NFL Picks 2009: Week 12 Results
Week 13 Thursday
New York Jets -2.5 at Buffalo Bills (Neutral Field, Rogers Centre – Toronto, Canada): Nothing says smart like taking away the Bills’ biggest advantage in months when it matters. For the second straight season, they’re coming off a decent week and, instead of riding that out in one of the few remaining home fields with a big advantage, they surrender it to the Jets. And, on top of all that, they surrender the enormous advantage that is playing at home on Thursday. This Rogers Centre thing is maybe the stupidest thing anyone’s ever done. Until they add new teams in London and increase the league to 40 teams. Jets cover
W/W – Packers -8 over Lions, 34-12, Packers cover: The NFL — making it easy for people to cook their dinners for the foreseeable future.
W/L – Cowboys -14 over Raiders, 24-7, Raiders +14: This was going to be my annual “maybe I’ll make a call for this game” game, but I didn’t. Glad I didn’t… because I had no interest in watching it.
L/L – Broncos +6 over Giants, 26-6, Giants cover: New York’s a wonderful town… the Giants are 6-5 and lost a Thursday road game and they’re done for the season. The Jets are 5-6, just beat a team whose quarterback gift-wrapped 2 interceptions and they’re talking about playoff chances. I won’t admit the Giants are done unless they get blown out by the Cowboys next week. Unfortunately, on news that Eli Manning could be done for the season, I’m sure I’m not the only person who’s said to themselves some form of the following: “David Carr’s probably not that bad. No quarterback would be good getting sacked 300 times a season. With a good line and decent receivers, he might be OK.” Talking yourself in to the David Carr era, in a season where there is no discernible running game and a defense playing like their coordinator should have been fired two weeks ago, is not a good place to be in Week 13.
W/W – Colts -3 over Texans, 35-27, Colts cover: Anyone who thought the Colts were dropping this game are batshit crazy. The funny part here is that one of the Super Bowl Club is going to walk in to this team, make like three changes, and grab a wildcard next year.
W/L – Bengals -14 over Browns, 16-7, Bengals cover: Didn’t see any of it… not even highlights… I can neither confirm nor deny it even was played.
W/W – Vikings -11 over Bears, 36-10, Vikings cover: The Vikings are the one team left in the NFC who, I think, can stop the Saints. Not because the defense can hold back the defense, but because they are the only team in the conference who can outscore them. This, of course, guarantees a 3-0 snoozer in January.
W/W – Eagles -10 over Redskins, 27-24, Redskins +10: Yep.
L/L – Bills +3 over Dolphins, 31-14, Dolphins cover: The Dolphins are going to stress me out until the bitter end. This was a stupid bet.
W/W – Titans (pk) over Cardinals, 20-17, Titans: As I said: “All Vince Young does is win football games.” The NFL and the media are insanely funny at times. Young made a god-awful pass into quadruple coverage that his receiver had to make an absurd effort to come down with and, somehow, Vince Young is a hero for this drive. If the pass was incomplete, he’d be getting killed for passing up an open running lane to the end zone. Also nominated for great moments in gambling history as the Titans won with 0 seconds on the clock… absolutely no reason to even line up for an extra point, but they do, and people with Cardinals +2.5 sob in their beer.
L/L – Seahawks -2.5 over Rams, 27-17, Rams outright: What I get for trying to get cute to catch up in spreadery.
W/L – Falcons -11.5 over Bucs, 20-17, Falcons cover: Is everyone starting to get the sense that all the wildcard-ready NFC teams are exactly the same? Just me?
W/W – Jets -3 over Panthers, 17-6, Jets cover: I’m somewhat curious why everyone is working under the assumption that John Fox is done after this season. I mean… the problem is clearly Jake Delhomme’s shattered ability. Are they firing John Fox because they think some other coach would do better with what Delhomme’s giving them this season? For not putting in Matt Moore or AJ Feely and seeing what happens? I mean, they’ve only given up 30+ points twice (once to the Saints) but have scored 10 or less four times. What’s Fox supposed to do differently?
L/L – Niners -3 over Jaguars, 20-3, Jags outright: If these two teams played 20 more times, I think I’d pick the Jags every time.
W/W – Chargers -13.5 over Chiefs, 43-14, Chargers cover: Eff cares?
L/L – Ravens -1 over Steelers, 20-17, Steelers outright: Not a good week for my upset picks, it seems. Crappy, mistake-filled overtime and last five minutes to really rub it in good. If I’m saying anything good about Roethlisberger, it’s that he probably doesn’t make some of those mistakes.
L/L – Saints -3 over Patriots, 38-17, Patriots outright: And thus the power has officially swung back to the NFC. Saints/Vikings is lining up as one of those presumed playoff shootouts that wind up being a 13-10 bore-off.
Spreadery
1) Rams +3 over Seahawks – L
2) Patriots +3 over Saints – L
3) Jags +3.5 over Niners – L
Standings
Straight Up: 10-6 (118-58)
Against The Spread: 7-9 (85-91)
Spreadery: 0-3 0 points… I suck.