NFL 2023 Week 8 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. Week 8 brought us some crazy action including a shocker in Tennessee, a winner in Carolina, a collapse in the making in San Francisco, and a game-winner in Overtime in the Meadowlands. All those games and more in this week's recap post.

NFL Week 8 Freaky Stat

The Jacksonville Jaguars has 17 takeaways thus far this season. It currently leads the NFL this season. We're not even into November. They have also won five straight games in October in the first time of their history. Tyreek Hill has 1,014 receiving yards in the first eight games of the season thus far. With names like Don Hutson and Elroy Hirsch having higher numbers has to be a well deserved honor for Hill. 

NFL Week 8 Recap

Tampa Bay 18, Buffalo 24: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
For a moment the hearts of Bills fans were in their throats when Josh Allen was taken into the blue tent. Josh Allen would persevere and lead the Bills to victory. Baker Mayfield hit 25 of 42 passes for 237 yards for two touchdowns. Chris Godwin and Mike Evans were the players that caught those touchdowns. Tampa's running game was not quite as versatile. Rachaad White rushed for 39 yards on nine carries. Baker Mayfield rushed for 19 yards. Tampa would have some slow starts on offense throughout the game. They finished the game with 302 total yards of offense. Josh Allen would hit 31 of 40 passes for 324 yards with two touchdown passes to Gabe Davis and Dalton Kincaid. Allen would throw an interception in the game. He would face some struggles as he had to go into the blue tent for medical evaluation. He would be fine. James Cook would get back to playing some better football as he rushed for 67 yards on 14 carries. Josh Allen would also see the endzone with a rushing touchdown while finishing the game with 41 yards. Buffalo would finally get some points in the first half with 17 at halftime. They had a slow start over the last three games since the Jaguars game in London. They got out of their offense 427 total yards. For the Buccaneers, they drop to 3-4 and currently have a three-game losing streak. For the Bills, they break out of their funk and get to 5-3 on the 2023 season. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: @ Houston

Buffalo: @ Cincinnati

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Atlanta 23, Tennessee 28: TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons

Who had Will Levis getting four touchdown passes on their bingo card? Desmond Ridder started this game for the Falcons as he hit 8 of 12 passes for 71 yards. He would leave the game after suffering a concussion. Former Commanders quarterback Taylor Heinicke hit 12 of 21 passes for 175 yards with a touchdown pass to Scott Miller. Bijan Robinson had a quiet game last week but would have a better game with a rushing touchdown and had 62 yards rushing. Clutch kicker Younghoe Koo would round out the scoring with three field goals. Unfortunately for him his team didn't give him a shot to win it. Atlanta got 342 total yards of offense. Will Levis would play spectacular as he hit 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards with four touchdowns. Three of those touchdowns came to DeAndre Hopkins and one other to Nick Westbrookshine. Derrick Henry rushed for 101 yards in the game. The Titans hit 375 total yards of offense in this game. The Titans choice in uniforms had to make some NFL fans reminisce as they wore the classic Houston Oiler uniforms. Probably not a fun sight for those in Houston that still remember the Oilers. For the Falcons, they drop another game and reach to .500 football at 4-4. For the Titans, they get a much needed win and improve to 3-4 on the season.

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Minnesota
Tennessee: @ Pittsburgh (Thursday night)

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Houston 13, Carolina 15: TW: Panthers; CV: Texans

Eddy Pineiro the hero as Carolina got their first win in 2023. CJ Stroud wouldn't do a lot in this game but did get 16 of 24 pass completions for 140 yards while rushing in for a touchdown on a 1-yard play. Dameon Pierce rushed for 46 yards on 12 carries. Andrew Beck rushed in for a touchdown on a 1-yard play. A missed opportunity for a two-point conversion would be one of the miscues that the Texans would face all day as they also lost on a fumble. Houston would outpace the Panthers on offensive yardage with 229 total yards. Bryce Young did good enough in the win as they hit 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown pass to Tommy Tremble. Chuba Hubbard rushed for 28 yards on 15 carries. Adam Thielen caught eight passes for 72 yards in the game. Eddy Pineiro hit 3 for 3 on field goals including the game-winning 23-yard field goal that gave the Panthers their first dub of the season. They got 224 total yards of offense in the game. For the Texans, they drop to 3-4 with with some hope of staying with the Jaguars in the AFC South division race. For the Panthers, they are winless no more as they get to 1-6 on the season. 

Next week:

Houston: vs Tampa Bay
Carolina: vs Indianapolis

TW: 2-1; CV: 1-2

Jacksonville 20, Pittsburgh 10: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

Gotta feel pumped up seeing James Harrison in Pittsburgh again. Trevor Lawrence hit 24 of 32 passes for 292 yards with a touchdown pass to Travis Etienne for a 56-yard deep pass. The runner ran out of gas but persevered and saw six points. Etienne rushed for 79 yards on 24 carries. Trevor Lawrence would have one of his passes caught by a player wearing a black and gold jersey. Jacksonville ran over the vaunted Steelers offense with 377 total yards. Kenny Pickett started the game and hit 10 of 16 passes for 73 yards. Pickett would leave the game with a rib injury after taking a rough tackle to the ground. Mitchell Trubisky would play in his stead and hit 15 of 27 passes for 138 yards with a touchdown pass to George Pickens with two interceptions in the game. Pittsburgh wouldn't get a lot from their running game as a whole they got only 70 yards with Jaylen Warren rushing for 19 yards. It was a quiet game for their offense as they got a meager 261 yards of offensive ball. The Steelers had converted three times on 3rd down in a total of 12 chances. On 64 plays, the Steelers gained on average 4.1 yards/play. For the Jaguars, they get to 6-2 for only the 2nd time since 1999 with a sustained lead in the AFC South. For the Steelers, they drop to 4-3 on the season. 

Next week: 

Jacksonville: Bye
Pittsburgh: vs Tennessee (Thursday night)

TW: 3-1; CV: 2-2

LA Rams 20, Dallas 43: TW: Rams; CV: Rams

Dak Prescott's four touchdowns and Daron Bland's 3rd pick-six spell doom for the Rams in Jerry World. Matthew Stafford hit 13 of 22 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown pass to Ben Skowronek with an interception in the game. He would leave the game with a right thumb injury. The injury occurred on catching a failed two-point conversion pass that looked like a "Philly Special" play. Bryce Rypien played in his stead and hit 5 of 10 passes for 42 yards. Royce Freeman rushed for 44 yards on a touchdown. The first half was not kind to the Rams as they would hit a field goal, turnover via interception and have a blocked punt that resulted in a safety while punting twice on the next two drives while scoring a touchdown in their drives. Dak Prescott was masterful as he hit 25 of 31 passes for 304 yards with four touchdowns but also tossed an interception in the game. CeeDee Lamb caught two while Brandin Cooks and Jake Ferguson caught one each in the four touchdown passes that Prescott threw to them. Tony Pollard rushed for 53 yards on 12 carries. The first half was better for the Cowboys as they four of their five drives in the half resulted in either a touchdown or a field goal. Their lone drive that didn't result in points was on the Prescott interception. Both teams put up some numbers on offense as Los Angeles got 280 total yards while the Cowboys got 387 total yards of offense. A slow start on offense proved to be the downfall for the Rams. For the Rams, they drop to 3-5 and drop their 3rd game in the last four games. For the Cowboys, they keep pace with the Eagles in the NFC East at 5-2. 

Next week: 

LA Rams: @ Green Bay

Dallas: @ Philadelphia

TW: 3-2; CV: 2-3

Minnesota 24, Green Bay 10: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

Two Kirk Cousins passes lead the red-hot Vikings past their rivals in Green Bay. Kirk Cousins hit 23 of 31 passes for 274 yards with two touchdown passes to Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson. Cousins would leave the game after suffering a possible Achilles injury. Jaren Hall got some playtime with 3 of 4 pass completions for 23 yards. Cam Akers would see the endzone on the Vikings first touchdown in the 1st quarter while rushing for 19 yards. Alexander Mattison was the leading rusher for the Purple gang with 31 yards. Minnesota would finish well with 346 total yards of offense. Jordan Love would have a rough go of it as he hit 24 of 41 passes for 229 yards with a touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs in the 3rd quarter. He would have an interception that was a gimmie from Jayden Reed to Josh Metellus. Jordan Love rushed for 34 yards. Aaron Jones rushed for 29 yards with seven carries. Green Bay got on offense a total of 270 total yards. Green Bay's inability to sustain drives cost them in this game as they only got 23:38 time of possession while getting 5 of 14 3rd down conversions. For the Vikings, they get to 4-4 and won't have a game finishing by one score for the first time this season. For the Packers, they drop to 2-5 on the season with a four-game losing streak. 

Next week: 

Minnesota: @ Atlanta
Green Bay: vs LA Rams

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

New England 17, Miami 31: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins

The Patriots played competitive football but Tua would prove to be too much for the Pats. Mac Jones played well enough for a consecutive week with 19 of 29 passes for 161 yards with tow touchdown passes to Kendrick Bourne and JuJu Smith-Schuster. He might've gotten another touchdown but on a pass that Jalen Ramsey saw dead-on, the corner would find it and pick it off. The Patriots running game wouldn't get much on the stat sheet with Rhamondre Stevenson getting 39 rushing yards on 10 carries. Kendrick Bourne would leave the game with an injury as he wouldn't come back to this game. The Patriots offense would find itself putting up 218 total yards. Tua Tagovailoa did solid with 30 of 45 passes for 324 yards with three touchdown passes while tossing an interception that lead to a Patriots touchdown. Jaylen Waddle, Tyreek Hill and Cedric Wilson Jr were the Dolphins that caught those passes for scores. Miami had Two wide receivers with 100-yard days as Jaylen Waddle had 121 yards and Tyreek Hill had 112 yards. Raheem Mostert would see the endzone while getting 46 rushing yards. Jeff Wilson had 23 yards rushing. Miami would do its thing on offense as they got 390 total yards. For the Patriots, they drop to 2-6 and sit in dead last in the AFC East standings. For the Dolphins, they stay on top of the AFC East with a 6-2 record. 

Next week: 

New England: vs Washington
Miami: @ Kansas City (Sunday morning)

TW: 5-2; CV: 4-3

New Orleans 38, Indianapolis 27: TW: Colts; CV: Saints

The Saints win their fifth straight game against the Colts, a streak that started in Super Bowl XLIV. Derek Carr was on fire as he hit 19 of 27 passes for 310 yards with two touchdown passes to Rashee Shaheed and Alvin Kamara. Taysom Hill rushed for 63 yards with two touchdowns. Alvin Kamara rushed for 59 yards with a touchdown run. Of the 310 passing yards that Carr threw, 153 of them went to Rashee Shaheed who caught just three passes with a 58-yard touchdown that took advantage of the battered Colts secondary. The Saints offense put up 511 total yards in the game. Gardner Minshew did alright in the game with 23 of 41 passes for 213 yards with two touchdown passes with an interception. Alec Ogletree and Michael Pittman were the players that caught those touchdown passes and Paulson Adebo was the Saint that intercepted the pass. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 95 yards on 12 carries, including a 42-yard rushing play. Zach Moss had 11 carries on 66 yards with a touchdown. Indianapolis produced 371 total yards of offense in the game. Both teams scored a fair amount of points as they went to halftime with a 21-20 score. It was a 17-7 run that the Saints produced that was the ultimate decider in the game as the Saints defense shut down the Colts offense. For the Saints, they get to 4-4 as they are now at .500 football and stay at pace with the Buccaneers in the wild NFC South. For the Colts, they drop to 3-5 and lose their third straight game. 

Next week:

New Orleans: vs Chicago
Indianapolis: @ Carolina

TW: 5-3; CV: 5-3

NY Jets 13, NY Giants 10 (F/OT): TW: Jets; CV: Jets

In the Battle of New York, the Jets get the last laugh in rainy cold MetLife Stadium. Zach Wilson hit 17 of 36 passes for 240 yards with a touchdown pass to Breece Hall in the 3rd quarter. Zach Wilson rushed for 25 yards on four carries. Garrett Wilson caught seven passes for 100 receiving yards. The Jets offense got enough for the win as they got 251 total yards. The veteran kicker Greg Zuerlein hit the game winner in overtime from 33 yards. The Giants passing game had an ugly game as starter Tyrod Taylor hit 4 of 7 passes for 8 yards. Taylor would leave the game with a rib injury. Third stringer Tommy DeVito (no relation to the actor sadly) came in and provided 2 of 7 pass completions for -1 yard. The Giants net passing yards went for -9 yards with six pass completions that would be a -0.5 yards per pass. The shining moment for the Giants was Saquon Barkley as he rushed for 128 yards with 36 carries. Tommy DeVito did rush for the only Giants touchdown. The Giants had an opportunity to win it before overtime but a Graham Gano miss in the New Jersey rain would prove to be the game deciding play. For the Giants, they would get a putrid 194 total yards of offense. For the Jets, they improve to 4-3 and break out of the .500 football column. For the Giants, they continue their fall from grace to a 2-6 record. 

Next week: 

NY Jets: vs LA Chargers
NY Giants: @ Las Vegas

TW: 6-3; CV: 6-3

Philadelphia 38, Washington 31: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

An injured leg wouldn't keep Jalen Hurts out of this game. Jalen Hurts was on fire as he hit 29 of 38 passes for 319 yards with four touchdown passes. Of the four touchdown passes, AJ Brown caught two, Devonta Smith caught one and Julio Jones caught the other. D'Andre Swift would rush for 57 yards with a touchdown. AJ Brown had eight catches for 130 receiving yards in the game. Philly had some miscues as two turnovers costed the Eagles some points in the redzone via fumble. Jalen Hurts and Kenneth Gainwell both fumbled inside the five-yard line. The Eagles offense had 374 total yards of offense. Sam Howell had quite the game as the passer hit 39 of 52 passes for 397 yards with four touchdowns and had an interception in the game. It was a collective effort as Jahan Dotson, Jamison Crowder, "Scary" Terry McLaurin and Logan Thomas were the players that caught those touchdown passes from Howell. Reed Blankenship was the Eagle that caught the interception. Brian Robinson rushed for 59 yards on 10 carries. Washington would outpace Philadelphia in total yardage as they had 472 total yards. It just seemed like the Commanders were just short by just a play or two in the game. For the Eagles, they improve to 7-1 in the season and will face a big test next week against Dallas. For the Commanders, they drop to 3-5 and have went 1-5 since starting at 2-0. 

Next week: 

Philadelphia: vs Dallas
Washington: @ New England

TW: 7-3; CV: 7-3

Cleveland 20, Seattle 24: TW: Browns; CV: Browns

Oh those throwback uniforms by Seattle. PJ Walker was not really that great in this game as the psaser hit 15 of 31 passes for 248 yards with a touchdown pass to David Njoku that would cut the Seahawk lead to a 14-7 score. Walker would hinder the Browns cause as he tossed two costly interceptions, including the one where the Seahawks would score the go-ahead touchdown. Kareem Hunt scored the other touchdown that the Browns would have in this game. Pierre Strong Jr had 41 yards rushing while Jerome Ford had 37 yards rushing. Along with the two interceptions, the Browns would also fumble on their 2nd drive of the game. Cleveland would put up some good offense in the game putting up 385 total yards in this game. Geno Smith would do a bit better than his counterpart as he hit 23 of 37 passes for 254 yards with two touchdown passes but also tossed two interceptions as well. Tyler Lockett caught the first touchdown on a short 12-yard pass that would increase the Seahawk lead to 14-0. Jaxon Smith-Njigba would catch the 2nd pass on another short 9-yard play that would send Jaxon to the left and a carefully placed block later would let him see six points. It would be the go-ahead touchdown. Kenneth Walker rushed for 66 yards while Zach Charbonnet rushed for 53 yards. Jake Bobo would score the first Seahawks touchdown on a drive play up the middle. Seattle would find itself score 17 points in the first quarter and would not score again until the Smith-Njigba touchdown. Seattle finished with lesser offensive yards with 362 total yards but they got a win. For the Browns, they drop to 4-3 with some lost ground in the AFC North. For the Seahawks, they go to 5-2 and get some ground on the 49ers in the NFC West.

Next week: 

Cleveland: vs Arizona
Seattle: @ Baltimore

TW: 7-4; CV: 7-4

Baltimore 31, Arizona 24: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

Gus Edwards's three rushing touchdowns proved to be too much for the Cardinals. Lamar Jackson hit 18 of 27 passes for 157 yards with a touchdown pass to Mark Andrews. It would be three rushing touchdowns from Gus Edwards that put the Ravens on top as Edwards rushed to the endzone on plays from 1, 7 and 1 yards. Edwards had 80 rushing yards. If there was a blemish on the Ravens game it was going 4 for 11 on 3rd down conversions. They had 29:39 time of possession. Baltimore put up only 268 total yards of offense. Josh Dobbs hit 25 of 37 passes for 208 yards with two touchdown passes but also tossed two interceptions in the game. Trey McBride and Malcolm Brown were the players that caught the passes for six points from Dobbs. Dobbs would see the endzone on a play while getting 26 yards rushing. Emari Demercado rushed for 78 yards while on 20 carries. Arizona would get 310 total yards of offense in this game. The Cardinals kept it close but this game really should've been a blowout compared to the turnovers in the game. For the Ravens, they tie with the Chiefs for the Best record in the AFC at 6-2. For the Cardinals, they drop to 1-7 on the season.

Next week: 

Baltimore: vs Seattle
Arizona: @ Cleveland

TW: 8-4; CV: 8-4

Cincinnati 31, San Francisco 17: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

Two Brock Purdy interceptions cause the free-falling 49ers to lose to the Bengals. Joe Burrow was masterful in this game as he hit 28 of 32 passes for 283 yards with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. Ja'Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Andrei Iosivas were the players that caught those touchdown passes. Joe Mixon would get going as well as the runner would see the endzone while putting up 87 yards rushing. Joe Burrow would also do a bit of running as well as he rushed for 43 yards. The Bengals would take advantage of turnovers as well as get some good yardage in kickoff returns. Their offense finished with 400 total yards of offense. Brock Purdy was on point in some plays but off in most. He hit 22 of 31 passes for 365 yards with a touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey while tossing two costly interceptions. Along with the two turnovers, the 49ers would also fumble as well. Brock Purdy was also the leading rusher with 57 yards rushing. Christian McCaffrey would also rush for 54 yards with a touchdown and got 64 receiving yards on six catches. George Kittle had 149 receiving yards on nine catches and had a 34-yard pass play that was the longest in the game for the Niners. Despite the score, the 49ers would get 460 total yards. Turnovers cost the 49ers in the game where in previous weeks was the opposite. It feels like Brock Purdy is doing too much. For the Bengals, they get to 4-3 and win their 3rd game in the last four games. For the 49ers, they drop their 3rd straight game to a 5-3 record after going 5-0 to start the season. 

Next week: 

Cincinnati: vs Buffalo
San Francisco: Bye

TW: 8-5; CV: 8-5

Kansas City 9, Denver 24: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The underdog Broncos surpass the defending champion Chiefs in Mile High. Patrick Mahomes would not be effective as he has in games this season as he hit 24 of 38 passes for 241 yards with two interceptions. It is only the third time in his career where he did not throw a touchdown pass in a game. Justin Simmons and Ja'Quan McMillian were the Broncos that caught and ran back those Mahomes passes. Isiaiah Pacheco rushed for 40 yards on eight carries. Patrick Mahomes rushed for 20 yards on three carries. Of the things that went wrong for the Chiefs were going 3 for 10 on 3rd down, 1 for 3 on 4th down, three turnovers including one fumble on a punt return that lead to a Broncos score. Russell Wilson would play one of his better games as he hit 12 of 19 passes for 114 yards with three touchdown passes while rushing for 30 yards. Jerry Jeudy, Cortland Sutton and Javonte Williams were the Broncos that caught the passes from Wilson. Javonte Williams would also put the hurt on the Chiefs defense as he carried the ball 27 times for 85 yards. The Broncos offense would not get much on offense but the turnovers would help a lot in the process as the Broncos got 240 total yards. For the Chiefs, they falter to 6-2 but have a decent lead in the AFC West division race. For the Broncos, they end their 16-game losing streak to the Chiefs dating back to a September 17th, 2015 game when the Broncos last beat the Chiefs. Interestingly enough Peyton Manning was still a Bronco and Alex Smith was a Chief in that game. 

Next week: 

Kansas City: vs Miami (Sunday morning)
Denver: Bye

TW: 8-6; CV: 8-6

Chicago 13, LA Chargers 30: TW: Chargers, CV: Chargers

Dominating performance from Justin Herbert paves the way to a Chargers win. Tyson Bagent would have a trying game as he hit 25 of 37 passes for 232 yards with two interceptions in the game. He would make up for it with a rushing touchdown. Donta Foreman rushed the most for the Bears with 34 yards. Darrynton Evans would score the other touchdown for the Bears via rushing. The Bears would get a solid 295 total yards of offense. Justin Herbert would have a rebound game as he hit 31 of 40 passes for 298 yards with three touchdown passes. Austin Ekeler caught one pass, Darnell Parham Jr caught another while Simi Fehoko caught the other touchdown pass from Herbert. Austin Ekeler rushed for 29 yards with 15 carries to his name while catching seven passes for 94 yards. The Chargers offense would put forth a good effort with 352 total yards. For the Bears, they drop to 2-6 on the season with competition from the Packers for the basement of the NFC North. For the Chargers, they get a much needed win and move up to 3-4. 

Next week: 

Chicago: @ New Orleans

LA Chargers: NY Jets

TW: 9-6; CV: 9-6

Las Vegas 14, Detroit 26: TW: Lions; CV: Lions

Jared Goff and company take care of business at home on Monday Night Football. Jimmy Garoppolo would not awe the crowd in this one as he hit 10 of 21 passes for 126 yards with an interception. Josh Jacobs would be the team's leading rusher and leading receiver while scoring the Raiders only offensive touchdown while getting 61 rushing yards and 27 receiving yards. Perhaps it was the back issue for Garoppolo who had to leave the game during the Patriots contest to go to a local hospital due to back issues. The other touchdown from the Raiders came on a Jared Goff pass that was intercepted by Marcus Peters for a Raiders pick-six Las Vegas would only get 157 total yards from their offense. Jared Goff was solid enough for the win. He hit 26 of 37 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta. Goff would toss the aforementioned interception in this game. Jahmyr Gibbs would be the rock that would not be stopped for the Lions as he rushed for a staggering 152 yards with a touchdown run on 26 carries in this game. Chase Reynolds would also rush for 74 yards on 14 carries as a backup role. Amon Ra St Brown would catch six balls for 108 yards in the game. The icing of the cake for the victory is Riley Patterson who hit 4 of 5 field goals in the win. The Detroit Lions offense would prevail in this one with 486 total yards in a dominating effort that isn't quite there in the scoreboard. For the Raiders, they drop to 3-5 on the season. For the Lions, they move up to 6-2 with the nightmares of yesteryear slipping past them like an ocean wave. 

Next week: 

Las Vegas: vs NY Giants
Detroit: Bye

TW: 10-6; CV: 10-6

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Week 8: 10-6    

Total: 70-52

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

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Week 8: 10-6

Total: 75-47

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 # Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Week 8 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The week that was Week 7 brought us some surprises, some upsets and not so well making picks as both me and Cardinal Viking finished with below .500 records last week. Hopefully this week we can both get back to picking better. In this post I'll do a rant of the week, a week 8 preview and picks as well as the Early and Late TV Broadcast pairings. Let's get to work!

NFL Rant of the Week

I feel the story of Puka Nacua has been underwhelming. The guy kept the Rams afloat while Cooper Kupp was out via injury. Puka Nacua has had one of the best seasons for a rookie wide receiver in NFL history and yet it isn't talked about nearly enough. 

Week 8 Preview

The eighth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Orchard Park, New York and finish up in Detroit, Michigan. The week will have a 16-game slate where all 32 teams will play. No teams are on a bye this week. Week 8 features a Thursday night game, nine early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will have the single, regional game while CBS will carry the doubleheader this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 8 Picks

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

Tampa Bay (3-3) @ Buffalo (4-3) (Amazon; 8:15 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Buccaneers lost to the Falcons and the Bills lost to the Patriots last week. Tampa had that Falcons game last week and almost won it despite all of the mistakes they did. It felt at times that Baker Mayfield was the only one out there against the Falcons defense. They'll need to clean up the mistakes and try to get back to running the ball more. Buffalo had gotten off to a good start but they have fallen off a cliff since the Jaguars game in London. Like the Buccaneers, they need to get back to running the ball via giving it to James Cook's hands. He had some success against the Patriots when running the ball. I still think the Bills are a solid team but this feels like a toss-up. I'll go Bills. 

Atlanta (4-3) @ Tennessee (2-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons

The Falcons got a win against the Buccaneers and the Titans had a bye last week. Atlanta found a way to win in an ugly fashion but nonetheless Younghoe Koo came in the clutch yet again and won it. Desmond Ridder didn't throw a lot of mistake balls. Tennessee had a bye last week which means that they had some players rest a little bit and get back to playing the rest of the 2023 season. The Titans are not a great team as they still have to rely on Derrick Henry to generate any sort of offense. They're in general one of the bottom half offensive teams. Personally I think the Titans should try to get DeAndre Hopkins involved since they have him being wide out #1 in that room. Sad thing is I don't know if they have a better option. I'll take the road Falcons. 

Houston (3-3) @ Carolina (0-6) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Texans

The Texans had a bye and the Panthers had a bye as well last week. Houston has been one of the better surprises of 2023. The maturation of CJ Stroud has played a part in it as well as having one of the better defenses. They're not top-10 but they're not a slouch. Thus far the Texans are ranked #4 in passing offense with 277.7 yards/game. Carolina has had a rough season thus far in the Frank Reich era. Bryce Young has had his growing pains. They're not a particularly great offensive team but they have some decent pieces like Adam Thielen playing for them. If they can get off to a good start and play some good defense I like the Panthers chances of walking away with a win for the first time this season. I'll take my chances. 

Jacksonville (5-2) @ Pittsburgh (4-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

The Jaguars beat the Saints and the Steelers beat the Rams last week. The Jaguars have been putting up some good numbers on offense. Trevor Lawrence's maturity into a good NFL quarterback has been a sight to see. He has had some injury issues but the long break from the Thursday night game to this game is a fairly big one. With more rest, the quarterback will feel better. He'll need it. Pittsburgh may have had a breakthrough on offense. Their defense played well against the Rams and their offense did enough to beat them. I think it'll be a tough test for the Steelers to keep up with the Jaguars. I'll take the Jags. 

LA Rams (3-4) @ Dallas (4-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams

The Rams lost to the Steelers and the Cowboys had a bye last week. Los Angeles comes into this game with a few losses in the last few weeks. The health of their quarterback Matthew Stafford has to be in question for this game. It isn't all doom and gloom for the Rams as they have their pieces at running back to help out Stafford. They'll need to have a balanced gameplan to take on Dallas. The Cowboys come into this game with a well-rested roster ready to take on the rest of the season. Other than a rare loss to the Cardinals and a butt-kicking by the 49ers, the Cowboys have done alright. The help of Mike McCarthy as an offensive playcaller has helped out Dallas. I think if the Rams can put it in the hands of their runners and make everyone other than CeeDee Lamb beat you I think the Rams got a chance to win. 

Minnesota (3-4) @ Green Bay (2-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The Vikings beat the 49ers and the Packers lost to the Broncos last week. The Vikings have been playing some better football. They've gained an early lead and somehow manage to hold onto it. At least they somehow to win three of their last four games. Green Bay had been one of the better teams in the league but turnovers and slow starts on offense have diminished that moniker. Jordan Love has seven interceptions thus far, with a majority of them in the last few games. I have to think this will be a game where the Packers will be playing from behind. I think the Vikes will take it and get back to .500 football. 

New England (2-5) @ Miami (5-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins

The Patriots beat the Bills and the Dolphins lost to the Eagles last week. New England finally made some strides on offense by upsetting the Bills at home. It was probably one of the best games in Mac Jones' career. This game against the Dolphins will be a huge test to see if the progression is where it is at or if the Bills win was just a fluke. Miami had a bit of a letdown against the Eagles last week. Their offense could kind of keep up with the Eagles but their time of possession was sided to the people in Kelly Green jerseys. They'd like to get Devon Achane back as a quality back. It'll be a huge upset if the Patriots can somehow win this one but I'll take the Dolphins. 

New Orleans (3-4) @ Indianapolis (3-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Saints

The Saints lost to the Jaguars and the Colts lost to the Browns last week. New Orleans has had its struggles on offense thus far. They've put in a lot of effort in ensuring that Derek Carr is their guy and the book is still out on him. They had their chances to win against Jacksonville but they sadly lost. Indianapolis is kind of a similar team. Their rookie starter Anthony Richardson is out for a while and so it is on the shoulders of Gardner Minshew to navigate through the 2023 season. They had their chances to win against a Browns team that didn't produce much on pass offense. I like the Colts running game in this matchup but the Saints do have a vigorous defensive line. It is a hard-sell but I'll take the Colts. 

NY Jets (3-3) @ NY Giants (2-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Jets; CV: Jets

The Jets were on a bye and the Giants beat the Commanders last week. The Battle of New York. Or New Jersey rather. The Jets will have some advantage in resting their players via bye week. Their offense has been lacking somewhat. Their defense has been the reason why they've kept pace with an even 3-3 record. The Giants have been the more disappointing team thus far. Their team made the playoffs last year with an offense that can score points with a defense that was somewhat mean. This year hasn't been anything like that. That 45-0 drubbing by Dallas in Week 1 seems to stifle their confidence. The playtime of backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor has been somewhat of a help. Maybe the Giants could pull off a win but I tend to like the Jets defense in this matchup. I'll take the J-E-T-S. 

Philadelphia (6-1) @ Washington (3-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Eagles beat the Dolphins and the Commanders lost to the Giants last week. Philadelphia kept pace and more last week against the high octane offense in Miami. They have a balanced offense that can keep defenses guessing. Their offense got a boost with Julio Jones in an already stacked wide receiver group. Washington needs to get a win badly. They once upon a time were a 2-0 football team and then proceed to go 1-4 since then. Their defense has to prevent the Eagles from getting solid yardage on them. I would apply different blitz packages on Jalen Hurts and collapse the pocket around him. A flustered Hurts could be a key to victory. Washington tends to play well against their NFC East rival Eagles in the last few seasons. This game could come down to a touchdown but I think the Eagles will take care of business on the road. 

Cleveland (4-2) @ Seattle (4-2) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Browns

The Browns beat the Colts and the Seahawks beat the Cardinals last week. The Browns have somehow put together a 4-2 team despite not having their star quarterback DeShaun Watson starting for them. They somehow pull off the upset of the year in beating San Francisco and proceed to beat the Colts all the while scoring 39 points. Their obvious weakness is their quarterbacks outside of Watson. If PJ Walker can somehow play wiser football and not force things they have a chance to give their defense a helping hand. I like the Browns defense as Myles Garrett could very well be a worthy candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. Seattle as well has put together a nice season. Geno Smith has been producing some good numbers but has some interceptions to his name. He will need to cut it down a bit and ensure that he doesn't do too much to lose this game. The Seahawks defense has a chance to really put that 6th best rush defense to the test. It could be a risk but I'll take the Brownies. 

Baltimore (5-2) @ Arizona (1-6) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Ravens beat the Lions and the Cardinals lost to the Seahawks last week. The Ravens got to beat up on one of the better teams in the NFL in Detroit. They just kept on scoring and didn't let up until well into the 2nd half. Certainly their offense will have their work cut out for them against the Cardinals defense that isn't great but not terrible. If the Ravens put up points like they did last week, it'll be a tall task for sure. Arizona is not a great team but they can put up some points and try to stay competitive. This matchup against the Ravens seems like a blowout in the works. The NFL works in strange ways but I'll take the Ravens. 

Cincinnati (3-3) @ San Francisco (5-2) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

The Bengals had a bye and the 49ers lost to the Vikings last week. Cincinnati has had some roadblocks to the path to getting to the playoffs but seems to getting back to playing better football. They listened to me and got the Joe Burrow to Ja'Marr Chase connection back to regularity and then some. They will have a tall task against a down but not out 49ers team. This 49ers team had a 5-0 record and then proceed to lose in heartbreaking fashion to the Browns and then the Vikings. They're a bit banged up and need to stay healthy as they faltered later in the season in past years due to injury. I still think the 49ers can put up enough points to beat the Bengals but they really need to limit the turnovers. 

Kansas City (6-1) @ Denver (2-5) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The Chiefs beat the Chargers and the Broncos beat the Packers last week. A rematch of the Week 6 Thursday night matchup. The Chiefs come into this game playing well on both sides of the ball. Their offense is just as good as ever. The Chiefs success in 2023 has been their defense. They can rush the passer create turnovers. It's a lethal combo. Denver has been quite the disappointment but that was somewhat to be expected. Sean Payton's offense got enough to surpass the Packers but overall it has been their offense and their defense that has been a mess. I think the Chiefs will continue their dominance over their rivals from Mile High. 

Chicago (2-5) @ LA Chargers (2-4) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

The Bears beat the Raiders and the Chargers lost to the Chiefs last week. Not likely that Justin Fields is able to play for this one. At least not yet. Tyson Bagent, the unknown from Shepherd University, has played alright given the circumstances. Chicago's offense needs to turn it up a notch if they want to win this one. The Chargers have been a disappointment this season. This game could make or break their season. One would think that their offense would improve, let alone their running game. Brandon Staley's job is definitely on the line as he stares at a possible 2-5 record before November hits. I'll take the Chargers. 

Las Vegas (3-4) @ Detroit (5-2) (ABC/ESPN): TW: Lions; CV: Lions

The Raiders lost to the Bears and the Lions lost to the Ravens last week. Las Vegas is a weird team. They can look really good and then they can look really bad. Seems there is no in-between. The offense in terms of quarterback has been a mess. Starter Jimmy Garoppolo has faced some injuries. Aidan O'Connell and Brian Hoyer could be decent backups but they haven't played well enough to earn that QB1 role. Detroit had a rough game last week against the Ravens. Getting blown out in a game where you thought had a chance can wreck your confidence. Just know that you are still a superb team that can put on the hurt on other teams. Just utilize your great running game and walk away with a win. At least I hope that the Lions know how to rebound after a loss.

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

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

FOX Single

LA Rams @ Dallas

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Philadelphia @ Washington
Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth

Minnesota @ Green Bay
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

New Orleans @ Indianapolis
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Houston @ Carolina
Brandon Gaudin, Robert Smith

Cleveland @ Seattle (Late)
Adam Amin, Daryl Johnston

CBS Early

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

NY Jets @ NY Giants
Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan

New England @ Miami
Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

Atlanta @ Tennessee
Beth Mowins, James Lofton, Jay Feely

CBS Late

Cincinnati @ San Francisco

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Kansas City @ Denver
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Baltimore @ Arizona

Chris Lewis, Ross Tucker

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2023: Week 8 Maps

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Total: 60-46

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

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Total: 65-41

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 8 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Week 7 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. Week 7 brought us some crazy storylines, a shootout in Indianapolis, a blowout in Baltimore, a defensive battle in Tampa, and a battle in Minnesota. All those games and more in this week's recap post! Let's get to work!

NFL Week 7 Freaky Stat

The Patriots win over the Bills was head coach Bill Belichick's 300th win as a head coach. Only Don Shula and George Halas have more wins than Belichick. 

NFL Week 7 Recap

Jacksonville 31, New Orleans 24: TW: Jaguars; CV: Saints

A late Saints surge gets staved off by Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence hit 20 of 29 passes for 204 yards with a touchdown pass to Christian Kirk. The Kirk touchdown culminated in a two-play, 46-yard drive where Kirk ran for the end zone for a 44-yard touchdown that eventually gave the Jaguars a 31-24 win. Lawrence was also the leading rusher with 59 yards rushing. There was some questions on whether or not Trevor Lawrence's ankle was healthy enough for the former Clemson quarterback to play in. Safe to say he looked alright. Travis Etienne would provide most of the grunt work as he rushed for 53 yards for two touchdowns. Christian Kirk's touchdown was somewhat of a redemption as earlier in the game he fumbled on a pass thrown to him which the Saints recovered. In the end, the Jaguars racked up 330 total yards of offense. Derek Carr would get used a lot in this game. The quarterback threw 33 of 55 passes for 301 yards with a touchdown pass to Michael Thomas in the 4th quarter. Carr unfortunately tossed an interception that was picked off by Foye Oluokun that lead to a pick-six that gave the Jags some boost in points. Alvin Kamara rushed for 62 yards in the game on 17 carries as well as getting 91 receiving yards. Taysom Hill would see the end zone while getting 18 yards rushing. New Orleans offense got off to a slow start but did get a respectable 407 total yards of offense. They would go 1 for 3 in goal-to-go situations. For the Jaguars, they improve to 5-2 and will likely maintain some cushion in the AFC South. For the Saints, they drop to 3-4 in 3rd place in the wild NFC South. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: @ Pittsburgh
New Orleans: @ Indianapolis

TW: 1-0; CV: 0-1

Atlanta 16, Tampa Bay 13: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers

Younghoe Koo comes in the clutch yet again for the Falcons. Desmond Ridder was efficient in the game with 19 of 25 passes for 250 yards with no touchdowns but didn't toss an interception either. Ridder would score the only touchdown for the Falcons on the 2-yard line that gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter. Ridder finished with 38 yards rushing. Tyler Allgeier rushed for 59 yards rushing. Cordarrelle Patterson had 56 yards rushing in the game. While the Falcons didn't throw an interception in the game but they did give up the football via fumble three times. They finished with 401 yards of offensive ball in this game. Baker Mayfield hit 27 of 42 passes for 275 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Evans while Mayfield also tossed an interception. The Mike Evans play came on a 2nd and 10 play on the Atlanta 40-yard line for a 40-yard connection. Rashaad White rushed for 34 yards while Mayfield rushed for 32 yards, including a 31-yard run. Mike Evans caught six balls for 82 yards. Tampa got 329 total yards out of their offense. Both teams had trouble finding the endzone as the Falcons went 1 for 5 in redzone and goal to go situations and the Buccaneers went 0 for 2 in redzone and goal to goal situations. For the Falcons, they get to 4-3 and have sole possession of 1st place in the wild NFC South. For the Buccaneers, they drop to 3-3 and lose their 3rd game in the last four games. 

Next week:
Atlanta: @ Tennessee
Tampa Bay: @ Buffalo (Thursday night)

TW: 1-1; CV: 0-2

Buffalo 25, New England 29: TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Patriots three-game losing streak ends as they topple the Bills juggernaut. Josh Allen had his trying moments in this game as he hit 27 of 41 passes for 265 yards with two touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs and James Cook. Allen also tossed an interception that was grabbed by Jabrill Peppers that lead to the Patriots first offensive touchdown. It was their first points off of a turnover this season. Josh Allen would also see the endzone in a tush push play that gave the Bills a temporary lead. The Bills would let loose James Cook with 56 yards rushing. On Tight Ends Day the Bills gave Dalton Kincaid eight catches for 75 yards. Buffalo's offense once again had a slow start but would make it a game in the 2nd half, finishing the game with 339 total yards. Mac Jones would have his finest game thus far with 25 of 30 passes completed for 272 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Kendrick Bourne caught a pass for a touchdown while getting five other catches for 63 yards. Tight end Mike Gesicki caught the other Mac Jones touchdown that ends up being the game-winning one. Rhamondre Stevenson had 34 yards rushing. Ezekiel Elliott would see the endzone on the Patriots first points off a turnover this season on a 2-yard run up the middle. New England's offense got off to a good start, something that they were lacking for a majority of the season, and kept scoring to put up 364 total yards of offense. For the Bills, they drop to 4-3 with the Dolphins getting some cushion in the AFC East. For the Patriots, they get back on a winning column with a 2-5 record. 

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Tampa Bay (Thursday night)
New England: @ Miami

TW: 1-2; CV: 0-3

Cleveland 39, Indianapolis 38: TW: Colts; CV: Colts 

Four total touchdowns from Gardner Minshew would not be enough against the Browns. DeShaun Watson would start in this game but one complete 1 of 5 passes for five yards with an interception. He would leave the game with a concussion. PJ Walker would step in and provide 15 of 32 passes for 178 yards with an interception. Cleveland's running game would provide the scoring. Jerome Ford continues his season with 74 yards rushing with a touchdown that went for 69 yards (nice). The touchdown was the Browns first touchdown on their first drive. Kareem Hunt was the star for the Browns as he scored twice while getting 31 yards rushing. Pierre Strong Jr. had 25 yards rushing. The Browns defense would get a fumble six on a Minshew fumble that was forced by Myles Garrett and recovered by Tony Fields II for a 5-yard score. Dustin Hopkins did the grunt work as he went 4 for 4 on field goals, including a 58-yard attempt. Gardner Minshew hit 15 of 23 passes for 305 yards with two touchdowns but also tossed an interception. The first touchdown came to Josh Downs touchdown came on a 59-yard play that went to the right side of the field. The second touchdown came to Michael Pittman on a 75-yard short pass that the wide out caught and got that Yards After Catch yards to big proportions. Jonathan Taylor scored his first touchdown on the season on a 5-yard play while getting 75 yards rushing on 18 carries. Gardner Minshew had 29 yards rushing while seeing the endzone twice on a 17-yard and 4-yard plays. The total yards for both teams seemed to not match the scoreboard as the Browns got 316 total yards while the Colts got 456 total yards from their offense. For the Browns, they get to 4-2 to keep pace with the Ravens in the AFC North. For the Colts, they drop to 3-4 on the season with some lost pace against the Jaguars in the AFC South. 

Next week:
Cleveland: @ Seattle
Indianapolis: vs New Orleans

TW: 1-3; CV: 0-4 

Detroit 6, Baltimore 38: TW: Lions; CV: Lions

Lamar Jackson's four total touchdowns keeps the Ravens atop against the red-hot Lions. Jared Goff hit 33 of 53 passes for 284 yards with an interception. Jahmyr Gibbs finished with 68 yards rushing with the Lions lone touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 13 balls for 102 receiving yards in the game. The normally powerful Lions offense would either punt the ball or turn the ball over by downs on the Lions first seven drives. Detroit got 337 total yards of offense while getting 29:38 of possession time. Lamar Jackson was on fire in this game as he hit 21 of 27 passes for 357 yards with three touchdowns and rushed for 36 yards with a touchdown run. On National Tight Ends Day, Mark Andrews contributed to the holiday with four catches for 63 yards receiving while seeing the endzone two times. Nelson Agholor caught one ball for 12 yards. Gus Edwards rushed for 64 yards with a touchdown as well. Justice Hill got 46 yards rushing as well. The Ravens offense put up 503 total yards in the game with 146 rushing yards of the team. The 28 of the Ravens 38 points came in the first half. For the Lions, their four-game winning streak comes to an end but have a 5-2 record to look forward to. For the Ravens, they improve to 5-2 with 1st place in the AFC North. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Las Vegas (Monday night)

Baltimore: @ Arizona

TW: 1-4; CV: 0-5

Las Vegas 12, Chicago 30: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders

Tyson Bagent helps the Bears get their 2nd win of the season. Brian Hoyer started for the Raiders but didn't have a good game as he hit 17 of 32 passes for 129 yards and two interceptions. Aidan O'Connell would get some playtime as he hit 10 of 13 passes for 75 yards with a touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers but also tossed an interception. The Jakobi Meyers touchdown came on a short pass to the right for a 9-yard score that came to the 30-12 result as they missed the ensuing 2-point conversion. Josh Jacobs had 35 yards rushing on 11 carries. Turnovers played a huge factor in the game as the Raiders tossed three interceptions that led to Bears scores. Las Vegas' offense had 235 total yards. Tyson Bagent had a better game this week as he hit 21 of 29 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown pass to D'Onta Foreman. Foreman would also get two touchdown runs while racking up 89 yards rushing. Darrynton Evans had 48 yards rushing on 14 carries. Chicago's offense would be without Justin Fields but did put up a respectable 323 total yards in the game while giving up the football zero times. For the Raiders, they drop to 3-4 as they fall back to below .500 football. For the Bears, they improve to 2-5 as they give the Soldier Field faithful something to cheer about. 

Next week:

Las Vegas: @ Detroit (Monday night)
Chicago: @ LA Chargers (Sunday night)

TW: 1-5; CV: 0-6

Washington 7, NY Giants 14: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders

A classic NFC East battle. Sam Howell hit 22 of 42 passes for 249 yards with an interception. The interception was caught by Deonte Banks of the Giants. Brian Robinson had 23 yards rushing with the Commanders lone touchdown. The touchdown was from a 4-yard play which Robinson went to the left and saw the endzone. Chris Rodriguez Jr. rushed for 31 yards on seven carries. Tyrod Taylor hit 18 of 29 passes for 279 yards with two touchdowns to Darren Waller and to Saquon Barkley. Waller contributed to National Tight Ends Day with seven catches for 98 yards. The Saquon Barkley score would see him score on the play and then rush to the bench to catch a breath. He would need one as he hit 77 yards rushing on 21 carries. Washington had 273 total yards while New York had 356 total yards in the game. Defensive football reigned supreme as both teams combined for 6 for 31 on 3rd down conversions. For the Commanders, they drop to 3-4 as they get their fourth loss in the last five games since starting 2-0. For the Giants, their four-game losing streak ends as they improve to 2-5. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Philadelphia

NY Giants: vs NY Jets

TW: 1-6; CV: 0-7

Arizona 10, Seattle 20: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

Two touchdown passes from Geno Smith pave the way in the Emerald City. Joshua Dobbs hit 19 of 33 passes for 146 yards with zero touchdowns or zero interceptions with a touchdown run while racking up 43 yards rushing to finish the game. Emari Demercado rushed for 58 yards with 13 carries in the game. The Cardinals offense got 249 total yards with them getting 127 net rushing yards. They went 5 for 15 on 3rd down conversions while going 0 for 3 in 4th down conversions. They would do all of their scoring during the first half. They would go 51 yards but that resulted in turnover on downs. After the 2nd half, they wouldn't sustain a drive that went more than 20 yards. Geno Smith hit 18 of 24 passes for 219 yards with two touchdowns but also tossed an interception. Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo were the players that caught the passes from Smith. Kenneth Walker would get a 100-yard rushing game as he finished with 105 rushing yards on 26 carries with a 25-yard run being his longest in the game. Seattle would give up three turnovers including the interception but also forced and recovered two fumbles. Fortunately, the Cardinals could not do much with scoring on those turnovers. Seattle got 318 total yards from the offense with 115 rushing yards. For the Cardinals, they drop to 1-6 as they are currently in the midst of a four-game losing streak. For the Seahawks, they improve to 4-2 and keep pace with the 49ers in the NFC West. 

Next week: 
Arizona: vs Baltimore
Seattle: vs Cleveland

TW: 2-6; CV: 1-7

Pittsburgh 24, LA Rams 17: TW: Steelers; CV: Rams

A Steelers surge in the 4th quarter leads them to victory. Kenny Pickett hit 17 of 25 passes for 230 yards with a touchdown run in the 3rd quarter. Pittsburgh's running game would come out firing. Najee Harris rushed for 53 yards with a touchdown run that gave the Steelers the lead. The Steelers scoring in the 4th quarter started on a high-adrenaline run from Jaylen Warren from the Rams 13-yard line and finished with 32 yards rushing. George Pickens caught five balls for 107 yards. Matthew Stafford hit 14 of 29 passes for 231 yards with a touchdown to Tutu Atwell but also tossed an interception that was caught by TJ Watt. The Watt interception lead to the Pickett dive for the touchdown. Royce Freeman rushed for 66 yards on 12 carries. Darnell Henderson would return for this game and rushed for 61 yards with a touchdown run on 18 carries. Both teams were efficient on offense as both teams were perfect on redzone and goal to go situations. The biggest play of the game came on a questionable spot on a Kenny Pickett tush push play on a 4th down and 1 play. Pittsburgh had a even 300 total yards of offense while the Rams got 354 total yards from their offense. For the Steelers, they improve to 4-2 and keep pace with the Ravens and Browns in the AFC North. For the Rams, they drop to 3-4 with fading hopes of a winning season in their midst. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Jacksonville
LA Rams: @ Dallas

TW: 3-6; CV: 1-8

Green Bay 17, Denver 19: TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos

A Jordan Love interception seals the victory in Mile High. Jordan Love hit 21 of 31 passes for 180 yards with two touchdowns but also had an interception that resulted in the last Packers drive in the game. The interception was caught by PJ Locke on a 3rd down and 20 play. It looked to be a forced ball that didn't need to be. AJ Dillon rushed for 61 yards on 15 carries. Aaron Jones rushed for 35 yards on eight carries. It was a slow start for the Packers as they wouldn't get on the board until Anders Carlson hit a 29-yard field goal with 10:28 left in the 3rd quarter. They would miss a field goal, punt three times while ending a half in the 1st half. Russell Wilson hit 20 of 29 passes for 194 yards with a touchdown pass to Cortland Sutton in the 3rd quarter. He would not toss an interception in the game so that's cool I guess. Javonte Williams rushed for 82 yards on 15 carries. Wil Lutz hit 4 for 4 on field goals that gave the total point count for the Broncos to 19. It was a mixed bag of results for the Broncos offense as they would only punt three times during the whole game. For total yards the two teams were similar as the Packers got 331 total yards of offense while the Broncos had 339 total yards of offense. For the Packers, they drop to 2-4 on the 2023 season as they are seeing the basement of the NFC North. For the Broncos, they move to 2-5 as they snap a two-game losing streak and get their 2nd win in the last five games. 

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Minnesota
Denver: vs Kansas City

TW: 4-6; CV: 2-8

LA Chargers 17, Kansas City 31: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

Travis Kelce did the most contributing on this National Tight Ends Day. Justin Herbert hit 17 of 30 passes for 259 yards with a touchdown pass to Gerald Everett as he did some contributing to the holiday. Herbert wouldn't contribute a whole lot to the cause as he tossed two interceptions to Chiefs Ljarius Sneed and Bryan Cook. Joshua Kelley had a good day as he rushed for 75 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown was scored on a 49-yard run in the 2nd quarter that tied the game at 10. The Chargers got 358 total yards of offense. They would not score a point in the 2nd half. Patrick Mahomes hit 32 of 42 passes for 424 yards with four touchdown passes with an interception. Travis Kelce, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Rasheed Rice and Isiah Pacheco were the players that caught those passes from Mahomes. Travis Kelce did the most damage as he had 179 of those 424 yards as he could make his case as being the best tight end in the NFL. Isiah Pacheco had 32 rushing yards on 13 carries. Safe to say that Taylor Swift was once again at Arrowhead and included Brittany Mahomes in a celebration dance. Kansas City had one of their best offensive performances of the season as they racked up 483 total yards in the game. For the Chargers, they drop a huge division game as they drop to 2-4 with the Broncos sneaking up behind them. For the Chiefs, they improve to an AFC best 6-1 record with a nice cushion in the AFC West. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Chicago (Sunday night)
Kansas City: @ Denver

TW: 5-6; CV: 3-8

Miami 17, Philadelphia 31: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins

The Eagles Kelly Green uniforms though. Tua Tagovailoa threw 23 of 32 passes for 216 yards with a touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill with 45 seconds left in the 2nd half that would decrease the Eagle lead to a 17-10 score. Raheem Mostert rushed for 45 yards on nine carries. Miami's defense would take a pick-six that was grabbed by Jerome Baker that gave the Dolphins a 17-17 tie in the 3rd quarter. All in all, the Dolphins offense was quiet as they got only 244 total yards of offense. Jalen Hurts rebounded from a rough game against the Jets last week. He hit 23 of 31 passes for 279 yards with two touchdowns to AJ Brown and Dallas Goedert. He would also throw the aforementioned interception that was grabbed by Jerome Baker. Jalen Hurts would also do damage with his legs as he got into the endzone while getting 21 yards rushing. D'Andre Swift rushed for 62 yards. Kenneth Gainwell rushed for 16 yards with a touchdown run. AJ Brown finished with 10 catches for 137 yards. Dallas Goedert took part in the National Tight Ends Day with five catches for 77 yards with a touchdown. Philadelphia's offense would do some work as they got 355 total yards in the game. Philadelphia dominated in the time of possession category as the Eagles got 36:43 while the Dolphins got 23:17 of possession time. Interestingly, the Eagles would go perfect on 4th down conversions as they got through four times. For the Dolphins, they drop to 5-2 with the 2nd best record in the AFC. For the Eagles, they join the Chiefs with the best records in the NFL with 6-1. 

Next week:
Miami: vs New England
Philadelphia: @ Washington

TW: 5-7; CV: 3-9

San Francisco 17, Minnesota 22: TW: 49ers; CV: Vikings 

Two touchdowns and two interceptions lift the Vikings past the 49ers. Brock Purdy wasn't at his best in this game as he hit 21 of 30 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey and threw two interceptions to Camryn Bynum. Christian McCaffrey would also run into the endzone for a score while getting 45 rushing yards while putting up 51 receiving yards with the aforementioned touchdown. It might not have been National Tight Ends Day on Monday but the founder of the holiday George Kittle put up 78 receiving yards on five catches. San Francisco's offense got to 325 total yards. The turnovers played a role in their loss but I would imagine the game would've been different if Deebo Samuel played. Kirk Cousins, who usually does poorly in primetime games, did well enough. He hit 35 of 45 passes for 378 yards with two touchdown passes to Jordan Addison. Cousins would toss an interception to Chavarius Ward. Alexander Mattison would get some meager rushing yards as he hit 39 yards. Cam Akers had 31 rushing yards. TJ Hockenson did better in this game compared to his counterpart an contributed to 11 catches for 86 yards but I'm sure Hockenson paid homage to the founder of National Tight Ends Day. Jordan Addison had a game as he caught seven passes for 123 receiving yards. Minnesota had one of their better games on offense as they got to 452 total yards with 378 of them coming from the pass. For the 49ers, it is their 2nd straight loss as they drop to 5-2. For the Vikings, it is their 3rd win in the last four games as they get to 3-4.

Next week:
San Francisco: vs Cincinnati
Minnesota: @ Green Bay

TW: 5-8; CV: 4-9

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 13-3
Week 5: 6-8

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Total: 60-46

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

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Total: 65-41

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 8 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom