Here's Thursday night's pick if you missed it:
http://www.happydoesit.com/17/post/2012/11/week-9-thursday-night-pick-were-not-worthy.html
As a lead-in to this week’s batch of picks, instead of doing a huge intro, I’m going to deal with a few little odds and ends from the past week.
Here in the best picks column in the world, I’m not in the habit of bragging; a braggart betrays a lack of self-confidence, and here, I like to let the results speak for themselves. Having said that, there were a couple of results from last week about which I was particularly pleased. The first was Falcons at Eagles. As I have mentioned before, I have my biases, and I make no apologies for them. I despise the Eagles. I always root against them. It’s not the players themselves; although they’ve employed some of my least favourite players of all time, including Terrell Owens, DeSean Jackson, and Michael Vick, they have also had a lot of great guys worth rooting for, epitomized by this famous play involving one of my favourite Fantasy players ever, Brian Westbrook, and OT Jon “I block like a Republican” Runyan:
http://www.happydoesit.com/17/post/2012/11/week-9-thursday-night-pick-were-not-worthy.html
As a lead-in to this week’s batch of picks, instead of doing a huge intro, I’m going to deal with a few little odds and ends from the past week.
Here in the best picks column in the world, I’m not in the habit of bragging; a braggart betrays a lack of self-confidence, and here, I like to let the results speak for themselves. Having said that, there were a couple of results from last week about which I was particularly pleased. The first was Falcons at Eagles. As I have mentioned before, I have my biases, and I make no apologies for them. I despise the Eagles. I always root against them. It’s not the players themselves; although they’ve employed some of my least favourite players of all time, including Terrell Owens, DeSean Jackson, and Michael Vick, they have also had a lot of great guys worth rooting for, epitomized by this famous play involving one of my favourite Fantasy players ever, Brian Westbrook, and OT Jon “I block like a Republican” Runyan:
The main reason I hate the Eagles so much is because of the Philadelphia fans. You would be hard-pressed to find a more miserable lot, unworthy of the joy that comes with celebrating a winning team. This is a vile group of people who throw snowballs at Santa, cheer the injuries of opposing players and inhabit a stadium that until only recently had its own jail and court for the purpose of expediently dealing with the scum. I have no problem stating that I hope that the Eagles never win a Super Bowl in my lifetime. What I found particularly pleasing about last week’s game was that for an entire week, I had to hear about Andy Reid’s perfect record after bye-weeks. As one “expert” put it, “Andy Reid is 13-0 after the bye week. Sometimes, there’s no need for elaboration.” I’m so glad I’ll never have to hear some lazy, rich, blow-dried, a-hole who doesn’t actually watch the games use that tired line again.
The other game that pleased me to no end was the Miami Dolphins’ dismantling of the New York Jets. First, a little history:
Long story short, Dolphins thump the Jets at home, as Mark Sanchez attempts 54 passes, and is sacked four times (do I really have to comment on this?). Rex shuts up. Jets CB Antonio Cromartie expresses his displeasure with Bush, but manages not to impregnate anyone in the process. Jets suck. The Dolphins, all of a sudden, are playoff contenders. All is right with the world.
Now before I get to the picks, just two more things. First, a shout- out to my buddy and faithful reader (and Giants’ fan, but don’t hold that against him) Chad, who lives in New York. He and his wife endured the recent storm, and they were lucky enough to escape unharmed, with only a loss of electricity for a few days. I’m glad they’re ok.
And finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the Pittsburgh Steelers’ throwbacks from last weekend. No commentary that I could give would top the reaction of my wife, who, upon seeing the hideous jerseys, was immediately reminded of…
- Before the teams’ previous meeting in week 3, Rex Ryan said that he wanted his defence to “Put some hot sauce…” on Bush, a reference to a 2006 game in which Jets LB Bart Scott, then with the Ravens, deliberately injured Bush, then with the Saints. The Ravens’ defensive coordinator: Rex Ryan.
- Bush left the week 3 game with a knee injury, as did Jets CB Darrelle Revis. Bush’s injury was minor, but Revis’s was season-ending. After the game, Bush was quoted as saying that, with regards to the Revis injury, “What goes around comes around.”
- Rex Ryan, trash talker extraordinaire, in advance of the week 8 game, thinks that Bush should apologize for what he said. In the meantime, Ryan’s idiot/thug players, taking the cue from their moronic coach, talked about “knock(ing) (Bush) out,” and “head hunting,” while Saint Ryan claimed that his “hot sauce” comments had nothing to do with wanting to injure Bush.
Long story short, Dolphins thump the Jets at home, as Mark Sanchez attempts 54 passes, and is sacked four times (do I really have to comment on this?). Rex shuts up. Jets CB Antonio Cromartie expresses his displeasure with Bush, but manages not to impregnate anyone in the process. Jets suck. The Dolphins, all of a sudden, are playoff contenders. All is right with the world.
Now before I get to the picks, just two more things. First, a shout- out to my buddy and faithful reader (and Giants’ fan, but don’t hold that against him) Chad, who lives in New York. He and his wife endured the recent storm, and they were lucky enough to escape unharmed, with only a loss of electricity for a few days. I’m glad they’re ok.
And finally, I would be remiss if I did not mention the Pittsburgh Steelers’ throwbacks from last weekend. No commentary that I could give would top the reaction of my wife, who, upon seeing the hideous jerseys, was immediately reminded of…
Ravens at Browns
This one should be closer than you might expect. The Ravens are still disorganized and beaten-up on defence, which will put more pressure on their inconsistent offence. The Browns have played well on defence, and have the running game, led by rookie RB Trent Richardson, to give the Ravens fits. Winner: Ravens
Panthers at Washington
With all the negative talk about him lately, I expect that Cam Newton will be extra motivated to win this one. Unfortunately, that’s the wrong approach. So far this season, the offensive play-calling has not succeeded in helping maximize Newton’s abilities. I would love to pick the Panthers in this one, but I don’t trust their coaching staff to make the necessary adjustments to help Newton, since they’ve failed thus far to do so. Meanwhile, on the other side, watch RGIII shine against the Panthers’ struggling defence. Sir Robert looked decent against the Steelers last week, but dropped passes killed a lot of his momentum. Winner: Washington
Cardinals at Packers
Were it not for the fact that the schedule is decided months in advance of the season, I would swear that someone was trying to murder John Skelton; the 49ers last week, Jared Allen and the Vikes the week before, now Clay Matthews. Hang on a second… horrible offensive line… no running game… Kevin Kolb’s ribs… Ken Wisenhunt: I’m watching you! Anyway, Aaron Rodgers still plays for the Packers. Have you seen him? He’s pretty good. Winner: Packers
Lions at Jaguars
The Jags may be able to muster a bit of offence against the suspect Lions’ defence, but Detroit should be able to muster enough offence to counter that. With Matt Stafford throwing the ball 50-60 times a game, someone’s bound to catch a few, right? Maybe Calvin Johnson might even find his way to the end zone. Speaking of Megatron, apparently he didn’t practice this week, so if he has a good game on Sunday, does that mean that practicing with the rest of the Detroit offence is eroding his skills? Winner: Lions
Dolphins at Colts
Andrew Luck has been good at home this season, but this Miami defence will test him sorely. Look for the Dolphins’ pass rush to pressure the rookie QB into enough mistakes to take the pressure off whichever of the capable but unspectacular QBs finds himself behind center for the ‘phins this Sunday. Winner: Dolphins
Bills at Texans
JJ Watt and Mario Williams. Each of these players has been exactly what the other has not, and each man’s performance thus far this season has been representative of his team’s fortunes. This will be ugly; the Bills will be hard-pressed to do much against the Texans’ defence, and Houston’s balanced offence should run roughshod over Buffalo’s defence. Winner: Texans
Broncos at Bengals
Cincinnati, I trusted you, and you broke my heart, but that’s nothing compared to what Peyton Manning’s going to do to you this Sunday. It didn’t have to be this way. Winner: Broncos
Bears at Titans
I expect Titans’ part-time RB Chris Johnson to get knocked around pretty badly against the Bears, putting to rest the talk about the return of CJ2000. Chicago should win comfortably if their offence executes. Winner: Bears
Vikings at Seahawks
Tough one to call here, with two young QBs and two great veteran RBs facing off against two tough defences. The key for both teams is to limit the damage done by Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch, which leaves things up to Christian Ponder and Russell Wilson. Home field, and the struggling Ponder, will make the difference in a close game. Winner: Seahawks
Buccaneers at Raiders
Say what you want about Bucs head coach Greg Schiano, but he has his team playing hard. I’d like Oakland a lot better at home if Tampa Bay’s offence wasn’t playing so well. If the Bucs’ defence neutralizes the Raiders’ running game, Carson Palmer won’t be able to keep the Raiders in this one. Winner: Buccaneers
Steelers at Giants
This one’s being played in New Jersey, at least for now. Having seen the devastation in that state, and with the city of New York making the proper decision (finally) to cancel the New York Marathon, I have to question that logic. After Hurricane Katrina, the NFL moved a Saints home game to, that’s right, New Jersey, where the Giants got a de facto extra home game. Ultimately, I don’t think it matters whether this one takes place at MetLife, Heinz, or a corn field in Iowa, because the Giants’ pass rush is going to harass Ben Roethlisberger into a mistake-filled nightmare. Winner: Giants
Cowboys at Falcons
The Cowboys were keyed-up to defend their home turf last week against the division rival Giants, the results of which were that Tony Romo and co. started out horribly, the Cowboys’ defence played heroically to keep them in it, Romo played off the hook to get his team back in it, and Dez Bryant failed miserably (albeit spectacularly) yet again. It will be a lot tougher for the ‘boys this week; playing desperate against the machine-like efficiency of the Falcons offence, complemented by a solid defence, and in Atlanta to boot, is not a formula for success. Winner: Falcons
Monday Night
Eagles at Saints
Everything I see and hear is pointing me towards an Eagles pick here. The Saints have one of the worst defences in the league, which means that their offence, without sparkplug Darren Sproles, has to pick up a lot of slack. Then I look at Michael Vick. He’s been a turnover machine all season. Then last week, he played it safe, and although he played a clean game, his performance was unspectacular. What will he do? Whichever way I look at it, he’s a loser. Winner: Saints
This one should be closer than you might expect. The Ravens are still disorganized and beaten-up on defence, which will put more pressure on their inconsistent offence. The Browns have played well on defence, and have the running game, led by rookie RB Trent Richardson, to give the Ravens fits. Winner: Ravens
Panthers at Washington
With all the negative talk about him lately, I expect that Cam Newton will be extra motivated to win this one. Unfortunately, that’s the wrong approach. So far this season, the offensive play-calling has not succeeded in helping maximize Newton’s abilities. I would love to pick the Panthers in this one, but I don’t trust their coaching staff to make the necessary adjustments to help Newton, since they’ve failed thus far to do so. Meanwhile, on the other side, watch RGIII shine against the Panthers’ struggling defence. Sir Robert looked decent against the Steelers last week, but dropped passes killed a lot of his momentum. Winner: Washington
Cardinals at Packers
Were it not for the fact that the schedule is decided months in advance of the season, I would swear that someone was trying to murder John Skelton; the 49ers last week, Jared Allen and the Vikes the week before, now Clay Matthews. Hang on a second… horrible offensive line… no running game… Kevin Kolb’s ribs… Ken Wisenhunt: I’m watching you! Anyway, Aaron Rodgers still plays for the Packers. Have you seen him? He’s pretty good. Winner: Packers
Lions at Jaguars
The Jags may be able to muster a bit of offence against the suspect Lions’ defence, but Detroit should be able to muster enough offence to counter that. With Matt Stafford throwing the ball 50-60 times a game, someone’s bound to catch a few, right? Maybe Calvin Johnson might even find his way to the end zone. Speaking of Megatron, apparently he didn’t practice this week, so if he has a good game on Sunday, does that mean that practicing with the rest of the Detroit offence is eroding his skills? Winner: Lions
Dolphins at Colts
Andrew Luck has been good at home this season, but this Miami defence will test him sorely. Look for the Dolphins’ pass rush to pressure the rookie QB into enough mistakes to take the pressure off whichever of the capable but unspectacular QBs finds himself behind center for the ‘phins this Sunday. Winner: Dolphins
Bills at Texans
JJ Watt and Mario Williams. Each of these players has been exactly what the other has not, and each man’s performance thus far this season has been representative of his team’s fortunes. This will be ugly; the Bills will be hard-pressed to do much against the Texans’ defence, and Houston’s balanced offence should run roughshod over Buffalo’s defence. Winner: Texans
Broncos at Bengals
Cincinnati, I trusted you, and you broke my heart, but that’s nothing compared to what Peyton Manning’s going to do to you this Sunday. It didn’t have to be this way. Winner: Broncos
Bears at Titans
I expect Titans’ part-time RB Chris Johnson to get knocked around pretty badly against the Bears, putting to rest the talk about the return of CJ2000. Chicago should win comfortably if their offence executes. Winner: Bears
Vikings at Seahawks
Tough one to call here, with two young QBs and two great veteran RBs facing off against two tough defences. The key for both teams is to limit the damage done by Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch, which leaves things up to Christian Ponder and Russell Wilson. Home field, and the struggling Ponder, will make the difference in a close game. Winner: Seahawks
Buccaneers at Raiders
Say what you want about Bucs head coach Greg Schiano, but he has his team playing hard. I’d like Oakland a lot better at home if Tampa Bay’s offence wasn’t playing so well. If the Bucs’ defence neutralizes the Raiders’ running game, Carson Palmer won’t be able to keep the Raiders in this one. Winner: Buccaneers
Steelers at Giants
This one’s being played in New Jersey, at least for now. Having seen the devastation in that state, and with the city of New York making the proper decision (finally) to cancel the New York Marathon, I have to question that logic. After Hurricane Katrina, the NFL moved a Saints home game to, that’s right, New Jersey, where the Giants got a de facto extra home game. Ultimately, I don’t think it matters whether this one takes place at MetLife, Heinz, or a corn field in Iowa, because the Giants’ pass rush is going to harass Ben Roethlisberger into a mistake-filled nightmare. Winner: Giants
Cowboys at Falcons
The Cowboys were keyed-up to defend their home turf last week against the division rival Giants, the results of which were that Tony Romo and co. started out horribly, the Cowboys’ defence played heroically to keep them in it, Romo played off the hook to get his team back in it, and Dez Bryant failed miserably (albeit spectacularly) yet again. It will be a lot tougher for the ‘boys this week; playing desperate against the machine-like efficiency of the Falcons offence, complemented by a solid defence, and in Atlanta to boot, is not a formula for success. Winner: Falcons
Monday Night
Eagles at Saints
Everything I see and hear is pointing me towards an Eagles pick here. The Saints have one of the worst defences in the league, which means that their offence, without sparkplug Darren Sproles, has to pick up a lot of slack. Then I look at Michael Vick. He’s been a turnover machine all season. Then last week, he played it safe, and although he played a clean game, his performance was unspectacular. What will he do? Whichever way I look at it, he’s a loser. Winner: Saints
RSS Feed