This season is not going well. Maybe I should not have been so cocky about winning again. Whatever, maybe I just want to give people a head start. Last week I only picked six correctly. That is terrible. Sean was the smart guy this week with ten. Mom only got four, so her lead diminished considerably. She is one ahead of Offord, then we have Sean (-4), Scott (-5), Jon (-7), Josh (-8), Adam (-13), and James (-15).
Underdog Special: Arizona Cardinals (+1.5)
I got them at +1.5 on Fox Sports Bet. Look, the Cardinals have had a tough schedule so far (Chiefs, Raiders, Rams) and I think they dominate the Panthers. I was right about the Lions last week, so stick with me.
Underdog Record: 2-1 (+$13.05)
Steelers Prediction: Last week I was right about the Cleveland game. I know things look bad right now, but I believe that they can beat the Jets. If the offense cannot get anything going against the Jets, then it is probably time to give Pickett a chance.
Steelers Prediction Record: 1-2
I saw a debate this week on Twitter that usually pops up every season: should quarterbacks get credit for yards after the catch? Some people believe that a QB should only get the yards the ball travels. So if Tom Brady throws a five yard pass to Chris Godwin, and then Godwin breaks a tackle and goes 40 yards, these people feel that Tom only gets 5 yards, whereas Godwin gets 45.
It is a stupid idea. The majority of the argument is that it is unfair when a QB dumps one off to a RB for like a two yard pass, but then the back runs it 75 yards. I would say that those scenarios are probably cancelled out by the deep passes that a QB throws that hit a receiver perfectly in stride. I mean, throwing the ball 40+ yards perfectly timed is difficult. More difficult than just running straight.
But honestly, the argument ignores the fact that the relationship between QB and receiver (whether it be a WR, TE, RB) is symbiotic. In order for there to be YAC, the QB has to put it in a perfect position and the receiver has to run a perfect route while catching the ball. Watch bad QBs in the NFL. They throw the ball slightly behind the receiver, and they adjust to make the catch, but that leaves them an easy target for the tackle.
I always think about the Tim Tebow pass that beat the Steelers in the playoffs. If he throws that ball slightly behind Demaryius Thomas, the Steelers catch him and who knows what happens. But instead, the pass hits Thomas perfectly in stride, and he is able to accelerate while catching the ball and blow past the defenders. Both players deserve credit for the yards gained.
Also, if you were to change the way yardage stats are kept, then it would make sense to only count receiver yards from the point of the catch. So the QB gets the yards the ball travels and the receiver earns the yards they gain once they catch the ball. It is just stupid. So a Hail Mary would be 0 yards for a WR. See how dumb that sounds?
