NFL Week 13 open thread

First, the good news for Hot Air readers — I won’t pick the Steelers to win today.  That’s because of the bad news, for me anyway, that they lost on Thanksgiving to the Ravens in a strange end to a tight game.  That was the only game I got wrong, although I thought the Packers would make it closer than they did against the Lions.  Anyway, I’ll skip the Pollyanna-ish boosterism today, but you won’t get any more byes this season.

Let’s combine up Week 12 results with my Thanksgiving Day picks to check my record on picks: 5-4-1, thanks to the Vikings-Packers tie last week.  That puts me at 38-32-1 for the season. I’d better pick up the pace:

• Bears at Vikings (1 pm, Fox) – The Bears got mauled by the Rams last week, 42-21, while the Vikings managed to, er, not lose after running up a big lead on Green Bay.  Da Bears look more like the Mice of Midway against the run (32nd in the league, dead last), and they’re coming to the Metrodome to face Adrian Peterson. I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’ll pick Minnesota to win today, 24-20.
• Dolphins at Jets (1 pm, CBS) – Which Jets team will show up today?  The one that beat the Patriots and New Orleans, or the one that got blown out by the Bills? The Jets have played tough at home, and Miami hasn’t played tough on the road.  Jets 27-23 over the Fins.
• Cardinals at Eagles (1 pm, Fox) – At the beginning of the season, this looked like a waste of time, but both teams have stepped up their game since.  Philly has a three-game win streak and is contending in their division.  Arizona has a four-game win streak and may be climbing into wild-card contention in the NFC. The Eagles have taken wing again under QB Nick Foles’ leadership, but I think the Cardinals score a road-win upset in a low-scoring game, 21-17.
• Broncos at Chiefs (4:25 pm, CBS) – The Broncos lost a game they should have won on the road last week in New England, and now they have to face the 9-2 Chiefs. Denver is only 3-2 on the road, while KC is 5-1 at home.  The line has Denver up by 6, but the Broncos looked shaky last week on defense, and the Chiefs know how to score points, too.  KC wins a shootout, 41-34.
• Giants at Barrycaders (8:30 pm, NBC) – The only real drama in this game will be the subject of Bob Costas’ weekly pontification.  I predict that it will be on the farm bill, or perhaps Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium. I give the Pope a touchdown over Costas, and the Redskins a 28-20 win over the Giants.
• Saints at Seahawks (MNF, 8:30 pm, ESPN) – This might be the game of the week, and not just because it could set home-field advantage in the NFC throughout the playoffs.  The Saints are back in championship form, but they’re not quite as good on the road. Seattle hasn’t lost yet at home, and with the homefield advantage on the line, expect the 12th Man to carry them past the Saints. Seattle 31-27, and it should be a lot of fun to watch.