Actual quote from Rod Marinelli: "People seem to want to come and see what a loser looks like" ...
I went 8-8 last week. That puts me at 146-94 for the season. For a comparison, check out the "experts" over at ESPN.…
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
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26 - RJ
Holy shit, are the Eagles about to make the playoffs?
27 - Bennett
Despite a tinge of sadness that the Patriots' season has ended, I couldn't be happier for Matt Cassel.
After all those years as a second string fella he steps into the role of starting quarterback for a deeply talented and well coached team. What a heavenly opportunity for him.
And then to have a great season leading the team to a 11-5 record, during the last year of your contract... With no playoff games ahead to get yourself injured?!?
So sweet, ending the season with a win (including a 57 yard punt). Imagine being a free agent with all that going for you.
Matt Cassel has talent, and exceptionally good karma.
As long as he doesn't go to the NY Jets, I wish him the best.
28 - alessandro
Am I the only to pick the Raiders?
Man, the Eagles actually did it.
29 - RJ
Final Scores:
Ravens 27, Jaguars 7 - RJ 6-5
Arizona 34, Seattle 21 - RJ 7-5
SF 27, Redskins 24 - RJ 7-6
Dolphins 24, Jets 17 - RJ 8-6
Eagles 44(!), Cowboys 6 - RJ 9-6 [Romo chokes again!]
SD 52(!), Denver 21 - RJ 9-7
30 - RJ
Final regular season standings, straight-up:
Hoge
171-85 (66.80%)
Accuscore
171-85 (66.80%)
Mortensen
169-87 (66.02%)
Jaworski
156-83 (65.27%)
Fleming
165-91 (64.45%)
Allen
163-93 (63.67%)
Schlereth
162-94 (63.28%)
Pick 'em
149-93 (61.57%)
Golic
155-100 (60.78%)
RJ
155-101 (60.55%)
Wickersham
155-101 (60.55%)
31 - RJ
RJ ATS in Week 17: 8-7-1
RJ ATS through 17 weeks: 112-137-7
32 - RJ
Oh, I knew I forgot something...
ESPN's NFL "experts" in Week 17:
Wickersham
13-3
Fleming
12-4
Hoge
14-2
Jaworski
9-6
Schlereth
7-9
Allen
10-6
Mortensen
11-5
Golic
11-5
Accuscore
11-5
Pick 'em
8-8
33 - GangGreen
If the Eagles can play hard smash mouth football like they did the Giants on Dec. 7th, they have a very likely shot at going all the way. The Vikings should pose no threat, unless my Eagles revert to the Cinci and Washington style of playing... which I'm praying they don't.
Final score---PHI-35/MIN=24
34 - zingzing
eagles got no shot in the dome. well, of course they do, if they play like they did last week. streaky, streaky team though. i hope mcnabb's mother is mad at him or something. and i hope pat williams gets back in the lineup.
if jackson can keep it under control and if peterson can find some holes, and if williams is back and the eagles foolishly decide to try and run, the eagles will have a hard time doing anything.
it's either MIN 24/PHI 10 or MIN 17/PHI 38. i dunno which. just depends. we'll see. go vikes! run it, you fuckin eagles. please.
35 - GangGreen
ATL Vs. ARI--- Final Score, 34-17, Falcons
MIA Vs. BAL--- Final Score, 37-34 OT, Dolphins
IND Vs. SD--- Final Score, 39-33, Colts
PHI Vs. MIN--- Final Score, 38-21, Eagles
(Yes, I did do another one... but... I wanted them all to be displayed together.)
36 - GangGreen
Looks like Pat Williams won't be playing. Doctors said he could end up damaging his shoulder or whatever he injured even worse. Hopefully we can now run the football more successfully with him gone. Fly Eagles, Fly!
37 - RJ
RJ's NFL Picks
*Saturday*
Atlanta 11-5 @ Arizona 9-7 - 4:30 PM ET (Line: Atlanta by 2)
Atlanta has won three straight. Arizona is 6-2 at home. This is a tough pick to make, but I'm going with the upset.
RJ's Pick: Arizona by 3
Indianapolis 12-4 @ San Diego 8-8 - 8:00 PM ET (Line: Pick 'em)
The Colts have won nine straight, while the Chargers have won four in a row. These teams met in the playoffs last season, with San Diego winning on the road 28-24.
RJ's Pick: Indianapolis by 7
38 - alessandro
Ganggreen, Eagles to Eagles fan: are you concerned about Reid's play calling going in?
Indy - The Chargers are at home and hot. The Colts are on the road but hotter. It's tough to go against experience here. I mean, they're 12-4 whereas the Chargers are 8-8. That must count for something no?
Atl - Tough one. Atlanta is more balanced (they won the balance beam competition. No one talks about that) and has a special teams edge. Arizona has a decent rush defense (important against Turner) and throw the ball like demons. I flipped a coin and went with the birds. Wait. They're both birds. Take Falcons.
39 - GangGreen
Yes, I am a little worried about Reid's play calling, Alessandro. However, here's the thing... if Donovan plays well, like he did against Giants, (not the Bengals/Ravens) and the Vikings can't stop the pass, then they should keep passing. Only when it stops working should they become more balanced. If they win the wildcard, which they should, they'll need the balance they had before to beat the Giants. However, if the Eagles' offense reverts to it's hideous ways... I'm gonna cry. If not, I see them playing in the superbowl.
40 - bobC
Arizona
Indianapolis
Miami
Philadelphia
41 - RJ
Final Score:
Cardinals 30, Falcons 24 - RJ 1-0
42 - RJ
Final Score:
Chargers 23, Colts 17 (in OT) - RJ 1-1 [What a game by Darren Sproles!]
43 - RJ
RJ's NFL Picks
**Sunday**
Baltimore Ravens 11-5 @ Miami Dolphins 11-5 - 1:00 PM ET (Line: Ravens by 3)
Miami has won five in a row. Baltimore has a rookie QB. Baltimore has a superior defense, but the Dolphins have an underrated offense. I'm going with the home (Cinderella) team.
RJ's Pick: Miami by 3
Philadelphia Eagles 9-6-1 @ Minnesota Vikings 10-6 - 4:30 PM ET (Line: Eagles by 3)
The Eagles have won four out of their last five; the Vikings have won five out of their last six. Both teams have a solid defense, with the Eagles having the edge. McNabb is better and more experienced than Jackson, so if the Eagles can neutralize Adrian Peterson, this one shouldn't be close.
RJ's Pick: Philadelphia by 13
44 - GangGreen
It makes me nervous when everybody picks the Eagles to win... they normally play better as underdogs. But, I hope that isn't the case. I think that if the Eagles can get an offensive rhythm, they have a pretty easy path to the superbowl. Giants? We already beat them at their home turf. Panthers/Cardinals? Very manageable, considering what teams are in AFC playoffs.
45 - alessandro
Ditto to GG on both counts.
Mia, Phi.
Is it me or was the decision making in the Ind/SD game bizarre?
Had I known Manning was that into his hair I would have taken SD.
Quick shout out to Team Canada who go for a fifth straight gold medal against Sweden at the World Jr Hockey tournament; the best hockey tournament in the entire universe. Team USA faltered unfortunately - they should have done better.
46 - RJ
Final Score:
Ravens 27, Dolphins 9 - RJ 1-2
47 - RJ
Final Score:
Philadelphia 26, Minnesota 14 - RJ 2-2
48 - GangGreen
OK, my Eagles finally managed to win a closer game. Hopefully, nest week against the Giants, they will play much better and turn at least one of those field goals into a touchdown. If they can do that, their defense stuffs the run and pressures Eli, I see a win, however ugly it may be, like yesterday's game against the Vikes.
Predicted SCORE---PHI=30;;;NYG=24
BAL VS. TEN; Once again, the Titans show that they are super bowl contenders. Their defense comes up big.
Predicted SCORE---BAL=13;;;TEN=23
SD VS. PIT; San Diego, a very big surprise, had a legit chance at making a super bowl run. Too bad it ends today. The Steelers D forces Phillips into several picks, 2 of which are returned for TDs.
Predicted SCORE---SD=17;;;PIT=31
ARI VS. CAR; Wow, after they shut down the falcons running game... I actually see them winning this one, but only by a squeaker.
Predicted SCORE---ARI=23;;;CAR=21
49 - alessandro
GG, Reid was solid I thought. Westbrook rewarded him for his patience.
The Eagles need to be better. They move the ball well but can't...get...it...in enough.
50 - GangGreen
Yes, Reid coached very well. This time, it was due to the players' execution that they weren't able to get as many points. Because, if they had turned those two first field goals into TDs, then that 40 yard TD run by Peterson would have never happened.
As it is, they need to execute much better, and not have all those sloppy mistakes. Like that holding on Sheldon Brown that would have given the ball back to Philly... most of the time, they did get off the field on 3rd downs. However, the Vikings aren't as good as the Giants. Plus, Brandon Jacobs is a bigger threat then Peterson, I think. Though, if they shut down the Giants' running attack, I see an easier victory for the Eagles, come Sunday. Because, last time, Eli didn't look so hot... but, this is a new game, with new intensity. Hopefully the Eagles will prevail, and come out on top.
51 - RJ
RJ's NFL Picks:
*Saturday*
Baltimore @ Tennessee - 4:30 PM ET (Line: Titans by 3)
This should be a fairly low-scoring game.
RJ's Pick: Tennessee by 7
Arizona @ Carolina - 8:15 PM ET (Line: Panthers by 9.5)
The Panthers haven't lost at home all season, and the Cardinals are a sub-par team on the road.
RJ's Pick: Carolina by 3
*Sunday*
Eagles @ Giants - 1:00 PM ET (Line: Giants by 4.5)
The Giants are 7-1 at home this season (although their one home loss was against Philadelphia). The Eagles are just 4-4-1 on the road.
RJ's Pick: Giants by 8
Chargers @ Steelers - 4:45 PM ET (Line: Steelers by 6)
I don't think this one will be all that close.
RJ's Pick: Steelers by 13
52 - GangGreen
So... RJ, are you a fan of any particular team? Or do you just pick games?
I'm glad you picked the Giants, though. My Eagles always play better as the underdogs.
53 - alessandro
Phi, Car, Bal, Pit.
54 - RJ
GangGreen: I'm a fan of the Lions.
...
Okay, you can stop laughing now. :-/
Final Scores:
Baltimore 13, Tennessee 10 - RJ 2-3
Arizona 33, Carolina 13 - RJ 2-4
Eagles 23, Giants 11 - RJ 2-5
[All three bye week teams that have played have fallen. The three teams that will definitely still be playing next week are two 6-seeds and a 4-seed. Weird.]
55 - RJ
Final Score:
Steelers 35, Chargers 24 - RJ 3-5
56 - Dr Dreadful
How can you be 3 and 5 when there were only four games?
:-D
57 - GangGreen
RJ, I won't laugh. If we had Kevin Kolb running our offense instead of Donovan our offense would be like it was at Baltimore, or even worse. He'd break the NFL's record for INT's in a game with twenty. Dreadful. (Though, at least we have a good defense.)
RJ, please pick against the Eagles again, OK? Whenever you pick them to lose an important game, they win. =P Haha.
Eagles-40:::Cardinals-21
Cardinals hop to a 14-0 lead but... Kurt Warner throws the game away, literally. Three interceptions for scores by the Eagles defense. Donovan gets red hot, throwing 2 TD's, all the while picking the Cards secondary apart. Also, Dawkins should make that new club record in this game. (I can't remember if it was for only the regular season.)
P.S. (That means if they play in Superbowl, pick the other team.)
58 - RJ
RJ's NFL Picks:
**Sunday, January 18, 2009**
Eagles @ Cardinals - 3:00 PM ET (Line: Eagles by 3.5)
Arizona is 7-2 at home this season. If Anquan Boldin is able to play, and Arizona's OL can give
Kurt Warner some time in the pocket, I expect the Cardinals to put a lot of points on the board. But if Boldin can't play and Philadelphia's blitzes are effective, it could get pretty ugly for the home crowd. Donovan McNabb frankly didn't play all that well last week against the Giants: 2 INTs, one intentional grounding for a safety, and a completion percentage barely over 50%. He also made an ass out of himself with his "phone prank." However, he outplayed Eli Manning, and Philadelphia's defense was dominating. This one will either be a big win for the Eagles or a narrow victory by the Cardinals. I'm leaning towards the latter.
RJ's Pick - Cardinals by 3
59 - RJ
RJ's NFL Picks:
**Sunday, January 18, 2009**
Ravens @ Steelers - 6:30 PM ET (Line: Steelers by 5.5)
This is a matchup of the two best defenses in the league. The Steelers are healthier, playing at home, and have the more experienced QB. Pittsburgh also won both regular season games between these two AFC North division rivals. It's very difficult to beat a team three times in the same season, however. I expect a low-scoring game, and a close game, possibly even going into OT. I'll go with the underdog here as well.
RJ's Pick - Ravens by 3
60 - GangGreen
I see you took my suggestion, RJ. Thanks, that means we'll probably win big. Haha, I sense the Eagles D will make the Cards look like Dallas. Right after they force Warner into interceptions, they'll shut down the running game. I mean, we stopped Brandon Jacobs on 4th and 2. Edgey has no chance, unless we have everybody 40 yards down the field.
It's gonna be an all-PA Superbowl, I think.
61 - alessandro
Yeah, I think Warner will force bad throws under pressure. Baltimore has no chance. The end of the line.
Phi/Pit in the SB.
You know, you really don't necessarily need to have a great QB to win the SB. Or you can have a great QB play average and still win.
Philly have a very good chance to win the super bowl. After the Raiders won against the Bucs, McNabb and Reid must feel like this is their chance.
62 - RJ
Final Score:
Arizona 32, Philadelphia 25 - RJ 4-5 [What a game! Warner was about as close to perfect as possible, considering the defense he was facing.]
63 - RJ
BREAKING NEWS:
Willis McGahee suffers another brutal injury ... wow ... :-/
64 - RJ
Final Score:
Steelers 23, Ravens 14 - RJ 4-6 [Flacco's completion percentage was under 50% and he threw 3 picks...McGahee had a nice game with 2 TDs, but he fumbled the game away at the end...of course, he can't really be blamed for that, considering the hit he took...we still do not know the extent of his injuries...]
65 - El Bicho
The game was over before that fumble. No way Balt was going to get two scores. That defensive player shouldn't have launched himself and led with his head. Should be an interesting Super Bowl. I'd give a slight edge to Pitt because that defense plays hard all four quarters, but after this playoff run, I wouldn't be surprised to see AZ pull it off. Fitzgerald is sick. Hope he can take a hit.
66 - Matthew T. Sussman
I'm sticking with my original preseason pick of Giants-Colts.
67 - El Bicho
Hopefully, neither of these referee crews are working the game. AZ's onside kick and Balt's roughing the kicker (by breaking his fall to the ground) were two of the worst calls I have seen in quite a while.
68 - RJ
Thanks for commenting, guys.
69 - Andrewl
Steelers -7 and over/under 47.
love the under, do you?
70 - RJ
RJ's Super Bowl Pick:
***Sunday, February 1, 2009***
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals - 6:00 PM ET (NBC) [Line: Pittsburgh by 7]
Super Bowl XLIII should be a low-scoring, close game. Unless, of course, it's not. I'm going with the underdog because I like Kurt Warner, and underdogs.
RJ's Pick: Cardinals by 3
71 - RJ
What a great Super Bowl!
Final Score:
Steelers 27, Cardinals 23 - RJ 4-7
72 - RJ
Four months later ...
Did you really love the under, Andrewl?
73 - roy
would like to recieve your picks weekly for the 2009/2010 season. (if possible)...if so where would I look
thank you in advance....roy