Hi everyone, I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to their year. I have some great analysis for every game this week. We will have some fun with these picks and hopefully we will hit at least four if not five of these games. What an ending to the regular season huh? It was here in Vegas and anyone who has ever been here knows that Vegas naturally creates nothing but madness and mayhem, where it’s sports, gambling, romance, doesn’t matter the situation things get crazy here. But the regular season has ended and the playoffs are here, so as the Black Eye Peas once said, “Let’s get it started in here,” runnin, runnin, yeah runnin runnin!!!
raiders +5.5 over BENGALS
Do you believe in Miracles? Well I do believe in Miracles. I believe that some moments in life can be described as a miracle. The couple that the doctor says can never get pregnant and they do get pregnant shortly thereafter and have a beautiful baby that goes on to become someone very important in the world. The single mother that works three jobs yet still makes it to her daughter’s dance recital and son’s little league game. The 1980’s U.S Men’s hockey team. These are all examples of miracles in life and sports. The 2021 Raiders are a miracle to me. They lost by 39 in Kansas City in mid December to fall to 6-7 with a minus 77 point differential. Since then they won four in row (by a combined 12 points) with Daniel Carlson’s right foot walking off three of the four wins. The Raiders are not a good football team by any metric (DVOA, Drew Rating, eye test) yet here they are in the playoffs playing a young flawed team (Cincy) that has not won a playoff game since Bo Jackson was healthy. You could legitimately argue that the legend of Bo Jackson still haunts this Bengals franchise as the 31 years of sorrow began on a Sunday in 1991 when the Bengals linebacker Kevin Walker tackled Bo Jackson from behind dislocating his hip, which consequently ended his career. I love the Raiders moneyline in this game but you give me 5.5, yes please sign me up!!! Joe Burrow will be back next year but for 2021 winning their division and making the playoffs was an awesome accomplishment. Cool little tidbit I attended the earlier meeting between these two teams back in November, so we can call then the Drewsports special.
Raiders Win 23-20
patriots +4.5 over BILLS
I was leaning Buffalo all week and then I looked at the weather forecast and saw it was going to be colder than Santa Claus toolshed in Orchard Park tomorrow night. Bill Belichick is an evil genius that has shown time and time again (earlier this year in Buffalo as a matter of fact is a good example) that if the weather is cold, snowy, icy, rainy or domey, he will use the elements to his strategic advantage. The weather in Buffalo is supposed to be 5 degrees with a wind chill of about minus 15. In other words no thank you maam!!! I think the Bills are the better team but the Pats have the coaching advantage and can run the football and can stop the run. Sounds like a great recipe for an upset in freezing cold conditions. I’ll say the Pats get the upset or close to it. Under for days here if you bet on the over under (which I rarely do because my secret is that I suck at picking over unders, guess it is not a secret anymore).
Patriots Win 13-12
eagles +8.5 over BUCS
I like four of my six picks this is the first of two that I think the number is spot on and can go either way. I will take the Birds to cover and play a competitive game and here is why. Lavonte David is likely not to play and even if he does will be limited. He is the mike linebacker and the key to stopping this ridiculous Eagles rushing attack. I said earlier in the year that the Saints could certainly stop this Eagles rushing attack and Nick Siriani (who is about as suave behind the mic as I would be after a few cocktails but has been a pleasant surprise a coach) proved us wrong there. The Bucs are not as great at run defense especially without David so I do think the Eagles can run the ball here. Also with no Chris Godwin (ACL Tear) and Antonio Brown (left the team to start a new career as the star at Chippendales and as a radio personality) the Bucs are limited at receiver. Do I have the eggs to pick the Eagles to win outright? No I do not, this is Tom Brady they are playing against and god loves Tom Brady. But I think this will be a close game in wet Tampa (rain in the forecast). Take the points and thank me later.
Bucs Win 27-23 (Eagles Cover)
COWBOYS -3 OVER 49ers
But but Drew everyone from Simmons to Cowherd to literally every CBS Sports writer is taking the 49ers to pull the Upset. These guys get paid to handicap football for a living why are you zagging when they zig. Because that’s what Drew does but let’s give some data on why the Lone Stars are going to win this game. I have two where the Fighting J. Joneses have a huge advantage over the Miners. 1. The 49ers secondary is still banged up and the Cowboys have an awesome passing game. Dak Prescott has had 13 touchdowns with 0 interceptions over the last four weeks. If he has time to throw the ball the 49ers are going to get shredded on the back end. 2. The Cowboys have the most opportunistic defense in football and Jimmy Garoppolo is a very kind person when it comes to giving the other team the ball. Give me the team from North Texas here before the public tries to change my mind.
CHIEFS -12.5 OVER steelers
Big Ben’s swan song has been a fairy tale. The 2-14 Jaguars demolish the Colts and the Ravens self-destruct for the 27th Week in a row as the Steelers find a way to win in the rain to give themselves a chance at that playoffs, all they need is the Raiders Chargers to not tie. Somehow 69:58 seconds into the 70 minute game the Chargers and Raiders are tied. But Daniel Carlson kicks the ball through the uprights and the Steelers are somehow in the playoffs. This reminds me of the Dolphins going to Jacksonville in the 1999 divisional playoffs as Dan Marino looked to be on an improbable playoff run at the time. The Jags won that game 62-7 (yes that’s not a misprint the final score was 62-7). Do I think this game is going to be 62-7? No but can it be as ugly as Dan Marino’s last game, yes. Big Ben’s throw’s look like throws you would receive from a soccer dad after having a six pack. In other words it’s not pretty my friends, Chiefs bigly. That being said stop being cocky Nick Wright you are going to jinx the Chiefs possibly in the next round.
Chiefs Win 34-12
RAMS -4 OVER cardinals
Toughest game to handicap is this game. Matthew Stafford has been more inconsistent than Denver weather as of late. The Cards have just (outside of a Sunday in Arlington) just looked flat out bad recently. The joke is the Cards have fallen of a Kliff (if you catch my drift). Truth is how can anyone in their right mind take the Cards here (this is coming from a Cards fan sadly). 1. Kyler Murray has regressed to the skittish Quarterback he was at the end of last season, terrified of contact which is affecting his play. 2. The Cardinals defense has been awful lately (30 points to the Rams, 30 points to the Lions, a fireable offense in it’s own right, and 38 to the Seahawks). 3. Sean McVay is Kliff Kingsbury’s daddy. Seriously, there should be a meme of the movie step brothers, Sean McVay’s (Richard Jenkins or Robert Dobeck) giving Kliff Kingsbury (Will Ferrell or Brennan Huff) a spanking. Just photoshop their faces and there you go. Don’t go on dad’s boat again Kliff!!! Gotta have me some boats and bros. Hope you enjoyed the commentary good luck to your teams and picks and I hope I’m wrong on this last game.
Rams Win 34-24
Last Week: 8-8
Regular Season: 136-132-2