With just a few weeks to go, the 2019 Grid Picks race for the Cup is essentially down to three men.

After 10 weeks, Handy Andy Steinmetz holds a one game lead over the reigning champ, Bad Brad Hurley and a two-game edge over Hot Rod Heckman.

Hurley explained that he is motivated to win it all again.

“My goal is to be there at the end because it’s tough to stay at the top or within striking distance throughout the season,” he said. “I’m a very competitive person so I might put a little more time into it than others…if the opportunity is there, I’ll go with a team that is perceived the underdog. Over he past two seasons, that strategy has worked for me.”

The also-rans

Let’s begin with Yours Truly. Once the king of the hill, now, I’m just another face on the top of this page. Six games off the pace leaves me in the pack of pundit losers with no chance at drinking champagne from the Cup.

At five games back, Bob Photo Ford will need to pick that many winners against the leaders and hope he’s right. The 2017 Cup winner made some noise with a 15-0 record in Week Nine, but he’ll need more than a Hail Mary to pull out a miracle victory now.

Justin “The Voice” Carlucci, whose history book reveals he is a middle pack picker, is about to add another chapter to the same story. JC jumped toward the front earlier in the race, but his reputation as a long shot to win it all will prove true to the odds once again.

Pat “The Mat” Matsinko, named so because he is our resident wrestling writer, usually is in the top three, but this year, he sat quietly off the pace and never became a serious challenger.

Chuck “No luck” Hixson started the season with a bang, but will finish with a whimper as he precariously tries to stay above ground in these last few weeks so as not to fall into the Pit.

Give credit to Bossman McCall. Since he was talked off the ledge, he has regained respectability. Still, in the eyes of his office team, he will have to step up his game next year and put himself in position to win.

Sam “The Hangman” Matta is so far down the Pit, no one can hear him call for help anymore. He’s fallen to 20 games out.

Risk it to win it!

The three at the top will gain no separation as Steinmetz, Hurley, and Heckman have the exact same picks. Here’s a news flash, boys: to gain on Steinmetz, you have to risk a pick or two against him. There are no bragging rights for second and third place. You’re both in the red zone and playing for the field goal is playing to lose. Let’s see if Heckman and Hurley kick the extra point or go for the win with an attempt at a two point conversion with the clock winding down to zero two more weeks.

Playoff football doesn’t always pit two highly successful teams against each other. Such is the case in Week 11. Pickers are unanimous in eight of the 15 games on the docket and in the other seven, there is little disagreement.

The bold are making their last attempts to move up in the standings. Yours Truly has picked upsets in three games with Notre Dame over Tamaqua, Nativity to defeat Tri Valley, and Mahanoy Area to knock off Bishop McDevitt. Crazy am I? Like I said, finishing fifth or ninth makes no difference to me so it’s time I go for it on fourth down and six at my own 25 yard line to keep the chains moving.

Carlucci, Hixson, McCall, Matta, and Matsinko have each tabbed an upset. The rest of the gang has decided to punt the ball away rather than risk their current positions in the standings.

Vince Lombardi said, “Winning isn’t everything, but making the effort to win is.”

We’re in the last legs of the race to the Cup. Let’s see if Handy Andy can hold the lead and for the first time, capture the coveted trophy.