Happy Thanksgiving, folks! As is now tradition, we are publishing this week’s Talkboard early, giving everyone extra time to get their picks in, as well as a space to talk pigskin on Turkey Day. We have kept the Thanksgiving games out of the Pick Six contest, however, to make sure that nobody gets caught out by the switch.
Of course, you can still post your predictions for the Thursday game, if you feel so inclined, but just make sure you keep them separate from your Pick Six entry. For the record, I’m taking Detroit, Dallas and Seattle, although there is only one of those picks that I feel even remotely confident about.
If you are seeking more reliable predictions, you might want to check in with one of aojigbo, Bengatron, flevett, insaneteacher, Lekeg, Lollios, or term1011, since each of them called all six games correctly in our Pick Six contest last week. If you want to match them, all you have to do is give us your predictions for the following six games:
Cleveland Browns @ Buffalo Bills (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm GMT)
After a detour to Detroit, the Bills can now get back to playing their home games at home. It has taken a crew of 500 people to clear the roughly 330,000 tonnes of snow from Ralph Wilson Stadium and surrounding facilities, according to the team’s website, but the venue should be “fully operational” by Sunday. Will the same go for a squad of players who crushed the New York Jets at Ford Field, but now must prepare to face much stronger opponents on a short week? Although they made hard work of beating Atlanta, the Browns remain in the thick of the playoff hunt, and do look that little bit more dangerous with Josh Gordon back in the line-up. But frosty conditions tend to favour the ground game, and while Cleveland have run the ball a bit better than Buffalo this season, they have also been a lot worse than their opponents at defending it. Bills to win
New York Giants @ Jacksonville Jaguars (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm GMT)
At least Eli Manning is not kidding himself. Asked about facing the one-win Jaguars this week, he replied: “I don’t think we are in a position to label anybody or to think we are better than anybody.” It was the appropriate response. Absurd catches by rookie receivers aside, New York have not done a whole lot right in the last six weeks. The good news for them is that Jacksonville seem to be regressing again after their brief run of encouraging performances. Gus Bradley publicly criticised his rookie quarterback Blake Bortles for making poor decisions with the football on Monday, but others have blamed the head coach himself for excessively cautious play-calling. One way or the other, it does not feel like a positive dynamic. Giants to win
New Orleans Saints @ Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm GMT)
How is it possible for all four teams in the AFC North to have seven wins from their first 11 games? The answer lies mostly in the fact that the schedule has paired them with the AFC South. The Steelers, Bengals, Ravens and Browns are a combined 10-1-1 against the Saints, Falcons, Panthers and Buccaneers so far in 2014. Given that New Orleans lost at home to Baltimore on Monday Night Football, then, is it even realistic to give them a shot of winning in Pittsburgh? A team with Drew Brees under center cannot ever be written off entirely. But equally it is hard to come up with compelling reasons for why this would be the weekend when they rediscover their mojo. Steelers to win
Carolina Panthers @ Minnesota Vikings (Sunday 1pm ET/6pm GMT)
It was a trip to Minnesota last year that turned Carolina’s season around. Ron Rivera’s team were just 1-3 when they arrived at the Metrodome in October, but they left with a 35-10 victory over the Vikings and went on to win 10 of their remaining 11 games – finishing top of the NFC South. Could they achieve a similar springboard effect this time around? A division title does remain within reach, despite the fact that they are presently 3-7-1. But the more likely scenario might be a strong finish to the season from Minnesota, who pushed the Packers hard last week and, unlike their opponents, have actually won a game in the last month. Vikings to win
New England Patriots @ Green Bay Packers (Sunday 4.25pm ET/9.25pm GMT)
The Patriots have beaten division-leading teams in each of the last three weeks. But on Sunday, the NFC North gets a rematch. New England’s victory over Detroit knocked the Lions out of first place, with Green Bay stepping up to replace them. Instinctively, they feel like a more worthy opponent. Theirs is the second-ranked scoring offense in the league, averaging 32.2 points per game. Of course, the Patriots (32.5) are still the one team ahead of them in that category. One way or another, it should be a fascinating duel – with Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady squaring off for the first time in their careers. Although there is still a lot of season to go left, this has the feel of a Super Bowl preview. Packers to win
Denver Broncos @ Kansas City Chiefs (Sunday 8.30pm ET/Monday 1.30am GMT)
By the time this game kicks off, Kansas City will have had 10 long days to reflect on their defeat to Oakland. Fans must hope the time has been spent wisely, preparing for a game that is likely to define their season. A win over Denver would pull Kansas City level with the Broncos atop the AFC West. But a loss would effectively leave them two-and-a-half games back (since they would then lose any head-to-head tie-breaker), and could do fatal damage to their Wild Card hopes in a conference where nine out of 16 teams are 7-4 or better. The bad news for Kansas City is that the Broncos are 3-0 at Arrowhead Stadium since Peyton Manning became their quarterback. But the Patriots, Rams and Dolphins have all demonstrated in recent weeks that it is possible to slow this Denver offense down (even if Miami did ultimately succumb to a fourth-quarter barrage). And despite their slip-up last week, Kansas City still have all the tools required to do the same. Chiefs to win
And the rest
Here are the remainder of this weekend’s games. These are not included in the Pick Six, but feel free to post your winners for them as well. If you do so, please keep them separate from your Pick Six predictions, as it will make life a lot easier when adding up your scores.
- Liveblog bonus! Join us at 4.30pm ET/9.30pm GMT on Thursday for coverage of the Thanksgiving clash between the Eagles and Cowboys
Thursday
12.30pm ET/5.30pm GMT
Chicago Bears @ Detroit Lions
4.30pm ET/9.30pm GMT
Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys
8.30pm ET/Friday 1.30am GMT
Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers
Sunday
1pm ET/6pm GMT
Washington @ Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans
San Diego Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens
Cincinnati Bengals @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oakland Raiders @ St Louis Rams
4.05pm ET/9.05pm GMT
Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons
Monday
8.30pm ET/Tuesday 1.30am GMT
Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets
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