Reid Kerr

It’s put up or shut up time in the NFL, where teams are making playoff plans or just making sure to get everything out of their lockers before the end of the season rush to the parking lot.

Time to check in with the ol’ mailbag.

Q: Is Jerry Jones seriously thinking about bringing Mike McCarthy back as head coach?

A: Well, if Cowboys fans didn’t have enough to ponder over, they can add this one to the pile. To play devil’s advocate here, he’s been successful before, and this season was pretty well ruined by injuries. The biggest question to ask when you replace someone is “Who’s a better option?” I don’t know another coach who’ll be on the market with the pedigree to take over a team that’s close to contention, and the gravitas to do that in Dallas with Jerry.

I think a lot of that decision will be influenced by the final few games. If this gets embarrassing, he’s done, because this is a team that should compete in all four games.

Q: Is Bill Belichick going to be successful as a college coach?

A: So far, everyone is saying Belichick at North Carolina is either going to be an immediate disaster, or the best old-guy-returns-to-college story since “Back To School.” I’m going to say somewhere in the middle. I’m not sold on him as a recruiter, and he won’t be able to churn the roster every week like he did in New England. But as a football mind, there’s none better, especially at the college level. So he takes a traditionally underperforming NC program and squeezes out another couple of wins and takes them from 4-4 to 6-2. They can easily show improvement without winding up in the playoff, and I think Belichick wants to show prospective NFL teams that he’s still got it so he can catch Shula’s record.

By the way, by my calculations Rodney Dangerfield was only 65 when he starred in “Back To School.” That doesn’t seem possible, it feels like Rodney was always at least seventy years old.

Q: What’s your playoff predictions?

A: Well, I predict that I’m already sick of media pundits explaining what has to happen for teams to make the playoffs this season. It’s too early, just win and see what happens. The AFC division leaders should all hang on, and I’ll take the Ravens, Chargers, and Broncos to join them. As for the NFC, Philly, Detroit, Tampa, and the Rams, with the Vikings, Packers, and Seahawks as Wild Cards.And remember, I’m always wrong on about 1.5 of those picks, on average.

Q: Did they get the college football playoffs right?

A: Yes. Mostly, anyway. I think the reseeding of the top ranked teams into the bracket is a little weird, where it certainly seems like Oregon is your undefeated top seed, but still has a tougher road to the title than some of the others. But for the most part, it’s about as good as we can hope for, although I’ll say this about the Alabama question. We always talk about “strength of schedule.” I don’t think we pay enough attention to “crushing upset losses.” Bama had two of those. When you not only have a historical loss to Vanderbilt, but lose by 21 to the worst Oklahoma team in the lifetime of all of your players, you don’t have a case to advance.

Q: Any tips for my fantasy football playoffs?

A: Yes, never ask me for advice. That never goes well for anyone. All I can tell you is to do what you’re doing and not overthink things. Don’t try and counter the players your team is playing against, just start your best and hope they’re not taking a nap.

Time for my week fifteen picks. Last week I went 3-3, and 2-4 against the Vegas point spreads. In my defense, I wasn’t ready for the second coming of Leon Lett to take place in the fourth quarter of the Monday Night game. Lesson learned there. On the season, I’m now 58-33 and 41-50 against Vegas. Here’s my picks. As always, these are for the purposes of comedic discussion only. No wagering.

Dallas (-3) at Carolina: In a season full of disappointments, I don’t think there’s been anything as emotionally crushing as that injury to DeMarvion Overshown.

Pick: Cowboys to win but not cover, winning by two or fewer points.

Miami (+3) at Houston: Odell Beckham Jr. asked for and got his release from the Dolphins. At this point in his career, OBJ is just Andre Rison with stickier gloves.

Pick: Texans to win and cover, winning by four or more points.

Baltimore (-16.5) at NY Giants: Not to be lost in this wasted season, but last week the Giants got their first interception since Sept. 8th. It’s always good to set a record, I guess.

Pick: Ravens to win but not cover, winning by 16 or fewer points.

NY Jets (-3) at Jacksonville: You know it’s a bad season for the Jets when the biggest story around your team is about a guy who’s been retired since the Reagan administration complaining about something that happened during the first season of “The Amazing Race.”

Pick: Jets to win and cover, winning by four or more points.

Chicago (+7) at Minnesota: The Vikings have the feel of that team that upsets somebody in the playoffs, and then loses anyway.

Pick: Vikings to win but not cover, winning by six or fewer points.

Pittsburgh (+5.5) at Philadelphia: Philly fans have their two favorite things right now, a good team to cheer for, and a couple of guys on that team to complain about incessantly.

Pick: Steelers to win it outright.

I’ll also take the Lions over the Bills, Broncos over the Colts, and Travis Hunter to win the Heisman. Good luck, everybody.