NFL: Angry Andy's 5 Picks

by Andy Andy

I have a small confession to make. I did not watch last weeks action. It pained me to miss it and I suffered extreme consequences so let me briefly take you back to last Sunday:

12.08pm
The Picks are submitted online, I’m feeling very confident this week. I know the Niners have bounced back and the blog has given me confidence in my other picks, especially spotting the Vikings (+4) over the Lions.

6.05pm
Game time, but I’m still stuck in work. Notice I say “in work” and not working. Arranging a meal with the girlfriend (don’t ask how, the blog will only make it harder to understand) to meet for dinner (steakhouse baby) and the new Bruce Willis movie Looper.

6.45pm
Patriots are up 7-0 and Vikings are up 10-3 in my early picks. Great start! Another 15 minutes left of work.

7.45pm
The Niners are putting a hurting on the Jets and my Minnesota pick is still looking good. However, the Patriots are down 21-7 to the Bills! The fucking Buffalo Bills are gonna ruin my night! Yes, conversation turned to me just repeating “how are the Bills doing this to me?” with my girlfriend consoling me. Well, that’s not true . . The second half of that sentence anyway.



9.10pm
I sit down in the cinema, food was good, Tom Brady was somehow better. Patriots responded with 5 straight touchdowns, finishing 52-28. One final check of the phone before the movie starts, picks look good. Sure Peyton Manning can’t throw the football anymore, division game against Oakland who beat the Steelers means another loss. I’m feeling good. Finally my week!

12.05am
Arrive home and my eyes have more anger in them than the kid in Looper (check it out if you haven’t by the way!) All three picks went south like my girlfriend’s head in the toilet bowl that night. Which lead to me catching the bug, puking up in work a few days later and a horrible week fighting off the effects.

Moral of the story, don’t miss the football and don’t bet against Peyton Manning . . . Ever!

And missing the football I will not this week. Look out for Drew Brees to break the streak, throwing a TD pass in 47 consecutive games. Tonight could be the last chance to see Manning-Brady. I have watched football religiously over the past 10 years and nothing could define it more than when these two play! Two of the all time greats, perhaps for the last time! No betting on this one, I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the show!

On to the picks

(Home Team in CAPS):

Eagles  (+3.0) over STEELERS
“The Eagles have a -17 points differential on the season”. “They’ve committed 12 turnovers so far”. “They in a rival game against the other team from the same state”. 

Stop!! Despite being down in all 4 of their games in the last two minutes, the Eagles have found ways to win games bar the Arizona one.

If this was the last season Philadelphia  Eagles, we’d be looking at an 0-4 start for them. But not even Andy Reid can stop the Eagles from losing close games with coaching blunders (icing the kicker does not work, just ask Miami coach Joe Philbin from week 3). Meanwhile, the Steelers are 1-2. Their one win? The NY Jets. And teams that play once every 2-3 years are not rivals, Eagles beat theirs last week!

Bears (-5.5) over JAGS
You have a team who have just come off one of, if not the, best defense performances over the season so far in the Chicago Bears going up against the worst offense in the NFL. The 1-3 Jaguars are not exactly a denfensive juggernaut either.

Falcons (-3.5) over REDSKINS
RG3 and co stand in the way of the Atlanta Falcons and everybody’s MVP candidate Matt Ryan going 5-0. Falcons should have lost last week and that will give coach Mike Ryan the pep talk material he needs to spark his team to victory against the Redskins who have yet to win at home

Ravens (-6.5) over CHIEFS
Any given week I’d back the Ravens in this one. But on a ten day preparation since their last victory for coach John Harbaugh, I’m feeling really good about this pick.  The Chiefs have lost by an average of 17 points in their 3 losses (all three games were 17, 18, and 16 point deficits) with their sole win in over time against the winless Saints on overtime.

Texans (-8.0) over JETS
Only a -8 after the 34 zip trashing the Niners put on the Jets? This is the week that the Jets officially hit rock bottom and we all know what that means . . . Teeeeebbboooowwwww!!! Not that I can see him making a difference on a team with problems on both sides of the ball and zero receivers to throw the ball to plus a poor offensive line. I do see the Jets putting up more of a fight than last week but Texans get the W by at least 10 here.

Plus:

NINERS (-9.5) over Bills
My 49ers are back on track after last week. Confidence is sky high and with Arizona losing on Thursday night, the Niners will not let the opportunity slip to get back on top of the NFC West.

Last Week: 3-3
Season: 11-12
Accumulator: 0-4