From left: Sports Editor Karl Winter, Assistant Sports Editor Paxton Ritchey, Staff Writer Kyle McCabe, Photo Editor Ali Levens, Sports Assistant Justin Touhey and Staff Writer Austin Hall. This group of six made its picks for the 14th week of the NFL season after a wild week of upsets and mishaps. Art by Madeline Duvall
Every Tuesday, we believe that the wildest week of the NFL season has occurred — and then the following week tops it.
Week 13 featured a few of the biggest upsets of the season thus far, the biggest blowout of the season and the Jets almost winning a game yet proceeding to blow it in the most Jets-way possible.
The 4–7 Giants, with a backup quarterback, were not supposed to go into Seattle and beat the 8–3 Seahawks — yet they did.
The 4–7 Washington Football Team, with a quarterback who missed nearly two years with an injury, were not supposed to go into Pittsburgh and hand the 11–0 Steelers their first loss — yet they did.
The Chargers were not supposed to forget how to punt, return punts and kick field goals — yet they did.
The Ravens probably were not supposed to take the field after wide receiver Dez Bryant tested positive for COVID-19 minutes before kickoff Tuesday night — yet they did.
The Jets certainly were not supposed to blitz seven men in an obvious Hail Mary situation or leave two rookie defensive backs out to dry in their best chance to finally win a game — yet they did.
So here we are, on a short turnaround because only in 2020 will we see a week of NFL football end and another begin within 48 hours. Sports Editor Karl Winter tightened his grip on the outright lead in our pick contest, but we still have four regular season weeks and the playoffs to go — that’s 77 more games.
Week 14 features 16 of those games, from the ugly slugfests between below-average teams Sunday morning and afternoon to the mouth-watering matchups between AFC powerhouses Sunday night and Monday night.
Without further ado, allow Staff Writers Kyle McCabe and Austin Hall, Sports Assistant Justin Touhey, Assistant Sports Editor Paxton Ritchey, Photo Editor Ali Levens and Sports Editor Karl Winter to make their selections for this week, starting with tonight’s Super Bowl LIII rematch.
New England Patriots (6–6) at Los Angeles Rams (8–4) (Thursday, Dec. 10 at 5:20 p.m., PST)
Justin: Rams
Paxton: Rams
Austin: Rams
Ali: Rams
Kyle: Rams
Karl: Patriots
“The Rams are only as good as Jared Goff plays. On a short week against a Bill Belichick defense, I don’t like his chances. The Patriots will be able to establish the run. I’ve done well picking the Rams to win over the past few weeks. Let’s see if I can do well picking them to lose.” — Karl
“The Rams’ coaching staff is a lot more handsome. The Belichicks are not lookers.” — Austin
Minnesota Vikings (6–6) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7–5) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Buccaneers
Paxton: Buccaneers
Austin: Buccaneers
Ali: Buccaneers
Kyle: Buccaneers
Karl: Buccaneers
“The Buccaneers coming off a bye sets it over the top for me. The Vikings’ offense is pretty one-dimensional, and the Buccaneers’ defense has looked good enough to where I’m pretty confident they’ll at least contain Dalvin Cook. Justin Jefferson has the most receiving yards through the first 12 weeks for a rookie since Randy Moss — so that’s cool; I said Justin Jefferson would be better than Stefon Diggs this season, but not enough to win, at least Sunday.” — Austin
Arizona Cardinals (6–6) at New York Giants (5–7) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Giants
Paxton: Giants
Austin: Giants
Ali: Giants
Kyle: Giants
Karl: Giants
“Why wouldn’t I pick the Giants? They play super well in close games, and this is going to be a close game. I am a little nervous, just because of how well the Giants have been playing, that they’re not going to play that well against the Cardinals. […] I’m taking the Kyle strategy; I’m just going to have faith in my team no matter who they’re playing. […] Since they played the Bucs, they haven’t allowed more than 20 points, and usually the Cardinals need about 30 to win, so especially if [the Giants] shut the Seahawks down to 12, they got a pretty good chance. I like Joe Judge as a coach — great hire; looks like he knows what he’s doing even without Danny Dimes.” — Justin
Kansas City Chiefs (11–1) at Miami Dolphins (8–4) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Chiefs
Paxton: Chiefs
Austin: Chiefs
Ali: Chiefs
Kyle: Chiefs
Karl: Chiefs
“I’m going to go with a simple calculation for this game, which is the Broncos beat the Dolphins and lost to the Chiefs, which tells me the Chiefs are better than the Dolphins. After narrowly escaping Denver last week, Andy Reid is going to take that personally and beat the crap out of the Dolphins. I do not think this will be a close game. Tyreek Hill will be angry that he had a touchdown taken away from him by his own incompetence, and he’ll have at least two. It’s just going to be a blowout, and it’ll make people really question whether the Dolphins are good at all.” — Kyle
Tennessee Titans (8–4) at Jacksonville Jaguars (1–11) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Titans
Paxton: Titans
Austin: Titans
Ali: Titans
Kyle: Titans
Karl: Titans
“The Titans are going to win. What are the Jaguars doing starting Mike Glennon? He’s not going to start for you next year. You’re in Florida, one of the few places that lets you pack a stadium. At least just run [Gardner] Minshew out there for a victory lap because he’s got some level of charisma. I can’t even remember an NFL quarterback who is more boring to talk to or look at than Mike Glennon. Just throw Minshew out there; you cut him at the end of the year if you don’t like him, but just throw him out there for the fans. What are you doing, Jacksonville?” — Paxton
Dallas Cowboys (3–9) at Cincinnati Bengals (2–9–1) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Cowboys
Paxton: Cowboys
Austin: Cowboys
Ali: Cowboys
Kyle: Cowboys
Karl: Cowboys
“Both these teams suck, but Andy Dalton returns to Cincinnati. He will not get to play against his successor, Joe Burrow. Instead, he will get to play against Brandon Allen, which should bode well for the Cowboys, despite their bad defense. Their offense has enough weapons to get the job done. Don’t really have a lot to say; don’t want to watch this game; hope it’s not on TV around here.” — Karl
Houston Texans (4–8) at Chicago Bears (5–7) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Texans
Paxton: Bears
Austin: Texans
Ali: Texans
Kyle: Texans
Karl: Bears
“I’m going to join Karl here; I think the Bears are going to win too. This one’s going to be close, but the Texans cannot finish football games. They’re a top-heavy team with a couple of stars and a lot of bad players, and now those stars are getting suspended or injured. The Texans offensive line still leaves a lot to be desired, and the Bears’ defense is probably the best thing about their team.” — Paxton
“I’ve had the most wrong picks against these two teams, so this is my worst nightmare, but I will go with the Texans. […] The Texans don’t look like a 4–8 team. I think they are better than that. With the Bears falling apart, it will be a good win for them to have.” — Ali
Denver Broncos (4–8) at Carolina Panthers (4–8) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 10 a.m., PST)
Justin: Panthers
Paxton: Panthers
Austin: Panthers
Ali: Panthers
Kyle: Broncos
Karl: Panthers
“When [the Broncos] play early games on the East Coast, it’s not a good recipe for us. My optimism is that — the game against Kansas City — coming close to winning that game will actually be a motivator for the team and not something that depresses them and makes them play even worse. […] We got Shelby Harris back last week, and he had two knocked-down passes, and they were both in the red zone, which is just huge. He’s incredible; one of my favorite players. We’re also getting Will Parks back this week, who was on the Eagles this year. He was a really good safety when he was here, so I’m excited to have him back on the team. […] I think that if we can play with the Chiefs, then we can be the Panthers. I don’t think they’re lightyears ahead of us. I can’t say I’m extremely confident about any game the Broncos have played this season, honestly, but I will still pick them because we have a fighting chance.” — Kyle
“I don’t like the Panthers, and I haven’t picked them very often this year, but I’m going to pick them this week. The Broncos played pretty well against the Chiefs; their defense looked good. After all that, to still lose that game, it’s going to take a little bit of an emotional toll [on the Broncos]. I favor [Teddy] Bridgewater and [Christian] McCaffrey and winning with that brand of football over whatever Drew Lock and [Melvin] Gordon and Phillip Lindsay are going to bring from the Broncos. It’s a rare situation, but I’ll take the home team and the team that’s coming off a bye.” — Karl
Infographic by Inez Kim
New York Jets (0–12) at Seattle Seahawks (8–4) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:05 p.m., PST)
Justin: Seahawks
Paxton: Seahawks
Austin: Seahawks
Ali: Seahawks
Kyle: Seahawks
Karl: Seahawks
Our conspiracy theories about these teams:
“Gregg Williams was not only trying to lose the game [against the Raiders], but he was also trying to get Adam Gase fired.” — Austin
“[The Jets] have been paying attention. They saw what happened when Bill O’Brien got fired, when Dan Quinn got fired, when Patricia got fired. Those teams go from terrible to slightly mediocre. The best thing they’ve done all year is keep Adam Gase until the 16th game so that they keep losing. The only reason he’s still there is because they are going for it — 0–16 — and they know he is the man for the job.” — Paxton
“The Jets threw the game against the Raiders. They should have won, and Gregg Williams was justifiably fired over it.” — Karl
“Not only is it so obvious that [the Jets] are moving off [Sam Darnold] to get Trevor Lawrence next year, but they’re doing everything in their power to try to show that [Darnold] is not a good quarterback.” — Justin
“Trevor Lawrence is suddenly going to go missing, like, the week before the [2021 NFL] Draft.” — Ali
“[Trevor Lawrence] is going to go back to school.” — Paxton
“Jamal Adams is glad that he’s on the Seahawks and not on the Jets right now. […] The New York Post has a story with the headline, ‘The Jets don’t miss Jamal Adams.’ That feels like a lie to me.” — Kyle
“I don’t think Russell Wilson wants an MVP vote, so whenever he plays good, he can hang that over people’s heads.” — Austin
“‘Knock knock.’ ‘Who’s there?’ ‘Owen.’ ‘Owen who?’ ‘Oh and 13, baby!’ We’re going all the way. Credit the Jets — they tried their hardest last week to win a game, then somebody got in Gregg Williams’ ear and said, ‘Hey, remember what the goal is here.'” — Paxton
Indianapolis Colts (8–4) at Las Vegas Raiders (7–5) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:05 p.m., PST)
Justin: Raiders
Paxton: Colts
Austin: Colts
Ali: Colts
Kyle: Colts
Karl: Colts
“It’s a bounce-back game for [the Raiders]. These two teams are very inconsistent. The Raiders will be playing at home in Vegas; they’ve had two really crappy weeks, and while the Colts defense is good, I still like Derek Carr. He’s playing pretty well, and so the Raiders are going to take this one.” — Justin
“This game grinds my gears because Kyle and I have been in the same boat all year of betting against Philip Rivers because I’ve just seen too many blown leads in that Chargers uniform to be confident, but that defense is so good. Even though Deshaun [Watson] torched them with Keke Coutee and Chad Hansen as his top receivers, the Raiders without Josh Jacobs — their offense is so much different and so much worse and flat. He’s questionable for this one too; Jacobs is the changer for me. Even if he does play, I don’t think he’s going to be anywhere near 100%. […] I like the Raiders; I’m just not confident enough in them.” — Austin
Washington Football Team (5–7) at San Francisco 49ers (5–7) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:25 p.m., PST)
Justin: Football Team
Paxton: 49ers
Austin: 49ers
Ali: 49ers
Kyle: Football Team
Karl: 49ers
“The 49ers seem out of it, especially since they’re playing in Arizona. Washington is coming off a huge win against the Steelers, and they destroyed the Cowboys, who I don’t think the 49ers are a much better team than right now. With the lack of weapons the 49ers have at the moment, I don’t see them doing anything. Similar to what the Giants have been doing, [Washington is] in the playoff race. They’ve got really good momentum coming off of beating the only undefeated team left in the NFL, so I like them in this one, even on the road.” — Justin
“If you’re asking me who’s the better football team, it’d be difficult for me to answer, but when the two of them are playing, this is just such a good matchup for San Francisco. They’re going to run the ball and get the ball out quick with Nick Mullens. He is not going to be standing in the pocket waiting for Chase Young to decapitate him. They’re going to keep the ball moving and they’re going to keep the clock moving, and they’re just getting healthier and healthier. Let’s not forget [the 49ers] went to the Super Bowl last year. They’re certainly not as good, but they didn’t just forget how to play football overnight. They’ve got Richard Sherman back; they’re adding a lot of pieces. There are also some injury concerns with Washington.” — Paxton
New Orleans Saints (10–2) at Philadelphia Eagles (3–8–1) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:25 p.m., PST)
Justin: Saints
Paxton: Saints
Austin: Saints
Ali: Saints
Kyle: Saints
Karl: Saints
“Jalen Hurts throws in a bit of a wildcard to this game, but really, we’re talking about the number-one seed in the NFC versus somebody making the first start in their career. This shouldn’t be that hard of a game to pick.” — Kyle
Atlanta Falcons (4–8) at Los Angeles Chargers (3–9) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:25 p.m., PST)
Justin: Falcons
Paxton: Chargers
Austin: Falcons
Ali: Falcons
Kyle: Falcons
Karl: Falcons
“I believe in Justin Herbert more than I do the Falcons defense, so I’m going to take LA. You’re never going to get a team playing that badly two weeks in a row. Atlanta has had the same weapons all year, and we’ve seen what they’ve done with them. Justin Herbert is the better quarterback at this stage. He’s been so close to lifting his team over the top on a lot of different occasions, and he’s finally facing a team bad enough that it will work.” — Paxton
“[The Falcons] have the league scoring leader [in kicker Younghoe Koo]. How could you pick against them? And they’re playing the Chargers. The Chargers! They’re terrible.” — Kyle
Green Bay Packers (9–3) at Detroit Lions (5–7) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1:25 p.m., PST)
Justin: Packers
Paxton: Packers
Austin: Packers
Ali: Packers
Kyle: Packers
Karl: Packers
“It’s that bad man in Green Bay who’s on his revenge tour. I’ll take the bad man and Green Bay, especially against the Lions. He owns the Lions. It’s not going to be close.” — Justin
Pittsburgh Steelers (11–1) at Buffalo Bills (9–3) (Sunday, Dec. 13 at 5:20 p.m., PST)
Justin: Bills
Paxton: Bills
Austin: Bills
Ali: Bills
Kyle: Bills
Karl: Bills
“This is a Sunday Night Football game, baby — two of the best teams in the AFC, two of the best teams in the NFL. […] This is going to be fun to watch. I’m excited for it. This is the first time Buffalo has had a Sunday Night Football game at home in 13 years. […] Both defenses have been comparable. The Steelers put more pressure on the opposing quarterback, so I think they have a better defense. Both run games haven’t been great, but the pass game is what does it for me. Watching that Bills at Niners game — man, Josh Allen looked really, really, really good. I was impressed by everything he did and just haven’t been that impressed by what the Steelers have been doing of late. The Bills have lost to the Titans and Chiefs, who are good teams, and then a crazy walk-off play against the Cardinals. The Bills are legit — they can continue their quest for that division crown here and wrap it up. The Steelers are going to be hyped; a lot of people have been bashing them, and now they’re going to have to bounce back from a loss — but they weren’t really able to do it last week, even though people had been bashing them for their schedule.” — Karl
Baltimore Ravens (7–5) at Cleveland Browns (9–3) (Monday, Dec. 14 at 5:15 p.m., PST)
Justin: Ravens
Paxton: Ravens
Austin: Ravens
Ali: Browns
Kyle: Ravens
Karl: Browns
“There’s definitely talent on both sides of this. I know Lamar Jackson is a good, good quarterback, but they just have a missing component that doesn’t seem to click when they’re playing really good teams, especially when Mayfield is as doing as well as he is. He’s definitely in game time mode now that he is this close to the playoffs. This should be a good game though; I don’t think it’ll be an easy win, but the Browns will win.” — Ali
“It’s hard for me to think [Mayfield is] going to play well two games in a row, even though he could play a lot worse than he did against the Titans, and they can still win. Lamar [Jackson] threw for, like, 100 yards [against Dallas], and [the Ravens] still won — they’re missing so many components with that offense not being 100%, and literally having three number three receivers isn’t doing them any favors. I just think they’re used to playing well, that core [Ravens] group, so I just see them rising up for this game. Their secondary is really good; they’re a bunch of ball hawks. I could see them rising up for this game and sort of stealing it from the Browns, who may might be a little bit overvalued right now.” — Austin
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Contact Karl Winter via Twitter: @karlwinter23 or by email: karl.winter@pepperdine.edu
