NFL PICKS: WEEK-PLAYOFFS WEEK 1
While there are not enough words to explain my absence, I will profusely apologize to anyone who wanted picks from me this year. In all honesty I do not know how things got so bad, but one week slow balled to the next and before I knew it the regular season was over and all I had to offer was some less than stellar week 1 and week 2 picks. But as I said never bet on the first few weeks of the NFL season, but as we all saw things were back to normal with the Patriots and Broncos on top in the AFC and the Packers and Seahawks leading the way in the NFC. The exception, that my beloved and perennially spastic Cowboys came out of nowhere to finish 12-4, win the division, and prove a lot of people who thought they wouldn’t even win 6 games wrong. And while I am in that group of doubters despite my love for the Cowboys, I can only imagine what they would have done with a defense, although this years squad somehow had an incredible bounce back over last year so I will just end the critiques here.
But ok enough talk, here are the picks… HOME TEAM IN CAPS
BRONZE PICK
COLTS (-3.5) OVER Bengals
This game is tough. Partially because the Colts have look incredibly suspect of late, but also because the Bengals manage to throw together a decent performance just when you think its time to give up on them. In essence they are the Colt McCoy of the NFL (on a side note, how is Colt McCoy not J.D. McCoy from Friday Night Lights? They are mirror images right down to the overbearing dad right? Yes Colt McCoy’s dad I saw you celebrating a little too hard with your wife in the press box in Cowboys stadium, just know your son is only going to get those garbage wins against my Cowboys so hear’s to the one win your kid gets a year to keep him relevant in the NFL). However, the Colts have looked awful against winning teams this year and they are long way from beating up another hapless opponent from their division. That being said, the Bengals are still the Bengals and have not won a primetime and/or meaningful game under Andy Dalton plus they were destroyed by the Colts earlier in the year. This game is a difficult game because it will depend on which Bengals team will show up, but given their performances in important games under Dalton and AJ Green’s potential absence I would have to go with the Colts on this one. If you want a surer bet do the smart thing and just take the Moneyline on the Colts winning this one. Say what you will about Andrew Luck and his trunovers, but he has the championship mettle to win games when he shouldn’t .
SILVER PICK
Cardinals (+6.5) OVER PANTHERS
Look, I know the Cardinals have no QB and have not for some time now. I get that Ryan Lindley is awful and is somehow even worse than the back-up who replaced Palmer before he went down. But this is the NFL and in the NFL a good defense is enough to get you a win even if its on the road. And while the Cardinals are hurting from their injuries and have not been as stout on defense as they have in the past (especially against the run of late), but they are 11-5 and taking on a sub .500 team who are only in the playoffs due to the NFLs terrible formatting issues. Even if I went out there as QB for the Cardinals they could not lose this game by more than 6.5. Yes the Panthers are running well of late with Newton healthy and Stewart looking great, but give me break ‘Zona, this is a game you can win even without a QB and with a washed up Larry Fitzgerald. Feel confident, take the points and in Carson Palmer’s memory do trust.
GOLD PICK
Lions (+7) OVER COWBOYS
While everyone knows how much I love the Cowboys, I hope they also know I am not stupid. I have watch Cowboys games for twenty years now and in those twenty years the last fifteen have told me that you never ever take the Cowboys in a must win game and you certainly do not take them giving up 7 points! Even without Suh there was no way the Cowboys and their atrocious (yet still improved) air defense can slow down a team with a healthy Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. Yes, Golden Tate maybe not be a top 25 receiver but with the double team of Johnson coming there is no one on the Cowboys who can cover Tate or any non-infirmed NFL wideout 1 on 1. With Suh in the game it will be up to Romo to rely on the air to get the job done and the only hope for a victory is for him to not implode in the playoffs (tough) and the Dallas air-D to step-up and shut down the pass (next to impossible). I’m not saying Dallas cannot win this game, because they can if the stars align, but there is no way in this universe that the Cowboys win a playoff game by more than 7 points unless someone poisons the Lions or Suh goes on a rampage and steps on Calvin Johnson’s face while simultaneously breaking the arms of Golden Tate. NO WAY!! BET THE HOUSE, Lions +7!
Enjoy and please game responsibly.
