Grey Cup 2005 and NFL Week 12

Well kids, it's like Christmas Eve...as I write this, only 18 hours until kickoff. I have a few thoughts on the game but my crystal ball has been clouded over by homerism and I can't see things too clearly. The key to the game for Edmonton is pass defence. If they can actually get their three man rush to work and put some pressure on Calvillo, game over. He's talented but he can't throw from his back or while scrambling franticly to get away from the defender. As for the Smos QB situation...if Ricky sticks to the underneath stuff and the short completions, he'll be fine, and they'll also control the time of possession. If he tries to be like Jason Maas and starts throwing the long ball...well, then Maciocia will just put in Jason Maas.

Who do I pick to win? Like I said, I can't see into my crystal ball, so I'm just going to go out on a limb and say the Smos win their 13th. I believe.

Also, I'm happy to report that since I called out MacTerrible for losing seven in a row, the Oilers have won 11 of their last 15. Mo has put up some impressive numbers...he's 4-0-0, his GAA is 1.48 and his save percentage is .939. Go Mo!

Now for week 12 of the NFL...I didn't put up the Thanksgiving games but those who subscribe to the picks by e-mail know that I picked Atlanta and Dallas, so 1-1 so far. Here's the rest:

Baltimore at CINCINNATI: Lock of the Week. Cincy looked good against the Colts and matched them stride for stride in the first half. I'm a little disappointed that the Nevermores needed OT to beat Tommy Gunn, so the Tigers win this one easily. Bengals by 14.

CAROLINA at Buffalo: Carolina had their win streak snapped by the Bears, and it revealed what a good pass defence can do to the Panties. Buffalo also has a good pass defence, and since this game is in Buffalo, it has upset written all over it. It's also supposed to snow in Buffalo. But I still don't think Buffalo's offence can put up enough against the Panties D. I'll throw in my generic prediction of Panties by 3.

Chicago at TAMPA BAY: Turnovers by the Falcons won the game for the Succaqueers whereas they were relatively error-free. Both teams can stop the run, so it'll be a contest of which quarterback sucks the least. I'm going to have to go with Chris Simms over Kyle Orton. I am aware that the Bears have won 6 in a row, but I don't think they can make it 7 in Tampa Bay, given their road record. Succaqueers by 3.

Cleveland at MINNESOTA: And just like that, the Vikings are 5-5. How'd this happen? Perhaps they CAN rely on their defence to score the points. I'm not really sure who to take here, so home team wins. Minny Winny by 3.

New England at KANSAS CITY: How low can it go? New England's pass defence, that is...it's now at #31! If Trent Green plays like he did last week the Pats don't stand a chance. The Pats might catch a break here since the Chiefs have a bad pass defence too, and this one will be all Brady vs. Green. Under any other circumstance, I'd take Brady in a second, but KC is just that good at home. Chiefs by 7.

SAN DIEGO at Washington: Truly unfortunate that a very good team in the AFC is going to be sitting at home watching the playoffs in January, and I've got a bad feeling it's going to be the Chargers. But they keep their hopes alive in this one...Washington has lost 9 in a row to AFC teams, this'll be number 10. Superchargers by 4.

San Francisco at TENNESSEE: If Air McNair has another game like he did last week, The squared sevens are in big trouble. But it really doesn't matter...San Fran is dead last in total offence and dead last in total defence. Flaming Thumbtacks by 10.

ST. LOUIS at Houston: What a season for Les Mouflons...Bulger goes down AGAIN. I still think Les Mouflons can beat the Moo Cows...if they don't, and Seattle wins, Seattle clinches the NFC West this Sunday, no joke! St. Louis lets the other team score 30 points on them on average, so look for the Moo Cows to finally get some scores. But in the end, it'll be Les Mouflons by 7.

JACKSONVILLE at Arizona: Looked like Jax really tried to give the Flaming Thumbtacks the game but fell just short. They take their number one pass defence to face a team that doesn't have a running game, so it's pretty easy to figure out what's going to happen. Jaguars by 7.

Miami at OAKLAND: I'm still wondering how the Marine Mammals could get shut out by the Browns...maybe it was the 67 yards passing, (perhaps I was wrong about Rosenfels...he sucks ass) but the running game should have been enough to seal the deal at least once. Oakland comes off a pretty monstrous win, handing the Skins their first loss at home. Miami's pass defence is about where it should be to limit the Raiders passing attack, and Oakland's got kind of a Falcons-like run defence, so this one's close anyway. Raiders by 3.

Green Bay at PHILADELPHIA: Green Bay looks like they've finally put an offence together, and it doesn't look like Philly can say the same about Mike McMahon just yet. This is where having about four running plays in the book comes back to haunt you. A loss here gives the Eagles the dubious distinction of being as bad as the Lions. And it's not just McNabb either...the loss of Lito Sheppard stings too. But since the Packers haven't won in Philly since 1962, I'm going to take a risk on this one. Eagles by 1.

NY Giants at SEATTLE: Seattle got to 8-2 by beating some pretty weak ass teams, but weak ass teams seems to be the story of the NFC West. They've already swept the Cards and Les Mouflons, and there's no doubt they'll get the next one against San Fran. But Jersey/A just doesn't have a good road record. Granted, their losses were to the Chargers and Cowboys, but Seattle's just as good of a team as they are. Seattle faces nothing but tough teams starting with this one, so they'll need to start this final stretch on a good note. Jersey/A's pass defence isn't good enough to stop Hasselbeck who's making a serious case for the Pro Bowl this year. Seahags by 3.

NEW ORLEANS at NY Jets: A couple of terrible teams here...someone's losing streak is going to end. The Aints win it because despite losing Deuce, they actually have quite a respectable running game. In terms of defence, they're both pretty much the same, but the Aints are leagues ahead of Jersey/B offensively. Aints by 7.

Pittsburgh at INDIANAPOLIS: The Colts sure had their way with the Bengals and made their 10th ranked pass defence look like the Strathmore Spartans. Thus, there is no doubt in my mind anymore that this is the team that'll win the Super Bowl. The Steelers have a pass defence that's ranked pretty close to the Bengals, so I'm expecting the same result as last week. I know it's dangerous to bet against Roethlisberger's regular season record, but if New England beat him, so can the Colts. Colts by 14.