Hello readers! Two teams entered the big game on Sunday night and only one would walk out of the carnage as Super Bowl champion. The bummer is that there won't be football until August. In the post I'll post a final NFL 100 spotlight featuring the greatest Super Bowl of all time: Super Bowl XIII, a recap of the game, halftime show, and my pick for the best commercial. Let's get to work and close up shop!
NFL 100: A Spotlight
The number 13, a rather unlucky number to most people, is a rather lucky number when it came to the Super Bowl. The game had quite a few things right by it. It had high-scoring, drama, as well as hall-of-famers playing in it.
The Super Bowl pitted two teams that had won two previous Super Bowls in the 1970s. The Dallas Cowboys had won Super Bowl VI and XII, the Cowboys were the defending champions. The other team was the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had won Super Bowl IX and X. Both teams were fighting for their place as "Team of the Decade."
Both teams had ridiculous amount of talent on both sides. The Cowboys had Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Drew Pearson on offense and Randy White, Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson, and Charlie Waters. The Pittsburgh Steelers had Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, and Lynn Swan on offense and Jack Lambert, Mel Blount, and Joe Green on defense.
Super Bowl XIII had loads of future Hall-of-Famers in the game. Both teams combined for 25 Hall-of-Famers (including owners, administrators, coaches, players who would later be elected as head coach). Donnie Shell is the latest Hall of Famer that played in the game.
Both teams would combine for 64 points, certainly an unheard of amount prior to the game. The 2nd closest prior to that game was 47 in Super Bowl II. Certainly the rule changes prior to the 1978 season made the difference, for example the "Mel Blount Rule" which limited the amount of contact defenders could put on wide receivers.
The game wasn't without drama as well. The most dramatic player was Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson who made controversial statements like questioning Terry Bradshaw's intelligence, or how Steelers tight end Randy Grossman was only playing when someone "died or injured." Certainly Bradshaw and Grossman were ready to prove him wrong.
Ultimately, the Steelers would prevail in the contest. Most people forgot that the Cowboys would've made it a game when tight end Jackie Smith almost caught a pass in the endzone, but dropped it. Pittsburgh had won the war for "Team of the Decade." It was the first time that Terry Bradshaw threw for more than 300 yards.
The Steelers would win another Super Bowl a year later beating the Los Angeles Rams to win their 4th Super Bowl in six seasons. They wouldn't make it back to a Super Bowl until they faced off against the same Dallas Cowboys team in Super Bowl XXX, which ended in a loss for Pittsburgh.
The Dallas Cowboys would continue to have playoff success but wouldn't make it back to the Super Bowl for the rest of Tom Landry's tenure as head coach. Landry would be fired shortly after Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys in January 1989. After many successful drafts the Cowboys would win the Super Bowl three out of four years, becoming the Team of the 1990s. They haven't made it back to a Super Bowl since Super Bowl XXX.
It certainly has been fun looking back and researching the topics for these NFL 100 Spotlights. I plan on doing them well into next year and beyond. The NFL has been around for 100 years and there are many stories left to tell. Hopefully you've enjoyed reading these as well.
The Recap
Looking back after a few days of digesting the game, I felt the game was pretty solid despite the turnovers. I felt the game was going to be more points scored than last year and that was evidence as both teams combined for 51 points, just lightly under the over/under of 53. The coach that was the more aggressive playcaller ended up winning the game.
Jimmy Garoppolo finished the game with 20 of 31 passes completed with 219 yards and a touchdown while throwing two interceptions. Raheem Mostert had a decent game with 58 yards rushing with a touchdown. Deebo Samuel had 53 yards in the game. What really shocked me other than the 49ers poor clock management was that how bad the Chiefs rush defense was when it came to the 49ers running the ball. It's almost like the 49ers forgot the players that really got them there. Of course poor clock management, bad playcalling, and blowing leads is something that Kyle Shanahan has yet to learn from. After all he was the offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons when they blew a 28-3 lead in Super Bowl LI. Robbie Gould would hit two field goals, with the longest coming from 42 yards.
For the Chiefs it was solid performance. Patrick Mahomes finished the game with 26 of 42 passes completed for 286 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Mahomes would also get 29 yards rushing with a touchdown as well. Damien Williams rushed the ball for 104 yards with a touchdown in the game, his longest was the game-sealing 38-yard run for a touchdown that would give the Chiefs the 31-20 win. It wasn't Patrick Mahomes greatest game but he was tough fighting threw adversity and having a short-term memory about the interceptions. Mahomes deserved the MVP but I felt that Damien Williams should've been MVP as well. In the keys to the game, I had the Chiefs playcalling to be more aggressive as Andy Reid had made a reputation of himself to play conservative when it mattered most. In the game, the guy took chances and made the best of opportunities when it mattered most.
The Halftime Performance
If I had to grade it, I'd give it a B-. I thought last year's performance was not that great as I felt Maroon 5 was a bit past their prime. The idea of having two performers was alright. I liked that they had Shakira doing her bit and then J Lo doing hers and then the two performing together in a climax. I still consider Prince's halftime performance in Super Bowl XLI as the best. One thing is for sure... hips definitely don't lie.
The Best Commercial
The Super Bowl had its share of good, bad and ugly commercials. I felt the ugly was the political commercials that Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg put up (I mean put politics aside and try to enjoy the game). The bad was probably the Mountain Dew commercial, because it was a commercial that I had already seen before the game (probably on Youtube). The good was the Bill Murray-Jeep commercial. Definitely some honorable mentions are the Rocket Mortgage (with Jason Momoa) and the Pringles commercial (with Rick and Morty). I'd give it a grade of B.
What next?
Well, I'm not entirely sure exactly. I'm sure if something does pop up in the offseason, I'll write about it. You can expect the preseason prediction posts to come shortly before the regular season starts. That wouldn't happen for nearly 7 months though. Just keep an eye on the blog whenever something happens. I enjoy doing these and hopefully you've enjoyed reading them. Thank you!
Hello readers! The big game is less than a week away. I feel there has been enough time for me to make my thoughts clear and put into words. Along with my Super Bowl post I will do an NFL 100 spotlight based on the 49ers-Chiefs matchup that happened in 1994. Let's get to work!
NFL 100: A Spotlight
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the 14th time in their history. Their matchups have been relatively high scoring. At one point the Chiefs would hang 44 points on the 49ers in a 44-9 game in 1997 while the 49ers put up 31 points in a 31-3 game in 1985. None of the previous 13 meetings will match up to the 1994 game that was a revenge game beyond all revenge games.
In 1993, the 49ers traded Joe Montana to the Chiefs. Montana had led the 49ers to 4 Super Bowl wins while compiling great stats for the 49ers. I certainly believed that Joe Montana looked forward to the Week 2 match up in the 1994 season against his old team.
Steve Young was brought to San Francisco in 1987. The quarterback would be in Montana's shadow during the 49ers Super Bowl wins in 1988 and 1989. Montana would suffer a season ending injury in 1991, Steve Young would take the reins from Montana. He would have his chance at last. He wouldn't lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl win however.
By 1992, Young had competition. Steve Bono was on the roster and Montana's season ending injury in 1991 was close to recovery. Young would play the most of the season except for the last game where Montana led the 49ers to victory against the Detroit Lions. It would be Montana's last game as a 49er.
In 1993, the rift between Montana and Young grew as teammates began to take sides. Some for Montana, some for Young. Young didn't want to return as a backup and many felt that Montana was the face of the franchise. Ultimately, Joe Montana made the ultimate sacrifice, he requested a trade.
The Week 2 match up in the 1994 season was unlike any other in NFL history. There had been revenge games before. One example that comes to mind was Super Bowl XII where the Dallas Cowboys had traded starter Craig Morton to the Giants, and then Morton was the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos in that game. Ultimately, Morton's successor, Roger Staubach, and his old team would hand him a rousing defeat. Nothing really like two future hall of fame quarterbacks who played for the same team, duking it out on opposing sides.
In the end, the Chiefs would win the game by the score of 24-17. Steve Young was roughed up by the Chiefs defense, as he was sacked four times in the game. The 49ers would recover from the loss and would finish the season with a 13-3 record. They would beat the Bears in the Divisional playoff and exacted some revenge on the Dallas Cowboys, who had beaten the 49ers in the 1992 and 1993 NFC Championship Games. Young and the 49ers humbled the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX. Steve Young had finally gotten the shadow of Joe Montana off his back as he led the 49ers to a championship.
The 1994 Chiefs was somewhat of a direct contrast. After winning their first three games, the Chiefs would finish the season with a 9-7 record. The Chiefs would make the playoffs and put up a decent effort against the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card game. Montana threw for 314 yards with two touchdowns but ultimately lost the game 27-17 in what would be Joe Montana's last game.
In general, the Week 2 match up between the two teams didn't mean much in the end. Both quarterbacks had reached their respective conference championship games in 1993. Young was humbled against the Dallas Cowboys on the road and Montana would get crushed against the Buffalo Bills in the Bills 4th straight trip to the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl LIV!
So I'll be doing this sort of like what I did last year. I'll do topics on keys to victory, the tv broadcaster, how the two teams got here, the all-time series, and finally my pick to who will win. Let's get started.
TV Broadcaster:
Super Bowl LIV will be played on February 2nd, 2020. The United States TV broadcaster for the game will be FOX. This will be FOX's 9th Super Bowl telecast since becoming the NFC package holder prior to the 1994 season. Calling the game will be Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. The duo will be calling their sixth Super Bowl together. Their first Super Bowl assignment was back in Super Bowl XXXIX. Joe Buck is the son of the late broadcaster Jack Buck. Coincidentally, Jack Buck was the play-by-play broadcaster for Super Bowl IV for CBS. Super Bowl IV, prior to this season, was the Chiefs last Super Bowl appearance. We shall have to see if they can win it.
The All-Time Series
The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will meet for the 14th time in the series. The 49ers hold the edge in the series with a 7-6 mark. The first match up between the two teams was back in 1971 where the Chiefs would beat the 49ers 26-17. Prior to the aforementioned 1994 match up, the 49ers had won four straight against the Chiefs. Most recently, the Chiefs beat the 49ers 38-27 during the 2018 season.
How Did They Get Here?: San Francisco 49ers
Not much was to be expected from the 2019 49ers. They had lost four games in 2018 and they were playing in a tough division with the Rams and Seahawks vying for dominance. They were led on offense by Jimmy Garoppolo who had missed 2018 with an injury. Garoppolo threw well in 2019, with 3,978 passing yards with 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. On defense they were led by veteran Richard Sherman who had signed with the 49ers in 2018 to provide a boost to the secondary. What made the 49ers stand out was their running game. The team relied on three running backs to get them yardage. Tevin Coleman, Raheem Mostert and Matt Breida ran for 500+ yards in 2019 with Coleman getting 544 yards, Mostert getting 772, and Breida getting 623. The trio would combine for 15 rushing touchdowns. They were the comeback story in the NFL with a 13-3 record and crushed the Vikings and Packers to get to their 7th Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.
How Did They Get Here?: Kansas City Chiefs
Expectations for the 2019 Chiefs were relatively high as this team last season was one offsides penalty away from possibly going to a Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes entered his 2nd full season as the Chiefs starter, quickly becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league in his 3rd season. The young quarterback would miss a few games due to injury but backup Matt Moore filled in nicely as Moore started for the Chiefs in the Packers and Vikings games during the regular season. The defense was anchored by Frank Clark on the defensive line while veteran Tyrann Mathieu patrols the secondary. On offense the Chiefs have a deep receiving corp with Sammy Watkins, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce. The Chiefs would finish the season with a 12-4 record. In the playoffs they beat the Texans and Titans to get to their 3rd Super Bowl in franchise history.
Keys To The Game
The game is intriguing in terms of the possibilities of the passing game. I feel the game will be more of a offensive game than a defensive one in last year's Super Bowl. I can't see it being a combined 100+ game but i feel the scoring will definitely be in the 20-30's. Here's the keys to victory for both teams:
Chiefs:
Get the running game going: I feel the 49ers will attempt to contain Patrick Mahomes from really hurting them.
Slow down the 49ers running game: San Francisco's bread and butter on offense is their running backs. Expect a long game for the Chiefs defense if they can't slow down the 49ers rush.
Don't stick to the conservative game: Let's be honest, Andy Reid is renowned for his conservative playcalling, especially when the Chiefs have a lead. Just play smart.
49ers:
Jimmy Garoppolo: He has benefited from a stellar running game and I feel the Chiefs defense will try to cause the 49ers to be one-dimensional. If he doesn't get into a rhythm, I can expect the 49ers will have a rough time on offense.
Contain Patrick Mahomes: The Titans learned the hard way in not containing Patrick Mahomes. Fortunately, the 49ers do have a rush that can get to the quarterback.
Get the wide receivers going: There's no question that the 49ers rushing attack is great but their wide receivers aren't as deep as the Chiefs. Perhaps they need to get going to prove they belong.
The Pick
Super Bowl LIV will be the 23rd Super Bowl that I've watched since Super Bowl XXXII. My record in the game hasn't been that stellar but its hard to predict it after all. Before I release my pick for the game, here is my record so far:
Super Bowl XXXII: Packers vs Broncos (lost) Super Bowl XXXIII: Broncos vs Falcons (won) Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams vs Titans (won) Super Bowl XXXV: Ravens vs Giants (lost) Super Bowl XXXVI: Rams vs Patriots (lost) Super Bowl XXXVII: Raiders vs Buccaneers (lost) Super Bowl XXXVIII: Panthers vs Patriots (won) Super Bowl XXXIX: Patriots vs Eagles (won) Super Bowl XL: Steelers vs Seahawks (lost) Super Bowl XLI: Colts vs Bears (won) Super Bowl XLII: Giants vs Patriots (lost) Super Bowl XLIII: Steelers vs Cardinals (lost) Super Bowl XLIV: Saints vs Colts (won) Super Bowl XLV: Steelers vs Packers (won) Super Bowl XLVI: Giants vs Patriots (lost) Super Bowl XLVII: Ravens vs 49ers (lost) Super Bowl XLVIII: Seahawks vs Broncos (lost)
Super Bowl XLIX: Patriots vs Seahawks (lost) Super Bowl 50: Panthers vs Broncos (lost) Super Bowl LI: Patriots vs Falcons (won) Super Bowl LII: Eagles vs Patriots (lost) Super Bowl LIII: Rams vs Patriots (won) All-time record: 9-12 My pick for the team that will win Super Bowl LIV is:
The San Francisco 49ers.
While I feel the Chiefs are the sexy pick in the game due to Patrick Mahomes. I think the 49ers defensive front will prove to be too much for the quarterback. On offense I think the 49ers running game will be the big thing to watch. It will be interesting how well Jimmy Garoppolo will handle starting in the Super Bowl. I like seeing championship droughts come to an end but I just think the 49ers have been the better team all year. If they win they will join the Steelers and Patriots with 6 Super Bowl wins. I'd be alright with the Chiefs winning too but only one can become the champion and I'll take the 49ers.
As far as Super Bowl recap posts, I'll think about doing one on Tuesday/Wednesday next week. I've never done one before but I feel one more post will put a nice bow on the season. See you guys next week and enjoy the game!
-Tom
Hello readers! Divisional weekend is over and the National Football League's version of the Final Four is set. We will go over how the four teams got there as well as an NFL 100 spotlight on the great Jim Brown. Let's get to work!
NFL 100: A Spotlight
By the time you're 29 years old, you've got a career set, possibly married with a few kids on the way. When Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown walked away from the game at age 29, he felt he had no more left to accomplish. Who could blame him?
James Nathaniel Brown was born in St. Simons, Georgia on February 17th, 1936. He was the son of a professional boxer and a homemaker. His childhood was that of self-reliance as he was raised by his grandmother in the island of St. Simons, off the coast of the state of Georgia. He grew up unaffected by racism that much of the mainland would experience during that time.
He would move to Manhasset, New York at the age of eight with his mother where he would attend high school at Manhasset, playing football and basketball, and excelling at both. Brown set records in basketball, including 38 points per game, a record that stood until future Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski would break it.
He chose to go upstate to Syracuse University for college. Like high school, Brown would excel in track, basketball, as well as lacrosse. In fact, he would score 43 goals in 10 games for Syracuse in his senior year. Ultimately, it would be football where he would choose his career path.
Ironically, the Cleveland Browns selected Jim Brown with the 6th overall pick in the 1957 draft. His greatness showed against the Los Angeles Rams, rushing for 237 yards, a record that stood for 14 years, and a rookie record that stood for 40 years. He continued his onslaught on the record books.
In 1958, he rushed for 1,527 yards in a 12-game season. The record broke Steve Van Buren's 1,146 yards set in 1949. He scored 17 touchdowns that season and the 2nd closest was Raymond Berry who had nine. Jim Brown would win his first of three NFL MVP awards throughout his career.
In 1964, Jim Brown helped the Cleveland Browns win the NFL championship over the Baltimore Colts. He rushed for 1,446 yards with seven rushing touchdowns that season. The Cleveland Browns haven't won a championship since.
He would win his 3rd MVP in 1965, compiling 1,544 yards with 17 touchdowns scored. Not also to mention his longest run that season was from 67 yards. Much to many people's surprise, Jim Brown retired after the 1965 season at the ripe age of 29.
Jim Brown helped set the standard for running backs in the NFL. His speed and agility matched only by his toughness and strong upper body strength. His 104.3 career rushing yards per game is an NFL record that still stands to this day. He led the league in rushing eight times while becoming the first NFL player to rush for 10,000 career yards. While he last played over 50 years ago, his contribution to the NFL will never be forgotten.
Divisional Recap
Minnesota Vikings 10, San Francisco 49ers 27: TW: 49ers; CV: Vikings
The good news: the Vikings offensive coordinator is going to Cleveland. The bad news: Kirk Cousins will likely have to learn a new system. Kirk Cousins finished the game with 172 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Dalvin Cook wouldn't get much on the ground as he mustered only 18 yards. Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball for 131 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Tevin Coleman ran teh ball for 105 yards with two touchdowns, getting leading rusher status for the game. The 49ers defense held the Vikings to seven first downs. Pretty impressive. San Francisco moves on to host the NFC Championship game on Sunday night.
There's bound to be upsets in the Divisional round but that was a shocker. Ryan Tannehill threw the ball for 88 yards with two touchdowns, while running for 13 yards in the game with a rushing touchdown. Derrick Henry would throw a 3-yard pass for a touchdown while getting 195 yards in the game. Lamar Jackson was really a one-man show in the game for Baltimore, throwing for 365 yards with a touchdown with two picks. Jackson also ran for 143 yards in the game. Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards would only muster 22 and 20 yards respectively. Ravens defense and the rest of the offense failed to show up. Tennessee moves on to play on the road against the Chiefs.
All-time series: tied at 12-12
Houston Texans 31, Kansas City 51: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
By the end of the 1st quarter, it was 21-0 Texans. At halftime, it was 28-24 Chiefs. DeShaun Watson threw for 388 yards with two touchdowns. Watson also ran for 37 yards with a touchdown while Carlos Hyde ran for 44 yards. Patrick Mahomes threw the ball for 321 yards with five touchdown passes. He was the leading rusher for the Chiefs with 53 yards. Damien Williams also got 47 yards with two touchdowns on the ground. The momentum shifter was the bad call by Bill O'Brien to go for it on 4th down in your own territory. The move should seriously cost him his job but no word yet if he will still be employed. Kansas City moves on to host the AFC championship game against the Titans on Sunday afternoon.
All-time series: Chiefs lead 7-5
Seattle Seahawks 23, Green Bay Packers 28: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The win was ugly but that's really the story of the season for the Packers. Russell Wilson threw for 277 yards with a touchdown while rushing for 64 yards. Marshawn Lynch couldn't get a lot going on the ground as he finished with 26 yards rushing but did get two touchdowns on the ground. Aaron Rodgers threw for 243 yards with two touchdowns, certainly vintage Rodgers. Aaron Jones was good in the ground game as he ran for 62 yards with two touchdowns. Offense puts up enough points while the defense does the rest, not a bad formula. Seattle had a good season with a great receiving corp potential in DK Metcalf. Green Bay heads west to battle the 49ers in the NFC championship game.
All-time series: Packers lead 14-9
See you guys on Thursday/Friday for the Conference Championship Game picks!
Hello readers! The Divisional round of the playoffs is almost here. One of my favorite weekends in the NFL calendar. It's the David vs Goliath, the battle tested vs the rested, if you make it past this weekend, you're one game away from going to the Super Bowl. In this post, I'll talk about the great Jerry Rice in the NFL 100 spotlight and my picks for the weekend's games. Let's get to work!
NFL 100: A Spotlight
The history of the NFL has had many great names. Many of them dominated in eras where offense was subpar compared to the defense, and vice versa. Only one player in the history of the game dominated from the first snap to the last snap of his career. He played from 1985 to 2004 on three teams. His statistics are records and the 2nd closest player is nowhere near him. He is arguably the greatest player in NFL history, Jerry Rice.
Jerry Rice was born on October 13th, 1962 in Starkville, Mississippi. He was the son of a brick mason. He would attend high school at B.L. Moore High School in Oktoc, Mississippi.
He wouldn't start playing football until his sophomore year. He wanted to play the game in his freshman year but his mother denied the request. After an incident of Rice being truant, the school principal contacted the school's head coach about Rice's speed and was allowed to join the team. Rice would also excel at track and field and basketball.
He attended college at Mississippi Valley State University for four seasons. He quickly became the standout receiver on the Delta Devils, gaining the nickname "World" for how he could catch anything thrown to him. He also set a single-game record for catching 24 passes in a game against Southern University in 1983.
His play in college gained the attention of many scouts but both the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys wanted to draft him. On Draft Day, the 49ers traded two picks to New England for the Patriots first-round choice. Dallas held the 17th pick in the first round. With the draft trade the 49ers selected Rice at pick #16. The Cowboys missed out on him by that much.
Jerry Rice wouldn't take long to impress his team and the rest of the NFL. He was particularly effective in a 10 catch, 241 yard receiving performance against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite early struggles like dropping man catches, Rice earned the NFC Offensive Rookie Of The Year award in his rookie year.
Some of his best football came in the biggest game of all. He was part of three Super Bowl teams with the 49ers in 1988, 1989 and 1994. He won Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXIII.
When he retired, he set career records in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. His 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards, and 197 touchdowns are all NFL records and no one has come close to it. What really truly made him great was his YAC (Yards After Catch). It was that that made him truly great. He was a great runner with a great catching ability. Arguably the greatest of all time.
Divisional Picks
The Divisional Playoff weekend starts in Santa Clara, California, and ends in Green Bay, Wisconsin. NBC and CBS will have games shown on Saturday and CBS and FOX will have games on Sunday. Let's get to the picks!
Minnesota Vikings (10-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (13-3) (NBC): TW: 49ers; CV: Vikings
The Vikings beat the Saints in the Wild Card round and the 49ers were on a bye last week. The weekend starts with a pretty intriguing game. On paper, it seems that the 49ers should get a win as they do have a better offense in my opinion but their defense is suspect in comparison against the Vikings defense. History should offer a warning to the 49ers as the Vikings once beat the #1 seed 49ers once in the 1987 playoffs (Vikings also beat the Saints on the road as well). Could Stephon Diggs put up Anthony Carter type numbers in the game? Its a possiblity. Its also possible that Adam Thielen could be out for the Vikings in the game as he is questionable. Minnesota will also be without Mackensie Alexander for this game but could return to play in the next game should Minnesota advance. I feel the more rested team will get the win as I tend to like the 49ers running game as a whole with Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida, Deebo Samuel, and Tevin Coleman. I think the home team will win on solid defense but I can't stress enough how much of an upset this will be if history repeats itself.
The Titans beat the Patriots in the Wild Card game and the Ravens were on a bye last week. Mark Ingram is unlikely to play in the game which means much of the workload will fall on Gus Edwards to get the Ravens a win. The Titans could make this a very interesting game with Derrick Henry as running back. If the Titans can control the clock and keep the Ravens offense off the field, this could be a very wild game. Ryan Tannehill is a decent quarterback but I can't think of him having a big game in this one. I'd be surprised if the Titans win this game. Lamar Jackson isn't 40 years old after all.
The Texans beat the Bills in the Wild Card game while the Chiefs were on a bye last week. Houston barely managed to beat a team that shot themselves in the foot in the 2nd half last week. Quite honestly the Texans offense outside of DeShaun Watson needs to play better. He pretty much saved your butts last week. The same in general goes to Patrick Mahomes. He needs to put up better stats than the past few weeks, at least with more passing yards. I like the Chiefs offense a bit more than the Texans offense and in terms of defense I like the Chiefs offense a smidge better than the Texans as they have been playing better as well. I'll take KC.
Seattle Seahawks (11-5) @ Green Bay Packers (13-3) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
The Seahawks beat the Eagles in the Wild Card game while the Packers were on a bye last week. Out of the teams that had a bye last week, Green Bay is probably the most vulnerable of being a one-and-done. The running game is capable of putting up numbers and Aaron Rodgers is good in the playoffs but which of his wide outs are going to step up and put up yardage. Outside of Davante Adams, who can Rodgers rely on? I feel the Packers defense will get tired of the offense going three and out in the game. Seattle has a running game and a capable receiving corp to get them far. If the Packers can't get to Russell Wilson then this game will be very much in Seattle's favor. I hope I'm wrong but I can't trust the Packers offense to put up more points than Seattle. Definitely hope that I'm wrong.
See you guys on Monday for the Divisional round recap.
Hello readers! The Wild Card Weekend starts on Saturday. Gone are the pretenders and here come the contenders. This post will have a recap of my predictions that I made back in September and how I fared (which I know isn't looking too well), an NFL 100 Spotlight on the broadcaster Pat Summerall, and my picks for the Wild Card games this weekend. Let's get to work!
Preseason Recap
Before the season started, I made a predictions post on how each team will fare. I also predicted the division winners and who would eventually win the Super Bowl, as well as award winners. I will leave the award winners until probably after the Super Bowl but I'd say most of them are way off (Baker Mayfield for MVP was a bit off I'd say). Here's how I did:
Arizona Cardinals: 4th in NFC West (Correct) Atlanta Falcons: 3rd in NFC South (Incorrect, they did tie with Tampa though) Baltimore Ravens: 3rd in AFC North (Incorrect, probably thought Lamar Jackson would have sophomore jinx I guess) Buffalo Bills: 3rd in AFC East (Incorrect) Carolina Panthers: 2nd in NFC South (Incorrect) Chicago Bears: 2nd in NFC North (Incorrect) Cincinnati Bengals: 4th in AFC North (Correct) Cleveland Browns: 2nd in AFC North (Incorrect) Dallas Cowboys: 1st in NFC East (Incorrect, close but no cigarette) Denver Broncos: 4th in AFC West (Incorrect) Detroit Lions: 4th in NFC North (Correct) Green Bay Packers: 3rd in NFC North (Incorrect, ouch my own team) Houston Texans: 2nd in AFC South (Incorrect) Indianapolis Colts: 1st in AFC South (Incorrect) Jacksonville Jaguars: 3rd in AFC South (Incorrect) Kansas City Chiefs: 1st in AFC West (Correct) Los Angeles Chargers: 2nd AFC West (Incorrect) Los Angeles Rams: 1st in NFC West (Incorrect) Miami Dolphins: 4th in AFC East (Correct) Minnesota Vikings: 1st in NFC North (Incorrect) New England Patriots: 1st in AFC East (Correct) New Orleans Saints: 1st in NFC South (Correct) New York Giants: 3rd in NFC East (Correct) New York Jets: 2nd in AFC East (Correct) Oakland Raiders: 3rd in AFC West (Correct) Philadelphia Eagles: 2nd in NFC East (Incorrect) Pittsburgh Steelers: 1st in AFC North (Incorrect) San Francisco 49ers: 2nd in NFC West (Incorrect) Seattle Seahawks: 3rd in NFC West (Incorrect) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4th in NFC South (Incorrect) Tennessee Titans: 4th in AFC South (Incorrect, maybe I was drinking too much of the Mariota kool-aid) Washington Redskins: 4th in NFC East (Correct)
Well out of the 32 teams, I got 10 right in predictions. Almost a 1/3 of them.
Playoff seedings
NFC:
1st: New Orleans Saints
2nd: Dallas Cowboys
3rd: Los Angeles Rams
4th: Minnesota Vikings
5th: Chicago Bears
6th: Carolina Panthers
Well as far as seeding, I missed all of them but I managed to get the Saints and the Vikings in the playoffs.
AFC:
1st: Kansas City Chiefs
2nd: New England Patriots
3rd: Pittsburgh Steelers
4th: Indianapolis Colts
5th: Los Angeles Chargers
6th: Cleveland Browns
Same thing for the AFC for seeding but I got only the Chiefs and Patriots right in making the playoffs. Should be noted that I still have the prediction of a Saints vs Patriots Super Bowl in play. I feel good about it.
NFL 100: A Spotlight
If you were born between 1960 and 1995 and watched an NFL game, you more than likely heard the voice of Pat Summerall. From playing football at an early age to his final call at Super Bowl XXXVI in February 2002 his life was football.
Summerall was born in Lake City, Florida on May 10th, 1930. He would play at Columbia High School as a placekicker. As well as football, Summerall played tennis, baseball, and basketball. He would go to college at the University of Arkansas from 1949 to 1951 and played as a placekicker, defensive end and tight end for the Razorbacks.
In the 1952 NFL Draft, Summerall was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 4th Round, with the 45th pick. He would only play for the Lions in the preseason before getting an arm injury. He was traded to the Chicago Cardinals from 1953 to 1957. He would then play some of his well-known football with the New York Giants from 1958 to 1961. He would play in "The Greatest Game Ever Played" in the 1958 NFL Championship Game. In 1959 he was 30/30 in Point After Touchdowns and 20/29 in field goals.
Summerall retired after the 1961 season and would be hired by CBS to work as a color commentator for the network's NFL package. During the early years of his job, he was paired with Chris Schenkel to do Giants games (CBS had their own crews designated to a specific team). He was there for CBS postgame coverage for Super Bowl I. After 1968, he rose to be part of CBS #1 crew, pairing with either Ray Scott and Jack Buck.
After Ray Scott's retirement after Super Bowl VIII, Summerall would take over as the Play-by-Play commentator and would be paired with Tom Brookshier. Brookshier would work with Summerall with during the "This Week In Pro Football" during the late 1960's through the 1970's.
Pat Summerall's most famous broadcast partner would be John Madden. Madden was hired by CBS in 1981. The pairing would call five Super Bowls for CBS. The pairing worked well as both knew football and could explain it well to the average viewer. Summerall's minimalist approach and Madden's coaching knowledge made them one of the best partnerships in Sports TV history.
When FOX won the NFC package in 1994, the fledgling network recruited both Summerall and Madden to front their production. The pair would call three more Super Bowl's for FOX before retiring from broadcasting after Super Bowl XXXVI. Joe Buck would take over as FOX's NFL #1 play-by-play commentator, paired with Troy Aikman with Cris Collinsworth.
As well as calling football games for CBS, Summerall would call CBS coverage of the U.S. Open and the Masters. He brought with him his velvety voice and minimilistic approach to those assignments as well. His best work was truly with the National Football League. His voice was nearly recognizable. If he was covering a game, you knew the game held something important.
Pat Summerall would pass away on April 16th, 2013 due to a cardiac arrest. The Sports World mourned as he was truly "a great loss." He was 82 years old.
Wild Card Picks
Wild Card weekend will start in Houston, Texas and end in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There will be two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday. ESPN and CBS will air the Saturday games while FOX and NBC will air the Sunday games. Here are the picks:
The Bills are entering as the 5th seed in the playoffs while the Texans are the AFC South winners as the 4th seed. Wild Card weekend isn't too kind for the Texans these last few years and if they don't win this game, head coach Bill O'Brien's future definitely is in jeopardy. I'm leaning towards the Bills because of their defense. If they can throw the Texans offense off a bit, they have a distinct advantage. Turnovers will be key to victory for Buffalo as they have a versatile running game with a quarterback to match. While Josh Allen's weapons aren't nearly as superb as DeShaun Watson's, clock management will be also huge too. The Texans are a 2.5 favorite which doesn't bode well for Vegas' confidence in the group. I can't trust the Texans to get a win. I have been wrong before with the Texans.
Tennessee Titans (9-7) @ New England Patriots (12-4) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The Titans enter in the playoffs as the 6th seed and the Patriots won the AFC East along with the 3rd seed in the playoffs. One of the better match-ups in the weekend. Tennessee has shown that they can win with Ryan Tannehill as quarterback along with a great running back Derrick Henry. The Patriots have won with their strong defense and I feel they can easily make the Titans one-dimensional with them shutting down their running game and forcing Tannehill to beat them. Tom Brady hasn't played particularly well to standards but with the playoffs here, perhaps they can find new energy and win this one. I'd be generally surprise if the Titans win this game.
The Vikings are entering the playoffs as the 6th seed while the Saints won the NFC South as the 3rd seed. Minnesota is entering this postseason with a little chip on their shoulder. They have the underdog card as most experts felt that they wouldn't go far. My take is they have a very good defense and if they can get their offense going and cause havoc on the Saints defense. The key to the game is the health of Dalvin Cook and how well the Vikings can depend on running back Mike Boone if Cook is inactive. I like the Saints in the match-up but the Vikings could make this game a very interesting one.
The Seahawks enter the playoffs as the 5th seed and the Eagles won the NFC East as the 4th seed. Keeping Russell Wilson upright will be huge as the Seahawks offensive line allowed 26 sacks in the previous seven games. Philadelphia got to Wilson six times. The Eagles will need Carson Wentz and the secondary to have a good day to have a chance to get a win as well. I feel with Marshawn Lynch on the team, they will have some inspiration to play well. The talent on paper for Seattle is there but momentum is not there for them as they lost two straight games. I feel safer with Philly if they can get to Wilson early and sack him or hit him. They have the blueprint to get him so why not Philly.
I'll see you guys on Monday for the Wild Card recap. I'll probably update the post with Cardinal Viking's picks as well. Enjoy the games!
-Tom
Update #1: added Cardinal Viking's picks
Update #2: Changed Bill Callahan to Bill O'Brien. Got the right first name but wrong head coach. Sorry Bill Callahan if you're reading this.
Hello readers! The final week of the regular season is finished. What happens now is the National Football League's second season: the playoffs. In this post I'll talk about: an NFL 100 spotlight on the 1972 Miami Dolphins and a recap of the week's games. Let's get to work!
NFL 100 Spotlight
In sports, the word perfect is hard to come by. There's the perfect punch that knocked Joe Frazier out by Muhammad Ali in 1968, the perfect putt by Jack Nicklaus in the 1986 Masters, or Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series. Only one professional sports team in North American sports achieved a season without a tie or loss was the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
The story of the 1972 Dolphins began on the evening of January 16th, 1972. In only Don Shula's 2nd season as the Dolphins head coach, he lead the Dolphins to their first Super Bowl appearance. The Dolphins were held to 3 points in a 24-3 thrashing by the Dallas Cowboys. It had been Don Shula's 2nd Super Bowl loss in three years. He was the losing head coach in Super Bowl III as the Baltimore Colts head coach.
Don Shula's focus for the 1972 season was clear. The team wouldn't have a loss like that in that Super Bowl and if they had to go undefeated, they would do that such of a thing. As far as actually going undefeated, it probably was the farthest thing from their minds. Winning a championship was their goal.
The closest that the Dolphins came to losing was in a Week 3 match-up against the Minnesota Vikings on the road. Miami was down by 5 points in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter. Quarterback Bob Griese marched the Dolphins down the field and threw a 3-yard pass to Jim Mandich for the game-winning score.
During a Week 5 match-up against the San Diego Chargers, Bob Griese would be lost for a couple of months due to injury. The offense was now fronted by 38 year-old Earl Morrall. He was older than some of the Dolphins head coaches. In fact, they put up a rocking chair beside Morrall's locker. The hardy veteran kept winning games for the Dolphins.
The playoffs for the Dolphins were daunting. In the divisonal round, they would squeak by the Cleveland Browns 20-14. The NFL playoffs rotated by division at that time. As a result, the Dolphins would have to play on the road at Three Rivers Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The week before the AFC championship game was the "Immaculate Reception" play.
The offense struggled during the first half of the AFC Championship Game. Don Shula would make a quarterback change at halftime. Bob Griese would give life to the Dolphins as they would beat the Steelers 21-17 enroute to their consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
Super Bowl VII was Don Shula's 3rd Super Bowl appearance in 5 years. Another loss would be heartbreaking for the coach, but a win would seal the Dolphins place in history. The "No Name Defense" (named after Tom Landry) would hinder the Washington Redskins offense helpless. They forced three turnovers and held Redskins running back Larry Brown to 72 yards. The Dolphins offense scored enough points with two touchdowns: A 28-yard pass play from Griese to Wide Receiver Howard Twilley and a 1-yard rush from Jim Kiick.
In a play that would've made the game 17-0 in a 17-0 season. Garo Ypremian would have the kick blocked and attempted to throw a pass and would misfire. The gaffe would be returned by Redskins player Mike Bass for a 49-yard fumble return for a touchdown. While the Dolphins chance of having a shutout was dead, any chance for the Redskins to win was far from it. Don Shula's redemption was achieved and the Dolphins had completed their mission to go undefeated.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins are the only team in NFL history to win every game in their season without a loss or tie. The team wasn't necessarily the best when it came to strength of schedule. The Dolphins in 1973 would win the Super Bowl again but would finish the season with two losses. While they did lose a few games, they played better opponents. You could certainly argue that the 1973 Dolphins were better than the 1972 Dolphins but I feel you have to look at the record.
What made the team special was they were good in every area of a football team. They had one of the best offensive lines in NFL history nicknamed "The Expendables" and had a great defense. It would have to be their running attack that made them special. While they had Larry Czonka and Jim Kiick, they also had a great running back in Mercury Morris. Both Czonka and Morris would get 1000 yards rushing. What made the team special was that they won together, as a team.
Week 17 Recap
In 2017, the first season in the Blogspot era (4th overall season as a blogger) Cardinal Viking (my former roommate) won in picks. In 2018, both me and Cardinal Viking ended up with a tie. As for the 2019 season, we shall see who won in picks this year. Let's get started:
Green Bay 23, Detroit 20: TW: Packers; CV: Lions
The game was fairly ugly but somehow the Packers got some luck and won. Aaron Rodgers finished the game with 323 yards with two touchdowns while throwing an interception late in the 4th quarter. Aaron Jones had a stellar day with 100 rushing yards. David Blough finished the game with 122 yards with an interception. Danny Amendola would throw a 19-yard pass to David Blough for a touchdown. Ty Johnson was the leading rusher for Detroit with 65 yards but Kerryon Johnson ran the ball for 53 yards with a touchdown. With a first-round bye, the Packers needed it.
The Freddie Kitchens era is over. Baker Mayfield would finish the game with 279 yards with three touchdowns but threw three interceptions. Nick Chubb wouldn't get a lot on the ground game as he finished with 41 yards. Andy Dalton finished with 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The leading rusher for the game was Joe Mixon with 162 yards with two touchdowns. Andy Dalton would get 10 yards with a rushing touchdown as well. Cleveland will have to hire their 8th head coach since 2009.
All-time series: Bengals lead 51-41
TW: 1-1; CV: 0-2
Chicago 21, Minnesota 19: TW: Vikings; CV: Bears
Da Bears finish with an 8-8 season. Mitchell Trubisky threw for 207 yards but wouldn't throw for a touchdown nor an interception. Devin Montgomery had a solid day on the ground as he ran for 113 yards with a touchdown. Sean Mannion would start for Minnesota. He finished with 126 yards with two interceptions. Mike Boone would start the game at running back, finishing with 148 yards with a touchdown. It was a fairly meaningless game for the Vikings which have a tough road ahead going into the playoffs, traveling to New Orleans in the Wild-Card round.
All-time series: Vikings lead 60-56-2
TW: 1-2; CV: 1-2
LA Chargers 21, Kansas City 31: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The crowd made more noise when the Dolphins beat the Patriots than their own team beat the Chargers. Philip Rivers threw the ball for 281 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Certainly less than their previous meeting in Mexico City. Melvin Gordon finished the game with 46 yards with a touchdown. Patrick Mahomes threw for 174 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Mahomes also ran for 21 yards. Damien Williams was the leading rusher in the game with 124 yards with two touchdowns. Kansas City will have a 1st-round bye.
All-time series: Chiefs lead 63-56-1
TW: 2-2; CV: 2-2
Miami 27, New England 24: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
For the first time since 2009, the Patriots will play on Wild-Card weekend. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw the ball for 320 yards with a touchdown. Fitzpatrick would also get 15 yards rushing with a touchdown as well. Patrick Laird was the leading rusher for Miami with 21 yards. Tom Brady finished the game with 221 yards with two touchdowns with an interception. Sony Michel ran the ball for 74 yards with a touchdown. The Patriots will play the Titans next weekend.
All-time series: Dolphins lead 56-53
TW: 2-3; CV: 2-3
NY Jets 13, Buffalo 6: TW: Bills; CV: Jets
It was a meaningless game. Sam Darnold threw the ball for 199 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Le'Veon Bell was the leading rusher in the game with 41 yards. Matt Barkley started for Buffalo and finished with 232 yards with two interceptions, Josh Allen would enter the game but would only get 5 yards passing. Ian McKenzie ran for 30 yards on two carries while Frank Gore ran for 26 yards. Buffalo will go to Houston next weekend.
All-time series: Bills lead 63-56
TW: 2-4; CV: 3-3
New Orleans 42, Carolina 10: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
They may have not gotten a first-round bye but they're quite possibly an underrated team heading into the playoffs. Drew Brees threw for 253 yards with three touchdowns. Latavius Murray ran for 61 yards while Alvin Kamara ran for 39 yards with two touchdowns. Kyle Allen started for Carolina and threw for 295 yards while throwing an interception. Will Grier would see some action as well but would only throw for four yards with an interception. Christian McCaffrey ran for 26 yards with a touchdown while gaining 72 yards. The Saints will host the Vikings next weekend.
All-time series: Saints lead 26-25
TW: 3-4; CV: 4-3
Atlanta 28, Tampa Bay 22 (F/OT): TW: Falcons; CV: Buccaneers
The Buccaneers season finished much like how it started: with an interception. Matt Ryan threw for 313 yards with a touchdown. Devonta Freeman ran for 58 yards while not scoring a touchdown. Jameis Winston threw the ball for 201 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Ronald Jones ran for 106 yards with no touchdowns. Deion Jones put the icing on the cake with a pick-six into the Overtime period.
All-time series: Falcons lead 28-25
TW: 4-4; CV: 4-4
Washington 16, Dallas 47: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Bruce Allen Era is over in Washington but it doesn't help that they got hung 47 against the Cowboys. Case Keenum threw for 206 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Adrian Peterson ran the ball for 78 yards. Dak Prescott had a good game with 303 yards with four touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliot ran for 122 yards with a touchdown. Where was this Cowboys team a week ago?
All-time series: Cowboys lead 73-45-2
TW: 5-4; CV: 5-4
Indianapolis 20, Jacksonville 38: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
Minshewmania returns! Jacoby Brissett threw for 162 yards but didn't throw a touchdown pass in the game. Marlon Mack ran for 77 yards while scoring two touchdowns. Gardner Minshew turned in one of his better performances of the season, finishing with 295 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Ryquell Armstead ran for 33 yards but didn't get a touchdown. Give Gardner some defense next season!
All-time series: Colts lead 24-14
TW: 5-5; CV: 5-5
Arizona 24, LA Rams 31: TW: Rams; CV: Cardinals
It was a winning season for the Rams, at least. Kyler Murray threw for 325 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Kenyan Drake ran the ball for 60 yards with a touchdown. Jared Goff threw the ball for 319 yards with three touchdowns. Todd Gurley was the leading rusher for the Rams with 68 yards while Malcolm Brown ran for 26 yards with a touchdown. Final game at LA Coliseum for the Rams.
All-time series: Rams lead 43-38-2
TW: 6-5; CV: 5-6
Oakland 15, Denver 16: TW: Broncos; CV: Raiders
Bittersweet moment for the Raiders but they move to better pastures in Las Vegas next week. Derek Carr threw the ball for 391 yards with a touchdown. DeAndre Washington ran the ball for 77 yards. Drew Lock threw for 177 yards with a touchdown pass. Philip Lindsay ran for 53 yards. Not much else to say about this one.
All-time series: 65-54-2
TW: 7-5; CV: 5-7
Philadelphia 34, NY Giants 17: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
It was a beautiful moment to watch Jerry Jones turn away from the television knowing his team won't be in the playoffs. Carson Wentz did fine in the game with 289 yards with a touchdown. Boston Scott ran for 54 yards with three touchdowns while Miles Sanders ran for 52 yards. Scott would also get 84 yards receiving. Daniel Jones threw for 301 yards with a touchdown while throwing an interception. Saquon Barkley ran for 92 yards with a touchdown. Philly hosts the Seahawks next week.
All-time series: Eagles lead 87-85-2
TW: 8-5; CV: 6-7
Tennessee 35, Houston 14: TW: Titans; CV: Texans
Mike Vrabel gets to play/coach against his former team in the Wild Card round next week. Ryan Tannehill threw for 198 yards with a couple of touchdowns. Derrick Henry had a stellar day on the ground with 211 yards with three touchdowns, his longest run was from 53 yards. AJ McCarron would get the start for Houston with DeShaun Watson resting for next week. McCarron threw for 225 yards with an interception. McCarron ran for 39 yards with a touchdown while Taiwan Jones was the leading rusher with 40 yards. The Titans go to Foxboro next weekend. Houston will host the Bills next weekend as well
It was an icing on the cake to a great season. Devlin Hodges didn't do much as he threw for 95 yards while not throwing a touchdown. Benny Snell ran for 91 yards with a touchdown. Robert Griffin III would get the start, as to be expected, and threw for 96 yards while throwing a pick. He would also get 50 yards rushing. Justice Hill would get a rushing touchdown while getting 39 yards. Gus Edwards had a great day on the ground with 130 yards. Baltimore has the first-round bye.
All-time series: Steelers lead 28-24
TW: 10-5; CV: 7-8
San Francisco 26, Seattle 21: TW: 49ers; CV: Seahawks
The final game of the regular season was entertaining. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 285 yards with zero touchdowns or interceptions. Raheem Mostert ran for 57 yards with two touchdowns while Deebo Samuel ran for 33 yards with a touchdown. Russell Wilson threw for 233 yards with two touchdowns. Travis Homer ran the ball for 62 yards. The game also saw the return of Marshawn Lynch to Seattle as the veteran ran for 34 yards with a touchdown. As well as a bag of skittles to go along with it. San Francisco will have a first-round bye while the Seahawks will travel to Philadelphia.
All-time series: 26-17
TW: 11-5; CV: 7-9
The Records (By Week & Year):
Cardinal Viking:
2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019:
Week 1: 11-4-1
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 9-6
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 10-4
Week 8: 11-4
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 2-11
Week 11: 12-2
Week 12: 9-5
Week 13: 8-8
Week 14: 9-7
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 7-9
Overall: 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:
Week 1: 12-3-1
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 11-5
Week 4: 8-7
Week 5: 5-10
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 7-7
Week 8: 14-1
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8
Week 11: 10-4
Week 12: 10-4
Week 13: 10-6
Week 14: 9-7
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 11-5
Overall: 161-94-1
Looks like I won this year in picks! When it comes to prizes, there are none, just bragging rights. In truth, win or lose, I still technically kind of win since I write the blog. Sorry Cardinal Viking, better luck next year. Anyway, look out for the Wild Card Picks post on Friday.
Hello readers! Another week of National Football League regular season action is soon upon us! With only two weeks of regular season left, many teams are still in position for playoffs while some are looking ahead to next year. This post will have the latest playoff picture, a spotlight on the "Miracle At The New Meadowlands" in 2010, and my picks for the week's games.
Playoff Picture: Week 16
Let's start with the AFC:
1st seed: Baltimore Ravens (12-2) (clinched AFC North)
2nd seed: New England Patriots (11-3) (clinched playoff berth)
3rd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) (clinched AFC West)
4th seed: Houston Texans (9-5)
5th seed: Buffalo Bills (10-4) (clinched playoff berth)
6th seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6)
Wild card matchups:
Pittsburgh @ Kansas City
Buffalo @ Houston
Still alive:
Tennessee (8-6), Cleveland (6-8), Oakland (6-8)
Eliminated: Everyone else not mentioned... I'm lazy
Baltimore can clinch the first-round bye with a win or tie or Chiefs loss or tie, or Patriots loss. New England can clinch the AFC East with a win vs Buffalo on Saturday. Houston can clinch the AFC South with a win or Texans tie + Titans tie or Titans loss. Essentially, you win and you're in (are you listening Houston?).
NFC:
1st seed: Seattle Seahawks (11-3) (clinched playoff berth)
2nd seed: Green Bay Packers (11-3) (clinched playoff berth)
3rd seed: New Orleans Saints (11-3) (clinched NFC South)
4th seed: Dallas Cowboys (7-7)
5th seed: San Francisco 49ers (11-3) (clinched playoff berth)
6th seed: Minnesota Vikings (10-4)
Wild card matchups:
Minnesota @ New Orleans
San Francisco @ Dallas
Still alive:
Los Angeles Rams (8-6), Philadelphia Eagles (7-7)
Eliminated:
Everyone else not mentioned.
Green bay can win the NFC North with a win or tie. Dallas can clinch the NFC East with a win. Minnesota can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie or a Rams loss or tie. Win and you're in.
NFL 100: A Spotlight
I had planned on doing something totally different for the spotlight then I found out that today marks the 9th anniversary of the "Miracle At the New Meadowlands" or "Miracle At The Meadowlands IV" on December 19th, 2010. I remembered this game very well as the Packers were in the hunt for the wild card. If the Giants won, the Packers hopes would've greatly diminish but nonetheless as you will see, this was not the case.
Gone were the days of Donovan McNabb captaining the Eagles offense as the passer would get moved to Washington in the offseason. Michael Vick would get most of the starts in the 2010 season with Kevin Kolb in the wing. The Eagles were stacked on offense with LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin.
The New York Giants still had a solid offense, ranking 7th in points for in 2010. Their problem was that they couldn't keep opponents out of the endzone. Thus the Giants would have to rely on the arm of Eli Manning to get them back into the playoffs and to a championship. They had some nice pieces with Mario Manningham, Ahmad Bradshaw, Hakeem Nicks, and Steve Smith.
The aftermath was devastating for New York as they had the same record as the Eagles with 10-6 but Philly held the tiebreaker in terms of head-to-head (Eagles won both matchups). They would find a spark on defense and a new weapon for Eli Manning in Victor Cruz for the 2011 championship run. They would beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.
For Philly the win would give them the 3rd seed in the playoffs as they would play host to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card matchup. They would lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion. The game would be Andy Reid's last playoff game as head coach. He would be fired after the 2012 season.
I would normally break down the scoring in the game but when it comes to miracles, it's best to let the video speak for itself. Take it away Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.
Week 16 Picks
Week 16 in the National Football League's regular season will start in Tampa, Florida and finish in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There will be 16 games on the slate this week. The week includes three Saturday games, seven early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will have the double-header and CBS will show the single, regional game. Let's get to the picks!
Houston (9-5) @ Tampa Bay (7-7) (NFL Network): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Texans
Both teams got wins last week as the Texans beat the Titans and the Buccaneers beat the Lions. This game has shootout written all over it. The Bucs defense has been decent this season and the loss of JJ Watt for Houston will make this difficult to pick in terms of defense. I'm somewhat going to ride on Tampa's momentum as they have four straight wins. That and the AFC South is horribly unpredictable. I can't trust Houston to do something right.
Buffalo (10-4) @ New England (11-3) (NFL Network): TW: Patriots; CV: Bills
Both teams got wins as the Bills beat the Steelers and the Patriots beat the Bengals. The game has some interesting storylines for it. Can the underdog Bills get the rare win on the road. New England could clinch their 10th straight division title with a win. Buffalo is a nice story but ultimately this late in the season, I can't see the Patriots losing in a game they need to win if they want that 1st round bye.
LA Rams (8-6) @ San Francisco (11-3) (NFL Network): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Both teams lost last week as the Rams lost to the Cowboys and the 49ers lost to the Falcons. Atlanta exposed the 49ers defense badly on Sunday with missing pieces like Dee Ford or Kwon Alexander. Their opponents have found success with the ground game and the Rams have a talented backfield. I still like the 49ers in the match-up but this could be a shootout.
Jacksonville (5-9) @ Atlanta (5-9) (FOX): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
Both teams got wins last week as the Jaguars beat the Raiders and the Falcons beat the 49ers. It's in general a meaningless game but the game does feature some decent running backs with Leonard Fournette in Jacksonville and Devonta Freeman for Atlanta. Ultimately, the Falcons offense has a few more highly-touted weapons than Jacksonville.
The Saints beat the Colts and the Titans lost to the Texans last week. Ultimately, the game will come down to which offense stays on the field longer as both teams have great offenses, particularly in running back. Tennessee has had a nice turnaround with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback and they could win this game with Derrick Henry having a great day. I just feel New Orleans is a bit more talented.
NY Giants (3-11) @ Washington (3-11) (FOX): TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The Giants beat the Dolphins and the Redskins lost to the Eagles last week. It wasn't a pretty sight for the Redskins last time these two teams met. Dwayne Haskins was a different quarterback then but how much of a difference is he then to he is now? I like the Giants in the match-up as they do have a few more weapons on offense with Saquon Barkley at running back. It feels like a safe pick even though the Redskins are the favorite but not by much.
Both teams lost last week as the Steelers lost to the Bills and the Jets lost to the Ravens. Pittsburgh is still in the driver's seat in terms of playoffs. Win this week and next week and they're in. Fortunately they have a somewhat interesting match-up with a Jets team that wants to play spoiler. Pittsburgh's defense needs to take advantage of turnovers and make the best of them. Devlin Hodges needs to play smarter and not take risks. He has a running game that is ready to lend a hand. I'll take the Steelers.
Both teams took losses last week as the Bengals lost to the Patriots and the Dolphins lost to the Giants. Even if the Bengals do find a way to win, they're still likely to end up being with the #1 pick in next spring's draft. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been playing fairly well the last few weeks despite not getting a lot of wins. Miami's run offense needs to find a way to get past the Bengals rush defense. At least you'll be #1 at something Cincinnati.
Carolina (5-9) @ Indianapolis (6-8) (FOX): TW: Colts; CV: Panthers
Both teams lost last week as the Panthers lost to the Seahawks and the Colts lost to the Saints. Kyle Allen for Carolina started off well enough but it hasn't been the same for quite a while. I like the Colts in the game with their running game of Marlon Mack and company. Mack needs to get more than just the 19 yards in the loss to the Saints. Christian McCaffrey was a nice story but it will take a miracle for him to get the MVP.
The Ravens beat the Jets and the Browns lost to the Cardinals last week. Here's an interesting stat: the Baltimore Orioles have lost more recently than the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens lost on September 29th, and haven't lost since that date (as of 12/19/19). Both teams have changed since that Week 4 match-up. I like the Ravens in the game based on what has gotten them there. Sorry Cleveland but your playoff hopes die this week.
Both teams lost last week as the Raiders lost to the Jaguars and the Chargers lost to the Vikings. The Chargers will play their last game in Carson City and will move into the new stadium with the Rams next season. Other than that, I have no reason to pick the Chargers in this game as they have played terrible despite all the talent they have. Both teams have offenses that can put up yards but a lot of turnovers too. I don't trust either team but I'll take the Raiders in spoiling the farewell.
Detroit (3-10-1) @ Denver (5-9) (CBS): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
Both teams lost last week as the Lions lost to the Buccaneers and the Broncos lost to the Chiefs. Drew Lock's overall grade has been a C to C- at times throughout this season. How well he can play against the Lions defense has yet to be seen. I like the Broncos in the game as they do have a better running game with Philip Lindsay and Royce Freeman with some okay wide outs. David Blough hasn't been solid as Detroit's starter since he played on Thanksgiving. I'll take the high altitude in Denver.
Both teams got wins last week as the Cardinals beat the Browns and the Seahawks beat the Panthers. The previous meeting resulted in a Seahawks 27-10 win. I feel the same result will happen. I feel the Seahawks offense will carve up the Cards defense quite a bit in the game. With the crowd noise in Seattle, I feel the Seahawks will take this one.
Dallas (7-7) @ Philadelphia (7-7) (FOX): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Both teams got wins last week as the Cowboys beat the Rams and the Eagles beat the Redskins. Dak Prescott's health will matter in this game and Jerry Jones seems to think that he will play. So I guess you have to feel that Prescott will play. The Eagles have a tough task ahead in trying to slow down the Cowboys passing attack and running game. Fortunately for Philadelphia, they have the quarterback and running game to match. Miles Sanders needs to have a great day if the Eagles want to have a chance to win. Go Wentz!
Kansas City (10-4) @ Chicago (7-7) (NBC): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Chiefs got a win against the Broncos and the Bears lost to the Packers last week. The match-up will depend on how well the Chiefs running game will fare against the Bears run defense. Chicago does have a formidable run defense. It will be a fun challenge how well the Chiefs offense can play against the Bears. I don't trust the Bears offense to really put up points in this one so I'll take the Chiefs.
Green Bay (11-3) @ Minnesota (10-4) (ESPN): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Alright, I know what you're thinking. WTF TOM! It's more of a personal reason. The margin between me and Cardinal Viking is very narrow. I feel its a win-win for me either way. If Green Bay loses, I stay ahead despite me being a Packer fan. If Green Bay wins, I'll take the loss with some pride in knowing that the Packers won against the Vikings on the road for the first time since 2015. It should be a fun game to finish up the Monday night slate.
Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, subject to change):
CBS Single
Baltimore @ Cleveland
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo
FOX Early
New Orleans @ Tennessee
Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber
FOX Late
Dallas @ Philadelphia
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
For more information on which game is being played in your area, check out: NFL 2019: Week 16 Maps
The Records (By Week & Year):
Cardinal Viking:
2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019:
Week 1: 11-4-1
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 9-6
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 10-4
Week 8: 11-4
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 2-11
Week 11: 12-2
Week 12: 9-5
Week 13: 8-8
Week 14: 9-7
Week 15: 10-6
Overall: 135-90-1
My record:
2012: 164-90-2
2013: 162-92-1
2014: 172-83-1
2017: 164-92
2018: 156-98-2
2019:
Week 1: 12-3-1
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 11-5
Week 4: 8-7
Week 5: 5-10
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 7-7
Week 8: 14-1
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8
Week 11: 10-4
Week 12: 10-4
Week 13: 10-6
Week 14: 9-7
Week 15: 10-6
Overall: 138-85-1
See you guys after the Monday night game for the Week 16 Recap post!
