NFL Insider's Week 13 Predictions

The Eagles were clobbered last weekend by the Patriots, and the Seahawks blew a late lead to the Redskins. Both teams are 4-7 on the year and virtually out of the playoff picture. So right now, players are playing for their jobs as are their coaches. Sydney Rice has been placed on IR and is out for the remainder of the year. He's really not going to be missed as his production wasn't great to begin with. Marshawn Lynch is running hard and the defense is a young, good unit. The Eagles have all the talent in the world but they have too many "I's" on the team. DJax may not be with the team next year, so he needs to use the remainder of these games to audition and show that he's talented and not stuck on himself. This game tonight will be close because it's in Seattle, but I think the Eagles win. Eagles 27-13

A month ago the Bills would have been a hands down easy pick in this game, but since then they have lost their best player in Fred Jackson, and Stevie Johnson seems to worry more about making fun of other players than catching the football. The defense that started off the season creating turnovers at will is now softer than a pillow. The Titans are quietly 6-5 and only 2 games behind the Texans, who are down to their third quarterback. This will be a big game for them to move back into the playoff hunt and possibly the division mix. Matt Hasselback is quietly one of the top rated passers in the AFC and it appears that Chris Johnson has hit his stride finally. This should be a good game and Buffalo will keep it close because it's at home. I believe that the Titans will pull this one out in the fourth quarter. Titans 21-17

There's no polite way to put it, so I'll just come out with it. Tyler Palko is awful! He looked like a scared kid against the Pittsburgh Steelers and just threw the ball up for grabs with his eyes closed. Kyle Orton will make his way into the game at some point, but I expect him to look like Carson Palmer did in his first few games with the Raiders. Caleb Hanie is now starting for the Bears with Cutler hurt. He got better as the game progressed last week and I expect him to be much better this weekend. This will be a low scoring game as both defenses are playing very well right now. I expect a big defensive play or special teams play to be the difference in this one. When you have the Bears D and Devin Hester returning kicks, my money is on the Bears. Bears 20-9

This would be a great game if the Texans weren't down to their third quarterback who will be making his first career start. Don't get me wrong, Houston still has two great backs and a solid defense so they will be able to hold their own, but winning games without their ace isn't going to be easy. The Falcons have been winning games and are now positioned in the playoff picture with the Lions and Giants struggling. Michael Turner had a rough outing last weekend but Matt Ryan was able to do enough to carry the Falcons to victory. Houston will have their home crowd to back them up, but I don't think they have enough to get the job done. Look for the Falcons to stack eight in the box and force Yates to beat them with his arm. Falcons win this game and stay alive in the playoff race. Falcons 24-20

The Raiders are only up a game now over the surging Broncos and are really in a must win situation. Beating the Bears last weekend was a huge confidence booster for the Raiders and look for them to carry that momentum into the game this Sunday. The Dolphins are playing very well under Matt Moore and had an opportunity to beat the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Reggie Bush is enjoying his best season as a pro and Brandon Marshall is playing very well. The defense is playing better now and the team seems to be playing hard to save their coaches job. The Raiders are going to have to bring their A game to Miami, because this isn't your average 3-8 team. I do think they have enough to get it done though. Raiders 22-20

Tebow-mania hits Minnesota this Sunday as the Broncos take on the Vikings. The Broncos are now over .500 after Tebow and the gang have won 5 out of the last 6 games. The Broncos defense is holding teams to under 20 points a game since Tebow took over, and 12 points per game the last three games. Von Miller is playing Pro Bowl football as a rookie, and will get after Christian Ponder. This game is going to be close, and don't be surprised if it comes down to another last minute Tebow drive. I expect the Broncos to pull this game out late. Broncos 15-14

This is going to be an ugly game. Dan Orlovsky gets the start for the Colts, his first start since 2008 while a part of the 0-16 Detroit Lions. They blew what seemed to be their last chance at a victory Sunday against the Panthers. The Patriots are going in the opposite direction. They seem to have somewhat of a defense now (not that they'll need one against the Colts) and the offense is clicking on all cylinders. This should be the biggest blowout of this rivalry yet. Belichick doesn't take any mercy either, so look for him to run it up on the Colts. The Patriots have the home field advantage and the better team. This game won't even be close. Patriots 45-6

This game has a lot of implications on the playoff picture. Both teams are in position to make the playoffs, and they are still fighting for the division with the Ravens. This should be an exciting game to watch as two of the top defenses in the league face off. The Steelers struggled Sunday night against the Chiefs, and the Bengals had to overcome a double digit deficit against the Cleveland Browns. It seems that many teams this year are playing down to their competition. We won't have to worry about that in this one. These are two good teams that have a lot on the line. It will be a very close game, and I'm going to take the Bengals in an upset. Bengals 20-17

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Carolina Panthers 24-20

New York Jets over Washington Redskins 20-10

Baltimore Ravens over Cleveland Browns 17-10

Dallas Cowboys over Arizona Cardinals 28-12

Green Bay Packers over New York Giants 28-17

San Francisco 49ers over St Louis Rams 20-6

New Orleans Saints over Detroit Lions 34-14

San Diego Chargers over Jacksonville Jaguars 24-10