FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Black Text - Pre-game Pix : Red Text - Post-game Recap 

Sorry this is late!  Many logistical issues to overcome this week, and too many critical tasks begging for my already limited attention span!  The office is put back together now.  My replacement is trained.  My desk is emptied.  I've had my reassignment blessed by my old boss and met with my new boss.  And I just finished my last undergraduate class on Wednesday... Bachelor's degree complete.  Big week!  Not my best work... but at this point I'm settling for having something posted before ANOTHER game is played.  I'm leading off with Broncos-Texans, which I am aware was already decided.  I picked the TEXANS in my Week 14 Pix Recap, to have it on record... just in case this post was late... which it is.   

Week 15 Pix: (10-6)

Broncos at Texans : TEXANS : I feel like I should be more indecisive about this one, but it seems like a no-brainer.  The Broncos are not to be trusted outside of Denver.  Their Jekyll and Hyde routine is even more dependable than the Steelers'.  The Texans, on the other hand, are tough... especially at home.  I don't even see this one as being very close... Texans win.

Final Score: TEXANS 31 - Broncos 13 :  (Again... I picked the Texans in my week 14 recap... in case this post ended up being late.  Feel free to integrity-check me.)  Remember how the Texans got booed for using their first-pick-of-the-draft on Williams instead of Bush?  Remind me again... what's Reggie doing these days?  There's value in knowing that "the best player in the draft" may not be the best player for YOUR team. 

Bengals at 49ers : BENGALS : These two franchises met in the Super Bowl... twice!  It hardly seems possible now.  The perpetually underachieving Bengals have teeth, but often end up biting themselves harder than they bite their opponents.  The 49ers are completely adrift.  It's a California thing.  There's probably more interest in Lacrosse and Ultimate Frisbee, than NFL football, on BOTH ends of the Golden Gate bridge these days.  If the Bengals drop this one, they should to go straight to L.A. and arrange for a permanent home.  I doubt that anyone in Cincy would welcome them back.  Bengals win on Saturday night.       

Final Score: 49ers 20 - BENGALS 13 :  How in he** did THIS happen?  Superbowl flashbacks?  Did Joe Montana, Boomer Esiason, Roger Craig, Ickey Woods, and Jerry Rice all suit up for a flashback game?  Look... I know that the Steelers lost to the Jets and all... but somehow this seems more offensive.  Bengals... just stay out there on the left coast.  The NFL wants a team in LA... and you'll fit right in.  All style... no substance... completely self-absorbed... and completely unreliable.  No one will care if you win... as long as you look good.                       

Bills at Browns : BROWNS : Who would have looked at THIS game in August and thought "playoff implications"... for both teams?  AWESOME! Derek Anderson has ignited something in Cleveland that no one has seen since ‘the Return of the Browns'.  Ditto Trent Edwards in Buffalo.  The last time fans for either team started sentences with, ‘We can't win without...' it ended with names like Kelley, Thomas, Sipe, and Kosar.  For awhile it's just been, ‘We can't win.'  Nuff said.  It's just great stuff, seeing both of these teams chasing playoffs again.  Here's the thing... both teams are playing well.  The game is in Cleveland, and the Browns are playing just shade better.  Browns win.                

Final Score: BROWNS 8 – Bills 0 : Derek Anderson and Trent Edwards have been the difference-makers for these two teams this year.  Yet, neither one manages a touchdown.  Yeah… that’s about right for this week.  This loss ends the playoff talk in Buffalo… but just being able to talk about playoffs in Buffalo was a season victory, in my opinion.  The Browns win, coupled with the Steelers’ loss, leaves the AFC North rivals with matching 9-5 records.  The Steelers hold the tie-breaker, having beaten the Browns in both meetings this year.  Hang in there, Cleveland faithful… the Steelers are in a death spiral.          

Titans at Chiefs : TITANS : As my regular readers are aware, I simply overwrite a previous week's Pix post to save time, and keep my format consistent.  Sometimes, I end up overwriting a previous analysis of the same team.  When that happens, I usually write something new... but every now and then, I'm tempted to just recycle the old analysis and move on.  This is one of those times.  I wrote of the Week 13 Chiefs-Chargers game, "What is there to say about this game?  What needs to be said about this game?  The Chiefs can't run well... can't pass well... and aren't defending well.  They lost to the Raiders last Sunday.  Chiefs... how does it feel to be the first AFC West division win for the Raiders, in the last 18 tries?  Wow.  The Chargers may have some issues... but not THAT many.  Chargers win."  Substitute Titans for Chargers.  Next...

Final Score: TITANS 26 – Chiefs 17 : The Titans are pretty dependable about capitalizing on weaker opponents.  And the Chiefs… well… they’re dependably lousy.  The Titans might accidentally end up in the playoffs… but their inability to overcome an equal or greater opponent would make them a first-round exit.           

Packers at Rams : PACKERS : Ugh... the Rams.  Last week they managed to prove that a team COULD be more self-destructive than the Bengals.  At least they kept it in question... until they finally proved it.  Green Bay had their slip-and-fall vs the Cowboys.  They are on cruise-control until the playoffs.  That will be more than enough.  Packers win.

Final Score: PACKERS 33 – Rams 14 : The Pack did what they were reasonably expected to do… they manhandled the Rams.  Coupled with the Cowboys’ inexplicable loss… the NFC Playoff picture just got a bit more interesting!  It’s not been a great year for the Rams and their fans… but hey… the Steelers are coming to St. Louis on Thursday night.  That’s practically a guaranteed win for the home crowd.  At this point, though, beating the Steelers won’t be anything to brag about.   

Ravens at Dolphins : RAVENS : People are actually picking the Dolphins for this game?  Seriously?  Apparently these people are not actually WATCHING Dolphins games.  People of FANNATION, hear me well: this Dolphins team may literally be the worst collection of athletes to ever be paid to wear uniforms.  They're done.  They gave up after that crushing last-second swamp-bowl loss in Pittsburgh.  They're not even trying anymore.  They're not running... they're not passing... they're not defending... they're just showing up to get paid, and praying that they will walk off the field after the game, under their own power.  Even THAT has been impossible for some of them.  0-16 is a lock.  They're done even trying to avoid it.  And now Huizenga is looking to sell them to the highest bidder?  I guess the hate mail finally got to him.  It's over.  Padlock the doors until summer camp.  Ravens win.   

Final Score: Dolphins 22 – RAVENS 16 : It’s a little bit embarrassing to be this wrong… but imagine being a Ravens player or fan this morning.  Somehow, that would be worse.  Congrats to the Dolphins and their fans for avoiding historic humiliation.  Now padlock the doors, before anyone else gets hurt.                                

Jets at Patriots : PATRIOTS : Please... tune in and see which convenient penalties decide this week's game... and which ones don't get called.  Next... 

Final Score: PATRIOTS 20 – Jets 10 : Surprise, surprise… I’ll leave it to the Jets fans to explain how this one went the Patriots’ way.  I can’t watch it anymore.  

Cardinals at Saints : SAINTS : The Cardinals... our "what could have been" entry for 2007.  So close... but not quite there yet.  The Saints are putting it all together at the right time... sort of like last year.  Reggie Bush sidelined actually does them a favor, in my opinion.  Now they HAVE to focus on the rest of their talent.  It's about time.  Saints win. 

Final Score: SAINTS 31 – Cardinals 24 : The Saints do just enough to win…  and the Cardinals do just enough to lose.  When the Cards will finally reach their potential, they’re going to be dangerous.  Seems like a historic theme with them…                      

Jaguars at Steelers : STEELERS : The Jags are just big, mean, and double nasty.  The Steelers Jekyll and Hyde routine is really wearing thin.  At least they're in Pittsburgh for this one.  Mr. Hyde runs amok.  Steelers win.  

Final Score: Jaguars 29 – STEELERS 22 : The casual fan may not remember that the Jaguars originally entered the league in the Steelers’ division.  The Jags were originally built to beat the Steelers… and they always seemed to pull it off.  Midway through the 3^rd quarter yesterday, Heinz Field began to empty out.  Steelers fans are not fools… and we could all see it.  They couldn’t stop the Jags on either side of the ball.  They just looked... overmatched.  The Steelers finish their season with two road games.  Since they can’t win on the road, they end their season 9-7… hand the AFC North title to the Browns… and miss the playoffs.  I hate it, but I don’t see them avoiding it.  The Jags are a wildcard lock... and will probably survive to the second round.                                      

Falcons at Buccaneers : BUCCANEERS : Forget all of that winning for pride nonsense.  Everyone has given up on the angry and demoralized Falcons.  Even that coward Petrino walked away with nothing more than a Dear John letter.  Pathetic.  Padlock the Falcons facility until summer camp, too.  Buccaneers win.

Final Score: BUCCANEERS 37 – Falcons 3 : And the fun just doesn’t stop for the Falcons.  Ouch.       

Seahawks at Panthers : SEAHAWKS : The real shame here is that the Seahawks keep ticking off wins like they've found themselves.  They haven't.  They've just been fortunate with a couple weeks of  the NFL's collection of the lost and hopeless.  This week's victim?  The Panthers... neutered and declawed to protect the children.  Seahawks win. 

Final Score: Panthers 13 – SEAHAWKS 10 : Seriously… WTF?  I know the Seahawks and Steelers may be the weakest 9-5 division leaders in NFL history, but WOW!  Enjoy your one playoff game, Seahawks fans…          

Colts at Raiders: COLTS : The Raiders and 49ers are a great argument for an expansion team in Los Angeles... don't you think?  California would like a 2^nd professional football team, to join the Chargers.  Colts win.

Final Score: COLTS 21 – Raiders 14 : Closer than it needed to be… but at least the Colts acted like a playoff team and won a game they were supposed to win.                      

Eagles at Cowboys: COWBOYS : What was... the Eagles.  What is... the Cowboys.  Cowboys win.  

Final Score: Eagles 10 – COWBOYS 6 : We ALL saw this one coming, right?  Whatever.       

Lions at Chargers : CHARGERS : I concede this analysis to my Week 11 Lions-rest-of-the-season pick.  It tells me that... Chargers win.

Final Score: CHARGERS 51 – Lions 14 : Sometimes I wonder: should I have just picked the rest of the entire NFL schedule in Week 11?  My rest-of-the-season Lions prediction is 4-0!           

Redskins at Giants : GIANTS : Skins keep it close, then lose.  It's what they do.  It's what they've done all year.  Giants win.

Final Score: Redskins 22 – GIANTS 10 : After checking my calendar, I now realize that it’s season-ending-collapse time for the G-men.  My mistake!               

Bears at Vikings : VIKINGS : Da Bears have Devin Hester.  Don't kick to him... and you might win.  As soon as I pronounced the Vikings dead... they raged up from nowhere.  Shows what I know!  Because they know not kick to Hester... Vikings win.

Final Score: VIKINGS 20 - Bears 13 : The Vikings... products of their division and schedule... or legitimate contender?  I guess we'll all find out in the playoffs... because it looks like they will be there.  Tough sledding this year for Da Bears... why on earth they let Thomas Jones go, I'll never understand...                                  

Last Week's Pix: (13-3)  

Last 7 Weeks: (82-37)