Arizona at Houston - Both of these teams have struggled this season, although at least the Cardinals have a lot more going for them than the Texans do at this point. Yet, Houston is not entirely out of the AFC South divisional race just yet. They are not so hopelessly far behind that they cannot at least entertain the possibility of catching the Titans and Jaguars and becoming relevant again, although time is rapidly running out, and they are close to being out of even playoff contention. If they lose this game, they will effectively be out. For Arizona, they probably cannot really catch either the red-hot Rams or the Seahawks, but they can perhaps seriously contend for a Wildcard berth. Plus, they are probably the slightly better team, although it will not be an easy game. I just do not like the direction that Houston is going in, having lost three straight, and so it would seem that the Cardinals should be the natural choice here. My pick: Arizona
Baltimore at Green Bay - With their win last week, the Pack might be back. A win today would seal the deal to solidify them as serious playoff contenders as Thanksgiving weekend approaches. And the Ravens are a beatable opponent, and Brett Hundley appears to be getting better with each game. That's good news. And the pressure is on to win this week, and likely every week from here on out, because Green Bay's backs are up against the wall. They are too far behind to be able to afford any losses if they want to catch the Vikings for the NFC North title, or even to keep up with Detroit in the Wildcard race - especially since the Lions went up to Lambeau Field and beat the Packers. The Ravens are essentially teetering on the brink of elimination, flirting with a lost season. This will probably be the game that essentially knocks them out, albeit unofficially. They just do not appear to be an especially good team right now. My pick: Green Bay
Detroit at Chicago - A little over one week ago, I would have said that the Bears are definitely going to provide the Lions with a serious challenge at the very least, if not perhaps pull off a big win. But the question right now would be how telling that hugely disappointing loss to the Packers last weekend actually was, and how this team will respond. Was it evidence that the Bears earlier success this season was a bit of a fluke, or is it just that Green Bay still seems to have Chicago's number? One way or the other, they have to respond, and frankly, it could go either way. Maybe they will play the way that they showed that they are capable of playing earlier this season, or maybe they will come out flat like they did against Green Bay. But the Lions look hot going into this, and they feel like an inspired team, and that is why I have to go with them for the win here. My pick: Detroit
Jacksonville at Cleveland - The Browns certainly feel the pressure of the need to produce a win - at least one win. But is it in the cards for them? Frankly, it is difficult to see how they can do it this week, with the red-hot Jaguars coming to town. Yes, Jax is a Florida team, and they are coming up to frigid Cleveland in late November, and maybe, just maybe, that might have an effect. And maybe, just maybe Cleveland finally plays the roll of spoilers, and derail the Jaguars incredible run at the moment, where they find themselves alone in first place in the AFC South. But Jax was surely watching the Titans as they lost to the Steelers on Thursday night, and they know that this would be a great opportunity to climb ahead in the division race as the season winds down towards the stretch. Cold or not, whatever the forecast by the lake will be, the Jaguars are probably just too good, and should be too motivated, to drop this in what would be a major upset. And certainly, it would be ridiculous to pick against them. My pick: Jacksonville
Kansas City at N.Y. Giants - I would love to think that there is a good reason for why the Giants look so bad so far this season, but other than the fact that they perhaps really are this bad, I cannot find any. Their offensive woes are basically a continuation of a problem that has existed since at least last season, and their defense is not saving them this season. Frankly, this is probably the worst that I have seen the Giants this late into the season, and this probably will wind up being the worst single season Giants team since I became a fan way back in 1981. There are just no real positives, and losing to an 0-9 team just one week after allowing 51 points to the Rams has to make this team feel even worse. And it will not get any easier with KC coming to town, riding the momentum of a successful season that has them well ahead in the AFC West. Hard to predict an upset in this one, so I won't. My pick: Kansas City
L.A. Rams at Minnesota - Now this is a huge game, with tons of playoff ramifications! Two of the hottest teams in the NFC go head to head, as the Rams, a team sporting a four-game winning streak and ahead in the NFC West race, head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings, a team sporting a five-game winning streak and well ahead in the NFC North. The Rams have one of the most explosive and dangerous offenses in the league, and will challenge stretch the Viking's defense today. That, plus their seeming capacity to specialize in playing on the road (they are 4-0 on the road so far this season) makes them very tough to beat. Still, the Vikings should not be overlooked, either. They too are red hot, and they know what's at stake in this one. Frankly, this is a game that could go either way, but surely someone has to win. In the end, I expect the Rams to pull through in the second half. My pick: L.A. Rams
Tampa Bay at Miami - A battle of Florida teams that was actually supposed to take place in Week 1, remember? But the hurricane delayed this one, and places it at a point when both teams were to get their bye week. And frankly, both teams could use a bye right now. The Dolphins suffered a third straight loss last week, and now look mostly out of it in terms of contending for the playoffs. It is not impossible that they could qualify, but it would take a huge turnaround at this point. Fortunately for them, the Bucs look like a winnable game at this point. The Bucs are terrible on the road, not having managed to win a single game away from home yet. Still, Miami's weak and inept offense cannot be overlooked. They have an offense that has produced even less than the Giants, Browns, and 49ers, and that is saying something! To this point, the Fins have the lowest scoring offense in the league, and they need to have some kind of a breakout if they hope to seriously contend for the Wildcard. I do not see it happening, but they can, and probably should, manage a win against the lowly Bucs. My pick: Miami
Washington at New Orleans - Okay, so Washington managed to pull off an impressive and almost shocking upset against the Seahawks in Seattle. But the Saints are even hotter than the 'Hawks, and they won't be taken by surprise. They have home field advantage, have a very stingy defense, and they have a solid running game that could wear down opposing defenses. How the Saints went so quickly from a high-flying offense led by the explosive arm of Drew Brees last week, to a smashmouth, conservative football machine this season remains a mystery to me. But that does not change the likelihood that they will stay hot and beat Washington today. My pick: New Orleans
Buffalo at L.A. Chargers - The Bills are looking very shaky all of a sudden, while the Chargers are also suddenly resembling the team that has lost a ton of close games in recent seasons. But the Chargers are at home, and the Bills, who are shaky on the road, have to travel across the country to play a West coast game. It could go either way, as these two teams appear more or less evenly matched heading in. But the Chargers have pressed harder for wins lately than Buffalo has, and they are overdue for a win, while the Bills feel like a team on the verge of a collapse. That would be a shame if it winds up being true, but my suspicion is that this loss makes the late season swoon for Buffalo more serious, and already in progress. My pick: L.A. Chargers
Cincinnati at Denver - Two bad teams in orange face off at Mile High. Each team has matching 3-6 records, although the Broncos have a five game losing streak. Another way to put that is to say that they have not won a game since October 1st. I would say that Denver has the advantage because of the home field advantage, particularly the high altitude. However, that home field advantage has not counted for much at all for them so far this season. Then, I would say the Bengals have the advantage, except that their offense is putrid. In fact, both offenses for these teams stink. It should be a low-scoring affair, and frankly, it could go either way. But the Broncos really look like they are suffering through a more serious collapse, and that is why I have to give the edge - a slight edge - to the road team. My pick: Cincinnati
New England at Oakland (actually at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico) - Not sure how much the home field advantage will work for the Raiders in this game, if at all. After all, this is Mexico City, and not Oakland or Las Vegas, or wherever the Raiders call home. The Raiders have rebounded somewhat from a four game losing streak earlier this season, but they now face the hottest team in the league, and the defending champions. This game should have taken place last season at around this time. But this season, I have to go with the Patriots superior experience, talent, and drive, over the Raiders so far lackluster efforts and issues this season. Brady is playing some lights out football, and you know Belichick will have an impressive, and possibly unbelievable, game plan. Hard to see the Raiders pulling it off against all of that. My pick: New England
Sunday Night Football - Philadelphia at Dallas - This would have been a huge showdown just a week and change ago, before the Cowboys suddenly fell into all sorts of turmoil. But with Eliot gone, and with that demoralizing blowout loss at Atlanta, and with Jerry Jones suddenly having an uncertain future as to whether or not he will even be the owner for this franchise in the near future, it all seems too much. Given the recent history of the Dallas franchise, it feels like this will be the point when things begin to fall apart for them, and a tough game at Philly against the red-hot Eagles on Sunday night, followed very quickly by another game on Thursday afternoon, might spell the end of their playoff chances. By now, I am convinced that the Eagles success is no fluke, and whether or not they have home field advantage, the Eagles have the hottest win streak (at least tied with the Saints) mixed with one of the most explosive offenses, and that makes a win here feel inevitable. My pick: Philadelphia
Monday Night Football - Atlanta at Seattle - A battle between the two teams that lost in shocking ways to the Patriots in recent seasons. The Falcons were floundering for a while, but they finally got a much needed win against Dallas last week, and that keeps their hopes alive. But the Seahawks know that they need to win in order to keep up with the Rams. They already lost a surprise upset game a couple of weeks ago, and simply cannot afford to drop even one game. The Seahawks have a very solid defense, while the Falcons have that potent offense, making this an intriguing match-up. If this were in Atlanta, the Falcons would have a good chance. But since the Seahawks have home field advantage, and since they ultimately have the revenge factor on their side (Atlanta eliminated them from the playoffs last season), it would be difficult to pick against them. My pick: Seattle
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