LIFE AFTER PIOLI

The Patriots have lost another top evaluator. First Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels bolted to take the reigns of the Denver Broncos, and now VP of Player Personnel Scott Pioli is moving west to take over as GM for the Kansas City Chiefs.

It will be very interesting how the Patriots respond. Pioli is obviously one of the top executives in all of football, and his loss is a huge one for a franchise that has been so successful in the new millennium. The Patriots have already named his successor in Pioli's former assistant, Nick Caserio.

In his column on Caserio in today's Boston Globe, beat writer Mike Reiss (friend of the blog) says that the Pats were right to name an in-house replacement because of how closely Bill Belichick works with the front office. Knowing exactly what kind of player the coach likes will save Caserio tons of time and should help the Pats remain one of the better teams in the AFC for years to come. Caserio is a system guy who has worked both on the field--as an offensive coaching assistant and wide receivers coach--and in the front office. He's an extremely hard worker and should fit right in in his new role.

And as long as Belichick is in charge of the team, the Patriots will be just fine.

IS NFL OVERTIME WORTH FIXING?

Going into their playoff matchup last week, most people expected the Indianapolis Colts, winners of nine straight, to roll over 8-8 San Diego. The Chargers had other ideas however, and behind running back Darren Sproles' spectacular effort, had the game knotted at 17 as the fourth quarter clock ticked down to 0:00. San Diego won the coin toss and never gave up the ball, eventually winning on Sproles' 22-yard scamper some three and a half minutes into the extra frame. So Indianapolis, who breezed through the second half of the season, was eliminated after picking incorrectly on the most basic question: heads or tails? While the simple answer is to play better defense, it's not always that easy. There is something that is just unfair about overtime in the NFL and that needs to be fixed.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, 44% of the overtime games since 2006 have been won on the first drive by the team that won the coin toss. All in all, 64% of OT games have been won by the team that gets the ball first. That's a really startling statistic, suggesting that NFL overtime, in it's current incarnation, really isn't fair for both teams. So, can anything be done to even the playing field? I don't think the College Football OT rules would translate well in the professional ranks. Another idea, as suggested by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons, says a team should essentially be able to match a field goal with a possession of their own. But this one comes across as confusing and gimmicky, something the NFL doesn't want or need.

One interesting suggestion is to leave overtime in the regular season alone, but change it in the playoffs to one full quarter of action. The coin toss would still determine which club would get the ball first, but the first possession wouldn't determine the outcome. It would be similar to the system used in the NHL, where five minutes of overtime (and, if necessary, a shootout) are played in the regular season, but the playoffs see continuous action until a team wins. Of course, now the football OT wouldn't be sudden death, but it would mean the outcomes would be decided by the players 100% of the time.

The Colts, of course, are still sitting at home watching the playoffs on TV (for the record, I'm happy about that). With any luck though, teams in that situation in the future will at least get a shot of their own. And who knows? Maybe Bill Polian will demand changes...again.


**For the record it was my dad that came up with the new playoff OT idea. Thanks Pops.

MARK'S PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

Wild Card Round:
Indianapolis @ San Diego (Sat 8 PM)
Colts 27, Chargers 6
-The Colts enter the playoffs as the league's hottest team. The Chargers come in on the momentum of defeating the Broncos in week 17 to win the West, and are probably the first 8-8 team to ever have a home playoff game. The key to beating Indianapolis is pounding them with the run, and LaDanian Tomlinson has been a huge disappointment this season. Combine that with the fact that Norv Turner refuses to use Darren Sproles enough, throw in the Colts tough pass D versus Philip Rivers, and the Indianapolis offense against a shaky Charger's D, and you have a recipe for a potential blowout.

Baltimore @ Miami (Sun 1 PM)
Ravens 20, Dolphins 14
-Miami got into the playoffs thanks to great coaching, an offense based on trick plays and unusual formations, not committing turnovers, and most importantly, Brett Favre, who singlehandedly affected the seasons of four different teams (only one of them positively): the Jets, Packers, Patriots, and Dolphins. Despite the great story the Dolphins have been, I don't see their offense of trickery working effectively against Baltimore. I see a consistent Ravens offense combined with a defensive touchdown leading them to victory.

Divisional Round:
Baltimore @ Tennessee
Titans 10, Ravens 3
-The Joe Flacco-Kerry Collins QB matchup combined with two great defenses, points should be at a premium in this one. And despite the fact that the last game the Titans played prior to this was a pathetic 23-0 loss to the Colts in week 17, I still think they're a better team than the Ravens.

Indianapolis @ Pittsburgh
Colts 20, Steelers 16
-The Colts beat the Steelers in the regular season thanks to some boneheaded plays from Ben Roethelisberger. I'll still take Peyton Manning and crew over the vaunted Steelers D, and I would not be surprised in the slightest if Roethelisberger made some more boneheaded plays.

AFC Championship
Indianapolis @ Tennessee
Colts 31, Titans 9
-Just a terrible matchup for the Titans. Collins should get shut down compeltely by a rejuvenated Colts pass D - the only shot Tennessee has in this one is Chris Johnson and Lendale White each running for over 100 yards. Manning and the Colts offense can pick apart an overrated Titans defense.








Wild Card Round:
Atlanta @ Arizona (Sat 4:30 PM)
Falcons 34, Cardinals 28
-A suspect Atlanta secondary could make this game much more winnable for Arizona than most people think. However, an even more suspect entire Cardinals' defense should not be able to stop the Turner/Ryan combo on offense. If the fumbling/interception throwing Kurt Warner shows up instead of the MVP-caliber one, it could get ugly fast for the Cards.

Philadelphia @ Minnesota (Sun 4:30 PM)
Eagles 22, Vikings 18
-I actually had no idea that Brad Childress had been a former assistant to Andy Reid - it is the absolute perfect explanation for his entire retarted coaching style. This should be the ugliest game of the weekend by far, and is going to be one of those classic "who wants it less" games, where each team is constantly just making mistakes and being completely inept until evenutally someone just has to win the game. A Vikings home field advantage could come into play, but I think Childress is still slightly dumber than Reid, and Philly is a bit more talented. Oh, and did I mention it's Tavaris Jackson vs. Donovan McNabb? I don't care what people say, McNabb is still a solid QB.

Divisional Round:
Philadelphia @ New York
Giants 27, Eagles 13
-This should be a cakewalk for the G-men, who given a healthy Brandon Jacobs should have no troubles moving the ball effectively against the hapless Eagles.

Atlanta @ Carolina
Panthers 27, Falcons 20
-I was very tempted to pick the upset in this one, but I think John Fox is too smart to let a rookie quarterback beat him in the playoffs. The gameplan? Stop Michael Turner and make Ryan beat you himself - the most overlooked storyline of the Falcons season has been Michael Turner. Without him they would be lucky to win eight games, and Ryan definitely would not have won offensive rookie of the year.

NFC Championship:
Carolina @ New York
Giants 13, Panthers 3
-A rematch of the fantastic week 16 game that the Giants took in OT, I see another great game between the two teams for the NFC title - this time with much less offense. A consistent Giants run game led by Brandon Jacobs will give New York it's second NFC title in a row. Of course, the entire playoff run changes if he gets hurt again.






SUPER BOWL XLIII:
New York Giants: 17
Indianapolis Colts: 13
-It's a media orgy and my worst nightmare: a Manning v. Manning Super Bowl. This would be even worse than the Colts/Bears game a few years ago, in which I couldn't decide which team I wanted to lose more. Despite the fact that Eli Manning is the most overrated QB in the league, the Giants run game matches up perfectly against the Dungy-created paper mache defensive front of the Colts. Jacobs, Ward, and Bradshaw should tear the Colts' front seven apart - the only thing that will keep the Giants scoring down will be red zone ineptitudes and turnovers by Eli. The Giants as back to back champs, ugh. Good thing my picks are always wrong!

LET'S NOT GET CARRIED AWAY

The Patriots season came to a frustrating end yesterday, even after New England shut out the Buffalo Bills, 13-0. Both the Dolphins and Ravens won, giving them the remaining two playoff spots over the Pats. So despite an 11-5 season, Bill Belichick and company will be watching the postseason from home.

While it is extremely frustrating that New England will not be playing into January for the first time in six years, let's not get carried away with the "flaws in the system." Yes, I do know that an 11-5 team was eliminated before a matchup between a 7-8 team and an 8-7 team for a spot in the playoffs. In past years though, other teams have gotten screwed out of the playoffs simply by being in a tougher division too. It's really not that big a deal. These things have a way of balancing themselves out in the long run.

In retrospect, the job Belichick and the other New England coaches did was simply amazing. Losing a franchise quarterback in the first quarter of the season, and then losing important pieces for significant time just didn't effect them the way it does most teams. That has to be a credit to the coaching staff.

If only former Pats assistant Eric Mangini had done as good a job with the Jets. Then maybe the Patriots would be preparing for a showdown with Ravens next Sunday at Gillette Stadium. And the "Mangenius" would still have a job.

EVAN'S PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

Well, our regular season predictions didn't exactly play out how we had hoped. No matter, it's time to move on anyway. Now that the playoff matchups are set (minus the Pats...stupid Jets), let's predict how it will all turn out.





Wild Card Round:
5. Indianapolis Colts (12-4) at 4. San Diego Chargers (8-8)
Colts 31, Chargers 24

6. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) at 3. Miami Dolphins (11-5)
Ravens 24, Dolphins 21

Divisional Round:
6. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) at 1. Tennessee Titans (13-3)
Titans 27, Ravens 16

5. Indianapolis Colts (12-4) at 2. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
Steelers 34, Colts 31

AFC Championship:
2. Pittsburgh Steelers at 1. Tennessee Titans
Steelers 24, Titans 20







Wild Card Round:
5. Atlanta Falcons (11-5) at 4. Arizona Cardinals (9-7)
Falcons 24, Cardinals 16

6. Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) at 3. Minnesota Vikings (10-6)
Vikings 20, Eagles 17

Divisional Round:
5. Atlanta Falcons (11-5) at 1. New York Giants (12-4)
Giants 30, Falcons 13

3. Minnesota Vikings (10-6) at 2. Carolina Panthers (12-4)
Panthers 24, Vikings 6

NFC Championship:
2. Carolina Panthers at 1. New York Giants
Panthers 27, Giants 24








SUPER BOWL:
Carolina Panthers: 24
Pittsburgh Steelers: 20


And if these predictions don't come true, then they'll be just like all the other picks I've made this season.

EVAN'S WEEK 17 PICKS

Time to make up some ground.

St. Louis vs. Atlanta (-11)
New England vs. Buffalo (+6)
Kansas City vs. Cincinnati (E)
Detroit vs. Green Bay (-6.5)
Tennessee vs. Indianapolis (-1.5)
NY Giants vs. Minnesota (+1)
Carolina vs. New Orleans (E)
Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh (-8)
Oakland vs. Tampa Bay (-5)
Chicago vs. Houston (+3.5)
Washington vs. San Francisco (-1)
Jacksonville vs. Baltimore (-7)
Miami vs. NY Jets (+1)
Dallas vs. Philadelphia (-2)
Seattle vs. Arizona (-5.5)
Denver vs. San Diego (-6)

THE GOODELL THAT STOLE CHRISTMAS...

I'm pretty sure Roger Goodell has lost his mind. The NFL commissioner, it seems, hands out fines for just about everything. Many of these fines are warranted. Many are not. Shaun Ellis of the Jets was fined $10,000 last week for throwing a big chunk of snow at a fan. That may not sound like much, but I can understand where the Commish is coming from. If a paying fan gets hurt unnecessarily, it can leave a black mark on the league, and Ellis was made an example of to further illustrate that point.

What I can't wrap my head around is the fines handed down to Ben Watson and Wes Welker of the Patriots in the past couple of weeks. Three weeks ago in Seattle, Watson stuffed the ball into his jersey after a score to honor his wife Kirsten, who is expecting the couple's first child on February 1. He was subsequently penalized fifteen yards for unsportsmanlike conduct and slapped with a $10,000 fee. Welker dropped to the snowy ground last week after a touchdown grab and made a snow angel ala Lonnie Paxton after Adam Vinatieri's game winning kick in Super Bowl XXXVI. Same penalty, same fine.

So let me get this straight. Putting the ball in your shirt: 15-yard penalty, big fine. Making a snow angel: 15-yard penalty, big fine. Spearing yourself head first at a player who is slowing down as the play is ending (yes, I'm talking to you, Ryan Clark): 15-yard penalty...that's it? That's one hell of a precedent Roger Goodell is setting.

Goodell seems to be doing a tremendous impression of the Grinch this holiday season. Except at the end of all of this, the only lesson that anybody will have learned is not to mess with the No Fun League.

THE PREDICTIONS REVISITED SIMPSONS STYLE

With the NFL season winding down, and only a few teams still vying for playoff spots, now seems like as good a time as any to revisit our picks from earlier in the season. Let's take a look, with some help from our friends The Simpsons, at whether or not our predictions will come true.
Here are my picks, and here are Mark's picks.

Homer: Yeah, Moe, that team sure did suck last night. They just plain sucked! I've seen teams suck before, but they were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked!
This one is for both Mark and my prediction that the Buffalo Bills will win the AFC East. In reality, it is the other three teams in the division that are still hoping to be crowned champions. After a 5-1 start, the Bills faded big time. And now, with JP Losman quarterbacking the club, they will be watching the postseason from home yet again.

Homer: I'm like that guy who single-handedly built the rocket & flew to the moon. What was his name? Apollo Creed?
To both Mark and I once again, for getting the easiest picks right! We both had the Steelers, Titans, Giants, and Cardinals winning their respective divisions. We both picked San Diego to top the AFC West as well, which can happen with a home win against the Broncos in week 17.

Bart: Milhouse, what happened?! You were supposed to be watching the factory!
Milhouse: I was watchin'. First it started to fall over, then it fell over.
This quote goes to the team both of us picked to win the NFC North, and Mark picked to win the Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers. The Pack improved to 5-5 with a 37-3 drubbing of Chicago back on November 16, but have gone 0-4 since then, losing to the Saints, Panthers, Texans, and Jaguars. The only thing fitting at this point would be to close the season with a home loss to the Detroit Lions. I guess we'll just have to wait and see on that one.

Moe: Call this an unfair generalization if you must, but old people are no good at everything.
I'm starting to think Moe might be on to something...since I picked Jeff Garcia, Derrick Brooks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the NFC South, and then the Super Bowl. Wrong. The Falcons win in Minnesota yesterday clinched them a playoff spot, and knocked the Bucs out of the playoff picture.

Mr. Burns: I don't like being outdoors Smithers, for one thing, there's too many fat children.
To the dome-dwelling Indianapolis Colts, the fifth seed in the AFC playoffs and winners of one of the two coveted Wild Card spots. I predicted the Colts to finish in this spot exactly, while Mark had Denver and New England owning the last two seedings.

Homer: I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T! I mean S-M-A-R-T...
And the final quote belongs to me for picking the Carolina Panthers to miss the playoffs entirely. In fact, the Cats were one gust of wind in the Meadowlands from securing the number one seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Despite the loss to the Giants, Carolina will still get a first round bye.

Q AND A WITH MIKE REISS OF THE GLOBE: PART II

With just one week left in the regular season, and the Patriots currently on the outside looking in, Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe joins us once again to discuss the club's chances this season, and what we might see from them in the future.

Saturday Morning Sports: Given all the injuries the Patriots have had, and with Bill Belichick's history (spygate), and the job Tony Sparano has done in Miami this year, do you think Belichick will get any votes for coach of the year?
Mike Reiss: I do think Bill Belichick will get some votes, but I don't think he'll get enough to earn the honor. There are too many other candidates, from Tony Sparano, to Mike Smith, to John Harbaugh, to Jeff Fisher. But you listen to people around the NFL and they tip their cap to the job that Belichick has done this year.

SMS: Is Tedy Bruschi done for the season? Is his career in jeopardy?
MR: Bruschi has yet to be placed on season-ending injured reserve, so the door is not closed on his potential return, but it's a longer shot. The knee injury itself isn't a career-ender, but given where Bruschi is at this point of his career, it's something that must be kept in mind.

SMS: Do you think the Patriots will re-sign Matt Cassel in the offseason?
MR: I don't see Cassel re-signing with the Patriots. There is the possibility of the franchise tag being assigned, and then Cassel being traded. Otherwise, it would be that rare situation where a quarterback in his prime years, who led the team to a winning season, hits the open market. If the Patriots lose Cassel, they would likely receive the highest possible compensatory draft choice in 2010 -- the year after he departs -- which is a third-rounder.

SMS: Who would you say is the Patriots MVP so far this year?
MR: My choice would go to receiver Wes Welker. He leads the NFL in yards after the catch and I thought his presence in the short passing game helped the offense stay afloat until Matt Cassel got more comfortable throwing the long ball. His consistency has also been most impressive.

SMS: Do you think the Patriots playing in London will hurt them at all next season?
MR: I don't see that experience hurting the Patriots from a travel perspective. The only thing that comes to mind is that some players have voiced concerns over the playing surface in past years, but that was supposedly improved this year.

SMS: Any predictions for the Pats playoff chances?
MR: I think the Patriots will beat the Bills on Sunday, so it will come down to the Ravens-Jaguars and Jets-Dolphins. I don't see the Ravens losing, which would rule out the wild-card. I could see the Jets winning, though, which would open the door. I don't have any strong prediction at this time, though.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE AFC...

Just when it looked like the Patriots might be eliminated from the AFC East race, the Jets laid an egg. New York, needing a win in Seattle to create a two team race for the division, lost 13-3 to the Seahawks at a snowy Qwest Field earlier today. Had the Jets beaten Seattle, coupled with the Dolphins win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and it would have been mathematically impossible for New England to win the AFC East. Now, a Patriots win in Buffalo next week and a Jets victory over Miami will make the Patriots divisional champs once again.

The Pats are tied with the Dolphins at 10-5, with the Jets following them at 9-6. Miami travels to the Meadowlands to take on the Jets in Week 17. New England is not out of the woods yet though. If the Fish beat New York next week, they win the division. If Baltimore, which currently owns the sixth and final playoff spot, also wins, the Pats will be left out in the cold.

The Ravens closed out Texas Stadium with a bang, beating the Cowboys 33-24. If the Ravens win in Jacksonville next week, they win the second wild card spot. The Colts clinched the other wild card spot and the fifth seed by beating the Jags last week. It's extremely confusing, with so many teams with good records. Hopefully, this will help:

PATRIOTS WIN AFC EAST IF:

• They beat Buffalo
• Jets beat Miami
  

PATRIOTS WIN WILD CARD IF:

• They beat Buffalo
• Ravens lose to Jacksonville

Keep in mind that no 11-5 team has ever been left out of the playoffs. While one 11-5 or 10-6 team is guaranteed to miss the postseason, either Denver or San Diego will make the playoffs at 8-8 or 9-7. The Chargers hold the tiebreaker over the Broncos, so if they win next week and Denver loses, the Bolts will win the AFC West. Any way you slice it, one good team will be watching the playoffs from home.

*Quick Note: The Broncos play the Chargers next week in San Diego. It is, essentially, a one game playoff for the AFC West title.

EVAN'S WEEK 16 PICKS

Baltimore at Dallas (-3)
Cincinnati at Cleveland (-2)
New Orleans at Detroit (+8)
Pittsburgh at Tennessee (+4.5)
Miami at Kansas City (+5.5)
San Francisco at St. Louis (+4)
Arizona at New England (-4)
San Diego at Tampa Bay (-4.5)
NY Jets at Seattle (+3.5)
Houston at Oakland (+3.5)
Buffalo at Denver (-3.5)
Philadelphia at Washington (+6)
Atlanta at Minnesota (-2)
Carolina at NY Giants (E)
Green Bay at Chicago (-6)

EVEN WITH WINS, PATRIOTS NEED HELP

Right when it looked like the Patriots would be alone atop the AFC East, JP Losman fumbled the ball. The Bills quarterback was hit by Jets safety Abram Elam, who knocked the ball loose just as Losman was attempting to throw it. Shaun Ellis recovered and took the pigskin into the end zone, giving the Jets a 31-27 lead with 1:54 to play at the Meadowlands yesterday afternoon. Of course, they held on to beat the Bills by that same score. Meanwhile down south, the Dolphins seemed to be getting manhandled by San Francisco, but the 49'ers just couldn't get the ball into the end zone. Even though they ran 79 offensive plays, 37 more than Miami, the Dolphins narrowly escaped, 14-9.

So, as the Pats kicked off their game in Oakland yesterday, it was another must win. Against the Raiders, it was over early. New England's offense dominated the overmatched Oakland D, with the Patriots gaining 277 yards on the ground. Matt Cassel threw a career high four touchdown passes in the 49-26 victory, including two to ex-Raider Randy Moss. So after another Sunday, the Patriots find themselves in the exact same spot, tied with the Jets and Dolphins atop the AFC East.

Unfortunately for New England, they are third in the tiebreakers, so winning out won't necessarily guarantee a playoff berth. If the Jets and Dolphins, who play each other in week 17, both win next week, the Patriots can not win the division. With Indianapolis poised to grab the first wild card spot, the Pats would need a Baltimore loss to sneak in as the sixth and final seed. Baltimore plays at Dallas next week, and at Jacksonville to close out the year.

No team that went 11-5 in the regular season has ever missed the playoffs. But with the Dolphins playing well, and the Jets playing Seattle next week, it looks like that may just happen. Hopefully one of them will lose, and the other will lose in the final regular season game. At this point, that just doesn't seem very likely. The Pats best chance to make it appears to be a Ravens loss. Of course, if they lose to either Arizona or Buffalo, whatever happens outside of Foxboro doesn't really matter.

EVAN'S WEEK 15 PICKS

Tampa Bay at Atlanta (-2)
Washington at Cincinnati (+9.5)
Seattle at St. Louis (E)
San Francisco at Miami (-2)
Buffalo at NY Jets (-5.5)
Detroit at Indianapolis (-11.5)
San Diego at Kansas City (+3)
Green Bay at Jacksonville (+1.5)
Tennessee at Houston (+3)
Minnesota at Arizona (-1.5)
Denver at Carolina (-5.5)
Pittsburgh at Baltimore (-1.5)
New England at Oakland (+4)
NY Giants at Dallas (+2)
Cleveland at Philadelphia (-9.5)

MARK'S WEEK 15 PICKS

ATLANTA -2
washington -9.5
seattle E
MIAMI -2
JETS -5.5
INDIANAPOLIS -11.5
san diego -3
green bay -1.5
tennessee -3
minnesota +1.5
denver +5.5
pittsburgh +1.5
new england -4
giants -2
cleveland +9.5

EVAN'S WEEK 14 PICKS

Jacksonville at Chicago (-6.5)
Minnesota at Detroit (+8)
Houston at Green Bay (-7)
Cleveland at Tennessee (-10.5)
Cincinnati at Indianapolis (-11.5)
Atlanta at New Orleans (E)
Philadelphia at NY Giants (-9)
Kansas City at Denver (-8)
Miami at Buffalo (+1)
NY Jets at San Francisco (+8)
New England at Seattle (+7.5)
St. Louis at Arizona (-14)
Dallas at Pittsburgh (-2)
Washington at Baltimore (-7)
Tampa Bay at Carolina (+1.5)

MARK'S WEEK 14 PICKS

CHICAGO -6.5
DETROIT +8
houston +7
cleveland +10.5
cincinnati +11.5
atlanta E
GIANTS -9
kansas city +8
miami -1
jets -8
new england -7.5
st. louis +14
PITTSBURGH -2
washington +7
tampa bay +1.5

PICKS RECAP

It's been a couple of weeks since we've updated the standings on Evan and my season long competition. Here are the results of the past two weeks:

WEEK 12
Evan 6-8
Mark 8-6

WEEK 13
Evan 6-7
Mark 5-8

SEASON TOTALS
Evan 80-87-2
Mark 87-80-2

PATRIOTS WILL HAVE A BLOODY GOOD TIME NEXT OCTOBER

One day after the Patriots were slaughtered at home by Pittsburgh, the NFL announced New England will be playing a game next season in London. Last season, the Giants beat the Dolphins 13-10, and earlier this year New Orleans beat San Diego, 37-32. Both games were played at Wembley Stadium in front of sold out crowds of over 83,000.

The Pats will be playing in the third annual UK game, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 25, 2009. The Bucs will be the "home team", meaning the Patriots still get to play eight games at Gillette Stadium next season.

Last season, the NFL announced they will hold an annual game in England at least through the 2010 season. The Patriots are 7-5 so far this year, one game behind the New York Jets. The Buccaneers are 9-3 and tied with Carolina atop the NFC South.

MARK'S WEEK 13 PICKS

BUFFALO -6
baltimore -6
indianapolis -7.5
GREEN BAY -1
miami -9.5
TAMPA BAY -1
new york giants -4.5
SAN DIEGO +1
OAKLAND -5
pittsburgh E
denver +8
chicago +1.5
jacksonville +2.5

EVAN'S WEEK 13 PICKS

Just in the nick of time. Here are my picks for the week 13 slate of games.

San Francisco at Buffalo (-6)
Baltimore at Cincinnati (+6)
Indianapolis at Cleveland (+7.5)
Carolina at Green Bay (-1)
Miami at St. Louis (+9.5)
New Orleans at Tampa Bay (-1)
NY Giants at Washington (+4.5)
Atlanta at San Diego (+1)
Kansas City at Oakland (-5)
Pittsburgh at New England (E)
Denver at NY Jets (-8)
Chicago at Minnesota (-1.5)
Jacksonville at Houston (-2.5)