DREAMS OF PLAYOFFS ON THE MINDS OF MANY
With four weeks to go in the National Football League
regular season, the pigskin stats junkies are pleased to reveal that 28 of the
32 teams still have a chance to make the playoffs and bloggingtheboys.com says
22 of those teams are already in or darn close to post-season positions.
The Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots
and Houston Texans will be in the Super Bowl hunt for sure.
The Baltimore
Ravens and San Francisco 49ers can punch their post-season tickets with wins this Sunday.
Of course the soap opera-circus that is the New York Jets
continues to entertain (if not always win), and the Seattle Seahawks continue
to tread on playoff territory and can get at least one foot in that post-season party with a
couple wins in the next two weeks.
In the words of the late Al Davis, and several frustrated people
counting on my picks to actually be right (for a freakin’ change), it’s time to just
win, baby!
So, as we enter the first full weekend of December, and the
“real world” celebrates 86-year-old Hugh Hefner’s engagement to 26-year-old
Crystal Harris, Pizza Hut launching a new perfume (Old Slice?), Barbara Walters
fawning over Honey Boo Boo and rumours that Starbucks is introducing the $450
gift card that will score you three coffees, stirring sticks and a piece of gum,
we bring you the NFL picks of Weekend 14.
Drum roll please:
St. Louis Rams at Buffalo Bills
The lowdown: Both of these squads are writing Santa to get
into the playoffs, which seems appropriate given the Mayan calendar predicts the
world will end on Dec. 21 of this year. So ho ho ho, forget it Buffalo. Same for
St. Lou!
Gord’s Guess: Bills by a field goal. There has to be a winner, right?
Dallas Cowboys at Cincinnati Bengals
The lowdown: The Bengals have won four games in a row. The
Cowboys had to use Google to see what a lengthy win streak means. I like the
Cowboys more than the Bengals (cheerleaders factored into that choice), but I like
making money, not wasting it, so sorry Dallas!
Gord’s Guess: Bengals by at least a field goal.
Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns
The lowdown: Hail to the Chiefs for an emotional win last
week when football had to be the last thing on their minds following the
shocking Jovan Belcher murder-suicide. The Browns are a better team and this
week the Chiefs will return to “normal,” which is normally bad.
Gord’s Guess: Browns by 7 points or more.
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
The lowdown: Now that all the adjectives have been used to describe the great play of Colts’ rookie quarterback Andrew Luck this season and
his 8-4 team, the focus can be on why the Titans don’t have the horses to beat
the Colts.
Gord’s Guess: Colts, by 9 points or more.
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
The lowdown: Da Bears need this win badly to keep pace with
the Packers, who they play next weekend. The Vikings have lost four of their past five. The heat is on Minny quarterback
Christian Ponder to produce or pack up. A lot of experts are picking the
Vikings as their upset special.
Gord’s Great Guess: Da Bears, by three points or more.
San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
The lowdown: Everyone seems to think Ben Roethlisberger will
return to fighting form from a shoulder/upper body injury to power past the
Chargers. All ribbing aside, I think that will happen.
Gord’s Great Guess: Steelers by 9 points or more.
Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The lowdown: The Eagles have lost eight in a row, which is
surprising given their talent on paper. The Bucs have lost two in a row but
haven’t reached the mailing-it-in stage yet like their rivals.
Gord’s Guess: Bucs by at least six points.
Baltimore Ravens at Washington Redskins
The lowdown: The Ravens’ defence, the staple of the team, is
bruised and hurting and that favours RG3 and his fleet-footed offence. The
Skins can smell the playoffs and at home they usually answer the bell. Experts
say flip a coin on this one.
Gord’s Guess: Redskins by at least a field goal.
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
The lowdown: Panthers’ QB Cam Newton is taking a whole lot
of heat this week for being a selfish diva! That is being reported by many vain
journos who act the same way. He’s a great quarterback on a bad team and the
frustration of losing is wearing thin for Newton, who will have to mature and endure
another tough weekend against the Dirty Birds, who are superb on both sides of
the ball.
Gord’s Guess: Falcons by at least eight.
New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars
The lowdown: Jets’ coach Rex Ryan says he’ll stick with Mark
Sanchez and believes his inconsistent team can soar past the Jags. The wife
thinks sticking with Sanchez is always a great idea, too! I had a few words
with her about this blind loyalty, and she had some paragraphs for me!
The
Bleacher Report’s columnist Gary Davenport says the Jags will be lucky to
attract 11 fans for this snorefest, when in fact they’ve had to add extra seats
as Jacksonville (home of Tim Tebow's largest fan club) rarely gets to see a circus and sideshow included in the cost
of a ticket!
Gord’s Guess: It’s a coin flip but I have to go with the
Jets in a squeaker.
Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers
The lowdown: I am slowing learning how to spell Colin Kaepernick.
The Dolphins will be slowly trying to figure out the 49er’s QB du jour on
Sunday. Both team’s defences are strong, but the 49er’s offence is way better
that the Phins’ attack.
The lowdown: San Fran treats its fans to a victory of seven
points or more.
New Orleans Saints at New York Giants
The lowdown: The Saints’ fall from grace this season because of Bounty Gate still amazes me given their talent. And the Giants’ inconsistency
has been interesting, too, as the defending Super Bowl champions struggle to
get on a roll. The Giants need to win to clinch the NFC East. The Saints are
playing for pride, which might not be enough this weekend.
Gord’s Guess: Giants by at least seven. For whatever reason
the Giants’ alarm clock goes off every December and they are nearly impossible to
beat at home.
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks
The lowdown: The Seattle Seahawks haven’t lost at home this season (thank
you replacement refs), and the Cardinals don’t win on the road. And Arizona hasn’t
tasted victory in Seattle since 2009. Unless the Cards sign a star quarterback and
offence before Sunday, they won’t win there in 2012 either. Folks are starting
to mention the P-word in Seattle, and it’s not pathetic. A playoff
berth is there for the taking with the team’s soft schedule for the next couple
of weeks.
Gord’s Guess: Seahawks by at least seven.
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers
The lowdown: Detroit hasn’t won at Lambeau Field since 1991
(21 losses since then) and this season the Lions haven't done well on the road. The Leos are like the current NHL lockout: Lots of talk, hope, potential, spin and
wasted time.
Gord’s Guess: Quarterback Mr. (Aaron) Rodgers will enjoy a
fine day in his Green Bay neighbourhood and beat the Lions by at least nine
points.
MONDAY NIGHTER
Houston Texans at New England Patriots
The lowdown: Maybe the best Monday Night Football matchup of
the season. The Houston Texans are the only NFL team that hasn't lost on the
road this season.
The Texans, 6-0 away from Houston, are in New England, a
place where a visitor hasn't won in December since 2002. The Texans are one of
the many teams the Patriots have handled during that streak, with Houston
losing 40-7 on Dec. 17, 2006 in its only visit there.
Pats’ QB Tom Brady will
be trying to win one for his new baby daughter, Vivian Lake, who was born Dec.
5. Brady is married to supermodel Gisele Bundchen. His son Benjamin turns three
on Saturday so there will be all kinds of celebrating on the home front and in
the Pats’ end zone!
Gord’s Guess: New England will win by at least a field goal.
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