NFL week 14 preview and predictions

The Armchair Quarterback’s Odds And Ends Of The Week

Fantasy Player To Start This Week:

Joe Flacco – QB – Baltimore Ravens

It’s been a disappointing season thus far for Joe Flacco who became one of the highest paid QBs in the league after leading the Ravens to a Super Bowl win last year. He currently has just 15 TDs and 14 INTs. However, this week the Vikings come to town. Minnesota is averaging the third most passing yards allowed and has given up the most passing TDs of any team in the league. Look for Flacco to find Torrey Smith for a few big plays. If you have Flacco sitting on your bench, this might be a good week to get him in the starting lineup if your regular QB is banged up or facing a tough match up.

Beer Review Of The Week:

Samuel Adams Winter Lager

While Samuel Adams might not be my very favorite craft brewer of all time, they do often have some very good offerings. Sometimes I think they get too much backlash because they are arguably the biggest craft beer brewer in the US. Some seem to think that since they’ve gone mainstream, their beer can’t be as good as smaller breweries. That’s silly. A good beer is a good beer and I don’t care how big or small the brewery it was made in was. Here’s the bottle description of this winter seasonal:

"German brewers may have been onto something centuries ago when they created bold rich bock beers for the winter. For our brew, we created a dark wheat bock subtly spiced with fresh ground cinnamon, ginger, & orange peel for a deep smooth flavor that’s perfect on a cold winter’s night."

I thought the description sounded good, but this one was a little less flavorful than I was hoping for. It wasn’t bad, I just found myself wishing for a little more. It’s basically a regular Sam Adams with just a hint of cinnamon and spice. There was nothing about the taste that I disliked and I would certainly take it over any regular or light beers, but that’s not saying much. Maybe I’ve been drinking too many stouts and porters this season, because although I liked the flavor, it left me craving something stronger.

My Rating (1-10): 7

Random Thought Of The Week:

I bet NFL players really hate major league baseball players. I mean while these guys are out there completely destroying their bodies (including their brains) to play the most popular sport in the country, baseball players are making significantly more money (all of which is guaranteed) to play a sport that is less dangerous and less popular. Jacoby Ellsbury has reportedly signed a seven year, 153 million dollar contract with the New York Yankees. Ellsbury is a very good player, but the fact that he got a contract with 90.5 million dollars more guaranteed money than Aaron Rodgers got in his last deal just seems crazy to me. I get it, the baseball season is a long grind and teams get money from infinitely more games (both from TV and ticket revenues). I just think it must be a hard pill to swallow to know that you are playing a game that is more popular and is going to have more long term effects on your body, but are getting a fraction of the pay of the star players in baseball.

I know one thing for sure. If I had a son that was freakishly athletic and was good at both baseball and football, I wouldn’t think twice about which sport to encourage him to pursue long term.

That’s it for this week. As usual, if you read something you loved, hated, or you think is just plain wrong, let me hear about it in the comments below. Until next week, find yourself a comfortable chair and enjoy some football.

Thanks for reading.

Follow me on Twitter: @LyleGraversen