Last week: 12-2
Season total: 106-54

A few leftovers from American Turkey Day before I get to my picks:

 In writing about the Detroit Lions in my season preview, I wrote, “...even though they have a lot of talent in their defensive front, their best player, Ndamukong Suh, is one or two more body-slams away from getting suspended.” Well, although it wasn’t a body-slam, it has come to pass, and the league has only itself to blame. I’ve seen several Lions’ games this year, and at least once or twice a game, I find myself wondering, after a dirty or late hit by Suh (sometimes even after the whistle), “Why didn’t he get flagged for that?” He’s been doing this thuggish crap all season, and he hasn’t been called on it nearly enough. Under normal circumstances, you’d expect the team to rein a player like this in, but not the Lions. I thought that the statement that the team released after Suh’s stomp was pitiful, stating that, “The on-field conduct exhibited by Ndamukong Suh that led to his ejection from yesterday's game was unacceptable and failed to meet the high level of sportsmanship we expect from our players.” Note the last word: players. Not coaches. This is the team, after all, whose head coach chased after an opposing team’s coach after he got upset because the other coach didn’t shake his hand properly or some such childish bullshit. The league chose not to fine or suspend Lions’ coach Jim Schwartz for that ridiculous display. This set a dangerous precedent. Now, don’t get me wrong; Suh is 100% responsible for his own actions. However, the league should have taken care of this mess a lot earlier. Detroit is the dirtiest team in the league. Their buffoonery is a disgrace. What Suh did, on one of the highest-profile days of the NFL season, shamed the league, as it became the biggest story of the day. The NFL prides itself on its public image. This incident should never have happened. Things never should have been allowed to get that bad in Detroit. Now the league has to send a message. It had better be a powerful one.

As for the other games played this past Thursday:

Dallas seems poised to take over the NFC East. Cowboys’ fans shouldn’t be too worried about the difficulty their team had in dispatching the Dolphins. Miami has been playing very well of late, and they are pushovers no longer. The Cowboys’ offence managed a couple of touchdowns against a defence that hadn’t allowed one in almost three full games prior to this one. With the struggles that the Giants are having, as well as their tough schedule, Dallas looks like they’re in the driver’s seat in their division.

The Ravens once again look like the team to beat in the AFC. If their defence, particularly their pass rush continues to play like it did against the 49ers, they can beat anyone.

Now, the rest of the week’s picks:

Bills at Jets

Didn’t we just see this game? Oh yes, I remember. They played a couple of weeks ago, when the game was billed as a potential deciding matchup for the AFC East title. Now, the Jets are fighting for a playoff spot, while the slumping Bills are hoping to avoid last place and wondering what went wrong. I don’t see the result being much different than the last time these two played each other. Winner: Jets

Panthers at Colts

It’s no secret that the Colts organization has given up. QB Curtis Painter is terrible, and might not even be on an NFL roster next season, and yet Indianapolis didn’t even make a waiver claim for Kyle Orton. Carolina may not be having the best season, but they can score points in bunches, and will do so this weekend. Practically every team does against the Colts. Winner: Panthers

Vikings at Falcons

Minnesota is another team having a terrible season, and they’re dealing with injuries as well. Atlanta is in the thick of a playoff race, and can’t afford a letdown. Winner: Falcons

Buccaneers at Titans

Tennessee has to make a stand this week. Time is running out for them to make a run at the division title. I’ll be surprised if they don’t give a good effort in this one. Their defence is not the issue; it is the offence that has been inconsistent. They should be able to handle the Bucs’ offence, but the Titans’ offence has to move the ball effectively, or their season could be over. Winner: Titans

Browns at Bengals

Despite losses to Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Cincinnati still has a very good shot at a wild-card spot. They should be able to handle a Cleveland team that, although they have played well on defence, have struggled mightily on offence, and will have loads of trouble against the Bengals’ stingy defence. Winner: Bengals

Cardinals at Rams

There seems to be at least one of these games every week, between two teams that are going nowhere. Since I have to pick one, I will. Winner: Cardinals

Texans at Jaguars

It will be interesting to see how well Houston performs on offence now that Matt Leinart is the starting QB. The Texans have been winning with a strong running game and a vastly improved defence. If Leinart can avoid costly mistakes, they should be ok for the time being. Jacksonville isn’t good enough to mount a serious challenge. Winner: Texans

Bears at Raiders

Having watched Chicago play several times this season, I understand how important Jay Cutler was to what they were doing on offence. I’ve heard a lot of talk this week about how he’s not the Bears’ best player on offence, and how they shouldn’t experience much of a drop-off with Caleb Hanie under center. Don’t believe it. I’ve watched Cutler, week after week, make throws that few other QBs, if any, could make. You just don’t move on from that. Oakland has gotten back to consistency on offence now that Carson Palmer has settled in.  I expect a close game here. Winner: Raiders

‘skins at Seahawks

Seattle has shown improvement on offence, particularly with their running attack, and their defence has gotten better as the season has progressed. Washington is sinking fast. No matter which terrible QB starts for them this week, they will have trouble with the 12th man at CenturyLink Field. Winner: Seahawks

Patriots at Eagles

Philadelphia is desperate for a win. New England seems to be playing more consistently on defence in recent weeks. The Eagles will have a plan in place to try and slow the Pats’ passing attack. The key will be in-game adjustments. Andy Reid is one of the worst game coaches in the league. That should be just the edge New England needs. Winner: Patriots

Broncos at Chargers

Tim Tebow and Denver’s throwback offence takes on another underachieving team this week. Good coaching would be a huge asset for the Chargers in a situation like this, but hey, we’re talking about Norv Turner here, the guy who added to a long list of career coaching gaffes last week by burning two timeouts on the same play in a game in which San Diego was behind in the fourth quarter. Phillip Rivers continues to struggle with inaccuracy and poor decision-making, and won’t have an easy time of it against the Broncos’ aggressive pass rush. Winner: Broncos

Steelers at Chiefs

After a brief surge, Kansas City has settled back into mediocrity. They should be no match for playoff-bound Pittsburgh. Winner: Steelers

Monday Night

Giants at Saints

The Giants are one of the more confusing teams in the league. Just when you think they’re one of the elite teams, they falter. Just when you think that Eli Manning is a top QB, he looks horrible. Then, when you start to count them out, they come roaring back. You pretty much know what you’re getting with the Saints. I don’t think that New York can match New Orleans touchdown for touchdown. Winner: Saints

Packers at Lions

The Lions have shown a knack for falling behind to teams this year. If they get off to a slow start against the high-octane Green Bay offence, Detroit will really find out what it means to be behind. Forget all the bad stuff you’ve heard about Green Bay’s defence; if the Lions fall behind and have to throw it 40 to 50 times (or more), you can expect the Packers’ secondary to make Stafford pay with at least 2 or 3 interceptions. Aaron Rodgers had better keep his head up today. With the way QBs have been going down lately (Cutler, Schaub, Cassel), and with the dirty Lions’ propensity for hitting QBs late, Green Bay could be the next team to see its playoff hopes dashed. Winner: Packers

Dolphins at Cowboys

I picked the Cowboys to be a playoff team this year, and I still believe that they will be. They’ve been in a good winning groove lately. Somehow, I can’t shake the feeling that they should be doing better. I know that they’ve lost a couple of games that they should have won, and last week they barely beat a Washington team that they should have handled easily. The Dolphins seem to have finally turned a corner and found a way to close out games that they found ways to lose earlier in the season. Miami’s defence has been phenomenal over the past few games, and their offence has finally found a way to move the ball and score consistently. If the Dolphins can keep it close, avoid costly mistakes, and take advantage of the 1 or 2 interceptions that I just know that Tony Romo will gift them with, then I think we have the makings of an upset. Winner: Dolphins

49ers at Ravens

I have thought that Baltimore was the best team in the AFC since the beginning of the season. I still believe that they have the potential to get to the Super Bowl. They’ve just been so maddeningly inconsistent on offence. They are a stark contrast to a San Francisco team that has been a model of consistency. The 49ers field a stifling defence, and always seem to do enough on offence, albeit not spectacularly, to win. Playing at home, in a tight race in the AFC North, and with the possibility of a playoff bye still well within their grasp, this has all the makings of a game that the Ravens should win, especially since they are against a West-coast team playing in the Eastern Time zone for the fourth time this season. However, while the 49ers have epitomized consistency, the Ravens have consistently lost the games I thought they should have won. They were lucky against the Bengals last week. They’ll need more than luck against San Francisco. Winner: 49ers

Last week’s picks: 12-4
Season total: 94-52

I’m running late again this week, so I’ll just dive right into the picks:

Panthers at Lions

It’ll be interesting to see how Cam Newton handles the crowd noise in Detroit this week. Carolina isn’t good enough to take advantage of the Lions’ weaknesses (which I have comprehensively documented in previous weeks). Detroit had just better not get caught looking ahead to their game against the Packers on Thursday, or Newton will burn them. Winner: Lions

Bills at Dolphins

I’d really like to pick Miami to win their third straight this week. The Dolphins have been competitive all year, and in the past couple of weeks really seem to have started to get into a good groove. Matt Moore has settled into the starter’s role. Meanwhile, I have watched Buffalo play really awful football the past two weeks. Their offence seems to have no direction, and their coaching and preparation has been terrible. You know what? This is my column. I should do what I like. Winner: Dolphins

Raiders at Vikings

This is a winnable game that Oakland has to have. Minnesota’s pass rush will do everything it can to disrupt Carson Palmer, but he should be able to take advantage of the Vikings’ injury-depleted secondary. Michael Bush has really stepped up and played well as the starting running back for Oakland. The Raiders know that they can’t falter, because no one knows when (if?) the Tebow bubble will burst. Winner: Raiders

Cowboys at ‘skins

These two teams always play each other tough, but this time around, it’s simply a matter of Dallas being much, much better than Washington. Winner: Cowboys

Buccaneers at Packers

Tampa Bay? Nope. Not a chance. Green Bay simply does not have let-downs. The Ravens should pay attention. Winner: Packers

Jaguars at Browns

Two of the league’s worst offences meet to see who can actually score. Why would anyone watch this game? I don’t even want to pick a team. “Colts Hangover” (the Jags only managed 17 points against Indy) versus “Madden Curse.” Peyton Hillis is out again this week, so... Winner: Browns

Bengals at Ravens

This should be a good one. Cincinnati should be feeling confident after their strong showing against Pittsburgh last week. However, this could work to their disadvantage, because now Baltimore will not take them lightly, which seems to be the Ravens’ Achilles’ heel this season. Baltimore should be especially motivated, because although they have beaten Pittsburgh twice this season, the Steelers still occupy first place in the division, and the Ravens have no one to blame but themselves. The Bengals always give the Ravens a hard time, but key injuries on offence (A.J. Green) and defence (Leon Hall, speaking of Achilles), will be too much in a game where Cincinnati will need every edge it can get. Winner: Ravens

Seahawks at Rams

Seattle is coming off a huge upset of Baltimore. In St. Louis, it’s mostly the fans who are upset. Winner: Seahawks

Cardinals at 49ers

Here we have a matchup between the team I picked to win the NFC West and the team I picked to finish last. Boy would I like to have that one back. Has San Francisco clinched yet? They must be close. Winner: 49ers

Titans at Falcons

Tennessee, a team that looked like it had no hope as recently as two weeks ago, has seen a couple of rays of sunshine. The first was Matt Schaub’s potentially season-ending injury, which makes Houston look vulnerable once again. The second was Chris Johnson finally ending his holdout and playing last week. (What’s that? He played in all of the other Titans’ games this season? Really?) Atlanta is reeling after losing to New Orleans last week on an absolutely stupid call on fourth-and-one deep in their own end in overtime (And I don’t care how many stat-heads come out of the woodwork and say that it was the right call; it was DUMB!) to fall two games behind the Saints in the NFC South. I smell an upset here. Winner: Titans

Chargers at Bears

Chicago is on a roll, and is looking better with each passing week. San Diego is on a roll too: downhill. Both teams will continue with their respective rolls this week. Winner: Bears

Eagles at Giants

I’m at the point now where I just start laughing at the mere mention of the Eagles. New York lost to a good team last week, San Francisco, and will be extra-motivated to deliver another crushing blow to Philadelphia’s nightmare season. Good luck, Vince Young; you’re going to need it. Winner: Giants

Monday Night

Chiefs at Patriots

I get the feeling that Tom Brady vs. Tyler Palko was not the marquee matchup that the NFL and ESPN were looking forward to when this game was scheduled.  With the way New England’s secondary has played this season, the kid might throw for 400 yards. Winner: Patriots

I can’t remember the first time I heard a commentator on a football broadcast talking about passer rating (or as it’s sometimes called, quarterback rating), but for as long as I can remember hearing about it, I’ve been also been hearing jokes, usually by the commentators themselves, about what a strange formula it is. However, even now, passer rating is an often-discussed topic. One of the biggest stories of this season, according to all of the attention paid to it, is the possibility of Aaron Rodgers breaking Peyton Manning’s single-season record for highest passer rating. 

 Over the years, I haven’t paid too much attention to passer rating, but the more I’ve heard about it, the more confusing it seems. I recall thinking that it was rather odd when I first heard that, according to the formula used to calculate it (which I won’t even go into), a perfect passer rating is assigned a score of 158.3. This rather specific number has been achieved many times over the years, but, according to actual statistics, does not measure actual perfection. Case in point: Tom Brady, the most recent QB to achieve a perfect rating in a game (On Thanksgiving, 2010, against Detroit) was 21 for 27, for 341 yards, 4 TDs, and no INTs. Now, perhaps I’m being a bit too literal, but six incompletions does not sound like perfection to me.

Think that’s strange? It gets stranger. Several years ago, I read that if, in a game, every pass a quarterback attempted was not caught by anyone (so, either incomplete or not intercepted), then that quarterback would achieve a rating of 39.6. I looked it up, and it turned out to be true. So,”Why,” I asked myself, “would anyone design a rating system where the bottom was 39.6?” Then I found out that 39.6 is not the lowest score possible. Extremely poor performances by quarterbacks can register a score even lower.  In fact, a score of 0.0 has been recorded numerous times, most recently by Chris Redman, for Atlanta (against Tampa Bay) on December 16th, 2007 (4 of 15 34 yards 0 TDs 2 INTs).

With everything I’ve learned about passer rating, I find it amazing that anyone associated with the NFL takes it seriously at all. That’s no matter, though. I’m here to declare that passer rating is officially dead. It died on Sunday, November 13th, at Arrowhead Stadium.

The killer: Tim Tebow.

In his winning performance last Sunday, Tim Tebow was 2 for 8, for 69 yards, with 1 TD. For this scintillating display, Tebow achieved a passer rating of 102.6. Only three QBs have a rating over 100 for the season: Rodgers, Brady, and Drew Brees. In comparison, a much more impressive-looking performance by Andy Dalton of the Bengals in Week 9 vs. Tennessee (22 of 39, 217 yards, 3 TDs 0 INTs) garnered a passer rating of only 97.9.

So, I’ve given up on taking passer rating seriously. Any smart football fan, not to mention the analysts who talk and write about the NFL as a profession, should do themselves a favour and do the same.

Now, my pick for tonight:

Jets at Broncos

I’m sure most of you will think I’m a “Mile High” for saying this, but I think Denver can take this one. The Jets played Sunday Night (against the Patriots, a very emotional game), and have had less time to rest and prepare for a team that employs an offensive strategy that they are not used to. Add to that the loss of LaDainian Tomlinson, and Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil chasing Mark Sanchez around, and I think you’ve got the makings of an upset. Just don’t talk to me about Timmy’s you-know-what rating after the game. Winner: Broncos

Last week’s picks: 9-5
Season total: 82-48

I’m away from home this weekend, visiting friends and family in Cape Breton, so I’ll have to bang this picks blog out fairly quickly. But first, a couple of things:

I was 9-5 last week, but it was a good 9-5. There were a lot of road teams that won last week, and I was particularly happy with my Bengals, Saints, Ravens, and Bears picks. Also, I lost on my Chiefs pick because someone must have finally told the Dolphins that the season started, and I lost the Rams pick after they had a 42-yard game-winning field goal blocked at the end of the 4th quarter, then gave up a 99-yard punt return TD in OT. To put last week’s 9-5 in perspective, Peter King of “Sports Illustrated” went 5-9, and he does this for a living.

Congratulations to the Raiders (and their fans) on their 24-17 victory over the Chargers on Thursday night (I picked the Chargers, for those of you who aren’t my facebook “friends."). I guess Oakland did have enough offence, and Carson Palmer looked tons better than he had in his previous start. When they get Darren McFadden back, the AFC West should be theirs for the taking.

There are some tricky games this week. This is the first week where I genuinely feel like I could go 1-15. I’ve been struggling with some of my decisions. Oh well, here goes:

Saints at Falcons

“Colts Hangover” game for Atlanta; Drew Brees is a big step up in quality after facing Curtis Painter last week. Winner: Saints

Bills at Cowboys

I did not like the effort by Buffalo against the Jets last week, especially from the coaches. I think the Bills’ magic may be wearing thin. They’re no surprise any more. Dallas should be able to do enough on offence now that they appear to have gotten the running game on track. Winner: Cowboys

Steelers at Bengals

Did you know that if the season ended now, Cincinnati would have a first-round bye in the playoffs? They are, without a doubt, the surprise team of the season, and they’re doing it with a sound defence and a rookie QB who is playing very well. This week is a huge jump in terms of the quality of their opponent, a Pittsburgh team looking to bounce back after an extremely tough loss to Baltimore. I expect a close, low-scoring affair. Winner: Steelers

Jaguars at Colts

This might be the best shot the Colts have at a win this season. Don’t expect a lot of scoring in this one. Winner: Jaguars

Rams at Browns

Another shit sandwich game (Remember Seahawks-Browns, week 7?). Two teams going nowhere. (Peyton Hillis is probably thanking his lucky stars that he turned down the cover of “Skyrim.”) I’ll pick  St. Louis, because I have to pick someone. Winner: Rams

Cardinals at Eagles

Philadelphia can’t beat any good teams, but they can sure still kick the hell out of bad ones. Just don’t start saying they’re great again after they trounce Arizona. Winner: Eagles

Titans at Panthers

Tennessee’s offence seems to have gone bye-bye. That’s too bad, because their defence will only be able to do so much to stop Cam Newton. Carolina will get their points. Can the Titans match them? Winner: Panthers

Texans at Buccaneers

This is not the Houston team of seasons past. This Texans team is winning with good defence, which takes a lot of pressure off Matt Schaub. Both Arian Foster and Ben Tate ran for over 100 yards last week. Tampa Bay is in disarray (I sound like Dr. Seuss.). Winner: Texans

‘skins at Dolphins

Washington is in a free-fall. Miami put it all together last week. The Dolphins’ defence should be able to create some turnovers against the disorganized Washington offence (skins RB Roy Helu had 14 receptions last week) this week, making it easier on their offence. Winner: Dolphins

Broncos at Chiefs

I throw up my hands at this one. I don’t get the Tim Tebow thing at all. It worked against the Raiders. If the Chiefs aren’t ready, they could find themselves in a world of trouble. The AFC West has me stumped. Winner: Broncos

Ravens at Seahawks

The Ravens must be feeling pretty great right now, after completing the season sweep against Pittsburgh last week. This would be a good time for a let-down. Fortunately, Baltimore has already looked pretty awful against some inferior competition this season, and I have to believe that a coach as good as John Harbaugh will have them ready. Plus, Seattle is kind of terrible. Winner: Ravens

Lions at Bears

Chicago is playing extremely well right now. They seem to have found their offensive identity, and the defence continues to play well. Getting Earl Bennett back last week gave a huge boost to Jay Cutler and the Bears’ offence. Let’s see how Detroit does without the benefit of all the crowd noise that aided them in their earlier victory over Chicago. Winner: Bears

Giants at 49ers

These two teams are the main contenders for the second seed in the NFC playoffs this year. Jim Harbaugh and his staff have to hope that their defence can keep the score low, and that their offence can establish the run and avoid costly turnovers. Winner: 49ers

Patriots at Jets

The Pats’ defence stinks. The Jets’ offence stinks. The Pats’ offence is struggling. The Jets’ defence is overrated. It’s a wash. Winner: Patriots

Monday Night
Vikings at Packers

Really? I’m not even going to try to build up any suspense. Winner: Packers

Last week’s picks: 9-4
Season total: 73-43

No time for a long intro this week, but I have some special things planned for next week. Check out my picks, and as a bonus, find out what a “Colts Hangover” is.

Seahawks at Cowboys

The Cowboys are at home after a humiliating loss to the Eagles last week. The Seahawks are still the Seahawks. Expect a blowout. Winner: Cowboys

Dolphins at Chiefs

The Chiefs are playing hard, and are finding ways to win games. Miami, on the other hand, seems to be adept at finding ways to lose. I shudder to think of how Matt Moore will handle noisy Arrowhead Stadium. Todd Haley’s beard will get a little scruffier, and his cap will get a little grungier. Winner: Chiefs

Buccaneers at Saints

New Orleans suffered a “Colts Hangover” last week (Tampa Bay knows about this: see below), and was stunned by a hungry Rams team. They should be sufficiently humble, and will be ready this week. The Bucs play hard, and always give the Saints trouble, but they aren’t good enough offensively to hang with New Orleans. Winner: Saints

Falcons at Colts

Atlanta is back in the thick of the playoff hunt. Indianapolis is just awful. Winner: Falcons

49ers at ‘skins

Washington got shut out by Buffalo last week. What are they going to do against San Francisco’s defence? Winner: 49ers

Jets at Bills

This should be a good matchup. Buffalo has enough balance on offence to be able to counteract New York’s defence. If the Jets rely too much on Mark Sanchez, he will end up being victimized by the opportunistic Bills’ defence. Winner: Bills

Browns at Texans

On this week’s episode of “How the Curse Turns,” Peyton Hillis no-showed at a Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland Halloween party, was taken aside by several veteran members of the Browns for an “intervention-style” meeting designed to help improve his attitude, and re-injured his hamstring in practice. He’ll likely miss another game this Sunday. At the rate he’s going, he’ll be lucky to be playing football for any team next season. Oh, and then there’s the Texans. They’re pretty good. Winner: Texans

Broncos at Raiders

Darren McFadden is out for Oakland, but the Polish Cannon is expected to return (no, not Bruce Gradkowski). Hopefully for Raiders fans, Carson Palmer managed to scrape off some of the rust during the bye week. Of course, with Tim Tebow starting for Denver, the Raiders pretty much just need to show up and not screw things up too badly. I mean, they’re not the Dolphins or anything. Winner: Raiders

Bengals at Titans

This should be a good matchup of tough defences. Cincinnati has an edge, though. Tennessee played Indianapolis last week, which tends to make the next team you play seem like the best team in the league by comparison. This “Colts Hangover” can have a devastating effect if you’re not ready for it. Don’t believe me? Ask the Bucs and Saints; Tampa Bay lost 48-3 to the San Francisco the week after playing the Colts, and the Saints were ambushed by A.J. Feely and the Rams last week after having played the Colts the week before. The Texans, Browns, Chiefs and Bengals were only able to avoid the hangover due to lucky scheduling; Houston and Cleveland played Miami the week after playing the Colts, while Kansas City and Cincinnati had bye weeks after playing the Colts. The only other teams to play Indy this season are Pittsburgh and Tennessee. Want to guess what happened to the Steelers the following week? Winner: Bengals

Giants at Patriots

The Pats lost last week, and they are at home. I know that in the grand scheme of things, things like this shouldn’t mean anything, but they do. New England is always extra motivated after a loss, and they are deadly at home. The Giants will score some points, though. Just not enough. Winner: Patriots

Rams at Cardinals

Steven Jackson looked like a man possessed last week, and Chris Long led the St. Louis defence to an overdue strong performance. Arizona might have John Skelton starting at QB this week. Remember him from last season? Winner: Rams

Packers at Chargers

San Diego is coming off a tough loss to the Chiefs, and will be looking to bounce back. Philip Rivers will be looking to atone for the fumbled snap that enabled the Chiefs to prevail on overtime on Monday night, and will be fired up. Green Bay’s defence has struggled against the pass this season. Oh, and another thing: who cares? I’m not crazy enough to pick against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offence. Winner: Packers

Ravens at Steelers

There’s been a lot of talk this week about how the Steelers are on a hot streak, while the Ravens have struggled of late against inferior competition. There has also been a lot of talk about how Pittsburgh will be extra motivated because of how soundly they were beaten by Baltimore earlier in the season.  None of this matters as much as much as the fact that the Steelers have too many injured linebackers to be able to stop the Ravens’ offence. Pittsburgh has become a team that relies extremely heavily on its passing game. There’s a lot riding on Ben Roethlisberger’s shoulders this Sunday night; the Ravens are coming after him, and he will turn the ball over. Winner: Ravens

Monday Night

Bears at Eagles

So, Philadelphia has won a couple of games, and everyone is ready to anoint them as an elite team again. Their defence has improved somewhat, but they are still too thin at linebacker. Their offence relies too much upon one player, and it’s not the one you think. Chicago’s offence has this problem, too, in that they rely a lot on their starting running back to carry them. However, I would be more confident having Jay Cutler than that other guy at QB if my team needed a passer to win the game. The Bears are better than people realize. I think they just might be better than the Eagles realize. This will be a close one. Winner: Bears