I am picking games two ways:
1.) Straight up, using a handy little formula that makes use of the rankings that I gave out for each team on offense, defense, QB and coach. The team with the lower total is my predicted winner using the formula.
2.) Against the spread, using my personal insight and feeling about a game. This is not at all related to the formula, but most likely will have the same overall winner.
It is true head (formula winner) vs. heart (my winner). However, the formula is based on arbitrary rankings that I myself gave, so its less mathematical, and more a way to compete against myself.
Fomula = (Offense + Defense) * 3 + QB + Coach (home team: -1)
New York @ Cincinnatti (-2.5)
Jets: Offense - 6; Defense - 2; QB -6; Coach - 6. Formula Rating: (6+2)*3 + 6+6 = 36
Bengals: Offense - 5; Defense - 1; QB - 4; Coach - 4. Formula Rating: (5+1)*3 + 4+4 - 1 = 25
Formula Winner: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are just the better team, in a hostile environment willing to sacrifice newborns for some playoff joy. The Jets are a .500 team, one that blew games to the Jaguars, Falcons and Dolphins of the world, that got lucky. The luck has officially run out. Cinderella, its just a pumpkin now, honey.
Jets 10 Bengals 20 (CIN)
Philadelphia @ Dallas (-4)
Eagles: Offense - 5; Defense - 6; QB - 3; Coach - 5. Formula Ranking: (5+6)*3 + 3+5 = 41
Cowboys: Offense - 6; Defense - 1; QB - 5; Coach - 4. Formula Ranking: (6+1)*3 + 5+4 - 1 =29
Formula Winner: Dallas Cowboys
I'm going against the formula. Dallas is riding too high. No way the Eagles can play that terrible for two straight weeks. Also, this problem that Dallas has turning yards into points is scary. In a conference loaded with offensive teams, that is most necessary. Keep up the score. Instead, the Cowboys will let the Eagles keep it close, before the Eagles inevitably take it, sending them past their first game, as always happens.
Eagles 24 Cowboys 21 (PHI)
Baltimore @ New England (-3)
Ravens: Offense - 4; Defense - 4; QB - 5; Coach - 2. Formula: (4+4)*3 + 5+2 = 31
Patriots: Offense - 3; Defense - 6; QB - 2; Coach - 1. Formula: (3+6)*3 + 2+1 - 1 = 29
Formula Winner: New England Patriots
The formula has this game amazingly close. I feel the same way, but I will go against with the formula, and even say the Ravens steal one. The Ravens have never beaten the Pats.... in their franchise history. The Pats have never lost a playoff game in Gillette Stadium and are 8-0 at home. They will rally around Welker's loss, at least for one week. That all said, they simply are not better than the Ravens. The best team the Pats had beaten all year was....... The Jets? Yeah, that's not exactly impressive. They are the ultimate paper tiger, leaving and breathing proof that five years of middling self-relavance can be overcome by four years of greatness. It will now be 6 years since the Patriots raised the Lombardi trophy. I think its time we stop calling them the Golden standard of the league.
Ravens 23 Patriots 17 (BAL)
Green Bay (-.5) @ Arizona
Packers: Offense - 4; Defense - 1; QB - 4; Coach - 3. Formula Ranking: (4+1)*3 + 4+3 = 22
Cardinals: Offense - 2; Defense - 3; QB - 1; Coach - 1. Formual Ranking: (2+3)*3 + 1+1 - 1 = 16
Formula Winner: Arizona Cardinals
These are my two favorite teams in the NFC. It is a true shame, one I blame on the Vikings and Eagles for screwing it up, that they have to play each other. I would take any one of these teams over the Cowboys or Eagles, home or away. As for this game, I cannot get the sight of last year's postseason out of my mind. They owned last year, and that crowd was great. With this maybe being Warner's last year, I can see him having one last vintage Warner performance at home.
Packers 20 Cardinals 28 (ARZ)
Enjoy The Games!!!
