Cup O' Joe - Week 12 Predictions

Cup O' Joe - Week 12 Predictions

We're at "Survival Sunday"...nine games that have playoff implications. A lot of things will become clear(er) after this week, as several fringe contenders are facing off against one another. Of course, there are a few big-name matchups, too. This is led by...

Houston (7-3) @ Chicago (6-4): With all due respect to Pittsburgh/Miami, and San Francisco/Cincinnati, this game has the most intrigue and perhaps the most riding on it. This game, as of now, is for the third spot in the CFC playoff tree. And that, while not one of the top two spots, is an immensely important spot. You see, the fourth-place finisher in the Continental Conference will face either Seattle or San Francisco (at this point, and we're fairly sure that's not an opponent either of these two teams want to have come to their place for a first-round matchup. There's also two big questions these two teams need to answer:

1) Can Chicago beat a team over .500? They are currently 0-2 against over-.500 teams, and while their schedule is favorable for the division (only one more .500+ team, that being at Michigan in Week 14), a loss here will further their "pretender" label.
2) Can Houston win without Steve Banks? It's likely he will not suit up for this game. Houston has not won without him in the lineup.

I think Chicago's in for a hard dose of reality, and Houston may end up getting some false hopes. That ninth-ranked defense of the Fire has been against some horrible offenses...this one, even when it's a bit off, is still better than anything the Fire has seen thus yet. Shaun Johnson may gain some big confidence here, if in fact he can lead this team to victory. I'm picking Houston; but if I'm wrong, it's a death knell to the Oilers, if Banks goes down once again.
Prediction: Houston 24, CHICAGO 14 (5-4 in GoTW predictions)

Other Games (Home team in CAPS):

WASHINGTON 31, New York 23
New Orleans 22, BALTIMORE 17
PITTSBURGH 23, Miami 20 (in the frozen tundra of the Burgh)
ATLANTA 34, Nashville 20
MICHIGAN 30, Kansas City 16
INDIANAPOLIS 34, Louisville 24
San Francisco 13, CINCINNATI 10
PHILADELPHIA 27, Portland 24
Boston 17, ARIZONA 14
Seattle 31, OAKLAND 21
SAN DIEGO 34, Cleveland 30
Los Angeles 34, DENVER 28
Tampa 28, DALLAS 20
Minnesota 19, CAROLINA 13
ST. LOUIS 20, Iowa 17 (OT; Upset Special)
Last Week: 11-5
Season: 97-63 (61%)