Sanders's Week 12 NFL Predictions

By Jacob Sanders

Sanders went 10-4 last week putting him to 88-58 on the season

I already picked my Thanksgiving games on my social media. I picked the Vikings, Chargers, and Redskins. All 3 picks were correct.

On to the rest of the week!

Atlanta Falcons VS Tamp Bay Buccaneers

It almost feels like the Falcons are starting to feel it again just in time for the stretch run of a wildcard and possibly the division if the Saints fail down the stretch. With that in mind, they are playing against a Fitzpatrick led offense. While that hasn’t been the worst thing for the Bucs, it’s not anything that can instill confidence into beating the Falcons. If the Falcons defense can just do their job and make life difficult for Fitzpatrick, would could see another disastrous performance by the journey-man quarterback.

Falcons 24 Bucs 13

Cleveland Browns VS Cincinnati Bengals

You know. At 0-10, it’s hard to have much confidence in picking yourself to win. In fact, this team was so close to being 0-16 last year. This year, they feel worse. Not sure how that happened after all of the optimism about them in the offseason. Hey, life comes at you fast. The Bengals on the other hand, are good enough to not give Cleveland their first win…yay?

Browns 14 Bengals 27

Tennessee Titans VS Indianapolis Colts

So. Uh. The Titans are gonna win it here. I have more or less been surprised by how competitive the Colts have been at times. The problem is that they can’t remain competitive for four quarters. A lot of this has to do with lack of talent but also a lack of an offensive line to keep the offense going. And it’s not something that’s going to be fixed this season unfortunately.

Titans 23 Colts 17

Buffalo Bills VS Kansas City Chiefs

Well. This one is hard. Both teams have been faltering for the last few games now. So. I’m going to take the cop out and take the home team. While neither team has showed anything lately to make you think they deserve to win, the Chiefs have the higher ceiling and potential to perform than the Bills do and that’s where this pick comes from. Then again, all Taylor has to do is make plays down the field and punish a secondary that hasn’t been performing well. If you want my honest opinion, we should just do a coin flip and call it a day.

Bills 20 Chiefs 24

Miami Dolphins VS New England Patriots

Patriots win. That’s it. The Dolphins have arguably looked like one of the worst teams in the league in the last 5 or so games. That’s not going to change against the best team in their division and possibly the best in the conference. The Patriots are just on another level and the Dolphins defense won’t be able to hand the diversity that Tom Brady and Co. can throw at them.

Dolphins 10  Patriots 30

Carolina Panthers VS New York Jets

It would be just like the 2017 Panthers to fall flat on this one. Well, I’m thinking they won’t. But you never know. The Panthers defense has become a bit stingy and the Cam Newton has been playing relatively well again. If they falter here against the Jets, it’ll leave a lot of heads scratching and a lot of the NFL wondering when the real Carolina Panthers will stand up.

Panthers 21 Jets 16

Chicago Bears VS Philadelphia Eagles

It’s possible I have been over-rating the Bears abilities to upset teams in this column. I always think they have the ability to win games but then they come out and show they really don’t have it. Well, against the best team in the NFL right now? Not at all. The Eagles will rack up another win here. Carson Wentz is playing some next level football and his defense is keeping off opponents from being able to respond. Super Bowl winning formula right there if they can keep it up.

Bears 9 Eagles 24

Seattle Seahawks VS San Francisco 49ers

So. The Seahawks aren’t really my favorite team with their secondary decimated by injuries. Then again, neither are the 49ers with, well, everything being a mess. So. While I wouldn’t be completely surprised if the Seahawks lost, I can’t pick against them. The 49ers signed Shanahan to a six year contract for a reason. They know it’s gonna take a while to get this team back into relevancy.

Seahawks 17 49ers 7

New Orleans Saints VS Los Angeles Rams

This one is a lot tougher to pick than you think. Both teams have the same winning formula. Ground and Pound the enemy defense to wear them down and play stingy defense to keep your offense back on the field. However, one has an elite quarterback who has proven to come back in games many times and one does not simply because he has not been in the league that long. With that in mind, I’m not ready to believe Goff will outduel Brees. It’s quite possible. But…we’re not there yet. At least I don’t think we are.

Saints 24 Rams 23

Jacksonville Jaguars VS Arizona Cardinals

Well. I think this is where the Cardinals get eliminated and the Jaguars say “Hey everybody. We are 8-3 now. Pay attention or you’ll regret it.” The Jaguars, for how good they’ve been, haven’t been receiving the attention they deserve in the media. If the Patriots or Steelers were 8-3 after this week, they would be talked about as Super Bowl contenders. Why not Jacksonville? I get it. They don’t have a Super Bowl quarterback. But when they have a championship-caliber defense and a punishing run game, that doesn’t really matter. As for the Cardinals, they just need to avoid injuries this season so they can come back and reload for next season.

Jaguars 24 Cardinals 13

UPSET OF THE WEEK!!!!

Denver Broncos VS Oakland Raiders

Okay. This was a hard one. But after much consideration, there isn’t much reason to believe Denver is going to win. That’s why they are my upset pick of the week. The Raiders have the better offense to win the game but Denver has the defense to hold them down. Even with the Broncos offense not being fantastic, they can still create something especially against a Raiders defense that hasn’t been very good at all. Especially the secondary.

Broncos 16 Raiders 13

Green Bay Packers VS Pittsburgh Steelers

After the awful showing by Green Bay against a top 5 defense, they have to play another top 5 defense in the Pittsburgh Steelers. The difference this time? The Steelers actually have an offense to punish mistakes. Welp. Guess we know who wins here.

Packers 16 Steelers 31

Houston Texans VS Baltimore Ravens

Fun little fact. This is the first Monday Night game in Baltimore in years. Unfortunately, this game probably won’t be worth primetime television. Neither offense is necessarily inspiring. However, one team has a defense that can just win the game for them. And that’s Baltimore. Each game Baltimore has won has been because their defense came out and never let the opposing offense do anything. With the Texans offense being led by Tom Savage, the same thing should happen again.

Texans 10 Ravens 16

Sanders's Week 11 NFL Predictions

By Jacob Sanders

Sanders went 11-3 last week putting him to 78-54

Pittsburgh Steelers VS Tennessee Titans

I missed the deadline for this one but I did say on social media that I thought the Steelers would win 24-13. The Final score was 40-17 in the Steelers favor.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers VS Miami Dolphins

You have to wonder. Which team is stuck in more mediocrity? The Bucs or the Dolphins. I know the Dolphins have mostly gotten embarrassed in prime-time lately but this ain’t a primetime game. Nor are the Dolphins playing a team potentially better than them. The Bucs have been awful all season and with the rumors going around about Winston, that could become a locker room distraction. Taking the Dolphins here but this game won’t be pretty at all.

Bucs 16 Dolphins 20

Detroit Lions VS Chicago Bears

So. It’s an NFC North showdown with not much playoff implications. The Lions can put themselves into the thick of the NFC wildcard race with a win but it’s looking like you’ll need 10 or 11 wins just to get there in the first place. Tough sell for both teams. However, the Packers just beat the Bears at Soldier Field without many of their starters. It’s quite possible the Lions can do the same as well. It’s not that the Bears can’t win, it’s just that Stafford is the better quarterback and that’s how I feel this game is decided.

Lions 27 Bears 17

Jacksonville Jaguars VS Cleveland Browns

Jaguars. Seriously. Can we not talk about the Browns anymore? They are more unwatchable this year than last. In fact, if you really want some analysis, the Jaguars have two of the top 5 rated Cornerbacks in the League. That should tell you all you need to know about how much the Browns won’t be able to move the ball.

Jaguars 27 Browns 16

Baltimore Ravens VS Green Bay Packers

Call this a gut feeling pick. To me, the Ravens have more ways to win than the Packers do. However, with Ronnie Stanley out, I got a feeling that the Ravens offensive line can’t handle such a crucial loss and both the running and passing game will suffer. With that in mind, all the Packers have to do is play some solid defense and prevent turnovers to score enough points against a flat Ravens offense.

Ravens 17 Packers 21

Arizona Cardinals VS Houston Texans

The Texans are just a bad team without their star players. The same can be said about the Cardinals but they are still better than the Texans. Look for Fitzgerald to lead the way in an offense led by Blaine Gabbert. You heard that right. Blaine Gabbert VS Tom Savage is happening. Get. Real. Excited.

Cardinals 23 Texans 10

Los Angeles Rams VS Minnesota Vikings

Went through a lot of debate on this one. I looked at who I think has the better quarterback (the Rams) and who has the better defense (the Vikings). Then, I saw the Vikings have homefield advantage then looked at the running game. The Rams have the better running game. However, the Vikings have a tighter defense. My gut-feeling tells me the Rams but I am going to pick the Vikings. Their defense is just so much better and I think they can shut down the advantages the Rams have displayed over the season.

Rams 17 Vikings 20

Washington Redskins VS New Orleans Saints

It would be the epitome of the Redskins season if they won this game. Looking like a top team by winning tough games and then losing to weaker teams. However, I trust the Saints to win this game. They have been hot and pulled off seven in a row since starting 0-2. While it won’t surprise me if the Redskins do win, I expect the Saints to win at home.

Redskins 24 Saints 30

Kansas City Chiefs VS New York Giants

It’s the Giants. Almost like talking about the Browns this season. They’re an awful team. The Chiefs are a good team. Next…

Chiefs 27 Giants 13

UPSET OF THE WEEK!!!!

Buffalo Bills VS Los Angeles Chargers

Alright, I know the Chargers haven’t been great. But you know what? The Bills haven’t looked great either. And frankly, I think the Chargers defense can rough up rookie Nathan Peterman up enough to get a win. The Chargers aren’t necessarily in the playoff race anymore, but they have a lot more to play for than just playoff hopes.

Bills 17 Chargers 26

Cincinnati Bengals VS Denver Broncos

Alright. The Broncos haven’t been very good. To be fair, I feel like that goes on the coaching staff as much as it does the offense. If your offense can’t handle the complexities of your playbook, simplify it and let your championship-caliber defense do its work. On the other hand, the Bengals have just been a mess in general and I’m not sure how they win unless A.J. Green goes off for a 150 yard game. Their running game has been awful and hasn’t helped at all this season.

Bengals 10 Broncos 13

New England Patriots VS Oakland Raiders

This was an exciting matchup in the preseason. Now? Not so much. It’s hard to judge the Raiders considering how they have looked improved at times but it’s just not fair for them to be playing against the Patriots at this point. They need a weaker opponent to find themselves but instead find themselves playing against the No. 2 seed in the AFC. No bueno. Tom Brady figures to continue his excellent season and shred the Raiders suspect secondary.

Patriots 31 Raiders 19

Philadelphia Eagles VS Dallas Cowboys

Soooo. Maybe I was wrong about Dallas. Maybe they are cooked without Elliot. I think Prescott has played well enough this year to carry his offense but it certainly didn’t look like it last week. Also doesn’t help when one player sacks you SIX TIMES in one game. So. There’s that. Overall, the Eagles are just the better team, talent-wise, and Wentz has been playing lights out all season. Doesn’t figure to change come Sunday Night in Dallas.

Eagles 35 Cowboys 21

Atlanta Falcons VS Seattle Seahawks

I’ll be honest. Unless Wilson plays one of the best games of his career, I don’t think Seattle can win this game. The Falcons offense is going to abuse a Seattle secondary that is without Richard Sherman and Julio Jones is the perfect tool to do so. That’s the key here. It’s unfortunate. The Seahawks are such a competitive team but injuries might do them in here. We’ll see how it turns out. The 12s better get loud on Monday Night if they want to give their team some much needed help.

Falcons 24 Seahawks 17

Sanders's Week 10 NFL Predictions

By Jacob Sanders

It’s Week 10. Wait. Wasn’t Week 3 just the other day? The season has felt so short yet hear we are at Week 10. Meaning football is halfway over so get your tissues out now cause February is coming faster than we think. Anyhow, nothing special here in this segment mostly because nothing crucial has happened that I feel needs to be mentioned. So let’s move it along!

Sanders went 8-5 last week putting him to on the season.

On to the picks!

Seattle Seahawks VS Arizona Cardinals

I’m going to keep this one short. The Cardinals are seriously banged up. They stay competitive in games due to good roster depth and coaching, but overcoming the losses of an All-Pro Guard, a would be MVP candidate in David Johnson and a smart veteran QB is just too much it seems. Also, Russel Wilson is playing in the prime of his career carrying a team that would otherwise seemingly be lost on offense due to a poor offensive line and a non-existent running game. The better QB wins the game.

Seahawks 20 Cardinals 13

New Orleans Saints VS Buffalo Bills

Some might think that the Bills are actually just okay after losing to the Jets. Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Yes, the Bills have been overperforming but it’s because they’ve been playing solid defense along with an efficient offense. The Bills are a basic team and that’s all you need to win games if you have the right cominations of players (as shown by their offseason moves). That and Sean McDermott has shown he can maximize his players’s potential. As for the Saints, they have had the same philosophy except they have a much better (and elite) quarterback under center leading them to a fine 6-2. For me, the better QB wins the game here. Sounds typical, because it is.

Saints 27 Bills 17

Green Bay Packers VS Chicago Bears

Speaking of better quarterbacks, I can’t actually decide if Trubisky or Hundley is better. Some would argue Trubisky but he hasn’t had to carry a game like Hundley has had to. Trubisky benefits from a young defense that continues to get better and a ground game headed by Jordan Howard. Hundley doesn’t get those luxuries because his team is built around superior quarterback play. It sucks for Green Bay but they don’t look like they will win many games until Hundley can start taking command of his offense. He’ll look to start that against a tough Bears defense. Yikes.

Packers 17 Bears 20

Cleveland Browns VS Detroit Lions

Okay. I’ll admit, I haven’t watched the Browns play a full game in two weeks. But it doesn’t look like I need to when highlights show that mediocre offensive play and mediocre defensive play is holding them back. Overall, I can’t tell you what the Browns have going for them because it doesn’t feel like much. As for the Lions, I still don’t trust this team except for Stafford. Lo and Behold he carried the Lions to a win in Lambeau Field on Monday Night. Not shocking. He should be able to do the same against a winless Browns team. If not, well….let’s not go there.

Browns 10 Lions 19

Pittsburgh Steelers VS Indianapolis Colts

So far, I don’t think the Steelers can actually drop this game. Despite Mike Tomlin’s track record with bad teams, the Steelers just look like a different beast this year. One that shouldn’t lose to a mouse of a team in the Colts. Still a bummer that Luck is out for the year.

Steelers 33 Colts 16

Los Angeles Chargers VS Jacksonville Jaguars

It may not seem like it, but I feel this is where Jacksonville proves that they are for real or just pretenders. Here’s why. At 5-3, you should be able to beat a feisty 3-5 team. If not, your playoff chances get muddied and then you like an easily beatable wildcard team. If they can beat the Chargers in an efficient way and get to 6-3, I may get excited for this team. It’s not the Jacksonville team that captured my attention when David Gerrard (remember that guy?) was at the helm but hey, things change. And for the Chargers, things will probably remain the same. A close game that turns into heartbreak. If they do win this, they might get some more attention in the NFL. This game is a statement game for both teams.

Chargers 20 Jaguars 23

New York Jets VS Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Alright, alright. The Bucs kinda suck. So much for me looking at them becoming a playoff team. You know who doesn’t suck? The Jets! They have become a 4-5 team which is much better than anyone ever dreams. In fact, there’s a theory, how about a .500 team at Week 10! How exciting. Good for the Jets organization. For nearly everyone writing them off, they have believed in themselves. This is a very young team that can get very good with development in the future. Oh. I’m getting excited. Maybe too early to get excited. But hey, they should beat a bad Bucs team.

Jets 24 Bucs 10

Cincinnati Bengals VS Tennessee Titans

Ever wonder what kind of team the Bengals could be if they ever realized the potential their roster holds? Just look back a couple years and you’ll find the team they used to be. But ever since they collapsed in the playoffs in 2015 where they nearly broke their playoff-losing streak, they have looked bad. That and the players on this team aren’t necessarily as innocent as Snow White or Cinderella….moving on. The Titans have come back to smite me. I wrote them in as AFC South winners in the preseason, then, as soon as I write them off, they beat my favorite team and are 5-3 and will probably be 6-3 after this matchup. Ugh. The football gods look down on me. Karma is a….well….you know.

Bengals 17 Titans 26

Minnesota Vikings VS Washington Redskins

You all have no idea how much I want to pick this as my upset of the week. I love this Redskins team. They are currently my favorite team in the NFL to watch outside of the Eagles. Not because they are the best but because Cousins is so good whether the Redskins are winning or losing.He is an efficient quarterback that will give your team a chance to win. PAY THE MAN already! Jeez. But, unfortunately, they’re playing the Vikings who arguably are home to the best defense in the League. If Cousins can pass this test, it will blow my mind. I love Cousins, but I’m not sure if he can beat this elite defense with a banged up offense. Sounds like a familiar storyline. If he does, count me as one who will find the Redskins as the most stupid organization in football if they let him go. Again. PAY THE MAN!

Vikings 24 Redskins 17

Houston Texans VS Los Angeles Rams

Well. This one isn’t hard. The Texans are bad. And unfortunately it’s because three franchise players are all gone. That’s basically the heart, soul, and mind of a team. Really sad. But, that’s life. The Rams win. They’re just a better team with a strong offense and a strong defense. The thought of the Rams and Eagles clashing makes my mouth water. It’s coming soon. Get excited everyone.

Texans 13 Rams 31

Dallas Cowboys VS Atlanta Falcons

A lot of conversation about how the Cowboys are toast without Elliot. Eh. Maybe. But not this week because Prescott is the better quarterback in this matchup and the Dallas D can matchup well with Falcons offense. Yeah, Matt Ryan was our MVP but he doesn’t look anywhere as good as he was last year. Prescott does. In fact, he looks better than last year. I’ll be slightly surprised if Dallas doesn’t win this. They just feel like the better team.

Cowboys 26 Falcons 21

UPSET OF THE WEEK!!!!

New York Giants VS San Francisco 49ers

Okay. This is a bit of a joke. But the 49ers haven’t won a game yet! I’m pretty sure this is their best option for a win this season. The Giants are flat out terrible. So are the 49ers but the 49ers are at home. Let’s give them a shot. It won’t necessarily be an upset but hey, I think a winless team winning in Week 10 is an upset no matter who you’re playing.

New England Patriots VS Denver Broncos

You would think the Patriots have this wrapped up. But, not so. The Patriots struggle to beat the Broncos all the time. Heck, I recall when Osweiler was playing QB and they came back to beat the Patriots in overtime. It was snowing. I remember that game well. Anyhoo, I don’t think the same result happens here. It’s possible, but this isn’t the same Denver team we saw two years ago beat the Patriots twice in one year. They need a real quarterback at center.

Patriots 28 Broncos 17

Miami Dolphins VS Carolina Panthers

Okay, okay. So the Dolphins still look a little competitive after last week thriller against the Raiders. And I just don’t ever know what to think of the Panthers. I’m going to throw them a bone and bank that their offense doesn’t fall flat and pick the Panthers. In what has felt like an up and down season, the Panthers are quietly 6-3. SIX AND THREE. HOW?! I couldn’t tell you. I’ll be watching this one closely because I need to figure out what this Panthers team is. We’ll see how Jay Cutler handles this Panthers defense. It won’t be as easy like last week.

Dolphins 20 Panthers 34