Week 12 Picks

Thanksgiving week, in my opinion, is one of the best weeks in the season for an NFL fan. You get to watch 3 games on Thanksgiving Day, 3 more on Sunday, and 1 on Monday. Although, now that I think about it, the Monday night game this week is brutal and you won't miss anything if you skip it.

And now for the picks for week 12 in the league where they play...for pay...

Thanksgiving Day

New England Patriots (8-2) @ Detroit Lions (2-8) - The Thanksgiving Day games kick off where they always do as the Lions will host the Patriots. Now, I have been on the Lions bandwagon this year and really think they are moving in the right direction, but I just don't see how they're going to beat the Patriots. Ndamukong Suh has been very good on Detroit's defensive line this year, but New England's offensive line has been great all year in protecting Tom Brady. Pick: NEW ENGLAND

New Orleans Saints (7-3) @ Dallas Cowboys (3-7) - Since Jason Garrett took over as head coach, the Cowboys are 2-0. Early in the season the Saints were playing with a Super Bowl hangover, but they have started to regain last year's form in recent weeks. I think the Saints will go marching into Dallas and come out with a victory to keep the pressure on Atlanta and Tampa Bay in the NFC South. Pick: NEW ORLEANS

Cincinnati Bengals (2-8) @ New York Jets (8-2) - The Jets defense has been showing some chinks in the armor this season. The way they talked going in you would have thought that they were the '85 Bears or the 2000 Ravens, but they don't rank with either of those teams. Those teams did not blow leads and allow inferior teams to come back from 16 down in the 4th quarter. Statistically they are a good defense, but they are not a great defense. However, the defense does not need to be great against these Bengals. If, somehow, the Jets do find themselves in trouble, they can turn to their young quarterback, Mark Sanchez, who is playing with a lot of confidence right now, and rightly so. Pick: NEW YORK JETS

Sunday

Jacksonville Jaguars (6-4) @ New York Giants (6-4) - The Giants defense played very well last week against Michael Vick and the Eagles, but Eli Manning and the offense gave the game away and the Giants now find themselves in perilous position in the NFC. I'm surprised to see the Jaguars atop the AFC South, especially considering that they're -50 in net scoring. I think the Giants defense will be the difference here and the senseless calls for Tom Coughlin's head can be silenced for at least a week. Pick: NEW YORK GIANTS

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3) @ Buffalo Bills (2-8) - I know the Bills have won a couple games in a row and they have played tough most of the year, but they're taking a real step up in class in this one. The Steelers are one of the elite teams in the league and they showed it last week when they whacked the Raiders around. Pick: PITTSBURGH

Tennessee Titans (5-5) @ Houston Texans (4-6) - How much more can the Texans take? They lose on a Hail Mary to the Jaguars in week 10, and then last week they lose in the final seconds to the Jets after coming back from 16 down in the 4th quarter. So much for the Texans making their first playoff appearance. While the Texans have lost 4 in a row, the Titans haven't been much better, they've lost 3 in a row. Pick: HOUSTON

Minnesota Vikings (3-7) @ Washington Redskins (5-5) - 3 weeks ago the disappointing Cowboys (not that I'm disappointed with the Cowboys being 3-7, but you get the idea) fired their coach and have since won 2 in a row. This week the Vikings fired their coach, Brad Childress, and hope to have the same results. Unfortunately, they did not address the turnover machine that they have at quarterback. Pick: WASHINGTON

Philadelphia Eagles (7-3) @ Chicago Bears (7-3) - The Bears have an elite defense and they probably went to school on a lot of the things the Giants did last week in containing Michael Vick. The Bears defense is also very good at creating turnovers, but Vick has only turned it over once while he's been at the helm this season. Unfortunately, for the Bears, their quarterback throws a lot of interceptions, which is not a good sign against an Eagles defense that is also good at forcing turnovers. Pick: PHILADELPHIA

Green Bay Packers (7-3) @ Atlanta Falcons (8-2) - One of the marquee matchups of the weekend. Not only is it a marquee matchup between two elite NFC teams, but also a marquee matchup between two of the elite young quarterbacks in the game. Atlanta's Matt Ryan never loses at home, and the Falcons are 5-0 at home this season. Pick: ATLANTA

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3) @ Baltimore Ravens (7-3) - The Bucs are great against inferior competition. Unfortunately, for the Bucs, the Ravens are not inferior competition. When the Bucs play a team with a winning record they usually don't fare to well. Pick: BALTIMORE

Carolina Panthers (1-9) @ Cleveland Browns (3-7) - This is probably Carolina's last chance of the season to get a victory, so they might be more game than usual for this one. However, they're still really bad. Cleveland has played tough and inspired football all year (what, you thought they would play tough and inspired basketball?) and they seem to have found a quarterback in Colt McCoy. Pick: CLEVELAND

Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) @ Seattle Seahawks (5-5) - The division leaders of the two worst divisions in the league match up. Seattle is 3-1 at home and the Chiefs are 1-4 on the road, but I still think the Chiefs are the better team. Pick: KANSAS CITY

Miami Dolphins (5-5) @ Oakland Raiders (5-5) - Something's gotta give here: Miami is 4-1 on the road and Oakland is 4-1 at home. What gives is that Miami is playing without either of its top 2 quarterbacks and the Raiders have won 4 of 6 after a dreadful 1-3 start. Pick: OAKLAND

St. Louis Rams (4-6) @ Denver Broncos (3-7) - St. Louis has not won a road game all year (0-4) and going into the thin air at Mile High Stadium will make it that much tougher for St. Louis to get a win here. It's not that I have much faith in Denver, I just have less faith in St. Louis on the road in a traditionally tough place to win on the road. Pick: DENVER

San Diego Chargers (5-5) @ Indianapolis Colts (6-4) - The Chargers are making yet another second half surge toward the post-season and Phillip Rivers deserves to be mentioned in the talk for league MVP. The Colts, despite all their injuries, are still in the hunt because of their own MVP candidate, Peyton Manning. In the recent past the Colts have not fared well against the Chargers, and, given the directions both teams are going in, I think the Chargers narrowly escape Indianapolis with a victory and will continue to put pressure on Kansas City. Pick: SAN DIEGO

Monday

San Francisco 49ers (3-7) @ Arizona Cardinals (3-7) - Both teams are bad, but Arizona is worse. Pick: SAN FRANCISCO and 44 points.

Happy Thanksgiving