Tag Archives: Peyton Manning

Joe’s NFL Picks, Week 12: Brady and Manning duel in Foxborough, Jets win in Baltimore

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Picking the winners and losers of week 12 in the NFL.NFL 2013 week 12 predictions

Last Week: 7-8.  Season: 51-34 (60.00%).

Another Barn-Burner of a week in the NFL! Such parity! Such intruiging match-ups! Peyton Manning’s Prime-Time North American Tour of 2013 makes a stop in Foxborough, Mass where they get to play a wounded and dangerous Patriots team. Does Luck get lucky in the desert? Can KC rebound?

Let’s look at this week’s games.

Thursday Game:

New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (-2.5, -115)
In what is a lost season for Atlanta, the best they can hope for is to play spoiler versus the Saints. With a depleted roster, I don’t see that happening. I’ll go with the Saints.
Saints 30, Falcons 23

Sunday Games:

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) at Cleveland Browns
Pittsburgh woke up. Maybe it was the bumblebee unis, but whatever – it worked. I’ll roll with a rejuvenated Steelers squad on the road against a Cleveland team with too many issues.
Steelers 21, Browns 10

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions (-3.5)
Detroit is hard to trust in non-marquee matchups. That said, they also play tough when their backs are against the wall. The Lions can’t afford to drop a game to this Bucs team. Gimme the home team.
Lions 34, Bucaneers 21

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (-4.5)
The Aaron Rodgers-less Packers are lacking punch. That said, I don’t think their QB situation is nearly as sad and desperate as that of the Vikings. The circus of incompetence can’t do much for morale in MN. Give me the Pack at Lambeau.
Packers 20, Vikings 17 (OT)

San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (-1)
Welcome back to Earth, Kansas City. The pressure is off. Just be yourself and go back to playing defense aggressively. The ghost of #58 seems to visit Arrowhead to lend a hand this year. Nothing against the Chargers – I just don’t think the Chiefs will lose a game at home this year to ANYONE.
Chiefs 19, Chargers 14

Chicago Bears (-1) at St. Louis Rams
The Rams at home will be a tough win for Chicago. Which team will show up? The one that did everything NOT to win against Seattle? or the team that spanked Indy by a bundle? Chicago under Trestman is a consistent quality product that pulls through tough games. I’ll take the visiting Bears.
Bears 28, Rams 20

Carolina Panthers at Miami Dolphins (-1.5)
This Carolina team is on a roll. The question is, can they maintain their focus against a Dolphins team in turmoil? Miami has proved to be dangerous with their backs against the wall – but Cam Newton is too much for the ‘fins.
Panthers 38, Dolphins 27

New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens (-6)
I so want to pick the Jets to pull and upset here. They’re a win ugly team that pulls out the most unlikely victories. The Ravens have been playing very tough the last few weeks, but I think the Mr. Hyde Jets are going to steal one in Poe’s hometown.
Jets 24, Ravens 20

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-10)
If Kubiak can’t let Case Keenum finish the game, then he may lose his job. Inserting Schaub is NOT the answer. I’m not saying Schaub isn’t good, I’m saying that Andre Johnson can’t HEAR HIM at the line of scrimmage because of the LOUD BOOING OF THE CROWD caused by Kubiak replacing Keenum with Schaub. C’mon Gary, let it go. Let the kid play.
Texans 30, Jaguars 20

Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals (PK)
I don’t see the Luck getting lucky in the desert. There are many things great about Andrew Luck, but I must say he has been most fortuitous in many situations this year. Not this week. Not in the desert. The Cards are hitting stride with a focus on the postseason.
Cardinals 24, Colts 21

Tennessee Titans at Oakland Raiders (-1)
Oakland is a team rising. The Titans are tough but lost. Although both teams are in turmoil at QB, Raider Nation thrives on this stuff. There is no ‘Titan Nation’. Gimme the dwellers of the Black Hole.
Raiders 32, Titans 23

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants (-2.5, -115)
Good God. Romo versus Eli in NYC. Do the overly-talented Dallas Cowboys roll into town and post a victory? Do the Giants stay on a roll? Hmmm.
Cowboys 28, Giants 27

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots (-1.5)
Good Gravy. Manning-Brady in November. In Foxborough. An angry Pats team ready to smack down Manning. This game comes down to health and home field advantage. I’ll take New England in a huge upset. I don’t care if NE is favored – ANYONE beating the All-Madden Broncos of 2013 is an upset. Still . . .
Patriots 45, Broncos 42 (OT)

Monday Night Game:

San Francisco 49ers (-1.5) at Washington Redskins
This tough, motivated 49ers team is playing for its postseason lives. On a Plane, on a Train, in the East, against the Least. I’ll take the beast.
49ers 27, Redskins 16

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Joe’s NFL Picks, Week 11: Chiefs over Broncos and other Upsets

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Picking the winners and losers of week 11 in the NFL.NFL 2013 week 11 predictions

Last Week: 9-5.  Season: 44-26 (62.85%).

HUGE week in the NFL! The Chiefs finally square off against the Denver Mannings. The Eagles get a chance to show what they know, and many other noteworthy games.

On to the notes.

Thursday Game:

Indianapolis Colts (-1) at Tennessee Titans
Straight off you have a Titans team that got beat by the lowly Jaguars in week 10. Think it might have been a tough and emotional week for these guys? On the flipside, the Colts aren’t the same with Reggie Wayne. T-Rich isn’t explosive for the offense. A suddenly hot Rams team exposed the Colts as inconsistent at best last week in a 38-8 drubbing, In Indy! Look for the home team to exercise some demons this week.
Titans 30, Colts 20

Sunday Games:

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (-1.5)
The coin flip of the week. A case can be made for the Jets to win this one, but I don’t trust them. Too many recent snafus, headaches, heartaches, erratic decisions and butt fumbles for me to pick the Jets this week. The Bills team is on the rise, Manuel’s back and they are playing in Buffalo.
Bills 16, Jets 10

Baltimore Ravens at Chicago Bears (PK)
Ravens are too erratic on the road. I’ll take Trestman’s Bears at Soldier Field in a November game.
Bears 28, Ravens 21

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals (-6)
Bounce-back week for Cincy in the battle of Ohio. Cleveland is nasty on D and pulls its wins out this year like a magic trick, but Cincy is nasty on D, explosive on O and playing at home.
Bengals 34, Browns 23

Atlanta Falcons (-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs finally put a scratch in the ‘W’ column last week against the Miami Black Eyes. It was only a matter of time (see their game in Seattle two weeks ago). Glennon, Revis, Schiano and the rest of the Buccaneers will get it together this week at home against a Falcons team that has gone adrift.
Buccaneers 34, Falcons 30

Arizona Cardinals at Jacksonville Jaguars (PK)
Well, at least this isn’t on Monday Night Football this week.
Cardinals 14, Panthers 13

Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans (-7.5)
Welcome Back, Kubiak. Case Keenum, J.J. Watt and the boys have missed you. I sense a very close one over a tough-minded Raiders team. RIP Todd Christensen.
Texans 34, Raiders 31 (OT)

San Diego Chargers at Miami Dolphins (-3)
I know that west coast teams often have trouble flying back east for a game, but this Dolphins team is in turmoil and minus the left side of their offensive line. I expect a huge game from Philip Rivers. Gimme the Charge on the road.
Chargers 38, Dolphins 21

Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles (PK)
Has Chip Kelly re-adjusted to the adjustments made by the NFL? This game we figure out what Chip Kelly has figured out. Gimme the home team in a moment of truth.
Philadelphia 42, Redskins 21

Detroit Lions at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.5)
The Lions are roaring. Matt Stafford grew up against Dallas, and showed that in the victory last week at Chicago. Pittsburgh is tough at home, but are a shadow of their contender teams. I wonder what amazing thing Megatron will do this week?
Lions 35, Steelers 24

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos (-7.5)
I agonized over this one for two weeks. It finally comes down to what I believe. I know this Chiefs team has been through the hottest of fires last year. The strongest steel of a team has been forged in Kansas City. It is passion, belief, mojo. It is winning nine weeks in a row. It is belief. I believe the Chiefs have some of the most amazing win-ugly luck ever simply because of the fact that they make their own luck through belief, preparation and effort. There is no fear. They already saw the worst that could happen last year. Manning is beat up, less mobile and is already hearing footsteps. Keep telling the Kansas City Chiefs that they can’t. They know better.
Chiefs 31, Broncos 28

Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks (-6)
My upset of the week. The Seahawks are beatable at home (see the game versus the Bucs two weeks ago). The Vikings are looking to come to town and punch somebody in the mouth. Somewhere between a Jared Allen stamp and an Adrian Peterson cleat mark a Vikings victory will appear.
Vikings 27, Seattle 20

San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints (PK)
I like the 49ers team a lot. After a tough week 10 loss, they are playing for their playoff lives. I really have a hard time picking against the Saints in their ‘dome – but if the Jets can do it, the 49ers can do it better. Break out the paper bags.
49ers 38, Saints 34

Green Bay Packers at New York Giants (PK)
I don’t see a floundering and thin Packers team coming into NY and beating Eli Manning’s Giants. No way.
Giants 42, Packers 10

Monday Night Game:

New England Patriots (-3) at Carolina Panthers
The bright lights on Monday Night Football finally have something to highlight. This Panthers team is H-O-T. Solid defense, solid personnel, freak-of-nature QB and confidence. Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have their hands full. I’ll take the Championship Quarterback on the Big Stage of MNF.
Patriots 27, Panthers 21

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