NFL Picks, Week 13

NFL picks for week 13:

Thursday Night

NY Jets at Buffalo Bills (+3) - This is not what the NFL was looking for when they introduced their Thursday schedule. Phone banks at the cable and satellite companies light up today with customers demanding that the NFL Network be removed from their channel lineups.

UPDATE (Sunday/Monday games):

Philadelphia (-5.5) at Atlanta - One bird of pray is still flying fairly high, the other's trying to stay aloft on a crippled wing.

Tampa Bay at Carolina (-5) - I can't even generate the energy to pretend that I've got anything to say about this game.

St. Louis at Chicago (-9.5) - The Bears take advantage of a game against a much weaker opponent to pretend that they're still big, bad and fearsome. All of which are true, to some extent, but not in any of the senses that they want them to be true.

Detroit at Cincinnati (-13) - In Detroit, I'd pick the Lions to keep it close. But they aren't in Detroit.

Tennessee (+6.5) at Indianapolis - I don't believe that the Colts or Saints finishes undefeated, so I'll be picking against them until they lose. First up, under this new policy, are the Tennessee Titans and Vince Young, winners of five straight, and going for six in a game that is essentially a playoff game for them.

New Orleans at Washington (+10) - Short week, off a big win, with nothing much to play for - this is the week that New Orleans falls.

Oakland at Pittsburgh (-14.5) - Remember Thanksgiving? Remember how Oakland paid me back for believing they could keep it close against a good team on the road? Yeah, that was the last time.

Houston (-2) at Jacksonville - Here are two more teams trying to keep playoff hopes alive. The winner still has a legitimate (but unlikely) shot at a playoff berth, the Jaguars are done with a loss.

Denver (-6) at Kansas City - The Denver team that beat the Giants on Thanksgiving night, with 10 days off, has to be at least a double-digit pick over the Chiefs.

New England (-5) at Miami - Monday night's loss to New Orleans may have been the most dispiriting, depressing performance of the Patriots in the Belichick era. Not that there haven't been the occasional bad losses, because there have, but usually they've been "one of those games." Games that you could write off or discount. This one showed a tremendous disparity between the perception of the team and its performance. If, as I expect, they win in Miami today, it will be their first win of the year in someone else's home stadium. Their only road win thus far came against a weak Tampa team in London. I do expect them to win today, but there's a lot - a LOT - more that will have to be done to cleanse the palate of that Monday debacle...

San Diego (-13.5) at Cleveland - Has there been a more inept offensive team in recent memory than the Cleveland Browns?

Dallas at N.Y. Giants (+2.5) - I don't care that the Giants are struggling or that the Cowboys are in firt place in the NFC East

San Francisco (-1) at Seattle - So the oddsmakers think that the 49ers are only four points better on a neutral field? I don't think so.

Minnesota at Arizona (+3.5) - As my irrational dislike of the Vikings and their aged QB rears its ugly head yet again.

Baltimore (+3.5) at Green Bay - I expect this to be much better than last week's Monday night game.