Friends in football,

5,515 of us didn't just Eat a W on Thanksgiving. We ate all three Ws.

From now through Week 16, the weekly WeeWoo champ gets $5,030 - our normal $2K plus $3,030 in honor of Jameis "Eat a W" Winston's infamous 30/30 season.

If you're one of the 2,571 who went 2-1 on Thursday, you're definitely still in it. If you went 1-2 like Commish... there's a chance.

If you're among the 51 who went 0-3, bless you. May you enjoy the thrilling possibilty of Nathan Peterman throwing passes in an NFL game once again.

WEEK 12 PICKS

• BFIG Survivor
  • Summary | Weekly Standings
• WeeWoo Pick'em
  • Summary | Weekly Standings
• FitzMagic Survivor
  • Summary | Weekly Standings
• Your group picks (get in a group with friends!)

By most any measure, Thursday was the best set of Thanksgiving NFL games ever.

The matchups - often bad for whatever reason - were fantastic. Five potential playoff teams and a sixth (the Lions) on its longest winning streak in centuries.

All three games came down to the fourth quarter. One was won at the buzzer. Altogether, it was the most watched Thanksgiving in NFL history.

Commish is still waiting for Goodell's thank you note. 5,515 of us went 3-0. We gathered scores of friends and family to participate in our eventual $5,030 haul, telling them stories of our legendary picking prowess and 3x lifesized Tony Siragusa fatheads on our living room wall, drinking Bud Light Limes and watching NFL football.

You don't break records without us, Goodell.

PICK STATS

BFIG Survivor

• 12 weeks in, we're still without a majority pick in 2022
• Our top picks: Dolphins (46%, vs. Texans), Seahawks (38%, vs. Raiders), Niners (27%, vs. Saints), and Jets (21%, vs. Bears)
• 100% - that's right, 100% - of BFIGers who had the Dolphins available took them today
• We were also 100% on the Cowboys (10 had them available) and Bills (3 had them available)
• That makes Miami, Dallas, and Buffalo the first three "picked out" teams of BFIG 2022
• 88% who had SF available took the Niners, leaving just 2 people with them available
• 78% who had KC available took the Chiefs, also leaving just 2 people with them available
• Just two had the Eagles, and one took them vs. the Packers on SNF
• WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO IT

WeeWoo Pick'em

• For Thanksgiving, we were 92% on the Bills, 88% on the Cowboys, and 77% on the Vikings
• All three won, which meant more than half of Week 12 pickers emerged 3-0
• It's a full 16-game slate this week, though, so it remains unlikely our champ will finish 16-0
• Miami (98%) is our biggest pick of the year in WeeWoo
• The Dolphins are up 17-0 early in the second quarter
• This week's toss-up games: Colts-Steelers (66/34), Jets-Bears (65/35), Broncos-Panthers (57/43), Titans-Bengals (55/45)
• Gotta win at least three of those to have a shot at the title this week

FitzMagic Survivor

• We've been doing this since 2009, and Commish can't recall another year where FitzMagic Survivor (fka "Second Chance Survivor") has looked so similar to BFIG each week
• Typically, Fitz is the Wild West of survivor. You see giant heapings of Moxie. You see different strategies forming
• This year? Basically "same same"
• The top four for Fitz are the same as BFIG, in roughly the same percentages
• Special shout-out to the 7 people who picked the Titans-Bengals game (5 on Titans, 2 on Bengals), along with the lone pickers on Pittsburgh and Cleveland
• I suppose SOME Moxie still exists in Fitz!

WEEKLY AWARDS

"You've Got Moxie, Kid" Award
Boldest pick WITH a comment. You can't win a SZN competition without a little Moxie!

@lgjendem (Fitz: Bengals, Seahawks): "This is under season. Where boys become men, Girls become women with the picks made this week. I have a feeling I won't make it past puberty. Rip my future facial hair. "
Commish says: You're in Week 12. You are at LEAST reading young adult novels at this point. Plus, you have to have adult-sized Moxie to back Russell Wilson's Broncos this deep into a survivor SZN.

Commish Communication Award
Our best weekly comment (or three)

@manonthemoov (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "I know a bird who’s soft and sweet She’s so fine, she can’t be beat Got everything that I desire Sets the fall football sun on fire I want TURKEY, I want TURKEY"
Commish says: BRB WEEPING IT'S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL

@KyleCorto (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "Let me tell you a fond memory I have around this time of year. Every year as my family got together to give thanks and enjoy antipasti & ravioli (yes, Italian Thanksgiving is far superior), I was blessed with wisdom from my dear Uncle Steve. Uncle Steve explained that no matter how bad they were (yes, even the dreaded 2000's), the Lions always cover on Thanksgiving day. See it was at this moment at eight years old that I learned the valuable lesson that good teams win & great teams cover. I had no idea what that meant until my later years when I realized why Uncle Steve was always so invested in some snoozer of a Lions game when they were driving late in the 4th down by 16. Because they were about to cover a +9.5!! So yes, I am picking the Bills for the sake of survivor, but Lions +8.5 is an immortal lock. A younger me would have been tempted to pick the Fighting Dan Campbells, but I remembered that the Lions are not good, they are GREAT! Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving. As always, when I go 16-0, I would really prefer my winnings in singles. ***DISCLAIMER - For the sake of fact-checking Uncle Steve, I went back to look at that disastrous winless season Thanksgiving game. The winless Lions hosted the Vince Young & CJ2K led Titans at a +11 home dog. They proceeded to get trounced 47-10 so did not in fact cover the spread that day. I'm still riding with the Lions this year!!"
Commish says: Bills win LIONS COVER!!!

"I Could Sell You Bengals Tickets" Award
Most convincing comment. (When BFIG began in 2009, the Bengals were AWFUL.)

@benjaminjosephgross (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "The home team will win every matchup this week because moms never lose an argument to their brothers at their own dinner table on thanksgiving. "
Commish says: Flawless logic. Impeccable foresight. OUR FIRST $5,030 CHAMP!

Definitely Not Concussed Award
The spiciest/wildest take.

@michelemammen (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "Jimmy Garoppolo continues his dominant play with four touchdowns in Santa Clara."
Commish says: Early candidate for "most unlikely comment that's actually true" of the 2022 NFL SZN

MORE COMMENTS

@daviddrobac (Swami: Panthers): "Let me pick a tie you coward"
Commish says: HOW DARE YOU... actually we've talked about doing this

@mahatma19 (Swami: Chargers): "Proposal: pick a tie; get a skin; win a million dollars! (Think of the marketing possibilities.)"
Commish says: IS THIS A COUP D'ÉTIE?

@kempsoos (QB: Tannehill): "I’m in a weird limbo of tanking interval #2 and trying to stay relevant in the year long competition. "
Commish says: This is my battle on pretty much a weekly basis

@Jmkahn (QB: Rodgers): "The Cowboys suck worse than the moment you find out it's not just a marshmallow casserole, there are potatoes underneath."
Commish says: Please keep doing this. Get grander. Get bolder. Get ANGRIER.

@spicymilk (QB: Allen): "Who the hell is Davis Mills"
Commish says: But have you met Kyle Allen?

@chigity2 (Fitz: Vikings, Jets): "I can’t believe I’m going against the coin here. The internal guilt is immense. I feel like I’m at the craps table betting the dark side. "
Commish says: You need the heart of a lion, Moxie of a gambler, and memory of a dog to win an NFL SZN competition. You are doing great.

@JKundBombers (BFIG: Jets, Seahawks): "Mike. White. SZN! The magical man is back and leads his squad to victory with 2 tuddy passes!! Zach Wilson, who?! 21-6 Gang Green! Hawks off a bye, Geno vying to get MVP votes.. Seahawks roll! Davante will be questioning why he came to Vegas after this one.. 31-17 Birds!"
Commish says: When you're in a bar watching the NFL, do you scream "TUDDY, BABY!" when your team scores? If yes, where is your bar and can I come

@Bobby_Shan (Fitz: Commanders, Buccaneers): "Divorced Tom + Washington Commanders = First Ever Survivor/Time doing this.. Simple Game Fellas."
Commish says: First year survivor players thinking this game is easy is Commish's favorite form of puppy love. Just you wait, Bobby. (But congrats on a great first year!)

@judigregry (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "Saints should have made a go at Garapolo over the summer. They have a history at taking one-armed bandits and making history. Instead of marching into SF to score a W we will be fighting against a QB who’s fans don’t appreciate or want. SMDH"
Commish says: Are we REALLY at the "we should have made a play for Jimmy G" stage?!

@MagicDreams (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "If the Lions want to roar on Turkey Day and upset the Bills it will ruin my perfect pick chances but will be just dandy for my Dolphins. Pats are a trendy pick to take down the Vikings. In a battle of 2 offenses that only scored 3 points last week, I’ll take the one with Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook."
Commish says: The WeeWoo magic dreams are alive and well for @MagicDreams!!

@ekahn93 (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "It's sad to see the once elite and future HOF QBs like Russel Wilson, Tom Brady, Joe Flacco struggle through the season. But you have to be reminded that they're not a spry chicken, or turkey anymore. It's like its the day before Thanksgiving and the farmer is looking for the fattest, slowest, most interception prone turkeys to prepare for slaughter. Hard to watch, sure, but you just can't look away. But turkey is delicious and always comes in clutch when you need a buffer between you and your 'live, laugh, love' aunt or your 'birds aren't real' uncle (yes they are married). So that is why I am picking the clutch turkey's to come up big when it matters most. Except Joe Flacco"
Commish says: I lol'd at LLL aunt and "Birds aren't real" uncle. Probability that a Thanksgiving dinner table including them is a riot? 99.9%. Leaving a 0.1% likelihood that Nick Saban also shows up.

@Mr_Rodgers_Neighborhood (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "As a Packer fan, it’s really odd to have nothing to play for in November. So this is what it’s like to be a Bears’ fan…"
Commish says: Oof. Ooooooooffffff

@Shaggybrak (Swami: Bills): "In all sincerity: Thank you. I'm grateful for the opportunity to look foolish while proving I have next no knowledge in sportsgames; and like JaMarcus Russell "participated" in the NFL I look forward to the weekly break from the day to day work doldrums to "participate" in this league. I look forward to subterfuge of sounding busy at work while feverishly typing away in the SZN comments line hoping to land a small gem in the treasure trove of creative comments. My one creative outlet, yes one outlet, is here - and I appreciate it ever so much. May you all have a grateful and sated holiday week - except for Uncle Todd who can't help but spoil dinner with some politically charged bullshit. Go f'yerself Uncle Todd. "
Commish says: NOT CRYING. NO. I ACCIDENTALLY SPLASHED BUD LIGHT LIME ON MY FACE.

@Zevkesef (Swami: Broncos): "I am terrible at this. But at least you can always count on the Broncos game going under. "
Commish says: *Checks score* ... Yep.

@MelvinGordonLevitt (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "I can't decide which Wilson is worse, Zach or Russ. They're probably equally pathetic. I'm on the Jets to win and the Broncos to sink deeper into the abyss, so maybe there's my answer. Let's Ride!"
Commish says: How have I not seen your genius username till now?

@InDaGameQB69 (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "zeke still hungry"
Commish says: This week's "2022 or 2017?" comment award winner.

@TigersLovePepper (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "Missing John Madden and the 8-legged turkey this holiday. Yes, I know the tradition passed years ago… but in reflection, as one does during Thanksgiving, as a kid, I remember it was like watching a trapeze artist from the edge of my seat… “no way, a 4-legged turkey! Look Dad! (FFWD 1 yr) Dad, Dad! John Madden gave the turkey 6 legs and all the MVPs are chawing on them! (and the next year…) Holy cow, he went to 8! He did it! I didn’t even know that was possible!!! Nothing can stop him! I’m predicting a 12-legged turkey next year! Maybe 16 after that! There’s literally no limit!” (End scene as I rest confidently in my Dad’s big chair with my Red Rider BB gun across my lap.) Happy Thanksgiving Memories, God bless us every one!"
Commish says: I have nothing to add to this perfect comment.

@Budz (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "What are horseshoes made from? Steel.* Pittsburgh over Indy this week. (*May not actually be accurate. Too lazy to check)"
Commish says: SURVEY SAYS: STEEL!

@Pstapf (Weekly Woodson Pick'em): "Steelers gonna steel it"
Commish says: I can't believe I featured this.

Yours in football,
The Commish