RECAP - WEEK SEVENTEEN

This Week: 6-8-2 (122-123-10)
Linebusters: 2-3 (42-42-1)
Straight Picks (w/o line): 10-6 (156-96-1)

So after 17 weeks, I'm at exactly .500 on linebusters, and 1 game under for the rest...Wow. Consistent, yes. Good? Not really. I expected .600 or so. But I can't complain. I'm used to picking outcomes without the spread, and if you take a look at the straight picks, I was .617. Not bad. Of course, this was the weirdest season I've ever seen. And week 17 was no different...

Does a Playoff Spot Mean Anything Anymore?
Oakland Raiders @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Line: Bucs -13
O/U: 39
My Pick: Tampa -13. Gotta go with the desperate Bucs 30-10.
Result: Raiders 31-24
With a shot at the playoffs (they would have gotten in, too, with the Dallas loss...), the Bucs go out and get beat by Oakland? Huh? Oakland? Really? You deserve your early offseason, Tampa.

Perfectly Imperfect
Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers
Line: Packers -10
O/U: 43
My Pick: Packers -10. 0-16 becomes a reality. Packers 27-13.
Result: Packers 31-21
So it has finally happened. Thought it would be the Fins last year, and look at them now. Can Detroit turn it around that quickly? Don't bet on it...

Land of Confusion
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles
Line: Eagles -1.5
O/U: 42.5
My Pick: Cowboys +1.5. Dallas heads to the postseason with a win, 31-20.
Result: Eagles 44-6
Don't get me wrong...as a football fan, I'm thrilled that the 'Boys' are done. But where did this come from? Philly scored only 3 points in a loss to Washington, a team that is on the downturn and has been playing like crap, and then came out and wailed on everyone's preseason super bowl favorite in a game that both teams needed to win if they wished to continue their season? I guess Philly wanted it more...

Scott Norwood Revisited
New York Giants @ Minnesota Vikings
Line: Vikings -6.5
O/U: 42
Linebuster!
My Pick: Giants +6.5. New York wins outright, 21-20.
Result: Vikings 20-19
I know, the game was unimportant, and the situation was totally different, but the Vikings won 20-19 (same score as super bowl XXV), and did so on a last second field goal. Obviously Norwood missed his shot nearly 18 years ago, giving the Giants the 20-19 win, but for Bills fans, every 20-19 game is a flashback, and when the Giants and a last second field goal are both involved, it is even worse!

Clean Out Your Lockers!
Chicago Bears @ Houston Texans
Line: Texans -2.5
O/U: 46.5
Linebuster!
My Pick: Bears +2.5. They've gotta win. 24-21.
Result: Texans 31-24
The Bears would have gotten the wild card, the way things worked out, but they couldn't beat Houston. Yet another team that fully deserves its fate. Houston should be congratulated, however, on an excellent season, finishing .500, well above what most people projected.

Holy Comeback!
Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints
Line: Panthers -3
O/U: 52.5
Linebuster!
My Pick: Panthers -3. Carolina wins 33-21.
Result: Panthers 33-31
This one was all wrapped up at 30-10, and I thought I was going to be just fine against the spread...but things went awry. If Carolina slacks off like that in the playoffs, even for a moment, they could have big issues. I'd be very hesitant to pick them as a super bowl team, simply because they do have a tendency to let up their guard.

Too Close...
St. Louis Rams @ Atlanta Falcons
Line: Falcons -14
O/U: 44
My Pick: Falcons -14. Atlanta has been a pleasant surprise all season, and wins again 27-10.
Result: Falcons 31-27
I was dumb to go with a spread that big, but Atlanta should not have allowed the Rams to put up 27 points on them. That is a bit disconcerting as they now head to Arizona...a place where big numbers regularly light up the scoreboard.

The Who Gives a Damn Bowl...
Kansas City Chiefs @ Cincinnati Bengals
Line: Bengals -3
O/U: 38
Linebuster!
My Pick: Chiefs +3. KC wins it 24-13.
Result: Benglas 16-6
I guess I shouldn't have gone against the Bengals after all. Whatever...

Watch Out Now...
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Baltimore Ravens
Line: Ravens -12.5
O/U: 36
My Pick: Ravens -12.5. Baltimore rolls 27-10.
Result: Ravens 27-7
The Ravens aren't just winning games lately, they're blowing people out. The D is on fire, and the O is doing good enough to give the D the rest it needs. This could be a dangerous team, and certainly will not be an easy out for Miami. If Baltimore wins, don't forget that they barely lost to the Titans early in the season when Tennessee was on its winning streak, making for a very intriguing potential second-round matchup.

Streakin to the Playoffs
Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts
Line: Titans -3
O/U: 38
My Pick: Colts +3. Indy doesn't want to back into the playoffs...21-17.
Result: Colts 23-0
This game meant very little. Both of these teams are very good. Nobody wants to play the Colts right now, and if Miami and Indy win, the next game the Titans play will be against the very team that just shut them out. Yet another interesting possible second-round matchup. I wouldn't expect that one to go quite the same way...

Stupid Win
Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Line: Steelers -10.5
O/U: 32.5
My Pick: Steelers -10.5. Steelers don't score much, but they score enough. 20-3.
Result: Steelers 31-0
Haha, Cleveland still can't score. What's not funny, however, is that Big Ben left this game on a stretcher. That is why teams rest star players in meaningless games, and after what we saw Sunday, I'll bet coaches over-react next year and refuse to play most of their big-name guys in week 17.

Still Swimming
Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets
Line: Jets -2.5
O/U: 42
My Pick: Jets -2.5. New York wins, but doesn't make the playoffs! 24-20.
Result: Dolphins 24-17
Unbelievable that Miami went from 1-15 to division champs...still, though, I said that the Jets wouldn't make the playoffs, and was right. They really were never that good. Their win over the Titans was big, but they played flawlessly, and the Titans had an off day. It happens. I think Miami will be one and done, but we'll see. They've been surprising people all year. Anybody else think it's fitting that the only win the Dolphins mustered last year was against the Ravens, and now they'll be meeting in the playoffs?

Blown Away
New England Patriots @ Buffalo Bills
Line: Not Enough (Pats -6.5)
O/U: 41
Linebuster!
My Pick: Pats -6.5. New England runs over the Bills 38-14.
Result: Pats 13-0
I had no idea it would be so windy, or I wouldn't have assumed so many points would be scored. Either way, New England did what it needed to do, and still managed to miss the playoffs. Ouch. I, like many, had them going 16-0 with Tom Brady...the schedule was easier this year than last...but it's football, and sometimes crazy things just happen!

Back in Form?
Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
Line: Arizona -6
O/U: 45.5
My Pick: Cards -6. Gotta go with that offense as it tunes up for the postseason. 27-19.
Result: Cards 34-21
Seeing their O put up 34 points on a defense that held Brett Favre and the Jets to 3 points last week may have Cards fans excited for the postseason. Atlanta is a good team, though. That will be a fun game to watch.

Disappointment
Washington Redskins @ San Francisco 49ers
Line: 49ers -3
O/U: 37.5
My Pick: 49ers -3. San Fran wins 20-16.
Result: 49ers 27-24
To be underdogs in San Fran was bad. To actually lose was worse. How far the mighty have fallen.

Revenge
Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers
Line: Chargers -8
O/U: 50.5
My Pick: Broncos +8. San Diego still wins 34-31.
Result: Chargers 52-21
Yes, folks, that is what revenge looks like. I'm thrilled that Denver managed to screw up what was all-but a sure thing...but I'm not so happy that they finally messed up the Denver rule. My gut said this would be a blowout, and it was. So the Denver Rule finishes the season at 4-1. We'll break it out again next year, and see how it does.