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KodiakJag · 12-09-2019, 06:01 AM

I'm filling in for Bullseye while health issues prevent him from posting. Bullseye, we all miss you and hope your situation improves.

I want to give a special thanks to Tennessee for saving my bacon this week and keeping me from going 0-4.

Denver @ [font=Arial]Houston[/font] - Recap

Well, I said I'd be surprised if this game was not over before the start of the 4th quarter, which was one of the few correct predictions I made this week.

Is this the biggest upset so far this century? If anyone disagrees, name one game since 2000 that beats this. Seriously, I'd love to hear about it. Here's a good article (with highlights) that sums this beating up: McClain: Texans’ loss to Broncos an utter embarrassment. Yes, the Texans actually let a bad team with a rookie quarterback who was making his 2nd start waltz right into Houston and build a 38-3 lead over them halfway through the 3rd quarter. A week after turning in their best performance of the season against New England, the Texans (8-5) followed that up by turning in the worst performance of their season. However, I will not blame this loss solely on the Texans. The execution and play of the Broncos (5-8) in this game was good enough to notch a win against almost any top-tier playoff-bound team in the league. Drew Lock, a 2nd round choice earlier this year, looks like another Tom Brady in the making. He had composure, made great reads, and has the "it" factor that every team longs for. He easily outplayed his counterpart, Watson, and got a huge contribution from the Broncos defense and TE Noah Fant (the Broncos' 1st round choice this year), who led the team with 113 receiving yards. Good drafting by Denver! Houston's only desire after this loss was that Oakland would do them a solid later in the day (more on that later).

[font=Arial]Indianapolis[/font] @ [font=Arial][font=Arial]Tampa Bay[/font][/font] - Recap

Indy lost this game on a single play. Up 35-21 late in the 3rd quarter, the Colts (6-7) appeared to be cruising to a win over the Buccaneers (6-7). With roughly 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter, and with the score 35-28 in favor of the Colts, Indianapolis was driving for another score. It was a costly lost fumble near the Buccaneer's 10 yard line by Colts RB Nyheim Hines that cost the Colts this game. Winston was his typical self, throwing for 4 TD and 3 INT. The game was very entertaining, but also ended the postseason hopes for yet another AFCS team.

San Diego @ Jacksonville - Recap

Not content with having guaranteed themselves a losing season by halftime, our Jaguars (4-9) saw the wheels come off in the 2nd half as the Chargers (5-8) put on quite a performance in Jacksonville last Sunday. This 45-10 beating was difficult to watch. No fumbles lost and no interceptions was maybe the only positive in this game. Well, and the Logan Cooke fake punt. Still, our longstanding inability to stop the run combined with broken coverages in the secondary let this one get away. Chargers RB Austin Ekeler put in some good work, gaining 213 total yards (101 rushing, 112 receiving).

Tennessee @ [font=Arial]Oakland[/font] - Recap

This was great football. If I had a condition that put me in the hospital for a week, I wouldn't mind if they played this game on the television and looped it until I was discharged. Hard running, great passing, tough defense...this game had it all. The Titans (8-5) got the better of this contest and now find themselves tied with Houston (8-5) for the AFCS division lead. I know a lot of Jags fans will never forgive the Titans for 1999 and Jeff Fisher, but how can you not admire them a bit now? As a fan of a team that has quit, it's refreshing to see a team that has not even when logic deemed they should have. Despite their gritty performance in this game, Oakland (6-7) saw playoff possibilities fade away.

The AFC playoffs now look like it's narrowed down to 7 teams competing for 6 spots:

1) Baltimore
2) New England
3) Kansas City
4) Houston (or Tennessee)
5) Buffalo
6) Pittsburgh (or Houston or Tennessee)

Now for the picks:

Game 1 ([font=Arial]Houston[/font] @ [font=Arial]Tennessee[/font])

The Texans (8-5) travel to Nissan stadium to take on the Titans (8-5) in a game that will decide who gets temporary leadership of the AFCS. As these two teams need no introduction, let's focus on remaining schedules just a bit. Week 16 will see the Titans (8-5) hosting the Saints (10-3) while the Buccaneers (6-7) host the Texans (8-5). For week 17, the Titans will be heading to Houston for round 2 of this matchup. The division crown may very well be decided on tiebreakers, but out of the three remaining games the two head-to-head matchups are all-important. Houston currently has the divisional record advantage over Tennessee. If Houston wins this game then Tennessee will be out of contention for the division title (even if they manage to beat New Orleans) unless Houston lays an egg in Tampa Bay. What I'm trying to say is that if the Texans and Titans split their two games together, it will benefit Houston. So, if Houston wins one against Tennessee and manages to beat the Buccaneers, they are your AFCS champion. By now I'm sure the Titans have come to the realization that they probably have to beat the Texans TWICE in order to win the division. That's quite a daunting task, but they've risen to the challenge every time over the last four weeks and I expect them to do it again here.

[font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial]Titans[/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font] 30
[font=Arial][font=Arial]Texans[/font][/font] 23

Game 2 (Jacksonville @ [font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial]Oakland[/font][/font][/font][/font])

Our Jaguars (4-9) take on the Raiders (6-7) in a 4pm game in Oakland.

[font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial]Raiders[/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font] 33
[font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial]Jaguars[/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font] 13

Game 3 ([font=Arial]Indianapolis[/font] @ [font=Arial][font=Arial]New Orleans[/font][/font])

After dropping one final, crucial game against the Bucs, the Colts (6-7) can now clean off their golf clubs and ease into the postseason. The Saints (10-3) need to keep winning as they jockey for a better playoff seed, namely one of the two coveted first round buys. They catch a dispirited Colts team at the right time.

[font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial]Saints[/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font][/font] 38
[font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial][font=Arial]Colts[/font][/font][/font][/font][/font] 20

Last Week 1-3
Overall 28-15

Pete Prisco last week 2-2
Pete Prisco overall 23-20

"We believe in victory!" - Gus Bradley
"I don't want to believe. I want to know." - Carl Sagan