NFL Week 15- The Picks Are Getting Desperate

Alright. Because I suck, we at Legends of Friday Night are going to do something a little different this week. When I played high school football, my number was 84, and it has since been one of my 3 favorite numbers. So...this week, I'm going to look at the number 84's on both teams and pick the team that has the more productive 84. Then, in a case where it could be a different pick between ATS and Straight Up, I'll use the longer tenured of the number 51's, since 51 was my number in Midget Football. So...here goes.
Wait. Also...I have no idea how Barnes and I compare because some games got left out in our running tally. All I know is that I am 116-90-1 right now, and I'm sure he's a good deal better. Last year I finished 165-101, meaning I'd have to go 49-10 the rest of the way in order to better last year's record. That's going to be nearly impossible. The even more depressing part...I picked every game before the season started, and those are 124-82-1, 8 games better than my current clip.
Anyway...on with the picks.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11TH

New Orleans @ Chicago (-3)
The Pick: Chicago
Chicago-Brandon Rideau-one game played, no numbers of any kind
New Orleans-No number 84
You've got to be kidding me. The winner in this one is the player who has made one appearance and doesn't have a catch or a run or any yards of any kind. We're off to quite the start.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14TH

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta (-3)
The Pick: Atlanta
Tampa Bay-Joey Galloway-7 games, 2 starts, 12 rec, 134 yds, 11.2 ypc, 0 TD
Atlanta-Roddy White-13 games, 12 starts, 78 rec, 1249 yds, 16.0 ypc, 6 TD
Well, I don't think there's any question here. White may be headed for the Pro Bowl, while the former Buckeye, Galloway, is barely in the league.

San Francisco @ Miami (-6.5)
The Pick: San Francisco
San Francisco-Josh Morgan-9 games, 1 start, 15 rec, 214 yds, 14.3 ypc, 2 TD
Miami-No number 84
Another bad number 84 strikes again. And...we go to the number 51 clause. And we have...Miami's Akin Ayodele having 7 years, and San Fran's Takeo Spikes with 11 years. San Fran not only covers, they win!!

Seattle (-3) @ St. Louis
The Pick: Seattle
Seattle-Bobby Engram-10 games, 8 starts, 32 rec, 328 yds, 10.3 ypc, 0 TD
St. Louis-Randy McMichael-4 games, 4 starts, 11 rec, 139 yds, 12.6 ypc, 0 TD
Well, neither guy has really played much this season, but Engram gets the edge and so do the Seahawks

Washington (-6.5) @ Cincinnati
The Pick: Cincinnati (ATS), Washington (Straight Up)
Washington-No number 84
Cincinnati-TJ Whosyourmama, 13 games, 13 starts, 89 rec, 885 yds, 9.9 ypc, 4 TD
The 'Skins have no 84, but it'd be tough for anyone to beat unhappy TJ anyway. And now...heading to the number 51 rule, Alfred Fincher, the Skins Lineback, has 4 years, and Corey Mays, the 'Backer from Notre Dame only has 3. Cinci covers, Skins win.

Tennessee (-3) @ Houston
The Pick: Houston
Tennessee-No Number 84
Houston-No Number 84
My God. Neither team has a number 84?!? What do we do?!? Well, says I, I guess we move on to my second favorite number, and that would be 7.
So, we'll make it, the youngest number 7. Turns out neither team has a number 7 either. Well, this is just getting annoying.
Thought number 3 was to see which team beat the Packers by more, but both were 3 point games.
So, tie breaker number 4 should be...should be...which coach is from closest to Rawson, OH, where I'm from. Jeff Fisher of the Titans is from Culver City, CA, a mere 33 hours and 49 minutes from my house. Gary Kubiak, on the other hand, is from Houston, which is 19 hours and 12 minutes from my place. Therefore, the pick is Houston.
So now, we move on to the number 51 tiebreaker, for the game's winner. Houston's Chaun Thompson has been in the league for 6 years and Tennessee's 51 doesn't exist. Can the Texans pull off the upset?? Well...the numbers, however strange they may be, say yes.

Detroit @ Indianapolis (-17)
The Pick: Detroit
Detroit-Shaun McDonald-12 games, 7 starts, 35 rec, 332 yds, 9.5 ypc, 1 TD
Indianapolis-Jacob Tamme-9 games, 0 starts, 1 rec, 6 yds, 6.0 ypc, 0 TD
The Lions cover the spread. What does the rule of 51 say about the outcome?? Indy has no 51, and Detroit has Dominic Raiola, who has played for 8 years, even though he's a bad, bad dude. Whatever. The numbers say Detroit gets off the schneid this week. Boy do I feel like this numbers game is going a bad direction right now.

Green Bay (-2) @ Jacksonville
The Pick: Green Bay
Green Bay-Tory Humphrey-13 games, 5 starts, 10 rec, 148 yds, 14.8 ypc, 0 TD
Jacksonville-Troy Williamson-5 games, 1 start, 4 rec, 27 yds, 6.8 ypc, 1 TD
Packers win. Hooray!!

San Diego (-5) @ Kansas City
The Pick: San Diego
San Diego-Craig Davis-4 games, 0 starts, 4 rec, 59 yds, 14.8 ypc, 0 TD
Kansas City-No number 84
Wow. This is truly as pathetic as both of these teams have been. Dumb.

Buffalo @ New York Jets (-7)
The Pick: Buffalo
Buffalo-Robert Royal-12 games, 7 starts, 29 rec, 308 yds, 10.6 ypc, 1 TD
New York Jets-No Number 84
Well...I wouldn't have gone this direction, but maybe the number gods know more than I do. What does the rule of 51 have to say?? Buffalo has second year man, Paul Posluszny of Penn State, and the Jet have no one. Damn you Jets. Well...just cause I'm picking them doesn't mean I can't do my weekly, The ship is sinking in Buffalo!!!

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore (-2)
The Pick: Baltimore
Pittsburgh-No Number 84
Baltimore-Edgar Jones-5 games, 0 starts, no numbers whatsoever
Just as in the New Orleans-Chicago game, Baltimore wins it with a guy who has no numbers on the year. The AFC North is heating up!!!

Denver @ Carolina (-7.5)
The Pick: Carolina
Denver-No Number 84-damn you Javon Walker
Carolina-Mark Jones-13 games, 0 starts, 2 rec, 32 yds, 16.0 ypc, 0 TD
Looks like the Panthers take it and take control of the NFC South

Minnesota @ Arizona (-3)
The Pick: Minnesota
Minnesota-Aundrae Allison-12 games, 0 starts, 10 rec, 109 yds, 10.9 ypc 0 TD
Arizona-Jerame Tuman-3 games, 2 starts, 3 rec, 41 yds, 13.7 ypc, 0 TD
The Vikings cover to make it 4-for-4 for the NFC Norse. Now, can the rule of 51 give them a win as well?? Pago Togafau of Arizona has 2 years of experience, and Minnesota's Ben Leber has been in the league 7 years. Vikes win.

New England (-7) @ Oakland
The Pick: New England
New England-Ben Watson-11 games, 6 starts, 22 rec, 209 yds, 9.5 ypc, 2 TD
Oakland-Javon Walker-8 games, 7 starts, 15 rec, 196 yds, 13.1 ypc, 1 TD
This is the closest one so far, but Ben Watson and the Pats pull out the win.

New York Giants @ Dallas (-3)
The Pick: Dallas
New York Giants-Darcy Johnson-13 games, 1 start, 2 rec, 2 yds, 1 ypc, 2 TD
Dallas-Patrick Crayton-13 games, 7 starts, 31 rec, 409 yds, 13.2 ypc, 3 TD
I'm impressed that Johnson has 2-1 yd. TD receptions and nothing else, but Crayton has pretty good numbers. Dallas wins.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 15TH

Cleveland @ Philadelphia (-14)
The Pick: Philadelphia
Cleveland-Joe Jurevicius-Physically Unable to Play
Philadelphia-Hank Baskett-13 games, 5 starts, 30 rec, 425 yds, 14.2 ypc, 3 TD
Well, I think it's obvious who gets the choice in this one.

So...two things. 1. I hope this can give me lots and lots of blind luck and lead me to a good week. 2. Number 84 is a very weak number in the NFL right now. There's TJ Whosyourmama and Roddy White, and then like two mediocre guys. That's it. Go Pack Go