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| It'll be up to Adrian Peterson to carry his team past the Packers and into the playoffs. (Getty) |
The NFC is totally different.
The NFC East is as a wide-open as it was last week with a huge primetime game between Washington and Dallas being a deciding factor. Meanwhile, the Vikings, Bears, and Giants all remain in contention, along with those two, for what will amount to just two spots: the NFC East and the second Wild Card.
The Vikings are in with a win, the Redskins are in with a win. Should either of those two teams lose, and it's likely that at least one of them might, then all bets are off. Instead of walking through all the tiebreakers, let's just watch the games and see how it all shakes out at about 11:30 on Sunday night.
Stally's Eight-Point Pick - @Denver over Kansas City
Stally: There was a time when the Broncos were 2-3, they've now won 10 straight and sit at 12-3. The win streak against predominantly weak teams doesn't guarantee them playoff success, but they get more and more convincing as they go. There's no way that one of the NFL's best teams loses at home to the league's worst.
Austen: Peyton Manning is too good and this defense is too fierce for the Chiefs to have any hope in this one. The Chiefs' first in-game lead of the season was against the Broncos earlier this year, and they still ended up being blown out.
Stally: Well, the final was only 17-9 in the previous meeting, but it was still miserable for the Chiefs.
Austen's Eight-Point Pick - @New England over Miami
Austen: I truly believe the Patriots will play to win this game and that means they will beat an inconsistent Dolphins team. The Patriots will force Ryan Tannehill to throw early and often, and that will be their downfall.
Stally: The Pats have a lot to play for as either a Broncos or Texans loss and a New England win gives them a first-round bye, while a loss coupled with a Ravens win dumps them to the bottom of the divisional food chain. However, they looked like a team that had packed in for the postseason against Jacksonville and nearly lost last week. While they didn't play particularly well, the reason for the performance was mainly because they didn't roll out their full arsenal. Houston and Baltimore both play at 1 p.m. and the Patriots are at 4:25, so if the former wins and the latter loses and New England is looking at the three-seed and not much else, I wouldn't be surprised if the Pats put some stars on the bench early.
Stally's Seven-Point Pick - @Seattle over St. Louis
Stally: Seattle has won it's last three games by a combined total of 150-30. That's an average win of 50-10, and their 42-13 romp of division-leading San Francisco solidified the Seahawks' status as a top team. They were a different team when they lost in St. Louis 19-13 in September, and I don't expect this one to be close. Seattle should close out their home season with a perfect 8-0 record at CenturyLink Field.
Stally: Seattle has won it's last three games by a combined total of 150-30. That's an average win of 50-10, and their 42-13 romp of division-leading San Francisco solidified the Seahawks' status as a top team. They were a different team when they lost in St. Louis 19-13 in September, and I don't expect this one to be close. Seattle should close out their home season with a perfect 8-0 record at CenturyLink Field.
Austen: Russell Wilson will have to have his worst game of the year to blow this game. I just don't see that happening after scoring eight touchdowns in his last two games. If the Redskins fall to the Cowboys today, Russell Wilson would be hands down my vote for Rookie of the Year, and he might be the pick either way.
Austen's Seven-Point Pick - @San Francisco over Arizona
Austen: I am shocked that Stally did not take this over Seattle, but I will gladly nab it. If the 49ers lose this game, they would lose the division if Seattle beats the Rams. Therefore, the horrendous Cardinals will get a 49ers team going at 100%. That is not good. If the game was in Arizona, I might give them a bit more of a shot in this one, but it's not, and I won't.
Stally: I wouldn't say it's "shocking," after I listed the Seattle stats, that I wanted them over San Francisco, but I do have the Niners right behind them in terms of confidence. There's no way they lose this one, not unless Kurt Warner walks back into the Zona locker room.
Stally's Six-Point Pick - @Pittsburgh over Cleveland
Stally: Austen had assumed I'd balk at taking a 7-8 team that lost 20-14 to the Browns just a month ago, but I didn't. Cleveland has mailed it in, choosing to rest their injured running back, Trent Richardson, and top two quarterbacks, old rookie Brandon Weeden and younger veteran Colt McCoy. Raise your hand if you think that former Duke quarterback Thad Lewis, for whom ESPN has yet to list a jersey number, is going to win this game for the Browns.
Austen: This is clearly, and unfortunately, the right choice by Stally. The Steelers' season might be over, but Mike Tomlin hates losing. Enter the banged up Browns and you have the perfect scenario for a good ol' rivalry beat down.
Stally: Austen had assumed I'd balk at taking a 7-8 team that lost 20-14 to the Browns just a month ago, but I didn't. Cleveland has mailed it in, choosing to rest their injured running back, Trent Richardson, and top two quarterbacks, old rookie Brandon Weeden and younger veteran Colt McCoy. Raise your hand if you think that former Duke quarterback Thad Lewis, for whom ESPN has yet to list a jersey number, is going to win this game for the Browns.
Austen: This is clearly, and unfortunately, the right choice by Stally. The Steelers' season might be over, but Mike Tomlin hates losing. Enter the banged up Browns and you have the perfect scenario for a good ol' rivalry beat down.
Austen's Six-Point Pick - @San Diego over Oakland
Austen: Both these teams stink, but the Raiders were bad with Carson Palmer leading them. He is injured and they are starting Terrelle Pryor. He might have a whole lot of athletic ability, but since the coaching staff said only a few days ago that they were, "concerned about his understanding of the playbook," I would not hold out much hope for him having a good game. The Raiders' defense is just what Phillip Rivers needs to look elite again.
Stally: I'm not sure Philip Rivers will ever look elite again, but I am sure that San Diego wins this one.
Stally's Five-Point Pick - @New York Giants over Philadelphia
Stally: I would love nothing more than to see Michael Vick's last appearance be an embarrassment to the Giants. The G-Men, as Chris Berman insists on calling them, have flat out stunk up the joint in 34-0 and 33-14 losses in Atlanta and Baltimore, respectively. However, nobody's stunk it up more than the Eagles this year, and this game is in New York. It's hard to imagine the Giants stinking badly enough to lose this one.
Austen: This is another matchup I had high that I never thought Stally would take. The Giants might be inconsistent, but the Eagles are flat out horrible.
Stally: I would love nothing more than to see Michael Vick's last appearance be an embarrassment to the Giants. The G-Men, as Chris Berman insists on calling them, have flat out stunk up the joint in 34-0 and 33-14 losses in Atlanta and Baltimore, respectively. However, nobody's stunk it up more than the Eagles this year, and this game is in New York. It's hard to imagine the Giants stinking badly enough to lose this one.
Austen: This is another matchup I had high that I never thought Stally would take. The Giants might be inconsistent, but the Eagles are flat out horrible.
Austen's Five-Point Pick - @New Orleans over Carolina
Austen: The Saints officially have hope again after signing Sean Payton to a five-year contract extension. Meanwhile, the Panthers' coach, Ron Rivera, is all but fired. He is probably too busy updating his resume in order to game plan against the Saints. All that being said, the Saints are a better team and they are at home. What's not to like?
Stally: Nothing; there's nothing not to like. Geaux Saints.
Stally's Four-Point Pick - @Washington over Dallas
Stally: There's plenty of talent in Dallas, but it's not amounting to much. The Cowboys have gone to overtime against two 7-8 disappointments, Pittsburgh and New Orleans, in their last two games, both at home. They've played a lot of close games, but the inconsistency will kill them when heading on the road to play a Washington team that's won six straight.
Austen: This is the game of the week, so I have a lot to say. If it were not for the injury to starting middle linebacker Sean Lee, the Cowboys would have already had this division wrapped up. He might be the most underrated player in the NFL and his loss had a huge impact on this defense, since he was the unquestioned leader who put everyone in the right place. The Cowboys have shocked me with how well they have played the second half of the year without Lee and could very well knock off the Redskins. If the Redskins cannot slow down Dez Bryant, and they seemingly have not been able to slow down anyone this year, RG3 will have to have an enormous day. This game should be a shootout and I am only taking the Redskins because RG3 has avoided the big mistakes, while Tony Romo is still a liability in big games like this. It will be closer than Stally thinks, so I would not have taken this so high.
Stally: There's plenty of talent in Dallas, but it's not amounting to much. The Cowboys have gone to overtime against two 7-8 disappointments, Pittsburgh and New Orleans, in their last two games, both at home. They've played a lot of close games, but the inconsistency will kill them when heading on the road to play a Washington team that's won six straight.
Austen: This is the game of the week, so I have a lot to say. If it were not for the injury to starting middle linebacker Sean Lee, the Cowboys would have already had this division wrapped up. He might be the most underrated player in the NFL and his loss had a huge impact on this defense, since he was the unquestioned leader who put everyone in the right place. The Cowboys have shocked me with how well they have played the second half of the year without Lee and could very well knock off the Redskins. If the Redskins cannot slow down Dez Bryant, and they seemingly have not been able to slow down anyone this year, RG3 will have to have an enormous day. This game should be a shootout and I am only taking the Redskins because RG3 has avoided the big mistakes, while Tony Romo is still a liability in big games like this. It will be closer than Stally thinks, so I would not have taken this so high.
Austen's Four-Point Pick - Houston over @Indianapolis
Austen: The Texans have more to play for than the Colts. The Texans will lose a first-round bye if they fall to the Colts. The Colts will be the fifth seed no matter what. If J.J. Watt gets to Andrew Luck early in this game, and I believe he will, the Colts are likely to take him out of the game. As we know from last season, the Colts don't like having decent backup quarterbacks, so that will not be good. Even if Luck is in the entire game, he tends to still make a lot of big mistakes that hurt his team and cause them to need ridiculous comebacks in order to win games late. And don't get me started on how bad the Colts' defense is. Let's just say I like the Texans in this one.
Stally: Ok, you seem to have forgotten about the fact that the Colts tend to play inspired football for Head Coach Chuck Pagano. It seemed like every time the team did something to acknowledge his fight with leukemia, the team won. His return to sidelines for the first time this season will only mean good things. You can trash Andrew Luck all you want, but he's found a lot of ways to win games. I'm taking his team at home over a Texans team that I've said for several weeks peaked too early and lost 23-6 at home to Minnesota last weekend.
Stally's Three-Point Pick - @Buffalo over New York Jets
Stally: In 2003, New England went on the road in Week 1 and lost 31-0 to Buffalo. In Week 17, they beat them at home 31-0. Nine years later, Buffalo might be on the opposite end of the scenario. The Bills were destroyed 48-28 in Week 1 at MetLife Stadium, but that was the high water mark for a Jets offense that has scored less than 20 points in 10 of 15 games. I can't see the return of Mark Sanchez inspiring the flightless Jets.
Austen: I have no interest in touching this game. I give the benefit of the doubt to the home team, but that's all I can say good about the Bills right now. Shonn Greene could have a huge day again and keep Sanchez from needing to do much of anything to win this game. On the other hand, the same could be said for C.J. Spiller and Ryan Fitzpatrick. There will be a lot of running and a lot of terrible quarterback play. That's all I can guarantee.
Stally: It's games like this that make me happy my team has Tom Brady at the helm.
Stally: In 2003, New England went on the road in Week 1 and lost 31-0 to Buffalo. In Week 17, they beat them at home 31-0. Nine years later, Buffalo might be on the opposite end of the scenario. The Bills were destroyed 48-28 in Week 1 at MetLife Stadium, but that was the high water mark for a Jets offense that has scored less than 20 points in 10 of 15 games. I can't see the return of Mark Sanchez inspiring the flightless Jets.
Austen: I have no interest in touching this game. I give the benefit of the doubt to the home team, but that's all I can say good about the Bills right now. Shonn Greene could have a huge day again and keep Sanchez from needing to do much of anything to win this game. On the other hand, the same could be said for C.J. Spiller and Ryan Fitzpatrick. There will be a lot of running and a lot of terrible quarterback play. That's all I can guarantee.
Stally: It's games like this that make me happy my team has Tom Brady at the helm.
Austen's Three-Point Pick - Chicago over @Detroit
Austen: Can you believe how far this team has fallen? The Bears were 7-1 at one point and looked like they might wrap up a first-round bye. Now they have to win this game to even have a shot at a playoff spot. Luckily they are playing the Lions, who seemingly cannot beat anyone. The Bears fall in that anyone category, so I will take them in what could be Lovie Smith's last game as their coach.
Stally: The Lions at home are the perfect spoiler for their bitter division rival. Detroit is the biggest disappointment in the league, except for maybe the Eagles, but with how much the Bears have struggled, I think that if the Lions show up, they can knock out a team on the ropes. I have Detroit.
Stally's Two-Point Pick - @Tennessee over Jacksonville
Stally: I'll give Jacksonville credit. Last week against New England, they didn't look like a team that had quit, despite being 2-12. I can't say the same about a Tennessee team that lost 55-7 in Green Bay. I think that the Titans are the more talented team, and they're better at home, but I'm not totally in on them either.
Austen: In a league with so much parity, it is almost shocking how bad these two teams are. The Titans at least have talent and potential, where the Jags really have none of either. The Titans are the right choice.
Stally: I'll give Jacksonville credit. Last week against New England, they didn't look like a team that had quit, despite being 2-12. I can't say the same about a Tennessee team that lost 55-7 in Green Bay. I think that the Titans are the more talented team, and they're better at home, but I'm not totally in on them either.
Austen: In a league with so much parity, it is almost shocking how bad these two teams are. The Titans at least have talent and potential, where the Jags really have none of either. The Titans are the right choice.
Austen's Two-Point Pick - Green Bay over @Minnesota
Austen: The Packers want that first-round bye. I love the way the Vikings have played this year, and if Adrian Peterson does not win the MVP this year, the award will officially be a joke. I've never seen one player make such a difference on a team ever. Everyone else on this roster is mediocre at best. Peterson is the sole reason they are not picking in the top five this year. All that being said, I simply do not think the Vikings will be able to put up enough points to knock off the Packers. It will be a sad end to their season, but they still have to be proud of the way they fought.
Stally: I correctly picked the Vikings to win in Houston last week, so why bail on them now that they're at home, where they are 6-1 this season. Austen does have a point, as AP rushed for 210 yards against the Packers at the start of the month and the team still lost 23-14, but they've won three straight since.
Stally's One-Point Pick - Tampa Bay over @Atlanta
Stally: The Falcons have nothing left to play for, having locked up the NFC's top-seed. I assume they'll take this week off, with Matt Ryan playing not more than a quarter and Roddy White, who hasn't practiced all week and is listed as questionable, not touching the field. Tampa Bay wins this one by default.
Austen: I simply cannot trust Josh Freeman to beat anyone right now. His turnovers have sunk the Bucs' once promising season. It will be a close one, but I think the Falcons will keep most of their starters in the game and the Bucs' will have to live with yet another tally in the L column.
Stally: The Falcons have nothing left to play for, having locked up the NFC's top-seed. I assume they'll take this week off, with Matt Ryan playing not more than a quarter and Roddy White, who hasn't practiced all week and is listed as questionable, not touching the field. Tampa Bay wins this one by default.
Austen: I simply cannot trust Josh Freeman to beat anyone right now. His turnovers have sunk the Bucs' once promising season. It will be a close one, but I think the Falcons will keep most of their starters in the game and the Bucs' will have to live with yet another tally in the L column.
Austen's One-Point Pick - @Cinncinati over Baltimore
Austen: Both of these teams could rest their starters so I really have no idea what will happen. So I'll take the home team, who I also happen to think is the better team.
Stally: Agreed. See above.
Austen: Both of these teams could rest their starters so I really have no idea what will happen. So I'll take the home team, who I also happen to think is the better team.
Stally: Agreed. See above.
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