From the Desk of Eagles Outsider Barry Bowe
Here are my picks for Week 12.
Week 11 made it three bad weeks in a row for me. Hoping to get back on track in Week 12 starting with the three games today – Thanksgiving.
So let’s get started.
Thursday – November 26
12:30 – Eagles (4-6 & 2-3 Away) at Lions (3-7 & 2-3 Home)
Lions are 2½-point favorites with an O/U of 46 points.
This is a tough game for me because my favorite team is involved. Both teams are bad, but the Eagles are trending down and the Lions are trending up.
Just two weeks ago it looked like the Lions were one of the two worst teams in the league and wouldn’t win another game all season. But then 90-year-old owner Martha Firestone Ford stepped out of the shadows and fired team president Tom Lewand and GM Martin Mayhew and promised Lions fans a team that would compete, improve, and win.
And then:
- The Lions traveled to Green Bay and beat the Packers 18-16 on the hallowed tundra of Lambeau Field.
- The Lions beat the Raiders 18-13 at home.
On the other side of the coin, just two weeks ago it looked like the Eagles were poised to take control of the NFC East. But then came two disastrous home games:
- Upset 20-19 by a reeling Miami Dolphins team after blowing a 16-3 first-quarter lead when the Dolphins were ready to pack it in.
- Upset and trounced 45-17 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers while allowing rookie quarterback Jameis Winston to throw five TD passes and run-of-the-mill running back Doug Martin run for 235 yards.
Turmoil has been swirling among the fan-base in Philadelphia for the last 72 hours with outcries of dissension, unrest, and outright quitting on the team by both players and coaches.
I think the trends will continue. So I’m picking the Lions to beat my favorite team as the Eagles continue to show a lack of heart and talent.
4:30 – Panthers (10-0 & 4-0 Away) at Cowboys (3-7 & 1-4 Home)
Cowboys are 1-point favorites with an O/U of 45½ points.
How could Las Vegas pick the Cowboys to beat the undefeated Panthers?
The answer could only be the return of Tony Romo combined with the return to health of Dez Bryant. Personally, I don’t see it – nor do any of our pool players who made early picks thus far. No one in our pool picked the Cowboys as yet.
As a closet Dolphins fan who doesn’t want any other team to blemish Miami’s Perfect Season back in 1972, I want to see both the Panthers and Patriots lose. And while I just might see the Patriots go down this week in Denver, I don’t see the Panthers losing to the Cowboys.
Hope I’m wrong, but I’m picking the Panthers to win in Dallas and remain unbeaten for another week.
8:30 – Bears (4-6 & 3-2 Away) at Packers (7-3 & 4-1 Home)
Packers are 8½-point favorites with O/U of 45 points.
After a mysterious downslide that saw the Packers lose three straight games . . .
- 29-10 to the Broncos
- 37-29 to the Panthers
- 18-16 to the Lions
. . . the Packers got back on the winning merry-go-round with a surprisingly easy 30-13 win over the Vikings on the road.
After a pair of road wins . . .
- 22-19 over the Chargers in San Diego
- 37-13 over the Rams in St. Louis
. . . the Bears returned home last week and lost a closely-fought 17-15 game with the Broncos.
I see both teams continuing their recent turnarounds, so I pick the Packers to beat the Bears.
So there you have my three picks for Thanksgiving Day. The rest will follow on Saturday. Between you and me, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Hope you and yours enjoy it as much as my family does.
THANKSGIVING RECAP
I went one better than Meat Loaf on my Thanksgiving picks . . .
The Lions 45-14 win over the Eagles was an easy pick. How Las Vegas picked the Cowboys as the favorites over the Panthers still mystifies me. The Panthers won easily 33-14 – and knocked Tony Romo out for the rest of the season. Nobody picked the Bears to upset the Packers 17-13 in Lambeau.
. . . cause two outta three ain’t bad.
REST OF THE WEEK
Sunday – November 29
1:00 – Raiders (4-6 & 2-3 Away) at Titans (2-8 & 0-5 Home)
EVEN game with O/U of 44 points.
The Raiders – after looking like a team on the rise – lost their last three games in unimpressive style.
The Titans had one bright spot – 34-28 win over the Saints three games back – all season. Plus, they still haven’t won at home.
I think the Raiders slide continues and the Titans break their cherry at home.
I’m picking the Titans in a tight game.
1:00 – Bills (5-5 & 3-2 Away) at Chiefs (5-5 & 2-2 Home)
Chiefs are 7-point favorites with O/U of 41½ points.
The Bills lost 20-13 to the Patriots last week in a game they could’ve won.
The Chiefs are riding a four-game winning streak.
I can’t see the Bills winning this game on the road.
I’ll take the Chiefs.
1:00 – Buccaneers (5-5 & 3-2 Away) at Colts (5-5 & 2-3 Home)
Colts are 2½-point favorites with O/U of 46 points.
The Buccaneers shellacked the Eagles 45-17 last week – with Jameis Winston throwing five TD passes – and edged the Cowboys 10-6 two weeks back.
The Colts have also won two straight – buck they’re stuck playing 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback in place of the injured Andrew Luck. Somehow Hasselbeck is 3-0 replacing Luck this season – but that ends on Sunday.
I’ll take the Bucs to win.
1:00 – Giants (5-5 & 2-3 Away) at Redskins (4-6 & 4-1 Home)
Giants are 2½-point favorites with O/U of 47½ points.
This is a toughie. Both teams need to win:
The Giants to take a commanding lead in the NFC East.
The Redskins to move into a first-place tie with the Giants.
I pick the Redskins to win at home in an NFC East rivalry game.
1:00 – Saints (4-6 & 1-4 Away) at Texans (5-5 & 3-2 Home)
Texans are 3-point favorites with O/U of 48 points.
Both teams are strange teams this season.
The Saints have shown flashes of both brilliance and catastrophe.
The Texans have been up and down – but a win on Sunday gives them sole possession of first place in the AFC South.
I’ll take the Texans to win and take over first place.
1:00 – Vikings (7-3 & 3-2 Away) at Falcons (6-4 & 3-2 Home)
EVEN game with O/U of 45½ points.
Both teams need to win.
A win would move the Vikings into first place in the NFC North above the Packers.
I’ll take the Vikings in a tightly-fought affair.
1:00 – Rams (4-6 & 1-4 Away) at Bengals (8-2 & 4-1 Home)
Bengals are 10-point favorites with O/U of 42 points.
After starting off 8-0, the Bengals lost two straight.
Rams have lost three straight. Nick Foles should be back at quarterback – but it doesn’t matter. As long as Jeff Fisher coaches the tea, the Rams will be hard-pressed to pick up another win.
I take the Bengals pretty easy.
1:00 – Chargers (4-6 & 3-2 Away) at Jaguars (4-6 & 3-2 Home)
Jaguars are 5-point favorites with O/U of 47 points.
Two 4-6 teams.
The Jags are what their record says.
The Chargers aren’t as good as their record says.
I take the Jags to win.
1:00 – Dolphins (4-6 & 3-3 Away) at Jets (5-5 & 3-2 Home)
Jets are 4-point favorites with O/U of 43 points.
When I lived in South Florida, the Dolphins won two straight Super Bowls and I cared about the team.
When I lived in New York, the Jets won a Super Bowl and I cared about the team.
Today, I don’t care about either team – or this game.
I pick the Jets to win a snooze-fest.
4:05 – Cardinals (8-2 & 4-1 Away) at 49ers (3-7 & 3-2 Home)
Cardinals are 11½-point favorites with O/U of 45 points.
The Cardinals are good.
The 49ers are bad.
I pick the Cards in an easy one.
4:25 – Steelers (6-4 & 2-2 Away) at Seahawks (5-5 & 3-2 Home)
Seahawks are 3½-point favorites with O/U of 46 points.
This is a tough pick. Both teams need to win.
I take the Steelers to upset the Seahawks on the road.
8:30 – Patriots (10-0 & 4-0 Away) at Broncos (8-2 & 3-1 Home)
Patriots are 2½-point favorites with O/U of 43½ points.
Another toughie.
The Patriots were fortunate to escape being upset by the Bills last week. And now Danny Amendola has been added to the list of injured players who won’t suit up.
Peyton Manning won’t play.
Both teams own comfortable leads in their divisions – so there is no urgency on either team to win.
I’m taking the Broncos to knock the Patriots from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Monday – November 30
8:30 – Ravens (3-7 & 1-4 Away) at Browns (2-8 & 1-3 Home)
Browns are 3-point favorites with O/U of 41 points.
Talk about a – pardon my French – shit game. This is it.
The Ravens stunk with Joe Flacco at quarterback – but Flaco’s now out for the season. Journeyman Matt Schaub – from West Chester East – will be subbing for Flacco.
As predicted by me last week, Johnny Manziel couldn’t keep his nose clean – pun intended – during the Bye Week and got into some trouble. So he’s sitting – and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s started his last game in the NFL.
Josh McCown will start for the Browns.
Both teams will be hard-pressed to win – but I still see the Browns as one of the worst teams in the league.
I pick the Ravens to win a boring game
VALUE PICKS
As always, they’re free of charge and worth every penny.
In addition to being the official Eagles Outsider for BlameMyFather.com, Barry Bowe is also the author of:
- Born to Be Wild
- 1964 – The Year the Phillies Blew the Pennant
- 12 Best Eagles QBs
- Birth of the Birds
- Soon-to-be-published sexy, police procedural Caribbean Queen
- Soon-to-be-published novel Stosh Wadzinski
- Soon-to-be-published novel Polish Widow
Comments
No Comments