NFL predictions: Week 13

The NFL hits the post-Thanksgiving home stretch with the AFC having sorted out its contenders and pretenders, but not so in the NFC, where only four teams are more than 11/2 games out of at least the wild card race.

Saints at Falcons: Atlanta 34-30. Matt Ryan quarterbacks a resilient team. There are questions about the Falcons come playoff time, but this remains the regular season.

Seahawks at Bears: Chicago 17-15. Seattle plays tough on the road but rarely wins. And if the Bears have Jay Cutler, they’ll have just enough offense to win.

Vikings at Packers: Green Bay 29-13. A solid uprising is about over for the Vikings. The Packers are ready to make up for a dismal Sunday night showing.

49ers at Rams: San Francisco 30-10. Give Jim Harbaugh credit for guts. Few coaches would make the in-season switch to Colin Kaepernick. Most coaches are loathe to swap out a losing QB, much less a winning QB.

Cardinals at Jetropolitans: New York 23-20. Could Ken Whisenhunt be on the hot seat in Phoenix? The Cardinals won their first four but have lost seven straight.

Panthers at Chiefs: Kansas City 16-14. I don’t know why I’m picking the Chiefs. Just seems like they’re going to win one sometime.

Colts at Lions: Detroit 38-16. The Andrew Luck/Bruce Arians tale is a great story, but let’s be honest. Indy isn’t that good. And the Lions could be fighting mad.

Jaguars at Bills: Buffalo 26-25. Prediction — if the Bills lose this game, Chan Gailey gets the axe on Monday. Buffalo is not that far from playoff contention but has gone 1-4 after a 3-3 start.

Patriots at Dolphins: New England 38-19. Hard to believe the AFC East once was a horserace. Now it’s the 1973 Belmont.

Texans at Titans: Houston 36-20. Tennessee has become the NFL’s most faceless team. No names. No direction. No nothing.