Last Week: 8-7

Carolina Panthers (3-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-6)

Last week was my worst for picking results this season, but for once, Carolina did me right. Thus I’m perfectly happy to pick the Panthers once more. Especially against Tampa Bay, whose running back Doug “Muscle Hamster” Martin (sorry, Dougster) is out injured (probably long term), so they’ll be starting rookies at QB and RB. That ain’t gonna end well.

Wildcard’s Pick: In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina/Can't you see the sunshine/Can't you just feel the moonshine – Panthers by 10

Cleveland Browns (3-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-0)

I can’t even imagine the contagious sense of pessimism and submission that Cleveland sports fans must endure. Briefly they had LeBron. That ended ugly. The Indians flirted with an MLB postseason run, but that fizzed out quicky. And the Browns. Oh, the Browns. One fan-altered jersey sums up this team better than I ever could. The Chiefs are undefeated, and that won’t change this week.

Wildcard’s Pick: KC by 13

Dallas Cowboys (4-3) at Detroit Lions (4-3)

Tony Romo (Dal) 2010yds 68.3% 15td 5int - 101.6 passer rating

Matt Stafford (Det) 2129yds 61.4% 15td 4int - 95.3 passer rating

Those are some pretty numbers. Stafford’s completion rate gets damaged by the random 1Q Hail Mary’s that he throws on a whim, but somehow his interceptions don’t. The last time these two teams played, Detroit came back from the dead to win a thriller, in one of the few Cowboys losses where Romo actually was to blame. It’s hard to imagine that 2013 Romo would make those mistakes, but then can the Dallas D contain Megatron also? Coz if they can’t then we may have another Dallas vs Denver situation. This is probably the best game this round. It genuinely could go either way. But I’ve seen more to like from Dallas in recent weeks.

Wildcard’s Pick: Cowboys by 3

Miami Dolphins (3-3) at New England Patriots (5-2)

These Patriots are not the Pats of old. Not even close. So many injuries, a suddenly shaky Brady – this is like the skeleton of the team they once were, even just two years back. I still think that as long as Tom Brady plays, they are contenders. But to lose, deservedly, to the 2013 Jets? Very un-Patriots. Even more unlikely would be losing twice in a row to division rivals. This is the most dominant division team of the last decade. Plus Miami are really starting to let me down, just as I gave them the world renowned Wildcard’s Seal of Approval.

Wildcard’s Pick: Patriots by 3

Buffalo Bills (3-4) at New Orleans Saints (5-1)

Here’s an easy one. The Saints are fresh off the bye. Drew Brees vs Thad Lewis. An upset? Ha! Don’t make me laugh.

Wildcard’s Pick: Ridin’ on the City of New Orleans – Saints by 10

New York Giants (1-6) at Philadelphia Eagles (3-4)

Dallas is still a decent chance to lose at Detroit, so this is a big game for Philly. Michael Vick *might* play, and if he does, then this game changes perspective in a hurry. Nick Foles is good, but not great. Matt Barkley obviously isn’t ready yet (though he will be in time). The Giants are the streakiest team in American Sport, so after winning one, they probably reckon they’re off to the Superbowl now. Plus Philly keeps losing at home. LeSean McCoy could be the difference, but I think Vick misses the game, and I doubt the Eagles can hold off Eli “Nothing Left to Lose” Manning.

Wildcard’s Pick: Giants by 3

San Francisco 49ers (5-2) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-7)

Thankfully, after last week, there is a bunch of easy to pick games. This is one of them. Jacksonville is one of the worst teams in living memory. They seem like they can compete every now and then, but then always seem to get blown out over a full game. Their schedule gets a little easier on the back end. But will that even make a difference? This game will be played in London, adding to yet another halfass attempt to get the Poms out to the Grid Iron by sending a winless team. I guess the theory is that this could end in a cricket score. They like cricket in England.

Wildcard’s Pick: 49ers by 19

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4) at Oakland Raiders (2-4)

Running game mending

Battered Big Ben still has it

It ain’t over yet

Wildcard’s Pick: Steelers by 6

New York Jets (4-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (5-2)

The Jets are making a habit of being a tough team to beat. Cincinnati is trying to make a habit of winning games that they should. If Andy Dalton plays well, then the Bengals can’t go wrong. Something doesn’t quite seem right to me in Cincinnati, but I see no reason not to pick them. Just let it be known that I’m feeling a little uneasy about this. And it’s not just the pastrami.

Wildcard’s Pick: Bengals by 6

Washington Professional Football Team (2-4) at Denver Broncos (6-1)

Ooh, this could be brutal. Washington’s secondary trying to contain Peyton and his boys, who we know will be resilient after the Colts loss because of a certain number 18 leading the pack. I wanna see the highlights of this game animated with old Batman style onomatopoeic screen flashes. CRASH! BANG! CATCH! TOUCHDOWN! SPLAT!

Wildcard’s Pick: Broncos by 16

Atlanta Falcons (2-4) at Arizona Cardinals (3-4)

Any realistic chance Atlanta had of a playoff run went when Julio Jones was injured. Unless they trade for another receiver, maybe. But I don’t think that the Falcons are as realistic as they should be over their season and I think that they think that they can steady the ship without any drastic changes. Everything about this game points to an upset – except for Carson Palmer’s 29th ranked passer rating. That’s worse than Matt Schaub, dude. No slack can be cut for that.

Wildcard’s Pick: Falcons by 7

Green Bay Packers (4-2) at Minnesota Vikings (1-5)

So, Josh Freeman’s concussed? Well that explains last week. Or maybe this is more of a nudge-nudge-wink-wink injury… Either way Christian Ponder starts at QB this week. Hopefully he goes back to the old standard ‘hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson’ role that won them 10 games last year. No. but seriously, Green Bay’ll fustigate ‘em.

Wildcard’s Pick: Packers by 12

Seattle Seahawks (6-1) at St Louis Rams (3-4)

I’m still not convinced that Seattle can win a Superbowl. It seems to me that they’re a team built to play from in front, but when they need to rally, I don’t know that Russell ‘Hustle and Bustle’ Wilson can do it. And teams like New Orleans or Green Bay are apt to hurl that ball into the endzone from the very start. But in tight games there are few better than Wilson and RB Marshawn ‘Beast Mode’ Lynch at grinding out yards and running the clock. They’ll have plenty of opportunity to do the latter against St Louis, who have no run game and now no QB after Sammy Bradford’s ACL tear.

Wildcard’s Pick: Seahawks by 17

BYE WEEK: Chicago Bears (4-3), Tennessee Titans (3-4), Indianapolis Colts (5-2), San Diego Chargers (4-3), Baltimore Ravens (3-4), Houston Texans (2-5)

The Wildcard is a staff writer for The Niche Cache. His promising sporting career was cut tragically short due to a crippling lack of talent, but the pen is mightier than the (sporting apparatus of choice), so he now spends his time abusing and ridiculing all those who were lucky enough to live the lives and careers he wished he could have. His mysterious alias is to deflect death threats from the numerous popular athletes and celebrities reading this blog. Just as you are.