Ready for some football!
(Picks crossposted from 19_weeks )
Choosing the (straight-up, no spread) winners in the National Football League (American pigskin, not the footy other countries play:
My Week 1 picks in ALL CAPS
TENNESSEE @ Pittsburgh
Jacksonville @ INDIANAPOLIS
Detroit @ NEW ORLEANS
PHILADELPHIA @ Carolina
DALLAS @ Tampa Bay
New York Jets @ HOUSTON
Kansas City @ BALTIMORE
Denver @ CINCINNATI
MINNESOTA @ Cleveland
MIAMI @ Atlanta
Washington @ NY GIANTS
San Francisco @ ARIZONA
St. Louis @ SEATTLE
Chicago @ GREEN BAY
Buffalo @ NEW ENGLAND
SAN DIEGO @ Oakland
These are the picks I'm also playing in the online pick'em game hosted by the newspaper where I work.
That game has weekly winners, so guessing the score of one of the wins is the tiebreaker. This week's game to guess is Chicago at Green Bay. I anticipate a modest shootout and gave the edge to the home tundra: Packers 24, Bears 21.
While my prognostications over the years have me about 70 percent accurate at guessing the NFL, I have no idea how things are going to turn out -- especially for opening week. Like most people I will fall victim to "conventional wisdom" and base too much on last year's performance, even though so many players have left, joined up and switched teams.
Remember when San Francisco would "always" beat Arizona? Now the opposite seems true. But if the Niners win, will it be an upset, or will the season bear out that they were the better team all along? As for me, I'll stick with the safe bet -- that the team that lost the Super Bowl will make a point of starting this season with a win. Likewise, I'm counting on Steeler hubris and Tennessee steamed that they missed their shot at the big show last winter delivering for the Titans. Maybe I'm wrong; after all, I'm usually about 30-40 percent FAIL.
The paper's pick'em game also has a "survivor" feature. Pick a team that will win this week, if it does you are still in the game. You can't pick the same team twice in a season, so if you "survive" long enough you are going to be facing some tough choices. I went a bit out on a limb and chose Cincinnati for this week. If I'm wrong the pressure's off. If I'm right, I don't see myself wanting to choose the Bungles again anyway.
Choosing the (straight-up, no spread) winners in the National Football League (American pigskin, not the footy other countries play:
My Week 1 picks in ALL CAPS
TENNESSEE @ Pittsburgh
Jacksonville @ INDIANAPOLIS
Detroit @ NEW ORLEANS
PHILADELPHIA @ Carolina
DALLAS @ Tampa Bay
New York Jets @ HOUSTON
Kansas City @ BALTIMORE
Denver @ CINCINNATI
MINNESOTA @ Cleveland
MIAMI @ Atlanta
Washington @ NY GIANTS
San Francisco @ ARIZONA
St. Louis @ SEATTLE
Chicago @ GREEN BAY
Buffalo @ NEW ENGLAND
SAN DIEGO @ Oakland
These are the picks I'm also playing in the online pick'em game hosted by the newspaper where I work.
That game has weekly winners, so guessing the score of one of the wins is the tiebreaker. This week's game to guess is Chicago at Green Bay. I anticipate a modest shootout and gave the edge to the home tundra: Packers 24, Bears 21.
While my prognostications over the years have me about 70 percent accurate at guessing the NFL, I have no idea how things are going to turn out -- especially for opening week. Like most people I will fall victim to "conventional wisdom" and base too much on last year's performance, even though so many players have left, joined up and switched teams.
Remember when San Francisco would "always" beat Arizona? Now the opposite seems true. But if the Niners win, will it be an upset, or will the season bear out that they were the better team all along? As for me, I'll stick with the safe bet -- that the team that lost the Super Bowl will make a point of starting this season with a win. Likewise, I'm counting on Steeler hubris and Tennessee steamed that they missed their shot at the big show last winter delivering for the Titans. Maybe I'm wrong; after all, I'm usually about 30-40 percent FAIL.
The paper's pick'em game also has a "survivor" feature. Pick a team that will win this week, if it does you are still in the game. You can't pick the same team twice in a season, so if you "survive" long enough you are going to be facing some tough choices. I went a bit out on a limb and chose Cincinnati for this week. If I'm wrong the pressure's off. If I'm right, I don't see myself wanting to choose the Bungles again anyway.