NFL Picks 2008: Wildcard Round
I got summarily destroyed by both Joe (162) and Bootleg (165) so badly that Cam dropped me off the standings as of Week 15. I fared a little better in the single game suicide spread pick, with the final standings coming in at:
Joe: 10-7
Tom: 8-8-1
Aaron: 6-11
Those guys call the score in their playoff picks. I find that impossible unless you’re Plaxico Burress calling the Super Bowl. For my own self-interest and to convince myself I’m better than this regular season indicated, I’m putting myself against them for the playoffs.
Also a quick note: Beer Snob returns next week with the final two Bahamian Beers. Hopefully that will be followed by six weeks of the Michelob Craft Sampler if I can find it in Manhattan and then nine weeks of what I wrote down as my top ten. The problem with that may be that two of them are draft only, three are seasonal, one is a friend’s microbrew, and one is a seasonal brew that I’ve never seen sold in New York City. Stay tuned.
Saturday
Atlanta Falcons -1 at Arizona Cardinals (51): At the very least, this should be a fun game to watch. I’m going to join the cadre of folks who believe that Arizona folding up shop and mailing in the last month of the season is going to hurt them here. I honestly can’t name one player on the Falcons other than Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. I know nothing about their defense. What I do know is that the Cardinals are a 9-7 team with 6 wins in their awful division and exactly 1 win against a playoff team (Dolphins in Week 2). Most damning — they have yet to prove they can stop a good running back and I think Michael Turner’s ready for a national coming out party. Falcons cover. Under 51.
Joe: Falcons cover. Over 51.
Cam: Falcons cover. Under 51.
Indianapolis Colts -1 at San Diego Chargers (51): When I looked at this line first thing on Monday morning, it was a pick ‘em. By 11pm, it had moved to Indy -1. This means that everyone in world had the exact same thought… Peyton Manning and company vs. Norv Turner and a crew that folds up shop and heads home at the first sign of adversity? For the record, a group of friends is heading out to Vegas for the World Series of Beer Pong IV and this was the only bet I lined up for the weekend. To use a Simmonsism — can you picture yourself having money on this game while the cameras panning the Chargers sideline and you’re seeing LDT sitting on the bench with his helmet on and his arms crossed and Norv Turner looking forlorn and confused? And you realize you just bet against Peyton Manning? Colts cover. Over 51.
Joe: Colts cover. Over 51.
Cam: Chargers outright. Over 51.
Sunday
Baltimore Ravens -3 at Miami Dolphins (37.5): I’m happy for Chad Pennington. I really am. He got a raw deal in New York and the media is going to spend a couple of months soaking the team for allowing him to choose where he wanted to go rather than banishing him to Minnesota in a trade. This, mind you, is the same media that said Pennington has been great to the Jets but it’s time for him to move on and the Jets should have the decency to let him go where he wants. I just can’t do the new coach/new quarterback on the road thing… especially not TWICE in the same Wild Card round. The Dolphins are a 14-1 dog to win the AFC and, honestly, I don’t hate that bet. Besides, there has to be at least one upset, right? Dolphins outright. Over 37.5.
Joe: Dolphins outright. Under 37.5.
Cam: Dolphins +3. Under 37.5.
Philadelphia Eagles -3 at Minnesota Vikings (41.5): As of next season, I will be getting MUCH mileage out of the fact Minnesota’s football team will be playing in a dome and their baseball team will be playing in an open-air stadium getting snowed out in April and September. Joking aside, I don’t know what to do with this game. I’m terrified to face the Eagles next week as a Giant fan. Normally I would go with the best player on the field (Westbrook) but is Reid/McNabb enough to counteract that? I think no. Fun fact: Bill Simmons talked about the Metrodome this week as one of the few stadiums left in the league where there’s still a big homefield advantage. According to Mike Francesa, there are still 3,000 – 5,000 seats available 2 days before a Vikings playoff game. Advantage Eagles. Eagles cover. Over 41.5.
Joe: Vikings outright. Over 41.5.
Cam: Eagles cover. Under 41.5.
Two 1-point spreads and two 3-point spreads on Wild Card weekend? Three road favorites? No two-touchdown dogs? I may not leave the couch for 48 hours.
Related posts:
“I got summarily destroyed by both Joe (162) and Bootleg (165) so badly that Cam dropped me off the standings as of Week 15.”
HA! Actually, towards the end of the season, I’d post the picks just to get them up “for the record” before kickoff. One week, I couldn’t access the TDL site, so I left ‘em off with the intent of getting them back up the following week. And, then one week behind became three and…well, yeah.
Aaron C.
3 Jan 09 at 8:30 am
It’s OK, Cam. It’s like the mercy rule in softball. I understand :)
Tom
3 Jan 09 at 10:14 pm