Cohen's Week 15 Selections & Predicting the Death of the Jets

Now that the playoff picture in the NFL is really developing, it is starting to look more likely that neither New York football team will have much of an impact when the playoffs begin. The Giants, having had their victory parade derailed last week against the Eagles, is one thing, but when it appears that the club is falling apart due to the Plaxico Burress/Antonio Pierce fiasco, it is hard to believe that this team will remain focused for another big stretch run.

Add to this the fact that running back Brandon Jacobs will likely be side lined for a while because of a couple of banged up knees, and that, outside of Amani Toomer, the Giants have no real deep threat at receiver left on the team. One has to wonder when, not how, the Giants will be picked off in the playoffs.

Keep in mind, during the Giants great run this season they have not seen a team from the NFC South, which is a better division than the NFC East. The Panthers have the best ground game in the league, and a receiving duo of Steve Smith and Mushin Muhammad that is as good as anything the Giants have to offer. The Cats are quickly taking the G-Men's place as the top team in the NFC. Big Blue better take note if they are to hold onto their Super Bowl title belt.

As for the Jets ... ah the Jets ... how should I say this ... the Favre giveth and the Mangini taketh away. It is only a matter of time before the Jets finally suffer their annual stroke and choke on another potential playoff seed. Even $140 million spent in the off season in addition to Brett Favre was not enough to keep the Jets from themselves. The clubhouse is in tatters due to Laverenues Coles discordance with Favre; coach Eric Mangini's coaching decisions look more questionable by the minute. The Jets may tease their fans this week against Buffalo, but they know better; Death is coming after Christmas, and his first name is Chad.

Now for Some Picks:

BILLS (6-7) @ JETS (8-5): The Jets will somehow figure out a way to squeek by the Bills and they will try to convince us all that things have turned around. I believe that as much as I believe that Brett Favre will retire again after the season. He will leave the Jets after this disaster comes to a fitting conclusion and will run like the wind to the Buccaneers, Vikings, or 49ers in 2009. That puts the Jets in a familiar spot ... absolutely nowhere! PICK: JETS 20, BILLS 9.

BUCCANEERS (9-4) @ FALCONS (8-5): How about that vaunted Buccaneers defense? Can you emphasize the word "old" as in old school. The Bucs are, indeed, old, so it might be time for Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks and the rest of the Bucs D to look for a wheelchair, if not a retirement home after the Panthers racked up 300 yards on the ground on Monday night. Offensively, the Bucs somehow found a way to score 23 points and hang with the explosive Panthers, but I don't buy this either. Quarterback Jeff Garcia is as good a quarterback as cardboard makes for a good sandwich.

As for the Falcons, they might be coming back to reality. They finally lost a game to a better team in New Orleans a week ago and face a difficult schedule down the stretch. It might be asking a lot of rookie quarterback Matt Ryan to take this young team into the postseason. PICK: FALCONS 27, BUCCANEERS 24.

49ERS (5-8) @ DOLPHINS (8-5): The 49ers are a good looking young team. They have won three of their last four and have really picked it up under new coach Mike Singletary. Shaun Hill has looked good so far throwing 10 touchdowns and only four interceptions in six games as the starting quarterback. That being said, the 49ers will not be able to stomach a second trip to the East Coast in three weeks.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins have been impressive all year long, and it won't stop here. Expect Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams to run all over a tired 49ers defense and expect Chad Pennington to do something Brett Favre couldn't do ... pick apart the 49ers young secondary. PICK: DOLPHINS 21, 49ERS 14.

STEELERS (10-3) @ RAVENS (9-4): Talk about smash mouth football! This should be the most violent and bloodiest game of the week. If CBS had to put its TV parental ratings on for this one, it would be TV-MA for brutal, physical defense and jaw-dropping hits. The Steelers have been the best in the AFC this season (sorry Tennessee, I know you really suck, even with 12 wins). They are led by the number one defense in all of football. The Steelers surrender only 241 yards a game and only 73 yards on the ground.

The Ravens are right behind them. They are ranked second in the NFL in total defense, yielding 253 yards a game and only 77 yards on the ground. Should be a lot of fun to watch. Both Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco will be running for their lives in this game, as long as they don't tuck tail and run into the end zone for a safety and then out of the building. Expect a low scoring affair, but keep in mind the winner of this game may not necessarily win the division due to tie breakers. PICK: RAVENS 13, STEELERS 10.

GIANTS (11-2) @ COWBOYS (8-5): You thought the Giants had problems; nothing could be more disturbing than the problems the Cowboys are facing right now. Terrell Owens has finally turned on Tony Romo, and it is not because he is jealous of Jessica Simpson. He is jealous of tight end Jason Witten, citing that the tight end gets more balls thrown in his direction than he does. Poor T.O., and to think, a year ago he was crying for his quarterback after the Giants squashed him in the playoffs.

Just goes to show that T.O. has nothing better to do than drag teams down into the pits of Hell. It was only a matter of time before he did the same in Dallas as he has done in Philadelphia and San Francisco. This controversy might be the best thing for the Giants. Admist their own problems, the Giants can take advantage of a really distracted Cowboy team. PICK: GIANTS 31, COWBOYS 28.