Sunday Smash- Week 16
Greetings everyone, and here's hoping that you and your loved ones had a great holiday week.
As I sit here now-- watching Joe Dirt and still on cloud nine after the Islander-Ranger overtime game (big win for the good guys)-- I realize the true error of my ways from last week. Yes, I wrote a loving farewell to the 2009 Jets season after their loss to Atlanta. When I wrote that piece on Monday, I thought that by today, I would be weighing the pros and cons of the Jets winning. (Pros- A potential 'winning' season for rookies Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan; being the ones to stop Indy's undefeated streak; perhaps somehow the Jets would catch the playoff miracle that I dismissed. Cons- In a bunched-up AFC, you could perhaps move up 5 spots in the draft by losing; If the Colts went undefeated this year (through the Super Bowl) the Pats fans would have one less thing to talk about; etc.
What the hell was I thinking?
Ask anyone...even after the Atlanta loss, the Jets have a better playoff chance today than they did last Saturday. While writing my article Monday, I pulled a Rex Ryan and thought that all hope was lost. Sure, a lot of other contenders lost on Sunday too...but with all the tiebreakers I thought the playoffs were gone in every sense except for mathematics.
But Gang Green is (barely) alive and (not so) well! Do they control their destiny? Of course not. But let's go crazy and say they beat the Colts. If that happens, the Jets would control their destiny if a 10-point favorite wins, a 7-point favorite wins, and a 2-point underdog comes through. To everyone's surprise, the biggest obstacle between the 7-7 Jets and the playoffs is...THE JETS!
Sure, beating the Colts will be insanely difficult. But when Tony Gonzalez caught that pass in the Jets' endzone last week, was anyone even thinking that this game would matter? In a drastic twist of fate, the Jets caught a break. The another one. Then another one. And when the immortal JaMarcus Russell marched the ball down Denver's throat, I just started feeling downright guilty. For the most part, the Jets and their fans know that they probably don't even deserve the chance to be alive for the playoffs. So I hope the Colts don't rest any starters. Call it fate's punishment for the Jets not taking care of business earlier on. Beat the 14-0 team, and this team deserves a wild card spot. Lose the game (be it to the starters or heaven forbid, the backups) and New York can do nothing except look in the mirror when they're watching the playoffs on television. Because (PICKS SPOILER ALERT!) I think they will get even more help this week from their buds in Philly, Houston, and...New England?? Jeez.
Like always, the spread is in parenthesis and the home team's in bold. Just cover, baby.
Packers (-14) over Seahawks
One of the many monster spreads this week. The Giants are still lurking in the NFC race, and the Packers don't want to leave any doubt. If that's not enough, that heartbreaker of all heartbreakers against Pittsburgh last week will have the Pack fuming.
Raiders (+3) over Browns
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chiefs (+13.5) over Bengals
San Diego beat the living hell out of Tennessee last night, so they clinched the bye for the playoffs. So Cincy is pretty locked in to their spot for the playoffs. The resting of starters may begin now. Even if it doesn't, 13.5 seems like a lot of points.
Bills (+9) over Falcons
Trying to be as anti-bitter as possible, the Falcons showed nothing last week. The game was over if not for missed field goals and their offense was in a coma for 58 minutes. Nobody would ever notice, but the Bills are getting sneaky-dangerous.
Texans (+2) over Dolphins
Houston is top-to-bottom more talented than Miami. The problem is, they've been top-to-bottom more talented than pretty much every team they've lost to this season. But these 2 teams are playing for the same thing. I think talent wins this one.
Giants (-8) over Panthers
What do you believe in more...the Giants' destruction of Washington, or the Panthers' massacre of Minnesota? I think Carolina treated the Vikings game as their Super Bowl, and will be satisfied putting it on auto-pilot the rest of the year.
Saints (-14) over Buccaneers
The Saints heard all along how less and less impressive their wins were becoming. Finally losing to Dallas, the undefeated mystique is done. But I plan on holding Tampa's performance in their game with the Jets against them for a while.
Jaguars (+9.5) over Patriots
New England has all-but-clinched the division, but this loss would all-but-eliminate Jacksonville. The Jets and their fans will be Patriots boosters this week. The Pats will win a close one. New York will celebrate, then vomit from their kiss with the devil.
Ravens (+3) over Steelers
Pittsburgh's victory over Green Bay last week was preposterous. They needed it to end one of the more uglier losing skids ever by a defending Super Bowl champion. The Ravens have a much more pungent smell of the playoffs than Pittsburgh. It will show.
Eagles (-7) over Broncos
Philly is hungry as hell in their furious charge to win the NFC east. Denver is scared poo-less at the prospect of missing the playoffs after a 6-0 start. Philly fans will not be pretty to Kyle Orton & co. Denver's slide continues.
Rams (+15) over Cardinals
Once spreads go as high as 15, we must start considering how utterly futile the underdog is. And yes, St. Louis is that sucky. But Arizona is pretty darn hit-or-miss when they're trying. Now locked into the 4 spot with little to play for, look out Vegas.
49ers (-14) over Lions
I'd say that that pretty much one game per week, I think about the conventional way to pick the game and then do the opposite. Everything tells me that Detroit will cover this game...so I say San Fran by 20.
Cowboys (-7) over Redskins
Ladies and gentlemen, your only road favorite out of Sunday's 14 games! Last week's performance by the Redskins make them the ideal (and frankly, only) candidate. Dallas will fend off the Giants in the wild card race for at least another week.
Upset Perfiction of the Week
Jets (+5.5) over Colts
Please don't judge me...I'm a desperate man in love.
Enjoy the games everyone, we'll see you on Monday!
As I sit here now-- watching Joe Dirt and still on cloud nine after the Islander-Ranger overtime game (big win for the good guys)-- I realize the true error of my ways from last week. Yes, I wrote a loving farewell to the 2009 Jets season after their loss to Atlanta. When I wrote that piece on Monday, I thought that by today, I would be weighing the pros and cons of the Jets winning. (Pros- A potential 'winning' season for rookies Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan; being the ones to stop Indy's undefeated streak; perhaps somehow the Jets would catch the playoff miracle that I dismissed. Cons- In a bunched-up AFC, you could perhaps move up 5 spots in the draft by losing; If the Colts went undefeated this year (through the Super Bowl) the Pats fans would have one less thing to talk about; etc.
What the hell was I thinking?
Ask anyone...even after the Atlanta loss, the Jets have a better playoff chance today than they did last Saturday. While writing my article Monday, I pulled a Rex Ryan and thought that all hope was lost. Sure, a lot of other contenders lost on Sunday too...but with all the tiebreakers I thought the playoffs were gone in every sense except for mathematics.
But Gang Green is (barely) alive and (not so) well! Do they control their destiny? Of course not. But let's go crazy and say they beat the Colts. If that happens, the Jets would control their destiny if a 10-point favorite wins, a 7-point favorite wins, and a 2-point underdog comes through. To everyone's surprise, the biggest obstacle between the 7-7 Jets and the playoffs is...THE JETS!
Sure, beating the Colts will be insanely difficult. But when Tony Gonzalez caught that pass in the Jets' endzone last week, was anyone even thinking that this game would matter? In a drastic twist of fate, the Jets caught a break. The another one. Then another one. And when the immortal JaMarcus Russell marched the ball down Denver's throat, I just started feeling downright guilty. For the most part, the Jets and their fans know that they probably don't even deserve the chance to be alive for the playoffs. So I hope the Colts don't rest any starters. Call it fate's punishment for the Jets not taking care of business earlier on. Beat the 14-0 team, and this team deserves a wild card spot. Lose the game (be it to the starters or heaven forbid, the backups) and New York can do nothing except look in the mirror when they're watching the playoffs on television. Because (PICKS SPOILER ALERT!) I think they will get even more help this week from their buds in Philly, Houston, and...New England?? Jeez.
Like always, the spread is in parenthesis and the home team's in bold. Just cover, baby.
Packers (-14) over Seahawks
One of the many monster spreads this week. The Giants are still lurking in the NFC race, and the Packers don't want to leave any doubt. If that's not enough, that heartbreaker of all heartbreakers against Pittsburgh last week will have the Pack fuming.
Raiders (+3) over Browns
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Chiefs (+13.5) over Bengals
San Diego beat the living hell out of Tennessee last night, so they clinched the bye for the playoffs. So Cincy is pretty locked in to their spot for the playoffs. The resting of starters may begin now. Even if it doesn't, 13.5 seems like a lot of points.
Bills (+9) over Falcons
Trying to be as anti-bitter as possible, the Falcons showed nothing last week. The game was over if not for missed field goals and their offense was in a coma for 58 minutes. Nobody would ever notice, but the Bills are getting sneaky-dangerous.
Texans (+2) over Dolphins
Houston is top-to-bottom more talented than Miami. The problem is, they've been top-to-bottom more talented than pretty much every team they've lost to this season. But these 2 teams are playing for the same thing. I think talent wins this one.
Giants (-8) over Panthers
What do you believe in more...the Giants' destruction of Washington, or the Panthers' massacre of Minnesota? I think Carolina treated the Vikings game as their Super Bowl, and will be satisfied putting it on auto-pilot the rest of the year.
Saints (-14) over Buccaneers
The Saints heard all along how less and less impressive their wins were becoming. Finally losing to Dallas, the undefeated mystique is done. But I plan on holding Tampa's performance in their game with the Jets against them for a while.
Jaguars (+9.5) over Patriots
New England has all-but-clinched the division, but this loss would all-but-eliminate Jacksonville. The Jets and their fans will be Patriots boosters this week. The Pats will win a close one. New York will celebrate, then vomit from their kiss with the devil.
Ravens (+3) over Steelers
Pittsburgh's victory over Green Bay last week was preposterous. They needed it to end one of the more uglier losing skids ever by a defending Super Bowl champion. The Ravens have a much more pungent smell of the playoffs than Pittsburgh. It will show.
Eagles (-7) over Broncos
Philly is hungry as hell in their furious charge to win the NFC east. Denver is scared poo-less at the prospect of missing the playoffs after a 6-0 start. Philly fans will not be pretty to Kyle Orton & co. Denver's slide continues.
Rams (+15) over Cardinals
Once spreads go as high as 15, we must start considering how utterly futile the underdog is. And yes, St. Louis is that sucky. But Arizona is pretty darn hit-or-miss when they're trying. Now locked into the 4 spot with little to play for, look out Vegas.
49ers (-14) over Lions
I'd say that that pretty much one game per week, I think about the conventional way to pick the game and then do the opposite. Everything tells me that Detroit will cover this game...so I say San Fran by 20.
Cowboys (-7) over Redskins
Ladies and gentlemen, your only road favorite out of Sunday's 14 games! Last week's performance by the Redskins make them the ideal (and frankly, only) candidate. Dallas will fend off the Giants in the wild card race for at least another week.
Upset Perfiction of the Week
Jets (+5.5) over Colts
Please don't judge me...I'm a desperate man in love.
Enjoy the games everyone, we'll see you on Monday!
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