It’s week 12 in the NFL’s 2019 season and one game has already been decided. But now is as good a time as any to start making game picks. For the record, I thought the Colts would have won that game, so it might be a lucky break that I waited until today to start picking games.
Dolphins at Browns
Miami has played much better football of late in spite of a front-office tank job and many in the media calling them the worst team of all time. The Browns meanwhile have underwhelmed on the season. You’d think they were coming off their 7th loss because of the Myles Garrett and Larry Ogunjobi suspensions, but they did, in fact, pull out a multiple-score victory against the Steelers at home. A big part of that win was some improved play from Baker Mayfield. If that version of the 2nd year passer shows up, he should carry them to victory in Miami. Browns 27, Dolphins 16
Lions at Washington
This is a sad matchup if there’s ever been one. Detroit has been competitive in most of their games this year, but one of the worst defenses in the league has weighed down a surprisingly explosive offense. With Matthew Stafford out with a broken back, Jeff Driskel has been asked to move the chains. In Washington, things couldn’t look worse for Dan Snyder and Bruce Allen. The offense doesn’t work for any of their quarterbacks, least of all for their first-round pick Dwayne Haskins. Haskins started the season behind Case Keenum and even played behind Colt McCoy for a game if that shows you the level of confidence they have in him. It might be working more smoothly with a better left tackle… or maybe a better owner. Who knows? Lions 21, Washington 16
Raiders at Jets
The Raiders are one of the biggest surprises of the NFL this season. Their rookie class has been outstanding and they’re sitting on as many wins as I thought they’d have all season. Being an outspoken member of Raider Nation, I’d like to say they have this game in the bag. That just isn’t the case though, as the Jets are probably a better team than their record would indicate. Sam Darnold has been inconsistent this season, to say the least, but he seems to have hit a hot streak, throwing for six touchdowns with only two interceptions the last three weeks. He probably makes this one more difficult for the Raiders young secondary than it has been in recent weeks. Raiders 31, Jets 28
Giants at Bears
Will the real Bears quarterback please stand up? I don’t know who’s better between Mitchell Trubisky and Chase Daniels at this point and that should tell you all you need to know about how bad this situation is for Matt Nagy. They just can’t move the ball. Luckily, they’re playing the New York Football Giants, who start Daniel Jones at quarterback. Jones has been a turnover machine in his rookie year. He is the Turnoverminator!
Bears: *Three-and-out*
Jones: “I’ll give it back”
It helps if you imagine Jones has an Austrian accent. Bears 17, Giants 13
Panthers at Saints
There’s not much to say about this game. The Saints have one of, if not THE most complete rosters in the NFL and Kyle Allen is starting at quarterback for the Panthers. It’s in the Superdome? This should be fun. Saints 37, Panthers 20
Seahawks at Eagles
Russell Wilson is playing like the best quarterback in the NFL. It doesn’t seem to matter who he’s throwing to or against. It’s a good thing he’s stepped up as he has though because they’re no longer fielding the Legion of Boom on defense. In fact, their defense has been bad all year. They rank 25th in total yards, and 29th in passing yards allowed. The Eagles have struggled to move the ball through the air. While it appears statistically Carson Wentz has regressed as a passer, watching the tape reveals another story. Philadelphia fields one of the worst wide receiver groups in the NFL. Worse than an inability to get open, their Achilles heel is catching balls that hit them right in the hands. Injuries have pushed them to feature the worst offender of all, Nelson Agholor. This is truly a game of strength-on-strength and weakness against weakness. The worst unit will lose their team the game. Seahawks 24, Eagles 27
Buccaneers at Falcons
What happened to the Falcons to start the season? They’re a very talented football team, with a winning track-record, a proven head coach and a top-5 QB, but they somehow started 1-7. The last two games seem to have gotten them back on track, but it might be too late. Jameis Winston is the only QB in the league to turn the ball over more than Daniel Jones. As explosive as Tampa has been on offense this year, and as well as their defensive line has played, Jameis Winston has managed to keep the other team in the game. He is the most un-clutch player in the league right now, and you can bet he’s going to be on the losing end of a lot of one-score games. Buccaneers 27, Falcons 34
Broncos at Bills
Did Josh Allen break out last week? Actually, he was playing the Dolphins, but it’s encouraging to see that he’s made such a strong connection with John Brown. On the other hand, Brandon Allen is less competent as a passer, without the athletic floor that Josh brings to the table. Both teams field top-5 pass defenses, while neither has been as effective against the run. Bills 13, Broncos 10
Steelers at Bengals
The Steelers don’t tank. It’s just not in their DNA. The same can’t be said for the Bengals. If they were really trying to win football games, Ryan Finley would still be riding the bench. First-year head coach Zac Taylor seems lost. This is the worst team in football, and it isn’t particularly close. The best shot they have at winning is for Mason Rudolph to be totally incompetent. Luckily for them, he’s been very close to that the past few weeks. Then again, so has Ryan Finley. Steelers 21, Bengals 6
Jaguars at Titans
The Titans can be a fun team to watch if you became a fan when they were still called the Oilers. It’s a run-heavy offense that’s built to win in the trenches. Derrick Henry picked up right where he left off at the end of the 2018 season and hasn’t looked back. He’s huge for a running back and he runs with power. What should scare you though, is elite speed. The Jaguars also field a strong runner with breakaway speed in Leonard Fournette. This game will probably come down to which defense makes more big plays. Jaguars 20, Titans 27
Cowboys at Patriots
New England has looked great on defense, and it’s brought them to a 9-1 record. Statistically, they’re not bad on offense either. But the tape shows a different story: They’ve played very weak offenses and young quarterbacks. They don’t have enough speed on defense and their offensive line and receiver corps are weaknesses. Dak Prescott is playing out of his mind. He has so many weapons, it’s hard to know how he’ll score, but it seems inevitable. They’ve lost some pretty inexplicable games, and the defense has been playing below their talent level. How will the Patriots move the ball? Will the Cowboys offensive line give Dak time to find his receivers? This is the most exciting game of the week. (vomits internally) Cowboys 28, Patriots 20
Packers at 49ers
Aaron Rodgers wanted to be a 49er. As good as their season has gone thus far, they probably wish they’d drafted him in 2005 instead of Alex Smith. But here we are. Rodgers has looked rejuvenated in Matt Lefleur’s offense. It looked like they would really take on a superpower persona when their defense played like a top-5 unit to start the season. But they’ve come crashing down to earth since week 4. The 49ers are very good on defense, and not at all bad on offense. To start the season, they were running the offense through an incredibly strong running game. In the last few weeks, it’s taken a step back while Jimmy Garoppolo has carried the load. San Francisco certainly looks like the better team on paper, and it’s a home game, but it’s very difficult to count out an all-world quarterback on a hot streak, especially after what Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray have done the last few weeks. Packers 34, 49ers 28
Ravens at Rams
Lamar Jackson has been a revelation. Comparisons to Michael Vick don’t do him justice, as he’s been superior as a runner and a passer to what number 7 brought to the game. The Marcus Peters trade looks better every week. The Rams can’t seem to get out of their own way, literally. They’ve created an offense around a running back who needs open space and pocket quarterback with limited mobility, behind an offensive line that has taken several steps back. Los Angeles’ defense looks like a legitimate force, however, and that might just keep them in this game. Ravens 34, Rams 24