They Know How to Do It

Isn’t it so trendy to go after the NFL?  If I’m in the actual media and not pretending to be or being a wannabe on here, that’s definitely what I’m doing to hang out with the cool kids.  “FIRE GOODELL!!!”  “He messed up Deflategate so he needs to go”.  Don’t look at factual things, like how many progressive and money making things they have done on his watch.  Don’t look at how he does…you know…his job.  Just look at the PR side of things because we are the media and that is all that matters.

But I’m not here to pick on the geeks.  I did that enough in high school (shout out to my man Leeland Schneider).  No, today I’m just simply here to give the NFL some praise.  I’m not close to saying they are without blame, but they do a lot right too.  Like TV.  They do TV far better than any other league.

Look at how today’s schedule goes down.  In the morning games (well, 1 EST, but 11 AM here) we have a bunch of games that are just ok.  Bills/Pats is pretty good, but not THAT good.  The only game which you might label as bad features the 2012 and 2014 Heismann trophy winners going head to head.  10 games start at 1 eastern, 11 mountain.  A whole lot of solid but not special.

So why is that brilliant?  That’s when you watch NFL Redzone.  NFL Redzone is awesome, but in the last few years the league has figured out how to use it best.  And how to use it best is to stack up a bunch of ok games early.  Not one game really grips you unless you’re a fan of one of those teams.  So NFL Redzone is the perfect channel to watch.  It’s especially geared towards fantasy football fans as it keeps a close eye on those who are having big days.  Add to that, you never miss an important play.  They show everything you need to see, don’t just bounce around for games in which the ball is actually in the redzone.

Then at 2:05 mountain, my GAWD it’s a couple of games that nobody outside the four fan bases could care less about.  Baltimore v Oakland, and Miami v Jacksonville.  Well, why not put those on with the early games you may ask?  They want all eyeballs on Fox at 2:25 when the marquee game of the afternoon is on, Dallas v Philly.

That game is going to have massive ratings, so why put any real competition up against it?  Fox pays for it’s game of the week, and the NFL is going to give them there money’s worth.  If the Pats and Bills are on at the same time, people might want to watch Tom Brady.  Nobody wants to watch Matt McGloin v Joe Flacco!

And then of course you have the game of the week in Green Bay on Sunday night, and an intriguing Monday nighter with the Colts and Jets.

But I think people believe they just put a bunch of games on at 11 and a bunch more on at 2:05/2:25 every week.  No no.  They know exactly what they’re doing and how to maximize their audience.

On to the picks, and I was a very decent 4-1 to open the season.  Now that’s the games I picked in which I wanted you to use.  The games I did for fun, I was freaking terrible!  That’s why I didn’t want you to use them!  But in games I did write up’s on and explained my stance, 4-1.  I believe that’s the best I’ve ever started, on the site that is.  I believe the 2010 season I made my picks about a month out, getting some sweetheart lines and killed it.  But that was a long time ago.  Oh right, you want the picks and not to hear my successful gambling stories.

Arizona at Chicago

Bears +2.5

Sooooooo why are the Bears less than 3 point dogs in this game?  Feels like a bait game to me.  Bears were solid in week 1, as were the Cards.  But the Cards got injuries at RB and on the O-line.  The Bears can put up points, and John Fox will improve this defense a lot by seasons end.  I don’t know why in the freaking hell the Bears are only getting 2.5, so take them.

Houston at Carolina

Panthers -3

You know I don’t like the Panthers at all, and always bet against them.  I’m done.  Cam Newton…I don’t know if he’ll ever be a Super Bowl winning QB, and I wish he would grow up because if he did ever get a little more serious (doesn’t have to be Peyton Manning, just Tony Romo), he could be really special.  Anyway, the Panthers are better than we all give them credit for.  And Ron Rivera is a better coach than we give him credit for.  Cam just finds a way to put up points, and the Texans don’t seem to have a running game without Arian Foster and don’t have a QB who can scare a defense.  No Luke Kuechly is bad for the Panthers, but they have a high end D.  Low scoring game, but I believe the Panthers win by 10-14 at home.

New England at Buffalo

Bills +1.5

Rex Ryan isn’t anywhere NEAR the coach Bill Belichek is.  But his teams always play the Pats tough.  Even in some of the Jets worst seasons under Rex, they seemed to beat the spread, minus the butt fumble thanksgiving night game.  The Bills D is loaded, the Bills will be tough to game plan for in these first few weeks with coaches not having much game film on Tyrod Taylor, and they have a lot of multi faceted players (Taylor, Harvin, McCoy, Watkins, etc).  Bills beat the Pats and have everyone asking the stupid question this week of whether or not the Bills have over taken the Pats as kings of the AFC East.  No, they beat them ONCE.

San Francisco at Pittsburgh

Steelers -6.5

WOAH!!  The Steelers are 6.5 point favorites?!  They lost week 1 and the Niners won though!  Only thing dumber would be Campbell taking that bet….and I am.  Niners are on a short week, the Steelers have had 10 days off.  The Niners are going across country which is never easy.  Mike Tomlin is in his 9th season as head coach, Jim Tomsula is a rookie head coach.  The Niners beat a very overrated Vikings team at home, the Steelers lost to the pissed off defending champs on the road.  The Steelers secondary is awful, but the Niners aren’t capable of exposing it.  Steelers in a blowout.

St. Louis at Washington

Rams -3

Jump on this line now if you can because it is likely going to move to 3.5.  The Rams are just simply better coached, more talent, and if the Redskins couldn’t beat the Dolphins playing average they aren’t going to give a much better Rams team too much trouble.  It’ll be low scoring, but the Rams will dominate.

Follow me on Twitter @TJ_Soups