The Week 16 Picks

Before we get started, I want to personally express my condolences to Colts head coach Tony Dungy on the death of his son, James, who apparently committed suicide this week at the age of 18. As a father, I couldn’t imagine losing one of my children, especially around the holidays. So whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, say a prayer for Coach Dungy and his family.

I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season

The Match-up: Tennessee (+5.5) @ Miami
The Skinny: Sounds more like a Peach Bowl than a meaningless Week 16 NFL match-up (and, quite frankly, a more intriguing one).
Straight up: Miami
Against the Spread: Miami

The Match-up: Detroit (+3.0) @ New Orleans
The Skinny: Both teams are just a mess. The Lions are back to Joey Harrington, who actually showed signs of life in relief of Jeff Garcia a week ago. New Orleans started Todd Bouman last week, and he showed up Aaron Brooks…by tossing 4 picks! Brutal.
Straight up: New Orleans
Against the Spread: New Orleans

The Match-up: Atlanta (+3.0) @ Tampa Bay
The Skinny: Ron Mexico faces his nemesis on Saturday, as the Bucs always seem to make Mexico one-dimensional (and not the good dimension, either).
Straight up: Tampa Bay
Against the Spread: Tampa Bay

The Match-up: Buffalo (+14.0) @ Cincinnati
The Skinny: Chad Johnson is at it again. He stated this week that he had a Christmas-themed TD celebration planned that would incorporate a reindeer. Fun stuff.
Straight up: Cincinnati
Against the Spread: Buffalo

The Match-up: New York Giants (+3.0) @ Washington
The Skinny: Loyal readers should know what’s coming here. Eli Manning on the road against a VERY good defense? It’s almost like stealing.
Straight up: Washington
Against the Spread: Washington

The Match-up: Cleveland (+7.0) @ Pittsburgh
The Skinny: Desperation tells me that the Steelers will come to play on Saturday. They’re still alive, and can’t afford a let-down against their bitter rival. Speaking of, I gave you Miami as a potential sleeper for next year, but how about the Browns in that same vain?
Straight up: Pittsburgh
Against the Spread: Pittsburgh

The Match-up: Dallas (+5.0) @ Carolina
The Skinny: Nice effort by the Cowgirls last week. Another loss this week in Carolina should pretty much seal their fate.
Straight up: Carolina
Against the Spread: Carolina

The Match-up: Jacksonville (-6.0) @ Houston
The Skinny: The Texans actually hurt themselves with a win last week, dropping them into a tie with San Francisco for the worst record in the Reggie Bush sweepstakes.
Straight up: Houston
Against the Spread: Houston

The Match-up: San Diego (Pick) @ Kansas City
The Skinny: Good match-up between the top-ranked Chargers run defense and the 100-yards per game streak of pro-bowler Larry Johnson. It may be hard for San Diego to get all the way up for this one (which explains the line a little bit), but I’ll take a chance on them..
Straight up: San Diego
Against the Spread: San Diego

The Match-up: San Francisco (+9.0) @ St. Louis
The Skinny: Did you know that 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, the number one overall pick of a year ago, was a high school teammate of Reggie Bush? They may be together again very, very soon.
Straight up: St. Louis
Against the Spread: St. Louis

The Match-up: Philadelphia (+1.0) @ Arizona
The Skinny: If only you could combine these two offenses and put Boldin and Fitzgerald on the Eagles…
Straight up: Philadelphia
Against the Spread: Philadelphia

The Match-up: Indianapolis (+10.0) @ Seattle
The Skinny: Suddenly, this game seems meaningless. True, it could be a Super Bowl preview. However, questions arise. Now that the perfect season has come and gone, how much will the Colts starters play? And, will the team be able to focus with Tony Dungy dealing with the personal tragedy that befell him this week? I almost feel disrespectful making a pick in this game.
Straight up: Seattle
Against the Spread: Seattle

The Match-up: Oakland (+13.0) @ Denver
The Skinny: Even if Raiders RB LaMont Jordan was healthy, I still would have taken Denver.
Straight up: Denver
Against the Spread: Denver

The Match-up: Chicago (-7.0) @ Green Bay
The Skinny: Is this the end for Brett Favre? If so, it’s a shame to see him go out like this. Just in case, congratulations on a hall of fame career, Brett.
Straight up: Chicago
Against the Spread: Chicago

The Match-up: Minnesota (+2.5) @ Baltimore
The Skinny: Okay, as a guy who thought the Ravens were going to be a contender this year, I have to ask - where has this offense been all year?
Straight up: Baltimore
Against the Spread: Baltimore

The Match-up: New England (-5.5) @ New York Jets
The Skinny: It’s the finale for Monday Night Football on ABC, and they’ll focus more on the history of the program as opposed to the actual game. The Patriots are starting to look like, well, the Patriots, and they’re the team no one wants to play in the playoffs. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Straight up: New England
Against the Spread: New England