Week 12 Panel Picks
In an effort to keep things brief since the early window of games kicks off in 10 minutes, I’ll present the standings right off the bat.
It seems that the panel has really hit our stride after a rough start. George can’t stop winning, I can’t stop losing, and Rahul’s algorithm is actually working.
I’ll start hitting my stride too when it comes to getting the panel picks to you on time. Apologies for the late release. Here are the picks for week 12.
Primetime Games
Early Window
Late Window
Most alike picks: George picked just one game differently from both Ray and I.
Least alike picks: Rahul and Ben only picked the same result in seven of the 13 games.
Most upsets picked: Incredibly, the most picked upsets by a panelist was three (Josh, Rahul, and Ben). There’s never been a higher average spread this season.
Fewest upsets picked: As expected, the other five of us only picked two upsets each.
Most picks with majority: George, Jackson, Theo, and I were all in the majority 12 out of 13 times.
Most picks against majority: Rahul was in the minority three times.
What Stands Out?
Like I mentioned before, there haven’t been this many heavy favorites in a week this season. It shows in the picks; in the early window, there were four sweeps and two 7-1 votes. The only contested game seems to be Dolphins vs Patriots and that might be the result of some New England favoritism.
Despite a bummer of an early window, there are clearly two marquee games today. Packers vs 49ers in the late window was a 5-3 vote for Green Bay and it’s a great chance for the Pack to prove themselves against the desperate Niners team. Tonight, the Eagles visit the Rams in a game that promises to be entertaining given how well Matthew Stafford plays against good opponents.
Even as a Ravens fan, it’s good to see faith in the Chargers. This season, the fewest picks Baltimore has received in a week is five and that’s many they got this week against a well coached, scrappy Chargers team led by their superstar quarterback Justin Herbert who might finally be putting the pieces of the puzzle together.
Similarly, I’m happy to see the panel’s confidence in the Cardinals. Arizona was picked 6-2 over the Seahawks this week (Rahul is a Seahawks fan) and they deserve; they’ve won four straight—all against opponents who are not in the garbage tier of the NFL.
It sticks out like a sore thumb in the early window picks, so why not mention it. Yes, I’m talking about Rahul picking the Panthers to beat the Chiefs. It’s a pick that has all of a sudden become popular on the internet and even my roommate has caught of. Truthfully, I think it’s the result of hatred for the Chiefs, hope for Bryce Young who finally looks happy, and a funny pick to make given that it’s the champs against potentially the worst team in the league.
Playoff Picture
Let’s pretend our majority pick in each matchup won this weekend. Here are the projected playoff matchups on Wild Card Weekend.
AFC
(1) Kansas City Chiefs vs BYE | Kansas City still controls their own destiny in the AFC.
(2) Buffalo Bills vs (7) Denver Broncos | Denver beat Buffalo 24-22 in week 10 of last season.
(3) Pittsburgh Steelers vs (6) Los Angeles Chargers | Pittsburgh defeated Los Angeles 20-10 in week three of this season.
(4) Houston Texans vs (5) Baltimore Ravens | Last season, Baltimore beat Houston 25-9 in week one and 33-10 in the divisional round.
NFC
(1) Detroit Lions vs BYE | The Lions have never finished the season as the one seed in their franchise’s history.
(2) Philadelphia Eagles vs (7) Washington Commanders | Philadelphia defeated Washington 26-18 last week.
(3) Arizona Cardinals vs (6) Green Bay Packers | Jordan Love has more playoff wins than Kyler Murray.
(4) Atlanta Falcons vs (5) Minnesota Vikings | Kirk Cousins could join Jared Goff as the second quarterback to beat their former team in the playoffs.