Amid the Action: Week 13 picks
December 4, 2015
As of now, the Panthers are the only undefeated team in the NFL. The mighty Patriots fell to Broncos in overtime, and are now 10-1. Here are my picks for week 13.
NFC North Clash: Lions will beat Packers
On Thursday night, Aaron Rogers and the Green Bay Packers will face off against Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions in an NFC North clash. Both teams played on Thursday for Thanksgiving. The Packers played another division rival, the Chicago Bears and lost by a score of 17-13. Green Bay is now 7-4 and is currently in second place in their division, NFC North. Detroit played the Philadelphia Eagles on Thanksgiving and won by a score of 45-14. The Lions have improved to 4-7 and are currently in fourth place in NFC North.
Aaron Rogers currently leads Green Bay in passing, throwing for 2,684 yards this season. He has completed 236 out of 390 passes, and has thrown 24 touchdowns this season.
Eddie Lacy, who came back after a nagging hamstring injury, leads the team in rushing this season. He has carried the ball for 122 times this year for a total of 513 yards, averaging over four yards per carry and has two touchdowns this season.
Randall Cobb is the team’s number-one receiver. Cobb has caught 53 passes this season for 627 yards. He averages 11.8 yards per catch and has six touchdowns on the year.
Matthew Stafford leads Detroit in passing. Stafford has completed 266 out of 410 passes this season, wracking up 2,944 yards through the air this season and has 20 touchdowns.
Rookie Ameer Abdullah leads the team in rushing. This rookie out of Nebraska has 347 yards on the season, running the ball 96 times. Abdullah averages over three yards per carry, and has one touchdown on the season.
Calvin “Megatron” Johnson is the number one receiver on the team and is Stafford’s favorite target. Johnson has caught 67 passes this season for 921 yards. He averages 13.7 yards per catch and has six touchdowns this year.
For tonight’s game, I think the Lions have the upper hand. They beat Green Bay at Lambeau Field, which showed that they are capable of defeating this team, even on the road. Detroit will be at home, and just messed up the Eagles 45-17.
Update: Packers 27, Lions 23
Texans will beat Bills, improve to 7-5
On Sunday, J.J. Watt and the Houston Texans will go to Buffalo, New York to play Tyrod Taylor and the Bills. In their most recent game, the Texans beat Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints 24-6. They have improved to a record of 6-5, and they are currently in second place for AFC South. The Bills just played Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs. They lost 30-22. Buffalo has fallen to a record of 5-6 and are in third place in AFC East.
Brian Hoyer leads Houston in passing this season. Hoyer has thrown for 1,909 yards, completing 162 out of 264 passes. He has 15 touchdowns on the season.
Alfred Blue leads the Texans in rushing. Blue has carried the ball 123 times for a total of 430 yards. He averages over three yards per carry and has two touchdowns on the season.
Former Clemson Tiger DeAndre Hopkins leads the Texans in receiving this season. He has caught 81 passes this season 1081 yards. Hopkins averages 13.3 yards per catch and has nine touchdowns this season.
Tyrod Taylor, who replaced EJ Manuel, is Buffalo’s leading passer this year. Taylor has completed 165 out of 250 passes this season, wracking up 1960 yards through the air. He has 14 touchdowns on the season.
LeSean McCoy leads the Bills in rushing. He has collected 680 yards rushing this season on 152 carries. McCoy averages four and a half yards per carry and has three touchdowns on the season.
Sammy Watkins, who was a teammate of DeAndre Hopkins in college, leads the team in receiving this year. Watkins has caught 31 passes this season for a total of 526 yards. He is averaging an astonishing 17 yards per catch and has five touchdowns on the season.
For this game, I’m taking the Texans. They are on a roll! J.J. Watt himself has more sacks than the entire Bills’ front seven. Brian Hoyer has been having success in the pocket. The Bills started off the season looking hot, like a playoff team, but in these recent games they’ve slumped.
Niners will snap losing streak
On Sunday Blaine Gabbert and the San Francisco 49ers will travel to Chicago to play Jay Cutler and the Bears. Vic Fangio, the Bears’ defensive coordinator, was with the 49ers last year, and left after being denied the head coaching job. He claims to have no hard feelings towards San Francisco, but it will certainly be interesting to see the teams face off. The Bears were also the first team the 49ers played at the brand new Levi’s Stadium last year. Chicago won by a score of 28-20.
The Bears played on Thanksgiving, and beat their division rival, the Green Bay Packers 17-13. They improved their record to 5-6. Chicago is currently in third place in NFC North. San Francisco just played their own division rival, the Arizona Cardinals, and lost 19-13. They have fallen to 3-8, and are in fourth place in NFC West.
Colin Kaepernick leads the San Francisco 49ers in passing; however, he was benched in favor of backup Blaine Gabbert after a poor performance against the Cardinals. Eventually, he hurt his shoulder and was ruled out for the season. Blaine Gabbert has taken the reigns, and has shown a lot of good signs so far. In his current three starts, he has thrown for 767 yards, completing 62 out of 95 passes. Gabbert has four touchdowns on the season.
Carlos Hyde leads San Francisco in rushing, but he is also ruled out this game due to an injury. In his spot, Shaun Draughn has been the starter. Draughn has run the ball 45 times this season for 156 yards. He averages three and a half yards per carry.
Former Raven Anquan Boldin leads the 49ers in receiving this year. Boldin has caught 44 passes for a total of 558 yards. He is averaging 12.7 yards per catch and has two touchdowns this season.
Jay Cutler leads the Bears in passing. He has completed 211 out of 334 passes for 2,510 yards. Cutler has 14 touchdowns this year.
Matt Forte leads Chicago in rushing. He has carried the ball 151 times for 592 yards. He currently averages almost four yards per carry and has two touchdowns on the season.
Alshon Jeffrey leads Chicago in receiving this year. He has caught 43 passes for 605 yards. Jeffrey averages 14.1 yards per catch and has two touchdowns.
In this game, I’m taking the 49ers. Blaine Gabbert is not Peyton Manning, but he has shown positive signs that Kaepernick did not. For example, he is able to read a defense better, can pass from the pocket, and has more patience. He has thrown a touchdown pass in each of his three starts. If the defense was stronger, he could’ve had three wins under his belt. He has showcased his ability to march the offense down the field, and utilizes his tight ends and running back. He even threw a touchdown pass–in Seattle! Kaepernick has not done that since 2013. This may be the 49ers chance to get a win.
Bengals will go 10-2
Good old-fashioned rivalry. Andy Dalton and the Bengals will travel to Cleveland to play the Browns. The Bengals just played the St. Louis Rams, who they destroyed 31-7. They are now 9-2, and are in first place in AFC North. The Browns, who are also in AFC North, just lost a heartbreaking game to the Ravens, and have slipped to 2-9. They are in fourth place in AFC North.
Andy “Red Rifle” Dalton leads the Bengals in passing this season. Dalton has thrown for 2,971 yards this season, completing 238 out of 362 passes. He has thrown 23 touchdown passes this year.
Giovanni Bernard leads Cincinnati in rushing. Bernard has carried the ball 115 times for a total of 581 yards. He averages over five yards per carry and has two touchdowns on the season.
A.J. Green is the team’s number-one receiver this season. Green has caught 65 passes for 909 yards. He is averaging 14 yards per catch and has six touchdowns this year.
Josh McCown leads Cleveland in passing. McCown has completed 186 out of 292 passes for 2,109 yards. He has twelve touchdowns this season.
Isaiah Crowell is the team’s number-one rusher. Crowell has amassed 335 yards on the ground, carrying the ball 114 times. He averages almost three yards per carry and has one touchdown this year.
Travis Benjamin is the top wide out on the Browns this year. Benjamin has caught 54 passes, racking up 826 receiving yards. He averages 15.3 yards per catch and has five touchdowns on the season.
This game, I’m taking the Bengals. The Browns are awful, and they lost to a Ravens team led by Matt Schaub. Andy Dalton will pull a win no doubt.
Ravens will prevail over Dolphins
Matt Schaub and the Ravens will travel to Miami on Sunday to play Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins. The Ravens won their last game, literally ending the game with a fumble returned for a touchdown. They have shifted up to 4-7 and are in third place in NFC North. The Dolphins just played the Jets, and lost by a score of 38-20. They are now 4-7 and are in fourth place in AFC East.
Matt Schaub, who is replacing Joe Flacco, has completed 20 out of 34 passes this season. He has a total of 232 yards this year, and has two touchdowns on the season.
Justin Forsett leads the team in rushing. Forsett has carried the ball 151 times for 641 yards this season. He averages over four yards per carry and has two touchdowns this year.
Steve Smith leads the team in receiving. Smith has caught 46 passes for 670 yards this season. He averages 14.6 yards per catch and has three touchdowns on the season.
Ryan Tannehill is Miami’s leading passer this season. Tannehill has thrown for 2,991 yards this year, completing 258 out of 416 passes. He has 20 touchdowns on the season.
Lamar Miller is Miami’s leading rusher. Miller has carried the ball 119 times for a total of 567 yards. He averages 4.8 yards per carry and has five touchdowns this year.
Former LSU player Jarvis Landry leads the team in receiving. He has caught 78 passes for 816 yards this season. Landry averages 10.7 yards per catch and has four touchdowns on the season.
In this game, I’m taking the Ravens. Matt Schaub played well on the road during his first start of the season. Cleveland was a mess, but so were the Dolphins. Baltimore will go 5-7.
Chiefs will go 6-6
Alex Smith and the Chiefs will also be playing a rival this Sunday. They will be heading out to the Bay Area to play Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders. The Chiefs just played the Buffalo Bills and won 33-20. They are now 6-5 and are in second place in AFC West. Oakland just played Marcus Mariota and the Titans. They won by a score of 24-21. Oakland has improved to 5-6 and they’re in third place in AFC West.
Alex Smith is Kansas City’s leading passer this season. He has thrown for 2,681 yards, and has completed 226 out of 354 passes. He has 12 touchdowns this year.
Charcandrick West leads the Chiefs in rushing. He has carried the ball 98 times for 373 yards. West averages almost four yards per carry and has three touchdowns this year.
Jeremy Maclin is the Chief’s number-one receiver. Maclin has caught 57 passes this year for 772 yards. He averages 13.5 yards per catch and has three touchdowns on the season.
Derek Carr leads Oakland in passing. Carr has completed 240 out of 378 passes for a total of 2,895 yards this season, with 24 touchdowns on the year.
Latavius Murray is the leading rusher for the Raiders this year. Murray has run the ball 179 times for 765 yards. He averages over three yards per carry and has four touchdowns on the season.
Rookie Amari Cooper is Oakland’s number-one receiver this year. He has caught 58 passes this year for a total of 851 yards. Cooper averages 14.7 yards per catch and has four touchdowns this season.
For this game, I’m taking Oakland. They just came off a good road win, and now they’ll be playing at home. While their numbers may not be the most impressive, they can play solid football. People tend to blow Oakland off, but they aren’t a pushover team.
Broncos will improve to 10-2
Another AFC West rivalry will be played on Sunday as the Broncos play the Chargers. The Broncos just played the Patriots, upsetting them in overtime, and winning 33-27. They have improved to a record of 9-2 and are in first place in AFC West. San Diego just played the Jaguars and won 31-25. Their record has improved to 3-8 and they are in fourth place in AFC West.
Brock Osweiler is the starting quarterback for the Broncos right now. Osweiler has completed 57 out of 93 passes for 666 yards. He has four touchdowns on the season.
Ronnie Hillman leads the team in rushing. He has carried the ball 138 times for 587 yards. Hillman averages over four yards per carry and has six touchdowns this year.
Demaryius Thomas is the team’s number-one receiver. He has caught 72 passes for 911 yards this year. Thomas averages 12.7 yards per catch and has two touchdowns on the year.
Philip Rivers leads the Chargers in passing this year. He has thrown for 3,511 yards, completing 317 out of 463 passes. Rivers has 23 touchdowns on the season.
Rookie Melvin Gordon is San Diego’s leading rusher. Gordon has run for 510 yards, carrying the ball 143 times. He averages over three yards per carry.
Keenan Allen is the leading receiver in San Diego. Allen has caught 67 passes for 725 yards. He averages 10.8 yards per catch and has four touchdowns on the season.
For this game, I’m picking the Broncos. They are just coming off a major win, which should definitely be a confidence-booster. The Chargers won their last game, but they’re about to get a wake-up call from Denver.
Patriots will go 11-1
Mark Sanchez and the Eagles will travel to New England to play Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. The Eagles just played the Lions on Thanksgiving and got beat down to 45-17. They are now 4-7 and are in third in NFC East. The Patriots just played on Sunday and lost to the Broncos in overtime 33-27. They are 10-1 and remain first in AFC East.
Mark Sanchez is the starting quarterback for the Eagles for this game. He has thrown for 616 yards this season, completing 59 out of 91 passes. Sanchez has four touchdowns this season.
DeMarco Murray leads Philadelphia in rushing. Murray has carried the ball 155 times for 545 yards. He averages over three yards per carry and has four touchdowns on the season.
Jordan Matthews leads the team in receiving. He has caught 58 passes for 625 yards. Matthews averages 10.8 yards per catch and has three touchdowns this year.
Tom Brady is New England’s leading passer. Brady has thrown for 3,600 yards this season, completing 294 out of 451 passes. He has 28 touchdowns this season.
LeGarrette Blount leads the Patriots in rushing. He has carried the ball 142 times for 596 yards. Blount averages over four yards per carry and has six touchdowns this season.
Dion Lewis is now the leading receiver, as Gronkowski, Edelmen, and Amendola are out with injuries. He has caught 36 passes for 388 yard. Lewis averages 10.8 yards per catch and has two touchdowns on the season.
For this game, I’m taking the Patriots. Yes, they are missing some key players, but Tom Brady was able to take the Patriots into overtime despite them being gone last game. The defense blew it for the Patriots. This game will be the opportunity for New England to get their anger out.
Panthers will move to 12-0
Rivalry again! The Carolina Panthers will travel to New Orleans to play the Saints on Sunday. Carolina played their last game on Thanksgiving and beat the Cowboys 33-14. Their record improved to 11-0, and they are in first place in NFC South. The Saints just played the Texans and lost 24-6. They have fallen to 4-7 and are fourth in NFC South.
Cam Newton leads the Panthers in passing. He has thrown for 2,466 yards this season, completing 190 out of 332 passes. Newton has 20 touchdowns on the season.
Jonathan Stewart leads Carolina in rushing. Stewart has carried the ball 211 times for a total of 832 yards. He averages almost four yards per carry and has four touchdowns this year.
Greg Olsen is the team’s number-one receiver this year. Olsen has caught 53 passes this year for 788 yards. He averages 14.9 yards per catch and has six touchdowns on the season.
Drew Brees is New Orleans’ leading passer. He has completed 282 out of 414 passes this year for 3,200 yards. Brees has 20 touchdowns this season.
Mark Ingram leads the team in rushing. Ingram has carried the ball 154 times for 713 yards. He averages over four yards per carry and has five touchdowns this year.
Brandin Cooks is the number-one receiver on the Saints. Cooks has caught 55 passes this season for a total of 736 yards. He currently averages 13.4 yards per catch and has six touchdowns this year.
For this game I’m picking the Panthers. They just came off a great win on the road, so who says they can’t do it again? Cam Newton is on fire and his team is reaping the benefits.
Colts will advance to 7-5
Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts will travel to Pittsburgh to play Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers. The Colts just played the Buccaneers and won 25-12. They are now 6-5 and are first in AFC South. The Steelers just played the Seattle Seahawks and lost 39-30. The have fallen to 6-5 and are in second in AFC North.
Andrew Luck leads the Colts in passing. Luck has completed 162 out of 293 passes and has amassed a total of 1,881 yards this season. He has 15 touchdowns on the year.
Frank Gore is the leading rusher in Indianapolis. Gore has run the ball 181 times for 657 yards. He averages over three yards per carry and has four touchdowns on the season.
T.Y. Hilton is the number-one receiver for the Colts. Hilton has caught 51 passes for 819 yards. He averages 16.1 yards per catch and has 15 touchdowns this season.
Ben Roethlisberger leads Pittsburg in passing. He has thrown for 2,343 passes this year, completing 177 out of 266 of them. Roethlisberger has 11 touchdowns on the season.
DeAngelo Williams, who has replaced Le’Veon Bell, is the leading rusher for this team. Williams has run the ball 115 times, collecting 563 yards on the ground. He averages almost five yards per carry and has six touchdowns this year. Antonio Brown leads the team in receiving. Brown has caught 85 passes for a total of 1,192 yards. He averages 14 yards per catch and has five touchdowns.
For this game, I’m taking the Colts. They have been playing very well lately, and have found their groove. Roethlisberger was battling injuries last game, and that will affect his game play against the Colts.