Fraser's Favorites Week 13

Philadelphia at Seattle

First the San Francisco 49ers are victims of the scheduling in the NFL, and now the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles played at home against the Patriots at 4:00 EST on Sunday and will have three days to travel to Seattle to play in a Thursday Night game. Not only do they only have three days to rest and prepare for the Seahawks, but they also have to take one of those days for travel. The Seahawks are fortunate enough to play at home two weeks in a row and catch the Eagles on such a short week. Andy Reid and the Eagles organization put together what was believed to be a dream team. With a record of 4 and 7, the only dreams for Andy Reid and the Eagles will be of lying beachside on the coast of Hawaii late in January.

Philadelphia- 21
Seattle- 25

Tennessee at Buffalo

In their game last week against the New York Jets, the Bills won the time of possession, had better efficiency on third downs, won the turnover battle, and won the field position battle. How did they manage to lose this game? Stevie Johnson. Stevie Johnson single-handedly lost this game for the Bills. Three dropped passes and an incredibly stupid penalty because he was mocking the Jets in a celebration cost the Bills this game. Chan Gailey really should consider benching Johnson for the display he put on in Sundays game. The threat of benching Chris Johnson seemed to have a positive effect on his play, and it should have the same effect on Stevie Johnson’s play. In Tennessee, Chris Johnson finally looked like Chris Johnson again. He evaded tacklers behind the line of scrimmage and made tacklers miss for the first time this season. The Bills are 28th in the league in points allowed per game allowing 25 points scored against them, and will struggle to stop Chris Johnson. With Matt Hasselback and the Titans offense hitting their stride, they could put enough pressure on the Texans to win the AFC South.

Tennessee- 24
Buffalo-21

Indianapolis at New England

For the last decade, the Colts and the Patriots is a game all football fans look forward to. Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady and usually these two teams would be battling for the number one seed in the AFC. This season, the Colts are winless and will no doubt continue to be winless after this matchup with the Patriots.

Indianapolis- 10
New England- 35

N.Y. Jets at Washington

In what some are considering the worst four touchdown passing performance in NFL history, many are forgetting the Jets got a key win last week against the Bills. Mark Sanchez looked downright horrible for the first three and a half quarters, but suddenly turned his play around and led the Jets to victory with a fourth quarter drive. In his postgame press conference Rex Ryan stated that “Mark Sanchez is not part of the problem, he is one of our strengths”. Rex, if “Sanchize” is one your strengths, there is a problem. Now the Jets travel to Washington to play what is a virtual playoff game for New York. Every game the Jets play in the rest of the season is a playoff game. If they lose, they crush their hopes at an AFC wildcard. The Jets and Sanchez will squeeze out another win in a close game as their defense forces Grossman into another multiple interception performance.

New York Jets- 23
Washington-17

Carolina at Tampa Bay

The first word that comes to mind when thinking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is sloppy. They are always playing in turnover ridden games usually played in some type of unfavorable weather that end in ridiculous plays on either side of the ball. In their most recent game against the Titans, the ball popped loose from Josh Freeman’s hands on a quarterback sneak on a 4th and 1 as the Bucs were driving late in the fourth quarter. With the Bucs fifth straight loss, Raheem Morris is the latest coach in the league to appear on the hot seat. As the Buccaneers expected to be competitive this year, the Panthers knew they were preparing for the future. With Cam Newton exceeding already lofty expectations, the Panthers future is looking even brighter. The team that wins this game will limit turnovers and be dominant in their ground attack. If LeGarette Blount can hold on to the ball, the Buccaneers will win an extremely close game that should be a great rivalry for the next decade.

Carolina- 24
Tampa Bay- 27

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh

While the Bengals got a much-needed win against the Browns, their schedule is clearly affecting their play. They came out flat against Cleveland because they were coming off two hard-fought games against the Bengals and Steelers. This last stretch for Cincinnati will be challenging and it starts this week when they travel to Pittsburgh where the “Terrible Towel” will be waving furiously. Ben Roethlisberger is no doubt the toughest player in the NFL. Not only does he seem to always have some type of nagging injury and play through that injury, but he also remains a top ten quarterback despite those hindrances. Big Ben is the epitome of the Steelers with a tough, never-quit attitude. That toughness and hard-hitting approach wears down on opponents and will wear down the Bengals this weekend. The Bengals fall to 7 and 5 and their playoff hopes continue to remain in question.

Cincinnati- 20
Pittsburgh- 24

Kansas City at Chicago

The Kansas City Chiefs have to be one of the most mysterious teams this season. After losing three games to start the season, they won four in a row and looked like they could compete in their division. They have now lost four consecutive games and look absolutely horrendous on offense with Tyler Palko at quarterback. Their defense did play well against the Steelers constantly putting pressure on Big Ben. As they travel to the windy city, their defense will have to be perfect to give the team a chance to win this game. While Palko has been dreadful for the Chiefs, Caleb Hanie was not impressive in his first start for the Bears. Not only did he throw three interceptions, but those interceptions came in key situations. Hanie has to be smarter with the ball if the Bears have any chance of competing for a wildcard spot. Against the Chiefs, Matt Forte will explode for 150 rushing yards and Hanie will be asked to do very little in a crucial win for the Bears.

Kansas City- 17
Chicago- 27

Atlanta at Houston

Just when the Texans looked like they would make a serious push for the playoffs and make a run deep into the playoffs, Matt Schaub and backup quarterback Matt Leinart are knocked out for the season. With the Titans not completely out of the AFC South race, the Texans will rely on T.J. Yates. The rushing attack and the defense will have to step it up more so than it has this season. The Texans now host one of the leagues most underrated defenses and the second best defense against the run in the league. The Falcons look like a playoff team again after winning five out of their last six games. Barring a major collapse, the Falcons should make the playoffs. However, their success in the playoffs will be determined by their consistency. If Matt Ryan can stay as consistent away as he is at home, the Falcons could be dangerous. With two talented defenses in this matchup, the better offense will win this game. The Texans will struggle with Yates at quarterback, and Matt Ryan and the Falcons will improve to 8 and 4, continuing to put pressure on the New Orleans Saints.

Atlanta- 28
Houston- 20

Oakland at Miami

The Dolphins have had multiple games this season where they have lost on opponent fourth quarter drives. The team has remained competitive and is a difficult win for any team that still has to play them. The biggest question for the Dolphins for the remainder of the season will be if Matt Moore can potentially be their franchise quarterback. We have seen several teams overpay quarterbacks way too soon or draft quarterbacks way too high without fully knowing if they can lead their team. While the Dolphins look for answers at the quarterback position, Hue Jackson and the Raiders have found their answer in Carson Palmer. He gives them the superior downfield passer that they have been looking for and makes them a serious contender in the AFC. Traveling to Miami this week will be an extremely challenging game for Oakland. The Miami defense has been playing well only allowing 10 points per game over their last four games. This will be defensive battle and an upset victory for the Dolphins.

Oakland- 17
Miami- 20

Denver at Minnesota

MVP! MVP! Think about it! Before the time of Tebow, the Denver Broncos were in a lowly place, were 1 and 4, and were in last in the AFC West. As the Broncos were losing 15-0 to the Miami Dolphins, John Fox made the call to put Tebow into the game. A miraculous fourth quarter comeback and four wins later, Tim Tebow has captured the hearts and minds of football fans across the nation. There are few articles and few highlights that do not have Tebow as the lead story. Now the question remains; is Tebow a serious MVP contender? Without him who knows how miserable the Broncos still could be. With him, not only does the offensive playcalling change, but more importantly so does the attitude and confidence of this team. It would be laughable if Tebow was in the MVP conversation, but it is truly amazing what he has been able to do as a running quarterback. As the Broncos defense continues to keep these games close, Tebow will continue to perform miracles in the fourth quarter.

Denver- 17
Minnesota- 16

Baltimore at Cleveland

Looking at the sidelines of most NFL teams, you will find players and coaches wearing various hats, gloves, and merchandise from their teams. When you watch a Cleveland Browns game, you have to wonder why anyone would want to wear Browns apparel. It is ugly, has no appeal, and quite honestly the team has been terrible for the past decade. The same applies for the Cleveland Browns offense. It is ugly, it has no identity, and will be this bad until the Browns acquire a playmaker. Without any semblance of an imposing offense, the Browns will be no match for the fierce Ravens defense as Baltimore makes their case for the best team in the AFC.

Baltimore- 27
Cleveland- 13

St. Louis at San Francisco

After being swept in the season series by the Arizona Cardinals, the St. Louis Rams have officially hit rock bottom. They have won only two games, miraculously beating the Saints at home and beating the Browns in week 10. They are scoring less than 13 points a game, rushing for less than 115 yards per game, and throwing for only 190 yards per game. These are disastrous numbers for an offense that was looking to build on Sam Bradford’s sophomore season. They travel to the NFC West champion San Francisco 49ers who are coming off a difficult loss to the Ravens in the “Harbowl”. Even though the 49ers have no doubts about making the playoffs, a potential flaw was illustrated that could hurt them in the long run; their inability to consistently protect Alex Smith. Terrell Suggs and the Ravens defense was all over Smith on Thanksgiving night. They have to protect Smith each game to give him the opportunities to complete those short to intermediate passes that he has all season. Justin Smith and Aldon Smith will to do Sam Bradford what Suggs did to Smith last week and the 49ers will roll to their 10th win.

St. Louis- 12

San Francisco- 21

Green Bay at N.Y. Giants

As the saying goes, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. After looking like a top team in the NFC for much of the season, the Giants have officially fallen and fallen hard. The strength of this team is undoubtedly their defensive line and their ability to put pressure on the quarterback. That strength has been non-existent in the last three weeks which has factored in to the Giants three game losing streak. On offense, the Giants seriously miss running back Ahmad Bradshaw because it is obvious that Brandon Jacobs and Danny Ware cannot get the job done. As the Giants move further out of the playoff race with each loss, they have to be kicking themselves for losses to the Redskins and Seahawks earlier in the season. Another loss this week to the MVP Aaron Rodgers could spell an end to the Giants playoff hopes. In other news, and in what is great news for NFL history, Mike McCarthy recently stated that even after the Packers lock-up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, they will not shy away from the talks of an undefeated season. The Packers have proven they are the beat team in the league, but it should be interesting to see how they handle the pressure of a perfect season.

Green Bay-38
New York Giants- 30

Dallas at Arizona

The Arizona Cardinals are suddenly a respectable team. Not a good team, but definitely not bad and not one that other teams want to play. Patrick Peterson is a rookie that could compete with Von Miller and Aldon Smith for rookie of the year. He has electrified the league with his returning abilities and has been making spectacular defensive plays all season. The Dallas Cowboys have to be careful as they travel to Arizona this weekend. With three division match-ups in their final four games, two against the Giants still remaining, the Cowboys cannot overlook the Cardinals. If the Cowboys can contain Beanie Wells and Patrick Peterson, they should be able to stay on track and in first place in the NFC East.

Dallas- 28
Arizona- 22

Detroit at New Orleans

Oh when the Saints, come marching in, Oh when the Saints come marching in! Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints marched all over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football at the Superdome. As usual, Brees looked unstoppable at home and executed the gameplan to perfection. Fans got an inside look at a pre-game meeting between Head Coach Sean Payton, quarterback Drew Brees, and Offenive Coordinator Pete Carimichael Jr. This inside look illustrated that it takes not only superior skill to be successful, but also a vast intelligence for the game and an incredible understanding of the offense. As the Saints marched on the Giants, Ndamukong Suh marched on the Packers Evan Dietrich-Smith. Suh will now get a “Suhspension” of two games which is completely ridiculous. Suh should be suspended for the remainder of the season because he is a repeat offender. Without Suh, and with the Lions hope to make the playoffs slipping away, the Saints will dismantle the Lions.

Detroit- 28
New Orleans- 42

San Diego at Jacksonville

It seems like each week football fans get to watch one crummy night game. This week that crummy game is the Chargers at the Jaguars. The Chargers are victims of their last five games and were “Tebowed” last weekend. The Chargers defense has been respectable, but the major flaw has been the offense. Philip Rivers was well on his way to becoming an elite quarterback and has instead regressed drastically this season. In speaking of offensively challenged teams with questionable quarterback play, the Jaguars offense has been abysmal. They managed to score only 13 points last week with seven of those points coming on a first quarter fumble return for a touchdown. They have to be questioning their first round draft pick Blaine Gabbert. He looks frightened in the pocket and collapses to the ground when pressure is remotely close. The Jaguars will continue to regret such a high draft choice and the San Diego offense will finally show some signs of life this week.

San Diego- 26
Jacksonville- 13

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