Following up on this post from July.
To recap, TJ Houshmandzadeh complained about his 91 WR ranking in Madden 10 (sixth best in the NFC), and I pledged to walk to Culver City if he finished with top five stats.
Well, the season stats are in, and TJ was 9th in receptions, 16th in yards, 38th in average, 8th in first downs, and tied for 37th in TDs with a measly 3 TDs over the season. The only positive stat he's in the top five is he's tied for fifth as top target with 135 passes thrown his way.
A down year for him on a lousy team. TJ didn't make the transition from #2 to #1 target, as has happened with a lot of solid #2 wideouts who end up leaving a team for a big contract to become the #1 target for a different team.
Some of his downturn has to do with his QB, and the OL problems at Seattle, but he's also just not a #1 wideout.
Showing posts with label NFL 2009. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL 2009. Show all posts
04 January 2010
19 December 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 15, The Picks
BS didn't add the picks to a column, it's just on his frontpage at ESPN.COM, so I'm just going to copy and paste instead of link:
Colts -3 over JAGS
Cowboys (+8) over SAINTS
RAVENS (-10.5) over Bears
BILLS (+7) over Patriots
Cardinals (-12) over LIONS
CHIEFS (-3) over Browns
Falcons (+6) over JETS
EAGLES (-8) over Niners
Texans (-12.5) over RAMS
TITANS (-4) over Dolphins
BRONCOS (-14) over Raiders
Bengals (+6.5) over CHARGERS
Packers (+2) over STEELERS
SEAHAWKS (-6.5) over Bucs
Vikings (-9) over PANTHERS
REDSKINS (+3) over Giants
My Picks:
San Francisco 49ers (+8.0) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: PHI)
Terrible weather, which favors the road team, as they are more defensively oriented than the pass happy Iggles.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-6.5) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
A team with character would be motivated and extra focused with events like what hit the Bengals this week. They are not a team with character, they are a team with characters, so I expect them to crumble emotionally and get run over by a solid Chargers team in sunny SoCal.
Green Bay Packers (+2.0) over PITTSBURGH STEELERS (BS: GB)
The Steelers have quit, and their defense just isn't that good without Polamalu. Green Bay might be the most dangerous non-dome team in the NFC playoffs (assuming they earn themselves a wildcard).
CAROLINA PANTHERS (+9.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
It's outdoors in December, that can't be good for old man Brett, even if it's in North Carolina, still chilly enough to give him a bit of an ache in those old bones of his. Panthers are a confounding team, though, they could easily lose this by three or four TDs.
New York Giants (-3.0) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: WAS)
The Skins are the best lousy team in the league, and have the talent to beat any other team in the NFL, but they just don't score enough TDs, and they make crucial mistakes at key times. Eli Manning is never great in bad weather, but looks like the blizzard should have passed through DC, so long as the wind isn't blowing, he'll be alright. The Giants should outlast the Skins in a high scoring contest.
Colts -3 over JAGS
Cowboys (+8) over SAINTS
RAVENS (-10.5) over Bears
BILLS (+7) over Patriots
Cardinals (-12) over LIONS
CHIEFS (-3) over Browns
Falcons (+6) over JETS
EAGLES (-8) over Niners
Texans (-12.5) over RAMS
TITANS (-4) over Dolphins
BRONCOS (-14) over Raiders
Bengals (+6.5) over CHARGERS
Packers (+2) over STEELERS
SEAHAWKS (-6.5) over Bucs
Vikings (-9) over PANTHERS
REDSKINS (+3) over Giants
My Picks:
San Francisco 49ers (+8.0) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: PHI)
Terrible weather, which favors the road team, as they are more defensively oriented than the pass happy Iggles.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-6.5) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
A team with character would be motivated and extra focused with events like what hit the Bengals this week. They are not a team with character, they are a team with characters, so I expect them to crumble emotionally and get run over by a solid Chargers team in sunny SoCal.
Green Bay Packers (+2.0) over PITTSBURGH STEELERS (BS: GB)
The Steelers have quit, and their defense just isn't that good without Polamalu. Green Bay might be the most dangerous non-dome team in the NFC playoffs (assuming they earn themselves a wildcard).
CAROLINA PANTHERS (+9.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
It's outdoors in December, that can't be good for old man Brett, even if it's in North Carolina, still chilly enough to give him a bit of an ache in those old bones of his. Panthers are a confounding team, though, they could easily lose this by three or four TDs.
New York Giants (-3.0) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: WAS)
The Skins are the best lousy team in the league, and have the talent to beat any other team in the NFL, but they just don't score enough TDs, and they make crucial mistakes at key times. Eli Manning is never great in bad weather, but looks like the blizzard should have passed through DC, so long as the wind isn't blowing, he'll be alright. The Giants should outlast the Skins in a high scoring contest.
13 December 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 14, The Picks
Sneaking this in just before kick-off.
BS Picks: (found in Part 2 of his massive Tiger Woods mailbag, Part 1 is here)
New Orleans Saints (-10.5) over ATLANTA FALCONS (BS: NO)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-6.5) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
San Diego Chargers (+3.5) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: SD)
Philadelphia Eagles (PK) over NEW YORK GIANTS (BS: NYG)
Arizona Cardinals (-3.5) over SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (BS: SF)
BS Picks: (found in Part 2 of his massive Tiger Woods mailbag, Part 1 is here)
New Orleans Saints (-10.5) over ATLANTA FALCONS (BS: NO)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-6.5) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
San Diego Chargers (+3.5) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: SD)
Philadelphia Eagles (PK) over NEW YORK GIANTS (BS: NYG)
Arizona Cardinals (-3.5) over SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (BS: SF)
05 December 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 13, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks (home teams ALL CAPS)
New Orleans Saints (-9.5) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: WAS)
NEW YORK GIANTS (+2.5) over Dallas Cowboys (BS: DAL)
San Diego Chargers (-13.5) over CLEVELAND BROWNS (BS: SD)
ARIZONA CARDINALS (-3.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
Baltimore Ravens (-3.0) over GREEN BAY PACKERS (BS: GB)
New Orleans ought to roll against Skins, though they may suffer from a big game hangover and have a bit trouble to start. They'll still cover the spread, though.
The Giants aren't as bad as they've looked, and Dallas will do their usual December swoon, so no worries for the Jersey Boys.
Why the hell is the Chargers game the one game that CBS is showing in LA? Seriously, dudes, there's a fun looking Titans at Colts game that we should be watching instead of this crap. Worst team in the league, versus one of the top five teams, results should be predictable, and ugly.
Arizona are hard to figure out, but I still have trouble believing that the Old Man's arm isn't about to fall off any moment, or that he'll start throwing INT after INT like he's supposed to. Leinart should play well again, and as long as Vince Young isn't the other QB, the Cardinals ought to hold on to the lead at the end.
Monday night you've got a QB who loves to hold the ball too long against the Ravens defense. Wouldn't be surprised if Rodgers doesn't make it through the night. Ravens will roll.
My Picks (home teams ALL CAPS)
New Orleans Saints (-9.5) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: WAS)
NEW YORK GIANTS (+2.5) over Dallas Cowboys (BS: DAL)
San Diego Chargers (-13.5) over CLEVELAND BROWNS (BS: SD)
ARIZONA CARDINALS (-3.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
Baltimore Ravens (-3.0) over GREEN BAY PACKERS (BS: GB)
New Orleans ought to roll against Skins, though they may suffer from a big game hangover and have a bit trouble to start. They'll still cover the spread, though.
The Giants aren't as bad as they've looked, and Dallas will do their usual December swoon, so no worries for the Jersey Boys.
Why the hell is the Chargers game the one game that CBS is showing in LA? Seriously, dudes, there's a fun looking Titans at Colts game that we should be watching instead of this crap. Worst team in the league, versus one of the top five teams, results should be predictable, and ugly.
Arizona are hard to figure out, but I still have trouble believing that the Old Man's arm isn't about to fall off any moment, or that he'll start throwing INT after INT like he's supposed to. Leinart should play well again, and as long as Vince Young isn't the other QB, the Cardinals ought to hold on to the lead at the end.
Monday night you've got a QB who loves to hold the ball too long against the Ravens defense. Wouldn't be surprised if Rodgers doesn't make it through the night. Ravens will roll.
28 November 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 12, The Picks
Now that I'm all caught up with results, time for week twelve's humiliation
BS Picks:
(home teams, ALL CAPS)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (-9) over Washington Redskins (BS: WAS)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-14) over Kansas City Chiefs (BS: KC)
Chicago Bears (+10.5) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS (BS: MIN)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (+3) over Pittsburgh Steelers (BS: BAL)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-2.0) over New England Patriots (BS: NE)
All the Sunday games are divisional battles, with the Sunday night game being a virtual playoff game, given that the loser will be out of the playoff hunt. Philly will role up big yards on the Skins, and should win easily, the Chargers will likewise beat up on the Chiefs. The Bears can't be as bad as they have looked, and I'm expecting the ancient one's arm to suddenly fall off cause he has no business being a legit MVP candidate at his age, so I expect a Bears upset in Minnesota. Both the Ravens and Steelers have blown games they should have won and now might have to struggle just for a wildcard (unless the Bengals fall apart, which isn't out of the question), I expect the Ravens to bounce back from last week's tough loss, while the Steelers will extend their losing streak to three games.
Monday night is the big game of the week, with the still undefeated Saints. This is their last big test of the season, after this they get road games against Washington, Atlanta and Carolina, and home games against Dallas and Tampa Bay. I don't think the Saints will go undefeated, but if they get past the Patriots, it's a definite possibility. The Pat's are 1-3 on the road, with their only road victory coming against Tampa Bay, so not expecting them to turn around that trend in the Superdome on Monday night.
BS Picks:
(home teams, ALL CAPS)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (-9) over Washington Redskins (BS: WAS)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-14) over Kansas City Chiefs (BS: KC)
Chicago Bears (+10.5) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS (BS: MIN)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (+3) over Pittsburgh Steelers (BS: BAL)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-2.0) over New England Patriots (BS: NE)
All the Sunday games are divisional battles, with the Sunday night game being a virtual playoff game, given that the loser will be out of the playoff hunt. Philly will role up big yards on the Skins, and should win easily, the Chargers will likewise beat up on the Chiefs. The Bears can't be as bad as they have looked, and I'm expecting the ancient one's arm to suddenly fall off cause he has no business being a legit MVP candidate at his age, so I expect a Bears upset in Minnesota. Both the Ravens and Steelers have blown games they should have won and now might have to struggle just for a wildcard (unless the Bengals fall apart, which isn't out of the question), I expect the Ravens to bounce back from last week's tough loss, while the Steelers will extend their losing streak to three games.
Monday night is the big game of the week, with the still undefeated Saints. This is their last big test of the season, after this they get road games against Washington, Atlanta and Carolina, and home games against Dallas and Tampa Bay. I don't think the Saints will go undefeated, but if they get past the Patriots, it's a definite possibility. The Pat's are 1-3 on the road, with their only road victory coming against Tampa Bay, so not expecting them to turn around that trend in the Superdome on Monday night.
RESULTS: Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 11
The Picks:
Washington Redskins (+11) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: WAS)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (+1.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: BAL)
San Diego Chargers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: SD)
CHICAGO BEARS (+3.0) over Philadelphia Eagles (BS: PHI)
Tennessee Titans (+4.5) over HOUSTON TEXANS (BS: TEN)
The Results:
Dallas 7, Washington 6 (Woohoo!)
Indianapolis 17, Baltimore 15 (D'oh)
San Diego 32, Denver 3 (Woohoo!)
Philadelphia 24, Chicago 20 (D'oh)
Tennessee 20, Houston 17(Woohoo!)
Totals, my picks 3-2, BS picks 4-1
Season, my picks 23-31-1, BS 34-20-1
(Bill Simmons is kicking my ass on these picks so far, damn)
Washington Redskins (+11) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: WAS)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (+1.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: BAL)
San Diego Chargers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: SD)
CHICAGO BEARS (+3.0) over Philadelphia Eagles (BS: PHI)
Tennessee Titans (+4.5) over HOUSTON TEXANS (BS: TEN)
The Results:
Dallas 7, Washington 6 (Woohoo!)
Indianapolis 17, Baltimore 15 (D'oh)
San Diego 32, Denver 3 (Woohoo!)
Philadelphia 24, Chicago 20 (D'oh)
Tennessee 20, Houston 17(Woohoo!)
Totals, my picks 3-2, BS picks 4-1
Season, my picks 23-31-1, BS 34-20-1
(Bill Simmons is kicking my ass on these picks so far, damn)
RESULTS: Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 10
The picks:
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-7) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-16.5) over Detroit Lions (BS: MIN)
Dallas Cowboys (-3) over GREEN BAY PACKERS (BS: DAL)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-3) over New England Patriots (BS: NE)
Baltimore Ravens (-10.5) over CLEVELAND BROWNS (BS: BAL)
The Results:
Cincinnati 18, Pittsburgh 12 (D'oh)
Minnesota 27, Detroit 10 (Woohoo!)
Green Bay 17, Dallas 7 (D'oh)
Indianapolis 35, New England 34 (D'oh)
Baltimore 16, Cleveland 0 (Woohoo!)
Me, 2-3, BS, 4-1
Season to date, me 20-29-1, BS 30-19-1
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-7) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-16.5) over Detroit Lions (BS: MIN)
Dallas Cowboys (-3) over GREEN BAY PACKERS (BS: DAL)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-3) over New England Patriots (BS: NE)
Baltimore Ravens (-10.5) over CLEVELAND BROWNS (BS: BAL)
The Results:
Cincinnati 18, Pittsburgh 12 (D'oh)
Minnesota 27, Detroit 10 (Woohoo!)
Green Bay 17, Dallas 7 (D'oh)
Indianapolis 35, New England 34 (D'oh)
Baltimore 16, Cleveland 0 (Woohoo!)
Me, 2-3, BS, 4-1
Season to date, me 20-29-1, BS 30-19-1
RESULTS: Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 9
The picks:
CHICAGO BEARS (-3) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-10) over Miami Dolphins (BS: MIA)
San Diego (+4.5) over NEW YORK GIANTS (BS: SD)
Dallas Cowboys (+3.0) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: PHI)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
The Results:
Arizona 41, Chicago 21 (D'oh)
New England 27, Miami 17 (Push)
San Diego 21, NYG 20 (Woohoo!)
Dallas 20, Philadelphia 16 (Woohoo!)
Pittsburgh 28, Denver 10 (Woohoo!)
That's more like it.
Me, 3-1-1, BS 2-2-1
Season to date: 18-26-1, BS: 26-18-1
CHICAGO BEARS (-3) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-10) over Miami Dolphins (BS: MIA)
San Diego (+4.5) over NEW YORK GIANTS (BS: SD)
Dallas Cowboys (+3.0) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: PHI)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
The Results:
Arizona 41, Chicago 21 (D'oh)
New England 27, Miami 17 (Push)
San Diego 21, NYG 20 (Woohoo!)
Dallas 20, Philadelphia 16 (Woohoo!)
Pittsburgh 28, Denver 10 (Woohoo!)
That's more like it.
Me, 3-1-1, BS 2-2-1
Season to date: 18-26-1, BS: 26-18-1
RESULTS: Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 8
Better late than never.
The picks:
BALTIMORE RAVENS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-12.5) over San Francisco 49ers (BS: IND)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-16.5) over Oakland Raiders (BS: SD)
GREEN BAY PACKERS (-3.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-11.0) over Atlanta Falcons (BS: NO)
Results:
Baltimore 30, Denver 7 (Woohoo!)
Indianapolis 18, San Francisco 14 (D'oh)
San Diego 24, Oakland 16 (D'oh)
Minnesota 38, Green Bay 26 (D'oh)
New Orleans 35, Atlanta 27 (D'oh)
Me, 1-4, BS 2-3, season, me 15-25, BS 24-16
It's too long ago to remember what the hell I was thinking, but those are the results.
The picks:
BALTIMORE RAVENS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-12.5) over San Francisco 49ers (BS: IND)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-16.5) over Oakland Raiders (BS: SD)
GREEN BAY PACKERS (-3.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-11.0) over Atlanta Falcons (BS: NO)
Results:
Baltimore 30, Denver 7 (Woohoo!)
Indianapolis 18, San Francisco 14 (D'oh)
San Diego 24, Oakland 16 (D'oh)
Minnesota 38, Green Bay 26 (D'oh)
New Orleans 35, Atlanta 27 (D'oh)
Me, 1-4, BS 2-3, season, me 15-25, BS 24-16
It's too long ago to remember what the hell I was thinking, but those are the results.
21 November 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 11, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks (home team ALL CAPS)
Washington Redskins (+11) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: WAS)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (+1.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: BAL)
San Diego Chargers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: SD)
CHICAGO BEARS (+3.0) over Philadelphia Eagles (BS: PHI)
Tennessee Titans (+4.5) over HOUSTON TEXANS (BS: TEN)
All teams (except for Miami and Carolina who played Thursday) have seven games left, and in the next couple of weeks the playoff picture should begin to emerge. In the AFC, Indianapolis is a lock to win their division, while the East is a big muddle (especially if the Patriots slip), the North has the Bengals in control (!) after sweeping both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and it looks like San Diego should take charge of the West when they beat Denver this week. As it stands now, I'd pick Miami, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and San Diego as the likely division winners, with both Baltimore and Pittsburgh sneaking in with wildcard births, unless Tennessee pulls off the unlikely 10 game winning streak, and finishes 10-6 after starting 0-6, which seems less unlikely than it did a few weeks ago.
In the NFC, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Arizona should all have no trouble winning their divisions, with the only division in doubt being the East. After losing four straight, it would be easy to dismiss the Giants, but they are the same team that won their first five, and their non division games against Atlanta, Denver, Carolina, and Minnesota are winnable (assuming Minnesota will already be locked into a 1 or 2 seed and have nothing to play for that week). The Giants should rally, and should get to 11-5 to finish the year, it helps they have the best coach in the division (which isn't saying much when your competition is Wade Phillips, Jim Zorn, and Andy Reid). I think Philly and Chicago will sneak in with the wildcard births to round out the NFC playoff picture.
Playoffs are a long way off, though, injuries could shuffle these divisions, and a lot of it doesn't matter, cause there's a clear top two in both conferences, with Cincinatti and Indianapolis likely to meet in the AFC Championship, and New Orleans and Minnesota a near mortal lock to meet in the NFC Championship.
(sorry Trooper York, no Manning v Manning Superbowl in Miami)
My Picks (home team ALL CAPS)
Washington Redskins (+11) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: WAS)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (+1.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: BAL)
San Diego Chargers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: SD)
CHICAGO BEARS (+3.0) over Philadelphia Eagles (BS: PHI)
Tennessee Titans (+4.5) over HOUSTON TEXANS (BS: TEN)
All teams (except for Miami and Carolina who played Thursday) have seven games left, and in the next couple of weeks the playoff picture should begin to emerge. In the AFC, Indianapolis is a lock to win their division, while the East is a big muddle (especially if the Patriots slip), the North has the Bengals in control (!) after sweeping both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and it looks like San Diego should take charge of the West when they beat Denver this week. As it stands now, I'd pick Miami, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and San Diego as the likely division winners, with both Baltimore and Pittsburgh sneaking in with wildcard births, unless Tennessee pulls off the unlikely 10 game winning streak, and finishes 10-6 after starting 0-6, which seems less unlikely than it did a few weeks ago.
In the NFC, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Arizona should all have no trouble winning their divisions, with the only division in doubt being the East. After losing four straight, it would be easy to dismiss the Giants, but they are the same team that won their first five, and their non division games against Atlanta, Denver, Carolina, and Minnesota are winnable (assuming Minnesota will already be locked into a 1 or 2 seed and have nothing to play for that week). The Giants should rally, and should get to 11-5 to finish the year, it helps they have the best coach in the division (which isn't saying much when your competition is Wade Phillips, Jim Zorn, and Andy Reid). I think Philly and Chicago will sneak in with the wildcard births to round out the NFC playoff picture.
Playoffs are a long way off, though, injuries could shuffle these divisions, and a lot of it doesn't matter, cause there's a clear top two in both conferences, with Cincinatti and Indianapolis likely to meet in the AFC Championship, and New Orleans and Minnesota a near mortal lock to meet in the NFC Championship.
(sorry Trooper York, no Manning v Manning Superbowl in Miami)
14 November 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 10, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks (home teams ALL CAPS):
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-7) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-16.5) over Detroit Lions (BS: MIN)
Dallas Cowboys (-3) over GREEN BAY PACKERS (BS: DAL)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-3) over New England Patriots (BS: NE)
Baltimore Ravens (-10.5) over CLEVELAND BROWNS (BS: BAL)
I'll get around to recapping weeks 8 and 9 later, as far as this week goes, three stinkers, and two intriguing match ups. I differ with BS on the two potentially good games. The Steelers won't get swept by the Bengals, and they ought to pour it on just to prove that they are still the team to beat in their division, so giving up a TD won't be a problem. The Indy Mannings are capable of being beaten by New England, but Peyton is just unbelievable at the moment, and the New England secondary is still kind of old and kind of slow, so coupled with Indy's young recievers and Peyton's knack for playing big during televised night games, I'm taking the home team in that one.
The other three games aren't much worth mentioning, surprised FOX isn't showing the Chargers-Eagles game locally, seems like an odd call to show the crappy Cowboys beat up on the crappier Packers, but whatever works for them.
My Picks (home teams ALL CAPS):
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-7) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-16.5) over Detroit Lions (BS: MIN)
Dallas Cowboys (-3) over GREEN BAY PACKERS (BS: DAL)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-3) over New England Patriots (BS: NE)
Baltimore Ravens (-10.5) over CLEVELAND BROWNS (BS: BAL)
I'll get around to recapping weeks 8 and 9 later, as far as this week goes, three stinkers, and two intriguing match ups. I differ with BS on the two potentially good games. The Steelers won't get swept by the Bengals, and they ought to pour it on just to prove that they are still the team to beat in their division, so giving up a TD won't be a problem. The Indy Mannings are capable of being beaten by New England, but Peyton is just unbelievable at the moment, and the New England secondary is still kind of old and kind of slow, so coupled with Indy's young recievers and Peyton's knack for playing big during televised night games, I'm taking the home team in that one.
The other three games aren't much worth mentioning, surprised FOX isn't showing the Chargers-Eagles game locally, seems like an odd call to show the crappy Cowboys beat up on the crappier Packers, but whatever works for them.
07 November 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 9, The Picks
BS Picks (along with words about his experiences on his current book tour)
My picks:
CHICAGO BEARS (-3) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-10) over Miami Dolphins (BS: MIA)
San Diego (+4.5) over NEW YORK GIANTS (BS: SD)
Dallas Cowboys (+3.0) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: PHI)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
All the games have potential to be interesting, should be some entertaining viewing.
My picks:
CHICAGO BEARS (-3) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-10) over Miami Dolphins (BS: MIA)
San Diego (+4.5) over NEW YORK GIANTS (BS: SD)
Dallas Cowboys (+3.0) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: PHI)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
All the games have potential to be interesting, should be some entertaining viewing.
31 October 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 8, The Picks
BS Picks (which he posted a day late, and I'm using that as my excuse as to why all of my usual Friday posting also got screwed up, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it)
My Picks (only 4 televised games because NBC doesn't schedule a night game against the World Series, so I'm throwing in Denver at Baltimore cause that's the most intriguing game not on TV in Los Angeles this week)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-12.5) over San Francisco 49ers (BS: IND)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-16.5) over Oakland Raiders (BS: SD)
GREEN BAY PACKERS (-3.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-11.0) over Atlanta Falcons (BS: NO)
I can't believe I'm picking all five home favorites in these contests, yet there it is in black and white pixels (unless you have your monitor set in some bizarre way, but if you do, I don't want to know about it).
Baltimore are better than their record, each of their losses having been games they could have won, while Denver are worse than their perfect record indicates, as they've gotten some very good breaks in a few of their wins.
Indianapolis are beasts right now, and San Francisco are not capable of putting up too much of a fight on the road, so the big spread doesn't matter.
Likewise, Oakland has given up, so a road trip down to San Diego won't be inspiring enough to get them going, and San Diego ought to win by four TDs or more, not just the 16.5 points the bookies set the spread at.
The big, big, huge, really, really significant game of the week is the rematch of the Minny Favres vs the Green Bay Ex-Favres. I think the Ex-Favres will have the upper hand, even if half the stadium still end up wearing their old #4 jerseys out of habit while lustily booing their former religious icon.
On Monday Night Football, New Orleans are going to light up the score board, again. Atlanta doesn't have a defense that can slow down the Saints, and they don't have an offense that can keep up, so the Saints should cover that 11 point spread without breaking a sweat, or resorting to having Reggie Bush leap six yards in the air along the side line while just skimming the ball inside the end zone marker (though he may pull off that ridiculous feat, just for the fun of it, video below, at least until the No Fun League asserts their copyright on the clip).
My Picks (only 4 televised games because NBC doesn't schedule a night game against the World Series, so I'm throwing in Denver at Baltimore cause that's the most intriguing game not on TV in Los Angeles this week)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-12.5) over San Francisco 49ers (BS: IND)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-16.5) over Oakland Raiders (BS: SD)
GREEN BAY PACKERS (-3.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-11.0) over Atlanta Falcons (BS: NO)
I can't believe I'm picking all five home favorites in these contests, yet there it is in black and white pixels (unless you have your monitor set in some bizarre way, but if you do, I don't want to know about it).
Baltimore are better than their record, each of their losses having been games they could have won, while Denver are worse than their perfect record indicates, as they've gotten some very good breaks in a few of their wins.
Indianapolis are beasts right now, and San Francisco are not capable of putting up too much of a fight on the road, so the big spread doesn't matter.
Likewise, Oakland has given up, so a road trip down to San Diego won't be inspiring enough to get them going, and San Diego ought to win by four TDs or more, not just the 16.5 points the bookies set the spread at.
The big, big, huge, really, really significant game of the week is the rematch of the Minny Favres vs the Green Bay Ex-Favres. I think the Ex-Favres will have the upper hand, even if half the stadium still end up wearing their old #4 jerseys out of habit while lustily booing their former religious icon.
On Monday Night Football, New Orleans are going to light up the score board, again. Atlanta doesn't have a defense that can slow down the Saints, and they don't have an offense that can keep up, so the Saints should cover that 11 point spread without breaking a sweat, or resorting to having Reggie Bush leap six yards in the air along the side line while just skimming the ball inside the end zone marker (though he may pull off that ridiculous feat, just for the fun of it, video below, at least until the No Fun League asserts their copyright on the clip).
26 October 2009
RESULTS: Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 7
The Picks:
San Diego Chargers (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
Minnesota Vikings (+4.0) over PITTSBURGH STEELERS (BS: MIN)
Atlanta Falcons (+4.0) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: ATL)
NEW YORK GIANTS (-7.0) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
Philadelphia Eagles (-7.0) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: PHI)
Results:
San Diego Chargers 37 (3-3), Kansas City Chiefs 7 (1-6) (Woohoo!)
Blowout win by the Chargers on the road against a division rival. Would have meant more had they pulled off this feat this past Monday against the undefeated Broncos rather than the lowly Chiefs. If this version of the Bolts shows up again the rest of the season, they have a chance to catch Denver, but hard to trust them.
Minnesota Vikings 17 (6-1), Pittsburgh Steelers 27 (5-2) (D'oh)
Minnesota drops their first game, and the Steelers quietly move up to 5-2, despite looking mediocre in most of their games. Both offenses struggled, each producing a single TD in the game, but a 77 yd fumble return for a TD, and an 82 yd TAINT (touchdown after INT) by Pittsburgh in the fourth quarter made up for their offensive ineptitude. Minnesota dominated the game statistically on offense (386 total yards to 259), but couldn't overcome those turnovers. Still don't think the Steelers will make the playoffs, and still expect Minnesota to make it to the NFC Championship, but they'll have to take care of the ball, and do a better job with scoring in the red zone (1-5 against Pittsburgh).
Atlanta Falcons 21 (4-2), Dallas Cowboys 37 (4-2) (D'oh)
Atlanta's secondary made Tony Romo look brilliant. Won't get easier for the Falcon's defense as they're traveling to New Orleans on Monday. If Tony Romo can pick them apart, then Drew Brees will anihilate them. Wouldn't get too excited about Dallas just yet, they're still decidedly mediocre.
Arizona Cardinals 24 (4-2), New York Giants 17 (5-2) (D'oh)
On the bright side for the Giants, they were terrible, yet had a chance to tie the game in the 4th quarter, before Manning let loose his 3rd INT. Arizona aren't looking like a team that's likely to make it back to the Superbowl, but they have to feel good about their chances to keep their division lead in the weak NFC West.
Philadelphia Eagles 27 (4-2), Washington Redskins 17 (2-5) (Woohoo!)
Despite the score, the Eagles stole this game. Their offense was inept, producing zero trips inside the red zone, but they got TDs on a trick play, a long pass play, and a TAINT. Had the Redskins defense shown a bit more discipline and prevented a few big plays, they could have ground out a 14-6 win. The Redskins have a lot of talent, but when 17 points is the best your team can manage (3 times, all losses), can't expect too many victories.
Mostly a lousy week of football. Bill Simmons tweeted a link to this Matt Youmans column about the bookmakers getting beaten up by the bettors because of all the blowouts on Sunday. The way I pick which games to pick (the televised games), means that most of these horrible teams aren't part of my five picks, so I don't get the benefit of fattening up my record with obvious picks against St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland.
Another bad week of picks, totals up to a 2-3 week for me, and an equally bad 2-3 week for My Nemesis, Bill Simmons. For the season, I fall to 14-21 while Bill Simmons total is slightly less impressive than last week, but still decent at 22-13.
San Diego Chargers (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
Minnesota Vikings (+4.0) over PITTSBURGH STEELERS (BS: MIN)
Atlanta Falcons (+4.0) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: ATL)
NEW YORK GIANTS (-7.0) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
Philadelphia Eagles (-7.0) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: PHI)
Results:
San Diego Chargers 37 (3-3), Kansas City Chiefs 7 (1-6) (Woohoo!)
Blowout win by the Chargers on the road against a division rival. Would have meant more had they pulled off this feat this past Monday against the undefeated Broncos rather than the lowly Chiefs. If this version of the Bolts shows up again the rest of the season, they have a chance to catch Denver, but hard to trust them.
Minnesota Vikings 17 (6-1), Pittsburgh Steelers 27 (5-2) (D'oh)
Minnesota drops their first game, and the Steelers quietly move up to 5-2, despite looking mediocre in most of their games. Both offenses struggled, each producing a single TD in the game, but a 77 yd fumble return for a TD, and an 82 yd TAINT (touchdown after INT) by Pittsburgh in the fourth quarter made up for their offensive ineptitude. Minnesota dominated the game statistically on offense (386 total yards to 259), but couldn't overcome those turnovers. Still don't think the Steelers will make the playoffs, and still expect Minnesota to make it to the NFC Championship, but they'll have to take care of the ball, and do a better job with scoring in the red zone (1-5 against Pittsburgh).
Atlanta Falcons 21 (4-2), Dallas Cowboys 37 (4-2) (D'oh)
Atlanta's secondary made Tony Romo look brilliant. Won't get easier for the Falcon's defense as they're traveling to New Orleans on Monday. If Tony Romo can pick them apart, then Drew Brees will anihilate them. Wouldn't get too excited about Dallas just yet, they're still decidedly mediocre.
Arizona Cardinals 24 (4-2), New York Giants 17 (5-2) (D'oh)
On the bright side for the Giants, they were terrible, yet had a chance to tie the game in the 4th quarter, before Manning let loose his 3rd INT. Arizona aren't looking like a team that's likely to make it back to the Superbowl, but they have to feel good about their chances to keep their division lead in the weak NFC West.
Philadelphia Eagles 27 (4-2), Washington Redskins 17 (2-5) (Woohoo!)
Despite the score, the Eagles stole this game. Their offense was inept, producing zero trips inside the red zone, but they got TDs on a trick play, a long pass play, and a TAINT. Had the Redskins defense shown a bit more discipline and prevented a few big plays, they could have ground out a 14-6 win. The Redskins have a lot of talent, but when 17 points is the best your team can manage (3 times, all losses), can't expect too many victories.
Mostly a lousy week of football. Bill Simmons tweeted a link to this Matt Youmans column about the bookmakers getting beaten up by the bettors because of all the blowouts on Sunday. The way I pick which games to pick (the televised games), means that most of these horrible teams aren't part of my five picks, so I don't get the benefit of fattening up my record with obvious picks against St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland.
Another bad week of picks, totals up to a 2-3 week for me, and an equally bad 2-3 week for My Nemesis, Bill Simmons. For the season, I fall to 14-21 while Bill Simmons total is slightly less impressive than last week, but still decent at 22-13.
23 October 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 7, The Picks
BS Picks: (in a sidebar, the column is part 1 of his NBA preview, part 2, here)
My picks (home teams, ALL CAPS)
San Diego Chargers (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
Minnesota Vikings (+4.0) over PITTSBURGH STEELERS (BS: MIN)
Atlanta Falcons (+4.0) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: ATL)
NEW YORK GIANTS (-7.0) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
Philadelphia Eagles (-7.0) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: PHI)
It's an almost all road team week with my picks (the exception being the GIANTS on Sunday Night). San Diego can't be as bad as they looked recently, and the Chiefs are one of the bottom six teams in the league, so even if the Chargers suck, they don't suck so hard where they can't beat up on the lowly Chiefs. Minnesota will maintain their spot in the unbeaten club as they slip by a so-so and unmotivated championship team, that previous year Superbowl hangover is a tough thing to fight. Recent NFL history is full of stinker seasons the year after Superbowl success (New England, the exception in 2004 when they repeated). Atlanta ought to be able to make easy work of Dallas. Arizona will struggle more than the Giants will in foul weather at the Meadowlands, though Eli's history with wind makes this a riskier pick than at first glance. Monday night brings a stinky bit of NFC East craptacularity. The Redskins have given up, they want their coach fired, and they'll make a solid case for it when they fall by more than 3 TDs to their division rival, Eagles.
My picks (home teams, ALL CAPS)
San Diego Chargers (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
Minnesota Vikings (+4.0) over PITTSBURGH STEELERS (BS: MIN)
Atlanta Falcons (+4.0) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: ATL)
NEW YORK GIANTS (-7.0) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
Philadelphia Eagles (-7.0) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: PHI)
It's an almost all road team week with my picks (the exception being the GIANTS on Sunday Night). San Diego can't be as bad as they looked recently, and the Chiefs are one of the bottom six teams in the league, so even if the Chargers suck, they don't suck so hard where they can't beat up on the lowly Chiefs. Minnesota will maintain their spot in the unbeaten club as they slip by a so-so and unmotivated championship team, that previous year Superbowl hangover is a tough thing to fight. Recent NFL history is full of stinker seasons the year after Superbowl success (New England, the exception in 2004 when they repeated). Atlanta ought to be able to make easy work of Dallas. Arizona will struggle more than the Giants will in foul weather at the Meadowlands, though Eli's history with wind makes this a riskier pick than at first glance. Monday night brings a stinky bit of NFC East craptacularity. The Redskins have given up, they want their coach fired, and they'll make a solid case for it when they fall by more than 3 TDs to their division rival, Eagles.
22 October 2009
RESULTS: Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 6
Oops, almost forgot to tally my results from Week 6 NFL Related Humiliation. It was another so-so week.
The picks:
Baltimore Ravens (+3) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEAN SAINTS (-3) over New York Giants (BS: NO)
NEW YORK JETS (-9.5) over Buffalo Bills (BS: NYJ)
Chicago Bears (+3.5) over ATLANTA FALCONS (BS: ATL)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
The results:
Baltimore Ravens 31 (3-3), Minnesota Vikings 33 (6-0) (Woohoo!)
Baltimore's comeback fell short in the win loss column, but they made it where it counts, against the spread. The Vikings rampage to 6-0, but have looked beatable in many of their games. Baltimore continues to struggle defensively, while their offense looks pretty good. If they tighten up a bit on defense, they could finish the season strongly, or maybe they've gotten old and teams will continue to be able to exploit their overly aggressive schemes.
New York Giants 27 (5-1), New Orleans Saints 48 (5-0) (Woohoo!)
New Orleans were far more impressive in staying undefeated than the Vikings were. They appear unstoppable on offense, and opportunistic on defense. Brees has been incredible, while Eli looked more his like late career father, Archie, rather than nearly perfect at the moment brother, Peyton. I guess you can't go home again, don't think Eli enjoyed his first game at the Superdome much. New Orleans will find a way to lose a few games this season, so New England's recent 16-0 season isn't in jeopardy, and by playoff time, other teams might have enough tape on this offensive juggernaut to find some ways to attack in on defense, but at the moment, the Saints offense makes them nearly unbeatable. As far as the Giants go, I blame Joe Girardi, he over-managed in that game (even though he's a manager in a completely different sport, he managed to screw up the Giants, too, this week).
Buffalo Bills 16OT (2-4), New York Jets 13 (3-3) (D'oh)
The Bills are in disarray, they were on the road, and their rookie QB was poised to come back from a couple of bad weeks, or not. Jets stink. Buffalo stink only slightly less.
Chicago Bears 14 (3-2), Atlanta Falcons 21 (4-1) (D'oh)
Bears moved the ball (383 yrd offense, 33:54 time of possession), but 3 turnovers (2 in the Red Zone) turned what should have been an impressive Bears victory, into a defeat. Any record from 6-10 to 11-5 could be possible for that team. The Falcons continue to look really good, and should be considered the favorites to snatch the top wildcard slot in the NFC (they aren't catching New Orleans in the NFC South, so a 12-4 record and a wildcard playoff spot is the best they can hope for)
Denver Broncos 34 (6-0), San Diego 23 (2-3) (D'oh)
I give up on the Chargers. As far as the Broncos go, they continue to win, running their record to a surprising 6-0, behind solid work from Kyle Orton. Given their schedule, they could still drop 6 of their next 8, so that playoff spot isn't theirs yet, but if San Diego doesn't turn things around, nobody else in the AFC West will catch them, and even if they stumble to a 9-7 record, they'd still win their division.
I ended up 2-3, while My Nemesis, Bill Simmons, went 3-2. Another week of mediocrity brings my season total to a still craptacular 12-18, while BS runs his record up to a still impressive 20-10. I've got work to do to catch up.
The picks:
Baltimore Ravens (+3) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEAN SAINTS (-3) over New York Giants (BS: NO)
NEW YORK JETS (-9.5) over Buffalo Bills (BS: NYJ)
Chicago Bears (+3.5) over ATLANTA FALCONS (BS: ATL)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
The results:
Baltimore Ravens 31 (3-3), Minnesota Vikings 33 (6-0) (Woohoo!)
Baltimore's comeback fell short in the win loss column, but they made it where it counts, against the spread. The Vikings rampage to 6-0, but have looked beatable in many of their games. Baltimore continues to struggle defensively, while their offense looks pretty good. If they tighten up a bit on defense, they could finish the season strongly, or maybe they've gotten old and teams will continue to be able to exploit their overly aggressive schemes.
New York Giants 27 (5-1), New Orleans Saints 48 (5-0) (Woohoo!)
New Orleans were far more impressive in staying undefeated than the Vikings were. They appear unstoppable on offense, and opportunistic on defense. Brees has been incredible, while Eli looked more his like late career father, Archie, rather than nearly perfect at the moment brother, Peyton. I guess you can't go home again, don't think Eli enjoyed his first game at the Superdome much. New Orleans will find a way to lose a few games this season, so New England's recent 16-0 season isn't in jeopardy, and by playoff time, other teams might have enough tape on this offensive juggernaut to find some ways to attack in on defense, but at the moment, the Saints offense makes them nearly unbeatable. As far as the Giants go, I blame Joe Girardi, he over-managed in that game (even though he's a manager in a completely different sport, he managed to screw up the Giants, too, this week).
Buffalo Bills 16OT (2-4), New York Jets 13 (3-3) (D'oh)
The Bills are in disarray, they were on the road, and their rookie QB was poised to come back from a couple of bad weeks, or not. Jets stink. Buffalo stink only slightly less.
Chicago Bears 14 (3-2), Atlanta Falcons 21 (4-1) (D'oh)
Bears moved the ball (383 yrd offense, 33:54 time of possession), but 3 turnovers (2 in the Red Zone) turned what should have been an impressive Bears victory, into a defeat. Any record from 6-10 to 11-5 could be possible for that team. The Falcons continue to look really good, and should be considered the favorites to snatch the top wildcard slot in the NFC (they aren't catching New Orleans in the NFC South, so a 12-4 record and a wildcard playoff spot is the best they can hope for)
Denver Broncos 34 (6-0), San Diego 23 (2-3) (D'oh)
I give up on the Chargers. As far as the Broncos go, they continue to win, running their record to a surprising 6-0, behind solid work from Kyle Orton. Given their schedule, they could still drop 6 of their next 8, so that playoff spot isn't theirs yet, but if San Diego doesn't turn things around, nobody else in the AFC West will catch them, and even if they stumble to a 9-7 record, they'd still win their division.
I ended up 2-3, while My Nemesis, Bill Simmons, went 3-2. Another week of mediocrity brings my season total to a still craptacular 12-18, while BS runs his record up to a still impressive 20-10. I've got work to do to catch up.
16 October 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 6, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks
Baltimore Ravens (+3) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEAN SAINTS (-3) over New York Giants (BS: NO)
NEW YORK JETS (-9.5) over Buffalo Bills (BS: NYJ)
Chicago Bears (+3.5) over ATLANTA FALCONS (BS: ATL)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
I expect Minnesota to not play well after their bye week, while Ravens will bounce back from consecutive close losses.
The other early game is the game of the week, and a possible NFC Championship preview. New Orleans looks too powerful on offense, and they have a suddenly decent defense to go with it, so they should match whatever the Giants try to do on either side of the ball.
The Jets have a big spread to cover, but against the woeful Bills, they should have no problem doing it.
Da Bears will look like Da Bears for a week, and Atlanta will only be so-so.
The Chargers will finally make the Broncos look average, some team has to do it at some point, I simply can't fathom the Broncos being 6-0 after Monday Night.
My Picks
Baltimore Ravens (+3) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEAN SAINTS (-3) over New York Giants (BS: NO)
NEW YORK JETS (-9.5) over Buffalo Bills (BS: NYJ)
Chicago Bears (+3.5) over ATLANTA FALCONS (BS: ATL)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
I expect Minnesota to not play well after their bye week, while Ravens will bounce back from consecutive close losses.
The other early game is the game of the week, and a possible NFC Championship preview. New Orleans looks too powerful on offense, and they have a suddenly decent defense to go with it, so they should match whatever the Giants try to do on either side of the ball.
The Jets have a big spread to cover, but against the woeful Bills, they should have no problem doing it.
Da Bears will look like Da Bears for a week, and Atlanta will only be so-so.
The Chargers will finally make the Broncos look average, some team has to do it at some point, I simply can't fathom the Broncos being 6-0 after Monday Night.
12 October 2009
RESULTS: Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 5
Woohoo! Complete, total, and utter humiliation. Weeks like these are always a bracing reminder that picking games against the spread should be done strictly for entertainment purposes only, absolutely no wagering.
The Picks:
Oakland Raiders (+15) over NY GIANTS (BS: NYG)
Dallas Cowboys (-8) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
New England Patriots (-3.5) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
TENNESSEE TITANS (+3.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: IND)
NY Jets (-1.5) over MIAMI DOLPHINS (BS: MIA)
The Results:
Oakland Raiders 7, NY Giants 44 (D'oh)
I guess I have to accept that the Giants (5-0) are the best, or at least one of the top three teams in the league. And that whole bit about Oakland (1-4) being surprisingly frisky for one game, nevermind. Right now there are rumors swirling that both the Raiders and Rams might be angling to get back to Los Angeles (or City of Industry to be more precise). I think I can speak for all of Los Angeles in saying, thanks, but no thanks, we prefer both of those teams just where they are.
Dallas Cowboys 26, Kansas City Chiefs 20 (D'oh)
Missed it by that much. Once it went into overtime, then the game was over as far as the spread was concerned. And in a game pitting one awful Kansas City (0-5) team verus one slightly worse than mediocre Dallas (3-2) team, there's really no caring about this game other than from a gambling aspect, as neither of these teams will be getting even a whiff of post season action.
New England Patriots 17, Denver Broncos 20 (D'oh)
I managed not to tweet any 'yellow in front, brown in back' flavored jokes throughout this game. I feel like that's an accomplishment of sorts as those Denver Broncos (5-0) throwback jerseys were fairly hideous in HD. I've always like the late 70s to mid 80s New England (3-2) jerseys, that goofy football snapping dude in the three cornered hat on their helmet was sort of endearing. As far as the game goes, Orton keeps on getting the job done, so maybe it's time to start believing in the new and much improved Broncos. Either that, or New England just isn't very good right now, and they need to make no mistakes against decent teams if they hope to beat them.
Indianapolis Colts 31, Tennessee Titans 9 (D'oh)
Tennessee (0-5) have collapsed as a team. They are anemic on offense, and porous on defense. That'll earn you a 0-5 start in the NFL. Meanwhile, Indianapolis (5-0) are riding one near perfect Peyton Manning performance after another. If he keeps this up, the Manning v Manning in the Superbowl hype is going to get crazy by week 10 or so. In a scheduling quirk, the Colts get consecutive bye weeks coming up, and don't play a real game till November (OK, not really, but they are off week 6, and play St. Louis week 7, so that's as close to back to back bye weeks as you can get), after that they are going to be involved in some real games, so don't expect an undefeated season from them, and even after this fast start they could stumble to a 10-6 record.
New York Jets 27, Miami Dolphins 31 (D'oh)
New York (3-2) have dropped two in a row, and allowed Miami (2-3) to ram the wildcat down their throat in the closing minutes to snatch away a game that looked like the Jets should have won. Also, who knew Ricky Williams was still capable of being Ricky Williams? When their gimmicks work, Miami looks pretty good, and they have a solid defense, they probably aren't very good overall, but they can compete, and replacement Chad is probably an upgrade over old Chad, so they might be looking at a sort of respectable 8-8 or 9-7 year. The Jets are going to have to tighten up and play the kind of defense they did in their first three victories if they want to look like a playoff team again.
So, that was that, a perfectly dreadful 0-5 week, while My Nemesis had a perfect 5-0 week. I probably wouldn't have picked the Raiders, but for noticing that all my other picks went against Bill Simmons' picks, so I flipped that one just for the heck of it, and I thought there might have been a chance that the Giants would overlook the Raiders, but that didn't happen. At least his beloved BoSox got swept by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, there is some small comfort in that (along with the real Los Angeles baseball team, Los Dodgers, also sweeping their series).
Season totals, I drop to a craptacular 10-15, while Bill Simmons leaps to an impressive 17-8. Next week I won't pick against him just to pick against him.
And I didn't lie, last week in the results I wrote, "Im done with mediocrity, next week I'll bring some spectacularity to my picks.". You can be a spectacular success, or a spectacular failure, in being spectacular I didn't fail, and in failing I was spectacular.
The Picks:
Oakland Raiders (+15) over NY GIANTS (BS: NYG)
Dallas Cowboys (-8) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
New England Patriots (-3.5) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
TENNESSEE TITANS (+3.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: IND)
NY Jets (-1.5) over MIAMI DOLPHINS (BS: MIA)
The Results:
Oakland Raiders 7, NY Giants 44 (D'oh)
I guess I have to accept that the Giants (5-0) are the best, or at least one of the top three teams in the league. And that whole bit about Oakland (1-4) being surprisingly frisky for one game, nevermind. Right now there are rumors swirling that both the Raiders and Rams might be angling to get back to Los Angeles (or City of Industry to be more precise). I think I can speak for all of Los Angeles in saying, thanks, but no thanks, we prefer both of those teams just where they are.
Dallas Cowboys 26, Kansas City Chiefs 20 (D'oh)
Missed it by that much. Once it went into overtime, then the game was over as far as the spread was concerned. And in a game pitting one awful Kansas City (0-5) team verus one slightly worse than mediocre Dallas (3-2) team, there's really no caring about this game other than from a gambling aspect, as neither of these teams will be getting even a whiff of post season action.
New England Patriots 17, Denver Broncos 20 (D'oh)
I managed not to tweet any 'yellow in front, brown in back' flavored jokes throughout this game. I feel like that's an accomplishment of sorts as those Denver Broncos (5-0) throwback jerseys were fairly hideous in HD. I've always like the late 70s to mid 80s New England (3-2) jerseys, that goofy football snapping dude in the three cornered hat on their helmet was sort of endearing. As far as the game goes, Orton keeps on getting the job done, so maybe it's time to start believing in the new and much improved Broncos. Either that, or New England just isn't very good right now, and they need to make no mistakes against decent teams if they hope to beat them.
Indianapolis Colts 31, Tennessee Titans 9 (D'oh)
Tennessee (0-5) have collapsed as a team. They are anemic on offense, and porous on defense. That'll earn you a 0-5 start in the NFL. Meanwhile, Indianapolis (5-0) are riding one near perfect Peyton Manning performance after another. If he keeps this up, the Manning v Manning in the Superbowl hype is going to get crazy by week 10 or so. In a scheduling quirk, the Colts get consecutive bye weeks coming up, and don't play a real game till November (OK, not really, but they are off week 6, and play St. Louis week 7, so that's as close to back to back bye weeks as you can get), after that they are going to be involved in some real games, so don't expect an undefeated season from them, and even after this fast start they could stumble to a 10-6 record.
New York Jets 27, Miami Dolphins 31 (D'oh)
New York (3-2) have dropped two in a row, and allowed Miami (2-3) to ram the wildcat down their throat in the closing minutes to snatch away a game that looked like the Jets should have won. Also, who knew Ricky Williams was still capable of being Ricky Williams? When their gimmicks work, Miami looks pretty good, and they have a solid defense, they probably aren't very good overall, but they can compete, and replacement Chad is probably an upgrade over old Chad, so they might be looking at a sort of respectable 8-8 or 9-7 year. The Jets are going to have to tighten up and play the kind of defense they did in their first three victories if they want to look like a playoff team again.
So, that was that, a perfectly dreadful 0-5 week, while My Nemesis had a perfect 5-0 week. I probably wouldn't have picked the Raiders, but for noticing that all my other picks went against Bill Simmons' picks, so I flipped that one just for the heck of it, and I thought there might have been a chance that the Giants would overlook the Raiders, but that didn't happen. At least his beloved BoSox got swept by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, there is some small comfort in that (along with the real Los Angeles baseball team, Los Dodgers, also sweeping their series).
Season totals, I drop to a craptacular 10-15, while Bill Simmons leaps to an impressive 17-8. Next week I won't pick against him just to pick against him.
And I didn't lie, last week in the results I wrote, "Im done with mediocrity, next week I'll bring some spectacularity to my picks.". You can be a spectacular success, or a spectacular failure, in being spectacular I didn't fail, and in failing I was spectacular.
09 October 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 5, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks
Oakland Raiders (+15) over NY GIANTS (BS: NYG)
Dallas Cowboys (-8) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
New England Patriots (-3.5) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
TENNESSEE TITANS (+3.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: IND)
NY Jets (-1.5) over MIAMI DOLPHINS (BS: MIA)
That's right, I'm picking against every Bill Simmons pick, and I bet that'll be a successful strategy for the week. This might be the worst slate of games in a long time. The televised games are mostly dreadful, and the contests not being broadcast are even worse. Only the Sunday afternoon game might prove to be mildly interesting, the rest are easily ignored. It'll be a good Sunday to head somewhere to take some snaps, hopefully the weather will cooperate.
The Raiders will be surprisingly frisky, and the Giants will play horribly, but win by less than two TDs.
Dallas will dominate a bad team, doesn't make them a good team, just makes them a team that can beat up bad teams.
New England will knock Denver out of the ranks of the unbeaten, and it's about time.
Tennessee will finally put together a decent game at the expense of the Colts.
On Monday night, The Jets will bounce back from last week's loss, and Miami will be woeful at home.
My Picks
Oakland Raiders (+15) over NY GIANTS (BS: NYG)
Dallas Cowboys (-8) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
New England Patriots (-3.5) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
TENNESSEE TITANS (+3.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: IND)
NY Jets (-1.5) over MIAMI DOLPHINS (BS: MIA)
That's right, I'm picking against every Bill Simmons pick, and I bet that'll be a successful strategy for the week. This might be the worst slate of games in a long time. The televised games are mostly dreadful, and the contests not being broadcast are even worse. Only the Sunday afternoon game might prove to be mildly interesting, the rest are easily ignored. It'll be a good Sunday to head somewhere to take some snaps, hopefully the weather will cooperate.
The Raiders will be surprisingly frisky, and the Giants will play horribly, but win by less than two TDs.
Dallas will dominate a bad team, doesn't make them a good team, just makes them a team that can beat up bad teams.
New England will knock Denver out of the ranks of the unbeaten, and it's about time.
Tennessee will finally put together a decent game at the expense of the Colts.
On Monday night, The Jets will bounce back from last week's loss, and Miami will be woeful at home.
05 October 2009
RESULTS: Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 4
The Picks:
Baltimore Ravens (+1.5) over NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (BS BAL)
NY Giants (-9) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS NYG)
Dallas Cowboys (-3) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS DEN)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-6.5) over San Diego Chargers (BS SD)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-3.5) over Green Bay Packers (BS GB)
The Results
Baltimore Ravens 21 New England Patriots 27 (D'oh)
Clayton catches that ball, and Baltimore has a chance to win, but that's not what happened, and the Ravens shouldn't have been in position to scramble back for a win in the fourth quarter in the first place. Even though New England won, still think they're not a lock for the playoffs, and Baltimore still looks like one of the better, if not best, teams in the league right now. Sometimes better teams lose to merely good teams when they make mistakes.
New York Giants 27 Kansas City Chiefs 16 (Woohoo!)
M'eh. Didn't watch any of this, just don't care about the Giants, and with an injury to Manning. If he can play on it, they'll be good, if he can't, or if he plays but less effectively, they're screwed. Time will tell.
Dallas Cowboys 10 Denver Broncos 17 (D'oh)
This Broncos team is 4-0. Really? Really?!? OK, I guess I have to accept that fact, but I don't have to like it, or give them much credit. Do they know that Kyle Orton is their QB? Another game altered by a drop on a catchable 4th down ball late in the 4th quarter. Dallas did everything but put the ball in the endzone all day. They've got some problems against teams that aren't horrible. Have to keep that in mind if they end up playing any more TV games shown in the LA market.
San Diego Chargers 28 Pittsburgh Steelers 38 (Woohoo!)
This looked like a rout at halftime (at 21-0), but then the Chargers woke up. Too little, too late, but made for a touch of excitement in an otherwise lackluster game. San Diego will still catch Denver and win their division, and Pittsburgh will still struggle this season and miss the playoffs, that's my story and I'm sticking too it (at least for a few more weeks).
Green Bay Packers 23 Minnesota Vikings 30 (Woohoo!)
Favre 24/31 271 yards, 3TDs, 0 INT. Damn, that's good for an old guy. "All Day" did not have a great game (Peterson- 25 carries, 55 yards, and a fumble for a TD as the ball was ripped from his grasp), but that didn't slow down the Vikings too much as Favre had his best game as a Viking. The Vikings defense was too much for the Green Bay offensive line to handle, and that was the difference in this game, as Rodgers had an almost great game, too (384 yards, but 1 int, 1 lost fumble, and 1 safety didn't help).
A mediocre 3-2 performance by me, while Bill Simmons was an even more mediocre 2-3. Brings my season total to a perfectly mediocre 10-10, while Bill Simmons drops down a touch to a slightly better than mediocre 12-8.
I'm done with mediocrity, next week I'll bring some spectacularity to my picks.
Baltimore Ravens (+1.5) over NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (BS BAL)
NY Giants (-9) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS NYG)
Dallas Cowboys (-3) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS DEN)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-6.5) over San Diego Chargers (BS SD)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-3.5) over Green Bay Packers (BS GB)
The Results
Baltimore Ravens 21 New England Patriots 27 (D'oh)
Clayton catches that ball, and Baltimore has a chance to win, but that's not what happened, and the Ravens shouldn't have been in position to scramble back for a win in the fourth quarter in the first place. Even though New England won, still think they're not a lock for the playoffs, and Baltimore still looks like one of the better, if not best, teams in the league right now. Sometimes better teams lose to merely good teams when they make mistakes.
New York Giants 27 Kansas City Chiefs 16 (Woohoo!)
M'eh. Didn't watch any of this, just don't care about the Giants, and with an injury to Manning. If he can play on it, they'll be good, if he can't, or if he plays but less effectively, they're screwed. Time will tell.
Dallas Cowboys 10 Denver Broncos 17 (D'oh)
This Broncos team is 4-0. Really? Really?!? OK, I guess I have to accept that fact, but I don't have to like it, or give them much credit. Do they know that Kyle Orton is their QB? Another game altered by a drop on a catchable 4th down ball late in the 4th quarter. Dallas did everything but put the ball in the endzone all day. They've got some problems against teams that aren't horrible. Have to keep that in mind if they end up playing any more TV games shown in the LA market.
San Diego Chargers 28 Pittsburgh Steelers 38 (Woohoo!)
This looked like a rout at halftime (at 21-0), but then the Chargers woke up. Too little, too late, but made for a touch of excitement in an otherwise lackluster game. San Diego will still catch Denver and win their division, and Pittsburgh will still struggle this season and miss the playoffs, that's my story and I'm sticking too it (at least for a few more weeks).
Green Bay Packers 23 Minnesota Vikings 30 (Woohoo!)
Favre 24/31 271 yards, 3TDs, 0 INT. Damn, that's good for an old guy. "All Day" did not have a great game (Peterson- 25 carries, 55 yards, and a fumble for a TD as the ball was ripped from his grasp), but that didn't slow down the Vikings too much as Favre had his best game as a Viking. The Vikings defense was too much for the Green Bay offensive line to handle, and that was the difference in this game, as Rodgers had an almost great game, too (384 yards, but 1 int, 1 lost fumble, and 1 safety didn't help).
A mediocre 3-2 performance by me, while Bill Simmons was an even more mediocre 2-3. Brings my season total to a perfectly mediocre 10-10, while Bill Simmons drops down a touch to a slightly better than mediocre 12-8.
I'm done with mediocrity, next week I'll bring some spectacularity to my picks.
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