NFL 2022 Week 12 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The Thanksgiving holiday is over and the season is getting close to the home stretch. The storylines for Week 12 will surely have to be: a back and forth affair in Minnesota, an upset in Cleveland, and a wild finish in Jacksonville. In this post I'll do a recap of the week's games. Let's get to work!

Week 12 Recap

Buffalo 28, Detroit 25: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills would get their 2nd win in Detroit in five days. The game was a trying one for Josh Allen and had 24 of 42 passes completed for 253 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Isiah McKenzie and Stefon Diggs were the recipients of those touchdown throws. Josh Allen would rush for 78 yards with a touchdown. Devin Singletary had 72 yards rushing. It would come down to a Tyler Bass Field goal in the final minute that would give the Bills the win. Jared Goff would have a better day as a passer with 23 of 37 passes completed for 240 yards with two touchdowns. Amonra St. Brown and DJ Chark were the recipients of those touchdown passes. Jamaal Williams would would have some tough runs in the game but he managed to get 66 yards rushing with a touchdown. Including a 27-yard run that was the longest in the game. For the Bills, the win puts them at 8-3 with division hopes still alive in the AFC East. For the Lions, the loss snaps their three game winning streak and puts them at 4-7. 

Next week:
Buffalo: @ New England (Thursday night)
Detroit: vs Jacksonville

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

NY Giants 20, Dallas 28: TW: Cowboys; CV: Giants
It started off slow for Dallas but they would rebound and beat their division rivals. Daniel Jones would play alright in this game as he completed 21 of 35 passes for 228 yards with a touchdown pass to Richie James in the 4th quarter. New York's running game wouldn't be used a lot as Saquon Barkley would rush for 39 yards with a touchdown that game the Giants a 10-7 lead in the 2nd quarter. Gary Brightwell had 31 yards rushing. Dak Prescott would not have one of his best games as he completed 21 of 30 passes for 261 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Dalton Schultz would be the one that would score on those passes. It would be the two interceptions that would help the Giants take the lead into halftime. Ezekiel Elliot would have a day as the runner completed the game with 92 yards rushing with a touchdown run. His teammate Tony Pollard had 60 yards rushing. Tight end Peyton Hendershot would get a rushing touchdown on a sweep play that the Giants would get caught off guard. For the Giants, the loss is their third in the last four games as they drop to 7-4. For the Cowboys, they still keep the pressure on the Eagles in the hotly contested NFC East. 

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Washington
Dallas: vs Indianapolis

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

New England 26, Minnesota 33: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Resiliency would be the name of the game for the Vikings in this game. Mac Jones had one of his best games passing the ball in 2022 with 28 of 39 passes completed for 382 yards with two touchdowns. Hunter Henry and Nelson Agholor were the receivers that would score on those passes. One of the surprising things in this game was that the Patriots would only run the ball 13 times. Rhamondre Stevenson one of the bedrocks in the Pats offense would only get seven carries for 36 yards. Penalties and 3rd down conversions would hurt the Patriots in this game as the yellow flag would cost the Pats 55 yards and had 3 of 10 conversions on 3rd down. Kirk Cousins would have a solid game as he completed 30 of 37 passes for 299 yards with three touchdowns and had a pass intercepted. Dalvin Cook would have a tough time getting anything going on the ground as he had 42 yards rushing on 22 carries. It was another big game for Justin Jefferson as the receiver gave Vikings fans glimpses of Randy Moss' performance against Dallas in 1998. Jefferson had nine catches for 139 yards with a touchdown. The game would come down to a few questionable calls by the refs. There was a missed touchdown call as Hunter Henry would cross the plane with the ball. Another questionable decision was a holding that wasn't called. For the Patriots, the game snaps a three-game winning streak and begins a tough stretch of football for them. For the Vikings, the win keeps them well ahead in the NFC North division race. 

Next week:
New England: vs Buffalo (Thursday night)
Minnesota: vs NY Jets

TW: 3-0; CV: 2-1

Atlanta 13, Washington 19: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
It was a grind out contest in rainy FedEx Field. Marcus Mariota would complete 15 of 25 passes for 174 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Pruitt on a 4-yard pass that would be the only offensive touchdown for the Falcons. Taylor Allgeier would put forth a 54 yard, 11 carry performance in this game. Cordarrelle Patterson would have 52 yards on 11 carries. Miscues on special teams would hurt them as Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo would miss a field goal late in the 2nd quarter that would keep the score at a 10-10 tie. Koo would finish the game with 2 of 3 field goals hit. Taylor Heinicke would play well enough. The folk hero would hit 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards for two touchdowns and an interception that would almost prove to be costly in the final minute of the 2nd quarter. Brian Robinson Jr and John Bates would be the players that would catch those passes. Robinson Jr would see the ball often as the runner racked up 105 yards rushing on 18 carries. Continuing his stellar of a season where in August he was shot and spent a majority of the first few months of the season recovering. The game also marked the 15th anniversary of the death of safety Sean Taylor. In honor of his death, the Commanders put forth a "statue" of him. For the Falcons, the loss drops them to 5-7 with a few missed opportunities to stay with the Buccaneers in the NFC South. For the Commanders, they still stay with the top dogs in the NFC East with a 7-5 record. 

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

TW: 4-0; CV: 3-1

Baltimore 27, Jacksonville 28: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
You just had to have a lead and then blow said lead. Well done. Lamar Jackson would play alright enough with 16 of 32 passes for 254 yards and a touchdown pass to Josh Oliver in the 4th quarter and with the 2-point conversion gave the Ravens the 27-20 lead. Jackson would once again play running back as he had 89 yards rushing. Gus Edwards had 52 yards rushing on 16 carries with a touchdown. Baltimore would utilize kicker Justin Tucker often as the magic man hit 4 of 5 field goals with a 55-yard being the longest in the game. The lone miss would come on a long try in the final seconds of the game. In what many thought the kick was good would fall just short. Trevor Lawrence would have one of his better games this season. The former Clemson Tiger had 29 of 37 passes completed for 321 yards with three touchdowns. Marvin Jones, James Agnew, and Jamycal Hasty were the ones getting those touchdown passes. Hasty had 28 yards rushing on 12 carries. Ball security would be the name of the game for the Ravens as they had three fumbles in this game and two of those were lost late in the game. The mistakes would turn into Jaguars points. The game-winning play would come down to the players wanting to go for two and for head coach Doug Pederson to give the go-ahead to do it. The play would be a Trevor Lawrence to Zay Jones connection that would sail to the left to give the Jags the lead and the win. For the Ravens, the loss drops them to a 7-4 record with the Bengals breathing down their necks. For the Jaguars, it is their 2nd win in three games and improve their record to 4-7.

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Denver
Jacksonville: @ Detroit

TW: 4-1; CV: 3-2

Chicago 10, NY Jets 31: TW: Jets; CV: Jets
Mike "The Man, the Myth, the Legend" White strikes again! With Justin Fields out for the game, the Bears hopes of victory teetered on journeyman Trevor Siemian. Siemian would make the most of the opportunity with a 14 of 25 completions for 179 yards with a touchdown and an interception performance. The play would be a Siemian to Byron Pringle connection up the middle that gave the Bears their only lead in the game. David Montgomery would find some gaps in the Jets defense with a 79 yards rushing on 14 carries performance. Chicago would finish the game with 292 total yards with an average gain of 5.2 yards/play. Trenton Gill would see a lot of action in the punting game as he punted five times for an average punt of 48.8 yards. Including a 61-yard long punt. Mike White played well despite making his first start of 2022. The passer had 22 of 28 passes completed for 315 yards for three touchdowns. Garrett Wilson had two touchdowns and Elijah Moore had one. New York's running game would carve up the Bears with 158 total rushing yards. Zonovan Knight, a practice squad member, was activated for this game. The runner had 69 yards rushing on 14 carries. Ty Johnson would score a rushing touchdown and had 62 yards rushing. Offense would not be an issue for the Jets in the game as they had 466 total yards on 62 plays with a 7.5 yards average gain. In a game where their offense was pitiful last week against New England. For the Bears, the loss drops them to 3-9 and with it hopes of a winning season. For the Jets, their turnaround season continues with a 7-4 record. 

Next week:
Chicago: vs Green Bay
NY Jets: @ Minnesota

TW: 5-1; CV: 4-2

Cincinnati 20, Tennessee 16: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Tennessee would not get its revenge against the defending AFC champions. Joe Burrow would hit 22 of 37 passes for 270 yards with a touchdown pass to Tee Higgins that would prove to be the game-winner, early in the 4th quarter. In the AFC Divisional playoff, the Titans defense would sack Burrow nine times. In this game he would get sacked only one time. Samaje Perine would play well enough to help his team. He had 58 yards rushing with a touchdown run in the 2nd quarter. Tee Higgins would finish the game with seven catches and 114 receiving yards. Ryan Tannehill would play better than the last time these two teams played. Tannehill had 22 of 34 passes completed for 291 yards. Derrick Henry would be limited to just 38 yards rushing in this game though he would have 79 receiving yards. The lone touchdown for the Titans would come on a Tannehill to Henry pass play that would get fumbled and would get recovered by Treylon Burks for a 69-yard play. So you can say it was a play that failed successfully. With Randy Bullock injured, the Titans would sign Caleb Shudak off the kicking caravan. Shudak would do well enough but would hit just 3 of 4 on field goals. For the Bengals, the win moves them to 7-4 but are currently in a 2nd place bind over rival Baltimore who had lost on Sunday. For the Titans, the loss also drops them to 7-4 and with some breathing room still in the AFC South. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Kansas City
Tennessee: @ Philadelphia

TW: 5-2; CV: 4-3

Denver 10, Carolina 23: TW: Panthers; CV: Broncos
The Broncos offense would once again falter. Russell Wilson the contributor to the faltering play would hit 19 of 35 passes for 142 yards with a touchdown pass to Brandon Johnson late in the 4th quarter. The touchdown would be the only score for the Broncos in the game. Things would get heated as Broncos nose tackle Mike Purcell would have choice words for his quarterback on the sideline. Carolina's pass rush would see Wilson somewhat often as he was sacked three times. Latavius Murray had success with 92 yards rushing on 13 carries with a 52-yard run being his longest in the game. The Broncos offense would put up 246 total yards on 57 plays. It would be Sam Darnold that would get the start for the Panthers. The former Jet would hi 11 of 19 passes for 164 yards with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore. Darnold would get a rushing touchdown on a 2-yard play. D'Onta Foreman had 113 yards rushing in the game on 24 carries. Good day for him. For the Broncos, the nightmare season continues with a 3-8 record and no light on the other side in sight. For the Panthers, it is their 4th win at home as they improve to 4-8 in 2022. 

Next week:
Denver: @ Baltimore
Carolina: @ Seattle

TW: 6-2; CV: 4-4

Houston 15, Miami 30: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Dolphins would put up 30 points in the 1st half and went on cruise control the rest of the way. Kyle Allen would get the start for the Texans. The change wouldn't produce results as he had 26 of 39 completions for 215 yards with a touchdown pass to Jordan Akins in the 4th quarter. The play would be a 25-yard pass that cut the Dolphin lead to a 30-12 score. Allen would also have two interceptions in the game. Dare Ogunbowale would get a rushing touchdown in the 3rd quarter with 14 yards rushing. Houston would only have 210 total yards in the game. Tua Tagovailoa would play well in the game as he had 22 of 36 passes completed for 299 yards with a touchdown pass to Durham Smythe. Jeff Wilson played the ball well on the ground with 39 yards rushing with a touchdown. The Dolphins defense would get a score on a Jordan Akins pass that would get fumbled and recovered by Xavien Howard for 16-yard fumble-six. Just another day in the office for the Dolphins offense. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Cleveland
Miami: @ San Francisco

TW: 7-2; CV: 5-4

Tampa Bay 17, Cleveland 23 (F/OT): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Umm... wow Brownies. Tom Brady would have a solid game as he had 29 of 43 passes completed for 246 yards with two touchdowns to Chris Godwin and Ko Kieft. Rashaad White was the leading rusher for the Bucs with 64 yards rushing on 14 carries. Chris Godwin would see the ball come his way often as he caught 12 balls for 110 yards receiving. Tampa would find difficult to move the ball as they went 4 of 15 on 3rd down and punted six times out of seven possessions. Cleveland would sack Brady three times. Jacoby Brissett would play alright in the game as he completed 23 of 37 passes for 210 yards with a touchdown pass to David Njoku. The Njoku pass gave the Browns the 17-17 tie going into overtime. Brissett would have an interception in the game. Anthony Schwartz found the endzone on a little trickery play that went for a 31-yard touchdown. Nick Chubb would carry the team on his back in this game as he had 116 yards rushing with a touchdown that gave the Browns the win and the upset victory. For the Buccaneers, the shocking loss drops them to 5-6 but still in control of the NFC South. For the Browns, the win is their 2nd in four games and improve to 4-7. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs New Orleans (Monday night)
Cleveland: @ Houston

TW: 7-3; CV: 5-5

LA Chargers 25, Arizona 24: TW: Cardinals; CV: Chargers
I've given Brandon Staley crap all year but that two-point conversion was ballsy and it worked out for his team. Justin Herbert had a solid game as he completed 35 of 47 passes for 274 yards with three touchdowns as well as 38 yards rushing. One run of his went for 23 yards. Keenan Allen, Austin Ekeler and Deandre Carter were the ones that got those touchdown passes. It was the Austin Ekeler touchdown that would give the Chargers a 24-23 deficit. Instead of going for the point after and the tie, head coach Brandon Staley opted to go for the win. The resulting play would be a Herbert pass to Gerald Everett. The Chargers were cold for a majority of the game as they would punt on six possessions. Kyler Murray would have a decent game as he had 18 of 29 passes for 191 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. DeAndre Hopkins and James Conner were the ones that got those touchdown passes. Arizona would waste a great game by James Conner who had 120 yards rushing on 25 carries. Kyler Murray would score a rushing touchdown while getting 56 yards on the ground. Turnovers would be costly for the Cards as they would fumble the ball on their first possessions in the 1st and 2nd quarters. A miscue on special teams would also cost the Cardinals points as Matt Prater went 1 of 2 in the field goal department. For the Chargers, they get back to above .500 and in the playoff picture in the AFC. For the Cardinals, the loss drops them to 4-8 and in danger of not making the playoffs. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: @ Las Vegas
Arizona: Bye

TW: 7-4; CV: 6-5

Las Vegas 40, Seattle 34 (F/OT): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Josh Jacobs unleashed his inner Might Mouse in overtime. Derek Carr would have a sluggish start but would rebound. He hit 25 of 36 of his passes for 295 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The interceptions came on the first play and on a tipped pass. Josh Jacobs would have a great game as the runner had 229 yards (not a typo) rushing with two touchdowns. The two touchdowns would be on a 30-yard play and on a 86-yard play that would decide the game for the Raiders in overtime. Jacobs also had 74 receiving yards and with the 303 yards is the most in franchise history and just 7th most in the Super Bowl Era. The Raiders had quite the game on offense as they had 576 total yards on 77 plays with an average gain of 7.5 yards. Geno Smith completed 27 of 37 passes for 328 yards with two touchdowns to Tyler Lockett and Travis Homer. He had a pass intercepted. Kenneth Walker III wouldn't get a lot of rushing yards in the game but he scored two touchdowns on 12-yard and 14-yard plays. Seattle would only get 372 total yards in this game. The big thing that the Raiders turnovers cost them early and helped them stay with the Raiders in this game. For the Raiders, they move to 4-7 with some job security for head coach Josh McDaniels. For the Seahawks, the loss drops them out of 1st place in the NFC West. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs LA Chargers
Seattle: @ LA Rams

TW: 7-5; CV: 6-6

LA Rams 10, Kansas City 26: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
It was tough sledding for the defending champs. Matthew Stafford was out for this game and John Wolford was out as well. It would come down to 3rd stringer Bryce Perkins. Perkins, a 3rd-year player from the University of Virginia, would not be a factor as he completed 13 of 23 passes for a touchdown to Van Jefferson in the 4th quarter. He would not help the cause as he threw two interceptions. He would be the leading rusher in the game with 44 yards. Cam Akers had 37 yards rushing. The Rams would get 198 total yards of offense in the game. Patrick Mahomes played alright as he had 27 of 42 passes completed for 320 yards with a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce in the 1st quarter on a 39-yard play. Mahomes would toss an interception. Isiah Pacheco had 69 yards rushing with a touchdown run. The Chiefs had 437 total yards in the game. One thing that the Chiefs need to clean up is the Red Zone efficiency as they went 1 for 6 inside the 20. They also need to do better in goal to go efficiency as they went 1 for 5. For the Rams, the title defense has turned into a rough season for them as they drop to 3-8. For the Chiefs, the win moves them to 9-2 in 2022. 

Next week:
LA Rams: vs Seattle
Kansas City: @ Cincinnati

TW: 8-5; CV: 7-6

New Orleans 0, San Francisco 13: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Defense would take down the Saints in Santa Clara. Andy Dalton finished the game with 18 of 29 completions for 204 yards. He got sacked once in the game but his teammates would face the menace of the 49ers defense. Taysom Hill was called into to play for only one time with a lengthy play that yielded zero results. Andy Dalton was also the leading rusher for the Saints. San Francisco held New Orleans to just 260 yards and forced two fumbles, one of those fumbles was in the redzone. Jimmy Garoppolo didn't put up numbers but he managed the game. He finished with 26 of 37 completions for 222 yards with a touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings in the 2nd quarter. Elijah Mitchell rushed for 35 yards on seven carries. Christian McCaffrey had 32 rushing and 17 receiving yards in the game. Talanoa Hufanga finished the game with six total tackles and a forced fumble in the game. For the Saints, the loss drops them to 4-8 but with the NFC South being open as it is, it's a possibility that the Saints can win it. For the 49ers, the win moves them up to 1st place in the NFC West at 7-4. 

Next week:
New Orleans: @ Tampa Bay (Monday night)
San Francisco: vs Miami

TW: 9-5; CV: 8-6

Green Bay 33, Philadelphia 40: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Jalen Hurts is good at this football thing. Aaron Rodgers started the game and completed 11 of 16 passes for 140 yards with two touchdowns to Randall Cobb and Aaron Jones. The passer would get fooled on two plays which resulted in interceptions. He would leave the game with an oblique injury. Jordan Love would come into the game and played well enough to help the team with 6 of 9 passing for 113 yards with a touchdown pass to Christian Watson. The Packers were knocking the door late in the game but a deflected pass from Love would result in the Pack going for the field goal. AJ Dillon had 64 yards rushing with a touchdown. Aaron Jones had 43 yards rushing. Jalen Hurts had 16 of 28 passes completed for 153 yards with two touchdown passes to AJ Brown and Quez Watkins. Philly's running game would be the star in this game. Hurts had 157 yards rushing so he had more rushing yards than passing. Miles Sanders tore through the Pack's defense with 143 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Kenneth Gainwell had 39 yards rushing with a touchdown. Despite the 500 total yards on offense, the Eagles only won by seven points. Definitely proves that the Eagles might have some weaknesses. For the Packers, the injury to Rodgers could be detrimental as they drop to 4-8 and playoff hopes slimming. For the Eagles, they stay on top of the NFC East with a 10-1 record. 

Next week:
Green Bay: @ Chicago
Philadelphia: vs Tennessee

TW: 10-5; CV: 9-6

Pittsburgh 24, Indianapolis 17: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Steelers got it done in Indy but at a cost. Kenny Pickett completed 20 of 28 passes for 174 yards with 32 yards rushing. It was the Steelers run game that got it done for them. Najee Harris started and got 35 yards rushing on 10 carries with a touchdown. He would leave the game with an injury. With his teammate out, Benny Snell stepped up and got a touchdown while getting 62 yards rushing. On offense the Steelers allowed three sacks, finished with 323 total yards on 67 plays. It was a performance that wouldn't warrant they to be a playoff team but they didn't turn the ball over. Matt Ryan started the game for the Colts and hit 22 of 34 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown to Michael Pittman in the 3rd quarter. Ryan had a pass intercepted by Alex Highsmith. Jonathan Taylor did a solid job in running the ball as he got 86 yards rushing with a touchdown. Pittsburgh's defense really clamped down on the Colts only allowing just six total yards on Indy's first three drives. Along with the interception, the Colts also fumbled the ball on a sustained 16-play drive. Indianapolis finished the game with 290 total yards. For the Steelers, the win moves them up to 4-7 but will need some miracle to sniff the playoffs. For the Colts, the 2022 campaign takes a turn for the worst as they drop to 4-7-1. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: @ Atlanta
Indianapolis: @ Dallas (Sunday night)

TW: 10-6; CV: 9-7

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
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 10-6

Total: 108-71-1

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
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7

Total: 95-82-1

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 13 picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 12 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. With the Thanksgiving holiday near the nation takes a moment to be thankful for everything, including food and football. For matchups this week, I'll keep an eye on: Giants-Cowboys, Bengals-Titans, Rams-Chiefs, and Packers-Eagles. In this post I'll do a NFL Thankful: 2022 edition, the latest playoff picture, a preview of Week 12, my picks for the games and the Early & Late Game TV Broadcast pairings. 

NFL Thankful: 2022 Edition

I had forgotten to do this last year and it had been a tradition of mine since I started doing blogging. In this section I will talk about what I think all 32 teams have to be thankful for in 2022. Here's the list:

Arizona Cardinals: Thankful to have DeAndre Hopkins back. 

Atlanta Falcons: Marcus Mariota. That and you guys are playing well beyond expectations.

Baltimore Ravens: Having a better season than last year but the blowing leads have got to be annoying. 

Buffalo Bills: You guys didn't have to play in a stadium that had six feet of snow dumped on it.

Carolina Panthers: You guys don't have a lot to be thankful for as you're in the middle of a rebuild. The black helmet is kind of cool though.

Chicago Bears: Justin Fields. 

Cincinnati Bengals: Joe Burrow is still walking upright and the Super Bowl hangover isn't taking as much of a hit on you as the Rams.

Cleveland Browns: Not a lot to be thankful for, the signing of Jacoby Brissett is nice. The contract to DeShaun Watson is not. 

Dallas Cowboys: That you guys haven't played yet in the playoffs. Can't be one and done if you're not in them yet. 

Denver Broncos: Your defense. The offense is pitiful. 

Detroit Lions: Winning three straight games.

Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers being your quarterback and well Aaron Rodgers still being your quarterback.

Houston Texans: Your team stinks but at least the prospect of the #1 overall draft pick seems promising. 

Indianapolis Colts: The 2022 season hasn't been what you wanted but at least you got a former player running things in the interim.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Your head coach might last a full season and more.

Kansas City Chiefs: Two words: Patrick Mahomes.

Las Vegas Raiders: Your team won't make the playoffs likely this year but you can't lose a playoff game if you're not in one. Big brain.

Los Angeles Chargers: Your head coach isn't totally incompetent. Those Justin Herbert commercials are kind of funny. 

Los Angeles Rams: Matthew Stafford has another job (doing commercials) other than playing one of his worst seasons in his career. 

Miami Dolphins: Tua staying healthy and can walk like a normal person. That and the temperature difference at Hard Rock Stadium.

Minnesota Vikings: Your 8-2 record is quite nice. At least until you guys go possibly one and done in January.

New England Patriots: Your defense and Rhamondre Stevenson are the reason why you're 6-4 right now.

New Orleans Saints: The playoff prospects aren't promising but at least the Red Rifle is playing alright.

New York Giants: Having one of your best seasons since 2008 at least until you eventually lose in the playoffs.

New York Jets: Breece Hall playing well beyond rookie expectations and then he gets injured. Just give him that extension already. 

Philadelphia Eagles: An 9-1 record is your franchise's best since 2004 and Jalen Hurts is certainly a worthy MVP candidate.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The local boy is a faster version of Ben Roethlisberger and you guys might get a better draft pick if Mike Tomlin has his first losing season.

San Francisco 49ers: Your team pulling off the Christian McCaffrey trade and trying to hide the fact that it might cost your team's future in the long run. 

Seattle Seahawks: Geno Smith playing what he was supposed to be when the Jets had drafted him to be. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady.

Tennessee Titans: Derrick Henry not being injured. 

Washington Commanders: Daniel Snyder selling the team. Not so much on the nickname. 

Playoff Picture: Week 12

With six weeks of the regular season left, there's still plenty of divisions up for grabs and no sure thing is guaranteed in the NFL. Even teams with great records have competition like the NFC and AFC East divisions. Let's look at the AFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (8-2)
2nd seed: Miami Dolphins (7-3)
3rd seed: Tennessee Titans (7-3)
4th seed: Baltimore Ravens (7-3)
5th seed: Buffalo Bills (7-3)
6th seed: New England Patriots (6-4)
7th seed: Cincinnati Bengals (6-4)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Cincinnati @ Miami
New England @ Tennessee
Buffalo @ Baltimore

In the Hunt

NY Jets (6-4), LA Chargers (5-5), Indianapolis (4-6-1), Jacksonville (3-7), Las Vegas (3-7), Cleveland (3-7), Denver (3-7), Pittsburgh (3-7), Houston (1-8-1)

Some interesting notes is that the Patriots are ahead of the Jets and Bengals based on head-to-head (Patriots record vs Jets 2-0) and based on conference record (5-2 to Patriots compared to Bengals 3-3 record). Miami is ahead of the Bills because of head-to-head record (1-0). Tennessee is behind Miami based on strength of victory (Miami has .465 to the Titans .358). 

Let's take a look at the NFC

Seeding

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles (9-1)
2nd seed: Minnesota Vikings (8-2)
3rd seed: San Francisco 49ers (6-4)
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5)
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys (7-3)
6th seed: NY Giants (7-3)
7th seed: Seattle Seahawks (6-4)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Seattle @ Minnesota
NY Giants @ San Francisco
Dallas @ Tampa Bay

In the Hunt

Washington (6-5), Atlanta (5-6), Detroit (4-6), Green Bay (4-7), Arizona (4-7), New Orleans (4-7), LA Rams (3-7), Carolina (3-8), Chicago (3-8)

Looking like two of the matchups in the wild card weekend will have hosts with worser records against their opposition. You have to remember that the first four seeds are division winners. In terms of tiebreakers, there's not a lot of them. 

Week 12 Preview

The Twelfth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Detroit, Michigan and finish up in Indianapolis, Indiana. The week will feature a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. No teams are on a bye this week. Week 12 will feature three Thursday games, seven early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will have the double header this week and CBS will carry the single, regional game. 

Week 12 Picks

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

Buffalo (7-3) @ Detroit (4-6) (CBS; 12:30 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Both teams won last week as the Bills beat the Browns and the Lions beat the Giants. Thanksgiving starts with an interesting matchup in Detroit. Interesting in that the Lions aren't completely terrible. Buffalo had a bit of a skid of late losing to the Jets and Vikings. The doubt would lift a bit as they beat the Browns by an eight point margin. It will really come down to if the Bills defense can shut down the two headed monster in Jamaal Williams and D'Andre Swift. I think the Bills offense will find relative ease against the Lions defense. I'll take the Bills in a chance.

NY Giants (7-3) @ Dallas (7-3) (FOX; 4:30 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Giants
The Giants lost to the Lions and the Cowboys beat the Vikings last week. The sleeper game might turn into a game where you'd have to stay up for and watch. Both teams are at 7-3 and are rivals. Might be the biggest matchup in the Giants-Cowboys rivalry in a long time. New York has gotten it done with their rushing attack with Saquon Barkley leading the charge. They have some weakness in stopping the run. Dallas is much of the same with great running backs in Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliot. Their rush defense is suspect but their defense can shut down passing games as they only give up 201.9 yards/game. That will be one of the reasons why that might doom the Giants in this game. Quick passes will be the name of the game for Daniel Jones. 

New England (6-4) @ Minnesota (8-2) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Patriots beat the Jets and the Vikings lost to the Cowboys last week. New England's record is a bit suspect as they have won their games by their defense and special teams. For example, last week. Minnesota had bought the hype last week and they got smoked against Dallas. Their defense is suspect but their offense has been playing well enough to win games. Both teams have trouble in pass protection as both quarterbacks combined for 13 sacks against their opposition. I think the team who can keep their quarterback's jersey clean will have a good shot to win. Have to think the Vikings will win. 

Atlanta (5-6) @ Washington (6-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
Both teams picked up wins as the Falcons beat the Bears and the Commanders beat the Texans. Atlanta has had a season that most people thought they wouldn't have. A 5-6 record with one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL. Cordarrelle Patterson has some reason for that surge in stats. For the Commanders, they have one of the best rushing defenses. Something is going to have to give. I like Washington's running game a bit more as they do have some good players like Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson running the ball. With the benching of Carson Wentz, the Commanders will put the keys in the hands of Taylor Heinicke. I'll take the Commanders. 

Baltimore (7-3) @ Jacksonville (3-7) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens beat the Panthers and the Jaguars had a bye last week. Baltimore has been one of the weirder teams this season. They can win by a fair margin like against the Saints and only put up 13 points against the Panthers. The offense just couldn't seem to get going last week. Jacksonville will be rested due to the bye week. The team could use one as they really have problems from stem to stern. Both teams have average stats when it comes to offense and defense. I feel the Ravens will take the dub with the strength of their running game. 

Chicago (3-8) @ NY Jets (6-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Jets; CV: Jets
Both teams lost last week as the Bears lost to the Falcons and the Jets lost to the Patriots. Chicago might not have Justin Fields for this game. As well as their running back Khalil Herbert. If Fields doesn't go it will be up to Trevor Siemian to get things going on offense for the Bears. New York is dealing with their own troubles at quarterback as Joe Flacco might get the nod over Zach Wilson. If Flacco goes, I like the numbers that he has put up in 2022 with five touchdowns and three interceptions in three games. It's a toss-up game but I like the Jets at home. Update: as of 5:45 pm on 11/23/22 it will be Mike White that starts. Still won't change my mind. 

Cincinnati (6-4) @ Tennessee (7-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The two teams won last week as the Bengals beat the Steelers and the Titans beat the Packers. It's a rematch of the AFC Divisional playoff. The Bengals come into this contest a bit banged up with Joe Mixon and Ja'Marr Chase questionable to start. Tennessee seems to be a bit healthier on the roster. The Titans get to this point on the load of Derrick Henry. If Henry can get to 100 yards rushing a game they won't likely lose. If Tannehill can consistently drive the ball down the field and not make mistakes I like the Titans taking this game. 

Denver (3-7) @ Carolina (3-8) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Broncos
Both teams lost last week as the Broncos lost to the Raiders and the Panthers lost to the Ravens. Both teams stink. The two combined records are 6-15. A doozy of a matchup that makes it worthy for the Toilet Bowl. I feel the Panthers will take a win because they really don't have anything to lose. I like D'Onta Foreman in this game. If I have to choose a team, I'd rather take the home team. 

Houston (1-8-1) @ Miami (7-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Texans lost to the Commanders and the Dolphins were on a bye last week. A real underdog versus favorite matchup. Houston is god awful and Miami is having their best season in many years. Tua Tagovailoa has stayed healthy after his concussion problems. He will have a relatively easy time against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Houston would have to play their best game if they want to beat this team. 

Tampa Bay (5-5) @ Cleveland (3-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers had a bye and the Browns lost to the Bills last week. Tampa has been kind of an on-and-off team that can play well when it can. The only reason why they're at .500 is essentially Tom Brady. His defense can help keep the Buccaneers in games. Cleveland had been looking promising but they've lost a lot of games. It was at one point that the Browns were 2-1. Nick Chubb is close to getting 1,000 this season which is kind of cool. I think its a tough matchup for the Browns. I'll take the Bucs.

LA Chargers (5-5) @ Arizona (4-7) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Chargers
Both teams lost as the Chargers lost to the Chiefs and the Cardinals lost to the 49ers. Kyler Murray is likely going to play in this game after missing the last two games. I think the Chargers have a shot to win but I've lost confidence in them to win games. They really like to shit the bed at times. Arizona has been kind of iffy at times. Times like they really look great when they win and then play horrible. I'll go with the Cardinals to take down the Chargers in an upset.

Las Vegas (3-7) @ Seattle (6-4) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The Raiders beat the Broncos and the Seahawks had a bye last week. Derek Carr and company found a way to win against their rivals in the Broncos. They have three wins, two of them against Denver. What they face is the 12th man in Seattle. The Seahawks are well rested and they have one of the best comeback stories in the NFL in Geno Smith. As much as I hope the Raiders get things back on track I think they will have a tough time against a better rested Geno Smith, Kenneth Walker III and company. 

LA Rams (3-7) @ Kansas City (8-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Rams lost to the Saints and the Chiefs beat the Chargers last week. The game won't have Matthew Stafford to start as the passer has a strained neck. It will be his 2nd missed game in three weeks. John Wolford won't be able to play as he has a strained neck as well. It will be up to Bryce Perkins to lead the defending champions to a win. That's going to be a tall task as they take on the Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes has done Mahomes things and guided the Chiefs to an 8-2 record. The best record in the AFC. The underdog would be an interesting story to tell your children but I think the Chiefs will win at home.

New Orleans (4-7) @ San Francisco (6-4) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Saints beat the Rams and the 49ers beat the Cardinals last week. New Orleans has had a rough season which is perhaps warranted as they weren't expected to go far. Perhaps not. Andy Dalton is a capable starter and is certainly having a better season than Week 1 starter Jameis Winston. San Francisco has been one of the teams that should be better and they will be better. The addition of Christian McCaffrey has been a help to the 49ers. I think the start of a better road to victory will start against the Saints. 

Green Bay (4-7) @ Philadelphia (9-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Packers lost to the Titans and the Eagles beat the Colts last week. Aaron Rodgers and company hasn't had the season like they usually have in the past years. The issues with them don't stem from the wide receivers like they used to. Christian Watson has proven that he's a worthy weapon for Rodgers to go to. What they go up against is the Philadelphia Eagles who are pretty good based on their record. They've gotten it done with their offense. Jalen Hurts is a worthy MVP candidate. I think the Eagles will take the win as the Packers defense, like their record, is a rather disappointment. 

Pittsburgh (3-7) @ Indianapolis (4-6-1) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Steelers lost to the Bengals and the Colts lost to the Eagles last week. Pittsburgh has had a struggle of a season. Their quarterback situation has been a mess but Kenny Pickett has been slowly been an interesting player to watch. The Steelers running game has been getting better as Najee Harris scored a couple of touchdowns last week. Indianapolis were so close to pulling off that sweet 2-0 start for interim head coach Jeff Saturday. I'm not sure what to think about the Colts and I don't know about the Steelers either. I like the Colts a bit better as they do have a running game and can do well enough on defense. It's a toss-up. 

Early & Late game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area. Check local listings. 

CBS Single

Cincinnati @ Tennessee 
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Baltimore @ Jacksonville
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Houston @ Miami
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

LA Chargers @ Arizona (Late)
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

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

FOX Early

Tampa Bay @ Cleveland
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Chicago @ NY Jets
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

Atlanta @ Washington
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Denver @ Carolina
Chris Myers, Robert Smith

FOX Late

LA Rams @ Kansas City
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

New Orleans @ San Francisco
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2022: Week 12 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
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6

Total: 98-65-1

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
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6

Total: 88-75-1

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 12 Recap post! Have a great Thanksgiving and weekend!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 11 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. Week 11 brought us some interesting storylines. Such storylines like: Buffalo picking up a victory in Detroit, Dallas putting the hurt on the Vikings, Green Bay staying cold at home, and Kansas City picking up a close win on the road. In this post I'll do a recap of the week's games. Let's get to work

Week 11 Recap

Tennessee 27, Green Bay 17: TW: Packers; CV: Titans
In cold Green Bay the Titans wouldn't freeze up in the Frozen Tundra. Ryan Tannehill would stay warm in the game as he had 333 yards passing on 22 of 27 pass completions with two touchdown passes. Dontrell Hilliard and Austin Hooper would be the recipients of those passes. Tannehill would toss an interception in the 4th quarter that gave the Packers a shot to win. Derrick Henry would play quarterback on a couple of plays, one of them resulted in a passing touchdown. Henry would jump up to pass to Austin Hooper on a Tannehill fake pass. Along with the passing touchdown, Henry would have a rushing touchdown on 87 yards. Aaron Rodgers would finish feeling cold as he had 24 of 39 passes for 227 yards. He would thaw on two touchdown passes to Christian Watson who has scored five touchdowns in the last two games. Prior to last week the receiver had only 88 receiving yards. Aaron Rodgers wouldn't find much help with his running game as Aaron Jones would only get 40 yards on 12 carries. It would be a game where the Titans defense would hold the Packers to 271 yards of offense. The Packers would go 7 for 14 on 3rd down conversions and would fail to convert a 4th down two times. For the Titans, the AFC South remains theirs for the taking as they have a 7-3 record. For the Packers, the must-win contest fizzles out for them and their playoff prospects start to get even slimmer. Their 4-7 start is their worst since 2006. 

Next week:
Tennessee:
Green Bay: 

TW: 0-1; CV: 1-0

Chicago 24, Atlanta 27: TW: Bears; CV: Bears
A back and forth affair in Atlanta. Justin Fields would have an interesting day as he completed 14 of 21 passes for 153 yards passing and 85 yards rushing. He would have two total touchdowns with an interception. His teammate David Montgomery had 67 yards rushing with a touchdown. It would be a Montgomery touchdown that would tie the game at 24. Atlanta's defense would wreck havoc as they would sack Justin Fields four times. Team discipline would play a factor in this game as the Bears would face seven penalties for a total of 56 yards. Marcus Mariota would do enough to help his team win. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 131 yards with a touchdown pass to Drake London. Mariota would also score a rushing touchdown while getting 25 yards on the ground. Tyler Allgeier would get 55 yards rushing. Cordarrelle Patterson had 52 yards rushing and had a kick-six touchdown on a 103-yard return. It would be his 9th kickoff return for a touchdown in his career. For the Bears, the loss drops them to 3-8 and in the cellar of the NFC North. For the Falcons, their playoff prospects still remain warm as they go to 5-6. 

Next week:
Chicago: @ NY Jets
Atlanta: @ Washington

TW: 0-2; CV: 1-1

Carolina 3, Baltimore 13: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
A closer game than what people wearing purple were wanting. Baker Mayfield would hit 21 of 33 passes for 196 yards with two interceptions that would happen in the 4th quarter. Certainly situations that the Panthers brass would not have wanted. D'Onta Foreman, the workhorse last week against Atlanta, would be held to 24 yards rushing on 11 carries. Overall the Panthers offense would get 205 total yards on 54 plays. That's a 3.8 yards/play average gain. Along with that, the Panthers were 3 for 12 on 3rd down and also lost a fumble to add to the turnovers. Lamar Jackson would have not a stellar day as he completed 24 of 33 passes for 209 yards with an interception to big man Bravvion Roy. Jackson would score the only touchdown in the game off a 1-yard run up the middle that would result from a Panther turnover. Jackson had 31 yards rushing. Kenyan Drake had 46 yards rushing. It wasn't a pretty game for the Ravens offense as they would go 6 for 15 on 3rd down. Penalties hurt the Ravens as well as they had 10 penalties for 93 yards. It would be the Ravens defense that would hold down the fort. For the Panthers, the loss drops their record to 3-8. For the Ravens, the defensive game win would give them a 7-3 record, well in control of the AFC North.

Next week:
Carolina: vs Denver
Baltimore: @ Jacksonville

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

Cleveland 23, Buffalo 31: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The game wasn't in Buffalo but the Bills would get their rebound win. Jacoby Brissett hit 28 of 41 passes for 324 yards with three touchdown passes to Amari Cooper who had two and David Peoples-Jones for one. Buffalo would make the Browns run game earn every yard as they had just 80 total yards on the ground, 32 of them to Kareem Hunt. Nick Chubb had 19 yards rushing. Jacoby Brissett had 29 yards rushing. Not quite the effort that you'd expect from them. Those who had Jacoby Brissett on fantasy football had a good day with him. Josh Allen would rebound in this game as he had 18 of 27 passes for 197 yards passing with a touchdown to Stefon Diggs in the 2nd quarter. Devin Singletary and James Cook would have 172 combined rushing yards in this game. Singletary had a rushing touchdown. Tyler Bass would be the key contributor in the game as he had a perfect 6 for 6 on field goals including a 56-yard field goal. Both teams would not do so hot in scoring opportunities as they both went 4 for 9 in the red zone and 4 for 6 in goal to go situations. For the Browns, the season is starting to slip from them and the playoff prospects are looking bleak as they go to 3-7. For the Bills, the rebound win gives them a 7-3 record and some breathing room. The Dolphins had a bye and the Jets lost to the Patriots. 

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Tampa Bay
Buffalo: @ Detroit (Thanksgiving)

TW: 2-2; CV: 3-1

Detroit 31, NY Giants 18: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
Don't look now but the Lions have won three straight games. Jared Goff wouldn't partake in the scoring but he would help with 17 of 26 pass completions with 165 yards passing. It would be the running game that gave the Lions the winning edge. Justin Jackson had 66 yards rushing on nine carries. Jamaal Williams would have a game as he rushed for 64 yards with three touchdowns. Dandre Swift had 20 yards rushing with a touchdown. It's interesting as the Lions had just 160 yards rushing in the game. Essentially 40 yards per touchdown. Detroit's defense really came through as they got three takeaways including two interceptions and a fumble. Daniel Jones would not play well in the game as he had 27 of 44 passes for 341 yards with a touchdown pass Richie James in the 4th quarter. The hurt would come from two interceptions. Daniel Jones would have a rushing touchdown on a bootleg that went to the right. Matt Breida would have a rushing touchdown as well. It is Detroit's first win against the Giants on the road since 2004 back when New York still called Giants Stadium home. For the Lions, the win is their 3rd straight with a 4-6 record and 2nd place in the NFC North. For the Giants, the loss drops them to 7-3. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Buffalo (Thanksgiving)
NY Giants: @ Dallas (Thanksgiving)

TW: 2-3; CV: 3-2

LA Rams 20, New Orleans 27: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The defending champs keep on faltering. Matthew Stafford would complete 11 of 18 passes for 159 yards with two touchdown passes to Allen Robinson and Tutu Atwell (nice first name buddy). The pass to Atwell would come on a 62-yard deep throw for the touchdown. Stafford wouldn't finish the game as he would come off with a concussion. Bryce Perkins would complete 5 of 10 passes for 64 yards. Cam Akers would make his return from injury as he had 61 yards rushing. Bryce Perkins had 39 yards rushing. Andy Dalton would get 21 of 25 passes for 260 yards with three touchdown passes. Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson and Jarvis Landry were the recipients of those passes that converted to scores. Taysom Hill had 52 yards rushing and had 14 yards passing. Alvin Kamara had 42 yards. For the Rams, they still have memories of last year to hold onto as they have a 3-7 record to stare at. For the Saints, the win improves their record to 4-7 ending a two-game losing streak. 

Next week:
LA Rams: @ Kansas City
New Orleans: @ San Francisco

TW: 2-4; CV: 3-3

NY Jets 3, New England 10: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The game looked like more of a baseball score than a football one. Zach Wilson would play a bit better than the last time these two teams met. He completed 9 of 22 passes for 77 yards with zero turnovers. He would have 26 yards rushing to lead the team in this game. Michael Carter had 19 yards. New York's offense would fare the worst as they would just get only 103 total yards, including 44 net yards passing. Zach Wilson would face the pass rush a lot as he was sacked four times. The Jets 3rd down conversions were not great as they had 3 of 14 conversions. Mac Jones would play an efficient game as he completed 23 of 27 passes for 246 yards with no turnovers. Jones would get sacked six times in this game. It wouldn't help his cause that center David Andrews would leave the game. He had been dealing with a nagging leg injury for most of 2022. Damien Harris would see the ball the most as he rushed for 65 yards rushing. Rhamondre Stevenson had just 26 yards. It would be a punt return of Marcus Jones that would be the game-winning play that gave the Pats the win. The return would be from 84 yards. For the Jets, the loss drops them to 6-4 and in the bottom of the AFC East. For the Patriots, the win improves them to 6-4 with a tough contest in Minnesota on Thanksgiving night. 

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Chicago
New England: @ Minnesota (Thanksgiving)

TW: 3-4; CV: 4-3

Philadelphia 17, Indianapolis 16: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Oh boy, did the Eagles nearly blow this one. Jalen Hurts would complete 18 of 25 passes for 190 yards with a touchdown pass to Quez Watkins in the 3rd quarter. Hurts would put the hurt on the Colts with his legs as he rushed for 86 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown would be from a 8-yard run up the middle with 1:20 left in the game. The score and point after gave the Eagles a 17-16 lead. Miles Sanders had 47 yards rushing. Matt Ryan would hit 23 of 32 passes for 213 yards. Jonathan Taylor would score the only touchdown for the Colts on a 1-yard handoff to the left that gave the Colts a 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter. Taylor had 84 yards rushing at the end of the game. The slow start by the Eagles would be from the fact that they would punt on three of four possessions with a starting field position deep in their own territory. For the Eagles, the close win will keep them at 9-1 and at the top of the NFC East. For the Colts, the loss is Jeff Saturday's first as interim head coach as the Colts drop to 4-6-1. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Green Bay (Sunday night)
Indianapolis: vs Pittsburgh (Monday night)

TW: 4-4; CV: 5-3

Washington 23, Houston 10: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
Houston loses again. What else is new. Taylor Heinicke would play well enough as he completed 15 of 27 passes for 191 yards. Curtis Samuel would score the lone offensive touchdown for Washington on a 10-yard run in the 2nd quarter. Antonio Gibson had 72 yards rushing. Brian Robinson Jr had 57 yards rushing. Davis Mills would have a game to forget as he had 19 of 33 passes for 169 yards with two interceptions. One of those interceptions would come on a grab by Kendall Fuller that would go 37 yards for a touchdown. It was on just the Texans first possession of the game. Mills would shine for a play that would come on a scramble for four yards that would give the Texans a touchdown late in the 4th quarter. For the Commanders, the win moves them back to above .500 in the NFC East standings. For the Texans, the loss drops their record to a putrid 1-8-1 with the 1st overall pick in next year's draft looking more promising. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Atlanta
Houston: @ Miami

TW: 5-4; CV: 6-3

Las Vegas 22, Denver 16 (F/OT): TW: Raiders; CV: Broncos
It would come down to overtime but the Raiders would get a dub. Derek Carr would do well enough and got 23 of 37 pass completions for 307 yards with two touchdown passes to Davante Adams. The first would come on a 31-yard pass to Adams that would come also on a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on DJ Jones. The 2nd score would be the game-winner that would come on a 35-yard play. Josh Jacobs would have a good day on the ground with 109 yards rushing on 24 carries. Davante Adams would have a day as he had seven catches for 141 receiving yards. Russell Wilson would do efficiently but wanted more. He had 24 of 31 passes completed for 247 yards with zero touchdowns. Denver's only touchdown would be from a Latavius Murray run up the middle on a 1-yard play. That would come in the 1st quarter. Murray would have 49 yards on the day. Melvin Gordon would have 31 yards rushing. The rest of the points would be from Brandon McManus who hit 3 of 4 field goals in the game. Both teams would have offenses that were not great but the Raiders would have more total yards than the Broncos with a 407-320 margin. On 3rd down the two teams would combine for 6 of 23 conversions. Just not a great day for either team. For the Raiders, they get their 3rd win of 2022 and improve to 3-7. For the Broncos, they will drop to 3-7 with the dark reality of 4th place in the AFC West. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: @ Seattle
Denver: @ Carolina

TW: 6-4; CV: 6-4

Cincinnati 37, Pittsburgh 30: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
No Ja'Marr Chase, no problem. Very little of Joe Mixon, no problem either. Joe Burrow would struggle in the Steel City but would play well enough to get the win. He would hit 24 of 39 passes for four touchdowns with two interceptions. Three of the touchdowns would come to Samaje Perine and then to Trenton Irwin. Samaje Perine would have 30 yards rushing but his damage would come as a receiver with 52 yards receiving. Joe Mixon would start at running back and put up 20 yards before leaving the game with a concussion. Tee Higgins would carry the receiving corp with 148 yards receiving. Joe Burrow would only get sacked two times in this game. Kenny Pickett would start for the Steelers and put up points in this game. Pickett would complete 25 of 42 passes for 265 yards with a touchdown pass to George Pickens on a 24-yard pass play. Najee Harris who had a rather quiet start to 2022 would put up 90 yards rushing with two touchdowns. One of them would come from a 19-yard run play that would go to the left that the runner would leap up and fly into the endzone. The 2nd touchdown would come on a 1-yard dive in with 47 seconds left in the game. It would prove to be too little too late for the Steelers. For the Bengals, the win puts them at 6-4 in the AFC North. For the Steelers, the loss drops them to 3-7 as the prospects of head coach Mike Tomlin's first losing season seems more possible. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ Tennessee
Pittsburgh: @ Indianapolis (Monday night)

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

Dallas 40, Minnesota 3: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Last week, Dallas blew a 14-point lead going into the 4th quarter. This week, Dallas would put the hurt on the 8-1 Vikings. Dak Prescott would have one of his best starts this season as the passer would only have three incompletions for 276 yards with two touchdowns to Tony Pollard. Pollard would put 189 total yards in this game (109 receiving, 80 rushing) in this game. Ezekiel Elliot had 42 yards rushing with two touchdowns. With the 458 total yards on 70 plays, the Cowboys averaged 6.5 yards/play. Dallas would do well on 3rd down conversions as they would convert 12 of 17 chances. Kirk Cousins would have a rough game. He had 12 of 23 passes for 105 yards. That would be 8.7 yards/pass attempt. He would face the Cowboys pass rush and would get sacked seven times. Nick Mullens would see some play time as he had 54 yards passing. Dalvin Cook would have 72 yards rushing on 11 carries. Justin Jefferson, the hero of last week's win against the Bills, would be held to just three catches with 33 yards receiving. For the Cowboys, the win will keep them at 2nd place but have the edge over the New York Giants in the NFC East. For the Vikings, the loss drops them to 8-2 but the race in the NFC North is still in their favor. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs NY Giants (Thanksgiving)
Minnesota: vs New England (Thanksgiving)

TW: 6-6; CV: 6-6

Kansas City 30, LA Chargers 27: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
It would be a back and forth affair but the Chiefs would win it. Patrick Mahomes would put on a performance that even Henry Winkler would be proud of. Winkler, who played the role The Fonz on Happy Days. The Fonz who always played it cool was a mirror image of Mahomes who had 329 yards passing with three touchdowns. All of those touchdowns would go to his favorite target, Travis Kelce. The last touchdown would would come on a 15-yard play up the middle that Kelce would find and go to the endzone. Isiah Pacheco would get 107 yards rushing on 15 carries. Travis Kelce put up numbers as he caught six balls for 115 yards. Justin Herbert would have a stiff challenge in this game as he completed 23 of 30 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns to Josh Palmer. On the Chargers last drive Herbert would toss a prayer ball to the sideline that would get knocked up and land on a player wearing red. Austin Ekeler would have 83 yards rushing on 19 carries with a touchdown run. Decent day for him. Not gonna lie, I would totally want a "Football. Family. Fonzie" t-shirt like Kelce wore prior to the game. For the Chiefs, the record is at 8-2 with the vehicle on cruise control in the AFC West. For the Chargers, the loss drops them to 5-5 but they still have 2nd place in the AFC West. 

Next week:
Kansas City: vs LA Rams 
LA Chargers: @ Arizona

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

San Francisco 38, Arizona 10: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Miners would find gold in rainy Estadio Azteca. Jimmy Garoppolo would have a great game as the passer hit 20 of 29 passes for 228 yards with four touchdown passes. George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk would get two touchdowns each. Deebo Samuel had 94 total yards (37 rushing, 57 receiving) with a rushing touchdown. Elijah Mitchell would get 59 yards rushing on nine carries. Christian McCaffrey would get 39 yards rushing and had 67 receiving yards. San Francisco would have 387 total yards of offense in this game. Colt McCoy would get the nod at quarterback as Kyler Murray was still out on injury. McCoy would hit 24 of 34 passes for 218 yards with an interception. He would leave the game with an injury but third stringer Trace McSorley would play in relief. Trace would not produce a lot but he would hit 6 of 10 passes for 59 yards with an interception. James Conner would produce Arizona's lone touchdown on a 2-yard run up the middle that would give the Cardinals a 14-10 deficit in the 2nd quarter. Conner would finish with 42 yards rushing on 14 carries. Arizona would not have a good game on offense as turnovers killed them as well as only putting up 314 total yards. For the 49ers, the win moves them to 5-4 and with striking distance against the division leading Seattle Seahawks. For the Cardinals, the loss drops them to 4-6 at 3rd place in the NFC West. 

Next week:
San Francisco: vs New Orleans
Arizona: vs LA Chargers

TW: 8-6; 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
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6

Total: 98-65-1

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
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6

Total: 88-75-1

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'll see you all on Wednesday for the Week 12 picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 11 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. Week 11 brings us that much closer to the playoffs as we have just seven more weeks after this then the regular season ends. The division races are heating up and the playoff picture starts to get clearer. For games this week I'll keep an eye on: Titans-Packers, Browns-Bills, Eagles-Colts, Cowboys-Vikings, and Chiefs-Chargers. In this post I'll do a Playoff Picture section, a Week 11 Preview, my picks for the games, and the Early & Late TV Broadcast pairings. Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 11

Let's start with the NFC

Seeding:

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles (8-1)
2nd seed: Minnesota Vikings (8-1) 
3rd seed: Seattle Seahawks (6-4)
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5)
5th seed: New York Giants (7-2)
6th seed: Dallas Cowboys (6-3)
7th seed: San Francisco 49ers (5-4)

Wild Card Matchups:

San Francisco @ Minnesota
Dallas @ Seattle
NY Giants @ Tampa Bay

In the hunt:

Washington (5-5), Green Bay (4-6), Atlanta (4-6), Arizona (4-6), Detroit (3-6), LA Rams (3-6), Carolina (3-7), New Orleans (3-7), Chicago (3-7)

No clinch scenarios so far but the Eagles are ahead of the Vikings based on head-to-head (Eagles beat the Vikings in Week 2). Some other notable things is that the first four seeds are division leaders so the Buccaneers would host a playoff game against a team with a better record. 

Onto the AFC

Seeding: 

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (7-2)
2nd seed: Miami Dolphins (7-3)
3rd seed: Tennessee Titans (6-3)
4th seed: Baltimore Ravens (6-3)
5th seed: New York Jets (6-3)
6th seed: Buffalo Bills (6-3)
7th seed: New England Patriots (5-4)

Wild card matchups:

New England @ Miami
Buffalo @ Tennessee
NY Jets @ Baltimore

In the hunt:

Los Angeles Chargers (5-4), Cincinnati Bengals (5-4), Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1), Cleveland Browns (3-6), Denver (3-6), Pittsburgh (3-6), Jacksonville (3-7), Las Vegas (2-7), Houston (1-7-1)

The AFC is a bit of an interesting one. New England is ahead of Los Angeles and Cincinnati based on strength of victory and the Patriots and Chargers have a better conference record than the Bengals. The Jets are ahead of the Bills based on head-to-head. Will have to see how well the AFC turns out in the coming weeks. 

Week 11 Preview

The Eleventh week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Green Bay, Wisconsin and finishes up in Glendale, Arizona. The week that is will have a 14-game slate where 28 teams will play. Teams on a bye this week are the Jacksonville Jaguars, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Week 11 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, regional game and CBS will have the doubleheader this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 11 Picks

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

Tennessee (6-3) @ Green Bay (4-6) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Titans
The Titans beat the Broncos and the Packers beat the Cowboys last week. The Packers got back on a winning track last week. Not sure if that's going to be enough on a short week. They will have to have a good day on the ground and to keep Derrick Henry off the field. Tennessee is a solid team and they aren't exactly the safest team either. They would beat the Broncos by a touchdown. I don't trust Ryan Tannehill to come up with a win in the Frozen Tundra. 

Chicago (3-7) @ Atlanta (4-6) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Bears; CV: Bears
Both teams lost last week as the Bears lost to the Lions and the Falcons lost to the Panthers. Chicago's offense has been on a better footing as their offensive system is geared to having Justin Fields run as much as he passes. Their running game is solid as well. Atlanta has had a decent season compared to what I had thought they'd be. They will need to have a better game running the ball as they really let Marcus Mariota throw the ball a bit too much. Not quite balanced. I'll take the Bears.

Carolina (3-7) @ Baltimore (6-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Panthers beat the Falcons and the Ravens were on a bye last week. Carolina made a surprise last week as they beat the favored Falcons. D'Onta Foreman was the catalyst in that win for Carolina. Their defense was also key in that game. What they face is a very good Ravens team. Lamar Jackson has had a rebound of a year and has been playing as well as he can. With a plethora of running backs I think it's going to be a tough matchup for the Panthers to win. 

Cleveland (3-6) @ Buffalo (6-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Browns lost to the Dolphins and the Bills lost to the Vikings last week. The game could be a bit white outside as there's supposedly a Lake Effect storm during this weekend. What that means is that the game could be postponed or moved or there's a possibility of a SNOW GAME! Cleveland might have to rely on their running game a bit more if that happens so I would lean on them to use Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in the game. For the Bills, I would have to come out angry and just play with controlled emotion and get back on track. Devin Singletary needs to have a monster game. I'll take the Bills as the home team. 

Detroit (3-6) @ NY Giants (7-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The Lions beat the Bears and the Giants beat the Texans last week. The Lions really had a rebound to their season in the last couple of games. With their offense leading them, they've done well and gotten back to their high scoring offense earlier in the year. New York had a bit of a trouble in their game against the Texans as they won by eight points. I'll take the Giants but this game could be a scoring bonanza. 

LA Rams (3-6) @ New Orleans (3-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Rams lost to the Cardinals and the Saints lost to the Steelers last week. Matthew Stafford should be available to play as he passed concussion protocol. He will be without his top target Cooper Kupp in this game. The Rams will have to rely on their defense to keep it close if they want to win. New Orleans has been rather of a disappointment this season and their running game has been lackluster. I think it could be a Saints win but I'll go with the Rams in a must win for them. 

NY Jets (6-3) @ New England (5-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots 
The Jets and Patriots had a bye last week. The last time these two teams met, the Patriots defense made Zach Wilson see ghosts as he was intercepted four times. The Patriots offense however has been a bit lackluster with a new system for Mac Jones. I would hope that he throws a bit more but stay in control of this game. I have to expect that the Jets defense will look to contain Rhamondre Stevenson and force Mac Jones to beat you. With a shaky offensive line, the Patriots will have their hands full. I'll take the Pats by a close one. 

Philadelphia (8-1) @ Indianapolis (4-5-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Eagles lost to the Commanders and the Colts beat the Raiders last week. The unbeaten streak is over for Philly. With that they can get back to more focused and concise football. Indy made heads turn as they beat the Raiders in Jeff Saturday's NFL debut as interim head coach. The team seemed to react well to him and the playcalling was better than expected. I think the Eagles will win but if the Colts can get it going on the ground and keep the Eagles offense off the field, it could be win #2 for Saturday. 

Washington (5-5) @ Houston (1-7-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
The Commanders beat the Eagles and the Texans lost to the Giants last week. Washington won their Super Bowl in beating the Eagles. They had a defense that took advantage of giveaways that made you think they were taking advantage of coupon books. Taylor Heinicke the folk hero has been a solid choice at quarterback in the stead of Carson Wentz who has been out with injury. They also have a good tandem of running backs. Houston has been a consistently bad football team this year. They did have a decent chance to win against the Giants as they lost by eight points. They will really have to have the game of their lives and get Dameon Pierce the ball 50 times to win this game. 

Las Vegas (2-7) @ Denver (3-6) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Broncos
Both teams lost last week as the Raiders lost to the Colts and the Broncos lost to the Titans. The last time these two teams met was the last time the Raiders had beaten a team. That was back in Week 4. Denver has been also a disappointment this year and the blame has been in the shoulders in Russell Wilson. Their offense is not great and their defense is probably the better defense in the league. I don't like either team but I'll take the Raiders in a squeaker. 

Cincinnati (5-4) @ Pittsburgh (3-6) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The Bengals had a bye and the Steelers beat the Saints last week. A classic AFC North matchup. The last time these two teams met was a bleak one for the Bengals as they gave up a lot of turnovers. Joe Burrow was definitely to blame for the loss in Week 1. The game won't be any easier for the Bengals as TJ Watt is back. The Steelers offense has been meh as they have a rookie quarterback in Kenny Pickett who has been playing like a rookie. Eventually he will have to mature. He will need to have a running game get back to the classic Steelers running the football style of game. I'll take the Steelers in an upset. 

Dallas (6-3) @ Minnesota (8-1) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Cowboys lost to the Packers and the Vikings beat the Bills last week. Classic NFC matchup on CBS! Dallas really had a letdown of a game and further proved that they can be quite the chokers when it matters most. They will need to play better and not play conservatively. Minnesota played in one of the best regular season games in recent memory. The emotions of such a win could be a factor in this game. They could be a letdown. Suffice to say I don't like the Cowboys in this game as they really seem to shoot themselves in the foot. I'll take the Vikes. 

Kansas City (7-2) @ LA Chargers (5-4) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Chiefs beat the Jaguars and the Chargers lost to the 49ers last week. The Mahomes-Herbert rivalry continues! Patrick Mahomes has been playing like himself so far in 2022. The Chiefs have a good supporting cast around their quarterback who can help win games. The loss of JuJu Smith-Schuster could play into this game. The Chargers are a bit of a question mark. They have one of the better talented teams in the league. An offense that should be a lot better than they are. I have to imagine there will be more red in the stands than powder blue as the Chargers don't find a lot of fans in Los Angeles compared to let's say... San Diego. I don't trust head coach Brandon Staley to get a win. I'll take KC.

San Francisco (5-4) @ Arizona (4-6) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Chargers and the Cardinals beat the Rams last week. Christian McCaffrey has been a solid addition for the 49ers. Granted it has been a solid addition as the 49ers gave up a ton of draft capital to get him. San Francisco should be a lot better than they are yet they're 5-4. What they face is a Cardinals team that is very inconsistent but that was more along the lines of earlier in the year. They pulled off an interesting win against the defending champion Rams. They had a good game from James Conner who had scored two touchdowns. I'm not sure what to think about the Cardinals and I feel the safer bet in the 49ers. 

Early & Late TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: games in bold are games being shown in my area. Check local listings for yours.

CBS Early

Philadelphia @ Indianapolis
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

NY Jets @ New England
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Cleveland @ Buffalo
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

CBS Late

Dallas @ Minnesota
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

FOX Single

Detroit @ NY Giants
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Chicago @ Atlanta
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

LA Rams @ New Orleans
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Washington @ Houston
Chris Myers, Robert Smith

Carolina @ Baltimore
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Las Vegas @ Denver (Late)
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

For more information on which game(s) are being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2022: Week 11 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
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6

Total: 90-59-1

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
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6

Total: 80-69-1

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 11 Recap! Enjoy the games and your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 10 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was provided us fans many storylines like: the Game of the Year in Buffalo, an "Oktoberfest" like game in Munich, an upset game in Green Bay, and a former high school coach getting his first win in the NFL. All those storylines and more in this week's recap post! Let's get to work!

Week 10 Recap

Atlanta 15, Carolina 25: TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
D'onta Foreman would lead the Panther charge against the Falcons on Thursday. Marcus Mariota would play well enough in the game. He would hit 19 of his 30 passes for 186 yards for two touchdowns that would take place in the 2nd half. Khadarel Hodge and Drake London would be the recipients of those touchdown passes. Mariota would also be the leading rusher as he had 43 yards rushing. In what I had thought would be a good game for Cordarrelle Patterson turned into a 18 yard, five carry day for him. PJ Walker would get the nod for Carolina to start under center. He would play a limited role but would hit 10 of 16 passes for 108 yards. Carolina's rushing attack would do the rest of the damage. D'Onta Foreman would face fatigue in this game but would power through for 130 yards rushing with a touchdown run on 31 carries. Not bad for a day's work. Laviska Shenault would also add a touchdown and had 42 yards rushing. Including a 41-yard run that would go for a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. It would a be a solid day for Eddie Pineiro as he hit field goals from 46, 49, 40 and the 37 yard lines after missing a point after and a field goal a couple of weeks before against Atlanta. Sort of redemption story for him. For the Falcons, the lack of a running game cost them as they drop to 4-6 with the Buccaneers possibly moving ahead in the standings. For the Panthers, the win moves them to 3-7 with a 2-3 record since firing Matt Rhule. 

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Chicago
Carolina: @ Baltimore

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Seattle 16, Tampa Bay 21: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Seahawks
It was a wild atmosphere in Munich's Allianz Arena as the NFL came to town. Geno Smith would play well as he hit 23 of 33 passes for 275 yards with two touchdown passes to TJ Lockett and Marquise Goodwin. The two touchdowns would come in the 4th quarter. Tampa's defense would clamp down on the Seahawks rushing attack as they would hold them to 39 total yards. Geno Smith had 22 yards rushing and Kenneth Walker III had 17. Tom Brady would play well as he had 22 of 29 passes for 258 yards with 258 yards and two touchdown passes to Chris Godwin and Julio Jones. He would have a pass intercepted in the game. Leonard Fournette would play quarterback for one play. He would toss a ball that looked like a duck floating that would find the arms of Seahawks player Tariq Woolen. Other than the pick he would finish up with 57 yards rushing with a touchdown run. Rachaad White would do the heavy lifting as he had 105 yards rushing on 22 carries. For the Seahawks, the loss drops them to 6-4 but still well within the division lead. For the Buccaneers, the win moves them to sole possession of 1st place in the NFC South. 

Next week:
Seattle: Bye
Tampa Bay: Bye

TW: 1-1; CV: 0-2

Denver 10, Tennessee 17: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Defense would sing loudly in Nashville. Russell Wilson would put up some numbers in the game as he had 21 of 42 passes completed for 286 yards with a touchdown pass to Jalen Virgil in the 2nd quarter. The Broncos would put up only 10 points in this game. Latavius Murray and Melvin Gordon would both combine for 48 yards rushing. A testament to the Titans rush defense. Denver's offense would move the ball quite a bit in the game but they still have trouble on 3rd down conversions. They would have 4 of 17 conversions in the game. It would be Ryan Tannehill, not Malik Willis, that would start for the Titans. He had 19 of 36 passes for 255 yards with two touchdown passes to Nick Westbrookikhine. Nick would finish the game with five catches for 119 yards including one of the touchdowns for a 63-yard touchdown. Derrick Henry would have a secondary role in the game as the Broncos would limit him to 53 yards rushing on 19 carries. Have to be a win at least for them. Tennessee would find success in pass rush as they sacked Russell Wilson six times. For the Broncos, the ugly season continues as they go to 3-6 in 2022. For the Titans, the win moves them to 6-3 with control of their destiny in the AFC South. 

Denver: vs Las Vegas
Tennessee: @ Green Bay (Thursday night)

TW: 2-1; CV: 1-2

Cleveland 17, Miami 39: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Florida sun burned brightly as the Dolphins continued to stay hot against Cleveland. Jacoby Brissett hit 22 of 35 passes for 212 yards for a touchdown to Harrison Bryant on Cleveland's first drive of the game. Nick Chubb would be limited in the game as he had 63 yards rushing with a touchdown on a 33-yard run. He would bounce off a tackle. Tua Tagovailoa continues his stellar season as the passer had 25 of 32 passes completed for 285 yards with three touchdown passes to Tyreek Hill, Alec Ingold and Trent Sherfield. Tagovailoa has yet to throw an interception since he made his return from a concussion. Miami's running game would play well as Jeff Wilson had 119 yards rushing with a touchdown. Raheem Mostert had 65 yards rushing with a touchdown. Overall, the Dolphins offense would have 491 total yards on offense. For the Browns, the season is slipping away from them as they drop to 3-6. For the Dolphins, the win moves them to 7-3 with a bye week next week. 

Next week:
Cleveland: @ Buffalo
Tennessee: Bye

TW: 3-1; CV: 2-2

Detroit 31, Chicago 30: TW: Bears; CV: Lions
Holy crap Lions! Jared Goff had 19 of 26 passes completed for 236 yards with a touchdown pass to Brock Wright in the 2nd quarter. Jamaal Williams would have a good game as he had 59 yards rushing with a touchdown. The touchdown would tie the game in the 4th quarter with 2:24 left in the game. Mike Badgley would hit the key point after to give the Lions a lead. Dandre Swift would get a touchdown as well with six rushing yards. Justin Fields would have an alright game as he had 12 of 20 passes completed for 167 yards with two touchdown passes to Cole Kmet. He would have a pass intercepted on a play intended for Kmet that would get found by the arms of Jeff Okudah for a 20-yard touchdown. The Lions offense looked pedestrian prior to the 4th quarter as the Bears held a 24-10 lead. Fields would also score two touchdowns on the ground with 147 yards rushing. For fantasy owners, Fields had 42 fantasy points. Granted you started him at quarterback. For the Lions, it is their 3rd win of the season and their first back-to-back wins since Week 6 and 7 back in 2020. For the Bears, the loss drops them to the cellar of the NFC North. 

Next week:
Detroit: @ NY Giants
Chicago: @ Atlanta

TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2

Houston 16, NY Giants 24: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The Texans would keep it close but no win for them either. Davis Mills would complete 22 of his 37 passes for 319 yards with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins in the 3rd quarter. He would have a pass intercepted by Dane Belton in the 4th quarter. Dameon Pierce had 94 yards rushing on 17 carries. He had a 44-yard run that was the longest in the game. Kaimi Fairbairn would hit 3 of 3 for field goals, including two in the 4th quarter. Houston's offense would out-total the Giants by a 387-367 margin. The biggest takeaway from the game for Houston was the redzone efficiency as they went 1 for 6 inside the 20.  Daniel Jones would be efficient in the game as he had 13 of 17 passes for 197 yards with two touchdown passes to Darius Slayton and Lawrence Cager. Saquon Barkley had 152 yards rushing with a touchdown run that would come on a 2-yard run play. For the Texans, the loss drops them further into the depths of the AFC with a 1-7-1 record. For the Giants, the 7-2 record is their franchise's best start since 2008 when the Giants went 7-1. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Washington
NY Giants: vs Detroit

TW: 4-2; CV: 4-2

Jacksonville 17, Kansas City 27: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Business as usual for the Chiefs. Trevor Lawrence would hit 29 of 40 passes for 259 yards with two touchdown passes to Christian Kirk. Kirk had nine catches for 105 receiving yards. Travis Etienne had 45 yards rushing in the game. The Jaguars had a fair amount of opportunities to score but would miss on two field goals, go 2 of 3 inside the 20 and have 50% goal to go efficiency. The three turnovers the Chiefs would give up in this game would also be a factor for the Jaguars. Patrick Mahomes would fire on all cylinders as he had 26 of 35 passes completed for 331 yards with four touchdown passes with an interception. Travis Kelce, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Kadarius Toney and Noah Grey would be those players that would be the recipient of those Mahomes passes. Isiah Pacheco would lead the way in the running attack as he had 82 yards rushing with 16 carries. The win would be a costly one as Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster would suffer a nasty helmet-to-helmet hit by safety Andre Cisco that would leave the receiver motionless for a few moments. Along with the interception, the Chiefs would  cough up two fumbles. For the Jaguars, the loss puts them at 3-7 with the hopes of the playoffs slipping away. For the Chiefs, the win moves them to 7-2 with 1st place in the AFC West. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: Bye
Kansas City: @ LA Chargers (Sunday night)

TW: 5-2; CV: 5-2

Minnesota 33, Buffalo 30 (F/OT): TW: Bills; CV: Vikings
Holy shit what a game this was! Kirk Cousins had 30 of 50 passes completed for 357 yards with a touchdown pass to Justin Jefferson on a 22-yard pass play. Cousins had two passes intercepted. Dalvin Cook would run over the Bills defense as he had 119 yards rushing with a touchdown that would come off a 81-yard run that would start the Vikings comeback in the 3rd quarter. CJ Ham would go in for a play that would result in a touchdown as well. Justin Jefferson would haunt the Bills secondary as he would eat up 193 yards receiving. He would make arguably the catch of the year on a 4th down and 18 play that would give the Vikings life. Josh Allen would make the start after he was questionable to start. Allen had 29 of 43 passes completed for 330 yards with a touchdown pass to Gabe Davis that would give the Bills a 23-10 lead. Allen would be the leading rusher in the game as he had 84 yards rushing. Devin Singletary would be a factor in the game as he had 47 yards rushing with two touchdown runs. The final minute of the game would be summed up like this: Justin Jefferson crazy catch, Cousins fails to move six inches, Allen fumbles the snap to give the Vikings a lead, Allen guides the Bills for a game-tying field goal. Oh and Patrick Peterson would seal the Vikings win by a Josh Allen interception. It was an insane game. For the Vikings, the 8-1 record matches the 8-1 record that the 2009 Vikings had. For the Bills, they dropped their 2nd straight game with a 6-3 record and the Dolphins moving up ahead them in the AFC East. 

Next week:
Minnesota: vs Dallas
Buffalo: vs Cleveland

TW: 5-3; CV: 6-2

New Orleans 10, Pittsburgh 20: TW: Steelers; CV: Saints
The Yinzer faith is restored. Andy Dalton would hit 17 of 27 passes for 174 yards with a touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson in the 2nd quarter. Dalton tossed two passes that would land in the arms of the Black and Gold brigade. Alvin Kamara would only get 26 yards rushing on eight carries. Juwan Howard, Andy Dalton and Taysom Hill would combine for three yards. Kenny Pickett would limit the turnovers in this game as he had 18 of 30 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown run with 51 yards rushing. Najee Harris had 99 yards rushing on 20 carries. George Pickens would play running back on couple of plays as he would run on a 22-yard play and a 1-yard play that would result in a touchdown. The game would mark the return of their defensive leader TJ Watt. Watt would register two total tackles in the game. It wasn't a pretty game if you were an offensive coordinator as the Saints went 3 of 12 on 3rd down conversions and just 1.9 yards/play for rushing. Kenny Pickett would get sacked six times. Pittsburgh's redzone efficiency wasn't great as they were just 2 for 5 inside the 20. For the Saints, the loss drops them to 3-7 with a still relatively open NFC South. For the Steelers, the win moves their 2022 record to 3-6 with still some season left to make a push. 

Next week:
New Orleans: vs LA Rams
Pittsburgh: vs Cincinnati

TW: 6-3; CV: 6-3

Indianapolis 25, Las Vegas 20: TW: Raiders; CV: Colts
What the heck Raiders I didn't know you were into losing to head coaches who had no NFL coaching experience. Indy made headlines this past week in hiring Jeff Saturday after firing Frank Reich. A lot of questions were made of the hire but some of them have to be extinguished after this game. Matt Ryan would complete 21 of 28 passes for 222 yards with a touchdown pass to Parris Campbell that would give the Colts the lead and eventually the win. The touchdown would come off of a 35-yard pass play that would go to Campbell on a short pass. Matt Ryan would also get a touchdown on his legs on a 1-yard run with 38 yards rushing in the game. Jonathan Taylor would eat up the Raiders defense for 147 yards with a touchdown that would be off of a 66-yard play. Derek Carr would play well enough to be in this game as he had 24 passes completed out of 38 for 248 yards with two touchdowns to Davante Adams and Foster Moreau. Josh Jacobs would have a good game as he had 78 yards rushing with a touchdown run on 21 carries. Davante Adams would be useful in the game as he had nine catches for 126 yards receiving. For the Colts, the win gives Jeff Saturday his first win as interim head coach after much speculation of how well he would do in his job. I had my doubts. For the Raiders, the Josh McDaniels era is not looking too good as the Raiders drop to 2-7. The Raiders were 10-7 last season. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Philadelphia
Las Vegas: @ Denver

TW: 6-4; CV: 7-3

Arizona 27, LA Rams 17: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The battle of the backup quarterbacks! Kyler Murray was out for this game due to a hamstring. In would be journeyman Colt McCoy. The quarterback would do well enough in the role as he hit 26 of his 37 passes for 238 yards with a touchdown pass to AJ Green in the 2nd quarter that would put the Cards up 16-3. James Conner would do the rest of the work as he had 69 yards rushing (nice) with two touchdown runs in the 2nd and 4th quarters. The Cardinals offense would go 5 for 15 on 3rd down but would post a solid 3 for 3 on 4th down conversions. They would have 298 total yards in the game. John Wolford started for the Rams instead of Matthew Stafford because of a concussion. Wolford would fare not so well as the passer had 24 of 36 passes completed for 212 yards with a touchdown pass to Van Jefferson on a short pass. He would get a pass intercepted by Budda Baker. Cam Akers would have a meager day on the ground as he had 22 yards rushing. Darrell Henderson had 21 yards rushing with a touchdown that would cut down the Cardinal lead to seven in the 3rd quarter. The Rams offense, one of their strengths in 2021 would only put up 256 total yards, 190 of them being passing yards. For the Cardinals, the win puts them above the Rams at 3rd place in the NFC West. For the Rams, well the loss puts them at the cellar of the NFC West, a position they would not face last year. At 3-6 they certainly are at risk of missing the playoffs. The hangover is real. 

Next week:
Arizona: vs San Francisco (Monday night)
LA Rams: @ New Orleans

TW: 6-5; CV: 7-4

Dallas 28, Green Bay 31: TW: Packers; CV: Cowboys
The Mike McCarthy return to Green Bay would come in favor of Aaron Rodgers. Dak Prescott looked off for the first part of the game but would rebound. He finished the game with 27 of 46 passes for 265 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The two interceptions would be converted into Packers touchdowns. Tony Pollard would have a good day on the ground game as he had 115 yards rushing with a touchdown on 22 carries. CeeDee Lamb had 11 catches for 150 yards receiving. With the 28-14 lead going into the 4th quarter, Dallas was 195-0 in ahead by 14 points. Aaron Rodgers was efficient in the game. He finished with 14 of 20 passes for 224 yards with three touchdowns to Christian Watson. Aaron Jones would be the top back in the game with 138 rushing yards with a touchdown on 24 carries. AJ Dillon had 65 yards on 13 carries. The game was a coming-of-age party to Christian Watson who had been on the receiving end of Aaron Rodgers' criticism. The rookie would catch four balls for 107 receiving yards. Three of those catches would go for touchdowns. The game would come down into overtime and Mason Crosby would find an easy try. He would end the Packers five-game losing streak with a 28-yard field goal that sent Mike McCarthy on the losing column. For the Cowboys, they suffer their 3rd loss of the season and with the Eagles and Giants ahead of them in the division, they can't afford to lose more games. For the Packers, the prospects of the playoffs are still alive. 

Next week:
Dallas: @ Minnesota
Green Bay: vs Tennessee (Thursday night)

TW: 7-5; CV: 7-5

LA Chargers 16, San Francisco 22: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Defense would sound loud in Santa Clara on Sunday night. Justin Herbert would not play great as he had 21 of 35 passes for 196 yards with a touchdown pass to Deandre Carter in the 1st quarter. He would also throw an interception in the game. Austin Ekeler would run for 24 yards rushing on six carries. The Chargers would only put up 238 total yards on 56 plays. It would be a meager 4.3 yards/play. They would convert only six times on 3rd down out of 16 attempts. Not a great game for the Chargers offense. Jimmy Garoppolo would do alright but he finished with 19 of 28 passes completed for 240 yards. He wouldn't toss an interception or a touchdown. He would however get in with a rushing touchdown. At least he did something on the group project. Elijah Mitchell had 89 yards rushing with 18 carries. Christian McCaffrey would have 38 yards rushing with a touchdown. San Francisco would control the time of possession in this game as they won the time of possession by a 36:59 to 23:01 margin. They had 22 first downs to LA's 12 first downs. They just dominated the game but not necessarily the score. For the Chargers, the loss moves them to 5-4 with a hot date against the Chiefs next week. For the 49ers, the win moves them to 5-4 and in striking distance of the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Kansas City
San Francisco: @ Arizona (Monday night)

TW: 8-5; CV: 8-5

Washington 32, Philadelphia 21: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The 1972 Miami Dolphins ghosts can rest until the 2023 regular season as the Eagles unbeaten streak ends. Taylor Heinicke would not be a factor in the game as he had 17 of 29 passes completed for 211 yards with an interception that would happen in the 4th quarter. Brian Robinson would have a solid day on the running game as he had 86 yards rushing with a touchdown in the 2nd quarter on a 1-yard run. Antonio Gibson had 44 yards rushing with a touchdown that would give the Commanders a 7-7 tie in the 1st quarter. The Commanders would start off with a sluggish first drive that would result in a fumble. They would eventually hang in there and outlast the Eagles as they would outscore them 25-7 after the 1st quarter. Jalen Hurts would start off well in the game as he had 17 of 26 passes for 174 yards with two touchdown passes to Dallas Goedert and Devonta Smith. Hurts would also throw an interception but would get a rushing touchdown that would start the scoring run with a Hurts run up the middle. At the end of the game, Hurts would have 28 yards. Miles Sanders had 54 yards rushing. The Eagles would find it hard to retain control in this game after the 1st quarter. Washington really took control of the time of possession with a 40:24 to 19:36 margin. Philadelphia would also giveaway the  ball three times including two fumbles. One fumble would come on a deep pass to Quez Watkins that would be a mad scramble for the ball but would stay with the Commanders. It was an off night for sure. For the Commanders, they're back at .500 with a 5-5 record. For the Eagles, the loss will put them at 8-1 and will need to wipe this game from their memory as the 7-2 Giants and 6-3 Cowboys are in their rear mirror. 

Next week:
Washington: @ Houston
Philadelphia: @ Indianapolis

TW: 8-6; 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
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6

Total: 90-59-1

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
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6

Total: 80-69-1

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 11 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom