National Football League

[Amsterhammer]

Jacksonville at Atlanta

Saturday, December 17

Dallas at Tampa Bay

Sunday, December 18

Tennessee at Indianapolis

Miami at Buffalo

Cincinnati at St. Louis

Washington at N.Y. Giants

Seattle at Chicago Expect Bears meltdown to continue

New Orleans at Minnesota

Carolina at Houston

Green Bay at Kansas City

Detroit at Oakland

N.Y. Jets at Philadelphia Head says Philly, but I hate Vick and the Eagles

Cleveland at Arizona

New England at Denver Yes, I believe....

Baltimore at San Diego

Monday, December 19

Pittsburgh at San Francisco

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

Game night! JAX (4-9) at ATL (8-5). From those won-lost records it might seem ho-hum. But I think it will be interesting enough with JAX's RB Maurice Jones-Drew (all 5'7"... and 210 lbs mostly in his tree trunk legs, and over 1200 yards rushing so far) vs. a pretty good ATL run defense. ATL has a bit better offense (~100 more total yards per game), but JAX has a tad better total defense.

Falcons ftw.

And the Falcons need a couple of more wins to keep you out of avatar shame.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

And the Falcons need a couple of more wins to keep you out of avatar shame.

Haha! You knew about that? Well, just in case my fail avatar is ready to go. Looks like I won't need it though... at the half Atlanta is hammering the crap out of JAX. Then it's just 2 games to win just one more.

 

[Bag_O_Wallet]

Haha! You knew about that? Well, just in case my fail avatar is ready to go. Looks like I won't need it though... at the half Atlanta is hammering the crap out of JAX. Then it's just 2 games to win just one more.

Yeah, I had been part of some back and forth with Foxxy prior to the Avatar throw-down. I said the Falcs would be 10-6... so I need them to get one of the next two as well. The Saints will be tough - especially if they're gunning for a a first round bye... so, I've got my fingers, toes and eyes crossed for a win against the Bucs.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Jacksonville at Atlanta - Good win for impressive Falcons.
Dallas at Tampa Bay - Bucs troubles continue, but Dallas could of course lose.
Tennessee at Indianapolis - Nice to see Locker playing to his potential, though Hasslebeck will start.
Miami at Buffalo - Firing Sporano was a mistake for Miami. Read this.
Cincinnati at St. Louis - Rams continue to fall. Need to move (back) to LA.
Washington at N.Y. Giants - Giants lucky against Dallas, but still better.
Seattle at Chicago - Seahawks D very good, but this is in Chicago.
New Orleans at Minnesota - Saints on a roll.
Carolina at Houston - Texans very powerful.
Green Bay at Kansas City - Packers don't lose, maybe all year.
Detroit at Oakland - Should be a tough game, but Raiders can't defend pass of late. McFadden still out.
N.Y. Jets at Philadelphia - Vick back, but Jets always good this time of year.
Cleveland at Arizona - Arizona has more talent, at home.
New England at Denver - Tebow or not, I take the Pats, but if Denver's defense can contain Brady...
Baltimore at San Diego - Baltimore a top team, Chargers need new coaching staff.
Pittsburgh at San Francisco - What an awesome match up! I think the 49ers bounce back at home.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Yeah, I had been part of some back and forth with Foxxy prior to the Avatar throw-down. I said the Falcs would be 10-6... so I need them to get one of the next two as well. The Saints will be tough - especially if they're gunning for a a first round bye... so, I've got my fingers, toes and eyes crossed for a win against the Bucs.

Me too. I'm not counting on a win vs the Saints, but the Bucs game is the one I'm counting on. Trouble with the Saints game, other than the obvious that it's the Saints, is it's on Monday. So the Falcs have one less day to recover and prepare for the Bucs. Hopefully the Falcs stay out of injuries way vs the Saints, which will be a dog fight unlike the Falcs walk in the park vs the Jags last night. So I'm really hoping the Falcs upset the Saints.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Receiver Sam Hurd arrested after he allegedly accepted kilogram of cocaine from federal agent posing as supplier

As he dined at a high-end suburban steakhouse Wednesday night, Bears receiver Sam Hurd spoke of an alleged secret, second life: that of a drug dealer looking to push major quantities of cocaine and marijuana onto Chicago's streets, authorities allege.

Hurd, who is earning $2 million this year on the football field, allegedly told his companions that he needed 5 to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana every week. He was also allegedly looking for a cellphone from Mexico because he believed that it could help him evade federal wiretaps.

The meal ended with one of the two drug suppliers handing Hurd a bag allegedly containing 1 kilogram of cocaine. What the former Northern Illinois University star hadn't realized was one guest was an undercover federal agent while the other was a confidential government informant, authorities said.

As he allegedly placed the bag in his vehicle outside Morton's The Steakhouse in Rosemont, Hurd was quickly arrested. He now faces major federal drug conspiracy charges that have put his career in peril and also carry a hefty potential sentence of up to 40 years in prison. Unlike other athletes who have drawn headlines for relatively minor drug offenses, Hurd's case is striking in that the charges against him portray him as what cops would consider a major player in the drug world.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...eiver-cocaine-arrest-20111216,0,7746835.story

Two million a year ain't enough.

I see that the north-west has stopped believing in the Tebow miracle and gone for the old master instead. Should be a hell of a game if the Broncos can for once avoid going far behind and having to come with a late surge. The NE defense is not exactly gonna worry Timmy, 'cos he's on a mission.....

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Receiver Sam Hurd arrested after he allegedly accepted kilogram of cocaine from federal agent posing as supplier

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...eiver-cocaine-arrest-20111216,0,7746835.story

Two million a year ain't enough.

I see that the north-west has stopped believing in the Tebow miracle and gone for the old master instead. Should be a hell of a game if the Broncos can for once avoid going far behind and having to come with a late surge. The NE defense is not exactly gonna worry Timmy, 'cos he's on a mission.....

Hurd... what a moron. What's good about that for the Seahawks...
D I S T R A C T I O N.
Seahawks may need more help than that, but if they play the way they can I won't be surprised if they upset d'Bears.

That disbelief would be Alpe's part of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon. If I was a betting man, I'd pick the Pats too, which is the smart bet. BUT the Broncos can beat the Pats. Don't be surprised if they do. Why? (1) Denver D-fence. If they can spread out the Pats OL and make them work one-on-one vs defenders instead of as a group, then the Broncs may be able to put enough pressure on Brady to foul up the Pats plans. (2) Tebow is getting better every week at understanding defenses and knowing where to go with the ball. In Tebow's first start, he was mostly doing it with his legs. Now he is starting to do it with his head and arm. If only his receivers can catch the ball! The problem for Tebow is the Pats D gameplan will try to confuse him by disguising defensive coverage and where blitzes are coming from. The Pats are good at that, even if they have one of the worst defenses in the league. (3) The Pats D is one of the worst in the league. The Pats secondary (safties) is/are especially vulnerable to the deep ball. And Denver tried one of those last week only to miss out on a TD when the receiver did not close his hands on the ball. (4) So if the Broncs D does well and keeps the game close we very well could see another Denver win.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I don't think it's a matter of believing. I believe Tebow is a leader and a winner, if not a great NFL QB. He's the most exciting player in the NFL, and a great face for the franchise and league. That is all without question to me. And I think his leadership is at least half the reason they are winning and on a roll. I've said that for several weeks. I just question Denver's ability to stop Brady and the Patriots. They have a very good defense, but against teams that stretch the field - such as what Detroit did, I don't know if they can contain them. If you look at their string of wins: Chicago, Minnesota, Kansas City, Chargers, Jets, Miami. None of them have an offense like New England. Arguably the Charges should, but they're a problematic, poorly coached, undisciplined mess of a team.

Having said that, I don't think New England can stop Denver's offense much either, nor will they have an answer for Tebow late in the game. So if the Broncos defense can hold the Pats at least somewhat, and keep the game within about 10 points into the 4th quarter, it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if the Broncos win. I would almost expect them to.

I should also state I will be cheering for the Broncos to win.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

+1. Well said Alpe. Especially that last line!

I'd just add, to spin off on what you said there about a bad Pats "D" that may not be able stop the Broncs offense, if the Broncs offense can stay on the field and control the clock then a more rested Broncs defense could even create more trouble for Brady and the Pats offense. We could even see Denver on the plus side on the turnover ratio for the game.

 

[pmcg76]

Without Foxxy around, this thread seems to be dying a death. So many surprises yesterday, so few comments. Tebow train derailed, Packers finally lose, Colts finally win, Bears, Giants, Jets, Ravens all beaten. Good round in many ways.

I think there was more interest pre-season than there is now.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

I don't know about others, but I've been spending the past day digesting what the heck happened and how it happened. Primarily how the Chiefs dismantled the Packers, a game I was not able to watch. Turnovers? Nope. KC just had a great offensive and defensive game plan. KC was able to sustain many drives and had several long drives in the first half. GB on the other hand was not able to sustain any drives in the first half and not enough in the second half. KUDOS to Orton who had a 299 yard passing day with no INTs. I'll bet CHICAGO wishes they had picked him up a few weeks ago.

that's a start anyways.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Without Foxxy around, this thread seems to be dying a death. So many surprises yesterday, so few comments. Tebow train derailed, Packers finally lose, Colts finally win, Bears, Giants, Jets, Ravens all beaten. Good round in many ways.

I think there was more interest pre-season than there is now.

Hi everybody. I think my problems will be solved soon. Thus i´ll be back in january with my yearly playoff predictions. So far, it´s a great season.

BTW, i prepare myself for "dressing" the Armstrong-Avatar. Only one win to go for ATL

Cheers

 

[Anonymous]

I nearly pissed myself watching the Chargers last night.

Where the eff has THAT team been all year?

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

@Foxxy... welcome back.

@Scot SoCal: I hear ya. Also, I was wondering the same about the Dolts, I mean Colts. How they can almost go "Oh-fer" by losing just one guy. Ok, so it was Peyton. But it has to be embarrassing for the other 52 guys to fall on their face so hard. Colts mgmt might just as well give Peyton 97% of the team's payroll.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Turns out I was completely right on Pats-Broncos, and completely wrong on several other picks! What a topsy-turvy week!

I have NFL RedZone, so I was able to catch much of the Packers-Chiefs game. It came down to three things as I saw it - 1) Packers played assuming they would run over the Chiefs, and looked flat. 2) Chiefs, especially Orton, played aggressive and motivated. They aren't really that bad of a team, just some bad losses this year. 3) A few Packers went down to injury at the wrong time.

The game wasn't a huge loss that revealed a glaring weakness, and I'm sure the Packers will rebound next week, and beyond.

Right now it looks like the Steelers may end up with HFA through the playoffs if they can get past the 49ers.

Really looking forward to a Packers-Saints playoff match-up. New Orleans is just on fire right now. If they play in the NFC championship this could be the game of the year.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Never in the history of predictions have so many pickers picked so wrong.

Who woulda thunk it indeed!? In descending order of shock value, I'd rank the surprises like this - GB losing, Indy winning, Texas losing, Skins winning, Ravens losing. The games at Oakland, Chicago, Denver, Arizona and Philly could all conceivably have gone the other way too. A weekend of major shocks all round. Brees and the Saints are starting to look awesomely good at just the right time, while the Ravens continue to suck on the road. At least I got Seattle right!

I actually watched the Skins game. For reasons that remain unknown, the Giants simply didn't turn up, thereby allowing a not very good Washington team to dominate them on all fronts. Their only TD came right at the death when the Skins were already coasting. 23 - 3 would have been a more fitting reflection of the Skin's dominance

 

[ferryman]

Watched back to back games last night.

Giants were woeful against the Redskins.

Had hopes for Denver but the Pats showed their class in the end and 'old man' Brady still has it, no doubt.

Also, always great to see my Dolphins winning in the snow

 

[Anonymous]

Not sure WTF to think... Steelers getting their *** handed to them.

I think the Niners may be for real.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Not sure WTF to think... Steelers getting their *** handed to them.

I think the Niners may be for real.

Yeah, and I think they will get better as they go into the playoffs with that coaching staff.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Never in the history of predictions have so many pickers picked so wrong.

At least I got Seattle right!

So, you probably have one more correct pick than anyone else.

Right now Seattle (7-7) is the runner up for a wild card spot having beaten the Giants, Eagles, Cards, and Bears who are teams with similar W-L records. (Who'd have thunk that when Seattle was 2-6.) However, in the driver's seat for the NFC wild cards are the Falcons and Lions each at 9-5. The Chawks will have a tough test at home next SATURDAY vs the Niners. Most people will be picking the Niners to win, but I still don't count Seattle out of that game. Still, it appears that the NFC playoff picture is coming into pretty clear focus.

 

[Tank Engine]

In terms of the regular season, it's the fourth quarter and in the NFC East Dallas are in the lead. So when was the last time the Boys lost in the last quarter?

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

In terms of the regular season, it's the fourth quarter and in the NFC East Dallas are in the lead. So when was the last time the Boys lost in the last quarter?

You have a good point there. The NFC East is definately not settled yet. Dallas could lose their last two games to end the regular season.

The Cowboys (8-6) remaining games: vs EAGLES (6-8), @GIANTS (7-7)
The Giants (7-7) remaining games: @JETS (8-6), vs DALLAS (8-6)
The Eagles (6-8) remaining games: @DALLAS (8-6), vs SKINS (5-9)

If Dallas does lose the last two, here's how it could end up:
1. The Giants (9-7) - by beating Dallas & the Jets
2. The Eagles (8-8) - by beating Dallas & the Skins
3. The Cowboys (8-8) - by losing last two
...not sure of the final placings of 2 vs 3 with tiebreakers, but really does not matter.

 

[lancaster]

Not sure WTF to think... Steelers getting their *** handed to them.

I think the Niners may be for real.

don't disagree, the niners defence is really strong, but this was against a really struggling big ben.

 

[SirLes]

The Giants have a good chance against the Jets because they're playing away from home. Their home form sucks!