There's no better way to celebrate that to which we give thanks in America than stuffing our faces with food and sitting down with family to watch football. I, for one, give thanks for football... Seriously, what other major entertainment in America is so exciting as our national obsession? It gets us pumped up all week, it forces us to talk trash and debate to no end, and it gives people pride for their city or region of the country. Football, unlike all of the other major televised professional sports, features a season with comparatively few games. Instead of 162 games in baseball, football has 16 in the regular season. That means that each game means so very much more than one in the NBA or the Major Leagues. On top of that, football features single elimination playoffs. A team is out of the dance as soon as they lose a single game rather than a series of games as with other sports. This can make the pain and misery of a single defeat sting for months, but it can also make the high of victory so much higher.
The appeal of football stems from rather primal feelings and desires in the human brain. So strong is the urge to prove physical dominance that people go absolutely crazy when they see someone on their team absolutely level an opponent with a brutal hit or a pancake block. Civilized society dictates that violence toward others is wrong and illegal. Football, however, gives Americans a healthy outlet to watch and participate in violence that would otherwise get someone prosecuted were they not wearing a helmet and pads. Football allows men to go be gladiators once a week and give everything they have in the hopes of achieving glory that they'll carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Yes, there are ulgy aspects to football as well. One can incur any number of debilitating injuries, and NFL careers are only an average of 3 years long as a result. The probabilities of suffering from some level of brain trauma appear higher and higher as scientists discover more and more about the effects of repeated blows to the head. This will undoubtedly keep many parents from allowing or encouraging their children to play the sport. For many others, however, these are risks they're willing to take to play a game they love so much. It is, after all, the intense physical nature of football that creates such an incredible bond between teammates. Players feel close to one another knowing that they've endured incredible pain and exhaustion together all for the one common goal of getting that oddly shaped ball across an imaginary plane. Teammates stand up for one another, block for one another, and protect one another even when winning is no longer a possibility. Football takes just about everything out of you, but that's what makes winning all the more fulfilling. Vince Lombardi probably said it best: "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious." With that, I'd like to wish all of my readers HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Now let's get to the Week 12 Predictions!
WEEK 12 NFL PREDICTIONS
Last week I went 13-1 in my predictions to improve to 60-23 in my predictions on the season. I guess I just underestimated the ability of the Jets to occassionally put together a good win and dominate another team. They're a tough team to predict as they've been so up and down this year that one simply has no idea what to expect from week to week. Either way, this is my best prediction week ever, but also the easiest as I didn't predict any upsets correctly. I was hoping to be wrong about the Texans, but they found a way to come back late and beat an inferior team. No matter, the Texans have 3 road trips in a row and I know they'll lose at least one of them.
TEXANS AT LIONS- The Texans appeared vulnerable at home last week against the Jaguars. Analysts pointed out something that I thought would have benefitted the Ravens weeks ago in that the Texans have little pass rush if J.J. Watt is double teamed. The Texans, are still a much better team than the Lions and I have a hard time believing that the Lions will be able to keep up with the Texans on offense without a serious running game and limited receiving options. I really hope the Lions prove me wrong here. MY PREDICTION: TEXANS 29-17.
REDSKINS AT COWBOYS- I'll be rooting for the Redskins here, but I simply think the Cowboys are a more complete team. Please prove me wrong, Redskins! MY PREDICTION: COWBOYS 28-23.
PATRIONS AT JETS- The Jets almost upset the Patriots in Foxboro when these teams last met and the Pats have since lost Rob Gronkowski and running back Brandon Bolden. My brain tells me not to bet against the Patriots regardless, but this will be my upset of the week. Tom Brady and company may make me look like a fool with this one. MY PREDICTION: JETS 24-20.
VIKINGS AT BEARS- I strongly doubt the Bears can win with Jason Campbell at the helm. MY PREDICTION: VIKINGS 17-13.
RAIDERS AT BENGALS- This will be an interesting homecoming for Carson Palmer, but he certainly won't enjoy it. MY PREDICTION: BENGALS 38-21.
STEELERS AT BROWNS- The Browns seldom get blown out even by top teams. Without Big Ben and while playing outside of Pittsburgh, the Steelers are not a top team. I can't WAIT to watch this one. Have at it, Trent! MY PREDICTION: BROWNS 23-16.
BILLS AT COLTS- Andrew Luck does very well at home. The Colts will bounce back from an embarrassing loss to handle their business against the mediocre boys from Buffalo. MY PREDICTION: COLTS 31-20.
BRONCOS AT CHIEFS- I'm sure the Broncos would love us to believe that they'll be able to run the ball just as well without Willis McGahee, but that was still a serious loss. With that said, Peyton Manning doesn't need a running game to win, and especially not to beat the Chiefs. MY PREDICTION: BRONCOS 33-10.
SEAHAWKS AT DOLPHINS- This will be an interesting game, but the Seahawks are simply a stronger team this year. MY PREDICTION: SEAHAWKS 23-14.
FALCONS AT BUCCANEERS- The Buccaneers could totally surprise me with this one, but I'm picking the Falcons because the Bucs have such a poorly ranked pass defense and Matt Ryan will be able to pick them apart. The Bucs will be able to move the ball and score points though, I just don't believe it'll be quite enough. MY PREDICTION: FALCONS 37-31.
TITANS AT JAGUARS- Divisional matchups are always tough to predict, but I love how the Jags played with Chad Henne against the Texans. They should win this one, but it'll be a shootout. MY PREDICTION: JAGUARS 42-35.
RAVENS AT CHARGERS- I remember very well what happened last year when the Ravens traveled to San Diego. The offense sputtered as it often has on the road in the last two seasons, and the defense got torched by one of the most annoying quarterbacks in the league. The Chargers aren't the offensive powerhouse they were last year as they lose Vincent Jackson and have had recent troubles with their offensive line. The Ravens' are going to have to win this one the way they won their last game against the Browns. Run the football well to set up the pass. Having Dennis Pitta back will help and Torrey Smith will once again need to be a big factor against these guys. With all of that said, the Chargers have only won 2 of their last 8 games and both of those wins were against the Chiefs. Don't let us down, guys!! MY PREDICTION: RAVENS 24-21.
RAMS AT CARDINALS- The Rams haven't won many games, but they're still better than the Cardinals. MY PREDICTION: RAMS 28-17.
49ERS AT SAINTS- The 49ers looked amazing against the Bears. They, however, don't match up near as well against the Saints. It's tough for me to bet against the Saints at home and I'm not about to start today. MY PREDICTION: SAINTS 33-23.
PACKERS AT GIANTS- The Giants simply don't play well at home and the Packers are on a tear recently. This one will still be closer than most people expect. MY PREDICTION: PACKERS 24-17.
PANTHERS AT EAGLES- This is the "who cares?" bowl of the week. Both of these teams are totally doomed. Nick Foles is young...and bad. MY PREDICTION: PANTHERS 35-21.
ONCE AGAIN, HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE! AS ALWAYS
GO RAVENS!!!
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