Cleveland at
After a week of hearing how they rolled over in San Diego, the Ravens receive the perfect team to get them back on the right track: The 2011 Cleveland Browns! And no need to fear the Browns players wanting to exact revenge for Art Modell moving the team from Cleveland to Baltimore in the mid-1990s, most of the current Browns were in their pre-teen years then.
Minnesota (+6.5) at Washington
Thank God I'm still not in Washington, D.C. to watch this game, as there's a good chance I would have jumped out my third floor window by the third quarter of this fiasco.
Tampa Bay at Carolina (-7.5)
Giving more than a touchdown is a lot to ask of a team that is 5-9 I thought, until I remembered watching the Bucs completely mail it in Saturday against Dallas. Cam Newton fantasy owners, rejoice!
Denver at Buffalo (+3.5)
Rather than spend 100 words trying to explain to you why I like Buffalo, I'll just hope this pick doesn't look bad by the first TV timeout.
Jacksonville at Tennessee (-7.5)
Jacksonville's quarterback: Blaine Gabbert
The receivers Blaine Gabbert will be throwing to: Some combination of Taylor Price, Chastin West and Colin Cloherty. After this inevitably bad performance, I predict 65 Wildcat snaps next weekend for Maurice Jones-Drew.
New York Giants (+3) at New York Jets
With most of my friends on Facebook either being Jets or Giants fans, I'm looking forward to the bevy of insults being thrown back and forth between the hours of 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday.
Oakland (+2) at Kansas City
Let's get statistical for a moment, shall we?
---> The Raiders have won four straight games at Kansas City.
---> Oakland is 7-0-1 against the spread in their last eight at Arrowhead.
Long field goals and booming punts all afternoon!
Miami (+10.5) at New England
Cousin Sal made a great point in his Grantland blog: With the way Reggie Bush has been playing these last few games, imagine how much of a psychological boost he will get with this game being played on a Saturday. The New England defense will look like Washington State, or some other inferior Pac-12 foe.
St. Louis (+16.5) at Pittsburgh
I see Pittsburgh running the ball. I see Pittsburgh continuing to run the ball. I see Pittsburgh not attempting a pass that travels 40 yards in the air. All of this adds up to a 17-3 game that could be over while every other game is at halftime.
Arizona (+4.5) at Cincinnati
With a win here, Arizona guarantees itself of a non-losing season. I don't know how that ended up happening either.
San Diego (+2.5) at Detroit
San Francisco at Seattle (+2.5)
Philadelphia (+1.5) at Dallas
Here's where things get shaky, with my family arriving at my house at 4:30 for Christmas Eve. (Clearly, there was a thought process behind that time. By 4:30 all of the 1 p.m. games will be completed, even if anything goes to overtime). So, I'll have to find some way around spending time with my family in order to watch these three games. (I already felt guilty just writing that sentence).
Chicago (+13) at Green Bay
The Bears have opted to go with a McCown brother this Sunday in Green Bay. Which one? I don't know. But if Seattle wins, Green Bay will have clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC. And McCown obviously can't be worse than Caleb Hanie, who I'll remember for throwing the ball DIRECTLY AT Seattle's Red Bryant last week.
Atlanta at New Orleans (-6.5)
Always taking Drew Brees at home at night is nearing its place among one of the steadfast rules when it comes to picking these games.
