A Chicken Is Not Pillage

Week 8 Picks - Full

Okay, the Thursday night 'game' wasn't.  It was a slaughter.  At least a third of that Miami defense should be facing serious fines or suspension.

No time for exposition so just the picks.

Thursday:

Miami at Baltimore previously picked - Ravens (0-40, Ravens)

Sunday:

Minnesota (5-2) at Cleveland (0-7) - Vikings  (33-16, Vikings)

Atlanta (3-3) at New York Jets (3-4) - Falcons (25-20, Falcons)

Carolina (4-3) at Tampa Bay (2-4) - Buccaneers (17-3, Panthers)

San Francisco (0-7) at Philadelphia (6-1) - Eagles (10-33, Eagles)

Chicago (3-4) at New Orleans (4-2) - Saints (12-20, Saints)

Los Angeles Chargers (3-4) at New England (5-2) - Hatriots (13-21, Hatriots)

Oakland (3-4) at Buffalo (4-2) - Bills (14-34, Bills)

Indianapolis (2-5) at Cincinnati (2-4) - Bengals (23-24, Bengals)

Houston (3-3) at Seattle (4-2) - Seahawks (38-41, Seahawks)

Dallas (3-3) at Washington (3-3) - Cowboys (33-19, Cowboys)

Sunday Night:

Pittsburgh (5-2) at Detroit (3-3) - Steelers (20-15, Steelers)

Monday Night:

Denver (3-3) at Kansas City (5-2) - Chiefs (19-29, Chiefs)

Byes:  Tennessee, Jacksonville, New York Giants, Green Bay, Los Angeles Rams, Arizona

Last Week's Score:  10 - 5,  67%   Overall:  63 - 43,  59%

Week 8 Picks - Abrupt

I really hate the Thursday night games for two primary reasons.

1)  Thursday is perhaps the WORST week night for a football game.  You're charging as fast as you can to reach the weekend.  You're tired as the week as dragged on, and the last thing you feel like doing is to stay up late watching a game.  Historically, that's been okay, but this season, the Thursday night games have been epic.  I've missed almost all of these contests.

2)  There feels like there is no time t pick my games for the week. 

So, I'm picking this night's game and waiting to post the rest.

Thursday:

Miami (4-2) at Baltimore (3-4) - Ravens

No one has a clue how Miami has won 4 games, or how the Ravens are as lackluster as they appear.  Thuis is a night game and I go with the chill Baltimore air.

Week 7 Picks - Update

Late to the game and no time to post so here is Thursday's pick.  I will update later with all the rest.

Okay, so the power came back on just as the rain/snow started.  This is not good, save that it gives me time to post the rest of my week's picks.  After all, the first went so well with the Raiders winning at the last second.

I wrote last week that the Broncos should just forfeit the rest of the season should they lose to the Giants.  I stand by that, since they lost to the fucking Giants.  Nothing is more humiliating to team and fans then losing to an 0-5 team.

This season is nothing short of grim.  I'm not amused by the spectacle.  Top players at every position are facing suspension, season ending injuries, or the end of career.

QB - Aaron Rodgers is done for the year.  Sam Bradford may be done for all time.

WR - OBJ is out on IR.  Brandon Marshall is out on IR.  Julian Edelmann is done for the year.

RB - David Johnson is gone.  Maybe for the season.  Ezekial Elliot is facing a 6 game suspension.

TE - Tyler Eifert is done for the year.  Gronkowski is game to game.

DL - Mercilus is out for the season.  J.J. Watt is out for the season, again.  Cliff Avril may be retiring.

LB - Luke Kuechly has suffered his third concussion in as many weeks.  This could be season or career ending.

The litany of high profile injuries goss on and this is not a nice scenario.  I'm not liking this season at all.

Still the picks:

Thursday:

Kansas City (5-1) at Oakland (2-4) - Chiefs (30-31, Raiders)

They will respond well to a loss.

Sunday:

Tampa Bay (2-3) at Buffalo (3-2) - Bills (27-30, Bills)

Baltimore (3-3) at Minnesota (4-2) - Vikings (16-24, Vikings)

New York Jets (3-3) at Miami (2-3) - Jets (28-31, Dolphins)

Miami has found a groove but New York is inspired.

Arizona (3-3) at Los Angels Rams (4-2) - Rams (0-33, Rams)

Defense.

Jacksonville (3-3) at Indianapolis (2-4) - Colts (27-0, Jaguars)

Probably a dumb pick.

New Orleans (3-2) at Green Bay (4-2) - Saints (26-17, Saints)

They have ... a defense?  And Green Bay doesn't have Aaron Rodgers.

Carolina (4-2) at Chicago (2-4) - Panthers (3-17, Bears?)

Tennessee (3-3) at Cleveland ( 0-6) -Titans (12-9, Titans)

Dallas (2-3) at San Francisco (0-6) - Cowboys (40-10, Cowboys)

Denver (3-2) at Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) - Broncos (0-21, Chargers)

Cincinnati (2-3) at Pittsburgh (4-2) - Steelers (14-29, Steelers)

Seattle ( 3-2) at New York Giants (1-5) - Seahawks (24-7, Seahawks)

Sunday Night:

Atlanta (3-2) at New England (4-2) - Hatriots (7-23, Hatriots)

I hate them lucky ass rule bending fucknuts so much.

Monday Night:

Washington (3-2) at Philadelphia (5-1) - Eagles (24-34, Eagles)

Last Weeks Score:  5-9, 36%,  Overall:  53 - 38,  58%

 

Week 6 Picks

A couple of somber notes.

When I was a wee yo'un, probably about 8, I read the book Bart Starr.  It opened a new world up for me.  Before that I was a football fan in the sense that I loved the Broncos, liked the game and understood it only in so much as you had 4 tries to move the ball down the field before someone hit you.  Reading that book opened a whole new world for me, an understanding of the game and the people who play it.  Football was suddenly personal.  I collected football cards, which I may still have, though they aren't worth anything because I would deface them with updated stats and note players changing teams.  I read about 'the legends', coaches and players.  Lombardi, Turner, Van Brocklin, Jim Brown, Stram, Paul Brown, Stenerud (though I didn't know he played for Montana State College until much much later), Hornung, Kramer, Unitas, and of course, Y.A. Tittle.

Tittle died on Sunday, October 8th, 2017.  He will always be a legend to me, not just for his stats and accomplishments, but because of what he endured.  Three championship losses, and the idea that he was responsible.  Tittle was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1971, along with Jim Brown and Norm Van Brocklin.   He was the first NFL Quarterback to be inducted into the HOF without winning a championship, a source of great pain to him until he was joined by Fran Tarkenton in 1986, 15 years later.  Tittle held 6 records at the time of his retirement, but will always hold the record of "Legend", to a young man learning about the sport of football.

On September 27th,  Coach Red Miller died.  Until then, I never knew his name was Robert.  Coach Miller created and fostered the Orange Crush defense of the 77 Broncos.  He lead them to the Super Bowl, their first, after Tom Jackson's incredible interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  It is unbelievable, and inconceivable, that none of Miller's Orange Crush are in the HOF.  Gradishar, Alzedo, Tom Jackson, Louis Wright.  For a kid who grew up a Broncos fan, Miller's loss is felt deeply.

 

Back to the modern.  My picks sucked last week, as did much of the play in the NFL.  Patriots fans are weeping that their team is 3-2, knowing full well that they aren't 2-3 because Nick Folk couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.  Steelers fans should be panicking at 3-2 because Big Ben threw 5 interceptions and frankly doesn't seem to care.  Jets fans are rowdy and virile, because they're at 3-2 having been predicted to go no better than 2-14 on the season.  Well, let's pick.

Thursday Night:

Philadelphia (4-1) at  Carolina (4-1) - Eagles (28-23, Eagles)

All the experts are picking the Panthers.  They've looked good the last two weeks, but I think these Eagles have some surprises in store.

Sunday:

Chicago (1-4) at Baltimore (3-2) - Ravens (27-24, Bears)

They are surprising and they are at home.

Cleveland (0-5) at Houston (2-3) - Texans (17-33, Texans)

Green Bay (4-1) at Minnesota (3-2) - Packers (10-23, Vikings)

Rodgers is feeling his oats.

Detroit (3-2) at New Orleans (2-2) - Lions (38-52, Saints)

Bounce-back game, even against the best pure passer of the last decade.

Miami (2-2) at Atlanta (3-1) - Falcons (20-17, Dolphins)

Seriously?

New England (3-2) at New York Jets (3-2) - Hatriots (24-17, Hatriots, and Dog I hate those fuckers.  The jets had that touchdown.)

Good Dog, I hate them.

San Francisco (0-5) at Washington (2-2) - Taterskins (24-26, Taterskins)

Welcome to 0-6, Bay area.

Tampa Bay (2-2) at Arizona (2-3) - Buccaneers (33-38, Cardinals)

Arizona just looks weak.

Los Angeles Rams (3-2) at Jacksonville (3-2) - Jaguars (27-17, Rams)

Flying across country is not optimal.

Pittsburgh (3-2) at Kansas City (5-0) - Chiefs (19-13, Steelers)

This might be the Chiefs' year.  And Pittsburgh sucks.

Los Angeles Chargers (1-4) at Oakland (2-3) - Raiders (17-16, Chargers)

It depends on whether Carr plays and whether Amari Cooper can get his head out of his ass.

Sunday Night:

New York Giants (0-5) at Denver (3-1) - Broncos (23-10, G-Men)

Eli has nobody to throw to, and Denver has the best run defense in the league.

Monday Night:

Indianapolis (2-3) at Tennessee (2-3) - Titans (22-36, Titans)

Brisett is good.  Dick LeBeau is better.

Byes:  Buffalo, Cincinnati, Seattle, Dallas

Last Week's Score:   5 - 9,  36%   Overall:  48 - 29,  72%

 

Week 5 Picks

SoOnce again, my friends, I have seen things I never thought to see.  Not a Jackalope, not Bigfoot (yet).  Nope, over the first quarter of an NFL season, I have watched a Bill Belichick defense truly suck.  After 4 weeks, New England has the worst defense in Pro-football.  They are the worst at defending the pass and 26th against the rush.  If not for Brady's 2 minute heroics, New England would be 1-3.  The Panthers played an okay game last week, some might say good.  It certainly wasn't an all-pro performance and Carolina still defeated the Patriots in Foxborough.  I would be lying if I wrote that I don't love this turn of events.

Sticking on the defensive side, my beloved Broncos have the best defense in the league after a quarter.  That is not a shock.  Yet they only have the 11th ranked pass defense with the No Fly Zone.  Surprising, for certain.  But shocking is this, the Denver Broncos have the league's best run defense ... Period!  Nobody saw that coming.

Houston put 57 points on the Titan's backs.  Seriously?  Things learned from fantasy football last week:  Don't start Deshone Kizer and leave Lamar Miller on the bench.  (I didn't do that, a friend did.  No, I benched Derek Carr, a smart move, and left Amari Cooper in the lineup.  Duh!) 

So, the hated "Bye Weeks" begin, and we are off and running with the second quarter of the season.

Thursday:

New England (2-2) at Tampa Bay (2-1) - Hatriots (Hatriots, 19-14)

I loath myself for this pick.

Sunday:

New York Jets (2-2) at Cleveland (0-4) - Browns (Jets, 17-14)

I think the Brownbutts have the stuff.  This is the game that will tell us if the Jets are for real.

Carolina (3-1) at Detroit (3-1) - Lions (Panthers, 27-24)

They are for real.

San Francisco (0-4) at Indianapolis (1-3) - Colts (Colts, 23-26)

If you're not impressed by Jacoby Brissett, you're not paying attention.

Tennessee (2-2) at Miami (1-2) - Titans (Dolphins, 10-16)

Risky pick without Mariota.  But the Dolphins just look like crap.

Buffalo (3-1) at Cincinnati (1-3) - Bills (Bengals, 16-20)

The Bengals are on a roll ... against Cleveland.  Buffalo ain't Cleveland.

Los Angeles Chargers (0-4) at New York Giants (0-4) - GMen (Chargers, 27-22)

Somebody will get a win, maybe.  And the Giants are at home.

Jacksonville (2-2) at Pittsburgh (3-1) - Steelers (Jaguars, 30-9)

No team has been as disappointing as Pittsburgh.  But they don't tend to lose at home, and they get stronger as the season progresses.  And Brown will control his temper.  Maybe.

Arizona (2-2) at Philadelphia (3-1) - Eagles (Eagles, 7-34)

Who would you pick in  a fight between a Cardinal and an Eagle?

Seattle (2-2) at Los Angeles Rams (3-1) - Rams (Seahawks, 16-10)

I think this Rams team is legit.  And Goff seems to finally get it.

Baltimore (2-2) at Oakland (2-2) - Raiders (Ravens, 30-17)

Only because of home field.  Without Carr, the Raiders aren't quite the same.  But Baltimore just doesn't seem ... motivated?

Green Bay (3-1) at Dallas (2-2) - Cowboys (Packers, 35-31)

The Packers suffer from lack of defense.

Sunday Night:

Kansas City (4-0) at Houston (2-2) - Chiefs (Chiefs, 42-34)

Hardest pick of the week.  The Texans have all-star talent in abundance.  But KC looks solid against run and pass.

Monday Night:

Minnesota (3-1) at Chicago (1-3) - Vikings (Vikings, 20-17)

Vikings defense.  But hey, we might have a Trubisky sighting.

Byes:  Denver, Washington, Atlanta, New Orleans

Last Week's Score:  9 -7,  56%  Overall:  43 - 20,  68%