Week 12 - Survivor Pools Nov 19, 2008 | More

My two main picks in the Dolphins and Panthers both won last week. Miami came away with another close win against an inferior opponent, but got the job done in the end. My third option, the Eagles, which I was wary of, tied the Bengals. This is an odd occurrence, but in most survivor pools, it should be counted as an elimination since they did not advance. I continue to stress to beware of the road teams! Abide by the rules and you should stay alive. There are just six weeks left in the regular season so check out my Week 12 analysis …

The Rules:

1.       Stay away from road teams.

2.       Stay away from divisional matchups.

3.       Never take a divisional team on the road.

On to Week 12 …

Bengals @ Steelers - I know this is a divisional game, but the Bengals are not good and are coming off a tie to the Eagles. For them, that is like a win, so I expect the Steelers to win big on Thursday Night. Pittsburgh will be looking to beat up on an opponent after three straight tough games.

Buccaneers @ Lions – Detroit is still winless and is at home against Tampa Bay. Expect the Bucs to win this game, but let’s check out the rest of the schedule before thinking about the road team.

Jets @ Titans – Everyone is talking about this potential AFC Championship game preview, but I’m not buying it. Stay away from this game, though.

Bills @ Chiefs – October and November have not been kind to Bills fans. That makes this a tricky game since Kansas City has been playing better of late and is at home.

Bears @ Rams – Looks like we will have a lot of home underdogs this week. Steven Jackson is already out for the game and the Bears need to win after dropping their last two. I expect them to roll over St. Louis this week, but they won’t be the No. 1 option since they’re in St. Louis.

Patriots @ Dolphins – This should be a good one. The loser will have five losses while the winner could be tied for first in the AFC East pending the outcome in Tennessee. The Pats will be looking for revenge after their Week 3 blowout loss to the Dolphins. New England has had a couple extra days to prepare for this game and they’ll attempt to stop the Miami four-game winning streak.

Vikings @ Jaguars – An NFC-AFC battle showcases two teams that have underperformed this year. The Vikings, at 5-5, are tied for first in the NFC North, were predicted to go to the Super Bowl. The Jaguars were supposed to battle the Colts for the AFC South lead, but sit in third place at 4-6 thanks to the Titans’ surprising season.

Eagles @ Ravens – Battle of the Birds. The Eagles are coming off a tie to the Bengals, which is just as bad as a loss, while the Ravens are going back home looking to get back to their winning ways after a Giant blowout. Stay away.

Texans @ Browns – It doesn’t look like Week 12 is going to be easy.

49ers @ Cowboys – Did you save the Cowboys? Now is the time to use them. There is a chance you still have them left since they did not have Tony Romo for a few weeks and you likely did not pick them. They need this game (and the next for that matter) if they want to get back into the hunt in the NFC.

Raiders @ Broncos – Not going near the AFC West rivalry. Oakland has that Week 1 game in the back of their minds and should play better this time around after getting embarrassed at home on MNF earlier this season.

Redskins @ Seahawks – The Skins need to get back on track and it won’t be easy in Qwest Field since Seattle has their QB back.

Giants @ Cardinals – Intriguing game as the best defense in the NFC takes on the best passing game in the NFC. Whoever determines the tempo of this game should decide the winner.

Panthers @ Falcons – Key NFC South game that the Falcons need to have if they want to have a chance to win the division title.

Colts @ Chargers – Peyton does not have much success against this team and the Chargers did play the Steelers close (11-10*) last week. This looks like a very tough week to pick.

Packers @ Saints – Should be a great, fun, high scoring MNF affair, but who wins? Who knows …

Choices:

1. Cowboys

2. Steelers

2. Bears

3. Bucs

The Cowboys are the choice if you have them this week. They are home to the Niners and cannot slip up after that big win in DC. Your second choice are the Steelers, who play a divisional game, but they are the choice over a road team. The rest of the schedule looks pretty tough so you may have to break a rule and go with a road team. I know I have stressed the rules, but what home team do you like this week? Denver? That breaks a rule, too. The Bears and Bucs are your other options this week if you do not have the Cowboys or Steelers. I have more faith in the Bears since the Rams are Jackson-less and Chicago needs to rebound.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at pags2122@yahoo.com. Thanks for all of the feedback so far.

Good luck this week!