NFL Week 14 Calls

Week 14 is upon us... Here are my predictions...

TNF: Steelers @ Browns: Pittsburgh has made a habit of losing to bad teams this season (i.e. Kansas City, Oakland). I think they play better on Thursday night and look for WR Mike Wallace to fill in well for injured WR Santonio Holmes. Steelers stay alive, but are still on life support. 31-17 PIT

Saints @ Falcons: With injury concerns for the the Falcons top two offensive players (QB Matt Ryan and RB Michael Turner) I don't see them putting up many points offensively. On the other hand, I see the New Orleans Saints scoring like they normally do and staying unbeaten. 27-17 NO

Packers @ Bears: I think Green Bay will stay hot in the cold weather. Look for another solid game for should be Pro Bowl QB Aaron Rodgers. RB Ryan Grant should run well for the Packers and keep an eye on TE Jermichael Finley, who caught 2 TD passes on Monday night. The Bears continue to struggle. 27-20 GB

Jets @ Buccaneers: New York is still alive in the AFC East, but they need to handle the lowly Bucs. I think they will. Look for Rex Ryan's defense to confuse and attack rookie QB Josh Freeman. QB Mark Sanchez is out for the Jets, which may be a good thing for them. The Jets stay in the playoff hunt. 26-16 NYJ

Dolphins @ Jaguars: Big game for AFC playoffs spots. Look for RB Maurice Jones-Drew and WR Mike Sims- Walker "Texas Ranger" to have big games for the Jaguars. For Miami, QB Chad Henne needs to limit the mistakes and RB Ricky Williams needs to continue to run with a purpose. In the end, I think and the Jags get it done at home. 27-23 JAX

Lions @ Ravens: Baltimore looked pretty bad on Monday night, but a home game against the Lions should cure all of there ills. I see QB Joe Flacco bouncing back from what may have been his worst performance as a pro. RB Ray Rice will not be shut down two weeks in a row, so my apologies to Tim "The Toolman" Taylor. WR Calvin Johnson will remain the lone bright spot in the Motor City this week. 34-20 BAL

Seahawks @ Texans: Seattle is not very good in my opinion. The Texans are not playing very well either. I think for reasons I cannot explain, that the Seahawks will fly into H-town and beat the Texans. QB Matt Hasselbeck should have a good game and lead 'Hawks to victory. 27-20 SEA

Broncos @ Colts: Hopefully, the Colts will continue their dominance and hand the Broncos their 5th loss of the season. I think they will and here's why:

1. QB Peyton Manning

2. RB Joseph Addai

3. TE Dallas Clark

4. WR Reggie Wayne

5. Lucas Oil Stadium

I see Manning having a big day and the Colts improving to 13-0. 31-20 IND

Bills @ Chiefs: Possibly Week 14's Game of the Weak. I guess the Bills should win because... well, because they are playing the Chiefs. Look for WR Terrell Owens to score and RB/KR Fred Jackson to have some big yardage for Buffalo. For Kansas City, RB Jamaal Charles is going to be a good NFL player and he will show some signs of that this week. QB Matt Cassel needs to play better soon or the Chiefs' front office is going to want its money back. The Bills win on the road in Arrowhead. 24-16 BUF

Bengals @ Vikings: I see the Vikings rebounding strong from the drudging they took in Glendale last Sunday. RB Adrian Peterson should be looking to avenge his poor performance last week. Same with QB Brett Favre and the Vikes D. I do see Favre throwing more and more picks as the season continues, but I think he will do enough in this game to beat the Bengals. 31-19 MIN

Panthers @ Patriots: In this one, I see New England coming out focused and ready to play at home. Carolina has injury questions everywhere and with or without RB DeAngelo Williams, I just can't picture them winning at Gillette Stadium. QB Tom Brady will have a ridiculous day and look for another 10-15 catches for WR Wes Welker. The Pats bounce back at home. 38-20 NE

Redskins @ Oakland: How in the world did Washington lose that game last week to New Orleans? WOW. Maybe even more amazing... How in the world did Oakland beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh? DOUBLE WOW. I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those games that is a 1st grade teacher's dream.

Q: 3 + 3 + 0 + 3 + 0 + 0 + 3 + 3= ?

A: The scoring log of the Oakland and Washington game.

Both teams will be racing to see whose kicker can score the most. The Skins cut K Shaun Suisham, the dude who shanked the 23-yarder to clinch it last week, so K Graham Gano will take over the kicking duties. I see this one being really boring and luckily I won't have to watch it on TV. 16-10 WSH

Rams @ Titans: Tennessee RB Chris Johnson will rush for over 200 yards this week against the terrible Rams. QB Vince Young will continue playing well, meaning... a) he hands it off to Johnson, b) he dumps it off to Johnson, c) he scrambles for a 1st down d) he hands it of Johnson again. As for the Rams, the NFL's second leading rusher RB Steven Jackson will get some yards, but not nearly as many as his dread-locked counterpart. The Rams will try to not remember the Titans after Johnson terrorizes them on Sunday. 31-16 TEN

CHARGERS @ Cowboys: Pretty good match up between 2 division leaders. The BOLTS need to contain QB Tony Romo and not allow him to improvise. TE Jason Witten will probably catch 15 passes against whichever safety/ linebacker lines up across from him. On offense for SAN DIEGO, I think they can score some points, which they have done in every single game this season. Keep an eye on DE DeMarcus Ware who could force QB Philip Rivers to make mistakes. Cowboys T Flozell Adams is old, slow, and can't bend over... so look for Shawne and Shaun to beat him off the edge. TE Antonio "Tone-Tone" Gates should continue to be a beast... Hey did you know he played basketball at Kent State? The announcers never seem to mention that at all. I hope I'm wrong, but I just think the CHARGERS go down in big D. I know Rivers has not lost a game in December (15-0 as a starter) and the Cowboys never win around Christmastime, but I think the BOLTS lose. 31-24 DAL

SNF: Eagles @ Giants: Big NFC East game for these two. I think QB Donovan McNabb, WR's DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and TE Brent Celek will be too much for the Giants D. New York QB Eli Manning will play decent, but big plays by the Philadelphia offense will fuel the victory. The Eagles take a big step towards the playoffs in the Big Apple. 27-24 PHI

MNF: Cardinals @ 49ers: Arizona can clinch the NFC West with a win in San Fran. Danny Tanner should be covering the game in the Bay Area. The Cardinals offense is clicking and that is bad news for the Niners. QB Kurt Warner, along with his flock of receivers and an improved running game should prove too much for the struggling 49ers. RB Frank Gore could have trouble finding running lanes and QB Alex Smith will probably turn the ball over a time or two. The Cardinals clinch the division and continue heating up at the right time. 31-20 AZ

Jake's Power Rankings through Week 13

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Indianapolis Colts

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

5. Arizona Cardinals

6. Cincinnati Bengals

7. Green Bay Packers

8. Philadelphia Eagles

9. Dallas Cowboys

10. Denver Broncos

Jake's Bottom of the Barrel Rankings

28. Kansas City Chiefs

29. Detroit Lions

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

31. St. Louis Rams

32. Cleveland Browns

That's it for Week 14...

--- J

comments? corrections? am I stupid? let me know...

NFL Week 13 Calls

Week 13 of the NFL Season is upon us. Another week, another solid slate of games... Here are my picks...

TNF: Jets @ Bills: In tonight's game, I think WR Terrell Owens gets shut down by CB Darrelle Revis which forces Buffalo to run the ball. The weather should be chilly which means So Cal boy Mark Sanchez will struggle. I think the Bills take one at home. 27-20 BUF

Eagles @ Falcons: Look for WR Jason Avant to fill in nicely for injured big play threat DeSean Jackson. RB's Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling to need to carry the load for Atlanta without stars Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. Methinks the Falcons can make it competitive, but in the end backup QB Chris "Not Method but" Redman can't save the day 2 weeks in a row. 31-20 PHI

Rams @ Bears: Both teams have been pretty bad this year. The good news for Bears fans is that this may be the first week all season that they don't have the worst QB on the field. Rams QB Kyle Boller is pretty bad. RB Steven "I'm Sorry Ms." Jackson is all the Rams have on offense. The Bears at least have a few offensive threats and QB Jay Cutler should be able to find them this week. The Rams lose another one. 27-16 CHI

Lions @ Bengals: Cincinnati has built a nice 2 game lead in the AFC North. To keep that comfort, they need to beat teams like Detroit at home. I think they will this week as RB Larry Johnson will have a decent day for fantasy players. QB Carson Palmer and WR Chad Eight Five should connect for a TD or 2. The Bengals maintain kings of the AFC North jungle. 27-16 CIN

Raiders @ Steelers: Pittsburgh lost another tough one in OT and need to handle Da Raydas at Heinz to remain in the Wild Card hunt. It looks as though QB Ben Roethlisberger will play which should help the Steelers. It also looks like the entire Raiders team will play, which should also help. Look for a big day from RB Rashard Mendenhall and TE Heath Miller. The Steelers D should force plenty of turnovers and may even score a few by themselves. The black and yellow of Pittsburgh is too much for the Silver and Black of Oakland. 27-13 PIT

Titans @ Colts: I was wrong last week once again about the Colts (no surprise there). I think this week QB Peyton Manning will pick apart a lackluster Tennessee secondary. Look for RB Chris Johnson to have a huge day for the Titans as usual but it won't be enough to carry Tennessee. The Colts stay perfect. 31-22 IND

Broncos @ Chiefs: All of SAN DIEGO county will be rooting for Kansas City come Sunday. Another upset win for the Chiefs would give the BOLTS a big boost in the AFC West. I don't think it will happen though. Denver is just better than the Chiefs are right now. Look for WR Brandon " We Are" Marshall to blow up and for rookie RB "I'm Not Sure If I" Knowshon Moreno to have a good day as well. The Chiefs should continue to struggle this year and I don't think this Sunday will be any different. 27-10 DEN

Patriots @ Dolphins: New England got spanked on Monday night and I look for them to come out much sharper this weekend. QB Tom Brady should have a solid day and WR's Randy Moss and Wes Welker should teach a young Miami secondary a thing or two. Look for RB Ricky Williams to have a good day for the Fins, but in the end the Patriots are too much. 31-23 NE

Saints @ Redskins: New Orleans is looking like world beaters after dismantling the Patriots on Monday. Look for more of the same from MVP front runner QB Drew Brees and his group of cronies. As for the Skins, look for QB Jason Campbell to struggle, especially if he can't locate ball-hawking safety Darren Sharper. I think the Saints continue marching into the postseason and keep their one game lead for NFC home field advantage in the playoffs. 34-16 NO

Buccaneers @ Panthers: It is a rarity this season that the Bucs will have a advantage at the quarterback position, but with the Panthers forced to start QB Matt Moore, Tampa Bay's QB Josh Freeman may be the premier signal caller on the field. With Moore having to start, I look for Carolina to try to run the ball more than ever, which means RB's DeAngelo Williams (pending his health) and Jonathan Stewart to carry the load. I actually think that the Bucs will win this game on the road and the Panthers will need to find a quarterback of the future. 24-16 TB

Texans @ Jaguars: In this one, look for the tandem of QB Matt Schaub and WR Andre Johnson to carry the Texans offensively. On offense for the Jags, look for RB Maurice Jones-Drew and rookie WR Mike Sims-Walker to shoulder the load. This game is about a wash defensively so I give the edge to Houston. I think that the Texans pull this one out, but in a close one. 31-27 HOU

CHARGERS @ Browns: A trap game for the CHARGERS, who travel to Dallas next Sunday. The BOLTS need to come out firing and put this one away early. I think they will, by throwing a few deep balls to gigantic WR's Vincent Jackson and Malcolm Floyd. Oh yeah, and don't forget about the best TE in the game Antonio Gates. Hopefully the CHARGERS will get LT over 100 yards rushing and the defense will continue to force takeaways. Keep an eye on WR/KR Josh Cribbs, who is even more dangerous returning kicks than Darren Sproles. I think the Norvell has the squad focused and they take care of business in Cleveland. 30-16 SD

Cowboys @ Giants: In a huge NFC East match up the G-Men host the 'Boys. The calender has flipped to December, which means look for Dallas to begin to fall apart. I think that demise starts Sunday when the Giants bounce back from the Turducken they laid on Thanksgiving. I think QB Eli Manning plays well and leads the Giants to a nice win at home. Romo struggles for Dallas. 27-17 NYG

49ers @ Seahawks: Another divisional match up which is very important for San Francisco. With a win against Seattle, and a very probable Cardinals loss on SNF to Minnesota, the Niners would only be 1 game back of Arizona and still much alive in the NFC West race. I think the 49ers do their part and rely on RB Frank Gore and TE Vernon Davis to put up points. Rookie WR Michael Crabtree will have the best game of his albeit brief career as San Fran clips the wings of the Seahawks. 27-13 SF

SNF: Vikings @ Cardinals: NBC flexed their scheduling muscle and gave the nation another chance to hear the name Brett Favre said about 7593 times. The Cardinals are 1-1 on SNF with their loss coming at home to the Colts. They can redeem themselves by handling the red-hot Vikings but I don't think it will happen. RB Adrian Peterson will run all over the Redbirds D and WR Percy Harvin will continue to make his case for Rookie of the Year. The Cards have health concerns at QB and should have trouble protecting whoever gets the nod behind center... can you say Jared Allen? 34-20 MIN

MNF: Ravens @ Packers: A pretty solid Monday night match up pits two Wild Card hopefuls. Look for RB Ray Rice to do it all for Baltimore... as usual. The "That's So" Raven defense should get a bunch of sacks on QB Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers should still have a good game and if it weren't for his predecessor in Minnesota, people would see that he is a great NFL QB as well (3136 yards passing, 22 TDs and 5 INTs). I think that the Baltimore defense is too much for Green Bay and even though Rodgers plays well, the Ravens win this pivotal game on the road. 27-20 BAL

Jake's Power Rankings through Week 12

1. New Orleans Saints

2. Indianapolis Colts

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

5. Dallas Cowboys

6. Cincinnati Bengals

7. Arizona Cardinals

8. Green Bay Packers

9. New England Patriots

10. Philadelphia Eagles

Jake's Bottom of the Barrel Rankings

28. Kansas City Chiefs

29. Detroit Lions

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

31. St. Louis Rams

32. Cleveland Browns

That's it for Week 13...

--- J

comments? corrections? am I stupid? let me know...