NFL 2021 Conference Championship Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone yet again. The NFL's Final Four would be reduced two two as the champions of the AFC are the Cincinnati Bengals and the champions of the NFC are the Los Angeles Rams. How did both teams get there? That question will be answered in this week's recap post. Let's get to work!

Conference Championship Recap

Cincinnati 27, Kansas City 24 (F/OT): TW: Chiefs; CV: Bengals
Chiefs losing after going on a 21-3 lead means more than the Bengals keeping Joe Burrow clean for most of the game. Joe Burrow would play alright as he completed 23 of 38 passes for 250 yards with two touchdown passes to Ja'Marr Chase and Samaje Perine. He would get an interception in the game. Joe Mixon would go well in the ground game as he rushed for 21 carries for 88 yards with a 23-yard run being the longest in the game. Last week, the Bengals offensive line would allow nine sacks on Joe Burrow, in this game the Bengals would allow one sack. I think that was the big thing for the Bengals in this game. Patrick Mahomes was under siege a lot in this game, especially in the 2nd half. Mahomes would hit 26 of 39 passes for 275 yards with three touchdown passes but also had two passes picked off. One of the interceptions would come on a tipped pass that would land in the arms of Bengals Strong Safety Vonn Bell. Jerrick McKinnon would get some good yardage as he get 65 yards rushing on 12 carries. Clyde Edwards-Helaire would get 36 yards rushing on six carries. Turnovers kill you in the playoffs and the two turnovers killed the Chiefs. For the Bengals, their two-year turnaround ends up with a berth in the Super Bowl for the first time since Super Bowl XXIII. For the Chiefs, their high expectations season ends just short of the Super Bowl.

TW: 0-1; CV: 1-0

Next week:
Cincinnati: Super Bowl vs LA Rams
Kansas City: probably eat some BBQ or something

San Francisco 17, LA Rams 20: TW: Rams; CV: 49ers
The game was really ugly but the Rams are staying home for the Super Bowl. Jimmy Garoppolo was off and most of the throws that he made but he did the best he could. He would complete 16 of 30 passes for 232 yards with two touchdowns with an interception. Deebo Samuel would be a beast once again in this game as he rushed for 26 yards and caught four balls for 72 yards including a 44-yard touchdown. The biggest factor for me was the playcalling of Kyle Shanahan who didn't go for it on a 4th down and 1 late in the 4th quarter. Another would be a sure-fire drop that would've been an interception by Jaquiski Tartt. Matthew Stafford would play decent ball as he completed 31 of 45 passes for 337 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception. Cam Akers would rush for 48 yards on 13 carries. Cooper Kupp would have a solid game as he caught 11 balls for 142 yards with two touchdowns. The biggest factor for the Rams was the play by Cooper Kupp as he was a mismatch all game long. Some questionable decisions by Rams head coach Sean McVay would challenge a play that didn't really need to be challenged. It was on a down by contact situation and the Rams were down to their last timeout and the Rams would ultimately lose that challenge. Suffice to say, the Rams will get to host the Super Bowl. It'll be the consecutive year that an NFL team will host the Super Bowl while playing in it. For the 49ers, their season ends with a lot of questions as we've might've seen Jimmy Garoppolo's last game as a 49er. 

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Next week:
San Francisco: go ride on a trolley car and watch a Warriors game.
LA Rams: Super Bowl vs Cincinnati

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 8-7
Week 12: 8-7
Week 13: 10-4
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3
Week 18: 11-5

Total: 173-98-1

Super Wild Card Weekend: 6-0
Divisional Playoff: 0-4
Conference Championship: 1-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 10-5
Week 12: 9-6
Week 13: 7-7
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6
Week 18: 8-8

Total: 167-104-1

Super Wild Card Weekend: 6-0
Divisional Playoff: 2-2
Conference Championship: 1-1

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 

For the Super Bowl LVI Pick post I'm thinking of doing it sometime next week before the Super Bowl. See you all then!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Conference Championship Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The awe of the Divisional Weekend certainly was great for the sport and some wished that it would never end. As for me, the final game hyped me up so much that I didn't get a lot of sleep for Monday. The NFL's version of the Final Four is on as the Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers are all that is left and only two will make it through next Sunday. In this post, I'll do my picks for who will be representing the AFC and NFC in Super Bowl LVI. Let's get to work!

Conference Championship Picks

Cincinnati (12-7) @ Kansas City (14-5) (CBS; 3:00 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Bengals
Last week the Bengals beat the Titans and the Chiefs beat the Bills. Championship Sunday starts with an enticing matchup between two high-powered offenses with defenses that aren't that stellar but can get some stops. The two teams played in a previous game in Week 17 where they duked it out, trading blow for blow with the Bengals winning 34-31 at home. In an atmosphere like Arrowhead Stadium (yes I know its GEHA Stadium but it'll still be Arrowhead) there's nothing like it in terms of a homefield advantage. Cincinnati is a fun team to watch and they have a lot of potential to be dominant in the future. They are also a young team that embodies the confidence of their quarterback. Both teams to be on par on paper but I think the Chiefs will take out a very close game and get to their 4th Super Bowl appearance. 

San Francisco (12-7) @ LA Rams (14-5) (FOX; 6:30 pm): TW: Rams; CV: 49ers
Last week the 49ers beat the Packers and the Rams beat the Buccaneers. The NFC championship features a rivalry that features two teams that know each other very well. San Francisco does everything very well except for the quarterback position. The Rams are in general the consensus pick and the sexy team that has put in all of their chips in with the hopes to host the Super Bowl. The 49ers have had the Rams number for six straight games. Probably the reason because of that is that some of those games had Jared Goff as the Rams quarterback. That and the Rams defense couldn't handle the trickery that the 49ers have in their arsenal. Deebo Samuel provides that trickery. At this point the Rams have to realize that they have a shot to host a Super Bowl and if they don't win this game and the Super Bowl then its a bust season. A lot is riding on the Rams but I think Matthew Stafford will lead the Rams to victory. 

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 8-7
Week 12: 8-7
Week 13: 10-4
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3
Week 18: 11-5

Total: 173-98-1

Super Wild Card Weekend: 6-0
Divisional Playoff: 0-4

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 10-5
Week 12: 9-6
Week 13: 7-7
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6
Week 18: 8-8

Total: 167-104-1

Super Wild Card Weekend: 6-0
Divisional Playoff: 2-2

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'll see you all after the NFC Championship game for the Conference Championship Recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Divisional Playoff Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. My favorite part of the NFL season was the Divisional round and boy did the four games did not disappoint me. There were such games like both #1 seeds losing by a field goal, the defending champs almost making a comeback win, and one of the greatest playoff games I've ever seen in Kansas City. All those games and more in this week's recap post. Let's get to work!

Divisional Playoff Recap

Cincinnati 19, Tennessee 16: TW: Titans; CV: Bengals
Looks like the Tennessee Titans will have to wait for another chance to win a playoff game. Joe Burrow completed 28 of 37 passes for 348 yards with an interception. It would be the nine sacks that he took that would be the biggest story for the Bengals as some of the sacks were on Burrow while a majority of them were on the offensive line. Fortunately Bengals fans, you don't have to hold your breath. Joe Mixon provided good yardage for the Bengals as he rushed for 54 yards with a touchdown run. Ryan Tannehill was not effective in this game as he completed 15 of 24 passes for 220 yards with a touchdown pass to AJ Brown in the 3rd quarter. The biggest story for the Titans in this one was Tannehill's three interceptions. The irony is that two of the three passes were from the first pass he threw and the last pass that he threw. Donta Foreman rushed for 66 yards on four carries with a 45-yard run being his longest. Derrick Henry would make his return since Week 8. Henry would do well in this game as he rushed for 62 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown that would be from a direct snap to Henry. For the Bengals, their magical season continues as they will get to play . For the Titans, their season ends it yet another disappointment. Hopefully the Titans can put Derrick Henry in bubblewrap next season. 

TW: 0-1; CV: 1-0

Next week:
Cincinnati: Conference Championship @ Kansas City
Tennessee: Go to a show at the Grand Ole Opry probably.

San Francisco 13, Green Bay 10: TW: Packers; CV: 49ers
In snowy, cold Green Bay the Packers offense would hunker down like the Packer faithful in Lambeau. Jimmy Garoppolo would be ineffective in this game as he completed 11 of 19 passes for 131 yards with an interception that would be grabbed by Adrian Amos. Elijah Mitchell would get some solid yardage as the runner got 53 yards on 17 carries. Deebo Samuel would get 39 rushing yards on 10 carries while catching three passes for 44 yards. While the offense didn't play well the 49ers defense played well, holding the Packers rushing attack to 67 yards and 263 total yards. They would also get a fumble recovery. They also sacked Aaron Rodgers five times. Aaron Rodgers would complete 20 of 29 passes for 225 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions. Aaron Jones would rush for 41 yards on 12 carries. AJ Dillon would get 25 yards rushing with a touchdown that would come in the first quarter. Special teams mishaps would plague the Packers in this game as a blocked punt, a blocked field goal, and having 10 men on the field on the 49ers field game-winning field goal. For the 49ers, they move on from cold Green Bay to either warm Inglewood, California or Tampa, Florida. For the Packers, a multitude of questions and doubt go into their offseason as a lot of unrestricted free agents are set to happen. As for Aaron Rodgers, I don't know where he will end up but he for sure doesn't want to be part of a potential overhaul next season. 

TW: 0-2; CV: 2-0

Next week:
San Francisco: Conference Championship @ LA Rams
Green Bay: Go cow tipping 

LA Rams 30, Tampa Bay 27: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Looks like the 2003 and 2004 Patriots will remain as the last teams to repeat as champion. Matthew Stafford completed 28 of 38 passes for 366 yards with two touchdowns as well as had a rushing touchdown. Cam Akers rushed for 48 yards on 24 carries. Cooper Kupp was a beast for the Rams as he caught nine passes for 183 yards with a touchdown catch. The Rams had quite a few miscues in this one as the Rams lost four fumbles. Tom Brady completed 30 of 54 passes for 329 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Evans but also threw an interception. Leonard Fournette was a beast in this game as he rushed for 51 yards with two touchdown runs. The Buccaneers were not without miscues of their own including two kickoffs that bounced out of bounds that would give the Rams good field position. For turnovers the Bucs had a fumble and the Brady interception. The Rams were up 27-3 with 7:07 left in the 3rd quarter. It looked like the Rams would blow it. Fortunately for them Cooper Kupp provided the Rams offense with 88 yards on the final drive. It would come down to a Matt Gay 30-yard field goal to give the Rams a win. It would be good and the Rams move on to host the NFC championship game for the first time since 1999. They will face off against their old time rivals, the San Francisco 49ers. For the Buccaneers, their season ends with an uncertainty with Tom Brady possibly coming back or retiring. 

TW: 0-3; CV: 2-1

Next week:
LA Rams: Conference Championship vs San Francicsco
Tampa Bay: Become Lightning fans, they might go for a three-peat. 

Buffalo 36, Kansas City 42 (F/OT): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Holy shit this game was fucking awesome! It was a duel that lived up to the hype as Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes would provide the masses entertainment that even Julius Casear would find appealing. Josh Allen was legendary in this game as he completed 27 of 37 passes for 329 yards with four touchdown passes. He would also run well in the game as he added 68 rushing yards on 11 carries. Devin Singletary would rush for 26 yards with a touchdown run. The Bills would trade punches for the first three quarters and then would go on a 15 point rampage in the 4th quarter. A lot of questionable playcalling would come. One such playcall would be a 4th and 1 on the Bills 35-yard line. Another would be a squib kick that the Chiefs would recover with 13 seconds left in the game. Patrick Mahomes completed 33 of 44 passes for 378 yards with three touchdowns. Like Allen, Patrick Mahomes would also run and had 69 yards rushing with a touchdown. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 60 yards on seven carries. Mecole Hardman would get a touchdown on a 25-yard run with another run for six yards. Kansas City was without their own issues. The Chiefs literally allowed the Bills offense to come back and hang around with them. For the Bills, their season ends with the hope of trying again for next year and their window still open for them to do so. I feel if they can get a running back and give Josh Allen break they have a legit shot to be right back in the postseason again. For the Chiefs, they're back to hosting their 4th straight AFC championship dating back to 2018. They will have a rematch against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

TW: 0-4; CV: 2-2

Next week:
Buffalo: Go eat some wings with buffalo sauce on them since the Buffalo Sabres aren't that great.
Kansas City: Conference Championship vs Cincinnati

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 8-7
Week 12: 8-7
Week 13: 10-4
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3
Week 18: 11-5

Total: 173-98-1

Super Wild Card Weekend: 6-0
Divisional Playoff: 0-4

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 10-5
Week 12: 9-6
Week 13: 7-7
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6
Week 18: 8-8

Total: 167-104-1

Super Wild Card Weekend: 6-0
Divisional Playoff: 2-2

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 Conference Championship picks post! 

-Tom

NFL 2021 Divisional Playoff Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is here yet again. My favorite part of the NFL season is here: the divisional round. It is where the best teams matchup against the underdog/best teams in the conference. The winners of this round go on to be part of the NFL's version of the Final Four. In this post I'll do a preview of the four games and my picks for the games. Let's get to work!

Divisional Playoff Preview

The Divisional playoff will start in Nashville, Tennessee and finish up in Kansas City, Missouri. There will be eight teams playin the four games. Two games will be on Saturday. Those games will be on CBS and FOX. Then there will be two games on Sunday. Those two games will be on NBC and CBS. Let's get to the picks!

Divisional Playoff Picks

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

Cincinnati (11-7) @ Tennessee (12-5) (CBS; 4:30 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Bengals
The Bengals beat the Raiders and the Titans had the bye last week. The weekend starts with a fairly interesting matchup as the young upstart Bengals take on the top dog Titans. I feel this game will feature two great running backs who were fighting for a rushing title. Joe Mixon and Derrick Henry could light up defenses in this game. The Bengals got the playoff win monkey off their back but they could have some trouble in this one as their defense has been suspect at times during this season. Doesn't help that their head coach let his foot off the gas last week. Tennessee needed the bye probably more than any team as they set the record for the number of players used this season. If Derrick Henry plays I'd say they have a great shot to win. I feel the Bengals are good but I think their road ends at this game. 

San Francisco (11-7) @ Green Bay (13-4) (FOX; 8:15 pm): TW: Packers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Cowboys and the Packers had the bye last week. Another shot for Aaron Rodgers to beat his former favorite team the 49ers. San Francisco will need to have a better game from Jimmy Garoppolo as he nearly gave the game away to the Dallas Cowboys. Green Bay will need to be aware of the trickery that the 49ers have on offense. Deebo Samuel will need to be put on watch through every offensive series by the 49ers. If the Packers have a takeaway in this game the 49ers will have a hard time to beat their rivals. You have to also remember that the Packers beat the 49ers 30-28 earlier in the year. The weather could play a factor as there's a chance of snow and a wind chill of zero. I think it'll be a good game but I feel the Packers will pull off the win. 

LA Rams (13-5) @ Tampa Bay (14-4) (NBC; 3:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Rams beat the Cardinals and the Buccaneers beat the Eagles last week. Probably the game of the weekend. The last time these two met was a Week 3 matchup where the Rams won 34-24. The worse case scenario in that game was that it was a close one that would come down to a few plays. Fast forward to this one and the Buccaneers are the more banged up team. The loss of Tristan Wirfs, the right tackle, could be a factor as he is currently questionable. The fact is that a lot of players are questionable for the Bucs in this game to list off a few with Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones, Breshad Perriman, and Giovani Bernard all questionable. For the Rams I don't really trust Matthew Stafford a lot although he had the ghosts of past Detroit playoff losses whisked away after beating the Cardinals. What I trust is their defense as they can rush the passer with a lot of power. I feel the Buccaneers will pull off a miracle in this game if they can play good on defense. I can't count out on Tom Brady. 

Buffalo (12-6) @ Kansas City (13-5) (CBS; 6:30 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills beat the Patriots and the Chiefs beat the Steelers last week. The last game of the weekend wraps up with a slugfest of a football game. The last time these two teams played was a blowout by the Bills. Kansas City was still a team on the search of its identity. Their defense got back together and and held down their opponents. Patrick Mahomes has also played a bit more of a closer to a game manager style play instead of trying to play hero every play. Buffalo has a very physical offense that features a quarterback that isn't afraid to run and get hit. Their defense is also physical as well as they will beat you up and punish you. I had the Bills as my Super Bowl pick to represent the AFC in the preseason, I won't back down on them now. 

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 8-7
Week 12: 8-7
Week 13: 10-4
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3
Week 18: 11-5

Total: 173-98-1

Super Wild Card Weekend: 6-0

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 10-5
Week 12: 9-6
Week 13: 7-7
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6
Week 18: 8-8

Total: 167-104-1

Super Wild Card Weekend: 6-0

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 

Expect to see the Divisional playoff recap sometime after the final game on Sunday night. Enjoy the games. 

-Tom

NFL 2021 Super Wild Card Weekend Recap

 Hello everyone! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone yet again. The wild card round usually gives us disappointments but there were a few notable games that would come down to the wire. Such games like the Bengals earning their first playoff victory since January 1991, or . In this post I'll do a recap of the weekend's games in this post. Let's get to work!

Super Wild Card Weekend Recap

Las Vegas 19, Cincinnati 26: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Two teams that have long playoff droughts, the one with the longer one would win this one. Derek Carr would be used a lot in this one as he completed 29 of 54 passes for 310 yards with a touchdown pass to Zay Jones. He also threw an interception that would end up being the game decider. Josh Jacobs rushed for 83 yards on 13 carries with a 35-yard run being his longest in this game. One questionable call on the Raiders was a heinous roughing the passer penalty that would help give the Raiders a boost in offense that would help them drive down the field in the last drive for them. Joe Burrow was remarkable in this game as the passer threw 24 of 34 passes for 244 yards with two touchdown passes to Tyler Boyd and to CJ Uzomah. Both touchdowns would come in the first half. Joe Mixon rushed for 48 yards on 17 carries with a 10-yard run being his longest. Controversy ensued in this game as well for the Bengals. The 2nd quarter touchdown would have a blown whistle that was blown just as Joe Burrow threw the pass. By rule, that play would've been blown dead, it wouldn't have been a touchdown. Just a rough game for officiating altogether in this game. For the Raiders, their miracle season ends with the question of keeping head coach Rich Bisaccia or go with someone different. For the Bengals, they move on with the likelihood of going to Tennessee in the Divisional round. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Next week:
Las Vegas: play blackjack or something
Cincinnati: Divisional @ Tennessee

New England 17, Buffalo 47: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The result wasn't a surprise, the margin of victory was. Mac Jones was off by a bit in the first half, throwing two interceptions but would finish with two touchdown passes to Kendrick Bourne. He finished the game with 24 of 38 passes completed. Damien Harris would run for 30 yards on nine carries with a longest run of 14 yards. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 27 yards on eight carries. How bad was this game for New England? The 27-3 halftime score was the worst in franchise history. The 47 points allowed was the worst playoff performance in franchise history. Josh Allen would exceed expectations in this game as he completed 21 of 25 passes for 308 yards for five touchdowns and had 66 yards rushing on six carries with a 26-yard run being his longest. Devin Singletary rushed for 81 yards on 16 carries with two touchdown runs. In the 102-year history of the NFL, no team had scored a touchdown in all of their drives, with no field goals or turned the ball over, on Saturday night, the Buffalo Bills did just that. The win is somewhat of a bittersweet one for the Bills mafia after being the Patriots doormat for over 20 years and to finally get that monkey off their backs. For the Patriots, their season ends but the experience gives them something to build on for the 2022 season. For the Bills, their win likely assures them a trip to Kansas City barring an upset. 

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Next week:
New England: eat clam chowdah or something
Buffalo: Divisional @ Kansas City

Philadelphia 15, Tampa Bay 31: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The game was more about the Eagles giving it to the Buccaneers. Jalen Hurts completed 23 of 43 passes for 258 yards with a touchdown pass to Kenneth Gainwell in the 4th quarter. He would also throw two horrible interceptions in this game. He would also rush for 39 yards on eight carries. Boston Scott would also get the longest rush in the game on a 34-yard run for a touchdown. Tom Brady was once again great as the 44-year old completed 29 of 37 passes for 271 yards with two touchdown passes. Tampa's running game would also score in this one as Keshawn Vaughn rushed for 53 yards with a touchdown and Giovanni Bernard rushed for 44 yards with a touchdown. The victory would come with a cost as right tackle Tristan Wirfs would leave the game with an ankle injury. For the Eagles their offseason will have questions as they have a decision to make at quarterback and need some help via the draft. Should be noted that the Eagles have draft picks to use. For the Buccaneers, they will get to hose the winner of the Cards-Rams game. 

TW: 3-0; CV: 3-0

Next week:
Philadelphia: eat a Philly cheese steak
Tampa Bay: Divisional vs LA Rams

San Francisco 23, Dallas 17: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Holy shit no one wanted to win this game. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 15 of 25 passes for 172 yards with a duck of an interception in the 4th quarter. San Francisco's running game would carry their quarterback however. Elijah Mitchell rushed for 96 yards on 27 carries with a touchdown. Deebo "The Man" Samuel rushed for 72 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown. Dak Prescott completed 23 of 43 passes with 254 yards with a touchdown to Amari Cooper in the 2nd quarter. Prescott would also score a rushing touchdown in the 4th quarter with 27 yards rushing including the 17-yard run that would result in the touchdown. Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 31 yards on 12 carries. For the 49ers, they get to live for another day but they get to go to the Frozen Tundra that is Lambeau Field. They will need to play a better game from Jimmy Garoppolo as he literally nearly gave the Cowboys the win. For the Cowboys, it's the same old story. Mike McCarthy needs to go and Kellen Moore is probably going to get promoted to head coach maybe. Their players were undisciplined as penalties cost them in this game and gameplanning. With just two playoff wins since Super Bowl XXX they need to get their heads out of their asses. Jerry Jones needs to hire a General Manager and leave his ass alone and let the football operations happen. That's all you have to do. As for the referee interference, he had to respot the ball, the Cowboys literally tried to spot it. I'm glad they lost on bullshit referee calls. They earned it. 

TW: 4-0; CV: 4-0

San Francisco: Divisional @ Green Bay
Dallas: playoff losses are bigger in Texas, they'll probably go play golf. 

Pittsburgh 21, Kansas City 42: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
It was a somber end to the career of Ben Roethlsiberger. The former Miami University product would hit 29 of 44 passes for 215 yards with two touchdowns to James Washington and Diontae Johnson. The touchdowns would come on in garbage time. Big Ben wouldn't look stellar in this one as he threw more passes that looked like ducks than anything. Najee Harris wouldn't be the big factor in the game as the rookie had 29 rushing yards on 12 carries but had an unfortunate fumble in the game. The other touchdown would come on a TJ Watt fumble recovery for a touchdown that would happen from a Cam Heyward forced fumble. The touchdown would give the Steelers a 7-0 lead. Patrick Mahomes would struggle for the first quarter in the game but would do Mahomes things. The passer completed 30 of 39 passes for 404 yards with five touchdowns and an interception that was grabbed by Cam Heyward. Travis Kelce would play quarterback in this game as he tossed a pass to Byron Pringle in the 4th quarter. One of the Mahomes touchdown passes would go to Nick Allegretti, the offensive guard. Kansas City's running game would have a better showing as Jerick McKinnon had 61 yards rushing on 12 carries. For the Steelers, its the end of Ben Roethlisberger's career and likely the end of general manager Kevin Colbert who will retire after this spring's draft. They need a lot of help on offense specifically on offensive line. For the Chiefs, they get to play host to the Bills in the divisional round. 

TW: 5-0; CV: 5-0

Next week:
Pittsburgh: eat some pierogis or watch a penguins game
Kansas City: Divisional vs Buffalo 

Arizona 11, LA Rams 34: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Well Kyler Murray's playoff debut was not a pretty sight. Kyler Murray would look very meek in this game as the passer completed 19 of 34 passes for 137 yards with two interceptions. Arizona's running game would provide not a lot of help as Chase Edmonds rushed for 28 yards. James Conner got 19 rushing yards with a touchdown run being the Cardinals only offensive touchdown that would come in the 3rd quarter. Matthew Stafford would play manager in this game as the passer completed 13 of 17 passes for 202 yards with two touchdown passes to Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. Stafford would also rush for 22 yards with a touchdown. Sony Michel rushed for 58 yards on 13 carries. Cam Akers rushed for 55 yards on 17 carries. For the Cardinals, another promising season that got off to a 7-0 start ends in a slow and painful end to the season. For the Rams, they get to take a trip to Tampa Bay to take on the defending champs. 

TW: 6-0; CV: 6-0

Next week:
Arizona: Support the Arizona Coyotes, they could use all the support they can get.
LA Rams: Divisional @ Tampa Bay

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 8-7
Week 12: 8-7
Week 13: 10-4
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3
Week 18: 11-5

Total: 173-98-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 10-5
Week 12: 9-6
Week 13: 7-7
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6
Week 18: 8-8

Total: 167-104-1

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 or Thursday for the Divisional Round Picks post!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Super Wild Card Weekend Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The regular season is over and the pretenders are now at home while the contenders are now playing in the 2nd season, playoff season. The 14 teams that remain now will play for a chance to go on to a win the exclusive Super Bowl Championship. The sad thing is only 13 of them won't hoist the trophy in the end. In this post I'll do a preview of the weekend and Monday's games and my picks for the games. Let's get to work!

Super Wild Card Weekend Preview

The Super Wild Card Weekend will start in Cincinnati, Ohio and finish up in Inglewood, California. There will be 12 teams playing in the six games. The week features two games on Saturday, three games on Sunday and one game on Monday. The Saturday games will be on NBC and CBS. The Sunday games will be on FOX, CBS, and NBC. For the Monday night game, it'll be on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2. Let's get to the picks!

Super Wild Card Weekend Picks

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

Las Vegas (10-7) @ Cincinnati (10-7) (NBC; 4:30 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The Raiders beat the Chargers and the Bengals lost to the Browns last week. It all starts in Cincinnati where the worn out Raiders take on the better rested Bengals. It'll be a shorter week for both teams but the Bengals did rest Joe Burrow and had Joe Mixon on COVID protocol. They'll be ready to go. Las Vegas had to literally go to the final seconds of overtime to beat the Chargers to just get to the playoffs. The Bengals haven't won a playoff game since 1990 when Sam Wyche's Bengals beat Jerry Glanville's Houston Oilers. Maybe the weight of the drought could affect them but I don't think so. I really am risking a lot by going with the Bengals but I'll take them.

New England (10-7) @ Buffalo (11-6) (CBS; 8:15 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Patriots lost to the Dolphins and the Bills beat the Jets last week. The primetime game on Saturday features two AFC East heavyweights in the Bills and Patriots. Both teams have beat each other on the road. The Patriots were tabbed to be the representative for the AFC in the Super Bowl. I just have to say is "not so fast" as my preseason pick to represent the AFC was the Buffalo Bills. The playoff experience could be a bit much for Mac Jones to handle. Buffalo is the more experienced team to handle the pressure. I'll go with the Bills. 

Philadelphia (9-8) @ Tampa Bay (13-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Eagles lost to the Cowboys and the Buccaneers beat the Panthers last week. It's a rematch of a Thursday night game that happened on October 15th. The Eagles gave the Bucs some fits but the defending champs would beat the Eagles 28-22. Sunday's game will have a different feel to it as the Eagles are a different team that has a solid offense going for them. Tampa had some fits in the previous matchup as Tom Brady had an interception. Tampa also doesn't have some key players in Antonio Brown is gone and their running game is a bit limited. The game could have the feeling of an upset but I wouldn't count out Tom Brady like ever. 

San Francisco (10-7) @ Dallas (12-5) (CBS/Nickelodeon; 4:30 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Rams and the Cowboys beat the Eagles last week. The old 49ers-Cowboys rivalry renews as the two franchises meet for the 8th time since 1970 in the playoffs. The Cowboys somewhat hold the edge at a 7-2 advantage over their rivals. So far I have been picking the home teams and if there was a potential upset it would be this one. San Francisco has quite a plethora of weapons to them. Dallas does as well but their head coach is not known to be a quality one at that. I'll go bold and take the 49ers to beat the Cowboys. 

Pittsburgh (9-7-1) @ Kansas City (12-5) (NBC; 8:15 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Steelers beat the Ravens and the Chiefs beat the Broncos last week. Pittsburgh got through the regular season with a little luck on their side. What they face next is the lions den. Kansas City is looking to make it back to the Super Bowl and still have a solid team to do it. Their defense is better than last year's team. The Steelers will need to really play error-free football to have a shot to win this game. That meaning not to turn the ball over and to sustain drives. That and only then will they have a shot to win. I don't see it happening sadly but a upset would be interesting.

Arizona (11-6) @ LA Rams (12-5) (ABC/ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Cardinals lost to the Seahawks and the Rams lost to the 49ers last week. The first round of the playoffs finishes up with a NFC West clash between the Cardinals and Rams. Matthew Stafford hasn't had a lot of luck in the playoffs as he is 0-3 in his career. Granted he was with the Lions at those three losses. The Rams will need him to play great as this is their "Super Bowl or bust" season as a lot of talent has been invested into both sides of the ball. Arizona has no DeAndre Hopkins as the wide out is out for the rest of the season while going through surgery. The one upside is that the Cardinals will be getting JJ Watt back. If he can be a factor in the game and not be limited the Cards could be interesting team to keep an eye on to see if they can slay their bigger brother. I don't see it happening but it is any given football game. 

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 8-7
Week 12: 8-7
Week 13: 10-4
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3
Week 18: 11-5

Total: 173-98-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 10-5
Week 12: 9-6
Week 13: 7-7
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6
Week 18: 8-8

Total: 167-104-1

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 after the Monday night game for the Super Wild Card Weekend Recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 18 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The final week of the regular season brought us some drama and chaos. I'll be doing a recap of the week's games and take a look at the playoff field. Let's get to work!

Week 18 Recap

Kansas City 28, Denver 24: TW: Chiefs; CV: Broncos
The Chiefs win would come down to a Nick Bolton fumble recovery for a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes completed 27 of 44 passes for 270 yards with two touchdowns. Mahomes would also be the leading rusher for the Chiefs with 54 yards rushing on nine carries. Drew Lock wasn't a factor in the passing game but completed 12 of 24 passes for 162 yards and had 35 rushing yards with two touchdowns. Melvin Gordon III rushed for a solid 110 yards rushing with a touchdown. With the chance to take the lead the Broncos tried to run the ball but was fumbled and picked up by linebacker Nick Bolton and ran it back for 86 yards. The loss would also mean a sad fate for Broncos head coach Vic Fangio as he would be fired hours after the game was done. For the Chiefs, they will be playing this weekend for the playoffs as the Titans locked up the #1 seed in the AFC. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 0-1

Next week:
Kansas City: Wild Card Playoff vs Pittsburgh
Denver: going skiing probably

Dallas 51, Philadelphia 26: TW: Eagles; CV: Cowboys
So I felt that the power of Minshewmania was going to be nough to beat the Cowboys but that was sadly not the case. Dak Prescott completed 21 of 27 passes for 295 yards for five touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 87 yards with 18 carries. Jaquan Hardy rushed for 26 yards with a touchdown. Ito Smith had a touchdown run on a 4-yard run. The blowout would happen as the Cowboys scored 20 points in the 2nd quarter and 21 in the 4th quarter. Gardner Minshew would get the start over Jalen Hurts as he would rest and be inactive for the game. Minshew completed 19 of 33 passes for 186 yards with two touchdowns but also had an interception. Kenneth Gainwell rushed for 78 yards with a touchdown on 12 carries. For both teams, the playoffs beckon as they are playing in the wild card round. 

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Next week:
Dallas: Wild Card Playoff vs San Francisco
Philadelphia: Wild Card Playoff @ Tampa Bay

Cincinnati 16, Cleveland 21: TW: Browns; CV: Bengals
It wasn't a redemption win but a salvageable win for the Browns. Brandon Allen completed 15 of 29 passes for 136 yards with a touchdown. Trayveon Williams rushed for 38 yards on nine carries. Both Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon didn't play as Burrow rested and Mixon was out on COVID protocol. Case Keenum was effective in the game as he completed 17 of 24 passes for 176 yards with two touchdowns but also had an interception in the game. Dernest Johnson had a good day with the running of the football as he had 25 carries for 123 yards with a touchdown. For the Bengals, they will be playing next weekend in playoff ball. For the Browns, the offseason begins as they have a big decision to make in Baker Mayfield. 

TW: 2-1; CV: 1-2

Next week:
Cincinnati: Wild Card Playoff vs Las Vegas
Cleveland: throw shit on the field probably

Chicago 17, Minnesota 31: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
It was a salvageable win for Mike Zimmer but his fate remains to be told for Black Monday. Andy Dalton would throw the ball a lot as he completed 33 of 48 passes for 325 yards with a touchdown pass but also had two interceptions. David Montgomery rushed for 72 yards on 20 carries. Chicago's offense was effective in the 1st half but would taper off in the 2nd half as the Vikings defense held the Bears ground game to 90 yards. Kirk Cousins would make his return from COVID protocol and completed 14 of 22 passes for 250 yards with three touchdowns. Dalvin Cook rushed for 79 yards on 14 carries. The Vikings defense would get a pick-six that would be grabbed by Patrick Peterson for 66 yards. The two teams will not make the playoffs.

TW: 3-1; CV: 2-2

Next week:
Chicago: going to Bulls games probably
Minnesota: trying to get Kirk Cousins a vaccine maybe idk.

Green Bay 30, Detroit 37: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
Detroit loses out on the #1 pick, but perhaps the win was needed. Aaron Rodgers would do good things as he completed 14 of 18 passes for 138 yards with two touchdowns. He would sit the 2nd half as his backup Jordan Love would see some playtime. Love would complete 10 of 17 passes for 134 yards with a touchdown but also had two passes intercepted that would help the Lions turn it around in the 2nd half. AJ Dillon rushed for 63 yards with 14 carries. Patrick Taylor would get 53 yards with a touchdown on 11 carries. Jared Goff would make his return after missing a few games with an injury. He completed 21 of 30 passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns. Tom Kennedy would play quarterback on one play as he hit Kalif Raymond for a 75-yard touchdown. Jamaal Williams would rush for 43 yards on 13 carries. Dandre Swift rushed for 30 yards with a touchdown on seven carries. For the Packers they get to have the wild card weekend off to play in the divisional round. For Detroit they will spend another offseason playing golf or something.

TW: 3-2; CV: 2-3

Next week:
Green Bay: 1st round bye then Divisional Round
Detroit: play golf or watch Michigan basketball or something. 

Tennessee 28, Houston 25: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
It looked that the Titans would blow them out but Houston hung around. Ryan Tannehill completed 23 of 32 passes for 287 yards with four touchdowns. Donta Foreman rushed for 69 yards on 21 carries. Imagine that with Derrick Henry coming back for the Divisional round they will keep Foreman in the backup role. Davis Mills completed 23 of 33 passes for 301 yards with three touchdown passes. David Johnson rushed for 28 yards on five carries. The score at halftime would be a 21-0 margin then the Texans would score 10 points in the 3rd quarter and 15 points in the 4th quarter. For Tennessee, they will have the 1st round bye for the first time since 2008. For Houston, the first full year of the post-Bill O'Brien era wasn't great but it could've been worse. 

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

Next week:
Tennessee: 1st round bye for Wild card playoffs
Houston: probably do stuff idk.

Washington 22, NY Giants 7: TW: Football Team; CV: Football Team
What a stinker this one was. Taylor Heinicke would make his return and wouldn't have a lot of say in this game. He completed 9 of 18 passes for 120 yards. Antonio Gibson rushed for 146 yards with a touchdown so he had a bigger say in the game. Jake Fromm State Farm would get the start for the Giants. The passer was less than stellar as he completed 15 of 31 passes for 103 yards with a touchdown pass to Darius Slayton with two interceptions. Fromm also had 53 yards rushing on five carries. Saquon Barkley rushed for 30 yards on 11 carries. The Giants playcalling would be questionable in this one as they used quarterback sneaks more than once in this one. Including a sneak on a 3rd and 9 play on their own 4 yard line. For Washington, they get to spend the offseason. For the Giants, their nightmare of a season ends with a lot of question marks going into their offseason. 

TW: 5-2; CV: 4-3

Next week:
Washington: go visit Washington DC or something
NY Giants: go see a broadway show or something

Indianapolis 11, Jacksonville 26: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
Probably the biggest shitting of the bed of the season for the Colts to lose to the worst team in football. Carson Wentz wasn't spectacular in the game as he completed 17 of 29 passes for 185 yards with a touchdown pass to Michael Pittman with an interception. The Colts would also lose a fumble in the game. Jonathan Taylor would have a decent game as he rushed for 77 yards on 15 carries. Trevor Lawrence would have a good game as he completed 23 of his 32 passes for 223 yards with two touchdowns. Ryquell Armstead rushed for 52 yards on nine carries. Jacksonville would utilize their kicker Matthew Wright a lot but he would hit 4 of 4 field goals. For the Colts, their season ends as the Steelers win over the Ravens would kill their chances of making the playoffs. For the Jaguars, its another season of holding the #1 pick in this spring's draft. 

TW: 5-3; CV: 4-4

Next week:
Indianapolis: become Indiana Pacers fans or something
Jacksonville: Go golf, its Florida, or they could go gator wrestle. 

Pittsburgh 16, Baltimore 13 (F/OT): TW: Steelers; CV: Ravens
It wasn't a pretty game but the Steelers are still alive for the playoffs. Ben Roethlisberger would complete 30 of 44 passes for 244 yards with a touchdown pass to Chase Claypool but also had an interception in the game. Chase Claypool would also be the leading rusher in the game as he had 33 yards rushing on three carries. Najee Harris had 28 yards rushing on 11 carries. TJ Watt would also tie the single-season sack record that was set by Michael Strahan in 2001 with 22 1/2 sacks. Chris Boswell would hit the game-winner from 36 yards. Tyler Huntley would start for the Ravens again and it wasn't a pretty game for him. Huntley completed 16 of 31 passes for 141 yards with two interceptions. Baltimore would also lose a fumble in the game. Latavius Murray rushed for 150 yards with a touchdown run on 16 carries. For the Steelers, their playoff fate hangs in the balance as the result of the Chargers-Raiders can't result in a tie. For the Ravens, their hopeful and once 8-3 record ends in disappointment. 

TW: 6-3; CV: 4-5

Next week:
Pittsburgh: Wild Card playoffs @ Kansas City
Baltimore: Go jet skiing around the Chesapeake Bay. 

Carolina 17, Tampa Bay 41: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tampa locked up the 2nd seed. Sam Darnold would prove to be kind of a factor in the game as he completed 29 of 42 passes for 219 yards with two touchdowns but had an interception. Chuba Hubbard rushed for 48 yards on nine carries. Tom Brady would be very efficient in the game as the passer completed 29 of 37 passes for 326 yards with three touchdowns. Scott Miller would see action in the running game for the Bucs as he rushed for 43 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown would come on a 33-yard run. Keshawn Vaughn rushed for 29 yards with a touchdown. For the Panthers, their season of collapse ends as the Panthers finish with a 2-12 record after starting 3-0. Ouchies. For the Buccaneers, they locked up the 2nd seed in the playoffs. 

TW: 7-3; CV: 5-5

Next week:
Carolina: probably watch Carolina Hurricanes hockey maybe idk
Tampa Bay: Wild Card playoffs vs Philadelphia

New England 24, Miami 33: TW: Patriots; CV: Dolphins
Definitely wasn't a performance from a Patriots team that we've come to expect. Mac Jones completed 20 of 30 passes for 261 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception. Brandon Bolden rushed for 46 yards on seven carries with a touchdown. Damien Harris rushed for 37 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown. Tua Tagovailoa completed 15 of 22 passes for 109 yards with a touchdown pass. Duke Johnson rushed for 117 yards with a touchdown run, definitely crushed the Patriots rush defense. Interesting stat: Miami's sweep of New England is the first time since 2000. Proves to you how much of a domination the Patriots had been.

TW: 7-4; CV: 6-5

Next week:
New England: Wild Card playoffs @ Buffalo
Miami: play shuffleboard and listen to Pitbull probably.

New Orleans 30, Atlanta 20: TW: Saints; CV: Falcons
The Saints won't make the playoffs but they got a win to possibly have good momentum going into 2022. Taysom Hill would hit 7 of 9 passes for 107 yards with a touchdown. Trevor Siemian would also see action in the game as he completed 9 of 15 passes for 71 yards with two touchdown passes. Alvin Kamara was reverting back to his old self as he rushed for 146 yards on 30 carries with a 27-yard run being his longest in the game. Matt Ryan competed 20 of 33 passes for 216 yards with a touchdown but also had an interception in the game. Mike Davis rushed for 30 yards on six carries. Quinton Ollison would get a touchdown on a 19-yard run. For the Saints, their hopeful playoff run ends in the first Post-Brees season but they do have some pieces that can build on for the future. For Atlanta, I'm not sure what's in their future. Matt Ryan isn't a youngin' and their rushing offense could use a piece or two. 

TW: 8-4; CV: 6-6

Next week:
New Orleans: eat gumbo probably
Atlanta: eat at a waffle house, those are in Atlanta right? 

NY Jets 10, Buffalo 27: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills are AFC East champs again. Zach Wilson didn't throw very well as he completed 7 of 20 passes for 87 yards with a touchdown. He also rushed for 24 yards with two rushes. Michael Carter rushed for 19 yards on nine carries. Josh Allen would hit 24 of 45 passes for 239 yards with two touchdowns. Devin Singletary would be a factor in the game as he rushed for 88 yards on 19 carries with a touchdown, his 40-yard run was his longest in this game. Josh Allen rushed for 63 yards on five carries with a 32-yard run being his longest. For the Jets, their season wasn't pretty but I didn't think they'd have four wins this season. Their offseason should really be about getting Zach Wilson some help on the offensive line and a wide receiver to throw to. For the Bills, they're in the playoffs. 

TW: 9-4; CV: 7-6

Next week:
NY Jets: Drive down the Jersey Turnpike a lot
Buffalo: Wild Card playoffs vs New England

Seattle 38, Arizona 30: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Well the Cards kind of let themselves down a bit in this one. Russell Wilson completed 15 of 26 passes for 238 yards with three touchdowns but also had an interception. Rashad Penny was the difference maker in this one as he had 190 yards rushing on 23 carries with a touchdown run. Russell Wilson also scored a touchdown on a 4-yard run to the left. Kyler Murray completed 28 of 39 passes for 240 yards with a touchdown. James Conner rushed for 52 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown. The Cardinals defense would get a fumble-six as Cardale Jones would strip-sack Russell Wilson that would be recovered by Zach Allen. For the Seahawks, a lot of questions are there to be had. Will Russell Wilson leave Seattle? Will Pete Carroll leave as well? For the Cardinals, they're in the playoffs but they seem to be limping into them. 

TW: 9-5; CV: 7-7

Next week:
Seattle: Throw fish in the fish markets
Arizona: Wild Card playoffs @ LA Rams

San Francisco 27, LA Rams 24 (F/OT): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers play spoiler but the Rams still clinch the NFC West. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 23 of 32 passes for 316 yards with a touchdown but also had two passes intercepted. Deebo Samuel played quarterback for one play and hit a 24-yard pass to Jauan Jennings. The play would be a gadget play where Samuel ran to the right and threw a perfect pass. He also rushed for 45 yards on eight carries with a touchdown. Elijah Mitchell rushed for 85 yards on 21 carries. Matthew Stafford completed 21 of 32 passes for 238 yards with three touchdowns with two interceptions. Sony Michel rushed for 43 yards on 21 carries. For the 49ers, they're in the playoffs but they're going to face off against the powerful Dallas Cowboys. For the Rams, they are also in the playoffs and they get to host the Cardinals. 

TW: 10-5; CV: 8-7

Next week:
San Francisco: Wild Card playoffs @ Dallas
LA Rams: Wild Card playoffs vs Arizona

LA Chargers 32, Las Vegas 35: TW: Raiders; CV: Chargers
The Pittsburgh Steelers can thank Brandon Staley for them going to the post season. Justin Herbert would complete 34 of 64 passes for 383 yards with three touchdowns but had a pass intercepted. Austin Ekeler rushed for 64 yards with a touchdown on 16 carries. On the 4th quarter game-tying drive Justin Herbert passed the ball 19 times and was 2 for 2 on 4th down. It had to be a miracle for them to just get a chance to tie the game as they were down 29-14 late in the 4th quarter. The decision that would lead to the Raiders hitting the field goal would be the choice of Brandon Staley using one of his timeouts to stop the clock. The Raiders were more than content to let the time run out and give the impossibility of impossibilities to happen to where both teams would wind up in a tie and go to the playoffs. Derek Carr completed 20 of 36 passes for 186 yards with two touchdowns. Josh Jacobs rushed for 132 yards with a touchdown on 26 carries. Daniel Carlson would be called upon to help win the game. He would hit the kick from 52 yards. It would literally come down to a kick to determine the Steelers fate. For the Chargers, their collapse of a season was complete and they get to spend their offseason for the long haul. For the Raiders they move on to the playoffs and go to Cincinnati. 

TW: 11-5; CV: 8-8

Next week:
LA Chargers: Get to watch the Rams play in the playoffs
Las Vegas: Wild Card Playoffs @ Cinncinnati

The Playoff Field

NFC

1st seed: Green Bay Packers
2nd seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3rd seed: Dallas Cowboys
4th seed: Los Angeles Rams
5th seed: Arizona Cardinals
6th seed: San Francisco 49ers
7th seed: Philadelphia Eagles

Super Wild Card Matchups and kick off times (US Eastern time)

Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay (Sunday; 1:00 pm; FOX)
San Francisco @ Dallas (Sunday; 4:30 pm; CBS/Amazon Prime/Nickelodeon)
Arizona @ LA Rams (Monday; 8:15 pm; ABC/ESPN/ESPN 2)

AFC

1st seed: Tennessee Titans
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs
3rd seed: Buffalo Bills
4th seed: Cincinnati Bengals
5th seed: Las Vegas Raiders
6th seed: New England Patriots
7th seed: Pittsburgh Steelers

Super Wild Card Matchups and kick off times (US Eastern Time)

Pittsburgh @ Kansas City (Sunday; 8:15 pm; NBC)
New England @ Buffalo (Saturday; 8:15 pm; CBS)
Las Vegas @ Cincinnati (Saturday; 4:30 pm; NBC)

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 8-7
Week 12: 8-7
Week 13: 10-4
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3
Week 18: 11-5

Total: 173-98-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 10-5
Week 12: 9-6
Week 13: 7-7
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6
Week 18: 8-8

Total: 167-104-1

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'll see you all sometime on Wednesday or Thursday for the Super Wild Card Weekend picks post! See you then!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 18 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The last week of the regular season is here and 14 of the 32 teams will move on to next weekend for the start of the playoffs. The rest will get to start their golf game early. There's still a few more teams that are still hoping to get to play into next weekend and we'll look into those teams in the playoff picture. Including that we'll get to the picks for the games. Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 18

NFC

Seedings

1st seed: Green Bay Packers (13-3) clinched NFC North and Homefield Advantage
2nd seed: Los Angeles Rams (12-4) clinched playoff berth
3rd seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4) clinched NFC South
4th seed: Dallas Cowboys (11-5) Clinched NFC East
5th seed: Arizona Cardinals (11-5) Clinched playoff berth
6th seed: San Francisco 49ers (9-7) 
7th seed: Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) clinched playoff berth

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Philadelphia @ LA Rams
San Francisco @ Tampa Bay
Arizona @ Dallas

In the hunt:
New Orleans (8-8)

Better luck next year:
Minnesota (7-9), Atlanta (7-9), Washington (6-10), Chicago (6-10), Seattle (6-10), Carolina (5-11), NY Giants (4-12), Detroit (2-13-1)

The Rams can clinch the NFC West with a win or a Cardinals loss. Same thing essentially for the Cardinals. The 49ers can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a Saints loss. Same thing for the Saints. 

AFC

Seedings:

1st seed: Tennessee Titans (11-5) clinched AFC South
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) clinched AFC West
3rd seed: Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) clinched AFC North
4th seed: Buffalo Bills (10-6) clinched playoff berth
5th seed: New England Patriots (10-6) clinched playoff berth
6th seed: Indianapolis Colts (9-7) 
7th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

In the hunt:
Las Vegas (9-7), Pittsburgh (8-7-1), Baltimore (8-8)

Better luck next year:
Miami (8-8), Cleveland (7-9), Denver (7-9), NY Jets (4-12), Houston (4-12), Jacksonville (4-12)

Tennessee can clinch homefield advantage with a win or tie + Chiefs loss or tie. Kansas City can clinch homefield advantage with a win + Titans loss. Cincinnati can clinch homefield advantage with a win + Titans loss + Chiefs loss + Patriots loss or tie. New England can clinch homefield advantage with a win + Bills loss + Chiefs loss + Titans loss. Pittsburgh can clinch a playoff berth with a win + Colts loss + Raider-Chargers doesn't end in a tie. 

Week 18 Preview
The Eighteenth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Denver, Colorado and end in Inglewood, California. The week will have a 16-game slate that will have 32 teams play. The games this week will all be division games. The week features to Saturday games, seven early games, six late games, and a Sunday night game. Both FOX and CBS will have doubleheaders this week. 

Week 18 Picks

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

Kansas City (11-5) @ Denver (7-9) (ABC; 4:30 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Broncos
The Chiefs lost to the Bengals and the Broncos lost to the Chargers last week. Kansas City still has something worthwhile to play as they could play for a 1st round bye and homefield advantage. Denver would like to play spoiler and keep the Chiefs from obtaining that goal. The Broncos quarterback situation isn't really looking that promising to give them the nod. Kansas City's defense really needs go get a better start from them. I think the Chiefs will get a win. 

Dallas (11-5) @ Philadelphia (9-7) (ABC; 8:15 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys lost to the Cardinals and the Eagles beat the Football Team last week. The final week of the season is tricky in that teams are possibly going to rest players and picking them are going to be quite tricky. Safe to say the Cowboys could win as they're in the playoffs but they're not likely getting a higher spot. I'd think the Cowboys could rest. Philadelphia are in the playoffs but division games are also known for bragging rights. The Eagles offense has played well enough to win but Jalen Hurts needs to protect the ball when it matters most. I like the Eagles enough to take them.

Cincinnati (10-6) @ Cleveland (7-9) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Bengals
The Bengals beat the Chiefs and the Browns lost to the Steelers last week. The Bengals will be without Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon for this game. Burrow will be resting and Mixon will be out on COVID protocol. Baker Mayfield won't likely play because he decides now to get a shoulder surgery. Case Keenum will likely get the start and he has some experience in Kevin Stepanski's system. I don't trust the Browns a lot but enough to trust not to take Brandon Allen. 

Chicago (6-10) @ Minnesota (7-9) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Bears beat the Giants and the Vikings lost to the Packers last week. It would likely be head coach Mike Zimmer's last game as he could very well be gone by this time on Monday. The Vikings could possibly get Kirk Cousins back from COVID protocol but if not it could be Sean Mannion or Kellen Mond time. Chicago's quarterback situation is somewhat of an intriguing thing to keep an eye on as both Justin Fields and Andy Dalton have proven to be decent starters but need a better head coach. Matt Nagy will likely be gone as well. I'll take the hometeam.

Green Bay (13-3) @ Detroit (2-13-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Packers beat the Vikings and the Lions lost to the Seahawks last week. Packers head coach Matt LeFleur could possibly rest his starters for the game or give them a quarter or even a half to play. That's what sucks about these pick'ems during the last week of the regular season. Jared Goff won't likely start again so it'll be Tim Boyle time again. As much as I might give the Lions a shot against a Junior Varsity Packers squad, I don't see it happening. 

Indianapolis (9-7) @ Jacksonville (2-14) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Colts lost to the Raiders and the Jaguars lost to the Patriots last week. Indianapolis is still playing for a playoff spot while the Jaguars look to play spoiler. Jacksonville hasn't really played well for a few weeks since Urban Meyer's firing. The Colts haven't won in Jacksonville since 2014 but I feel that their time is due. They need to make it happen. 

Pittsburgh (8-7-1) @ Baltimore (8-8) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Ravens
The Steelers beat the Browns and the Ravens lost to the Rams last week. Pittsburgh is still alive in the playoff hunt but they need some help. Baltimore would love nothing more to end the Steelers hopes and dreams. With the way the Steelers defense is playing I don't really see the Ravens offense being a factor in this game. Ben Roethlisberger would like to get a win and have some bragging rights in his last regular season game of his career. I'll take the Steelers.

Tennessee (11-5) @ Houston (4-12) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Titans beat the Dolphins and the Texans lost to the 49ers last week. Tennessee has something worthwhile to play for as they could lock up the #1 seed with a win. With better news this week that Derrick Henry was activated from IR. Houston could play spoiler in this game. Davis Mills isn't a great quarterback but he isn't terrible. I don't see Houston winning this one. 

Washington (6-10) @ NY Giants (4-12) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Football Team; CV: Football Team
The Football Team lost to the Eagles and the Giants lost to the Bears last week. Both teams aren't really playing for anything major but bragging rights. Washington seems like the better run team and the Giants just can't seem to find their proper footing. Let alone with Mike Glennon as your quarterback. Still next month, Washington will get a new team name. 

Carolina (5-11) @ Tampa Bay (12-4) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Last week the Panthers lost to the Saints and the Buccaneers beat the Jets last week. It'll be curious to see if Antonio Brown's antics last week will be a distraction for the Bucs. I don't see it happening as Tom Brady and Bruce Arians will keep it into perspective for the team. For the Panthers its a frustrating season that will end finally. They just have to get through this game to reach to the end. 

New England (10-6) @ Miami (8-8) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Dolphins
The Patriots beat the Jaguars and the Dolphins lost to the Titans last week. The scenario is this for New England: win and they're division champs, lose and they're not. Miami had aspirations at the beginning of the year to be where the Patriots are at but a 1-7 start didn't help them. Buffalo Bills fans would like to be Dolphins fans for three hours. Sorry Bills Mafia, I don't see the Dolphins doing you any favors. 

New Orleans (8-8) @ Atlanta (7-9) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Falcons
The Saints beat the Panthers and the Falcons lost to the Bills last week. New Orleans still has some hope of making the playoffs but they need some help. Atlanta would like nothing more to end their rival's hopes and dreams in their own home turf. New Orleans has a decent shot as their offense has gotten back to the field and played decent ball. Alvin Kamara really needs to get going in this one. Atlanta is decent as well but they've disappointed more than often. Their offense is good but I'll take the Saints in this one.

NY Jets (4-12) @ Buffalo (10-6) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Jets lost to the Buccaneers and the Bills beat the Falcons last week. Like New England's scenario, its a Win and you're division champion, lose and then you're still a division champion but assuming New England loses as well. With Buffalo playing against the Jets I don't see them losing against a cellar team. At least give me the Buffalo Bills as the AFC East champs. 

Seattle (6-10) @ Arizona (11-5) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Seahawks beat the Lions and the Cardinals beat the Cowboys last week. Seattle is atrocious after a promising season that would get derailed with a Russell Wilson injury. Russell Wilson's future is still up in the air but with Rashad Penny's return as being a valuable running back might convince him to stick around for a bit longer perhaps. Arizona has some thinking to do. If they win they have a shot to win the NFC West and get the #2 seed in the playoffs. If they lose they'll go to a 5th seed and will have to play all their games likely on the road. They would have to contend with the thought of resting starters as Kyler Murray has had a bout of injury bug. In spite of that I feel the Cardinals will take care of business and clinch the NFC West. 

San Francisco (9-7) @ LA Rams (12-4) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Texans and the Rams beat the Ravens last week. San Francisco still has a wild card spot in their favor but they haven't clinched it yet. With them going into a hostile Rams crowd, they could be vulnerable dropping out of the playoff race. The Rams don't have the pressure in trying to clinch a playoff berth but they have the opportunity to clinch their division as well. Matthew Stafford has been hit and miss the last few games. It seems to be a toss-up matchup but I think the 49ers clinch the last playoff spot. 

LA Chargers (9-7) @ Las Vegas (9-7) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Chargers
The Chargers beat the Broncos and the Raiders beat the Colts last week. The regular season wraps up with a win and you're in scenario for the Chargers and the Raiders. Chargers have been playing good on offense with Justin Herbert doing Justin Herbert things. They don't seem to have a problem on defense either as they regularly give up 361 yards/game. Las Vegas has had a roller coaster of a season with the resignation of Jon Gruden to the loss of their former head coach John Madden. The sympathy vote would go to the Raiders who have been playing solid football the last few weeks. On paper the Chargers should take care of business but I'm leaning towards the Raiders as they seem to be a team that's riding on momentum and that's sometimes all you need. 

Early & Late Game TV Pairings (courtesy of 506sports.com, check local listings): 

Note: Games in bold are being show in my area

CBS Early

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Indianapolis @ Jacksonville
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Tennessee @ Houston
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

CBS Late

Carolina @ Tampa Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

NY Jets @ Buffalo
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

New England @ Miami
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

FOX Early

Green Bay @ Detroit
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Cincinnati @ Cleveland
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Washington @ NY Giants
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

Chicago @ Minnesota
Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib

FOX Late

San Francisco @ LA Rams
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Seattle @ Arizona
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

New Orleans @ Atlanta
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being show in your area check out: NFL 2021: Week 18 Maps

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 8-7
Week 12: 8-7
Week 13: 10-4
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3

Total: 162-93-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 10-5
Week 12: 9-6
Week 13: 7-7
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6

Total: 159-96-1

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'll see you all sometime after the Sunday night game or on Monday night for the Week 18 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 17 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought us some quality football as many more teams playoff hopes get dashed and even less teams get their ticket punched to the playoffs. I'll get to those teams and who's in in this week's recap post. Let's get to work!

NFL Week 17 Recap

Jacksonville 10, New England 50: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
New England left no stone unturned against Jacksonville. Trevor Lawrence was very ineffective in the game as he completed 17 of 27 passes for 193 yards with a touchdown pass to Dare Ogunbowale but had three passes grabbed by Patriots players. Dare Ogunbowale rushed for 36 yards on nine carries. Mac Jones played better as he hit 22 of 30 passes for 227 yards with three touchdown passes. New England's running game shined the brightest in this one as Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 107 yards with two touchdowns on 19 carries. Damien Harris rushed for 35 yards with two touchdown runs on nine carries. The victory assured New England of their first playoff berth since Tom Brady's last season in New England in 2019. The division is up for grabs still. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Next week:
Jacksonville vs Indianapolis
New England: @ Miami

Atlanta 15, Buffalo 29: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Buffalo gets the playoff berth while the Falcons are denied a winning season. Matt Ryan was okay in the game but he didn't really set the world on fire with a 13 of 23 pass completions for 197 yards performance. Mike Davis rushed for 42 yards with a touchdown on eight carries. Atlanta would get a safety in the game after a Marquez Stevenson fumble that would get recovered by a Bills player. Josh Allen didn't have that great of a game as he had 11 of 26 completions for 120 yards with three interceptions. Fortunately for the Bills mafia, the Bills running game would step up. Devin Singletary would rack up 110 yards with two touchdowns on 23 carries. Josh Allen would make up for the interceptions with 15 carries with 81 yards rushing with two touchdown runs. The Falcons are eliminated but the Buffalo Bills are in a playoff berth but the division is still up for grabs. 

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Carolina
Buffalo: vs NY Jets

Kansas City 31, Cincinnati 34: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
So I had thought the Bengals would bungle but it would be I that would bungle on the Bengals. Patrick Mahomes had a good day throwing the ball as he completed 26 of 35 passes for 259 yards with two touchdowns as well as had 25 rushing yards. Darrel Williams rushed for 88 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns. The Chiefs offense was hitting on all cylinders in the first half as 28 of the 31 points would be scored. Joe Burrow wouldn't toss another 500+ yard game but the passer did complete 30 of 39 passes for 446 yards with four touchdowns, three of those touchdowns to Ja'Marr Chase. Joe Mixon wouldn't set the world on fire but he did rush for 46 yards on 12 carries. Cincy's defense would really clamp down on the Chiefs in the 2nd half as they would hold the Chiefs to three points in the 2nd half. With the win the Bengals are the AFC North champs for the first time since 2015 while the Chiefs loss slip them down to the 2nd seed. 

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Next week:
Kansas City: @ Denver
Cincinnati: @ Cleveland

LA Rams 20, Baltimore 19: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Matthew Stafford would have a shaky start but would have a better finish. The former Detroit Lions quarterback would complete 26 of 35 passes for 309 yards with two touchdown passes but had two passes picked off. Both interceptions would be grabbed by Ravens player Chuck Clark. Clark would return one of them for a pick-six. Sony Michel would rush for 74 yards with a touchdown. Tyler Huntley completed 20 of 32 passes for 197 yards with an interception. Devonta Freeman rushed for 76 yards on 14 carries. Baltimore would have to rely on their kicker Justin Tucker a lot as he hit a perfect 4 for 4 on field goals. Playoff implications wise the Ravens aren't out of the playoffs but their hopes of a division title are dashed. The Rams are already in the playoffs but need the Cowboys to beat the Cardinals to assure them of a division title. 

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

Next week:
LA Rams: vs San Francisco
Baltimore: vs Pittsburgh

Las Vegas 23, Indianapolis 20: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
How did the Raiders win this game? With the turnovers I have no idea. Derek Carr would have a rough game as he completed 24 of 31 passes for 255 yards passing with a touchdown to Hunter Renfrow but had two passes picked off. Josh Jacobs rushed for 63 yards with a touchdown on 16 carries. Carson Wentz completed 16 of 27 passes for 148 yards with a touchdown pass to T.Y. Hilton. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 108 yards with a touchdown on 20 carries. The Raiders would get a 2-minute drill to finish the game as they would drive down the field to give Daniel Carlson the chance to hit the game-winning field goal. It would be a win that their former coach John Madden would be proud of. Both teams are still alive in the playoff hunt but if it comes down to a Raiders or Colts, the Raiders would have a leg up because of head to head. 

TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2

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

Miami 3, Tennessee 34: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
I felt good about the Titans winning this one and they didn't disappoint. Tua Tagovailoa would have a rough start as he completed 18 of 38 passes for 205 yards with an interception. It wasn't a better game for the Dolphins running attack as Duke Johnson rushed for 49 yards on seven carries. Myles Gaskin rushed for 23 yards on five carries. Ryan Tannehill would play a small role in the win as the passer had 13 of 18 passes completed for 120 yards with two touchdowns. Donta Freeman rushed for 132 yards with a touchdown on 26 carries. Dontrell Hilliard rushed for 45 yards with a touchdown on eight carries with a touchdown. With the win the Titans clinched the AFC South on consecutive seasons since the franchise was the Houston Oilers when they had won three straight American Football League East division titles in the early 1960's. For Miami it surely means that they will fail to make the playoffs after a starting 1-7 and winning seven straight. 

TW: 4-2; CV: 4-2

Next week:
Miami: vs New England
Tennessee: @ Houston

NY Giants 3, Chicago 29: TW: Bears; CV: Bears
It was a game of ineptitude for one team and a game of consistency for the other. Mike Glennon would get the start for the Giants as the passer would complete 4 of his 11 passes with 24 passing yards with two interceptions. Saquon Barkley would have a better game than his quarterback as the runner had 102 yards rushing on 21 carries. Just a rough game in general if you support this once proud franchise. Andy Dalton completed 18 of 35 passes for 173 yards with a touchdown and an interception. David Montgomery would try his hand at playing quarterback as he threw one pass that would be intercepted. At least give him an "E" for effort. Montgomery would have a better time running the football as he rushed for 64 yards on 22 carries with two trips to the endzone. Robert Quinn would also break the franchise sack record with his 18th sack that was held by Hall of Famer Richard Dent. 

TW: 5-2; CV: 5-2

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Washington
Chicago: @ Minnesota

Philadelphia 20, Washington 16: TW: Eagles; CV: Football Team
Thank you once again Eagles for putting my faith in you and being rewarded for it. Jalen Hurts would complete 17 of 26 passes for 214 yards. His running game would provide all the scoring in the game as Boston Scott rushed on 14 carries for 47 yards with two touchdowns. The Eagles would start slow as they would be down 16-7 at halftime. Folk hero Taylor Heinicke would complete 27 of 36 passes for 247 yards with an interception. Jaret Patterson would get the workload for the running game as he rushed for 57 yards on 12 carries with a trip to the endzone in the first half. The Eagles could have a wild card spot locked up assuming the Vikings lose to the Packers. For Washington their slight playoff chances are dashed. 

TW: 6-2; CV: 5-3

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Dallas
Washington: @ NY Giants

Tampa Bay 28, NY Jets 24: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
It was a comeback game for the defending champs but that won't be the story in this game for sad reasons. Tom Brady would have a rough go of it for the first half but would rebound in the 2nd half as he had 34 of 50 passes for 410 yards with three touchdowns as well as had an interception. Keyshawn Vaughn would rush for 31 yards on eight carries for the Bucs running game. Late in the 3rd quarter, Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown was reportedly disgruntled by the team and proceeded to take off his uniform, pads, undershirt on the sidelines and proceeded to head to the locker room. The wide receiver likely played his last game of the season for the Buccaneers and quite honestly his NFL career. Such a shame as I hope he gets help. Zach Wilson would have an alright game as he completed 19 of 33 passes for 234 yards with a touchdown. Michael Carter would rush for 54 yards on three carries with a 55-yard run being the longest in the game. Austin Walter rushed for 49 yards on 14 carries. Ty Johnson rushed for 35 yards with a touchdown. Braxton Berrios would get a rushing touchdown on a Jet Sweep play early in the 1st quarter. 

TW: 7-2; CV: 6-3

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs Carolina
NY Jets: @ Buffalo

Houston 7, San Francisco 23: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
It was the Trey Lance showcase against a terrible excuse for a football team. Davis Mills would play okay but not stellar ball as the passer completed 21 of 32 passes for 163 yards with a touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks with an interception. Rex Burkhead wasn't much of a factor in this game compared to last week as the runner would get 47 yards rushing on 16 carries. Kyle Shanahan would give Trey Lance the nod as Jimmy Garoppolo would be inactive with a thumb injury. The former North Dakota State product completed 16 of 23 passes for 249 yards with two touchdowns to Deebo Samuel and to Elijah Mitchell. He would have an interception in the game. Elijah Mitchell would give his quarterback some great help in the running game as he racked up 119 yards on 21 carries. San Francisco's offense struggled to put points on the board but would score 20 points in the 2nd half and clamped down on the Houston offense. For the Texans they will likely have to get some help to get the #1 pick. For San Francisco they still remain in the wild card playoff but they go against their rival Rams next week.

TW: 8-2; CV: 7-3

Next week:
Houston: vs Tennessee
San Francisco: @ LA Rams

Denver 13, LA Chargers 34: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
It was a good team win for the Chargers. Drew Lock passed the ball alright as he completed 18 of 25 passes for 245 yards with a touchdown pass to Noah Fant. Kendall Hinton would try his hand at a pass on a "Philly Special" play to Drew Lock that looked a bit more shaky than anything. Melvin Gordon would rush for 43 yards on 10 carries. Justin Herbert threw 22 of 31 completions for 237 yards with two touchdowns. Austin Ekeler would get 58 yards rushing with a touchdown run on 17 carries. The Chargers would get their first kick-six since 2012 on a 101-yard return from Andre Roberts who had played on eight NFL teams on a 12-year career. For the Broncos, they're eliminated from the playoffs for the sixth-straight season. For the Chargers they are still in the playoffs as a 7th seed. 

TW: 9-2; CV: 8-3

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

Arizona 25, Dallas 22: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cowboys
I had faith in the Cardinals but Cardinal Viking had none. So sad. Kyler Murray would play solid football as the passer completed 26 of 38 passes with two touchdown passes to Antoine Wesley. Chase Edmonds would rush for 53 yards on 18 carries. Kyler Murray would use his legs a bit in this game as he had 44 yards rushing on nine carries. Dak Prescott had similar numbers to Murray. The passer would have 24 of 38 completions for 226 yards with three touchdown passes. Dak Prescott's legs would be the leading rusher for Big D as he had 20 yards rushing on five carries. Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 16 yards on nine carries. The big difference to me is the time of possession as the Cardinals ran the ball fairly well and the Cowboys didn't. Dallas is likely out of the running for the 1st seed but they're still not going to fall below worse than the 4th seed. Arizona's division hopes are still alive but they will need help from the 49ers to beat the Rams. 

TW: 10-2; CV: 8-4

Next week:
Arizona: vs Seattle
Dallas: @ Philadelphia

Carolina 10, New Orleans 18: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
One more week after this and your disaster of a season will be over Carolina. Sam Darnold started for the Panthers and the passer wasn't great. He had 16 of 26 passes for 132 yards with an interception. Chuba Hubbard would be the bright spot for the Panthers as the runner got 55 yards rushing on 17 carries with a touchdown that would come in the 2nd quarter. Taysom Hill would make his return and had similar numbers to Darnold. The passer had 17 of 28 completions for 222 yards with a touchdown pass to Alvin Kamara. The touchdown would be the Saints first since Week 14 against the Jets. He would also have 45 yards rushing on 12 carries. Alvin Kamara rushed for 32 yards on 13 carries. With the win, the Saints are still alive for a playoff spot but they will need help to get in. 

TW: 11-2, CV: 9-4

Next week:
Carolina: @ Tampa Bay
New Orleans: @ Atlanta

Detroit 29, Seattle 51: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Rain was pouring down in Seattle but Russell Wilson and company would not be denied. Tim Boyle would get another start for the Lions but wasn't great. Boyle had 22 of 37 completions for 262 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. The Lions running game would provide the scoring as well as Anthony St. Brown racked up 23 yards with a touchdown. Jamaal Williams rushed for 22 yards with a touchdown. Dandre Swift rushed for 32 yards on four carries. His longest was from 31 yards. Russell Wilson might've played his last game in a Seahawks uniform but the passer would provide a show for the masses. He had 20 of 29 completions for 236 yards with four touchdowns, three of them to DK Metcalf. Rashad Penny had a stellar day on the ground as the runner had 170 yards with two touchdowns on 25 carries. 

TW: 12-2; CV: 10-4

Next week:
Detroit: vs Green Bay
Seattle: @ Arizona

Minnesota 10, Green Bay 37: TW: Packers; CV: Vikings
The game was a demolition and Aaron Rodgers was merciless. Sean Mannion would get the start for the Vikings over Kirk Cousins as Cousins tested positive for COVID. The former Oregon State product would get 22 of 36 completions for 189 yards with a touchdown pass to KJ Osborn. Kellen Mond would come in for a series and provide a solid 2 of 3 passing for 5 yards. Sean Mannion would outrun Dalvin Cook in this game as he had 14 yards rushing to Dalvin Cook's 13 yards. Aaron Rodgers completed 29 of 38 with 288 yards passing for two touchdowns to Davante Adams and Allen Lazard. Aaron Jones would get 76 yards rushing on eight carries. AJ Dillon rushed for 63 yards for two touchdowns on 14 carries. Green Bay's defense would hold down the Vikings offense for 206 total yards in this game. In the end, the Vikings will miss the playoffs for the 2nd straight season while the Packers clinched the 1st seed in the NFC playoffs. Safe to say it might be high time for the Vikings to dismiss/fire head coach Mike Zimmer. 

TW: 12-3; CV: 10-5

Next week:
Minnesota: vs Chicago
Green Bay: @ Detroit

Cleveland 14, Pittsburgh 26: TW: Steelers; CV: Browns
Pittsburgh is still alive and that's all that matters. Baker Mayfield started for the Browns and didn't look that great in possibly his last trip to Pittsburgh as a Brown. He completed 16 of 38 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Obviously not a great night for him as both touchdowns would come in the 2nd half. Nick Chubb provided some help for the Browns offense as he racked up 58 yards rushing on 12 carries. Ben Roethlisberger would play in his last home game at Heinz Field and the passer didn't have a spectacular game but for emotions sake, we'll give him a tip of the hat. Roethlisberger threw 24 of 46 passes for completion for 123 yards with a touchdown pass to Diontae Johnson and had an interception that was grabbed shortly before halftime. Najee Harris would carve up the Browns as he had 188 yards rushing on 28 carries for a touchdown. The touchdown would come on a 37-yard run that would come on the final minutes of the game. For the Browns it will assure them of not getting a consecutive winning season and no playoffs for them after high hopes of being a Super Bowl contender. For the Steelers they did what they had to and they won and kept their playoff hopes alive even if its a slim margin. 

TW: 13-3; CV: 10-6

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Cincinnati
Pittsburgh: @ Baltimore

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 8-7
Week 12: 8-7
Week 13: 10-4
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3

Total: 162-93-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 10-5
Week 12: 9-6
Week 13: 7-7
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6

Total: 159-96-1

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 for the regular season finale Week 18 picks post for Wednesday! See you then!

-Tom