Week 15 Picks

10-6? I'm fading fast in my picks. There were some to be sure I should have known better than to pick the Texans and it annoys me that the Pokes get all the late calls. But no one saw the Dolphins beating the Chargers in San Diego (Liar! No you didn't) Anyway, things have cleared up a bit in the NFL playoff race, The Patriots and Bengals need only to win to clinch division titles and guaranteed home playoff games (wouldn't a Pats Bengals playoff game be interesting? Alas, they're on the opposite side of the playoff bracket) The Bengals might be division champs before they even finish the first quarter of their matchup with Detroit. If Pittsburgh loses to Minnesota, the Bengals clinch and since the Bengals play a late game at Ford Field, they could be celebrating their 1st division title since 1990. The NFC is a still a bit of mess, with only the Seahawks having clinched a playoff spot and division title two weeks ago, The Bears and Giants are closing fast on playoff spots, but not division titles and the NFC South is anyone's call. Still there are some good games and snoozers. The Reggie Bush sweepstakes run as follows: Houston 1-12 (Hey Kris Brown, nice shank!) San Francisco 2-11(Kevan Barlow says they're set at RB, ummm yeah) New Orleans 3-10 (I'd stay in school if I had to go here.) New York Jets 3-10 (They're blowing it with this winning streak!!! Hello? You're supposed to lose the games!) With Houston looking to clean house after the rebuilding scheme of Dom Capers, is that Dan Reeves in the wings there its anyone guess who the Texans might take, and Frisco looking a like a ghastly shell of their once dominating self. Its hard to handicap who will do what when the draft order is established. One thing I'm glad to see is that neither my beloved Vikes nor the Bengals are in this discussion. With no college football on Saturday the NFL spreads out it schedule and this week and 12/31 there will be pro games on Saturday. Week 16 has all but two games on Saturday to keep a host of games from being played on Christmas. Nevertheless, humbly submitted for your review and approval are this weeks picks. NFL SCHEDULE – WEEK 15 Saturday, December 17 Tampa Bay (9-4) @ New England (8-5) Gillette Stadium; Foxboro, MA-1:30 FOX Favorite-Patriots by 4.5 Tom Brady is starting to settle into a groove and the Pats aren't winning pretty, but they are winning and thats all that matters in December. The Bucs need this win badly to keep pace in a vicious NFC playoff scramble. Look for the Pats to try to shut down the Bucs strong ground game and dare young QB Chris Simms to beat them. It has been long documented that the Bucs are not the best of cold weatther teams. Since it looks like it will be the typical northeast type of weather at the Razor and the Bucs will get cut. Pick-New England Kansas City (8-5) @ NY Giants (9-4) Giants Stadium; East Rutherford, NJ-5:00 CBS Favorite-Giants 3 The Giants and Chiefs are both coming off of tight road games. The G-men let a bad Philly team hang around before finally getting the win. The Chiefs blew a 4th quarter lead by letting Drew Bledsoe pick them apart and a chance to force OT when Lawrence Tynes pushed a last second field goal attempt to the right. The continued maturation of Eli Manning continues and he will shine against a battered Chiefs secondary. Larry Johnson might get his, but if the G-Men get a decent lead he will be no factor Pick-Giants Denver (10-3) @ Buffalo (4-9) Ralph Wilson Stadium; Orchard Park, NY-8:30 ESPN Favorite-Broncos 8 This is not the best time to be in upstate New York, but the Broncos aren't worried about the cold and the Bills aren't worried about the playoffs. Someone should go find Takeo Spikes and ask him what its like to play for a "true playoff team" Ooops thats right, he has never done it. The Broncos can lock up a playoff spot and aren't in the mood to let a bickering Bills team hang around. Pick-Denver Sunday, December 18 Arizona (4-9) @ Houston (1-12) Reliant Stadium Houston-1:00 FOX Favorite-Cardinals 1 These two teams have never played each other and after this meeting one will wonder why they were on each others schedule. Kurt Warner can put up the big numbers and usually the other team can get the points back in spades and just wait for the inevitable Warner brain cramp. This won't be the case against a Texan squad that after the shank job last week is already pre-producing Reggie Bush jerseys. Dan Reeves was recently hired by the Texans as a consultant and you'd think he'd be in line for the job, but seeing how much work this team needs, he might just stay retired. Pick-Arizona Carolina (9-4) vs New Orleans (3-10) Tiger Stadium; Baton Rouge, LA-1:00 FOX Favorite-Panthers 7 Paybacks a mutha! The Panthers were the unwilling victims of a Saints feelgood story in the season's first week. Now on the hunt for a playoff spot, they have no use for being the foil for another upset. Add to boot that they looked terrible in getting spanked by the Bucs, it all spells a long afternoon in the Bayou for the 20,000 that will spread out amongst the cavernous SEC venue. Pick-Carolina NY Jets (3-10) @ Miami (6-7) Dolphins Stadium, Miami-1:00 CBS Favorite-Dolphins 7.5 The Fins showed some gumption by damaging the Chargers playoff hopes with a gritty win in San Diego. The Fins multi-pronged running game is showing steady improvement as Ronnie Brown continues to make a name for himself and Ricky Williams is turning into a valuable trade commodity with a return to his brusing running style. This bodes bad for the Jets, feeling good after a thumping of the Raiders. They put together a good game, but they won't get the kinds of breaks against the Dolphins who still have a glimmer of hope of securing a playoff spot. Pick-Miami Philadelphia (5-8) @ St. Louis (5-8) Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis-1:00 FOX Favorite-Rams 3.5 The Rams who were trying to lock up a playoff berth trampled an Eagles team resting their starters last year. How things have changed neither team is going anywhere but home in three weeks and trying to pick up the pieces of a once promising season. The Eagles to their credit are still playing realtively tough (The Monday night debacle against Seattle notwithstanding). The Rams are trying to ride the rookie arms of Ryan Fitzpatrick and the redoubtable running of Steven Jackson. That should be enough to hold off a prideful Eagles team who make a MASH unit grimace. Pick-St. Louis Pittsburgh (8-5) @ Minnesota (8-5) H.H.H. Metrodome, Minneapolis-1:00 CBS Favorite-Steelers 3 The Steelers are coming off a badly needed win over a good Bears team while the Vikings are further distancing themselves from their early season debauchery and debacles with a six game winning streak. The health of Ben Roethlisberger will remain a question for the balance of the season while their suddenly inconsistent running game has hurt. The Vikes haven't won pretty but the steady leadership of Brad Johnson gets the job done and have the Vikes in serious contention for the playoffs. The Steelers are a tough road team, but the dome conditions will test the compsure and mettle of Roethlisberger. Add to boot the Steelers have played the fewest games indoors in the past five years and it will spell trouble for the road team. Pick-Minnesota San Diego (8-5) @ Indianapolis (13-0) RCA Dome, Indianapolis-1:00 CBS Favorite-Colts 7.5 The Chargers got caught looking ahead to this game and damaged their playoff chances by losing to a beatable Miami team. The Colts locked up the division and home field advantage by winning an easier than it looked game against the Jags. The question for the Colts is how long do they play their starters. Many pundits want the Colts to take an L here. But I see Manning, Harrison and James playing deep into the game. The Chargers are good, but the Colts are clearly on another level. Like I've said the Colts will get beat, but not this week. The Chargers will be another victim on the close but no brass ring lineup the Colts are making. Pick-Indy Seattle (11-2) @ Tennessee (4-9) The Coliseum, Nashvilee-1:00 FOX 3 points in eight quarters...thats how much the Seahawks have given up in their last two games. That does not bode well for a Titans squad searching for some offense. Shaun Alexander should have fun going through the Titans defense that has been punished by the like of Rudi Johnson, Jerome Bettis, Fred Taylor Edgerrin James, and Larry Johnson. Pick-Seattle San Francisco (2-11) @ Jacksonville (9-4) Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville-1:00 FOX Favorite-Jags 14.5 The Jags are in a bad mood, having not backed up their tough talk of beating the Colts and the poor Niners will feel their wrath. Alex Smith has thrown more INT's this season (9) than he did in his collegiate career at Utah and has yet to throw a touchdown pass. This is not a good situation to be put in against a ballhawking, roughneck defense that the Jags possess. This game will get ugly in a hurry. Pick-Jacksonville Cincinnati (10-3) @ Detroit (4-9) Ford Field, Detroit-4:05 CBS Favorite-Bengals 7 The Bengals played down to their opponent when they let a so-so Browns team hang around till the end. This will not be the case this week against a Lions team that look frightenly like the old Bungles of years past. The Bengals excorise any and all demons of the bad old days with a bounce back game by Carson Palmer and if Rudi Johnson gets rolling against a soft Lions interior, look out. Pick-Cincinnati (survivor pick) Cleveland (4-9) @ Oakland (4-9) McAfee Coliseum, Oakland-4:05 CBS Favorite Raiders 3 The Browns played way over their heads in giving the Bengals a hard time last week and the Charlie Frye will continue to learn how to play in hostile enviroments. The Raiders played down to their opponent, looking like clowns in a pitiful performance in New York against the Jets. Black Hole or not, the Raiders have mailed it in and Romeo Crennel will continue to drop hints why this team is much improved. The Browns will steal a game or two down the stretch and this will be one of them. Pick-Cleveland Dallas (8-5) @ Washington (7-6) FedEx Field; Landover, MD-4:15 FOX Favorite-Cowboys 3 For the first time in a long while a late-season Redskins-Cowboys game with meaning. The Pokes got away with an undeserved win against the Chiefs while the Skins keep hanging 'round the fringes of the wild card chase. I know everyone says I have a irrational hatred of Tuna and the Pokes, but they've beaten no one of any consequence on their schedule save two AFC teams and the Giants and struggled to win all of them. The Skins are guilty of their own winnable game letdowns, but I have that feeling that they would love to throw a big monkey wrench in the Pokes postseason plans. Drew Bledsoe is due for another brain cramp game. Pick-Washington Atlanta (8-5) @ Chicago (9-4) Soldier Field, Chicago-8:30 ESPN Favorite- The Falcons despite a badly needed win over the Saints Monday are hurting. Dynamic QB Michael Vick is suffering through bruised ribs which could limit his mobility. Look for the Falcons to lean even more on the speedy tandem of Warrick (Git-er) Dunn and TJ Duckett. The Falcons have played very few games in December or later in cold weather. Though the last time they did, they walked out with a stunning upset over the Packers in the 2002 playoffs. The Falcons are a better team now than they were then and the Bears are starting to doubt themselves after being manhandled by the Steelers and noticing the Vikings charging hard in their rearview. The Bears can only live so long on a stout defense, when the offense dries up like its doing, you're in trouble. Pick-Atlanta Monday, December 19 Green Bay (3-10) @ Baltimore (4-9) M&T Bank Stadium-9:00 ABC Favorite-Ravens 3 The Pack gamely slugged their way to an overtime win against Detroit and they won't need a lot of points to push around a Ravens team that is allergic to offense and whose defense is not up to its usual high standards. The Pack will try to use hot rookie Samkon Gado often and hope he doesn't pull another 7 carry, 8 yard MNF boo-boo job like he did against the Vikings 4 weeks ago. Kyle Boller is a joke, and Brian Billick might lose his job banking on him. This might be Brett Favre's last Monday Night go-round (Though knowing me as a hardcore Vikings fan, you'd be surprised to hear me say I hope its not) he might jsut decide to shine one more time under the lights. Pick-Green Bay Last Week 10-6 Overall: 134-74 (blog) 132-76 (pick group) 20 Days till the USC-Texas showdown!!! Officially now known as the game of the millenium (At least so far)