I am in a progressive pool here at work, put in $20 and pick a winning team each week. You can't pick the team again and once you loose your out. Been in it a long time and get the boot pretty early. Its pretty amazing how hard it is to pick a winning team each week with no spread even. So here it is, I need a pick this week and I am comming up empty handed. Who has a SURE win?

I already used:
Week 1: Patriots
Week2: Ravens

who's playing the raiders?

Chicago 4tw

Buffalo/NYJ looks good.

And yeah - I think Carolina comes out strong in week 3. People are ready to write them off but remember, they started 1-2 last year. I'd save them until they get rolling though.

Atlanta or Carolina. I'm serious. If you're in it for the long haul, get Carolina out of the way now. Pick them.

who's playing the raiders?

I think they are on bye week? Could be wrong

Hmm 2 for Carolina against the Bucks at home.

Yeah, Oakland is on bye.

Carolina looks like the best bet. Peppers is going to sack little Simms about, oh, 17 times. I'm guessing Smith might be back by then too. I just can't imagine they start 0-3, winning this game is crucial for them.

Nekko, nobody beats the Vikes in the dome this year. NOBODY!!!! :D

I'd look at washington over houston to.
Chigago is the pretty pick of the week....but the Vike's are pretty hot right now and this is the time of the year the elites are not so overly dominant.
The Buc's have a pretty good history of holding carolina down, that and Simm's is not gonna look as bad as he has all year.....Iffy pick imho(dont forget Cadillac).
I'm still not gonna buy into the Atlanta band wagon. every time they make you think they are unstopable Vick proves why the run first QB mentality just doesnt work in the NFL. but then again after 2 games i'm sure as hell not buying the Aint's either.
Joe Gibbs, Mark Brunell, Clinton Portis and all the rest of the studmuffin talent on that team going 0-3 seems unlikely.
Lot of damn good match-up's this week. might say screw the betting and get some nice rib steaks and a case of dead guy ale and just enjoy "church".

It really is a tough week to pick.

Philly is playing the 49ers.

durrrrr.

49ers haven't looked all that bad so far. I don't think that's a durrr pick, especially with how the Eagles fell apart in the second half on Sunday.

WEEK 3
Sunday, Sep. 24 Carolina at Tampa Bay1:00 p.m.
Chicago at Minnesota1:00 p.m.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh1:00 p.m.
Green Bay at Detroit1:00 p.m.
Jacksonville at Indianapolis1:00 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Buffalo1:00 p.m.
Tennessee at Miami1:00 p.m.
Washington at Houston1:00 p.m.
Baltimore at Cleveland4:05 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at Seattle4:15 p.m.
Philadelphia at San Francisco4:15 p.m.
St. Louis at Arizona4:15 p.m.
Denver at New England8:15 p.m.

Monday, Sep. 25
Atlanta at New Orleans8:30 p.m.

Open date: Dallas, Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego

If I had to pick one of those games and not use one of the teams you already chose, I think I'd /gulp pick Miami over Tennessee.

Alex Smith, Frank Gore, Vernon Davis. will produce a few win's this year but is very reminicent of the Dallas holy triumverant of the early 90's ala Jimmy Johnson( you heard it here first) add that to the fact Norv Turner( what was that? Dallas again?)
now mentoring Smith!
Still 2 maybe 3 away from good lord look out status but i'm predicting some damn nice wins outa the 69ers this year. IE. not a safe a bet as in the last few years.

69ers? Freudian slip?

Also keep in mind, you don't just want an easy durr pick necessarily. Ideally, you want to pick the "decent" teams when they have a reasonable matchup, otherwise you'll be left with bad choices by the end.

After playing this game for 6 years Iv'e found that you don't save any team...pick away from the get go.

Its that this week is lacking any team that just stands out as a winner. Heck some are betting on teams here that are 0-2. Thats scarry!

This is an easy one...

Take the Miami game vs the Titans.

1 - You aren't betting the spread since it is a knockout pool. The largest spread is Miami -11. That is the first clue. The next closest spread is -6.5...

2 - The Dolphins are off to a bad start and will be looking to try and stop the skid. The only people better to do that against now than the Titans is the Raiders and they have a bye.

3 - The Titans would have a hard time securing a BCS bid at the moment. Everybody looks good against them.

4 - You can only use a team 1 time for the season. Miami isn't going to have alot of wins with the way their division looks. Take this one now and save the better teams for down the road.

And barring injury...


Week 4 take Dallas
Week 5 take Indy
Week 6 take Denver
Week 7 take Arizona
Week 8 take Pittsburg


:)

Thanks for the info! Miami it is.

and now we'll be wrong

Ha. I won't hold you to it. I was talking with coworkers and they seem to slant towards Miami as well.

Oh christ, I meant to quote but acidentally edited your post tal. Wasn't paying attention. >_< Fixed it. Anyways...

49ers haven't looked all that bad so far. I don't think that's a durrr pick, especially with how the Eagles fell apart in the second half on Sunday

The eagles were playing the giants, a good team, and almost beat them. Meanwhile the 49ers haven't played any real competition. Unlike the 49ers, the giants actually have a defense, and none of the "skill positions" on the 49ers compare to the giants. The eagles will only lose if they implode.

Miami is a pretty good pick too, but trusting in Daunte Culpepper not to fuck things up is just too much for me. Never underestimate how much he can do to lose a game.

yeah but do you trust Kerry Collins not to fuck shit up either?

Much as I hate to say it, the Bears over the Vikings.

The Vikes have won their two games on field goals, and have shown very little real offense so far. Also, the defense is giving up more than I like seeing STILL in the passing game. I have not looked at Chicago's schedule, but I would say that this early in the season, with a healthy team, they will more than likely take the Vikings by at least ten points.

yeah but do you trust Kerry Collins not to fuck shit up either?

Not at all. I do think miami will probably win, but I think both teams could screw up all over the place, which doesn't make it a very sure thing to me, heh.

And chicago has played 2 very, very bad teams, which made them *look* really good, but really hasn't proved much.

There's NEVER a sure thing in major professional sports though.

Miami or Eagles would be my choice, though I'd lean to the Eagles. Good luck and we do something similar here except we have to pick a winner from all the games whoever picks the most correctly wins that week's pot.

There's NEVER a sure thing in major professional sports though.

I know, thats obvious. I meant a relatively sure thing.

and now we'll be wrong

Naw, we had this one *wipes the sweat off his brow*. Hellova lot closer than I thought it would be ;)

haha well this week I will go with Phili at home against the Pack on Monday night.

Thats a "sure" thing don't you guys think?

Probably be looking for week 5 help.

Indy or the bears for week 5

I think the bears are actually the underdogs at the moment, and I can see why, even without alexander.

Indy is always a good choice. Eagles are pretty good too, though ya never know what green bay might pull out of its ass. I'm going with Dallas this week (since I already picked indy) and they're playing one of the worst teams in the league atm in the titans.

Hmmm something to think about. Seems alot of people are taking Phili this week, could mean alot of people out of the pool if the green and gold actually do pull a rabit out of the hat.

Bears are the underdog at home? hmmm...This game scares me more than any other on the Hawks schedule. Shaun bieng out is not that big a deal, i dont see either team putting up big numbers on the ground key will be can we crack the bears secondary just enough to get the points needed. Hawks D is playing lights out and will bring Grossman back to earth a bit.
You need a definate winner, steer way clear of this one for week 4. bears take game 5 easy.

I stand by my earlier post ;)


Week 4 take Dallas
Week 5 take Indy


Dallas is -9.5 this weekend :)