Championship Round

Well that was not pretty.  Another week. Another 1-3 straight up and 2-2 against the spread.  It is looking like I should attach a warning to these picks advising of the fact that apparently I have no idea what I am talking about.  Now I can say that the Bears came through and I was right that the Jets would keep it closer than the 9.5 point spread but, boy, was I way off on the Falcons. Which was stupid of me because I have been telling people for at least a month that I thought the Falcons were frauds.  Not sure why I forgot that last week. 

On another totally disheartening note, the lovely Better Half yet again hit on 3 of the 4 games.  So you there you go.  As always the moral of the story is that I may talk more about something but she still seems to end up right. OK. Let’s keep it short & sweet this week and see what teams I can jinx this week.

Packers at Bears (+3)

1^st Meeting: Week 3. Bears kick a short field goal with 4 seconds left to capture the win in an ugly game that featured three turnovers and 23 penalties (18 by Green Bay).

2^nd Meeting at Chicago: Week 17.  Pack needed win to get into playoffs. Varying accounts of whether the Bears actually cared.  Pack win defensive grudge match 10-3 on a 4^th Quarter Aaron Rodgers TD pass.

3^rd Meeting: Well I have picked against the Packers twice in the last two weeks and, frankly, they’ve made me look a little silly.  Thus, while I will be rooting for the Bears in this game, I am going with the Packers.  (Bears fans probably just breathed a sigh of relief considering my record in the last two weeks).  Atlanta did a decent job of shutting down new hero Starks and the running game and they still got pounded in the air.  I think the Pack just have too many horses for the Bears secondary.  Also Tramon Williams is a ballhawk who should get his hands on at least one rushed Cutler throw.  Packers take it in a lower scoring affair than initially thought.  Pack 20 – Bears 17.

Better Half Pick: Packers

J-E-T-S at Stillers (-3)

1st Meeting at Pittsburgh:  Week 15. Jets shock almost everyone by shaking off their shellacking in New England and stunning loss at home to the Dolphins to go into the Burgh and beat the Steel Workers 22-17. 

2nd Meeting:  I really want to pick the Jets in this one. It would be fun to be here when my local team is in the Super Bowl.  Unfortunately, I think last week against the Pats was the Jets Super Bowl.  Rex got those guys so fired up to go against Belichick and Brady (I mean, did you see Bart Scott after the game) that there has to be some kind of let down. Couple that with the fact that it is extremely difficult to beat a team twice on its home field and all signs point to a big W in Blitzburgh. Yet, in spite of all that, I am going to go against all logic and pick the Jets.  No other team this year has a team of destiny feel to them except the Jets. Because of Hard Knocks people have been interested since day one and I think the pull off another grinder.  Do I feel good about this pick? Not in the slightest.    Steelers 17 – Jets 23

 

Better Half Pick: Pittsburgh

Not So Golden Globes

I know what you’re thinking. Wait… a non-sports post? On this site? In the middle of the playoffs? Well...yeah.   Because I also dig movies.   Other than sports, lawyering and generally basking in the loveliness of the Better Half, the rest of my time is probably spent enjoying a good flick or watching quality tv shows.  As I’ve also previously shown, I like to make it interesting by throwing out my picks. Everything (games, award shows, etc) is more fun to watch when you have a vested interest in the winner. So as award season kicks off, I thought I’d venture a guess at the Golden Globes, which I believe airs tonight.  I’ve never picked these particular awards before but I am a reigning Oscar picks champion (should be two-time champion. Thank you very much Sean Penn over Mickey Rourke) so this shouldn’t be that much different.

However, I am going to hedge a bit.  The Golden Globes, as I understand them, pander to big Hollywood stars and can basically be bought through swag to the voters from the studios.  I mean, look at some of the nominees.  The Tourist? First, no one saw that. Second, anyone who did see it thought it was garbage. Third, it is not a musical and any comedy was strictly unintentional.  But hey Johnny D and Brangelina are fun to have at a party so nominate them.  So to battle the absurdity, I am going to do the classic “Who Will Win” and “Who Should Win.”  Also I’ve thrown in some of the TV ones as well even though I have not really watched most of the shows before because, hey, why not.

BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA

"Black Swan"
"The Fighter"
"Inception"
"The King's Speech"
"The Social Network"

I’ve seen: 4/5

Should Win: True Grit.  That’s right. Curveball. The fact that True Grit wasn’t even nominated shows how cheap these awards are.  But, fact,  Euros hate westerns  (Unforgiven didn’t win Best Picture either).   Which is a shame because True Grit is really good. More about this in my top ten wrap-up that will get finished after I see Black Swan, 127 hours and a couple others. Of the nominated flicks, I would say Social Network.

Will Win: The King’s Speech.  Saw  this on Saturday. Pretty good.  A movie that my grandmother would really like. But, above all else,  it is a Euro-centric movie with a bunch of solid English actors.  The voters are the Hollywood Foreign Press.  They like to give spread the love around to non-Hollywood movies.  Examples – (Atonement over No Country for Old Men, Sense and Sensibility over Braveheart, Babel over the Departed).  The voters will look out for their own and hit the non-existent dislike button on Social Network. (What’s better than a million awards for your movie…)

BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY

"Alice in Wonderland"
"Burlesque"
"The Kids Are All Right"
"Red"
"The Tourist"

I’ve Seen: 1/5

Should Win: Toy Story 3. The Kids Are All Right is the only movie on this list that should be nominated for anything other than Worst Movie of the Year.  I’ve only seen Alice in Wonderland and it was crap.  And they wonder why people think their awards show is a joke.  The fact that TS 3 wasn’t nominated it pretty nuts considering (a)  it had about 99% on rotten tomatoes and (b) Toy Story 2 (not as good as TS3) won this category in 1999 so they can’t exactly say they don’t enjoy animation.  It is particularly shocking because the quality of movies in this category is somewhere between putrid and slightly below average.  Let me throw some stats. The Metacritic numbers for the movies in this category were: Kids (86); Burlesque (48); Alice (53); Red (61); Tourist (37).  Toy Story? 92.  The 3^rd highest ranking of 2010. Consider the ball dropped.

Will Win: Kids are All Right.  With this and Black Swan, lesbians are so hot right now.

BEST DIRECTOR

Darren Aronofsky, "Black Swan"
David Fincher, "The Social Network"
Tom Hooper, "The King's Speech"
Christopher Nolan, "Inception"
David O. Russell, "The Fighter"

I’ve seen – 3/5

Should Win: Fincher.

Will Win: Fincher.  Inception was probably more technically challenging but Social Network was just really well done.  I didn’t learn until like a month later that the Winkelvii was actually just one dude.  Crazy.

BEST DRAMATIC ACTOR

Jesse Eisenberg, "The Social Network"
Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"
James Franco, "127 Hours"
Ryan Gosling, "Blue Valentine"
Mark Wahlberg, "The Fighter"

I’ve seen: 3/5

Should Win: Firth.  The only real competition should come from Franco. But I haven’t seen that one yet.  

Will Win: Firth.  England’s favorite repressed nerd finally wins a big one.  The speech will be classy and self-deprecating.  Girls who loved BBC version of Pride and Prejudice will remark how much older he looks.

BEST DRAMATIC ACTRESS

Halle Berry, "Frankie and Alice"
Nicole Kidman, "Rabbit Hole"
Jennifer Lawrence, "Winter's Bone"
Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"
Michelle Williams, "Blue Valentine"

I’ve seen: 1/5

Should win: Portman. If anything to rectify her snub for Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones.  The girl from True Grit should have been in here too. Not saying she wins. But she’s in the discussion.

Will Win: Portman.  I liked Winter’s Bone but Jennifer Lawrence’s performance was pretty subtle. And subtly doesn’t usually bring home the trophies.  (As others, including the Better Half, know all too well, I will gladly argue that Clooney’s role in Up in the Air was more challenging and, subsequently, more deserving of an Oscar than Bridges in Crazy Heart.  I will speak passionately. You will yawn.)

BEST ACTOR, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Johnny Depp, "Alice in Wonderland"
Johnny Depp, "The Tourist"
Paul Giamatti, "Barney's Version"
Jake Gyllenhaal, "Love and Other Drugs"
Kevin Spacey, "Casino Jack"

I’ve seen: 1/5

Should Win: Another joke category that generally speaks to how bad 2010 was for movies, especially comedies.   I am not sure any of these movies are comedies, which is understandable because I can’t even think of a good comedy that came out this year.  Very sad.  The closest thing I could think of for this category was Michael Cera in Scott Pilgrim v. the World.  I really like this one and it is kind of a musical and kind of a comedy.  Definitely better than any of these garbage picks.

Will Win:  I don’t know. Spacey?

BEST ACTRESS, COMEDY OR MUSICAL

Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"
Anne Hathaway, "Love and Other Drugs"
Angelina Jolie, "The Tourist"
Julianne Moore, "The Kids Are All Right"
Emma Stone, "Easy A"

I’ve seen: 0/5

Should Win: Hathaway. Gratuitous nudity from A-List start should be handsomely rewarded.

Will Win: Benning. Setting up yet another Oscar showdown. Lucky for her, no Hilary Swank this year.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

Christian Bale, "The Fighter"
Michael Douglas, "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps"
Andrew Garfield, "The Social Network"
Jeremy Renner, "The Town"
Geoffrey Rush, "The King's Speech"

I’ve seen: 3/5

Should Win: John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone.  Awesome, subtle performance by a character usually seen in bit parts.  Previously only known to me as Kenny Powers brother and an inconsequential temple dweller on Lost, Hawkes stole Winter’s Bone for me with his rough, yet honorable nuanced performance. 

Will Win: Bale.  I saw the Fighter and enjoyed it.  Is it Bale’s best work? No. Was his performance a little too look at me I’m acting! for me?  Yep.  Could they have toned down the Mass-hole/Pahk ya cah at Hahvad yahd-iness for me?  Yeah a bit. (Who’s fightin’? Nawht you. Nawht you)  But Bale is one of the best actors out there right now and his physical transformation in this movie was pretty intense. Dude looked like a crackhead.  Thus he squeaks in over Rush, who will get more votes here than at the Oscars. 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Amy Adams, "The Fighter"
Helena Bonham Carter, "The King's Speech"
Mila Kunis, "Black Swan"
Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"
Jacki Weaver, "Animal Kingdom"

I’ve seen: 1/5

Should Win: Adams.  Truth be told, I thought Amy Adams was the best part of the Fighter.  Played a different type of role than she usually plays and played it well.

Will Win: Amy Adams. I thought this would be where they usually throw out a wild card and occasionally pick an international star that no one has ever heard of.  (i.e. Weaver).  Well, upon review, I was wrong.  Most of the past winners are pretty well-known actresses in studio movies. Thus I bet Adams and Leo split the Fighter vote and Carter takes it on the rebound. But then I saw King’s Speech and saw that Carter doesn’t really do very much.  So I am back to square 1.  Thus I stick with Adams, who was really good.  Remember the vote  doesn’t have to be unanimous.  You could technically win with 20% of the vote. Thus another reason why too much hype is placed on these things.

ANIMATED FILM

"Despicable Me"
"How to Train Your Dragon"
"The Illusionist"
"Tangled"
"Toy Story 3"

Will/Should Win: Toy Story.  Stone Cold Lock. 


TELEVISION CATEGORIES

DRAMATIC TV SERIES

"Boardwalk Empire"
"Dexter"
"The Good Wife"
"Mad Men"
"The Walking Dead"

Should Win: Mad Men.  Really good season this year. I’ve never seen Dexter so it could be really good I guess but Walking Dead was only ok for me and I checked out of Boardwalk Empire after 2.5 episodes.  The fact that Lost wasn’t in this category is also a joke.  Say what you will about Lost but the last season has some very good episode.  And it was the biggest thing on tv last year.  Some it some respect.

Will Win: Mad Men.

BEST ACTOR, TV DRAMA

Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Michael C. Hall, "Dexter"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Hugh Laurie, "House"

Should Win:  Hamm.  Hamm brought it this year finally hitting rock bottom in possibly the best episode on tv this year.

Will Win: Hamm

 

BEST ACTRESS, TV DRAMA

Julianna Marguiles, "The Good Wife"
Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men"
Piper Perabo, "Covert Affairs"
Katy Sagal, "Sons of Anarchy"
Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"

Should Win:  Moss.  Peggy Olson really held this season together with consistently strong performances.  Her performance in “The Suitcase” alone should win this award. 

Will Win: Marguiles.  The way Mad Men has on so many good characters is kind of a disadvantage to all the actors come awards season that are not Don Draper.  Even though they kill it every scene, they aren’t really in many scenes each episode. Thus I think Peggy gets the shaft.  If this was last season, I would be all in on Sagal. Season 2 of Sons of Anarchy was awesome but the third season was a little slower and I actually haven’t finished watching it.  Therefore I’m going with Marguiles because my mom likes that show.  

TV SERIES, MUSICAL OR COMEDY

"30 Rock"
"Big Bang Theory"
"The Big C"
"Glee"
"Modern Family"
"Nurse Jackie"

Should Win: Parks  & Recreation.  Funniest show on tv. There are others in the discussion but this show is it.  Please starting watching it on Thursdays.

Will win: Modern Family.  Phil is one of my favorite characters on the box. And even though this season has been good, last season of 30 Rock was awful.

BEST ACTOR, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Steve Carell, "The Office"
Thomas Jane, "Hung"
Matthew Morrison, "Glee"
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"

Should win: Thomas Jane, Hung.    Haha. Just kidding that show is awful and painfully unfunny.  For this category, I’m picking Charlie Day from Always Sunny.  He’s the best.

Will win: Carell. He’s about to leave The Office and he should be rewarded.  Further I think Chuck Lorre-produced schlock like Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men is awful and shouldn’t win anything except cancellation.  Sorry if that’s your thing.

BEST ACTRESS, TV MUSICAL OR COMEDY

Toni Collette, "The United States of Tara"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Laura Linney, "The Big C"
Lea Michele, "Glee"

Should Win: Amy Poehler. Parks and Rec.  What started out as a straight copy of Michael Scott has quickly evolved into her own hilarious character.  If you think there is a Parks & Rec trend here, there is.  It’s the best.

Will Win: Tina Fey.  She wins a lot.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Hope Davis, "The Special Relationship"
Jane Lynch, "Glee"
Kelly Macdonald, "Boardwalk Empire"
Julia Stiles, "Dexter"
Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"

Should Win: Kaitlin Olson, Always Sunny. Always funny.

Will Win: Jane Lynch.  I only started watching Glee this year with the Better Half and I think the criticism that her character is one-note are pretty on the mark. But she is still pretty funny.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A SERIES, MINISERIES OR MOTION PICTURE MADE FOR TELEVISION

Scott Caan, "Hawaii Five-O"
Chris Colfer, "Glee"
Chris Noth, "The Good Wife"
Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family"
David Strathairn, "Temple Grandin"

Should Win: TIE! Chris Pratt and Nick Offerman, Parks and Rec.  I thought Ron Swanson would win this in a walk but upon my second viewing of Parks and Rec, I really saw how great Andy Dwyer is in the second half of the season.  Over the course of a season, Andy goes from being a dumb, superfluous character to a dumb, indispensable character.  I can’t choose between the two. It’s a tie.

Will Win: Stonestreet.  Fizbo episode was hilarious.

Divisional Round

Well that did not exactly work out as planned. Pretty woeful weekend of predictions for someone who allegedly watches games on a regular basis.  1-3 straight up and 2-2 against the spread.  Only my local Jets threw me a lifeline and even that one was a little too close for comfort.  I personally thought “Mr. Reliable” Adam Veniteri had finished them off by a foot (Zing. Thank you, Daily News) but then Cromartie goes and saves their season with a killer kickoff return.  What makes my prognostication ineptitude especially depressing is that my lovely Better Half went 3-1 when I asked her who would win last weekend.  3-1 with little to no knowledge of what has transpired over the season other than Rex Ryan was funny on Hard Knocks, Mark Sanchez is cute and Joe Flaaco’s name is funny when said in a Baltimore accent.  She took Green Bay, the Jets and the Seahawks. What a trifecta.  If she would have gone with the team that used to applaud her high school band at band camp in Westminister, MD, she could have been a cool 4-0.  Me, on the other hand, an ugly 1-3.  I guess that means the only way to go is up. Hopefully.

A WEEKEND OF RUBBER MATCHES

Ravens @ Steelers (-3)

First Matchup: October 3, 2010: Ravens win 17-14 in Pittsburgh 

What Happened: Ravens squeak out a victory even though Charlie Batch is the Pittsburgh starting QB. Down 14-10, Flaaco directs a 4^th quarter drive that ends with Captain Unibrow finding T.J. Houshmanzadeh in the back of the end zone with 34 seconds left.

                        
Second Matchup: December 5, 2010: Steelers win 13-10 in Baltimore 

What Happened: Another defensive slugfest.  Hanging on to a 10-6 lead with 3 minutes to play, Joe Flaaco fumbles after being sacked by esteemed hair product spokesman, Troy Polamalu.  Little Ben then drives the Stillers to the end zone. Also remembered as the game where fellow Highland High alum Haloti Ngata  (pictured) broke Little Ben’s nose.  Cheers immediately rang out from girls passed out in bathroom stalls from across the country. 

Third Matchup: 

What Will Happen: As noted in Peter King’s MMQB (a solid read from a nerdy dude), the Ravens & Steelers have tangled 8 times in the last 3 years. All have been low scoring games that could have gone either way. Take a look:

                                    2010
                                    Steelers, 13-10
                                    Ravens, 17-14
                                    2009
                                    Steelers, 23-20
                                    Ravens, 20-17
                                    2008
                                    Steelers, 23-14
                                    Steelers, 13-9
                                    Steelers, 23-20

Seven of eight were within 4 points.  That means all except one went down to the final possession.  So we know (a) it is going to be low scoring and (b) it will be close. Against my better judgment and week 17-found disgust for Joe Flaaco, I am picking the visiting Ravens.  They seemed to be clicking on all cylinders against the woefully overmatched Chiefs and I think they will bring that swagger to Heinz Field.  Suggs and a certain former Highland Ram superstud should be able to terrorize Rothlesberger due to an injury depleted O-Line. Mike Wallace and his faux-hawk are the X-factors but I think Joey Flaaco use the whole field and find all of his quality receivers as he did against KC.  Of all the picks I feel the worst about this one but, hey, fortune favors the bold.

The Pick: Ravens 17 – Steelers 14

Better Half Pick :  Bawlmer

Packers @ Falcons (-2.5) 

First Matchup: November 28, 2010: Falcons win 20-17 at home. 

What Happened: After tying the Packers tie the game at 17 with 56 seconds remaining, Falcon returner Eric Weems breaks a nice kickoff return that is made even nicer by a Pack facemask penalty. Starting at the GB 49, Matt Ryan (I refuse to use his stupid nickname) completes four straight short passes to set up a game-winning 49 yard field goal.

Second Matchup 

What Will Happen:  Color me surprised about the Pack’s upset of the Iggles. However, if I would have know the Packers would find a back in Starks that could pound the ball for 120 yard then I may have picked differently.  If they can continue to run the ball like they did in Philly, they are a much more dangerous team than I originally thought.  That said, I am taking the Dirty Birds.  After last week’s huge win, everyone is talking up the Pack to come out of the NFC and I think there may be a let down. Falcons can run the ball too and are beasts at home.  While the Pack may be the only NFC team with a chance to actually win the Super Bowl, the Birds win this one for Gonzo. (12 years in the League, one of the best TEs ever, 0 playoff victories (0-3), crazy)

The Pick: Dirty Birds 27 – Packers: 17 

Better Half Pick : Green Bay

Seahawks @ Bears (-10) 

First Matchup: October 17, 2010: Seahawks win 23-20 at Chicago 
What Happened: Seahawks sacked Cutler six times. Bears were 0 for 12 on third down. Seattle got 111 yards on the ground.

Second Matchup:

  It all seems to come down to protection.  If All-the-Way Jay is not getting bumrushed and has time to find his receivers, they look like a very good team (NYJ, MIN, PHI games).  If the line breaks down, then there are sacks/INTs galore and they look like a team that should be drafting in the top 10 (NYG, Pats, Redskins game).  This really should become more of an issue in the next round because anything above a C- effort should be enough to take out the Seahawks.  Yes, they’re a fun story but they caught a hobbled Saints team (that apparently forgot how to tackle) at the right time.  The Bears will get more pressure on Hasselbeck as Juju Peppers will be all over Okung and his severely sprained ankle. After a couple of hits, the old man will revert back to the guy that everyone assumed was finished.

The Pick: Bears: 27 – Seahawks – 13

Better Half Pick:  Da Bears

Jets @ Pats (-8.5) 

First Matchup: September 19, 2010: Jets win 28-14 in Jersey 

What Happened: Brady throws 2 of the 4 interceptions that he would throw all season.  (That is crazy. 4 total INTs. Eli Manning had 25. Regardless of what you think of his image. Tommy is one of the best all time.) Jets controlled the ground game (136 yards). Sanchez played to his strengths and utilized Dustin Keller. Note: if Keller has a good game, things are likely going well for Gang Green. 

Second Matchup: December 6, 2010: Pats win 45-3 in Foxboro 
What Happened: An annihilation on a much-hyped Monday Nighter.  Brady was Brady (4 TDs, 326 yards); Jets castoff Danny Woodhead extracted some revenge and the Pats D harassed The Sanchize into 3 INTs.

Third Matchup:
What Will Happen:  As much as I have drank the green Kool-Aid in the last few picks, I still can’t pick the Jets to win this game because of the matchup of the men lining up under center.  Sanchez could end up being a great QB (he showed flashes against the Steelers and Bears) but he isn’t there yet.  His accuracy can be atrocious at times (some of those passes on Saturday could have only been caught by Shaq, the young Shaq when he could still jump) and he has a penchant for throwing bad picks in the red zone.  Brady, on the other hand, is there.  Dude probably had one of his best seasons on a team full of rookies and castaways.  It’s amazing. Check out the players that got some time in the End Zone for the Pats:

The Law Firm – 229 rushes/1000 yards/13 TDs – Undrafted
Gronkowski – 42 catches /546 yards/10 TDs – 2^nd Round
Wes Welker – 86 catches/848 yards/7 TDs – Undrafted
Hernandez – 45 catches/563 yards/6 TDs – 4^th Round
Woodhead – 97 carries/547 yards/6 total TDs – Undrafted
Deon Branch – 48 catches/706 yards/ 5 TDs – 2^nd Round
Brandon Tate – 24 catches/432 yards/5 total TDs – 3^rd round

Every other team in the league had the opportunity to pick each of these guys up.  Some of them multiple opportunities. The fact that he makes these guys studs is why Brady is the best QB in the league.  Playing at home with a little something to prove now that Rex is yapping, it’s pretty close to a lock.  I am going to hedge a bit and say the Jets keep it closer than 10 but not much closer.

The Pick: Pats: 31 – Jets: 24 

Better Half Pick: J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.

Quick and Dirty Playoff Predictions

First post of 2011. Alright.  Quick note on what coming down the pike from the LRW. NFL playoffs: picks and thoughts, top ten movies of 2011, the slow decline of the Jazz, continuation of the Curse project and, of course, spring baseball.  All exciting stuff...for me. OK. 

There are always upsets in the first round.  Interestingly enough though, I would say two to three of the home teams this year are probably the underdog this week.   Hopefully they are good games.  Here are the picks. Hopefully, next week I’ll have a little more time to work on these.  Kids, stay in school. Get 2 degrees. Work will still be there when you get done.

Seahawks v. Saints (-10.5)

The lack of a Saints running game and the Seattle home crowd makes this a little more intriguing than it should be.  The Seahawks are the worst playoff team ever but they should play better than that mostly warranted moniker.  (I love seeing headlines that say "'Hawks say 'We have nothing to apologize for.'"  Hilarious)  Old Matt Hasselback is not all dead yet. Just mostly dead so he should be able to make this game a little frisky.  I’m still taking Breesus and the Saints to win but I’ll take the ‘hawks on points.

Prediction that has no shot of being close: Saints: 31 – Hawks: 24

Jets v. Colts (-2.5)

As a recent resident of the Tri-state area with a daily 30 minute morning commute down the NJ Parkway that is ideal for listening to local sports radio (WFAN), it is very difficult not to drink the Jets Kool-aid.  After Hard Knocks and Rex Ryan foot fetish videos, it is easy to root for the J-E-T-S. Nothing wrong with a team that has a little personality.  On the flip side, Peyton Manning is still always a gamer and he is tough at home but his team is injury ravaged and, generally, not as good this year. Also in a theme of the losers this weekend, Colts can’t run the ball. 

Prediction: Jets 24 – Colts 21

Packers (+2.5) v. Iggles

I am kind of surprised by all the pro-Pack talk in the last week.  i.e Peter King still taking them to the Super Bowl.  They really seem to me to be a story of what could have been rather than what will be.  They have also been hit hard by injuries and even more so than the Colts and Saints have no running game to speak of.  Yes, they’ve got a solid defense but I am not sure it is enough against the one-two-three punch of Vick, Shady McCoy and DeSean Jackson.  Also, as always, the Philly crowd will be hostile.  (Is a Philly crowd ever not hostile?) Pack was very average against the Bears last week in a game they had to win and I think some of that carries over. 

Prediction:  Iggles: 34 – Pack: 17

Ravens (-3) v. Chiefs

So this is where I am going out on a limb.  I kind of like the Chiefs in this game.  Yes, the same Chiefs that were destroyed at home by the Raiders.  Yes, the same Chiefs whose Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator hate each.  Yes, the same Chiefs that beat only 1(!) playoff team this year (The Pack week 4).  So why could I possibly like this team? Two reasons: (1) Jamaal Charles and (2) Joe Flaaco.  If the Chiefs can establish the ground game early, Charles is a beast and they can definitely steal this game. Side note: Who would have thought that five years later the best pro from the epic 2006 Rose Bowl would be Texas backup running back Jamaal Charles.  What would have the odds been for that at the time in a game that featured VY, Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White, and many other pros? 1,000 to 1? 10,000 to 1? Crazy.

Second, I have no idea if old Joe Flaaco is any good.  As he was the QB of my UI-Law Fantasy team this year, I have been heavily invested in him since week one. Over the season, he seemed vacillate from pretty good to awful, just awful.  Never great. Not a guy that can put the team on his back and will them to a victory on his own.  That responsibility seems to fall to Ed Reed and the D.  Also Flaaco, while being a pretty amazing name to say in the lovely Ballmer accent, is pretty much dead to me as a player after the absolute turd he laid in week 17 against the Bengals.  Say what you will about Fantasy Championships that take place in Week 17 but Mr. Unibrow’s 3 point stinker utterly destroyed any chances I had at the championship.  3 points?!? Ed Reed had 10? More frustrating is that I had Virgin Air Tim Tebow on the bench.  But that is another rant for another day.  Because I don’t trust Flaaco and I think KC will get up for its first home playoff game since 2003, I am going to take the Chefs.   

Prediction will make me look like a fool: Chiefs 23 – Ravens- 21