NFL 2023 Week 4 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to us yet again. With three weeks of play in the books, we are starting to see somewhat of what teams look like contenders and then the pretenders. At the start of week 3 there were numerous teams that had an undefeated record going into the week. In the aftermath of it, only three teams with no defeat: Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. For this week, I'll keep an eye on the Lions-Packers, Ravens-Browns, Dolphins-Bills and the Commanders-Eagles matchups. In this post, I'll do a rant of the week, a week 4 preview, week 4 picks and the early and late TV broadcast pairings for CBS and FOX. Let's get to work!

NFL Rant of the Week

Broncos head coach Sean Payton last week was asked about how he thought about his team's 70-20 loss to the Dolphins. While most of the questions were earnest in how he thought his team handled the drubbing, the reporters probably already knew the answer to it. If you were a head coach and your team was blown out, how would you even handle it? I feel the answer is you can't. Despite the point differential, it's just one game. Granted that the Broncos are 0-3 to start 2023. 

Week 4 Preview

The fourth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Green Bay, Wisconsin and finish up in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Week 4 will have a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. No teams are on a bye this week. The week features a Thursday night game, a Sunday morning game, nine early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will handle the doubleheader and CBS will have the single, regional game this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 4 Picks

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

Detroit (2-1) @ Green Bay (2-1) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions

Both teams got wins last week as the Lions beat the Falcons and the Packers beat the Saints. Detroit's offense looked like the offense of a few years. The last time these two teams met was Aaron Rodgers last game as a Packer. Green Bay's offense got off to a slow start against New Orleans. If they want to do well in this game, they're going to have to score not being down by 10 points in the game. Detroit won't likely give them that luxury. I think the Lions have a lot going for them so I'll take them in this one, assuming they don't shoot themselves in the foot.

Atlanta (2-1) @ Jacksonville (1-2) (ESPN+; 9:30 am): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

Both teams lost last week as the Falcons lost to the Lions and the Jaguars lost to the Texans. An early morning game that will include a Toy Story theme to it on ESPN+. Atlanta had looked good somewhat early in this season with their running game. Desmond Ridder has had some growing pains of course but their team has been kind of interesting to watch. Jacksonville has had two straight losses. While I do think that their offense has some of the blame but the defense really took a nap against Houston. They're going to need to play better by getting off the field quicker for Trevor Lawrence. I'll take the Jags.

Cincinnati (1-2) @ Tennessee (1-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Titans 
The Bengals beat the Rams and the Titans lost to the Browns last week. Cincy finally got a win last week. Granted it was a close win. We seemed to learn a bit more about their team. Their identity seems to be a good defensive team that plays physical football. The jury is still out on their offense. Tennessee is a weird team. Their only win was a comeback win against the Chargers and they only put up 94 total yards against Cleveland last week. They're going to need to play better by getting more than 94 obviously. Ryan Tannehill has been kind of a letdown this season. I'll take the Bengals as I don't trust the Titans.

Baltimore (2-1) @ Cleveland (2-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Ravens lost to the Colts and the Browns beat the Titans last week. You could say that the loss last week to the Colts was a fluke but I'm not sure that you can be that naïve. Indy did enough to go down the field and have their kicker hit field goals. They get to go up against baby brother in the Browns this week. Their record against them have proven otherwise that Baltimore has dominated the Browns. Cleveland has been kind of fun to watch this week. Despite the loss of power runner Nick Chubb, the Browns still had success in running the ball with outside runner Jerome Ford. Cleveland has put up 51 points in their two home games. Despite this praise I question whether if the Browns can achieve the impeccable task of defeating the Ravens. I don't trust them.

Denver (0-3) @ Chicago (0-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
Both teams lost last week as the Broncos lost to the Dolphins and the Bears lost to the Chiefs. Denver got badly humbled against Miami. Humbled is a bit of an under exaggeration. Their defense really took a dump in the last two games giving away 105 points. They're going to need to clean up their sloppy play and give their offense to play two-dimensional game. Chicago is kind of a mess in their own way. To give up 41 points to the Chiefs is somewhat of an expectation. Their offense hasn't done its job lately and unfortunately most of their woes is going to go to their quarterback Justin Fields. This game seems like an early definition of the "Toilet Bowl" and I would agree with myself. Fortunately someone will have to win this game or tie it. Either way someone will get their winning percentage up a bit. 

LA Rams (1-2) @ Indianapolis (2-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Rams lost to the Bengals and the Colts beat the Ravens last week. An intriguing matchup in Indy. The Rams have had some off games so far in 2023. They really had a shot to win against the 49ers but they just let the Niners have their way with them. Last week they had one of their worst games in the Matt Stafford era. Indy has somehow won two games when it was somewhat expected for them to lose a fair portion of their games. They've gotten it done with Gardner Minshew the last few weeks. They could very well play well enough to pull off a win. Despite this, I still kind of like the fact that the Rams offense has a new weapon in Puka Nacua. I'll take the Rams on the road. 

Miami (3-0) @ Buffalo (2-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Dolphins
The Dolphins beat the Broncos and the Bills beat the Commanders last week. The matchup that might decide the fate of the AFC East and it comes in Week 4. Miami has looked unstoppable so far in 2023, with last week's 70-20 win over the Broncos as an example. They look unstoppable but they can be slowed down by a good defense. If the Bills can make Tua Tagovailoa uncomfortable in the pocket and contain the pocket then they have a good shot to bring the Dolphins down a peg. Buffalo is still the class of the division and unless Miami beats them they will stay that way. Miami seems to be the sexy pick but Buffalo's offense is just as good and they can keep Tua off the field. 

Minnesota (0-3) @ Carolina (0-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Panthers
Both teams lost last week as the Vikings lost to the Chargers and the Panthers lost to the Seahawks. A battle of the winless in Carolina. Minnesota should be the better team so far this season but they somehow let themselves get to a situation where the score is one score against them. Whether it be down by a decent margin late in the game, they decide to make a push to win it. Carolina is kind of in the same position. I like their running game to put up some good yardage but they have a defense that can give up points. I think the Vikings have a shot to win but they need to really want to win.

Pittsburgh (2-1) @ Houston (1-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Texans
Both teams won last week as the Steelers beat the Raiders and the Texans beat the Jaguars. Pittsburgh seems to have find somewhat of an identity. To be a defensive team that can play some solid passing. Their weakness has been their running game. Houston got an upset win against the Jaguars. Their passing game really made some strides with CJ Stroud. He has yet to throw an interception so far in 2023. Keys to win for the Steelers is trying to get CJ Stroud uncomfortable and make his running game beat you. If the Steelers can contain them they should do well. 

Tampa Bay (2-1) @ New Orleans (2-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Saints
Both teams lost last week as the Buccaneers lost to the Eagles and the Saints lost to the Packers. We've had somewhat of a limited sample size for both teams. The Buccaneers offense didn't do much against Philadelphia which is granted as they are supposedly pretty good. It feels like Tampa is the more battle-hardened team. New Orleans might've taken that moniker if they defeated Green Bay. When you're up by 17 and shutting out said team, it feels that you should win said game. Both teams will learn about each other and this game might prove who is the better team in the NFC South. I'll take the Bucs in a risky pick.

Washington (2-1) @ Philadelphia (3-0) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Commanders lost to the Bills and the Eagles beat the Buccaneers last week. Washington kind of fell back to earth a bit after the humbling loss to Buffalo. Their offense gave up the ball too much and didn't stay on the field for too long. If they want to win they need to keep Jalen Hurts staying put in his own bench. Washington has a running game that can function well enough but to go against the Eagles defensive line. I'm not sure. Philly seems to be the class of the division as well as an argument for the NFC. Their offense, I feel, hasn't played their best game so far this season. They've put up enough to remain in games and win them but I feel the offense can put up 40 points easily if they tried. I'll take the Eagles in an old school NFC East rivalry. 

Las Vegas (1-2) @ LA Chargers (1-2) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Raiders lost to the Steelers and the Chargers beat the Vikings last week. An intriguing matchup in the late window as the Raiders take on the Chargers. The Raiders lost a close game against the Steelers that they had a chance to win. Had Josh McDaniels try and go for it on 4th down instead of the field goal. A little bit of heat came off of Brandon Staley's seat. Don't get me wrong, that seat has to be a bit hot. The Chargers defense hasn't lived up to the moniker but safe to say their offense has kept them in games. Los Angeles seems to always play well against other teams but not against the Raiders for some odd reason. They have a chance to erase that. I'll take the Chargers.

Arizona (1-2) @ San Francisco (3-0) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Both teams got wins last week as the Cardinals beat the Cowboys and the 49ers beat the Giants. Arizona got a big win against the Cowboys in an upsetting fashion. San Francisco has just been dominating thus far in 2023. Definitely giving the Eagles a run for "who runs the NFC" conversation. Joshua Dobbs has yet to throw an interception in this game and they do possess a decent running game. Their defense has been at times good and bad. San Francisco would have to fall off a cliff to lose this game. Forcing Joshua Dobbs to beat you would have to be the defensive mindset for the Niners in this game. San Fran is favored by 14 in this game but I feel this game could be closer than that. Maybe by 10. 

New England (1-2) @ Dallas (2-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys 
The Patriots beat the Jets and the Cowboys lost to the Cardinals last week. Marquee game for FOX as New England makes the rare trip to Dallas. New England may have saved their season to avoid the dreaded 0-3 mark. The Patriots defense is definitely elite as their mere presence made Jets quarterback Zach Wilson look and feel like a 3rd or 4th stringer. New England's offense has been kind of the opposite. Some things that they did last week were good, while most of it was not so much. Dallas has played well enough to get to a 2-0 mark but faltered a lot against Arizona. They made uncharacteristic mistakes. They deservedly lost that game. This feels like a trying game for the Patriots to win as the defense will be on the field a lot in this game. That former Cowboy Ezekiel Elliott and teammate Rhamondre Stevenson will need to put forth a good game to keep Dak Prescott off the field. I think its a tough decision but I'll take the Cowboys. Did I also mention that Ezekiel Elliott makes his return to Dallas? I didn't... weird. 

Kansas City (2-1) @ NY Jets (1-2) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The Chiefs beat the Bears and the Jets lost to the Patriots last week. Oh god, NBC must've picked the short end of the straw this matchup. If Aaron Rodgers was still playing it might be a good game to watch. Sadly with Rodgers' Achilles injury it won't be the case. The Zach Wilson might be over as the quarterback has looked lost out there and unsure of himself. Enough for the Jets fans to shout out boo birds. Kansas City seems to be getting back to being the team that dominates teams with their offense and solid defense. I wouldn't say that the Jets are slouch but their defense is good. Despite this, I'll take the Chiefs in a heartbeat. 

Seattle (2-1) @ NY Giants (1-2) (ABC; 8:15 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

The Seahawks beat the Panthers and the Giants lost to the 49ers last week. Seattle's offense has done good with both their passing and running games. Kenneth Walker has looked good and Geno Smith hasn't reverted back to his old self. The Giants offense has been kind of the opposite. Especially when head coach Brian Daboll is an offensive minded coach. New York will have some time off to get their heads on straight. The health of Saquon Barkley is in question yet for this game. There is a chance that he might play. Barkley is still dealing with a high-ankle sprain. I feel the Seahawks could have some lax in play due to the jet lag traveling from the west coast to the east coast. It feels like a toss-up but I'll take the Seahawks. 

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

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

CBS Single

Miami @ Buffalo
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Baltimore @ Cleveland
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Denver @ Chicago

Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan

Pittsburgh @ Houston

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

Las Vegas @ LA Chargers (Late)

Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

FOX Early

Washington @ Philadelphia

Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

Cincinnati @ Tennessee

Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

LA Rams @ Indianapolis

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans

Chris Myers, Robert Smith

Minnesota @ Carolina

 Alex Faust, Brady Quinn

FOX Late

New England @ Dallas

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Arizona @ San Francisco

Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2023: Week 4 Maps

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Total: 28-20

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Total: 31-17

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 4 Recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Week 3 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The week that was brought us some close games while they were more blowouts than anything. Miami putting up a 70 burger on the Broncos, the Bills spoiling the Commanders, the Packers coming back against the Saints, and the Texans getting their first win of 2023. All those games and more in this week's recap post.

NFL Week 3 Freaky Stat

The Giants put up 150 total yards, the 49ers rush offense put up 141 yards. Colts kicker Matt Gay had one of the better clutch performances from a kicker as he hit field goals from 50, 51, 53 and 54 yards. 

NFL Week 3 Recap

NY Giants 12, San Francisco 30: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

A thorough demolition by the 49ers. It seemed that the Giants might have some hope in doing something things but the loss to Saquon Barkley hurt their chances. Daniel Jones had 22 of 32 passes completed for 137 yards with an interception thrown late in the 4th quarter. Matt Breida, the former 49er, would rush for only 17 yards for the only touchdown that the Giants would plow through. The play was from a redzone trip that would come on a 8-yard play to the right. The Giants offense, their staple to their success in 2022, would only put up 150 total yards. Definitely not going to get it done. Offensive line issues have plagued the Giants so far and it didn't improve much in this game. Brock Purdy would manhandle the Giants defense in this game. He hit 25 of 37 passes for 310 yards with two touchdowns to Deebo Samuel and Ronnie Bell. Accuracy issues would effect Purdy early but would ease into the game eventually. Christian McCaffrey continued his consecutive scoring touchdown streak to 12 games in this one while racking up 85 yards. The McCaffrey touchdown would come on a play up the middle with some key blocking. Elijah Mitchell had 42 yards rushing on 11 carries. For the Niners, their offense put up 441 total yards with 141 of them coming on the ground. Nearly outgaining the Giants entire offense. The game really was a show of how well the Niners offense could go as their first drive went for over half of the 1st half's time. For the Giants, their west coast trip went to a 1-1 record but they still have a 1-2 record in 2023 to contend with. For the 49ers, they continue their unbeaten streak to 3-0. 

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Seattle (Monday night)
San Francisco: vs Arizona

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Atlanta 6, Detroit 20: TW: Lions; CV: Lions

Jared Goff proceeds to throw and run for touchdowns in this game. Desmond Ridder had an alright game as he hit 21 of 38 passes for 201 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown but didn't throw an interception. Bijan Robinson rushed for 33 yards on 10 carries. A quieter game for Robinson and the Falcons offense in general as they got 183 total yards. Only two Younghoe Koo field goals were the ones that got the Falcons points. Jared Goff had a bit of a rebound game as he threw for 243 yards with a touchdown to Sam Laporta in the 2nd quarter. He did throw an interception in the game. Goff would rush into the endzone on a 3-yard play that had 9:54 left in the game. The turnovers were limited for the Lions but the penalties were not. Detroit had 10 flags for 119 yards. In spite of the mistakes, the Lions did get 358 total yards. For the Falcons, they suffer their first loss of  2023 with a 2-1 record. For the Lions, they get the rebound win and get a 2-1 record with some cushion in the NFC North. 

Next week:
Atlanta: @ Jacksonville (Sunday morning)
Detroit: @ Green Bay (Thursday night)

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Buffalo 37, Washington 3: TW: Bills; CV: Commanders

Washington turnovers were abound in this game. Josh Allen would play well in this game. The quarterback hit 20 of 32 passes for 218 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. The touchdown would be on a Allen to Gabe Davis 35-yard connection. Josh Allen rushed for 46 yards with a touchdown run from 10 yards. Latavius Murray rushed for 15 yards with a touchdown. James Cook had 98 yards rushing. Buffalo's defense would grab a Sam Howell pass that was AJ Epenesa from 32 yards for the pick-six. Overall the Bills offense got 386 yards total while getting 35 yards from interceptions. Sam Howell had his moments in this game. He hit 19 of 29 passes for 170 yards with four interceptions. One of them was from an aforementioned pick-six. Brian Robinson had 10 carries for 70 yards, getting him seven yards per carry. Washington's three points were from a 51-yard kick. Washington's struggles on 3rd down were well known in this game as they converted just once out of nine. For the Bills, they get to 2-1 with two straight wins after a close loss to the Jets in Week 1. For the Commanders, their undefeated season ends in a humbling way as they go to 2-1. 

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Miami
Washington: @ Philadelphia

TW: 3-0; CV: 2-1

Denver 20, Miami 70: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins

Ladies and gentlemen, we got ourselves a scorigami. Russell Wilson did all that he could as he hit 23 of 38 passes for 306 yards with a touchdown pass to Cameron Sutton in the 1st quarter. He would also hit an interception in the game as well. Javonte Williams rushed for 42 yards. Despite the dominance of Miami, the Broncos did get a kick-six from Marvin Mims for a 99 yards. Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense was near perfect. Tua hit 23 of 26 passes for 309 yards with four touchdowns. One of the touchdowns was a Patrick Mahomes-esque shuttle pass. Late in the game, the Dolphins let Mike White play some ball. The former Jet hit 2 for 2 for 67 yards with a touchdown pass of his own. Devon Achane had a game as he rushed for 203 yards with two touchdowns. Raheem Mostert had 82 yards rushing with three touchdowns. The 726 offensive yards beats the old record held by the Los Angeles Rams' 722 yards against the New York Yanks in 1951. Miami's 70 points ties with the same Rams team that did that to the Yanks. The 73 points scored by the Chicago Bears in 1940 still stands. For the Broncos, the humiliating loss will keep them winless at 0-3. For the Dolphins, they continue their undefeated season with a 3-0 record. 

Next week: 
Denver: @ Chicago

Miami: @ Buffalo

TW: 4-0; CV: 3-1

Houston 37, Jacksonville 17: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
Who had the Texans winning this one? CJ Stroud had a good game in his young career as he hit 20 of 30 passes for 280 yards with two touchdown passes. The first touchdown was from a Stroud to Brevin Jordan connection for four yards with 7:30 left in the 2nd quarter. The 2nd touchdown went to Nathaniel Dell on a 68-yard score that increased the Texans lead to 34-17. Dameon Pierce had 31 yards rushing with a touchdown. Devin Singletary had 41 yards rushing. Houston put up 366 total yards with a makeshift offensive line that didn't allow a sack. Trevor Lawrence had 27 of 40 passes completed for a touchdown to Christian Kirk. He would also throw an interception in the game. Travis Etienne rushed for 88 yards. Jacksonville outgained Houston with 404 total yards. Stats wise the Jaguars looked like to be the better team but they were 5 for 13 on 3rd down, went 3 for 5 in the kicking game and also fumbled the ball. Seems there is something going on with the Jaguars. For the Texans, they get their first win in a convincing fashion as they get to 1-2. For the Jaguars, they drop to 1-2. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Pittsburgh
Jacksonville: vs Atlanta (Sunday morning)

TW: 4-1; CV: 3-2

Indianapolis 22, Baltimore 19 (F/OT): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
What a weird game in general. Gardner Minshew would start over Anthony Richardson who is dealing with some concussion issues. The former Jaguar hit 27 of 44 passes for 227 yards with a touchdown pass to Zack Moss for a 17-yard connection in the 2nd quarter. Along with the touchdown, Moss had 122 yards rushing on 30 carries. One goof for Minshew was him touchdown the end of the endzone for a safety for the Ravens. The two points would get the Ravens a 19-16 lead. The player that showed off his prowess was Matt Gay who was perfect from field goals as mentioned in the Crazy Stat of the Week. Lamar Jackson had a good game he had 22 of 31 passes for 202 yards and had 101 yards rushing with two touchdown runs. Gus Edwards had 51 yards rushing. Good offense from both teams as the Colts had 327 yards and the Ravens had 364 yards. Justin Tucker was almost clutch as he kicked a field goal that almost looked good when the two teams were tied at 19. For the Colts, they get to 2-1 with two straight wins and are currently at the top of the AFC South. For the Ravens, they lose game #1 but still have a 2-1 record. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs LA Rams

Baltimore: @ Cleveland

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

LA Chargers 28, Minnesota 24: TW: Vikings; CV: Chargers
Oh so close Vikings. So close. Justin Herbert would do well in this game as he hit 40 of 47 passes for 405 yards with three touchdown passes. Keenan Allen would play quarterback for one play that yielded some positive results as he tossed a pass for a 49-yard connection to Mike Williams. Joshua Kelley and the Chargers runners wouldn't get a lot going as he got 12 yards rushing. Overall the Chargers got 475 yards total of offensive ball. Kirk Cousins would have the shot to complete the comeback but faltered. The passer hit 32 of 50 passes for 367 yards with three touchdown passes. He threw an interception that was on the Vikings last offensive play. A tipped pass that was intercepted by Kenneth Murray. Alexander Mattison had 93 yards rushing. Minnesota wouldn't use Cam Akers in the game. Akers was acquired late in the week with a trade for draft picks. For the Chargers, they get their first win of 2023 to get to a 1-2 record. For the Vikings, they continue to have their bad luck in one-score games but they still have to search for win #1 as they drop to 0-3.

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Las Vegas
Minnesota: @ Carolina

TW: 4-3; CV: 4-3

New England 15, NY Jets 10: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Patriots dominate the Jets for their 15th consecutive win. Mac Jones had some moments in the game. The best moment was him tossing a 58-yard pass to Pharaoh Brown for a 58-yard score that increased the Patriots lead to 10 points in the 2nd quarter. Ezekiel Elliot had one of his better games thus far in a Patriots uniform as he had 80 yards on 16 carries. Rhamondre Stevenson had 59 yards rushing on 19 carries. Matthew Judon would get a safety on Zach Wilson that helped increase the Patriots lead to five points. New England had 358 total yards of offense. Zach Wilson had a trying time in this game, dealing with both the Patriots and the Jets fans. He completed 18 of 36 passes for 157 yards. He wouldn't get a lot going for most of the game but the touchdown drive was at least something to note. Nick Bawden scored the only touchdown for the Jets on a 1-yard dive in play. New York had 171 total yards of offense. For the Patriots, they avoid their first 0-3 start since 2000 (Bill Belichick's first season in New England) and get to 1-2. For the Jets, they drop to 1-2 with two straight losses. 

Next week:
New England: @ Dallas
NY Jets: vs Kansas City (Sunday night)

TW: 5-3; CV: 5-3

New Orleans 17, Green Bay 18: TW: Packers; CV: Saints
Green Bay scored all of their points in the 4th quarter. Derek Carr hit 13 of 18 passes for 103 yards with a touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham (yeah that Jimmy Graham) on a 8-yard pass play to the left. Carr would leave the game after taking a rough hit while throwing the ball away. Jameis Winston would hit 10 of 16 passes for 101 yards. Kendre Miller had 34 yards rushing on nine carries. New Orleans had 252 total yards of offense. Saints special teams had a boost as Rasheed Shaheed had a punt-six for 76 yards. Jordan Love would carry the team on his back in this one. Love hit 22 of 44 passes for 259 yards with a touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs that would prove to be the game-winning score (along with the point after). The Doubs play would come from a 8-yard connection that resulted in Doubs making a crazy catch and dive into the pylon. Jordan Love would have a rushing touchdown on 39 yards rushing. It was on a quarterback dive. New Orleans had an opportunity to win the game as well as kicker Blake Grupe tried for a 46-yard field goal that went wide right. For the Saints, their undefeated campaign ends as they drop to 2-1. For the Packers, they get to 2-1 in the Jordan Love era. 

Next week:
New Orleans: vs Tampa Bay
Green Bay: vs Detroit (Thursday night)

TW: 6-3; CV: 5-4

Tennessee 3, Cleveland 27: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Ouch Titans, only 94 total yards. Ryan Tannehill did not do much as he threw 13 of 25 passes for 104 yards. He didn't throw an interception but he didn't throw a touchdown either. Derrick Henry rushed for 20 yards on 11 carries. Tennessee's 94 total yards of offense was the franchise's worst since putting up just 98 yards against Jacksonville in 2006. DeShaun Watson had a better game as he hit 27 of 33 passes for 289 yards with two touchdowns to Amari Cooper and Jerome Ford. Ford would also rush in for a touchdown as well. Pierre Strong Jr had 27 yards rushing. Cleveland's offense put up 341 yards. The loss of Nick Chubb was not felt in general in this game but 78 yards rushing in general did get the Browns enough for the win. Cleveland's defense put up a showing as Myles Garrett had five tackles and had 3 1/2 of the team's four sacks in the game as well as a forced fumble. In two home games, the Browns have outscored opponents 51-6. Uffdah! For the Titans, their 2023 campaign takes a weird turn as they drop to 1-2. For the Browns, they rebound from the weird loss to the Steelers to get to a 2-1 record. 

Next week:
Tennessee: Cincinnati
Cleveland: vs Baltimore

TW: 6-4; CV: 5-5

Carolina 27, Seattle 37: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Kenneth Walker propelled the Seahawks to a win. Andy Dalton and the Panthers offense would play a better game. Dalton threw 34 of 58 passes for 361 yards with two touchdowns. Adam Thielen and DJ Chark received the touchdowns from Dalton. Miles Sanders had 24 yards rushing with a touchdown on nine carries. Carolina would be competing a lot with Seattle with their offense. It was not enough. Carolina had 378 total yards of offense. It was certainly a good game with Andy Dalton at quarterback. Geno Smith had an alright game with 23 of 36 passes for 296 yards with a touchdown to Jake Bobo and an interception. Kenneth Walker III had a good game as the runner had 97 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Seattle would keep it going with their running game which seems to be their backbone of their offensive attack. Seattle in general would put up 425 total yards of offense. For the Panthers, they still have a winless season as they drop to 0-3. For the Seahawks, they win their 2nd straight win as they improve to 2-1. 

Next week: 
Carolina: vs Minnesota
Seattle: @ NY Giants (Monday night)

TW: 7-4; CV: 6-5

Chicago 10, Kansas City 41: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Poor Chicago Bears, they had to deal with both the Chiefs and the Swifties at Arrowhead. Justin Fields did not do a lot in the game as he threw 11 of 22 passes for 99 yards with a touchdown to DJ Moore in the 4th quarter. He would also throw an interception in the game but did rush for 47 yards in the game. All in all the Bears would put up 203 total yards of offense. Chicago's offense would get four yards per play in the game and had 4 of 12 successful conversions on 3rd down. Patrick Mahomes would get back to his normal self in the game. Mahomes hit 24 of 33 passes for 272 yards for three touchdowns. Jerrick McKinnon caught two of those touchdown passes. He would also throw a pass to Travis Kelce, who has recently became the boyfriend to popstar Taylor Swift. Swift was in attendance in one of the suites. Blaine Gabbert would get some play time as he hit 3 of 5 passes for 31 yards but threw two interceptions in the game. It would be the tandem of Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire that would put the Chiefs in a dominating performance. Both runners had a touchdown each while Pacheco had 62 yards rushing and Edwards-Helaire had 55 yards. Kansas City was in control for most of the game as they would put up 27 points in the 2nd quarter. For the Bears, they still have to find another game to win game #1 as they drop to 0-3. For the Chiefs, they improve to 2-1 in 2023. 

Next week:
Chicago: vs Denver
Kansas City: @ NY Jets (Sunday night)

TW: 8-4; CV: 7-5

Dallas 16, Arizona 28: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
Last week the Cardinals put up 28 points and lost. This week they put up 28 and did not lose. Dak Prescott threw 25 of 40 passes for completion for 249 yards with a touchdown pass to Rico Dowdle while throwing an interception. Tony Pollard rushed for 122 yards on 23 carries. In general, the Cowboys did not make a lot of mistakes outside of the interception. Their offense did get 416 total yards out of it all. Their offense just looked out of sync at times. The Cowboys loss of Trevon Diggs was felt in this game as he can be a force on the defensive side of the ball. Joshua Dobbs had a better game in the season as he hit 17 of 21 passes for 189 yards with a touchdown pass to Malcolm Brown. The pass play would be from a 2-yard short pass to the right that would be the final scoring play of the game that gave the Cards a 12-point advantage. Arizona's running game would do the rest as Rondale Moore got 34 yards on three carries with a touchdown. James Conner rushed for 98 yards with a touchdown. Matt Prater hit a monster of a kick on a 62-yard field goal that ended the first half with Arizona ahead 21-10 at halftime. Arizona finished with an even 400 yards of offense. For the Cowboys, they suffer loss #1 in 2023 but they still have a 2-1 record. For the Cardinals, they get their new head coach Jonathan Gannon win #1 in his coaching career and improve to 1-2. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs New England
Arizona: @ San Francisco

TW: 8-5; CV: 7-6

Pittsburgh 23, Las Vegas 18: TW: Steelers; CV: Raiders
I good old fashioned Steelers-Raiders matchup. Kenny Pickett had 16 of 28 passes completed for 235 yards with two touchdown passes to Pat Friermuth and Calvin Austin III. Najee Harris had 65 yards rushing on 19 carries. It was a better showing for the Steelers offense that had been criticized for its lack of more production. Overall, the Steelers offense saw itself put up 333 total yards. Jimmy Garoppolo had 28 of 44 passes completed for 324 yards with two touchdowns to Davante Adams. Garoppolo had three passes that were intercepted. Two of them were grabbed by Levi Wallace. One of them was caught on the last Raiders drive. Josh Jacobs had 62 yards rushing on 17 carries. Las Vegas at one point looked dead and then would close in with a Garoppolo pass to Adams for a 1-yard score. The Raiders would score on the two-point conversion. In a controversial decision, Josh McDaniels would call on his field goal unit to get the Raiders to a five-point differential. Obviously they would not succeed but the Raiders would score 11 points in three minutes. Las Vegas put up 362 total yards of offense in the game. For the Steelers, they move to 2-1 with two straight wins. For the Raiders, they drop to 1-2 with two straight losses in their midst. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: @ Houston
Las Vegas: @ LA Chargers

TW: 9-5; CV: 7-7

Philadelphia 25, Tampa Bay 11: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Not quite the Eagles we were expecting but they did get the win. Jalen Hurts hit 23 of 37 passes for 277 yards with a touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus. He would also throw two interceptions in the game but also rushed for a touchdown while getting 28 yards rushing. Dandre Swift had 130 yards rushing on 16 carries. It was a good offensive showing despite the turnovers, with the Eagles getting 472 total yards. Baker Mayfield would not quite the game as Hurts as he had 15 of 25 passes for 146 yards with a touchdown to Mike Evans that would come in the 4th quarter. Mayfield would throw an interception in a game where it was not needed to throw the ball to the opposing team. Rachaad White got 38 yards rushing for the Bucs. It was the exact opposite for the Buccaneers offense compared to the Eagles, with the Bucs getting 174 total yards. For the Eagles, they remain undefeated with the 49ers and Dolphins at 3-0. For the Buccaneers, they lose their first game of the season but remain high with a 2-1 record. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Washington
Tampa Bay: @ New Orleans

TW: 10-5; CV: 8-7

LA Rams 16, Cincinnati 19: TW: Bengals; CV: Rams

The two teams last played each other 20 months ago for the Super Bowl. In this game, the Bengals got some measure of revenge. Matthew Stafford hit 18 of 33 passes for 269 yards with a touchdown pass to Tutu Atwell in the Rams final drive. Atwell was seen on the left side of the end zone wide open. Stafford would be seeing all Bengals in the game as he was sacked six times and picked off two times. Kyren Williams rushed for 38 yards in the game. Cooper Kupp's presence would not be found in the game as the wide out is still dealing with hamstring issues. Los Angeles would put up 292 total yards of offense in the game but would not show it in the touchdown department. Joe Burrow had some questioning if the quarterback could play. The former LSU product had some moments of trying football. He finished with 26 of 49 passes for 259 yards with an interception. Joe Mixon would score the only touchdown for the Bengals on a run up the left hashmark for a 14-yard touchdown. The touchdown would give the Bengals a 4-point lead in the 3rd quarter. Mixon finished with 65 yards. Cincy would get 309 total yards while Ja'Marr Chase had 141 receiving yards. Both teams would utilize their kickers often as the Rams kicker Brett Maher hit 3 of 3 field goals and Bengals kicker Evan McPherson hit 4 of 5 for three points. For the Rams, they drop their 2nd straight game to go to a record of 1-2. For the Bengals, they get a much needed win in a season of unfortunate events with a record of 1-2. 

Next week:
LA Rams: @ Indianapolis
Cincinnati: @ Tennessee

TW: 11-5; CV: 8-8

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Total: 28-20

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 11-5

Total: 31-17

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 4 Picks Post! 

-Tom

NFL 2023 Week 3 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again! The 3rd week of the regular season brings us with some signs of teams making that run for the playoffs while those who won't make it there. We won't likely see until Week 11 until we actually get a feel for who are more of the pretenders and those who are contenders. For games to watch, I'll keep an eye on the Giants-49ers, Bills-Commanders, Chargers-Vikings, and Saints-Packers. In this post I will do a Rant of the Week, a Week 3 preview and my picks for the games. Let's get to work!

NFL Rant of the Week

It has been coming to light that artificial turf surfaces has been causing injuries far more than fields that use natural grass. If the NFL wants to be all for player safety, making sure that the surface that they play on is top notch. C'mon, do better NFL. 

Week 3 Preview

The 3rd week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Santa Clara, California and finishes up in Cincinnati, Ohio. The week features a 16-game slate where all 32 teams are playing. No teams are on a bye this week. There will be a Thursday night game, nine early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and two Monday night games. CBS will have the single, regional game and FOX will have the doubleheader this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 3 Picks

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

NY Giants (1-1) @ San Francisco (2-0) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

The Giants beat the Cardinals and the 49ers beat the Rams last week. New York finally scored a point last week but they still have a large point differential to surpass if they really want to be the team that they want to be. San Francisco got off to a slow start against the Rams but their run game and defense put the hurt on the Rams. I think it'll be an interesting game but I'll take the 49ers in a close game. 

Atlanta (2-0) @ Detroit (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
The Falcons beat the Packers and the Lions lost to the Seahawks. Atlanta has gotten off to a good start this year. They've done it with their running game and rookie player Bijan Robinson has fired off on all cylinders. Detroit despite having miscues, turnovers and the like, they nearly did beat the Seahawks in overtime. If they can cut down on the mistakes they should have a good shot to take this one. Can't argue with the Lions offense. 

Buffalo (1-1) @ Washington (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Commanders
The Bills beat the Raiders and the Commanders beat the Broncos last week. Buffalo finally got back to playing solid football against Las Vegas. Washington has gotten off to a great start with the new regime. They have won some close games against some meh opponents. We will learn quite a bit about them in this game I feel. Against a tough Bills team, I'm not sure if I can solidly stick to Washington in this one. I'll take the Bills. 

Denver (0-2) @ Miami (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Broncos lost to the Commanders and the Dolphins beat the Patriots last week. Denver's defense kind of let themselves go against Washington. Then again, so did their offense when they had a 21-3 and 28-7 leads in that game. So to say that they can compete against the Dolphins is a possibility but I do think that the Dolphins defense is superb. Miami's offense had a great start in week 1 but had a slow down in week 2. Granted that was against a Bill Belichick defense. That has to mean something that Miami was held to 24 points. As long as the Dolphins can put up 30 points, they should be able to take care of business against the Broncos. 

Houston (0-2) @ Jacksonville (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

The Texans lost to the Colts and the Jaguars lost to the Chiefs last week. Houston has shown some grit thus far in 2023. It hasn't represented in the win column but they have some good pieces around them but they have a long way to go. Jacksonville kind of had a letdown game against Kansas City. They had the opportunity to really take it to them in the redzone but miscues took them off that. Let alone their offense producing some big plays but not showing it in the scoreboard. Its a long shot for the Texans to win but I'll take the Jaguars. 

Indianapolis (1-1) @ Baltimore (2-0) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Colts beat the Texans and the Ravens beat the Bengals last week. Indy lost their rookie quarterback to concussion symptoms so it will be Gardner Minshew's turn to ride the ship. They will need to put up points against Baltimore. It seems like a tough time for them. The Ravens got a measure of revenge against the Bengals. Cincy was the class of the division last year and this year might be a bit different in the AFC North. I personally like the multi-headed monster in the Ravens offense over the Colts defense. 

LA Chargers (0-2) @ Minnesota (0-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Chargers
Both teams lost last week as the Chargers lost to the Titans and the Vikings lost to the Eagles. The Chargers seem to never find the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of wins. At one point their offense gave them a considerable lead against Tennessee. Like most losses in the past 12 months, it has been the defense that has let them down. For the Vikings, they are similar to the Chargers, they have a stellar offense. What they are different is that they have somewhat of a competent defense that has more of a bend but don't break them to it. They're 0-2 in close games this year compared to the solid record in one-score games last year. I think the loud atmosphere will be a factor as well as the aforementioned reasons. I'll take the Vikes. 

New England (0-2) @ NY Jets (1-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

Both teams lost last week as the Patriots lost to the Dolphins and the Jets lost to the Cowboys. New England is now at 0-2 for the first time since 2001. What they get to face is their old rival in the New York Jets. They have lately dominated their rival in the last few times. The Patriots key to winning this game will have to be them scoring more than just the 2nd half. If they can put up 24 to 30 points in this game they have a great shot to win it. For the Jets, they had an expecting showing in a rough loss to the Cowboys. As such they were expected to lose. Aaron Rodgers won't play in this game but Zach Wilson will go in his stead. He has yet to get a win against Bill Belichick. Until proven otherwise, I don't see the Patriots faltering in this one but they need to get going eventually. 

New Orleans (2-0) @ Green Bay (1-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Saints

The Saints beat the Panthers and the Packers lost to the Falcons last week. New Orleans has shown that they can do some damage with their offense and their defense can handle some of the better teams in the NFL. I do question how well they can play against a surprising Packers offense and a defense that is not too bad themselves. Jordan Love had played well in the first two weeks as his first year as a full-time starter. He has had some lacking production from the running game but hopefully Aaron Jones will return in this game. Jordan Love has thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions in the season so far. It could be a challenge for the Pack but I think they'll pull it out by a field goal.  

Tennessee (1-1) @ Cleveland (1-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans

The Titans beat the Chargers and the Browns lost to the Steelers last week. Tennessee got off to a slow start but their offense would get going. Ryan Tannehill did not even throw an interception in that win either. A miracle if you say so. Cleveland played meager football last week against Pittsburgh. They made a lot of mistakes, including the first play of the game turning into a pick-six. The loss also meant a season-ending injury to Nick Chubb who has been the driving force for the Browns running game in the last few seasons. Jerome Ford will have to take the reins and take charge if the Browns want to win this game. I'll take the Titans and Derrick Henry. 

Carolina (0-2) @ Seattle (1-1) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The Panthers lost to the Saints and the Seahawks beat the Lions last week. Carolina has gotten off to the not greatest of starts in 2023. Their offense has put up some numbers but last week's loss to New Orleans they had a slow start where they didn't score a touchdown until the last few minutes in the game. They'll need to come out firing in this game. Seattle has had a interesting start to the season, a loss to the Rams (which granted they might've not won) and a win against Detroit. They can certainly play among the best teams but how well can they play against one of the weaker teams in the NFC. I feel leaning towards the Seahawks would be best but don't sleep on the Panthers. 

Chicago (0-2) @ Kansas City (1-1) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Bears lost to the Buccaneers and the Chiefs beat the Jaguars last week. Chicago has gotten off to a tough start in 2023. Which is somewhat of a expectation as the team wasn't expected to make noise. They seemed to have the game against Tampa in hand but the Fields interception that lead to the Bucs pick-six was the nail in the coffin. Kansas City has looked a bit off in the title defense. They did not great against Detroit and they managed to do enough to win against Jacksonville. Chicago is not a pushover but they aren't the 1985 Bears either. They'll need to start limiting the penalties and turnovers to win. I'll take the defending champs but honestly the Bears could make this a challenge. 

Dallas (2-0) @ Arizona (0-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys beat the Jets and the Cardinals lost to the Giants last week. Dallas has come out firing so far in 2023. They have put up 70 points in two games. The emergence of Tony Pollard as the #1 starter at running back has been fun to see. Dak Prescott has yet to throw an interception. No mistakes have been made at all for the Cowboys in general. Arizona did put up 28 points on the Giants last week. The points would not be enough as the Giants put up 31 and won the game. If they want to keep putting up points in the game they need to score on all four quarters in the game. James Conner has been a nice back to have in the Cardinals schemes. Joshua Dobbs will need to play his best game of the season to have a shot to win this one. The Cardinals defense is not bad so they could have a chance. I don't like it but I'll take the Cowboys. 

Pittsburgh (1-1) @ Las Vegas (1-1) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Raiders
The Steelers beat the Browns and the Raiders lost to the Bills last week. Pittsburgh got a huge boost to their season by playing some solid football on both sides of the ball. Their offense was still shaky at times but they have seemed to gel when it matters most. If their offense can get to 20 points it feels like its game over for the opposition. The Raiders offense has gotten off to a shaky start as well with similar numbers to the Steelers in terms of passing and running game. Last week proved that Jimmy Garoppolo isn't quite confident in facing against good defenses. I think the Raiders will struggle in this game so I'll take the Steelers. 

Philadelphia (2-0) @ Tampa Bay (2-0) (ABC; 7:15 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Eagles beat the Vikings and the Buccaneers beat the Bears last week. The first of two Monday night games this week. Both teams posses two good passing games and receivers. Philly possesses a solid offensive line and running game which Tampa does not at times. The book on Baker Mayfield is kind of shaky since his days in Cleveland. I think we will learn quite a bit about the Buccaneers and how well they can play against the defending NFC champs. I'll take the Eagles. 

LA Rams (1-1) @ Cincinnati (0-2) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Rams

The Rams lost to the 49ers and the Bengals lost to the Ravens last week. The 2nd game of the Monday night doubleheader as well as a Super Bowl reunion. The Rams have looked improved so far in 2023. The Bengals not so much. Los Angeles stomped on the Seahawks and only lost a close game against the rival 49ers. Cincy did bad against two division rivals in the Browns and Ravens. Their investment in the offensive line hasn't proven to be as satisfactory as it seems. The defense has also let them down a bit. The Joe Burrow to Ja'Marr Chase combo has only yielded to 10 catches for 70 receiving yards. I think if they can limit the passing game of the Rams and throw quick passes the Bengals got a decent shot to win. It's risky but I'll take the Bengals.

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

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

FOX Early

Atlanta @ Detroit
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

New Orleans @ Green Bay
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

LA Chargers @ Minnesota
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Houston @ Jacksonville
Chris Myers, Robert Smith

FOX Late

Chicago @ Kansas City
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Dallas @ Arizona
Joe Davis, Daryl Johnston

CBS Single

New England @ NY Jets
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Denver @ Miami
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Buffalo @ Washington
Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan

Tennessee @ Cleveland
Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

Indianapolis @ Baltimore
Beth Mowins, James Lofton, Jay Feely

Carolina @ Seattle (LATE)

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Total: 20-12

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5

Total: 20-12

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2

See you either after the Monday night game or on Tuesday for the Week 3 Recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Week 2 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of the National Football League has come to an end. The week that was brought us exciting action and some crazy games. Such wild games as Minnesota almost coming back to beat Philadelphia, an overtime thriller in Detroit and Tennessee, and a comeback victory for the Giants in Glendale. All those exciting games and more in this week's recap post! Let's get to work!

NFL Week 2 Freaky Stat

The New York Giants 21+ comeback is the team's greatest since 1949. 

NFL Week 2 Recap

Minnesota 28, Philadelphia 34: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
It was an alright play by the Eagles who somehow are 2-0. Kirk Cousins completed 31 of 44 passes for 364 yards with four touchdowns. A solid day for him and a marked improvement from last week. Alexander Mattison would not get much as he got 28 yards rushing on eight carries. Of course Justin Jefferson did Justin Jefferson things as he caught 11 balls for 159 yards. The players that caught passes from Cousins were Jordan Addison with one, TJ Hockenson with two and KJ Osborn with one. Overall the Vikings really could've done better with handling the football as they did fumble four times. Jalen Hurts completed 18 of 23 passes for 193 yards with a touchdown pass to Devontae Smith but also threw an interception in the game. Hurts also rushed in for two scores while getting 35 yards. The passing game was having its tough time but it would be the Eagles running game that put the hurt on the Vikings defense. Dandre Swift reached a career high with 175 yards rushing with a touchdown run that was from a 43-yard run. Overall, the Eagles offense put up good numbers compared to last week. Despite the fact that the score was so close, the turnovers were the reason why this game shouldn't have been as close. For the Vikings, they remain 0-2 in record as well as 0-2 in one-score games. For the Eagles, they get a long rest period with a 2-0 record. 

Next week:
Minnesota: vs LA Chargers
Philadelphia: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Chicago 17, Tampa Bay 27: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers

The Bucs defense keeps the Bucs undefeated. Justin Fields would battle both the Buccaneers and the hot Florida sun. The quarterback threw 16 of 29 passes for 211 yards with a touchdown pass to Chase Claypool late in the 4th quarter. Fields did also see two passes intercepted by Christian Izien and Shaquil Barrett. Barrett's interception would be a 4-yard pick-six. The turnovers for Chicago would likely be the biggest factor in the loss as they really might've gotten the win. Justin Fields also put it into the endzone in the first quarter. Khalil Herbert had 35 yards rushing on seven carries. Chicago's offense put up 236 total yards. Tampa Bay had a solid day on offense as Baker Mayfield threw 26 of 34 passes for 317 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Evans. The play came on a high toss from Mayfield in a play that Evans caught on a deep ball. Rachaad White had 73 yards rushing with a touchdown. Tampa also had a good day from kicker Chase McLaughlin who hit 2 of 3 field goals. For the Bears, they fall to 0-2 and will have to look to next week to get their 1st win of 2023. For the Buccaneers, they get to 2-0 without having that Tom Brady guy at quarterback.

Next week:
Chicago: @ Kansas City
Tampa Bay: vs Philadelphia (Monday night)

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Baltimore 27, Cincinnati 24: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Bengals defense had no answers for Lamar Jackson. Jackson had 24 of 33 passes completed for 237 yards with two touchdowns. The first touchdown was to Mark Andrews who reached the goal-line plane for six. The 2nd touchdown was a deep pass to Nelson Agholor for 17 yards. Gus Edwards rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries. Justice Hill had 41 yards rushing on 11 carries. Lamar Jackson rushed for 54 yards with 12 carries. Baltimore's offense had 415 total yards of offensive ball. Joe Burrow had a better game as he had 27 of 41 passes for 222 yards with two touchdowns to Tee Higgins on 3-yard and 4-yard plays. Good redzone efficiency for Cincy. Special teams for the Bengals in this game was a punt return from Charlie Jones that was a 81-yard score early in the 1st quarter. Cincy didn't quite put up the same offensive numbers as they did get 282 total yards. Pass protection was much better as Burrow was sacked only once for a 6-yard loss. For the Ravens, they get some measure of revenge from last year's Wild Card loss as they improve to 2-0. For the Bengals, they falter and drop to 0-2 and will need to get back to better play. 

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Indianapolis
Cincinnati: vs LA Rams (Monday night)

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Green Bay 24, Atlanta 25: TW: Packers; CV: Packers

Younghoe Koo comes in the clutch for the Falcons. The game was a good one for Jordan Love who had 14 of 25 passes for 151 yards with three touchdown passes. Jayden Reed had two touchdown grabs and Dontayvion Wicks had one touchdown grab. Love also rushed for 23 yards, showing off his legs. AJ Dillon had 55 yards rushing on 15 carries. Green Bay had 224 total yards on offense. Atlanta was firing on all cylinders in this game. Desmond Ridder had 19 of 32 passes completed for 237 yards with a touchdown pass to Drake London on a short 3-yard pass. The point after from Younghoe Koo was missed. Ridder did throw an interception but he did get 39 yards rushing in the game with a touchdown from his legs. Bijan Robinson ran over the Packers defense for 124 yards on 19 carries. Tyler Allgeier had 48 yards rushing. The Falcons offense did well with 446 total yards with 211 yards from their ground game. The big play came from Younghoe Koo who hit the game-winner from 25 yards with 1:01 left in the game. Unfortunately, the Packers did not drive it down the field to try their own version of a game-winner. For the Packers, they fall to .500 with a 1-1 record. For the Falcons, they get to 2-0 record which is their best since 2017 (that team went to 3-0). 

Next week:
Green Bay: vs New Orleans
Atlanta: @ Detroit

TW: 2-2; CV: 2-2

Indianapolis 31, Houston 20: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Colts run game helped the Colts the dub. Anthony Richardson started for the Colts as he hit 6 of 10 passes for 56 yards while scoring two touchdowns on the ground with 35 yards rushing. He would leave the game with concussion-like symptoms in the 2nd quarter. His backup Gardner Minshew would do the rest. The backup did well as he hit 19 of 23 passes for 171 yards with a touchdown pass to Kylen Granson. Indy would put up 28 points in the 1st half. Along with Richardson, Zack Moss rushed for 88 yards with a touchdown pass on a play to the right for 11 yards. Houston had a good game with CJ Stroud. Stroud had 30 of 47 passes for 384 yards with two touchdown passes to Nico Collins and Nathaniel Dell. The touchdowns would come on the 1st and 4th quarters. Dameon Pierce had 31 yards rushing on 15 carries. It was a good step forward for Stroud who had a rough first game against the Ravens last week. All in all, the Texans got 389 total yards from its offense. I think the damage that the Colts did in the first half would prove to be the dealbreaker for the Texans who had to play catch up. For the Colts, they get back to 1-1 ball with the win. For the Texans, it was a sign of good things to come but they are still staring at a 0-2 record. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: @ Baltimore

Houston: @ Jacksonville

TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2

Kansas City 17, Jacksonville 9: TW: Chiefs; CV: Jaguars
An ugly win for the defending champs but they survive. Patrick Mahomes completed 29 of 41 passes for two touchdowns and had a pass intercepted by Andre Cisco. Skye Moore and Travis Kelce were the players that caught those passes from Mahomes that resulted in scores. Kelce made his 2023 debut after missing last week's game against the Lions. Isiah Pacheco had 70 yards rushing on 12 carries for the Chiefs. Kansas City's offense on 3rd down wasn't pretty as they went 4 of 13 from 3rd down. Penalties were also a factor as they had 12 infractions for 94 yards. Jacksonville had their chances to really put the hurt but didn't do it. Trevor Lawrence had 22 of 41 passes for 216 yards. Not quite the game that most people were hoping from him. Kansas City's defense kept him honest as they sacked Lawrence four times. Travis Etienne had 40 yards rushing. The Jaguars offense would be held to 271 total yards. Brandon McManus would be the offense for the Jags as he hit 3 of 3 for field goals. For the Chiefs, they escape the jungle of Jacksonville with a 1-1 record. For the Jaguars, they fail to get revenge on the Chiefs as they go to 1-1. 

Next week:
Kansas City: vs Chicago
Jacksonville: vs Houston

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

LA Chargers 24, Tennessee 27 (F/OT): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Rain would fall in Nashville as well as the Chargers parade. Justin Herbert had a solid day in the passing game as he hit 27 of 41 passes for 305 yards with two touchdowns to Keenan Allen. The first touchdown came on a 1-yard play that would eventually give the Chargers a 11-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter. The 2nd touchdown as from a 12-yard toss that would give the Chargers a 21-17 lead. Joshua Kelley would see most of the snaps on the ground as he rushed for 39 yards on 13 carries. The 1st stringer Austin Ekeler was inactive for this game with an ankle injury. Los Angeles had 342 total yards in the game. Ryan Tannehill did better in this game as he hit 20 of 24 passes for 246 yards with a touchdown pass to Nick Westbrookikhine (can they even fit that last name on a jersey). Derrick Henry was a driving force for the Titans offense as he put up 80 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown run. The touchdown run was from a huge leap that would make Earl Campbell proud. Ryan Tannehill also had a 12-yard run for a touchdown. The play that would tie the game that would lead to overtime was a Cameron Dicker from 33 yards. The game winner was a 41-yard field goal from Nick Folk and the Titans get the dub. For the Chargers, they get to 0-2 after another faltering performance from both offense and defense. For the Titans, they get back to .500 with a 1-1 record. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: @ Minnesota
Tennessee: @ Cleveland

TW: 4-3; CV: 3-4

Las Vegas 10, Buffalo 38: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Back to normal for the Bills Mafia and Buffalo. Jimmy Garoppolo who had a good game against Denver did not look as impressive in this game. He completed 16 of 24 passes for 185 yards with a touchdown pass to Davante Adams early in the 1st quarter. The play came on a redzone trip on the Raiders opening drive. Garoppolo had two interceptions that adding the three fumbles would create five giveaways to the Bills. Something you can't do against the Bills. Tre Tucker rushed for 34 yards on his only carry in the game. Zamir White had 22 yards rushing. The Raiders offense put up 240 total yards. Josh Allen had a rough week against the Jets last week. This week he went back to the drawing board and prevailed. He threw 31 of 37 balls for completion for 274 yards with three touchdown passes. Gabe Davis, Khalil Shakir and Dawson Knox were the players for the Bills that caught the Allen passes. Buffalo's running game did wonders. James Cook had 123 rushing yards on 17 carries. Damien Harris had 33 yards with a touchdown and Latavius Murray had 22 rushing yards with a touchdown. The Bills offense put up 450 total yards. Oddly enough Josh Allen only put up seven rushing yards. For the Raiders, they fall to 1-1 with a struggling offense. For the Bills, they take the leap back to 1-1 and avoid the dreaded 0-2 mark. 

Next week: 
Las Vegas: vs Pittsburgh (Sunday night)

Buffalo: @ Washington

TW: 5-3; CV: 4-4

Seattle 37, Detroit 31 (F/OT): TW: Lions; CV: Lions
Tyler Lockett called game. Geno Smith had a better game this week as he hit 32 of 41 passes for 328 yards with two touchdown passes to Tyler Lockett. The first touchdown was from a redzone trip on a 3-yard play that gave the Seahawks a 24-21 lead early in the 4th quarter. The 2nd was from another trip to the redzone on a 6-yard play that sealed the deal for the Seahawks. Seattle's run game and defense also scored touchdowns. Kenneth Walker III drove down the field for two touchdown trips on 43 yards rushing in the game. Cornerback Tre Brown picked off a Jared Goff pass for 40 yards for the pick-six. The Lions honored running back Barry Sanders in an unveiling of a statue outside Ford Field. Inside Ford Field would be a trying game for the offense. Jared Goff had 28 of 35 passes completed for 323 yards with three touchdowns but also tossed an interception for the aforementioned pick-six. Kalif Raymond caught one and Josh Reynolds caught two of the three passes from Goff. David Montgomery rushed for 67 yards with a touchdown run. Both teams put up good offensive numbers as the Seahawks had 393 total yards and the Lions putting up 418 total yards. Riley Patterson hit the game-tying field goal that put the game at 31 each. For the Seahawks, they get to 1-1 on a better offensive showing. For the Lions, the loss drops them to 1-1 on the season. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs Carolina
Detroit: vs Atlanta

TW: 5-4; CV: 4-5

San Francisco 30, LA Rams 23: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
San Francisco takes care of the Rams in a big NFC West showdown. Brock Purdy and company felt at home as SoFi Stadium had more red than blue in the stands. Purdy completed 17 of 25 passes for 206 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown but didn't throw an interception in the game. The offense for the Niners would be from their run game as Christian McCaffrey rushed for 116 yards with a touchdown run, including a 51-yard run. Deebo Samuel had 38 yards rushing with a touchdown run. Purdy would rush for a touchdown. Jake Moody did the rest as he hit three field goals. The Rams played alright in the game. Matthew Stafford hit 34 of 55 passes for 307 yards with a touchdown pass to Kyren Williams. Stafford would hit two passes that would be intercepted by Deommodore Lenoir and Isaiah Oliver. Kyren Williams rushed for 52 yards with a touchdown on 14 carries. Puka Nacua comtinues his great start as he caught 15 passes for 147 yards. The rookie is the first wide receiver in NFL history with at least 10 catches for 100 yards in his first two games. The scoring for the Rams would come in the 1st half but wouldn't do much more in the 2nd half. The total yards for the Rams was 386 with most of the yardage was from the pass. For the 49ers, they get to 2-0 on the year with high expectations. For the Rams, they drop to 1-1 on the season. 

Next week: 

San Francisco: vs NY Giants (Thursday night)
LA Rams: @ Cincinnati (Monday night)

TW: 6-4; CV: 5-5

NY Giants 31, Arizona 28: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The Cardinals had a 20-0 halftime lead and... it's gone. Daniel Jones and the Giants offense had a rough start. After being shutout at home 40-0 against Dallas, the Giants didn't get their first score of 2023 until the 3rd quarter on the Giants first drive. The score was a Daniel Jones run with 13:48 left in the quarter. Jones finished with 26 of 37 passes for 321 yards with two touchdown passes with an interception. Along with the rushing touchdown, Jones had 59 yards rushing. Saquon Barkley had a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown while getting 63 yards rushing. Isaiah Hodgins was the other player who received a pass from Jones. The Giants offense woke up and hung 439 total yards on the Cardinals. Joshua Dobbs started for the Cardinals and did alright with 21 of 31 passes completed for 228 yards with a touchdown pass to Malcolm Brown. The touchdown would put the Cardinals up 28-7 with 9:34 left in the 3rd quarter. They wouldn't score another touchdown in the game. Arizona's run game was solid as James Conner rushed for 106 yards with a touchdown early in the 1st quarter. Joshua Dobbs would get a touchdown run as well late in the 2nd quarter. The Cardinals looked good at halftime but somehow couldn't keep the foot on the gas. For the Giants, they saved their season and get to a 1-1 record despite having a 68-31 point differential. For the Cardinals, they drop to 0-2 with the Cowboys coming up in Week 3.

Next week: 
NY Giants: @ San Francisco (Thursday night)
Arizona: vs Dallas

TW: 7-4; CV: 6-5

NY Jets 10, Dallas 30: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
Dallas takes care of business against the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets. Zach Wilson didn't do a lot in the game as he threw 12 of 27 passes for completion for 170 yards with a touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson for the interesting Wilson-to-Wilson connection. Zach would also toss three interceptions in the game as well as being the leading rusher with 36 yards rushing. All in all, the Jets offense put up only 215 total yards. Dak Prescott had 31 of 38 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns. Jake Ferguson and Luke Schoonmaker were the players that caught the passes from Dak Prescott. Tony Pollard had 72 yards rushing with 25 carries. The Cowboys offense was on fire as they had 382 total yards. Brandon Aubrey had a good day as well as he hit 5 of 5 field goals with 55 yards being his longest in the game. The Cowboys defense didn't get a pick six but limiting the Jets scoring to just 10 points in the 2nd quarter and not much else isn't too much to complain about. Even Jerry Jones wouldn't. For the Jets, they fall to 1-1 on 2023 with the Patriots coming up. For the Cowboys, they get to 2-0 on the year looking pretty good so far. 

Next week:
NY Jets: vs New England
Dallas: @ Arizona

TW: 8-4; CV: 7-5

Washington 35, Denver 33: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
We were robbed from another great potential overtime thriller. Sam Howell had a good game as he hit 27 of 39 passes for 299 yards with two touchdown passes to Terry McLaurin and Logan Thomas. Brian Robinson had a solid game on the ground with 87 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Washington's offense put up great numbers as they hung 388 total yards on the Broncos defense. Russell Wilson did a good job in the game as he hit 18 of 32 passes for 308 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Marvin Mims would get the first touchdown from Wilson on a deep pass for 60 yards. Brandon Johnson scores would come from 16 yards and on the 50 yards that put the game at a 2-point difference. Jaleel McLaughlin rushed for a touchdown on a 1-yard run that got the scoring going for Denver. Russell Wilson had 56 yards rushing and Javonte Williams had 44 yards rushing on 12 carries. The game had its drama as at one point the Broncos had a 21-3 lead early in the 2nd quarter only to see the Commanders decrease the lead to 21-14. Early in the 4th quarter the Commanders would get to a 35-24 lead. A Wil Lutz and Wilson pass would cut it down to a 35-33 difference. On the two-point conversion attempt, Wilson tried to get the ball to Cameron Sutton on what looked like a poor throw. Nevertheless, the Commanders survived. For the Commanders, they survive the close game and move to 2-0 on the season. For the Broncos, they're still looking for answers as they go to 0-2. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Buffalo
Denver: @ Miami

TW: 9-4; CV: 8-5

Miami 24, New England 17: TW: Patriots; CV: Dolphins
Patriots are 0-2 for the first time since 2001. Tua Tagovailoa was effective but didn't put up 500+ yards of offense. The quarterback put up 21 of 30 passes for 249 yards with a touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill. Tyreek Hill's touchdown was from a goal-line scoring opportunity with 15 seconds left in the 1st half. It would eventually lead to a 17-3 lead. Tua would also toss a pass to rookie defensive back Christian Gonzalez. New England's rush defense would also face another struggle as they couldn't stop Raheem Mostert with 121 rushing yards with two touchdown runs in the 2nd and 4th quarters. If there was a positive for the Patriots was that Tyreek Hill would only get 40 receiving yards compared to the 215 yards he had last week against the Chargers. Miami put up 389 total yards. Mac Jones would start off slow again on offense but the quarterback put up 31 of 42 passes for 231 yards with a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry in the 4th quarter. Jones would throw an interception but fortunately didn't go for a pick-six. The 2nd touchdown for New England would be from Rhamondre Stevenson that would cut the Dolphins lead to seven points. Stevenson got 50 yards rushing in the game. New England would revert back to its hibernation in scoring during the 1st half. It was a habit that happened to be one during the 2022 season. In order to keep up with the Dolphins you need to score in all quarters of a game. For the Dolphins, they take sole possession of 1st place in the AFC East at 2-0. For the Patriots, they go to last place in the AFC East with a 0-2 record. The last time that the Patriots went 0-2, they won the Super Bowl at least. 

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

TW: 9-5; CV: 9-5

New Orleans 20, Carolina 17: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
A late push by Carolina would fall short in an NFC South showdown. Derek Carr would not get a lot of production in this game as he hit 21 of 36 passes for 228 yards with an interception. The interception was grabbed by Panthers strong safety Vonn Bell. It would be the Saints running game that would get things going. Taysom Hill rushed for 75 yards with a 19-yard run being the longest in the game for him. Tony Jones would get the scoring done for the Saints as he rushed for two touchdowns while getting 34 yards. Jones' first touchdown would be a 2-yard run on a draw play. The 2nd touchdown be from the same yardline. New Orleans put up 341 total yards of offense. Bryce Young would start slow but heated up later in the game. He completed 22 of 33 passes for 153 yards with a touchdown pass to former Viking Adam Thielen. The touchdown and the two-point conversion would get the Panthers to a 3-point Saints lead. Miles Sanders rushed for 43 yards with 14 carries. Eddie Pineiro would hit three field goals in the game with a 54-yard kick being the longest in the game. For stats, the Panthers would have the ball for 27 minutes but they had a tough time converting 3rd downs as they finished 4 of 14 chances on 3rd down. Not to mention that they wouldn't score their first touchdown until the last few minutes in the game. For the Saints, they achieve a 2-0 record and suddenly have a two-way battle against the Falcons in the NFC South. For the Panthers, they drop to 0-2 in 2023. 

Next week:
New Orleans: @ Green Bay
Carolina: @ Seattle 

TW: 10-5; CV: 10-5

Cleveland 22, Pittsburgh 26: TW: Steelers; CV: Browns

This game ended at 11:43 pm Eastern time! Crazy! DeShaun Watson had a meh game as he completed 22 of 40 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown pass to Jerome Ford that would give the Browns a 10-7 lead in the 2nd quarter. On the first play from scrimmage, Watson tossed a pass that was tipped and recovered by Alex Highsmith and ran it back for the Steelers. Jerome Ford racked up yardage as he put up 106 yards on the Steelers defense, including a 69-yard run. Nick Chubb would play in the game but he would leave the game with a left knee injury in the 2nd quarter. Pierre Strong Jr would find the endzone on a dive play into the endzone. Cleveland showed off their offensive power with 408 total yards. Kenny Pickett had a alright game as well with 15 of 30 for 222 yards passing with a touchdown to George Pickens with an interception. The touchdown would come on a deep 71-yard dime that gave the Steelers the lead but would miss on the ensuing two-point try. Najee Harris would rush for 43 yards in the game on 10 carries. Jaylen Warren had six carries for 20 yards. TJ Watt had a stellar game as he picked up a forced fumble and returned it to the endzone for a score as well as becoming the Steelers franchise leader in sacks with 81.5 sacks (should be noted that the sack wasn't an official statistic until 1982). Overall, the Steelers offense would put up less amount of offensive yards with 255 but would make it up with their defensive play. For the Browns, they fall to 1-1 with Nick Chubb being out for a fair bit of time. For the Steelers, they get to 1-1 with a jumpstart to their season. 

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Tennessee
Pittsburgh: @ Las Vegas

TW: 11-5; CV: 10-6

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Total: 20-12

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1
2022: 157-112-2

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

Week 2: 11-5

Total: 20-12

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 3 Picks post!

-Tom