Mac’s Picks enters the final week of the regular season 20-12 (11-5 on Giants games and 9-7 on Jets games). Good news is while the Giants and Jets are done Sunday, Mac’s Picks will return for the playoffs!
New York Giants (3-13) at Philadelphia (13-3)
Sunday 1p CBS
Nick Sirianni spoiled our fun. We wanted to see Saquon Barkley exact more revenge against the team that let him walk out of their building without a formal offer. The Giants 100th season has been a resounding failure, but if Barkley capped it off by rushing for 101 yards, breaking Eric Dickerson’s all-time single season rushing record, it would’ve made for a memorable ending. Painful, but memorable.
Sirianni, like his team, has been on a roll after a 2-2 start that had many questioning if his job was in peril. However, a 10-game win streak shut down the rumors, locked up the second seed, and made it easy for him to put team success ahead of setting records. Barkley and other starters will not suit up for the Eagles on Sunday, rendering the game meaningless aside from the Giants final draft position.
Mac’s Pick – Eagles 27 Giants 19
Miami Dolphins (8-8) at New York Jets (4-12)
Sunday 4:25p FOX
The Dolphins come into MetLife Stadium having won 8 games, yet they still have a chance to make the playoffs. Which brings me back to October 8th. What the hell was Woody Johnson thinking? Despite the inconsistency of the aging QB, the injuries along the OL and the fact that the Jets are on their 5th place kicker, I firmly believe that if Woody kept Robert Saleh, the Jets would have at least 8 wins, and this game would’ve been meaningful for both teams.
We hated Woody’s decision then, and with the benefit of hindsight, we hate it even more now. Woody was so embarrassed after losses to Denver (9 wins) and Minnesota (14 wins) that he decided that to axe Saleh (the architect of the defense) and promote Jeff Ulbrich (the coordinator of the defense) with no fear that the defense would take a step back. Well, the Jets went from giving up 17 points per game under Saleh (2-3) compared to 27 points per game under Ulbrich (2-9). We said it then, and we’ll say it now, it was a ridiculous decision that cast a huge shadow over everything that has happened since.
Mac’s Pick – Jets 24 Dolphins 18
The Giants and Jets seasons are over, but Mac’s Picks is returning for the playoffs!
Disclaimer: Mac’s Picks is written for entertainment purposes only. “Mac” is not a professional prognosticator and doesn’t claim to be able to able to predict the future. Use this information at your own risk.
