NFL - Discussion Thread

Hopefully at first you tipped differently, and instead changed your tips to being the same as me

Merry Christmas Dennis & Michael*


* yes, I said it

Surprise, surprise... We each won all three games last night. lol

Matt now needs 20/29 Wins to reach the coveted 170 Mark. If he does, none of us will catch him. In all my years of picking with my family, whomever reached 170 Wins ALWAYS won.

Subsequently, Dennis would need 23/29 and I would need 27/29 to achieve such a feat.

Don't really know if any of us can reach 170. If none of us do, I guess Dennis will have a shot at coming back. I know I would need the 170 to win just because Matt picks so much like me these days. Again, I taught him too much. lol

If I could go 15-1 two straight weeks to end the year with 170 Wins -- doubt it with these teams this season -- I better win first place. XD


« Last edited by Warrior13 on Dec 22nd 2019 »

They say go big or go home. And I'm going home. At least my upsets tried.

Congrats, Matt!

« Last edited by Warrior13 on Dec 22nd 2019 »

Miami was up 23 points with eleven minutes left in the entire game. And the Bengals just sent it into overtime... That's literally impossible... XD

Edit: Looks like it's going to be a tie.

Edit #2: Looks like Miami is going to try to win. Please just lose so we can keep the #2 Pick...

Edit #3: And the Dolphins win. Why can't we tank correctly? ;_;

« Last edited by Warrior13 on Dec 22nd 2019 »

THE PITTSBURGH DOGS JUST CHOKED THEIR PLAYOFF SPOT AND LOST TO THE JETS!!!

Warrior you knew you had to gamble, and as expected it didn't work. Too many risks obviously. You've had your fair share of bad luck this season. I have no doubt if you had tipped as you wished to this season, the scores would've been a bit closer.

Dennis's Miami upset pick came off after Miami won 38-35 in OT. Cincy came back from 12-35 down with 11 minutes left in Q4. In overtime, Fitz completed a 15-yard pass on 3rd and 10 @ MIA 30, with about 3 minutes left. The rest is history. A disastrous win for us. Still, the fact that Flores and Fitz have got us 4 wins this season is incredible.
Fitzpatrick's stats: 60% completion, 419 yards, 4TDs, 1INT
Dalton's stats: 59% completion, 396 yards, 4TDs, 0INTs

My NY Giants upset pick came off after NY Giants won 41-35 in OT. Washington came back from 21-35 down with 14 minutes left in Q4. In overtime, Jones completed a 23-yard pass on 3rd and 7 @ NYG 37, with about 9 minutes left. The rest is history. A terrible win for NY Giants, and a wonderful loss for Washington.
Jones' stats: 67% completion, 352 yards, 5TDs, 0INTs
Haskins' stats: 80% completion, 133 yards, 2TDs, 0INTs
Keenum's stats: 73% completion, 158 yards, 1TD, 0INTs

I am just happy all my upsets were close, even though none came through for me (but that has basically been all year long). Two lost in OT and the Titans hung until late (probably could have won if that WR did not fumble on their last drive). Oh well, not my year. Surprised I even have done as well considering all the games I lost off crummy kickers and only like one or two of all my upset games coming through. Ehh, it is a game after all. XD

Jeez... #5 Overall?! Why did we not just lose for pete sake? smh kms

Wow. After leading 10-3, at home, Minnesota lost 10-23 and were dominated from that point onwards. Shocking stuff. I know Dalvin Cook was out, but Cousins struggled. Maybe he only chokes against NFC North teams with winning records lol. New Orleans will destroy Minnesota in the first week, both as revenge for the Minneapolis Miracle, and the fact they are much better than them.

Marshawn Lynch is back in Seattle. Playing. This is not a joke.

Also I find it funny how the NFL scheduling has screwed Pittsburgh and Oakland. They play @ Baltimore at 1PM, and the LAC @ KC match is also at 1PM. Assuming Kansas City are on track to beat the woeful Chargers, they will secure the #3 seed, and Houston cannot change their position of #4 seed. This would mean that at 4:25PM, as the 1PM matches are finishing, Houston will have a rough idea of whether to rest their starters vs Tennessee, thus giving Tennessee a free pass into the playoffs. Apparently Houston will "play to win", but it wouldn't be surprising to see that change.

Baltimore can't change. New England get their usual narrow 1st week bye if they can beat Miami, at home (lol). If not (lol), then if Kansas City beat LAC, they take over as #2 seed. I've mentioned Houston already, and Buffalo are locked in. Essentially, Tennessee, Oakland, and Pittsburgh are all good chances to make the playoffs. Tennessee win and are in. Oakland get in if 4 straightforward matchups go to script. Pittsburgh get in if all 3 teams lose, I think. I'm reading different things on every different website.

San Francisco clinch the #1 seed if they win @ Seattle (who are decimated with injuries). Considering their earlier matchup finished in overtime (in a game where SF were decimated by injuries), it's fairly likely that San Francisco have too much firepower. Seattle would be the #5 seed. New Orleans would lose the chance to have a bye. But if SF lose, they become the #5 seed, and Seattle become the #3 seed, and both Green Bay (1) and New Orleans (2) get the bye. Philly are 4th seeds if they win @ NY Giants, or if Dallas lose vs Washington. Otherwise Dallas take over.

Simples.

1 - Baltimore
2 - New England
3 - Kansas City
4 - Houston
5 - Buffalo
6 - Oakland

1 - San Francisco
2 - Green Bay
3 - New Orleans
4 - Philly
5 - Seattle
6 - Minnesota

And another upset falls short. Not my year. XD

Cousins will never win the big games. Should have known. Just like Stafford. They will lose in the Wild Card round.

Yeah, that is basically the Playoffs this year.

I don't understand the Lynch move by Seattle. I get they need some RB help, but he's so old. I really doubt they'll be winning it all this year, so why bring him on. Their wins this year are against the Bengals (worst team), Steelers (DOGS without Big Ben), Arizona (rebuilding), Rams (underachieving), Browns (underachieving), Atlanta (underachieving), Tampa Bay (mediocrity), Eagles (mediocrity/underachieving), Minnesota (can't win big games), Carolina (no Newton or Rivera), and the 49ers (there only real signature win, but happened in overtime and when the Niners didn't have Gould to nail the game winner).

Odds are they'll be playing the Eagles in Philly, which they only won by eight points earlier in the year. I see that being only a 60-40 in terms of the Seahawks winning at this point.

« Last edited by Warrior13 on Dec 24th 2019 »

Just submitted by final picks for the regular season. Excited to see if Dennis can tie or if Matt will coast thru. Playoffs are separate, correct? Maybe I can win those. XD XD XD

If scores are tied between either Dennis and I, Dennis and you, you and me, or all 3 of us by the end of Week 17, all people who are tied respectively will continue the competition, to decide 1st or 2nd place. If 1st, 2nd and 3rd places are all decided already, then we can do playoffs separately (not counting the regular season scores).

Green Bay was the upset pick. They have been mediocre all season. The betting website had Minnesota as reasonable favourites, and we all tipped the generic team in Minnesota. Tbh, Green Bay did get bailed out by a horrific non-call that resulted in an INT. Diggs got blatantly pushed at around GB 15, thus couldn't catch the ball and it got intercepted while scores were 10-9 Minnesota.

Seattle had to bring someone in. I guess they thought they could bring back a fan favourite and club legend for a few games rather than pick up someone off waivers.

And I'm very happy to see that you believe Pittsburgh are dogs too. The only problem is that you say they are dogs without Big Ben. They have always been dogs, with or without him. Remember the last 2 Pittsburgh seasons excluding this one?

Merry Christmas Lonely God ;)

« Last edited by Matt77 on Dec 24th 2019 »

So what you're telling me is the Playoffs will be separate when you finish in the lead. Cool. XD

I turned off the favorites for betting and other picks in my settings. It just shows the teams now, which is why I thought the Vikings were the underdogs. Obviously they should've been. XD

I would've gotten someone much younger who could actually help. Lynch looked horrible in his last year with the Raiders. Can't expect much for him with their mediocre o-line.

Big Ben obviously made them better. They would be at least the Wild Card this year if he was around, not on the outside looking in.

Merry Christmas to you to, or whichever holiday you celebrate. lol

Lol we still celebrate Christmas in Australia. Aus is a Christian country after all...

I did my tips. The website's betting odds are strange. Apparently I tipped some upsets, but not all are. I went with 8 home teams and 8 road teams. There are some tough ones. Dennis is not out of this.

I went five home and eleven road at the moment. Might change.

Lol you must want 2nd place badly. You're 6 games off so it's very tough, but if you're tipping like that anything can happen xD

What do I have to lose at this point? XD

Looks like I have to rely on the football gods to win this competition now. Wierd things happen in the final week with teams not trying so it's not impossible. Had to laugh at NY Giants vs Washingtons, both quarterbacks literally had perfect stats in the first quarter, both teams desperately trying to lose to get Chase Long in the draft. Is the guy that good? I hear he's easily the best player in the draft. I've watched footage on YouTube and he doesn't look anything special to me, just a fast edge runner dominating at the college level. I also hear he's a lot better than the Bosa brothers, Myles Garrett and the Bradly Chubb.

Had to also laugh at Minnesota, I think they now realise Cousins is just a stats guy. I was going to pick the Jets at home against Pittsburgh but wasn't brave enough.

Hope you fellas had a great Christmas

I just remembered that several teams will either definitely rest their starters, or may rest their starters:

Buffalo
Baltimore
Houston
Minnesota

I'm not sure whether to change some of my tips, because I'm not sure whether starters will play.

Dennis you will either beat me or tie, or you will lose by 7 games. I feel that we will tip very differently.

Yes Matt, no doubt about it. You're a stats man while I rely on gut feelings and luck.

The other factor you have to take into consideration this week is the bottom tier teams all trying to improve their draft order now that they know which players are available and which team is likely after who. After about pick 15 it doesn't really matter, it just hoping your player is still on the board.

I wonder what Minnesota fans think about Cousins now, didn't the Vikings realise there was a reason the Redskins didn't commit to him. What's going to happen to Beckham, he wants out of Cleveland. I hear the Giants could get him back. Will the Browns stick with Mayfield or will they start sniffing around the quarterbacks in the draft, the Browns fans have turned against Baker? To be honest, I find the draft more exciting than the Super Bowl, especially when my teams got the number 2 pick and a player that could be the next Lawrence Taylor there for the taking.

There's still a good chance some of the bottom sides could screw it up. NY Giants have gone from the #2 pick and Chase Young, to the #4 pick and an o-lineman. If Washington were to beat a woeful Dallas team that is 4-8 in their last 12 games, they could slip all the way to the #5 pick I believe. The bad teams aren't that bad this year.

I mean, Miami are lucky that they are even holding the #5 pick right now. On top of their 4 wins, they:
Lost 16-17 to Washington due to a botched 2PT conversion
Lost 21-31 to Buffalo despite leading 14-9 and being at BUF 1
Lost 14-27 to Pittsburgh despite leading 14-0
Lost 21-22 to NY Jets due to a horrible penalty being called in favour of NY Jets with less than a minute left
Miami could've been 8-7 right now had they not choked several leads and had some bad luck, and would've been playing for a spot in the playoffs. That would've given Miami pick #18.

I don't think Minnesota will be too surprised. He hasn't gone too badly this season in primetime. It was the loss of Dalvin Cook which 'cooked' Cousins. He needs a good RB to take some of the pressure off, and he didn't have that against Green Bay. Remember Washington used to have one of the worst running games in the league? It's no coincidence that there was a lack of a running game at the same time Cousins was at the club and failed in primetime. Cousins isn't going to be an elite QB, and he shouldn't be expected to be one. He is an above average QB who can run an offense very well, however he needs a strong supporting cast around him. He's not the typical 'hero' QB.

Everything that could've gone wrong for Cleveland has this season. They need to restart and forget about this season. Clearly they believed the hype in the offseason. Mayfield needs to take a look and realise that Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen have overtaken him, and that Sam Darnold isn't far away. The 2020/21 season will be make or break for them.

I'm with you. The draft and the rumours/mock drafts that go with it is great to follow, rather than watching New England earn a 1st week bye FOR THE PAST 10 CONSECUTIVE SEASONS, and every year except one, make the AFC Championship game. In my time following the NFL I have seen New England lose the AFCC game by a missed 2PT attempt to tie the game, win the SB after coming from 3-28 down, lose the SB by 1 score, and win the SB despite scoring just 13 points. Never have they not eached the last 4, and for the past 3 seasons they've made it to the SB.

« Last edited by Matt77 on Dec 27th 2019 »

The dominance of the Patriots is over, I think this will be their last year of being a Super Bowl contender. They have holes all over the field, the main ones now being quarterback and a deep threat reciever.

I look at the Dolphins this year as a tale of two teams. The first half of the season they were awful, no other way to describe them. The second half of the season they started looking half decent at times. I honestly thought at one point early in the season the Dolphins and Bengals would be fighting it out for the first pick in the 2020 draft in week 17 with identical 0-16 records.