NFL 2021 Week 14 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. With five more weeks of the regular season left to go, there are still plenty of teams that are looking to make their push into the postseason. The games that I'm keeping an eye on the Steelers-Vikings, Ravens-Browns, Bills-Buccaneers, and Rams-Cardinals games this week. In this post I'll be doing the latest playoff picture, the Week 14 preview, the Week 14 picks, and the Early and Late game TV Pairings. Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 14

AFC

Seedings:

1st seed: New England Patriots (9-4)
2nd seed: Tennessee Titans (8-4)
3rd seed: Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
4th seed: Kansas City Chiefs (8-4)
5th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (7-5)
6th seed: Cincinnati Bengals (7-5)
7th seed: Buffalo Bills (7-5)

Super Wild Card Matchups:

Buffalo @ Tennessee
Cincinnati @ Baltimore
LA Chargers @ Kansas City

In the hunt:
Pittsburgh (6-5-1), Indianapolis (7-6), Las Vegas (6-6), Cleveland (6-6), Denver (6-6), Miami (6-7), NY Jets (3-9), Jacksonville (2-10)

Better luck next year:
Houston (2-10)

No clinching scenarios for this week. The Titans and Ravens are ahead of the Chiefs because of head to head (Both teams beat the Chiefs earlier this season). The Chargers and Bengals are ahead of the Bills because of conference record. 

NFC

Seedings:

1st seed: Arizona Cardinals (10-2)
2nd seed: Green Bay Packers (9-3)
3rd seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3)
4th seed: Dallas Cowboys (8-4)
5th seed: Los Angeles Rams (8-4) 
6th seed: Washington Football Team (6-6)
7th seed: San Francisco 49ers (6-6)

Super Wild Card Matchups:

San Francisco @ Green Bay
Washington @ Tampa Bay
LA Rams @ Dallas

In the hunt:
Philadelphia (6-7), Minnesota (5-7), Carolina (5-7), Atlanta (5-7), New Orleans (5-7), NY Giants (4-8), Chicago (4-8), Seattle (4-8), Detroit (1-10-1)

A few clinching scenarios. Arizona can clinch a playoff berth with a Cardinals win or tie or a Minnesota loss or tie or 49ers loss. Green Bay can clinch the NFC North with a win and Vikings loss or tie. Green Bay can clinch a playoff berth with a win and Saints loss or tie or 49ers loss. 

Week 14 Preview

The Fourteenth Week of the NFL's regular season will start in Minneapolis, Minnesota and finish up in Glendale, Arizona. The week will have a 14-game slate that will have 28 teams play. The Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Philadelphia Eagles are on a bye this week. Week 14 will have a Thursday night game, seven early games and four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will have the single, regional game and CBS will have the doubleheader. Let's get to the picks!

Week 14 Picks

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

Pittsburgh (6-5-1) @ Minnesota (5-7) (FOX/Amazon/NFL Network; 8:20 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Steelers beat the Ravens and the Vikings lost to the Lions last week. The week starts off with an interesting game between two teams trying to get back into playoff consideration. Pittsburgh finally got a huge win against the conference leading Ravens and usually the team that had the more emotional game usually have a let down. Minnesota really let the Lions win that game and they are probably ticked off. Like they're more than willing to take out their anger against one of the worst rush defenses in the NFL in the Steelers. I think the game will be a close one and I feel the Vikings will have a bounce back game.  

Atlanta (5-7) @ Carolina (5-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
The Falcons lost to the Buccaneers and the Panthers had a bye week last week. Both teams have been fairly inconsistent and the bane of pick 'ems this season. They either look bad when you pick them or look great when you pick against them. At this point I feel the Panthers will fade back to mediocrity. Carolina might be the better rested team but the last time they played, they got blown out by the Dolphins 33-10. I think it'll be anyone's game but at least one of these sorry ass teams will make me a genius or a moron.

Baltimore (8-4) @ Cleveland (6-6) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens lost to the Steelers and the Browns had a bye last week. A rematch of a game a couple of weeks ago. The Ravens are hurting on defense especially on the cornerback position. If Cleveland can exploit that it could be huge for them. Cleveland is the better rested team but they've been very inconsistent. They've been injured at key positions and the Odell Beckham Jr saga didn't end well. I think its going to be a much more wider open offensive game for the Ravens. I'll take the safe bet with the Ravens. 

Dallas (8-4) @ Washington (6-6) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Football Team; CV: Football Team
Both teams got wins last week as the Cowboys beat the Saints and the Football Team beat the Raiders. Sorry Washington, I really should've taken you last week against an inept Raiders team that likes to smell its own farts every December. Taylor Heinicke has been playing fairly good ball. Safe to say I think the Cowboys are the better team on paper but I think the Football Team will like nothing more to play spoiler. I could be wrong of course. 

Jacksonville (2-10) @ Tennessee (8-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Jaguars lost to the Rams and the Titans had a bye last week. Jacksonville has had a rough go of it but it has been to be expected as they were expected to be trash. Tennessee has been sort of a dead man walking with the hope of trying to get Derrick Henry back in time for the playoffs. That being said I think the Titans will take care of business as the Jaguars really have a terrible defense. 

Las Vegas (6-6) @ Kansas City (8-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Raiders lost to the Football Team and the Chiefs beat the Broncos last week. Las Vegas has reverted back to its old ways of playing good football early on and then like raiders in history, they fade away at the end. Kansas City has had a rough go of it as the defending conference champions. In spite all of that they have been playing better on defense and Patrick Mahomes has been more of a game manager than the Patrick Mahomes of old. I'll take the Chiefs as the safe bet.

New Orleans (5-7) @ NY Jets (3-9) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Saints lost to the Cowboys and the Jets lost to the Eagles last week. New Orleans has been also a very inconsistent team that looked like the real deal early in the season. For example their blowout over the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. The Jets have been an interesting team that has had more downs than ups. Mike White looked like another folk hero but then the football gods are cruel sometimes. I personally like the Saints. 

Seattle (4-8) @ Houston (2-10) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Last week the Seahawks beat the 49ers and the Texans lost to the Colts. Russell Wilson has been improving since his injury but he hasn't been the x-factor that turned the Seahawks season around. Their defense really has been the reason for the lack of a turnaround. Houston seems to be the pinnacle team of a dumpster fire could love. Years of bad trades and bad personnel decisions have made the Texans rot from within. The Texans were shutout by the Colts so I feel the Seahawks will do the same to them. 

Detroit (1-10-1) @ Denver (6-6) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
The Lions beat the Vikings and the Broncos lost to the Chiefs last week. The Lions finally achieved the pinnacle of any NFL team's season: winning a football game. What they face off against is a Broncos team that has been horribly inconsistent but they have is a defense that has been playing better with the exception of last week. Detroit could very well pull of the impossible and win consecutive games but I still think the Broncos will strive to get back into the playoff hunt. I'll take Denver.

NY Giants (4-8) @ LA Chargers (7-5) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
Last week the Giants lost to the Dolphins and the Chargers beat the Bengals. New York got roasted by former linebacker Carl Banks who helped lead the Giants defense in the 1980's. It was warranted as the Giants have been awful with personnel. I'm not sure if a full blowup is needed but things have to change. Their awful on both sides of the ball. The Chargers have been playing better football with victories over the Steelers and Bengals. I'll take the hotter team in the Chargers. 

Buffalo (7-5) @ Tampa Bay (9-3) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Bills
Last week the Bills lost to the Patriots and the Buccaneers beat the Falcons. Buffalo really needed that game last week against the Patriots. Instead of being up 8-4 in record they have the possiblity of going 7-6 in a division and a conference that is up for anyone's grasp. Josh Allen has been the single most factor for Buffalo this year as he is the 2nd leading rusher on the Bills with 422 yards. Devin Singletary, the team's leading rusher, has 495. If the Bills have any shot of winning this one they will need to take the pressure off of Josh Allen. I've been saying it for years. Tom Brady will need to play better and have no turnovers in this game. Otherwise I'll take the defending champions. 

San Francisco (6-6) @ Cincinnati (7-5) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Last week both teams lost as the 49ers lost to the Seahawks and the Bengals lost to the Chargers. Both teams are right in the thick of the playoff race as they're trying to stay in the wild card slots. Sadly in this league at least one will win. That being said, I still like the Bengals in the matchup but their defense really had a bad day last week. Joe Burrow has been banged up as well much to the dismay of Bengals nation. If the Bengals have any shot they will need to keep him upright and try to give Joe Mixon a better chance to succeed as the 49ers are 17th in the league in rush defense. San Francisco really shat the bed against a Seahawks team that is trying to get back into the playoffs with a slim chance. I still like the Bengals in the matchup. 

Chicago (4-8) @ Green Bay (9-3) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Bears lost to the Cardinals and the Packers had a bye last week. Things don't look too promising for the Monsters of the Midway in this game. Justin Fields is injured but Andy Dalton has been an okay to below average starter. Green Bay has looked like the complete opposite as they're trying to get the #1 seed in the NFC playoffs. I'm not necessarily saying that the Bears might pose a challenge but the Bears might not pose much of a challenge to the mighty Packers. 

LA Rams (8-4) @ Arizona (10-2) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals 
Last week the Rams beat the Jaguars and the Cardinals beat the Bears. Week 14 wraps up with a fairly good game in a NFC West showdown. The Rams finally got out of their funk and whooped the Jaguars. Arizona finally got Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins back in a dress rehearsal of a game against Chicago. With Green Bay right up on their heels, the Cardinals need to win this game. LA has a fighting chance to really play spoiler and drop the Cardinals out of the #1 seed of the playoffs. Remember, the Packers did beat the Cards earlier this season so if they have similar records, the Packers win out via head-to-head. I still think the Cardinals are still the tops of the NFC West.

Early & Late TV Pairings (courtesy of 506sports.com, check local listings): 

Note: Games being shown in my area are in bold.

FOX Single

Dallas @ Washington
Kevin Burkhardt

Atlanta @ Carolina
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Seattle @ Houston
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

NY Giants @ LA Chargers (LATE)
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Detroit @ Denver
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

CBS Early

Las Vegas @ Kansas City
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Baltimore @ Cleveland
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

New Orleans @ NY Jets
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Jacksonville @ Tennessee
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

CBS Late

Buffalo @ Tampa Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

San Francisco @ Cincinnati
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 8-7
Week 12: 8-7
Week 13: 10-4

Total: 114-79-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8-1
Week 11: 10-5
Week 12: 9-6
Week 13: 7-7

Total: 119-74-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

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

2020: 167-88-1 

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 14 recap post. Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 10 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action will soon be here and if it was anything like Week 9, underdogs could be a thing again in Week 10. The games I'll keep an eye on are the Browns-Patriots, Saints-Titans, and Chiefs-Raiders games this week. In this post, I'll do a preview of the week, my picks for the contests and the early and late game broadcast pairings. Let's get to work!

Week 10 Preview
The tenth week of the NFL's regular season will start in Miami, Florida and finish up in Santa Clara, California. Week 10 features a 14-game slate that will have 28 teams playing in those games. Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Houston Texans, and New York Giants will be on a bye this week. There will be a Thursday night game, seven early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will have the single, regional game and CBS will have the doubleheader. Let's get to the picks!

Week 10 Picks

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

Baltimore (6-2) @ Miami (2-7) (FOX/Amazon/NFL Network; 8:20 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Both teams won last week as the Ravens beat the Vikings and the Dolphins beat the Texans. Baltimore would eventually win their matchup against Minnesota despite being down by a lot. What they face is a Dolphins squad that beat the Houston Texans. Miami had five of that game's nine turnovers. Baltimore somewhat feels some heat as the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns are creeping up behind them. I think the Ravens will take care of business despite the short week. If there's Miami turnovers in the game, I'd say the Ravens will have a good shot to win.

Atlanta (4-4) @ Dallas (6-2) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Falcons won against the Saints and the Cowboys lost to the Broncos. Atlanta pulled off a squeaker over the Saints. While I give them props for winning that game they are facing off against one of the better teams in the NFC in Dallas. Dak Prescott didn't look particularly well against Denver and possibly it was because of him not being fully healthy. With some extra time to watch film and get over last week I think the Cowboys will get back on a winning track.

Buffalo (5-3) @ NY Jets (2-6) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Both teams lost last week as the Bills lost to the Jaguars and the Jets lost to the Colts. Buffalo really couldn't get a lot of offense going against a fairly okay defense in Jacksonville. I keep saying that Josh Allen can't do it all on his own. He needs to have a better productive running game. Mike White will get the start for the Jets in this game and has done well in his stead over the injured starter Zach Wilson. I don't see the Jets taking this game as the Bills defense has to be better than the Jets right? I think Buffalo rebounds. 

Cleveland (5-4) @ New England (5-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Both teams won last week as the Browns beat the Bengals and the Patriots beat the Panthers. Cleveland finally got rid of Odell Beckham Jr and played out of their minds against their Ohio rival Cincinnati. Doesn't seem surprising as the Browns won a lot of games when OBJ was injured. New England finally got above .500 and has done it with their defense and some stability in the quarterback position in Mac Jones. They have had a lot of hype surrounding them perhaps but sometimes momentum helps these sort of teams. I think it'll be a good contest but I think New England will take care of business. 

Detroit (0-8) @ Pittsburgh (5-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
The Lions lost to the Bye and the Steelers beat the Bears last week. Detroit just can't seem to get it together and win a game this year. Dan Campbell seems like a good coach that I'd want to play for but the sad thing is that the team that he has just isn't that scary. What is scary is the Steelers defense. Pittsburgh's offense has at times looked not so scary. A lot of faith is being put on Ben Roethlisberger on my fantasy team if Kyler Murray can't go. I feel the faith is being well put but any given Sunday. 

Jacksonville (2-6) @ Indianapolis (4-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
Both teams won last week as the Jaguars beat the Bills and the Colts beat the Jets. Jacksonville raised a few eyebrows and shut down the Bills offense. The real question is will they replicate the same success against a Colts team that has played better when Carson Wentz doesn't give freebies to opposing jerseys. Jacksonville has the 12th best rush defense and the Colts have the 5th best rush offense. Something is going to have to give. I don't trust Trevor Lawrence to become god with the offense that he has. If he gets better offensive weapons I'd trust him a bit more. I'll take the Colts.

New Orleans (5-3) @ Tennessee (7-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Saints lost to the Falcons and the Titans beat the Rams last week. New Orleans despite the near comeback almost won a game against an okay Falcons team. Trevor Siemian or Taysom Hill could start in the game and very well do well against the Titans. Tennessee hasn't had the respect they definitely deserve. The loss of Derrick Henry didn't really hurt them a lot against the Rams as they had a defensive showcase and Ryan Tannehill did damage to the Rams. I just have a gut feeling that could end up fucking me hard but I have a good hunch. 

Tampa Bay (6-2) @ Washington (2-6) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Both teams had a bye last week. Last time we saw the Buccaneers was a bad loss against their kryptonite: the regular season Saints. For Washington, they lost to the Broncos in a game they really should've done better in. This game is also a NFC Wild Card rematch where the Buccaneers beat the Football Team by a touchdown. Washington really is in for a bad matchup against Tampa as I don't really think there's one advantage that the Football Team has over Tampa. I think the Buccaneers rebound. 

Carolina (4-5) @ Arizona (8-1) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Panthers lost to the Patriots and the Cardinals beat the 49ers last week. Sam Darnold will be out for this game and backup PJ Walker will likely get the nod to start. In limited action that Walker has been in with the Panthers he was 3 of 15 for 33 yards with two interceptions. Just doesn't seem like a stellar sample size. Kyler Murray could start if he goes through practice and stays well. Colt McCoy would get it if he can't go. Safe to say the Cardinals should have good signs going into this one with either quarterback. 

Minnesota (3-5) @ LA Chargers (5-3) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Vikings
The Vikings lost to the Ravens and the Chargers beat the Eagles last week. Minnesota can't seem to get out of their own way and not have an overtime in a game that they're playing. The Chargers had a good game and back and forth affair with the Philadelphia Eagles. Justin Herbert could take advantage of the weak Vikings defense as long as he plays well within himself. Los Angeles should take advantage of their plethora of running backs and keep the Vikings defense on the field. I'll take the Chargers. 

Philadelphia (3-6) @ Denver (5-4) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
The Eagles lost to the Chargers and the Broncos beat the Cowboys last week. Philadelphia played a good back and forth game against one of the better teams in the AFC. Denver made a Dallas team its plaything last week. Teddy Bridgewater threw very well even though his team's defense really made a statement and shut down the Cowboys for a good part of the game. Will the Broncos have a repeat performance against one of the better passing games in the NFL in the Eagles. Jalen Hurts has done damage in his legs and not necessarily just his throwing arm. I think the Broncos will have a tough task in slowing him down but I feel they'll pull it off. 

Seattle (3-5) @ Green Bay (7-2) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Seahawks
The Seahawks had a bye and the Packers lost to the Chiefs last week. Seattle had a convincing win against the Jaguars in Week 8. Russell Wilson won't likely play and Geno Smith will likely get the nod. Green Bay was without Aaron Rodgers due to him going through COVID protocol. If he is cleared on Saturday he will likely get the start. If he doesn't then obviously it would be Jordan Love that would get the nod. I'm banking on the thought that Rodgers will be cleared to play. In the scope of things a Geno Smith vs Aaron Rodgers matchup seems to be a mismatch in any slight. Green Bay is gunning for a homefield advantage position at the #1 seed. I think they'll win.

Kansas City (5-4) @ Las Vegas (5-3) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Chiefs beat the Packers and the Raiders lost to the Giants last week. Its an old school AFC matchup on NBC! Patrick Mahomes didn't play spectacular but didn't turn the ball over against Green Bay. Las Vegas really let the game against the Giants float them by. Turnovers really kill you when it matters most. Kansas City hasn't looked at all great for over a month. Las Vegas had a good thing going since Jon Gruden's resignation winning two of their last three games. Derek Carr can play well when he doesn't throw the ball to opposing jerseys. The game could be a tossup but I'll take the home team. 

LA Rams (7-2) @ San Francisco (3-5) (8:15 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams
Both teams lost last week as the Rams lost to the Titans and the 49ers lost to the Cardinals. Week 10 finishes up with a matchup that had been looking to be a fun one. Los Angeles has had a fun season with a Matthew Stafford having a rejuvenated season. The Rams had a bad loss against the Titans whom were down their best player in Derrick Henry. San Francisco confuses me a lot. They can be good and play well one week and then go shit the bed the next. I feel the Rams will have a bounceback week and reflect on last week's loss and get back to work. San Francisco could win but they will need to get a better game from their defensive line and passing game from Jimmy Garoppolo. 

Early & Late TV Pairings (courtesy of 506sports.com):

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area. Check local listings as they do get updated reguarly.

CBS Early

Cleveland @ New England
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

New Orleans @ Tennessee
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Buffalo @ NY Jets
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

CBS Late

Seattle @ Green Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Philadelphia @ Denver
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

FOX Single

Atlanta @ Dallas
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Tampa Bay @ Washington
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Detroit @ Pittsburgh
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

Minnesota @ LA Chargers (LATE)
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Carolina @ Arizona (LATE)
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 7-7

Total: 83-53

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3
Week 8: 7-8
Week 9: 8-6

Total: 88-48

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

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

2020: 167-88-1 

Expect to see the Week 10 recap post sometime after the Monday night game or Tuesday. Enjoy the games!

-Tom

UPDATE #1 (11:50 pm on 11/10/2021): Forgot to add Cardinal Viking's picks, so added them. 

NFL 2021 Week 8 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The week that could be offers us perhaps some good games and possibly more blowouts like last weeks. I'll be keeping an eye on the Packers-Cardinals, Steelers-Browns, and Cowboys-Vikings games this week. In this post I'll do a preview of the week ahead and my picks for the contests. Let's get to work!

Week 8 Preview

The NFL's eight week of the regular season will start in Glendale, Arizona and finishes in Kansas City, Missouri. Week 8 will have a 15-game slate where 30 teams will play in. Only the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders have a bye this week. The week features a Thursday night game, eight early games, four late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will have the doubleheader this week and CBS will have the single, regional game. Let's get to the picks!

Week 8 Picks

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

Green Bay (6-1) @ Arizona (7-0) (FOX/NFL Network/Amazon; 8:20 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Both teams won last week as the Packers beat the Football Team and the Cardinals beat the Texans. The week starts off with one of the better contests that look to be an offensive shootout. Green Bay's defense really made some great turnovers against Taylor Heinicke and Washington. They have the offense that can keep Arizona's own offense on the sideline. Arizona's one flaw is perhaps their rush defense as they currently give up 115.7 yards/game. I still think the Cardinals will win based on their offense and well put defense. That and I'm currently down a few games to Cardinal Viking, I can't give more ground to him than I need to. 

Carolina (3-4) @ Atlanta (3-3) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
The Panthers lost to the Giants and the Falcons beat the Dolphins last week. Carolina really has fallen off the cliff a game after Christian McCaffrey was out with injury. The star runningback will likely be out for this game as far as I've seen. That will likely mean that Chuba Hubbard will see most of the rushing carries again this week. He has done well in his McCaffrey's place. Atlanta has done better getting victories over the Jets and Dolphins. They have certainly come close to losing such games but they can't certainly lose to a team lead by Sam Darnold. Right?

Cincinnati (5-2) @ NY Jets (1-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Last week the Bengals beat the Ravens and the Jets lost to the Patriots. The Bungles haven't done a whole lot of bungling this year and it is an improvement on both their offense and defensive games. That and keeping Joe Burrow upright. They seem to be a contender for the division this year and they can easily take care of the New York Jets. New York won't have rookie quarterback Zach Wilson for this one as he will be out for 2-4 weeks with an injury. The Jets are a pretty bad team and I think the Bengals will take care of business. 

LA Rams (6-1) @ Houston (1-6) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Rams 
The Rams beat the Lions and the Texans lost to the Cardinals last week. Houston's only saving grace is the Astros and that's saying a lot. Their Texans are certainly in the full rebuild and won't likely make noise in January. Their offense is pitiful and their rush defense is a carpet. They do have an average pass defense. Los Angeles is the complete 360 as they have a great team with great play on both sides of the ball. Matthew Stafford will likely torch the Texans defense. Just hope that the Astros will keep you relevant Houston, the Rockets could have a rough season as well. 

Miami (1-6) @ Buffalo (4-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Dolphins lost to the Falcons and the Bills were on a bye last week. Miami hung around and almost won against the Falcons. Granted the Falcons and blowing leads is a perfect marriage. Miami's defense got back to better play but they're going up against a buzzsaw in the Bills. Buffalo is better rested they have arguably the best defense in the NFL and they have a stellar quarterback in Josh Allen. I'll take the Bills.

Philadelphia (2-5) @ Detroit (0-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The Eagles lost to the Raiders and the Lions lost to the Rams last week. Philly got clobbered against the Raiders last week and their defense was exposed a bit in the passing game. Detroit isn't Las Vegas but I do like the Eagles chances to get their 3rd win. Detroit played gutsy football with some of the playcalling in the first half against the Rams. Will Detroit try something crazy this week? I won't rule it out but it feels like a tough task to stop Jalen Hurts. 

Pittsburgh (3-3) @ Cleveland (4-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Browns
The Steelers were on a bye and the Browns beat the Broncos last week. Pittsburgh has managed to get back to a winning formula after starting 1-3. Injuries have plagued them. What could be the difference maker for them is the offensive line vs the Browns defensive line. Cleveland has had issues with injuries as well and Baker Mayfield could be playing in this one. I'd not feel good with him starting and I'd start Case Keenum. Cleveland could likely get Nick Chubb back and that could be a factor as well. It feels like a toss-up but I'll take the Steelers with the upset. 

San Francisco (2-4) @ Chicago (3-4) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers lost to the Colts and the Bears lost to the Buccaneers last week. San Francisco played a close game with the Colts in spite of the rain and miscues. Jimmy Garoppolo can play as long as he stays healthy which can be a tough task at times. The 49ers pass defense can shut down Justin Fields and the Bears offense. Justin Fields really shouldn't be out there if he's going to be taking that many hits. Chicago's offense is abysmal. Their defense is a saving grace. I still don't think it'll be enough for them to get a win against the 49ers. 

Tennessee (5-2) @ Indianapolis (3-4) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Titans beat the Chiefs and the Colts beat the 49ers last week. The rematch of a Week 3 game that the Titans won 25-16. The Colts are a different team than that game last week. The biggest difference is that Carson Wentz has been healthy and playing better football. In that Week 3 game the Colts gave up 113 yards to Derrick Henry. What they'll need to do is to hold him to under that 100 yard mark. If the Colts can take advantage and convert turnovers into points they have a shot to win. Tennessee is still the class of the division. I think it'll be a toss-up but I'll take the Colts. 

Jacksonville (1-5) @ Seattle (2-5) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The Jaguars were on a bye and the Seahawks lost to the Saints last week. Jacksonville had a bye week and they're certainly the well-rested team. I'm not sure they're the better team on paper.  Jacksonville's rush offense is fairly good when they know how to use James Robinson. They have a terrible defense and Seattle's is just as awful. It'll come down to who can ultimately stop each other. Geno Smith will start again. This game just seems like a bad one but I'll take the home team in this one. 

New England (3-4) @ LA Chargers (4-2) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
The Patriots beat the Jets and the Chargers had a bye last week. Mac Jones had a breakthrough game against the Jets. Granted this was against the Jets which are awful. Having to go across the country and take on a Chargers team that got roughed up against the Ravens. Hopefully the rested Chargers can bounce back against a Patriots team that is still trying to figure itself out. I think it will depend on how well the Chargers offense responds. I'll take the Chargers.

Tampa Bay (6-1) @ New Orleans (4-2) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Both teams won last week as the Buccaneers beat the Bears and the Saints beat the Seahawks. Tampa played perfect football against Chicago last week. Nearly every facet of the game is in favor for the Buccaneers. New Orleans barely beat the Seahawks last week. They have been very good at times and very bad at times as well. I think it factors into the quarterback position as Jameis Winston isn't Drew Brees. It doesn't seem likely that the Saints will win. 

Washington (2-5) @ Denver (3-4) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Football Team; CV: Broncos
Both teams lost as the Football Team lost to the Packers and the Broncos lost to the Browns. Washington's defense seems to be the healthier of the two. Taylor Heinicke has played alright at times while not having his best game last week against the Packers. Teddy Bridgewater seems to be the safer pick at quarterback between him and Heinicke. Denver has a banged up defense once again and they're 3-0 start seems like a long time ago. I'll go with Washington by a squeaker. 

Dallas (5-1) @ Minnesota (3-3) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Cowboys and Vikings were on a bye last week. Dallas has gotten off to a great start to the year with somewhat soft schedule. Dak Prescott is somewhat questionable to play but he feels confident that he will start. Ezekiel Elliot has been the x-factor in the Cowboys resurgence as the last few seasons he has had diminished production. Minnesota has had some close calls when it comes to losses. The Vikings offense has been the better side of the ball for Minnesota and they'll have a tough task to beat out the Cowboys defense. I'll take the upset. 

NY Giants (2-5) @ Kansas City (3-4) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Giants beat the Panthers and the Chiefs lost to the Titans. New York had its best win of the season against a fairly decent but on the decline team in the Carolina Panthers. They had some great performances in that game but they're going up against another down but not necessarily out team in the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City hasn't had the best start to its year and its defense has been atrocious. Not to say that the offense has had its moments of struggles. If they want to have a rebound game, this game has it written all over. I think the Chiefs will take it. Or maybe not. Any given Sunday right? 

Early & Late Game TV Pairings (courtesy of 506sports.com):

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area

CBS Single

Pittsburgh @ Cleveland
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Cincinnati @ NY Jets
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Miami @ Buffalo
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Tennessee @ Indianapolis
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

New England @ LA Chargers (LATE)
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Jacksonville @ Seattle (LATE)
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

FOX Early

San Francisco @ Chicago
Adam Amin, Greg Olson

Philadelphia @ Detroit
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Carolina @ Atlanta
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

LA Rams @ Houston
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

FOX Late

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans
Joe Davis, Troy Aikman

Washington @ Denver
Brandon Gaudin, Mark Schlereth

For more information on which game is being shown in your area, check out: NFL 2021: Week 8 Maps. Check local listings. 

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3
Week 7: 10-3

Total: 69-38

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2
Week 7: 10-3

Total: 73-34

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

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

2020: 167-88-1 

NFL 2021 Week 6 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was offered up more blowouts than usual but we would also see a winless team pick up dub #1 and a scorigami happen. All the blowouts and more in this week's recap post. Let's get to work!

Week 6 Recap

Tampa Bay 28, Philadelphia 22: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers still don't miss a beat but the Eagles are fighters. Tom Brady threw for 297 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception in the game. Leonard Fournette would be the showcase runner for Tampa as he rushed for 81 yards with two touchdowns. Jalen Hurts would provide the offense once again in this game as he threw for 115 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Hurts would also rush for 44 yards with two touchdown runs. One of the runs would see Hurts throw a ball to the wall close to where Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout was sitting. The baseball player got a kick out of it. It was a tale of two halves: Tampa doing Tampa things while the other was Philadelphia trying to make a comeback. We'll have to see if Tampa can keep up with all the injuries they have. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs Chicago
Philadelphia: @ Las Vegas

Miami 20, Jacksonville 23: TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars
For the 2nd straight week, the NFL UK fans were treated to quality football. Tua Tagovailoa would return to the field after missing a few games with an injury. Tua would throw for 329 yards with two touchdown passes and had an interception in the game. Miami wouldn't find consistency with running the ball as Malcolm Brown rushed for 24 yards and Salvon Ahmed would rush for 22. Trevor Lawrence threw for 319 yards with a touchdown pass. Jacksonville would have a better time with their ground game as James Robinson rushed for 73 yards with a touchdown run, his longest run was for 24 yards. Jacksonville entered the game with a 20-game losing streak. They would place their hopes for a win on their kicker Matthew Wright from 53 yards. He would make it and the Jaguars get their first win of the year. 

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Next week:
Miami: vs Atlanta
Jacksonville: Bye

Green Bay 24, Chicago 14: TW: Packers; CV: Packers
It was a good old fashioned Black & Blue division type of game. Aaron Rodgers would prove to own the Bears in more ways than one. Rodgers threw for 195 yards with two touchdown passes. One of them was a shuttle-pass to Allen Lazard. The Packer quarterback would also run in for a score on a 16-yard play while taunting the Bears fans with "I still own you." While for Chicago Justin Fields would have a decent day with 174 yards with a touchdown pass while having an interception as well. Khalil Herbert would have a good day running against the vaunted Packer pass rush with 97 yards and a touchdown run performance. With the win, Aaron Rodgers's record against Chicago improves to 22-5. I'd say he owns them just as much as Bears owner, Virginia Halas McCaskey, does. 

TW: 3-0; CV: 3-0

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Washington
Chicago: @ Tampa Bay

Cincinnati 34, Detroit 11: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
In Detroit, the Bengals looked to get back to a winning way against the unlucky Lions. Joe Burrow threw for 271 yards with three touchdown passes while throwing an interception in the game. With the victory assured, Brandon Allen would come in for Burrow and find Auden Tate for a 7-yard pass for a touchdown. Joe Mixon would not quite hit the 100-yard mark but he would hit for 97 yards. Ja'Marr Chase would get four catches for 97 yards, his longest was a 53-yard bomb from Burrow to the rookie receiver. Jared Goff would hit for 202 yards with an interception in the game. The only offensive touchdown would come on a Dandre Swift run up the middle for 1-yard. The runner would get 24 yards in the game. You can't really feel bad about a close loss if it was a 23-point loss. With Jacksonville winning their game the Detroit Lions remain the only winless team left in the NFL. 

TW: 4-0; CV: 4-0

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ Baltimore
Detroit: @ LA Rams

Houston 3, Indianapolis 31: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
Well Houston, you still have the Astros and perhaps the Rockets. Davis Mills would get the start again this week. He threw for 243 yards but would have two interceptions in the game. Houston would get decent running production from Mark Ingram as he rushed for 73 yards with his longest being for 24 yards. Former Bronco running back Phillip Lindsay rushed for 39 yards with a 35-yard run being his longest. Kaimi Fairbairn would get the only points for Houston on a 31-yard field goal in the 2nd quarter. Carson Wentz had a good day throwing the ball as he threw for 223 yards with two touchdown passes on 11 completions. His longest throws were for 51 and 52 yard passes. Jonathan Taylor had a 145-yard, two touchdown day as his longest run was for 83 yards. Nice to see the Colts playing like the Colts we were sort of expecting in the preseason. 

TW: 5-0; CV: 5-0

Next week:
Houston: @ Arizona
Indianapolis: @ San Francisco

Kansas City 31, Washington 13: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
It was an ugly start to a game for Patrick Mahomes but after halftime they would clamp down on Washington. Patrick Mahomes threw for 397 yards with two touchdowns but also threw two interceptions. One of the interceptions would come on a bad snap and an even bad throw to a Washington player. Damien Williams would rush for 62 yards in the game including two touchdown runs that would come on a 2-yard and 3-yard play. It would come to the Chiefs defense to stop their opponents and Chiefs defensive end Tershawn Wharton would do that. He intercepted a ball that was in the back of a Washington players helmet and haul it in for the pick. Taylor Heinicke threw for 182 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the game. JD McKissic rushed for 45 yards int he game while Antonio Gibson rushed for 44 yards in the game. Washington's defense would cause three turnovers including a fumble on a Tyreek Hill rebound. They have a really awful turnover ratio and if they want to do good things they need to clean that up. Relying on hero-ball can't save them everyday for the Chiefs. 

TW: 6-0; CV: 6-0

Next week:
Kansas City: @ Tennessee
Washington: @ Green Bay

LA Chargers 6, Baltimore 33: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
I gave CBS crap for not putting this game in an early-game slot and after this one was over, I stood corrected. Sorry CBS. Justin Herbert threw for 195 yards with a touchdown and had an interception in the game. The Chargers running game wouldn't be able to get going with Justin Herbert being the leading rusher for 12 yards. Austin Ekeler would only get seven yards in this one. Lamar Jackson threw for 167 yards with a touchdown pass but also threw two picks in the game. Baltimore's scoring would come on their running attack as Devonta Freeman rushed for 53 yards with a touchdown, Latavius Murray with 44 yards and a touchdown and Le'Veon Bell rushed for 18 yards with a touchdown. I feel the rush defense of the Chargers was exposed big time last week against Cleveland and for sure was exposed by the Ravens. Not a good performance for LA. 

TW: 6-1; CV: 6-1

Next week:
LA Chargers: Bye
Baltimore: vs Cincinnati

LA Rams 38, NY Giants 11: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The score would become a scorigami (a score that hasn't happened in NFL history) but in reality it was a score that shouldn't have been as close as it should. Matthew Stafford has had a rejuvenated season with the Rams and this game would be no different as he had 251 yards passing with four touchdown passes but threw an interception in the game. Rams runningback Darrell Henderson rushed for 78 yards with a touchdown in the game. Daniel Jones would get the start after being injured last week. The Giants quarterback looked awful as he had 242 yards passing with three interceptions while only completing 29 of 51 passes. Devontae Booker rushed for 41 yards in the game. New York's bright spot on offense was Elijah Penny who rushed into the endzone on a 4-yard run, while finishing with 15 yards rushing. Matthew Stafford gets to face the Detroit Lions next week, sounds like a revenge game for him, who knows. 

TW: 7-1; CV: 7-1

Next week:
LA Rams: vs Detroit
NY Giants: vs Carolina

Minnesota 34, Carolina 28 (F/OT): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Football gods giveth and the football gods taketh. Kirk Cousins threw for 373 yards with three touchdown passes, including the game-winning touchdown to KJ Osborn to put the Vikings at a 3-3 record. Dalvin Cook would return to action after missing a few games to injury. The runner was on a rampage as he rushed for 140 yards with a touchdown run. Sam Darnold was off for most of the game with a 207-yard passing day with a touchdown and an interception. The one time he was on was on a 97-yard drive that would result in a Carolina touchdown and successful two-point conversion that would send the game to overtime. Chuba Hubbard rushed for 61 yards with a touchdown. So close Carolina but only one can win in this league. 

TW: 8-1; CV: 8-1

Next week:
Minnesota: Bye 
Carolina: @ NY Giants

Arizona 37, Cleveland 14: TW: Browns; CV: Cardinals
So Nick Chubb was out and eventually Kareem Hunt was out, the football gods hate Cleveland don't they. Kyler Murray would do Kyler Murray things as he threw for 229 yards with four touchdowns, two of them were to DeAndre Hopkins. James Conner had a solid day running the ball for 71 yards in the game. Chase Edmonds rushed for 46 yards with his longest run was for 40 yards. Baker Mayfield threw the ball for 234 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception. Two of those touchdown passes were to Donovan Peoples-Jones who had 101 receiving yards with four catches. Kareem Hunt would rush for 66 yards in the game before leaving the game with an injury. One key stat to this game was that the Cardinals defense would force three turnovers on the Browns, two fumbles and an interception. Poor Cleveland. 

TW: 8-2; CV: 9-1

Next week:
Arizona: vs Houston
Cleveland: vs Denver

Dallas 35, New England 29 (F/OT): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
What in the actual football was this game? Dak Prescott threw for 445 yards with three touchdowns and had an interception. Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 69 yards in the game. CeeDee Lamb had 149 yards receiving on nine catches. New England's defense would cause two turnovers including a fumble on a goal line stand. Mac Jones threw for 229 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception in the game. It would be a pick-six by Cowboys defensive back Trevon Diggs, his sixth straight interception. The Patriots running game had some solid performers as Damien Harris rushed for 101 yards with a touchdown. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 23 yards with a touchdown. 

TW: 9-2; CV: 10-1

Next week:
Dallas: Bye
New England: vs NY Jets 

Las Vegas 34, Denver 24: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
I thought the Raiders would ultimately win but holy crap they played like a stellar team on Sunday amid all the controversy surrounding Jon Gruden's emails. Derek Carr played lights out in the game throwing for 341 yards with two touchdown passes. One of the tosses was a 31-yard toss to Kenyan Drake. Josh Jacobs rushed for 53 yards with a touchdown and Kenyan Drake added a rushing touchdown to his receiving touchdown and added 34 yards of rush offense. Teddy Bridgewater was throwing the ball on some plays and off on some. Bridgewater threw for 334 yards with three touchdowns and got picked off three times. Raiders defenders Jonathan Abram, Brandon Facyson, and Trevon Moehrig picked off Bridewater passes. Javonte Williams rushed for 53 yards and Melvin Gordon rushed for 50 yards. We'll have to see how long this newfound success lasts for Las Vegas but it is a nice sight to see them come out and ball. After three straight wins for the Broncos they have lost three straight games. Yikes.

TW: 10-2; CV: 11-1

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Philadelphia
Denver: @ Cleveland

Seattle 20, Pittsburgh 23 (F/OT): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
TJ Watt is turning into be worth every penny that the Steelers extended to him this season. Geno Smith, not Russell Wilson, would start for Seattle in this one. The former New York Jet would throw for 209 yards with a touchdown pass. It would ultimately be a forced fumble by TJ Watt that would turn the tables to the Steelers. Alex Collins would rush for 101 yards with a touchdown in this game, his longest was for 21 yards. Ben Roethlisberger was solid in the game with 29 of 40 completions for 229 yards with a touchdown pass. Najee Harris wouldn't get 100 yards in this game but he would finish with a respectable 81 yards. Eric Ebron would get in with a touchdown run on a 1-yard trick play. The confusing part of it was the last sequence of plays. It was clear that DK Metcalf fumbled on the ball but Seattle recovered the ball. I think the clock stopped at one second left when Geno Smith spiked the ball. Yet NFL referees like to extend this stuff a long time over. 

TW: 11-2; CV: 12-1

Next week:
Seattle: vs New Orleans
Pittsburgh: Bye

Buffalo 31, Tennessee 34: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
It was the Bills game in the 1st half but it would be the Titans that would crush the Buffalo Bills. Josh Allen threw for 353 yards with three touchdowns and had an interception in the game. Devin Singletary would have a quiet game on the ground with 27 yards. Ryan Tannehill threw for 216 yards and had an interception in the game. King Derrick Henry rushed for 143 yards with three touchdown runs. His longest run was from 76 yards for a score. It was a tight game but it was a 4th down and one stop in the 4th quarter that would be the decider in this game. It was a close one. Still think the Bills will win the division as the AFC East isn't that great as it was thought of. 

TW: 11-3; CV: 12-2

Next week:
Buffalo: Bye
Tennessee: vs Kansas City

2021 Pick'em Records:

My record:

Week 1: 7-9
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 9-7
Week 5: 12-4
Week 6: 11-3

Total: 59-35

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-10
Week 2: 12-4
Week 3: 13-3
Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 12-2

Total: 63-31

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

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

2020: 167-88-1 

See you guys on Wednesday for the Week 7 Picks post!

-Tom