Here we are the last game of the season. Loren's already list but he'll still have a chance to lose again!
Loren went 3-1 while I went 2-2 last week as my upset pick of the Ravens failed to hold two different 14 point leads. I'm up 58-39-1 why Loren trails at 51-46-1.
Green Bay at Seattle.
Derek - Green Bay. I'd like to pick one upset as I don't see both #1 seeds making it to the Super Bowl but perhaps that's a too large wold view. And yes I no Rodgers is limping around and Seattle has the best D since Seattle's D last year, but I have feeling. Of course it's being overtaking by a feeling of..wrongness.
Loren - Seattle. Who wants to play Seattle's D when they're banged up? No one. As long as they can get pressure on Rodgers, this should be a comfortable victory for the Seahawks.
Indianapolis at New England
Derek - New England. This should have been my upset pick, but when a team can win a playoff game with less than 20 yards rushing you know they are doing everything else right.
Loren - New England. Indy didn't look great against Denver and there's no way I'm betting against the Pats at home. We could have a championship pitting the best team of the last decade against the best team last year.
We missed the last two weeks of the season but we'll be here for the playoffs. In Week 15 Loren went a perfect 6-0 and I was at 5-1. I'm now up 53-36-1 why Loren trails at 45-44-1.
Arizona @ Carolina
Derek - Carolina. They've won 4 in a row, their D is playing better and they have a west coast team traveling across country with a third string QB coming to town.
Loren - Arizona. The Cardinals have to be pissed that they're on the road against a sub-.500 team. That indignity should power them to a solid win with their defense leading the way.
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh
Derek - Pittsburgh. Baltimore is 0-3 vs. Pittsburgh in the playoffs.
Loren - Baltimore. Is there any reason to root for either team?
Cincinnati @ Indianapolis
Derek - Indianapolis. The Colts are by far the most consistent team in this match up and we're not sure if A.J. Green is going to be able to give it a go for Cincinnati.
Loren - Indianapolis. Cincinnati is like Indy's creepy Craigslist renter who dresses just like Indy and talks just like Indy but is obviously a little off, but definitely scary. I don't know where I was going with that.
Detroit @ Dallas
Derek - Dallas. I'm going with the home team hear. I think Dallas will win this one but lose the the Pack next week.
Loren - Dallas. Dallas has proven that no matter what I pick them to do, they'll do the opposite. Feel free to keep the train rolling, Cowboys.
Loren and I split our
games again for the 3rd week in a row, going 3-3. I'm now up 45-32-1 why Loren trails at 36-41-1.
Baltimore at Miami
Derek - Miami. The Ravens have existed for years as a definsive team for years. They don't let you run on them and Miami likes to run. Problem for the Ravens is that this week and the rest of the regular season is Ngata is out. The Fins should control this one.
Loren - Miami. Both teams are 7-5 and they've both been a bit inconsistent. When in doubt, take the home team.
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
Derek - Pittsburgh. I think the Steelers bounce back from last weeks loss and beat the Bengals on the road. Two great WRs are in this match up and I truch Ben more than the Red Rocket.
Loren - Pittsburgh. You couldn't get me to bet on this game. Cincinnati always has a few games each year that begin to inflate their fans with hope only to have it dashed by the end of the season.
Indianapolis at Cleveland
Derek - Indianapolis. The Colts should walk all over the Browns. Doesn't matter who's playing QB for Cleveland.
Loren - Indianapolis. Only reason I might watch this game is the potential to see Manziel go down in flames. Schadenfreude can be a wonderful thing.
Kansas City at Arizona
Derek - Kansas City. Cards are on a slide and while a good team they are not the "best record" in the leauge kinda team.
Loren - Arizona. None of KC's strengths play into the Cardinals' weaknesses.
Seattle at Philadelphia
Derek - Philadelphia. Yeah not sure about this one. The travel and the up and down season are swaying me here.
Loren - Philadelphia. Am I really picking Sanchez against a good defense? I guess so.
New England at San Diego
Derek - New England. Normally I don't like teams traveling across counrty but the Pats made the trip last week after the Packer game. So that shouldn't be a problem. They also won't lose 2 in a row.Loren - San Diego. That's a really long trip to take. All things being equal, I definitely taken NE. But SD is no slouch and is playing to remain in the division lead hunt.
Loren and I split our games last week going 3-3. This puts me at 39-26-1 why Loren trails at 30-35-1.
Miami at Denver
Derek - Miami. Do I really think Miami will win? No but this is Derek's team versus Loren's team game and I just have to go with my guys!
Loren – Denver. How different things begin look after the last two weeks. Suddenly there are questions about Denver’s depth and resilience coping with injuries. This week, they get the second best rated defense. Miami’s numbers are skewed by playing Buffalo (twice), Oakland, KC and Jacksonville. On the other hand, they did shut down Brady, Cutler and Rivers. No way to predict this, but Miami’s offense matches up poorly with Denver’s D. I’m taking the home team.
Detroit at New England
Derek - New England.The Pats are just chewing through people right now and I don't see that stopping for awhile. Probably the playoffs.
Loren – New England. Detroit has a puncher’s chance and a great ground defense. But the Pats don’t lose at home and have too many offensive dimensions.
Cincinnati at Houston
Derek - Houston. I think the Houston D will have a decent day against the up and doooowwwwnnnnn Andy Dolton.
Loren – Houston. Seems like I just can’t get a Cincy game right this year. So you should expect them to win by 40.
Arizona at Seattle
Derek - Seattle. I'm going with the home team here. Arizona has been playing well enough to win games but I think they'll split the season sereies with the home team each winning one.
Loren – Seattle. With Palmer in there for consistency, I’d have taken Arizona. Probably time for him to hang up the cleats while he can still walk.
Dallas at New York Giants
Derek - Dallas. The Cowboys will run the ball 35+ times and control this game from the begining.
Loren – Giants. Whatever. I’m not taking Dallas.
Baltimore at New Orleans
Derek - New Orleans. Won't take the Saints if they're on the road anymore but they're at home for this one and the Raven, while a quality team won't handle Graham.
Loren – New Orleans. Everyone thought they were back. This could be the most inconsistent frustrating year for gamblers. Seriously, there have to be a lot of desperate dudes in over their heads this year. Why New Orleans? Why not?
Loren and I only differed on one game last week and although I had to pick agasint my team I extended my lead with a solid 5-1 week. This
puts me at 36-23-1 why Loren trails at 27-32-1.
Cincinnati at New Orleans
Derek - New Orleans. Last week I stuck with the Saints at home and lost, but I'm goin gto give them some love again. The way Dolton played last week can't be overlooked and he needs to show something this week before you can feel confident with Cincinnati again.
Loren - New Orleans. Good god that division sucks. Looks like the Saints have solved some of their early season woes and get the struggling Bengals as reward.
San Francisco at N.Y. Giants
Derek - San Francisco. I don't like picking teams traveling across country but the 49ers just won in NO and that's a better team and tougher environment crowd wise. The 49ers also have to keep winning in order to make the playoffs.
Loren - San Francisco. Yeah yeah, west coast team traveling across the country blah blah. Have you seen the Giants? What a mess! Can't take the last ranked defense against even a mediocre team.
Seattle at Kansas City
Derek - Seattle. I could go either way on this game. But I just think Seattle can do a bit more than the Chiefs in all three phases. Then again Arrowhead is a tough place to play. I'm grasping at straws here.
Loren - Seattle. Look, twinsies! Both teams with decent defenses, excellent ground games and a complete lack of ability to throw the ball. An important, but likely boring, game. Again, taking the better defense.
Detroit at Arizona
Derek - Arizona. Detroit seems to pull of a lot of close ones but so do the Cards, I'll go with the home team and a who knows what you get back up QB.
Loren - Detroit. Would have taken the Cardinals here if Palmer was healthy. Still could be a coin flip game, and Bush is out, but Detroit should be able to chuck it successfully.
Philadelphia at Green Bay
Derek - Green Bay. Should be a good one, but the way Rodgers is playing makes me think even other good offensive teams won't be able to stay with the Pack.
Loren - Green Bay. Potentially the best matchup all weekend. I'm taking the home team, but only because they're the home team.
New England at Indianapolis.
Derek - Indianapolis. I think Luck will outduel Brady and will see the first one to 35 win this game.
Loren - New England. The Colts actually look better on paper but the Pats are killing it lately. Not that the Colts have been slouches. It just feels like Brady is back to some degree and he has the Colts number.
Another solid week for me going 5-1, but Loren keeps falling behind with a 2-4 record last week. This puts me at 31-22-1 why Loren trails by a game at 23-30-1.
Miami at Detroit
Derek - Detroit. If the game was in Miami I'd take the Dolphns but even as a fan I don't see them as a playoff team and the return of Megatron could be big.
Loren - Miami. An upset special here. I like the way Miami is playing and their defense is really clicking. Dome game means their offense doesn't have to deal with the weather.
San Francisco at New Orleans
Derek - New Orleans. Saints at home and the 49ers are stumbling. How else are the Saints going to win the division with 8-9 wins if they don't win their home games. :)
Loren - New Orleans. Even though San Francisco is getting healthier on defense and is a dangerous team, New Orleans has the momentum and home field advantage. Manning tore apart the Niners this season, I expect Brees to do much of the same.
St. Louis at Arizona
Derek - Arizona. I'm not sure the Cardinals are planning to lose any more games. They're not the best team but they just keep winning. The Rams arn't an easy out but they can't beat the entire division back to back to back...can they?
Loren - Arizona. St Louis sure looks energized the last few games. Unfortunately, the Cardinals are waiting. May not even be close.
New York Giants at Seattle
Derek - Seattle. Giants going across the country to play a far superior team? Good luck Eli!
Loren - Seattle. Boy, things will get ugly in Seattle if the Seahawks blow this one. I'd kind of like to see that, actually. Probably won't happen, but I'll definitely be paying attention to this game.
Chicago at Green Bay
Derek - Green Bay. Packer were playing well heading into their bye week last week. I don't for see any slow starts here and lots of fantasy points will be put up in this one.
Loren - Green Bay. Chicago is a confusing damn team. Loads of talent, lots of yards, little to show for it. Forte is having a great year but everything else is completely schizophrenic. Another game that could be terribly fun to watch.
Carolina at Philadelphia
Derek - Philadelphia. If the Panthers are going to win they better hope that their D comes to the game as they thought it would have all year long. Don't let Sanchez beat you. Of course I'm sure that's why they have that McCoy guy.
Loren - Philadelphia. Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing here. What's the over/under on Sanchez interceptions? Carolina has a fighting chance.
Loren and I only picked 1 game different last week and it was looking good for me until the Saints gave up two TD's in the last 3 mins. I knew I shouldn't have taken them on the road. This leaves me at 21-20-1 why Loren trails by a game at 20-21-1.
Seattle at Carolina
Derek - Even though this is a cross country trip and the Seahawks look down a bit I'm thinking they bounce back big and take care of an under preforming Panthers team.
We tend to only update this blog with predictions. So we'll keep it up with a really quick World Series prediction.
Derek - One of the perks of being a Dodgers fan is knowing the Giants suck. I hate them. Go Royals! As far as a prediction goes, I'm saying the Royals in 5 with 2 extra inning wins.
Loren - How can you bet against the Giants? Been there done that.
The Royals are a great story but this feels like a bad ending is in store for
them.
Another steller week of picks last week. Not. Remeber that? Remember when eveyone said "Not" after they said something obviously untrue. Ahh good times. Anyway I went 2-3-1 (a tie? really?) and Loren when 1-4-1. This leaves me at 17-18-1 why Loren trails by 2 games at 15-20-1.
Cincinnati at Indianapolis
Derek - Indianapolis. The Bengals were looking good this year then dropped the big game to New England. But does that make them a bad team no, but they are without AJ Green and Luck has been playing at an MVP level. Can The Colts D step up? No but they can do enough to keep Cincinnati to 24 points or less.
Loren - Indianapolis. Which good but fatally flawed team emerges victorious? Meh. Unless one of them fixes their weaknesses, there's no light at the end of the tunnel.
New Orleans at Detroit
Derek - New Orleans. Ugh, what am I doing picking any NFC South team on the road? Especcialy the Saints. But they Have Grahm playing and Detroit is without Megatron again. The Saints have to win on the road once this year...right?
Loren - Detroit. Barely beating Tampa last week doesn't fill me with confidence in the Saints' chances.
Carolina at Green Bay
Derek - Green Bay. Carlonia seems to flip flop and the Packers are good but not great. I'll give the advantage to the home team.
Loren - Green Bay. Yet another crap shoot game this week. Neither defense looks up to the task of containing the other team. Could be the most entertaining game of the weekend.
Kansas City at San Diego
Derek - San Diego. The Chargers seem to be the darling of the NFL right now. Lots of love for Rivers and company. And the Chiefs haven't been consitant all year. Until they are I'm going with the Chargers.
Loren - San Diego. Who thought SD would be in first in the AFC West? When firing on all cylinders, the Chiefs can grind out wins. They haven't been firing on any cylinders.
New York Giants at Dallas
Derek - Dallas. Dallas has been rolling, well Murray has been rolling and that seems to be enough. They shouldn't have much problem with the Giants.
Loren - Dallas. If the Giants are going to be relevant, they've got to beat Dallas. Please, for all of us, beat Dallas.
San Francisco at Denver
Derek - Denver. Going with the home team. I don't think Kap will have the same type of game he had last week and their running game isn't as good as it has been in the past.
Loren - Denver. Man, this matchup worries me. Theoretically, SF can slow the game down and keep Denver's offense off. And if Denver doesn't sort out their late game defense, they're going to lose games against good teams.
Derek's on vacation so no recaps on his picks this week.
New England at Buffalo
Derek - New England. On vacation.
Loren - New England. Return to form for the Pats? Another road win would help them make their case. The Patriot's pass D is scary good.
Carolina at Cincinnati
Derek - Cincinnati.
Loren - Cincinnati. Carolina in a physical road game against a good team? Not buying it this week.
Pittsburgh at Cleveland
Derek - Pittsburgh.
Loren - Pittsburgh. As potentially revitalized as the Browns may be, I don't think their run D is up to the task.
Chicago at Atlanta
Derek - Atlanta.
Loren - Atlanta. Which hot mess of a team to pick? The hot mess playing at home.
Dallas at Seattle
Derek - Seattle.
Loren - Seattle. Doesn't this feel like the kind of game that psychologically breaks Romo for the rest of the season?
New York Giants at Philadelphia
Derek - Philadelphia.
Loren - NY Giants. Gotta go with the hot hand. There should be a lot of points scored, though, and this might be the most entertaining game of the week.
Still not a great week for us. But I did go 3-3 while Loren went 1-5. This gives me a 1 game lead for the first time this season. Derek 10-14, Loren 9-15.
Chicago at Carolina
Derek - Carolina. The Panthers and the Bears have had up and down seasons so far. But I think the Panthers offense can handle the Bears D easily at home and score in the high 20's. Forte won't have a good game in this one.
Loren – Chicago. The Panthers are hurt on offense and near the cellar in run defense. On defense, Chicago sits back on routes knowing that Cam has to throw the ball. On offense, they can abuse Carolina’s tackles or get it to Forte in the flat and let him do his thing. If Chicago gets out to an early lead, that just plays even more into their hand.
Atlanta at New York Giants
Derek - New York Giants. What am I doing with this pick? The Giants? Oh wait they're playing a NFC South team at home. Nevermind nuff said. I think the NFC South could combine teams and still not win on the road.
Loren – New York Giants. Don’t bet against Eli on a roll. Both teams should have crazy numbers through the air, but Atlanta’s defense is absolutely putrid. Slight edge there to NY plus factor in playing at home and you can see another confounding loss for the Falcons.
Houston at Dallas
Derek - Dallas. DeMarco Murray has been a machine so far this year. If he can keep it up the Texans have no answer. They don't throw it well and they have to stuff Foster down your throat just to have a chance.
Loren – Dallas. What a difference a running back makes. I’m still not sold on Dallas and if DeMarco Murray goes down, so do the Cowboys. But Romo does a convincing impression of an effective QB when defenses have to bring seven up front or risk getting gouged. Houston has been playing solid, but they’ve also had a cream puff schedule. We’ll see who they really are over the next 5 weeks (Dallas, Indy, Pittsburgh, Philly).
Baltimore at Indianapolis
Derek - Inianapolis. The Colts are rolling right now. Luck might be the top MVP canadate and their D is doing ok. Imagine if they could actually run. Either way they have enough to get past the Ravens.
Loren – Indianapolis. There’s room for Luck to sling the ball against a pretty weak Raven’s secondary. The question is whether Indy’s defense can hold on. They’ve played to good teams and lost, albeit closely. They’ve played two terrible teams and won in blowouts. I give Indy the nod based on home field advantage and not much more.
Kansas City at San Francisco
Derek - San Francisco. I'm going with the home team this time. KC played a hell of a game on Monday night but they won't have an easy of time in the Bay. Still this will be a close one but the 49ers O will previeal.
Loren – San Francisco. What was that talk of a depleted 49ers defense? Well, they’re giving up points, but not giving up yards. It’s early enough in the season for these irregularities to be present, but you’d have to a stingy defense will eventually start keeping teams out of the end zone. A home game against a one dimensional team is just what the doctor ordered.
Cincinnati at New England
Derek - Cincinnati. This would be a game that NE wins but not this year. Are we finally seeing the end of the dynasty? As a Dolphin fan I hope so but as a footbal fan...yeah I still hope so.
Loren – Cincinnati. Quiet, efficient Cincy. They’re not dazzling, they’re not flashy, but they are effective. I almost feel sorry for Brady. Almost.
Bad week for both Loren and I. Loren got one game right but I couldn't gain much ground as I got 2 correct. But this does bring me to a tie. Both of us have 6-6 records.
San Diego at Buffalo
Derek - Buffalo. Classic west coast team traveling to the east coast. I think you could make an easy living picking these games stright up. I'm still not sold on Buffalo but I think they're a good defensive team who can control the ball.
Loren – San Diego. Ah, the early part of the season when you have no clue what you’ll get from certain teams. Are the Chargers the team that resoundingly beat the Seahawks last week or the team that couldn’t get anything going against the Cardinals in week 1? Is that one point loss to the Cardinals more impressive now that the Cardinals are now 2-0 with an east coast win? How strong are Buffalo’s wins? For me, I see San Diego as a veteran team less likely to make mistakes, and the Bills have to come back to earth at some point. The Chargers can take advantage of a team that might be suffering from early season inflated hopes.
Green Bay at Detroit
Derek - Green Bay. I think Green Bay just ahs the better team all around but this could go either way...first one to 40?
Loren – Green Bay. Flip a coin and hope for a barn burner.
San Francisco at Arizona
Derek - San Francisco. Who's the starting QB for Arizona? If Vernon Davis is healthy this could be a double digit win. The 49ers D hasn't dropped off as some thought. I'll stick with them...for now.
Loren – San Francisco. Yeah, the Bears made the Niners look silly for a quarter. The Niners were fairly in control up to that point, though, and a bad quarter does not make a season. They’re still a more dynamic team than the Cardinals, even if their defense may have lost some potency.
Denver at Seattle
Derek - Seattle. Forget the Super Bowl, forget the Seahawks D and the Broncos O. This is the best home field advantage in the NFL and the crowd will get to see the home team win another.
Loren – Seattle. Wow, this really pains me. I’d like to think the Broncos learned their lessons about crowd noise and preparation. I’d like to think the Broncos are a stronger team since the last meeting. I’d like to think that Seattle’s going to be full of doubt after being embarrassed by San Diego. What I really think is that Manning won’t be able to audible effectively and they’ll have trouble running consistently. Meantime, Seattle’s going to be looking to bounce back and they just happen to be at home and playing a team they know they can beat. Prove me wrong, Broncos.
Kansas City at Miami
Derek - Miami. Not sure what to expect from either team. This would could be a blow out either way or a close one. I'll be a homer here and pick my team and hope the O can produce more consistant drives.
Loren – Miami. So much is in question for this game. Will Charles play? Can Miller step in and produce with Moreno out? Which QB will give more fuel to the doubters? Could the Dolphins be a more confounding team? When in doubt, take east coast home team, not the visitor with a long trip.
Pittsburgh at Carolina
Derek - Carolina. Can the Panthers repeat last years preformance? Are the Steelers to old and going downhill? I bet on both is yes.
Loren – Carolina. The Panthers’ performance against the Lions was a little more what we expected of them this year. Cam Newton was making plays, the defense was opportunistic, and they didn’t let the opponent off the mat. They’ll need to establish some kind of running game to keep Newton healthy through the season.
