NFL Picks Week 17

We have made it. The final week of the regular season. First, last week's results:

Points: Redskins, Falcons, Bills, Packers, Cowboys (push in my favor), Bears, Rams, Steelers, Seahawks and Raiders for a record of 10-5

Victories: Titans, Falcons, Pats, Packers, Browns, Eagles, Vikings, Colts, Cowboys, Bears, Rams, Saints, Seahawks and Raiders for a record of 14-2 (Chargers and Dolphins let me down)

So let's see the games:

Falcons (-1) @ Buccaneers: PICK'EM! The Falcons have been a major disappointment this year and the Bucs are at home. I'll go with Tampa

Victory: Buccaneers

Panthers @ Saints (-7): Saints have everything locked up so the spread is a little lower. I expect the Panthers to run the ball a lot. It's close but I have to go NO.

Points: Saints
Victory: Saints

Cowboys @ Giants (-6): I think this game will be close but the Giants have not done well against the spread at home (1-5-1). Give me the Cowboys

Points: Cowboys
Victory: Cowboys

Lions @ Packers (-8): Rodgers will carry them kicking and screaming to another win.

Points: Packers
Victory: Packers

Jaguars @ Texans (-6.5): Texans will take this win and prepare for Wild Card Weekend

Points: Texans
Victory: Texans

Dolphins @ Bills (-4.5): Dolphins now have the worst QB situation of any of the AFC East teams and it will show today.

Points: Bills
Victory: Bills

Jets @ Patriots (-13.5): The Jets have perfected the tank over the last two weeks. There may be hope for them yet. But for now, despite the high spread, I have to go NE.

Points: Pats
Victory: Pats

Cardinals @ Seahawks (-13.5): This spread is a bit high too, but this time I'm going against it. Seattle has clinched a playoff berth so will they go gung ho?

Points: Cardinals
Victory: Seahawks

Bears @ Vikings (-4.5): Now we get into some interesting action, because games that affect playoffs will be played simultaneously. The Bears have a chance to determine who their WC opponent will be. Vikings are playing for their lives. I will take Minny

Points: Vikings
Victory: Vikings

Eagles (-6.5) @ Redskins: If what I predicted above happens, then the Eagles are eliminated no matter what they do. If the Bears win, then the Eagles control their destiny. They have found something with Foles late, so I will take them, but they will be out.

Points: Eagles
Victory: Eagles

Browns @ Ravens (-6): We come to another situation. If the Ravens win, they clinch the AFC North. They lost to the Browns earlier this year. The Ravens remind me of the Rex Ryan Jets. Ground and Pound and defense. The Ravens will win the division

Points: Ravens
Victory: Ravens

Bengals @ Steelers (-14.5): UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm going out on a major limb here. The Steelers this year have been very up and down. They will be keeping an eye on the Browns-Ravens game. Their defense is garbage. If the Ravens start to pull away, I think the Steelers will go in the tank. It's a gamble, but I could see it.

Points: Bengals
Victory: Bengals

Chargers (-6.5) @ Broncos: The Chargers losing to the Ravens last week took the power away from them. They will beat up on a Broncos team that will be looking for a change

Points: Chargers
Victory: Chargers

Raiders @ Chiefs (-13.5): Unfortunately for the Chargers (and the Pats to an extent), the Chiefs get a respite after reeling the past couple of weeks. Raiders will fight but the Chiefs have too much.

Points: Chiefs
Victory: Chiefs

Niners @ Rams (-10): I was going to pick this as the upset, until I discovered that the Rams have not clinched everything. They also will looking at the Bears score. Nevertheless, the Rams need to get going and I think they will

Points: Rams
Victory: Rams

Colts (-3) @ Titans: Very simple. Winner goes to the playoffs and the loser goes home. Andrew Luck is 10-0 against Tennessee and there seems to be doubt if Mariota will go. If he was healthy, this would have been my upset. As it is though...

Points: Colts
Victory: Colts

I want to thank all of you who have gotten back to me on this feature. If you want, let me know here or on Facebook or on Twitter if you want me to do a playoff edition. Thanks

NFL Picks Week 16

Previously:

Points: Texans, Browns, Colts, Bengals, Ravens, Redskins, for a total of 6-7 (eek!)

Victories: Texans, Browns, Colts, Falcons, Bears, Vikings, Bengals, Ravens, Saints for a total of 9-7 (meh)

Seems that I am fading. Oh well. ONTO THIS WEEK!

Redskins @ Titans (-10): A very important game for both teams. Redskins are still hampered by injuries, but I still can't trust this Titans team to score. It took them forever to break the game open against the Giants and the Skins are a better defense. Titans will win but it will be close

Points: Redskins
Victory: Titans

Ravens @ Chargers (-4): Another very important game. This line is close. I just think the Chargers will be able to stop Lamar Jackson and the run game

Points: Chargers
Victory: Chargers

Falcons (-3) @ Panthers: The Panthers were game Monday night, but the injury to Cam will limit them. Gimme the Falcons

Points: Falcons
Victory: Falcons

Bills @ Patriots (-13.5): Pats are at home. Theyll win but I will grudgingly take the points for Buffalo

Points: Bills
Victory: Pats

Bengals @ Browns (-9):  When was the last time the Browns were favored by this much? lol. And it is well deserved in this case

Points: Browns
Victory: Browns

Packers (-3) @ Jets: Could have made this my upset but I think Rodgers will pull them through in the end, now that it seems like he will play.

Points: Packers
Victory: Packers

Texans @ Eagles (-1.5): PICK'EM! Was not impressed with the Texans last week and Philly may have found itself again with Foles. Give me Philly

Victory: Eagles

Jaguars @ Dolphins (-4): Fins are home. Gimme Miami

Points: Dolphins
Victory: Dolphins

Vikings (-6) @ Lions: I don't know what to make of the Lions. And the Vikings are so-so. Vikes will win but I will be cautious.

Points: Lions
Victory: Vikings

Giants @ Colts (-9): After that egg last week, I'm not trusting the G-men anymore.

Points: Colts
Victory: Colts

Buccaneers @ Cowboys (-7): Cowboys need this game desperately and I think they will get it.

Points: Cowboys
Victory: Cowboys

Bears (-4) @ Niners: This is another tempting upset pick. But defense does travel and the Bears are the best in the business currently. I will take the Bears

Points: Bears
Victory: Bears

Rams (-14.5) @ Cardinals: Rams have been a mess of late and this spread is huuuuge. Reluctantly, I will give the points

Points: Rams
Victory: Rams

Steelers @ Saints (-6): After beating the Pats last week, I can see the Steelers giving the Saints a challenge. I think this game will be close but the Saints will win

Points: Steelers
Victory: Saints

Chiefs (-2.5) @ Seahawks: UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!
Young QB going into Seattle, where the noise is loud. Seahawks coming off a loss to the Niners and yet the Chiefs are only 2.5 point road favorites. The failures of Mr. Walrus continues late and the Seahawks punch their tickets to the playoffs.

Points: Seahawks
Victory: Seahawks

Broncos (-3) @ Raiders: ANOTHER UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Couldn't help myself. Broncos have lost 2 straight and now have to go on the road to play a Raiders team that have been game at home. Broncs have dropped out. Gimme DA RAIIIIIDERS

Points: Raiders
Victory: Raiders

NFL Picks Week 15

Last Week:

Points: Packers, Giants, Dolphins, Saints, Niners, Seahawks for a record of 6-9 (ouch)

Victories: Titans, Packers, Browns, Chiefs, Giants, Saints, Chargers, Cowboys, Seahawks for a record of 9-7 (meh)

Seemingly I am slipping down the stretch. And I'm off to a bad start again. Thanks to Mr. Walrus Mustache and a nice call by Anthony Lynn (love that decision) I am 0-1 in both categories

Points: Chiefs

Victory: Chiefs

So, once again, if you sitting comfortably, I will begin

Texans (-6.5) @ Jets: If the Texans had beaten the Colts last week, this could have been an Admiral Ackbar situation (look it up). However, they didn't so they will be up to the task. Hope Sam can mature some more.

Points: Texans

Victory: Texans

Browns @ Broncos (-2.5): UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!

A gut punching loss last week by the Broncos against the Niners. They were taken to the woodshed. The Browns, meanwhile, continue to mature and grow. Key in this game will be Nick Chubb against the meh Broncos run defense. Give me the team that has showed me more.

Points: Browns

Victory: Browns

Cardinals @ Falcons (-9.5): Cant trust these Cardinals. I thought they would beat the Lions and they didn't. But will the Falcons run away? No. I don't think so.

Points: Cardinals

Victory: Falcons

Cowboys @ Colts (-3): This is a sneaky good game. Luck against the rejuvenated Dallas defense. And the Colts defense stopped Deshaun Watson a week ago. Because of that, I am taking the Colts

Points: Colts

Victory: Colts

Lions @ Bills (-2): PICK'EM! In the words of Chris Berman, the reason Buffalo lost last week:

OH THOSE BILLS SPECIAL TEAMS! hehe. Anyway give me the Bills in a cold home

Victory: Bills

Packers @ Bears (-6): Bears announced themselves last week against the Rams so there could be a letdown, but with the Pack on the other side, no way. And the Bears want revenge. Game is close though

Points: Packers

Victory: Bears

Dolphins @ Vikings (-7.5): Vikings have clearly been disappointing hence the firing this week, but the Dolphins are a different team away from South Beach. This game I feel is close but give me the Vikings

Points: Dolphins

Victory: Vikings

Raiders @Bengals (-3): sigh......who cares.....Bengals

Points: Bengals

Victory: Bengals

Buccaneers @ Ravens (-7.5): Another interesting game. TB's great offense against the Ravens strong D. But in the end, the crappy D of the Bucs will be the difference

Points: Ravens

Victory: Ravens

Titans @ Giants (-2): PICK'EM 2! G-MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNN!

Victory: Giants

Redskins @ Jaguars (-7.5): Lot of punts here methinks. Jags win but it will be close

Points: Redskins

Victory: Jaguars

Seahawks (-3.5) @ Niners: Interesting spread. Niners showed some fight last week. But I think Seattle is in the playoff push mode. And that spread is just about right.

Points: Seahawks

Victory: Seahawks

Patriots (-2.5) @ Steelers: Pats own the Steelers. Pats own the Steelers. Pats own the Steelers

Points: Pats

Victory: Pats

Eagles @ Rams (-11): Rams are out for revenge. And the Eagles secondary is too weak to counter. Give me the Rams

Points: Rams

Victory: Rams

Saints (-6.5) @ Panthers: Panthers have collapsed. Give me the Saints easy

Points: Saints

Victory: Saints

NFL Picks Week 14

So last week in the points column:
(Cardinals, Giants, Broncos, Rams, Raiders, Jets, Pats, Seahawks, Chargers, Eagles) For a record of 10-5.

In the record column,  I made two picks that I did not intend to. One of them lost (Raiders) one of them won (Chargers) so they cancel each other out. So I will count both
(Ravens, Dolphins, Giants, Broncos, Rams, Titans, Pats, Seahawks, Eagles, Texans, Chargers) for a record of 11-5

So with that out of the way, I took the Jags with the points last night but the Titans to win. So I am
0-1 in points but 1-0 in victories. So if you are sitting comfortably, I will begin.

Falcons @ Packers (-5):  Packers have just fired McCarthy and are in a weird place because their season is over. The Falcons season has been over for a while. I have to go with GB on this but I'm not confident

Points: Packers
Victory: Packers

Ravens @ Chiefs (-6.5): The classic battle of offense and defense. If Flacco was playing, I think I might apt for the Ravens, but Lamar in a hostile environment is not good.

Points: Chiefs
Victory: Chiefs

Panthers (-1.5) @ Browns: PICK'EM!!!! Panthers have gone down the tubes, they're dumping staff left and right. Browns got kicked in the nuts last week, but I think they bounce back this week.

Victory: Browns

Colts @ Texans (-4.5): Man that Colts loss to the Jaguars took a lot of the wind out of this matchup. And I fear it may have taken the wind out of the sails of the Colts as well. Love Houston

Points: Texans
Victory: Texans

Giants (-3.5) @ Redskins: The Redskins went from 2 point favorites to 3.5 point underdogs with the inclusion of Sanchez. I have to agree.

Points: Giants
Victory: Giants

Jets @ Bills (-3.5): It looks like Darnold will come back and play vs Allen. This could be a low scoring affair, but the Bills are just playing better.

Points: Bills
Victory: Bills

Patriots (-7.5) @ Dolphins: Brady seems to struggle playing in two places. In Denver and in Miami. Add to that the fact that the Dolphins are 5-1 at home are are much different there and I think this game will be close

Points: Dolphins
Victory: Patriots

Saints (-9.5) @ Buccaneers: Screams revenge to me. Saints want payback for Week 1. That and coming off of a loss at Dallas. Saints all the way

Points: Saints
Victory: Saints

Bengals @ Chargers (-14): If  this was in Cincy I would give the points. No luck.

Points: Chargers
Victory: Chargers

Broncos (-3.5) @ Niners: Sneaky spread muddled with the loss of Sanders for Denver. I'm gong to take a gamble here and say it will be closer.

Points: Niners
Victory: Broncos

Lions (-3) @ Cardinals: UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!
Cards coming off a massive win in GB could suggest a letdown but the Lions are too Jekyll and Hyde to trust here. And they are in Arizona. Give me the Redbirds

Points: Cardinals
Victory: Cardinals

Eagles @ Cowboys (-3.5): Surprised that it is this low, given what the Cowboys did to the Eagles earlier. Wonder if Vegas knows something about it.. For that, I will play cautious and split

Points: Eagles
Victory: Cowboys

Steelers (-10) @ Raiders: Steelers have to be pissed. Raiders are in trouble,

Points: Steelers
Victory: Steelers

Rams (-3) @ Bears: I think that loss to the Giants may have done some damage to the Bears outside the norm. Blueprints may be out on Nagy and co. Give me the Rams to exploit them

Points: Rams
Victory: Rams

Vikings @ Seahawks (-3): Wilson could very easily be MVP this year for carrying Seattle and the Vikings are basically on life support for the playoffs. I will take Seattle being at home to win.

Points: Seahawks
Victory: Seahawks

NFL Picks Week 13

So I think everybody was shocked Thursday night when the Dallas Cowboys shut down the Saints. Because of that, I am 0-1 in both columns so far. So the only way to go is up. If you are sitting comfortably, then I will begin.

Cardinals @ Packers (-14): This is way too much respect given to a mediocre Packers team with a down Aaron Rodgers. Cardinals defense can play a bit. I don't think they win but I think the Cards cover.

Points: Cardinals
Victory: Packers

Ravens @ Falcons (-1.5): PICK'EM! This game is very close IMO. Might be the toughest game I have had to call in a few weeks. At the end of the day, I think I have to go with the better team, but I can't be sure at all.

Victory: Ravens

Bills @ Dolphins (-3.5): I was thinking of double dipping with the Bills for a second straight week until I read that Miami is 4-1 at home this year. So I will be cautious.

Points: Bills
Victory: Dolphins

Panthers (-3.5) @ Buccaneers: Two collapsing teams. I am very tempted to go the upset here, but the Buccaneers defense is not good enough to pull it off IMO.

Points: Panthers
Victory: Panthers

Bears (-3.5) @ Giants: UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!
The Bears are due for a letdown I think. They almost had one against Detroit on Thanksgiving and the Lions have less talent than the Giants do. Giants should have won against Philly. Give me the Giants

Points: Giants
Victory: Giants

Browns @ Texans (-5.5): This could be a high scoring affair. But the Texans have the saavy to handle the Browns. But it could be close

Points: Browns
Victory: Texans

Broncos (-5) @ Bengals: The Bengals are ripe for the picking now. Give me the Broncos all the way.

Points: Broncos
Victory: Broncos

Colts (-4) @ Jaguars: Same with the Jaguars. Give me the Colts all the way.

Points: Colts
Victory: Colts

Rams (-10) @ Lions: This could be close but I doubt it. I think the Rams win

Points: Rams
Victory: Rams

Chiefs (-15) @ Raiders: Did you know that Jon Gruden is 4-1 against Andy Reid in his career? The Chiefs also have a personnel problem with the Kareem Hunt situation. I have a sneaky feeling about this.

Points: Raiders
Victory: Raiders

Jets @ Titans (-8.5): Despite the Jekyll and Hyde-ness of the Jets defense, I don't trust this Tennessee offense enough to really pour it on. Thus....

Points: Jets
Victory: Titans

Vikings @ Patriots (-5): This could be a very good game, and the Pats aren't as good as they used to be. However, they are at home and they will rise up

Points: Pats
Victory: Pats

Niners @ Seahawks (-10): Blah. Give me Seattle

Points: Seahawks
Victory: Seahawks

Chargers @ Steelers (-3.5): This has the same look as the Bills Dolphins game. Steelers play much better at home than on the road. Thusly I will go the same way I did in that game

Points: Chargers
Victory: Chargers

Redskins @ Eagles (-6.5): Two desperate teams, especially given that the Cowboys won, and give me the healthier home team

Points: Eagles
Victory: Eagles

NFL Picks Week 12

So, I hope all of you had a happy Thanksgiving. I certainly did. I went 2-1 in the points column (Lions lost by 7) and went 3-0 in the victory column. So if you are sitting comfortably, I shall begin:

Patriots (-10) @ Jets: UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEeeeeee.....No just kidding. I can't do that. Pats will wax the floor with the Jets.

Points: Pats
Victory: Pats

Browns @ Bengals (-3): If this was in Cleveland, I would have made this the upset pick of the week. However, I think the spread is perfect and I think Cincy will hold on in a must win game.

Points: Bengals
Victory: Bengals

Jaguars (-3) @ Bills: THE REAL UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After kicking the crap out of a dead team walking, the Bills get another dead team walking in Jacksonville. It's a better defense, but I don't trust Bortles. And it's in Buffalo. Gimme the Bills

Points: Bills
Upset: Bills

Giants @ Eagles (-6): Giants have gotten something going of late with their OL, but they will face a tough test in this one. Nevertheless, I think this game will be close.

Points: Giants
Victory: Eagles

Raiders @ Ravens (-10.5): The spread is the question with this one. The Ravens aren't exactly an offensive firepower team and the Raiders played well on offense against Arizona. But they are coming East. I will cautiously take the Ravens

Points: Ravens
Victory: Ravens

Niners @ Buccaneers (-3): Should be a high scoring fest. Bucs have a scary offense and a scary defense( in the other direction). But again, west coast team coming east. Gimme the pirates

Points: Bucs
Victory: Bucs

Seahawks @ Panthers (-3): You sensing a pattern here? Another west coast team coming east. Plus the Panthers need this win badly after blowing the Detroit game.

Points: Panthers
Victory: Panthers

Cardinals @ Chargers (-12.5): Once again, the spread is the question. This time I will go with it being too high. The Chargers still leave me a bit wary.

Points: Cardinals
Victory: Chargers

Dolphins @ Colts (-7.5): Ever since getting outdueled by Sam Darnold, the Colts have not lost a game. Dolphins are a bit Jekyll and Hyde themselves. Gimme the horses

Points: Colts
Victory: Colts

Steelers (-3) @ Broncos: This one is tough. The Broncos are definitely game and they are at home. But the Steelers defense has played better of late. I will take the Steelers.

Points: Steelers
Victory: Steelers

Packers @ Vikings (-3): Given that they tied in their first matchup this could a playoff elimination game for both teams. Packers need it more. Vikings need to run the ball more and not leave Kirk Cousins out to dry. I will take the Vikings to establish said running game

Points: Vikings
Victory: Vikings

Titans @ Texans (-6.5): Titans are the AFC version of the Lions. Texans are on a roll. Give me the Texans

Points: Texans
Victory: Texans

NFL Picks Week 11

I continue to do nicely with my picks. Last night I took Seattle with the points and I won. (Pushes go to me under my rules). And phooey to Aaron Rodgers for not passing to Marquez Valdes-Scantling more. And say goodbye to Mike McCarthy if rumors are correct. I am 1-0 in both categories

Points: Seahawks
Victory: Seahawks

So Week 11. If you are sitting comfortably, then I will begin,

Bengals @ Ravens:  I do these prediction based on Friday spreads and for the first time that I can imagine, there is no spread released for this game on the major sites. The reason seems to be the uncertainty of Joe Flacco, who is a dealing with a hip injury. It may be Lamar Jackson's time to enter the fray. So I will treat this as a PICK'EM!. Gimme the Bengals.

Victory: Bengals

Panthers (-4.5) @ Lions: Panthers got knocked around by the Steelers last week on Thursday night and have had time to recover. Give me the Panthers in a bounceback

Points: Panthers
Victory: Panthers

Titans @ Colts (-1.5): PICK'EM II! Titans coming off of  a very impressive win against the Pats and for a young team that spells letdown to me. Plus they are in Indy.

Victory: Colts

Cowboys @ Falcons (-3): This game is sneaky to me. Falcons coming off of a crushing loss to the Browns and the Cowboys coming off of a great victory against Philly. Very tempted to pick Dallas again, especially if they can get their running game going, but I think this is the Falcons last stand and will act accordingly. But I will protect myself

Points: Cowboys
Victory: Falcons

Buccaneers @ Giants (-1.5): PICK'EM III! This is easy to me. Cold temperatures in the tristate area and snow all around. Give me the G-Men and the ground game to rule the day

Victory: Giants

Texans (-3) @ Redskins: Houston is the more talented team, they are healthy coming out of the bye and Washington has had problems getting fans in. Give me the Texans

Points: Texans
Victory: Texans

Steelers (-5.5) @ Jaguars: The Jaguars are the SS Titanic right now. And the Steelers are the Bismarck. Go to Wikipedia to get these references. Gimme Pitt.

Points: Steelers
Victory: Steelers

Broncos @ Chargers (-7): I really do like the Chargers to win, but Denver has played divisional games close all year, against the Chiefs being the optimal examples. So gimme Denver with the points.

Points: Broncos
Victory: Chargers

Raiders @ Cardinals (-5.5): See description of Steelers/Jags. Replace the Jags with the Raiders, the Steelers with the Cardinals and the Bismarck with the SS Minnow. Again check Wikipedia. Cardinals are in choppy waters but eventually reach land.

Points: Cardinals
Victory: Cardinals

Eagles @ Saints (-8): If this were the spread in Philly, I would take the points with Philly, but the Eagles have been beaten up and injured and have to go to the dome? Forget it.

Points: Saints
Victory: Saints

Vikings @ Bears (-2.5): I was tempted to make this my upset until I read one interesting factor: The Bears are 14-3 in the last 17 games against Minnesota in Chicago. Combine that with the fact that the Vikings have kind of muddled along at times and gimme the Bears

Points: Bears
Victory: Bears

Chiefs @ Rams (-3.5): You guessed it....
UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Listening on sports radio, I get little tidbits. The Rams apparently went to Colorado to train themselves for the high altitude of Mexico City. Now they have to go back to Los Angeles to play the game there. That's two trips in one week. The home crowd, or lack thereof is another problem. and the Chiefs defense has been coming on of late. Calling the upset.

Points: Chiefs
Victory: Chiefs

NFL Picks Week 10

So we have reached double digits in this endeavor. Last week was another solid week for me. And it got off to a good start yesterday as the Steelers depantsed and demolished the Panthers. Not only did I have Big Ben in fantasy, I took the Steelers with the points. So 1-0 in both columns

Points: Steelers
Victory: Steelers

So we enter the thunderdome once again. If you are sitting comfortably, the I will begin.

Lions @ Bears (-5): This Bears defense is awesome and Mack is getting healthier. The Lions are a total wild card of a team. I might have gone for the upset if this was in Detroit, but in Chicago? No way.

Points: Bears
Victory: Bears

Cardinals @ Chiefs (-16.5): My goodness that spread is huge. I think I have to take the Cardinals just on principal. And I will. The Chiefs defense is a littler better but not great enough to protect that spread

Points: Cardinals
Victory: Chiefs

Patriots (-6.5) @ Titans: The Pats have been quietly going about their business and while the Titans defense is solid, I don't if their offense can score enough to keep it up. You know what I say about the Pats.

Points: Pats
Victory: Pats

Saints (-4.5) @ Bengals: Maybe the game of the day in terms of intriguing matchups. The Saints needed a missed XP to avoid OT with the Ravens on the road and now face the Bengals who can be up and down. Close game I think

Points: Bengals
Victory: Saints

Falcons (-4) @ Browns: This is an interesting line. Browns are trying to settle into their new coaching hires and the Falcons are just trying to survive period. Knowing the Browns, this game will be close but gutwrenching

Points: Browns
Victory: Falcons

Jaguars @ Colts (-3): A few weeks ago, this line would have been ridiculous. But the Jags have fallen into disrepair. After losing to the Jets, the Colts have settled down. Thought about the upset but no.

Points: Colts
Victory: Colts

Redskins @ Buccaneers: There are no odds for this game so PICK'EM! Redskins coming off an embarrassment against Atlanta. The Bucs can put up points no matter who is at QB. Give me the home team

Victory: Buccaneers

Bills @ Jets (-9): The fact that the Jets are favored by 9 shows you how bad this Bills team is thought to be. I can't take that spread in this divisional matchup, although the Jets defense has been solid. And McCown should be able to manage all right. The game to decide if Todd Bowles has a job on Monday.

Points: Bills
Victory: Jets

Chargers (-9.5) @ Raiders: The Chargers surprised me last week. They went into a tough road environment and lit up the Seahawks. Even though it's a divisional matchup, the Raiders are a garbage heap right now.

Points: Chargers
Victory: Chargers

Dolphins @ Packers (-7.5): Packers had 2 straight games slip away from them and I think they take out their anger on Miami, who were lucky to escape last week.

Points: Packers
Victory: Packers

Seahawks @ Rams (-8.5): The loss for the Rams is coming soon, just not this week. Was disappointed in Seattle last week and now they go to Los Angeles.

Points: Rams
Victory: Rams

Cowboys @ Eagles (-4.5): Cowboys on the road are a mess and there is dissention. Eagles take care of business at home.

Points: Eagles
Victory: Eagles

Giants @ Niners (-3):  Wait for it.......
UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
Mullens had a fantastic opening game. But now there is tape on him. Eli knows the end is near and I think puts up one final solid performance coming off the bye. And Giants fans get annoyed because they slip in the draft order

Points: Giants
Victory: Giants

NFL Picks Week 9

Yesterday I made a blunder. I thought that because the Niners announced a late QB move to start Nick Mullens, I picked the Raiders. Dummy me. 0-1 in both categories. Last week, I was .500 against the spread, but 11-3 in the victory column. So as a reminder

Points: Raiders
Victory: Raiders

Sigh. If you are sitting comfortably, then we will begin.

Falcons @ Redskins (-1.5): PICK'EM! To be honest, I have no idea about this game. So I will go by the fact that Washington is 3-1 at home and Atlanta is 0-2 on the road

Victory: Redskins

Bears (-10) @ Bills: The Bills defense played inspired against Tom Brady....and they still got crushed. Worse still, Peterman is back. Side note: I have the Bears D in fantasy hehehe.....

Points: Bears
Victory: Bears

Lions @ Vikings (-5): Is there a team that is more enigmatic in the NFL than the Lions. I can't figure them out. Point spread seems a little low, probably because the Vikings have actually performed better on the road than at home. Coming off a loss against New Orleans should help the Vikings focus I think. But I must give the enigma some consideration

Points: Lions
Victory: Vikings

Chiefs (-8.5) @ Browns: The Browns are breaking in a new HC and OC. I might have taken the points before, but the changes will take a week orso to show themselves, therefore...

Points: Chiefs
Victory: Chiefs

Jets @ Dolphins (-3): UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
Both teams come into this matchup banged up and on a downslide. The key to this game is the fact that the Dolphins run defense has been garbage the last 4 games. And if the Jets can run the football, they can score with any offense, even hurt. Add the Osweiler factor and I think the Jets get a big win for Bowles to keep his job (sigh).

Points: Jets
Victory: Jets

Steelers @ Ravens (-3):  Guess what?
ANOTHER UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
The Ravens are essentially the AFC version of the Lions. They can look good one week and crap the next. The Steelers have to be motivated given the fact that Baltimore embarrassed them at home in prime time about a month ago. The Steelers are starting to click which is dangerous to everyone (except NE)

Points: Steelers
Victory: Steelers

Buccaneers @ Panthers (-6): Carolina is very quietly putting together a nice campaign but they will have to deal with Fitzmagic 2.0 at home. We know how this will go, at least for the first week. However, I'm not calling the upset. Too much faith in Carolina at home

Points: Bucs
Victory: Panthers

Texans @ Broncos (-1): PICK'EM 2! Very interesting point spread. Houston looked like it's old self against Miami while Denver teased the Chiefs. I have to think Houston will pull it out being the better team but maybe they will tire. Nope I'm sticking with talent.

Victory: Texans

Chargers @ Seahawks (-1): PICK'EM 3! Two teams that are trying to stay in contention. It seems that the Chargers always seem to begin to slide at this point of the year. Plus this will be the first home game for the Seahawks since their owner, Paul Allen, died. Combine those two and I have a feeling of, if not a blowout, then maybe close to one.

Victory: Seahawks

Rams (-1.5) @ Saints: PICK'EM 4! This one is tough. But I have to think that getting nearly beaten by the Packers acts as a bit of a wakeup call. The Rams will lose a game or 2 this year, but for some reason I don't think this will be the one.

Victory: Rams

Packers @ Patriots (-5.5): The Packers are coming off of a spirited game against the Rams. Doesn't matter. You know what I think of NE.

Points: Pats
Victory: Pats

Titans @ Cowboys (-5.5): With Amari Cooper in the fold. the Cowboys offense should have another dimension added. Plus they are great at home. Gimme Dallas

Points: Cowbiys
Victory: Cowboys

NFL Picks Week 8

I continue to do well against the spread. 8-4 last week, but only 7-7 in the victory column. If last night was any indication, I may be in for the reverse. I took:

Points: Dolphins
Victory: Texans

The Texans blew out the Dolphins so I am 1-0 in the victory column and 0-1 against the spread. So, if you are sitting comfortably, then I will begin.

Eagles (-3) vs. Jaguars (London): In most cases I would take the Jaguars as my upset pick of the week. They have gone to London more than any other NFL team so they are used to this. And the Eagles have been the disappointment of the NFC (non Giants category). However, the Jags were reported after last week's collapse to be fighting amongst themselves in the locker room. Disunity in the locker room is a bad sign all the way around. For that reason, give me the champs

Points: Eagles
Victory: Eagles

Broncos @ Chiefs (-10): On Monday night a few weeks ago Denver almost upset KC. The KC defense is still shaky. Have to take the points but gimme the same outcome as a few weeks ago.

Points: Broncos
Victory: Chiefs

Jets @ Bears (-7.5): The Jets are in injury hell facing a Bears team that has let two games get away consecutively. I have had a weird feeling about this game all week. Not enough to take the upset, but enough to take the points. I think the Bears, as a young team, will have a bit of a letdown.

Points: Jets
Victory: Bears

Browns @ Steelers (-8): Even though the Browns are improved, they still provide a way to cause sadness for their fans. Steelers are coming off a bye and I think they are out for blood. A medium scoring game but I think the Steelers cover

Points: Steelers
Victory: Steelers

Redskins (-1) @ Giants: PICK'EM! The Giants are getting out of Dodge very quickly. How can I take them, even at home? Against the division leaders?

Victory: Redskins

Seahawks @ Lions (-3): The Lions secondary has improved as the year has gone on and the addition of Snacks Harrison from the Giants should help shore up their poor run defense. The fact that Seattle is on the road confirms it

Points: Lions
Victory: Lions

Buccaneers @ Bengals (-3.5): After being embarrassed in prime time by the Chiefs, I think the Bengals get back to form. The Bucs were very lucky to beat the Browns last week (sigh). Gimme the Tigers

Points: Bengals
Victory: Bengals

Ravens (-2.5) @ Panthers: UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
The Ravens are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Saints while the Panthers are coming off a come from behind victory against the Eagles. And here is a stat to back me up: The Ravens have the top defense in the NFL, but are 7th in yards allowed on the ground compared to 2nd in yds. allowed through the air. The Panthers run oriented offense should be able to move the ball against this defense. Gimme the home team

Points: Panthers
Victory: Panthers

Colts (-3) @ Raiders: The battle of two QBs without any supporting casts around them. This one is tough for me to call, and the spread is very well placed. In the end, give me Luck over Carr.

Points: Colts
Victory: Colts

Niners (-1) @ Cardinals: PICK'EM! This seems to be another suspicious line from Vegas. The Cardinals are the worst team in the NFL. I think Vegas wants us to react to the Niners getting blown out by the Rams. I will not.

Victory: Niners

Packers @ Rams (-9): The largest spread against an Aaron Rodgers led Packers team ever. Packers are coming off of a bye. I think the Packers will get up and keep it close but wont win.

Points: Packers
Victory: Rams

Saints @ Vikings (-1): PICK'EM! For some reason the Vikings seem to struggle at home this year. The Saints, let's face it, got lucky in beating the Ravens. I will take the Vikings, but cautiously.

Victory: Vikings

Patriots (-14) @ Bills: You can see the issue here. That is a humongous spread. And yet I think I have to take it. The Pats have rounded into form and the Bills are out in the cold, literally and figuratively.

Points: Pats
Victory: Pats

NFL Picks Week 7

Last week was a humdinger for me. I lost only 4 games in each category. In the points category, 2 of the 4 games I lost were by half a point. In the victory category, 2 of the 4 games I lost were pick'ems (very even matchups). Only the Giants and Bears really let me down. Speaking of down, I am 0-1 in the Victory Category because I foolishly chose the Cardinals. Why? I have no idea. I was insane. So with that out of the way, if you are sitting comfortably, I will begin.

Chargers (-6.5) vs. Titans (England): The Chargers did something very smart. They stayed in Cleveland after beating up the Browns and flew out of Cleveland to London. I think that will help. Plus the Titans are just so weird. England games have a tendency to be blowouts. Give me the points.

Points: Chargers
Victory: Chargers

Pats (-2.5) @ Bears: If Khalil Mack were totally healthy, I would feel better for the Bears but without that, I don't really like the Bears chances. And again, until they show me reason to doubt, I don't.

Points: Pats
Victory: Pats

Panthers @ Eagles (-5): This game was tempting to me to call the upset. The Eagles kicked the crap out of the Giants but its the Giants. I still think the Eagles are going to win but that spread scares me and the Eagles still scare me.

Points: Panthers
Victory: Eagles

Texans @ Jaguars (-5): Another game that really tempts me to pick it as my upset. But I will not. It will be close. Jags have a problem against mobile QBs the last two weeks, but the Texans have allowed Watson to be the most sacked QB in the NFL this year. Home team pulls it out but close.

Points: Texans
Victory: Jaguars

Vikings (-3.5) @ Jets: This game is too easy for me to call. It's a horrible matchup for the Jets. Jets secondary is too banged up to deal with Minny's receivers. I would be surprised (and pleased) if this game is within 10 points.

Points: Vikings
Victory: Vikings

Bills @ Colts (-7.5): Could be the worst game in the NFL this year. Bills avoiding Pickerman and going with Anderson at QB. The Colts are getting healthier on defense. I think the Colts win but that spread is too big.

Points: Bills
Victory: Colts

Browns @ Buccaneers (-3.5): UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
The Bucs just fired their defensive coordinator. In addition to that, they will be missing key cogs on defense including DT Gerald McCoy and LB Vinny Curry. The Browns are switching RBs, shipping Carlos Hyde off to Jacksonville, giving young Nick Chubb a few more carries. I think the Browns bounce back on the road. and really put Dirk Koetter on the hot seat

Points: Browns
Victory: Browns

Lions (-3) @ Dolphins: This line is suspicious to me. The Dolphins are undefeated at home this year and the heat gives them an added edge. The Lions have been very up and down. This line has a "Vegas knows something" feeling. I will go halfway and hope Vegas has an inkling.

Points: Lions
Victory: Dolphins

Saints @ Ravens (-2.5): One of the more interesting matchups of the year. The key in this game will be Joe Flacco, who has been an enigma his whole career and this year. The Saints defense has regressed from last year. Combine that with the fact that the Saints are out of the dome and it's a good bet on the birds

Points: Ravens
Victory: Ravens

Rams (-10) @ Niners: Last week I played the Niners with the spread against the Pack and got rewarded. This week tempts me again. Adding to the fact that the Rams seem to grind teams out instead of just blowing the doors off is convincing to me to go with the points

Points: Niners
Victory: Rams

Cowboys @ Redskins (-1.5): PICK'EM! The Cowboys have been dominant at home this year, but on the road is another story. Redskins have been Jekyll and Hyde all year. In this case, I think the HFA means a ton. Give me the skins

Victory: Redskins

Bengals (-6) @ Chiefs: Chiefs will bounce back this week against an inconsistent Bengals team that has pulled some rabbits out of their hat.

Points: Chiefs
Victory: Chiefs

Giants @ Falcons (-5): If the Giants can't score over 30 points against this Falcons defense then somebody needs to be fired. The Giants are in disarray, and I will stick with the script that has been their blueprint mostly throughout. Giants defense keeps it close but falls apart late. The Giants do better offensively but it is not enough.

Points: Giants
Victory: Falcons

NFL Picks Week 6

So last night I believed that Saquon Barkley would have a coming out party and the Giants would win. I was right in one regard. He did have a coming out party. Only problem was that he was the only guest and that includes the coaches. 13 carries? SMH. So 0-1 in both categories to begin the week. If you are sitting comfortably, then I shall begin.

Chargers @ Browns (-1): PICK'EM! The Chargers actually showed a backbone last week and beat the Raiders at home and on the road. However they are headed to the Dawg Pound and the Browns are very tough. Gimme the young Browns to continue their rise.

Victory: Browns

Cardinals @ Vikings (-10.5): I almost picked the Cardinals as my upset pick of the week last week and I stopped myself because they were on the road. Shame. As for this week, that is a very high spread to work with. But I think the Vikings, now having tape of Rosen, will be ready for him.

Points: Vikings
Victory: Vikings

Bills @ Texans (-10): I dont know what to make of the Bills. They show up, and they don't show up. In this case, I feel that their past is being overlooked. The Texans needed OT to beat Dallas. This might not get to OT but I think it will be closer than thought.

Points: Bills
Victory: Texans

Panthers @ Redskins (-1): PICK'EM #2! I keep waiting for the Skins pass rush to show up and it doesn't. The Skins lead the NFC Least by default, but I don't like their chances against a stout Carolina defense.

Victory: Panthers

Bears (-3.5) @ Dolphins: This is a tough one to call. I really like the Bears but will they be slowed down by adjustments to Trubisky? I'm not sure. This would be my upset pick of the week secondary, but it's not.

Points: Bears
Victory: Bears

Colts @ Jets (-2.5): I am very much aware of the Jets letdown factor. I know they will not play nearly as well as they did against Denver. However, the other team needs to be able to take advantage of that letdown, and I think the Colts are just too banged up to do it. Looking at a 17-10 or 17-14 game for Gang Green.

Points: Jets
Victory: Jets

Steelers @ Bengals (-1.5):  PICK'EM #3! This is a game and spread that shouts "Vegas knows something" How the Bengals this low favored at home? In my picks 1 and 1.5 are pick'ems. The Bengals have had to rally late recently. And I think they will get burned. Vegas, you better have an inkling.

Victory: Steelers

Seahawks @ Raiders (-2.5): Short and sweet. Got burned by the Raiders last week. Not this time.

Points: Seahawks
Victory: Seahawks

Buccaneers @ Falcons (-3): This has shootout written all over it. Because the Falcons are at home, I give them the slight advantage. If that spread was a little higher, I would have given the Bucs the points. But no

Points: Falcons
Victory: Falcons

Rams (-7) @ Broncos: Broncos got kicked in the groin by the Jets and are regrouping. Rams have to deal with another tough road environment. Once again I think the Rams win but it will be closer.

Points: Broncos
Victory: Rams

Ravens (-2.5) @ Titans: Neither of these teams make much sense. Will the Ravens look good offensively or spit the bit. Baltimore has usually done well against the spread against Tennessee, so on that basis, I will go purple

Points: Ravens
Victory: Ravens

Jaguars (-3) @ Cowboys: UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
After getting taken to the woodshed by the Chiefs, the Jags have to go to another place that is tough to play. The Cowboys have a much better defense than the Chiefs do. And I think the mobility of Prescott will give the Jaguars things to think about defensively. Gimme the home team

Points: Cowboys
Victory: Cowboys

Chiefs @ Patriots (-3.5): The game everybody has been waiting to see. With a long week to plan Belichick should have something cooked up for Mahomes and crew. And then there is the matter of that Chiefs defense on the road. Seen them way too many times to doubt them

Points: Pats
Victory: Pats

Niners @ Packers (-9.5): If I was only picking the spread itself, this would be my upset pick. The Packers offense has been pedestrian even with Aaron Rodgers. And the Niners have shown to be game at times. And that is a big spread.

Points: Niners
Victory: Packers

NFL Picks Week 5

Had a very good week last week. Went 9-5 against the spread. And I am off to a good start. I took the Pats with the points and they covered. So I am 1-0 in both categories to begin the week. So if you are comfortable, let us begin

Titans (-3) @ Bills: The Titans are a team that one can't really figure. They will have info on Josh Allen but they aren't the type of team that blows people out. If the spread was a little higher, I would take the Bills, but I got burned by them last week.

Points: Titans
Victory: Titans

Dolphins @ Bengals (-6): After getting knocked back to reality by the Patriots, the Dolphins need to regroup. The problem is that the Bengals seem to have a penchant for close late wins. Because of that, I will split the difference

Points: Dolphins
Victory: Bengals

Ravens (-3) @ Browns: Mayfield will have a tougher time facing Terrell Suggs and a well schooled Baltimore defense. Flacco has looked the best he has in years.

Points: Ravens
Victory: Ravens

Packers (-1.5) @ Lions: This is essentially a pick'em, so no point spread pick. I still dont trust the Jekyll and Hyde Lions

Victory: Packers

Jaguars @ Chiefs (-1): Another Pick'em! Top offense in the league vs top defense. The key in this game will be TJ Yeldon running the football and keeping the ball away from Mahomes. And seeing KCs run defense against Denver on MNF, why would I trust them?

Victory: Jaguars

Broncos @ Jets (-1): YET ANOTHER PICK'EM! This seems like a SOJ win. giving false belief that Todd Bowles is a good coach and he should stick around. Because of that and all the other factors with Denver, gimme the green

Victory: Jets

Falcons @ Steelers (-3): I know the Pittsburgh offense has not done well but an injured Falcon defense seems to be the ticket to help that. Home team easy

Points: Steelers
Victory: Steelers

Giants @ Panthers (-7): The season is on the brink for the Giants, but this spread seems a bit too high. This will go like seemingly every Giants game has gone the past 2 years. Defense will keep them in it, but offense will fail to score.

Points: Giants
Victory: Panthers

Raiders @ Chargers (-5.5): UPSET PICK OF THE WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!
The Chargers are coming off a game where they barely beat a rudderless Niners team. The Raiders are coming off a spirited comeback to get Chucky his first win. Plus the Raiders are at home. Or at least it will feel like it given the lack of home support given to the Jets of LA.

Points: Raiders
Victory: Raiders

Vikings @ Eagles (-3): This Eagles defense may be one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL this year. They have not looked good at all. Vikings are desperate. They will win

Points: Vikings
Victory: Vikings

Cardinals @ Niners (-4): If the Cardinals were playing this at home, this would have been my upset pick of the week. Instead they have to go to San Fran to play a game Niners team. Sorry Cardinals.

Points: Niners
Victory: Niners

Rams (-7) @ Seahawks: Rams are the best team in the NFL by a lot. Seattle has no OL. Yet Seattle at home scares me a bit. I think its going to be closer than the experts think.

Points: Seahawks
Victory: Rams

Cowboys @ Texans (-3.5): First game for the Houston Texans ever as a franchise, they beat Dallas on MNF. I like the Texans in this matchup because of the mobility of Watson and the pass rush of Houston.

Points: Texans
Victory: Texans

Redskins@ Saints (-6.5): Think the Saints will win. but that Redskins pass rush will make scoring difficult. Expect a tight game

Points: Redskins
Victory: Saints

Have fun

NFL Picks Week 4

My upset pick came early this week. I took the Vikings as 7 point underdogs on the road against the Rams. While the Vikings did not win the game, the Rams did not cover so I am 0-1 in victories but 1-0 with points. Last week was not great. Let's see what happens this week.

Bengals @ Falcons (-5): The Falcons defense is a MASH unit. So the Falcons will need to score points in a big way to keep up with the solid Bengals offense, who were outmuscled by the Panthers. This is close but I think back to back road games close to each other will help the Bengals

Points: Bengals
Victory: Bengals

Dolphins @ Pats (-7): Its put up or shut up time for both teams. If the Dolphins win this, they prove they are for real and will have a 3 game lead on NE. I think it's closer than Vegas thinks. but NE sneaks by

Points: Dolphins
Victory: Pats

Eagles (-4) @ Titans: Philly's defense has not been great this year, but neither has Tennessee's offense. Give me the road team

Points: Eagles
Victory: Eagles

Texans @ Colts (-1.5): The Texans have been a disappointment offensively and somewhat defensively. This is essentially a pick'em, so no points call here. Give me the Colts

Victory: Colts

Lions @ Cowboys (-3): I have no idea what to do with this game. Lions were bad against the run the first two weeks which plays to Dallas' strength. Lions can score a lot of points though, which might make Dak forced to pass. Give me the road team in a minor upset

Points: Lions
Victory: Lions

Jets @ Jaguars (-7.5): The question with this game is the spread. It started at 9 points and has come down to 7.5. Fournette is questionable to play. If it was under 7, I would take the Jags with the points. It's not. And Blake Bortles is still back there playing a game Jets defense.

Points: Jets
Victory: Jaguars

Bills @ Packers (-10): So I guess blowing out Minny didnt count for much, huh? This spread is too high IMO. I like the Pack, but once again, back to back road games close to each other. Bills will be game.

Points: Bills
Victory: Packers

Buccaneers @ Bears (-3): Saw half of Fitztragic/Fitzmagic on Monday Night. I think Fitz will have another average game, but the Bears will sneak on by. This line is perfect. I think Bears will be fine

Points: Bears
Victory: Bears

Browns @ Raiders (-3): What we saw on Baker Mayfield on Thursday is that if you play back, like the Jets did, he can pick you apart. You need a good pass rush to rile him up. Luckily the Raiders...oops. Baker becomes the talk of the league

Points: Browns
Victory: Browns

Seahawks (-3) @ Cardinals: Dont trust a rookie QB against this defense, no matter how ruined it is. They still have the knowledge and power to confuse.

Points: Seahawks
Victory: Seahawks

Giants @ Saints (-3.5): Giants defense has played Bortles, Prescott, and Watson. This is a big step up. The Saints, on the other hand, have not showed they can stop anybody either. Yet, gimme the home team

Points: Saints
Victory: Saints

Niners @ Chargers (-10.5): Well this spread probably flipped the moment JG's injury status became public. I like the Chargers in this game, but that is a huge spread especially for a team that will play road games at home hehehehe.

Points: Niners
Victory: Chargers

Ravens @ Steelers (-3.5): That spread is pretty big for a rivalry game. Ravens will be pumped and the Steelers will have to answer inner questions. Close game

Points: Ravens
Victory: Steelers

Chiefs (-4.5) @ Broncos: Can the Chiefs hot passing attack overcome their league worst passing defense? The Broncos are a solid defense and a balanced offense. I like Mahomes over Keenum but rivalry games in the AFC West are close.

Points: Broncos
Victory: Chiefs

NFL Picks Week 3:

So last week in my first venture in picks I went 6-7 against the spread and 7-7 in terms of victories. Already this week, I am ahead 1-0 in both because I picked the Browns to beat the Jets, who will be looking for a new HC very shortly. Anyway, here we go:

Saints at Falcons (-3): The Saints defense has been a huge disappointment this year, but the Falcons defense is banged up. So this could be a high scoring affair. Give me the Falcons at home

Points: Falcons
Victory: Falcons

Colts at Eagles (-6.5): This point spread scares me. Eagles D has not been quality the first two weeks of the year. I'm going to go split on this one

Points: Colts
Victory: Eagles

Bengals at Panthers (-3): This one to me is a coin flip. But the Panthers are the healthier team and the home team

Points: Panthers
Victory: Panthers

Packers (-3) at Skins: This game is tight. Rodgers vs. a very tenacious pass rush by Washington. In the end. give me the more talented signal caller

Points: Packers
Victory: Packers

Niners at Chiefs (-6):  This could be a shootout. KC has the worst pass defense in the NFL. And the Niners defense is not far behind that. Think this game could be close

Points: Niners
Victory: Chiefs

Broncos at Ravens (-5): UPSET PICK OF THE WEEK: I can't trust Joe Flacco against that Broncos defense. And I think the Ravens defense is a bit overrated because they played Buffalo in Week 1. Give me the road team

Points: Broncos
Victory: Broncos

Bills at Vikings (-16.5): HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. 16.5 point spread in the NFL? Per Trey Wingo it's only happened 3 times in the last 5 years, and the Pats were the favored team each time. If the Bills were at home I would take that spread. But alas they are not.

Points: Vikings
Victory: Vikings

Titans at Jaguars (-6.5): Don't like this spread one bit. Divisional game and the chance for a big letdown for the Jags after last week's romping of NE. Give me those points.

Points: Titans
Victory: Jaguars

Giants at Texans (-6): Another spread that I don't really like.  Two offenses that have struggled against two defenses. I will take Watson over Eli, but give me the points

Points: Giants
Victory: Texans

Raiders at Dolphins (-3):  This could be the double whammy for Miami. A let down and a trap game, looking ahead to a trip to NE. I think Gruden gets his first win here.

Points: Raiders
Victory: Raiders

Chargers at Rams (-7): Give me the Rams as their fanbase will overwhelm the imposter LA team

Points: Rams
Victory: Rams

Cowboys at Seahawks (-3): Another minor upset. After seeing Seattle's OL against Chicago and Dallas's DL against NYG, I can't pick Seattle even at home.

Points: Cowboys
Victory: Cowboys

Bears (-4) at Cardinals: The Cardinals are the NFC version of the Bills. The Bears are the NFC version of the Jets. Gimme DA BEARS

Points: Bears
Victory: Bears

Pats (-6) at Lions: After seeing Sam Darnold stuggle in his last two weeks, the question becomes how bad is this Lions defense. The Pats will put that on full display.

Points: Pats
Victory Pats

Steelers (-2.5) at Buccaneers: If this were at home, I would have picked the Steelers I think. But in Tampa, Fitzmagic will reign again.

Points: Bucs
Victory: Bucs

NFL Picks: Week 2

After thinking about it for a little bit, I thought to myself, Why can't I do NFL picks? If enough people like it, I might do this every week. So the inaugural ADD picks. (Not counting last night when the Bengals held on to beat the Ravens).

Chiefs at Steelers:  Steelers are a 5 point favorite at home after a lackluster tie against Cleveland. Chiefs come in with young Mahomes and a slew of weapons. Ultimately give me the Chiefs with the points but give me the Steelers to survive at home.

Points: Chiefs
Victory: Steelers

Colts at Skins: Washington is a 6 point favorite at home after beating up Arizona last week. Colts started out strong but faded against the Bengals. Washington's pass rush will be tough on Andrew Luck and crew. Give me Washington

Points; Skins
Victory: Skins

Dolphins at Jets: Jets are a 3 point favorite at home after walloping the Lions, while the Dolphins had to wait through two lightning delays to beat Tennessee. I don't think the Jets will have as easy a time against Miami, but Ryan Tannehill has not played well against the Jets in his career. If Darnold can hold onto the ball, the Jets should win

Points: Jets
Victory: Jets

Chargers at Bills:  Chargers are a 7 point favorite on the road. Buffalo may very well be the worst team in the NFL this year, at least the team with the worst QB situation, which showed in a massacre against Baltimore. Easy pickings

Points: Chargers
Victory: Chargers

Panthers at Falcons: Falcons are a 6 point favorite at home. They lost close to Philly. Carolina smothered Dallas. Expect this game to be tight but the home team squeaks out a victory

Points: Panthers
Victory: Falcons

Vikings at Packers:  Pack are a 1 point favorite at home after an all time great comeback against Chicago. Vikings handled San Fran rather easily. This game is a pick'em essentially so no points. I think Minnesota will clamp down on a hampered Aaron Rodgers.

Victory: Vikings

Browns at Saints: Saints are an 8.5 point favorite at home after getting humiliated by the Buccaneers and Ryan Fitzpatrick. The Browns are tough minded and much improved. They will run the ball a lot to keep the ball out of Drew Brees' hands. It won't be enough but it will be close

Points: Browns
Victory: Saints

Eagles at Bucs: Eagles are a 3 point road favorite which is kind of telling. This is my upset special this week. When Ryan Fitzpatrick is hot, he can stay hot for a few weeks. And the Eagles offense was not great against Atlanta. Give me the home team

Points: Bucs
Victory: Bucs

Lions at 49ers: Niners are a 5.5 point favorite at home. After watching the Lions Monday Night, why would I pick them, especially on the road?

Points: Niners
Victory: Niners

Cardinals at Rams: Rams are a massive 12 point favorite at home. This is a case where the point spread is dangerous to play. And yet I can understand why the big margin. I'm going to throw caution to the wind and take the Rams

Points: Rams
Victory: Rams

Patriots at Jaguars: Jags are a 1.5 point favorite at home. Give me the Pats. No explanation needed

Points: Pats
Victory: Pats

Raiders at Broncos: Denver is a 5.5 point favorite at home. I have a feeling this rivalry game will be close so give me the home team

Points: Raiders
Victory: Broncos

Giants at Cowboys:  Dallas is a 3 point favorite at home. This has the feeling of a low scoring affair with two struggling offenses, but the Giants have more playmakers and in the end will pull it out

Points: Giants
Victory: Giants

Seahawks at Bears: Chicago is a 3 point favorite at home. Their defense should be problematic for Russell Wilson but Trubisky has had problems of his own. This might be toughest game for me to call. I'm going to cautiously take Chicago but Seattle with the points

Points: Seahawks
Victory: Bears

What do you think?

Our Lord and Savior, Steve Harvey?

It is very rare in anything to say that one person can make such a big difference in an industry that is known for copycats and regurgitation. But what I am about to say is the absolute truth and I will fight anyone who tries to come at me.

Steve Harvey, by himself, has brought game shows back to life.

In 2010, Family Feud was on life support. The show had been in syndication since 1999, and it was on its last legs. The producers replaced John O'Hurley with Steve Harvey, who had the show more formatted to his humor. The first big result of this was this moment, IMO:

That is the moment Family Feud, IMO, rose from the ashes. The ratings took off and in a few years, Family Feud passed stalwarts Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! to become the top rated game show in syndication.

But that was just the beginning.

ABC, looking for some programming for the summer, decided to bring FF back home (Family Feud, with Richard Dawson aired on ABC from 1976-1985). They commissioned Celebrity Family Feud, which had already flopped with Al Roker on NBC a few years earlier.

This time it wouldn't be a flop.

It was a hit. ABC, sensing a pattern, commissioned more game shows from the past. To Tell The Truth, which has aired in every decade since the 1950s (only TPIR has done that) with Anthony Anderson. The $100,000 Pyramid, whom some consider to be the greatest game show ever, with Michael Strahan. Match Game with Alec Baldwin, which has proven to be the best version since the classic Rayburn version. The Gong Show, with a disguised Mike Myers as host. All of these shows have lasted more than one season and have helped ABC to great and shocking summer success.

In a way, it's not surprising. In an age where we are inundated with negativity from everywhere, it is great to sit back and watch people win stuff and have fun doing it, while we watch and don't have to worry about the next storm or political crisis.

But we would never have gotten to this point if it not for a brilliant decision to hire Steve Harvey to host Family Feud and respark the love that Americans and people in general have for game shows.

It is also ironic that I am typing this right around the 20th anniversary of the previous game show renaissance. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? premiered in Britain in September 1998 and changed the game show format forever. I should do a separate post about that in a few days, but with me and my jumpiness, we will see. hehehehehe

Anyway what's your favorite game show?

Descent into Hell. Fresh, Minty Hell

When most people see or hear the word Mentos two things probably come to mind.

This:

And this:

                                     

I want to talk about the second thing. All of us who watched TV in the 90s remember the Mentos commercials. They were cheesy but catchy, which is what you want in a commercial in the first place. It's like Kars 4 Kids on the radio. But watching them now, a few of them are pretty dumb and stand out as being so. I would like to talk about 3 of these. Let's start with this one.

                                        

Now the premise is simple enough, but what really makes this dumb is the look the kid gives his mom at the end. Its basically saying "FUCK YOU MOM, I HAVE A MENTOS. HAHA". That's just annoying. Plus going to the lengths to not see his mom in public? Jeez, that kid has some issues.

Now number 2:

                                        

Again simple enough, except for the dumbass watching this action takes place. He seems completely dumbfounded. Remember me making fun of the dude watching the TV and thinking this is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Well this is worse because this is simply breaking a hell off of a shoe. "WHAT SORCERY IS THIS?" And at the end he crosses his arms like he's jammin'. No rap group would have a member like that in their posse. If they did, they would be beaten up.

And now the coup de gras.

                                       

This is the worst one of all for several reasons.

1. The look the guy gives the driver in the car makes it look like he passed gas on the seat, sort of a parting gift if you will.

2. The friends cheering on the guy like he's competing at the Olympics. Give me an fucking break

3. The biggest reason of all. Let's set the situation. The guy is separated from his friends by a car. So he decides to enter and go through the car to get to them. WHY DOESN'T HE GO BEHIND THE CAR AND AROUND IT? It's much easier and lessens your chance of pissing people off. Now earlier in the shot you see the front of the car bumper to bumper with another so I guess they want us to assume it's bumper to bumper all the way. But if you look at the shot where he's passing gas in the back seat, you can see through the back window THAT THERE IS NO CAR THERE. So the Mentos answer for this situation IS HARDER THAN THE REAL LIFE SOLUTION!. This guy deserves, in the words of Lewis Black, to be electroshocked for his own good!. My lord this one pisses me off.

Now there is one more thing about these commercials which bothers me. According to Wikipedia and other sources, a lot of these commercials were filmed on the cheap in South Africa in the early-mid 90s. South Africa in the early-mid 90s. POST APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA. Did you see a black person in these ads? I didn't. That makes it worse. And quite frankly it borders on offensive. But you have to get past the inanity and dumbness of these ads in order to see that point. But by the time you do that, it's too late because you probably bought a pack of Mentos. Mission accomplished.

What do you think?

Fun

Even the way George Carlin talked about it, he knew what baseball was supposed to be. More light and carefree. And yet today, on July 11th, I couldn't disagree with him more.

My team, the New York Yankees, are currently 28 games over .500. A great season. Not a good, but a great season. They are going to the playoffs, at the least in a one game playoff, supposedly with the Seattle Mariners. And yet sports radio this morning is talking about the Yankees panicking and fans panicking....

The reason for this is that the Boston Red Sox are having a even better season and the Yankees are 3.5 games behind them. If one wins the division they get to avoid the one game playoff and go directly to the ALDS.

And thusly, Yankees fans and media are panicking.

And to them I say.... SHUT THE FUCK UP.

We're 28 games over .500. HAVE SOME FUCKING FUN.

This season has not been any fun at all. It really hasn't. When the Yankees lose games, it's armageddon. When they win games, it's "yeah but......"

It's ridiculous and it really sets me off.

Baseball has almost become a nightly ritual with me. After work you cool down with something and baseball/sports is there to fill the void. But when nothing good or nothing pleasurable comes out of it, what's the point of doing it? Unless I find something else I feel that I will be irrevocably drawn back to baseball and this pit of misery.

And the media perpetuates this misery because they want viewers/listeners. And nothing sells more and gets more attention than negativity and conflict. Why do you think the TV news is so chock full of it. And because the Yankees are at the very least going to make this one game playoff, there is no drama or conflict to talk about. So they try to pump conflict in by making the difference between the division title and the one game playoff basically life or death. Do or die. And it makes it intolerable to listen to.

At times, I hope to God that I find something else. But inevitably I will probably become obsessed with that too, and perhaps bored. But it's getting to the point where I am going to have to find something else. Because while baseball is meant to be fun and light as Carlin pointed out, this has become misery and despair. And I can't take it much longer.

Obsession

Today, I have reached a point in my life where I have accepted something in general.

I have no life.

My latest minor meltdown over the Yankees and some discussion and research has led me to that conclusion.

My life is made up of sleep, meals, work, and sports (my social vice)

The problem is that sports is so volatile and so random that it creates a bipolarity in me, I think. I tend to obsess over things in general. Throw that in and you get me. A person who basks in glory only to have it not last long enough and one who wallows in defeat which feels like a gut punch to your emotions.

So the question becomes: Why can't I get a life so I can get out of this?

This may be absolutely wrong, but right now it is what I believe. It is two things, one simple and one not.

The simple thing is simply getting up and going out and trying to make friends/ acquaintances is hard to do and there is failure in doing it.

The complicated reason  that my obsessiveness and my knowledge of it acts as a barrier. I am protecting people from my obsessiveness. If I had a girlfriend, I am convinced that she would be on my mind all the time and I would want to control her (not physically but mentally). Why do I think that? Because I've seen it in the other interests that I have had, whether television or sports itself.

 I also think I am a bit of an attention whore who want people to notice and respond to me. Which would add to that obsessiveness. Believe me, I know the helpfulness of solitude. Hell I'm writing this blog partially because I like to see responses to it. It gives me the feeling of being worth something.

So there it is. I think these are my vices. Obsessiveness, need for attention, lack of self confidence.

Even if nobody ends up reading this, it feels pretty good to get this out there, even if it is to try and get a reaction. which goes back to my need for attention.

What do you think? (haha)

Back after these messages.....

Commercials......

They are the reason television and radio are made. The engine that keeps the motor running.

Some of them are awesome and clever. Whichever firm writes the GEICO ads deserves to be in business a long time.

However some of them are annoying and dumb. Which, in it's own way, can also be effective.

On the radio, there is no more annoying noise than the Kars 4 Kids jingle. I wont post a link to it because I dont want to subject you to torture and I'm pretty sure that most of you know it by now. And that's the point really. It's so annoying that it sticks in your mind and you remember the service or product associated with it.

Which brings me to my most recent commercial from hell. I'm sure you've seen it. Here it is .

Yes the man who thinks that the voice command television is the greatest invention since sliced bread. There are several things wrong with this commercial.

1. This man is completely dumbfounded by technology when he lives in a house that is definitely post modern. This is more of a quirk than anything else but it's a note nonetheless.

2. According to the Greek restaurant info, this house is in around NYC. Where have you seen that type of solitude around NYC? I don't think so.

3. The man asks for the TV to dim the lights and is amazed when it does that. Hey dude, it will shock you to know that we have come up with a way to turn off lights by not saying a word. YOU JUST CLAP YOUR HANDS. IT'S CALLED THE CLAPPER. WE'VE HAD IT SINCE THE 80s!

4. The laughing. It's just funny. He is completely amazed and in awe. So amazed that I wouldn't be surprised if he ever leaves his house again and just tests this new technology for the next 50 years. 

Now the commercial is memorable, but its stupid as hell. And in the world of commercials, stupid as hell is almost considered an honor.

What do you think?

Ridiculous.

As I was driving home from work, I was thinking about many jumbled things at once, as seems to be usual and a thought suddenly popped into my head.

What is "ridiculous" nowadays?

In my lifetime, I have seen many things, both mundane and unusual and both good and bad. I have seen a black man elected President of the United States. I have seen a reality show host elected President of the United States. I have seen a captain land a plane perfectly on the waters of the Hudson River. I have seen two airplanes flown deliberately into the World Trade Center and people flee for their lives as they came down. I have seen the Chicago Cubs win a World Series for the first time in over a century. I have seen the Boston Red Sox win a World Series for the first time in 86 years.

The fact that I can say that Rita Moreno is a strong advocate for women's rights yet worked right alongside Bill Cosby and Morgan Freeman on "The Electric Company". I mention this specifically because the Freeman accusations came up today.

The fact that a man had so much money that he was able to do this.

I mean seriously, what is the meaning of the word ridiculous now? Can anybody be surprised in anything or be surprised? I believe that they can but a little part of their brain should be open to just about anything.

In my first blog post, I mentioned the loss of wonder in our society, per Fred Rogers. These events and occurrences show that we shouldn't lose any sense of wonder and amazement, whether the event be good or bad.

Heck a 16th seed beat a 1 seed this year in the NCAA tournament.......by 20.

Ridiculous. Exactly.

Vision Impaired

Now I am not the main demographic of the LOGO channel......

Seriously, I'm not.

Although I am sure they have some quality programming on.

But this afternoon, I might tune into that channel to see a very strange event that has been going on for years and that most Americans probably would go HUH? to its mention. That event is the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest.

What the heck is it? Well, imagine if each state had to send one singer with one song to a competition, then is sung live across the country and people from the states send in votes on the other states songs and that's how the winner is determined. So, for example, the song from New Jersey would be judged by the viewers from the 49 other states, which is a logical idea.

So in Europe, they have done this contest every year since 1956 and it has become an event of showing off national pride and occasionally weird costumes:

This is from the Belarus entry in 2010

This is from the Estonian delegation in 2018. Cool but still weird

And this is the present Israeli contestant...........yeah

Anyway, the countries seem to take this very seriously. And so do the contestants. The reigning Eurovision is Portugal who won it with this song:

                             

The country that has won the most is Ireland, who have won 7 of these contests, including a run in the mid 90s of winning 4 out of 5 from 1992-1996. Kind of like the Yankees most recent dynasty.

Now while people may never have heard of the song contest, I will bet you that they have heard of two of its most famous winners. In 1974, a Swedish group dominated the contest with a song that led them to greatness and eventually led them to worldwide domination. I speak of course of ABBA.

                                

Then in 1988, a young singer representing Switzerland took home the title. However, while she was representing Switzerland, she was from Canada, and in a few years, would captivate the world. Her name is Celine Dion.

I don't know if America could ever do this in amongst themselves, especially given that song contests are amongst the popular programs on television already, but it would be interesting to see Wyoming and Florida fight to the death, or rather sing to the death.

What do you think?

Men of Iron

Iron Chef is the greatest cooking show ever created.

There I said it. And I mean it. It is the greatest cooking show ever created. And one of the most influential.

These days, the Food Network's schedule is made up of competition shows like Next Food Network Star and Chopped etc. That all began when Food Network imported Iron Chef to America in 1998. It grew a cult following and showed a new way on how to present food related topics to the masses.

And thinking about it, only the Japanese, in their over the top, medieval, dramatic ways could pull off this show. The American version is watered down and sleek. The Japanese version is meaty and theatrical. That is where the show really separates itself. There are storylines interwoven into these competitions. The chefs like to show off what they can do. And the music sets the tone perfectly (the soundtrack of Backdraft, which I have on my playlist, is masterful)

When this show was on the Food Network in the late 90s-early 2000s, I was obsessed with it. It was on Friday nights at 10:00 PM so I got to watch it. My family will attest to the fact that I made little drawings of the Iron Chefs and cut them out to male paper figurines. I was that into it. And frankly still am.

Random Thoughts #2

Haven't been on here a while but feel the need to today.

1. Have you ever been driving behind somebody and they are going slower than other cars and you pass them and you look to see who the person is that was going slower? And it turns out, 90% of the time to be an older person? That happened to me today. It happens on occasion but today it just struck me as funny.

2. This seems to be "The Year of Mister Rogers" as I alluded to a couple of posts ago. Well I just watched something very interesting. It was a short film called Mr. Rogers: A War Hero. It spins a tale of the often mentioned urban legend that Fred Rogers was in Vietnam as a stealth sniper who got tattoos (hence the sweaters). It's completely false, but this film acts as if it is true. It was really not bad for a low budget short film and I teared up a bit at the end. However, the Fred Rogers Company put out a copyright claim on it, so it will probably be taken down quickly. The people behind the film are fighting the claim. I think that because they used his intro song towards the end of the film, so that will be the legal way out for TFRC, but I hope they don't see it as a threat. It's a story and it is pretty well told.

3. Baseball season is back and the Yankees have opened up mediocre after one week. Fans and media are accordingly going nuts. I don't think I can watch every single game, but my will is weak enough that I will probably pay attention and get emotional. That's a secret reason why I believe baseball is struggling in this modern era. It's too long of a season and you just can't put emphasis on every single game. You would die or feel like it. I'm fighting through that notion. But in this era, we are an instant gratification people so, however small the sample size is, we live in that moment. We can't fast forward through it. So while it may be 1 out of 162, it feels bigger being in the moment. And that, at least to me, is not healthy. And I don't really know how to combat it. To prevent myself from getting too emotional at one unit. Or to let the outside noise affect me. You can try and block it out but it's tough now with information in the palm of your hands. If someone can tell me how to do it, please let me know.

4. While I am a fan of television news and try to keep myself updated. I don't watch much serialized television. The reason for this is because I can be obsessive about it. The prime example of this, and I mentioned it before on my Facebook, was the NBC series Chuck. I watched it religiously when I was in college and it really permeated my brain. The biggest facet of this was the "will they won't they" relationship between Chuck (Zachary Levi, who is going to be Shazam) and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski, who is currently Serena Waterford in The Handmaid's Tale). This was the first fictional couple I "shipped" as the young folk say. And it got to me emotionally seeing them. And I discovered the concept of fan fiction through them. And it really scares me how attached I got. Not in a psychotic sense, but how my brain focused on them and would go back to them. And it's something that I don't really want to go through again. So I don't really try to get attached to TV shows. Instead I'm attached to sports teams. HAHAHAHAHA.

5. I have heard from others that they have tried to comment on my blog and weren't successful. If you really have something important to say to me about the blog piece, please Tweet me @UnitedWhofans, Facebook me "Gregory Eckes" or E-mail me at eckesg2@gmail.com To tell you the truth, I would really like to know what you guys think because it might spur more thoughts in me to write. So I will presume that people will take this as a threat and will not respond. Again, haha.

Thanks guys.