haysie wins it! Having already split first place in the original survivor pool after Wild-Card Weekend, haysie caps off possibly the biggest single winning season in MyOfficePool.ca history (no, I didn’t check to confirm that) taking first place in the NFL Playoffs Pool.

So how did this happen? Well, I assume all of you watched the big game, Super Bowl XLIV, even those of us long out of contention in the pool (cough, Chargers, cough). Underdog or not, the Saints prevailed, and won by a surprising margin of 14 points in the process.

Not that the game was in the bag from the get-go. They were down 10 early before starting to turn things around. The Saints inexpicably kept Peyton Manning at bay, mainly off the field, for about 75 minutes real time from the second quarter over halftime and into the third. The big play was the surprise onside kick to open the second half. That was huge.

Give credit to the Saints defense, they played possum in the first half and didn’t show their stuff – the wrinkles they had planned – until the second. Excellent defensive teams the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets each went after Manning early in their playoff games. He figured it out and then picked them apart.

The Saints by changing things up in the second half instead picked Manning. It was a game changing interception returned for a TD that turned a seven point lead for the Saints into 14. The Colts had another chance to bring it within seven, but couldn’t convert and the Saints ran out the clock.

My expectations were certainly up hoping for an offensive shootout like we’ve never seen before in the Super Bowl, but it didn’t happen. The game was a bit of a downer on the excitement scale, but I have to remember we’ve been a bit spoiled from the prior two Super Bowl nail biters between the Steelers-Cards, and Giants-Patriots.

Okay, back to the pool. We’ve established haysie in first place. Emma takes second. Man, did that lack of TD by the Colts at the end make a difference. Had the Colts punched that in, fadeleyp would have scored an extra four points, Emma would have had an extra one, and they would have tied for second and third place.

Instead, debbieblows, Cowboys homer and all who earned a lot of points through the first two rounds, holds on to a share of third place with fadeleyp.

mean1001 and rydel were just a point behind to tie for fifth place. Rick, our resident baseball expert, had a surprisingly strong showing landing in seventh.

jsimpson suffered the most from the Colts blowing it. He stayed at 43 points and finished in eighth but would have otherwise likely claimed the top spot.

Congrats to our winners, and thanks everyone for playing! That concludes another pool season on the football front.

Next up, I’ll have to see about another Hockey Survivor Pool, but we are running out of weeks in the NHL season. If you are really pining for some hockey action, the deadline is fast approaching but check out buddy Dwayne Schrader’s Olympic Hockey Box Pool. You can find it on Facebook right here.

52 entries. $988 on the line. The biggest game of the year.

That’s right folks, it all comes down to this – the Super Bowl! Not only does it pit two teams known for their killer offenses, but it will decide in a big way the top 3 finishers in our annual NFL Playoffs Pool.

Before we get to what could happen, let’s recap what happened so far. With her curious but appropriate (so I’m told) choice of username, debbieblows continues to hold down top spot in the pool. She couldn’t hit on both picks from Championship Conference week, having already picked the – Homer alert! – Dallas Cowboys to advance through the NFC and win the Super Bowl. So, great job db, but even with a 5 point advantage over the current number two spot, she is going to drop out of the top spot after the final whistle this Sunday.

Now, one would think he’s won enough, having already split the Football Survivor Pool, but haysie is in the thick of things in this pool currently sitting in second place. He’s got 43 points and picked the underdog New Orleans Saints by 3.

Tied with haysie, but not for long, jsimpson picked the Indianapolis Colts by 9.

Down in fourth place we have a three-way tie, but again, only one will be moving up in the world. mroliversson hit all four back on Wild-Card Weekend, and in fact every game except those stupid San Diego Chargers! He had them all the way to win the big game, so he’s stuck at 41 points.

Sitting along side mroliversson but each liking their chances, good buddy Emma picked the Saints by 2 and msweezy has the Colts by 3.

Trailing this bunch, we have a lot of other Saints backers, and Colts backers. Lets see if I can figure out how this is going to play out. Note it is 10 points for picking the Super Bowl winner, and 0, 1, 3 or 5 points for margin of victory.

If the Colts Win

Before we get into bonus points for the margin of victory, jsimpson jumps to 53, msweezy to 51 and mmhast to 50.

If the Colts win big, jsimpson looks safe for at minimum a first place tie, but watch out for Cacciatorini, who would have 49 points plus potential bonus for picking the Colts to win by 13. msweezy and mmhast both picked the Colts by 3, so they are hoping for a close one.

uhh0hh and recent 2nd Half Survivor Pool winner, cneilson, also picked the Colts by 3 while markymark2281 picked the Colts by 4. I’m not double checking my math here, but it doesn’t look like any of these guys can catch the top dogs.

If the Saints Win

Totally different ball game here. Before margin of victory, haysie has 53, Emma has 51 and fadeleyp and rydel each have 47.

fadeleyp picked the Saints by 7, while rydel says they win by 3. Margin of victory could break that tie. Don’t forget debbieblows already has 48, so a zero margin of victory for each of them would still leave her in third place.

I don’t think mean1001 or Rick, each a little further down and picks on the Saints by 7, can quite catch up. Even with a perfect 7 point spread they couldn’t overtake fadeleyp, plus haysie and Emma will get some bonus points. I think fadeleyp could catch Emma by a point with a 7 spread.

Man, my head hurts. Can we just get to the game? Who won the Pro Bowl by the way? I missed it for a trip to IKEA, so you can guess how much importance I put on the Pro Bowl.

Looking for some odd sidebets to include in your Super Bowl degenerate gambling habit? Check out Tony Ricciardi’s Off the Air podcast with guests Chris Prospero and myself talking about the big game. We all picked the Colts to win, so that is a good sign for you “Who Dat” supporters.

Finally some less interesting but important news in case you missed the last blog post or the note on the home page. If you are trying to login to the website your password is likely not working. Check here for details and how to solve it.

Go Colts! I promised John I would back the Colts after they knocked off the stupid Jets who beat my stupid Chargers. It may not be much of a reason to support them, but its a reason. Enjoy the game!

About five weeks into the 2009 NFL season, if you would have polled the sports world about which 4 teams would make the final 4 with a shot at the Super Bowl, the Saints, Colts, and Vikings would have been very popular choices. The New York Jets would not have been so high on that list but due to the strong play of Mark Sanchez and Darelle Revis the Jets are one win away from the Super Bowl. These teams will square off in domes this weekend to ensure good weather and great football.

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts (stats)

These two teams met in Week 16 of the regular season as the Jets ended the undefeated run of the Colts. Peyton Manning and the Colts regulars only played half of that game but it was very tight when they made their exit.

Mark Sanchez and the Jets still led a few scoring drives and won the game. Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene have been awesome as they have carried the Jets in the postseason offensively. Mark Sanchez is not playing like a rookie and seems to have grabbed hold of the reins for rookie coach Rex Ryan. Revis has shut down both Chad Ochocinco and Vincent Jackson so far this postseason as well as a very long list of players in the regular season and very well may be the best defensive player not named Charles Woodson. He has a tough task this week as Reggie Wayne is one of the best. The Jets head to Miami after a low scoring defensive win.

Prediction: 21 – 20 Jets

Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints (stats)

Just as everyone predicted early in the season, the Vikings and Saints will meet for a trip to the big one. Brett Favre faces off against Drew Brees. The Vikings are coming off a monster performance in which they completely dominated the Cowboys with great defense and explosive offense. Sidney Rice has emerged as one of the top receivers in the league.

Brees has found an explosive big play guy of his own in Reggie Bush, who had a monster game last week and will be a force as a pass catching back in this matchup. Brees, Bush, Favre, Rice and Adrian Peterson should all provide plenty of offense in this game but it will be the defense that decides it. Jared Allen and the Williams pair, Pat and Kevin, will be just enough to get the Vikes into the big game. Brett Favre will make an attempt to end his career with a second ring.

Prediction: 31 – 21 Vikings

Survivor Pools

Last week we announced a winner – I mean winners – in the original survivor pool. Technically speaking, we were down to just two still standing and they agreed to split $1,400 of the $1,634 payout, and play for the rest.

Well, that didn’t last long. haysie and knarf67 went into the first week of the playoffs with $234 on the line and both picked the New England Patriots… and promptly finished off that pool with their joint elimination. Each get a trophy and half the cash. Congrats guys, on the 17-0 run in the regular season!

Over in the second half survivor pool, we had five make it through the regular season and advance to the playoffs. After a wildy unexpected Wild-Card Weekend, we lost darosa7 and wizardz99sk who each picked the Pats.

Now it is just cneilson, Gerri Attrics and H(o)(o)ter, who all picked the Dallas Cowboys, still alive and competing for the $627 at the end of the rainbow. And, they can’t pick the Cowboys this week or the rest of the playoffs. I love it when we get to playoff survivor, because you really need to think ahead with these picks.

NFL Playoffs Pool

Is it just me or is this the busiest time in MyOfficePool.ca history? Last weekend we also kicked off the annual NFL Playoffs Pool, with an excellent turnout of 52 entries. Thanks to everyone who referred the pool to friends and family to up our numbers.

In terms of results, we had some impressive performances! … from a few people anyway. Only three, yep, just three, got a perfect four-for-four on their picks. It was a tough week with the Pats and Cincinnati Bengals getting upset, plus most people picked the Green Bay Packers who I think went from dog to fav and back to dog at one point on the Vegas line. That was one crazy game that trumped all the rest by a country mile in terms of entertainment.

Anyway, chrispyne takes the early lead with 18 points by earning 5 bonus points for predicting the Arizona Cardinals to win by exactly 6. Defensive TD in overtime, that is just how you expected that one to play out, right Chris?

debbieblows and mroliversson hold down second place with 16 points and it looks like we have seven people who got three out of four games correct to closely trail our top three players. For as lopsided as a couple of those playoff games were, it seems like most everyone in the top 10 got some bonus points working for them.

And then after that, there are a whole bunch of us who hit 50% of the picks, or 25% (ugh, including yours truly) or 0%. It was apparently slightly easier to hit zero-for-four instead of four-for-four, as we have six entries with that infamous distinction.

In terms of predicted Super Bowl winners, here is how all of our pool entries stack up:

Notably absent, the Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets are still alive in the post-season. The rest of the picks are pretty spread out, with a near even split between two AFC teams to win the big game. Needless to say, this pool is still pretty wide open. After this weekend will be a lot more telling who is in the running for the money.

Enjoy the games this week!

We have a winner – I mean winners – in the original survivor pool!

We still haven’t crowned a champ, but we have an agreed upon split of the proceeds between our last two standing in the pool, haysie and knarf67. They are each going to take $700 from the $1,634, and then continue to play for the $234 through the playoffs. So, one person will get the trophy, both guys get some cash and everyone is happy.

Well, maybe not everyone. Here is my deep thought for DonS and Eugenius in the original survivor, and paulkney in the second half survivor: Regardless of having a playoff berth on the line, do you think maybe when a high strung rookie head coach decides to bench his stud WR (who near single-handedly won games for them this year) and top TE, that he might have a bit of a mutiny on his hands? Maybe they’ll fold like an old lawn chair with the likes of Kyle Orton to Jabar Gaffney being the offensive threat? Maybe not the best team to back in a survivor pool?

Of course I’m talking about the Denver Broncos, who knocked out our three aforementioned survivor pool participants. Ah heck, I’m not trying to be hard on you guys. In Week 17 anything can happen. Plus a run of 16 straight weeks (or nine in paulkney’s case) would have got it done most years in survivor. But not this year.

As mentioned, we have just two alive in original survivor and we’re down to five in the second half pool. So, we are going to the playoffs, baby!

Wild-Card Weekend is this week and both pools are still active. Get your pick in before the first game on Saturday. That is the New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals with a 4:30 Eastern start.

You’ve definitely got to plan ahead in this one, because once you pick a team – and presumably you’ve picked a winner – then you can’t pick them again in the playoffs. So if you think the Green Bay Packers are going to make a run all the way to the Super Bowl, then don’t pick them this week.

Unless of course you think everyone else is going to get dumped on their behind. Too many things to think about. Good luck to all of our participants. Its been a great survivor year, and we’re continuing on a little longer.

Enjoy the games this weekend!

The playoffs are finally set and things kick off this weekend with the Wild-Card games. The Cowboys dominated the Eagles last weekend to win the NFC East but will be tested again in Dallas this week as they play host to the Eagles one more time.

Also the Packers defeated to Cardinals to earn the number five seed but will again travel to Arizona to meet the Cardinals.

The Jets put a whoop on the Bengals to close out the year but the Bengals will also get a shot at redemption this weekend.

The Ravens make the trip to cold New England on Sunday in the other AFC playoff game.

New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals (stats)

Yes, the Jets did throttle the Bengals in Week 17 but Cincy didn’t play their starters for long. The Jets, hungry for the playoffs, didn’t seem to care who they faced as they raced out to a big lead and rolled their way to the final playoff spot in convincing fashion.

Mark Sanchez was efficient and didn’t turn the ball over while Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene looked as good with the ball as they have all year. The Bengals may have the upper hand playing at home but I’m going with the upset here. The Bengals just haven’t played very well down the stretch and the tough Jets defense is going to stop them this weekend.

Prediction: 24 – 17 Jets

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (stats)

The Cowboys showed they are one of the teams to beat by thwarting the Eagles 24 to nothing a week ago. Tony Romo has played masterful the past month and a half and has led the surging Cowboys to their second NFC East crown in three years. Felix Jones is emerging as an explosive back that nobody wants to see in the open field.

Donovan McNabb didn’t play bad a week ago but couldn’t come up with enough plays to stay in the game. The Eagles won’t get shut out again but are just over matched when it comes to playing Dallas this season.

Prediction: 35 – 21 Cowboys

Baltimore Ravens at New England Patriots (stats)

Ray Rice and the Ravens had a very productive year on offense which is far from what we have come to expect from the Baltimore offense in past years. Joe Flacco has led a steady passing attack and has the Ravens in a position to make another deep run.

The Patriots lost all-pro receiver Wes Welker to a devastating knee injury leaving the rookie Julian Edelman to take his place. Randy Moss is still the main deep target for Comeback Player of the Year winner Tom Brady, but the Ravens defense may have the upper hand now. The lack of a solid defense this year and the Patriots get bounced early.

Prediction: 27 – 17 Ravens

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals (stats)

Aaron Rodgers has led the Packers back to a familiar place, just not somewhere they’ve been with him at the helm of the offense. Rodgers has had a monster year and looks to make the Pack a mainstay in the postseason. Donald Driver and Greg Jennings have also had great years with some help by Ryan Grant who seems to have bounced back this year.

Kurt Warner has led the Cardinals to back to back playoff appearances which I believe has never been done before. Warner wants back to back Super Bowl trips in what may be his last year. This game has all the makings of a shootout with these two great offenses, but defense will even the playing field as the Packers have been playing better on that side of the ball.

Prediction: 31 – 21 Packers

Last week: 11-5
Overall: 70-42

Happy New Year!

And then there were … 4 … in the original survivor pool. We lost mean1001 last week as he took the New York (didn’t play like) Giants who lost badly to the Carolina (peaking way too late) Panthers. That game went completely against what I and most people would have thought going in, with the Giants vying for a playoff spot and the Panthers expected to just play out the string.

Over in the second half survivor, we still have 6 alive after everyone slid through Week 16. The winning picks last week across both pools were the 49ers, Cardinals, Packers and Patriots, with each of those teams winning big.

Now, Week 17 is finally here, the last week of the NFL regular season. I’ve still been travelling around southern Ontario through the holidays. Visiting with the cable-less in-laws last week prevented me from watching a lick of football except for the Monday nighter at Shoeless Joe’s in Welland (nice place) with a fantasy championship on the line. Thankfully I pulled it out with the Vikings’ defense even though they did absolutely nothing through most of three quarters.

That said, I don’t have much opinion on who to pick this week in what is sure to be a crazy unpredictable week. Playoff bound teams are resting players. Sad sack teams have found new life (see: Browns, Bucs). For our 10 survivors, be careful, and make sure to get your pick in before kickoff on Sunday.

And as for the rest of you, the NFL Playoffs Pool is now up! You can join today, and change your picks next week if/when the teams/seeds change. I’ll update the picks form after the Sunday night game. Don’t forget to get in the pool though. Wild-Card Weekend starts next Saturday. Enjoy the games!

As we close out another football season, which feels like it just started, several teams are still alive and well in the hunt for the post-season. The mighty Colts fell to the ranks of teams with a loss due to Jim Caldwell pulling all his starters and the Saints looked human for the second straight week. The Steelers are finally looking like defending champions but need some serious help to get in the dance this year. With this many important games there’s no way you should miss any games this week.

Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills

The Colts starters were benched for protection purposes in the third quarter against the Jets last week. If their starters play that deep into Sunday’s game against the Bills, they will be leaving with a hefty lead. The Bills have been awful all year since blowing a two touchdown sure fire win in their opener to the Patriots. Marshawn Lynch never really showed up and poor quarterback play has been overshadowed by the dismal performance of Terrell Owens. The Colts will roll into their playoff bye with a throttling of Buffalo.

Prediction: 31 – 17 Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns

The Jaguars were sitting pretty and in control of their own playoff destiny just a few weeks ago. Now they need a win and just about everybody in the AFC race to fall to make it this year. David Garrard has had a productive year but struggled in several games. Maurice Jones-Drew has carried the Jags most of the year and was rewarded as the only Jag Pro Bowler. Jerome Harrison has been playing like a Pro Bowler the past few weeks and should have another big game this week, but the lack of a passing game will be the Browns’ downfall on Sunday.

Prediction: 34 – 21 Jaguars

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions

Jay Cutler and the Bears offense shocked everyone by dropping the Vikings on Monday Night. The Bears offense should keep rolling into the off-season as they get the poor Lions defense. Cutler had time and made precision throws much like he did in Denver. Look for him and the Bears to bounce back in 2010. The Lions were bad but a lot better than last season as Matthew Stafford seems to have sparked the offense finding Calvin Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew before injuries did them in. Bears win big over Detroit.

Prediction: 38 – 20 Bears

San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams

Frank Gore and the 49ers may not have finished as well as they started but have built a path for success for years to come. Alex Smith seemed to have finally grabbed hold of playing quarterback in the NFL and youngsters Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree have emerged as stars. Patrick Willis leads a young defense and he made his first Pro Bowl. The Rams were awful even before Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger suffered injuries. The 49ers take this matchup of two franchises headed in different directions.

Prediction: 27 – 17 49ers

Pittsburgh Steelers at Miami Dolphins

The past few weeks the Steelers have looked deserving of a playoff spot but that doesn’t excuse what they did the previous five. The defending champs put themselves in a spot where they need a win and at least three other teams to fall in order to return to late January football. The Dolphins aren’t exactly out of the picture either although they need a win and more than three factors to happen. Chad Henne and Ricky Williams have held down the fort well since losing Ronnie Brown for the year. The Dolphins fall on Sunday but are set up for potential playoff runs in the future.

Prediction: 31 – 21 Steelers

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have slowed here late in the season and look as beatable as any playoff team. The Giants don’t appear to be a team to beat them however as they have stumbled down the stretch themselves. Eli Manning has a few very talented young receivers but the lack of a solid offensive line and running game hasn’t helped their rhythm. Brett Favre has had one his best statistical seasons ever but a few untimely fumbles from Adrian Peterson have cost the Vikings a few games. The Vikings squeak this one out late.

Prediction: 35 – 31 Vikings

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Injuries have cost the Falcons their shot at a return trip to the postseason but Matt Ryan has been out to prove that the Falcons are still a very good team. The Bucs have improved since the opening week and even upset the Saints last week. Tampa has also had several injuries but lacked the talent in depth to stay competitive without the starters. Rookie Josh Freeman started out promising but has been brutal since then but is getting valuable experience under center. Falcons roll the Bucs in Tampa.

Prediction: 27 – 10 Falcons

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers

The Saints have tumbled the past two games and are not looking any better than the other playoff squads. The Panthers took the Saints to the brink in their first meeting with a late DeAngelo Williams fumble separating the two. The Panthers have rolled two of the top NFC teams the past few weeks but won’t get it done against the Saints. Drew Brees is poised and determined to head into January with a full head of steam. The Saints go on the road for a tough win at Carolina.

Prediction: 34 – 24 Saints

New England Patriots at Houston Texans

The Patriots are headed back to the playoffs with Tom Brady at the helm. Brady has had another monster year and is again a Pro Bowler. The Pats may not play Brady and the other starters the full game due to having nothing to play for. The Texans have everything to play for. The Texans are looking for their first winning season and first playoff trip in franchise history. One win and some help could make that happen. Matt Schaub was snubbed for the Pro Bowl so look for a statement game from him as the Texans make a late run.

Prediction: 34 – 28 Texans

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are coming off two very big December wins unlike in past seasons. These two teams met earlier in the year for a great game in which the Cowboys came out victorious in Philly. This time around a healthier Cowboys team gets the red hot Eagles at home. Donovan McNabb found Jeremy Maclin late against the Broncos to pull out a win and has been using his young receivers well all season. If things fall as expected across the NFC, these two teams will meet again next week as well.

Prediction: 28 – 24 Cowboys

Green Bay Packers at Arizona Cardinals

Aaron Rodgers has had a tremendous year and for the first time is a Pro Bowler. The Packers have won with both strong offensive and defensive play. Several teams have tried to run the ball against the Pack but came up short. The Cardinals however will try to pass against the Packers. Kurt Warner has another solid year under his belt and is throwing to Pro Bowler Larry Fitzgerald. The Cardinals have a shot at the 2 seed with help from the Giants and Cowboys but if they fall short on Sunday then they might be facing the Packers again next week. The Packers steal this one late.

Prediction: 31 – 24 Packers

Washington Redskins at San Diego Chargers

The Chargers continue to play like the team most eager to grab a Super Bowl title. Phillip Rivers and the Bolts showed that will a shellacking of the Titans on Christmas Day. Vincent Jackson has emerged as a star receiver in the league and Antonio Gates had another monster year for the Chargers. The Redskins looked dismal once again Sunday night when they were shut out by the quick and dominating Dallas defense. The Redskins may again see a big zero on the scoreboard at the end of this one.

Prediction: 31 – 0 Chargers

Tennessee Titans at Seattle Seahawks

Vince Young has proven he can win games as a quarterback in the NFL. Young has led the Titans to a 7 and 2 record since taking over after a 0 and 6 start. The Titans will surely be a team to look out for in 2010 with Young leading the team. Chris Johnson will be back next year most likely coming off a 2,000 yard season as he needs just over 100 yards to reach the mark. Seattle is certainly rebuilding as Matt Hasselbeck has had a decent year with Justin Forsett emerging but getting his carries cut by the very average Julius Jones. The Titans will steamroll the Seahawks.

Prediction: 41 – 10 Titans

Baltimore Ravens at Oakland Raiders

The Ravens need a win and they are in. The Raiders have been knocking off playoff teams all year. Joe Flacco and Pro Bowl back Ray Rice look to put an end to the Raiders upset wins over top teams. Ray Lewis looks to lead the Ravens defense and shut down the Raiders shaky offense. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Raiders take yet another one and help put the Steelers that much closer to the playoffs. Ravens pull this one out with a late field goal.

Prediction: 27 – 24 Ravens

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

The Broncos opened the year with six consecutive wins before losing a game and now need a win and some help to make the playoffs. The Eagles broke their heart last week with the late win and the Colts didn’t help them out by allowing the Jets to sneak by. Kyle Orton has found Brandon Marshall all year long and will find him again Sunday. Jamaal Charles has turned into a monster on offense and has helped open up the Chiefs passing game. Matt Cassel has played well recently but the Chiefs have been let down by his defense late in games. Broncos survive a scare and take down the Chiefs.

Prediction: 24 – 21 Broncos

Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets

The Bengals have been atop the AFC all season long but were completely snubbed and have no Pro Bowlers, but will take that if they can win a Super Bowl. Cedric Benson may not have made the Pro Bowl but certainly has a leg up for Comeback Player of the Year. The Jets had a playoff spot gift wrapped to them by the Colts. The Jets could see the same this week as the Bengals have nothing more to play for other than keeping momentum. Mark Sanchez will struggle and the Jets will fall short of the post-season.

Prediction: 24 – 14 Bengals

Last week: 10-6
Overall: 59-37

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year!

Oakland! Why, oh why, do I insist on continuing to pick against the Oakland Raiders this season? Well, because in the grand scheme of things, they suck. They haven’t got a QB or WR worth a damn, and they are horrible stopping the run. They’ve lost by 20 or more points, five times this year.

Ah, but they are becoming upset specialists. As we know, they knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11 and the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. But surely, with playoff hopes on the line for the Denver Broncos, in Denver, the Raiders were not going to pull off yet another upset.

They did. And I wasn’t the only one picking against them, but so did five in our original survivor pool – cneilson, eaglesrule15, gvn2fly, Inkstain, jsimpson – plus fadeleyp picking the Seattle Seahawks to drop the near winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers (nope), cutting the alive entries in that pool in half. We had 11 alive going into Week 15, and now we have just 5 alive for the $1,634.

Over in the second half survivor, bquinless and DrZaius7 got caught in the Raiders web and got the boot from the pool, leaving just 6 alive with two regular season weeks to go. The second half survivor prize is $627.

The way the holidays have played out for me (Merry Christmas, by the way), I won’t be writing my normal top 3 picks for the week. However, a quick scan of the schedule has me predicting the popular picks this week will be Green Bay Packers over Seattle Seahawks, Bengals over Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints over Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals over St. Louis Rams and New York Giants over Carolina Panthers.

Still a bunch of valid choices this week. It wouldn’t surprise me if both of our pools go into the playoffs. Remember you don’t have to save teams for the playoffs though. We start with a clean slate if and when the pool gets to that stage.

If you are still alive, then make sure to get your pick in for Week 16 before the 1:00 Eastern deadline on Sunday. Good luck! For those not alive, look forward to the NFL Playoffs pool I hope to roll out this week. Enjoy the games!

The Cowboys ended the unbeaten run of the Saints and the Colts survived late to remain unbeaten in the star to a crazy fifteenth week of the year. The Steelers bounced back into the playoff picture with an amazing final drive and two Browns offensive players had monster days to cap the weekend. The NFC playoffs are all but set with only 3 teams vying for the 2 final spots. The AFC on the other hand is wide open with 8 teams still with a chance to get in.

San Diego Chargers at Tennessee Titans

The Chargers continue to impress and look like a team capable of winning the Bowl. Phillip Rivers has been finding Vincent Jackson and Antonio Gates with regularity while LaDanian Tomlinson finds big running lanes up front. The Chargers defense has been playing just as well to win 9 straight. The Titans are trying to pull off the improbable of making the playoffs after the brutal 0 and 6 start. Vince Young will play well but the Chargers are too much for the Titans playoff hopes.

Prediction: 27 – 17 Chargers

Fantasy Player to Watch: Vincent Jackson – 100+ yards, TD

Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan came back to lead the Falcons down the field and a game winning drive against the Jets last week. Michael Turner continues to have ankle problems but Jason Snelling has thrived with his chance. The Falcons defense is playing as well as they have all year. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills offense seems to have slowed recently and Terrell Owens looks on the verge to another blowup. Atlanta takes this one.

Prediction: 28 – 14 Falcons

FPTW: Roddy White – 100+ yards, TD

Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals played with heavy hearts and it was obvious as their offense slowed late against the Chargers. Chad Ochocinco had a fantastic game and should play well for Chris Henry the remainder of the year. Cedric Benson may have got back on track so look for a big game from his as last week Jerome Harrison got loose for 287 yards against the poor Chief defense. Chiefs keep it close in this one.

Prediction: 24 – 13 Bengals

FPTW: Cedric Benson – 100+ yards, 2 TD

Oakland Raiders at Cleveland Browns

This may in fact be a great game. The Raiders seem to be unbeatable when they face playoff caliber teams but struggle mightily when they play weak teams. The Browns are riding high off the tremendous games from Harrison and Josh Cribbs but will be playing without Brady Quinn. JaMarcus Russell returned to the field and led the Raiders to a game winning drive a week ago. Raiders win in Cleveland.

Prediction: 24 – 17 Raiders

FPTW: Take your pick. Your guess is as good as mine.

Seattle Seahawks at Green Bay Packers

The Packers played poorly on defense and it cost them as they never could quite figure out the Steelers passing game. Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Grant had big days and you can expect more of the same this week against the Seahawk lackluster defense. Matt Hasselbeck was awful in the loss to Tampa and doesn’t have a favorable matchup this week at Lambeau. The Packers roll the Seahawks.

Prediction: 41 – 14 Packers

FPTW: Aaron Rodgers – 300+ yards, 3 TD

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers came back in a big way last week with close to 600 yards total offense. It took a diving, toe tapping, final second touchdown catch to pull out of the losing streak but it could spark a playoff run late in the year. We have seen Pittsburgh do it before and I expect them to do it again. The Ravens currently hold the final playoff spot and need this game to help put them closer. This one is a cant miss.

Prediction: 27 – 21 Steelers

FPTW: Ben Roethlisberger – 300+ yards, 2 TD

Houston Texans at Miami Dolphins

The Texans are coming off a poor performance against the Rams but still managed to grab a win. Houston is playoff hungry and need a win right now to stay in the hunt and knock out another hopeful. Chad Henne and Ricky Williams are trying their best to score points and help out the defense but points have been scarce recently. Texans win in a great defensive game.

Prediction: 24 – 21 Texans

FPTW: Andre Johnson – 150+ yards, TD

Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots

The Jaguars proved last Thursday night that they can play like a playoff team. The problem seems to be playing that way every week. The Patriots have won their last two despite never looking like the dominant team of past years. David Garrard will take the Jags into New England and grab a coveted win in the AFC playoff race.

Prediction: 31 – 21 Jaguars

FPTW: Maurice Jones-Drew – 100+ yards, TD

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints

The Saints won’t finish this year undefeated, but can still win fifteen games and the one seed. Drew Brees helped mount a massive fourth quarter comeback that fell just short but will not need to even be playing in the final quarter this week. The Bucs are coming off a great win against a lousy Seattle team but will hit a wall this week. Look for Darren Sharper to make a couple of picks on Josh Freeman. Saints dominate the Bucs this week.

Prediction: 45 – 10 Saints

FPTW: Drew Brees – 300+ yards, 4 TD

Carolina Panthers at New York Giants

Both the Panthers and Giants played extremely well a week ago and won decisively. The Panthers surprised everyone by shutting down Brett Favre and the Vikes and managed to move the ball soundly against them. The Giants went up against a lesser opponent and stayed in the playoff race. Another decisive win and the Giants will be right there for the final week.

Prediction: 27 – 14 Giants

FPTW: Eli Manning – 260+ yards, 2 TD

St. Louis Rams at Arizona Cardinals

The Rams have tanked and are leading the race for the number 1 pick in the 2010 draft. The Cardinals are continuing another run to the playoffs with a prolific passing game and a surprise running game. Beanie Wells has given the Cards the running game they’ve never had. An improved defense and the Cardinals are poised for another deep run in January.

Prediction: 38 – 14 Cardinals

FPTW: Beanie Wells – 100+ yards, TD

Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers

The Lions kept pace with the Cardinals due to a few big plays. The 49ers don’t allow big plays. Frank Gore and Alex Smith will be too much for the weak Lions defense to stop. The Lions have been able to move the ball with more consistency this year but haven’t been as consistent on defense. San Fran takes this one comfortably.

Prediction: 31 – 17 49ers

FPTW: Frank Gore – 100+ yards, TD

Denver Broncos at Philadelphia Eagles

The Broncos were riding high as a lock to make the postseason and then were derailed by the Raiders last week. Kyle Orton and Brandon Marshall should bounce back this week and keep pace with Donovan McNabb and the soaring Eagles. Desean Jackson continues to have monster game after monster game by getting behind defenses. Eagles top the Broncos on a late field goal.

Prediction: 27 – 24 Eagles

FPTW: Desean Jackson – 100+ yards, TD

New York Jets at Indianapolis Colts

The Colts look to remain unbeaten as the slumping Jets roll into Indy. Peyton Manning may not see the field for the entirety but will make the most of his time in the game. Mark Sanchez returned from injury a week ago but was unable to lead his team to victory. The Jets keep it interesting for a while but then mistakes late will cost them.

Prediction: 30 – 20 Colts

FPTW: Pierre Garcon – 70+ yards, TD

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins

The Cowboys are coming off a thrilling December upset of the unbeaten Saints and look to continue rolling into the playoffs. Earlier in the year these two teams played an offenseless battle in Dallas with the Cowboys coming out on top by 1. Tony Romo and the Cowboys offense should explode this time around as everyone has been rolling through Washington.

Prediction: 34 – 14 Cowboys

FPTW: Jason Witten – 100+ yards, TD

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears

The Bears lousy season continues as Jay Cutler never has really got into a rhythm with any of his offensive mates. Earl Bennett contributes last week with a kickoff return touchdown but they will need more than that to topple the Vikings. Adrian Peterson looks to bounce back this week with a monster game and seal the deal on a two seed for the Vikes.

Prediction: 31 – 10 Vikings

FPTW: Adrian Peterson – 100+ yards, 2 TD

Last week: 8-8
Overall: 49-31

Thanks for reading and Merry Christmas!