The Chase is On

Well, we have a new leader after the 4 games this past weekend:

Pete the Terp – 443 points
Buffalo Bill – 384
Greg the Great – 281
Comeback Kid – 270
2010 Winner – 255
Ben the Butler – 249
Henrico FiveOh – 206

Pete the Terp set a HSBT record with 383 points this weekend, while Comeback Kid set a record at the other end of the spectrum with only 27 points (including back-to-back goose-eggs on Sunday).  In the 21 years of HSBT, the leader after the Divisional Playoffs has gone on to capture the trophy 8 times.  So the odds are looking pretty good for Pete the Terp with only 3 games remaining.  Or are they??  His 443 points at this stage are 2nd only to Ben the Butler’s record 472 points from 2008.

Buffalo Bill amassed the 2nd most points last weekend, with 278 and managed to avoid the goose-egg syndrome.  Greg the Great also passed the 200 mark last weekend, with 210 points.  Everyone else seems to be hanging in there.  The spread of only 237 points from top to bottom will make for interesting picks this coming weekend.  Comeback Kid did a reverse this past weekend and his 32.8 average variance set a new “standard.”  As hot as he was last week, he has cooled off.  But he knows as well as anyone that more than half the points are accumulated during the last 3 games.  And – only 3 participants remain in the hunt for the Super Bowl 100-point Bonus, with nobody choosing the Vegas favorite, New Orleans.

We were able to catch up with Pete the Terp before he retracted back into his shell to prepare for his picks this coming weekend to get a few comments from the leader.  “Well, I knew my hometown Ravens would lose and I had a big game with the Viking victory over Dallas.  I’m out to win the trophy this year and not the bronze chicken wing.  I’m in 1st place and plan to stay there the rest of the way.  I feel sorry for the other participants who may think they can win this year.”  Hmm.  We will see about that…

Divisional Playoff Results

New Orleans 45, Arizona 14
Is the Cardinal defense lame or what?  Gave up 70 points over a 4-quarter stretch (last half of the Green Bay game and the 1st half of the Saint game) to set a new record for ineptness.  And what about those Saints?  QB Brees has so many weapons, it’s hard to keep everyone happy.  So much for any concerns over that 0-3  record at the end of the regular season.  Cardinal RB Hightower did a copy of Raven RB Rice the prior week with a TD run on the 1st play from scrimmage.  Almost had the fans choking on their jambalaya and Abita beer…  Do you think anyone can stop these guys?  Hard to believe nobody picked them to win the Super Bowl…  Geez, I wonder if they’re celebrating in Nawlins’ yet?

Indianapolis 20, Baltimore 3
Ditto here, too, on a sluggish finish at the end of the regular season for the Colts.  Raven QB Flacco did pass for more than 34 yards on Saturday night, but Colt QB Peyton and the Indy D were the stars of the game.  Everyone picked the Colts to win and everyone was right.  Solid Colt performance and 2 participants are counting on them to go all the way.  They seem to be running on all cylinders in the Lucas Oil Fieldhouse.

Minnesota 34, Dallas 3
Whoa!!  What a blowout.  As I had mentioned last week, the only concern I had for Dallas was QB Romo self-destructing.  That was an understatement.  And why is it that he gives you the impression that his uniform number and IQ are about the same?  Vikes QB Favre is hot, and the much ballyhooed Cowboy D needs to get back to the ranch.  Makes you wonder how good the Vikes will be if RB Peterson ever gets going…  Should be a humdinger in the Superdome next Sunday.

NY Football Jets 17, San Diego 14
Complements of Nate Kaeding (must be a relative of Scott Norwood – ouch!), the Jets pulled the plug on the powerful Chargers, reducing them to a dead AAA battery.  As soon as the announcers said Kaeding he hadn’t missed a kick inside the 40 in 6,832 tries over the past 14 seasons, he misses terribly.  Not once, mind you, but 3 times – and all at critical points.  Give credit to the Jets D and offensive line.  These guys are the real deal and Coach Ryan is starting to sound like a prophet (“I expect this team to win the Super Bowl”).  The jolted ‘Bolts are back to the drawing table.  Meanwhile, the Jets are off to Indy next weekend.

More to come later this week as you prepare for the Conference Championship games on Sunday.

~~ The Commish