NFL Picks Week 13: Pittsburgh Steelers and More Teams That Will Dominate

The NFL regular season is entering its homestretch, which means every game becomes critically important for playoff contenders. Whether teams are trying to secure a bye, a first-round home game or just trying to make the postseason, there is no longer any room for error.

With that in mind, here are three teams that will cruise to key victories in Week 13.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have won six of their last seven games and could eliminate another competitor with a win over the Bengals. Cincinnati has pushed its way into playoff contention thanks to a favorable schedule, but will need to knock off a strong team to finish inside the top six.

Pittsburgh won the first meeting three weeks ago thanks to a huge performance from its defense in the fourth quarter. Look for defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to dial up the pressure on Sunday in order to force Andy Dalton into a couple key mistakes.

That's all it will take for the Steelers to gain control and eventually pull away from the upstart Bengals.

Prediction: Steelers 31, Bengals 13

Dallas Cowboys

It's always tough to pick the Cowboys because it seems like every time Tony Romo and Co. figure things out, they proceed to pick up a head-scratching loss. That said, Arizona has yet to knock off an elite team and lack offensive firepower.

Dallas finds itself one game ahead of the New York Giants in the NFC East and wants to maintain that edge (or increase it with a Giants loss) before the teams face off twice down the stretch. There is no similar motivation for the Cardinals.

In a physical sport like football, late-season games often come down to which team wants it more. The Cowboys should outwork the Cardinals all afternoon en route to an important win.

Prediction: Cowboys 28, Cardinals 14

New England Patriots

New England is in a four-way tie for first place in the AFC, with the Oakland Raiders and Bengals just one game behind. That's significant because Bill Belichick would love to get an extra week of practice time with his shaky defense before a potential playoff run.

Thankfully for him, the Indianapolis Colts shouldn't provide much resistance. The Colts have self-destructed without Peyton Manning and it's tough to imagine them rallying behind third-string quarterback Dan Orlovsky, who will be making his first start of the year.

The Patriots should score early and often, further deepening the disappointment in Indianapolis.

Prediction: Patriots 38, Colts 10