TV Party Tonight! Part Two: Fridays - by Scott Carr

Click here for TV Party Part One: George Michael and Queen.

When it was announced at our weekly editorial board meeting (editor's note: over cognac & cigars) that Pencil Storm would be doing a new series dedicated to the YouTube rabbit hole, I was totally on board. I often find myself digging through YouTube for hours searching for a lost piece of footage that takes me back in time. 

My trip down the You Tube rabbit hole this weekend will take you back to the early 1980's when the ABC television network decided that they would give NBC's Saturday Night Live some competition. Originally ABC had thought they should go head to head with SNL with a sketch comedy series airing on the same night and in the same time slot. After giving it some thought ABC decided maybe the better idea would be to air their late night comedy show a night before and call it Fridays. 

Fridays began it's run on ABC in April of 1980 and would last for only three seasons, leaving the airwaves in April of 1982.  The premise of Fridays basically followed the SNL concept:  sketch comedy with a different guest star and musical act each week. 

Fridays really connected with me as I was too young to really appreciate the original cast  of  SNL that included John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and others. By 1980  SNL was struggling as it had lost all of its original cast members and producer Lorne Michaels had gone on hiatus from the show. The time seemed right for a new kid on the block. 

Fridays had a pretty strong cast of characters but for me it was the musical guests that kept me watching week after week. Fridays is notable for hosting the American network television debuts of  AC/DC, The Clash and The Stray Cats. At the time of their appearance The Stray Cats didn't even have a record out in America, it would be another eight months before their US debut would be released. Other memorable performances included The Jam, Pretenders, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Plasmatics, Split Enz and many others. The Cars and Devo hold the distinction of being the only artists to make more than one appearance on the show. 

Kiss appeared on Fridays in February of 1982 promoting their album (Music From) The Elder. Kiss performed three songs from the album and this would be the only live performance of material from that album for over three decades. This footage was very sought after by Kiss fanatics around the globe and would eventually resurface on the band's Kissology Vol. 2 DVD set in 2007.

Fridays final episode aired on April 23rd 1982 and featured Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder performing "Ebony and Ivory."

There are plenty of Fridays clips on YouTube, below are a few of my favorites. I'm sure you'll discover others that will keep you occupied for a few hours........television like this does not exist anymore.......

The Clash perform "London Calling" and "Train In The Vain" live as the musical guest on the cult classic comedy show Fridays. You can buy The Best Of Fridays at: https://www.shoutfactory.com/node/217612 For the first time ever on DVD, ABC's cult hit Fridays is here!

The Stray Cats perform "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" live as the musical guest on the cult classic comedy show Fridays. You can buy The Best Of Fridays at: https://www.shoutfactory.com/node/217612 For the first time ever on DVD, ABC's cult hit Fridays is here!

Kiss performs "The Oath" live as the musical guest on the cult classic comedy show Fridays. You can buy The Best Of Fridays at: https://www.shoutfactory.com/node/217612 For the first time ever on DVD, ABC's cult hit Fridays is here!

Devo performs "Uncontrollable Urge" live as the musical guest on the cult classic comedy show Fridays. You can buy The Best Of Fridays at: https://www.shoutfactory.com/node/217612 For the first time ever on DVD, ABC's cult hit Fridays is here!

Tom Petty performs "Shadow Of A Doubt" live as the musical guest on the cult classic comedy show Fridays. You can buy The Best Of Fridays at: https://www.shoutfactory.com/node/217612 For the first time ever on DVD, ABC's cult hit Fridays is here!

Steve Forbert performs "Romeo's Tune" live as the musical guest on the cult classic comedy show Fridays. You can buy The Best Of Fridays at: https://www.shoutfactory.com/node/217612 For the first time ever on DVD, ABC's cult hit Fridays is here!

New Zealand band Split Enz on ABC Comedy/Music show "Fridays" performing "I Got You"

Features Amy Kanter on vocals.

Uploaded by rebelsports on 2010-01-21.

Scott Carr is a guitarist who plays in the Columbus, OH  bands Radio Tramps andReturning April.  Scott is also an avid collector of vinyl records and works at Lost Weekend Records. So...if you are looking for Scott....you'll either find him in a dimly lit bar playing his guitar or in a record store digging for the holy grail.

Picking the Next Round of NFL Playoffs and Trump Prop Bets - Brian Phillips

Well that Wild Card round was a real dumpster fire eh. Four games, four blow-outs.  I picked all the winners anyway, but that wasn't hard to do. This week for the divisional round I'll throw down a score and make a selection against the spread too. Plus, for some fun, I'll include some Trump prop bets from the UK, where those degenerates will bet on anything. 

(Trump lines courtesy of Paddy Power.)

Saturday January 14

Seattle at Atlanta

4:35PM/Fox

Atlanta -4 1/2

Trump to be impeached within 6 months: 4/1

A classic match up of a great Atlanta offense and the always stout Seattle defense. Back in week 6 the Seahawks held off the Falcons at home 26-24, but Atlanta will point to a late non- pass interference call that cost them a chance at a game winning field goal.

It was a strange game to be sure. The Falcons erased a 17-3 halftime deficit with three third quarter touchdowns to take the lead at one point. On the sidelines they had the Seattle defense screaming at each other. 

This time Atlanta's number one offense gets Seattle at home, and the Seahawks will have to go without injured safety Earl Thomas (out for the season with a broken leg). Running back C.J. Prosise has been upgraded to questionable after missing several weeks. He was huge in wins at New England and home to Philadelphia before getting knocked out against Eagles.

Seattle's terrible offensive line had a good game against Detroit because they could run the ball. If they fall behind and have to throw it's probably over. They literally cannot protect Russell Wilson. 

I'll take Seattle and the points, but Atlanta 28-26
 

Saturday January 14

Houston at New England

8:15pm

CBS

New England -16

Trump paints the White House gold 500 to 1

Vegas can't make this playoff record setting line high enough, and it's not hard to grasp why. If you want to bet against the Pats be my guest, but a lot of people have died on that mountain. Not me. Sure Houston's defense is capable of putting up a decent showing, but once the terrible Brock Osweiler turns the ball over three or four times this baby will turn into a massacre real fast.

Here enjoy this instead. 

I'll give you all of those 16 points and more in taking the Pats.

Patriots 38 Texans 13

Sunday January 15

Green Bay at Dallas

4:40PM

Fox

Dallas -5

Trump says "I'm very rich" during address. 25 to 1

Remember the last time these two met in the playoffs?

Who could forget! Skip Bayless is probably still talking about it. Anyway things are different two years later. The Cowboys have those rookies... Zeke and Dak, and together with that behemoth offensive line Dez Bryant no longer has to do everything. 

I would have picked the Packers here actually as they've looked so good of late, but Jordy Nelson, with his two broken ribs, has been ruled out. 

Brutal man. Yes the rest of the receiving corp has some talent, but are not terribly reliable when you need them most. Green Bay will miss Nelson greatly as they did last season. Meanwhile Dallas fielded the number one defense against the run in 2016 so this is all on Aaron Rodgers.

Want a blueprint for Dallas success Sunday? Look to their regular season tilt at Lambeau this season. Prescott was a tidy 18-27 for 247 yards and three touchdowns and Zeke Elliott rushed 28 times for a 157 yards in a 30-16 victory. That's it, that's the plan.

Green Bay won't turn it over four times as they did that day so I expect this to be a lot closer.

I'll take the Packers and the points, but Dallas 27-24.

Pittsburgh at Kansas City

Sunday January 15

8:20pm

NBC

Kansas City -1

Trump "Golden Shower" footage shows up online: 5/1.

You're not crazy. This game was scheduled for 1pm on Sunday, but the K.C. area is expecting a rather nasty ice storm Sunday To give everyone more time they've moved this one to prime time.

The Chiefs would get more credit here from the bookmakers at home, but the Steelers are a "public team." What that means basically is they have fans all over America and when those bros go to Vegas they get hammered and put their hard earned dough down on their favorite team God damn it! 

The sports books know this. The sharp money meanwhile will flow to the Chiefs. As we get to the weekend more drunk Steelers fans will pour into the casinos... That line will probably move in KC's favor. If I were a gambling man I'd be all over that shit.

The weather is going to be terrible and Big Ben has sucked on the road all year. This has officially become a thing. For whatever reason, he's great at Heinz Field, and almost Brock Osweiler on the road. 

The Chiefs have their own problems. Alex Smith is... Alex Smith. You can only go so far with this guy. KC will try to get things going on the ground with Spencer Ware, and of course a lot of all world tight end Travis Kelce.

For Pittsburgh they have to give the ball to Le'Veon Bell... 30 times at least. That weird hesitation thing he does is really starting to mess my head up. 

I'll take the home team with the sharp guys in lousy weather and a push on the -1.

KC 21 Pittsburgh 20.

Brian Phillips hosts the morning show on CD1025

Valley Dale Ballroom, Then & Now and The Ballroom Breakout! - by Ricki C.

Rock & roll returns to the Valley Dale Ballroom this Saturday night, January 14th, with the Ballroom Breakout! The Breakout! features local rockers Terry Davidson & the Gears playing both their own set AND backing Detroit rock & roll legend Mitch Ryder on a set of rockers that you KNOW is gonna include "Devil With A Blue Dress," "Jenny Take a Ride," and – I would hope, on accounta it’s my favorite Ryder tune – Lou Reed’s "Rock & Roll." The Lovebenders will open the night.  (Click here for a poster: Ballroom Breakout!)

Some of the best nights of my rock & roll adolescence took place at the Valley Dale Ballroom. From sometime in 1969 ‘til ’72 a band called Brownsville Station – the pride & joy of Ann Arbor, MI. & environs – would rent Valley Dale and essay their own rock & roll throwdowns at the venue. (Smart business.) The large majority of rock fans would think of Brownsville Station as the one-hit wonders responsible for the 70’s novelty tune "Smokin’ In The Boy’s Room." I – and many, many of my rocker brethren & sistren – would remember Brownsville Station as one of the ten best live rock & roll acts they EVER witnessed: as our own near ‘n’ dear version of The MC5 or The Who; as the act that would play Columbus at least twice a year – at Valley Dale or at the old Agora Ballroom – and leave an audience of a few hundred to a thousand souls pleasantly deafened, hoarse from rock & roll sing/shout-a-longs and trying to dig our car keys out of our sweat-soaked jeans to make the drive back from Sunbury Road to our mercifully quiet homes. We was reamed, steamed & dry-cleaned, ladies & gentlemen, and it felt fine.

Brownsville Station weren’t just a rock & roll band, they were a rock & roll EXPERIENCE. I never saw a band so effortlessly establish a symbiosis with its audience that bordered on worship & hysteria. You weren’t an audience member at a Brownsville Station show, you were part of a tribe of like-minded jump, shout, work-it-all-out cult of crazy people intent on sex, drugs and rock & roll. (And – in a pinch – I guess two out of the three weren’t bad.)  My best friend of the time, Dave Blackburn and I would leave those shows feeling the best I have ever felt in my rock & roll existence. I saw The Who in Columbus on November 1st, 1969, and yeah, of course they were probably BETTER than Brownsville Station, but I didn’t see The Who AGAIN until sometime in 1972 in Dayton. I saw Brownsville Station probably six or seven times in between those times and every one of those shows was a masterpiece of rock & roll mayhem. Plus we were maybe 20 FEET from Cub Koda’s Marshall stacks at Valley Dale, rather than the third row from the back of Vet’s Memorial or the second balcony cheap seats at Hara Arena. Sometimes proximity and quantity count.

Valley Dale recently underwent a $1.5 million renovation, I bet it’s still a great place for a rock show. Myself, I’ve gotta play the rock & roll elsewhere this Saturday night, but you should go, and I am DEFINITELY gonna be there in the future to relive my misspent youth and see what rock & roll The Team Productions have in store for the rockers of Columbus. Details at TheBallroomBreakout.com. – Ricki C. / January 11th, 2017

Mitch Ryder - Devil With The Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly Johnny "Bee" Bdanjek - Drums

ALBUM : BROWNSVILLE STATION 1977 PAIS : USA The other night I was Walking down the street I was getting kinda hungry I decided to get me something to eat Now I passed up all the chain Franchise joints on Hamburger row And stopped at a little greasy spoon place

Columbus blues-rockers Terry Davidson & The Gears let loose some rockin' rhythms and cool blues solos at the barber shop.

The Ricki C. Interview - by the Pencilstorm Editorial Board

Ricki C. will be opening for Brian Clash & the Coffee House Rebels this Saturday night, January 14th, in the friendly environs of  Kafe Kerouac, 2250 N. High Street, 614-299-2672.  Music at 9 pm.  (kafekerouac.com)

E/B - You’re the only rocker of my acquaintance that will be eligible for Medicare this year: Why do you still do this?  And can you remember your first gig? 

Ricki - My first gig was in 1968, at my classmate Ermogene Delewese’s birthday party, in her parents’ basement rec room.  It went great.  The first song I ever sang in public was Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride.”  That’s not a bad beginning.  I’m seriously thinking of trying to find out Ermogene’s birthday, booking a gig on that day in 2018, and quitting the music biz forever exactly 50 years after I started.  (I haven’t seen or spoken to Ermogene since graduation in 1970, so that birthday bit might be tough.)

And why do I still do this?  What else am I gonna do, become a brain surgeon?  
 

E/B - After almost half a century in rock & roll, after seeing literally hundreds of bands, can you name your top three performers/songwriters off the top of your head?

Ricki - Absolutely!  Those three are The Who, Bruce Springsteen and Elliott Murphy.  It’s not even close.  Lou Reed would be fourth and he trails by a wide margin.  No, maybe Ian Hunter (originally of Mott The Hoople) would be fourth, because he’s still alive and putting out great records.  Anyway, after the Top Three, things get kinda sketchy, due to Rock & Roll Alzheimer’s.

Plus, The Who comes with a caveat: it’s The Who from 1965 to 1972, from “I Can’t Explain” to the Who’s Next album.  After that, from Quadrophenia on, there’s a big drop-off in quality.  And I won’t even consider the notion of any band not containing Keith Moon to actually BE The Who.  There might be a band calling itself The Who, but without Keith, it don’t count.  

Bruce Springsteen and Elliott Murphy – on quite the other hand – are still fucking brilliant.  They’re both only three years older than me, but I fear that someday I might inhabit a planet that does not contain them, and I don’t know if I wanna live on that planet.

“The smart people won’t listen
And the stupid people don’t wanna know
After love, hope & dreams
All that’s left is a Trump presidency and classic rock radio”

-    Ricki C. / 2016

E/B - There’s a fair amount of politics in your rock & roll, given the demise of The MC5, do you think that’s wise?

Ricki - Yeah, I do.  Plus I think my political songs focus more on people than they do politics. When I first stumbled on the solo acoustic rock & roll act in 1990, my idea was that I would be the Billy Bragg of Columbus, Ohio.  I’ve lost a lot of the agit-prop aspects of the Ricki C. show, I think now it’s more focused on individuals than causes.  That being said, I will never set foot in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame again EVER in my life after they inducted Journey this year OVER The MC5.  Some sins can never be forgiven.

E/B - Nowadays, you’re almost better known as a roadie than as a performer, how did that happen?

Ricki - When Hamell On Trial hired me as his road manager after I opened a show for him at Little Brothers in the late 1990’s, it put a real crimp into the amount of gigs I played.  Then I joined the Watershed road crew in 2005 and that cut even further into my playing time.  Make no mistake, I wouldn’t trade one minute of those tours: Hamell & I criss-crossed America five or six times in the first decade of the 21st century, I got to see 44 of the 48 contiguous United States; and the good times (and beach vacations) in the Watershed van are irreplaceable.  Plus, truthfully, I’m probably a better roadie than I am a rocker.  I’m too OCD to be a rock & roll star.  I want everything to run on time and the wires never to be crossed.  

Also, I’m really, really lazy.  I never seek out gigs anymore.  They just fall in my lap.  Somebody asks me to open, and I open.  Otherwise I just stay home, feel sorry for myself and write Pencilstorm columns about The Dictators and The Neighborhoods.

E/B - Tell us about the gig this weekend.

Ricki - I’m opening up at 9 pm at Kafe Kerouac, just north of campus, for Brian Clash & the Coffee House Rebels.  The Rebels are a scrappy little rock & roll collective, kinda like The Velvet Underground if they grew up in Columbus, Ohio, rather than the grubby environs of New York City.  I’ve known Brian (Griffin/Clash) since my days working at Ace In The Hole Music, that guy is one righteous rock & roller.  

There’s much worse things you could do with your Saturday night (like binge-watching some crap T.V. on Netflix or Hulu), you should come out.    

For more music musings from Ricki C., check out Growing Old With Rock & Roll.

For some songs, check out If All My Heroes Are Losers

Strummer's In Heaven

TV Party Tonight! Part One: A George Michael Rehearsal with Queen - by Colin Gawel

My phone says it's 7 degrees outside right now. The perfect weather to get warm inside a youtube rabbit hole. Following last night's League Bowlers show and many Four String Brews, the staff of Pencilstorm decided we should start a winter series featuring some of our favorite video finds to help get your personal hole started. I'll go first.

TV Party Tonight! Part One: A George Michael Rehearsal with Queen - Colin Gawel

It's funny how one performance can change your entire perception of an artist, but that's exactly what happened to me when George Michael fronted Queen for a single song at the Freddie Mercury tribute in 1992. Sadly, the untimely death of Michael led me to stumble onto footage of George rehearsing with Queen before the mega-show at Wembley. I grabbed my 13 year old son Owen and showed him the clip. I could tell he dug it, but all he said was, "Yeah, so that rocked. Queen rocks. What's the big deal?" I tried to explain the context. "Dude, George Michael crushing with Queen would be like Justin Bieber coming out and crushing with Green Day at the Billie Joe Tribute show." I had his attention now. "Dad, what do you mean?" "Check this shit out little man.."  (I didn't really say it that way. Owen and I pretend we don't swear in each other's company)

Wham!'s official music video for 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go'. Click to listen to Wham! on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/WhamSpotify?IQid=WhamWMU As featured on The Final. Click to buy the track or album via iTunes: http://smarturl.it/WhamTFiTunes?IQid=WhamWMU Google Play: http://smarturl.it/WhamWMEGPlay?IQid=WhamWMU Amazon: http://smarturl.it/WhamTFAmazon?IQid=WhamWMU Stream more music from Wham! here: http://smarturl.it/WhamMStream?IQid=WhamWMU More from Wham!

I was about the same age as Owen when I first saw this Wham! video on the MTV. His reaction upon this initial screening was about how I remembered mine. His mouth hung open wide and a look of abject horror creeped over his face. "That's the same guy? Wow."

When I first saw Wham! my brain just couldn't compute...confused.... there is no other word ...it was just too.... gay. I'm not trying to use the word "Gay" in a derogatory manner. I was a kid who didn't even know what that word meant. It's just that being a fourteen year old boy growing up in the white bread suburb of Worthington, Ohio, my frame of reference was very limited. My idea of diversity was Earle Bruce embracing the forward pass more than Woody Hayes. Being progressive meant liking RUSH more than Molly Hatchet. Judas Priest were Hell Bent for Leather. That shit rocked. I liked loud electric guitars. Sure, I knew something was off with Billy Squier's "Rock Me Tonight" video, but Billy got a pass from me (if not the world) because "In the Dark" ROCKED. Wham! were many things, but they were decidedly NOT rock n roll. In fact, they were a frontal attack on rock. I couldn't make sense of it. 

To a kid who hadn't hit puberty, I suppose"Gay" meant something my little sister liked. And she liked Wham! A lot. UGH.

George had dug himself a deep hole in my personal musical rankings. Somewhere between Tiffany and King Kobra. That's a tough spot. Fast forward to the Freddie Mercury Tribute show in Wembley Stadium. I can't remember the details, but I was watching the show with the Watershed guys in a hotel room somewhere when George was announced to come out. We all kind of moaned..."Ugh.. George Michael....lame... Let's watch just a little to see how bad it is.." Then this happened..

"i don't have the words. This year has cruelly taken so many fine people way too young. And George? That gentle boy? All that beautiful talent? Can't begin to compute this. RIP George. Sing with Freddie. And the Angels."

Mouths dropping in wonder, at the end of the song, we spontaneously piled on the bed hugging, high-fiving and screaming, "George Michael needs to join Queen and tour. RIGHT NOW!!" 

I think almost everybody in the stadium and on Earth instantly had the same opinion. This is no easy feat when considering we were all talking about replacing the irreplaceable Freddie Mercury. At his own memorial show no less. I think everybody also wondered why it never happened. I mean just look at them? It's amazing. It had to be depressing for Queen to downshift to Paul Rodgers and that Adam guy from The Voice or whatever.

Anyway, just last week, I bumped into this clip of George rehearsing "Somebody to Love" with Queen and it's almost more fun than the stadium show. Just the guys rocking. No audience. Oh, other than David Bowie watching from the wings. Under Pressure much? Not George. He KILLS. My mouth was saying, "That roadie looks just like David Bowie" at the exact same time my brain was registering, "Holy shit.. that IS David Bowie."

RIP George Michael. What a bad ass. "I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger" - Ron Wood

http://www.georgemichael-thevoice.com

Bonus clip. As good as the previous clips were, Freddie is still.... Freddie. Also, I've always loved the cups of cheap-looking draft beer that are invariably on his piano. To me, that visual perfectly sums up what makes Queen so unique among its peers. A broadway bar band. 

Queen - somebody to love live in Montreal

Colin Gawel plays in the band Watershed and The League Bowlers. Read about him in the book Hitless Wonder or visit him at Colin's Coffee. Visit the Pencilstorm music page for more cool stuff.

CD102.5 DJ Brian Phillips Breaks Down the NFL Playoffs.

Brian Phillips hosts the morning show on the legendary independent radio station CD1025 in Columbus, OH. Tune in early and often.

Well there it goes... another NFL season gone into the ether. Last year is already long forgotten. Only two of the six NFC teams in the field were here last year (Seattle and Green Bay). While the AFC is more stable, the defending champion Broncos will not defend their title. Such is life in the NFL. The Patriots are good and the Browns are bad and we'll see about the rest. (Though the 49ers, Jags and Rams were pretty embarrassing too.)

Saturday January 7

4:30 PM  -  Oakland at Houston - ABC

Sadly for Raider nation Oakland goes into their first playoff appearance in 14 years without Derek Carr at the helm. He broke his leg week 15 and Matt McGloin left their season finale with a bum shoulder. Now Oakland turns to Michigan State's Connor Cook. No rookie in the Super Bowl era has been made a first time starter in the playoffs. 

There is good news though for the Raiders. The Texans have their own quarterback problems. Late in the season Houston finally pulled the plug on free agent bust Brock Osweiler for Tom Savage, only to have Savage concussed against Tennessee in their season finale. Because of Osweiler's shortcomings I'm certain Houston would love to run the ball, but Lamar Miller is far from 100 percent. This country is filled end to end with fantasy players who's season was ruined after drafting Texans wideout Deandre Hopkins in the first round. If Osweiler could just throw him the ball where he could catch it.... Probably too much to ask. 

The way forward for Oakland is on the ground as well. If Houston's top ranked defense has a relative weakness, it's against the run. Oakland will have to get something from Latavius Murray in this one. 

This may be close to unwatchable for all moms and wives. 

Houston 13 Oakland 10

8:30 PM - Detroit at Seattle - NBC

For the Seattle Seahawks this has been a weird year. A 9-3 loss in L.A. A 6-6 tie in Arizona. A loss at New Orleans. Falling 14-5 at Tampa Bay. Nearly losing to the hapless 49ers New Year's Day. And despite all that and more Seattle traveled to New England and beat the Pats back in November. They're hard to figure.

Cheers to long suffering Lions fans for getting into the postseason after the Redskins didn't bother to show up against the Giants January 1. With that result Detroit backs in on a three game losing skid. 

Despite their recent struggles, if the Lions can mount any sort of a pass rush Saturday against Seattle's putrid offensive line, they have a chance. The Seahawks couldn't even protect Russell Wilson at San Francisco, nor could they get much of a running game going. Detroit will have to dial up the pressure early and often and look to make big plays on defense. If Seattle's Thomas Rawls struggles to run again it could be another long day. 

For Seattle this game turns on their defense as well. Matthew Stafford needs to be harried and harassed all night. Zach Zenner gave Detroit's punchless running game a bit of teeth the final two games. They'll need some production from him again here.

Home field and that Seattle defense should be enough to get the Seahawks through this round. (The Lions are 0-10 life time in road playoff games). 

Seattle 20 Detroit 13

Sunday January 8th

1:00 PM -  Dolphins @ Steelers - CBS

Can you name the Dolphins starting running back week 1? It was Arien Foster and he's retired now. Against Pittsburgh in week 6 the Dolphins found their running game in Jay Ajayi who abused the Steelers 204 yards. With temps in the lower 20s Sunday and Miami a ten point dog it's a pretty simple formula. Look for Ajayi to get at least 30 carries. Quarterback Matt Moore gets the nod as Ryan Tannehill's balky knee isn't ready. I don't see this as much of an issue. Tannehill isn't that good, and Moore is one of the more capable number twos in the league.

After a week off the Steelers firm of Ben, Brown, and Bell are back. It's not a mystery as to what Pittsburgh wants to do here. Le'Veon Bell will get all the touches he wants as Miami's run defense was near the bottom of the league this year. The big plays will be there in the passing game for Pittsburgh once Bell gets established. I don't see this as much of a contest. 

Pittsburgh 31 Miami 16

4:40pm - New York Giants at Green Bay - Fox

This is the toughest game of the lot to pick, but with the Packers winning six in a row to take another North title it's hard to doubt them. Aaron Rodgers was a cold blooded killer during that run and Jordy Nelson was all world. The mystery is Davante Adams. The kid can play, but has been plagued by a case of the drops. Ty Montgomery gave Green Bay a running threat they had been struggling until late in the season to find, but the Giants have been very stingy against the run (and not terribly giving against the pass for that matter). This game will ride on Aaron Rodgers, which isn't such a bad deal for the Pack. 

Though they found a bit of a ground game of their own late in the year with Paul Perkins (a kid with a ton of potential) the way forward against the Packers is clearly through the air. That will be a huge challenge for the G-Men, especially with temps in the teens at kick off. Only the Texans averaged fewer points per game among the playoff entrants. If the Giants can pull of the upset they'll need Odell Beckham Junior to go off for something like 10/120 and two touchdowns. Eli Manning has been pedestrian all season, but don't sleep on the two time Super Bowl champ in January. 

Green Bay 24 NY Giants 17