebuilt New Orleans, gumbo for the team, and more gum for Sean Payton.

New York Giants: a broadway musical tickets, and some new QB to possibly replace Eli Manning.

New York Jets: a toupee for Fireman Ed and you get to spank the people that thought you would go 0-16. ENJOY.

Oakland Raiders: a robot Derek Carr.

Philadelphia Eagles: a Philly Cheese steak with healing properties for Carson Wentz. Maybe a Lombardi trophy.

Pittsburgh Steelers: A fixed up Ryan Shazier and water proof Terrible towels

San Francisco 49ers: Jed York gets a lump of coal and bubble wrap for Jimmy Garoppolo.

Seattle Seahawks: Fish from the fish market and "Fail Mary" posters all over, and this picture from Packer fans to you:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: A new defense and new eyesight for Jameis Winston so that he doesn't throw INT's.

Tennessee Titans: a new receiving corp and defense so that Marcus Mariota can function.

Washington Redskins: a lump of coal for Dan Snyder and maybe a heartwarming letter to Kirk Cousins, begging him to stay. 

Week 16 of the NFL Season starts at Baltimore, Maryland, and ends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There are two games on Saturday, 9 early games on Sunday, 3 late games, and 2 games on Monday. FOX will have the double header, while CBS will have the Single game. There are no teams on bye week. Let the picks, commence:

Indianapolis @ Baltimore: Ravens. The Colts lost to the Broncos, while the Ravens won against the Browns. As much as I feel bad for the Colts this season, the Ravens will win it, because they're probably the more hungry team than the Colts and the Colts don't seem to have the drive to cause an upset. 

Minnesota @ Green Bay: Packers. The Vikings beat the Bengals last week while the Packers lost to the Panthers. As much as the Vikings will probably romp on the Packers in the game, I won't pick for the Purple and Gold. Not for a rivalry game. Fuck the Vikings.

Atlanta @ New Orleans: Saints. Both teams won last week as the Saints beat the Jets and the Falcons beat the Buccaneers. The game will hinge upon whether if the Falcons offense which has been inept most of the season, can play their best game of the season. I don't trust the Falcons, but I'll take the Saints. 

Buffalo @ New England: Patriots. The two teams picked up wins as the Bills beat the Dolphins and the Patriots beat the Steelers. The Bills seem like a decent pick to go with, if they weren't playing the Patriots. Tom Brady & Company could possibly take the win and a 1st round bye. 

Cleveland @ Chicago: Bears. Both teams took losses last week as the Bears lost to the Lions and the Browns to the Ravens. At the time last season on Christmas Eve, the Browns picked up their first win of the season and their only one. However this year won't happen, the Bears got this... maybe.

Denver @ Washington: Redskins. Both teams picked up wins last week as the Redskins beat the Cardinals and the Broncos beat the Colts. The difference between these two teams is that the Redskins have a better quarterback than possibly any QB that the Broncos have, HTTR!

Detroit @ Cincinnati: Lions. Detroit took a win against the Bears and the Bengals lost to the Vikings. The game will be close but as far as I can say, the Bengals will be ending up as the loser in this game. It will also be Marvin Lewis of the Bengals last game at home as head coach. What a remarkable run "/sarcasm".

LA Chargers @ NY Jets: Chargers. Both teams took losses last week as the Chargers lost to the Chiefs and the Jets to the Saints. The game will be decided by which offense shows up. As much as I like the feel-good story of the Jets, I'll take the more hungry Chargers to get their 8th win. 

LA Rams @ Tennessee: Rams. The Rams beat the Sehawks last week and the Titans lost to the 49ers. The Rams have the better team than the Titans. Marcus Mariota will have a long day against the LA defense. Hate to say it but a loss is a loss and it could be a blow to the Titans playoff chances. 

Miami @ Kansas City: Chiefs. The Dolphins lost to the Bills and the Chiefs beat the Chargers last week. The Dolphins have been bad most of the season and the fact that Jay Cutler is still on the team is preposterous. Say goodbye to the Chiefs if they lose to the Dolphins, I'll LOL. 

Tampa Bay @ Carolina: Panthers. The Buccaneers lost to the Falcons and the Panthers beat the Packers last week. The Panthers are the more built team and don't have the injury troubles that the Buccaneers have. Gotta keep that NFC South race very exciting. 

Jacksonville @ San Francisco: Jaguars. Both teams picked up a win last week as the Jaguars beat the Texans and the 49ers beat the Titans. The bandwagon hopping of the 49ers ends this week as the Niners take on the Jaguars. The team by the bay seem to be looking at a 4-11 record at the end of the game, I just feel the Jags seem to be more well-rounded. 

NY Giants @ Arizona: Giants. Both teams took losses last week as the Giants lost to the Eagles and the Cardinals to the Redskins. If the Giants offense played as well as they did against the Eagles, this game will be close, maybe a 10-point margin game. I don't trust the Cardinals offense anymore than I do with the Giants, but I'll go for the upset. 

Seattle @ Dallas: Cowboys. The Cowboys took a win against the Raiders and the Seahawks lost to the Rams. Ezekiel Elliot of the Cowboys returns after his 6-game suspension and the Cowboys actually have a decent shot still to make the postseason. I'm taking the Cowboys because they seem to be less of distractions than the Seahawks. As well as Zeke Elliot is rested. Which doesn't bode well. 

Pittsburgh @ Houston: Steelers. Both teams took losses as the Steelers lost to the Patriots and the Texans to the Jaguars. The Monday slate starts with the Steelers-Texans. The game would be closer if Deshaun Watson was still playing as QB, the game won't be close. If the Steelers triplets stay on task and do what they do, Steelers win. 

Oakland @ Philadelphia: Eagles. The Eagles beat the Giants and the Raiders lost to the Cowboys last week. The week finishes off in Philly as the regular season finale of Monday Night Football with an intriguing matchup. The Eagles will be without Carson Wentz but Nick Foles seems to fit the bill just fine. I'll take the Eagles but it will be a close game, I sense. 

Local TV Schedule (subject to change, via 506sports.com)

CBS Single:
Buffalo @ New England

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Early:

Atlanta @ New Orleans

Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

FOX Late:

Seattle @ Dallas

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Record:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 8-7

Week 8: 12-1

Week 9: 6-7

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 8-6

Week 12: 14-2

Week 13: 12-4

Week 14: 8-8

Week 15: 14-2

Overall: 144-80

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 4-10

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-5

Week 8: 11-2

Week 9: 7-6

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 12-2

Week 12: 13-3

Week 13: 10-6

Week 14: 9-7

Week 15: 13-3

Overall: 144-80

See you guys next week, and Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas!

-Tom

NFL Week 15 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of the NFL regular season has past us by. Some thrilling moments, some upsets, and some games that went to the wire into overtime. There are only 3 weeks left to be played in the season and only two teams have claimed their division titles (Steelers and Eagles) and that means there are still 6 divisions left to be taken and the playoff picture as well has shaken up a bit as well.

With the playoffs just a mere four weeks away the playoff picture is still just as jumbled as ever. One team gets into the picture, then they lose, thus falling out of the picture for the time being. One such team is the Baltimore Ravens who pretty much controlled their own destiny in the wild card, lost to the Steelers while Buffalo retakes their place. New England's loss to the Miami Dolphins on Monday night was a crucial loss as the Steelers take the #1 seed away from the Patriots for the time being. Everything will decide when the Steelers and Patriots play on Sunday. Perhaps the game of the year. Here is the playoff picture:

AFC:

#1: Steelers (11-2) (Clinched AFC North)
#2: Patriots (10-3)
#3: Jaguars (9-4)
#4: Chiefs (7-6)
#5: Titans (8-5)
#6: Bills (7-6)

Wild card:
Bills @ Jaguars
Titans @ Chiefs

Still In The Hunt:
Baltimore (7-6), LA Chargers (7-6), Oakland (6-7), Miami (6-7), NY Jets (5-8), Cincinnati (5-8)

Eliminated:
Houston (4-9), Denver (4-9), Indianapolis (3-10), Cleveland (0-13)

NFC:

#1: Eagles (11-2) (Clinched NFC East)
#2: Vikings (10-3)
#3: Rams (9-4)
#4: Saints (9-4)
#5: Panthers (9-4)
#6: Falcons (8-5)

Wild card:
Falcons @ LA Rams
Panthers @ Saints

In The Hunt:
Seattle (8-5), Detroit (7-6), Green Bay (7-6), Dallas (7-6), Arizona (6-7)

Eliminated:
Washington (5-8), Tampa Bay (4-9), Chicago (4-9), San Francisco (3-10), NY Giants (2-11)

The last time I did a column for picks/predictions I had been put into a tie with my roommate, Cardinal Viking, in terms of overall record through Week 13. The picks last week were rather close. Perhaps a bit too close. Let's take a look:

My record:
8-8 (FU JETS and PATS)

Cardinal Viking's record:
9-7 (Picked the Pats as well and the biggest difference was that he picked the Lions to beat the Bucs)

With only 12 days left until the Christmas rush is through (11 days for me because my family usually opens gifts on Christmas Eve) the home stretch is on. When I was a kid, I tended to think the holiday was all about the gifts and not all about the charity, decoration and certainly the music. This week's cool video is probably the biggest reason for the season (other than that Jesus Christ was born which is obviously the most important reason) and that is giving back to your fellow man. Hope this video helps you have the motivation to give back!

Week 15 of the NFL regular season will feature a Thursday night game, two Saturday games (only on NFL Network), eight early games, three late games, and a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. There are no teams on bye this week. CBS will have the double-header this week as FOX will handle the single game. The starts off in Indianapolis, Indiana and ends in Tampa, Florida. So just like DeShone Kizer on a bad day, here come the picks:

Denver @ Indianapolis: Broncos. The Broncos picked up a win against the Jets and the Colts lost to the Bills (and the snow). The week starts off with probably a snore fest. Both teams have been bad throughout most of the season. The Broncos seem to be the more complete team than the Colts (which isn't saying much). Who will be starting quarterback for the Broncos? Probably your uncle.

Chicago @ Detroit: Bears. Both teams picked up wins last week as the Bears demolished the Bengals and the Lions beat the Buccaneers. The first of two Saturday games on NFL network pits the Bears against the Lions. The Lions seem to be the more hungry team looking to get into the playoffs for consecutive seasons, however the question if Matthew Stafford will start looms. I don't trust either team but I'll take DA BEARS!

LA Chargers @ Kansas City: Chargers. The Chiefs and Chargers picked up wins last week as they beat the Raiders and Redskins respectively. The game might've sounded off at the beginning of the season when the Chiefs were riding high and the Chargers were looking at a disastrous start to the season. Now it seems like a polar opposite. The game could have ramifications in the AFC West division race. The Chargers seem to be the more hungry team and the Chiefs look like a team that got out of a steep hole. 

Arizona @ Washington: Cardinals. The Cardinals beat the Titans and the Redskins lost to the Chargers last week. The game pits one team that's out of the playoffs and another team that is trying to get in. The game features two good offenses and while the Redskins have a decent defense, the Cardinals hold the cards on defense (no pun intended). 

Baltimore @ Cleveland: Ravens. Both teams picked up losses last week as the Browns lost to the Packers (took them to overtime) and the Ravens lost to the Steelers. The Purple Browns and the New Browns face off again and unless the stars come falling down, the Browns will be looking at a 0-14 record at the end of this game. You can't have that 0-16 parade if you win, right? :-)

Cincinnati @ Minnesota: Vikings. The Purple People Eaters picked up a loss to the Panthers and the Bengals got blown out by the Bears (c'mon man). The Bengals lost to the freaking Bears with the score 33-7. You're going to try to convince me that the Bengals have a shot against the Vikings. You'll have to convince me very hard. Still if they lose it would make me somewhat happy. If they win... I get a pick right. Win-win.

Green Bay @ Carolina: Panthers. Both teams picked up a win last week as the Packers beat the Browns and the Panthers beat the Vikings. The talk of the week is that Aaron Rodgers was cleared by doctors to possibly play. Does this mean that he will get the start for the Packers. You have to think of the future when it comes to it. As a Packer fan I wouldn't mind if Rodgers hung up the towel for the season. The guy can still play for quite a few more seasons. Sorry Packers but you can't risk it. 

Houston @ Jacksonville: Jaguars. The Jaguars picked up a win against the Seahawks and the Texans lost to the 49ers (c'mon man). The Jaguars could possibly lock up the division title by winning this game and the Texans are without Deshaun Watson so this probably won't be a game. JAG!

Miami @ Buffalo: Bills. Both teams picked up wins last week as the Bills beat the Colts (in the snow!) and the Dolphins beat the Patriots. The weather this week in Buffalo will be much clearer this Sunday than last week as the snow reduced much visibility of the game. The fun part was that its a snow game. The high for this Sunday's game is 34 degrees Fahrenheit. I'll take the cold weather advantage of the Bills in this one. 

NY Jets @ New Orleans: Saints. The two teams picked up losses last week as the Jets lost to the Broncos and the Saints lost to the Falcons. Last week's loss to the Falcons was a fluke, the Saints will lockdown on the Jets and make the SuperDome a no-fly zone. The Jets defense is weak and the Drew Brees train keeps on rolling. 

Philadelphia @ NY Giants: Eagles. The Eagles picked up a win against the Rams and the Giants lost to the Cowboys. The loss of local North Dakota boy Carson Wentz of the Eagles will be a stinger for sure but the Eagles have a proven winner in Nick Foles who can lead the Eagles past the G-men on the road. The Giants seem to want this season to end. 

LA Rams @ Seattle: Rams. The two teams lost last week as the Rams lost to the Eagles and the Seahawks lost to the Jaguars. The game will be a deciding factor if the Rams can beat their division rival. They can beat some of the better teams in the league, if they can't beat the Seahawks then they'll still look like a meager team in the playoffs that could possibly still go out in the first round. Don't let me down!

New England @ Pittsburgh: Patriots. The Pats lost to the Dolphins and the Steelers beat the Ravens. The loss of Ryan Shazier of the Steelers will be a major factor in the game as the Steelers seem to play down to their competition. If anything this game could very well get to the 40 point range for both teams as both defenses aren't really legit good. 

Tennessee @ San Francisco: 49ers. The Niners got their 3rd win of the season beating the Texans and the Titans lost to the Cardinals. I'll go with the Niners since they seem to be the gut feeling team. The Titans don't sit well with my gut. Still Marcus Mariota could make it a game. 

Dallas @ Oakland: Cowboys. The Cowboys beat the Giants last week and the Raiders lost to the Chiefs. The Cowboys will be without Zeke again for another game but will be available next week against Seattle. The Raiders seem to be a legit pick as well but I can't trust them. Even if the Cowboys destroyed the Giants team. 

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay: Falcons. The Falcons got a win against the Saints and the Bucs lost to the Lions. The week ends in warm Tampa, Florida. The game will be determining factor if the Falcons do what they do best on offense and play solid defense and they should win the game. The Buccaneers looked good early in the season, but that's in the past. Get that win Hotlanta!

Local TV Schedule (subject to change, via 506sports.com)

FOX Single:
Green Bay @ Carolina

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

CBS Early:

Cincinnati @ Minnesota

Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

CBS Late:

New England @ Pittsburgh

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

For more info on which game will be playing in your area, check out: NFL Maps, Week 15

Record:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 8-7

Week 8: 12-1

Week 9: 6-7

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 8-6

Week 12: 14-2

Week 13: 12-4

Week 14: 8-8

Overall: 130-78

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 4-10

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-5

Week 8: 11-2

Week 9: 7-6

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 12-2

Week 12: 13-3

Week 13: 10-6

Week 14: 9-7

Overall: 131-77

See you guys next week!

-Tom

NFL Week 14 Picks

Hello Readers! The week has come yet again for picks and predictions. The week that was week 13 was quite entertaining full of close games, some going to OT, while some going into the double digits as far as point margin.

With only 4 weeks left in the regular season (including this week) the playoff picture still remains largely the same. No new teams enter into the picture, but the position of the seeds have changed a bit. With the Eagles loss to the Seahawks and the Vikings win over the Falcons, the Vikings move to the #1 spot, based on strength of victory. Let's look at the current picture:

AFC:

#1: Steelers (10-2)
#2: Patriots (10-2)
#3: Titans (8-4)
#4: Chiefs (6-6)
#5: Jaguars (8-4)
#6: Ravens (7-5)

Wild card:
Ravens @ Titans
Jaguars @ Chiefs

In the hunt:
LA Chargers (6-6), Buffalo (6-6), Oakland (6-6), NY Jets (5-7), Miami (5-7), Cincinnati (5-7), Houston (4-8), Indianapolis (3-9), Denver (3-9)

Eliminated:
Cleveland (0-12)

NFC:

#1: Vikings (10-2)
#2: Eagles (10-2)
#3: Rams (9-3)
#4: Saints (9-3)
#5: Seahawks (8-4)
#6: Panthers (8-4)

Wild card:
Panthers @ Rams
Seattle @ New Orleans

In the hunt:
Atlanta (7-5), Detroit (6-6), Green Bay (6-6), Dallas (6-6), Washington (5-7), Arizona (5-7), Tampa Bay (4-8)

Eliminated:
Chicago (3-9), San Francisco (2-10), NY Giants (2-10)

Division/Playoff clinching scenarios:

As always with picks/predictions, I have a "bragging contest" with Cardinal Viking, my roommate. When I wrote the blog for Week 13 last week, Cardinal Viking held a 2-game lead on me in overall record. As far as records go, let's take a look:

My record:

12-4 (picked the Bears over the Niners last week and the Eagles fell quite short against the Seahawks, I picked the Eagles.)

Cardinal Viking's record:

10-6 (picked the Bears over the Niners and picked the Broncos over the Dolphins, as did I)

With December upon us, as well as the Christmas/Holiday season. People shopping, breaking the bank, and spending money on food with good company. For those who probably hate Christmas songs can quickly to move down to the latter part of the blog, here's the cool video of the week, with 'Ole Blue Eyes: 

Week 14 will begin at Atlanta, Georgia and will end in Miami, Florida. The week consists of a Thursday night game, 8 early games, 5 late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will handle the double-header for the week while CBS will have the single game. There are no teams on bye week. And now it is time for the picks:

New Orleans @ Atlanta: Saints. The Saints come off a win against the Panthers last week while the Falcons lost to the Vikings. The week opens up in a classic NFC south match up. The game could be a huge offensive showing for the both teams as both defenses aren't that grand. I'd like the Falcons a bit more if I trusted the Falcons offensive weapons a bit more. The Saints defense has been good for the past while and I'll trust them enough to beat a team that lost to the Dolphins in the Falcons. 

Chicago @ Cincinnati: Bengals. Both teams come off losses last week as the Bears lost to the 49ers and the Bengals lost to the Steelers. Much of the talk this week is the Bengals performance against the Steelers in terms of suspensions and injuries. As far as I want to give the Bears the benefit of the doubt, the Bengals still have a pretty good defense, better then the Bears I'd say. Better proven quarterback in Andy Dalton for the Bengals.

Dallas @ NY Giants: Cowboys. The Cowboys come off a win against the Redskins last week while the Giants lost to the Raiders. The Ben McAdoo era is over and the Steve Spagnola's reign as Head Coach begins as the Giants will start Eli Manning against the Cowboys. The Giants are pathetic this season and the Cowboys won't lose to a 2-10 team, I mean come on. 

Detroit @ Tampa Bay: Buccaneers. Both teams come off losses last week as the Lions lost to the Ravens and the Buccaneers to the Packers. It's been a while since I've last picked the Buccaneers. The Lions are pretty much back to their old selves this point of the season despite being in the middle of a playoff hunt. It will depend on if Matthew Stafford of the Lions can play. I don't trust the Lions but I don't trust the Buccaneers either so. It was a toss-up and I picked the Buccaneers. 

Green Bay @ Cleveland: Packers. The Packers picked up a win against the Buccaneers and the Browns lost to the Chargers. As a Packers fan, if you lose to the Browns, don't even think about bringing back Aaron Rodgers this season, you need a high draft pick, not another playoff run. 

Indianapolis @ Buffalo: Bills. Both teams come off losses last week as the Colts lost to the Jaguars and the Bills lost to the Patriots. The game is a tale of two teams. A team that isn't going anywhere but down (Colts), while the other team has some direction even though it probably will miss the playoffs yet again (Bills). I have been picking on the Bills fairly often this season and some of the time it has backfired on me. So I'll take the Bills as a safe pick. 

Minnesota @ Carolina: Vikings. The Vikings picked up a win against the Falcons while the Panthers lost to the Saints. The Vikings long road trip has so far been good to the team in purple. I'll take the Vikings because Case Keenum has been playing lights out so far this season, and I can't sense that this will be a trap game for the Vikings. It could possibly be one. 

Oakland @ Kansas City: Raiders. The Raiders got a win last week against the Giants and the Chiefs lost to the Jets. The game will come down to the offense who can put up the most points and the defense that can stop the most as it will probably be a game much like their first matchup of the season. I'll take the Raiders. 

San Francisco @ Houston: Texans. The 49ers picked up their 2nd win of the season beating the Bears while the Texans lost to the Titans. The 49ers got a win against a bad Bears team and it wasn't a complete rout, so I'll take the Texans based on the fact that there is more weapons and more well built than the 49ers. 

NY Jets @ Denver: Jets. The Jets picked up a win last week beating the Chiefs while the Broncos lost to the Dolphins. I tend to go with Denver at home due to the homefield advantage with the high altitude. The Broncos lost to the Dolphins. The Jets have proven me and a lot of people wrong this season, so I'll take the Jets. Meh.

Tennsseee @ Arizona: Cardinals. The Titans come off a win against the Texans and the Cardinals lost to the Rams. I'm taking the Cardinals based on the fact that there is a definite advantage for the Cardinals in terms of passing offense. The Cards are 10th in pass offense, the Titans are 25th in pass defense. That's based on my research. Trust me. 

Washington @ LA Chargers: Chargers. The Redskins come off a loss to the Cowboys while the Chargers won against the Browns last week. The Chargers are taking advantage of a weak AFC this season after going 0-4 to start off the season. The Redskins seem to be the team that is starting to fall off the rails and looking forward to another missed playoffs. 

Philadelphia @ LA Rams: Eagles. The Eagles come off a loss to the Seahawks and the Rams beat the Cardinals last week. The best game of the week will be played at sunny Los Angeles. The game features two 2016 Draft QB's in Carson Wentz of the Eagles and Jared Goff of the Rams. The game will depend on which defense shows up to their respected teams. This game will be a offensive showcase. I feel the Eagles will pull off. 

Seattle @ Jacksonville: Seahawks. Both teams come off wins last week as the Seahawks beat the Eagles and the Jaguars beat the Colts. The Seahawks have been playing well so far this season and the Jaguars have as well. Despite the loss of Richard Sherman of the Seahawks, their defense is still battle tested and the Jaguars will have their hands full with Seattle's offense. 

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh: Steelers. Both teams got wins last week as the Ravens beat the Lions and the Steelers beat the Bengals. The loss of Ryan Shazier will be a big loss to the Steelers but I still feel the Steelers will get a win as long as the Triplets stay on their game and take it to the Ravens defense. 

New England @ Miami: Patriots. Both teams got wins last week as the Patriots beat the Bills and the Dolphins beat the Broncos. The week ends as Tom Brady & Company go to sunny Florida to take on the Dolphins. I like the Patriots based on the fact that they dominate their divisional rivals and I feel this will still be the case in this game. I won't pick against Tom Brady.

Local TV Schedule (subject to change, via 506sports)

CBS Single:

Minnesota @ Carolina

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Early:

Green Bay @ Cleveland

Thom Brennamen, Chris Spielman

FOX Late:
Philadelphia @ LA Rams

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more info on which game will be played in your area, check out: NFL Maps, Week 14

Record:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 8-7

Week 8: 12-1

Week 9: 6-7

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 8-6

Week 12: 14-2

Week 13: 12-4

Overall: 122-70

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 4-10

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-5

Week 8: 11-2

Week 9: 7-6

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 12-2

Week 12: 13-3

Week 13: 10-6

Overall: 122-70

See you guys next week!

-Tom

NFL Week 13 Picks

Hello readers! The time has come yet again for another blog post on the National Football League in terms of picks and predictions. The time for eating turkey, shopping on Black Friday and eating leftover turkey is all in the past. The month of December is fast approaching us as the NFL regular season is at the 3/4 mark and much has yet to be decided.

If the playoff picture had become clearer in week 12, then it still hasn't by the time of writing this column. The Chargers win over the Cowboys on Thanksgiving and the Chiefs loss to the Bills on Sunday proved that there might be a 10-6 or 9-7 division winner in the AFC West. A switch in the #3 and #4 seeds in the NFC as the Rams beat the Saints on Sunday.  Another division to watch out for is potentially the NFC South as you have New Orleans who lost to the Rams on Sunday, the Falcons winning against the Buccaneers and the Panthers winning against the Jets. Let's take a look at the playoff picture heading into Week 13:

AFC:

#1: Steelers
#2: Patriots
#3: Titans
#4: Chiefs
#5: Jaguars
#6: Ravens

Wild Card:
Ravens @ Titans
Jaguars @ Chiefs

In the hunt:
Buffalo (6-5), Cincinnati (5-6), LA Chargers (5-6), Oakland (5-6), NY Jets (4-7), Miami (4-7), Indianapolis (3-8), Denver (3-8)

Eliminated:
Cleveland (0-11)

NFC:

#1: Eagles
#2: Vikings
#3: Rams
#4: Saints
#5: Panthers
#6: Falcons

Wild card:
Falcons @ Rams
Panthers @ Saints

In the hunt:
Seattle (7-4), Detroit (6-5), Green Bay (5-6), Dallas (5-6), Washington (5-6), Arizona (5-6), Tampa Bay (4-7), Chicago (3-8).

Elimiated:
NY Giants (2-9), San Francisco (1-10)

Last week for the first time my rooommate, Cardinal Viking, took over as the leader in the head-to-head picker (in terms of overall record so far this season) while I held the title for 10 weeks. The picks are all in good fun and there is no prize for the winner, other than bragging rights. At the end of Week 11 he took a 3 game lead on me. Let's take a look at the results last week:

My record:

14-2 (Picked the Chiefs to beat the Bills and the Jaguars to beat the Cardinals, still 3-0 on Thanksgiving games)

Cardinal Viking's record:

13-3 (picked the Cowboys to beat the Chargers, the Chiefs to beat the Bills and the Jaguars to beat the Cardinals).

As with that I picked up a game on him and now the records are still not in my favor. I still reduced the lead held by Cardinal to 2. We will see how well this week's games go to determine who will remain on top.

With the holiday season now upon us it would seem necessary for me to do a Christmas song but since it is still November and Christmas is in December, I will eventually do one later. No since in making the season longer than it already is (former retail worker I can tell you that much). Instead whenever I think of this time of year, I always think of the great music genre that is jazz. The cool video this week is one such jazz classic, "Take Five" from Dave Brubeck.

Week 13 in the regular season will begin in Arlington, Texas and ends at Cincinnati, Ohio. The week features a Thursday night game, 9 early games, 4 late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will handle the doubleheader this week, while CBS will have the single game. There are no teams on bye week. Here are the picks:

Washington @ Dallas: Redskins. The Redskins won against the Giants last week while the Cowboys lost to the Chargers last week. Vegas has this game at +1 right now with the Cowboys being the underdog. The Cowboys proved last week how inept they are without Ezekiel Elliot at running back. They made a lot of mistakes against the Chargers. The Redskins however seem to be the more hungrier football team in this one and I'll take the Redskins despite their troubles at offensive line. 

Denver @ Miami: Broncos. Both teams took losses last week as the Broncos lost to the Raiders and the Dolphins lost to the Patriots. The two teams aren't going anywhere but down this season as they both have holes at the quarterback position. The Broncos however have a better receiving corp than the Dolphins and I can't trust the Dolphins. Hell I don't trust the Broncos either. It'll probably be a snore fest.

Detroit @ Baltimore: Ravens. The Lions last week lost to the Vikings while the Ravens won against the Texans on Monday night. Two playoff contenders looking to get a win. The Ravens have one of the better passing defenses in the NFL while the Lions have a great passing attack. I'm picking the Ravens based on the fact that they can run the ball (10th in rush offense) than the Lions can (30th in rush offense). It'll be close but I'll take the Ravens.

Houston @ Tennessee: Titans. The Texans took a loss against the Ravens last week while the Titans won against the Colts. I don't particularly like both teams with the exception of Houston (if they still had Deshaun Watson at QB) but the last time these two played they put up a quite an offensive showing. I think Titans will take the season series split as they don't have neither Watson or JJ Watt. God I don't feel safe. 

Indianapolis @ Jacksonville: Jaguars. The Colts took a loss last week against the Titans and the Jaguars lost to the Cardinals. Neither team looks to try to be great but the Jaguars seem to be a more complete team than the Colts are (god give Chuck Pagano a breath mask). The Jaguars look to be not a complete joke and I feel they'll win. I mean I would be crazy to pick the Colts in this game. 

Kansas City @ NY Jets: Jets. Both teams took losses last week as the Chiefs lost to the Bills and the Jets lost to the Panthers. The Chiefs are pretty much this season's version of the 2016 Vikings who got off to a hot start at 5-0 and eventually got to a meager 8-8 record. The problem with the Chiefs is that the things that got to where they were at the beginning of the season, well they've been terrible (looking at you Alex Smith and Kareem Hunt). If the Chiefs want to be successful in this game they'll need to get back to the basics and stop trying so hard. I'm sorry but I have to go with the Jets. 

Minnesota @ Atlanta: Vikings. Both teams got wins last week as the Vikings beat the Lions and the Falcons beat the Buccaneers. The Vikings seem to be legit this season and one of their biggest tests this week is when they travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. Usually I take defense over offense in games like this as the Vikings defense is one of the best in the NFL while the Falcons have a great offense as well. That defense took apart the Rams offense a few weeks ago. I'll take the Vikings but if they lose... well I'm not going to cry about it >:)

New England @ Buffalo: Patriots. Both teams picked up wins last week as the Patriots won against the Dolphins while the Bills won against the Chiefs. The game will depend on if Tom Brady stake up on his own two feet as the Bills defense is no slouch, but as long as Tom Brady is still in this league, the Bills don't have a chance against the Patriots. 

San Francisco @ Chicago: Bears. Both teams took losses last week as the 49ers lost to the Seahawks and the Bears lost to the Eagles. A couple of the NFC's worst teams this season do battle. Jimmy Garappalo will get the start for the 49ers but I don't trust the 49ers as much as I could throw them, I'll take the Bears based on rushing offense and better defense.

Tampa Bay @ Green Bay: Packers. Both teams took losses last week as the Buccaneers lost to the Falcons and the Packers lost to the Steelers. I picked against the Packers for the first time I started doing NFL blogs back in 2012 and it worked out well for me (Steelers won barely though). However I can't see the Packers losing to the bad Buccaneers. I'm not a foolish guy to take the Bucs. 

Cleveland @ LA Chargers: Chargers. The Browns lost to the Bengals last week while the Chargers won against the Cowboys. The Browns last win was against the Chargers, however that was last season and this Chargers team was a much different one than last season. Get that win and possibly claim a playoff spot, Chargers!

Carolina @ New Orleans: Saints. The Panthers got a win last week against the Jets and the Saints lost to the Rams. The Saints are currently the NFC South divsion leader and the Panthers are currently currently holding a playoff spot. The Saints won the first game in the season series and that was on the road. I like the Panthers at offense but I'll take the Saints as they seem to be a safe bet.

LA Rams @ Arizona: Rams. Both teams picked up wins last week as the Rams won against the Saints and the Cardinals beat the Jaguars. The first time these two teams played it was in jolly ole England and it was not a close game. The Rams beat the Cardinals rather soundly. I feel good with the Rams based on the offense and certainly the Rams defense will be on spot against the Cardinals offense.

NY Giants @ Oakland: Raiders. The Giants lost to the Redskins last week while the Raiders won against the Broncos. The biggest story of this game is that Eli Manning won't start in the game, snapping his 210 consecutive games started streak. In fact, the last time the Giants started a quarterback not named Eli Manning was Kurt Warner (yeah that long ago) back in 2004. The Raiders seem to be a more complete team than the Giants so I'll take them over a Geno Smith led Giants team.

Philadelphia @ Seattle: Eagles. Both teams took wins last week as the Eagles beat the Bears and the Seahawks beat the 49ers. The game of the week features the #1 seed Eagles taking on the playoff contender Seahawks. The Eagles may not be the complete team on defense but I don't trust the Seahawks offensive line to keep Russell Wilson on his own two feet. Fly Eagles Fly!

Pittsburgh @ Cincinnati: Steelers. Both teams got wins last week as the Steelers won against the Packers and the Bengals beat the Browns. The Steelers last week played down to their competition but in a division game with the Patriots breathing down their neck they will come out fighting against the Bengals who look to be missing the playoffs yet again. 

Local TV Schedule (subject to change, via 506sports.com)

CBS Single:

Kansas City @ NY Jets

Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

FOX Early:

Minnesota @ Atlanta

Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

FOX Late:

Carolina @ New Orleans

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

To find out which game is playing in your area, check out: NFL Maps, Week 13

Record:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 8-7

Week 8: 12-1

Week 9: 6-7

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 8-6

Week 12: 14-2

Overall: 110-66

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 4-10

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-5

Week 8: 11-2

Week 9: 7-6

Week 10: 9-5

Week 11: 12-2

Week 12: 13-3

Overall: 112-64

See you guys next week!

-Tom