Mark Craig's NFL picks

The NFL and those who partake in it certainly have a lot to be thankful for this week, next week and any other week in which strangers agree to buy them stadiums for playing football and/or monopolizing soccer markets.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is thankful that Adrian Peterson made his mistake at a time when Rog needed his John Wayne moment to make up for his Jerry Lewis moment with Ray Rice. And we're thankful that we're old enough to remember John Wayne and Jerry Lewis, which means we're not young enough to go through life in the head-down position, looking up from Twitter only long enough to snap 24 selfies per hour.

Here are some other thankful moments for Week 13:

CAR +2½ at MIN

Vikings 27, Panthers 21

The Vikings are thankful for Aaron Rodgers being one year and two more Vikings wins closer to retirement.

WAS +9½ at IND

Washington is thankful for the Rams not asking for a fourth first-round pick for RG III.

TEN +7 at HOU

Texans by 10

The Titans are thankful that Goodell hasn't ramrodded an 18-game schedule through the players union. Yet.

CLE +3 at BUF

The LeBrowns are thankful for having as many wins as the LeBrons.

SD +6 at BAL

Ravens by 7

The Ravens are thankful for being 7-3 since the media said Ray Rice was a distraction.

NYG -3 at JAX

Rob Lowe is thankful for a game that will have more Rob Lowe commercials (50ish) than points scored.

OAK +6 ½ at Rams

Rams by 10

The Raiders are thankful for being just awful instead of potentially historically awful.

NO +4 ½ at PIT

We're thankful that we've stopped thinking the Saints are a good team that will turn it around.

STL -6 ½ at ATL

Cardinals by 3

The Falcons are thankful that Goodell's playoff expansion wasn't necessary to keep one of the league's worst teams in the postseason hunt on the eve of December.

NE +3 at GB

Football fans are thankful for games that actually include two good quarterbacks.

DEN -1 ½ at KC

Chiefs by 7

The Chiefs are thankful for a league that wouldn't be surprised if a team lost to Derek Carr and then beat Peyton Manning.

MIA -7 at NYJ

Rex Ryan is thankful for being within five games of becoming someone else's successful defensive coordinator.

CIN -3½ at TB

Buccaneers by 3

The Bucs are thankful that the Tampa 2 defense isn't the Tampa 2-10 defense.

Record

vs. spread: 8-5/ 81-82

Vikings picks: 8-3