Tim Ajmani
The Corsair
There are two weeks left in the 2011-2012 NFL season. At last, every team finally has a victory. I got my second upset pick right last week, when I picked the Colts to beat the inconsistent Tennessee Titans. However, with that win, the Colts are faced with a bit of a dilemma. If the Colts were to win a second time this season in these final two weeks, their positioning for the number one overall pick in next April’s NFL draft becomes uncertain.
Even more unsettling is the choice that Colts management has to make regarding their pick. With Peyton Manning not playing in these final two weeks, the Colts will have to make the choice in the offseason to either trade or keep Manning regardless if they choose to draft Andrew Luck. Manning is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history; should he be on the trade market, there would be at least 10 teams that would take a shot with him, even with his recent back surgeries.
I went 10-6 in my picks last week, and as I predicted, there were a ton of upsets. The majority of this week’s games will be played on Saturday, with Christmas Day being on Sunday. Without further ado, here are my picks for the second to last week of the NFL season…
Houston Texans (10-4) @ Indianapolis Colts (1-13) – Thursday 7:20 CT
The pick: Texans 21, Colts 13
Denver Broncos (8-6) @ Buffalo Bills (5-9) – Saturday 12:00 CT
The pick: Broncos 27, Bills 17
Arizona Cardinals (7-7) @ Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) – Saturday 12:00 CT
The pick: Cardinals 20, Bengals 16
Cleveland Browns (4-10) @ Baltimore Ravens (10-4) – Saturday 12:00 CT
The pick: Ravens 31, Browns 10
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10) @ Tennessee Titans (7-7) – Saturday 12:00 CT
The pick: Titans 17, Jaguars 10
Oakland Raiders (7-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (6-8) – Saturday 12:00 CT
The pick: Chiefs 24, Raiders 20
St. Louis Rams (2-12) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) – Saturday 12:00 CT
The pick: Steelers 34, Rams 14
Miami Dolphins (5-9) @ New England Patriots (11-3) – Saturday 12:00 CT
The pick: Patriots 28, Dolphins 21
Minnesota Vikings (2-12) @ Washington Redskins (5-9) – Saturday 12:00 CT
The pick: Redskins 23, Vikings 13
New York Giants (7-7) @ New York Jets (8-6) – Saturday 12:00 CT
The pick: Jets 20, Giants 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10) @ Carolina Panthers (5-9) – Saturday 12:00 CT
The pick: Panthers 31, Buccaneers 20
San Diego Chargers (7-7) @ Detroit Lions (9-5) – Saturday 3:05 CT
The pick: Lions 27, Chargers 24
Philadelphia Eagles (6-8) @ Dallas Cowboys (8-6) – Saturday 3:15 CT
The pick: Eagles 31, Cowboys 28
Chicago Bears (7-7) @ Green Bay Packers (13-1) – Sunday 7:20 CT
The pick: Packers 31, Bears 14
My Upset Pick:
San Francisco 49ers (11-3) @ Seattle Seahawks (7-7) – Saturday 3:15 CT
The 49ers are flying sky-high after their victory against the Steelers on Monday Night Football. But they might be playing a team that’s flying higher. The Seahawks have quietly put together a nice run, winning five out of their last six games. Seattle is also one of the most difficult places to play on the road in the NFL. San Francisco played with a lot of emotion against Pittsburgh. I think they come out flat, and Seattle jumps on them early. The Seahawks keep their slim playoff chances alive this week…
The pick: Seahawks 21, 49ers 16
Game of the Week:
Atlanta Falcons (9-5) @ New Orleans Saints (11-3) – Monday 7:30 CT
This is without a doubt the best game of the week. The Falcons still have slight hopes of winning the NFC South if they can win out and have the Saints lose next week. A Saints win on Monday would clinch the NFC South, and keep them alive for a first round bye in the playoffs. Aside from Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees has been the best quarterback this season. Brees is on pace to break the NFL’s record for most passing yards in a season. I think this is a high scoring game, and the Falcons will play hard. But Brees will be too much for that Atlanta defense…
The pick: Saints 35, Falcons 28
On the season:
Overall picks: 42-22
Upset picks: 2-2