@PearlRiver I have no issues with anybody. Especially the moderators and parents who have much more important things on their plate than dealing with these shenanigans. You’re good people (some of y’all are a bit crazy, but it takes one to know one). Hopefully, @YouTheReader understands for me to do this bit I need to be different. Anybody can cover sports but this sort of creativity is the only way I could hopefully set myself apart from the rest. For new readers to sum up the past couple of weeks - I’m an Anti-Hero who is trying to be Mr. Brightside. If you’re not from Pearl River, this week just try to think about the perspective of coming from a small town where small vices kill your big dreams.
Let’s get this over with…
@PR_Parents_at_Play Monologue
Truthfully, I’d rather you folks be in on the joke rather than the butt of it. If I sound prickly it’s only because I have Weekly quotas in viewership and censoring my posts hinders my objectives. Since the PR Parents don’t seem to want to play I’ll be the bigger adult and call a truce in this self-manufactured beef that I drummed up on my own accord. @YouTheReader don’t worry, I’m not petty enough to go after a Facebook group of parents but you can play along while listening to Oklahoma Smokeshow by Zach Bryan (Something in the Orange guy) in the background. SubStack says this week is a 21-minute read or half-hour speaking time, so you could play the song 7-10 times while reading.
My goal is not to be an internet troll but I could always play the card if necessary. Been on social media since MySpace and AIM (tdbaseball1010). Plus have some friends even more creative than me in group chats, so I don’t think getting into a back-and-forth with some moms and dads who don’t know how to click on the link to read this would be a fair fight.
Just thought posting in a group of 7.5k members couldn’t hurt expand viewership. Everybody in that group is an adult and I would think they can either click the link or scroll past. It’s not like I’m hurting anybody. In fact, I’d rather effortlessly promote Pearl River’s local business like how every time I go home I love getting a #5 w/ gravy on the side at Luigi O’Grady’s or chicken champagne w/ rice if I’m at Munno’s. @YouTheReaders already know I’d never ask them for a dime for these notes, so my business structure would be to steal money by advertising for corporations like DraftKings, FanDuel, Prophet Exchange, etc. Advertisers will never take this or me seriously if I don’t have consistent views or subscribers. (Yes I’m doing this for fun, but the village idiot writing about sports is still naive enough to think big.)
Don’t worry about it @PR Parents that don’t want to play. It wouldn’t be the first time some of you weren’t a fan so I’m used to it. Water under the bridge, what’s done is done. I’ll present the Our Town and Patch with a check from what I made off my latest NFT (Instagram story).
I had no idea you needed references to be able to post on your hometown’s Facebook group. Would have thought The Town of Friendly People would want to help out a local up-and-coming struggling writer, but that must not be the case. Such a shame because a big part of this whole bit is I want to make my hometown proud.
Then I heard the saying you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. While I don’t really know how true that is on the internet in this day in age, there is already a ton of hate and animosity found everywhere online. At the end of the Week, I’d rather Week to Week Notes be a source of distraction where you can get away from all that. @PR Parents at Play, thank you for involuntarily participating in this publication’s first internet scuffle. @YouTheReader can laugh at or with me, as long as you’re smiling, then I did my job.
On to sports, that is what you’re here for…right?
Them boys are out and they're angry and they're lookin' for blood (0:32) For some reason this line reminds me of Thanksgiving Eve when everybody would be home from college. @CollegeKids going home next week, stay out of the bar fights and drama. It’s not worth it. I’ll take it one step further, if on the off chance you’re a reader below the drinking age, do me a favor and focus on whatever it is you’re passionate about. Into sports, music, or art? Work hard at it. While you might not see the results day by day, just try to get better Week to Week. Not sure what you want to do? That’s okay too. The majority of adults have no idea what the hell they want to do either. My point is, when you grow up, you’ll have plenty of time to go out drinking with your friends. The local and destination bar scenes will always be there for you then. Sorry @TargetAudience I don’t mean to come across as parental (or Gary Vee) but I do talk about drinking a good amount on here and I don’t want this on my conscious. When I was younger and someone would tell me something like this I’d act respectful and then roll my eyes afterward. That said, even if only one kid reads this one day and decides to shoot hoops under the lights instead of drinking in the woods isn’t that a win? Okay, it’s kind of cold outside where we live now, but go to the golf range, hit the batting cages indoors, pick up the guitar, try out for the play, or take an art class. Whatever it is you want to do, go for it and see where it takes you.
Week 11, ‘22
Warped Logic Week 11, ‘22
@NewReaders: Explained the name Week 2. Free insight into the sick and twisted mind of an overtly biased fan of football. Some may even go as far as to call this a case study. (Yes, this could be named “Football Forecast” or something but it doesn’t carry the same juice and I don’t see Warped Logic trademarked anywhere.)
Thursday Night
Tennessee Titans @ Green Bay Packers | 27-17 TEN
The Packers simply don’t look good. Aaron Rodgers just straight-up missed a bunch of throws to open WRs and their defense let Ryan Tannehill throw for 333 yards. Suddenly the Titans, who have been as quiet as a mouse, are now 7-3 and once again in contention for a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs.
0-2 to start Week 11 is not ideal, but I’ll survive. With there being 3 games next Thursday, I’ll post a quick Thanksgiving Day preview on Tuesday night. A day-by-day light read.
1 PM Slate
Detroit Lions @ New York Giants
@BoxOffice likes the Giants’ defense, Saquon, and the heart/fight of this year’s team. He thinks Danny Dimes has improved but still believes they are missing something. @YouTheReader he’s probably cryptically alluding that the GMen should bring the Hint Lord home. The talent disparity between these two teams isn’t too wide but I have to give the edge to NY because of the home-field advantage and Xs&Os.
Prediction: 24-20 NYG (-3 NYG & Under 46.5)
There's so much whiskey in his Coke, it'll make her nose bend (0:48) Used to go with Jamo-Ginger Ale, those were some rough mornings. @CollegeKids drink responsibly and be respectful. Also, toss in a water.
We Interrupt these picks for a Weekly Russillo Segment
Hello @RyenRussillo,
Don’t have a life advice question this week. I just have three favors.
1. Can you tell @BigCat that his @StellaBlueCoffee commercial had me choking up on the 126 bus route back to Hoboken on Tuesday night?
2. Can you also tell him I don’t need any “personalized videos” from him but as a premium member of the @StellaBlueCoffee it’d be awesome if he could rig the “chance to win” Autographed Merch for me? It would be for a good cause. If not I’d love to sell some autographed merch like the free mug or tee shirt that I’m entitled to as a premium member. Maybe you, Big Cat, PFT, El Pres, and Bill Simmons could sign them for auction on Week to Week Notes. All proceeds would go directly to the David Giacomino Invitational held on December 29 and 30th in Queens, NY.
3. Can you subscribe to Week to Week Notes? I’ll never ask for another favor.
@BigCat (if you ever read this) would you mind reposting this link on @stellabluecoffee? @YouTheReader a portion of every Stella Blue Coffee purchase goes to where Stella (Mr. Katz dog) was adopted in Chicago. I love dogs and it’s the holiday season. From now until the New Year, for every @YouTheReader who makes a purchase of a Stella Blue Coffee product (whether that be K Cups, grounded coffee, beans, or just a mug) I’ll do an hour of volunteer work @HopefulTails. Not convinced? I already bought my parents an early Christmas gift (sorry should have warned about spoilers @Mom&Dad) and got them a year's supply of the Big Cat Blend, so I already got the ball rolling for 24 hours trying to help dogs find their forever homes.
Gerry from @HopefulTails has 30 years of animal rescue experience and they used to be based in Nyack so I know plenty of people (including my own family) who’ve adopted through the organization. Obviously, it would be fantastic if #RescueDogChallenge picked up some steam and we were able to fundraise some money for @HopefulTails. They mentioned any donations would be very helpful. For now, the most I can do is offer them this platform and my time.
Even if @Russillo and @BigCat never end up seeing any of this. If you end up buying some coffee, please feel free to message @You_The_Reader on Instagram, leave a message in the comments section of wherever it is you got this link, or shoot me a text and I’ll be sure to log down the hour.
1 PM Slate (Resumed)
New York Jets @ New England Patriots
Bill Belicheck, the Hoodie Evil Genius, is known for crafting up some of the most legendary defensive gameplans dating back to when he was coaching the real LT under Big Tuna. Most of his game plans’ objectives are pretty straightforward, like making a point of emphasis to take away the other team’s best player. In Week 8, Garrett Wilson had 7 catches for 115 yards against the Pats. I would be surprised if Belicheck doesn’t double Wilson as much as possible. For the Jets to win you’d have to think either Denzel Mims (3.3k) or Elijah Moore (4k) would have to get involved. Either one could be a good low-risk, high-reward play on any @GenericDailyFantasyApp especially if Corey Davis is out with a knee. @CrookedFromBoston Jet up, respectfully.
Prediction: 17-14 NYJ (+3 NYJ & Under 38.5)
Philadelphia Eagles @ Indianapolis Colts
The ‘72 Dolphins remain the only team in NFL history to go undefeated for at least another year, which calls for the annual toast from the trio above. @KChoo didn’t want the perfect season anyway (all the pressure involved - which from a fan perspective is understandable) so losing on MNF wasn’t the end of the world. @BrendenDeeg_ Tweeted that Jalen Hurts has thrown 3 picks this season and 2 of which hit his WR right in the hands. The Eagles still hold the coveted #1 seed in the playoff picture and should hand Jeff Saturday his first Sunday coaching loss.
Prediction: 28-20 PHI (-7.5 PHI & Over 44.5)
Cleveland Browns @ Buffalo Bills
@Shefty Tweeted that Buffalo has forecasts calling for snow totals of 3 to 6 feet on Sunday. Apparently, the humidity and Great Lakes combination may cause a “thundersnow.” I don’t know, I’m not a meteorologist. The NFL has moved the game to Detroit. They did so after the fact that I had already made a revision to my original pick with the snow game. In my mind, I had Nick Chubb scoring two TDs with missed extra points and one James Cook TD with a Josh Allen 2-point conversion run. @YouTheReader, what? You don’t try to envision TD scenarios before games are played? Very sneaky of you @RogerGoodell to try and make me look bad. It’s too bad I have no shame and I’m far too lazy to make a revision to the revision.
Prediction: 12-8 CLE (+9.5 CLE & Under 47)
Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons
Justin Fields has the most rushing yards by a QB over any 5-game span (Weeks 6-10, ‘22) in the Super Bowl era. He broke Lamar Jackson’s record of 473 rushing yards from Week 6-11, ‘19. (Source: @NFLResearch) Is this one of those scenarios where the lack of talent around the young QB forces him to unlock something he always had in him but was being trained out of him? Let me back up a second because that was kind of worded weirdly, Justin Fields looks much more comfortable, confident, and thus more productive with this style of play that suits him better than trying to make him just a purely pocket passer. He also makes the Bears much more entertaining to watch.
Prediction: 28-23 CHI (+3 CHI & Over 50.5)
Washington Commanders @ Houston Texans
At least we might get some favored Offensive Rookie of the Year highlights out of this, right?
Prediction: 14-10 WAS (-3 WAS & Under 40.5)
Los Angles Rams @ New Orleans Saints
Something to keep in mind, but after Cooper Kupp went down (high-ankle sprain) the Rams gave Ben Skowronek 10 snaps in the slot and 10 out wide, while Van Jefferson saw 13 snaps out wide and just 3 in the slot. (Source: @RealDealFantasy) I’m not saying that Skowronek will be Cooper Kupp reincarnated or anything, but based on last week’s usage (extremely small sample size), would you be shocked if McVay manufactured some Kupp-esque presnap motion guy plays for him? Skowronek’s versatility makes him another eligible low-risk, high-reward play on @GenericDailyFantasyApp at 3.9k.
Prediction: 16-14 LAR (+3.5 LAR & Under 39.5)
Carolina Panthers @ Baltimore Ravens
Coming off a bye week, Roquan Smith made his Ravens debut in Week 9 against the Saints and recorded 5 tackles (including this one for no gain) in semi-limited snaps. Ravens defensive coordinator, Mike Macdonald, was quoted as saying that Smith had picked up the whole playbook within a matter of two days so expect him to be on the field more and have an even bigger impact after a full two weeks’ worth of getting up to speed with the Ravens scheme.
Prediction: 28-9 BAL (-13 BAL & Under 43)
4 PM Slate
Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings
@TheCasualFan I don't know where this ranks in terms of best one-handed catches of all time, but it definitely is the best 4th and 18 one-handed catches you may ever see. That is a milk toast take. Almost as much of a milk toast of a take as picking Dallas over the 8-1 Vikings who are home dogs.
Prediction: 24-21 DAL (-1 DAL & Under 47.5)
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Joe Burrow will look for some Week 1 revenge as the Bengals head to Pittsburgh. Although Opening Week, he threw for 338 yards, he also threw 4 INTs and was sacked 7 times. This go-a-round he’ll be without Ja’Marr Chase, who still may be out another month. He “has a hip.”
Prediction: 26-18 CIN (-4.5 CIN & Over 41.5)
Las Vegas Raiders @ Denver Broncos
I’d rather post this GIF of Jeff Saturday beating the Raiders after tweeting out on Gate Night that the “Raiders look horrible” while he was still working for ESPN than have to sell @YouTheReader on this game.
Prediction: 23-20 DEN (-2.5 DEN & Over 41.5)
He’d take you home but he’s too drunk to drive. (1:42) Impaired-driving-related crashes spike on Thanksgiving Eve. Don’t drink and drive. Call an Uber or get a Lyft.
Prime Time
Sunday Scaries
Kansas City Chiefs @ Los Angeles Chargers
@TheAnonymousJohnDoe’s the #1 Chargers fan in the Tri-State and going to love this prediction. There is no way that I have any awareness as to how bad I am at picking spreads and over/under(s) that I would purposely try to mush his team every week because he is my favorite @HateReader.
Prediction: 52-0 LAC (+6.5 LAC & Over 50.5)
Moody Monday
San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals
The “World Wide Leader in Sports” doesn’t release any good Monday Night Football graphics so here’s a rare clip of Joe Montana hitting Roger Craig for 6 in a 1987 Week 6 throwback between the then St. Louis Cardinals and Niners to promote the game.
Prediction: 27-17 SF (-8 SF & Over 43.5)
UVA in Mourning
Rest in peace to Lavel Davis Jr, D’Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler; three University of Virginia football players who we senselessly lost this past week. Condolences to the families and the UVA community. Virginia canceled its final home football game that was scheduled for Saturday in the wake of the shooting. Out of respect, this weekend schools all across the country have prepared ways to honor these young men who had a bright future ahead of them. Expect this Saturday to be an emotional one. #GoHoos
Talked to Lavel Davis Jr. before the season about the family he found at UVA.
The story never ran, but I wanted to share this from Lavel on his love for his teammates, coaches and their families.