Marcus Mariota

2018 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 18

Well sports fans, we’ve reached the end of the road. Another season of picks will soon be in the books. I know the non-sports types out in The Manoverse will be happy about that, and rest assured that there is plenty of content on the drawing table for 2019, provided that I can stay motivated and not give in to my more apathetic tendencies. For those of us that love football there are still a few college bowl games and the NFL playoffs on the horizon. Zach (4-1) smoked me (1-4) last week, which means that it is still mathematically possible (though not likely) for him to win the season crown, while I’ve got some work to do to finish the year above water. I briefly pondered doing a big season ending blowout where we would pick every game on the schedule, but decided against it, though you’re still getting bonus picks. There are no Thursday or Monday night games, meaning that everything is happening on Sunday afternoon except the Sunday night game on NBC. So RedZone will be even more fun to watch than usual. The playoff situation in both conferences is mostly settled, though there are a couple of berths to decide as well as some seeding to resolve. Happy New Year friends. Thanks for reading what we have to say here, and as always don’t ever hesitate to leave comments. I look forward to more fun in 2019.

My Season:     51-56

Z’s Season:     47-61

 

 

 

 

Chicago              at                Minnesota (-5)

If the Bears beat the Vikings and the Rams lose to the 49ers, Chicago would be the NFC #2 seed based on their victory over Los Angeles a few weeks ago. However, if the Rams win (or tie) the Bears are the #3 seed regardless of the outcome of this game. With a win the Vikings could be the #5 seed if the Seattle Seahawks lose or the #6 seed if Seattle wins. Minnesota could even make the playoffs if they lose this game…if the Philadelphia Eagles also lose (or tie). I feel like Chicago has been the more consistent team this season, but with their backs against the wall & the home field I’m riding with the Vikings this week. Zach agrees.

My Pick:     Minnesota

Z’s Pick:     Minnesota

 

 

 

LA Chargers (-6.5)               at                Denver

Will the Chargers be the AFC West champs and the #1 seed…or a wildcard #5 seed?? To win the division they need the KC Chiefs to lose (or tie). The Broncos are 6-9, and head coach Vance Joseph might get fired this week regardless of the outcome, although I have to assume an upset victory could help his cause. Denver has the home field, and they did beat the Chargers back in November…but I just don’t think that’s going to happen again. Zach thinks the Broncos are clearly a better team at home, and he’s a little uncomfortable with the points.

My Pick:     LA Chargers

Z’s Pick:     Denver

 

 

Philadelphia (-6.5)                at                Washington

The media has to be pulling for Philly because let’s face it…another improbable playoff run with Nick Foles under center would be a cool story. However, the Eagles have to win and hope Chicago beats Minnesota. I suppose that’s not too far-fetched, and I’d like to see it happen. Can the Redskins play spoiler?? It’s possible, but I’m going to say no. Zach concurs.

My Pick:     Philadelphia

Z’s Pick:     Philadelphia

 

 

Jacksonville                at                Houston (-7)

The Texans could be the #1 seed in the AFC if they win this game and the Chiefs, Chargers, & Patriots all lose, but the odds are against all of that happening. If only New England loses (or ties) then Houston could be the #2 seed. They might end up as the #3 seed with a loss and a tie in the Indianapolis-Tennessee game…an unlikely scenario…or if they win and all of that other stuff doesn’t happen (much more probable). If Houston loses and Colts/Titans doesn’t end in a tie they’ll fall to the #6 seed. Meanwhile, the 5-10 Jags are left to wonder where it all went so wrong this season and can begin the process of evaluating free agent quarterbacks and who they might be able to snag with their first round draft pick. We both feel like Houston should win by a comfortable margin.

My Pick:     Houston

Z’s Pick:     Houston

 

 

Oakland                       at                Kansas City (-13.5)

The Chiefs can win the AFC West and secure the #1 seed with a victory or if they tie and the Chargers lose (or tie). I think there are some other possibilities, but it probably doesn’t matter because if KC can’t beat the 4-11 Raiders at Arrowhead they’re in big trouble anyway. Zach doesn’t like the points at all and believes Andy Reid tends to choke in big games.

My Pick:     Kansas City

Z’s Pick:     Oakland

 

 

 

Cleveland                              at                Baltimore (-6)

There will be no bigger Browns fans on Sunday than Zach & myself. What it boils down to is this: if the Ravens win they are the AFC North champs and depending on what happens with a couple of other teams could be the #2, #3, or #4 seed, eliminating my Steelers in the process. If Cleveland wins Baltimore is eliminated from the playoffs and the Steelers are in. A year ago I would have already been in a mood of quiet resignation, but I think there’s a chance that the Browns could actually pull this off. Zach believes in Browns’ QB Baker Mayfield to do just enough to lead his team to victory in a low scoring defensive struggle.

My Pick:     Cleveland

Z’s Pick:     Cleveland

 

 

 

Indianapolis (-2)                  at      Tennessee

This is the Sunday night game on NBC, and it should be really fun. Atleast these two teams will have the advantage of knowing exactly where they stand before kickoff. The Colts have to win to get into the playoffs, and they’d either be the #3, #4, or #6 seed, depending on other outcomes. It’s a must-win for the Titans as well, and they could land anywhere from the #2 to the #6 seed in the AFC. After a rough start Indy has won 8 out of their last 9, and I have heard a couple of talking heads state that they’re the team no one wants to face in the playoffs. Tennessee is riding a four game winning streak but QB Marcus Mariota has been battling injuries. Regardless of Mariota’s status I trust Colts’ QB Andrew Luck much more, and I think he’ll find a way to lead his team to a hard fought victory. Zach foresees a high scoring affair, with Indy coming out on top.

My Pick:     Indianapolis

Z’s Pick:     Indianapolis

 

2015 Pigskin Picks of Profundity…..Week 4

kickoff_footballNow things are starting to get interesting. The conference schedules are heating up in the NCAA, and we’re beginning to get a good idea which NFL teams just might have a chance to be pretty good and which ones may have been a bit misjudged. Both Zach & I were mired in mediocrity last week…he went 2-3 while I was only slightly better at 3-2. Our hatred of the New England Patriots may have clouded our judgment a little, and the Philadelphia Eagles are even worse than I thought they’d be. So that means our season looks like this so far:

Me = 11-4               Z = 6-9

I’m feeling generous this week, and y’all may remember what that means…bonus picks!! I like to do that occasionally when the schedule seems particularly intriguing, and also because we usually end up taking a bye week for one reason or another at some point. We’re split down the middle with college & pro picks this week, and when it’s over we’ll have an even better inkling of the paths the season is heading down. Enjoy.

 

 

 
TCU (-7) at Texas Tech
Texas-Tech-260x300The Horned Frogs are currently ranked 4th in most polls, which would put them in the playoff. However I still think they will TCU Cool Logoultimately fall short…again. They didn’t look all that impressive in their season opener at Minnesota, and have played two cupcakes since then. Meanwhile, the Red Raiders blew thru their first two opponents and then pulled off a minor upset at Arkansas last week. In 2014 these two teams met in Fort Worth and TCU obliterated Tech 82-27. Not only is this game in Lubbock, but TCU recently had to kick a couple of guys off the team after they were arrested for beating some students up and stealing a case of Keystone Light. I’m not much of a beer connoisseur nowadays, but if I’m going to jail it’s not going to be for Keystone Light. Anyway, I’m not quite gutsy enough to pick the outright upset but this feels like a close one to me, the kind of game that will be decided late in the 4th quarter by a field goal, turnover, or punt return. Zach, on the other hand, thinks TCU will win easily.

My Pick – Texas Tech
Z’s Pick – TCU

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Utah at Oregon (-13.5)
Oregon-DucksThe Utes are better than I expected. I don’t think they’re winning the Pac 12, but they could win 9 or 10 games and end up with utahquite the desirable bowl locale. The Ducks, as predicted, fell at Michigan St., so the national title is probably off the table…a conference title isn’t though. The points concern me more than a little, but I’m going to swallow hard, pray, & pick Oregon to cover. Zach is a bit more pragmatic, choosing Utah to cover the points but probably not win the game.

My Pick – Oregon
Z’s Pick – Utah

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USC (-5.5) at Arizona St.
USC_Trojans2I haven’t bought into the Arizona St. hype from Day 1, but there are those that still believe they will have a stellar season and be in the conference title hunt. Conversely, I picked the Trojans #2 in my pre-season poll, a choice that doesn’t look promising after last week’s loss to Stanford. I think there remains a narrow path to the Final Four for USC, but it is undeniably a tough road. It’s interesting that the Trojans are favored on the road coming off a loss against an opponent riding a two game winning streak. I think it wise to pay attention to such things. Zach was as surprised as the rest of us by Stanford’s upset of USC, but he believes that the Trojans will rebound and win this one by two TDs.

My Pick – Southern Cal
Z’s Pick – Southern Cal

 

 

UCLA (-3.5) at Arizona
Well I know what I’ll be doing Saturday night. Since fair & festival season is over it’ll be nice to actually stay at home and relax with a warm beverage college_arizona_90& a good ball game. The Bruins escaped a thriller against BYU last week, while the Wildcats have barely broken a sweat thus far this season. UCLA has lost three defensive players to season ending injuries, with the latest being talented linebacker Myles Jack. That hurts. Conversely, Arizona defensive end Scooby Wright may or may not be ready to come back from an injury he suffered a few weeks ago. Bruins’ freshman QB Josh Rosen is probably the real deal, but he’s not faced a situation like this…a huge game in a hostile environment. This is Arizona’s moment to shine and I believe they’ll take it. Zach expects a high scoring shootout, with Arizona pulling off the upset.

My Pick – Arizona
Z’s Pick – Arizona

 

 

Atlanta (-2) at Dallas
No Romo. No Dez Bryant. No chance for the Cowboys?? Ehhh…I won’t go that far. I don’t think they’ll win the 12 games I originally forecasted, but falconsthey still have a better than average opportunity to top the pedestrian NFC East. Meanwhile, the Falcons are off to a hot start and also play in a mediocre division, which bodes well for them. Dallas will win games during the absences of Romo & Bryant…but not this game. Zach predicts the Falcons will win by atleast two TDs.

My Pick – Atlanta
Z’s Pick – Atlanta

 
Indianapolis (-3) at Tennessee
Tennessee_Titans_HelmetWhat in the world is going on with the Colts?? I thought Andrew Luck was supposed to be the next elite quarterback, theIndianapolis_Colts_Helmet standard bearer for the league once guys like Brady, Manning (you know which one), & Roethlisberger fade away. Elite quarterbacks overcome minor nuisances like their team’s poor defense or a substandard offensive line. Elite quarterbacks don’t go 0-2…or 0-3. It seems unlikely that Indy will go 14-2 as I predicted, but they are yet another team that can seemingly weather the storm and win an average division. Or can they?? Is the NFC South…with Tennessee, Houston, & Jacksonville…really as unimpressive as most believe?? Titans’ rookie QB Marcus Mariota looked pretty good in a Week 1 victory at Tampa, less so in last week’s loss to Cleveland. The smart money is on the Colts rebounding in this game and easing any doubts people have started to have about them, and also on Mariota continuing to have growing pains. Normally I’d go with that flow, but The Vibes are shouting at me to go against the grain. Zach thinks the Titans can hang for 3+ quarters but will eventually be defeated.

My Pick – Tennessee
Z’s Pick – Indianapolis

 
Buffalo at Miami (-3)
It looks like these are two teams that are still…sadly…chasing after the elusive golden snitch called the New England Patriots. Rumors of their vast Buffalo_Bills_Helmetimprovement were greatly exaggerated. That being said, there may still be a wildcard berth in the future of whichever team can get a leg up, and that starts now. The Bills do have some interesting weapons in WR Sammy Watkins & RB LeSean McCoy, and their defense has potential. I’m not at all sure QB Tyrod Taylor is legit, and going forward that is a mystery that’ll need to be solved. The Dolphins’ defense hasn’t met high expectations yet, and their running game is abysmal. At this particular moment in time Buffalo looks like it has the better overall team, and that’s the direction I lean. Zach concurs.

My Pick – Buffalo
Z’s Pick – Buffalo

 

 

Kansas City at Green Bay (-6.5)
kc-chiefs-logoThis is the Monday night game and I anticipate that it’ll be a dandy. Despite starting the season 1-1 I am still high on the ChiefsGreen_Bay_Packers_Helmet and expect them to be a playoff team. However, they are playing the Packers on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. That’s no easy task. RB Eddie Lacy has a sprained ankle and may or may not play for Green Bay, but James Starks is a capable backup. In my opinion it’s all about the defenses and I think Kansas City will stymie Aaron Rodgers just enough to make it way closer than 6 ½ points. Conversely, Zach believes Green Bay will win by a comfortable margin.

My Pick – Kansas City
Z’s Pick – Green Bay