NFL Picks, 2012 Season, Week 14

Andrew Luck provided Indianapolis fans with another comeback win, this time ruining the weekend for the Detroit Lions. The level of success Luck is having early in his career has created speculation about just how far this team can go in 2012, which was supposed to be a rebuilding year.

Greg Cowan, managing editor and senior writer with Colts Authority, says he’s intrigued by that question too given that “on paper, they probably should have stopped winning about two wins ago.”

Cowan is realistic. If the Colts do make the playoffs they probably should be one-and-done. But he also thinks they could be capable of a first-round shocker, particularly if they get a match-up with a flawed Baltimore squad.

“Are they going to win it all? Not this year,” he says. “But beyond this year, the sky is the limit.”

Cowan joined Zoneblitz.com as week 14’s guest blogger. He follows Steve Spooner, team editor at 49ers Gab.

Spooner struggled to a 7-9 mark during another wild, upset-filled week. Tony was 10-6. Andy was 11-5. This put some distance between the brothers and the bloggers, but tightened the match between the two of them, err, us. Tony retains a two-game lead for the season.

There are four weeks left in the regular season. Here are the picks for week 14.

Game of the week: In recent years it has been Sunday night, not Monday night, that got the pick of the litter when it comes to its schedule. These last few weeks, however, those numbers have evened out some. This week’s game between Houston and New England is easily the most intriguing game on the docket, in my eyes. Honorable mention: Baltimore at Washington – regional rivalry game between the young veteran quarterback who says he’s elite and the rookie upstart who appears to be showing he is without having to say it. Should be a great game.

Game of the weak: A handful of this week’s games feature games with one team trending upward and the other toward the toilet. One, however, stands out as a dog featuring two teams that aren’t going anywhere this season. Kansas City ventures to Cleveland, where the Browns are playing better in recent weeks, but where management and the coaching staff also are in lame duck status while they wait for the new owner to clean house. My guess is that takes place about 12 hours after the gun sounds ending the last game of the season. In the meantime, the Browns and the Chiefs square off in a game that could have implications in who picks early in the draft next April.