I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I am beginning this introduction on Monday morning after getting back from the State Finals in Indianapolis on Sunday afternoon. I am very tired, but the experience was well worth it.
Simply put, being able to cover a football game on the sidelines of Lucas Oil Stadium is something I will not forget for as long as I live. It was a surreal experience and something that was just truly remarkable.
As for the game itself, it was sad for this miraculous run by Warsaw Tiger football to come up just short, and watching these players who had worked so hard accept their runner-up medals with tears in their eyes was downright heartbreaking. I hope that now that a few days have passed, these players have their heads held high and are proud of what they were able to accomplish.
A lot has been written about these special kids over the past few weeks, so forgive me for rehashing. This is a group that rewrote what is possible to achieve with Warsaw football. Before this season, a trip down to state was unfathomable. This was a team that had only been to the regional round once before and had not won it. Thanks to this group, future generations of Tiger football players can see what they accomplished and set that same goal for themselves. They have raised the bar.
While this team will look completely different next year as 24 seniors depart, the younger players in the group who got to witness this run first hand will have the experience and know what it takes to get back. They have big shoes to fill, but it’s not impossible with the culture that has been built.
I hope Bart Curtis is able to hoist that state championship trophy before his career is over. He is a man of pure class and old-school toughness, a legend in every sense of the word. It’s been a great pleasure of mine to get to know him better throughout this year, through the ups and downs of this season. I want to thank him for helping me cover this team to the best of my ability. He answered every question I had after every win and loss, and he answered them truthfully and honestly.
I also want to thank the Warsaw community for trusting me to cover this team and this run. I have only been here for four football seasons now, not nearly long enough to truly know all of the highs and lows that this program has experienced over the years. I have done my best to learn and understand just how monumental this season was, and I hope I did enough for you readers out there. It has been an honor and a privilege to go where no Times-Union Sports Editor has gone before.
Overall, this past month of postseason football has been an unforgettable experience. There truly was a palpable buzz around this town I had not yet experienced during my time here. I hope we get to feel it again and feel it soon. There is nothing that can bring a community together like the support of our own, and the support of the 2024 Warsaw Tiger football team is something that will never truly go away. As Coach Curtis said after the game, these kids are champions regardless of the outcome. In the town of Warsaw, they are immortal.
Let’s do some quick hitters before we move on to picks.
Matt Eberflus finally got fired. Ding Dong, the witch is dead.
The reason I’m making a Wizard of Oz reference is because I went to see Wicked in the theater recently. It was unbelievable. I had never seen the musical or read the book, but I’m all the way in now. It ruled.
It’s officially December so I have gotten started on my LEGO Star Wars Advent calendar. It’s one of my favorite little things that I get to do every year. Every build I get to start my day with brings a smile to my face.
Okay, let’s pick some games. I’ll be honest, my heart hasn’t really been in it as much this year, but I think that’s because the NFL as a whole hasn’t grabbed me as much this season. Each week, I feel myself drifting further and further to the college football side of things. I know we get to enjoy both, but there’s just something about CFB that is pulling me in. Either way, I’m here to keep picking.
Let’s do this.
THURSDAY NIGHT
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (-3.5)
Another pretty good game on a Thursday night. Two divisional rivals who are firmly in the playoffs right now. Detroit won the first matchup fairly easily at Lambeau, and I think we might be in for a repeat here. The Lions are so good, despite almost choking away a Thanksgiving victory to the Bears. The Packers either beat on really bad teams or win at the buzzer against average teams. I still don’t see them as this scary team.
The Pick: Lions -3.5
1 O’CLOCK SUNDAY
Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles (-12.5)
Over the past month or so, the Eagles have jumped up in my power rankings and are now easily the second best team in the NFC for me, and possibly in the NFL. The defense has stepped up big time, Saquon Barkely is playing like a potential MVP and they are steamrolling everybody. On the other side, the Panthers have sneakily come on strong over the past few weeks. Bryce Young has looked pretty good recently, a lot better than before he got benched. You all know how I feel about these massive spreads at this point. Philly is the much better team, but this is so many points.
The Pick: Panthers +12.5
Las Vegas Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7)
The Raiders keep on losing and have fallen into the tier of one of the worst teams in the NFL. The Bucs have treaded water and are still in the playoff hunt despite a plethora of injuries. A big part of the recent success has been rookie running back Bucky Irving, who has been awesome. I think Tampa Bay wins this game and covers as well, Las Vegas has been dreadful of late. Don’t let a close loss to the Chiefs last week fool you, they only play in close games.
The Pick: Buccaneers -7
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (-3.5)
The Jaguars were a part of the biggest story of the weekend on Sunday, as Trevor Lawrence was absolutely crushed while sliding by Texans secondary player Azeez Al-Shaair. It was not a pretty scene, as Lawrence had to be carted off after suffering a concussion. I can’t imagine he’s going to play this week. Even still, I like the Jags in this game. The Titans are not a good team either, and this is one I can see going either way. Jacksonville gets it done for their guy.
The Pick: Jaguars +3.5
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5)
The Steelers find more and more ways to impress me every week. Most recently, they put up 40+ against the Bengals to pick up yet another divisional win. While I still don’t see them as a Super Bowl Contender, they’re doing their best to prove me wrong every week. That being said, the Browns are still a frisky enough team to cover this spread, as Mike Tomlin’s teams always seem to flounder when they’re favored by this much. I’m going to go with the Browns. These tough AFC North matches are always slugfests.
The Pick: Browns +6.5
Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (-4.5)
Kirk Cousins makes his return to Minnesota in a bit of a slump, coming off of a four-interception game in a loss to the Chargers. The Vikings find new ways to win every week, coming back at the very end to steal a win from the Cardinals on Sunday. As much as I keep doubting the Vikes, they just keep on winning. I thought the Falcons had something brewing about a month ago, but they have fallen off hard. Give me Minnesota to spoil the Cousins homecoming.
The Pick: Vikings -4.5
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-6.5)
The Jets are a joke, plain and simple. Aaron Rodgers stinks and the team around him isn’t good enough to make up for it. The Dolphins looked to be figuring some stuff out before going up to Green Bay and getting trounced. This is a team that just can’t get it done in cold weather, so it’s a good thing for them that this game is at home. I like Miami to get it done here. I just don’t see New York doing anything besides continuing to fall off.
The Pick: Dolphins -6.5
New Orleans Saints (-4.5) at New York Giants
Similar to the other New York team, the Giants are a joke as well. The worst offense in the league and their defensive line is banged up. While the Saints aren’t that much better, I have a hard time picking the Giants, which pains me because I’m such a big fan of Drew Lock. This is not going to a pretty team for either team involved. The Saints pull it off.
The Pick: Saints -4.5
LATE AFTERNOON SLATE
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (-2.5)
This is a very important matchup in the NFC West, as the Seahawks can pick up some key separation with a win here. The Cardinals have fallen off a bit after a very strong start to the season, while Seattle has really picked up its play in the last month. I like the visitors to keep things going here, getting a big win to get closer to the playoffs.
The Pick: Seahawks +2.5
Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (-3.5)
It’s a new day in Chicago, as Thomas Brown will move forward as the new head coach of the Bears. The Flus is gone, and we can finally rejoice. Caleb Williams, outside of some poor game management at the end of the Thanksgiving game, has looked great since Brown took over as his OC. I really like what I’m seeing out of him. The Niners on the other hand, they might be dead. Everybody is hurt, including Christian McCaffrey, who is already back on IR after getting hurt on Sunday night. This is a game that the Bears can win, and with that interim coach bump, I think they do. The Bears bias is back baby!
The Pick: Bears +3.5
Buffalo Bills (-4.5) at Los Angeles Rams
I know I mentioned Saquon Barkley as a potential MVP earlier, but Josh Allen is the MVP right now. He’s a leader playing some great football with weapons he had no experience with before this season, and Buffalo is out here crushing teams. The Rams have also stepped it up lately, shaking off a slow start to get back to .500. They’re definitely playing better, but I don’t think it’ll be enough to contend with a really good Bills team.
The Pick: Bills -4.5
WAITIN’ ALL DAY FOR A SUNDAY NIGHT
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (-3.5)
The Chiefs really find a new way to get it done every week don’t they? More and more, I’m starting to think that they might not be good enough to get it done in the playoffs the way they keep skirting by these bad teams. But they have Patrick Mahomes so who knows. The Chargers have been really awesome lately, especially on defense. They played Kansa City closely the first time they played, and I think they will do so again.
The Pick: Chargers +3.5
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Cincinnati Bengals (-5.5) at Dallas Cowboys
Truthfully, the only reason I’m going to watch this game is because there’s going to be some type of Simpsons animation involved. That’s way more exciting to me than this matchup, as I don’t know how the Cowboys with Cooper Rush can compete offensively with the Bengals and Joe Burrow. Although, that Cincy defense is downright atrocious, so anything is possible. Even still, Burrow has been too good to lose again… right?
The Pick: Bengals -5.5
It’s a good week to get back on track here. Let’s find a way to put some winners together and finish the season strong.
Cheers.