NFL 2022 Week 17 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again! With two more weeks left of regular season play teams are either playing for playoff position, a spot in the tournament, or just playing for respectability. Week 17 features games like: Panthers-Buccaneers, Dolphins-Patriots, 49ers-Raiders and Vikings-Packers that I'll keep an eye on. In this post I'll do: the latest playoff picture, a week 17 preview and picks, and the Early & Late TV Broadcast Pairings. I'm stoked to get started, let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 17

Both AFC and NFC have teams that have spots locked up. With just two more weeks of regular season play teams will have to win and hope for some help to come their way. Let's start with the NFC. 

Seeding

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles (13-2) (clinched playoff berth)
2nd seed: Minnesota Vikings (12-3) (clinched NFC North)
3rd seed: San Francisco 49ers (11-4) (clinched NFC West)
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys (11-4) (clinched playoff berth)
6th seed: New York Giants (8-6-1)
7th seed: Washington Commanders (7-7-1)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

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

In the Hunt

Seattle (7-8), Detroit (7-8), Green Bay (7-8), Carolina (6-9), New Orleans (6-9)

Better Luck Next Year

LA Rams (5-10), Atlanta (5-10), Arizona (4-11), Chicago (3-12)

Philadelphia just needs to win and win the NFC East and clinch homefield throughout the playoffs. Tampa Bay would just need to win against Carolina and they're in as well. Green Bay would have to win both games and have the Giants and Commanders lose their games to get in. Still a wild finish in the NFC. Let's take a look at the AFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Buffalo Bills (12-3) (clinched AFC East)
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (12-3) (clinched AFC West)
3rd seed: Cincinnati Bengals (clinched playoff berth)
4th seed: Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8)
5th seed: Baltimore Ravens (10-5) (clinched playoff berth)
6th seed: LA Chargers (9-6) (clinched playoff berth)
7th seed: Miami Dolphins (8-7)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Miami @ Kansas City
LA Chargers @ Cincinnati
Baltimore @ Jacksonville

In the Hunt

New England (7-8), NY Jets (7-8), Tennessee (7-8), Pittsburgh (7-8), Las Vegas (6-9)

Better Luck Next Year

Cleveland (6-9), Indianapolis (4-10-1), Denver (4-11), Houston (2-12-1)

Buffalo can clinch homefield advantage with a win and Chiefs loss. Cincinnati can clinch the AFC North with a win and a Ravens loss. A lot of the 7-8 teams will be paying attention to the Dolphins-Patriots matchup. If the Dolphins can win they have a good shot to win a playoff spot. 

Week 17 Preview

The Seventeenth week of the NFL's regular season will start in Nashville, Tennessee and finishes in Cincinnati, Ohio. Week 17 features a 16-game slate of games where 32 teams will play. No teams are on a bye this week. Week 17 features a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will have the single, regional game and CBS will carry the doubleheader. Let's get to the picks!

Week 17 Picks

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

Dallas (11-4) @ Tennessee (7-8) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys beat the Eagles and the Titans lost to the Texans last week. Dallas got a huge win against their rivals on Christmas Eve. Though they nearly lost that game, they'd have to take some solace in knowing how good they can be. Tennessee has been a faltering team with issues at quarterback at the worst time. I mean most opposing teams aren't afraid of Malik Willis. They do with Derrick Henry. I'll take the Cowboys despite I hope the Titans can find their inner underdog. 

Arizona (4-11) @ Atlanta (5-10) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
The Cardinals lost to the Buccaneers and the Falcons lost to the Ravens. The battle of the birds! Naturally the Cardinal vs Falcon would go in favor to the Falcon. At least based on size of the bird. For the football side of things, both teams are fairly matched. It seems that Trace McSorley would get the start again. I would think that the Falcons will win this game via running game so I'll take that. 

Carolina (6-9) @ Tampa Bay (7-8) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Panthers beat the Lions and the Buccaneers beat the Cardinals last week. At some point someone is going to win this NFC South division. Whether it be the rising stock of the Carolina Panthers or the sinking pirate ship of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I can't go against Tom Brady, at least not now. 

Chicago (3-12) @ Detroit (7-8) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
The Bears lost to the Bills and the Lions lost to the Panthers last week. An old school NFC North battle. Both teams might not be playing for playoff football but the hatred will still be there in Detroit. Detroit has had a good season and getting at least a 8-win season would do wonders for their confidence. Why not go with Detroit? 

Cleveland (6-9) @ Washington (7-7-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
Both teams lost last week as the Browns lost to the Saints and the Commanders lost to the 49ers. The Brownies missed the playoffs for the 19th time in 20 years. It's not quite the signs of stability. Despite that they could play spoiler to Washington. The Commanders are looking into a possible change at quarterback to go forward to achieve success. Both Taylor Heinicke and Carson Wentz eye that starting job. I think the Commanders are still the better team overall but they shouldn't take the Browns likely. 

Denver (4-11) @ Kansas City (12-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Broncos lost to the Rams and the Chiefs beat the Seahawks last week. Denver made headlines with the firing of head coach Nathaniel Hackett. Not sure how much of an improvement the Broncos will get from their interim head coach Jerry Rosburg. All I know is that the Chiefs are riding high and they can't let a game slip from their grasp. IF they fall it will have to be the biggest upset in this season. 

Indianapolis (4-10-1) @ NY Giants (8-6-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The Colts lost to the Chargers and the Giants lost to the Vikings last week. Both teams are in free fall. At least more so for the Colts. Indy is a mess and they just can't seem to get over the hump with a win. I think a sign for their mess was a 33-0 blown lead against Minnesota. The Giants were also a victim of the Vikings last week. New York has been in free fall but at least they have a playoff spot still in their destiny, if they win out. I can't trust the Colts. 

Jacksonville (7-8) @ Houston (2-12-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
The Jaguars beat the Jets and the Texans beat the Titans last week. Jacksonville has been one of the hottest teams in the NFL. They've got an offense that opposing teams dread and they have a defense that is just as good. They're new at this newfound success and will need to not get cocky. Especially they cannot lose to the worst team in the NFL in the Houston Texans. I can't see it happening and I just hope that they don't falter. I'd rather see the Jaguars than the Titans at this point in the season. 

Miami (8-7) @ New England (7-8) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Dolphins
Both teams lost last week as the Dolphins lost to the Packers and the Patriots lost to the Bengals. It might be the best shot for the Patriots to win if Tua Tagovailoa doesn't start. If they don't win they that's on them to suffer the consequences of that result. Miami has a good offense but without a healthy Tua they're vulnerable. During the Dolphins 1st three-game losing streak, he wasn't the quarterback. New England's offense is horrendous. Their defense is really good however. That might be the biggest difference in this game. If the Patriots can put up at least 21 points they have a good shot to win. 

New Orleans (6-9) @ Philadelphia (13-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Saints beat the Browns and the Eagles lost to the Cowboys last week. It will be a tough decision for Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni to make for the quarterback starter. The Eagles haven't clinched the NFC East and the #1 seed yet. Gardner Minshew has proven to be a good quarterback but he can also make mistakes as well. New Orleans isn't quite Houston but they aren't Dallas either. Personally, I'd let Jalen Hurts rest this week if its still serious. I'd take my chances with Minshewmania.

NY Jets (7-8) @ Seattle (7-8) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Jets
The Jets lost to the Jaguars and the Seahawks lost to the Chiefs last week. Remember when the Jets were a 7-4 team and looked like a team that could challenge the AFC. Yeah feels like last year. The Jets have a tough road ahead to get to the playoffs and will need to at least win and get some help to achieve the playoffs. Seattle is kind of in the same boat. Geno Smith at one point looked like the steal of the season. With Denver's spiraling out of control, I think Seattle easily won that trade of Russell Wilson to Denver. I think Seattle's offense is a bit better on offense and decent on defense compared to the Jets. I'll take the home team. 

San Francisco (11-4) @ Las Vegas (6-9) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Commanders and the Raiders lost to the Steelers last week. Looks like Derek Carr will get a seat on the bench as Jarrett Stidham will get the start for the Raiders. Brock Purdy will get the start as well. He has done a masterful job at steadying the ship of the 49ers. We will have to see how well Stidham can play against the tough 49ers defense. Its a tough mountain to climb as I don't think the Raiders will do it. 

LA Rams (5-10) @ LA Chargers (9-6) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Chargers
The Rams beat the Broncos and the Chargers beat the Colts last week. The Battle of Los Angeles! The Rams have had a good thing going with Baker Mayfield who had a monster game against the Broncos. Granted the Broncos shot themselves in the foot multiple times. The Chargers have had a great stretch of football and the good stretch has awarded them with a playoff berth. They confuse me as they should be better than what they are. I don't trust them to win against an improving Rams team. 

Minnesota (12-3) @ Green Bay (7-8) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Vikings
The Vikings beat the Giants and the Packers beat the Dolphins last week. Classic NFC matchup on CBS. Two rivals gather in the late afternoon game. Not sure why the Packers are favored by 3.5 in this game. Kirk Cousins is playing well and the offense is near unstoppable. Sure their defense is suspect. Green Bay could put up a decent offense if both run and pass go off the chains. Minnesota could be the better team but I'll take the home team. 

Pittsburgh (7-8) @ Baltimore (10-5) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Ravens
The Steelers beat the Raiders and the Ravens beat the Falcons last week. Sunday night features the classic Steelers-Ravens rivalry. Pittsburgh has been playing better with their defense keeping them in games and their offense doing just enough to win. I would be interested in taking the Ravens but the Steelers defense is no slouch. Both teams will be playing their hearts out in this game as rivalries bring out the best of teams. 

Buffalo (12-3) @ Cincinnati (11-4) (ABC/ESPN; 8:30 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills beat the Bears and the Bengals beat the Patriots last week. Week 17 wraps up with a good game on Monday night. The first Josh Allen and Joe Burrow game will surely be an intriguing one. Both quarterbacks will be facing against good defenses. I tend to think with these big games, the more experienced quarterback will win out. With the pressure of it I would go with Josh Allen to take care of business on the road. Cincinnati is a good team as well and this might be a potential AFC championship matchup. Perhaps a bit too ahead of myself but I think the Bills will win. 

Early & Late TV Broadcast Pairings

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

CBS Early

Miami @ New England
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Indianapolis @ NY Giants
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Denver @ Kansas City
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Jacksonville @ Houston
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

CBS Late

Minnesota @ Green Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

LA Rams @ LA Chargers
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

FOX Single

Carolina @ Tampa Bay
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

New Orleans @ Philadelphia
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

Chicago @ Detroit
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Cleveland @ Washington
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Arizona @ Atlanta
Jason Benetti, Brady Quinn

San Francisco @ Las Vegas (Late)
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game(s) are being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2022: Week 17 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
Week 12: 10-6
Week 13: 11-3-1
Week 14: 7-6
Week 15: 8-8
Week 16: 9-7

Total: 143-95-2

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
Week 13: 8-6-1
Week 14: 9-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 10-6

Total: 135-101-2

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 

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 17 Recap post!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 16 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought with us two great joys: Christmas and Football. There was a lot of storylines this week that gave us the gift that keeps on giving. Like the back and forth in Dallas, a near comeback in New England, a clutch kick in Minnesota, and 

Week 16 Recap

Jacksonville 19, NY Jets 3: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jets
The mood in East Rutherford was a Jaguars one. Trevor Lawrence was good in the game as he hit 20 of 31 passes for 229 yards and rushed for 51 yards with a touchdown run in the 2nd quarter. Travis Etienne had 83 yards rushing in the game. Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson had four of five field goals in the game. Zach Wilson was not good in this game as he hit 9 of 18 passes for 92 yards with an interception. Wilson was served a lump of coal as he was benched for Chris Streveler. Streveler had a better game as he passed for 90 yards and 54 rushing yards. The Jets wouldn't score a touchdown in the game but Greg Zuerlein did get a field goal in the 1st quarter. For the Jaguars, the resurgence has given them a 7-8 present with a possible playoff spot in the stocking. For the Jets, they drop to 7-8 with their playoff hopes slipping away. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: @ Houston
NY Jets: @ Seattle

TW: 1-0; CV: 0-1

Atlanta 9, Baltimore 17: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens got a present of a playoff berth. Desmond Ridder would attempt to disrupt the festivities with 22 of 33 pass completions and 218 yards. Tyler Allgeier gave the Ravens some trouble but did get 74 yards rushing. Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo hit three for three field goals. Tyler Huntley would get the start for Baltimore. Huntley did enough to win as he hit 9 of 17 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson. It would be the Ravens running game that did the heavy lifting as Gus Edwards rushed for 99 yards and JK Dobbins had 59  yards. It was overall the most efficient game for the Ravens as the fourth straight game they've held an opponent to at least 14 points. For the Falcons, they drop to 5-10 with the wide open NFC South slipping away from them. For the Ravens, they're assured of a playoff spot while having a 10-5 record. 

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Arizona
Baltimore: vs Pittsburgh

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

Buffalo 35, Chicago 13: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Chicago cold felt like a second home for Buffalo. Josh Allen wasn't at his best in the game as he hit 15 of 26 passes for 172 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions and had 41 rushing yards with a touchdown. It was the Bills running game that put the Bears into hibernation with Devin Singletary had 106 yards rushing and James Cook adding 99 yards rushing in the game. Both Singletary and Cook had touchdowns. Buffalo added 426 total yards of offense. Justin Fields couldn't keep up with Buffalo as he had 15 of 23 passes completed for 119 yards with a touchdown pass to Dante Pettis David Montgomery had 62 yards rushing in the game. Chicago could only put up 209 total yards and just couldn't stay pace with them despite having a 10-6 lead at halftime. For the Bills, they've clinched a playoff spot already and got the greatest gift of all with a 3rd straight AFC East title. For the Bears, they drop to 3-12 but have no fear, you only have two more games left in the season. 

Next week:
Buffalo: @ Cincinnati (Monday night)
Chicago: @ Detroit

TW: 3-0; CV: 2-1

Cincinnati 22, New England 18: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
It was a tale of two halves in New England. Joe Burrow had one of his best games of the season in the first half. He had 40 of 52 passes completed for 375 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The two interceptions would come in the 2nd half. Joe Mixon had 65 yards rushing in the game. Tee Higgins had a monster game with eight catches for 128 yards. Mac Jones played better in this game but it was a slow start again on offense in the 1st half. Jones had 21 of 33 passes completed for 240 yards with two touchdown passes to Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers. New England's bread and butter running game wouldn't get much in the game. Rhamondre Stevenson only got 30 yards rushing on 13 carries. Kendrick Bourne did get a 29-yard run in the game. It was Marcus Jones' pick-six that the Patriots on the board and got them some energy. On the Patriots last drive, they had a chance to take the lead but a turnover in the redzone would make any Patriots comeback into bad eggnog. For the Bengals, they stay a game ahead of the Ravens in the AFC North race at 11-4. For the Patriots, they drop back to below .500 on the season at 7-8.

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Buffalo (Monday night)
New England: vs Miami

TW: 4-0; CV: 3-1

Detroit 23, Carolina 37: TW: Lions; CV: Lions
What the heck Lions, you revert back to your old selves? Jared Goff was solid in the game as he had 25 of 42 passes completed for 355 yards and three touchdowns to Shane Zylstra. The key in the game was Carolina stopping the Lions running game and they would do just that. They held the Lions rush to 45 yards. Jared Goff had 15 yards and Dandre Swift had 12 yards rushing in the game. DJ Chark had a good game with his four catches with 108 yards receiving. Sam Darnold did good in the game as he had 15 of 22 passes completed for 250 yards with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore along with 19 yards rushing and a touchdown for Darnold. It was the Panthers running game that put forth a dominating effort as D'Onta Foreman had 165 yards rushing with a touchdown on 21 carries. Chuba Hubbard had 125 yards on the ground. Raheem Blackshear had a touchdown with three yards rushing. The offensive explosion for Carolina happened in the 2nd quarter where they put up 17 of their 37 points during that period. Detroit couldn't stop them as Carolina had the ball for 35:13 in the game. For the Lions, the loss is a disappointment as it ends a three-game winning streak. For the Panthers, their record bumps up to 6-9 (heheh nice) in 2022 with their NFC South hopes still alive. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Chicago
Carolina: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 4-1; CV: 3-2

New Orleans 17, Cleveland 10: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The Saints won in the awfully frightful winter wonderland of Cleveland. Andy Dalton didn't do solid as he had 92 yards passing with an interception. The running game of the Saints carried the day for them as Alvin Kamara had 76 yards rushing with a touchdown and Taysom Hill had 56 yards rushing with a touchdown. Both touchdowns were in the 3rd quarter. DeShaun Watson wasn't much better as he finished with 135 passing yards with an interception. Watson thawed out for a moment for a touchdown run while compiling 24 yards rushing. Nick Chubb had 92 yards rushing on 24 carries for the Browns. The 6 degrees Farenheit kickoff temperature was the coldest in Cleveland Browns regular-season history. Only the infamous AFC Divisional playoff in 1980 against the Raiders (also known as Red Right 88) was the worst with 1 degree Farenheit. For the Saints, they stay alive in the NFC South race. For the Browns, they are eliminated from playoff contention for the 19th time in 20 seasons. 

Next week:
New Orleans: @ Philadelphia
Cleveland: @ Washington

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

NY Giants 24, Minnesota 27: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
It was a yuletide back and forth in Minnesota. Daniel Jones did alright in the game with 30 of 42 passes completed for 334 yards with a touchdown and an interception and 34 rushing yards. Saquon Barkley played his part with 84 yards rushing with a touchdown that eventually tied the game at 24. New York came to life in the 4th quarter with 11 point scored. Kirk Cousins did well in this game with 34 of 48 passes completed for 299 yards and three touchdowns. Dalvin Cook rushed for 64 yards. Greg Joseph came to save the day for the Vikes with a 61-yard field goal as time expired in the game. Justin Jefferson caught 12 balls for 133 yards with a touchdown. For the Giants, they drop to 8-6-1 with some hope of a playoff berth at hand. For the Vikings, they go 11-0 in one-score games with a 12-3 record overall. 

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Indianapolis
Minnesota: @ Green Bay

TW: 5-2; CV: 4-3

Seattle 10, Kansas City 24: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Chiefs treated the cold Arrowhead faithful to a warm victory. Geno Smith was off on some plays as he hit 25 of 40 passes for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Noah Fant caught that pass from Smith. Kenneth Walker III had a solid game running the ball with 107 yards on 26 carries. Seattle got the most of their offense with 333 total yards. Patrick Mahomes was handing out gifts galore as he completed 16 of 28 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns. Kadarius Toney and Jerrick McKinnon were the lucky kids who received those Mahomes presents. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 58 yards. Patrick Mahomes even played the role of a runner with a touchdown and eight yards rushing. Kansas City was out-totaled in offense with just 297 total yards but made up for it with scoring. For the Seahawks, they drop to 7-8 and haven't won in Arrowhead since 1999. For the Chiefs, they keep pace with the Buffalo Bills for the top seed in the AFC with a 12-3 record. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs NY Jets
Kansas City: vs Denver

TW: 6-2; CV: 5-3

Houston 19, Tennessee 14: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Santa must've gave the Texans that win. Davis Mills was alright in the game as he hit 17 of 28 passes for 178 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Jake Driskel got some play time with 40 passing yards and 3 of 4 completions. Royce Freeman got 32 yards rushing for Houston. Malik Willis got the start for the Titans. The quarterback wasn't great as he completed 14 of 23 passes for 99 yards and two interceptions. Willis did do better as a running back with a touchdown run and 43 yards. Derrick Henry had a solid day with 126 yards rushing with a touchdown. It would be turnovers that spelled doom for the Titans as three giveaways gave the Texans life. Due to the blackouts in the Tennessee area, the game was delayed kickoff by an hour. Could it have been a factor in the game? I doubt it. For the Texans, they end a massive nine-game losing streak and gift their fans with a present on Christmas Eve. For the Titans, they drop to 7-8 with the Jaguars on their heels for the AFC South. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Jacksonville
Tennessee: vs Dallas

TW: 6-3; CV: 5-4

Washington 20, San Francisco 37: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
It was a sluggish start for the 49ers but they regrouped against Washington. Taylor Heinicke started the game for the Commanders. He had 13 of 18 passes completed for 166 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The passer also fumbled a ball. It would lead to head coach Ron Rivera replacing him with Carson Wentz. Wentz had 123 yards passing with a touchdown. San Francisco's offense only put up seven points in the 1st half. Brock Purdy completed 15 of 22 passes for 234 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. George Kittle was the recipient of those passes. Ray Ray McCloud and Christian McCaffrey did the heavy lifting with a touchdown each while getting 71 yards and 46 yards rushing respectively. The 71-yard run by McCloud would go for a touchdown. Brock Purdy also joined Kurt Warner as the only quarterbacks to win their first three starts while throwing more than one touchdown each start. Not too shabby. For the Commanders, they drop to 7-7-1 with danger of missing the playoffs. For the 49ers, they move to 11-4 with the NFC West locked up already. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Cleveland
San Francisco: @ Las Vegas

TW: 7-3; CV: 6-4

Philadelphia 34, Dallas 40: TW: Eagles; CV: Cowboys
Rivals would do battle on Christmas Eve in Big D. Gardner Minshew started for the Eagles and did alright for the most part given the circumstances. He finished with 24 of 40 passes for 355 yards with two interceptions and two touchdowns and rushed for a touchdown with five rushing yards. Devonta Smith had 113 receiving yards with two touchdowns. AJ Brown had 103 yards receiving. Dak Prescott was good in the game with 27 of 35 passes completed for 347 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. CeeDee Lamb had two and Michael Gallup had one of those touchdown passes from Prescott. Ezekiel Elliot had a meager game as he rushed for 55 yards with a touchdown. It was a Dallas comeback as the Eagles were up 27-17 in the 3rd quarter. Philadelphia's offense felt the hurt as along with the two interceptions, they also fumbled the ball twice, giving the Cowboys ample opportunity to comeback. It would be two Brett Maher field goals that put Dallas over the edge against their rivals. For the Eagles, they drop to 13-2 but still have opportunity to clinch the #1 seed and the NFC East next week with a win. For the Cowboys, they get a much needed win as they move to 11-4. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs New Orleans
Dallas: @ Tennessee (Thursday night)

TW: 7-4; CV: 7-4

Las Vegas 10, Pittsburgh 13: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
It was a score that Franco Harris would've liked. Derek Carr was not good in this game as he completed 16 of 30 passes for 174 yards with a touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow and threw three interceptions. One of those interceptions was caught on the Steelers 32-yard line. Josh Jacobs rushed for 44 yards in the game. Las Vegas offense would feel the Steelers defense and the cold as they put up only 201 total yards. Kenny Pickett was not great for the first 57 minutes of the game. He finished with 26 of 39 passes completed for 244 yards with an interception and a late touchdown pass to George Pickens. Najee Harris had a decent game with 53 yards rushing. Kenny Pickett was 7 for 9 with 75 yards passing on the final Steelers drive. For the Raiders, they drop to 6-9 with their playoff hopes slipping away from them. For the Steelers, they stay alive in the AFC playoff picture with a 7-8 record. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs San Francisco
Pittsburgh: @ Baltimore

TW: 7-5; CV: 7-5

Green Bay 26, Miami 20: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Aaron Rodgers vs Tua Tagovailoa was a whimper of a game. Aaron Rodgers hit 24 of 38 passes for 238 yards with a touchdown and an interception. AJ Dillon had 36 yards rushing with a touchdown. Green Bay outscored the Dolphins 13-0 in the 2nd half. Tua Tagovailoa was not great in this game as he completed just 16 of 25 passes for 310 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. Those turnovers turned into points for the Packers. Jeff Wilson rushed for a touchdown and had 37 yards rushing. Raheem Mostert had 45 yards rushing. Despite the sizable 376-301 offensive total yards, the turnovers killed the Dolphins and gave the Packers life. For the Packers, they get a much needed win and stay alive in the NFC playoff race. For the Dolphins, it is their 4th straight loss as they drop to 8-7. 

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Minnesota
Miami: @ New England

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

Denver 14, LA Rams 51: TW: Broncos; CV: Rams
It was a rough game if you were a Broncos fan. Russell Wilson had a bad game as he completed 15 of 27 passes for 214 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. One of those interceptions was from former teammate Bobby Wagner. The touchdown pass from Wilson to Greg Dulcich was in the 4th quarter and ended Wilson's day. In came Brett Rypien. Rypien didn't help the Broncos cause for a comeback as he put forth 45 yards passing with an interception. The interception turned into a pick-six. Latavius Murray had 34 yards rushing for the Broncos. Baker Mayfield had a good game with 24 of 28 passes completed for 230 yards with two touchdowns to Tyler Higbee. It was even a great game for Cam Akers who seemed to run acres over the Broncos defense with his three touchdowns and 118 yards rushing. It was a thorough demolition for the Rams as they were up 17-3 in the 1st quarter. It was a momentous day for Baker Mayfield who win Nickelodeon's NVP trophy as the game was also broadcasted by Nickelodeon. He joins Mitchell Trubisky and Dak Prescott as the only winners of that illustrious trophy. For the Broncos, the game was a mere image of their season as they drop to 4-11. For the Rams, they improve to 5-10 but with no chance of repeating as champions. Update 12/26/2022: head coach Nathaniel Hackett has been fired by Denver. Darn shame they can't get a full return on Russell Wilson.

Next week:
Denver: @ Kansas City
LA Rams: @ LA Chargers

TW: 7-7; CV: 8-6

Tampa Bay 19, Arizona 16 (F/OT): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tom Brady and the Buccaneers survive for another week. The passer hit 32 of 48 passes for 1 touchdown to Rachaad White in the 4th quarter. Brady was not quite himself in the game as he fired two passes that landed in the hands of Cardinals defender Marco Wilson. Leonard Fournette did a good job at running the ball running it for 72 yards on 20 carries. Rachaad White would tack on 36 yards on the ground. Tampa outscored Arizona 13-0 in the 4th quarter and overtime. Getting the start for Arizona was Trace McSorley who had last started a game in 2019 with Penn State was not quite the match for the opposing defense. He finished with 24 of 45 passes for 217 yards with an interception. Arizona did find something under the tree via a touchdown run by James Conner who had 79 yards rushing in the game. Both teams scored 12 points combined during the first three quarters before both of them went on a binge in the 4th quarter. The massive incompletions were a sight to behold. For the Buccaneers, they stay atop the sinking NFC South at 7-8. They have a chance to clinch the division with a win against Carolina next week. For the Cardinals, they sink deeper into the season with 4-11. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs Carolina
Arizona: @ Atlanta

TW: 8-7; CV: 9-6

LA Chargers 20, Indianapolis 3: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Chargers get their business done in Indy. Justin Herbert had 24 of 31 passes completed for 235 yards but had an interception in the game. It was Austin Ekeler that had the scoring for the Chargers with two touchdowns and 67 yards rushing. They had a solid 314 total yards in the game. Nick Foles started for the Colts. Foles had a rough game as the former Super Bowl MVP had completed 17 of 29 passes for 143 yards and three interceptions. Some of them were brutal. Zonovan Moss rushed for 65 yards in the game. Indianapolis had a rough time moving the ball as they got only 173 total yards and had converted a 3rd down zero times in the game. They did convert one 4th down conversion after four tries. At least they have that to hang their heads on. For the Chargers, they get some ground in the AFC playoff picture with a 9-6 record and a playoff berth. For the Colts, they continue their slide to the depths of the NFL with a 4-10-1 record. Think of it this way Colts fans, you can't blow a 33-0 lead if you didn't have a 33-0 lead in this game. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs LA Chargers
Indianapolis: @ NY Giants

TW: 9-7; CV: 10-6

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

Total: 143-95-2

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
Week 13: 8-6-1
Week 14: 9-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 10-6

Total: 135-101-2

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 

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 17 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 16 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The Christmas holiday might come once a year but the Christmas holiday and the NFL only come very few times. It's a rare time to be around for sure to see games. In this post I'll do a Christmas Wishlist for each team, the latest playoff projection, a preview and picks for Week 16 as well as the Early & Late TV Broadcast Pairings. A lot to cover so let's get to work!

NFL Christmas Wishlist: 2022 Edition

With the Christmas holiday just days away, I thought I would also bring back the NFL Christmas Wishlist. Like the NFL Thankful, I had forgot to do this last year and so I would like to bring it back. For this Wishlist I thought what each team would want to have if they had an Amazon Wishlist.

Arizona Cardinals: A new head coach that can complement Kyler Murray.

Atlanta Falcons: Marcus Mariota with a stronger arm.

Baltimore Ravens: A healthy Lamar Jackson

Buffalo Bills: Von Miller. 

Carolina Panthers: Christian McCaffrey clone.

Chicago Bears: A defense like the 85 Bears.

Cincinnati Bengals: A trip back to the Super Bowl.

Cleveland Browns: A playoff berth.

Dallas Cowboys: A Mike McCarthy clone that knows time management

Denver Broncos: A version of Russell Wilson that can throw for 4,000 yards or a refund on him.

Detroit Lions: A playoff berth.

Green Bay Packers: A way to get Aaron Rodgers out of Green Bay and a winning season.

Houston Texans: Multiple 1st round picks. They could use it.

Indianapolis Colts: The 33-0 memes to die.

Jacksonville Jaguars: A division title.

Kansas City Chiefs: A way to have Patrick Mahomes to sound like Fozzy Bear.

Las Vegas Raiders: The gift of holding onto a lead.

Los Angeles Chargers: A head coach that knows defense.

Los Angeles Rams: A cure to the Super Bowl hangover.

Miami Dolphins: A means to avoid a three-game losing streak.

Minnesota Vikings: heart attack medicine for their fans. Seriously, they're the Cardiac Kids.

New England Patriots: An offensive coordinator that knows what he's doing.

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees finding the fountain of youth.

New York Giants: A playoff berth.

New York Jets: Zach Wilson visiting the three ghosts of Jets past, present and future. 

Philadelphia Eagles: You guys don't need anything. Except maybe your fans to chill out a bit. 

Pittsburgh Steelers: A Matt Canada firing. 

San Francisco 49ers: Brock Purdy becoming the 2nd coming of Joe Montana.

Seattle Seahawks: A playoff berth.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tom Brady finding the fountain of youth even though he's already found it. 

Tennessee Titans: The means to win games and win a playoff game.

Washington Commanders: Daniel Snyder being gone for good and a new stadium.

Playoff Picture: Week 16

Week 15 saw a few teams clinching playoff spots and division titles. With just three more weeks of play there's still divisions up for grabs for Week 16. Let's start with the AFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Buffalo Bills (11-3) (Clinched playoff spot)
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (11-3) (Clinched AFC West)
3rd seed: Cincinnati Bengals (10-4) 
4th seed: Tennessee Titans (7-7)
5th seed: Baltimore Ravens (9-5)
6th seed: LA Chargers (8-6)
7th seed: Miami Dolphins (8-6)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Miami @ Kansas City
LA Chargers @ Cincinnati
Baltimore @ Tennessee

In the Hunt

New England (7-7), NY Jets (7-7), Jacksonville (6-8), Las Vegas (6-8), Cleveland (6-8), Pittsburgh (6-8), Indianapolis (4-9-1)

Better Luck Next Year

Denver (4-10), Houston (1-12-1)

For clinching scenarios this week, the Bills can clinch the AFC East with a win and a Dolphins loss or tie. The Chargers are ahead of the Dolphins based on head-to-head. Should be noted that the Bengals still have to play the Ravens again this season so they're not quite there to winning the AFC North. Let's go to the NFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles (13-1) (clinched playoff spot)
2nd seed: Minnesota Vikings (11-3) (clinched NFC North)
3rd seed: San Francisco 49ers (10-4) (clinched NFC West)
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8)
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys (10-4) (clinched playoff spot)
6th seed: New York Giants (8-5-1)
7th seed: Washington Commanders (7-6-1)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

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

In the Hunt

Seattle (7-7), Detroit (7-7), Green Bay (6-8), Carolina (5-9), New Orleans (5-9), Atlanta (5-9) 

Better Luck Next Year

Arizona (4-10), LA Rams (4-10), Chicago (3-11), 

In general, the NFC is less open for teams to make a run. In general the playoff spots that are left are the NFC East winner, NFC South winner, and two more spots. Philadelphia can win the NFC East with a win against Dallas on Saturday. The NFC South is a bit more wild as you have the Buccaneers with a 6-8 record but there's three other teams in that division with a 5-9 record. The division winner might be decided on Week 18. 

Week 16 Preview

With Christmas Day falling on a Sunday, the NFL will have most of its games played on Christmas Eve. Week 16 will feature a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. No teams are on a bye this week. Week 16 will feature a Thursday night game, 11 games on Saturday where there will be nine early games, two late games, a Saturday night game, one early Sunday game, a late Sunday game, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. The doubleheader this week will go to FOX and CBS will have the single, regional game this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 16 Picks

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

Jacksonville (6-8) @ NY Jets (7-7) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jets
The Jaguars beat the Cowboys and the Jets lost to the Lions last week. The week starts with a decent matchup on Thursday night football. The Jaguars go into this game being one of the hottest teams in the league winning three of their last four games. Trevor Lawrence has been one of the factors in that momentum. He hasn't thrown as many turnovers as he had earlier in the year. I think that momentum will continue. The Jets have been faltering as of late. Health and stability of the quarterback position is one of those factors. Unless massive changes happen to Mike White, it looks like that Zach Wilson will get the start again. It seems that the Jaguars are the better built team so I'll take them.

Buffalo (11-3) @ Chicago (3-11) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills beat the Dolphins and the Bears lost to the Eagles last week. An interesting game to keep an eye on. Buffalo comes into this game getting a huge win in the division beating Miami and have played like the team we'd expect to see in the Super Bowl. Chicago comes into this game having a rough season. The offense has been meager and points have been tough to get. The lone bright spot for them is Justin Fields who has 1,000 rushing yards this year. Could I see the Bears putting up the upset? It is possible but I think the Bills will get it done. 

Atlanta (5-9) @ Baltimore (9-5) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Falcons lost to the Saints and the Ravens lost to the Browns. Judging from the spread, it looks like Lamar Jackson is back for the Ravens. They'll need him. Without him their offense looks limited and less explosive. With Tyler Huntley I think the opposition knew what they had on him via tape. A limited thrower and a runner. Atlanta has some trouble at quarterback of their own as Marcus Mariota could return or it will be Desmond Ridder going for them again. Ridder didn't produce a lot of numbers but he could go forward with more if he's comfortable. I like the Ravens a bit better even if Tyler Huntley will go. 

Cincinnati (10-4) @ New England (7-7) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The Bengals beat the Buccaneers and the Patriots lost to the Raiders last week. Joe Burrow and the Bengals looked really good with the win against Tampa granted they had to get a comeback for it. They'll have a good test to see how well they can be against a Patriots defense. The Patriots offense is not great. Mac Jones has reverted back to playing almost like a rookie. The coaching is not good. New England enters this game having a rough loss against the Raiders that really shouldn't have been a loss. The game could be a tough test for the Patriots to overcome. I'll take the Bengals.

Detroit (7-7) @ Carolina (5-9) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
The Lions beat the Jets and the Panthers lost to the Steelers last week. The Lions have been playing well in 2022. At least compared to past Lions teams. They got a really good offense and a defense that has been getting better. Carolina has been in the opposite of that spectrum. They look lost out there. It'll be a tough test for the Panthers defense to stop or slow down the Lions offense. 

Houston (1-12-1) @ Tennessee (7-7) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Texans lost to the Chiefs and the Titans lost to the Chargers last week. For the love of god Tennessee, please don't lose to your division rival and the worst team in the league. Just give the ball to Derrick Henry. I mean Houston might pull off an upset like they did against Kansas City but to have them repeat that would be a miracle. 

New Orleans (5-9) @ Cleveland (6-8) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The Saints beat the Falcons and the Browns beat the Ravens last week. New Orleans has been a weird team. They can either look good on a miracle and then look awful. Alvin Kamara hasn't been quite his old self in 2022. They could pull off an upset against an up-and-down Browns team. DeShaun Watson has been average to not great since he started in Houston a few weeks ago. I think the x-factor in the game is going to be the Browns running game. I'll take Cleveland.

NY Giants (8-5-1) @ Minnesota (11-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Both teams won last week as the Giants beat the Commanders and the Vikings beat the Colts last week. The Giants had quite the skid in a losing streak but they finally got over the hump with a win against Washington. Minnesota had quite the comeback against the Colts. The 33-0 comeback is the largest in NFL history. The other side of that game was that the Vikings literally played awful football in the 1st half. Minnesota will need to play better and not let that much of a points surge happen. New York won't be as forgiving to them like Indianapolis is. Despite that negativity I like the Vikings in the game.

Seattle (7-7) @ Kansas City (11-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Seahawks lost to the 49ers and the Chiefs beat the Texans last week. The Chiefs are back at home in Arrowhead against a Seahawks team that is faltering further and further. The offense has been to blame but the absence of Kenneth Walker III has been a missing piece as well. Kansas City nearly lost to the Texans. One of the worst teams in the league nearly beat them in overtime. Despite all that, I think the Chiefs will have a rebound game at home with their fans in their house. I'll take the Chiefs. 

Washington (7-6-1) @ San Francisco (10-4) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Commanders lost to the Giants and the 49ers beat the Seahawks last week. A classic NFC matchup on CBS. At least old school for those who watched the NFL before 1994. Washington comes into this game with a rough loss to the Giants in a game that they had a shot to win. San Francisco looks to be the dark horse team to represent the NFC come February. Christian McCaffrey has certainly been that player that brings those optimistic thoughts. Washington will have a tough task ahead of them but I will take the 49ers. 

Philadelphia (13-1) @ Dallas (10-4) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Cowboys
The Eagles beat the Bears and the Cowboys lost to the Jaguars last week. Jalen Hurts won't likely go for this game which means that the man Gardner Minshew will go for the Eagles. Dallas comes into this game with a shocker of an upset against Jacksonville. It was a pick-six that ended the game. The game will be in Dallas but I don't trust the Cowboys enough to give them a shot to win. Give me the Minshewmania. 

Las Vegas (6-8) @ Pittsburgh (6-8) (NFL Network; 8:15 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Raiders beat the Patriots and the Steelers beat the Panthers last week. This game marks the 50th anniversary of the Immaculate Reception, the 1972 Divisional playoff game where Franco Harris caught the ball off of a Jack Tatum batted pass and scored a touchdown giving the Steelers their first playoff win. The two teams aren't likely going to the playoffs at the moment but the game will be important for both teams trying get to the playoffs. Las Vegas goes into this game conquering some demons. Demons like blowing leads late in the 4th quarter and losing those games. Maybe the momentum will continue into this game. Pittsburgh has had a tough season compared to past years. Mike Tomlin has yet to have a losing season in Pittsburgh since taking over in 2007. The Steelers haven't had a losing season since 2003. I don't question the Steelers defense as they can play well. It is their offense. I don't trust either team but I'll take the Raiders. 

Green Bay (6-8) @ Miami (8-6) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Packers beat the Rams and the Dolphins lost to the Bills last week. Green Bay hasn't had a lot of success in 2022 compared to their past seasons with Matt LeFleur as head coach. They're still alive and they'd have to win every game to get in and then get some help. I think the hole they've dug is out of the question. Miami has had a tough stretch of football as they have two three-game losing streaks this season. They kept pace with the Bills but they still lost the game. I think they should try to get back to being more balanced on the offense to give Tua Tagovailoa somewhat of a break and have him not play hero ball too much. I'll buy the Dolphins at home. 

Denver (4-10) @ LA Rams (4-10) (CBS/Nickelodeon; 4:30 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Rams
The Broncos beat the Cardinals and the Rams lost to the Packers last week. The battle of 4-10 teams! The Broncos have gotten off to a better start this season with Brett Rypien anchoring the offense. Russell Wilson could come back after being told to take the week off. Either way the quarterback question could play a factor in the game. Baker Mayfield had helped steady the ship but he was not effective against the Packers. He will have to do a better job against a not too shabby Broncos defense. Someone has to win but I'll take the Broncos by a whim. 

Tampa Bay (6-8) @ Arizona (4-10) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers lost to the Bengals and the Cardinals lost to the Broncos last week. Tampa had gotten off to a good start against Cincinnati but the wheels fell off in the 2nd half of that game. At some point someone is going to win the NFC South and it might as well be the team that has run the division the last two seasons. Arizona is just trying to play spoiler and to look for some respectability. They will have Trace McSorley (nice name buddy) go as the starting quarterback. The Cardinals are a mess but that could be dangerous as they could be taken lightly. I don't see it happening as its still Tom Brady and he can still put up numbers. 

LA Chargers (8-6) @ Indianapolis (4-9-1) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Chargers beat the Titans and the Colts lost to the Vikings last week. The Chargers got a huge win against the Titans. Justin Herbert really didn't do well in the game. He'll need to do better against a decent Colts defense. Indianapolis had a big choke job against the Vikings. Most teams who'd put up a 33-0 lead had to eventually win that game by at least a good margin. Sadly, it wasn't the case. I think the loss will be a disheartening loss for the Colts where they'd not recover from. I'll take the Chargers. 

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

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

CBS Single

Cincinnati @ New England
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Buffalo @ Chicago
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

New Orleans @ Cleveland
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

Houston @ Tennessee
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Washington @ San Francisco (Late)
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

FOX Early

NY Giants @ Minnesota
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Atlanta @ Baltimore
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Seattle @ Kansas City
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Detroit @ Carolina
Chris Myers, Robert Smith

FOX Late

Philadelphia @ Dallas
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

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
Week 13: 11-3-1
Week 14: 7-6
Week 15: 8-8

Total: 134-88-2

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
Week 13: 8-6-1
Week 14: 9-4
Week 15: 13-3

Total: 125-95-2

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 

See you all on Monday night for the Week 16 Recap post! Enjoy the games and Happy Holidays!

-Tom

Rest in Peace, Franco Harris
(1950-2022)

NFL 2022 Week 15 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought us some amazing storylines. Such storylines like the comeback in Minnesota, a duel in the cold in Buffalo, a couple of overtime games in Jacksonville and Houston and a wild finish in Las Vegas. All those games and more in this week's recap post! Let's get to work!

Week 15 Recap

San Francisco 21, Seattle 13: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
A Seahawks comeback was in the works but it was too little too late. Brock Purdy went out and played well in his 2nd start of his career. He hit 17 of 26 passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns to George Kittle. Christian McCaffrey was a beast in this game with 108 rushing yards and a touchdown while getting 30 receiving yards. Jordan Mason had 64 yards rushing, including a 55-yard run. All in all, the 49ers offense was rolling on all cylinders getting 381 total yards in the game. Geno Smith had a solid game with 31 of 44 passes completed for 238 yards with a touchdown pass to Noah Fant in the 4th quarter late. Seattle got a boost of offense with the return of Kenneth Walker III who got 47 yards rushing for Seattle. San Francisco's defense put the clamp on anything that Seattle could do. They sacked Geno Smith three times and was hit nine times. For the 49ers, the win puts them at 10-4 but also win the NFC West for the first time since 2019. For the Seahawks, they drop to 7-7 on the season and will need to get back to playing better football if they want a shot at the playoffs. 

Next week:
San Francisco: vs Washington
Seattle: @ Kansas City

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Indianapolis 36, Minnesota 39 (F/OT): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Biggest comeback in NFL history and Frank Reich wasn't even a part of it. Matt Ryan was effective in the game with 19 of 33 pass completions for 182 yards with a touchdown. Definitely feel that he could've done more in this game for sure. Reasons will be stated later. Zack Moss was the leading rusher for the Colts with 81 yards rushing. Special teams were key for the early Colts surge in points as they had a blocked punt and recovered the ball for a punt-six. Defense would get on with the scoring as a Kirk Cousins pass was picked off by Julian Blackmon that would give the score in a 30-0 with 5:50 left in the 1st half. After two straight Chase McLaughlin field goals that put the score at 36-7, the Colts wouldn't visit the scoreboard again for the rest of the game. Kirk Cousins started off sluggish but by the time the 2nd half started, he was on fire. He finished the game with 460 yards passing with four touchdowns and two interceptions. KJ Osborn, Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen were the players that caught those touchdown passes from Cousins. Dalvin Cook was a monster in the game with 95 yards rushing and 95 receiving yards. CJ Ham scored a rushing touchdown on a 1-yard run. Officiating was an issue for this game as the Vikings were hosed by two plays that looked like fumbles and ran back for touchdowns. Referees would overturn them and give life to the Colts. Unfortunately it wouldn't last. The 33-0 comeback is now the all-time biggest comeback in NFL history, surpassing the Oilers vs Bills AFC Wild Card game from 1992 where former head coach Frank Reich orchestrated the comeback. For the Colts, the gut-punching loss won't give them brownie points as they drop to 4-9-1 with little hope of a postseason berth. For the Vikings, the win puts them at 11-3 with the NFC North locked up for the first time since 2017. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs LA Chargers
Minnesota: vs NY Giants

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Baltimore 3, Cleveland 13: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The game was ugly but the Browns would prevail over their rivals. Tyler Huntley wasn't spectacular in the game with 17 of 30 passes completed for 138 yards and an interception. JK Dobbins had a solid game for the Ravens running game with 125 yards rushing with a 37-yard run being his longest. Gus Edwards had 55 yards rushing. Along with the interception, the Browns recovered a fumble. The big thing that you'd have to take into account is that the Ravens went 0 for 3 in 4th down conversions. Just a rough night for John Harbaugh. DeShaun Watson wasn't great either but he helped when he needed to. Watson had 18 of 28 passes completed for 161 yards with a touchdown pass to David Peoples-Jones in the 3rd quarter that gave the Browns the score that held until the end of the game. Nick Chubb did good with his running of the ball with 99 yards rushing on 21 carries. The Browns had better success in 4th down but not as much on 3rd down. They went 2 for 2 on 4th down and 5 for 15 on 3rd down. It was a tough game to follow after the miraculous Colts-Vikings game. For the Ravens, the loss drops them to 9-5 with a possible lead in the division in danger. For the Browns, the win keeps their hopes of playoff football alive for another week. 

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Atlanta
Cleveland: vs New Orleans

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Miami 29, Buffalo 32: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Scoring and snowballs were abound in Western New York. Tua Tagovailoa did well in the Buffalo cold with 17 of 30 passes completed for 234 yards with two touchdowns to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. Raheem Mostert was a monster to the Bills rush defense with 136 yards rushing on 17 carries. He had a 67-yard run that amazing to watch. Salvon Ahmed had 43 yards rushing with a touchdown. Miami wouldn't lay down in the cold where the temperature would dip down to 20 degrees Farenheit. They finished the game with 405 total yards on offense. Josh Allen was magical in the game as he had 25 of 40 pass completions for 304 yards with four touchdown passes. Dawson Knox, Quintin Morris, Nyheim Hines, and James Cook were the players that caught those passes from Allen. It was another game that Josh Allen was the leading rusher for the Bills with 77 yards rushing. He did have a 44-yard run that was a thing of beauty. It was the Dawson Knox touchdown that cut the lead down to two. On the two-point conversion it was a Allen run that gave the game a tie. Tyler Bass was the hero that gave the Bills the win on a 25-yard field goal. For the Dolphins, the loss is their 3rd straight loss as they drop to 8-6. It is their 2nd three-game losing streak this season. For the Bills, the win gives them a playoff berth and a 11-3 record. 

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

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

Atlanta 18, New Orleans 21: TW: Falcons; CV: Saints
The Big Easy was treated to an entertaining game. Desmond Ridder got his first start at quarterback. The rookie completed 13 of 26 passes for 97 yards. Atlanta's running game did well in the game. Tyler Allgeier had 139 yards rushing with a touchdown with a 43-yard run. Cordarrelle Patterson also got a touchdown run while getting 52 yards rushing. The Falcons offense git 320 yards of offense but only 97 of them being passing yards. Only Drake London, Mike Pruitt and Avery Williams had receptions for gained yards in the game. Andy Dalton completed 11 of 17 passes for 151 yards with two touchdowns. Taysom Hill had an active role in this game as he had 80 yards passing with a touchdown and had 30 yards rushing. Alvin Kamara had a good game for the Saints with 91 yards rushing on 21 carries. New Orleans had 348 total yards in the game. It was an even game with the time of possession and 3rd down conversions. Defense reigned supreme sacked Ridder was sacked four times and Andy Dalton was sacked two times. For the Falcons, the division race slims down a bit as they drop to 5-9. For the Saints, The NFC South title is still up for grabs with a 5-9 record with the win. 

Next week:
Atlanta: @ Baltimore
New Orleans: @ Cleveland

TW: 3-2; CV: 4-1

Dallas 34, Jacksonville 40 (F/OT): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
An ugly game for both sides but the Jaguars pull off the upset. Dak Prescott had a tough game as he completed 23 of 30 passes for 256 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Dallas running game did play well as Tony Pollard ran for 75 yards on 19 carries. Ezekiel Elliot ran for 58 yards with a touchdown. Prescott's interceptions were costly as they came off of field position deep in their own territory. The last interception was in overtime that ended the game in a pick-six by Ronald Jenkins. He was also sacked three times. Trevor Lawrence continued his good play with 27 of 42 pass completions for 318 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Zay Jones had three touchdowns caught and Marvin Jones had one touchdown. Travis Etienne rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries. James Agnew had 52 yards rushing with a 30-yard run being the longest in the game. It would be Riley Patterson's 48-yard field goal that sent the game to overtime. For the Cowboys, they fall to 10-4 with hopes of the NFC East title slipping away. For the Jaguars, the pressure is on the Titans to stay on top of the AFC South as the Jags improve to 6-8.

Next week:
Dallas: vs Philadelphia
Jacksonville: @ NY Jets (Thursday night)

TW: 3-3; CV: 4-2

Detroit 20, NY Jets 17: TW: Lions; CV: Lions
As it turns out, Zach Wilson would start this game for New York. Jared Goff had a good day throwing the ball as he completed 23 of 38 passes for 252 yards with a touchdown pass. Brock Wright was the player that caught that pass on a 51-yard play. Dandre Swift had 52 yards rushing. Jamaal Williams had 33 yards rushing. Detroit's special teams had a boost with Kalif Raymond getting a touchdown on a punt-six. Zach Wilson would get the start for the Jets. Wilson hit 18 of his 35 passes for 317 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Zonovan Knight didn't get much for his game via running game with 23 yards on 13 carries. It was a close game that could've went either way but it was the Goff to Wright connection late in the 4th quarter that doomed the Jets. For the Lions, the win improves their playoff cause to a 7-7 record. For the Jets, the loss drops them to 7-7 with a slimming chance of making the playoffs. 

Next week:
Detroit: @ Carolina
NY Jets: vs Jacksonville (Thursday night)

TW: 4-3; CV: 5-2

Kansas City 30, Houston 24: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
It was an ugly game but Jerrick McKinnon called game. Patrick Mahomes played lights out in the game with 336 yards passing and 33 yards rushing in the game. Mahomes had three total touchdowns (two pass, one rush) in the game where Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Jerrick McKinnon caught those passes. Isiah Pacheco had 86 yards rushing in the game. Jerrick McKinnon had 52 yards rushing with the game-winning touchdown on a 26-yard run. Davis Mills had a rebound game and tossed 12 of 24 passes for 121 yards with two touchdowns to Jordan Akins and Teagan Quitoriano. He also had a rushing touchdown while getting 21 yards rushing. Royce Freeman ran for 51 yards in the game. One of the reasons that kept the Texans in the game was two fumbles and penalties that resulted in 102 total yards off of the yellow flag. Nevertheless, the great teams find ways to win if they're not playing their best. For the Chiefs, the win clinches their 7th straight AFC West title with a 11-3 record. For the Texans, they drop to 1-12-1 on the season. 

Next week:
Kansas City: vs Seattle
Houston: @ Tennessee

TW: 5-3; CV: 6-2

Philadelphia 25, Chicago 20: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Not a good day for Jalen Hurts the passer but a great day for Jalen Hurts the runner. Hurts had 315 yards passing with two interceptions and 61 yards rushing with three touchdowns. Miles Sanders had a quieter day in the game with 42 yards rushing. AJ Brown had a solid day catching the ball with 181 receiving yards on nine catches. Justin Fields did well in the game with 152 yards passing with two touchdown passes and 95 rushing yards. David Montgomery had 53 rushing yards with a touchdown. The turnovers helped keep the Bears in it but they just couldn't stop them enough to get the win and the upset. For the Eagles, the win increases their record to 13-1 with the shot to win the NFC East against Dallas next week. For the Bears, they go to 3-11. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: @ Dallas
Chicago: vs Buffalo

TW: 6-3; CV: 7-2

Pittsburgh 24, Carolina 16: TW: Panthers; CV: Steelers
A win is a win and Mitchell Trubisky got to play the whole game. Trubisky had 17 of 22 pass completions for 179 yards with nine rushing yards with a touchdown. Didn't throw a touchdown but didn't throw an interception either. Najee Harris had 86 yards rushing with a touchdown. Jaylen Warren had 38 yards rushing with a touchdown. It was news before the game that Trubisky's leash was short but I think he did enough to play again. Sam Darnold played a fairly good game with 14 of 23 passes for 225 yards with a touchdown pass to DJ Moore in the 2nd quarter. Carolina's run game got them 21 yards total with Chuba Hubbard, D'Onta Foreman and Sam Darnold contributing to those yards. Carolina in all had 209 total yards. Eddy Pineiro had three field goals for the Panthers. For the Steelers, the win keeps their playoff hopes alive and Mike Tomlin's hopes of continuing his no losing season streak for at least another week. For the Panthers, their loss drops to 5-9 in 2022. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Las Vegas
Carolina: vs Detroit

TW: 6-4; CV: 8-2

Arizona 15, Denver 24: TW: Cardinals; CV: Broncos
Turnovers galore in the Mile High City. Colt McCoy started for the Cardinals but left the game in the 3rd quarter after taking a hit while diving in the ground in the 3rd quarter. He had 13 of 21 passes completed for 78 yards with an interception. Arizona turned to 3rd stringer Trace McSorley. McSorley didn't help the cause as he hit 7 of 15 passes for 95 yards and threw two interceptions. James Conner rushed for 63 yards with a touchdown that cut the Bronco lead to 24-15. The two-point conversion failed. Brett Rypien started for Denver over Russell Wilson who was given the week off. The 2nd stringer hit 21 of 26 passes for 197 yards with a touchdown and threw an interception. Rypien faced the pressure, the hits, and the sacks of the Cardinals defense. For example, JJ Watt was a force like his days of old. Latavius Murray rushed for 130 yards with a touchdown. Marlon Mack rushed for 37 yards with a touchdown. Brett Rypien was sacked seven times but the passer would lead the Broncos to three scoring drives in the 2nd half after being held to three points in the 1st half. For the Cardinals, the loss drops their record to 4-10 with the season surely over for them. For the Broncos, the win is their 4th in the 2022 season. 

Next week:
Arizona: vs Tampa Bay
Denver: @ LA Rams

TW: 6-5; CV: 9-2

New England 24, Las Vegas 30: TW: Patriots; CV: Raiders
The Patriots made it a comeback but the game would go down for a whole different reason. Mac Jones was not good in this game as the quarterback hit 13 of 31 passes for 112 yards. It was also a game where the Patriots passing game didn't generate enough offense. It was the running game that made it a game for the Pats. Rhamondre Stevenson returned in this game and played his heart out. He had 172 yards rushing on 19 carries with a touchdown. It was a pitiful performance on offense as the Patriots converted on 3rd down twice out of 13 tries in this game. One plus side to the Patriots was that Mac Jones was clean and the offensive line played one of their best games of the season. Penalties were reduced as well. Derek Carr completed 20 of 38 passes for 231 yards with three touchdowns and an interception that was returned for a pick-six in the 3rd quarter. Keelan Cole, Darren Waller and Mack Hollins were the players that caught passes by Carr for touchdowns, Cole being the one that tied the game. The play was questionable as Cole was possibly touching the out of bounds area. Nevertheless, the momentum was on the Raiders. Josh Jacobs had a good day on the ground with 93 yards rushing. Overall the Patriots defense did well enough to keep the Raiders from scoring more points in the game. Derek Carr was sacked three times. The game would come down to a draw play that started off with Rhamondre Stevenson driving down the field. Stevenson would toss the ball to Jakobi Meyers who relayed the ball to Mac Jones. Unfortunately Chandler Jones was in the way and recovered the ball, truck sticked Mac Jones and ran it back to the endzone to win the game. For the Patriots, the loss drops them to 7-7 with the toughest part of their schedule coming up. For the Raiders, their playoff hopes are still alive with a 6-8 record. 

Next week:
New England: vs Cincinnati
Las Vegas: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 6-6; CV: 10-2

Cincinnati 34, Tampa Bay 23: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The game looked promising to some when the schedule was released. It wouldn't be the case. Joe Burrow was masterful in the game as he hit 27 of 39 passes for 200 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Cincinnati didn't get a lot from their running game but with the score, I don't think they'll mind. Samaje Perine had 24 yards rushing. Joe Mixon had 21 yards rushing. Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, Mitchell Wilcox and Tee Higgins were the players that caught those touchdown passes from Burrow. Tom Brady was not at his best in the game as he hit 30 of 44 passes for 312 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He would also lose two fumbles in the game. Leonard Fournette rushed for 44 yards on 10 carries. Rashaad White rushed for 38 yards with 11 carries. It was a tale of two halves in this game. The first half was dominated by Tampa who put up a 17-3 margin at halftime. It was then a 3rd quarter from hell as anything that could go wrong, went wrong. The Bengals would score 31 points in the 2nd half to the Buccaneers six. For the Bengals, the win moves them up to 10-4 and lead now in the AFC North with the Ravens loss earlier on Sunday. For the Buccaneers, the loss drops them to 6-8 but still have control of their own destiny in the NFC South. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ New England
Tampa Bay: @ Arizona

TW: 7-6; CV: 11-2

Tennessee 14, LA Chargers 17: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Justin Herbert did the driving and Cameron Dicker did the rest. Ryan Tannehill started the game for the Titans before leaving the game temporarily with an injured ankle. The time period would last only one possession and finished the game with 165 yards passing with an interception but did ran it in for a score that tied the game at 14. Malik Willis passed for 20 yards on that one possession. Derrick Henry had 104 yards rushing with a touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Tennessee put up 284 total yards on offense in the game. Justin Herbert wasn't quite there in the game. He hit 28 of 42 passes for 313 yards with two interceptions. Austin Ekeler had 58 yards rushing with a touchdown. Joshua Kelley also had a touchdown on 24 yards rushing. The last drive for the Chargers started on their own 23-yard line. It would be a 31-yard pass play to Mike Williams that drove the Chargers down the field. Cameron Dicker came in the clutch and hit a 43-yard field goal that sent the Chargers fans home with a win. For the Titans, the loss drops them to 7-7 and with the Jaguars winning today keeps the pressure on them to win the AFC South. For the Chargers, they move to 8-6 on the year and move into the #6 seed in the AFC playoffs. 

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Houston
LA Chargers: @ Indianapolis

TW: 7-7; CV: 11-3

NY Giants 20, Washington 12: TW: Commanders; CV: Giants
NFC East rivals dueled in primetime. Daniel Jones played well enough in the game as he hit 21 of 32 passes for 160 yards. He didn't toss a touchdown but neither an interception. Saquon Barkley scored the only offensive touchdown for the Giants on a direct snap and ran it in for a 3-yard score. New York's defense would score on a Taylor Heinicke sack that was fumbled and recovered by Kayvon Thibodeaux. The Giants would also get another fumble in the game. Taylor Heinicke played alright in the game with 17 of 29 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown pass to Jahan Dotson in the 3rd quarter. The fumble-six by Heinicke really hurt their chances of victory. Brian Robinson Jr rushed for 89 yards on 12 carries. Washington's offense wasn't effective in overcoming 3rd down as they went 1 for 10. The Giants went 2 for 10. Like most games this week the game was mired in officiating controversy in a no pass interference call on a ball that was thrown to Washington's Curtis Samuel. For the Giants, their winless streak ends with a playoff spot in their midst. For the Commanders, the loss drops them to 7-6-1 but still have a playoff spot for the moment. 

Next week:
NY Giants: @ Minnesota
Washington: @ San Francisco

TW: 7-8; CV: 12-3

LA Rams 12, Green Bay 24: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
It was the running backs that ran the show in the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field. Baker Mayfield completed 12 of 21 passes for 111 yards with a touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee. Mayfield would also throw an interception. Cam Akers ran the ball fairly well with 65 yards rushing on 12 carries. Whether it was the Green Bay cold or the luck fading out, the Rams offense was held to 156 yards of offense. Aaron Rodgers did good in the game with 22 of 30 passes for 229 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Aaron Jones caught the pass from Rodgers. The damage that Aaron Jones did was on the ground with 90 yards rushing. The key contributor to the scoring was AJ Dillon with 36 yards rushing with two touchdowns. It was an effective game for the Packers offense with 345 total yards. Pass protection was an issue for both sides as Baker Mayfield was sacked five times and Aaron Rodgers was sacked three times. For the Rams, the loss drops their sad title defense season to 4-10. For the Packers, they get a much needed win and improved to 6-8. 

Next week:
LA Rams: vs Denver
Green Bay: @ Miami

TW: 8-8; CV: 13-3

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
Week 13: 11-3-1
Week 14: 7-6
Week 15: 8-8

Total: 134-88-2

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
Week 13: 8-6-1
Week 14: 9-4
Week 15: 13-3

Total: 125-95-2

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 

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 16 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 15 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again! Week 15 is here and there's just four more weeks of regular season football and then the 2nd season starts for the playoffs. The games I'll be keeping an eye on this week are the 49ers-Seahawks, Dolphins-Bills, Bengals-Buccaneers and Giants-Commanders. In this post, I'll do the latest playoff picture, a Week 15 preview and picks for the games and the Early and Late game TV Broadcast pairings. A lot to cover so let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 15

For Week 15, there have been a couple of teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention. So far only one team has punched their ticket to the playoffs. By the end of the week perhaps, more teams will have clinched their playoff spot or a division title. Let's take a look at the NFC first.

Seeding

1st seed: Philadelphia Eagles (12-1) (Clinched playoff berth)
2nd seed: Minnesota Vikings (10-3) 
3rd seed: San Francisco 49ers (9-4)
4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7)
5th seed: Dallas Cowboys (10-3)
6th seed: Washington Commanders (7-5-1)
7th seed: New York Giants (7-5-1)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

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

In the Hunt

Seattle (7-6), Detroit (6-7), Green Bay (5-8), Carolina (5-8), Atlanta (5-8), Arizona (4-9), New Orleans (4-9), LA Rams (4-9)

Better luck next year

Chicago (3-10)

Minnesota could clinch the NFC North with a win and Lions loss or tie. Philadelphia isn't quite there to clinch the NFC East as they do have a two-game lead over Dallas. Washington is ahead of New York based on division record (Washington has a 1-2-1 record and New York has a 0-3-1 record). Let's take a look at the AFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Buffalo Bills (10-3)
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (10-3)
3rd seed: Baltimore Ravens (9-4)
4th seed: Tennessee Titans (7-6)
5th seed: Cincinnati Bengals (9-4)
6th seed: Miami Dolphins (8-5)
7th seed: New England Patriots (7-6)

Wild Card Weekend Matchups

New England @ Kansas City
Miami @ Baltimore
Cincinnati @ Tennessee

In the Hunt

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

Better luck next year

Denver (3-10), Houston (1-11-1)

Buffalo is ahead of Kansas City of course because of head-to-head record. New England entered into the 7th seed with the win against Arizona last week. They're ahead of the Chargers (conference record) and the Jets (head-to-head record). No clinching or playoff berth scenarios this week for the AFC but keep an eye on the AFC South race. Tennessee has a two-game lead on Jacksonville but the Titans haven't played well lately. 

Week 15 Preview

The Fifteenth week of the NFL's regular season starts in Seattle, Washington and ends in Green Bay, Wisconsin. There will be a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. No teams are on a bye this week. The week will feature a Thursday night game, three Saturday games, six early games, four 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 15 Picks

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

San Francisco (9-4) @ Seattle (7-6) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Buccaneers and the Seahawks lost to the Panthers last week. A huge game in the NFC playoff picture. Brock Purdy did well in his debut against Tom Brady. In fact perhaps too well. The letdown game could happen for Purdy as he might have a bit of a overconfidence. Or perhaps he'll be humble enough to respect the Seahawks defense. It's a must-win game for the Seahawks who have fallen down quite a bit. The falling down is no small part to the absence of Kenneth Walker III who has played well in his rookie season. San Francisco seems to be the better team in this game so I'll take them.

Indianapolis (4-8-1) @ Minnesota (10-3) (NFL Network; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Colts had a bye and the Vikings lost to the Lions last week. The first of three games on Saturday starts with a mismatch perhaps. The Colts have had a letdown of a season. Their head coach got fired, they hired an interim head coach who's never coached a game beyond high school level. Despite all the negativity, the Colts are going to be rested for this game. They're going to be at least competitive in this game, let alone get a lead. Minnesota hasn't been all that great this year despite the record. They're the only team with at least 10 wins and a negative point differential. They got exposed badly against the Lions who made their defense look like mince meat. If the Vikings defense can step up and slow or shut down the Colts offense, they got a good shot to win. 

Baltimore (9-4) @ Cleveland (5-8) (NFL Network; 4:30 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens beat the Steelers and the Browns lost to the Bengals last week. The classic Ravens-Browns rivalry returns to Cleveland. Anthony Brown will be the starter if Tyler Huntley isn't cleared to play via concussion protocol. The sample size of Brown is small but he has a running game that can roll over teams. Kenyan Drake, Gus Edwards, and JK Dobbins will need to put their best foot forward to win. Cleveland will start DeShaun Watson again. Watson has been meager to average so far in 2022. He does have the best running back in the conference in Nick Chubb running over people while scoring 12 touchdowns thus far. Seems like a Browns win but I'll take the Ravens in an upset.

Miami (8-5) @ Buffalo (10-3) (NFL Network; 8:15 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Dolphins lost to the Chargers and the Bills beat the Jets last week. The Saturday slate wraps up with a good AFC East matchup. Miami has fallen down the last few weeks. One example is that their offense produced only 17 points against the Chargers in a game where they should've put up more. Both sides of the ball haven't stepped up to give their team a winning edge. The offense hasn't put up the points that they have put in last few weeks prior to the San Francisco game. Buffalo has had a bit of a skid earlier in the season but they seem to be back on track. The weather will be a factor in Buffalo as snow is in the forecast for this game. The Bills will have a slight advantage to it as they are used to the wintery weather. Miami will need to have a bounce back game on offense to keep the Bills offense off the field. Seems like a tall task. 

Atlanta (5-8) @ New Orleans (4-9) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Saints
The Falcons had a bye and the Saints also had a bye last week. I think this is the first time these two teams met this season. Atlanta still has a shot to win the NFC South but so does New Orleans. Both teams are fairly similar on offense. They possess a running attack that can be overpowering. Tyler Allgeier and Alvin Kamara will need to put their best foot forward to victory. Atlanta has been trustworthy to pick and I don't trust New Orleans enough to give them that nod. I'll take the Falcons in a whim. 

Dallas (10-3) @ Jacksonville (5-8) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys beat the Texans and the Jaguars beat the Titans last week. Dallas nearly blew it to the Texans last week and they really honestly should've lost that game. Let's be honest Cowboys fans. Dak Prescott didn't have his best game and his running game bailed him out. They'll need to get their head out of their ass to beat the Jaguars. Jacksonville isn't a slouch as of late. They had a skid of losses earlier in the season but I think that's in the past. One of the reasons for the Jaguars tumble is turnovers. Trevor Lawrence played lights out football against one of the better teams in the division in Tennessee. They had great plays on defense as well. I think the Cowboys are going to win but if the Jaguars keep it close, watch out, they might actually win. 

Detroit (6-7) @ NY Jets (7-6) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
The Lions beat the Vikings and the Jets lost to the Bills last week. A sexy interconference matchup. Detroit comes into this game on fire. Their offense has lit it up on both the pass and the run. Jamaal Williams has been quite the scorer for the Lions attack with 806 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns. This Lions team isn't the old Lions team, let alone your father's Lions team, or even your grandfather's Lions team. The Jets however, aren't nearly as a popular choice in pick'ems this week. They were at one point 7-4 and flying high (pun intended). They've averaged just 17 points/game during the last few weeks. Mike White will need to start to get back that luster. Or the Jets might go with Joe Flacco or headcase Zach Wilson. The Jets might've been the sexy pick earlier in the season but I don't trust them against a hot Lions team. 

Kansas City (10-3) @ Houston (1-11-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Chiefs beat the Broncos and the Texans lost to the Cowboys last week. It looked for a while that the Chiefs were about to blowout the Broncos. Patrick Mahomes reverting back to his old turnover ways was in part to the Broncos staying alive in the game. I don't personally see the Chiefs falling back down that hole again in this game. Houston based on their record, has been terrible. They haven't won a game since week 5 against Jacksonville. They did however played like gangbusters against Dallas and almost won that game. I think the Chiefs will get back to their tried and true ways and not turnover the ball against a horrid Texans team. 

Philadelphia (12-1) @ Chicago (3-10) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Eagles beat the Giants and the Bears had a bye week last week. Jalen Hurts has played like an MVP thus far this season. If he plays like this through the rest of the season, he'll lock it in for sure. In the meantime, he and the rest of the Eagles play against the Bears. Chicago has been a polar opposite to the Eagles thus far. They've basically sent Justin Fields to fend for himself. He has a decent running game with Khalil Herbert and David Montgomery but the receiving corp hasn't been all that great. In fact, Chicago has one of the worst passing games in the league with just averaging 160 yards/game in 2022. I think the Eagles will take care of business. 

Pittsburgh (5-8) @ Carolina (5-8) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Steelers
The Steelers lost to the Ravens and the Panthers beat the Seahawks last week. Hard to say who will start for Pittsburgh. It would seem that Mitchell Trubisky will get the nod to start. Pittsburgh comes into this game with a rough game against the Ravens. They really couldn't get going on passing game wise. Carolina has played well since they dumped head coach Matt Rhule earlier in the season. They did well against a fairly good Seahawks team. I think the matchup in this game will be whether if the Pittsburgh offense can get itself going. Have to get their pass targets involved. I think it's a toss-up game but I'll go with the home team for once. 

Arizona (4-9) @ Denver (3-10) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Broncos
Both teams lost last week as the Cardinals lost to the Patriots and the Broncos lost to the Chiefs last week. A battle of the backup quarterbacks! Kyler Murray and Russell Wilson will be out for this one. The Colt McCoy and Brett Rypien will get the nod to start against each other. A riveting matchup for sure. Other than the quarterbacks, the two teams are somewhat similar in that they're not going anywhere past Week 18 this season and they have head coaches that might lose jobs at the end of the year as well. Colt McCoy showed some promise against New England but he needs to have better pass protection to even have a shot to do well. Denver's offense has been the butt of jokes this season but perhaps with a fresh quarterback to start will give Denver some life and drive down the field. It's a toss-up of a game but I'll take the Cards. 

New England (7-6) @ Las Vegas (5-8) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Raiders
The Patriots beat the Cardinals and the Raiders lost to the Rams last week. New England won't likely have Rhamondre Stevenson in this game as he is dealing with an ankle injury. The Pats will go with Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris as options for the backfield in this game. It will be the passing game that will be in question for the Patriots. Redzone, offensive penalties, and 3rd down conversions have been an issue for New England. Safe to say the defense has been playing as well as they can. Las Vegas really had a choke of a game against the Rams against a waiver wire acquisition in Baker Mayfield. Josh Jacobs has been a stud for the Raiders while the rest of his offense hasn't been quite the offense they should be. The matchup will feature a teacher vs student game as Josh McDaniels will face his mentor Bill Belichick. McDaniels has the upper hand as he did beat Belichick in 2009. I think Belichick will get his revenge against his former offensive coordinator. 

Cincinnati (9-4) @ Tampa Bay (6-7) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
The Bengals beat the Browns and the Buccaneers lost to the 49ers last week. The marquee game will feature a game that looked good when the schedule came out in May. It's the first matchup between Joe Burrow and Tom Brady. Joe Burrow and company enter this game with a good slate of football and look to hopefully regain the AFC North division lead. Tom Brady however has entered this contest with one of the worst stretches of football in his long career. Last week's 35-7 loss to the 49ers has to be one of the lowest points of his career. Unless Brady reverts back to his old self, I don't see him and the Buccaneers getting back to winning football. 

Tennessee (7-6) @ LA Chargers (7-6) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Titans lost to the Jaguars and the Chargers beat the Dolphins last week. Two teams that have 7-6 records going into Week 15. Both teams should be better than what they show in their records. The Titans like to use Derrick Henry to run their offense with Ryan Tannehill passing the ball seldom. The Chargers go into this game with a huge win against the Dolphins. They didn't quite have the best game but a win is a win. The matchup to keep an eye on in this game will be if the Chargers offense vs the Titans defense. Joey Bosa could return to action in this game for the Chargers defense. I don't trust either team but I'll take Titans. 

NY Giants (7-5-1) @ Washington (7-5-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Commanders; CV: Giants
The Giants lost to the Eagles and the Commanders had a bye last week. A rematch of the tie game a few weeks ago! The game should be a fairly good one. Daniel Jones and company had a tough time to compete with the Eagles. They do have a chance to compete with the Commanders. Washington has played better than New York as of late. Taylor Heinicke has been the guy for this team in 2022. Brian Robinson has been a catalyst as well. New York has dealt with injuries so far this season and have faltered. I don't trust them as much as I did earlier in the season so I'll take the Commanders in this game. 

LA Rams (4-9) @ Green Bay (5-8) (ABC; 8:15 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Rams beat the Raiders and the Packers had a bye last week. A network broadcast of Monday night football. The week wraps up with a matchup that looked good in the preseason but it is what it is. The Rams enter the game with a miracle of a win with Baker Mayfield at the helm. Mayfield had been picked up on waivers on Tuesday and played the game on Thursday. With extra time and rest, the Rams will be a bit better prepared to play against the Packers. Green Bay will have a extra rest of their own in this game. If they want to make a playoff push it will have to be the start of it and have some hope. The offense hasn't had too much of an issue but it has to be the defense that will need to put forth and eat the Rams offense alive. I'll take the Packers and the Frozen Tundra in this game. 

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings 

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

CBS Early

Detroit @ NY Jets
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Pittsburgh @ Carolina
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Kansas City @ Houston
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

CBS Late

Cincinnati @ Tampa Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Tennessee @ LA Chargers
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

FOX Single

Philadelphia @ Chicago
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

Dallas @ Jacksonville
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Atlanta @ New Orleans
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

New England @ Las Vegas (Late)
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Arizona @ Denver (Late)
Chris Myers, Robert Smith

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2022: Week 15 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
Week 12: 10-6
Week 13: 11-3-1
Week 14: 7-6

Total: 126-80-2

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
Week 13: 8-6-1
Week 14: 9-4

Total: 112-92-2

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 

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 15 Recap post! Enjoy your week and the games!
-Tom