[/center]GAME OF THE WEEK - Denver Broncos (9-1) at New England Patriots (7-3), DEN by 3 - Peyton vs. Brady, always one of the biggest games of the year and this one is no different. New England has the homefield advantage this time, and they're sure to be steaming after the way their Monday Night game ended. Denver showed some defensive prowess, but let's not pretend like the Chiefs are an offensive powerhouse. As much as I really like Denver's chances for the rest of this season, I feel like they're walking into a buzzsaw this week. UPSET! - Patriots 30, Broncos 27
THURSDAY NIGHT - New Orleans Saints (8-2) at Atlanta Falcons (2-8), NO by 9.5 - I still don't understand what the fuck happened to the Falcons. This was probably a game that the schedule-makers thought would be huge at the beginning of the year, but now it's just likely to be a blowout. Saints 33, Falcons 14
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-8) at Detroit Lions (6-4), DET by 9 - After a surprising loss to Pittsburgh last week, the Lions can't afford to keep losing with the Packers and Bears breathing down the back of their necks. However, the Bucs aren't just going to roll over and die. I expect this to be a closer game than the spread would indicate, with the Lions pulling one out at the end. Lions 24, Bucs 20
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-9) at Houston Texans (2-8), HOU by 10 - Amazing to think that a team that's lost eight straight games can still be a 10 point favorite. That's how bad this Jaguars team is. Texans 24, Jaguars 17
Minnesota Vikings (2-8) at Green Bay Packers (5-5), GB by 5 - If the Packers don't win this game, they're likely going to have to win out and get some help if they want to have a shot at the playoffs. As bad as they've been in the last couple weeks and as completely fucked as their roster is by injuries, I think they should still be able to take down the VIkings. Packers 20, Vikings 10
San Diego Chargers (4-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (9-1), KC by 5 - Exactly what the Chiefs needed - a divisional opponent to beat up after getting shown up by the Broncos. So much for all the Chargers playoffs talk - one more loss will pretty much do it for their wild card hopes. They're really wasting a masterful season by Philip Rivers. Chiefs 23, Chargers 16
Carolina Panthers (7-3) at MIami Dolphins (5-5), CAR by 4 - The Dolphins are still fighting for a wild card berth, but this Panthers team is something else. However, after a victory on Monday night against the Patriots and now a short week leading to a road trip, this does certainly seem to be a prime candidate for a letdown game for Carolina. I'm very tempted to pick Miami in this game, but with the dire straits their offensive line is in, that Panthers front 7 should tear them apart. Panthers 27, Dolphins 13
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-6) at Cleveland Browns (4-6), CLE by 2 - The Browns started off so well against the Bengals last week but quickly embarrassed themselves afterwards. Meanwhile, the Steelers pulled off a victory against a pretty decent Lions team. Believe it or not, they're still in the playoff discussion, and I think they're going to continue to work themselves back into it with a win over the Browns. UPSET! - Steelers 24, Browns 21
Chicago Bears (6-4) at St. Louis Rams (4-6), STL by 1 - This intriguing matchup features two brothers lining up directly across from each other - Chris and Kyle Long. Should be fun to watch. Hard to know what to expect out of this game. The Rams are a threat to win any game they play, and the Bears are so up and down with all of their injuries and their defensive performances. I'm going to go with what seems to be the safer pick in the Bears, but I really hope the Rams can pull it off. UPSET! - Bears 28, Rams 20
New York Jets (5-5) at Baltimore Ravens (4-6), BAL by 3.5 - Back to earth for the Jets, who are still in the playoff hunt but won't be scaring many people at all with the kind of performance they just pulled out last week. Ed Reed, now a Jet, gets another crack at his former team, but that's about the only worthwhile story coming out of this game. Ravens 20, Jets 9
Tennessee Titans (4-6) at Oakland Raiders (4-6), OAK by 1 - The loser of this game can pretty much count themselves out of the playoff race, while the winner can look forward to fighting another day. The Raiders were impressive at times last week against the Texans, and you've got to feel good for Matt McGloin getting the opportunity that he has. The Titans' loss of Jake Locker has been big as it's forced the turnover-prone Ryan Fitzpatrick into a starting position. I'm going to take the Raiders at home here. Raiders 23, Titans 14
Indianapolis Colts (7-3) at Arizona Cardinals (6-4), ARZ by 2 - The Cardinals are about the quietest 6-4 you're ever going to see. Imagine what they'd be capable of if they had a decent quarterback! Still, the Cardinals' wins have mostly come against inferior competition. They're up against one of the better teams in the AFC this week, and while Bruce Arians certainly has a deep understanding of what the Colts do, I don't know if it'll be enough. UPSET! - Colts 30, Cardinals 24
Dallas Cowboys (5-5) at New York Giants (4-6), NYG by 2.5 - If the Giants manage to come back and get into the playoffs I'm officially giving up on football. I'm hoping the Cowboys can put an end to this nonsense this week and we can finally quit the talk of having the Giants go on yet another annoying epic run. UPSET! - Cowboys 33, Giants 20
San Francisco 49ers (6-4) at Washington Redskins (3-7), SF by 5 - RG3-7 amirite? But no forreal, this is exactly the game that the 49ers need to get their feet back under them. The division title is completely out of the question now, but they've still got a great shot at a wild card berth. Niners 35, Redskins 13
BYES: Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals
