5 NFL Picks - Week 1

by Sean Coffey

Sean Coffey (formerly Angry Andy, but trying to be taking seriously now...kinda like when Andy Cole wanted to be known as Andrew Cole) is back in the hotseat for another season of NFL pick 'ems, accumulator tips, 49ers-based heartbreaks and Raiders jokes. Here are his 5 picks for Week 1...

“FOOTBALL!!” 

If I was to write a blog on the only thing filling my head this week, you would be left with a full page of me reiterating that one word. The summer is over, football is back. It’s the time of year that brings so much joy to my heart...

And also despair. For something I love so much, it can make me feel like complete crap. If you were to ask me about last season, I can’t help but think about February 3rd, 2013. My Niners' dramatic comeback, only for new star quarterback Colin Kaepernick to overthrow a pass to wide receiver Michael Crabtree that would have given us the lead inside 2 minutes. A game that I still can't bring myself to re-watch highlights of.

Actually, screw being diplomatic! As Jesse from Breaking Bad would yell (if he were a 49ers fan for some reason): “Holding, BITCH!”

Rick's Quick Picks for Superbowl/6 Nations Weekend!

by Rick Nash

Going to keep this brief for once. It's been a crazy week. If you read my Royal Rumble preview column last week, you may already know why. Next week, I'll have a special preview of the Premier League Darts and, if I get around to it, a special article on gambling that I've been wanting to get around to for a while.

5-way accumulator; €5 returns €72.59; All odds via Paddy Power.

The man just loves windows of any kind...

QPR vs. NORWICH

Harry Redknapp is finding his groove, it seems, and has now had a transfer window to power him up like Popeye with spinnach. QPR have yet to lose in 2013 and, at home to Norwich, they'll walk in confident of a win.
Pick: QPR (evens)

NFL: Angry Andy's Championship Picks

by Angry Andy

As a kid playing soccer, there was one game situation that I dreaded most: semi-finals. Losing the semi-final when you are one game away from the big one is more heartbreaking in my book than never getting to the final at all. Sure no one wants to come second, but to miss out on that opportunity to compete is a much bigger burden; to sit at home when the final is on and know that you were so close to the big game!

And that is the moment we are arriving at this Championship Sunday. 

Colin Kaepernick, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Tom Brady. Two of these Quarterbacks will be sitting at their homes in two weeks while the Superbowl takes place in New Orleans. 

The bookies favorites to reach the Superbowl are the New England Patriots and the San Francisco 49ers, setting up a rematch on what was arguably the best regular season game this year. And what a match up that would be. Tom Brady looking to cement his legacy as the greatest of all time against his childhood team that was once led by a four-time Superbowl winner (and Brady’s childhood idol), Joe Montana. What better way for the 49ers to get back to the promised land, in their Quest For Six, than to beat the best franchise in the last decade?

NFL: Angry Andy's Divisional Picks

by Angry Andy

 

It’s been a long time since the NFL had a stinker of a weekend but that is exactly what last week provided. Four one sided games with RG3, one of the most exciting players in the league, going down with a severe knee injury. The Bengals were the typical Bengals in the playoffs...which is very worrying if you're a Houston Texans fan because they couldn’t put 20 points up against them. The Vikings started the first guy they found on the street to play Quarterback (sorry Joe Webb) and failed miserably. Like the Vikings, The Colts seemed to happy just to get to the playoffs because they were danced all over by Ray Lewis (the only highlight of the weekend for yours truly). And even when Seattle were losing 14-13, you just knew the Seahawks were winning as the Redskins' only gameplan was that RG3 could pull off a miracle play with one leg.

But with all that being said, the pretenders for the Superbowl have been eliminated and a legitimate case can be made for all eight team remaining to win the Vince Lombardi trophy in New Orleans.

The Time For Talking Is Over...It's The Wildcard Round!

by Angry Andy

After 17 weeks, the playoffs are finally upon us. 32 teams have been narrowed down to 12. Come Sunday, the pretenders will have been eliminated and we’ll be down to 8 teams battling it out for the Vince Lombardi trophy.

Of the 20 teams that did not make the playoffs, 11 made changes at the head coaching position, front office or, in some cases, both on Black Monday. Black Monday certainly lived up to it’s name but talk of replacements and how they’ll fit in certain teams can wait for another month. The spotlight is on 8 of the 12 remaining teams this weekend, starting in Houston on Saturday night.
 

It's time for the Wildcard Round.