The Office 1.04.08: Wild Card Playoffs

Posted by Ken Schmidt on 01.04.2008

Only four games this week but that doesn't mean plenty of analysis from myself and the picks of the rest of the office including Mr. Office himself, our regular season champ Brad Borchardt.

Well I am back from my sick leave from 411, even though I am still bed ridden I atleast have the strength to go get my computer. Usually I type the Office with my T.V. on but I don't even have the strength to turn the T.V. on so I am listening to music, I am starting with Chris Jericho's band Fozzy but I'll keep you updated if anything good comes on. However, because of the fact I can't see my girlfriend and my New Years Eve trip to Atlantic City ended me broke and unable to breath because people insist on smoking cigars in the casinos. Don't get me wrong, I love a good cigar (when I am not sick) but I only ever smoke them in the comfort of my own home. Doesn't everybody hate that jerk who goes to the bar and lights up a cigar? It is bad enough that I have long hair and cigarette smoke sticks to me like flies on a poop salad but now people need to puff on those absolutely stinky cigars in an enclosed area? Any consideration for your fellow man? This is coming from a guy who likes an occasional cigar but I never smoke them where others are forced to smell them. With that being said the song on my Media player has changed so let's get to some playoff football where I am a week behind.

The Office

A lot has happened in the Office Standings the past two weeks. I continued to climb and now am sitting comfortably in the top 3 thanks to the disappearance of Dan Owen. If you are reading this Dan I hope you are ok, we miss you. Melissa picked up her second win of the season two weeks ago with a huge week, picking up 11 wins and comfortably pulling down win number two. Brad Borchardt will not be caught as he picked up the win in week 17 beating out yours truly by just a game, he had 10 and I had 9. With that being said I will use all 10 of my sports kid units this week to break down all four games. Also, keep your eyes peeled for the 411 roundtable for the first round of the playoffs if you haven't read it yet. You will get shorter opinions from the Sports Kid, as well as other opinions from 411's most famous like Sat, Csonka, and even the first sports appearance I have seen by one of my favorite 411 wrestling writers John Meehan. Here are the Sports Kid Units for this week.

The first game will be played Saturday afternoon and will be in Seattle where the Seahawks do battle with the Redskins. This game seems really obvious to me even those others are going against me. The Seahawks have the easiest regular season schedule of anyone in the playoffs. No one in the NFC West was any good at all and that was 6 games for the Seahawks, easily the worst division in football. Than there is the Redskins, who play in the NFC East, which might not be the toughest division in football but it is up there. The Cowboys are the best in the NFC, the Giants are the top wild card team and the Eagles were no joke this season at 8-8. The Skins overcame the tough schedule and snuck into the playoffs through hard nosed football. My second point and I think the one that is the most obvious is the two things a team needs if they want to make a playoff run: a quarterback that doesn't make mistakes and a good running attack to wear down defenses. Todd Collins is yet to throw a pick in all the games he has played since taking over for Jason Campbell and my roommate Pat is pissed because Clinton Portis (his first round fantasy pick) is absolutely tearing it up now when he gets the touches. The Redskins just aren't going to lose this game and the fact they are getting points makes it even sweeter. I'd say gamble and take them straight up but I am not the kind of guy who gives away points. I will take 5 Sports Kid Units on the Skins –4.

Game two is one of the most interesting and comes from the NFC. By far the game of the week will be the Jaguars visiting the Steelers. This line started at a pick on Monday and has already jumped to the Jags getting three points, which is obvious because everyone in Vegas is taking them. BEWARE OF THE OBVIOUS GAME. The Jags beat the Steelers once already this season and anyone who knows me knows I love same season revenge storylines. The Steelers will be out for blood because the loss to the Jags is still sticking in Big Ben's mouth like the worst morning breath. The injuries are what scares me the most in this game though. Everything is pointing to me to take the Steelers but there three biggest names are banged up. Troy Polamalu missed practice on Wednesday but he will most likely play knowing his intensity but he won't be 100 percent. Speaking of not 100 percent we all know Big Ben is banged up and it won't help that his O-Line is beat up and will be without Marvel Smith and Max Starks (two starters) and the Jags might not have a tough time getting to him. Finally the AFC's leading rusher Willie Parker is gone but Najah Davenport is an underrated backup. Everything is pointing to the Jags this week except one thing, the Steelers are a different team in the playoffs. I am not 100 percent confident in this one but I have a feeling. I am going to go ahead and lay just one Sports Kid Unit on the underdog home team +3.

Now we switch over to Sunday where there is another game I think I am going against the curve with and that is taking the Bucs over the Giants. The Giants limped into the playoffs at the 5 spot thanks to a very weak NFC and barring his improbable showing against the Pats last Saturday Eli has been possibly the worst QB in the football the past 5 weeks and in my opinion is the worst QB in the playoffs right now. Let's retrace my steps to what I said in the first pick this week ". My second point and I think the one that is the most obvious is the two things a team needs if they want to make a playoff run: a quarterback that doesn't make mistakes and a good running attack to wear down defenses." Jeff Garcia is no stud but the guy doesn't make many mistakes and Earnest Graham has been the best surprise player in the NFL this season. Finally, Jeff Garcia OWNS the Giants the past few years so I won't be surprised if this one gets out of hand, it all depends on quarterback play. We know what we are getting from Garcia but if Eli comes out and throws a few picks this one could get out of hand. I am going to go ahead and lay 2 Sports Kid Units on the Bucs here with confidence –2.5.

Finally we get to the last game of the week, the Chargers hosting the Titans. Last week when Vince Young went down Kerry Collins took over and when Vince Young was ready to come back in Jeff Fisher let Collins finish the game. Here is my suggestion, grow a pair Fisher, go with the veteran. I predicted in the beginning of the season that Vince Young would not have a good year and I was right, lucky for the Titans there D has been awesome and the rushing attack has done the job. Vince Young is the second worst Quarterback in the playoffs and if he makes ANY mistakes it is over because the Chargers are going to be putting the pressure on. I am going with the home team here even though they are giving away a lot of points, I just smell an upset, especially because the Titans didn't earn the playoff spot. Just like the Mets gave the playoffs to the Phillies in baseball, the Browns gave this spot to the Titans. Two Sports Kid Units here.

10 Units this week
WAS +4 (5 Sports Kid Units)
PIT +3 (1 Sports Kid Unit)
TB –2.5 (2 Sports Kid Units)
SD –9.5 (2 Sports Kid Units)

After a few tough weeks for other Office members I have climbed into the top 3 behind Brad and Sat (with Dan Owen still gone) but since you always get my picks anyway I am going to give you the 4th place member of the Office Charlie Von Plato anyway. Here are the picks for this week.

Game	Brad Borchardt	Sat	Ken Schmidt	Charlie Von Plato	The 411
Redskins @ Seahawks (-4)					4-3
Jaguars (PICK) @ Steelers					5-2
Giants @ Buccaneers (-2.5)					4-3
Titans @ Chargers (-9.5)					4-3

And just in case there several people nail 4 out of 4 (which might be needed to win this week) or even if most people get 3 out 4 than we all picked the total points that will be scored in the final game to break ties. Here are the standings this week while I listen to Johnny Cash sing "The Man in Black."

Brad Borchardt- 138-102 .575 (7 Victories)
Sat 98-90 .521 (1 Victory)
Ken Schmidt- 122-118 .508 (1 Victory)
Charlie Von Plato 107-104 .507 (1 Victory)
The 411- 121-119 .504
Debbie Schmidt- 120-120 .500
Pat Kullman- 111-113 .495
Melissa Fox- 116-124 .483 (2 Victories)
Randy Isbelle- 116-124 .483
Ron Martin- 113-127 .471 (1 Victory)
Jesse James- 80-98 .449

411 Fantasy

Sorry I left everyone in suspense last week while the Championship was played. Well Dan Owen took it down like I predicted and I snuck my way from finishing 8th in the league and played my way to 5th! Here is the final standings for the season.

CHAMPION: Dan Owen
2nd: Sat
3rd: Bayani
4th: Borenstien
5th: The Sports Kid
6th: Jared Marcus
7th: Pellitier
8th: JT
9th: Sean Martinez
10th: Lofti
11th: Cook
12th: Randle
13th: Bren Oliver
14th: Csonka
15th: Jason Goodman
16th: Rizz

Not bad for me to steal 5th place even though I think if I would have been in the playoffs for the Championship I would have won, I put up the top score in the first week and only Bayani outscored me the last week but I would have beat him in week 1. This is the BCS all over again the best team didn't win damnit! Oh well it could have been worse I could have forgot to bet on Georgia when I was in Atlantic City. DAMNIT! I forgot.

Time To Punt

So I want to hear from some of the readers out there, feel free to comment below, just link ‘comment.' My favorite team is out of the playoffs this year and the matchups really aren't that great because we know there is only one non-Super Bowl playoff game that matters and that is when the Colts play the Pats. Even for those without there favorite team in the playoffs are you still watching? I know I am but I am still going to be disappointed because every game this week but the Steelers is a snooze. Let me hear from you out there in reader world.