Week 14 Prediction Games: The Prediction Results and the Frog

There's something about watching the 49ers look like a real football team that is hard to put into words. I mean, it's been nearly a decade. Steve Young has been out of football for 10 years. During that time, we've only had three winning seasons. And those don't even count because I said so.

Sure, I've watched plenty of other teams look like they belonged in the league. Between 1991 and 2004, the Bengals never had a winning season. THAT team has been to the playoffs since the last time the 49ers were any good.

The Houston Texans came into the league in 2002. They've never been any good. They have always sucked. Since they came into the league, they've won 46 regular season games. The 49ers have won 47 during that same period.

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the worst teams in the entire league. They've won 9 games total in the last three years. Even they made the playoffs only four years ago. Their starting quarterback that season was Damon Huard. Let me give you a second to let that sink in. Damon Huard. Playoffs. Kansas City Chiefs. 2006. Damon Huard.

The Arizona Cardinals as a franchise have been to the playoffs twice since a strike shortened 1982 season. During that period - a period of 17 seasons - they've had four winning years. And one of those years they only won eight games. Their head coach was Joe Bugel for four years. That franchise was so inept that Joe Bugel lasted FOUR YEARS as their head coach. And they've been to the Super Bowl since the last time the 49ers were any good.

So when I look at the 49ers right now, and I see a team that plays like a competent football team, and I see them dominate the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football in front of the entire nation... well, I have a hard time putting that into words. So instead of putting that into words, I'll just give you the prediction scores.

Arizona @ 49ers:

1. illini49er, bonbrillio, sfgfan, howtheyscored (16)
2. grantmp (20)
3. cassusriff (22)
4. Dub4lif3, J2daZ, snowweasel30, whobob (24)
5. YoungWillis, Ten-Man, etb2, Fooch (28)

Philadelphia @ New York Giants:

1. Iwantwinners (28)
2. cassusriff, LASVEGASNINER, beecharmer (34)
3. YoungWillis, bonbrillio, PHUT!, Drew K, sundaysfinest, etb2, urnext, jtoj, whobob, bignerd (36)
4. bayboy, wjackalope (38)
5. illini49er, mountaindew77, ro128487, groug, sfgfan, howtheyscored, jpgarfunkle, leaping_larry, rlott#42 (42)

Green Bay @ Chicago:

1. illini49er, bonbrillio (2)
2. sundaysfinest, mpotter14, LASVEGASNINER, leaping_larry, beecharmer (6)
3. J2daZ, gbears16 (8)
4. cassusriff, ro128487, bayboy (12)
5. Drew K, 5-0, wjackalope (14)

Cincinnati @ Minnesota:

1. ro128487 (12)
2. ZeroIndulgence, bonbrillio, DuikeBuike, mountaindew77, sfgfan, Iwantwinners, Fooch (14)
3. YoungWillis (18)
4. Ten-Man, bayboy, leaping_larry, Ninerfromacrossthepond, bignerd (20)
5. etb2, urnext, beecharmer (22)

Miami @ Jacksonville:

1. YoungWillis (4)
2. 49erLou, illini49er (6)
3. JoeO (8)
4. danknerd49 (10)
5. ro128487, mpotter14 (14)

San Diego @ Dallas:

1. PHUT! (8)
2. ro128487 (12)
3. gbears16, leaping_larry, beecharmer (14)
4. illini49er, bayboy, sfgfan, LASVEGASNINER (16)
5. urnext (20)

And that makes our week 14 leaderboard look like this:

So there's that.

First place has officially been usurped. Our man ro128487 had a very fine week to not just take back first place, but to pull away from the rest of us jerks. Currently, he stands one point away from making a century, and I'd be very surprised if we had to wait more than one more week for that line to be crossed.

Another very good week goes to illini49er, who scored a clean 17 points to jump 12 spots. Last week, a playoff spot was a distant goal. This coming week, he'll be defending his seed (I could have phrased that better) against the likes of past playoff contenders like wjackalope and sfgfan.

But that wasn't the only 17 point week we had today - bonbrillio also made the jump, and deserves all of same accolades showered on illini49er. It just goes to show you how quickly fortunes can change if you just get a good week.

Remember, there were no perfect predictions this week. These guys did it all by the skin of their teeth. That's called enamel.

I want to also congratulate cassusriff, LASVEGASNINER, YoungWillis, whobob, sundaysfinest, beecharmer, and bayboy. I'm sure there are other people who deserve mention, but I'm equally sure that those people don't include me (even though I'm still in fifth somehow!), wjackalope, groug, or Fooch. I guess it's not really fair that I mentioned the four of us and not you people, but if you complain about it I'll mention you next time.

And check your scores! Or else I'll come for you.

Nine months Landsman's been flopping at the Hotel Zamenhof without any of his fellow residents managing to get themselves murdered. Now somebody has put a bullet in the brain of the occupant of 208, a yid who was calling himself Emanuel Lasker.