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News From
Around the League |
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| My heart will ache either way |
| I was born in St. Louis as a Cardinals fan, but currently live near Tampa and had Bucs season tickets until a few years ago, so a bit of nostalgia for me. Chicago pulled their game against the Bucs off with a wild finish, and so taking the Bucs lightly is done only in peril, and not at all by my team. I am going to give my Redbirds the slightest of advantages, knowing full well the last time I picked my own team, the Falcons laid a whoopin' on me. At least my eyes won't tear up too badly if the Bucs pull off the upset. Tampa Bay 21, Arizona 24 |
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| The Jags are looking to keep it rolling |
| So the team tied for the best record in the league is playing the team tied for the worst record in the league...have to add some drama to this pick, eh? The Jags did take advantage of a Hail Mary at the end of the 1st half and only scored once in the 2nd half, but alot of that was probably due to Jacksonville sitting some of their guys. Minnesota was never severely challenged by the Dolphins last week; yeah I'm trying, but I just can't build the case for Miami over Jacksonville, unless the Jags are laser-focused on next week's game against the Raiders. Hey, it could happen! Jacksonville 31, Miami 10 |
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| So you are telling me there is a chance? |
| On the show last week, I think Len felt a bit disrespected about his Cowboys and the idea that they would get the top pick in the rookie draft; so he went out and proved that that he COULD win, though it did take 2 scores in the last 4:05 to make that happen. This week, they have the chance to pretty much eliminate Tennessee from the playoff race. Tennessee's road to 10 wins is pretty tough already, and a loss to the Cowboys pretty seals the deal. I am going to lean with Tennessee this week, if for no other reason than to give Len bulletin board material, but I think the Cowboys will definitely play hard. Tennessee 27, Dallas 24 |
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| A chance to right the ship is right there |
| Carolina and Washington are locked in a tight NFC East race for first, though this week looks better for the Commanders. The Eagles have had a tough time scoring points, while Washington has managed to put enough points on the board to stay in most games, even against the Rams, who held the advantage of TOP, and ran the perfect 4 minute offense to close out the game. Washington needs to win this game, as they are in danger from behind as well, with the Giants really having a chance to storm back into playoff contention. Philadelphia 14, Washington 21 |
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| Can the G-Men tame the Tigers? |
| With last week's win over the Chargers, New York gained an important H2H towards the battle to make the playoffs, and it appears that Ken has figured out the best way to handle his QB's. That's good, since they face a very tough Cincy team that managed to survive a 2nd half surge from the Eages, who seem to find their offense. While NY has been snake-bit a bit so far this year, they are meeting a Cincy team that is dealing with durability issues and without their top two WR's. That should be just the edge that the Giants need to get by in a close game, and make the battle for the playoffs that much tighter New York (N) 27, Cincinnati 24 |
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| The Saints edge ever closer... |
| So...this is a game that means way more to the Saints than it does the Steelers; the Steelers are pretty much out of the playoff race yet don't appear to be as banged up as New Orleans, who have everything to play for but are woefully deficient in the locker room. Jason got upset last week by Dallas and a TD in the last 2 minutes, but overall both teams have played above their respective heads. Not sure why, but my spider sense tells me that Pittsburgh manages to secure the upset, mostly due to the greatest ability...availability. Pittsburgh 27, New Orleans 20 |
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| Watch out for those Bears!!! |
| In a game already played, the Bears are in total mid-season form; despite a stat line that is very similar, Calvin managed to make a few more stops and complete a couple more drives, and gains an import H2H in the battle for a bye. Carolina continues their comeback season in the battle for the division; man, they are going to be a tough out next year. Chicago 41, Carolina 24 |
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| Hear it for the Young Turks! |
| The future of the AFC West play this week, with both of these teams firmly looking ahead towards the future. Kansas City has been a top 5 scoring offense most of this season, but currently has the bottom rated defense in both yards and points. Seattle is but a point ahead of them on defense, so the question will probably boil down to who has the ball last. Right now, the Seahawks do have the advantage health-wise, so in another upset special I am going to give Seattle the ever-so-slight advantage in this game. Kansas City 27, Seattle 28 |
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| Classic battle for the Norse division |
| Minnesota made it 2 in a row by taking down the Dolphins last week, while Green Bay thrashed the Falcons. Clearly, Green Bay is one of the top teams in the NFC, and don't appear to be on board with Eric's attempt to make it to .500 or better for the season. Upsets seem to be a regular occurance in the PAFL this season, but I just don't see the Vikings pulling it off against a team looking to secure a bye. Minnesota 17, Green Bay 27 |
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| How can the Chargers light things up in the City of Lights? |
| After an impressive 5-0 start to the season, the Chargers have now lost 5 games in a row, and are in serious danger of missing the playoffs. This week they face a Raiders team that is leading the league in scoring by a fair margin, and look to just be rolling over teams as they go along. The only thing LA has going for them is the slight chance Chris is looking towards next week's matchup against the SB champion Jaguars, but I doubt that will be the case. Look for the Raiders to lock up the division this week, and start to look at hosting the first playoff game they play. Los Angeles (A) 17, Las Vegas 31 |
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| Can these Browns hang on without Stafford? |
| A few weeks ago, I mentioned that the Saints were going to need some luck to stay ahead of the surging Colts for the final playoff spot; since then, I have kind of adjusted my views and wonder about if the real battle for the last playoff spot somehow lives in Cleveland. So far, with Stafford out, the Cleveland offense has really been missing, and while the Lions are certainly beatable on paper, they are hardly an easy out. Having lost their last 3, I am leaning towards Detroit to keep the pressure on Cleveland to score a win without Stafford. Cleveland 17, Detroit 21 |
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| So can these Birds soar? |
| Atlanta, as has previously been mentioned, has got a decent defense, and is just subject to finicky QB play. While Stroud might help with that next season, this year, they will need a boost from a San Francisco defense the has been challenged this season so far. Even if the QB play is off for Atlanta, I don't think the 49ers shut them down; if it is good, then I see where Atlanta might have a solid win and start to move up on the Chargers in a bid to get out of the basement. Atlanta 24, San Francisco 21 |
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| Can the Rams tame the wild horses of Denver? |
| Death, taxes and the Rams in 1st place are very predictable events in everyone's life, and these Rams are looking to secure a 1st round bye as well. The Broncoes got thumped last week against the Redbirds, and while every game is different, I expect similar results, at least until Rudy gets to fix the defense....though the best chance they have is to simply outscore LAR. I have obvious reasons to hope that happens lol. Los Angeles (N) 31, Denver 24 |
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| Another playoff H2H game mid-season....yawn |
| Every week there is another game or two that will have serious meaning for playoff seedings, and a loss here puts the losing team back on the bubble for making the playoffs. The Colts are currently on a 4 game winning streak, disposing of a tough Cleveland team last week. Meanwhile, but Bills got over a small 3 game slide by securing a win over Detroit, but the Colts represent a tougher out than the Lions did last week. This is truly a pick-em' game, but since I need to pick someone, let me go with the team with a winning streak by the slimmest of margins, which would do alot to help them secure a playoff spot. Indianapolis 24, Buffalo 23 |
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