What’s your least favorite breakfast food?  For the Saints, Broncos, Texans and Packers it’s gotta be the TURNOVER.  I’ve run out of fingers and toes in counting the number of miscues by those losers over the weekend.  And – they all seemed to happen just as they  were gaining momentum and when their team could least afford them.  Congrats to this weekend’s winners, as they all now focus their efforts on the Conference Championships next Sunday.  Here is the official game analysis of the results:

San Francisco 36, New Orleans 32
The 1st game of the weekend earned a ’10’ for excitement, as the 49ers refused to let the Brees slow them down.  That 4th Quarter kept you glued to the TV.  Saints spotted the 49ers with 17 points due to early… turnovers, then never really could get the offense rolling (a lot had to do with the SF defense, too).  The high-powered offense kept in check by the high-powered defense in this one.  On the HSBT front, HenricoFiveOh earns 86 points and gets back into contention, while Pete the Terp gets goose-egg #3 (in only 5 games).

New England 45, Denver 10
Just as the 49er game ended and you quickly switched to the Patriot game, the score was already 7-0 for New England.  Bad omen for the Tebows…  And it just got worse.  A Mile-High meltdown, as QB Tom Brady (the only remaining playoff starting QB who was not a #1 draft pick) threw for a record-tying 6 TDs and could have at least a dozen more had TE Rob Gronkowski not taken a breather every once in a while.  And what about that horrible Patriot D?  Ranked 2nd to last during the regular season, the Denver offense (which was pretty offensive) made them look like the ’86 Bears D.  Ben the Butler took charge in this one, with 99 points.

Baltimore (or Less) 20, Houston 13
Time for that hated breakfast food – again…  Can’t anyone hold on to the ball while being tackled?  Luckily for the Ravens, they had to cope with a 3rd string QB on the opposing side.  A lackluster offense offset by a little more than mediocre defense and the Ravens visit Foxboro this coming Sunday afternoon.  How will they keep up with the Patriots?  Pete the Terp (Baltimore resident) earns 95 points in this to lead the charge, with another goose-egg being recorded by Ben the Butler.

New York Football Giants 37, Green Bay Packing Their Bags 20
Well, this was certainly a statement.  All but 1 participant had picked Green Bay to repeat (like 2012 Winner has done twice), so the SB Bonus points have all but vanished except for Ben the Butler (who has picked New…).  The Packers looked as rusty as an “upper scooper” (I’ll let you figure that one out) that had been left out in the rain all summer, while the Giants remained on fire.  Is Eli better than his older brother?  or Dad?  He certainly is during the playoffs.  Makes you wonder what the Giants will leave in San Francisco next weekend?  New York City resident Ben the Butler set an HSBT Divisional Game record with 205 points in this game (eclipsing the 169 points earned by Comeback Kid last year).  Everyone else picked the Pack.  ‘Nuff said.

Current Standings
Well, with 8 of the 11 games completed and just 3 to go, you would think some radical picks are needed for those not in 1st place to get back in contention.  Not so.  Why?  Historically, only 43% of the points have been earned at this juncture, so many more opportunities will present themselves next weekend and on February 5 in Indianapolis.

• Ben the Butler – 451 points (he’s Ben here before, though)
• 2012 Winner – 366
• Buffalo Bill – 363
• HenricoFiveOh – 328
• Pete the Terp – 302
• Comeback Kid – 288
• Greg the Great – 218

Looking Ahead
I’ll post my official predictions most likely Sunday afternoon so you have at your disposal the most current and relevant inside scoop to help guide you through the Conference Championship games.  Using the history of the participants of the HSBT – average number of points earned during the Conference Championships and Super Bowl – here is what’s shaping up for the rest of the playoffs:

• Ben the Butler – will earn an additional 161 points (what’s that lump in his throat?), and will finish with 611 points.
• 2012 Winner – will earn 263 points and finish with 629 (hmm…).
• Buffalo Bill – 243 more points and a total tally of 606 (another good run).
• HenricoFiveOh – earning 259 points and finishing with 587 (but watch out for his picks…)
• Pete the Terp – has 200 more points in the bag, finishing with 502 (will he pick the Ravens?)
• Comeback Kid – getting 238 points, with 526 after the Super Bowl (but always dangerous, hence the name).
• Greg the Great – mark him down for 270 more points to finish with 488 (will need to be Great).

~~ THE Commish