NFL playoffs.

[tower912]

Weather is likely to be a factor in KC.   To a lesser extent in Buffalo.   Steelers may actually view weather as a benefit.    I think Cleveland may secretly be glad to be in Houston.    Chiefs have been playing bad for weeks.   I think the cold affects Tua more.  KC.   Buffalo ends the Steelers.
 Cleveland's defense and the Flacco effect beats the rookie coach and rookie QB.

 Two domes and Tampa in the NFC.   Philadelphia has been in a death spiral.  Mayfield takes advantage of the Patricia effect.   Dallas home field is enough.   Stafford ends Detroit in the most Lions way imaginable.

[Uncle Rico]

Chefs, Bills & Texans.  Chefs defense is better and Fins are too beat up.  Bills clicking, Steelers feel fraudy.  Texans good enough to win at home.  Interesting game.

Pokes, Buccs & Lions.  You beat Dallas by making them turn it over.  Pack don’t do that.  Pokes will need to give away the game.  Something is fundamentally wrong with Philly plus wideouts banged up.  Won’t be surprised if they win but there’s some bad vibes in Philly.

Think the Lions win.  Rams are good, well-coached but Lions have buried a lot of narratives this year.

[tower912]

I get your argument, Rico, and that was the one I wavered on the most.   I think the combination of the Rams offense and the Lions secondary decides it.

[GB Warrior]

KC Swifties roll, and Tua is officially on the hot seat when he can't make plays off-schedule against a good defense.

Bills blowout the Steelers without Watt.

Houston and Cleveland give us the game of the week. Stroud exceeds expectations but Browns get a timely late turnover.

Cowboys are too much and Joe Barry is put out to pasture.

The Lions lions in the most lionsiest way possible.

Baker Mayfield parties like it's week 15 against Joe Barry.

[tower912]

KC Swifties roll, and Tua is officially on the hot seat when he can't make plays off-schedule against a good defense

Subzero windchills mitigate the hot seat.  If he has a bad game it will be attributed to learning to play in bad weather.

[Lennys Tap]

Weather is likely to be a factor in KC.   To a lesser extent in Buffalo.   Steelers may actually view weather as a benefit.    I think Cleveland may secretly be glad to be in Houston.    Chiefs have been playing bad for weeks.   I think the cold affects TUa more.  KC.   Buffalo ends the Steelers.
 Cleveland's defense and the Flacco effect beats the rookie.coach and rookie QB.

 Two domes and Tampa in the NFC.   Philadelphia has been in a death spiral.  Mayfield takes advantage of the Patricia effect.   Dallas home field is enough.   Stafford ends Detroit in the most Lions way imaginable.

Agree except for Detroit/LA. Assume you’re wary of jinxing the beloved but I think they’ll be OK.

[Uncle Rico]

Subzero windchills mitigate the hot seat.  If he has a bad game it will be attributed to learning to play in bad weather.

If the Fins are 100%, I’d give them a chance but that team is beat up.  Don’t think Chefs are long for January but should get this one

[tower912]

Agree except for Detroit/LA. Assume you’re wary of jinxing the beloved but I think they’ll be OK.

Purely objective.   Detroit's secondary can't  stop good receivers.

[Uncle Rico]

Purely objective.   Detroit's secondary can't  stop good receivers.

Stafford will give them a few opportunities to make plays

[tower912]

Stafford will give them a few opportunities to make plays

Look at the yards Mullens put up twice.   Look at how many yards Dak and CeeDee had.  Look at Love on Thanksgiving.   If Stafford gets the ball out on time to his two receivers, he throws for 400.   He always has the odd hero throw gone awry.  The rush is going to have to get home and force a few.

[Uncle Rico]

Look at the yards Mullens put up twice.   Look at how many yards Dak and CeeDee had.  Look at Love on Thanksgiving.   If Stafford gets the ball out on time to his two receivers, he throws for 400.   He always has the odd hero throw gone awry.  The rush is going to have to get home and force a few.

No question, he could have a huge game.  Fun to be discussing, though

[tower912]

Yes.

[MU82]

I get your argument, Rico, and that was the one I wavered on the most.   I think the combination of the Rams offense and the Lions secondary decides it.

I'd have been stunned if you had picked the Lions to win, tower.

[tower912]

I would have against the Packers.

[PGsHeroes32]

Lions/Rams and Browns/Texans should be the best games imo

Honestly only Bills vs Steelers am I saying no chance for a team.

Pack will have to be very very good to win in Dallas but not impossible.

[Lennys Tap]

If the Fins are 100%, I’d give them a chance but that team is beat up.  Don’t think Chefs are long for January but should get this one

Fins won 1 game this year. against a .500 or better team. They suck.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Fins won 1 game this year. against a .500 or better team. They suck.

Still waiting on Fangio's Defense to start playing. Finished 23rd in points allowed.

[forgetful]

I'm going for chaos in the NFC.

Underdogs win every game in the NFC.

And chalk in the AFC

[MUBurrow]

Fins won 1 game this year. against a .500 or better team. They suck.

Obligatory, self-hating, yes they do.  They remind me like a higher variance version of the late Marino Dolphins where they would put up a bunch of points, generally hover between 3rd-8th best looking team in the league, and then get trounced in the playoffs.

Still waiting on Fangio's Defense to start playing. Finished 23rd in points allowed.

I feel a little bad for Fangio in that he had everything going for like 2-3 weeks and they looked pretty good.  Otherwise, they've been devastated with injuries.  No Ramsey to start the year, and the defense was admittedly pretty underwhelming out of the gate.  Then they looked great once Ramsey came back, but its been followed up with injuries to Jevon Holland, Xavien Howard, Jaelen Phillips, Bradley Chubb, now Jerome Baker and Van Ginkel who were playing very well.  They had planned to rotate four legit pass rushers and are now stuck with Ogbah and Melvin Ingram playing on running downs. No bueno.

Unpopular opinion, but I'm oddly more concerned about the offense.  For all the accolades, I've watched it put up a ton of points against bad teams but get completely stymied by disciplined, physical defenses.  The whole thing is designed around Tua getting the ball out in less than three seconds, but if you can stay disciplined against all the presnap motion and jam at the line a bit, the whole thing falls apart.  For cap reasons, next year might be it for this group, and I'm oddly less concerned about the defense being competitive than the offense being able to score above average points against good teams.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

I think if Miami gets its doors blown off this weekend, that McDaniel could be jettisoned for Harbaugh given the owner (Stephen Ross) ties to Michigan.

[Uncle Rico]

I think if Miami gets its doors blown off this weekend, that McDaniel could be jettisoned for Harbaugh given the owner (Stephen Ross) ties to Michigan.

That seems unlikely to me but the bidding war for McDaniel would be interesting. 

[StillAWarrior]

I think if Miami gets its doors blown off this weekend, that McDaniel could be jettisoned for Harbaugh given the owner (Stephen Ross) ties to Michigan.

If that happens (which I think is unlikely), maybe we'd get another season of McDaniel on Hard Knocks. Which, as McDaniel might say, would be entertaining as F**k.

[cheebs09]

If that happens (which I think is unlikely), maybe we'd get another season of McDaniel on Hard Knocks. Which, as McDaniel might say, would be entertaining as F**k.

If he coaches somewhere else next year, I don't think his team would be on Hard Knocks due to a new coach.

Which, an underrated part of the Packers making the playoffs is not being on Hard Knocks next year.

[SoCalEagle]

I'd have been stunned if you had picked the Lions to win, tower.

I hate that the Rams have to beat the Lions this weekend, but it must be done. 

Whoever wins it will be an entertaining game. 

[muwarrior69]

If the Fins are 100%, I’d give them a chance but that team is beat up.  Don’t think Chefs are long for January but should get this one

If you don't live in the Miami or KC market you can only watch the game on the Peacock network. NFL could care less about Joe Sixpack.