The Bozos take on the top games of NFL Week 13

Week 13 got off to a surprising start with the Dallas Cowboys holding on to beat maybe the top team in the NFL, the NO Saints Thursday night, 13-10 in Dallas. The Saints 10 game winning streak was broken as was their offense for the first half when they were shutout for the first time in 3 years. The expectations for Dallas to have a top rated defense this season was realized holding NO to only 176 yards. Dallas is now 7-5 after their fourth straight victory and are in the fabled catbird seat in the NFC Least. The Jason Garrett firing whispers have been laid to rest. There were several lousy calls in the game and veteran Ref mannequin Pereira apologized for the crew. An obscene helmet to helmet was not called on Dallas and another 8 yard first down lunge was way off the spot the knee hit. As per the NFL, interference calls that Stevie Wonder could call, went unnoticed. Jason Garrett, as shown in our Surveillance photo had influenced the crew. I expect the Saints to bounce back from this blip in the radar and resume their winning ways next week in Tampa. The LA Rams, with only one loss, now are in control of the Conference. Dallas has another home game a week from Sunday and would be in even more control of the division if the beat their hated division rival, the Eagles.

Week 13 features only two games with playoff contenders facing each other. The late game Sunday pits the (6-4-1) Vikings against the (8-3) Patriots in Foxboro. Minnesota is 1 ½ games behind the Bears in the NFC Norris division and the Bears, even with Chase Daniel at QB in place of the injured Mitch Trubisky, Chicago should handle the demoralized NY Giants, and move to 9-3. So, while the Vikings are still in the playoff hunt (currently the 5^th seed), this is a must win if they hope to capture the division crown, New England, as usual are at the top of the AFC and the division at 8-3 and will win their 13th AFC East title in a row. They need to win to get a #1 or #2 seed and a home field bye in the playoffs Houston is 8-3 in the South and the Chiefs are 9-2, the Chargers are 8-3 in the West. Pittsburgh is 7-3-1 in the North.

The Pats are 5-0 at home while Minnesota is 2-2-1 on the road. The Patriots December record since Belichick and Brady have been dominating the league in 2003 is an astounding 24-2.

As well as the Vikings have been putting up numbers with Kirk Cousins throwing to standout receivers Thielen and Diggs, it’s still a lot to ask of them to win in NE at this time of year. Therefore, we expect The Pats defense to toughen up and Brady to use his short passing game with those damn slants to outfox the Purple gang. Look for a tight battle with Pretty Boy Tom to prevail in the end by a TD. (NE-5 Min)

The second game of prominence Sunday is the game flexed to 8pm with the Chargers (8-3), minus star RB Melvin Gordon, taking on the Steelers (7-3-1) in Pittsburgh. It’ll be difficult for the team formerly of San Diego to replace Gordon but Philip Rivers, 3^rd in the NFL in passer rating) has Keenan Allen and Mike Williams to make big catches.

James Connor has done a terrific job covering for the absent LeVeon Bell and we all know about Big Ben, Antonio Brown and Ju-Ju Smith Shuster. Pittsburgh has won 14 out of their last 15 in the Steel City, however this Charger team is rapidly becoming a force in the NFL, Defensively, Joey Bosa will bring the heat on Big Ben all night long and the Steelers have been plagued by the turnover bug (19) with Ben throwing 12 INTs.

Pittsburgh gave away a win last week with an interception in Denver on the last play while the Chargers romped vs. Arizona. LA has won 4 of 5 on the road and knows if they have any chance of upending KC for the West division crown, this game is a huge test. KC, we just learned may be without Kareem Hunt in their game at Oakland and maybe beyond as a video was discovered Wednesday he was involved in an altercation with a woman in Cleveland in February.

We believe the Chargers defense will harass Big Ben and be able to win a close one. But we’ll take the 3 ½ points just the same.

In other games we like the Colts (-4) over the Jags, the Panthers (-3 ½) in Tampa, the Rams (-9 ½) in Detroit and the Chiefs (-14 ½) vs. the struggling Raiders.

-HB