NFL 2020 Week 4 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon coming to a living room near you. Last week brought me and Cardinal Viking a rougher time on picks but hopefully a rebound is soon upon us this week. A 9-6-1 finish last week could be better but it could've been a lot worse as well. In this post I'll talk about my picks for the week's upcoming games.

Week 4 Picks

Week 4 in the National Football League's regular season will start in East Rutherford, New Jersey and finishes up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The week includes a 15-game (formerly 16-game, more on that later) slate. There will be a Thursday night game, nine early games, three late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. CBS will have the doubleheader, and FOX will have single, regional game coverage this week. No teams are on a bye this week. Let's get to the picks!

Denver (0-3) @ NY Jets (0-3) (NFL Network): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
Both teams lost last week as the Broncos lost to the Buccaneers and the Jets lost to the Colts. The week starts off with another snoozer most likely. Both teams are train wrecks but I feel the Broncos are due for a win and Jeff Driskel will get them to that destination. I can't trust the Jets offense to get anything to run, not even a blender. 

LA Chargers (1-2) @ Tampa Bay (2-1) (CBS): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Chargers
The Chargers lost to the Panthers and the Buccaneers beat the Broncos last week. The game intrigues me, not going to lie. The Rookie vs the Hardy Veteran in Tom Brady. It features two great defenses. I think what it will come down to is whoever can sustain drives and break the opposing defense. Hard to not take Tampa in this one... sorry Chargers. 

Jacksonville (1-2) @ Cincinnati (0-2-1) (CBS): TW: Bengals; CV: Jaguars
The Jaguars lost to the Dolphins and the Bengals tied against the Eagles. Alright Cincy, you've been so close to winning so many times this season, the time has finally come for you to get your first dub. Joe Mixon has been relatively quiet so far this season in running the ball and I would like to see him get more of it against this relatively mediocre Jaguars defense. Joe Burrow can't do it all alone. Get it done Bungles.

Minnesota (0-3) @ Houston (0-3) (FOX): TW: Texans; CV: Texans
Both teams lost last week as the Vikings lost to the Titans and the Texans lost to the Steelers. If you asked me that both teams would be 0-3 to start the season, I'd tell you're crazy. I can't keep trusting Kirk Cousins to make the right decisions anymore after this horrid of a start to a season after signing an extension. If Ryan Tannehill on an average day can best this defense then so can DeShaun Watson. At least give Bill O'Brien some hope. Hopefully this game won't get postponed either. 

Pittsburgh (3-0) @ Tennessee (3-0) (CBS): (Game Postponed) TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
So the news came down this week that the Titans players and staff tested positive for Coronavirus and thus this game would get postponed until a later time. Only a matter of time before this had to happen. If it happens this week then I'll more than likely take the Steelers based on their offense and punishing defense  

Seattle (3-0) @ Miami (1-2) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Both teams took the dub last week as the Seahawks beat the Cowboys and the Dolphins beat the Jaguars. Russell Wilson has been a beast so far this season with 14 touchdown passes. With the loss to Chris Carson at running back, it will come down to Carlos Hyde and Travis Homer to get rush yardage for the Hawks in this one. Miami might make it a contest but I wouldn't be surprised if Wilson throws for five more touchdowns in this one. 

Indianapolis (2-1) @ Chicago (3-0) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Bears
Both teams got wins last week as the Colts beat the Jets and the Bears beat the Falcons. Nick Foles likely earned the starting role for this game instead of Mitchell Trubisky. Chicago has been very lucky so far this season and one would assume that their luck would run out in this one. If Philip Rivers throws interceptions then this one is over. Please Rivers don't be that guy. 

New Orleans (1-2) @ Detroit (1-2) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Saints lost to the Packers and the Lions beat the Cardinals last week. Detroit surprised quite a few in beating the Cards last week, granted Arizona shot themselves in the foot a lot. Drew Brees may throw a pass for less than 10 yards but at least he can control the ball. Both running games have been quite good to watch. I'll take the Saints overall because of more offensive firepower. 

Cleveland (2-1) @ Dallas (1-2) (FOX): TW: Browns; CV: Cowboys
The Browns beat the Football Team and the Cowboys lost to the Seahawks last week. The game looks good than in previous match ups that usually end up in Dallas favor. Russell Wilson exposed the Cowboys secondary badly last week and I'm sure Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. are salivating at the fact. Dallas is 23rd in stopping the run and that bodes well for the tandem in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. I'll take the Brownies in this one. 

Baltimore (2-1) @ Washington (1-2) (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Both teams lost last week as the Ravens lost to the Chiefs and the Football team lost to the Browns. Last week wasn't a good one if you were a Ravens fan. Patrick Mahomes made you his property, ravaged the countryside, salted the earth, etc. Fortunately you're playing a Washington team that won't likely have Chase Young in the defensive lineup. I can't see the Football team pulling off this one off. 

Arizona (2-1) @ Carolina (1-2) (FOX): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Cardinals lost to the Lions and the Panthers beat the Chargers last week. It would be more of an even matchup if Christian McCaffrey was back from injury but if Kyler Murray has a repeat performance from last week then this game could go in Carolina's favor. I personally don't see it as the Murray-Drake-Hopkins trio will likely reek havoc on an improving but mistake prone Panthers defense. 

NY Giants (0-3) @ LA Rams (2-1) (FOX): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Both teams lost last week as the Giants lost to the 49ers and the Rams lost to the Bills. The Giants will be making their return to LA to take on the Rams for the first time since 1994. New York is a trainwreck of a team with a meager offense and a defense that ain't that much better. The Rams look like the polar opposite of the Giants in every way. I would say that the Rams will beat them by more than 10 points and if its less than that I'd be shocked. 

Buffalo (3-0) @ Las Vegas (2-1) (CBS): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Bills beat the Rams and the Raiders lost to the Patriots last week. Bills Mafia probably will hate me for saying this but you got lucky last week. Josh Allen literally saved you from going 2-1. Las Vegas has the means to really take this one out of the Bills defense with a balanced attack from the passing arm of Derek Carr and the legs of Josh Jacobs. Assuming the Raiders don't fumble the ball a lot, I think they have a legit shot at winning this one. 

New England (2-1) @ Kansas City (3-0) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Both teams got wins last week as the Patriots beat the Raiders and the Chiefs beat the Ravens. It seems like whenever these two teams play each other, its always a good game. I don't see this one being a blowout either. Both quarterbacks have speed and a plethora of weapons to go to if they need help. The game will probably come down to who can slow down the opposing offense more effective. I think the Chiefs have a better defense than the Pats but not by much I think.

Philadelphia (0-2-1) @ San Francisco (3-0) (NBC): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Eagles tied against the Bengals and the 49ers beat the Giants. San Francisco literally manhandled the Giants with their backup quarterback Nick Mullens. Mullens will likely get another start in this one. I would pull for the local boy Carson Wentz but Philly is a mess of a team and I can't trust him to throw no picks in a game at this point. 

Atlanta (0-3) @ Green Bay (3-0) (EPSN): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Falcons lost to the Bears and the Packers beat the Saints last week. Green Bay has been stellar this season so far. Aaron Rodgers hasn't thrown a pick so far *knocks on wood* this season. If Atlanta's defense shows up the way that it did against the Bears and Cowboys in the 2nd half, I feel the Packers have this one in the bag. 

Local TV Schedule:

CBS Early
Indianapolis @ Chicago
Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon

CBS Late
New England @ Kansas City
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single
Minnesota @ Houston
Chris Myers, Brock Huard, Greg Jennings

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Total: 32-15-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Total: 29-18-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Monday for the Week 4 recap post! Enjoy the games.

Tom

Update #1 (6:51 p.m. 10/03/2020): Changed CV's pick from Patriots to Chiefs. 

NFL 2020 Week 3 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has passed us by. The past week offered many storylines, another blown Falcons lead, a back-and-forth affair in the Big Easy and for the 3rd consecutive season we will have a tie in an NFL season. I'll be recapping the week's action in this post. Let's get to work!

Week 3 Recap

Miami 31, Jacksonville 13: TW: Jaguars, CV: Jaguars
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for only 160 yards passing and still easily beat the Jaguars. His defense helped him out a bit too. Fitzpatrick would only have two incompletions in this one while throwing two touchdown passes. He would also run it in for a score while racking up 38 yards. Myles Gaskin was the leading rusher in the game with 66 yards on 22 carries. Gardner Minshew had more pass yardage than his counterpart with 275 yards but would throw an interception as well as a giveaway via fumble. James Robinson would score two touchdowns with 46 yards rushing. 

Next week:
Miami: vs Seattle; Jacksonville: @ Cincinnati

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

LA Rams 32, Buffalo 35: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
That 2nd half meltdown was something. Jared Goff threw for 321 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception. Darrell Henderson had quite the game as he had a 20-carry, 114-yard day with a touchdown run. Josh Allen was good but his only interception contributed to the Rams turnaround in the 2nd half. Allen finished the day with 311 yards passing with four touchdowns as well as a rushing touchdown. Devin Singletary would finish the game with 71 yards rushing. 

Next week: 
LA Rams: vs NY Giants; Buffalo: @ Las Vegas

TW: 0-2; CV: 0-2

Houston 21, Pittsburgh 28: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The Watt Bowl lived up to the hype to some degree. DeShaun Watson threw for 264 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The Steelers defense kept Watson at bay in terms of running game with only five rushing yards for him. David Johnson ran for 23 yards with a touchdown. Ben Roethlisberger started off slow in the first quarter but would finish the game with 237 yards passing with two touchdowns. James Conner had another 100-yard day with a 109-yard, one touchdown performance. Never too early to fire Bill O'Brien, Houston.

Next week:
Houston: vs Minnesota; Pittsburgh: @ Tennessee

TW: 1-2; CV: 1-2

Las Vegas 20, New England 36: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Cam Newton didn't have a dominating stat line this time but he did have some help along the way. Derek Carr threw for 261 yards with two touchdowns, he would also get sacked for a safety that would be reversed to a touchdown. Josh Jacobs ran for 71 yards on 16 carries. Cam Newton threw for 162 yards with a touchdown and an interception. It would be Sony Michel and Rex Burkhead that would be the stars in the game. Sony Michel ran for 117 yards and Rex Burkhead would run for 49 yards with two touchdowns. Burkhead would score another touchdown via receiving. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Buffalo; New England: @ Kansas City

TW: 2-2; CV: 2-2

Tennessee 31, Minnesota 30: TW: Vikings; CV: Titans
Oh Vikings... you underachievers. Ryan Tannehill threw for 321 yards while throwing an interception. Derrick Henry would have another great day on the ground with 119 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Stephen Gostkowski would hit six field goals including the game-winner from 55 yards out. Kirk Cousins threw for 251 yards with three touchdowns. He still had troubles with protecting the ball as he threw for two interceptions as well, one of them during the last drive of the game. Dalvin Cook would get going in this one running over the Titans for 181 yards with a touchdown. I feel the blame is just for Kirk Cousins but you have to give some blame to the o-line and the defense. Have to give some blame to Mike Zimmer too.

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Pittsburgh; Minnesota: @ Houston

TW: 2-3; CV: 3-2

Washington 20, Cleveland 34: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
It wasn't unwarranted that the Browns would lose this one. They've been through enough pain losing to "Football Team's" before. Dwayne Haskins threw for 224 yards with two touchdowns while throwing three interceptions. Antonio Gibson ran for 49 yards with a touchdown. Chase Young would leave the game in the 2nd quarter due to an injury. Baker Mayfield would only throw for 156 yards with two touchdowns with 16 completions. Nick Chubb would finish the day with a 108-yard, two touchdown performance. Cleveland is above .500 for the first time since 2014. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Baltimore; Cleveland: @ Dallas

TW: 3-3: CV: 4-2

Cincinnati 23, Philadelphia 23: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Carson Wentz was off for most of the game but when it mattered most, he came in the clutch. Joe Burrow threw for 312 yards with two touchdowns. Joe Mixon ran for 49 yards in the game. Carson Wentz threw for 225 yards with a touchdown but had trouble with turnovers as he threw two interceptions. He would run for 65 yards with a touchdown (the touchdown that would, along with the PAT give the Eagles the tie game that would send it to overtime). Miles Sanders was the leading rusher for the game with 95 yards for the Eagles. To be honest, Cincinnati should've won the game based on the turnover battle but a tie is a tie. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Jacksonville; Philadelphia: @ San Francisco

TW: 3-3-1; CV: 4-2-1

San Francisco 36, NY Giants 9: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Giants weren't so giant in this one. Nick Mullens would start for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo in this one. He threw for 343 yards with a touchdown. Jerrick McKinnon, Brandon Aiyuk, and Jeff Wilson would score rushing touchdowns while racking up 38, 31, and 15 yards respectively. Daniel Jones and the Giants offense was helpless without Saquon Barkley in the lineup. Jones would complete barely half of his passes with 179 yards passing and an interception. He was also the leading rusher in the game with 49 yards. 

Next week:
San Francisco: vs Philadelphia; NY Giants: @ LA Rams (first time at LA since 1994)

TW: 4-3-1; CV: 5-2-1

Chicago 30, Atlanta 26: TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
Atlanta's games should only be 30 minutes long because they always blow leads in the 2nd half. Mitchell Trubisky would throw the ball for 128 yards with a touchdown and an interception before getting benched in favor of Nick Foles. Foles would throw three touchdowns and an interception while racking up 188 yards passing. Matt Ryan wouldn't have Julio Jones in the game due to injury but would finish the game with 238 yards with a touchdown with a costly interception to go along with it. Todd Gurley ran for 80 yards with a touchdown and Brian Hill would score a touchdown with 58 yards rushing for the game. 

Next week:
Chicago: vs Indianapolis; Atlanta: @ Green Bay (Monday night)

TW: 4-4-1; CV: 5-3-1

Carolina 21, LA Chargers 16: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
No Christian McCaffrey, no problem for Carolina, apparently. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 235 yards with a touchdown. Mike Davis would get most of the carries for the Panthers as he racked up 46 yards rushing. Carolina's defense forced three turnovers in the game. Justin Herbert got another start for the Chargers in his young career. Herbert threw for 330 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Austin Ekeler rushed for 59 yards with a touchdown. Keenan Allen would move to 3rd place in Chargers franchise history in career receptions, surpassing Kellen Winslow's 541 receptions. He now has 548. 

Next week:
Carolina: vs Arizona; LA Chargers: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 4-5-1; CV: 5-4-1

NY Jets 7, Indianapolis 36: TW: Colts; CV: Jets
This was as bad as it could get for the Jets this season. Sam Darnold would get a lot of heat for his performance in this game but he has to get help. Darnold threw for 168 yards with a touchdown with three interceptions, two of them were pick-sixes. As well as a safety. Frank Gore had a bit of a better day on the ground with 57 yards rushing but with the score out of reach it was more of a passing philosophy for the Jets. Philip Rivers threw for 217 yards with a touchdown. Jacoby Brissett would play for a bit in the game with 17 yards passing. Jonathan Taylor was the leading rusher in the game with 59 yards with a touchdown. Rivers didn't really need to put up a lot of offense as the defense took over for most of the game. 

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Denver (Thursday night); Indianapolis: @ Chicago

TW: 5-5-1; CV: 5-5-1

Detroit 26, Arizona 23: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Lions won a game? Matthew Stafford threw for 270 yards with two touchdowns. Adrian Peterson showed some of his old self with a 75-yard rushing day. Detroit even snapped a 11-game losing streak as well. Kyler Murray threw for 270 yards as well with two touchdowns. The big difference was that Murray threw for three interceptions in the game that would ultimately limit the chance to give Arizona a win. Murray would score a touchdown on the ground while adding 29 yards rushing. Kenyan Drake ran for 73 yards in the game. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs New Orleans; Arizona: @ Carolina

TW: 5-6-1; CV: 5-6-1

Dallas 31, Seattle 38: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Russell Wilson definitely got some MVP love in this game. Dak Prescott threw for 472 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Ezekiel Elliot ran the ball for 34 yards with a touchdown. Russell Wilson threw for 315 yards with five touchdown passes (his 14 touchdown passes are the most in NFL history through Week 3). Chris Carson would rack up yards with 64 yards before leaving the game due to an injury. DK Metcalf had a monster day with 110 receiving yards with a touchdown. Also got to give Tyler Lockett some love as he had 100 yards receiving with three touchdowns. NFC East is pretty terrible this season. 

Next week: 
Dallas: vs Cleveland; Seattle: @ Miami

TW: 6-6-1; CV: 6-6-1

Tampa Bay 28, Denver 10: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tom Brady ran into Peyton Manning shortly before kickoff, they didn't dress up and play however. Tom Brady had a good day with 297 yards with three touchdowns, easily one of his best performances so far this season. Ronald Jones ran for 53 yards. Jeff Driskel threw for 176 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Denver's running game wouldn't get too much going as Melvin Gordon could only muster 26 yards rushing. Short week for Denver next week.

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs LA Chargers; Denver: @ NY Jets (Thursday night)

TW: 7-6-1; CV: 7-6-1

Green Bay 37, New Orleans 30: TW: Packers; CV: Saints
Green Bay remains unbeaten. Aaron Rodgers threw for 283 yards with three touchdowns. Obviously more calmer and confident under Matt LaFleur's offensive schemes. Aaron Jones ran for 69 yards wiht a touchdown. Drew Brees threw for 288 yards with three touchdowns as well. Latavius Murray and Alvin Kamara both would rush for 58 yards in the game. 

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Atlanta; New Orleans: @ Detroit

TW: 8-6-1; CV: 7-7-1

Kansas City 34, Baltimore 20: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Kansas City remains to be a thorn in Lamar Jackson's side. Patrick Mahomes threw for 385 yards with four touchdowns. Proving that he still can put up numbers two seasons after he won MVP. Clyde Edwards-Helaire ran for 64 yards and Mahomes ran for 26 yards with a touchdown. Lamar Jackson wouldn't put up a lot of yards in this game as he threw for only 97 yards with a touchdown as well as 83 yards rushing. Gus Edwards wouldn't get a lot of yards as he would run for 39 yards. There goes Baltimore's 14-game regular season winning streak. Time to start a new one next week. 

Next week:
Kansas City: vs New England; Baltimore: @ Washington

TW: 9-6-1; 8-7-1

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1

Total: 32-15-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Total: 29-18-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Wednesday for the Week 4 Picks post! See you then!

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 3 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us! Last week in picks was one of my best in quite a while. With a 15-1 record last week in picks, I would hope that my good luck continues into this week. In this post I'll talk about my picks for the Week 3 games. Let's get to work!

Week 3 Picks

Week 3 in the NFL's regular season starts in Jacksonville, Florida and ends in Baltimore, Maryland. The week features a full 16-game slate. There will be a Thursday night game, eight early games, five late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will carry the double-header and CBS will have a single, regional game. No teams are on a bye this week. Let's get to the picks!

Miami (0-2) @ Jacksonville (1-1) (NFL Network): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
Both teams lost last week as the Dolphins lost to the Bills and the Jaguars lost to the Titans. The week starts off with a probable toilet bowl game. If the game is anything like last week then I could be proven wrong again. I've been going against Gardner Minshew so far this season and I feel the time is right to give him another shot. Miami could possibly pull it off but can't go wrong with "The Moustache." 

LA Rams (2-0) @ Buffalo (2-0) (FOX): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Both teams won last week as the Rams beat the Eagles and the Bills beat the Dolphins. It's Goff vs Allen in this one. Aaron Donald has been tearing up offensive lines this season and it'll be the big thing to watch in this one. Personally, I like the Rams in this one because of that and a re-envigored Rams offense. 

Houston (0-2) @ Pittsburgh (2-0) (CBS): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The Texans lost to the Ravens and the Steelers beat the Broncos last week. It's the Watt Bowl as TJ and Derek Watt take on their older brother JJ Watt in this game. If Houston's defense continues to give up a lot of yards and points, this game will be over before it even began. Pittsburgh just looks too good on paper on both sides of the ball to let this one slip by them. 

Las Vegas (2-0) @ New England (1-1) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Raiders beat the Saints and the Patriots lost to the Seahawks last week. The game looks good on paper. Two good quarterbacks in Cam Newton and Derek Carr looking to make some noise come January. It certainly feels like a tight match-up. On a short week, I don't know how the Raiders can handle going cross-country to New England. I'll take the Pats and their offense controlling the time of possession. 

Tennessee (2-0) @ Minnesota (0-2) (CBS): TW: Vikings; CV: Titans
The Titans beat the Jaguars and the Vikings lost to the Colts last week. Seriously Vikings, you shouldn't be this terrible to start the year. Sure your defense hasn't been the best thing since sliced bread but Kirk Cousins stinks right now. Dalvin Cook needs to get going as well. I think the Titans fall off the earth a bit and lose in a hostile environment in Minnesota. Get it done.

Washington (1-1) @ Cleveland (1-1) (FOX): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The Football team lost to the Cardinals and the Browns beat the Bengals last week. The only real way the Football team can beat Cleveland in this one is make Baker Mayfield make mistakes. With a stacked offense and a defense to match, I don't know how Cleveland can keep up with them. 

Cincinnati (0-2) @ Philadelphia (0-2) (CBS): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Both teams lost last week as the Bengals lost to the Browns and the Eagles lost to the Rams. Oddly enough this game features two top-10 pass defenses so far this season. Carson Wentz has been trigger happy with his throwing of the football, some of them go to the wrong guy. Both teams aren't likely to make it to January. Joe Burrow has been impressive so far this season and can get better if the Bungles give him some help on the offensive line and wide outs. My gut feeling is the Eagles find a way to eke out a win. 

San Francisco (1-1) @ NY Giants (0-2) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Jets and the Giants lost to the Bears last week. It's unlikely that Jimmy Garoppolo will make the start in this game so it'll be Nick Mullens time for now. San Fran will be without Nick Bosa, Raheem Mostert and George Kittle in this one. New York is hurting with injury as well as Saquon Barkley will likely miss some time as well. The game will be close but I think the 49ers will win with an otherwise balanced offense. Can't trust Daniel Jones with a limited slate of weapons to use. 

Chicago (2-0) @ Atlanta (0-2) (FOX): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
The Bears beat the Giants and the Falcons lost to the Cowboys last week. After blowing yet another lead, I have decided to pick the lowly Falcons in this game. Sure the Bears have given me some success in picks but I feel Atlanta is due for a win after a shit performance last week. If Atlanta's offense can get going and not let off the gas, they should get a win. 

Carolina (0-2) @ LA Chargers (1-1) (CBS): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Both teams lost last week as the Panthers lost to the Buccaneers and the Chargers lost to the Chiefs. The debut of Justin Herbert was promising and with a Carolina team without Christian McCaffrey, it likely spells doom for Carolina and good news for the Chargers. With balance on the run and pass, I do like the Chargers in this game as they do have a defense that is better than Carolina's. 

NY Jets (0-2) @ Indianapolis (1-1) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Jets
The Jets lost to the 49ers and Colts beat the Vikings last week. New York is pretty much the reason why I should face wall myself every week. I predicted before the season that the Jets would finish 2nd in the AFC East. Obviously it hasn't looked like that in recent weeks. I'll take the Colts but the game will be close as as the new Philip Rivers is still the same as the old one. 

Dallas (1-1) @ Seattle (2-0) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Both teams got wins as the Cowboys beat the Falcons and the Seahawks beat the Patriots last week. Mike McCarthy got his first win in Big D in the biggest way imaginable. With some renewed vigor, perhaps this will be the week they actually start playing like the team they want themselves to be. Or the Seahawks will make a mockery of them and beat the crap out of them with Russell Wilson throwing for 400 yards. I'll take the latter. 

Detroit (0-2) @ Arizona (2-0) (FOX): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Lions lost to the Packers and the Cardinals beat the Football Team last week. DeAndre Hopkins was a steal so far for the Cards this season. With the Detroit Faux Patriots in town, I look to see if Kyler Murray can make a mockery of Matt Patricia's excuse of a defense. It's not like they also have the 32nd ranked rush defense right now. 

Tampa Bay (1-1) @ Denver (0-2) (FOX): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers beat the Panthers and the Broncos lost to the Steelers last week. High altitude hasn't been Tom Brady's strong suit and quite often the Broncos have gotten the best of him in his career. With Jake Driskel getting the start for Denver, I would expect them to go more of an air attack and try to beat them with his arm. It seems like a close game and if Tom Brady can play smart football, I like the Bucs chances in this game. 

Green Bay (2-0) @ New Orleans (1-1) (NBC): TW: Packers; CV: Saints
The Packers beat the Lions and the Saints lost to the Raiders last week. The game feels like a shootout in the making. The Raiders exposed Drew Brees badly and his 5-yard throws won't likely get it done in this game. The question remains if the Saints defense can slow down Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones. So far no one has figured that question yet. I can't expect New Orleans to figure it out either. 

Kansas City (2-0) @ Baltimore (2-0) (ESPN): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Both teams won last week as the Chiefs beat the Chargers and the Ravens beat the Texans. The week wraps up with two former MVP's against one another in Mahomes vs Jackson. Their previous games have been really good and honestly, I don't see this one being a disappointment either. Pass protection was a bit sloppy against the Chargers last week so I feel the Ravens will try to pressure Mahomes early and often. I think it will come down to whoever has the least mistakes and sustains drives. Can't make any mistakes with these two quarterbacks.

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com):

CBS Single:
Tennessee @ Minnesota
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

FOX Early:
Chicago @ Atlanta
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

FOX Late:
Dallas @ Seattle
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Games are subject to change, for more information on which game is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2020: Week 3 maps

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Total: 23-9

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Total: 21-11

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Monday for the Week 3 Recap post! See you then!

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 2 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has passed us by. The storylines that were produced in Week 1 were sharply contrasted in Week 2. A sort of 360 for some teams like Tampa Bay and Dallas. I will be recapping the week's games in this post. 

Week 2 Recap

Cincinnati 30, Cleveland 35: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The game was actually fun to watch, compared to some games that have been shown on NFL Network exclusively. Joe Burrow amazed quite a few people in this game with a 316 passing yard, three touchdown night, while 19 yards rushing. Joe Mixon rushed for 46 yards in the game. Baker Mayfield wasn't terrific but he was alright with 219 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception. Cleveland's running game was the stand out in this one as Nick Chubb ran for 124 yards with two touchdowns while Kareem Hunt ran for 86 yards with a touchdown. Definitely a rebound game for Cleveland. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ Philadelphia; Cleveland: vs Washington

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Jacksonville 30, Tennessee 33: TW: Titans; CV: Jaguars
Oh man this game was closer than some Titans fans probably wanted. Gardner Minshew finished the day with 339 yards with three touchdowns and throwing two interceptions. Just imagine how that game could've gone if he hadn't thrown them. Josh Robinson ran the ball for 102 yards with a touchdown. Ryan Tannehill threw the ball for 239 yards with four touchdowns. Derrick Henry didn't have a 100-yard day but did ran the ball for 84 yards while not scoring a touchdown. Former Patriot Stephen Gostkowski would hit the game-winning 49-yard field goal. First time the Titans are 2-0 since 2008. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Miami (Thursday night); Tennessee: @ Minnesota

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

Detroit 21, Green Bay 42: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
Despite no fans in the stands, Lambeau leaps were a plenty in this one. Matthew Stafford looked to be the better quarterback for the first part of this game but finished with 244 yards with two touchdowns and threw an interception that ended up being a pick-six. Kerryon Johnson ran the ball for 32 yards with a touchdown, while Adrian Peterson ran for 41 yards. Aaron Rodgers threw for 240 yards with two touchdowns. Aaron Jones had a huge day on the ground with 168 yards with two touchdowns. His longest was a 75-yard run on the first play from scrimmage to start the 2nd half. Hopefully Davante Adams and Kenny Clark are going to be alright. 

Next week:
Detroit: @ Arizona; Green Bay: @ New Orleans

TW: 3-0; CV: 2-1

LA Rams 37, Philadelphia 19: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
In the Battle of the 2016 Draft Quarterbacks, Jared Goff got the better of Carson Wentz. Jared Goff threw for 267 yards with three touchdowns in the game. Darrell Henderson ran the ball for 81 yards with a touchdown, earning him leading rusher honors for the Rams. Carson Wentz wasn't great in the game, finishing the game with 242 yards with two interceptions, while scoring a rushing touchdown with a 7-yard rushing tally for the game. Miles Sanders ran the ball well though, finishing with 95 yards with a touchdown. The Eagles pass protection woes continue to hurt them. 

Next week:
LA Rams: @ Buffalo; Philadelphia: vs Cincinnati

TW: 4-0; CV: 3-1

NY Giants 13, Chicago 17: TW: Bears; CV: Giants
Chicago would put up 17 points in the first half and it was barely enough to get a win. Daniel Jones threw the ball for 241 yards while throwing an interception, also racking up 21 rushing yards. Saquon Barkley had a better day rushing with 28 yards but would leave the game due to injury. Dion Lewis would rush for 20 yards with the only touchdown the Giants would score in the game on a rushing play. Mitchell Trubisky was doing good in the first half then went back to frugal ways in the 2nd. Finishing the game with 190 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. David Montgomery was the leading rusher for the Bears with 82. Who would've thought the Bears would be 2-0? 

Next week:
NY Giants: vs San Francisco; Chicago: @ Atlanta

TW: 5-0: CV: 3-2

San Francisco 31, NY Jets 13 : TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers got their first win on the season, but at what cost? Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball for 131 yards with two touchdowns but would leave the game due to injury. Nick Mullens would sub in and threw for 71 yards with an interception. Raheem Mostert ran the ball for 92 yards with a touchdown on a 80-yard play from scrimmage on the first play of the game. Mostert would also leave the game as well as Nick Bosa. Sam Darnold threw the ball for 179 yards with a touchdown and wouldn't throw an interception in the game. Frank Gore was the leading rusher for the Jets with 63 yards. Two stretchers were used to get 49ers off the field, two too many if you ask me.

Next week:
San Francisco: @ NY Giants; NY Jets: @ Indianapolis

TW: 6-0; CV: 4-2

Denver 21, Pittsburgh 26: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The game shouldn't have been as close as it should've but it was. Drew Lock was one of the many players this week that went down due to injury. Lock finished the game 1 for 5 with 20 yards before being replaced by Jake Driskel who threw for 256 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Melvin Gordon ran the ball for 70 yards with zero touchdowns. Ben Roethlisberger threw the ball well with 311 yards with two touchdowns, despite throwing an interception. James Conner did play in the game and would rack up 106 yards with a touchdown in the game. Chase Claypool would score his first touchdown on a 84-yard pass play. 

Next week:
Denver: vs Tampa Bay; Pittsburgh: vs Houston (Watt Bowl)

TW: 7-0; CV: 5-2

Minnesota 11, Indianapolis 28: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Interceptions can be misleading sometimes, most of the time its the quarterbacks fault but deflected passes can't be all on him. Kirk Cousins fell victim to three intercptions while racking up 113 yards in the air. Dalvin Cook ran the ball for 63 yards for a touchdown, the only touchdown the Vikes would put up all game. Philip Rivers threw the ball better than his counterpart, with 214 yards with a touchdown and while throwing an interception of his own. Jonathan Taylor ran the ball well with a 101-yard day with a touchdown. Freaking Vikings would give me my first loss this week too. Fuck them.

Next week: 
Minnesota: vs Tennesee; Indianapolis: vs NY Jets

TW: 7-1; CV: 5-3

Carolina 17, Tampa Bay: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Panthers
Complete reversal from last week's bitter loss for Tampa. Teddy Bridgewater had a good day, yardage wise, protecting the ball... not so much. He finished with 367 yards while throwing two interceptions. Christian McCaffrey ran the ball for 59 yards with two touchdowns, them being the only touchdowns for Carolina. Tom Brady threw the ball for 217 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Leonard Fournette ran the ball for 103 yards with two touchdowns. Ronald Jones ran in for a touchdown as well while adding 23 yards rushing for the Bucs. Hopefully Christian McCaffrey is alright though as he went out with injury as well.

Next week: 
Carolina: @ LA Chargers; Tampa Bay: @ Denver

TW: 8-1; CV: 5-4

Buffalo 31, Miami 28: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Both quarterbacks combined for 745 yards passing in this game, insane! Josh Allen had his best game in his career so far with a 417 yard, four touchdown day while running for 18 yards. Devin Singletary ran for 56 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 328 yards with two touchdowns. Myles Gaskin was the leading rusher for Miami with 46 yards while Jordan Howard scored a rushing touchdown with four yards in the game. Josh Allen joins Joe Ferguson as the only two Bills quarterbacks to throw for 415 yards and four scores. 

Next week: 
Buffalo: vs LA Rams; Miami: @ Jacksonville (Thursday night)

TW: 9-1; CV: 6-4

Atlanta 39, Dallas 40: TW: Cowboys; CV: Falcons
Oh Atlanta, as if you never learn your lessons from Super Bowl LI. Matt Ryan threw the ball well with 273 yards with four touchdowns. Todd Gurley had a decent game with 61 yards from the ground. Dak Prescott would ultimately carry the Cowboys to victory with both his arm and legs. Prescott would finish with 450 yards passing with a touchdown while running the ball for 18 yards with three touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliot was the leading rusher in the game with 89 yards with a touchdown. Mike McCarthy can count his blessings that his team isn't 0-2 to start the season.

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Chicago; Dallas: @ Seattle

TW: 10-1; CV: 6-5

Washington 15, Arizona 30: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Kyler Murray in this game was something to watch. Dwayne Haskins threw for 223 yards with a touchdown. Antonio Gibson ran the ball for 55 yards with a touchdown. Kyler Murray threw the ball for 286 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Murray ran the ball for 67 yards with two touchdowns. Kenyan Drake was the leading rusher in the game with 86 yards. We knew Arizona would be better with DeAndre Hopkins but this good?

Next week: 
Washington: @ Cleveland; Arizona: vs Detroit

TW: 11-1; CV: 7-5

Baltimore 33, Houston 16: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Another fun game to watch in the late game window. Lamar Jackson threw for 204 yards with a touchdown. Four different Ravens running backs ran for at least 40 yards or more, Gus Edwards was the leading rusher with 73 yards. Melvin Ingram would rack up 55 yards with a touchdown. DeShaun Watson threw the ball for 275 yards with a touchdown and an interception. David Johnson and the Texans running game couldn't get a lot going in this one as Johnson ran for 34 yards. Still baffles me how Houston hasn't at least stripped Bill O'Brien of his GM duties. Doesn't make sense to me. 

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Kansas City; Houston: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 12-1; CV: 8-5

Kansas City 23, LA Chargers 20: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The kid held his own against the defending champs, but no cigar. Patrick Mahomes threw for 302 yards with two touchdowns. Mahomes also rushed for 54 yards. Justin Herbert would start in place of injured Tyrod Taylor, much to the surprise of many. Herbert threw for 311 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He would also be the first player in NFL history with a passing and rushing touchdown since 1954. Austin Ekeler ran the ball for 93 yards. Kansas City's defense is perhaps a bit suspect now. Harrison Butker's leg is probably made out of steel or something. 

Next week: 
Kansas City: @ Baltimore; LA Chargers: vs Carolina

TW: 13-1; CV: 9-5

New England 30, Seattle 35: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
This game may have not been a Super Bowl but boy the back and forth of it was more than enough to call it that. Cam Newton had a day on the field with 397 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Cam Newton was the leading rusher for New England with 47 yards with two touchdowns. Russell Wilson was a force to be reckoned with as he threw for 288 yards with five (yep F I V E) touchdown passes with an interception. Chris Carson was the leading rusher in the game with 72 yards. 

Next week:
New England: vs Las Vegas; Seattle: vs Dallas

TW: 14-1; CV: 10-5

New Orleans 24, Las Vegas 34: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Penalties for the Saints: 10 for 129 yards. Ouch. Drew Brees threw for 312 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Alvin Kamara returned to his old form with 79 yards rushing with a touchdown. Derek Carr threw for 282 yards with three touchdowns. Josh Jacobs ran the ball for 88 yards while Jalen Richard scored a touchdown, racking up 26 yards in the game. Not a bad way to open your stadium with a 1-0 record in it. 

Next week:
New Orleans: vs Green Bay; Las Vegas: @ New England

TW: 15-1; CV: 11-5

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Total: 23-9

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Total: 21-11

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Wednesday for the Week 3 Picks post! See you then!

-Tom

PS. Rest In Power, Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933-2020)

NFL 2020 Week 2 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming up. The first week is in the books and it did offer up some surprises to many. We shall see if things start to quiet down for Week 2. In this post I will take a look back at the 2008 NFL Playoffs and the picks for this week's games. Let's get to work!

2008 Playoffs: A Look Back

The 2008 season was a wild one. Tom Brady gets injured in Week 1 against the Chiefs. He would miss the rest of the season. Brett Favre becomes a Jet in his one season in New York. Oh and the Lions went 0-16 for the season. 

The playoffs for that season didn't offer that much of a difference either. Neither #1 seed in the AFC or the NFC made their respective conference championship game. The 4th seeded Cardinals hosted the NFC championship game. The same Cardinal team that was one play away from winning their first championship in nearly 60 years. It was a wild year.

The playoffs started with San Diego beating Indianapolis in overtime. Later that day the Cardinals beat the Falcons by a 30-24 score. The next day would see the #3 seed Miami Dolphins (winners of the AFC East that year) lose spectacularly to the Ravens. The #6 seeded Eagles would also beat the #3 seed Vikings as well. If you were a #6 seed in these playoffs, you had a good chance of doing something nice.

In the Divisional round, the Ravens would start the road team winning trend as they usurp the #1 seeded Titans 13-10. Later that night the Cardinals would trounce on the Panthers 33-13, creating five turnovers from Panther quarterback Jake Delhomme. Like Baltimore, Philadelphia would win an upset against a #1 seed in the Giants (who had won the Super Bowl the previous year mind you). The Steelers would change the trend as they beat the Chargers at home. Darn Pittsburgh, always ruining narratives. 

The championship games didn't have drama in them as the Eagles magical season ended against the Cardinals 32-25. Baltimore wouldn't have much luck either as they lost to their rival Steelers 23-14. Pittsburgh was seeking their 6th Super Bowl championship, Arizona was seeking their first heading into Super Bowl XLIII.

The game was a back and forth contest featuring two of the biggest stars in Larry Fitzgerald for the Cardinals and Troy Polumalu for the Steelers. Fitzgerald finished the game with 127 yards receiving with two touchdowns. The game also included a 100-yard pick six play from James Harrison to end the 1st half. Ultimately, the game is best known for the tip-toe touchdown reception from Ben Roethlisberger to Santonio Holmes that was the game-winning score. 

The 2008 playoffs was sort of ironic to a degree. The nation was in the midst of a terrible recession. People liked seeing the underdog achieving in sports and these playoffs offered much of it. Super Bowl XLIII was also known as the "Recession Bowl" due to its effect on businesses and parties. You had the underdog, snakebit Arizona Cardinals and the established, highly regarded Pittsburgh Steelers. While the Steelers would ultimately win out in the end, it did provide quite a remarkable playoffs for the ages. 

The Picks

Week 2 of the National Football League season starts in Cincinnati, Ohio and finishes in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are 16 games on this week's slate. The week includes a Thursday night game, 10 early games, three late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will have the single, regional game while CBS will carry the doubleheader. No teams are on a bye week. Let's get to the picks!

Cincinnati (0-1) @ Cleveland (0-1) (NFL Network): TW: Browns; CV: Browns 
Both teams lost last week as the Bengals lost to the Chargers and the Browns lost to the Ravens. Ah yes the Battle of Ohio, where two 0-1 teams try to one up themselves in a division that's unlikely to be theirs for the taking. The Bengals pose an intriguing storyline based on how well they did against the Chargers last week but I feel the Browns are a better team in general. With all that offensive talent they can at least put up numbers on this Bengals team. 

Jacksonville (1-0) @ Tennessee (1-0) (CBS): TW: Titans; CV: Jaguars
Both teams got wins last week as the Jaguars beat the Colts and the Titans beat the Broncos. So I was somewhat off on how Jacksonville could be this season. As long as Gardner Minshew is still their quarterback, all talk of tanking for Trevor Lawrence is on hold as he willingly drags this garbage heap of a franchise out of tanking. I like Tennessee as they do have balance on both the run and pass game in offense. I probably won't learn my lesson and then face wall myself if the Jaguars actually win this game. 

Detroit (0-1) @ Green Bay (1-0) (FOX): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Lions lost to the Bears and the Packers beat the Vikings last week. The talk of Aaron Rodgers "diminishing talent" is on hold for a bit as he took apart a vaunted Vikings defense. Or they absolutely shit the bed and play down to their competition in the Lions, who had gave them quite reason to worry last season despite a 2-0 series sweep by Green Bay. Top to bottom, the Packers should get a win based on a better defense and Aaron Rodgers. Enough said. 

LA Rams (1-0) @ Philadelphia (0-1) (FOX): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Rams beat the Cowboys and the Eagles lost to the "Football Team" last week. Last week proved that the Eagles are inept at maintaining leads and not blowing them. With an improved Rams team coming to town, I can't feel safe with Carson Wentz and company coming back and taking a W. That Rams running game looks way too good and they will likely feast on a injury-ravaged defense. 

NY Giants (0-1): @ Chicago (1-0): (CBS): TW: Bears; CV: Giants
The Giants lost to the Steelers and the Bears beat the Lions last week. New York's offensive line problems reared their ugly head last week and now they have to go up against Khalil Mack and the Bears defense. If the Giants have any shot to win this game they need to find some way for Saquon Barkley to get more than 3 yards per carry (15 carries for 6 yards... ouch). Chicago's offense with their running game will salivate over New York's 25th ranked rush defense. Da Bears!

San Francisco (0-1) @ NY Jets (0-1) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Both teams lost last week as the 49ers lost to the Cardinals and the Jets lost to the Bills. The Jets finishing 2nd in the AFC East prediction is starting to look terrible. I hate looking terrible. When it comes to overall talent, I'd take San Francisco but they somewhat laid an egg against the Cardinals last week. I'll take the 49ers. Screw the Jets. 

Denver (0-1) @ Pittsburgh (1-0) (CBS): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The Broncos lost to the Titans and the Steelers beat the Giants last week. Ben "Popeye" Roethlisberger's health will be key to victory in this one again. Pittsburgh's defense will likely put a hurt on the Broncos offense. The loss of Von Miller will hurt Denver down the road and will likely put their playoff hopes up in the air. 

Minnesota (0-1) @ Indianapolis (0-1) (FOX): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Both teams lost last week as the Vikings lost to the Packers and the Colts lost to the Jaguars. Meet the new Philip Rivers, same as the old Philip Rivers. Honestly if he continues his play, the Vikings should definitely put as many QB spies as possible as its bound for him to throw for 300 yards while throwing two interceptions. Injuries on the Colts roster will put some doubt on if they can win this one. Minnesota is an overall better team on both sides of the ball anyway.

Carolina (0-1) @ Tampa Bay (0-1) (FOX): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Panthers
Both teams lost as the Panthers lost to the Raiders and the Buccaneers lost to the Saints. Tom Brady's debut was lackluster last week. I feel Tampa will get back into a winning form by beating up on a team that will likely finish last in the division in the Panthers. Carolina lost much this offseason and the Bucs are likely going to force Teddy Bridgewater to beat them as the Bucs defense will likely try to shut down Christian McCaffrey. 

Buffalo (1-0) @ Miami (0-1) (CBS): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills beat the Jets and the Dolphins lost to the Patriots. Buffalo took care of business and made strides in a possible division winning season. Miami's offense looked promising but to go up against a defense like the Bills, I just don't know if they can do it. Please Buffalo, if you want to be the team that you want to be, you have to win your division games. The Patriots easily made it into a habit. 

Atlanta (0-1) @ Dallas (0-1) (FOX): TW: Cowboys; CV: Falcons
Both teams lost last week as the Falcons lost to the Seahawks and the Cowboys to the Rams. Oh Dallas, you love to be underachievers and ineptitude is your middle name. Sure the refs might've screwed you over late last week but it was not even on a scoring play, give me a break. If you honestly don't score more than 20 points this week, just fire Mike McCarthy for god's sake. Or keep him for all I care. It's not like you're playing against a terrible Falcons defense that gave up 38 points to Seattle. Please get it done so that your obnoxious fans have something to celebrate.

Washington (1-0) @ Arizona (1-0) (FOX): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Both teams got wins last week as the Football team beat the Eagles and the Cardinals beat the 49ers. Washington showed heart last week as they actually won a game. Sure it was against a depleted Eagles roster but it showed that you could be in the right direction as a team. Unfortunately, you're going up against a Cardinals team that got better offensively with DeAndre Hopkins and a Larry Fitzgerald that can still put up a number of catches a game. I like the Cards in this one. 

Baltimore (1-0): @ Houston (0-1) (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens beat the Browns and the Texans lost to the Chiefs. Houston's schedule is brutal for the first part of this season. Going up against two former MVP's in Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson. David Johnson proved last week as he can still do well in running the ball but health remains to be a question mark for him. I like Baltimore because of overall talent on both sides of the ball. This could be an interesting one to watch.

Kansas City (1-0) @ LA Chargers (1-0) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Both teams got wins last week as the Chiefs beat the Texans and the Chargers beat the Bengals. The defending champs showcased their new weapon Clyde Edwards-Helaire in spectacular fashion as he had a 100+ yard day. The question I have is how can Tyrod Taylor and company can keep up with the offensive juggernaut of the Chiefs. Los Angeles does get to have their own home opener at So-Fi Stadium though. 

New England (1-0) @ Seattle (1-0) (NBC): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Both teams got wins last week as the Patriots beat the Dolphins and the Seahawks beat the Falcons. Cam Newton proved last week that he still has something left in the tank. He didn't show off his arm like in years past but his running ability was something nice to see out of him. New England's defense did fine against Miami but how well can they do against a great offense in Seattle. 

New Orleans (1-0) @ Las Vegas (1-0) (ESPN): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Both teams got wins last week as the Saints beat the Buccaneers and the Raiders beat the Panthers. Las Vegas opens their new shiny stadium, even though no fans are allowed inside. The game honestly feels like a trap game for the Saints. If the Raiders can have sustain drives and keep the Saints offense on the sideline, they have a good chance to win this one. Josh Jacobs is a great running back. I think the Saints are a great team but I can't trust them in this one. Don't let me down Vegas! 

Local TV Schedule

Schedule is subject to change, courtesy of 506sports. 

CBS Early:
NY Giants @ Chicago
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

CBS Late:
Kansas City @ LA Chargers
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single:
Minnesota @ Indianapolis
Tim Brando, Robert Smith

For more information on which games are being shown in your area, check out: NFL Week 2 Maps

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you all after the Monday night game for the Week 2 Recap post. Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 1 Recap

 Hello readers! The first week of the National Football League's regular season is in the books. The first week brought some surprises and surprises were a plenty in Week 1. The feeling of normalcy has to outweigh the surprise that the feeling of the first week brings. Especially in a pandemic. In this post I will do a recap of the games. Let's get to work!

Week 1 Recap

Houston 20, Kansas City 34: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
If there was any doubt that the Chiefs would miss a step would be brushed aside at least in this game. The loss of DeAndre Hopkins for the Texans has to sting a little bit. DeShaun Watson threw for 253 yards with a touchdown pass and throwing an interception. Watson would get a rushing touchdown as well while racking up 77 yards from the ground. Running back David Johnson would get 77 yards with a rushing touchdown of his own. Patrick Mahomes threw the ball for 211 yards with three touchdowns. The star of the game was rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire who would rush for 138 yards with a touchdown. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Baltimore; Kansas City: @ LA Chargers

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Las Vegas 34, Carolina 30: TW: Raiders; CV: Panthers
Teddy Bridgewater was impressive in this one but not quite enough to get a win. Derek Carr had a decent day with a 239 yards passing, one touchdown statline. Raiders running back Josh Jacobs continued his great start to his career with a 93 rushing yards with three touchdowns from the ground. Teddy Bridgewater did well in his Panther debut with 270 yards while throwing a touchdown as well. Christian McCaffrey almost had a 100-yard day but would finish the game with 96 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Josh Jacobs would even get some comparison to the great Walter Payton from Jon Gruden. Not bad. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs New Orleans; Carolina: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

Indianapolis 20, Jacksonville 27: TW: Colts; CV: Jaguars
The Return of the Minshewmania. Philip Rivers seemed like back to his Charger days, being a gunslinger and hope whatever he throws goes to the right guy. Rivers threw for 363 yards with a touchdown but had two interceptions. The Colts running game wouldn't get much as Nyheim Hines would only get 27 yards rushing and Marlon Mack would get 26 yards before leaving the game with an injury. Gardner Minshew threw the ball for 170 yards with three touchdowns. Jaguars running back James Robinson had a decent day with 62 yards from the ground. Turnovers kill. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Minnesota; Jacksonville: @ Tennessee

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Miami 11, New England 21: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
New England didn't seem to miss a beat in the Post-Brady era. Miami did some things well but still have a long way to get to where they want to be. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw the ball for 191 yards while tossing three interceptions in the game. Myles Gaskin was the leading rusher for the Dolphins with 40 yards, while Jordan Howard would score the only Miami touchdown in the game. The last time there wasn't a guy named Tom Brady on the Patriots roster was in Week 17 in the 1999 season. Cam Newton would take the reins. Newton would get 155 yards passing but would get two rushing touchdowns while getting 75 yards rushing. Sony Michel would get a rushing touchdown as well with 37 yards from the ground. Rare to see zero passing touchdowns for the Patriots, let alone an entire game. 

Next week:
Miami: vs Buffalo; New England: @ Seattle

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

Philadelphia 17, Washington 27: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The feel when you lose to a "Football Team." Carson Wentz was okay in the game with 270 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Boston Scott and the Eagles rushing attack didn't get much as Scott would get 35 yards rushing. Dwayne Haskins threw the ball for 178 yards with a touchdown. Antonio Gibson ran the ball for 36 yards but would get a scoring boost from Peyton Barber with 29 yards rushing with two rushing touchdowns. Keep forgetting to mention this but I hope Ron Rivera kicks cancer's ass! #RiveraStrong. 

Next week: 
Philadelphia: vs LA Rams; Washington: @ Arizona

TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2

Seattle 38, Atlanta 25: TW: Seahawks; CV: Falcons
Russell Wilson didn't miss a beat in this one. Didn't even need a running game to be great either. Wilson threw the ball for 322 yards with four touchdown passes. He would have leading rushing honors with 29 yards while Carlos Hyde would score a touchdown with 23 yards rushing. Matt Ryan would have a better game in this one with 450 yards passing with two touchdowns while throwing a pick. Todd Gurley ran the ball for 56 yards with a touchdown. Three Falcons wide outs had 100+ receiving yards in this one. Atlanta's defense could cause problems. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs New England; Atlanta: @ Dallas

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

Green Bay 43, Minnesota: 34: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
I guess I was wrong with the whole "Packer offense struggling" narrative. Aaron Rodgers threw for 364 yards with four touchdowns. Aaron Jones ran the ball well with 66 yards rushing with a touchdown. Kirk Cousins did okay in the game with 259 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He would also get hit from a corner blitz to cause a safety. Dalvin Cook couldn't get too much from the ground with 50 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Packers defense could be an achilles heel for this team again this season.  Who would've thought this game would be a scorefest? 

Next week: 
Green Bay: vs Detroit; Minnesota: @ Indianapolis

TW: 4-3; CV: 3-4

NY Jets 17, Buffalo 27: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Buffalo made strides to a possible division winning season in this game. Sam Darnold's performance was alright but could've been more. Darnold threw the ball for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception. New York's running game once again couldn't get much as Frank Gore and Le'Veon Bell would both get 24 and 14 yards rushing respectively. Josh Allen would be the better quarterback as he would get 312 yards with two touchdown passes. Allen would also get 57 yards rushing with a touchdown as well. 

Next week:
NY Jets: vs San Francisco; Buffalo: @ Miami

TW: 5-3; CV: 4-4

Cleveland 6, Baltimore 38: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Browns do Browns things as usual. Baker Mayfield threw the ball for 189 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb ran the ball for 72 and 60 yard rushing respectively. Lamar Jackson didn't miss a beat in this game as he threw for 275 yards with three touchdowns while rushing for 45 yards. JK Dobbins would score two touchdowns from the ground with 22 yards rushing. Mark Ingram would get 29 yards. Cleveland hasn't opened the season with a victory since 2004. At one point the Browns had a 3rd down and 41 in the game. 

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Cincinnati; Baltimore: @ Houston

TW: 6-3; CV: 5-4

Chicago 27, Detroit 23: TW: Lions; CV: Lions
At one point the Lions were ahead 23-6 at the start of the 4th quarter. Mitchell Trubisky showed some sort of life late in the game as he would finish with 242 yards passing with three touchdowns. David Montgomery ran the ball for 64 yards. Matthew Stafford threw for 297 yards with a touchdown and an interception while throwing the ball for 42 times. Former Washington running back Adrian Peterson made the most of his opportunity with 93 yards rushing. Dandre Swift would get a rushing touchdown for Detroit as well. If you're Jamie Collins, don't try to prove a point by headbutting into an officials chest., it won't end well for you.

Next week: 
Chicago: vs NY Giants; Detroit: @ Green Bay

TW: 6-4; CV: 5-5

LA Chargers 16, Cincinnati 13: TW: Bengals; CV: Chargers
Joe Burrow's debut for the Bungles was... meh. Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw the ball for 208 yards but wouldn't throw a touchdown in the game. Austin Ekeler ran the ball for 84 yards while Joshua Kelley would ran for 60 yards and score the only touchdown for the Chargers. Joe Burrow threw the ball for 193 yards but would throw a costly interception in the game. He showcased his running while scoring a touchdown while compiling 46 yards. Joe Mixon would be the leading rusher for the Bungles with 69 yards. Can't blame Burrow too much on this game, he didn't have much of an offseason to learn. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Kansas City; Cincinnati: @ Cleveland

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

Arizona 24, San Francisco 20: TW: 49ers; CV: Cardinals
This game was probably the biggest shock of the week. Kyler Murray threw the ball for 230 yards with a touchdown but threw an interception in the game. Murray was also the leading rusher for the Cards with 91 yards with a touchdown. Kenyan Drake ran the ball for 60 yards with a rushing touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball for 259 yards with two touchdowns. Raheem Mostert was the leading rusher for the 49ers with 56 yards. San Francisco's defense just couldn't hold off a late Cardinal drive. 

Next week:
Arizona: vs Washington; San Francisco: @ NY Jets

TW: 6-6; CV: 7-5

Tampa Bay 23, New Orleans 34: TW: Saints; CV: Bucanneers
The game didn't exactly live up to the hype. Tom Brady would don a uniform that wasn't red, white and blue for the first time in his career. His debut was mixed as he threw for 239 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. One of those interceptions was a pick-six by Janoris Jenkins. Brady would go in for a rushing touchdown as well. Ronald Jones was the leading rusher for the Bucs as he ran 66 yards. Drew Brees threw for 160 yards with two touchdowns. Latavius Murray ran for 48 yards while Alvin Kamara ran for 16 yards with a touchdown. Brady vs Brees doesn't have the same ring to it as Brady vs Manning. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs Carolina; New Orleans: @ Las Vegas

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

Dallas 17, LA Rams 20: TW: Cowboys; CV: Rams
You have all that offensive talent and you can't put up more than 17 points. Oh wait that's right Mike McCarthy is your coach. Dak Prescott would finish the game with 266 passing yards with a touchdown while racking up 30 yards rushing. Ezekiel Elliot ran the ball well with 96 yards including a touchdown. Jared Goff of the Rams finished the game with 275 yards passing while throwing an interception. Malcolm Brown finished the game with 79 yards rushing with two touchdowns, good day for those who had him in fantasy. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs Atlanta; LA Rams: @ Philadelphia

TW: 7-7; CV: 8-6

Pittsburgh 26, NY Giants 16: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Safe to say that Big Ben is back to form. Ben Roethlisberger finished the game with 229 yards passing with three touchdowns. Benny Snell would pick up the rushing yardage in the game with 113 yards rushing while James Conner would go down to injury. Daniel Jones had a mixed game with 279 yards passing with two touchdowns while throwing two interceptions. Jones also ran for 22 yards, the Giants leading rusher in the game. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Denver; NY Giants: @ Chicago

TW: 8-7; CV: 9-6

Tennessee 16, Denver 14: TW: Broncos; CV: Titans
A former Patriot saves the day. Ryan Tannehill threw for 249 yards with two touchdowns. Derrick Henry continues his successful career with a 116 yard rushing day. Drew Lock got the start for Denver and looked fine but perhaps more was needed. Lock finished the game with 216 yards with a touchdown pass to Noah Fant. Recently acquired running back Melvin Gordon ran the ball for 78 yards with a touchdown. Ultimately the game came down to Stephen Gostkowski, former Patriots kicker, to kick a 25-yard field goal to give the Titans a 1-0 start to 2020. 

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Jacksonville; Denver: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 8-8; CV: 10-6

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

See you guys tomorrow for the Week 2 Picks post!

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 1 Picks

 Hello readers! The week that we've all been waiting for since last Febuary has arrived! The week where every team starts out at 0-0 will begin very soon. In this post I'll talk about: the Grits Blitz and my picks for the first week of the 2020 NFL season. Let's get to work!

NFL Storytime

So for those who followed my posts last year would realize that I did not just the picks to the games that week but also a look back into NFL history. With such topics like the Immaculate Reception to the 2000 Ravens, I was sure to offer a variety of topics to look into.

I thought I'd return this year with some more of these stories from the NFL's past. The title could use some work but I felt it was a decent title for now. These stories are sort of a "honorable mention" in that they were topics that I felt that were decent but not integral in the annals of NFL history. This week I'll talk about the famous "Grits Blitz."

For the first 12 years of their existence, the Atlanta Falcons were losers and often in the bottom of the NFC standings. That would start to change when the Falcons hired a coach from Perrysburg, Ohio. His name was Jerry Glanville. He was hired in 1977 to be the Atlanta Falcons defensive backs coach and would bring along a kind of defense that would rival that of the 1985 Bears. 

He would introduce to Atlanta the Grits Blitz, a kind of defense that would send as many players as possible to blitz. It was a sort of precursor to what Buddy Ryan would bring to Chicago with those great team's in the 1980's. The Bears along with the 2000 Ravens are among the greatest defenses in NFL history. The 1977 Falcons hold records for points allowed per game with 9.2, yards per play with 3.7, yards allowed per game with 231.6, and 3.42 turnovers per game. For persepective the 2000 Ravens have allowed only 10.3 points per game. 

This defense isn't nearly talked about as much as the 2000 Ravens or 1985 Bears. It's for many reasons. Like most of their history, the Falcons have either had a great offense or a great defense, never both. The 1977 Falcons offense would only score 179 points or 12.8 points per game. The most that the offense would score was 20 in a 21-20 loss to the Saints. The rest of the NFC West (including the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints) would score 200+ points that season. 

With an inept offense and a defense for the ages, the Falcons would finish 1977 with a 7-7 record. Their next season would be their best in franchise history thus far with a 9-7 record and the franchise's first playoff victory against the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC wild card. They would lose the week after to the Dallas Cowboys. While they wouldn't post consecutive winning seasons until 2009, the franchise made some strides with playoff appearances in 1980 and 1982. They would lose to the Cowboys in the Divisional in 1980 and to the Vikings in the first round in 1982. 

What lesson can be learned from the Grits Blitz? That sometimes the greatest of all time in a veil. Sadly in the NFL, if you don't win championships, you're not regarded as the best of the best. Sad but true but it is fun to look at history and admire those who don't get enough love like the 1977 Falcons. Video is not my own but it does go more in depth about the Grits Blitz. 

How the Picks Work + History

This season will be the 7th season of me doing picks. I started doing a blog when I first signed up with Wordpress back in 2012. I did a blog on NFL picks from 2012 to 2014. I returned to doing picks with Blogger back in 2017. Since 2017 I've done picks with Cardinal Viking, my former roommate. In 2017 he won, in 2018 it was a tie, finally last season I won. Perhaps 2020 will continue to bring me good luck. 

In terms of rules, there are very few rules: picks must be done before the first week's game happens (either Thursday, Saturday or Sunday). Meaning, that you should trust your gut a bit more than normal in this case. Another rule is that if a game ends in a tie, it will count as a tie (who even picks a game to tie anyway). Another rule is that there is no money put down on it, it is purely for fun and bragging rights. 

Week 1 Picks

Week 1 of the NFL regular season starts in Kansas City, Missouri and finishes in Denver, Colorado. There will be a Thursday night game, nine early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and two Monday night games. CBS will have the single game while FOX will have the double header this week. No teams are on a bye this week. Let's get to the picks!

Note: TW is me, CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate

Houston @ Kansas City (NBC): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The season kicks off with a rematch of the AFC Divsional playoff last year. With the loss of DeAndre Hopkins in the offseason, I don't know how this version of the Texans can compete with the Chiefs, let alone stay with them. Typically the team that plays in the kickoff game that wins is the home team so there's that as well. 

Las Vegas @ Carolina (CBS): TW: Raiders; CV: Panthers

Before anyone asks I did put Las Vegas first go around. The game itself doesn't bode well for the Panthers who lost a lot of talent in the offseason. Teddy Bridgewater is good but can he handle a Raiders defense that is trying to be better, I would think so but unfortunately Carolina's defense is not that great either. I'll take the Raiders.

Indianapolis @ Jacksonville (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Jaguars

The first game in the Philip Rivers era begins in earnest. I feel good with the Colts in the game due to their offensive talent overall than the Jaguars. Probably going to be a rough season in Jacksonville. 

Miami @ New England (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Post-Brady era begins in New England. The Patriots will have a decent test to show how good Cam Newton could be in a situation like this. Miami has improved since last year but I feel Belichek will keep their offense at bay long enough to get a dub. 

Philadelphia @ Washington (FOX): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Eagles vs... The Football Team! Jokes aside, the injury riddled Eagles should pull a win out of their ass against a Washington team that is still trying to look for an identity. The score could be low but I feel the Carson Wentz-led Eagles will find a way to win. Can't face that embarrassment by losing to a team with the nickname "Football Team."

Seattle @ Atlanta (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Falcons

The Seahawks made some noise with an improved defense in the offseason. We shall see how well this defense gets tested as the Falcons do have some weapons of their own on offense that can make any defense look silly. The game will be close but ultimately the Seahawks will pull it off, maybe from a late interception. 

Green Bay @ Minnesota (FOX): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

Division games are pivotal and the winner of this game and the rematch later in the season will determine who will win the division. Yeah it could be decided that early. The game could be a defensive, low scoring affair but even the Packers defense could crack with their inept rush-defense. Dalvin Cook be salivating at the chance to eat this defense alive.

NY Jets @ Buffalo (CBS): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

I have the Bills winning the division this year in the AFC East. How well they can play against their own division will be huge in deciding how far they can go. Don't let me down Buffalo or the Bills Mafia will get angry... or they'll just throw people over tables... they do that regardless. Nevermind.

Cleveland @ Baltimore (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Browns shored up some problems in the offseason but they run into a buzzsaw in the Ravens in this one. Baltimore should get a victory in this game based on ball control and tight defense. I feel Baker Mayfield will have a rebound year but how well can he improve from a sophomore slump. 

Chicago @ Detroit (FOX): TW: Lions; CV: Lions

Honestly both teams are terrible. Who do I think is less terrible? I'd go on a whim and say the Lions because of their offense and their prototype Patriots defense. I'd be surprised if this game literally ends in a tie. I've been fooled before. 

LA Chargers @ Cincinnati (CBS): TW: Bengals; CV: Chargers

The Joe Burrow era begins. He will make his debut in this game and we shall see how good this kid can play against a fairly decent defense. He does have some help in offense. The question for me is how well can the Chargers offense can play without Philip Rivers under center. I'd take the underdog Bengals. 

Arizona @ San Francisco (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV: Cardinals

Kyler Murray will have a better year with DeAndre Hopkins and an upright Larry Fitzgerald. There's no question I feel this game can put up quite the number of points. The question I have is can the Cardinals keep up with the 49ers who have a great running attack. Balance is the key and I feel the 49ers have the tools to get a win. 

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Buccaneers

The marquee game of the week will be a dandy. Its Tom Brady vs Drew Brees. Honestly this game will make defensive coordinators scrambling on how to stop the opposing quarterback. I feel the game will come down to who has the ball last and who can make key turnovers. The Bucs will need time to gel together as a team but this will be close. I'll take the Saints. 

Dallas @ LA Rams (NBC): TW: Cowboys; CV: Rams

The Rams get to move into a new home but unfortunately there won't be fans in the stands to see it and take in the spectacle. Dallas looks to be the favorite in the game and honestly I don't see any reason why they shouldn't. Mike McCarthy will make his Cowboys coaching debut. Anything can happen but I'll take the safe bet and take Dallas based on a better overall team than the Rams.

Pittsburgh @ NY Giants (ESPN): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers

The game could be fun to watch as both teams have good offenses. What sets them apart is how well the Steelers play on defense. The Giants could be decent this season but I can't trust them against a Steelers team that could make some noise this season with Ben "Popeye" Roethlisberger returning. Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will be calling the game which could be interesting. 

Tennessee @ Denver (ESPN): TW: Broncos; CV: Titans

The week wraps up with a game out west in Denver. The Titans look to build off of their success of last year but I question how well their offense can handle a better Broncos defense this go around. Game could be close but I like to think the Broncos overall will be better than last year. 

Local TV Schedule:

CBS Single:
Miami @ New England

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Early: 

Green Bay @ Minnesota

Chris Myers, Greg Jennings, Brock Huard

FOX Late:

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more information on which game is being played in your area, check out: 506 Sports: NFL 2020 Week 1

I will see you all next Monday or Tuesday for the Week 1 recap post. We shall see how well the week goes for those teams involved this week. Week 1 is the roughest week for picks because of how random the season is. Nevertheless, see you all next week! Enjoy the games.

-Tom