5 day forecast
Gerry Dulac's NFL Forecast: Week 13
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14-2 (.875)
121-55 (.687)
Philadelphia Eagles (4-7) at Seattle Seahawks (4-7), 8:20 p.m., Thursday
The Skinny: The Jaguars fired coach Jack Del Rio because they are 3-8 after spending $110 million in free agency to improve their defense. Owners don't like making such big financial investments without a return on the field, which is why Andy Reid's days in Philadelphia might be dwindling.
The Skinny: Eagles, 24-17
Cincinnati Bengals (7-4) at Steelers (8-3), 1 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: Marvin Lewis has only five victories in 13 career games against the Steelers, but four of those victories are in Heinz Field. The Steelers blew a 14-point lead in the first meeting three weeks ago, but that';s because they were able to do something the Browns couldn't do last week -- intercept Andy Dalton.
The Skinny: Steelers, 27-20
Baltimore Ravens (8-3) at Cleveland Browns (4-7), 1 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: The Ravens have had plenty of time to recover from their physical victory against the 49ers on Thanksgiving. But their season has been checkered with letdowns after big victories. Could this be another such occasion? Nah.
The Skinny: Ravens, 20-10
Tennessee Titans (6-5) at Buffalo Bills (5-6), 1 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: Once a playoff contender, the Bills have quickly plummeted into an AFC also-ran after four consecutive losses. The Titans, meantime, remain a playoff possibility because of the quarterback problems in Houston.
The Skinny: Bills, 27-21
Kansas City Chiefs (4-7) at Chicago Bears (7-4), 1 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: The sorry state of the quarterback situation in the NFL will be on display in Soldier Field when the Bears' Caleb Hanie squares off against either Tyler Palko or newly acquired and former Bear Kyle Orton of the Chiefs. By the way, whatever happened to Tee Martin?
The Skinny: Bears, 20-10
Atlanta Falcons (7-4) at Houston Texans (8-3), 1 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: The Texans are running out of quarterbacks after injuries to Matt Schaub and backup Matt Leinart, which means they might soon be running out of victories. They were able to sneak away with a victory in Jacksonville. They might not be so fortunate against the Falcons.
The Skinny: Falcons, 23-16
Oakland Raiders (7-4) at Miami Dolphins (3-8), 1 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: This has become a significant game for several reasons, principally because the Raiders have won three in a row and hold a one-game lead in the AFC West. But the Dolphins, who had their three-game win streak ended in Dallas on Thanksgiving, are not going down easy.
The Skinny: Dolphins, 28-24
Indianapolis Colts (0-11) at New England Patriots (8-3), 1 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: The only smart change involving this game was when NBC decided to drop it as the Sunday night telecast. Good move, considering the winless Colts have decided to change quarterbacks and replace Curtis Painter with Dan Orlovsky. Like that will matter.
The Skinny: Patriots, 38-3
Denver Broncos (6-5) at Minnesota Vikings (2-9), 1 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: No matter what you think of his ability as an NFL quarterback, Tim Tebow is 5-1 as a starter and has the Broncos just a game out of first place. But a large measure of credit should go to Coach John Fox for changing the offense to suit his quarterback, something most ego-driven coaches wouldn't do.
The Skinny: Broncos, 20-13
Carolina Panthers (3-8) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7), 1 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: Say this about LeGarrette Blount: At least his highlights now have to do with his amazing runs, not a punch to the face. Speaking of runs, Carolina's Cam Newton has 10 of 'em for TDs, most by a rookie QB in Super Bowl era.
The Skinny: Buccaneers, 23-19
New York Jets (6-5) at Washington Redskins (4-7), 1 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: The Jets continue to hang on in the AFC playoff race, thanks to four TD passes from the very mediocre Mark Sanchez against the Bills. But the Jets don't seem to soar as well on the road, where they are 1-4 this season.
The Skinny: Jets, 20-13
Dallas Cowboys (7-4) at Arizona Cardinals (4-7), 4:15 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: Let's not get too excited about the Cowboys, who have won four in a row to lead the NFC East. Playoff time is approaching, which means Tony Romo is getting infinitely closer to do something really stupid.
The Skinny: Cowboys, 26-21
Green Bay Packers (11-0) at New York Giants (6-5), 4:15 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: With the tire marks still fresh on the collective backs of their secondary, the Giants will go from trying to stop Drew Brees and the Saints (failed) to trying to stop Aaron Rodgers and the Packers (probably will fail). Cornerbacks are advised to Google numbers for mental therapy hotline.
The Skinny: Packers, 34-30
St. Louis Rams (2-9) at San Francisco 49ers (9-2), 4:15 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: OK, they had a 75-yard TD to Ted Ginn wiped out by a ticky-tack penalty and an interference penalty on a deep pass didn't help, but the 49ers discovered what it was like to be physically whipped by the Ravens. They might take it out on the Rams.
The Skinny: 49ers, 30-9
Detroit Lions (7-4) at New Orleans Saints (8-3), 8:20 p.m., Sunday
The Skinny: After winning three in a row and putting up 49 points against the Giants, the Saints are starting to look a little like they did in '09 when they won the Super Bowl. Plus, they don't lose at home (5-0), even against the Lions, who are 4-1 on the road.
The Skinny: Saints, 37-24
San Diego Chargers (4-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-8), 8:30 p.m., Monday
The Skinny: This game is good news for "Mike and Molly" ratings. A matchup of one team who just fired its coach against another who is going to fire its coach after six consecutive losses. Each team, though, will eventually have two words in common: Bill Cowher.
The Skinny: Chargers, 18-12
First Published December 1, 2011 12:00 am
