NFL
The theme this week (and I suspect next) are losses by teams that don’t mean anything. Eagles lose to the Rams and Falcons lose to the Saints but maintain their positions because they had nothing to play for. Meanwhile, teams that had golden opportunities to help themselves reach the playoffs laid eggs. Not much change at the top and bottom of the rankings but just like the playoff race, the middle is packed with teams jockeying for position.
I go on vacation and my picks go to hell. How am I supposed to know that the Cards would beat the Rams and that the Dolphins could beat the Patriots? This week is even tougher to pick as there are some races already sewn up and the head coaches might or might not rest their starters. There’s a reason why some of these games aren’t even on the board in Vegas.
Here we go with the Week 16 Picks. If you want to see how well the experts here at SC stack up against the competition, check out this excel file.
How far will the Packers go? Tough answer. This article sets the stage for the final two weeks of a very interesting season of NFL football.
By Sean Quinn
IPod’s are hot this Christmas. So is Beyonce. But you’d be hard pressed to find anything hotter right now than the Buffalo Bills. Well, maybe a “Tickle Me Elmo,” but the fact still remains, all anyone in Western New York really wants for the holidays is a playoff spot. And with AFC teams being cleared out of the Bills path like snow off of a Buffalo interstate, every Bills fan has a reason to be tickled about something.
By Jeremy Burnham
I’m not really sure why, but some people are very good college football coaches, but just can’t cut it in the NFL. San Francisco 49ers head coach Dennis Erickson is one of these coaches.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming this whole season on him. Last season? Yes, but not this season. The team was gutted. Jeff Garcia is gone. Terrell Owens also left. Tai Streets, Garrison Hearst? Gone and gone. So the GM brought a bunch of big talent in to replace them right? HA! That would be a no. Not all teams can care that much about winning. Who do you think we are talking about here, the San Francisco 49ers? Oh wait, that’s right, we are. One thing is for sure, these are not the same old Niners. The good old Eddie D days are LONG gone.
What the hell is going on in the NFC West? I was tempted to put that entire division in the cellar. It’s not who plays the best down the stretch, it’s who doesn’t completely stink up the joint that will win that division. At least the NFC Central and the Wild Card races are intriguing. I tried to put everyone based on where they’d end up in their respective conferences. The only exception is Buffalo who I think is a better team than Jax and Baltimore but trail (and will trail) them in the conference.
Well, here we go with the Week 15 Rankings.
By Alex Fitzsimmons
A quarterback left for dead, a coach ridiculed and scrutinized, and a team with no sense of certainty. That was the state of the San Diego Chargers in the 2003 season. But now, under the commanding helm of breakthrough quarterback Drew Brees, breakout tight end Antonio Gates, and the ever explosive LaDainian Tomlinson, the 2004 Chargers are looking more daunting than ever, and have left young rookie Philip Rivers to swim upstream.
Well, after touting my personal picks last week, I did the worst out of the group goign 11-5. Good thing the others were there to pick up the slack. Overall, the Sportscolumn experts went 3 out of 4 on picks and on the locks. Still doing pretty well on the season.
Here we go with the Week 15 Picks. If you want to see how well the experts here at SC stack up against the competition, check out this excel file.
After their loss to the Jaguars, all playoff hopes can be put to rest. But, I believe there’s something to play for and the Bears and Lovie Smith should focus on these three things: (a) finishing the season with some momentum for next year, (b) taking a look at all players in game situations, and (c) putting the whole playbook in to see which plays their players can execute and which plays require different players.
It’s getting harder and harder to do the Power Rankings every week for the bottom of the barrel. Everyone is just interested in the Top 10 and who will make the playoffs. I considered limiting the list but I get too much joy out of ripping on the crappy teams of the league. Not much change at the top this week but nice movement in the middle as mediocre teams jostle for playoff positioning.