The Saints and Lions, two teams going nowhere, squared off last night in New Orleans.
The Lions looked solidly in command for most of the game, until the Saints rallied late, looking to overcome a huge deficit for a comeback win.
But in a weekend where several teams mounted huge comebacks only to fall short, the Saints were unable to complete it, and the Lions held on for a nice road victory before a nationally televised audience.
(TNF) San Diego at Oakland - Like with San Diego last week, this might be the last game that Oakland gets to see in a long while, with the possible move to Los Angeles. The Chargers have been playing fairly well as of late, but an emotional last game in Oakland, plus a solid team, should mean the Raiders win this one.
SATURDAY Washington at Philadelphia - The big NFC East showdown! The Eagles were blown out against Arizona, and their confidence is likely shaken, while Washington's likely is soaring. That is dangerous territory for the Eagles, although it is definitely an advantage that this game at least is in Philadelphia. It could go either way, but I like Philly to squeak out a victory in this one.
San Francisco at Detroit - Neither team is going anywhere, although Detroit seems to be taking playing for pride seriously. Couple that, with their home field advantage, and I see the Lions taking this one against the 'Niners.
Cleveland at Kansas City - The Browns just cannot get a break, can they? Here they are, once again on the road against a very tough, red hot team that absolutely needs to win this game. The Chiefs are on the verge of qualifying for the playoffs, and that is a huge accomplishment for a team that started off 1-5. They will not let Cleveland stand in their way, either.
Indianapolis at Miami - The Colts need a win just to keep their very slim playoff hopes alive. Luckily, they are playing the Dolphins, who are an absolute mess right now. Look for the Colts to catch their breath and get a much needed win at Miami this weekend.
New England at N.Y. Jets - Big game! The Patriots are already division champs and have a playoff bye, but they can win home field with a win and a Cincy loss. The Jets, in the meantime, can get closerto a playoff berth with a win, and it would be huge to defeat their biggest rivals, the Patriots. My guess is that they will in a tight game.
Dallas at Buffalo - Remember when these two teams met in the Super Bowl two years in a row? Well, both of these teams are far removed from those glory days. Neither team will be in the playoffs this year, although a better team, plus home field advantage, should be more than enough to push Buffalo to a victory this weekend.
Carolina at Atlanta - The Panthers are only the fourth team in NFL history to start a season with 14 straight wins. They have looked very solid, with a tough defense and a potentially explosive and unpredictable offense, led by likely MVP Cam Newton. The Falcons finally managed to end their losing streak last weekend at Jacksonville, but they are playing a far better team this time around. Home field advantage might help, but I still see Carolina winning this one.
Pittsburgh at Baltimore - The Steelers are hot. The Ravens are suffering through possibly their worst season in franchise history, at least since moving to Baltimore. They just do not have enough this season to do much of anything, and that could be disastrous with a red hot Steelers team fighting for their playoff lives. Pittsburgh wins.
Houston at Tennessee - The Texans finally got over the hump and defeated the Colts in Indianapolis. They are hot, and they will play their best against a Tennessee team that is young and has talent, but is not ready yet for anything too big. Look for the Texans to dictate the tempo early and keep the pressure on, ultimately earning a victory that could secure the division title.
Chicago at Tampa Bay - Two teams with disappointing seasons square off. Tampa Bay and Chicago both have struggled mightily lately, and these slides knocked them out of playoff contention. The Bears can be tough, but home field should help the Bucs pull this one off.
Jacksonville at New Orleans - Another game between teams that are not moving on. The Jaguars lost a devastating game to the Falcons last weekend, and have to still be reeling. The Saints showed some fight in the MNF loss to the Lions. My suspicion is that New Orleans will use the home field advantage and their fighting spirit to win what may be their last victory with Brees at the helm.
Green Bay at Arizona - Big game! These are two playoff teams, and potentially division champions, squaring off in a huge game. The Cardinals and Packers are fighting for the playoff bye with this one, with Arizona outright clinching it with a win here, and the Packers moving within one game, with a realistic shot still at obtaining that valuable bye week to rest up and get as healthy as possible for the playoffs. Green Bay is tough, but the Cardinals are very tough to beat at home. It could go either way, but I'll take the Cardinals in a tight one.
St. Louis at Seattle - This one could have meant something, but the Rams had a big slide that knocked them out of playoff contention. Seattle is fighting for their playoff lives still. The division may be out of reach, but the Seahawks still have won the last two NFC crowns, and until further notice, they have to be considered a serious threat to do it once more. The Rams have been playing better lately, but expect the Seahawks to hand them a loss.
(SNF) N.Y. Giants at Minnesota - The Giants are reeling, while the Vikings are playing rather well. Should be a good game, and both teams will show something. Still, I suspect that Minnesota will find a way to put this one in the W column, as the Giants often struggle when they have to visit the land of 10,000 lakes.
(MNF) Cincinnati at Denver - This should be a great game, with huge ramifications. The Bengals are without Dalton, but the Broncos are not playing very well lately, and have issues with injuries to their starting quarterback themselves, of course. Both defenses are solid, but have shown somewhat inexplicable lapses at times this season. This will be a tough game, and with simply enormous playoff ramifications. It could go either way, although I favor the Broncos slightly simply because of home field advantage.
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