The fascinating thing about predicting anything is that
the prognostication itself is a function of existing data and the better (and
if you’re doing it on the fly, the faster) one is able to collect, prioritize
and analyze relevant data, the easier it is to make a prediction. In a sport
with as many moving parts and dynamic variables as Football, the game is
exciting as a result.
That said, I consistently prove that while my football
knowledge is elite (or at least I think so lol)... my gambling skill is worse
than the Kansas City Chiefs. For a second consecutive week, I did not play the
pool and again I finish with a strong 11-3 count.
It’s also apparent I should never pick the Raiders if I
ever want to see them win anything ever again. #weepfailsleep
73-49
After a horrendous start to the year, I’m storming back.
Cue the Black Stallion theme.
Colts at Jags
It’s really exciting to see a young team led by a rookie
getting the game quickly inspired by their coach’s off-field fight to bring the
fight on the field week in and week out. After last year’s awful season, the
Colts are turning in one of the best stories of the year and at 5-3 are looking
playoff bound. Luck gets a chance to show off his wares on the road against a
division rival, albeit the bottom feeder Jags, and cement the Colts as a
favorite for a wildcard spot. There are still questions about the Colts defense
but fortunately for them this week, the Jags are unlikely to take advantage of
it. It’s a pity to see Jacksonville’s defense go to waste every week.
Colts
Lions at Vikings
Tough call. The Lions are on a roll climbing back to
respectability after looking really bad for the first portion of the season but
at the half way point, they’ve revitalized themselves on both sides of the ball. They’ll need it; Adrian Peterson comes in
playing better football than I have seen him play since his rookie campaign. The
Vikes are looking to bounce back after a tough loss to the surprising Colts
and, at home in a divisional rivalry, should be able to hang a few scores,
dominate the clock with AP and suffocate the Lions’ offense just enough to win
out. It’s a tough call but I’m going with the home team.
Vikings
Giants at Bengals
Boy it couldn’t be a worse time for the Bengals to host
the G-men. The Giants certainly can go through funks (as we’ve seen over the
past few years) but they lost a
heartbreaker at home in the wake of Sandy and have otherwise been one of the
stronger squads this season. The Bengals are reeling with four straight losses
so expect the Giants to do the same as the last four have.
Giants
Titans at Dolphins
Titans have looked resilient at times this season for a
3-6 team but that defense is still swiss cheese and the Dolphins even at a
middling 4-4 have looked strong. At least strong enough with Tannehill at the
helm to put up points and win at home. I like the Dolphin defense at home, too
and that should seal the deal if they can bottle up CJ2k.
Dolphins
Bills at Patriots
The Patriots already own the Bills to begin with but
Buffalo is moving backwards and moving backwards fast. It’s disappointing that
a team with both CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson can put up duds on offense
regardless of the competition but that’s the kind of offense the Bills have.
After getting smacked by the Pats in Buffalo earlier in the year, I don’t
expect them to come into town and beat the Pats coming off a bye, coming off a
beatdown.
Patriots
Falcons at Saints
My upset bid of the week. The Falcons are the class of
the NFC right now at 8-0, no doubt but they are due for a loss and it is better
to get it out of the way and there is no better game to do it than against an
explosive offense like New Orleans’. It’ll allow them to reassess what they
need to do on defense to shut down big game QBs, something they’ll have to deal
with if they hope to win a Super Bowl. The Saints have turned their season
around and may be feeling a little bit of their own magical Cinderella pixie
dust with all the turmoil and chaos surrounding their franchise right now. The
Saints are still fairly whack on defense but they are also at home in tha Bayou
and I just think the Falcons are due for a let down.
Saints
Chargers at Bucs
The Bucs ran the ball something wicked all over the faces
of the Raiders. I yelled. I cursed. I wept. The Bucs are stronger than most
realize and Doug Martin didn’t run shod on a bad Raider run D (in fact they had
been good most of the year)... he ran all over them like he had run all over
the Vikings who are ALSO strong against the run. The Chargers are tough against
the run too but I don’t expect that to matter much as the rookie has really
found his groove and it really opens things up for what is also a big game
passing attack for Tampa. Expect VJ to light up the Charger secondary, Rivers
to continue making peculiar errors and the Chargers to shoot themselves in the
foot on the road, traveling East against a tough Buccaneer team.
Bucs
Broncos at
Panthers
So this guy Peyton’s pretty good. I can’t even imagine
what the win +/- is for the Broncos without him. Definitely a 3-5 swing from
5-3 but probably even worse than that. He has revitalized the organization and
they are looking primed to win the West. They’ve won a lot of close games which
leaves the door open for a strong opponent to give them trouble but the
Panthers are not that strong team even coming off their second win of the
season over the struggling Redskins. I still have questions about Cam’s new
offense as it still looks all over the place and the Panther defense is a mess
(which sucks when you have to deal with Peyton). Even on the road, the Broncos
should continue their roll.
Broncos
Raiders at Ravens
I’m not even going to mess with this.
Ravens (go
RAIIIDERRRRSSS now you have my blessing, JUST WIN BABY!)
Jets at Seahawks
I can’t seem to figure out what my opinion on the Jets
actually is. They aren’t very good. They’re not good in the passing game, they
aren’t good in the running game, they aren’t as good as they usually are on
defense, their special teams are meh, and their coach has just been voted the
most overrated coach in the league. All that amounts to a rank mediocrity. The
Seahawks on the other hand, despite being manned by a rookie QB, are underrated
offensively, powerful defensively and even more intimidating at the latter when
at home. Which they are. Lynch runs rampant. Wilson throws a couple scores.
Defense gives up nothing. Carroll hustles Sanchez.
Seahawks
Cowboys at Eagles
If you thought the Eagles were bad against the mediocre
Saints’ rush, then wait until you see how offensive their offensive line will
be when the Cowboys come to town. The Cowboys are solid on defense and would be
a top five unit if it weren’t for the unending vomit of mistakes from the other
side of the ball that puts them in a position to fail. That won’t be a problem
on the road against Philly where they will play tough divisional ball, chase
Vick around the field all day, and play better away from big D as they almost
always do.
Cowboys
Rams at Niners
The Rams look so promising at points. It just really won’t
matter when they travel to San Fran and deal with a surging Niners team. This
can, like all NFC West games these days, be a tightly contested one but I just
don’t see the Rams being able to bottle up Frank Gore all day long and I can’t
even imagine how much of a difference Amendola will make in scoring on the
Niner defense at home. Niners continue to roll.
Niners
Texans at Bears
The game of the week no doubt. Two 7-1 teams that run the
ball well, play stellar defense and have enough moxie and guts to win any game
on any day. However, only one of these teams walks away 8-1 and that team will
be the Houston Texans. It’s true that the Bears defense has been monstrous all
season and that Cutler has consistently shown a chemistry with Brandon Marshall
that seems to supercede every coverage and doubleteam. The wildcard for the
Texans’ offense will be to balance Arian Foster with the passing game where
Andre Johnson has been shut down by strong corner play and there isn’t anyone
in football playing better than Charles Tillman right now. I had initially picked the Texans to win for a couple of reasons but mostly because of Tillman's possible absence for the birth of his child. So why am I changing my pick? Because if there was a player in this game that could change the way the game might play out, it's Tillman. I don't even know why I'm starting Andre Johnson in my fantasy league. Game
of the week, I tell you. You may as well toss a coin. But I’m going with the
Bears
Chiefs at Steelers
Yawn. It would take a grand meltdown or injury-fest for
the Steelers to lose this one. The Chiefs are a mess. If they win this week, I’m
sending Romeo Crennel a bouquet of roses. It’s a really good thing I won’t have
to do that.
Steelers
Dig it.
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