NFL 2019 Super Bowl LIV Pick Post!

Hello readers! The big game is less than a week away. I feel there has been enough time for me to make my thoughts clear and put into words. Along with my Super Bowl post I will do an NFL 100 spotlight based on the 49ers-Chiefs matchup that happened in 1994. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the 14th time in their history. Their matchups have been relatively high scoring. At one point the Chiefs would hang 44 points on the 49ers in a 44-9 game in 1997 while the 49ers put up 31 points in a 31-3 game in 1985. None of the previous 13 meetings will match up to the 1994 game that was a revenge game beyond all revenge games.

In 1993, the 49ers traded Joe Montana to the Chiefs. Montana had led the 49ers to 4 Super Bowl wins while compiling great stats for the 49ers. I certainly believed that Joe Montana looked forward to the Week 2 match up in the 1994 season against his old team.

Steve Young was brought to San Francisco in 1987. The quarterback would be in Montana's shadow during the 49ers Super Bowl wins in 1988 and 1989. Montana would suffer a season ending injury in 1991, Steve Young would take the reins from Montana. He would have his chance at last. He wouldn't lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl win however.

By 1992, Young had competition. Steve Bono was on the roster and Montana's season ending injury in 1991 was close to recovery. Young would play the most of the season except for the last game where Montana led the 49ers to victory against the Detroit Lions. It would be Montana's last game as a 49er.

In 1993, the rift between Montana and Young grew as teammates began to take sides. Some for Montana, some for Young. Young didn't want to return as a backup and many felt that Montana was the face of the franchise. Ultimately, Joe Montana made the ultimate sacrifice, he requested a trade.

The Week 2 match up in the 1994 season was unlike any other in NFL history. There had been revenge games before. One example that comes to mind was Super Bowl XII where the Dallas Cowboys had traded starter Craig Morton to the Giants, and then Morton was the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos in that game. Ultimately, Morton's successor, Roger Staubach, and his old team would hand him a rousing defeat. Nothing really like two future hall of fame quarterbacks who played for the same team, duking it out on opposing sides.

In the end, the Chiefs would win the game by the score of 24-17. Steve Young was roughed up by the Chiefs defense, as he was sacked four times in the game. The 49ers would recover from the loss and would finish the season with a 13-3 record. They would beat the Bears in the Divisional playoff and exacted some revenge on the Dallas Cowboys, who had beaten the 49ers in the 1992 and 1993 NFC Championship Games. Young and the 49ers humbled the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. Steve Young had finally gotten the shadow of Joe Montana off his back as he led the 49ers to a championship.

The 1994 Chiefs was somewhat of a direct contrast. After winning their first three games, the Chiefs would finish the season with a 9-7 record. The Chiefs would make the playoffs and put up a decent effort against the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card game. Montana threw for 314 yards with two touchdowns but ultimately lost the game 27-17 in what would be Joe Montana's last game.

In general, the Week 2 match up between the two teams didn't mean much in the end. Both quarterbacks had reached their respective conference championship games in 1993. Young was humbled against the Dallas Cowboys on the road and Montana would get crushed against the Buffalo Bills in the Bills 4th straight trip to the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LIV!

So I'll be doing this sort of like what I did last year. I'll do topics on keys to victory, the tv broadcaster, how the two teams got here, the all-time series, and finally my pick to who will win. Let's get started.

TV Broadcaster:

Super Bowl LIV will be played on February 2nd, 2020. The United States TV broadcaster for the game will be FOX. This will be FOX's 9th Super Bowl telecast since becoming the NFC package holder prior to the 1994 season. Calling the game will be Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. The duo will be calling their sixth Super Bowl together. Their first Super Bowl assignment was back in Super Bowl XXXIX. Joe Buck is the son of the late broadcaster Jack Buck. Coincidentally, Jack Buck was the play-by-play broadcaster for Super Bowl IV for CBS. Super Bowl IV, prior to this season, was the Chiefs last Super Bowl appearance. We shall have to see if they can win it. 

The All-Time Series

The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the 14th time in the series. The 49ers hold the edge in the series with a 7-6 mark. The first match up between the two teams was back in 1971 where the Chiefs would beat the 49ers 26-17. Prior to the aforementioned 1994 match up, the 49ers had won four straight against the Chiefs. Most recently, the Chiefs beat the 49ers 38-27 during the 2018 season. 

How Did They Get Here?: San Francisco 49ers

Not much was to be expected from the 2019 49ers. They had lost four games in 2018 and they were playing in a tough division with the Rams and Seahawks vying for dominance. They were led on offense by Jimmy Garoppolo who had missed 2018 with an injury. Garoppolo threw well in 2019, with 3,978 passing yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. On defense they were led by veteran Richard Sherman who had signed with the 49ers in 2018 to provide a boost to the secondary. What made the 49ers stand out was their running game. The team relied on three running backs to get them yardage. Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida ran for 500+ yards in 2019 with Coleman getting 544 yards, Mostert getting 772, and Breida getting 623. The trio would combine for 15 rushing touchdowns. They were the comeback story in the NFL with a 13-3 record and crushed the Vikings and Packers to get to their 7th Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. 

How Did They Get Here?: Kansas City Chiefs

Expectations for the 2019 Chiefs were relatively high as this team last season was one offsides penalty away from possibly going to a Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes entered his 2nd full season as the Chiefs starter, quickly becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league in his 3rd season. The young quarterback would miss a few games due to injury but backup Matt Moore filled in nicely as Moore started for the Chiefs in the Packers and Vikings games during the regular season. The defense was anchored by Frank Clark on the defensive line while veteran Tyrann Mathieu patrols the secondary. On offense the Chiefs have a deep receiving corp with Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. The Chiefs would finish the season with a 12-4 record. In the playoffs they beat the Texans and Titans to get to their 3rd Super Bowl in franchise history.

Keys To The Game

The game is intriguing in terms of the possibilities of the passing game. I feel the game will be more of a offensive game than a defensive one in last year's Super Bowl. I can't see it being a combined 100+ game but i feel the scoring will definitely be in the 20-30's. Here's the keys to victory for both teams:

Chiefs:

Get the running game going: I feel the 49ers will attempt to contain Patrick Mahomes from really hurting them. 

Slow down the 49ers running game: San Francisco's bread and butter on offense is their running backs. Expect a long game for the Chiefs defense if they can't slow down the 49ers rush.

Don't stick to the conservative game: Let's be honest, Andy Reid is renowned for his conservative playcalling, especially when the Chiefs have a lead. Just play smart.

49ers:

Jimmy Garoppolo: He has benefited from a stellar running game and I feel the Chiefs defense will try to cause the 49ers to be one-dimensional. If he doesn't get into a rhythm, I can expect the 49ers will have a rough time on offense. 

Contain Patrick Mahomes: The Titans learned the hard way in not containing Patrick Mahomes. Fortunately, the 49ers do have a rush that can get to the quarterback. 

Get the wide receivers going: There's no question that the 49ers rushing attack is great but their wide receivers aren't as deep as the Chiefs. Perhaps they need to get going to prove they belong. 

The Pick

Super Bowl LIV will be the 23rd Super Bowl that I've watched since Super Bowl XXXII. My record in the game hasn't been that stellar but its hard to predict it after all. Before I release my pick for the game, here is my record so far:

Super Bowl XXXII: Packers vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XXXIII: Broncos vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams vs Titans (won)
Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens vs Giants (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVI: Rams vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVII: Raiders vs Buccaneers (lost)
Super Bowl XXXVIII: Panthers vs Patriots (won)
Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots vs Eagles (won)
Super Bowl XL: Steelers vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl XLI: Colts vs Bears (won)
Super Bowl XLII: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers vs Cardinals (lost)
Super Bowl XLIV: Saints vs Colts (won)
Super Bowl XLV: Steelers vs Packers (won)
Super Bowl XLVI: Giants vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens vs 49ers (lost)
Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots vs Seahawks (lost)
Super Bowl 50: Panthers vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl LI: Patriots vs Falcons (won)
Super Bowl LII: Eagles vs Patriots (lost)
Super Bowl LIII: Rams vs Patriots (won)

All-time record: 9-12

My pick for the team that will win Super Bowl LIV is:

The San Francisco 49ers.

While I feel the Chiefs are the sexy pick in the game due to Patrick Mahomes. I think the 49ers defensive front will prove to be too much for the quarterback. On offense I think the 49ers running game will be the big thing to watch. It will be interesting how well Jimmy Garoppolo will handle starting in the Super Bowl. I like seeing championship droughts come to an end but I just think the 49ers have been the better team all year. If they win they will join the Steelers and Patriots with 6 Super Bowl wins. I'd be alright with the Chiefs winning too but only one can become the champion and I'll take the 49ers.

As far as Super Bowl recap posts, I'll think about doing one on Tuesday/Wednesday next week. I've never done one before but I feel one more post will put a nice bow on the season. See you guys next week and enjoy the game!
-Tom

NFL 2019 Conference Championship Recap

Hello readers! Four teams came into Sunday, two came out of the carnage and will play in the big dance in less than two weeks from yesterday. The post will feature an NFL 100 spotlight on Deacon Jones and a recap of the championship games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The game of football has had its share of menacing players. So menacing that just by looking at them, they had a certain look to them that made them scary. Deacon Jones comes to mind in this respect. On Sunday's he was a force to be reckoned with. He put fear into opposing quarterbacks like no other. He coined the term "sack" that would be later featured as a statistic. His head slaps to opposing offensive linemen was lethal in gaining an advantage.

David "Deacon" Jones was born on December 9th, 1938 in Eatonville, Florida. He lived in a four-bedroom house with a family of ten. He would attend high school at Hungerford High School where he excelled at football, baseball and basketball.

He lived in the Deep South where he witnessed acts of prejudice and racism. He was 14 years old when he witnessed white teenagers hit an elderly black woman with a watermelon. The woman would die days later. Deacon was determined to not let society dictate what he would become. He found his outlet in football to unleash his anger as a motivation.

He would attend in two full seasons in college. First, was at South Carolina State University in 1958. His scholarship was revoked after the school learned that he participated in a Civil Rights Movement protest. In 1959, he was out of school and football. One of the coaches at South Carolina State moved to Mississippi Vocational College told Deacon and a few African-American players that they could get scholarships there. He would play a final season at MVC in 1960.

Jones was overlooked by NFL scouts as there was little coverage where he played in college. He was discovered by the Rams when Jones outran some of the running back prospects that they had been scouting. Deacon Jones was drafted by the Rams in the 14th round in the 1961 NFL Draft.

His role on the team was to complement the already talented defensive line in Merlin Olsen, Lamar Lundy, and Rosey Griner. Together they formed "The Fearsome Foursome." The group is widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive lines in NFL history.

He devastated quarterbacks with his elusiveness and speed. He stood at 6 feet, 5 inches with a 265 pound frame. He would revolutionize the position. He would coin the term "sacking the quarterback." While the sack didn't become a stat until 1982, his unofficial sack total throughout his career totaled to 173.5. While Bruce Smith was the holder in career sacks with 200.

He never won a championship in his career with the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers or Washington Redskins but his impact in defining the defensive end will never be outmatched. His head slaps would devastate offenses as it was a move that Jones learned from Muhammad Ali. If you slapped a linemen on the head, they would blink, and a second was all that Jones needed in getting an edge. Sadly the NFL outlawed head slaps years later. He is without a doubt my favorite defensive players to watch.

Conference Championship Recap

Tennessee Titans 24, Kansas City Chiefs 35: TW: Chiefs

It took them 50 years to get back to the Super Bowl but it was worth it. Ryan Tannehill was a bit more productive in the passing game as he threw for 209 yards with two touchdown passes. Derrick Henry was slowed down in the game as the runner would get 69 yards with a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes was shear magic in the game. Mahomes threw for 294 yards for three touchdowns. Mahomes would get 53 yards on eight carries. His 27-yard run for a touchdown was something to watch as he broke tackles from 5-6 Titans. Damien Williams ran the ball for 45 yards with a touchdown as well. Kansas City will play San Francisco in Super Bowl LIV on February 2nd. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead 30-24

Green Bay Packers 20, San Francisco 49ers 37: TW: 49ers

It was to be expected, perhaps I wanted it to be more competitive. Aaron Rodgers threw the ball for 326 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He would also lose a fumble on a botched snap. Aaron Jones ran the ball alright getting 51 yards with a touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo would only throw six of eight passes for 77 yards in the game. It would be the 49ers run game that would shine the best. Raheem Mostert ran the ball for 220 yards for four touchdowns. The 2nd closest 49er was Deebo Samuel who ran for 43 yards. The 49ers will play the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV on February 2nd. 

All-time series: Packers lead 36-32-1

I won't be posting my Super Bowl pick this week but more than likely I will do it next week, possibly next Monday. See you all until then.

-Tom

NFL 2019 Conference Championship Picks

Hello readers! The final four is set and only two teams will make it past Sunday and will play for the ultimate prize on February 2nd. The post will have an NFL 100 Spotlight on a personal level and my picks for the AFC and NFC championship games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The National Football League has been a pretty big part in my life. I've seen every Super Bowl from Super Bowl XXX onward. The game was fast, fun to watch, and in general better defense with lesser rules. The tradition of watching football on Sundays really has been around for over 20 years and quite frankly I don't see it ending anytime soon.

The first game that really got me hooked for good was Super Bowl XXXII on January 25th, 1998. The storylines for the game were endless. Brett Favre looked to get his 2nd ring. John Elway was a Super Bowl participant in three Super Bowls and had lost all three. The NFC had dominated its brother conference since the San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX, nearly 13 years of NFC dominance in the Super Bowl.

It was also the last time that I would hear the great voices of Dick Enberg, Phil Simms and Paul Maguire in the same booth. The 1997 season was NBC's last season with the AFC package that the network carried since the merger of 1970 and AFL games since 1965. CBS would takeover the AFC package in the 1998 season. It would be the last time hearing that amazing Randy Edelman score during an NFL broadcast on NBC.

The pregame dope featured an intriguing spread. The Packers were favored to beat the Broncos by 11 1/2 points despite the fact that both teams had similar records. The Packers were defending champions and the Broncos were blown out in every Super Bowl that John Elway was under center for them. I suppose you can't blame Vegas for that.

The strange thing was that I picked the Broncos to win. Not necessarily because of the fact that I hated the Packers, it was that I liked the Broncos uniforms (you have to remember that I was 9 years old at the time) I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I eventually asked my parents to get me a John Elway jersey of the same uniform. It was certainly one of the coolest uniforms next to the "Pewter Power" uniform that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wore for the longest time after 1997.

Brett Favre was amazing in the game, throwing the ball for 256 yards for three touchdowns while throwing an interception. Dorsey Levens ran the the ball for 90 yards. John Elway would have a fairly average performance in the game, throwing for 123 yards with an interception. The Broncos running game, which had been absent in the three previous times Denver made it, would step up huge for them. Terrell Davis ran for 157 yards for three rushing touchdowns. John Elway would rush for 17 yards with a touchdown.

One of the coolest plays I've ever seen in a Super Bowl was the run that John Elway took. He told fullback Howard Griffith to block for him while he reached for a first down. He would dive head first and make contact with another player, causing him to helicopter around. Truly he and the Broncos wanted it more than the Packers.

Ultimately, the Packers three turnovers costed them as Denver took as much time off the clock as much as possible and converted those turnovers into scores. Both offensive lines played well as only the Broncos would sack Brett Favre one time, while John Elway wouldn't get sacked at all.

The Packers would return to the playoffs but would lose in the Wild Card round against the 49ers in a game known as "The Catch II." They wouldn't sniff another chance at a Super Bowl with Brett Favre. The closest that they would get to would be during the 2007 NFC championship game where Brett Favre threw an interception that ultimately gave the New York Giants a chance to win. It would be Favre's last pass as a Packer.

John Elway and the Broncos could finally get the monkey off their back and win their first championship in franchise history. They would repeat as champions again in Super Bowl XXXIII against the Atlanta Falcons. It would be John Elway's last game as he finally rode off into the sunset as finally a champion.

Super Bowl XXXII would be the game that got me hooked to the NFL and kept me hooked since. I watched the previous one and I thought the game in general was a blowout. Granted the weather that year in 1997 was dreadful where I lived. We had one of those "One In A Century Floods." I still look fondly back and enjoy that game very much.

Conference Championship Picks

Tennessee Titans (9-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: 

The Titans beat the Ravens and the Chiefs beat the Texans in the Divisional playoff last week. The game really depends on how well the Chiefs can stop/slow Derrick Henry. One advantage that the Titans have is at running back. If they can do that and force Ryan Tannehill to beat you, then I like the Chiefs defense in the match-up. I like the Chiefs at quarterback obviously as Patrick Mahomes has a good chance to get to a Super Bowl. Should be a fun game.

Green Bay Packers (13-3) @ San Francisco 49ers (13-3) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV:

The Packers beat the Seahawks and the 49ers beat the Vikings in the Divisional playoff last week. It has been a fun ride for the Packers as most fans wouldn't have ever expected this team to get far, let alone a playoff team. Green Bay has a chance to win if they can control the clock and keep the 49ers defense on the field. They once again will need to have a great game from Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Davantae Adams, and the rest of the receiving corp. The Packers defense couldn't keep the 49ers running game out of its element in the previous meeting. Let's just say that Green Bay has its hands full in this one and they are one deep threat away from really being on the 49ers level. I hope I'm wrong but if this game is anything like the previous meeting, this thing will be over by halftime. 

See you guys on Monday for the Conference Championship Game Recap!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Divisional Recap

Hello readers! Divisional weekend is over and the National Football League's version of the Final Four is set. We will go over how the four teams got there as well as an NFL 100 spotlight on the great Jim Brown. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

By the time you're 29 years old, you've got a career set, possibly married with a few kids on the way. When Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown walked away from the game at age 29, he felt he had no more left to accomplish. Who could blame him?

James Nathaniel Brown was born in St. Simons, Georgia on February 17th, 1936. He was the son of a professional boxer and a homemaker. His childhood was that of self-reliance as he was raised by his grandmother in the island of St. Simons, off the coast of the state of Georgia. He grew up unaffected by racism that much of the mainland would experience during that time.

He would move to Manhasset, New York at the age of eight with his mother where he would attend high school at Manhasset, playing football and basketball, and excelling at both. Brown set records in basketball, including 38 points per game, a record that stood until future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski would break it.

He chose to go upstate to Syracuse University for college. Like high school, Brown would excel in track, basketball, as well as lacrosse. In fact, he would score 43 goals in 10 games for Syracuse in his senior year. Ultimately, it would be football where he would choose his career path.

Ironically, the Cleveland Browns selected Jim Brown with the 6th overall pick in the 1957 draft. His greatness showed against the Los Angeles Rams, rushing for 237 yards, a record that stood for 14 years, and a rookie record that stood for 40 years. He continued his onslaught on the record books.

In 1958, he rushed for 1,527 yards in a 12-game season. The record broke Steve Van Buren's 1,146 yards set in 1949. He scored 17 touchdowns that season and the 2nd closest was Raymond Berry who had nine. Jim Brown would win his first of three NFL MVP awards throughout his career.

In 1964, Jim Brown helped the Cleveland Browns win the NFL championship over the Baltimore Colts. He rushed for 1,446 yards with seven rushing touchdowns that season. The Cleveland Browns haven't won a championship since.

He would win his 3rd MVP in 1965, compiling 1,544 yards with 17 touchdowns scored. Not also to mention his longest run that season was from 67 yards. Much to many people's surprise, Jim Brown retired after the 1965 season at the ripe age of 29.

Jim Brown helped set the standard for running backs in the NFL. His speed and agility matched only by his toughness and strong upper body strength. His 104.3 career rushing yards per game is an NFL record that still stands to this day. He led the league in rushing eight times while becoming the first NFL player to rush for 10,000 career yards. While he last played over 50 years ago, his contribution to the NFL will never be forgotten.

Divisional Recap

Minnesota Vikings 10, San Francisco 49ers 27: TW: 49ers; CV: Vikings

The good news: the Vikings offensive coordinator is going to Cleveland. The bad news: Kirk Cousins will likely have to learn a new system. Kirk Cousins finished the game with 172 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Dalvin Cook wouldn't get much on the ground as he mustered only 18 yards. Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball for 131 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Tevin Coleman ran teh ball for 105 yards with two touchdowns, getting leading rusher status for the game. The 49ers defense held the Vikings to seven first downs. Pretty impressive. San Francisco moves on to host the NFC Championship game on Sunday night.

All-time series: 49ers lead 24-23

Tennessee Titans 28, Baltimore Ravens 12: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

There's bound to be upsets in the Divisional round but that was a shocker. Ryan Tannehill threw the ball for 88 yards with two touchdowns, while running for 13 yards in the game with a rushing touchdown. Derrick Henry would throw a 3-yard pass for a touchdown while getting 195 yards in the game. Lamar Jackson was really a one-man show in the game for Baltimore, throwing for 365 yards with a touchdown with two picks. Jackson also ran for 143 yards in the game. Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards would only muster 22 and 20 yards respectively. Ravens defense and the rest of the offense failed to show up. Tennessee moves on to play on the road against the Chiefs.

All-time series: tied at 12-12

Houston Texans 31, Kansas City 51: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

By the end of the 1st quarter, it was 21-0 Texans. At halftime, it was 28-24 Chiefs. DeShaun Watson threw for 388 yards with two touchdowns. Watson also ran for 37 yards with a touchdown while Carlos Hyde ran for 44 yards. Patrick Mahomes threw the ball for 321 yards with five touchdown passes. He was the leading rusher for the Chiefs with 53 yards. Damien Williams also got 47 yards with two touchdowns on the ground. The momentum shifter was the bad call by Bill O'Brien to go for it on 4th down in your own territory. The move should seriously cost him his job but no word yet if he will still be employed. Kansas City moves on to host the AFC championship game against the Titans on Sunday afternoon.

All-time series: Chiefs lead 7-5

Seattle Seahawks 23, Green Bay Packers 28: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

The win was ugly but that's really the story of the season for the Packers. Russell Wilson threw for 277 yards with a touchdown while rushing for 64 yards. Marshawn Lynch couldn't get a lot going on the ground as he finished with 26 yards rushing but did get two touchdowns on the ground. Aaron Rodgers threw for 243 yards with two touchdowns, certainly vintage Rodgers. Aaron Jones was good in the ground game as he ran for 62 yards with two touchdowns. Offense puts up enough points while the defense does the rest, not a bad formula. Seattle had a good season with a great receiving corp potential in DK Metcalf. Green Bay heads west to battle the 49ers in the NFC championship game. 

All-time series: Packers lead 14-9

See you guys on Thursday/Friday for the Conference Championship Game picks!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Divisional Picks

Hello readers! The Divisional round of the playoffs is almost here. One of my favorite weekends in the NFL calendar. It's the David vs Goliath, the battle tested vs the rested, if you make it past this weekend, you're one game away from going to the Super Bowl. In this post, I'll talk about the great Jerry Rice in the NFL 100 spotlight and my picks for the weekend's games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The history of the NFL has had many great names. Many of them dominated in eras where offense was subpar compared to the defense, and vice versa. Only one player in the history of the game dominated from the first snap to the last snap of his career. He played from 1985 to 2004 on three teams. His statistics are records and the 2nd closest player is nowhere near him. He is arguably the greatest player in NFL history, Jerry Rice.

Jerry Rice was born on October 13th, 1962 in Starkville, Mississippi. He was the son of a brick mason. He would attend high school at B.L. Moore High School in Oktoc, Mississippi.

He wouldn't start playing football until his sophomore year. He wanted to play the game in his freshman year but his mother denied the request. After an incident of Rice being truant, the school principal contacted the school's head coach about Rice's speed and was allowed to join the team. Rice would also excel at track and field and basketball.

He attended college at Mississippi Valley State University for four seasons. He quickly became the standout receiver on the Delta Devils, gaining the nickname "World" for how he could catch anything thrown to him. He also set a single-game record for catching 24 passes in a game against Southern University in 1983.

His play in college gained the attention of many scouts but both the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys wanted to draft him. On Draft Day, the 49ers traded two picks to New England for the Patriots first-round choice. Dallas held the 17th pick in the first round. With the draft trade the 49ers selected Rice at pick #16. The Cowboys missed out on him by that much.

Jerry Rice wouldn't take long to impress his team and the rest of the NFL. He was particularly effective in a 10 catch, 241 yard receiving performance against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite early struggles like dropping man catches, Rice earned the NFC Offensive Rookie Of The Year award in his rookie year.

Some of his best football came in the biggest game of all. He was part of three Super Bowl teams with the 49ers in 1988, 1989 and 1994. He won Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXIII.

When he retired, he set career records in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. His 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards, and 197 touchdowns are all NFL records and no one has come close to it. What really truly made him great was his YAC (Yards After Catch). It was that that made him truly great. He was a great runner with a great catching ability. Arguably the greatest of all time.

Divisional Picks

The Divisional Playoff weekend starts in Santa Clara, California, and ends in Green Bay, Wisconsin. NBC and CBS will have games shown on Saturday and CBS and FOX will have games on Sunday. Let's get to the picks!

Minnesota Vikings (10-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (13-3) (NBC): TW: 49ers; CV: Vikings

The Vikings beat the Saints in the Wild Card round and the 49ers were on a bye last week. The weekend starts with a pretty intriguing game. On paper, it seems that the 49ers should get a win as they do have a better offense in my opinion but their defense is suspect in comparison against the Vikings defense. History should offer a warning to the 49ers as the Vikings once beat the #1 seed 49ers once in the 1987 playoffs (Vikings also beat the Saints on the road as well). Could Stephon Diggs put up Anthony Carter type numbers in the game? Its a possiblity. Its also possible that Adam Thielen could be out for the Vikings in the game as he is questionable. Minnesota will also be without Mackensie Alexander for this game but could return to play in the next game should Minnesota advance. I feel the more rested team will get the win as I tend to like the 49ers running game as a whole with Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida, Deebo Samuel, and Tevin Coleman. I think the home team will win on solid defense but I can't stress enough how much of an upset this will be if history repeats itself.

Tennessee Titans (9-7) @ Baltimore Ravens (14-2) (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Titans beat the Patriots in the Wild Card game and the Ravens were on a bye last week. Mark Ingram is unlikely to play in the game which means much of the workload will fall on Gus Edwards to get the Ravens a win. The Titans could make this a very interesting game with Derrick Henry as running back. If the Titans can control the clock and keep the Ravens offense off the field, this could be a very wild game. Ryan Tannehill is a decent quarterback but I can't think of him having a big game in this one. I'd be surprised if the Titans win this game. Lamar Jackson isn't 40 years old after all.

Houston Texans (10-6) @ Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The Texans beat the Bills in the Wild Card game while the Chiefs were on a bye last week. Houston barely managed to beat a team that shot themselves in the foot in the 2nd half last week. Quite honestly the Texans offense outside of DeShaun Watson needs to play better. He pretty much saved your butts last week. The same in general goes to Patrick Mahomes. He needs to put up better stats than the past few weeks, at least with more passing yards. I like the Chiefs offense a bit more than the Texans offense and in terms of defense I like the Chiefs offense a smidge better than the Texans as they have been playing better as well. I'll take KC.

Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ Green Bay Packers (13-3) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

The Seahawks beat the Eagles in the Wild Card game while the Packers were on a bye last week. Out of the teams that had a bye last week, Green Bay is probably the most vulnerable of being a one-and-done. The running game is capable of putting up numbers and Aaron Rodgers is good in the playoffs but which of his wide outs are going to step up and put up yardage. Outside of Davante Adams, who can Rodgers rely on? I feel the Packers defense will get tired of the offense going three and out in the game. Seattle has a running game and a capable receiving corp to get them far. If the Packers can't get to Russell Wilson then this game will be very much in Seattle's favor. I hope I'm wrong but I can't trust the Packers offense to put up more points than Seattle. Definitely hope that I'm wrong.

See you guys on Monday for the Divisional round recap.

-Tom

NFL 2019 Wild Card Recap

Hello readers! Eight teams entered into Wild Card weekend and four escaped to move on to next weekend's Divisonal playoff game. The post will have an NFL 100 spotlight on the 1974 Divisional playoff game between the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders, also known as "The Sea Of Hands," as well as a recap of the Wild Card games. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

Very few playoff games in NFL history had hype. Such hype came as surprise to some, while such games had so much hype that they would be called "Super Bowl 8 1/2." One such game would would be forever be called "The Sea Of Hands." The Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins would meet in one of the greatest games in NFL history.

The two teams had known each other very well. In 1973, the Raiders won the regular season meeting 12-7, snapping Miami's 18-game winning streak dating back to the beginning of the 1972 season. The two teams would meet again for the AFC Championship game. The Dolphins would exact revenge on the Silver & Black, beating them 27-10 in a dominating effort. The Dolphins would win the Super Bowl that year.

The next year, the two teams wouldn't meet in the regular season but the two would meet in the AFC Divisional round. There was much hype to the game as the media felt that the two teams were the best in the AFC. The game would be dubbed "Super Bowl 8 1/2" since the winner of the game would likely win the Super Bowl that year. Should be noted that the Pittsburgh Steelers would face off against the Buffalo Bills that weekend as well.

While I won't discuss the game in detail, it should be noted that this game had six lead changes with one tie. The game ultimately came down to an 8-yard pass from Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler to Clarence Davis that would ultimately give the Raiders the lead and would be the game winning score. Stabler was falling down when he threw the ball to Davis. Clarence Davis had many Dolphins players near him with their hands eyeing for the ball, hence the name "Sea Of Hands."

In the end, the Raiders ended the Dolphins their two-year run as champions. Miami wouldn't reach the playoffs again until the 1978 season. They would lose Larry Czonka and Jim Kiick to the riches of the World Football League. They wouldn't make it back to the Super Bowl until the 1982 season.

For the Raiders, they would move on to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. It would be ultimately John Madden's praise for the Dolphins and Raiders that would cost them a chance to win. An inspired Steelers team would come into Oakland and beat the Raiders and would kick off their dynasty of the 1970s.

Wild Card Recap

Buffalo Bills 19, Houston Texans 22 (F/OT): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

Buffalo will have to wait for another year to get that first playoff win since 1995. Josh Allen threw for 264 yards with zero touchdowns. John Brown would complete a 16-yard pass to Josh Allen for a touchdown. Josh Allen would be the leading rusher as he gained 92 yards for the game. DeShaun Watson would earn his first playoff victory while throwing for 247 yards with a touchdown. Watson would be the leading rusher for the Texans with 55 yards with a touchdown. To be honest, both teams really didn't deserve to win but sadly someone has to end up winning. Houston will go on to play the Chiefs on Sunday.

All-time series: Texans lead 6-4

Tennessee Titans 20, New England 13: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Titans played better than the Patriots. There I said it. Ryan Tannehill finished the game with 72 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Derrick Henry finished the game with 182 yards with a touchdown. Former Patriot, Logan Ryan, would give the Titans the win off an interception from Tom Brady for a 9-yard return. Tom Brady would throw for 209 yards while throwing said interception. Sony Michel was the leading rusher for the Patriots as he gained 61 yards. Julian Edelman would get 12 yards rushing while scoring a rushing touchdown. As far as Tom Brady's future is concerned, I feel he'll come back, but I don't know if he can get another ring as the Patriots wide receiving corp outside of Edelman is not that great. The Mohammad Sanu Jr trade was somewhat of a dud. Hard to say. Titans move on to take on the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

All-time series: Patriots lead 25-18-1

Minnesota Vikings 26, New Orleans Saints 20 (F/OT): TW: Saints; CV: Vikings

It was a surprise to some but not necessarily to me. Kirk Cousins threw the ball for 242 yards with a touchdown. That touchdown would ultimately be the game-winning score to Kyle Rudolph in overtime. Dalvin Cook returned to start and had a good game with 94 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Drew Brees threw for 208 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Taysom Hill was the leading rusher for the Saints with 50 yards while Alvin Kamara ran for 21 yards with a touchdown in the game. Hard to say if this is the last chance for the Saints to get another ring but certainly you have to not try to play against the Vikings it seems. Minnesota moves on to take on the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.

All-time series: Vikings lead 23-12

Seattle Seahawks 17, Philadelphia Eagles 9: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

In his 16 seasons as pro, Josh McCown had not played in a playoff game, he would sadly not get the job done. Russell Wilson threw well in the game with 325 yards with a touchdown. He would also be the leading rusher for the Seahawks with 45 yards. Carson Wentz made his first playoff start in his career. He would ultimately leave the game with a concussion/head injury, with only 3 yards passing. Hardy veteran Josh McCown would take his place and put up 174 yards in the game. Miles Sanders ran the ball for 69 yards in the game. Sadly, Nick Foles couldn't quite save them this time. Seattle goes to Green Bay on Sunday.

All-time series: Seahawks lead 11-7

See you guys on Thursday/Friday for the Divisional picks!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Wild Card Picks

Hello readers! The Wild Card Weekend starts on Saturday. Gone are the pretenders and here come the contenders. This post will have a recap of my predictions that I made back in September and how I fared (which I know isn't looking too well), an NFL 100 Spotlight on the broadcaster Pat Summerall, and my picks for the Wild Card games this weekend. Let's get to work!

Preseason Recap

Before the season started, I made a predictions post on how each team will fare. I also predicted the division winners and who would eventually win the Super Bowl, as well as award winners. I will leave the award winners until probably after the Super Bowl but I'd say most of them are way off (Baker Mayfield for MVP was a bit off I'd say). Here's how I did:

Arizona Cardinals: 4th in NFC West (Correct)
Atlanta Falcons: 3rd in NFC South (Incorrect, they did tie with Tampa though)
Baltimore Ravens: 3rd in AFC North (Incorrect, probably thought Lamar Jackson would have sophomore jinx I guess)
Buffalo Bills: 3rd in AFC East (Incorrect)
Carolina Panthers: 2nd in NFC South (Incorrect)
Chicago Bears: 2nd in NFC North (Incorrect)
Cincinnati Bengals: 4th in AFC North (Correct)
Cleveland Browns: 2nd in AFC North (Incorrect)
Dallas Cowboys: 1st in NFC East (Incorrect, close but no cigarette)
Denver Broncos: 4th in AFC West (Incorrect)
Detroit Lions: 4th in NFC North (Correct)
Green Bay Packers: 3rd in NFC North (Incorrect, ouch my own team)
Houston Texans: 2nd in AFC South (Incorrect)
Indianapolis Colts: 1st in AFC South (Incorrect)
Jacksonville Jaguars: 3rd in AFC South (Incorrect)
Kansas City Chiefs: 1st in AFC West (Correct)
Los Angeles Chargers: 2nd AFC West (Incorrect)
Los Angeles Rams: 1st in NFC West (Incorrect)
Miami Dolphins: 4th in AFC East (Correct)
Minnesota Vikings: 1st in NFC North (Incorrect)
New England Patriots: 1st in AFC East (Correct)
New Orleans Saints: 1st in NFC South (Correct)
New York Giants: 3rd in NFC East (Correct)
New York Jets: 2nd in AFC East (Correct)
Oakland Raiders: 3rd in AFC West (Correct)
Philadelphia Eagles: 2nd in NFC East (Incorrect)
Pittsburgh Steelers: 1st in AFC North (Incorrect)
San Francisco 49ers: 2nd in NFC West (Incorrect)
Seattle Seahawks: 3rd in NFC West (Incorrect)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4th in NFC South (Incorrect)
Tennessee Titans: 4th in AFC South (Incorrect, maybe I was drinking too much of the Mariota kool-aid)
Washington Redskins: 4th in NFC East (Correct)

Well out of the 32 teams, I got 10 right in predictions. Almost a 1/3 of them.

Playoff seedings

NFC:
1st: New Orleans Saints
2nd: Dallas Cowboys
3rd: Los Angeles Rams
4th: Minnesota Vikings
5th: Chicago Bears
6th: Carolina Panthers

Well as far as seeding, I missed all of them but I managed to get the Saints and the Vikings in the playoffs.

AFC:
1st: Kansas City Chiefs
2nd: New England Patriots
3rd: Pittsburgh Steelers
4th: Indianapolis Colts
5th: Los Angeles Chargers
6th: Cleveland Browns

Same thing for the AFC for seeding but I got only the Chiefs and Patriots right in making the playoffs. Should be noted that I still have the prediction of a Saints vs Patriots Super Bowl in play. I feel good about it.

NFL 100: A Spotlight

If you were born between 1960 and 1995 and watched an NFL game, you more than likely heard the voice of Pat Summerall. From playing football at an early age to his final call at Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002 his life was football.

Summerall was born in Lake City, Florida on May 10th, 1930. He would play at Columbia High School as a placekicker. As well as football, Summerall played tennis, baseball, and basketball. He would go to college at the University of Arkansas from 1949 to 1951 and played as a placekicker, defensive end and tight end for the Razorbacks.

In the 1952 NFL Draft, Summerall was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 4th Round, with the 45th pick. He would only play for the Lions in the preseason before getting an arm injury. He was traded to the Chicago Cardinals from 1953 to 1957. He would then play some of his well-known football with the New York Giants from 1958 to 1961. He would play in "The Greatest Game Ever Played" in the 1958 NFL Championship Game. In 1959 he was 30/30 in Point After Touchdowns and 20/29 in field goals.

Summerall retired after the 1961 season and would be hired by CBS to work as a color commentator for the network's NFL package. During the early years of his job, he was paired with Chris Schenkel to do Giants games (CBS had their own crews designated to a specific team). He was there for CBS postgame coverage for Super Bowl I. After 1968, he rose to be part of CBS #1 crew, pairing with either Ray Scott and Jack Buck.

After Ray Scott's retirement after Super Bowl VIII, Summerall would take over as the Play-by-Play commentator and would be paired with Tom Brookshier. Brookshier would work with Summerall with during the "This Week In Pro Football" during the late 1960's through the 1970's.

Pat Summerall's most famous broadcast partner would be John Madden. Madden was hired by CBS in 1981. The pairing would call five Super Bowls for CBS. The pairing worked well as both knew football and could explain it well to the average viewer. Summerall's minimalist approach and Madden's coaching knowledge made them one of the best partnerships in Sports TV history.

When FOX won the NFC package in 1994, the fledgling network recruited both Summerall and Madden to front their production. The pair would call three more Super Bowl's for FOX before retiring from broadcasting after Super Bowl XXXVI. Joe Buck would take over as FOX's NFL #1 play-by-play commentator, paired with Troy Aikman with Cris Collinsworth.

As well as calling football games for CBS, Summerall would call CBS coverage of the U.S. Open and the Masters. He brought with him his velvety voice and minimilistic approach to those assignments as well. His best work was truly with the National Football League. His voice was nearly recognizable. If he was covering a game, you knew the game held something important.

Pat Summerall would pass away on April 16th, 2013 due to a cardiac arrest. The Sports World mourned as he was truly "a great loss." He was 82 years old.

Wild Card Picks

Wild Card weekend will start in Houston, Texas and end in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There will be two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday. ESPN and CBS will air the Saturday games while FOX and NBC will air the Sunday games. Here are the picks:

Buffalo Bills (10-6) @ Houston Texans (10-6) (ESPN/ABC): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Bills are entering as the 5th seed in the playoffs while the Texans are the AFC South winners as the 4th seed. Wild Card weekend isn't too kind for the Texans these last few years and if they don't win this game, head coach Bill O'Brien's future definitely is in jeopardy. I'm leaning towards the Bills because of their defense. If they can throw the Texans offense off a bit, they have a distinct advantage. Turnovers will be key to victory for Buffalo as they have a versatile running game with a quarterback to match. While Josh Allen's weapons aren't nearly as superb as DeShaun Watson's, clock management will be also huge too. The Texans are a 2.5 favorite which doesn't bode well for Vegas' confidence in the group. I can't trust the Texans to get a win. I have been wrong before with the Texans.

Tennessee Titans (9-7) @ New England Patriots (12-4) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Titans enter in the playoffs as the 6th seed and the Patriots won the AFC East along with the 3rd seed in the playoffs. One of the better match-ups in the weekend. Tennessee has shown that they can win with Ryan Tannehill as quarterback along with a great running back Derrick Henry. The Patriots have won with their strong defense and I feel they can easily make the Titans one-dimensional with them shutting down their running game and forcing Tannehill to beat them. Tom Brady hasn't played particularly well to standards but with the playoffs here, perhaps they can find new energy and win this one. I'd be generally surprise if the Titans win this game. 

Minnesota Vikings (10-6) @ New Orleans Saints (13-3) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Vikings

The Vikings are entering the playoffs as the 6th seed while the Saints won the NFC South as the 3rd seed. Minnesota is entering this postseason with a little chip on their shoulder. They have the underdog card as most experts felt that they wouldn't go far. My take is they have a very good defense and if they can get their offense going and cause havoc on the Saints defense. The key to the game is the health of Dalvin Cook and how well the Vikings can depend on running back Mike Boone if Cook is inactive. I like the Saints in the match-up but the Vikings could make this game a very interesting one. 

Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) (NBC): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Seahawks enter the playoffs as the 5th seed and the Eagles won the NFC East as the 4th seed. Keeping Russell Wilson upright will be huge as the Seahawks offensive line allowed 26 sacks in the previous seven games. Philadelphia got to Wilson six times. The Eagles will need Carson Wentz and the secondary to have a good day to have a chance to get a win as well. I feel with Marshawn Lynch on the team, they will have some inspiration to play well. The talent on paper for Seattle is there but momentum is not there for them as they lost two straight games. I feel safer with Philly if they can get to Wilson early and sack him or hit him. They have the blueprint to get him so why not Philly.

I'll see you guys on Monday for the Wild Card recap. I'll probably update the post with Cardinal Viking's picks as well. Enjoy the games!

-Tom

Update #1: added Cardinal Viking's picks

Update #2: Changed Bill Callahan to Bill O'Brien. Got the right first name but wrong head coach. Sorry Bill Callahan if you're reading this.