Indianapolis 31, Atlanta 25 (OT) - A fantastic game, a back and forth affair in which the Colts rallied late in the fourth to force overtime. A number of lead changes, a game that goes into overtime, and a great touchdown to decide it. The Colts won a game that they were, frankly, expected to win, but really struggled. But a win is a win, and this proved to be exhilarating . My pick: Accurate, Barely
NY Jets 27, Cleveland 20 - The Jets went from an 0-7 start to now having won two straight. While you probably should not make playoff reservations just yet, they do feel like a team gaining some traction, finally. As for the Browns, welll....this feels like a rather typical season, doesn't it? Well out of the playoff picture weeks before Thanksgiving. No real surprises. My pick: Accurate
Chicago 24, NY Giants 20 - The Giants actually do feel like they are improving. However, they need to work on hanging onto leads and closing out games. Too many times, they have let games slip out of their grasp. That said, frankly, I had expected the Bears to more or less control this one from the outset. So the G-Men did better than expected. But kudos to Da Bears for pulling off an impressive comeback win to stay hot and relevant in the playoff picture. My pick: Accurate
New England 28, Tampa Bay 23 - One of several results which I admittedly just did not see coming. I thought that the Bucs would come away with this one, at home. But I was wrong. New England is red hot, and apparently even better than I thought. My expectations were that they were an improved team, but they appear to be one of the elite teams this season. My pick: Inaccurate
Miami 30, Buffalo 13 - The Dolphins pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the week. They had not beaten the Bills in years. Yet, they managed to win in blowout fashion. Doubt that it will salvage any playoff hopes, but it is a huge win for them. As for Buffalo, this one hurts. Not only did they lose, but they failed to keep pace with the red hot Patriots for first place, as New England stunned the Bucs in Tampa. My pick: Inaccurate
New Orleans 17, Carolina 7 - This one I was obviously completely wrong about. Not only did I underestimate the Saints, but I apparently overestimated the Panthers. They are a tough team to figure. They get blown out at home against the Bills but then stun the Packers in Green Bay. And then, they fall flat on their face and lose - convincingly, at home to a lowly Saints team? What's going on with Carolina, anyway? Strange outcome.. My pick: Inaccurate
Houston 36, Jacksonville 29 - This felt like a microcosm of how the season has gone for both teams. The Jaguars got off to a hot start, and the Texans looked like they were in trouble. Then Jax allowed the Texans to take control, and Houston came back for an impressive, exciting win. Now the Texans are very much back in the race, this season looks relevant. Meanwhile, the Jaguars feel like they are fading away after a strong start to the season. My pick: Accurate
Baltimore 27, Minnesota 19- The Ravens confirmed that they are indeed coming back and starting to be really impressive this season with a well-earned road win at a tough place. The Vikings could have won, but Baltimore, to their credit, did what they had to do. They controlled the ball game later on and earned their third straight win. Following a 1-5 start, the Ravens are now within a game of first place after the Steelers loss against the Chargers in Los Angeles. Quite impressive. My pick: Accurate
Seattle 44, Arizona 22 - The Seahawks earned yet another important win, a division rivalry game against the Cardinals. They left no doubts, for that matter, pounding the Cardinals and taking this one in blowout fashion. So after a temporary reprieve, the Cardinals return to losing. Meanwhile, Seattle looks to a now huge showdown for sole possession of first place in the NFC West against the Rams in Los Angeles next weekend. My pick: Accurate
Detroit 44, Washington 22 - The Lions needed a win here, and they left no doubt. Washington feels like a team crumbling at the moment. And while this does not exactly even the score following Washington's stunning playoff win at Detroit last season, it does reinforce that Detroit remains a relatively elite team with a chance at a deep run in the playoffs. As for Washington, their season is dangerously close to being irrelevant as Thanksgiving approaches . My pick: Accurate
LA Rams 42, San Francisco 26 - The 49ers more often than not make the Rams look less than great. They beat the Rams out in Los Angeles earlier this season. But the Rams returned the favor in this one, earning a convincing win on the road against the 49ers to take a lead of two games over them in the divisional race. However, I would not count San Fran out just yet. They will likely be a playoff team again this year. As for the Rams, there is precious little chance to rest on their laurels, because they have a huge showdown which could go a long way towards deciding the NFC West division race when they host the Seahawks next weekend. My pick: Inaccurate
Sunday Night Football: LA Chargers 25, Pittsburgh 10 - The Steelers took a 3-0 lead against the Chargers early in this one. After that, however, it was pretty much all Chargers. They took a while to really get in gear. Once they got it together, however, they managed to earn a pretty dominating win over the Steelers. Pittsburgh loses their third in a four game stretch, and now have the Ravens nipping at their heels in the AFC North. As for the Chargers, this win keeps them ahead of the Chiefs and within a game of the Broncos in the AFC West My pick: Accurate
Monday Night Football: Philadelphia 10, Green Bay 7 - A close game that went in favor of the Eagles really was not a stunner. That said, this one was much more defensive and low scoring than expected. Yet, there were some really interesting moments. Perhaps the biggest came in the final two minutes. A turnover recovered by Philly seemed to ice the game. Yet they struggled to kill the clock. With the Eagles clinging to a 10 -7 lead with something like 30 seconds left, they took an enormous and seemingly unnecessary gamble by going for it on fourth down. Why? Granted, the Eagles still won, so it did not blow up in their faces. But it still seemed a very puzzling choice, frankly. It actually could have cost them the game. Yet, they hang on for a win to improve to 7-2. Meanwhile, the suddenly struggling Packers fall to 5-3-1. At least for now, they also slip out of first place in the division for the first time this season. My pick: Accurate
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