NFL Picks Week 13: Picking Each Game's Biggest X-Factor

In Week 12 of the NFL, seven favorites were able to cover the spread.

The Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots continued their offensive assault on the league while easily covering.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals were pushed in their games against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Browns, both inferior teams that were able to keep the line closer than a lot of people expected.

Both the Steelers and Bengals failed to cover.

Week 13 has just five favorites giving a TD or more.

While I believe the Indianapolis Colts getting 21 points is a bit much, even against the Patriots, these five favorites are sure to cover the spread.

Home teams are in CAPS.

Philadelphia Eagles at Seattle Seahawks

The key factor in this game will be quarterback play. Whether it is Vince Young running the offense or Michael Vick, it is their game to lose. 

The Eagles seem to win each time their season is on the line, and this week is no exception. 

In Week 12, Young put up 400 passing yards but only one touchdown. As a result, the Eagles lost to a very weak New England Patriots passing defense. 

The Seahawks have a better defense than the Patriots, but they won't put up as many points on offense. 

If Vick plays, it is the same story: it is his game to lose. 

Atlanta Falcons at Houston Texans

The Falcons-Texans Week 13 matchup will prove to be very interesting. 

The Texans will most likely be starting their No. 3 quarterback T.J. Yates.

He will be the key factor in this game. If he plays well, the Texans will win. If he doesn't, the Falcons will win.

In Week 13, he didn't have any interceptions, so that is a good sign for the Texans. 

He has the weapons to be successful, as Andre Johnson will be playing again and Arian Foster is back at full strength. 

Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings are just plain bad, so the game is Denver's to lose. 

It all hinges upon Tim Tebow, who has not been great at passing this year. The Vikings, however, have a very porous pass defense. If Tebow can take advantage, it will be a very big game.

The Broncos should have no problem containing the Vikings offense, so it is all up to the amount of points that Tebow puts up. 

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots

This Week 13 matchup may prove to be the most lopsided of all the games this season. 

The Colts are going to get smoked, and there is not much they can do about it. 

The Colts only real chance is to put up a lot of points in the air by exploiting the Patriots weak passing defense. The Patriots give up more than 400 yards per game in the air. 

Since the Colts defense won't be able to stop or even contain Tom Brady, the x-factor of this game will the be Colts offense. 

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This Week 13 matchup pits two of the worst defenses in the league against each other.

The big factor in this game will then be the play of those defenses. 

The Panthers and the Buccaneers have fairly evenly matched offenses, so the game will be close.

It will all come down to who gets stopped more, as neither team generates a large amount of turnovers. 

Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears

Because both the Chiefs and the Bears lost their starting quarterbacks to injury, the load has fallen upon young, inexperienced quarterbacks.

Therefore, the x-factor in this matchup will be interceptions. 

Whichever quarterback decides to throw the least interceptions will come out victorious. 

Interceptions mean scoring opportunities for the opponent. 

Tyler Palko and Caleb Haine both threw three interceptions in Week 12. 

Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills

The x-factor in this game will no doubt be Chris Johnson. 

If he decides to show up like he did in Week 12, the Titans will be in good shape. 

The Bills have been on a drastic slide recently and if Johnson can generate yardage, it will put them on their heels.

This, in turn, will open up the passing game for the Titans, meaning victory by a wide margin.

Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins

The key to Raiders victories since Jason Campbell went down to injury has been the play of Carson Palmer. 

In the games that he has thrown more than one interception, the Raiders have lost. 

In the games where he has thrown one or less, the Raiders have won. 

Following that pattern, the game against the Miami Dolphins depends on Carson Palmer. 

If he can control the ball, the Raiders will dominate this game. 

New York Jets at Washington Redskins

This Week 13 matchup is one that is the New York Jets to lose. 

The Washington Redskins have been downright bad this season. 

Prior to Week 12, they had not won since Week 4. 

The x-factor in this game will be the Redskins defense. The Jets do not have an overpowering offense, so if the Redskins can hold them to just a few points they will be able to win.

On the other hand, the Jets are capable of putting up big numbers so the key will be the Redskins defense keeping it under control. 

Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the best defenses in the league, meaning that Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense will have a tough time generating points. 

That means the x-factor in this game will be Andy Dalton. If he can bring the offense down the field a couple of times for a score, the Bengals will be in good shape.

The Bengals have a good defense, so the score between the two teams will be low and a few points can make a huge difference. 

Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns

The Ravens-Browns game will surely be a defensive shootout. 

The two defenses are both in the top seven ranked defenses in the league. 

The Browns, however, have a weak passing defense. 

This means that the x-factor of this game will be quarterback Joe Flacco. 

If he can get the pass going without the help of Ray Rice, the Ravens will be in good shape. Otherwise, the score will be very low and the Browns have a chance at coming out with a victory.

St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers

Part of the reason for the 49ers loss to the Ravens in Week 12 was the fact that Frank Gore did not have a very good game. 

He had 14 carries for 39 yards. 

The St. Louis Rams have the worst rushing defense in the league. 

If the 49ers can get the run going early, this game will be over very quickly. 

Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals

There is no doubt that Cardinals quarterback John Skelton is just plain bad. 

In his last outing, he had 114 yards and two interceptions.

This means that the x-factor of this game will be Kevin Kolb's health.

Coach Ken Wisenhunt expects him to play this week, but if he doesn't the Cardinals are in real trouble. 

Green Bay Packers at New York Giants

The Giants are taking on the the undefeated Green Bay Packers in Week 13. 

There is no reason to believe that Aaron Rodgers will be slowing down anytime soon, so the only real way to win is to beat the Packers is on defense. 

This means that the x-factor of this game will be the Packers linebacking corps. 

They are the heart and soul of the Packers defense, and, in Week 12, two of them went down to injury. 

The Packers have a really bad passing defense and these injuries make it even worse. 

If other players step up, the Packers will win, but if no one does, there is a chance the Packers will get their first loss. 

Detroit Lions at New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints pass for the most yards per game in the league. 

If the Lions want any chance of winning this game, their defensive secondary must step up and be the x-factor. 

The Lions give up the sixth fewest yards per game in the league, so it is a definite possibility. 

The secondary will also need to come up with some interceptions against Drew Brees. 

They have 15 on the season. 

San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars

Philip Rivers has been shaky all season, something rare for him. 

He will be the x-factor in this game. Whenever he does well, the Chargers do well. 

The Jaguars have the No. 4 ranked passing defense, so it won't come easy. 

If Rivers decides to throw interceptions, the Chargers will be in serious trouble. 

The Jaguars are capable of beating the struggling Chargers.