NFL 100: A Spotlight
On the same day when "The Catch" occurred on January 10th, 1982, one of the coldest games in NFL History occurred. It was held in Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio between the Cincinnati Bengals and the San Diego Chargers. The air temperature was -9 degrees Fahrenheit (-22.8 Celsius), with the wind sustaining 27 miles per hour, would have a wind chill factor of -37 degrees Fahrenheit (-59 Celsius). It was the last thing the Chargers wanted.
The week prior, the same Chargers team played in "The Epic In Miami" where the Chargers played in Miami, Florida with temperatures of 88 degrees Fahrenheit (31.1 Celsius). The temperature difference if you compared the 88 degrees to the -37 wind chill would be 125. It was truly going from one hell to another hell, weather wise.
Cincinnati would win their first playoff game against the Buffalo Bills the week before. They won 28-21 in the Divisional playoff. The team had been 0-3 in the postseason prior to the 1981-1982 playoffs.
The Bengals were more accustomed to the weather as the entire offensive line wore no long sleeves. They kept warm by putting their hands down their pants, near their male supporter. The Chargers were ill-equipped to handle the weather. After all they had just played in very warm weather the week before and they lived and played in San Diego, also known for their warmer climate during the winter months.
In the end, the Chargers were put into the deep freeze as Dan Fouts and the high powered Chargers offense was ineffective to play in the game. One of the factors was that Fouts didn't always throw the perfect spiral that you're accustomed to seeing in quarterbacks. The wind was a factor in making the throws from Fouts largely ineffective in getting to his receivers like Wes Chandler, Chuck Muncie or Kellen Winslow. The Chargers would lose the game 27-7.
The Bengals would lose to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XVI. They wouldn't make another trip to the Super Bowl in the 1988 season where the 49ers would beat the Bengals again in Super Bowl XXIII. The Chargers would make it back to the playoffs in 1982 but it would be their last in the Don Coryell era. They wouldn't make it back to the AFC Championship game, let alone a Super Bowl, until the 1994 season where the Chargers lost to the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIX. Essentially, the 49ers were always in the way if you wanted to win a championship.
Week 15 Recap
NY Jets 21, Baltimore 42: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The game was as to be expected. Sam Darnold started for the Jets and threw for 218 yards with two touchdowns and threw one pick. Le'Veon Bell would rack up 87 yards from the ground in the game, certainly one of his highest in the season. Lamar Jackson was amazing in the game as he threw for 212 yards with five touchdowns with 86 rushing yards. Mark Ingram would finish with 76 rushing yards with a touchdown. The AFC North belongs to the Ravens.
All-time series: Ravens lead 9-2
Next week: NY Jets: vs Pittsburgh; Baltimore: @ Cleveland
TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0
Miami 20, NY Giants 36: TW: Giants; CV: Dolphins
Eli's coming! Ryan Fitzpatrick started for Miami and threw for 279 yards with two touchdowns. Patrick Laird ran the ball for 46 yards for the Dolphins. Eli Manning threw the ball for 283 yards with two touchdowns while throwing for three interceptions. Saquon Barkley would have a great game with his 112 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Javorius Allen would run for 28 yards with a touchdown. It was also Eli's last home start in his decorated career.
All-time series: Giants lead 7-2
Next week: Miami: vs Cincinnati; NY Giants: @ Washington
TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1
Houston 24, Tennessee 21: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Houston is now in the driver's seat for the division. DeShaun Watson threw the ball for 243 yards with two touchdowns while throwing two interceptions. Carlos Hyde ran the ball for 104 yards with a touchdown. Ryan Tannehill was effective in his throws for the most part, throwing for 279 yards with two touchdowns while throwing a pick. Tannehill would get 10 rushing yards with a touchdown as well. Derrick Henry wouldn't get get 100 yards from the ground but did finish with 86 yards. Somewhat of an ugly game but hopefully there won't be anymore changes in the AFC South division race.
All-time series: Titans lead 18-17
Next week: Houston: @ Tampa Bay; Tennessee: vs New Orleans
TW: 2-1; CV: 1-2
New England 34, Cincinnati 13: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
New England would get back on track in the 2nd half and returned to normal play that we expect from them. Tom Brady threw the ball for 128 yards with two touchdowns. Sony Michel ran the ball for 89 yards while Rex Burkhead ran for 53 yards with a rushing touchdown. Andy Dalton would start for the Bengals and threw for 151 yards with a touchdown while throwing an astounding four interceptions. Joe Mixon was the leading rusher in the game with 136 yards.
All-time series: Patriots lead 17-9
Next week: New England: vs Buffalo; Cincinnati: @ Miami
TW: 3-1; CV: 2-2
Seattle 30, Carolina 24: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The game was closer than most expected but Carolina did cover the spread at +6. Russell Wilson threw the ball for 286 yards with two touchdowns. Chris Carson did very well in the ground game with 133 yards with two touchdowns. Kyle Allen threw for 277 yards with a touchdown while throwing for three interceptions. Christian McCaffrey ran the ball for 87 yards while getting 88 receiving yards. I feel the McCaffrey for MVP train ran its course, sadly.
Next week: Seattle: vs Arizona; Carolina: @ Indianapolis
TW: 4-1; CV: 3-2
Tampa Bay 38, Detroit 17: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Jameis Winston has made strides this season. Winston would finish the game with 458 yards passing with four touchdowns with one interception. He would also become the first player in NFL history to throw for 450 yards in consecutive games. Ronald Jones would rush for 23 yards with zero touchdowns in the game. David Blough wouldn't fare well in the game as he threw for 260 yards with two interceptions. Wes Hills was the leading rusher for the Lions with 21 yards rushing with two touchdowns.
All-time series: Lions lead 31-28
Next week: Tampa Bay: vs Houston; Detroit: @ Denver
TW: 5-1; CV: 4-2
Denver 3, Kansas City 23: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The snow nor the Denver Broncos could stop the Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs into their 10th win of the season. Drew Lock finished the game with 208 yards passing with an interception. Phillip Lindsay ran the ball with 32 yards rushing on seven carries. Patrick Mahomes threw the ball for 340 yards with two touchdowns while throwing an interception. Darwin Thompson ran the ball for 38 yards.
All-time series: Chiefs lead 65-55
Next week: Denver: vs Detroit; Kansas City: @ Chicago
TW: 6-1; CV: 5-2
Philadelphia 37, Washington 27: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Washington showed up to play but Philly would stay alive. Carson Wentz threw the ball for 266 yards with three touchdowns. Miles Sanders really had a good day on the ground with 122 yards rushing with a touchdown. Dwayne Haskins had one of his best games since becoming the starter with 261 yards passing with two touchdowns. Adrian Peterson did alright in the game with 66 yards rushing with a touchdown. Next week will be a huge game for both Dallas and Philadelphia.
All-time series: Redskins lead 86-79-5
Next week: Philadelphia: vs Dallas; Washington: vs NY Giants
TW: 7-1; CV: 6-2
Chicago 13, Green Bay 21: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Green and Yellow win meeting #200 against the Bears. Mitchell Trubisky threw the ball for 334 yards with a touchdown while throwing two picks in the game. Devin Montgomery ran the ball for 39 yards with zero touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers threw the ball for 203 yards with a touchdown. Aaron Jones finished the game with 51 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Chicago would've made it a possible tie game with a late march to the endzone on the game's final play. Fortunately, the Packers defense held them on the 2nd yard line.
All-time series: Packers lead 99-95-6
Next week: Chicago: vs Kansas City; Green Bay: @ Minnesota
TW: 8-1; CV: 7-2
Jacksonville 20, Oakland 16: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Emotions ran high in the final game at the Oakland Coliseum. Gardner Minshew would throw the ball for 201 yards with two touchdowns. Leonard Fournette ran the ball for 42 yards while not scoring a touchdown. Derek Carr would throw the ball for 267 yards with a touchdown pass while running for 12 yards on one carry. Josh Jacobs ran the ball for 89 yards in the game on 24 carries. Perhaps the Raiders will have better luck in Las Vegas next season.
All-time series: Jaguars lead 5-4
Next week: Jacksonville: @ Atlanta; Oakland: @ LA Chargers
TW: 8-2; CV: 7-3
Cleveland 24, Arizona 38: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Where the hell did Kenyan Drake come from? Baker Mayfield threw the ball for 247 yards with two touchdowns with one interception. Nick Chubb ran the ball for 127 yards with a touchdown. Kyler Murray would play the supporting role in the game as he threw for 219 yards with a touchdown while throwing a pick. The star in the game, Kenyan Drake, ran for 137 yards with four (not a typo) rushing touchdowns. Where was this Kenyan Drake when he was still a Dolphin? Seriously.
All-time series: Browns lead 33-15-3
Next week: Cleveland: vs Baltimore; Arizona: @ Seattle
TW: 8-3; CV: 7-4
Minnesota 39, LA Chargers 10: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Chargers turned the ball over seven times! Kirk Cousins did alright in the game with 207 yards passing with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Mike Boone was the leading rusher in the game with 56 yards from the ground with two touchdowns. Dalvin Cook would leave the game with an injury in the 3rd quarter. Phillip Rivers would have higher passing yards with 307 yards with a touchdown pass but three of the seven turnovers were from Rivers interceptions. Melvin Gordon wouldn't be utilized a lot in the game as he could muster 28 yards on seven carries. As a Packer fan, next week scares me.
All-time series: Vikings lead 7-6
Next week: Minnesota: vs Green Bay; LA Chargers: vs Oakland (last home game in Carson City)
TW: 9-3; CV: 8-4
Atlanta 29, San Francisco 22: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
In the battle between teacher (Kyle Shanahan, former Atlanta offensive coordinator) and student (Matt Ryan), the student would come out on top. Matt Ryan threw the ball for 210 yards with two touchdowns while throwing zero picks. Devonta Freeman ran the ball for 39 yards on 12 carries. Qadree Ollison would run in for a rushing touchdown on a 1-yard play. Jimmy Garoppolo had similar numbers with 200 passing yards with a touchdown. Raheem Mostert was the leading rusher in the game with 54 yards with a touchdown.
All-time series: 49ers lead 47-32-1
Next week: Atlanta: vs Jacksonville; San Francisco: vs LA Rams
TW: 9-4; CV: 8-5
LA Rams 21, Dallas 44: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The game was pretty much over by halftime. Jared Goff was fine in the game with 284 yards passing with two touchdowns while throwing a pick close to halftime. Todd Gurley could only muster about 20 yards rushing with a touchdown. Dak Prescott would throw the ball for 212 yards with two touchdowns while getting 12 yards rushing. Tony Pollard was the leading rusher in the game with 131 yards and a touchdown. Ezekiel Elliot would get 117 yards with two rushing touchdowns in the game. Overall fine team effort by Dallas. Huge game against Philly next week.
All-time series: Cowboys lead 18-17
Next week: LA Rams: @ San Francisco; Dallas: @ Philadelphia
TW: 9-5; CV: 8-6
Buffalo 17, Pittsburgh 10: TW: Steelers; CV: Bills
The season isn't over yet for Pittsburgh but losing last night didn't help their cause a lot. Josh Allen threw the ball for 139 yards with a touchdown and an interception, the touchdown would be the game-winner. Allen would also get 28 yards rushing with a touchdown. Devin Singletary would get leading rusher honors in the game with 87. Devlin "Duck" Hodges quacked his way to 202 yards passing with a touchdown but threw four interceptions. James Conner came back from injury but wouldn't get much as he finished with 42 yards. Conner would score a receiving touchdown though. Good defensive game despite the Pittsburgh turnovers.
All-time series: Steelers lead 16-10
Next week: Buffalo: @ New England; Pittsburgh: @ NY Jets
TW: 9-6; CV: 9-6
Indianapolis 7, New Orleans 34: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The game wasn't really close but Drew Brees stands alone on the all-time career touchdown's list. Jacoby Brissett didn't get a lot of yards but he did manage to get 165 in his best efforts. Marlon Mack wouldn't get much either as he could only put up 19 yards. Jordan Wilkins would score the only touchdown for Indy on a 1-yard play late in the 4th quarter. Drew Brees was purely magical as he would tie and break Peyton Manning's career touchdown record. Brees would finish the game with 307 yards with four touchdowns with no interceptions. Alvin Kamara would be the leading rusher in the game with 66 yards. He holds onto the record... unless Tom Brady gets super hot late in the year.
All-time series: Saints lead 8-5
Next week: Indianapolis: vs Carolina; New Orleans: @ Tennessee
TW: 10-6; CV: 10-6
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
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 2-11
Week 11: 12-2
Week 12: 9-5
Week 13: 8-8
Week 14: 9-7
Week 15: 10-6
Overall: 135-90-1
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
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8
Week 11: 10-4
Week 12: 10-4
Week 13: 10-6
Week 14: 9-7
Week 15: 10-6
Overall: 138-85-1
No game on Thursday but there will be games on Saturday. See you guys on Thursday for the Week 16 Picks post!
-Tom
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