NFL Picks Week 13: Bleacher Report's Expert Consensus Picks

We've established who the kings of the mountain are in the NFL—and it's a familiar face.

With their dominant win over the Detroit Lions last week, the New England Patriots sent a message to the rest of the league, pounding yet another playoff contender in the process.

There's no time to rest, however, as the Patriots travel in Week 13 to face another first-place team, this time in the personage of the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

That potential Super Bowl preview might be the highlight of Week 13, but it's hardly the only big game, as the week gets underway with a Thanksgiving triple-header featuring an NFC West showdown and a battle for first place in the NFC East.

Here's how the Division Lead and National Lead Writers here at Bleacher Report expect that slate to play out.

Roll Call/Standings

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

There's a new sheriff in town.

After leading the pack among our writers all season long, Chris Simms stumbled a bit, at least by his standards. Simms' 10-5 mark wasn't bad by any stretch, but it opened a door that NFC East Lead Writer Brad Gagnon strolled through en route to the overall lead.

All in all, it was a very strong week for our experts, with only two writers failing to get double-digit games right.

In fact, one scribe missed on only a single game, whiffing on the Oakland Raiders' upset of the Kansas City Chiefs last Thursday night.

Matt Bowen: NFL National Lead Writer 12-3 (110-65)

Gary Davenport: NFL Analyst 14-1 (116-59)

Mike Freeman: NFL National Lead Writer 9-6 (106-69)

Erik Frenz: AFC East Lead Writer 12-3 (105-70)

Brad Gagnon: NFC East Lead Writer 13-2 (118-57)

Andrea Hangst: AFC North Lead Writer 11-4 (103-72)

Christopher Hansen: AFC West Lead Writer 11-4 (102-73)

Zach Kruse: NFC North Lead Writer 12-3 (112-63)

Rivers McCown: AFC South Lead Writer 9-6 (98-77)

Matt Miller: NFL National Lead Writer 13-2 (116-59)

Ty Schalter: NFL National Lead Writer 12-3 (104-71)

Michael Schottey: NFL National Lead Writer 11-4 (113-62)

Chris Simms: Former NFL Quarterback, Video Correspondent 10-5 (115-60)

Brent Sobleski: NFC South Lead Writer 12-3 (111-64)

Mike Tanier: NFL National Lead Writer 12-3 (109-66)

Sean Tomlinson: NFC West Lead Writer 13-2 (95-48)

Aggregate: 13-2 (115-60)

Chicago Bears (5-6) at Detroit Lions (7-4)

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

The Pick: Detroit Lions (16-0)

Update: Lions 34, Bears 17

Thanksgiving is a day when many people wind up with upset stomachs.

Fans in Detroit have gotten a head start.

After back-to-back losses in which the Lions failed to find the end zone, Detroit has fallen from first place in the NFC North. Head coach Jim Caldwell didn't mince words when describing his offense to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.

"We have no comfort zone," Caldwell said. "We have no area that we are comfortable with at this point in time with our offense."

NFL National Lead Writer Ty Schalter thinks the Pepto Bismol may be flowing in Motown on Thursday:

"

Detroit desperately needs this game to stay alive in the NFC playoff hunt, while Chicago is just playing out the string. A patchwork short-rest offensive line trying to hold off a revitalized Jared Allen could spell trouble for the Lions—but if Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson can’t make plays against this Bears secondary, they can’t make plays against anybody. If the Lions secondary can’t fix its coverage mix-ups, tight end Michael Bennett is going to have a field day.

The Lions should (and must!) win this game, but expect the Bears to give them fits.

"

However, Schalter (and every voter on the panel) expects the Lions to stay in the playoff hunt in the NFC with a Thanksgiving win.

Bears: Picking against the Lions on Thanksgiving is un-American.

Lions: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Schalter, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson 

Philadelphia Eagles (8-3) at Dallas Cowboys (8-3)

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The Pick: Dallas Cowboys (14-2)

Update: Eagles 33, Cowboys 10

There are a couple of huge NFL games to feast on Thursday afternoon and evening, beginning with a battle for NFC East supremacy in Big D between the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.

The NFC East just so happens to be the beat of our picks leader Brad Gagnon, so it's only fitting that we get his take on the game:

"

I don't totally trust Mark Sanchez, while Tony Romo is at home and playing the best football of his career. Dallas usually gets up for these Thanksgiving games, and it should win a close one here against an Eagles team that is just 1-3 this year against teams that currently have a winning record.

"

Then there's the not-so-small matter of Dallas quarterback Tony Romo's considerable track record of success on Turkey Day, as relayed by Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com:

"

Since the Cowboys have hosted a Thanksgiving day game every year since 1960, Romo has plenty of experience playing on the holiday, with seven starts in his last eight seasons starting for Dallas.

In those seven starts, Romo has built up a whopping 6-1 record, with 18 touchdowns, just six interceptions, and an average quarterback rating of 107.27. His lone loss came to the Washington Redskins two years ago in a 38-31 shootout.

While it is just seven games, the 107.27 quarterback rating is by far the best situational rating of Romo's career, higher than his rating on Sunday's (97.3), Monday's (75.4) and the playoffs (80.8).

"

Add it all together, and for most of our writers, it spells a win for the Cowboys.

Eagles: Hansen, McCown

Cowboys: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Kruse, Miller, Schalter, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

Seattle Seahawks (7-4) at San Francisco 49ers (7-4)

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The Pick: San Francisco 49ers (9-7)

Update: Seahawks 19, 49ers 3

This one might get bloody.

Not only do the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks dislike one another about as much as two teams possibly can, but with both clubs at 7-4 and two back of the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals, this contest has the feel of an elimination game.

NFC West Lead Writer Sean Tomlinson looks for a similar outcome to last year's NFC Championship Game:

"

The Seahawks run defense isn't the same without Brandon Mebane. But Bobby Wagner is back, and a unit that's allowing only 3.5 yards per carry can still limit Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde enough to put the game in Colin Kaepernick's hands. Lately, that hasn't been a good place for any game with the sputtering 49ers passing offense, and Kaepernick will face even more pressure with right tackle Anthony Davis likely sitting out again.

"

However, maybe it's the change in venue. Or the short turnaround. Or the fact that this year's incarnation of the Seahawks hasn't played nearly as well as last year's Super Bowl champions.

Whatever the reason, just over half our writers believe that the odds of a Super Bowl repeat in Seattle will take a devastating blow Thursday night.

Seahawks: Hangst, Hansen, Kruse, McCown, Schalter, Sobleski, Tomlinson

49ers: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon. Miller, Schottey, Simms, Tanier

Washington Redskins (3-8) at Indianapolis Colts (7-4)

Nick Wass/Associated Press

The Pick: Indianapolis Colts (16-0)

This picture was taken back in 2012, when Robert Griffin and Andrew Luck met on the field in a preseason game.

Since then, their careers have rocketed in opposite directions.

Luck has emerged as one of the league's best quarterbacks and an MVP candidate. Griffin had a great rookie year, but since then he's fallen apart.

Griffin looked absolutely horrible in last week's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and Mike Jones of The Washington Post recently opined that head coach Jay Gruden's repeated criticisms of Griffin are borne of frustration:

"

I think you’re hearing the frustrations of a very honest, first-year head coach coming through. He does understand the school of thought that the Redskins need to give Robert Griffin III more time to either develop, or erase any doubt at all that he is not the guy. Gruden knows he was hired to fix Griffin. But that progress isn’t happening. But Gruden is a very competitive guy and he wants to win. As a coach, you have to keep an eye on the long-term and short-term, but a miscalculation regarding either area could prove very costly.

"

AFC South Lead Writer Rivers McCown doesn't think those frustrations will be abated Sunday in Indy:

"

The idea of this game seemed a lot more fun after the 2012 season than it does now. I think we all knew then that we were simply a year-and-a-half away from possibly benching Robert Griffin III for Colt McCoy.

Indianapolis hardly rolled against Jacksonville. The Indy skill positions and offensive line are banged up. Regardless, this is the kind of game its defense is built to win: one against a bad team with a quarterback who can no longer stand up in the pocket against pressure.

"

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, sources have informed him that Colt McCoy, not Griffin, will start against the Colts.

Yep. That should fix it.

Redskins: At this point, it seems a foregone conclusion that RG3 is RGone.

Colts: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Schalter, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

Tennessee Titans (2-9) at Houston Texans (5-6)

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The Pick: Houston Texans (16-0)

At this late date in the season, there are two types of NFL games: contests with playoff implications and games like Sunday's matchup between the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans.

Let's put it this way: AFC South Lead Writer Rivers McCown thinks that the football viewing public would best be served by this game being moved to earlier in the day:

"

This would be a great game to flex to a 10 a.m. ET start, a la Lions-Falcons in London, where it can be the kind of football game that you have to be a junkie to get up for.

It seems like Ryan Fitzpatrick will be starting as long as the Texans are still, theoretically, in playoff contention. In most games, that would put the Texans way behind their opponents at the position. Here, it puts them essentially even. It's baffling to believe that this Texans squad is a seven-point favorite against any team, but the Titans have earned it with their run defense and stop-and-start offense.

"

The Texans are the unanimous pick of our panel. You know, if anyone cares.

Titans: The last thing the Titans need is wins. A quarterback, on the other hand...

Texans: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Schalter, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

Cleveland Browns (7-4) at Buffalo Bills (6-5)

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The Pick: Buffalo Bills (10-6)

The Buffalo Bills are headed home after their most impressive win of the season to face a last-place Cleveland Browns team. Sounds like an easy win for the home team, right?

It might be, were it not for the fact that the last-place team in the AFC North is 7-4.

This is a huge game for both of these long-suffering teams. Win, and their wild-card hopes are still very much alive. Lose, and it will more likely than not mean watching the playoffs on TV at home.

Again.

For NFC East Lead Writer Brad Gagnon, the story of this game is two teams heading in opposite directions:

"

I just don't trust the Browns, who were extremely lucky to beat a bad Falcons team last week. Did you see those two fourth-quarter interceptions from Brian Hoyer? This team is free-falling back to Earth and running into a Bills squad coming off an impressive victory. Back at Ralph Wilson Stadium, I think Buffalo keeps it going to play spoiler.

"

The panel concurs, predicting that it will be the easternmost of these two cities on the shores of Lake Erie celebrating Sunday night.

Browns: Freeman, Frenz, Hangst, McCown, Miller, Schottey

Bills: Bowen, Davenport, Gagnon, Hansen, Kruse, Schalter, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

San Diego Chargers (7-4) at Baltimore Ravens (7-4)

Harry How/Getty Images

The Pick: Baltimore Ravens (15-1)

The big matchups just keep on coming in Week 13.

It speaks to how deep the AFC is in 2014 that despite the fact that the Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers are both 7-4, neither is in first place in its division.

The Ravens are fresh off a huge win over the Saints in New Orleans, a game where the tempo was set early by a goal-line stand that head coach John Harbaugh credited while speaking with Ryan Mink of the team's website.

“To me, that was a statement right there about our football team,” Harbaugh said. “That’s courageous. After that, it was just a dog fight like you knew it was going to be.”

The San Diego Chargers have won two in a row after dropping three straight, but neither of those wins (over bad teams) was impressive.

Add in the perils of a West Coast team traveling east for an early game, and only one writer feels the Chargers can steal a win on the road.

Chargers: Bowen

Ravens: Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Schalter, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

New York Giants (3-8) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10)

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The Pick: New York Giants (10-6)

Well, those compelling matchups had to dry up sooner or later. And boy, did they dry up.

Still, just because the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars aren't in playoff contention anymore doesn't mean that there won't be any storylines when the two meet in Week 13.

For example, it's a battle of the team Tom Coughlin used to coach versus the team that Coughlin will soon be the former coach of.

AFC South Lead Writer Rivers McCown has a breakdown of this exciting (giggle) matchup:

"

You're not really going to watch this game, are you? You'd have to latch on to the hero-worship of Odell Beckham's Sunday night catch and believe that a necessary part of your pilgrimage involves watching all of his games to justify that stance.

This is a great game to believe in the under. The Jaguars have improved on defense as Telvin Smith has grown into the starting lineup, Jacksonville gets a surprisingly good pass rush and the run defense has been fairly good since Week 3 or so. Jacksonville also starts the clearly regressing Blake Bortles. The over/under on pick-sixes is set at 1.5.

"

Don't forget to set your DVR. You'll never forgive yourself if you miss this one.

Giants: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier,

Jaguars: Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, Schalter, Tomlinson 

Cincinnati Bengals (7-3-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-9)

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The Pick: Cincinnati Bengals (15-1)

OK, so we got a little matchup magic back.

Sunday's game in Tampa at least features one team with something to play for. At 7-3-1, the Cincinnati Bengals are in first place in the AFC North. But with only a half-game lead on the other three teams in the division, there's no margin for error.

That makes it vitally important the Bengals win the games they should. The team was able to eke out a victory over the Texans in Houston a week ago, and NFC South Lead Writer Brent Sobleski expects the Bengals to keep the momentum rolling this week:

"

Amazingly, the Buccaneers are only two games out in the woeful NFC South, even with a 2-9 record. But the Bengals proved to be dominant in the trenches against the Houston Texans last weekend, while the Bucs offensive interior was dominated by an underachieving Bears defensive line. On the flip side, the Bucs' strength in recent weeks has been their defensive line. However, Cincinnati owns one of the best offensive lines in the NFL. The Bengals have the advantage at nearly every level when facing the Buccaneers.

"

With the exception of a lone dissenter, our experts agree.

Bengals: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, Kruse, Miller, Schalter, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

Buccaneers: McCown

Oakland Raiders (1-10) at St. Louis Rams (4-7)

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The Pick: St. Louis Rams (15-1)

Before we go any farther, a quick note: The Oakland Raiders have taken a beating in this space this season, the butt of any number of jokes spawned by their 0-10 start to the season.

Well, that's all over now. The Raiders got win No. 1 last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, and AFC West Lead Writer Christopher Hansen wrote that the Silver and Black are only getting started:

"

The Oakland Raiders will be well rested when they play the St. Louis Rams on Sunday coming off a Thursday night win over the Kansas City Chiefs. They'll need it, because the Rams knocked off the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos in their last two home games. Neither team has played an opponent with a sub-.500 record since Week 2.

Statistically, the two teams are pretty evenly matched, but running back Latavius Murray has given the Raiders something they've been missing for weeks. Oakland's offense looks significantly better when it's been able to run the ball. Assuming he is cleared to play after suffering a concussion Thursday night, Murray gives the Raiders just enough juice to be successful against a defensive front allowing 4.4 yards per carry.

The Rams thrive at rushing the passer, but the Raiders have allowed just 13 sacks this season. The Rams beat the only team that has allowed fewer sacks two weeks ago, but the Denver Broncos also totally abandoned their running game. The Raiders should also get wide receiver Rod Streater back this week, who was quarterback Derek Carr's primary slot receiver and third-down option earlier this season.

Offensively, the Rams need to run the ball to be successful. The Raiders might not be able to rush the passer this season, but they've done a good job defending the run on a per-carry basis. Last week, the Raiders limited one of the best rushing offenses in the league to just 96 rushing yards.

Picking the Rams is probably the safe choice, but there is just enough working in the Raiders' favor to go the other way. Odds Shark has the Raiders as 7.5-point road dogs, so this one is definitely an upset special.

"

Of course, Hansen was the only writer to pick the Raiders, but hey...

Baby steps.

Raiders: Hansen

Rams: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Schalter, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

New Orleans Saints (4-7) at Pittsburgh Steelers (7-4)

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The Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers (15-1)

The New Orleans Saints might actually be glad to take their show on the road.

Over the past few years, the Saints have been nigh unbeatable in the Superdome. With three home games in a row coming up, the thought a few weeks ago was that the 4-4 Saints would use their homestead to assert control over the NFC South.

Instead, the Saints dropped three all three games. According to Jennifer Hale of Fox Sports, it's left quarterback Drew Brees nonplussed.

"It's disappointing, it's really disappointing," Brees said. "It's certainly not what we're used to. It's not what we like to put out on the field, especially at home. Our fans deserve better than that."

Unfortunately, NFL National Lead Writer Matt Bowen doesn't think those fans are going to get better Sunday in Pittsburgh:

"

The Saints' inability to tackle at the second level of the defense could lead to a Steelers game plan that leans on the legs of Le'Veon Bell. Look for Pittsburgh to roll with the one-back power and zone schemes to create opportunities for Bell to expose the Saints defense.

"

In what's rapidly becoming the week of the lone minority, the panel is mostly with Bowen on this one.

Saints: Schalter

Steelers: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

Carolina Panthers (3-7-1) at Minnesota Vikings (4-7)

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The Pick: Minnesota Vikings (12-4)

Two years ago, the Minnesota Vikings stunned the NFL by winning a wild-card playoff berth. A year ago, it was the Carolina Panthers dropping jaws, winning 11 games in 12 weeks to capture the NFC South.

Both seem like they happened a million years ago.

The Panthers and Vikings are both suffering through miserable seasons, brought on in part by scandals and suspensions that rocked the teams and left prominent contributors on the shelf.

In the opinion of NFL National Lead Writer Mike Tanier, the Vikings aren't as bad as their record indicates:

"

I have been studying Vikings tape for the last few weeks, and they are a team that earns a B-minus grade in just about everything: B-minus passing, B-minus rushing, B-minus protection—maybe an A-minus in pass rush but more of a C-minus in deep pass coverage. That sounds like an insult, but the Vikings don't have any extraordinary weaknesses, and they are full of young players who could develop fast and start earning A's in a bunch of categories.

"

The Panthers, however, appear just as bad as their record—and maybe worse:

"

The Panthers are just bad at every position but linebacker right now, and their roster is not particularly young (or, more precisely, they don't have a lot of "quality youth"). This is the kind of game a team like the Vikings win as it starts to establish itself as ready to move beyond the rebuilding phase and move up to the next tier.

"

And there you go.

Panthers: Bowen, Schalter, Schottey, Sobleski

Vikings: Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Simms, Tanier, Tomlinson

Arizona Cardinals (9-2) at Atlanta Falcons (4-7)

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The Pick: Arizona Cardinals (16-0)

It had to happen sooner or later.

As good as the Arizona Cardinals might be in 2014, the team wasn't going to go 15-1. It wasn't that stunning to see the Redbirds go down in Seattle to a desperate Seahawks team.

However, head coach Bruce Arians made no excuses, and according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN, the Cardinals got an earful in Monday's team meeting:

"

Learn from this because we play them again real soon. We're 9-2 for a reason. We lost two games on the road. We have a big road game coming up but we play these guys again, so make it fresh in your mind. Make sure we get these corrections. It's not like playing Denver, who we wont see again until maybe in the Super Bowl. When you play a team twice in a month, you've got to learn from your mistakes and you've got to remember them.

"

Luckily, in Week 13, the Cardinals face the Atlanta Falcons, otherwise known as the team that couldn't beat Cleveland at home last week, even when the Browns did their absolute very best to hand the Falcons the game.

Yes, the Falcons are in first place.

Someone has to win first place in an ugliest dog's butt competition too.

Only difference is the NFC South "champion" will host a playoff game this year.

Shudder.

Falcons: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 2-9—and two games out of first. Whichever team wins that division should be forced to wear paper bags over its helmets in that playoff game.

Cardinals: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Schalter, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

New England Patriots (9-2) at Green Bay Packers (8-3)

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The Pick: Green Bay Packers (11-5)

On many levels, it seems blasphemous to pick against the New England Patriots right now.

At 9-2, the Patriots have the AFC's best record. They've defeated four first-place teams over their seven-game winning streak, including all three other division leaders in their conference. The games weren't even especially close.

AFC East Lead Writer Erik Frenz is on the bandwagon regardless of destination:

"

The Patriots have defeated three straight division leaders (though the Lions no longer lead the division thanks to losing to the Patriots) and have done it so many ways—running the ball, throwing the ball, stout defense, explosive special teams. How can anyone pick against them right now? Look for a big day from LeGarrette Blount and Jonas Gray against a Packers run defense that ranks near the bottom of the league in every category.

"

Frenz's points are valid, and no one will be surprised if the Patriots win.

However, the Packers have been every bit as hot as the Patriots of late. The teams rank first and second in the NFL in scoring. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers are playing at a level right now somewhere between "otherworldly" and "Madden on Rookie difficulty."

However, Rodgers has also been absolutely flawless at home this season, and the locale of Sunday afternoon's big showdown was enough to swing the vote.

In any event, if you like shootouts, have your popcorn ready beforehand. Get up during this one, and you're apt to miss three scores.

Patriots: Frenz, Kruse, Miller, Simms, Tanier

Packers: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, McCown, Schalter, Schottey, Sobleski, Tomlinson

Denver Broncos (8-3) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)

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The Pick: Denver Broncos (13-3)

It's come to this for the Kansas City Chiefs.

After falling to the Oakland Raiders last week, the Chiefs find themselves one of a sizable pack of 7-4 teams in the AFC.

Lose Sunday night in Denver, and any hopes the Chiefs had of winning the AFC West are effectively gone, especially after already falling to the Broncos in Denver earlier this year.

AFC North Lead Writer Andrea Hangst thinks the Chiefs can learn from the Miami Dolphins, who very nearly beat the Broncos in Week 12:

"

The Denver Broncos have looked fully mortal this season, with the defensive formula to stop Peyton Manning growing and evolving to the point that the St. Louis Rams have figured it out and the Miami Dolphins managed to get close last week. That doesn't bode well for the Broncos heading into the very unfriendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium against the Chiefs this week.

The Chiefs defense is tops in the league against the pass, which gives them the edge, regardless of the quarterback they face. With control of the AFC West on the line, the Chiefs can most certainly step up and win. If Manning makes mistakes that Alex Smith doesn't, this is a Chiefs victory.

"

However, with the Chiefs minus strong safety Eric Berry (who is out for the year after doctors discovered a possibly cancerous mass in his chest), the vast majority of our writers believe Sunday will be the same old song.

Peyton Manning carving the Kansas City secondary to pieces.

Chiefs: Gagnon, Hangst, Schalter

Broncos: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Hansen, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

Miami Dolphins (6-5) at New York Jets (2-9)

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The Pick: Miami Dolphins (16-0)

In a week filled with huge matchups, it's fitting that the league saved the best for last, a Titanic showdo...oh who am I kidding? The Jets are awful.

If there was any doubt as to that fact, it was laid to rest Monday in Detroit, when the Jets appeared lost in all facets of the game during a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills.

According to Rich Cimini of ESPN, defensive end Sheldon Richardson has had enough:

"

I've never lost nine games. That's not me at all. I didn't get drafted to lose games, period. If it don't hurt nobody like it hurts me, they shouldn't be on the team. They outplayed us in every aspect of the game and it ain't nobody's fault but the players. ... They kicked our tails from pillar to post.

"

Unfortunately for the big man, much like that fifth piece of pie that you know you shouldn't have but can't resist on Thursday, Richardson is just going to have to make more room.

Because the Jets aren't close to done losing yet.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Dolphins: Bowen, Davenport, Freeman, Frenz, Gagnon, Hangst, Hansen, Kruse, McCown, Miller, Schalter, Schottey, Simms, Sobleski, Tanier, Tomlinson

Jets: The Jets aren't even fun to ridicule anymore. Party poopers.