So we roll into the week thirteen picks with me one point ahead of Dan’s dad and nine over Dan so let’s see what this week holds.

Gee: Week 12 11-4 Overall 92-84
Dan: Week 12 6-9 Overall 83-93

Saints @ Cowboys (+7.5)

The Dallas Cowboys have dragged themselves into the race for the NFC East thanks to a three game win streak that includes two victories over divisional opponents but that run of good from is about to crash into the juggernaut that is the New Orleans Saints. Not only do the Cowboys have to contend with Drew Brees, but thanks to playing in a dome they don’t even have bad weather as a factor to hamper the veteran quarterback. I’m not sure how much help that would be given the effectiveness of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram in the running game and though their defence only ranks fourteenth by DVOA, that is more than effective given with the offensive efficiency the Saints possess. I can see the value argument that the home team on a Thursday night getting seven and a half points should be a good bet, and I may well regret this, but I just can’t look past the Saints given their form. The game should be a cracker and the Cowboys could well prove me wrong but I don’t think them covering this line is the more likely event to occur.

Gee’s Pick: Saints
Dan’s Pick: Saints

‘Saints for me I think tonight. Really struggling to pick with any level of certainty here but I think the Saints run is going to continue, and they’ll win by more than a TD.’

Week Thirteen Trivia

‘As we close in on the end of this season every point matters and Gee currently has a slender 2 point lead in the Trivia stakes.

The main Picks league is even closer and having knocked lumps out of each other in Week 12 no one is more surprised than myself that it’s still tight at the top.

Week 12 Trivia asked a very simple question – At which college did Peyton Manning play?

It’s a question that more people will know the answer to, but perhaps why that snippet of information had stuck. Well the answer is:

University of Tennessee Volunteers from 1994 to 1997

Even I’m not so picky as to insist on the Volunteers bit but for the first time since week 8 both Dan and Gee scored a point.

Week 13 is a little more random but did appear as a fact in QI. I’ve checked and it holds up so:

What rule change did Oakland’s receiver Lester Hayes instigate?

I’m intrigued as to the answers I get on this one.’

I went two for one in the Thanksgiving games, largely because Amari Cooper scored two breakaway touchdowns for the Cowboys, demonstrating his speed and some poor tackling in Washington’s secondary. So now we roll into the rest of the week twelve games and an enormous game for the Bengals but before all of that, there is this week’s trivia question where somehow I hold a two-point lead over Dan.

‘Moving onto Week 12 this should not prove too taxing and I’d like to know for which college did Peyton Manning play?’

Now, this was one of those questions where when I read it the answer was on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t quite remember it. However, leaving it for a couple of days allowed the answer to bubble up to the surface and I believe he played for Tennessee.

‘Having said the other week that I don’t pay any attention to the college game, I think this is one of those bits of information I’ve heard somewhere before and it’s just stuck with me for some reason. I think Payton Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee.’

Jaguars @ Bills (+3.5)

The Jacksonville Jaguars leave Florida to head up to a cold Buffalo where the Bills are coming off a bye and look to have Josh Allen coming back from his elbow injury. This does not look to be a great spot for a team with a six game losing streak and if I’m getting this many points with a warm weather team heading into the cold who haven’t been very good I’m going to grab them. I’m not saying the Jaguars can’t win this game, but I kind of fancy the Bills to keep this one within a field goal at list.

Gee’s Pick: Bills
Dan’s Pick: Jaguars

Browns @ Bengals (-3.5)

This is a big game for the beleaguered Cincinnati Bengals who managed to keep the game close with the Ravens last week and will be desperate to get back to winning ways against the franchise that carries the name of their founder Paul Brown. The Cleveland Browns are coming off a bye and a win against the Atlanta Falcons and their top defence could very well give a banged up Bengals’ offence problems, particularly with left tackle Cordy Glenn having back issues and Myles Garrett coming to town. It also looks like AJ Green is unlikely to play and suddenly things are looking tricky. I think the Bengals could very well win it, but this feels like a tight game to me and the extra half point has me picking the other way. I would love to be proved wrong.

Gee’s Pick: Browns
Dan’s Pick: Bengals

Raiders @ Ravens (-10.5)

The Oakland Raiders got their second win of the season in Arizona last week, but now they have to come all the way across the country to face a Baltimore team that got a spark last week with Lamar Jackson’s first start at quarterback and who is starting again this week due to Joe Flaco’s hip injury. I don’t know if the Ravens are planning another twenty plus carries for their quarterback this week, (Jackson ran the ball twenty-six times against the Bengals last week) but if the Ravens can do enough on offence to complement their tough defence they could make a late push for the playoffs and will at least cause a lot of teams difficulties. I fancy them to win this game at home, but the line does give me a little pause. There is a gulf between these two teams in terms of DVOA ranking and with the Raiders facing a second road game and travelling across the country I don’t expect them to win and I can’t quite bring myself to pick them either.

Gee’s Pick: Ravens
Dan’s Pick: Raiders

Patriots @ Jets (+9.5)

Both teams are coming off a bye and the New York Jets were last seen losing by thirty-one points to the Bills, whilst the Patriots lost by twenty-four points to the Titans. This makes this line a tricky one as I know which team I back to bounce back, and the Patriots largely have a history of beating big lines in games they are favoured for but this feels like a lot of points. However, given this is Bill Belichick coming off a bye I’m going to back the Patriots to get right and that time hasn’t finally caught up with Tom Brady, although it has to happen at some point.

Gee’s Pick: Patriots
Dan’s Pick: Patriots

Giants @ Eagles (-6.5)

The formula is all wrong for Philadelphia Eagles this season and they have so many injuries in the secondary that I think this line is too big. I don’t expect a repeat of what happened against the Saints last week, but the Eagles have lost three straight home games and welcome a New York Giants team who have won two straight. They have enough options in the passing game to make life difficult for a patched up secondary and with Saquon Barkley hitting holes with power and picking up the hard yards last week, I think the Giants could keep this one within a touchdown. I could be horribly wrong about this.

Gee’s Pick: Giants
Dan’s Pick: Eagles

49ers @ Buccaneers (-3.5)

This is a difficult game to pick thanks to the indifferent form of the San Francisco 49ers who are coming across the country to play a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team who have moved the ball on offence but really struggled to do much else, including win after a decent start. I really want to stay away from this game, but in the end I’ll plump for the home team and hope, but it very much feels like a shot in the dark.

Gee’s Pick: Buccaneers
Dan’s Pick: Buccaneers

Seahawks @ Panthers (-3.5)

I am really looking forward to this game as it should tell us a lot about a Carolina Panthers team who have wobbled in recent weeks. They face a Seattle Seahawks team who have re-found their formula of defence and running the ball and come into this game with extra rest having beaten the Packers on Thursday night in week eleven. I think this will be a close game and with that extra half point I am going to grab the Seahawks to stay within a field goal but the game could easily go either way.

Gee’s Pick: Seahawks
Dan’s Pick: Seahawks

Cardinals @ Chargers (-12.5)

The LA Chargers dropped a clanger against the Denver Broncos last week but should have more than enough to deal with a woeful Arizona Cardinals team who are really struggling. However, this is a very big line for a team whose home support isn’t that great and it really makes me wonder. However, I think the Chargers will have a point to prove and with the league’s fourth best offence by DVOA going against the thirty-first defence I’m going to worriedly swing for the fences with this one.

Gee’s Pick: Chargers
Dan’s Pick: Cardinals

Steelers @ Broncos (+3.5)

The Pittsburgh Steelers got their win last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars but it wasn’t exactly pretty and we should remember that Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t look like the same quarterback on the road. The Steelers should have more than enough to deal with the Broncos in Denver as their defence is just not the same as recent years and their offence hasn’t improved that much. The DVOA stats really like Denver though, as in really likes them with an overall ranking of ninth but I have more faith in the Steelers. It is tempting to grab the points, particularly with that important half point over a field goal and in the end, that’s what I’m going to go with but I’m not exactly confident.

Gee’s Pick: Broncos
Dan’s Pick: Broncos

Dolphins @ Colts (-9.5)

The Miami Dolphins are 1-4 on the road this year, but are expected to get Ryan Tannehill back from injury this week, although whether the oft-injured quarterback can make a big difference is somewhat up in the air given how beat up the Dolphins are generally. I have just watched the coaching tape of the Colts’ offence putting up thirty-eight points on the Titans’ defence and despite these two teams having the same 5-5 record, they feel like they are on very different trajectories. The question is though, can the Dolphins make it a tough game and though I’m not ruling it out, the form is so different and the Colts have a quarterback so I’m going to go with the large line again, which likely could make Dan happy if I’m wrong.

Gee’s Pick: Colts
Dan’s Pick: Dolphins

Packers @ Vikings (-3.5)

This is a huge game in the NFC North, with the Packers ill able to afford another loss and the Vikings needing the win to stay in contact with the Bears who currently have a three game lead thanks to their Thanksgiving win over the Lions. There seems to be something not quite right with the Vikings this year, both on defence and offence whilst the Packers have been up and down as well. The Vikings have had a real home advantage since moving to their current stadium, but I hate picking against Aaron Rodgers and the extra half point really makes me nervous. In fact it makes me nervous enough that I’m going to pick the Packers, but it would not surprise me if I’m wrong again.

Gee’s Pick: Packers
Dan’s Pick: Packers

Titans @ Texans (-6.5)

The question of this game is are the Houston Texans a touchdown better than the Tennessee Titans and I’m really not sure I know the answer to that one. The Titans have been so up and down this season and are coming off a big loss to the Colts having beaten the Patriots soundly in week ten, whilst the Texans have won seven straight games to be 7-3. There is a solid gap between these two teams by DVOA ranking and with a defence that seems to have finally got JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney fit at the same time I’m leaning Texans to win but I’m not sure by this much. In the end I don’t feel strongly enough to lay this many points so I’ll nervously grab the Titans.

Gee’s Pick: Titans
Dan’s Pick: Titans

I have managed to pull a game back on Dan’s Dad, but he is still leading the way in the picks competition. However, I might just have had an idea for a prize for the victor. The logo colours for The Wrong Football have always been based on the Bengals colours, but we could add a little spice and from next year have them in the colour of last year’s regular season picks champion’s favourite team, be they Dan or his Dad which would give us the teal and orange of the Dolphins or purple and yellow of the Vikings. Now there are some stakes for you, but for now let’s get to the matter of tonight’s game given that neither Dan or I got the trivia question right last week.

Gee:     Week 10   7-7              Overall   75-73
Dan:     Week 10   6-8              Overall   70-78

Packers @ Seahawks (-2.5)

Looking at the standing it feels like there is more at stake than just another Thursday night game as both these teams will be thinking that they could make a run at the playoffs but neither can afford to lose. The front office of the Packers seems to be looking further to the future with the moves they made at the trade deadline but Aaron Rodgers certainly won’t want to wait as he turns thirty-five next month. The Packers have not been known for the kind of run game balance they showed on offence last week, but their near two hundred yards on the ground last week was in fact bettered by the Seahawks, who ran for over two hundred and fifty in their close loss to the Rams.

These teams are within a percentage point in the overall DVOA ranking and we know that Aaron Rodgers can win anywhere but so can Russell Wilson. In fact I am finding it incredibly hard to pick between these two teams. Given the extra home advantage I believe the Seahawks should get and the fact the line is set at -2.5 I feel there is a sliver of value in picking the Seahawks at home on a Thursday night so I’m going to grab that, but honestly, this game as much as any could be a coin toss.

I just hope the football lives up to my expectations of what it could be.

Gee’s Pick:       Seahawks
Dan’s Pick:       Packers

Week Eleven Trivia

‘Week 10  11/11               

This week I asked about stadium altitudes and after the overtly obvious 3 feet high Saints Superdome who is 2nd and what ‘altitude’ are they? The guys have certainly had their grey cells working and I have enjoyed the logic behind their effort. Firstly, well done to both for identifying that the lowest altitude is likely to be coastal, just as the highest would normally be found in the centre of the continental land mass.

Right, to the answers, Tampa actually sits at the dizzy heights of 54m so, sorry Nul Point there Gee. Dan, however, spotted that there may be 2 at equal second place, but they weren’t West coast I’m afraid. So the 2 answers are the Giants and Jets at the Met Life in East Rutherford NJ along with the Jaguars EverBank Field each at 7 feet. Bragging rights are marginally Dan’s but neither should ever fly a plane!

Week 11

For week 11 I’m offering  a bit of a curved ball. if that’s not too muffled a metaphor. I want to know now many of the 32 teams do NOT have a Professional Cheerleading squad.

Is it      A, 0 – 5;           B, 6 – 10;         C, 11 – 15;      or D, 16+ 

Recover that Fumble   ’

I’m not sure I could have been more wrong about the Thursday night game, but I’m still not sure the pick was wrong with what we knew but the Steelers ran away with the game and I have a nasty feeling they will be extending their lead at the top of the AFC North this week. Anyway, before that I have the minor matter of a trivia pick to get wrong.

‘This week we have the reverse fixture from week 1 when I asked you which was the Highest stadium of the 31 in the NFL but this time I want to ask about the lowest. As with Mile High being the highest the Saints Superdome at just 3 feet would also be too easy so who is 2nd and what ‘altitude’ are they at? I’ll offer UP TO 2 points for the right answers this week. Is that, I hear you ask, a clue?

It’s a Fair Catch’

So I’m really struggling this week as I don’t have that great a knowledge of American geography but the lowest stadium is going to be on the coast somewhere and if the New Orleans stadium is the lowest I’m going to with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium and guess it is four feet above sea level.

‘I’m pretty confident I’m picking up the points this week, and that’s largely based on the giant clue that Dad has given us! I think the answer is Los Angeles (two points – two teams…).’

Having seen Dan’s answer I’m now feeling particularly dumb…

Falcons @ Browns (+4.5)

So on the face of it this is a horrible game to pick. However, the Browns have now lost four straight and have no settled infrastructure around a rookie quarterback whilst the Falcons have found a way to win three straight. The home underdog points are always tempting, but with the Browns having lost their last two games by a combined thirty-one points I think the Falcons might be able to run up the score again and I am going to need more points than this to pick the dysfunctional Browns.

Gee’s Pick:      Falcons
Dan’s Pick:      Falcons

Bills @ Jets (-7.5)

This seems like a lot of points to be laying by a New York Jets team who are struggling to move the ball. I am not prepared to give up on Sam Darnold but with the injuries at receiver and with a defensive minded head coach I don’t see things changing much this season and now that he is injured we have Josh McCown starting. However, whilst the Jets offence is bad, the Bills’ offence is historically putrid, although Matt Barkley is expected to make the start this week, but the only thing we can really trust is that we have a matchup of two top ten defences. This is not a recipe for points and so I’m going to hold my nose and pick the Bills in what is likely to be a pretty awful watch. I would love to be proven wrong, and I may well get the pick wrong given the flux at quarterback, but I doubt this game will set many pulses racing.

Gee’s Pick:      Bills
Dan’s Pick:      Jets

Lions @ Bears (-6.5)

I am really interested in seeing this game as it pits two divisional rivals against each other with the Chicago Bears riding high off their second big win and are hosting the up and down Detroit Lions. The Lions are something of an enigma to me as they have a couple of good wins but overall they seem to be heading in the wrong direction and the front office appears to be making long term decisions, which won’t help them win right now. This feels like a lot of points but given the Lions have lost their last two games by more than eight points and the Bears have won it this either means the trend is set to continue or due for a change. I’m going to back the better team in this one but I don’t exactly feel happy about it.

Gee’s Pick:      Bears
Dan’s Pick:      Lions

Saints @ Bengals (+4.5)

This game really scares me. The hope is that we get some bad weather that hinders Drew Brees, but with Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram running the ball against the Bengals suspect run defence they might not need Brees to be at his best. This is without even considering how the Bengals offence will function minus AJ Green. I am hoping to be proven wrong, and will gladly lose the point but I don’t think I am.

I always wanted to take a moment to mark Dez Bryant tearing his Achilles having signed for the Saints, which is just a horrible thing to happen for a player trying to find a way back into the league after not finding a team during the offseason and could be potentially career ending.

Gee’s Pick:      Saints
Dan’s Pick:      Saints

Patriots @ Titans (+7.5)

This is another intriguing game, but given the New England Patriots recent form it is hard to see them not covering any points spread. The Tennessee Titans have been grinding through the season with their new coaching team but the offence has not been turned around under Matt LaFLeur as people were hoping and with a DVOA ranking of twenty-sixth that goes with a defensive ranking of twentieth they have done well to be 4-4. Given the Patriots have rounded into form as they usually do I’m going to back them even if they are on the road.

Gee’s Pick:      Patriots
Dan’s Pick:      Patriots

Jaguars @ Colts (-2.5)

The Jacksonville Jaguars have lost four straight and coming off a bye they are hoping to get Leonard Fournette back from injury, which they will be desperate for as the offence just hasn’t functioned without him. The strange thing with this team has been the lack of discipline and this week we’ve had AJ Bouye rule himself out with injury to the press, which was news to head coach Doug Marrone. They travel to face an Indianapolis Colts team who have the same 3-5 record but they are heading in the opposite direction after last season and it will be interesting to see what the result is. I’m struggling with the line in this one as if Fournette can re-establish the power run game that would help the Jaguars control he clock and have a functional offence then they might be able to look more like the team who went to the playoffs last season, but there are a lot of unknowns. I’d like to stay well away from this game, but seeing as we can’t I am going to back the team with the better DVOA ranking who only need to win by a field goal to cover but I don’t exactly feel great about it.

Gee’s Pick:      Colts
Dan’s Pick:      Jaguars

Cardinals @ Chiefs (-16.5)

The Arizona Cardinals are coming of a bye and face a ridiculously difficult game going against the buzzsaw that is the Kansas City Chiefs at home. There seems to be a lot of positive feeling about Byron Letwich who has taken over as offensive coordinator for the Cardinals and their defence is actually rated top ten by DVOA, but defence isn’t exactly a predictor of success in the NFL with six of the top ten defences by DVOA belonging to teams with losing records and the Seahawks are 4-4. This is way too many points to give and looking at the Chiefs they have only managed to win by the required seventeen points once, and yes that was against the Bengals and so I’m going to guarantee they do it a second time by backing the Cardinals to cover.

Gee’s Pick:      Cardinals
Dan’s Pick:      Chiefs

Washington @ Buccaneers (-2.5)

This is such a tough spot for Washington after the cluster of injuries on their offensive line they travel to a warm muggy Tampa who are a dangerous 3-5. The Buccaneers have huge problems on defence but can at least move the ball on offence through the air and stand a fighting chance with Ryan Fitzpatrick starting at quarterback. I’m going to nervously back the Buccaneers given the flux in Washington on the line of an offence that only ranked twentieth before this happened, but this is another shot in the dark.

Gee’s Pick:      Buccaneers
Dan’s Pick:      Washington

Chargers @ Raiders (+9.5)

The lines this week all seem to be horrible, and now we head into a run of nine and a half point lines. The first is given to the Raiders at home because they have been awful. Despite this being a divisional matchup I strongly fancy the Chargers to win but this is a lot of points. That said the Raiders have to look back to their week four win over the Browns for the last time they managed not to lose by more than ten points and I don’t see where a magical turnaround is coming from so the Chargers it is.

Gee’s Pick:      Chargers
Dan’s Pick:      Chargers

Dolphins @ Packers (-9.5)

The Miami Dolphins are still in the hunt for the playoffs despite their up and down play but they have not been good on the road and Green Bay is not exactly the easiest of places to play. That said, the Packers are on something of an iffy run themselves although losing to the Rams and Patriots is hardly a horrific drop in form but at 3-4-1 they are in desperate need of wins. They have the ninth best offence by DVOA despite having arguably the most talented quarterback in the league and I think they will win this game but this seems like too many points for a team whose only big win was against the Bills. I’m going to back the Dolphins to keep it closer than ten points and hope I don’t jinx Dan’s team too badly.

Gee’s Pick:      Dolphins
Dan’s Pick:      Dolphins

Seahawks @ Rams (-9.5)

The Seattle Seahawks travel to face a now defeated LA Rams team but losing on the road to the Saints like the Rams did last week is hardly something to be embarrassed about. There are still some wobbles in the Rams’ play but I think they have more than enough to beat a Seahawks team who are one of the few teams who are still managing to win with the formula of defence and running the ball. This is line is too rich for me given the Rams’ recent run of form against teams that are not the 49ers and so I’ll back the Seahawks to keep it within ten even if I think the Rams get back to winning ways and can seal a playoff berth with a win.

Gee’s Pick:      Seahawks
Dan’s Pick:      Seahawks

Cowboys @ Eagles (-6.5)

I am curious enough about this game that I’m going to watch it given the ongoing mess that is going on in Dallas, but more because I want to see the Eagles and in particular how Golden Tate will be worked into the offence. Given the Eagles are coming off a bye and really need to push on if they are going to make the playoffs they really need a win and I expect them to get it but this is another big line. However, the Cowboys have lost all of their road games so far this season and having lost to the Titans by fourteen points I’m going to back the team with the coaching staff I have more faith in, although with the now standard caveat that I’m not happy about it.

Gee’s Pick:      Eagles
Dan’s Pick:      Eagles

Giants @ 49ers (-2.5)

I’m wary of reading too much into the 49ers win against the Raiders last week, but Nick Mullens is to get his second start and a rested 49ers team will face a New York Giants team coming off a bye but how much of difference will that have made? They may next to be each other in the overall DVOA rankings but I have more faith in the 49ers coming off a win and generating something than the Giants who were moving out pieces from their defence at the trade deadline.

Gee’s Pick:      49ers
Dan’s Pick:       Giants

I’m very happy to have got back to a winning record picking games as well as extending a lead over Dan in the trivia competition, although I don’t think that is going to hold up against the question this week as I have no idea about the heights/depths of NFL cities. But before I fret over that anymore there is a very tasty looking Thursday night game to consider.

Gee: Week 9 9-4 Overall 68-66
Dan: Week 9 6-7 Overall 64-70

Panthers @ Steelers (-4.5)

The Carolina Panthers are visiting the Pittsburgh Steelers in a brilliant looking fixture considering that the Panthers are 6-2 and should give a Steelers team in better form a real test. In fact, I’m not sure this line isn’t overly generous to the Steelers given that the Panthers are ranked third by overall DVOA with a top five ranked offence. I’m really looking forward to getting another look at what Norv Turner and Cam Newton have cooked up together without being on the receiving end and I’m backing them to keep it closer than five points even if they are on the road on a Thursday night.

Gee’s Pick: Panthers
Dan’s Pick: Steelers

‘Can’t see anything other than a big Steelers win this week!’

Week Ten Trivia

‘In Week 9 I posed a question about Owners. That this came in the week that Leicester City’s owner left us is a pure coincidence as all of the questions I use were prepared and sequenced prior to the start of the season. It’s strange how these kind of events crop up but the impact that it has had on soccer has been stunning and I wonder how many owners of any sporting team would illicit such an outpouring of genuine adoration tinged with grief?

The question was which owner was the most recent to be inducted to the Hall of Fame. I can report that Gee correctly scored on both counts currently identifying Dallas’ Jerry Jones was honoured in 2017.

This week we have the reverse fixture from week 1 when I asked you which was the Highest stadium of the 31 in the NFL but this time I want to ask about the lowest. As with Mile High being the highest the Saints Superdome at just 3 feet would also be too easy so who is 2nd and what ‘altitude’ are they at? I’ll offer UP TO 2 points for the right answers this week. Is that, I hear you ask, a clue?

It’s a Fair Catch’

So having got back from London there’s just time to get tonight’s pick in before I head off to band practice.

Gee: Week 8 8-6 Overall 59-62
Dan: Week 8 7-7 Overall 58-63

Raiders @ 49ers (-2.5)

This is a horrible game to pick given that both teams only have one win and you might usually say that one of them has to get a second tonight but with the number of ties we’ve already had this season that might not be the case. The 49ers have injury excuses as I stated on Wednesday but that doesn’t explain the depth of problems they have had all season. That said the Raiders are now in full tear it down mode with their only win coming against a Browns team so riven by coaching problems that both the head coach and offensive coordinator were fired. Getting back the extra half point from the default minus three I’m going to stick to backing the home team on a Thursday night, but it really is a crap shoot.

Gee’s Pick: 49ers
Dan’s Pick: Raiders

‘This is really difficult because neither team have really been up to much. Gee can’t pick up a point on Thursdays, and I think he’ll go for the 49ers as they’re at home, so I’m going to go with Oakland.’

Week 9 Trivia

‘Here is the Week 8 round up and new question for Week 9 in the Trivia Competition.

In the ‘Picks’ we started on 51 each and we can still throw a towel over all 3 but one of us has retaken the lead by a point.

Also Dan and Gee were tied in the trivia – so what happened there?

I asked Who is the Head Coach with Most Career Wins? With a bonus point available for whoever was closest.

Frankly it was no surprise that both Gee and Dan correctly picked out the great Don Shula, so 1 point each just for that. While I am seriously impressed with Gee’s guess of 320 wins which stacks up well against Shula’s regular season record of 328, it was Dan’s ‘guess’ (he gets no clues nor would he want one) of 350 which does the Quarterback Sneak for the ‘close’ bonus at just 3 away from the regular AND post season combined total of 347.

For the record the stats are: Don Shula: 328 Regular and 19 Post Season wins making 347 in a career running from 1963 to 1995 for the Baltimore Colts and Dolphins

And now to Week 9

Having opened the door recently to College Football this week I’m turning to the Owners. It is a matter of record that 13 have been inducted into the Hall of Fame but WHO was the most recent and WHEN was this? 1 point for each.

Good Luck – its Red Zone time’

Okay, so week eight didn’t exactly start with the turnaround I was looking for but thanks to family weekend things suddenly I’m facing a time crunch so let’s see if skipping quickly through the games gives me better luck, but before that there’s the minor matter of our now tied trivia competition.

‘Who is the Head Coach with Most Career Wins?’

Now there’s a couple of thoughts I had about this. I don’t think the answer is anyone currently coaching or I’d know about it (I also think the commentators would be mentioning it most weeks) so then you start getting into the big historical coaches but this is as much about length of service as quality so say Curly Lambeau rather than Vince Lombardi and the more I think about the more I’m sure that Dan has an advantage here because I think it is someone who coached the Dolphins for a long long time. I’m going for Don Shula who racked up something like, say three hundred and twenty wins.

‘This is the first time I’ve felt really confident about the answer of a trivia question this year! The ‘Winningest’ head coach is the legendary Mr. Don Shula. I think his final win total was somewhere around 350 games, so I’ll go with 350!’

Eagles @ Jaguars (+2.5)

So this week’s London game pits two teams coming off a loss against each other, and this has me worried because Blake Bortles has played very well in London in recent years, which is something he has not done in a while. However, there is something just not right with the Jaguars at the moment so London is a chance to get back to winning or implode against the Super Bowl champions. I really hate this line but in the end I just can’t trust the team who’ve lost four of the last five games.

Gee’s Pick:      Eagles
Dan’s Pick:      Jaguars

Jets @ Bears (-6.5)

I don’t entirely trust the DVOA ranking of the Bears as they seem somewhat high but I do think they are much better than the Jets and whilst the Jets might have the better quarterback over the next couple of years, with the offensive scheme of the Bears I’m backing the more talented roster to win out.

Gee’s Pick:      Bears
Dan’s Pick:      Jets

Buccaneers @ Bengals (-4.5)

Gah, I do not like this line and I can totally see this going wrong but this is too important a game for the Bengals, and at home I have to try to trust them. The emotional hedges have not exactly cushioned the blow of the recent losses so with all the talk of a reaction and tackling I’m hoping the Bengals turn it round this week.

Gee’s Pick:      Bengals
Dan’s Pick:      Bengals

Browns @ Steelers (-8.5)

The Browns have played so many overtime games this year and have only got blown out once, but that was against the Chargers and the Steelers certainly have the offensive fire power to do the same and are coming off a bye. I’m tempted by the Steelers but this feels like too many points to me.

Gee’s Pick:      Browns
Dan’s Pick:       Steelers

Broncos @ Chiefs (-10.5)

Going into Arrowhead Stadium is difficult at the best of times, but with the way the Chiefs are playing at the moment it is downright terrifying. The Broncos may be coming off a hugely convincing road win but it was over the Cardinals and this is a very different task. The points are kind of worrying but I fancy the Chiefs to steam roller almost any team at home the way they are playing at the moment.

Gee’s Pick:      Chiefs
Dan’s Pick:      Broncos

Seahawks @ Lions (-2.5)

The Lions seem to have found a formula on offense through running the ball and have settled down under Matt Patricia after a rocky start but they welcome a Seahawks team who have also rounded into some form. Having won convincingly in London two weeks ago the Seahawks face a sterner test on the road and I just fancy the Lions offence to win out in this and will be a sterner test than the Raiders.

Gee’s Pick:      Lions
Dan’s Pick:      Lions

Washington @ Giants (+0.5)

The Giants have started trading players away from their twenty-eighth ranked defence whilst the offence continues to misfire. I’m never sure what to expect out of Washington but I think they are the better team and whilst strange things can happen in divisional matchups, I’m not going to pick it to happen.

Gee’s Pick:      Washington
Dan’s Pick:      Giants

Ravens @ Panthers (+1.5)

This should be a cracking game. The Panthers were behind for nearly all of their game against the Eagles last week but Cam Newton found a way to lead three straight scoring drives in the fourth quarter turn a terrible start into a win. They welcome a Ravens team who have been really competitive this season but have still lost three games, although it took Just Tucker’s first ever missed extra point at any level for the Saints to get a win. However, getting points at home I’m going to take the Panthers.

Gee’s Pick:      Panthers
Dan’s Pick:      Panthers

Colts @ Raiders (+2.5)

In the cold light of day the Oakland Raiders’ trade of Amari Cooper looks like a good deal for the team, but it does nothing to help in the short term and facing the Colts who are heading in the right direction and coming off a big win I expect both teams to continue their streak.

Gee’s Pick:      Colts
Dan’s Pick:       Colts

Packers @ Rams (-9.5)

Gah, the Rams look so good at the moment and are finally home after three road games and clearly they are respected because this is the largest ever line against Aaron Rodgers. The Packers will hope their bye week will have worked wonders for Rodgers’ knee and whilst I expect Rams to win, I just can’t hand this many points to Aaron Rodgers.

Gee’s Pick:      Packers
Dan’s Pick:      Packers

49ers @ Cardinals (-0.5)

The Cardinals were so bad against the Broncos last week, and whilst there should be some reaction, the noises surrounding Patrick Peterson won’t help and so whilst the 49ers are not exactly flying this season, they have managed to be competitive and I fancy them to run out winners in this one.

Gee’s Pick:      49ers
Dan’s Pick:       Cardinals

Saints @ Vikings (-0.5)

The re-run of last season’s divisional game sees the Saints return to the US Bank Stadium and the scene of Stefon Diggs ridiculous game winning catch. The Vikings are a different team this season and although neither side of the ball are top ten in the league by DVOA like last year, the defence in particular has struggled but at least they have put a string of three wins together. In what should be a cracking game I’m going to back the team with the top five offence even if the Vikings have been playing better of late and could have Everson Griffen back.

Gee’s Pick:      Saints
Dan’s Pick:      Vikings

Patriots @ Bills (+14.5)

There’s a reason this line is so big, the Bills who have been bad all season got blown out by the Colts last week with Derek Anderson throwing three interceptions and fumbling the ball. The Patriots turned round their offence with the return of Julian Edelman and the addition of Josh Gordon a few weeks ago and look like they should run out comfortable winners. In the last three years the Bills have only won one game (in week four and the Patriots are notorious slow starters) and in the last three ganes the Patriots have won by at least sixteen so whilst this line is high, I’m going to swing big with the Patriots

Gee’s Pick:      Patriots
Dan’s Pick:      Patriots