NFL Picks: Backing the Patriots

NFL Picks: Backing the Patriots

This article is part of our NFL Picks series.

It was a brutal week for the Staff, other than Erickson who went 3-1. I went 1-3, and everyone else went 0-4. Erickson has at least a postseason tie locked up because he's two games ahead of me with three to play, and we both took the Patriots. In fact everyone took the Patriots, and four of us made them our best bet. Erickson's best bet is the Panthers.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Patriots -3 at BroncosPatriots Patriots PatriotsPatriotsPatriots
Cardinals +3 at PanthersPanthersPanthersCardinalsPanthersCardinals
Best BetPanthersPatriotsPatriotsPatriotsPatriots
Last Week's Record3-10-41-30-40-4
2015 Playoff Record4-41-72-61-71-7
Best Bet Record10-8-18-117-10-27-11-18-11
Unanimous Pick Record21-28-1
Majority Pick Record123-133-8
2014 Playoff Record10-15-69-24-79-2
2013 Playoff Record5-4-23-6-24-5-24-5-24-5-2
2012 Playoff Record4-6-15-5-16-4-14-6-18-2-1
2011 Playoff Record8-35-69-26-57-4
2010 Playoff Record6-55-65-67-48-3
2009 Playoff Record5-64-71-106-55-6
2008 Playoff Record6-55-65-68-34-7
2007 Playoff Record8-33-86-5N/A2-9
2006 Playoff Record7-4N/A4-7N/AN/A
2005 Playoff Record5-6N/A3-8N/AN/A
2004 Playoff Record6-5N/A4-7N/AN/A
2003 Playoff Record6-5N/A4-7N/AN/A
2002 Playoff Record6-57-45-6N/AN/A
2001 Playoff Record6-4-17-3-14-6-1N/AN/A
2000 Playoff Record6-57-46-5
It was a brutal week for the Staff, other than Erickson who went 3-1. I went 1-3, and everyone else went 0-4. Erickson has at least a postseason tie locked up because he's two games ahead of me with three to play, and we both took the Patriots. In fact everyone took the Patriots, and four of us made them our best bet. Erickson's best bet is the Panthers.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Patriots -3 at BroncosPatriots Patriots PatriotsPatriotsPatriots
Cardinals +3 at PanthersPanthersPanthersCardinalsPanthersCardinals
Best BetPanthersPatriotsPatriotsPatriotsPatriots
Last Week's Record3-10-41-30-40-4
2015 Playoff Record4-41-72-61-71-7
Best Bet Record10-8-18-117-10-27-11-18-11
Unanimous Pick Record21-28-1
Majority Pick Record123-133-8
2014 Playoff Record10-15-69-24-79-2
2013 Playoff Record5-4-23-6-24-5-24-5-24-5-2
2012 Playoff Record4-6-15-5-16-4-14-6-18-2-1
2011 Playoff Record8-35-69-26-57-4
2010 Playoff Record6-55-65-67-48-3
2009 Playoff Record5-64-71-106-55-6
2008 Playoff Record6-55-65-68-34-7
2007 Playoff Record8-33-86-5N/A2-9
2006 Playoff Record7-4N/A4-7N/AN/A
2005 Playoff Record5-6N/A3-8N/AN/A
2004 Playoff Record6-5N/A4-7N/AN/A
2003 Playoff Record6-5N/A4-7N/AN/A
2002 Playoff Record6-57-45-6N/AN/A
2001 Playoff Record6-4-17-3-14-6-1N/AN/A
2000 Playoff Record6-57-46-5N/AN/A
2015 Record134-114-8120-128-8114-134-8127-121-8121-127-8
2014 Record123-128-5140-111-5135-116-5124-127-5128-123-5
2013 Record132-114-10118-128-10123-123-10111-135-10128-118-10
2012 Record110-140-6125-125-6121-129-6143-107-6123-127-6
2011 Record121-128-7134-115-7124-125-7123-126-7127-122-7
2010 Record129-122-5134-117-5126-125-5136-115-5134-117-5
2009 Record123-130-3132-121-3131-122-3130-123-3126-127-3
2008 Record132-114-10128-118-10124-122-10125-121-10130-116-10
2007 Record127-120118-129127-120N/A130-117
2006 Record118-129N/A139-108N/AN/A
2005 Record121-126N/A127-120N/AN/A
2004 Record124-124N/A130-118N/AN/A
2003 Record121-126118-129124-123N/AN/A
2002 Record113-136123-126141-108N/AN/A
2001 Record124-113117-120118-119N/AN/A
2000 Record123-117134-106141-99N/AN/A

Unanimous/Majority Picks

This week we have one unanimous pick, the Patriots. We had no unanimous picks last week, either, and our YTD record stands at 21-28-1. We went 0-4 on majority picks (three or more writers) to bring our season record to 123-133-8.

Comments:

WriterComment
EricksonOnce again, the line is treating the Panthers as if they are an even-rated team to their opponent. Last week, at least you could credit the Seahawks for their previous playoff experience for said credit. I'm not sure why Arizona is being given the same treatment.
PianowskiI've been wrong all month so fade away, faders. That said, Peyton Manning does not scare me at all.
LissI expect the Patriots to exploit Denver's weaknesses, as the disparity in coaching could not be wider. Panthers-Cards is a coin flip to me, but I took Arizona on a hunch.
StopaThe Chiefs have a good pass rush, but they barely touched Tom Brady. With their offensive line back to normal and the other weapons healthy, I don't see how the ghost of Peyton Manning can keep up. Pats 27-17. In the NFC, I'm a bit concerned Carson Palmer is due for a good game, and he certainly has the weapons around him to go off. But this has been Cam's season, and if Arizona is life and death with a mediocre Packers team at home, they won't change that here. Carolina 27-20.
Del Don I actually expect New England to win in a blowout. I could see the NFC game going either way, so took the points.

The players:

• Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior editor, 2001, 2008, 2013, 2015 Staff Picks Champ. Writes the Weekly Rankings. Covers and roots for the Bengals.

• Scott Pianowski: Fantasy expert for Yahoo! Sports, and also contributes to Rotowire.com. 2009, 2011 and 2014 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the Patriots.

• Chris Liss: RotoWire Managing Editor, 2000, 2002, 2006 Staff Picks Champ, 2003, 2004 co-champ. Writes East Coast Offense, Beating the Book and the Survivor column in addition to Staff Picks. Covers and roots for the Giants.

• Mark Stopa: Staff Writer, 2010, 2012 Staff Picks Champ, Writes Run 'N' Shoot. Roots for the Bills.

• Dalton Del Don: Fantasy Expert for Yahoo! Sports, 2007 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the 49ers.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Liss
Chris Liss was RotoWire's Managing Editor and Host of RotoWire Fantasy Sports Today on Sirius XM radio from 2001-2022.
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