PIGSKIN 2017: Thanksgiving Day

PIGSKIN

THANKSGIVING DAY

Week Twelve

RESULTS

Week One 

Week Two

Week Three

Week Four

Week Five

Week Six

Week Seven

Week Eight

Week Nine

Week Ten

Week Eleven

Scoreboard
Week Eleven Record:  7-4-1
Overall Record:  61-72-4
Schmear of the Week:  6-5
Bagels in the Basket:  -12


LIONS +3 (Vikings)
Never bet against the Lions, at home, on Thanksgiving Day.  It's been that way since I'm a kid.  I have a hunch the Lions win if their defense shows up hungry.

FLAG on the Pick!

Upon further review, I'll be siding with the Vikings instead.  I know the Lions beat the Vikes earlier this season.  But the Lions followed that up with consecutive losses against the Panthers, Saints, and Steelers.  Then went on to defeat Green Bay minus Aaron Rogers, the lowly Browns, and the sickly Bears.  Not impressed ... the Vikings should indeed be three-point favorites, damn it!  They've earned that respect.  I'm taking Vikings laying three on the road.
WIN  30-23 Vikings


COWBOYS Pick'em (Chargers)
The Chargers stuck some voltage into Buffalo, didn't they?  About that - Generally speaking, the AFC is the weaker conference.  There are only five teams playing above .500 and LAC isn't one of them.  Instead, they're among six AFC teams with a 4-6 record entering Week Twelve.  Meanwhile the depleted Cowboys got all clawed up last week by the Eagles at Dallas.  Without Ezekiel Elliott, the Boys have fallen to 5-5 and are fading fast.  In fact, they have been outscored 68-16 in their last two games.  The NFC boasts eight teams above the .500 mark, with Philadelphia leading the way.  Therefore, I'll take the team representing the tougher conference.  Dallas still has that offensive line to work with.  It's up to Dak Prescott to put his big boy pants on and prevail with, or without Dez Bryant's help.  With Jason Witten, there's always way.
Loss  28-6 Chargers


Giants +7 (D.C. HOGS)
The Giants still have many good players on the field.  If they commit to Orleans Darkwa and let him rush more than 20 times, that can open up play-action for Eli Manning and the Anonymous Four.  As was the case against the Chiefs, however, the Giants defense will once again need to propel them to victory.  The Hogs are just way too beat up on defense to have any chance of influencing the Giants into playing catch-up football.  I think.  I'm a fan, so what do I know?  All we want is for Big Blue to cover.  Of course we do.  Careful, though, this game could just as easily make you feel sick to your stomach.
Loss  20-10 Hogs

And The Big Blue Film Award Goes To ...
The final six games of the season will determine whether Ben McAdoo has truly thwarted a rebellion (not that it matters, as Jerry Reese and McAdoo are both seemingly in their final games with the Giants).  In the meantime, their Week Eleven performance against the free-falling Chiefs would suggest, for the moment, McAdoo at least has the team's attention.

Well done by him.  When all else fails, break from routine; audible.  It only took him ten weeks, but he did just that after the Giants humiliating Week Ten loss against the Niners.  He made the entire team watch the game film together, as opposed to the offense and defense going their respective ways.

That can be humbling because players were no longer being evaluated by their coach, per se.  The head coach left the players exposed to being judged by the entirety of their piers.  The overall effort in Week Eleven demonstrated a tangible result in McAdoo's tactic.  Smart move; perhaps desperate; maybe even lucky.  If he somehow inspired the Giants into playing for their fellow man again ... freaking brilliant.

I'm very thankful for everyone who has ever spent time visiting this thing I call 

The Brooklyn Trolley Blogger, and especially appreciative of those who continue frequenting despite all my flaws and failures as a writer.  Thank You.

😉

HAPPY THANKSGIVING