NFL 2023 Conference Championship Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. After all the carnage of training camp and the regular season. Through the bloodbath of the playoffs. We now have our two teams that will represent both the American Football Conference and the National Football Conference in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. The representative from the AFC is the Kansas City Chiefs and the representative for the NFC is the San Francisco 49ers.

NFL Conference Championship Freaky Stat

For the fourth time in five years, the Kansas City Chiefs are AFC champions. Only the 1990's Buffalo Bills and 2010's New England Patriots have equaled that number. The Lions last road playoff win came in the 1957 playoffs against the 49ers. The Lions won by overcoming a 24-7 deficit. In the NFC Championship game, the Lions had a 24-7 lead and the 49ers overcame it. 

NFL Conference Championship Recap

Kansas City 17, Baltimore 10: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

Patrick Mahomes is still undefeated in road playoff games. Patrick Mahomes hit 30 of 39 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce. The pass to Kelce came on the Chiefs first drive in the game on a 19-yard, deep pass to the right. Travis Kelce was the workhorse in the game with 11 catches for 116 receiving yards with the aforementioned touchdown. Isiah Pacheco carried the ball for 24 carries for 68 yards with the Chiefs 2nd touchdown on a 2-yard run to the left. Harrison Butker hit one field goal from 52 yards that gave the Chiefs the 17 points in the game. Kansas City would put up the yardage mostly in the 1st half but finished with 319 total yards to close out the game. The key to the win was protecting Mahomes and limiting the Ravens offense to 110 total yards at halftime. It also helped when the Chiefs defense recovered two fumbles and one interception. Lamar Jackson would have a trying game as he hit 20 of 37 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown pass to Zay Flowers on the Ravens 2nd drive in the 1st quarter. Lamar Jackson's legs rushed for 54 yards on eight carries. Gus Edwards rushed for 20 yards on three carries. Zay Flowers had a game of good and bad. The good was him catching five passes for 115 yards with a touchdown. The bad would come on a taunting penalty and a fumble that Flowers had while diving into the endzone. Baltimore started slow on offense with 110 total yards at halftime but managed to get to 336 total yards to finish the game. The total yardage was there, the points were not. On two drives where the Ravens were driving down the field, they gave up the ball twice on a fumble and an interception. Penalties were the thing that killed the Ravens in the game as they were flagged eight times for 95 yards. The ones that hurt the most was the taunting, 12 men on the field and the unnecessary roughness flags. One shocking thing was that the Ravens only rushed the ball sixteen times when they were the #1 rushing team in the NFL. Suffice to say the mistakes and turnovers costed them a chance to move on. For the Chiefs, they move on and take on the  in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. For the Ravens, their magical season falters in a gut punching way and will have to watch the Super Bowl at home. 

Next game: 

Kansas City: Super Bowl LVIII vs San Francisco
Baltimore: hang out at home and watch the Super Bowl

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Detroit 31, San Francisco 34: TW: Lions; CV: Lions

A tale of two halves. Jared Goff hit 25 of 41 passes for 273 yards with a touchdown pass to Jameson Williams that would cut the 49er lead to a 34-31 score. Jameson Williams the runner scored the Lions first touchdown on a 42-yard play on the Lions first drive with 13:27 left in the 1st quarter. David Montgomery had the most carries with 15 carries for 93 yards with a touchdown. Jahmyr Gibbs had 45 yards rushing on 12 carries with a touchdown. The Lions running game did the scoring for most of the 1st half. The Lions had at one point a 24-7 lead at halftime. The turning point of the game came on a questionable decision by head coach Dan Campbell on a 4th down and 2 play early in the 3rd quarter on the 49ers 28-yard line. After that things happened for the 49ers. At the end of the game, the Lions had 442 total yards of offense. Brock Purdy didn't do so well in his first NFC championship game last year. In this year's reiteration of the event, he did alright. He hit 20 of 31 passes for 267 yards with a touchdown pass to Brandon Aiyuk for a 6-yard score that would eventually cut the Lions lead to a 24-17 score. Christian McCaffrey would have the game of his life as he rushed for 90 yards with two touchdown runs of 2 and 1 yard scores. He had 20 carries with a carry of 25 yards in the game. Elijah Mitchell scored the final 49ers touchdown on a run up the gut for a 3-yard score. It would be the score that gave the Niners the 34 points they need to win. Brock Purdy had five carries for 48 yards in the game. San Francisco had 413 total yards in the game. Another big momentum swing for the Niners was a pass play to Brandon Aiyuk that looked like an incompletion. The Lions defender Kindle Vildor bobbled the ball, Aiyuk collected it and recovered it. It was one of the more insane plays of the season for sure. A key to the game was obviously the 4th down stop but shutting down the Lions run game in the 2nd half was important as only one of the Lions five drives resulted in a score. Once the 49ers had momentum, it was damn near impossible to stop them. For the Lions, their impressive season ends in disappointment as they were 17 points and 30 minutes away from going to Super Bowl LVIII. They have some things to build on for next year though. For the 49ers, they will go to Super Bowl LVIII, their 2nd trip to the big game in five years and their 8th overall as a franchise. 

Next week: 
Detroit: go to a Red Wings game and chant Jared Goff. 
San Francisco: Super Bowl LVIII @ Kansas City

TW: 0-2; CV: 0-2

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

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

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Super Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Divisional Playoff: 3-1

Conference Championship: 0-2

Total: 153-131

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

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Divisional Playoff: 2-2

Conference Championship: 0-2

Total: 167-117

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 February 5th for the Super Bowl LVIII Pick post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Conference Championship Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us! Of the 32 teams that started out in early September, we are now at the NFL's version of the Final Four. The Kansas City Chiefs will head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens for the American Football Conference's spot for the Super Bowl. The Detroit Lions will go to San Francisco for the National Football Conference's spot for the Super Bowl. These four teams will be reduced to two and will go on to play for the biggest prize: the Lombardi Trophy. In this post, I will do a preview of the Championship Sunday, the picks for the two games and the broadcast pairings for the games. Let's get to work!

Conference Championship Preview

Championship Sunday will get started in Baltimore, Maryland and finish up in Santa Clara, California. There will be two games played where four teams will compete in. CBS will have first dibs with the AFC Championship game and FOX will get the primetime slot for the NFC Championship game. 

Conference Championship Picks

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

Kansas City @ Baltimore (CBS; 3:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Chiefs beat the Bills and the Ravens beat the Texans last week. First up on the Championship Sunday docket is a matchup between two good quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes did good in his road playoff debut and didn't turn the ball over during that game against Buffalo. The Chiefs did have their problems with fumbles and not generating enough offense. I think the Chiefs offense will have to play their best game against the Ravens defense. No dropped passes and keeping Lamar Jackson off the field. With that, Isiah Pacheco will need to have to have another solid game in running the ball. Baltimore was able to handle the Texans. Houston was somewhat of an inexperienced team in getting to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Baltimore celebrating like they did last Saturday was a bit of a shocker. They danced like they won something. John Harbaugh needs to get his troops back in line and respect the Chiefs. The Ravens running game is sound, I'm not all sold on their passing attack. If the Ravens want to win they will need to ensure that Jackson is upright. The Ravens will also need to get their passing game going as if you go one-dimensional as an offense, it'll be a tough day to get it back. It seems like a toss up but I think the Ravens will take it by a field goal. 

Detroit @ San Francisco (FOX; 6:30 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Lions

The Lions beat the Buccaneers and the 49ers beat the Packers last week. The 2nd game on the docket for the right to be the National Football Conference's champion in the Super Bowl. The Lions come into the game with big wins against the Rams and Buccaneers. Their offense has looked as good as it has been all season. They will have their best best of the season in taking on the vaunted 49ers defense. They do their best in rushing the passer, forcing the quarterback to throw into tough situations. Detroit's defense has some good pass rushers but the defense outside of that is a bit suspect. They are 29th in the NFL against the pass. Might be a tough call for the Lions faithful in having faith in their defense. If Brock Purdy can take charge and throw the ball to his pass catchers. There is somewhat of a problem. If Deebo Samuel is unable to play it will make things a bit tougher for the 49ers. What Deebo brings was a speedster that can catch passes and a versatile running back. Essentially the utility guy for the 49ers plan of attack. The 49ers should try to rattle Jared Goff early and often. Whether it be pressuring or hitting him. A rattled quarterback means mistakes for the offense and opportunities for the defense. I do think the 49ers are the better team on paper but I think the Lions feel like a team with momentum. I'll take the Lions to go to Las Vegas. 

TV Broadcast Pairings

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

Kansas City @ Baltimore

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson

Detroit @ San Francisco

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson, Erin Andrews

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

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

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Super Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Divisional Playoff: 3-1

Total: 153-129

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

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Divisional Playoff: 2-2

Total: 167-115

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 NFC Championship game for the Conference Championship Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Divisional Playoff Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. 

NFL Divisional Playoff Freaky Stat

The Baltimore Ravens will get to host the AFC championship game for the first time in their history. You have to go back to the 1970 Baltimore Colts hosting the AFC championship game for the last time that a Baltimore-based team had hosted a conference championship. They hosted the NFL championship game in 1959 and 1968. 

NFL Divisional Playoff Recap

Houston 10, Baltimore 34: TW: Ravens; CV: Texans

It was a slow start but the Ravens will get to host their first championship game in Ravens history. CJ Stroud wouldn't be much of a factor in this game. He hit 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards and rushed for nine yards. His running back help was a hinderance as Devin Singletary rushed for 22 yards on nine carries. It would be a special teams touchdown that would get the Texans going on a Steven Sims 67-yard punt return shortly before halftime. It would be the last time the Texans score for the rest of the 2023 season. Houston's offense was held to 213 total yards. The recipe for the Texans struggles on offense was keeping the running game in check while being forced into long 3rd down situations. Sustaining drives was also a topic of conversation as the Texans were held to just 22:25 time of possession with only 10 first downs. Lamar Jackson was spectacular in his first playoff game since 2021. The passer hit 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards with two touchdowns. The runner also scored two touchdowns while achieving the 100-yard mark. The first passing touchdown went to Nelson Agholor for a short, 3-yard play down the middle in the 2nd quarter. The second touchdown went to Isiah Likely for a 15-yard touchdown where Likely had to leap to grab the ball. Jackson's runs for scores were from 15 and 8 yards. In previous games, turnovers were where the hurt came on the Ravens, in past playoff games Jackson's turnovers came to seven. Jackson had zero turnovers in this one. Baltimore would find success in running the ball as a collective the Ravens ran for 229 yards. Justice Hill rushed for 66 yards. Gus Edwards rushed for 40 yards. Newly acquired Dalvin Cook had 23 yards rushing. Baltimore had success in getting first downs as they had 22 first downs and held the ball for 37:35. For the Texans, their magical season ends in defeat but their future is bright with a rookie head coach and quarterback. For the Ravens, they move on and host an AFC championship game for the first time in their history and the first since January of 1971. 

Next week:
Houston: eat Texas barbeque or something
Baltimore: Conference championship vs Kansas City

TW: 1-0; CV: 0-1

Green Bay 21, San Francisco 24: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

Dre Greenlaw called game. Jordan Love went to rainy Santa Clara and did eh. He hit 21 of 34 passes for 194 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The two interceptions were grabbed by linebacker Dre Greenlaw. One of them was the game-sealing one for the Niners on a pass down the middle off of a really awkward Love throw. The first touchdown went to Bo Melton for a big 19-yard play. The second touchdown went to Tucker Kraft for a 2-yard play. Aaron Jones rushed for a big game with 18 carries for 108 yards including a 53-yard run. Romeo Doubs had four catches for 83 yards. The Packers had their chances to win. Whether it be the missed or dropped passes for interceptions that Brock Purdy threw. Or the Anders Carlson field goal that was missed and gave the Niners a chance to get the go-ahead touchdown. It felt that despite the turnovers, the Packers were probably the better team. Special teams played a part as Kiesen Nixon returned two kicks for 73 yards, one kickoff return came on a return that came down to the 49ers 20-yard line. They definitely almost pulled off the upset win. The Packers hit 330 yards of offense in the game. Brock Purdy got it done when it mattered most. He hit 23 of 39 passes for 252 yards with a touchdown pass to George Kittle on a 32-yard pass where the tight end was moving left and right to get to the endzone. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 98 yards on 17 carries. He rushed into the endzone on 39 yards and then the 6-yard touchdown that put the Niners in the lead for good. San Francisco got 356 total yards in the game. The Niners struggles really stem from not getting enough production in the passing game. They were mostly held in check by the Packers pass defense. Penalties also played a part as the Niners were flagged six times for 83 yards. They also punted four times compared to the Packers only punting once. For the Packers, their surprise season ends on a sour note but the future is bright in the first year of the Jordan Love era. For the Niners, they will host the NFC championship game for the first time since 2019 and will play in their fourth championship game in five years. 

Next week: 
Green Bay: eat some cheese curds or go to Bucks game.
San Francisco: Conference championship vs Detroit

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

Tampa Bay 23, Detroit 31: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Lions

Derrick Barnes makes the play that will live in Detroit sports lore for decades to come. Baker Mayfield hit 26 of 41 passes for 349 yards with three touchdowns but also tossed two interceptions. One of those interceptions came to Derrick Barnes as I mentioned before. The first touchdown came to Cade Otton in the 2nd quarter on a short 2-yard pass play. The 2nd touchdown went to Rachaad White on a red zone trip for a 12-yard score. The third touchdown went to Mike Evans on a 16-yard score. They didn't score again after 4:37 left in the 4th quarter. Rachaad White rushed for 55 yards on nine carries. The Mayfield to Mike Evans connection was prosperous for the Buccaneers as the wide receiver caught eight passes for 147 yards. Tampa Bay had 408 total yards in the game. The theme for the Buccaneers in the game was not sustaining drives and not keeping the football in their hands by not turning the ball over. Sacks played a part as Mayfield was sacked four times. Jared Goff played well in the game. He hit 30 of 43 passes for 287 yards with two touchdowns. The first touchdown went to Josh Reynolds for a 9-yard score up the middle. The 2nd touchdown went to Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 9-yard score where the Sun God was found on the right side of the field. It would be the score that gave the Lions the 31 points. The Lions running game would find the endzone as well. The first rushing touchdown went to Craig Reynolds on a play up the middle, for a 1-yard score up the Buccaneers throats. It was Reynolds only carry in the game. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 74 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown was a 31-yard power run to the left. David Montgomery rushed for 33 yards on 10 carries. Amon Ra St. Brown caught eight passes for 77 yards. The Lions offense had 391 total yards of offense in the game. The success to the Lions in the game was the ability to sustain drives as they had 32 minutes of possession time. They had success on 3rd down as they had 6 of 14 conversions while the Buccaneers had 4 of 12. The Lions could've put forth more points as they had finished with 3 of 4 chances in the redzone and 2 of 3 in goal-to-go situations. It felt a bit closer than it seemed for sure. For the Buccaneers, their season ends in the Motor City but have something to build on into 2024. For the Lions, they will go to the NFC championship game for the first time in 33 years as they travel to San Francisco to meet the 49ers next Sunday. 

Next week: 
Tampa Bay: watch a Lightning game or something

Detroit: Conference championship @ San Francisco

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Kansas City 27, Buffalo 24: TW: Bills; CV: Chiefs

Tyler Bass, meet Scott Norwood. You might get along quite nice. Patrick Mahomes entered his first road playoff game. The passer did fine as he hit 17 of 23 passes for 215 yards with two touchdowns. Much to everyone's surprise, both of the touchdowns went to Travis Kelce for 22 and and 3-yard scores. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 97 yards on 15 carries. He scored the last touchdown of the game for the Chiefs on a 4-yard run that gave the Chiefs a 27-24 lead. Travis Kelce had five catches for 75 yards. The key to the Chiefs offense was ensuring that they didn't turn the ball over while getting the ball to their key pass catchers. The Bills defense couldn't stop Patrick Mahomes as they had plenty of banged up players. Kansas City finished the game with 361 total yards. There was a miscue as Mecole Hardman tried to reach for the endzone but fumbled the ball into the endzone. Thus it was a result of a touchback and the Bills ball. Josh Allen had a solid game. He hit 26 of 39 passes for 186 yards with a touchdown pass to Khalil Shakir. The touchdown came to Shakir on a pass that looked like Shakir had to catch it with his tippy toes. It was the last Bills score of the season. Josh Allen the runner had 72 yards rushing with two touchdowns. The Allen touchdowns came on plays for 5 and 2-yard plays. James Cook had 61 yards rushing on 18 carries. Ty Johnson had 40 yards rushing with 7 carries. Buffalo had 368 total yards in the game. The issues for the Bills stem on special teams. They decided to go for a fake punt but sadly that backfired. Granted the ensuing Chiefs possession lead to the Hardman touchback. A lot of blame will go to Tyler Bass who missed the field goal but I think the Bills sequence of plays prior to the field goal was head scratching. The first down play was a James Cook run for 1-yard gain. The 2nd down play was a deep pass play to Shakir that ended up being an incompletion. The 3rd down play was a pass play that ended up being a throwaway. Definitely a questionable sequence of plays. The 44-yard field goal try wasn't a guarantee as the wind was blowing a fair bit from left to right. Unfortunately, he might get the blame for most of the Bills woes. For the Chiefs, they move on and play the Ravens in the AFC championship game next Sunday. For the Bills, the season ends in another heartbreaking way and will have some big decisions to make in the offseason. 

Next week: 
Kansas City: Conference championship @ Baltimore

Buffalo: eat some buffalo wings at B dubs or something

TW: 2-2; CV: 3-1

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

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

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Super Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Divisional Playoff: 3-1

Total: 153-129

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

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Divisional Playoff: 2-2

Total: 167-115

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/Friday for the Conference Championship picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Divisional Playoff Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again! The Wild Card playoffs are over and the best weekend of the NFL season (in my opinion) is here. My favorite round of the playoffs is the Divisional round. It is truly the mark of a David vs Goliath matchup. You have the teams that have the momentum going their way (David) and the #1 seeded teams (Goliath) going at it. Whether or not who gets the upper hand will yet to be seen.

Divisional Playoff Preview

The NFL's Divisional Playoff round will start in Baltimore, Maryland and finish up in Orchard Park, New York. There will be four games played where eight teams will play. Two games will be played on Saturday and two games will be played on Sunday. Saturday's games will be televised on ABC and FOX. Sunday's games will be televised by NBC and CBS. Let's get to the picks!

Divisional Playoff Picks

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

Houston @ Baltimore (ABC/ESPN; 4:30 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Texans

The Texans beat the Browns and the Ravens had the bye last week. Houston looked really good against Cleveland. They made mince meat of the Browns defense. They turned the ball over on the Browns offense that looked good. They essentially destroyed them. Baltimore should be on high awareness that this team can do the same to them. CJ Stroud took advantage of the good protection and if the Ravens don't get in his face early and often, he will find a way to destroy you. Baltimore has had a history of getting to the Divisional playoff and fade away. The best way to combat the week layoff is to just play smart conservative football and then crank it up during the course of the game. Get the running game going and protect the ball. I still have faith in the Ravens to get it done but they cannot take the Texans lightly and have some respect for them going into this game. 

Green Bay @ San Francisco (FOX; 7:15 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

The Packers beat the Cowboys and the 49ers had a bye last week. Green Bay prevailed in an upset win against the Cowboys. They took advantage of mistakes that the Cowboys made and really put the hurt on Dallas on defense. Granted the Packers offense was quite efficient as Jordan Love and Aaron Jones scored three touchdowns each in their respective categories. San Francisco looks to be the safer bet of the two #1 seeds coming into Divisional weekend. The Niners are healthy for once in the playoffs, their offense and defense are solid across the board. I question whether or not the loss to the Rams in Week 18 will have any lingering effects on them. Like the Texans, the Packers are a team that you shouldn't take lightly. They will use the "No one expects us to win so let's just play out here with nothing to lose" mantra to heart. I think if the 49ers are going to win they will need to make the Green Bay wide receivers beat you and gameplan around stopping Aaron Jones. Green Bay's plan of attack is to sustain drives and to know where Nick Bosa and Chase Young are at all times. I think San Fran moves on. 

Tampa Bay @ Detroit (NBC; 3:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Lions

The Buccaneers beat the Eagles and the Lions beat the Rams last week. A classic NFC Central matchup. The Buccaneers come into this game with a big win against the defending conference champion Eagles. They really got to them defensively, forcing turnovers, forcing many later down and long situations, as well as stopping the Tush Push. The Eagles bowing out means that the NFC is going to be wide open as well as having a new champion in its midst. Offensively the Buccaneers are right there with the rest of the NFL. They can put it in the air with many weapons and the ground with some decent choices at running back. The Lions come off a big win as well. A win 30+ years in the making. Jared Goff and company did just enough to pull off the win and then some. I do question how well their defense can handle the many weapons of the Buccaneers wide receiving corp. Detroit might have a challenge in its midst if they can't stop the Bucs passing game. They should be able to handle their running game. I think the Lions luck ends against the Bucs. 

Kansas City @ Buffalo (CBS; 6:30 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Chiefs

The Chiefs beat the Dolphins and the Bills beat the Steelers last week. Divisional weekend wraps up with Allen-Mahomes, like it should. For the first time in his career, Patrick Mahomes will have to travel to another team's stadium in a game that is not the Super Bowl. It's true that he will have to put on road white uniforms for this game. It is also the first time that Allen-Mahomes will be played in Josh Allen's house. I'm not sure how well Mahomes will face in a hostile environment. He has played road games before in the regular season and has done fairly well. The Chiefs offense has been off a bit. They just miss a detail or two and they fall apart like that. The defense has played well. Buffalo is coming off a big win with a bit less rest but still will be ready to do battle. It is against a formidable foe so all hands will be on deck for sure. It's a toss-up but I will take the home team and give Patrick Mahomes his first road playoff loss. 

TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: All games are being televised nationally

Houston @ Baltimore

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Green Bay @ San Francisco

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Tampa Bay @ Detroit

Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth

Kansas City @ Buffalo

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

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

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

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Super Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Total: 150-128

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

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Total: 165-113

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 Sunday night game for the Divisional Playoff Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Super Wild Card Weekend Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The first weekend of the NFL playoffs wrapped up. There was some interesting storylines to come out of it. Such storylines like a blowout in Houston and Kansas City, an upset in Dallas, a history making game in Detroit, a snow-ridden game in Buffalo and a blowout in Tampa. All those storylines and the games in this week's recap post!

NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Freaky Stat

Green Bay is 6-0 while playing the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. This includes regular season and playoffs. Baker Mayfield joins Tom Brady as the only two quarterbacks in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history to throw 300 yards in a playoff game. 

NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Recap

Cleveland 14, Houston 45: TW: Browns; CV: Browns

Joe Flacco's Cinderella run ends in Houston. Flacco hit 34 of 46 passes for 307 yards with a touchdown pass to Kareem Hunt in the 2nd quarter. The play was a short pass as Hunt was the checkdown receiver for a 11-yard score. It would be the last score that Cleveland would see in the game. Flacco was roughed up all game and tossed two interceptions. He was sacked four times. Both of the Flacco passes was picked off by Steven Nelson and Nelson proceeded to return it to the endzone for an 82-yard pick six. The other pick-six was grabbed by Christian Harris for a 36-yard pick-six. Kareen Hunt would get 26 yards rushing with a touchdown up the middle for a 1-yard play. Cleveland finished the game with 324 total yards in the game. CJ Stroud was spectacular in his playoff debut. He hit 16 of 21 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns passes. Nico Collins, Brevin Jordan and Dalton Schultz were the players that caught the passes from Stroud for six points. Nico Collins caught the first in the 1st quarter. Stroud found Schultz for a 37-yard for the 2nd touchdown. The third and final touchdown came on the longest play of the game, a 76-yard connection to Jordan. Houston would add a rushing touchdown to the game with a 19-yard run to the endzone for Devin Singletary. The Texans put the hurt on the Browns with 356 total yards in the game. Cleveland dominated the time of possession but the turnovers proved to be too much for them as the Texans really made things difficult to Joe Flacco who had for the most part an easier time of things. For the Browns, their season ends with a beatdown but have some things to look forward to into 2024 if they can stay healthy. For the Texans, they get their first playoff win since 2019 and will move onto the Divisional round. 

Next week: 
Cleveland: watch a Cleveland Cavaliers game or something

Houston: Divisional playoff

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Miami 7, Kansas City 26: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The Chiefs ice the Dolphins in the 4th coldest game in NFL history. Tua Tagovailoa was mostly cold as he hit 20 of 39 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The one thawing moment was a Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill connection for a 53-yard score in the 2nd quarter. It would cut the Chiefs lead to a 10-7 margin. They wouldn't get another shot at six the rest of the game. The big factor in the loss was Miami's running game staying relatively cold. Raheem Mostert was the leading rusher for the Dolphins with 33 yards rushing on eight carries. The offensive stats on the Dolphins were quite chilling as they racked up just 264 total yards, converted just one 3rd down conversion and had just 13 first downs, compared to the Chiefs 25. Patrick Mahomes hit 23 of 41 passes for 262 yards with a touchdown pass to Rashee Rice. The touchdown to Rice came on the Chiefs first drive with a 11-yard play. With the ineffectiveness of the passing game, the Chiefs gave the rock to Isiah Pacheco. Pacheco carried the ball 24 times for 89 yards with a 3-yard touchdown to ice the victory. Patrick Mahomes played running back two times for 41 yards. On a 28-yard rush, Mahomes took a hit to the helmet that made it crack like an ice cube in water. Rashee Rice caught eight passes for 130 yards. Kansas City got 409 total yards in the game. The game became the coldest game in Arrowhead's history since the stadium opened up in 1972. The kickoff temperature started at -1 degrees Fahrenheit. At the end of the game it reached a -8 with a -30+ degree wind chill. For the Dolphins, the promising season ends with another one-and-done exit out of the playoffs. For the Chiefs, they move onto the Divisional for the 6th straight season. 

Next week: 
Miami: Go catch fish at a mangrove or see a Pitbull concert

Kansas City: Divisional playoff 

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Green Bay 48, Dallas 30: TW: Packers; CV: Cowboys

Green Bay's 27 points in the first half dooms the Cowboys. Jordan Love was spectacular in his playoff debut. He hit 16 of 21 passes for 272 yards with three touchdown passes. Dontayvion Wicks caught the first touchdown on a 20-yard play in the 2nd quarter. Luke Musgrave caught the 2nd in the 3rd quarter on a deep pass play for 38 yards. Romeo Doubs caught the 3rd on a 3-yard play that would put the Packers at 48. Aaron Jones ran over the Cowboys defense with three touchdowns on 3, 1 and 9 yard plays. Darnell Savage caught a Dak Prescott pass and ran it back to the endzone for a 64-yard pick-six. If there was a blemish on the Packers game it would be an Andrew Carlson missing a point after. The Packers put up 415 total yards in the game. Green Bay took advantage of turnovers in the game as the Cowboys gave up the ball twice via interception. Dak Prescott hit 41 of 60 passes for 403 yards with three touchdowns to Jake Ferguson. Ferguson caught the passes for 1, 14 and 7 yard plays. Prescott did throw two interceptions as mentioned before. Tony Pollard rushed for a touchdown on a 1-yard play. Pollard rushed for 56 yards. Despite the loss, the Cowboys had 510 total yards of offense in the game. They had 89 total plays compared to the Packers 54 plays. For first downs, the Cowboys had 37 and the Packers had 22. For the Packers, they move on to take on the 49ers next week for the Divisional round. For the Cowboys, it is another one-and-done season with speculation for Mike McCarthy's job on the line. 

Next week: 
Green Bay: Divisional round playoff @ San Francisco

Dallas: go to a honky tonk bar or a Mavericks game

TW: 2-1; 1-2

LA Rams 23, Detroit 24: TW: Lions; CV: Rams

The Lions stave off the Rams and win their first playoff game in Ford Field. Matthew Stafford made his return to Ford Field for the first time since the 2020 season. He hit 25 of 36 passes for 367 yards with two touchdown passes to Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell. Kyren Williams rushed 13 times for 61 yards. Puka Nacua made the most of his playoff debut as he caught nine passes for 181 yards. Los Angeles put up 425 total yards in the game, a solid performance from them but came up just short by a couple of points on the scoreboard. The Rams gained 22 first downs while converting three 3rd down conversions. Jared Goff hit 22 of 27 passes for 277 yards with a touchdown to Sam LaPorta in the 2nd quarter. The tandem of David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs did the rest of the scoring for the Lions. David Montgomery got 14 carries for 57 yards with a touchdown run. Jahmyr Gibbs rushed eight times for 25 yards and a touchdown. AmonRa St. Brown had a spectacular game with seven catches for 110 yards. Josh Reynolds caught five passes for 80 yards. Detroit's offense only put up 334 total yards in the game. If there was a difference between the teams was that the Lions had one more first down with 23 first downs. Maybe it was that was the difference. Just a play or two for the Rams that might've made a difference. For the Rams, their season ends on a whimper but have some bright future to look forward to in 2024. For the Lions, they win their first playoff game since beating the Cowboys in the 1991 Divisional playoff and their 2nd playoff win since winning the 1957 NFL championship. They will move on to host the winner of the Eagles-Buccaneers matchup.

Next week: 
LA Rams: catch a Lakers game or something

Detroit: Divisional Playoff vs Philadelphia/Tampa Bay

TW: 3-1; CV: 1-3

Pittsburgh 17, Buffalo 31: TW: Bills; CV: Bills

In snow-ridden Buffalo, the Bills prevail against the Steelers. Mason Rudolph did alright in the game. He hit 22 of 39 passes for 229 yards with two touchdown passes and threw an interception. The first touchdown went to Diontae Johnson in the 2nd quarter on a two-minute drill drive. The drive was a product of a Bills blocked punt. The 2nd touchdown went to Calvin Austin III in the 4th quarter that cut the Bills lead to a 24-17 score. Jaylen Warren rushed for 38 yards on eight carries. Najee Harris rushed for 37 yards on 12 carries. Safe to say the Bills would keep the Steelers run game on ice. Pittsburgh's offense had 324 total yards in the game. Josh Allen was spectacular in the game as he had four total touchdowns. The quarterback hit 21 of 30 passes for 203 yards with three touchdowns. He rushed eight times for 74 yards with a 52-yard run for a touchdown. Dawson Knox, Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir caught the passes from Allen. It would be the Shakir touchdown that iced the victory cake for the Bills. James Cook rushed for 79 yards on 18 carries. The Bills offense got 368 total yards in the game. The game was a result of a widespread Blizzard that engulfed all of Western New York. The area received roughly 48 inches of snow in a given time period. For the Steelers, the loss ends a promising season for them with possible doubt to the future of head coach Mike Tomlin. For the Bills, they move on to host the Kansas City Chiefs as Allen-Mahomes will be played in Josh Allen's house for the first time in the rivalry. 

Next week: 
Pittsburgh: eat a pierogi
Buffalo: Divisional Playoff vs Kansas City

TW: 4-1; CV: 2-3

Philadelphia 9, Tampa Bay 32: TW: Eagles; CV: Buccaneers

We will have a new champion coming out of the NFC after this game. Jalen Hurts hit 25 of 35 passes for 250 yards with a touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert in the 2nd quarter. On the play, Hurts found Goedert drifting to the right. The Eagles missed on the ensuing 2-point conversion. They wouldn't score again the rest of the game. D'Andre Swift rushed for 34 yards on 10 carries. Devonta Smith had a good game catching the football with eight catches for 148 yards. Much to the Eagles struggles stemmed from not being able to convert on 3rd downs as they went 0 for 9 on those chances as well as went 0 for 2 on 4th down conversions. The imbalance and inability to get first downs to sustain drives was also a factor in the game. Philadelphia finished with 276 total yards in the game. Baker Mayfield had a good day as he hit 22 of 36 passes for 337 yards with three touchdown passes. The first touchdown went to David Moore which ran it in for 44 yards and a breakdown in defensive play. The 2nd touchdown went to Trey Palmer for a 56-yard play that originated as a short pass. The third and final touchdown came to Chris Godwin for a deep 23-yard pass up the middle where Godwin had to battle through both linebackers and the Eagles secondary. Rachaad White rushed for 72 yards in the game on 18 carries. Tampa would get a safety on a Jalen Hurts pass play that was flagged as an Unintentional Grounding penalty. Due to him being in the endzone, NFL rules ruled that it would be a safety. Comparing the team stats, the Bucs had 23 first downs while the Eagles had 13. Tampa converted 6 of 14 on 3rd down. Tampa was quite effective on offense with 426 total yards in the game. For the Eagles, the NFC title defense falls short as they will have a long offseason ahead of them. For the Buccaneers, they move onto the Divisional round and head into the Lions den against Detroit. 

Next week: 
Philadelphia: eat a cheesesteak and watch a Flyers game
Tampa Bay: Divisional playoff @ Detroit

TW: 4-2; CV; 3-3

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

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

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Super Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Total: 150-128

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

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Total: 165-113

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 Divisional Playoff Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Super Wild Card Weekend Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again! The regular season is over and all the pretenders are at home in the cold while the contenders are here to play for the ultimate prize: the Lombardi Trophy. The NFL's 2nd season will have three weeks of intense, exciting football leading up to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. In this post, I will do the playoff results, Super Wild Card Weekend Preview and Picks and the TV Broadcast pairings for the six games this weekend. Let's get to work!

NFL Playoff Results

We now have the 14 teams that will represent both the AFC and NFC in the playoffs this year. The seven that each conference will have now have the ability and the chance to represent their conference in Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Let's look at the AFC.

Seeding

1st seed: Baltimore Ravens (13-4) (Clinched AFC North and Homefield advantage)

2nd seed: Buffalo Bills (11-6) (Clinched AFC East)

3rd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (11-6) (Clinched AFC West)

4th seed: Houston Texans (10-7) (Clinch AFC South)

5th seed: Cleveland Browns (11-6) (Clinched playoff berth)

6th seed: Miami Dolphins (11-6) (Clinched playoff berth)

7th seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) (Clinched playoff berth)

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Cleveland @ Houston

Miami @ Kansas City

Pittsburgh @ Buffalo

Better Luck Next Year

Cincinnati (9-8), Jacksonville (9-8), Indianapolis (9-8), Las Vegas (8-9), Denver (8-9), NY Jets (7-10), Tennessee (6-11), LA Chargers (5-12), New England (4-13)

So there's the seven that will represent the AFC. It seems safe to say that this will be an interesting conference to watch. Any team on here could have the possibility to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. It's that good. Let's look at the NFC.

Seeding

1st seed: San Francisco 49ers (12-5) (Clinched NFC West and Homefield advantage)

2nd seed: Dallas Cowboys (12-5) (Clinched NFC East)

3rd seed: Detroit Lions (12-5) (Clinched NFC North)

4th seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8) (Clinched NFC South)

5th seed: Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) (Clinched playoff berth)

6th seed: Los Angeles Rams (10-7) (Clinched playoff berth)

7th seed: Green Bay Packers (9-8) (Clinched playoff berth)

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Green Bay @ Dallas

LA Rams @ Detroit

Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay

Better Luck Next Year

Seattle (9-8), New Orleans (9-8), Minnesota (7-10), Chicago (7-10), Atlanta (7-10), NY Giants (6-11), Washington (4-13), Arizona (4-13), Carolina (2-15)

The NFC was probably the weaker conference over the AFC. However, I do think that the top teams in the NFC can matchup well enough against the AFC. We shall see which team will hoist the Lombardi Trophy in a month's time. 

Super Wild Card Weekend Preview

Super Wild Card Weekend will start in Houston, Texas and finish up in Tampa, Florida. There will be a six-game slate where 12 teams will play. Unlike the regular season, if they lose, they go home but if they win, they move closer to the Super Bowl. The weekend will feature two Saturday games, three Sunday games and a Monday night game. NBC and Peacock will have the Saturday games, CBS will show the Sunday early game, FOX will show the late Sunday afternoon game, NBC will show the Sunday night game and ABC/ESPN will show the Monday night game. Let's get to the picks!

Super Wild Card Weekend Picks

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

Cleveland @ Houston (NBC: 4:30 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Browns

The Browns lost to the Bengals and the Texans beat the Colts last week. The weekend starts with an intriguing matchup. You have the red hot Browns who have won four of their last five. Despite losing last week in a rather blowout to the Bengals, the Browns should have some advantage in this game. Joe Flacco has been in the postseason before and a fair amount of Browns players have as well. I think Kevin Stefansky will have his troops ready. Houston is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2019. They've come a long way from a year ago when they had won just three games. Houston lost to these Browns back in Week 16 with a 36-22 score. Safe to say I think the score will be a bit better in the Texans favor. Joe Flacco is a natural when it comes to road playoff games with seven wins on the road (one of them including the 2012 Divisional playoff against Denver). It'd be ideal for the Browns to have Myles Garrett play in this game and to have David Njoku ready as well. Houston has one of the top passing attacks in the league and Cleveland has the 2nd best pass defense. Something is going to have to give. I'll take the better experienced Browns squad. 

Miami @ Kansas City (Peacock; 8:00 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The Dolphins lost to the Bills and the Chiefs beat the Chargers last week. It's going to be a bit chilly in Arrowhead for this game. Game time temperature of -2 degrees Fahrenheit. I'm not saying that the weather will be a factor but it is supposedly going to be 75 degrees in Miami and it'll be the aforementioned temperature. They're going to have to do some big physical play and keep the Chiefs off the field. Miami has a rush offense that can do it. Kansas City hasn't had the best season for a defending champion but at least they're in the tournament. Anything can happen at this point. All the problems that the Chiefs have had, the turnovers, dropped passes, etc. will need to get solved quickly in this game. Any sort of turnovers get amplified in the playoffs. They will need to play their best game of the season in this one. I'll take the home team Chiefs. 

Pittsburgh @ Buffalo (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Steelers beat the Ravens and the Bills beat the Dolphins last week. The first of three games on Sunday. Pittsburgh got it done last week against the Ravens and had some help thanks to the Titans. The win and playoff berth was at a costly one. The Steelers will be without TJ Watt for the game. Despite the loss of their defensive leader, the offense has done its part in the Steelers wins this season. Pittsburgh's running game has been their bread and butter. Much like their counterparts of teams that won those Super Bowls in the 1970's and the 2000's. Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren of today aren't quite Franco Harris/Rocky Blier or Jerome Bettis/Willie Parker, they still have the grit to drive down the field. Buffalo is a run of the middle rush defense. So perhaps they could exploit that. The Bills secret to success is being a balanced attack. Josh Allen is largely a dual threat quarterback in every sense of the word. He is capable of throwing 300 yards and rushing for 100 yards. I do wish that the Bills would spend more time on trying to get other running backs involved in running the ball. If the Bills can protect the ball and run it down the Steelers throats, I think everything else will fall into place. 

Green Bay @ Dallas (FOX; 4:30 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Cowboys

The Packers beat the Bears and the Cowboys beat the Commanders last week. A classic postseason rivalry renews for the first time in eight years the Packers and Cowboys will face off in the playoffs. The script for this game is that former coach Mike McCarthy faces off against his old team. His former quarterback Aaron Rodgers will not be playing in this game for Green Bay. This season's version of the Packers has been a team that has been playing well after starting off with a rough start. Jordan Love has stepped up and thrown less turnovers, the running game has gotten going as well. If there was a weakness for the Pack is their rush defense. They have given up 128.3 yards/game against running backs. Dallas has once again made the playoffs and have a top-5 offense. What probably makes them so much better is having every level of the defense being a versatile threat. Tony Pollard could be a possible threat to having a good game in running the ball. I think the Pack will take it. 

LA Rams @ Detroit (NBC; 8:00 pm): TW: Lions; CV: Rams

The Rams beat the Niners and the Lions beat the Vikings last week. The dramaiest, drama-filled game full of drama that you'll ever see. The script shows that Matthew Stafford of the Rams goes back to his old stomping grounds and Jared Goff faces off against the team that drafted him. Doesn't get more spicy than that. The Rams come into this game with somewhat of a hot hand. As well as a rested quarterback, running back, and wide receiver. The Rams offense will be right up there with the Lions defense. It will be a challenge to Detroit's linebackers and defensive backs to ensure that the Rams offense doesn't get too comfortable in its surroundings. Detroit's offense is just as good. They just don't have a rookie wide receiver that can put up some yardage. If there was a difference between the two is that the Lions have two running backs that can put the hurt. The Rams have Kyren Williams which can put up some yards as well. That I think might be the difference between winning this game. I think its a tough game to say but I will go with the Lions. 

Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay (ABC/ESPN; 8:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Buccaneers

The Eagles lost to the Giants and the Buccaneers beat the Panthers last week. The Wild Card playoffs wrap up with a fairly interesting game in Tampa Bay. The Eagles are looking like a team that might be heading out as fast as they're going in. They've lost five of their last six games. Seems like that win over Buffalo was the tipping point for the Eagles. The sound of the playoffs might make them get back into playing better. There isn't one side of the ball that is playing worse, it feels like its a team effort in the losing. Tampa Bay will be hosting a playoff game for the 3rd straight year. All three of them against an NFC East team. Tampa has been an up and down team as well as Philadelphia. Their offense has steadied the ship (pun intended) while the defense has kept opponents from scoring 25+ points. If there was a good thing about the Bucs defense is that they're good against the run. Philadelphia likes to run the ball in more ways than one. The Eagles might be limited on offense as AJ Brown suffered a rough knee injury last week. If the Eagles are going to win, they're going to need to lean on Jalen Hurts. I think the Eagles will have enough to win in Tampa. 

TV Broadcast Pairings

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

Cleveland @ Houston

Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge

Miami @ Kansas City

Mike Tirico, Jason Garrett

Pittsburgh @ Buffalo

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Green Bay @ Dallas

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

LA Rams @ Detroit

Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth

Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: 

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

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

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 9-7

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 5-10

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 10-6

Week 17: 7-9

Week 18: 6-10

Total: 147-125

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

Week 9: 9-5
Week 10: 7-7

Week 11: 11-3

Week 12: 8-8

Week 13: 9-4

Week 14: 4-11

Week 15: 10-6

Week 16: 9-7

Week 17: 9-7

Week 18: 10-6

Total: 161-111

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 # Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom