NFL 2023 Week 8 Picks

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

NFL Rant of the Week

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

Week 8 Preview

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

Week 8 Picks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

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

FOX Single

LA Rams @ Dallas

Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Philadelphia @ Washington
Chris Myers, Mark Schlereth

Minnesota @ Green Bay
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

New Orleans @ Indianapolis
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Houston @ Carolina
Brandon Gaudin, Robert Smith

Cleveland @ Seattle (Late)
Adam Amin, Daryl Johnston

CBS Early

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

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

New England @ Miami
Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

Atlanta @ Tennessee
Beth Mowins, James Lofton, Jay Feely

CBS Late

Cincinnati @ San Francisco

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Kansas City @ Denver
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Baltimore @ Arizona

Chris Lewis, Ross Tucker

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

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

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

Week 6: 9-6

Week 7: 4-9

Total: 60-46

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

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

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

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 8-7

Week 7: 5-8

Total: 65-41

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

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

2020: 167-88-1 

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

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 8 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2023 Week 5 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. With Week 5 in the books, there have been some crazy storylines thus far. Week 5 brought us, an offensive masterpiece in Washington, a shutout in New England, Jonathan Taylor's return to Indy, another close game in Minnesota, and a Showdown in the Bay Area. All those games and more in this week's recap post.

NFL Week 5 Freaky Stats

Chicago's win against Washington was the first time they got a win since October 22nd, 2022 against New England. That was 346 days ago. Pittsburgh's win over Baltimore is their 700th win in franchise history, only Green Bay has more wins in NFL history. 

NFL Week 5 Recap

Chicago 40, Washington 20: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders

The winless Bears get a dub in Landover. Justin Fields got it done with 15 of 29 passes for 282 yards with four touchdown passes and no interceptions. Three of those went to DJ Moore who racked up 230 receiving yards with a few big plays of 20+ yards, including a 58-yard play that was the longest for him. Khalil Herbert got 76 yards rushing in the game while Fields got 57 yards. Most of the damage Chicago did was during the first half as they put up 27 points. At the end of the game they got 451 total yards. Sam Howell did his best with 37 of 51 passing completions for 388 yards and two touchdowns and an interception. The two touchdowns would go to Curtis Samuel and Logan Thomas. Washington's deficit was early and deep so they did not utilize their running game a lot. Sam Howell got 19 yards rushing while Brian Robinson Jr got 10 rushing yards, combined for 10 carries. Washington's offense gave it a go while racking up 388 total yards of offense. The game was really over at halftime. For the Bears, they get their first win after going winless in 14 straight games, dating back to October 24th 2022 against New England but have a 1-4 record. For the Commanders, they drop their 3rd straight game after going 2-0 with a 2-3 record. 

Next week:
Chicago: vs Minnesota
Washington: @ Atlanta

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Jacksonville 25, Buffalo 20: TW: Bills; CV: Bills

Jacksonville was right at home in London for the 2nd straight week. Trevor Lawrence who celebrated his 24th birthday on Friday looked like a hardy veteran with 25 of 37 passes for 315 yards with a touchdown pass to Zay Jones. The touchdown came on a sustained drive on a six-yard play. Travis Etienne was a huge part of the gameplan for Jacksonville as he ran for 136 yards for two touchdowns on 26 carries. Typically Buffalo's defense against the run was 118.5 yards/game. The Jaguars offense was on fire on both pass and run as they racked up 474 total yards. Josh Allen put forth a valiant effort as he hit 27 of 40 passes for 359 yards with two touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. He would toss an interception in the 4th quarter. He was the leading rusher for Buffalo with 14 yards with a touchdown run. It was basically all him in this game. Buffalo's offense was not as balanced as Jacksonville's as Buffalo had 388 total yards, 359 of them to the air. It would also be a slow start for the Bills offensively as they had six drives in the 1st half, five of them resulted in a punt or end of half. For the Jaguars, they get a huge win in England for the 2nd straight week and will get to go home to the USA at 3-2. For the Bills, they drop to 3-2 in 2023. 

Next week:
Jacksonville: vs Indianapolis
Buffalo: vs NY Giants (Sunday night)

TW: 0-2; CV: 0-2

Baltimore 10, Pittsburgh 17: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens-Steelers rivalry created a new chapter in Pittsburgh. Lamar Jackson hit 22 of 38 passes for 236 yards with an interception in the 4th quarter. Gus Edwards hit the ground with 48 yards rushing. Lamar Jackson rushed for 45 yards. Justice Hill scored the only touchdown for Baltimore on a 14-yard outside run. Miscues would cost Baltimore in this game as they also turned the ball over two other times on fumbles as well as a safety in the 4th quarter. Baltimore hit 335 total yards in the game. Kenny Pickett was on somewhat in this game as he hit 18 of 32 passes for 224 yards with a touchdown pass to George Pickens that would lead to a failed two-point conversion that ended up giving the Steelers a 14-10 lead. Jaylen Warren rushed for 40 yards while Najee Harris rushed for 37 yards. George Pickens got 130 receiving yards on six catches. Pittsburgh's offense got 289 yards of offense in this game. On the safety, Miles Killebrew would get his hands on the Jordan Stout punt. The two points would propel the Steelers for a 14 point 4th quarter. For the Ravens, they drop to 3-2 on the season. For the Steelers, they get a much needed win and improve to 3-2. 

Next week:
Baltimore: @ Tennessee (Sunday morning)
Pittsburgh: Bye

TW: 0-3; CV: 0-3

Carolina 24, Detroit 42: TW: Lions; CV: Lions

Offense was abundant in the Motor City. Bryce Young hit 25 of 41 passes for 247 yards with three touchdowns with two interceptions. Adam Thielen, DJ Chark and Tommy Tremble were the players that caught those Young passes. Bryce Young did have his troubles as he hit two interceptions in the game. Chuba Hubbard hit 35 yards rushing for nine carries. Carolina would really get behind at halftime as they had a 28-10 deficit at halftime. Their offense got 342 total yards. Jared Goff was on fire in this game as he hit 20 of 28 passes for 236 yards for three touchdowns as well had a rushing touchdown. Josh Reynolds had one catch for a touchdown and Sam LaPorta had two touchdowns. Detroit's running game would put the hammer on the Panthers. David Montgomery had 109 yards rushing with a touchdown run. Craig Reynolds had 52 yards rushing with a touchdown. Detroit's offense got 377 total yards in the game. For the Panthers, they still have to look into next week to get win #1 as they drop to 0-5. For the Lions, they get to 4-1 on the season. 

Next week:
Carolina: @ Miami
Detroit: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 1-3; CV: 1-3

Houston 19, Atlanta 21: TW: Texans; CV: Texans
Younghoe Koo gets a clutch kick as the Falcons get to above .500 on the season. CJ Stroud had an alright game as he put up 20 of 35 passes for 249 yards with a touchdown. Dalton Schultz touchdown play was from a deep pass up the middle for 18 yards that gave the Texans a 19-18 lead with 1:49 left in the game. It would not last. Dameon Pierce had 66 yards for 20 carries. It was somewhat of a quiet game for the Texans offense as they got just 313 total yards in the game. Desmond Ridder played a better game as he hit 28 of 37 passes for 329 total yards with a touchdown pass to Bijan Robinson. Ridder would also rush in for a touchdown that gave the Falcons a 7-3 lead in the 1st quarter. Bijan Robinson had 46 yards on 14 carries in the game. Atlanta got themselves a 447 total yard performance from their offense. The Younghoe Koo kick came on a 37-yard field goal that would sail through the uprights and gave the Falcons the win. For the Texans, their two-game winning streak comes to an end as they drop to 2-3. For the Falcons, they break out of their two-game slump and improve to 3-2. 

Next week:
Houston: vs New Orleans

Atlanta: vs Washington

TW: 1-4; CV: 1-4

New Orleans 34, New England 0: TW: Saints; CV: Saints

New Orleans hands the Patriots their worst shutout loss at home since 1969. Derek Carr hit 18 of 26 passes for 183 yards with two touchdowns. Chris Olave and Foster Moreau were the players that caught the two touchdown passes from Carr. Alvin Kamara would get back to his old self as he rushed for 80 yards with a touchdown run on 22 carries. New Orleans defense looked legit as they caused three turnovers. New Orleans had 304 total yards of offense in the game, 136 yards on the run. It was a pitiful performance from the Patriots offense. Mac Jones hit 12 for 22 passes for 110 yards with two interceptions. One of them came on a desperation pass to Tyrann Mathieu for a pick-six. Another interception came on a dropped pass that was recovered by Pete Werner. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 24 yards. Ezekiel Elliot had 21 yards rushing. All in all, the Patriots offense got to 156 total yards. The previous worst shutout loss at home was a 31-0 loss against the Chiefs in 1969. For the Saints, they get back to above .500 football with 3-2. For the Patriots, they drop to 1-4 for the first time since 2000. 

Next week: 
New Orleans: @ Houston

New England: @ Las Vegas

TW: 2-4; CV: 2-4

NY Giants 16, Miami 31: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Not much excitement for the Giants but a 102-yard pick six was at least something. Daniel Jones hit 14 of 20 passes for 119 yards in the game. He would suffer an injury after taking a huge sack in his 17th sack in seven quarters. Tyrod Taylor would come off the bench and hit 9 for 12 for 86 yards. Eric Gray rushed for 25 yards in the game. The Giants offense got 268 yards of offense in the game. Jason Pinnock's pick-six came on a lengthy drive by the Dolphins that would happen in a pass play that was intended for Jaylen Waddle. It was a 102-yard return, the longest so far this season. Tua Tagovailoa hit 22 of 30 passes for 308 yards with two touchdown passes to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Hill racked up 181 receiving yards with six catches. Tagovailoa also threw two interceptions, including the aforementioned pick-six. De'Von Achane had 151 yards rushing with a touchdown. Raheem Mostert rushed for 65 yards with a touchdown as well. The offense of the Dolphins came from a balanced attack as they had 524 total yards with 222 rushing yards. For the Giants, their nightmare of a season continues as they drop to 1-4. For the Dolphins, they move to 4-1 after a tough loss to the Bills last week. 

Next week:
NY Giants: @ Buffalo (Sunday night)
Miami: vs Carolina

TW: 3-4; CV: 3-4

Tennessee 16, Indianapolis 23: TW: Titans; CV: Titans

Zach Moss, not Jonathan Taylor would run over the Titans. Ryan Tannehill hit 23 of 34 for 264 yards with an interception in the 4rd quarter on their last drive of the game. Derrick Henry threw a touchdown pass last week but would play quarterback again this week, this time for an incompletion. Derrick Henry ran the ball for 43 yards. Tennessee's lone touchdown came on a 19-yard run by Tyjae Spears in the 3rd quarter from a 4 play, 75-yard touchdown. The Titans offense put up 348 total yards. Nick Folk hit 3 for 3 on field goals. The Colts quarterbacks wouldn't get a lot done as Anthony Richardson hit 9 of 12 passes for 98 yards. Richardson left the game with a possible right shoulder injury. Gardner Minshew came in and provided 11 of 14 passes for 155 yards. They didn't throw touchdowns but they didn't throw interceptions either. Zach Moss rushed for 165 yards with two touchdown runs, including a 56-yard run late in the 1st quarter that put the Colts up 7-3. Indianapolis got 429 total yards of offense. The news of Jonathan Taylor's new contract came out on Saturday and was active for this game. He got 18 yards on six carries. For the Titans, they drop to 2-3 in the season. For the Colts, they get to 3-2 on the season with their 3rd win in the last four games. 

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Baltimore (Sunday morning)
Indianapolis: @ Jacksonville

TW: 3-5; CV: 3-5

Cincinnati 34, Arizona 20: TW: Bengals; CV: Cardinals

Well it looks like Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase read my Week 5 Picks post and did damage against the Cardinals. Joe Burrow hit 36 of 46 passes for 317 yards with three touchdown passes. All of them to Ja'Marr Chase. He did hit a pass that was intercepted in the 3rd quarter. Joe Mixon ran the ball for 81 yards in the win. Ja'Marr Chase caught 15 passes for 192 yards with the aforementioned three touchdowns. The Bengals got their offense rolling as they got 380 yards of offensive output. Joshua Dobbs hit 15 of 32 passes for 166 yards with touchdown passes to Malcolm Brown and Zach Ertz. There were two interceptions that he threw. One of them went back for a pick-six by Cam Taylor-Britt for an 11-yard score. Rondale Moore rushed for 50 yards on 3 carries. James Conner rushed for 46 yards on six carries. Emari Demercado, the rookie out of Texas Christian University, scored his first touchdown on a 11-yard play late in the 4th quarter. Arizona would somewhat hang with the Bengals but would falter a bit late in the game, getting 294 total yards at the end of it. For the Bengals, they get a win with a record of 2-3. For the Cardinals, they falter with a 1-4 record in 2023. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Seattle

Arizona: @ LA Rams

TW: 4-5; CV: 3-6

Philadelphia 23, LA Rams 14: TW: Rams; CV: Eagles

It was a Jalen Hurts day in Los Angeles. Jalen Hurts hit 25 of 38 passes for 303 yards with a touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert as well rushed in for a touchdown getting 72 yards rushing. He would throw an interception in the game. D'Andre Swift rushed for 70 yards on 17 carries. Philly had two 100-yard receivers in the game with AJ Brown getting 127 receiving yards while Dallas Goedert had 117 receiving yards. The Eagles offense was doing its thing as they put up 454 total yards, 159 of them coming from the ground. Matthew Stafford was questionable for the game but he did look like his old self with 21 of 37 passing for 222 yards for two touchdowns. Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell were the players that caught those passes. Kyren Williams had 53 yards rushing on 13 carries. Cooper Kupp made his return to the field in 2023 and didn't miss a beat as he got 118 receiving yards with eight catches. The Rams offense wouldn't get a lot in this game as their points came in the 1st half, getting 249 total yards. For the Eagles, they move to 5-0 and will stay unbeaten for at least another week. For the Rams, they fall to 2-3 in the 2023 season but stay in 3rd place in the NFC West. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: @ NY Jets
LA Rams: vs Arizona

TW: 4-6; CV: 4-6

Kansas City 27, Minnesota 20: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs survive in the Twin Cities. Patrick Mahomes hit 31 of 41 passes for 281 yards with two touchdowns to Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce. Kelce had injured his ankle during the game but would return to the game and score that touchdown. Safe to say Taylor Swift was not in attendance in the game. Isiah Pacheco rushed for 55 yards with a touchdown in the game. The Chiefs offense was efficient as they got 333 total yards in the game. They at least did what they had to win the game. Kirk Cousins hit 29 of 47 passes for 284 yards with two touchdowns to Jordan Addison and Alexander Mattison. Minnesota's running game wouldn't be used a lot as their leading rusher was Alexander Mattison with 26 yards rushing. Certainly more balanced offense should be in their playbook the rest of the way. The Vikings total offense hit 329 total yards with 70 of the yards coming from the ground. For the Chiefs, they survive a close game and get to 4-1. For the Vikings, they drop to 1-4 and are also 1-4 in one-score games this season.

Next week: 
Kansas City: vs Denver (Thursday night)
Minnesota: @ Chicago

TW: 5-6; CV: 5-6 

NY Jets 31, Denver 21: TW: Jets; CV: Jets

The Jets got some measure of revenge against Sean Payton's Broncos in Denver. Zach Wilson wouldn't do a lot in this game as he hit 19 of 26 passes for 199 yards with an interception. Breece Hall scored the Jets lone touchdown in the 3rd quarter on the Jets first drive in the 2nd half. The drive lasted only 10 seconds with a 72-yard run. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein hit five field goals in the game. New York's Quinnen Williams got a fumble on a Russell Wilson fumble that was ran back by Bryce Hall for a 39-yard fumble-six. Another miscue for the Broncos was a safety that happened on a Russell Wilson pass that was incomplete that was ruled Intentional Grounding. Jaleel McLaughlin had 68 yards rushing on nine carries. Denver put up 308 total yards in the game. The game was originally the marquee game but the Aaron Rodgers injury put that to bed. The game was known for Sean Payton's controversial take on Nathaniel Hackett's coaching job in 2022. Safe to say it seems that the comment from Payton is blowing back on him big time. For the Jets, they improve to 2-3 with 3rd place in the AFC East. For the Broncos, it is another loss for 2023 as they fall to 1-4. 

Next week: 
NY Jets: vs Philadelphia
Denver: @ Kansas City (Thursday night)

TW: 6-6; CV: 6-6

Dallas 10, San Francisco 42: TW: 49ers; CV: Cowboys

It wasn't a close one in Santa Clara. Dak Prescott hit 14 of 24 passes for 153 yards with a touchdown pass to Kavontae Turpin in the 2nd quarter. The issues for the Cowboys came from the turnovers as Prescott threw three passes to guys in red jerseys. There was also a fumble lost by Dallas leading to the Cowboys grand total of four turnovers. With the deficit in points the Cowboys running game wouldn't get a lot of yardage. Tony Pollard was the leading rusher with 29 yards. The Cowboys offense really wouldn't get going at all this game as they put up a paltry 197 total yards. Might've been because of that Nick Bosa guy running free and making fun of Dak Prescott. Brock Purdy continued his stellar start to his career with 17 of 24 passes for 252 yards with four touchdown passes. Kyle Juszczyk caught one touchdown pass while George Kittle scored three touchdowns for the Niners. Jordan Mason rushed for 69 yards (heheh nice) with a touchdown run in the game. Christian McCaffrey got 51 yards rushing with a touchdown of his own in the game. San Francisco's offense didn't miss a beat as they got to 421 total yards. If there was a blemish it would be the lost fumble that the Niners gave up in the 1st quarter. For the Cowboys, they drop to 3-2 with some lost position in the NFC East. For the Niners, they move to 5-0 and stay with the Eagles as the only unbeaten teams in the NFL. 

Next week:
Dallas: @ LA Chargers (Monday night)
San Francisco: @ Cleveland

TW: 7-6; CV: 6-7

Green Bay 13, Las Vegas 17: TW: Packers; CV: Packers

The Packers fell short of a win in Vegas. Jordan Love would not have a great game as the passer hit 16 of 30 passes for 182 yards with three interceptions. Green Bay's lone touchdown came on an AJ Dillon run up the middle in the 3rd quarter that would tie the game at 10. AJ Dillon finished the game with 76 yards. Jordan Love rushed for 37 yards in the game. Green Bay's offense would outpace the Raiders but they wouldn't get much further than that with 285 total yards. Jimmy Garoppolo would make his return for this game. The passer hit 22 of 31 passes for 208 yards with a touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers with an interception as well. Josh Jacobs would also get the other touchdown for the Raiders that proved to be the score that gave the Raiders the win in the 4th quarter. Jacobs would also get 69 yards rushing. Las Vegas got their offense to 279 total yards. For the Packers, they drop to 2-3 in the season. For the Raiders, they break out of a three-game losing streak and got to a 2-3 record. 

Next week:
Green Bay: Bye
Las Vegas: vs New England

TW: 7-7; CV: 6-8

Records

Cardinal Viking:

2023: 
Week 1: 10-6

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

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

Total: 47-31

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

My record: 

2023:
Week 1: 9-7

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

Week 4: 14-2

Week 5: 7-7

Total: 52-26

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

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

2020: 167-88-1 

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

See you all for the Week 6 Picks post on Wednesday/Thursday. Enjoy your week!

-Tom

Rest in Peace Dick Butkus
(1942-2023)