Sports

[gardenman]

We start out week twelve with the Steelers heading to the Dawg Pound to take on what's left of the Browns. Not a fair fight on paper, but it is an AFC North matchup, so the Browns will try to put up a fight. I just don't see them having enough to knock out Pittsburgh. I'll take the Steelers.

The Chiefs get a chance to look like their old self by heading to Carolina to take on the Panthers. There's a good chance this becomes a romp for the Chiefs and helps to restore some of their mojo. I'll take KC.

The Vikings meander their way to Chicago to take on the Bears. A lot of divisional rivalry games this week. The Vikings have won three straight while the Bears have lost four straight. I suspect the Vikings find a way to get the win. It might be closer than expected though.

The Titans head to Houston to take on the Texans. The Texans are simply better, and playing at home. They could overlook the Titans, but even with that, they're probably going to win. I'll take the Texans.

The Lions roar into Indy in an interesting early-game matchup. The Lions are just rolling over teams and that's generally when you stumble. For the Colts, this is a measuring stick game. "How do we stack up against the best?" The Lions will stumble somewhere along the way and this could be the game. I'll take the Lions for the win, but the upset wouldn't shock me.

The Patriots and Dolphins face off in an AFC East battle. The Dolphins pretty much need to win out to make the playoffs. The Patriots are still in rebuild mode. The Dolphins' schedule isn't the most daunting with just three iffy games ahead of them (Packers, Texans, Niners) but they need to take care of the winnable games first and I suspect they will. I'll take Miami.

Tampa Bay heads to NJ to welcome Tommy DeVito back into the league. I don't see this ending well for the Giants. Their best player, Dexter Lawrence, is vocally against the QB switch, and demoting Daniel Jones to fourth-string is tacky and just a money-saving move and not a winning move. When the bosses say they don't want to win, the players tend not to win. I'll take the Bucs in a romp.

Whichever Cowboy players aren't too embarrassed to call themselves Cowboys will head to wherever it is the Commanders play to lose in someone else's stadium. It gets boring losing by twenty-plus points at home all the time, so it's time to take the show (or lack thereof) on the road. Dan Quinn will have his guys fired up and ready to play. Mike McCarthy is stealing whatever office supplies he can grab before JJ locks him out completely. Yeah, not a typical NFC East battle between these two. I'll take the Commanders in a romp.

The Broncos head to Vegas to increase their playoff odds. I'll take the Broncos.

The Niners head to Green Bay in a fun game. The Niners need to get back on a winning track. The Packers need the win to stay competitive in the NFC North. Two talented teams with good rosters but a few issues here and there. I'll give the edge to Green Bay at home.

Arizona and Seattle fight it out for dominance in the NFC West. Well, as much as there is dominance in the NFC West this year. All four teams are a game apart with the Rams, Seahawks, and Niners just a game behind the Cards. Playing in Seattle is never easy. I'll give a slight edge to the Seahawks. Their fans will be breathing fire for this one.

Sunday night finds the Eagles taking their last airline flight of the year out to LA to battle the Rams. The Eagles are healthy, playing well, and having fun. The Rams, well they've had issues with injuries. They're getting healthier and are getting better, but I think the Eagles might just be too much for them this week. I'll take the Eagles.

And we end week twelve with a very good AFC matchup as the Ravens take on the Chargers. Back-to-back night games in LA will be an interesting challenge for their ground crews. They'll have less than 24 hours to flip the field after the end of the Eagles/Rams game and the start of the Ravens/Chargers. Maybe not ideal scheduling by the NFL there? I like both teams and it's pretty much a coin flip game for me. I guess I'll take the Ravens.

[teganslaw]

SPURT,"Inside the NFL" can be found on youtube. You will need to check out the dates to find which episodes you want. The change confused me, also. I missed some shows so found them to watch later. 

The Lions will stumble, but I don't expect it to happen this week. Goff could make more mistakes, like he did against Houston, but it won't help if the Colts don't take advantage of them. The problem will be stopping Gibbs and Montgomery. Then there's St. Brown.  The defense has their work cut out.

Jonathan Taylor will probably be covered, so the Colts might need to pass more. Richardson can make deep throws down the field so that could work in their favor. I hope it's competitive, and I'll be happy if the Colts aren't blown out. 

[Spurt]

Week 12.......Let's see what we got.....

Steelers VS Browns---The Steelers are extra energized after beating a good Ravens team.  The Browns took a beat down by the Saints and their interim coach, QB Carr 248 yds passing, and TE and part time QB Taysom Hill 138 yds rushing, Kamara 67 yds....It will be another beat down for the Browns by a very good Steeler team.

Chiefs VS Panthers----Chiefs....next...but the Panthers are in the mix for the #1 draft pick..

Vikings VS Bears---Rival games are always hard fought contests...Caleb Williams fans are hoping to see him rebound and play well...at some point in time.....The Vikings are trying to stay close to the Lions as they can and stay ahead of the Packers!  VIKINGS win this one!

Titans VS Texans....The old Waylon Jennings country song comes to mind...."Ts for Texas, Ts for Tennesse".....and the TEXANS will be the WINNERS!

Lions VS Colts---JMHO but the Lions are THE BEST team in the NFL, their offense is explosive and even with an Aidan replacement still have a very good defense as well.  They will be too much for the young Colts QB, Richardson to keep pace with, and the LIONS WILL ROAR once again!

Patriots Vs Dolphins...What a difference Tua makes as the Dolphins blew out a pitiful Raider team, and I think it will be a repeat performance as they blow out a Patriot team with a rookie QB, Drake Maye ...DOLPHINS make Flipper proud with a WIN!

Bucs VS Giants---The Italian American community and most of NY/NJ rejoices as Tommy Divito FINALLY takes over at QB from Daniel Jones! But sadly I don't think thats gonna help much, they need so much more, like a RB, someone like Saquon Barkley...who they let get away and land on a division rival team, the Eagles who are really enjoying having him on their roster! One media analyst called the Giants, A CLOWN ORGANIZATION, ya got that right! A good QB, Baker Mayfield, whose Buc team has been rattled with injuries, should have an excellent performance and a BUCS WIN! But at least the Giants are in the race for a top draft pick!

Cowboys/Washington ---ITS DALLAS WEEK, but this year its different as the Cowboys are a shadow of their former selves, to add to their woes....Martin (ankle), tight end Jake Ferguson (concussion), left tackle Tyler Guyton (shoulder), guard Tyler Smith (ankle) and safety Markquese Bell (shoulder) left Monday nights game with injuries and with a short week how many will be ready to play??? Meanwhile after looking like a candidate for ROY, QB Jayden Daniels took a step back after facing some strong defenses, and it will be up to Kliff Kingsbury to implement a game plan to help put the offense back on track which also helps the defense from getting worn down. Washington cannot become complacent thinking that they've got this game already won. WASHINGTON should WIN!!! HAIL YES!!!

Broncos VS Raiders ---The Broncos are playing well under Sean Payton, rookie QB Bo Nix is even getting looked at for ROY honors, good defense too! Meanwhile the Raiders are a pathetic team...having won only 2 games this season. BRONCOS in a romp!!!

49ers VS Packers---Both teams need a win to stay in the playoff hunt in tight divisional races...The 49ers got McCaffrey back but they lost a close one against the Seahawks with too many of the 49er players still banged up.  The Packers also won a very close contest against the Bears....I'll take THE PACKERS at home in yet another down to the wire game!

Cardinals VS Seahawks---Oh those surprising Cardinals who hold a slim lead in the NFC West!!! The Seahawks squeaked by their rival the 49ers....I like THE CARDINALS! 

Eagles VS Rams---The Eagles appear to be the second best team in the NFC, right behind those mighty Detroit Lions!  Nick Sirianni has righted his wrongs thanks to the efforts of the BEST GM IN THE NFL who put together a monster of a roster!  He made one of the best deals in the NFL signing Saquon Barkley!!!  The Rams are fighting for a spot in the playoffs in a division thats neck and neck ....I think the EAGLES are to strong for the Rams with lots of injuries to overcome, Eagles will FLY!!!

Ravens VS Chargers---It's THE HARBAUGH BROTHERS BOWL, Chargers are 7-3, while the Ravens are 7-4, which just sets the stage for a fun game!!! The Ravens have more talent on offense so I'll take THE RAVENS for the win in a close one!!!

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!!

[Spurt]

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@teganslaw wrote:

SPURT,"Inside the NFL" can be found on youtube. You will need to check out the dates to find which episodes you want. The change confused me, also. I missed some shows so found them to watch later. 

The Lions will stumble, but I don't expect it to happen this week. Goff could make more mistakes, like he did against Houston, but it won't help if the Colts don't take advantage of them. The problem will be stopping Gibbs and Montgomery. Then there's St. Brown.  The defense has their work cut out.

Jonathan Taylor will probably be covered, so the Colts might need to pass more. Richardson can make deep throws down the field so that could work in their favor. I hope it's competitive, and I'll be happy if the Colts aren't blown out. 

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@teganslaw 

Thanks so much for the info, I didn't think to check You Tube!

[smoochy]

Detroit Lions are built for this. Jared has already had his issues, they happened in one game and the team still won. They aren't going to happen again. We are missing linebacker Anzalone already. Out 4-6 weeks w broken arm. Next man up!

[Spurt]

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@smoochy wrote:

Detroit Lions are built for this. Jared has already had his issues, they happened in one game and the team still won. They aren't going to happen again. We are missing linebacker Anzalone already. Out 4-6 weeks w broken arm. Next man up!

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@smoochy 

ROAR LIONS ROAR!! Even though I'm a Washington fan, I'm pulling for the Lions to win the Super Bowl!!!

[Spurt]

Twenty-five modern-era players were named today as semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Four to eight will be selected from this list:

QB Eli Manning

LB Luke Kuechly

WR Steve Smith Sr.

S Earl Thomas

K Adam Vinatieri

DE Jared Allen

LB Terrell Suggs

TE Antonio Gates

G/T Marshal Yanda

LB James Harrison

DT Vince Wilfork

OT Willie Anderson

WR Torry Holt

WR Anquan Boldin

WR Reggie Wayne

G Jahri Evans

S Rodney Harrison

CB Eric Allen

DE Robert Mathis

RB Fred Taylor

WR Hines Ward

RB Ricky Watters

OT Richmond Webb

G Steve Wisniewski

S Darren Woodson

[gardenman]

Eagles' DE/OLB Bryce Huff is out for a few weeks with wrist surgery. They hope he'll be back for the end of the season. He's been playing one-handed most of the year. He's only had the use of four fingers with his thumb and palm largely useless. The surgery should get his whole hand working again.

[Spurt]

@teganslaw 

Washington signed a former Colt to their Practice Squad, 6'5" WR Michael Strachan who the Colts drafted in the 7th round of the 2021 draft....

[teganslaw]

SPURT, the Colts didn't utilize Michael Strachan much in games, so I don't have many stats on him. 

Cowboys' Malik Hooker was one of the best players on the team this past week. He did well with the Colts, so this wasn't a surprise. Too bad the rest of the Cowboys weren't good.