Don't bet against New England

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Will the real New England Patriots please stand up?

It's getting to be in the critical stages of the season for every NFL team, including the Pats. Will the Pats fizzle down the stretch and lose their grasp on the AFC East and fail to make the playoffs?

It might seem a little extreme, but that's why Sunday's division game against the Miami Dolphins, currently two games behind the Pats, is so important.

Wouldn't it be nice to see the Patriots finally play a complete game?

Let's hope it happens this week because the losses to the Colts and Saints are still leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

Against the Dolphins, it all starts with stopping the running game. The Wildcat, now directed by Ricky Williams since Ronnie Brown is out for the season, has been tough for the Pats to stop in the past and it's something Miami needs to do successfully in order to win.

Pats fans are calling out the front seven to get the job done. Stop the run and put the game into quarterback Chad Henne's hands.

If that's the case, then the New England secondary needs to get the job done. There's no way Miami should pick apart the Pats in the air, but if they don't get any pressure on Henne, look out.

And that leads to New England's offense. In the first meeting vs. Miami, Tom Brady threw for 332 yards with one TD and one INT.

Randy Moss, who has vanished in the last two weeks, had 6 catches for 147 yards and a TD. Wes Welker caught 9 passes for 84 yards.

We should expect more of the same from Moss and Welker, who go up against Miami's rookie cornerbacks again. Moss and Welker are veterans and they should always win these matchups.

Chad's take: Tom Brady and the passing game struggled on Monday Night vs. the Saints, don't think that'll happen again, even if the Pats are in Miami where they've struggled at times (although the Pats have won 3 of last 4 in Miami). Without Brown running the Wildcat for Miami, that formation isn't nearly as effective (although they'll gash the Pats a few times) with Williams leading the attack.

It's gut-check times for the Pats, and I expect them to play a very good football game. They know the division is far from being wrapped up and this week is as big as it gets.

The Pats will be focused and watch Brady air it out.

The real Patriots better stand up!

Prediction: Patriots, 27-13

Week 13 Predictions: Pats Finally Get Road Win

By Dan Shouse
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

The Patriots have no time to feel bad for themselves, as they head to Miami to take on the Dolphins in an important AFC East match up. Win, and the Pats all but lock up the division. Lose, and suddenly the division is in question.

Here are the picks for week 13 in the NFL.

Patriots 21 Dolphins 17

Forget about beating an elite team, I just hope the Patriots can get any kind of win on the road. The Patriots will struggle, but do just enough in the end to pull off the win - and keep their slim chances for a first round bye alive.

Colts 31 Titans 28

It will be more of the same for the Colts. Indy will play in yet another close game, but Peyton Manning will still lead his team to a win. Vince Young suffers his first loss as a starting QB this season, but Indy will remain perfect.

Giants 24 Cowboys 16

The Cowboys are in first place in the NFC East and have a golden opportunity to put the division out of reach. We all know what this means. Tony Romo will continue his tradition of late season mistakes, throw a few picks, and the Giants will get a huge win a home.

Eagles 27 Falcons 14

Micheal Vick makes his return to Atlanta, but will likely not be in for more than a few plays. Can Chris Redman do it again? No way. The Eagles defense shuts down Atlanta, and pulls the Eagles into a first place tie with the Cowboys in the NFC East.

Bears 20 Rams 7

Jay Cutler will finally do something right, and go a whole game without throwing a pick. The Bears get the win, but it does not really matter as both these teams are just playing out the remaining games on their schedules.

Bengals 23 Lions 13

Can things get any easier for the Bengals? After facing the Browns last Sunday, now Cincy gets the Lions. No wonder they are 8-3.

Chargers 40 Browns 3

Speaking of easy schedules, a week after facing the Chiefs, the red hot Chargers get to face the NFL's worst team in the Cleveland Browns. Like he did against K.C, Phillip Rivers will light it up, leading the San Diego to a seventh straight win.

Broncos 28 Chiefs 16

After looking shaky for a few weeks, the Denver defense was solid on Thanksgiving against the Giants. Expect more of the same against the Chiefs, as Denver gets an easy win and stays one game back of the Chargers in the NFC West.

Steelers 34 Raiders 6

There has been a lot of finger pointing going on in Pittsburgh, especially with Hines Ward calling out Big Ben for sitting out last week. Winning cures all, and that is what the Steelers will do this week.

Saints 38 Redskins 13

Will there be a let down for the Saints after last Monday's big win over New England? Absolutely not. The Saints will have no problem with Redskins, and continue to look like the best team in the NFL.

Buccaneers 17 Panthers 16

Matt Moore takes over for injured Jake Delhomme, but it will not matter. The Bucs pick up just their second win of the year, and end any hopes for the Panthers getting to the post season.

Jaguars 23 Texans 20

The Jags always seemed to do just enough to sneak into the playoffs, and the Texans always seem to fail in the clutch. The is no reason to expect anything different, as the Jags will deal the Texans another tough loss.

49ers 21 Seahawks 14

The 49ers continue to hang around in the NFC West, getting a road win in Seattle. The win will get the 49ers back to the .500 mark for the year.

Vikings 38 Cardinals 37

The magical season of Bret Favre and the Vikings continues in the desert, as Favre will have a huge day, and out duel Kurt Warner. The Cardinals lead in the NFC will dwindle to a single game.

Packers 23 Ravens 17

Aaron Rodgers will get the Pack one step closer to the playoffs with a win over the Ravens on MNF. The Ravens have been much better on defense the past few games, but Joe Flacco has been inconsistent, and it will cost the Ravens on Monday night.