Okay, so it’s American Thanksgiving, so I’d better get some picks posted. Happy Thanksgiving, neighbours.
Eagles at Lions
Last week, I picked Philly, though grudgingly due to the Mark Sanchez factor. I’ll give Sanchez a bit of a break; two of his three picks came in the 4th quarter, when the Eagles were way behind, and he didn’t play a down on the pitiful Eagles’ defence that allowed five TD passes and a 200-yard rusher. (Here’s my quick take on Chip Kelly: after a couple of mediocre seasons, Kelly re-made the team with the players he wanted, getting rid of some pretty good talent along the way, and now the team stinks. They should probably fire him, or at least rescind his control over personnel moves.) The Lions’ defence has come alive since the team’s bye, keying Detroit to two straight wins. This probably won’t be a very exciting game. Winner: Lions
Panthers at Cowboys
Tony Romo played decently in his return to action on Sunday, and Dallas picked up a win against the terrible Dolphins. After his first live-game action in almost two months, Romo now has to face the top-notch Carolina defence on three days’ rest. I have a sneaking suspicion that this one could turn into a real mess for Romo. Winner: Panthers
Bears at Packers
After three weeks of looking absolutely lost, the Packers’ running game (courtesy of Eddie Lacy) and pass rush returned to form as Green Bay dominated Minnesota on Sunday. The Bears have been playing well of late (they likely would have beaten Denver on Sunday if John Fox could have mastered some very basic math), and won’t roll over against the division-rival Packers, but I’m willing to believe (for now) that Green Bay’s mid-season swoon is over. Winner: Packers