GSoF: Week 16 Recap and Week 17 Predictions

by R Dizzle on Dec 29, 2007 1:34 PM PST in NFL

It all comes down to one game

Perfection is only 1 hour away for the Patriots. The 16-0 season that seemed probable but unlikely is now almost guaranteed.

16-0 is only a part of the amazing story that has surrounded the 2007 Patriots. Let us not forget about the "unbeatable" records that both Brady and Moss are 1 away from. Tom Brady needs one more TD pass to tie Peyton Manning's single season record of 49 and Randy Moss needs one more reception TD to tie Jerry Rice's single's season record 22. Although they'll both reach those records, Rice hit 22 TD receptions in only 12 games because of the strike that season. How bout we put an "asterix" next to Rice's name in the record books?

Obviously all these Pats records put the Giants in a bit of a situation...should they play their starters and risk injuries to beat up players or do what's best for them? I say rest - the Patriots don't affect them in the postseason and they need to do what's best for them. But we'll see in a few hours how it plays out...

No need to hustle this time around buddy

Who screwed up their playoff dreams last week? Both the Vikings and the Browns had a chance to clinch a playoff spot with wins and both teams came up short. They no longer control their destinies and are hoping for losses to get back in the running.

My predictions - The Redskins claim the final NFC spot and the Browns claim the final AFC spot.

49er fans saw the last home game of the great Bryant Young - the last of the '94 Super Bowl team. Young had an amazing career with the 9ers and his presence on the D-line and on the team will be missed.

Something tells me this wasn't easy to do!

Oh snap, the great Atma Brother #1 won the NFL picks by going 14-2! I guess you can send us your e-mail address so you can mail yourself a poster...but you might as well just hang that up somewhere in your pad!

Next week I'll be hitting up a final recap and announcing the winner of those Warrior tickets...so stay tuned!

Week 17 Predictions after the jump!!

Picks

Week 17 Matchups		Prediction
Patriots (15-0) @ Giants (10-5)
Like the NFL Network commercial says, what comes after dynasty?

Bengals (6-9) @ Dolphins (1-14)
Bit too late to be winning games don't ya think Bengals? Props to TJ for making the Pro Bowl, but unfortunately Ocho Cinco didn't make the cut...maybe its time to come out to the beautiful Bay?

Seahawks (10-5) @ Falcons (3-12)
I can't wait until the Seahawks get whooped by either the Redskins, Vikings, or Saints in the first round of the playoffs. That's how overrated they are.

Panthers (6-9) @ Buccaneers (9-6)
If the Bucs are willing to take a loss to the 49ers, why not rest the starters and take another loss?

Saints (7-8) @ Bears (6-9)
The Saints need to win in order to even think* about the playoffs. Miracles happen...but can they happen two years in a row?*

Lions (7-8) @ Packers (12-3)
Props to the Packers for losing the potential for home-field advantage. How are they going to lose twice the Bears? Some people are trying to justify that going to Dallas would increase their odds at winning, but last time I checked, Favre played his best at Lambeau..

Jaguars (11-4) @ Texans (7-8)
FEAR THE JAGUARS - they are going to go far.

Bills (7-8) @ Eagles (7-8)
Is McNabb going to finally leave the Eagles? Every week he seems to have justify his playing abilities and lately he's been showing he's still got it...why let him go now?


Steelers (10-5) @ Ravens (4-11)
Hey Troy Smith doesn't look so bad! Unfortunately for the Ravens, the Steelers need the win combined with a Charger loss to avoid the Jags in the first round...look for the Steelers W.
Chiefs (4-11) @ Jets (3-12)
Both of these teams need losses to stay as low as possible in the draft...but at the end of it all, one of em's movin up!
Cowboys (13-2) @ Redskins (8-7)
The only reason the Cowboys would play their starters all game is to crush the Redskins' playoff dreams...but why would they do that? They barely won the first meeting this year, so why even try?
Rams (3-12) @ Cardinals (7-8)
Give it up to both of these teams for having extreme talent and screwing it up this year!
Vikings (8-7) @ Broncos (6-9)
It was in the Vikings hands and they gave it up. Last week's loss to the Redskins is going to be felt all offseason as they sit and watch the playoffs at their lovely homes in Minnesota.
Titans (9-6) @ Colts (13-2)
Marvin Harrison's expected to start! He'll probably only be the first half seeing as though Tony Dungy is known to rest his starters the last week of the season, think that'll be enough to knock the Titans out of the playoff spot?

Gotta love Tony.psd!

GSoF Golden State of Football		Prediction

49ers (5-10) @ Browns (9-6)
Yay Shaun Hill! But wait, he's not starting this week due to injuries? Ah jeez...Chris Weinke time? With backup Drew Olson? I thought the QB situation couldn't get any worse! As for the Browns, this game is meaningless - they make the playoffs if the Titans lose regardless of if they win this week. So why not play Brady Quinn and see what he's got? I'll tell you what he's got coming to him - 1 sack by Bryant Young and 1 sack by Patrick Willis! Call it - the sack from the past and the sack from the future!

Chargers (10-5) @ Raiders (4-11)
Oh man, JaMarcus went 7-23 for 83 yards, 1 TD and 3 INTs! Not pretty at all..but in his defense, he was playing one of the best teams in the NFL. At least he could laugh about it in the post game interview, gotta give him that. He gets his first start this week against a Charger team that's hungry for this last win...not gonna be pretty, but at least it'll be hopeful?

Go to Ballhype and throw down your predictions!.

Remember to hit up your comments about this week's games.

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Comments

If the Pats win and go 16-0

They deserve a big fat asterisk. I'm not saying they aren't a great team and if they win it all they're one of the best of all time, but come on. They got caught cheating in week 1 and it was obviously serious enough if you look at the penalty Roger Goodell dished out. Why should that count as a win? It should've been a forfeit or win for the Jets. And yes I thought the same thing back in Week 1. This is worst than any of the steroid era MLB records.

If the Patriots beat the Giants call them 15-1 or even 15-0, but they ain't 16-0.

If David Stern was the commish of the NFL he would've laid down the law proper. Hopefully Marc Ecko buys the game ball.

by Atma Brother ONE on Dec 29, 2007 2:47 PM PST reply actions

Aww

Was that sour grapes, or just whine?

by Sleepy Freud on Dec 29, 2007 8:26 PM PST up reply actions

Randy Moss ties Jerry Rice's TD Record

There is no god. Two completely opposite guys in every respect.

by Atma Brother ONE on Dec 29, 2007 6:05 PM PST reply actions

Opposite...

One of them hands-down the greatest receiver of all-time, the other perhaps the most spectacular of all-time.
One liked to sneak out on his wife for the occasional "erotic massage," the other liked to smoke a little weed.
One holds the all-time record for TDs, the other (now) holds the single-season record.

Hmm, not a heckuva lot of contrast to work with there. I'm guessing the "opposition" you're referring to is this: one plays for a team you like, the other plays for a team you hate.

As far as the existence of God, I agree with your conclusion, but on the off-chance there is a God, and she happens to follow sports, you have to believe she's a crazed fan of Boston teams. Patriots + Celtics = 41-3. Unbelievable.

by Sleepy Freud on Dec 29, 2007 8:42 PM PST up reply actions

Pretty Off

You forget that one's a professional on and off the field and has a legendary work ethic and dedication, while the other's a former criminal who ran over a meter maid and is known to take "few" plays if not seasons off (ask Raider fans). Let's be real.

by Atma Brother ONE on Dec 30, 2007 1:22 AM PST up reply actions

"Professionals off the field"

Yeah, Rice clearly enjoyed dropping his cash on those ... not that there's anything wrong with a little monetary/sexual exchange between consenting adults.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/1998/02/27/MN95442.DTL&type=printable

As far as Moss's "running over a meter maid":

Moss used his 2002 Lexus to slowly push the officer a half-block along the street, stopping when she fell to the ground

http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/2002/0924/1436287.html

Poor Lovely Rita! Not exactly wise behavior on Moss's part, but given that his intent obviously wasn't to harm her, and that she wasn't harmed, not exactly evil either.

As far as Rice's "legendary work ethic" and Moss's "days off": no question about that. If Moss had had Rice's work ethic we might be talking about him in the same sentence with Rice as the Greatest Ever, instead of merely the single-season TD holder (a mark Rice would still have owned if not for the strike).

But yes, let's be real: calling them "two completely opposite guys in every respect" is overstating the case pretty wildly. Maybe not as wildly as calling the Patriots' use of videotape "worse than steroids," but equally tinged by your red-and-gold colored glasses.

by Sleepy Freud on Dec 30, 2007 5:06 AM PST up reply actions

"not exactly evil either"

given that his intent obviously wasn't to harm her, and that she wasn't harmed, not exactly evil either.

You've got to be kidding man.

by Atma Brother ONE on Dec 30, 2007 9:47 AM PST up reply actions

Well, yeah

The truth is I have no idea how evil it was, and neither do you. Maybe his intent was to run her over, but his foot slipped off the pedal. Maybe he wanted to torture her slowly before finishing her off, but she managed to escape. Maybe he thought she was enjoying it. Maybe he was so baked he had no idea what he was doing.

If I had to guess, I'd puts in the realm of "slightly evil" behavior, brought on by anger management issues -- along the lines of, say, Smush Parker's recent altercation with a female valet attendant at a his condo.

The point is, it's completely incorrect to say Moss "ran her over," and irresponsible to allow your likes and dislikes of sports teams to cloud your judgment one way or the other.

by Sleepy Freud on Dec 30, 2007 12:31 PM PST up reply actions

Just an odd way of looking at things

Maybe his intent was to run her over, but his foot slipped off the pedal. Maybe he wanted to torture her slowly before finishing her off, but she managed to escape. Maybe he thought she was enjoying it. Maybe he was so baked he had no idea what he was doing.

Sorry man that's evil and stupid. I don't see what Smush Parker has to do with this at all too.

I thought Moss was a punk and criminal when he on the Vikings (who I don't have an opinion on), thought he was lazy on the Raiders (who I like), and don't exactly root for him now that he's decided to stop pouting and maximize his god given athletic talents on the Pats (an organization and Republikkkan owner I can't stand).

I loved TO on the 49ers (who I love), loved TO on the Eagles (McNabb + TO was legendary), love TO on the Cowboys (and I have HATED the Cowboys since I was a kid).

This has nothing to do with the teams these players are on.

by Atma Brother ONE on Dec 30, 2007 12:45 PM PST up reply actions

Smush

Has nothing to do with it: I'm just using him as a recent example of the vast grey area of stupid/semi-evil behavior people engage in. In the absence of any video footage of what Moss and Smush actually did, my gut is their "crimes" are pretty similar. Definitely worse in my book than Rice's extra-marital shenanigans with hookers, but still not quite worthy of branding them "criminals" for life. Unless we're talking about truly evil stuff (like what OJ did), my instinct is generally to assume that the press is being hysterical/holier-than-thou and to give athletes the benefit of the doubt.

On Bob Kraft's supposed "Republikkkan" ways: I'm not sure how reliable this site is, but it seems to indicate Kraft has given ten times more money to Democrats than to Republicans. Included on the list of names he's contributed to are Rangel, Kerry, and Dodd, as well as Ed Markey and Barney Frank, who are about as far left as Barbara Lee.

As far as your supposed objectivity, we've gone down this road before and I don't really want to do so again. Obviously you understand your own motives for saying stuff better than I do. I'm unconvinced, but it's not like I can say anything to convince to you, either.

by Sleepy Freud on Dec 30, 2007 1:20 PM PST up reply actions

Darn

you haveta give it up for the G-men in a game that didn't mean anything for them. They gave NE a ride.

All the sweeter though, is when a "perfect" NE team gets eliminated in the second round by Jax or Pitt or SD.

by jtoj on Dec 29, 2007 9:21 PM PST reply actions

And by the way....

The Browns kinda need to win in case Tennessee ties. If Ten/Ind results in a tie, Cleveland needs to win to get it so it isn't "meaningless" for them.

by jtoj on Dec 29, 2007 9:22 PM PST reply actions

You're Right

I wasn't really accounting for the chance of a tie. If the Titans do tie and the Browns win, the Browns will be in the playoffs

I got a trivia question for you...who can stop number 5?

by R Dizzle on Dec 29, 2007 11:53 PM PST up reply actions

Patriots

Amazing. I am not a Pats fan, but what they did was just amazing.

However, I know that there is one team that can end their season... that's the Jags

Thunder!!!

by PHUT! on Dec 29, 2007 10:53 PM PST reply actions

Hey RDizzle

It's Ticketssssssssssssssssssss right? The original deal was the top 3, and I sincerely hope it stays that way. I might just tabulate them prematurely after the Warriors and Browns games (Which I'll be flipping between) and I want to know.