NFL Week 13

Updated and bumped. Since we posted this early Thursday, we need to make it visible for the Sunday games.

We enter Week 13 with the New York Giants clearly the top team in the league at 10-1. Sure, we won't forget the Titans, also at 10-1, but after they were dismembered by the Jets, all anyone is talking about is a Jet-Blue Super Bowl in Tampa.

Not so fast. In 1986, after 11 game the Jets were 10-1 and the Giants 9-2. The Jets crashed miserably and wound up 10-6. The Giants never lost again on the way to winning Super Bowl XXI. The Jets left their hearts in Cleveland. While the Giants are now consensus odds-on favorite to be the NFC representative in Super Bowl XLIII, the Jets face a far tougher road. They'll probably wind up with the No. 2 in the AFC and a bye week, but better be ready if it's the Colts or Patriots who show up for that first home game.

We went 11-5 in Week 12 and stand at 89-85-3 for 2008.

THURSDAY
Titans -11 LIONS: Eviscerated by Jets, Titans snack on Thanksgiving hosts. Winless Lions most gracious. Titans 38-13

COWBOYS -12.5 Seahawks: After slapping around the Seahags, the Cowboys visit Pittsburgh then host the NYG. Good luck. Cowboys 38-13

Cardinals +3 EAGLES: Good news: Donovan McNabb is starting. Better news: Reid-Mc-Nabb era to close shortly. With a win the Cardinals franchise assures a division title for the fist time since 1975. Cardinals 27-24

SUNDAY
Giants -3.5 REDSKINS: Betting against the Giants at this point is risky. In Vegas, 94% of the money on this game is with New York. Who am I to argue? Giants 33-20

BILLS -7 49ers: Last week I though the Bills were dead. Then they hung 54 on the Chiefs. West coast teams now 0-386 in the eastern time zone this season. Bills 44-14

Ravens -7 BENGALS: Baltimore can still win their division. Bengals playing out the string. Ravens 27-13

Colts -4.5 BROWNS: Indy will be a very dangerous wildcard team. Dysfunctional Brown have given up. Colts 30-10

PACKERS -3 Panthers: Carolina might be the weakest 8-3 team in history. After giving up 51 points in New Orleans, Packers must win here to keep pace in the dreadful NFC North. Packers 31-21

Dolphins -8 RAMS: Fish are beginning to sink, but me and 10 of my friends could hang 30 on the awful Rams. Dolphins 35-14

Saints +3.5 BUCCANEERS: No chance erratic Saints score 51 again. Bucs have a shot at the division and a No. 2. A slugfest. Bucs 19-17

BRONCOS +7.5 Jets: Jets on a major roll, while Broncos were trashed at home by lowly Raiders. I suspect a letdown is in order, but Jets scrape by. Jets 27-23

Falcons +5 CHARGERS: A bang-up job by Norvelous Norv Turner in San Diego. Bolts were 14-2 two years ago and have four wins at the end of November. Time to pack it in. Falcons 28-24

Steelers +1 PATRIOTS: Am I the only one not ready to anoint Matt Cassel as the next Tom Brady? Steelers 20-13

Chiefs +3 RAIDERS: The ultimate turkey to close out the weekend. Chiefs 30-13

SUNDAY NIGHT
VIKINGS -3 Bears: Can't trust the Bears on the road after 37-3 shellacking in Green Bay two weeks ago. Nine wins locks up this dreary division. As always, The Olbermann Rule is in effect. Vikings 31-17

MONDAY
TEXANS -3.5 Jaguars: Jags giving the Chargers a run for their money as most disappointing team this year. It will be amusing to see how ESPN spins this a a must-watch game. Texans 34-24