Week 15, and with only 3 weeks to go (counting this one) you can very well say that the football regular season is in the midst of it’s stretch run. Don’t fret, there’s still playoffs, and more time sensitive draft to wrap your mind around this spring. But for now, lets get at this NFL Picks thing, and see if I can’t come up with some solid reasons to take the teams I do… Bingo, Bango, Bongo!

Thursday’s Game…

Denver Broncos (+1.5) @ Houston Texans:
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: TheGreek)

This game should be an interesting one. The Broncos are fighting for their playoff lives, and even without Matt Schaub, the Texans are always trying to prove they belong. I’d like to see the Texans fight and claw their way to .500 for the season, but with injuries, and no real rushing game, I just don’t see that happening. The Broncos are freaks, and can’t figure out if they want to be good or not, but Selvin Young and Travis Henry can both be solid rushing threats against the Texans, and I honestly don’t think the Texans defensive front will do well against that chopp-em blocking scheme from the Broncos. Demecco Ryans is magic, but even he won’t be able to shut down the running game in Denver. Jay Cutler is beginning to figure it out, and seems to be at the top of that quarterback class right about now. I’m taking the Broncos on Thursday Night. (A side note, though, I am 0-2 thus far since the NFL Network took over on Thursday’s)

Saturday’s Game…

Cincinnati Bengals (-8) @ San Francisco 49ers:
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: TheGreek)

The Bengals are better on the road than they are at home, and the 49ers are just brutal. They’ll be starting… ________ (Insert name there) at quarterback, and unless you are a football savvy soldier like me, I’m guessing you wouldn’t be able to tell me much about the youngster that will be getting fed to the Tigers from Cincinnati. The bottom line is, the Bengals are bad, but can they be this bad? I don’t think so, as this game seems pretty simple to me. Take the team that can score points against the team that can’t – and don’t try to out-think yourself about which pick is “sharp” or road and home team chances, or who and why such team has more to play for. The 49ers are bad, and they won’t win another game this season.

Sunday’s Games…

Buffalo Bills (+5.5) @ Cleveland Browns:
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: TheGreek)

I know the Browns were better defensively last week, but can you really count that? They were playing against the Jets, a team that was surely looking over the hill towards next week’s match-up with their divisional big brothers. Anyway, the Browns won’t be able to stop the accurate passing of Trent Edwards and will get especially diced up by the running backs in Buffalo. This is a huge game for both teams, but the Bills are playing better all around ball than the Browns right now. Gotta take them to get an upset win on the road in Cleveland.

Green Bay Packers @ St. Louis Rams (+10):
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: TheGreek)

I think the Rams could give the Packers some trouble, but only if Marc Bulger is fully dressed and his mooshy brain is ready to be productive. If he’s not starting, I’m taking no credit for this pick, regardless of how it turns out. I think the Rams aren’t a bad squad, and could even walk out of St. Louis with a win over the dominant Packers – but I’m not going that far just yet. I’m just saying, the Rams aren’t as bad as their record, and if Green Bay comes in with the mind-set that they are, they’ll take some lumps on Sunday. I’ll take the home team with 10 points.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+4) @ Pittsburgh Steelers:
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: TheGreek)

The Jaguars are the better team. I saw a scouting site that already has a mock NFL draft ready to go, and they said the Jaguars are looking for a quarterback early – puh-lease! David Garrard is everything this team has every wanted, and everything they need for the future. He plays ball control offense, is smart, and takes care of the football. He is a threat to throw deep, hit outs, and run the ball if need be. He’s physical and fast. Perfect for Jacksonville. The Jaguars are just playing inspired football right now, and the Steelers have been brutal the last four games or so. They didn’t have a chance last week, and while they will play better at home, I still think they fall to the Jags this Sunday. This should be a close game, and I think it will come down to the wire, but I like the 4 points with one of the best teams in football.

New York Jets @ New England Patriots (-24):
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: TheGreek)

I actually think the Patriots have a good chance of covering this spread. When you consider Eric Mangini’s history with the Pats, and the fact that he was the one who snitched Belichick out for “spy-gate” I’d say this line is right on the button. I hate 24 point spreads in the NFL, and I say stay away from it, but I like the Patriots chances in this one much better than I liked them against eh Eagles and Ravens (the other big spreads they couldn’t beat). The Pats are back to dominating the game, and they have a huge reason to be up and ready to poop all over the Jets. They are at home, and you can bet the Jets, no matter what they do in practice this week, won’t be ready for the Patriots. Still, 24 points, seems a little ridiculous, no?

Indianapolis Colts (-10.5) @ Oakland Raiders:
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: TheGreek)

I have to take the big away favorite here, and I don’t like it all that much. The Raiders are just bad, and the Colts are starting to pick it up everywhere. Their defense has been pretty damn good all season long, and now their offense, behind Prince Peyton, is rolling on all cylinders (well all the healthy ones anyway). I expect a huge running day from Addai, and probably Kenton Keith, considering he’ll get about 15 garbage carries that could very well lead to a glorious day for some fantasy football risk takers. I’m taking no risks here, as I think the Raiders will be limited by the Colts defense, and they won’t be able to stop the 2nd team.

Philadelphia Eagles (+10) @ Dallas Cowboys:
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: TheGreek)

I like the Eagles to keep this one relatively close. They were already beat up by the Giants in Philly, so I think they’ll come back to Dallas and put up a big fight. The Cowboys played pretty bad last week against the Lions, and Philly’s coaching staff can game plan with the best of them. My guess is they’ll learn a thing or two from the Lions ground success, and instill a little bit of their own with one of the best running backs in football. Westy should have a better day this time around, and while both teams will put up their points, I think the Cowboys will win a close one late. 10 points is pretty ridiculous in this rivalry.
Monday Night Football Game

Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings (-10):
(Line: Tuesday, 3:00am EST: TheGreek)

Kyle Orton… Hmmm… He was 10-5 as a starter, but you have to think this is a different Bears defense than it has been in years’ past. In fact, if you don’t think that, you’re obviously lacing your Egg-Nog up a little too strong, and you should tone it down a bit before you get too woosy and experiment the strength of your lighter on your dried out Christmas tree. But, that doesn’t mean that the Bears don’t have a chance – in fact, I think this game just stinks as far as value is concerned. I’m taking the Vikings, because the Bears can’t really stop the run, and Minnesota has two very good options on the ground, three if you count Tarvaris Jackson. Kyle Orton won’t do much with his arm, or you’d think Lovie would have tried him earlier in the season, before he went back to the Grossman option. Anyway, We shall see. I’m betting on the Vikings here, because they can stop the only thing the Bears do even close to well, the run game. And honestly, they aren’t very good at running the ball either.