Football - God 4 MVP!

Elki

Talk football and shit, but we'll also be starting something "new" in this one.


The challenge is to beat Easterbrook's season picks. Or rather, the home teams. For those who don't know what I'm talking about:


[quote=Easterbrook]Let me offer my off-price ultra-generic private-label prediction: Home Team Wins. The home team won 59 percent of the time in 2005. Many paid professional football pundits, gentlemen who yak about the NFL for a living, barely bested 59 percent in their 2005 picks: Jay Novacek of MSNBC came in at 63 percent, for instance. Simply pick the home team in every contest and you are likely to be right about six times out of 10.[/quote]

It would be nice to have the best overall record, but the goal is to beat the home teams, and to do that you'll need a 10% edge (I'm not entirely decided on this number). Who's up for it? I'll need you guys to make picks for the 15 weekends, starting with this one. The first two don't matter much, IMO. Just bold your picks. I'll update the records every week.



Records (overall):

Elkamil 30-12 (.714)
Mr Slippy Fist: 30-12 (.714)
Dynagrip: 29-13 (.690)
gundam470: 29-13 (.690)
celery77: 28-14 (.666)
DeUZ: 28-14 (.666)
Nambkab: 28-14 (.666)
mtvcdm: 27-15 (.643)
Home Teams: 26-16 (.619)


Incomplete records:

Crazy Larry: 21-7
Poot: 19-9
suttbecks: 11-3
Lord Of The Pants: 10-4
Bogey: 8-6
Mendoza: 8-6
CowboyOnPatrol: 7-7



Week 3 (PA 1)

Week 4 (PA 2)

Week 5 (PA 3)

The Green Eyed Monster

This is cool.

I'm participating in a "survivor" thread on another board, where you have to pick a winner every weekend, and then you are not allowed to pick the same team twice. So far I've picked Chicago and Atlanta and I'm still in it, but by the end of the season, theoretically, if I'm still in it I'll have picked 16 teams who win each weekend, and that won't be easy.

Like you, I'll post my picks a little later, and fuck the home-team rule, I'm picking who I think will win.

Gosling

Sounds like a plan.

Carolina at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Detroit (le sigh)
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo
Tennessee at Miami
Washington at Houston
Baltimore at Cleveland
N.Y. Giants at Seattle
Philadelphia at San Francisco
St. Louis at Arizona
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans

The Green Eyed Monster

Woah, I'm not going to pick until tomorrow morning, but I'm going to disagree with like half your picks. Just sayin'.

I mean, you got Pittsburgh beating Cinci? We don't see the game the same.

Gosling

celery77 wrote:

Woah, I'm not going to pick until tomorrow morning, but I'm going to disagree with like half your picks. Just sayin'.

I mean, you got Pittsburgh beating Cinci? We don't see the game the same.

It's a mix of three things:
1: Obvious calls. Such as the Packers losing.
2: Understanding that this is the NFL, the Land of Any Given Sunday.
3: Pure unadulterated gut. (Chad Johnson sucking against Pitt historically is the bulk of that particular call.)

Though disagreeing with me is, historically, a good idea regardless of the sport I'm picking. You don't want to see the mangled brackets I've left in my wake.

gundam470

My Picks:

(feel free to criticize)

Week: 3 (PA 1)

Carolina at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Detroit <--Not a typo
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo
Tennessee at Miami
Washington at Houston
Baltimore at Cleveland
N.Y. Giants at Seattle
Philadelphia at San Francisco <--I'm a 'niners fan, sorry
St. Louis at Arizona
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans <--The emotion just might be enough

DeUZ

Week: 3 (PA 1)

Carolina at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Detroit
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo
Tennessee at Miami
Washington at Houston
Baltimore at Cleveland
N.Y. Giants at Seattle
Philadelphia at San Francisco
St. Louis at Arizona
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans

These are my picks. Thank goodness Oakland is off this week otherwise it would be easy to see their loss.

Nambkab

Week 3 (PA 1):

Carolina at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Detroit
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo
Tennessee at Miami
Washington at Houston
Baltimore at Cleveland
N.Y. Giants at Seattle
Philadelphia at San Francisco
St. Louis at Arizona
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans


I was very tempted to add that the bye will beat the Raiders.

EDIT: Changed a couple picks based on injury situations.

The Green Eyed Monster

Week: 3 (PA 1)

Carolina at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Detroit
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo
Tennessee at Miami
Washington at Houston
Baltimore at Cleveland
N.Y. Giants at Seattle
Philadelphia at San Francisco
St. Louis at Arizona
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans

Dynagrip

Week: 3 (PA 1)

Carolina at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Detroit
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo
Tennessee at Miami
Washington at Houston
Baltimore at Cleveland
N.Y. Giants at Seattle
Philadelphia at San Francisco
St. Louis at Arizona
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans

DeUZ

Don't underestimate New Orleans. Sure they typically suck, but they actually have a QB that throws TDs more than INTs. Brees is SOOO much better than Aaron Brooks it isn't even funny. Atlanta is doing good, but New Orleans will give them alot better fight than if they had Aaron Brooks. Brooks is so bad this year the Raiders have score 6 points in 2 games and the points came from fieldgoals. That's why there is a glitch named after him.

Dynagrip

I'm not so sure Houston will actually beat Washington, but I figured, what the hell.

The Green Eyed Monster

DeUZ wrote:

Don't underestimate New Orleans. Sure they typically suck, but they actually have a QB that throws TDs more than INTs. Brees is SOOO much better than Aaron Brooks it isn't even funny. Atlanta is doing good, but New Orleans will give them alot better fight than if they had Aaron Brooks. Brooks is so bad this year the Raiders have score 6 points in 2 games and the points came from fieldgoals. That's why there is a glitch named after him.

Yeah, but you're clearly under-estimating ATL. They have one of the best defenses in the league and Reggie Bush isn't doing it just yet, plus I don't see how the NO defense intends to keep Mike Vick and Warrick Dunn off the field. I wouldn't be surprised if ball control was close to 40:20 at the end of the game.

ATL over NO is one of the safest picks this week, as far as I'm concerned.

The Green Eyed Monster

Dynagrip wrote:

I'm not so sure Houston will actually beat Washington, but I figured, what the hell.

Houston's due to not totally suck at some point.

Washington on the other hand...

that, plus I decided to follow Elk's odds. Just being the home team makes it the safer pick if I'm thinking it's a crap shoot.

FyreWulff

Man, Georgia just dodged a bullet.

Jim Rose on the Husker pre-game show (sweet jesus a 6-hour long pregame show) was joking that Georgia would secede from the union when it was 13-0.

Mr Slippy Fist

Eh, I think I'll try my hand at the picks.

Week: 3 (PA 1)

Carolina at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (pains me as a Bengals fan. Just too injured in my opinion, and I'm not sold on the D yet)
Green Bay at Detroit
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo
Tennessee at Miami
Washington at Houston
Baltimore at Cleveland
N.Y. Giants at Seattle
Philadelphia at San Francisco
St. Louis at Arizona
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans

Edit:

FyreWulff wrote:

Man, Georgia just dodged a bullet.

Very true. Good for Colorado, though, for still playing tough with as horrible as their season has been so far.

Jragghen

PSU's kicker is getting really frustrating. He did so well up until the Orange Bowl last year, and he seems to not be able to get over that. I swear they've had more flubbed snaps and messed up kicks than they've had successful field goals.

Bogey

Thanks so much for doing this.

Elkamil wrote:

Week: 3 (PA 1)

Carolina at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Detroit
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo
Tennessee at Miami
Washington at Houston
Baltimore at Cleveland
N.Y. Giants at Seattle
Philadelphia at San Francisco
St. Louis at Arizona
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans

Elki

Possible upset is in progress. MSU is leading Notre-Dame 24-14, in the second quarter. It's on ABC.

DiscGrace

Elkamil wrote:

Possible upset is in progress. MSU is leading Notre-Dame 24-14, in the second quarter. It's on ABC.

37-21 at the end of the third quarter. It's a beautiful thing, truly.

Elki

That did not happen.

FyreWulff

Wow.

Just wow.

Notre Dame got LUCKY.

I still can't believe that counted as an interception.


seriously, Oklahoma has nothing on this. That was just straight up not fair at all.

Mr Slippy Fist

Nice focus there, MSU. Thumbs up!

Anime Owns

M..maybe Purdue will take care of ND next weekend.

:oops:


Also, I really hope Cinci takes care of the Steelers tomorrow. I'm not really a fan, but I've got a bit of vested interest in the game.

Elki

Elkamil wrote:

Week: 3 (PA 1)

Carolina at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Minnesota
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh
Green Bay at Detroit
Jacksonville at Indianapolis
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo
Tennessee at Miami
Washington at Houston
Baltimore at Cleveland
N.Y. Giants at Seattle
Philadelphia at San Francisco
St. Louis at Arizona
Denver at New England
Atlanta at New Orleans

Dynagrip

Wow, I'm feeling a lot better about picking Houston after that first series. Really nice throw by Carr to Johnson. Also, Johnson is on my fantasy team, so double whoo.

Mr Slippy Fist

Mr Slippy Fist, yesterday wrote:

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (pains me as a Bengals fan. Just too injured in my opinion, and I'm not sold on the D yet)

Sadly, my fears are being confirmed. Over and over again.

Dynagrip

The Texans excel at making opposing quarterbacks look great.

Jragghen

I seem to have the uncanny ability to make the Steelers suck when I watch the game this week.

The Raging Platypus

I am firmly convinced that Qwest Field is the 5th level of Hell. Maybe even the 6th.

*sighs* My poor Giants.

The Green Eyed Monster

The Raging Platypus wrote:

I am firmly convinced that Qwest Field is the 5th level of Hell. Maybe even the 6th.

*sighs* My poor Giants.

It's in Seattle, so it follows, and yeah -- they're taking one of the worst drubbings I've seen in a minute.

Mr Slippy Fist

As I said to my roommate: Cincinnati just wanted to lose less today. Both teams were working their hardest in that direction, though.

Dynagrip

Ouch

Spleens are pretty important. I think Simms is going to be out a long time.

Nambkab

So Elk, when is the Vince Young era going to start in Tennessee? And I would have been two wins to the better if I hadn't switched two of my picks yesterday

deadonthestreet

The refs in the Pats/Broncos game suck.

Nambkab

deadonthestreet wrote:

The refs in all levels of football this year suck.

Fixed.

The Green Eyed Monster

Nambkab wrote:

deadonthestreet wrote:

The refs in all levels of football this year suck.

Fixed.

Man, fans need to stop bitching so much. The refs are doing a fine job from what I see in the NFL. I mean, a fan is upset about some officiating calls? STOP THE PRESSES!

That said, I do believe there's a pretty concrete case that the level of NBA officiating is on a noticed decline.

Nambkab

I'm not bitching, I just feel that the overall quality of reffing has gone down in the past few years. Really though I still haven't seen a case where a game was truly decided by refs, so it isn't a huge deal. The reffing has been bad though

The Green Eyed Monster

Nambkab wrote:

I'm not bitching, I just feel that the overall quality of reffing has gone down in the past few years. Really though I still haven't seen a case where a game was truly decided by refs, so it isn't a huge deal. The reffing has been bad though

I don't think it's been any better or worse than any other time I can remember, asides from the rules which I just think are dumb (overprotecting the QB and cracking down on celebrations) but ultimately enforced correctly.

Podly

Bills lose?
Steelers lose?
Indy wins?
Pats lose?

What the fucking Jesus?!!?

Gosling

Poldy wrote:

Indy wins?
Pats lose?

What the fucking Jesus?!!?

I don't know about the other two, but the Colts ALWAYS win until they have their playoff seed sewn up, and the Patriots seem to have begun the inevitable Salary Cap Slide O' Doom. Happened to Baltimore, happened to Green Bay, happens to everybody, it's starting to happen to New England.