Week thirteen is here, and there are some very interesting games this week. I do not have a lot of time to go in depth with each match-up now, so here we go.
Re-Match of the Week(NFC Game of the Week)Green Bay vs. Philadelphia
All the Packers can remember about the Eagles is "4th and 26." These two teams could very easily meet in the NFC Championship game. The Eagles have been fantastic for the whole season, but the Packers are very hot right now. Favre is on his game, and it doesn't matter who the Packers throw in their back field, they run well. The Eagles are vulnerable to the run, and the Packers defense will step up to make at least one key play.
AFC Game of the WeekDenver vs. San Diego
Denver lost a heartbreaker last week after Jason Elams last minute field goal was blocked by Oakland. The Chargers almost lost against the Chiefs last week, but played great and won. This should be an excellent match-up, and the Chargers do seem to have more momentum at the moment. I am picking Denver, believing that they will bring their "A" game, seeing as this could be their season right here in a big division game.
Playoff Contender GamesPittsburgh vs. Jacksonville
The Steelers defense has stepped up in every single game this season. At first, it looked like Ben Roethlisberger was getting the job done. Now after he has struggled somewhat lately, the Steelers defense has been relentless. The Steelers offense has done enough without Staley or Burress at times, and will be able to beat the Jaguars. Jacksonville's season may depend on this game, but it looks like they'll be waiting for next year.
Cincinnati vs.
BaltimoreThe Bengals are probably on more of a roll right now than the Ravens. The Bengals scored 58 points last week, but their offense will get a dose of reality against the Ravens, who could easily shut down the Bengals offense completely. This is a game where the Ravens will be depending on Kyle Boller to make plays when he needs to. If he doesn't, I'd yank him and throw in the backup. Changing quarterbacks for the Ravens could only help them, since nothing is spectacular at the moment for them with Boller.
Carolina vs. New Orleans
The "high school" kids played the Falcons tough last week, but they have a tough feat to overcome now against a red-hot Panthers team. Carolina beat the Buccaneers last week, who were on their way to a possible playoff run. Now all of a sudden if the Panthers win here, they could have a great chance at the playoffs and a chance to have a storybook season.
Must-Win Games For Struggling TeamsSan Francisco vs.
St. LouisThe Rams already lost to the former worst team in the league, then the Miami Dolphins, so a loss here would crush them. St. Louis was dominated by the Packers on Monday Night, but will overcome that. Let's just say if they lose this game, I don't see the Rams making the playoffs, despite their two wins over Seattle.
Dallas vs.
SeattleI'd like to know what happened to the 3-0 Seattle team that I saw in the first three weeks of the season. I saw a team that was better than their playoff team last year. Ever since their first loss to the Rams, I haven't seen the Seahawks. I know they are capable of being that team again, but if they don't find their groove soon, one of the 4-7 teams will pass them up. The Cowboys could be one of those teams, but I don't think so.
New York Giants vs. Washington
Eli Manning is now 0-2, and hasn't really given the Giants the spark they've hoped for. A win here keeps them very much alive in the playoff race. Tiki Barber needs to get the ball a lot, both in rushing and receiving. The Redskins offense has not scored twenty points all season in one game, and that won't get them very many wins.
And now, the rest of the week...
Minnesota vs. Chicago
If the Bears had won a couple of games more after their hot streak, I may have picked them in this game. Their quarterback mess has caught up with them though, and Culpepper and Moss should start getting back on track in their second week as a duo again.
New England vs.
ClevelandWell, you can probably ignore this pick if you'd like. I'm not real confident in the Browns winning, but I can't go against my tradition of picking them to win always. Luke McCown looks like he'll get his first start, and the Browns will try and start fresh without Butch Davis.
Arizona vs.
DetroitBoth teams have quarterback questions and both teams early playoff hopes are slowly fading away. Both teams have played so inconsistent as of late, that this is a very difficult pick, so I'll take the Lions just because they're at home.
Tennessee vs.
IndianapolisCould Manning break the record this week? I don't think so, but the Colts will definitely win this game. Nothing against the Titans, but when I see the Colts facing someone now, I think about a blowout. Manning will probably break the record next week.
Buffalo vs. Miami
The Bills are probably one of the better teams in the AFC right now, and could easily be a wildcard team if they hadn't started so poorly. They still have a slim shot at it though, so it's important that they win games like this against the Dolphins.
Houston vs.
New York JetsWithout Pennington, the Jets have proven that they can get it done defensively. Pennington will be back this week though, which should give the Jets the spark they've needed offensively lately.
Atlanta vs. Tampa Bay
The Falcons seem to dominate games early lately, and then their offense doesn't do anything for awhile, allowing the other team to get back in the game. It's been working though, as the Falcons are a game behind the Eagles for home field advantage. The Buccaneers loss to the Panthers last week puts a dent in their hopes for a playoff appearance, though a win here gets them right back into the race.
Kansas City vs. Oakland
Ok. I'm taking the Chiefs again, just like I've been doing. I don't want to see another 34-31 or 40-37 loss by the Chiefs.
Last Week's Record: 10-6
Season Record: 100-76
Current Survivor Winning Streak: 5 games.
Survivor History:10 games(Tennessee over Miami in week one, New England over Arizona in week two, Seattle over San Francisco in week three, New England over Buffalo in week four, Indianapolis over Oakland in week five, Philadelphia over Carolina in week six, Denver over Cincinnati in week seven(lost), Seattle over Carolina in week eight, Seattle over San Francisco in week nine, New England over Buffalo in week ten, Philadelphia over Washington in week eleven, Indianapolis over Detroit in week twelve.)
I have extended my survivor winning streak to 5 games, and I hit the century mark in wins for this season. My goal is to stay below 100 losses by the end of the season. For this week's survivor pick, I will take the Indianapolis Colts to beat the Tennessee Titans. We saw two bad weather games last week, here's hoping to seem some more of that this week, as those games always add a special element to the game.
-Chris Pokorny