NFL: Week 14 Picks + NCAA: Heisman Finalists

PICK OF THE WEEK:
New England Patriots (10-2) at Chicago Bears (9-3)- 4:15PM EST at Soldier Field (Chicago) on CBS

On Monday Night, the New England Patriots turned out the lights on the New York Jets 45-3, and on Tuesday, a flock of Patriots fans rubbed the butt spanking in the Jets' face by leaving the Jets a reminder on the team's plane at Logan Airport in Boston. The Patriots are all alone in the AFC with the AFC's best record at 10-2, and in sole possession of first place in the AFC East. This week, the AFC's best team travels to the Windy City to play the Monsters of the Midway, Chicago. Can the Bears knock down the Patriots?
Pick: New England 31-27

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME:
Indianapolis Colts (6-6) at Tennessee Titans (5-7)- 8:20PM EST at LP Field (Nashville) on the NFL Network
The AFC Playoffs without Peyton Manning? Well, if the playoffs began today, that's how it would appear, with Jacksonville winning the AFC South and Baltimore and the New York Jets grabbing the Wildcard spots.
Pick: Indianapolis 35-10

SUNDAY AFTERNOON EARLY GAMES:
Cincinnati Bengals (2-10) at Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)- 1:00PM EST at Heinz Field (Pittsburgh) on CBS
The Bengals will lose their tenth-straight game, matching their longest losing streak in franchise history, set in 1993, when they began that year 0-10.

The only difference between 1993 and 2010 is not 17 years, but the quality of the Bengals organization. In 1993, the head coach was a man named David Shula, who got the job, based on the career of his father (Hall of Famer Don Shula), and limped through four and a half seasons until being canned almost halfway through the 1996 campaign (one day after blowing a 21-0 lead in a 28-21 loss in San Francisco). David Klingler, a highly touted quarterback at the University of Houston (scored 11 TD's in a game where the Houston Cougars racked up 84 points) was the Bengals quarterback (Boomer Esiason was traded to the New York Jets). The Bengals would have three 3-13 seasons between 1991 and 1994, another 3-13 season in 1998, a pair of 4-12 seasons in 1999 and 2000, and an all-time low of 2-14 in 2002, plus a 4-11-1 campaign in 2008. 18 non-winning seasons (four 8-8 seasons- 1996, 2003, 2004, and 2006) out of the last 20 years made Mike Brown the fastest owner in NFL history to lose 200 games.

Flash forward seventeen years. 2010, the Bengals have an All-Pro Quarterback (Carson Palmer), who is ninth in passing yards this year, a formidable tandem (Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco), but the Bengals can't close games, and they have found ways to lose close games this year. In Week 5 against Tampa Bay, the Bucs scored 10 points in the final 1:26 of the game. In Week 7 in Atlanta, the Bengals rallied from a 24-3 halftime deficit, only to lose steam in the 4th quarter. In the first matchup with Pittsburgh this year, the Bengals fell short from a 27-7 deficit, losing 27-21. If there is an NFL season next year, hopefully the Bengals can clean up the kinks (or the mess) left behind this year.

Anyway, not to hijack this blog post for comments reserved for Bengals Radio Therapy with Dr. Ken Broo, the Steelers defense will give the Bengals a huge Steel Curtain shower on Sunday.
Pick: Pittsburgh 35-6

Cleveland Browns (5-7) at Buffalo Bills (2-10)- 1:00PM EST at Ralph Wilson Stadium (Orchard Park, NY) on CBS
This could be a trap game...maybe. This was the most boring game of the 2009 season, a 6-3 Buffalo win. I don't think that the Bills will keep Peyton Hillis in his place. The Clowns win this one before getting steamrolled at Paul Brown Stadium on 12/19.
Pick: Cleveland 24-16

Green Bay Packers (8-4) at Detroit Lions (2-10)- 1:00PM EST at Ford Field (Detroit) on Fox
The Packers will have no problem playing "keep up" with the Chicago Bears, especially if the Bears lose later to the Patriots.
Pick: Green Bay 35-7

Oakland Raiders (6-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5)- 1:00PM EST at EverBank Field (Jacksonville) on Fox
West Coast teams don't historically do well in early games on the East Coast. Despite a rare season-sweep of the San Diego Super Chargers last week, Maurice Jones-Drew and David Garrard will bring da Raiders back to earth.
Pick: Jacksonville 27-10

Atlanta Falcons (10-2) at Carolina Panthers (1-11)- 1:00PM EST at Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC) on Fox
Pick: Atlanta 37-0

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) at Washington Redskins (5-7)- 1:00PM EST at FedEx Field (Landover, MD) on Fox
The Albert Haynesworth Era in D.C. is apparently over as Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan suspended the defensive tackle for the remainder of the season without pay, fed up with Haynesworth's off-the-field antics, and putting the kibosh on any team trying to pick Haynesworth up for a playoff run. Last year, the Skins signed the tackle for a whopping 7-year $ 41 million contract, a huge expensive mistake. This week, Josh Freeman will have a big day in our Nation's Capital.
Pick: Tampa Bay 31-8

LATE AFTERNOON GAMES:
St. Louis Rams (6-6) at New Orleans Saints (9-3)- 4:05PM EST at the Louisiana Superdome (New Orleans) on Fox
Ten years ago in the last meaningful game between these two teams, the Saints knocked off the then-defending Super Bowl champs in the Superdome as Rams receiver Az-Zahir Hakim muffed a kickoff, as the New Orleans Saints won their first-ever playoff game in the 2000 Wildcard Round. This year, the Rams are trying to win the very weak NFC West, while the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints are fighting for their playoff lives, fresh off of Drew Brees' 14th career 4th Quarter comeback in a 34-30 win over Cincinnati.
Pick: New Orleans 34-20

Seattle Seahawks (6-6) at San Francisco 49ers (4-8)- 4:05PM EST at Candlestick Park (San Francisco) on Fox
Pick: Seattle 27-17

New England Patriots (10-2) at Chicago Bears (9-3)- 4:15PM EST at Soldier Field (Chicago) on CBS
See Above

Denver Broncos (3-9) at Arizona Cardinals (3-9)- 4:15PM EST at University of Phoenix Stadium (Glendale, AZ) on CBS
And so it begins...the mini-Eric Studesville era in Denver as bright, young Josh McDaniels was given the pink slip on Monday, after a 3-9 start marred by mistake (trading Peyton Hillis to the Clowns for Brady Quinn) after mistake (not making Tim Tebow the starting quarterback) after mistake (Spygate 2.0) after mistake (last season's 2-8 collapse after starting 6-0 and this season's 3-9 start), which was too much for Pat Bowlen, who told us the same lie that Jerry Jones and Zygi Wilf told fans when they said that Wade Phillips and Brad Childress were safe. Anyway, there will be as many Cleveland Clowns quarterbacks on the sidelines for this game that in the Clowns' actual game (in Buffalo).
Pick: Arizona 24-17

Miami Dolphins (6-6) at New York Jets (9-3)- 4:15PM EST at The NEW Meadowlands Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) on CBS
Pick: NY Jets 20-10

Kansas City Chiefs (8-4) at San Diego Chargers (6-6)- 4:15PM EST at QualComm Stadium (San Diego) on CBS
Brodie Croyle is starting for the Chiefs with Matt Cassel inactive. The Chargers will electrocute the Cassel-less Chiefs.
Pick: San Diego 31-3

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) at Dallas Cowboys (4-8)- 8:20PM EST at Cowboys Stadium (Arlington, TX) on NBC
Pick: Philadelphia 35-31

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:
Baltimore Ravens (8-4) at Houston Texans (5-7)- 8:30PM EST at Reliant Stadium (Houston) on ESPN
Pick: Baltimore 29-14

New York Giants (8-4) vs. Minnesota Vikings (5-7)- 7:20PM EST at Ford Field (Detroit) on Fox (Minneapolis and New York markets only)
Could this be # 298 for Brett Favre? Could Favre have played his last?
Late Breaking News- This game was postponed on Saturday after the Giants were unable to land in Minneapolis- because of a blizzard, landing in Kansas City. The game was moved to Ford Field in Detroit after the roof of the Metrodome collapsed due to the heavy snow. This game will only be seen in the New York City and Minneapolis-St. Paul markets.
Pick: NY Giants 21-10


Top Eight:
1) New England Patriots (10-2)
2) Atlanta Falcons (10-2)
3) Chicago Bears (9-3)
4) New York Giants (8-4)
5) Green Bay Packers (8-4)
6) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
7) Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
8) New Orleans Saints (9-3)

Bottom Four:
32) Carolina Panthers (1-11)
31) Buffalo Bills (2-10)
T-29) Cincinnati Bengals (2-10)
T-29) Detroit Lions (2-10)

NFC Playoff Picture
1) Atlanta
2) Chicago
3) NY Giants
4) St. Louis
WILDCARD:
5) New Orleans
6) Green Bay (Packers beat Eagles on Sept. 12)
7) Philadelphia

AFC Playoff Picture
1) New England
2) Pittsburgh
3) Kansas City
4) Jacksonville
WILDCARD:
5) NY Jets
6) Baltimore

HEISMAN TROPHY FINALISTS:
On Monday, the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy were announced.
QB Andrew Luck (Stanford)
QB Kellen Moore (Boise State)
QB Cam Newton (Auburn)
RB LaMichael James (Oregon)
The winner will be announced on Saturday evening in New York City.
Pick: Andrew Luck

Finally, sad news in the football world. Don "Dandy Don" Meredith passed away on Sunday at the age of 72. Don Meredith was one of the first starting quarterbacks for the Dallas Cowboys, playing with the team from 1960 to 1968. After retiring from the NFL before the start of the 1969 season, Meredith was one of the commentators on Monday Night Football from 1970 to 1973 and again from 1977 to 1984 (Meredith was a commentator for NBC from 1974 to 1976). Meredith was known for the song/quote, "Turn off the lights" at the end of each Monday Night game.