NFL Picks Week 12: Cowboys Take Over Top Spot In NFC East
The NFC East race could not have played out any better for the Dallas Cowboys this season. The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles are suffering from a ton of injuries, raiding of their offensive staff and just a wee bit of hangover from winning the big game. The New York Giants, after selecting running back Saquon Barkley at number two overall in the draft, have realized that *gasp* maybe it is time to give up on Eli Manning after all. And, the Washington Redskins, who looked like the team to beat in the division just five days ago, will now limp their way to the finish, with Colt McCoy as their starting quarterback.
That leaves the Cowboys as the likely favorites. Granted, all four teams are within three games of first place (yes, even the lowly Giants are still alive). But Dallas seems to be playing the best football and remains the healthiest team. They have a chance to take over the division lead tomorrow, while America sits down to Thanksgiving dinner. To get some insight into the game, and several others on tap for the weekend, we caught up with CBS Dallas reporter Ken Molestina.
Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys, Thursday 4:30 p.m. Eastern (FOX)
Washington, at 6-4, with the Cowboys just a game back, at 5-5. Even though Washington won in the first game this year, the Cowboys are looking to claim the W this time around. They have a lot of momentum going into this game, winning their last two on the road, when no one really expected them to do so. The Cowboys defense is still looking strong, while the Cowboys offense remains pretty steady.
Unfortunately for Washington, their ace quarterback Alex Smith is out for the rest of the season with a broken leg. Backup quarterback Colt McCoy will be stepping in, and I'm not expecting him to have a breakthrough performance. Dallas is a much more complete team going into this game, my money is on the Cowboys.
Miami Dolphins @ Indianapolis Colts, Sunday 4:25 p.m. Eastern (CBS)
The Dolphins and Colts are both 5-5 heading into this game. The Dolphins got off to a hot start, winning three straight games this season, but they have only won two since. Still keeping an eye on Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who could return to this game after a shoulder injury. But, that is not for sure.
Andrew Luck and the Colts are looking much stronger as of late compared to the Dolphins. I love the Dolphins, but I do not see them winning this game. Winner: Colts
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos, Sunday 4:25 p.m. Eastern (CBS)
Both teams are coming off of wins. The Steelers, however, have won six straight, and they lead the AFC North. Roethlisberger is having a fantastic season, and so is the Steeler defense. The Broncos have been moving the ball well, but they haven't always turned that into points. Their defense, though, is tough to beat. This is a close one, but I'm going to go ahead and take the Steelers in this matchup.
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, 8:25 p.m. Eastern (NBC)
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is having another phenomenal season with 19 touchdowns and just one interception. As for the Vikings, they are looking good but so far, not playoff good, in my opinion. The two teams tied in Week 2, and this time I see the Packers taking the win. I think Aaron Rodgers is awesome.