*** NFL PICKS / DIVISION ***

[Auggie]

Selections due for all teams by first kick-off Saturday (Jan 12).

Edits made after first kickoff disqualifies your picks. Sorry.

FAVORITE / LINE / UNDERDOG (Home team in CAPS)

KANSAS CITY / -5.5 / Indianapolis

LA RAMS / -7 / Dallas

NEW ENGLAND / -4 / LA Chargers

NEW ORLEANS / -8 / Philadelphia

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Results from last week:

Indianapolis 21 / Houston 7
Dallas 24 / Seattle 22
LA Chargers 23 / Baltimore 17
Philadelphia 16 / Chicago 15

Current standings:

True Dough: 2-2
Iliyah: 1-3
Heartstrings: 1-3
bluedigger: 1-3
Auggie: 0-4

[GWC58]

1. Here's my take.

Indianapolis over KC
New England takes out LAC
LAR ousts Dallas
Philadelphia continues their quest by nipping New Orleans. Now let’s see if I can get, at least, one right. 🤔 These picks are not written in stone. Just here in DU.

[True Dough]

2. I can't believe I lead the way at .500!

It was a tricky stuff last weekend. This weekend, it looks like a clean sweep for the highly-favored home teams. There might be one upset in the bunch and hat's off to whoever can sniff it out (like maybe the poster above by taking Philly).

So, for the record:

Kansas City
L.A. Rams
New England
New Orleans

If those four teams are the finalists, we're looking at great conference finals.

[Auggie]

3. Playing the spreads this week ...

they're huge IMO (plus, I might as well after a sucky 0-4 start):

Indianapolis

Dallas

NEW ENGLAND

Philadelphia

[True Dough]

4. Gutsy picks!

You're going down swinging!

[Auggie]

5. You think so?

With the exception of the Pats/Chargers game, I think the spreads are a little too large. These are all playoff teams.

We've all seen the following: the favorite has a big lead in the 3rd quarter and goes conservative. More rushes and more three and outs. The defensive secondary plays a few more yards off the receivers to defend against the big play. It may win the game, but it allows the underdog to score some points in the final minutes and beat the spread.

0-4 calls for desperate measures!

[True Dough]

6. Anything is possible, I suppose

Dallas, on a good day, could make the Rams uncomfortable.

I read that the Saints will be without two starting O-linemen, which might make for a long day at the office for Drew Brees. Besides, Philly should be motivated to get a measure of revenge after New Orleans throttled them during the regular season.

But unless Mahomes gets the playoff jitters, I think the Chiefs blow out the Colts.

[Auggie]

7. Another thing about the playoffs ...

look for the teams that started to peak in the later weeks. Dallas, Philly, Indianapolis? As I suggested upthread, it doesn't necessarily mean they'll win, but they could be good enough to beat the spread.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. And Kansas City beat the Colts 31-13!

Hooray! And the Colts didn't get a single first down in the first half.

Mahomes is possibly the best quarterback ever. I know it's a bit soon to start saying things like that, but oh, my! Aside from his phenomenal talent, I love the way he usually has an expression of sheer joy on his face.

[True Dough]

9. Mahomes has had a phenomenal season

No doubt about it. If he can have another 12 to 15 seasons with performances even close to that, then we could start talking about "the best QB ever." It's a long, long road.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

10. Pretty much the very best quarterback this season.

He's one of only three QB ever to throw 50 TD passes in a season. His first season, really, since he only started one game last year.

Oh, and one of only seven QB to have 5,000 passing yards on one season. Of course, Drew Brees is truly astonishing as he's done that five times, which is truly impressive.

Give Mahomes a few more years, absolutely.