# N.F.L. playoffs - weekly picks **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 4, 2020, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943 "2020-01-04T20:44:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/21 "2020-01-05T04:26:08Z")
Well, the Pats loss restores some balance to today’s results, but I would’ve traded a Bills win for it. I don’t have any teams in the playoffs that I give the least bit of a shit about, so, oh well, I guess that will be better for my blood pressure. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/22 "2020-01-05T04:26:10Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > If Titans lose to the Patriots this will be a thoroughly rotten Wild Card weekend. Guess not! Also, holy crap! Henry only ran 34 times? It seemed like 80. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/23 "2020-01-05T04:29:06Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > If Titans lose to the Patriots this will be a thoroughly rotten Wild Card weekend. Weakest Pats team since 2009. Tennessee was more physical. No surprise. ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/24 "2020-01-05T04:37:20Z")
Good thing I don’t bet. I guess getting a bye to the conference semifinals is a bigger deal for the Patriots than I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/25 "2020-01-05T04:37:35Z")
Huge boost to the Ravens and Chiefs. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/26 "2020-01-05T04:42:05Z")
> [@LoneRhino](#): > > Don’t they usually have 1 NFC and 1 AFC game each day? Having both AFC games today feels different. Yes, that’s how they’ve done it, for many years. I’m sure there was some brilliant reason for doing it differently this time out. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/27 "2020-01-05T13:30:06Z")
What was the deal with the second half kickoff in the Bills game? They called it a touchdown for the Bills, I left the room briefly, and when I came back the Texans had the ball on their 20. Why did the TD get called back? ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/28 "2020-01-05T14:00:37Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > What was the deal with the second half kickoff in the Bills game? They called it a touchdown for the Bills, I left the room briefly, and when I came back the Texans had the ball on their 20. Why did the TD get called back? They said the return man had “given himself up” which seems to be a technical term meaning “too lazy to take a knee but clearly not returning the ball”. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/29 "2020-01-05T16:14:46Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > They said the return man had “given himself up” which seems to be a technical term meaning “too lazy to take a knee but clearly not returning the ball”. So, was that the right call? It sure looked like a boneheaded play on the part of Houston, resulting in a loose ball that was recovered by Buffalo in the end zone. Did the receiver ever signal a fair catch? Was the play ever blown dead? When the receiver tried to toss the ball to the ref, the ref jumped backwards like “I ain’t touching that – it’s still a live ball!” ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/30 "2020-01-05T18:31:30Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > So, was that the right call? It sure looked like a boneheaded play on the part of Houston, resulting in a loose ball that was recovered by Buffalo in the end zone. Did the receiver ever signal a fair catch? Was the play ever blown dead? When the receiver tried to toss the ball to the ref, the ref jumped backwards like “I ain’t touching that – it’s still a live ball!” I don’t know what the actual rules say regarding giving oneself up. He did not signal fair catch but he did signal to his own players that he wasn’t returning the ball (by holding his hands out to the side) so there were no blockers in the way of the half dozen opposing players barreling towards him. Probably the right call from a safety standpoint. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/31 "2020-01-05T19:19:00Z")
Great defensive stop at the goal line by the Saints. Kinda wish Zimmer and the Vikings had some more creative plays to run in that situation. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/32 "2020-01-05T19:43:41Z")
Can the Vikings make another upset for the weekend? One more half will tell. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/33 "2020-01-05T21:09:29Z")
Fun games this weekend so far. Gotta live playoff football. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/34 "2020-01-05T21:12:59Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > Can the Vikings make another upset for the weekend? One more half will tell. So I was wrong; now the OT tells. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/35 "2020-01-05T21:21:28Z")
I want the Saints to win but man, the Vikings have played their asses off - and none more than Cousins. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/36 "2020-01-05T21:24:22Z")
Man, the Saints defenders were just beaten badly in the final minutes. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/37 "2020-01-05T21:30:05Z")
> [@racepug](#): > > I’ll start: Buffalo and New England are my picks to win today; “Nawlins” and Seattle are my picks to win tomorrow. Confidence: highest for “Nawlins” over Minnesota, lowest for Seattle over Philadelphia. 0-3 ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/38 "2020-01-05T21:38:47Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > 0-3 I don’t play here but over the Protestant football group I’m 3-0. If Philly can do it I’ll be 100% ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/39 "2020-01-05T21:39:23Z")
Hm. Based on my picks things aren’t looking good for the Seahawks, today, are they? ---
**Author:** ![racepug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@racepug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racepug)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943/40 "2020-01-05T21:42:04Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > 0-3 I’m not sure how many times the Vikings have faced the Saints in the playoffs but I DO remember when the Saints made the playoffs for the very first time in their history, back in 1987, and they hosted the Vikings for that very first playoff game and they got REAMED to the tune of 41 - 10 (or something very close to that). Combine that with what’s happened to the Saints against the Vikings in the playoffs the last three years and I think that the Vikings have some kind of playoff hex on the Saints. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/n-f-l-playoffs-weekly-picks/845943.md?page=3)