Here in KC, we got a rude awakening on Thursday morning. 10 inches of snow dumped on the roads and sub-zero temperatures, the perfect early Christmas present. Luckily I was able to work from home on Thursday, and I was ensured of not being distracted because our dish was covered with snow and the door to the balcony was frozen shut, so no TV for us until it melted.

Now that I've thawed out a bit, here are this week's NFL picks.

NE at BUF: Could the Patriots actually be getting...[gasp]...healthy? Too bad half of their defense is already on IR and won't be coming back this year. NE

CLE at CIN: The Bengals of the last few years lose this game. But the Bengals of the last few years wouldn't have won last week either. Too bad they couldn't beat the Colts. CIN

HOU at TEN: Will people actually go to this game? "Hey honey, let's go. We don't want to miss the first quarter or we might not see David Carr get sacked 3 times or the Titans go three-and-out 4 times!" TEN

STL at MIN: I'm confused. The Vikings are really 7-5? Are you kidding me? If it was anyone else, I'd pick an upset. But the Rams? MIN

OAK at NYJ: You'd think the Raiders would have the slight advantage over the team with no offense, but then you'd realize that the Raiders have quit on their coach. NYJ

CHI at PIT: If I hear one more story about the Bears defense, I might scream. Let's not all lose sight of the fact that the Bears offense is incapable of scoring from outside the five yard line. PIT

TB at CAR: The Panthers make no sense to me. They lose to the Saints, then they beat the Patriots. They barely beat the Bills, then they blow out the Patriots. CAR

IND at JAX: It's unfortunate that this is the Colts' toughest road test for the rest of the year, since the Jags are still starting David Garrard. At least we'll be spared from hearing about how great the Colts offense is for a week, since Jacksonville will at least be able to keep it close. IND

NYG at PHI: The Giants season can be most accurately summed up by the video clip of Jeremy Shockey mugging for the camera at the end of their game against Seattle, then realizing halfway through that his kicker missed the field goal. The look of complete confusion on his face is priceless. NYG

WAS at AZ: The Cardinals are slowly making their way to respectability thanks to an offense that is actually enjoyable to watch. However, they're a very one-dimensional team that even the Redskins can still handle. WAS

SF at SEA: It's like my whole world is upside-down. Are the Seahawks really going to win the NFC? This just isn't right. SEA

KC at DAL: The Chiefs have been eminently underwhelming on the road, and Dallas should have just enough to beat them. DAL

BAL at DEN: Oh man, I though Denver was primed for their collapse now that Jake Plummer has reverted back to himself, but the Ravens on the road? Not a chance. DEN

MIA at SD: It's hard to believe that the Dolphins are 5-7, considering the absence of a quarterback on their roster. That just goes to show you how bad the AFC East has been. SD

DET at GB: How is this game on during prime time? Even before the season there was no chance either of these teams would be good, so why would ESPN want this rubbish? GB

NO at ATL: The Falcons may be sliding, but they can always count on a win against the Saints. Behold the most boring NFL rivalry. Hebert! Everett! Heyward! The Saints and Falcons renew their storied rivalry only on ABC! ATL