12/21/24
January 15, 2016
NFL Playoff Pick 'Em Week 2: Divisional Round: After a crazy weekend in which Seattle and Pittsburgh saved their seasons with dramatic last-minute wins, Tommytrump leads the contest on SportsFilter to win a copy of Gregg Easterbrook's The Game's Not Over: In Defense of Football. Pick the winners and spreads of the divisional round playoff games and four bonus categories. Make any game a stone cold lead pipe lock to double your points.
I've done some spot-checking and the scores seem legit. If you have a chance, please look at your results in the Google Docs link and let me know if you spot any errors.
Typically in our playoff contest a lead after two weeks is tough to beat, so this weekend may be the deciderer.
Welcome to the new players: mrk124, cl and Rock Steady.
posted by rcade at 03:05 PM on January 15, 2016
New England by 7 (God help me)
Arizona by 13
Carolina by 5
Denver by 9
Pick the quarterback with the most passing yards: Carson Palmer
Pick the running back with the most rushing yards: Russell Wilson (is that ok to do?)
Pick the player with the most receiving yards: Gronk
Pick a player who will get an interception: Aqib Talib
posted by yerfatma at 03:13 PM on January 15, 2016
Kansas City by 8
Arizona by 11 - LOCK
Carolina by 3
Denver by 9 - LOCK
QB: Palmer (AZ)
RB: Ware (KC)
RX: Fitzgerald (AZ)
INT: Eric Berry (KC)
posted by cixelsyd at 03:19 PM on January 15, 2016
I picked all visitors last week, and I'm swinging the pendulum in the other direction.
I don't trust ANY of my picks. I feel like I could be swayed on almost off of them.
(If Big Ben is really hurt, I don't see how the Steelers can win...but I don't know how hurt he REALLY is...)
New England by 3
Arizona by 7
Carolina by 6
Denver by 14
Bonus Categories
Pick the quarterback with the most passing yards: C. Palmer (Arizona)
Pick the running back with the most rushing yards: J. Stewart (Carolina)
Pick the player with the most receiving yards: R. Gronkowski (New England)
Pick a player who will get an interception: M.Peters (Kansas City)
posted by grum@work at 03:42 PM on January 15, 2016
Yerfatma: I used "running back" in that category to make it a little easier, so Russell Wilson isn't eligible this time around.
posted by rcade at 04:16 PM on January 15, 2016
Kansas City by 6
Arizona by 3
Carolina by 8
Denver by 17
Bonus Categories
Manning
Stewart (CAR)
Fitzgerald
Talib
posted by tahoemoj at 05:16 PM on January 15, 2016
Games:
New England by 10
Arizona by 14
Seattle by 6
Denver by 5
Bonus:
Pick the quarterback with the most passing yards: Carson Palmer
Pick the running back with the most rushing yards: Marshawn Lynch
Pick the player with the most receiving yards: Demaryius Thomas
Pick a player who will get an interception: Tyrann Mathieu
posted by NoMich at 05:34 PM on January 15, 2016
NoMich - I believe Mathieu is out for the season.
posted by cixelsyd at 05:43 PM on January 15, 2016
Kansas City by 6
Arizona by 10 - Lock
Carolina by 3
Denver by 9 - Lock
Pick the quarterback with the most passing yards: Carson Palmer
Pick the running back with the most rushing yards: CJ Anderson
Pick the player with the most receiving yards: Larry Fitzgerald
Pick a player who will get an interception: Chris Harris
posted by tron7 at 05:59 PM on January 15, 2016
Thanks cixelsyd. ESPN didn't have him listed in their injury report and I forgot he was out for the season. Weird.
Pick a player who will get an interception: Patrick Peterson
posted by NoMich at 06:12 PM on January 15, 2016
New England by 10 LOCK
Green Bay by 3
Seattle by 7 LOCK
Denver by 14 LOCK
QB: Rogers
RB: Lynch
WR: Baldwin
INT: Sherman
posted by rumple at 07:54 PM on January 15, 2016
New England by 3 (lock)
Arizona by 10 (lock)
Carolina by 6 (lock)
Denver by 17 (lock)
Pick the quarterback with the most passing yards: Carson Palmer
Pick the running back with the most rushing yards: J-Stew.
Pick the player with the most receiving yards: Doug Baldwin
Pick a player who will get an interception: Earl Thomas
posted by Goyoucolts at 08:36 PM on January 15, 2016
Mr. T Trump seems to be on the verge of pulling away, but there's still a ways to go. There is a sizable "peloton" within striking distance, so anything might happen. Here is my attempt:
New England by 7
Arizona by 16 with a LOCK in the desert.
Carolina by 10 and put a LOCK in NC.
Denver by 14 and a LOCK over the walking wounded Steelers.
QB with the most passing yards: T. Brady
RB with the most rushing yards: C. J. Anderson
Receiver with the most receiving yards: L. Fitzgerald
Player with an interception: D. McCourty
posted by Howard_T at 11:06 PM on January 15, 2016
New England by 20 (lock)
Arizona by 17 (LOCK)
Carolina by 4 (lock)
Denver by 17 (lock)
QB most passing yards - Payton Manning
RB most rushing yards - David Johnson
Receiver most receiving yards - Julian Edelman
Player with an interception - Trumaine Johnson
posted by ic23b at 11:55 PM on January 15, 2016
Walsh cost me. I picked Minn by two!
N.E. by 3
Ariz by 6
Caro by 3
Denver by 10
Passing- Brady
Rushing- Stewart
Receiving- Gronk
Int- Talib
posted by mrk124 at 03:00 AM on January 16, 2016
Walsh cost me. I picked Minn by two!
Had Bengals by 4 with a lock--Jeremy Hill cost me/lol. Difference between a good week and a horrible week. Let's hope this week is a little bit better.
Kansas City by 3--Lock (need to make up some ground somewhere)
Arizona by 14--Lock
Seattle by 4--Lock
Denver by 17--Lock
QB passing: Carson Palmer
RB running: C. West
Receiving: Larry Fitzgerald
Interception: Eric Berry
posted by jagsnumberone at 05:05 AM on January 16, 2016
New England by 7
Arizona by 7
Carolina by 7
Denver by 7
QB Palmer
RB CJ Anderson
WR Fitzgerald
Int Sherman
posted by tommybiden at 10:21 AM on January 16, 2016
Kansas City by 6
Arizona by 13 (LOCK)
Carolina by 6
Denver by 14 (LOCK)
QB - Carson Palmer
RB - Johnathon Stewart
WR - Demaryius Thomas
INT - Bixby Oklahoma's own Chris Harris
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:05 PM on January 16, 2016
Kansas City by 3
Arizona by 13 <-- lock
Carolina by 3
Denver by 10 <-- lock
Passing: Carson Palmer (Ari)
Rushing: David Johnson (Ari)
Receiving: Emmanuel Sanders (Den)
Interception: Marcus Peters (KC)
Tough to go against New England at home when Belicheck has an extra week of prep time, but that last-week debacle in Miami and Gronk's questionable status make me think that Kansas City will win their first-ever meeting in the playoffs.
If Carolina was visiting Seattle I'd flop that pick. That game should be close throughout.
It's too bad Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams won't be suiting up for Pittsburgh. I feel like Denver's beatable, but not with a depleted offense and an ailing Roethlisberger.
posted by rcade at 01:26 PM on January 16, 2016
New England by 5
Arizona by 9 (lock)
Seattle by 5
Denver by 13 (lock)
Passing: Peyton Manning
Running: David Johnson
Receiving: Demaryius Thomas
Intercepting: Aqib Talib
posted by cl at 02:06 PM on January 16, 2016
New England by 7
LOCK Arizona by 14 LOCK
LOCK Carolina by 17 LOCK
Denver by 10
Cam Newton
Jonathan Stewart
Larry Fitzgerald
Thomas Davis
posted by bender at 02:32 PM on January 16, 2016
Well, it looks like everyone else is getting on the LOCK train, and I will definitely lose ground regardless of the outcome if I don't join in.
UPDATE TO MY PICKS:
New England by 3
Arizona by 7 LOCK
Carolina by 6
Denver by 14 LOCK
posted by grum@work at 02:47 PM on January 16, 2016
New England by 4
Arizona by 10 (LOCK)
Seattle by 3
Denver by 7 (LOCK )
Passing: Palmer (Ariz.)
Rushing: Anderson (Den. )
Receiving: John Brown (Ariz. )
Intercept: Chancellor (Sea.)
Pats: please do not attempt to run back any punts or deep kickoffs. Just catch them or let them go.
I had a vision last night that we would end up seeing Garoppolo on the field. Hopefully that was an errant premonition.
posted by beaverboard at 03:41 PM on January 16, 2016
New England 6
Arizona 10 LOCK
Carolina 7
Denver 10 LOCK
Brady
Johnson
Gronkowski
Talib
posted by holden at 04:33 PM on January 16, 2016
A few people picked the spread perfectly for the NE/KC game, but didn't use their locks. That'll keep things closer.
posted by grum@work at 08:29 PM on January 16, 2016
Can't believe I did that, when looking up players interception stats I copied and posted Thrumaine Johnson instead of Rashad Johnson. Didn't realize it until RASHAD Johnson just intercepted Rogers.
posted by ic23b at 10:21 PM on January 16, 2016
If tommytrump had made ALL of his games a lock, I'm pretty sure he'd have won the pool before the third round.
posted by grum@work at 11:42 PM on January 17, 2016
picked the spread perfectly for the NE/KC game, but didn't use their locks.
Guilty as charged, your honor. With all of the negative media reaction to the state of health of the Patriots, I just didn't have the cojones to make Patriots a lock. The first offensive series for New England changed my mind in a hurry.
Right now Pittsburgh is at the top of my list of teams I greatly dislike. Even though I had picked Denver, I secretly hoped Steelers could pull off the upset and give Patriots their better chance of getting to the Super Bowl. Not only could they not hold the lead, stupid Steelers had to kick a field goal in the waning seconds to make the spread 7 instead of the Denver by 10 that I had predicted. I had it as a LOCK, too. Sheeesh!!!
posted by Howard_T at 12:02 AM on January 18, 2016
If tommytrump had made ALL of his games a lock, I'm pretty sure he'd have won the pool before the third round.
I'm a coward, I didn't feel great about any of them.
posted by tommybiden at 10:21 AM on January 18, 2016
Oh, I don't blame you. I only caved to making two locks because of the overwhelming number of people who made multiple locks. It just made mathematical sense to jump on board.
posted by grum@work at 01:03 PM on January 18, 2016
I'd be willing to not feel great if I could pick like the Tommy.
Overheard in the Seahawks huddle early in the fourth quarter:
"Guys, we don't have to win. We just have to come back from 31 down far enough to nail the spread on Tommy and Holden's picks".
posted by beaverboard at 02:11 PM on January 18, 2016
Current Standings
SportsFilter is holding an NFL Playoff Pick 'Em contest.
After a wild card weekend in which many of us were saved by Blair Walsh's foot, Tommytrump leads the contest by 7.
This was a strange week. No one hit a spread exactly, and despite the unlimited locks only two players broke them: Jagsnumberone on Cincinnati and Goyoucolts on Washington. The sack gods did not favor J.J. Watt, denying a lot of players a 3-point bonus, while giving Whitney Mercilus 3 of them.
Wildcard Week Results
Kansas City by 30 over Houston
Pittsburgh by 2 over Cincinnati
Seattle by 1 over Minnesota
Green Bay by 17 over Washington
Wildcard Week Bonuses
Most passing yards: Cousins, 329 (beaverboard)
Most rushing yards: Blue, 99 (no one)
Most receiving yards: Kelce, 128 (no one)
Picked players who got sacks: Mercilus (beaverboard), Dunlap (cl, rcade), Irvin (rumple), Atkins (tahoemoj), Matthews (mrk124)
This Week's Games
Kansas City at New England
Green Bay at Arizona
Seattle at Carolina
Pittsburgh at Denver
Bonus Categories
Pick the quarterback with the most passing yards.
Pick the running back with the most rushing yards.
Pick the player with the most receiving yards.
Pick a player who will get an interception.
Make your picks and a spread for this week's games to score 5 to 10 points. Pick one or more games as a stone cold lead pipe lock (optional) and double your score in victory or lose 5 points in defeat. Full contest rules here.
If SportsFilter is down and you need to submit your picks, you can send them in email to me.
Check your score last week on the results spreadsheet at Google Docs.