NFL Week 12

Ten (Not So) Quick Hits:

1/ I haven't been a big believer in either the Falcons or the Bears this season, but having had the rare opportunity to watch both teams play on Sunday, I'm here to tell you: they are for real, folks. Both will be genuine contenders for the NFC title.

2/ Speaking of the Falcons, Atlanta's offensive line may not boast a lot of big names but they are a very solid unit, in both run blocking and pass protection. One of the NFL's top five O-lines, and you can quote me on that.

3/ A team that's not for real? Well, how about Tampa Bay? Despite their 7-4 record, the Bucs still haven't beaten a team with a winning record. Josh Freeman certainly has the franchise headed in the right direction, but until they beat a good team, people just won't take them seriously.

4/ If Minnesota's win against Washington proved anything – in my mind at least – it's that there are quite a few NFL players who only try when they really want to. Just as the Cowboys looked like a different team in the first game after their head coach Wade Philips was let go, the Vikings shined their first time out after their generally disliked coach, Brad Childress, got fired. Coaches beware, keep those players on your side. They wield the real power in this league.

5/ Could we really see a Colt-less postseason for the first time since 2001?

6/ Nice return to the Dolphins QB starting job, Chad Henne. Now keep those interceptions down, and that job will yours for a long time.

7/ There wasn't a bigger sack this weekend than the Rams Chris Long's takedown of the Broncos Kyle Orton in the final minute of the game. Up until that point, Denver looked as if they might actually make a fourth quarter 20-point comeback happen.

8/ Do you know who Colts receiver Blair White is yet? Well, might be time to learn: the rookie has four touchdown receptions already in his eight-game (no starts) NFL career. That's more than Tony Gonzalez, Eddie Royal or – more relevantly perhaps – Pierre Garcon in 2010

9/ Great game by Giants rookie defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul against Jacksonville. He had two sacks (for minus 18 yards), another quarterback hit, two forced fumbles and five total tackles. New York's pass rush just got a little more fearsome.

10/ That was quite the scuffle, Cortland Finnegan and Andre Johnson. Finnegan is known around the league as a legendary trash-talker and he certainly ruffled Johnson's feathers on this occasion. Keep an eye on those two when the Titans and Texans meet again, only three weeks from now (and for years to come in the AFC.

- Here's some of the studs of the week:

a. Bears quarterback Jay Cutler: Made barely any bad throws for Chicago, completing 14 of 21 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns. Even more importantly, he avoided any turnovers and led the Bears on three or four quick-scoring drives that stunned the Eagles.

b. Chiefs running back Larry Charles: Ran all over the Seahawks, amassing 173 yards on 22 carries at a 7.9 yard per carry average.

c. Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe: As if having Jamaal Charles dominate wasn't enough, Bowe had a career day himself, catching 13 balls for 170 yards and three touchdowns.

-Here's some of the goats of the week:

a. Titans quarterback Rusty Smith: Hate to see a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start featured on this list, but Smith was that bad against Houston. He completed only 54 percent of his 31 passes for 138 yards. He tossed three picks to boot, finishing with horrible 26.7 quarterback rating.

b. Panthers kicker John Kasay: Missed the game-winning 42-yard field goal as time expired, handing Cleveland a one-point victory. Earlier in the fourth quarter, he missed a 46-yarder. As if the Panthers weren't having a hard enough time already.

c. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning: Has seemed out-of-touch the last couple weeks and particularly susceptible to the interception. He threw four picks against San Diego, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

-Rookie of the Week: Rams quarterback Sam Bradford: Terry Bradshaw ranked Bradford number five on his list of top ten quarterbacks under the age of 30 Sunday morning, and Bradford then came out and played like it Sunday afternoon. He threw for over 300 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on the day the Rams took the lead in the NFC West.

-Play of the Week: Mike Vick who? Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. David Garrard.

-Ridiculous Play of the Week: In overtime against the Steelers, Bills receiver Stevie Johnson literally had the game-winning ball in his hands. But it slipped through.

Picking NFL Week 12

I'm back after a one week hiatus (due not to an exotic vacation or a weekend of hardcore partying, I assure you).

How I did in Week 10: 8-5

Record on the season: 83-60

Packers at Falcons: Tough pick. Both teams are playing very well and Matt Ryan has an unbelievable record in the Georgia Dome: he's only lost one start at home in his first three seasons. However, two factors swing it back in Green Bay's favor: the Packers defense has really clicked the last three games – in 180 minutes of football, it has allowed only ten points – and I think Aaron Rodgers should be able to open up the Falcons secondary. Packers.

Titans at Texans: There are certainly better pass defenses Titans rookie quarterback Rusty Smith could be facing in his first NFL start. But he'll have to muster a lot of points to keep pace with Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. Texans.

Vikings at Redskins: I'm calling for a Cowboys-like revitalization in Minnesota now that the much-disliked Brad Childress has finally got the chop. They'll play looser and more freely in Washington and that's usually a recipe for success with a talented roster like the one the Vikings possess. Vikings.

Jaguars at Giants: The Jaguars have been a bit of surprise this year; they're even leading the AFC South at 6-4 heading into the weekend. But if the Giants can bottle up Maurice Jones-Drew, who has had three straight 100+ yard rushing games, they'll like their chances of limiting Jacksonville's offense. Giants.

Steelers at Bills: The Bills may have a couple victories under their belts, but they have about as much of a chance of winning this game as Wade Philips does of getting another NFL head coaching gig anytime soon. Steelers.

Panthers at Browns: Now the Bills have won two straight, the Panthers have officially replaced them as the NFL's worst team. And they'll get a blast from the (very recent) past with their former quarterback Jake Delhomme starting against them on Sunday in place of the injured Colt McCoy. A heavy dose of Peyton Hillis should take care of this one for Cleveland. Browns.

Chiefs at Seahawks: Seattle has been gashed recently by strong running games (Raiders, Giants and Saints), so if I was Todd Haley, I'd ride Thomas Jones and Larry Charles all afternoon. This might be squeaker, particularly if Matt Hasselbeck and Mike Williams get going, but I think Kansas City has enough to take this one on the road. Chiefs.

Dolphins at Raiders: Oakland's powerful momentum came to an phenomenal halt against the Steelers last week as they lost 35-3. But it's no coincidence that the Raiders fell apart as they were being held to 61 yards of rushing and forced to pass the ball. Miami won't be able to limit Oakland rushing attack in the same way. Raiders.

Eagles at Bears: Philly's offense has being soaring in recent weeks (they're up to number 2 in the NFL in offensive yards per game), but Chicago's defense has been stellar all year. The really interesting match-up might take place on the other side of the ball with Jay Cutler facing the ball-hawking Eagles D, which leads the league with 19 interceptions. If Philadelphia's pass-rush can force Cutler into some bad throws, its secondary will gobble them up. Eagles.

Buccaneers at Ravens: The Bucs may be 7-3 but they haven't beaten a single team with a winning record. There's no reason for that to change on Sunday. Ravens.

Rams at Broncos: Denver looked like a different team when they crushed Kansas City a couple of weekends ago. But until I see more out of Denver, who have lost five out of their six, I'll keep considering that game something of a fluke. Rams.

Chargers at Colts: Vincent Jackson is finally getting back on the field for this one, but how much of an impact he'll have after months away is impossible to know. What we do know is that San Diego is ramping up one of its yearly late season pushes and Peyton Manning has a severely depleted receiving corps. Add in the fact that the Chargers have beaten the Cols in four of their last five meetings, and things don't look good for Indy. Chargers.

49ers at Cardinals: Not much of a glamor match-up for Monday Night football, but believe it or not, both these 3-7 teams could still win the NFC West. Not much to choose between the two – the 49ers haven't won an away game all year, but the Cardinals have lost five straight, home and away – but Frank Gore should be able to pick up some yards against Arizona's run defense. 49ers

NFL Week 10

Ten (Not So) Quick Hits:

1/ The Bills finally have a non-circular number in their loss column. And they didn't do it the easy way either, needing to stop a Detroit two-point conversion with 14 seconds on the clock and then to recover the ensuing onside kick to seal it. They deserve it though, one of these close games had to swing their way eventually.

2/ Can't say enough good things about the Bears defense after watching them do work against Minnesota. They were one blown coverage away from holding Brett Favre and co. without an offensive touchdown all game. Having middle linebacker Brian Urlacher back this year has been huge for them.

3/ Cowboys: 33 – Giants: 20. The kind of result that has NFL prognosticators up and down the country tearing their hair out.

4/ That was a huge three-and-out the Jets defense forced with under two minutes left in overtime after Sanchez had thrown a pick. Barring a big turnover, that was the only way they were going win in OT for the second time in as many weeks.

5/ Tom Brady has found a new red zone target, and his name is Rob Gronkowski. The rookie caught three touchdowns against Pittsburgh, taking his season total to six (that's third amongst tight ends in the whole league, behind only San Diego's Antonio Gates and Jacksonville's Marcedes Lewis). Along with the excellent receiving tight end Aaron Hernandez, and the excellent blocking tight end Alge Crumpler, the Patriots have completely rebuilt themselves this season at that position.

6/ A quarterback with the last name Smith might still lead San Francisco to the NFC West title. Don't laugh, folks, they're only two games back.

7/ Who knows what to expect out of these Denver Broncos? One week they'll lose 59-14 to the 2-4 Raiders. Another week, they'll win 49-29 against the 5-3 Chiefs. He may have been aided by some injuries in the Chiefs secondary, but Kyle Orton was still on fire Sunday. And I thought their defense couldn't stop the run...

8/ Five different quarterbacks threw passes in the Miami-Tennessee game Sunday (additionally, even Brandon Marshall had an attempted pass), and none of them did it particularly well. The best of the bunch, you ask? Probably Tyler Thigpen (remember him?) who went 4 of 6 passing and threw a game-sealing touchdown to Anthony Fasano.

9/ In case you didn't know it yet, Randy Moss, like a Thanksgiving turkey, is done. In his second over-hyped debut in as many months, Moss caught just one ball for 26 yards. I think I agree with all the NFL teams that didn't bite on him after the Vikings cut him Nov. 1. His skills just aren't worth the trouble he inevitably will cause in a team's chemistry anymore.

10/ Marshawn, my man, what is that on your face?

-Here's some of the studs of the week:

a. Seahawks wide receiver Mike Williams: Tore up the Cardinals secondary, caused cornerback Greg Toler's benching at halftime because Toler couldn't cover him, and finished with 11 catches for 145. He single-handedly makes Seattle's offense much more potent, and he should get some serious consideration for the Comeback Player of the Year award.

b. Bills running back Fred Jackson: The CFL and NFL Europe veteran produced one of his better days in the NFL providing 133 yards of rushing and 37 yards of receiving on a ugly day (weather-wise) where offensive yards were at a premium. Scored both of Buffalo's touchdowns too.

c. Cowboys quarterback John Kitna: Wasn't statistically the best quarterback in Week 10 but, after getting roundly criticized by sportswriters (myself included) the last few weeks, he deserves some credit for producing a good, 327-yard passing game capped off by a couple touchdowns.

-Here's some of the goats of the week:

a. Titans quarterbacks Kerry Collins and Vince Young: Both struggled with their accuracy: Collins completed 9 of 20 passes and was benched; Young came in and completed 9 of 18 passes. Neither topped a hundred passing yards and both their passer ratings hovered around 60.

b. Vikings receiving corps: Percy Harvin aside, Minnesota's pass catchers didn't give Favre much help Sunday. They kept losing their footing on Chicago's grass and dropped a lot of passes. It showed once Harvin went off too, as the Vikings really struggled to move the ball through the air afterward.

c. Jets kicker Nick Folk: Lost his job in Dallas because he missed a couple big kicks, and he could well be on his way out of New York now after an awful day in Cleveland. Missed three of five kicks – from 48, 24, and 47 yards – against the Browns which allowed them to hang around in normal and overtime.

-Rookie of Week: Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant: Only caught three passes on Sunday, but made each one of them count. The first went for 45 yards, the second was a touchdown grab and the third went for 46 more yards. No doubt about it, he has the tools to dominate in this league.

-Play of the Week: As an Oregon fan, part of me can't believe I'm doing this, but it's going to LeGarette Blount again, for going airborne once more.

-Ridiculous Play of the Week: Do you really need to ask?? HAIL MARY!

Picking NFL Week 10

How I did last week: 10-3

It's nice to finally feel like I actually know something.

Record on the Season: 75-55

Fingers crossed, this is where I start my Oakland Raiders-like roll.

Bengals at Colts: Carson, your time is almost up. Colts.

Jets at Browns: Could the Browns really upset the Saints, the Patriots and the Jets in three straight games? Well, with the Jets recent offensive's struggles, it could happen. But I say New York's top five run-defense will load the box to focus on shutting Peyton Hillis down and dare Colt McCoy to beat Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie in one-on-one matchups on the outside. And that will be too tall an order for the rookie QB. Jets.

Vikings at Bears: Respective records say the Bears should win this comfortably. But after Minnesota's pass rush (and especially Jared Allen) finally got going last week – they picked up 6 sacks against Arizona and Allen got 2.5 of those – I see them having a very good day against Chicago offensive line. Vikings.

Titans at Dolphins: Kerry Collins vs. Chad Pennington...What is this, preseason ball? Titans.

Texans at Jaguars: Two of the NFL's worst five defenses should yield plenty of yards for running backs Arian Foster and Maurice Jones-Drew, but Jacksonville's will come up with just a couple more stops. Jaguars.

Lions at Bills: Call me crazy but, with Matthew Stafford out and the Bills tip-toeing closer to a victory every week, I think this is the week Buffalo wins its first 2010 game. Bills.

Panthers at Buccaneers: If the Bucs have done one thing well this season, it's beat bad teams. They're 4-0 against teams with losing records (and 0-3 against winning teams) and I see no reason for that trend to turn around against Carolina. Bucs.

Chiefs at Broncos: Todd Haley has got to be in the running for coach of the year. He's already won more games (5) than he did all year last season (4). So often talk of rebuilding a franchise rings hollow (just ask Buffalo fans) but for Kansas City, Haley is really doing it. That being said, the Chiefs can't afford to lose this important divisional game and allow the streaking Chargers or Raiders to get any closer in the AFC West. Chiefs.

Rams at 49ers: Troy Smith produced some magic in London two weeks ago to lead a 49ers comeback against Denver, but whether he can repeat the trick remains to be seen. The Rams actually feature a top ten defense, in terms of yards allowed, this season. They'll give Smith some trouble. Rams.

Cowboys at Giants: I think the Cowboys will play noticeably better this week for Jason Garrett, now that Wade Philips is gone. But the Giants are on a tear right now, they're playing at home and John Kitna isn't scaring anybody. Giants.

Seahawks at Cardinals: It feels like these two just played each other. Actually they did, only three weeks ago. The Seahawks won on that occasion – 22-10 in Seattle – but neither team has won a game since. The NFC West is so bad I almost feel like the Cardinals will win just to keep the division picture murky. But speaking of murky, how about that Arizona quarterback situation? (Can't say I didn't call it) Seahawks.

Patriots at Steelers: I'm predicting a big bounce-back week for the Patriots in this one. The Steelers didn't impress in their two prime time appearances in Weeks 8 and 9, with a 1-1 record which could have easily been an 0-2 record but for Cincinnati's dreadful start last Monday. Their offense will struggle to score as many points as New England's. Patriots.

Eagles at Redskins: Things were a lot more fun in Washington for Donovan McNabb last time he played against his old team. After his controversial benching in the final two minutes of the Redskins last game against Detroit and the slightly ridiculous media response, his relationship with coach Mike Shanahan will be under constant scrutiny in coming weeks. Eagles.

NFL Week 9

Ten (Not So) Quick Hits:

1/ Jerry Jones should have fired Wade Phillips at halftime. On the sideline, Wade looked like he knew it. The Cowboys are an embarrassment of a team. There is no other applicable word. (I actually feel bad for the guy, he's a beaten man)

2/ The players can complain about harsher hitting penalties all they want but when you see a helmet-to-helmet hit like the one Austin Collie took against Philadelphia and Collie laying motionless afterwards, you understand why they feel like they need to do anything they can to avoid a potential life-altering disaster.

3/ All of Detroit is holding this morning its breath as we wait for an update on Matthew Stafford's newest shoulder injury, on the same throwing shoulder which he separated earlier this season. That injury caused him to miss five games. More generally, though, Stafford has struggled to stay healthy in his young NFL career, and it's got to be beginning to become a concern for the Lions franchise.

4/ In this crazy season, where new best teams seem to emerge every week, keep an eye on the New York Giants. They've now won five in a row (on top of which they get Dallas next week) and in the NFC, where parity seems particularly dominant, that's no mean feat. Circle that Week 11 Sunday Night matchup against the 5-3 Eagles as a must-see.

5/ No let-up by the Saints defense then. They picked up right where they left off against the Steelers last week. They held Carolina (okay it is only Carolina) to three points and under 200 yards of total offense, on top of which they forced two turnovers.

6/ Asante Samuel might be the only cornerback in the league who loves playing against Peyton Manning. He had some famous interceptions of Peyton back when he played for the Patriots, and he repeated the trick, twice, on Sunday. Bet Manning's glad the Colts only play the Eagles once every four years in regular season games.

7/ If the Bills don't win one of these close games soon....I don't even know what to say. They've lost three straight games by a field goal. Best 0-8 team you'll see in a while.

8/ Stat of the week: the Atlanta Falcons are now 17-1 at home with Matt Ryan as their starting quarterback.

9/ Forget Jake Delhomme. Forget Seneca Wallace. Rookie Colt McCoy has proved himself enough to be the guy for the Cleveland quarterback job.

10/ I don't who to believe in this dust-up.

-Here's some of the studs of the week:

a. Packers linebacker Clay Matthews: No doubt in my mind that Matthews, only in his second NFL season, is the best defensive player in the league right now. After not even practicing this week, Matthews was all over the field Sunday. He really can do everything. He picked up another sack (he leads the league in that category), had two other quarterback hits, made three tackles, defended two passes, and even scored his second NFL touchdown. No wonder teammate Charles Woodson likes to call him the 'Claymaker.'

b. Raiders receiver Jacoby Ford: Made three spectacular and crucial plays which pushed the Raiders past the Chiefs. He returned the opening kick of the second for a touchdown, and then he made both big catches (a 29-yarder and a 47-yarder) which put the Raiders in field goal range to first send the game to overtime, and then to win it. The speedster finished with 306 all-purpose yards.

c. Browns running back Peyton Hillis: Pretty much was the Browns offense in a smackdown of the Patriots. His 184 rushing yards were almost half of the team's entire offensive production of 404 yards. Expect the Browns to continue to play good, old-school football with him carrying the rock.

d. Vikings quarterback Brett Favre: Was far from perfect Sunday (two interceptions thrown), but still threw for 446 yards (the highest single-game passing yardage in his career), two touchdowns and completed 76 percent of his 47 passes. He makes this list though because of the fantastic fourth quarter comeback he led, bringing the Vikings back from 14 points down with under five minutes to play. Say what you will about Favre and his legacy in the sport, but when it comes to leading comebacks in the final few seconds, there are very few quarterbacks on the all-time list he would have to take a backseat to.

e. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers: Makes any receiver he plays with look like a superstar (Peyton comparisons on the horizon someday soon??) and throws the best deep ball in football. On the day, his passer rating was 137.2, as he completed 17 of 23 passes for 295 yards and four TDs.

-Here's some of the goats of the week:

a. Panthers quarterback Jimmy Clausen: Certainly didn't look like the top ten draft pick he was once thought to be before last year's draft. He completed 8 of 18 passes after Matt Moore left the game with an injury. He also threw two interceptions to end with a 28.5 passer rating.

b. Seahawks quarterback Charlie Whitehurst: Was another fresh quarterback face struggling Sunday. Started in place of the concussed Matt Hasselbeck and silenced anyone who may been calling for the latter's benching. He threw two interceptions and was 12-of-23 for 113 yards passing.

c. Chiefs running back Thomas Jones: Found out just how hard it is to run on Oakland's defensive line as he was held to 32 yards on 19 carries, a paltry 1.7 average.

d. Cowboys receiver Miles Austin: Has the tools to be a dominating presence in any game he plays, but has disappeared during the Cowboys losing streak. Had three 100-yard receiving games in the first four games, but only one since. Two catches for 16 yards went his stat line Sunday. Sure, he doesn't have Romo throwing to him anymore, but he's done little to make Kitna better.

-Rookie of the Week: Chargers receiver Seyi Ajirotutu: What is it with receivers with long, complicated names taking the NFL by storm recently? After Devin Aromashodu, Danny Amendola and Michael Hoomanawanui, we may have discovered a new one in my boy, Seyi Ajirotutu. The undrafted rookie, a college roommate of Chargers first round pick Ryan Matthews at Fresno State, caught four passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns, including this beaut.

-Play of the Week: DeSean Jackson. Doing work.

-Ridiculous Play of the Week: Ridiculous play of the week, ridiculous play of the season, and maybe of the decade. With the Lions regular kicker injured a few plays earlier, 307-pound rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh stepped up to tack on an extra point after a Detroit touchdown. This is what happened. You can bet Suh will be hearing it for a while from his father, a former semi-professional soccer player, and his sister, a collegiate soccer player at Mississippi State, after that one.

Picking NFL Week 9

How I did last week: 7-6

Peyton Manning and Clint Session helped me squeak another winning week.

Record on the season: 65-52

Boy, that's a lot of losses.

Chargers at Texans: I badly want to pick Texans because I've been burned by the Chargers poor form away from Qualcomm Stadium so many times this season. But Houston's defense gives up a ton of points (a minimum of 24 in every game they've played), and I think Philip Rivers will have a monster day against their weak secondary. Chargers.

Cardinals at Vikings: Two teams with very sticky quarterback situations will try to establish the run to win the game. Give me the one with Adrian Peterson running the ball. Vikings.

Saints at Panthers: Over the last two years, the Saints have made a habit of underperforming in games against unfancied opponents just like this one. So I expect this matchup to be much closer than everyone thinks after the Saints played well against Pittsburgh. But could they really play down to Carolina's level enough to lose to them?? Saints.

Patriots at Browns: I'm officially jumping on the New England bandwagon. Their defense, which was supposed to be very bad, has in fact taken great strides this season while their offense, with or without Randy Moss, has continued to roll. Best team in the league eight weeks. Patriots

Bucs at Falcons: Be wary of Bucs corner Aqib Talib, Matt Ryan. He'll be waiting for that deep ball you like to throw to Roddy White. Falcons.

Bills at Bears: Unfortunately for Buffalo, they don't have the pass rushing weapons to get after the Chicago's biggest weakness, its offensive line. The Bills rank 25^th in the league in sacks with 11, and the Bears have usually found a way to win games when their offensive line isn't completely overpowered. Bears.

Dolphins at Ravens: The Ravens have only one game by more than 7 points all year. The Dolphins have only once by more than 5 all season. Expect a squeaker, folks. Ravens.

Jets at Lions: Going with the upset in this one. Sure the Jets can't possibly be as bad on offense as they were last week but I think Detroit can score the points to keep up with them. A combination of injuries and a big contract appear to have slowed Darelle Revis down a step or two this season. Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson might just pick on him a little bit. Lions.

Giants at Seahawks: Seattle's undefeated record in home games will be severely tested by a New York team that rebounded from a poor 1-2 start to win four straight before its last week. The key matchup in this one will be the Seahawks offensive line against New York's impressive array of pass-rushers, because, as you may have heard, Matt Hasselbeck took 8 sacks last week. And I think the bruising will continue Sunday. Giants.

Colts at Eagles: Michael Vick may give the Colts fits with his legs, but Peyton Manning's arm will terrify the Eagles lackluster secondary. Colts.

Chiefs at Raiders: I love most everything the Chiefs have been doing this season, but after what has happened the last two weeks (reminder: Oakland won their two games by a combined 75 points and I picked against them both times), how am I not going to pick Raiders in front of their home crowd? Raiders.

Cowboys at Packers: Hah. If you think there's any chance of me picking the Cowboys again after last week's performance until they've actually won about five games, you're sadly mistaken. Just on principle if nothing else. Packers.

Steelers at Bengals: Can't see the Steelers losing two primetime games in a row, especially against an underachieving Bengals team that has lost four straight games. Cincinnati's dominance of the AFC North looks more like a one year fluke every time a week goes by this season. Steelers.