by Gerald Udowiczenko

Well its only 20 odd days to Christmas and I've started my Christmas shopping already, though but the time you read this, there will be a lot less shopping days left. Though this year I will be cheating, as I will bring a lot of presents back with me from Australia. Anyone want anything?

Well now that I've depressed you all, by talking about events a good three weeks off, I'm going to do so again. Superbowl XXXVI (I think?). So does anyone know who is going to be showing the game live? I assume Sky have it exclusively, though maybe C5 will show it? If Sky are the only ones showing it, does anyone know if it will only be on Sky Sports Extra and hence, a lot of people will be unable to watch it in the comfort of there own home? Or have they put it onto SS1?

As to last weeks Crystal Ball, I really let the side down by getting three wrong, while Richard was perfect and Graham and SPLATT only got one wrong.

As always thanks to those who sent something in. This week my thanks go to Graham & Tim for their contributions. Cheers guys.

SR (8-3, W3) @ BB (10-1, L1) Last time : wk 12, 2002 (28 - 25)
Gerald : Should be a great game and especially after the Bills lost their unbeaten record, they could be looking to make someone pay. I think that the Bills will just edge it, but only just. Bills by 1.
Graham : The continuation of a long rivalry. Looking forward to it, but the odds are stacked against us.

NE (4-7, L1) @ SF (8-3, W4) Last time : wk 6, 2001 (8 - 20)
Gerald : No comment.
Graham : I could really do with a Pats win but who knows what they're going to do these days. The Niners aren't likely to beat themselves. SF 3.

NS (2-9, W1) @ MD (7-4, W1) Last time : wk 6, 2001 (11 - 21)
Gerald : Troy will probably still be tweaking the gameplan, though how much tweaking the offence needs after last weeks display is debateable. The Fish are looking good for a wildcard and also have a good 'O', a lot of points here I feel. Fish by 3.
Graham : Could be an offensive shootout. Fish need it more and Troy might still be experimenting. MD 6.

NY (7-4, W1) @ AF (6-5, W1) Last time : wk 12, 2001 (24 - 17)
Gerald : Well just as Graham's Rams need me to will, I need the Falcs to do me a favour here if our playoffs dreams are to be kept alive. Both teams need the win, but more so the Falcs. If the Jets of last week turn up then it could be a long hard day for the Men in Black, thought they should just pull though. Falcs by 1.
Graham : A crucial game for both teams as the playoff race hots up. I'll just plump for the Jets, but it could be very close. NJ 3.

WR (9-2, W6) @ CL (10-1, W5) Last time : wk 6, 2001 (16 - 13)
Gerald : This will be a great game, the Skins have the 'D' to slow down the Browns, but it's their 'O' that will either win it or lose it for Paul. If the Skins can produce offensive yardage and thus points, then they should sneak a win. But I just don't think they'll be able to pull it off. Browns by 2.
Graham : Don't think I've predicted the Browns to lose yet this season and I'm not about to start now. Skins D will need to be at its best if they're to pull it off. CL 10.

TT (3-8, W1) @ PE (8-3, L1) Last time : N/A.
Gerald : After last weeks defeat the Eagles will want to bounce back with a vengeance and I feel the Titans will suffer. Eagles by 28.
Graham : Since Mark arrived the Titans look a much tougher proposition. But the Eagles are at home and they have a lot more at stake. PE 7.

DC (3-8, L4) @ PS (6-5, L1) Last time : wk 12, 2002 (11 - 35)
Gerald : The Steelers are hot on the heels of the AFC East for a wildcard, but did suffer a setback last week. Though the Boyz are better than their record suggests, I don't think they'll be able to win on the Road. Steelers by 10.
Graham : Steelers still gunning for an AFC wildcard berth and they should stay on course here. PS 10.

CI (3-8, W1) @ AC (0-11, L24) Last time : N/A.
Gerald : Well they've got to win sometime don't they? I don't think so, possibly the first 0-16 season in AB history? Bengals by 10.
Graham : First Law of successful predicting - don't back the Cards. Even when they play quite well (like last week) they still seem to lose. CI 7.

CB (4-7, L4) @ DB (9-2, W5) Last time : wk 12, 2001 (3 - 10)
Gerald : A great offensive display last week form the Broncos will have deeply worried the Bears. Though they are better then their record, as always the Broncos are one of the top teams in the AFC. Broncos by 10.
Graham : Bears struggling to build on last year's success and they won't get any gists from the Broncos. DB 13.

SS (1-10, L7) @ MV (11-0, W13) Last time : wk 12, 1996 (22 - 10)
Gerald : Can't see them losing their unbeaten record this week, against a Seahawks team that seems to have given up on the season. Will probaly be a high score, though not as high as the Eagles Titans game. Vikes by 21.
Graham : Mismatch of the week. Watch only from behind the sofa. MV 27.

DL (2-9, L2) @ KC (4-7, L1) Last time : wk 12, 2002 (9 - 20)
Gerald : Both teams are better than there records, more so the Lions, who just need to find an O. If you took the best out of each team (Chiefs - Offence, Lions - Defence) you'd have one unstoppable team. But alias you can't, or maybe that should be fortunately? Chiefs by 3.
Graham : How are you supposed to make predictions for the Chiefs???? Suppose they're due to be good this week. KC 3.

OR (3-8, L5) @ TB (4-7, L1) Last time : wk 12, 2002 (0 - 25)
Gerald : Tough one to call, so I'll go with the AFC. Raiders by 3.
Graham : Buccs are a team on the rise, while Raiders have faded after early season promise. TB 6.

by Graham Canwell (Week 11)

	Offence	Denver	Nicely balanced and almost flawless. Dolphins were damned fine too but given how their D performed (see below) they did have the advantage of being on the field pretty much all day.
	Defence	Miami	Even given the Chiefs erratic tendencies of recent years this was one of their more dramatic turnarounds - from unstoppable to unmentionable. Full marks to the Miami unit that stopped them stone dead.
	Coach	Horne (CL)	Ended the AFC's last 100% record in devastating fashion to take over possession of the conference's best record. A real statement from the World Champions.
	Offence	New Orleans	A new coach heralds the return of explosive football to New Orleans. Good to see (until week 14 when I'm sure I'll be less impressed). Vikes, it almost goes without saying, were terrific too.
	Defence	Washington	Not against one of the league's greatest offences (not that there are many of those in the NFC anyway) but the best performance of the week.
	Coach	Whitfield (MV)	However classy the opposition you stick in front of him Tim keeps producing the goods. Jon was the victim this week, but you can bet he won't be the last . . .
	The Diddley	Atlanta	No obvious candidate stood out. I was determined to dish out a Diddley however and plumped (after much deliberation) for the Falcons, who lost both the yardage and turnover battles to the winless Cards but still came out on top. Paul isn't on my remaining schedule either, which helped!!

Gerald to SPLATT : I hate you I hate you I hate you!!!

Gerald to Graham : Bit of a typo on the Rammys (Diddley), but I was able to rectify it. As I'm sure Richard didn't really deserve it for losing his unbeaten record. Or perhaps that what you meant? :o)

Gerald to Richard : Commiserations on losing the unbeaten record. I was hoping to be the one to do that to you come week 16. Oh well, with a little luck I may still need to do that?

Gerald to Julian : Well done on breaking that unbeaten record. Looked like an explosive 4th quarter?

Gerald to Jon : Commiserations. Better luck when you two next meet?

Gerald to Paul Meskill : Well done, even though it was only the Cards. With a bit of luck you could get to the play-offs?

Gerald to Tim : Yeah I am looking forward to sun at Christmas. But I fear then when I get back, January and February will be bloody cold and not just because I've come from 30ƒC plus temperatures. I think we are going to have a harsh winter next year.

Gerald to AFC : Come on guys lets do them!

Gerald to SPLATT : I hate you I hate you I hate you!!!

Graham to Gerald : I guess I need a favour from you this week!!!

Graham to Troy : A belated welcome to the Wild West. Look forward to many a thrilling duel. I suspect you've picked a good time to enter the fray, as we're a team that's likely to be on the slide next year.

Graham to Richard : Great to be going up against you again. Hope its not the last time for a while. A season without a game against you would be like not meeting Jon in the playoffs. Not quite right.

Tim Whitfield to Richard : You can bet that I will be rooting for you in the AFC Championship Game this season

Tim Whitfield to Julian : That was awesome, particularly on defence

Tim Whitfield to Jon : Close for a long while but not close enough. Can you come from behind for the Division now?

Tim Whitfield to Bruce : How do you always play so well against me? You get 20 hurries against Graham and he still manages 3 passing TDs.

Tim Whitfield to Graham : My remaining five games are against teams with a collective record for the season of 12-43 and I know that you are looking for any opportunity to hand me a Diddley. Well I don't care. 16-0 means nothing the only game in town is Super Bowl.

Tim Whitfield to Anyone : Please, please take over the Cardinals - they are so awful I cannot bear seeing their pathetic result each week.

Tim Whitfield to Gerald : You don't have to go all the way to Australia to get out of doing the newsletter you know. Although, on the other hand, it may have other compensations.

Coaching Profile
Name	Graham Canwell
Age	37
Marital Status	Single, but living with Melanie (and three cats - though not in the biblical sense!!!!!).
Lives	Just outside Norwich (a wonderful place to live - which is just as well because from here it takes forever to get anywhere else in the country!)
Fav NFL Teams	Seahawks (aaaaaaargh!!).
Other Sports	I'll watch most things if I'm at a loose end. Mainly football (I've been a season ticket at Norwich City for years and years and years . . .), but also baseball (go Mariners!) and cricket. No time for such boring non-events as snooker, formula 1, horseracing and basketball (a pet hate - for scoring points to be an exciting event it should at least look vaguely like an achievement, which does not apply to 7-foot tall giants dunking a ball repetitively into a net every 30 seconds).
Music	Usually things which are dark and moody (Radiohead, Depeche Mode) or atmospheric (obscure ambient electronica like Biosphere, Neural Network, Synaesthesia). Also (possibly rather bizarrely) Bruce Springsteen.
Interests	Travel. In the last five years I've been lucky enough to visit Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Morocco, Peru (the trip on which I met Melanie), Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Turkey, India, Namibia and Egypt. Haven't been away for a couple of years (apart from a weekend in Paris) since we bought the new house but am looking forward to jetting off again (to Senegal and The Gambia) at Christmas. Currently studying for a degree in Geography & Politics with the Open University. Got a fair way to go, mind you . . . . Comedy wise, I love "The Simpsons", "Malcolm in the Middle" and "The Fast Show". Been playing Gameplan since January 1990 (still coaching that original team in AC). Been coaching these AB Rams since late 1995 or 96 (can't remember exactly - seems a long time ago).
Dislikes	Mobile phones (a curse on soiciety!!), Sky TV's "home-made" programs (the "Uncovered" series, "Prickly Heat", "The Villa", "Single Girls" etc. etc.), the Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders, people with no sense of humour, Terry Venables, those Standard Life adverts with the talking babies. Oh yes, and (now I'm starting to sound like Mr. Angry) anywhere abroad where it is physically possible to buy steak and kidney pudding and drink at a pub called something like "The Mucky Duck". Now although I suspect I sound like a ranting maniac sometimes I am generally fairly placid and easy-going (probably a fatalistic streak brought on by all those depressing games at Carrow Road and by being a Seahawks fan!)

PUB MEET V

As to when the next one will be I don't know, but I assume that there will be one, sometime next year.

More on that when I know.

Web Sites

Don't forget to visit the following sites :
uk.clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/gameplan
(though I believe that this address may be changing soon, as Yahoo Clubs is joining Yahoo Groups)
www.endzone1.co.uk
brucey.net/nflab/

Don't forget we need an Editor for the start of next year while I'm away. My last issue will be 19.12.01, which is one issue away, which is the week 13 results.

So someone will need to do the newsletter for,

• Week 14, between Christmas and the New Year, with a deadline of the 2nd January 2002
• Week 15, with a deadline of 16th January 2002.
• Week 16, with a deadline of the 30th January 2002.

Yes I've decided I may as well have a break in January and let someone else work around the Superbowl, though I'm not sure yet where I'm going to watch it?

As always send anything and everything to the usually address.