With the start of Thursday night games comes the rush of trying to finish a week's worth of picks in a mere 3 days. Lucky for me I have the early games for me. Even more luckily, I have some games to make up for to catch up with Insider Access.OAKLAND 21, SAN DIEGO 24
San Diego battled hard against Green Bay, but that may have been more of a result of Green Bay's mistakes than San Diego's competence. Still, San Diego did make some big plays in the game, as did the Raiders against Denver. The Raiders, however, have had a shaky offense at best, with Carson Palmer playing fairly inconsistently through his first few games. I'll give San Diego the home field advantage here, but this game could be a very close decider in a tight AFC West race.
ARIZONA 20, PHILADELPHIA 27
The first of several tricky matchups, the Eagles have been incredibly inconsistent this year. The Cardinals are surprisingly effective against mediocre opponents, but with John Skelton at the helm I can see no way that they get past Philly. If the Eagles lose this one, you can pretty much shut the door and bolt it tight on a heavily disappointing season.
The first of several tricky matchups, the Eagles have been incredibly inconsistent this year. The Cardinals are surprisingly effective against mediocre opponents, but with John Skelton at the helm I can see no way that they get past Philly. If the Eagles lose this one, you can pretty much shut the door and bolt it tight on a heavily disappointing season.
TENNESSEE 27, CAROLINA 24
An even matchup between two quietly average teams. Tennessee has been inconsistent all year, while Carolina has had their share of injury and still managed to play close games under Cam Newton. This one may come down to the wire, and I can really see this one going either way.
An even matchup between two quietly average teams. Tennessee has been inconsistent all year, while Carolina has had their share of injury and still managed to play close games under Cam Newton. This one may come down to the wire, and I can really see this one going either way.
HOUSTON 31, TAMPA BAY 26
This may be a trap game for the Texans, as Tampa Bay looks to remain in the NFC South hunt. After a disappointing loss to New Orleans, Tampa's D is reeling from the loss of DT Gerald McCoy, and may not have enough left in them to rebound against a dominating Houston team. The Texans are riding a 3 game win streak that could propel them to their first playoff berth ever. But the Bucs could use some redemption. Who will win in a battle of injury-riddled franchises? I think the loss of McCoy will hurt the Bucs more than the loss of Andre Johnson.
This may be a trap game for the Texans, as Tampa Bay looks to remain in the NFC South hunt. After a disappointing loss to New Orleans, Tampa's D is reeling from the loss of DT Gerald McCoy, and may not have enough left in them to rebound against a dominating Houston team. The Texans are riding a 3 game win streak that could propel them to their first playoff berth ever. But the Bucs could use some redemption. Who will win in a battle of injury-riddled franchises? I think the loss of McCoy will hurt the Bucs more than the loss of Andre Johnson.
WASHINGTON 23, MIAMI 17
Washington has been fairly incompetent for a while, and could arguably be an even worse team than Indy. Miami seems to have found its groove last week, but they managed to trap a surprised Chiefs team. This time around, the Dolphins won't be able to hold the lead against a Washington team looking for a win.
JACKSONVILLE 23, INDIANAPOLIS 17
A year ago, this game would have been a trap game for the Colts. This time around, the Jaguars should be looking at a trap game against an "easy" AFC opponent. The Colts have plain sucked all year, with seemingly no spark to the offense and a defense of no name second and third level personnel. Even more depressing is that the same could seemingly be said of the Jaguars, who are being led by the slowly developing Blaine Gabbert and ever present Maurice Jones-Drew. The Jaguars have held their own for most of the year, so anything less than a win should send Jack Del Rio to the door.
A year ago, this game would have been a trap game for the Colts. This time around, the Jaguars should be looking at a trap game against an "easy" AFC opponent. The Colts have plain sucked all year, with seemingly no spark to the offense and a defense of no name second and third level personnel. Even more depressing is that the same could seemingly be said of the Jaguars, who are being led by the slowly developing Blaine Gabbert and ever present Maurice Jones-Drew. The Jaguars have held their own for most of the year, so anything less than a win should send Jack Del Rio to the door.
DENVER 27, KANSAS CITY 34
Kansas City may have gotten embarrassed by Miami last week, but this week won't be any easier against a tough AFC West opponent. Denver has slowly been gaining ground on the other three teams despite being cluttered in constant controversy at quarterback. Denver's game is built around running the ball and completing short passes, while throwing in a few big pass plays for Tebow. If Tebow plays well, that will nullify Kansas City's D. Unfortunately, Denver's D can't match up against a tough Kansas City offensive attack, especially if the younger speed players continue to blossom.
BUFFALO 31, DALLAS 21
Both of these teams are still trying to refine their skills and talents, but it seems like the Bills are better than the Cowboys in this category. Dallas is still trying to manage their defense, but the Bills should be able to take advantage more than the Seahawks could. If Buffalo can get the Dallas defense on its heels, then they will be able to have their way.
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