Week 13 NFL Game Predictions

Cleveland 20 Jacksonville 16

The Jaguars have won two of their last three, but I don’t think they have what it takes to get it done against one of the top defensive units in the league. Cleveland boasts the fourth best defense in the NFL, and while their offense definitely needs some help, they will do enough to squeak by the Jaguars.

Indianapolis 27 Tennessee 20

Losing by 29 never leaves a good feeling in your stomach, and more often than not, you will come out of that game ready to do some damage. The Colts are a talented bunch, and losing by 29 to the Cardinals is not who they are. They have one of the best young quarterbacks in the league in Andrew Luck, and I am banking on him to get his team back up off of the ground, and record a win this week against the Titans.

Chicago 23 Minnesota 17

Adrian Peterson better come in to this game ready to roll, because I guarantee the Vikings will hand the ball off to him throughout the contest. Chicago’s run defense ranks dead last in the NFL, giving Peterson and company a perfect opportunity to pad some rushing stats. However Minnesota’s inability to throw the ball effectively will come back to bite them in this one, and the Bears secondary takes advantage. Chicago gets the win, and they remain tied with the Lions for the top spot in the NFC North.

Miami 24 New York Jets 21

I envision this game to be marred with a lot of turnovers, and a lot of mistakes. Both of these teams have had their share of problems here in 2013, and it shows in their records. At the end of the day, I think that Miami has the advantage under center, which can cancel out a lot of things in this league. Tannehill hasn’t been great, but he has been better than Geno Smith, which will get the Dolphins the win.

Arizona 26 Philadelphia 17

This game is one of the most underrated matchups of week 13. On one side you have the explosive Eagle offense, and on the other you have the eighth ranked Arizona defense. The Cardinals have won four in a row, as they have recently caught fire behind their defense, and quarterback Carson Palmer. Philadelphia’s pass defense is ranked 32nd in the NFL, and I don’t see them slowing down the Cardinals passing attack.

Carolina 24 Tampa Bay 20

The Buccaneers have recovered from their horrible 0-8 start very nicely, winning their last three games. This is a talented team, and they are finally beginning to put it together. But the Panthers have emerged as a legit contender in the NFC, and taking them down will require a near perfect performance from Tampa. The Bucs defense will keep it close, but at the end of the day, Mike Glennon and company don’t have enough firepower to hang with the Cam Newton led Panthers.

Buffalo 27 Atlanta 13

The Falcons have easily been the biggest disappointment in the NFL this season. They finished 2012 with a 13-3 record, and narrowly missed out on a berth in the Super Bowl. They returned almost all of their starters, and were expected to make another run at the NFC crown. However that has not happened. The Falcons are on their way to quarterback Matt Ryan’s worst season as a starter, as they sit at a miserable 2-9. They now face the Bills, who despite a 4-7 record, are a talented group. Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller will run all over the Atlanta defense, and the Bills handle the Falcons in Buffalo.

San Francisco 20 St. Louis 17

This divisional clash should provide plenty of excitement, as not only do both teams bring top notch defenses to the table, but games like this generally consists of two teams that don’t like each other, and attempt to beat that crap out of one another. The last time these two met, the Niners handed the Rams a 35-11 butt whooping. I don’t think the Rams took that very well, and they will be ready to play today. But at the end of the day, Colin Kaepernick has a much more explosive offense than Kellen Clemens does, and that will be the difference in this matchup.

Denver 24 Kansas City 21

The Broncos and Chiefs meet in Kansas City today, to decide who is the top dog in the AFC (record wise). Denver beat the Chiefs two weeks ago in Denver, but now it is time to see if they can do it again on the road. The Chiefs will be without their two top pass rushers in this game (Hali and Houston), which will make stopping Peyton Manning and company very hard. The Chiefs new-found offensive firepower will take this game down to the wire, but a late field goal lifts Denver to three point win.

San Diego 23 Cincinnati 21

San Diego is coming off of an incredible last minute win over the Chiefs, in which Phillip Rivers threw for 392 yards against that vaunted Kansas City defense. The Bengals talented defense will definitely slow down the Chargers attack, but I don’t think they can do enough to get a win, especially with their own offense struggling.

New York Giants 27 Washington 20

‘Sunday Night Football’ has chosen some duds to broadcast this season, but this one may take the cake. The Giants and Skins have a combined record of 7-15, with Washington coming off of three straight losses. Eli Manning should have a field day against the porous Redskin secondary, and their ability to slow down the top ranked Washington running attack will propel them to a victory, and keep them alive in the NFC East race.

New Orleans 27 Seattle 21

Rarely does a team go into Seattle and come out with a victory. In fact, they have won their last 13 home games, going back to last season. In my opinion, you need an elite quarterback, and a solid defense to get a win in Seattle, which is exactly what the Saints have. Drew Brees is putting together another terrific season, as he has his offense in the top five yet again. Surprisingly, New Orleans defense is also ranked in the top five, as Rob Ryan has his group playing extremely well. The Saints will run the ball early and often in this one, setting the stage for Brees to take over late, and do what top quarterbacks do. The Seahawks may be without wide receiver Percy Harvin in this game, making an already struggling passing offense even more inept. I don’t see Russell Wilson outscoring Drew Brees with his group of receivers, and the Saints will grab the top spot in the NFC.