Clarence Hill
NFL Picks of the Week; It’s getting down to crunch time
Sunday Dec. 16
NY Giants at Atlanta
The Falcons have been flirting with disaster all season and finally got in a embarrassing loss to the Panthers last week. Now they face the surging Giants. Look for their losing streak extend to two. Giants, 28-25
Minnesota at St. Louis
The Vikings continue to surprise behind the MVP play of running back Adrian Peterson. The Rams have been feisty under new coach Jeff Fisher. Look for them to prevail at home. Rams, 18-15
Jacksonville at Miami
The wheels have come off the Chad Henne experiment and Jaguars are back to the reality that they have no answer at quarterback. The Dolphins and rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill will prevail at home. Dolphins 24-17
Green Bay at Chicago
The injuries are mounting in Chicago and Bears are in full free fall. Aaron Rodgers has the Packers rolling despite their own sate of injuries. Packers, 28-26
Washington at Cleveland
The Redskins are a different team with Robert Griffin III at quarterback. But they still remain competitive with backup Kirk Cousins. So Griffin or not, they should stay in the playoff chase with a win against the Browns. Redskins, 17-13
Denver at Baltimore
Call this is a heat check for Peyton Manning and the streaking Broncos. A win on the road against a seething Baltimore team should let the league know they are serious Super Bowl contenders. Broncos, 30-20
Indianapolis at Houston
This is an important bounce back game for the Texans who were embarrassed last week against the Patriots. Andrew Luck will keep the Colts close but Houston will prevail. Texans, 28-24
Tampa Bay at New Orleans
Both teams come into the game riding three game losing streaks. The Buccaneers still have an outside shot the playoffs. The Saints are just playing for pride. Pride prevails at home. Saints, 26-17
Detroit at Arizona
As bad and disappointing as things are for the Lions, it is worse in Arizona. The Cardinals have lost nine straight after opening the season 4-0. They were embarrassed last week in Seattle. They are just numb now. Lions, 28-10
Carolina at San Diego
The Chargers got a surprising win against the Steelers last week to prove that they haven’t quit on lame duck coach Norv Turner. Look for them to make it two in a row against the Panthers and Cam Newton. Chargers, 26-24
Seattle at Buffalo
The Seahawks are in the thick if the NFC West division title race. They have finally proven they can be competitive on the road although not quite as dominant as they are at home. That should be good enough against the Bills in Toronto. Seahawks, 20-17
Pittsburgh at Dallas
The Steelers have the league’s best defense. Ben Roethlisberger should have the rust knocked off after last week’s shoddy performance. The Cowboys are not only in for an emotional letdown but the litany of injuries finally catch up to them. Steelers, 28-25
Kansas City at Oakland
Both teams are vying for the No. 1 pick in the draft. The Raiders have lost six straight have gone belly up. At least the Chiefs have Jamaal Charles who has three straight 100-yard games. Look for him to run wild in Oakland. Chiefs, 20-15
San Francisco at New England
This is a tough spot for the 49ers in new quarterback Colin Kaepernick, going cross country to face the Patriots in what could be a Super Bowl preview. The 49ers have the defense to keep it close. But Tom Brady and company like to send messages to teams in measuring-stick games. Patriots, 30-23
Monday, Dec. 17
N.Y. Jets at Tennessee
The circus that is the Jets gets a prime-time audience. At least the Tim Tebow talk has faded along with their season. The Titans have less distractions but they are a worse team. Jets, 24-20
Comments