NFL WEEK FIFTEEN 2019

Rumpole lives! We are so busy conducting our own form of shuttle diplomacy (Chi-NYC-DC, rinse repeat- Google Henry Kissinger [Henry K has never Googled anything to our knowledge] if you weren't alive in the 1970s and never heard the term Shuttle Diplomacy) that we didn't realize last week that in our own Fantasy league we have a two week playoff system. So while the ever crafty Judge De La O (seeking revenge from his loss to Rumpole in the finals last year) jumped out into a lead during the first week of the playoffs (aided by career days by bit players who will not perform the same this week), Rumpole is alive for week two of the playoffs!

Currently, based on the decent performance of our Raven WR Hollywood Brown on Thursday night (14.5), Rumpole leads 170-168. If QB Russell Wilson bounces back this week for Team Rumpole, then we are in the hunt. In the other playoff AB Foot Helmut(Gary Bass) leads Team Guarjiros (David Alvarez) 196-173. The two winners play in the championships the next two weeks. 

Congrats again to Dustin Tischler for outlasting, outplaying, out thinking everyone in the award-winning Survivor Pool. See you in September, 2020. 

Picks for week 15:  Some very important games with playoff implications are on today's schedule. 
The resurgent Tennessee Titans play the Houston Texans for the division title. Recall in week six that Houston was 4-2 and Tennessee was 2-4. Then Titans made a change- not as significant as when Bruce Springsteen sings in Tenth Avenue Freeze Out "We made the change uptown and the Big Man joined the Band..."- but still successful in its own right by benching QB Marcus Marotta for former Miami slinger Ryan Tannehill. All RT has done is go 6-1 with 15 TDs vs 4 ints.  It is a home game for the Tennessee 11, and we are happy giving three. Didjaknow? That Titans Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is the 37 years old  son of FedEx founder Fred Smith?  In the last 4 games the Titans have averaged 37.5 points per game. "When you absolutely, positively, have to score a TD...." Lets also roll with the over 50 because who doesn't like a high-scoring game? (Double loss)

Bills at Steelers. Ahh the Steelers. The team we have the worst record picking over the last several years. When they're good, they're bad. When they're bad they're bad, except sometimes they're good. Sort of like that old ex BF/GF that occupies way too much space in your head. 
This a defensive battle between two very good defensive teams. The Bills have the edge on O, the Steelers are on their way to having the best D in the league. The O/U is 37.5 and while this game could easily be 17-13, sometimes defensive matchups surprise you. Just for fun we are talking the over because life is all about doing the opposite of what you should do. 

Dolphins at Giants. For the first time this year the Fins are the team with the better record (3-10) vs (2-11). We like the fish getting 3.5 and they are one of the reasons we eat at 11 Madison Park when in NYC this year. But beware the emotions of Eli's probable last home game for the Gints. Stay away, but you can take a flyer on the over 46 with Fitz (it's actually 46.5 but that didn't rhyme). (Winner winner chicken dinner!) 

Rams at Dallas. Dallas stinks. The Rams had an amazing win last week on MNF (their D crushing Rumpole's QB Wilson  when we desperately needed the points to defeat the shifty Judge De La O). 
The Rams are on the upswing. The Cowboys falling apart. Their owner is going to make a coaching change  after the last game  quicker than it takes to smoke a brisket for Texas BBQ(about 12 hours).  So.....be different and  pick the Cowpokes -1 just because  sometimes even when you get impeached you still win the trial (actually, so far when you get impeached you always win the trial.) 

We are entering the holiday season. No trials. Nothing much accomplished legally. So blog-wise we are planning such posts as "The Best Legal Movie Ever" and such. Sip some egg nog and have some fun.