We don't write enough articles. No, no, I know. You're here for the picks, but articles also highlight the best and worst of Pickwatch, so every Monday we're going to do a review of Thursday-Sunday. What's the format? No idea. We'll work that out as we go along. If you're not reading that in the style of the old Mafia boss from the Simpsons, you haven't LIVED!

TALLY HO! (erm, more of a WWI era British Flying Corps pilot)

Going Up: Miami

The Dolphins were imperious against the Chargers. As picks go, having the Chargers yesterday was enough to make you feel like a bit of a fool, as they were in desperation mode from mid-way through the second quarter.

Meanwhile something that's impressed me a lot about the Dolphins is that they've developed into the type of playmaking defence that can be the difference between 8-8 and a playoff appearance.

Amusingly, the inconsistent offence remains an enigma, with the Tannehill-Wallace-Miller combination doing their best work on longer drives, while struggling to convert a couple of short fields into TD's. That's why their defence is key to their continued success.

Going Down: Denver

I don't know how you trust the Broncos in the postseason after a non-performance like that in arguably the biggest game of the season so far. I made a point in pre-game about how Peyton Manning was smart enough to play the conditions, and not force anything. Instead he attempted to play his 'normal' game with disastrous consequences.

He doesn't have the arm to make outside throws in the cold towards receivers covered as tight as they were by the physical Patriots DB's on Sunday. Unfortunately, the Broncos persisted with this tactic all game long, getting away from the run early and attacking the flanks with abandon. Most worryingly of all, this occurred while he regularly had 3-4 seconds in a clean pocket, usually enough for Manning to make the right decision.

It's not all on him, of course. Ronnie Hillman didn't excel in limited duty. The defence was atrocious. The playcalling bad. We can only hope for the sake of our playoff pick'em tournament that the Broncos learn quickly from their mistakes. These weren't the worst conditions this team will face before the season is over.

Pick of the week:

The aforementioned Dolphins and Patriots were two of only three upsets in a quiet week for underdogs. Since nobody had the Rams, we'd also give credit to those who picked the Vikings to beat the Redskins, given that this game attracted an almost dead on 50-50 split amongst experts. and was statistically the hardest game to call this season based on our expert consensus.

Worst Pick of the week:

Two of our favorite experts, Dave Dameshek and his NFL Network producer TD Daniel picked the Jets, along with 3 B/R staffers, Chris Simms, Mike Freeman and Mike Tanier. There really is no reason to think the Jets would stroll into Kansas City in the wind and beat the Chiefs, and they promptly didn't.

The Jets must wonder, however, if they made a cataclysmic error - and a fatal* one for Rex Ryan - in anointing Geno Smith starter at the expense of Mike Vick early on in the offseason. How many of those intercepions could have been fumbles recovered by offensive linemen? How many drives could have stalled at the opponents 45, rather than the Jets' own? The mind boggles.

_ *obviously, y'know, not 'fatal' in the literal sense. Everyone loves Rex. _

Why NFL Redzone is bad for your picks

Boy do I love me some Scott Hanson on a Sunday, flipping between games as teams reach their opponent's 20 yard line... I'm serious. The guy is a pro, a born presenter. He was probably born and immediately advised that he was going to go double-box as Mindy in room 401 was also about to give birth.

From all I've read about him, Hanson is a damn likeable man who has a natural humor and wit that make him a godsend in the minefield of a 7hr live broadcast. Sometimes you notice little jokes or references and wonder a bit about the man himself - not the self-indulgent, Seinfeld/Curb jokes that Rich Eisen thrives on, but a genuine everyman type of rapport with his viewers. Put simply, I enjoy watching Hanson because I feel like he knows his audience don't want to think about him too much.

I get the feeling Hanson was shunted to Redzone as a sort of stopgap until they worked out how the show would be received, and how they could adapt the format based on feedback. Well, Hanson can now stick two fingers up at his bosses. Assuming my completely baseless suggestion is true.

I'd be willing to bet Redzone is one of, if not THE most watched show of NFL Network's week. It's certainly the one with the most focus on the host, and in that regard, you have to wonder if NFLN would have chosen a more high-profile presenter such as Eisen, had they known Redzone would become what it is today. Either way, it's irrelevant in that the vehicle is solely Hanson's now, and any attempt to remove the nation's football-presenting cult hero would be disastrous to the format

But there is a downside to Redzone if you're a fan...

As much as we all love seeing big plays, quite often the more telling aspects of a team's play come from the series where they get bogged down, or spend 9 minutes running the clock down only to kick a field goal. How good are they at controlling possession? How many passes were nearly intercepted? How many times did the defence force a 3 and out?

These aren't questions for a Redzone viewer. I don't see how you can get an adequate picture of how each team is performing beyond the baseline stats - stats that are little use in predicting a team's future performances.

Yep, when it comes to Pick'em, Redzone is the ultimate misleading tool. It'll always favor the winner, always highlight the game-changing plays, but rarely show the plays that lead up to such events. if you watch most games in full (try NFL Game Rewind) you will often see large passages of play where 'nothing' happens, yet within that time battles are being fought, won and lost in the trenches. Special Teams are dictating field position, and playcalling is being stretched to find a way out of offensive ruts.

Those are all compelling parts of your average football game, yet Redzone focuses only on the WOW plays. I get why it exists, and I don't see any way to remedy it - hell, I wouldn't try to because it's very enjoyable - but if you want some advice, don't watch Redzone. I've tried it this year and it really, really hurts your understanding of teams in the NFL.

Monday Night Prediction:

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I'm headed to NYC in December for the Eagles game, so if the Colts could just pile on the Giants and make those tickets a bit cheaper, that would be great.

It's amazing the way the NFL media works. Andrew Luck was heralded by Bill Simmons as the second third coming prior to week 8, yet a bad performance against a Steelers team that has been proven to be a red hot offence, and all of a sudden his mistakes are a massive focus.

I saw a tweet - and I can't be bothered tracking down either the tweet or the tweeter - saying that Luck makes 2-3 dumb plays every game. Well... so do most QB's. The difference is they aren't also living up to the hype of being the best QB prospect of the last fifteen years at the same time.

Seriously, put the pressure Luck faced after being drated one place ahead of Robert Griffin III on ANY other first round QB drafted in the last 5 years, and they'd have wilted by now. In fact, when you look around, there's only really Matt Ryan who has successfully handled pressure the way Luck did. I firmly believe Ryan isn't the problem in Atlanta, but name me another day-one starter who has played as well as Luck in his first 3 seasons, stayed healthy, and improved every year?

Basically, it's amazing that Luck is being analysed so harshly at this point. His opponents tonight know better than anyone what an inconsistent first overall pick can be like during those first few years under Center...