HSBT

Participants,

The Wild Card Weekend lived up to its name.  In spades…  3 road team wins, da Double Doink in Chicago, the callback of a 102-yard fumble return for a TD that would have put the Ravens ahead late in the 4^th quarter, and so many other close calls on reviews of key plays that it left your head spinning.

Let’s get to the results.

Indianapolis Colts 21, Houston Texans 7
How did the Texans get to the playoffs with an O line this poor?  No wonder why QB DeShaun Watson had over 500 yards rushing in the regular season.  I’d call it survival.  This one was basically over after the 1^st quarter.  Another famous snoozer in Houston.  Watch out for the Colts, as they appear to be a SB contender and are clicking on all cylinders on both sides of the ball.  QB Andrew didn’t need any Luck to easily pull this one out.  With a healthy T.Y. (Paris) Hilton, this group seems to be destined!

JTB begins his trophy defense with the top point total of 36 in this game, while Greg the Great quickly collects the 1^st goose-egg of the playoffs.

America’s Team 24, Seattle’s Team 22
Did Dak Prescott really outplay Russell Wilson?  That’s not supposed to happen in the playoffs.  The difference was the Dallas D, with a sprinkling of Zeke (137 rushing yards).  Losing K Janikowski (doesn’t he look to be in good shape??) at the end of the 1^st half created a different Seahawk strategy and was a larger factor than one would believe.  Too little, too late for the Seahawks.

Greg the Great reverses his fortunes from the earlier game and, along with 2019 Winner, earns the top points with a paltry 30.

Bolts 23, Baltimore Colts/Ravens 17
The Sunday games started with a cliff hanger.  San Diego QB Rivers was delivering his own thunder and lightning all afternoon, while the Ravens rookie QB Jackson looked like, well, a rookie (until that 4^th quarter surge).  Were you surprised Flacco didn’t come in to try and rescue the day?  Was Bolts RB Gordon really down inside the 1 before he fumbled (which was scooped up for a TD by the Ravens)?  Like the Colts, the Chargers are the real deal, particularly on D.  And – like the Seahawks – too little, too late.  That missed FG by Ravens K Tucker had a dramatic impact on the final Raven drive, when they needed a TD instead of a FG…  Chargers stay undefeated this season in games where they had to board an airplane.

Henrico FiveOh comes to life with a 62-point effort (outscoring all other participants combined), while Buffalo Bill posts his 1^st goose-egg.  Pete the Terp (I believe a Ravens fan when his beloved Bills aren’t playing) smartly picked a low scoring game, but unfortunately picked the wrong team to win.

Philadelphia Eagles 16, Chicago Bears 15
What a way to end Wild Card Weekend!  A seesaw battle that unfortunately ended with da Double Doink by Bears K Parkey (formerly of the Eagles).  Apparently he’s practiced these, as he hit the upright 5 times during the regular season.  Do you have any fingernails left?  Is Nick Foles (Mr. Playoffs) going to do it again?

Everyone picked da Bears to win and Pete the Terp bounces back nicely with a 64-point effort (tops for the weekend), while JTB keeps the goose-egg party alive and well.

HSBT Standings
So, with the 1^st 4 games on the books (and 7 to go), below are your HSBT standings.  It was an overall miserable weekend for picking the game winners – not 1 participant could get 2 of the 4 Wild Card games correct (1^st time in the 31-year history of the HSBT!):

• Henrico FiveOh is in the lead with 100 points – the lowest lead point total since 2005 (when there were only 5 participants)
• Pete the Terp – 96 points and a half a nose behind the leader
• Greg the Great – 93 points and half a nose behind Pete the Terp
• 2019 Winner – 81 points and just starting to warm up
• JTB – 56 points and in better position than he was at this juncture a year ago
• Comeback Kid – 52 points and a firm hold on 6^th place right now
• Buffalo Bill – 32 points, with an 0-4 record, so better days are definitely ahead

Stay tuned for my analysis and predictions going into the Divisional Games this coming weekend.  This is the weekend where we have had the most points scored (over 31%), so be sure you do your homework and have your pencils sharpened.  The games are shaping up to be classics!

Have a good week
~~ The Commish

Participants,

Just as we prepared for the start of the NFL Playoffs last season, we find Ben the Butler on the sidelines once again – this time in recovery from his recent ICL (Interior Cranial Ligament) surgery.  We wish him the best and hope for a speedy recovery.  For the remaining 7 participants, this merely means you have to beat out only 6 others to win the HSBT Trophy.

As we embark upon HSBT 31 (dating back to 1989), we begin with our usual slate of 4 games that create havoc and remind (most of) us that we need to sharpen our skills and take The Commish’s observations to heart.  Too many trophy aspirations have vaporized over Wild Card Weekend.

Before launching into The Commish’s expert analysis and game predictions, it is always good practice to remind all participants of the following:

RULES
Please read the “League Rules” (found on our home page at www.hewessbt.com) to become reacquainted with all you need to know.  I’m available to answer any questions.

MAKING YOUR PICKS
All picks are officially submitted on our site, using the “Submit Picks” tab.  Enter the team names and respective score you believe will be the final game score for each game.  Once you have submitted your scores, they will be time-stamped and sent via email to The Commish, who will load them to the site.  The Commish will not look at any game score submissions until he has submitted his scores in the same manner.  Please – no last minute frantic text messages with your scores.

KEEPING TRACK
Visit the “Standings” tab to get real-time updated game scores and your points as games are played.  This interactive feature was implemented 3 years ago and has received numerous kudos from the serious game watchers (that have a strong correlation to the eventual HSBT winners).

REMINDERS (As I Do Every Year)

1. Picks for ALL 4 WildCard Weekend games are to be submitted no later than 4:30pm EST on Saturday, January 5 (which is just prior to the kickoff of the 1st playoff game).
2. Any pick not submitted on time will result in a 25-point penalty for that game (meaning you will get minus 25 points for those games).
3. No “partial scores” are to be submitted.  We did have this occur several years ago and it went something like this:  “Chicago 24, SF”.  This will also result in the aforementioned -25 points.

KUDO’S TO…
da Bears, who are back in the playoffs for the 1^st time in 8 years, when they made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game.  One of the many young and talented QB’s behind center and an awesome D.

da Ravens, who are led by the youngest QB to start an NFL playoff game.

da Patriots, who did not miss the playoffs for the 11^th consecutive time.

WILDCARD WEEKEND PREDICTIONS
As JTB starts his trophy defense, I will toss in a kind word for his beloved da Browns, who almost had their 1^st winning season since 2007.  Another young QB leading the way.  Will they be in the playoffs next year?  A great weekend in store for residents of Texas, with both teams at home to kick things off on Saturday in the warm confines of domed stadiums.  But is that where the warmth ends?

#6 Indianapolis Colts (10-6) @ #3 Houston Texans (10-6)
Speaking of warmth, both teams are taking it up a notch (hey, Emeril) and will provide some real heat in the 3^rd tussle of the season for these divisional foes.  Houston won the 1^st, 37-34 and the Colts bounced back towards the end of the season with a 24-21 victory.  Both games were won by the visiting team.  The Colts are 9-1 over the final 10 games of the season, while the Texans were 8-2 over that same stretch.

With a lot more than a little (Andrew) Luck, the super-hot Colts should prevail in the rubber match game.  However, Texans QB (elementary, my dear) Watson is undefeated in national televised games this season (and this one will be unless you’re a poor Charter Communications customer…) and has put up some staggering numbers over the past 10 weeks, with 17 TD passes and only 2 INT’s.

It’s going to come down to who has the ball last.

da Colts 24, da Oilers 23 (where’s Earl Campbell when you need him?)

#5 Seattle Seahawks (10-6) @ #4 Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
The top rushing team (Seahawks with 160 yards per game) vs. the top running back (Ezekiel Elliott with 1,434 rushing yards) match up in the evening tilt in Jerryworld.  2 QB’s with similar playing styles, but 1 has a Super Bowl ring and the other has yet to win a playoff game.  Bet on the former in this see-saw battle, as QB’s with a Super Bowl ring are 11-1 in Wild Card Weekend games.  Plus, “America’s Team” has a rich history of flops in prime time.  Seahawks Russell Wilson reminds us once again that he’s the best scrambling QB in the league.

Seahawks 26, dem Boys 20

#5 San Diego Chargers (12-4) @ #4 Baltimore Colts (10-6)
When was the last time a 12-4 team didn’t win their division?  Even though I typed in LA Chargers, my computer auto corrected to San Diego Chargers…  Ditto on the Ravens…  OK, so Charger QB Philip Rivers has over 54,000 passing yards in his career and no SB appearances.  This can be the revenge playoffs for him and the super-charged Chargers.  Plus, da Chargers are 3-0 in games this year that start at 1pm Eastern time (which is 2^nd cup of coffee time in LA).  da Ravens will feature the youngest QB to ever start a playoff game in 21-year old Lamar Jackson.  How will he do on the big stage?  Me thinks pretty darn well.

A rematch of their December 22 game in LA, when the Ravens dominated 22-10.

Baltimore 22, Chargers 10

#6 Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) @ #3 da Bears (12-4)
The Eagles swooped into the playoffs on the final weekend of the season, and will have Nick Foles handling the QB duties like last year, when Carson Went(z) on the injury report.  Don’t be concerned if you’re rooting for the Eagles, as Foles owns the highest postseason completion % (71.9) and passer rating (113.2) among QBs with 125+ attempts in the Super Bowl era. He has posted a passer rating of 100.0 or higher in each of his first four career playoff starts (only player in Super Bowl era to do so).

But how will he do against a totally rejuvenated Bears D and the Kahlil Mack Attack?

Go with the home team and D in this one.

Chicago 26, Eagles 17

Participants – remember to submit your picks FOR ALL 4 GAMES no later 4:30pm Eastern time this Saturday.  Kick back and enjoy the games!  I’ll be updating everyone with my post weekend synopsis early next week.

Until then, I am
~~ The Commish

Participants,

Last night I received a message from Ben the Butler that he will not be competing in this year’s HSBT competition due to a severe injury.  He has “a torn ICL” that will require immediate surgery and he faces an extensive recovery and rehab process.  The ICL, similar to the more commonly heard ACL, is the Interior Cranial Ligament.  The injury occured during a training session for this year’s competition, and Ben the Butler said he was in “excellent condition, both mentally and physically” as he prepared to capture his 1st Hewes Super Bowl Trophy.   Our wishes for a speedy recovery to Ben the Butler and we look forward to his return next year.

In other HSBT news, the Wild Card games and times have been officially announced for this coming weekend.  With kickoff of the 1st game at 4:30pm Eastern time on Saturday, January 5 please be sure to submit your picks for all 4 games no later than 4:25pm.  A few other important reminders:

• Your picks for all 4 Wild Card games this weekend are due by the above-mentioned time of 4:25pm Eastern time.  This deadline allows The Commish to update the real-time score and points tracker that can found our our website.  Please be sure to use the “Submit Picks” tab at the top of the website home page, as this will provide a timestamp of your selections.  I hope we don’t have any “time submission is under review” situations.
• The Commish, as usual, will provide real-time scoring and points updates for each game during the playoffs.  You can see those scores on our website by clicking on the “Standings” tab.  The Commish, however, has a commitment the evening of Saturday, January 12 and will not be able to provide real-time updates for the part of the 1st game and all of the 2nd game.  If Greg the Great is available, he may be able to provide those updates.

Later this week The Commish will be providing his customary analysis and predictions for each Wild Card game.  To ensure you get off to a good start (Wild Card games have represented 13% of all accumulated points over the past 30 years), you will want to wait until you have read this publication before submitting your scores for the 4 weekend games.

Until then, Happy New Year!!

~~ The Commish

Participants,

First, I hope that everyone is enjoying the holiday season!  The Ohio contingent is celebrating the arrival of JTB’s second daughter, who was born just after Thanksgiving.

Second, in less than 2 weeks we will embark upon the NFL Playoffs and the 31st year of the Hewes Super Bowl Trophy competition.  As the regular season winds down with only 1 week left, there are several questions and 1 very crucial game (win you’re in and lose you’re out) to be played in Tennessee.

While I begin to finish final preparations for the upcoming NFL Playoffs, I want to be sure all 8 participants are ready to go!

As usual, The Commish will be providing his weekly expert views, advice, analysis and predictions to help guide you through the playoffs.

Please take a moment to reply to this email to confirm your participation in HSBT31.  JTB has been feeling pretty smug all year with the trophy.

~~ The Commish

Participants,

First, I hope that everyone is enjoying the holiday season!  The Ohio contingent is celebrating the arrival of JTB’s second daughter, who was born just after Thanksgiving.

Second, in less than 2 weeks we will embark upon the NFL Playoffs and the 31st year of the Hewes Super Bowl Trophy competition.  As the regular season winds down with only 1 week left, there are several questions and 1 very crucial game (win you’re in and lose you’re out) to be played in Tennessee.

While I begin to finish final preparations for the upcoming NFL Playoffs, I want to be sure all 8 participants are ready to go!

As usual, The Commish will be providing his weekly expert views, advice, analysis and predictions to help guide you through the playoffs.

Please take a moment to reply to this email to confirm your participation in HSBT31.  JTB has been feeling pretty smug all year with the trophy.

~~ The Commish