(Nothing says Thanksgiving like watching three NFL games that could all turn out to be blowouts by halftime!)
Ah, Thanksgiving! Is there any holiday more American than this? It's the time of the year where families get together to bond , bond then fight, give thanks and holiday blessings, eat some glorious food, watch their beloved parades, prepare themselves for Black Friday and, most importantly, watching the Lions get blown out on their TV sets during the afternoon. It's as American as apple pie, baseball and republican motherhood combined!
In all seriousness, it's pretty hard to believe that in a league like the NFL, which has been known to constantly renovate and reinvent themselves for the past twenty or so years that they are still obstinate in having the Detroit Lions as the home team in the lead-in game of their fifth annual Thanksgiving tripleheader. The Cowboys game I kind of understand since they are America's Team and can usually draw big ratings for the league, but for the Lions who have one only one Thanksgiving game since 2000 I do not. How is it that the same league that allows NBC to pick and choose which games they want to show on Sunday Night Football not even want to think of touching their precious Thanksgiving games that all look very one-sided on paper? I mean, I do understand the whole tradition aspect and how important these games are to fans of the Cowboys and the Lions who I'm sure look forward to these games every year. But for the rest of the country, these are three games (including the Jets/Bengals night cap) that loom like they will be unwatchable to anyone but Patriots, Saints and Jets fans (especially the Lions game, which I will get to why in a few paragraphs).
My proposal: for Thanksgiving weekend only, instead of giving NBC the option to flex schedule their game (which they can do every week beginning in week 17), let the NFL replace it instead with a three year rotation in which only one of the three networks that broadcast the games (in this case CBS, FOX and NFL Network) decide whether they would like to keep the game that they have scheduled or decide if they want to keep it or switch it with any other game that is to be broadcast on their network 1 p.m./ET that following Sunday. It will be a breath of fresh air as well as exciting because it would be interesting to hear Lions and Cowboys fans pleading for the network to keep their scheduled game, and it could make the Thanksgiving slate of games much better. If not that, then at least have the Lions and the Cowboys play divisional matchups the year that FOX (or whoever owns NFC broadcasting rights in the future) broadcast their games. After all, it has been nearly nine years since Dallas last played an NFC East game, and them taking on a team like the Giants or the Eagles would be a lot more interesting then if they had played some random NFC West team. What I'm trying to say is that NFL football is already one of the best parts of Thanksgiving, but the league could still make some changes with the schedule that could potential make it even better.
Any who...onto the week 12 picks we go! Some good news to report of last week's picks. After weeks of handing in picks that almost always resulted in a weekly record somewhere around the .500 mark, the football gods smiled on me this week after a long hiatus as I finished week 11 with a 12-4 record, the best single week record that I've had all season, and two games better than mj50 who finished the week 10-6, also an improvement from the last few weeks. Hopefully, the football gods can shine on me for a second straight week. If not, then at least these good games that we have on tap this week makes up for it.
Let's begin (note: all game times are based on the Central time zone):
New England Patriots (-6.5) vs. Detroit Lions: Thanksgiving- 11:30 a.m.
mj15's pick: New England
As I have mentioned multiple times, I believe that the Patriots will blow out the Lions. The reason why is pretty simple, although I will still explain them. I guess I should explain why See, since the Lions won their last Thanksgiving home game in 2003 (22-14 over the Packers), Detroit has yet to win since, having lost by at least 11 points. In these past six games, they have also been the home to Peyton Manning throwing- a career high 6 TDs in 2004, Joey Harrington of all people to throw for 215 yards and 3 TDs in 2006, Brett Favre to throw for nearly 400 yards passing in 2007 and the 2008 running tandem of then rookie Chris Johnson and LenDale White to rush for a combined 231 yards, 4 TDs and an average of 5.6 yards per carry in 2008. This year's Lions team have one of the best chances to break the streak, with a passing offense that is ranked in the league's top ten (#6), six of eight losses decided by eight points or less (so that 2-8 record might be a little deceiving) and, of course, the next Reggie White in the making: Ndamukong Suh.
However, at the cliched "end of the day," the 8-2Patriots are still the far more superior team, featuring a far more talented crop of players, a far more balanced passing attack, a far more superior defense and a far more superior leader/MVP candidate, Tom Brady (who I am certain will play despite being listed questionable for the day's contest) than the 2-8 Lions. Look, there will come a time where the Lions would make their fans proud by winning on Turkey Day, or at least keeping it close throughout. But this will not be the year, not unless #12 is playing for New England.
mj50's pick: Detroit
New Orleans Saints (-3.5) vs. Dallas Cowboys: Thanksgiving- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: New Orleans
Did you know that the New Orleans Saints are undefeated playing on Thanksgiving? It's true! Granted, its only because they have yet to play a Thanksgiving game before, but still! In all seriousness though, I picked the Saints to win this matchup (the marquee game of the day, if there is such a thing this year) and ruin Jason Garrett's undefeated record as head coach for reasons much like with the Patriots/Lions game (and the Jets/Bengals game for that matter). New Orleans has Drew Brees, a much better offense, a much better defense, and is playing the exact opposite this season of this year's Cowboys team. How I could possibly go against them?
mj50's pick: Dallas
Cincinnati Bengals vs. New York Jets (-9): Thanksgiving- 7:20 p.m.
mj15's pick: New York
One of the things that I love about these NFL games on Thanksgiving are the silly trophies that the networks broadcasting the games hand out to the game's supposed MVP (or MVPs), and the awkward interviews with the winners of these trophies that follow in which both sides of the spectrum (the broadcasters and the player) try to take like it's a big deal and not some contrived object that they created for fun. FOX has the ridiculous Galloping Gobbler that once looked like a five year old set up using the toys in his toy box, CBS has the All-Iron Award, and NFL Network gives out a pudding pie. By the way, I wonder what do the winners of these trophies do with them? I know that the pudding pie is going to be eaten, but what about the awards handed out by FOX and CBS? Do they take them back from the winning player(s) after the postgame interview wraps up? If not, then do the players actually take them home and hang them on a shelf? I could see players like Jay Fiedler and Joey Harrington hanging them in their workspace or something, but what about players like Peyton Manning and Reggie White who have won much more important MVPs and awards in their lifetime then this? Do they take these trophies home and add them to their awards collection, too? If there are multiple players who are selected to receive one of these trophies, do they share it like hockey players share the Stanley Cup when they win it, or do they decide which one of them keeps the trophy and never speak of it again? These are the type of questions I wish that the NFL could make an FAQ page out of.
mj50's pick: New York
Minnesota Vikings vs. Washington Redskins (-1): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Minnesota
Now that Brad Childress, a man that has been called out and disrespected many times by the team's players since the season started, has been fired by the team and Leslie Frazier, a man that the Vikings players actually like, has taken over as head coach, expect Minnesota to be more prepared, more focused and ready for action then they have been in weeks (kind of like the Cowboys were once Wade Phillips got fired and Jason Garett stepped in). Also, the Redskins are in the bottom five of almost all major defensive categories including dead last in the yards per game category. This is the type of defense that Favre and Peterson dream of playing on a weekly basis.
mj50's pick: Washington
Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5) vs. Buffalo Bills: Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Pittsburgh
Reason #142 why I mostly hate fantasy football: having more than three good WRs your team to choose from. While it does sound really good on paper, its actually a secret burden because it makes choosing the starting lineup on a weekly much more tougher and there's a much better chance that you can make a mistake in picking your starting lineup, which could cost you that matchup. This is the situation that happened to me last week with one of my fantasy teams. Thanks to a season of good drafting and free agency, I had the choice of Mike Wallace, Steven Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Miles Austin, Brandon Lloyd, and Sidney Rice (who finally played his first game of the season last year) for my WR and RB/WR spots. With Wallace and Lloyd playing as good as they have been in recent weeks, I chose them in a no-brainer and eliminated Austin and Rice. This lead me to deciding between both Steve Johnson and Anquan Boldin. Figuring that Carolina is a much worse team than Cincinnati (even though they do have a better passing defense), I went with Boldin and sat Steve Johnson on the bench.
So what happens? Boldin only catches three balls, 0 TDs and one turnover for a combined 0 points while Steve Johnson plays a career game, catching 8 balls for 131 yards and 3 TDs (which adds up to 31 points on ESPN.com). I ended up losing my matchup that week by five points because of that blunder (whereas I could have won by sixteen with Johnson), and that dropped my team to 6-5 and in fifth place with two more regular season games to go whereas I could have been 7-4 and third place if I had started Johnson. This week, I've decided on Wallace, Lloyd and Johnson. Will the fantasy football gods favor me this week? God, I hope so!
mj50's pick: Pittsburgh
Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans (-6.5): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Houston
The reasons: because Rusty Smith is starting for the Titans at QB and because, after three crushing defeats in a row like the ones that the Texans have had, Houston will try to do everything they can to try to get back on track with a win. Still, these last two games for Houston has finally brought to life the reason why Houston is underachieving again this season: their passing defense, which is the worst in the league in my opinion. After all, it's the sole reason why the team allowed a last second Hail Mary two weeks ago and Mark Sanchez driving for sixty yards in the last :20 of regulation last week. Besides, they have yet to allow under 268 yards passing in an entire game and are the only team to allow an average of 300 yards per game passing. I mean, can you think of another team in this league that could have possibly allowed the Jags Hail Mary two weeks ago to happen other than the Texans? Look, Houston has many good things going for them. The passing attack is spectacular, Arian Foster looks very promising, and the young guys in their front seven should have very promising careers in their future. However, if they want to finally make a name for themselves and jump from the league's middle of the pack teams into of their elite, I seriously suggest for them to sign major upgrades in the defensive back position this offseason in both free agency and in April's draft.
mj50's pick: Houston
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. New York Giants (-7): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: New York
Can't wait to see how much blackouts occur at the New Meadowlands Stadium this week!
mj50's pick: Jacksonville
Carolina Panthers vs. Cleveland Browns (-10): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Cleveland
I have to give credit to Brian St. Pierre, who played much better in his Panthers debut than I thought he would against the Ravens. Sure, he had 2 INTS, but the fact that this stay at home two weeks ago threw for 173 yards and a TD last week was pretty impressive. But it wasn't impressive enough for me to pick the Panthers over the Browns, especially not with Peyton Hillis continuing to play out of his mind in recent week (which, as a fantasy owner of him, is something that I am pretty thankful for).
mj50's pick: Cleveland
Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons (-2): Sunday- 12:00 p.m.
mj15's pick: Atlanta
Because Matt Ryan+Mike Smith+Roddy White+ theGeorgia Dome=money for the Atlanta Falcons.
mj50's pick: Atlanta
HALFTIME! I wanted to show a Thanksgiving related post for this week's installment. The problem is, I couldn't really find many and the few that I did find weren't that great. So instead, here's video of arguably the greatest high school football game to be played on Thanksgiving weekend. I'm of course talking about the legendary 1994 matchup in the old Cowboys Stadium between Plano East High School and John Tyler High School. With 3 minutes to go in the 4th, Plano East had the football down 41-17 and needing a miracle to take the lead. What followed next was one of the craziest endings to a football game that you will ever see.. Enjoy.
Kansas City Chiefs (-1.5) vs. Seattle Seahawks: Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Seattle
Seattle has a rushing defense good enough to stop Jamaal Charles and company from having a monster game against them. Also, Kansas City has only one once on the road while Seattle has lost only once at Qwest Field. Also, the Seahawks have a front seven just about right enough to stop Jamaal Charles and company from having a great day rushing the ball. In conclusion, expect to see Seattle with the slight upset. Moving on...
mj50's pick: Seattle
Miami Dolphins vs. Oakland Raiders (-3): Sunday- 3:05 p.m.
mj15's pick: Oakland
The Dolphins were awful last week against the Bears when they played without Jake Long, without Brandon Marshall and without Chad Henne. All three are expected to miss this week's game again this week. If that is the case, expect Oakland to have as easy of a time playing against them as Chicago, is not then much easier.
mj50's pick: Oakland
Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) vs. Chicago Bears: Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Philadelphia
Michael Vick, Michael Vick, Michael f@#&in Vick! Sure, I will be rooting for the Bears to win to prove to this team that they aren't just lucky to be 7-3 and for the SI cover jinx to work its magic yet again this time around, but with that man under center for Philadelphia I see them having a good time against a Bears team that has beaten only one over .500 team all season.
mj50's pick: Chicago
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Baltimore Ravens (-7.5): Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: Baltimore
Picking Tampa Bay Buccaneers games has been one of my favorite things to do this season. You just pick them if they're facing an under .500 team (which they are 7-0 against) and pick against them if they're facing an over .500 team (which they are 0-3 against). The Ravens are an over .500 team (and a damn good one, if I do say so myself), so there you go. And I will keep doing so until they finally break it!
mj15's pick: Baltimore
St. Louis Rams vs. Denver Broncos (-4): Sunday- 3:15 p.m.
mj15's pick: St. Louis
Normally when two teams that are equally matched as the Rams and the Broncos squared off this season, I would usually favor the home team, which in this case is Denver. This time, however, I'm taking the path less traveled and picking the road team, the Rams. There is just something about Stephen Jackson facing off against the 31st ranked rushing defense that just immediately compels me to choose St. Louis.
mj50's pick: Denver
San Diego Chargers vs. Indianapolis Colts (-3): Sunday- 7:20 p.m.
mj15's pick: Indianapolis
What a fantastic matchup this is! Not only do you have two of the most successful teams of the past five years facing off against each other, you also have two of the best high flying offenses in the league along with two contending candidates for the league MVP (Rivers and Manning) facing off against each other. Should be a great one. Now, the San Diego Chargers have the edge in confidence since they are coming off a three game win streak and a Monday Night beatdown against the Broncos. Rivers might also have the mental edge over Manning since he is leading their head to head matchups 3-1 (including 2-0 in the playoffs). They are also ranked better offensively and defensively than Indy at this point in the season (however, you could counter-argue by pointing out that they are 5-5 this season with their so called better ranked offenses and defenses).
So why aren't I picking the Chargers to win this one? Well, for starters the Colts haven't lost back to back games in the regular season once since October of 2008, and those came in the final two weeks of last season when they infamously and curiously quit on their perfect record in favor of benching their starters. Second, Indy is undefeated at home this season. But the biggest reason for me in picking the Colts is, at this moment at least, Manning wins the QB head to head match-up in my book. I mean, the guy turned Jacob Tamme of all people to November's leader in receptions! Only Tom Brady and maybe Brett Favre can possibly make that happen in today's NFL. Nevertheless, I do expect the Chargers to keep this close and add this onto the team's great resume of close games since 2007.
mj50's pick: Indianapolis
San Fransisco 49ers (-1) vs. Arizona Cardinals : Monday- 7:30 p.m.
mj15's pick: San Fransisco
The winner of this game can get within a game of first place with a win in this game and a Seattle loss to Kansas City. I repeat: two teams with 3-7 records (with one of them, the 49ers, owning a 1-6 record a few weeks back), a record which would normally put them three or four games back of first place in any other division in the NFL, could get within one game of first place. Only in the NFC West!
mj50's pick: Arizona
RECAP
The Undertaker at "WrestleMania" Lock of the Week: New England over Detroit
The Miz Becoming WWE Champion Upset of the Week: St. Louis over Denver
The "Goodfellas" vs. "The Godfather" "I'm Not Sure" Pick: Indianapolis over San Diego
Enjoy the turkey, enjoy the parades, enjoy the family bonding, and most importantly enjoy the games tomorrow and this weekend everybody! See you next Wednesday!
Sincerely,
Your pal: mj15
If you have any opinions on today's post, or if you just have any suggestions or tips for my next blog entry, e-mail me at: mj1599@aol.com. Your e-mails are greatly appreciated.
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