Fraser's Favorites Week 12

Green Bay at Detroit

For years now America has had to tune in to watch football on Thanksgiving Day and watch meaningless Detroit Lions football games. Finally, America can watch a Lions team with a winning record and a chance to make the playoffs. Unfortunately for football fans and unfortunately for the Lions, the Green Bay Packers are an unstoppable force. This Lions team has taken advantage of a weak schedule and had extreme good fortune in two of their wins. They boast one of football’s best passing defenses, but have yet to truly play a passing team. And then here comes the machine Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has already locked up the Most Valuable Player award and they are already replicating his face for Canton. He is having one of the best, if not the best, seasons a quarterback has ever had in the history of the NFL. The quest for a perfect 19-0 season continues as Aaron Rodgers continues his dominance of NFL defenses and the Lions Thanksgiving Day woes endure.

Green Bay- 38
Detroit- 30

Miami at Dallas

The Cowboys welcome the hottest team in football to Dallas this weekend. That’s right, the Miami Dolphins are the hottest team in football. Well not really, but they have won three straight games and do pose a challenge for opponents on their upcoming schedules. The Miami Dolphins were supposedly playing for Andrew Luck halfway through the season, but now might not even finish in last place in the AFC East. During their three game win streak the Miami Dolphins have outscored opponents 86 to 21 by being efficient with the football and taking advantage of their opponents mistakes. While the Dolphins are fighting to salvage a lost season, the Cowboys are competing for a playoff spot. At home this season the Cowboys are 3-1, with their only loss in a disastrous collapse to the Lions. The Dolphins win streak will end as the Cowboys and Tony Romo continue to take advantage of the soft stretch of their schedule.

Miami- 20
Dallas- 28

San Francisco at Baltimore

While many families in America will be playing in their traditional Thanksgiving football games, the Harbaugh brothers will be battling it out as head coaches in the NFL. Hopefully all of the family football games being played in America won’t be as hard hitting as this 49ers- Ravens game. Both of these defenses have been phenomenal as the 49ers are giving up only 14.5 points per game and the Ravens only 16 points per game. With such stellar defenses on either side, this game comes down to the team which limits their mistakes and controls the ball on offense. Both teams have great obstacles to conquer in order to be able to win this game. Both teams are playing on only three days of rest. The San Francisco 49ers have to travel during those three days to the other side of the country to play in Maryland. The Ravens played in an extremely hard-fought, brutal game against the Bengals this Sunday and could be physically fatigued. The Ravens will outlast the 49ers and John Harbaugh will be be the brother celebrating on Thanksgiving night.

San Francisco- 20
Baltimore- 24

Houston at Jacksonville

This is one of those injuries that can really deflate a team. The AFC South race was virtually over as the Texans improved to 7 and 3, and were looking like the scariest team in their conference. However, Matt Schaub’s season is now over after an ankle injury and the Texans playoff hopes are now in question. Despite this season-changing injury, the Texans have built themselves on the the second best rushing attack and one of the most opportunistic defenses in the league. Matt Schaub has been spectacular but many of his efforts have come because of the play action offense. Matt Leinart should be able to do enough as a game manager to keep the Texans competitive for the remainder of the season. The Texans should tread lightly as they travel to Jacksonville though as the Jaguars defense has been able to keep games close. The Texans improve to 8 and 3 because of an efficient ground attack and solid defense in a close AFC south game.

Houston-21
Jacksonville-15

Carolina at Indianapolis

Player A is completing 60% of his passes with 12 touchdowns, 14 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 80. Player B is completing 59.3% of his passes with 15 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a quarterback rating of 79.6. Both of these players are rookies, but can you identify which one is already being proclaimed as rookie of the year? If you guessed Player B, you are incorrect. Player A is Cam Newton, while Player B is Andy Dalton. There is no doubting how incredible Cam Newton has been as a rookie, but he is not the rookie of the year. His team has only three wins in ten games, and he has thrown eight interceptions in the second half of games this season truly hurting his team’s chances to win. While the Panthers have found their franchise quarterback, Jim Caldwell has to decide between Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky. Flip a coin, Jim! It does not really matter who Caldwell puts under center this week because the Colts have given up and will go on to lose their 11th straight.

Carolina- 28
Indianapolis- 17

Cleveland at Cincinnati

A year ago the league would look at a game between the Browns and Bengals as meaningless. Going into this Sunday, the Bengals are fighting for an AFC Wildcard spot and the Browns are that ever-elusive “one-step” away from being a contending team. The Browns actually boast the league’s best passing defense only allowing 166 passing yards per game. However, the Browns offense lacks a rushing attack and Colt McCoy is still searching for open receivers as Cleveland only scores 15 points per game. That statistic does not bode well for a team that travels to a division rival which has the eighth best defense in terms of points per game allowed. The Bengals are also an extremely frustrated, motivated team right now as told by left tackle Andrew Whitworth "We feel like we flat out didn't beat two teams we should have and now we feel like the next team has to pay". The Browns are that next team…

Cleveland- 13
Cincinnati- 24

Minnesota at Atlanta

The Atlanta Falcons are entering their week 11 game against the Vikings after, arguably, their best all-around performance of this season. Matt Ryan threw for over 300 yards and successfully managed the no-huddle offense, Roddy White had over 100 yards receiving, Michael Turner rushed for 100 yards, and the Falcons defense finally got pressure on an opposing quarterback. Despite these positive aspects, the Falcons still have a long way to go before they are considered serious contenders. The Falcons had myriad redzone opportunities and only came away with field goals instead of touchdowns. The defense allowed the Titans to drive down the field in the last two minutes of the first half and then allowed Jake Locker to bring the Titans back into the game. The Falcons now get the Minnesota Vikings without running back Adrian Peterson. The Falcons will completely shut down the Vikings running game and force Christian Ponder to make poor decisions.

Minnesota- 20
Atlanta- 30

Buffalo at N.Y. Jets

Rex Ryan came into this season declaring the New York Jets as SuperBowl champions. The only way that would have been possible is if the Jets had someone else playing quarterback. Mark Sanchez has received a lot of the blame for the Jets loss to the Broncos and a lot of the blame for the Jets inconsistencies, but he really deserves more than just blame. Sanchez deserves to be benched. There is no denying the amount of talent the Jets have and how far they can go, but they need a leader that can allow the Jets to fulfill their potential. Mark Brunell took four snaps with the first team offense on Tuesday at practice. Why didn’t he take all of them? Fortunately for the Jets, they will be playing at home against the Buffalo Bills this weekend. The Bills have scored 23 points over their last three games and seemed to make a mistake on every offensive possession Sunday against the Dolphins. This game will be similar to the Jets-Bills matchup earlier in the season, where the Jets were dominant in almost every aspect of the game. The only position the Jets will lose the battle is…you guessed it, quarterback.

Buffalo- 13
New York Jets- 23

Tampa Bay at Tennessee

Chris Johnson is currently making approximately $5.4 million per year. So far this season, Johnson has 509 yards rushing, averaging 16 rushing attempts per game and only 3.2 yards per carry with another 268 yards receiving. If Johnson continues with these same averages, he will finish the season with about 816 yards rushing and 424 yards receiving which comes out to be about $4,350 per yard. Yet another example of why such long-term, high-paying contracts are pointless in the NFL. The poultry rushing attack of the Titans cannot wholly be blamed on the overpaid Johnson though as there should also be blame placed on the offensive line. In the game against the Falcons, Johnson had nowhere to go. The NFL also got its first look at Jake Locker and he demonstrated that he does have the appropriate skills to be somewhat successful in this league. Meanwhile, LeGarrette “Blount Force Trauma” managed to literally run over the Packers defense in a losing effort. Josh Freeman has significantly regressed as quarterback for the Buccaneers throwing 15 interceptions already this season with a quarterback rating in the mid-70s. Freeman has been particularly bad on natural grass which is where he will be playing the Tennessee Titans this weekend at LP Field. Chris Johnson will finally prove why he received such a large contract and the Titans will remain a factor in the AFC South division race.

Tampa Bay- 21
Tennessee- 24

Arizona at St. Louis

Three signs that your team is in trouble this season: 1. Richard Bartel played quarterback and had a quarterback rating 70 points higher than your starter; 2. Your team scores 12 points per game; 3. You are mathematically eliminated from the division race by Thanksgiving. The disastrous seasons for the Cardinals and Rams continue. Kevin Kolb, the Cardinals presumed franchise quarterback, is injured and has not lived up to expectations, while Sam Bradford, the Rams presumed franchise quarterback, has thrown five touchdown passes in eight games played. In the week 9 matchup between these division rivals, the Cardinals came back in the 4th quarter and won the game on a Patrick Peterson 99 yard punt return for a touchdown in overtime. This game will be just as close, but the home team will prevail.

Arizona- 15
St. Louis- 17

Chicago at Oakland

After starting the season with a record of two wins and three losses, the Bears have won six out of their last seven games and were looking like a virtual lock for one of the NFC Wildcard spots. But one throw and one interception could change the Bears destiny. Jay Cutler broke his thumb diving to make a tackle after throwing an interception and will be out for the remainder of the regular season. Now, this Bears team which has scored 30 points in four out of their last five games, will have to do battle with Caleb Hanie under center. The Bears have illustrated superior special teams and defensive play over the past several games, but the question remains as to whether Hanie is capable of leading the offense. Hanie’s first start will come in Oakland as the Bears travel to the “Black Hole”. The Raiders have injuries of their own as Darren McFadden, Darius Heyward-Bey, Jacoby Ford, and starting center Samson Satele are all banged up. The Raiders will take advantage of Caleb Hanie’s inexperience and will further extend their lead in the AFC West.

Chicago- 20
Oakland- 27

Washington at Seattle

The Washington Redskins finally showed some signs of life last week against the Cowboys. Their efforts fell short though as a Graham Gano field goal sailed wide right and Tony Romo and the Cowboys capitalized to extend the Redskins losing streak to six. The Redskins now have to fly across the country to play in Seattle. The Seahawks have remained competitive this season even though they clearly lack superior talent. It is important to point out that the Seahawks six losses have been to opponents with a combined record of 38 wins and 22 losses. Pete Carroll has this team playing above expectations and could make this team a serious contender in the next couple of years. This week the long journey to the west coast will be detrimental to the Redskins as their collapse continues.

Washington- 13
Seattle- 16

Denver at San Diego

America has been “Tebowed”. For three quarters against the Jets, Tim Tebow and the Broncos offense was simply embarrassing to watch. On third and six on several occasions, the Broncos decided to run the ball and failed on most of those attempts. However, a miraculous fourth quarter drive culminating in a 20 yard touchdown run by Tebow captured the minds of football fans. Tim Tebow has now managed to go 4 and 1 as a starter and has convinced experts that he could potentially lead this Broncos team in the future. I am not fooled. Tebow’s victims, the Chiefs, Jets, Raiders (in their first game with Palmer), and the Dolphins, are all offensively challenged and have not forced Tebow to throw. Despite their noted struggles in their last five games, the Chargers will create the blueprint for teams to beat Tebow. Philip Rivers will connect with Vincent Jackson down the field putting the Chargers out to an early lead, not allowing for any more Tebow miracles. Thank God.

Denver- 14
San Diego- 30

New England at Philadelphia

There are questions as to whether the New England Patriots are good enough on defense to win the SuperBowl. They can definitely stick with any team in the AFC in terms of offense, but at times even Tyler Palko was able to drive down the field on this depleted secondary. What is incredible about this Patriots defense though is that they rank last in the league in yards surrendered, but they only give up 20 points per game. This statistic demonstrates that the Patriots allow teams to drive down the field, but stiffen when teams get near the redzone. LeSean McCoy will not be stopped near the redzone. The Eagles beat the Giants not because their offense was dominant, but because of their defense. If the Eagles can somehow find a way to repeat their defensive performance, while Vince Young manages the game successfully, McCoy will put this team on his back and upset the Patriots himself.

New England- 30
Philadelphia- 31

Pittsburgh at Kansas City

Another night game for the Chiefs and another start for Tyler Palko. The Chiefs have to sign Kyle Orton. They have six games remaining and are not yet out of the AFC West race. If they want to keep their slim chances to make the playoffs alive they need a quarterback and Kyle Orton has proven to be effective in this league. While the Chiefs are still alive with a 4 and 6 record, the Steelers are fighting to win the division title with a 7 and 3 record. With the injury to Matt Schaub, the Steelers are now the team to beat in the AFC. They have the number two defense in the NFL in average yards per game surrendered and have the number eight offense in the league in average yards per game gained. The Steelers will absolutely feast on the inexperience of Tyler Palko and the Chiefs will not score in this game.

Pittsburgh- 28
Kansas City- 0

N.Y. Giants at New Orleans

The NFL should reconsider bye weeks. Teams that have their bye week in week 5 or week 6 are at a serious disadvantage. The New Orleans Saints are coming off of their bye week in week 11 and are now well rested for the end of the season. The Giants, whose bye week came in week 7, are in the middle of their incredibly difficult schedule and have lost their last two games. The Giants seemed to lack focus and effort in their horrendous loss to their Eagles. Brandon Jacobs and the running game went absolutely nowhere forcing Eli Manning to convert on third and long situations nearly every drive. If Vince Young was able to pick apart this Giants defense for 250 yards, Drew Brees could throw for 400. The Giants will lose their third straight game further complicating the NFC playoff picture.

New York Giants- 20
New Orleans- 35

Fraser's Favorites Week 11

N.Y. Jets at Denver

Would a team rather have a quarterback that can throw the ball but is turnover prone or a quarterback that “can’t hit the broadside of a barn”, but can lead a team to victory with his running ability and intangibles? The solution is simple; find a new quarterback! Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow are not, and will not be, good enough to win the biggest games in the NFL. Decision-making and accuracy are necessary to succeed and can often times be impossible to develop. Sanchez and Tebow both lack these essential skills. Fortunately for Sanchez and Tebow, both the Jets and Broncos have solid enough running games and defenses to keep their teams competitive. The outcome of this game will be determined by the speed of the Jets defense and their ability to shut down the Tebow led option running attack.

New York Jets- 19
Denver- 13

Buffalo at Miami

Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills surprising start to the season is now a distant memory. The Bills have lost three of their last four games and have been outscored 71 to 18 in their last two losses. In those two losses, Fitzpatrick is a combined 35/62 for 307 yards two touchdowns and five interceptions. The Harvard man hasn’t quite learned enough to carry his team to the playoffs yet. They are a young team though, and will begin to compete every year. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins have seemed to shake off their extremely poor start and have now beaten the Chiefs and Redskins to go on a two game win streak. Because the Miami offense has only been able to score 17.6 points a game, it is crucial that the Dolphins defense continues to minimize opponent scoring opportunities. It will be the Bills defense that creates the scoring opportunities though as Matt Moore commits several turnovers.

Buffalo- 24
Miami- 17

Dallas at Washington

The Cowboys seem to be at their best when they fly under the radar. The first several weeks of the season the media was all over Tony Romo for his Jekyll and Hyde-like performances. Recently, there has been little talk about the Cowboys and Romo specifically and the Cowboys have cruised to win two straight games. The media remains quiet this week about the Cowboys as they travel to Washington in an NFC East matchup. The Redskins are last in the NFC in turnover ratio with 21 turnovers and only 13 takeaways. While the Redskins do have one of the better pass defenses in the NFC, they are allowing close to 120 rushing yards per game. Demarco Murray has revived the Cowboys running game and will once again reach that 120 yard rushing mark and lead the Cowboys to victory.

Dallas- 27
Washington- 18

Oakland at Minnesota

Other than Colts head coach Jim Caldwell, Leslie Frazier should be the coach with the hottest seat in the NFL. Granted, the Vikings are in a difficult division and have a tough schedule, but they should be playing better football than this. They are playing well below their potential. In speaking of potential, Carson Palmer and the Raiders showed a glimpse of their potential against the Chargers last Thursday night. Palmer connected on several deep passes to Denarius Moore and demonstrated that he can still throw an accurate deep ball. Jared Allen will constantly get pressure on Carson Palmer though, forcing Palmer to make errant deep ball passes. As the Vikings defense forces turnovers, the offense will rely heavily on Adrian Peterson and he will carry them to their third win.

Oakland- 23
Minnesota- 26

Tampa Bay at Green Bay

The first two offensive and defensive possessions for the Packers this Monday were a microcosm of their entire season. Aaron Rodgers was unstoppable completing “indefensible” back-shoulder passes as Jon Gruden stated, while Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson were making big plays on defense. The big question for the Packers for the rest of the season will be if they can run the table and go undefeated. With the struggling Buccaneers traveling to Lambeau Field, the talks of an undefeated season can continue as the Packers will crush the Bucs.

Tampa Bay- 17
Green Bay- 42

Carolina at Detroit

Oh that feeling is back in Detroit. The Lions have been victims in three of their last four games and are taking on the identity of their coach; crybabies. As the Lions loss got worse on Sunday, so did the temper tantrums that the Lions players threw. In speaking of throwing, instead of worrying about postgame handshakes, Jim Schwartz should tell his quarterback Matthew Stafford that he should throw to players wearing Lions jerseys and not of the opposing team. As Stafford and the Lions have seemed to cool down since their hot start so has Cam Newton who suddenly receives far less publicity as the Panthers woes continue. The quarterback who gets the most support from his running game will win this game. The Panthers running game is far more talented than the Lions running game.

Carolina-24
Detroit- 23

Seattle at St. Louis

The highly anticipated matchup between the Seahawks and the Rams. Despite their records and the worthless nature in which this game will be played, this will definitely be one of the better games of the week. Both teams have revitalized bruising running backs that refuse to go down in Steven Jackson and Marshawn Lynch. Both teams are also division rivals that are looking toward the future. The immediate future is brighter for the Seahawks as they go on the road to beat the Rams and improve to 4 and 6.

Seattle- 21
St. Louis- 14

Jacksonville at Cleveland

This is another one of those games where the outcome does not matter because of the team’s records but where the game will be competitive. Neither team scores more than 15 points per game and both Blaine Gabbert and Colt McCoy are struggling this season. However, the Jacksonville defense has surprisingly been one of the better defenses in the league and will completely shut down the Browns offense. A tough defense and Maurice Jones-Drew will be enough to beat the feeble Browns. The Jaguars just have to hope Blaine Gabbert doesn’t hand this game away with turnovers.

Jacksonville- 16
Cleveland- 12

Cincinnati at Baltimore

Edgar Allen Poe might have been talking about the Baltimore Ravens in a poem he wrote in 1845 titled “The Raven”. “Weak and weary” and “nearly napping” seem to describe this Ravens team perfectly in their games against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks. Weak and weary from their long journey to Seattle and because of the beating their defense took from running back Marshawn Lynch. Nearly napping because their offense slumbered for two games and inexplicably lost to two teams with inferior talent. Now they play a key AFC North game against the Bengals at home. With an injured A.J. Green and a rookie quarterback playing the Ravens defense, Baltimore will right the ship and defeat the upstart Bengals. Doubt the Ravens, Nevermore.

Cincinnati- 20
Baltimore- 26

Arizona at San Francisco

There is now little doubt that the 49ers are one of the better teams in the NFL. They have a solid game manager in Alex Smith, an elite running back in Frank Gore, and a fiery head coach in Jim Harbaugh. The team has taken on Harbaugh’s identity as a competitive, driven, and confident team which refuses to lose. In a division where there is little competition, the 49ers could lock up a playoff spot by December. However, they should not take this Arizona Cardinals team lightly. The Cardinals have won two games in a row under the leadership of John Skelton. Skelton has definitely been shaky at times but has put his team in position to win games. The most surprising part of this two game win streak though has been the play of the Cardinals defense which has held their last two opponents to 13 and 17 points respectively. The Cardinals defense will contain Frank Gore and force Smith to beat them through the air. Smith will do so, but this contest will be much closer than expected.

Arizona- 24
San Francisco- 27

San Diego at Chicago

Da Bears are playing the best all-around football in the NFC right now. Offensively the Bears are finally starting to protect Jay Cutler, defensively they are back to making big plays, and on special teams, well, they have Devin Hester. And now the Chargers get to travel to the windy city in what could be a must win game for San Diego. They have been dreadful in their last three games, particularly on offense where Philip Rivers and Ryan Mathews have been inept. Fortunately for San Diego, they find themselves in the thick of the AFC West race as the division continues deeper into chaos. The Chargers have to get back on track in this game or their season could be in doubt. Philip Rivers will finally take care of the football and will demonstrate why some see him as an elite quarterback in this league.

San Diego- 28
Chicago- 27

Tennessee at Atlanta

Mike Smith’s decision to go for it on fourth down in overtime will always be a highly criticized decision because of the failed attempt. However, the decision itself speaks volumes about the confidence Mike Smith has in his football team. All of the talk this week has centralized around that decision rather than what is even more important; how the Falcons played on Sunday. Again, the Falcons biggest problems were inconsistencies on offense and letting up big plays on defense. They welcome Chris Johnson and the Titans to the Georgia Dome this week in a game with major playoff implications for both teams. The Falcons defense is constantly criticized for its porous pass defense. However, it is important to point out that the Falcons have the third best rush defense in the league allowing only 90 rushing yards a game. Sean Weatherspoon and Curtis Lofton were able to contain the Saints Darren Sproles and will equally contain the Titans Chris Johnson. This will be the first of five straight wins for the Falcons as they put pressure on the Saints in the NFC South.

Tennessee- 20
Atlanta-30

Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants

What should have been a crucial week 11 matchup for both the Eagles and Giants is now only important to one team. The Giants find themselves at the top of the NFC East despite losing to the San Francisco 49ers last Sunday. The Giants losses earlier in the season to the Seahawks and the Redskins could really end up hurting them in the division race as their gauntlet of a schedule continues. On the other side of the field, what was supposed to be the Eagles dream season is now truly a nightmare. Andy Reid finds himself under the coaching guillotine and Mike Vick continues to get thrashed each week. There were always serious concerns about the hits Mike Vick would take as a running quarterback, but no one could have predicted the amount of injuries he has had this season. Mike Vick (or Mike Kafka) can not be looking forward to their matchup with Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and Mathias Kiwanuka. The Nightmare continues….

Philadelphia-21
New York Giants- 28

Kansas City at New England

The Kansas City Chiefs have now lost starting safety Eric Berry, starting running back Jamaal Charles, and now starting quarterback Matt Cassel. They have replaced these stars with runningback Jackie Battle, safety Reshard Langford, and quarterback Tyler Palko. Who???!!! It is impossible to compete in the NFL without satisfactory depth especially at the skill positions. The Chiefs were competitive and in the division race until they recently lost to the Dolphins and Broncos in back to back weeks. While the Chiefs losing streak is beginning, the Patriots ended theirs Sunday night with a key victory over the Jets. The Patriots will dominate all aspects of this game as the Patriots welcome Tyler Palko into the NFL.

Kansas City-9
New England-33