I've been picking NFL games on the Washington Free Beacon since 2015. The strategy, to bolster my picks with some of the finest pictures the internet has to offer, has been wildly successful at producing winners.
In retrospect, my one misstep has been my failure to be proactive and ask the girls whose pictures I use what they think. As one of Beacon's leading feminist voices, this was wrong.
So, this week I reached out to Taylor Laffey for what will be, I hope, the first in a long series of "Beat Brent Scher" posts. Taylor, a Florida girl and FSU grad, was kind enough to share her picks with me. I don't know if she has a strategy, but we'll see how she does.
Following the model of the Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay, in which Flay lets his weekly competitor choose the dish they prepare, I'll be picking the twelve games Taylor chose a side on.
Here are our picks:
Chicago Bears AT Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Taylor's pick: Bucs -7
My pick: Bears +7
I figured she'd go with FSU legend Jameis Winston in his season opener. She said she was "sure" about this one, but I like the Bears.
Tennessee Titans AT Jacksonville Jaguars
Taylor's pick: Jaguars +2.5
My pick: Titans -2.5
Taylor takes her second Florida team of the week.
Cleveland Browns AT Baltimore Ravens
Taylor's pick: Ravens -8
My pick: Ravens -8
New England Patriots AT New Orleans Saints
Taylor's pick: Patriots -6.5
My pick: Patriots -6.5
Philadelphia Eagles AT Kansas City Chiefs
Taylor's pick: Eagles +4.5
My pick: Chiefs -4.5
Miami Dolphins AT Los Angeles Chargers
Taylor's pick: Dolphins +4.5
My pick: Chargers -4.5
And now her third Florida team of the week, and I'm going against them all.
Dallas Cowboys AT Denver Broncos
Taylor's pick: Cowboys -2.5
My pick: Cowboys -2.5
Washington Redskins AT Los Angeles Rams
Taylor's pick: Redskins +2.5
My pick: Rams -2.5
New York Jets AT Oakland Raiders
Taylor's pick: Jets +14
My pick: Jets +14
San Francisco 49ers AT Seattle Seahawks
Taylor's pick: Seahawks -14
My pick: Seahawks -14
Green Bay Packers AT Atlanta Falcons
Taylor's pick: Packers +2.5
My pick: Falcons -2.5
Detroit Lions AT New York Giants
Taylor's pick: Lions +3.5
My pick: Lions +3.5
So for those who want to easily keep track, here are Taylor's twelve picks: Buccaneers, Jaguars, Ravens, Patriots, Eagles, Dolphins, Cowboys, Redskins, Jets, Seahawks, Packers, and Lions.
My twelve picks are: Bears, Titans, Ravens, Patriot, Chiefs, Chargers, Cowboys, Rams, Jets, Seahawks, Falcons, and Lions.
Is it a bad thing that I'm kinda rooting for Taylor?