NFL Week 12: Thanksgiving Day Picks

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Here's hoping your day is filled with the blessings of family, friends, and lots and lots of turkey!!! Oh, no I did not forget, FOOTBALL!!! It is one of the many things I'm looking forward to today. You know besides the turkey, ham, pie, cake, yams, pie, peas, dressing, potatoes, gravy, pie, and did I mention pie? It also helps me to avoid those pesky why aren't you married with children questions, because I really hope I can make it through Thanksgiving without having to have a clapback.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I start the day refusing any type of food until dinner is served. It's a matter of control, so I can rest my self-control later. See, there is a method to my madness, but onto the matter at hand.

The NFL has seen fit to give us another three game special, so we have to spend as little time as possible discussing religion, politics, and gossip--three courses always served at the table. Don't forget that you have to set your fantasy team today before the games begin if you have any players on today's teams.

So, on with the picks:
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions: Detroit-I have absolutely no faith in Philadelphia at this point.

Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys: Carolina-Romo's back, and the Boys always perform well at home on Thanksgiving, but Cam and the Panthers are going to be a tough out. Besides, y'all know I hate the Cowboys. I want Cam to beat them.

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers: Green Bay-They are retiring lord Favre's jersey tonight at halftime, and the Bears are, well, the Bears. I expect a tough game with the Pack and Rodgers coming out on top.

Good luck to your teams, and may you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Until next time, "Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare.  They are consumed in twelve minutes.  Half-times take twelve minutes.  This is not coincidence."~Erma Bombeck

NFL Week 17 Picks

It is the last week of the regular season (where did the year go?).  We will be saying goodbye to a lot of teams tomorrow, while we will be waiting to see which teams will take those final spots in the playoff race.  San Diego, Chicago, Green Bay, Miami, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Arizona, and Dallas are all vying for those coveted last spots.

Not only will we be bidding some of these teams adieu, we will also be seeing the end of the awesome career of Tony Gonzalez who will be taking the field for one final time at the Georgia Dome on Sunday.

He will enter the game on Sunday with 15,071 receiving yards (one of only 5 players in the 15K club and the only TE).  He has a reception in 210 straight games (one of only 2 players with that stat).  His 1321 receptions are second only to Jerry Rice, and his 111 career touchdowns put him 2 better than Barry Sanders and 1 from tying Shaun Alexander at number 14. He holds practically every single record for a tight end. The G.O.A.T. We'll miss you, TG.

Tony Romo had surgery on Friday, so the Cowboys are looking to Kyle Orton to help them defeat the Eagles.  The Packers are welcoming back Aaron Rodgers whose collarbone was finally cleared for action in time to meet Bears.  The Panthers, Saints, and 49ers are all vying for the #2 seed in the NFC. Tomorrow will definitely be and interesting day.

Congratulations to my Chiefs who are in the playoffs and are sending 8 players to the Pro Bowl.  Chiefs Pro Bowlers include Jamaal Charles, Tamba Hali, Justin Houston, Brandon Albert, Eric Berry, Brandon Flowers, Dexter McCluster, and Dontari Poe.  Now, Andy Reid and the boys just need to get over that first round hump...

Last week, I pushed my weekly record to a little better than .500 going 9-7 bringing my total to date to 132-104. 

Sunday, December 29
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings: Detroit
Washington Redskins at New York Giants:  New York
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals:  Cincinnati
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts: Indianapolis
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins:  Miami
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers:  Pittsburgh
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans: Tennessee
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals:  Arizona
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears: Green Bay
St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks: Seattle
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints: New Orleans
Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots: New England
Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders:  Denver
Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers: Kansas City
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys:  Philadelphia

Within us there is someone who knows everything, wills everything, does everything better than we ourselves.
Hermann Hesse
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/hermann_hesse_2.html#PrC7icg36cGhsgjq.99

Until next time, “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” ― Dr. Seuss

Within us there is someone who knows everything, wills everything, does everything better than we ourselves.
Hermann Hesse
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/hermann_hesse_2.html#PrC7icg36cGhsgjq.99

Within us there is someone who knows everything, wills everything, does everything better than we ourselves.
Hermann Hesse
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/hermann_hesse_2.html#PrC7icg36cGhsgjq.99

The AFC-NFC Championships Games Are Here...But, There is a Tear in My Beer*

Happy Championship weekend, everybody! The final four teams will be taking the field shortly to decide who will travel to Dallas for the chance to hoist the Lombardi trophy as the winners of Super Bowl XLV...yet...I can't help but be a little sad...

The AFC-NFC Championship games signal an ending to the season. After today, there will only be two more NFL games until next season. *Technically, no one counts the Pro Bowl, but it's still football.* After the Super Bowl, we have to wait until August to see our favorite teams take the field again...I watch the Combine, the Draft, but really, it doesn't take the place of the action on the field. Watching quarterbacks flee from Ray Lewis, watching Tony Gonzalez stretch his arms for a pass, watching my Chiefs win the AFC West...I love this game! So, could I'm wishing, hoping, praying, crossing my fingers, singing Rose Royce, that the owners and players reach out to each other and agree on a new CBA.

By the way, I am glad that Tony Gonzalez will be returning for a 15th season, even though I missed the announcement on Jim Rome is Burning. *note to self, join the 21st century and invest in a DVR.* Now, to get Shawne Merriman up and running...

Any who, here are my picks:

Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears. Readers, you know that I have no love for Jay Cutler, but here he is. I don't trust him because some times his play looks as if he has been attending the Brett Favre School for Quarterbacks under the tutelage of Prof. Jake Delhomme. I picked the Packers at the beginning of the season to go to the Super Bowl, even though I picked against them last week. (For the record: it wasn't so much that I didn't think they could beat the Falcons, as much as, I wanted Tony Gonzalez to finally win a playoff game.) I'm a cheesehead today. I'm picking the Packers.

New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. Well, the Steelers ruined my Super Bowl picks by beating the Ravens. So here we are Jets and Steelers. Like Cutler, I don't like Ben Roethlisberger. *cough* Jerk. Yeah, he has two rings...blah, blah, blah. He doesn't get the credit like Peyton and other elite quarterbacks...yada, yada, yada. I don't care. I like the Steelers, but he's their quarterback, soooo...They won't lose because of Ben, although I wish they would. These are two great defenses. I'm just hoping somebody survives to see the Super Bowl. I'm picking the Jets.

That's it, y'all. Until next week, "Pro football is like nuclear warfare. There are no winners, only survivors."~Frank Gifford

*Rootbeer, Y'all know I don't drink. :)