Dear Swami:
You were 2-2 on last week's picks. You suck.
Anonymous
P.S. What does your "crystal ball" predict for this weekend? I bet you pick the Lions again.
Dearest Mother:
True, the crystal ball inaccurately foresaw that the Bucs would win -- and, more critically, that the Giants would lose, which would have made this weekend's games so much more meaningful.
But the Bigger Picture is that the crystal ball also foretold of the Vikings losing and the Bears winning (thank you very much, Mason Crosby), setting up a final act of drama and anxiety for fans across the Great Lakes region.
What will all of this come to? Let us take a deep breath and take a look:
-- Chicago Bears at Houston Texans: The playoff-hungry Monsters of the Midway will have no problem with the 7-8 Texans ... until they look up at the scoreboard and see what the Vikings are doing to the Giants. The pick: Not that it will matter, but the Bears.
-- New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings: It has been pointed out that the Giants, who have nothing more to gain, gave a spirited effort last year in Week 17, when they also had nothing more to gain, against the undefeated Patriots. It can also be pointed out that the Giants lost to the Patriots. The pick: Vikings.
So there goes the NFC North ....
-- Oakland Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: And there goes the Wild Card. The pick: Bucs.
P.S.
-- Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers: The Lions want to avoid going down in history and the Packers have been scheduling tee times since Thanksgiving weekend. The pick: Lions.
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