Alternative Picks – Week 13, 2017

by Tony & Andy | Nov 30, 2017 | 2017 Season, NFL Picks

Andy got seven of his eight selections correct in the “Alternative Picks” segment for week 12, but a lot of good that did him.

Tony did, as well, so the result was the season’s first tie.

That means Tony keeps his commanding lead for the season. Here are the standings:

With the tie, we flipped a virtual coin, and Tony ended up getting the right to choose–he decided to pick 2nd and 3rd.

Between divisional rivalries, games featuring new QBs and some actual contests with playoff implications, this is kind of a brutal week of games to pick.

But we persevered and got it done. Here we go with another week.

(more…)

Alternative Picks – Week 12, 2017

by Tony & Andy | Nov 22, 2017 | 2017 Season, NFL Picks

Andy continues to be the kiss of death for favorites. His number one pick last week, Kansas City, blew its wad to the previously hapless New York Giants in week 11. He rallied, but came up short, losing … again.

There are a lot of paper mismatches this week. Andy chose to pick second, meaning two of the top three favorites should now be considered in peril this week. But hopefully you’ll be asleep from the L-tryptophan and won’t notice.

Anyway, here we go with yet another week … (more…)

Alternative Picks – Week 11, 2017

by Tony & Andy | Nov 16, 2017 | 2017 Season, NFL Picks

Well, it was nice while it lasted. Andy’s one-week winning streak was snapped, as Tony rebounded with a narrow win in week 10.

There’s a lot of football left to be played, but Tony is maintaining a commanding lead.

Andy chose to pick first. And we’re off. (more…)

Alternative Picks – Week 10, 2017

by Tony & Andy | Nov 9, 2017 | 2017 Season, NFL Picks

Hey-o, Andy broke the streak. It took nine weeks, but he’s got his first win of the season (Bronx cheers arise from the cheap seats).

Can he keep it up? Or does the loss refocus Tony for the second half push?

Here are the standings:

Tony chose to take the second and third picks. Here we go:

1. Andy: Pittsburgh over Indianapolis – I made this pick before learning that Vontae Davis had elected to have season-ending surgery. If Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell can’t get right this week, then those talks of an all-Pennsylvania Super Bowl in Minneapolis next February are all bunk.
2. Tony: Detroit over Cleveland – This feels like the kind of game that the Lions would lose in year’s past. As a Vikings fan, I hope it is this year–but I’m not dumb enough to pick that.
3. Tony: Seattle over Arizona – Arizona without Carson Palmer is…not actually that much worse than Arizona with Carson Palmer. That’s not a good thing for Cardinals fans.
4. Andy: L.A. Rams over Houston – The Texans were looking pretty good for the half-dozen weeks they had Deshaun Watson. Tom Savage is no Watson. Meanwhile, Jared Goff is starting to show people why he went first overall last season.
5. Tony: New England over Denver – I, for one, was shocked…shocked I say…that Brock Osweiler wasn’t the cure for what’s ailing the Broncos.
6. Andy: Carolina over Miami – This is one of those games nobody would watch if it weren’t for fantasy football. Cam isn’t playing well, but I’ll take him over Cutler.
7. Tony: Jacksonville over LA Chargers – Definition of a no win situation for the Jaguars–a win doesn’t really prove they’re for real, a loss proves that they’ve not changed. Only if they dominate will I really start to feel comfortable moving them up in picks.
8. Andy: Tennessee over Cincinnati – In retrospect I kind of wish I’d taken Jacksonville at six. Hope this doesn’t come back to bite me. I *think* Tennessee is starting to put it together. I *think* Cincinnati is about to start tanking. These have been hard teams to predict this season, however, so … in the end, who the hell knows.
9. Tony: New Orleans over Buffalo – Saw a stat on Twitter this past week that Buffalo hasn’t beaten a team with winning record this season. I didn’t bother to check if that was accurate or not, because why would someone lie about that on Twitter?
10. Andy: Minnesota over Washington – I’m a tiny bit surprised this game fell this far. Maybe it’s the Case Keenum factor – he’s been serviceable this season and the Vikings are better than the Redskins, but … historically, Case Keenum eventually reminds people that he is, still, in fact, Case Keenum.
11. Tony: Chicago over Green Bay – Surprised the Vikings game fell?  I have picked the Vikings game zero times this season, I believe. I intend to keep it that way. This game is one of three that should be absolutely unwatchable. Let’s see if the Bears can further expose just how bad Green Bay’s coaching, defense, and…everything is without Aaron Rodgers.
12. Andy: NY Jets over Tampa Bay – I thought heading into the season that the Bucs had a solid shot at the playoffs. I thought heading into the season that the Jets had a shot at going 0-16. I was wrong on the Jets, an undertalented team playing hard. I was wayyyyyy wrong on the Tampa, a heartless, gutless team that has quit after choking like dogs early in the season.
13. Tony: San Francisco over NY Giants – An um-moving object meets an immoble force.  Seriously, if Roger Goodell wants to get back in some people’s graces after this debacle of a season, he could start by just cancelling this game.
14. Andy: Dallas over Atlanta – Is Ezekiel Elliott playing?

So for those scoring at home: (more…)

Alternative Picks – Week 9, 2017

by Tony & Andy | Nov 2, 2017 | 2017 Season, NFL Picks

Tony won again in week eight, but at least it was a contest. Actually, both Andy and Tony picked every game they selected correctly – Tony just happened to pick one more game than Andy.

Small victories, I guess.

That means the standings are:

So here we go again. (more…)

Alternative Picks – Week 8, 2017

by Andy | Oct 26, 2017 | 2017 Season, NFL Picks

This is turning into some Harlem Globetrotters/Washington Generals exhibition side show.

It was another hideous week for Andy,  who is currently checking with his accountant to see if it’s legally allowable to pay off debts with funds from his daughter’s college account.

…

…

We’re kidding. … We hope.

At any rate, Tony’s commanding lead got bigger. Andy’s left pondering, once again, whether the game has passed him by. … Or whether there was ever really a time in which it was sitting in front of him and he actually knew what was going on.

With that little bit of positivity, here are the standings:

Andy, again, gets to choose. He goes first. And here are Tony’s winners, err, we mean the picks for this week. (more…)