The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WEEK 12 PICKS

New England Patriots

at New York Jets

Remember when George W Bush was reading to grade school kids and White House chief of staff Andrew Card whispered in his ear that the second plane had just hit the World Trade Center on 9/11? The Jets relived that moment (obviously on a less important scale) yesterday. Imagine Rex Ryan in a defensive meeting setting their defensive gameplan, prepared to defend the Pats with Gronk, and an assistant coach whispers in Ryan’s ear that Aaron Hernandez was just reactivated and will be in the lineup today. Cue deer in the headlights look It’s the absolute worst time for a team in turmoil with leadership, quarterback and defensive issues to play the Patriots and Brady putting up college basketball scores with his offense.

PATS over Jets

Houston Texans

at Detroit Lions

The Texans defense has some explaining to do after letting Chad Henne and Justin Blackmon embarrass them last week. Doesn’t bode well heading into a match-up against Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson Jr, but it’s unfair that I have to pick this game before knowing whether the Lions will go with the throwback uniforms or not.

TEXANS over Lions

Washington Redskins

at Dallas Cowboys

I legitimately thought the NFC East would be the best division in football coming into this season, then again I didn’t count on RGIII playing like the best quarterback ahead of the three other Pro-Bowlers in the division. Throwing jump-ball touchdowns against an imploding Eagles team is a lot easier than going on the road and beating a Cowboys fighting for a playoff spot in prime-time. John Madden may just come out of retirement for this one to put the Cowboys over the top.

COWBOYS over Skins

Seattle Seahawks

at Miami Dolphins

I’m having no part of rooting against the Russell Wilson magic. We’re at the point right now where it’s no longer a novelty, but this is really happening. The list of quarterbacks with less touchdown passes than Wilson’s 15 include Romo (13), Flacco (13), Eli (12), Cutler (12), Luck (12), RGIII (12) and Cam Newton (9). Not to mention the Seahawks also lead the league in “I’ll tell you what, you don’t want to face this team in the playoffs right now” anecdotes from colour analysts everywhere. Three losses in 12 days has ended the Dolphins’ faint playoff hopes, but the rest of this season is all about the growth of Ryan Tannehill. As a Dolphin fan, my mock drafts have begun and so has the campaign for Justin Hunter.

SEAHAWKS over Dolphins

Tennessee Titans

at Jacksonville Jaguars

Chad Henne is now seen as the saviour to turn the Jaguars franchise around. Personally I think he’s trying to give hope then crush that hope unnmercilessly to the entire state of Florida one franchise at a time. Tampa Bay...you’re on the clock.

TITANS over Jags

Oakland Raiders

at Cincinnati Bengals

If it seems as if the first NFL Gamebreak every week features AJ Green catching a 30 yard touchdown...that’s because it”s true. If it seems as if the Raiders’ defense is as bad as Faith Baptist defense was against Grinell’s Jack Taylor...it’s because that’s true too.

BENGALS over Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

at Cleveland Browns

Is there a greater concern for any body part in the NFL right now than Charlie Batch’s ribs? Big Ben goes down two weeks ago with shoulder and rib injuries, Byron Leftwich plays one game and goes out with fractured ribs, and now it’s the 37-year-old Batch’s turn. This can’t end well. It hasn’t translated to wins yet, but the Browns have been playing better, taking both the Cowboys and Ravens to the wire.

BROWNS over Steelers

Denver Broncos

at Kansas City Chiefs

If basketball crowds chant M-V-P during free throws...when would football fans do it? Kansas City fans hate their team so much that we may hear them chanting for Peyton this week, I just don’t know when.

BRONCOS over Chiefs

Buffalo Bills

at Indianapolis Colts

I don’t know if I was supposed to walk away from the Colts game last week impressed by Andrew Luck...but I was. There’s clearly no way I’m going to be objective about his career and that’s just something we’re all going to have to live with. Here’s to a decade of rationalising Ryan Tannehill.

COLTS over Bills

Atlanta Falcons

at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Doug Martin is trending up, Matt Ryan is trending down and the Josh Freeman to Vincent Jackson “just go long” play looks indefensible.  Leaned heavily toward the Bucs, but the odds of Matt Ryan having another horrible outing seems unlikely.

FALCONS over Bucs

Minnesota Vikings

at Chicago Bears

If last week’s performance against the 49ers defense didn’t give everyone a greater appreciation for Jay Cutler, nothing will. I haven’t seen Brandon Marshall that dejected on a sideline since the good ol’ Chad Henne days in Miami. By the way, somewhere out there...Aldon Smith is still following Jason Campbell around. 

BEARS over Vikings

Baltimore Ravens

at San Diego Chargers

The Ravens should clinch the division. What John Harbaugh has right now is the most enviable position of any coach in all of sports...a team with legit reasons to believe the standard “us against the world” mentality and the talent to ride that all the way to a championship. Ray Lewis’ injury, Ed Reed’s controversial suspension, Torrey Smith’s performance on MNF just days after the death of his brother, Joe Flacco shaving that God-awful mustache, the return of Terell Suggs...I’m just saying, that’s tons of material for the media to talk about during Super Bowl week. 

RAVENS over Chargers

San Francisco

at New Orleans Saints

Suspension be damned...expect Sean Payton to come on the field and block Aldon Smith himself. This game is going to be closer to last year’s divisional-round playoff game than the 0-4 Saints we saw at the beginning of the year. Whether Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick starts this week for the Niners...Drew Brees is on the other side, and he gets the nod right now.

SAINTS over Niners

St. Louis Rams

at Arizona Cardinals

It”s possible that we may see Sam Bradford play with legit talent at wide receiver one day. It’s also possible that Roger Goodell may become reasonable, Vick stays healthy, Romo plays consistent...well you get the idea. By the way, remember when the Cards were 3-0 and their “turnaround” was the talk of the league? Nope, me either.

RAMS over Cards

Green Bay Packers

at New York Giants

There’s a chance Aaron Rodgers injured Cedric Benson himself just so people would stop nagging him about a running game. Since Benson went down the Packers have reeled off five wins in a row and Rodgers has looked like a legitimate candidate for consecutive MVP awards despite missing his number one option, Greg Jennings and Jermichael Finley going on hiatus for much of the year.

PACKERS over Giants

Carolina Panthers

at Philadelphia Eagles 

The lesson young quarterbacks should learn from Cam, Mark Sanchez and Tebow...stay away from GQ covers. Nothing good happens if you make a GQ cover before you win at least one Super Bowl. I’m not lying, midway through typing this I did a little research and discovered that the GQ curse is real. Marino made the cover after Super Bowl XIX, Jim Everett made it in 1990 and never played in another playoff game, Tebow made it last year and was banished to the Jets bench for eternity, Sanchez made it and completely forgot how to play football. If playing against a defeated Eagles team doesn’t break the GQ curse for Cam, nothing will.

PANTHERS over Eagles

SANNIE’S PICKS

TEXANS over Lions

“Seriously? Must we do this every week? I will never go against Texas…EVER!”

COWBOYS over Redskins

“One of my avid listeners on my morning show is a Cowboys fan. He supports the show, I’ll support his team (this week)”

PATRIOT over Jets

“Two words: Tom Brady.”

DOLPHINS over Seahawks

“The Dolphins have been messing up lately, they need my support. I’m their good luck charm.”

TITANS over Jaguars

“Going back to the cutest QB theory - Jake Locker for the win. He’s such a cutie.”

BENGALS over Raiders

“As long as my boss is a Raiders fan, I will not be choosing them.”

STEELERS over Browns

“I officially give up on the Browns and I’m changing my last name.”

BRONCOS over Chiefs

“Chiefs fans are ridiculous. A 65-year-old man shot another guy because they lost. Wow.”

COLTS over Bills

“I feel bad for Andrew Luck, he was bullied by Tom Brady in the last game. He needs some Sannie luck.”

FALCONS over Bucs

“Do you see the fashion that’s coming out of Altanta these days? I just love everything about that place.”

BEARS over Vikings

“Chicago is famous for their pizza. I don’t think Minnesota is famous for anything, maybe Prince, but that’s it.”

RAVENS over Chargers

“Ravens players handed out turkeys and pumpkin pies to the needy for Thanksgiving. So sweet of them.”

49ers over Saints

“I just can’t stop swooning over Colin Kaepernick”

CARDINALS over Rams

“In a game of ugly uniforms, Arizona’s is the least hideous.”

PACKERS over GIANTS

“I didn’t know Aaron Rodgers was the guy from all those State Farm commercials. Not bad.”

EAGLES over Panthers

“Micheal Vick’s replacement QB is not cute AT ALL, but Cam Newton makes up for it.”

FISHER’S PICKS

LIONS over Texans

SKINS over Cowboys

PATS over Jets

VIKINGS over Bears

BENGALS over Raiders

BROWNS over Steelers

COLTS over Bills

BRONCOS over Chiefs

SEAHAWKS over Dolphins

BUCS over Falcons

TITANS over Jags

RAVENS over Chargers

SAINTS over Niners

CARDS over Rams

PACKERS over Giants

EAGLES over Panthers

WEEK 11

Sannie: 12-2

Fisher: 12-2

Ramblings: 12-2

SEASON STANDINGS

Ramblings: 105-54-1

Fisher: 104-55-1

Sannie: 97-62-1