Broad Street Believers

An exciting Week Seventeen ends another fantastic NFL season, and now we enter the always fantastic NFL playoffs.  I tried to set the “schedule” from how I think the NFL/TV networks would set it up.

WILD CARD WEEKEND
Saturday, January 9:
4:15 – #6 Baltimore 13 – #3 Indianapolis 23
A bruising Ravens defense led them to another 10-win season and another playoff appearance.  But, they run into the Colts in Indy on this Wild Card weekend and fall just short.  Tied at 13 in the 4th quarter, Manning is able to engineer a couple big second-half drives, including a late touchdown to ice it.  The Colts move to another playoff duel with the Patriots.

8:30 – #5 Dallas 31 – #4 San Francisco 16
The Cowboys defense bends, but doesn’t break in the first half, and the offense puts together three touchdown drives in the second half to win going away on the road.  The Niners have a nice season,  but the Cowboys end it today.  This is the first playoff win for this storied franchise since 1996.

Sunday, January 10:
1:00 – #6 New York Giants 7 – #3 Green Bay 20
A cold Green Bay day.  A rematch of the NFC Championship Game of two years ago.  A different result.  Eli Manning has a ton of trouble doing anything in this weather, while the Packers stack the line of scrimmage against the Giants running game.  Aaron Rodgers and the rejuvenated Packers, who are probably still upset that they even have to play this weekend after blowing a chance at the top seed in Arizona last week, solve the Giants defense just enough to get them through this opening round and headed for a date with the Saints in the Divisional Round.

4:15 – #5 Houston 10 – #4 San Diego 33
The Texans accomplished a lot this season and are just happy to be here.  In San Diego, with the Chargers figuring out the early-season struggles and are now hitting full stride.  At home, they should dominate the inexperienced Texans and not give Norv Turner a chance to blow it at the end.

DIVISIONAL ROUND (aka “The Best Sports Weekend of the Year that Doesn’t Include 48 NCAA Tournament Games”)
Saturday, January 16:
4:15 – #4 San Diego 23 – #1 Pittsburgh 24
Norv Turner is able to blow this one at the end.  Both teams come out fired up and play right with each other for two and a half quarters.  Then, the Chargers take a 23-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.  The Champs respond with a couple defensive stops, a field goal to cut it to 6, and then a game-winning scoring drive to win it.  The AFC Championship Game is heading back to Heinz Field for the second consecutive season.

8:30 – #3 Green Bay 28 – #2 New Orleans 26
The Saints outgain the Packers by well over 100 yards of total offense, but a couple turnovers and an opportunistic Packers offense that converts all four red zone trips into touchdowns send the Pack to the NFC Championship Game for the second time in three years.  The Saints are left to wonder what could have been in a game they won in every facet except the final score.

Sunday, January 17:
1:00 – #5 Dallas 21 – #1 Philadelphia 34
Two hated arch-rivals meet with a trip to the NFC Championship Game on the line.  The Cowboys, who beat the Eagles in Week Seventeen just to make the playoffs are feeling confident, until the opening drive, when the Eagles streak down the field and go up 7-0 less than 3 minutes into the game.  The Cowboys answered right back, but the Eagles kept on the pressure and took a 24-14 lead into locker room at halftime.  They added another touchdown in their first drive of the second half to go up 31-14 and never looked back.  The Birds will go to their 6th NFC Championship Game in the 11 years under Coach Reid.

4:15 – #3 Indianapolis 41 – #2 New England 48
Old familiar foes in the AFC Playoffs go at it one more time this year.  A wild, high-scoring game, despite the nasty weather in Foxborough ends with another Patriots victory.  Both teams enjoyed double-digits leads at some point in this game, but it just seemed like the last team with the ball would win.  Unfortunately, for the Colts, Manning throws a fourth-quarter interception on the drive that should have tied the game.  The Patriots will move on to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers for a trip to the Super Bowl.

THE CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Sunday, January 24:
1:00 – #3 Green Bay 16 – #1 Philadelphia 30
The Eagles are going back to the Super Bowl!  The Packers run falls just short of an NFC Championship, while the Eagles are catching the stride and playing their best football at just the right time.  Another big day for Donovan McNabb, as the Eagles win the game with relative ease.  Now, they await to see whether it will be a rematch of Super Bowl XXXIX or whether it will be an All-Pennsylvania affair down in Miami.

4:15 – #2 New England 22 – #1 Pittsburgh 25
The Steelers defense steps up with vigor on this day, forcing four New England turnovers; the Steelers special teams show up with a blocked punt for a safety; and, the Steelers offense is good enough, given the field position they enjoy.  The six-time Super Bowl champs are going back to try and defend their title.  It is an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl.  Ed Rendell’s reelection hopes may be in trouble…

SUPER BOWL XLIV
Sunday, February 7:
6:37 (approximately) – Pittsburgh 34 – Philadelphia 31
Back-to-back champs and seven Super Bowls for the Steel City.  The McNabb-led Eagles fall just short again, though this time no one can possibly blame the quarterback.  Against the league’s best defense, McNabb has a stellar game, throwing 4 TDs and 0 INTs.  But, the Steelers offense emerges under the bright lights and puts up big numbers.  McNabb led a late touchdown drive to tie it with just under two minutes to go, but Roethlisberger, yet again, leads his teams down the field  with a couple big screen plays to Willie Parker.  With just :35 seconds left, the Eagles stuff Parker on a 3rd and 1 at the Eagles’ 31-yard line, but with no timeouts left for the Birds, the Steelers are able to wind the clock down to just :03 seconds left and call their final timeout.  With overtime looming, Jeff Reed boots a 48-yard field goal as time expires and the Steelers are Super Bowl champs again.  A devastating finish to a very successful Eagles season.

Okay, well Week Sixteen brought us a lot more answers to the playoff questions.  In fact, there doesn’t seem to be as much drama in this final week as there normally is this time of year.  There are a couple big-time situations, though. 

Here are the teams with positions at stake in the NFC: 

• Eagles – #1 seed with a win OR a loss by both Carolina and Green Bay
• Cowboys – Wild Card with win; almost definitely out with loss
• Giants vs. Vikings – winner is probably in; loser is almost definitely out
• Saints vs. Panthers – winner wins NFC South; if Saints lose, they are almost definitely out; if Panthers lose, they will still get Wild Card if Dallas loses.

The AFC is much clearer, as all four divisions are locked up, and all four division winners are seeded.  The only questions surround the four teams vying for the two Wild Cards:

• Ravens – Wild Card with win OR loss by either Tennessee or Houston
• Texans – Wild Card with win OR loss by Buffalo and either Tennessee or Houston
• Titans – Wild Card with win AND loss by either Baltimore or Houston
• Bills – Wild Card with win AND loss by Houston and either Tennessee or Baltimore

Sunday, January 3:
1:00 – SAN FRANCISCO (8-7) at St. Louis (4-11)
Yes, the Niners actually have nothing to play for.  And, yes, they have clinched the NFC West and, therefore, a playoff game next week.  But, I don’t see Singletary resting people.  I think he would like to continue the winning spirit in San Fran.  I think that he will be on his guys even more so this week because the playoffs are only a week away.  Give me the Niners in this one, as they prepare for the playoffs.

1:00 – NEW YORK GIANTS (9-6) at Minnesota (9-6) *
Basically, a playoff game.  The winner has a great shot at a wild card, while the loser is going to miss the playoffs.  In a rematch of a Week Seventeen game last year (that was not exciting because the Giants pulled their starters halfway through), I think that the Giants are just much better prepared for this moment.  With the season on the line, this team will respond.  And, since it’s a dome, they don’t have to worry about Eli in the cold (not a good thing).  The Vikings and their aging, fatigued quarterback will not.  An utterly disappointing season for Minnesota ends at home in Week Seventeen.

1:00 – Jacksonville (5-10) at CLEVELAND (6-9)
The Jack Del Rio Era in Jacksonville ends with a whimper in Cleveland.  The Browns are still playing hard and actually finish with 5 wins in their last 7 games.  Not a bad first season for Mangini.

1:00 – Pittsburgh (14-1) at MIAMI (6-9)
The Steelers have everything locked up, so most of the starters probably will not play.  The Dolphins are still well-coached, despite a bit of a disappointing year, and they should respond and finish with a win at home.

1:00 – New England (12-3) at HOUSTON (9-6)
The Patriots are locked into the 2-seed, so you won’t see many starters on the field in Houston.  Which is great news for the Texans, who are in a win-and-in scenario.  With the win today, they clinch a Wild Card in the AFC.

1:00 – ATLANTA (4-11) at Tampa Bay (2-13)
The Falcons have one last gasp in them, as they close out probably the most disappointing year of any team in the NFL this year.  Tampa wasn’t exactly gangbusters, either, finishing at an abysmal 2-14.

1:00 – NEW ORLEANS (9-6) at Carolina (10-5) *
Winner-take-all game.  The winner wins the NFC South.  Period.  I believe that the Saints will go into Carolina and win this all-important game, capping a great divisional comeback, winning their final 4 games to win the division.  And, once again, in the NFC South, the last-place team from a year ago wins the division this year.  I just like the Saints offense in a must-win game.  This could be one of those “team with the ball last wins” kind of games.  Either way, this is a great Week Seventeen matchup.  The Panthers now need help around the league or they may be watching the playoffs from the golf course.  Also, the Saints win eliminates the Vikings.

1:00 – Cincinnati (2-14) at NEW YORK JETS (4-11)
The Jets salvage a 5-win season, as they hammer the Bengals here this week.  The Bengals go 2-14, and Marvin Lewis is out of a job.

1:00 – Philadelphia (11-4) at DALLAS (9-6) *
The Eagles are one win away from securing homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, but Dallas is one loss away from be eliminated completely.  This, another Week 17 rematch from last year, may go the other way, as the Cowboys get a must-win and clinch a playoff berth.  The Eagles would love to knock their arch-rivals out of the playoffs in Week Seventeen for the second straight year, but I think the Cowboys will actually get it done this December.  But, though they don’t know it at the time, the Panthers loss to New Orleans gives the Eagles at least a first-round bye regardless of this result and still have a shot at the top-seed, depending on what happens in the desert later today.

1:00 – Indianapolis (11-4) at BUFFALO (8-7)
We all know what happens when the Colts have something clinched.  They play nobody.  This will be an easy win for the Bills who, techically, are still alive when this game kicks off, though it would take a near miracle for them to make the playoffs.

1:00 – Chicago (8-7) at DETROIT (2-13)
When this game kicks off, the Bears, like the Bills, are techincally still alive (though it would take a ridiculous combination of events), but unlike the Bills, the Bears are not facing a team whose only concern is resting its stars.  The Lions, though not very good, are still playing hard.  They are at home, and they probably view this game as a way to knock the Bears out of the playoffs.  On the other hand, the Bears probably don’t really believe much in their chances, anyway.  I like the Lions in a relatively easy win to end their season.  The Bears, even with their superstar quarterback, finish 8-8.

4:15 – WASHINGTON (9-6) at San Diego (9-6)
The Chargers have nothing to play for.  They have the NFC West wrapped up, but cannot catch any of the other division leaders.  They are locked into the 4-seed and a home game next week.  So, they will not be playing any of their starters.  The Redskins, however, will be playing their starters, but…because of the results of the early games, they will know (at least by the middle of the first quarter) that their season is over.  They went 1-4 against the other three teams that are tied with them for the Wild Card, so they cannot win a tiebreaker with the other 10-6 teams.  A good season ends without a playoff spot for the Redskins.

4:15 – BALTIMORE (9-6) at Oakland (7-8)
The Ravens are in a must-win situation, and they get the Raiders, who are out.  The Ravens, who really know how to get fired up for big games, know that they only need to win this game and they are going to the playoffs.  They should come out with a fire in Oakland and win this game handily.

4:15 – KANSAS CITY (5-10) at Denver (6-9)
Which team is more likely to still be playing hard?  This one was easy.

4:15 – Green Bay (10-5) at ARIZONA (7-8) *
The Eagles, with their loss in Dallas, have become the biggest fans of the team that beat them in the NFC Championship Game last year.  The Eagles need a Cardinals win here or they will fall to the 2-seed and may be facing Green Bay in Wisconsin for the NFC Championship instead of at The Linc.  And, though the Cardinals have nothing left to play for, after being eliminated last week, I think that they show up here at home and shock the Pack.  There is still some pride on this Cardinals team, and they matchup well against the Packers in Arizona.  This Packers loss is devastating because not only do they lose a shot at homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, but they also lose the bye and now have to play on Wild Card weekend against another 10-6 team.

4:15 – TENNESSEE (9-6) at Seattle (7-8)
The Titans caught a big break last week, when the 49ers clinched the NFC West, thus eliminating the Seahawks.  This gives Tennessee a much better shot of going into Seattle and getting a must-win game in the final week of the season.  At the beginning of the day, the Titans needed a win and either a Baltimore or Houston loss to get a Wild Card.  They know, by now, that the Texans have won, but the Ravens also have a late game, so they are not out of it.  They will be playing hard and should get out of here with a victory.

FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS:
NFC EAST:
11-5   Philadelphia (1)
10-6     Dallas (5)
10-6     New York Giants (6)
10-6     Washington

NFC NORTH:
10-6   Green Bay (3)
9-7     Minnesota
8-8     Chicago
3-13   Detroit

NFC SOUTH:
10-6   New Orleans (2)
10-6   Carolina
5-11   Atlanta
2-14   Tampa Bay

NFC WEST:
9-7     San Francisco (4)
8-8     Arizona
7-9     Seattle
4-12   St. Louis

AFC EAST:
12-4   New England (2)
9-7     Buffalo
7-9     Miami
5-11   N.Y. Jets

AFC NORTH:
14-2   Pittsburgh (1)
10-6   Baltimore (6)
7-9     Cleveland
2-14   Cincinnati

AFC SOUTH:
11-5   Indianapolis (3)
10-6   Houston (5)
10-6   Tennessee
5-11    Jacksonville

AFC WEST:
9-7     San Diego (4)
7-9     Oakland
6-10   Denver
6-10   Kansas City

PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE:
Tomorrow, the full playoff results will be predicted, but here are the official brackets:

NFC:
Wild Card Round
#6 New York Giants (10-6) at #3 Green Bay (10-6)
#5 Dallas (10-6) at #4 San Francisco (9-7)

Divisional Round
TBD at #1 Philadelphia (11-5)
TBD at #2 New Orleans (10-6)

AFC:
Wild Card Round
#6 Baltimore (10-6) at #3 Indianapolis (11-5)
#5 Houston (10-6) at #4 San Diego (9-7)

Divisional Round
TBD at #1 Pittsburgh (14-2)
TBD at #2 New England (12-4)

Week Fifteen put the NFL playoff picture into a little bit better focus, but there are still a lot of questions to be answered.  The only things that are clinched are the Steelers and Patriots in their respective divisions, and that the Steelers will have a first-round bye.  Everything else is yet to be determined.  Though, by the end of Week Sixteen, a lot of those questions will be answered.  This week, Carolina, San Diego, and Indy can all clinch their divisions simply with wins.  The Eagles can clinch with a win and a Redskins loss.  Carolina, Philly, and Indy all clinch playoff berths with wins.  Chicago and Denver will all be eliminated with losses–and probably even if they win.  Arizona and Oakland are, somehow, still breathing in their divisions, and therefore need wins.  The Saints, Giants, and Cowboys are all, surprisingly, a game out of the playoffs, at the start of this week.  All these questions…answers, to follow:

Christmas Day (Friday):
7:30 – San Diego (9-5) at TENNESSEE (8-6) *
This is a great Christmas Day matchup between two very good teams, both still vying for playoff positioning.  It is hard to say which is worse on Christmas Day–travelling away from home the night before or having to leave your family on Christmas morning to go play a game.  I think the travelling is slightly worse, but I’m not sure.  Either way, I think that coaching plays a big role in games like this and that is why I am going to go with the Titans in a close one on Christmas Day.

Sunday, December 27:
1:00 – Tampa Bay (2-12) at NEW ORLEANS (8-6)
A home game with a bad team, whose season is over, two days after Christmas is exactly what the Saints need in this must-win situation.  This should be an easy 9th win for New Orleans, keeping them in the hunt going into the season’s final week.

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Week Fourteen finally saw the Birds take their rightful place atop the NFC East, while Green Bay and Minnesota still battle for the North.  San Fran and Carolina still lead their respective divisions.  The Steelers and Patriots have both clinched division titles in the AFC and are clearly heading for first-round byes.  The Chargers are taking control out West, whil the South shows the Colts one game ahead of Houston and two up on Tennessee.  Three games to go, and it is getting tense in cities like New Orleans, Chicago, Buffalo, and the entire NFC East.

Thursday, December 17:
8:20 – INDIANAPOLIS (9-4) at Jacksonville (5-8)
Another season, another double-digit win total for the Indianapolis Colts.  And, this win could go a long way to giving them another AFC South title.  The Jags are reeling coming off of back-to-back losses to Houston and Miami, and even though they tend to play the Colts tough every year, at this point in the season, they probably won’t need the game quite as much as Indy.  Plus, with the short week, give the advantage to someone like Peyton Manning, who is the consummate professional.

Saturday, December 19:
8:20 – Dallas (8-5) at NEW ORLEANS (7-6) *
Another brutal December game for the Cowboys.  The Saints are trying to save their season in this one, at home, in primetime.  I’m not completely sold on the Cowboys falters in December being anything much more than coincidence up to this point, but after yet another year of hearing about it (and, much more importantly, this brutal schedule), they might start thinking a little too much this time of year.  In a tough one to call, give me the Saints at home.

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A real interesting Week Thirteen opened the month of December.  The NFC East has four 8-4 teams (two games better than the division leaders in the NFC West).  The defending NFC champs are still in it, despite a 5-7 record.  The Steelers and Pats continue to run away with the byes in the AFC, while the South is getting real interesting.  Week Fourteen will be big, especially the Sunday Night game between the Eagles and Giants.

Thursday, December 10:
8:20 – PITTSBURGH (11-1) at Cleveland (4-8)
The last gasp of the Browns season goes out against the Steelers.  A short week definitely favors the better coached and more physical team–both of which are the Steelers in this one.  The Dawg Pound is tough, at times, especially in night games, but the Steelers are rarely intimidated, and they move to an impressive 12-1.

Sunday, December 13:
1:00 – NEW ORLEANS (6-6) at Atlanta (3-9) *
At 3-9, the Falcons have nothing left to play for, while the Saints, at 6-6, still have playoff hopes.  This won’t be an easy win for the Saints, but when it comes down to it, they should pull it out.  A 10-loss season is not what the Falcons had envisioned coming in, but that is the reality they are facing.  This one is tough to call because it’s hard to know just when, if at all, the Falcons will quit.  This is a tough game, either way.

1:00 – Denver (6-6) at INDIANAPOLIS (8-4)
Both teams are coming off tough wins against division rivals (Tennessee and Kansas City), but here in Indy, I don’t think the Broncos will have the firepower to keep up with the Colts, who are trying to keep control in the AFC South.  This loss is a tough blow to the Broncos playoff hopes.

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Week Twelve featured the end of November games, so Week Thirteen will take us into the final month of the regular season.  The playoffs are starting to take a little shape, but there are still many places up for grabs.  In fact, the only spots that are even close to “safe” are the Pats in the East and the Steelers in the North.  The Birds have won two big games in a row and are right in the thick of it.  Everyone in the NFC East is at least 7-4.  (As usual, winners in CAPS.)

Thursday, December 3:
8:20 – New York Jets (2-9) vs. BUFFALO (6-5), in Toronto
I want to pick against the Bills for selling out their home city, but I think they are a better team than the Jets.  Plus, by this point, the Jets are pretty much done, whereas the Bills are right there with a shot at a playoff appearance for the first time in many years.

Sunday, December 6:
1:00 – St. Louis (3-8) at CHICAGO (5-6)
The Bears really need this game, while the Rams are done.  Throw in the homefield advantage that comes from a December game in Chicago, and this one is a pretty easy call.  Though, if the weather is nice, I do like the Rams offense matched up against the Bears defense, but the weather will probably not be nice.

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Week Eleven saw the AFC’s elite separate themselves from the pack (Steelers 10-0, Patriots 9-1), while the NFC’s elite still haven’t shown themselves (six teams at 7-3, plus two more, including the Eagles at 6-4).  The western divisions seem pretty bad again this year, as no team in either western division is above .500.  Parity continue to reign in the NFL through 10 games, but maybe Week Twelve will answer some questions.  (As always, winners in CAPS.)

Thursday, November 26 (Thanksgiving Day):
12:30 – GREEN BAY (7-3) at Detroit (1-9)
You would think that, since they play on this day every year, that there would be some sort of advantage for the Lions playing a 12:30 game on Thanksgiving, at home.  But, they never win this game, and recently it hasn’t even been that close.  Oh, and for the record, do not take this game away from Detroit–as bad as they are, it is nice to have traditions, and watching the Lions lose and rooting for whoever plays the Cowboys is one of the better sports traditions we have going–don’t take that away.

4:15 – Oakland (5-5) at DALLAS (7-3)
The Cowboys get the Raiders on Thanksgiving Day.  This may actually be a pretty interesting game to fall asleep on the couch to.  But, in the end, I think the Cowboys are too good to lose to the Raiders at home.  Over/under 2.5 punts that hit the scoreboard in this one.

8:20 – New York Giants (7-3) at DENVER (4-6)
I’m not sure I really like this nightime Thanksgiving game, but who really cares what I think, right?  Either way, I think this might be a tough spot for the G-men.  The Broncos are, despite being, well, bad, are only a game out of the division lead and still have hope.  Plus, I can imagine that a great fan base like Denver would really “come to play” on Thanksgiving night and give the home team a boost.  I like the Broncos to pull the mild upset at home.

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The first “Playoff Picture” was revealed after Week Ten, so now it is getting serious.  The surprises of the season so far on the positive end include the 7-2 Redskins and the 5-4 49ers.  The surprises on the negative end include the 2-7 Falcons, the 3-6 Cardinals, the 2-7 Jets, the 4-5 Dolphins, and the 2-7 Bengals.  Also, you can throw in the 5-4 Chargers as a team that probably should be better than they have been.  But, there are still 7 games left for each team, so there is a lot that can happen.  No one has more than a 1-game lead in any division, except for the Steelers and Patriots, who are running away with their respective divisions.  So, on to Week Eleven, and, with all the byes completed, we will have a full slate of games from here on out.  (winners in CAPS)

Thursday, November 19:
8:20 – Miami (4-5) at CAROLINA (6-3)
This game could deal a big blow to the Dolphins hopes of a repeat playoff appearance.  It is a short week for both teams, and Carolina is coming off a tough game against Atlanta, but I believe in John Fox and think that the Panthers have a better team and, therefore, should pull out this game at home.

Sunday, November 22:
1:00 – PITTSBURGH (9-0) at Kansas City (3-6)
The Steelers go 10-0 in their Super Bowl defense.  An undefeated team still has everything to play for, so I do not expect a letdown in KC.  This game is tougher than it might appear, but I think that the Chiefs may be in shambles by this point, and the Steelers just continue to roll.

1:00 – INDIANAPOLIS (5-4) at Baltimore (6-3) *
This one really could go either way, but I am going to take the Colts in a very tough one in Charm City.  The Ravens are coming off a short week, as they were in Cleveland Monday night.  And, the Colts are just the professional team that can handle this defense, even on the road in November.  Keep in mind, though, the Baltimore weather in November is a crapshoot and the worse it is, the more it favors the Ravens and their style of play.  And, one key factor might be that the Ravens are only 7 days away from hosting their arch-nemeses, the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers.  I know the Colts are good enough to keep a team’s focus, and the Ravens are a veteran team, but the venom for Pittsburgh is strong enough in this city to affect anyone.  The Colts may catch a break with the before- and after-games that the Ravens have on their schedule.

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After an incredibly interesting, exciting, and formative Week Nine, Week Ten gives us 15 games and, at the end of the week, everyone will have played nine games.  No byes are left.  At the end of this post, we will start our “if-the-season-ended-now” playoff picture, complete with tiebreakers and everything.  After a whole host of intra-division battles last week, this week only gives us one important game between division rivals, but there are some really good games across-divisions.  We also have our first Thursday night game since Week One.

On Bye:
Houston (5-4)
New York Giants (6-3)

Thursday, November 12:
8:20 – Chicago (5-3) at SAN FRANCISCO (4-4)
A short week of preparation usually gives a slight advantage to the more experienced coaching staff, but in this case, though I do favor Smith and his staff preparation-wise, I think this advantage is nullified by the advantage I give to Singletary in his ability to fire up his team on short rest and just go out there and battle, despite coming off a brutally physical game with Tennessee.  I also think that short weeks increase homefield advantages.  The Bears have won five in a row, but I think it stops here on this Thursday night.

Sunday, November 15:
1:00 – Detroit (1-7) at MINNESOTA (5-3)
Vikings, at home, coming off of a bye.  Easy win over Detroit.

1:00 – Denver (3-5) at WASHINGTON (6-2)
The Redskins are 7-2 and everyone is excited.  Denver has to come east and play an early game, coming off a Monday night war with Pittsburgh.  Everything points to another Redskins win, aided by the schedule-makers.  This loss really hurts Denver’s playoff hopes.

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Week Eight saw the Birds fall to last place in the East, the Packers take the lead in the North, and Pittsburgh improve to a league best 7-0.  Both the Lions and Jets got their first wins of the year, leaving no one left to chase the Detroit’s 2008 legendary 0-16 season.  Week Nine shows a third straight divisional game for the Eagles, as well as a couple other big divisional matchups, including showdowns in the NFC and AFC Southern divisions.  In fact, this week may be hardest week of all 17 to predict.  There are big games with evenly matched teams, and many teams that really need wins, at this point.  This week is going to be fascinatingly pivotal to the 2009 season.  Furthermore, by the end of this week, all by two teams will have had their byes, so the playoff picture should start to take shape.  The first projected playoff pairings will come out next week.  (As always, winners in CAPS.)

On Bye:
Buffalo (5-3)
Cleveland (2-6)
Minnesota (5-3)
New York Jets (1-7)
Oakland (3-5)
St. Louis (1-7)

Sunday, November 8:
1:00 – Baltimore (5-2) at CINCINNATI (1-6) *
I don’t really have a good reason for this, other than the Bengals have two weeks to prepare, but this just seems like a game that the Ravens would drop.  They tend to play down (and up) to competition.  Obviously, this can go either way, but I think coming off a tough game with the Broncos, this may not be a walk in the park for an inconsistent offense.  The Bengals may be able to gameplan enough to get Carson Palmer going and beat the Ravens.  This game may definitely be one that Baltimore fans look back on, if they fall short at the end of the season.

1:00 – Miami (3-4) at NEW ENGLAND (6-1)
Patriots, at home, coming off of a bye, usually spells a victory.  Yes, the Dolphins have given them trouble in recent history, but there is no reason to think that a Belichick team drops a home game for which they have two weeks to prepare.

1:00 – Kansas City (3-4) at JACKSONVILLE (3-4) *
The Jags should be able to take care of business against the Chiefs, at home.  However, it is one that I think could go either way for two reasons:  (1) the Chiefs are coming off of a bye, while Jax is coming off a really physical game with Tennessee, and (2) this is just the kind of game that Jacksonville loses.  However, the Chiefs really are not that good, and the Jags should be able to pull it out.  But, don’t be surprised if they get a scare, in the process.

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