Week twelve picks

While the return of the sixteen game schedule makes doing this more difficult from a writing standpoint, it seems to have re-sharpened my prognostication. As I finally broke out of my slump, going 9-5-2 for the week. 73-71-16 for the year. Happy Thanksgiving.

GREEN BAY at Detroit (+4) Detroit not being terrible makes it a little harder for football fans to time Thanksgiving dinner.

JETS at Dallas (-14.5) If it makes any difference, Jets' center Nick Mangold also flashed his breasts at a "Gate D Party."

INDIANAPOLIS at Atlanta (+12) Who would have thought: Michael Vick now in prison while Marcus Vick freely roams the streets.

Minnesota at GIANTS (-7) Adrian Peterson's injury replacement Chester Taylor popping off for 164 yards and three touchdowns does pour a bit of perspective on the rookies' accomplishments.

Washington at TAMPA BAY (-3) After looking really good against the Eagles and Cowboys -- two teams whose pass defenses are probably a lot worse than you think -- rapidly improving Redskin QB Jason Campbell gets a truer test against Tampa.

BUFFALO at Jacksonville (-7.5) No shame in losing to New England by 46.

NEW ORLEANS at Carolina (+3) Reggie Bush is finally spicing up his general ineffectiveness with a little bit of fumbling.

HOUSTON at Cleveland (-3.5) Was it just me, or were the other Browns not excited enough for kicker Phil Dawson when the refs switched his game losing miss to a game tying kick. I have never seen anything like it before, and the poor guy didn't even get a hug.

SEATTLE at St. Louis (+3) There aren't a whole lot of Thanksgiving songs out there. In fact The Thanksgiving Song by Adam Sandler -- who has a proud history of writing songs for holidays with song deficiencies -- is the only one I can think of.

Oakland at KANSAS CITY (-6) In May of 1901 the only two automobiles in Kansas City crashed into each other near the intersection of 11th and Grand. For whatever reason, 106 years later, I just can't stop laughing about this.

Tennessee at CINCINNATI (+1.5) On Monday night, I watched Vince Young closely for the first time this year and, until a couple late fourth quarter desperation INTs, he was surprisingly good. But his mechanics . . . yikes. What he does with the football isn't quite throwing. It's more like pushing. Maybe he can push a football further and harder than anyone else. But throwing the thing seems to have been very helpful to every single other QB who has lined up behind center. Young should give it a shot.

San Fransisco at ARIZONA (-10) I don't know if you noticed but, for the first time this year, I watched a bunch of football games last week.

BALTIMORE at San Diego (-10) Steroids may have lost the recruiting power of Barry Bonds and his monstrous home runs, but, focusing on retention, the performance enhancing drug still has Shawn Merriman -- he who once terrorized QB's, stopped using in the wake of a NFL suspension, and then achieves Youtube infamy by getting leveled by tiny little Maurice Jones Drew.

DENVER at Chicago (-2) It makes a lot of sense for Ricky Williams to end up in Denver. And not only because it is the Mile High City.

Philadelphia at NEW ENGLAND (-22) Andy Reid can totally (well, partially) redeem himself for his lost season of coaching by benching all of his starters this week so they will rested for the games that they actually have a chance of winning

MIAMI at Pittsburgh (-16.5) Coming off of a loss to the one-win Jets, can the Steelers rebound against the no-win Dolphins? Tune in Monday night to find out!