2012 NFL Week 17 Picks – Football
Sunday, December 30, 2012 14:35
Game picks for the 2012 NFL season Week 17.
NFL Week 17
URGENT LETTER TO ALL PITTSBURGH STEELERS FANS…
Please…Shut the Hell Up!!!
My Fellow Steelers Fans,
It is with a heavy heart I found it necessary to write this, but I think too many of you do not read what you write on various websites or hear what you say when conversing with other people.
Quite frankly, you sound like whiny children.
Although I find it embarrassing to offer this link to typical fan reactions to recent Steelers losses found on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website, I must do so to show how Steelers fans—who are known to be students of the game—just as often know nothing about NFL football, the Steelers, the Rooneys, or the game’s nuances and history.
In other words, some of you clowns are making the rest of Steeler Nation look very bad.
Before I continue please scroll down to the readers’ comments following this article by PG columnist, Ron Cook:
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/ron-cook/cook-loss-leaves-big-ben-in-agony-667673/
Seriously, what is the matter with you people? Here is a sampling of your nonsense:
“Fire Todd Haley…” “Backs aren’t coached to hold onto the ball correctly…” “Kordell was great…”… “Also broken record Tomlin needs to be evaluated for his decisions of kicking a field goal and not playing for overtime…”The coaching staff is not on the same page”…”STEELERS NATION DESERVES BETTER”…”Bring back Cowher”…”If any coach needs to go its Tomlin”…”Roethlisberger is scrambling, the middle of the field is open enough for him to take a few steps and fall forward for a 1st down. Instead he throws incomplete to Rainey in the endzone. Not the Roethlisberger I remember.” “…Unfortunately, I have seen the performance level and focus of far too many athletes fall after they get married.” “…The best thing for Ben and Steeler nation, would have been for him to never get married and continue to being single!…” “…It took a few seasons for Cowher’s influence to wear off, but now that it’s gone, we’re seeing Tomlin’s true ability, or lack thereof… Only one way to kill a snake… cut off its head…”Tomlin must go…”
ARE YINZ FRIGGIN’ CRAZY?
Fortunately, there were an almost equal number of Steelers fans telling our clueless brethren how wrong, misguided or plain ignorant they are. Some were even brave enough to point up the racial undertones in many of the anti-Tomlin remarks.
But there were far too many who believed they had the answer and how simple it would be to fire someone, trade a player, hire a flamboyant coach, or clean house.
Television broadcasters often remark on how well informed Steelers fans are and that’s why after reading absurd, uninformed, inaccurate, or silly commentary by Steelers fans it dawned on me…
I bet none of these clowns know too much Steelers history before the ‘70s.
BEFORE THE MERGER
From 1933 to 1971 your Pittsburgh Steelers sucked worse than any team in the history of American organized sports—by the way, your lovable Pirates are only halfway there. (Think about that for a moment.)
From 1933 to 1970, here is the sad tale of the tattered tape:
- 8 winning season…Worst in total wins, winning percentage…Most coaching changes…Worst front office decisions…
The Steelers traded, sold, or plain gave away NFL superstars like Johnny Unitas and Len Dawson. They traded draft picks other teams used to select Pro Bowl players, Hall of Famers, and countless winners.
Your Steelers were a joke. Although, and this is kind of strange, they were known for some of the nastiest, meanest defenses even when they gave up too much yardage.
AFTER THE MERGER
In one of the great well-timed confluences in sports history, the Steelers hired Chuck Noll—after a guy named Joe Paterno turned down the job—built the architecturally uninspired Three Rivers Stadium, and drafted Mean Joe Green with the fourth pick of the 1969 draft.
Since that fateful year the Steelers are, by any measure the best in the NFL:
- Most Wins = 429
- Most Playoff berths = 26 (Tied with Dallas)
- Most Division Titles = 20
- Most Playoff Wins = 33
- Most Super Bowl Appearances = 8 (Tied with Dallas)
- Most Super Bowl Wins = 6
- Most Winning Seasons = 31
- Fewest Coaching Changes = 2
Defensively, the Steelers have been the most dominant team in NFL history:
- Top 10 Defenses = 30 Seasons
- Top 5 Defenses = 21 seasons
- Top Three Defenses = 17 Seasons
- Number 1 Defense = 8 Seasons
Please Steeler Nation, don’t whine, bitch, and moan about your Steelers missing the playoffs for only the 16th time in 42 years. Your 26 appearances are more than the Ravens, Cardinals, Jaguars, Panthers, and Texans—combined.
2012
Furthermore, please cease and desist with the same hackneyed theories re-echoed by the uninformed pundits who have no connection to the Steelers as to why the Black & Gold will be watching the playoffs from home this year.
Big Ben will have shoulder surgery this off-season. When the offensive line was healthy, his numbers were MVP caliber. Losing four starters had to take a toll.
The trite crap bandied about by Rodney Harrison and countless pundits on every network about the Steelers defense getting old simply does not hold water. Their young corner backs are solid if not spectacular. Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward are starting to contribute on the defensive line. Keep in mind, Pittsburgh’s top two draft picks were put on IR before the season started. This “old” Steelers defense is the league’s best overall: 1st against the pass, 2nd against the run; 10th in scoring. The problem was not enough takeaways and too many giveaways by the offense—many at the exact worst time—see the last two games.
When commenting on any sports website about the Steelers, remember you are representing a NATION or “The World’s Team,” so please write intelligently and appropriately or you come off like Jerry Jones or Rex Ryan or one of the NFL’s other resident buffoons.
At least know what you’re talking about when you do criticize so people respect you. For example, Mike Tomlin had an awful year on the Pittsburgh sideline. He, nor any other coach can make sense out of going on 4th and 1 from mid-field, then opting for the field goal on fourth 4th and 1 from the 2 yard line.
Tomlin made himself look obnoxious and absurd when he wouldn’t own up to a blunder in Week 14. He kicked an extra point instead of going for two when trailing the Chargers by 18 early in the fourth quarter. Tomlin sounded clueless when he said he wanted to keep those plays ”in his pocket” because things looked “pretty bleak.”
A simple, “My bad, hey I’m human.” was probably the best answer.
Any Steelers fan knows the Rooneys never knee-jerk a coach from the organization. They know some years things don’t go as planned, players fail, coaches fail, circumstances rise against you. They also know Bill Cowher’s “fine line” between decent and great NFL teams becomes thinner every year.
Sometimes you got to give the teams who beat you their due and wait ‘til next year.
Sincerely,
A Steelers Fan
NFL Week 17 Picks
The four Week 16 games I missed on were all on my toss-up list. The only real surprise was the World Champs stink-bombing against the Ratbirds. The Giants are one of the NFL’s more difficult teams to figure out.
Last Week: 11 – 4 – 1 = .733
Specials: 2 – 2
Overall Tally: 123 – 111 – 6 = .525
Specials: 34 – 29 – 1 = .539
Week 17…the most unpredictable week of the year. You can analyze damn near every game from opposite perspectives and make a good argument for just about any team.
Will Miami, knowing Belichick won’t take his foot off the gas no matter what, play the Pats as tough as they usually do, or will the Fish tank it in cold New England?
Which Baltimore team will show up against an upstart Cincinnati crew fresh off a late game heart-thumper against the Steelers?
Even in games between teams who’ll be playing golf next week, we don’t know how they want to end the season. The old, slow Pittsburgh defense has a chance to be number one overall, against the pass, and against the run. They will crank it up against Cleveland’s Thad Lewis. Thad who? Cleveland has a chance to sweep the Steelers first time since they were the other Cleveland Browns.
How hard does a team like Atlanta push themselves after wrapping up all the playoff prizes they can possibly get last week?
Is a first round bye more important to the Packers who want the Tundra as frozen as possible come playoff time, or the 49ers who are banged up and could use the extra week to heal?
GAME OF THE WEEK (7 – 9)
Dallas Cowboys @ Washington Native Americans –3
No in depth or profound analysis on this one, folks. Tony Romo and Dallas have shown some real character in recent victories against the G-Men and the Steelers. RGIII has great talent and the Dallas defense will be crippled with Demarcus Ware wearing a shoulder harness.
That alone keeps me from picking Dallas to do any more than cover the spread.
The Nates win it after late fourth quarter heroics by RGIII and a walk off field goal. Dallas covers.
NATIVE AMERICANS 30, COWBOYS 28
LOCK OF THE WEEK (9 – 7)
Carolina Panthers @ New Orleans Saints –5
When you have players bragging in August about winning the NFL’s only February game and you end up with a chance to win only seven, that says your team underachieved or someone does‘t know how to evaluate talent—or both
Welcome to the 2012 Carolina Panthers.
When your front office, your head coach, and several star players are suspended or must appeal suspensions for the entire year and you have a shot to finish the season at .500, that says you have a strong team character or an abundance of talent—or both.
Say hello to this year’s New Orleans Saints.
The Saints will play this one with a 2 x 4 on their shoulder—believing they were deprived of the chance to play in the Super Bowl at their home venue.
Cam Newton took the league by surprise last year. The league’s defensive coordinators took most of it back in 2012.
The Holy Men get their share on Sunday.
SAINTS 33, PANTHERS 12
UPSET SPECIAL (9 – 7)
Arizona Cardinals @ San Francisco 49ers -16.5
All Ken Whisenhut has to show is the spread the gangsters are laying on this one and that should be all the motivating he needs to do.
After all the bad luck with broken quarterbacks the Cards have endured this year, it’s a major victory that “The Wiz” hasn‘t lost the locker room. The Cards will show up for this one. They will get beat soundly, but they’ll show up.
49ERS 27, CARDINALS 16
OVER/UNDER OF THE WEEK (9 – 6 – 1)
Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings +3.5 (46)
This Special looked good for Seattle/St. Louis, but I opted for the Pack/Viking tilt because it should be a struggle between two teams with all kinds of playoff goodies at stake that can score in a lot of ways. When you add Adrian Petersen’s chase to glory into the mix and a pedestrian Packer run defense, the number looks woefully inadequate. Take the over.
VIKINGS 33, PACKERS 30
As usual, my picks are in italic below…
NFL Lines For Week 17 – 12/30, 2012
| Date & Time | Favorite | Line | Underdog | Total |
| 12/30 1:00 ET | At Buffalo | -3.5 | NY Jets | 39 |
| 12/30 4:25 ET | At New England | -10.5 | Miami | 46.5 |
| 12/30 1:00 ET | At Cincinnati | -2.5 | Baltimore | 41 |
| 12/30 1:00 ET | At Pittsburgh | -10.5 | Cleveland | 34.5 |
| 12/30 1:00 ET | Houston | -7 | At Indianapolis | 46.5 |
| 12/30 1:00 ET | At Tennessee | -4 | Jacksonville | 42 |
| 12/30 1:00 ET | At NY Giants | -7 | Philadelphia | 46 |
| 12/30 8:30 ET | At Washington | -3 GW | Dallas | 49.5 |
| 12/30 1:00 ET | Chicago | -3 | At Detroit | 45 |
| 12/30 4:25 ET | Green Bay | -3.5 /U | At Minnesota | 46 |
| 12/30 1:00 ET | At Atlanta | -3.5 | Tampa Bay | 45.5 |
| 12/30 1:00 ET | At New Orleans | -5 LW | Carolina | 54 |
| 12/30 4:25 ET | At Denver | -16 | Kansas City | 42 |
| 12/30 4:25 ET | At San Diego | -9.5 | Oakland | 39.5 |
| 12/30 4:25 ET | At San Francisco | -16.5 US | Arizona | 39 |
| 12/30 4:25 ET | At Seattle | -11 | St. Louis | 42.5 |
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