2009 NFL Pickery - Week #14

Last Week:

Tom: 11-5
Joe: 11-5
Aaron: 9-7


Season to Date:

Tom: 129-63
Joe: 128-64
Aaron: 122-70


Pittsburgh at Cleveland

Aaron: Thursday's forecast in Cleveland calls for snow, high winds and temps in the teens. A rare blackout AND whiteout for those of us who don't get the NFL Network. Pick: Pittsburgh

Joe: Cleveland would seem to be the ideal venue for Pittsburgh to get well. But with that forecast you've so helpfully provided, Cam, I'd be awfully interested in Cleveland plus a point spread. Not enough to make a contrarian pick here a good idea, though. Pick: Pittsburgh


Green Bay at Chicago

Aaron: The sure-to-be-lousy conditions has me thinking the Bears could keep it close enough to win. Then, again, the Bears are even worse than the expected weather. Pick: Green Bay

Joe Reid: Actually, so many Murphy's Law type principles say the Bears could indeed win here. Road games within the division are upset-magnets, the Bears are now settling into "spoiler" mode for the rest of the season, and the Packers aren't quite good enough to be 9-4 yet. Pick: Chicago


New Orleans at Atlanta

Aaron: Another home 'dog that's poised to put up a fight. I'd pick the Falcons, too, if only their offense were 100% and the defense was allowed to use brass knucks and steel chairs. Pick: New Orleans

Joe Reid: The Falcons will be lucky to field a whole team come the end of this season. Pick: New Orleans


Detroit at Baltimore

Aaron: Baltimore had "The Wire" and "Homicide". Detroit had "Mr. Mom" and Gung Ho". Easy call here. Pick: Baltimore

Joe Reid: Let's all enjoy Daunte Culpepper for a week, before he wanders off into the cornfield to see where Shoeless Joe and the other guys go. Pick: Baltimore


Denver at Indianapolis

Aaron: With regards to squeaky clean sports icons, who are we left with? Peyton Manning and Derek Jeter? Who'll be Sports Illustrated's "Sportsman of the Year" in 2010? Who?! Pick: Indianapolis

Joe Reid: Your omission of 4-time Lady Byng Trophy-winner Pavel Datsyuk sickens me. Pick: Indianapolis


Seattle at Houston

Aaron: The Matt Schaub backlash amuses me. Do his critics remember that Schaub was the back-up to Mike Vick - 1/3 quarterback, 2/3 novelty act - in Atlanta? Pick: Houston

Joe Reid: Houston's commitment to near-.500 seasons year after year is positively Buffalo-esque. Pick: Houston


N.Y. Jets at Tampa Bay

Aaron: This won't amuse me as much as the way 2008 ended for the Jets, but it'll do. Pick: Tampa Bay

Joe Reid: Watching Kellen Clemens last week was like watching a ten-year-old girl sitting on her dad's lap in the car as he "lets her drive." Still, you figure that, given a week, the Jets can successfully plan to run all over the Bucs. Pick: NY Jets


Carolina at New England

Aaron: Can't get enough of the talking heads on ESPNESN (see what I did there?) proclaiming that the Pats "might be struggling", but "they're STILL in first place and STILL going to the playoffs". That makes it all better. Pick: New England

Joe Reid: If they win this week, count on Mark Schlereth chastising sports fans for counting the Pats out. YEAH! Pick: New England


Miami at Jacksonville

Aaron: As the tears streamed down Tim Tebow's face last weekend, I officially stopped caring about football in Florida for the season. I got what I wanted. Pick: Miami

Joe Reid: Here's how you can tell I haven't followed college football closely enough in the last four years: I have NO IDEA why everybody hates Tim Tebow. I mean, beyond all the winning. And I'm too embarrassed to ask. Pick: Miami


Buffalo at Kansas City

Aaron: Considering the current direction of both teams, I think it's safe to say the Chiefs "upset" of the Steelers three weeks ago didn't mean much. Pick: Buffalo

Joe Reid: Stupid Bills are on an upswing. But on the road, in Kansas City, has historically been their Waterloo. Those early-'90s blowout losses made gods of Christian Okoye and Barry Word, for shit's sake. Pick: Kansas City


Cincinnati at Minnesota

Aaron: With 14 weeks of hindsight, check the Bengals schedule and tell me how many very good teams they've beaten on their way to 9-3. Green Bay? Baltimore (twice)? None? Pick: Minnesota

Joe Reid: Not to continue to stick up for the Bengals, because I too think they're one-and-done in the playoffs, but by these standards (Green Bay is 8-4,
Baltimore 6-6), how many teams would count as "very good"? Four? Ruling out anyone who hasn't beaten the Colts or Saints or Vikes or the Chargers leaves a shallow pool indeed. Pick: Minnesota


St. Louis at Tennessee

Aaron: If there's any spillover from the current Vince Young overcompensatory lovefest, please forward it to Titans' RB Chris Johnson. He's been...pretty OK this season. Pick: Tennessee

Joe Reid: It's gonna be SUPER pretty OK after this week. Pick: Tennessee


Washington at Oakland

Aaron: 23-3, 38-0 and 24-7...those were the scores the following week after each of the Raiders' three wins this season. Pick: Washington

Joe Reid: Hey, gettin' closer! Pick: Oakland


San Diego at Dallas

Aaron: Don't pick Dallas in December, don't pick San Diego in January. They should print t-shirts with that on it. Pick: San Diego

Joe Reid: Chargers win this game in San Diego, not underneath the withering glare of Big Brother Scoreboard. Pick: Dallas


Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants

Aaron: A Giants win could leave the NFC East with three 8-5 teams. Which least flawed team will make the playoffs and lose in the first round? Only three more weeks to find out! Pick: NY Giants

Joe Reid: Good news, Philly fans! Brian Westbrook is close to returning to the field and ending his career any week now! Y'all can finish what you started with Eric Lindros. Pick: Philadelphia


Arizona at San Francisco

Aaron: I hope the Cards are wearing those snazzy all-red uniforms. I haven't gouged my own eyes out in awhile. Pick: Arizona

Joe Reid: Ooh, symmetry. This is another road game within the division, where the better team isn't quite good enough to go 9-4. And yet...can't do it. Pick: Arizona


Confidence Pickin' (with current scores)

Joe (33): COLTS (-7) over Broncos; Dolphins (+3) over JAGUARS; Panthers (+13) over PATRIOTS

Aaron (31): Redskins (-1) over RAIDERS; Dolphins (+3) over JAGUARS; VIKINGS (-6.5) over Bengals

Tom (25): Dolphins (+3) over JAGUARS; Bengals (+6.5) over VIKINGS; Jets (-4.5) over BUCS