2009 NFL Pickery - Week #16

Last Week:

Tom: 10-6
Joe: 10-6
Aaron: 9-7


Season to Date:

Tom: 149-75
Joe: 148-76
Aaron: 143-81


San Diego at Tennessee

Aaron: This Chargers team has a little something Apollo Creed once referred to as "Eye of the Tiger" and have spent the season rising up to the challenge of their rivals. The Titans are the scrappy, written-off-for-dead upstarts who've been resurrected. Not unlike a certain someone who's birthday is on Christmas. No, not Rickey Henderson. Close, though. Pick: Tennessee

Joe: Wow, that metaphor really went over the place. Let me try: San Diego will treat the Titans like the neighborhood dogs in A Christmas Story treated the Christmas turkey. Pick: San Diego


Denver at Philadelphia

Aaron: The same sports media that universally predicted Denver to go 4-12 this season now laments the team's "disappointing" second half. How could this happen under "Reliable" Kyle Orton's watch? Pick: Philadelphia

Joe: Philly fans will be a couple days late to pelt Santa with unmentionables. God help us from ever finding out what they'd do to Baby New Year. Pick: Denver

Kansas City at Cincinnati

Aaron: Instead of going with "the rest of the season", the Bengals might wanna pick and choose the remaining 2009 games they dedicate to the late Chris Henry. Here's a good one. Pick: Cincinnati

Joe: I believe Cedric Benson will dedicate this 160-yard rushing performance to the memory of the Chiefs' defense. Pick: Cincinnati


Buffalo at Atlanta

Aaron: The Falcons need a lot of help to make the playoffs, but I admire the gritty resolve of guys like Matt Ryan and Michael Turner: playing through injuries against the last three weeks of bottom feeders to pad their own stats. Pick: Atlanta

Joe: The Bills are set to maybe possibly start untested QB Brian Brohm in place of a Civil War battlefield worth of QBs. Doesn't mean they'll win, but QB hope springs eternal. Pick: Atlanta


Oakland at Cleveland

Aaron: More pathetic: the local media notion that JaMarcus Russell "saved" his career by coming off the bench (5 for 11, 47 yards) to upset Denver last week or that he can't unseat the 3rd string guy who suffered a concussion in the same game? Pick: Cleveland

Joe: And on the flip side, no Brady Quinn for the Browns almost made me want to pick the Raiders on the road. Until I realized how insane that whole sentence sounds. Pick: Cleveland


Carolina at N.Y. Giants

Aaron: I am reluctantly willing to consider that it's not over for the Giants yet. Pick: NY Giants

Joe: They're back in their comfort zone now -- beating up on crappy teams. Pick: NY Giants


Seattle at Green Bay

Aaron: How many times do these teams play against each other in a given season? I ask because I KNOW I've used some derivative of the "No Favre, no Holmgren...whatever will the national media overreport on?" joke in the past 12 months. Pick: Green Bay

Joe: I think this Packers team suckered me to their cause more in their loss to Pittsburgh than in some of their wins. Pick: Green Bay


Houston at Miami

Aaron: I think we can pretty much close the book on the Matt Schaub era, Houston. Pick: Miami

Joe: Hey, Matt Schaub wasn't the one fumbling the ball away every game. Well, wasn't the ONLY one fumbling the ball away. Pick: Miami


Tampa Bay at New Orleans

Aaron: I'm firmly in the camp of those who believe the Saints - while not tanking last week's loss to Dallas - may not have been inclined to empty their playbook against a potential playoff opponent like the Cowboys. Pick: New Orleans

Joe: I'm not sure tanking it would even do the trick here. Pick: New Orleans


Jacksonville at New England

Aaron: This feels like one of those games where the Pats kick the everlovin' sh** out of someone. Pick: New England

Joe: I keep thinking the same thing, Cam, but that hasn't happened in a while. Pick: New England


Baltimore at Pittsburgh

Aaron: Wait...how did one of their eight annual games against each other NOT end up on Monday Night Football? Does the Commissioner know about this? Pick: Pittsburgh

Joe: I love how it took five straight losses to get everybody to give up on the Steelers, and one miracle win to get everyone back onboard. Myself included. Pick: Pittsburgh


St. Louis at Arizona

Aaron: This feels like one of those games where the Rams lose. Pick: Arizona

Joe: Nothing on the Kurt Warner/Brenda Warner/religious angle? Somebody's feeling sluggish on Boxing Day. Pick: Arizona


Detroit at San Francisco

Aaron: The 49ers have alternated wins and losses for each of the past six weeks. I know the Lions suck, but the first rule of pickin' is to bet the trends. And, since San Francisco lost last week... Pick: San Francisco

Joe: Can't argue with science. Pick: San Francisco


N.Y. Jets at Indianapolis

Aaron: Well, hello, "upset win I'm force to predict since I'm a bazillion games behind Joe in the season standings"! Pick: NY Jets

Joe: So nice to be on this side of the fence for once. Pick: Indianapolis


Dallas at Washington

Aaron: The Redskins performance last Monday night vs. the Giants was as unwatchable as anything I've seen all season. As such, THIS will be the game that finally snuffs out Wade Phillips. (Plus, upset...forced to predict...bazillion games behind Joe). Pick: Washington

Joe: Much as I would never root against the cosmic undoing of Wade Phillips... Pick: Dallas


Minnesota at Chicago

Aaron: One of these years, Brett Favre will be playing in an outdoors game in December and keel over like a Taun-Taun before being hung upside down in an ice cave by a Wampa. (Google those references, new readers, I'll wait.) Pick: Chicago

Joe: I feel as weird being on the "Favre can still do it!" side of the fence as anyone, but the Bears are really, really, really bad. Pick: Minnesota

Confidence Pickin' (with current scores)

Joe (39): STEELERS (-3) over Ravens; Lions (+12) over NINERS; DOLPHINS (-3) over Texans

Aaron (39): GIANTS (-7) over Panthers; Saints (-14) over Bucs; PATRIOTS (-7.5) over Jags

Tom (31): Jets (+6) over COLTS; Redskins (+6.5) over COWBOYS; CARDINALS (-14) over Rams