TCobb's Official Week 16 NFL Picks

As fifteen weeks of football are officially in the books, with just two weeks remaining in the NFL's regular season, it's setting up to be one heck of a Christmas weekend with a lot of meaningful games on the slate that involve big-time implications when it comes to the race for the playoffs.

Heading in to this week, out of the 32 teams in the league, only ten have already been eliminated from playoff contention -- which means that 22 teams are still alive and well, with most of them playing to hang on to give themselves that all important final game next week. With Sunday being Christmas, it gives us one extra day that will be full of football, as Saturday will feature 12 games, Sunday will feature two and then the normal Thursday and Monday night games. Having said all of that, here are my picks for Week 16 of the NFL:

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles --- Philadelphia

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills --- Miami

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers --- Atlanta

Washington Redskins at Chicago Bears --- Washington

San Diego Chargers at Cleveland Browns --- San Diego

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers --- Green Bay

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars --- Tennessee 

New York Jets at New England Patriots --- New England

Indianapolis Colts at Oakland Raiders --- Indianapolis

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints --- Tampa Bay 

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams --- Los Angeles 

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks --- Seattle

Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans --- Houston

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers --- Baltimore

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs --- Kansas City

Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys --- Detroit Lions

As you can tell from my picks, I opted to take a lot of chalk -- but did take a few noticeable 'upsets' for the week as well. A few of my favorite picks for the week are the Colts over the Raiders, Rams over the 49ers, Ravens over the Steelers and the Lions to beat the Cowboys on Monday night. Despite being a Rams fan and having seen them go from 3-1 to 4-10, this has been an exciting season -- and with just two weeks left until the real games start, we're set up for a lot of drama with all of the enticing match-up's that loom to round out the regular season. 

Bulls Aim For Huge Win Tonight In Charlotte (Preview)

In what has been a pretty disappointing stretch of basketball over the last couple of weeks for Jimmy Butler, Dwayne Wade and the Chicago Bulls, the team will be looking to get back to their winning ways starting tonight when they visit Charlotte for a big game with the Hornets.

Following their loss on Wednesday night at home to John Wall and the Wizards, in a game that they got off to a hot start in before fading in the second half, the Bulls fell to 14-14 overall on the season, and are respectively, 3-7 in their last 10 and 6-10 over their last 16 games. Not good for a team that started out winning their first three games of the season and then was also 8-4 through their first 12 games, which had the entire league on notice with some impressive wins over more than a few of the league's elite teams.

Entering tonight's tilt, Butler and the squad are sitting in the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference standings, which has them 7.5 games behind the defending-champion' Cavaliers for the top spot -- but also, they're a mere half-game out of being out of a top-eight seed and in the ninth spot. Just like last years' team that fell within games of making the postseason, this team has been beating the good and elite teams (Cleveland, San Antonio, Boston), but has also lost to the teams they should have beaten (LA Lakers, Dallas, Minnesota, Milwaukee). In other words, it just goes to show the inconsistency that has been going on through these first 28 games.

As for Charlotte, the Hornets enter tonight owning a 16-13 record, which has them in the fourth spot in the East and six games behind Cleveland for that top spot. They have also won two straight games and are an even 5-5 over their last 10 games overall. The Bulls enter the first meeting of the season between these two with a road record of 6-8, while the home-town Hornets are 9-6 at home inside the Spectrum Center.

If the Bulls are going to pull off the upset (according to Vegas) in a game where they are 4.5 point underdogs in, Jimmy Buckets and Flash will not only need to do their thing, but the bench will also have to step up -- and yes, that means you guys, Niko and McDermott. The Hornets, much like Washington with John Wall, have a lightning-quick point guard in Kemba Walker that can be unstoppable when he is on. Mix in him with the likes of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller -- this team is an underrated group that can flat out play.

While I usually don't call many games in the month of December a 'must-win' in the NBA, I do believe it is a pretty fair assumption for the Bulls in this spot tonight. With their next game being in San Antonio on Christmas day against the Spurs, a win tonight would not only be huge for the standings, but for the confidence of this team during a big-time stretch in the schedule that has them playing some elite teams. One thing is for sure, the Bulls need to walk out of Charlotte tonight with a much-needed win.

Mozeliak, Cardinals Drop Ball on Edwin Encarnacion

When the news broke out that the Cleveland Indians had officially reached an agreement with the right-handed slugger Edwin Encarnacion, it really dawned on me: Mo and the Birds on the Bat really dropped the ball on this one -- at least, sort of.

If the reports that leaked out are the exact details of the deal, which was a three-year deal that is worth around $60 million dollars, which also features a fourth year that includes an opt-out clause, it's not only less money than almost anybody had expected that he would sign for heading in to the off-season, but also one heck of an all around steal of a deal.

Now first off, let me start out by saying, I realize that the fourth-year that was included with the opt-out clause may have been something to scare away Mo, as well as many fans too, and to be quite honest, I can understand that. Having said that, I would have been more than happy to have seen a deal struck with him coming to Baseball Heaven for a contract that was around three year's and $75 million -- but if the fourth year was the difference maker, would it have truly made that much of a difference for this team in the long-haul?

Sure, the guy will be turning 34 years of age on January 7th -- but looking back at this past season, at the age of 33, the power-hitting slugger drove in a career-high (127), while tying David Ortiz for the American League lead in home runs (42). The guy is an all around slugger with power that will not dimish much barring serious injury, and besides that, if anything will leave a guy like Encarnacion with age, it isn't power, but it's his bat speed. That never worried me much about him though. He is truly a freak of nature and is a guy that would fit right in with this lineup, especially with Dexter Fowler added in now, and he would automatically add some big-time fear in the middle of the order. Not only would he have given this team a legitimate bat in the middle of the order though, he would have been the perfect bridge-gap for the next wave of prospects that will be coming up soon that are still another 2-3 years away, at least.

If the fourth year of the deal was truly that big of a scare, it shouldn't have been. The main reasons' include the fact that Mozeliak could have had him as trade bait for an American League team for the final year of the deal if he wasn't panning out in the field -- or the fact that $20/25 million may not be that much in terms of production in another three to four years after seeing what guys like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado will receive on the open market.

While I am not going to say that it's an epic failure of sorts' that he isn't in a Cardinals uniform -- mainly because he may have just not wanted to sign here, or he just wanted to stay in the American League with the DH, period, it does leave me some disappointment as the thought of him in this lineup is pretty scary -- and surely would have been a huge piece that would have made this team considered to be one of the best in all of baseball. I still love what this lineup looks like, and still certainly believe that this offense will be much better than a lot believe. Having said that, I do believe adding Edwin with Fowler, compared to just Dex, was the difference between competing for the division title compared to the one-game Wild Card game -- unless another unexpected bat comes along through trade or free agency. Either way though, 2017 is setting up to be an interesting season in Baseball Heaven, no matter what.

Christmas Break Comes At Perfect Time for Reeling Blues

Tis the season for some joy -- and for the Blues, it's not only for the fact that they'll get to spend the holiday with their friends and family, but also for the fact that their five-day break couldn't be coming at a better time as they'll try to regroup following a disappointing stretch of hockey.

For the third time in their last four games, the team blew yet another late-game lead on Thursday night in which they led 2-0 after the opening period, before going on to allow five unanswered goals to the Tampa Bay Lightning in their 5-2 loss inside Amalie Arena. The loss dropped the Blues to 5-10-1 overall on the road for the season and has them sitting in third place in the Central division (seven points behind Chicago for first -- could be nine if they win their final game tomorrow night; three points behind Minnesota for second) as Christmas approaches.

Also, on top of that? Starting goaltender Jake Allen may have injured himself late in the loss on Thursday night after he awkwardly attempted to make a save on Alex Killorn when he scored the Bolts' fourth goal of the night. The teams' number one net minder was removed from the game following the play, and as of right now, the team is just calling it a 'lower-body injury', per the official team website. Hopefully it's just a tweak and the upcoming days off will be enough for him to heal and not have to miss any games -- it'll be a wait-and-see type of thing though.

Including Thursday night's disappointing loss, the Blues enter their 'break' (of sorts) having lost three of their last four, as well as eight of their last twelve overall. Their only win in the last four came on Tuesday night in Dallas when they defeated the Stars' 3-2 in overtime behind a game-winning goal from David Perron. As for the three losses though? All three of them were games that the team led at some point or another in the final period of regulation. They led 4-3 at home against the Blackhawks before giving up three in the final 20 minutes and losing 6-4 -- and then responded the next game by leading 2-1 in the third against Edmonton at home as well, before giving up a goal and going on to lose 3-2 in overtime. Then, of course, the Tampa Bay game is included as well, in which was a total meltdown in more ways than one.

Overall, Vladimir Tarasenko and the Notes are 18-12-5 overall, and that is all despite the fact that they haven't played very good of hockey away from the Scottrade Center as they haven't won back-to-back on the road not even once this season. The good news though? When the team hits the ice next, which will come on Wednesday night against Philadelphia, they'll be starting a six game home stand, as well as a stretch that will see them playing eight of their next 11 at home -- where they are 13-2-4 at overall -- which also includes the Winter Classic on January 2nd.

So while this recent stretch of hockey is not only disappointing, but pretty concerning as well, especially the continous 'dump and chase' style and losses due to sitting back on the lead while they stop attacking all together, the fact that they're still in decent shape when it comes to not only the division, but the playoff race as well, this mini-break couldn't be coming at a better time. There is still a lot of hockey left to be played and hopefully Hitch and the boys can regroup and get back to their winning ways when the puck drops again starting on Wednesday night.

Blues Aim For Big Win In Dallas Later This Evening (Game Preview)

The Blues have a tough task ahead of them later on tonight when they visit the Stars for yet another division-showdown inside the American Airlines Center -- and while I usually don't call many games in December a must-win, I think it's fair to say for the Notes' in this situation.

Following back-to-back losses in which the team coughed up a lead in the third period, with both being at home inside the Scottrade Center, the Blues have dropped to third place in the Central division and went from just four points behind Chicago for first, to now 10 points out and also falling behind the Minnesota Wild for second place. They dropped their game against the Blackhawks on Saturday after they led 4-3 heading in to the final period, before giving up three goals and losing 6-4. Then, in last night's contest against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers, they got off to a fast start and led 2-1 from the first period on before giving up a goal mid-way through the third to tie it and ultimately losing in overtime.

Heading in to tonight's game against the Stars, Vladimir Tarasenko and the boys have dropped four of their last six games overall, with both of them wins coming against a New Jersey Devils' team that has currently lost six straight games and is nearly dead-last in the entire league in points. On top of that as well though, the Blues have just four wins on the road in 17 attempts, and haven't shown many signs of turning it around in that aspect. With nearly 45-percent of the season in the books, this team has got to start winning some of these games away from their own building -- especially when it's against another division foe, where the points are crucial.

Tarasenko, who is one-point behind McDavid for the Art Ross, scored again in last nights' loss and now has 16 goals to go along with his 22 assists. Kyle Brodziak also scored on Monday night, which was his fifth goal on the season, and has netted one home in two straight.

Jake Allen will be in net in this contest, and if one thing is for sure, it's that the 26-year-old needs to have an impactful performance -- especially in regards to help out his confidence. While it's not all his fault, and he has come up with some big-time saves, he's also allowed some soft goals at the absolute worst times, which turned out to be ultimate momentum killers'. He has given up five goals per in two of his last three, with his win coming at home against the Devils (2 goals allowed, 26 shots against). As I have stated though, it's not all his fault, because the guys in front of him certainly need to step up themselves, but he does as well, nonetheless.

Tonight's contest will mark the third meeting of the season between the two, with both teams having won once, both on their home ice. In the first meeting, back in early November, Dallas won 6-2 after a four-goal third period after trailing 2-1. In the most recent one, the Blues won 4-3 in overtime as Tarasenko netted the game-winner in the 63rd minute. The Stars (32 points, 6th place) enter tonight's battle looking for their second straight win, while the Blues (40 points, 3rd place) will be looking to avoid a three-game losing skid. If there was ever a time for the Blues to send a message, especially on the road and before the Winter Classic, tonight is one of them nights.

Bulls Throttle Pistons; Break Out of their Slump

Following a recent stretch in which the Bulls just couldn't buy a basket for top-dollar value if they had tried, they not only ended their offensive woes, but they broke out in a huge way that not even I could believe.

Jimmy Butler scored 19 points, Rajon Rondo was two rebounds away from a triple-double on the night with 10 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds, and the Bulls throttled the Detroit Pistons 113-82 on Monday night inside the United Center in Chicago to snap their three-game losing streak and get back above the .500 mark on the season.

Just days after scoring a season-low 69 points in their 26-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night, the good guys got off to a blazing hot start from the floor in this one. They hit 17 of their 21 shot attempts in the first 12 minutes, 15 of which were assisted while Jimmy Buckets had six, and held a 35-19 advantage heading in to the second quarter. That wasn't the end though as it continued throughout the entire first half as well.

At the half, the Bulls were shooting 72 percent from the field, hitting four of their six shots from behind the arc, and led by a score of 69-34. Entering this contest, the team was ranked as one of the worst shooting teams in the league (sixth-worst to be exact) with an overall shooting percentage of .435 through the first 26 games. It was an exciting sight to see after having loss to these same Pistons in their most recent game back on December 6th when they led after three quarters before being struggling in the fourth and losing by double digits.

The Bulls defense showed up big time as well in this contest. They held Detroit to just 13 percent from long range (3 of 23 shooting), while also holding them to 41 percent from the field. The Pistons were pounded on the glass early and never really recovered in that aspect in the early going when the game was close, as they were out-rebounded 46-32 and saw Andre Drummond, who was averaging 13.4 boards per game coming in, held to just four on the night in 23 minutes. In their last meeting, the 6'11 big man pulled down 10.

Taj Gibson and scored 16 points on 8 of 8 shooting, Robin Lopez added in 14 points and six rebounds of his own, while Niko and Dougie McBuckets combined for 26 points off the bench. This was a huge momentum boost for a team that was slumping all around, especially considering they have a tough slate ahead of them for the rest of the week with match-ups' with Washington (Wednesday) at home and then Charlotte (Friday) and San Antonio (Sunday, Christmas day) on the road. Hopefully this is just the start of a hot-streak for a Bulls teeam that could certainly use it to make up some of that ground they've lost just recently.

Top Takeaways From Sunday's NFL Action (Week 15)

On a day where the weather was frightful and blistering cold all throughout, the National Football League playoff races continued to heat up and get better and better -- that's what it's all about though, right?

From the NFC East to the AFC West, all of the way through the AFC and NFC Wild Card races, the picture for January (and February) football is starting to give us a more clear picture. As we have just the Monday Night Football game left later tonight between the Panthers and Redskins in Washington, here are some of my takeaways from the action.

Oakland Raiders Are Legit Contenders In The AFC
Derek Carr threw for 213 yards and one touchdown, Sebastian Janakowski hit all four field goal attempts on the day and the Oakland Raiders clinched a playoff berth for the first time in 14 seasons' on Sunday following their 19-16 win over Phillip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers. Despite their offense not being able to get it going like usual, the Black and Silver still got it done on the road against a division-rival and sent a message to the rest of the AFC following their 11th victory of the season. Following the Chiefs loss to Tennessee, the Raiders now lead the AFC West by one game with two remaining. If you don't think these guys are legit, it's time to quit sleeping on them.

Ravens, Steelers Win Again; Christmas Showdown Looms For Division
Christmas day is going to be intense -- and instead of love and joy being spread in Pittsburgh, the Ravens and Steelers will display their hatred for each with the AFC North title quite possibly being on the line. Big Ben and the Steelers rallied on Sunday from a 20-6 deficit to a 24-20 win over Andy Dalton and the Bengals in Cincinnati, while Joe Flacco and the Ravens denied the Eagles of their two-point conversion attempt in the final minutes to win 27-26. Pittsburgh is now 9-5 and Baltimore is 8-6 as the two head in to their final meeting of the season. Pittsburgh can clinch the division with a win, while Baltimore can sweep the season-series and regain control of the division with one game remaining with a win of their own. What a battle this will be.

AFC South Still Wide Open Between Titans, Texans and Colts
For much of the afternoon, it looked as if we may have a three-way tie atop the division -- it changed pretty quickly though. Andrew Luck and the Colts went wire-to-wire with the lead in Minnesota and blew out the Vikings in AP's return, 34-6, in what was arguably their most impressive win of the year. Houston benched Brock Osweiler early in the game when they trailed Jacksonville 13-2, but Tom Savage came in and not only gave that Texans' offense some life, but also rallied them and led them to a 21-20 win. After trailing by eight at the half, they outscored them 16-7 in the final half. As for the Titans, they pulled off an impressive come back in KC when Ryan Succop nailed a 53-yard field goal as time expired, proving that they are for real and winning 19-17. The Colts are now 7-7 and remain in second/third, while the Texans and Titans are both tied for first at 8-6. With two games remaining, it's still wide open between all three and Houston and Tennessee meet in the final week.

Other Notables:
Patriots beat Broncos in Denver - This isn't something that has happened very often, surprisingly. But despite a slow start from Tom Brady and the New England offense, the Patriots defense held Trevor Siemian and Co. to just six points and not only won the game, but also put a severe dent in the Broncos' playoff chances -- while also keeping themselves in the drivers' seat for home field advantage in the AFC playoffs, with the number one seed.

Giants Beat Lions - In what was a defensive battle for much of the game, Eli Manning and the Giants came through when they needed to in their 17-6 win over Matt Stafford and the Lions. Eli threw for 201 yards and two touchdowns, while the Giants defense kept Stafford and Co. out of the end zone all game -- while also holding their running game to 56 yards. The Lions fell to 9-5 while the Giants improved to 10-4, holding on to a slight chance to catch Dallas for the division and owning the top Wild Card spot in the NFC.

Packers Beat Bears With Late Game Drama - Ty Montgomery had a coming out party with 162 yards rushing and two touchdowns and Mason Crosby kicked the 32-yard game-winning field goal with no time on the clock as the Packers fended off their hated-rivals in Chicago, 30-27. Rodgers was held without a touchdown pass in the contest but the others picked it up to keep them within striking distance of the Lions for the NFC North title. Green Bay is now 8-6 and trails Detroit (9-5) by one game, with the two teams meeting at Ford Field on the final week of the season.

Cowboys Defeat Bucs On Sunday Night - The Dallas Cowboys beat Tampa Bay on Sunday Night Football, 26-20, and not only improved to 12-2 on the season, but also knocked the Bucs out of a tie for first place in the NFC South. Atlanta thumped the 49ers at home earlier in the afternoon and ultimately regained a one-game lead in the division with just two weeks left. Drama!