NFL 2009 Week 15 Picks

Week 15 of the NFL season gives us games on Thursday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Football in four out of the next seven days? Yes, please.

I did well with my picks last time (11-5 week, 128-67 overall) but things are about to get tricky as certain teams start resting players, while others make a push for the playoffs.

INDIANAPOLIS @ JACKSONVILLE
The Jags seem to usually play the Colts pretty close and there’s no way to know for sure when Colts coach Jim Caldwell will start sending his starters to the bench. Out of the two teams that are undefeated, the Colts appear to be the one that really doesn’t care about going 16-0, but I’m still going with Indy. Going with Indy has served me well this year…

DALLAS @ NEW ORLEANS
…so has going with the Saints. Even if the Cowboys weren’t on the verge of their annual collapse, I’d love New Orleans at home.

ATLANTA @ N.Y. JETS
I don’t know if it’ll be Mark Sanchez vs. Matt Ryan or Kellen Clemens vs. Chris Redman. I DO know the Jets defense has sneakily started dominating opponents again in recent weeks.

SAN FRANCISCO @ PHILADELPHIA
I was tempted to go with the Niners, but then I remembered Alex Smith would be starting on the road in Philly. No thanks.

NEW ENGLAND @ BUFFALO
The Patriots’ only road win this year was against the Bucs (in England). That’s not good.

CHICAGO @ BALTIMORE
The Bears aren’t kinda bad – they’re REALLY bad!

MIAMI @ TENNESSEE
Might sneakily be the best game of the week. I’ll take the resurgent Titans, even if Vince Young doesn’t end up playing.

CLEVELAND @ KANSAS CITY
Might (not-so) sneakily be the worst game of the week. Oh well, at least Jamaal Charles is doing his part to keep both of my fantasy teams alive. Hope he keeps it going through the (fantasy) playoffs.

ARIZONA @ DETROIT
The Cardinals laying that egg in San Francisco on Monday night was the most predictable thing in the world. So is Kurt Warner’s inevitable 4 TD game on Sunday.

OAKLAND @ DENVER
I like the Raiders approximately 120% less without scrappy Bruce Gradkowski leading them. How bad is JaMarcus Russell? The Raiders skipped right over him and are apparently starting Charlie Frye, whose name sounds like one of those made-up quarterbacks that show up when you play the Franchise mode of Madden for too long.

CINCINNATI @ SAN DIEGO
The Chargers are the second-best team in the AFC right now and they seem to own the best team in the AFC right now. Be afraid, Colts – be VERY afraid.

GREEN BAY @ PITTSBURGH
The Steelers aren’t kinda bad without Troy Polamalu – they’re just bad. (But not as bad as the Bears.)

TAMPA BAY @ SEATTLE
Ever since I said Josh Freeman (pictured, right) was better than Matt Moore, Freeman is on a 0 TD – 8 INT tear. I’ll just keep quiet from now on.

MINNESOTA @ CAROLINA
Why didn’t NBC flex their way out of this one and give us Bengals/Chargers in primetime instead?

N.Y. GIANTS @ WASHINGTON
The Redskins have a great instinct for rising up against hated division opponents. I just see it happening next week against the Cowboys.