11 different winners of the week so far, with Patrick Miller doing it twice.
We are into the postseason within the season now, which is irrationally enjoyable for the paltry prize on offer, beyond the bragging rights.
This year, we have the Top 32 fighting it out for the Super Bowl, and the next 32 going into the 'More Like the Titans' Bowl.
The draws, based on seedings after week 12, have been sent out by email. Best of luck to all for the remaining six weeks of the regular season and all our little side events.
WEEK 12
It all came down to the 49ers beating the Panthers and Jack Hartnett was on the right side of that one to leap into the top spot for the first time at the end of Monday Night Football.
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week 12
1st €30 Jack Hartnett
2nd €20 Chicago Broncos*
3rd €15 Colm McGennis*
4th €10 Alex Saul*
5th €5 Roly*
6th €5 Martin P
Top Ten: James Minihan, T Harris, Tomas Q, Flag on the Ground, Lucy Hartnett (Couldn't Separate)
* Tiebreaker
WEEK 11
It's never too late. Fintan Walsh and Forlorn Hope are languishing outside the Top 64, but both of them shone this week to pick up prizes! Well done, Eagles Season Ticket Holder, Rich Newman
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week 11
1st €30 Rich Newman
2nd €20 Fintan Walsh
3rd €15 PMiller
4th €10 Shane Mc
5th €5 Forlorn Hope
6th €5 Alex Saul*
Top Ten: Irish Dolphin 78, John Bateson, Barry Dunne, Paul Patchell*.
* Tiebreaker
WEEK 10
Two of the top three had the same picks, but the weightings went the way of our weekly winner Paul Patchell, and I just had to lick my wounds.
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week 10
1st €30 Paul Patchell
2nd €20 Darragh McGale
3rd €15 Rob Hartnett
4th €10 David Hosford
5th €5 Barry Dunne
6th €5 Rich Newman
Top Ten Michael Doyle, Jonathan Gilmore, Cillian McGillycuddy, The Pack are Back*
* Tiebreaker
WEEK 9
Dallas losing to the Cardinals almost won it for Niall, but the Same Old Fashioned Lions had enough to get over the line despite those Lions costing him his 16-pointer.
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week 9
1st €30 Same Old Fashioned Lions
2nd €20 Niall
3rd €15 Michael McQuaid
4th €10 Tommy McC321
5th €5 Enda
6th €5 Tommy Hannon
Top Ten: Richie Patton, Tomas Q, Roly, Beanz1977
* Tiebreaker
WEEK 8
Oh Glory Be, a win for me! And only the Dolphins finding life from somewhere cost me the perfect round. Regular service will be resumed...
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week 8
1st €30 Rob Hartnett
2nd €20 FlyEaglesFly*
3rd €15 The Don Shula*
4th €10 Richard Martin
5th €5 Dan Paulsberg
6th €5 Irish Raider
Top Ten: Jamie Collins, This Year Denver, Haro 833
Ridgewood Lions
* Tiebreaker
WEEK 7
A fine scoring week with only the Cowboys costing our winner PMiller the perfect week.
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week 7
1st €30 PMiller
2nd €20 James Minihan
3rd €15 T-Harris
4th €10 Rich Newman
5th €5 Same Old Fashioned Lions
6th €5 Liom
Top Ten Inglorious Staffords, Seamus, Jonathan Gilmore, Irish Raider
* Tiebreaker
WEEK 6
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week Six
1st €30 Richie Patton
2nd €20 Bruce Jones*
3rd €15 Michael McQuaid*
4th €10 Colm McGennis*
5th €5 Ridgewood Lions*
6th €5 Lucy Hartnett
Top Ten: James Minihan, Tomas Q, Robert Kelly
Richard Martin*
* Tiebreaker
WEEK 5
Well done to Commanders fan Stephen Clancy. A quirk in this one is that Martin P topped the Table, but with an automatic entry, which we count towards the season but not towards the week. 64 points made it into the Top ten, which we would call a bookies week.
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week 5
1st €30 Stephen Clancy
2nd €20 Chicago Bronco
3rd €15 Colm McGennis
4th €10 Barry Dunne
5th €5 Steve O'Rourke*
6th €5 each Niall*
Top Ten: Brian McCabe, Stephen Moreton, Forlorn Hope, Bruce Jones
* Tiebreaker
WEEK 4
Ciaran Brosnan with a 15-point winning margin, hats off to you, sir.
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week 4
1st €30 Ciaran Brosnan
2nd €20 T-Harris
3rd €15 Tommy McC321
4th €10 Colm McGennis
5th €5 Roly
6th €5 This Year Denver
Top Ten Flag on the Ground, Padraig J, Forlorn Hope, Brian Monaghan
* Tiebreaker
WEEK THREE
That was a little more normal with a sprinkling of upsets in the week, but who could have foreseen the Browns taking down the Packers? Nobody. Though well done to the four who picked the Panthers over the Falcons, including Steve O'Rourke, who got into the money as a result. Well done, Liam Ryan and Tomás Quinn, both newbies to the competition this year. who filled the top two places in week three.
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week Three
1st €30 Liam Ryan
2nd €20 Tomás Quinn*
3rd €15 Steve O'Rourke*
4th €10 Antoine Hyland*
5th €5 Michael Doyle
6th €5 Tom McCormack*
Top Ten: Lucy Hartnett, Aaron Carey, Gergo Szakony, George Harrison
* Tiebreaker
WEEK TWO
Did you watch the Patriots at Miami? Did you see the Giants in Dallas? The season is two weeks old and already a gem.
Especially if your name happens to be Carey and you are a fan of the Packers. Son Aaron has the edge on Dad Tim at the top of our overall table but these are very early days as yet.
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week Two
1st €30 Patrick Miller
2nd €20 Tim Carey
3rd €15 Damian McKeown
4th €10 Alex Saul
5th €5 Michael Doyle
6th €2.50 each James Minihan, Aaron Carey, couldn't even be seperated on the tiebreaker.
Top Ten: Jonathan Gilmore, Stephen Clancy, Tiernan Harris, Peter McKeown.
* Tiebreaker
WEEK ONE
A week of comebacks and drama, picking up seamlessly from last year, and a come-from-behind winner of our own with Aaron Carey (All You Need is Love) securing the win with a big point tally on the Vikings to overhaul Marcus Saul (Chicago Bronco) at the death.
To the newbies, it is not always this high scoring so keep the faith.
Here is the distribution of the winners from Week One
1st €30 Aaron Carey
2nd €20 Marcus Saul
3rd €15 Tim Carey
4th €10 Richard Martin
5th €5 Alex Saul
6th €5 Brian O'Halloran
Top Ten Antoine Hyland, Darragh McGale, Greg Donaghy, Roly Saul
* Tiebreaker
Since we have a few more players this year, we are adjusting the games and prizes slightly.
As well as extending into the first two weeks of the post-season, providing 20 chances to win a week, we are also extending the popular season within the season that gives us a head-to-head element, so that we will run two of these, allowing everyone who is in the top 64 to get into a Super Wild Card match-up. No extra work for you. We'll discuss this further closer to the time, but details are provided below for those who want to take a look.
*********************
And so, we go again. The 2025/26 NFL season will be special, with the first regular-season game taking place in Dublin, but that is only one of the 285 games that will be played.
Many of us have been doing this for a while, some are relatively new, but everyone seems to get a great kick out of it, and almost everybody gets to win back at least some of their entry fee.
Game One
Weekly Winners. €30, €20, €15, €10, €5 and €5 prizes for first to sixth place in each of the 18 weeks of the regular season and, as a new twist, the first two weeks of the postseason as well.
Game Two
Season's Best. €100 to Overall winner €50 to Overall Runner Up €30 to overall third €20 to overall fourth, €10 to Overall 5th and 6th.
Game Three
Mr (or Ms) Consistent €25 to the player with the most Top ten finishes who does not win one of the weeks.
Game Four
Post-Season Within the Season: After Week 12, the Top Eight in the standings will go straight into our own 'play off' scenario. Those ranked nine to 16 will go into the wild card round, while those ranked 17 to 32 will be in the Super Wildcard. We'll create a bracket where teams will 'play' each other in a head-to-head to advance to the next round.
So in Week 13 those ranked 17 to 32 will play off against each other, with eight winners emerging.
In week 14 they will play those who made the wild card round, in week 15 we'll have eight games, week 16 four, week 17 2 and week 18 will be our SuperBowl.
And this year we are doubling this so that the same rules apply but now there will be an "I've had a shit season this year' competition as well.
After Week 12, the players ranked 33 to 40 in the standings will go straight into our own 'play off' scenario. Those ranked 41 to 48 will go into the wild card round, while those ranked 49 to 64 will be in the Super Wildcard.
Honestly, it will make sense and will be fun.
The Winners of Each of these will get a cap of their favourite team.
Game Five
The real postseason: Our Top 14 players at the conclusion of the regular season will be given a real team at the same rank as they finished, which will be theirs through the postseason and hopefully all the way to the Super Bowl.
The winner will get an extra €25 and a cap from their favourite team.
I'll cover the tech fee and the cost of the cap and if anyone wants to add in bonus prizes along the way, go for it.
It might look a bit daunting, but it worked well last year, the amount of fun and enjoyment being wholly out of proportion to the prizes on offer, well, apart from Michael Walsh, who seemed to have the Midas touch!
