NFL 2020 Week 9 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has passed us by yet again. The week that was brought us some surprises: a Falcons win, the Bills taking the Seahawks to town and the last unbeaten surviving against Dallas. We'll get to those games and more in this recap post. Let's get to work!

Week 9 Recap

Green Bay 34, San Francisco 17: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Packers got their revenge from two drubbings by San Francisco last season. Aaron Rodgers threw for 305 yards with four touchdowns. Aaron Jones returned from injury in this game and put up a respectable 58 yards rushing in this game. Davantae Adams had 10 catches for 173 yards with a touchdown in this game. Nick Mullens started for the 49ers. He threw for 291 yards with a touchdown pass and had an interception. Jerrick McKinnon would give the 49ers offense some life with 52 yards with a touchdown run even though most of San Francisco's touchdowns were in the 4th quarter. The result was to be expected and quite honestly I would've wanted San Francisco at full strength. 

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Jacksonville; San Francisco: @ New Orleans

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Detroit 20, Minnesota 34: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Adrian Peterson made his return to Minnesota. Other than that this was all Minnesota. Matthew Stafford threw for 211 yards with a touchdown and threw two interceptions. Stafford would leave the game in the 4th quarter due to concussion protocols. Chase Daniel would step in and provided 94 yards passing with a touchdown but also threw an interception. Dandre Swift gave Detroit some rushing offense with 64 yards and Adrian Peterson had 29 yards rushing as well. Kirk Cousins helped out the Vikings passing attack quite a bit in this one with 220 yards passing with three touchdowns. Dalvin Cook left no stone unturned again in this game with 206 yards rushing with two rushing touchdowns. Thank god I didn't pick Detroit in this game. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Washington; Minnesota: @ Chicago

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Denver 27, Atlanta 34: TW: Broncos; CV: Falcons
Oh my god, Atlanta almost blew another lead in this game. Drew Lock threw for 313 yards with two touchdowns with an interception in this game. Lock also was the Broncos leading rusher with 47 yards with a touchdown as well. Matt Ryan threw for 284 yards with three touchdowns but also threw an interception. Todd Gurley was the leading rusher in the game with 53 yards with a touchdown run. Seriously, Atlanta was up 27-6 at the end of the 3rd quarter. That should've stayed as the result in this one. 

Next week:
Denver: @ Las Vegas; Atlanta: Bye

TW: 2-1; CV: 3-0

Houston 27, Jacksonville 25: TW: Texans; CV: Jaguars
No Gardner Minshew in this game, bummer. Deshaun Watson threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns. Watson would also once again be the leading rusher for Houston with 50 yards rushing. David Johnson did put up 41 yards and did score a rushing touchdown. Wil Fuller had 100 yards receiving with a touchdown, his longest was a 77-yard touchdown. Jake Luton would get his first start in his NFL debut. Luton threw for 304 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception. He would also score a rushing touchdown on a 13-yard run. James Robinson would rush for 99 yards with a rushing touchdown as well. Jacksonville almost tied the game in the 4th quarter on a 2-point conversion but a Luton to DJ Chark Jr pass was incomplete. Houston survives. 

Next week:
Houston: @ Cleveland; Jacksonville: @ Green Bay

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

NY Giants 23, Washington 20: TW: Giants; CV: Football Team
Daniel Jones gets a gold star for not turning the ball over for the first time this season. Congrats! Jones threw for 212 yards with a touchdown. Wayne Gallman ran for 68 yards with a touchdown to give Jones some help in offense. Former Washington running back Alfred Morris ran for 67 yards. Alex Smith got the start at QB for the Football Team and wasn't that great. He threw for 325 yards with a touchdown and had three interceptions. Not quite a good game for him. Kyle Allen would see some action in this game but wouldn't change the game much as he threw for 62 yards. Antonio Gibson wouldn't get much in this one as he ran for 20 yards with a touchdown. Washington's kicker Dustin Hopkins was 2 for 2 in field goals, his longest was for 48 yards. 

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Philadelphia; Washington: @ Detroit

TW: 4-1; CV: 3-2

Seattle 34, Buffalo 44: TW: Seahawks; CV: Bills
Condolences to Josh Allen who lost his grandmother earlier this week. Russell Wilson threw for 390 yards with two touchdowns and threw two interceptions as well. Deejay Dallas ran for 31 yards with a touchdown run. Wilson also put up five yards rushing with a touchdown in this game. Josh Allen went on a rampage in this game with 415 yards passing with three touchdowns in the game. He also scored his fifth touchdown on a rushing touchdown with 14 yards rushing in the game. Zack Moss would get 18 yards rushing with a touchdown run of his own in this game. It was a game that Buffalo never really relinquished its lead. The last time that Buffalo was 7-2 through nine games was back in 1993, the team's fourth straight Super Bowl appearance. 

Next week:
Seattle: @ LA Rams; Buffalo: @ Arizona

TW: 4-2; CV: 4-2

Chicago 17, Tennessee 24: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Nick Foles did well in this game, unfortunately it wasn't enough. Foles threw for 335 yards with two touchdowns in the game. David Montgomery rushed for 30 yards in the game on 14 carries. Ryan Tannehill threw for 158 yards with two touchdowns in the game. Derrick Henry was fairly contained in this game but would get a respectable 68 yards in this game. The Titans defense would capitalize on a David Montgomery fumble that would turn into a touchdown to help out their offense a bit. Remember when Chicago was good? I'm fairly content with the result as you can see.

Next week:
Chicago: vs Minnesota; Tennessee: vs Indianapolis

TW: 5-2; CV: 5-2

Carolina 31, Kansas City 33: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Welcome back Christian McCaffrey. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 310 yards with two touchdowns in this one. Christian McCaffrey returned from injury in this game, rushing for 69 yards with a touchdown. Bridgewater rushed for 19 yards and also scored a rushing touchdown as well. Patrick Mahomes did Patrick Mahomes things and threw for 372 yards with four touchdowns in the game. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 14 yards. Andy Reid would get win #230 passing Curly Lambeau for 5th most in NFL history. 

Next week:
Carolina: vs Tampa Bay; Kansas City: Bye

TW: 6-2; CV: 6-2

Baltimore 24, Indianapolis 10: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens have scored 20+ points in 31 straight games. I'm amazed by this great stat. Lamar Jackson threw for 170 yards but didn't throw a touchdown pass. Jackson rushed for 58 yards with a touchdown. Gus Edwards would get 23 yards with a rushing touchdown as well. Baltimore would capitalize on a fumble by Jonathan Taylor for a touchdown that was recovered by Chuck Clark. Phillip Rivers threw for 227 yards but threw an interception in the game. Jordan Wilkins rushed for 39 yards. Jonathan Taylor would score the only touchdown for Indy and added 27 yards rushing in the game. Fortunately the AFC South is terrible for Indy's case. 

Next week:
Baltimore: @ New England; Indianapolis: @ Tennessee

TW: 7-2; CV: 7-2

Las Vegas 31, LA Chargers 26: TW: Raiders; CV: Chargers
Justin Herbert should get some consideration for Rookie of the Year, because his team would probably be just as terrible without him. Derek Carr threw for 165 yards with two touchdowns. Devontae Booker and Josh Jacobs would score rushing touchdowns while compiling 68 and 65 yards respectively. Justin Herbert threw for 326 yards with two touchdowns. Kalen Ballage would get a rushing touchdown with 69 yards in this game. Keenan Allen had 103 receiving yards with a touchdown. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Denver; LA Chargers: @ Miami

TW: 8-2; CV: 7-3

Miami 34, Arizona 31: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
What the heck, Arizona? I knew your defense wasn't great but I mean c'mon! Tua Tagovailoa threw for 248 yards with two touchdowns. Jordan Howard rushed for 19 yards with a rushing touchdown. Salvon Ahmed rushed for 38 yards. Kyler Murray threw for 283 yards with three touchdowns. Murray would also score a rushing touchdown with 106 rushing yards. Chase Edmonds would rush for 70 yards in the game. What's more surprising: Miami is 5-3 or Arizona being 5-3? I don't know. 

Next week:
Miami: vs LA Chargers; Arizona: vs Buffalo

TW: 8-3; CV: 7-4

Pittsburgh 24, Dallas 19: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Garrett Gilbert nearly lead the Cowboys to a historic upset. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 306 yards with three touchdowns. Mason Rudolph would see some action in this game with Roethlisberger injured for a bit in the game. He threw for three yards. James Conner was held to 22 yards on nine carries. Garrett Gilbert, the 3rd year quarterback from SMU, threw for 243 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception. Tony Pollard rushed for 57 yards in the game. Yinzer nation would've been upset indeed had the Steelers lost. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Cincinnati; Dallas: Bye

TW: 9-3; CV: 8-4

New Orleans 38, Tampa Bay 3: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Well... shit happens haha. NBC literally went all Tampa Bay in the pregame. That didn't work out well. Drew Brees threw for 222 yards with four touchdowns. Taysom Hill rushed for 54 yards while Alvin Kamara rushed for 40 yards and scored a touchdown. Tom Brady in this one was abysmal as he threw for 209 yards with three interceptions. Tampa's running game didn't have a lot in this one due to the score but Ronald Jones did manage to put up nine yards rushing in the game. Ryan Succop would put up the only points for Tampa with a 48-yard field goal in the 4th quarter. This game was also the worst loss in Tom Brady's career. 

Next week:
New Orleans: vs San Francisco; Tampa Bay: @ Carolina

TW: 9-4; CV: 8-5

New England 30, NY Jets 27: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Oh so close Jets. So close. Cam Newton threw for 274 yards but didn't throw a passing touchdown. Newton did run for 16 yards with two touchdowns. Rex Burkhead rushed for 56 yards with a touchdown run and Damien Harris rushed for 71 yards. Joe Flacco did fairly well in this game with 262 yards with three touchdowns but he did throw an interception in the game. The hardy veteran Frank Gore did give the Jets some help in the running game with 46 yards rushing. Look at it this way Jets fans: the good news is you're closer to possibly drafting Trevor Lawrence, the bad news is that you're 0-9 for the first time in your franchise's history. Congrats?

Next week:
New England: vs Baltimore; NY Jets: Bye

TW: 10-4; CV: 9-5

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 10-4
Total: 88-44-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 11-3
Week 8: 7-7
Week 9: 9-5
Total: 80-52-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys for the Week 10 Picks post on Wednesday! See you then. 

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 5 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought us some drama with the injury of Dak Prescott, the Raiders playing the underdog card to their advantage, and Tom Brady forgetting how to count which down it is. In this post I'll be recapping the week's games. Let's get to work!

Week 5 Recap

Tampa Bay 19, Chicago 20: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Nick Foles would got the better of Tom Brady in this one both in the score and in counting. Brady did fine in the game with a 253 passing yards with a touchdown. Ronald Jones had another great day on the ground game with 106 yards. You can blame it on Brady but you're not gonna win a lot of games with 114 yards in penalties. Nick Foles threw for 243 yards with a touchdown and threw and an interception. Devin Montgomery wouldn't need to put up a lot of rushing yards but he did get 29 yards with a touchdown. Allen Robinson had a solid day in receiving with 90 receiving yards. As much as I hate the Bears, they win ugly but a win is a win. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs Green Bay; Chicago: @ Carolina

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Jacksonville 14, Houston 30: TW: Texans; CV: Jaguars
The Texans got a win, finally. Gardner Minshew threw for 301 yards and threw for two touchdowns (the only two touchdowns for the Jags). James Robinson ran for 48 yards on 13 carries, decent game for him. The Jaguars had two turnovers that were fumbles, including a fumble that was in the redzone. DeShaun Watson threw for 359 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. The two interceptions didn't really hurt the Texans that much but still could've been a different game. David Johnson had a better day with 96 yards on the ground. Brandin Cooks had a great day with 161 receiving yards with a touchdown. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Detroit; Houston: @ Tennessee

TW: 1-1; CV: 0-2

Cincinnati 3, Baltimore 27: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Poor Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow threw for 183 yards and threw an interception in the game. Joe Mixon ran for 59 yards but didn't run for a touchdown. Tee Higgins was the leading receiver for the Bengals with 62 yards. Cincinnati had three turnovers in the game with two fumbles and an interception. Joe Burrow had a rough time in pass protection as he was sacked seven times for 48 yards lost. Lamar Jackson threw for 180 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Mark Ingram ran for 57 yards but didn't score a touchdown. Malcolm Brown was the leading receiver for Baltimore with 77 yards with a touchdown. I knew the Bengals would have a hard time winning this game but to only score three points? Ouch. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ Indianapolis; Baltimore: @ Philadelphia

TW: 2-1; CV: 1-2

LA Rams 30, Washington 10: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The year has been crap but seeing Alex Smith return to the football field was definitely worthy of a feel good story. Jared Goff had a good day throwing the ball with 309 yards with two touchdowns but threw an interception in the game. Cam Akers ran the ball with 61 yards while Darrell Henderson ran for 39 yards with a touchdown run. Kyle Allen started for Washington and had 74 yards passing before getting injured. Alex Smith didn't help the cause much with 37 yards passing for the game. Kyle Allen would score the only touchdown for Washington on a touchdown run. 

Next week:
LA Rams: @ San Francisco; Washington: @ NY Giants

TW: 3-1; CV: 2-2

Las Vegas 40, Kansas City 32: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Oh boy this one was a shocker. Derek Carr had a great day with 347 yards with three touchdowns and threw an interception. Josh Jacobs ran for 77 yards with two touchdowns. Henry Ruggs III had 118 yards receiving with a touchdown in the game. Patrick Mahomes had similar stats to Carr with 340 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Mahomes rushed for 21 yards with a touchdown. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 40 yards. Definitely exposed the defending champs for sure. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: Bye; Kansas City: @ Buffalo

TW: 3-2; CV: 2-3

Philadelphia 29, Pittsburgh 38: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Either the Eagles are underrated despite of record or the Steelers defense was exposed. Carson Wentz threw for 258 yards with two touchdowns with two interceptions. Obviously turnovers would've made a difference in this game. Miles Sanders ran for 80 yards with two touchdowns, one of the touchdowns was from a 74-yard run. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 239 yards with three touchdowns. Rayray McCloud ran for 63 yards in this game, James Conner rushed for 44 yards with a touchdown. Chase Claypool had a stellar day with 110 receiving yards, three receiving touchdowns, and one rushing touchdown. Steelers are 4-0 for the first time since 1979. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Baltimore; Pittsburgh: vs Cleveland

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

Carolina 23, Atlanta 16: TW: Falcons; CV: Panthers
Atlanta still sucks but that Dan Quinn guy got fired. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 313 yards with two touchdowns and didn't throw an interception. Mike Davis ran for 89 yards but didn't run in for a touchdown. Robby Anderson had 119 yards receiving in the game for Carolina. Matt Ryan would only put up 226 passing yards while throwing an interception. Todd Gurley was the shining light for Atlanta with 121 rushing yards with a touchdown. Calvin Ridley would have 136 receiving yards in the game. Good day for him as well. Dan Quinn was the tip of the iceberg if you're Atlanta, his firing might help but still have a long way away from being relevant. 

Next week: Carolina: vs Chicago; Atlanta: @ Minnesota

TW: 4-3; CV: 4-3

Arizona 30, NY Jets 10: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
With Bill O'Brien and Dan Quinn getting fired, could Adam Gase be the next one? Kyler Murray threw for 380 yards with a touchdown and had an interception. He, Kenyan Drake, and Chase Edmonds scored a rushing touchdown. Definitely a well-balanced attack. Joe Flacco would start for the Jets. Flacco threw for 185 yards with a touchdown. Le'Veon Bell ran for 60 yards in the game. Jamison Crowder had 116 yards with a receiving touchdown. The Jets are 0-5 for the first time since 1996. 

Next week:
Arizona: @ Dallas; NY Jets: @ Miami

TW: 5-3; CV: 5-3

Miami 43, San Francisco 17: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
What happened to Jimmy Garoppolo? Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 350 yards with three touchdowns. Myles Gaskin ran for 57 yards with a touchdown. Preston Williams had 106 receiving yards with a touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo started for the 49ers with 77 yards passing and threw two interceptions before getting benched in favor of CJ Beathard. Beathard added 94 yards with a passing touchdown for San Fran. Raheem Mostert had 90 rushing yards. Problems just keep unfolding for San Francisco. 

Next week:
Miami: vs NY Jets; San Francisco: @ LA Rams

TW: 5-4; CV: 5-4

Indianapolis 23, Cleveland 32: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Brownies are 4-1 for the first time since a guy named Bill Belichek was coaching them in 1994. Philip Rivers threw for 243 yards but threw two interceptions. One of the interceptions was a pick six Jonathan Taylor ran for 57 yards with a touchdown. It would be the only offensive touchdown for the Colts in the game. Isiaiah Rodgers had a kick six in the game running for 101 yards for a score. Baker Mayfield threw 247 two touchdowns and two interceptions. Nick Chubb wasn't in the game but Kareem Hunt was enough to provide a sufficient running attack for Cleveland with 72 yards rushing. Did I also mention that Nick Saban was the Browns defensive coordinator in 1994? 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Cincinnati; Cleveland: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 6-4; CV: 6-4

NY Giants 34, Dallas 37: TW: Cowboys; CV: Giants
Dallas got their 2nd win of the year, but with a great cost. Daniel Jones threw for 222 yards but didn't throw a touchdown pass. Evan Engram and Devontae Freeman scored a touchdown in the game each while racking up nine and 60 yards rushing respectively. Dak Prescott started the game for Dallas but would leave the game due to injury to the ankle. Prescott threw for 166 yards but threw an interception. Former Cincinatti Bengal quarterback Andy Dalton would take his place and threw for 111 yards. Ced Wilson threw for 11 yards with a touchdown. Ezekiel Elliot ran for 92 yards with two touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb had a great day in catching the football with 124 yards receiving. Dallas is about to enter the great unknown with Dalton at quarterback. 

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Washington; Dallas: vs Arizona

TW: 7-4; CV: 6-5

Minnesota 26, Seattle 27: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Poor Minnesota, Twins haven't won a playoff game since 2004, Timberwolves and Wild are crap, the Lakers won their 17th NBA title (a team that used to be the Minneapolis Lakers), and the Vikings can't hold a lead worth a darn. Kirk Cousins threw for 249 yards with two touchdowns and threw an interception. Dalvin Cook ran for 65 yards with a touchdown while Alexander Mattison ran for 112 yards for the Vikings as well. Russell Wilson continued his spectacular season with 217 yards passing with three touchdowns with an interception. Wilson rushed for 58 yards with Chris Carson also rushing for 52 yards with a touchdown run. 

Next week:
Minnesota: vs Atlanta; Seattle: Bye

TW: 8-4; CV: 7-5

LA Chargers 27, New Orleans 30 (F/OT): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Justin Herbert is good at this football thing. Unfortunately the rest of the Chargers aren't good at keeping leads. Justin Herbert threw for 264 yards with four touchdowns. Justin Jackson ran for 71 yards but didn't score a touchdown. Drew Brees threw for 325 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Alvin Kamara ran for 45 yards in the game. Taysom Hill ran for 13 yards with a touchdown run. The game would go into overtime, while it was almost close to ending in a tie, Saints kicker Will Lutz hit a 36-yard field goal to give the Saints the win. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: Bye; New Orleans: Bye

TW: 9-4; CV: 8-5

Buffalo 16, Tennessee 42: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The game was lackluster to be honest. It was weird to see football on a Tuesday night. Josh Allen threw for 263 yards with two touchdowns with two interceptions. TJ Yeldon was the leading rusher for the Bills with 52 yards rushing. Devin Singletary ran for only 25 yards. Ryan Tannehill threw for 195 yards with three touchdown passes. Derrick Henry ran for 57 yards with two touchdowns. Ryan Tannehill ran for 42 yards with a touchdown run of his own. Buffalo got embarrassed tonight but perhaps its a blessing in disguise that perhaps you're not as good as you think you are. A learning experience perhaps. 

Next week:
Buffalo: vs Kansas City; Tennessee: vs Houston

TW: 9-5; CV: 8-6

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Week 5: 9-5
Total: 52-24-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 8-6
Total: 44-32-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

See you guys tomorrow for the Week 6 picks post!

-Tom

NFL 2020 Week 4 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was full of drama: high-scoring games, big comebacks, and the dreaded COVID. In this post I'll briefly talk about my take on the NFL's response to COVID-19, and a recap of the week's action. Let's get to work!

COVID-19 & The NFL

I applaud the league for its response as sooner or later, this would happen to the NFL. Two games would get postponed this week, one would be played at a later time, and the other at an undefined time. Whether more weeks will look like this week is unclear, but I feel there will have to be make-up weeks after Week 17 to give teams a chance to play all of their games before the playoffs start. 

I question why the NFL would move the Patriots-Chiefs game to a Monday night slot that is usually given to ESPN and not put into a Tuesday night slot where there is no game on. It just seems like a disservice to one of your broadcast partners to lure that game's viewers to a game that CBS will televise nationally. Mind you that most people that have basic cable get CBS as its a national network. 

I also question why have that game be played this week and not have the Steelers-Titans game played this week as well. I get that its going to be played when both teams will have a bye week but I'm just not sure why force teams to lose that bye week when they've been preparing for this game this week. Why not have it be played in Week 18 or during the "make-up weeks" that could possibly happen should there be more cases in players, coaches, staff, etc. Just my two cents but it just seems off to me. 

Week 4 Recap

Denver 37, NY Jets 28: TW: Broncos, CV: Broncos
In the battle of winless teams, Denver comes out on top. Brett Rypien, Mark Rypien's nephew, made the best of his opportunity to lead the Broncos to a dub. Rypien threw for 242 yards with two touchdowns but also threw three interceptions, one was returned for a pick-six. Melvin Gordon really had a great game for the Broncos running over the Jets for 107 yards with two rushing touchdowns. Tim Patrick was the leading receiver for Denver with 113 yards receiving yards with a touchdown. Sam Darnold would ultimately be on his own for most of the game. He threw for 230 yards with zero touchdown passes. He would rush for 84 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown was from a 46-yard rush from Darnold. How is Adam Gase still your head coach? 

Next week:
Denver: @ New England; NY Jets: vs Arizona

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

LA Chargers 31, Tampa Bay 38: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Chargers
Patriots, Buccaneers, or some scrub team, Tom Brady will still own the Chargers. Justin Herbert had a good game with 290 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. He would be the leading rusher for the Chargers with 14 yards. Austin Ekeler would leave the game early with an injury. Tom Brady gave us a glimpse of his old self with a 369-yard, five touchdown performance while throwing a pick six in the 2nd quarter. With Leonard Fournette out, Ronald Jones would have to be the one that would pick the load for the Bucs. Jones finished the game with 111 yards rushing. Buccaneers were down 24-7 in the 2nd quarter and would ultimately go on a 31-7 run to finish the game. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: @ New Orleans; Tampa Bay: @ Chicago

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

Jacksonville 25, Cincinnati 33: TW: Bengals; CV: Jaguars
You got it done Bungles! Gardner Minshew threw for 351 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, further proving that if he had a defense they might actually win games. James Robinson had a good day running the ball with 75 yards but wouldn't score a touchdown in this one. Joe Burrow would finally get that elusive dub to his career. Burrow threw for an even 300 yards with a touchdown and an interception that really wasn't his fault. When I said Joe Mixon was quiet in the Picks post, he must've read it because he balled like crazy. The running back ran for 151 yards with two touchdown runs. He would also score a receiving touchdown with 30 yards to his name. Tyler Boyd had 90 receiving yards, further proving that tight ends are a young quarterbacks best friend. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: @ Houston; Cincinnati: @ Baltimore

TW: 3-0; CV: 1-2

Minnesota 31, Houston 23: TW: Texans; CV: Texans
Really, Minnesota? You win when I pick against you. Sigh. Kirk Cousins threw for 260 yards and a touchdown. He would also not throw an interception in this game, first time this season that has happened. Dalvin Cook also ran over the Texans defense for 130 yards with two touchdowns. Vikings Safety Harrison Smith would get ejected after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Jordan Akins. DeShaun Watson would have a rough first half but would get things going in the 2nd half. He finished with 300 yards passing with two touchdowns. David Johnson had a better game in running the ball for 63 yards. Keep telling you Houston, Bill O'Brien has to go. Even saw some fans with paper bags over their heads in this one. HALLEJUAH BILL O'BRIEN HAS BEEN LET GO! ONLY TOOK YOU GUYS ABOUT 9 MONTHS TO DO SAID THING. 

Next week:
Minnesota: @ Seattle; Houston: vs Jacksonville

TW: 3-1; CV: 1-3

Seattle 31, Miami 23: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
So Seattle is 4-0 for the first time since 2013, their Super Bowl winning season. Russell Wilson threw for 360 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Overall good performance from him. Chris Carson would actually play in this game, so much to my thinking that he wouldn't play in this game. Carson would rack up 80 yards with two touchdowns. Ryan Fitzpatrick would ultimately have to carry the Dolphins offense in this one. Fitzpatrick threw for 315 yards while throwing two interceptions and rushed for 47 yards with the only offensive touchdown for Miami. Jason Sanders would go 5 for 5 in field goals in this one. Not even the 100 degree heat index would stop the Seahawks in this one. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs Minnesota; Miami: @ San Francisco

TW: 4-1; CV: 2-3

Cleveland 49, Dallas 38: TW: Browns; CV: Cowboys
Oh boy, defense was surely lacking in this one for sure. Baker Mayfield threw for 165 yards with two touchdowns in the game. Jarvis Landry throw a touchdown pass to Odell Beckham Jr on a trick play. The Browns running game was of a plenty in this one. Dernest Johnson would finish with 95 yards rushing while Odell Beckham Jr ran for 73 yards with a touchdown, and Kareem Hunt ran for 71 yards with two touchdown runs of his own. Nick Chubb would rush for 43 yards before leaving the game with an injury. Dak Prescott had one of the best performances in his career with 502 passing yards with four touchdowns and a late-game interception. Ezekiel Elliot wouldn't get too much yardage from the run but would finish with a decent 54 yards. Tony Pollard ran for 16 yards with a touchdown run. Cleveland is 3-1 for the first time since 2001 and quite honestly they have the tools to do something this season. Dallas allowed 307 yards rushing, the most in franchise history in a game. Dallas could end up winning this division and get a home playoff game with a 6-10 record. Just think about that. 

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Indianapolis; Dallas: vs NY Giants

TW: 5-1; CV: 2-4

New Orleans 35, Detroit 29: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
Detroit kept it close but really couldn't stop the Saints juggernaut. Drew Brees threw for 246 yards with two touchdowns with an interception in the game. Alvin Kamara and Latavius Murray would rush for 83 yards and 64 yards respectively combining for three touchdowns. Matthew Stafford threw for 206 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Adrian Peterson would only get 36 yards with a rushing touchdown in the game. Saints fullback Michael Burton had a false positive test for COVID-19, adding to the emotion on New Orleans but they would persevere  in this one. 

Next week:
New Orleans: vs LA Chargers; Detroit: Bye

TW: 6-1; CV: 3-4

Baltimore 31, Washington 17: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
After last week, Lamar Jackson regained his confidence in this game. Jackson threw for 193 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He would provide the run game for the Ravens with 53 yards rushing, 50 of those yards were from a rushing touchdown. Mark Ingram ran for 34 yards with a touchdown. Dwayne Haskins had a better day at quarterback with 314 yards but didn't throw a touchdown pass but didn't throw an interception either. Haskins did score a rushing touchdown though, while Antonio Gibson rushed for 46 yards with a touchdown. For perspective, Washington is still tied for 1st place in the NFC East with Dallas. They have a 1-3 record. Philly won. They now have sole possession of 1st place in the NFC East with a 1-2-1 record. 

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Cincinnati; Washington: vs LA Rams

TW: 7-1; CV: 4-4

Arizona 21, Carolina 31: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
No Christian McCaffrey, no problem again. Kyler Murray threw for three touchdowns with 133 yards passing. He would rush for 78 yards. DeAndre Hopkins would only get 41 receiving yards in this one. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 276 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Bridgewater ran for 32 yards with a touchdown while Mike Davis ran for 84 yards with a touchdown run of his own. What's the bigger story: Cardinals now 2-2 after going 2-0 or Carolina at 2-2 after starting 0-2? I feel the latter to be honest. Guess having a competent quarterback and scoring in the red zone helps out a bit. 

Next week: 
Arizona: @ NY Jets; Carolina: @ Atlanta

TW: 7-2; CV: 4-5

NY Giants 9, LA Rams 17: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The entertaining part of this one was the fight between Jalen Ramsey and Golden Tate after the game was over. Daniel Jones finished the game with 190 yards with an interception. Wayne Gallman and Daniel Jones would both rush for 45 yards in the game. The Giants looked lost without their star running back Saquon Barkley in the lineup. Jared Goff threw for an even 200 yards with a touchdown. Gerald Everett would score the other offensive touchdown for the Rams on a two-yard run. Malcolm Brown would run for 37 yards for the Rams. Guess it doesn't help when both Ramsey and Tate know each other off the field. Tate's sister was in a relationship with Ramsey and the couple went through a bad breakup last year that made Golden Tate upset. The couple had two children.

Next week:
NY Giants: @ Dallas; LA Rams: @ Washington

TW: 8-2; CV: 5-5

Buffalo 30, Las Vegas 23: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Well Buffalo, I didn't think that you would do it, but you did it. Josh Allen threw for 288 yards with two touchdowns. Allen would also rush the ball 3 times with -1 yard with a touchdown in the game. Devin Singletary would rush for 55 yards with a touchdown as well. Derek Carr threw for 311 yards with two touchdowns. Josh Jacobs ran for 48 yards. Carr passed Ken Stabler for franchise career touchdowns with 151. Not a great achievement granted that the Raiders don't have a lot of great names at quarterback in their history but cool regardless.

Next week:
Buffalo: @ Tennessee; Las Vegas: @ Kansas City

TW: 8-3; CV: 5-6

Indianapolis 19, Chicago 11: TW: Colts; CV: Bears
Only two touchdowns were scored in this game. Philip Rivers threw for 190 yards with a touchdown and oddly enough didn't throw an interception in this one. Kudos to him. Jonathan Taylor ran for 68 yards in the game. Nick Foles would get his first start since last season in this game. Foles threw for 249 yards with a touchdown and an interception. David Montgomery ran for a measly 27 yards in this one, obviously the Colts defense stepped up to the challenge. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: @ Cleveland; Chicago: vs Tampa Bay (Thursday night)

TW: 9-3; CV: 5-7

Philadelphia 25, San Francisco 20: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The Eagles won this one and have 1st place lead in the NFC East. They have a winning percentage of .375 right now with a 1-2-1 record. Carson Wentz threw for 193 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He also ran in for a touchdown while rushing for 37 yards. Miles Sanders was the leading rusher for Philly with 46 yards. Nick Mullens started again for the 49ers. He started off with 200 yards passing with a touchdown and threw two interceptions before CJ Beathard replaced him and threw for 138 yards. Jerrick McKinnon and Brandon Aiyuk both scored a touchdown each and rushed for 54 and 38 yards rushing respectively. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: @ Pittsburgh; San Francisco: vs Miami

TW: 9-4; CV: 5-8

New England 10, Kansas City 26: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Patriots looked lost without Cam in the lineup. Brian Hoyer would get the start for the Patriots and threw for 130 yards with an interception. Jarrett Stidham would replace Hoyer later in the game and wouldn't help New England much with a 60-yard, one touchdown and two interception performance. Damien Harris had a good day running the ball for the Patriots with 17 carries for 100 yards. Patrick Mahomes would prove to be too much for the Patriots defense. Mahomes threw for 236 yards with two touchdowns. Clyde Edwards-Helaire had a good day as well 64 yards rushing but wouldn't score a touchdown in the game. Tyrann Mathieu would score on a pick-six from Stidham. 

Next week:
New England: vs Denver; Kansas City: vs Las Vegas

TW: 10-4; CV: 6-8

Atlanta 16, Green Bay 30: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The 2020 Packers definitely remind you of the 2011 team a lot with their offensive yards and points scored this season. Matt Ryan threw for 285 yards but didn't throw a touchdown or an interception in this game. Todd Gurley would finish the game with 57 yards with two touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers had probably one of his better games this season, finishing with 327 yards with four touchdowns. Aaron Jones rushed for 71 yards in the game. Robert Tonyan produced in a big way with 98 receiving yards with three touchdowns. 

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Carolina; Green Bay: Bye

TW: 11-4; CV: 7-8

Since Pittsburgh @ Tennessee will be played later in the season, it won't count as a tie, win or loss. Me and Cardinal Viking will pick the game when it happens.

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8
Week 2: 15-1
Week 3: 9-6-1
Week 4: 11-4
Total: 43-19-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 8-7-1
Week 4: 7-8
Total: 36-26-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

I'll see you guys on Wednesday for the Week 5 picks post! 

-Tom