Match Up KWTPF Week #10 – “It’s a new dawn, it's a new day, and I’m feeling good!” (1 Viewer)

Bill

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I don’t know about you, but this may be the first time I have experienced this feeling I now have after this year’s Bye week. While the Saints’ time away from the game during our Bye always creates a bit of anxiety about who might crawl past us while we’re taking a break from the game, our absence from the gridiron this past weekend did nothing but build my confidence in the Saints and in our NFC positioning.

Some of this ‘good feeling’ comes from realizing how important it was for the Saints players to get back into good health at a time when the games really start taking a toll on the players. Having a mid-season break at this time really gives our boys a chance to get charged up for the important stretch of football games ahead. Frankly the early Bye weeks that we’ve been accustomed to in the past have never given me the feeling that we were gearing up for a new day in the season simply because these came too soon after the start of the season. It was always more like a ‘lunch break on the same day’ rather than the dawn of a ‘new’ one.

It also helps that a lot of good things happened in the NFL while our boys were away for a little R&R. Losses by all four teams in the North proves that none of these teams are close to performing at a level that really threatens the Saints postseason hopes. And even in victory, some of those West teams are showing that there is a ‘chink in their armor’ as the sun rises for the second half of their NFL regular season. San Francisco and Seattle certainly look more vulnerable now than they did earlier this year, and it’s almost a crime that someone in the East will have to take the #4 playoff seed by default. Yeah, that division is really pitiful!

But to top off this amazing feeling of what lies ahead for Saints fans everywhere, my hand surgery was both a success and also free of the level of pain & restrictions I was led to believe would be the case at this stage of my rehabilitation. So if you are also viewing Week #10 as the start of a great ‘new day’ for the Who Dat! Nation, then you certainly know what I mean and you know how I feel! And if this ‘new day’ turns out even better than what Saints fans have already experienced this year, then we’re all going to be flying high real soon! :grin:


Giants (2-7) at Jets (1-7) – I really have no problem with how this game turns out because the Giants haven’t done anything to look like they could threaten the Saints’ future spot in the postseason. Actually this is not a difficult pick to make in this one. As we regularly do here at the world famous KWTPF offices, we will give the nod to the AFC and pull for the Jets to continue the humiliation of one of the largest market teams in the NFL. Maybe the Giants will eventually be a good team in the post-Eli era… but it sure won’t be this year. But at least the G-Men won’t have to travel far this week for their Season of Sorrow to continue.

Cardinals (3-5-1) at Buccaneers (2-6) – Some folks here will want to see the Buccaneers win a game simply to watch them fall back in the draft day pecking order. I understand that line of reasoning. But it’s not like we have any reason to be concerned about the Cardinals getting some sort of jump on us in the NFC race if they take down the Yucks. Besides, those Tampa kids have looked pretty good even in a few of their losses, so I have no reason to feel sorry for them… just yet. So let’s pull for Kyler & the Cards to stay alive in their own division a little bit longer and maybe they can even help us later by knocking off a few real contenders down the road.

Lions (3-4-1) at Bears (3-5) – Too bad this game has become about as interesting as the inside of my eyelids. The once fearsome Bears have now become a lost cub with very few postseason aspirations remaining. Since this game now means nothing to anyone who is interested in watching legitimate playoff contenders compete, we’ll just go ahead and make Madmarsha happy by pulling for Kelly Stafford’s husband and his Lions team. At least someone may get a genuine thrill from this game.

Panthers (5-3) at Packers (7-2) – This is the kind of game that can be a little nerve-wracking when making a ‘pull for’ pick. The smart choice may seem be the Panties because Aaron ‘The Dancing State Farm Spokesman’ Rodgers is never a player who Saints fans wish to support in any way. But it looks as if we may need his services this weekend. Why? In wanting to determine the best outcome to help our Saints, it is customary that we first strive to secure a championship in the NFC South. So anything that helps to get the Kittens off of our heels definitely benefits the Saints for the NFCS title. Of course it helps that the Cheeseheads got sliced up pretty badly by the Bolts this past Sunday, making them seem a lot less ominous in the NFC playoff race. They will now be even more desperate to get a win over Cryolina. So let’s pull for the Pack to declaw the Blue Kitties this weekend.

Rams (5-3) at Steelers (4-4) – We’ll switch gears to one of the easier picks of this KWTPF week. The Steelers haven’t been looking like a realistic playoff contender since Big Ben dropped out of the season. And it’s likely that they won’t look very impressive this week either. But they do tend to play better in the Home of the Terrible Towels, and they will have every reason to put their best foot forward against the Lambs if they wish to have any of their postseason whims come true. Though the LARs will rightfully be favored in this game, it’s appearing pretty unlikely that the Saints will get that anticipated rematch against the Lambs, because their playoff stock is falling faster than a bad L.A. facelift. Imagine how desperate another loss would make them and their hand-picked officials! Time to drop the forge hammer on the Horns! Pull for Pitt!

Vikings (6-3) at Cowboys (5-3) – Simply because of the current records of these teams it is better for the Saints if the Cowpokes are able to rope the Vikings and corral this victory at home. Since it’s never enjoyable to watch either of these teams win a game, just keep in mind that it helps the Saints if they are both under 7 wins by the end of this week. I’m all for that. So just be happy to watch Kirk Cousins lose another game this week. That will always give us a good reason to smile!

Seahawks (7-2) at 49ers (8-0) – The circumstances surrounding this game makes the pick in this contest less confusing than if these two teams were simply viewed as evenly matched contenders. We realize that nothing is more important than an outcome that puts the Saints squarely at the top of the NFC race, with the #1 Seed in hand! So there is nothing wrong with pulling for the Seachickens to make that wish a reality. It also helps to lend our support for a Seattle victory when we remember that the Saints still have the head-to-head tiebreaker over them. So it’s time for Niners to discover they have nothing but Fool’s Gold in their pan. Pull for Seattle!

Falcons (1-7) at Saints (7-1) – It’s hard to describe how much satisfaction I got from typing this stat line. And the fact that I had to take my time and peck it out slowly on my keyboard just added to the joy! But of course our Saints are professionals. They will not go into this game with the same attitude as us fans. They will not take the Dirty Birds lightly! Still it’s obvious that the week off was a good thing for all the bumps & bruises that we needed to treat. And our players and coaches have every reason to keep the pedal to the metal in this second half of this regular season. It should be a great post-Bye game for a lot of reasons, the best of which is our chance to wish the Failyuns a happy offseason which will be officially announced soon enough. In fact, things are shaping up where it is possible the Saints could take the NFCS Championship when we meet them in the Thursday Night game on 11/28! Yes, the start of this ‘new day’ begins at noon on Sunday, and I'm feeling good! Just imagine how good a Saints victory this week will make us all feel! :9:
 
Why is the NFC west always in our way haha.
Last thing I want to do is go play Seahawks or 49's in the playoffs again.
 
Why is the NFC west always in our way haha.
Last thing I want to do is go play Seahawks or 49's in the playoffs again.
I totally agree. But there's no way of knowing which division is going to shine from year to year.
This year it just so happens that our biggest competition is going to come from the NFC West.
We just have to be ready for a 'Part Two' with the top West contenders.
 
Ooof... there are a lot of tough choices this week.

I almost feel like the Panthers winning over the Pack might help more -- ONLY because we still have two chances to knock the Panthers down ourselves and we don't play Green Bay -- and Green Bay is in a position to snag the #2 seed if we (God forbid) have a slip-up.

Also, definitely agree on the Vikings/Cowboys pick. As much as it makes my skin crawl to pull for the Cowboys, the Vikings and Dalvin Cook are a little spooky. Want them to get knocked off the rails a bit and maybe go into a little free fall. The Cowboys also have potential, but I don't think they pose as much of a threat as Minnesota down the line.
 
Ooof... there are a lot of tough choices this week.

I almost feel like the Panthers winning over the Pack might help more -- ONLY because we still have two chances to knock the Panthers down ourselves and we don't play Green Bay -- and Green Bay is in a position to snag the #2 seed if we (God forbid) have a slip-up.
While this^ is true in principle, we still have to assume that the Saints will beat the Panthers both times we play them. A lot of my thinking was based on two things... One, the best chance to win the NFCS division outright. And the second was the pitiful Packers performance (<-- say three times fast) against the Chargers this past Sunday.

Green Bay doesn't look like a 'shoe-in' for a first week playoff bye from where I stand. But the next 3-4 weeks will tell the story of who is really rising to the top.
 
Draft positioning is the only think to look at in those first two games, so I’m pulling for the Giants and Bucs. We need the Jets to keep pace with their NFC competitors, particularly the Falcons. And I’m getting worried the Bucs will have a real shot at Burrow or Tua.
 
Bill, you know that song's about Drew, right?

"Birds flying high, you know how I feel"
"Sun in the sky, you know how I feel"
"[Brees] driftin' on by, you know how I feel"


Dang, after like NO football last weekend, it's like ALL the football is this weekend (I'm a little concerned Tuscaloosa may implode this weekend). Totes agree with the two toughest ones (Panties-Pack and Whiners-Chicken hawks). It won't hurt pulling for the Pack and Hawks ..... but it may chafe a little.
 
Great post and I agree with most of your games but I'm not sure on Packers/Panthers. We control our own destiny when it comes to the division and we have a lead on the kitties. And god forbid we have to go to Lambeau in January. Yikes.

But on the other hand the Packers have some tough teams left on their schedule so they might continue to fall back to earth. They have the Panthers at home this week, a bye, and then they go on the road to face the 49ers. They also have road games against the Vikings and Lions to finish the season. They barely beat both teams at home.
 
I almost feel like the Panthers winning over the Pack might help more -- ONLY because we still have two chances to knock the Panthers down ourselves and we don't play Green Bay -- and Green Bay is in a position to snag the #2 seed if we (God forbid) have a slip-up.
Well, in a way we only have 1. Things will probably be set by that last game. I'd definitely rather have the nail in the Panties coffin sooner than later.
 

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