Just finished watching the Detroit Lions lose another Thanksgiving Day game at home by double digits to the New England Patriots. As Matthew Barnaby tweeted only a few minutes ago, it just wouldn't be a proper Thanksgiving without a Lions blowout loss. Getting ready for a couple more NFL games to end the day, but figured that I should get in my NFL picks for the week since one of them involves a game starting in less than 30 minutes.
New Orleans Saints (-6) vs Dallas Cowboys
There was a lot of talk at the start of the year that the Saints may have lost their Super Bowl touch because of the dreaded hangover that comes with being the defending champions. However, as time has passed, it looks as though the Saints have become comfortable in their new skin and look to be regaining the form that allowed them to gain the ultimate prize a year ago.
The key stats that I'm looking to: In the Saints' past four victories, they've averaged just under 30 points a game. They averaged 32 points a game last season. Drew Brees is also showing great form over the last three games by averaging 313 yards a game and throwing 8 TD's in those victories. Adding Reggie Bush to the mix will make this offence even more dynamic and should lead them to a decisive victory over the Cowboys.
Minnesota Vikings (+1) vs. Washington Redskins
The rebuilding process can get officially underway on Sunday when Leslie Frazier leads his men to battle this week against Washington and not Brad Childress. Clearly the Vikings have struggled this season, but with the distraction of Childress now gone, I expect to see a bounce-back end to the season for Minnesota.
On the other side, the Redskins have been dealing with a lot of drama of their own thanks to the off-field war of words between Donovan McNabb and Mike/Kyle Shanahan. With that still a major focal point, the fact that the Redskins are being decimated by injuries is really flying under the radar. They're banged up and down to third-stringers in a few positions. In the end, Minny will win. It's too little, too late for them to make the playoffs, but a win here would be nice.
Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5) vs. Buffalo Bills
There's a lot of excitement in Orchard Park about the fact that the Bills have won two in a row and that they may have a dynamic duo to cheer for in quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and wide receiver Steve Johnson. The two clearly have a great chemistry and may be the building blocks to a dynamic offence down the road, but this is the 2010 Buffalo Bills and they're still a bad football team.
I see the Steelers being able to make this a gritty, smash-mouth affair in which they dominate the time of possession via the run game. Rashard Mendenhall will get a ton of carries as head coach Mike Tomlin looks to expose the worst run defence in the NFL over and over again. The Bills may have won a couple of games, but much like the Raiders last week, the Bills will find out why the Steelers are well above them and considered a Super Bowl contender.