Tuesday's Here: #NFL Predictions Review

Week 13 results: 12-4 wins (62-35 season); 5-11 v. spread (33-64 season) 

Green Bay Packers (+6) @ Detroit Lions (50): Lions 28-27 Lions 40-10

Thursday, 12:30 PM, Ford Field, Detroit, MI (Weather: Indoors)

Reasons: The Packers certainly have a better chance with Matt Flynn at the helm, clearly more familiar with Green Bay's schemes than Scott Tolzien, having been their back up QB a few years back. That doesn't necessarily say much about the Packers, who were reeling after three straight losses before their unceremonious tie last week, although they did come back from 16 points down to do so. However, the Lions pass defense is awful, and banged-up to boot, which gives the Packers 5th-ranked passing attack the perfect opportunity to pounce. The Lions 4th-ranked run defense will battle the Packers 5th-ranked run game all game, opening the door for Flynn to silence the many critics (of his bank account). This game will come down to the air as the Lions 3rd-ranked pass offense tries to take advantage of a weak and hobbled Packers secondary. Both teams are coming off stinging weeks: the Lions lost on a last-minute INT that could have gone for a Megatron TD and the Packers had to come back down 16 in the 4th just to tie. A Lions win puts them in the drivers seat; a Packers win ties the division up and creates a mess. Despite the Mighty Flynn, the Lions literally escape this game at home on Turkey Day.

Complete domination by the Lions. After the Packers took a 10-3 lead early in the 2nd quarter, the Lions turned on the jets and blew the Packers away, gaining 561 yards in over 40 minutes of possession. The Packers managed only 126 yards, by far the lowest total of the season for any offense, and turned the ball over three times (although the Lions turned it over four times). Apparently the trash talking Sitton did really got to the Lions, and they took care of business in a fashion people have expected out of this team for two years.

Oakland Raiders (+9.5) @ Dallas Cowboys (47.5): Cowboys 27-20 Cowboys 31-24

Thursday, 4:30 PM, Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, TX (Weather: Indoors)

Reasons:  Vegas has Dallas 9.5 point favorites in a game with an expected o/u of 47.5, which means that they expect the Cowboys to do their thing and the Raiders to continue their downward spiral this month, save one laughable win at Houston. The Cowboys have one of the worst statistical defenses in the league (31st v. pass; 30th v. run), but I don't see the hapless Raiders exploiting that. Except for an inexplicably great running game (ranked 4th despite the injuries to McFadden), they have no passing game to speak of (ranked 29th). I fully expect Romo and the Cowboys to exploit the Raiders poor pass defense (ranked 25th) and run away with their annual Thanksgiving Day game. 

The Raiders came to play on Thanksgiving; 12 seconds into the game Greg Jenkins returned a forced fumble for a TD. The run game dominated Turkey Day as five of seven TDs were rushing TDs, although the Raiders only gained 50 yards on 25 carries to the Cowboys 144 on 30. The Cowboys made halftime adjustments and dominated the 2nd half as the Raiders again committed 10 penalties. 

Pittsburgh Steelers (+3) @ Baltimore Ravens (40.5): Ravens 23-17 Ravens 22-20

Thursday, 8:30 PM, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD (Weather: Clear, cold, low 30s)

Reasons: Tell me if you've heard this one before: Steelers face Ravens in a tough defensive battle late in the season in the cold weather for an advantage in the division. Both teams have two of the better defenses in the league, and both offenses are struggling, expect for the Steelers pass game of late, which has become the 8th-ranked pass attack in the NFL. Both teams average a pedestrian 21-22 ppg, and both teams sit mired in the AFC North at 5-6. The only real difference between these teams is one expected to be mediocre and one was predicted to return to the Super Bowl. Ain't happenin'. But the Ravens could still make the playoffs, and that push begins tomorrow as most of the country sleeps off their tryptophan overdoses. This game could be won in the air as both run games have suffered this season (Steelers: ranked 30th; Ravens: ranked 27th). As long as Baltimore's pass game (ranked 19th) can get something going I expect their defense to clamp down to win close at home and give the fans something to be thankful for - to just be in the hunt not even a year after winning the whole thing.

Many of the these teams meetings the past few years have been been decided by three points or less, and this game was no different. It took bizarre circumstances, too, as a last-second TD was called back because of the beheading of Le'Veon Bell (a rule that renders a play dead the second a player's helmet comes off). The Steelers scored anyway, but a dropped 2-point conversion pass cost the Steelers the tie. The Ravens ground it out with no help from Ray Rice, but plenty from Justin Tucker and his five FGs.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+7) @ Cleveland Browns (40): Browns 20-10 Jaguars 32-28

1:00 PM, First Energy Stadium, Cleveland, OH (Weather: Cold, high 30s, light snow)

Reasons: Brandon Weeden gets the nod after Jason Campbell went down last Sunday. That's not good news, at least not by this season's standards. Lucky for the Browns their top-notch defense (ranked 6th v. the pass and 5th v. the run) takes care of business, and this is one of the worst offensive teams in the NFL, perhaps NFL history. They rank 32nd in the run game, despite having (a clearly aging) MJD and don't do much better in the air (ranked 22nd). They only average 13 ppg, and despite winning last week for only the second time this season, they did it v. a hapless Texans team...and did it by scoring 13 points. They are awful. Additionally, the cold winds will blow a little snow into Cleveland Sunday afternoon, which ultimately spells doom for this suntanned joke of a football team. I actually expect Weeden to answer some critics this week, if it counts v. the Jaguars, and keep the Browns relevant.

Apparently the Weeden really is that bad as the hapless Jaguars not only beat him, but in Cleveland, in bad weather. No one saw this one coming, Weeden or not. The Browns gained more yards (439 to 314), but turned the ball over three times and committed a safety. One bright spot for the Browns was Josh Morgan, who caught 10 passes for 261 yards and 2 TDs. The Jaguars have now won two straight, improving their record to 3-9.

Tennessee Titans (+4) @ Indianapolis Colts (45): Colts 27-24 Colts 22-14

1:00 PM, Luca Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN (Weather: Indoors)

Reasons: The Colts have fast become a mediocre team, and have been destroyed over the first halves of their last four games (93-12). Their offense (18th-ranked pass offense; 19th-ranked run offense) has injuries and Luck has had to play from behind the past month, and their once-opportunistic defense has been on the decline (ranked 19th v. the pass; 26th v. the run), giving up 33 ppg since playing the Denver Broncos Week 7. All this points to a Colts loss v. a well-coached divisional opponent. That's exactly why they'll win. Two of the most embarrassing games of the year have come in the past three weeks, the only win being sandwiched between them - v. the Titans (30-27). The Colts only maintain a 2-game lead in the AFC South and might not make the playoffs in they don't win the division. The Titans 8th-ranked pass defense will give Luck some trouble, and TY Hilton's status will be key. The Colts bounce back in another close on at home to keep their divisional lead.

Vinatieri kicked five FGs, the Titans turned the ball over four times, the officials admitted to three errors in the game, the Colts managed to play two halves, and the Colts got one win. The win didn't exactly boost the Colts confidence as they only managed 264 yards on offense, but they managed to stay atop the by beating the Titans for the second time in three weeks.

Chicago Bears (+1) @ Minnesota Vikings (49.5): Bears 27-24 Vikings 23-20

1:00 PM, Mall Of America Field (terrible name), Minneapolis, MN (Weather: Indoors)

Reasons: Christian Ponder has been playing better, but the Bears defense ranks 13th v. the pass, so the Vikings might lean on a banged-up Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart (10 ypc) and their 11th-ranked run game. Still, none of this does anything for a defense ranked 29th v. the pass and 24th v. the run, and their seemingly relevant tie v. the Packers turned out to be not-so-relevant as Green Bay was destroyed 40-10 Thanksgiving Day by the Detroit Lions. The Bears, on the other hand, are actually a little better then their many key injuries would imply, although they have lost two of their past three and needed OT to beat the Ravens in that lone win. The 7th-ranked pass offense is respectable even without Cutler and Forte should play, helping the run game (ranked 22nd). The addition of Jay Ratliff should bolster the Bears defensive line a bit, which is worst in the NFL at stopping the run, shaking up Ponder's 25th-ranked passing offense and the run game just enough to squeak out a win on the road to keep pace with the Lions.

This one almost came down to Minnesota's second tie in two weeks, but a perplexing 47-yard FG attempt on 2nd down in OT was not true, and so the game continued, ultimately ending on Walsh's foot in OT as it did in regulation. Two struggling offenses managed nearly 1,000 total yards on offense (MIN - 496; CHI - 480), and AP rushed for 211 yards, yet it took several FG attempts to finally seal the game. After Walsh hit the game-tying FG as the 4th quarter closed, his first OT FG make was negated by by a penalty, and his subsequent 57-yarder missed. Then Bear's head coach inexplicably called for their own FG on 2nd down, which missed wide right from 47 yards. The Vikings rejoiced at their chance to tie again, but alas Walsh hit again from 34 yards to seal the game with only 90 seconds left. So close....

Miami Dolphins (+2) @ New York Jets (38.5): Dolphins 21-17 Dolphins 23-3

1:00 PM, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ (Weather: Mild, mid-40s, light rain)

Reasons: The Jets offense might challenge the Jaguars as the worst in the NFL, if they didn't have the league's 8th-ranked run game; that might be a saving grace, as they'll face the league's 25th-ranked run defense. The Jets average 16.5 ppg, and sport the league's worst passing game, which will do nothing v. the Dolphins average pass defense (ranked 14th) and with key injuries at WR. The Dolphins 26th-ranked run game won't fare much better against the Jets run defense, tops in the league. The Jets pass defense is far worse (ranked 22nd), so the Dolphins 20th ranked pass offense will look to exploit the Jets pass defense. It's a tough call, but you can’t like the Jets on the road with that offense. 

When I wrote of the Jets offense challenging the Jaguar's for league laughability, I meant it. They did me proud. The Jet's ridiculously bad offense managed a measly 177 total yards and three points in 21 minutes, and also managed to turn the ball over three times. Geno Smith looked as bad as you can look until Matt Simms relieved him and proved there was a lower point to descend to. The Dolphins offense did exploit the Jets pass defense as Tannehill lit up the Jets for 355 yards and 2 TDs.

Arizona Cardinals (+3) @ Philadelphia Eagles (48.5): Cardinals 27-24 Eagles 24-21

1:00 PM, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA (Weather: Clear, mild, mid-40s)

Reasons: The rule of thumb is that in a game between two evenly matched squads, the home team will get 3 points - perfect example here. About the only thing separating these two teams is a 6-hour flight. Both teams are in the middle of serious win streaks (ARZ- 4 games; PHI – 3 games), both teams average ~24 ppg, both teams are 2^nd in their divisions and looking to gain ground, and both teams dominate the game on one side of the ball. Therein actually lies another difference: the Eagles high-octane offense (ranked 9^th in the passing game and 2^nd in the run game) is countered by the Cardinals stingy defense (ranked 17^th v. the pass and 2^nd v. the run). The Cardinals average pass defense seems more aberration than fact, as the Cardinals have two of the leagues best at their respective positions in Darnell Dockett and Patrick Peterson. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles can’t really stop the run (ranked 21^st), but the Cardinals can’t run it (ranked 24^th). One more difference is exposed when analyzing the Cardinals passing game (ranked 12^th) v. the Eagles pass defense, which is the worst in the NFL. Considering the weather won’t be a factor, the Cardinals pass game could be the big difference here as Carson Palmer has thrown for over 730 yards the last two weeks, also coming against two bad defenses. The Eagles have struggled at home this season and I think that continues this week, as the Cardinals are just too well coached and too hot. 

Carson Palmer threw for 300+ yards for the third straight week, but three turnovers doomed the Cardinals, who saw their win streak end and Philly's home win streak continue for the second straight week. Two of the most evenly matched teams had one of the year's most evenly matched games, as the two teams were nearly identical in 1st downs, 3rd down efficiency, total plays, passing and rushing yards, sacks, and even penalties. The one major difference was turnovers and therein lies the answer.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+8) @ Carolina Panthers (41.5): Carolina 24-20 Panthers 27-6

1:00 PM, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC (Weather: Clear, mild, high 40s)

Reasons: The Buccaneers have won three straight after losing their first eight games, but they’ve come against a reeling team, a horrible team, and a team looking past them (MIA, ATL, DET); the Panthers are the hottest team in the NFL, but their last three wins were escape acts (SF, NE, NYJ). To some this might appear as a match up of two hot teams; some might see it as lopsided affair. I see it as neither. Make no mistake, the Buccaneers are bad, but their two strengths are the two things that could give Carolina some problems: the resurgence of TB’s passing game (still ranked 29^th) via Mike Glennon v. a banged up Carolina secondary, and the Buccaneer’s 9^th-ranked run defense v. the Panther’s 9^th-ranked run game. The Panthers were trying out CBs this week; even with that front-seven that’s not a good thing. Still, the Panthers defense (ranked 7^th v. run; 3^rd v. pass) is beastly, and I can’t imagine the Buccaneers scoring anywhere near 29 points, their average over their three straight wins. If the Buc’s front seven can stop the Panther’s run game, forcing the Panthers to throw (ranked 30^th) this could get interesting. 

The Buccaneers dreams of a .500 season went to die at the hands of the best defense in the NFL as the Panthers held the Bucs to 206 total yards, sacked them five times, and forced two turnovers in a lopsided win. Cam Newton continued to improve as he single-handily beat the Bucs at home.

New England Patriots (-7.5) @ Houston Texans (47.5): Patriots 30-20 Patriots 34-31

1:00 PM, Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX (Weather: Indoors)

Reasons: On paper these teams are about as evenly matched as possible. In reality they’re not even close. No matter the troubles the Texans are in I still expect them to rise to the occasion against the fast-becoming-rivals Patriots. Case Keenum gets the nod, which I can’t decide is good or bad. The Texans have the league’s best pass defense, which could pose some problems for the Patriots pass attack (ranked 11^th), one of the keys to the game. The Patriots are also coming off two tough weeks; with a close loss v. Carolina stemming from a bad call, and an epic comeback win v. Denver the Patriots might be a little emotionally drained traveling to Houston, or could be totally rested coming off the holiday.  The Texans 14^th-ranked run game is banged up, so there isn’t a huge advantage v. the Patriots 31^st ranked run defense, and Case Keenum and Andre Johnson won’t exactly have their way with the Patriots secondary, as NE ranks 9^th v. the pass. The Patriots run game (ranked 10^th) will flourish v. this Texans front seven (ranked 22^nd v. the run), which will be another key. The Patriots will score a few in the air and then run the clock out with their smash-mouth run game, taking one on the road against the team we expected to battle for AFC supremacy.

For the second straight week the Patriots fell behind big in the first half just to make enough halftime adjustments to take the win. This time the second half adjustments were so good that Antonio Smith foolishly accused the Patriots of cheating again. Smith thought it so strange that the best coach in NFL history could make enough halftime adjustments to beat a team that had lost 9 straight games he suggested the Patriots must have been filming their practices. After it was pointed it out that the Patriots probably wouldn't have waited a enite half while getting behind by 10 points to bust out theitr cheat sheet, he claimed he was only kidding. Here's something you can't joke about: The Texans are absolutely awful. Losers of 10 straight this team was once a Super Bowl favorite coming out of the AFC, and sported loads of talent on both sides of the ball. Now Dennis Johnson and Case Keenum anchor this once intimidating offense and the Texans have be come more doormat than door to the Super Bowl. This game was only close for two reasons: Ben Tate (the run game, in which the Pats strugle) and the fact that every team in the NFL gets up for the Patriots, especilly the Texans, whom we have owned the past few years. On the other side the Patriots continued to make much of nothing as the Patriots again faced an opponent at 3/4 strength, making the most of our heated, but easy match up. Brady was gold again throwing for 371 yards and 2 TDs. After losing their 10th straight game I talked to JJ Watt. He said he wished he was delivering pizzas again.

Atlanta Falcons (+3) @ Buffalo Bills (47): Bills 24-21 Falcons 34-31

4:05 PM, Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo, NY (Weather: Cold, 40% chance rain/snow, 30s)

Reasons: Even if Atlanta’s passing game was still top-notch, which despite being ranked 5^th it’s not, they could struggle v. the Bills 12^th-ranked pass defense. These rankings, although important, only consider total yards, so a few of these teams benefit/suffer from garbage time stats, e.g. running the clock out or from trying to catch up, which has been Atlanta’s issue. So Atlanta’s seemingly high-ranking pass game is somewhat ‘smoke and mirrors’. Considering the Falcons have no run game (ranked 31^st), due mainly to injuries and a bad offensive line, they might have to struggle. The Falcons should run more successfully with Steven Jackson back against a less-than-stellar run defense (ranked 23^rd), so they shouldn’t have to rely solely on the passing game. Add one of the worst defenses in the league (ranked 24^th v. the pass and 29^th v. the run) to their offensive woes and you have the answer to the “Why are the Falcons so bad” question. The Bills are a better team with EJ Manuel at the helm, which only improves their 28^th-ranked pass game, and having him back also bolsters the 5^th-ranked run game, which already yields the two-headed, but somewhat banged-up, monster that is Jackson/Spiller. The weather could get nasty, and the Bills are a tough team at home anyway, so they should take care of Atlanta.

I'm not sure anyone expected these teams to combine for 830 yards of offense and 65 points, but it happened. The Toronto faithful went to game expecting the league's definition of mediocrity and underachievement, but instead were blessed with a high-octane, edge-of-you-seat contest that would have the NFL brass thinking "just what we ordered". The game was competitive the entire time, took overtime to win, and had multiple stars including Matt Ryan (311 passing yards 1 TD), CJ Spiller (146 rushing yards 1 TD), and Rodey White (10 catches 143 yards). Two fumbles ultimately spelled doom for the Bills, whose playoff hopes all but disappeared with this tough "home" loss.

St. Louis Rams (+8) @ San Francisco 49ers (42): 49ers 28-20 49ers 23-13

4:05 PM, Candlestick Park, South San Francisco, CA (Weather: Warm, clear, mid-60s)

Reasons:  The surging Rams defense is much improved lately, especially v. the pass (ranked 13^th), giving up <18 ppg over their last four games (2W-2L); their offense has blasted off scoring an average of 40 ppg over their last two games, both wins. I’m not sure if it’ll be enough to win v. a tough 49ers team on the road this week, but I give them a better chance than I would have three weeks ago looking at the schedule. The 49ers got back on track last week v. the Natives after two straight tough losses (one robbery v. the Saints) and not only boast one of the league’s best run games (ranked 4^th), but have one of the best overall defenses in the league and only get stronger with key players back. Colin Kaepernick should thrive v. this blitzing defense (ranked 21^st v. the run), as should the run game (ranked 4^th). Clemens should be under pressure all day, and a mediocre offense (ranked 23^rd passing and 16^th rushing) will have to rely on their surging defense on the road to pull this one off. No wonder Vegas has the 49ers giving eight points.

This game came down to execution as both teams managed the same relative yards, first downs, 3rd down efficiency, penalties, sacks, and turnovers. The major difference was the yards per play (SF - 9.1 ypp; STL - 5.2 ypp) and execution as the 49ers scored TDs instead of FGs and scored the first three times to take control of the game early. The one thing I took from the game is that the 49ers don't seem poised to challenge the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC.

Denver Broncos (-5) @ Kansas City Chiefs (48.5):  Broncos 28-24 Broncos 35-28

4:25 PM, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO (Weather: Mild, clear, high 40s)

Reasons: In what should be game about two divisional rivals at 9-2 battling for the divisional lead has become a game about two decimated defenses. The once dominating Chiefs defense has suffered major injuries and after playing two high-octane offenses has dropped significantly in the defensive rankings. With key injuries to defensive linemen and a game just three weeks ago v. this defense the Broncos top-ranked passing game should thrive. The Broncos run game (ranked 12^th) could roll as well, as they piled up over 200 rushing yards the week before v. the Patriots. The story could be the Broncos defense, which is one of the worst in the league v. the pass (ranked 30^th) and only getting worse after key injures to the secondary. Alex Smith could have a break out game v. this Broncos defense, as their 5^th ranked run defense could stymie Jamal Charles and the Chiefs 13^th-ranked run game. The weather will not effect Manning this week as the Broncos take care of the banged up Chiefs team on as tough a road as there is.

The Chiefs went up quick in this one, 21-7, and seemed poised to take the game from the suddenly reeling Broncos, when Peyton Manning finally realized the Chiefs were stuffing Wes Welker at the line and double-teaming Demaryius Thomas, leaving Eric Decker and his ridiculous country singing reality tv show wide open for 174 receiving yards and 4 TDs. The Broncos made some first half adjustments and beat the division rival Chiefs for the second time in three weeks. The Chiefs got off to a great start, including a 108-yard punt return from Knile Davis, and Alex Smith continued to show why he's 28-8-1 in his last 37 games (although he's 49-44-1 all time), throwing for 293 yards and 2 TDs, while rushing for 46 yards, but it wasn't enough as the Chiefs once-leading defense couldn't hold Manning down. Montee Ball even got involved, slightly living up to the preseason hype by rushing for 117 yards on 13 carries.

Cincinnati Bengals (-1) @ San Diego Chargers (48): Bengals 27-24 Bengals 17-10

4:25 PM, Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, CA (Weather: Sunny, clear, high 60s)

Reasons: The Chargers are coming off an incredible last-second win last week and the Bengals are coming off a bye week, so this game could go either way. The Bengals 10^th-ranked pass game should exploit the Chargers 28^th-ranked pass defense, the only real mismatch of the game. The Chargers 4^th-ranked pass offense can be deadly and score in bunches, but the Bengals have one of the best overall defenses in the NFL (ranked 6^th v. the pass and 10^th v. the run) and get after it. Both run games are up and down, and both teams have respectable run defenses, so this one should be won in the air. The Bengals are the better team and should win, but they’re bad on the road (2-4). 

This game came down to three Charger's turnovers. That is literally it. 

New York Giants (-1) @ Washington Natives (45.5): Natives 24-20 Giants 24-17

8:30 PM, FedEx Field, Washington, DC (Weather: Cold, clear, high 30s)

Reasons: The one major mismatch in this game could be the Natives top-ranked run game were it not for the Giants resurging run defense (ranked 7^th). Besides that these teams are mired in mediocrity and headed south. The Giants may have been partially expecting this, but the Natives had Super Bowl aspirations, which are not happening anytime soon, let alone this season. Both of these teams have nearly been eliminated from playoff contention as the Eagles and Cowboys surge, and both teams seem to have nothing but pride to play for. In other words, this is not going to be an epic game.  Maybe RGIII’s dad will come onto the field this week to offer his coaching advice. Both teams get to 4-8 Sunday in one of the tougher games to call this week.

With the exception of flashes from the Eagles the NFC East has become the most boring division in football. This was on full display Sunday night as the Giants squeaked out a win v. these reeling Natives. RGIII threw for 207 yards and 1 TD and rushed for 88 more yards, and this was one of his best games of the season. The Giants defense, getting better by the week, sacked RGIII five times, three times in the 4th quarter, forcing him into bad throws late, sealing the game. The Giants stay pathetically alive while the Natives have already started looking to next season. So much for RGIII, the latest great flub of a savior "mobile" QB. Someday NFL teams will learn. The Natives never will.

New Orleans Saints (+5) @ Seattle Seahawks (47): Seahawks 30-24 Seahawks 34-7

Monday, 8:30 PM, Century Link Field, Seattle, WA (Weather: Cold, mid-30s, slight chance of rain/snow)

Reasons: A potential NFC Championship preview these two are the best in the NFC along with San Francisco. Both teams have great offenses anchored by the pass (NO, ranked 2nd) or the run (SEA, ranked 3rd), both teams average 28 ppg, and both teams have two of the best pass defenses in the NFL (NO: ranked 3^rd; SEA: ranked 2^nd). A recent suspension of Walter Thurman is a big advantage Saints, who’ll look to exploit the Seahawks defense any way they can. I don’t think they will as the Seahawks 12^th man makes up for Thurman. Dome teams continue to suck outdoors.

The high-flying dome act known as the New Orleans Saints managed seven points, 188 yards total offense, 12 first downs, 3.4 yards per play, and got into the Red Zone once. At least they managed 100% Red Zone efficiency as they did score on their only trip in. The Seahawks are dominant, no question, but the case needs to be made that these teams are simply not equipped to play away, especially outdoors. When your offense is predicated upon two things, perfect timing and communication, things can go to hell in a hurry. After all, this is football. Professional football. There are supposed to be big hits, injuries, cold weather, mud, ground-and-pound mentalities. Not the Saints. As if the Colts weren't proof enough over the past decade, the Saints have reinforced that notion that dome teams don't work as they continue to show the dichotomy that is home and away for a dome team. Add rain, the Saints are useless. Add wind, Brees' perfect passes aren't the required perfect. Add noise and the Saints can't call out their complex play calls. Add cold and all the Saints skill players come out in parkas and can't move. Add some animosity and these dome teams start crying. I'm sick of it. It isn't football. As Patriots fans we watched the Colts gracefully blow through every single season just to come to town and get rattled. Or maybe it was in Pittsburgh. Maybe it was Baltimore. It didn't matter, the Colts sucked in weather away from their cozy little dome, much the same way the Saints do. The Seahawks on the other hand aren't even worth talking about. They own. Watch the Seahawks for 5 minutes in any game and you'll see why the Seahawks should be talking more junk, not less. NO ONE will go into Seattle and beat that team, save some ridiculous caveat like a major injury (no jinx intended), sure as hell not a dome team. Marshawn Lynch is a beast, and Russell Wilson is even better, scoring at will with a group of WRs nobody has ever heard of, save a replacement ref debacle. And this defense is one for the ages, perfecting schemes, rushing the passer, and intimidating offenses on every down with their sizable players. The Seahawks lost their two top CBs and still held one of the best passing offenses in league history to nothing. End of story. At this pace we might as well crown the Seahawks now.

Stay tuned Thursday/Saturday for Week 14 #NFL Predictions (w/ scores and analysis)!

Phaulkner