My Week 14 NFC Picks

I see everyone making picks; I thought I'd give it a try.

Falcons-Saints: The Falcons are my team, but you have to recognize Drew Brees as one of the best passers in the NFL.

The Saints are No. 4 in points scored and No. 1 in yards per game and pass yards per game, but No. 28 in run yards per game and our secondary just isn't the best so we should be in a dime or nickel most of the game. 

Where we can beat them is their defense, where they are No. 23 in points allowed and No. 19 in rushing yards allowed.

If Michael Turner can keep up his good work we can stop the Saints and their home dominance.

Falcons, 27-21

Panthers-Bucs:This is a crucial matchup in the surprisingly good NFC South.

The Panthers are a good running team with the one-two punch of Stewart and Williams, but the Bucs have the ninth best running defense and are fourth in points allowed.

This great defense will have their hands full with the Carolina running backs.

Carolina's surprisingly 22nd in passing yards per game. You would think it would be higher with the Delhomme to Smith aerial attack.

The Bucs key to the game is to stop the run.

The Panthers will have to pass successfully early to free up the running game later. I think Carolina will be more successful

Panthers, 17-10

Minnesota-Detroit: You want to pick the Lions here, can't they just get one win this year; somehow they'll find a way to pull one out, right???

Well not this week Detroit. The Lions are dead last in rushing yards allowed with 176.9 yards per game.

Can anyone say Adrian Peterson?? Enough said!!

Minnesota, 42-10

Philadelphia-New York Giants : The Giants are just too good right now. The Plaxico Burress thing won't bother them and Tom Coughlin won't let it.

Philadelphia is in turmoil right now. They looked good on Thanksgiving, but that's one game they still don't know how reliable McNabb will be, and Westbrook is really dinged up.

New York, 31-17

Houston-Green Bay: Green Bay has looked very inconsistent this year.

Right when you think they are going to pull away in the NFC North, they lose a few and are right back in the middle of the pack.

Houston ???? I haven't really heard anything about them. Houston has a very good passing game but Green Bay has one of the best secondaries in the NFL. 

Houston's run defense is No. 23 in the league, but maybe Ryan Grant can have another break out game and look like he's on the right track like he has many times before.

But I have to pick Green Bay.

Green Bay, 17-7

San Francisco-New York Jets:The 49ers have shown great improvement since Mike Singletary came. 

The Jets, after beating Tennessee and being called the best team in the AFC, were brought down to earth with a disappointing loss to Denver(34-17). The Jets are the No. 2 scoring team in the NFL.

The 49ers are 26th in giving up points and the numbers don't lie.

Jets, 31-10

New England-Seattle: Matt Hasselbeck will not play which diminishes Seattle's already slim chances.

The Seahawks caught the injury bug this year, especially in the receiver core.

Matt Cassel's emergence as a good quarterback in this league surprised a lot of people, and the Seahawks know it, but can they stop it?????

No they are dead last in passing defense with 265.2 yards per game.

Wes Welker will have a field day running circles around the Seahawks secondary.

New England, 49-21

St.Louis-Arizona:St. Louis looked to be headed up after Jim Haslett was named interim head coach—winning two in a row—but that was short-lived and they are back to being the Rams again.

The Rams weak pass defense will let Boldin and Fitzgerald run loose on the field.

I'm expecting a career day from one of these guys.

The Cardinals had an embarrassing loss to Philadelphia, and they will take all their anger out on St. Louis.

Rams are 22nd in pass yards allowed, and the Cardinals are averaging 303.4 passing yards a game which is good enough for 3rd in the NFL.

Cardinals, 38-10

Dallas-Pittsburgh: Dallas looks to be on it's way to '07 greatness with Romo's return.

The Steelers defense is good enough to stop anyone.

With two of the best pass rushers in the league—Ware and Harrison—there will be a lot of sacks, and this will be a low scoring, hard hitting game.

Steelers, 10-6

Washington-Baltimore:  Two really good defenses are showing up Sunday, with Baltimore of course being the better one.

I think Baltimore will shut down Clinton Portis with their No. 3 ranked rush defense.

A surprise to me is that Baltimore has the No. 3 running attack offensively.

Can Washington shut down Baltimore's offense??? Well, their 90.8 rush yards per game looks like it, but I think the Ravens O-line will wear down the Redskins D-line by the second half. 

Ravens , 13-7

So those are my NFC picks for week 14; let's see how I do.