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:
2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2019: 161-94-1
2020: 167-88-1
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