National Football League

Weekend Blitz: NFL Week 13 picks + best links of the week

Published Nov. 28, 2014 2:05 p.m. ET

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Jimmy Traina

Welcome to another edition of "Weekend Blitz," a column that will appear on FOXSports.com each Friday during the football season. Consider this one of your must-read features as you wrap up the week and head into a Saturday and Sunday filled with pigskin. We'll be giving out NFL picks, possibly some college football picks and looking back at the week that was in the world of sports and pop culture.

Please come back every Friday or check FOXSports.com/Buzzer or follow me, @JimmyTraina, on Twitter.

After 12 weeks of the 2014 season, we've only had one losing week. Unfortunately, that losing week was an 0-5, so following a 4-2 Week 12, the record for the year stands at 27-22-1. We'll try to keep crawling to 10 games over .500 with five plays this week.

BILLS -3 VS. BROWNS: The Brian Hoyer Magic will not be in effect against Buffalo's strong defense that is allowing the fourth-fewest yards per game in the NFL. Cleveland has found something in its running game with the combo of Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West, but this will not be a good matchup for them. We're still not sold on Kyle Orton, but he should be able to put up enough points against Cleveland to cover the low spread.

REDSKINS +9.5 AT COLTS: Given all the negativity surrounding Robert Griffin III, expect Washington to play an inspired game with Colt McCoy at the helm. We don't expect the Redskins to win the game, like they did when McCoy started against the Cowboys in Dallas, but we'll gladly take all those points.

RAVENS -5.5 VS. CHARGERS: There's not a ton to say about this game. Baltimore is the better team and San Diego hasn't played a good game in several weeks. Plus, we're still concerned about the possible rib injury that Philip Rivers may have.

STEELERS -4 VS. SAINTS: The Saints are done. Well, technically, they're not done because they play in the dreadful NFC South. But in terms of being a good team, they are done. Ben Roethlisberger, coming off a bye week, should be able to feast at home against that very weak Saints defense led by the extremely overrated Rob Ryan. New Orleans and Drew Brees usually struggle when they leave their dome and the weather turns colds. Expect an easy Pittsburgh win.

CHIEFS +2 VS. BRONCOS: The time to bet against Denver is when they hit the road. They've struggled away from home all season, so a prime-time game in one of the most hostile stadiums in the NFL should present some issues. Kansas City comes in with the top-rated pass defense in the NFL, so if anyone can slow down Peyton Manning, it should be the Chiefs. It doesn't help the Broncos that they don't have much of a running game these days, either.

* I like the Eagles to have more wins than the Sixers in their respective regular seasons.

* Richard Sherman ripping the NFL for several of its dumb policies.

* J.J. Watt sending pizza and a note of appreciation to local firefighters and police officers.

* Rick Pitino's explanation for how he tried to keep Louisville's blowout against Savannah State from getting out of hand.

* This mashup of Marshawn Lynch's infamous one-word postgame interview session and Usher's "Yeah."

* This look back at all the times Bill Belichick verbally embarrassed an opponent who did some trash talking against the Patriots.

* This behind-the-scenes look at how Jimmy Kimmel's popular "Celebrities Read Mean Tweets" feature gets put together.

* With the Broncos visiting the Chiefs on Sunday night, here's an old-school clip via Reddit featuring the ref telling the Kansas City fans to quiet down because John Elway was having trouble hearing.

* No, Metta World Peace, nobody wants to eat spelt and buckwheat pasta on Thanksgiving.

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