The NFL Roundup - Week 13

Written by John Edward Betancourt

There are only a few weeks left in the NFL regular season and you can feel the electricity in the air as the playoffs approach. It's clear now there are teams that fully understand they control their own destiny and are doing everything they can on the field to earn a playoff berth, while other teams are simply doing their best to hold on. Either way, that energy in the air is only going to grow stronger as we become witness to more incredible games with incredible stories and here are the ones we are keeping an eye on for Week 13.

Will the New England Patriots recover quickly from their loss against Denver?
This is an important question to ask because Tom Brady and the Pats looked genuinely stunned after their loss on Sunday and to make matters worse, another offensive weapon is off the table for at least one week since Grownkowski is currently nursing a bruised up knee. But with so many key players out, will the Pats rebound quickly? I think the answer is a resounding yes. This is a good football team, and two things will help them back on track this week, the fact that Tom Brady cannot stand to lose and they're playing the Philadelphia Eagles who just happen to be one awful, awful team. I expect a Patriots win this weekend to help rinse that sour taste of a loss out of their mouth.

Will the Carolina Panthers advance to 12-0?
The Dallas Cowboys, a team that had a chance to surprise the Panthers were simply no match for the Carolina defense or offense for that matter and they handily beat the Cowboys for their twelfth straight win. But the Patriots loss to Denver is a cold reminder that everyone eventually finds a way to beat you, and is this the week that it happens? Well on paper the odds don't look good since the Panthers are a far better team than the New Orleans Saints, but Drew Brees does enjoy surprising defenses with some incredible play. I can't say for sure if Carolina wins their twelfth straight this season, but don't be shocked if the underdog Saints who are looking for something positive to happen right now shock the Panthers.

Can the Atlanta Falcons get back on track this week?
It's been a strange season for Head Coach Dan Quinn and his Atlanta Falcons because they started off the season as one of the league's strongest teams with a 5-0 record. But since then things have been a complete disaster, with the team losing to franchises they should have dominated against and here we are, wondering what the rest of their season will look like since they are 6-5 and riding a four game losing streak and they face off against a team that has beat them before in Tampa Bay. There's enough concern that a players only meeting happened this week and hopefully that's enough to get the spark going and get this team moving in the right direction once again because if they don't start winning again soon, this is a team that will be watching the playoffs from home. I would love to say the answer to the question today is yes, but this a team that is lost right now and I'm honestly not sure if they can pull it together this late in the season or not...guess we find out come Sunday.

Does Brock Osweiler go 3-0 as a starter this weekend?
Minus one ugly pass, Brock Osweiler has looked phenomenal under center for the Broncos. His passes make it where they need to go an he's only given the ball away once in two starts and not to mention...the kid helped beat the defending Super Bowl Champions. But another big test awaits #17 this weekend when Denver travels to San Diego for an AFC West Matchup and that matters because in divisional games all bets are off. There's a special magic to rivalry games that you don't find in even the playoffs and because of that you know San Diego will be bringing the heat all day long. It should be interesting to see how Osweiler responds on the road in hostile territory, but I think we walks away with another win.

Will Johnny Manziel see any playing time this week?
It's time for Johnny Football to face the fact that his career in Cleveland and potentially the NFL is nearing its end because of his silly, silly mistakes and if he needed any further evidence of this, he merely needs to read the depth chart for Sunday's game one more time. With Josh McCown out for the season and the year already lost in Cleveland you think now would be the time to say to hell with it and start #2. But instead the team is planning on starting Austin Davis over him and that says all it needs to say...they're done with him and the only way he sees any time on the field ever again is if Davis finds himself injured, or if another team picks him up in the offseason.

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OUR PICKS OF THE WEEK

John's Picks
Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers - Denver
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints - New Orleans
Philadelphia Eagles at New England Patriots - New England
Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins - Washington
Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders - Oakland

Scotty's Picks
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions - Detroit
Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills - Buffalo
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns - Cincinnati
San Francisco 49ers at Chicago Bears - Chicago
Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams - St. Louis

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