WEEK 13 NFL RECAP

I was able to maintain a .500 record last week, but suffered a brutal stretch in the early games on Sunday.  The unpredictability of the NFL was very evident, as the Jaguars made it three out of four by winning at Cleveland and the Vikings got up off the mat to get a close win over the Bears. You also would have thought I'd had enough of picking the 'Skins, as they found a way to lose a game they really should have won.

Last Week:           8 - 8

Overall:                113 - 77 - 1

Green Bay (5 - 5 - 1) 27 @ Detroit (6 - 5) 30: Correct. 10 - 40. The Thanksgiving feast started out well, as the Packers just aren't the same without Aaron Rodgers. And from the looks of Thursday's game, they may not be the same with  him, either.

Oakland (4 - 7) 24 @ Dallas (6 -5) 27: Correct. 24 - 31. Tony Romo seems to be getting better, but from the looks of things on Monday night, nothing will help anyone get through Seattle in January.

Pittsburgh (5 - 6) 23 @ Baltimore (5 - 6) 17: No. 20 - 22. But then things started to go south on my picks in a hurry. And it wasn't much better for Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin, who is $100,000 lighter for his sideline stunt.

Jacksonville (2 - 8) 20 @ Cleveland (4 - 7) 23:  No. 32 - 28. How does a team look almost uncompetitive for eight weeks, then pull off three wins, the last one on the road against a pretty decent team.

Tennessee (6 - 5) 27 @ Indianapolis (7 - 4) 24: No. 14 - 22. Just when I thought the Colts were on their way down, they defended their home field to keep control of the weak AFC South.

Chicago (6 - 5) 28 @ Minnesota (2 - 8 - 1) 24: No. 20 - 23. It wasn't their own defense that stopped the Bears, it was Minnesota's.

Miami (5 - 6) 20 @ New York Jets (5 - 6) 21: No. 23 - 3. I can't understand why the Jets even bothered to start Geno Smigh at QB in a game that could end up deciding a playoff spot. Until New York finds their offense, I think I'l l stay away from picking them.

Arizona (7 - 4) 27 @ Philadelphia (6 - 5) 26: No. 21 - 24. I guess I need to accept the fact that the Eagles are for real. This should be a good race between them and the Cowboys for the NFC East.

Tampa Bay (3 - 8) 20 @ Carolina (8 - 3) 28: Correct. 6 - 27. If the Saints stumble, watch out for the Panthers in the NFC South. Their offense behind Cam Newton can score and the defense can stop people.

New England (8 - 3) 30 @ Houston (2 - 9) 21: Correct.  34 - 31. The Patriots, as they have all season, found a way to win. Another Broncos loss and New England finds themselves in control of the top seed in the AFC.

Atlanta (2 - 9) 24 @ Buffalo (4 - 7) 28: No. 34 - 31 OT. What can I say? It's the NFL.

St. Louis (5 -6) 23 @ San Francisco (7 - 4) 27: Correct. 13 - 23. The Rams are on the rise, but a trip to San Francisco can disrupt anyone's season. The 'Niners host the Seahawks in a key game to stay in front in  the NFC wildcard race.

Denver (9 - 2) 27 @ Kansas City (9 - 2) 20: Correct. 35 - 28. The Broncos exerted their superiority over the Chiefs and took control of the AFC West, now owning two wins over Kansas City.

Cincinnati (7 - 4) 31 @ San Diego (5 - 6) 27: Correct. 17 - 10. The Bengals are looking better and better in the AFC North, now that the Steelers are probably out of the picture. But they still have to watch out for a late run from the Ravens, who they play to end the season.

New York Giants (4 - 7) 21 @ Washington (3 - 8) 24 : No. 24 - 17. Okay, I'm done with the Redskins. It looks like they are too. The big question is how long owner Dan Snyder sticks with coach Mike Shanahan. In three and three quarters seasons, Shanahan has one decent seven game run that got the 'Skins into the playoffs. Then he plays RGIII with an injury, jeopardizing the franchise's long term well being. Of course, the real problem lies with Snyder himself, but he's the owner, and until he sells the team, we "Skins fans are stuck with him.

New Orleans (9 - 2) 27 @ Seattle (10 -1) 28: Correct. 7 - 34. No surprise, except that the Saints were overwhelmed in a very hostile environment in a huge game in the NFC playoff picture. The Seahawks appear to marching toward the top seed in the NFC, but still have some work to do, beginning this week at the Forty-Niners.