NFL Week 16 Picks and Fantasy Championships

By Dan Rodgers

Well, I hope you're ready for some Saturday football. Let's jump right into the picks and I'll talk about fantasy after them.

Oak/KC 2.5 The Chiefs are fighting for the slim playoff lives... I think they pull this one out
Den 3/Buf The Bills have to be upset at the way they are finishing a season that looked so promising... I'm sure they will get up to play Tebow and be a spoiler BUF SU
Jax/Ten 7 Two really bad games in a row for the Titans, but it shouldn't matter who starts at QB. However, if your rookie is playing well, why not start him?
Pit 16/Stl With Charlie Batch starting, I think the Rams can keep this game within two touchdowns
Ari/Cin 4 Everyone thinks this is a trap game for Cincinnati, but I think they will be prepared because a loss would be devastating to their playoff dreams
Mia/NE 9.5 Now this is a trap game. Miami has been playing much better of late on both sides of the ball, and I look for Reggie Bush to have a huge game. Upset Alert
Cle/Bal 12.5 The Ravens owned the Browns last time and only won by 14. Cleveland has been playing well against the run since giving up 200+ to Rice and I think they stick around
NYG/NYJ 3 "The Fight Before Christmas"
Min/Was 6.5 We'll see if the Skins can put together two complete games in a row...
TB/Car 7.5 I hate that extra half point... and this is a divisional game... but TB is awful
SD/Det 2 The Lions are win and in today... I think they'll make it happen
SF 2/Sea A lot of people think this is a trap and I can't believe the line is so low after what SF did on MNF... the 49ers need to win this game to have a chance at a bye so I think they'll give it everything they've got
Phi/Dal 1.5 Since I have the Jets winning, the Eagles will certainly get up for this one... and win outright
Chi/GB 12 I originally had Chicago but I decided they are just too bad with Cutler and Forte gone...
Atl/NO 6.5 Five of the last six games between these two teams were decided by four points or less

Week 1: 7-9 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 2: 10-6 ATS 13-3 SU
Week 3: 11-4-1 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 4: 9-7 ATS 13-3 SU
Week 5: 6-7 ATS 7-6 SU
Week 6: 10-3 ATS 10-3 SU
Week 7: 9-3-1 ATS 10-3 SU
Week 8: 7-6 ATS 9-4 SU
Week 9: 8-6 ATS 9-5 SU
Week 10: 9-7 ATS 9-7 SU
Week 11: 6-5-2 ATS 11-2 SU
Week 12: 8-7-1 ATS 12-4 SU
Week 13: 8-8 ATS 10-6 SU
Week 14: 9-6-1 ATS 12-4 SU
Week 15: 7-7-2 ATS 10-6 SU
Total: 124-91-8 ATS 155-68 SU

It's fantasy championship time in most leagues. If you aren't yet convinced, I made the playoffs in all five leagues and the championship in three leagues.

Unfortunately, I have Stafford and McCoy in one league and I'm facing them in another. If you think I must have had great drafts and not had any injuries, you are definitely wrong. I made a trade in one league: I traded Romo, Dez Bryant and Ray Rice for Stafford, LeSean McCoy, and Jordy Nelson. McCoy is having an MVP season and Stafford gives me a nice combo with Calvin Johnson. Not to mention, in that league I have Forte who recently got hurt and has been out and is still out. I had Mark Ingram on the bench but he's been hurt as well. I was able to pick up Roy Helu, who is been OK, but a Mike Shanahan running back is never a sure thing. Thankfully, my team is just so all-around good, I haven't had to worry about that... yet.

In another league, I've had QB issues all season and been going back and forth between Mark Sanchez and Andy Dalton. I also have Forte in that league, but I still have Rice and Ryan Mathews. However, there is a flex spot that has always been some crazy player for me. Today I have Kahlil Bell, the Bears third-string running back who is starting because of injury. I also have Roddy White and Antonio Gates, and I've been going back and forth on who to start today between Jeremy Maclin and Malcom Floyd. I'm leaning towards Floyd.

I have no idea how I made the championship in this last league. My starting QBs are Josh Freeman and Carson Palmer. My receivers are very good with Roddy White and Marques Colston, and my running backs have been hot recently: Chris Johnson and Ryan Mathews. Willis McGahee has been a pleasant surprise in the flex spot, and 49ers defense has played a huge role this season for me.

I know my stuff for fantasy football, but I will tell you that it has a lot to do with luck. In the first round of the playoffs, both teams in the other match-up scored more than my team and my opponent. However, I've come through in the end and hopefully I can bring at least one championship home. I hope you're rooting for me.

Rodgers That

NFL Week 15 Christmas Miracle Part 3

By Dan Rodgers

Before I go into this, just another quick congrats to Kellen Moore and the Boise State Broncos on their victory and Moore getting to 50 wins.

I did pick Houston on TNF because I figured they would dominate. TJ Yates looked decent and Foster had a great game. Somehow the Texans couldn't score and Indy made them pay. Now Baltimore is back in the driver's seat for the first-round bye.

Well, the night games followed suit. The Ravens were in prime position to go into San Diego and win on the road, further prove they are an elite team, and move one step closer to earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. However, they decided to suck and the Chargers looked like the 10-3 team looking for a first-round bye.

San Diego is 7-7 and somehow still alive in their division. Oh wait, they play in the AFC West, the worst division ever (biggest competition is the NFC East).

Well, the Ravens lost, which means the Steelers are in prime position to steal away the No. 1 seed in the playoffs because they would have a better record and the tiebreaker over the Pats. But wait, just when you expect the Steelers to take advantage of everyone else messing up, they get spanked (like I predicted they would).

The 49ers more than dominated the game and all but knocked the Steelers out of the division race. With Big Ben hurting, the Steelers probably won't try to aggravate the injury. Luckily for the wild card teams, the division winner they will face in the first round will be an apparently bad Texans team, and whichever terrible team represents the AFC West (probably Denver).

Events like week 15 are the reason the NFL is so incredibly popular. They aren't helping their cause with all of the stupid rules and the refs sucking, but the competition is incredible.

Not a good start to this week... I'll be getting my swag back the rest of the season since the semester is over.

Rodgers That

NFL Week 15 Christmas Miracle Part 2

By Dan Rodgers

We will start with my team for Part 2. The Jets were in prime position to make the playoffs after needing help, yet again. Just like two seasons ago, the Jets needed a lot of help to make the playoffs, and took advantage of the help they got.

A few weeks ago, Oakland, Cincinnati, and Tennessee lost to give the Jets the lead for the sixth seed. They controlled their own destiny to make the playoffs, but instead they felt like making it interesting by losing and giving the teams a chance. Not only did they lose to the Eagles, whom they've NEVER beaten (0-9), but they got incredibly embarrassed on offense and defense. Santonio Holmes got a taunting penalty after catching a touchdown to cut the lead to 28-10. All of this after the receiver let a ball go through his hands that was intercepted and fumbled the ball that was returned for a touchdown.

The Jets play the Giants in a game that will most likely decide both team's playoff fate. Surprisingly enough, the Jets still control their destiny based on a lucky tiebreaker with the Bengals. The Giants play the Cowboys in the final week of the season, if they win both games, they are playoff bound.

This madness was just the beginning of the late games. The Raiders scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to take a 13-point lead on the Lions. Matt Stafford led the Lions on a 71-yard drive in under three minutes to cut the lead to six. After forcing a punt, Shane Lechler did what he does best, and pinned the Lions at the two yard-line with just over two minutes to play. Unfortunately, that was way too much time for Detroit.

The game-winning touchdown drive included a 48-yard completion to Calvin Johnson. Megatron also caught the game-winning touchdown, his second on the day. The Lions left over a minute for the Raiders to attempt the tying field goal, which they did. Sebastian Janikowski attempted a 65-yard field goal, which was blocked. If Oakland had won the game, they would have the tiebreaker over the Jets, so New York caught another huge break.

The Cardinals were wetting the bed against Cleveland, but were able to come back and kick the game-winning field goal in OT. I'm not going to spend too much time on this, but it was an incredible game, and the Cards kept their playoff chances alive by getting to 7-7.

The final late game was Tom Brady vs. Tim Tebow, and the game did not live up to the hype. The Broncos actually took a 16-7 lead in the second quarter, but we all know that you can't kick field goals if you want to beat the Pats. After the 16-7 lead, the Pats responded with 20 unanswered points, with three Denver fumbles in the mix. The Denver offense isn't built for huge comebacks, especially when the defense is struggling to stop the opposition.

The Pats scored a touchdown in the third, and everyone thought it was "Tebow Time" when the Broncos cut the lead back to 11. Brady responded with a touchdown drive of his own that killed way too much clock. Tebow and two other Broncos lost fumbles, and the Pats didn't turn the ball over. I hate the Pats, but they shut up the Broncos, Tebow and all of his followers of Tebowism.

The night games only made everything else even more interesting... but we'll get to those tomorrow.

Rodgers That

NFL Week 15 Christmas Miracle Part 1

By Dan Rodgers

Week 15 in the NFL was absolutely out of control. Nothing too out of the ordinary happened in the two games before Sunday, but then things let loose.

Carolina went into Houston and just owned the Texans. There is no reason that the Texans, with a bye on the line, should have let down against a team that has made headlines all season.

Staying in the AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts played incredibly well against the Titans and will not be the second team ever to 0-16. Donald Brown dominated the Tennessee defense, including an 80-yard touchdown run.

Speaking of a one appearing in place of a zero, the Packers pursuit of perfection was put to an end by the... Kansas City Chiefs. I kid you not, the same team that lost to the Jets by more than 20 beat the previously undefeated Green Bay Packers.

I couldn't get over the fact that KC won the game. Seriously, throughout the rest of the day and all day on Monday I was so stunned. The Packers just couldn't get anything going offensively and the Packers defense was bad enough to let the Chiefs score 19.

Lastly, the New York Giants decided to wet the bed after putting up impressive offensive performances against the Packers and Cowboys. In a game that would have put the Giants in great position to make the playoffs, they couldn't get it together at home against a below average Redskins team.

The Giants loss has set up an ever-so-important game on Christmas Eve. But we'll get into that in the next post.

RECAP: The only undefeated team lost and the only defeated team won. Two teams who could have used a win lost to below average teams.

All of this commotion is just what happened early on Sunday. Ugh... I lost on GB, HOU, and TEN...

Rodgers That