NFL Free Agency Day 2: AFC Arms Race

The NFL free agency period started Tueday and of course, a lot happened in the first week. We will be doing these sort of recaps until it starts slowing down. Enjoy.

Patriots Add Revis - The former New York Jet and Tampa Bay Buccaneer cornerback might be the most polarizing player in free agency. The reason is he did not take a massive deal from New England. All it took was a one-year deal with 12 million dollars meaning he could build off this season and have an even bigger payday in 2015. Revis trusts his game more than anyone in the National Football League, and this means bad news for the rest of the AFC where he returns after a year hiatus.

DeMarcus Ware joins Denver's party - Broncos have pushed their chips in, and they are ready to make a run again. Ware means they have a terrifying edge rush with Von Miller and Ware. People were trying to compare Philadelphia's 2011 offseason with what Denver has been doing in the past couple days. It is completely different. Denver had a team built and established, Philadelphia did not. Broncos are adding big ass pieces to their already great team. It is hard not to like any of their moves. 

Jets Deliver Decker - In the evening, Jessica James Decker tweeted 'So Excited!!!!!'  People thought it was a hint to what happened with her free agent husband, Eric Decker, but she claimed it had to do with her impending pregnancy. Well.... About two to three hours later, we learned Decker had a new deal to be New York Jets' number one receiver. I like the move. New York did not overpay him and gave him a standard deal. We actually get to see what Geno Smith's ceiling could be like now that he has at least one quality wide receiver. If New York could land James Jones, all the sudden New York has a potent wide receiving core. 

NFC North Foes Make Moves - Green Bay made a move that we will get to later today, but the rest of the NFC North made some moves. Let's start with the best one...

-Minnesota Vikings signed Linval Joesph whose a guy I thought maybe Green Bay should take a look at for a 3-4 end. Instead, Joesph plays a 4-3 defensive tackle for Mike Zimmer and Minnesota where he should have an impact, but what about Shariff Floyd?  We ignoring they drafted him last season.

- Detroit inked up Golden Tate which is perfect as he fits right in with the culture there. Not sure if Tate will have the impact people are assuming he will have being Calvin Johnson's number two. He did have nearly 900 yards last season, but Tate is very inconsistent in my mind.

- Chicago signed MD Jennings... wait why, why are you laughing?   

Rodger Safford... Still a Ram -  What a bizarre change of direction for St. Louis offensive lineman Rodger Safford as he was a Raider, and we had the opinion that he got signed to a big deal by Oakland then the Raiders owner decided 'HAHAHA JK LOL GUYZ' and failed his physical.  Safford re-signed with St. Louis which could end up being an okay move. Safford is not great and does not stay healthy, but he is still a young offensive lineman. 

Lovie Smith hates young quarterbacks - This makes zero sense as Tampa Bay signed Josh McCown and announced that he will be their starting quarterback. Does Lovie Smith get his rocks off by having a journeyman quarterback lead his team?  Mike Glennon was not a bad quarterback for his rookie season and now he gets put on the bench for Josh f-----' McCown. I realize he played well last year, but my goodness, he is not that good.  I do not like this start for Tampa Bay's offense.

Charlie. 

Manning Defies His Season in Denver's Big Win

For the last decade and change, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning arguably have the best individual rivalry in sports. It is about 'Who holds the key to the quarterback castle' along with other things. It pits two of the best going at it, and usually when they play against each other, you get their complete best. Denver delivered a dominating 26-16 win where they won by a lot more than actual score with Manning delivering a performance of a lifetime and New England finally ripping at the seams with all their injuries.

Maybe it is the media world we live in, or what happened last season but it felt like the pressure on Manning to win another championship was greater than ever before. He dropped the complete hammer on New England with a defining performance throwing for 400 yards only missing on eleven passes while completing over 30 and threw two touchdowns without any turnovers. Manning should have went with a Sam Cassell dance at the end of the game. Everyone talked for days, weeks, months about how Manning could not handle the big moment. Is this moment big enough or will he have to do it against the Legion of Boom for people to be impressed?  No matter what happens to this Denver team in two weeks, Manning should be recognized for his dominance of the American Football Conference all year.

I realize they give out the Most Valuable Player for individual performance during the regular season, but it really felt like this was Manning's game where everyone realizes why the Denver quarterback is taking home an MVP award next Saturday night. As well as realizing why he is one of the Greatest of All-Time in case anyone forgot over the last couple weeks.  One of the things that has bit him in the past was Manning making a mistake for doing a little bit too much. That did not happen on Sunday afternoon against New England. He utilized Eric Decker and Julius Thomas to the best of their abilities along with Demaryius Thomas whom had a huge day going for 134 yards with seven catches including a touchdown. Manning's ability to spread the ball around paid off big time.

Manning played great, and deserves every complimentary word about him yet Terrance 'Pot Roast' Knighton should get a ton of credit as well for paratolling the middle like one of the best defensive tackles in the league. Knighton came from Jacksonville in the offseason and is playingstrong in the last couple of weeks. After having three great games, Knighton played a part in shutting down New England's newfound rushing attack. LaGarrette Blount had only six yards on five carries making him completely obsolete. Knighton also made a key sack of Tom Brady on a critical fourth down play after he made a play to force it to a fourth down. Denver has their own injury issues this year, but the way Knighton played in the last six weeks has been a big reason why the Broncos had a resurgence on defense.

I would be remiss if we did not give New England some credit for the season they had this season. This Patriots team lost Vince Wilfork, Jared Mayo, Rob Gronkowski and countless number of others. New England still found a way to the AFC Championship. Bill Belichick did an excellent job with a team that snake-bitten throughout the season. Not to diminish what they have done, but this speaks to the futility of the AFC too. It is a night and day conference from the NFC. Peyton might love the conference, but it is nowhere near as good of a conference as the other conference.

Denver heads to their first Super Bowl since 1999 when John Elway went back-to-back, and it really confirms why the Broncos brought Manning to the Rocky Mountains. Even if they do not win the game, Broncos accomplished what they wanted to when Manning held up the 18 jersey. I cannot wait for Denver-Seattle. It is going to be a great one.

Charlie.

NFL Championship Weekend Picks

I cannot believe how annoying this week has been with the National Football League has been this week. People spent two days talking about what kind of pants San Francisco's coach wears for Christ sake. Those same folks talked about OMAHA, OMAHA for the entire week. People are asking Tom Brady and Bill Belichick about marijuana use in Denver. People are making ridiculous comparisons for Kaepernick versus Wilson. Needless to say, I am happy football will be here at 2:00 pm on Sunday. It is about damn time. 

New England at Denver 2:00 pm CBS - We all know about Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, and I promise we will get there shortly, but let's talk about the other pawns in this elaborate chess game. LaGarrette Blount is currently having a hot streak in the last several games, and become the key cog in New England's offense. Blount is a bruiser whom can wear Denver's defense down. New England could do many of the same things San Diego did the first time around. I think it would be foolish to not expect a big game from Blount. That being said, big ole Terrance Knighton has to be like his weight and be huge in this one. 

Knighton is having a breakout year for Denver manning the middle. It would be lazy and blogger-like to call him like Vince Wilfork, but honestly, he is having a Wilfork-like impact on Denver's defense. If there is one player on Denver's defense that can affect Blount running the football it is Knighton. He would be my defensive player to watch for the Broncos although I am willing to assume all eyes will be on Quentin Jammer as he fills in for the injured Chris Harris who is out with an ACL injury.  

Tom Brady has to be licking his chops with guys like Jammer and Champ Bailey playing in the secondary. Both are past their prime. These guys can be contributors on a good team, but they can be your starters especially when you are staring at Tom Brady. I understand the receivers Brady has right now are comparable to Taco Bell ground beef, but still, Brady found all sorts of ways to make it work despite the lack of talent. 

What is sort of lost on people when talking about New England is how good their cornerbacks are and if the officials let them play, I could see Peyton Manning have some issues and forcing some balls. To that point, Manning needs to be in control and look for shorter passes underneath to tear up the weak linebacker core. It is really not a game where Manning should be looking deep rather take his time and control the clock. 

In the end, I like New England. I feel like the Patriots are completely patch-worked but still know how to win this game. Blount becomes the key while Brady delivers some big plays taking advantage of a vulnerable secondary. NE 38-34  

San Francisco at Seattle 5:30 pm FOX - Did you know there is no love lost between these teams? Do you know these coaches do not like each other? Seriously, we all get it. Just like the Steelers-Ravens in 2010, we get the best rivalry going right now playing for the right to get to the Super Bowl.   

Russell Wilson is really the player to watch in this one. People hate saying bad words about golden child Russ, but he has not been in good in a month. He is essentially Alex Smith'ing or Trent Dilfer'ing his way through the playoffs. Wilson needs to come up with a couple big plays for Seattle to win this game. Not having Percy Harvin this week I actually think does not hurt as much as others might believe. They had to rework their offense a bit to get Harvin in on more plays, and now they are back to what they have been for the whole year.

One thing I noticed when watching a limited amount of tape is Colin Kaepernick tends to underthrow the football against Seattle. I assume this is a problem for him overall, but for whatever reason, Kaepernick still goes for the vertical option. Wilson is a game manager right now (I am not saying he is one for the record, rather that's what he is doing to help his team while he struggles if that makes sense), and Kaepernick needs to play that way as well. If he makes an early mistake, the demons of his struggles against Seattle with the 12th man will all return. If Kaepernick comes out blazing hot in this game, we could be in for quite the show from here plus it would probably put him on a special pedestal if he pulled off the upset.

The thing about Seattle's defense is I struggle to find a weakness for this team. Seattle did give up 300 yards of passing last week, but that was not indicative of how they played throughout the game. While with San Francisco, I am looking at how they struggled with Eddie Lacy earlier this playoffs and now face Marshawn Lynch, a guy whose been great against San Francisco in years past, seems like all sorts of trouble for San Francisco. The biggest thing for stopping Lynch is not letting him to get to the second level, and when the first hit happens, it needs to be the last one.  

I hope this game has some flow to it. I am worried we will get a lot of penalties, one team might take advantage early and not look back from it. I hope I am wrong though. I have Seattle in this game. I think Lynch is too much and Wilson will have his first big day in a long while. SEA 24-16 

Charlie.  

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 71

Mitch Pratt and Charlie Tritschler taped yet another podcast where this week we talk about the density of people using social media, preview both Championship games starting with New England-Denver and then San Francisco-Seattle. We move on to discuss Joel Embiid who is the new 'pop star' of college basketball as Charlie likes to call him. It continues on to a Milwaukee Bucks hypothetical and then a conversation about Larry Sanders which includes why Milwaukeeans need to get behind him. We finish up the podcast talking about the Clayton Kershaw deal which somehow leads us to some quick words on Australian weather. Enjoy!

Charlie.

Divisional Round Recap: Blount Bullies Colts Advancing New England

Indianapolis-New England never really struck me as a rivalry like CBS Sports tried to claim on Saturday night. It was more like Tom Brady versus Peyton Manning, an individualistic rivalry, with the two teams being caught in the middle of it. But as individual rivalries can spring up overnight, ask any PGA golfer, meaning that if Andrew Luck could beat Brady in Foxboro on a wet, windy night, we could have a new NFL rivalry. Yet that did not happen as New England used their newfound power running game along with Luck's inconsistent performance to win this football game in blowout fashion.

New England really uses three running backs, and it seems to be a flavor of the week sort of thing like you might see at a Baskin Robbins or if you catch yourself listening to American Hi-Fi. Usually the flavor happened when the other two running backs find themselves in Bill Belichick's doghouse. LaGarrette Blount has been the bees knees in the last month for New England, and he delivered one of the best performances of his career with a physical rushing style the Patriots have not had on their team in a quite some time.  It is hard to remember a game where Tom Brady really had no hand in the game. Blount rolled Indianapolis' defense for 166 yards and four touchdowns on only 24 carries for nearly seven yards a game. 

Given Blount's recent explosion, is New England the 'hot' team in the playoffs? This team is completely different than some of the previous Patriots teams who rely on Brady to push them ahead. They actually have a running game where New England can control the clock and dominate time of possession. This is something the Patriots have not been able to do since the days of Corey Dillon. Brady threw for under 200 yards, did not throw a touchdown and granted he did not turn the ball over, but this team still scored 43 points. That should scare the remaining three teams in the playoffs. This team might have more injuries than anyone else, but they are the most dangerous team left. 

While he is one of the better young players in the league, Luck really did look like a young quarterback on Saturday night. He threw four interceptions albeit two were receiver issues; Luck made critical mistakes setting up New England in the best possible field possession. He also made some unreal passes especially the 38 yard touchdown to LaVon Brazill where you can see a Most Valuable Player award in his future. Inconsistency in a big game should be an expectation for a quarterback playing in only his third playoff game in his second full season. Indianapolis will definitely have another chance to make it in the coming years. The future is bright with this team, and Luck will only get better.

New England now heads to Denver where the reason people thought Indianapolis-New England was a rivalry, is why this is a rivalry game. These two teams have also met countless times in the playoffs adding more meaning to it. New England came back to win their first matchup where Blount only carried the ball two times for 13 yards. I have a feeling it will be a lot different this time around. 

Charlie.  

Divisional Round Playoff Picks

Everyone knows the dream matchup for the following Sunday... It would be Seattle-San Francisco and Denver-New England. This would make any casual fan of the NFL go from six to midnight. I could not even begin to fathom the ratings for each of these games so then here lies the questions, 'Who is the team that royally screws this thing up?'  That is the question I have been wondering all week. I cannot just put my
finger on who it will be honestly.

Saturday
New Orleans at Seattle 3:30 pm FOX - Here is the first case where I think our dream matchup could get ruined and no one thinks this is possible. People will point to the unreal secondary of Seattle and for good reason, they are one of the best ever. New Orleans predicates an offense off passing, passing and a random Mark Ingram appearance like a wild Snorlax appearing out of nowhere. It seems like the Saints are pissed off people believe they cannot win on the road.  They already won in Philly, but no one thinks New Orleans can do it again. Head coach Sean Payton is certainly going down with a fight blowing out speakers to emulate the sound and having a Seahawks logo in their practice facility.  New Orleans needs to limit mistakes if they want to win this game. It bite them hard in the game against Seattle the first time around, and if they stay composed New Orleans can win this game.

Seattle on the other hand comes in fresh. Bye weeks have not been the best thing for teams in the last couple of years, but with how physical the Seahawks play, a week off could be useful. Even though Percy Harvin will be back this week, people are forgetting how bad Russell Wilson has been as the season closed out. Harvin might help him, but since the New Orleans game, Wilson has been less than stellar. Also remember Seattle's offensive line is one of the worst in the NFL in terms of pass-blocking and this Saints team can get to Wilson. I am taking the Saints. Maybe I am looking too much into this one, but Seattle seems ripe for the upset. NO 23-21

Indianapolis at New England (-7.5) 7:15 pm CBS - This is a game where I could see things either being a complete blowout by New England or getting really weird. The reason for the blowout is Indianapolis' defense is goddamn awful. They do not have much going for them besides Robert Mathis. It is like a band with a good lead singer and just a bunch of mediocre guitarists and drums. Even with the bad weather, Tom Brady and their three-headed rushing attack could have a big day.

 It could get weird because Indianapolis since Andrew Luck has been their quarterback only seems to win in the most bizarre fashion. It is never a clear cut victory; something crazy always has to happen. This would be a defining win for Luck's career if he is able to take down Brady in the playoffs.  He will need to be perfect. New England's defense might not be great, but their offense cannot get extra opportunities. When I look at this game, I think we are getting an Indianapolis team that will be 'just happy to be there' and not really believing they can win this game. Patriots in a big way. NE 38-20

Sunday
San Francisco (-3) at Carolina 12:00 pm FOX - You want to see some hitting?  This is your game. Colin Kaepernick struggled their last meeting with only throwing for 99 yards and a couple turnovers. He will have to deal with a jacked up Carolina crowd, but he at least gets Michael Crabtree this time around which should be fun against these Carolina. Kaepernick always seems to have a little extra for the playoffs, and I think he rectifies the poor start from earlier in this season. One thing that would worry me if I were San Fran would be Frank Gore. He could be wearing down, and while Carolina's stout rush defense is tough to get through, Niners still need some Gore yards.

As for the Panthers, they are a team with many people experiencing the playoffs for the first time. It is extremely vital Carolina comes out in the first quarter, and just plays Panthers football. If they come out tight, let San Francisco get the early advantage, it might be curtains for this team. Cam Newton will have the largest microscope on him, and he needs not to force anything. One thing that will help is the fired up fanbase of Carolina. These folks have not seen a playoff game in quite some time, and they will be ready to help out the team as much as they can.  I like San Francisco in this one. It seems like the Niners are the hottest team in the league, and I will ride them to another round. SF 16-14

San Diego at Denver (-10) 3:30 pm CBS - Ever think sometimes the criticism is so severe on the guy that he will say 'F--- it, let's give them something else to talk about.'? That's how I feel about Peyton Manning. I cannot remember a time where he received so much shit for not winning the postseason. I mean it is well-documented, but at the same time, this seems a bit excessive. I have a feeling this will be an iconic Manning performance. Even though San Diego seemed to improved defensively in the last couple weeks, I still think this is a below average secondary that Manning can exploit. The reason Denver loses this game will not be Manning rather the defense therefore I expect a close game, but seriously, Manning is going to put everyone on notice. DEN 34-30

Charlie.

Tapping The Keg Podcast Episode 70

Tapping The Keg podcast returns from a two-week holiday break. We had a fun show as Mitch and I (Charlie) missed each other. We recap New Year's Eve a bit as we spent it together and why it might be a sign we are getting old. Sports get started as we talk about the Green Bay Packers in terms of the San Francisco game as well as talk about the future of this team. We preview all of the divisional round games and why no one is trustworthy. We head back to Wisconsin sports chatting about what's left for Wisconsin sports fans since Green Bay is done.  The podcast finishes talking about Jameis Winston, Loul Deng and all sorts of other conversations.

Charlie.

NFL Liquor Cabinet Week 16: Everybody is drunk

For the entire NFL season, we will be breaking down the rest of the NFL not named Green Bay by looking at it like a liquor cabinet. Why did we choose this method? I like to booze and it makes things really easy to determine what's great, average and poor. 

I usually do not put a tag, but I really think I have no idea what's going to happen in the playoffs. Like we are heading for a 'Red Wedding' style playoffs where no one is safe. I cannot believe I said multiple times on Sunday, 'Philadelphia might be the best NFC team.'  Let's talk about it I guess and try to make sense of all that happened this week. 

TOP SHELF 
Talk me out of a New England-Philadelphia Super Bowl -  Here's where the NFL season has left me folks. These are the two best teams right now in both divisions. San Francisco is pretty good, but giving up 350 yards to Matt Ryan at home worries me a bit. Philadelphia seems to be cooking on all cylinders, and I feel like the Minnesota game is a blip on the radar. New England keeps winning games no matter who is lining up on both sides of the football. Tom Brady's statistics might not be great, but he's playing great this season for what's he's been given this year.

Cam Newton's big balls performance - While Robert Griffin III suffered all the criticism after he had a successful rookie season, Cam Newton received it during the draft process, his first season, second season and to think there are still losers whom still call him Scam. He led Carolina down the field late in the game trailing and notched a victory for the Panthers. I do not care if he only threw for 181 yards. That took massive testicular fortitude, and I am impressed with his season. Cam Newton is winning an MVP award before 2018.

Indianapolis leaves me uneasy like an STD - That might be a little too extreme, but I do not know what to make of the Colts. I am starting to think Indianapolis plays down to their opponents hence the reason why they have some brutal losses in juncture with impressive wins against Seattle, San Francisco, Denver and others. They will get a home game against this Kansas City team, but I also wonder if Andy Reid played a vanilla offense/defense showing nothing to Indianapolis which is very possible. We have seen this before with teams.

Cowboys come back and Romo gets hurt? - Dallas made a valiant comeback against Washington with Tony Romo leading a comeback to beat Washington and set up an NFC East showdown next Sunday. But they could be without Romo as he has a back injury. First, it was a herniated disk, then it was day-to-day injury and now it is back spasms. I have no idea what to think about this Dallas team although I will admit it would be the most Romo thing ever for Kyle Orton to lead Dallas to a playoff appearance.  

MIDDLE SHELF 
I feel legitimate bad for Arizona - As someone who cheers for an NFC North team, I feel bad Arizona might miss the playoffs with an 11-5 record. That would be insane. I mean the NFC West is an excellent division, but still it feels wrong in all sorts of ways for Arizona or New Orleans missing the playoffs although more so the Cardinals who have been playing great of late.

Peyton breaks the record, but how much meaning does it have? - I am really happy for Peyton Manning's season because it in large part won me 260 dollars so for that I thank him, but at the same time, passing records post the new NFL rules will be looked at like the steroid era numbers in baseball. All of these records being broken and re-broken by others in the last couples years is honestly pathetic, but it is not Peyton's fault for taking advantage.  

Somehow Andy Dalton is sixth in passing - See what I mean about what I just ranted about above?

Jeff Fisher is the king of .500 - I probably should not call him the king, but he is the prince of it. In eight of his 18 seasons of a full-time head coach, Fisher's teams have been either 7-9, 7-8-1 or 8-8. That's incredible. I do not know what that says about his teams or his coaching. Just find it interesting how it always seems to Ihappen with Fisher.

BOTTOM SHELF 
DETROIT..... Football :( - We were at Lambeau, and they showed the highlights of New York-Detroit... Right before they did it, my buddy Seth goes 'I bet Stafford threw a pick-six here.' and sure enough, he did throw that interception and sure enough, Detroit lost the football game.

Miami pulls a Dan Marino - For as long as I could remember, Dan Marino was famously known for choking in December football games on the road. He could not win in the cold to save his soul.  Apparently, this version of the Dolphins do the same thing as they were shutout by the Bills, the same team who gave up 33 points to Jacksonville. Thankfully, Miami has New York Jets at home.

I have no control in Week 17 - I absolutely hate how I have no idea how things will pan out next week. I am exhausted from this season.

Charlie.

Sportandfashion-news NFL Picks Week 16: Check Scoreboard Sunday

Honestly, it is never a bad idea to be at Lambeau for a Packer game, but this week will be tough with all the different playoff scenarios possible plus myself in the fantasy championship in one of my five leagues (20 percent, live the dream!) I am really expecting to be the usual NFL earthquake where people are picking up the pieces by Tuesday.

Miami (8-6) at Buffalo (5-9) 12:00 pm CBS - This is one of the most important games on the late for young Charles. If Miami wins this football game, they knock Pittsburgh out of the playoffs. Many would worry about the Dolphins heading north to Buffalo yet Miami handled the snow just fine in two weeks ago therefore I am not as worried. Thad Lewis will be starting for Buffalo as E.J. Manuel is out with yet another knee injury. Buffalo's offense seems to only be cooking when they face bad defenses, and sadly for them, Miami is not one of them. Dolphins take control of this one in the second half and win this game. MIA 27-16

Minnesota (4-9-1) at Cincinnati (9-5) 12:00 pm FOX - How about the Vikings? They are on complete fire led by Matt Cassel and a true island of misfits with Adrian Peterson out with injury. They face their toughest task of their current unbeaten streak facing Cincinnati, a team who has not lost at home. Bengals are trying to recover from a beatdown by Pittsburgh last Sunday night. Cassel should be able to move the ball against a banged up Cincinnati secondary meaning he will be successful once again. But I feel like this is a career-defining game for Andy Dalton. They need this win for the division, possibly a one-seed, just have to win this one. I like Cincy in a close one CIN 31-27

Indianapolis (9-5) at Kansas City (11-3) 12:00 pm CBS - I feel like this game would have been more fun had it been played a month ago. Both teams have playoff spots now it is just a matter of jostling for position. Indy played well against Houston, but I think every team can say that this season. Kansas City's defense looked less than stellar against Oakland, but people will forget that because of Jamaal Charles' performance. He should have a nice encore against a weak Indianapolis defense. This should be a shootout, and most of the time I would take Andrew Luck in those scenarios yet I still cannot trust this team yet especially on the road. KC 34-30

Tampa Bay (4-10) at St. Louis (6-8) 12:00 pm FOX - Two teams that I think a lot of people and their fanbases expected more from the 2013 NFL season. St. Louis is a bizarre football team because I think if Zac Stacy started all year and Sam Bradford stayed healthy, they might be contending for a playoff position. We also talked about Mike Glennon's impact on this team a couple weeks ago and how Tampa would have been much better off.  Although this could be a rough one for Glennon as he faces a top notch defensive line. Rams will win again meaning Jeff Fisher is going to continue his dream of being the .500 coach. STL 20-14

Cleveland (4-10) at New York Jets (6-8) 12:00 pm CBS - This is the 'Last Resort' game of the week. If this was the only game you could watch in the NFL slate, how much money would it take to solely watch this and nothing else?  I would say a good 150 dollars for this one. It's going to be brutal. Geno Smith is bound to struggle against an above average Cleveland secondary and Jason Campbell will not be much better going up against the Jets front line. I will take the home team, but I have no real basis on why they should win this football game. NYJ 14-10

Dallas (7-7) at Washington (3-11) 12:00 pm FOX -  Last time these two played at FedEx Field, the game was for the NFC East. This time we have Kirk Cousins versus a much criticized Cowboys team. Cousins should be able to move the ball against a weak Dallas secondary, but I cannot really see anyone from Washington stopping Tony Romo and the Cowboys offense. The only way Dallas loses this football game is if they have quit entirely as a team on head coach Jason Garrett. While I feel like his job is at risk I do not think Dallas lays down. DAL 35-27

New Orleans (10-4) at Carolina (10-4) 12:00 pm FOX - People are close to hitting the panic button for thebSaints if they were to fall to Carolina. I cannot believe there is chance New Orleans could miss the playoffs if they were to lose their last two games. They head into hostile Carolina where they had some struggles in the past decade. Carolina bounced back last week after getting their asses handed to them by this very Saints team. Carolina knows the door is open for them to get a bye and a home playoff game for the first time since 2008 when they were 12-4. I do not think Cam Newton nor the Carolina defense shits the bed here. Panthers win with a big fourth quarter.  CAR 27-17  

Tennessee (5-9) at Jacksonville (4-10) 12:00 pm CBS - Before Jacksonville went on a run, Tennessee was their whipping boy. Knowing that I think Tennessee might have had their last gasp after they come back against Arizona only to lose in overtime. Jacksonville's defense is a little shaky, but I think they will be able to get a victory here. JAX 27-21  

Denver (11-3) at Houston (2-12) 12:00 pm CBS - There are not many games where I would call them 'Sleep off your hangover' like I do in college football, but this is one of them. Denver puts up some big points early on and Peyton Manning will be resting during the fourth quarter. DEN 45-14

New York Giants (5-9) at Detroit (7-7) 3:05 pm FOX - Hmmmm.... This one is interesting. Lions seem like they could be a team that mails it in, and just ends it for Jim Schwartz. But then again, New York has been complete shit for the last two games against San Diego and Seattle. I have to think Detroit responds to all the criticism and wins this football game. Additionally, they still have a chance at the NFC North if they win this game obviously they need some help though. New York's defense is so bad meaning Matthew Stafford could have an error-free game. Ah who am I kidding, I know he will throw at least one or two picks. Lions will still win this one, but it will be close. DET 20-17  

Arizona (9-5) at Seattle (12-2) 3:05 pm FOX - I really have enjoyed Arizona's bounce back year. No matter what happens, it has been fun to watch this team play football. Although this might be the end of it for the Cardinals unless some teams ahead of them fall as well. I cannot see them going into Seattle and winning this football game even if Seattle has pretty much locked up homefield advantage . I would not take the Seahawks to cover, but I would not pick against them in this one. They still need this victory, and if they get it then Week 17 is a wash. SEA 21-16

Pittsburgh (6-8) at Green Bay (7-6-1) 3:25 pm CBS - Preview will be coming along a little later today. I wanted to wait on the Rodgers news before I published anything.

Oakland (4-10) at San Diego (7-7) 3:25 pm CBS - With how weird San Diego has been all year, this would be a game they would lose and everyone would wonder 'Huh?' But there are some things going against Chargers being quirky in this one... First, Oakland's defense regressed like a person in rehab on a five-day bender. Second, San Diego had some time off with playing on Thursday plus Phillip Rivers is a God in December. Chargers roll in this one. SD 30-14  

New England (10-4) at Baltimore (8-6) 3:25 pm CBS - This has been a great rivalry in the last couple of years. I have no idea if people are talking about this as a rivalry, but it is. Terrell Suggs hates Tom Brady. Like I think they were in the same room, one person would have to leave unless they want a ton of tension. Baltimore is doing some quirky shit again, and it seems like we are headed to Ravens sneaking into the playoffs being as lethal, but can they score?  Justin Tucker is great, but six field goals will probably not cut it. I think we are going to see a vintage Tom Brady performance, and he will carry this club in a major victory for the Pats. NE 24-23

Chicago (8-6) at Philadelphia (8-6) 7:30 pm NBC - Am I the only one who does not get the whole notion of Philadelphia resting their players if Dallas beats Washington? I mean I get they are playing with house money, but why would they want to lose two straight heading into Dallas which is a road game. Obviously, they could play a vanilla offense not showing the Cowboys much, but at the same time, they play to win the game. Chicago needs this one badly and could possibly clinch the NFC North if things break the right way. This will come down to whose defense makes a stop?  Both teams are destined to allow some points, but in the end, I am going with Philly. I think LeSean McCoy will be a huge problem for this Bears defense even if Lance Briggs comes back. PHI 45-42

Atlanta (4-10) at San Francisco (10-4) 7:30 pm ESPN - This is another sleep off your hangover game. Last game at Candlestick for San Francisco and Atlanta has nothing to play for but a higher draft position. San Francisco rolls in this one. SF 37-13

Charlie.