We both came up empty after Dan Orlovsky improved his career-best winning streak to two by leading the Colts to an upset over soon to be one-and-done Houston on Thursday night.
Here's our take on the rest of the Christmas weekend festivities in the NFL.....
Here's our take on the rest of the Christmas weekend festivities in the NFL.....
(Dave's Note: Gabe emailed me his picks, which is awesome in terms of getting the picks posted quickly but unfortunate in the fact that he's unable to respond to my numerous quips....including the video posted in the Jets-Giants write-up.)
Raiders (+2.5) at Chiefs
Dave: Chiefs - Last Sunday was a miserable, miserable, miserable day in the Leonardis house, albeit one I saw coming months ago. I should have known that the karma gods would strike down upon myself and my Packers and have Green Bay's undefeated streak come to a crashing halt against my wife's Chiefs. Hell, Sporting News' NFL preview predicted it as such back in August(they had GB going 15-1...the one loss? You guessed it. At KC). My newly-raised concern for my boys heading into January is something I'll cover later. As for this week, I'd like to think if Kyle Orton is starting for KC a few weeks ago when Matt Cassel went down and Todd Haley is fired a few weeks prior, that the Chiefs would still be in the division hunt. Orton's a competent QB and, for some reason, the team never responded to Haley's methods. The Raiders, meanwhile, completely screwed themselves out of the playoffs by going all-in on Carson Palmer and now have the daunting task of playing the Chiefs at Arrowhead. Have fun with that, Raider Nation. Chiefs by 9.
Gabe: Chiefs
Broncos (-2.5) at Bills
Dave: Broncos - One word: Teeeeeeeeeeeeeeebbbbbbbbbboooooooooooow!!!!
Gabe: Bills
Jaguars (+7.5) at Titans
Dave: Titans - Tennessee comes into this one pissed off, having not only lost to then-winless Indy last Sunday but also now having to avoid a losing streak by beating a Jags team that beat them back in Week 1. I'm not ready to give up on Blaine Gabbert like many have already. When the Jags lock down Justin Blackmon or Alshon Jeffrey and give Gabbert a weapon, we'll see how he does. For now, he has to try to fend off a sneaky-good Titans defense and hope that his own D can halt Matt Hasselbeck(trying to save his job for next season, while also trying to keep Tennessee's scant playoff hopes alive) and Chris Johnson(finally shaking off the rigamortis built up the first three months of the season). I think the Titans D clamps down on MoJo D, forces Gabbert to make a few mistakes and they walk away with a 10-point W.
Gabe: Titans
Cardinals (+4.5) at Bengals
Dave: Cardinals - I'm down a few games here to Gabe, so I think I'll go a little bold this week. The Cards may actually be better than most, including myself, have given them credit for this season and John Skelton has emerged as the antithesis to the "Tim Tebow is a franchise QB because he knows how to win" argument that morons like Skip Bayless have been spewing for months(and, hell, I like Tebow....but I'm not willing to put him in Canton like some are). I think Skelton takes advantage of a battered Bengals secondary and slightly edges out Andy Dalton in a shootout. Cards with the upset by 3.
Gabe: Bengals
Dolphins (+9.5) at Patriots
Dave: Patriots - The last time these two teams met, Tom Brady put up 517 yards on the Phins and embarrassed Miami in front of a national audience on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins are a better team than the bunch that strolled into Gillette three months ago. Reggie Bush has finally turned himself into a legit starting RB. Matt Moore has resurrected his career from a virtual nobody to seat-filler for Landry Jones and Miami's secondary is better than people think. With all that said, I think Brady romps here again and locks down the top seed in the AFC with another brilliant performance. Pats by 13.
Gabe: Dolphins
Browns (+12) at Ravens
Dave: Ravens - It took some time but I finally figured Joe Flacco out....he's a pre-2007 Eli Manning. Remember before the 2007 playoffs when everyone, including Eli's biggest fan Gabe Rodriguez, were wanting to throw Eli out of the Big Apple because he was maddeningly inconsistent, showed no emotion when he would throw back-breaking picks and looked like an outright bust(especially while draftmate Ben Roethlisberger was winning rings in Pittsburgh)? That's Flacco right now. He practically copied "The Manning Face"(now equipped with the handlebar mustache John Travolta used in "Taking of Pelham 123") Sunday night in his dismal performance against the Chargers. Further adding to his inconsistent resume, Flacco will storm the field at M&T and torch the Browns, leading to a slew of "Where was this Joe Flacco a week ago?" arguments and "If Flacco plays like this, can anyone beat Baltimore come playoff time?" debates. Ravens by 16.
Gabe: Ravens
Giants (+3) vs. Jets (Technically, it's a home game for the Jets but they both share the same building!)
Dave: Jets - Even as a Packers fan, I'd rather see this game be the primetime special on Christmas Day over Green Bay-Chicago. For one, there's more at stake. Both teams' seasons are on the brink. It's a battle between two sneaky Super Bowl contenders that play in the same city....which just so happens to be the biggest sports market in the country. It's a rivalry that dates back for decades and includes moments like Jason Sehorn snapping his leg in half against Gang Green in a meaningless preseason game(and then spending his recovery time kissing up to Angie Harmon, who used to be a fox but now looks more like Mark Gastineau than Brittney Gastineau). It's Giants fans going crazy backing their boys after Big Blue receivers spent the week downplaying Darrelle Revis. It's Giants fans then looking stupid when Revis Island claims another victim and picks off two Eli Manning passes. It's Ryan vs. Coughlin. It's smashmouth football. Most importantly, it's Gabe Rodriguez in a tattered Rodney Hampton jersey with a gold Jesus piece on and a Mets hat tilted to the right while THIS is playing on a constant loop throughout the Rodriguez residence. It's me getting excited and using 140 words on a game I'll miss because I'll be at work. It's the Jets winning by 6 and ending New York's playoff hopes and forcing us to listen to "Will the Giants fire Tom Coughlin?" questions for the next two weeks. It's me not trying to be bitter over Mark Sanchez dating Kate Upton. It's......ok, you get the point.
Raiders (+2.5) at Chiefs
Dave: Chiefs - Last Sunday was a miserable, miserable, miserable day in the Leonardis house, albeit one I saw coming months ago. I should have known that the karma gods would strike down upon myself and my Packers and have Green Bay's undefeated streak come to a crashing halt against my wife's Chiefs. Hell, Sporting News' NFL preview predicted it as such back in August(they had GB going 15-1...the one loss? You guessed it. At KC). My newly-raised concern for my boys heading into January is something I'll cover later. As for this week, I'd like to think if Kyle Orton is starting for KC a few weeks ago when Matt Cassel went down and Todd Haley is fired a few weeks prior, that the Chiefs would still be in the division hunt. Orton's a competent QB and, for some reason, the team never responded to Haley's methods. The Raiders, meanwhile, completely screwed themselves out of the playoffs by going all-in on Carson Palmer and now have the daunting task of playing the Chiefs at Arrowhead. Have fun with that, Raider Nation. Chiefs by 9.
Gabe: Chiefs
Broncos (-2.5) at Bills
Dave: Broncos - One word: Teeeeeeeeeeeeeeebbbbbbbbbboooooooooooow!!!!
Gabe: Bills
Jaguars (+7.5) at Titans
Dave: Titans - Tennessee comes into this one pissed off, having not only lost to then-winless Indy last Sunday but also now having to avoid a losing streak by beating a Jags team that beat them back in Week 1. I'm not ready to give up on Blaine Gabbert like many have already. When the Jags lock down Justin Blackmon or Alshon Jeffrey and give Gabbert a weapon, we'll see how he does. For now, he has to try to fend off a sneaky-good Titans defense and hope that his own D can halt Matt Hasselbeck(trying to save his job for next season, while also trying to keep Tennessee's scant playoff hopes alive) and Chris Johnson(finally shaking off the rigamortis built up the first three months of the season). I think the Titans D clamps down on MoJo D, forces Gabbert to make a few mistakes and they walk away with a 10-point W.
Gabe: Titans
Cardinals (+4.5) at Bengals
Dave: Cardinals - I'm down a few games here to Gabe, so I think I'll go a little bold this week. The Cards may actually be better than most, including myself, have given them credit for this season and John Skelton has emerged as the antithesis to the "Tim Tebow is a franchise QB because he knows how to win" argument that morons like Skip Bayless have been spewing for months(and, hell, I like Tebow....but I'm not willing to put him in Canton like some are). I think Skelton takes advantage of a battered Bengals secondary and slightly edges out Andy Dalton in a shootout. Cards with the upset by 3.
Gabe: Bengals
Dolphins (+9.5) at Patriots
Dave: Patriots - The last time these two teams met, Tom Brady put up 517 yards on the Phins and embarrassed Miami in front of a national audience on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins are a better team than the bunch that strolled into Gillette three months ago. Reggie Bush has finally turned himself into a legit starting RB. Matt Moore has resurrected his career from a virtual nobody to seat-filler for Landry Jones and Miami's secondary is better than people think. With all that said, I think Brady romps here again and locks down the top seed in the AFC with another brilliant performance. Pats by 13.
Gabe: Dolphins
Browns (+12) at Ravens
Dave: Ravens - It took some time but I finally figured Joe Flacco out....he's a pre-2007 Eli Manning. Remember before the 2007 playoffs when everyone, including Eli's biggest fan Gabe Rodriguez, were wanting to throw Eli out of the Big Apple because he was maddeningly inconsistent, showed no emotion when he would throw back-breaking picks and looked like an outright bust(especially while draftmate Ben Roethlisberger was winning rings in Pittsburgh)? That's Flacco right now. He practically copied "The Manning Face"(now equipped with the handlebar mustache John Travolta used in "Taking of Pelham 123") Sunday night in his dismal performance against the Chargers. Further adding to his inconsistent resume, Flacco will storm the field at M&T and torch the Browns, leading to a slew of "Where was this Joe Flacco a week ago?" arguments and "If Flacco plays like this, can anyone beat Baltimore come playoff time?" debates. Ravens by 16.
Gabe: Ravens
Giants (+3) vs. Jets (Technically, it's a home game for the Jets but they both share the same building!)
Dave: Jets - Even as a Packers fan, I'd rather see this game be the primetime special on Christmas Day over Green Bay-Chicago. For one, there's more at stake. Both teams' seasons are on the brink. It's a battle between two sneaky Super Bowl contenders that play in the same city....which just so happens to be the biggest sports market in the country. It's a rivalry that dates back for decades and includes moments like Jason Sehorn snapping his leg in half against Gang Green in a meaningless preseason game(and then spending his recovery time kissing up to Angie Harmon, who used to be a fox but now looks more like Mark Gastineau than Brittney Gastineau). It's Giants fans going crazy backing their boys after Big Blue receivers spent the week downplaying Darrelle Revis. It's Giants fans then looking stupid when Revis Island claims another victim and picks off two Eli Manning passes. It's Ryan vs. Coughlin. It's smashmouth football. Most importantly, it's Gabe Rodriguez in a tattered Rodney Hampton jersey with a gold Jesus piece on and a Mets hat tilted to the right while THIS is playing on a constant loop throughout the Rodriguez residence. It's me getting excited and using 140 words on a game I'll miss because I'll be at work. It's the Jets winning by 6 and ending New York's playoff hopes and forcing us to listen to "Will the Giants fire Tom Coughlin?" questions for the next two weeks. It's me not trying to be bitter over Mark Sanchez dating Kate Upton. It's......ok, you get the point.
Gabe: Giants
Vikings (+7) at Redskins
Dave: Redskins - Is it bad that I used nearly two paragraphs on Giants-Jets but don't want to use more than two sentences on this steaming pile of shit matchup? I'll take the soon-to-be RG3-led Redskins over the Christian Ponder-led Vikes by 9.
Gabe: Redskins
Bucs (+7.5) at Panthers
Dave: Panthers - With the Colts making sort of a comeback, the Rams tragically battered and the Vikes woefully incompetent, can the case be made that Tampa Bay is the worst team in the NFL? I think so. Look at all the potential this team had coming into the season. You could at least point to those previous teams and say "Well, if such-and-such didn't get hurt..." or "Had they done this earlier..." as a possible reason for their standings atop the Draft in April. What's Tampa's excuse? Josh Freeman has played pretty much all year(and played poorly, mind you). They got a full season out of their young receivers. LaGarrette Blount missed a couple games but he's been mostly healthy. You can't use the "their rookies didn't have time to get adjusted to the defense" argument when guys like Von Miller are looking like the second coming of Jevon Kearse. The Bucs just flat-out dropped the ball. The Panthers, meanwhile? They are going to be scary good in a couple years. Cam-Cam has only sniffed his potential as a dual threat and, once Ron Rivera builds that defense up, they are going to give teams fits. Panthers by 10.
Gabe: Panthers
Rams (+13) at Steelers
Dave: Steelers - Because the Steelers should have made this QB switch two weeks ago when Big Ben's ankle bent in half instead of allowing Big Ben to bully them these last two games. Because the Rams aren't going to be able to do dick against this Pittsburgh defense. Because I think Batch will get the ball out early and we'll see a few more big plays than we have in recent weeks, especially from Mike Wallace. Because I can smell the Rams sneaking up on the Colts for the #1 pick and then we spend the first four months of 2012 speculating on whether they trade Sam Bradford or Andrew Luck. Because I needed a reason to write a paragraph starting every sentence with because. Because the Rams' pass rush will probably exploit this terrible Steeler offensive line and I'll look like an idiot. Because I'm an idiot, I'm still saying Steelers with the shutout and win by 17.
Gabe: Steelers
Chargers (+2) at Lions
Dave: Lions - Oh, beleaguered Chargers fan base, your Bolts have conned you into having hope with another late stretch run again. Look, your team is better than its record but it has been held back for a long time thanks to poor coaching and even poorer management. You should have had three rings by now either from the Brees-LT-McCardell nucleus or the Rivers-LT-Sproles-Gates-Jackson nucleus. You blew it. You cursed yourselves when A.J. Smith foolishly canned Marty and now you're paying for it and the end of the Norv Turner era starts today. Phillip Rivers isn't going to be able to play pitch-and-catch with the Lions like he did with the Ravens. Not with a pissed off Ndomukong Suh in his face, he won't. I like the Lions big here with a few Stafford-to-Megatron bombs. Lions by 17.
Gabe: Chargers
Niners (+1) at Seahawks
Dave: Niners - If not for that L against Arizona, the Niners would have every reason to just rest their starters and sit back on that 2 seed. Instead, they have to work a little harder for that first round bye and go into a tough place to play in Qwest Field and pull off a W on four days rest. Because of that, I think this game will be closer than one might expect. The Seahawks are pretty good against the run and Seattle's offense has shown some signs of life this season, especially when Marshawn Lynch is in Beast Mode. I think Seattle makes San Fran earn it here but Alex Smith and company walk out with a 6-point win.
Gabe: Niners
Eagles (+1.5) at Cowboys
Dave: Eagles - When Gabe's Giants lose to the Jets, I, then, will have to figure which team of the two teams I hate the most in the NFL(Dallas and Philly) to root against in the playoffs. I wish there was a way where no team from the NFC East could get a playoff spot and that spot could, instead, go to a team like LSU or Alabama....just for shits and giggles. I like Philly here because they roasted the Cowboys a month ago, and that was when Dallas actually had DeMarco Murray. Now, they are without Murray AND Felix Jones(surprise, surprise! Good job taking "The Cat" over CJ2K a few years ago, Jerry Jones!) and face Philly when they actually have a glimmer of hope of making the playoffs. Mike Vick is going to tear up this porous Dallas secondary. We'll get at least 35 shots of Rob Ryan looking like Sean Connery in "The Rock", screaming and yelling on the sidelines. Tony Romo will find a way to find his favorite target, Asante Sameul, at least once and Jerry Jones' plastic face will contort in a new way to express his disappointment in the unlovable losers that HE built. Ugh. Eagles by 14.
Gabe: Cowboys
Bears (+11) at Packers
Dave: Bears - I'm taking NO chances here. Last week, facing a team starting its 3rd string QB that had just fired its coach, Green Bay found a way to come up short against Kansas City. Now, they get Chicago and third string Josh McCown, who hasn't played since 2009. Do I think Green Bay will lose? No. But keep in mind that Chicago always plays Green Bay tough, that the Packers' offensive line is beat up and that this Packers defense made Kyle Orton look like Joe Montana a month after making him look like Giovanni Carmazzi when Orton was in Denver. It's amazing how a five-point loss to Kansas City can make you change your mind from "We're gonna repeat" to "I don't know if we'll win a playoff game this year". That's how concerned I am over by boys. The NFC is surprisingly deep this year. Detroit would probably be a 2 seed in the AFC, and they are the 6 seed in the NFC. There isn't a team I feel comfortable facing come next month, and that includes shaky Dallas or Philly. The Greg Jennings injury was manageable because we had depth and he'll be back when it matters. But Derrek Sherrod breaking his leg, Bryan Bulaga hurting his knee and Chad Clifton showing his age officially has me at an all-time high on the "Aw, fuck!" scale. Packers will anger-bang the Bears here but it won't be a blowout because this defense hasn't put a team away in weeks. I'll say Green Bay by 9.
Gabe: Packers
Falcons (+6.5) at Saints
Dave: Falcons - A rare good game on MNF. It's a Christmas miracle! Soon the blind shall see and the limp shall walk! The last Falcons-Saints clash came down to the wire(in fact, the last four games between these two have been decided by three points), and that's before Atlanta got hot like they are now. Either way, both of these teams are going to end up in the playoffs but Atlanta could do their division rivals a disservice by helping to cost them a first round bye by snagging a W here. A couple of interesting things to also look forward to Monday night: Drew Brees needs 305 yards to pass Dan Marino for the single-season passing yards record and Matt Ryan needs 303 to notch 4,000....which means we're going to see two teams sling it all night long.....like Peter North at a frat party. I think New Orleans wins this one, but I think it will be close yet again. Saints by 3.
Gabe: Saints
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