FAVORITE TEAMS

BYE WEEKS: CARDINALS, COMMANDERS

So, this season’s been filled with quarterback injuries. Nine of them were from the AFC, and Trevor Lawrence was claimed as the next victim. Who’s next? Lamar Jackson? It’s December and Action Jackson suffered the last two seasons of injuries in that month since Orlando Brown Jr. left Baltimore. Can he be the last man standing and survive this dreaded month to lead his team to the playoffs and beyond? The last five weeks include good defensive linemen or pass rushers. Stay healthy and protect your man, Ronnie Stanley.

Meanwhile, this week’s matchups include…well…rematches, an interesting second game on Monday Night Football, and what could be the most pitiful or very underrated Thursday Night Football game…on Prime Video!!! The Seahawks salvaged that app with a great game against the Cowboys. Do we expect the same from Mitch Trubisky and Bailey Zappe or someone beyond that position?

Round one of this AFC West matchup begins in Los Angeles. The Broncos won five straight before CJ Stroud and Houston dropped them off their streak. The improvement came from the defense while Russell Wilson and company contributed enough during the winning streak. The Chargers are still trying to figure themselves out. In the last three games, the offense dwindled down to 20 points and lower. Fair point, they played three good defenses. However, the offense is too talented to struggle and their defense paid the price, including Joey Bosa going to IR. Coach Brandon Staley may be calling defensive plays effectively, but there’s still no solution to their offensive inconsistency. So, both teams are untrustworthy because of their offense despite both having quarterbacks. But I distrust the Chargers’ offense since they failed to score over 20 points for three straight weeks.

MY PICK: BRONCOS

No one should be more worried about this matchup than Detroit. They were games that they should have no business being in since getting steamrolled by Baltimore in October. Since then, they won four games by 12 points and lost to Green Bay on Thanksgiving. I wouldn’t say there’s anything wrong with the Lions’ offense, but their defense suffered some setbacks since CJ GJ’s injury. Chicago’s now 4-4 since October after starting the season 0-4. Whether it was Justin Fields or Tyson Bagent, they knew DJ Moore was the main target while the rest of the offense develops during the game. Fortunately, Khalil Herbert’s return adds fuel to the run game that could be the most lethal with him, D’Onta Foreman, and Roschon Johnson along with Fields. Ever since Montez Sweat was traded to Chicago, the defense all of a sudden improved despite losses against New Orleans and Detroit. The Lions are on upset alert and have every right to be. Three weeks ago, Detroit was in major trouble and fought their way back to win and survive. Their defense struggled, but the worst part is losing defensive tackle Alim McNeill to IR. Aidan Hutchinson, Alex Anzalone, and Kerby Joseph must come together to pull all the stops on Justin Fields and the rest. However, the Lions’ offense has all the weapons in the world to slightly outplay theirs.

MY PICK: LIONS

Welp, we’re right back to this after the Seahawks were cooked like turkey on Thanksgiving night. However, they bounced back with competitive juices against Dallas and attacked their defense early and often. This could be the motivation needed to attack the 49ers that just returned from Philly. The ball starts and ends with Geno Smith. He tallied over 300 yards passing while receiver DK Metcalf had his best game with three touchdowns. However, the running back position is getting thin with injuries from both Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet, and hopefully one or both of them return in time. The 49ers are going on a tear coming off bye week with their new toy in Chase Young. His presence revitalized the front four that needed a spark, and the defensive front accounted for 18 sacks in the last four games since. After taking the wheels off Philly’s five game winning streak, the 49ers look to finish the season strong and make a serious run through the playoffs again and beyond. San Fran completes their three-road game campaign in four weeks, but it feels like a sneaky close game. Both could be worn from their NFC East foes, but the 49ers should sweep the series against Seattle with a better and healthier lineup.

MY PICK: 49ERS

Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are right back at this again. Also, this is the Bills fifth straight road game in Kansas City. What’s up with that??? Anyway, Buffalo’s struggling through the middle part of their season and are currently on the outside looking in. This season has proven that the Bills literally ride-or-die behind Josh Allen’s arm and legs. Make no mistake that he has playmakers, including Stefon Diggs, but their struggles come from #17 himself. He must take care of the ball and play more efficiently to put his team in a better situation. The Chiefs look human for once in the Patrick Mahomes era, but it’s not all on Mahomes though. Outside of Travis Kelce and Isiah Pacheco, the rest of the offense has little to no contributions in game-time situations. However, Rashee Rice came on as the number one receiver, but can someone else step up? This is a bit difficult to choose, but I’m favoring the Chiefs to bounce back at home (and no I don’t care if Taylor Swift’s in attendance. The Packers debunked it). The Bills are also 1-5 away from home with the Madden Curse hanging over their head as badly as a poison mushroom on Mario Party.

MY PICK: CHIEFS

This rematch should be The Game of the Week to cap off Sunday. The Cowboys went on a tear after losing a close one at Philly. Dak Prescott was on point and Daron Bland added an extra element to the defense that needed a Hawk on defense without Trevon Diggs. Once they ran into Seattle, they had to step up their game against Seattle’s offense and prove they can compete with mostly any team in the NFL. Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia are still choppy and have yet to run away from any team they run into, even against Washington. They endured a tough schedule that’s wearing on them. The loss to the 49ers could be a wake-up call or a bad sign. The offense relies on physicality from the run game and the offensive line, and attacking the defense downfield with AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. The defense had some issues in the secondary, which is why the front seven was given added responsibility to contain and attack the backfield. Adding Shaq Leonard from the Colts could revitalize the defense a bit. The last time both teams met, Dallas played their best football. Unfortunately, they came up short because of a few self-inflicting miscues (mostly pre-snap penalties) that cost Dallas opportunities to defeat the Eagles. For Dallas to defeat Philly, they must play their A-game from start to finish which they do. Even if penalties are involved, they learn from their mistakes and will do everything to clip the Eagles at home in a close game.

MY PICK: COWBOYS

OTHER GAMES

PATRIOTS AT STEELERS [THURSDAY NIGHT]

BUCCANEERS AT FALCONS

COLTS AT BENGALS

JAGUARS AT BROWNS

PANTHERS AT SAINTS

TEXANS AT JETS

RAMS AT RAVENS

VIKINGS AT RAIDERS

TITANS AT DOLPHINS [MONDAY NIGHT]

PACKERS AT GIANTS [MONDAY NIGHT]

TOP WEEK 13 RESULTS: 3-2

WEEK 12 TOTAL – 41-26

OVERALL WEEK 13 RESULTS: 7-6

TOTAL RESULTS – 137-66