NFL Week 15: No Comparison

Another 10-5 week overall, but another lousy week against the spread (7-8...yuck). So the season records look like this:

Overall: 135-60 (69%)
Vs. Spread: 107-84-4

THURSDAY

Indianapolis Colts (13-0)(-3) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-6)
8:20 p.m. Jacksonville Municipal Stadium
The fact that the Jacksonville barely was able to sold this game out speaks louder than the other games that haven’t been full. This is a 7-6 team, fighting for a playoff spot, playing a primetime game, going against a division rival that’s undefeated. Every other city sells that game out easily. Time to end the Jacksonville experiment.
Pick: Colts

SATURDAY

Dallas Cowboys (8-5) vs. New Orleans Saints (13-0)(-7)
8:20 p.m. Louisiana Superdome
Wait, the Cowboys lost another December game? WHAT??? I don’t believe it. All I know about football is just crumbling away.
Pick: Saints

SUNDAY

Green Bay Packers (9-4) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-7)(-1)
1:00 p.m. Heinz Field
There is no good reason to pick the Steelers right now. So I’m going to pick against the Packers instead. Green Bay has still beaten only one (1) good football team this season. Not saying Pittsburgh is great, but they’re better than most of the teams the Packers have managed to beat this year.
Pick: Steelers

Miami Dolphins (7-6) vs. Tennessee Titans (6-7)(-3)
1:00 p.m. LP Field
Have to admit that I’m impressed by Miami hanging in the playoff mix this long. I thought this team would have fallen apart on their way to a 6-10 or 7-9 record about a month ago. Since the Dolphins have proven that they can stop the run, I like their chances on the road against Chris Johnson.
Pick: Dolphins

New England Patriots (8-5)(-7) vs. Buffalo Bills (5-8)
1:00 p.m. Ralph Wilson Stadium
I usually don’t watch SportsCenter or ESPN when I’m home, so I certainly wasn’t watching it while in San Francisco. However, my friend (and loyal reader) texted me to say that SportsCenter was leading their Monday morning show with the Patriots win over Carolina (because of the Randy Moss “news”). So instead of leading with the two undefeated teams, the Cowboys choking another game away, the Giants-Eagles thriller (which would have made perfect sense seeing how ESPN loves both of those teams) or previewing the Cardinals-49ers game that was going to be on their air later in the evening, ESPN chose to open their show with the mundane Patriots 10-point win over a bad Carolina team. All because a couple of the Panthers said that Randy Moss quit on his team. Well, stop the presses! Opposing players have only been saying that for Moss’ ENTIRE CAREER. This isn’t news. Ugh. Please ESPN, stick to what you know. Just lead with Tiger Woods from now on.
Pick: Patriots

Arizona Cardinals (8-5)(-11.5) vs. Detroit Lions (2-11)
1:00 p.m. Ford Field
I went to the Monday night game with the expectations of checking out one of the greatest offenses in the league. I obviously left disappointed. Something tells me that the Cardinals won’t turn the ball over seven times in this one.
Pick: Cardinals

San Francisco 49ers (6-7) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (9-4)(-8.5)
1:00 p.m. Lincoln Financial Field
Something tells me the 49ers won’t force seven turnovers in this one.
Pick: Eagles

Atlanta Falcons (6-7) vs. New York Jets (7-6)(-5.5)
1:00 p.m. Giants Stadium
The Jets fans are becoming annoying again. Time for their team to let them down. I’ve actually liked what I’ve seen from Chris Redman the last couple of weeks.
Pick: Falcons

Chicago Bears (5-8) vs. Baltimore Ravens (7-6)(-11)
1:00 p.m. M&T Bank Stadium
This is a game the Ravens can’t afford to lose, but a line that looks way too large. The Ravens players/coaches/media/fans have been way too high following a win over Detroit. Even though this could easily be another five interception game from Jay Cutler, I don’t like the looks of that line.
Pick: Ravens, Bears cover

Cleveland Browns (2-11) vs. Kansas City Chiefs (3-10)(-2)
1:00 p.m. Arrowhead Stadium
Nothing to see here, let’s keep it moving. However, I will watch if Gus Johnson is calling the game.
Pick: Chiefs

Houston Texans (6-7)(-10) vs. St. Louis Rams (1-12)
1:00 p.m. Edward Jones Dome
Houston is easily the team I’m most disappointed in this year. I thought they could easily get to 8-8 with a chance at nine or ten wins. This will probably be their last win of the season. But even if they somehow manage to get back into the race, this team has still not grown up enough to stop their penchant for blowing late leads in big ball games.
Pick: Texans

Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) vs. San Diego Chargers (10-3)(-6.5)
4:05 p.m. Qualcomm Stadium
There have already been several people comparing the death of Chris Henry to the death of Sean Taylor. While comparing deaths is pointless and rather tasteless, this is one comparison that should not be made. The only thing two things that Taylor and Henry had in common was that they were football players who died during the middle of the season. Taylor was one of the best players on his team and in the league. Henry was barely the second best receiver in Cincinnati. While Taylor had a little bit of a checkered past, he had turned the corner for several years until his untimely death. Henry was a troublemaker in high school, at West Virginia and especially in Cincinnati. His arrest list ranged from drugs to violence to domestic violence to DUI’s. And despite the flowery reports, there was no real indication that Henry was turning his life around (where were these flowery reports after Taylor died…non-existent). That was further proven at the time of death. Taylor passed away trying to protect his wife and daughter from a robbery gone wrong. Henry passed away while trying to chase down his fiancée (girlfriend…whatever) in her truck following a domestic dispute. While Henry’s death is tragic, and I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, let’s hope these comparisons get nipped in the bud early so we don’t have to deal with an entire week of this bull.
Pick: Chargers

Oakland Raiders (4-9) vs. Denver Broncos (8-5)(-14)
4:05 p.m. Mile High Stadium
As bad as the Redskins have had it at home this season, no one has it worse than Jamarcus Russell in Oakland. While every boo he gets is deserved (he’s out of shape, he doesn’t prepare well for games, he takes no responsibilities after losses and he’s vastly overpaid), I can’t think of any player or team that gets a worse reception at home than he does. He was even booed after his first drive of the game against the Redskins…a drive in which he completed a couple of passes and led his team to a field goal. Being in that stadium, it was stunning to see how every Raider fan gave up on the game the minute they saw Russell stepping on to the field. Charlie Frye definitely gives his team a better chance to win this game, but that still doesn’t mean they will.
Pick: Broncos

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-12) vs. Seattle Seahawks (5-8)(-6.5)
4:15 p.m. Qwest Field
The Bucs would have the second pick in the draft right now, so they really have to root for the Rams to slip up somewhere and win before the season is out.
Pick: Seahawks

Minnesota Vikings (11-2)(-9) vs. Carolina Panthers (5-8)
8:20 p.m. Bank of America Stadium
There at least three other games (Bengals-Chargers, Dolphins-Titans, Falcons-Jets) that should be flexed into this slot. But none of those teams have Brett Favre, so NBC is going to subject us to another torturous three-and-a-half hours.
Pick: Vikings, Panthers cover