NFL Picks
Season Record 24-20
Last Week 4-0
Mortal Lock Record 4-5-1
The Stool is finishing the NFL season like a freaking locomotive. We are 8-0 in our last 8 games, raising our season record from a dismal 16-20 to a respectable 24-20 on the year. I’ll admit that it may be tough to keep the streak going as the last week of the NFL season is traditionally one of the toughest of the year as you try to decipher which teams have already packed it in. Therefore, we recommend small plays this week as we prepare for the playoffs and what is sure to be the Stool’s finest hour.
AZ at Indy -6.5
This will be the last Colts victory of the season because we all know that the Pats are going to go into Indy and kick the shit out of the Colts in the divisional round of the playoffs. And the Colts probably know that too. Indy has had a very bad two week stretch on and off the football field. What once seemed like a magical season has sort of turned into a nightmare lately for the Colts. My guess is that Indy will use this game as a way to try to reverse all the negative shit that has been happening to them lately. They need to feel good about themselves and build up some false confidence before having to deal with the dynasty in two weeks. And Arizona is just what the doctor ordered. Look for Indianapolis to win this game by 3 TD’s and give everybody a case of the happies before heading into the tournament.
Mortal Lock – Indy
Detroit at Pittsburgh -16
Did anybody catch that death match last week between the Detroit Lions and New Orleans Saints? The Lions managed to outlast New Orleans by the score of 13 to 12. Riveting. I actually heard that 5 people killed themselves in the stands during the game. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh is chugging along and right now looks every bit like the 2nd best team in the NFL behind the Pats. And the beauty of this game is that the Steelers still need to win to get into the playoffs. Therefore, they should be up by 30 by half time. The only drama in this game is whether the Lions will have enough players show up to field a team.
The Pick – Pittsburgh
Seattle at Green Bay +1.5
I’m of the opinion that Brett Favre is one of the most overrated players in the history of the NFL. I really believe that. Even Favre’s biggest fans can’t deny that he has been simply horrendous this year. But you can’t take away the fact that the guy gives 100% all the time. And that should be enough in this game. Seattle clinched everything that they could possibly clinch last week vs. the Colts. They have absolutely nothing to play for here and I expect most of the starters to be gone by the 2nd quarter. The Green Bay crowd is as fanatical and dumb as it gets. They’ll treat this game like the Super Bowl and that should be enough for Favre and company to squeak out a victory vs. the 3rd team of the Seahawks.
The Pick – Green Bay
Baltimore at Cleveland -2.5
Right now Brian Billick is answering the question of how long can you keep your head coaching job based on winning one Super Bowl. Has there been a more disappointing team than the Baltimore Ravens over the past 5 years? I mean every single year they are supposed to be a sleeper team and every year they just get worse and worse. It’s seems like 30 years ago when Billick was strutting around like a peacock on HBO’s Hard Knocks. The only good thing you can say about the Ravens is that it’s clear everybody on that team including the coach has been fighting for their jobs the past few weeks. There is clearly a sense of desperation and urgency for Baltimore while the Browns are on the opposite side of the spectrum. Romeo Crennel is in his first year and nothing was expected out of him Therefore, I think based on motivation alone the Ravens will win this game and close out the season with 3 straight wins so they can claim they figured it out and hopefully keep their jobs.
The Pick - Baltimore