The Redskins playoff race might be losing steam this year, but the race between Australia and the US is really heating up. Yours truly stands just TWO wins behind the great prognosticator from Australia.
I'll stick to the same format as last week since folks seemed to appreciate it.
Atlanta Falcons (-7.5) @ Carolina Panthers
Pommylee: Carolina STINKS. And to think that if the McNabb trade had not happened, there was a good chance Shanahan would have burned the 4th pick overall on Jimmy Clausen. That would have been the personnel acumen of our VP/HC/GM in a nutshell. Imagine no Trent Williams with Clausen at QB...sounds like a disaster to me. Oh and btw, the Panthers stink and are playing for Andrew Luck right now, so this is an easy one. Pick: FALCONS
Ken: I agree that Carolina stinks. I am not sure Carolina is a true player in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes though with Clausen in the fold. I also know that Atlanta is a lot better at home than they are on the road. I am not suggesting that Carolina has ANY chance to win this game, but I am going to trust the odds-makers here--if this is really a touchdown game, I will take the home team to cover. Pick: PANTHERS
Cleveland Browns (+1.5) @ Buffalo Bills
Pommylee: Well, if we had not made the McNabb trade, we could have taken Colt McCoy at 37 and still had our 3rd round pick this year. We would have been truly rebuilding so perhaps we would not have gone after Jammal Brown, netting us our own 4th rounder as well. Trent Williams, Colt McCoy, and the 1st four rounds of the 2011 draft, plus whatever we could have gotten for Jason Campbell sounds a lot better than where we are now. Anyway, if my man McCoy plays this week, the Browns win this easy. College completion percentage and and win % are the most accurate way to judge college quarterback readiness for the NFL (so says Football Outsiders) and McCoy was way up there in both. Pick: BROWNS
Ken: Any chance you wish we would have taken Colt McCoy? I am starting to notice a trend in your weekly picks. There is another great college player that should play in this game: C.J. Spiller. If he is able to go, I have him as the difference maker. Don't sleep on the Buffalo weather either. Cleveland ain't exactly the beach, but Buffalo is going to be all in its Buffalo glory this weekend. That favors the home team. Pick: BILLS
Kansas City Chiefs(+7.5) @ San Diego Chargers
Pommylee: If only we had built our team like the Chiefs, trading away Carter and Cooley 2 years ago for a bevy of picks when they both had value, like the Chiefs did with Tony Gonzalez and Jared Allen. Look at what long-term planning does! They have a young exciting team ready to contend and I think they finish off the Bolts this week. The Skins...well it's not even Christmas and half the posts on the FANPOST page are already about next year's draft. Pick: CHIEFS
Ken: Would you just stop beating around the bush and tell us what you really think about the Redskins? As for the Chiefs, Matt Casselis a stud, but even he will have a hard time playing this week coming off his appendectomy. Without Cassel, the Chargers will load up on the Kansas City ground game and keep hope alive in San Diego. Pick: CHARGERS
New England Patriots (-3.5) @ Chicago Bears
Pommylee: As much as I hate his hair and his general attitude (I mean the dude has led a charmed f**king life after all), I do think Tom Brady is a better quarterback than Peyton Manning. These days, without all the 1st round talent and studs around him, Manning looks very Cutleresque. I HATE Jay Cutler with a passion and I look for Tom Brady to be in F' you mode against Cutler, and every opponent from here through the Super Bowl. Pick: PATRIOTS
Ken:I am no fan of Tom Brady's either. I hate that you make me bet on the Bears. But if I have learned anything this season, it's that you can play as well as the Patriots did last week and stink up the joint the following week. Hell, Tom Brady might even want a bad performance from his team this week so he can be all pissy and yell at his teammates so everyone watching will know how "fiery and passionate" he is and how much he wants to win. Pick: BEARS