The playoff picture is becoming clearer now, as this season approaches Thanksgiving. Traditionally, that is the point when teams either are still in the playoff hunt, or they understand that this was a lost season. Some teams, including both New York teams, Miami, Cincinnati, Detroit, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta, and Tampa Bay, are likely done already.
Other teams, including New England, San Francisco, Seattle, Baltimore, New Orleans, Green Bay, and Minnesota, are likely going to be in the playoffs, and are looking to win their divisions, and perhaps earn a playoff bye as one of the top two seeds in their respective conferences.
This is the final weekend before Thanksgiving, and so some teams are feeling the urgency of the pressure to remain in the playoff picture. There are a few big games with playoff ramifications for both teams, as well. That is especially true when Dallas visits New England, Green Bay goes to San Francisco, and Baltimore travels to Los Angeles to take on the defending NFC Champion Rams.
So, how will this weekend shape up? Who is likely to either cement their playoff contender status, or erode it?
Here are my picks for NFL Week 12:
N.Y. Giants at Chicago – The Bears are inconsistent, and it is hard to tell which Bears team will show up on any given Sunday. But they do have home field advantage in this one, and the Giants themselves are hardly a powerhouse kind of opponent. Look for the struggling Bears offense to find some rhythm against that too vulnerable Giants “D” and for the defense to do enough to pull off the win. My pick: Chicago
Oakland at N.Y. Jets – The Raiders are pretty hot right now. True, road trips across the country can be trying, and it is also true that the Raiders are playing a Jets team that, suddenly, looks very much alive. But Oakland is still flying high, with hopes of a division title still very much within reach. A win here would once again tie them for first place in the AFC West with Kansas City. So, this is a big, important game for them. And they are the better team, and should find a way to win, even if it proves to be a close game. My pick: Oakland
Denver at Buffalo – Buffalo is a team that wins in a kind of old-fashioned way. They rely on defense, mostly, and they have one of the best defenses in the game. Their offense does enough to usually get the job done. I think that they will do just enough to win this one, as well. My pick: Buffalo
Miami at Cleveland – Cleveland is not an elite team, which the earlier hype surrounding them earlier this season would have led you to believe. Yet, they also are not a bad team, which their 2-6 record midway through this season would have led you to believe, either. They have now put together a modest two-game win streak. Still, that last win was overshadowed by the horrific brawl right at the end, which left a bad taste on what should have been a historic and encouraging win. Surely, they want to put that behind them, and this is a perfect opportunity, at home against one of the weakest teams in the league. I like the Browns all the way in this one. My pick: Cleveland
Carolina at New Orleans – The Saints have looked inconsistent ever since coming back from their bye. Then again, the Panthers have looked inconsistent ever since the season started. New Orleans still has a hell of a lot to play for, and are still in the run for possible home field advantage. They still clearly have title aspirations. As for the Panthers, they just look remarkably inconsistent. Sometimes they look good, and other times, they resemble one of the weakest teams in the league. Hard to pick the road team when they are like that, and so the Saints should manage a win here. My pick: New Orleans
Detroit at Washington – The Lions once looked like they had some promise to them this season. Now, once again, they look vulnerable and weak, in more typical fashion Still, they should have enough to carry them to a win in this home game against one of the very worst teams in the league, and perhaps the worst team in the NFC, just before their traditional Thanksgiving home game. My pick: Detroit
Seattle at Philadelphia – This is another big match between two serious playoff contenders, and with a possibly ton of playoff implications for both teams, and possibly to division rivals for both. Seattle has a very tough defense, and an explosive offense led by a veteran quarterback with championship experience, who has become a serious MVP candidate. But the Eagles are a team with some championship experience themselves, and they have home field advantage. Still, I see this one being close and, in the end, the Seahawks have shown an incredible will to win on the road. My pick: Seattle
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati - The Bengals really should no be quite this bad. Then again, nobody should. be. But the reality is that the Bengals have not managed so much as a win yet. They have matched their worst start ever at 0-10, and should they lose this game, as I predict that they will, they will fall to 0-11, and set their vert worst start to a season ever. Not the kind of history that anyone wants to make but there you have it. My pick: Pittsburgh
Tampa Bay at Atlanta – The Falcons spent the vast majority of this season looking completely inept, incompetent. Then, in the last two weeks, they resembled the team that made it to the Super Bowl and took a 28-3 lead over New England once there. What happened, and where was that team for the first half of the season? Also, is it a case of too little too late? My guess is that it is, because it is very difficult to see Atlanta recovering enough to qualify for the playoffs. Still, this has been a mighty impressive few weeks. Expect their run to continue when the Bucs come to town. My pick: Atlanta
Jacksonville at Tennessee – The Jaguars and Titans are both up and down teams. Both are very inconsistent. That makes predicting this game very difficult. I like the Titans with home field advantage, but I also believe that the Jaguars might be the better team of these two right now. But in the end, home field might make the difference. My pick: Tennessee
Dallas at New England – The Cowboys are desperate to try and hang onto first place in the NFC East. Last weekend, they benefitted from a week opponent, while the Eagles had to face the Patriots. Philly lost, and Dallas won, and that gave the NFC East lead to Philly. But now, the ‘Boys have to travel to New England, to Foxboro, to take on the Pats. Never easy, and especially by this time of the year. It will be chilly and raining, so the weather could prove a factor. If the Cowboys hope to hand New England their first home loss, they had better do something special, and it is hard to imagine them managing that feat. My pick: New England
Green Bay at San Francisco – Wow, what a game! This could go a long way towards deciding who has home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. The Packers have an experienced quarterback who has shown consistent ability to put some points on the scoreboard, and their defense, while showing some vulnerabilities recently, nonetheless is a solid unit. As for the 49ers, they may not look quite as dominant as earlier this season, but they still have a solid defense in their own right, and their offense can be one of the most explosive units in the league. They do have home field advantage, but my guess is that the Packers are prepared for this game. It should be a tight game, and probably will come down to the fourth quarter, even perhaps the final play of the game. Key things like turnovers could decide it. This could go either way, seemingly. But I just like the Packers to find a way to win. My pick: Green Bay
Baltimore at L.A. Rams – The Ravens just may be the hottest team in the league right now. Not sure if they are peaking early, or just catching fire, but they look very formidable. They travel across the country to take on a Rams team that is feeling the desperation of trying to remain relevant in the playoff hunt. These Rams bear little resemblance to the team that captured the NFC title last season. They still can play tough, but they really have shown a lot of inconsistency this season, and their offense just does not look anywhere near as explosive as they did last year. The Ravens defense is tough, and they may have the hottest quarterback in the league making their offense seriously explosive in their own right. Baltimore comes into this game with a ton of momentum, and while I do not see them necessarily blowing out the Rams, I do see them continuing their winning ways. My pick: Baltimore
No comments:
Post a Comment