Things went mostly as expected in Week 13. Road teams won big, but their victories came over teams like the Jets, Texans, Raiders, and Falcons. The biggest home favorite to lose was either the Cincinnati Bengals, who defy simple explanation, or the Buffalo Bills, who played in a real-time re-creation of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
This week is a little tougher to parse. Will the Football Team keep its hot streak rolling when the Dallas Cowboys come to Washington? Will the Cleveland Browns send the Baltimore Ravens into a mini-spiral with a win in Ohio? Whose season will get slightly worse, the Atlanta Falcons or Carolina Panthers?
The playoff push is in full effect with five weeks remaining in the regular season. A return to the parity that dominated the middle of the year could continue a season in which 31 teams remain playoff eligible in mid-December. Week 14 could shovel dirt on the graves of the Lions’ playoff hopes. It could just as easily end with the Arizona Cardinals clinging to the NFC’s top seed.
Let’s take a look at what else we’ve got, including the famous Rhody Scumbag Lock of the Week (now 5-8 on the season!). Want the full lineup? Those can be found here.
Here are my breakout picks. All odds via Tipico.