Week 15 Game Notes

Falcons over Jaguars

Adam

• The Falcons still haven't proved themselves to me as a legitimate big boy in the NFC.
• They have developed some consistency, winning 4 out of their last 5 games, but a big test looms next week with a trip to New Orleans.  Win or lose, that contest will tell us a ton about where the Falcons are in terms of readiness for the playoffs. 
• The Jaguars are terrible, and though it may be premature to write him off completely, Blaine Gabbert looks really bad out there.

Eric

• Dear NFL, Quit putting the Jaguars in prime time.  Sincerely, Everyone.

Cowboys over Buccaneers

Adam

• Not that it proves much of anything, but Dallas did what they were supposed to do, while their main division competition (the Giants) couldn't.
• Beating Tampa Bay is about as hard as finding pot at a college house party, but a win is a win.
• Tony Romo has to scare any opponent with 29 touchdowns and just 9 interceptions so far this year.
• Tampa is young, Josh Freeman will get back on track, and this team will improve, but Raheem Morris will not be around for the rebuilding process.

Eric

• Who best to play when you need a win?  How about the woeful Buccaneers?
• Dallas takes the hotly contested NFC East’s lead, and Tampa Bay loses their eighth-straight.

Dolphins over Bills

Adam

• The Vice Versa game: Buffalo started the season hot, and is now falling apart.  Miami, coaching change aside, is exactly the opposite.
• Reggie Bush is on the verge of a 1,000 yard rushing season.  That would be a nice bounce back for a man whose career has thus far been a big disappointment.

Eric

• Miami extends Buffalo’s losing streak to 7 games.

Seahawks over Bears

Adam

• Caleb Hanie is awful.  I don't know how the hell he played so well last year in the NFC Championship Game, but this guy is not fit for the NFL.
• Seattle has outside playoff hopes after a horrid start.  They're now 7-7, playing good defense, and Tarvaris Jackson has actually performed solidly this year.
• For Jackson, that's a big step.

Eric

• Caleb Hanie… just, no.

Panthers over Texans

Adam

• The Panthers are a team nobody wants to play.  Cam Newton and crew can light up the scoreboard at any time.
• The Texans showed that they are limited with TJ Yates, and especially without Andre Johnson.  Yates could keep this team in games if he had Johnson to bail him out and was supported by the run game, but by himself he can't carry Houston to victory.

Eric

• After the daring comeback last week, TJ Yates time was not meant to be against Carolina.

Colts over Titans

Adam

• This game sums up the Titans season, completely inexplicable.  They were right in the thick of the wild card race, and they lose to the worst team in football.
• I'm kind of glad Indy won a game.  Although 0-16 is funny, it's funnier when it happens to the Lions.  I wouldn't wish that on a solid organization like the Colts.

Eric

• Bust out the bubbly, ‘08 Lions!  There won’t be another 0-16 team this year.

Chiefs over Packers

Adam

• I thought a Packers win in this game was the lock of the century.
• The Chiefs lost their coach, have turmoil at quarterback, and just plain stink.  I guess that just goes to show anything can happen in a given week.
• Long-term, I think this will be good to re-focus the Packers on the real prize, bringing Lombardi home for the second-straight year.

Eric

• Aaron Rodgers replaces Brett Favre as another Packer record holder, this time for most passing touchdowns in a season with 40.
• 40 touchdowns rank sixth all-time.

Saints over Vikings

Adam

• Drew Brees vs. the Minnesota secondary: mismatch of the season.

Eric

• Drew Brees set an NFL record with his eleventh 300-yard passing game this season and tied another with his sixth career game throwing 5 touchdowns.
• More on Brees: he joins Peyton Manning as the only players to throw for 4500 yards in three different seasons.

Redskins over Giants

Adam

• If Washington had more consistency at quarterback and some more weapons on offense, this could be a really good team.
• They play almost everyone tight, they have some studs on defense, and if they could just finish games or create some more explosive plays, they could be a force.
• The Giants continue their inconsistent crusade.  On a good day they go toe-to-toe with the Packers, and on a bad day they can lose to anyone.

Eric

• New York needed this win to keep pace with the Cowboys, but instead they lose to an inferior Redskins team at home and fall one game back in the division.

Bengals over Rams

Adam

• The Bengals haven't made a single thing look easy this year, but they got a road win and kept themselves in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race.
• Question: If the Rams somehow got the first pick in next year's draft, would they possibly bail on Sam Bradford in favor of Andrew Luck?

Eric

• Andy Dalton joins Cam Newton with over 3000 passing yards.
• 2011 is the first year there’s ever been two rookies who have thrown for 3000 yards.

Lions over Raiders

Adam

• The Lions are probably going to make the playoffs, and I'm nearly positive they'll be one and done.  They are too inconsistent and immature to go on the road and beat the Saints, Niners, or Cowboys in a playoff atmosphere.
• How many comeback do the Lions have in them?
• Two first-round picks for Carson Palmer?  Whoops.

Eric

• This is the fourth time this year the Lions have come back from being down at least 13 points, an NFL record.

Cardinals over Browns

Adam

• The Browns have a ton of holes to fill.
• Question: would you rather have John Skelton or Kevin Kolb starting for you at this point?
• Either way, Arizona has played its way back to respectability at 7-7.

Eric

• The cardiac Cardinals won in dramatic fashion again.  Arizona scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to tie the game, and they won in overtime for the third time in seven weeks.

Patriots over Broncos

Adam

• In the first quarter we saw what has made the Broncos a difficult matchup for so many teams: a pounding ground game.
• The rest of the way we saw why they aren't a legitimate threat to do serious damage in the playoffs.  They simply can't throw the ball well enough to keep pace with big time teams.
• Tom Brady: 4,500 yards, 35 touchdowns, 11 picks, 66% completions.  Ho-hum, just another season for the all-time great.

Eric

• This is the third season Tom Brady has thrown for 35 touchdowns.  He’s the second player to have done that, joining Brett Favre.

Eagles over Jets

Adam

• The Eagles are so much scarier right now than the Jets.
• It just took Philadelphia until now to put their pieces together and get healthy.
• LeSean McCoy is in the super-star stratosphere.
• The Jets will not advance to a third-straight AFC Championship with a lethargic offense and an old defense.

Eric

• Maybe the dream isn’t dead.
• If the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys all finish 8-8, Philadelphia wins the division.

Chargers over Ravens

Adam

• The Chargers are probably making their annual run too late, but Philip Rivers finally looks like his usual self.
• The Ravens are bad on the road.  They better hope they can beat out the Steelers for the two seed.

Eric

• Make it three in a row for San Diego.
• The previously 4-7 Chargers now sit just one game behind the AFC West-leading Broncos.

49ers over Steelers

Adam

• I don't understand how a team can beat the Giants, Eagles, Bengals, Lions, and Steelers, be 11-3 and still have so many questions whether or not they are “for real.”
• Their three loses this year have come by a combined 15 points, and the defense is yet to allow a rushing touchdown.
• Alex Smith is no star, but his rating is 91 for the year, and he has weapons like Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis opponents have to game plan for.
• Plus, Frank Gore is on pace for 1300 yards.
• Niner rookie Aldon Smith notched his 13th sack in this game, breaking Charles Haley's team rookie record.  Smith’s 13 sacks also rank fifth in the NFL this year.

Eric

• Ben Roethlisberger probably should have sat this one out.  His ankle injury took away the greatest element of his game, the ability to run around and make things happen when plays break down.  And behind a shaky offensive line, Roethlisberger was a sitting duck in the pocket all night long.
• In addition to being sacked three times, Roethlisberger committed four turnovers, three of which were interceptions caused by his inability to stride on the injured ankle and make accurate throws.

--from @AdamHocking and @jeuneski

Week 15 Pick-Down

Matchup	Adam's Pick	Eric's Pick
Jaguars at Falcons	Falcons	Falcons
Cowboys at Buccaneers	Cowboys	Cowboys
Dolphins at Bills	Bills	Bills
Seahawks at Bears	Seahawks	Bears
Panthers at Texans	Texans	Texans
Titans at Colts	Titans	Titans
Packers at Chiefs	Packers	Packers
Saints at Vikings	Saints	Saints
Redskins at Giants	Giants	Giants
Bengals at Rams	Bengals	Bengals
Lions at Raiders	Lions	Lions
Browns at Cardinals	Cardinals	Cardinals
Patriots at Broncos	Patriots	Patriots
Jets at Eagles	Jets	Eagles
Ravens at Chargers	Chargers	Chargers
Steelers at 49ers	49ers	49ers
	Adam	Eric
Week 14 Record	10-6	13-3
Season Standings	126-82	146-62

To see how the "Experts" stack up: http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks

The predictions here come from Adam and correspond to his picks in the remaining games.

Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have been so awful lately that despite Raheem Moriss' success last year, there is already serious talk about a new coach in Tampa.  The Cowboys have trouble finishing games, but this one shouldn't be tight in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Cowboys 31 – Buccaneers 20

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
Tony Sparano is out, and now everyone on the Dolphins knows they are playing for their jobs.  I'll take the slightly less tumultuous Buffalo Bills' situation for the win.

Prediction: Bills 20 – Dolphins 19

Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears
Seattle actually has something to play for, albeit their playoff hopes are very slim.  The Bears are reeling without Matt Forte and with Caleb Hanie proving to be far from a legitimate starting quarterback.  I'll take Seattle as the more stable team right now to ride Marshawn Lynch to an ugly win.

Prediction: Seahawks 16 – Bears 13

Carolina Panthers at Houston Texans
The Texans’ defense has been fantastic, and TJ Yates looks comfortable in the pocket.  Yates can move the chains in the passing game, and the Texans' running attack is dominant.  Texans win.

Prediction: Texans 27 – Panthers 20

Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are simply awful, and I see 0-16 as nearly inevitable.  Against a Titans team desperate for every win, there's no chance this is a trap game.  Chris Johnson and Matt Hasselbeck are enough for the win.

Prediction: Titans 24 – Colts 14

Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs
Unless Aaron Rodgers gets hurt, there is no way this game is even close, no matter the status of injured Greg Jennings.  The Chiefs have no firepower and their head coach just got canned.  Blowout city.

Prediction: Packers 38 – Chiefs 17

New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings
Under a dome, Drew Brees will thrive.  Whether it's home or away doesn't matter, especially against the Vikings’ terrible secondary.

Prediction: Saints 38 – Vikings 17

Washington Redskins at New York Giants
Eli Manning would be an MVP candidate in any other year, but Aaron Rodgers has all but wrapped up that award.  Still, Manning has been great, the Giants have to have every game, and the Skins just can't score enough points to keep up.

Prediction: Giants 24 – Redskins 16

Cincinnati Bengals at St. Louis Rams
Just what the doctor ordered for the struggling Bengals: a trip to St. Louis.

Prediction:  Bengals 24 – Rams 10

Detroit Lions at Oakland Raiders
I don't trust either team, but I guess I'll ride with Calvin Johnson and Matt Stafford over the turnover-prone Carson Palmer.  Getting Ndamukong Suh back should be an emotional boost as well.

Prediction:  Lions 27 – Raiders 24

Cleveland Browns at Arizona Cardinals
The Browns suck.  The Cardinals suck a little less.

Prediction: Cardinals 17 – Browns 10

New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
Tim Tebow has been good in the last few minutes of games, but for that to keep happening, the Broncos’ defense has to keep things tight.  The Patriots will run away with this early, and no Tebow magic can save the day.

Prediction: Patriots 30 – Broncos 16

New York Jets at Philadelphia Eagles
I don’t have a feel for either of these teams.  Give me the Jets with more on the line playoff-wise.

Prediction: Jets 23 – Eagles 20

Baltimore Ravens at San Diego Chargers
I'm going to take a flyer on Phillip Rivers here.  The Chargers are still alive in the AFC West, and somehow they always make a run late.

Prediction: Chargers 23 – Ravens 21

Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers
The Niners have been great at home, they need this game to keep hold of the 2 seed, and I think in a defensive struggle, David Akers’ kicking will be the difference.

Prediction: 49ers 19 – Steelers 16

NFL Week 15 Game Notes

Chargers over 49ers

Adam: -Sometimes when you're a fan of a team, you hate them more than anybody else does.  It's hard to root for this team, but amazingly, they are still right in the playoff race.
-San Diego looked good, but most decent teams do against the Niners.

Eric: -Look who's ready to play.  Vincent Jackson catches 5 balls for 112 yards and 3 touchdowns.
-The revolving door at quarterbacks named Smith continues to turn.  Troy Smith starts next week in a big divisional match against St. Louis—as big as an NFC West divisional matchup can get anyway.

Bills over Dolphins

A: -I should have known the Dolphins couldn't win at home.

E: -I know that none of them were closer than 48 yards, but missing four field goals in one game Dan Carpenter?  C'mon man!
-Miami is 1-6 at home this season, including going 0-3 against AFC East opponents.

Cowboys over Redskins

A: -Mike Shanahan wants to "see what he has" in Rex Grossman.  Can we revoke Shanahan's "genius" label?

E: -It is one thing to bench your veteran starter after your season's lost and you want to see what the young backup has got.  But in Washington's case, we all know exactly what Rex Grossman brings to the table.  I just don't get it.

Titans over Texans

A: -See ya Kubiak.

E: -Tennessee snapped its six-game losing streak and even dished out some payback in the process.  After Chris Johnson ran for just 5 (one, two, three, four, fif) rushing yards in the last Texans game, the Titans held Arian Foster to just 15 yards rushing this Sunday.

Bengals over Browns

A: -The Bengals had to win another game at some point.

E: -Speaking of getting out of a losing funk, the Bengals broke their own ten-game skid.

Eagles over Giants

A: -This game may totally shift the way the playoffs will shake out in the NFC.  How on earth do you punt to DeSean Jackson with just seconds left to play?  Horrible mistake, the Giants really blew a huge chance.  Now they have to travel to Green Bay, and instead of being in the playoffs driver's seat, the Giants could soon be kicked out of the whole picture.

E: -Don't kick it to him!

Panthers over Cardinals

A: -Bueller...Bueller...Bueller... Anyone…Anyone?

E: -Umm, Jonathon Stewart broke the century mark.

Colts over Jaguars

A: -Shame on you Jags for not sticking with the run game.
-The Colts finish with the Raiders and Titans.  The Jags get the Redskins and Texans.  It wouldn't be a stretch for both of these teams to end up at 10-6.

E: -The Colts live to fight another week.  If Indy wins out, they are AFC South champs.

Ravens over Saints

A: -This was a bigger game for the Ravens than the Saints.  People have been dogging Baltimore for their up and down play on both sides of the ball, but this is a really nice, clutch win against a Super Bowl contender.
-The Saints are likely playing for a wild card anyway so this loss won't kill them, but of course they would have liked to win.
-Ray Rice rushing for 153 yards on 31 carries is the formula for a happy Baltimore team.

E: -There's one man on the Ravens' offense that a defense you cannot have beat you, but Rice beat the Saints on Sunday.  His 233 total yards and two touchdowns earn my player of the week nomination.

Lions over Buccaneers

A: -26 straight road losses, not so fast.  Lions win.
-The Bucs are literally limping to the finish with a laundry list of injuries.

E: -With back-to-back wins against two teams in the heat of the playoffs race, Drew Stanton and the Lions have really embraced their role as spoiler.  If either the Packers or Bucs miss the postseason, they can look to their loss to Detroit as a main reason why.

Chiefs over Rams

A: -Pretty impressive: Matt Cassel could come back from an appendectomy in eleven days.
-Not so impressive: The Rams get routed at home.

E: -The Chiefs will not go away quietly, will not relent to San Diego just because they're winning.  They still lead their division and are playing like it with four wins in their last five games.
-Kansas City went 4-0 against the NFC.

Falcons over Seahawks

A: -This could have been a trap game but turned out not to be the case for the mechanically consistent Falcons.  Matt Ryan was efficient and Michael Turner put Seattle in the meat grinder on the ground.
-Atlanta appears to have the number one seed all but locked up needing only one more win to seal it, which if it doesn't come against the Saints next week, could easily happen against the Panthers the last game of the year.
-Atlanta has won eight in a row.

E: -With this win, the Falcons were the first NFC team to clinch a playoff spot.
-This is the third week this season that the NFC West has gone a combined 0-4.

Jets over Steelers

A: -The Steelers fall back into a first place tie with Baltimore, and the Jets get a huge win.
-I like this win for the Jets and Baltimore's win over the Saints.  Both teams were hearing doubts about their abilities.  This should help silence the critics.
-Troy Polamalu is out until the playoffs for the Steelers.

E: -Without Polamalu, the Steelers are a completely different unit.  In a game where many expected Mark Sanchez to struggle, missing Polamalu, the Steelers could not play their all out Blitzburgh style as they are wont to do.

Raiders over Broncos

A: -Tim Tebow's debut was unspectacular but he's tough to judge when he plays on perhaps the worst team in football.
-Oakland has a shot to go 9-7, which would be a landmark accomplishment for this franchise.

E: -Tebow had a decent debut with two touchdowns, one rushing and one passing, and no turnovers, but the Raiders had control of this game from the get-go.
-Oakland remains mathematically alive in the playoff race.  With two wins and some help, the Raiders could still take the division.

Patriots over Packers

A: -I was really impressed with Mike McCarthy in this game.  He managed this game in every aspect, shortened the game with the run, and allowed Matt Flynn to be surprisingly successful.  Ultimately the Patriots just had a little too much ammunition and the Packers came up one big play short.
-Green Bay still has a fighting playoff chance as they welcome the Giants and Bears to Lambeau the next two weeks.

E: -Flynn showed some moxie, but in the end we knew he wouldn't beat Tom Brady.
-Despite allowing 31 points, I applaud Green Bay's defense for never letting the game get out of hand for their overmatched signal caller; the game was close the whole way.

Bears over Vikings

A: -We likely saw the last play of Brett Favre's career in this game, though he loves playing so much that I wouldn't be shocked if he gave it a go next week.  Joe Webb looked athletic, but that's about all he looked.  Those were tough conditions for a rookie.
-The Bears, who I have doubted all season long, just won the NFC North and have a shot at getting a first round bye.  Amazing.  Jay Cutler was good and the defense was swarming.  Devin Hester doesn't hurt their chances either.

E: -The team that nobody has given any credit to, Chicago is the first team in the NFL to clinch its division.  Nice work Bears.

Week 15 Pick-Down

Matchup	Adam's Pick	Eric's Pick
49ers at Chargers	49ers	Chargers
Bills at Dolphins	Dolphins	Dolphins
Redskins at Cowboys	Cowboys	Cowboys
Texans at Titans	Texans	Texans
Browns at Bengals	Bengals	Browns
Eagles at Giants	Eagles	Giants
Cardinals at Panthers	Panthers	Panthers
Jaguars at Colts	Jaguars	Colts
Saints at Ravens	Saints	Saints
Lions at Buccaneers	Buccaneers	Buccaneers
Chiefs at Rams	Chiefs	Rams
Falcons at Seahawks	Falcons	Falcons
Jets at Steelers	Steelers	Steelers
Broncos at Raiders	Raiders	Raiders
Packers at Patriots	Patriots	Patriots
Bears at Vikings	Bears	Bears
	Adam	Eric
Week 14 Record	11-5	9-7
Season Standings	121-87	124-84

To see how the "Experts" stack up: http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The predictions here come from Adam and correspond to his picks.

San Francisco 49ers at San Diego Chargers

If you're searching for a legitimate reason to pick the Niners in this game, I guess you could point out that they are 5-3 over their last eight games.  Of course, they were 0-5 to start the season, but let's stay in the present.  Fortunately, I'm not looking for a reason to pick the Niners; I'm just going to pick them no matter what.  I do think that they are coming off their best game of the season against Seattle, and this short week may actually help them maintain some momentum, particularly offensively.  The Chargers are also coming off a blowout win over Kansas City, so we may get a game between two pretty confident teams.  Bottom line though, I'm picking my boys even if Vegas has them as 9 point underdogs.

Prediction: 49ers 27 – Chargers 22

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins

It's hard to pick the Dolphins to win any home game, but with the Bills in town, it's a bit easier.

Prediction: Dolphins 26 – Bills 20

Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys

These teams are going in different directions.  After a solid start, the Redskins are falling apart.  After a horrific beginning, the Cowboys are playing some pretty good football right now.

Prediction: Cowboys 28 – Redskins 17

Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans

I'm not sure how the Texans can bounce back after that gut wrenching loss against the Ravens.  Luckily for them, the hapless Titans await.

Prediction: Texans 24 – Titans 13

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals

This probably doesn't make sense but I just don't think Cincy will lose out.  They have to get another game this year, and this looks like a promising opportunity.

Prediction: Bengals 24 – Browns 19

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants

I think the weather is really important in this game.  If it rains/snows, the Giants have the edge because the game will turn into a battle of the running games.  But it's only a 30% chance of precipitation, and it won't be horribly cold with a predicted temperature of about 30 degrees.  A dry surface helps Michael Vick and his speed receivers gain traction.  The Eagles will make some big plays down the field, but they'll have plenty of issues blocking the Giants defensive line.  The Eagles' defense is underrated; I think they might pick off Eli Manning a couple times.  Asante Samuel should play, and that's a huge boost for Philly.  LeSean McCoy has been really good lately, but I'm not sure how many holes he'll have to run through this Sunday.  This game is a virtual toss-up, but in the end I'll go with Vick to outduel Manning.

Prediction: Eagles 27 – Giants 24

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers

Yuck.

Prediction: Panthers 19 – Cardinals 13

Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts

The Jags can clinch the division with this victory.  The Colts have been up and down all year and have obvious deficiencies that even Peyton Manning can't conceal.  Indy can't stop the run, and that's not good news with Maurice Jones-Drew coming to town.  I also just saw an excellent E:60 piece on MJD, and I will be rooting for him from now on.  I think the Jags' front four will bother the Colts and the Jags will control the ball on offense.  If David Garrard is solid, the Jags will be in this game the whole way.  By the way, has anyone mentioned that Garrard has a 93 QB rating this year? This is the biggest game in years for Jacksonville.  With sixty good minutes, they can punch their playoff ticket, and for a franchise in danger of relocation, this is a game they must have.

Prediction: Jaguars 27 – Colts 21

New Orleans Saints at Baltimore Ravens

This great matchup should be a test for both teams.  Right now though, I think the Saints are playing better football.  Drew Brees will be ready for this type of playoff environment.  The Saints are getting healthy and the Ravens defense is looking a little old in the past couple weeks.

Prediction: Saints 24 – Ravens 20

Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs beat everyone they're supposed to, and the Lions don't win two in a row.  Or ever on the road.

Prediction: Bucs 20 – Lions 17

Kansas City Chiefs at St. Louis Rams

I don't think Matt Cassel will play in this game.  It just seems like ten days isn't enough to recover from an appendectomy.  In the case that Brodie Croyle starts, that's not good for the Chiefs.  He's 0-10 lifetime as a starter and led them to exactly zero points last week against the Chargers.  The Chiefs will pound the ball and ugly this game up a bit.  I think they can gash St. Louis on the ground and give rookie Sam Bradford problems with their 3-4 defense.  Ultimately the Rams may win because they will have the decided edge at quarterback, but I'm rooting for a Rams loss, so...

Prediction: Chiefs 16 – Rams 13

Atlanta Falcons at Seattle Seahawks

Atlanta wins so consistently because they have a smart accurate quarterback, really good offensive line, playmaking receivers, and two punishing running backs.  They are so balanced that opponents can't take away all their strengths.  The defense has been playing extremely well too.  The Seahawks are reeling a little after getting blown out by the Niners, but this team is different every week, so no one knows which Seattle team will show up.

Prediction: Falcons 30 – Seahawks 19

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Jets just don't scare me as a football team.  Their passing game is really anemic at times, and the defense doesn't seem to be creating havoc like they used to.  This is a bad time to travel to Pittsburgh, winners of four straight.

Prediction: Steelers 24 – Jets 6

Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders

Denver can't beat anybody.

Prediction: Raiders 21 – Broncos 9

Green Bay Packers at New England Patriots

I really want to pick the Pack in this game, but I can't justify it without knowing Aaron Rodgers' status.  Even if he plays, the Packers will have to travel to red hot New England, who boast the best offense and the best team in football.  If Rodgers is there, he will be able to hit some big plays against the Patriots so-so secondary, but I just can't see the Packers winning in this environment.

Prediction: Patriots 31 – Packers 21

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings

The Vikes will be up for this game since it's on Monday night.  Predictions are for -18 degree temperatures.  Ouch.  That normally wouldn't matter, but with the Metrodome popped, this game will most likely be held at the Gophers' outdoor stadium.  How many people are going to sit in that temperature to watch their 5-8 football team, which will be starting third stringer Joe Webb?  That should neutralize the Vikings' "home" field advantage.  The Bears will be eager to rebuild some confidence after the Pats wore them out last week.

Prediction:  Bears 17- Vikings 9