Picks from Patriots Fans' Perspective: NFL Week 16, Holiday Edition
Last week was a crazy week with so many upsets and games closer than expected. I personally did woeful against the spread. I don’t even want to talk about it.
But the Patriots won, while the Jets and the Dolphins lost. So we couldn’t be happier about the outcome of last week, can we?
This week could be another wild one as we head into the playoff stretch.
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Steve and Glenn had to take a break this week. They seem to think family and holiday shopping are more important than doing their picks! They need to get their priorities straight! We forgive them, this time. :)
Seriously, these fellows make the BS we often see on BR tolerable, along with our faithful fans.
Now on to the show.
Christmas Day Special
EA: The Titans have pulled off the Christmas miracle by coming all the way back to being a .500 team, but I can't see them beating the red-hot Chargers.
DB: Tennessee has had a remarkable turnaround this year on the legs of Chris Johnson, and really the legs of Vince Young. But they lost some key defensive players for the year last week, including linebacker Keith Bullock, the emotional heart of that defense. He was one of the few Titans who did not quit against the Patriots in their debacle earlier this year.
San Diego, on the other hand, is hot, hot, hot. San Diego will handle Tennessee. San Diego.
TR: Strange as it seems, if Tennessee wins these last two games, they could back into the sixth seed in the AFC. I imagine Jeff Fisher is kicking himself for playing Kerry Collins for as long as he did. Vince Young has proven a lot of people wrong, and is my comeback player of the year.
San Diego has played banged up all season, but they have been on a mission and seem pretty secure. They don’t quite have that No. 2 seed locked up yet, but Chris Johnson has been piling up the yards, and the Titans have more at stake here. I’m going out on my usual limb here, Titans upset the Bolts in Nashville.
Sunday, Dec. 27
EA: I'm glad the Cowboys knocked off the Saints, because the Bucs aren't even going to come close. Saints by a landslide.
DB: Tampa Bay does not have a prayer of winning this game. Well, maybe a very, very, very slim one. Never say never. But I say never this week. New Orleans.
TR: New Orleans hasn’t got home field wrapped up just yet, so they will play all starters for as long as it takes to put away a Bucs team that is so bad, their mamas can’t even bear to watch them play. Gotta geaux with the Saints.
Houston @ Miami
EA: Miami Dolphins.
DB: Houston is just the strangest team this year. But, I guess there are a lot of strange teams this year. I can’t figure out the Texans. I really can’t. Both of these teams are in the playoff hunt but my gut tells me Miami is slipping a bit and the Texans will pull this out. Houston.
TR: These are two of about a half-dozen teams who could finish 9-7, but I’m not getting involved in that mess just yet. Suffice it to say that both the Texans and the Dolphins have a shot at the sixth seed, with a little help from their enemies.
They will both come to play, and despite their respective levels of mediocrity, it could be an interesting game. The typically inconsistent Texans have a two-game winning streak going into this one, and I have this weird feeling they will make it three.
EA: Really won't even be close. Green Bay.
DB: Green Bay should really lay the smack-down on the Seahawks. They really lost a heartbreaker last week but now they are back home and angry. Green Bay.
TR: Green Bay needs this game if they are interested in clinging to the No. 4 seed. Is Deion Branch active? How would anybody tell? Seattle sucks, and they suck more with him on the field. Yes, I’m still dogging him. Green Bay will make the Lambeau crowd happy, for now.
EA: Giants.
DB: I really want to call an upset on this game. Giants fans should not get overly excited about the win over the toothless Redskins last week. But I have a hard time picking Carolina to win on the road. New York Giants.
TR: The Panthers are officially my Disappointment of the Year. A case could be made for Pittsburgh, of course, but we can also chalk that up to Super Bowl jinx. I’ll get to them later.
For the sake of the folks back home, I was happy to see the Cats wake up last week and cause Favre to have one of his little hissy fits. But it was too little, too late, and I wish they could have played that well from the beginning of the season.
The alleged injury to Delhomme’s finger has done wonders for them, but the G-Men are fighting to make the playoffs. The Cats don’t have a chance.
[Editor’s note: I so wanted to change that to G-string men.]
EA: Game of the week...not really. Oakland is the best of the worst teams, so expect them to get an easy win in Cleveland and get that unheard of sixth win. Could they end up doing the incredible and moving to 7-9 next week? I never thought I'd see the day.
DB: These bottom-feeder games have sometimes been rather entertaining this year. Does anyone really care who wins this game other than Oakland and Cleveland fans?
I have no idea who is going to win this game. Both have shown glimpses of competence the past few weeks. I am going with Oakland in this game, only because I think they are less unstable right now. Oakland.
TR: Oakland’s 32nd-ranked offense (ouch) going up against Cleveland’s 31st-ranked defense will be unbearable to watch. This game doesn’t mean much to anybody, but I love to see Fredo Mangini on the verge of an aneurysm. I’ll predict Oakland just for the hell of it. See ya later, Fredo.
Jacksonville @ New England
EA: Just to keep the pressure off, this one's a must-win. Brady & Co. might be able to rip the Jags apart in the passing game, but this Jacksonville team is no slouch either. They almost pulled off a win against the Colts last week, so I expect them to hang in this one for a while with the Patriots ultimately pulling away in the fourth quarter.
DB: This game, as many New England opponents do, scares me. With a banged up defensive line and Maurice Jones-Drew facing us, it could be a long, long, long day for our defense. I think our offense will be fine and can score against the Jags. Ultimately, I think we prevail at home in a close game. New England.
TR: The first week of the season, somebody asked in a comment to our picks, “Would you guys ever pick against the Patriots?” I honestly believed at the time that I might, but it hasn’t happened yet. I’m not going to start now, especially since their playoff seed is so unsettled.
Run the table, hope for the Bolts to falter down the stretch, and the Patriots could take that No. 2 seed away from San Diego. Fail in this one, and all sorts of things could happen. That’s an article in itself. I’m taking the Pats, again.
EA: A much needed win for the Bengals.
DB: Kansas City should not be much of a match for the Bengals at home. Cincinnati.
TR: The Bengals are folding, as expected, but their two-game losing streak isn’t nearly as bad as the Chief’s chaotic season. Cincinnati’s defense should stop KC at every turn for the home win.
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh
EA: Big Ben won't be having any 500-yard performances against this Baltimore defense. I'll take the Ravens for a huge win to keep them in the playoff picture, delivering the final blow to Pittsburgh's playoff hopes.
DB: Wow, what I big rivalry game. These two teams always smack each other in the mouth from kickoff until the last second ticks off the clock. Despite the Steelers’ woes this season, they would love nothing more than to drag the Ravens into postseason doldrums with them. Pittsburgh.
TR: More complex playoff implications involving multiple teams. Regardless of the playoff picture, the Ravens would love to sweep Pittsburgh, and they have played well enough to do it but for a couple of things: Big Ben was on the shelf when last they met, and he’s back with a vengeance, having passed for more than 500 yards last week, and this one is not in Baltimore. I expect both teams to come out fighting, but the Steelers walk off with the win.
EA: Both of these teams are out of the playoff picture, but this should still be a big win at home for the Falcons.
DB: Despite injuries and being out of the playoffs, the Falcons have put up a fight against middling teams like the Jets. Buffalo, not so much. Atlanta should take this one at home. Atlanta.
TR: Two teams going nowhere as far as I can see. Atlanta gets the win at home.
St. Louis @ Arizona
EA: Here's a nice stat-padder for the Cardinals. I expect huge games from Warner, Boldin, Beanie, and Fitzgerald. Arizona in a home-field blowout.
DB: This is one of those weird games that I could actually see St. Louis winning because Arizona has a tendency to throw up some really stinkers. But in the end, I just don’t see it happening this week. Arizona.
TR: The St. Louis battleship sank before it got out of harbor, and Arizona has played marginally better than I expected after losing the Super Bowl. I can’t expect much from St. Louis as the Cardinals win a boring game.
EA: This should be a win for the 49ers. Should be. You never know which team is going to show up, though. Sometimes they look like a playoff team, but sometimes they look as bad as the Lions
DB: San Francisco’s defense is too tough for Detroit on the road. San Francisco.
TR: Oy vey, who cares? There was a time when San Fran looked like they "coulda been a contenda," but at this point, they’ll be playing for pride, at home. No sweat for the Niners.
EA: If the season ended today, New England would be playing Denver in the playoffs. With Denver being the lower-seeded AFC Wild Card, the expected loss here could knock them out of the playoffs in favor of Tennessee, Miami, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Houston, or the Jets.
The Eagles are the better team, but I think Denver wins because of the motivation to wrap up that playoff spot. If they lose, they might not have a chance to get it back.
DB: Denver has just flat out collapsed during the second half of the season as they fight for a playoff spot. The Eagles, on the other hand, are on a bit of a roll and fighting for a playoff spot. Will Brian Dawkins stick it to his old team and try to knock Brian Westbrook back into "la-la land" and maybe retirement? Or will the Eagles show him a thing or two with the speedy DeSean Jackson? I think Denver chokes just like they did last year. Philadelphia.
TR: Another one with a ton of playoff implications. Denver needs to win both of their last two games to keep hope alive, and the Eagles could land in one of any number of situations. I don’t see the Broncos winning in Philly, or more accurately, I don’t see the Eagles losing.
New York Jets @ Indianapolis
EA: What I really hate about this game is that I hate both teams. Ultimately, I have to cheer for the Jets to end perfection. For whom I have to support in this game, I'll self-induce vomiting on Monday, but if the Colts win, I'll puke right then and there. Either way, on Sunday I will be the biggest [closet] Jets fan on the planet.
DB: I would give the Jets a fighting chance to pull off the upset if they "run, run, run" the ball and use a short passing game. This is a matchup where they will sorely miss the injured Leon Washington. He is the type of change of pace, pass-catcher out of the backfield, along with the thumping Thomas Jones, that gives the Colts trouble. But alas, Sanchez is simply not playing well enough for the Jets to pull this one out. Indianapolis.
TR: The Colts have their spot sewn up, but there will be no sitting on hands in Indy. The Jets have a surprising defense and could give Manning and the boys some difficulty, leaving themselves with an unlikely shot at the sixth seed. At the end of the day, however, Rex Ryan will be kissing Manning’s ring.
Dallas @ Washington
EA: Should be a piece of cake for Dallas.
DB: NBC must be kicking themselves in the head for not getting this game switched weeks ago. This will be the first prime time NFL game that I will not watch. I cannot stomach seeing the Redskins again this season. This should be an easy win for Dallas against a team that has quit (except for Jason Campbell, London Fletcher, and Santana Moss). Dallas.
TR: This is one of those historic rivalries that I would love to see played out competitively, but I don’t expect to see that happen. Their first meeting this year was about as boring as they come, but the ‘Boys have more on the line here. The Redskins looked dismal last week against the resurgent G-Men, and I expect more of the same. Dallas has a way of choking along about now, but I’m giving them the edge.
Monday Night, Dec. 28
EA: The only reason this game is mildly interesting is the rivalry. No matter how badly teams suck (cough, Chicago), most are able to step it up for these rivalry games. The Vikings should win, but they may be surprised if they underestimate the Bears too much.
DB: The only question in this game is how many interceptions will Jay Cutler throw? And will Brett Favre and Brad Childress kiss and make up? Should be an easy win for Minnesota, but the way they played last week, it may not be. Minnesota.
TR: The Vikings suffered a meltdown against the Panthers last outing, culminating in Favre’s little bitch fest with his coach, but everybody says things are smoothed over now. I’m not convinced of that, but Chicago is so bad, it might not matter. Besides, Minnesota could get bumped out of that No. 2 seed if they don’t rebound here and keep it going next week, so I’m pickin’ ‘em.
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