
12th Week
It’s the time of year we all should be thankful. I give thanks to the readers, Ron Rivera’s ineptitude and the long decline of Norv. It’s time for me to tell the fans of each team what they should be thankful for.
Thursday, Nov. 22
Houston at Detroit 12:30 p.m- Houston fans, you should be thankful for Wade Phillips and the only $8 million contract to a running back that might work out. Detroit fans, be thankful for Megatron and the hopes that a high pick will help the secondary. PICK: (HOU 7-2)
Washington at Dallas, 4:25 p.m- Redskins fans, you should be thankful that you are better than the Eagles and RGIII just might be worth it. Dallas fans, um…uh, be thankful to be talked about a couple more weeks until the Giants surge their way back into the playoffs. And, Jason Garrett might not be around next season. PICK: (DAL 6-3)
New England at N.Y. Jets, 8:20 p.m- New England fans, you should be thankful that no one has to tell you what to be thankful for. Jets fans, be thankful that you have never had to be around for some embarrassing speech by Tebow before he runs five and a half feet. PICK: (NE 9-0)
Sunday, Nov. 25
Minnesota at Chicago, 1 p.m- Minnesota, you have an absolutely terrifying freak of nature in the backfield. Chicago fans, you should be thankful that none of those prime time games the Bears lost were a playoff game. PICK: (CHI 8-1)
Oakland at Cincinnati, 1 p.m- Raiders fan, you should be thankful that you may get a new quarterback next year and his name will not be J’Marcus Russell II. Bengals fans, it is time to be thankful for nailing the 2011 draft and for having the best receiver in the AFC. PICK: (CIN 9-0)
Pittsburgh at Cleveland, 1 p.m- Steelers fans, you should be thankful that the Browns did not get Mike Tomlin with Haslam. Cleveland fans…..give thanks that Ron Rivera is slightly worse in game management than Pat Shurmur. PICK: (CLE 7-2)
Buffalo at Indianapolis, 1 p.m- Bills fans should be thankful that they do not have the facial hair of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Colts fans should be thankful that their secondary cannot get worse; it just can’t. PICK: (IND 8-1)
Tennessee at Jacksonville, 1 p.m- Fans of the Titans should be thankful that Kenny Britt has not been arrested during the season. Jags fans should be thankful that Londoners will soon share their misery. Yes, the misery will be on two continents soon. No other team can say that. Quiet Bills fans, your Toronto stuff doesn’t count. PICK: (TEN 8-1)
Denver at Kansas City, 1 p.m- I suggest the idea that I do not need to tell Denver fans what to be thankful for. Chiefs fans, you should be thankful that the season will be over soon. PICK: (DEN 9-0)
Seattle at Miami, 1 p.m- Seattle fans should be thankful that the success of the team that is allowing the media to ignore the Whitehurst and Flynn off-season follies. Miami fans, you should thank the Bills and Jets for playing as badly as they have been playing. PICK: (SEA 5-4)
Atlanta at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m- Yes, Falcons fans, we know you are a paper tiger. Still, isn’t it better to have a consistently good team for the first time in….say, …forever? Bucs fans, you should be thankful that Josh Freeman cares about football again. PICK: (TB 8-1)
Baltimore at San Diego, 4:05 p.m- Ravens fans, you should be thankful that the offense is good enough now that Cam Cameron doesn’t screw it up so bad anymore that they lose games. Yes, he still stinks, but Boldin and Smith have been great. Chargers fans need to be thankful that the laughable hubris from A.J. Smith is about to be silenced. PICK: (BAL 7-2)
St. Louis at Arizona, 4:25 p.m- Jeff Fisher is making the Rams competitive again and will have this off-season to put a bigger stamp on the team. Cards fans should be thankful that even if the line gets all their quarterbacks hurt, the team can find guys just as good off the street. PICK: (ARI 5-4)
San Francisco at New Orleans, 4:25 p.m- The Niners are another team that nailed the 2011 draft. Even if Alex Smith fails, it is still time to be thankful for the possibilities that will be created when Jim Harbaugh can think about his Nevada QB full-time. Saints fans, you should be thankful to be talked about right now after the team’s start. PICK: (SF 8-1)
Green Bay at N.Y. Giants-x, 8:20 p.m- Green Bay fans that aren’t thankful for Aaron Rodgers need to stop watching football. Those people will never be thankful. Giants fans should be thankful that a mid-season swoon bodes well for recent playoff success. PICK: (GB 7-2)
Monday, Nov. 26
Carolina at Philadelphia, 8:30 p.m- You Panther fans should be thankful that no one will be talking about your team at all this week. Not about Cam’s awfulness or Rivera’s world of suck. Not at all. Eagles fans should be thankful that their offensive line will be just fine when the players are healthy again. PICK: (CAR 6-3)
LAST WEEK: 13-1
SEASON: 103-56-1 (64.7%)