Byes are over, and the full sixteen game schedules resume for the final six weeks of the season.

After an abysmal week, things returned a bit to normal. Both our 209-6 games were actually winners. I can't nominate anyone for Football Mensa this week for making an outlandish, against-the-grain pick, and coming up a winner.

Instead, I will nominate only one person, who will receive this week's award. For beating our consensus by five full games and only missing two games, this week's Football Mensa award goes to Aggie Man. He used his strong 12-2 week to vault into fifth place overall, gaining ground on everyone in front of him, and being the fifth person to reach 100 overall.

Congratulations, Aggie Man.

Now, for this week's report:

For the second time this season, we reversed our steady decline in participation, buoyed again by several first-time participants. This week, with eighteen new participants, and one late add, we had two hundred fifteen players, up slightly from last week..

Here is the Participation Table, tracking the first eleven weeks:

Our consensus didn't do that well this week - only 7-7. But that was significantly better than last week. And, we avoided the huge losses - losses where more than two hundred missed the winner. Our one-sided picks all won, and our losses were evenly split, with many doing quite well.

I've already commended Aggie Man for beating our consensus by five full games, the second week in a row that our top scorer(s) accomplished that feat.

I'm feeling good as well, because for the first time since week #4, I posted good numbers. It's good to see myself back in the left column on the weekly scores table.

Here are the results of our consensus preferences for each game in week #11:

I mentioned in a comment on my last FanPost that we would either gain significant ground, lose most of our lead, or remain the same with the Front Page Writers. We took a three-game lead into week #11 and had two discrepancies with them. They had BAL (we had STL) and they had DEN (we had CHI). They got both of those, and so our lead is narrowed to just a single game.

Here's the table tracking the weekly consensus scores of Pick 256 participants and the Front Page Writers:

One of Aggie Man's two losses was the only game that more than 85% of us missed - IND-ATL. His other was CHI-DEN, one of my four misses.

This was my first double-digit score since week #4 (the first bye week and last bye week). Let's see who will join me in attempting to post double-digit scores each of these final six weeks.

You will notice that, except for Aggie Man, most of the top scores this week were not posted by our top overall scorers, So, there will be some upheaval at the top.

More upheaval came when, for the second week in a row, several every-week participants came up missing. One had an issue, submitted picks late, and participated in every game except Thursday night.

Here are the ten-week players who missed week #11:

FloridaBoys, GalTex, Jebediah Flibberbrush, newwallOD, scotscowboyfan, timani, and yushay bohra

As I commented in last week's FanPost comment thread, I have never seen Jebediah Flibberbrush miss a week before, and I have been following him for five years now - three when 10-for-10 was on here, and both years tracking Pick 256.

He was the champion in 2011 (his and my first year with 10-for-10) and was the initial (and reigning) champion, winning Pick 256 last season.

Here are the week #11 scores of all 215 participants:

Our scoreboard has been dominated by two players for half of the season. Either oldboysfan has been on top, revellyre has been on top, or they have been tied. No one else can get within two games of either of them. Last week, they both opened up opportunities to be caught, as each posted the identical picks of our consensus, and each went 4-10. This week, oldboysfan did a little better than the consensus, but that only put him in the third column above. revellyre matched my score (tied for tenth best this week) and caught him. For the second time this season, they are tied atop the scoreboard. They were the first to reach 100, and are two of only five to reach that plateau.

Congratulations to both for continuing to set the pace this season. I had to order a second Bulleye t-shirt from Target, so each could wear his own. They complained about having to share the same shirt.

Aggie Man is leading the charge, as we all take aim at the top, gaining four games this week and only being five out of the lead. I lost nine games in week #5 alone, so I understand how big swings are possible.

Normrock and Millard Fillmore have been steady as well, and have solidified their places in third and fourth place overall.

Here are the scores from all 805 who have participated at least once this season:

Finally, and I always close with this, is the Pick Accuracy table. This is designed to recognize and reward players who play most weeks, but miss one or more throughout the season. It is not designed to recognize or reward "one-week wonders", who play once, post a great score, and disappear.

In my opinion, that means that participants need to play most weeks. So, I am generally only going to include scores here of those who have played at least 60-70% of the time. So, to make this week's list, you need to have played seven of the eleven weeks. I told you last week that we would lose some of the "clutter" of those who played six weeks and disappeared. Two weeks ago, I listed the top 120. Last week, after abysmal scores, I only ninety names who beat 60%. This week, even with better scoring, I am only listing 67.

If you had played all eleven weeks and picked/matched our consensus each week, you would have a score of 96. With byes complete, and all teams having played ten games in eleven weeks, there have been 160 games played. Divide 96 by 160 and you get exactly 60% (3/5). That score would put you into this table, at the very end of the list.

Just a reminder on how I calculate pick accuracy. I take each person's total and divide by the number of games he picked. The first three weeks had sixteen games (as will all the remaining weeks); week #4 had fifteen games; week #9 had thirteen games; and weeks #5-8 and 10-11 all had fourteen games.

That will explain a discrepancy like the two top places this week. Our overall leader in pick accuracy, APerfectStar, missed weeks #1-2 (two weeks with above average scoring), and has been smoking the field ever since. I reported here two weeks ago how he caught me, even missing two weeks. Last week, he passed me. This week I returned the favor. My eleven-week score is again higher than a nine-week player. Sigh.

Notice that APerfectStar has a higher pick accuracy than jhcrouch3, even though jhcrouch3 has a higher score. APerfectStar missed the first two weeks (sixteen games each), and jhcrouch3 missed the past two weeks (fourteen games each). So, 86 / 148 gives a higher percentage than 87 / 152.

We have also had small numbers who have submitted picks late and had the Thursday picks disallowed. Either I couldn't get the switch flipped in time, or someone had an issue, appealed to O.C.C, and was able to submit picks late for all games that hadn't begun. Instead of counting late/missed picks as wrong, I leave them blank. So, their pick accuracy doesn't include missed games (or missed weeks), only games where a pick was submitted and accepted.

NOTE - with the first game on Thanksgiving kicking off eight hours earlier than the normal night game, you need to get your picks in today, tomorrow, or Thursday morning. I will flip the switch on Friday morning. Late picks won't include any games that have kicked off or are in progress.

If you have missed a week or two, look to see your name and percentage. See which ten-week players' scores you fit between. That's where you would rank if you had played every week. Note the four that have a higher percentage than our overall leaders. Note the absence of those who played six weeks and disappeared. That's what will happen to the seven-week players if they miss week #12. I will only be listing everyone who has played eight or more weeks next week.

Here are the scores of those who have played at least seven weeks and have gotten at least 60% of their picks right:

Again, I invite you to come back to this page throughout the weekend for my updates (comments) as the other games progress.

Week #12 contest is already open. You do not have to wait for One.Cool.Customer's next contest page to post week #12 picks. Use (and bookmark) the same link you have been provided each week.

EARLY DEADLINE THIS WEEK!

Please post your picks before the first Thursday game kicks off, or you will miss out on having your picks count for each game.