The simplest of simple games for the NFL season will run as follows:
- Each week you will pick one quarterback. The game runs all the way through the Super Bowl so be wary of using quarterbacks from teams you believe will advance deep into the postseason too early. You can make your picks to me via text, in-person, or any preferred social media messaging.
- Your point total for each week will come from how many YARDS your quarterback throws for. Touchdowns and interceptions come into play as tiebreakers but will not have any effect on your week-to-week score.
- While other rubber-banding mechanics I've used in past games have done the exact opposite of my intentions, I don't feel like I could leave this particular one out for this season having alluded to it at the end of the 2021 season. Twice this season players will be able to add a QB's RUSHING YARDS to their total for the week. Those running QB's everybody shied away from last year seem a bit more enticing now. These designations will have to be made the week of their usage at the same time the selection is being made. Advanced or after-the-fact designations will not be accepted.
- The ROOKIE BONUS is back for all three NFL Pick One Challenge games. The amount of bonus will differ for all three but for the sake of not dragging this bullet point on any longer, the bonus for selecting a rookie quarterback is a 50 point addition to your score.
- If for any reason your quarterback is a late scratch or does not play from THE START OF THE GAME you may change your pick to either the backup or a quarterback playing later in the schedule.
- Similarly to past games, the LAST MAN IN rule occurs if you have not made a selection before the final contest of a given week. At that point you would get the last starting quarterback to take the field during Monday Night Football. As with the other games, there are two steps to this provision which means you have two chances at the LMI. Be sure to at the very least see at the start of a week to see if you have either of those two QB's at your disposal. It can obviously become very problematic if you do not.
- There will be scoresheets available but due to the sheer few picks that will be made over the course of the year there is no need to make team-by-team sheets. These will shared on Google Docs with all competitors before the first game of the season.
- The entry fee is $10 and due to circumstances from past contests I unfortunately am going to have to take these payments up front. We may raise it if we have a participant-wide consensus for doing so. I have Venmo, PayPal, and a hand you can put cash into. Reach out to me if you would like to participate and how you would prefer to pay. If we get to ten participants, the FINANCIAL RELEGATION mechanism (AKA last place pays twice), allows for second place to get their money back and for first place to take the rest. This could obviously change if participation goes past my meager expectations.
TIE BREAKERS are as follows if two (or more) competitors have the same total after the Super Bowl:
1. Touchdowns- Simple enough. If your quarterback coalition throws the most touchdowns over the course of the campaign, you win. If still tied after this...
2. Interceptions- If your brigade (welcome to the Thesaurus.com sponsored portion of the article) throws the fewest interceptions over the 2021 season, you are now the champion. If still tied after this...
3. Highest Single Week Total- Whoever among the tied had the single biggest passing yardage week from their posse during the season, rookie bonuses and postseason included, is the winner. If still tied after this...
4. Highest Super Bowl Total- Whoever had the highest score for the Super Bowl at this point should produce a winner. If still tied after this...
5. Flip A Fucking Coin- Because if it is still tied at this point I've done something terribly wrong in my life.
Let's get into the details of how this one is going to run:
- Each week you will pick one running back. The game runs all the way through the Super Bowl so be wary of using running backs from teams you believe will advance deep into the postseason too early. Ways to get the picks to me were outlined above.
- Your point total for each week will come from how many YARDS your running back rushes for. Rushing touchdowns and lost fumbles come into play as tiebreakers but will not have any effect on your week-to-week score. Note that receiving yards and touchdowns have no part in this particular contest. Those come later.
- The ROOKIE BONUS is 30 points for the RB By Committee Pick One. There is no rubber-banding bonus for either this or the receiving game that will be laid out shortly.
- If for any reason your running back is a late scratch or does not play from THE START OF THE GAME you may change your pick to either the backup or a back playing later in the schedule. Any backup change must be made before said player takes the field.
- The LAST MAN IN rule for RB by Committee will be a participant getting the last starting running back to take the field during Monday Night Football. The same two-step rules apply here as well. The same words of caution apply here too.
- It should be noted that while this is technically a "running back" challenge, if you are feeling froggy you can by all means take a quarterback in this Challenge if you feel they are going to have a field day with a particular defense. If you are playing the QB Club Pick One concurrently it DOES NOT take that player off the board for you over there. The rookie bonus for any rookie quarterback taken in this game is still 30 points.
- There will be scoresheets available but due to the sheer few picks that will be made over the course of the year there is no need to make team-by-team sheets. These will shared on Google Docs with all competitors before the first game of the season.
- See above for the payment and payout structure.
1. Rushing Touchdowns- Simple enough. If your running backs collectively rush for the most touchdowns over the course of the campaign, you win. If still tied after this...
2. Lost Fumbles- If your squad loses the fewest fumbles over the 2021 season, you are now the champion. If still tied after this...
3. Highest Single Week Total- Whoever among the tied had the single biggest rushing yardage week from their picks during the season, rookie bonuses and postseason included, is the winner. If still tied after this...
4. Highest Super Bowl Total- Whoever had the highest score for the Super Bowl at this point should produce a winner. If still tied after this...
5. Flip A Fucking Coin- Because if it is still tied at this point I've done something terribly wrong in my life.
The third and final game, and also the one with the most chances to confuse, is Receiving Corps. Pertinent information is as follows:
- Each week you will pick one receiver, tight end, or running back. The game runs all the way to the Super Bowl so be wary of using players from teams you believe will advance deep into the postseason too early. (Copy paste game on point)
- Your point total for each week will come from how many receiving YARDS your player accumulates. Receiving touchdowns and lost fumbles come into play as tiebreakers but will not have any effect on your week-to-week score.
- The ROOKIE BONUS is 25 points for the Receiving Corps Pick One. There is no rubber-banding bonus for this game.
- If for any reason your pass catcher is a late scratch or does not play from THE START OF THE GAME you may change your pick to either the backup or somebody playing later in the schedule.
- The LAST MAN IN rule where you would get the last starting pass catcher (via announced starting lineups) to make a catch during Monday Night Football. The same two-step system applies for this Challenge. I'll echo the same cautionary tale about having the Monday rosters scouted as well.
- It should be noted that while this is technically a "pass catcher" challenge, if you are feeling froggy you can by all means take a running back in this Challenge if you feel they are going to have a field day with a particular defense. If you are playing the RB By Committee Pick One concurrently it DOES NOT take that player off the board for you over there. The Rookie Bonus for taking a running back in this Challenge is still 25 points.
- There will be scoresheets available but due to the sheer few picks that will be made over the course of the year there is no need to make team-by-team sheets. These will shared on Google Docs with all competitors before the first game of the season.
- See above for payment and payout information.
TIE BREAKERS are as follows if two (or more) competitors have the same total after the Super Bowl:
1. Receiving Touchdowns- Simple enough. If your pass catchers collectively go for the most touchdowns over the course of the campaign, you win. If still tied after this...
2. Lost Fumbles- If your squad loses the fewest fumbles over the 2021 season, you are now the champion. If still tied after this...
3. Highest Single Week Total- Whoever among the tied had the single biggest receiving yardage week from their picks during the season, rookie bonuses and postseason included, is the winner. If still tied after this...
4. Highest Super Bowl Total- Whoever had the highest score for the Super Bowl at this point should produce a winner. If still tied after this...
5. Flip A Fucking Coin- Because if it is still tied at this point I've done something terribly wrong in my life.
So there you have it! If you have any questions, referrals, comments, or potential changes feel free to let me know through any of the methods I said you could send picks to me. Or if you'd prefer to write me a letter with your intentions, it would be nice to not get just spam credit card offers in the mail for once.