NFL 2024 Divisional Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The Wild Card round is over and the 14 teams that started the playoffs are now down to 8. After this round the NFL will have its version of the Final Four. The Divisional round is probably my favorite as you have the contenders vs the contenders with two teams having the rest the week before. It certainly has to be a bit better when you had four teams with the Wild Card bye. In this post, I will do a preview and my picks for the four games this weekend and the TV broadcast pairings the four networks will put out. Let's get to work!

Divisional Preview

The National Football League's Divisional playoff weekend will start in Kansas City, Missouri and wrap up in Orchard Park, New York. The week will feature four games where eight teams will play. There will be a Saturday afternoon game, a Saturday night game, a Sunday afternoon game and a Sunday night game. Let's get to the picks!

Divisional Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern.

Houston @ Kansas City (ABC; 3:30 pm)

Pick: Chiefs

The Texans beat the Chargers and the Chiefs had the bye last week. The Divisional weekend begins with a matchup that the average fan might enjoy. The underdog against the two-time defending champions. Houston did well with their defense getting turnovers against the Chargers. Once they got the turnovers the offense would do the rest. The Chargers offense, normally very good at the running game, was held to 50 rushing yards. Certainly something that the Chiefs cannot underestimate. The matchup will depend on how well they can do against the Chiefs offense. The offense of Houston's will need to do well in the running game as if the Chiefs can shut down the run game and make it into a one-dimensional offense, it is going to be a rough going. Stroud did enough in the Chargers win but he will need to do well in this one. If they pressure him and force the ball, it could spell trouble. Suffice to say, the Texans have somewhat of a shot to get a win as they do right by throwing the deep ball and having a capable running back that can run for 20+ carries a game. It certainly has to give them an advantage. Houston's defense will be the thing to keep an eye on and how well they can do against the Chiefs offense. 

Kansas City hasn't played its starters since Christmas Day. By the time this game happens that will be about 23 days ago. The quest for a three-peat starts here as they try to do something that the Packers, Dolphins, Steelers, 49ers, Cowboys, Broncos and Patriots could never do. I question if the rust will happen to the Chiefs but I have to assume that Andy Reid will have his troops ready for the road ahead. Still, in-game situations aren't a substitute for practice football situations. I think there might be some struggle for the Chiefs offense. They usually always find a way to win and not put up 30+ points in a game often. Kansas City's defense will be the high point of the team in the last few years as the focus has moved from the high-powered offense to their defense. The defense will be at somewhat of an advantage as have a solid run defense with 8th ranked run defense with 101.8 yards/game. The pass defense is ranked 16th so somewhat down the middle in the league. Kansas City did beat Houston in Week 15 and they did it with a solid formula of running the football and passing. Obviously, the stakes are much more higher for either team. The team with the most pressure is the Chiefs. I think the thing to keep an eye on in this one is how well the Chiefs defense will do. I'll take the Chiefs but I'm kind of iffy on how well they can do against the Texans. 

All-time series: Chiefs lead 10-5; 3rd postseason meeting (Chiefs lead 2-0)

Washington @ Detroit (FOX; 7:00 pm)

Pick: Lions

The Commanders beat the Buccaneers and the Lions had the bye last week. Washington has been enjoying a sort of renaissance of a season. The DC-Maryland-Virginia area has embrace their football team. The excitement has seen this team possibly bring back the glory days when Joe Gibbs ran the football team in the 1980's and 1990's. We shall see if they can sustain this success for years to come. They certainly have the foundation. Washington keeps chugging along and will take their team to Detroit against the #1 seeded Lions. The team will have its hands full with the Lions. Last week, the Commanders did some things well but also did things not so well. I had hoped that the Commanders would run the ball a bit. You know the thing that got them to this point. The Lions will use their running game to their advantage in providing that balance that complements their passing game. The Commanders will need to play the Lions game. Jayden Williams will need to protect the football as well. You can't expect to win a game with a lot of turnovers. On defense, the Commanders will have somewhat of a decent shot in causing some harm to the Lions offense. They do have a pass defense that is top-5 with 205.4 yards/game allowed. I could see the Commanders win this game but the playoff experience of the Lions might be the dealbreaker. 

Detroit is having their greatest season in their long history. They haven't had this much success in a long time but for the fans it has to be quite the joy. Detroit earned that bye don't get me wrong. I think the Lions having played in Week 18 might have a good advantage compared to the Chiefs as they are battle ready. If they aren't then head coach Dan Campbell will get them ready. Washington will visit their humble abode on Saturday night and hope to upset the Lions. The matchup is interesting as the Commanders have a good running offense while the Lions have a great run defense. For pass offense, the Lions have a great passing team while the Commanders are a great pass defense team. Something has to give for sure. I think the Lions offense will need to jump out early and get the crowd going. Their crowd is loud and they will make their voices known. If there is something that the Lions don't do great on is having a pass rush. Not having Aidan Hutchinson on the defensive line has limited their effectiveness as a unit. Hutchinson is possibly available by the time the Super Bowl happens but that has to mean that the Lions will get there. The offense doesn't have a lot of sexy names on the wide receiver group outside of Amon Ra St. Brown but they do have solid contributors with Jameson Williams. I think the Commanders will have the possibilities to do well in the coming years but I think this should be in favor for the Lions and I will take them. 

All-time series: Commanders lead 31-16; 4th postseason meeting (Commanders lead 3-0)

LA Rams @ Philadelphia (NBC; 3:00 pm)

Pick: Eagles

The Rams beat the Vikings and the Eagles beat the Packers last week. Hopefully the pain that the LA wildfires have brought on the Los Angeles people were remedied by watching the Rams play football, let alone win a game. The Rams certainly showed a bit of distraction and emotion over the course of their game against the Vikings. They played relatively well on offense and the defense played out of its mind. The offense got touchdowns and a relatively good day on the passing game. The Rams running game hasn't been quite its strong suit but they are 24th in rushing offense. On defense they got a good game from their pass rush, sacking Sam Darnold nine times. A well as causing an interception in the game. Their run defense hasn't been quite their forte as they have given up chunks of yards this season from the ground game. The game against the Eagles might mean their end if they can't stop Saquon Barkley or at least slow him down. It will also be troubling on them if they can't stop Jalen Hurts as well as he is a dual threat. 

The Eagles really proved that they are still quite a good team. Jalen Hurts hadn't played since the Commanders game prior to last week. His numbers last week somewhat proved that he wasn't rusty. He hit 13 of 21 passes of 131 yards with six rushes for 36 yards. Well maybe he was a bit rusty but he did have two touchdowns from the air. Someone who wasn't rusty was Saquon Barkley who had 119 rushing yards last week. Barkley, who didn't play in Week 18, will likely be used a lot in this game. The Rams will likely expect him to be that. For the Eagles to win, they will likely need a good showing from their passing game. I hope to see Jalen Hurts throw for at least 200 yards passing with two touchdown passes. Once the offense finds a balance I think the defense should really go after Matthew Stafford with various blitz packages. There is certainly concern about the health of Tyler Higbee and whether or not he is able to go. Ultimately, the defense should just blitz but not send the whole farm after Matthew Stafford. The secondary will have its work cut out for them. I think the Eagles will take this game. 

All-time series: Eagles lead 24-20-1; 4th postseason meeting (Rams lead 2-1)

Baltimore @ Buffalo (CBS; 6:30 pm)

Pick: Ravens

The Ravens beat the Steelers and the Bills beat the Broncos last week. Divisional weekend wraps up with a great matchup in the AFC. Baltimore comes into this game with a huge victory over the rival Steelers. A 28-14 victory that had both Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry scoring passing and rushing touchdowns respectively. If you want to talk about the Ravens offense you have to start with those two but primarily Lamar Jackson. Jackson, one of the favorites for MVP, has had a great season yet again. Derrick Henry, who has had a season in his first year in Ravens gear, has been the x-factor for the Ravens. This matchup against Buffalo will be a challenging one. I think these kind of games depend on who can control the line of scrimmage. Baltimore has allowed only 24 sacks this season to sneak past their offensive line. Only the Packers and Bills have allowed less this season. In the aspect of pass protection, it seems the Bills would have the better numbers. In the matchup on September 29th, no team had any sacks on their quarterbacks but the Ravens did well in defending on 3rd down. The defense will need to also keep and contain Josh Allen in the pocket. He can hurt you with his arm and his legs. That is how I think this game will need to go for the Ravens. 

The Bills come into this game with a blowout win against the Broncos. It was sort of a game that people might've questioned how well the Bills would do against the Broncos offense and the Broncos defense. Buffalo started off slow on offense but would put the hurt on the Broncos defense and really shut down the Broncos offense. Once the Broncos scored the seven points, they would not be able to score anything more. The Bills pass protection is probably the best in the NFL with just allowing 14 sacks on Josh Allen. Their defense has sacked the quarterback 39 times this season. They are also good at forced fumbles. Should they cause a fumble on Derrick Henry or Lamar Jackson, that might break the game wide open for the Bills. The only thing with the Bills defense is that they are a sort of average, bend but don't break defense. The offense of Buffalo's is a pretty solid one. Josh Allen is having a great season. A sort of MVP caliber season that clamors to Lamar Jackson's. Josh Allen has never won an MVP in his career. Winning this game would help boast that claim even though the MVP should be more of a regular season award. Sadly, the MVP award will go to whoever wins this game probably. Buffalo has James Cook who is a perfect complement to Allen in the running game. Cook has had another 1,000 rushing yard season. Wide receivers for Buffalo have a good group with Curtis Samuel being the leading receiver last week with three catches for 68 yards. Buffalo's offensive supporting cast will need to step up and help their quarterback in this one. The projections of the winner have been mostly 50/50. I'll take the Ravens since they are still my pick to go to the Super Bowl. 

All-time series: Ravens lead 7-5; 2nd postseason meeting (Bills lead 1-0)

TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games are being shown nationally, meaning everyone can see it, assuming you have the channel.

Houston @ Kansas City

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Washington @ Detroit

Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady

LA Rams @ Philadelphia

Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth

Baltimore @ Buffalo

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11
Week 6: 13-1
Week 7: 13-2
Week 8: 9-7
Week 9: 12-3
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 11-3
Week 12: 7-6
Week 13: 14-2
Week 14: 11-3
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 12-4

Week 18: 9-7
Total: 193-80

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

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
2023: 161-111

See you all after the Sunday night game for the Divisional Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Super Wild Card Weekend Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The first week of the playoffs is in the books and of the 12 teams that came into it, only six remain. Of those six, they will take on the two teams that had a bye this week. There was some interesting games this week. Such games like the Texans shutting down the Chargers,

NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Freaky Stat

The blocked field goal for a defensive conversion in the Chargers-Texans game was the 1st in NFL history. Kind of cool. Jayden Daniels becomes the 4th rookie quarterback to win a playoff game in NFL history. 

NFL Super Wild Card Weekend Recap

LA Chargers 12, Houston 32

Pick: Chargers

The Chargers get roughed up in Houston. Justin Herbert hit 14 of 32 passes for 242 yards with a touchdown but also tossed four interceptions. The touchdown pass went to Ladd McConkey on a 86-yard pass play on a 3rd down and 26 play. It was also the longest pass play for the Chargers. JK Dobbins had nine carries for 26 yards. The longest run was an eight-yard play by both JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards. Ladd McConkey had nine catches for 197 yards in the game. A pretty solid day for him. So the Texans defense really put the hurt on the Chargers in this one. They shut down the running game and forced Justin Herbert to throw a lot. Herbert would hit less than half of his passes as 197 of his 242 passing yards went to McConkey. The rest of the receivers would combine 45 yards passing. The defense would do kind of a decent job in getting an interception of their own but the next play for the Chargers, it was intercepted. There was also a 3-point swing as the Texans blocked a point after and returned it for a 2-point play. In the end, the Chargers just didn't get enough of their offense going and turnovers costed them a lot. Back to the drawing board for them this offseason. For the Chargers, they are a one and done team again and head into the offseason. 

CJ Stroud hit 22 of 33 passes for 282 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown went to Nico Collins on a 13-yard play. Joe Mixon had 25 carries for 106 yards with a touchdown run on a 17-yard run on the left. The longest run play was a 27-yard run by CJ Stroud. Nico Collins had seven catches for 122 yards in the game and had a catch that went for a 41-yard gain to be the longest pass play for the Texans. Defensively the Texans would step up to the challenge and take on the Chargers offense. They would intercept four passes, for the Chargers to go 3-11 on 3rd down and 0-1 on 4th down and sacked Justin Herbert four times. They would also intercept a pass that was returned to the endzone for a pick-six by Eric Murray. One of the rarer plays in football also happened. On the point after after the McConkey touchdown the Texans blocked a kick and was returned to their endzone for a defensive conversion worth two points. The change was made in 2015 and this game was the first ever. The person who returned it was D'Angelo Ross, a 4th-year player out of New Mexico. It'll be something that he can cherish for the rest of his life. Hopefully he can keep the ball or a souvenir. I was wrong about the Texans being in a weaker division, their offense would play quiet for a good portion of the game but would get going once they found a rhythm with the Collins touchdown. Their running back, defense and special teams in a way found a way to win. For the Texans, they get another playoff win and play next week. 

Next week:

LA Chargers: help out those in the LA wildfires maybe
Houston: Divisional Round @ Kansas City

TW: 0-1

Pittsburgh 14, Baltimore 28

Pick: Ravens

The Ravens run game runs over the Steelers. Russell Wilson hit 20 of 29 passes for 270 yards with two touchdowns. The two touchdowns went to George Pickens and Van Jefferson. Both touchdowns came in the 3rd quarter. Najee Harris had six carries for 17 yards. The longest run for Pittsburgh was a 5-yard run by Harris and Russell Wilson. George Pickens had five catches for 87 yards in the game. The longest pass play was a Mike Williams catch that went for a 37-yard gain. The Steelers offense would go slow much like the last month's games worth. They wouldn't score until 8:10 left in the 3rd quarter on the Van Jefferson score. The running game would get very little in terms of yards as they would combine a total of 29 yards. Just a rough one. It seems to add another problem for the Steelers as they can start off will in the first few months of the season but they falter somehow in the months of December and January should they reach here. They haven't won a playoff game since 2017 since beating Kansas City (which is wild btw). For the Steelers, their season ends with some things to consider in the offseason. 

Lamar Jackson hit 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards with two passing touchdowns. He also had 15 carries for 81 yards in the game. The passing touchdowns went to Rashod Bateman and Justice Hill. The star of the game was Derrick Henry who had 26 carries for 186 yards with to rushing touchdowns on 8 and 44 yard plays. The 44-yard play was the longest run for the game for the Ravens. Isiah Likely had three catches for 53 yards in the game to be the leading receiver for the Ravens. The longest pass paly was a 25-yard pass play to Isiah Likely and Nelson Agholor. The Ravens defense would stop the run and the Ravens offense would utilize Derrick Henry a lot. The Steelers were dealing with a skid but could've rebounded against a rival. The Ravens would put a stop to that as they would hold the Steelers run game to just 29 yards and to just 280 total yards in the game. For the Ravens, they get a win and move onto the Divisional round. 

Next week:

Pittsburgh: eat a pierogi or something.
Baltimore: Division round @ Buffalo

TW: 1-1

Denver 7, Buffalo 31

Pick: Bills

The Bills stampede over the Broncos. Bo Nix hit 13 of 22 passes for 144 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown went to Troy Franklin. It would be the only score for the Broncos all game. It happened on a 43-yard play where the Bills defense was caught off guard. It was also the longest pass play for the Broncos. Bo Nix rushed four times for 43 yards to be the Broncos leading rusher. He had a run of 18 yards that was the longest run for the Broncos. Javonte Williams had seven carries for 29 yards. Cortland Sutton had five catches for 75 yards to be the leading receiver for the Broncos. Denver would do not a lot of scoring afterwards as all their other drives resulted in: a punt, punt, field goal miss, a punt, a punt, turnover on downs and turnover on downs. The longest sustained drive they had was a drive in the 4th quarter that went for 61 yards. The Broncos offense wouldn't do their defense good either as they held the ball for 18:17 of game time. A poor running game has been their issue for most of the season and it hurt them in this one. For the Broncos, they had 224 total yards in the game and head back home for the long offseason. At least they made it to the playoffs. 

Josh Allen hit 20 of 26 passes for 272 yards with two touchdowns and had eight rushes for 46 yards. The two touchdowns went to Curtis Samuel and Ty Johnson. The Johnson touchdown came on a 24-yard play where it was under review whether or not Johnson caught the ball. It was upheld. The Samuel pass was the result of a deep pass of 55 yards. James Cook had 23 carries for 120 yards with a touchdown run on a 5-yard play. The score would give the Bills their first and only lead in the game. Denver wouldn't get a lead afterwards. Curtis Samuel had three catches for 68 yards in the game and had a 55-yard play for a catch to be the longest pass play for the Bills in the game. Buffalo would start off slow but the drive that would give them the lead was the result of a 13-play, 86-yard drive that consumed 7:35 of gametime. The Bills would only punt once in this game and that was during the 2nd quarter. Afterwards all of their drives resulted in either a field goal, touchdown or end of game. There was some question on how well the Bills would play due to a loss against the Patriots. They wouldn't outscore the Broncos early but they rather forced the Broncos defense on the field for a long time. Once they took hold of the lead they wouldn't relinquish it. Buffalo moves on and plays in the divisional round and will play host to the Ravens. For the Bills, they had 471 total yards and win their 5th straight wild card game. 

Next week:

Denver: go skiing or something
Buffalo: Divisional round vs Baltimore

TW: 2-1

Green Bay 10, Philadelphia 22

Pick: Eagles

Turnovers doom the Pack in Philly. Jordan Love hit 20 of 33 passes for 212 yards with three interceptions. He had no passing touchdowns. Josh Jacobs had 18 carries for 81 yards with Green Bay's only touchdown on a 1-yard run. He had a 31-yard run that was the longest run of the Packers in the game. It was a run that Jacobs kept going as he had players in Eagle uniforms all over him and he still ran. He almost scored a touchdown on the run as he was down on the 1-yard line. Jayden Reed had four catches for 46 yards in the game. The longest pass play was a catch by Dontayvion Wicks that went for a 29-yard gain. Turnovers would really ultimately kill the Pack in this one. Jordan Love really hurt his team as he had interceptions in the 1st, 2nd and 4th quarters. All of them came within 3:30 left in those quarters. A field goal miss would be missed by Brandon McManus as well so that didn't help either. Green Bay wouldn't score until 11:33 in the 3rd quarter which took the lead down to a 10-3 lead on a McManus field goal. Had the turnovers not happen they might've had a better chance of winning. Christian Watson not being available will be possibly an excuse but honestly it wouldn't have made a difference. Green Bay's season ends as possibly the Vikings move on and the Lions will play next week. For the Packers, they head home to snowy Green Bay with 302 total yards in the game. 

Jalen Hurts had 13 of 21 passes for 131 yards with two touchdowns and had six carries for 36 yards. The passing touchdowns went to Dallas Goedert and Jahan Dotson. Dotson's touchdown came on a 11-yard score on a short pass that got things going for the Eagles. Goedert's touchdown came on a 24-yard play but Jake Elliott would miss on the point after attempt. Saquon Barkley rushed 25 times for 119 yards in the game. He had a 17-yard run that was the longest run in the game for the Eagles. Devonta Smith had four catches for 55 yards in the game and had a catch that was caught for a 28-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Eagles. The Eagles would play up to par with the Packers offense but the defense spoke the most in this game as Quinyon Mitchel, Darius Slay and Zack Baun were the players that caught the interceptions. The turnovers would then lead to a touchdown off of one of the turnovers. Not really much else to say about this as most games up to this point in the playoffs have been won by the home team. For the Eagles, they continue onto the next round and had 290 total yards in the game. 

Next week:

Green Bay: what is there to do in Green Bay?
Philadelphia: Divisional round vs

TW: 3-1

Washington 23, Tampa Bay 20

Pick: Commanders

Zane Gonzalez field goal and doink sends the Commanders past the Bucs. Jayden Daniels had 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards with two touchdowns. The two touchdowns went to Terry McLaurin on a 5-yard play and the other went to Dyami Brown on a 10-yard play. Jayden Daniels was the leading rusher with 13 carries for 36 yards in the game. Austin Ekeler had eight carries for 27 yards in the game and had one run went for a 12-yard gain to be the longest run for the Commanders. Terry McLaurin was the leading receiver with seven catches for 89 yards. He had a catch that went for a 35-yard gain that was the longest pass play in the game. The game changer was a fumble recovery by veteran Bobby Wagner. Despite the win, the Commanders did have issues with pass protection and the running game didn't do as much as I had hoped they would do. Gonzalez's kick could've gone a different direction or somethin in the final play. Might've been an overtime. Despite all that, Washington has a playoff winner for the first time since they were the Redskins, beating the Buccaneers 17-10 on January 7th, 2006. With the Packers losing earlier on Sunday, the Commanders are the lowest seed in the playoffs and will head to the Motor City to take on the Lions. They had 350 total yards in the game

Baker Mayfield had 15 of 18 passes for 185 yards with two touchdowns. The two touchdowns went to Mike Evans and Bucky Irving. Bucky Irving had 17 carries for 77 yards and had a run that went for a 19-yard gain that was the longest run play for the Buccaneers. Mike Evans had seven catches for 92 yards in the game to be the leading receiver for the Buccaneers. The longest pass play was a catch by Jalen McMillan for a 26-yard gain. Tampa would play neck and neck with the Commanders in this one. The game changer was possibly the fumble. The play was supposed to be a pitch out to Jalen McMillan but it was aborted and fumbled and was recovered by Bobby Wagner. Their offense wouldn't be able to sustain drives and keep the Commanders offense off the field. Let alone their defense couldn't get stops as Washington had conversions on 3rd and 4th down. The Buccaneers will head home and spend the rest of the season watching the rest of the NFL play next week. The offense had 284 total yards in the game. 

Next week:

Washington: Divisional round @ Detroit
Tampa Bay: do things in Florida.

TW: 4-1

Minnesota 9, LA Rams 27

Pick: Vikings

Rams sack the Vikings on neutral site. Sam Darnold hit 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown went to TJ Hockenson. Aaron Jones had 13 carries for 48 yards in the game. The longest run in the game for the Vikings was a 26-yard run by Cam Akers. TJ Hockenson was the leading receiver with five catches for 64 yards. He had a catch that went for a 26-yard gain that came from his touchdown. Some questionable calls were in this game with the Matthew Stafford incomplete pass that was originally called a fumble. It could've been intentional grounding as well possibly. It can't hide the fact that the Vikings pass protection broke down a lot as Darnold was sacked nine times for 82 yards. Along with the interception, the Vikings also fumbled as well. In general, the Vikings did have chances in this game but sadly couldn't as they did sustain drives and had better offensive numbers for the most part than the Rams. At least they scored a touchdown. The Vikings Cinderella season ends with disappointment as most people didn't think they'd be here at alone have a winning record winning 14 games. For the Vikings, they had 269 total yards in the game. 

Matthew Stafford hit 19 of 27 passes for 209 yards with two touchdowns. The two touchdowns went to Kyren Williams and Davis Allen. Kyren Williams had 16 carries for 76 yards to be the leading rusher. The longest run in the game was a 17-yard carry by Williams in the game. Tyler Higbee had five catches for 58 yards in the game. The longest pass play was a catch by Cooper Kupp that went for a 29-yard gain. It was the only catch by the former Eastern Washington player. The Rams would get their pass catchers involved early as Puka Nacua was used a lot in the early going to avoid the Vikings pass rush. Minnesota would only manage to get to Stafford two times for a loss of seven yards. Issues for the Rams in this one was penalties as they were flagged 10 times for 95 yards, sometimes it was on consecutive plays. One drive had a holding call on them and then the next play was a false start. You can't have that in the playoffs. Conversions on 3rd down would be a problem as well as the Rams had went just 2 for 10 on 3rd down. I don't know who was really the better team in this game, the team that seemed ready was the Rams but they had mistakes. Suffice to say, the real winners in this game were the Arizona Cardinals who were able to get this game going on short notice. Hopefully the families and first responders in the Los Angeles wildfires were able to take time away from the pain to enjoy their Rams win. For the Rams, they move on and head east to take on the Eagles and had 292 total yards in the game.

Next week:

Minnesota: go ice fishing or something
LA Rams: Divisional @ Philadelphia

TW: 4-2

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11
Week 6: 13-1
Week 7: 13-2
Week 8: 9-7
Week 9: 12-3
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 11-3
Week 12: 7-6
Week 13: 14-2
Week 14: 11-3
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 12-4

Week 18: 9-7
Total: 193-80

Super Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

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
2023: 161-111

See you all on Thursday/Friday for the Divisional Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Super Wild Card Weekend Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. Well, the regular season is over and 18 teams will now be watching from home or preparing for the next season. The rest will now make their play and go for the ultimate prize of being a Super Bowl Champion. The first week of the playoffs called the Wild Card round will have 12 of those teams make their play for the championship. By week's end six will remain and move on to the Divisional round. In this post, I will do a preview and picks of the six games being played over three days and the broadcast pairings that the networks will put out for the games. Let's get to work!

Super Wild Card Weekend Preview

The Wild Card round will start in Houston, Texas and wrap up in Inglewood, California. The week will feature six games and 12 teams competing. There will be a Saturday afternoon game, a Saturday night game, a Sunday early afternoon game, a Sunday late afternoon game, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. CBS will show two games while ABC, NBC, FOX and Amazon Prime will show one game. Let's get to the picks! 

Super Wild Card Weekend Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern.

LA Chargers @ Houston (CBS; 4:30 pm)

Pick: Chargers

The Chargers beat the Raiders and the Texans beat the Titans last week. The playoffs start again at Houston. Kind of goes to show how much the NFL values the Texans or the AFC South winner instead of it being on a primetime slot. The Chargers got here by getting a wild card spot and going on a 11-6 record. It is their first playoff appearance since 2022 and the first in Jim Harbaugh's career in LA. The offense has done better by going more of a balanced offense instead of Justin Herbert throwing the ball 40-50 times a game. They have some physicality with running the football with JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards. The emergence of Ladd McConkey as a pass catcher has added more of a weapon to a team that's offense is good on the passing game. On defense, the Chargers went for more of an improvement as last year they were the 24th scoring defense to 1st only allowing 17.7 points/game while having the 8th best passing defense allowing 221.3 yards/game from the air. Joey Bosa is a game changer and having Derwin James will make quarterbacks hesitate from throwing the ball to him.

Houston has been in a normal spot for the playoffs. The first game of the playoffs seem to always start in Houston. The game itself will be an intriguing one. The offense of Houston's has been more of a run power game with Joe Mixon being the starter. They might've found a solid piece to run the ball with in Dameon Pierce who rushed for a 92-yard touchdown last week. CJ Stroud has led the passing attack but has been somewhat of a diminished quarterback in his sophomore season. With 3,727 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions Stroud has good numbers but it feels something is off with him. On defense, the Texans are ranked 6th in total defense with 7th ranked passing defense and 11th rushing defense. The Texans defense has some really good pieces on the defensive front with Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. They can ravage defenses and are ranked 2nd with 19 interceptions. I think the key to this one is to really wear the Chargers defense out early and get the ball to your pass catchers and have them make a play for the ball. I still think the Texans are the weakest of the AFC division winners but I think they'll do alright. Just not alright enough to get a win.

All-time series: Chargers lead 6-3; 1st postseason meeting.

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore (Amazon; 8:00 pm)

Pick: Ravens

The Steelers lost to the Bengals and the Ravens beat the Browns last week. Two familiar foes go at it in Saturday night primetime. The Steelers come into this game with a four-game losing streak, with one of those losses coming from these same Ravens. Part of the reason is that the offense has come apart at the seams. It feels like something is wrong with Russell Wilson or there is some issue that we aren't aware of. With 11 games started he has thrown 2,482 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also been sacked 33 times so that might be a reason as well. For this game, they might need to rely more on their run game to help take the pressure off of Wilson. They do have a tandem of running backs with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to push forward. They're going to need them as the playoffs is more of physicality and trying to control the line of scrimmage. When it gets cold out and the passing game gets lessened as the football goes lesser distance in the cold air, a running game would be a useful tool.

Baltimore comes into this game clinching the AFC North for the 2nd straight season. They will face off against a familiar foe as both teams will meet for the 3rd time this season. The season series is split with the Steelers winning at their home and the Ravens winning at their home. The key for the Ravens is getting Derrick Henry going early and often and get him holes. I view Derrick Henry more of an inside runner than an outside one. Though he is dangerous either way and most defensive players will feel like hitting a brick wall tackling him. I think the goal is to get at least 20 carries and 100 yards rushing for him. If the Ravens can do that they should have a good shot to win. It sort of felt like an exorcism of demons in the last meeting for Lamar Jackson in beating Pittsburgh. History wise, the Steelers had dominated the series with Jackson as well as the all-time postseason series. Baltimore won the last meeting in January 2015. Sadly Lamar Jackson hasn't played well in the playoffs but hopefully with a sidekick he might finally get over the hump. The Ravens defense will need to make Russell Wilson try to beat you as he lately hasn't been playing or throwing well. Might have to let the running game get active as well. I would also note that George Pickens wasn't in the last matchup. Have to keep an eye on him as well. I think the Ravens take it. 

All-time series: Steelers lead 36-26; 5th postseason meeting (Steelers lead 3-1)

Denver @ Buffalo (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Bills

The Broncos beat the Chiefs and the Bills lost to the Patriots last week. The Broncos finally got the postseason drought monkey off their back. They are back in the playoffs for the first time since winning Super Bowl 50. Bo Nix has brought stability at the quarterback spot and that's what had been lacking since winning the Super Bowl. The offense has been more of a passing orientated game with a few run plays here and there. Their highest leading rusher is Javonte Williams with 513 rush yards. Bo Nix has 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions and had almost 4,000 yards passing. The go-to guy has been Cortland Sutton with eight of those 29 passing touchdowns. I wished Denver would go more of a run game and establish it but they haven't had to really rely on it. Defensively, the Broncos have a solid defense especially in the defense's front seven. They lead the NFL in sacks with 63 sacks. The Bills will have their hands full in containing Zach Allen and have their offensive line schemes set in containing Nik Bonitto who has 13.5 sacks this season.

Buffalo seems to be the sexy pick in the AFC in terms of teams that aren't the Chiefs in winning it all. At some point they have to take it to the house and get a championship. At some point it has to be put up or shut up. They have to realize that they need to be ready when their time comes and focus and have fun. Offensively it all starts with Josh Allen. My pick for the MVP has 3,731 passing yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions while scoring 12 rushing touchdowns. I personally think he is the most valuable person on this team. The rest of the team hasn't played up to the potential of Allen's. I think the defense will need to step up as well as special teams. Special teams in terms of hitting field goals through the goalposts. James Cook has been a good complement to Allen in the running game and being a pass catcher. I hope he will be used a fair bit in this game. On defense, the Bills aren't quite as solid but they are more of a bend don't break defense that has dealt with a fair bit of injuries to their secondary. Playoff experience might be an advantage for the Bills but they need to be composed and try to relax and play their game. I'll take Buffalo.

All-time series: Bills lead 23-17-1; 2nd postseason meeting (Bills lead 1-0)

Green Bay @ Philadelphia (FOX; 4:30 pm)

Pick: Eagles

The Packers lost to the Bears and the Eagles beat the Giants last week. A rematch of a Week 1 game in Brazil. Green Bay has gotten to this point with a 11-6 record and playing 3rd wheel to the Lions and Vikings in the tough NFC North. The road to get to a Super Bowl will have them go up against arguably the best team in the NFC in Philadelphia. The Packers have done it with a solid season from Jordan Love. Love was injured a bit in the loss to Chicago but according to head coach Matt LaFleur he is ready to go and willing for this game. If he isn't then it falls on Malik Willis to provide offense to the Packers. Josh Jacobs has been a solid replacement to Aaron Jones as Jacobs has 1,329 rushing yards and has scored 15 touchdowns. The receiving corp has been a good one but I fear the loss of Christian Watson to a torn ACL injury will put things in doubt for the Packers. On defense, the Packers put forth a good unit as they are 5th in total defense and have a 7th best rushing defense. They will need to contain or slow Saquon Barkley down to get a chance to win this. The more carries that result in 1st downs, the harder it will be to win this game.

Philadelphia has been one of the better teams in the National Football Conference. The Eagles have really done it with probably the best running back in the league with Saquon Barkley who has 2,005 rushing yards, becoming the 9th running back in NFL history to achieve the 2,000 yard club. The Eagles have a good passing offense as well as Jalen Hurts has been a better passer this season than last season. His weapons have also been solid as well with AJ Brown, Devonta Smith and Dallas Goedert. That Barkley person as a pass catcher isn't bad either. The defense of Philly's is a tough one to crack as they are ranked 1st in total defense only allowing 278.4 yards/game on average. They have the 2nd ranked pass defense and 10th ranked rushing defense. I question the health of Jalen Hurts who hasn't played since Week 16 due to a concussion. I think the talent gap is lessened if Kenny Pickett or Tanner McKee starts as I think that Jalen Hurts provides offense with his arm and legs and I don't know how well the other two can do in this one. Suffice to say, I think the Eagles will win this from Saquon Barkley running through holes and the defense putting a stomp on the Packers.

All-time series: Packers lead 28-19; 4th postseason meeting (Eagles lead 2-1)

Washington @ Tampa Bay (NBC; 8:00 pm)

Pick: Commanders

Washington is having a great season. They were at one point last season at a 4-13 record. They changed it to 12-5 this season to have a 8-game swing. Easily the best turnaround this season. The offense has largely been the thing that has gotten the Commanders over the hump. This season they are ranked 5th in points scored with 485 points or 28.5 points/game, compared to just 329 points or 19.4 points/game. Washington has embraced the running game with the 3rd best rushing offense getting 154.1 yards/game. That's wild. The plethora of running backs at head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's arsenal is quite impressive. The passing game isn't bad but it isn't great either. Jayden Daniels the passer has 3,568 with 25 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. It should be noted that they played Tampa in Week 1 and lost. Safe to say that the Commanders have their identity and certainly have momentum on their side. I think this game will have a different outcome or at least a closer outcome than the Week 1 37-20 Buccaneers victory. Defensively it is something that will have to be addressed in the offseason as I think they are a pass rusher away from really being one of the better defenses. Someone that can create turnovers can be useful as well as they have just seven interceptions.

Tampa Bay won the NFC South and they have the 3rd seed locked up. The offense is quite good with Baker Mayfield proving to us yet again that the Browns are the problem. Mayfield has 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. His offense is ranked 4th in the NFL with 29.5 points/game or 502 total points. The defense is ranked 16th allowing 385 total points or 22.6 points/game. They will need to play better in this game. Tampa is ranked 4th in rush defense allowing 97.8 rushing yards per game. Something is going to have to give. Might have to make note that the Buccaneers are ranked 30th in passing defense. Last week, the Buccaneers kind of got off to a slow start on offense but would start to pick things up in the 2nd half. I question how much of a slow start will the Buccaneers have in this one. I think the losing team in the first game has an advantage in the rematch of the 2nd game. It doesn't always happen but this game has to be played out differently than the 37-20 win the Buccaneers played against these same Commanders in Week 1. I'll Take Washington.

All-time series: Series tied 13-13; 4th postseason meeting (Bucs lead 2-1)

Minnesota @ LA Rams (ABC/ESPN; 8:00 pm)

Pick: Rams

The Vikings lost to the Lions and the Rams lost to the Seahawks last week. A form amount of disrespect has been on the Vikings for most of the season. They were probably expected to win at least 6-7 games but they proved the doubters wrong with 14 games won, falling just one win short of a #1 seed in the NFC. The Vikings have done it with a offense that is good with the pass. Sam Darnold has proven that any situation is probably better than being with the Jets or Panthers. Having an offensive mind in head coach Kevin O'Connell will do that to you. Sam Darnold will need to rebound after having his worst game of the season last week against Detroit. It was the sort of game that made you think he reverted back to his old ways as a Jet or something. I'm not sure how well Minnesota can do against the Rams. The game will be in Glendale, Arizona and not in Inglewood as the Los Angeles wildfires are ongoing. At least it will be on a neutral site. Last time these two met the Rams weren't at full strength and they still won against Minnesota. I'm not sure how well they can handle the fact that Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Matthew Stafford will be at full health and rested for this one. At least Kevin O'Connell seems to think that his team will face the Lions next week to give that bit of confidence.

The Rams won the NFC West and didn't have much to play for last week against Seattle. The offense went into a bit of a 2nd string offense as their main players Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua sat and recuperated in time for the playoffs. The Rams running game isn't too shabby either as Kyren Williams has 1,299 rushing yards and has 14 touchdowns rushing. Matthew Stafford has had a good season with 3,762 yards passing with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. A bit low for the touchdown count but still quite good. The game will not be in Inglewood as the Los Angeles wildfires are ongoing. The game might mean a bit more for their fans as they battle against mother nature. At least give them some chance to take their minds away from the tragedy and see their team play. I think the game will depend on how well the defense can handle Sam Darnold. Will they make him uncomfortable as he was somewhat exposed a bit against the Lions. He was rushed, hurried and sacked at times. With Darnold feeling the heat, the offense of the Vikings fell apart. The game will depend on if Sam Darnold will be able to handle the playoff pressure and what version we'll see of him. I think the Rams have a bit more experience with these games and I'll take them in this one.

All-time series: Vikings lead 27-19-2; 8th postseason meeting (Vikings lead 5-2)

TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: All games are national games, meaning the nation will be able to see them. Given you have the channel that the game is on.

LA Chargers @ Houston

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit

Denver @ Buffalo

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Green Bay @ Philadelphia

Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady

Washington @ Tampa Bay

Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth

Minnesota @ LA Rams

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11
Week 6: 13-1
Week 7: 13-2
Week 8: 9-7
Week 9: 12-3
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 11-3
Week 12: 7-6
Week 13: 14-2
Week 14: 11-3
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 12-4

Week 18: 9-7
Total: 193-80

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
2023: 161-111

See you all after the Monday night game for the Super Wild Card Weekend Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Week 18 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. The regular season brought some interesting storylines. Such storylines like an upset in Pittsburgh, a possible final game in East Rutherford, a last second victory in Dallas, an upset in New England and a season finale to behold in Detroit. The final week might mark the final time players wear cleats and pads, while others will continue their careers into the next season. Of the 32 teams that began the season at 0-0, 14 of them will move onto the playoffs while 18 of them will spend the long months assessing their team and prepare for the following season. In this post, I will do a recap of the games. Let's get to work!

NFL Week 18 Freaky Stat
Bailey Zappe will be the 40th starting quarterback for the Browns since returning to the NFL in 1999. The Green Bay Packers had just eight different starting quarterbacks in that time.

NFL Week 18 Recap

Cleveland 10, Baltimore 35
Pick: Ravens
The Ravens win and lock up the AFC North. Bailey Zappe hit 16 of 31 passes for 170 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions. One of the interceptions being a pick-six. Zappe, who had played in New England last season, made his season debut in this game. He would see the bench as Dorian Thompson-Robinson made some play time and hit 2 of 3 passes for 13 yards. Donta Foreman had 10 carries for 27 yards in the game. Jacob Kibodi had the longest run in the game of 17 yards while adding five carries and 24 rushing yards in the game. Jerry Jeudy had six catches for 63 yards in the game and had a catch that went for a 30-yard gain in the game. Jordan Akins had the touchdown pass from Zappe. It would be the only offensive score in the game. Cleveland never really had an opportunity to get a lead but they kept it close in the 2nd half to the point where it was a 14-3 lead at halftime. By the time the game ended it would be a 21-7 run for the Ravens. For the Browns, they finish their crummy season with a 3-14 record with 230 yards of offense.

Lamar Jackson hit 16 of 32 passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns and had nine carries for 63 yards. Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews were the Ravens that caught the passes from Jackson for touchdowns. Derrick Henry would do Derrick Henry things as he had 20 carries for 138 yards for two touchdowns. He would have a carry of 43 yards that was the longest run play for the Ravens. Rashod Bateman was the leading receiver with five catches for 76 yards in the game. Mark Andrews would have a catch that went for a 30-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Ravens. The offense would shine in this game but the defense would get things started as Nate Wiggins, a rookie out of Clemson, intercepted a Zappe pass for a touchdown that would get the Ravens their first touchdown. The game for Baltimore was pretty much to cause mayhem for the Browns and let Derrick Henry loose and they did just that. It was also Derrick Henry's birthday on Saturday. Michael Pierce, a 355-pound lineman, would intercept a pass as well but wouldn't go the distance. He probably could've if he wanted to. For the Ravens, they clinch the AFC North with a 12-5 record with 437 total yards.

Next week:

Cleveland: visit the Rock and Roll museum probably
Baltimore: vs Pittsburgh

TW: 1-0

Cincinnati 19, Pittsburgh 17
Pick: Steelers 

Cincinnati holds off the Steelers late. Joe Burrow hit 37 of 46 passes for 277 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Ja'Marr Chase was the Bengal that caught the pass from Burrow. Khalil Herbert carried 20 times for 69 yards. He would have a run of eight yards that was the longest run in the game. Ja'Marr Chase was the leading receiver with 10 catches for 96 yards with a catch that went for a 19-yard gain. That was the longest pass play for the Bengals in the game. The Bengals would jump out and score 16 points into the 4th quarter. They had a 19-7 lead. The defense would actually do better against Pittsburgh than I had thought. With the win, they did their part to get a win but they will need help from the Chiefs and Jets to get in. For the Bengals, they improve to 9-8 on the season with 314 total yards.

Russell Wilson had 17 of 31 passes for 148 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown pass went to Pat Friermuth in the game. Najee Harris had 12 carries for 36 yards with a touchdown run. Russell Wilson would run the longest play in the game on a 12-yard run. Pat Friermuth had eight catches for 85 yards to be the leading receiver for the Steelers. The Steelers had a lackluster effort on offense in an opportunity where they could've done something to build momentum into next week as they have won a playoff berth. With a 10-3 record at Week 14 and now a 10-7 record it feels like the Steelers might be a one and done team. For the Steelers, they drop to 10-7 with 193 total yards.

Next week:
Cincinnati: go and enjoy their lives or something. What is there to do in Cincinnati?
Pittsburgh: @ Baltimore

TW: 1-1

Buffalo 16, New England 23
Pick: Bills
The Bills give the Pats the win. Josh Allen would start in the game but would play in one play to keep up his consecutive game streak. Mitchell Trubisky would play most of the game with 15 of 21 passes for 101 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown pass went to Ray Davis. Mike White would play some as he hit 3 of 11 passes for 28 yards. Ray Davis would be the leading rusher with 15 carries for 64 yards in the game. He had the longest run in the game with a 23-yard carry. James Cook had 10 carries for 28 yards with a rushing touchdown. Curtis Samuel was the leading receiver with seven catches for 52 yards. Keon Coleman had a catch that went for a 20-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Bills. Buffalo would play the game with some fire but they would mostly play with their food as they would let the Patriots win the game. The Bills would have a hand tied to their back so to speak. For the Bills, they finish the season with a 13-4 record with 259 yards of offense. 

Drake Maye would play a series in the game with one pass attempt for an incompletion. His day was over. Joe Milton III, a rookie out of Tennessee, would play the rest with 22 of 29 passes for 241 yards with a touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte. Antonio Gibson had 12 carries for 41 yards in the game and had a run of 15-yards that was the longest run play for the Patriots. Joe Milton would score his first rushing touchdown in the game on his first drive of his career. He had 10 carries for 16 yards in the game. Kayshon Boutte would have seven catches for 117 yards. He breaks a streak of 15 games with no 100-yard receiving receiver for the Patriots. He also had a catch that went for a 48-yard gain that was a result of his touchdown. The game was impressive to see what Milton would do in an NFL game. It might give him some promotion as a backup to Drake Maye in the course of the following months. The win knocks them off the #1 draft pick spot but won't fall further than #4. For the Patriots, they finish the season with a 4-13 record with 309 total yards. 

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Denver
New England: watch Celtics game or eat clam chowder

TW: 1-2

Carolina 44, Atlanta 38 (F/OT)
Pick: Falcons
Miles Sanders overtime touchdown ends a thriller in Atlanta. Bryce Young hit 25 of 34 passes for 251 yards with three touchdowns and ran for two touchdowns in the game. Miles Sanders had 17 carries for 66 yards with a touchdown that ended up being the overtime-winner. The longest run was a 26-yard gain by Raheem Blackshear. Jalen Coker played quarterback in the game with a pass that went for a 19-yard gain and caught seven passes for 62 yards. The longest pass play was a 33-yard gain that was caught by Miles Sanders. Carolina had some hope to build off of for the next season. Bryce Young would play his best game this season in this one as he accounted for five touchdowns. The win sends Falcons home. For the Panthers, they finish with a 5-12 record with 425 total yards. 

Michael Penix Jr. had 21 of 38 passes completed for 312 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Both touchdown passes went to Drake London. Bijan Robinson had 28 carries for 170 yards and two touchdowns. He had the longest run of the game with a 20-yard gain for a carry. Drake London had 10 catches for 187 yards in the game. He wouldn't have the longest pass play as RayRay McCloud had a catch that went for a 42-yard gain to be the longest pass play for the Falcons. A valiant effort for the Falcons but they wasted two great games by Bijan Robinson and Drake London and their defense wouldn't be able to stop the Bryce Young led Panthers. The loss ends slim hopes of getting into the playoffs. For the Falcons, they finish with an 8-9 record with 537 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Carolina: watch Duke basketball
Atlanta: eat Chick-Fil-A or something

TW: 1-3

Chicago 24, Green Bay 22
Pick: Packers
Chicago gets a rare win in Lambeau. Caleb Williams hit 21 of 29 passes for 148 yards with a touchdown pass. The touchdown went to DJ Moore. Keenan Allen would play quarterback for one play but it would get intercepted. Dandre Swift had 20 carries for 65 yards with a rushing touchdown. He had a run of 14 yards that was the longest run play for the Bears. DJ Moore had nine catches for 86 yards in the game. He caught a pass that went for a 32-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Bears. Chicago got a boost of offense on special teams as Josh Blackwell returned a punt and ran it back to the endzone for a 94-yard punt-six. Despite the season being a long one and tough to swallow, the win does break a losing streak dating back to October 13th where the Bears whooped the Jaguars 35-16. For the Bears, they finish with a 5-12 record with 224 total yards. 

Jordan Love hit 7 of 12 passes for 69 yards in the game. He would leave the game with a hand injury but was ruled able to go. Head coach Matt LaFleur would not let him play another snap in the game. Malik Willis had 10 of 13 passes completed for 136 yards. Emanuel Wilson had 14 carries for 73 yards in the game with a touchdown. Josh Jacobs had six carries for 44 yards in the game with a touchdown as well. He would see the bench after the 2nd quarter. The longest run play was a 23-yard run by Christopher Brooks who had eight carries for 59 yards. Malik Heath had three catches for 53 yards in the game with a catch that went for a 41-yard gain. That was the longest pass play for the Packers. A quiet game for the Packers who wouldn't move up or down in the seeding but will have to play for the 7th seed and head to Philadelphia next week. For the Packers, they finish the season with a 11-6 record with 367 yards of offense. 

Next week:
Chicago: stay at home, too cold outside
Green Bay: @ Philadelphia

TW: 1-4

Houston 23, Tennessee 14
Pick: Texans
Houston gets a win. CJ Stroud hit 6 of 6 passes for 50 yards with a touchdown pass to Nico Collins. Stroud wouldn't finish the game as he would get rest for the rest of the game. Davis Mills had 12 of 22 passes for 128 yards in the game. Dameon Pierce had 19 carries for 176 yards with a carry that went for a 92-yard gain. That was the longest run play for the Texans in the game and would result in a touchdown. Robert Woods had two catches that went for 39 yards to be the leading receiver for the Texans. He had a catch that went for a 24-yard gain to have the longest pass play for the Texans. Houston was having some slack of being the weaker of the division winners. They still do feel that way of being a one-and-done team but they do have some momentum going into next week. For the Texans, they finish with a 10-7 record with 374 total yards. 

Will Levis started for the Titans and hit 9 of 17 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown pass to Tay Martin. Mason Rudolph had 7 of 9 passes for 70 yards in the game. Tony Pollard had 22 carries for 62 yards in the game. He had a run of 11 yards that was the longest run in the game for the Titans. Calvin Ridley had three catches for 76 yards in the game to be the Titans leading receiver. Tay Martin had a catch that went for a 49-yard gain that was part of the touchdown play for the Titans. Tennessee donned the Oilers uniforms for this one to rub it in to the Texans. Houston would answer accordingly. Despite the loss, the Titans gained the #1 pick in this spring's draft. For the Titans, they drop to 3-14 on the season with 314 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Houston: vs LA Chargers
Tennessee: watch a Grand Ole Opry show

TW: 2-4

Jacksonville 23, Indianapolis 26 (F/OT)
Pick: Colts
The Colts get a win at home. Mac Jones hit 20 of 32 passes for 225 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Parker Washington was the lucky recipient of the pass by Mac Jones. Tank Bigsby carried the ball 14 times for 39 yards in the game for a rushing touchdown. The longest run was a 22-yard run by Dernest Johnson. Brian Thomas Jr. had seven catches for 103 yards in the game and caught a pass that went for a 41-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Jaguars. Jacksonville didn't have a lot to play for in this one as they were pretty much playing for their jobs. They likely need the loss to draft a top-10 pick in this spring's draft. It might be a possibility for the Jaguars to let go Doug Pederson. For the Jaguars, they finish with a 4-13 record with 319 total yards in the game. 

Joe Flacco hit 23 of 40 passes for 264 yards with a touchdown pass. The touchdown pass went to Alec Pierce. Jonathan Taylor was used a lot in the game as he carried for 34 times for 177 yards with a touchdown run. He would obviously have the longest run play for a gain of 17 yards in the game. Josh Downs had 10 catches for 94 yards in the game. Alec Pierce had a catch that went for a 40-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Colts. Indianapolis didn't have a lot to play for as well as they got eliminated a few weeks ago but they would fight for their jobs and pride as they would fight tooth and nail against the Jaguars to get almost a .500 finish. For the Colts, they finish with a win at a 8-9 record with 429 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: I don't know, what is there to do in Jacksonville
Indianapolis: see a Hoosiers basketball game or something

TW: 3-4

New Orleans 19, Tampa Bay 27
Pick: Buccaneers
Struggles for the Bucs but would overcome it to win. Spencer Rattler hit 26 of 42 passes for 240 yards with a touchdown pass to Dante Pettis. Clyde Ewards-Helaire rushed eight times for 26 yards in the game and had the longest run for the Saints on a 12-yard carry. Josh Johnson had six catches for 80 yards and had a 26-yard pass play that he caught for that much of a gain. New Orleans had an opportunity to give the Falcons some hope as they were up 16-6 in the 2nd quarter. The Buccaneers would overcome the deficit and the rest is history as the Saints falter after starting at 2-0 to begin the season. For the Saints, they finish with a 5-12 on the season with 292 total yards. 

Baker Mayfield had 21 of 32 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The touchdowns went to Jalen McMillan and Payne Durham. Bucky Irving had 19 carries for 89 yards in the game with a touchdown run on a 11-yard play. Baker Mayfield had nine carries for 68 yards in the game and had the longest run play of a 28-yard gain on the run. Mike Evans had nine catches for 89 yards. He ties Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000 yard seasons with 11 straight seasons. He'll likely be smelling the Hall of Fame sometime soon in the future. The longest pass play for the Buccaneers was a 33-yard gain for a catch by Jalen McMillan that was the touchdown score. The Buccaneers would start off slow as the Saints and Buccaneers traded field goals and then the Saints would jump out to a 16-6 lead but the Buccaneers with their experience would turn it around. They finished with a 21-3 run to get the win. For the Buccaneers, they win the NFC South with a 10-7 record and had 395 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
New Orleans: eat some gumbo or something.
Tampa Bay: vs Washington

TW: 4-4

NY Giants 13, Philadelphia 20
Pick: Eagles
Philly walks away with a dub. Drew Lock hit 22 of 29 passes for 138 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown went to Malik Nabers to finish up his solid rookie season. Tyrone Tracy Jr. had 14 carries for 59 yards in the game and had a carry that went for a 16-yard gain that was the longest run in the game. Malik Nabers had five catches for 64 yards in the game but also had the longest pass play with a catch that went for a 45-yard gain. The game was pretty much a mirror to most of the games that the Giants have had this season. Not a lot of offense and the defense being out for way too long at times. The Giants will have some things to figure out over the next few months in terms of direction. For the Giants, they finish the year with a 3-14 record with 238 total yards on the game. 

Tanner McKee had 27 of 41 passes for 269 yards with two touchdowns in the game. He would start the game again for the Eagles. Will Shipley had 10 carries for 32 yards in the game. He had the longest run in the game with a carry of 7 yards for a gain. Saquon Barkley would not play as he would see himself in street clothes for rest to get to the playoffs next week. Jahan Dotson had seven catches for 94 yards in the game. He had a catch that went for a 19-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Eagles. Despite a limited cast of starters and 1st stringers, the Eagles would mostly have their way with the Giants in this one. It was a safe bet for the Eagles to rest starters to prepare for the road that is to get back to the Super Bowl. For the Eagles, they finish the regular season with a 14-3 record with 303 total yards. 

Next week:
NY Giants: stay out of New Jersey, too many drones
Philadelphia: vs Green Bay

TW: 5-4

Washington 23, Dallas 19
Pick: Cowboys
Jayden Daniels hit 6 of 12 passes for 38 yards but would see the bench for rest in the game. Marcus Mariota had 15 of 18 passes for 161 yards with two touchdowns. Zach Ertz and Terry McLaurin were the players that caught the passes for touchdowns for the Commanders. It was the McLaurin touchdown that would be the go-ahead touchdown for the Commanders. Marcus Mariota would also rush five times for 56 yards with a touchdown run. He had a run of 33 yards that was the longest run in the game for the Commanders. Terry McLaurin had eight catches for 62 yards in the game to be the leading receiver. The longest pass play was a catch by Olamide Zaccheaus with a catch that went for a 29-yard gain. Washington didn't have a lot to play for but to get a better seeding in the playoffs but also beating Dallas has to feel good for the Commanders fans. At least to beat your longtime rival. For the Commanders, they improve to 12-5 on the season to finish it with 269 total yards. 

Trey Lance went 20 of 34 passes for 244 yards in the game. He would make his first start for the Cowboys in the game. Rico Dowdle had 22 carries for 72 yards with a touchdown run in the game. It was the only touchdown for the Cowboys in the game. The longest run in the game was a Deuce Vaughn run that went for a 12-yard gain. Jake Tolbert had four catches for 98 yards in the game to be the leading receiver. Kavonte Turpin had a catch that went for a 33-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Cowboys. Brandon Aubrey hit four field goals in the game with a longest kick was a 41-yard attempt for Dallas. A bit of a whimper of a finish as the Cowboys were one of the better teams to in December with wins but falter at the end as the Terry McLaurin touchdown came with two seconds left in the game. For the Cowboys, they finish with a 7-10 record with 378 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Washington: @ Tampa Bay
Dallas: watch the Cotton Bowl later in the week.

TW: 5-5

Kansas City 0, Denver 38
Pick: Broncos

The Broncos shut down the Chiefs to get a playoff berth. Carson Wentz started for the Chiefs. He wouldn't do a whole lot as he hit 10 of 17 passes for 98 yards in the game. Carson Steele had eight carries for 25 yards in the game. He and Chris Oladokun had a run of 5 yards to be the longest run in the game. Nikko Remigio had two catches for 48 yards to be the leading receiver for the Chiefs. He had a catch that went for the longest pass play for the Chiefs with a 25-yard gain. Kansas City wouldn't do a whole lot on offense as most of their starters would not play in the game. It was mostly full of 2nd stringers and players on the practice squad probably. With the #1 seed locked up the Chiefs will not play next week and will play the weekend of either the 18th or 19th. For the Chiefs, they finish with a 15-2 record with 98 total yards. 

Bo Nix hit 26 of 29 passes for 321 yards with four touchdowns in the game. Cortland Sutton had one, Marvin Mims had two and Devaughn Vele had the other to the total of four in the game. Bo Nix was also the leading rusher with seven carries for 47 yards and had a run of 27 yards that was the longest run in the game for the Broncos. Audric Estime had 12 carries for 34 yards with a rushing touchdown. Jaleel McLaughlin had 16 carries for 39 yards in the game. Cortland Sutton had five catches for 98 yards in the game and had a catch that went for a 47-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Broncos. Well the near decade of playoff futility has washed away as the Broncos are the final team to clinch a playoff berth and it is their first since the 2015 season. For the Broncos, they finish with a 10-7 record with 479 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Kansas City: have some BBQ or something that Kansas City has to offer while you're on that bye
Denver: @ Buffalo

TW: 6-5

LA Chargers 34, Las Vegas 20
Pick: Chargers
Chargers get a win on the road. Justin Herbert hit 28 of 36 passes for 346 yards with two touchdowns. The touchdowns went to Will Dissly and DJ Chark. Hassan Haskins had a rushing touchdown while getting 12 carries for 33 yards in the game. JK Dobbins was the leading rusher with 18 carries for 63 yards in the game. The longest run was a run by Justin Herbert that went for a 41-yard gain. Quentin Johnston had 13 catches for 186 yards in the game. A big day for him indeed. Ladd McConkey had a catch that went for a 47-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Chargers. It was somewhat of a meaningless game for the Chargers but it did implicate some pride as they played against rival Raiders. They have gained a playoff berth before this week. For the Chargers, they get to 11-6 with 473 total yards in the game. 

Aidan O'Connell had 24 of 34 passes for 214 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in the game. Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers were the Raiders that caught the passes from O'Connell. Alexander Mattison had six carries for 20 yards in the game and had a run of 11 yards that was the longest run in the game for the Silver and Black. The leading receiver was Jakobi Meyers with nine catches for 123 yards and caught a pass of 25 yards to be the longest pass play for the Raiders. It was a game that the Raiders probably needed to lose as they are not a good team and will need some high draft pick help to fill a few holes in their roster. Possibly on offense. For the Raiders, they finish the season dropping to 4-13 on the season with 264 total yards. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: @ Houston
Las Vegas: you're in Vegas, there's millions of things to do.

TW: 7-5

Miami 20, NY Jets 32
Pick: Dolphins
Tyler Huntley hit 25 of 41 passes for 227 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. The touchdown pass went to Jonnu Smith. De'Von Achane had 11 carries for 121 yards in the game and scored a touchdown on a 11-yard play. He had a run that went for a 61-yard gain that was the longest run for the Dolphins in the game. Jonnu Smith had nine catches for 56 yards in the game to be the leading receiver for the Dolphins. The longest pass play was a Jaylen Waddle catch that went for a 23-yard gain. The game was not a guarantee for the Dolphins to win as they needed to win and get help to get into the playoffs. Inconsistent play, turnovers and injuries doomed the Dolphins this season and this game was in general no different. For the Dolphins, they drop to 8-9 to finish the season with 334 total yards. 

Aaron Rodgers played well in the game. He hit 23 of 36 passes for 274 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. Of the four passes for scores, it went to Davante Adams, Alan Lazard, Tyler Conklin and Breece Hall. The touchdown to Conklin was Aaron Rodgers 500th touchdown pass in his career. He finished the game with 503. Breece Hall had 12 carries for 57 yards in the game. The longest run play was a carry that went for 20 yards by Isaiah Davis who had four carries for 41 yards. Davante Adams had six catches for 88 yards in the game. Alan Lazard had the longest pass play with a catch that went for a 43-yard gain. It was a game where the Jets would have fun as they were out of the playoffs but would play spoiler to the Dolphins who were still hoping to get in. If it was the end of the line for Aaron Rodgers the final image would be at the end of the game with his friend Davante Adams walking off the field and in through the tunnel and to the locker room. For the Jets, they finish with a 5-12 record with 375 total yards. 

Next week:
Miami: watch Miami Vice re-runs. 
NY Jets: see NY Giants

TW: 7-6

Seattle 30, LA Rams 25
Pick: Seahawks
Geno Smith hit 20 of 27 passes for 223 yards with four touchdowns. The four touchdowns went to: Noah Fant, DK Metcalf, AJ Barner and Jake Bobo. Zach Charbonnet had 14 carries for 59 yards in the game. Geno Smith would have the longest run play in the game for Seattle with a carry of 15 yards. Noah Fant had five catches for 63 yards in the game. The longest pass play was a 32-yard play with catches to Noah Fant and Zach Charbonnet. Seattle would fight tooth and nail to get a win in this one but the Seahawks get a bit of revenge and momentum as they close out the season with rookie head coach Mike MacDonald. For the Seahawks, they finish with a 10-7 record with 336 total yards in the game. 

Jimmy Garoppolo hit 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Tyler Higbee and Tyler Johnson were the Rams that caught the passes from Garoppolo for the touchdowns. Ronnie Rivers had 12 carries for 48 yards in the game and had a run of nine yards that was the longest run for the Rams. Jordan Whittington had three catches for 86 yards in the game. He had a catch that went for a 50-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Rams. Matthew Stafford would not take a snap in this one as he would get the rest for the playoffs that start next week. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp would not play in this game as well. The Rams have already won the NFC West and will play next week. For the Rams, they drop to 10-7 on the season with 403 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
Seattle: drink Starbucks and listen to Nirvana
LA Rams: vs Minnesota

TW: 8-6

San Francisco 24, Arizona 47
Pick: Cardinals
Arizona wins against San Francisco. Josh Dobbs hit 29 of 43 passes for 326 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ricky Pearsall and Kyle Juszczyk were the 49ers that caught the passes from Dobbs. Josh Dobbs had eight carries for 17 yards with a touchdown run up the middle for a 1-yard score. Patrick Taylor had 17 carries for 109 yards in the game and had a carry that went for a 29 yard gain in the game. Ricky Pearsall had six catches for 69 yards in the game. The longest pass play was a Kyle Juszczyk catch that went for a 36-yard gain. The title defense season is over and the 49ers will miss the playoffs. The missed opportunity will be a self-reflection as they will have to make a ton of choices of player personnel in free agency. For the 49ers, they drop to 6-11 on the season with 436 total ayrds in the game. 

Kyler Murray had 25 of 35 passes for 242 yards with four touchdowns in the game. Of the four touchdowns, Greg Dortch had two, Marvin Harrison Jr. had one and Trey McBride had one for the total of four. Tony Jones had four carries for 55 yards with a touchdown on a 46-yard run. Michael Carter had a touchdown run as well on a 4-yard play and had 17 carries for 43 yards in the game. Trey McBride had seven catches for 65 yards to be the Cardinals leading receiver. He had a catch of 28 yards that was the longest pass play for the Cardinals. Arizona would put the hurt on the 49ers as they would capitalize on the 49ers mistakes and would run over the 49ers defense lead by Nick Bosa. The win won't give the Cardinals a playoff spot but it gives them some hope of getting back to the playoffs next season. For the Cardinals, they finish with a 8-9 record with 393 total yards in the game. 

Next week:
San Francisco: watch 49ers highlights from 1981 to 1998
Arizona: wrangle rattlesnakes or something

TW: 9-6

Minnesota 9, Detroit 31
Pick: Vikings
The season finale ends on a blowout. Sam Darnold hit 18 of 41 passes for 166 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Cam Akers had six carries for 65 yards and had one carry go for a 58-yard gain in the game. Aaron Jones had 10 carries for 45 yards. Justin Jefferson had three catches for 54 yards in the game and had a catch that went for a 31 yard gain. Minnesota's normally powerful offense just got manhandled and the defense kind of had a rough day. Maybe it was more of a game that was a wake up call that the Vikings aren't quite as good as they thought they were. They'll need to figure it out as they have to take the road to the playoffs. For the Vikings, they finish with a 14-3 record with 262 total yards in the game. 

Jared Goff hit 27 of 33 passes for 231 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Jahmyr Gibbs had was the player that caught the touchdown pass. Gibbs would do most of his damage on the ground as he had 23 carries for 139 yards for three touchdowns. He did have a run that went for a 47-yard gain but it wasn't part of a touchdown. Amon Ra St. Brown caught six passes for 77 yards to be the leading receiver. He did have a catch that went for a 23-yard gain that was the longest pass play for the Lions in the game. Questions surrounding the Lions defense would prove to be washed away as they really made the normally powerful passing game of Minnesota's held to just 142 net yards and the Vikings running game to 120. Suffice to say, the Lions are now NFC North champions for the 2nd straight year, have the #1 seed for the first time in their history and have 15 wins which is a franchise record. For the Lions, they finish with a 15-2 record with 394 yards of offense in the game. 

Next week:
Minnesota: @ LA Rams
Detroit: 1st round bye, probably go see Motown museum

TW: 9-7

Records
2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11
Week 6: 13-1
Week 7: 13-2
Week 8: 9-7
Week 9: 12-3
Week 10: 10-4
Week 11: 11-3
Week 12: 7-6
Week 13: 14-2
Week 14: 11-3
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 12-4

Week 18: 9-7
Total: 193-80

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
2023: 161-111

See you all on Thursday/Friday for the Super Wild Card Weekend Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom