Pink's NFL Picks : December 18, 2009

Last Week: 13-3; for the season, 136-72

Pick of the Week: 1-0; for the season, 11-3

That’s more like it. At this point, you should have a good handle on teams and that should reflect in your ability to pick games. If only that were truly the case, but it sounds good.

I hit my Pick of the Week as well, so overall it was a really good week. Two of my favorite teams, the Steelers and Giants, are on life support, and that’s tough to swallow. But there is no shortage of great action in the coming weeks as numerous teams continue to pursue the playoffs.

Unfortunately for us fans who don’t get the NFL network, two of the best games of the week are on that channel, the Colts vs. Jags and the Cowboys vs. Saints. Enough said. Let’s get on with this week’s picks!

Thursday, Dec. 17

Indianapolis at Jacksonville — Its hard to pick against the Colts. The Jags are still alive in the playoff hunt but won’t be after this week. I’ll take Manning and Co., 27-20.

Saturday, Dec. 19

Dallas at New Orleans — The Cowboys appear to have entered their December swoon, while the Saints continue to find a way to win games. I’m sticking with Drew Brees and the Saints, 33-24.

Sunday, Dec. 20

Chicago at Baltimore — The Ravens are still alive for a playoff berth, while the Bears are all but done for the year. I’m not big on the Ravens, but it is tough for me to think they’ll lose this game.  I’ll take the Ravens, 24-19.

New England at Buffalo — The Bills lost a heartbreaker to the Patriots in the first game of the season and would like nothing better than to pin a loss on them. The Pats haven’t won on the road this year, so why not take the Bills in this one? I am. Buffalo wins, 23-21.

Arizona at Detroit — The Cards cannot afford a letdown now, especially following Monday night’s loss to the Niners. As for the Lions, at least they have won a couple of games, but they won’t win this one. I’ll take the Cards, 30-13.

Cleveland at Kansas City — These two teams do not score much, so it should come down to who plays better defense. With that said, Cleveland kept the Steelers out of the end zone and that’s saying something. I’ll take the Browns, 17-14.

Houston at St. Louis — There’s not much you can say about the Rams. As for the Texans, they’re young and unpredictable, but they can be outstanding at times. I like them a lot in this game, and I’ll make them my Pick of the Week, 31-19.

Atlanta at N.Y. Jets — The Falcons are banged up, but the Jets had better not take them lightly or there could easily be an upset in this game. In the end, the Jets’ defense is the difference. Jets, 20-17.

San Francisco at Philadelphia — McNabb and company will be tested by the Niner defense, but in the end they should prevail. There is the chance of a letdown, but I’ll stick with the Eagles, 23-19.

Green Bay at Pittsburgh — It’s hard to imagine that the Steelers have beaten the Chargers and Vikings, yet they have lost to the Raiders, Browns and Chiefs. On the other hand, the Packers continue to improve and appear headed for a wild card berth and should be the pick in this game. However, I’ve got a gut feeling that “Steeler Pride� returns and they win, 24-23.

Cincinnati at San Diego —
This could be the best game on the card. The Bengals are coming off a loss, while the Chargers picked up a big road win against the Cowboys. Enough said, I like the Chargers, 31-23.

Oakland at Denver — The Raiders took a step backward against the Redskins and now must go on the road to play a tough Denver team. The Broncos are not great by any means, but they should have enough in the tank to handle the Raiders. Denver wins, 20-13.

Tampa Bay at Seattle — Seattle is not that good, but the Bucs are horrible. The Seahawks are usually tough at home. With that said, I like them in this game, 27-17.

Minnesota at Carolina — This game has upset written all over it. It appears to me that Favre and Co. have leveled off a bit, while Carolina remains one of the most unpredictable teams in the league. I’m going with the upset: Carolina wins, 24-23.

Monday, Dec. 21

N.Y. Giants at Washington — The Redskins haven’t won a division game yet this year, but that may change this week. The Giants took the leash off Eli Manning against the Eagles and he responded with 391 yards through the air, but their defense is the real problem.  It’s going to be tough, but I think the Giants win this one late, 23-17.

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