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