NFL Picks - Week 16

NFL Picks – Week 16
Man, I’m getting worse and worse each week, and my once stellar record is going down the tubes. An ugly 6-10 mark last week has me doubting my ability to pick any game correctly, and the low level of confidence in the picks for Week 16 could sink me even further. That said, here you go:

Picks

THURSDAY
GREEN BAY 17 Minnesota 10
I had this one picked by default, and lucked out as the Pack pulled it out with a late FG.

SATURDAY
Kansas City 20 OAKLAND 10
Same old story for the Raiders: solid defense, zero offense. Reeling Chiefs will keep fading playoff hopes alive in what could be a stinker of a game.

SUNDAY
Washington 21 ST. LOUIS 13
Skins looked tough on the road in beating Saints last week, should have no problem maintaining that level in another domw, against a weaker team.

Chicago 27 DETROIT 13
Bears let down late last week and allowed Bucs to force overtime before getting a Robbie Gould FG to escape. No way Lovie Smith allows that to happen again, so I look for renewed intesity by the Monsters of the Midway, and another W.

New Orleans 24 NY GIANTS 17
Saints suffered wake up call with hangonver loss at home, and look to bounce back, while Giants are a team on the brink. Hopes for January games are fading fast in Jersey, and this could be the final nail in the coffin.

Baltimore 17 PITTSBURGH 14
Steelers showing signs of life, too late of course, but Cowher would love to see his team finish on an upswing. Beating Ravens would be a sweet way to go out, but I can't see Baltimore losing steam now.

JACKSONVILLE 20 New England 16
I have no idea why, but it just seems like this is an "up" week for the up and down Jags. Pats have proven they can be had this season when faced with a tough spot, and despite the Pro Bowl snub for Tom Brady, I think Jacksonville has more to play for and will prevail.

Indianpolis 24 HOUSTON 10
Man, did Manning look good this past Monday in dismantling the Bengals or what? Texans can play tough at atimes, especially at home, but the Colts have had their lull and should be able to pick up some steam heading inot January.

ATLANTA 27 Carolina 10
Panthers look to have packed it in for the year, and crazy Falcons can move closer to playoffs with big home win. Chris Weinke will still be searching for his second win as a starter after this one.

BUFFALO 23 Tennessee 21
Surprisingly, this could be the best game of the week. Two red hot teams taht actually have playoff aspirations, whcih was unheard of just a few weeks ago. Love the Bills at home, as maybe some frigid temps could be the only thing that slows down Vince and Pacman.

CLEVELAND 30 Tampa Bay 17
Bucs staged nice comeback against soft Bear coverage last week, and almost pulled off miracle win. With a week to prepare for Tim Rattay, Romeo Crennel will have the Brownie defense ready to go, and the Dawgs will take a game that few will watch, and even less will care about.

SAN FRANCISCO 37 Arizona 28
Niners are still in the hunt, and by winning here can put more pressure on gaggin Seahawks. Cards are a bit more feisty of late, but have no answer for Frank Gore. Could be a wild one.

SEATTLE 23 San Diego 20
Mild upset here. If Seattle can't get motivated to win a game in which they have a ton more at stake than the Chargers, they should pack it up and stay home. Hawks have been way too inconsistent, but the tihkning here is SanDiego is due for some kind of letdown, and with the division clinched, it's not unlikely they could drop a non-conference matchup like this one.

Cincinnati 19 DENVER 17
Benagls need this one too badly, and will find a way to score just enough in snowy Denver. Jay Cutler has shown some very positive signs recently, but I don't think the Broncos can overcome a team as talented as Cincy.

CHRISTMAS DAY
DALLAS 27 Philadelphia 21
Boys have too much to lose, and should have enough firepower to outlast resurgent Eagles. NFL is fortunate to have a meaningful game scheduled for the holiday spotlight, and this one shuold not disappoint.

N.Y. Jets 20 Miami 13
Jets can soldify playoff spot with big divisional road win, and are playing well enough to get the job done. Despite playing a bad schedule, Eric Mangini has his team prepared every week, and if there were no New Orleans Saints his Jets would be one of the league's biggest surprise stories of 2006.

Last week: 6-10
Season total: 133-91 (59.4%)