Fox's Week 16 Pick'Ems

The world is coming to an end....or rather the football season is coming to and end. With this week and then Week 17, teams are on limited time trying to make the postseason, especially in the NFC East where we have 3 teams tied for first at 8-6. The good news though is that there are no more crappy Thursday night football games to watch nor any more Monday Night Football as well (I could not sit through another Jets-Titans game ever again). That being said, let's get on with the picks

Record Last Week: 9-7
Seasonal Record: 125-95-1

Games of the Week

Sunday 1:00 p.m.
New Orleans @ Dallas Cowboys
Both teams need this game to stay alive so you will see each of them give it their all. This will be Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's biggest challenge of the year. His defense will be set to take on a Saints offense that 4th in scoring (27.8 ppg), 3rd in total offense (397.9 ypg), and 2nd in passing (298.1 ypg) and put up 41 points against the Buccaneers. But even as the Saints are the worst run defense in the NFL, they got nothing to fear against the 2nd worst running offense in the NFL.
Pick: Saints

Cinncinati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
With the 9-5 Baltimore Ravens going down in a late season swoon, the Bengals are right behind at 8-6 and the Steelers at 7-7. Unfortunately for the Bengals, they are 1-3 in AFC North divisional play. For the Bengals is Andy Dalton, who has been playing poor as of late, throwing 3TDs and 3INT with a QB rating of 72.0 in the month of December. However, the RB Lawfirm of Green-Ellis has been on fire, rushing for 442 yards (110.5 ypg) in his last 4 games to go with 6 TDs. Although the Steelers beat the Bengals 24-17 earlier in the year, that was when Ben Roethlisberger was at 100% health. Right now, he's still up in the air and has butt heads with offensive coordinator Todd Hayley. Expect the Bengals to avenge their earlier loss and knock the Steelers out of the playoff hunt.
Pick: Bengals

Minnesota Vikings @ Houston Texans
By the end of this game, we could see two players reach closer in their goals. DE J.J. Watt (currently tied with 49ers DE Aldon Smith at 19.5) is 3.5 sacks away from breaking former NYG DE Michael Strahan's single season sack record of 22.5. He might get 2 sacks in this one since the Vikings are 19th in sacks allowed (30). On the other side, RB Adrian Peterson is at 1,812 rushing yards and is 294 yards away from breaking HOF Eric Dickerson's single season rushing record of 2,105 yards. Unfortunately for Peterson, he's going up against the 5th best rushing defense (allowing 93.2 ypg) and his QB is god awful.
Pick: Houston

Sunday 4:25 p.m.
New York Giants @ Baltimore Ravens
It's do or die for both teams at this moment. Both teams are coming off embarrassing losses (Giants 34-0 against the Falcons and Ravens 37-14 against the Broncos) and both are in situations where they need to win out to stay in the playoffs. However this song and dance routine is common for the Giants during their previous two Super Bowl runs. Not too mention that the Ravens are 25th in rushing defense (allowing 132.2 ypg) and have lost their identity on offense. This is a must-win game for Big Blue but if history proves right, then you can expect this game to be the first step of another Giants' playoff run. Not too mention that Eli Manning will have a fire lit underneath him after Tom Coughlin called him out earlier this week on his terrible play recently.
Pick: Giants

Sunday 8:20 p.m.
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks
The San Francisco 49ers outplayed the Patriots last week in Foxboro 41-34 in every aspect of football, have allowed just 15.6 ppg (tied for 1st in the NFL in scoring defense along with the Seahawks). have a chance to get the 2nd playoff seed in the NFC. The Seahawks are undefeated at home, have scored a combined 108 points in the past two games, and rookie QB Russell Wilson has posted a QB rating of 108.3 in his last 4 games, throwing 870 yards, 6TDs and only 1INT in that same span. If this was at San Fran, I'd pick the 49ers but there is a reason why the Seahawks are undefeated at home.
Pick: Seahawks

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Best of the Rest

Saturday 8:30 p.m.
Atlanta Falcons @ Detroit Lions
I'm working Saturday and that'll prove more entertaining than watching this game. Although Calvin Johnson needs 162 yards to break Jerry Rice's single season receiving yards record, he'll get shut down in this one.
Pick: Falcons

Sunday 1:00 p.m.
Tennessee Titans @ Green Bay Packers
What's scary is the fact that Green Bay is getting back Greg Jennings, Charles Woodson, and Clay Matthews fully healthy at this point in the season.
Pick: Packers

Indianapolis Colts @ Kansas City Chiefs
If the Colts have been playing hard for Chuck Pagano while he was in the hospital, imagine how they'll fare when he's back on the sideline.
Pick: Colts

Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins
It's the ultimate match-up. It's Ryan vs. Ryan in a battle of the Ryans, with WBOB's Ryan making his pick. Whoever wins is the ultimate Ryan.
Pick: Dolphins

San Diego Chargers @ New York Jets
The Jets have decided to bench Mark Sanchez and go with Greg McElroy. This automatically gives them +55 towards winning.
Pick: Jets

Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles
Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked his grandmother in the mouth on Christmas morning. Socks again.
Pick:

St. Louis Rams @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
One time in a playoff game far, far, far away both teams were. Now all they can do is try to finish strong and pad their stats. 
Pick: Buccaneers

Oakland Raiders @ Carolina Panthers
King Kong once challenged Godzilla to an arm-wrestling match. Mr. T won.
 Pick: Panthers

New England Patriots @ Jacksonville Jaguars
After losing last week, expect the Patriots to beat up on a weak Jaguars team to boost their egos.
Pick: Patriots

Sunday 4:05 p.m. & 4:25 p.m.
Cleveland Browns @ Denver Broncos
The real question is how many times will 'The Drive' be mentioned or 'The Fumble' be shown during this game.
Pick: Broncos

Chicago Bears @ Arizona Cardinals
Last time I checked, a bear can eat a cardinal. What does that have to do with this game? Absolutely nothing.
Pick: Da Bears


-Ryan L. Fox