A Silent Thanksgiving and the Power of Nostalgia: Week 13 NFL Picks

Welcome to the Pig Pen for our special Thanksgiving week edition of Big, Bold Predictions! The NFL schedule is bursting at the seams this week with games spread across four days—Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday—meaning no bye weeks and a full slate of football to digest alongside your holiday feast.

Hosts Darin Hayes and Ed Kleese checked in to review the tumultuous results of Week 12 and lay out their choices for Week 13, including the highly anticipated Thanksgiving MVP bonus picks. Before diving into the scores, Ed took a poignant detour down memory lane, reflecting on the shared cultural experience of Thanksgiving Day football, forever tied to the unmistakable voices of John Madden and Pat Summerall. Though Ed humorously recalled one infamous "Silent Thanksgiving" ruined by a 2002 Commanders loss to the Cowboys, the overall reverence for the holiday tradition—of family, food, and the gridiron—was clear.

Week 12 Review: Darin Extends His Lead

Despite both hosts admitting to a generally poor Week 12 performance, the race for the season title tightened, with Darin managing to extend his narrow lead.

Darin & Ed

Bills over Texans

Texans won

0

Both hosts missed the Texans' dominant defensive performance (8 sacks).

_________________

Darin & Ed

Cardinals over Jaguars (Upset)

Jaguars won

0

Cardinals committed 4 turnovers but still lost, sinking both hosts.

________________

Darin & Ed

 Cowboys over Eagles (Upset)

Cowboys won

2

Both hosts correctly predicted the Cowboys’ second-half defensive shutout.

__________________

Darin Only

Chiefs win by 7+ vs. Colts

Chiefs won by 6

1 point

Chiefs won but missed the margin by one point, earning Darin partial credit.

_________________

Darin Only

Bucs over Rams

Rams won big

0 points

The Rams dominated, proving Darin wrong on the late-season surge.

__________________________

Ed Only

Seahawks win by 20+ vs. Titans

Seahawks won by 6

0 points

Ed's bullish pick failed to reach the 20-point margin.

______________

Ed Only

Steelers over Bears

Bears won

0 points

Steelers lost, leaving Ed stuck on 2 points for the week.

Week 12 Score:

• Darin Hayes: 3 Points
• Ed Kleese: 2 Points

Season Standings: The Race is Neck-and-Neck

The difference remains razor-thin heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Total Season Points (Week 12 Complete)

Darin Hayes: 56 Points

Ed Kleese: 54 Points

Darin maintains a two-point advantage, but with three bonus picks available this week, the lead is very much in jeopardy.

Week 13 Bonus Picks: Thanksgiving MVP

For Week 13, Darin and Ed introduced three bonus picks: selecting the MVP of each of the three Thanksgiving Day games, worth three extra points apiece.

Game 1: Lions vs. Packers

• Darin’s MVP Pick:Jameer Gibbs(Lions RB)
• Darin is betting on the Lions' versatile running back to break out in the traditional early slot.
• Ed’s MVP Pick:Jordan Love(Packers QB)
• Ed believes Love, who has been shaky all year, will have a pivotal breakout game, leading the Packers to a late comeback victory.

Game 2: Chiefs vs. Cowboys

• Darin’s MVP Pick:Nick Bolton(Chiefs LB)
• Darin picks a defender, believing the Chiefs’ middle linebacker will have a big performance helping shut down the explosive Cowboys offense.
• Ed’s MVP Pick:George Pickens & CeeDee Lamb(Cowboys Receivers - Shared Award)
• Ed anticipates the Cowboys' receiving corps to dominate, sharing the MVP award on their home turf in Dallas.

Game 3: Bengals vs. Ravens (Late Game)

• Darin’s MVP Pick:Joe Burrow(Bengals QB)
• Darin expects Burrow to return from his minor injury with little rust and carry the Bengals to a win over their AFC North rivals.
• Ed’s MVP Pick:Derrick Henry(RB)
• Ed is betting on a running back to exploit the opposing defense, declaring Henry will simply "run them over" on a chilly Thanksgiving night in Baltimore.

Week 13 Standard Picks

Here are the complete Week 13 Standard Picks:

Darin

 Chiefs over   Cowboys

KC vs. DAL

Darin believes the KC defense will be the hero, holding Dallas to 27 points or less, while Mahomes scores enough to secure the win. He also cites historical animosity from the "Dallas Texans" era.

Darin

 Bengals over  Ravens

CIN vs. BAL

Darin expects Joe Burrow to shake off injury concerns and lead a high-scoring Bengals offense (potentially 38-35) past the Ravens, despite Baltimore's strong running game.

Darin  

Eagles over Bears

PHI vs. CHI

Darin agrees with Ed that the Bears' win streak ends. He highlights weather as a major disruptive factor for the Bears' precision passing game, favoring the Eagles' run-heavy approach with Hurts and Barkley.

Darin 

Steelers over Bills

PIT vs. BUF

Darin makes a bold pick for his Steelers, citing key injuries on the Bills' offensive line (both tackles potentially out) which will allow Pittsburgh's pass rush to keep Josh Allen under siege. He believes the Steelers pull out the home win.

Darin

Texans over Colts

HOU vs. IND

Darin sees the Texans on the rise and the Colts' armor showing "chinks" recently. He picks the Texans to take out the Colts by a score of seven points or less.

___________________

Ed

Packers over Lions (Upset)

GB vs. DET

Ed is picking against the Lions, believing they are "just not that great anymore." He thinks Jordan Love is due for a big game and will lead the Packers to a close victory on Thanksgiving.

Ed

Ravens over Bengals

BAL vs. CIN

Ed hints strongly at this pick, reinforcing his Derrick Henry MVP pick. He believes the Ravens' running attack will dominate the Bengals' "porous" defense.

Ed

Eagles over Bears

PHI vs. CHI

Ed believes the Bears' luck runs out on Black Friday. While he isn't bullish on the Eagles' offense, he thinks their defense will "bottle up" Caleb and the Bears, holding them to 17 points or fewer.

Ed

Bills over Steelers

BUF vs. PIT

Ed agrees the game will be close, but ultimately believes Josh Allen will bounce back and lead a late, final-drive victory in Pittsburgh, though the Steelers will cover the spread.

Ed

Jets over Falcons (Upset)

NYJ vs. ATL

Ed sees the Jets playing hard and being a more "competent professional offense" with Tyrod Taylor. He acknowledges it will be an "ugly game that nobody watches," but predicts the Jets pull off the minor upset.
What’s Next?

With a jam-packed schedule and nine total points up for grabs this week, Thanksgiving promises to be one of the most consequential weeks of the year for Darin and Ed. Will Darin hold onto his narrow 56-54 lead, or will Ed use the bonus points to finally take the season lead? Tune in next week for the dramatic results!

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Mentioned in this episode:

Sports History Theme Song

This theme song was produced by Ron "Tyke" Oliver of Music Meets Sportz

https://sites.google.com/view/sportsfanztastic/sports-history-network?authuser=0