NFL 2019 Week 9 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us very soon! Last week in picks I did very well with 14-1, easily one of my best weeks. The one game I messed up on was the Tampa-Tennessee game but still a good record nonetheless. In this post, I'll talk an NFL 100 spotlight, focusing on the 2nd half of the history of the AFL, as well as my picks to the week 9 games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

Last week, I talked about the founding, the struggle and the eventual off-field victory for the American Football League. The AFL had won its acceptance with the established NFL via merger to happen in 1970. Part of that merger deal was that the two leagues would send its champion to play a game on a neutral field to decide who would truly win a "championship" and while the AFL had won the battle off the field, they had yet to prove that their league was truly an equal to the NFL.

After the 1963 season, the San Diego Chargers, the winners of the AFL, had asked NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle to possibly play the the NFL champion that year, the Chicago Bears, to play for a championship game. Ultimately the Bears said no. In my opinion, it would've been a close game but I feel the Chargers would've won it despite the NFL rules compared to the AFL's rules. Ultimately, it would be until 1966 when both leagues agreed to a game of that caliber.

The 1966 season saw expansion for the AFL as the Miami Dolphins joined the league. The season was competitive as both divisions saw teams going back and forth for first but after week 10, only two teams would stay the course to play in the league championship. The 11-2-1 Kansas City Chiefs would win the Western Division while the 9-4-1 Buffalo Bills would win the Eastern Division. It was the Bills 3rd consecutive trip to the championship game but ultimately the Chiefs would end the Bills run by a 31-7 score. The Green Bay Packers would win the NFL championship game against the Dallas Cowboys 34-27 in the Cotton Bowl. For the first time in both league's history, there would be another game to play.

The talk before Super Bowl I (or rather The AFL-NFL Championship Game at the time) was that the Packers were the more superior team compared to the AFL's Chiefs. The Packers were favored by 14 points to win the game. There was pressure from the NFL for the Packers to beat the Chiefs as there was certainly some resentment towards the AFL as they felt that the AFL was a "lesser league" or its players were "not ready for primetime."

The game itself was close in the first half as the Chiefs hung around against the Packers as Green Bay played a more conservative game. The game was 14-10 Packers at halftime. Packers head coach Vince Lombardi let the Packers defense loose and rattled the Chiefs offense. The pressure would get to Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson as he threw an interception to Willie Wood. The play would change the momentum to Green Bay and the Chiefs wouldn't recover as they would lose 35-10.

Certainly the NFL had won the day in the battle for which league was superior. For the Chiefs, it was a stinging loss but certainly they were still a young team and they used the game as motivation to play better when the opportunity presented itself again. If the AFL wanted to be an equal, they would have to win the championship to do it.

The next season in 1967 would see the Oakland Raiders finally breaking out of the cellar. Their early years were full of hardship but the team would finally achieve success in 1967 with a 13-1 record, best for 1st in the Western Division. Their opponent in the league championship game would be the Houston Oilers, who were making their first appearance since 1962, when they lost to the Chiefs in double-overtime.

The NFL's champion was once again the Green Bay Packers, who were coming off a win against the Dallas Cowboys in the "Ice Bowl." It was their 3rd consecutive league championship title, dating back to 1965. The Packers finished the 1967 season with a 9-4-1 record.

Super Bowl II (or The Second AFL-NFL Championship Game) was much of the same talk. The Packers were favored to win by 13.5 points despite Oakland's superior record. There was pressure for the Packers to win but the talk was that this game would be Vince Lombardi's last game as Green Bay head coach.

The game was over by the time that Oakland had its first offensive play as Packer Ray Nitschke would hit Raider Hewritt Dixon so viciously that the whole stadium could hear it. By halftime the score was 16-7. The Packers would play the last 30 minutes for "the old man" (old man in terms of Lombardi) and wouldn't turn the ball over for the 2nd half and dominated the Raiders with the final score of 33-14.

The AFL lost another Super Bowl to the NFL. Even with a superior record of the Raiders, it wouldn't be enough for the AFL to validate themselves. It was starting to look like the merger was a farce.

In 1968, the AFL would add its 10th and final franchise in the Cincinnati Bengals. Coached by Paul Brown, a former NFL coach who had great success in leading the Cleveland Browns, was encouraged to coach for them since the potential rivalry with the other Ohio-based team. The league's officials would switch from the red and white uniforms to the standard black and white uniforms, in anticipation for the 1970 merger.

The year was a tough one in the U.S. as both Martin Luther King Jr and Robert Kennedy would be assassinated. Cities were burning, riots broke out in many cities, and protests toward's the United States involvement in the Vietnam War was at a tipping point. For the AFL, the counter-culture's equivalent to the more establishment NFL, they needed a win to prove that their league was equal to them.

The New York Jets would finally achieve success in 1968. The team was lead by Joe Namath on offense and Jerry Philbin on defense. The biggest highlight for the Jets was their Week 11 loss to the Raiders. The game, known as "The Heidi Game" was a turning point for the Jets season as they wouldn't lose another game for the rest of the season. It was also notable that fans of the Jets made their opinion known to NBC which had switched the game to the movie when the clock hit 6:00 pm Eastern time. Switchboards blew out their fuses due to the volume of phone calls to WNBC. It proved that people still watch the AFL and enjoyed the product on the field.

The Jets road to the Super Bowl wasn't an easy one. They would finish the season with a 11-3 record, winning the Eastern Division by a fairly large margin. The winner of the Western Division would be decided by a one-game playoff between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders. Oakland would run over the Chiefs as they won the game 41-6, the worst loss in Chiefs history. The Jets would exact some revenge on the Raiders as they would beat them 27-23.

The Jets opponent in Super Bowl III (the first time that the name Super Bowl was used) was the Baltimore Colts. The Colts finished the season with a 13-1 record, only losing to the Cleveland Browns in the regular season. They were considered to be one of the greatest teams in NFL history as they had a plethora of high-caliber players like Bubba Smith, Earl Morrall, John Mackey, and Johnny Unitas. They would run over their competition in the NFL playoffs beating the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns 24-14 and 34-0 respectively.

The Colts were expected to, much like the Packers, to beat their AFL opponent as some odds favored the Colts to win by a margin of 18-22 point favorites. You couldn't really blame them, the AFL's teams in the first two Super Bowls were no match in terms of their NFL opponent. What changed the fortune of the Jets and the AFL was a guarantee.

Days before the game, Jets quarterback Joe Namath was at the Miami Touchdown Club. He was accepting an award for "Player Of The Year" for his play during the season. He was distracted as Colts fan heckled Namath and Namath would utter the words that would live in football lore forever. He would guarantee a Jet victory by saying "The Jets will win on Sunday. I guarantee it." It was the dose of confidence that the Jets needed.

The game itself was somewhat of a defensive battle. New York would score their only touchdown in the game in the 2nd quarter when Matt Snell would run it in on a 4-yard play. Baltimore did well moving the ball but would fail the score the five times they entered the redzone. Earl Morrall would throw three interceptions in the game while giving the Colts only 71 yards passing. Eventually Johnny Unitas entered the game but the move proved to be folly as Unitas would throw an interception. The Jets would win the game by playing great defense and running the ball. When the final gun sounded, it was over, the AFL's Jets had won against the NFL's Colts by a score of 16-7. The AFL finally had its win that it desperately needed to keep the merger alive.

The following year in 1969 would prove to be a final opportunity for the AFL to assert their equality to the NFL. They won the previous Super Bowl for sure but there was still animosity that the game was a fluke and that the NFL was still superior. The season was an anniversary for both leagues as the AFL was celebrating 10 years and the NFL was celebrating 50 years of operations.

The Kansas City Chiefs were still considered to be a talented team in 1967 and 1968 but both seasons would see their season end at the hands of the Oakland Raiders. To win a Super Bowl championship, they would need to beat their rivals. They still remembered how bad they lost in Super Bowl I.

The 1969 AFL playoffs was the only season where there were four teams that qualified for the playoffs. The Oakland Raiders and New York Jets won their respective divisions and qualified to have homefield advantage in the Divisional round. Kansas City and Houston qualified as the two wild card teams that would play on the road. The Chiefs finished the season with a 11-3 record. The Chiefs would beat the Jets 13-6 and the Raiders would romp the Oilers with a 56-7 win.

The Chiefs would face the Raiders in the final AFL championship game. The Raiders would score first but the Chiefs would dominate the rest of the game as they would return to the Super Bowl with a 17-7 win. The Chiefs and the AFL would have their final chance to prove that their league was equal.

The Chiefs opponent in Super Bowl IV was the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings that year finished with a 12-2 record and lead the league in points scored and points allowed. They were lead by such players like Joe Kapp, Paul Krause, and Jim Marshall. The Vikings were favored to beat the Chiefs by a 13 point margin. Certainly the odds makers felt that the Jets winning the year before was a fluke.

The weather for the game was brisk and there was rain causing the field to be very muddy and wet. The Vikings offense was beleaguered by the Chiefs defense as Kansas City forced five Viking turnovers. The Vikings defense had not seen an offense like Kansas City, which utilized on motions and schemes that the NFL had not seen in those days. In fact, shortly before halftime Chiefs head coach Hank Stram would call a play called 65-Toss Power Trap, a running play that resulted in a touchdown. The game was 16-0 at halftime. The Chiefs wouldn't let the Vikings mount a comeback but would let them get a touchdown in the 3rd quarter. The final score was a resounding 23-7 win for Kansas City as the AFL finally matched their win total against the NFL with a record of 2-2. The AFL was truly an equal.

The AFL would cease operations months after Super Bowl IV but they would be merged into the NFL. Another effect in the 1966 merger was that the NFL would have three teams move from the NFL to join the newly minted American Football Conference, a conference with the original 10 AFL teams. The Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts would join the new conference. The move would give the American Football Conference and National Football Conference 13 teams each with a total of 26 teams.

The impact of the American Football League has to be that of highest importance. The league was haven for players who had been cut by an NFL team. It introduced the two-point conversion, an innovation that wouldn't be implemented by the NFL until 1994. It's halftime shows resulted in quality entertainment that fans of all ages to enjoy. Without the AFL, the history of the NFL would be very much different.

Week 9 Picks

Week 9 of the National Football League's regular season starts in Glendale, Arizona and ends in East Rutherford, New Jersey. There will be 14 games played this week. Teams on a bye week this week include Atlanta Falcons, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, and New Orleans Saints. There will be a Thursday night game, an early Sunday morning game, six early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will have the single, regional game and CBS will have the double-header. Here are the picks!

San Francisco (7-0) @ Arizona (3-4-1) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

The 49ers beat the Panthers and the Cardinals lost to the Saints last week. The week starts off with a fairly poor matchup as the 49ers are really good on both sides of the ball. The only real way that the 49ers lose is that their offense slows down and their defense can't get stops. The Cardinals might make it a game if their rushing game can get better. I'll take my chances and keep the 49ers undefeated.

Houston (5-3) @ Jacksonville (4-4) (NFL Network): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

Both teams got wins as the Texans beat the Raiders and the Jaguars beat the Jets. The game will be in London and it will start at 9:30 am Eastern time. The loss of JJ Watt for Houston will be huge as I think the Jaguars will take advantage of the Texans defense with their run game. Jacksonville has been playing better lately so I'll take them.

Minnesota (6-2) @ Kansas City (5-3) (FOX): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The Vikings beat the Redskins and the Chiefs lost to the Chiefs last week. Patrick Mahomes will more than likely be out for the 2nd straight game. Unless Matt Moore plays like Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs defense knocks Kirk Cousins around, I don't trust the Chiefs to get it done as the Vikings defense has done well and Kirk Cousins is playing good football.

NY Jets (1-6) @ Miami (0-7) (CBS): TW: Jets; CV: Jets

Both teams lost last week as the Jets lost to the Jaguars and the Dolphins lost to the Steelers. Both teams are really bad. I'm honestly giving the Jets some leeway as they have a better run game and a better defense. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if the Dolphins finally win game #1.

Washington (1-7) @ Buffalo (5-2) (FOX): TW: Bills CV: Bills

Both teams lost last week as the Redskins lost to the Vikings and the Bills lost to the Eagles. The Redskins are a mess and the Bills aren't. I like the Bills in the match-up as they do have more options in offense in particular with the running game. If Josh Allen plays solid football with his arm and legs, I think the Bills will take a win.

Indianapolis (5-2) @ Pittsburgh (3-4) (CBS): TW: Steelers; CV: Colts

Both teams got wins last week as the Colts beat the Broncos and the Steelers beat the Dolphins. Pittsburgh has been playing better lately. I like the Colts as well in this match-up as well as they are very similar to the Steelers, except for maybe wide receivers. It could be a toss-up but I'll take my chances with Pittsburgh.

Tennessee (4-4) @ Carolina (3-3-1) (CBS): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers

The Titans beat the Buccaneers and the Panthers lost to the 49ers last week. Carolina had a bad game last week and I feel they can get back to winning form against an inconsistent Titans team. If you enjoy running backs, this game is for you as its Derrick Henry vs Christian McCaffrey. The game will probably come down to which running back can give his team yardage and scores. I'll take Carolina as I don't trust Tennessee to get it done on the road.

Chicago (3-4) @ Philadelphia (4-4) (FOX): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Bears lost to the Chargers and the Eagles beat the Bills last week. Chicago is having an off year compared to last year. Philadelphia finally had a great game with their stellar running game. I think the Bears will challenge the Eagles running game so it will ultimately be up to Carson Wentz to guide the Eagles to a win. I can't trust Mitchell Trubisky to lead his team to a win in a hostile environment.

Tampa Bay (2-5) @ Seattle (6-2) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

The Buccaneers lost to the Titans and the Seahawks beat the Falcons last week. I like the match-up in terms of wide receivers for the Seahawks. Russell Wilson has been having a great season so far with only one interception so far this year. One can expect that Jameis Winston will throw more than one interception in this game. I don't trust Winston and I don't trust Tampa to give them the pick.

Detroit (3-3-1) @ Oakland (3-4) (FOX): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders

The Lions beat the Giants and the Raiders lost to the Texans. Oakland is playing their first game at home since week 2. I think they'll play inspired football at home. Matthew Stafford could have a good game in this one and the Lions have some decent weapons while Kenny Golladay is out with an injury at running back. Josh Jacobs could get a big game.

Cleveland (2-5) @ Denver (2-6) (CBS): TW: Browns; CV: Broncos

Both teams lost last week as the Browns lost to the Patriots and the Broncos lost to the Colts. Cleveland has had a rough season despite all the offensive talent they added in the offseason. Joe Flacco will be out for this game. I'm going to take a risk and take the Browns with their better offense.

Green Bay (7-1) @ LA Chargers (3-5) (CBS): TW: Packers; CV: Packers

Both teams got wins last week as the Packers beat the Chiefs and the Chargers beat the Bears. The Chargers offense could look different as they fired Ken Whisenhunt last week. If the Packers defense can limit the Chargers weapons on offense like Keenan Allen and their tight ends, the Packers have a good shot to win.

New England (8-0) @ Baltimore (5-2) (NBC): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Patriots beat the Browns and the Ravens were on a bye last week. New England hasn't played a lot of good teams this season (except for maybe Buffalo) and this game will be a huge test for the Pats. If the Ravens can keep Brady off the field, they have a shot to win this. I'll take the safe bet and take Brady & Company.

Dallas (4-3) @ NY Giants (2-6) (ESPN): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

The Cowboys were on a bye and the Giants lost to the Lions last week. Dallas will be on long rest and the Giants haven't been playing well on either side of the ball. New York could make the game interesting but ultimately I feel the talent on defense for the Cowboys will ultimately win the game for Dallas.

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Week 8: 11-4

Overall: 75-45-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Week 8: 14-1

Overall: 76-44-1

See you guys on Monday night for the Week 9 Recap. Enjoy the games!
-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 8 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has passed us by. Last week in picks I was average with a 7-7 record, with 15 games played this week I should know at least if I get a winning or losing week. The post will have a NFL 100 spotlight and a recap of the week's games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

It seems almost imperative to talk about another football league that helped change the football landscape forever. A league that centered on innovation, entertainment and of course good football. I am talking about, of course, the American Football League.

By 1960, the NFL had grown to surpass Major League Baseball as the #1 sports league in the U.S., encompassing even college football. Teams enjoyed lucrative tv contracts, the invent of television, and drama that baseball failed to capitalize on. However, the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL was declining.

Cardinals owner, the Bidwell family, opened up to investors to help finance the team to move out of Chicago, one such investor was Lamar Hunt, son of oil tycoon H.L. Hunt, and approached the Bidwells to move the Cardinals to Dallas. The Bidwells declined as they didn't want to move the team to a place that had an NFL team (the Dallas Texans were a team in 1952). Hunt, along with Bob Howsam and Max Winter approached NFL commissioner Bert Bell with the possibility of expansion. Bell declined that as well. Hunt never gave up on owning a football team and decided to create a new league with Howsam and Winter. Winter would back out of the deal later on and became the owner of the Minnesota Vikings in 1961.

Lamar Hunt had work to do, he had to find a commissioner for his new league, he had to find owners to help produce teams for his new league. He would hire Joe Foss, a former Marine pilot and governor of South Dakota, to be the league's first commissioner. On August 14th, 1959, Hunt and a bunch of owners like Bud Adams met for the first time. On August 22, the new league was named American Football League, with the famous "Eagle On Football" logo. The league agreed to have teams play in New York, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, and Los Angeles. When the ownership group of Winter backed out, Barron Hilton, owner of the Los Angeles team, suggested that a 2nd team in California to be founded, to lower operation costs as well as form an in-state rivalry. That team would be based in Oakland.

Ralph Wilson, part owner of the Detroit Lions, agreed to form a franchise in Miami. Wilson's plans backfired as the city declined to put a football team there. The franchise would base themselves in Buffalo, New York and call themselves the Buffalo Bills. On November 22nd, a 10-man ownership group in Boston was awarded a franchise, giving the American Football League their 8th franchise. The new league would start play in the 1960 season with the Boston Patriots, New York Titans, Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Chargers, Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Dallas Texans, and Houston Oilers.

The new league found some success as teams did well financially, with the exception to the Oakland Raiders and New York Titans (teams that were battling with an NFL team in their metro area). The league's first dynasty was the Houston Oilers who would win the league championship in 1960 and 1961. Their quarterback was Billy Cannon, a player that was originally drafted by the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, but was lured away with money to play for the Oilers. They had a contract with ABC to broadcast their games. The money helped keep the league afloat.

The game that helped put the league on the map was the 1962 AFL Championship Game. It featured the Houston Oilers and the Dallas Texans. The game became a classic as the Texans would beat the the two-time defending champion Oilers 20-17 in a two-overtime thriller, becoming the longest football game played at the time.

The Raiders would struggle but kept going despite poor results on the field. In 1963, Sonny Werblin bought the New York Titans from Harry Wismer, and renamed the team the Jets due to the fact that Shea Stadium was next to airports and the Jets would fly over the stadium. The move helped reverse the course for the franchise. In 1961. Barron Hilton would move the Chargers to San Diego due to the fact that they couldn't compete with the NFL's Rams.

The league championships in 1963, 1964 and 1965 saw different philosophies for the league. In 1963, the Chargers would win their only league championship (as of the 2018 season) beating the Boston Patriots 51-10 in San Diego. In 1964 and 1965 the league saw its 2nd dynasty in the Buffalo Bills. The Bills would beat the Chargers both times 20-7 and 23-0 respectively.

The year 1965 was a huge year for the league for two reasons: Joe Namath and NBC. The draft in 1965 was a competitive one as both the NFL and AFL sought out talent. The NFL's St. Louis Cardinals drafted Joe Namath of Alabama, but bolted to sign with the New York Jets. The league would get even when the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Gale Sayers but ended up signing with the NFL's Chicago Bears. The AFL had won itself a victory and Sonny Werblin knew it, signing Namath to a lucrative contract of $427,000. NBC paid a $36 million deal to show its games in 1965. The deal meant that the league was there to stay, and NFL owners were scared. Pittsburgh Steelers owner, Art Rooney, commented to NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle with "They don't have to call us Mister, anymore."

On April 7th, 1966 AFL commissioner Joe Foss resigned. Raiders owner, Al Davis, picked up where Foss left off and began a more, aggressive strategy towards the NFL. Davis looked to lure NFL players away from their teams to AFL ones. Such players included Mike Ditka, Roman Gabriel and John Brodie.

A month after Davis was named commissioner, Tex Schramm, general manager of the Dallas Cowboys, and a bunch of owners approached Lamar Hunt to discuss the possiblity of merging. The merger was headlined by Hunt, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, and Tex Schramm. On June 8th, 1966 the war was finally over as the merger agreement was signed.

The merger deal included: a common draft, players from NFL teams that signed to an AFL team to return to their original team, an expanded league, and a championship game between the two leagues (later would become the Super Bowl). The AFL's teams would form the American Football Conference and the NFL's teams would form the National Football Conference. In 1966, the AFL expanded to nine teams with the addition of the Miami Dolphins under the ownership group of Joe Robbie and Danny Thomas. The NFL would expand as well with the inclusion of the Atlanta Falcons. The two leagues would agreed to continue expansion to have 26 teams by the merger's effective date in 1970.

The news of a merger outraged Al Davis and promptly resigned from commissioner in June 1966. The reason why Davis resigned was that Rozelle would retain commissioner as part of the merger deal, rather to see the completion of the merger fulfilled. Milt Woodard would be hired as President of the AFL for the duration of the league's existence.

In a period of seven years, the AFL had gone from being a league for washups and has been's to a legitimate league that had won its battles against the NFL off the field. The NFL's war with their brother league was only beginning as the AFL hadn't won the battle on the field, and the Super Bowl would ultimately prove which league was superior. That will be a story for another time.

NFL Week 8 Recap

Washington 9, Minnesota 19: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The game was closer than most imagined but the Vikings held the Redskins to zero touchdowns. Case Keenum started the game but threw for 130 yards for zero touchdowns. Once Keenum left the game with a concussion, the Redskins put Dwayne Haskins to play, throwing the ball for only 33 yards with an interception. Former Viking, Adrian Peterson, ran the ball for 76 yards, getting a standing ovation when he made a milestone in rushing yards. Kirk Cousins threw the ball for 285 yards with zero touchdowns. Dalvin Cook would get the only offensive touchdown in the game while compiling 98 rushing yards. Washington's defense isn't too bad, I will say.

All-time series: Vikings lead series 14-13

Next week: Washington: @ Buffalo; Minnesota: @ Kansas City

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

NY Jets 15, Jacksonville 29: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

Sam Darnold would see a few less ghosts but it didn't help that he threw three interceptions. Darnold threw the ball for 218 yards while throwing two touchdowns. Le'Veon Bell could only get 23 yards rushing from 11 carries, not helping the offensive cause much. Gardner Minshew of the Jaguars threw the ball for 279 yards with three touchdowns. Leonard Fournette had a good game with his 76 yards rushing while not scoring a rushing touchdown in the game. Sam Darnold is a mess and the Jets broke him, sadly. 

All-time series: Jaguars lead series 8-7

Next week: NY Jets: @ Miami; Jacksonville: vs Houston (London)

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

NY Giants 26, Detroit 31: TW: Lions; CV: Lions

The Giants really came to play in this game. Daniel Jones threw the ball for 322 yards with four touchdowns, giving him a pretty good day from the air. Saquon Barkley ran the ball for 64 yards, respectable numbers for sure. Matthew Stafford would finish the day with 342 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. The Lions leading rusher was Tra Carson with 34 yards from the ground. 

All-time series: Lions lead series 24-21-1

Next week: NY Giants: vs Dallas; Detroit: @ Oakland

TW: 3-0; CV: 3-0

Philadelphia 31, Buffalo 13: TW: Eagles; CV: Bills

A week after the Eagles got destroyed by Dallas, they rebounded and got a huge win. Carson Wentz threw the ball for 172 yards with a touchdown but it would be the ground where the Eagles got their win. Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders and Boston Scott would score rushing touchdowns while getting 96, 74 and 6 rushing yards respectively. Josh Allen continued his good play with his arm and leg, throwing the ball for 169 yards with two touchdowns while running the ball for 45 yards. Frank Gore could only get 34 yards from the ground. 

All-time series: Eagles lead series 8-6

Next week: Philadelphia: vs Chicago; Buffalo: vs Washington

TW: 4-0; CV: 3-1

Seattle 27, Atlanta 20: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

Seattle hung 24 on Atlanta by halftime but the Falcons wouldn't go quietly. Russell Wilson threw the ball for 182 yards with two touchdowns while rushing for four yards. Chris Carson would have leading rusher honors with his 90 yards and a touchdown to go along with it. Matt Schaub still proved that he can still sling a football with his 460 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Brian Hill would get a rushing touchdown but it would be Devonta Freeman with 39 yards rushing. At least it wasn't another blowout for the Falcons defense.

All-time series: Seahawks lead series 11-8

Next week: Seattle: vs Tampa Bay; Atlanta: Bye

TW: 5-0; CV: 4-1

Tampa Bay 23, Tennessee 27: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers

The game should've been a more wider margin as the Titans caused four Buccaneer turnovers. Jameis Winston threw the ball for 301 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Winston was the leading rusher for Tampa with 53 yards. Ryan Tannehill for the Titans threw the ball for 193 yards with three touchdowns. Derrick Henry got a solid day with his 75 yards rushing. 

All-time series: Titans lead series 10-2

Next week: Tampa Bay: @ Seattle; Tennessee: @ Carolina

TW: 5-1; 4-2

LA Chargers 17, Chicago 16: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

New year, same old shit for Bears kickers. Phillip Rivers threw the ball for 201 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Melvin Gordon would get 31 yards with a touchdown. Mitchell Trubisky threw the ball for 253 yards with an interception. David Montgomery ran the ball over the Chargers defense, getting 135 yards rushing with a touchdown. Eddy Pineiro of the Bears had a chance to give Chicago the win with a 41-yard field goal but failed. At some point, you have to not blame the kicker and blame the offense to put up enough points so that you don't have to call on your own kicker to save your ass. Just saying. 

All-time series: Bears lead series 7-6

Next week: LA Chargers: vs Green Bay; Chicago: @ Philadelphia

TW: 6-1; CV: 5-2

Denver 13, Indianapolis 15: TW: Colts; CV: Colts

It wasn't a pretty game and Adam Vinatieri had missed a few kicks in the game, but the Colts came with a win. Joe Flacco started for the Broncos, throwing for 174 yards with zero touchdowns. Royce Freeman ran the ball for 40 yards with a touchdown but his teammate Philip Lindsay would get leading rusher honors with 59 yards. Jacoby Brissett would throw the ball for 202 yards with zero touchdowns and a fumble. Marlon Mack had a great day on the ground with 76 yards rushing with a touchdown, the only Colts touchdown of the game. Adam Vinatieri would redeem himself from his misses, hitting a 51-yard field goal. 

All-time series: Series tied at 14-14

Next week: Denver: vs Cleveland; Indianapolis: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 7-1; CV: 6-2

Cincinnati 10, LA Rams 24: TW: Rams; CV: Rams

For the 10th time in franchise history, the Cincinnati Bengals start 0-8. Andy Dalton threw for 329 yards with a touchdown while getting sacked five times. Joe Mixon had a better game than most with 66 yards rushing but zero touchdowns. Jared Goff threw for 372 yards with two touchdowns, Cooper Kupp had 220 of those yards. Darrell Henderson ran the ball for 49 yards with 11 carries but Todd Gurley ran the ball for 44 yards and a touchdown. Fortunately for the Bengals, they have a bye week next week. 

All-time series: Bengals lead series 8-6

Next week: Cincinnati: Bye; LA Rams: Bye

TW: 8-1; CV: 7-2

Arizona 9, New Orleans 31: TW: Saints; CV: Saints

Wasn't expecting Drew Brees to return after getting injured six weeks ago. Kyler Murray would throw the ball for 220 yards with zero touchdowns. The Cardinals leading rusher was Christian Kirk who got 19 yards on 1 carry. Drew Brees returned to form with his 373 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception. Latavius Murray continues his stellar play with 102 yards from the ground and a touchdown. 

All-time series: Saints lead series 16-15

Next week: Arizona: vs San Francisco; New Orleans: Bye

TW: 9-1; CV: 8-2

Carolina 13, San Francisco 51: TW: 49ers; CV: Panthers

Kyle Allen fell down to earth while the 49ers improve to 7-0 with a win. Kyle Allen threw the ball for 158 yards with three interceptions. Christian McCaffrey carried the load with his 117 yards rushing with a touchdown, while compiling 38 receiving yards. Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball for 175 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. It would be the 49ers running game that would dominate the game as Tevin Coleman scored three touchdown while Raheem Mostert and Deebo Samuel ran it in for a touchdown each. Just sheer domination. 

All-time series: Panthers lead series 13-9

Next week: Carolina: vs Tennessee; San Francisco: @ Arizona

TW: 10-1; CV: 8-3

Cleveland 13, New England 27: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

In 1991, Browns head coach Bill Belichek got his first win as head coach against... the New England Patriots. On Sunday he got his 300th win as Patriots head coach against... the Browns. Mind blown right? Baker Mayfield threw the ball for 194 yards with a touchdown and an interception while getting 18 yards on the ground. Nick Chubb did the ground work with 131 yards rushing with zero touchdowns. Tom Brady had a good game with his 259 yards passing with two touchdowns. Sony Michel was the leading rusher for the Pats with 74 from the ground. Poor Cleveland.

All-time series: Browns lead series 13-12

Next week: Cleveland: @ Denver; New England: @ Baltimore

TW: 11-1; CV: 9-3

Oakland 24, Houston 27: TW: Texans; CV: Texans

Houston finally got a win when I picked them! Derek Carr had a good game in this one with 285 yards passing with three touchdowns. Josh Jacobs had a fine day on the ground with 66 yards rushing. DeShaun Watson had a good day on the field with his 279 yards for three touchdowns, one was on a play where a cleat hit his left eye and threw it somewhat blindly into the endzone for a score. Carlos Hyde kept the running game honest with his 83 yards rushing. The win however proved costly as JJ Watt was injured, later on it became a season-ending injury. 

All-time series: Texans lead series 8-4

Next week: Oakland: vs Detroit; Houston: @ Jacksonville (London)

TW: 12-1; CV: 10-3

Green Bay 31, Kansas City 24: TW: Packers; CV: Chiefs

The Chiefs did well with Matt Moore but couldn't stop the Aaron Jones train. Aaron Rodgers threw the ball for 305 yards with three touchdowns, 159 of those yards were to Aaron Jones who ran it in for two scores. Aaron Jones did well enough to get 67 yards rushing. Jamaal Williams got a rushing touchdown on a 1-yard play. Matt Moore threw the ball fine for the Chiefs with 267 yards and two touchdowns. LeSean McCoy was the leading rusher for KC with 40 yards but Damien Williams got 30 yards with a touchdown. Overall nice game without Mahomes even though they lost. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead series 7-5-1

Next week: Green Bay: @ LA Chargers; Kansas City: vs Minnesota

TW: 13-1; CV: 10-4

Miami 14, Pittsburgh 27: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

The game was a story of two parts: the 14 unanswered points by Miami, and the 27 unanswered points by Pittsburgh. Ryan Fitzpatrick started off good but finished well not so good. He threw the ball for 190 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Mark Walton had 11 carries for 35 yards rushing in the game. Mason Rudolph started for Pittsburgh and finished with 251 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception. James Conner had quite a game with his 145 yards rushing with a touchdown. Yinzer Nation won't riot tonight, they can sleep well tonight. 

All-time series: Steelers lead 15-13

Next week: Miami: vs NY Jets; Pittsburgh: vs Indianapolis

TW: 14-1; CV: 11-4

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Week 8: 11-4

Overall: 75-45-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Week 8: 14-1

Overall: 76-44-1

See you guys on Wednesday for the Week 9 picks post! 

-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 8 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us! The week that was last week was an average week ending at 7-7, slightly better than what I thought but at one point I was 6-0 in picks last week. Hopefully this week gets better. The post will include a mind blowing NFL 100 spotlight and my picks to the week 8 games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

On Sunday, the Browns visit Foxboro to take on the Patriots. What if I told you that Bill Belichek, Vinny Testaverde, Bill Parcells, Willie McGinest, and Drew Bledsoe had one thing in common. They were in a playoff game with the same two teams. I'll explain.

On January 1st, 1995, the 10-6 New England Patriots visited the 11-5 Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. The Patriots are entering their first playoff game since 1986. The Browns are returning to the playoffs since 1989. Little did both teams know that the aftermath of the game would set things in motion that still echo to this day.

The Patriots head coach, Bill Parcells, was entering his 2nd season at the helm of the Patriots. Just two years earlier, the team contemplated moving to St. Louis. Ultimately the team was bought by local businessman Robert Kraft in 1993. Parcells was lured out of a cushy TV job at NBC to coach the team. In the 1993 draft, the Patriots drafted Drew Bledsoe and Troy Brown. In the 1994 draft, Parcells selected Willie McGinest and with that the foundation of the Patriots success for the next decade was set.

The Browns hired Bill Belichek after the 1990 season. He set about rebuilding the defense and keeping Bernie Kosar as quarterback. While the Browns had three losing seasons, Belichek would let Kosar go as a free agent. Kosar would eventually help Dallas to win Super Bowls. Vinny Testaverde would start the playoff game against the Patriots.

Cleveland Municipal Stadium, which was opened on 1931, was crumbling. Hopes that Browns owner, Art Modell, would get a new stadium deal was crumbling as well. After the 1993 season, the Cleveland Indians would move into Jacobs Field to start play in the 1994 season. The new ballpark was designated as a baseball-only park.

The game itself was a competitive one as Browns kicker Matt Stover hit a field goal to give the Browns a 3-0 lead. The lead wouldn't last long as Drew Bledsoe found Leroy Thompson for a touchdown, 7-3 Patriots. Cleveland answered back with Vinny Testaverde would hit Mark Carner for a 5-yard touchdown, 10-7 Browns. Patriots kicker Matt Bahr would hit a field goal before halftime to tie the game 10-10. Leroy Hoard would run it in for a touchdown to start scoring after halftime, 17-10 Browns. Matt Stover would hit a field goal to give the Browns a 20-10 cushion. Matt Bahr would give the Patriots some more points with a field goal with a 20-13 game. Ultimately the score would end with a 20-13 Browns win.

For the Browns, it would be their last playoff win (as of the 2018 NFL regular season) and it would be Bill Belichek's first playoff win as a head coach, besting his mentor Bill Parcells. A year after the playoff game, the Browns would move to Baltimore to become the Ravens after negotiations between the city and Art Modell fell through. Vinny Testaverde would play for Bill Parcells as the Jets starter in the 1998 AFC Championship game. He would join Parcells in Dallas in 2005, his backup was Tony Romo. Bill Belichek would return to the assistant coaching ranks with Parcells in 1996 and moved with him to the Jets. When Parcells announced his resignation, Belicheck at first took the coaching job but would ultimately decline, becoming the Patriots head coach. The rest, as they say is history.

For the Patriots, they would post a 6-10 record in 1995 but would make their 2nd Super Bowl appearance in 1996. Bill Parcells would leave the job after Super Bowl XXXI to coach the Jets. In 2005, he became the head coach of the Cowboys. His quarterbacks were Vinny Testaverde, Drew Bledsoe, and Tony Romo. Drew Bledsoe remained a Patriot until the 2001 season when he became injured in a game against the New York Jets. His backup was Tom Brady. Brady along with McGinest, and Troy Brown would win three Super Bowls in four years. Bledsoe was dealt to the Buffalo Bills and then joined the Cowboys where another injury would put his backup into action, Tony Romo.

Essentially NFL history was made in this AFC Wild Card game in 1995. Both teams had no idea what kind of rammifications would happen years later. Such rammifications like Tom Brady or Tony Romo ultimately becoming starting quarterbacks. Talk about mind-blowing, eh?

Week 8 Picks!

Week 8 of the National Football League regular season starts in Minneapolis, Minnesota and ends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There are 15 games on the week slate. The Baltimore Ravens and Dallas Cowboys are on bye this week. FOX will have the single, regional game and CBS will have the double-header. There will be a Thursday night game, nine early games, three late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. Let's get to the picks!

Washington (1-6) @ Minnesota (5-2) (FOX/NFL Network): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The Redskins lost to the 49ers and the Vikings beat the Lions last week. The week kicks off with a weak game as the Redskins aren't that good on either side of the ball. Unless Kirk Cousins shits the bed, I think the Vikings will take a win.

NY Jets (1-5) @ Jacksonville (3-4) (CBS): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

The Jets lost to the Patriots and the Jaguars beat the Bengals last week. The matchup seems a bit more in favor to the Jaguars as they do have a better offense. Defense seems a bit more leaning towards the Jaguars but I can't sleep on the Jets defense either. I think Leonard Fournette will have a good game which means bad news for the Jets defense trying to get stops.

NY Giants (2-5) @ Detroit (2-3-1) (FOX): TW: Lions; CV: Lions

Both teams lost last week as the Giants lost to the Cardinals and the Lions lost to the Vikings. Saquon Barkley is questionable for this game and Kerryon Johnson is questionable to start as well. I feel the Lions will win based on their better defense than the Giants. Please Detroit, don't fuck this up.

Philadelphia (3-4) @ Buffalo (5-1) (FOX): TW: Eagles; CV: Bills

The Eagles lost to the Cowboys and the Bills beat the Dolphins. Philadelphia looked awful last week and they need a win in hostile environment. Carson Wentz has a tough challenge and his receivers and defense needs to play better, and limit the turnovers. Tough sledding for Philly but I'll take them.

Seattle (5-2) @ Atlanta (1-6) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

Both teams lost last week as the Seahawks lost to the Ravens and the Falcons lost to the Rams. Matt Schaub will start for Atlanta and I don't trust him to overcome this good Seahawks team. Russell Wilson had an off day but should get back to normal against an awful Falcons defense.

Tampa Bay (2-4) @ Tennessee (3-4) (FOX): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers

The Buccaneers were on a bye and the Titans beat the Chargers last week. Ryan Tannehill played well in his first start of the season. Tampa has the #1 ranked rush defense and the gameplan should center on trying to make Ryan Tannehill beat you with a one-dimensional offense. I could be off as Jameis Winston could throw six interceptions in the game but I like the rested Bucs in this one.

LA Chargers (2-5) @ Chicago (3-3) (FOX): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

Both teams lost last week as the Chargers lost to the Titans and the Bears lost to the Saints. Chicago played awful last week against the Saints. The Bears offense in particular was not that good and while they do play against an average Chargers defense. I trust Philip Rivers to get back on track and get a win but if Rivers gets sacked a lot, I might regret taking the Chargers in this one. Let's just hope not.

Denver (2-5) @ Indianapolis (4-2) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Colts

The Broncos lost to the Chiefs and the Colts beat the Texans last week. Indianapolis is quietly becoming a good team in a wide open AFC. Denver let Emmanuel Sanders go via trade so I don't expect the Broncos offense to get a lot going as their pass protection is not great either. I'll take Indy with their 5th win of the season.

Cincinnati (0-7) @ LA Rams (4-3) (CBS): TW: Rams; CV: Rams

The Bengals lost to the Jaguars and the Rams beat the Falcons last week. The game will be in London. Jared Goff and the Rams offense should do well in this matchup as both sides of the ball for Cincinnati is pretty much trash. Andy Dalton could have a long day.

Arizona (3-3-1) @ New Orleans (6-1) (CBS): TW: Saints; CV: Saints

Both teams got wins last week as the Cardinals beat the Giants and the Saints beat the Bears. I don't trust the Cardinals defense to keep the hot Teddy Bridgewater and the Saints offense out of their element. The SuperDome will be loud and when it comes to young quarterbacks, the noise will effect their communication. Unless the Saints defense breaks down and the Cardinals offense can get the crowd out of the game, they have a shot to win.

Carolina (4-2) @ San Francisco (6-0) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV: Panthers

The Panthers were on a bye and the 49ers beat the Redskins last week. San Francisco got better on pass offense with the addition of Emmanuel Sanders via trade from Denver. I think the addition adds another weapon to a fairly average receiving corp. The game will be somewhat high scoring but I think the victor will be the one who can put up 30+ and can keep Christian McCaffrey out of his element.

Cleveland (2-4) @ New England (7-0) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Browns were on a bye and the Patriots beat the Jets last week. The marquee game this week. The game looked pretty nice on paper when the schedule came out but not so much now. The Browns have been somewhat of a disappointment this season (probably as to be expected) while the Patriots have been somewhat vulnerable. Perhaps the addition of Mohamed Sanu will give Tom Brady some versatility in the passing attack. I don't trust Cleveland to get a win in a hostile environment.

Oakland (3-3) @ Houston (4-3) (CBS): TW: Texans; CV: Texans

Both teams took losses last week as the Raiders lost to the Packers and the Texans lost to the Colts. I really hate myself for doing this but I'm sadly taking Houston in this game. The Texans rush defense is pretty good and the Raiders pride themselves on using Josh Jacobs to get them yardage. So please Houston, win this game so that I can keep my sanity with you.

Green Bay (6-1) @ Kansas City (5-2) (NBC): TW: Packers; CV: Chiefs

Both teams got wins last week as the Packers beat the Raiders and the Chiefs beat the Broncos. Matt Moore will start for the Chiefs most likely in this game but the Packers should be prepared to play against Patrick Mahomes. If the latter starts, this game will be a pretty good one as both teams have pretty good quarterbacks. The Chiefs have the edge in terms of wide receivers but I like the Packers defense over the Chiefs.

Miami (0-6) @ Pittsburgh (2-4) (ESPN): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

The Dolphins lost to the Bills and the Steelers were on a bye last week. Week 8 finishes up with a doozy of a game for ESPN. I expect the Steelers to win pretty handily as the Dolphins are pretty terrible on either side of the ball. Quite honestly, Yinzer Nation will riot the streets if the Steelers lose to a hapless Dolphins team.

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, subject to change):

CBS Early:
Denver @ Indianapolis
Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

CBS Late:
Cleveland @ New England
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single:
Philadelphia @ Buffalo
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

For more information on which game is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2019: Week 8 Maps

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Overall: 64-41-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Overall: 62-43-1

See you guys on Monday night for the Week 8 recap post!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 7 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has passed us by. Quite a few of the games were blowouts, some were pretty tight and close to the chest. Last week was a good week for picks for me. Let's see how well I did this week. This will also include a NFL 100 Spotlight. Let's get to work.

NFL 100: A Spotlight

When it comes to great offenses in NFL history, you have to certainly talk about the 1998 Minnesota Vikings. Yes, I talked about the 1999 Rams earlier this season, and certainly there has to be some mention to the team who really kept the West Coast offense alive.

The team really came into fruition after many playoff seasons for Dennis Green. While Green won one playoff game since taking the head coaching job in 1992, it would be the entrance of one rookie that really set the pace for the team. In the 1998 NFL Draft, the Vikings took wide receiver Randy Moss, 21th overall, in the first round. It was a risky move but the Vikings made it work with the arm of Randall Cunningham and a plethora of weapons.

Cunningham was having a career renaissance after many seasons in Philadelphia and was the captain of the ship. Cunningham had running backs Leroy Hoard and Robert Smith. He had wide receivers Cris Carter, Randy Moss, Jake Reed and Andrew Glover. They finished the season with 556 points, good enough for 34.8 points/game, good enough for the #1 spot in points.

The Vikings defense wasn't quite as great but they were captained by John Randle. Randle, an undrafted player from Texas A&M-Kingsville, was the rock that reminded Vikings fans of the old days of the Purple People Eaters defense from the 1960s to 1970s. Corey Fuller, and Roberth Griffith joined him along with the rest of the defensive unit. They finished the year with 296 points allowed, or 18.5 points/game, 6th in the NFL in points allowed.

One of the biggest highlights of the season was a Week 13 game against the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on Thanksgiving. It was a defensive slaughter for both teams as the Vikings won 46-36. Randy Moss caught three Cunningham passes for 163 yards for three touchdowns. For those math nerds out there that's 54.3 yards per catch.

Unfortunately, the great season ended with a heartbreaking loss in the NFC championship game against the Atlanta Falcons. Atlanta would win the game 30-27 after a missed field goal attempt from Gary Anderson, who had not missed a field goal all season, would fail in the clutch. The Vikings became the first team to not reach the Super Bowl with a 15-1 record. While they may not have won a ring, they were certainly a great team to watch.

Week 7 Recap

Kansas City 30, Denver 6: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes might be out but the Chiefs defense stepped up big. Before the injury Mahomes had 76 passing yards with a touchdown before leaving the game with a knee injury. Veteran Matt Moore finished the job with 117 passing yards with a touchdown. LeSean McCoy had 64 rushing yards in the game. Joe Flacco could only get 213 yards with zero touchdowns. Royce Freeman would get the only touchdown for the Broncos with his 35 rushing. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead series 64-55

Next week: Kansas City: vs Green Bay; Denver: @ Indianapolis

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Miami 21, Buffalo 31: TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Dolphins stay winless. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw the ball for 282 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Mark Walton was the leading rusher for the Dolphins with 66 yards but both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Kalen Ballage would get rushing touchdowns. Josh Allen had a good day with 202 yards with two touchdowns. More rather of a game manager than a gunslinger. Frank Gore was the leading rusher with 55 for the Bills. Steven Hauschka had a busy day hitting all three of his field goals successfully. 

All-time series: Dolphins lead series 61-49-1

Next week: Miami: @ Pittsburgh (Monday night); Buffalo: vs Philadelphia

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

LA Rams 37, Atlanta 10: TW: Rams; CV: Rams

Jalen Ramsey's arrival certainly gave the Rams a boost. Jared Goff seemed to be back on track with his 268 yards passing with two touchdowns. Todd Gurley ran the ball for 41 yards giving the leading rusher honors for the Rams. Matt Ryan would start the game and threw for 159 yards but would not finish the game, due to an ankle injury. Backup Matt Schaub would get 56 yards passing with a touchdown. Devonta Freeman would only get seven carries with 19 yards, a poor production. That seat is getting a little warmer for Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn.

All-time series: Rams lead series 48-30-2

Next week: LA Rams: vs Cincinnati (London); Atlanta: vs Seattle

TW: 3-0; CV: 3-0

Minnesota 42, Detroit 30: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The two-headed monster of Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook continued to preyed on their competition. Kirk Cousins threw the ball for 337 with four touchdowns. Dalvin Cook ran the ball for 142 yards with two touchdowns, another great day for him. Stephon Diggs had 142 receiving yards. Matthew Stafford had a similar good day with 364 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. JD McKissic and Ty Johnson lead rushing yards with 29 each. Poor Lions. 

All-time series: Vikings lead series 75-39-2

Next week: Minnesota: vs Washington (Thursday night); Detroit: vs NY Giants

TW: 4-0; CV: 4-0

Oakland 24, Green Bay 42: TW: Packers; CV: Packers

To say that Aaron Rodgers had a good day was an understatement. Derek Carr threw the ball for 293 yards with two touchdowns and an interception (let alone a red-zone interception). Josh Jacobs had a good day running the ball with 124 yards with zero touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers became the first Packers quarterback to finish the game with a perfect rating. He threw the ball for 429 yards with five touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown. Aaron Jones finished the day with 50 yards from the ground. 

All-time series: Packers lead series 9-5

Next week: Oakland: @ Houston; Green Bay: @ Kansas City

TW: 5-0; CV: 5-0

San Francisco 9, Washington 0: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

Robbie Gould provided the only offense in the game. Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball for 121 yards with an interception. Tevin Coleman had 62 yards rushing with zero touchdowns. Case Keenum started for the Redskins with 77 passing yards. Adrian Peterson outgained his quarterback in terms of yardage with 81 yards (from the ground). Washington is awful and the 49ers defense is pretty legit that they would win the game 3-0 if at all possible. 

All-time series: 49ers lead series 21-11-1

Next week: San Francisco: vs Carolina; Washington: @ Minnesota (Thursday night)

TW: 6-0; CV: 6-0

Jacksonville 27, Cincinnati 17: TW: Bengals; CV: Jaguars

Minshewmania returned to form as I picked against them, le sigh. Gardner Minshew threw the ball for 255 yards with one touchdown. Leonard Fournette ran the ball for 131 yards, giving him leading rusher honors for the Jags. Andy Dalton was put into a tough situation but made the best of it with 276 yards passing with a one touchdown and three interceptions. Dalton was the leading rusher with 33 as Joe Mixon ran the ball for a measly 2 yards on 10 carries. Dalton ran in for a rushing touchdown. Just so you know, the Bengals and the Dolphins play in Week 16. 

All-time series: Jacksonville lead series 13-9

Next week: Jacksonville: vs NY Jets; Cincinnati: @ LA Rams (London)

TW: 6-1; CV: 7-0

Houston 23, Indianapolis 30: TW: Texans; CV: Texans

Why do you do this to me, Houston? I pick you, you lose, I pick against you, you win... sigh. DeShaun Watson threw the ball for 308 yards for one touchdown and threw two interceptions. Carlos Hyde could only get 35 yards rushing on 12 carries. Jacoby Brissett proved us again that he can win games for the Colts as he threw the ball for 326 yards with four touchdowns. Marlon Mack ran the ball for 44 yards with zero touchdowns. Fuck you Houston!

All-time series: Colts lead series 28-8

Next week: Houston: vs Oakland; Indianapolis: vs Denver

TW: 6-2; CV: 7-1

Arizona 27, NY Giants 21: TW: Giants; CV: Cardinals

The Giants kept Kyler Murray out of his element. They just forgot to defend against Chase Edmonds. Kyler Murray threw the ball for 104 yards with zero touchdowns while getting 28 yards rushing. Chase Edmonds ran over the Giants rush defense with 126 yards from the ground for three touchdowns. Daniel Jones had an average game with 223 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. The return of Saquon Barkley was nice to behold as the runner got 72 yards rushing with a touchdown. 

All-time series: Giants lead series 80-45-2

Next week: Arizona: @ New Orleans; NY Giants: @ Detroit

TW: 6-3; CV: 8-1

LA Chargers 20, Tennessee 23: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

The Chargers keep on shitting the can. Philip Rivers threw the ball for 329 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Melvin Gordon didn't return to his old form with his 32 yards rushing on 16 carries. Ryan Tannehill started for the Titans and he played well enough to throw for 312 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Derrick Henry ran the ball for 90 yards with a touchdown. The Chargers confuse me. They have all this talent but falter against teams they should beat. I don't get it.

All-time series: Titans lead series 28-18-1

Next week: LA Chargers: @ Chicago; Tennessee: vs Tampa Bay

TW: 6-4; CV: 8-2

Baltimore 30, Seattle 16: TW: Seahawks; CV: Ravens

I drank the Russell Wilson For MVP kool-aid and boy did it taste off. Lamar Jackson threw the ball for 143 yards while running the ball for 116 yards with a touchdown. The Ravens defense took advantage of Seattle turnovers and turn them to touchdowns, totaling two of them. Russell Wilson threw the ball for 241 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Chris Carson was the leading rusher for the Seahawks with 65. Yet another game where it goes 180 on me. Fuck my life. 

All-time series: Series tied 3-3

Next week: Baltimore: Bye; Seattle: @ Atlanta

TW: 6-5; CV: 9-2

New Orleans 36, Chicago 25: TW: Bears; CV: Bears

The Bears looked sluggish against the Saints. Teddy Bridgewater continued his play with 281 yards passing with two touchdowns. Alvin Kamara was injured but Latavius Murray played a great game with his 119 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Mitchell Trubisky had 251 yards passing with two touchdowns. The Saints are going to look tough when Drew Brees returns. 

All-time series: Saints lead series 16-15

Next week: New Orleans: vs Arizona; Chicago: vs LA Chargers

TW: 6-6; CV: 9-3

Philadelphia 10, Dallas 37: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Eagles laid an egg, what else can I say. Carson Wentz threw the ball for 191 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Jordan Howard had an average day on the ground with 50 yards on 11 carries. Dak Prescott threw the ball for 239 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Prescott would run it in for a score along with 30 rushing yards. Ezekiel Elliot ran the ball for 111 yards with a touchdown. Tavon Austin would also get a rushing touchdown on a 20-yard play. All seems well in Dallas. 

All-time series: Cowboys lead series 69-52

Next week: Philadelphia: @ Buffalo; Dallas: Bye

TW: 6-7; CV: 9-4

New England 33, NY Jets 0: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

Any chance the Jets could play like they did against the Cowboys diminished very quickly. Tom Brady threw the ball for 249 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Sony Michel had 42 rushing yards but also got three touchdowns. Sam Darnold certainly had his worst start since entering the NFL, at one point he had a quarterback rating of 10.0. Darnold threw the ball for 86 yards with four interceptions (yep four interceptions, not a typo). Le'Veon Bell gave the Jets some life on offense with 70 yards rushing. 

All-time series: Patriots lead series 67-54-1

Next week: New England: vs Cleveland; NY Jets: Bye

TW: 7-7; CV: 10-4

The Records (By Week & Year):

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 7-8

Week 5: 9-6

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-4

Overall: 64-41-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 12-3-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 11-5

Week 4: 8-7

Week 5: 5-10

Week 6: 9-5

Week 7: 7-7

Overall: 62-43-1

See you guys on Wednesday for the Week 8 picks post!

-Tom