Miami at NY Jets - This should be a much better game than when these two teams met earlier this season. Both teams are in a significantly better place right now. Both teams have earned wins and, in the case of the Dolphins, they still even hold out some hope of qualifying for the playoffs. Yet, the Jets also have been winning fairly often in recent weeks, and they are especially tough at home. That, plus the cold weather, will make this a tough challenge for the Fins, who absolutely need this win to keep their slim and flickering playoff hopes alive. Tough one to call. I just don't see the Dolphins winning, since thy struggle on the road. On a cold, wintry day in northern New Jersey, with the Jets playing very well as of late, look for Gang Green to play the role of spoilers. My pick: NY Jets
Seattle at Atlanta - Two of the bird teams square off in Atlanta. Except that one of these teams seems far better than the other. Indeed, the Seahawks are crushing it right now, while the Falcons, once again, are enduring another pointless season. True, the Falcons can be tough when they host games in Atlanta. So this will not be a cakewalk for the Seahawks. Still, they feel like the far better team overall, and so should be able to win this one. My pick: Seattle
Tennessee at Cleveland - The Browns might not be a great team, but they are not as abysmal as the Titans have been this season. To be fair, Tennessee is probably better than their record would suggest, because they have managed to keep many games surprisingly close. Still, the end result tends to be the same almost week after week in that they lose. And it seems likely that this trend will not suddenly reverse itself this weekend, either. The Browns should win, quite possibly handily. My pick: Cleveland
Washington at Minnesota - Both of these teams are no serious losing streaks entering this game. Losing streaks serious enough that they effectively knocked these teams out of the playoff race. So that makes this game interesting, in a way. One team will finally manage to end their losing streak, while the other team will likely have suffered one of the most dispiriting losses yet, to a team with a massive losing streak. Whenever you get two teams who have grown as used to losing as either of these two teams, it is difficult to have faith in picking a winner, because you know full well that they can let you down and fumble the opportunity, because they have gotten so used to that. But since I have to make a pick, it will be for the home team with a losing streak not quite as serious as that of the road team. My pick: Minnesota
New Orleans at Tampa Bay - The Bucs started the season looking like one of the powerhouse teams, and then came crashing back down to the pack with a bunch of losses in a fairly short span of time. They did manage to get back on track a bit last weekend against the Cardinals. However, even that was surprisingly tight. So clearly, they cannot take anything for granted. That said, they really should be able to win this one, against a weak division rival who cannot get out of their own way. Look for the Bucs to win, possibly big, and to earn a second win in a row to reassert some measure of control in the NFC South race. My pick: Tampa Bay
Indianapolis at Jacksonville - Just a couple of weeks ago, the Colts were still so far ahead of the pack that the question for them seemed more of whether they could contend for the number on seed in the AFC, and not hang onto the lead in the division. But now, they have suffered two straight losses and find themselves tied with these Jaguars for first in the AFC South. Both teams are only one ahead of the Texans, who have stormed back from a miserable start to be relevant. So this is a huge game, and both teams surely feel that they need this win. But the Jaguars have home field advantage and come into this game with solid momentum, having won three in a row. Look for them to escape a tough challenge from Indy to take sole possession of first in the division, at least for now. My pick: Jax
Cincinnati at Buffalo - This is not as automatic as it might have seemed it surely would be just a couple of weeks ago. The Bills feel more vulnerable than they perhaps did, with some recent losses. And as I mentioned before, the Bengals are just a very different team with quarterback Joe Burrow. With him back in the lineup, they could pull off another shocker, as they did last week at Baltimore. So this one will be tough. That said, I still expect the Bills to get past Cincy, albeit barely. My pick: Buffalo
Pittsburgh at Baltimore - Finally, a battle between these two teams for outright possession of first place in the AFC North. The Ravens came all the way back from a 1-5 start to reel off five straight wins, and tied with first atop the AFC North. But that loss to the Bengals should serve as a wakeup call. As for the Steelers, they looked like they might run away with this division earlier in the season, but have cooled off considerably since. They have lost two in a row, and five of their last seven overall. Aaron Rodgers might have shown glimpses of his former self earlier this season, but he seems not to be enough right now for Pittsburgh to overcome their other team problems. A tough contest on the road against a Ravens team hungry to get back to winning, and likely to exploit the Steelers problems, should solidify this as when the Ravens finally came fully back from the depths this season. My pick: Baltimore
Denver at Las Vegas - The Broncos are still hot, and seem on the verge of effectively clinching the AFC West. One more win makes it virtually impossibly for the Chiefs to win a tenth straight AFC West title, and would leave little wiggle room for the Chargers, for that matter. Not sure how solid the Broncos are, because they look and feel more vulnerable than their incredible record and current streak of nine straight wins might otherwise suggest. However, the Raiders are not themselves a great team, so I expect the Broncos to be able to pull off at least this one and extend their streak to ten in a row. My pick: Denver
Chicago at Green Bay - What a huge game! A major showdown between the top two teams in the NFC North. Chicago enters with five straight wins, and tied with the Rams for the best overall record in the NFC at 9-3. However, the Packers are only half a game behind, and they get to host this one at Lambeau Field. This is a big test for the Bears, one that could solidify their status as legitimate contenders this season. Still, I think the Pack find a way to win. My pick: Green Bay
LA Rams at Arizona - The Rams suffered a sobering loss last weekend in Carolina. They now face a tricky challenge against the Cardinals, who can prove surprisingly tough at times. Remember, the Cardinals stunned the Cowboys just a few weeks ago. Also keep in mind that as division rivals, they are familiar with the Rams. So expect a fairly tight contest. In the end, however, the Rams should prove to be the better team. My pick: LA Rams
Houston at Kansas City - This is a tough game for both teams. A must win for both, as well, for that matter. The Chiefs are 6-6 and in a tougher spot than we have grown used to them being this late in a season. They do not even have a playoff spot locked up, and in fact, might not qualify. The Texans might have something to say about that, because despite digging themselves out of that 0-3 stat, they still have little to no margin for error, either for the AFC South race or the playoff race more generally. But winning at Arrowhead Stadium is still tough, regardless of whether or not the Chiefs look as good as they have in recent seasons or now. Expect a tough game, and a surprisingly low-scoring one, most likely. If the Texans can win, they will further their legitimacy as a serious threat on the AFC side, with a tough, possibly historic level defense. However, I still expect KC to pull this one off, somehow. My pick: Kansas City
Philadelphia at LA Chargers - Both teams enter this one with some serious question marks, and with little margin for error. True, the Eagles are still in first place, but a loss here would man that they failed to capitalize on the Dallas loss on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Chargers want to keep within striking distance of Denver in the AFC West, as well as staying ahead of the Chiefs. A loss here in this game would compromise both of those things, and make their playoff bid a lot more unsure. It is a question of which team will right their wrongs enough to pull this one off. Home field should help the Chargers, but will it be enough to actually lift them to victory? The Eagles need to stop the bleeding before their current losing streak grows serious enough to remind them of the collapse just two seasons ago, when they followed a 10-1 start by winning only one game the entire rest of the season and getting bounced in their very first game in the playoffs. It could go either way, hard to tell. My pick: Philadelphia
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