Week 13 picks
Jimmy Garoppolo makes his starting debut in his hometown, so this should be interesting. He doesn’t have anyone to throw to, though, and the Bears will grind it out on the ground.
The Falcons have relocated their offense and are starting to hit their stride, but no one wants to face the Vikings’ vise-like defense. Case Keenum keeps it rolling with eighth win in a row.
This is a pride game for a Titans team that surrendered 57 to the Deshaun Watson-led Texans two months ago. The Texans are a shell of the team that did that, and they are on the road.
The Jets aren’t winning many games, but they’re in most of them and playing hard. The Chiefs are in a tailspin and are grasping for answers on both sides of the ball.
It’s a race to the bottom for these two franchises, with the Dolphins’ losing streak at five and the Broncos’ at seven. The Broncos still have a defense, but their offensive issues are monumental. The Colts’ front seven is respectable, and Blake Bortles is going to have to make some plays. But that Colts offense is going to smack into that brick-wall Jaguars defense.
Brett Hundley looked really good in Pittsburgh in a prime-time game — hard to do — and he should make enough plays at home against a Buccaneers team that’s 1-5 on the road.
The Lions have an offense, but their defense is terrible. The Ravens have a defense, but their offense is terrible. That should make for an interesting matchup and a close game. Go with the home team. This is the time of year the Patriots turn on the afterburners. The Bills won in Kansas City last Sunday, but that says as much about the woeful Chiefs as it does about the Bills.
Signs point to the Chargers ultimately sling-shotting to the top of the AFC West, and the winless Browns aren’t going to stop them from doing that. The Browns won’t like the defense they’ll see here. The Giants have benched Eli Manning, but they’re not likely to find their answer in Geno Smith. Still, with their top receivers either hurt or suspended, the Raiders are diminished.
The Saints saw their eight-game winning streak snapped by the Rams, but they’re still a really good team. Hard to run on the Panthers, but Drew Brees at home isn’t a bad option.
The Rams beat the Cardinals in London 33-0, and there’s no reason to think this will be much different. The Cardinals are depleted of running backs and will have a tough time sustaining drives. The Seahawks didn’t blow away the 49ers last week, and now they’re facing the best and most physical team in the league. Russell Wilson will test the defense, but the visitors will prevail.
Ben Roethlisberger owns Ohio, and the Steelers own prime-time games. The Steelers got a scare from the Packers last Sunday night, and this game could be close for a while, but Steelers pull away.