GAME OF THE WEEK – Seattle Seahawks (5-5) at Carolina Panthers (6-4), CAR by 3.5 – Not a whole lot of compelling contests this week, so this one gets my nod for Game of the Week because of its massive playoff implications for the NFC. There’s a big logjam in the wild race right now, and these two teams are right in the thick of it. If the season ended today, the Panthers would be the 5 seed, and the Seahawks would be on the outside looking in. That could change this week with a Seattle victory. The Panthers have been playing their typical brand of hard-nosed football this season but have had some difficulties against competition they should have been able to defeat. The Seahawks are no longer the dominant defensive force they were in the first half of the decade, but are still capable of pulling some magic out of their hats. These teams always play each other tough, but I’m going to go with the home team. Panthers 23, Seahawks 20
THANKSGIVING DAY – Chicago Bears (7-3) at Detroit Lions (4-6), CHI by 4 – This is going to be a pretty solid opener for the Thanksgiving Day games. Detroit is clinging on to its last shred of postseason hope and basically needs to win out to get there. NFC North battles are always brutal, and Detroit tends to get up for these Thanksgiving games lately, so being at home on a short week, I’m going to go with the Lions to pull off the upset. UPSET! – Lions 19, Bears 17
THANKSGIVING DAY – Washington (6-4) at Dallas Cowboys (5-5), DAL by 7.5 – With Alex Smith out for the year with that gruesome leg injury, suddenly the entire complexion of the NFC East race changes. Washington goes from the odds-on favorite to being unlikely to even get to the postseason, while Dallas may now be able to bumble its way into the playoffs (and an early exit) after all. Cowboys 27, Washington 17
THANKSGIVING DAY – Atlanta Falcons (4-6) at New Orleans Saints (9-1), NO by 13 – The Saints are the best team in the league right now, playing at home on a short week against an underachieving unit in the Falcons. Hard to pick against them. Saints 37, Falcons 20
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-7) at Buffalo Bills (3-7), JAX by 3 – Hard to believe the Jaguars currently have the longest losing streak in the league. What the hell happened to this team? Still, they’re better than the Bills. Jaguars 20, Bills 10[/i]
[b]Oakland Raiders (2-8) at Baltimore Ravens (5-5), BAL by 11 – The Ravens are still right there in the playoff race, so a game against the hapless Raiders is just what the doctor ordered. Ravens 24, Raiders 13
San Francisco 49ers (2-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7), TB by 3.5 – Fun fact: Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston rank second and third in the NFL for interceptions, despite each not having started the full season. UPSET! – 49ers 28, Buccaneers 20
New York Giants (3-7) at Philadelphia Eagles (4-6), PHI by 6 – The Eagles are on pace to have one of the three worst seasons ever for a defending Super Bowl champion. What a disappointment. Eagles 21, Giants 13
Cleveland Browns (3-6-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-5), CIN by 3 – Gonna be fascinating to see what Condoleeza Rice can get out of the Browns next year! Bengals 27, Browns 23
New England Patriots (7-3) at New York Jets (3-7), NE by 9.5 – Nah. Patriots 30, Jets 13
Miami Dolphins (5-5) at Indianapolis Colts (5-5), IND by 9 – Another big game for the playoff picture this week, and could prove an eliminator for one of these two teams with the all-important tiebreaker in the picture. The Colts have quietly scrambled back into the postseason picture after an awful start to the season, while the Dolphins have pissed away a hot start to the year. Gotta go with the team that has the momentum. Colts 23, Dolphins 16
Arizona Cardinals (2-8) at Los Angeles Chargers (7-3), LAC by 12 Disappointing result in Denver, but this should be a cakewalk for the Chargers. Chargers 31, Cardinals 16
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3-1) at Denver Broncos (4-6), PIT by 3 – With a tenuous lead in the AFC North, the Steelers can’t afford to have a classic “play down to the competition” type of game. It’s always tough to go into Denver and pick up a win, but they’re capable of doing it. Steelers 30, Broncos 19
Green Bay Packers (4-5-1) at Minnesota Vikings (5-4-1), MIN by 3.5 – Another huge playoff picture game. The Packers’ season is basically on the line here, and they haven’t won a road game yet this year. This is the same situation they found themselves in in 2016, when they ran the table and got all the way to the NFC title game. This year, though, feels different—the Packers will lose, essentially eliminating them from contention and putting the final nail in Mike McCarthy’s coffin. Vikings 30, Packers 27
Tennessee Titans (5-5) at Houston Texans (7-3), HOU by 6 – Seven wins in a row for Houston. This week makes eight. Texans 24, Titans 20
BYES: Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams