NFL Picks, 2012 Season Week 4

by | Sep 25, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Picks

Nobody gave the Vikings a chance to beat San Francisco, not even Dan Zinski (@VikingAgeDan, @TheVikingAge), senior blogger at Viking Age Guy. “Honestly I thought they had no shot,” he says. “I’m not ashamed to say that. I figured they’d scrap through and maybe make it interesting before San Fran took control. I wasn’t ready for them just out-muscling the 49ers.”

But Zinski and the rest of the world were wrong. Minnesota beat San Francisco at its own game for what I believe is the upset of the season so far. I think the Vikings are still a year or two away from being a real contender, but Christian Ponder is giving the team’s fans reason for optimism. Zinski originally believed the Vikings were a four win team at best, but he’s revised his outlook, now giving the team a shot at 8-8.

“They should be in most games,” he says. “I’m still concerned about their defense and the lack of a deep passing game. But I’m becoming a Ponder believer and he has some legit weapons in Percy Harvin and Kyle Rudolph.”

Zinski joined Zoneblitz as the site’s celebrity game pick blogger for week four.

Week three was pretty brutal across the board, with my picks (Tony) edging Andy’s by one game (9-7 vs 8-8), while our guest blogger @moleandmeares finished 6-10 for the week. For the season, I’ve taken the lead, but we’re all separated by only two games:

Week Three Season Total
Tony 9-7 27-21
Celebrity bloggers 6-10 26-22
Andy 8-8 25-23

Week four picks:

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NFL Best Bets: Week 3 – 2012

by | Sep 19, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Gambling

Good grief, what was I thinking last week. Hindsight is 20/20, but wow. Betting an over on a 51? That’s a huge number for an NFL game. Betting on Kansas City on the road coming off an awful week one performance? Not the strategy a fortune won at gambling is made of.

I paid the price with an 0-4 week, bringing my season total to 1-7. Tony’s misses were a little less stupid than mine, but he still was only 1-3, so his season total is 4-4.

We’ll still give it another go this week – but you might have better chances of winning big if you do the opposite of what we suggest.

Here goes: (more…)

NFL Picks, 2012 Season Week 3

by | Sep 18, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Picks

After two weeks of the regular season Philadelphia has turned the ball over nine times – and won two one-point games. When congratulated on the start, Chris Meares of The Mole & Meares Show described the feat as … well, Un$%&@believable.

We’ll see if Meares can match his favorite team by beating us at our picks for week three.

Last week, bloggers from The Landry Hat and HogsHaven both took their best shot. The Landry Hat struggled during a tough week to a 7-9 finish. HogsHaven matched Andy with a 9-7 mark. Tony grabbed top honors for week two with a 10-6 mark. So here is where we stand for the season so far.

Week two Total
Celebrity bloggers 9-7 20-12
Tony 10-6 18-14
Andy 9-7 17-15

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ZB Notebook 09-17-12

by | Sep 18, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Random Thoughts

I had planned to start this notebook with an item on the improvements made by rookie quarterbacks in their week two showings as compared to week one, but the ineptitude of the replacement referees manning the Falcons/Broncos Monday night game was so great that the issue almost required response.

Industry observers, media, former officials, players and seemingly everyone else out there had already been commenting on how the officiating in week two took a huge step back after the replacements did a passable job in week one.

For various reasons I didn’t see much of the Broncos/Falcons game last night. But the write-ups are all over the Internet. Pro Football Talk called the officiating performance an embarrassment to Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners. I would have to agree.

As many have said, including Tony Dungy on Sunday Night Football, the replacements seem to have no concept for pass interference, defensive holding and illegal contact. Sometimes players are getting called for barely making any contact – if any – at all. Other times near muggings go uncalled.

I can’t remember which of the national pundits I heard commenting on this as well, but one of my biggest pet peeves is when a running back is clearly stopped and the whistles have been blowing for several seconds, but a gang of defenders continues to drive a ball carrier back 10 to 15 yards to make sure he actually goes to the ground.

Those are the situations where injuries are going to happen and those situations warrant personal foul penalties being called. Those calls are oft-ignored when the regular officials are calling games, but it’s gotten ridiculously out of hand at times with this current crop of replacements. I tried to give the subs a break – after all, it is not entirely their fault they’re in the positions they’re in. But week two was a disaster and it is time for the league and the regular refs to get on the same page and get their issues solved.

On to other issues. (more…)

Bears-Packers Reaction

by | Sep 14, 2012 | 2012 season

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to watch the whole game last night, but I did have a few thoughts based on what I did see and hear on the radio:

1)      I don’t think the Packers actually won the game—the Bears just beat themselves. Right Jarrett Bush & Clay Matthews?

2)      While the OL deserves some heat, I am not sure they are the top ones to blame:

a.       Mike Tice – Way to not appear to adjust the game plan when it was clear the OL was struggling. Not leaving in a TE to help, continuing to take deep drops in the pocket…not wise for someone who presumably wants another shot at a head coach role.

b.      Brandon Marshall – If he catches that touchdown pass to make it 10-7 (or 13-7), it’s a whole different ballgame

c.       Jay Cutler – Yes, he was under duress. But he looked terrible under duress.

3)      Yes, Packer fans have to be happy with the win this morning (as well as hung over, undoubtedly). But 23 points, 7 of which came from a desperation fake field goal?  The Pack put up 35 points on 5 ARodg TD passes against the Bears last December 25 in a game not nearly as close as the score, and 27 in Week 3 of last year in another ARodg 3 TD performance. To manage only one offensive TD—on a short field after an INT in the fourth quarter—has to be a little demoralizing. The Packers offense, at least early in 2012, certainly doesn’t seem to be dictating games like it did in 2011.

And, since their defense is suspect—I mean, again, clearly it was not the Packers defense playing well that stopped the Bears, the Bears stopped themselves—how could you not be at least a little on edge in Green Bay?

Also important to note—with Minnesota playing a still rebuilding Colts, and the Lions taking on possibly the best team in the NFC, if not NFL—there is a reasonable chance that the Minnesota Vikings could enter week 3 sitting alone on top of the NFC North…Super Bowl, Baby!

NFL Best Bets: Week 2 – 2012

by | Sep 11, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Gambling

Tony was the winner last week, hitting three of four picks, including an improbable over 38 on the Vikings/Jaguars game. Both of us fell victim to believing in the Buffalo Bills, a mistake nobody should make in this day and age. I was also unsuccessful in picking Detroit and Jacksonville for a 1-3 week. Better luck next time.

Year-to-date standings: Tony 3-1, Andy 1-3

Here goes for week two… (more…)