Season: 121-62 (66%) /  Last Week: 9-6 (60%)/  Scott’s Pick: 4-7-1 (1-0)Welcome back everyone, Week 13 is in the books and the playoff picture continues to develop. Who would have thought the 49ers would have locked on or let alone make the playoffs? I believe the AFC’s playoff docket will start to take shape this week. There are a lot of seemingly one-sided match ups but that is normally something to worry about. A few teams at this point have nothing to lose, making them extremely dangerous for those on a playoff mission. With that said though, playoff teams need to look at all of these upcoming match ups as important contests. Let’s Take it to the Bank.

Browns @ Steelers

Pick: Steelers. It is safe to call the division race closed for the Browns. The Peyton Hillis dilemma of 2011 has done this group in, not to mention the superior talent and coaching of the other three teams in the division. I am a huge fan of how the Steelers have been able to stay successful despite their age at most positions and their injuries to major defensive players. The Browns have little options on offense which makes matters worse against the well-equipped defense of Pittsburgh.

Colts @ Ravens

Pick: Ravens. The original Baltimore team comes “home” against the not-so-new kids on the block. The Ravens are likely the best in the AFC and the Colts are by far the worst, so it is a safe bet to take Baltimore. I know the Colts gave the Patriots fits at times last week, but the truth is the Pats have one of the worst defenses I have ever seen. That is not the case in Baltimore, where their defense is holding opposing offenses to low scores and the Ravens running game is just on fire at this point. I could see the “Pride of New Jersey” Ray Rice having another 200 yard game against the lame defense of the Colts. Make no mistake; this Indy team is far worse than the 2008 Detroit Lions (they at least led at some point in a bunch of their games).

Falcons @ Panthers

Pick: Falcons. The Falcons should look at this game as a must-win. If they want to win their division or make the playoffs, they need a statement game. The Panthers are coming off a nice win and their future looks very bright, but in the present, the Falcons are the better team. I am of the belief that the running game needs to be used to control the clock. With Mike Turner in the mix and the Panthers need to constantly throw the ball (despite two feature backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart), I think Matt Ryan can dictate the outcome of this game.

Texans @ Bengals

Pick: Bengals. I am more than tempted to take the Texans but after two rough division losses, it is time for Cincy to right the ship. The Bengals have a steady attack and a fantastic defense that can exploit the lack of Andre Johnson and experience the Texans have at QB (I know Andy Dalton, like TJ Yates, is a rookie but Andy has played all year). This should be low-scoring because both teams have awesome defenses but I think AJ Green makes the difference.

Vikings @ Lions

Pick: Lions. There is a reason the Vikings are at the bottom of the barrel this year and it is not because of Christian Ponder. With Adrian Peterson out, there is no running game (Toby Gerhart, no matter what color he is, is still a bust) and the defense (outside of Jared Allen) has been awful. The Lions can use Kevin Smith to their advantage as the linebackers of Vikings cannot handle him one on one. Another guy that is set for a big one is Calvin Johnson who has seemingly gone quite after dominating the first half of the season. Bad corners wait for you Mr. Johnson.

Buccaneers @ Jaguars

Pick: Jaguars. If Mel Tucker is going to win a game as interim Head Coach, it will be this one. The Bucs have greatly regressed from their success last season but that is more of a coaching problem than a talent issue. Raheem Morris (one of the ultimate “Rah Rah” guys in the league) has let his youth and inexperience (never a pro defensive coordinator, promoted from secondary coach) show. The Jags plan for this game is to the run the ball down the throat of the exposed interior defensive line of the Bucs. I also feel that the Jags defense has a good match up here whether Josh Johnson or Josh Freeman starts. This could be a career (show far) game for young Blaine Gabbert as I like the way he was used against the Chargers and believe he can do well with the “dink and dump” against Tampa Bay at home.

Eagles @ Dolphins

Scott Pick: Dolphins. A pair of two incredibly disappointing teams heading in completely opposite directions hits the field this Sunday at Sun Life Stadium, when the 4-8 Eagles visit the 4-8 Dolphins. Philadelphia is coming off an embarrassing Thursday night loss at Seattle, which effectively eliminated any post-season prayers they still had, dropping them to 1-4 in their last 5 games.  On the other side are the feisty, will not-die Dolphins, who have mounted a spirited return to relevance after an 0-7 start.  Ironically since losing to Denver in Tim Tebow’s rise from the dead, the Dolphins and Broncos are a combined 9-3.  Matt Moore has been effective and a great manager for the Dolphins and Reggie Bush has flourished after a slow start.  The Dolphins won’t make the playoffs, but they are playing for Tony Sparano’s job.  Miami’s hot, the Eagles are not.  I’m going with aqua over midnight green.

Saints @ Titans

Pick: Titans. Call me crazy but I am going with the Titans at home. The Saints are coming off two major wins and I think they are set up for another let down. This version of Any Given Sunday features a Titans team who has finally found a way to let their best player be successful. CJ2K is finally ready to roll just in time for the fantasy football playoffs and likely in time for Tennessee to make a run. Head Coach Mike Munchek would have a shot at Coach of the Year in any other season but you will not hear his name because of Green Bay’s success and the 49ers turn around. The Saints need to use their run game in this contest to get the win on the road.

Chiefs @ Jets

Pick: Jets. I know a lot of readers take issue with my lack of faith in Rex Ryan and company, but they are honestly only beating bad teams. They barely survived the Redskins (despite all the scores in the final minutes) and are not able to sustain a running attack. The Chiefs are badly beat up (they have lost their starting QB, RB, and SS to name a few) and only won last week on a Hail Mary pass. The Jets need to rush Aaron Maybin consistently (they will) in this one as the Chiefs offensive line has had its problems this season. This will be low scoring but a victory for the Jets.

Patriots @ Redskins

Pick: Patriots. The Redskins and Dolphins have seemed to switch personalities over the last two months. The Skins were hot with a below-average signal caller for the first half of the season then faltered and the Fins seem to have stolen their baton on that one. Anyway, this match up features two teams in opposite directions of the standings in their respective divisions and conferences. The Patriots are on the road and ready to rock (that’s a reference for all you League fans out there), so this should be a fairly easy business trip. Wes Welker has not dropped a pass this season (despite 127 targets) and his team will not hold drop the ball against the fairly unappealing Washington defense.

49ers @ Cardinals

Pick: 49ers. The Cardinals got a big win against the Cowboys last week (no fault of their own really, just bad decision-making on the other side). The 49ers need to show them who is the boss in this division and slap them back to reality. As much as I like Kevin Kolb, it is fairly easy to knock him off his game. Rushing Aldon Smith should do the trick in this contest. Kolb needs to be assertive in this match up if the Cardinals are to have any chance of success.

Bears @ Broncos

Pick: Broncos. This is the Jay Cutler Bowl without, you know, Jay Cutler (by the way this has happened a few times with Kolb out against the Eagles and Matt Schaub out against the Falcons). The passing game of the Broncos (can’t believe I am saying this) is far superior to the Bears at this point in the season. The Bears struggled to put up three points against the mangled Chiefs defense, so it is fair to question their success against a unit who has been at the top of its game since Tim Tebow became the starter on the other side of the ball. Demaryius Thomas showed his abilities last week; let’s see if he can continue to grow with Tebow under center.

Raiders @ Packers

Pick: Packers. While this could be the trap game of all trap games, you have to go with what you know. The Packers are 12-0 and look to have all but sealed their playoff road. This may be a must win for the folks from Oakland, so they have to want it and need it more. I like Carson Palmer and (possibly) Darren McFadden against the Packers defense; what I take issue with is the Raiders secondary versus Green Bay’s receivers.  All I will say is “Good luck Lito Sheppard.”

Bills @ Chargers

Pick: Chargers. The San Diego offense may have finally woke up. The Bills seem to just be going through the motions at this point, which has never been more apparent than in their loss to the Titans. Ryan Fitzpatrick needs more options and more importantly the team lost their leader and the majority of their offense when Fred Jackson went down. This will not be a cake walk for the Chargers but it is a good way for them to beat an inferior (talent) team at home.

NY Giants @ Cowboys

Pick: NY Giants. This game could have huge ramifications on the NFC East playoff picture. If the Cowboys lose, they still have a huge shot at the playoffs, but if the Giants win…everyone else in the division has a chance. While it is highly unlikely the Redskins and Eagles win out and the Cowboys go 1-3, there is still that possibility. If the Cowboys want to end the pressure early, they have to win at home against an extremely inconsistent Giants team. New York has looked terrible at times but also put the defending champs on the ropes last week. If you get the Giants from last week, the Cowboys have a much smaller margin for error.

Rams @ Seahawks

Pick: Seahawks. The birds of Seattle proved last week that they are a tough out for any team. They are coming off basically a second bye after playing last Thursday, which could make it even tougher for the beat up Rams to stay in the game. This Monday Night Football game was scheduled because of the teams’ performances last year. I think Marshawn Lynch, who has come into his own over the past few weeks is going to be too hard to stop at home. Seattle may have a shot to make some noise if the current playoff bottom feeders fall off.

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