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You are here: Home / Open Threads / NFL Open Thread

NFL Open Thread

by Betty Cracker|  December 13, 201512:44 pm| 83 Comments

This post is in: Open Threads, Sports

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Here’s my crappy picks for the week:

  
Tell me how wrong I am in comments!

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Previous Post: « Sunday Morning Open Thread
Next Post: Compare and Contrast »

Reader Interactions

83Comments

  1. 1.

    redshirt

    December 13, 2015 at 12:46 pm

    Bengals v. Steelers is the best game of the week. It’s a toss up, but I think the Steelers pull it out.

  2. 2.

    Mike J

    December 13, 2015 at 12:49 pm

    Can Russell Wilson have another 5 TD game? 6?

  3. 3.

    ? Martin

    December 13, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    Gronk returning for the Pats. Edelman practiced but doesn’t look like he’s playing. NE may have a bit of offense back.

  4. 4.

    Yutsano

    December 13, 2015 at 12:50 pm

    @Mike J: Hard to say with Graham out. If Willson gets over having stone hands, then it’s possible.

  5. 5.

    Corner Stone

    December 13, 2015 at 12:56 pm

    I think the Browns and Jets both win at home. The Jets are laying 7.5 which I think is about right, and the Browns are a slight home favorite giving 2.5.

  6. 6.

    Mike J

    December 13, 2015 at 12:58 pm

    @Yutsano: Doug Baldwin has been a reliable target.

  7. 7.

    benw

    December 13, 2015 at 12:58 pm

    The Chargers are rolling into KC and going to kick some… oh fuck it.

  8. 8.

    John Cole

    December 13, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    Go Steelers!

  9. 9.

    Corner Stone

    December 13, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    @Yutsano: What does Jimmy Graham have to do with RW throwing multiple TD’s? He has 2 TD’s in 11 games played this season.

  10. 10.

    donnah

    December 13, 2015 at 1:00 pm

    Bengals fan here, but knowing that my team chokes under pressure, not all that confident.

    Still hoping for the win! Go, Bengals!

  11. 11.

    Corner Stone

    December 13, 2015 at 1:01 pm

    Texans have been flexed into Sunday night so I get to watch the ATL and CAR game and continue to be absolutely befuddled by what the hell kind of team the Falcons are this season.

  12. 12.

    ThresherK

    December 13, 2015 at 1:03 pm

    Liverpool grabbed a bit of a miracle there.

  13. 13.

    oldgold

    December 13, 2015 at 1:06 pm

    Speaking of crappy picks/ decisions, 15 years ago today, a day that should live in infamy, the Bush v Gore decision was ‘handed down.’

  14. 14.

    Corner Stone

    December 13, 2015 at 1:11 pm

    The NFL really needs to figure out what the hell constitutes a catch these days.

  15. 15.

    Kathleen

    December 13, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    @donnah: They seemed to have moved that mojo this year (but my brother, who is an ardent Bengal fan, criticized them for that for the past several years). I plan to drive across the river to shop at Kroger in Newport, KY, in the hope that it’s deserted because of the game. The streets in the city are usually dead when the Bengals play, especially if it’s a home game with the Steelers. Being football agnostic, I enjoy the break in traffic and crowds during the games.

  16. 16.

    Amir Khalid

    December 13, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    @ThresherK:
    You can say that again.

  17. 17.

    Davebo

    December 13, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    @Corner Stone:

    It’s not complicated. One guy throws the ball and another guy catches it.

  18. 18.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 1:21 pm

    Cool: with Pats 8pm I’d normally have to suffer through Jets or Bills, but have Steelers/Bengals!

    John Cole, consensus here in NE is NO ONE wants to see Steelers again this year.

  19. 19.

    Doug R

    December 13, 2015 at 1:24 pm

    ‘hawks should be a lock, but they do tend to get overconfident. I guess that’s why they play the game.

  20. 20.

    Doug R

    December 13, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    @Davebo: You have obviously not watched many Seahawks games.

  21. 21.

    max

    December 13, 2015 at 1:25 pm

    7-4, then 8-5, then 9-6 last week (ugh). 24-15 (.625 total).

    Eagles over Bills. Seahawks over Ravens (since saltwater dirty birds have gotten it together). 49ers over Browns (Holiday Depression bowl, sponsored by Lexapro). Lions over Rams (because mass suicide is not an option). Jets over Titans. Colts over Jaguars. Chiefs over Chargers (again? Didn’t they play like 5 minutes ago?). Bears over Washington (because yes, better, but no, they lost to the Cowboys and they’re playing in Chicago). Panthers over Falcons. Bucs over Saints. Broncos over Raiders (so near to adequate and yet so very very far away from good). Packers over Cowboys (I’m trying not to giggle). Ooo. Texans over Pats.

  22. 22.

    Corner Stone

    December 13, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    Falcons DB just gave up on that play. Wonder what his coach is going to say about him stopping running after Ginn caught the ball.

  23. 23.

    benw

    December 13, 2015 at 1:30 pm

    Jerry Attaochu (Ga Tech alum!) forces the KC punt returner to fumble! Charger ball!

  24. 24.

    redshirt

    December 13, 2015 at 1:31 pm

    I wonder if Gronk will just be a decoy. He’d still be pretty effective.

  25. 25.

    D58826

    December 13, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    OT but it seems that Marco Rubio wants to roll back the 21st, 20th and 19th centuries and reestablish the 3/5s compromise and slavery

    Marco Rubio Suggests His Supreme Court Would Roll Back Marriage Equality
    “I will appoint Supreme Court justices that will interpret the Constitution as originally constructed.”

    Oh and ladies forget but voting after 2016.

  26. 26.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 1:36 pm

    @efgoldman: Steelers>Bengals, Steelers>Broncos, Bengals>Broncos would be the Pat’s xMas list. I can see Pats losing at NYJ. At Miami is like at Denver for them, but the fish are in freefall.

  27. 27.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    @efgoldman: McCarron’s a 5th round pick. Means he’s better than Brady ;-) Wally Pipp. Drew Bledsoe. Andy Dalton.

  28. 28.

    benw

    December 13, 2015 at 1:41 pm

    @efgoldman: “Gesundheit!”? Not “God bless you”? What is this, the War on Sneezes!?

    ETA and the damn Chargers miss the FG. Dammit, Chargers!

  29. 29.

    Corner Stone

    December 13, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    @efgoldman: Make that 21 – 0 CAR.

  30. 30.

    ? Martin

    December 13, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    @efgoldman: I take is back somewhat – he’s questionable. So we’ll see.

  31. 31.

    benw

    December 13, 2015 at 1:47 pm

    Chargers intercept Alex Smith! First interception on Smith since September. Brady’s record is safe. (Screw you, Brady!)

  32. 32.

    Corner Stone

    December 13, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    “Here we go Jag-uars, here we go!”

  33. 33.

    Schlemazel

    December 13, 2015 at 1:50 pm

    @redshirt:
    There was a wide receiver, lance rentzel, who played for the Vikings Rams and Cowboys who had some problems with the law for pulling it out.

  34. 34.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    @Schlemazel: Lots of players have had issues for not pulling it out*. :-o

    *Please note any youngsters on this site this is Not an effective means of birth control.

  35. 35.

    Davebo

    December 13, 2015 at 1:55 pm

    Atlanta 2nd and 36! You don’t see that often.

  36. 36.

    Yutsano

    December 13, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    @Mike J: Eh. It looks like they’ll do okay.

  37. 37.

    mikej

    December 13, 2015 at 2:00 pm

    @Yutsano: Wish we had Rawls. They’ll survive,even after that fumble, but I don’t expect a blow out now.

  38. 38.

    redshirt

    December 13, 2015 at 2:02 pm

    @efgoldman: Yeah, if Dalton is done for the year, that just changed the playoff picture in the AFC big time.

    Also gives the Pats a ton of breathing room.

  39. 39.

    NeutronFlux

    December 13, 2015 at 2:02 pm

    You picked the Chiefs! Nooooooo!

  40. 40.

    redshirt

    December 13, 2015 at 2:06 pm

    @redshirt: Or maybe not!

  41. 41.

    Kathleen

    December 13, 2015 at 2:19 pm

    @efgoldman: The Bengals have a back up quarterback who looked pretty good in the preseason. Well, that’s what my brother told me anyway.

  42. 42.

    Schlemazel

    December 13, 2015 at 2:20 pm

    @p.a.:
    A few years later there was a former North Star player, Dino Ciccarelli, that went to Washington (I think) and got busted in DC for exposing himself. His team wanted to trade him and the joke was his response was “No, that’s OK, I’ll stick it out here.”

    And let me second your tip to the youngsters about prevention.

  43. 43.

    Pete Mack

    December 13, 2015 at 2:25 pm

    BUTT FUMBLE! Baltimore loses ball on own 18 yard line, with less than a minute in the half. Seattle touchdown!

  44. 44.

    Amir Khalid

    December 13, 2015 at 2:26 pm

    @Schlemazel:

    His team wanted to trade him and the joke was his response was “No, that’s OK, I’ll stick it out here.”

    Cringe.

  45. 45.

    benw

    December 13, 2015 at 2:29 pm

    Chargers that was a very bad end to the half. Your mother and I are very disappointed in you right now. We are going to talk about this at halftime, mister!

  46. 46.

    Schlemazel

    December 13, 2015 at 2:35 pm

    @Amir Khalid:
    There was probably 15-20 years between the Rentzel case & the Chiccarelli one and it shows some, small a slow but some, progress . Lance was busted in MN as the charges went away and he was traded, same in Dallas and San Diego but he did finally face a court (very fuzzy memory of this but it did happen) The belief is he was a serial flasher & many people worked to shield him. Dino does not appear to have been so protected and I’d like to think that is because we have lower tolerance for the bad behavior of our sports stars, although there is ample evidence this is not 100% across the board.

  47. 47.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 2:37 pm

    @Schlemazel: no hard info, but my impression of the BJ demographic is that we’re closer to Medicare concerns than family planning issues. Would love for the site to run a demo questionnaire.

  48. 48.

    Germy

    December 13, 2015 at 2:37 pm

    Julie Andrews at the age of twelve

  49. 49.

    NeutronFlux

    December 13, 2015 at 2:38 pm

    @benw: Bad for you, good for me. As I understand it, it is impossible for the Chargers to practice in the rain.

  50. 50.

    Howard Beale IV

    December 13, 2015 at 2:42 pm

    Loos like France’s National Front took a drubbing.

  51. 51.

    Lamh36

    December 13, 2015 at 2:43 pm

    The new Independence Day sequel trailer dropped today. No Will Smith, but hey I luvs me some Jeff Goldblum!

    Independence Day: Resurgence Trailer Released

  52. 52.

    debbie

    December 13, 2015 at 2:44 pm

    @Germy:

    She never lost that smile, huh?

  53. 53.

    ThresherK (GPad)

    December 13, 2015 at 2:46 pm

    Some cartoonists, including the adorkable Abby Howard, have devised a solution to the War on Christmas.

    Get your Christmachrist cards here.

    Also, doesn’t my Christian pharmacist’s advice on pulling out outweigh my doctor’s Rx, 1-1, making “pulling it out” effective? Or is that only if believe in its efficacy?

  54. 54.

    Bill Murray

    December 13, 2015 at 2:48 pm

    Lance Rentzel was also famous for marrying Joey Heatherton and for being hired by Dick Schaap (along with Fred Dryer) to essentially prank the Steelers and Vikings at the Super Bowl.

  55. 55.

    benw

    December 13, 2015 at 2:51 pm

    @NeutronFlux: rain freaks San Diegans right out.

  56. 56.

    Ryan

    December 13, 2015 at 2:55 pm

    Finally, a pick in favor of the Patriots!

  57. 57.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    @ThresherK (GPad): Well they think you can pray teh gay away, maybe you can pray the baby away! Just pray fast, before fertilization.

  58. 58.

    Germy

    December 13, 2015 at 3:04 pm

    @debbie: She had a crisis when doctors stole her singing voice, but I think she’s in a better place now emotionally.

  59. 59.

    GoBlue72

    December 13, 2015 at 3:27 pm

    @efgoldman: Panthers pissing all over the Falcon’s corpse.

    Carolina looking to easily finish regular season 16-0.

  60. 60.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 3:34 pm

    @efgoldman: Had a extra credit question in HS: Who was Ponsonby Britt. No one got it.

    Ponsonby Britt was the credited—but fictional—executive producer of the television series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Fractured Flickers, Hoppity Hooper, and George of the Jungle.

    In 1959, Jay Ward and Bill Scott invented the name “Ponsonby Britt, Limited” as the new title of their corporation. Britt eventually supposedly became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and was retained in the cartoon’s closing credits as an in-joke.

    This info was originally told to me by Prof. Josiah S Carberry.

  61. 61.

    Corner Stone

    December 13, 2015 at 3:43 pm

    @GoBlue72: Giants, Falcons, Bucs.
    Not sure how they do not go undefeated unless Cam gets injured. Any bets on CAR sitting Cam the last game v Bucs? I say no.

  62. 62.

    max

    December 13, 2015 at 3:45 pm

    On the one hand, Chicago is apparently bad, but not quite that bad. On the other hand, maybe mass suicide in Detroit IS an option.

    max
    [‘Thinking the Colts have packed it in for the year.’]

  63. 63.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 3:49 pm

    @efgoldman: Good stuff. The last time I checked out a WB cartoon on a network the violence was edited out: you might hear the explosion but not see it, and the next scene would be Daffy with his bill on backwards & upside down, smoke rising from his head. Sad.

    Int. Just waiting for 4pm game now.

  64. 64.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 3:53 pm

    @Corner Stone: Not being in the area, can anyone in the Carolinas comment on whether PerfectSeason pr is ramping up as it did here in NE in 2007? Pro football is tough enough without that bs to deal with.

  65. 65.

    benw

    December 13, 2015 at 4:01 pm

    Well, Chargers, that was a very Charger way to lose a game.

  66. 66.

    NeutronFlux

    December 13, 2015 at 4:06 pm

    @benw: Credit to the Chargers for not giving up. That was a helluva drive. Had us on the edge of the seat here.

  67. 67.

    Mike J

    December 13, 2015 at 4:08 pm

    Disappointing. Wilson held to a mere five TDs.

  68. 68.

    scav

    December 13, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    Allez La France, or, at least, Allez Les Exit Polls.

    Quandmême, pas assez net.

  69. 69.

    benw

    December 13, 2015 at 4:19 pm

    @NeutronFlux: yeah, the Chargers haven’t quit all season even though they’re not, you know, good.

  70. 70.

    Johnny Coelacanth

    December 13, 2015 at 4:20 pm

    “Tell me how wrong I am in comments!”

    You’re wrong to care about football.

  71. 71.

    ? Martin

    December 13, 2015 at 4:23 pm

    @benw: Well, you give up when you think next year’s team will be a winner and you can just stay healthy and wait. You keep fighting when you think next year’s team will suck and you’re trying to get the attention of another team.

  72. 72.

    Yutsano

    December 13, 2015 at 4:30 pm

    @efgoldman: Side note: June Foray is still very much alive and still working.

  73. 73.

    redshirt

    December 13, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    Seattle’s Rawls out for the rest of the season. So Wilson will have to keep throwing 4-5 TD’s per game, as he’s been doing the last month.

  74. 74.

    Heliopause

    December 13, 2015 at 5:00 pm

    @redshirt:

    Too bad about Rawls, he was having another amazing game, but the Seahawks probably won’t need a running game the next couple of weeks, and then the final game in Arizona will probably be meaningless, so Beast Mode can rest until the first playoff game.

  75. 75.

    Corner Stone

    December 13, 2015 at 6:05 pm

    @efgoldman:

    Nobody without a monetary interest cares about either game. And anyone that actually bets on either game might as well burn the money in the fireplace. Two-hundred players already looking for tee times.

    And WTS, both won as predicted, and both covered. So, meh to you, sir. Meh.

  76. 76.

    Bill Murray

    December 13, 2015 at 7:16 pm

    you evidently can’t spell Denver without drop

  77. 77.

    redshirt

    December 13, 2015 at 7:31 pm

    And now Denver loses too, giving New England a clear path if they can beat noted loser Cornerstone’s Houston Texans.

  78. 78.

    jeer9

    December 13, 2015 at 7:35 pm

    Denver holds the Raiders to 126 yards of offense and lose. Pretty amazing.

    And yeah, the drops were bad – but Osweiler and Gang are a NotReadyForPrimeTime group.

  79. 79.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 7:36 pm

    @Bill Murray: I looked at the stats of the Oak/Den game and except for D’s 2 lost fumbles it’s like how the frak did they lose? Were both lost fumbles inside their own 20? I’ll have to actually watch the NBC pregame show now to see.

  80. 80.

    redshirt

    December 13, 2015 at 7:43 pm

    So a New England win tonight gives them a huge advantage in Home Field.

    Go Pats!

  81. 81.

    p.a.

    December 13, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    Except for the win v the Pats Osweiler hasn’t got the Bronc’s O more than 17 pts a game. Still better than Paytoon; no to’s, but you have to take some pressure off your D.

  82. 82.

    max

    December 13, 2015 at 8:17 pm

    What the fuck?

    max
    [‘This is the week Oakland delivers a functioning defense? Holy shit!’]

  83. 83.

    Suezboo

    December 14, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    Wheee ! My Packers done did it again! Crushed those Texas punks into the ground. Oh, sorry, is that overly aggressive ? Pbfft ! Small victory dance ! Yeah !
    Whut ? Oakland has a defense ? Damn, we get them next week.
    What happens when they have played all the teams in this league and, please FSM, won it. What’s the next step to glory?

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