# NFL 2022: Week Thirteen Ghosts
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** football-nfl
**Created:** [December 1, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867 "2022-12-01T17:21:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/1 "2022-12-01T17:21:31Z")
It’s lucky week thirteen, and we are lucky to have some potentially good matchups.
**Thursday**
Bills at Patriots (+3.5, 43.5)
**Sunday**
_Early Games_
Steelers at Falcons (+1, 42)
Broncos at Ravens (-8, 38.5)
Packers at Bears (+4.5, 43.5)
Jaguars at Lions (+1, 51.5)
Browns at Texans (+7, 47)
Jets at Vikings (-3, 44.5)
Commanders at Giants (+2.5, 40.5)
Titans at Eagles (-5, 44.5)
_Late Games_
Seahawks at Rams (+7.5, 41)
Dolphins at 49ers (-4, 46.5)
Chiefs at Bengals (+2, 52.5)
Chargers at Raiders (+1.5, 50.5)
**Sunday Night Football**
Colts at Cowboys (-11, 43.5)
**Monday Night Football**
Saints at Buccaneers (-3.5, 40.5)
Niners/Dolphins should be good with Miami looking tough lately. The Commanders/Giants has big playoff implications in the tough NFC East. The Buccs/Saints battle of two losing teams is apparently important because someone somehow has to win that division.
And then somehow, the Sunday night game looks to be the most lopsided of the weekend. Wasn’t the schedule flexing intended to avoid stinkers like this? Does the NFL think everyone still loves the Cowboys? Does Jerry Jones still have everyone in his pocket?
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### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/2 "2022-12-01T17:29:03Z")
> [@TroutMan](#):
>
> Does the NFL think everyone still loves the Cowboys?
Unfortunately, they do and unfortunately, they’re right. Cowboys games regularly have the highest ratings.
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### Author:  [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/3 "2022-12-01T17:46:18Z")
But is that a ‘still loves’ or ‘loves to hate’ situation?
Eh, same difference, I guess.
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### Author:  [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/4 "2022-12-01T20:10:33Z")
> [@TroutMan](#):
>
> Bills at Patriots (+3.5, 43.5)
Do the oddsmakers still think Brady plays for the Pats? The Bills have _owned_ the Patriots lately (they have literally not had to punt the ball the last two times they played). Patriots +3.5 seems insane to me, but then again I don’t bet on sports. I expect a Bills win by at least 10, probably 14.
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### Author:  [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/5 "2022-12-01T20:26:46Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#):
>
> Do the oddsmakers still think Brady plays for the Pats?
The Bills are sort of banged up. Von Miller is out as is Dion Dawkins, so that’s two starters. Several others have practiced but there’s a lot of them who aren’t 100%, including Josh Allen. Worse, they lost to both the Dolphins and the Jets on the road so far this season, even without that.
The odds seem less a sign of confidence in NE and more a sign people think Buffalo may have to contend with a bit of adversity, especially playing a division game in Foxborough in front of a hostile crowd on short rest.
So, who knows? Could be close or either team could run away with it. Games in division get really weird, even in the best of times.
Also, the Pats aren’t that bad. Not great but not that bad. The AFC East is the only AFC division where all 4 teams are over .500 and the only division across the NFL where all 4 teams have a positive point differential.
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/6 "2022-12-01T20:31:25Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#):
>
> Worse, they lost to both the Dolphins and the Jets on the road so far this season, even without that.
They lost twice in a row to the Jets and Vikings, then were losing to the Browns pretty badly early on and had to claw their way back to win, then went against the Lions and only won with a field goal with 2 seconds left in the game.
They’re far from invincible. They are losing to decent teams and barely beating lousy ones of late. I wouldn’t call a win against the Patriots an automatic thing at all.
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### Author:  [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/7 "2022-12-01T20:32:29Z")
Some things I’m rooting for this weekend:
1. Jaguars/Lions to be a good game between two up and coming teams that both need a ton of help on the defensive front. I want to root for both of these franchises to recover from their horrible decision-making in the past. It is also so nice to be reminded, once again, that not only is Urban Meyer a horrible person and walking pile of hypocritical feces, but that he is a horrible coach NFL coach too.
2. In his first NFL snap in almost 2 years, Deshaun Watson tears his Achilles to shreds, never playing another snap of football. Right before disappearing into obscurity, he is intimidated by giant, physically imposing, famous, powerful men into giving them handies against his will. Jimmy Haslam then fucks off into obscurity with Watson. Antonio Brown then joins them.
3. I think I like Mike McDaniel alot. He seems like a genuine guy, who is very good at his job, and he’s not afraid to crack a joke or two. While I will shudder every time I’m forced to hear/see about their “perfect season”, I may be forced to root for the Dolphins.
4. It will be Mahomes or Allen, but, like last years’ Cooper Kupp, I really want the NFL MVP to be a non-QB for the first time in 10 years. Tyreek Hill has helped transform Tua. Justin Jefferson is a game changer. Hell, give me Travis Kelce, a one-man wrecking ball too. I’m rooting for those guys.
5. Bears/Packers. Go Pack Go!
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/8 "2022-12-01T20:33:37Z")
> [@Hamlet](#):
>
> Right before disappearing into obscurity, he is intimidated by giant, physically imposing, famous, powerful men into giving them handies against his will.
Really? Come on now, that’s not okay even for someone as loathsome as Watson.
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### Author:  [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/9 "2022-12-01T20:34:33Z")
Also, they’re playing in Houston. There may be Pop Warner teams who look better than the Texans
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### Author:  [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/10 "2022-12-01T20:40:00Z")
> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> Really? Come on now, that’s not okay even for someone as loathsome as Watson.
Sure, a bit of hyperbole. But it’s his kind of intimidation (being rich, famous, 6’2", 215 pounds) that is exactly the reason why he paid off over 20 female masseuses to keep his job. If he, even just once, admitted even the possibility he was in the wrong, that’d be another story. But unless he experiences something like those women experienced, he will never, ever understand, and will continue to insist he never did anything wrong.
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/11 "2022-12-01T20:40:36Z")
> [@Hamlet](#):
>
> But unless he experiences something like those women experienced, he will never, ever understand.
I thought we were all past the “rapists deserve to be raped” meme. ☹
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### Author:  [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/12 "2022-12-01T20:42:26Z")
As I said, it was hyperbole. I apologize.
So, let’s go with “intimidated into sharing his $230 million paycheck from the Browns” instead of giving hand jobs.
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/13 "2022-12-01T20:43:09Z")
I’m rooting for “disgraced, penniless, and imprisoned” myself.
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### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/14 "2022-12-01T21:03:05Z")
> [@TroutMan](#):
>
> Wasn’t the schedule flexing intended to avoid stinkers like this?
Particularly given the fact that next week’s SNF game between Denver and KC has been flexed out of prime time in favor of Dolphins/Chargers.
Chiefs/Bengals would have been a good matchup for SNF this week. Or Fins/Niners. Or Commanders/Giants.
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### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/15 "2022-12-01T21:06:07Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#):
>
> especially playing a division game in Foxborough in front of a hostile crowd on short rest.
Nitpick: Both the Pats and Bills played on Thanksgiving Day last week.
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### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/16 "2022-12-01T21:16:26Z")
Oh that’s right, a lot of teams played Thursday last week, including the Giants.
My memory of the Jim Fassel and Tom Coughlin eras is that the Giants couldn’t win coming out of a bye week to save their life. But under Brian Daboll, the Giants won their game after the bye this season, against the Texans. Having a Thursday game is essentially a mini-bye, so here’s hoping the Daboll magic continues.
In any case, even if it’s not mathematically true, it feels like if the Giants lose to the Commanders, their season is over.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/17 "2022-12-01T21:25:55Z")
Aaron Rodgers returned to practice with the Packers today, after his rib injury on Sunday night, and is saying that he plans to play against the Bears this weekend.
On the Bears’ side of things, Justin Fields also returned to practice today, as he recovers from the dislocated left shoulder which kept him out of last week’s game; the Bears seem to be cautiously optimistic that he could play on Sunday.
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### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/18 "2022-12-01T21:29:41Z")
> [@Railer13](#):
>
> Chiefs/Bengals would have been a good matchup for SNF this week. Or Fins/Niners. Or Commanders/Giants.
Fins/Niners would have been perfect. Two teams in the hunt, an up-and-coming player in Tua, two big media markets, and in the Pacific time zone so it’s not a late start locally.
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### Author:  [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/19 "2022-12-01T21:31:49Z")
> [@Railer13](#):
>
> Nitpick: Both the Pats and Bills played on Thanksgiving Day last week.
Oh yeah, I was really hoping Detroit was going to pull that one off. And the Pats came a lot closer than I expected.
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### Author:  [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)
#### Post date: [December 1, 2022, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-thirteen-ghosts/975867/20 "2022-12-01T23:46:03Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#):
>
> Also, the Pats aren’t that bad. Not great but not that bad.
I agree, they are solidly mediocre. Their record right now is a bit of a mirage, though, as they have feasted on terrible teams and lost to all of the good teams they have faced (and a couple of bad ones). The rest of their schedule is pretty brutal and they’ll be lucky to get 2 wins the rest of the way, I think. Tonight will not be one of them (unless Allen gets lost on the way to Gillette Stadium).
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