Wild Card Weekend this season illustrates one of the flaws in the NFL’s playoff system.
You’ve got arguably the second or third best team in the NFC in San Francisco facing off with Green Bay. But the 12-4 team has to go to Lambeau Field as a visitor to the 8-7-1 Packers.
None of the Zoneblitz pickers, however, think it’s going to make much difference. The 49ers have beaten Green Bay soundly three consecutive times. Despite the return of Aaron Rodgers and Randall Cobb, it seems Tony, Anthony and I all think the wild card team in this case has a pretty good shot to win.
San Francisco isn’t the only road team seen as a favorite by our pickers. Kansas City is given the nod by two of the three. What road team do you think has the best shot to win this weekend? Check out our picks and then vote on the poll below.
Andy
Tony
Maggio
Saturday, January 4
Kansas City at Indianapolis
Kansas City
Indianapolis
Kansas City
New Orleans at Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Philadelphia
Sunday, January 5
San Diego at Cincinnati
Cincinnati
Cincinnati
Cincinnati
San Francisco at Green Bay
San Francisco
San Francisco
San Francisco
Which road team has the best chance to win on Wild Card Weekend?
As we ring in the new year and celebrate 2013, it seems like a fitting time to wrap up the standings for our regular season bets and picks.
We had a couple rough weeks toward the end of the season picking games, but week 17 was a solid effort all around. Tony, Anthony Maggio and I wrapped up with 13-3 weeks while Rich nailed 12 of 16. Our season totals ranged from 154 correct to 166. For what it’s worth, that would rank us toward the middle to top end of the ESPN experts, save for Ron Jaworksi, who hit 174.
It also puts us in the upper 20th percentile or so at NFLPickwatch.com, which ranks experts from a number of sites.
It’s Black Monday. Early indications are that Mike Shanahan, Leslie Frazier and, surprisingly, first year Browns coach Rob Chudzinski are among those packing their bags and moving on.
Overall, however, the crop of new coaches in 2013 did quite well in their first seasons. Three led their teams to the playoffs and two more led near misses. And those who were leading the worst of the 2012 squads almost all gave their players and fans reason for hope.
I’m semi-glued this afternoon to the Minnesota-Detroit game. It’s a pretty
Photo credit: Bobak Ha’Eri via Wikipedia
meaningless game being played by two teams who, for the most part, look like they’d just like to get on with their off-seasons.
Today’s versions of the Vikings and the Lions are pretty much playing out the string. Calvin Johnson and Adrian Peterson are sitting while Matt Asiata and … Kris Durham? … attempt to replicate their results while playing for coaches who are likely to be fired tomorrow.
This is a pretty dull affair, bringing with it a similar amount of emotion that seems to be felt among the citizenry, who don’t seem terribly broken up that this domed stadium will soon be a part of the state’s ancient history.
I’ve been a Vikings fan since 1981, though at six-years-old, my understanding back in the early days was at a bit of a lower level. Still, as I prepare to see the Vikings close down a second stadium in my lifetime, I’m surprised at how little emotion I feel about this. I actually vaguely remember being more bummed that old Metropolitan Stadium, where my Dad took me at least a couple times, was closing than I am that the Metrodome’s days are coming to an end. I have vague recollections of a Vikings/Bucs game at the Met in 1981 and even more vague memories of a Packers game that I think was a year earlier. And I remember watching the last game – a 10-6 loss to Kansas City that sent the team and the stadium out on a whimper – on television in our living room.
That said, I have been present for a number of memorable moments at the Dome. This list is not meant to be a top five all-time list – it’s just a few of my own personal favorites. (more…)
Several more upsets dropped three of us to 9-7 and one to 8-8 heading into the regular season’s final weekend. So, like most NFL teams, we hope to be hitting our stride as the playoffs hit, but like many, we are sort of limping to the finish line.
Regardless, it’s overall been a solid season for our straight-up picks. Here are the standings heading into week 17.
Week 16
Season
Andy
9-7
153-86-1
Tony
9-7
153-86-1
Maggio
8-8
144-95-1
Rich
9-7
142-97-1
There are still playoff positions up for grabs and several head-to-head games with win-or-go-home ramifications. Some, such as the Packers/Bears and Eagles/Cowboys tilts, feel as though they’re mostly determining who gets to lose to the wild card participants in the first round of the playoffs, but others will determine division champions and bye weeks.
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