NFL 2022 Week 8 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was offered us some trick and treats on this Halloween week of Football. Such tricks like the Broncos showing us some competencies in offense and the Jets tricking us in thinking they're a great football team. Some treats included the Eagles stomping out the Steelers and Bill Belichick becoming the 2nd all-time winningest head coach behind Don Shula. In this post, I'll do a recap of the week's action. Let's get to work!

Week 8 Recap

Baltimore 27, Tampa Bay 22: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Ravens
Trouble brewing in Tampa? Might be so. Lamar Jackson was good in orchestrating the Ravens offense as the passer hit 27 of 38 passes for 238 yards with two touchdown passes to Isaiah Likely (nice last name buddy) and to Kenyan Drake. Devin Duvernay would score the only rushing touchdown for the Ravens on a 15-yard run to the left. Baltimore's run defense would shine in this game as they would hold the Bucs rushing attack to 44 total yards. Gus Edwards had 65 yards rushing. Kenyan Drake had 62 yards rushing. Lamar Jackson had 43 yards rushing. Tom Brady would hit 26 of his 44 passes for 325 yards with a touchdown pass to Julio Jones, a pass target that hasn't quite had the seasons of old lately. Leonard Fournette would have a tough time running the ball as he would get 24 yards rushing on nine carries. The lone bright spot was that Fournette had a rushing touchdown. A blemish for the running back was a false start on 4th down. Tom Brady had choice words to say to him. For the Ravens, the win moves them to 5-3. For the Buccaneers, the loss puts them at 3-5 and for Tom Brady the record puts him in a bind for the first time since 2002. He also gets to deal with a messy divorce likely. 

Next week:
Baltimore: @ New Orleans (Monday night)
Tampa Bay: vs LA Rams

TW: 0-1; CV: 1-0

Denver 21, Jacksonville 17: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
What the hell Jacksonville, you really made your 2nd home look bad. Russell Wilson has faced scrutiny so far in 2022 and in this game was neither great nor pathetic. Wilson hit 18 of 30 passes for 252 yards with a touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy. He would also have a pass intercepted by 3rd year player Tyson Campbell. Latavius Murray would hit the ground for 46 yards with a touchdown. Melvin Gordon had 29 yards rushing with a touchdown as well. The Murray touchdown would put the Broncos in the lead for good with 1:47 left in the game. Trevor Lawrence would regress in this game as he hit 18 of 31 passes for 133 yards with a touchdown to Evan Engram. The regression would be in part to the two passes that Lawrence would throw. Travis Etienne had a stellar game in the Jaguars running game as the runner had 156 yards rushing on 24 carries. The performance really soured the rest of the offense's play for this game. It was somehow a queasy game on offense for both teams as they were combined 6 for 22 on 3rd down conversions. For the Broncos, the win was ugly but a 3-5 record is still uglier. For the Jaguars, it is their 5th straight loss after this team started a 2-1 record. 

Next week:
Denver: @ Tennessee
Jacksonville: vs Las Vegas

TW: 0-2; CV: 1-1

Arizona 26, Minnesota 34: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
A close game but the Cards fall short in Minnesota. Kyler Murray hit 31 of 44 passes for 326 yards with three touchdown passes to DeAndre Hopkins, Ronale Moore and Zach Ertz. Murray would face the frights of the Vikings defense as he would get picked off two times in this game. Murray was also sacked four times including the last play of the game. He also was the leading rusher of the Cardinals with 36 yards. Elijah Benjamin had 22 yards rushing. Kirk Cousins had a solid game throwing the ball as he hit 24 of 36 passes for 232 yards with two touchdowns. Dalvin Cook had a great time devouring the Cardinals rush defense as he had 111 yards with a touchdown. Alexander Mattison and Kirk Cousins had a touchdown each to their name in this game. It was yet another nailbiter for the Vikings faithful as the Cards had a chance to possibly tie this game but back-to-back sacks from the Vikings defense would prove to be the saving grace for them. For the Cardinals, the loss puts them at 3-5 on the year. For the Vikings, the win moves them to 6-1 with a lot of season left for them. 

Next week:
Arizona: vs Seattle
Minnesota: @ Washington

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

Chicago 29, Dallas 49: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
I felt it would be a Cowboys win but I didn't think it would be that much of a win. Justin Fields hit 17 of 23 passes for 151 yards with two touchdowns to Cole Kmet and Nkeal Harry. Khalil Herbert had 99 yards rushing with a touchdown. Justin Fields had 60 yards rushing with a touchdown. David Montgomery had 53 yards. Chicago had more rushing yards in this game than Dallas by a 240 to 200 yard total. Dak Prescott had 21 of 27 passes for 250 yards with two touchdowns to CeeDee Lamb and Jake Ferguson with an interception. It would be Tony Pollard that had the solid game for the Cowboys as he ran for 131 yards rushing with three touchdowns. He had a 54-yard run that would score a touchdown. Dak Prescott would score a touchdown with his legs on a 7-yard run in the 1st quarter. Dallas' defense would join the fun as Micah Parsons recovered a Fields fumble and scored it for a touchdown. For the Bears, the loss puts them in a rough 3-5 mark for 2022. For the Cowboys, they move to 6-2 with a bye next week. 

Next week:
Chicago: vs Miami
Dallas: Bye

TW: 2-2; CV: 3-1

Las Vegas 0, New Orleans 24: TW: Saints; CV: Raiders
It was all Alvin Kamara for scoring and the Raiders being held to 183 yards on offense. Derek Carr had 15 of 26 passes for 101 yards with an interception. Jarrett Stidham would see some playing time as he hit 8 of 13 passes for 72 yards. Josh Jacobs had 43 yards in the game rushing. The 183 total yards and 56 total plays would turn into an awful 3.3 yards per play. Andy Dalton had 22 of 30 passes for 229 yards with two touchdowns to Alvin Kamara. Alvin Kamara would rush for 62 yards with a touchdown run. The Saints would have 367 total yards on 63 plays to have a better number of 5.8 yards per play. For the Raiders, it was an awful showcase for a team that had made the playoffs last year as they now have a 2-5 record. For the Saints, it is their third win of the season as they now have the same record as the Buccaneers. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: @ Jacksonville
New Orleans: vs Baltimore (Monday night)

TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2

Carolina 34, Atlanta 37 (F/OT): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
DJ Moore with the catch of the game and Eddy Pineiro with the gaffe of the game. PJ Walker hit 19 of 36 passes for 317 yards with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore in the final minute of the game. Walker also had a pass intercepted in the game. The touchdown pass would come on a prayer pass that would land in the arms of DJ Moore that would tie the game at 34. An unsportsmanlike penalty would be applied to Carolina as Moore had taken off his helmet after catching the ball. The penalty would make Eddy Pineiro's job a bit difficult. Donta Foreman had 118 yards rushing with three touchdowns. Eddy Pineiro would hit 2 of 3 field goals and 2 of 3 point afters. The missed extra point would go wide left, taking a page out of the Blair Walsh and Gary Anderson playbook. Marcus Mariota had 20 of 28 passes for 253 yards with three touchdown passes to Kyle Pitts, Damiere Byrd and Tyler Allgeier. Caleb Huntley had 91 yards rushing on 16 carries. Younghoe Koo would hit the game-winning field goal from 41-yards. For the Panthers, the game was in their hands and mistakes cost them in the end. For the Falcons, the close win puts them at a remarkable 4-4 record in 2022.

Next week:
Carolina: @ Cincinnati
Atlanta: vs LA Chargers

TW: 4-2; CV: 4-2

Miami 31, Detroit 27: TW: Dolpins; CV: Dolphins
The Dolphins would find a way to win as they were down 27-17 at halftime. Tua Tagovailoa had 29 of 36 passes completed for 382 yards with two touchdown passes to Jaylen Waddle and one to Mike Gesicki. Raheem Mostert hit the ground running as he had 64 yards rushing. Alec Ingold had a touchdown run from a 1-yard run. Jared Goff hit 27 of 37 passes for 321 yards with a touchdown pass to Dandre Swift. Jamaal Williams had 53 yards rushing and had two touchdown runs. Detroit had a score on their first five possessions in the game. After halftime, the Lions would be shutdown. For the Dolphins, they move to 5-3 after a rough stretch of losing three straight games. All five of their wins would come with Tua Tagovailoa starting and finishing a game. For the Lions, the loss puts them at 1-6 at 2022. At least they scored more than six points. 

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

TW: 5-2; CV: 5-2

New England 22, NY Jets 17: TW: Patriots; CV: Jets
Happy day for Bill Belichick as he passed George Halas for 2nd place in all-time wins as head coach. His team also won their 13th straight game against the New York Jets. Mac Jones would start and finish in this game. Jones had 24 of 35 passes for 194 yards with a touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers at the start of the 3rd quarter. He would also have a pass intercepted. Rhamondre Stevenson had 71 yards rushing with a 35-yard long run being his longest. Nick Folk would have his leg tested in this game as the kicker hit 5 of 5 field goals with a 52-yard kick being the longest. Zach Wilson was a gunslinger in this game as he had 20 of his 41 passes for 355 yards passing with two touchdowns to Tyler Conklin. Wilson would bear the brunt of the Patriots pass defense as he was picked off three times. Michael Carter would carry the load for the Jets on running the football with 26 yards. The loss of Breece Hall had to hurt for the Jets. Hall would be out for the season with a Knee/ACL injury. For the Patriots, it was not a great offensive game but they're back to a 4-4 record in 2022. For the Jets, the loss ends their four-game winning streak. 

Next week:
New England: vs Indianapolis
NY Jets: vs Buffalo

TW: 6-2; CV: 5-3

Pittsburgh 13, Philadelphia 35: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The ghosts of the 1972 Miami Dolphins get to stick around for at least another week as the Eagles are still unbeaten. It was a doozy of a game for Kenny Pickett as he hit 25 of his 38 passes for 191 yards with an interception. It would the Steelers 9th interception in 2022. Najee Harris and Chase Claypool would play quarterback in this game as Harris had a completed pass for four yards. Claypool would find the endzone to Derek Watt on a 1-yard pass play. Jaylen Warren would have 50 yards rushing in this game for the Steelers. Pickett and Harris had 37 and 32 yards rushing in this game respectively. Jalen Hurts would do his thing as he hit 19 of 28 passes for 285 yards for four touchdowns, three of them went to AJ Brown. Brown had 156 receiving yards with six catches. Miles Sanders had 78 yards rushing with a touchdown. It was a dominating effort as the Eagles averaged 7.6 yards per play. The Steelers oddly enough had 34:18 time of possession compared to the Eagles 25:42. The biggest takeaway was the Steelers hitting converting just one 3rd down out of 12 times. For the Steelers, the record puts them at 2-6 with the mountain being higher and higher. For the Eagles, they are still at 7-0 and with the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, it has to be a good time in Philadelphia. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: Bye
Philadelphia: @ Houston (Thursday night)

TW: 7-2; CV: 6-3

Tennessee 17, Houston 10: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
It was a Derrick Henry and Texans offense ineptitude type of game, just like I thought it would be. Malik Willis would only toss 6 of 10 passes for 55 yards with an interception. It would be the Titans running game that would do the rest of the offensive workload. Derrick Henry had 32 carries with 219 yards rushing with two touchdowns. He had a 41-yard run that was the longest in the game. Dontrell Hilliard would have 83 yards rushing. Davis Mills would fare a bit better than his counterpart as he hit 17 of 29 passes for 152 yards with a touchdown pass to Dameon Pierce in the 4th quarter late. He also tossed an interception. Houston's running game would not do well compared to Tennessee's. Dameon Pierce had 35 yards rushing on 15 carries. The stats in the game don't really compare to the final score. It felt like the Titans won it by a 35-10 margin. For the Titans, hopefully Malik Willis will do more to help out on offense but a 5-2 record is quite pleasing to the Titans faithful. For the Texans, they still sit alone in the AFC South cellar at 1-5-1. 

Next week:
Tennessee: @ Kansas City (Sunday night)
Houston: vs Philadelphia (Thursday night)

TW: 8-2; CV: 7-3

San Francisco 31, LA Rams 14: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Rams will have to wait until 2023 to beat their in-state rivals in the regular season. Jimmy Garoppolo would play well in the game as he hit 21 of 25 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns to Christian McCaffrey and to George Kittle. Christian McCaffrey played quarterback for a 34-yard pass play that would go to Brandon Aiyuk in the 2nd quarter. He also added 94 yards rushing with a touchdown. Overall, McCaffrey had a passing, rushing, and a receiving touchdown to his name. He became the 2nd player to have that statistic since LaDanian Tomlinson did it in 2005. Matthew Stafford would complete 66% of his passes as he hit 22 of 33 passes for 187 yards with a touchdown to Cooper Kupp. Stafford would scramble to the right for a touchdown that would eat up 9:21 possession time at the start of the 1st quarter. Ronnie Rivers would be the leading rusher for the Rams as he ran for 21 yards on eight carries. The 49ers defense would hold the Rams to 223 total yards. For the 49ers, they get back to a 4-4 record after a disappointment last week against the Chiefs. For the Rams, the defending champs drop to 3-4 with the hangover still lingering with them. 

Next week:
San Francisco: Bye
LA Rams: @ Tampa Bay 

TW: 9-2; CV: 8-3

Washington 17, Indianapolis 16: TW: Commanders; CV: Colts
The folk hero does his best Mighty Mouse impression. Taylor Heinicke would have a decent game for the Commanders as he completed 23 of 31 passes for 279 yards with a touchdown that would come on the final minute in the 2nd quarter. He would throw an interception down the middle. Heinicke would get a rushing touchdown on a quarterback sneak that would squeak past the goal line in the final minute. Overall he had 29 yards rushing in the game. Curtis Samuel would also have 29 yards rushing. "Scary" Terry McLaurin had 113 yards receiving off six catches. Samuel Ehlinger would get his first start of his career. He would tally a total of 201 passing and 15 rushing yards off of 17 of 23 passes completed. He wouldn't throw a touchdown pass but he didn't toss an interception either. Nyheim Hines would have the lone touchdown for the Colts while putting in 20 yards rushing in the game. Jonathan Taylor would make his return after an injury with 76 yards rushing but would have a costly fumble in the red zone. Interestingly this is the first win against the Colts for Washington in five games. You would have to go back to 10/27/2002 for the last time Washington had beaten them. For the Commanders, it is their 3rd straight win in a highly competitive NFC East. For the Colts, the Ehlinger era begins in earnest while they suffer another loss. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Minnesota
Indianapolis: @ New England

TW: 10-2; CV: 8-4

NY Giants 13, Seattle 27: TW: Seahawks; CV: Giants
Sometimes I hate that I get picks right at times. Daniel Jones would get the start for the G-men in this game and wouldn't quite have a great game. He finished the game with 176 yards passing with 17 of his 31 passes for completion along with 20 yards rushing. Saquon Barkley would cross the end zone plane once in this game while putting in 53 yards rushing. Darius Slayton would get 66 receiving yards on five catches. It was supposed to be a solid matchup for Saquon Barkley who was the NFL's leading rusher from scrimmage against one of the worst rush defenses in the league. Barkley had not rushed for under 70 yards since last season against Green Bay. Geno Smith was solid in the game as he hit 23 of his 34 passes for 212 yards with two touchdowns to Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, his big targets. Kenneth Walker III had a similar game to Barkley with 51 yards rushing with a touchdown run. For the Giants, it is their first loss since losing to the Cowboys in Week 3 but still have a 6-2 record to show for it. For the Seahawks, the win keeps them ahead of the NFC West standings at 5-3 with the 49ers moving up. 

Next week:
NY Giants: Bye
Seattle: @ Arizona

TW: 11-2; CV: 8-5

Green Bay 17, Buffalo 27: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
It was a better showcase on offense for the Packers but they still fell short of a win. Aaron Rodgers hit 19 of 30 passes for 203 yards with two touchdowns to Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure. Buffalo would have a hard time stopping the running legs of Aaron Jones as he had 143 yards rushing on 20 carries. AJ Dillon had 54 yards rushing. The offense could sustain drives and help keep Josh Allen off the field as the Packers had the ball for 33:48 of game time. Tensions would get heated as Packers linebacker Quay Walker got into a scuffle with Bills tight end Zach Davidson. Walker would get ejected. Josh Allen wouldn't quite have the game that he's had in the past few games. Allen had 13 of 25 passes for 218 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions along with 49 yards rushing. Isaiah McKenzie had a rushing touchdown. Devin Singletary had 67 yards rushing with a 30-yard run being his longest in the game. Stefon Diggs had 108 yards receiving with a touchdown with six catches. He would also get into a shouting match with Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander. Safe to say Diggs would win the day. For the Packers, they're still looking for their first win in Buffalo as they are winless in Orchard Park. For the Bills, they have a mark of 6-1 for their record. It is their best since 1993 when they last went to the Super Bowl. 

Next week:
Green Bay: @ Detroit
Buffalo: @ NY Jets

TW: 12-2; CV: 9-5

Cincinnati 13, Cleveland 32: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Okay Cleveland, we see you. Joe Burrow would play an okay game in this Battle of Ohio as he hit 25 of 35 passes for 232 yards with two touchdown passes to Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd in the 4th quarter. He would also throw an interception. At which point the game was over. The Cincy running game that had been stellar would go silent for this game. Joe Mixon would have 27 yards rushing on eight carries. Though at one point the game was so lopsided the Bengals had no choice but to pass. Jacoby Brissett would take a secondary role but did provide good offense with 17 of 22 passes for 278 yards with a touchdown pass to Amari Cooper. Amari Cooper would play quarterback for one pass but would be intercepted. Jacoby Brissett would get a rushing touchdown as well as had 12 yards. Nick Chubb would get 23 carries for 101 yards with two touchdowns. One of them was from the 2nd quarter that would be on a direct snap. He would also get a 2-point conversion on the next play. For the Bengals, their record drops to 4-4 and will need to have a better game in scoring points and keep opponents out of the endzone. For the Browns, they get their 3rd win after losing four straight games. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Carolina
Cleveland: Bye

TW: 12-3; CV: 9-6

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5
Week 8: 12-3

Total: 71-51-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6
Week 8: 9-6

Total: 63-59-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 9 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 8 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. With just over 10 weeks of the regular season left the 2022 season still has many teams hoping for a run while those hoping for a better future. For games I'm keeping an eye on I'll check out: Ravens-Buccaneers, Patriots-Jets, Cardinals-Vikings, 49ers-Rams, and Bengals-Browns. Let's get to work!

Week 8 Preview

The eight week of the NFL's regular season starts in Tampa, Florida and ends in Cleveland, Ohio. It features a 15-game slate where 30 teams will play. Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers have a bye this week. The week features a Thursday night game, a Sunday morning game, seven early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will have the doubleheader this week and CBS will carry the single, regional game. Let's get to the picks! 

Week 8 Picks

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

Baltimore (4-3) @ Tampa Bay (3-4) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Ravens
The Ravens beat the Browns and the Buccaneers lost to the Panthers. The week starts off with a fairly entertaining matchup between the GOAT and the former MVP in Lamar Jackson. Tampa has had a rough start to offense and hasn't been really themselves. One stat that proves it is their point differential of 0. The offense really needs to get back to basics and give the ball to their playmakers and get their running game going. Baltimore had made it a meme for them to have a lead and then blow it in the end. Last week against the Browns proved that they can have the confidence to do such things. The short week will affect both teams but do I really want to go against Tom Brady. I feel the Bucs will get back to basics in this game. 

Denver (2-5) @ Jacksonville (2-5) (ESPN+; 9:30 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
Both teams lost last week as the Broncos lost to the Jets and the Jaguars lost to the Giants. First time I believe that this game will be on  streaming service. I can't really blame the NFL in giving them this game. Both teams are a doozy. Trevor Lawrence have been competitive in the games they've lost so its not like their offense is inept. Compared to Denver's offense at least. Russell Wilson looks like more of a bust in Denver than he did in Seattle. Trevor Lawrence has been a bit of a gunslinger, some passes hit and some passes don't. When they don't they usually go to the opposition. This game seems like a toss-up but I trust the Jaguars a bit more than the Broncos. 

Arizona (3-4) @ Minnesota (5-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Cardinals beat the Saints and the Vikings had a bye last week. Arizona seems to have been moving on a better direction of late. Marquise Brown and DeAndre Hopkins in the lineup has to be a factor in this. Minnesota had a week off and could possibly have some rust in this matchup. Typically early byes have effects on the team in that they get a break early and then a longer marathon later. Minnesota typically does good with such issues. I like the matchup of Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen against the Cardinals secondary. A defense mind you that gives up 271.9 yards/game so far in 2022. I'll take the Vikes. 

Carolina (2-5) @ Atlanta (3-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
The Panthers beat the Buccaneers and the Falcons lost to the Bengals last week. Carolina had the upset of the week against the defending NFC South champion Buccaneers last week. It has to make you feel good that despite losing two key contributors on offense in one week and then do something like that against a division rival in Tampa. I don't see the good vibes continuing into this week but anything can happen in the NFL. Atlanta has been holding steady to exceeding expectations of them prior to the season. They were expected to be bottom dwellers and not at 3-4. I like Marcus Mariota in the game as he could beat the Panthers in his arm and his legs. I do like the balance of Atlanta's offense as well. I'll take the Falcons in a squeaker. 

Chicago (3-4) @ Dallas (5-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The two teams won last week as the Bears beat the Patriots and the Cowboys beat the Lions. Justin Fields and company had a great game against a Patriots team that was in flux. They go into Dallas in a game where the Cowboys aren't nearly as inconsistent at quarterback. I like the Bears running game but I do question their effectiveness against the Cowboys defense. Dak Prescott looked alright in last week's game. I think the Dallas defense will have their day against Justin Fields in this game. 

Las Vegas (2-4) @ New Orleans (2-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Raiders
The Raiders had beat the Texans and the Saints lost to the Cardinals last week. It hasn't been an easy season for both teams. The Raiders have a new head coach and the Saints do as well. Derek Carr has had a decent season and his offense has been alright but not great. I was expecting something better for them. New Orleans almost had a win last week and they have kind of the same issues as Las Vegas. Questions on offense and kind of also on defense too. They do have Taysom Hill who can go off in a game and can be a game changer. It feels like a game where they could use Hill and do well. I'll take the Saints. 

Miami (4-3) @ Detroit (1-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Dolphins beat the Steelers and the Lions lost to the Cowboys last week. At one point the Dolphins were 3-0 and at one point the Lions held the highest scoring offense. Both realities seem like weeks ago and they were. Miami's win last week regained some belief that their offense will be back to efficient ball. Along with their high scoring offense the Lions also have the dead last scoring defense in the NFL. At one point I feel the Dolphins will put up points in this game. Detroit has some decent pieces but Jared Goff will have to go off on a tear if they want to win in this game. As much as I want the Lions to succeed I just don't see it happening as they really don't have the complete package on both sides to win. 

New England (3-4) @ NY Jets (5-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Jets
The Patriots lost to the Bears and the Jets beat the Broncos last week. New England has a quarterback controversy in their midst. Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe have played for New England and as much as Zappe plays well it is likely that Jones will start in this game. As much as I want Zappe to start, this team is still New England's quarterback. If Jones doesn't play well in this game then I would think that they would go with Zappe. For the Jets, they have Zach Wilson. The reason why they're 5-2 is Breece Hall and like all good things for the Jets, they take a turn for the worst. Hall is likely to be out for the season. As much as I think the Jets have a shot to win I'll take the Patriots and their running game. 

Pittsburgh (2-5) @ Philadelphia (6-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Steelers lost to the Dolphins and the Eagles had a bye last week. A battle of Pennsylvania! Kenny Pickett has had a rough season so far and the team around him should be a lot better but doesn't seem to be the case. Their running game needs to get back to better play in this game. What they face is the only undefeated team this season in the Philadelphia Eagles. Philly has had both sides of the ball playing well. I think they will need to not get the undefeated talk get into their heads as the Steelers would like nothing more than to knock them off their porch. Pittsburgh can do that in limiting Jalen Hurts on the ground. If they can slow him down and keep him off the field then they got a shot to take down the undefeated Eagles. I don't see it happening. 

Tennessee (4-2) @ Houston (1-4-1) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Titans beat the Colts and the Texans lost to the Raiders last week. An AFC South showdown! Tennessee hasn't been a spectacular 4-2 but they do have had a good a 4-2 record. They could head into a trap game against the Texans. Ryan Tannehill has been more of a control the tempo, field general quarterback and Derrick Henry has been the rock in the Titans offense. Houston has Davis Mills who is probably the best shot for the Texans to have some success in 2022 and beyond. For a passer he is decent but the team around him isn't that great. Houston doesn't have a great defense either. I would force Ryan Tannehill beat you if I was the Texans. I would just run the ball if you were the Titans. 

NY Giants (6-1) @ Seattle (4-3) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Giants
The Giants beat the Jaguars and the Seahawks beat the Chargers last week. New York has had a turnaround season compared to last year. The reason why is really the culture that Brian Daboll has installed into his ballclub and the health of the team. Seattle has currently the top spot in the NFC West standings as the other teams are in 3-4. The time difference might play into the Giants play into this game as there is a three-hour difference and they don't typically play well on the west coast. I think the good feelings for the Giants will deflate a bit in this game. I mean there has to be a bit of a letdown for them. Geno Smith has played well in the Geno Smith-Russell Wilson comparison. The loss of Rashaad Penny to the running attack was at first going to be a problem but Kenneth Walker has been playing well. I think it'll be a Seahawks win but the G-men could make it a game. 

San Francisco (3-4) @ LA Rams (3-3) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers lost to the Chiefs and the Rams had a bye last week. The rivalry renews as the 49ers and Rams play in the 2nd game of the season series. The Rams had a week off and with it hopefully they can figure out how to get back to a winning track. Hopefully I think Matthew Stafford will find himself and not try so hard. Hopefully the Rams offense can stop trying to overthink and go back to basics and run the ball. San Francisco really need to get back to playing better as well. They need to limit turnovers and let Christian McCaffrey loose on the Rams defense. I always think that McCaffrey could be used as a pass catcher than just a runner. If Cooper Kupp is doubled then give it to McCaffrey. I think the 49ers beating the Rams meme continues into this game and will have to wait until 2023 for them to beat the 49ers in the regular season. 

Washington (3-4) @ Indianapolis (3-3-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Commanders; CV: Colts
The Commanders beat the Packers and the Colts lost to the Titans last week. Washington had a boost to their offense with folk hero Taylor Heinicke at quarterback. Indianapolis will turn to 3rd year quarterback Sam Ehlinger for the rest of the season. Ehlinger played college ball at the University of Texas-Austin. The quarterback will be making his first start in his career. I'm not sure what to expect in this game for the Colts but if Matt Ryan was the rock bottom to their offense, Ehlinger can't possibly do any worse. I'll go with Washington as they have been a great a city for hospitality during my vacation to Washington DC this week. I'll give it to them in this game. 

Green Bay (3-4) @ Buffalo (5-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Packers lost to the Commanders and the Bills had a bye last week. Green Bay has had a rough last few weeks after going 3-1. There's not really one lone issue to the Packers but I would say that the overthinking of their offense has to be one. I think it should also be a return to their running game in this game as well. If the Packers can get quick passes to their receivers to overcome the Buffalo blitz, they have a good shot to win. Buffalo has been on a tear much to be expected for 2022. A key for victory for the Bills will be to shut down the receivers of Green Bay by playing man defense. I'll take the Bills in this game what seems like a David vs Goliath matchup. 

Cincinnati (4-3) @ Cleveland (2-5) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The Bengals beat the Falcons and the Browns lost to the Ravens last week. Week 8 finishes up with the Battle of Ohio. Cincy has had a bit of a hangover but has played better in the last few weeks. Last week's performance against Atlanta was impressive. Granted Atlanta was supposed to be not that great this season. The key to their success in 2022 has been really the health of Joe Burrow and a defense that might be better than last year. Cleveland had a solid 2-1 start but the fact is that they've dropped four straight games. The reason for this has been their offense and arguably their head coach's play calling. I find it hard to state that the Browns will take this game but they do have a great defensive line that could put the offensive line of the Bengals to the test. I don't trust Browns but if their offense can go off in this game, it could be trouble for the Bengals. 

Early & Late TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings.

CBS Single

Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

New England @ NY Jets
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Las Vegas @ New Orleans
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Miami @ Detroit
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Tennessee @ Houston (Late)
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

FOX Early

Chicago @ Dallas
Adam Amin, Daryl Johnston

Carolina @ Atlanta
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Arizona @ Minnesota
Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth

FOX Late

San Francisco @ LA Rams
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen

NY Giants @ Seattle
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Washington @ Indianapolis
Brandon Gaudin, Robert Smith

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2022: Week 8 Maps

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5

Total: 59-48-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6

Total: 54-53-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

I will see you all for the Week 8 Recap post right after the Monday night game. Enjoy the games and have a great weekend and Halloween. 

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 7 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The seventh week of the National Football League's regular season had crazy storylines and zany moments. Such moments like:

Week 7 Recap

New Orleans 34, Arizona 42: TW: Cardinals, CV: Saints
Tempers would flare as Kyler Murray and head coach Kliff Kingsbury would butt heads. Murray would calm down his coach by convincing him that he would lead the Cardinals to victory. Andy Dalton would fire off the football with 30 of 47 completions for 361 yards with four touchdowns but also tossed three interceptions in this game. Two of Dalton's touchdown passes would go to his tight end Juwan Johnson. Kyler Murray would complete 20 of 29 passes for 204 yards with a touchdown pass to Greg Dortch. Arizona's running game would put up numbers as Eno Benjamin rushed for 92 yards on 12 carries for a touchdown. Murray rushed for 30 yards. Kaontay Ingram rushed for 14 yards with a touchdown run. Arizona's defense would carry the day as they converted not one but two pick-sixes. The two scores would come during the 2nd quarter. Arizona would put up 25 points to have a 28-14 into halftime. The 2nd half would go for a 20-14 run for the Saints but they would fall short. For the Saints, it is a sad reality as they are now 2-5 on the season. For the Cardinals, they get a must win as they now have a 3-4 record to look forward to. 

Next week:
New Orleans: vs Las Vegas
Arizona: @ Minnesota

TW: 1-0; CV: 0-1

Atlanta 17, Cincinnati 35: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
It was a dominating performance in Cincy. Marcus Mariota has had an intriguing start to the 2022 campaign. He would finish the game with 8 of 13 pass completions for 124 yards with a touchdown pass to Damiere Byrd in the 2nd quarter. Tyler Allgeier would finish with 50 yards rushing with a touchdown run. Atlanta's offense would put up all of their 17 points in the 2nd quarter. Ultimately they wouldn't get much after that. Joe Burrow had one of his best days as a passer as he completed 34 of 42 passes for 481 yards with three touchdown passes, two of them to Ja'Marr Chase. Burrow would also get a rushing touchdown while adding 20 yards rushing. Joe Mixon finished the game with 58 yards rushing with a touchdown. Tyler Boyd had 155 yards receiving with a touchdown. For the Falcons, the magical season had run out in this game as they fall to 3-4. For the Bengals, they jump to 4-3 in 2022.

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Carolina
Cincinnati: @ Cleveland (Monday night)

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

Cleveland 20, Baltimore 23: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens 
It looked like the Ravens would blow yet again another lead but they would play also play the Browns. Jacoby Brissett played a solid game for the Browns as he completed 22 of 27 passes for 258 yards but didn't throw a touchdown in the game. It would be the running game that would get the job done for the Browns scoring as Nick Chubb rushed for 91 yards with a touchdown and Nick Chubb rushed for 4 yards with a touchdown. Lamar Jackson completed 9 of 16 passes for 120 yards but like Brissett, had no touchdowns. Gus Edwards rushed for 66 yards with two touchdowns. Justin Tucker had three field goals in this game. For the Browns, the loss puts them at 2-5 with four straight losses. For the Ravens, the close game surely exorcised some demons as they have a 4-3 record. 

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Cincinnati (Monday night)
Baltimore: @ Tampa Bay (Thursday night)

TW: 3-0; CV: 2-1

Detroit 6, Dallas 24: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
Dak Prescott would make his return and the defense stepped for Dallas. Jared Goff was not great in this game as the passer completed 21 of 26 passes for 228 yards who had two passes intercepted. Jamaal Williams rushed for 79 yards in the game. Mike Badgley would provide the two field goals that helped Detroit put points on the board. Dak Prescott made his return after missing five games with a fractured thumb. The passer completed 19 of 25 passes for 207 yards with a touchdown pass to Peyton Hendershot. Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 57 yards with two touchdowns. Tony Pollard had the most yardage in the game with 83 yards. For the Lions, the #1 scoring offense seemed like a distant memories as they are now 1-5. For the Cowboys, the 5-2 record keeps them in pace of the NFC East. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Miami
Dallas: vs Chicago

TW: 4-0; CV: 3-1

Green Bay 21, Washington 23: TW: Packers; CV: Packers 
It was another sputtering day on offense for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers completed 23 of 35 passes for 194 yards with two touchdown passes to Aaron Jones. Aaron Jones had 23 yards rushing. AJ Dillon had 15 yards rushing. Green Bay's offense would go 0 of 6 on 3rd down conversions. Taylor Heinicke hit 20 of 33 passes for 201 yards with two touchdown passes to Taylor McLaurin and Antonio Gibson. He had an interception in the game. Brian Robinson continues his comeback season as he rushed for 73 yards on 20 carries. Antonio Gibson rushed for 59 yards on 10 carries. For the Packers, it is their 3rd straight loss, their worst losing streak since 2018. For the Commanders, the win puts them at 3-4. 

Next week:
Green Bay: @ Buffalo (Sunday night)
Washington: @ Indianapolis

TW: 4-1; CV: 3-2

Indianapolis 10, Tennessee 19: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
For the 2nd straight season the Tennessee Titans swept the Indianapolis Colts. Matt Ryan had been playing better for the last few weeks but would falter in this one. The Colts passer completed 33 of 44 passes for 243 yards with a touchdown pass to Parris Campbell. Matt Ryan would put more hurt to the Colts chances with two interceptions. One of those passes to Parris Campbell would be captured by Titans player Austin Adams that would go for six points. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 58 yards. Ryan Tannehill completed 13 of 20 passes for 132 yards, 56 of those yards would go to Austin Hooper. Derrick Henry would put the offense on his back as he put up 128 yards rushing. Randy Bullock, the Titans kicker, would put four field goals for the Titans. For the Colts, they venture back to 3-3-1 in 2022. For the Titans, it is their fourth season sweep of the Colts since the Colts and Titans became rivals in the AFC South in 2002. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Washington
Tennessee: @ Houston

TW: 5-1; CV: 4-2

NY Giants 23, Jacksonville 17: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
A goal-line stop would keep the Giants at one loss in this game. Daniel Jones completed 19 of 30 passes for 202 yards with a touchdown pass to Darius Slayton. New York's running game would carry the day for the Giants. Saquon Barkley rushed for 110 yards with 24 carries. Daniel Jones would play well as a runner as he rushed for 107 yards with a touchdown. Trevor Lawrence completed 22 of 43 passes for 310 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Travis Etienne rushed for 114 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown. Trevor Lawrence rushed for a touchdown as well. The goal-line stand would come from a 10-play drive from the Jaguars. For the Giants, their magical season continues as they go to a 6-1 record. For the Jaguars, it is their fourth straight loss as they fall to 2-5. 

Next week:
NY Giants: @ Seattle
Jacksonville: vs Denver

TW: 6-1; CV: 5-2

Tampa Bay 3, Carolina 21: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers 
Probably upset of the year for the Panthers were 13 point underdogs in this game. Tom Brady completed 32 of 49 passes for 290 yards with no touchdowns. Rachaad White would be the leading rusher for the Bucs as he had 24 yards. It was really the Buccaneers offense not converting on 3rd down as they went 2 of 12 in converting those chances. PJ Walker was effective in the game as he completed 16 of 22 passes for 177 yards with two touchdown passes to Tommy Tremble (nice name buddy) and to DJ Moore. It would be Donta Foreman that was the leading rusher for 118 yards. The Panthers were a huge underdog due to the fact they had traded Robbie Anderson and Christian McCaffrey in one week. For the Buccaneers, it is a crushing defeat and it is something that Tom Brady hasn't experienced in two decades, quarterbacking a team that is under .500. For the Panthers, the present might not look good but the McCaffrey trade brought them in four draft picks. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs Baltimore (Thursday night)
Carolina: @ Atlanta

TW: 6-2; CV: 5-3

Houston 20, Las Vegas 38: TW: Raiders; CV: Texans
The Raiders did what they had to do: they won a game. Davis Mills had a decent game as he completed 28 of 41 passes for 302 yards with two touchdown passes to Phillip Dorsett and Chris Moore. He had an interception. Dameon Pierce continues to be the piece that the Texans can build around as he had 92 rushing yards on 20 carries. Derek Carr had 21 of 27 passes completed for 241 yards with a touchdown pass to Mack Hollins. Josh Jacobs had 143 yards with three touchdown runs on 20 carries. It was truly a game where even the proud former owner Al Davis would smile upon. For the Texans, their long season pits them at a 1-4-1 record. For the Raiders, they get their 2nd win of the season in 2022. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Tennessee
Las Vegas: @ New Orleans

TW: 7-2; CV: 5-4

NY Jets 16, Denver 9: TW: Jets; CV: Jets
The Jets would win in perhaps in a shock to some but the win might be a costly one. Zach Wilson completed 16 of 26 passes for 121 yards. Breece Hall had 72 yards rushing in this game with a touchdown run. The touchdown was a 62-yard run. Hall would leave the game with a knee injury. Greg Zuerlein would provide the rest of the scoring with three field goals. Brett Rypien would start in this game in the stead of Russell Wilson. Rypien completed 24 of 46 for 225 yards with an interception. Melvin Gordon rushed for 33 yards on 11 carries. Latavius Murray rushed for 24 yards with the only touchdown the Broncos would score. It would be another rookie the Jets would lean on. Sauce Gardner would break up a Rypien pass to Cortland Sutton on 4th down in the 4th quarter with two minutes left. For the Jets, their magical season puts them at a 5-2 record but the loss of Breece Hall could halt the Cinderella season. For the Broncos, their season will falters to 2-5 with no hope for the future in 2022. 

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

TW: 8-2; CV: 6-4

Kansas City 44, San Francisco 23: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs 
The last time these two teams met was in February 2020 for Super Bowl LIV. Patrick Mahomes had started off slow in this game but would recover as he completed 25 of 34 passes for 423 yards with three touchdown passes with an interception. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Mecole Hardman and Justin Watson were the recipients of those Mahomes touchdown passes. Clyde Edwards-Helaire had 32 yards rushing with a touchdown. Mecole Hardman had two touchdown runs with 28 rushing yards. Isiah Pacheco was the leading rusher for the Chiefs running attack with 43 yards. Jimmy Garoppolo would play alright in this game but would complete 25 of 37 passes for 303 yards with two touchdown passes with an interception. The worst would later come to haunt him as he was sacked by Frank Clark for a safety. Brock Purdy, the rookie quarterback out of Iowa State, would play in the game putting up 4 of 9 passing for 66 yards with a touchdown. Jeff Wilson rushed for 54 yards. Newly acquired Christian McCaffrey from the Panthers would get 38 yards rushing. The running back would follow his dad's footsteps as Ed McCaffrey played for the 49ers during the 1990's as a fullback during the 49ers Super Bowl XXIX run in 1994. For the Chiefs, it was a rebound game after losing a heartbreaker against the Bills. For the 49ers, it was a devastating loss as they betted their future for Christian McCaffrey. 

Next week:
Kansas City: Bye
San Francisco: @ LA Rams

TW: 9-2; CV: 7-4

Seattle 37, LA Chargers 23: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Seattle put up 17 points early in the game and wouldn't relinquish it. Geno Smith continued his stellar start with 20 of 27 passes completed with two touchdown passes to Marquise Goodwin. Smith would also toss an interception in the game. Kenneth Walker III ran over the Chargers defense for 168 yards with two touchdown runs. One of them was a 74-yard run in the 4th quarter that would keep the game out of reach for the Bolts. It was also Goodwin's first multi-touchdown game since he was with San Francisco in 2018. Justin Herbert's arm was put to the test as he completed 33 of 51 passes for 293 yards with two touchdowns to Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams. He would throw a pass that would be grabbed by Seattle. Austin Ekeler had 31 yards rushing with a touchdown. For the Seahawks, the surprise season continues as they now stay in pace with the Rams in the NFC West at 4-3. For the Chargers, it was the third straight game where they had a double-digit lead early in the game. The two games they would overcome to win but this game they could not. Their record is now at 4-3. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs NY Giants
LA Chargers: Bye

TW: 9-3; CV: 7-5

Pittsburgh 10, Miami 16: TW: Steelers; CV: Dolphins
The scoring would happen in the first half, in the 2nd half, not so much. Kenny Pickett would get the start for the Steelers and would not be spectacular. He would complete 32 of 44 passes for 257 yards with the only touchdown the Steelers would score on a pass to George Pickens in the 2nd quarter. The quarterback wouldn't aid his team's cause as he tossed three interceptions. Najee Harris would provide some help to the Steelers running game as he ran for 65 yards on 17 carries. Pat Friermuth would catch eight balls for 75 yards. Tua Tagovailoa would make his return after incurring a concussion against the Bengals in Week 4. He hit 21 of 35 passes for 261 yards with a touchdown to Raheem Mostert. Raheem Mostert would provide some solid yardage as a runner as he hit 79 rushing yards on 16 carries. For the Steelers, the loss puts them at 2-5 after a close victory to Tom Brady's Buccaneers. For the Dolphins, the win moves them back to 4-3 after three straight losses. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: @ Philadelphia
Miami: @ Detroit

TW: 9-4; CV: 8-5

Chicago 33, New England 14: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Well there's definitely a quarterback controversy in New England. Justin Fields would play pretty well in this game as he hit 13 of 21 passes for 179 yards with a touchdown pass to Khalil Herbert. Fields did get picked off in this game. Justin Fields was the leading rusher for the Bears as he hit 82 yards rushing with a touchdown. Khalil Herbert had 62 yards rushing and David Montgomery rushed for 62 yards as well with him getting a rushing touchdown. Mac Jones made his first start since he went down with injury against the Ravens. Jones hit 3 of 6 passes for 13 yards with an interception. He would be benched after a few series in favor of local hero Bailey Zappe. Zappe wouldn't be the magic man that the Patriots had expected as he hat 14 of 22 passes for 185 yards with a touchdown pass to Jakobi Myers. His play would deteriorate in this game as he hit two interceptions. Rhamondre Stevenson would be the other lone touchdown for the Pats as he finished the game with 39 yards with a touchdown. Mac Jones legs would be also fairly well as he rushed for 24 yards early in the game. Had the Patriots won, head coach Bill Belichick would've passed former Bears head coach George Halas for #2 on the all-time wins list. Sadly it wasn't the case. For the Bears, they get to 3-4 in 2022 in a game where they weren't likely going to win. For the Patriots, they drop to 3-4 as the only team in the AFC East without a winning record. 

Next week:
Chicago: @ Dallas
New England: @ NY Jets

TW: 9-5; CV: 8-6

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5

Total: 59-48-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6

Total: 54-53-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 8 Picks Post! See you then and enjoy your week!

NFL 2022 Week 7 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again! The first six weeks are in the books and with just 12 more weeks to go the separation of the contenders and the pretenders is starting to take shape. For games this week, I'll keep an eye on: Falcons-Bengals, Giants-Jaguars, Chiefs-49ers and Seahawks-Chargers. In this post: a preview of the week's action, my picks for the games, and the early and late tv pairings. Let's get to work!

Week 7 Preview

The Seventh week of the National Football League's regular season kicks off at Glendale, Arizona and finishes up in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Week 7 features a 14-game slate where 28 teams will play. Team's on a bye this week are: Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles. There will be a Thursday night game, seven early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game this week. For TV, FOX will carry the doubleheader and CBS will have the single, regional game this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 7 Picks

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

New Orleans (2-4) @ Arizona (2-4) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Saints
Both teams lost last week as the Saints lost to the Bengals and the Cardinals lost to the Seahawks. The week starts off with a better matchup on paper than the last two games on Thursday. Andy Dalton has played relatively well stats wise but could do more. I mean Taysom Hill has the better numbers. Arizona has been kind of as to be expected with their record and circumstances. The two teams aren't really that great but hopefully there's some offensive firepower in this one. At least give the people what they want. I'll take the Cards by a field goal. 

Atlanta (3-3) @ Cincinnati (3-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The Falcons beat the 49ers and the Bengals beat the Saints last week. An interesting matchup to say the least. Atlanta has been playing well beyond their expected record thus far. The play of Marcus Mariota has a great to deal with that. Their defense isn't entirely awful either. Cincinnati has had a bit of a hangover to say the least since not winning the Super Bowl last February. They've kept Joe Burrow relatively upright and healthy. The game seems to lean towards the Bengals based on their talent in the skill positions. I wouldn't sleep on the Falcons either. I'll still take the Bengals.

Cleveland (2-4) @ Baltimore (3-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Both teams lost last week as the Browns lost to the Patriots and the Ravens lost to the Giants. The whole "having a lead and blowing said lead" has to be getting old in Baltimore. Cleveland can't seem to find their winning formula after starting 2-1. The defense has been well and their running game is capable of putting teams down. Jacoby Brissett has to play better against an irritated Ravens squad that needs to win. Baltimore seems to be the better team than Cleveland so I'll take the Ravens. At some point the blown leads lead to overcoming such obstacles. 

Detroit (1-4) @ Dallas (4-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Lions had a bye and the Cowboys lost to the Eagles last week. Jared Goff and the Lions offense had been on a tear across the league. The problem is they're 1-4 and their defense has given up as many points than they've scored. Hopefully with some soul searching they can hold down a Cowboys squad that is likely getting back Dak Prescott. Cooper Rush could still start and with his play I would think the hot hand would start. Regardless, moneywise the Cowboys will have to start Prescott at some point in 2022. I feel the Cowboys will take the win.

Green Bay (3-3) @ Washington (2-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Packers lost to the Jets and the Commanders beat the Bears last week. Aaron Rodgers made some news wanting the offense to "simplify" in its approach. To a degree, I think the quarterback is right in that they should stop thinking so much. I would lean towards Rodgers play as a catalyst to their slow start on offense, as well as their receiving corp. Washington won't have Carson Wentz starting but will have folk hero Taylor Heinicke going for them. I feel the Packers will take the dub by going back to basics on offense. With the Vikings on a bye this week, I have to think the Packers will have to take an opportunity go get some ground on them. I don't trust both teams but I'll take the Pack.

Indianapolis (3-2-1) @ Tennessee (3-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Colts beat the Jaguars and the Titans had a bye last week. Indy has had better play the last four games with them winning three of those contests. Matt Ryan looked like his old self against the Jaguars. While they didn't have Jonathan Taylor in the lineup, they will have a tough time against division rival Tennessee. The Titans come into this contest well rested and perhaps the rest will keep them a bit rusty. Tennessee confuses me sometimes they should play better but don't always play up to expectations. The last time these two teams met it was a 24-17 Titans win. I think it'll be a bit more of a margin for the Titans. 

NY Giants (5-1) @ Jacksonville (2-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The Giants beat the Ravens and the Jaguars lost to the Colts. Weird that the Jaguars are favored in this game. New York has had a renaissance season and I think the good vibes will continue for the G-Men in this one. Daniel Jones has done well and Saquon Barkley has played like a great running back should. Jacksonville had been playing well but the play of their quarterback has kind of diminished the good start. It has to start with Trevor Lawrence if the Jaguars want to take the dub. I'll take the Giants in an upset.

Tampa Bay (3-3) @ Carolina (1-5) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Both teams lost as the Buccaneers lost to the Steelers and the Panthers lost to the Rams. Tampa has had a rough go of it in 2022. Tom Brady hasn't looked like himself both on and off the field. The Bucs have a good shot this week to get back on a winning track by beating lowly Carolina. Carolina has been a black hole in 2022 in terms of organizational culture. Former coach Matt Rhule lost the lockerroom, Christian McCaffrey is possibly going to be traded, Robbie Anderson is gone to Arizona. Things could get uglier before they get better in Pantherland. 

Houston (1-3-1) @ Las Vegas (1-4) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Texans
Both teams had a bye last week. Houston and Las Vegas eh? Both teams have had a rough go of it in 2022. More so for the Raiders who had relatively decent expectations to be good after making the playoffs last year. Houston well was expected to be terrible. Josh McDaniels has had a rough start to his first year as head coach. Las Vegas' issues has stemmed from turnovers and pass defense. They give opportunities that just can't happen in giving the ball away. Houston seems to enjoy playing as a underdog. Davis Mills has a running back he can trust in Dameon Pierce who is one of the better backs in the league. I don't trust either team to win but I'll take the home team in the Raiders. 

NY Jets (4-2) @ Denver (2-4) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Jets; CV: Jets
The Jets beat the Packers and the Broncos lost to the Chargers last week. The Giants aren't the only team in New York having a renaissance season as the Jets are having fun while playing. The driving force for such fun has been their running attack who ran over the Packers vaunted rush defense. The higher altitude could be a factor in the game. Denver has a rough go of it in the Russell Wilson era. Their offense has been putrid as they can't convert a 3rd down or put six on the board. The key for them is getting Wilson to stop thinking so much and give the ball to his best players. While it isn't all on Wilson as the running game could do better. I'll take the good vibing J-E-T-S! 

Kansas City (4-2) @ San Francisco (3-3) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Both teams lost last week as the Chiefs lost to the Bills and the 49ers lost to the Falcons. Patrick Mahomes and company played well against the Bills they just didn't win the game. The Chiefs offense will have somewhat of a tall task as they do face against a 49ers defense that can stop offenses. San Francisco has had a interesting season so far but their catalyst has been their running game in Jeff Wilson and Deebo Samuel. Kansas City does give up a lot of points and they will have to force Jimmy Garoppolo to win the game for them. That means shutting down their running game. It'll be a tall task but I will take the Chiefs. I can't count out Patrick Mahomes.

Seattle (3-3) @ LA Chargers (4-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Seattle beat the Cardinals and the Chargers beat the Broncos last week. Geno Smith has been a nice story for the Seahawks thus far. Kenneth Walker III had a good game in the stead of Rashaad Penny who is out for the season with a broken leg. Chargers have had a good season but really looked way off against the Broncos on Monday night. Their offense couldn't get a lot going and Herbert was held without a touchdown pass. His weapon has been Austin Ekeler who has had a good season so far. Both teams look good and they really could make a case for who wins but I'll take the Chargers for at least another week. 

Pittsburgh (2-4) @ Miami (3-3) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Dolphins
The Steelers beat the Buccaneers and the Dolphins lost to the Vikings last week. Classic AFC matchup on NBC! Pittsburgh's offense had enough to topple Tom Brady and the Bucs. Kenny Pickett is looking like he will get the nod to start. His 2022 sample size hasn't been great but the kid has only played in three games thus far into his career. Mitchell Trubisky could also start and he seems like the logical choice to go with stats wise. Miami is kind of a mess, Tua Tagovailoa is out for this game, the Dolphins have lost three straight games and they will have to go with Teddy Bridgewater to ride the ship. The innovative mastermind in Mike McDaniel has had a rough go of it but he did keep the game against the Vikings close to the point where they could've won it. I feel the Steelers will take the win but I could see the Dolphins making a case to win it. 

Chicago (2-4) @ New England (3-3) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Bears lost to the Commanders and the Patriots beat the Browns last week. Break out your Nokia phones and your Britney Spears CD's, there's a quarterback controversy in New England. At least the last time they had one in 2001. Chicago had a good start to their season but they've fallen off the cliff. One of their bright spots has been their running game as they have at least three runners who have 200 yards rushing to their name. Justin Fields has been iffy so far in 2022 but can help you win games. For the Patriots, they have an interesting case on their hands. If Mac Jones is healthy, I'd expect he'll get the start. If he isn't quite there, Bailey Zappe will go under center. It's not really a controversy but its rather a luxury to have two capable starting quarterbacks for your team. I'll take the Pats. 

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

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area

CBS Single

Detroit @ Dallas
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Cleveland @ Baltimore
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Indianapolis @ Tennessee
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

NY Jets @ Denver (Late)
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Houston @ Las Vegas (Late)
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

FOX Early

Green Bay @ Washington
Adam Amin, Daryl Johnston

Tampa Bay @ Carolina
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

NY Giants @ Jacksonville
Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth

Atlanta @ Cincinnati
Brandon Gaudin, Robert Smith

FOX Late

Kansas City @ San Francisco
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Seattle @ LA Chargers
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2022: Week 7 Maps

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 8-6

Total: 50-43-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7
Week 6: 9-5

Total: 46-47-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 7 Recap post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 6 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought us such storylines like: an upset in Green Bay, a close call in Chicago, a Bayou return for Joe Burrow, and a return trip for Tom Brady to the Steel City. All these storylines and more in this week's recap post.

Week 6 Recap

Washington 12, Chicago 7: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
At least there was a touchdown scored in this Thursday night game. Carson Wentz came into this game being one of the better quarterbacks in racking up passing yards, in this game he would put up 99 yards. Along with 12 of 22 passing. Brian Robinson Jr is an interesting story. Two months ago he suffered a gunshot wound. Last week he made his first start at running back. In this game, he scored Washington's only offensive touchdown. Washington would get 214 total yards for the night. Justin Fields would have a better game stats wise from Wentz. The former Buckeye would hit 14 of 27 passes for 190 yards with a touchdown pass to his wide out Dante Pettis on a 40-yard deep pass. Fields would take advantage of a Washington miscommunication where they had too many men on the field. An interception was thrown by Fields that was pass defensed and recovered by Jonathan Allen. Chicago had a great day running the ball as Fields put up 88 yards rushing, including a 39-yard run that looked like it would go the distance late in the 4th quarter. Khalil Herbert had 75 yards rushing with a 64-yard long run. David Montgomery had 67 yards rushing on 15 carries. The Bears had the chance to take the lead but a Darnell Mooney pass would come up just inches short of the goal line. For the Commanders, they get a win that sends them up to a 2-4 record but still a distance away from the Cowboys, Giants, and Eagles for the NFC East division race. For the Bears, they drop to 2-4 with the Detroit Lions staring at them in their rear view mirror. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Green Bay
Chicago: @ New England (Monday night)

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Cincinnati 30, New Orleans 26: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Joe Burrow returns to the SuperDome for the first time since January 2020. The former LSU Tiger completed 28 of 37 passes for an even 300 yards with three touchdown passes. Two of them would go to Tiger teammate Ja'Marr Chase on a 60-yard and 15-yard plays. The former being the game-deciding score with 2:10 left in the game. Burrow would also run into the endzone for a run on 19 yards. Joe Mixon would rush for 45 yards and get 23 receiving yards with a touchdown catch. Andy Dalton would get the start for the Saints. The former Bengal would complete 17 of 32 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown pass to Trequan Smith in the 1st quarter on a pass down the middle. It was a struggling 2022 season for Alvin Kamara but he would get 99 yards rushing in the game. Rashid Shaheed would show his speed on a 44-yard run for a touchdown. For the Bengals, the win gets them back up to 3-3 and a 1st place tie with the Ravens. For the Saints, they fall to 2-4 with an offense that should be better but sadly isn't. They haven't scored a touchdown in the 2nd half since Week 18 of 2021. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Atlanta
New Orleans: @ Arizona (Thursday night)

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Baltimore 20, NY Giants 24: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
Another blown lead, another loss for Baltimore, rinse and repeat. Lamar Jackson was effective in this game as he completed 17 of 32 passes for 210 yards with a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews on a 12-yard short pass in the 4th quarter. He would also toss an interception in the game. The Giants defense would make things uncomfortable for him in the pocket but they would only sack Jackson two times. Kenyan Drake rushed for 119 yards with a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Lamar Jackson had 77 yards rushing. Daniel Jones showed poise about him as he completed 19 of 27 passes for 173 yards with two touchdowns to Wandale Robinson on a 5-yard play in the 2nd quarter. The 2nd touchdown pass would be a toss to Daniel Bellinger that would cut the Ravens lead to three points. Saquon Barkley would have the last say in the Giants victory as his 1-yard run for the touchdown would give the Giants the lead and the win along with his 83 yards rushing. For the Ravens, the loss drops them back to .500 as the Bengals also won today. For the Giants, they look for real as they move to a surprising 5-1 record. 

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Cleveland
NY Giants: @ Jacksonville

TW: 3-0; CV: 3-0

Jacksonville 27, Indianapolis 34: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
It was a battle but the Colts come out on top. Trevor Lawrence would have a near flawless completion percentage as he completed 20 of 22 passes for 163 yards with a touchdown pass to Christian Kirk in the 4th quarter that gave the Jags a 1-point lead with 2:48 left. Lawrence would add two rushing touchdowns to the tally as he would get 23 yards from the ground. Travis Etienne would get 86 yards. Jamycal Hasty would make haste as he ran for a 61-yard score. Matt Ryan has had a struggle this season but he would raise hell on the Jaguars defense. The passer torched the Jags for 389 yards with three touchdown passes on 42 of 58 passes. Deon Jackson would have the rushing workload as he rushed for 42 yards with a touchdown run on 12 carries. The game-winning score would come from a Matt Ryan to Alec Pierce deep pass for a 32-yard play with 23 seconds left. The Colts would succeed on the two-point conversion. For the Jaguars, it is their 3rd straight loss after starting the season with a 2-1 record and things don't get any easier the rest of the way. For the Colts, it is their third win in four games as they go 3-2-1 in 2022. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs NY Giants
Indianapolis: @ Tennessee

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

Minnesota 24, Miami 16: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The heat would bare down for both teams in Miami. Kirk Cousins complete 20 of 30 passes for 175 yards with two touchdowns. The first would come on a short pass to his tight end Isiah Smith and the 2nd would come on a Adam Thielen catch early in the 4th quarter. Dalvin Cook was quiet for the most part in the game but would bring on the heat as the runner would go the distance for 53 yards for a touchdown with 3:25 left in the game. Skylar Thompson would get the start for the Dolphins and would hit 7 of 13 passes for 89 yards. Teddy Bridgewater would come into the game and provided 329 yards with two touchdowns in the 4th quarter. The former Viking would have two passes picked off. Raheem Mostert would have 49 yards rushing for the Dolphins. At one point in the game, the temperature on the Vikings sideline was around 120 degrees while the Dolphins in the shade had around 90 degrees of temperature. For the Vikings, it is fourth straight win after the deliberating loss to the Eagles. For the Dolphins, the loss drops them to 3-3 after going on a 3-0 start. 

Next week:
Minnesota: Bye
Miami: vs Pittsburgh (Sunday night)

TW: 4-1; CV: 4-1

New England 38, Cleveland 15: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Pats would start off slow but the Pats would turn on the heat on a cool 60-degree day in Cleveland. Bailey Zappe, the toast of the town, was great as the passer completed 24 of 34 passes for 309 yards with two touchdown passes to Hunter Henry and Tyquan Thornton. Zappe's play the last few weeks will surely start a quarterback controversy. Tyquan Thornton also had a touchdown on a 19-yard run. The day would belong to Rhamondre Stevenson as the bruiser racked up 76 yards with two touchdowns. One of them would be from a 31-yard run that would catch the Browns defense with their pants down. Jacoby Brissett would complete 21 of 45 passes for 266 yards against his former team. He would toss a pass to Amari Cooper for 15-yards in the 4th quarter. Brissett would get picked off two times. The Pats defense would force three turnovers as Kyle Dugger and Jalen Mills would intercept Brissett and Deatrich Wise Jr would force a fumble. Nick Chubb, the AFC's leading rusher would get 56 yards from scrimmage. Kareem Hunt got 12 yards rushing. For the Patriots, it is their 2nd straight win after a horrid 1-3 start and Bill Belichick will have to make a decision on who will start under center. For the Browns, it is their 3rd straight loss after a good 2-1 start. 

Next week:
New England: vs Chicago (Monday night)
Cleveland: @ Baltimore

TW: 5-1; CV: 5-1

NY Jets 27, Green Bay 10: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
Somewhere Fireman Ed is screaming J-E-T-S at the top of his lungs. Zach Wilson wanted the opportunity to face off against his boyhood idol Aaron Rodgers. In this game, he would do more than that. Wilson hit 10 of 18 passes for 110 yards. New York's running game, their spark, would put up 179 yards rushing in this game. Breece Hall had a monster game as he had 116 yards with a touchdown run of 34 yards that would put the game out of reach of the Packers. Michael Carter had 41 yards rushing. Bernard Berrios their versatile weapon would find the endzone on a 20-yard run Aaron Rodgers would struggle in this game but did have 26 of 41 passes completed for 246 yards with a touchdown pass to Alan Lazard late in the 3rd quarter. The Jets pass rush would make things uncomfortable for #12 as they sacked Rodgers four times. AJ Dillon rushed for 41 yards in the game for Green Bay. For the Jets, it is their third straight win as they have a 4-2 record to be proud about. It is their best start since 2015. For the Packers, the loss drops them to a 3-3 record that looks as ugly as their offense. 

Next week:
NY Jets: @ Denver
Green Bay: @ Washington

TW: 5-2; CV: 5-2

San Francisco 14, Atlanta 28: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Props to the Falcons. Jimmy Garoppolo had a meager game as the passer completed 29 of 41 passes for 296 yards with two touchdown passes to Brandon Aiyuk in the 2nd quarter. San Francisco's running attack, one of their strengths, was held to 50 total yards. Jeff Wilson had the majority of the yardage with 25 yards. Atlanta took advantage of turnovers that the 49ers gave them as Jimmy Garoppolo gave the ball twice to players in red helmets and a Jeff Wilson fumble that was recovered by Jaylinn Hawkins. Marcus Mariota had a near flawless day in passing the ball as he completed 13 of 14 passes for 129 yards with two touchdown passes. His lone incompletion would come in the 4th quarter. Kyle Pitts and Mycole Pruitt were the recipients of Mariota's passes. Marcus Mariota would add a rushing touchdown to his game on a 3-yard run to the right. Caleb Huntley rushed for 59 yards and Tyler Allgeier rushed for 51 yards. For the 49ers, there were opportunities in the game to get the win but mistakes cost them those chances. They are back to 3-3. For the Falcons, the classic red helmets were a good luck charm as they make their way to a 3-3 record as well. 

Next week:
San Francisco: vs Kansas City
Atlanta: @ Cincinnati

TW: 5-3; CV: 5-3

Tampa Bay 18, Pittsburgh 20: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tom Brady's return to the Steel City was just two points short. Brady completed 25 of 40 passes for a touchdown. The touchdown pass would go to Leonard Fournette on a pass for an 11-yard pass that would cut the Steeler lead to two points. On the ensuing two-point conversion, Brady tried to make a connection to Chris Godwin but would fall incomplete. Leonard Fournette rushed for 63 yards on 21 carries. Pittsburgh's issues have mostly stemmed from the person under center. Kenny Pickett, the rookie from the University of Pittsburgh, would hit 11 of 18 passes for 67 yards with a touchdown pass to Najee Harris on a 6-yard play. The drive ate up 6 minutes and 24 seconds. In the 3rd quarter, Pickett would get sent off due to a concussion. Mitchell Trubisky would come in for relief. Trubisky would not falter as the passer hit 9 of 12 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown pass to Chase Claypool that would give the Steelers a 20-12 lead. Najee Harris had 42 yards rushing in the game. For the Buccaneers, the 2022 campaign screeches to a halt as they drop to 3-3. For the Steelers, the win puts them at 2-4, their first win since Week 1 against the Bengals. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: @ Carolina
Pittsburgh: @ Miami (Sunday night)

TW: 5-4; CV: 5-4

Arizona 9, Seattle 19: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Rashaad Penny out and rookie Kenneth Walker III in for the Seahawks. Kyler Murray hit 23 of 37 passes for 222 yards with an interception that was grabbed by Tariq Woolen. Murray would play running back as he had 100 yards rushing on 10 carries. His longest run was for 42 yards. Elijah Benjamin had 37 yards rushing. Arizona was dismal on 3rd and 4th down conversions as they were 4 of 16 and 1 of 5 in converting those downs. Geno Smith was effective but the Cardinals defense limited his opportunities for big plays. The passer completed 20 of 31 passes for 197 yards. The star of the game was running back Kenneth Walker III who rushed for 97 yards with a touchdown run on 21 carries. It was his first start since Rashaad Penny was ruled out for the season due to a broken leg. Seahawks kicker Jason Myers would supply the rest of Seattle's points as he was 4 for 4 in field goals. For the Cardinals, the loss makes their postseason prospects a bit less rosy as they're now 2-4. For the Seahawks, the win puts them with a 1st place tie with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West at a 3-3 record. 

Next week:
Arizona: vs New Orleans (Thursday night)
Seattle: @ LA Chargers

TW: 5-5; CV: 5-5

Carolina 10, LA Rams 24: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Panthers would not find the spark that the firing of head coach Matt Rhule would have. PJ Walker would get the start as Baker Mayfield was out with injury and Sam Darnold was still on rehab. Walker would provide only 60 yards passing on 10 of 16 completions. Jacob Eason would also see action as he completed three of five passes for 59 yards with an interception that would happen in the 4th quarter. Christian McCaffrey would provide a nice 69 yards rushing on 13 carries. Wide receiver Robbie Anderson would see himself out as he got into an argument with interim head coach Steve Wilks and receivers coach Joe Dailey in the 3rd quarter. He would spend the rest of the game in the locker room. It was not all doom and gloom for the Panthers as they did get a a pick-six from Donte Jackson from 30 yards. Matthew Stafford completed 26 of 33 passes for 253 yards with a touchdown pass to Allen Robinson from five yards. He would throw said interception. Darrell Henderson would get a modest game of 43 yards but did end up seeing the endzone. Ben Skowronek would also find the endzone with a 17-yard run that would give the Rams a 16-10 lead late in the 4th quarter. Cooper Kupp would catch seven passes for 80 yards. For the Panthers, the hopes of a Wilks debut win fell short but the gloom of a 1-5 record stares at them. For the Rams, they're back to a 3-3 record taking one game at a time. 

Next week:
Carolina: vs Tampa Bay
LA Rams: Bye

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

Buffalo 24, Kansas City 20: TW: Chiefs; CV: Bills
At Arrowhead Stadium, the Bills would find some measure of revenge against the Chiefs. Josh Allen started off slow at first but would heat up to complete 27 of 40 passes for 329 yards with three touchdown passes. The first would go to Gabe Davis on a 34-yard pass. The 2nd would go to Stefon Diggs who finished the game with 148 yards receiving. The third and final pass went to Dawson Knox that proved to be the game-winning score for Buffalo. Devin Singletary had 85 yards rushing on 17 carries. Patrick Mahomes completed 25 of 40 passes for 338 yards with two touchdown passes. The first went to Juju Smith-Schuster who looked like he would be tackled by three white jerseys then made a move to avoid the tacklers that would send him to the endzone. The 2nd pass went to Mecole Hardman. It was a game that lived up to the hype but those who wanted a shootout were surely to be disappointed. For the Bills, the win sends them to the best record in the AFC with a 5-1 record. For the Chiefs, the loss might cost them in playoff seeding towards later in the season. 

Next week:
Buffalo: Bye
Kansas City: @ San Francisco

TW: 6-6; CV: 7-5

Dallas 17, Philadelphia 26: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
It would be the defenses not the offenses that would dominate this game. Cooper Rush had a tall task ahead of him in this matchup. The shining star would dim as he completed just 18 of 38 passes for 181 yards with a touchdown pass to Jake Ferguson late in the 4th quarter on a short pass. The score would eventually cut the Eagle lead to three. Rush would feel the rush as the Eagles pass defense picked off Rush three times, a few of them were just tipped passes that would get grabbed by players in green jerseys. Ezekiel Elliot would find some holes as he rushed for 81 yards with a touchdown run. Jalen Hurts was efficient in this game as he completed 15 of 25 passes for 155 yards with two touchdowns to AJ Brown and Devonta Smith. Miles Sanders had 71 yards rushing with a touchdown while Jalen Hurts had just 27 yards. Dallas' defense has to be given props as they would hold the Eagles to 268 total yards in the game. For the Cowboys, the loss would mark Cooper Rush's undefeated record as a starter to an end as well as the Cowboys four-game winning streak. For the Eagles, the 6-0 start is their 2nd best since 2004 and the undefeated season will last for another week. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs Detroit
Philadelphia: Bye

TW: 7-6; CV: 8-5

Denver 16, LA Chargers 19: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Russell Wilson would duke it out at Week 6's wild conclusion. Wilson completed 15 of 28 passes for 188 yards with a touchdown pass to Greg Dulcich in the first quarter. Latavius Murray had 66 yards rushing in the game. Jerry Jeudy had 54 yards receiving for the Broncos. It was still a lackluster effort on offense for the Broncos as they would only put up 13 first downs and converted four times on 3rd down. Justin Herbert completed 37 of 57 passes in a night where the passer would be called upon time and again. He finished with 238 passing yards with an interception. Austin Ekeler would score the only touchdown for the Chargers on short run up the middle that would cut the Bronco lead to three points with a 10-7 score. It was not a pretty night on offense for the Chargers either. If you threw the ball 57 times you'd probably have at least more than 238 yards for sure. Separation from the defense was an issue for Herbert and the Chargers. Thankfully for Brandon Staley and the Chargers, they had a clutch kicker in Dustin Hopkins. Hopkins would hit a 39-yard field goal that would give the Chargers the win in overtime. For the Broncos, it is another loss where the offense was on the bench more than its defense with a 2-4 record staring at them. For the Chargers, it was a win but an ugly win but the good news is they have a 4-2 record to be somewhat happy about. 

Next week:
Denver: vs NY Jets
LA Chargers: vs Seattle

TW: 8-6; CV: 9-5

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 8-6

Total: 50-43-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7
Week 6: 9-5

Total: 46-47-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 7 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 6 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming up. Through five weeks of play, the parity of the NFL is well defined. Only one team is undefeated while 31 teams have at least one win (thanks for saving me Houston last week). In fact, five teams have four wins, eight teams have three wins, 12 teams have two wins, and six teams have one win. For Week 6 there will be a lot of interesting matchups to keep an eye on this week. I'll keep an eye on: the Ravens-Giants, Bills-Chiefs, and the Cowboys-Eagles matchups this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 6 Preview

Week 6 of the National Football League's regular season starts in Chicago, Illinois and finishes up at Inglewood, California. The week features a 14-game slate where 28 teams will play. The Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tennessee Titans have a bye this week. Week 6 will have a Thursday night game, eight early games, three late games a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will have the single game and CBS will carry the doubleheader this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 6 Picks

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

Washington (1-4) @ Chicago (2-3) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
The two teams lost their games last week as the Commanders lost to the Titans and the Bears lost to the Vikings. The 2022 season hasn't gone the way the two teams had planned but each game is a new. Washington comes into this game with two straight gut wrenching losses. Chicago had a chance to comeback against the Vikings but they faltered. I like the Commanders in the matchup as I do like the matchup of their wide receivers over the Chicago secondary. Carson Wentz has been productive and at times risky with his play. The interceptions really hurt him. I'm not sure what to expect in this game but I feel Washington will take the win. 

Cincinnati (2-3) @ New Orleans (2-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The Bengals lost to the Ravens and the Saints beat the Seahawks last week. Cincy has had a rough go of it in 2022. Super Bowl hangover is real for them and the Rams so far. New Orleans has had the same go of it but without the Super Bowl hangover. Taysom Hill had the game of a lifetime against the Seahawks last week and they could utilize him again in this game. The challenge is fending off the stifling Bengals defense that can make offenses like mince meat. The matchup itself seems like a decent one and I do like the road team in this game as they do have quite a bit of talent across the both sides of the ball. I'll take the Bengals.

Baltimore (3-2) @ NY Giants (4-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Giants; CV: Giants
Both teams got wins last week as the Ravens beat the Bengals and the Giants beat the Packers. Two teams that on paper makes for a good game. The Ravens had some bumps in the road closing games out. The win last week against Cincinnati proved that they can win again in a close ballgame. New York has had a renaissance season and the catalyst is head coach Brian Daboll. The locker room seems to respond to him well and they play their ass off for him. The Ravens could very well beat the Giants in this game but I like the Giants enough to stick with them for another week. I'll take the G-men in an upset.

Jacksonville (2-3) @ Indianapolis (2-2-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
The Jaguars lost to the Texans and the Colts beat the Broncos last week. The Jaguars-Colts series finishes up early this season. The last time these two teams met, the Jaguars defense ravaged Matt Ryan and the Colts offense. That was with Jonathan Taylor who was still healthy. In this game, he's out. I don't trust the Colts enough to get the job done. If there was a sample size of that trust, it would be that barn burner against the Broncos. Jacksonville isn't necessarily safe either but they have somewhat of a shot to win with Trevor Lawrence at quarterback. The game is just a shit storm but I'll take the Jaguars.

Minnesota (4-1) @ Miami (3-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Vikings beat the Bears and the Dolphins lost to the Jets last week. Minnesota has had a good start with a few squeaker games that came down to the wire. What they face is a Dolphins team that is without Tua Tagovailoa who is out on concussion protocol. Along with Tua, the Dolphins also have Teddy Bridgewater out on an injury. Miami will have to go to 3rd stringer, Skylar Thompson, under center. Thompson didn't do a lot in the game against the Jets but he'll have his hands full against the Vikings defense. Fortunately for him, he has weapons to throw to. Assuming he can get the ball to them. The Vikings have had a solid offense this season and their balance of offense has led to their success. With seven touchdowns and five interceptions for Kirk Cousins, the passer has had a good start. I'll take the Vikes but the Dolphins aren't to be taken lightly. 

New England (2-3) @ Cleveland (2-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Patriots beat the Lions and the Browns lost to the Chargers last week. Bill Belichick goes up against the team that originally gave him a head coaching opportunity back in 1991. For 2022, the Patriots seem to have some stability at quarterback with Bailey Zappe. With a running game to match the Browns will have their hands full with this Patriots offense. New England has got it done on defense holding the #1 scoring offense in the Lions to zero points. For the Browns, they have an offense to match the Patriots with a running tandem of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. What I think will be key in this game is the progression of Bailey Zappe. He doesn't need to be a stud but with Damien Harris out for a few games with injury he'll need to throw for more than 100 yards. At least to keep a balance on offense. I'll take the Pats in a close one.

NY Jets (3-2) @ Green Bay (3-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Jets beat the Dolphins and the Packers lost to the Giants last week. New York has had a good year so far surprisingly with a 3-2 record. They have been a good 3-2 while the Packers have been a bad 3-2. The reason for the Jets success has been their running game who have a plethora of running backs that can help Zach Wilson out when needed. Green Bay hasn't looked like the Green Bay of the past as they have looked flat on offense at times and their defense seems to give up points like clockwork. If I think the Packers rebound is to start, I feel the rebound will start with this game. I do like the Aaron Rodgers vs the Jets defensive line matchup a bit. I'll take the Packers.

San Francisco (3-2) @ Atlanta (2-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Panthers and the Falcons lost to the Buccaneers last week. Atlanta has been a bit of a surprise and not a living carpet of the NFL. They've had some great success on offense with Marcus Mariota at the helm. Another reason for their success has been Cordarelle Patterson. Unfortunately for the Falcons, he's out with injury. San Francisco has been the 49ers of old despite the loss of Trey Lance. The keeping of Jimmy Garoppolo has been key to the 2022 49ers. That and they kept Deebo Samuel on the roster. I don't see the Falcons surprising the NFL world in this game as they have a tough task ahead of them in stifling the 49ers offense. I'll go San Fran.

Tampa Bay (3-2) @ Pittsburgh (1-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers beat the Falcons and the Steelers lost to the Bills. It's the GOAT vs the rookie in this quarterback matchup. Tom Brady has played well in 2022 and I think it will continue into this game. The team around him is questionable at times. His favorite targets in Chris Godwin and Mike Evans have been in and out of the lineup at times this year and the Bucs have looked flat at times. Pittsburgh seems to be another story altogether. Their quarterback situation is a mess and their defense can't stop anyone without TJ Watt. The game seems like a trap game for the Buccaneers but I'll take the risk and take Tampa. 

Arizona (2-3) @ Seattle (2-3) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Cardinals lost to the Eagles and the Seahawks lost to the Saints last week. This matchup used to have some flare to it but in recent years has dimmed down a bit. Both teams have solid choices in quarterback with Kyler Murray and Geno Smith. The game will come down to who can keep either quarterback off the field. The Cardinals are a scrappy bunch that if the game can keep it close they have a shot to win. Seattle has been a nice story with the emergence of Geno Smith. The game seems like a toss-up but I'll take the Cards.

Carolina (1-4) @ LA Rams (2-3) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Panthers lost to the 49ers and the Rams lost to the Cowboys last week. Carolina made headlines with the firing of head coach Matt Rhule. The firing was needed as he went 11-27 in three seasons as the Panthers head honcho. Definitely not getting a lot done. To make matters worse is that Baker Mayfield is out with injury for this game. Sam Darnold is still rehabbing an injury he suffered in the offseason so it will be PJ Walker getting the start. The Rams have struggled this season and the play of Matthew Stafford has deteriorated as 2022 goes on. It really seems that on paper the Rams have the talent to win but the game proves otherwise. I'll take the Rams.

Buffalo (4-1) @ Kansas City (4-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Bills
Both teams won last week as the Bills beat the Steelers and the Chiefs beat the Raiders. Last time these two teams met was a fairly good game. It was really and truly a great game in the AFC Divisional playoff back in January. The game is a national game on CBS and quite frankly its a great idea. If this game is anything like the playoff game, it'll have a lot of fireworks. I think it will be a contest in favor for the Chiefs. The game will come down to forcing other players on the Bills to beat you other than Josh Allen. If the Chiefs defense can contain him in the pocket they have a good shot to win. Buffalo also has a good shot to win as well as they have one of the best offenses and an overall solid defense. It's a game that a lot of people will be watching but I think the Chiefs will win in a toss-up. 

Dallas (4-1) @ Philadelphia (5-0) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Both teams won last week as the Cowboys beat the Rams and the Eagles beat the Cardinals. No love lost for these two teams in an NFC East matchup. Dallas comes into this contest with four straight wins with Cooper Rush at quarterback. When it comes to the controversy at quarterback, I'd go with the hot and in Cooper Rush and keep Prescott at the bench at least for now. Rush will have a tall task going up against the Eagles who boast a 5-0 record as the NFL's only undefeated team. Philadelphia will also have a tall task in trying to move the ball on the Dallas defense who made the Rams offense like lamb to the slaughter. The Eagles offense is centered around Jalen Hurts which can be a good thing and a bad thing. Good in that the many talents of him can help your team. Bad in that other players aren't a factor in this game. Spreading the ball around will be ideal for the Eagles. I'll take the Birds.

Denver (2-3) @ LA Chargers (3-2) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers 
The Broncos lost to the Colts and the Chargers beat the Browns last week. Week 6 wraps up with an AFC West matchup. Russell Wilson has looked off this season and the last week's contest against the Colts proved that. It seems more than just communication issues with him and his receivers. The Chargers on the other hand, don't seem to have those issues. Justin Herbert has been himself so far in 2022 despite one game where injuries seemed to affect his play. The play of Austin Ekeler has kept the Chargers offense on balanced football. I'll take the Chargers in that I like the more in-sync offense. 

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

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

CBS Early

New England @ Cleveland
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Cincinnati @ New Orleans
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Baltimore @ NY Giants
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

CBS Late

Buffalo @ Kansas City
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single

Tampa Bay @ Pittsburgh
Joe Davis (or Brandon Gaudin), Daryl Johnston

NY Jets @ Green Bay
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Minnesota @ Miami
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

San Francisco @ Atlanta
Adam Amin (or Chris Myers), Mark Schlereth

Carolina @ LA Rams (Late)
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Arizona @ Seattle (Late)
Chris Myers (or Noah Eagle), Robert Smith

Note: The play-by-play announcers for FOX will depend on the times of the two National League Division Series that Joe Davis and/or Adam Amin are calling. For more info on which game is being shown in your area: check out: NFL 2022: Week 6 Maps

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6

Total: 42-37-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7

Total: 37-42-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 6 Recap post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom