Wildcard Weekend-

Week 17              1-5

Season                 33-23(59%)

Sorry I missed yesterday's games but I was in the Bahamas taking paparazzi shots of Rex Ryan making out with his wife for the back page of the Post. OK, maybe not, but I can say that such a pathetic franchise deserves such "introspective" coverage or ridiculousness. Actually, I didn't like yesterdays match-ups very much and with the way I ended the season, a la the Texans, I figured it best to stay away. In the end I would have probably lost with the Bungles and whereas 9.5 was far too many points to NOT take Minnesota with their mediocre quarterback, it wasn't even close enough with a guy who makes Tim Tebow look competitive under center. I'm jumping back in today and there's a theme which actually continues from yesterday's results, home teams win wildcard games.

Baltimore -7 vs Indianapolis

As you probably know, I'll be the last person on the purple and black bandwagon and I've ridden the Colts pretty much all season for and against to the sound of money in my pockets but here's the skinny, Baltimore is better than Indianapolis. The Colts come into the game with the rookie of the year in Andrew Luck and more karma than Culture Club but that won't be enough when it comes to the playoffs. Indianapolis has won a bunch of games and none of them have been against anyone of consequence away from home. Young teams don't know they shouldn't win at home but their inexperience shows up on the road, check games against New England, Houston and the god-awful Jets for examples of that. Baltimore will be a one and done playoff team but today is the one, lay the points.

Washington +3 vs Seattle

Admittedly, I really thought I'd be pulling the trigger on the Seahawks here but much like the Indy-Baltimore game, there's a reason Washington is at home and Seattle is playing this game 3000 miles from home. The Seahawks stink on the road. If the one big road win you're going to push on me is the last second win against the Bears, need I remind you that Chicago isn't in the playoffs, started the season 7-1 and couldn't beat a Div. II team in the second half of the season. I love Russell Wilson, I love that Seattle secondary and particularly the hatred they play the game with. But RGIII is better than Wilson, the Redskins are on a roll and they get a field goal at home which I just can't pass up.

As for my final record with games I was "forced" to choose throughout the course of the season, I ended up with an admirable 95-73-3 record or for those of you fixated on beating the vig, 56% on the year. I can live with that for my secondary picks with the better percentage I nailed with my big plays.

Enjoy the games.

Thanks.

-P