***SWAMP SUNDAY SPECIAL - EVERY DAMN GAME - WEEK 13 LUCKY MUCK 13***

Feeling a bit like Rain Man today while viewing the card with some really clear vision. Maybe I am in the zone like Blake Griffin or maybe I am completely off here but only time will tell. That all being said I decided to share my thoughts and touch on each game a bit. Rather than the usual Muck 5 picks today, I give you Week 13's Lucky Muck 13! Enjoy the games everyone, Swampy over and out, let's ride!

***SAN FRANCISCO 49ers @ CHICAGO BEARS***

I like the guts this Niner team has been showing as of late. QB Blaine Gabbert has given this depleted SF team new life, crazy I know. I actually think he might end up being a great fit there and just maybe not really a bust like we all originally had him stamped as, a late bloomer perhaps? Either way, the kid is spinning the rock nicely and his WRs seem to be pleased with this as veterans Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith look to be on board with finally getting some decent passes thrown their way. TE Vance McDonald has also been a nice security blanket for Gabbert and the defense has been brining it every game behind MLB Navarro Bowman's leadership. I think they like their coach and will keep playing for him knowhing this year's mishaps are not his fault by any means. Da Bears have been in a similar situation and unexpectedly playing some GREAT football lately. Stringing along some late season wins and coming off a HUGE upset on Thanksgiving night on the road in Green Bay, I almost see Chitown having a regress-type game here in this spot. They're most likely feeling great about themselves after a big win, eventhough we all know the Packers were not right for weeks until a Hail Mary this past Thursday Night. When looking at the Niners on the surface they are clearly one of hte worst teams in the league. With the way SF played and almost upset the Cardinals last weekend, I can see this one being a close game throughout and possibly an upset if Da Bears don't bring it. Also, I am seeing reports that QB Jay Cutler is sick, so don't expect him to be 100% and play one of his better games today. Taking the points here, 49ers+7

***HOUSTON TEXANS @ BUFFALO BILLS***

The bulls are on parade lately as the saying goes as the Texans are a COMPLETELY different team since their bye week and upsetting the undefeated Bengals on MNF a couple weeks ago. Their defense has been LIGHTSOUT and finally looking like the unit we thought they were coming into this season. Today they head into Buffalo to take on a beaten down Buffalo Bills team. The Bills have had an unfavorable schedule lately, on the road 3 straight games against 3 of the best teams in the league, dropping the last two games. That being said I think after blowing a nice lead in KC last week, the Bills have to be losing confidence in a hurry with making the playoff type pressure increasing at a rapid rate. They know if they lose today at home, their playoff hopes are all but gone. The Texans on the other hand control their own destiny and are playing with extreme confidence right now. I don't think there is a team in the league that wants to go up against this defense at the moment and I believe we will see just why that is today. I expect Bills QB Tyrod Taylor to have a very tough outing and get banged up, I will be suprised if he makes it out of this game healthy in fact. The Bills offensive line is not healthy, and the Texans will shut down the run game. Buffalo will be in trouble and their defense is not what it once was for some reason. Houston beats down the Billies in this one. TEXANS +3

***CINCINATTI BENGALS @ CLEVELAND BROWNS***

Not much to say here so I will keep this one short and sweet. The Browns have officially imploded. They are starting backup QB Austin Davis today, and Cincinatti will eat him alive. Look for them to be finally handing Johnny Football the keys after yet another embarassing loss again for the poor Dog Pound fans to suffer through. All hope is lost and Cleveland is broken after a loss like the one last MNF. They are far too injured and mentally/emotionally gone to even stand a chance against a high powered Bengals team who will just use this game to fine-tune their team. Until they insert Manziel and he provides a possible spark of excitement, this team is dead and everyone knows it. Cincy rolls here, BENGALS-7.5

***BALTIMORE RAVENS @ MIAMI DOLPHINS***

Another battle between two of the worst teams in the league at the moment. Therefore another simple analysis- Ravens were extremely lucky to come out of Cleveland on MNF with a win via a blocked FG walkoff TD! That being said I was willing to back veteran pick-6 tossing QB Matt Schaub for one night only, and was lucky to be on the right side of that one. Fade mode from here on out most likely- This is the game Miami so desperately needs to get a win after a couple rough outings and this season pretty much lost. As bad as Dolphin QB Ryan Tannehill has been, this Ravens secondary is depleted and he should be able to find some success through the air against it. Playing at home today, I think the Phins will be motivated enough to take advantage of the fortunate spot and avoid some more embarassment for Coach Man Campbell. DOLPHINS-3.5

***SEATTLE SEAHAWKS @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS***

Great game here, I am pumped for this one and think Minnesota squeaks it out in the end. I really like the Purple People defense and feel like they bring it vs Russel Wilson in this one. Wilson looked great against a avg Steeler secondary and won't find the same success on the road today. The Vikings have the speed at WR to get open against the Legion of Boom and I'm sure RB Adrian Peterson has been hearing how good this Seahawk run defense is all week just like he heard the same about ATL, and we saw how that worked out last week. A.P. is a man on a mission, punishing those in his way. It is really great to watch from a football fan's perspective. This game will have a playoff like atmosphere I'm sure, and both of these teams will most likely be in the mix at the end of the season. Minnesota shows up and takes care of business at home. VIKINGS +2.5

***NEW YORK JETS @ NEW YORK GIANTS***

Ahhh yes, the BATTLE OF NEW YORK is back and it should be a good one as both of these are the definition of unpredictable. We all know how historically inconsistent these two have been over the years and that being said it makes it a game that is almost impossible to cap when they face eachother. However I think the Swamper will stay green in this one and back the Jets as in my eyes at this very moment are the more talented team with a little bit more on the line at this point. This game is beyond HUGE for both teams yes, but the Giants are at least fortunately a part of arguably the worst division in football and will amazingly still be in the race even with a loss today. Whereas the Jets know if they drop this one, their window is all but shut and they absolutely cannot afford to squander this opportunity. When it comes down to it though, the Jets have a defense, and the Giants don't. The Jets will be without CB Darelle Revis but he has been underperforming lately but Head Coach Todd Bowles showed me last week that he can move around his other DBs to help fill the void effectively. The secondary is still more talented than most even without Revis. They will obviously focus on taking away Odell Beckham Jr. and will surely be in Eli's face all game long. Eli is used to this though and will have some success I'm sure because he is a beast in my eyes and that's what he does. However I like the Jets offense to just overpower the Gmen depleted defense with both the run and passing game. I see this one as high scoring back and forth but with Gang Green finally winning one vs them and getting the bragging rights back on their side for the time being. JETS-2.5

***ARIZONA CARDINALS @ ST. LOUIS RAMS***

A tough divisional battle here as the reeling Rams are welcoming the high flying Cardinals into their house for round 2. The Rams have been in a rut as of late with some major QB problems. Coach Jeff Fisher is pubically frustrated with the media pestering him questioning his team's effort. That being said I think the Rams bring it at home today against a banged up Cardinal's team. Arizona has just lost both of their speedy-threat type of RBs in Chris Johnson and Andre Ellington and are reportedly converting a WR to CB for some depth today in the secondary. As bad as the Rams have been lately they do tend to show up at home, especially in division games and I got to believe they would like nothing more than to serve up their playoff bound divisonal opponent a nice fat loss. That all being said regardless of who is at QB today for the Rams whether it is Foles or Keenum, I like them to establish the run game with the Gurley-Mon as usual to help open up the dink-and-dunk passing game, and the Rams defense gives Carson Palmer some fits similiar to how SF did last week. Taking the points in what I think will be a FG victory, RAMS +3

***ATLANTA FALCONS @ TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS***

I'm not sure anybody has fallen from grace after a very promising start to this season like the Falcons have. ATL is desperate for a win and I think today is the day they finally break the ice on the road against their rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This game is another 'round 2' divisional battle as the Bucs went into Atlanta and served the Birds up a loss a couple weeks back that actually began this 4 game losing streak for the Falcons. The Falcons get RB Devonta Freeman back today which will be a HUGE addition to the struggling offense since backup RB Tevin Coleman cannot seem to hold onto the ball. The Bucs are without DT Gerald McCoy which should help Falcon QB Matt Ryan have some time to find WR Julio Jones Vs. an average secondary. I think the Falcon defense will button up and get ready for a hard hitting battle knowing they have a tall task today stopping Rookie QB Jameis Winston and all the weapons at his disposal. I am more playing the spot here and thinking Falcon Coach Dan Quinn has a great gameplan today with his team comes out firing with their backs against the wall.

FALCONS-PK

***JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS @ TENNESEE TITANS***

Another ugly game here between two league bottom feeders and another 'round 2' divisional battle as these squads faced off just two weeks ago on TNF with the Jaguars squeaking out a close one. That being said I think the Titans return the favor here at home where they are way overdue for a W. Last week they should've beaten the Raiders but due to a questionable call by the Refs (suprise!), Oakland was able to pull one out late. Today I like rookie QB Marcus Mariota to have success dink-and-dunking on this average secondary with their personnell still somewhat fresh on his mind from the first time around. On the other side of things I like the way the Titan defense is playing for the most part and think Bortles struggles today down a WR in Hurns. Another spot play here more than anything, both of these teams are pretty much on the same level but the Titans need a win in the worst way and this is a great opportunity to get it done. They could've easily taken this one the first time around and today they even the score. TITANS -3

***KANSAS CITY CHIEFS @ OAKLAND RAIDERS***

Great game here as we have ROUND 1 of this classic divisonal battle. The red hot Chiefs head into the Black Hole to take on a very dangerous but struggling Raider team. Oakland has looked extremely promising at times this year with their explosive duo of WRs and gunslinging QB, but due to some injuries on both sides of the ball, they have run into trouble during the month of November and were lucky to steal a win in Tennesee last week as a I just mentioned above. The Chiefs have been the opposite and surging with a 5 game win streak. I think this game goes right to the wire today as I do think Carr will have success throwing the ball against the KC secondary and be able to exploit it at times if he can get rid of it quick enough. However, I think the Raider defense is just too undermanned to stop Coach Andy Reid and the type of stuff he is dialing up lately on offense. I see the Chiefs winning this one by most likely a FG resulting in a push. CHIEFS -3

***DENVER BRONCOS @ SAN DIEGO CHARGERS***

Very interesting division matchup here when these two teams meet for the first time this year and under different circumstances. The Broncos are a top team in the league but have a fresh face behind center in QB Brock Osweiler who has become an instant hero in Denver after serving up the Patriots their first loss in the snow last Sunday Night. The Chargers have been an absolute mess this year but finally got things right last week and won in Jacksonville. Not much to brag about I know, but I think it broke the ice for these guys and served as a sigh of relief. Frustration was clearly at a peak with Rivers and TE Antonio Gates visibily arguing on the sidelines the week prior. That shows me that these guys still care and want to win regardless if their season is over or not. By that I am not suprised when they have a QB as competetive as veteran Phillip Rivers is. I like the spot today at home in SD hosting a Broncos team who is definitely on their high horse at the moment after beating arguably the best team in the NFL. Osweiler is 2-0 so far and now going toe-to-toe with another wily veteran and call me crazy but I like the 'ol man in this shootout as I think that SD is insanely overdue for a win at home. The Bolts will surely get up for this game and this place will be nuts as it is pretty much the peak of their season at this point. SD is healthier on defense and will be focused here, and on the contrary I can see the Broncos letting down a bit and snoozing through this one after such an emotional and draining win late last Sunday Night. Bolts keep it close and maybe upset for the fans today! CHARGERS+6

***CAROLINA PANTHERS @ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS***

A similar situation here with the undefeated Panthers heading to New Orleans to take on the battered and broken New Orleans Saints. NOT SO FAST MY FRIENDS! This game will serve as the Saints Super Bowl. With their season obviously over, and the team most likely getting blown up this offseason with Head Coach Sean Payton and franchise QB Drew Brees possibly departing and starting from scratch, there would be nothing they would like more than to serve up their mighty divisional opponent their first loss today! Will they? Not sure, but I do think this spot sets up perfect for it. That being said I will gladly take the points in this one with the Saints throwing the kitchen sink at the Panthers in this one and Carolina having a hard time matching Nawlean's energy. The Saint defense is putrid yes, but they have fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan before their bye week three weeks ago, and last week faced a RED HOT Houston defense on the road where I think they were possibly looking ahead to this game here. There is a certain type of voodoo that can go on in the dome as we saw with Matt Ryan not being able to catch a snap and the Saints ending the Falcons unblemished 5-0 record earlier this season. We have seen it many times before, New Orleans is a tough place to play, and this place will surely be ROCKING today. The Panthers haven't lost a regular season game since winning there late last year and beginning a playoff run, it is only fitting that the streak ends in the same spot. If the Saints can get in Cam's face I think they can give this offense fits. As far as the other side fo the ball goes, this is Drew Brees we are talking about- and he can carve up anyone when he is on his game, especially at home. When these teams met earlier this year in Carolina, the Panthers were spooked by backup QB Luke McCown nearly beating them in the final moments throwing an interception in the endzone. This will be a great game! SAINTS +6.5

***PHILADELPHIA EAGLES @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS***

This is looking like UPSET row here the way Swampy is picking these ugly teams to perform well today! It is just one of those day's baby! WOOF WOOF.......Here we have another lopsided matchup at first glance but then as we dive a little deeper we see that the Patriot offense is now completely stripped of all its playmakers that Gronk has been added to the injury list. Yes WR Amendola is back but without Gronkowski demanding maximum coverage on every play, the Eagles should be able to handle Danny Amendola and a group of avg WRs. Yes, even the Eagles. The Birds have been nothing short of embarassing these past few weeks and the Fire Chip Kelly mutiny in Philly has officially begun. I like this spot for him to get it right knowing that he has to or he is a goner. This is a chance for him to competely quiet the critics if he can get a win in New England. The Eagles are not short of talent and now have QB Sam Bradford back under center which should provide some extra confidence for this offense and defense knowing Mark Sanchez won't be handing the other team the ball every other poessession. Bradford hasn't exactly been lights out either, but maybe this two week break served as a positive breather for him and he will come back refreshed. The Eagle defense I personally believe has it's strengths and are just constantly put in terrible spots with bad field position on turnovers over and over again. Today going into Foxborough, an opponent knows they have to bring their best game and frankly if you play in the NFL, it is safe to say you are a competitor. When you are a competitor, you want to beat the best. The Birds will play much better today and keep this one close and maybe even steal a much needed confidence boosting win which as crazy as it sounds, can get them back in the NFC East playoff race. No way the Pats drop two in a row right? Riiiiighhtttttt.......EAGLES +8

Best of luck everyone, SWAMPY LOVES YA!