In the latest incarnation Brady appears as Baltimore’s most famous writer, Edgar Allen Poe. Rather than penning poems or dark stories, the character in this headline is diagramming football plays.

As of Monday the New England Patriots are listed as 7-point favorites over the Baltimore Ravens for their NFL Week 14 game on Monday Night.

Congratulations to the New York Jets. Gang Green has accomplished what many thought was impossible: Team Bowles is an underdog to the San Francisco 49ers.

There are plenty of pivotal games to the NFL playoff picture this week, starting with New England at Houston on Sunday night. Pittsburgh at Cincinnati should not only be a very entertaining game to watch, it will play a critical role in the Bengals’ quest for a first round bye, and whether or not the Steelers make the playoffs. Other important games include Oakland at Denver, Dallas at Green Bay, Buffalo at Philadelphia, Washington at Chicago and Indianapolis at Jacksonville.

The 10-2 New England Patriots seek to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2002 when they travel to Houston to face the 6-6 Texans on Sunday. The Patriots need a win to keep even with Denver and Cincinnati in the race for a first round bye in the AFC, while Houston looks to overtake Indianapolis for the lead in the AFC South.

NFL Week 14 has one of the best Thursday night matchups of the season, as the 8-4 Minnesota Vikings travel west to face the 10-2 Arizona Cardinals.

In NFL Week 14 Early Advanced betting lines, the Westgate in Las Vegas has initially installed the New England Patriots as 3.5 point road favorites over the Houston Texans. Jacksonville is a 1-point favorite over Indy, the Broncos are favored by 6.5 over Oakland, and Carolina is an 8-point favorite over Atlanta.