Tag Archive: 49ers

2020 NFC Divisional Round Playoff Predictions!

January 11, 2020 Adam Thomas

Man, how sweet are the graphics Randy’s been cooking up lately? You should just stop reading the column now and scroll back up to bask in their glory.

Appreciating the Star Wars graphics is an apt way to start the blog as last week, while I went 1-1 in my picks, I totally whiffed on my Star Wars analogy. Here I thought Titans coach Mike Vrabel was young Anakin to Belichick’s older and wiser Kenobi–the implication being that the young Padawan would eventually be chopped to pieces on Mustafar. I should’ve known that it was more like Vrabel being Anakin to Belichick’s Palpatine! Of course it would be Anakin (aka Darth Vader) who ended up destroying Palpatine and the evil Empire  by chucking the old man’s lightning scared body down a Death Star II reactor shaft, just like it was Vrabel who ended the Patriots empire by, well, winning a football game. Not quite as dramatic but alas, good riddance.

While the Titans beating the Patriots last week (hooray!) was no doubt surprising, I’ve got to think that the Vikings beating the Saints was arguably the bigger upset. I thought the Saints were the team to beat this year and had them going to the Super Bowl to represent the NFC.

So what can we surmise from last week? That every team has a chance to win it all. I am basing my picks solely on the assumption that we are most likely NOT going to get a 1-2 match up in both the NFC and AFC. One of these underdogs has to get through and I think the lower seeds in the NFC are stronger than those in the AFC. So it has to be one of these teams. The hard part is picking which one that will be…

Minnesota Vikings (+7) @ San Francisco 49ers

Looks whose all grownsed up!  Kirk Cousins showed up last week and ‘You like that’-ed all over the Saints! What a thing to behold. Add that to sentences that I never thought I’d find myself typing.

This week, he will try to catch lightning in the bottle again on the road against the 49ers. I am so very tempted to take the Vikings here—mainly because of Dalvin Cook and the Minnesota run game against the 49ers weak run defense. But I just can’t. I think the niners get the job done at home, though the Vikings cover.

49ers 27 Vikings 21

Seattle Seahawks (+4) @ Green Bay Packers

It’d be really cool to see the 49ers play the Packers in the NFC Championship—a throw-back to the mid-90s where the two teams faced off in the playoffs in 1995, 96, 97 and 98—but here’s where I think the upset happens. Russell Wilson in the post-season is no joke and I think he makes just enough plays with his legs to ultimately win a cold, low scoring game.

Though the Packers have Aaron Jones, who has been a beast this year, I think Aaron Rodgers makes one big boneheaded play—like a red zone INT or a strip sack fumble late—and the Seahawks prevail.

Seahawks 20 Packers 16

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Big Brother for the Win

February 3, 2013 Adam Thomas

Gone+baby+Gone+Affleck+Brothers+Photocall+Cfz7UMtTya0lMy pick for the Super Bowl is based solely on personal experience. When it comes to pick-up games of basketball, soccer, football, baseball, wall ball, knee football, sharks and minoes, freedom, sardines, lacrosse, 500, king of the hill, rumble fumble, sledding, water balloon fights, back yard wrestling, and of course, half marathons, my big brother–the wolfman–has always held sway over his younger counter part.

Therefore, my Super Bowl pick reasoning goes like this: John Harbaugh is older than Jim Harbaugh. Therefore, my pick for the Super Bowl winner is: The Ravens, 24-20.

Enjoy!

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Delaware Park Parlay Card Part Trois

January 16, 2013 Adam Thomas

The Denver Broncos vs Baltimore Ravens AFC Divisional playoff game.1.) Aren’t we all lucky to have the regular refs back in our lives?  They did not miss a single call last weekend and I for one am glad that they did not stay locked out for longer.  Yeeeesh.

Of course that is sarcasm, and even though I thought that the replacement refs were terrible, it turns out that the regular refs are just as terrible. It was, however, very nice to see the Broncos get screwed over on a ‘Tuck Rule’ non call. So that made me happy.

It was those same Broncos, mind you, that kept me from being PERFECT in my game predictions for these playoffs.  But when you do a three team parlay, that one game means everything. Again though, I was never more happy to be wrong.

2.) I feel really sorry for that young child in the Tide commercial where he is wrapped up in a Raiders towel and a Raiders jersey and his dad says, “Timmy didn’t get to choose his colors, they were chosen for him.”  Or something along those lines.  Sadly, I think the commercial rings too close to home. RUN TIMMY! Run NOW! The Raiders will only break your heart. Trust me.

3.) After watching that commercial, I decided to youtube clips of the ‘Tuck Rule.’  I haven’t seen that play since it happened 11 years ago sending me crying into my parents basement where I hung out with our cat who had been quarantined after being attacked by a raccoon. Don’t ask me why I watched it. The worst part is the referee who made the call said, “It was clear as day, Brady’s arm was going forward.” See how terrible real refs are? I want the scab refs back please.

4.) Randy sent me an absurd text over the weekend that read like this: ’65 yrds…2 sec…u gotta kick it?? right??’ This was during the Seattle game mind you, a Seattle game featuring a kicker the Seahawks had just signed during the week and whose career long is a 55 yard field goal. Also, and I’m not sure if you are aware of this or not, but the Seahawks won on a Hail Mary earlier in the season in a little seen game without a hint of controversy against the Packers.

Still….the Seahawks lost when they attempted the Hail Mary. Would they have lost if they had tried the kick?  I can’t say yes….but I also can’t say no.  That Randy may just be a made genius.

Just kidding. They definitely should not have attempted a field goal.

As for this week, I like:

49ers -4.5 (Wilson almost threw for 400 yards last week against ATL, imagine what Kaepernick is capable of),  Ravens +9.5 (Ray Lewis’ last stand) and the NFC +.5 in the Pro Bowl (gotta pick the Pro Bowl game).

Last week I was 2-1, putting me at 5-1 for the playoffs.

 

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Take…Take me Home

January 20, 2012 Adam Thomas

1.) I put that song “Home” by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on a mixtape that I made recently and I have to say, I do not regret the decision one bit.  Holy cow, what an underrated song.  It has an abundance of unintentional comedy. I mean, it’s a Bone Thugs-N-Harmony song with freakin’ Phil Collins for crying out loud. According to Wikipedia, the group got so much positive feedback from the song (in the U.K., not the U.S.) that they decided to name Phil Collins an honorary member of the group with the moniker “Chrome Bone.” Gangsta.

Now, with all that being said, taking into account all of the elements that are at work against the song, you want to know the secret truth?  It’s a GOOD song.  There, I said it. It has an catchy beat and the chorus is AWESOME!  Throw in a reference to Uncle Charles (really, has Bone Thugs ever made a song without mentioning Uncle Charlie?) and you have what amounts to one of the most underrated songs ever. Just get past the image of Phil “Chrome Bone” Collins and Krayzie Bone watching Disney’s Tarzan through a thick fog of smoke and enjoy it.

2.) While were on the topic of the tape, I also put songs from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club (“Whatever happened….TO MY ROCK AND ROLL!”) and Incubus on it. Remember Incubus?  I don’t know what they’re up to these days, but I’m sure that it involves herbal tea.

3.) Can we all agree that How I Met your Mother would be 100 times better if it killed off Ted Mosby?  That guy is so whiney and annoying. JUST MEET THE MOTHER ALREADY!

4.) Speaking of CBS sitcoms, I tried to watch an episode of The Big Bang Theory cause a lot of people like it.  I made it to the opening credits and had to change the channel.  Holy cow that show is TERRIBLE.  Here’s basically what happened in the 3 minutes I watched: Leonard was on the phone, the group saw that he was cringing and didn’t like whoever he was talking to, Sheldon surmised that he was probably talking to a doctor about getting a colonoscopy (naturally), Leonard hangs up the phone, “the gang” asks ‘what was that phone call about?’ Leonard says, ‘That was my mother, she’s coming to visit.’ Howard says, ‘so it was about a colonoscopy!’ AND SCENE! Wow. Comic GOLD!

5.) Top Chef should just stop now and have Ed and Paul fight it out in the finals.

ON TO THE PICKS! (My actual winners will be in bold and whoever I list first will be who I think is going to cover).

New England -7 over the Ravens. Joe Flacco is not very good.  It’s time to admit that.  If it hadn’t been for Jacoby Jones, the Texans would be playing the Patriots this weekend. I know it’s sacriledge to talk trash on Joey as a fellow Delawarean, but man, he is baaaad. Also there was a report out there that he was skateboarding in his driveway, and his neighbor called the Ravens and tattled on him.  His response?  Something like, “I had never skateboarded before so I wanted to try it.” Um, Joe, the most important game of your life is coming up. The last thing you need to do is break your wrist trying an ollie kickflip mctwist.

If the Ravens have any chance in this game, they need to hand the ball off to Ray Rice and Ricky Williams 60 times. Each.

NY Giants +2.5 at San Francisco.  I wanted to pick the 49ers, but Randy picked them and so, I wanted to be different.  That’s how decisions get made here at theheadrush.  Also: Cruz, Manning, Nicks, Jacobs, Bradshaw, and the Giants D-Line.  This game is going to be awesome to watch.  I can’t wait!

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I’m Sick of Hearing About Tony Romo…. Already…

September 27, 2011 Randy Neil

Sometimes, I like to think of a story as a meal. You want to start the readers off with something wonderful to drink, enchant them with some light appetizers, and then make your point with the meat and potatoes. Every once in a while, I’ll end the meal with some sweet desserts. Today…. we’re going to start with steak the cook dropped on the floor in the back.

Tony Romo is getting so much praise for a mediocre performance, it’s making my stomach turn. This is the problem with national exposure, I suppose. They need something to discuss and “analyze”. Lord knows nobody wants to dissect Rex Grossman’s performance, so Tony Romo is getting commended now as an elite quarterback that has taken control of his team. Is that what 255 passing yards and an interception gets you?

If that’s the case, Cam Newton is the greatest quarterback of all time….

I understand that Romo was hurt, I get that. He’s overcoming huge adversity. There is an immense amount of national coverage that the Cowboys receive over most teams. He has a punctured lung. The guy is playing through terrible pain, and what appears to be a terrible supporting cast. That still doesn’t qualify him as an elite quarterback, and I hardly see how this game was the game that got him over the top in people’s eyes.

The kicker made 6 field goals. That’s the only points the team scored. Just let it be what it is.

While Tony Romo was busy saving children from burning wreckage with his bare hands, Michael Vick was busy getting destroyed by the New York Giants.

Vick was getting punished repeatedly on Sunday. It looked disgusting. The offensive line is atrocious this year. Next to Jay Cutler, Michael Vick may be the most sacked quarterback of the year.

Vick complained to the media after Sunday’s game, stating the referees don’t call the same penalties to protect him that other quarterbacks get. Two things come to mind when I heard this :

1) I honestly believe it’s a combination of his offensive line sucking, him running around a lot, and referees not calling those particular penalties when they should. At some point, when he’s on the ground, one of those three things just happened. Sure, he does scramble more than most, but there has probably been about a half-dozen cheap shots I’ve seen where Vick goes down after he’s released the ball, and nothing has been called. The guy’s kinda tiny and easy to push around.

2) This is what happens when you instate a rule that has no real boundaries. The “roughing the passer” rule has become so gray and vague, it’s hard to tell what is and isn’t a penalty anymore. It’s not fair, and it gives people like Michael Vick a lot more weight in their argument. Leaving a decision up to a particular referee during a quick 4-second instance leaves a lot of room for errors.

I suggest that all quarterbacks are placed in a large synthetic polymer bubble with some sort of release mechanism that ejects the ball out of the bubble for passes. If a defensive player manages to roll the ball more than once, the quarterback is sacked. This, of course, will lead up to the famous “half-roll” controversy in Superbowl 2024.

So, let’s look at some of the standings after week 3 and play a little real or fake.

The most surprising of all may be the Buffalo Bills, who lead the AFC East with a 3-0 record. I don’t know how they are winning, or how they defeated the Patriots this weekend, but they did, and Ryan Fitzpatrick now looks like a God. I gotta say fake. I don’t see this lasting the entire year and I still think the Pats are going to take that division.

The Oakland Raiders are leading the AFC West and the Kansas City Chiefs are 0-3. Did we step back into the early 2000s? This is real folks. McFadden is probably going to be the best running back at the end of the year when all is said and done, and those guys are mean. Even with the Chargers winning early in the year (which is super-rare for them), Oakland swept that division last year, and they look more dominant than ever.

The Dallas Cowboys lead the division at 2-1, tied with the Redskins, and the Eagles are in last place at 1-2. It turns me to say that this is real. I don’t envision Michael Vick playing all 16 games (which he’s only done once in his career) and you’re telling me Vince Young is gonna get it done? I don’t see it. This division is packed. I think the Eagles will definitely contend, but it’ll be like the Patriots missing the playoffs at 11-5 two years ago.

I also have to take a moment to say this, and trust me, I’m befuddled saying it as well…. I think Rex Grossman is no longer a shitty quarterback. (Looks left, looks right) I’m not saying he’s great or anything, I’m just saying he’s good. He’s average, or better. The real reason I’m saying this is because of his post-game press-conference last night. I honestly liked how he handled himself. He answered the questions correctly and seemed to be way more intelligent and assured than the Grossman of 2008. His play is reflecting that. Ok, I’m done….

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lead the NFC South at 2-1. This I believe to be real. I picked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the Superbowl. After Week 1, that looked silly, but now they’ve won 2 games and are atop their division. I like Josh Freeman. I think there’s something special about that kid. I also think that the NFC South is going to be a pretty tough division with the Falcons, Saints, and… Panthers (cough, ahem…) I see the Bucs winning the NFC South with a 9-7 or 10-6 record and making a great playoff run.

The San Francisco 49ers lead the NFC West at 2-1. I think this is sad, and real. I saw the St. Louis Rams doing way better than they are, but at 0-3 they look terrible. What really stands out is there points differential. 36 points scored, 96 points allowed. Yeeeeesh. The Seahawks and Cardinals are both pretty average, so it’s pretty much the Niners division to lose.

It’s important to note that there are literally 2 games left in baseball and they’re going to jump right into the playoffs. Don’t take things lightly. The Phillies cruised into the playoffs this year, but come September 30th, we are just like everybody else. It’s time to get serious.

No picks this week. I’ve done enough writing. Plus, I went 50%, so you don’t want to listen to me anyway….

Take a minute to digest your meal, folks. It’s probably food poisoning….

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