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Well, it wasn't a great week, but I'm going to stick with the gag order anyway. Let's see if we can keep it rolling.

Picks appear in bold.

Tennessee (-11) at Detroit
As I said in this week's power rankings, there are certain traditions in sports that just shouldn't be tinkered with, and the Lions on Thanksgiving are one of them. I realize that we're a society based on "instant gratification", but I think people are picking on the Lions. I don't remember this much of an uproar when the Cowboys were going through their rough patches in the late 80's.

Seattle at Dallas (-11.5)
Fortunately for Mike Holmgren, this season is almost at an end. Every time I see him, I can't help but think of an old dog that needs to be put out of it's misery. OK, OK, that's a little grim, but for an ultra-competitive guy, this has got to be killing him.

Arizona (+3) at Philadelphia
This would be one of Alfred Hitchcock's favorite games of the season. Yeah, I know it was a bad joke, but I just couldn't help myself. Both of these teams really proved something to me last week. The Cardinals proved they can hang with anyone this year. The Eagles proved that they can't wait to play golf.

Miami (-7.5) at St. Louis
With St. Louis giving up almost 163 rushing yards per game, I have very little confidence that they'll be able to stop the Dolphins' running game. In addition, Joey Porter has to be licking his chops as he prepares for a team that has given up more than three sacks per game.

Carolina at Green Bay (-3)
Obviously, the Packers' performance on Monday night makes this a very dubious pick, but I can't get around the poor play of the Panthers on the road. Jake Delhomme is simply too inconsistent on the road and Green Bay will be playing for their playoff lives.

New York Giants (-3) at Washington
As I said last week, I'm taking the Giants regardless of who they're playing or the point spread. Moreover, the limping Skins' defense, London Fletcher in particular, will have a really hard time against New York's powerful rushing attack.

San Francisco at Buffalo (-6.5)
If you read this site, you know how much I think of Mike Singletary, but it's hard to pick the 49ers when they have to travel across the country and play in what should be very cold and wet conditions.

Baltimore (-6.5) at Cincinnati
To be honest, I don't think this pick needs much of an explanation.

Indianapolis (-4.5) at Cleveland
After last week's putrid performance against the Texans, this line is extremely hard for me to comprehend. Barring a couple of mistakes made by Sage Rosenfels, Houston was able to throw at will against the Browns. I don't see why the people in Vegas think this one will be different.

New Orleans at Tampa Bay (-3.5)
While Drew Brees is having an incredible year by all means of measurement, I can't get over the fact that Tampa Bay is ranked second in the league against the pass. A more telling statistic may be that the Bucs are 5-0 at home and the Saints are 1-4 away from the Superdome.

Atlanta at San Diego (-4.5)
Norv Turner's crew has been one of the most disappointing and infuriating teams I can remember. There's no way that a team that talented should be 4-7 at this point of the season. However, one of the rules I've always considered important is that young teams just aren't the same on the road.

Denver at New York Jets (-7.5)
Actually, my favorite bet in this game would be the over at 48 points. I just don't see either team stopping the other. Since both defenses play the pass poorly, I like the Jets because they'll have an easier time running against an undersized Broncos' defensive front.

Kansas City at Oakland (-3)
Seriously, does anyone really care?

Pittsburgh (+1) at New England
As I said in the power rankings, I haven't totally bought into the Matt Cassel hype and this will be the game that determines how far he's actually come along. I just have a feeling Dick Lebeau will have a few looks and wrinkles that the New England quarterback won't be expecting.

Chicago at Minnesota (-3)
The Vikings are still smarting over the "one that got away" in Chicago last month. In that game, Minnesota turned the ball over five times and made just about every special teams mistake in the book.

Jacksonville at Houston (-3)
Three reasons for this pick: 1. Reliant Stadium will be packed and in a frenzy for the first Monday night game in town since the early 90's. 2. The Texans' offense has proven all year that it can move the ball against anyone and they should be able to do so in this game as well. 3. There was definitely a change in defensive philosophy last week as Houston brought pressure for much of the game in Cleveland. The result was the defense's best performance of the season.

Last Week: 8-7-1
Season: 94-79-3