NFL Picks: Seahawks and Redskins could make things interesting

Published 11:28 am Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Here are the picks:

Atlanta at Detroit

The Falcons have all but locked up home field advantage in the NFC, but that doesn’t mean they’ll hold back on the hopeless Lions, who have made more headlines with their rampant late hits than anything else they’ve done this season.

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FALCONS 41, LIONS 20

New Orleans at Dallas

It’s make or break for the Cowboys. Can they finally finish a season strong or do they fizzle out like they have in the past? They gutted one out against a tough Steeler team last week and the Saints are out of the hunt, so I’ll ride with Dallas for at least one more week.

Tennessee at Green Bay

The Packers haven’t lost a home game since their season opener against the 49ers and the Titans aren’t likely to break the winning streak.

PACKERS 27, TITANS 13

Indianapolis at Kansas City

The Colts still have a solid chance at the playoffs.

COLTS 21, CHIEFS 13

Buffalo at Miami

A couple of teams with lost seasons just playing it out.

BILLS 20, DOLPHINS 13

San Diego at N.Y. Jets

The Jets are going with Greg McElroy at quarterback. That’s not a good sign.

CHARGERS 27, JETS 3

Washington at Philadelphia

The Redskins keep finding ways to win and they could be dangerous if they get into the postseason.

REDSKINS 24, EAGLES 20

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh

Neither of these teams have lived up to expectations this year. At least the Steelers can blame injuries.

STEELERS 31, BENGALS 20

St. Louis at Tampa Bay

This is a pretty even matchup, so I’ll just go with the home team.

BUCS 27, RAMS 20

Oakland at Carolina

Cam Newton has played much better the past two weeks.

PANTHERS 27, RAIDERS 10

New England at Jacksonville

The Patriots bounce back from rare home loss in December by running it up on a hopeless opponent.

PATRIOTS 41, JAGUARS 10

Minnesota at Houston

The Vikings quest for the playoffs ends in Houston, where the Texans still have homefield on the line.

TEXANS 34, VIKINGS 10

Cleveland at Denver

The Broncos continue to beat the teams they’re supposed to beat.

BRONCOS 28, BROWNS 10

Chicago at Arizona

The Cards finally won a game to snap their 8-game skid but that doesn’t mean too much.

BEARS 24, CARDS 10

N.Y. Giants at Baltimore

The Giants continue to be an anomaly. They can win Super Bowls, but they always struggle just to get into the playoffs.

San Francisco at Seahawks

The Seahawks are tough at home and even tougher in prime time. Expect a couple of shaky calls in their favor and expect a big turnover by the 49ers that swings the momentum in Seattle’s favor.

SEAHAWKS 21, 49ERS 20

Last week: 10-6; Overall: 128-84