Would you pick Gang Green? NFL 2021 Predictions

[lambers]

Following the relative success of the play-offs predictor, lets attempt to get one going for the whole season. The full (now) 18 weeks, plus play-offs!

• Each week I will choose six games, all from the early Sunday kick-offs (unless there are fewer due to byes, in which case I will choose games from the later Sunday games).
• Your job will be to pick the winners and how many scores/touchdowns they will win by
  • A one score win would equate to a 1-8 point win, a two score win would equate to a 9-16 point win and so on.
• You get three points if you get the correct winner and TD margin, or just one point if you 'only' predict the correct winner.
  • If you want to predict a tie, feel free but you will still only get three points if you're correct.
• All scores are counted after overtime is completed.
• Each week there will also be two bonus "category" picks, worth three points each.

Each week there will be virtual (i.e. completely non-tangible) prizes for the leading predictor, plus a grand virtual prize at the end of the season!

Hope that all makes sense, now is the time to ask questions in the week leading up to the first games. The choices for week one will be in the next post.

[lambers]

12th September, Week one

Games, a rookie/sophomore QB special (potentially, in some cases):

• Jets @ Panthers
• Jaguars @ Texans
• Eagles @ Falcons
• Vikings @ Bengals
• Chargers @ Football Team
• 49ers @ Lions

Bonus picks

• Quarterback who throws for the most yards in the six games listed above.
• First team to score a touchdown on the RedZone programme (also playing are Steelers @ Bills, Seahawks @ Colts, and Cardinals @ Titans). In simple terms: pick who you think will score the first touchdown on Sunday. See below post for an explanation of what RedZone is.

All predictions to be in by 1pm ET on Sunday 12th September to count, and not edited after that time.

Good luck!

[ursus arctos]

Perhaps worth noting that these matches are being played on 12 September

How are you counting "touchdowns"? Is a 13 point win one or two?

[ad hoc]

How are you counting "touchdowns"? Is a 13 point win one or two?

Two. As I understand it any win between 9 and 16 points is a two touchdown win

I don't know what the Redzone programme means though

[lambers]

Perhaps worth noting that these matches are being played on 12 September

Very good point, I will edit the week one post for clarity.

How are you counting "touchdowns"? Is a 13 point win one or two?

That would be two, equivalent to the parlance of "it's a two score game". Having written that, it makes me realise "score" is the more common usage, so I shall edit the first post to that. Hopefully it will make sense by this line, with TD replaced by score:
"A one TD win would equate to a 1-8 point win, a two TD win would equate to a 9-16 point win and so on."

[ursus arctos]

Red Zone is the NFL's "live update" television programme, which provides live (or almost live) highlights of every game on Sundays.

I read that condition as being effectively "the first team to score a touchdown on Sunday"

[lambers]

I don't know what the Redzone programme means though

That's the programme the NFL shows live with all the games running concurrently, and they will flick to the game (or games via splitscreen) with the action closest to the Red Zone (20 yard line). Typically, the first TD shown will be the first TD of the day, but occasionally they can get caught out by an unexpected big play (typically defence or special teams) and have to show the score 30 seconds to a minute later.

In simple terms: pick who you think will score the first touchdown.
The Redzone progamme is how I will keep track of who scores first, as the time on the game clock will not be a reliable indicator.

[lambers]

Just realised I was too slow, twice!

[lambers]

My predictions
Jets by 1 score
Jaguars by 2 scores
Eagles by 1 score
Vikings by 2 scores
Football Team by 1 score
49ers by 3 scores

Matt Ryan to throw the most yards.
Cardinals with the first TD.

[Vasquez]

Hi, I am unlikely to trouble Neil Reynolds were I ever to be invited on to his picks podcast, but for what it's worth:

Panthers by 1 score
Jags by 2 scores
Falcons by 1 score
Vikings by 2 scores
Football Team by 2 scores
Niners by 2 scores

Matt Ryan for most yards for me too
Panthers for first touchdown

[Kevin S]

Panthers by 2 scores
Texans by 1 score
Falcons by 2 scores
Bengals by 1 score
Football Team by 1 score
Niners by 2 scores

Joe Burrow, just to be different.
Niners to score first TD.

[nmrfox]

• Panthers by 3 scores
• Texans by 2 scores
• Eagles by 1 score
• Bengals by 2 scores
• Football Team by 2 scores
• Lions by 2 scores

Jared Goff
Bills

[ursus arctos]

Jaguars by 1 score
Panthers by 1 score
Falcons by 1 score
Vikings by 1 score
Chargers by 1 score
Niners by 2 scores

Matt Ryan
Bills to score first TD.

[lambers]

Aaron Rodgers

Is this a bold prediction for a shocking last minute trade, or did you miss the bit about the QB needing to come from the six picked matches?

[lambers]

And with about a day and a quarter until kick-off, I'm just going to place a few @s of those who haven't predicted but partook in the play-off game last year to make sure they've seen this.

jason voorhees; Greenlander; Southport Zeb; S. aureus; caja-dglh; and ad hoc (if you get a chance between selling ceramics and catching up on sleep)

Just an FYI, no pressure!

[S. aureus]

I have paid no attention to the NFL lately, so these are pure guesses:

Panthers by 2 scores
Texans by 1 score
Falcons by 1 score
Bengals by 1 score
Football Team by 2 scores
Lions by 1 score

Matt Ryan for most yards
Seahawks for first touchdown

[irony towers]

Hello lambers , I'll join the fun. Many thanks for setting it up.

Panthers by 2 scores
Jaguars by 1 score
Falcons by 1 score
Vikings by 2 scores
Football Team by 1 score
49ers by 3 scores

Yardsiest QB Garoppolo
First TD Bills

[ursus arctos]

Is this a bold prediction for a shocking last minute trade, or did you miss the bit about the QB needing to come from the six picked matches?

Ta

Matt Ryan, then

[Southport Zeb]

Panthers by 1
Jags by 1
Falcons by 2
Vikings by 2
Chargers by 1
49ers by 2

Justin Herbert
Panthers

[ad hoc]

I have no idea so I'm essentially crowdsourcing from everyone else's picks (though ursus has thrown a spanner in the works by predicting both the Texans and Jaguars to win)

Panthers by 2
Jaguars by 1
Falcons by 1
Vikings by 2
WFT by 2
Niners by 2


Cousins
Bills

[ursus arctos]

Thank you for pointing that out.

I really was asleep at the switch when first posting.

[jason voorhees]

Games, a rookie/sophomore QB special (potentially, in some cases):

• Jets @ Panthers - Jets by 1
• Jaguars @ Texans - Texans by 1
• Eagles @ Falcons - Eagles by 1
• Vikings @ Bengals - Bungles by 1
• Chargers @ Football Team - Chargers by 2
• 49ers @ Lions - Lions by 1

Bonus picks

• Quarterback who throws for the most yards in the six games listed above. - Jared GOOF
• First team to score a touchdown on the RedZone programme - Bills

[lambers]

For the record, Chargers get the opening touchdown, proving us all wrong!

All the Bills pickers have every right to be disappointed, after they got the best first return (all the way to the Pittsburgh 24 yard line) but only got a field goal for the first score today.

[caja-dglh]

Ugh - I tried to post this morning. Here is the recovered form (determine whether it counts or not but for the record)

Jets by 1
Jags by 1
Falcons by 2
Vikings by 2
Chargers by 2
9ers by 1

Ryan

Seahawks for TD

[lambers]

I'll allow it, especially as you picked the Seahawks and came up with a good story. Definitely beyond the statute of limitations if anyone posts/edit now.