Sunday, January 20, 2019

Rugby for fairies...Conference championships and the home -3

Bokolis wound up on the wrong side of a pair of results on last week's games.  It worked out to a  1-3 week, 3-5 for the playoffs.  While it would ordinarily be embarrassing, it reflects that I probably wouldn't have gone near any of the Saturday games, and probably would've backed away from the Saints after having sent it in on the Patriots.

Bokolis waffled back and forth on the Colts-Chiefs, so I can throw away the result.  The Colts went outside after being inside.  If there was a chance that they'd challenge the Chiefs' mettle, it ended with Vinatieri hitting the upright.

Cowboys-Rams came down to a couple of fourth down plays.  The Rams converted, the Cowboys didn't.  Aikman says the Rams got away with a blatant hold...womp womp.  Why didn't Dallas hold?

After seeing what the elements did to the Colts, Bokolis would've sent it in heavy on the Patriots.  I don't care what the Chargers did on east coast trips this year, whether going east or west, no way can you make trips on consecutive weeks and expect to fire.

The Saints fell out of bed, but managed to grind out a victory after spotting the Eagles 14 points.  They did it playing conservatively, then repeatedly throwing for first downs on 3rd and long.  When it was time to cover, Payton went into Herm Edwards mode, calling odd plays and depending on a long field goal to ice the game.  The field goal to cover the spread pushed to the right, and the Saints were ultimately bailed out by...oh dear

The good news is that Bokolis drank more liquor in a 30-hour period Friday into Saturday than I've had in about the last three years combined.  I didn't kill anybody, either- yay for me!

SAINTS (-3) over Rams - Last week's performance might make someone think that the Saints are vulnerable.  Bokolis saw a team playing close to the vest because they were down 14 early and, even though they were down 14, they decided they wouldn't have to score that much to win.  Also lost in the fuss was that, after that flurry, the Saints shut out the Eagles for the rest of the game.

On the flip, the chatter is about the Rams having two backs run for over a 100 yards against an allegedly good Cowboys defense.  I think that was more about a bad game plan and that it will be overvalued for this game.  Belief in the Saints probably necessitates buying a half-point.

Patriots (+3) over Chiefs - Bokolis has been telling Jets fans for over 20 years that because they won a rigged super bowl, they will not get to another one until all other teams get to one.  While they look at me like I am crazy, I then pause for effect and say, them and the Chiefs.  Then, it sinks in.  I am fully prepared to change the narrative when faced with the cognitive dissonance of the Chiefs winning, but I am married to my banter.  So, I have to forestall the changing of the guard and rely on some stat that says QBs in the playoffs for the first year are 0-9 vs Brady in the playoffs.  Actually, that sounds like a really stupid stat, doesn't it?  I'm just going to believe the Patriots know the way home, and that Andy Reid simply got rerouted last week on his way to the crapper.

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