Week Twelve gave us some answers, but it also gave us some questions. Maybe Week Thirteen’s great full slate will give us more answers as we enter December and approach the final stretch of the season.
Thursday, December 2:
8:30 – Houston (6-5) at PHILADELPHIA (7-4)
A really tough game for both teams at this point in the season, on a short week. But, in these short weeks, I usually like to go with the home team and/or the team with the better coach. The Eagles have both of those check-marks, and therefore, should be able to survive this important game.
Sunday, December 5:
1:00 – Buffalo (1-10) at MINNESOTA (5-6)
At this point, the Bills are just thinking about where they’re going for their January family vacations. They will not go into Minnesota and win a game that the Vikes desperately need.
1:00 – Cleveland (2-9) at MIAMI (5-6)
The Browns may still be playing hard, but they don’t have the horses to beat Miami in Miami.
1:00 – Jacksonville (4-7) at TENNESSEE (6-5)
In what might be an elimination game at this point in the season, I like the Titans to take care of business here at home against the Jags.
1:00 – Denver (4-7) at KANSAS CITY (4-7)
I actually think the Chiefs are a better team and a team that will be more involved in a late-season game of also-rans. Give me the Chiefs at home.
1:00 – Washington (3-8) at N.Y. GIANTS (6-5)
The only thing left for the ‘Skins by Week Thirteen is to play spoiler. They have a good chance to do that in this game against the Giants, but I don’t see it happening. The Giants should be able to hold on to a home game that they will really need.
1:00 – Chicago (7-4) at DETROIT (4-7)
The Bears are coming off a big home win against the Eagles and are now seriously thinking playoffs. But, the Lions have 10 days to prepare for this game, and the Bears may be looking past this to a big game with New England next week. I like the Lions to get it done at home and put a really hurting on the Bears playoff hopes.
1:00 – San Francisco (6-5) at GREEN BAY (8-3)
San Fran on a short week. The Packers at home in December. A West Coast team at 1:00. This one’s easy.
1:00 – ATLANTA (8-3) at Tampa Bay (1-10)
This might be a bit of a trap game for the Falcons with Green Bay last week and Carolina next week, but I think the loss last week puts enough emphasis on this game that the Falcons will be able to beat a bad Tampa team.
1:00 – New Orleans (8-3) at CINCINNATI (7-4)
Call me crazy, but I believe in the Cincinnati Bengals, and this game might be the ultimate test of whether or not they’re real. Both teams played on Thanksgiving, so both teams will be well-prepared. I actually think that favors the Saints because of a pretty big coaching advantage of Payton over Lewis. But, this is also one of those games where the Super Bowl hangover might play a role. It’s going to be cold and miserable in Ohio in December. All the hunger that the Bengals have to try and make this season special might be tempered on the Saints side because they just tasted glory. This is the type of game that is won with hunger, and I think the Bengals have it, and the defending champs might not.
4:05 – Oakland (7-4) at SAN DIEGO (8-3)
The better team should win at home, despite coming off a tough Sunday night game with Indy. The Chargers are the class of the division and should prove it this week.
4:15 – Dallas (8-3) at INDIANAPOLIS (9-2)
In their last five games, the Colts have played the Eagles, Bengals, Patriots, Chargers, and now the Cowboys in succession. Book-ended by Houston and Tennessee, it is an absolutely brutal stretch of games for this century’s best regular-season team. But, they are up for the task, as I think they can get the job done at home against the Cowboys. It doesn’t hurt that the ‘Boys have the Eagles next week in a big NFC Beast showdown.
4:15 – St. Louis (1-10) at ARIZONA (4-6)
Again, I’m not ready to pick the Rams on the road against anyone in the league.
4:15 – Carolina (7-4) at SEATTLE (2-9)
Charlotte to Seattle is a very long way, especially coming off a road trip last week and looking ahead to a big game against Atlanta next week. This is a really tough spot for the Panthers, and I think they’ll slip up here–a huge blow to their playoff chances.
8:20 – Pittsburgh (6-5) at BALTIMORE (7-4)
The Showdown. This game is going to be phenomenal. A Sunday night in December between two hated rivals, with both desperately needing a win. I like the Ravens to get it done at home. The Steelers have a tough stretch, as they get the Bengals at home next week.
Monday, December 6:
8:30 – N.Y. Jets (7-4) at NEW ENGLAND (8-3)
Both teams have 11 days to prepare for this game, so it should be top-notch football. In the end, I think that the Pats are just too good (and Belichick is too good) to lose this game at home.
STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 13
NFC EAST
8-4 Dallas
8-4 Philadelphia
7-5 N.Y. Giants
3-9 Washington
Dallas’s loss to Indy brings the division back to them, as the Eagles are now tied with them, and the Giants are only a game back.
NFC NORTH
9-3 Green Bay
7-5 Chicago
6-6 Minnesota
5-7 Detroit
A brutal loss for the Bears in Detroit drops them two games back of the Packers, who picked up a nice win over San Fran. The Vikings continue the comeback trail, evening their record at 6-6. Don’t look now, but the Lions are a respectable 5-7, as they’ve won three of their last four.
NFC SOUTH
9-3 Atlanta
8-4 New Orleans
7-5 Carolina
1-11 Tampa Bay
A bad loss for the Panthers are Seattle is not the story of the week. The story is that we have a new leader in the NFC South, and it’s the Falcons. The Saints loss at Cincy, coupled with the Falcons win in Tampa give the Dirty Birds the top spot in this tough division.
NFC WEST
6-6 San Francisco
5-7 Arizona
3-9 Seattle
1-11 St. Louis
And, we’ve got a race all of a sudden, as the Cardinals win over St. Louis picks up another game, as the Niners lose to Green Bay. The Seahawks have won two straight, but it’s too little, too late for Pete Carroll and the boys.
AFC EAST
9-3 New England
7-5 N.Y. Jets
6-6 Miami
1-11 Buffalo
The Pats get a huge win on Monday night over the Jets to complete the season sweep and put them two clear of the Jets in the East. The Dolphins have won three straight to get themselves back in the conversation.
AFC NORTH
8-4 Baltimore
8-4 Cincinnati
6-6 Pittsburgh
2-10 Cleveland
Cincy gets a gigantic win over New Orleans, but it’s not the biggest win of the week, as the Ravens beat the Steelers on Sunday night to sweep the season series from their arch-rivals. The Steelers, like other thought-to-be-contenders Miami and Minnesota, are now 6-6 and have their work cut out for them if they want to make the playoffs.
AFC SOUTH
10-2 Indianapolis
7-5 Tennessee
6-6 Houston
4-8 Jacksonville
The Colts are the first team to 10 wins, as they beat Dallas this week. Tennessee put the last nail in the Jacksonville coffin this week, while the Texans returned to their familiar .500 mark.
AFC WEST
9-3 San Diego
7-5 Oakland
5-7 Kansas City
4-8 Denver
The Chargers complete the sweep of the Raiders and are now two clear of them for the division. KC beats Denver to move back into third place here.
PLAYOFF PICTURE AFTER WEEK 13
NFC
#6 Philadelphia (8-4) at #3 Dallas (8-4)
#5 New Orleans (8-4) at #4 San Francisco (6-6)
t.b.d. vs. #2 Atlanta (9-3)
t.b.d. vs. #1 Green Bay (9-3)
In the mix: Carolina (7-5), Chicago (7-5), N.Y. Giants (7-5), Arizona (5-7)
The big story of Week Thirteen is the emergence of the Atlanta Falcons as a real contender for a first-round bye. The Packers are still the #1-seed, thanks to a win over Atlanta last week, but the Falcons have surpassed the Saints in the South and are a game up on the Cowboys and Eagles in the East, so they are #2. The Cowboys still have the East tiebreaker (divisional record), so they are #3. The Niners are obviously #4. The Saints have a better conference record than the Eagles, so they are #5 and the Eagles #6. Carolina and Chicago suffered bad losses this week and are now a game out of the last wild card. Arizona, at 5-7, is only a game behind San Fran for the NFC Awful division title.
AFC
#6 Tennessee (7-5) at #3 New England (9-3)
#5 Baltimore (8-4) at #4 Cincinnati (8-4)
t.b.d. at #2 San Diego (9-3)
t.b.d. at #1 Indianapolis (10-2)
In the mix: N.Y. Jets (7-5), Oakland (7-5), Houston (6-6), Pittsburgh (6-6)
In the AFC, the four division-leaders all win and all stay the same, but there is a huge shakeup amongst the wild card contenders. The Ravens have cleared all other wild card hopefuls by a full game and are all alone at #5. Then, there is a three-way tie for the last spot, and right now it would go to Tennessee on the strength of their Week One win over Oakland. The Jets and Raiders, who have been in the playoff position all year are now on the outside, looking in.
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