Week 17 Picks

In an attempt to preserve his lead and end the 2011 regular season with his third straight crown, Gabe is resting his starters this week. Translation: Gabe is on vacation in Italy and, thus, unable to send in his picks for Week 17.

So Dave is going to fly solo for the final week of the season and, despite temptation to rule this a forfeit and give himself the regular season title, will instead grace us with his take on this week's somewhat meaningless games.

Lions (-6.5) at Packers

Dave: Lions - A pointless game for the Packers here as they've already locked down the top seed in the NFC and homefield advantage. However, don't think Green Bay wouldn't love to stick it to Detroit and send a message to the rest of the league by messing around and putting a whooping on the Lions with their B team. Two things you should have learned from last year, the Packers are surprisingly deep and Matt Flynn is a capable starter. How deflating would it be for Detroit to go into the playoffs as a 6 seed, having to go on the road to New Orleans or San Fran, having just lost on the road to a backup squad? That's why I think Detroit is going to come out, guns blazing, at first, build an early lead and dare Flynn to make a comeback. My gut says this one will be close but my heart says the Lions roll here. Lions by 10.

Niners (-11) at Rams

Dave: Niners - The Niners are trying to keep their scant hopes at the 2 seed alive while St. Louis has an outside shot at the #1 pick with an L here and a Indy W over Jacksonville. So both teams have something to gain from a San Fran win here(though SF also needs a Panthers win over the Saints). The Rams don't have much fight left in them, especially on offense, with Sam Bradford out and Steven Jackson wearing down. The Niners, much like the Steelers did last week, are going to smother Nellyville on O and end the Steve Spagnuolo era with a second straight shutout. Niners by 17.

Jets (+3) at Dolphins

Dave: Dolphins - I almost feel like Rex Ryan should be canned after this one. Brandon Jacobs was right: Rex Ryan does more hurt than good with all these outlandish preseason proclamations. Three straight years Rex has predicted the Jets are going all the way. Three years, they fell flat. This year, they need a miracle just to make the playoffs. Look, Rex Ryan is a hell of a defensive strategist but to say he's been underwhelming as the top man in the Big Apple is like saying Kevin James movies are unamusing. We can point fingers at Mark Sanchez taking a step back or Shonn Greene not really showing up or LT showing his age but the success of this team starts at the top as does the reason behind its failure. The Jets are playing desperate today, which is why I think they'll end their season with a loss to a suddenly-decent Miami team, even with Reggie Bush out. Dolphins pick off Sanchez three times, Jets lose by 10.

Bears (+2) at Vikings

Dave: Vikings - I'm not even going to waste too much space on this game except to say that Minnesota is going to win and somebody, somewhere is going to overspend on Joe Webb this offseason thinking he's a competent NFL QB. He's not. Vikes by 6.

Bills (+10) at Patriots

Dave: Patriots - A couple things to consider: the Patriots need a win here to lock down the #1 seed in the AFC, New England lost to Buffalo(snapping a 15-game win streak over the Bills) in Week 3, Buffalo hasn't won in New England since....well, forever, and Tom Brady spent the week leading up to this game having his shoulder X-rayed. What does all that mean? That the Patriots are going to play chess with Bills rather than Battleship. Having seen Wes Welker blow out his knee going too hard in a meaningless Week 17 game in years past, the Pats aren't going to get too extra in this one. I think they do just enough to exact revenge for the early-season loss and then Ryan Mallett comes in and the Pats play keep away the rest of the game. Pats by 14.

Panthers (+7) at Saints

Dave: Panthers - A win here by New Orleans would obviously be beneficial because, who doesn't want a first round bye? That being said, barring a miracle, the Saints road to the Super Bowl will still mean they have to leave the comfy confines of the Superdome and try to outgun the Packers on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field on a blistering cold January afternoon. Drew Brees already has the single-season passing yards record so there's less of a need for him to air it out and it's not like New Orleans has a run game to use as an alternative. The Panthers, meanwhile, want to end the season right and Cam Newton wants to put the finishing touches on what HAS to be a Rookie of the Year-type season. I think this becomes a shootout early but the Saints bow out towards the end as they try not to risk injury trying to take down the 240lb Newton on a fast track in New Orleans. Panthers pull off the upset and the Niners nab the 2 seed. Panthers by 3.

Redskins (+7) at Eagles

Dave: Eagles - It pains me that a win here probably lets Andy Reid live for another year. The Eagles were a colossal disappointment and that starts with the head coach. Reid had to go this year, and he still might, but the Eagles will give him the benefit of the doubt after he gets to 8-8 with a win over another team that should can its coach: the Washington Redskins(Don't worry, Skins fans, you're only 4 months away from Dan Snyder trading half his draft the next two years to move up and get RG3).

Colts (+3) at Jaguars

Dave: Colts - Some will look at the Colts fighting hard to avoid getting the top pick to draft Andrew Luck as noble and a gesture of good faith to their injured franchise signal caller Peyton Manning. I call it stupid. Manning will be 36 next year and will be making $28 million to try to rebound from a neck injury that has killed his 2011 season with a 2012 Colts team that just looks putrid. The Colts were never going to get another opportunity to get an heir apparent like Luck. At the very least, they could have parlayed the top pick into a Hershel Walker-type deal that set them up well for years going forward. Instead, pride will have picking 2nd and Jim Caldwell doing pregame shows for CBS. The Jags are stuck, too. They could put up a fight and let their division rivals end up with the top pick or continue to lay down and get beat by a Colts team that didn't have a win to their name a month ago. Either way, this is as unwatchable as a Tyler Perry sitcom. Colts by 6.

Titans (-1) at Texans

Dave: Titans - If you're Baltimore or Pittsburgh or Cincinnati or whoever ends up facing Houston in the first round, how are you not salivating at the chance to beat on this Texans team? In fitting Texans fashion, the year they finally look like they shed the underachiever label and finally make the playoffs, the wheels fall off and they'll probably be one and done. As for this week against Tennessee, history suggests that if Houston couldn't put up a fight against Indy, they won't be much against a significantly better Titans team. Titans by 7.

Bucs (+9.5) at Falcons

Dave: Falcons - Boy, were we wrong about these Bucs. If there's a saving grace for Tampa Bay this week, it's that they always give Atlanta fits(including this season, where the Bucs have a W over Atlanta already) and the Falcons are going to be on cruise control since they are already in the playoffs. Granted, a win here helps Atlanta avoid the 6 seed but the Dirty Birds have to go on the road regardless and facing either New Orleans or San Fran or New York or Dallas isn't really going to matter in terms of one being easier than the other. I say the Bucs continue to quit on soon-to-be fired head coach Raheem Morris and lay another egg against the Falcons. Atlanta by 14.

Ravens (-2) at Bengals

Dave: Bengals - The Ravens have a lot at stake here because, despite winning in Pittsburgh a month ago, we know Baltimore doesn't want to be subjected to yet another Steelers-Ravens playoff clash at Heinz Field. A win here over Cincy gives Baltimore the AFC North crown and a potential shot at the 1 seed. The problem with that is that Baltimore sucks on the road and the one thing they do well, run the ball, is the one thing the Bengals' D can stop. That means this game is Joe Flacco's hands to go out and win. Last week, I said Flacco was this generation's Eli: an underwhelming, emotionless drone who needed a big postseason run to get the monkey off his back. For Flacco, that run needs to start today in Cincinnati against a battered Bengals secondary. The Ravens barely beat the Bengals earlier in the season without A.J. Green. Now, Green is back and somewhat healthy and, if this is a shootout, I'll take the desperate Bengals over the desperate Ravens by 3.

Steelers (-7) at Browns

Dave: Steelers - A few things you should know since we know you won't give a rat's piss about this game unless you're a diehard Steelers fan like my friend Sean Kerin and need a reason to get drunk and yell obscenities on New Years(You know, besides the normal reasons): 1. The Browns are awful. 2. Big Ben doens't lose in Ohio. His record in his home state is astonishing. I'm almost 100% sure he could kill two men in front of a police station in Findley and get off with a misdemeanor. 3. Colt McCoy isn't the answer for Cleveland but he was a nice story. 4. The Browns have two first round picks in the 2012 Draft and we know Mike Holmgren loves to move up(see the Matt Hasselbeck trade in 2000 when The Walrus was running things in Seattle) 5. The Rams will probably be picking first and don't need a QB. You get where I'm going with this? Steelers have a shot at the division title and homefield so I fully expect them to blow out the Browns but, given what Cleveland did to Big Ben in the first game, I fully expect Big Ben to break a wrist or sprain a knee or get knocked out with a concussion leading to two weeks of "Is Big Ben gonna play?" and "How tough is Big Ben?" stories all week. Steelers by 10.

Chiefs (+2) at Broncos

Dave: Broncos - Look, God isn't going to allow the NFL postseason to be deprived of Tim Tebow. How else do you explain the Chiefs mysteriously putting their leading rusher, Jackie Battle, on the IR midway through the week leading up to this game? Now, this Chiefs-Broncos tilt is being billed as a revenge match for Kyle Orton, who was unceremoniously benched for Touchdown Jesus in Week 5 and subsequently released a few weeks later where he ended up with the Chiefs. Kansas City plays excellent defense so Tebow isn't going to be able to run all over the Chiefs but the Chiefs are going to have to muster some offense and the Broncos defense is pretty good as well. I see Von Miller getting to Orton a couple times, Orton throwing a couple picks and this game ending with a Tebow TD run that makes the Broncos fans go ape shit and shoot Joey Porter in the asscheeks again. Broncos by 6.

Chargers (+3) at Raiders

Dave: Raiders - The Raiders shot at the 6 seed, assuming they don't win the West, is actually rather possible(meaning we get a postseason where three of your 6 starting QB's are T.J. Yates, Carson Palmer and Tim Tebow.......enjoy!). The Raiders need a win here plus a Bengals loss to Baltimore(possible) with either a Jets win over Miami(also possible) or a Houston win over Tennessee(the least likely of the three). The most motivating factor for me is that a Raiders win ends the Norv Turner era for San Diego and potentially starts the Jon Gruden era for the Bolts. No more underwhelming Chargers teams AND Gruden out of the MNF booth? 2012 is starting out great already! The Chargers play their best games in these last two months so San Diego could play spoiler here, but my heart says Oakland has one last college try left in them. Raiders by 6.

Seahawks (+3) at Cardinals

Dave: Seahawks - If you're running either of these teams next year, what do you do at QB next year? If you're Arizona, you signed Kevin Kolb to a big contract in the offseason but John Skelton as kept you out of the basement all season. Do you trade Kolb again? Do you trade Skelton? Otherwise, how else do you justify Kolb starting next year? As for Seattle, T-Jax hasn't been THAT bad this year, right? He also hasn't been THAT good. Do you give him one more year and wait til next year to draft a QB like Pete Carroll's prized pupil Matt Barkley? Or do you take a gamble on a promising new starter like Matt Flynn or even....yikes, Joe Webb? Either way, this game is just jockeying for position in the draft and it's more of a "Let's see what we have to fix in the offseason" game than a game of consequence. Seahawks by 6.

Cowboys (+3) at Giants

Dave: Giants - Oh man! Gabe is going to be somewhere in Italy, sipping grappo, rocking some hi-top Filas while he tries not to choke on his spaghetti aioli. You had to figure, all season, the NFC East title was going to come down to this. The only thing standing between the Giants and the postseason is the Giants. The Cowboys are far too beat up and, even when healthy, they choke like a first time throater in high-pressure situations. The only thing New York has to do is try to be less shitty than Dallas. The Giants whooped on the Cowboys a couple weeks ago in Dallas, so you'd like to think that they'd be able to clinch the East at home against a Cowboys team with no DeMarco Murray and a battered Tony Romo. Either way, the winner of this game is catching an L in Round 1, which means Gabe will be spending the offseason drinking all the Pinot Grigio he stuffed in his new Fendi manpurse while he tries to talk himself into the 2012 Mets and listens to his Andrea Bocelli Christmas CD on a continous loop. Poor fella. Giants by 10.

Week 17 Picks

Week 16 offered up some good news and bad news for "The Big Margharita". The good news is I had a solid week, led by yet another Thursday night W, and finished a game better than "El Pollo Loco". The bad news is that Gabe pretty much locked down the regular season picks crown unless, by some miracle, he goes oppo on every pick this week and loses 11 games. Meanwhile, I pretty much need a Kano-style flawless victory to go above .500, while Gabe needs to do no worse than his 8-8 last week to finish in the black. Here's our picks for the final week of the NFL regular season.



Last Week



Dave: 9-7

Gabe: 8-8



Season



Dave: 98-118-6

Gabe: 108-108-6

(Editor's Note: Gabe was away for the weekend, so he never got his picks in. While I'd love to be a greedy prick and give him the L for all 16 games and crown myself champion, I will choose to just not count Week 17 and defer the regular season to him. Anyway, so that we didn't go completely blank for the regular season finale, here's MY picks).

Raiders (+3.5) at Chiefs



Dave: Chiefs - Kansas City doesn't lose late season home games at Arrowhead, and they will go into this finale with intentions to both lock down the 3 seed and seek revenge from their loss to Oakland early in the year. The Raiders, meanwhile, have nothing to play for other than the opportunity to save face and put some gloss on their surprisingly decent season by sweeping the division champs. I see Oakland going in the tank here, Kansas City building a decent lead and then taking the foot off the gas just enough to only win by 6.



Giants (-3.5) at Redskins



Dave: Redskins - Maybe Mike Shanahan wasn't completely out of his tree by benching Donovan McNabb and opting for "The Sex Cannon"(as my friend Adam now refers to Rex Grossman). Grossman has been solid in a near-comeback win against Dallas and a nice upset of the Jags last week. The Giants, however, threw in the flag right around the time DeSean Jackson zipped past them for the game-winning score on the punt return TD that capped a 28-point comeback two weeks ago. There's no fight left in Gabe's Big Blue Man Group. Coughlin's a goner and the Redskins are feisty enough to make this a game. I'll put my money on The Sex Cannon....just because it's fun to say, er, type.



Jaguars (+3) at Texans



Dave: Texans - With their season over and their head coach pretty much done for, can't you see Houston just mailing it in here and getting drubbed by Jacksonville? The problem with that theory is the Jags will be without QB David Garrard and RB Maurice Jones-Drew and, eventhough the Texans have always found new ways to lose, I can't bank on an offense led by Trent Edwards and Rashad Jennings. With no real star power(Andre Johnson expected to be out for the Texans), I see a sloppy, hard-to-watch game with Arian Foster giving Houston the edge by 7.



Bears (+10) at Packers



Dave: Bears - Reverse jinx obviously in effect here with my Packers pretty much in a "win and their in" situation, but also, it's hard to take Green Bay by double digits when the cold, wintery winds of Lambeau is going to at least somewhat limit their bread and butter: the passing game. Chicago loses this one simply because they don't want to risk losing any key guys in a physical battle with a hungry, aggressive Packers squad on the frozen tundra, but I say the Packers win this one by 9.


Cardinals (+6) at 49ers



Dave: Cardinals - The 49ers this year remind me of the Chiefs a couple years ago. A young, talented team that is just a good front office/coaching staff and a piece here and there from being solid. Unfortunately, that's going to have to wait til next year for fans of the San Francisco treat. The Cardinals suck every bit as much as the Niners do, but they have the better coaching staff and, with the notoriously cheap Bidwells still running things, I think they fight a little harder to avoid the higher draft spot. Cardinals with the "upset" by 10.



Cowboys (+3) at Eagles



Dave: Cowboys - The Eagles will have most, if not all, of their starters sitting by halftime(or earlier) as they rest up for the playoffs. The Cowboys want to do what they can to help Jason Garrett keep his job, so I can see them going all out against a disinterested Philly team. Last game in a Cowboys uniform probably for Roy Williams, so expect a TD or two from him. Cowboys by 13.


Chargers (-3.5) at Broncos



Dave: Broncos - I know I'm going to regret this pick, but if the Chargers are smart, they tank this game. A loss here has to put Norv Turner out of his misery in San Diego, right? As good as this team has been under Norv, they aren't going deep into the playoffs with him at the helm. This season has been a unmitigated disaster, thanks to some foolish tough talk by GM A.J. Smith and Turner failing to get the team to overachieve while undermanned. Tim Tebow is playing like a guy who wants to lock down that starting spot next year and I think he has a decent night against San Diego. Donkeys by 3.

Steelers (-5.5) at Browns



Dave: Steelers - This isn't the same feisty Browns team that beat New England a few weeks ago and gave the Jets all they could handle. Peyton Hillis is banged up and the Steelers have visions of locking down a first round bye dancing in their head. Browns played Pittsburgh tough the last time they squared off, but I see Big Ben having a field day in his backyard of Ohio. Steelers by 16.



Bills (+1) at Jets



Dave: Jets - Gang Green has their playoff spot locked up, so the starters will probably sit most of the game against a crappy Bills team. The question becomes "Can a inferior Buffalo team beat the Jets' B team?". My thinking is "No.". Rex Ryan isn't going to let his backups play dead in front of the home crowd and it's in the Bills' best interest to just take a dive here and move up a spot or two in the Draft. Jets by 9.



Dolphins (+5.5) at Patriots



Dave: Dolphins - The frustrating part of picking Week 17 games involving teams that have their postseason card punched is trying to guage just how much effort the contenders are going to put in with nothing to play for. Last year, New England played the starters and lost Wes Welker to a torn ACL, which pretty much killed their season. I can't see Belichick being dumb enough to do that two years in a row. Miami's fighting to keep Tony Sparano's job and a nice W against the best team in the NFL, albeit a Patriots team giving little effort, is a nice way to close the season. Phins by 6.




Panthers (+14.5) at Falcons



Dave: Falcons - I don't think this spread can be high enough. If I'm John Fox, why am I even boarding the plane for this game? You've already been given your walking papers. You won't be around to reap the benefits from whoever the Panthers take with the #1 pick and you're facing a Falcons team that has to at least try a little bit to hold on to the #1 seed(just incase Chicago beats Green Bay). Just stay in the locker room like Coach Kilmer in "Varsity Blues". The only thing keeping Jimmy Clausen from a spot on the bench next season is Andrew Luck leaning toward staying at Stanford. Regardless, I see Atlanta shutting out Carolina and putting Fox out of his misery. Falcons by 21.



Bengals (+9.5) at Ravens



Dave: Bengals - Is it crazy to think that the only thing that kept Carson Palmer from being slightly better than mediocre this season was the fact he had to throw to two Pro Bowl WRs all year? Who would have thought not having T.O. and Ocho Cinco would make Palmer BETTER? Either way, the T.Ocho Show is over in Cincy and, if Palmer wants to avoid joining them, he'll repeat his performance from last week and help the Bengals put up a fight against a Ravens team that has a shot at a first round bye. Bengals beat the Ravens earlier in the year and 9.5 is a bit high for a Ravens team that hasn't beaten the Bengals in a year and a half. Ravens get the W, but only by 6.




Bucs (+7.5) at Saints



Dave: Saints - I want to give huge props to Josh Freeman for his 5 TD performance that locked down two wins in big money fantasy football championships last week. That being said, Mr. Freeman, your boys are about to get steamrolled. If there's a team that I absolutely do not want to face in these playoffs(even more so than New England), it's the Saints. They're the defending champs. They have the experience and they're hot at the right time(Plus, they get the Seahawks-Rams winner to start things off in the playoffs). The only thing that keeps the Bucs in this game is if the Saints take the foot off the gas. Colston's probably going to sit, which means we'll see a lot of Lance Moore and maybe a Jeremy Shockey sighting or two. I like the Saints to win this one and....early postseason prediction alert....the NFC.




Titans (+9.5) at Colts



Dave: Titans - I'm not sure if Jeff Fisher's unwillingness to utilize Randy Moss is him doing his best to get himself canned or just my own delusion keeping from realizing Moss is finished as a legit deep threat. Regardless, the Moss Era in Tennessee may be more confusing than the Moss Era Part II in Minnesota. Tennessee managed to sneak back into their last showdown with Indy and cover with a couple garbage time TDs. I don't think they have a shot of beating an Indy team that still needs a win to claim the division, but I can see them sneaking in again with a heavy dose of Chris Johnson to only lose by 4.



Rams (-3) at Seahawks



Dave: Rams - It's sad that one of these two teams will be hosting a playoff game while a team like the Bucs or Packers or Giants will be sitting on the sidelines come next week. Even sadder is the fact that this turd of a game will be nationally televised. The Seahawks should be commended for at least still having a shot at the division at season's end, but they've been plain terrible the last few weeks. The Rams are the better team and I can see them punching themselves out trying to beat Seattle and then hosting New Orleans next week and getting their clock cleaned. Rams by 6.



Vikings (+3) at Lions



Dave: Vikings - Be prepared, America. Be prepared for non-stop coverage of Brett Favre's every last breath during this game. Be prepared for ESPN to spend the first 50 minutes of Sportscenter analyzing Favre's finale. Be prepared for this game to be re-aired on NFL Network 100 times. Be prepared for Favre Fatigue Overload like you've never witnessed before. They might even bring John Madden out of retirement to slurp Favre on the bench just for ol' times sake. As for the game, Joe Webb is going to milk these 15 minutes for a just a little longer. Ndomukong Suh will lock up the Defensive Rookie of the Year award and the world will sit and wait as every network wastes airtime on a meaningless 14-10 Vikings victory. Don't say you weren't warned.

Week 17 Picks

Last week:
Gabe: 5-10-1
Dave: 6-9-1

Season:
Gabe: 128-107-3
Dave: 114-121-3

Indianapolis (+8) at Buffalo


Dave: Indy - Even with most of the starters only playing a smidge, I don't think Buffalo has enough offense to really stick it to a depleted Colts D.

Gabe: Buffalo

New Orleans (+7) at Carolina


Dave: Carolina - If you're a Panthers fan, you have to wonder what this season would be like if John Fox pulls the plug on the Jake Delhomme Turnover Machine a few weeks early and goes with Matt Moore instead. The Saints talked about possibly making Drew Brees the #3 to keep him fresh for the playoffs, which means we get to see Old Man River, Mark Brunell, against a suddenly hot Panthers team and a suddenly awake Julius Peppers.

Gabe: Carolina

Jacksonville (+1.5) at Cleveland


Dave: Jaguars - Speaking of sudden motivation, the Browns apparently needed three months to warm up to coach Eric Mangini, who has at least a puncher's chance of lasting until next season(at least until Mike Holmgren gets the coaching itch and comes down from the front office to man the sidelines). Jacksonville's playoff chances are a bit bleak and, let's face it, this team gave up on Jack Del Rio a long time ago, but I still like them for one last charge.

Gabe: Jacksonville


Philadelphia (+3) at Dallas


Dave: Dallas - Because the karma gods like screwing with me, I can totally see the Cowboys pulling out the win here and taking the NFC East title after months of me ripping them and their fans for a multitude of reasons that made the criticism well deserved. Last time these two met at the end of the year was a year ago and Philly bent Dallas over on route to making the playoffs, but I just have a gut feeling here that Dallas suddenly puts it together.

Gabe: Philadelphia

Chicago (-3) at Detroit

Dave: Bears - Because it's the Lions and the Bears know that every win moves the Broncos further down the draft order.

Gabe: Chicago

New England (+7) at Houston


Dave: Texans - $280 rides on Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson playing like Johnny Moxon and Tweeter in Varsity Blues today and the Pats really have nothing to play for here unless Belichick feels the need to be a dick and play spoiler for Houston.

Gabe: Houston

Pittsburgh (-3) at Miami

Dave: Pittsburgh - If the Steelers make the playoffs, I think their the 2nd best team in the AFC. They have great balance on offense and, once Troy Polamalu comes back, the D will have some identity again. As for today against the Phins? I like Big Ben to exploit Miami's green secondary and make things painful for Ricky Williams on the other side of the ball.

Gabe: Miami


New York Giants (+7.5) at Minnesota


Dave: Giants - The picks are coming with games in progress so my initial thinking that the Giants would exploit a suddenly weak Vikings O-Line and Brett Favre continuing to struggle in December now looks ridiculous since the score is currently 31-0 Vikings. And now you know why I'm 14 games behind Gabe.

Gabe: Vikings


Cincinnati (+9.5) at New York Jets


Dave: Bengals - The Jets are a sneaky enough team that, if they make the playoffs, they can really piss off the ratings department by making a run. Luckily, I don't see that happening. I think Ochocinco plays most of the game to play up the showdown with Darrelle Revis and Mark Sanchez(who sucks in cold weather) continues to crap the bed.

Gabe: New York

San Francisco (-8) at St. Louis

Dave: 49ers - Really, if you're St. Louis, why blow a chance at the # 1 pick by doing the Win One For The Gipper routine?

Gabe: San Francisco

Atlanta (-1.5) Tampa Bay

Dave: Falcons - Bucs might be on a win streak but I don't think the Falcons let their season end by losing to one of the worst teams in football.

Gabe: Tampa Bay

Green Bay (+3) at Arizona

Dave: Cardinals - Alot rides on what happens in the early games(and, as of right now, the Vikes have the 2 seed locked up), but if the Cards find themselves not having a reason to go hard, I think both teams break out the reserves early since they'll probably be playing this one over a week from now in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.

Gabe: Arizona

Kansas City (+13) at Denver

Dave: Kansas City - No Eddie Royal. No Brandon Marshall. No Tony Scheffler. That's your three top weapons in a division game that will mean a little more to the Chiefs, even if it lacks significance other than draft position. Broncos rolled over KC last time they played. Don't think Todd Haley has forgotten about that.

Gabe: Kansas City

Baltimore (-10.5) at Oakland

Dave: Raiders - It's hard to co-sign JaMarcus Russell but nearly 11 points is too much for a Ravens team playing a Raiders team that always turns the games that should be blowouts into close losses or upsets. Joe Flacco has taken a step back as a young QB and, eventhough the Ravens need this one, I can see Oakland making it tough for the Ravens.

Gabe: Oakland


Washington (+3) at San Diego


Dave: Redskins - I made this pick before finding out that Jim Zorn will be fired on Monday. Who fires their coach BEFORE kickoff of his last game? What possible motivation does Zorn have to win this one? Still, what's fair is fair, and eventhough I can now see Billy Volek carving the D.C. Tank Squad(Side note: You can't tell me that the Redskins players, knowing Dan Snyder is a star fucker and would do whatever it takes to bring in a big name no matter what position, didn't mail this season in as soon as it became remotely likely that Mike Shanahan or Bill Cowher or Jon Gruden could be coming to town. You just can't tell me different.) and the Chargers remain hot going into the playoffs.

Gabe: San Diego

Tennessee (-6) at Seattle

Dave: Titans - Again, $280 on the line that my fantasy MVP, Chris Johnson, continues to take over the football world as we know it and, if the Redskins mailed it in weeks ago, they just narrowly missed the Seahawks at the Post Office.

Gabe: Tennessee