Benster and D Pick Your Games -- What In The Actual?, Part Two Edition

And just when you thought that events in Denver were bad, the Packers find another way to suffer a brutal loss. What in the actual heck happened at Soldier Field? Because this is a family blog post, I can't say what I wanted to say here without turning this into an R rated post. 

Da Bears wear blue and the Packers have you working blue.

Benster would prefer to avoid the Lenny Bruce treatment

Lenny Bruce is not afraid, but I am trying to maintain a level of decorum here. That's what comes with maturity. Or so I've been told.

Ach, maturity is overrated.

I realize it's been a lifelong struggle for you, Geritol Fan! But fear not, there is hope on the horizon. This is going up early because we are going to be on assignment, just so you know. I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work. 

New Mexico Lobos (+1.5) vs. Minnesota Golden Elite Rowers of the Boat, in Phoenix The Gophers had another solid season and as a reward get to spend Christmas in Arizona playing against New Mexico in a bowl game sponsored by a company that has money to burn on sponsoring a bowl game. New Mexico is more of a hoops school, but Badger alum Jason Eck has done a very good job down there in getting his team to just miss out on a Mountain West title game appearance due to tiebreakers. With the top of the Mountain West leaving to reboot the Pac 12, New Mexico should fare better in a weakened Mountain West. The Gophers are going to have plenty of fans because it's an easy flight down to Arizona and they should be very confident. I'm certainly not a PJ fan as longtime readers know, but to his credit the guy has won every single bowl game he has played in as the Gopher coach. I like the Gophers to win because Big Ten teams should beat Mountain West teams. Row Row Row Your Boat Elitely 31, Lobos 0. 

Not a fan of Peej, but give the devil his due. He's good at this. Gophers 24, Lobos 13.

Detroit LOLions (-7.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings The Lions came up short last week against the Steelers because they got caught pushing off in front of an official, but of course that didn't stop Lions fans from blaming the refs. If the Lions lose, they are out of the playoffs and the Packers will get in. The Vikings had a nice win against the Giants out in Jersey but will not have JJ McCarthy because he hit his hand hard against a helmet. Max Bromser looked fine in relief, and he should perform better at home against a Lions team that is banged up and is very short at the back end defensively. While the Lions are going to be game, something tells me that Brosmer is going to play a lot better and get a nice win to give Vikings fans some holiday cheer. Vikings 24, LOLions Gonna LOLions 10. 

Lions gotta have this, so they'll come out hot. Max Brosmer hasn't shown much to this point, so I have to pick the desperate team on the road in this instance. Lions 34, Vikings 17.

Baltimore Ravens (+3) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers Well, this game could look radically different depending on quarterback injuries. As much as my fellow Packers fans want to blame Romeo Doubs for muffing the onside kick or Jordan Love getting concussed, the bottom line is that the Packers left points in the red zone too much, and it came back to bite them in the butt once again. It looks like Love and/or Malik Willis could play, and Lamar Jackson is fighting a back injury that has him in danger of not playing as of this writing. Again, I don't know how healthy each team is going to be at the QB spot as of right now. The Ravens need to win to keep their faint playoff hopes alive, and the Packers just need to win either Saturday night or next week assuming the Lions do win on Christmas. Also, what was John Harbaugh thinking not leaving Derrick Henry on the sidelines last week against the Patriots? That was as dumb as the Colts taking JT out of the game and screwing over a lot of fantasy football owners. The Packers should win and get in so that way they can get a badly needed rest week. Packers 28, Ravens 21. 

I'd heard about the fantasy owner issue. I have no idea what to think about the Ravens at this point. They are a talented team, but they have been mostly rudderless all season and while Tyler Huntley is a competent backup, I don't see them being able to score much, as Jeff Hafley will have something planned for Derrick Henry. I do agree the Packers left too many points off the board last week and it absolutely bit them in the end, but hey, it's made a lot of moronic Bears fans happy, and goodness knows they need a little enjoyment after 40 years of futility. Packers 31, Ravens 16.

Enjoy your football this weekend, and have a merry Christmas. Ben out.

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- What In The Actual? Edition

Now this is a family blog post, so I can't really say what I want to say about the third quarter in Denver last week, but all of a sudden the Packers went from looking like they were going to have one of their most impressive road wins to losing Micah Parsons and seeing their Super Bowl chances go from a strong favorite to a flawed borderline contender in the span of about half an hour. 

Life comes at you fast.

I can't remember a more terrible quarter the Packers have had in my lifetime, and that might have been worse then the Seattle NFC title game meltdown. It was that bad. Life goes on, and the Packers just need to get in the playoffs. 

They have multiple ways of doing it, but it starts on Saturday in Chicago.

I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work. 

Glorious Green Bay Packers (+1.5) vs. Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck In Gary So the Packers are going into Chicago to face off against a Bears team that has a chance at revenge and saw their rivals suffer through a nightmare game, traveling cross country on a short week. The Bears and Packers are going to be banged up, but Micah Parsons and Josh Jacobs are much bigger losses than what the Bears have. The good news for the Packers is that Brenton Cox looks like he is coming back. Micah he is not, but at least would add some beef on the interior. What the Packers need to do now is get someone on defense to decide that they are going to get after Caleb and force him into a mistake. The hardest thing the Packers have is that they beat the Bears once, and it was pretty close. But the good news is that I sense this team is mentally tough and LaFleur is going to bust out something early to win. Just get into the playoffs and see what happens, guys. Packers 33, Bears Still Suck 28. 

I recognize that score. That would be a good score. The Bears are banged up and will be going into the game without two deep threats on offense. The Bears had good success last time by using play action, which bought enough time for Caleb Williams to see the field better and allow his receivers to get open. I don't know if that same scenario will take place this time. If I were to guess, I think the Bears will try to run the ball down the throat of the Packers. If they can do that, they will win. If the Packers can be stout at the point of attack, it will be an easier thing. I also believe Jordan Love will play well - the Bears have some talent on defense, but the Packers have a lot of weapons and it does appear that Christian Watson will play. So if the game is a shootout, advantage Green Bay. Packers 35, Bears 31.

Minnesota Vikings (-2.5) vs. New York Giants The Vikings were able to get a nice win over the Cowboys and their awful defense last week down in Texas, and that should give them some positivity in what has been frankly a tough season for the Purple. With the Vikings eliminated from the playoffs, I asked Mrs. D aka Mom what she is going to be watching down the stretch. She indicated that she wants to see that JJ McCarthy makes it through the rest of the year healthy. I think that the Vikings have a lot to play for because guys are going to be playing for jobs and I do think that there is going to be a lot of deserved criticism towards the Vikings front office, especially because it looks like Sam Darnold has the Seahawks getting home field in the NFC after the epic Thursday Night Football victory yesterday evening. The Giants aren't great, but they play hard and are a team that makes everything difficult. The Vikings could use a nice and comfortable win, and I think they will get it by pulling away in the second half. Vikings 34, Giants 17.

The Vikings have one big problem that I see, which is that their pass rushers are depleted. Losing Jonathan Greenard is huge, as the other edge rushers really relied on Greenard drawing additional attention. The Giants do play tough, but they are a mess and while the Vikings haven't proved much this season, I can see the outlines of a more successful year next year if they stay the course. Vikings 27, Giants 20.

Enjoy your football this weekend and hope you have a Merry Christmas! Ben out.

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Packers Restored Order For Now Edition

I find it really incredible how quickly Bears fans went from thumping their chests about how they were going to beat the Packers to saying how they are going to win next weekend at Solider Field and how this was a good effort. You really hate to see it.

I was happy with the result, but as Robert Frost would say, the Packers have miles to go before they sleep. And they'd better not sleep on the Broncos.

 I can't really gloat about this because the Packers have a very tough game against Denver this weekend and are going to have to play the Bears in a game that could be for first place. 

You want to gloat though, don't you?

Of course, but you know my high standards for objectivity and decorum, Geritol Fan!

Fabled in song and story and known from coast to coast.

 I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work. 

Minnesota Vikings (+5.5) vs. Dallas How Bout Them Cowboys? So in the interest of full disclosure, I was coming back from an overnight trip and saw very little of last week's Vikings game live. After watching the highlights, it was clear to me that the Vikings dispatched a struggling Commanders team in impressive fashion. The Cowboys are going to be fighting for their collective playoff lives as they are going to need a win badly. The key for the Vikings is going to be someone on their maligned defense needs to hold down George Pickens. I know that CeeDee Lamb is their top wideout, but Pickens torched the Packers in Week 4, and seems to be a favorite target of Dak these days. This is going to be a hard test for the Vikings and one that they will keep close until Dallas pulls away in the 4th quarter. Though what would help the Vikings is for Justin Jefferson to stand up and go off. Quite frankly, his production hasn't been worth the QB money he is getting even allowing for the QB issues. How Bout Them Cowboys 28, Vikings 17. 

You can play defense in this league and the Vikings have been known to do it at least intermittently this season. Can Dallas block the Vikings pass rush? If they can, it's going to be a long day for the Purple. The second question - can J.J. McCarthy put together two good games in a row? Up to this point, he has not proven that he can. He has an opportunity this week. I smell a shootout. Cowboys 38, Vikings 31.

Glorious Green Bay Packers (-2.5) vs. Denver Broncos The Packers were challenged by the Bears, but came through in the 4th quarter to get back leadership of the NFC North and put themselves in a good position to get the top seed in the NFC. However, the Denver Broncos are in a great spot with leadership of the AFC West and are also looking to get the top seed in the AFC. The Packers have only won in Denver once.

Yes, I remember:

Beyond that, the Broncos are a team that is tough minded and knows how to win close games. Also, keep in mind that with the Chiefs looking like they are going to miss the playoffs, a lot of AFC teams are thinking that this is a great chance to break through. I don't think that the Packers are going to overlook this game and prepare for the rematch against the Bears, but this is going to be a battle that the Packers need to be prepared for. I also can't count on the Browns winning in Chicago on Sunday. But the good news is that even if Josh Jacobs can't go, the Packers have won in places they have struggled in recently. Why not continue the trend this weekend. Packers 31, Broncos 24. 

And now, a musical interlude from recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Warren Zevon:

Some good tips for visiting Packers fans right there.

You're always helpful, Old Dude. Now, could you pick the game?

I suppose. I don't know what to think about this game, other than to be annoyed with it. This is a very tough assignment for this time of the year and the way the schedule plays out, it seems incongruent. Having said that, the Packers are well situated now. Based on what I've seen this year, the Packers should win this game. Vegas making Denver a home dog is rare, but the wise guys know things. If Jordan Love has time, he will torch the Broncos defense. Packers 28, Broncos 24.

 Enjoy your football this weekend. Ben out.

Benster and D Pick Your Games -- Packers Have To Do This The Hard Way Edition

So if the Packers want to get back their NFC North crown, it turns out that they are going to have to take care of their own jobs given that the Bears are not going to go away. 

It's for the same reason you had to have a bear box at Scout Camp - if you give bears any encouragement, they come around and pester you. And they aren't pleasant about it.

Did you expect something like this?

I never know what to expect. But that does bear (no pun intended) a resemblance their season thus far.

But the good thing is that the Packers are getting healthier even with the Devonte Wyatt injury. 

Although that doesn't help.

No, it doesn't. By the way, I am not going to do a Very Special Comment about the Axe game. That wasn't close enough to warrant one anyway, and it's hard for me to complain about losing on the road to the Gophers. 

I do have to say that's the first time I've ever seen a fanbase storm the field after beating a 4-8 team. Maybe expectations could be a little higher in Dinkytown?

At least Badger men's hoops is still doing well and I am in a better mood because the US got a very good World Cup draw and Everton played very well to win at Bournemouth this week. 

Your mood is like a circus wheel. It changes all the time.

That sounds like another one of your ancient song lyrics.

It is. Apparently it went right over your head. 

It did. And it sure feels nice. Well, good on you, Wolfman Jack! Meanwhile, the Vikings are getting a ton of heat. As it turns out, Max Brosmer isn't going to turn into Brock Purdy and my calling for JJ McCarthy to be traded is looking a lot better. 

Well, a certain weekend radio host might still beg to differ.

In fact, I am going to say this right now. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's decision to run Sam Darnold out of town to waste salary cap space on questionable contracts to defensive players and draft JJ McCarthy too high is a worse decision than the Vikings trading for Herschel Walker. There, I said it. 

Well, at least I get to use the "uh, no" trope early in this one.

I am feeling the HYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEE! and ready to pick some games. Watch me work. 

 Indiana Hoosiers (+4) vs. A School In Columbus, in Indy So this game is not an elimination game by any means as both teams are safely in the playoff. That being said, winning the Big Ten still matters as well as making sure that a bye and top seed is going to be yours. I personally think that Indiana should be ranked number 1 because their top win was on the road against Oregon when compared to the Buckeyes beating Texas at home. That being said, I get why Ohio State is still ranked at the top of the class because you shouldn't move a team down for winning. I also think that Mendoza and Sayin are going to decide the Heisman in the only way that really matters. I feel like this is Indiana's time because they feel ready to take the next step and being the first school since Sparty to break the brand name stranglehold on the Big Ten title would be fitting. This will be a good and competitive game, but it would be hard to root against Indiana given that this game is in Indy. Google Them, They Win 42, Buckeyes 35.

I don't know what to expect, frankly. I've seen both teams play. OSU has more upside but IU is a talented and ruthless group. Could go either way, but just to be a contrarian.... Buckeyes 42, Hoosiers 35.

Washington Commanders (-1.5) vs. Minnesota Vikings The Vikings are a flat out mess right now, and even though the Wilfs are very patient there have been a lot of calls to clean house. I asked Mrs. D aka Mom for her view as a Vikings fan. She indicated that she thinks the Wilfs are going to stay the course. The good news for the Vikings is that they are at home playing a Commanders team that hasn't impressed me. Even though Jayden Daniels is going to give it a go, this is a good chance for the Vikings. I feel like the Vikings are going to have a good performance at home to get some confidence back. Vikings 24, Commies 0. 

I really wonder if the Vikings are capable of scoring 24 points in a game. They are such a mess right now that I'm not sure they can. Washington is not good, though. Vikings 17, Commanders 14.

Bear Down Chicago Da Bearz Still Suck (+6.5) vs. Glorious Green Bay Packers I was really happy with how the Packers looked on Thanksgiving. Micah Parsons looked outstanding, and Jordan Love made a lot of great throws. I wasn't a huge fan of LaFleur going for it on the 4th down late, but Wicks fittingly capped out an outstanding day by getting the catch to get out of Detroit with a huge win. There has been a lot of chatter in Chicago about how the Bears are back and that Caleb Williams is going to take back the NFC North. Now, I will admit that the Bears have won a lot, and that this game is going to go a long way to determine the NFC North given that there is a rematch in 13 days. The thing is, the Packers are 3-0 in the NFC North and historically have been very good in December under LaFleur. This will be a close game because of the nature of the rivalry, but order will be restored at Lambeau. Packers 27, Bears Still Suck 20. 

I'm a little nervous about the run game for the Bears. The Eagles have turned into a hot mess lately, but the Bears having two 100-yard rushers against the Eagles was impressive, to say the least. The strength of the Packers defense is lateral pursuit and that should help, but they need some big bodies in the middle to come through - Brinson and Stackhouse have to be stout. On offense, I think Jordan Love will make throws and if Jayden Reed can go, that will really open things up. The Bears have lived a charmed life so far, but as Branch Rickey memorably put it, luck is the residue of design. And for the first time in a very long time, I think the Bears have a good design. But in the end, I think the better team is wearing green. Packers 27, Bears 19.

Enjoy your football this weekend. Ben out.