First, a quick standings update:
| Me | Al | |
|---|---|---|
| previous | 115-116-9 | 110-121-9 |
| week 17 | 7-9 | 9-7 |
| Bowls 1 | 5-4 | 5-4 |
| Bowls 2 | 4-8 | 7-5 |
| Total | 131-137-9 | 131-137-9 |
Wow, a tie, that ought to add a little excitement! And, clearly, I’m hopeless when it comes to the middle-of-the-pack bowl games, yikes. As of this writing, however, I am up three games in part 3 of the bowls, so my lead is slim but not really quite gone yet.
Anyway, I could easily go 0-4 here, I hate picking playoff games. Think Jim Mora Sr. blurting out “playoffs?”
SaturdayChefs @ Indianapolis(-7)
A hate-able spread. I’m not even sure about who will win this game, because it’s just so easy to imagine KC doing nothing but handing off to LJ and thus staying in it, maybe even winning it. On the other, it’s easy to imagine that the Colts get an early lead and Edwards gets impatient and the Chefs throw too much. Hmm, well, the Colts will almost certainly blow it sometime in January but I’m thinking not in the first round, plus I find it hard to bet on Herm on the road. Colts, I guess, but I would be completely unsurprised if it went entirely the other way. Hmm, could I waffle some more? No, no, Colts it is.
Cowboys @ Seattle(-3)
Yuck, what a horrible game. I can’t imagine how or why I would watch this. The Cowboys seem deeply flawed, but then, so do the Seabags. Both teams utterly sucked down the stretch, Romo being in the Pro Bowl is an all-time NFL travesty, the Seattle injury list is a mile long… ugh, too many competing factors. I’m taking the Cowboys because, uhh, because… probably because I’d rather see the Seahawks win, and that’s a reasonable guide.
Sunday
Jets @ New England(-8.5)
That just seems like too many points for two teams which aren’t spectacular. I mean, Brady’s home playoff record is just nuts, but more than a TD? Too rich for my blood. However, I think the real value of this matchup might be as a drinking game. Whenever the announcers mention that Mangini was a former assistant of Belichick or that these teams know each other well or something, take a drink. Anyone who’s still standing at halftime wins.
Giants @ Philadelphia(-7)
OK, so the Eagles are hot and the Giants are a mess. The question is whether, as Bill Simmons pointed out, any NFC playoff team should give seven. However, I think his logic is flawed, because I refuse to believe the Giants are actually a playoff team. It has to be a computer error or something; it reeks of the BCS. I say the Eagles cover and if we’re lucky, Shockey and Coughlin start fisticuffs about nine minutes into the third quarter.
Saturday
Chefs @ Indianapolis(-7)
Indy will probably blow it at some point in these playoffs, but not here. As long as they can “contain” LJ, this should be an easy victory. Expect some early quick hits from Manning and it will force the Chiefs out of their game. Give the points.
Cowboys @ Seattle(-3)
Seattle is so freaking soft, and they showed it against the Niners the other day. On the other hand, the Cowboys last win came three weeks ago against the Falcons; a team that become totally exposed as plain awful. If Seattle can spread the field to attack the Cowboy safeties and block DeMarcus Ware capably, they should be able to win. I hate this game. Really.
Jets @ New England(-8.5)
Gosh that seems like too many points. On the other hand, the Jets are pretty bad and have done it with the weakest schedule in the NFL (their division and the NFC north). Eh, I think this one will be close. I’ll take the points.
Giants @ Philadelphia(-7)
The Eagles have been playing great lately, but the Giants won’t go down so easily. I think they corrected some things against the Redskins and maybe won’t be so freaking awful in this game. They’ll probably lose, but it will be a close game. I’ll take the points.