Ebola Was Overrated, and Other Things About 2014

            A couple of you have asked where No Credentials has been the last few months. We regret the lack of activity, but it can be chalked up to multiple factors.

1. I have a new job, and the schedule I work doesn’t fit my previous pattern of posting.
2. My son is a terrorist.
3. Okay my son isn’t really a terrorist, but he’s an energetic four year old who never fails to wake up early and does everything in his power to stay up as late as possible. I love him dearly, but he wears my wife and I out daily.
4. The Dallas Cowboys have done pretty well since we’ve gone mute, so I haven’t wanted to disrupt the cosmic workings of the universe.
5. I’m pretty damn lazy.

         With all that said, we want to hand out some fake awards to recap the year. These are things I could’ve posted about if I had any form of drive or motivation to do so.

Best Play = Odell Beckham’s Catch Against the Cowboys

            In a vacuum, Beckham’s Internet-breaking grab was the most athletic thing I’ve ever seen on a football field.

            However, folks need to pump the brakes on calling it the greatest catch in the history of the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. The Giants didn’t even win the game, and the team sputtered to a 6-10 finish. For our money, David Tyree’s Helmet Catch was the greatest grab in NFL history. Let’s punch Patriots’ fans in the stomach by posting the video of it.

Honorable Mention = Marshawn Lynch going ham on the Cardinals.

Most Overrated = Ebola’s Impact on the United States

            When Ebola first surfaced on American soil, I had conversations with people who genuinely believed the government was behind the outbreak in an attempt to eliminate a large part of the population. I’m guessing these same people bought a lot of canned vegetables in 2012.

(EDITORS NOTE: We understand that Ebola is a serious disease that is ravaging Africa)

Honorable Mention = Kirk Cousins (holy shit he sucks. Cousins owes me a refund for the money I wagered on the Deadskins against the Giants in Week 4)

Best Kids Show = Henry Danger

            We were all in on Nickelodeon’s superhero show the first time Captain Man hit on Henry’s mom.

No Credentials Video Game of the Year = Clash of Clans

            I’m not proud of it.

Honorable Mention = Candy Crush (I’m not proud of that either)

Most Memorable Bad Team = Cleveland Browns

            In the AP Report on Josh Gordon’s suspension last week, the words “the team was unable to locate Gordon and quarterback Johnny Manziel Friday night” were actually printed. Somehow, a terrible Kevin Costner movie was the lone highlight of 2014 for the Cleveland Browns.

Honorable Mention = Sacramento Kings (Boogie!!!)

Team of the Year = 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs

            How they were so easily able to dismantle the Miami Heat in the Finals, and put an end to the “Big Two featuring a Broken Down Dwyane Wade” era, earns San Antonio team of the year status.

Honorable Mention = 2013-14 Seattle Seahawks, 2014 Boston Red Sox (just kidding!)

The Next Great One = Anthony Davis

            The Brow is improving year by year at a rate never seen in the NBA before. He’s going to be great on the Lakers in two years.

Honorable Mention = Andrew Luck

Most Ignorant = NASCAR Fans

            NASCAR fans will literally bitch about anything. It’s the worst fan base in sports.

League of the Year = NBA

            It was a great year for the NBA for a multitude of reasons. Adam Silver took over as the new commish, and immediately became the most powerful leader in sports when he removed Donald Sterling from the Clippers. We already discussed the Spurs, whose title run was fueled by incredible passing from every spot on the floor. The league goes into 2015 with the most teams having a realistic chance at a title in the history of the NBA. It is a great time to be a fan of The Association.

Film of the Year = The Lego Movie

            If you don’t have kids, I fully advise you to rent one for a day so you don’t feel weird watching The Lego Movie.

Most Valuable Player = Madison Bumgarner

            He’ll probably need Tommy John Surgery in six months, but who cares? Bumgarner was amazing in carrying the Giants to their third title in five years.

            We’ll try to write more as we enter 2015. NFL picks will be back for the Wildcard Round Friday. Have a safe and Happy New Years everyone (don’t drive drunk kids). 

NFL Power Rankings

            We are 75% of the way through the NFL regular season (sad, but true!), and now is the time where teams begin to really separate themselves. What better time to offer up a ranking of every NFL squad.

First Overall Pick Contenders

32. Oakland Raiders (1-11) – Well, at least they’ve won a game. It would be best for them to lose out so they can lock up the number one pick. Drafting a quarterback or trading the pick to surround Derek Carr with more talent are both great options.

31. New York Jets (2-10) – Rex Ryan deserves better than the putrid roster he’s forced to work with on a weekly basis.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) – Blake Bortles has been emphatically uninspiring, which means he’s either the next Troy Aikman or the next Blaine Gabbert.

29. Tennessee Titans (2-10) – There are decent players here, but the quarterback situation is so dreadful there is no hope of contention. If Oakland were to trade the number one overall pick, Tennessee would be the most logical trade partner.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-10) – Tampa Bay is so bad, they are out of playoff contention in a division that is led by a team that is 5-7. We think they’d like to take the contract they gave Josh McCown back.

Hopelessly Irrelevant

27. Carolina Panthers (3-8-1) – Everyone expected the offense to struggle, but no one thought the defense would fall off so dramatically from last year.

26. Washington (3-9) – If not for the infamous Herschel Walker trade from Dallas to Minnesota in 1989, the RGIII trade would go down as the worst transaction in NFL history.

25. New York Giants (3-9) – Remember when the Giants were 3-2 this year after emphatically ending the “Kirk Cousins is the second coming of Joe Theismann” campaign in Washington? Me neither.

24. Chicago Bears (5-7) – I hope Marc Trestman has his resume up to date.

They Play in the NFC South, So They Are Sort Of Relevant

23. Atlanta Falcons (5-7) – Incredibly, the team we have ranked as the tenth worst club in the league is leading their division going into the last month of the regular season.

Good Bad Teams

22. Minnesota Vikings (5-7)

21. St. Louis Rams (5-7) – We put these clubs together because both squads are a pain in the ass to play. Minnesota in particular deserves props for how well they’ve played despite the Adrian Peterson situation hanging over their franchise.

20. Houston Texans (6-6) – Oddly enough, the only team in football with a .500 record. Houston is a solid quarterback away from serious playoff contention.

19. Cleveland Browns (7-5) – It’s time to get Johnny Fucking Football onto the field.

18. New Orleans Saints (5-7) – We really want the Saints to go 3-1 so we can avoid a 7-9 team making the playoffs. Let’s look at their remaining schedule.

Week 14 = vs. Panthers (WIN)

Week 15 = @ Bears (WIN, the Bears are garbage)

Week 16 = vs. Falcons (WIN, and they clinch the NFC South with the victory)

Week 17 = @ Buccaneers (LOSS, they will have nothing to play for)

            You heard it here first…the Saints will finish 8-8.

17. Buffalo Bills (7-5) – We can’t in good faith rank a team quarterbacked by Kyle Orton any higher.

Enigmas

16. San Francisco 49ers (7-5) – We’re not sure if it’s the hoopla surrounding Jim Harbaugh’s contract status, the league figuring out Colin Kaepernick, or Frank Gore finally losing it, but something is just off with the 49ers this year.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5) – Pittsburgh is really going to regret losing against two of the five worst teams in the NFL.

14. Kansas City Chiefs (7-5) – Kansas City is really going to regret their shocking loss at Oakland.

13. Baltimore Ravens (7-5) – Baltimore is really going to regret that late game collapse against San Diego.

12. San Diego Chargers (8-4) – San Diego’s defense has completely fallen apart, but Phil Rivers has literally put the team on his back.

11. Miami Dolphins (7-5) – I’d like the Dolphins so much more if Ryan Tannehill could consistently complete a pass that needs to travel more than 15 yards through the air.

Wish They Had Their Starting QB

10. Arizona Cardinals (9-3) – It’s a damn shame Carson Palmer went down, otherwise the Cardinals would be ranked third or fourth on this list. With Drew Stanton under center, they will be lucky to go 2-2 in December (remaining schedule is Chiefs, @ Rams, Seahawks, @ 49ers).

Best Case Scenario = Winning One Playoff Game

9. Dallas Cowboys (8-4) – I’ll admit the loss on Thanksgiving was pretty demoralizing, but you have to remember that all of our losses have occurred at home. If we can climb into a wildcard spot, it’s not unrealistic to think we could make noise in January.

8. Detroit Lions (8-4) – Detroit boasts the best scoring defense in THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, and there is enough star power on offense to think they could get hot in the playoffs.

7. Cincinnati Bengals (8-3-1) – We’d like to rank them higher, but then we remember Andy Dalton is the Bengals starting quarterback.

6. Indianapolis Colts (8-4) – Indy has gotten smoked whenever they've taken the field against an elite team, but Andrew Luck has the ability to put the Colts on his back in the playoffs.

Super Bowl Contenders

5. Philadelphia Eagles (9-3) – The Eagles are an elite quarterback away from being the best team in football. Having Nick Foles or Mark Sanchez under center in January will be a problem.

4. Seattle Seahawks (8-4) – Seattle is flying under the radar, but we’re forecasting a first round bye for the defending Super Bowl champs.

3. Green Bay Packers (9-3) – In a season full of impressive quarterback performances, what Aaron Rodgers did to lead the Packers to victory over the Patriots is near the top of the list.

2. Denver Broncos (9-3) – Denver righted themselves offensively after they laid an egg in St. Louis.

1. New England Patriots (9-3) – There is no shame in losing at Lambeau Field, but the Patriots can’t afford to slip up the rest of the way.

Deep NFL Thoughts For Week 12

            We took the week off last week (the Cowboys did have a bye week after all), but we’re back with a sentence or two about every NFL game this weekend.

Browns @ Falcons

            We here at No Credentials are overjoyed that avid pot smoker Josh Gordon is back on the field. Fans of the blog (all six of you) will remember us waxing poetic about him a year ago when he was carrying three of my fantasy teams to glory.

Fearless Gordon forecast against the shitty Falcons = 6 receptions, 126 yards, 2 touchdowns

Titans @ Eagles

            A valuable lesson was learned by the masses last week…don’t trust Mark Sanchez two straight weeks to lead your fantasy football team. The Titans are crappy enough that LeSean McCoy should limit the amount of impact the Sanchize has this week.

Lions @ Patriots

            Friend of the blog Ethan Hedrick will be at Gillette Stadium for this one. That has no relevance to anything, but I thought I would note it.

Packers @ Vikings

            Green Bay needs to thank their lucky stars that Packer destroyer Adrian Peterson had his suspension extended, although it’s hard to imagine that the Vikings would’ve been galvanized by A.P.’s return. In other words, we don’t know if Peterson’s absence will help or hurt the Vikings.

Jaguars @ Colts

            The over/under for this one is 50.5. Indianapolis might cover that by themselves.

Bengals @ Texans

            Houston kicked Andy Dalton’s ass two years in a row in the playoffs, and the Texans actually looked decent last week with Ryan Mallet under center.

Buccaneers @ Bears

            Under normal circumstances this game would only have an impact on the order at the top of the 2015 NFL Draft, but the NFC South is so terrible the Bucs still could run the table and make the playoffs.

Cardinals @ Seahawks

            At some point Seattle has to wake up and kick someone’s ass.

Rams @ Chargers

            Once upon a time San Diego actually looked like a legitimate threat to make a run to the Super Bowl. Now they can’t block, have no runningbacks, and their defense is garbage. Better luck next year.

Dolphins @ Broncos

            Losing two of your top three receiving threats within one quarter is never a good thing, so we’re pinning last week’s pitiful effort in St. Louis on that. We expect Denver to right the ship this week.

Washington @ 49ers

            Sadly, this one might have to be renamed “The Over-rated Mobile Quarterbacks Bowl”.

GIANTS (+4) over Cowboys

            With a huge game coming up on Thanksgiving against the Eagles, don’t be shocked to see the Cowboys looking a little unfocused for three quarters of this game. If they do win, it will be by no more than three points.

Jets vs. Bills

            One has to pity the poor Bills, who after ceding a home game to Toronto for several years, now have to play a home date in Detroit because of The Snowpocalypse.

Ravens @ Saints

             I’m cheering for the Saints only because I don’t want to see a 6-10 team win the NFC South.

The Perfect Fantasy Sports Week, an Intense Review

              One of the greatest moments in my fantasy sports playing career occurred this past week, with all nine of my active fake teams winning last week. This meant three loaded basketball squads, two solid hockey teams, and four hit-or-miss football clubs were able to navigate the cloudy fantasy landscape for glory. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever pulled off this feat before, but since I haven't written anything in a while, this seems like a good enough excuse to crank out some useless analysis of teams that don’t actually exist.

Fantasy Basketball – Basketball ranks as the sport I’m the most dialed in too, and that has shown with my recent fantasy hoops performance.

The Demoralizers 8, Goodoleboy58 2 

Juan Pablo Montoya 10, Goodoleboy58 1

            We put these two wins together because of one man, the fantasy hoops destroyer of souls, Mr. Anthony Davis. To put The Brow’s start to the 2014-15 campaign in perspective, here are some fun facts.

-         At the time of this writing, Davis is ranked in the top 5 in scoring (fourth), rebounding (second), blocks (first, a full block per game better than second place), and steals (fourth, tops among big men).

-         Davis has only committed 13 personal fouls in nine games, which for a player with his level of defensive impact, is astonishing.

-         For you advanced stat nerds, he’s not even in the top 20 in “close touches” per game (which basically rates how many times he gets the ball in the paint).

-         The Brow is shooting 56% from the field, and he shot 66% last week.

-         Those last two factoids together means he should be getting the ball a lot more than he does.

-         He’s only 21 years old.

-         I’m the proud owner of him in an auction keeper league and normal redraft league.

Sure there were other guys that contributed to these two victories (honorable mentions go out to Damian Lillard and Klay Thompson), but Davis is the man.

Terminus 7, Gabriel’s Great Team 2

            This is a beat ‘em and deplete ‘em league, and the addition of Steph Curry after a win the week before paid immediate dividends. Curry is the second ranked player in fantasy hoops this year, and the scary thing is he really hasn’t shot the ball as well as he’s capable of.

Fantasy Hockey – Hockey is the sport I keep up with the least, but thanks to making simple decisions (like drafting dudes late who get to play with Crosby and Malkin) has generally led to me fielding competitive clubs.

HiFructose CornSyrup 6, Black Bears 3

            Sticking to names I know helped me draft Tomas Plekanec very late, which allowed him to be my MVP last week with 2 goals and 3 assists.

The Demoralizers 9, Push Puck Punk 1

            Sometimes, you have to get lucky with who you draw in a given week. Push Puck Punk was in first place, but the law of averages resulted in his team laying an egg this week.

Fantasy Football – I like order and logic, which makes playing fantasy football very difficult for me on weekly basis. Of the four teams listed below, only one is solidly near the top of the standings, with the other three fighting for their playoff lives.

Drive On 120.40, Gunning For Plaxico 105.04

            We built this team around Jimmy Graham, but thankfully Alshon Jeffrey was able to bail him out this week. Also big props go out to Ryan Tannehill, who didn’t crap his pants while Tony Romo was on a bye week.

The Demoralizers 113.42, Top Gun 97.14

            Mike Evans picked a great week to have his breakout game, as his 39.04 points were more than a third of my total scoring. If we can get Evans a real quarterback, he’ll be a beast for the foreseeable future.

Khan 156, Jim Fossil 138

            Kudos to Emmanuel Sanders for delivering 100 yards and a touchdown before getting knocked silly Sunday against the Rams.

Cool Ranch Doritos 117.55, Ron Burgandy 100.70

            If I were my opponent, I’d be pretty pissed that Cody Fleener put up 144 yards receiving.

            So there you have it. It took a lot of Anthony Davis, a dash of Patric Hornqvist (thanks for not snagging him fellow fantasy hockey players), and immense luck on the gridiron, but we’ll take a week like that anytime we can get it.

To Tank or Not to Tank? The Curious Case of the Oklahoma City Thunder

            Mark Cuban raised some interesting thoughts about whether or not Oklahoma City should shut down Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to land a lottery pick in next year’s draft, and those thoughts have inspired us to introduce a new series called, “To Tank or Not to Tank?”. Naturally, our first team is O.K.C.

The Team = Oklahoma City Thunder

Current Record = 3-6, tied for eleventh in the West

Situation = Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are both out until late November, leaving the Thunder with Serge Ibaka, Reggie Jackson, and a bunch of other dudes.

The Case to Tank = I can’t think of another championship contending NBA team that was so ravaged by injuries to start the season. O.K.C’s entire offense literally revolves around their two star players. There is no fancy motion offense, and few set plays. For the most part, Durant and Westbrook take turn jacking jumpers or driving to the basket.

            If they were in the East, it would be much more likely that they could stay within shouting distance of the eighth seed until their star players returned, but their place in the Western Conference makes that much more unlikely. Let’s say they have to go eight more games without Durant and Westbrook. If they were to go 2-6 in those games, that puts them at 5-12. 49 wins was what it took to make the playoffs in the West last year, and the Thunder would have to go 44-20 the rest of the way to match that. The talent is there to do it, but by the time they got to the playoffs, they might not have anything left in the tank for their first round series against the first or second seed.

            Tanking gives the opportunity for the Thunder to develop young players like Perry Jones (who was sensational before going down with an injury of his own), Reggie Jackson (a restricted free agent next season who the Thunder should keep), and Steven Adams. Add a lottery pick to this group, and the Thunder suddenly are a significantly deeper squad in 2015-16. A team this talented hasn’t been in the lottery since the Spurs drafted Tim Duncan in 1997, and that only happened because David Robinson was shut down for most of the season.

The Case to Not Tank = Can you say “Kevin Durant will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2016 season”? Enough has been written about the James Harden trade that we won’t rehash it here, but the seeds for Durant leaving may have been sown when The Beard was shipped to Houston. The Thunder’s notorious penny-pinching ways could be enough to convince Durant to flee to greener pastures. Throw in Russell Westbrook’s free agency a year after that, and you could be talking about a starless Thunder team that opens the 2017 season. The best way for the Thunder to convince Durant to stay is to win a title in one of the next two seasons. They are talented enough that they could make a deep playoff run regardless of which seed they end up with, and with some of the valuable experience earned by some of their younger players, they should be better equipped to give their star players rest during the playoffs. Last year the Thunder played Derek Fisher during the last ten minutes of their season, which is insane when you consider Fisher is now COACHING the Knicks. Replacing him with Perry Jones or Steven Adams would be a major talent upgrade.

No Credentials Final Verdict = We wouldn’t mail it in if we were running the Thunder. Plenty of contending clubs are stumbling out of the gate (as of this writing, the Spurs and Clippers would also be on the outside looking in if the playoffs started today), and as long as they get one of their star players back before Thanksgiving, there will be enough time for the Thunder to solidify their playoff position. A team that four years ago looked like it had a bright long term future is now less than two years away from facing Kevin Durant hitting the open market, so they need to maximize every opportunity to win a NBA championship. 

Week 10 Dallas Cowboys Pick

     We've been slammed at work this week, and don't have the time or energy to offer any extended thoughts on the NFL. However, we still have to do our civic duty and post an "official" pick for the Dallas Cowboys game.

Jaguars (+7.5) over Cowboys
     Let's just say that if Dallas is truly destined to finish 8-8 again after a 6-1 start, losing this game is a must.

Week 9 NFL Thoughts

            We’re still banning ourselves from picking all but one game this week, but we’re once again running some extended pre-game thoughts you can chew on before 1pm (Eastern) tomorrow.

This Might Be the Most Crowded “Least Valuable Fantasy Player” Field Ever

            For grins and giggles, let’s run through the candidates as chosen from anyone who on average, was chosen within the first 30 picks in Yahoo fantasy leagues.

1. LeSean McCoy (average pick 1.4) – He’s been healthy, but has only scored one touchdown during his first seven games of the year.
2. Adrian Peterson (3.5) – I don’t think we need to revisit his story again.
3. Eddie Lacy (5.6) – Lacy is on pace for 856 rushing yards, which isn’t what you’re looking for with the fifth pick.
4. Calvin Johnson (6.2) – This one is injury related, but Megatron should have ample opportunity to redeem himself if you were able to keep your team in playoff contention while he’s been absent.
5. A.J. Green (12.5) – Ditto.
6. Montee Ball (12.8) – If you drafted your team the old fashioned way, there’s a good chance Ball was your second round pick. He was mediocre before getting hurt, and now will be second on the depth chart after Ronnie Hillman has taken the Broncos offense to another level.
7. Zac Stacy (28.4) - Drafted near the end of the third round, Stacy can be found on numerous waiver wires across the country. After averaging less than four yards per carry in 2013, we should’ve seen this coming.
8. Doug Martin (30.4) – Widely considered a bounce back candidate this season, Martin has been an unmitigated disaster. Selfishly, he’s my choice for this award as I invested in him in not one, but two leagues this year.

         This debate would be much more fun if Peterson wasn’t involved, as he clearly dominates the category. Regardless, it hasn’t been a fun year of fantasy football.

Cardinals (+2.5) over COWBOYS

            We really should sit Romo for this game to ensure we have him healthy for the stretch run. Arizona runs some of the best blitz packages in THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, and we’re asking for a season ending injury if toss Romo out there. I’d play Weeden, pound the rock with Murray, and hope Carson Palmer throws four interceptions.

Manning vs. Brady Never Gets Old

            The modern day equivalent of Bird vs. Magic, it’s important to treat every match-up between these two future Hall of Famers as their last. We like Denver to win Sunday not because of Manning, but because of the Broncos dynamic pass-rush duo. We saw how much trouble the Patriots had with the Chiefs earlier this season, and Denver can offer up a similar threat with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware.

Ben Roethlisberger is the Most Underrated QB in Football

            Big Ben has two Super Bowl rings, won another AFC title, and just became the first person on planet Earth to throw for over 500 yards in two NFL games. He’s a damn good quarterback who doesn’t get nearly enough credit from anyone except Jim Nantz.

We Don’t Like any Double Digit Underdogs This Week

            If I had to choose one this week, I guess I’d give St. Louis a fighting chance in San Francisco.

I Have No Idea Who is Going to Make the Super Bowl

            Parody has been a big deal for a long time now in the NFL, but I can’t remember a season where there was one dominant team and about ten others with a punchers chance at making a Super Bowl run. The playoffs will truly be a complete crapshoot.

I'm Not Smart Enough to Appreciate the San Francisco Giants

     I'm on the record calling the 2014 World Series the worst match up in the history of the sport, which is a statement supported by numerous advanced statistics. but perhaps it's time to re-calibrate our expectations of a MLB team. In my youth, the best teams rolled out offensive juggernauts that featured six or seven elite hitters. The juggernaut Yankees teams during their dynasty come to mind first, but we also saw the Indian's teams in the mid-90s (Albert Belle and Manny Ramirez would've been enough to carry a team, but they had five other dudes who could rake too), Seattle when they featured Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez,and lastly the curse breaking Red Sox lineup in 2004. These teams hit the ball hard, and it often went very far.
     San Francisco has Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, and a bunch of other no name hitters, but in today's pitching dominated climate, that doesn't matter. Madison Bumgarner delivered a historic World Series performance that our first reaction is to devalue because of the lack of hitting, but that ultimately isn't fair. We're tired of being a baseball grump. The Giants are the fifth team in MLB history to win three titles in five years, which is remarkable. We still think the '98 Yankees or '04 Red Sox would smash them to smithereens, but we're still tipping our cap to the Giants.

The End of the Weekend Review

            We’ve been doing the weekend review know for four years, which is kind of hard to believe. Originally, it was a gimmick that would guarantee I would produce content at least once a week. It worked for a while (click here and read how much I typed. Holy cow!), but lately you’re lucky if you get two sentences per topic out of me.

            That’s why we’re here to announce that we are putting the “10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend” to bed. This doesn’t mean the blog is ending, as we’ll have more time to devote to more focused pieces. Can you believe we haven’t talked about fantasy sports since July? Or done an Angels of Satan in over a year? That’s a problem.

            To those of you that enjoyed the weekend review, I offer my apologies, but you can look forward to a better No Credentials At All for the foreseeable future.

NFL Week 8 Thoughts

     Thankfully, we finally fell under .500 last week, so we're taking the rest of the season off from making picks based off point spreads. Well, except for one game a week.

Washington (+10) over COWBOYS

     We've picked against my Dallas Cowboys every week of the NFL season, and I firmly believe that's the reason they are 6-1. So even if there are no other picks in this space, we'll always post a Cowboys pick.
     As for the rest of the slate, we'll post some thoughts, predictions, or facts that have no relevance to actual games. Enjoy.

I'm Glad I'll Be Working During the Falcons-Lions Game Tomorrow Morning
     You know who else is? My wife. Seriously NFL, you've already pissed off enough women this year. Let's try not to make football last for 15 consecutive hours.

What Do You Get With No Steroids in Baseball? The Worst World Series Ever
    The Royals and Giants are dog shit. If either club played the '98 Yankees 10 times, they'd be lucky to win twice.

The Saints Shouldn't Be Favored Against Aaron Rodgers
     Yet incredibly, the line is still SAINTS (-2) as of the time of this writing.

Let's Keep Running DeMarco Murray Into the Ground
     He's a free agent after the year anyway. With as good as the offensive line is, it doesn't matter who is toting the rock for the Cowboys.

Denver Might Be the Only Super Bowl Caliber Team in the League
     Seattle and San Francisco still have time to turn it around (the 49ers will get a lot of dudes back on defense during the second half of the season), but for now it's Denver and then everyone else. Since the advent of the weekly Thursday night game, we haven't seen a better two win in five day stretch like the Broncos just pulled against San Francisco and the Chargers.

We're Happy Bob is Getting Eaten on "The Walking Dead"
     It's not an endorsement of cannibalism, but I really hate Bob, and thought he should've died sometime last season.

Detroit and Cincinnati Are Lurking
     Both clubs are missing elite wide receivers, and should return to previous offensive production upon their return.

Jacksonville is Our Underdog Pick of the Week
     This pick has more to do with how frustrating the Dolphins have been over the last few years than an endorsement of the Jaguars.

     I'd post more, but I have to go to work in six hours. Until next time...

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (10/17-10/19)

10. Carmelo Anthony Claims It’s Unlikely He’ll Win Scoring Title in Triangle Offense

            Apparently, he’s never heard of Michael fucking Jordan.

9. NBA Tests 44 Minute Game During Celtics-Nets Preseason Tilt

            We’re all for things taking less time, so kudos to the most progressive league in American sports for giving this a try.

8. Penguins Right Winger Patric Hornqvist Puts Up 2 Goals, 1 Assist, and 12 Shots Against the Islanders
            Yours truly is very happy to employ Hornqvist on both of his fantasy hockey clubs this season.

7. Detroit Rallies, Defeats New Orleans
            Like the majority of the league, the Lions have been incredibly up and down on a week-to-week basis, but if they continue to tread water while Megatron gets healthy, they’ll be poised for a deep playoff run in the NFC.

6. Star Players Deliver For Dallas

            DeMarco Murray broke Jim Brown’s record for the most consecutive 100-yard rushing games to start a season. Dez Bryant dominated the Giants secondary in the second half. Both of their efforts contributed to another efficient performance by Tony Romo. It would have been easy for the Cowboys to have a let down after their stunning win in Seattle, but kudos to them for taking care of business in an important division game.

           

5. Florida State Wins Thriller Over Notre Dame

            We’re on board with Jameis Winston and the hate-able Florida State Seminoles. As flawed as they may be, they are the best hope at preventing the SEC from winning a national title.

4. Aided By Awful Call, Rams Earn Upset Win Over Seattle

            This game might have been the best representation of how messed up the NFL is this year.

           

3. Jimmie Johnson Will Not Win a Seventh Title This Year

2. Brad Keselowski Delivers

            It’s a close call on which one of these results gave us more joy, but we’ll give a narrow edge to Johnson being eliminated from championship contention.

1. Peyton Manning Sets All-Time Touchdown Pass Mark

            In case you were wondering, Peyton Manning is really good at football. Even more important in relation to the 2014 Denver Broncos, they are clearly the class of the league.

Week 7 NFL Picks

            For a second straight week, we just barely squeaked over .500, which means that we still have to offer up pitiful football picks. We’re already down thanks to the stupid Patriots (can’t cover against Geno Smith guys, really?), so this week should be the swan song. Fortunately for the general public, we’re posting these less than a hour before kickoff to ensure as little damage happens to the gambling community.

Bengals (+3.5) over COLTS 

REDSKINS (-6) over Titans

BEARS (-3.5) over Dolphins

JAGUARS (+6) over Browns

RAMS (+7) over Seahawks

Panthers (+6.5) over PACKERS

RAVENS (-6.5) over Falcons

BILLS (-5.5) over Vikings

LIONS (-2.5) over Saints

CHARGERS (-4) over Chiefs

Giants (-6.5) over COWBOYS

Cardinals (-4) over RAIDERS

49ers (+7) over BRONCOS

STEELERS (-3) over Texans

Week 6 = 8-7

Thursday = 0-1

Season = 44-55

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (10/10-10/13)

10. I Turn 29 Years Old

            I look forward to celebrating my 29^th for the next seventy years.

9. Joe Flacco Chucks Five First Half Touchdowns

            Reportedly, Flacco’s touchdowns still counted for 20 points in standard fantasy football leagues despite the fact he threw them against the hapless Buccaneers.

8. Terminus Already Blew Up
            Kudos to the folks running “The Walking Dead’ for not leaving our heroes captive with a bunch of hipster cannibals.

7. Baylor Outguns TCU
            In a game where the final score was 61-58, I guess TCU shouldn’t of felt too safe with a 24 point lead.

6. NASCAR Fight!

            Keselowski and Kenseth are two of our favorite drivers here in the Muir household, so this fight wasn’t as satisfying for us as the typical NASCAR brawl.

           

5. Mississippi State Defeats Auburn, Claims Top Spot in AP Poll

4. Royals Grab 2-0 Lead Over Baltimore

            Kansas City is halfway to a trip to the World Series, and the state of Mississippi rules college football. We’re buying tons of canned goods and bottled water on our next grocery run.

           

3. Aaron Rodgers Does a Marino Impression, Leads Last Gasp Victory Over Miami

            You can’t fall for the play that your most famous quarterback in franchise history invented. Shame on the Dolphins.         

2. Kolten Wong Smashes Walk Off Dinger, Evens Series With Giants

            It was a nice moment for Mr. Wong, who infamously was picked off to end a World Series game last year against Boston.

1. Dallas Wins at Seattle

            Short of Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray showing up at my front door with a lifetime supply of cash, there’s really nothing else those two dudes could’ve done to make my birthday any better. 

Week 6 NFL Picks

            I was busy working this weekend, so we’re just barely getting these picks up. That’s not a bad thing, as this limits the possibility that anyone on Earth would actually wager actual money on these selections.

Broncos (-9.5) over JETS

BROWNS (-1) over Steelers

Jaguars (+4.5) over TITANS

Packers (-3) over DOLPHINS

Lions (+1.5) over VIKINGS

BENGALS (-6.5) over Panthers

BILLS (+3) over Patriots

Ravens (-3.5) over BUCCANEERS

Chargers (-7.5) over RAIDERS

FALCONS (-3) over Bears

SEAHAWKS (-8.5) over Cowboys

CARDINALS (-3.5) over Redskins

EAGLES (-2.5) over Giants

49ers (-3.5) over RAMS

           

Week 3 = 8-7

Thursday = 1-0

Season = 36-47

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (10/3-10/5)

10. The Patriots Aren’t Dead

            So quit your bitching New England.

9. Arizona State Drops USC With Last Second Hail Mary

            Cue video!

8. Matt Kemp Delivers Game 2 Win for Los Angeles
            After Clayton Kershaw was rocked in Game 1, the Dodgers needed someone to make a play to even the series. Kemp delivered with an eighth inning dinger.

7. Orioles, Royals Punch Tickets to ALCS
            This might be the first playoff series that I will legitimately be rooting for both teams to win.

6. Cowboys Blow a 10-Point Fourth Quarter Lead, Still Win in Overtime

            Rough estimates by our crack research staff say that Dallas has lost in this exact scenario roughly 300 times in the last decade. Funny things are happening Big D.

           

5. Peyton Manning Tosses 500^th Career Touchdown

            Nothing else to do here other than tip your cap and say “Omaha”.

4. Cleveland Browns Successfully Complete Largest Road Comeback in NFL History

            Reportedly, it will still count even though it occurred against the Titans.

           

3. Mississippi State Routs Texas A&M  

2. Ole Miss Shocks Alabama

            Saturday may have been the greatest day in the history of Mississippi.

 1. San Francisco Giants Win Longest Postseason Game Ever

            In a game where there were more innings played (18) than hits (17), No Credentials was desperately hoping a shipment of HGH could be split among both clubhouses. Surprisingly, Washington was able to bounce back from this soul crushing defeat to win Game 3.

Week 5 NFL Picks

            We’re making an announcement…if we don’t finish above .500 this week, we are retiring from NFL picks this season. No Credentials clearly has no firm grasp of what is going to happen in any of these games, so unless there’s a swift turnaround, we don’t see any reason to try to sucker people into thinking we are making quality picks. Sometimes, you have to know when you don’t have it. With that said, we tried really hard this week (which translates to about 5 minutes of deep thought), and with the momentum from the Packers victory Thursday, could be in line for a break through.

Bears (+2) over PANTHERS

            These two teams are the epitome of the “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THE NFL THIS YEAR?” phenomenon. For what it’s worth, the Bears are 2-0 on the road this year.

Browns (+1) over TITANS

            Tennessee should not be favored against anyone in THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. We’re taking Cleveland and the one point out of principle.

EAGLES (-7) over Rams

            Here’s a combination of “Philly is due to pummel someone” and “St. Louis has looked competent for two straight games”.

Falcons (+4.5) over GIANTS

            Folks are overreacting to New York’s two game winning streak. One needs to remember that their wins came against the Texans without Arian Foster and a Washington team whose only claim to fame was destroying Jacksonville. Pump the brakes Giants fans. 

Buccaneers (+10) over SAINTS

            Another principle pick…there’s no way the Saints should be double-digit favorites over anyone. Tampa Bay also has a history of playing the Saints tough, even when New Orleans has been playing well.

Texans (+6.5) over COWBOYS

            We’ve picked against Dallas every week this year, and that’s translated to their first 3-1 start in six years. Since clearly the success of my picks is hopeless, at least we can try to keep the good vibes going with Tony Romo and company.

LIONS (-7) over Bills

            “GOOD GOD, THAT’S KYLE ORTON’S MUSIC!!!”

COLTS (-3.5) over Ravens

            I like Andrew the Giant to drag the Colts over .500 for the first time this year.

Steelers (-6.5) over JAGUARS

            I mean, the Steelers can’t lose to Tampa Bay and Jacksonville back-to-back weeks right?

Cardinals (+8) over BRONCOS

            Our third principle pick…this line is too damn high. One of the fun facts of 2014 is Denver being 0-3 so far against the spread.

49ERS (-5.5) over Chiefs

            I’m sure everyone and their third cousin wants to bang the Chiefs as a road dog after there demolishing of the New England Patriots. We aren’t falling for it.

CHARGERS (-7) over Jets

            Tough spot for Geno and the Jets. This line could be 10 points or higher.

Bengals (-1.5) over PATRIOTS

            The standard thing to do here would be to bet on Tom Brady (as a home dog!) in primetime to bounce back, but logic dictates that New England’s mediocre offense will have a really hard time against a well-rested Bengals squad.

Seahawks (-7.5) over REDSKINS

            Kirk Cousins turned into a pumpkin during the third quarter against the Giants in Week 4.

           

Week 3 = 5-11

Thursday = 1-0

Season = 27-40

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (9/26-9/28)

10. Rajon Rondo Breaks His Hand, Out 6-8 Weeks

            While this move won’t do anything to improve Rondo’s trade value, it will help ensure the Celtics will have an abundance of ping-pong balls in next year’s draft lottery.

9. Jeff Gordon Emphatically Punches Ticket to Round of 12 at Dover

            Gordon’s march to 100 wins took another step forward as he dominated down the stretch to win his fourth race of the year. Brad Keselowski was equally impressive though. He’s posted 1-1-2 for finishes in the first three races of The Chase.

8. Jordan Zimmerman Ends Regular Season With a No-Hitter
            No Credentials is notoriously snarky about MLB no-hitters in the post-steroid era, but Steven Sousa Jr.’s ridiculous catch to end the game made the event worth of this list.

7. Aaron Rodgers Backs Up Words With 4 Touchdown Passes
            Sadly for Chicago, Rodgers wasn’t joking when he told Packer fans to relax.

6. Tampa Bay Confirms NFL No Longer Makes Sense, Rallies to Defeat Pittsburgh

            I’m officially deciding to only gamble on NBA games going forward after watching highlights from this game. We’ll touch more on that subject this week (the unpredictability of NFL games, not gambling on the NBA).

           

5. Kansas City Royals Return to the Postseason

            After Detroit clinched the AL Central Sunday, their stay could only last for one day, but hey it still counts.

4. Steve Smith “Sr.” Goes Bonkers

            It was obvious that Smith would have extra motivation facing off against his former team, but you’ll be hard pressed to find people outside of his immediate family that he could return to fantasy football relevance on a weekly basis.

           

3. Cowboys Play Like It’s 1993, Smash Saints

            Dallas demonstrated the value of an elite offensive line with their dismantling of a Saints team that beat them 49-17 last season. 

           

2. 49ers Get Back to Basics

            Teams often go astray when they try to be something that they aren’t (which is what happened to the 49ers each of the last two weeks), but they stuck to Frank Gore and the ground game and grinded out a win over the Eagles.

1. Boston Bids Farewell to Derek Jeter

            Nothing was going to top Jeter’s last game at Yankee Stadium, but kudos to Red Sox fans (who probably were outnumbered by Yankee fans who bought tickets on Stub Hub, but we won’t talk about that) for paying respects to a man who tormented them for many years.

Week 4 NFL Picks

            After a catastrophic Week 2, we at least managed to go .500 last week. I’d forecast a banner Week 4, but we already blew real cash on the turd sandwich that was Kirk Cousins Thursday night.

  

Dolphins (-3.5) over Raiders (game being played in London)

Packers (-2) over BEARS

Bills (+3) over TEXANS

COLTS (-7.5) over Titans

Panthers (+3.5) over RAVENS

JETS (+2.5) over Lions

STEELERS (-7.5) over Buccaneers

CHARGERS (-13) over Jaguars

49ERS (-4.5) over Eagles

Falcons (-3) over VIKINGS

Saints (-3) over COWBOYS

Patriots (-3) over CHIEFS

           

Week 3 =8-8

Thursday = 0-1

Season = 21-29

Week 3 NFL Picks

            Last week, our picks were terrible. Like, worse than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After posting our worst week of prognostication in the history of this blog, we are happy to report that we started Week 3 by being on the right side of the Falcons 56-14 rout Thursday night.

            As we’ve done in the past after a bad week, we aren’t offering up any analysis with our picks, as we don’t want to give anyone the impression that we know what we are talking about. We’re also suspending our “Stock Up, Stock Down” segment, as all three teams we highlighted as being bullish on lost in Week 2. Again, this is all for America’s safety.

Chargers (+2.5) over BILLS

RAMS (+2) over Cowboys

EAGLES (-6) over Redskins

Texans (-1) over GIANTS

SAINTS (-10.5) over Vikings

BENGALS (-7) over Titans

BROWNS (+1.5) over Ravens

Packers (+2.5) over LIONS

Colts (-7) over JAGUARS

PATRIOTS (-14.5) over Raiders

CARDINALS (+3) over 49ers

SEAHAWKS (-4.5) over Broncos

DOLPHINS (-4) over Chiefs

PANTHERS (-3.5) over Steelers

Bears (+2.5) over JETS

           

Week 2 = 2-14 (L)

Thursday = 1-0

Season = 13-20

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (9/12-9/14)

10. Adrian Peterson Gives NFL Another Black Eye

            Not a whole lot to do here but hope for the health and safety of Peterson’s child.

9. Kyrie Irving Named MVP as United States Wins FIBA World Cup

            Along with his All-Star MVP from last February, that makes two meaningless most valuable player awards Irving has racked up in 2014.

8. The Dallas Cowboys Won’t Go 0-16
            Also noteworthy was the stink bomb Jake Locker dropped for the Titans on Sunday. After Week 1 there was a chance we were going to have to switch which team my son played for in Madden this year, but luckily for him he won’t have to look for a new squad to suit up for.

7. Packers Spot Jets 18 Points, Win Anyway

            Geno Smith was pretty spunky in the first half against Green Bay, but unfortunately he came crashing back to Earth as Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson took over.

6. Boston College Stuns #9 USC

            We would’ve enjoyed this result even more if Lane Kiffin were still the Head Coach of the Trojans.

           

5. South Carolina Survives With Late Goal-Line Stand Against Georgia

            The beauty of the new college football playoff is South Carolina still has hope after getting thumped in their first game against Texas A&M.

4. Chargers Slay Defending Champs

            Despite losing Ryan Matthews and only averaging 2.7 yards per carry as a team on the ground, San Diego still managed to hang onto the ball for 42 minutes and wear out the vaunted Seattle defense. Antonio Gates delivered a vintage performance, matching his career high with three touchdown receptions.

           

3. Brad Keselowski Drives Up the Middle to Win First Race of The Chase

            Bad Brad’s splitting of Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson to take the lead might go down as the launch point for his second championship. He can take it easy the next two weeks as he’s already advanced to the round of 12.

           

2. Bears Steal a Flag-Fest in San Francisco

            We were about to write off the Bears this year before Brandon Marshall dragged them into the lead in the fourth quarter.

1. Browns Stun Saints With Last Second Field Goal

            Apparently, it’s the same old sorry ass Saints when they have to play on the road. Even though it’s early in the season, this loss probably wipes out any chance they have at securing home field advantage in the NFC.

NFL Week 2 Picks

            Last week we did our best to stick to our pre-season predictions (only failing with the Bears-Bills game), and we rode that to the best Week 1 in the history of this blog. Sadly, we went against our pre-season prediction of the Steelers sucking when we backed them Thursday (although was there really any proper way to gauge how Baltimore was going to play in the wake of the Ray Rice scandal?), so we’re going back to basics for the rest of our Week 2 picks. 

           New wrinkles we are going to add each week with our picks is to highlight teams we feel are trending up or down. For our purposes, we will only relate that to how we forecasted each team to do before the season (for example we predicted the Giants to finish last in the NFC East, so there’s no reason for me to list them in the Stock Down section). We don’t like to overreact to Week 1, so there aren’t too many teams we are going to discuss.

Stock Up

Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan was head and shoulders above any other quarterback in the league with his Week 1 performance against the Saints. That level of play over an entire season can drag a mediocre roster into the playoffs.

Tennessee Titans – We announced earlier in the summer that my son would take over as the Titans quarterback in my Madden 15 franchise, so I was pleasantly surprised by Jake Locker’s performance at Arrowhead Stadium last week.

Indianapolis Colts – It’s weird typing this about a team that lost, but the Colts left a ton of points on the board against Denver. A few breaks here or there and Andrew Luck might’ve been able to steal the game from Peyton Manning. I wouldn’t of thought it possible before the season, but there is a chance they can finish as the second seed in the AFC.

Stock Down

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – You can’t lose a game at home to a team quarterbacked by Derek Anderson, regardless of the quality of defense your team is going against. There’s a good chance Josh McCown has turned into a pumpkin after his magical run with the Bears last year.

San Diego Chargers – It was trendy before the season to pick San Diego to upset the Broncos in the AFC West, but blowing an eleven-point lead to Carson Palmer shows the Chargers are the same frustrating team they’ve been for the better part of the last decade.

            Without further ado, the Week 2 picks.

1-0 Lions (+2.5) over 1-0 PANTHERS

            Detroit is well equipped to handle an overmatched Panthers secondary. We’re happy to get points here.

1-0 BILLS (Even) over 1-0 Dolphins

            Thankfully for Buffalo fans E.J. Manuel was just competent enough to deliver a shocking overtime win in Chicago. We like Buffalo’s chances of shutting down Miami’s offense.

0-1 Jaguars (+5.5) over 0-1 WASHINGTON

            Washington shouldn’t be favored by more than a field goal against any team in THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

1-0 TITANS (-3.5) over 0-1 Cowboys

            Tennessee has plenty of talent at wide receiver to dominate the comically awful Cowboys defense.

0-1 GIANTS (+2.5) over 1-0 Cardinals

            We hate the Giants but the schedule makers did them a favor here. Arizona’s game against San Diego finished at roughly 1:15 am Eastern time on Tuesday, and now they have to travel three time zones and play at 1:00 pm Sunday.

0-1 Patriots (-6.5) over 1-0 VIKINGS

            New England was our pick before the news about Adrian Peterson not playing broke. This could be a blow out.

0-1 Saints (-6.5) over 0-1 BROWNS

            Somehow a two-team teaser with the Patriots and Saints won’t work, even though it looks so simple on paper.

1-0 Falcons (+5.5) over 1-0 BENGALS

            We have the Bengals winning by three.

1-0 BUCCANEERS (-6) over 0-1 Rams

            St. Louis looks well on their way to the top overall pick after a listless performance at home against the Vikings.

1-0 Seahawks (-6) over 0-1 CHARGERS

            Here’s a new rule for 2014…don’t bet against the Seahawks unless the spread is over a touchdown or they are on the road at San Francisco.

0-1 RAIDERS (+3) over 1-0 Texans

            After Oakland heroically pulled off a back door cover at New York, we’re happy to get three points with them against Houston.

0-1 PACKERS (-8) over 1-0 Jets

            Here’s your suicide pool pick.

1-0 BRONCOS (-12.5) over 0-1 Chiefs

            It’s a really weird line, but when Kansas City is down 14-0 in the first quarter do you really trust Alex Smith to cover?

1-0 49ERS (-7) over 0-1 Bears

            Rumor has it Curtis Conway might come out of retirement to catch passes from Jay Cutler this week. We’ll also predict over 200 yards rushing for San Francisco.

0-1 COLTS (-3) over 1-0 Eagles

            To say Philadelphia was a little wobbly against Jacksonville last week is an understatement. Andrew the Giant will take care of business at home.

           

Week 1 = 10-6

Thursday = 0-1

NASCAR Pre-Chase Driver Ranks

            Every year before The Chase we rank who we feel has the most likely shot at hoisting the Sprint Cup. Keep in mind that this list doesn’t represent how we feel the final points will shake out, or who will be included in the Final 4 at Homestead. The new format makes it even harder to predict, as the winner take all finale will be one of the most ridiculous races in NASCAR history, but we’ve reviewed each round of the Chase, and the tracks that represent each driver’s best chances of advancing. Without further ado, our countdown to our pick to win the championship.

Complete and Utter Afterthoughts

16. A.J. Allmendinger

15. Aric Almirola

            Both earned well-deserved first career victories this year (with Allmendinger’s drive at Watkins Glen being the most dramatic finish of the season so far), but they have virtually no chance at winning the title. Almirola did run well at both Loudon and Dover earlier in the season (which are both in the first playoff segment), so there is the minute possibility he could sneak into the round of 12.

Happy to Be Here

14. Greg Biffle

13. Carl Edwards

            The demise of Roush-Fenway Racing has been well documented, and there’s no reason to expect a sudden revival during The Chase. Edwards is a lame duck driver, and Biffle has less Top-5s this season than Paul Menard. 

12. Ryan Newman

            Newman’s season has been just as uninspiring as Biffle’s, but at least he has been more competitive during the summer months. He does have three career wins at Loudon and Dover, which gives him a reasonable chance of making it to the round of 12. 

11. Kasey Kahne

            The greatest enigma of the entire NASCAR season has been Kahne’s inability to be consistently competitive this season. He needed a miraculous run at Atlanta just to be included in The Chase. If he can survive the first segment, Charlotte represents his best chance at cracking the Elite 8.

10. Denny Hamlin

            Hamlin has been more competent than you would think this season, as even with missing a race he would’ve made the playoffs without his win at Talladega. One can’t help but think he’s third on the Gibbs totem pole though.

Unpopular Dark Horses

9. Kyle Busch

8. Kurt Busch

            The Busch boys have only one win, both have occasionally had speed, and both have had an abundance of mechanical issues and crashes. We rank Kurt ahead of Kyle simply because the Hendrick powered Chevrolets have been stronger than the Gibbs Toyotas. 

Fatally Flawed

7. Matt Kenseth

            Kenseth is an honoree for hardest working driver of the year, as he’s tied for second in top-10s and tied for third in top-5s while piloting an underpowered Toyota Camry all year. Martinsville is the only track in the playoffs he has never won at, so it wouldn’t be a total shock to see him go on a run. Ultimately though, the lack of top end horsepower will do him in.

6. Kevin Harvick

            Happy Harvick has had fast cars all season long, but is saddled with the worst pit crew of any driver in the playoffs. His first year of the win was at Phoenix, so if he can repeat that feat he’ll be ticketed for the Final 4 at Homestead.

5. Jimmie Johnson

            With the exception of a stretch where he won three out of four just before the official start of summer, Six-Time has been riddled with tire issues all season. That could be the result of some experimenting by evil warlord crew chief Chad Knaus, but it just doesn’t feel like a championship season for Jimmie Johnson.

Stout Contenders

4. Joey Logano

            We’ve said it at least twice earlier this year, but it’s worth repeating…there really isn’t enough praise for a kid that’s only 24 years old being a legitimate championship contender. Logano has led laps in 18 of the 26 events this season, and has had speed everywhere. Other than his teammate, no one has more momentum than him going into the playoffs with Top-10 finishes in six of his last seven races.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

            Junior’s performance this year has been a huge shot in the arm for the sport, and it’s safe to assume that he should be a force throughout the playoffs. He’s tied for the most Top-5s with Brad Keselowski, and there isn’t a track on the schedule that he shouldn’t have speed at. The only reason we don’t have him in the top tier is the fact that we haven’t seen him post a competitive Chase showing since the first one in 2004.

The Favorites

2. Brad Keselowski

            Keselowski has been a little boom or bust this season, but some of that can be attributed to risk taking after securing a Chase spot early in the season. Penske Racing has had the most consistent qualifying program on a weekly basis, giving Keselowski premium track position right from the get go. The only reason we have some reservations about Keselowski winning is the third slate of elimination races. He’ll be fast at Texas, but Phoenix and Martinsville aren’t his strongest tracks on the circuit. 

1. Jeff Gordon

            Gordon has driven like a man possessed this year, posting more Top-10s than any other driver, and for the first time in many years looking like a guy hungry to win a title. He’s had success at every track in The Chase, and most importantly, has a win at Homestead under his belt. There’s a chance that he’ll be the only driver in the Final 4 that can say that. We’re signing off on Gordon as our predicted winner of the 2014 Sprint Cup.