Tarvaris Jackson might not be Brett Farve or Peyton Manning, but, somehow, he is winning.

Well, the Soothsayer hopes that you all had a good Thanksgiving week, and by good, we mean profitable. How profitable was it for the Soothsayer? Here is how we did on turkey week:

What We Got Right: the Packers, Cowboys, Colts, Jaguars, Browns, Seahawks, Vikings, and Buccaneers

What We Got Wrong: the Titans, Raiders, Panthers, Cardinals, Bears, Ravens, Patriots, and Steelers

The Soothsayer was perfect on Thanksgiving, was doing great on the 1:00 PM games, and then the 4:00 games and later was a dagger in the Soothsayer’s back. The Soothsayer had to tell little Susy Soothsayer that she can put away all the brochures for the good schools and start checking out the community colleges after this week.

Overall for the week, the Soothsayer was 8-8, bringing us to 85-79-10, 0.518 PCT.

Now, here are this week’s selections.

Packers (+7) over COWBOYS

Do we like the Cowboys at home? Sure do. That said, we do not like the Cowboys by a full touchdown, as this is going to be a very tough, very close game that 98% of the people reading this will not be able to watch. Hey, do not blame me – blame the man, and by the man, we mean the NFL Network. The NFL has to know that the NFL Network is for the hardcore fans, not all fans, so put on a game that only the hardcore fans will care about, and do not punish the rest. Seriously, Jets/Dolphins would have been a great game to put here. Oh, yeah, we get that fun game later. In the meanwhile, to reiterate, Cowboys win, but do not cover and no one watches.

Bills (+6) over REDSKINS

Yep, another road dog here, and unfortunately this selection is for sad reasons. The death of Sean Taylor might sound like a great rallying point, but in reality, it is a big loss for the Redskins and is one that will be extremely emotionally draining on the team. To expect the Redskins will have their heads completely in this game is delusional, and the Redskins simply do not have the talent on the bench to replace a Pro Bowler like Taylor on short notice.

VIKINGS (-3.5) over Lions

Somehow, Tarvaris Jackson finds a way to win, and is 5-2 as a starter. No, we really do not get it either. Of course, last week, the win was due to the defense, not Jackson, although Jackson played quite well when called upon, completing 10 of 12 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. Chester Taylor is likely the running back once again this week, and he has shown over the last two weeks that he can perform just as well as that other running back. Following up on his monster Week 11, Taylor went out and rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown on Week 12, and he caught two passes for 12 yards. The Lions meanwhile are floundering, with back-to-back losses now. Further, while they are 4-2 in Detroit, they are 3-3 on the road, and this certainly is not going to be in Detroit.

Falcons (+4) over RAMS

The Soothsayer originally missed this game because all the usual online players were not taking any action on this game and not even listing a line. Why? Because no one cares, that’s why. We do not care either – we picked a winner only because we have to, and our rule all year has been never to pick the Rams or Dolphins, regardless.

TITANS (-4) over Texans

The Texans are not good on the road, with only two wins in six games so far. Matt Schaub so far has proven to be a mediocre quarterback at best, and last week he passed for 256 yards and two touchdowns but also tossed the ball twice to the Browns, and for the season, in ten games, he has as many touchdowns (9) as interceptions. Schaub continues to prove that there is no more overrated player in the eyes of fans and analysts in the sport than the backup quarterback. Vince Young, for all his faults, is not backup quarterback material.

Jaguars (+7) over COLTS

The Jaguars have been the best team in the league that no one is talking about, but this game will change that. The move to David Garrard has paid off brilliantly for the Jaguars, and he still has yet to throw an interception. In the Jaguars win last week of the Bills, Garrard passed for 296 yards and a touchdown. The running game has been solid all season, whether it is Fred Taylor or Maurice Jones-Drew picking up the carries. In the Bills’ game, it was Taylor, as he rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown. The Colts won big on Thanksgiving, but one must keep in mind that it was against the hapless Falcons. Further, the Colts were down 10-0 after the first quarter, and they were trailing until there was six minutes left in the half. The Colts have not been the same since the leaves fell – not that they can really tell that in the dome – and the Jaguars will take advantage of that this week.

Jets (+1) over DOLPHINS

I know, I know, but seriously, we set the rule weeks ago – no picking the Dolphins, no matter what. This might be the worst game the NFL has seen since the Colts were in the AFC East and the pre-Peyton Manning Colts would face off twice a season with the pre-Bill Parcells Patriots to see who could get a higher draft pick. This will be one ugly game.