Buffalo at Miami - The Bills may or may not qualify for the playoffs, but they need a lot of help. Before anything else, however, they have got to get the job done this weekend and beat the Dolphins first and foremost, and then worry about whether or not they receive the help that they need.How motivated will Miami be to win this one? My guess is that they would love to at least play spoiler, and shatter Buffalo's playoff dreams, as well as avenge their loss a couple of weeks ago up in Buffalo. But the Bills also have a history of beating the Dolphins far more often than the Finns beat them in recent seasons. Plus, the Bills appear to be the better team this year. With everything to fight for in this game, I see the Bills coming out with the win, albeit barely. My pick: Buffalo
Carolina at Atlanta - The Panthers need to win this, and need New Orleans to lose, in order to take the NFC South. The Falcons need to win this to avoid needing help, and just to win that last playoff spot outright. This will be an intense game, with the Panthers being able to clinch either the second seed throughout the playoffs (with considerable help), or settling for the fifth seed, more likely. But Atlanta needs this one to stay alive, as it is either them or Seattle in the NFC. Win today, and Atlanta is in. Lose today, and likely, Seattle will pull through. My suspicion is that home field plays an important, likely deciding roll in the outcome. My pick: Atlanta
Chicago at Minnesota - Chicago has pulled off some surprises this season, but this one would truly be a stunner that they would remember for years. I know, on any given Sunday, anything could happen. But the Vikings have been among the hottest teams in the league all season long, and they seem to be ending the season with a head full of steam. They have a real chance to qualify for the Super Bowl this season, particularly since the Eagles are a weakened and compromised team without their star quarterback. The Vikings should win that first home game, or at least have a strong chance, and that would mean that either they would go to Philly to face a weakened Eagles team, or they would actually host the NFC Championship Game. Either scenario is realistic, and would give the Purple People Eaters a real chance to returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in over 40 years! But they need to secure the playoff bye first, and they should get by the Bears to do just that in this one. My pick: Minnesota
Cincinnati at Baltimore - The Ravens are right on the verge of a playoff berth, but they first need to take care of business. But since they are at home against a weak Bengals team, that should not be too difficult. Cincy has been remarkably inconsistent these last two seasons, and they just do not appear to have what it takes to win a road game like this and play spoiler. The Ravens are hot right now, and it is hard to imagine that the Bengals can really stand up to all of that for too long. I see Cincy getting blown out in this contest. My pick: Baltimore
Cleveland at Pittsburgh - The Steelers still have a chance at home field advantage, if they win and the Pats get upset by the Jets. It is not necessarily likely, although it could happen, possibly. In any case, I am quite sure that the Browns will be out of luck with their hopes to see Pittsburgh's starters sitting this one out, which means that they likely will be out of luck for this game and, with it, for this season, in terms of producing at least one win. Yes, this should fulfill Cleveland's bottoming out with a rare winless season. Few teams have "achieved" this, with the 2008 Detroit Lions and the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers being the only teams in recent decades to have done so. But Cleveland is likely to join them after this one. My pick: Pittsburgh
Dallas at Philadelphia - Nothing is really riding on this game for either team. The Eagles already locked up the top spot in the NFC playoffs, come what may, while Dallas already lost the crucial, absolutely must win game last week against Seattle, which means that they are out of the playoffs, no matter what the scenario. Philly is the better team, and plus, they are at home. However, the also barely beat a weak Raiders team at home last weekend, and that was with their remaining starters. Can they expect to beat the Cowboys with most of the remaining starters sitting it out for the duration of the game after the first or, at latest, the second quarter, most likely? Methinks not, actually. My pick: Dallas
Green Bay at Detroit - Neither team is playing for anything in this one anymore. The Lions should have had a shot, and probabyl, had Aaron Rodgers remained healthy, Green Bay could have been there, as well. Instead, the season will end in the Motor City with this last game before a long offseason for both franchises, as both have a lot off issues and questions to address. Hard to tell who will win this one, although I am guessing that the notion of a season sweep over the Packers this season might go some ways towards salvaging some self-respect and feeling better about where they are overall. No real reason that I can see for why they would not be able to do that. My pick: Detroit
Houston at Indianapolis - One of those "who cares?" games. The lowly Colts host the lowly Texanson the final Sunday afternoon of the regular season. These two teams won the last nine division titles combined between the two of them, but they both have been out of the running for it this year for a long, long time. Hard to tell which team will win, because they are both so bad. But the Texans were notoriously bad on the road for years, and the Colts are overdue for another win, so I will go with the home field in this meaningless contest. My pick: Indianapolis
Jacksonville at Tennessee - The Jaguars might rest their starters, which would be great news for the Titans and horrible news for the Chargers. But after getting their butts kicked last week in San Fran, the Jaguars seemed intent on playing much better this weekend, and they are facing a Titans team that has grown ice cold at precisely the worst time. If Jax comes out swinging, this could make it four games in a row, and an end to the Titans playoff hopes. I liked the Titans earlier this season, but this three game skid has really shaken that faith quite a bit. The Jaguars want to enter the playoffs as hot as they looked this season prior to the loss to the 49ers, so I see them coming to play in this one. My pick: Jacksonville
New Orleans at Tampa Bay - The Saints can finally clinch the NFC South title with a win here, and lock up the third seed in the process, if the Rams also lose (the Rams are going to rest their starters, so there is a good chance of this). Tamp Bay is probably better than their record indicates, but they still are a losing team for a reason. The Saints have been winning in different ways all season, and are possibly the second hottest team in the NFC, after the Vikings. It would be madness to predict an upset win by the Bucs here. My pick: New Orleans
N.Y. Jets at New England - I would like to say that the Jets have a chance in this one, but that is difficult to suggest. The Patriots, after all, are trying to clinch home field advantage throughout, which would be mighty helpful for them to reach their second straight Super Bowl, and their third in four years. Only Gang Green stands in the way, and frankly, the Jets should not be too much of an obstacle for a motivated and hungry Pats team to overcome in this one up in Foxboro. Hard to see how the Jets can win in this one. My pick: New England
Washington at N.Y. Giants - Most of the time, it is the Jets who can use their name to say "Just End the Season). But this season, it is the Giants, because they stand at a miserable 2-13, the second worst record in the league. Evne more astonishing, they are absolutely winless against NFC teams, as all of their wins came against AFC West opponents (at Denver and against KC). They play Washington, which is a better team, and how much motivation can they possibly have to win this one, anyway? This is a "who cares?" kind of a game, even though no one on either side will admit to it. The G-Men have been hugely disappointing all season long, and it would be fitting if they end the season the same way that they have played it all year long, with another loss. My pick: Washington
Arizona at Seattle - The Cardinals have been atrocious on the road, while the Seahawks have been inconsistent all season. But if ever there was a time for the Seahawks to show how tough they can be, especially at home, this is it. Even if Seattle wins, they are not guaranteed a playoff spot. In fact, it seems likely that they will not qualify. But one way or the other, they need to win this game to keep that hope alive and, failing that, at least then to end the season on a hopeful not. That should not be too difficult against the Cardinals. My pick: Seattle
Kansas City at Denver - The Chiefs finally clinched the AFC West, so they will rest their starters, including quarterback Alex Smith. They will need the rest, too, because they have a far more important game that they will be hosting next weekend, so that means that the Broncos have a good chance at ending this season on a high note, delivering a holiday gift for their fans in the form of a win against the Chiefs, which likely will happen here against an obviously watered down KC team. My pick: Denver
Oakland at L.A. Chargers - The Raiders look absolutely abysmal as their season comes to an end. The Chargers, meanwhile, still have a shot at making the playoffs. There are scenarios where they are out, even with a win, but they have been too hot to have a letdown now. To become only the second team in NFL history to overcome an 0-4 start to qualify for the playoffs (the first team to do it also happened to be the Chargers back in 1992), they will need a lot of things to go right. But first and foremost, they need to win, and that they should do against the Raiders. My pick: L.A. Chargers
San Francisco at L.A. Rams - The Rams were much better all season long, but they are resting their resting their starters, which gives the 49ers an excellent shot to stay hot at the end of the season and win this one. Los Angeles does not have all that much to play for, and have announced already that they will be sitting their starters, so they clearly do not intend to place too much of an emphasis on winning this one, which gives the road team an excellent shot at ending the season on a very high note. My pick: San Francisco
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