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The Harmon Football Forecast is one of the most highly regarded and widely read sports features in the country, published in over 200 newspapers.
| Harmon Stat Pack | |
|---|---|
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Wk 9:
15 picks
Right: 12 Wrong: 3 Pct: .8 |
YTD:
128 picks
Right: 71 Wrong: 57 Pct: .555 |
| Harmon's archive | |
It all began when Bob Harmon began predicting college and NFL games in 1957. He devised a mathematical formula that picked winners correctly between 72 and 78 percent of the time; most seasons getting almost 75 percent of his picks right.
Today, Jim Harmon and his staff are the only forecasters who predict exact scores and chart every college and pro team.
Sunday's games (11/18/2001):
| * Arizona 25, Detroit 16 |
| The Cardinals and Lions score rarely but get scored upon frequently; maybe these woeful defenses are just what these offenses need to get on track. Arizona has won three straight from Detroit. |
| * Baltimore 21, Cleveland 19 |
| Four weeks ago the Browns were outgained by the Ravens on the ground and through the air but still managed to beat the team that once wore their colors for the first time, 24-14. Not this time. |
| Chicago 20, * Tampa Bay 17 |
| The second of six straight NFC Central showdowns for the Bears, who'll need to scare up some pass defense to stay with the Buccaneers. In 2000 Chicago ended a six-game losing streak against T.B. |
| * Cincinnati 24, Tennessee 18 |
| The fourth of six straight AFC Central showdowns for the Titans, who, like the Bengals, need to scare up some offense to stay in the division fight. Tennessee has won six in a row from Cincy. |
| * Denver 31, Washington 13 |
| While the Broncos are mid-AFC mediocre on both sides of the ball, the Redskins rank near the bottom of the NFC in almost every category. Denver was a 38-16 winner the last time they met, in '98. |
| * Green Bay 34, Atlanta 14 |
| No team in the NFC (except the Rams) is better through the air than the Packers, and no team has a weaker pass defense than the Falcons. They last butted heads in the playoffs six years ago. |
| * Miami 22, N.Y. Jets 9 |
| Scoring 21 unanswered points in the second half, the Jets won their seventh straight from the Dolphins in Week Five, 21-17. Miami's run defense needs to prove that N.Y. doesn't have its number. |
| * New Orleans 28, Indianapolis 24 |
| This could be a shootout, with the Saints struggling to stop the Colts' passing attack and Indy helpless against anything N.O.'s offense tries. The Colts have lost four in a row to the Saints. |
| * Oakland 27, San Diego 24 |
| Both the Raiders and Chargers have so-so secondaries, yet both teams are better overall on defense, so this could be a shootout -- or anything but. Oakland's won six of its last seven against S.D. |
| Philadelphia 14, * Dallas 7 |
| Paced by three Donovan McNabb TD passes and a stunting defense, the Eagles thumped the Cowboys in September, 40-18. But despite its record, Dallas has improved, and this one won't be so easy. |
| * Pittsburgh 26, Jacksonville 13 |
| These teams' fortunes have reversed since they met in Week One and Mark Brunell threw for three scores in a 21-3 Jaguars win. Still, the Steelers need more offense than a fearsome running game. |
| St. Louis 35, * New England 10 |
| We've misread the Patriots all season long, but the Rams are superior in every phase of the game and should move N.E. up and down the field at will. St. Louis won last, three years ago, 32-18. |
| San Francisco 29, * Carolina 15 |
| On their fifth try, the 49ers finally beat their former coach, the Panthers' George Seifert, six weeks ago, 24-14. Carolina can't stop S.F., which will even the series sweeps at three apiece. |
| Seattle 14, * Buffalo 13 |
| The Seahawks run well and defend well against the run, but they're so inconsistent that anything could happen in wintry Buffalo. Last year the Bills notched their biggest win in Seattle, 42-23. |
Monday Night (11/19/2001):
| * Minnesota 27, N.Y. Giants 19 |
| Speaking of inconsistency, here's a dream matchup that makes the 2000 NFC Championship seem so long ago. It's safe to say that Minnesota has been looking forward to avenging that 41-0 debacle. |
Open date: Kansas City
* Denotes Home Team
* Note: Picks are straight up.
Broadway Joe