2015 NFL Season: Pokorny's Week 13 Picks

Note: This prediction was posted on Thursday; it is re-posted here for record-keeping purposes.

Thursday Night Football: The Packers' funk continued when they lost to the Chicago Bears during last week's edition of Thursday Night Football. One week later, they find themselves in a match with another divisional foe, and one that, despite their 4-7 record, is playing quite well as of late. I still believe in QB Aaron Rodgers too much to pick against him in a game like this, but another loss might force me to start thinking things through again. Packers 24, Lions 17

Firm Command of the NFC West: With another victory this week, the Arizona Cardinals could clinch the NFC West. The Rams fell out of playoff contention by losing fur straight games to drop to 4-7. They've been trying to figure out the quarterback position for years, while they waste what should be a team built on defense and running the ball. Bruce Arians' club was upset by the Rams earlier this year, so this will be a revenge game for them. Cardinals 28, Rams 10

Deja Vu: Man, as much as I've been ragging on Kyle Shanahan, I was kind of kidding when I kept saying that his offense would fall apart for the second year in a row. Losers of four straight, the Falcons now take on a divisional foe in the Buccaneers. The winner of this game will be in the thick of the wildcard race, and the Buccaneers have been the more impressive team as of late. With the Falcons' running game disappearing, Matt Ryan hasn't delivered like he did to start the year. Buccaneers 23, Falcons 20

Sinking of Swimming? The Ravens and Dolphins have both underachieved in 2015, but the Ravens are doing it with a lot of injuries on their side while the Dolphins are just flat out disappointing. The Ravens' injuries are stacked too high at this point -- a club that depleted shouldn't have beaten an NFL team last week, but it's indicative of the Browns' level of play. Miami, despite their struggles, will at least be able to take advantage of the Ravens' depleted roster. Dolphins 20, Ravens 14

Blowout of the Week: I've been waiting for a Panthers letdown, but it doesn't look like it's coming. This team has actually gotten more focused with every win, and they don't let up on either side of the ball. The Saints are horrid on defense and mentally worn down offensively, so Carolina should be ready to have fun again en route to the No. 1 seed in the NFC. We might even get to see Derek Anderson this week! Panthers 42, Saints 17

Delivering the Goods: Rex Ryan's team is too inconsistent, which is bad news going up against a Texans team that has established itself on defense. Brian Hoyer has an opportunity to make amends for his shortcomings in 2014 -- can he lead the Texans to the top of the NFC South, or will he crumble again? If he does crumble, Bill O'Brien will have a shorter leash than Mike Pettine every had. Texans 27, Bills 23

Battle of the Basement: For a second there, I thought the Jaguars might actually contend for the AFC South. They are still only two games out of the division lead, but they could fall further back with a loss to the Titans this week. This was an ugly field goal game on Thursday Night Football a few weeks ago, with a late Jaguars touchdown giving them the edge. Tennessee will get revenge in similar fashion this week, but with Marcus Mariota leading the comeback charge. Titans 19, Jaguars 16

Battle of New York: It's always fun to see the Jets and Giants get together, and this year, both teams find themselves with mediocre records but still in playoff contention. The Jets are in the mix for a wildcard spot, while the Giants are tied for the NFC East division lead. The Giants had an awful three quarters last week before nearly storming back. I think Eli will turn it on this week against a somewhat disappointing Jets defense. Giants 24, Jets 20

Taking Charge: The Vikings aren't the most exciting team in the world to watch, but they continue to play efficient football week in and week out. The Seahawks exploded offensively last week, but a season of inconsistent play by Russell Wilson isn't going to be overcome that quickly. If the Vikings can run the ball with Adrian Peterson and win the field position game, they can get Wilson to press on offense and make a late-game mistake to seal the deal. Vikings 21, Seahawks 17

Still in the Hunt: The 49ers have no direction and are basically the NFC equivalent of the Browns right now. Chicago, meanwhile, finds themselves in the wildcard race at 5-6, and will make things even more interesting with a win this week. I thought John Fox would have to take a season or two to re-build the Bears, but Chicago could sneak up on everyone as a surprise sixth seed if the chips continue falling in their favor. Bears 20, 49ers 10

No Stopping the Osweiller Train: As much as I love Peyton Manning, it is pretty funny that after all the Brady vs. Manning duels, that Brock Osweiller beat Brady on his first try. I still think the team needs to try Manning out before the end of the season if they can, but with every strong Osweiller performance, it's going to make Gary Kubiak's decision that much harder. The Chargers' offense caught fire last week, but will struggle to defend Denver's pass rush this week. Broncos 24, Chargers 13

Staying Red Hot: Despite the Chiefs' five-game winning streak, the Raiders could leap them in the standings this week with a victory. Derek Carr can explode at any time to threaten any defense, but the Chiefs are playing too well right now to bet against them, even in the black hole. Chiefs 23, Raiders 20

Lock of the Week: Steaming about their first loss? Check. Facing an opponent that hasn't found themselves all season? Check. At home? Check. Playing without all your offensive weapons? Check...except that last one isn't a positive. However, the Eagles are no where near a competent enough team to take advantage, so the Patriots will proceed to roll all over Chip Kelly and the Eagles. Patriots 35, Eagles 21

Sunday Night Football: Can Matt Hasselbeck remain undefeated? The Colts have stunningly kept winning under his reign, but that streak ends against Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers will put up plenty of points at home, and it'll be a shootout that Hasselbeck wouldn't be able to match drive-for-drive. Steelers 34, Colts 17

Monday Night Football: Poor Romo -- how many times can a guy hurt his collarbone? The Cowboys have yet to win a game without their star quarterback, and I can't expect that to change against a Washington team that can spell the opportunity of claiming the lead in the NFC East. Redskins 23, Cowboys 13

Have Mercy: The Browns don't have much hope against the Bengals this week, unless Austin Davis complicates Cleveland's quarterback position once again with an epic performance. My full game preview will be up on Saturday or Sunday.