• Wagers & Lagers 2012: Week 8

    by
    Rich Gapinski
    Published on 10-27-2012 05:27 AM
    6 Comments Comments


    I was one call-out and one point form having the sought-after perfect week. Oh well, I’ll take 4-2 anytime. This week was really hard and I found it easy to create comments on both sides. That means I’ll be praying for a 3-3 week.

    Atlanta @ Philadelphia (-2.5)
    RG: Hard to see why the Eagles are favored in this game. Vegas essentially is saying that Atlanta is only .5 points better than the Eagles. But, you know what? I don’t like the Falcons on grass and I do not trust them to convert key rushing first downs, kind of like the playoff game in New York last season. Mike Vick can only go so many games giving the ball away three times a contest. Plus, Andy Reid is 13-0 after the bye week and 10-3 ATS in those games. PICK: Philadelphia

    Washington @ Pittsburgh (-4), o/u 47.5
    RG: Call me crazy, and here’s a number: Pittsburgh is 8th in QB rating differential and Washington is not far behind in 12th. That means that I believe that the Redskins are a fringe playoff contender. Also, these teams allow a combined 50+ points per game, so the under/over may seem a tad low here. I disagree, I think that both teams have been solid defending the pass and Vegas knows it. Throw in the fact that Griffin may miss a series or two in this game, and I start to buy the Steelers at home. PICK: Steelers, also taking the under.

    New York @ Dallas (-2)
    RG: New York getting points on the road in the quiet shopping mall at Dallas? Once my wife finds out that I tried to bet her and our house on the game; I expect to be homeless and single. Because of that, I submit this; I like the color blue and long walks on the beach as long as my phone has a signal to get football scores. I know this could be a classic opposite pick, but I’m sticking with the team who knows how to close out a game. PICK: New York

    New Orleans @ Denver (-6)
    RG: I hear that Tracy Porter picked off Manning about 8 times in practice by blinding him with his Saints Super Bowl ring. This game should feature a ton of points and it will decide many fantasy match-ups. There are plenty of reasons to hate the Saints on the road and on grass. Call this pick a “funny feeling” type. I still think the Broncos are a better team, but the line strikes me as high. PICK: New Orleans

    San Francisco (-4) @ Arizona
    RG: Remember that feel good start for Arizona? That was only three weeks ago. Remember when people thought the Niners could trust Alex Smith? That was only about a month ago, too. That was until San Francisco followed about 80 points in two weeks with 3 and 13 points. It’s a good thing that the defense is scrumtralescent. PICK: San Francisco

    Courtesy of Andy, here is a hot sauce recipe perfect for chili:

    I use a wide variety of peppers and a few onions. Jalapeños, Anaheim, Cayenne, Fresno, Poblano, Serrano, Bell for taste and of course, lots of Habaeros. Remove the stem and dump them in a food processor (don't remove the seeds or placenta) to grind them into a foul, potentially lethal relish. I then put that relish like substance into a blender with just enough liquid (water, hot sauce, pineapple juice is great for adding a little sweetness) and blend it until it's smooth. Put that over medium heat for a while adding lots of salt, some chili powder, garlic and a vile little substance called pure-cap (http://www.hotsauceworld.com/purecap.html), which is nothing more than capsaisin and vegetable oil. You now have a ridiculously hot, but still tasty hot sauce. I pour it in the chili after it's simmered for a while and put the rest in mason jars for the masochists.

    FP(L) public service announcement - wear gloves when you make this. Even with the gloves my hands burn for hours. You can also wash your hands with baking soda. Another tip that I learned the hard way, DO NOT fill the dirty chili pot with water then stick your hand in the water to scrub the pot clean. Gloves won't help you if you do that, nothing will help you except time, a high tolerance for pain and possibly amputation.
    Also, Football Pros cannot and will not be held responsible and resulting ulcers from prolonged intake of the sauce above.

    Beer of the Week: Chocolate Sauce. Seriously, forget the beer if you make that sauce. You’ll need chocolate sauce. If you eat normally this weekend, I nominate Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Lake Erie Monster IPA. It’s thick and powerful.


    LAST WEEK: 4-2

    SEASON: 23-18-1
    FP NATION: 8-16

    Comments 6 Comments
    1. Trumpetbdw's Avatar
      Um, yeah. I guess that was my fault. My bad. With the Steelers not involved in a late game, and you having picked them, I promise not to do it again.

      That said, I've got Denver in the winning streak. If I'm in the lead come Sunday night, all bets are off.

      I actually agree with every pick, including the NO pick, which I expect to be a close loss. However, I'd be the fool picking the OVER in the Pittsburgh-Washington game, as I think both pass defenses have not been good for the most part, especially Washington's.
      Reply
    1. msclemons's Avatar
      I'll quibble with the Saints pick. They just aren't that good outside. Remember, they made Alex Smith look competent outside - Manning will slaughter them.

      Manning, bionic neck, acclimated to mile high air versus the worst defense since the Maginot line? It's gonna be ugly.
      Reply
    1. edave's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by msclemons View Post
      Manning, bionic neck, acclimated to mile high air versus the worst defense since the Maginot line? It's gonna be ugly.
      So long as Denver remembers that first half touchdowns are allowed they should prevail. If they get behind by a couple scores and the Saints can pin their ears back, things could get wild.
      Reply
    1. mikesteelnation1's Avatar
      Rich,

      Sorry buddy both these teams haven't been great at defending the pass. Not even close, as we discuss the skins vs steelers.

      If using the passer rating differential stat, I see why you say that. It's a long term stat I truly believe in, but there aren't enough games yet to use that with a high level of confidence.

      Here's why:

      The skins pass d truly sucks. They are terribad. They are dead last in the league in pass yds/gm at 328, and ypa at 7.74. Add to that they've given up 16 pass tds in 7 games. That's 2.28 per contest.

      You trust that in any way vs Ben and this offense?

      The passer rating differential is bolstered by rg having a ridiculous rating added to 10ints by the defense.

      It's even more hollow than the steelers having the 2nd best pass d. They certainly don't. That stat is simply so because they played pretty good in our 3 wins, and quite awful in our 3 losses.

      All bolstered by having the best offense in the league in time of possession and 3rd down conversion, plus the quite good qbr Ben has.

      I guess all that said and drilling down further, the steelers are better than the skins.

      I'm taking the steelers and the over.

      BTW Andy can shove that hot sauce. I'm not inviting folks to my house and even attempting to give them that. I have to clean up afterwards. It's kind of a funny tough guy idea for tailgates, but ultimately it leads to one of my buddies gasping for breath and puking. So not cool to force that happening, be it in my bathroom or a port a pot.

      That sauce and a port a pot is perhaps worse than being a jags fan.. just sayin...
      Reply
    1. wxwax's Avatar
      Where did the Peyton detractors go? Strangely quiet. The man is pure entertainment at the line, and a pretty darn good QB to boot. Supposedly drew up a TD play on the sideline, during the game. Man, I love watching the guy. May he play another decade.
      Reply
    1. mikesteelnation1's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by wxwax View Post
      Where did the Peyton detractors go? Strangely quiet. The man is pure entertainment at the line, and a pretty darn good QB to boot. Supposedly drew up a TD play on the sideline, during the game. Man, I love watching the guy. May he play another decade.
      The detractors didn't go anywhere. Just nothing to speak about in specific about our detraction yet. It's not cold, with him playing outdoors. And its not playoff time. My detractions were specific in those regards, as were most of the other detractors.

      He's played great so far, no different than any other regular season. He doesn't make the same kind of throws post neck issues, but everyone's can acquiese that was to be expected. He has made adjustments to counter those problems. Again no issues in saying that.

      My issues, along with any other detractors SPECIFICALLY focused on his outside in the cold and playoff games. We've seen NONE of those type games yet.

      It seems you're jumping that gun in a reaching effort to prove your point. Poor form, and 8 weeks too early to even bother tabulating.

      We have kept mum about it because pm has, as always played great this early. He hasn't dealt with weather or a playoff game yet. It's much more pertinent to discuss this point after pm plays some games in weather... And especially after the playoffs.. I'm just sayin...
      Reply