FOOCH'S NOTE 5:00PM: I'll move this to the top again later on Friday, but I want to make sure everybody who wants to take part in our postseason prediction contest gets their predictions in.  There are two games: 1) a postseason free-for-all that EVERYBODY on the site can take part in, even if you didn't take part in the regular season version.  There are prizes for the top 2 finishers.  2) The second is our tournament for the top 8 finishers from the regular season.  Reminder to them, get your picks to me (ninersnation@gmail.com) before Saturday's kick offs.  I've gotten 2 people's picks so far.  I'll probably email a reminder later tonight to those who have not emailed me yet.
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IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE READ THIS FOR ALL DETAILS ABOUT THE TWO POST-SEASON PREDICTION GAMES, AND ASK FOR CLARIFICATION ABOUT ANYTHING WHATSOEVER IN THE COMMENTS SECTION.

First thing's first, people: There are still plenty of prizes left!

Fooch and I have been corresponding over the last week, and we've worked out how to distribute the prizes. Fooch is breaking it down explicitly for everybody in a comment within this thread. Check it out to learn more.

First: THE FREE-FOR-ALL:

EVERYBODY CAN PLAY THIS GAME!!! The slate is wiped clean and every player begins the sprint for the playoff crown at zero points. Scoring is identical to the regular season, except that perfect predictions count for 5 instead of 10. In a 4-week competition, spotting somebody 10 points is simply unfair. Other than that, the only change is that I will ask you to provide a tiebreaking prediction during the Super Bowl week only, in which you'll be asked to predict the total net yards for the game.

So, for EVERYBODY WHO WANTS TO PLAY, the games for the upcoming week are:

Atlanta @ Arizona - Sat., Jan. 3, 1:30 p.m. PST

Indianapolis @ San Diego - Sat., Jan. 3,  5:00 p.m. PST

Baltimore @ Miami - Sun., Jan. 4, 10:00 a.m. PST

Philadelphia @ Minnesota - Sun., Jan. 4, 1:30 p.m. PST

HEAD-TO-HEAD TOURNAMENT PLAYERS ONLY: When you submit your predictions to Fooch, be sure to make a prediction for the total net yards in the Philadelphia / Minnesota game. This could potentially mean the difference between a win and a loss.

For those playing in the HEAD-TO-HEAD TOURNAMENT, make sure you read past the jump for rules. It's also very important the eight of you consider e-mailing your predictions directly Fooch.

For those eight lucky players who made the head to head tournament, let me remind you who you are:

(8) 49erLou  @  (1) Ninerfromacrossthepond

(7) sfgfan  @  (2) wjackalope

(6) jtoj  @  (3) albertoleecho

(5) Niner Fan Lost in WI  @  (4) StrictlyFootball

Now pay attention, because here are the rules:

1. You can submit your predictions privately by e-mailing Fooch directly, OR you can post your predictions directly into this thread. E-mailing Fooch gives you the advantage of hiding your prediction from your opponent.
2. There is a series of tiebreakers. As you'll see, it is unlikely to get to a final tiebreak, but in case we need it, for one game a week in the playoffs, you will predict the total net yards. I'll let you know each week what game to do this for.
3. For games in which one player chooses the winner and one player chooses the loser, the player who chose the winner will receive 1 point.
4. For games in which both players choose the winner, the player whose predicted score is closer to the actual score, as determined by the same equation we've been using all year, will receive 1 point.
5. For games in which both players choose the loser, neither player will receive any points.
6. The player with more points for the round will win the head to head matchup.
7. In the event that both players have the same number of points at the end of a round, the first tiebreak will go to the player who correctly predicted more winners for the week. If a tie still remains, the tiebreak will go to the player with the lowest total predictive score (the number that our prediction equation spits out). If a tie still remains, the tiebreak will go to the player with the more accurate tiebreak prediction, which I will ask you about shortly. If a tiebreak STILL remains, then god dammit both players deserve to move on and we'll have a nice head to head to head matchup in the next round.

Now, the scoring is simple enough, but my masterful skills for explaining things have understandably made the tiebreak system sound far more complicated than it is. Believe me, it's VERY SIMPLE, contrary to how I make it sound, and more importantly, IT WORKS. Believe me. But if you have any questions, please ask.

Everybody, predict away!