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For the last decade or so, Michael Salfino and Scott Pianowski have been putting together an email exchange centered around (but not limited to) the NFL. You might enjoy listening to them haggle. You might prefer a swift kick into the stomach. The Table isn't for everyone; we hope some of you enjoy it.
From: scott pianowski
Date: Tue, Nov 20, 2012 at 3:35 PM
Subject: cranberry breakfast
To: Michael Salfino
The goal for any NFL scribe is not to get too jazzed over an isolated result, but there was plenty of overreaction fodder from Week 11. The Texans, Falcons and Cowboys all tried to hand away games, but the Jaguars, Cardinals and Browns handed them back. Robert Griffin and Colin Kaepernick played just about perfectly. The Niners have to go with Kaepernick forward, right? if they don't, Vernon Davis is going to start taking hostages.
There's an intriguing six-pack of games for Thanksgiving week. Even with our usual Nuked Table in this slot, let's try to get to all six.
There's probably a juicy upset waiting on Thursday but I can't decide on it yet. Houston's mess last week goes right in the fluke file, right? Henne Given Sunday. Any reason to worry about them at Detroit, on a short week?
I'm never surprised when anyone challenges the Cowboys in Dallas; Jerry World hasn't proven to be much of a home field advantage (16-13 SU, 11-18 ATS). Or maybe that speaks to the way the league is wound at the moment, something related to the design of newer stadiums. Are you siding with the Griffins or the Romos?
Sorry, readers, the Patriots and Jets play this week. Thus, we will discuss. That's how it goes. The Jets should have won the first meeting, and now the Patriots have to trudge forward without Rob Gronkowski, their second-best player.
There's a lot of deadwood on the Sunday slate, but we have one intriguing game in each time slot. The Falcons have been the untrustable No. 1 seed all year and now they play at frisky Tampa Bay. If you were starting a new team, would you pick Josh Freeman over Matt Ryan? Is it too late for the Bucs to reopen the NFC South race?
The Niners and Saints should be a corker in the second wave, perhaps the best defense against the best offense. And if you like football, you can't wait to see Kaepernick do the Humpty Dance again. Does New Orleans have a legitimate chance to win here, get back into the playoffs, or both?
And then there's the Giants, the November swooners coming off their bye. I feel like we've been through this, but is there a logical reason to explain the timing of these third-quarter slumps? Does Big Blue get its groove back against Green Bay? And how far can the Packers go with no running game and all those defensive injuries?
Time to pick the bone clean. Week 12's Microwave Breakfast is served.
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