Greetings fellow football fans!! Since we are picking the Thursday night game this week and I am woefully behind I shall not be verbose today. ‘Tis the season, and yours truly has been a busy elf without actually getting anything accomplished. I’ve been meaning to curb my inclination toward procrastination for years but haven’t quite gotten there yet. At any rate, I was 4-1 in picking the conference title games, while Zach was 3-2. I have a few thoughts about how all of that worked out, but I’ll include them with our bowl picks. Stay tuned. For the purposes of this fun little weekly competition we move on to the NFL for the stretch run. Enjoy.

My Season:        46-40

Z’s Season:        45-41

 

 

 

 

 

New Orleans (-1.5)     at      Atlanta

The NFC South is rather competitive. There’s a good chance that two teams from the division will end up in the playoffs, but finishing first would obviously be preferable. This is the Thursday night game, which players reportedly hate but fans kind of enjoy. It’s interesting to me that the Falcons aren’t favored on their home field. Zach likes the Saints’ running game to take some of the pressure off quarterback Drew Brees.

My Pick:     New Orleans

Z’s Pick:     New Orleans

 

 

 

Indianapolis                at      Buffalo (-3)

It’s been a rough year for the Colts. They are completely lost without quarterback Andrew Luck, but it seems like a 3-9 team probably has more than just one issue. Meanwhile, the Bills have dropped 4 out of the last 5 games and have not only fallen four games behind New England but wouldn’t even qualify for a wildcard if the season ended today. They also have quarterback issues, as the coaches are seesawing back & forth between Tyrod Taylor and rookie Nathan Peterman. Taylor is injured and might not be available this week, and that’s bad news for Buffalo. Zach is aware of the Bills’ quarterback conundrum, but believes that Indy is so bad it doesn’t matter.

My Pick:     Indianapolis

Z’s Pick:     Buffalo

 

 

 

Minnesota (-2.5)                   at      Carolina

Vikings’ QB Case Keenum has been a topic of conversation this week. Is he legit?? Or can he ever really shed the stank of “journeyman backup”?? He’s done pretty well so far in 2017, to the point that there’s buzz about a Vikings Super Bowl run, which would conclude in February on their home field. But let’s not count out the Panthers just yet. They’re right in the mix in the aforementioned NFC South and have won 4 out of their last 5. The matchup to watch is Carolina quarterback Cam Newton versus the Minnesota defense, and I am a firm believer that defense wins championships. Zach concurs.

My Pick:     Minnesota

Z’s Pick:     Minnesota

 

 

 

Philadelphia                at      L.A. Rams (-2)

In my season preview I predicted these teams to go a combined 11-21. Obviously I was wrong. Second year Rams QB Jared Goff has emerged as one of the best in the league, but of course so has Eagles QB Carson Wentz. I’m not sure Los Angeles has much of a home field advantage, but I can’t resist leaning in that direction. Zach thinks Philly will bounce back from last week’s loss and prove to be just a little better than the Rams.

My Pick:     L.A. Rams

Z’s Pick:     Philadelphia

 

 

 

Seattle                          at      Jacksonville (-3.5)

Ask most football fans and they’ll likely tell you they’re not quite ready to believe in the Jags just yet. It’s hard to get past the whole Blake Bortles thing. Conversely, the Legion of Boom has imploded and Seattle is a game behind in the NFC West, but a lot of folks would still consider them among the favorites to get to the Super Bowl. Fair?? Probably not, but that’s the situation. Jacksonville needs this win to quiet the doubters, while the Seahawks seeks to keep pace with the Rams. If the game were being played in Seattle it’d be an easy pick, but since it’s not there is reason for hesitation. Zach concurs.

My Pick:     Seattle

Z’s Pick:     Seattle