Contest Time! Pick the Pro Winners!

New year, new contest!

I got a number of responses to the cancellation of the annual Bowl Pick 'Em contest and decided to work out a replacement. This one is simple: you get to pick all of the winners of the NFL playoff games. No big deal, right?

Before I get into the details, the prize structure will be this: the winner, as usual, receives a blaster box of 2021 Topps Series One baseball, as well as some bonus cards of the team/players of your choice. Second, third and fourth place will receive some bonus cards of the team/players of your choice. (Note: I will try everything I can to actually find said blaster considering the recent availability of trading cards on the retail market. Please be patient.)

This will be done on a points basis. Each team is assigned points based on the games that they win: 

• Wild Card round: 1 point
• Divisional round: 5 points
• AFC/NFC Championship: 10 points
• Super Bowl: 25 points

To enter, all you have to do is copy/paste the following into the comments section and assign your points accordingly. A winner will be determined by point differential (e.g. if you assign Green Bay 16 points and they lose out in the NFC Championship game, you'll get a total of -11 points for that team as they only earned 5 points. Similarly, if you assign Chicago 1 point and they make it to the Super Bowl before losing, you'll get a total of -15 for that team.) The entry with the highest total (lowest differential) wins. If any real life game is forfeited for any reason, the team that advances will be credited with points. Teams with a bye in the Wild Card round (KC and Green Bay) do not get credit for a point for that round.

Kansas City: ?? points

Buffalo: ?? points

Indianapolis: ?? points

Pittsburgh: ?? points

Cleveland: ?? points

Tennessee: ?? points

Baltimore: ?? points

Green Bay: ?? points

New Orleans: ?? points

Chicago: ?? points

Seattle: ?? points

Los Angeles Rams: ?? points

Washington: ?? points

Tampa Bay: ?? points

I've had a couple of people in the past mention that they couldn't comment here for some reason, so I will also be accepting entries via email and Twitter. I'll add those to the comments section so everyone can see them.

So, you may be asking... why an NFL contest? I've never purported to be much of a fan of pro football in my time here, but it seems like a more acceptable alternative to making low stakes bets on amateur athletes that are risking their lives during this pandemic. It's not quite as fun, but hopefully it will provide a quick and easy diversion for a few of you out there.

Deadline for entry: 10:00 AM PST Saturday 1/9/2021