NFL 2016

[JPPT1974]

Romo officially now the backup. As really his days are over not just in the Big D but in NFL all together. Dak era has just begun!

 

[Nick M]

Tellalie loses again......He's in denial...hmphhhh....

 

[Town Heretic]

Only Cin could give me a spread win in a 2.5 dog context and still manage to lose the game. :chuckle:

10-4 on the week and sitting at 98% on the ESPN challenge board (99% straight up). Thank you, Bungles!

 

[Nick M]

Tet isn't so sad. The Steelers will get back on track this week with the worst franchise in the league. Until proven otherwise....

 

[Town Heretic]

So...going into this year the general consensus, by division was:

AFC/NFC

Projected--Actual to date

East

1. NE---NE
2. Jets--Mia
3. Buf--Buf
4. Mia--Jets

The real surprise, so far, is the Fins. The biggest flop, the Jests.

1. Dal--Dal
2. Gia--Gia
3. Was--Was
4. Phi--Phi

Son of a gun. :think:

North

1. Pit---Bal
2. Cin--Pit
3. Bal--Cin
4. Cle--Cle

The story here is the mediocre play out of the Bengals. Come on AJ!

1. GB--Det
2. Min--Min
3. Chi--GB
4. Det--Chi

The Pack is in free fall and Detroit holds the division lead???

South

1. Ind---Hou
2. Hou--Ten
3. Jac--Ind
4. Ten--Jac

The Colts are the big if unsurprising disappointment, with their coach on his way to assistant status somewhere else. The Titans are making strides.

1. Car--Atl
2. Atl--TB
3. NO--NO
4. TB--Car

Carolina's post SB fall isn't remotely unprecedented, but it's still worth noting.

West
1. Den--KC
2. KC--Oak
3. Oak--Den
4. SD-SD

In a close race it looks worse for Denver than it is, but Oakland sitting in 2nd? :shocked:

1. Arz--Sea
2. Sea--Arz
3. LA---LA
4. SF---SF

No real shock here, though the degree of drop off for Arizona is a little surprising.

 

[Town Heretic]

Tonight's game:

NO @ Car: The Panthers are a 3.5 fav. Both teams have lost more than won, including a tough, close loss by each against division rivals last week. The Saints can put up points, but can't stop anyone consistently. Carolina has yet to play to its potential and is due.

I'm taking Carolina on the averages, but NO is one of those teams that will kill you if your defense isn't gelling.

EDIT: the good news is that I ran from the half point late and managed to win both on the straight up, where I stayed with Carolina, and on the spread, where NO held them just under.

So that's a 1-0 happy-happy heading into tomorrow, with games that worry me.

2. Buf @ Cin: by way of. The Bengals are a 3.5 favorite and I feel similarly about this match up. Cin hasn't played up to potential and the Bills are spoilers. In a pick'em I'm letting the half point be my guide. Buffalo.

2-0

3. Chi @ Gia: less interesting, though the Bears can rise up and surprise you and the Giants can falter about as readily. Neither have tended to though, so I'll take the statistical 10+ pt edge and the Giants.

Stupid Giants. :mmph: 2-1

4. Pit @ Cle: :rotfl: Only the 10.5 Steeler line makes this remotely interesting. That's right on the margin. I went against them last week. I'll take them this week. Steelers.

Huzzah! 3-1

5. Bal @ Dal: 7.5 is a lot to favor the Cowboys by against that defense...but them 10 pts and better, so I'll hope it's that sort of home game and stay with the Boys.

4-1

6. Ten @ Ind: my how the year has turned...Indy is a scant 2.5 favorite. I have this one dead even. Vegas PCs run it nearly 5 for Ten on average...the differential is .1...I hate this game. It's hard to beat a division rival twice when you're evenly matched, but Indy looks to be healthier this week than when they went into Ten and beat the Titans a couple of weeks ago...so I'll take my team to send Ten home with a loss.

5-1

7. TB @ KC: The Chiefs are a 7.5 fav. That's a lot of pts, again. Both teams are looking good of late. TB comes into the contest having won their last two on the road, with Carolina being their latest victim. KC beat Carolina by the same margin and spanked the Raiders team that edged TB by 6...they're fairly well matched. I like this one closer.

And 6-1

8. Arz @ Min: an ultra tight .5 line for Min tells you everything you need to know about this game. I think letting Norv go was a huge mistake though Houston could be the start of a rally. Meanwhile the Cardinals continue to look like a team that's come back to the pack from two years ago...a bit like the old Sacramento NBA team. Missed their best chance due to injuries. The differential here is a pt...man, I'm taking the Vikes to continue the rally.

Let the rally continue! 7-1

9. Mia @ LA: another .5 line, this one for Mia...I refuse to think about this one much, but I'll take the Fins and their offense over an uneven Rams.

8-1

10. NE @ SF: 13.5 wouldn't be as troubling if the Pats were healthy. They aren't. I'm not going out that far on a limb, given. I'll take SF to hold it under two tds...

9-1

11. Phi @ Sea: the line is 6.5 for a rising Seattle team. I think this line is an insult to Eagle's fans. A very tough team that should keep this closer and could win outright.

Stupid Eagles. :mmph: 9-2

12. GB @ Was: something is very wrong in Packer land. Green Bay limps in a 2.5 dog to the upstart Redskins. And you know what, I'm not sure that line isn't optimistic. Give me Washington.

10-2

Left off Jacksonville @ Det. I took the Lions. 11-2

13. Hou @ Oak: both teams know how to win tight and lose big, which makes this closer a nightmare. The 6.5 line for Oakland wouldn't trouble me so much if Oakland hadn't been embarrassed by KC, defensively. Houston can pressure the QB too...man. I'll take a chance on the Texans to surprise on the road.

 

[Town Heretic]

Way to go, Washington! 11-2. Come on Oakland!

Sitting at 99.5% over at ESPN. Ranked 839 out of 167k+ predicting the outcome vs the spread...Not my best year (15th overall) but not bad.

 

[JPPT1974]

I am calling it now. Pats at Cowboys SB LI in Houston Texans 2/5/2017!

 

[Town Heretic]

I am calling it now. Pats at Cowboys SB LI in Houston Texans 2/5/2017!

Could be. No idea. I can give you the best field...but I can tell you one thing, whoever gets there, I'm beating the spread.

 

[Town Heretic]

What's on tap for tomorrow?

1. Min @ Det: the line is Lions and 2.5. The last time they met Detroit (4-1 in their last 5) beat the Vikings (1-4 in their last 5) in OT, in Minnesota. I'm taking Detroit to cover and continue to send the Vikings in the wrong direction.

2. Was @ Dal: really looking forward to this contest. The Cowboys are a 7.5 favorite. That's right at the differential, but I like this one to be a closer contest so I'm taking Washington.

3. Pit @ Ind: another 7.5 favorite, but this one is less of a mystery as the Colts might not even be able to start Luck, who is under the concussion protocol as we wait. That's a lot of points to give to a team on with one win to show in their last five...if Luck starts I like it closer. If he doesn't, it's the Steelers. Meh, give me Pit.

 

[tetelestai]

The Steelers won for the first time on Thanksgiving since 1950.

Prior to yesterday, they were 1-6 all-time on Thanksgiving, including the infamous "coin toss" game in 1998, when Jerome Bettis called "teads".

 

[Town Heretic]

The Steelers won for the first time on Thanksgiving since 1950.

Prior to yesterday, they were 1-6 all-time on Thanksgiving, including the infamous "coin toss" game in 1998, when Jerome Bettis called "teads".

They helped me to a 3-0 start, but I wasn't wowed. That offense should be better than it is. With that line and rb, placing 19th in yds on rush is weak. If they could improve that they'd be scaring people again. The defense is middle of the pack in terms of pts allowed. The team needs to help Ben more than it is at present.

I mean, you'd better beat an Indy team without its offensive pulse and with a near worst rated defense in pts allowed.

 

[beloved57]

Go Falcons !

 

[Town Heretic]

9-2 going into the afternoon. Lost the half pt on Miami and the Bengals, but I can live with it.

This afternoon I need Tampa and Carolina to keep it closer than 5.5 and 3.5, respectively. New England (7.5) and Denver (3.5) need to cover and I have Philly covering against a troubled Green Bay.

 

[Daniel1769]

Hoping the Steelers defense gets it together to make play offs. If they get in, they can win it all.

 

[Town Heretic]

Hoping the Steelers defense gets it together to make play offs. If they get in, they can win it all.

I don't see it, though they could contend. that offensive line should be better at opening holes for their running game. It's too much Ben still. Really good team, but I don't think they're in the top five in the AFC.

Well, Carolina and Tampa did what I needed them to do to push me to 11-2, but the Pats came up small an hold me short of another 12 wins. So it's up to Denver or Philly to give me a 12 or 13 win week.

 

[Town Heretic]

Hope for a turnaround for the Chicago Bears as Jay Cutler announces season ending surgery. lain:

 

[Jerry Shugart]

The Steelers won for the first time on Thanksgiving since 1950.

Hi Tet,

I don't remember who won the Steelers/Cowboys game.

Can you refresh my memory?

Thanks!

 

[tetelestai]

Hi Tet,

I don't remember who won the Steelers/Cowboys game.

Can you refresh my memory?

Thanks!

Hey Jerry,

Great to hear from you, hope you're doing well.

Your Cowboys got lucky and beat my Steelers.

However, it's good to see the Cowboys relevant again. I'm guessing it's been hard for you Cowboy fans, considering the Cowboys have only won TWO post-season games the last 19 years. Not to mention the Cowboys haven't made it past the divisional round since 1995.

During those same 19 years, my Steelers have won 14 post-season games, 2 Super Bowls, had 3 Super Bowl appearances, and 6 AFC Championship Game appearances.

BTW,

Dak Prescott has 11 wins in a row as a rookie QB. That's the most wins in a row by a rookie QB since Ben Roethlisberger set the record in 2004 with 13 wins in a row. As usual, the Cowboys and Cowboy's players are always chasing records held by the Steelers, or a Steeler's player.

 

[tetelestai]

Hoping the Steelers defense gets it together to make play offs. If they get in, they can win it all.

I've been watching the Steelers since 1972. This is by far the worst defense they have ever had. James Harrison is the best player on the defense, and he's 38 years old.

It's a shame, cause the offense is really good. I think back to all those years with Cowher, when they had a great defense every year, but the offense was always so terrible with Bubby, Neil O'Donnell, and Kordell.

If only Cowher would have had Big Ben all those years.