NFL 2021 Week 4 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us. The week that will be features a fair amount of games that are worth watching. I'll be keeping an eye on the Panthers-Cowboys, Seahawks-49ers and of course the Buccaneers-Patriots matchups. In this post I'll do a preview of the week and my picks for the games. Let's get to work!

Week 4 Preview

The Fourth week of the NFL's regular season will start in Cincinnati, Ohio and finish in Inglewood, California. There will be a 16-game slate. No teams are on a bye this week. FOX will have the single game and CBS will carry the doubleheader this week. The week will feature a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. Let's get to the picks!

Week 4 Picks

NOTE: TW is me, CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate. All times are in US Eastern.

Jacksonville (0-3) @ Cincinnati (2-1) (NFL Network; 8:20 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The Jaguars lost to the Cardinals and the Bengals beat the Steelers last week. The last time that Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow met, they were still in college playing for a National Championship in 2020. Ultimately, I feel the Bengals have made a stride last week against the Steelers especially on defense and in the running game. If there was a game that the Jags could win it would be this one but Trevor Lawrence will need help on defense to give him a shot to win. I don't see it happening, I'll go with the Bungles. 

Carolina (3-0) @ Dallas (2-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Panthers
Both teams won last week as the Panthers beat the Texans and the Cowboys beat the Eagles. Christian McCaffrey suffered a hamstring injury that will put him on the sidelines for a few weeks. That will put more load on Sam Darnold to do it. He seemed do handle it well last week but he's facing off against a Cowboys team that has improved on defense. I think it'll be a good game but I feel the loss of McCaffrey will hurt Carolina. 

Cleveland (2-1) @ Minnesota (1-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Browns
Both teams won last week as the Browns beat the Bears and the Vikings beat the Seahawks. Cleveland's defensive line had a field day against Justin Fields last week. They will have a tougher test against the Vikings who have found better balance on offense last week against Seattle. Cleveland possesses a strong running game with a Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt tandem that can easily get going early. It will be a test for the Vikings defense to stop them. If they do, they have a shot to win. 

Detroit (0-3) @ Chicago (1-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
Both teams lost last week as the Lions lost to the Ravens and the Bears lost to the Browns. What a doozy of a matchup. Detroit has come close quite a few times this season to a win but somehow they screw it up. The best shot they have for a win this season is against a Bears team that looks lost both intentionally and unintentionally. The quarterback situation is a mess but the defense has been a bright spot in an otherwise miserable team. Lions seems to be the less banged up team. Placing a lot of risk in the Lions but I'll take them in this one.

Houston (1-2) @ Buffalo (2-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Houston lost to the Panthers and the Bills beat the Football Team last week. Davis Mills will set himself on the road to Buffalo where it was inhospitable for Taylor Heinicke and Washington. Houston will need to get better production from their run game and certainly Davis Mills will need to get into rhythm and keep the Bills offense on the sidelines to have a shot to win. Josh Allen has been on a tear lately and the running game has played well. Usually winning the battle in the trenches will give you a good shot to win. I'll take the Bills.

Indianapolis (0-3) @ Miami (1-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Dolphins
Both teams lost last week as the Colts lost to the Titans and the Dolphins lost to the Raiders. Carson Wentz hasn't played terrible but hasn't been that good either. Indy has run into some tough competition to start the season like the Seahawks, Rams and Titans. This game will be a must-win for the Colts as the Dolphins are banged up on offense with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. It'll be a toss-up game but I think the team that has the ball last will win. 

Kansas City (1-2) @ Philadelphia (1-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Both teams lost as the Chiefs lost to the Chargers and the Eagles lost to the Cowboys. The two teams had a terrible time not turning the ball over last week. Seems like a bold strategy but the team that wins this game will turnover the ball the less. Good teams rebound after a tough loss and I think the Chiefs will have the means to rebound from it. Philly just didn't look that good against Dallas. Jalen Hurts will need to play better. 

NY Giants (0-3) @ New Orleans (2-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Giants lost to the Falcons and the Saints beat the Patriots last week. New York kept it close with Atlanta last week. It ultimately came down to a field goal in that game. Daniel Jones has done well enough to stay in games the Giants just seem so lackluster on offense. New Orleans will play their first home game since Hurricane Ida left the SuperDome with some damage as well as a fire to the building. It'll be a tense game but I think the Saints will give the Saints fans some joy. 

Tennessee (2-1) @ NY Jets (0-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans 
The Titans beat the Colts and the Jets lost to the Broncos last week. Tennessee has gotten off to a better showing so far this year and Derrick Henry has lead the way. Ryan Tannehill didn't look as solid as he had with two interceptions last week against the Colts. He will need to play better. New York looks to be a team that has high hopes but low on the talent scale. How bad can the Jets be this season? Like not win a game this year bad. 

Washington (1-2) @ Atlanta (1-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Football Team; CV: Football Team
The Football Team lost to the Bills and the Falcons beat the Giants last week. Washington didn't get beat last week, they were embarrassed. The defense looked off and the offense didn't fare much better. They have a chance to rebound against a Falcons team that had some life on both sides of the ball. Matt Ryan has shown flashes of brilliance and some flashes of ineptness. This will be toss-up game but I think the running game of Washington will be the deciding factor. 

Arizona (3-0) @ LA Rams (3-0) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Cardinals
Both teams won last week as the Cardinals beat the Jaguars and the Rams beat the Buccaneers. The first of two NFC West matchups this week. Arizona has done their damage on the passing game with the run game playing a secondary role. Arizona has seen some stellar play on defense. Their biggest test of the season so far will come against the Los Angeles Rams. Matthew Stafford has had a renaissance in LA and his team has backed him up on it. I feel the Rams are the more battle tested team and the Cardinals will need to play error-free football to have them a shot to win. I don't see it happening. 

Seattle (1-2) @ San Francisco (2-1) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: Seahawks
Both teams lost last week as the Seahawks lost to the Vikings and the 49ers lost to the Packers. The second of two matchups in the NFC West. Despite the absence of Elijah Mitchell due to a shoulder injury, the 49ers stayed with the Packers until the end. Seattle comes into this one with back-to-back losses. The Seahawks defense looked lost against the Vikings. San Francisco had meager production from Trey Sermon. It'll be a toss-up but I think the 49ers get a close win. 

Baltimore (2-1) @ Denver (3-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Last week the Ravens beat the Lions and the Broncos beat the Jets. Justin Tucker's leg would give the Ravens the edge last week. Hopefully for Baltimore that won't happen again. Standing in their way is the Denver Broncos who's currently holding an undefeated record after beating the Giants, Jaguars and Jets (a combined 0-9 record mind you). This game will be a test as to how well the Broncos can be as the Ravens aren't no Jets or Giants squad. Denver will need to limit the arm or legs of Lamar Jackson to win this one. For the Ravens, they will need to get better production from their running game. 

Pittsburgh (1-2) @ Green Bay (2-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Steelers lost to the Bengals and the Packers beat the 49ers last week. Last time Aaron Rodgers played against Ben Roethlisberger was in Super Bowl XLV. Pittsburgh's offense is off to a slow, bad start with some key injuries on defense. Green Bay's offense seems to be back to the hustle that we've been so accustomed to. Green Bay's keys will have to be winning the battle in the trenches and force Big Ben to throw the ball. For the Steelers it will have to be better offensive line play and try to get the ball to Pat Freiermuth, the Steelers tight end. 

Tampa Bay (2-1) @ New England (1-2) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Both teams lost last week as the Buccaneers lost to the Rams and the Patriots lost to the Saints. The one game that's been on everyone's radar since Tom Brady signed on to become a Buccaneer in March 2020. He will go into the place where he had won six Super Bowls and against the coach that he had helped win those six. Game wise, the Buccaneers seem to be the better team on both sides of the ball. New England will have Mac Jones playing quarterback in this one. Jones will need to have make better decisions as the Bucs defense are fairly good at playing defense. Ultimately, I think Tom Brady will have the last laugh in this one and beat his former team. 

Las Vegas (3-0) @ LA Chargers (2-1) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Raiders beat the Dolphins and the Chargers beat the Chiefs last week. Week 4 finishes up with a good matchup in the AFC West. Las Vegas comes into the game playing well against great competition. Los Angeles comes into playing good football beating the defending conference champion Kansas City Chiefs on the road. The game feels like it'll be a shootout as both teams have passing attacks that can score often. Ultimately, I think the Raiders will win by the last possession. 

Early & Late Game TV Matchups (courtesy of 506sports.com):

NOTE: Local TV listings for my area are in bold

CBS Early

Kansas City @ Philadelphia
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Cleveland @ Minnesota
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Tennessee @ NY Jets
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Indianapolis @ Miami
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

Houston @ Buffalo
Beth Mowins, Tiki Barber

CBS Late

Pittsburgh @ Green Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Baltimore @ Denver
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

FOX Single

Carolina @ Dallas
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

NY Giants @ New Orleans
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Washington @ Atlanta
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Detroit @ Chicago
Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib

Seattle @ San Francisco (LATE)
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Arizona @ LA Rams (LATE)
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2021: Week 4 Maps

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6

Total: 27-21

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3

Total: 31-17

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1

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

2020: 167-88-1 

See you guys after the Monday night game for the Week 4 Recap post. Enjoy the games!

-Tom

UPDATE #1: Made correction about Rodgers vs Roethlisberger being the 5th time that both quarterbacks met. Haven't played against each other since Super Bowl XLV.

NFL 2021 Week 3 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has passed us by. The week that was featured some suprises, some upsets, as well as a field-goal that is sure to stand the test of time. Last week, Cardinal Viking beat me by a few games, we shall see if I can regain some lost ground this week. In this post, I'll do a recap of the week's action. Let's get to work!

Week 3 Recap

Carolina 24, Houston 9: TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Carolina is 3-0 for the first time since 2015. It was another superb job by Sam Darnold who threw for 304 yards and rushed for 11 yards with two touchdowns. Chuba Hubbard (cool name man) was the leading rusher for the Panthers with 52 yards. Star Christian McCaffrey would leave the game with a hamstring injury. Davis Mills would get the start for Houston and did alright with 168 yards with a touchdown. Houston wouldn't get a lot going on the ground as Mark Ingram was held to 21 yards. The loss of Christian McCaffrey could be a factor going forward but Sam Darnold has been playing well for Carolina. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Next week:
Carolina: @ Dallas
Houston: @ Buffalo

Arizona 31, Jacksonville 19: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
It was a game of a Pick-Six and a Kick-Six. Kyler Murray threw for 316 yards with an interception. He also rushed for 19 yards with a touchdown. James Conner would have leading rusher honors with 43 yards with two touchdowns. Before halftime, Cardinals kicker Matt Prater attempted a 68-yard field goal. Jamal Agnew, Jaguars kick returner, would run it back for 109 yards for a touchdown. Trevor Lawrence threw for 219 yards with a touchdown and had two interceptions. One of the interceptions was returned for a touchdown by Byron Murphy. It was kind of an ugly win for Kyler Murray but it was a team win for Arizona. 

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Next week:
Arizona: vs LA Rams
Jacksonville: @ Cincinnati

Atlanta 17, NY Giants 14: TW: Giants; CV: Falcons
It was to be Eli Manning day in Giants Stadium. Atlanta had other ideas. Matt Ryan had a good day throwing the ball with 243 yards with two touchdowns, the only offensive points that the Falcons would need. Mike Davis rushed for 50 yards with 12 carries. Daniel Jones wasn't able to conjure up some inner Eli Manning in him as he threw for 266 yards. It was a positive note for Saquon Barkley as he rushed for 51 yards with a touchdown run. His first since 2019. Giants kicker Graham Gano would hit 2-for-2 on field goals. 

TW: 2-1; CV: 3-0

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Washington
NY Giants: @ New Orleans

Baltimore 19, Detroit 17: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
It was a crazy way to win and a crazy way to lose for one of the teams that played in Ford Field that Sunday. Lamar Jackson threw for 287 yards with a touchdown and had an interception. He was also the leading rusher in the game again as he rushed for 58 yards. Justin Tucker was called upon to try an almost guaranteed miss from 66 yards. It would be all that he needed as the football would hit the top of the post and go through. It would become an NFL-record for field goal distance. Jared Goff threw for 217 yards. Dandre Swift rushed for 47 yards with a touchdown and Jamaal Williams rushed for 42 yards with a touchdown. The field goal attempt almost never happened as the referees didn't call a delay of game penalty on Baltimore. 

TW: 3-1; CV: 4-0

Next week:
Baltimore: @ Denver
Detroit: @ Chicago

Chicago 6, Cleveland 26: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Justin Tucker's field goal had more yardage to it than the Bears would produce on the ground. Justin Fields would get the start for Chicago and would finish with 68 yards passing with 12 yards rushing. David Montgomery rushed for 34 yards. Baker Mayfield threw for 246 yards with a touchdown. Nick Chubb rushed for 84 yards and Kareem Hunt rushed for 81 yards with a touchdown. Browns defensive end, Myles Garrett, made sure that the rookie quarterback wasn't comfortable all afternoon as Garrett finished with 4.5 sacks (a franchise record) as well as six tackles. 

TW: 4-1; CV: 5-0

Next week:
Chicago: vs Detroit
Cleveland: @ Minnesota

Cincinnati 24, Pittsburgh 10: TW: Steelers; CV: Bengals
It was a showcase party for the Bengals defense. Joe Burrow had one of his best starts in his career as he finished with 172 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception. Joe Mixon finished with 90 yards rushing, his longest was from 27 yards. Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson had two interceptions in the game. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 318 yards with a touchdown and had two interceptions. It was another long day for first-round pick Najee Harris as he would only get to 40 yards rushing. Harris had a better day catching balls from Roethlisberger with 102 receiving yards. 

TW: 4-2; CV: 6-0

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Jacksonville
Pittsburgh: @ Green Bay

Indianapolis 16, Tennessee 25: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Colts had their opportunities to win, they just never converted them when it mattered most. Carson Wentz would finish the day with 194 yards passing but didn't throw a touchdown pass but didn't throw an interception either. The Colts got a good day from Jonathan Taylor with 64 yards rushing. Nyheim Hines rushed for 25 yards with a touchdown. Ryan Tannehill threw for 197 yards with three touchdown passes and two interceptions. Derrick Henry rushed for 113 yards but wouldn't get a touchdown run. 

TW: 5-2; CV: 7-0

Next week:
Indianapolis: @ Miami
Tennessee: @ NY Jets

LA Chargers 30, Kansas City 24: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Who would've thought the Chiefs would be at 1-2 through three weeks? Justin Herbert had 281 yards passing with four touchdown passes. Austin Ekeler rushed for 55 yards for the Chargers. Patrick Mahomes was mostly on during the game and off on some. He finished with 260 yards passing with three touchdowns but also had two interceptions in the game. Clyde Edwards-Helaire hit the century mark with 100 yards rushing in the game. Perhaps some hangover from the Super Bowl loss or that the AFC West got better. 

TW: 5-3; CV: 7-1

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Las Vegas
Kansas City: @ Philadelphia

New Orleans 28, New England 13: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Rebound game for Jameis Winston. Winston threw for 128 yards with two touchdowns. Alvin Kamara rushed for 89 yards and Taysom Hill rushed for 32 yards with a touchdown run. Mac Jones threw for 270 yards with a touchdown pass and had three interceptions in the game. Not quite a good game for him. Jones was also the leading rusher for the Pats with 28 yards. Next week for New England isn't just another week as some guy named Tom Brady comes back to face his former team. Sarcasm of course. 

TW: 5-4; CV: 7-2

Next week:
New Orleans: vs NY Giants
New England: vs Tampa Bay 

Washington 21, Buffalo 43: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
It was the Taylor Heinicke show for Washington and not much else. Taylor Heinicke threw for 212 years with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 21 yards with a rushing touchdown accounting for all of Washington's points. Antonio Gibson was the leading rusher with 31 yards. Josh Allen was masterful of the Bills offense as he threw for 358 yards with four touchdowns. Zach Moss was the leading rusher for the Bills with 60 yards. Cole Beasley was the leading receiver with 98 yards. 

TW: 6-4; CV: 8-2

Next week:
Washington: @ Atlanta
Buffalo: vs Houston

Miami 28, Las Vegas 31 (F/OT): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Raiders are 3-0 for the first time since 2002. Jacoby Brissett was the starter in place of Tua Tagovailoa. He had 215 yards passing as well as 37 yards rushing with a touchdown. Myles Gaskin rushed for 65 yards for the Dolphins. A questionable call would come from Brian Flores attempting to throw a screen pass in their own endzone. It would end up being a safety. Derek Carr threw for 386 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception. The interception ended up being a pick-six by Elandon Roberts. Peyton Barber rushed for 111 yards with a touchdown. The deciding score was from a Daniel Carlson field goal from 22 yards. Should be noted that the Raiders in 2002 went to the Super Bowl to take on Tampa Bay. Just saying. 

TW: 7-4; CV: 9-2

Next week:
Miami: vs Indianapolis
Las Vegas: @ LA Chargers

NY Jets 0, Denver 26: TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
Denver is 3-0 for the first time since 2016. Zach Wilson threw for 160 yards and had two interceptions in the game. His pass protection wouldn't help him as he got sacked four times. New York's running game would once again not get a lot of help as Michael Carter rushed for 24 yards in the game. Teddy Bridgewater however did fare better than his counterpart as he threw for 235 yards. Melvin Gordon rushed for 61 yards with a touchdown and Javonte Williams rushed for 29 yards with a touchdown. The 2021 New York Jets might give the 2008 Lions and 2017 Browns a run for their money if they keep this up and go 0-17.

TW: 8-4; CV: 10-2

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Tennessee
Denver: vs Baltimore

Seattle 17, Minnesota 30: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Can't lose a game by a field goal when your team is ahead by 13 points. Russell Wilson was on a great track going into the game and finished with 298 yards with a touchdown pass. Chris Carson had a solid game with 80 yards rushing. DK Metcalf had 107 yards receiving with a touchdown. His longest was from 30 yards. Kirk Cousins threw for 323 yards with three touchdowns. Alexander Mattison rushed for 112 yards in the game. Dalvin Cook would not play the game due to an injury. Justin Jefferson had 118 yards receiving with a touchdown. 

TW: 9-4; CV: 11-2

Next week:
Seattle: @ San Francisco
Minnesota: vs Cleveland

Tampa Bay 24, LA Rams 34: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Rams
The Rams really dominated this game and the score didn't really show it enough. Tom Brady would have a good day for the air with 432 yards with a touchdown. He was also the leading rusher with 14 yards with a touchdown. Chris Godwin would get a rushing touchdown on a 2-yard play. Matthew Stafford continued his hot start with a 343 yard, four touchdown performance. Former Patriot Sony Michel rushed for 67 yards in the game. The defending champs lose for the first time this season, perhaps a wakeup call. 

TW: 9-5; CV: 12-2

Next week:
Tampa Bay: @ New England
LA Rams: vs Arizona

Green Bay 30, San Francisco 28: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers felt safe with 37 seconds left in the game to celebrate. Aaron Rodgers felt otherwise. The Packer quarterback threw for 261 yards with two touchdown passes. Aaron Jones rushed for 82 yards with a touchdown run. The Packers defense did a good job in pass defense and especially in rush defense. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 257 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception in the game. Trey Sermon rushed for 31 yards with a touchdown run. The winning score would come on a 51-yard field goal from Mason Crosby. 

TW: 9-6; CV: 12-3

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Pittsburgh
San Francisco: vs Seattle

Philadelphia 21, Dallas 41: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The last time Dak Prescott played at home, he would have a season ending injury. For this game, he made sure to put on a show for the Cowboys faithful. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 326 yards with two touchdowns with two interceptions. One of the interceptions was a pick-six by Trevon Diggs who would take it into the endzone for 60 yards. Jalen Hurts also rushed for 35 yards in the game. Dak Prescott would finish the game with 238 yards with three touchdowns. The game would also see a revitalization of Ezekiel Elliot as the runner would get 95 yards rushing with two touchdowns on the ground. 

TW: 10-6; CV: 13-3

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Kansas City
Dallas: vs Carolina

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6

Total: 27-21

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3

Total: 31-17

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1

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

2020: 167-88-1 

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 4 Picks post! 

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 3 Picks

 Hello readers! The 3rd week of National Football League action is soon upon us. The week that is features some fun matchups to keep an eye for. I'll keep an eye on the Chargers-Chiefs, Seahawks-Vikings, and Buccaneers-Rams matchups for this week. In this post I'll do a preview of the week and the picks to the games. Let's get to work!

Week 3 Preview

Week 3 of the NFL's regular season starts in Houston, Texas and finishes up in Arlington, Texas. It will be a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. The week will have a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will have the doubleheader and CBS will have the single game this week. No teams are on a bye. Let's get to the picks!

Week 3 Picks

Note: TW is me, CV is Cardinal Viking is my former roommate. All times are in US Eastern.

Carolina (2-0) @ Houston (1-1) (NFL Network; 8:20 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
The Panthers beat the Saints and the Texans lost to the Browns last week. Week 3 starts with an intriguing matchup in the running back position as you have Christian McCaffrey for Carolina and Mark Ingram for the Texans. Carolina seems to be the better team at stopping the run so far this season. I wouldn't underestimate Tyrod Taylor however as he has proven to play well so far in the year. I'll take Carolina on a whim. 

Arizona (2-0) @ Jacksonville (0-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Cardinals beat the Vikings and the Jaguars lost to the Broncos. Kyler Murray and the Cardinals look like a tough team for the Jaguars to beat. Any indication of the Cards faltering would be slim but in any given Sunday, anything can happen. Trevor Lawrence has been so far a one-man show on offense with not a lot of help. It just seems like a lost cause for the Jags to win. 

Atlanta (0-2) @ NY Giants (0-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Giants; CV: Falcons
Both teams lost last week as the Falcons lost to the Buccaneers and the Giants lost to the Football Team. The game just looks like a bad game on paper. Both teams don't really have great defenses as both seem to be willing to give up 30+ points a game. I trust the Giants a bit more as the aforementioned defense of New York doesn't seem to lay down a lot. 

Baltimore (1-1) @ Detroit (0-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens beat the Chiefs and the Lions lost to the Packers last week. Baltimore won a close game against Kansas City and this game should be a bit of an easier matchup for Lamar Jackson and company. The Lions just seem to have some things together but just can't play well enough to win games. Seems like a mismatch with the Ravens offense vs Lions defense. 

Chicago (1-1) @ Cleveland (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Both teams won last week as the Bears beat the Bengals and the Browns beat the Texans. Justin Fields would see more playtime last week than so far in his young career. He will get his official start against the Browns. Normally the Browns defense of past years has been a cakewalk but they have studs on the defensive line like Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney. Could be a better passing day for Fields but they're not gonna get on the field a lot if the Bears defense can't contain the Browns running attack. 

Cincinnati (1-1) @ Pittsburgh (1-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Bengals
Both teams lost last week as the Bengals lost to the Bears and the Steelers lost to the Raiders. The health of TJ Watt and Ben Roethlisberger is in question for this one. The question remains is can a banged up Steelers team can overcome a relatively healthy Bengals team. It seems likely that Watt will play and it is possible that Big Ben will play as well. Cincy is decent at stopping the run. Joe Burrow could have a good day but I tend to lean not really in this one. I'll trust the Steelers.

Indianapolis (0-2) @ Tennessee (1-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Colts lost to the Rams and the Titans beat the Seahawks last week. It was looking like a good game of two AFC South giants (I could've gone with titans but that wouldn't be fair) but right now, it doesn't look that great. Carson Wentz is now playing on not just one roughed up ankle but two roughed up ankles. Ryan Tannehill isn't playing injured. It'll remain a contest between Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry. I feel Henry will win out that battle most times than not. 

LA Chargers (1-1) @ Kansas City (1-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Both teams lost last week as the Chargers lost to the Cowboys and the Chiefs lost to the Ravens. Other than the Raiders, this game seemed like the game to watch out for in the AFC West. With the resurgence of the Raiders and the Broncos, I'm not so sure. Ultimately, both quarterbacks are the stars of this game and it will come down to who can shut down the other. Hard to not take Patrick Mahomes as he can do things beyond the ordinary joe. 

New Orleans (1-1) @ New England (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Saints lost to the Panthers and the Patriots beat the Jets last week. Jameis Winston had a good game in Week 1 but old habits die hard in Week 2. Mac Jones has been playing steady football for New England, not necessarily Tom Brady level but much more consistency than last year. New England's defense has gotten better than last year as well and that doesn't spell good news for the Saints. 

Washington (1-1) @ Buffalo (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Last week both teams picked up wins as the Football Team beat the Giants and the Bills beat the Dolphins. Intriguing matchup for Taylor Heinicke and Washington as it'll be a good test how well their offense can do against a very physical Bills defense. Washington's defense is good but can they make a few turnovers on the Bills offense. Doesn't seem likely. 

Miami (1-1) @ Las Vegas (2-0) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Dolphins lost to the Bills and the Raiders beat the Steelers last week. Tua Tagovailoa will not be available to play due to a rib injury suffered last week. Jacoby Brissett will start for the Dolphins. Las Vegas has been a pleasant surprise so far this season getting key wins against the Ravens and Steelers. It seems like a tough spot for Miami to be in after much hope that they'd do good things this year. 

NY Jets (0-2) @ Denver (2-0) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
The Jets lost to the Patriots and the Broncos beat the Jaguars last week. Teddy Bridgewater has done well and may have been the answer to John Elway's quarterback problems. Zach Wilson has shown promise if he has the help that his counterpart has. The Jets are set to have a horrid season and I just don't think they have a lot to hope for to beat Denver. Any given Sunday though. 

Seattle (1-1) @ Minnesota (0-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Both teams lost last week as the Seahawks lost to the Titans and the Vikings lost to the Cardinals. Both of Minnesota's losses have come within three points. This game could very well come down to that once again. I think its high time for the Vikings to pick up their first win of the year. Greg Joseph needs to find the middle of the goalposts to get points though. I don't doubt the Seahawks in this one but if Dalvin Cook has a good game, this one could spell doom for the Seahawks. 

Tampa Bay (2-0) @ LA Rams (2-0) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Rams
Both teams won last week as the Buccaneers beat the Falcons and the Rams beat the Colts. The marquee game of the week features two unbeatens in the NFC. Tom Brady and company look to continue their quest for a repeat and the Matthew Stafford-led Rams. Good defense usually wins out against good offense. The Rams defense seems to be the better of the two by a slim margin but I like the Bucs as a road team. 

Green Bay (1-1) @ San Francisco (2-0) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Both teams won last week as the Packers beat the Lions and the 49ers beat the Eagles. The last time both teams had meet was a Thursday night matchup and most of the 49ers starters were banged up and it ended up being a Green Bay blowout. This one is reminiscent of their contest in 2019 during the regular season. The Packers defense will need to shut down the many weapons of the 49ers if they have a shot to win. Aaron Rodgers struggled to get going in their game against the Lions during the first half. They'll need to put together a complete game. 

Philadelphia (1-1) @ Dallas (1-1) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Eagles lost to the 49ers and the Cowboys beat the Chargers last week. Jalen Hurts has been a one-man offensive crew with his arm and legs. Philly's offense can hang around against the Dallas Cowboys but how long can they really hang around with Dak Prescott and company. Dallas has been alright on offense and much of the same on defense. It'll be a close one but I think the Cowboys pull it off. 

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

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

FOX Early:
Chicago @ Cleveland
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

FOX Late:
Seattle @ Minnesota
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2021: Week 3 Maps

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6

Total: 17-15

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4

Total: 18-14

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1

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

2020: 167-88-1 

See you all on Monday/Tuesday for the Week 3 recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 2 Recap

 Hello readers! The 2nd week of National Football League is finished. Week 2 brought us some blowouts, some surprise upsets, and some high scoring contests. Last week, I beat Cardinal Viking by a game in Pick 'Ems. With us choosing different teams in six games, who will come out on top. All that and the recap of the week's action in this week's post. Let's get to work!

Week 2 Recap

NY Giants 29, Washington 30: TW: Football Team, CV: Football Team
The game was a close one much to everyone's surprise. Daniel Jones had been undefeated against Washington and he put on a good showing with 249 yards passing with a touchdown pass and a touchdown run. He had 95 yards rushing. Saquon Barkley had 57 yards rushing. Taylor Heinicke put on a show for the Washington faithful with 336 yards passing with a two touchdown, one interception performance. Antonio Gibson rushed for 69 yards with JD McKissic getting 10 yards rushing with a touchdown. The game would come down to a field goal by kicker Dustin Hopkins. The kicker would hit the game-winner on a 2nd chance as a questionable offsides call was called on Giants player Dexter Lawrence. Life goes on. 

TW: 1-0: CV: 1-0

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Atlanta
Washington: @ Buffalo

Buffalo 35, Miami 0: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
This one stung a lot more ways than one if you were a Dolphins fan. Josh Allen threw for 179 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He had a good showing with his backfield as Devin Singletary rushed for 82 yards with a touchdown. Zach Moss was the featured scorer as he rushed for 26 yards with two touchdowns. Tua Tagovailoa would start for Miami but would leave with a rip injury. He left with just 13 yards passing. Jacoby Brissett wouldn't get a lot going for them as he threw for 169 yards with an interception. Myles Gaskin wouldn't get a lot going as he was held to 25 yards rushing. Don't want to hit the panic button yet if you're Miami but you'd just hope that Tua isn't out for too long. 

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Washington
Miami: @ Las Vegas

Cincinnati 17, Chicago 20: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
A knee injury would give Justin Fields more airtime than he had hoped. Joe Burrow threw for 207 yards with two touchdowns and had three interceptions. Not quite the stellar game for him. Joe Mixon rushed for 69 yards with zero touchdowns. Andy Dalton did start for Chicago and he had 56 yards passing with a touchdown before leaving with a knee injury. Justin Fields threw for 60 yards with a touchdown. David Montgomery and Justin Fields would provide help with rushing as they both had 61 yards and 31 yards respectively. 

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ Pittsburgh
Chicago: @ Cleveland

Denver 23, Jacksonville 13: TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
Jerry Jeudy got sidelined with an injury last week and Cortland Sutton would turn in a career best performance. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 328 yards with two touchdowns. Javonte Williams rushed for 64 yards. Cortland Sutton would prove to be the key to the game as he had nine catches for 159 yards receiving. Trevor Lawrence would throw for 73 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive. He would finish the game with 118 yards passing with two interceptions and not much else in the touchdown department. James Robinson had a okay game with 47 yards rushing. Jaguars kick returner James Agnew would get a kick six for them on a 102-yard return. 

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

Next week:
Denver: vs NY Jets
Jacksonville: vs Arizona 

Houston 21, Cleveland 31: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Baker Mayfield maybe not human, just saying. Tyrod Taylor threw for 125 yards with a touchdown pass. He would not return to play as he would leave with an injury. Davis Mills would be thrown into the action and had a shaky relief as he threw for 102 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Mark Ingram rushed for 41 yards. Tyrod Taylor rushed for a touchdown on a 15-yard play. Baker Mayfield would temporarily leave the field with a shoulder injury but would come back. Mayfield would throw for 213 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Mayfield rushed for 10 yards with a touchdown. Nick Chubb rushed for 95 yards with a touchdown. 

TW: 4-1: CV: 4-1

Next week:
Houston: vs Carolina
Cleveland: vs Chicago

LA Rams 27, Indianapolis 24: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Uffda, not a good start for Carson Wentz. Matthew Stafford threw for 278 yards with two touchdowns with an interception as well. Darrell Henderson rushed for 53 yards. Carson Wentz started for the Colts and had 247 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He would ultimately leave the game in the 4th quarter with an ankle injury. Jacob Eason would add 25 passing yards to his day. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 51 yards. Colts receiver Ashton Dulin would score on a special teams touchdown off of a Rams fumble close to the endzone. Never really thought an 0-2 start would be in for the Colts but they do have a crummy division that they play in. I'm not too afraid yet. 

TW: 5-1; CV: 5-1

Next week:
LA Rams: vs Tampa Bay
Indianapolis: @ Tenneessee

Las Vegas 26, Pittsburgh 17: TW: Steelers; CV: Raiders
The absence of TJ Watt in the 2nd half would prove to be a dealbreaker for the Black and Gold. Derek Carr threw for 382 yards with two touchdowns with zero interceptions. Peyton Barber, in place of injured Josh Jacobs, would rush for 32 yards in the game. Ben Roethlisberger finished the game with 295 yards with a touchdown and had a bonehead interception. JuJu Smith-Schuster had a rushing touchdown on a 3-yard run. Najee Harris had a 38-yard day on the ground. Safe to say, the Steelers offense is struggling in an offseason which was optimistic of it. 

TW: 5-2; CV: 6-1

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Miami
Pittsburgh: vs Cincinnati

New England 26, NY Jets 7: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
In a duel of rookie quarterbacks, it would be Mac Jones of the New England Patriots who would win it out. Mac Jones finished the game with 186 yards passing. Damien Harris rushed for 62 yards with a touchdown and James White rushed for 20 yards with a touchdown run of his own. Zach Wilson would prove to be the quarterback that lost the duel. Wilson threw for 210 yards with four interceptions. Michael Carter would provide some help to Wilson as he rushed for 59 yards for the Jets. Hang in there, Zach Wilson, the rough season has just begun. 

TW: 6-2; CV: 7-1

Next week:
New England: vs New Orleans
NY Jets: @ Denver

New Orleans 7, Carolina 26: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Old habits die hard for Jameis Winston. The Saints quarterback threw for 111 yards with two interceptions, a total flip around from last week. Jameis Winston would also be the leading rusher and the only offensive score for New Orleans as he rushed for 19 yards. Taysom Hill had 16 yards rushing. Sam Darnold improved his game in thsi one as he threw for 305 yards with two touchdowns and just an interception. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 72 yards with a touchdown in the game. Surprise, surprise, Carolina is 2-0. 

TW: 6-3; CV: 7-2

Next week:
New Orleans: @ New England
Carolina: @ Houston

San Francisco 17, Philadelphia 11: TW: Eagles; CV: 49ers 
It would prove to be not the offensive shootout but rather a defensive game. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 189 yards with a touchdown. He would also score a rushing touchdown while putting up 20 yards rushing. Elijah Mitchell had 42 yards rushing. Jalen Hurts threw for 190 yards with no touchdowns but no interceptions either. Hurts was also the leading rusher for the Eagles with 82 yards with a touchdown. Philadelphia did try to use the "Philly Special" on the 49ers. It didn't yield a touchdown. 

TW: 6-4; CV: 8-2

Next week:
San Francisco: @ Green Bay
Philadelphia: @ Dallas

Atlanta 25, Tampa Bay 48: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tom Brady did Tom Brady things, no more no less. Matt Ryan threw for a solid 300 yards with two touchdowns but he would also throw three interceptions in the contest. Cordarrele Patterson would get a rushing touchdown with 11 yards on the ground. Mike Davis rushed for 38 yards for the Falcons. Tom Brady threw for 276 yards with five touchdown passes. Leonard Fournette would get the most yards rushing in the game for Tampa with 52 yards. Mike Evans and Rob Gronkowski had two receiving touchdowns each and Chris Godwin had one. 

TW: 7-4; CV: 9-2

Next week:
Atlanta: @ NY Giants
Tampa Bay: @ LA Rams

Minnesota 33, Arizona 34: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Oh Vikings, you'd think that Wide Left would be harsh but how about Wide Right. Kirk Cousins threw for 244 yards with three touchdowns. Dalvin Cook rushed for a solid 131 yards. Vikings linebacker Nick Vigil caught a pass off of Kyler Murray and ran it in for a touchdown. Kyler Murray threw for an even 400 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions, one of them was aforementioned pick-six. Murray rushed for 31 yards with a touchdown while Chase Edmonds rushed for 46 yards. Vikings kicker, Greg Joseph, had an opportunity to give the Vikings the win but would miss the goalposts by a few inches. Good game though. 

TW: 8-4; CV: 10-2

Next week:
Minnesota: vs Seattle
Arizona: @ Jacksonville

Dallas 20, LA Chargers 17: TW: Cowboys; CV: Chargers
Greg Zuerlein was the butt of jokes in Week 1. By Week 2 he became the cowboys savior. Dak Prescott threw for 237 yards with an interception. It would be the Dallas running game that would help the quarterback out as Tony Pollard rushed for 109 yards with a touchdown as well as Ezekiel Elliot rushing for 71 yards with a touchdown. Justin Herbert threw for 338 yards with a touchdown pass but also threw two interceptions. Austin Ekeler got 54 yards on the ground for the Chargers. The game would come down to a 56-yard field goal by Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein. He would hit it and the Cowboys would avoid a 0-2 start. 

TW: 9-4; CV: 10-3

Next week:
Dallas: vs Philadelphia
LA Chargers: @ Kansas City

Tennessee 33, Seattle 30 (F/OT): TW: Seahawks; CV: Titans
Derrick Henry would regain his crown. Ryan Tannehill threw for 347 yards in the game. Derrick Henry was quiet in Week 1 against Arizona but his 182 yards rushing would prove to be the deciding factor in this game. He also scored two touchdowns in this game. Russell Wilson was yet again out to prove that he was a worthy MVP as he threw for 343 yards with two touchdowns. Chris Carson was the Seahawks leading rusher with 31 yards with two touchdown runs. The deciding score would come off the foot of Titans kicker Randy Bullock as he hit a 36-yard field goal to give the Seahawks a rare home loss. 

TW: 9-5; CV: 11-3

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Indianapolis
Seattle: @ Minnesota

Kansas City 35, Baltimore 36: TW: Chiefs; CV: Ravens
This was a classic to watch but ultimately it was Lamar Jackson that would get the Kansas City Chiefs monkey off his back. Patrick Mahomes threw for 343 yards with three touchdowns and had an interception. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 46 yards. Lamar Jackson would be the one to carry his team as he threw for 239 yards with a touchdown and had two interceptions. He was also the Ravens leading rusher with 107 yards with two touchdowns. Tyson Williams was the 2nd highest with 77 yards. 

TW: 9-6; CV: 12-3

Next week:
Kansas City: vs LA Chargers
Baltimore: @ Detroit

Detroit 17, Green Bay 35: TW: Packers; CV: Lions
It was a struggle but the Packers would clamp down on the Lions. Jared Goff threw for 246 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception in the game. He was also the leading rusher for Detroit with 46 yards. Dandre Swift was the 2nd highest with 37 yards. Aaron Rodgers returned to form after a horrid Week 1 performance. He threw for 255 yards with four touchdowns. Aaron Jones rushed for 67 yards with a touchdown run. It was a 14-10 ballgame at halftime but the Packers would ultimately shut down the Detroit offense and put up 21 unanswered points. 

TW: 10-6; CV: 12-4

Next week:
Detroit: vs Baltimore
Green Bay: @ San Francisco

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6

Total: 17-15

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4

Total: 18-14

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1

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

2020: 167-88-1 

Look out for the Week 3 picks post sometime on Wednesday! See you then!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 2 Picks

Hello readers! The first week of National Football League action has come and gone. Hopefully the second week will bring just as much drama and action to the masses. For Week 2, I'm looking at the Raiders-Steelers, Bills-Dolphins and 49ers-Eagles games to be intriguing watches. In this post, I'll discuss my picks for the games. Let's get to work!

Week 2: The Preview

Week 2 of the NFL's regular season starts in Landover, Maryland and finishes up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The week features a 16-game slate. No teams are on a bye this week. The slate features: a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. CBS will have the double-header this week while FOX will have the single-game this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 2: The Picks

Note: TW is me, CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate. All times are in US Eastern.

NY Giants (0-1) @ Washington (0-1) (NFL Network; 8:20 pm): TW: Football Team; CV: Football Team
Both teams lost last week as the Giants lost to the Broncos and the Football Team lost to the Chargers. Week 2 starts with a meager matchup in the NFC East as the Giants and the Football Team renew their rivalry. Seems In spite of not having Ryan Fitzpatrick for most of the game, the Football Team did well enough to almost win against the Chargers. I'll take a bit of faith and pick Washington. 

Buffalo (0-1) @ Miami (1-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills lost last week to the Steelers and the Dolphins beat the Patriots. In spite of their loss to the Steelers last week, Buffalo I feel should get back to the basics and get a road win against their division rival in the Dolphins. If Buffalo has a chance to win they need to get back to running the football and make Devin Singletary their main weapon. I don't think the Bills Mafia would like to have their team be at a 0-2 hole to start the year. 

Cincinnati (1-0) @ Chicago (0-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The Bengals beat the Vikings and the Bears lost to the Rams last week. Cincy played pretty well last week even if they were facing against a better opponent in the Vikings. If Matthew Stafford can carve up the Bears defense, then I don't see any reason why Joe Burrow can't. It will be a good test to see if the Bengals defense can do well again against another NFC North opponent. I'll buy the Bungles another win. 

Denver (1-0) @ Jacksonville (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
The Broncos beat the Giants and the Jaguars lost to the Texans last week. Trevor Lawrence suffered his first loss in his football career going back to high school. His next opponent in the NFL will prove to be a bigger test. Teddy Bridgewater did well in his Broncos debut and I'll give him that much faith in taking on the Jaguars. I'll take the Broncos in that the offense will do well against the Jaguars defense that allowed so much last week to Houston. 

Houston (1-0) @ Cleveland (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The Texans beat the Jaguars and the Browns lost to the Chiefs last week. I did not think that the Texans would beat the Jaguars and you have to give them credit in doing so. What they face next is a Browns team that is looking to get back to a winning way after losing a close game in Kansas City. It might be a good game or a defensive game but I think the Browns running game will be key for a win. 

LA Rams (1-0) @ Indianapolis (0-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Rams beat the Bears and the Colts lost to the Seahawks last week. Much to my shock, Carson Wentz did suit up for the Colts. Wentz would play fairly well even though his counterpart in Russell Wilson would prove to be too much for Indy. They will face another NFC West foe in the Rams. If Matthew Stafford plays like he did last week then the Rams will be a tough team to beat. I think the Rams win. 

Las Vegas (1-0) @ Pittsburgh (1-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Raiders
Both teams won last week as the Raiders beat the Ravens and the Steelers beat the Bills. The Raiders-Steelers rivalry hasn't had a lot of games to say were great recently. Certainly the matchups in the 1970s were stellar contests. If the Steelers have hope to win they'll need to get better production from their runners as first-round pick Najee Harris only ran for 45 yards against the Bills. Las Vegas's offense will play up to task but I question how well their defense will do. I'll take the Steelers on a whim. 

New England (0-1) @ NY Jets (0-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Both teams lost last week as the Patriots lost to the Dolphins and the Jets lost to the Panthers. New England looked good against a Dolphins team looking to get back into the playoffs. Mac Jones and the Patriots look to get back to a winning formula against an inept Jets team. 

New Orleans (1-0) @ Carolina (1-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Both teams had wins last week as the Saints beat the Packers and the Panthers beat the Jets. Jameis Winston had a great game with five touchdown passes against the hyped Packers. I'm impressed enough to give the man and the New Orleans Saints a win against the Panthers. Carolina shouldn't be underestimated but they did barely beat a Jets team that is rebuilding. I'll take the Saints. 

San Francisco (1-0) @ Philadelphia (1-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: 49ers
Both teams won last week as the 49ers beat the Lions and the Eagles beat the Falcons. Strange how I thought the Eagles would lose to the Falcons last week. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense seemed to handle their own against the Falcons. San Francisco too looked like they were on cruise control but nearly lost to the Lions last week. The loss of Raheem Mostert could hurt San Fran but Elijah Mitchell seems to be a capable back. I'll take Philly on a toss-up. 

Atlanta (0-1) @ Tampa Bay (1-0) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Bucanneers
The Falcons lost to the Eagles and the Buccaneers beat the Cowboys last week. Atlanta had some hope of doing well this season but after the way that they lost to the Eagles, I'd suggest otherwise. What they face against is the class of the NFC South in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Doesn't help that the Bucs are the defending champs. Tampa's one weakness could be their secondary and Atlanta certainly does have the weapons to challenge them to give them some headaches. I'll still take the Buccaneers. 

Minnesota (0-1) @ Arizona (1-0) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Vikings lost to the Bengals and the Cardinals beat the Titans last week. Me and Cardinal Viking picked the Titans last week to beat the Cardinals, they got their lunch money taken by them in an overwhelming manner. It seems that the Cardinals offense has so much firepower that they should be able to hold their own against the Vikings. Minnesota could win if they can keep the Cardinals offense off the field. 

Dallas (0-1) @ LA Chargers (1-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Chargers
The Cowboys lost to the Buccaneers and the Chargers beat the Football Team last week. Dallas were close to ruining the party last week in Tampa. With a revamped defense, the Cowboys look to possibly put an upset in the works in Los Angeles. Justin Herbert and the Chargers will be put to the test as to how well they can do. I do think they're up to the task but you have to remember, Greg Zuerlein was a few field goals away from getting a win last week. I'll take Dallas on a whim. 

Tennessee (0-1) @ Seattle (1-0) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Titans
Last week, the Titans lost to the Cardinals and the Seahawks beat the Colts. The Titans ran into a buzzsaw in the Cardinals last week and they'll need to rebound this week as they'll be going to Seattle and facing off against the 12th man. Derrick Henry will need to have a great game for the Titans to win as if you can get the crowd to quiet down, you can control the game better. Seahawks will have the cards in this matchup as they just seem to be playing good ball right now. I'll take the Seahawks. 

Kansas City (1-0) @ Baltimore (0-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Ravens
The Chiefs won against the Browns and the Ravens lost to the Raiders last week. Classic AFC matchup on NBC! I'd be more excited about this matchup but the Ravens getting their taste of the injury bug has killed any hope of it. The Chiefs defense didn't do well at first against Cleveland but I like them to get back to playing better. Patrick Mahomes looks back to being the quarterback that we all expect him to be. 

Detroit (0-1) @ Green Bay (0-1) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Lions
Both teams lost last week as the Lions lost to the 49ers and the Packers lost to the Saints. Detroit almost pulled off a comeback against the better on paper defense in San Francisco. They sadly didn't. Green Bay however basically shat the bed and also shat the couch afterwards. At least the Lions played with heart and the Packers played like they literally let Jameis WInston walk over them, which they did. In spite of their bad loss I think the Packers will get back to form but honestly Cheeseheads should be cautiously optimistic. 

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

CBS Early
Las Vegas @ Pittsburgh
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

CBS Late
Dallas @ LA Chargers
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single
Minnesota @ Arizona
Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib

For more information on which is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2021: Week 2 Maps

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1

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

2020: 167-88-1 

See you guys on Monday for the Week 2 recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 1 Recap

 Hello readers! The first week of the National Football League's regular season is in the books. Surprises were had, upsets were had, and some sure things were had as well. Such surprises like the Steelers upsetting the Bills, or the Bengals beating the Vikings in overtime. All those games and more in this week's recap post. Let's get to work!

Week 1 Recap

Dallas 29, Tampa Bay 31: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
It was Tampa's night to celebrate their Super Bowl win last February, Dallas was more than willing to spoil those plans. They almost did. Dak Prescott would start for the Cowboys and would finish the game with 403 passing yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Ezekiel Elliot would get some yards in this one with 33 yards with 11 carries. The improved Cowboys defense would get two interceptions off of Tom Brady as Jourdan Lewis and Trevon Diggs would get an interception each. Tom Brady would finish with 379 yards with four touchdowns but also threw two picks. The biggest factor in the game was Cowboys kicker Greg Zuerlein would hit 3 of 5 field goals and 2 of 3 extra points. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Next week: 
Dallas: @ LA Chargers
Tampa Bay: vs Atlanta

Arizona 38, Tennessee 13: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Well me and Cardinal Viking missed this pick by a bit. Kyler Murray threw for 289 yards with four touchdowns and had just one interception. Murray would also get a rushing touchdown. Chase Edmonds rushed for 63 yards. The Cardinals receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Christian Kirk had 83 and 70 receiving yards respectively and had two touchdowns each. Ryan Tannehill would have no chance to compete in this game as he would finish the game with 212 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Tannehill would also rush for a touchdown. Derrick Henry would not be used a lot due to the score but he would finish with 58 yards rushing. 

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Next week:
Arizona: vs Minnesota
Tennessee: @ Seattle

Jacksonville 21, Houston 37: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
In Houston, the future was cloudy but the single shining light was Tyrod Taylor. It would also see the debut of Trevor Lawrence the highly-touted first overall pick from Clemson. Lawrence finished with 332 yards passing with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He wouldn't get much help from the rest of the offense as Carlos Hyde would only get 44 yards rushing. Tyrod Taylor, in place of franchise quarterback DeShaun Watson, threw for 291 yards with two touchdowns and had no interceptions. It would be the Texans running game that would prove to be game changer as Mark Ingram rushed for 85 yards with a touchdown. Tyrod Taylor rushed for 40 yards. Phillip Lindsay with 25 yards with a touchdown. It would be Trevor Lawrence's first loss in his football career. 

TW: 1-2: CV: 1-2

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Denver
Houston: @ Cleveland

LA Chargers 20, Washington 16: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
It was a defensive game but the Chargers would come up with a win. Justin Herbert would throw for 337 yards with a touchdown and had an interception in the game. Austin Ekeler was questionable to play but he would put up a respectable effort with 57 yards with a touchdown. Chargers kicker Tristan Vizcaino hit two field goals in the win for LA. Hardy veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick would start for the Football Team and was 3 for 6 with 13 yards before leaving with a right hip injury. Backup Taylor Heinicke would give the Football Team 122 yards passing with a touchdown. Washington's kicker Dustin Hopkins would hit 3 of 4 field goals. 

TW: 2-2; CV: 2-2

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Dallas
Washington: vs NY Giants

Minnesota 24, Cincinnati 27 (F/OT): TW: Vikings, CV: Vikings
Hope is back for the Bungles. Kirk Cousins threw for 351 yards with two touchdowns. Dalvin Cook would get 61 yards with a rushing touchdown. Joe Burrow stayed fairly upright for the game and threw 261 yards passing with two touchdowns. Joe Mixon ran over the Vikings defense with 127 yards rushing with a touchdown. Joe Burrow got a boost with his receiving corp with Jamarr Chase, Burrow's teammate at LSU and Cincy's first round pick in last May's draft. Vikings kicker Greg Joseph would hit the game-tying field goal that would send the game to overtime while Bengals kicker Evan McPherson would hit the game-winner that would give the Bengals the edge. 

TW: 2-3, CV: 2-3

Next week:
Minnesota: @ Arizona
Cincinnati: @ Chicago

NY Jets 14, Carolina 19: TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Sam Darnold would get his revenge on his old team but the game itself was close. Zach Wilson, Darnold's replacement in New York, finished the game with 258 yards passing with two touchdowns and had an interception. Tevin Coleman rushed for 24 yards in the game. Darnold finished with 279 yards with a touchdown. He also had a rushing touchdown on a 5-yard scramble. Christian McCaffrey had a good game with 21 carries for 98 yards. Carolina's revamped defense would finish with six sacks. 

TW: 3-3; CV: 3-3

Next week:
NY Jets: vs New England
Carolina: vs New Orleans

Philadelphia 32, Atlanta 6: TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
One team came to play football, and the other forgot to play football. Jalen Hurts finished the game with 264 yards passing with three touchdowns. Philadelphia's running game would get going in this one as Miles Sanders had 74 yards, Jalen Hurts had 62 yards and Kenneth Gainwell had 37 yards with a rushing touchdown. Matt Ryan would get very little done but put up 164 yards passing. Journeyman Cordarelle Patterson rushed for 54 yards and Mike Davis rushed for 49 yards for the Falcons. Younghoe Koo, Atlanta's kicker, would provide the only points for the Falcons with two field goals. 

TW: 3-4; CV: 3-4

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs San Francisco
Atlanta: @ Tampa Bay

Pittsburgh 23, Buffalo 16: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
There was questions whether TJ Watt would play due to contract negotiations. He got paid and he delivered. Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense would struggle in the first half. Roethlisberger would throw for 188 yards with a touchdown. Najee Harris would rush for 45 yards in the game. Pittsburgh's defense and special teams would give them the edge as TJ Watt would finish with three tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. Miles Killebrew would block a punt that would end with Ulysses Gilbert scoring a touchdown. Josh Allen threw for 270 yards with a touchdown pass. Devin Singletary would rush for 72 yards. 

TW: 3-5; CV: 3-5

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Las Vegas
Buffalo: @ Miami

Seattle 28, Indianapolis 16: TW: Seahawks; CV: Colts
Russell Wilson would provide all the points for the Seahawks in this one. The Seahawks quarterback would throw the ball for 254 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Chris Carson would give the Seahawks a lot of help with 16 carries for 91 yards. Indy would start Carson Wentz and not Jacob Eason (much to my brilliant thoughts). Wentz did well in his Colts debut with 251 yards passing with two touchdowns. Jonathan Taylor had a respectable game with 56 yards rushing but no touchdowns for him. Three of four Russell Wilson touchdowns would come in the first half and Indy could not stop him. 

TW: 4-5, CV: 3-6

Next week:
Seattle: vs Tennessee
Indianapolis: vs LA Rams

San Francisco 41, Detroit 33: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
San Fran looked like they were on cruise-control at one point with a 38-10 lead in the 4th quarter. Then Detroit gave them something to worry about. Jimmy Garoppolo would start for the 49ers and had 314 yards with a touchdown pass. Trey Lance, the 49ers first-round draft pick and North Dakota State product, would get his first NFL touchdown on a 5-yard pass from Lance to Trent Sherfield. Raheem Mostert would get injured in the game but provided 20 yards of rushing offense. Elijah Mitchell would get 104 yards rushing with a touchdown. Deebo Samuel would get 189 receiving yards with a touchdown. Jared Goff would do well in his Lions debut with 338 yards passing with three touchdown passes and an interception. Jamaal Williams had 54 yards rushing with a touchdown. 

TW: 5-5; CV: 4-6

Next week:
San Francisco: @ Philadelphia
Detroit: @ Green Bay

Cleveland 29, Kansas City 33: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Oh Cleveland, so close but no cigar. Baker Mayfield started for the Browns and had 321 yards of passing yards with an interception in the game. Cleveland's running game would do the scoring for them as Nick Chubb lead the running attack with 83 yards with two touchdowns. Kareem Hunt added 33 yards of his own with a touchdown. Jarvis Landry would play the running back role with a touchdown as well. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense got off to a slow start in the first half with only 10 points to show for it. Mahomes would finish the game with 337 yards passing with three touchdowns. He would also rush for 18 yards with a rushing touchdown. Clyde Edwards-Helaire had 43 yards rushing for the Chiefs. I mean eventually Cleveland realized that the Chiefs would comeback right?

TW: 6-5; CV: 5-6

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Houston
Kansas City: @ Baltimore

Denver 27, NY Giants 13: TW: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
Teddy Bridgewater seems to be Denver's answer. Bridgewater finished with 264 yards passing with two touchdowns. Melvin Gordon had a good day on the ground with 101 yards rushing with a touchdown. Jerry Jeudy would have 72 receiving yards but would leave with an injury. Daniel Jones threw for 267 yards with a touchdown. A fumble by Jones would also be key to the Broncos victory. It would be Jones that was the leading rusher for the G-Men as he rushed for 27 yards with a touchdown. Saquon Barkley would make his season debut after injuring his ACL last season. He finished the game with 26 yards. 

TW: 6-6; CV: CV: 5-7

Next week:
Denver: @ LA Chargers
Giants: @ Washington

Green Bay 3, New Orleans 38: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
Who saw this coming? Aaron Rodgers had a terrible game with 133 yards passing with two interceptions. Backup quarterback Jordan Love would replace him. Love in his debut threw 68 yards. Green Bay's running game wouldn't get going due to the score but AJ Dillon rushed for 19 yards. Mason Crosby would be the only Packer who put points for them on a field goal. Jameis Winston threw for 148 yards with an astonishing five touchdowns. Alvin Kamara rushed for 83 yards for the Saints. Tony Jones had 50 yards rushing on 11 carries. 

TW: 6-7; CV: 5-8

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Detroit
New Orleans: @ Carolina

Miami 17, New England 16: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
It was a tight game and it really came down to a turnover. Tua Tagovailoa started for Miami and threw for 202 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Tagovailoa rushed for a touchdown as well. Myles Gaskin rushed for 49 yards. The Mac Jones era began in earnest as the first-round pick threw for 281 yards with a touchdown. Damien Harris rushed for 100 yards in a good effort for the Patriots. Xavien Howard, a player who had happened to want out of Miami, would come up with the signature play in the game as he recovered a fumble towards the middle of of the 4th quarter. 

TW: 6-8; CV: 5-9

Next week:
Miami: vs Buffalo
New England: @ NY Jets

Chicago 14, LA Rams 34: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
It looked like a decent matchup on paper but Matthew Stafford proved that he wasn't the problem in Detroit. Chicago started Andy Dalton and has 206 yards in the game with an interception. The Bears running game would give the points for the Bears. David Montgomery rushed for 108 yards with a touchdown. Rookie quarterback rushed in for a touchdown as well. Matthew Stafford did well in his Rams debut as he threw for 321 yards with three touchdowns. Darrell Henderson was the leading rusher for LA as he had 70 yards with a touchdown. 

TW: 7-8; CV: 6-9

Next week:
Chicago: vs Cincinnati
LA Rams: @ Indianapolis

Baltimore 27, Las Vegas 33 (F/OT) : TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
What a wild game. Early to say that this game was game of the year but I would argue that this game is worthy of it. Lamar Jackson did well throwing the ball with 235 yards with a touchdown pass. Baltimore's bread and butter is their rushing attack and the Ravens did that with Lamar Jackson leading the way with 86 yards, Tyson Williams rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown and new addition Latavius Murray rushed for 28 yards with a touchdown of his own. Turnovers played a role in the game and the Ravens would have four fumbles, losing two of them. Derek Carr threw for the Raiders and racked up 435 yards passing with two touchdowns while having an interception. Josh Jacobs rushed for 34 yards and punched his way through for two scores. It would be a Derek Carr pass to Zay Jones in overtime to give the Raiders their first win of the season. 

TW: 7-9; CV: 6-10

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Kansas City
Las Vegas: @ Pittsburgh

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1

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

2020: 167-88-1 

Well I'll see you all on Wednesday for the Week 2 Picks post! See you then!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 1 Picks

Hello readers! The National Football League's regular season is coming upon us in less than two days away. The excitement is just unbearable but suffice to say we shall have to be patient. In this post I'll be discussing the general rules of pick 'ems (or at least how I do them) and then I'll be posting my picks for the week's action. Let's get to work!

General Rules of My Pick 'Ems

The 2021 season will be my 8th season of doing pick 'ems. It will more than likely be Cardinal Viking's 5th season of doing them as well. Cardinal Viking is my former roommate who wanted to do pick 'ems alongside as a sort of bragging rights between the two of us. It will also be bragging rights as I'm in a fantasy football league with him this season. 

The rules are in general simple. The picks that the both of us submit are straight up and not on sportsbooks. Picks must be submitted prior to the first game of that week's action starts whether it'll be on Thursday or whatever. Although some exceptions will be considered such as starters needing to quarantine because of COVID (hopefully this year that won't happen). If the team you picked wins, you win, if they lose, they lose, if the game ends in a tie, then it'll be a tie. Really straightforward. 

Week 1

Week 1 of the National Football League's regular season will start in Tampa, Florida and finish up in Paradise, Nevada. The week will feature a full 16-game slate. It will include a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. Both CBS and FOX will have the double-headers this week. No teams are on a bye this week. Let's get to the picks!

NOTE: TW is me, CV is Cardinal Viking. Game times are in U.S. Eastern Time

Dallas (0-0) @ Tampa Bay (0-0) (NBC) (8:20 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The regular season kicks off with the defending champs hosting the Dallas Cowboys. It will be a good test for the Cowboys defense at how well they have improved from last year and when you're facing off against Tom Brady, there's no better test. I think the game will be closer than most will think but I'll take the defending champs.

Arizona (0-0): @ Tennessee (0-0) (CBS) (1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The game is an intriguing one as both teams possess great offenses. I lean towards the Titans in that they have the better offense and a defense that is better than the Cardinals. Should be an entertaining one but I'll take the Titans in a close one.

Jacksonville (0-0) @ Houston (0-0) (CBS) (1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
Oh boy, this one will be a Toilet Bowl written all over it as both teams will more than likely spend a fair amount of time in the AFC South's basement. Houston is a mess and full of distractions while Jacksonville isn't as much. I think Jacksonville will take it and give both Trevor Lawrence and Urban Meyer their first win in the pros. 

LA Chargers (0-0) @ Washington (0-0) (CBS) (1:00 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Justin Herbert had a solid rookie season and going into year two will put some pressure on him to continue that success. Washington is the current NFC east champion but I think they could slip up a bit this year with Ryan Fitzpatrick and a weak offense. Fortunately for the Football team, they have a good defense that can keep them in it. I'll take the Chargers.

Minnesota (0-0) @ Cincinnati (0-0) (FOX) (1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Depending on who starts for the Vikings, I think Minnesota has a solid shot to win this game as they do have a running game and a defense that can put pressure on Joe Burrow to throw the ball. If Cincy wants to win this game they'll need to keep Joe Burrow upright and take advantage of turnovers if the Vikes graciously give them. 

NY Jets (0-0) @ Carolina (0-0) (CBS) (1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
Sam Darnold's new team vs Sam Darnold's old team. In Darnold's place for the Jets is quarterback Zach Wilson. I personally think the Panthers will have the advantage based on their running attack and some decent weapons at wide receiver like Robby Anderson and DJ Moore. The Jets are likely going to have a rough season and I won't be placing a lot of faith in them to win this one. 

Philadelphia (0-0) @ Atlanta (0-0) (FOX) (1:00 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
For some reason, I like the Falcons in this matchup. Both teams will have rookie head coaches going into their first game at the head coaching position. Philly's defense is a bit banged up and the Falcons could take advantage of that with getting the ball to Calvin Ridley or to their other weapons. Could be a toss up game or the Falcons could choke a lead. 

Pittsburgh (0-0) @ Buffalo (0-0) (CBS) (1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Both teams are solid on both sides of the ball. I think the factor that will play into it is if TJ Watt won't play for the Steelers due to holdout. Buffalo's very good at the trenches and it will ultimately come down to the battles in them. It should be an exciting game and hopefully it turns out to be that. 

Seattle (0-0) @ Indianapolis (0-0) (FOX) (1:00 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Colts 
Carson Wentz won't likely play in the game so it will come down to 3rd year man Jacob Eason to get the Colts off to the right foot. What he gets to face is the Seahawks with an improved defense that will give him some headaches. Jonathan Taylor will likely need to take the majority of the load on offense if the Colts have a shot to win. I just think the Seahawks have so much at stake to win and I think they'll come through. 

San Francisco (0-0) @ Detroit (0-0) (FOX) (1:00 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Macho Man Dan Campbell will have his coaching debut as Lions head coach. Unfortunately, the Lions will face a 49ers team that will like nothing more to get back to the playoffs. It doesn't seem like a favorable matchup on either side of the ball for Detroit to take advantage of. Sorry Lions fans.

Cleveland (0-0) @ Kansas City (0-0) (CBS) (4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Week 1 is usually a tough week to do pick 'ems as you're not sure how well a team will do. This game is a true example of that as both Browns and Chiefs will have a lot to prove this season. I personally like the Chiefs in the game as Patrick Mahomes is quarterback and perhaps the Chiefs defense will do well. Should be close but I'll take KC. 

Denver (0-0) @ NY Giants (0-0) (FOX) (4:25 pm): TW: Giants; CV: Giants
Denver will be showcasing a new quarterback yet again this year as Teddy Bridgewater will get the keys to the Ferrari. The Giants intrigue me as being underdog as they could get Saquon Barkley back and hopefully the defense can take advantage of mistakes. 

Green Bay (0-0) @ New Orleans (0-0) (FOX) (4:25 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The game won't be in the SuperDome due to Hurricane Ida. It will be in Jacksonville. At least Jaguars fans will get to see how two other teams play football. I like the Packers in the matchup as the Saints start the post-Drew Brees era in earnest. Jameis Winston will start and his past performances will suggest otherwise that he will do well as a Saint. 

Miami (0-0) @ New England (0-0) (CBS) (4:25 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Mac Jones era begins with in New England. Miami's defense is no slouch compared to past seasons as the Dolphins are looking to make it back to the playoffs. I like both teams in the matchup but I think it'll come down to how well both quarterbacks handle the defensive schemes of their opponents. I'll take the Pats but I think the Dolphins-Patriot series will ultimately become a split. 

Chicago (0-0) @ LA Rams (0-0) (NBC) (8:20 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Both teams will be handing the reins to new quarterbacks as the Bears will go with Andy Dalton and the Rams with Matthew Stafford. The game itself looks like a mismatch when it comes to the Bears offense vs the Rams defense. LA's blitzing will play a factor in the game. I like the Rams.

Baltimore (0-0) @ Las Vegas (0-0) (ABC/ESPN) (8:15 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens 
The week finishes up with a solid game on Monday night as primetime football returns to ABC for the first time since Super Bowl XL. Lamar Jackson and Derek Carr are both quarterbacks that are looking to get to that next level. The game will be a huge test as to how well Jon Gruden's Raiders defense will play up to against the Ravens running attack. If the Raiders can pick up the running situations well, they have a decent shot to win the game. 

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

CBS Early
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

CBS Late
Cleveland @ Kansas City
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Early
Minnesota @ Cincinnati
Chris Meyers, Daryl Johnston

FOX Late
Green Bay @ New Orleans
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more information on which game is being shown in your area, check out: 

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1

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

2020: 167-88-1 

I will see you all sometime either after the Monday night game or on Tuesday for the Week 1 recap post. Enjoy the games!

-Tom