NFL Week 16

How I Did Last Week: 6-9

Record on the season: 119-82

Quick Picks this week, folks. Merry Christmas!!

Titans at Chiefs: Kansas City has been a lot better than Tennessee running the ball this year, and just a little better in run defense. Add in the facts that the Chiefs are at home and they have more to play for and you'd have to think this is Kansas City's game to blow. Chiefs.

Colts at Raiders: Indianapolis did a phenomenal job of stopping the Jaguars rushing attack last week, and their best chance of repeating that trick against the Raiders will once again be to take an early lead, forcing Oakland to pass the ball more. But the Raiders have a top-five passing defense and, with Austin Collie is out again, I think we might just see Peyton Manning's poor form return. Raiders.

Seahawks at Buccaneers: Part of me still can't believe that the Seahawks can lose this one, slip to 6-9, and still have a shot at winning the NFC West, whereas the 8-6 Bucs can't afford anything but a win in both their final games to even have a chance at an NFC wildcard berth. Bucs.

Giants at Packers: Aaron Rodgers returns and that's a big boost to Green Bay's chances in this a huge clash in the race for an NFC wildcard spot. However the Packers inability to establish the run will cost them because it will allow the Giants fearsome pass-rushers to solely focus on getting to Rodgers. Not to mention that the Giants will be smarting from allowing that Philly comeback. Giants.

Saints at Falcons: New Orleans losing to Baltimore last week took a bit of the luster off this matchup, as the Falcons would now have to lose this game and against the Panthers in Week 17 for New Orleans to have a chance to win the NFC South division. Falcons.

Ravens at Browns: Ravens.

Patriots at Bills: Patriots.

49ers at Rams: 49ers

Lions at Dolphins: Dolphins.

Redskins at Jaguars: Jaguars.

Jets at Bears: Bears.

Texans at Broncos: Texans.

Chargers at Bengals: Chargers.

Vikings at Eagles: Eagles.

NFL Week 15

Ten (Not So) Quick Hits:

1/ The Colts came up big against the Jaguars, in what was effectively their first playoff game. They scored a touchdown on their opening drive and that set the tone for the entire game. They fired on all cylinders: Peyton Manning was stellar; their run defense stepped up, slowing down the red-hot Maurice Jones-Drew; and they even managed to establish the run themselves (only the second time they've had a back go over a 100 rushing yards this season). One must-win down for Indy, two more to go.

2/ Speaking of the Colts, their wide receiver Austin Collie got another tough break when he sustained his second concussion of the season after a brutal hit from linebacker Daryl Smith as he caught a ball over the middle. Collie had already caught two touchdown passes at that juncture. He'll be missed by Manning down the stretch, but, at this point, his long-term health is or should be an issue of far greater importance.

3/ Everyone loves a good comeback and the Eagles came up with a doozie at the Meadowlands. Down 31-10 with just over 8 minutes left in the game, they managed to produce a remarkable succession of plays, including a recovered surprise onside kick and two long Michael Vick runs, to pull level with only a little over a minute left. But then the magic really happened when DeSean Jackson scored a touchdown on a punt return to win the game as time expired. It was an extraordinary turnaround in a game that the Giants had comfortably dominated for the first three quarters.

4/ That was some show of leadership by Matt Cassel, back on the field after an emergency appendicitis. He had to be in pain (I'm sure I saw him wince, briefly, once or twice) but he played tough for the Chiefs, even taking off and scrambling a few times. Kansas City needed him back.

5/ Tebow wasn't asked to make many deep or difficult throws on his debut as the starting quarterback, but he did produce some moments of magic in the first half, most noticeably this play. Lots of people didn't think he could do that in the NFL.

6/ Aren't CBS announcers supposed to be unbiased? Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker were positively gushing over everything Tebow did Sunday as if they were hometown announcers. Look, I have nothing against the Florida kid, but there is undoubtedly some kind of media obsession with him. And it won't do him any favors in the long run, when announcers treat him as if he's the second coming of Steve Young as he's making his first start, and only a decent one at that.

7/ Love that call by Mike McCarthy, onside kick to start the game against the seemingly unstoppable Patriots. Against Tom Brady, with a backup quarterback, you gotta try anything you can to get momentum on your side.

8/ How about that block from Deion Branch on Tramon Williams on the Patriots' first touchdown? After his Week 4 trade, Branch has gone from an after-thought in Seattle to a huge part of the league's best offense. Another example of great wheeling and dealing by Bill Belichick.

9/ Looks like no one wants the number one overall pick in next year's draft. The Panthers, the Lions, the Bills and the Bengals (who had a combined record of 9-43 heading into the week) all won on Sunday.

10/ Nice of you to make an appearance, Cedric Benson...

Studs of the Week:

a. Ravens running back Ray Rice: Was almost the Ravens' entire offense against the Saints. He ran the ball 31 times for 153 yards and a score, adding 80 receiving yards and a touchdown on five catches.

b. Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson: Made ten grabs for 152 yards, including some key catches at the end of the game to get Detroit into field goal range twice. Actually made Drew Stanton look pretty good.

c. Chiefs defensive end Wallace Gilberry: Is anything but a household name, but played like one against St. Louis. Got in Bradford's face repeatedly, victimizing the middle of St. Louis offensive line (center and guards). Recorded 3 sacks (forcing a fumble on one of them) and got two other shots in on Bradford.

Duds of the Week:

a. Rams quarterback Sam Bradford: Rough day for the 2010 number one overall draft pick in a game with serious playoff implications for St. Louis. Under pressure all day from the Chiefs defensive front, he was inaccurate with a lot of throws (completing less than 50 percent) and threw two interceptions.

b. Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter: Hard to imagine a worse performance by a professional kicker than the one he delivered against Buffalo. Went 0-for-4 on field goals, including a 48-yarder that would have sent the game into overtime. Granted, they were all long kicks (48, 61, 53, 48), but at the NFL level, you'd expect him to hit at least one or two of those.

c. Seahawks Matt Hasselbeck: Maybe he gets more of the brunt of my negative attention because, living in the Northwest, I have to watch him week in and week out. But that mean he doesn't deserve his spot here. He threw two more picks against Atlanta, but it was his fumble that summed up his season. He tried to sidestep a defender in his own endzone, failed and fumbled, giving up a touchdown. Matt, you can't do that anymore, you ain't no Michael Vick.

Rookie of the Week: Browns quarterback Colt McCoy: Don't let the loss to Cincinnati fool you, McCoy was stellar in his return to the starting line-up. Completed 19 of 25 passes for 243 yards and a couple touchdowns. He continues to show great confidence and poise in the pocket. A lot of teams are kicking themselves for passing on him in the draft.

Play of the Week: He's known for making big plays. But this one was big even for him. First time in NFL history that, on the last play of the game, a punt has been returned for the winning touchdown.

Ridiculous Play of the Week: It was going to be this: the worst onside kick in the history of football??

Until this happened.

Picking NFL Week 15

How I did last week: 10-5

Decent apart from my upset pick: the Bears over the Pats....Oops.

Record on the season: 113-73

Seven straight winning weeks and the gap has widened nicely.

Chiefs at Rams: Crunch time for two of 2010's surprise teams, both of whom still have control of their own playoff destiny, should they win out. But, of course, they can't both win this one. If the game were in Kansas City, I'd favor the Chiefs. But they just don't have the same energy away from Arrowhead. Rams.

Cardinals at Panthers: Couldn't possibly list all the reasons I don't care about this game. Cardinals.

Eagles at Giants: The Giants almost figured out how to contain Michael Vick (force him to scramble to his right with your rushers and drop plenty of bodies into coverage) last time these teams faced off. I say they'll perfect it this time around. Giants.

Lions at Buccaneers: I'm predicting LeGarette Blount's third 100+ yards rushing game of the season. Bucs.

Browns at Bengals: You think there's any chance Cincinnati doesn't use its first round draft choice in 2011 on a quarterback? Meanwhile, the Browns have Colt McCoy back for the final three games of the season to see if he is real deal. All indications so far have been positive. Browns.

Bills at Dolphins: Miami just squeaked by Buffalo in Week 1, and aside from losing by 14 to Minnesota a couple weeks ago, the Bills haven't lost to any team by more than a field goal since Week 5. If the Bills can force the Dolphins into third-and-long and Chad Henne to throw, they'll like their chances. And Miami's been struggling to establish the run recently. Bills.

Redskins at Cowboys: Maybe Mike Shanahan is trying to prove to the world that he isn't getting old and soft, or maybe he genuinely felt Donovan McNabb had as much as to offer the Redskins in the future as Albert Haynesworth does (i.e. nothing). Either way, I have a hard time imagining that turning to Rex Grossman will make Washington that much better for the rest of 2010. Cowboys.

Jaguars at Colts: Fascinating matchup, because the Colts really can't afford to lose it, but they have been poor recently against the Jaguars. Maurice Jones-Drew is the hottest running back in the league right now, so Indianapolis will have to come up with a very special plan to stop him. Could this be the day we look back on in the future as the day the Colts dynasty ended, I wonder? Jaguars.

Saints at Ravens: Ravens defenses' of old would never have allowed those two consecutive 90+ yards touchdown drives in the fourth quarter that the 2010 edition did against the Texans on Monday. Not a good sign for Baltimore. Saints.

Texans at Titans: Think Andre Johnson might be a little fired up for his rematch with Cortland Finnegan?? My call: Johnson takes it, again. Only this time, by way of knockout. Texans.

Falcons at Seahawks: Atlanta is showing no signs of slowing down. Falcons.

Jets at Steelers: Pittsburgh may have lost Troy Polamalu for the season with an Achilles injury on Saturday. If that turns out to be the case, it'll undoubtedly cost them big in the playoffs. But, for this game, given the way Mark Sanchez and the rest of New York offense has been playing the past couple weeks, I don't see it being too much of a blow. Steelers

Broncos at Raiders: Anyone else been yearning for Tim Tebow get his first NFL start? See if he really can throw it at the professional level? Well, with Kyle Orton out injured, possibly the greatest college football player ever will get his chance to add to his one career pass attempt (a 3-yard touchdown toss, by the way) Sunday. Unfortunately for him, the Broncos match up horribly with Raiders, as the 59-14 beatdown Oakland handed them in October demonstrated. Raiders.

Packers at Patriots: Last week, without Aaron Rodgers for more than half the game, Green Bay managed only three points against the Lions. Now, with Rodgers out again they have to keep pace with the Pats who have averaged 39.2 points a game the last five weeks. Forget about it. Patriots.

Bears at Vikings: Jay Cutler said this week that playing on an icy outdoor college field would be tantamount to playing on a concrete parking lot. That's bad news for Joe Webb -- another rookie quarterback making his first start this week -- as the Bears are going to come after him with all kinds of pressure. Bears.

NFL Week 14

Ten (Not So) Quick Hits:

1/ It's official. In creaming the NFC North leading Bears in the snow in Chicago, the Patriots removed any shadow of doubt that they are the best team in the NFL right now. Not only do they have the league's best record but they have beaten the Steelers, the Colts, the Jets and now the Bears (four teams with a combined record of 35-17) over the last five week. Combined scores of those games: 151-64 in the Patriots' advantage. It's going to take a very special defense to stop that offense in the playoffs (deja vu anyone?).

2/ On a day of moderately entertaining games, the Jaguars-Raiders matchup really stood out. It was marathon of a game, full of big plays, and capped off by an impressive second-half comeback by Jacksonville. I could watch Maurice Jones-Drew and Darren McFadden run the ball all day every day.

3/ Can't say as much for the Lions-Packers or Jet-Dolphins games (Man, are the Packers a non-factor without Aaron Rodgers).

4/ Speaking of the Jets, they had two unbelievably bad final possessions as they tried to come from behind in the fourth quarter. They went three-and-out on the first after three straight Mark Sanchez incompletions (bad throws and a drop). On the second, they did manage to squeak two first downs, moving the ball to mid-field. But a spike, an incomplete pass, and two sacks later and the game was done.

5/ Worst day for the Chiefs since they were blown out by Denver in mid-November. Without the threat of Matt Cassel throwing deep, the Chargers defense focused on completely shutting down the Kansas City running game. And they did. San Diego moves to within one game of Kansas City in the AFC West. On the flip side, the Chiefs have three winnable games – at St. Louis, against Titans and Raiders – left to clinch the division.

6/ Neither the Falcons nor the Saints are letting up and it feels like the race for the NFC South is going down to the wire. New Orleans have won six straight, while the Falcons have won seven. Get your popcorn ready now for their week 16 Monday night clash.

7/ No Wade Philips/ Brad Childress effect in Denver. If anything, Josh McDaniels getting the boot translated into the Broncos playing worse against the Cardinals.

8/ Here goes T.O. again. If anyone truly believed that he had turned over a new leaf (and I doubt there were many), never forget that a Bengal doesn't change his stripes.

9/ Amazing footage from inside the Metrodome as the inflatable roof ripped open. It was like something out of “The Day the Earth Stood Still.”

10/ Really, Jets, this is what you're up to? To call this a bush league move would be an insult to the hundreds of highly-professional minor league baseball teams out there.

Studs of the Week:

a. Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson: Tore up the Cowboys with big play after big play. Had a career high 210 receiving yards on only 4 catches. His celebration after his 91 yard touchdown was pretty sweet too. Unless you're a Cowboys fan, of course.

b. Niners quarterback Alex Smith: An impressive 130.9 quarterback rating in his return to the starting line-up. Threw for three touchdowns, 255 yards and didn't turn the ball over. Should hold on to the quarterback job for at least another week.

c. Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley: How about this day for a linebacker? A pick-six, a defended pass, two sacks, two other quarterback hits, and five total tackles. The third-year man out of Michigan has become a huge part of Pittsburgh's dominant D.

Duds of the Week:

a. Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton: Had four turnovers, three interceptions and a fumble, on a rough day against Arizona. Completed 19 of 41 passes for 166 yards and a passer rating of 27.1.

b. Jets running backs Shonn Greene and Ladanian Tomlinson: Gained a combined 66 yards on 27 carries against Miami. That's a paltry 2.8 yard per carry average. I thought the Jets prided themselves on running the ball.

c. Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck: Made bad decisions and bad throws repeatedly, even throwing into double coverage once or twice. Had four passes picked off and lost a fumble on a Travis LaBoy hit. Inflated his numbers a little with some garbage time offense, but was poor when it mattered.

Rookie of Week: Cardinals quarterback John Skelton: Didn't post great numbers (15 of 37 passing for 146 yards with no touchdowns or picks) but a winning quarterback is a good quarterback. Particularly in Arizona this season. The key was that he avoided costly mistakes. Indeed, it was the first time this season that the Cardinals have had a quarterback not throw an interception nor take a sack in a game all season.

Play of the Week: Two weeks in a row for Mr. Polamalu.

Ridiculous Play of the Week: The snapper or the holder to blame on this one? Probably a little of both...

Picking NFL Week 14

How I did last week:10-5

A couple of comebacks really helped me out. Thank you Seattle and Atlanta.

Record on the season: 103-68

Up over 60 percent, baby!

Buccaneers at Redskins: The Bucs pleasantly surprised me last week by giving the Falcons a great game in Tampa. They may be hard pressed to make the playoffs this year – they're competing with the Saints, Giants, and Packers for a wildcard slot at this point – but Josh Freeman has proved he's going to a great long-term leader for them. Buccaneers.

Browns at Bills: Buffalo can't stop the run. Cleveland has a human wrecking ball, Peyton Hillis, running the football. Let's move on. Browns.

Giants at Vikings: Is Brett Favre really wise to continue to battle to keep his consecutive games played streak alive? If I was him, the last defensive line I'd want to face would be the Giants'. Minnesota's homefield advantage and ability to stop the run (they're fourth in the league in that statistical category) should keep this one close. But ultimately the G-men will have too much for the Vikes. Giants.

Packers at Lions: Aaron Rodgers was almost too good against the Niners last week. And he should have some more fun in Detroit's indoor Ford Field. Packers

Raiders at Jaguars: Two remarkably similar teams. Both run the ball exceptionally well (Jaguars are second while Oakland are third in the league). Neither stops the run particularly well (17th and 23^rd respectively). Both have so-so quarterbacks. Both flew under the radar with slow starts, but have got hot in recently. In a game this tight, give me the home team. Jaguars.

Bengals at Steelers: Remember when the Bengals went 6-0 in divisional games last season? Boy does that feel like ancient history...Steelers

Falcons at Panthers: There's a couple of contenders but this one could be the mismatch of the week. John Fox might want to consider running the ball on every offensive play just to keep the clock moving. Falcons.

Seahawks at 49ers: Seattle can make the NFC West title a two-horse race – between themselves and the Rams – by beating San Francisco here. But this division has been so messy all year, why would we get any more clarity now? 49ers.

Rams at Saints: Just like last week, New Orleans can't afford to give up any more ground to Atlanta. Saints

Patriots at Bears: Undoubtedly the best match-up of the weekend, particularly as the game is being played at Soldier Field. That's a huge advantage for the Bears, because the slippery natural grass of their home stadium will have the Wes Welkers and Danny Woodheads of New England losing their footing as they come out of their sharp cuts. Chicago's defense ain't bad either. I'm going with the upset here. Bears.

Broncos at Cardinals: I gotta to give the Cardinals fans some love here. Despite seven straight losses by the Cardinals, this game won't be blacked out in Arizona on Sunday, which means it sold out. Either people in Glendale don't have many options when it comes to things to do on the weekend, or they have a much more positive attitude than me. Broncos.

Dolphins at Jets: The Jets will remember that Monday night thrashing at the hands of Tom Brady and the Patriots for a long, long time. Miami might just bear the brunt of their humiliation. Then again, if Mark Sanchez plays like he has the past couple weeks, all bets are off. Jets

Chiefs at Chargers: Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel may miss this one, which will put all the more pressure on Kansas City running game. San Diego has been hot and cold at stopping the run: they allowed 251 rushing yards against Oakland last week, but only 24 the week before against Indianapolis (not that the Colts are known for winning games on the ground or anything). Again homefield advantage will be key here. The Chargers are 4-2 at home while the Chiefs are 2-4 away from Arrowhead. Chargers.

Eagles at Cowboys: If the Cowboys could overcome the Eagles, after beating the Giants, Colts and Lions and losing narrowly to the Saints in the four weeks since Wade Phillips was “let go,” that would really be something. But I think the Eagles have been waiting for this game ever since January 9^th when Dallas knocked them out of last season's playoffs. Eagles.

Ravens at Texans: Joe Flacco is beginning to develop a bit of a reputation as someone who struggles in the clutch (witness his bounce pass to a wide-open Ed Dickson on fourth down in crunch time against Pittsburgh last week). He needs a big game against Houston's porous secondary to get his confidence back up. Ravens.

NFL Week 13

Ten (Not So) Quick Hits:

1/ The Colts have now lost three straight, leaving them with a 6-6 record (at the same point last year, they were 12-0). The questions about the possible end of the Indianapolis dynasty will only get louder this week. They have two huge division games – at the Titans and against the Jaguars – the next two weeks to prove the doubters wrong.

2/ It was going to take something special to break the Chargers' unbelievable December record (San Diego hadn't lost a December match-up since 2005, that's 18 straight wins) and the Raiders certainly produced it. They started hot, getting up by two scores in the first quarter, and then their defense, led by rookies Rolando McClain and Lamarr Houston, took over. Under constant pressure, Philip Rivers had an unpleasant day.

3/ Can you believe that the Bears have now beaten the Lions on questionable calls twice this season? I have to say I tend to agree with Lions coach Jim Schwartz's assessment that rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh had a right to take that shot to get the running, weaving Jay Cutler down. An unnecessary roughness call would never have been made for that hit on a running back, which technically Cutler was at that point.

4/ Don't say it any louder than a whisper, but the 2010 St. Louis Rams might genuinely be headed to the playoffs as winners of the NFC West. Only one season after going 1-15 and being the laughingstock of the NFL.

5/ That was quite the turn-around from the last time the Broncos and Chiefs faced off, wasn't it? After allowing Denver to gain 452 net yards of offense on Nov. 14, Kansas City held them to 247 net yards on Sunday. The biggest difference was in the passing game where, using a variety of different schemes, they held the Broncos passing game to 86 yards, after giving up 299 yards through the air last time.

6/ I would have bet a lot of money Saturday that Chad Henne would get the better of Jake Delhomme in the quarterback matchup of the Browns-Dolphins game. I would have lost.

7/ We must be in December, because running backs got it going on Sunday. Nine rushers gained 100+ yards (4 more went for over 90) on a bad day for front sevens all around the league.

8/ Tampa Bay....You almost had me believing.

9/ I made a point last week about NFL players sometimes giving up on their struggling or unpopular coaches. Well, the Cowboys and Vikings are now a combined 4-1 since dumping Wade Phillips and Brad Childress. Just saying...

10/ Speaking of coaches getting no respect, check out this tantrum by Chiefs offensive lineman Jason Richardson.

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

a. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers: Dissected the Niners secondary all afternoon, hitting 21 of his 30 passes for just under 300 yards. Threw three touchdowns without an interception for an impressive quarterback rating of 135.1.

b. Vikings receiver Sidney Rice: Caught five balls for 105 yards and a couple scores, including this one which illustrates exactly why he is such a redzone threat. Not bad in only his third game back from his hip surgery.

c. Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew: Didn't score or post an unbelievable yards-per-rush average (6.0), but he was an absolute workhorse for Jacksonville. Carried the ball 31 times for 186 yards on the ground as Tennessee just couldn't clamp down on him.

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

a. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning: Don't think I'm picking on the living legend, but Manning deserves his spot here for the second straight week. He can't stop throwing interceptions (four on Sunday and nine in his last four games) and bad ones too: two of his picks were returned for touchdowns against Cowboys. “I made poor decisions, poor throws,” he said simply afterward.

b. Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson: This guy's regular in this slot. Went a pedestrian 7 of 20 passing for 93 yards and an interception. Another shot for Max Hall, anyone?

c. Bengals defensive tackle Pat Sims: Was baited into jumping offside by Drew Brees on a 4^th and 2 at the Cincinnati 7, with 34 seconds left in the game and the Bengals leading 30-27. On the next play, Brees threw to Marques Colston for the winning score. He cost Cincinnati the shot at overtime they deserved.

- Rookie of the Week: Cowboys Linebacker Sean Lee: Showed his ability to drop into pass coverage, defending three Peyton Manning passes and intercepting two more. One of his interceptions was returned for six in the third quarter while the other put the Cowboys in position to kick the winning field goal in overtime (he gets bonus points for looking exactly like Ferris Bueller's buddy Cameron in this profile picture).

- Play(s) of the Week: 1/Focus on the positive – Donald Driver's sweet moves – rather than the negative – the Niners' abysmal tackling – on this play.

2/ Couldn't not give a mention to the best defensive play of the weekend.

- Ridiculous Play of the Week: Ridiculous in the sense that a premature celebration cost Leon Washington yet another kick return for a touchdown. Awesome in the sense Washington will hear about the amazing hustle play of Panthers punter Jason Baker for a long, long time.

Picking NFL Week 13

How I did last week: 10-3

As my friend Borat would say, “Very Nice.”

Record on the season: 93-63

That's looking a lot better, isn't it?

Browns at Dolphins: If Colt McCoy was under center for Cleveland in this one, the Dolphins might be in danger of losing their fourth out of five home games. But it doesn't appear that he will be (he hasn't practiced at all this week), so Miami can focus on stopping the run, and take their chances with Vontae Davis and co. in their secondary against Jake Delhomme's arm. Dolphins.

49ers at Packers: If they want to play deep into January, Green Bay is going to have to start getting more yards from their running game than the 26 they got on 11 carries by their running backs last week. However, for this game, California native Aaron Rodgers and his receivers alone should be too much to handle for San Francisco. Packers.

Broncos at Chiefs: Okay, call me a sucker for punishment but three weeks after picking Kansas City to beat Denver and watching them lose 49-29, I'm going with the Chiefs again. Why? Well, no part of me thinks the Broncos 30^th ranked run defense can bottle up for the league's best running game for a second straight time. And moreover, there's something about the aura of Arrowhead stadium for the first time in a few years: the Chiefs haven't lost there all year. Chiefs

Bills at Vikings: Buffalo has a knack for keeping games close and the Vikings are banged-up. But if Adrian Peterson can recover from an ankle sprain in time to play, he should have a nice day against the Bills abysmal, league-worst run defense. Vikings.

Bears at Lions: The Lions third-choice quarterback Drew Stanton – named this weekend's starter for Detroit on Wednesday – could be a a serious challenger to Titans third stringer Rusty Smith for the title of “QB the most in over his head in an NFL game in 2010” against Chicago's stingy defense. Bears.

Jaguars at Titans: The Jags have surprised me a couple times this year, and they may do so again. But I can't overlook the fact that they have consistently played badly against Tennessee in recent seasons, mainly because of Chris Johnson gashing them in the running and passing game. And with Kerry Collins back at quarterback for Tennessee, Jacksonville can't sell out on the run. Titans.

Redskins at Giants: The Giants are going sack-crazy recently and Donovan McNabb doesn't usually enjoy playing New York defensive Osi Umenyiora at the best of times. Giants

Saints at Bengals: Last year, this might have been the type of tough December game the Saints would have slipped up in, because they practically had their division already locked up. But this year, it's a different picture in the NFC South, and they're the ones playing catch up to 9-2 Atlanta. Saints.

Raiders at Chargers: The Raiders beat the Bolts by a touchdown in a week 5 match-up. But unless you've taken a month-long hiatus from watching football, you know that San Diego has turned it around in a big way the last few games, culminating with an embarrassment of Peyton Manning last Sunday night. And Jason Campbell ain't no Peyton Manning. Chargers.

Falcons at Buccaneers: I've said it repeatedly and I'll say it again: the closest the Bucs have come to beating a good team was squeaking a 18-17 win at home against the 5-6 Rams. And the Falcons are a very good team. Falcons.

Panthers at Seahawks: Was that: a/ A sign of life I got a glimpse of from the Panthers last weekend against Cleveland? b/ Or just Jake Delhomme letting his old team hang around?

Hate to say it Jake, but I think I'm going with answer b/. Seahawks

Rams at Cardinals: How much do think it irks the Cardinals that by only his 13^th week in the NFL Sam Bradford is already better than Derek Anderson, with his almost 6 years of experience, will ever be? And no amount of ranting will change that simple fact. Rams

Cowboys at Colts: When was the last time a late regular season game was a must-win for Indy? Colts.

Steelers at Ravens: Both teams will struggle to establish the run, but one thing I remember from their early October game was Joe Flacco's ability to complete passes on key third downs. And that's the Steelers's weakness on defense: they are a little worse than middle of the NFL pack in terms of defending the pass. But match-ups between these two giants of the AFC North are always ridiculously close, so why even bother trying to read into it too much? Ravens.

Jets at Patriots: New York certainly outplayed New England earlier this year, but since then Randy Moss has left and the Patriots passing game has really clicked. And even with stud cornerback Darrelle Revis back, the Jets pass defense isn't where it was last season. Patriots.