How the darts landed

Took the broadside hit of a 9-7 mark last week. Called Chargers over Ravens but got blindsided by most of those other upsets. Also had a miserably failed Upset of the Week call on Jets over Eagles. Oy. Limped in 6-7-3 against the spread (with Lions-Raiders a push and two others off the board). Nailed Colts with points over Titans, and Seahawks and Redskins with points, but there wasn’t enough of that. [Note: Records do not include Thursday result. Pick was Texans (-6) over Colts, 24-20].

Dolphins this week

DOLPHINS (5-9) at PATRIOTS (11-3)

Line: NE by 10.

Cote’s pick: NE 30-23.

TV: 1 p.m. Saturday, CBS.

Too bad for Miami this is not one of those late-season games where Doug Flutie comes out of retirement to play quarterback while Tom Brady makes out with Giselle Bundchen on the sideline because the Patriots have sewn up everything and have no reason to play their stars. New England assures itself home-field advantage throughout the playoffs by winning its last two games – incentive indeed considering beating the Pats in Foxborough in winter is about as tough as beating a Rubik’s cube blindfolded. Dolphins will be much better defensively than in the season-opening 38-24 loss, mainly because they cannot possibly be worse than allowing Brady 517 passing yards. Give Miami a medium outright-upset shot if Reggie Bush (27 yards from 1,000) can stay hot against a beatable English ground-D, although questionable status of Brandon Marshall and Anthony Fasano weakens that possibility. Bottom line? Brady aiming at Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski is a scary thing, and nobody is tougher to beat than the Patriots, at home, in December. Ride Miami getting double-digit points, though. This is NFL’s best losing-record team after Philly right now, and that and Dolphins’ pride and fight will keep this one close.

Game of the week

FALCONS (9-5) at SAINTS (11-3)

Line: NO by 6 1/2.

Cote’s pick: NO 37-27.

TV: 8:30 p.m. Monday, ESPN.

Four games were on the GOTW panel’s Week 16 radar, but this is the only one of them that all but assuredly includes two playoff teams. N’Awlins clinches division title with a win; Atlanta sits pretty for a wild-card spot. Saints have won six straight and Falcs seven of their past nine. Mostly, though, this game earns the Monday stage because Drew Brees is the hottest athlete on earth – 16 TD passes and zero INTs his past five games – and this is the game (see column) in which he’ll likely break Dan Marino’s long-standing season passing-yards record. Cajuns escaped 26-23 in OT in teams’ November meeting, and Matt Ryan is playing better now, so give the ATL an upset shot. But let the following dominate your thinking: Saints are unbeaten at home, and Brees looks unstoppable.

Upset of the week

49ERS (11-3) at SEAHAWKS (7-7)

Line: SF by 2 1/2.

Cote’s pick: SEA 24-21.

TV: 4:15 p.m. Saturday, Fox.

“AAAWWWK!” carols the Upset Bird. “Merry Christmas, joyous Hannukah, happy Kwanzaa, funky Eid and also a shout-out to all our faithless-heathen readers who believe in hothing. Aawwk!” (How the heck do I segue from that to football?) Niners off a short week and facing a letdown after big Monday home win over Steelers. Seattle lost big to Frans in season opener but Seabirds are vastly improved since then all over the field, have won three straight and get an above-average home-field bump. Also, Tarvaris Jackson is playing well and Marshawn Lynch is en fuego. Worth a shot. “Worth a shaawwk,” concurs U-Bird, wearing a green elf’s hat and, inexplicably, a wife-beater T-shirt. “Santa Claus is coming to taaawwwk!”