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What a great week 1. There were so many close games, I thought we just throw out the picks for that week. But, the rest of the staff didn’t like that idea so here are the standings.
Jemp: 11-5 Pep: 11-5 Reeb: 11-5 Screw: 9-7 Alx: 8-8 I know, I know, I even lost to Screw. His Steelers also beat my Redskins, and my fantasy team lost to his too, so it certainly wasn’t my best week. But I know I’ll finish on top of the pick’em again, and win our fantasy league for the fourth straight year. And of course, the Redskins will win the Super Bowl. Now let’s get to this week's picks. Jets at Bills: Jemp: Jets, Reeb: Jets, Pep: Jets, Screw: Jets We all can’t wait to watch Rex Ryan vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick in the Thursday Night Football opener. It’s the classic chess match that has defined the AFC East for nearly a decade. These are the games that decide which fanbase can delude itself that it has a chance win the division. Well at least the Jets might have a chance to get a wild card spot, but knowing Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brandon Marshall, that probably won’t happen either. At least they can take solace in the fact that the entire ProFootballJokes staff picked them to win this week. Prediction: Jets win 20-17 Saints at Giants: Jemp: Giants, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Saints, Screw: Saints I think we all remember this game from last year, especially since we were subjected to watching the highlights every 10 minutes on NFL Network and ESPN for an entire week. This year we saw Drew Brees fall just short of victory in a shootout with the Raiders. Unfortunately for the Saints, even Drew Brees can’t throw 5 TDs every week, but their defense can give up that many every week. I say the Saints can’t quite keep up in this shootout after last week. Prediction: Giants win 35-24 Cowboys at Redskins: Jemp: Cowboys, Reeb: Redskins, Pep: Redskins, Screw: Cowboys Alright so Jemp and Screw are just trying to irritate me here, but it’s not going to work. We all know the Redskins threw week 1 to get that high waiver priority, but they will take care of the Cowboys this week. Prediction: Redskins win 200-0 Dolphins at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots, Screw: Patriots The Patriots seemed like they didn’t skip a beat without their two best players on Sunday night. Tom Brady better watch out because Jimmy Garoppolo is coming for his job. The Dolphins also were able to give the Seahawks a good run for their money in Seattle. Maybe they can do the same to the Patriots this next week. The Patriots always seem to shine in primetime, so maybe they come back to earth in the 1:00 slot. Fortunately for them, this usually means they beat the Dolphins. Prediction: Patriots win 17-13 Bengals at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Screw: Bengals So I wanted to take the Bengals in this one. They impressed me last week, especially with AJ Green embarrassing Darrelle Revis. I could give you a Revis Island metaphor, but I think that has been done to death. Unfortunately, going with Screw over the rest of the staff really burned me last week, so I’m going to have to pick the Steelers. Another interesting note is that Screw is a Steelers fan, and Reeb is a Bengals fan, and both picked against their teams. I applaud them for not allowing personal bias to seep into their picks. Prediction: Steelers win 30-27 49ers at Panthers: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Panthers, Screw: Panthers Cam Newton has handled this whole business about getting hit in the head very well. It seems as if Cam is maturing. Either that or the brain damage has altered his personality. Regardless, maybe this will get people to stop talking about things like Cam flossing on the bench. As for the 49ers, they looked surprisingly impressive in week 1 just like they did last year. Maybe they should play all their games after 10PM ET. But since the league probably won’t allow that, we are all going with the Panthers. Prediction: Panthers win 31-10 Ravens at Browns: Jemp: Ravens, Reeb: Ravens, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Ravens Sorry RGIII, I was really rooting for you to do something in Cleveland, but it looks like that isn’t going to happen. I guess the Browns are now going to have to count on the Josh McCown to Gary Barnidge connection. Yeah, that seems to be the best thing they have going for them, so I think we are all going to take the Ravens. Prediction: Ravens win 21-9 Titans at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Lions Yeah that whole Titans smashmouth football thing didn’t quite work out, did it? Well at least their defense was good, even if they were playing against Shaun Hill. Unfortunately, that ball-control offense gave the Vikings defense two touchdowns. Maybe the Titans should have tried to build some semblance of a passing game? Anyway it seems that Titans bandwagon has emptied out so we are all picking the Lions. Prediction: Lions win 24-13 Chiefs at Texans: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Okay, so the Texans were able to beat the Bears last week. Wow, what a win. I have no grudge against the Texans, but I feel it is my duty to get people to stop believing the Texans hype. Last year it was the Dolphins and we saw how that worked out. Oh yeah and the Chiefs had a nice comeback last week too. I am a little worried about what I saw from the Chiefs in the first half of that game, but I am counting on them to end this Texans love fest. Prediction: Chiefs win 23-7 Seahawks at Rams: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks The Seahawks offense looked terrible last week. Their offensive line is a mess, and Marshawn Lynch isn’t there to help them out. They have always lacked receiving threats, but it really shows when the threat of the run game isn’t there. Hopefully Doug Baldwin doesn’t come after me for that, but I am fairly confident he doesn’t read this column. I was all set to take the Rams in this game after watching the Seahawks game, and then I watched the Rams play. Still the Rams can’t possibly be that bad again can they? Besides, they always manage to steal one against the Seahawks despite clearly being the inferior team. So why not pick the Rams to win their first game in LA since 1994? Prediction: Rams win 13-10 Buccaneers at Cardinals: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Cardinals, Pep: Buccaneers, Screw: Cardinals I can’t believe Pep is the one picking against the Cardinals this week. He has been high on the Cardinals for several years now, but he has jumped on the Bucs bandwagon this year. Granted, the Bucs looked much better than the Cardinals did last week. The NFC might be wide open this year, and the Bucs have the chance this week to stake their claim. But I don’t quite trust Tampa just yet, so I’m sticking with the Cards. Prediction: Cardinals win 27-24 Jaguars at Chargers: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Chargers Last week we all picked against the Chargers, and Philip Rivers almost made us pay for it. Keenan Allen went down, destroying the Chargers chances along with my fantasy team. Alright, maybe I’m exaggerating, my fantasy team should be able to recover. As for the Chargers, only Screw believes in them. The Jags couldn’t quite pull off the win against the Packers, but just the fact that they were in it until the end was encouraging. This week we say they get it done. Prediction: Jaguars win 30-23 Falcons at Raiders: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Raiders, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Raiders The Raiders are 1-0 for the first time since Jason Campbell led them to a win against Kyle Orton and the Broncos in 2011. Darren McFadden also rushed for 150 yards in that game. The Raiders might not have Jason Campbell and Run DMC anymore, but we all still like them against the Falcons. Atlanta put up a fight for a little while last week but they couldn’t handle the Bucs, and we don’t think they handle the Raiders. For the second straight week, the entire staff is picking the Raiders. Prediction: Raiders win 24-20 Colts at Broncos: Jemp: Broncos, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Broncos Well the good news for the Colts is that Andrew Luck looked like the Andrew Luck of 2014 last week. The bad news is that the rest of the team looked like… well they looked bad. Their defense is banged up and they still couldn’t run the ball to save their lives. It feels like it has been a while since we watched the Broncos play, but Trevor Siemian looked good enough to beat most of the teams in the league. All of us like the Broncos in this one. Prediction: Broncos win 25-14 Packers at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers, Screw: Packers Adrian Peterson had a rough day against the Titans, but the Vikings were bailed out by their defense. Granted, that Titans offense may have made the Vikings defense look better than they were, but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t still a very good defense. The Packers offense played pretty well against the Jaguars, but sometimes I feel like people think their offense is still what it was in 2011. They only put up 27 points against the Jags, and Minnesota has a better defense than Jacksonville. That just puts it on Adrian Peterson to bounce back, and hopefully Sam Bradford will start and just play somewhat well. Prediction: Vikings win 23-20 Eagles at Bears: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Bears Another great Monday Night matchup. Maybe whoever made the schedule has bowling on Monday Nights and he didn’t want to miss anything good. Anyway, I was impressed with Carson Wentz even if he was playing against the Browns. I was also disappointed that the Bears couldn’t pull off the win against the Texans. However, I still think that the Eagles suck slightly more than the Bears. Plus I have Jeremy Langford in a bunch of fantasy leagues so I’m picking the Bears. Prediction: Bears win 17-14 Finally, football is back! But more importantly, so is the ProFootballJokes pick’em. Last year’s pick’em went down to the wire, and it ended with an exciting tie between Jemp and myself. But this year, we are actually starting the pick’em in week 1 and we all have a clean slate.
Jemp: 0-0 Alx: 0-0 Pep: 0-0 Reeb: 0-0 Screw: 0-0 As you can see we decided to give Screw another chance to join the pick’em, so hopefully he doesn’t embarrass himself again. Now let’s start picking some games. Panthers at Broncos: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Broncos, Screw: Panthers We get to start the season with a super bowl rematch. Cam Newton is probably pissed, and we all know that no one plays better when they are angry than Cam. We also get some great WR-CB battles we didn’t get to see in the Super Bowl. We get to watch Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders go up against Daryl Worley and James Bradberry. Maybe that is a bit of mismatch, but fortunately Trevor Siemian is there to even the odds. Then again, maybe Siemian will be the next Tom Brady, but only Pep believes he can win this game. Prediction: Panthers win 23-17 Raiders at Saints: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Raiders, Pep: Raiders, Screw: Raiders Last time everybody picked the Raiders, they lost in typical Raider fashion. Still, the Saints aren’t exactly the perennial playoff team they once were. The Raiders built up their defense in free agency, and it seems that Oakland is no longer the place careers go to die. Guys like Malcolm Smith and David Amerson have revitalized their careers in silver and black, so we all believe this is a new Raiders team. Prediction: Raiders win 30-20 Browns at Eagles: Jemp: Eagles, Reeb: Eagles, Pep: Eagles, Screw: Browns Wow it is hard for me to believe this, but I actually agree with Screw. Carson Wentz was never supposed to be ready for this game, so why would he be now? I mean sure he will be surrounded with great weapons like Jordan Matthews and Nelson Agholor, and he can always just turn around and hand the ball to the great Ryan Mathews, but somehow I don’t think that is going to save him. On paper the Eagles have a solid defense, but if their offense can’t stay on the field, then they are just begging for that deadly RGIII to Terrell Pryor combination to pick them apart. Prediction: Browns win 17-10 Vikings at Titans: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Titans, Pep: Vikings, Screw: Vikings Okay, I guess Reeb wanted to make a bold call in week 1. You know, kind of like how the Vikings made a bold call by giving up a first-round pick for Sam Bradford. I guess they are content with being the Bengals of the NFC. Maybe this is what struck a nerve with Reeb so he had to pick against the Vikings. As for me, I may not think Sam Bradford is worth a first-round pick, but I think he can fill Teddy Bridgewater’s role of handing the ball to Adrian Peterson. That should be enough to beat the Titans. Prediction: Vikings win 31-17 Chargers at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Screw: Chiefs Philip Rivers must be excited to finally getting to spend Sundays on his back again. Granted, the Chargers get some offensive lineman back from injury, so maybe that will make a difference. Still, I think Justin Houston has to be looking forward to this game. It would also probably help if the Chargers could run the football. We are all still waiting for Melvin Gordon to score that elusive first NFL touchdown. But yeah, I’m going to have to agree with my colleagues on this one. Prediction: Chiefs win 26-17 Bengals at Jets: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals, Screw: Bengals Finally, I get to go lone wolf on a game. I mean how are all of these guys going against Ryan Fitzpatrick at home? But let’s take a look at the other side of the ball. The Jets have a stout run defense and AJ Green will be stuck on Revis Island, despite his usual propensity to play so well against elite corners. Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu are gone, while Tyler Eifert is hurt, so where is the offense coming from? Maybe Tyler Boyd has a huge NFL debut, but I have to go with the Jets in this one. Prediction: Jets win 24-21 Buccaneers at Falcons: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Screw: Bucs Well only Jemp thinks the Falcons can win this one. They do typically play well at home, and Julio Jones has a propensity to go off against the Bucs, but we just have a hard time believing in this Falcons defense. They have solid corners, but that is about it. Famous Jameis has a chance to take the next step, and the muscle hamster has an excellent matchup for those of you who drafted him in fantasy (Pep). I don’t believe in Martin or the Bucs for the entirety of the year, but I say Dirk Koetter starts off 1-0. Prediction: Buccaneers win 30-23 Bills at Ravens: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Ravens, Screw: Bills I have to go with Pep in this one. People forget that the Ravens played pretty well last year before they were ravaged by injuries. Maybe the forget this for good reason, since the Ravens were still losing when they were playing well. Still, all of their first 12 games were one possession games, and you could still see the fight of the old Ravens in all of those games. Well maybe not all of them, but most of them. And come on, there is no way an elite quarterback like Joe Flacco has two losing seasons in a row. Prediction: Ravens win 24-13 Bears at Texans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Bears, Screw: Bears I guess I get to break the tie in this game. The Texans are the obvious choice, since they were a playoff team last year and then added Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller in the offseason. Remember last year Brock Osweiler beat the Bears by putting up a whopping 17 points. He did have that Broncos defense to hold the Bears to 15 points, but the Texans defense could do the same. And obviously Lamar Miller who rushed for nearly 900 yards last year is going to have a huge year. Still, I think Jay Cutler overcomes all of these obstacles and pulls off the win. Prediction: Bears win 28-20 Packers at Jaguars: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Jaguars, Screw: Packers I am so tempted to take the Jaguars here. They have a slew of young talent on defense and offense, and they had some key free agent additions as well. The Packers also aren’t nearly as good on the road. Blake Bortles threw a lot of touchdowns last year, even more than Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately, Blake also has a tendency to throw some balls to the other team as well, and the Packers get Jordy Nelson back. That means the Packers will get one free touchdown, where Aaron Rodgers buys some time and Jordy Nelson is inexplicably 20 yards past the entire defense. I like Pep’s boldness to go with the Jags, but I just can’t do it. Prediction: Packers win 27-24 Dolphins at Seahawks: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Screw: Seahawks No one is taking the Dolphins? What happened to that Ryan Tannehill hype train from last year? Oh right, he just continued to be mediocre. Well we have to admit it was hard to see that coming. Maybe if he had gone to the Texans this year people would be irrationally expecting him to break out again. But at least we can all agree that the Dolphins will suck again this year. Prediction: Seahawks win 30-10 Lions at Colts: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Screw: Colts Again, I’m going to have to agree with Screw. I mean, the Lions did finally get rid of Calvin Johnson, and upgrade the position by adding the illustrious Marvin Jones, but I still find it hard to believe that they will be any better than last year. The Colts were undoubtedly disappointing last year, but even so, they still finished with a better record than the Lions. Now they get Andrew Luck back, and I don’t think they need more than that to beat the Lions Prediction: Colts win 34-19 Giants at Cowboys: Jemp: Giants, Reeb: Cowboys, Pep: Giants, Screw: Giants Only Reeb is on the Dak Prescott bandwagon. He did tear it up in the preseason, and everyone is crazed over Ezekiel Elliott behind that offensive line. There is clearly plenty of potential for that Cowboys offense. But is it enough to stand up to that Giants defense with their free agent additions? I mean how will Tyron Smith be able to block Olivier Vernon? And how will Dez Bryant get open against Janoris Jenkins? Okay, maybe the Giants defense isn’t that great but neither is the Cowboys defense, so I figure I might as well go with the Giants. Prediction: Giants win 34-31 Patriots at Cardinals: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Cardinals, Screw: Cardinals Man this would have been such a great game if Tom Brady was playing. Still, I think this could be the super bowl preview. Reeb thinks that Jimmy Garoppolo can win in Arizona in his first start. Are the patriots better than the Cardinals at any position other than tight end? Last year they had a better pass rush, but now their best pass rusher is on the Cardinals. So maybe Gronk just absolutely dominates the game, or maybe Carson Palmer plays the way he did in the preseason, but smart money is on the Cardinals to dominate. Prediction: Cardinals win 35-17 Steelers at Redskins: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Redskins, Screw: Steelers I guess Jemp, Reeb, and Screw are all itching to get this game wrong. Obviously the Steelers have no chance especially with no Leveon Bell, no Martavis Bryant, and no Ladarius Green. I mean, I would be okay with just having Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland double Antonio Brown. I guess it doesn’t matter since the Redskins will dominate regardless. Prediction: Redskins win 100-0 Rams at 49ers: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Rams It was nice of the schedule-makers to make this the 10:20 game, since it is the perfect game to put you to sleep. Although I am sure we will get a good shot of Colin Kaepernick sitting or kneeling or whatever during the national anthem. Then we get to watch a classic quarterback duel between Case Keenum and Blaine Gabbert. Fortunately for Keenum, he can just hand the ball to Todd Gurley, while Gabbert will have to give the ball to Carlos Hyde. Still, remember in this same game last year it was Adrian Peterson on the other side of Carlos Hyde, and Carlos looked like he was going to be the best back in the league. It didn’t quite work out that way, but maybe he can fool us again this year. Prediction: Rams win 20-10 It all comes down to this week. We have waited all year for this moment, to see who would be crowned champion. All the hard work poured into this season comes down to this one game. Still, there can only be one champion, so will it be Jemp or Alx? Jemp: 105-64 Alx: 104-65 Pep: 101-68 Reeb: 98-71 All Jemp had to do last week was pick one game right, but he couldn’t do it. The Patriots couldn’t protect Tom Brady, and the Cardinals were just outmatched. Now I am just one game back, so I get the chance to tie this week, and I think tie should go to the staff member who writes more articles. So let’s talk a little about the game this week. Super Bowl 50: Reeb: Panthers 28-24, Pep: Panthers 20-12 I’m not entirely sure why the NFL is making such a fuss for Super Bowl 50. People have been calling it the golden Super Bowl, and they even dropped the roman numeral thing. Technically it’s the 49th anniversary of the Super Bowl, so shouldn’t next year be the big one? Anyway, I guess now that the game is looming, we are beginning to actually focus on the teams playing in the game. Reeb and Pep are finally jumping on the Panthers bandwagon. Both of were saying that the Panthers would be one and done in the playoffs, but I guess they came around. These Panthers are very similar to the Seahawks team that defeated the Broncos two years ago. I said then that the Broncos did not match up well against the Seahawks, and I thought the Seahawks would win that one easily. I didn’t expect it to be that much of a blowout, but it didn’t really surprise me. The good news for the Broncos is that they are a much different team than they were two years ago. The bad news is that they still don’t match up well against this Panthers team. They beat the Patriots by getting to Tom Brady in the blink of an eye. It will be harder to do this against the Panthers, not only because they have a much better offensive line, but because the Panthers will occasionally run the ball. Actually they run it more than anyone other than the Bills, which tends to slow down the pass rush. On the other side of the ball, the Panthers defense has the ability to stop the run with their stout front seven and they don’t allow many yards after the catch. The best way to exploit their defense is with the long ball, which the Broncos quarterback might not be able to do like he used to. People can wish for Peyton to go out on top all they want, but unless he regains his 2013 form, I can’t see him even keeping the Broncos competitive. Unfortunately, I don’t get much say in my pick, since I need to gain a game on Jemp, so hopefully Jemp picks the Broncos, let’s see. Jemp’s Prediction: Panthers win 34-12 Damn, well I guess I’m going with the Broncos. Maybe Cam Newton will get lost on the way to the game, and then Derek Anderson throws three pick sixes. My Prediction: Broncos win 21-20 Well I took a shot by picking the Chiefs, and it may have backfired. After that first Patriots drive I knew the Chiefs couldn’t win. Anyway let’s look at the updated standings.
Jemp: 105-62 Alx: 102-65 Pep: 100-67 Reeb: 97-70 Jemp now has a 3 game lead with 3 games to go, so I need to pick whoever he doesn’t pick just to tie. We will also have to come up with a tiebreaker. But first let’s see if I can stay in the race after the Conference Championships. Let’s see who the staff has in the Super Bowl. Patriots at Broncos: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Broncos The season wouldn’t feel right without a Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning game. Everyone thinks it could be the last one, but I don’t think so. Peyton has already said he plans to come back, and even if it isn’t with the Broncos, he will definitely go to a team that plays the Patriots. Unfortunately, these games don’t seem to be quite the quarterback duels they used to be. One of the quarterbacks is not playing at quite the level he used to. Really we should be talking about Tom Brady vs. the best defense in the league, just like we did in the Super Bowl last year. Tom Brady steps his game up when he plays against the best, whether it’s the defense or the quarterback. This time he gets to play against a Hall of Fame quarterback and an elite defense. Also the quarterback he is playing against has struggled to put up points this season. Still, I am taking the Broncos because of their home field advantage I guess? Also I need to pick differently than Jemp to catch up to him. Prediction: Broncos win 27-23 Cardinals at Panthers: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Cardinals, Pep: Cardinals Thanks for taking the Cardinals Jemp, so I can actually pick who I want to in this game. The Cardinals beat the Packers in a fairly good game last week, and they may not have looked very impressive. Carson Palmer was not playing his best, but when he needed to come through in overtime, he got it done. Aaron Rodgers choked hard. He was given two chances to call the overtime coin toss right, and he failed both times. The Panthers on the other hand looked they were going to blow out the Seahawks, but then they let them right back into the ball game. These are probably the best two teams in the NFL, but the Panthers are the team that I trust to show up. Both teams are very physical, but no team is as physical as the Panthers. Their offensive line doesn’t get enough credit. They turned Jonathan Stewart into a pro bowler again. Despite how good these two defenses are, I expect a high-scoring game. Both offenses love to go vertical, and that is the biggest weakness of both defenses. I’m picking the Panthers because I think they are more clutch, on offense and defense. I say Luke Kuechly makes a fourth down play to stop the Cardinals at the end. Prediction: Panthers win 34-30 I know you were probably expecting me to be too depressed by one of the games last week to write our weekly pick’em, but I managed to get myself together after a long grieving period and threw this thing together. Let’s look at the standings after the first round of the playoffs.
Jemp: 103-64 Alx: 101-66 Pep: 101-66 Reeb: 96-71 Not much has changed since last week, except that Pep gained a game on the rest of the staff. Jemp still has a two game lead on me and Pep, so we need to make up some ground this week. Reeb’s picks this week officially eliminates him from contention so it’s officially a three horse race. Chiefs at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs This is the game I struggled with the most. I rarely pick against the Patriots, especially in the playoffs, but the Patriots have been struggling as of late. I said all along that the Chiefs were the biggest threat to the Patriots in the AFC because they match up very well against the Patriots. Bill Belichick likes to take away your best player, but the Chiefs don’t rely on one player to carry their offense. They also have the pass rush to get to Tom Brady against a banged up offensive line. Fortunately for the Patriots, they should get Julian Edelman back for this one, which will make it easier for Tom Brady to get the ball away quickly. Only the Patriots would have their best wideout be their security blanket and have their tight end be their big play threat. The Patriots also could be playing with revenge in mind for the loss they suffered to the Chiefs last year. Finally I decided to take whoever Jemp wasn’t picking to try to catch up to him in the standings. So I am confidently picking the Chiefs in this one. Prediction: Chiefs win 34-30 Packers at Cardinals: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Cardinals, Pep: Cardinals We get to watch a great rematch in this one. After the Cardinals narrowly edged out the Packers in the regular season, the Packers get another crack at them. I’ve blocked out the Packers wild card game so I’m not sure how they got to this game. They still lack their big play ability which is what has made their offense so dangerous in previous years. The Cardinals had been playing very well until their last game against the Seahawks where they got embarrassed in front of their home crowd. Bruce Arians played his starters in Week 17 because he didn’t want to lose momentum. Nice thought, but it may have backfired. Still, we are all in agreement that the Cardinals will be too much for the Packers once again. The Packers need Jordy Nelson back in a bad way. Prediction: Cardinals win 42-17 Seahawks at Panthers: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Seahawks This is probably the best game of the weekend. It’s another regular season rematch, where Cam Newton led a great 4th quarter comeback. The Seahawks have made great strides since then, and they have showed that they can definitely compete with any team in the league. They may have had a little luck in their last game against the Vikings, but they made some key plays despite playing poorly for most of the game. That is what the Seahawks do, and it is what makes them so hard to beat even when they aren’t on the top of their game. The Panthers made the necessary plays in their last meeting with the Seahawks, and they get the added advantage this time of playing at home. Only Pep thinks Seattle can win without the help of the 12th man. Prediction: Panthers win 23-20 Steelers at Broncos: Jemp: Broncos, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Broncos The Steelers had a pretty exciting game last week, but the Bengals did some damage anyway. Antonio Brown is out, and Ben Roethlisberger is banged up. None of us the Steelers have a chance without Antonio Brown. The only way they can win is if Peyton Manning has another game like the one he had against the Chiefs. The most intriguing thing about this game is to see how Peyton Manning will play. His play will determine if the Broncos are a legitimate Super Bowl contender, or a playoff doormat for the next team they play. Who would have thought Peyton Manning would have another shot at a ring after getting benched? Prediction: Broncos win 20-9 The playoffs are finally here, and we are one step closer to a Redskins Super Bowl victory. Anyway let’s take a look at the standings after the regular season.
Jemp: 101-62 Alx: 99-64 Pep: 98-65 Reeb: 94-69 Jemp has a two game lead now going into the playoffs. Reeb really needs to start gaining ground since he is seven games back with eleven games to go. Let’s take a look at our picks for Wild Card Weekend Chiefs at Texans: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs Everyone is taking the road team here. The Chiefs haven’t lost since October and it has been a complete team effort. Alex Smith has been superb, spreading the ball all over the place. Who would have thought this would be a playoff game after the Texans started 1-4 and the Chiefs started 1-5. I guess the best thing that can happen to a struggling team is for their All-Pro running back to get hurt. Maybe Chip Kelly should have tried to injure DeMarco Murray. The Texans success is mostly based on relying on JJ Watt on defense, and DeAndre Hopkins on offense. Okay, other players on defense have been stepping up as of late, but they still don’t have the balance that the Chiefs have. We all think the Chiefs will make it eleven in a row this weekend. Prediction: Chiefs win 27-13 Steelers at Bengals: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Steelers Well the Steelers managed to sneak their way into the playoffs with a little help from the Bills. They are probably the most explosive offense in the league, but they are inconsistent. Just ask anyone who had Ben Roethlisberger on their fantasy team. He hasn’t played well against the Bengals this year, and his job is made even tougher with DeAngelo Williams out for this game. But who knows, maybe Fitzgerald Toussaint or Jordan Todman will pick up right where DeAngelo left off. Still, I think the Bengals might want to focus on Antonio Brown instead. The Bengals on the other hand will have to play this game with AJ McCarron at the helm. The last time the Bengals played in primetime, I predicted McCarron to lead them to victory. I felt like a genius when he led touchdown drives on his first two possessions, and gave the Bengals a 14-0 lead. He then proceeded to produce no offense for the rest of the game, and the Bengals lost. That was certainly disappointing for my pick’em record, but I’m giving AJ one more chance. He showed enough promise to lead me to pick him against a lackluster defense. Prediction: Bengals win 23-20 Seahawks at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks The Vikings are coming off of a big win, finally beating the Packers in Lambeau. Unfortunately, the last time they played the Seahawks they didn’t do so well. Adrian Peterson couldn’t get anything going on his eight carries, so the Vikings would be smart to give him fewer carries in this one. The Vikings will have to hope that the Russell Wilson to Doug Baldwin connection isn’t quite as hot as it was in their last contest. It will be up to the Vikings defense to keep them in this ball game, because I doubt Teddy Bridgewater will be able to do much against the LOB. His job will be to hand the ball off to Adrian Peterson and not turn the ball over, so he might want to stay away from any left-handed passes this time. Maybe he can perfect that throw in the offseason, but I think Mike Zimmer will still advise against it. A lot of things have to go right for the Vikings to pull off this win, so only Jemp thinks they will get it done. Prediction: Seahawks win 30-24 Packers at Redskins: Jemp: Redskins, Reeb: Redskins, Pep: Redskins The Packers are certainly backing their way into the playoffs. They lose to their division rivals, despite a miraculous effort from their kicker, and a gift from Teddy Bridgewater. This was after getting absolutely demolished by the Arizona Cardinals. Maybe Aaron Rodgers can step up his game for the playoffs, and the Green Bay defense can play like they did last week against the Vikings. Even if this happens, all of us at ProFootballJokes know it won’t be enough against the best team in the league. Kirk will have his way with the Packers no matter what. It will be another easy win for the Redskins. Prediction: Redskins win 200-0 The Redskins clinched the NFC East, and now we are moving into 2016, so let’s take a look at the standings at the beginning of the new year.
Jemp: 91-56 Alx: 90-57 Pep: 89-58 Reeb: 85-62 Jemp took a slight edge going into the final week of the regular season. Now we get to look at an exciting slate of games where every team will be trying their very best. Jets at Bills: Jemp: Jets, Reeb: Jets, Pep: Bills Rex Ryan gets the chance to knock the Jets out of the playoffs. What else could he want?... Other than actually getting the Bills to the playoffs. How will his team respond? Boobie Dixon said that this is the Bills’ super bowl, and they will be going all out. Well I’m glad Boobie will be playing his heart out, but all the defensive players who just want to get sacks probably won’t be. Yeah I’m talking about you Mario Williams, and word is you’ll be gone after this season to free up cap space. As for the Jets, they have the chance to lock up a playoff spot, so I’m assuming they want to win this one. I think Ryan Fitzpatrick finally gets to the playoffs with a good chance to win a game too. Prediction: Jets win 27-24 Eagles at Giants: Jemp: Giants, Reeb: Giants, Pep: Giants What a crucial game that everyone will be watching. Odell Beckham returns and we get to see Pat Shurmur get another crack at being a head coach. Sure it is probably just for one game, but maybe the Eagles will give him the chance if he wins. Again, I know I said teams usually win when the make a coaching change during the season, but I don’t think it counts with one game left. Teams usually respond, realizing that they need to play better, but I doubt the Eagles care anymore in this meaningless game. Then again, maybe the Eagles will play for the chance to get Pat Shurmur the full time job as head coach. Prediction: Giants win 34-21 Lions at Bears: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Bears Another big divisional game in this one. It’s always interesting picking who will play better in games like this one. On the one hand, Jay Cutler usually plays better when there isn’t any pressure on him to play well. On the other hand, the Lions have been playing for nothing for a while, and they have been playing pretty well. Also, the Bears haven’t been playing well ever since their playoff hopes became slim to none. So I guess I’ll go with the Lions? Prediction: Lions win 30-24 Saints at Falcons: Jemp: Falcons, Reeb: Saints, Pep: Saints What a win by the Falcons last week. They have been motivated by the bashing they have taken on ProFootballJokes, and now they have stepped up their game just in time to miss the playoffs. Still I expect them to play well against the Saints this week. I think Drew Brees is too old to put up back to back huge passing games, and unfortunately the Saints can’t win without a huge passing day. I would say that this is also a meaningless game, but technically it does affect the Colts chances to make the playoffs. Prediction: Falcons win 34-23 Titans at Colts: Jemp: Colts, Reeb: Colts, Pep: Titans Are they any Colts fans who still think they can make the playoffs? Granted I think the Colts have a better chance than the Cowboys did a few weeks ago. Also Josh Freeman could get another start after having spent less than a week with a team. Remember the Monday Night Game he started for the Vikings? I think in that one he didn’t know any of the plays so he just asked the receivers to just run whatever routes they wanted and he would try to get it to them. TY Hilton was criticizing the lack of deep routes being called, so this strategy would fix that. Prediction: Titans win 17-10 Redskins at Cowboys: Jemp: Redskins, Reeb: Redskins, Pep: Redskins Who knows if the Redskins starters will play the whole game in this one, but even their backups can dominate the Cowboys. Colt McCoy will give them flashbacks of that Monday Night game last year. Still, the Redskins don’t have anything to play for, so I expect them to take it easy on the Cowboys. Prediction: Redskins win 99-0 Patriots at Dolphins: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Dolphins All that stands between the Patriots and home field advantage is the Dolphins. Maybe Dan Campbell can get the Dolphins up for this game, but even if he does I don’t expect them to win. I think the Dolphins get a garbage time touchdown to make the score look… well… like less of a blowout. The Patriots hardly ever take their foot off of the gas pedal, so they can get into the playoffs with some momentum. Luckily the rest of the conference isn’t looking too great, so getting home field advantage could practically lock up another Super Bowl appearance for the Patriots. Prediction: Patriots win 34-17 Ravens at Bengals: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals What a performance by Ryan Mallett to play spoiler to the Steelers. Somehow I doubt he can do it again though, even though he got a lot of help from his defense last week. The Bengals started off hot against the Broncos last week, and then they started to fall apart. Too bad, because I was looking forward to a good playoff quarterback controversy for the Bengals. Then they would lose in the first round regardless of who they chose, and everyone would be talking about how they made the wrong choice. I guess we can always go back to making fun of Andy Dalton for not being able to win a playoff game. Prediction: Bengals win 24-13 Steelers at Browns: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers Good job of throwing away your season Steelers. All you had to do is beat a banged up Ravens team with Ryan Mallett at quarterback, and then beat the Browns. Unfortunately Ben Roethlisberger sucks against terrible teams, so the team couldn’t win an easy one. The Browns are the exception to this rule, so we all still think the Steelers finish strong, even though it might not be enough. Prediction: Steelers win 37-16 Jaguars at Texans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans So this game probably doesn’t matter, but again the Texans still have a chance to lose the division. But even though the Texans have something to play for and the Jaguars do not, I think the Jaguars pull this one out. Gus Bradley is returning next year, and I think his team will play hard for him. They have reasons to be optimistic for next year so I say to start Blake Bortles in fantasy if for some reason your league goes into Week 17. Prediction: Jaguars win 30-27 Seahawks at Cardinals: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Cardinals, Pep: Cardinals The Cardinals probably won’t have anything to play for in this game because we expect the Panthers to win, but Bruce Arians says he is playing his starters regardless. Anyway, we know the Seahawks will be looking to lose this game to make sure to stay at the #6 seed. Otherwise, they still have a chance at the #5 seed, which would mean they would have to play the Redskins which would guarantee them a first round loss. I think they play it smart and let the Cardinals win. Prediction: Cardinals win 27-20 Chargers at Broncos: Jemp: Broncos, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Chargers The Broncos could be the top seed in the AFC or they could lose the division to the Chiefs. There is quite a bit riding on this game for the Broncos, while the Chargers probably would just like to not be beat up too badly. I know Philip Rivers will give it his all, but he already has a limited amount of help. I can’t see the Chargers offense being able to match up with the Broncos defense. Prediction: Broncos win 23-20 Raiders at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs The Raiders have had a good season, but the Chiefs are officially the hottest team in the NFL. I think they are the biggest threat to the Patriots in the AFC. They are efficient on offense and dangerous on defense. That is exactly the type of team that can beat the Patriots. I still think the Patriots are easily the favorites, but don’t sleep on the Chiefs. Prediction: Chiefs win 23-20 Rams at 49ers: Jemp: Rams, Reeb: Rams, Pep: 49ers So I have two fantasy leagues that extend to Week 17, and I don’t understand why anyone would do that. Todd Gurley is doubtful for this game, and I have him in both of those leagues. We all know that he would be playing if this game mattered for the Rams. I also have Kirk Cousins who I can’t start, but I guess I can’t really relate that to this game. Anyway, I don’t know where the Rams are going to get any offense without Todd Gurley, so I’m going with the 49ers. I never know where the 49ers are going to get their offense from, but at least I’ve watched them do it for a while. Prediction: 49ers win 26-20 Buccaneers at Panthers: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Bucs Only Pep thinks the Panthers drop another game, but I think he just really wants the Cardinals to get the #1 seed. The Panthers have been great all year, and this is an important game for them. I have said that the Bucs are the test to see if a team is for real. There is no question that the Panthers are for real, so they should easily win this game. Prediction: Panthers win 42-17 Vikings at Packers: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers We have a split decision on this game. The Packers are at home, and they dominated the Vikings in their last game, so Reeb and Pep are taking the Pack. Jemp and I watched the Packers against the Cardinals, and watched the Packers be unable to produce any offense for a while. The Vikings had a great game last week, and I think they will remember to give the ball to Adrian Peterson this time around. Sometimes people forget these things, like who your best player is or when you’re supposed to kneel the ball. It happens. Prediction: Vikings win 27-19 Christmas is upon us. The Redskins are in contention for the playoffs and I'm facing Alx in the championship for our fantasy league, and I'm content. At ProFootballJokes we've given you expert analysis followed by some great jokes and cokes. Our website is the gift that keeps on giving. Consider this article a present from us to you. No need to thank us, just keep reading our articles. Reeb, Jemp, do you guys have anything to say? . . . Guess not. This week we're also introducing Nate, a freelance scholarly reviewer who enjoys clear cut professional statements. His one wish for Christmas was to be a part of a ProFootballJokes pickem and we're making his dream come true. He also wants to make history by being the first staff member to ever go 0-16 in his pickem, so best of luck to him. I'll let Alx take it from here. -Pep Alx: 80-51 Jemp: 80-51 Pep: 80-51 Reeb: 75-56 We have a three way tie at the top with Reeb the intern a ways back. The race for the ProFootballJokes pick’em championship is getting good. This week’s holiday could be huge for deciding the winner. Chargers at Raiders: Jemp: Raiders, Reeb: Raiders, Pep: Raiders, Nate: Chargers This could be another five sack game for Khalil Mack. He might have more. The Chargers offensive line can’t protect Philip Rivers, and if the Chargers have their backs or tight ends to help protect then Philip has no one to throw the ball to. I think Antonio Gates gets a touchdown or two because the Raiders don’t cover tight ends, but I still think Philip Rivers would do better to call in sick for this one. His 26 kids shouldn’t have to watch their dad get demolished on Christmas Eve. Prediction: Raiders win 23-14 Redskins at Eagles: Jemp: Redskins, Reeb: Redskins, Pep: Redskins, Nate: Eagles I can’t wait to watch the Redskins destroy the Eagles on Saturday Night. The Redskins can go ahead and clinch the NFC East this week and move on to their ultimate goal to win the Super Bowl. It should be a piece of cake. Prediction: Redskins win 200-0 Panthers at Falcons: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Panthers, Nate: Falcons Wow the Falcons actually won a game last week. The whole staff hadn’t been that shocked about a game since the Giants upset the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. I don’t know if even that game was as unbelievable. Maybe they can use this momentum to keep this game against the Panthers closer than the last one. This Falcons team is back on the rise, and I think they put up a much better fight this week. Prediction: Panthers win 37-0 Bears at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bears, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs, Nate: Bears So Lovie Smith gets another shot at his former team. He couldn’t beat them last year, but then again, the Bucs couldn’t beat anyone last year. That only increases his desire for revenge. You can tell Lovie is bottling up all the hate he has for the Bears, and he is going to take it out on them on Sunday. I expect the Buccaneers to play for their coach and dominate this game. Both of these teams may have hit a wall, but this could be just what the Buccaneers needed to continue to improve their football team. Prediction: Bucs win 35-17 Steelers at Ravens: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers, Nate: Ravens Who can wait for this classic rivalry game? Ray Lewis and Troy Polamalu would be proud of the great defenses playing in this game. I think the MVP of the Steelers defense in this one will be Jimmy Clausen. The Ravens might not have an MVP, but hey, their defense is probably helping your fantasy team. If you have Big Ben, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, or DeAngelo Williams that is. Maybe the Ravens can show some signs of life against their division rivals, but this one just looks like a mismatch. Prediction: Steelers win 31-13 Cowboys at Bills: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Cowboys, Nate: Cowboys Finally we can stop talking about the Cowboys. Well obviously I have to talk about them here, but you know what I mean. The Bills suffered the wrath of Kirk Cousins last week, but who can blame them for that. This week, they get the Cowboys. The Cowboys put up a good fight against the Jets last week, and I think they put up another one here, but ultimately I think they choke in the end. The Cowboys just can’t seem to finish games, except when the other team makes some completely idiotic special teams play. Prediction: Bills win 27-20 49ers at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions, Nate: 49ers What a great win by the Lions on Monday Night, but did Matthew Stafford really need to throw three touchdowns? He kicked me out of the playoffs in one of my fantasy leagues. I still made the championship game in 11 of my 14 leagues, but I really wanted that one. Anyway, the Lions should be able to take care of the 49ers at home, but knowing the Lions that probably means they won’t. Still the 49ers are too bad to pick so I’ll go with the Lions. Prediction: Lions win 22-10 Browns at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs, Nate: Browns So the Browns almost put up a fight against the Seahawks last week. The Chiefs have got their work cut out for them, as they have to try and contend with Johnny Football. But they were able to handle Jimmy Clausen last week despite that horrendous defense against the Hail Mary Pass at the end of the half. All they had to do was tackle Kamar Aiken as he caught it and the half would have been over. Anyway I think that prepared the Chiefs for anything. Prediction: Chiefs win 30-14 Patriots at Jets: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Jets, Nate: Jets I’m tempted to go with the Jets here. They always have a tendency to play to the Patriots tough, and they need this game a lot more than the Pats do. Then again, the Jets did almost lose to the Cowboys last week. Yeah it’s hard to pick the Jets to beat Tom Brady when they barely beat Matt Cassel, but Pep is going for it. Also I need Tom Brady to pick up his fantasy production for championship week, so don’t let me down Tom. This is your true test for this season. Prediction: Patriots win 37-27 Colts at Dolphins: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Colts, Pep: Dolphins, Nate: Dolphins It was too bad Clipboard Jesus didn’t get to start for the Colts last week. I really thought he could have gotten the job done. Matt Hasselbeck was clearly hurting out there and Charlie Whitehurst would have been the better option. This week, they get to play the Dolphins, so I think they could put me out there and still get the win. Who else thinks I could do it? I mean, how hard could it be to be a professional quarterback? It’s basically just like playing Madden right? Prediction: Colts win 20-13 Texans at Titans: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans, Nate: Titans Well Zach Mettenberger gets his chance to play spoiler to the Texans, and he is the only chance the Colts have to keep their playoff hopes alive. That means Chuck Pagano’s job could be in the hands of Zach Mettenberger. You would think the Colts would cut him some slack. Who would have thought the Colts could compete for the AFC South without Andrew Luck. Oh yeah I’ve drifted away from the teams that are actually playing in this game. In case it wasn’t clear, I don’t think the Titans have a chance, and the Texans get to make the playoffs and lose in the first round. Prediction: Texans win 23-10 Jaguars at Saints: Jemp: Saints, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars, Nate: Jaguars The Saints were pretty terrible last week until they got into the fourth quarter, and then they started to produce some offense. Oh yeah and they still can’t play defense, so this explosive Jaguars offense could dominate the game. The Saints only chance is for Drew Brees to outduel Blake Bortles in a shootout, and what are the chances that he could win that? He already lost one to Marcus Mariota, so losing to Bortles certainly isn’t out of the question, but I think Drew has too much pride to lose this one. Prediction: Saints win 35-34 Rams at Seahawks: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks, Nate: Rams The Rams were able to win two in row, and Case Keenum was impressive last Thursday Night, but the Seahawks are one of the hottest teams in football right now. None of us think that the Rams can go into Centurylink Field and get a win. The only question is if Todd Gurley will be able to get anything going against the Seahawks. I think probably not, since I doubt the Seahawks are too worried about Case Keenum despite his performance last week. Prediction: Seahawks win 28-3 Packers at Cardinals: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Cardinals, Pep: Cardinals, Nate: "Cardinals-Packers is a good game so I can't make a joke there same with Bengals-Broncos" The Packers were able to win in Oakland, despite another lackluster offensive performance. I don’t expect the offense to be any better against the Cards, despite them losing Tyrann Mathieu. Also, the Cardinals offense is much better than the Raiders. David Johnson showed his talent, which makes you wonder why they didn’t give him more carries earlier in the season. I know Chris Johnson was running well, but I think David is the better of the two. Prediction: Cardinals win 39-20 Giants at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings, Nate: Giants Odell Beckham really screwed his fantasy owners by getting suspended for championship week. It would have been so easy for the league to schedule the appeal hearing for later so he could play this week. They should have moved his suspension to next year when the Giants play the Redskins. That would have been the only fair thing to do. Less importantly, the Giants have no chance in this game without OBJ. The Vikings should officially eliminate the Giants from playoff contention. Prediction: Vikings win 27-14 Bengals at Broncos: Jemp: Broncos, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Broncos, Nate: "Cardinals-Packers is a good game so I can't make a joke there same with Bengals-Broncos" Everyone else has no faith in AJ McCarron, even Reeb the intern who is a Bengals fan. I disagree. The Broncos have dropped two games in a row, and AJ McCarron will prove that he can shine in primetime, which can be hard for some quarterbacks. AJ won two national championships, so we know he is used to the spotlight. If he gets the win in Denver on Monday Night Football, Andy Dalton might start hurrying back from his injury. Prediction: Bengals win 27-24 Well I took the lead in picks after last week, and Reeb the intern continues to fall. Here are the standings.
Alx: 68-47 Jemp: 67-48 Pep: 67-48 Reeb: 63-52 Maybe the rest of the staff should learn to never pick against the Redskins. Most of them have already learned their lesson. Buccaneers at Rams: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs It’s the battle for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The rest of the guys are taking Jameis and the Bucs in this one. However the Rams showed me something in their win over the Lions. They remembered they have Todd Gurley in the backfield. He gets better as the game goes on, when he has worn the defense down, so maybe it is a good idea for the Rams to continue to give him the ball in the second half. They did that last week and they won. Funny how these things work out. I guess you could also make the argument that they kept giving it to him because they were ahead, but just give him the ball. The Rams might not be in the playoff, but my fantasy team is. Prediction: Rams win 24-21 Jets at Cowboys: Jemp: Jets, Reeb: Jets, Pep: Jets So if the Cowboys lose this game they will be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. That’s right, they aren’t officially out of it yet. However, we all think the Jets win this one, and we can finally stop talking about the faint possibility of the Cowboys getting in the playoffs. The Jets front should be able to limit the run game of the Cowboys, also known as the Cowboys offense. Unfortunately for the Jets, they might not make the playoffs even if they win out. Sometimes life isn’t fair Jets. Prediction: Jets win 27-6 Chiefs at Ravens: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs So the Chiefs are quietly continuing their huge winning streak. I think people are sleeping on this team a little too much. They have a pretty easy schedule going forward, so they will probably end up as the five seed. That will leave them to play the winner of the AFC South in the first round, which they should be able to win. Then they will probably play either the Bengals or the Broncos, both of whom are having QB issues. And even if their starting quarterbacks come back, it isn’t as if either of them is renowned for winning playoff games. That would put them in the AFC championship game against the Patriots or one of the previously mentioned teams, and the Chiefs have had the Patriots number in recent years. Maybe you remember the Monday Night game they had last year? Prediction: Chiefs win 23-3 Bills at Redskins: Jemp: Redskins, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Redskins Ah Reeb making his funny jokes. Kirk gets to come back home after proving he can win on the road. The Redskins are gearing up for their playoff run, and the Bills are in their way. It isn’t your fault Bills, you will make the playoffs one day. Prediction: Redskins win 100-0 Texans at Colts: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans Clipboard Jesus gets no respect. Remember in 2010 when he backed up Matt Hasselbeck in Seattle. He stepped in to play the Rams for the division title in Week 17. Everyone thought Sam Bradford would get the win, as he looked so promising in his rookie year, but Charlie Whitehurst spoiled his season and won the division with a 7-9 record. Now he gets to step in for Matt Hasselbeck again, with another terrible division up for grabs. Talk about déjà vu. Again no one thinks he can do it, but I know he will prove them all wrong. Prediction: Colts win 20-17 Titans at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots Well the Patriots looked a little more like the Patriots last week. Rookie quarterbacks don’t usually fare well against Bill Belichick, and bad teams don’t fare well against Tom Brady. The Titans defense actually hasn’t been bad this year, but I don’t see them being able to do much to stop the Patriots. This game probably isn’t worth watching unless you have Tom Brady on you fantasy team (which I do). Prediction: Patriots win 40-10 Panthers at Giants: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Panthers So I’ll mention again, that in 2007, the Giants lost to the undefeated Patriots 38-35, and went on to beat them in the Super Bowl. Four years later, the Giants lost to the undefeated Packers 38-35, and went on to beat them in the playoffs and then win the Super Bowl. Now, four years after that, the Giants are squaring off against the undefeated Panthers. Fortunately we can count on the Redskins to keep the Giants out of the playoffs this year, but still, the similarities are scary. Prediction: Panthers win 38-35 Bears at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings The Bears fell prey to the Redskins last week, which is completely understandable. The Vikings didn’t really feel like going to overtime against the Cardinals, so they decided to just lose the game. I don’t blame them, I mean it was late on a Thursday Night, so they were probably ready for bed. Maybe we are being too hard on Mike Zimmer. I mean, what are the chances of Teddy Bridgewater fumbling on that last play? I guess a sack also could have ended the game… or a completion in bounds, or an interception, or a hold or another penalty. But best case scenario they could have attempted a slightly shorter field goal. Anyway, I don’t think the Vikings need a late game-tying field goal in this one. Prediction: Vikings win 30-23 Falcons at Jaguars: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars I guess I underestimated the Falcons. I predicted them to lose 41-0 to the Panthers and they managed to get out of there with the score just 38-0. Well the Panthers did take their foot off of the gas pedal in the 4th quarter, but still, at least Matt Ryan didn’t give them any free touchdowns. The staff has pinpointed the Falcons problem. It was when they stopped using Leonard Hankerson that the team really fell apart. Now Lenny is on the Patriots, and I don’t think there is anything that can save the Falcons. Prediction: Jaguars win 34-17 Packers at Raiders: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers Well Khalil Mack had a pretty good game last week. He had more sacks than Amari Cooper had receiving yards. This week, I’m looking for Amari Cooper to step his game up, and for Mack to continue to dominate. The Packers running game was unstoppable last week, or at least the Cowboys made it look unstoppable. I don’t think they have the same success against the Raiders. The rest of the guys might think that Aaron Rodgers can survive a trip to the Black Hole, but I know he’s no Matthew McConaughey. Prediction: Raiders win 20-17 Browns at Seahawks: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks Okay so Doug Baldwin just won’t quit scoring touchdowns. He might not be playing against the stiffest competition, but he and Russel Wilson have been very impressive nonetheless. They get another mismatch this week during their hot streak, so look for them to continue to tear it up. And even if they don’t, still expect an easy win for the Seahawks. Prediction: Seahawks win 31-10 Bengals at 49ers: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: 49ers Only Pep is picking the 49ers in this one. He must really think that AJ McCarron is terrible. I mean, do you really think he is that much worse than Blaine Gabbert? We all watched him win a bunch of games at Alabama. I guess that was mostly because his team was a lot more talented than the competition. Good thing that he has that advantage again in this game. The 49ers were demolished last week by Johnny Manziel and Isaiah Crowell so I don’t think the Bengals have much to worry about. Prediction: Bengals win 29-13 Dolphins at Chargers: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Chargers The Chargers put up a good fight last week against the Chiefs. Their defense kept them in the game, and Philip Rivers did all he could to score on that last possession. The delay of game when they were on the one-yard line may have seemed bad, but I think it was a strategic move by Philip Rivers. Mike McCoy probably called a run play, and Philip knew that they would get stuffed if they ran it. He preferred a chance to throw it. Unfortunately his receivers couldn’t catch the ball when he delivered two perfect strikes. The Dolphins will be a much easier matchup than the Chiefs, so I say he gets the win this week. Prediction: Chargers win 28-23 Broncos at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Steelers I think these guys are overreacting to the Broncos loss last week. Don’t get me wrong, this will be a close game between two good teams, but I think the Broncos are able to squeak this one out. Their defense can limit the explosiveness of the Steelers offense, and I think the Brock Lobster can produce a little more than last week. Maybe Vernon Davis will even remember how to catch, or Brock will know not to trust him in important situations. Prediction: Broncos win 24-21 Cardinals at Eagles: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Cardinals, Pep: Cardinals Well I guess the Eagles were able to use some of the misguided confidence they got from beating the Patriots to get a win against the Bills. Fortunately this week, the Cardinals can take them down a peg. The Cardinals are playing as well as any team in the league other than the Panthers. You never know which one or two of their receivers is going to have a big day. That makes it tough for defenses and fantasy owners to figure out. I can’t wait to watch the Cardinals torch the Eagles. Prediction: Cardinals win 44-17 Lions at Saints: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions So last week, after the chop block call in the Lions game, we had an argument as to whether or not referees should be fined or suspended for bad calls. I say that a ref making a bad call is no different from a player making a bad play. You wouldn’t suspend a receiver for dropping a touchdown. Anyway we are all picking the Lions in this game, mostly due to the inconsistency of both teams. The Saints won last week, and the Lions lost, so chances are that they both change it up this week. Prediction: Lions win 20-17 So Screw’s picks were so bad last week that we had to fire him. If anyone wants his job just tweet us @ProFootballJoke. Or you can just follow us there.
Jemp: 59-40 Alx: 58-41 Pep: 56-43 Reeb: 55-44 Screw: 5-11 I made some headway toward the top of the standings. Sunday was a good day, and I’m just going to pretend nothing happened on Monday. However, the Redskins are still on top of the NFC East so let’s move forward to next week. Vikings at Cardinals: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Cardinals, Pep: Cardinals What a game for Thursday Night. I haven’t been this excited for a Thursday nighter since the Titans Jaguars game. Unfortunately the Vikings have been struggling recently. If only they had an elite running back they could feed the ball to. That might help. I think Adrian Peterson lives up to his nickname this game, but I don’t think it will be enough against the Cardinals. The Vikings are too banged up on defense to stop this Cardinals offense. Prediction: Cardinals win 27-20 Falcons at Panthers: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Panthers I didn’t even ask the rest of the staff who they were picking on this one because I already knew the answer. Sure maybe the Panthers will have an off game sooner or later. If I were them I would hope it was this one, because the Falcons will make sure the Panthers win regardless. It might be closer than my prediction, but the Falcons will give away the game sooner or later. Prediction: Panthers win 41-0 Saints at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs Does anyone else feel bad for Drew Brees? He has to go into every game knowing that the opposing quarterback is going to throw at least four touchdowns and he has to keep up. He carved up arguably the best defense in the league last week, but his defense couldn’t get a stop against Cam Newton. Still, I think if Drew Brees brings his A-game against the Bucs, the Saints can win this one. Everyone else is taking the Bucs, but I say the Saints win a in a shootout, which seems to be the only type of game the Saints can win… unless they are playing the Falcons. Prediction: Saints win 38-35 49ers at Browns: Jemp: 49ers, Reeb: 49ers, Pep: 49ers Who would have thought there would be a game where we all picked Blaine Gabbert to get a win? Granted it’s against the Browns, but still. Blaine Gabbert deserves some credit for exceeding incredibly low expectations. This is really what was expected of him in Jacksonville. He was just supposed to make the team look somewhat competitive against mediocre teams. On the other side, the Browns are going back to Johnny Manziel. Like he said, Mike Pettine gave him a harsh punishment by making him ride the bench for two meaningless games, but he has learned his lesson, which is to not get caught on video. Prediction: 49ers win 20-14 Seahawks at Ravens: Jemp: Seahawks, Reeb: Seahawks, Pep: Seahawks I’m not completely convinced the Seahawks are back to Super Bowl form, but this will just be another warm up game for them. Russell Wilson is hot right now, but I don’t think he can sustain this production. The LOB wasn’t really tested last week, and won’t face much of a challenge this week either. They need to be able to dominate like they have in years past if this team wants to go back to the Super Bowl. Or maybe I’m wrong and Russell Wilson to Doug Baldwin will continue to look like Peyton Manning to Marvin Harrison. Prediction: Seahawks win 24-7 Lions at Rams: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions So I don’t know if anyone saw, but the Lions suffered kind of a tough loss last week. Jim Caldwell was talking about how he wasn’t expecting the Hail Mary, so I guess that explains why Calvin Johnson wasn’t out there, and why there several Lion defenders standing fifteen yards back doing nothing. I was expecting the quick slant myself, so you can understand his confusion. Fortunately this week they play the Rams, who can’t seem to ever get a pass in the end zone regardless of what defense the Lions play. Prediction: Lions win 23-10 Redskins at Bears: Jemp: Bears, Reeb: Bears, Pep: Bears Alright well Kirk Cousins was tired of people talking about why he always wins at home, but always loses on the road. So he decided to lose a game at home, and then come back this week to win on the road. Smart move since the Redskins still lead the NFC East anyway. Now they get the chance to dominate the Bears. Prediction: Redskins win 100-0 Chargers at Chiefs: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs Well the Chiefs get to continue their hot streak with their easy schedule. The Chiefs are solid at every position on both sides of the ball, and they are playing well as a team. They now can win by throwing to Jeremy Maclin, but they don’t miss a step if the defense tries to take him away. That’s the advantage of going almost two years without throwing a touchdown to a wide receiver. Philip Rivers must be considering retirement at this point with no protection or anyone to throw to. Prediction: Chiefs win 33-24 Bills at Eagles: Jemp: Bills, Reeb: Bills, Pep: Bills Ok yeah the Eagles beat the Patriots last week. But did they even play well on offense or defense? Their offense put up 14 points, one of their touchdowns coming after an interception, and the other one coming after a failed onsides drop kick. Their defense did get a 99 yard pick six, but it was off of a tipped pass, and it didn’t take much for Malcolm Jenkins to get past Tom Brady. The Patriots then were still able to put up 28 points despite all the dropped passes and the lack of weapons they had. I’ll admit the Eagles do have a good special teams unit, something maybe the Redskins could invest in, but I don’t think that is enough to allow them to win many games. LeSean McCoy is ready to stick it to Chip Kelly, and the Bills have been playing very well lately. Prediction: Bills win 28-16 Steelers at Bengals: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Steelers For those of you starting your fantasy playoffs this week, or those of you who need to win this week to get into the playoffs, you might want to watch this game. There is an abundance of talent at the skill positions in this game, so chances are someone in this game is involved in your matchup. Last time these two teams played, they disappointed fantasy owners in a low scoring affair. This game should be different though. Ben Roethlisberger seems to have fully recovered from his injury, and the Bengals have all but wrapped up the AFC North, so there is no pressure on Andy Dalton. Tough call, but I’m going with the Bengals. Prediction: Bengals win 34-30 Titans at Jets: Jemp: Jets, Reeb: Jets, Pep: Jets The Jets defied my expectations last week as they didn’t fold to their NFC counterparts. The Jets have plenty of talent, and they should get Darrelle Revis back this week. Also they are playing the Titans, so they should be able to win this one. Still, the Titans have been playing okay recently. Dorial Green-Beckham learned how to catch a football last week while Marcus Mariota had a great 87 yard touchdown run. Somehow I don’t see this team putting up 42 points again this week though. Prediction: Jets win 19-13 Colts at Jaguars: Jemp: Colts, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jaguars Well Matt Hasselbeck finally lost a game. I know you probably thought it would never happen. Here is the deal with Matt Hasselbeck. He does this crazy thing where he beats teams that are worse than the Colts, and loses to teams that are better than the Colts. He is as consistent as they come, and the Jaguars are not as good as the Colts, so I think he get the W on the road. The one thing I will say about the Jaguars is that Allen Robinson is a beast. He has entered into the group of elite wide receivers in the NFL. Maybe Allen Hurns can join him there next year. Prediction: Colts win 24-23 Raiders at Broncos: Jemp: Broncos, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Raiders Only Pep still believes in the Raiders here. The Raiders have taken a nice step forward this year that they should be happy with. They should take the rest of the year to develop chemistry between Derek Carr and Amari Cooper. Just keep throwing it to him so I can win my fantasy league, oh and so the Raiders can get better next year. The Broncos are a really good team, but I doubt that Brock Osweiler can take them to the Super Bowl. Prediction: Broncos win 22-16 Cowboys at Packers: Jemp: Packers, Reeb: Packers, Pep: Packers I would consider taking the Cowboys here if they weren’t the Cowboys. Their defense should be able to limit the Packers, but unless Randall Cobb decides he has to win the game on a punt return, then reverse his field and fumbles the football to essentially lose the game, I don’t think the Cowboys can win. I don’t think Randall Cobb would be that stupid, I mean who would? When your team is in great position to win the game, no one would possible try something that idiotic would they? I mean that would cause many fans to scream and break things and cry themselves to sleep. I mean, maybe it would, I don’t know for sure. Prediction: Packers win 19-17 Patriots at Texans: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots Yeah the Texans are not a bad team, and the Patriots are banged up. But does anyone actually think Tom Brady is going to lose 3 in a row? Sure, JJ Watt will get pressure and maybe limit this offense, but we all know the Patriots will pull out the win in the end. Not even the Brian Hoyer revenge game will be enough to beat the Patriots this week. I expect Danny Amendola and Brandon Lafell to actually catch the passes in their hands this week, and for the Texans not to get three non-offensive touchdowns. Prediction: Patriots win 26-24 Giants at Dolphins: Jemp: Giants, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Giants So the Giants really know how to choke in the fourth quarter. Going for it on 4th and 2 was an interesting decision, but I completely agreed with the call when Coughlin made it. Although, that was only because I had Odell Beckham on my fantasy team and I wanted the Giants to lose. I think the Dolphins actually won last week, but no one really cared about that game so I don’t think it really counted. The Giants should be able to beat the Dolphins. That doesn’t really mean much when talking about the Giants but I’m going to pick them anyway. Prediction: Giants win 24-13 So we have a new intern getting in on the picking action. Unfortunately for him, we are sorting the standings by the number of correct picks, not the percentage of correct picks. Good luck catching up Screw!
Jemp: 50-33 Reeb: 48-35 Pep: 48-35 Alx: 48-35 Screw: 0-0 Jemp has a two game lead on the rest of the staff, as Reeb stumbled last week, mistakenly picking the Bucs and the Bills. Still, the important thing is that the Redskins are on top of the NFC East just as we all predicted. Packers at Lions: Jemp: Lions, Reeb: Lions, Pep: Lions 32-20, Screw: Lions The Lions finally looked good on both sides of the ball last week. I guess playing against the Eagles and Mark Sanchez is good for that. Also, throwing the ball to Calvin Johnson helps. The Packers did not have any such luck. Maybe they took what I said too literally about Jay Cutler giving them the game. Jay did a good job of not turning the ball over and was able to put up 17 points. I guess that is all you need to beat the Packers these days. The Lions defense has been playing well for a while now, so I think they are able to contain the Pack. Prediction: Lions win 24-16 49ers at Bears: Jemp: Bears, Reeb: Bears, Pep: 49ers 32-20, Screw: Bears The Bears have somehow warped into a team that plays good defense and doesn’t turn the football over. Remember that this is the team with Jay Cutler at quarterback, and guys like Jarvis Jenkins on defense. Still, just because they can stop Aaron Rodgers doesn’t mean they can handle Blaine Gabbert. Not to mention Shaun Draughn toting the rock. Prediction: Bears win 30-17 Falcons at Buccaneers: Jemp: Bucs, Reeb: Bucs, Pep: Bucs 32-20, Screw: Falcons Screw is new, so he doesn’t understand the rule to never pick the Falcons again. They are content with a six win season, so they have decided to give other teams some free wins. Remember how good this offense looked at the beginning of the season? I have already said that playing the Bucs is the test to see if your team is a legitimate contender. The Falcons already failed the test once, and I don’t expect them to pass it the second time around. Prediction: Buccaneers win 23-13 Cardinals at Rams: Jemp: Cardinals, Reeb: Rams, Pep: Cardinals 32-20, Screw: Cardinals The Cardinals were actually disappointing in their win last week, but maybe we are being too hard on the 49ers. Besides, the Cardinals may as well save their best for real competition. The Rams do not qualify as real competition so maybe they keep it close, but I doubt it. Their passing game is non-existent, but hopefully Todd Gurley can get back on track. Remember he had his first big game against the Cardinals, so maybe he can do it again. Prediction: Cardinals win 34-17 Jaguars at Titans: Jemp: Jaguars, Reeb: Jaguars, Pep: Jags 32-20, Screw: Jaguars Who can wait for the rematch of that great Thursday Night battle. Everyone is saying the Jaguars win again, but the Titans have been playing okay as of late. Sure they haven’t won, but how much do you want from them? They have been competitive, which is more than I can say about the Jaguars last week against the 2-8 Chargers. I say the Titans take this one at home. Prediction: Titans win 20-17 Seahawks at Vikings: Jemp: Vikings, Reeb: Vikings, Pep: Vikings 32-20, Screw: Vikings So the Seahawks looked good last week, but still looked nothing like the Seahawks of 2014 or 2013. They needed Russell Wilson to throw for five touchdowns to beat the Steelers in CenturyLink. Now they go back on the road, and somehow I don’t think they will put up quite as many points against this Vikings defense. The Vikings might not score as much as the Steelers either, but I can guarantee that there will be a lot of giving the ball to Adrian Peterson. They might just give it to him all day. Prediction: Vikings win 19-17 Bengals at Browns: Jemp: Bengals, Reeb: Bengals, Pep: Bengals 32-20, Screw: Bengals Smart move by the Browns to start Austin Davis. How dare the Johnny Manziel partake in the consumption of alcohol? He should know that NFL players don’t party. The Browns are right to not tolerate such things, but smart move drafting Johnny Football over Derek Carr and Teddy Bridgewater. I mean, they don’t even have cool nicknames. Anyway, the Browns blew their chance to beat the Bengals in primetime so they have no chance in the one o’clock slot. Prediction: Bengals win 42-23 Texans at Bills: Jemp: Texans, Reeb: Texans, Pep: Texans 32-20, Screw: Bills Okay well I picked the Saints last week because of everyone saying Brian Hoyer would be a top quarterback in fantasy for the week. He wasn’t, but neither was Drew Brees. The Texans have been playing well ever since they cut Ryan Mallett. I still think the Bills are the better team, they played a good game against a Chiefs team playing as well as anyone, and took a loss to the Patriots before that. I think they rebound this week even with JJ Watt coming to town. Prediction: Bills win 27-17 Jets at Giants: Jemp: Jets, Reeb: Giants, Pep: Jets 32-20, Screw: Jets Well the Giants looked bad last week, but the Redskins will do that to any team. Still the Giants own the Jets, and they tend to heat up this time of year. However, the Jets looked like started to get back on track last week and that was without Darrelle Revis. Sure they let Ryan Tannehill get those garbage time fantasy points but my fantasy team won anyway. Sorry I’m getting off track again. So yeah, Jets playing well, Giants could be ready to heat up. When in doubt, I go with the home team. Prediction: Giants win 23-10 Ravens at Dolphins: Jemp: Dolphins, Reeb: Dolphins, Pep: Ravens 32-20, Screw: Ravens So I actually wanted to change my pick to the Ravens right before the game, but I figured the staff might object so I stuck with the Browns. I feel as though we don’t factor coaching into our picks enough. John Harbaugh is clearly a better coach than Mike Pettine or Dan Campbell. Against the Browns, the talent gap was small enough to pick the better coach, but in this game I can’t see Matt Schaub exposing the Dolphins defense. Prediction: Dolphins win 28-20 Chiefs at Raiders: Jemp: Chiefs, Reeb: Chiefs, Pep: Chiefs 32-20, Screw: Raiders So I think most have us have left the Raiders bandwagon, despite them narrowly edging out the Titans last week. The Chiefs on the other hand have been on a roll. Alex Smith also decided to prove that he could win by throwing to Jeremy Maclin. I know he probably reads this column every week, which he uses as motivation. I’m just glad I could help motivate you, Alex. I’m picking the Chiefs every week from here on out, so don’t let me down. Prediction: Chiefs win 27-13 Broncos at Chargers: Jemp: Broncos, Reeb: Broncos, Pep: Broncos 32-20, Screw: Broncos Well looks like CJ Anderson put an end to the Peyton Manning era in Denver last week. Maybe the Redskins will sign him to a huge contract where he can struggle for the rest of career. Anyway, Brock Osweiler is doing a good job of taking advantage of having a dominating defense, a running game that is coming alive, and two pro bowl receivers. Yeah he has a lot to work with, but it’s still no easy task to win in the NFL. When Peyton Manning was 7-0 we didn’t give him credit for that, but let’s move on shall we. Philip Rivers must dream about 2006 when he had just as good a team around him, but he couldn’t take advantage. If only he had been the quarterback he is today, maybe the Chargers could have won a Super Bowl. Now he has nothing, and is facing a probable loss to Brock Osweiler. Prediction: Broncos win 24-20 Panthers at Saints: Jemp: Panthers, Reeb: Panthers, Pep: Panthers 32-20, Screw: Saints The Panthers are the last unbeaten team in the NFL, and a real threat to go 16-0. Who left on their schedule can beat them? Definitely not the Falcons, who they play twice. That just leaves the Saints, the Giants and the Bucs. Maybe they let their guard down and lose one of those games, but they seem to be playing their best football as of late. I can’t see the Saints defense stopping the Panthers offense, nor can I see the Saints offense scoring much against the Panthers defense. I guess Screw is just expecting the Panthers to lose one eventually, but I can’t see it being here. Prediction: Panthers win 35-24 Eagles at Patriots: Jemp: Patriots, Reeb: Patriots, Pep: Patriots 62-0, Screw: Patriots Well Gronk is out, but Danny Amendola is back. Fair tradeoff I would say. Not that it matters against the Eagles, because they can’t stop anyone. The team seems to have given up, despite being just a game back in the NFC East. Nice try in the NFL Chip Kelly, maybe you will get another chance one day if you have another good run in college. Prediction: Patriots win 44-20 Colts at Steelers: Jemp: Steelers, Reeb: Steelers, Pep: Colts 32-20, Screw: Colts Screw picking the Colts, despite being a Steelers fan. Could Matt Hasselbeck get his revenge on Big Ben after being robbed of a Super Bowl by him and his refs? I wish I could say that he would, but I don’t think he has enough to beat the Steelers. The Colts are a more consistent team with Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback, but Andrew Luck gives them a chance against any team in the league. He also gives them the chance to lose to any team in the league. You can make up your own mind about which is better for the Colts right now. I think Matthew has a chance against the Steelers but I say another bad call gives the Steelers the game. Prediction: Steelers win 23-21 Cowboys at Redskins: Jemp: Redskins, Reeb: Redskins, Pep: Redskins 32-20, Screw: Redskins Well we are all in agreement that the Redskins will win this one. Matt Cassel trying to beat the best team in the league? I think the Redskins take it easy on him though, so the game doesn’t get too out of hand. Prediction: Redskins win 200-0 |
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