NFL Week 13 Picks: Gauging Which Teams Will Continue Building Momentum

In Week 13 of the NFL season, the following teams will attempt to continue their recent winning ways:

Dallas Cowboys (won four straight) at Arizona Cardinals

The Cowboys haven't always won pretty during their current four-game winning streak, but Tony Romo is showing that he has plenty of clutch in his right arm. On Sunday, Dallas will face a Cardinals team that has actually won three of their last four games. Still, the Cowboys are a far cry from the St. Louis Rams, who the Cardinals have beat twice in the past month. If the Cowboys want to make the playoffs, this is a game they must win.  

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (won three)

Forget the days when the Colts-Patriots rivalry was among the NFL's best. Without Peyton Manning under center, the Colts have become the league's laughing stock. Indianapolis won't be getting its first win of the 2011 season without one of the bigger upsets in recent NFL history.

Atlanta Falcons (won two) at Houston Texans (won five)

In a battle of two teams with playoff aspirations, the focus will and should be on the Texans quarterback position. Rookie T.J. Yates is likely to start, and he'll face a tough test against a Falcons defense that stops the run as well as any team in the NFL. If Atlanta takes away the Texans two-headed rushing attack, the onus will fall on Yates. Can he beat Matt Ryan on the other sideline, especially considering how well Ryan has played in recent weeks? 

Denver Broncos (won four) at Minnesota Vikings

The Broncos will stroll into the Twin Cities with four straight wins, and it will be interesting to see the way Denver attacks the Vikings defense. Minnesota can still stop the run, but their secondary is in shambles. Teams have attacked the Vikings secondary without abandon in recent weeks. With Tim Tebow under center, the Broncos have relied heavily on the run and zone option plays. Could this potentially be the week that Denver lets Tebow throw a few more times than we've seen? 

Oakland Raiders (won three) at Miami Dolphins

With Tebow and the Broncos nipping at the Raiders heels, it's important that Oakland wins games it should win. This weekend is a perfect example. A long flight to Miami from the West Coast isn't a perfect scenario, but the Raiders are a better football team than the Dolphins. They can't afford a slip up in Miami, or they might wake up on Monday morning in a tie with the Broncos atop the AFC West.