NFL Playoff Picks
 

Let's have a little fun and see who can pick the most correct through the playoffs.

I'll keep track of the standings for anyone that has posted their picks no later than 4:30pm EST on 01/09/10.

Any edits made after this time will make your picks void.

Picks for all four weekend games will be locked in at this time.

My picks for week 1:

Bengals
Cowboys
Ravens
Packers

Jets
Cowboys
Patriots
Packers

Jets
Cowboys
Patriots
Packers

Bengals
Cowboys
Patriots
Packers

I didn't feel like I was out on such a limb when I saw Barry picked the Ravens as well, then he went and changed on me.

Jets
Eagles
Patriots
Cardinals

Should be some good games, interesting to see if the Cardinals giving the game to the Pack last week pays off. Dallas should crush the Eagles but is three times the charm ? The other two games should be close but we'll see.

Bengals
Cowboys
Patriots
Packers

Tim- I posted quickly and couldn't remember all the opposing teams.:(

Bengals
Patriots
Cowboys
Packers

Eagles
Packers
Bengals
Patriots

all should be close
 

Jets
Eagles
Patriots
Cardinals

Jets
Cowboys
Patriots
Packers

Jets
Eagles
Ravens
Packers

I only picked this combo because nobody else did.

Bengals
Eagles
Ravens
Cards

Bengals
Cowboys
Patriots
Cardinals

Jets
Eagles
Ravens
Packers

GO PACK GO!

Jets
Eagles
Pats
Packers

Rawn

Jets
Cowboys
Ravens
Cardinals

We ended up with 16 participants.

After game 1:

9 are 1-0

7 are 0-1

J-E-T-S Jet Jets Jets

Jets played a really good game, despite a few too many penalties.

The Jets played great.

I feel bad for Graham. Kickers are having a tough year.

He's missed two easy ones. Some players get cut for that. And how about Feely punting? That was pretty cool. He did a very good job.

I felt they didn't deserve a couple of those penalties. And when was the last time you saw a holding call on a field goal in the playoffs?

Anyway, Sanchez played great...if Braylon didn't drop that TD he would have had an even better day!!

I don't wanna jump on the Greene bandwagon, but he looks like he is going to have some really good years ahead of him in NY.

GO JETS!!

Day 1 Standings:

2-0
Barry Sloate
Rob Miller
Michael Steele
Rob G

1-1
Tim Cathey
Johnny S
Fred Y
Tom Boblitt
Scott T
Todd Schultz
Fred
Mike Healer
Phil Ellis
Rawn

0-2
Jim (Ksquared)
Kary

the other games were kinda blowouts, but wow the AZ/GB game is crazy! can't believe GB has come back to tie it at 38-38!!

The GB/AZ game has be a lot of fun to watch.

It looks like both teams decided to pack light for the game and left the defenses at home.

Wow!! What a tough year for kickers!

Now that was a game for the ages. I can only imagine how many records for offense were broken. But my pick was Green Bay.:(

Great game! What a way to win/lose. Well, I went 0-4! Pathetic. I don't know what is more pathetic, that I went 0-4 or that I went in thinking these first round matchups were "easy"? I'd guess which is worse, but I'd probably get that wrong too! I better start preparing now for next week.

Jim

and to think some complain that the coin flip gives the receiving team too much of an advantage!

Standings After Week 1
 

4-0
Rob G

2-2
Barry Sloate
Rob Miller
Michael Steele
Tim Cathey
Fred Y
Todd Schultz
Fred
Mike Healer
Phil Ellis
Kary

1-3
Johnny S
Tom Boblitt
Scott T
Rawn

0-4
Jim (Ksquared)

Next Week:
Sat - Arizona @ New Orleans
Sat - Baltimore @ Indianapolis
Sun - Dallas @ Minnesota
Sun - New York Jets @ San Diego

Congrats to Rob for getting them all...nobody else even got three!

thanks!

this means I'm due for zero wins in week two ...

New Orleans
Baltimore
Dallas
Jets

Rob
:)

Good job Rob...I thought I was lookin good with my 2-0 start!!

Saints
Ravens
Cowboys
Jets

I'll go with the four C's:

Colts
Chargers
Cowboys
Cardinals

I'm a homer
 

All four home teams win: Colts, Chargers, Saints and Vikes

no more gorilla
 

No more gorilla on the Cowboys' back.....(note correct apostrophe usage, I hope :o)

Apostrophe is correct...the name of the team is Cowboys, not Cowboy.

Todd- I was originally going to go with all four home teams, but Vikings and Saints have looked bad for a month, and Cowboys and Cardinals have been playing great (for at least a week).

Barry, not going with your heart and picking Jets? Or is this a little reverse jinx action?

I understand Barry
 

it's always popular to pick the flavor of the week--who's hot at the moment. Packers had won 7 of 8, losing only on last-play miracle magic to Pittsburgh, but I was highly confident that they had no chance on stopping the Cardinals' offense. Colts have looked shaky of late, which I'm sure helps some pick the Ravens, and Vikes had a bad December,although they played great the last six quarters, as in 74 points. I don't care that it was against the Bears and Giants, as the trick was to get the offense going.

I listened to the talking heads all pick Green Bay yesterday and just smiled as they gave their so-called analysis. It's the same with Dallas-- "Nobody's playing better" "I just can't see anyone stopping them". BS. The Vikings are better than Dallas on both sides of the ball. In fact, other than special teams coverage, which I have not studied closely, there is nothing Dallas does better than Minnesota. Can the Cowboys win? Sure. But this is crowd noise central boys and girls, hostile territory against a veteran team. If Adrian Peterson has any kind of day, it's no contest.

As for the Saints, I too do not like their finish. Also, the Cardinals have NEVER received any respect--they were picked to lose all four playoff games last year and came within a last minute incredible catch from being Super Bowl champs. They were supposed to lose yesterday too, and of course are being hounded now for having no defense. We'll see. I reserve the right to change my pick on that one, but am glad to see they've got a supporter in you, if only for one week. :)

Rob- I'm rooting for the Jets, but San Diego is my pick to win the Superbowl. I know, you can crunch the numbers and say that they are not the best team, but the best team doesn't always win. I also agree Minnesota is better than Dallas on paper, but the Vikings always seem to find a way to lose the big one. But who knows.

And let's not forget how close Green Bay came to one of the great comebacks in playoff history. If Rodgers' pass on the first play in overtime is a yard or two shorter the game would have ended right there. It was a wacky game but very entertaining.

And They Live to Play Another Week
 

Agreed, but this is not the big one. That would be next week, and it's why I have the Saints/Chargers in the Super Bowl.

As for the Cardinals, let's not forget that the game should never have seen overtime, if Rackers makes a gimme. By the way, did anyone else notice that the Cardinals faced only 5 third-down situations the entire game? Maybe others noticed it--I always pay close attention when it's third down to hope we can stop them or convert as the case may be. Here the monumentally pathetic Packer defense only forced five THIRD down plays. Can you imagine?--C'mon boys, let's hold him here on third and long, er third and short, er, second down. As badly as the redbirds played D, at least they forced some third and long and even fourth down conversions. By contrast, The Pack got absolutely carved up throughout the whole game. I honestly do not recall a more horrendous defensive showing. Pretenders for sure.

So Todd- what you are saying is this game isn't big enough for the Vikings to blow, we have to wait for an even bigger one so they can really fall flat on their face? I like that theory.:)

yep
 

that's pretty much what I'm saying. They may not fall flat on their face. It may be a loss like what occurred on January 17, 1999--exactly eleven years from when they play Dallas (hmm, that gives me pause)--when they lost in overtime to the Falcons in the NFC championship. That was the best Vikings team of all time, 15-1 with Moss, CC, Robert Smith and a rejuvenated Randall Cunningham. A kicker who is literally perfect all regular and post-season misses an easy FG that would have punched the Vikes Super Bowl ticket and we lose, in no small part due to Denny Green's coaching idiocy, in overtime.

So yeah, I don't expect the Vikings to let me have any peace this year either. :)

Or, if the ref calls the helmet to helmet hit on the second play of OT. That would have offset the holding penalty and left it second and 10, instead of third and 20.

Or, if the same ref had been watching the Face Mask penalty on this play. (Not sour grapes on my part. I wanted the Cards to win, and realize the ref's job was to watch the ball after the fumble.)

Todd- I remember that 1999 Vikings playoff loss all too well. If Anderson makes the field goal the Vikings lead by 10 and the game is over. Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong.

Jim- I actually saw that face mask penalty but unfortunately the ref didn't.

The last play was very interesting, Barry. What Green Bay really needed was the call for a "Personal Foul, Hands to the QB's Helmet" penalty.

By the time Adams grabbed the face mask, the ball was out, and, I believe if the penalty occurs after the fumble it would still be Cards ball, just back 15 yards.

If that's the correct interpretation, I have no doubt the Cards were going to score anyway.

Just for accuracy the holding penalty made it 2nd and 20, it was 3rd and 5 when he fumbled.