I may have gone 43% but the Saints are 3 - 0. And my fantasy team featuring Eli Manning and/or Colin Kaepernick at QB (a combined 10 points this week) may have been a foregone conclusion, but the Saints are 3 - 0. And the rest of the NFC South is 2 - 7. And the rest of the NFC leaders from 2012 (49ers, Packers, Falcons and Redskins) all have losing records. Life is good, my friends. Life. Is. Good. Now for the other good stuff:
Week 3: The Good Stuff
The AFC Turnaround - An inherent bias that I have--that has served me well for a few years, by the way--is that the AFC is no match for the NFC. It sure did bite me in the behind this week in the picks, but kudos to the AFC for going 6 - 2 in inter-league play. This includes the Browns' and Colts' improbable wins away from home against the Vikings and 49ers, respectively as well as the Dolphins and the Bengals proving they are for real.
- Per my anxiety that I won't be able to scratch the surface of 14 - 2 again this season, this game really could go either way in my opinion... Dallas has the offensive chops to keep this one out of St. Louis' reach, and should Romo wake up on the right side of the bed that day, the Cowboys are the more talented team.
Week 3: The Bad Stuff
A Giant Nadir - I'm not sure anyone could have anticipated a worse week for the Giants than their first two of the 2013 season, but here it is. New York is already -9 in turnovers and Eli Manning was sacked a redrankulous 7 times on Sunday. He couldn't even give Team Bakery Special one freaking garbage time touchdown just to save a little face. What's more, the Giants are sporting a league-worst 38 points allowed per game, giving the woeful Redskins something to look forward to if things don't improve. The upside? At least Tom Coughlin is already turning to the ultimate totem of season-ending futility, Curtis Painter. The last time Painter got to drive a team into the ground they ended up with Andrew Luck. Perhaps the Giants will drown-ey for Clowney this season?
Shanked It! My Worst Week 3 Prediction: The Dolphins might really have a shot this year, y'all. Heck, I'll buy 'em shots for beating the Falcons on Sunday, who almost got a win with a well-rounded performance in Miami but couldn't close the deal late in the game:
- The fair-weather fans will be out in full force at Sun Life Stadium to cheer on the not-Marlins while LeBron is on vacation, but I think it ends when Matt Ryan comes to town. This one is still well within reach for the Dolphins if they can get ample pressure on Ryan while the pocket is shaky, but they haven't played a team this good yet during their "streak."
Week 3 Feature: Other Football Things You Should Be Reading
...Because friends don't let friends read Bleacher Report. I promise the "woe is me" will end when I pick my sad little predictin' self off the ground and get back to respectability one day. But while I search for a paper bag for my head, here are some other football-related things you should consume in the meantime:- Dave Dameshek - It's no "C'mon Man," but I enjoy Dave Dameshek's recurring video series The Shek Report (formerly The Shame Report) featuring the week's football lowlights. It's a nice little pick-me-up during the unbearable non-football days between Tuesday and Wednesday. Even more entertaining but more intermittent is the N "if" L animated shorts where Dameshek creates alternate endings to some of the biggest "what ifs" in the game's storied history. So if you've ever wondered what would happen if the Tuck Rule had never been invented or if Drew Brees had gone to Miami instead of New Orleans--with Ace Ventura jokes incorporated in the process--this is your guy.
- Mike Silver - Poor Silver has been relegated to the lower ranks of NFL.com after a long and successful stint at Yahoo Sports, but this guy sure can pick 'em. In fact, he was the very best in the biz last year according to people who pay attention to these things. More importantly, he was the journalist trailblazer who realized Raiders owner Mark Davis was the living, breathing plot to Tommy Boy. What's not to love?
- Nate Jackson - Most of these guys are just civilians like this 5-foot blogger with two thumbs, but there's no better football writer from the trenches in my opinion than former pro tight end Nate Jackson. Jackson is as honest and eloquent as they come when shedding insight on the complicated world of professional sports, especially for those outside of the Pro Bowl limelight, and the physical and financial risks that come with the career. I'm salivating over his new book, but you can check out an excellent archive of his posts on Deadspin over the years here in the meantime.
- Deadspin Trolling Bleacher Report and Grantland - I admit it, I frequent Grantland from time to time and often enjoyably so. They were mighty generous in their coverage of the Grizzlies and Memphis by extension in the Spring, and I like Bill Barnwell's often overly elaborate stats and hyper-logical take on play calling for reward over risk because that is a job I'd like to have. Anyway, that's all well and good but when it's not revealing scandalous imaginary girlfriends or Brett Favre's, erm, cellular activity, Deadspin is pretty much the best at trolling other sites that you know you shouldn't really like in the first place. Especially when Bill Simmons is involved. It's like your sardonic eye-rolling best friend in a high school movie there to affirm how mindless jock culture (Bleacher Report) is and how overly self-important nerds (Grantland) can be.
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