SethSpeaks 2005 Awards
Good Monday Morning everyone! I will get to my picks for the baseball awards shortly, but wanted to just make a few comments first.
First of all, Sunday was a day of good intentions for me. I had planned to get a lot of things done inside and outside the house. I started the afternoon watching a football game on TV1 and the Houston/Atlanta game on TV2. But, as you can imagine, once Lance Berkman hit the grand slam in the bottom of the 8th inning to cut the Braves lead to 6-5, it became my primary television focus. Sure, I was still able to pay bills, do laundry, and clean up a little inside, and try to prepare to post this entry today. I kept meaning to get things done outside, but once Brad Ausmus hit the game-tying homer with two outs in the bottom of the 9th, I was in for the long haul. I mean, a really long haul. It ended up being the longest game in playoff history. 18 innings and 5 hours and 50 minutes. The bottom of the 9th inning ended about 3:15. And then the Astros bullpen threw 10 consecutive scoreless innings. And the Braves bullpen threw nine consecutive scoreless innings. But then in the bottom of the 18th, Joey Devine struck out Roger Clemens (who threw three scoreless frames to get the win). The next batter was Chris Burke, and he ended the game with a homer to left field.
How bad do I feel for Joey Devine?! The rookie was brought up halfway through September again after struggling in a couple of outings earlier in August. Remember, he was the Braves 1st round pick in June after an excellent college career. Someone had to lose the game, you just hate to see it happen to a young guy because you can only imagine how he feels right now.
The Braves get so much notoriety for all of their rookies. Well, Jeff Francoeur, Brian McCann, Jorge Sosa and Ryan Langerhans all played key roles in the lineup. Joey Devine, Pete Orr, Kelly Johnson, Wilson Betemit and Macay McBride all contributed. But the Astros got key contributions from their young players as well. Willie Taveras hit .357 in the series. Luke Scott almost ended the game earlier, missing a home run by literally two inches. Chad Qualls and Jason Lane both were big for the Astros throughout the year. And Chris Burke was in his first full season in the big leagues. I know that many think that it is about veterans, particularly in the playoffs, and in big games. Maybe I shouldn't point out that the combination of Rafael Furcal, Marcus Giles, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones and Julio Franco combined to go 4-30 in this huge game!
Also over the weekend, the Cardinals finished off the Padres in three games. In a way, it is too bad. But overall, I think it is great just because too often in the playoffs, the better team doesn't win. In a five game series, anything can happen. At least the better team won.
In more of a surprise, The White Sox swept the Red Sox, winning game three on Friday afternoon in Fenway. I predicted that Boston would win the series. It should be no surprise that the White Sox were able to win, I mean, they did win home field advantage in the playoffs with the best record in the AL. I guess I was only surprised by the sweep. But, it really does come down to pitching, doesn't it? And the White Sox got good pitching from Jose Contreras, Mark Buehrle and Freddy Garcia while the Red Sox had to use the likes of Matt Clement, David Wells and Tim Wakefield. Curt Schilling was supposed to start Game 4. Imagine what is going through his mind. So many were down on Schilling throughout the year for it taking him so long to return. Red Sox fans should realize that his 2006 season really came at the expense of what he did in the 2005 playoffs.
And finally, tonight the Yankees and Angels are going back to Cali to play the fifth and deciding game of their series. It will pit Mike Mussina against Bartolo Colon. The Angels won on Friday night. They were rained out on Saturday and Game 4 was moved to prime-time on Sunday night. In Game 4, the Yankees got a few breaks, and with a one-run lead, Mariano Rivera took full advantage of his Greg Maddux (circa 1998) strike zone to get the two inning save, forcing Game 5.
Other than that, the Vikings
had their bye week this weekend, so it will be interesting to see
how they come back from that. The Timberwolves are in training camp
now, and even had an open scrimmage at Chaska High school for the
public. The Wild were the team that Wayne Gretzky got his first win
of his coaching career against on Saturday night. Minnesota native,
and former Gopher, Keith Ballard led the Coyotes in minutes
on the ice. Then on Sunday night, the Wild lost another 2-1 decision
to the LA Kings.
Oh, the Minnesota Gopher's football team did something that I really didn't think they were capable of doing. They got a big win, at Michigan, a week after a disappointing loss at Penn State. I think we found out a couple of things. The Gophers defense isn't too bad. The Gophers offense has the ability to win a grind-it-out game. Gary Russell is pretty good! And, most importantly, they were able to come back and win a close game on the road. Just a very good showing by the Gophers. Russell and Laurence Maroney each had over 100 yards. Bryan Cupito was efficient. It was just a very good game for the Gophers, and should give fans a little hope that a corner has been turned.
Any other thoughts that you have on the goings on in the world of Minnesota sports? I'd love to hear them. E-mail me. Now, let's get to my thoughts on who should win the major post-season awards. As you will be able to see in their pictures, the Winners were clearly quite excited when they found out they had won a SethSpeaks Award!
Let me start out by saying what my thoughts or criteria on the different awards are:
Most Valuable Player
I am definitely in the middle ground on this award. I believe that it is the Most "VALUABLE" Player, and not the "BEST" Player Award. I do believe that the winner does have to be a top player in the league, statistically, to win the award. In other words, the word "value" can be greatly disputed, but to me, the player must actually provide numbers to show such value. Chone Figgins is certainly one of my favorite players to watch and follow. He is very good and can do a lot of things to help the Angels win. He provides value to that team. But to think that he is more valuable to the Angels than Vlad Guerrero is ridiculous to me! Secondly, I am not one who believes that the MVP Award must go to a playoff team. However, I do believe that the MVP should go to someone on a team who is fighting for playoff position, at least remotely. For years, A-Rod would have incredible numbers, but he would not have a meaningful at bat in Texas after Memorial Day. I never considered him a candidate at that time. Also, I heard a lot of people saying that the MVP in the AL this year would come down to the final weekend when the Yankees and Red Sox played for the AL East title. I don't buy that at all. What if David Ortiz would have gone 10-10 with four homers and 12 RBI, but the Yankees would have won two out of three in the series? Would A-Rod win the award, even if in the biggest games of the year, he went 0-14, including 0-10 with runners in scoring position? I think that the body of work over 162 games is what matters, and that that player should be on a contending team, not necessarily a playoff team. I'll get into more on these topics as I give my awards.
Cy Young Award
Unlike the MVP, I believe that the Cy Young Award is for the Best Pitcher in the league. How do I measure that? Well, those who come to this site know one thing that I don't use to judge which pitcher is best, and that is the "Win" stat. The "Win" is so dependant upon things that the pitcher can not control. It is a glorified statistic. I think that a pitcher can only control so many things in a game, but they can not control whether they get a win. A pitcher can control how many runs he gives up, how opponents hit against him, how many he strikes out and walks, and few other things. All a starting pitcher can do is try to give his team a chance to win. Be sure to check back to a posting I wrote a few weeks ago on this topic for more specifics. Also, I believe that a starting pitcher should always win this award. Why? Well, as starter can throw 220 innings in a season. A reliever will maybe throw 80 innings in a good year. For me, a reliever must be far and away better than all other relievers in baseball to win the award. The statistics that I personally find important for a pitcher include: ERA, Innings Pitched, WHIP (walks and hits per inning), K/BB (strikeouts per walk, more than K/9 just because a pitcher can be dominant without getting strikeouts), batting average against and OPS against.
Rookie of the Year
To me, this is an award for the rookie who performed the best over the course of the full season. That is a criteria that obviously comes into play this year. However, if a guy plays terrific in half the season is going against a guy who plays really well throughout the entire season, I am going to vote for the guy who was there longer. This is not an award for who has the most potential, or who will have the biggest impact over his career. It is about 2005, and that's it. It's about the full season.
AL MVP
Well, everyone wants to call this a two-man race, and it is really difficult to argue with that, but it is almost unfortunate because a lot of other really, really good season end up being vastly overlooked. I will rank the top five, in my opinion.
#5 - Mark Teixeira - Texas Rangers
(162 games, .301/.379/.575 with 41 doubles, 43 homers and 144 RBI)
...
#4 - Manny Ramirez - Boston Red Sox
(152 games, .292/.388/.594 with 30 doubles, 45 homers and 144 RBI)
...
#3 - Travis Hafner - Cleveland Indians
(137 games, .305/.408/.595 with 42 doubles, 33 homers and 108 RBI)
...
#2 - David Ortiz - Boston Red Sox
(159 games, .300/.397/.604 with 40 doubles, 47 homers and 148 RBI)
... and my winner is:
#1 - Alex Rodriguez - New York Yankees
(162 games, 321/.421/.610 with 29 doubles, 48 homers and 130 RBI)
Why? If you compare the numbers of A-Rod and Ortiz, the two real candidates for the award, they are incredibly similar. Ortiz's biggest advantage is his reputation as a big-time clutch player, something even I can't argue. His downfall though is that he is a DH. Now, my opinion is pretty simple. For a DH to win the award over a position player, he had better have significantly better offensive numbers. Ortiz's numbers are great, but not better or for sure 'significantly better' than A-Rod's.
Who will win: I really think that Rodriguez will win a close vote. I think that DH issue is what will be the main difference.
My preseason picks: 1.) Miguel Tejada, 2.) Vlad Guerrero, 3.) Mark Teixeira, 4.) Joe Mauer, 5.) Alex Rodriguez - Mauer? Well, he was probably the Twins MVP!
NL MVP
Through four months of the season, all the talk was of Derrek Lee and his Triple Crown possibilities. Albert Pujols was just putting up consistently great numbers as he always does, and Andruw Jones was making a possible MVP race a three man race. Miguel Cabrera quietly put up incredible numbers that should at least make voters think.
#5 - Morgan Ensberg - Houston Astros
(150 games, .283/.388/.557 with 30 doubles, 36 homers and 101 RBI)
...
#4 - Miguel Cabrera - Florida Marlins
(158 games, .323/.385/.561 with 43 doubles, 33 homers and 116 RBI)
...
#3 - Derrek Lee - Chicago Cubs
(158 games, .335/.418/.662 with 50 doubles, 46 homers and 107 RBI)
...
#2 - Andruw Jones - Atlanta Braves
(160 games, .263/.347/.575 with 24 doubles, 51 homers and 128 RBI)
... and my winner is:
#1 - Albert Pujols - St. Louis Cardinals
(161 games, 330/.430/.609 with 38 doubles, 41 homers and 117 RBI)
Why? If Jones could hit for any average, I really think that he would be the frontrunner. In another year where little was expected from the Braves, they continued to win, and it was largely due to Andruw Jones. He carried the team, especially with Chipper Jones out so much, that used so many rookies and young players and had a terrible bullpen. But then you look at Pujols' numbers and realize that overall, they are better. Really, far better. Then you remember that the Cardinals played most of the year without Scott Rolen. Lee's numbers are probably a little better overall, but the Cubs were a non-factor pretty early in the season.
Who will win: I think this is finally the year that Pujols will get the award. Jones was probably the favorite until he had a bad month of September. Lee was the front-runner until August. But Pujols is so consistently great that he can not continue to be overlooked.
My preseason picks: 1.) Albert Pujols, 2.) Miguel Cabrera, 3.) Jim Thome, 4.) Scott Rolen, 5.) Aramis Ramirez - I like my first two picks, but injuries affected the next three.
AL Cy Young
What is a Win? Is this award for the most Wins or for the Best Pitcher? If it is for the most Wins, then why even have a vote? How does a relief pitcher factor into voting? Should team success factor into this vote? These are all questions that will be the subject of many articles near and around the announcement of this award.
#5 - Joe Nathan - Minnesota Twins
(7-4, 2.70, 43/48 saves, 12.1 K/9, 4.27 K/BB, 0.97 WHIP, Opponent OPS of .533)
...
#4 - Mark Buehrle - Chicago White Sox
(16-8, 3.12 ERA, 237.2 IP, 1.18 WHIP, 3.73 K/BB, .262 BAA, .672 Opp. OPS)
...
#3 - Bartolo Colon - Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
(21-8, 3.48 ERA, 223.2 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 3.65 K/BB, .254 BAA, .695 Opp. OPS)
...
#2 - Mariano Rivera - New York Yankees
(7-4, 1.38, 43/47 saves, 9.2 K/9, 4.44 K/BB, 0.87 WHIP, Opponent OPS of .465)
... and my winner is:
#1 - Johan Santana - Minnesota Twins
(16-7, 2.87 ERA, 232.2 IP, 0.97 WHIP, 5.29 K/BB, .210 BAA, .594 Opp. OPS)
Why? I know I come across as a homer with this, but again, in statistics that really matter to a pitcher, Santana was again head and shoulders better than all other starting pitchers. Of the leading candidates, Santana led in ERA (.01 behind Kevin Millwood), WHIP, K/BB (and K/9 IP), opponent batting average and OPS, and he was second in innings pitched. If the Twins offense had scored just a few runs more for him, he would have had 19-21 wins, making him a lock for the award. Santana has nothing to do with his offensive support, therefore that factor needs to be eliminated. Colon won 21 games making him the favorite to win the award. He comes nowhere near Santana in measurable numbers. Mark Buehrle doesn't either, and he also has 17 wins. If wins matter, should losses? Colon lost 8 games, so did Buehrle. Santana lost just seven. If those are the things that really matter, why isn't Cliff Lee and his 18-5 record receiving more recognition? The big question mark for me is where Mariano Rivera fits into this. I continue to say taht for a reliever to win, he had better be far and away better than all other relievers. And Rivera is far better than all the other AL relievers, but he is not away from Joe Nathan. He's not away from Bob Wickman or Francisco Rodriguez. He is the best reliever, but again, threw less than 80 innings compared to the 220+ that other contenders threw.
Who will win: I think that Mariano Rivera will win the award. I think there is a general belief that because of the low Win totals and the fact that there is such a difference between number of wins of guys that don't deserve is and not enough wins for starters that may deserve it, that they might as well vote for the best reliever, Mariano Rivera. And that 1.38 ERA is pretty remarkable.
My preseason picks: 1.) Johan Santana, 2.) Bartolo Colon, 3.) Mike Mussina - No on Mussina, but those first two look pretty good.
NL Cy Young
This is another very difficult award to predict. There were so many great pitching performances in the National League. Roy Oswalt won the magic 20 games, but he had two teammates who will likely get more Cy Young consideration. Roger Clemens is incredible and his ERA is better than anyone's, but he got no run support and therefore will likely lose votes for that. Andy Pettitte had one of the more remarkably quiet seasons in a long time. Dontrelle Willis has charisma and offense to go with his league-leading 22 wins. Chris Carpenter won 21, and lost just five, to go with other great numbers. Pedro Martinez quietly had another great season. Jake Peavy led the league in strikeouts. So, what do we do?
#5 - Chad Cordero - Washington Nationals
(2-4, 1.82, 47/54 saves, 7.4 K/9, 3.59 K/BB, 0.97 WHIP, Opponent OPS of .552)
...
#4 - Dontrelle Willis - Florida Marlins
(22-10, 2.63 ERA, 236.1 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 3.09 K/BB, .243 BAA, .639 Opp. OPS)
...
#3 - Andy Pettitte - Houston Astros
(17-9, 2.39 ERA, 222.1 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 4.17 K/BB, .230 BAA, .613 Opp. OPS)
...
#2 - Roger Clemens - Houston Astros
(13-8, 1.87 ERA, 211.1 IP, 1.01 WHIP, 2.98 K/BB, .198 BAA, .542 Opp. OPS)
... and my winner is:
#1 - Chris Carpenter - St. Louis Cardinals
(21-5, 2.83 ERA, 242.2 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 4.18 K/BB, .231 BAA, .622 Opp. OPS)
Why? This is really a tough one. Even using my formula from weeks ago, three pitchers are within just a few points of each other. Willis ranks fifth by that rating. Oswalt won 20 games and doesn't even finish in my Top 5. I went with Carpenter because although his numbers are not as good as Clemens, they are very close. He also threw 30 more innings, and his K/BB rate is way better. I always just assumed that Carpenter's win total was a result of great run support, and I'm sure it helped, but it does not detract from all of his other numbers.
Who will win: I think that Carpenter will win. I think that Clemens has a chance to win it because he is Roger Clemens. But if he were any other pitcher, do you think his name would even be in the discussion? Probably not. Willis gets a lot of talk too, so he could win. Like I said before, Pettitte quietly had a terrific season!
My preseason picks: 1.) Carlos Zambrano, 2.) Roy Oswalt, 3.) Mark Mulder - Zambrano?? What was I thinking?
AL Rookie of the Year
In the American League, there are a lot of rookies who had very good season and really provided a lot for their teams. I won't even mention the likes of Jesse Crain, Jonny Gomes or Nick Swisher and each of them helped their teams a lot. It comes down to a few really good starting pitchers, a great closer, a young hitter and an older Japanese import.
#5 - Tadahito Iguchi - Chicago White Sox
(135 games, .278/.342/.438 with 15 SBs, 25 doubles, 6 triples, 15 homers and 71 RBI)
...
#4 - Gustavo Chacin - Toronto Blue Jays
(34 GS, 13-9, 3.72 ERA, 203 IP, 1.39 WHIP, .274 BAA)
...
#3 - Robinson Cano - New York Yankees
(132 games, .297/.320/.458 with 34 doubles, 4 triples, 14 homers and 62 RBI)
...
#2 - Joe Blanton - Oakland A's
(33 GS, 12-12, 3.53 ERA, 201.1 IP, 1.22 WHIP, .236 BAA)
... and my winner is:
#1 - Huston Street - Oakland A's
(67 G, 78.1 IP, 5-1, 1.72, 23 saves, 1.01 WHIP, .194 BAA)
Why? Street became one of the most dominant closers in the game once he took over the closer's role. The 2004 second round pick was ready for the job as he was really good before taking over that role. I have him just ahead of his A's teammate Joe Blanton. Cano will likely use the infamous East Coast bias to get a lot of votes, and I would vote for him as the Top AL offensive rookie. And Chacin and Iguchi both had very good seasons in the big leagues.
Who will win: I think that Street will be the winner unless his relief pitcher role is used against him. Will some drop a reliever down below a starter who threw 130 more innings? Will the 67 games that Street contributed in be looked at as less than Cano's 132 games, or Iguchi's 135 games? But the intense, stressful role of a closer on an offensively challenged team that made a strong run at the AL West pennant should be considered, and should put Street over the top.
My preseason picks: 1.) Jason Bartlett, 2.) Dan Meyer, 3.) Tadahito Iguchi - Wow! Those first two picks look bad now, huh?!
NL Rookie of the Year
The other Rookie of the Year dilemma comes in how much a rookie should be expected to do to win. Should a guy who put up solid numbers over 140-150 games get extra consideration over a guy who was incredible, but played in just 80 games? That is the big dilemma this year as guys like Jeff Francoeur, Ryan Howard and Zach Duke all made their debuts halfway through the season.
#5 - Clint Barmes - Colorado Rockies
(81 games, .289/.330/.434 with 19 doubles, 1 triple, 10 homers and 46 RBI)
...
#4 - Jeff Francoeur - Atlanta Braves
(70 games, .300/.336/.549 with 20 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers and 45 RBI)
...
#3 - Ryan Howard - Philadelphia Phillies
(88 games, .288/.356/.567 with 17 doubles, 2 triples, 22 homers and 63 RBI)
...
#2 - Willy Taveras - Houston Astros
(152 games, .297/.320/.458 with 13 doubles, 4 triples, 3 homers, 29 RBI, 34/45 SBs)
... and my winner is:
#1 - Garrett Atkins - Colorado Rockies
(138 games, .287/.347/.426 with 31 doubles, 1 triple, 13 homers and 89 RBI)
Why? Again, for me, it's about the whole season. Atkins missed a few games at the beginning of the season, but on the year, he was an important part of the Rockies (non-good) offense. He still drove in 89 runs hitting behind Todd Helton. I would vote Willy Taveras second. No, his OPS or VORP will be nowhere near those of Francoeur or Ryan Howard, but they shouldn't be. He's a leadoff hitter. He isn't a power hitter. That doesn't mean he can't do his job well. He also stole a lot of bases and played a great centerfield all year. Howard was remarkable in his time showing all of the power that could have been expected, along with the strikeouts (100 in 312 ABs). Francoeur came up and was incredible. Look at his numbers and then realize that they fell a lot over the season's last month. That is how important he was to the Braves making his debut. And, when Clint Barmes got hurt, he was the leading candidate.
Who will win: I think Taveras will win because of his full season, but I also think that Francoeur and Howard will make it very close because of their roles and how much they provided to teams in the hunt for playoff position.
My preseason picks: 1.) Garrett Atkins, 2.) Clint Barmes, 3.) JD Closser - Two out of three ain't bad, right?
AL Manager of the Year
#2 - Ozzie Guillen - Chicago White Sox
... and my winner is:
#1 - Eric Wedge - Cleveland Indians
Why? It really is hard to argue with either of these as the right choice. Both found a way for their teams to get farther than people would have expected. The White Sox were the surprise team with a strong pitching staff and plenty of power hitters to show that they were not the Small Ball team that they all wanted us to think that they were. Fact is, they had good starting pitching, good power hitting, and much improved defense. The Indians' young players got off to a slow start, but they made a huge run toward the AL Wild card in the second half of the season. They didn't quite get there, but they were the story of the second half.
Who will win: Guillen in a landslide.
NL Manager of the Year
#2 - Does it even matter?
... and my winner is:
#1 - Bobby Cox - Atlanta Braves
Why? I mean, really, is this even a question mark, by any definition? The Braves lost more name players this year. They also had the worst bullpen in the league with no real closer most of the season. They had to use so many rookies and young players. Chipper Jones was hurt much of the year. Rafael Furcal got off to a slow start. Yet somehow, the Braves won the NL East yet again!
Who will win: Cox in a landslide.
So, do you have any thoughts on any of my choices? If so, please feel free to e-mail me.
The Vikings were on their bye week, but the games still go on, and so do our panelists. So how did we do this week? Well, it was another rough week for most of the panel. There were a couple of upsets, as there are every week, but there were also a bunch of games that were simply tough to make a call on. Through Sunday's games, there are three panelists with nine correct (out of 13). Here is the scenario going into tonight's game between the Chargers and Steelers. If the Steelers win, Aaron Gleeman is the sole winner this week. If the Chargers win, Cory Hepola and myself will be co-winners. For up-to-date standings, check out the NFL "Expert" Picks page here.
| Seth Stohs | Stick & Ball Guy | Ben Jacobs | Aaron Gleeman | Grant Balfour | Kevin Slowey | |
| SethSpeaks.net | Stick & Ball Guy | Hardball Times | Aaron's BB Blog | Minnesota Twins Pitcher | Twins Pitching Prospect | |
| Baltimore @ Detroit | Lions | Lions | Ravens | Ravens | Lions | Ravens |
| Miami @ Buffalo | Bills | Bills | Dolphins | Bills | Dolphins | Bills |
| New Orleans @ Green Bay | Packers | Packers | Packers | Packers | Packers | Saints |
| Tampa Bay @ NY Jets | Buccs | Buccs | Buccs | Buccs | Buccs | Buccs |
| Indianapolis @ San Francisco | Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts |
| Philadelphia @ Dallas | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles |
| Cincinnati @ Jacksonville | Jaguars | Bengals | Bengals | Bengals | Bengals | Bengals |
| Chicago @ Cleveland | Browns | Bears | Bears | Browns | Browns | Bears |
| New England @ Atlanta | Patriots | Falcons | Patriots | Patriots | Patriots | Falcons |
| Seattle @ St. Louis | Rams | Rams | Rams | Seahawks | Rams | Seahawks |
| Tennessee @ Houston | Texans | Titans | Texans | Titans | Texans | Titans |
| Carolina @ Arizona | Panthers | Cardinals | Panthers | Panthers | Panthers | Cardinals |
| Washington @ Denver | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos |
| Pittsburgh @ San Diego | Chargers | Steelers | Chargers | Steelers | Steelers |
Steelers by 21 |
|
|
||||||
| Will Young | Trevor Born | Brent Hanson | Cory Hepola | Mike Brasel | Melissa Lien | |
| Will's Twins Weblog | Twins Junkie | BrentNet | KTVH-TV | Fantasy FB Guru | SethSpeaks.net | |
| Baltimore @ Detroit | Lions | Lions | Ravens | Ravens | Lions | Lions |
| Miami @ Buffalo | Dolphins | Bills | Dolphins | Bills | Bills | Dolphins |
| New Orleans @ Green Bay | Saints | Packers | Packers | Packers | Packers | Saints |
| Tampa Bay @ NY Jets | Buccs | Buccs | Buccs | Buccs | Buccs | Jets |
| Indianapolis @ San Francisco | Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts | Colts |
| Philadelphia @ Dallas | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles | Eagles |
| Cincinnati @ Jacksonville | Bengals | Jaguars | Jaguars | Jaguars | Jaguars | Bengals |
| Chicago @ Cleveland | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns | Browns |
| New England @ Atlanta | Patriots | Falcons | Patriots | Patriots | Falcons | Falcons |
| Seattle @ St. Louis | Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams | Rams | Seahawks |
| Tennessee @ Houston | Titans | Texans | Titans | Titans | Texans | Texans |
| Carolina @ Arizona | Panthers | Panthers | Panthers | Panthers | Panthers | Panthers |
| Washington @ Denver | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos | Broncos |
| Pittsburgh @ San Diego | Chargers | Chargers | Steelers | Chargers | Chargers | Chargers |
Summary
Looking at the selections of the 12 panelists, here is who the collective "We" think will win each game:
Baltimore @ Detroit - Lions 7-5
Miami @ Buffalo - Bills 7-5
New Orleans @ Green Bay - Packers 9-3
Tampa Bay @ NY Jets - Buccs 11-1
Indianapolis @ San Francisco - Colts 12-0
Philadelphia @ Dallas - Eagles 12-0
Cincinnati @ Jacksonville - Bengals 7-5
Chicago @ Cleveland - Browns 9-3
New England @ Atlanta - Patriots 7-5
Seattle @ St. Louis - Rams 9-3
Tennessee @ Houston - 6-6
Carolina @ Arizona - Panthers 10-2
Washington @ Denver - Broncos 12-0
Pittsburgh @ San Diego - Chargers 7-5
And on that note, I will call it a day and say, "Have yourself a great week!" I certainly hope that you have found some things that were worth reading. It will be a lot of Twins talk the rest of the week! If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail me.