NFL Conference Championship Weekend Picks

One final step until it’s time for the two week-long break to build up the Super Bowl.  With only two games this week, there will be a little bit more analysis with the pick.

Last Week:  2-2 (.500)

Playoffs:  4-4 (.500)

Overall:  176-87-1 (.667)

NFC Championship:  San Francisco 49ers vs. Atlanta Falcons

Why could San Francisco win?  They keep the momentum rolling from last week’s win over Green Bay.  The 49ers’ offense is running on all cylinders once the reins were taken off QB Colin Kaepernick.  Plus, the 49ers’ defense isn’t that bad either.  If there is no let down, this could be an easy win.

Why could Atlanta win?  Atlanta could win based on the game being in the Georgia Dome, which brings a major home field advantage.  QB Matt Ryan is more consistent than Kaepernick, but does not bring the big play threat that Kaepernick does.  The Falcons also run the ball effectively to control the ball and wear down San Francisco’s defense.

The pick:  San Francisco wins by at least a touchdown.  What the 49ers did against Green Bay last week confirmed that Jim Harbaugh made the right choice in going to and sticking with Kaepernick.  Somewhat due to injuries, Atlanta’s defense just does not have enough to stop the 49ers.

AFC Championship:  Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots

Why could Baltimore win?  The Ravens buy into the whole ‘win one in Ray Lewis’ final season’ hype.  Baltimore’s offense does not abandon the run, like it seems they have the last few weeks.  Joe Flacco also continues his development after last week’s statement game for the young quarterback.  Ravens’ S Ed Reed makes several big plays to shut down Patriots’ QB Tom Brady.

Why could New England win?  Brady is just too good.  It is so hard to bet against him in playoff situations.  Flacco follows the path of his career, of a breakthrough game followed by a disappointment.  Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick is able to out-smart Baltimore, and dominates en route to another Super Bowl trip.

The pick:  New England wins in a game that is close for awhile, but Brady and Belichick are just too good.  The only difference is that this year’s game won’t come down to a field goal.  The Patriots’ win by at least four points, and Ravens’ fans are left wondering what is the last piece of the puzzle to get past this round of the playoffs again.

NFL Playoffs Divisional Round Picks

This could be considered Week 19 in the NFL, but it is more commonly known as the Divisional Round in the NFL Playoffs.

Last week’s picks saw a split, as the two upsets didn’t come through.

Last Week:  2-2 (.500)

Overall:  174-85-1 (.669)

Ravens vs. Broncos  (Going with the home, and better team.)

Packers vs. 49ers  (Playoff situation, even on the road, I trust Aaron Rodgers more.)

Seahawks vs. Falcons  (If Seattle can get past Atlanta, they might become the Super Bowl favorites out of the NFC.)

Texans vs. Patriots  (Just can’t go against Tom Brady in the playoffs.)

NFL Wild Card Weekend Picks

The NFL postseason is here at last.  Wild Card Weekend features a rematch from Week 17 and a battle of old and new.

The regular season finished on a high note, and the picks will keep coming.

Last Week:  12-4 (.750)

Overall:  172-83-1 (.672)

Bengals vs. Texans

Vikings vs. Packers  (What a great game last week, but with the game shifting to Lambeau Field, Green Bay gets the advantage.)

Colts vs. Ravens  (This year’s inspirational story continues.  Baltimore has been too inconsistent.)

Seahawks vs. Redskins  (Probably an upset pick, but Washington is hot, and Seattle struggles on the road.)

Week 17 NFL Picks

It’s here, the final weekend of the NFL regular season; and with the exception of one or two games, it’s just like any other week.

There are very few games with playoff implications.  The AFC is set, with the exception of a couple of seeds.  The NFC still has a couple of division spots up for grabs (besides NFC East, either San Francisco or Seattle could still win the NFC West), some seeding issues to work out, and the last wild card spot.

Then you also have the teams with coaches who are walking on the sidelines for the final time with their respective teams.

We’ll keep picking games right through the Super Bowl, although next week’s picks will come very early in the week.

Last Week:  13-3 (.813)

Overall:  160-79-1 (.667)

Buccaneers vs. Falcons

Jets vs. Bills  (In this terrible game to have to pick, gut tells me Jets win big.)

Ravens vs. Bengals

Bears vs. Lions  (Another terrible game to have to pick.)

Jaguars vs. Titans  (Another terrible game to have to pick.)

Texans vs. Colts

Panthers vs. Saints

Eagles vs. Giants

Browns vs. Steelers

Chiefs vs. Broncos

Packers vs. Vikings  (Does anyone even realize that the Vikings could, and does have an inside line to make the playoffs?)

Dolphins vs. Patriots

Raiders vs. Chargers  (Another terrible game to have to pick.)

Cardinals vs. 49ers

Rams vs. Seahawks

Cowboys vs. Redskins  (Have to give the edge to the home team.)

Week 11 NFL Picks

Unlike several players in the Rams-49ers game, I did know that a NFL game could end in a tie.  However, I didn’t pick a tie.  But the tie will be reflected in the record the rest of the year.

Last Week:  10-3-1 (.714)

Overall:  94-51-1 (.644)

Dolphins vs. Bills

Cardinals vs. Falcons

Browns vs. Cowboys

Packers vs. Lions (Shouldn’t this game be next week?)

Bengals vs. Chiefs (Battle of two disappointing teams.)

Jets vs. Rams

Eagles vs. Redskins

Buccaneers vs. Panthers

Jaguars vs. Texans

Saints vs. Raiders

Chargers vs. Broncos

Colts vs. Patriots

Ravens vs. Steelers

Bears vs. 49ers

Week 9 NFL Picks

It is hard to complain when it was a winning week last week, but still not a great week picking NFL games.  It is getting to the point in the NFL season where you’ve got what you got, and where teams start looking towards next season.

Last Week:  8-6 (.571)

Overall:  73-45 (.619)

Chiefs vs. Chargers (It’s going to get ugly for the team that loses)

Broncos vs. Bengals

Ravens vs. Browns (Closer game than people think)

Cardinals vs. Packers (Arizona is falling, Green Bay needs to rise)

Bears vs. Titans

Dolphins vs. Colts (Who thought this game would be one of the most intriguing, in terms of the playoffs, not the draft, at the start of the season?)

Panthers vs. Redskins (This should have been a hyped matchup between Cam Newton and Robert Griffin III.  Now it’s a team on the rise versus a team falling.)

Lions vs. Jaguars

Bills vs. Texans

Buccaneers vs. Raiders

Vikings vs. Seahawks

Steelers vs. Giants (Easily the game of the week, and a potential Super Bowl matchup)

Cowboys vs. Falcons

Eagles vs. Saints

Week 6 NFL Picks

Disappointing team performances is the one thing still preventing good picks.  The Panthers and Bengals aren’t teams we thought they were heading into the season.  The Packers and Cardinals just put out bad performances.

Last Week:  10-4 (.714)

Overall:  49-28 (.636)

Steelers vs. Titans

Raiders vs. Falcons

Bengals vs. Browns  (This game will be closer than people think.  Bengals haven’t looked great, while the Browns have competed the last two weeks [at times] against superior teams)

Rams vs. Dolphins

Colts vs. Jets  (As scary of thought this is, I have more faith in Andrew Luck, than Mark Sanchez)

Lions vs. Eagles

Chiefs vs. Buccaneers

Cowboys vs. Ravens

Bills vs. Cardinals

Patriots vs. Seahawks

Giants vs. 49ers (This game won’t be as close as people think.  The only caveat is the health of Alex Smith)

Vikings vs. Redskins (Vikings are a good team, another scary thought)

Packers vs. Texans

Broncos vs. Chargers

Week 4 NFL Picks

Not a good week last week, but the NFL officials are back this week, and hopefully good picking success will be as well.

Last Week:  8-8 (.500)

Overall:  28-20 (.583)

Week 4 Picks:

Browns vs. Ravens

Panthers vs. Falcons

Patriots vs. Bills

Vikings vs. Lions

Chargers vs. Chiefs

Seahawks vs. Rams

49ers vs. Jets (This one could get ugly late)

Titans vs. Texans

Raiders vs. Broncos

Dolphins vs. Cardinals

Bengals vs. Jaguars

Saints vs. Packers (Green Bay will come out wanting to prove something)

Redskins vs. Buccaneers

Giants vs. Eagles (This game could start to signal the beginning of the end of the Andy Reid-Michael Vick era)

Bears vs. Cowboys

A Letter to Roger Goodell on NFL Officials

If I could, this would be the letter I would write to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in regards to the NFL on the current officials’ lockout.  Please note this was posted prior to the Monday Night Football game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.

Dear Mr. Goodell,

Please pay the real NFL officials the money they deserve, so that the legitimacy of the NFL is no longer compromised.

Now I understand that is a bold opening statement, but I think it is warranted considering the situation that you have created.  I also understand that no one was hoping it would get to this point, of using replacement officials into the regular season, but it has, and it isn’t pretty.

I am tired of spending every Monday and Tuesday examining where the replacement officials messed up games, as opposed to highlighting the great moments of the weekend.  It appears to me, as a casual fan, there are at least five mistakes, five missed calls in each game.

Please do not get me wrong, I understand that the regular officials are not perfect either.  They miss calls, they make mistakes too.  However, the biggest difference is that I have confidence in the regular officials, because they know how to control the game, and for the most part, get everything right.  With the replacement officials, I don’t feel that way.

Remember back in grade school, when you had a substitute teacher for a couple of days in the same class.  It was nice the first day or so, because you didn’t really have to do anything and you could get away with a lot.  After a couple days of this, you actually started to miss the regular teacher, because not a whole lot is being done, and the teacher is losing control of the class.  That is how I feel this current situation, with the replacement officials on the field, is becoming.

I fear that the longer the regular officials remain locked out, and the game intensity picks up nearing the playoffs, it will continue to get worse.

I do want to commend the NFL and yourself for doing the best you can in bringing the replacement officials up-to-speed.  I know that cannot be easy.  But there is a reason that the replacement officials aren’t members of the group of officials that are locked out.

So I beg and plead that the league to work quickly and compromise with the locked out officials to get them back on the field.  I think we are all realizing that they deserve the money that they are asking for.  This way we can get back to a solid product on the field, and back to the standard that the NFL should be at.  Plus, I miss seeing Ed Hochuli’s guns on a weekly basis (Come on, I know you do too, right?).

In closing, I wish nothing but success for the NFL and yourself, this year and in the future.

Sincerely,

Adam, NFL fan since 1990

NFL Picks Week 2

Not a bad start to the NFL season, the only disappointments were by teams with high hopes, only to be embarrassed on the field in Week 1.  That’s right, I’m calling you out New York, New Orleans, Green Bay, and Carolina.  I’ll give Pittsburgh a rest, to much emotion with Peyton Manning’s return.

Last Week:  11-5 (.688)

Week 2:

Bears vs. Packers (Bears looked impressive, but that was the Colts, this is the Packers)

Chiefs vs. Bills

Browns vs. Bengals

Vikings vs. Colts (Might be the best game of the weekend, should be a tight battle, but Adrian Peterson is the difference)

Raiders vs. Dolphins

Cardinals vs. Patriots

Buccaneers vs. Giants (If Tampa Bay plays the same they did last week, this game will be closer)

Ravens vs. Eagles (Philadelphia’s saving grace last week was facing the Browns.  They can’t play that bad and expect to compete against Baltimore)

Saints vs. Panthers (Whichever team loses this one, will be scratching their heads for answers)

Texans vs. Jaguars

Redskins vs. Rams

Cowboys vs. Seahawks

Jets vs. Steelers

Titans vs. Chargers

Lions vs. 49ers

Broncos vs. Falcons