Well, who thought this would happen?  Falcons and Patriots with lopsided wins and will meet in SB51 in less than 2 weeks.  These were supposed to be close games with the potential for upsets in both, but ended up being snoozers for the most part.  Our leader, Pete the Terp, is starting to distance himself from the pack.

So – let’s right to the details:

Atlanta Falcons 44, Green Bay Packin’ It In 21
What a way to close out the Georgia Dome, huh?  Falcon QB Matt Ryan played like an MVP candidate and it was 24-zip at halftime.  Too much for Aaron Rodgers and his crew – how many balls did they drop, anyways?  Can anyone stop WR Julio Jones?  We know that nobody on Green Bay can.  The magical mystery tour of the Packers came to an abrupt end.  The faithful Cheeseheads are staring to smell like expired Limburger…

Greg the Great, as predicted, had a big game with 245 points.  4 winners picked the Falcons and 4 losers picked the Pack.  Ben the Butler kept the goose-egg carnage alive and well, with his second of the playoffs.

New England Patriots 36, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
To quote announcer Jim Nantz deep into the 4^th quarter as the Steelers scored a late TD: “Well, a couple of TD’s with 2-point conversions and a FG by the Steelers, and this one will be tied.”  OK, Jim.  He must have had one too many Samuel Adams Winter Ales.  The Killer B’s were eradicated by the Patriot version – Brady, Belichick, Blount, and Bris Bogan (OK, it’s Chris Hogan…).  The Steelers have to plead “no contest” after this annihilation.  New England QB Tom Brady loves playing against the Steelers.  Total domination.

Buffalo Bill makes a statement with this win, while Greg the Great suffered his 2^nd goose-egg of the playoffs.

Standings
With one final and decisive game to go, the HSBT competition is heating up to near epic proportions, with all participants having a “legitimate” shot at the coveted trophy.

• Pete the Terp – with a record-setting 794 points after the Conference Championships, has a huge lead over the 7 other wannabe’s. Is there any way he can lose?  Did the Indians win the World Series this season after being up 3-1 with 2 of the next 3 games at home?
• Comeback Kid (with a 10-0 record) – leading the logjam behind our current leader, with 593 points and hoping to erase the 200-point deficit, just as he did in 2014.
• 2017 Winner – 586 points, with an 8-2 record, and getting ready for the sprint to trophy #7
• Greg the Great – 567 points and that goose-egg did not help a whole lot. Had the Steelers found a way to win, he would be in the lead…
• Ben the Butler – 538 points and got his picks in on time. 65 points last weekend did not enhance his position, but still within earshot of the lead.  Just pick the winning score and you’re set!
• Henrico FiveOh – 476 points and will need a “do you believe in miracles?” pick next weekend. He did this in 2008 by picking the losing team to win…
• JTB – 267 points in a very Cleveland-esque manner. Can’t wait for his SB 51 prediction.  Boom or bust!

My data analytics team has been crunching numbers for the last several days and will continue their fine work, culminating in The Commish’s expert analysis and prediction for SB51.  Having personally watched every SB, this one could be the highest scoring which should generate some very interesting and exciting picks by the Participants.

Watch your email over the next 2 weekends for some super picks.

Until then, I remain,

~~ The Commish