After 17 of some of the most exciting weeks in NFL regular season history, the playoffs have officially arrived. The 2009-10 NFL Wild Card weekend looks more like an NFL Network Replay marathon of the Week 17 regular season schedule. This weekend will feature all season rematches, three of which are rematches from a week ago.

Before jumping into each game there is something that I wanted to point out about all of the games this weekend. Obviously with three immediate rematches, we have three teams that lost last week, four in all if you through the Pats in. Fans and teams can make excuses for their teams and in some games where starters sat, some of those excuses could be legitimate. Regardless of the reason, no team that made it to the final four in last season’s playoffs lost its final regular season game. That is great news for Packers, Jets, Ravens, and Cowboys fans.

Let’s start out with the game that hits closest to my heart between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. After being declared the hottest team in the NFC, the Eagles reminded fans like me why we can’t trust them in certain situations. Rivalry game, on the road, second seed on the line, and the Eagles decided to take their Bye Week early. The Dallas Cowboys spanked the birds at home and locked up the NFC East, and a home game this weekend with last week’s drubbing.

This is about the only situation that the Eagles do not want to be in on Wild Card weekend. The Cowboys looked to have figured the Eagles out on both the offense and defense last week. The Eagles are a lot like the Philadelphia Phillies. The Eagles are a home-run or bust team. If McNabb can connect on those long bombs to Jeremy Maclin or DeSean Jackson, he and the birds will cruise easily to a win. Take those bombs away from McNabb and this team is in big trouble. God forbid Andy Reid actually has to coach and game plan for one week right?

While the Eagles didn’t get blown out earlier this season in their first meeting against the Cowboys, they were still shut down. I think the biggest issue here facing the birds is the Cowboys 3-4 defense. The defense takes away the screen, which the Eagles also love to play to death. The pressure from speedy linebackers and DeMarcus Ware on McNabb doesn’t allow him to sit back and wait for his receivers to get down field. It is truly a nightmare scenario for the Eagles. The only chance that the birds have at scoring points is to get a run game going early and open up the pass. Otherwise, the Cowboys will tee off on McNabb all day and we will see a replay of last week.

Defensively, the birds have had problems all year. While everyone remembers all of those points the birds put up against the New York Giants, Eagles fans don’t like to talk about the points given up in the same game. This team has serious issues at linebacker, specifically middle linebacker. If the birds put in Omar Gaither, the Cowboys will run all over him. If the birds put in Jeremiah Trotter, the Cowboys will pass to Jason Witten or Felix Jones all night long. The Eagles need to put pressure on Tony Romo and with Trent Cole double teamed, I have no idea where that is going to come from. The Eagles did a fairly good job of holding this offense down during their first meeting. However, that was many weeks ago and the Cowboys just seem much hotter while the birds defense looks more confused than ever going into the post season.

Finally, I have to bring up some intangibles here. There were several off-field incidents this week that hurt the Eagles badly. One, Donovan McNabb and DeSean Jackson have had words over what McNabb said in the post game last week. Two, Jackson has been tweeting some trash talk which is the same kind of stuff that worked against Freddie Mitchell when he talked trash on Rodney Harrison before the Super Bowl. Finally and maybe the most egregious act of all, Eagles employee and media man Dave Spadaro has a video on You Tube of himself spitting on the Dallas star at the new stadium. Not only should Spadaro be fired, as an Eagles fan I am irate beyond words that a little mole who doesn’t even play the game may be the intangible that fires up the Cowboys to go a little extra this week in practice, and destroy the birds on Saturday.

Before I anoint the Cowboys, I do want to bring up a few things. This is the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have looked unstoppable every year that they have made the playoffs with Tony Romo, and have choked in every game. Between Romo’s fumble against the Seahawks and the inept offense against the Giants, there is something about this team that can’t get over the playoff hump. As a matter of a fact, the Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game since 1996. While the Eagles have choked in many NFC title games, their playoff record under Andy Reid is fantastic. The Eagles under Reid have never lost a first-round playoff game. Keeping all of this in mind, I am predicting a big upset in Big D and an Eagles’ win Saturday night.

Sticking with the NFC, the sexy Super Bowl pick going into the season were the Green Bay Packers. The Packers will travel to Arizona and play the Cardinals in the second NFC Wild Card game. Like the Eagles, these are two teams that you never know what you will get from week to week. As much praise as the Packers get from the media, they are also the same team that gave up over 500 passing yards to Ben Roethlisberger a few weeks ago. The Arizona Cardinals have also been red hot, yet were demolished by the San Francisco 49ers just a few weeks ago on Monday Night Football. Which team shows up is anyone’s guess.

I think it is almost comical that when people talk about this game they immediately rave about the Packers defense, while ignoring the Cardinals defense. This is almost an identical defense to the team that went to the Super Bowl last season. Remember last season when the Carolina Panthers rushing attack looked unstoppable? Not only did the Cards stop them, they crushed them in the post season. This season the team has very average stats, yet their rushing defense has been rather stellar throughout most of the season. It is not inconceivable to think that the Cards will bottle up the Packers rushing attack and turn this into an air-show.

The Packers are one of those teams that just when you think they are the hottest team in the NFL, they give you a Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay performance. Their passing attack is right up there with the best teams in the NFL, ranked number seven overall. Greg Jennings came on late, but has been a beast to contend with as the season came to an end. Jermichael Finley has been one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL since coming back from injury. Donald Driver has found the fountain of youth and has been a game killer to the oppisition. Aaron Rodgers always keeps this team in games even when it looks like the floor is falling out from under them like the Vikings game in Lambeau Field. This team definitely has all of the tools to make a serious Super Bowl run.

Even strength, I think the Cardinals beat the Packers. However, while the Packers are close to full strength, the Cards are not. The key to their defense, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will either sit out or play at less than 100%. Losing one of the best corners in the NFL against a team throwing Donald Driver and Greg Jennings at you is a recipe for disaster. On the offense, Anquan Boldin is hurt as usual and could miss the game. I don’t expect a team without two critical players like these guys to hang with such a dangerous team as the Packers. The only chance that the Cardinals have here is to get pressure on Rodgers and secure some turnovers. I don’t know if they can do that with receivers who are wide open and I don’t expect them too.

Oh yeah and then there is that Super Bowl loser jinx. Not since the Buffalo Bills in 1994 has a losing team repeated in the Super Bowl. That is not to say that the Cardinals can’t make it back to the title game, but the odds just aren’t in their favor. Between that and the Madden Curse, I don’t see them getting far. The Cards are great at home which plays in their favor and these are two long trips back-to-back for the Packers. However at the end of the day I think the Cards are too hurt at the wrong time to make this a game. I am going with the Packers.

The New England Patriots host the Baltimore Ravens this weekend in the AFC Wild Card round. This is the only rematch this weekend of a game that wasn’t played last week. These two teams met in a thriller earlier in the season which saw the Patriots squeak out a win against the Ravens.

When the story this week for the Patriots is about a guy named Edleman, you know you have problems. The big storyline of the game is the loss of Wes Welker for the Patriots. Welker was injured last week in a routine play and will miss the playoffs, and possibly the beginning of next season. The loss of Welker makes the Patriots a very different team on offense. With Welker, the Pats gave defensive coordinators nightmares. Without him, the Ravens will concentrate on Randy Moss and pressure Tom Brady. This is going to be a much tougher game for the Pats than their first meeting and if not for a Mark Clayton dropped pass in the end zone, they probably would have lost the game.

The Ravens always play the Patriots tough. Even in their destructive 2007 season, the Ravens were seconds away from beating the Patriots. Joe Flacco has been in the playoffs before so this is nothing new to him. Flacco and the Ravens established one of the most dynamic running games in the NFL throughout the season. Ray Rice has turned into the new Brian Westbrook/Marshall Faulk dual receiving/running threat. Willis McGahee turned it on at the end of the season and the two became arguably the best one-two running punch in the NFL. The Ravens are not a team to take lightly at all.

Everyone always says never to bet against Bill Belichick in the playoffs. They are right. He is 15-4 in the postseason with a .789 winning percentage. He missed the playoffs for the first time in years last season, so you know he is hungry for a big run here. If there is any Wild Card team that I would put money on, it would be the Patriots. I know that Welker is done, but the Eagles lost Terrell Owens in 2004 and made a successful playoff run without him. As much as I admire what the Ravens defense has done this year, there are a lot of older guys that aren’t as fast and give up big plays in the secondary. I look for Brady to exploit that with or without Welker and advance to the second round with a win.

Finally, the least appealing game to me takes place first as the Cincinnati Bengals host the New York Jets in a rematch of last Sunday’s marquee game. The Jets spanked the Bengals hard on offense and defense last week. In back-to-back weeks, the Jets beat the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals. Favorable situations or not, that is quite impressive. However before New York fans are ready to crown the Jets, they are forgetting about one incredibly key factor to last week’s game. The Bengals played without Cedric Benson and Benson is back and with a week of rest this weekend.

I think the storyline that amazed me most this week was the idea that the Bengals are falling apart. Yes, it is definitely not a good thing to be sliced and diced like they were by a team you have to play the following week. Carson Palmer and the Bengals offense were stopped on all facets of the game by Rex Ryan and the Jets. However, I find it amazing that the same people ready to call it a night for the Bengals barely mention the loss of Benson. This would have been like the Jets playing without Thomas Jones against a full Bengals squad. The Bengals are a running team and set the pass up with the run. I don’t take a thing away from last week’s game knowing that Benson was on the bench.

I have always liked the Jets and I like Rex Ryan. Yet I think the Jets are the biggest frauds entering the playoffs. The Jets were handed gifts with the Colts pulling their starters two weeks ago and Benson sitting last week. I know Darrelle Revis shut down Ochocinco, but Ocho was the only thing that the Jets had to worry about. Thomas Jones was a beast, but it will be much different for the Jets who won’t be getting the ball in the great positions they found themselves in last Sunday night. I may be dead wrong, but I think the Jets are in way over their heads this weekend.

I look for a big rebound by the Bengals. I do believe that a great running game and a great defense win championships. The Bengals have both. I am very curious to see how Mark Sanchez handles his first turnover, as I do expect a few. I think this game will be a lower scoring affair (can’t score any less if you are the Bengals). There is always at least one blowout game on Wild Card weekend. I think it is this one. I look for a big day out of Cedric Benson, some Sanchez turnovers, and a very exciting game next weekend when the Bengals travel to Indy to play the Colts.

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NFL Wild Card Picks!

I had my worst week of the season going 7-9 with my picks. Keep in mind you had a lot of strange things going on like Cedric Benson, Philip Rivers, and Kurt Warner sitting. Overall I was 162-96 on the season which I think is a very respectable record. Now for the NFL Wild Card Picks (Picks in BOLD) -

New York at Cincinnati

Philadelphia at Dallas

Green Bay at Arizona

Baltimore at New England

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I love the final two weeks of the NFL season. There are always plenty of wacky playoff scenarios that keep a large number of teams alive for the post season. The teams that theoretically have nothing to play for wind up pulling off the biggest upsets of the season. The final week of the 2009 NFL season is no exception as very few teams will have the luxury of resting players with little to play for.

The biggest game of the week takes place Sunday afternoon in Dallas, Texas. The new Texas Stadium will host the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles playing for the NFC East title. Both teams have already clinched playoff spots, but the post season road for each team would be much easier with a win. For the Cowboys, they will be guaranteed a home game. For the Eagles, they can clinch the overall second spot and would only play one game on the road in New Orleans if the Saints win their divisional game. Needless to say, both teams have plenty to play for and nobody will be sitting starters in Texas.

Oh the irony of this game for Eagles and Cowboys fans. Last year both teams played in the final week of the season in a very similar situation. Last year’s situation was a bit more desperate as it was a win-and-in scenario. How did that turn out? The Eagles crushed the Cowboys and jumped on the road to the NFC championship. While the loser of this game still gets in, I have to think that this game is a bit more about revenge for the Cowboys after that embarrassing game in Philly last season.

Are the Eagles the hottest NFC team entering the playoffs? This game will answer that question. As a matter of a fact, I would venture to say that the winner of this game will be crowned with that honor. The Eagles have won six straight games. The birds had a close call at home against Denver last week, but the birds prevailed in the end. Donovan McNabb has done something this season that he hasn’t done in years and that is win games in the fourth quarter. He has had numerous fourth-quarter winning drives and looks to have shed that black mark of his career. Andy Reid continues to make questionable calls, yet his team has continually bailed him out. There is just something about this Eagles team that looks like a team destined for their best post season run since their Super Bowl run.

The Dallas Cowboys have been a fascinating team to watch this season. Every time you think they are done and out of the playoffs, they come back and remind you why they are the Dallas Cowboys. As much as it pains me to write it, Tony Romo has been great down the stretch. If there is one flaw with the Cowboys it is their defense. The fact that their head coach was one of the best defensive coordinators in football and his team’s defense is terrible is a mystery all in itself. This is a team that can be beat by the long ball. The Eagles are a home run team and will be looking to put this one away early with some bombs to D-Jax in the first quarter.

The Cowboys won the first meeting between these two teams. Both teams did a great job of shutting down each other’s offenses for most of the game. Unfortunately for Eagles fans, this game will be remembered as a showcase of Andy Reid at his worst. Reid made terrible challenges with the red flag and went for it on fourth down in ridiculous situations. It was amazing to watch Andy Reid outcoached by Wade Phillips for four quarters. The game ended with the Cowboys killing the clock for over four minutes and Reid having no timeouts to stop them, due to wasting a time out and blowing his challenges. Quite frankly, it may have been Andy Reid at his absolute worst.

I can sit here and make excuses all day long as a birds fan, but the bottom line here is that this was a very winnable game for the Eagles barring their coach’s stupidity. I think the Eagles are too hot right now for the Cowboys to stop them. These teams rarely sweep one another so the split with the birds winning in Big D shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. I see another very tight game, high scoring unlike their first meeting, and a lot of NFC teams shaking in their pants as the Eagle green slides into second and takes a week off. Maybe Romo can get Donovan a good travel deal on Mexico for next week?

The New York Jets are in the most enviable position in the AFC. The fate of several AFC teams rests in the hands of the Cincinnati Bengals who play the Jets on Sunday night. The Jets are in a win-and-in scenario thanks to Jim Caldwell pulling one of the biggest disgraces in NFL history last Sunday and handing a playoff opportunity to the Jets. Living in the northeast I have seen a lot of Jets games this season. This is not a playoff team and unless Marvin Lewis decides to rest some key players, they won’t be.

The Jets and Bengals are very similar teams. Both teams rely on a steady running game and strong defenses. Neither team gives up a lot of points, nor do they score a lot of points. As a matter of a fact the Jets are the overall number one defense while the Bengals are overall number four in the NFL. The Jets have a slight edge in stopping the pass, while the Bengals are a better team against the run. This is a great situation for the Cincinnati Bengals to be in against the Jets.

Mark Sanchez and Carson Palmer are going to have to make plays. At some point, the run is going to stop working for one of these teams. Who do I trust between the two? Carson Palmer has been here before and rarely makes mistakes. He is truly the ultimate quarterback for this type of an offense. Sanchez is not and is exposed when the Jets have to rely on him to get the offense going. I also think that with all of the crap the Colts got last week, no way Lewis sits his starters unless he is in a comfortable position going into the fourth quarter. I look for a Bengals win which opens up the doors for a lot of AFC teams.

The most intriguing AFC game this weekend has to be the New England Patriots vs. the Houston Texans. As the owner of a few Texans in my fantasy leagues over the last two seasons, I have become something of a Texans fan. In the AFC, I think they are the second most dangerous offense behind the Indianapolis Colts. Unfortunately a rash of injuries and a head coach that plays musical chairs with his running backs have hurt this offense badly over the last few weeks. However, the Texans have done something they haven’t done the last few seasons. The Texans are finally starting to win meaningful games in December.

For the Patriots, it is really hard to get a read on these guys. They beat the teams they are supposed to beat and struggle or lose to the better teams in the AFC. The Patriots have been a terrible road team this season, coming away with two wins (one of those in England which was considered a home game). The Patriots have already clinched a spot. Bill Belichick could sit his starters and be in the same position when the playoffs start as he would be with a win. However, I would be shocked to see him do anything but play to win the game. He didn’t sit his guys in 2007 so I can’t see him doing it now. Tom Brady has been rather outspoken this week about wanting to play to win this game. Once again, with all of the criticism that the Colts got last week I’d be stunned to see anyone sit for a reason other than injury from the New England Patriots.

Even without Steve Slaton and Owen Daniels, Matt Schaub continues to get it done in the air. Arguably, Schaub has had a better season this year than Brady and should be in the Pro Bowl over Lord Tom. I think that is a minor, yet motivating factor. A win does not guarantee anything for the Texans. They need a combination of ties or losses from the Jets, Broncos, and Ravens to slip into the playoffs. A loss completely eliminates the Texans. I find it very hard to pick the Texans against the Patriots in a meaningful December game. I won’t start now. I am going to pick the Patriots in what could be one of the most fun offensive games of the weekend.

Oh what a difference a year makes. The Steelers are on the verge of missing out on a chance to defend their championship. Inconsistent play on offense and defense in the middle of the season has put this team into a terrible position. The Steelers will be playing the Miami Dolphins this weekend in a game that could decide the final playoff spot. Both teams need a lot of help, but won’t go anywhere without a win on Sunday.

One would think that there wouldn’t be much of a home advantage for the Dolphins. However, several ex-NFL players have shockingly called Miami the hardest place to play in December and January. Those ex-players cite the warmer temperatures as the difference when it comes to cramping and dehydration. The line of thinking is that an NFL player can bundle up and adjust his body temperature better to colder conditions than they can for warmer conditions. Hey, I think it sounds ridiculous as well but enough former NFL players have corroborated this interesting tidbit.

The Dolphins had a nice run but their season is over. They had a chance last week to make their destiny a lot easier with a win over the Texans. Not only did they lose, but they were decimated for three quarters. Injuries to multiple starters have this team looking like a pre season team. Ricky Williams will likely play but was pulled from last week’s game due to an injury. I can’t see him being too effective injured and against this great rushing defense. It just isn’t Miami’s year this season.

<!–adsense–>The Steelers will bring their revitalized air attack into Miami with them. After struggling for weeks to put up numbers, Ben Roethlisberger looks to be back in sync with his receivers and his offensive line. The Steelers were able to squeak past a pretty good Baltimore Ravens team last week. The problem for the Steelers this season has been playing down to opponents. How they are able to beat the Ravens and Packers back-to-back and lose to the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders is anyone’s guess.

Are the Miami Dolphins the Ravens or the Browns? I don’t think they are a terrible team, but it is really hard to judge them when half of the team is injured. It is really hard to fathom the Steelers blowing what should be an easy win in a must-win situation. At the same time, this is exactly the kind of game where upsets happen at the end of the season. I am going to go out on a limb here and pick the Miami Dolphins to upset the Steelers at home this Sunday.

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NFL Week 17 Picks!

I slipped a game last week going 10-6. Now I did qualify my Colts pick by picking the Jets if Manning sat, but in fairness I’ll take it on the chin as a loss. There are similar issues this week. The Cardinals have already said that if the Vikings win, they will sit their starters. The last three weeks I have gone 10-6, 11-5, and 12-4, so overall it has been a great final stretch. I refuse to go down with anything less than a double-digit week. I am 155-87 overall on the season straight up in games. Now for the NFL Week 17 Picks (Picks in BOLD) -

Indianapolis at Buffalo
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Cleveland Browns
Chicago Bears vs Detroit Lions
San Francisco at St. Louis
Pittsburgh at Miami
New York Giants vs Minnesota Vikings
Atlanta at Tampa Bay
New Orleans at Carolina
New England Patriots vs Houston Texans
Green Bay Packers vs Arizona Cardinals
Washington at San Diego
Tennessee at Seattle
Baltimore at Oakland
Philadelphia Eagles vs Dallas Cowboys
Kansas City Chiefs vs Denver Broncos
Cincinnati Bengals vs New York Jets

Happy New Year to you and yours.

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The playoffs unofficially begin in the NFL on Friday. There are three NFC teams alive for two NFC playoff spots, while the AFC has six 7-7 teams fighting it out for a couple of available spots. This may be the most exciting week of the year with so many teams left playing for so little spots in the NFL post season.

The NFL opens up the week with a great prime time special on Christmas night. The San Diego Chargers look for 10 straight as they travel to Tennessee to play the Titans. Vince Young and the Titans are still alive for a playoff spot. After starting off the season winless in six and being blown out in embarrassing fashion by the New England Patriots, a playoff spot for the Titans would truly be a Christmas miracle.

The Chargers are a team that probably deserves more hype than they are getting. They are only behind the Indianapolis Colts in most games won in a row. Philip Rivers is playing out of his mind right now and has the Chargers as the overall fifth best ranked offense in the NFL. That is a good thing because the defense has been putrid this season, ranked currently at 30th in the NFL. Even more impressive is that they are playing a tough schedule and beating very good teams. The Chargers just beat the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys back to back and are full in playoff mode early.

Vince Young continues to do what he does best and that is win games. Young has brought his winning attitude to the entire team, as the Titans won a recent game that featured Young on the bench for most of the contest. The Titans have only had one loss since Young took the quarterback spot and that was against the Indianapolis Colts. Kenny Britt and Justin Gage have come out of nowhere over the last few weeks as one of the most dangerous wide receiver tandems in the NFL. This is a very good team playing their best ball of the year at the right time.

It is very hard to pick against a team that has just won 10 in a row and I won’t start now. The obvious line of thinking is to take the home team on Christmas night. However, most NFL analysts will tell you that the road team has a bigger advantage on a holiday night. While the home team is busy getting extra tickets for family, hosting family for the holidays, and spending the day at home, it is just business as usual for the road team who tend to be more focused in these situations. I look for the Chargers to win a tight one here and cruise into the playoffs with the number-two seed.

On the flip side, the Philadelphia Eagles have quietly become the hottest team in the NFC. The birds have rolled off five in a row, including a big division win over the Giants. The birds are 9-2 against NFC teams losing only to the Saints and Cowboys. Even more impressive about their recent run is that they have done it without key players. DeSean Jackson, Brian Westbrook, and Jeremy Maclin have all missed at least one game, and in the case of Westbrook it has been quite a few games. This week the birds are expected to have their offense back in full force for the first time in weeks as they host the Denver Broncos.

It is amazing how different the context of this game is to Denver Broncos fans and Philadelphia Eagles fans. For the Broncos it is a must-win situation. After starting the season 5-0, the Broncos have stumbled and are now 8-6 and on the playoff bubble. Denver Broncos fans are thinking about one thing here and that is the post season. For Philadelphia Eagles fans, it is about one Denver Bronco in particular. This Sunday marks the homecoming for one of the most beloved players in Philadelphia Eagles history, Brian Dawkins.

The Eagles are currently in a situation where they could jump up and steal the second NFC playoff seed from the Minnesota Vikings. The Eagles have clinched a spot, but they need to win Sunday to have any hopes at a week off and January football at the Linc.

There are several trends over the course of Andy Reid’s tenure as head coach that remain constant with most of Reid’s Eagle teams. The Eagles are undefeated coming off the bye week and horrendous against the AFC. This season alone the Eagles are 1-2 against the AFC with their only win coming against the Kansas City Chiefs. This is hardly the lock that most experts think it is.

The Eagles have also struggled against 3-4 defenses. The Broncos play a 3-4 defense and Donovan McNabb tends to get hit a heck of a lot more against 3-4 defenses. I also think it is a bigger advantage for Denver than most think to have Dawkins on the team. Dawkins played with and against McNabb in practice every day of McNabb’s career. Dawkins knows McNabb’s tendencies and these are intangibles that the Broncos will attempt to use on Sunday. This has the potential to be a long day for the birds.

On the other hand, how confident can the Denver Broncos be after dropping a game at home against the Oakland Raiders? I was always dubious of the Broncos 5-0 record and was never quick to crown them as some kind of juggernaut. The Broncos won a lot of games in the last minute and could have just as easily been 2-3 as they were 5-0. Denver may also have a bigger advantage than most think at quarterback. This won’t be Kyle Orton’s first dance against the Philadelphia Eagles. Orton threw three touchdowns against the Eagles last season and led the Chicago Bears to a win in Week 4. Kyle Orton can beat this team and isn’t scared of Asante Samuel.

All in all I think the Broncos come away with a win here. They are catching the birds at a good time. The Eagles have two division games to close the season against the Redskins and the Cowboys and may look past the Broncos. I also think the birds tend to look past AFC teams in general, hence their record. The Broncos will also be highly motivated to get a win on Sunday for Brian Dawkins who has reportedly been the same locker room leader in Denver that he was here in Philadelphia. Not even Mr. Courageous himself Michael Vick can save the birds on Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers try and keep hope alive as they host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. As dreadful as the Steelers have looked lately, they lit up the Green Bay Packers for over 500 offensive yards last week and pulled out a clutch win at home. The Steelers can’t catch the Bengals for the divisional spot, but are still alive for a Wild Card slot. The Ravens would take that Wild Card spot if the season ended today. This is about as big of a regular season game as you can get between two divisional rivals that already hate one another.

The Ravens beat the Steelers earlier this season on Sunday Night Football. The difference that night was no Big Ben Roethlisberger for the Steelers. Even playing against Pittsburgh’s third-string quarterback, the Ravens needed overtime to beat the champs. Big Ben has won four in a row against the Ravens, including three games last year (2 regular season and 1 playoff game). The Steelers will continue to play without Troy Polamalu on defense. Don’t be fooled by the win last week. The Steelers defense is still awful, and gave up 36 points and 383 yards in the air last week. If not for a revamped offense and confused Packers defense, the Steelers would have been embarrassed once again at home.

The Ravens on the other hand have been rolling through their opponents over the last few weeks. Fantasy football owners like me have cashed in on the greatness of Ray Rice and the Ravens running game. The combined scores of the last two Ravens game were 79-10 in the Ravens favor. Joe Flacco did it in the air last week throwing for a career-high four touchdown passes. Oh yeah, something I forgot to note here about those games. Those big wins came against the 5-9 Chicago Bears and the 2-12 Detroit Lions. Come to think of it, those numbers don’t sound that impressive anymore.

ESPN had an interesting stat on the Ravens. The Ravens are 9-0 in games played below 40 degrees and the temperature will definitely be below 40 degrees in Pittsburgh on Sunday. I don’t think that stat holds too much water in this game considering who they are playing. Sorry, I’m trying Ravens’ fans! The big questions here are the offenses for both teams. The Ravens and Steelers have played inconsistent offense all season. One week they struggle and the next they are rolling up the points. I am not ready to trust this offensive turnaround for the Ravens. I’ll lean towards the champs in a close but great NFL regular season victory on Sunday.

The most curious game of the week has to be the Indianapolis Colts against the New York Jets. The Jets boast the overall number one passing defense in the NFL as the Colts boast the number one passing offense in the NFL. Something has to give in this one. Win or lose, the Jets just don’t give up a lot of points. Win or win, the Colts have won by large and small margins throughout the season. Who do you trust? Do you trust Rex Ryan and the boys to hold Peyton Manning to 10 points or do you trust Manning to score 21?

The Jets are still alive for a playoff spot which is news to Rex Ryan. It is never a good thing when your own head coach isn’t aware that his team is still in the playoff hunt. Maybe he’d coach differently if he did?

The Colts may not be saying it, but they are going for 16-0. They have the overall first spot locked up and are on the verge of making history. I am sorry but all of these doubters are just throwing air balls in my opinion. I hear a lot of analysts claiming the Colts have holes on defense, this, and that. They may, but I don’t think there is a team anywhere close to their hemisphere right now in the NFL.

Unless Darrelle Revis can defend all of the Colts wide receivers and Dallas Clark, the Jets don’t have a chance of stopping Peyton Manning. The Jets do boast the overall number one rushing offense, which has meant nothing for other great rushing teams against the Colts. Now keep in mind if Manning sits for the entire game or second-half, all of this is moot.

For the Jets, Mark Sanchez has turned out to be a huge disappointment thus far. USC quarterbacks usually go through college without getting hit. There aren’t many great defenses in the Pac 10. The Colts will likely get a good pass rush going on Sanchez and give him happy feet throughout the game. I love the Colts to win big on Sunday.

Another big game with playoff implications has the Houston Texans traveling to Miami to play the Miami Dolphins. This is a battle of two 7-7 teams with the loser out of the playoff hunt. The Texans look for their third in a row as the Dolphins look to get back into the win column.

I look at this game statistically and it greatly favors the Houston Texans. The Texans are arguably the most talented 7-7 team playing football right now. Then I look at the head coaches. Tony Sparano has played in this situation and beat the Jets in the final game of the season last year in a win-and-in situation. Gary Kubiak has also played in this situation the last few seasons and came up small every time. The coaching factor makes me lean way more towards the Dolphins than the Texans in Week 16.

I have watched the Texans closely the last two seasons due to owning several of their players in fantasy football leagues. Matt Schaub has been unbelievable this season, as has the always constant Andre Johnson. The other constant for this team is the head coach. I think Gary Kubiak may be the worst coach in the NFL. I have never seen a coach do more to cost his team more wins this decade than Kubiak. I can think of at least three games that were lost due to his bad coaching decisions. His musical chairs of running backs have turned the running back situation into a joke. I just can’t see a team winning a big game in Week 16 with so many question marks at running back.

The Dolphins lost a very close game last week at Tennessee. The game came down to the wire. Even with the loss, Chad Henne looked very good and Ricky Williams remains one of the best running backs in the NFL. The Texans boast the 17th overall rushing defense and have given up a whopping 14 rushing touchdowns this year. They are right up there with all the usual suspects when you talk bad NFL defense. Between their bad rushing defense and their head coach, I just can’t see them getting it done this week. Until they come up big in this kind of a situation, I will always pick against the Texans. Go Dolphins!

CamelClutchBlog.com Fantasy Football Playoff Standings

Championship Bracket
Team The Nice Guys 2-0 (Jeff Porrini)
Dusty’s RedBellySpot 2-0 (Eric Gargiulo)

Winner’s Consolation Ladder
…Not You!!! 0-2 (John Yomtov)
Havertown Spoilers 0-2 (Bryan Reigel)
1st Place 1-1 (Derek Sabato)
Team Wheelhouse Radio! 1-1 (Jeff Peck)
Team Nuetral Zone 1-1 (Brett Clendaniel)
Team We Own You 1-1 (Erik Espenberg)
The Kings of Krista 1-1 (Josh Usher)
Team Rowland 1-1 (Justin Rowland)

Fantasy Fix - This isn’t the week to play “reaches.” This is the week you play your go-to guys and the usual suspects. Unfortunately with that said, I will not be writing about anymore fantasy reaches this season. Except Matt Moore, Carolina Panthers and Quinton Ganther, Washington Redskins. I just won’t do it!

NFL Week 16 Picks!

I slipped up a bit last week going 11-5 after going 12-4 last week. I am 145-81 overall on the season straight up in games. Now for the NFL Week 16 Picks (Picks in BOLD) -

San Diego Chargers vs Tennessee Titans
Buffalo Bills vs Atlanta Falcons
Kansas City Chiefs vs Cincinnati Bengals
Oakland Raiders vs Cleveland Browns
Seattle Seahawks vs Green Bay Packers
Baltimore Ravens vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Houston Texans vs Miami Dolphins
Jacksonville Jaguars vs New England Patriots
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints
Carolina Panthers vs New York Giants
Detroit at San Francisco
St. Louis at Arizona
New York Jets vs Indianapolis Colts (A loss if Manning sits)
Denver Broncos vs Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Cowboys vs Washington Redskins
Minnesota Vikings vs Chicago Bears

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Get your NFL jerseys discounted now on Amazon.com by clicking here

Check out the NFL Film Classics – Legends of Autumn, Vols. 1-3 DVD by clicking here.

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

If you think you can fare better then me or the rest of The Wheelhouse Radio crew join us every Thursday Night during our live broadcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse you will have the chance to win a “prize pack” (some of which will include stuff from our good friends at EA SPORTS!). All you have to do is beat our weekly NFL Pick Em’ guru…Copernicus! You beat him that week you get a prize pack from us! For more info visit our official website at http://wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com.

We are ever so closer to some to possibly the best playoffs in all of American sports when the NFL playoffs start in January. Starting this Thursday Night we will be three weeks away from the playoffs beginning as the playoff picture will be that much more clearly following the weekend games. Let’s take a look at some of the key matchups in Week 15 of the NFL!

The New Orleans Saints will look to improve to 14-0 as they take on the Dallas Cowboys Saturday night live in the Superdome. The Cowboys are a team that enjoys self destructing in the month of December and more importantly I enjoy watching them self destruct in December. The Cowboys lack leaderships in many positions and this is probably the last season where the head coach, quarterback or both are working with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dallas enjoys giving the NFC East to either the Philadelphia Eagles or the New York Giants this time of the year. It’s usually a great holiday gift to both franchises and the Cowboys love putting the bow on the division during this time of the year. The Saints will help add to the Cowboys’ holiday help by defeating them what is becoming the hardest place to win a road game, the superdome. I can not wait to watch the pregame shows on Sunday morning to hear about how the Cowboys are collapsing again.

The Titans/Dolphins game will eliminate one of these two teams from playoff contention this week. Whoever wins this game will be still holding on by the edge of their teeth while the other prepares their vacation plans for January. I really like watching the Vince Young experiment in Tennessee this season and should be interesting to see if he can be as dominant leading into the 2010 season for the Titans as he is their to stay as their Quarterback now.

I like the Titans in this one because they are playing with “house money.” They have nothing to lose at this point. They either make it in the playoffs or they don’t and they are playing every game as if it is the actual Super Bowl. The other motivation for this Titans teams is Chris Johnson’s pursuit of eclipsing Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record. He has already claimed he will break the record and a very motivated (and very fast) Chris Johnson is going to be tough to beat.

The Eagles/49ers is another key matchup this week as the Eagles may be on step closer to the NFC East crown or the 49ers may still hold onto their playoff hopes. The Eagles could be that team in the NFC playoffs that surprises and shocks teams like the Saints & Vikings. I really think the Eagles are going to win this one against the Niners ending any chance they had making the playoffs.

San Francisco is going to be a good team next season for sure. People in San Fran are still a little weary on Alex Smith as your starting quarterback but I think Mike Singletary is on the verge of making this franchise a top team again in the NFC. They will be eliminated from the playoff push this season but they will eventually be a top team along with Green Bay & Atlanta as teams that will be atop the NFC soon.

Finally I’m going to take a look at an eventual playoff matchup that has a first round bye on the line. The San Diego Chargers will take on their very emotionally heavy Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are going into this game with their hearts on their sleeve after losing teammate Chris Henry on Thursday which can honestly work for or against the Bengals favor.

Either way the Chargers are the best “under the radar” team in the NFL right now and a red hot this season on their way to the AFC West crown. If it wasn’t for the Colts & Saints this would be the team everyone is talking about. They are the AFC’s version of the Philadelphia Eagles as they always seem to fall under radar and always seem to have a good season year in and year out. I like the Chargers in this one as they will be on their way to a first round bye in the AFC playoffs.

Now onto my Week 15 picks…

Week 15 Picks:

Saints over Cowboys
Chiefs over Browns
Jets over Falcons
Titans over Dolphins
Texans over Rams
Cardinals over Lions
Eagles over 49ers
Patriots over Bills
Ravens over Bears
Broncos over Raiders
Chargers over Bengals
Seahawks over Buccaneers
Packers over Steelers
Vikings over Panthers
Giants over Redskins

Week 14 Record: 12-4

2009 Record: 133-61

Want to challenge my picks? Send me an e-mail at wheelhouseradio.jp@gmail.com and remember to tune in Thursday December 17th @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse for your chance to win a “prize pack” by picking the most correct NFL games courtesy of The Wheelhouse!

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at http://www.wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows & see all the latest happenings with the show at http://wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com.

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can follow Wheelhouse Radio! on Twitter by visiting their page @ www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse and you can e-mail them @ wheelhouseradio@gmail.com.

Get your NFL jerseys discounted now on Amazon.com by clicking here

Check out the NFL Film Classics – Legends of Autumn, Vols. 1-3 DVD by clicking here.

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

The NFL 2009 regular season is wrapping up and the playoff picture still remains just as fuzzy as it did last week. While three teams have clinched spots, there are still 24 teams technically alive for postseason play. The NFL playoff picture should clear up slightly after this week’s games.

The Indianapolis Colts have clinched a spot and are the only undefeated team left in the AFC. What the Colts and New Orleans Saints have done this season is simply remarkable. If it proves anything it proves that you do need a great quarterback to win games in the NFL. Well for the Jacksonville Jaguars, they are missing that component yet they provide a fairly intriguing matchup for the Colts on Thursday night.

The big debate now for the Colts centers around how long their starters will play. Nobody will catch them, but they have already gotten a ton of grief from the NFL in regards to sitting starters in the regular season. The Jags on the other hand are fighting for their playoff lives. To the Jags, this is a playoff game. To the Colts, this is just a few more weeks before they can take a long vacation. Will that play a factor Thursday night in Jacksonville?

I am not dumb enough to pick the Jags, but I like them a lot in this spot. Jim Caldwell will have a hell of a job motivating this team to play hard for four quarters at this point in the season. Coach Del Rio on the other hand will have these guys ready to bomb Afghanistan. The Jags are undefeated at home against division opponents this season. Obviously the Colts are undefeated period. Throw in there that the Jags are ranked 26th in the NFL against the pass and you have a big win written all over this for the Colts.

One thing to keep in mind here is that the Jags tend to play the Colts tough. The Jags held the Colts to just 14 points in Week 1 this season. The Jags were down two points and had the ball in the final two minutes of the game. Unfortunately for Jags fans, the Jags were unable to complete the drive. Think about how different this season would have been if the Jags were able to drive for a field goal and win that game. Well they didn’t, and I am sure the Colts are reminded of this daily in game preparation this week. I wouldn’t be shocked with an upset, at the same time I also wouldn’t be shocked to see Peyton Manning sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter with a comfortable lead.

The NFC’s undefeated darlings, the New Orleans Saints also play in a featured game this week. The Saints play a struggling Dallas Cowboys at home on Saturday night. NFL fans started counting this one down three weeks ago and a week later they stopped. Talk about two teams going in entirely two different directions. The Dallas Cowboys continue to choke in December and are on the verge of seeing their playoff hopes completely slip away barring a miracle over the next few weeks.

Unlike the Jags-Colts, I would be shocked to see an upset here. The Saints have had a couple of tough games back to back in recent weeks against teams a lot worse than the Cowboys. However, if there is one thing I love about the Saints it is that they get up for big games. This is a big game and they know the world will be watching. Ask Tom Brady what happened the last time the world was watching a Saints game. This team can run, they can pass, and they can certainly defend against anyone. Is there anything that leads me to believe that this one will be anything but a blowout? Nope.

I remember a game late in Sean Payton’s first season as the Saints coach between these two teams. The hype surrounded Payton coming back to Dallas to coach against his mentor Bill Parcels. The Cowboys were red hot around this time, Tony Romo had become the darling of America, and the Saints were seen as a big underdog in that game. Payton coached out of his mind and stunned the Cowboys in Week 14 42-17, Brees had 384 yards, and the Saints just went crazy with gadget play after gadget play. The Cowboys don’t have a defense that can contain an offense like this. Add in the chance of no DeMarcus Ware, and this one is a recipe for disaster for the Dallas Cowboys. I love the Saints with a huge win and another T.R. problem for Dallas fans.

I don’t think anyone expected a Week 15 game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles to mean much going into this season. However, this is looking like the marquee game of the day. Both teams are coming off of red hot performances in prime time games. On paper, these two offenses have the potential to light up the day with big yards and flashy plays. This is going to be a good one.

Will the real San Francisco 49ers please stand up? The 49ers that blew out the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night were the most impressive 49ers I have seen in a long time. How the heck do you lose to Seattle in one week and destroy the Cardinals the next? Whether it was Mike Singletary pulling down his pants or changing up their defensive schemes, something worked. No quarterback likes pressure, and Donovan McNabb is no exception. Teams that get pressure on McNabb make him look like Jake Delhomme on third down. The Eagles offensive line has really come together lately, but they are beatable and will need to play their best to keep McNabb vertical.

The Eagles put a show on Sunday night that the New Orleans Saints would be proud of. The NFL is finally learning what us Eagles fans have known for two years and that is that DeSean Jackson is one of the most explosive players in the NFL. He had a monster game last week, including back-stepping into the end zone for a score. Keep in mind that he did this without Jeremy Maclin or Brian Westbrook taking coverage away from him. The guy is just a nightmare for defensive coordinators. Oh yeah, and how about that Michael Vick guy?

I have been critical all season of the Vick signing. I still don’t like him, but the Eagles are finally starting to use him as they promised. The birds came up with some really exciting plays including one where both McNabb and Vick were in at the same time. If there is any positive to this slow start for Vick, it is that teams haven’t seen half of what the birds plan to do with Vick. He looks like he is starting to get his legs back and could be a difference maker. The problem I still have with Vick is that he is high risk/high reward. Sure, he absolutely has the potential to come in a game and stun a defense. At the same time, I still think you play with fire when you put him in on red zone plays and break up the momentum of a long drive for the offense. Over the course of the season, it hasn’t worked out. Over the last few weeks, it has been a dream for Eagles fans. Sunday will be an interesting test to Singletary and his defense to see if they can stop this new offensive machine.

The Eagles haven’t played a quarterback as hot as Alex Smith in a long time. As good as Tony Romo has been this season, he didn’t come into the Linc as hot as Smith will be on Sunday. The birds had some major breakdowns in their rushing defense Sunday, and that is not a good sign when you have Frank Gore coming in. I think the big difference here is the travel. The 49ers will be traveling across the country on a short week. That is a horrible schedule this late in the season, and almost unfair if you ask me. The game is also at 1 PM/EST which is 10 AM California time. I think these are huge intangibles that will be the difference in the game. Don’t be surprised to see a sluggish 49ers team for these reasons on Sunday. I like the birds in a tight one at home on Sunday afternoon.

Quick Hits - Call me crazy but I am actually intrigued by the Monday night game between the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. A great defense against a pretty good passing offense could be a fun game to watch. I almost feel sorry for the Panthers this week, but not after they ran their mouths about a team that just beat them. The Steelers couldn’t beat the Browns or the Raiders, so what makes me think that they have a prayer against the Packers? Actually, I like them a lot. If sitting Peyton Manning in Week 17 hurts the integrity of the NFL, what does a game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15 do for the league? As impressive as the San Diego Chargers have been this season, I won’t be convinced until they do it in January. Remember when fans of defensive football circled the Bears-Ravens game in Week 15 this season? I hope you didn’t use ink. The Patriots are winless on the road (in America) this season and the Bills almost beat them in Week 1. It could get very interesting on Sunday if things go wrong early for New England. Fantasy Football owners can let out a big sigh of relief now that it looks like they will have Larry Fitzgerald available for the Detroit Lions game.

Fantasy Fix - Beanie Wells, Arizona Cardinals – The former Buckeye has been a very frustrating player for fantasy owners this season. He has only three touchdowns in seven weeks. However, you probably drafted him for the Cardinals late-season schedule. This week he has the Detroit Lions. Ray Rice is still running all over the Lions. Rice put up over 20 points for me in both of my leagues last week. The Lions have all but given up at this point. I don’t care who your other running backs are, play Beanie and enjoy a nice playoff victory.

Jason Campbell, Washington Redskins – As bad as the Redskins started this season, they have actually had some good offensive numbers the last few weeks. Maybe the key to getting the most out of Campbell is keeping him away from his offensive coordinator? Regardless, he has put up some great numbers the last few weeks. Did you see what Donovan McNabb did to the Giants on Sunday night? He is no Donovan McNabb, but if you read the New York papers this week you know that the Giants are a complete mess right now. The Redskins have a great passing defense and they are bound to get some turnovers. Campbell should have a drive or two started with great field position. Better yet, Campbell is available on just about every waiver wire. Sure he is a risk in a playoff week, but he has a better matchup this week than over half of the other fantasy quarterback options. I love his matchup this week on Monday night, making him a must-start.

Mike Sims-Walker, Jacksonville Jaguars – This may or may not be an obvious play here. A lot of fantasy players immediately look at the Colts and play scared. The advantage of playing against the Colts is that you usually get one-two garbage time touchdowns. The only red herring here is MSW’s hamstring injury. As of now he is expected to play. He is exactly the kind of a wide receiver that can take apart the Colts secondary. Remember, it is a short week so there is a possibility he sits with that injury. I’d be shocked to see him sit in a prime-time game that is a must-win situation for the Jaguars. If he is playing, he is a must-start on Thursday night.

Randy McMichael, St. Louis Rams – I am not as bullish on McMichael as I am the other guys here, but in looking for a dubious tight end his name jumped out at me. Finally, McMichael caught his first touchdown pass of the season last week. Keith Null started at quarterback last week and as the saying goes, a tight end is a rookie QB’s best friend. The quarterback situation is once again in limbo this week, but McMichael is a must-start if Null starts at quarterback for the Rams. The Rams play the Houston Texans team this week and the Texans are very generous to tight ends. The Texans give up almost 67% more fantasy points to tight ends than the average NFL team. Even with Boller in the game, I still like McMichael yet I love him with Null.

CamelClutchBlog.com Fantasy Football Playoff Standings

Winner’s Bracket
Team The Nice Guys 1-0 (Jeff Porrini)
Dusty’s RedBellySpot 1-0 (Eric Gargiulo)
…Not You!!! 0-1 (John Yomtov)
Havertown Spoilers 0-1 (Bryan Reigel)

Consolation Ladder
1st Place 0-1 (Derek Sabato)
Team Wheelhouse Radio! 1-0 (Jeff Peck)
Team Nuetral Zone 1-0 (Brett Clendaniel)
Team We Own You 1-0 (Erik Espenberg)
The Kings of Krista 0-1 (Josh Usher)
Team Rowland 0-1 (Justin Rowland)

NFL Week 15 Picks!

I had a huge bounce back week witn my first 12 win week of the season on CamelClutchBlog.com, going 12-4. I am 134-74 overall on the season. Now for the NFL Week 15 Picks (Picks in BOLD) -

Indianapolis Colts vs Jacksonville Jaguars
Dallas Cowboys vs New Orleans Saints
New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills
Arizona Cardinals vs Detroit Lions
Miami Dolphins vs Tennessee Titans
Cleveland Browns vs Kansas City Chiefs
Houston Texans vs St Louis Rams
Atlanta Falcons vs New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers vs Philadelphia Eagles
Chicago Bears vs Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals vs San Diego Chargers
Oakland Raiders vs Denver Broncos
Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Seattle Seahawks
Minnesota Vikings vs Carolina Panthers
New York Giants vs Washington Redskins

Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Get your NFL jerseys discounted now on Amazon.com by clicking here

Check out the NFL Film Classics – Legends of Autumn, Vols. 1-3 DVD by clicking here.

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.

If you think you can fare better then me or the rest of The Wheelhouse Radio crew join us every Thursday Night during our live broadcast at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse you will have the chance to win a “prize pack” (some of which will include stuff from our good friends at EA SPORTS!). All you have to do is beat our weekly NFL Pick Em’ guru…Copernicus! You beat him that week you get a prize pack from us! For more info visit our official website at http://wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com.

First off let me apologize for not writing a preview the last two weeks. Was busy with the Thanksgiving holiday and other things but alas I am back to preview Week 14 in the NFL. Let’s take a look at some of the important matchups we get to look forward to this week in the NFL.

Kicking off the preview we will first start off taking a look at the Colts/Broncos game. A game that is a potentially an AFC Divisional Playoff match come January. The Colts are looking to stay undefeated and improve to 13-0 while the Broncos are looking to increase their chance on capturing a wild card playoff spot or make a final run at the AFC West Championship. Two teams with completely different goals right now since one team has already made their playoff stance known.

This is a game the Broncos need but the Colts want. No matter who you are, in any sport you ever played, you want to be the best. The Colts want to be undefeated. They want to go 16-0 into the playoffs and finish their season 19-0. The Broncos need to be in the playoffs. Josh McDaniels needs to prove to everyone that he is a good coach and can take a team lead by Kyle Orton of all people to a playoff position.

While both teams will be playing with some sort of desire throughout the game I still believe the Colts will win this one. The Colts for weeks were playing teams, letting them stay close with them and then winning. Last week I think we saw what the Colts were really like by dominating the game for just about the entire game. The Broncos will lose but will bounce back on their way into the playoffs.

In a match that could potentially be a Super Bowl matchup (whether we may like it or not) the Bengals will be taking on the Minnesota Vikings. Let’s be honest here. These two teams are in the Top 3 of their conferences. We won’t hear it from the NFL experts but the Bengals/Vikings could be played in February with the World Championship on the line.

The Vikings played HORRIBLE against a very surprising Arizona Cardinals team last week on primetime. So much so that it may have scared Vikings fans that maybe Brett Favre is finally showing signs of a 40-year old quarterback. This is the time of the year when people thought Favre may break down (just like he did last season) in New York and we maybe on the verge of it.

Cincy on the other hand still doesn’t get much respect because they are the Bengals. This is a victory that will be a statement game for the Bengals and help seal up the AFC North. The Bengals are fighting for a first round bye in the AFC playoffs and should get a step closer with a victory over Minnesota this Sunday.

It’s December again which means the Dallas Cowboys should begin breaking down and missing the playoffs again after being an NFC favorite team. This will continue to happen as the San Diego Chargers should defeat the Dallas Cowboys this week. San Diego is on fire in the NFL right now on their way to another AFC West Championship while the Dallas Cowboys are already forming reasons why they lose in December.

Tony Romo is not a leader and Wade Phillips is not a coach. If this game is even close I will be surprised. The media has some sort of power of this Dallas Cowboys team where they can convince them that they will lose again in December. It’s going to be a cold December in Dallas again this season which should open the door for the next matchup.

The Giants/Eagles will be one heck of a matchup on Sunday night and will help shape the NFC Playoffs. If the Eagles win it’s over for the Giants, if the Giants win we will have the Dallas Cowboys on the verge of crapping themselves as the Eagles & Giants are breathing down their December necks. The Giants are looking like the team that started playing in the start of the season and Philadelphia is looking like they always do this time of the year this past decade.

Philly is a strong team and is playing like they always do. The Giants want this game more then the Eagles do and the win against Dallas is giving them some confidence as they prepare for the final stretch of the season. Eli Manning isn’t the leader they thought he was and it’s allowing other players like Brandon Jacobs and Osi Umenyiora to step up as leaders. I like the Giants in this one and giving us another NFC East shootout in the final weeks of the regular season.

Should be a great week as we get on step closer to January football and the playoffs!

Now onto my Week 14 picks…

Week 14 Picks:

Steelers over Browns
Saints over Falcons
Colts over Broncos
Bills over Chiefs
Ravens over Lions
Dolphins over Jaguars
Jets over Buccaneers
Bengals over Vikings
Packers over Bears
Patriots over Panthers
Texans over Seahawks
Redskins over Raiders
Titans over Rams
Chargers over Cowboys
Giants over Eagles
Cardinals over 49ers

Week 13 Record: 9-7

2009 Record: 121-57

Want to challenge my picks? Send me an e-mail at wheelhouseradio.jp@gmail.com and remember to tune in Thursday December 10th @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at www.blogtalkradio.com/thewheelhouse for your chance to win a “prize pack” by picking the most correct NFL games courtesy of The Wheelhouse!

Jeff Peck is the producer for the “Wheelhouse Radio” program that airs every Sunday – Thursday @ 8pm ET/5pm PT at http://www.wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com

You can visit The Wheelhouse’s official website where you can download “high quality” shows & see all the latest happenings with the show at http://wheelhouseradio.wordpress.com.

If you would like to subscribe to “The Wheelhouse” on iTunes simply subscribe for free at iTunes by typing in “Wheelhouse Radio!”

You can follow Wheelhouse Radio! on Twitter by visiting their page @ www.twitter.com/thewheelhouse and you can e-mail them @ wheelhouseradio@gmail.com.

Get your NFL jerseys discounted now on Amazon.com by clicking here

Check out the NFL Film Classics – Legends of Autumn, Vols. 1-3 DVD by clicking here.

Join ESPN Insider today for the best sports analysis online, plus ESPN The Magazine!

Your favorite NFL teams and players gone big – Fathead.com

Order the Madden NFL 10: Official Strategy Game Guide by clicking here.