NFL 2021 Divisional Playoff Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is here yet again. My favorite part of the NFL season is here: the divisional round. It is where the best teams matchup against the underdog/best teams in the conference. The winners of this round go on to be part of the NFL's version of the Final Four. In this post I'll do a preview of the four games and my picks for the games. Let's get to work!

Divisional Playoff Preview

The Divisional playoff will start in Nashville, Tennessee and finish up in Kansas City, Missouri. There will be eight teams playin the four games. Two games will be on Saturday. Those games will be on CBS and FOX. Then there will be two games on Sunday. Those two games will be on NBC and CBS. Let's get to the picks!

Divisional Playoff Picks

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

Cincinnati (11-7) @ Tennessee (12-5) (CBS; 4:30 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Bengals
The Bengals beat the Raiders and the Titans had the bye last week. The weekend starts with a fairly interesting matchup as the young upstart Bengals take on the top dog Titans. I feel this game will feature two great running backs who were fighting for a rushing title. Joe Mixon and Derrick Henry could light up defenses in this game. The Bengals got the playoff win monkey off their back but they could have some trouble in this one as their defense has been suspect at times during this season. Doesn't help that their head coach let his foot off the gas last week. Tennessee needed the bye probably more than any team as they set the record for the number of players used this season. If Derrick Henry plays I'd say they have a great shot to win. I feel the Bengals are good but I think their road ends at this game. 

San Francisco (11-7) @ Green Bay (13-4) (FOX; 8:15 pm): TW: Packers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Cowboys and the Packers had the bye last week. Another shot for Aaron Rodgers to beat his former favorite team the 49ers. San Francisco will need to have a better game from Jimmy Garoppolo as he nearly gave the game away to the Dallas Cowboys. Green Bay will need to be aware of the trickery that the 49ers have on offense. Deebo Samuel will need to be put on watch through every offensive series by the 49ers. If the Packers have a takeaway in this game the 49ers will have a hard time to beat their rivals. You have to also remember that the Packers beat the 49ers 30-28 earlier in the year. The weather could play a factor as there's a chance of snow and a wind chill of zero. I think it'll be a good game but I feel the Packers will pull off the win. 

LA Rams (13-5) @ Tampa Bay (14-4) (NBC; 3:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Rams beat the Cardinals and the Buccaneers beat the Eagles last week. Probably the game of the weekend. The last time these two met was a Week 3 matchup where the Rams won 34-24. The worse case scenario in that game was that it was a close one that would come down to a few plays. Fast forward to this one and the Buccaneers are the more banged up team. The loss of Tristan Wirfs, the right tackle, could be a factor as he is currently questionable. The fact is that a lot of players are questionable for the Bucs in this game to list off a few with Leonard Fournette, Ronald Jones, Breshad Perriman, and Giovani Bernard all questionable. For the Rams I don't really trust Matthew Stafford a lot although he had the ghosts of past Detroit playoff losses whisked away after beating the Cardinals. What I trust is their defense as they can rush the passer with a lot of power. I feel the Buccaneers will pull off a miracle in this game if they can play good on defense. I can't count out on Tom Brady. 

Buffalo (12-6) @ Kansas City (13-5) (CBS; 6:30 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills beat the Patriots and the Chiefs beat the Steelers last week. The last game of the weekend wraps up with a slugfest of a football game. The last time these two teams played was a blowout by the Bills. Kansas City was still a team on the search of its identity. Their defense got back together and and held down their opponents. Patrick Mahomes has also played a bit more of a closer to a game manager style play instead of trying to play hero every play. Buffalo has a very physical offense that features a quarterback that isn't afraid to run and get hit. Their defense is also physical as well as they will beat you up and punish you. I had the Bills as my Super Bowl pick to represent the AFC in the preseason, I won't back down on them now. 

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
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3
Week 18: 11-5

Total: 173-98-1

Super Wild Card Weekend: 6-0

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
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6
Week 18: 8-8

Total: 167-104-1

Super Wild Card Weekend: 6-0

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 Divisional playoff recap sometime after the final game on Sunday night. Enjoy the games. 

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 18 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The last week of the regular season is here and 14 of the 32 teams will move on to next weekend for the start of the playoffs. The rest will get to start their golf game early. There's still a few more teams that are still hoping to get to play into next weekend and we'll look into those teams in the playoff picture. Including that we'll get to the picks for the games. Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 18

NFC

Seedings

1st seed: Green Bay Packers (13-3) clinched NFC North and Homefield Advantage
2nd seed: Los Angeles Rams (12-4) clinched playoff berth
3rd seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4) clinched NFC South
4th seed: Dallas Cowboys (11-5) Clinched NFC East
5th seed: Arizona Cardinals (11-5) Clinched playoff berth
6th seed: San Francisco 49ers (9-7) 
7th seed: Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) clinched playoff berth

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Philadelphia @ LA Rams
San Francisco @ Tampa Bay
Arizona @ Dallas

In the hunt:
New Orleans (8-8)

Better luck next year:
Minnesota (7-9), Atlanta (7-9), Washington (6-10), Chicago (6-10), Seattle (6-10), Carolina (5-11), NY Giants (4-12), Detroit (2-13-1)

The Rams can clinch the NFC West with a win or a Cardinals loss. Same thing essentially for the Cardinals. The 49ers can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a Saints loss. Same thing for the Saints. 

AFC

Seedings:

1st seed: Tennessee Titans (11-5) clinched AFC South
2nd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) clinched AFC West
3rd seed: Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) clinched AFC North
4th seed: Buffalo Bills (10-6) clinched playoff berth
5th seed: New England Patriots (10-6) clinched playoff berth
6th seed: Indianapolis Colts (9-7) 
7th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

In the hunt:
Las Vegas (9-7), Pittsburgh (8-7-1), Baltimore (8-8)

Better luck next year:
Miami (8-8), Cleveland (7-9), Denver (7-9), NY Jets (4-12), Houston (4-12), Jacksonville (4-12)

Tennessee can clinch homefield advantage with a win or tie + Chiefs loss or tie. Kansas City can clinch homefield advantage with a win + Titans loss. Cincinnati can clinch homefield advantage with a win + Titans loss + Chiefs loss + Patriots loss or tie. New England can clinch homefield advantage with a win + Bills loss + Chiefs loss + Titans loss. Pittsburgh can clinch a playoff berth with a win + Colts loss + Raider-Chargers doesn't end in a tie. 

Week 18 Preview
The Eighteenth week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Denver, Colorado and end in Inglewood, California. The week will have a 16-game slate that will have 32 teams play. The games this week will all be division games. The week features to Saturday games, seven early games, six late games, and a Sunday night game. Both FOX and CBS will have doubleheaders this week. 

Week 18 Picks

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

Kansas City (11-5) @ Denver (7-9) (ABC; 4:30 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Broncos
The Chiefs lost to the Bengals and the Broncos lost to the Chargers last week. Kansas City still has something worthwhile to play as they could play for a 1st round bye and homefield advantage. Denver would like to play spoiler and keep the Chiefs from obtaining that goal. The Broncos quarterback situation isn't really looking that promising to give them the nod. Kansas City's defense really needs go get a better start from them. I think the Chiefs will get a win. 

Dallas (11-5) @ Philadelphia (9-7) (ABC; 8:15 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys lost to the Cardinals and the Eagles beat the Football Team last week. The final week of the season is tricky in that teams are possibly going to rest players and picking them are going to be quite tricky. Safe to say the Cowboys could win as they're in the playoffs but they're not likely getting a higher spot. I'd think the Cowboys could rest. Philadelphia are in the playoffs but division games are also known for bragging rights. The Eagles offense has played well enough to win but Jalen Hurts needs to protect the ball when it matters most. I like the Eagles enough to take them.

Cincinnati (10-6) @ Cleveland (7-9) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Bengals
The Bengals beat the Chiefs and the Browns lost to the Steelers last week. The Bengals will be without Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon for this game. Burrow will be resting and Mixon will be out on COVID protocol. Baker Mayfield won't likely play because he decides now to get a shoulder surgery. Case Keenum will likely get the start and he has some experience in Kevin Stepanski's system. I don't trust the Browns a lot but enough to trust not to take Brandon Allen. 

Chicago (6-10) @ Minnesota (7-9) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
The Bears beat the Giants and the Vikings lost to the Packers last week. It would likely be head coach Mike Zimmer's last game as he could very well be gone by this time on Monday. The Vikings could possibly get Kirk Cousins back from COVID protocol but if not it could be Sean Mannion or Kellen Mond time. Chicago's quarterback situation is somewhat of an intriguing thing to keep an eye on as both Justin Fields and Andy Dalton have proven to be decent starters but need a better head coach. Matt Nagy will likely be gone as well. I'll take the hometeam.

Green Bay (13-3) @ Detroit (2-13-1) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers
The Packers beat the Vikings and the Lions lost to the Seahawks last week. Packers head coach Matt LeFleur could possibly rest his starters for the game or give them a quarter or even a half to play. That's what sucks about these pick'ems during the last week of the regular season. Jared Goff won't likely start again so it'll be Tim Boyle time again. As much as I might give the Lions a shot against a Junior Varsity Packers squad, I don't see it happening. 

Indianapolis (9-7) @ Jacksonville (2-14) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Colts
The Colts lost to the Raiders and the Jaguars lost to the Patriots last week. Indianapolis is still playing for a playoff spot while the Jaguars look to play spoiler. Jacksonville hasn't really played well for a few weeks since Urban Meyer's firing. The Colts haven't won in Jacksonville since 2014 but I feel that their time is due. They need to make it happen. 

Pittsburgh (8-7-1) @ Baltimore (8-8) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Steelers; CV: Ravens
The Steelers beat the Browns and the Ravens lost to the Rams last week. Pittsburgh is still alive in the playoff hunt but they need some help. Baltimore would love nothing more to end the Steelers hopes and dreams. With the way the Steelers defense is playing I don't really see the Ravens offense being a factor in this game. Ben Roethlisberger would like to get a win and have some bragging rights in his last regular season game of his career. I'll take the Steelers.

Tennessee (11-5) @ Houston (4-12) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Titans beat the Dolphins and the Texans lost to the 49ers last week. Tennessee has something worthwhile to play for as they could lock up the #1 seed with a win. With better news this week that Derrick Henry was activated from IR. Houston could play spoiler in this game. Davis Mills isn't a great quarterback but he isn't terrible. I don't see Houston winning this one. 

Washington (6-10) @ NY Giants (4-12) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Football Team; CV: Football Team
The Football Team lost to the Eagles and the Giants lost to the Bears last week. Both teams aren't really playing for anything major but bragging rights. Washington seems like the better run team and the Giants just can't seem to find their proper footing. Let alone with Mike Glennon as your quarterback. Still next month, Washington will get a new team name. 

Carolina (5-11) @ Tampa Bay (12-4) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Last week the Panthers lost to the Saints and the Buccaneers beat the Jets last week. It'll be curious to see if Antonio Brown's antics last week will be a distraction for the Bucs. I don't see it happening as Tom Brady and Bruce Arians will keep it into perspective for the team. For the Panthers its a frustrating season that will end finally. They just have to get through this game to reach to the end. 

New England (10-6) @ Miami (8-8) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Dolphins
The Patriots beat the Jaguars and the Dolphins lost to the Titans last week. The scenario is this for New England: win and they're division champs, lose and they're not. Miami had aspirations at the beginning of the year to be where the Patriots are at but a 1-7 start didn't help them. Buffalo Bills fans would like to be Dolphins fans for three hours. Sorry Bills Mafia, I don't see the Dolphins doing you any favors. 

New Orleans (8-8) @ Atlanta (7-9) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Falcons
The Saints beat the Panthers and the Falcons lost to the Bills last week. New Orleans still has some hope of making the playoffs but they need some help. Atlanta would like nothing more to end their rival's hopes and dreams in their own home turf. New Orleans has a decent shot as their offense has gotten back to the field and played decent ball. Alvin Kamara really needs to get going in this one. Atlanta is decent as well but they've disappointed more than often. Their offense is good but I'll take the Saints in this one.

NY Jets (4-12) @ Buffalo (10-6) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Jets lost to the Buccaneers and the Bills beat the Falcons last week. Like New England's scenario, its a Win and you're division champion, lose and then you're still a division champion but assuming New England loses as well. With Buffalo playing against the Jets I don't see them losing against a cellar team. At least give me the Buffalo Bills as the AFC East champs. 

Seattle (6-10) @ Arizona (11-5) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Seahawks beat the Lions and the Cardinals beat the Cowboys last week. Seattle is atrocious after a promising season that would get derailed with a Russell Wilson injury. Russell Wilson's future is still up in the air but with Rashad Penny's return as being a valuable running back might convince him to stick around for a bit longer perhaps. Arizona has some thinking to do. If they win they have a shot to win the NFC West and get the #2 seed in the playoffs. If they lose they'll go to a 5th seed and will have to play all their games likely on the road. They would have to contend with the thought of resting starters as Kyler Murray has had a bout of injury bug. In spite of that I feel the Cardinals will take care of business and clinch the NFC West. 

San Francisco (9-7) @ LA Rams (12-4) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Texans and the Rams beat the Ravens last week. San Francisco still has a wild card spot in their favor but they haven't clinched it yet. With them going into a hostile Rams crowd, they could be vulnerable dropping out of the playoff race. The Rams don't have the pressure in trying to clinch a playoff berth but they have the opportunity to clinch their division as well. Matthew Stafford has been hit and miss the last few games. It seems to be a toss-up matchup but I think the 49ers clinch the last playoff spot. 

LA Chargers (9-7) @ Las Vegas (9-7) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Chargers
The Chargers beat the Broncos and the Raiders beat the Colts last week. The regular season wraps up with a win and you're in scenario for the Chargers and the Raiders. Chargers have been playing good on offense with Justin Herbert doing Justin Herbert things. They don't seem to have a problem on defense either as they regularly give up 361 yards/game. Las Vegas has had a roller coaster of a season with the resignation of Jon Gruden to the loss of their former head coach John Madden. The sympathy vote would go to the Raiders who have been playing solid football the last few weeks. On paper the Chargers should take care of business but I'm leaning towards the Raiders as they seem to be a team that's riding on momentum and that's sometimes all you need. 

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

Note: Games in bold are being show in my area

CBS Early

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Indianapolis @ Jacksonville
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Tennessee @ Houston
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

CBS Late

Carolina @ Tampa Bay
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

NY Jets @ Buffalo
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

New England @ Miami
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

FOX Early

Green Bay @ Detroit
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

Cincinnati @ Cleveland
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Washington @ NY Giants
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

Chicago @ Minnesota
Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib

FOX Late

San Francisco @ LA Rams
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Seattle @ Arizona
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

New Orleans @ Atlanta
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

For more information on which game is being show in your area check out: NFL 2021: Week 18 Maps

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
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 12-4
Week 17: 13-3

Total: 162-93-1

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
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6
Week 16: 11-5
Week 17: 10-6

Total: 159-96-1

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 

I'll see you all sometime after the Sunday night game or on Monday night for the Week 18 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 16 Picks

 Hello readers! It was just only yesterday that Week 15 wrapped up with two games. Week 16 is hopefully a better week for the NFL as it tries to combat the menace of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The week's games that I'm keeping an eye on are the 49ers-Titans, Bills-Patriots, and the Ravens-Bengals games. In this post I'll do the latest playoff picture, a preview for the week, my picks for the games, and the Early & Late Game TV Pairings. Let's get to work!

Playoff Picture: Week 16

NFC

Seedings

1st seed: Green Bay Packers (11-3) Clinched NFC North
2nd seed: Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
3rd seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-4)
4th seed: Arizona Cardinals (10-4)
5th seed: Los Angeles Rams (9-4)
6th seed: San Francisco 49ers (8-6)
7th seed: Minnesota Vikings (6-7)

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Minnesota @ Dallas
San Francisco @ Tampa Bay
LA Rams @ Arizona

In the hunt

Philadelphia (7-7), New Orleans (7-7), Washington (6-8), Atlanta (6-8), Carolina (5-9), Seattle (5-9), NY Giants (4-10)

Better luck next year

Chicago (4-10), Detroit (2-11-1)

No current NFC clinching scenarios this week. Dallas is ahead of Tampa and Arizona based on conference record. Arizona is ahead of the LA Rams based on division record. Philadelphia is ahead of New Orleans because of Philadelphia based on head-to-head. 

AFC

Seedings

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (10-4)
2nd seed: New England Patriots (9-5)
3rd seed: Tennessee Titans (9-5)
4th seed: Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)
5th seed: Indianapolis Colts (8-6)
6th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (8-6)
7th seed: Buffalo Bills (8-6)

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Buffalo @ New England
LA Chargers @ Tennessee
Indianapolis @ Cincinnati

In the hunt

Baltimore (8-6), Pittsburgh (7-6-1), Las Vegas (7-7), Miami (7-7), Cleveland (7-7), Denver (7-7)

Better luck next year

NY Jets (3-11), Houston (3-11), Jacksonville (2-12)

Week 16 Preview

The Sixteenth week of the NFL's regular season will start in Nashville, Tennessee and finishes up in New Orleans, Louisiana. The week offers a 16-game slate that all 32 teams will play in. Week 16 will feature a Thursday night game, two Saturday games, eight early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. FOX will carry the single, regional game and CBS will have the doubleheader this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 16 Picks

Note: TW is me and CV is Cardinal Viking, my former roommate. Game times are in US Eastern. It'll also be a short picks section because of the lengthened Week 15 and because of the holiday. 

San Francisco (8-6) @ Tennessee (9-5) (NFL Network; 8:20 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: Titans

Cleveland (7-7) @ Green Bay (11-3) (FOX/Amazon/NFL Network; 4:30 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Packers

Indianapolis (8-6) @ Arizona (10-4) (NFL Network; 8:15 pm): TW: Colts; CV: Cardinals

Buffalo (8-6) @ New England (9-5) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

Baltimore (8-6) @ Cincinnati (8-6) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals

Detroit (2-11-1) @ Atlanta (6-8) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons

Jacksonville (2-12) @ NY Jets (3-11) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Jaguars; CV: Jaguars

LA Chargers (8-6) @ Houston (3-11) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

LA Rams (10-4) @ Minnesota (7-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Rams; CV: Vikings

NY Giants (4-10) @ Philadelphia (7-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

Tampa Bay (10-4) @ Carolina (5-9) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers

Chicago (4-10) @ Seattle (5-9) (FOX; 4:05 pm): TW: Seahawks; CV: Bears

Denver (7-7) @ Las Vegas (7-7) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders

Pittsburgh (7-6-1) @ Kansas City (10-4) (CBS; 4:25 pm): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

Washington (6-8) @ Dallas (10-4) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

Miami (7-7) @ New Orleans (7-7) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Saints

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

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

FOX Single

LA Rams @ Minnesota
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

NY Giants @ Philadelphia
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Tampa Bay @ Carolina
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Detroit @ Atlanta
Chris Myers, Robert Smith

Chicago @ Seattle (LATE)
Gus Johnson, Aqib Talib

CBS Early

Buffalo @ New England
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Baltimore @ Cincinnati
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Jacksonville @ NY Jets
Spero Dedes, Jay Feely

LA Chargers @ Houston
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

CBS Late

Pittsburgh @ Kansas City
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Denver @ Las Vegas
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2021: Week 16 Maps

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
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3

Total: 137-86-1

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
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6

Total: 138-85-1

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 16 Recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 15 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was brought us some sad realities as a new wave of COVID has impacted games from starting in their original times to more stranger times like Tuesday or Wednesday or something. However the week did bring some surprises as the Colts ended the Patriots winning streak, a down to the wire game in Pittsburgh, and a Lions team upsetting the top heavy Cardinals. This post will have a recap of those games and more in this week's recap post. Let's get to work!

Week 15 Recap

Kansas City 34, LA Chargers 28 (F/OT): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
Holy cow this was a crazy game. Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert put up quite a show. Mahomes completed 31 of 47 passes for 410 yards with three touchdowns and had an interception picked off. He would also get 32 yards rushing and his 32-yard run was the longest in the game. Clyde Edwards-Helaire also would get 32 yards rushing in the game. Michael Burton, the Chiefs fullback, would get a touchdown on a 7-yard run. The touchdown play would come on a 7-yard pass to the right to Travis Kelce. Harrison Butker would be the one to tie it up. Justin Herbert completed 22 of 38 passes for 236 yards with two touchdowns but also threw an interception. He also would get 16 yards rushing with a touchdown. Along with Herbert was Justin Jackson's 86 yards, Austin Ekeler's 59 yards with a touchdown and Justin Kelly's 21 yards rushing. The game-winning touchdown would come from a Mahomes to Kelce pass for 34 yards down the middle for the score. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Next week:
Kansas City: vs Pittsburgh
LA Chargers: @ Houston

New England 17, Indianapolis 27: TW: Colts; CV: Patriots
Mac Jones would turn mortal for this game. Jonathan Taylor might've just won MVP just in this game alone. Mac Jones completed 26 of 45 passes for 299 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 36 yards in the game. Certainly the Colts defensive gameplan was to slow or limit the effectiveness of the Patriots run game. Carson Wentz completed 5 of 12 passes for 57 yards with a touchdown but also threw an interception. Jonathan Taylor carried the ball 29 times for 170 yards with a touchdown, including a 67-yard run that would result in a score. Indianapolis would also get a score on a special teams play that featured a block punt that was recovered by Elijah Speed for a score. Anything can happen in the NFL and this season is no exception. 

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

Next week:
New England: vs Buffalo
Indianapolis: @ Arizona

Arizona 12, Detroit 30: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Who saw this coming? Not even Lions fans probably. Kyler Murray threw 23 of 41 passes for completion for 257 yards with a touchdown and had a pass that was intercepted. Colt McCoy would play some in this game as he threw 6 of 9 passes for 56 yards. Chase Edmonds rushed the ball for 53 yards on six carries. Jared Goff had one of his best days as a Lion as he completed 21 of 26 passes for 216 yards with three touchdowns. Craig Reynolds, the former product out of Kutztown (apparently there's a school named that), would make the most of his opportunity as Jamaal Williams was out on COVID protocol. Dandre Swift would also not play due to a shoulder injury. Reynolds would rush for 112 yards on 26 carries. Red Zone efficiency hurt the Cardinals in this one as they would go 0-4 inside the 20-yard line. Certainly a shock but a shock that DeAndre Hopkins will be out for the rest of the season. 

TW: 2-1; CV: 1-2

Next week:
Arizona: vs Indianapolis
Detroit: @ Atlanta

Carolina 14, Buffalo 31: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Buffalo gets back on track while Carolina continues to freefall. Cam Newton would continue to his below average play as he completed 18 of 38 passes for 156 yards with a touchdown to Ameer Abdullah but also threw a pass to a Bills player. He also did save himself with a 15 carries, 71 yards rushing, one touchdown performance in the game. Chuba Hubbard had eight carries for 40 yards. Josh Allen would have a better game with a better cast. Allen completed 19 of 34 passes for 210 yards with three touchdown passes but did have an interception. Devin Singletary would have a solid day on the ground with 86 yards rushing with a touchdown. Josh Allen would get 24 yards rushing on three carries. 

TW: 3-1; CV: 2-2

Next week:
Carolina: vs Tampa Bay
Buffalo: @ New England

Dallas 21, NY Giants 6: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
The Cowboys with the more convincing win and the Giants just trying to get out of this season with a better draft position. Dak Prescott completed 28 of 37 passes for 217 yards with a touchdown pass to Dalton Schultz. Tony Pollard would return to action in this game as he rushed for 12 times with 74 yards rushing. Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 52 yards on 16 carries. Mike Glennon would start for the Giants with 13 of 24 passes completed for 99 yards with three interceptions. Jake Fromm would come in and provide 82 yards passing on 6 of 12 passing. Devontae Booker carried the ball eight times for 74 yards. Saquon Barkley would rush for 50 yards on 15 carries. 

TW: 4-1; CV: 3-2

Next week:
Dallas: vs Washington
NY Giants: @ Philadelphia

Houston 30, Jacksonville 16: TW: Texans; CV: Texans
Jacksonville fans got an early Christmas present: Urban Meyer got fired! Bad news is that they lost their 12th game this season. Davis Mills completed 19 of 30 passes for 209 yards with two touchdowns to Brandin Cooks but also threw an interception. Rex Burkhead provided 41 yards on the ground on 16 carries. David Johnson added 24 yards on six carries. Trevor Lawrence was alright in the circumstances that he was in with 22 of 38 completions for 210 passing yards. James Robinson rushed for 75 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. Hopefully the Jaguars actually provide a head coach that can help not hinder Trevor Lawrence. 

TW: 5-1, CV: 4-2

Next week:
Houston: vs LA Chargers
Jacksonville: @ NY Jets

NY Jets 24, Miami 31: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Dolphins have now won six straight games. The Jets also lead at halftime in this game for the first time this year. Zach Wilson started and had 13 of 23 passes for 170 yards for the Jets. Tevin Coleman rushed for 50 yards on eight carries. Zach Wilson would get in the endzone while adding 12 yards rushing. Braxton Berrios would also get a touchdown on 10 yards rushing as well. Tua Tagovailoa wasn't too great in this game as he threw 16 of 27 passes for 196 yards with two touchdowns but also had two passes picked off. Duke Johnson had a great day on the ground however as the runner had 107 yards rushing on 22 carries as well as two touchdowns. Myles Gaskin had 54 yards rushing with 10 carries. Safe to say the Dolphins are back into the playoff hunt after looking left for dead. 

TW: 6-1; CV: 5-2

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Jacksonville
Miami: @ New Orleans

Tennessee 13, Pittsburgh 19: TW: Steelers; CV: Titans
Thank god for that defense. Ryan Tannehill completed 23 of 32 passes for 153 yards with an interception that was grabbed by Justin Schobert. Donta Foreman really did a good job going after the weak Steelers rush defense and had 108 rushing yards on 22 carries. Ryan Tannehill would get the only touchdown for the Titans on a 1-yard run to the right. Ben Roethlisberger completed 16 of 25 passes for 148 yards. He would also score the only touchdown for the Steelers on a  1-yard run. Najee Harris would only get 18 yards on the ground. Pittsburgh's defense would have a field day in the turnover department as they would force five fumbles and recover three of them as well as said interception. 

TW: 7-1; CV: 5-3

Next week:
Tennessee: vs San Francisco
Pittsburgh: @ Kansas City

Atlanta 13, San Francisco 31: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
It was a thorough demolition in Santa Clara. Matt Ryan completed 19 of 32 passes for 236 with a touchdown pass to Russell Gage. Mike Davis rushed for 21 yards on six carries. Jimmy Garoppolo was good in this game as he completed 18 of 23 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown. San Francisco's running attack would do the scoring. Jeff Wilson did the most damage with his 110 rushing yards with a touchdown. Deebo Samuel would contribute to the scoring as well as he had a touchdown and added 29 yards rushing in the game. Kyle Juszczyk would get a touchdown on a 6-yard run. 

TW: 8-1; CV: 6-3

Next week:
Atlanta: vs Detroit
San Francisco: @ Tennessee

Cincinnati 15, Denver 10: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
Hopefully Teddy Bridgewater is alright after taking a vicious hit to the head. Joe Burrow completed 15 of 22 passes for 157 yards with a touchdown to Tyler Boyd. Joe Mixon carried the ball 17 times for 58 yards. Evan McPherson would hit 3 of 3 field goals that would help the Bengals. Teddy Bridgewater would start for the Bengals. He would complete 12 of 22 passes for 98 yards before getting hit in the head by linebacker Joe Bachie. Bachie would leave the game with a knee injury. Drew Lock would come in and provide 88 passing yards with the only touchdown the Broncos would hit. Javontae Williams rushed for 72 yards and Melvin Gordon rushed for 53 yards. Sucks that bad things happen to good people like Teddy Bridgewater who had gotten his life back together. Football gods giveth and football gods taketh. 

TW: 9-1; CV: 7-3

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Baltimore
Denver: @ Las Vegas

Green Bay 31, Baltimore 30: TW: Packers; CV: Ravens
Once again the analytics would prove to be a costly decision for the Baltimore Ravens. Aaron Rodgers would do Aaron Rodgers things as the passer completed 23 of 31 passes for 268 yards with three touchdowns. AJ Dillon would carry the ball seven times for 22 yards with a touchdown. Aaron Jones would carry the ball 13 times for 58 yards. Tyler Huntley would carry the Ravens on his back in this one as he completed 28 of 40 passes for 215 yards for two touchdowns as well as adding 73 rushing yards with two touchdowns. Bringing his total touchdowns to four. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh would try again to win the game on a two-point conversion. The play itself would be a pass play where Huntley would go to the right and tries to hit Mark Andrews. Huntley would also have an open Malcolm Brown down the middle as well. 

TW: 10-1; CV: 7-4

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Cleveland
Baltimore: @ Cincinnati

New Orleans 9, Tampa Bay 0: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Saints
First time since 2006 since Tom Brady had been shutout (last time was a 21-0 defeat to Nick Saban's Miami Dolphins). Taysom Hill completed 13 of 27 passes for 154 yards. The passer would add 33 yards rushing as well. Saints kicker Brett Maher would provide the only scoring in this one as he hit three field goals. His longest was from 42 yards. Tom Brady would hit 26 of 48 completed passes for 214 with an interception. Ronald Jones would rush for 63 yards on eight carries. I don't get it, the Saints in the regular season are somehow Brady's kryptonite. With a depleting receiving corp, will the Bucs make it back to the Super Bowl? Who knows.

TW: 10-2; CV: 8-4

New Orleans: vs Miami
Tampa Bay: @ Carolina

Las Vegas 16, Cleveland 14: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
The game that ended up being on a Monday instead of a Saturday. Thanks COVID. Derek Carr completed 25 of 38 passes for 236 yards with a touchdown and had an interception in the game. Josh Jacobs would get adequate yardage in the game as he had 52 yards rushing on 15 carries. Nick Mullens would get the start for Cleveland in place of Baker Mayfield. Mullens would get 20 of 30 passes completed for 147 yards with a touchdown. Nick Chubb had a good game as the running back had 91 yards rushing on 23 carries. Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson would be the clutch player in the game as he would hit a 48-yard field goal to win it for the Raiders. 

TW: 10-3; CV: 8-5

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Denver
Cleveland: @ Green Bay

Minnesota 17, Chicago 9: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Kind of a boring game, kind of a sleeper. Kirk Cousins completed 12 of 24 passes for 87 yards with two touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson and to Ihmir Smithmarsette. Dalvin Cook would rush for 89 yards on 28 carries. Justin Fields completed 26 of 39 passes for 285 yards with a touchdown pass to Jesper Horsted. The touchdown would come on the last few seconds of the game. David Montgomery rushed for 60 yards on 18 carries. The division is out of the question for the Vikings but the wild card is still in play for them. At least the Bears won't make the playoffs and head coach Matt Nagy won't be the head coach for much longer. Truly a wonderous Christmas gift for the Bears faithful. 

TW: 11-3; CV: 9-5

Next week:
Minnesota: vs LA Rams
Chicago: @ Seattle

Seattle 10, LA Rams 20: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The Rams take care of business and the Seahawks are now losing season bound for the first time since 2011. Russell Wilson would find this one inhospitable as he completed 17 of 31 passes for 156 yards with an interception. DeeJay Dallas rushed for 41 yards and scored the only touchdown for the Seahawks in this game. Rashad Penny would rush for 39 yards in the game. Matthew Stafford was good in this game as he completed 21 of 29 passes for 244 yards with two touchdown passes to Cooper Kupp. He also threw an interception as well. Sony Michel had a solid day running the ball as the former Patriot racked up 92 yards on 18 carries. Darrell Henderson rushed for 23 yards on six carries. With the Cardinals faltering, could the Rams take control of the NFC West? Who knows. 

TW: 12-3; CV: 10-5

Next week:
Seattle: vs Chicago
LA Rams: @ Minnesota

Washington 17, Philadelphia 27: TW: Eagles; CV: Football Team
Good old fashioned NFC East football here. Garrett Gilbert would start over the folk hero Taylor Heinicke. The passer would finish with 20 of 31 passes for 194 yards, not a bad start for him given the circumstances. Antonio Gibson would find the endzone but would find it difficult to find holes as he would only get 26 yards rushing on 15 carries. Jaret Patterson rushed for 20 yards on four carries with a touchdown as well. Jalen Hurts would be the one to carry the Eagles in this one as he had three total touchdowns as well as racking up 296 passing yards and 38 rushing yards. Miles Sanders would find holes very well as he rushed 131 yards on 18 carries. Jordan Howard rushed for 69 yards with 15 carries. Philadelphia is still in the drivers seat for a playoff spot. 

TW: 13-3; CV: 10-6

Next week:
Washington: @ Dallas
Philadelphia: vs NY Giants

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
Week 14: 10-4
Week 15: 13-3

Total: 137-86-1

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
Week 14: 9-5
Week 15: 10-6

Total: 138-85-1

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 on Wednesday for the Week 16 picks post!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 11 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. With 11 weeks in the books and seven more left to go, we are starting to see the playoff picture a bit clearer. There was a shutout in Atlanta, a duel in the cold north of Minnesota, and a 

Week 11 Recap

New England 25, Atlanta 0: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots. 
The cigar smoking quarterback wins yet again. Mac Jones was efficient yet again as he threw 22 completed passes out 26. He had 207 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Rhamondre Stevenson had 69 yards rushing on 12 carries with a 21-yard run being his longest. The star of the game was the Patriots pass defense which picked off four passes from Matt Ryan, Josh Rosen and Feleipe Franks. Kyle Van Noy would take a Josh Rosen pass to the house for 35 yards. Matt Ryan would get most of the playtime out of the three quarterbacks as he had 19 of 28 passes completed for 153 yards. Qadree Ollison rushed for 34 yards on 9 carries with his 12-yard run being the longest for Atlanta. Not sure if the Patriots are quite ready for a Super Bowl run but they might have the pieces to give the Buffalo Bills some hardships. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Next week:
New England: vs Tennessee
Atlanta: @ Jacksonville

Detroit 10, Cleveland 13: TW: Browns; CV: Browns
It was a tight game but the Lions will have to look to next week to get their first win. Tim Boyle would get the start over Jared Goff and wouldn't do a lot to help the Lions cause. Boyle had 15 of 23 passes completed for 77 yards with two passes picked off by Malcolm Smith and Denzel Ward. Dandre Swift once again torched the Browns rush defense for 136 yards with a touchdown run that was for 57 yards. Baker Mayfield would get the start for the Browns. He didn't fare better as he threw 15 of 29 passes for completions with 176 yards for a touchdown but also had two passes picked off by Lions defenders. Like Swift, Nick Chubb came back to life and added 130 yards rushing for the Browns. Jarvis Landry would handle the quarterback duties on a 16-yard run that would result in a touchdown. Safe to say the Browns are still alive for playoff positioning. 

TW: 2-0; CV: 2-0

Next week:
Detroit: vs Chicago (Thanksgiving)
Cleveland: @ Baltimore

Baltimore 16, Chicago 13: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Baltimore be like, not so fast Andy Dalton. Tyler Huntley would get the start over Lamar Jackson who was out due to non-COVID illness. Huntley threw 26 completions out of 36 for 219 yards with an interception. Devonta Freeman carried the football 16 times for 49 yards with a touchdown that would be the only touchdown for the Ravens. Justin Tucker would stay clutch and hit 3 of 3 field goals with a 46-yard field goal being his longest. It would be Freeman's touchdown and Tucker's extra point that would give the Ravens the edge. Justin Fields would start and had 4 pass completions out of 11 passes thrown for 79 yards and 23 yards rushing. Fields would leave the game due to injury. Andy Dalton would throw 11 of 23 passes for completion for 201 yards passing and had two touchdown passes to Darnell Mooney and Marquise Goodwin. At least Andy Dalton didn't break your heart if you're a Ravens fan. 

TW: 3-0; CV: 3-0

Next week:
Baltimore: vs Cleveland
Chicago: @ Detroit (Thanksgiving)

Green Bay 31, Minnesota 34: TW: Packers; CV: Vikings
At least it was a close game that went the Vikings way. Aaron Rodgers would throw 23 completions out of 33 attempts for 385 yards with four touchdown passes. AJ Dillon rushed for 53 yards on 11 carries for the Packers. Davante Adams would have two touchdowns, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Josiah Deguara each had one of Aaron Rodgers' tosses. Kirk Cousins threw 24 completions for 35 attemps for 341 yards with three touchdowns. Two of those passes would go to Justin Jefferson and one to Adam Thielen. It would come down to a Greg Joseph field goal from 29 yards to give the Vikings a 5-5 record on the season. 

TW: 3-1; CV: 4-0

Next week:
Green Bay: vs LA Rams
Minnesota: @ San Francisco

Houston 22, Tennessee 13: TW: Titans; CV: Titans
Seriously Tennessee! What the fuck. Tyrod Taylor would start for the Texans and had 14 completions of 24 passes thrown for 107 yards. Tyrod Taylor would have 28 yards rushing for two touchdowns that would ultimately give the Texans the edge. Rex Burkhead would have 18 carries for 40 yards. Ryan Tannehill would have a horrid day as he had 35 completions out of 52 passes thrown for 323 yards with a touchdown and had four interceptions. Desmond King would have two interceptions, Kamu Grugierhill and Terrance Mitchell would have one interception of the four interceptions that Tannehill threw to. Adrian Peterson rushed for 40 yards in the game. Tennessee would outgain Houston on total yardage with 420 to 190. Tennessee's injury problems continue as AJ Brown would leave the game with a chest injury. 

TW: 3-2; CV: 4-1

Next week:
Houston: vs NY Jets
Tennessee: @ New England

Indianapolis 41, Buffalo 15: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Kudos to Cardinal Viking who had Jonathan Taylor on his fantasy team. Carson Wentz threw 11 completions out of 20 passes for a touchdown. Jonathan Taylor would do the rest for the Colts as the runner had five total touchdowns. He would have 185 yards rushing on 32 carries for four touchdowns and had 19 receiving yards with a receiving touchdown. Josh Allen threw for 21 completions out of 35 passes with 209 yards passing with two touchdowns but also had two passes picked off by Colts players. Buffalo wouldn't account for much of their running game as Matt Breida rushed for 51 yards on five carries with a 28-yard run being his longest. Don't look now Buffalo but the Patriots are ahead of you in the AFC East. 

TW: 3-3; CV: 4-2

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Tampa Bay
Buffalo: @ New Orleans (Thanksgiving)

Miami 24, NY Jets 17: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Oh thank god the Dolphins didn't make me look stupid. Tua Tagovailoa threw 27 completions out of 33 passes for 273 yards with two touchdown passes and had an interception thrown. Albert Wilson would play quarterback for one play but it would be an incompleted pass. Myles Gaskin rushed for 89 yards with a 20-yard run being his longest. Joe Flacco threw 24 completions out of 39 passes thrown for 291 yards with two touchdowns. Elijah Moore and Jamison Crowder were the two receivers of those Flacco passes. Michael Carter rushed for 63 yards with a 39-yard run being his longest in the game. Miami rolling along with a three-game winning streak! 

TW: 4-3; CV: 5-2

Next week:
Miami: vs Carolina
NY Jets: @ Houston

New Orleans 29, Philadelphia 40: TW: Saints; CV: Saints
New Orleans couldn't stop the Jalen Hurts juggernaut. Trevor Siemian threw 22 completions of 40 passes for 214 yards with three touchdown passes but had two passes thrown to Eagles players. One of those players was to Darius Slay who would return it for a pick-six. Siemian would also score a rushing touchdown on a 17-yard run. Mark Ingram rushed for 88 yards on 16 carries with a 28-yard run being his longest. Jalen Hurts threw 13 completions out of 24 passes for 147 yards in the game. Miles Sanders would rush for 94 yards on 16 carries. Hurts would rush for 69 yards on 18 carries with three touchdown runs. At least the Saints tried to make it a competitive game after not showing up for the first three quarters. 

TW: 4-4; CV: 5-3

Next week:
New Orleans: vs Buffalo (Thanksgiving)
Philadelphia: @ NY Giants

San Francisco 30, Jacksonville 10: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Result wasn't a surprise. Sky is really blue isn't it. Jimmy Garoppolo threw 16 completed passes out of 22 throws for 176 yards with two touchdown passes to Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle. Deebo Samuel rushed for 79 yards on eight carries with a 25-yard run being his longest. Jeff Wilson rushed for 50 yards on 19 carries. Trevor Lawrence threw 16 completed passes out of 25 throws for 158 yards. James Robinson rushed for 29 yards with a touchdown run that would be the only offensive touchdown for the Jaguars. At least for once there was somewhat of an expected result. 

TW: 5-4; CV: 6-3

Next week:
San Francisco: vs Minnesota
Jacksonville: vs Atlanta

Washington 27, Carolina 21: TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
It was a homecoming for Cam Newton. Taylor Heinicke and the Washington Football Team were there to play spoiler. The Washington passer threw 16 completions for 206 yards with three touchdowns. Terry McLaurin, Cam Sims, Deandre Carter would be recipients of those passes. Antonio Gibson continued his solid season and added 95 yards on 19 carries with a 20-yard run being his longest. Cam Newton had a solid day in his return to Carolina. He threw 21 completions out of 27 passes for 189 yards with two touchdown passes and added 46 yards rushing and a touchdown to that too. Christian McCaffrey had 59 yards rushing and had 60 yards receiving with a touchdown catch. DJ Moore was the other reciepient of a Cam Newton pass. Not being able to convert on third down and fourth down really hurt the Panthers as they were 2-9 and 1-3 in those stats respectively. Washington also held the ball for 35 minutes to Carolina's 24 minutes. 

TW: 5-5; CV: 6-4

Next week:
Washington: vs Seattle
Carolina: @ Miami

Cincinnati 32, Las Vegas 13: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Raiders in free fall, same story, same season. Joe Burrow would get back to his better play and had 20 passes completed out of 29 passes for 148 yards with a touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase, his favorite target. The biggest contributor for the Bengals would be their star runner Joe Mixon who had 123 yards rushing with two touchdown runs and 30 carries. His longest run was from 20 yards. Derek Carr threw 19 completions out of 27 passes thrown for 215 yards with a touchdown pass to Foster Moreau during the fourth quarter. He would have an interception that was grabbed by Bengals defender Eli Apple. Josh Jacobs rushed for 37 yards with an 18-yard run being his longest. Time of possession and 3rd down conversions were in Cincy's favor in this one as the Bengals totaled over 37 minutes of time of possession to the Raiders 22 minutes. On third down the Bengals converted 8 of 16 times and the Raiders only converted one third down out of seven. Time to bury the Raiders.

TW: 5-6; CV: 6-5

Next week:
Cincinnati: vs Pittsburgh
Las Vegas: @ Dallas (Thanksgiving)

Arizona 23, Seattle 13: TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
The Cardinals did what they need to do with the circumstances that were dealt to them. Colt McCoy threw very well in the game as he had 35 passes completed out of 44 passes thrown for 328 yards with two touchdown passes to Zach Ertz. James Conner provided solid yardage on the ground as he had 62 yards with a touchdown run. Russell Wilson threw 14 completions for 26 throws with 207 yards. Anthony Collins rushed for 36 yards on 10 carries. Deejay Dallas rushed for 25 yards with a touchdown run that would be the only score for the Seahawks. The Cardinals offense was on the field for over 2/3 of the game. I mean it wasn't a great factor but c'mon it has to be something. That or 2-10 on 3rd down conversions for the Seahawks also is a factor. 

TW: 6-6; CV: 7-5

Next week:
Arizona: Bye
Seattle: @ Washington

Dallas 9, Kansas City 19: TW: Cowboys; CV: Chiefs
Of course Dallas would shit the bed. Mike McCarthy versus superior opponents are his kryptonite. Dak Prescott wouldn't play fairly well in this game as he had 28 completions out of 43 passes thrown for 216 yards but threw two interceptions to Ljarius Sneed and Charvarius Ward. Ezekiel Elliot would be injured and would come back but he had 32 yards rushing. Tony Pollard was the leading rusher for the Cowboys with 50 yards on the ground with a 31-yard run being his longest. Patrick Mahomes wouldn't have a stellar day either but he had 23 completions out of 37 passes for 260 yards with an interception that was grabbed by Jayron Kearse. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed for 63 yards for a touchdown in his return after missing a few games due to injury. Tyreek Hill rushed on a 33-yard run play that was the longest run in the game. Travis Kelce would score the other touchdown on a 4-yard run. It's alright Dallas you still have the Eagles with a 5-6 record in your rear mirror. 

TW: 6-7; CV: 8-5

Next week:
Dallas: vs Las Vegas (Thanksgiving)
Kansas City: Bye

Pittsburgh 37, LA Chargers 41: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
This game was pretty quiet for most of the game. Then the 4th quarter happened. Ben Roethlisberger returned after missing last week's game due to COVID protocol. The veteran quarterback threw 28 completions for 44 passes with 273 yards and had three touchdown passes. Najee Harris would get some yardage but not as much with 39 yards rushing but had a touchdown run. Justin Herbert had one of his vintage games as he threw 30 completions out of 41 passes thrown for 382 yards with three touchdowns but had an intercepted pass by Cameron Sutton. LA's running attack was top notch in this game as Herbert also rushed for 90 yards on nine carries with his 36-yard run being the longest in the game. Austin Ekeler would be the star of the show as Ekeler rushed for 50 yards with 11 carries and got into the endzone on a running play twice. He would also catch two passes for touchdowns as well. Safe to say the Steelers need TJ Watt back. 

TW: 7-7; CV: 9-5

Next week: 
Pittsburgh: @ Cincinnati
LA Chargers: @ Denver

NY Giants 10, Tampa Bay 30: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
Tom Brady would beat his least favorite team tonight so that means something. Daniel Jones would be not great in this game as he threw 23 completions for 38 passes for 167 yards with a touchdown pass to his offensive tackle Andrew Thomas. The pass would give the Giants a 17-10 deficit into halftime. Jones would also get picked off by Buccaneers players Mike Edwards and Steve McLendon. Saquon Barkley would rush for 25 yards on six carries. Tom Brady would throw better than last week as he had 30 completions out of 46 passes thrown for 307 yards with two touchdowns and had an interception. Leonard Fournette rushed for 35 yards on 10 carries. Ronald Jones would get 33 yards with a touchdown run. Hopefully this win will get them back to normal Buccaneer football. 

TW: 8-7; CV: 10-5

Next week:
NY Giants: vs Philadelphia
Tampa Bay: @ Indianapolis

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

Total: 96-68-1

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

Total: 103-61-1

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 on Wednesday for the Week 12 Picks post! See you all then!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 11 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is coming upon us yet again. The season has been one of the most wild seasons for picks for me and Cardinal Viking. Will it be this week that things get back to normal? I'm keeping an eye on the Patriots-Falcons, Packers-Vikings, and Cowboys-Chiefs matchups this week. In this post I'll be doing a preview of the week, my picks for the games and the Early & Late Game TV Pairings. Let's get to work!

Week 11 Preview
The 11th week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Atlanta, Georgia and finish up in Tampa, Florida. The week features a 15-game slate that will have 30 teams play. The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams are on a bye this week. Week 11 features a Thursday night game, nine early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. CBS will have the single, regional game and FOX will have the doubleheader this week. Let's get to the picks!

Week 11 Picks

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

New England (6-4) @ Atlanta (4-5) (FOX/Amazon Prime/NFL Network; 8:20 pm): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Last week the Patriots beat the Browns and the Falcons lost to the Cowboys. The week starts off with an okay matchup that pits the red hot Patriots and the cooling Falcons. Bill Belichick might end up winning out in the long run against Tom Brady assuming the Patriots win a Super Bowl with Mac Jones. I don't think the Patriots are that legit of a contender for the championship yet. Atlanta has some good pieces but I personally don't think they'll win this game as they have a rush offense that averages 82.9 yards/game Its not going to be enough for them to get it done. The Patriots seem to be the safe bet as they haven't lost since playing against Dallas. I think Mac Jones could slow down a bit but I think it'll be a good day for the Pats rush offense.

Detroit (0-8-1) @ Cleveland (5-5) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Browns; CV: Browns
Last week the Lions tied the Steelers and the Browns lost to the Patriots. The winless Lions got a half-win last week against Pittsburgh. The tie might've come at a rough time as they face off against a Browns squad that is resilient. Detroit plays hard and come close in games. Heck they probably should've won against the Steelers last week. I think the matchup to keep an eye on is the the Browns defensive line vs Dandre Swift. If they can keep him under 100 yards they have a shot to win. I personally like the Browns in the matchup as their defense can shut down opponents when their own offense doesn't turn the ball over. Maybe momentum will go Detroit's way but I'll take the Brownies.

Baltimore (6-3) @ Chicago (3-6) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Last week the Ravens lost to the Dolphins and the Bears had a bye week. Baltimore fell to earth as their motto of having slow starts caught up to them. Chicago played a solid game against the Steelers in Week 9 despite some calls going against them. If the Baltimore plays a slow game then the Bears will make them pay for it as Justin Fields is a younger version of Lamar Jackson as he can both be dangerous with his legs and arm. I don't really see it happening personally as I think John Harbaugh will get them back to earth and get back to the better football that we usually expect from them. 

Green Bay (8-2) @ Minnesota (4-5) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Packers; CV: Vikings
Both teams won last week as the Packers beat the Seahawks and the Vikings beat the Chargers. The game intrigues me. You have a Packers squad that had its struggles on offense against the Seahawks. Green Bay's defense picked up the slack. Minnesota's offense played well and their defense really limited what the Chargers could do on offense. Honestly, the game could be a toss-up but I think the Packers and Vikings will end up splitting the series this season and the Pack will take the first game. 

Houston (1-8) @ Tennessee (8-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Titans; CV: Titans
The Texans had a bye and the Titans beat the Saints last week. Houston really is the epitome of terrible. Their Week 1 win against the Jaguars seems like eons ago and they are surely looking forward to getting the #1 pick in next years draft. Tennessee won't have Derrick Henry in the game again. They're really a different team without him and having Ryan Tannehill anchor your offense hasn't blown up in flames yet. I don't trust Houston to do anything significant in this game so I'll go the obvious route and take the Titans. 

Indianapolis (5-5) @ Buffalo (6-3) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Colts beat the Jaguars and the Bills beat the Jets last week. Its a solid game not going to lie. Both teams are pretty similar on paper. Indy's rush offense I would give the nod to over Buffalo. On the quarterback and defensive front I would give it to Buffalo. This I think will be the biggest factor in the game. Carson Wentz has played better since the start of the season but Buffalo's defense is legit. It could be a toss-up game but I'll take the home team. 

Miami (3-7) @ NY Jets (2-7) (CBS; 1:00 pm): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
The Dolphins beat the Ravens and the Jets lost to the Bills. Both teams stink, let's be frank about that. For New York, Zach Wilson and Mike White are out. Joe Flacco will get the nod to start. New York's defensive front seem to be a good group and I tend to trust them a bit more than Miami. Miami surprised some people when they beat the Ravens last week. Joe Flacco could revert back to his old self but honestly the way this season has gone I wouldn't be too shocked by it. I'll go with the safe bet and take the Dolphins.

New Orleans (5-4) @ Philadelphia (4-6) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Saints lost to the Titans and the Eagles beat the Broncos last week. Philly has a legit entertaining offense that can be fun to watch. They will be going against a New Orleans squad that is better on defense. New Orleans will have to get better production from the running game in order to win as Jalen Hurts can hurt you if he's on the field. When he's not then he won't hurt you at all. It'll be a close one. 

San Francisco (4-5) @ Jacksonville (2-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
The 49ers beat the Rams and the Jaguars lost to the Colts last week. San Francisco really played their best game of the season against the Rams. Jacksonville hasn't had a lot of luck go its way this season. Their bright spot in their running attack has been fun to watch at times. The 49ers sadly have a better running game and I think it'll be a factor in the game. I'll take the 49ers. 

Washington (3-6) @ Carolina (5-5) (FOX; 1:00 pm): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers
The Football Team and the Panthers won last week against the Buccaneers and the Cardinals respectively. The Ron Rivera Bowl! Carolina seemed to find its spark in the return of Cam Newton. Newton seems to be the guy that will get the start. I'm not quite ready to hop on the Panthers bandwagon just yet but if they win against a fairly below average Washington team I might be convinced a bit more that Carolina is legit. 

Cincinnati (5-4) @ Las Vegas (5-4) (CBS; 4:05 pm): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
The Bengals had a bye and the Raiders lost to the Chiefs last week. Cincinnati had some talk for a good part of the season where they'd run over the division. Then the New York Jets came and ruin it. Dang Jets always ruining everything. Las Vegas has had a lot of bad luck come their way. Some of it was warranted like injuries. The Unwarranted would be the Henry Ruggs III screwing up badly. I still like the Bengals in the matchup but this game really seems like an upset game in the making. I'll take the Raiders in assuming they don't play dumb football.

Arizona (8-2) @ Seattle (3-6) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cardinals; CV: Cardinals
Both teams lost last week as the Cardinals lost to the Panthers and the Seahawks lost to the Packers. Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins need to get back eventually for the playoff run. With the Rams having a bye week they have an opportunity to get back to a sizable lead in the NFC West. What stands in their way is their old bully in the Seahawks. Russell Wilson came back after missing games with a finger injury. He didn't play well and he could get back to normal in this one with more rest. A lot of this hinges on if Murray can play. If he can play they have a good shot to win.

Dallas (7-2) @ Kansas City (6-4) (FOX; 4:25 pm): TW: Cowboys; CV: Chiefs
Both teams won last week as the Cowboys beat the Falcons and the Chiefs beat the Raiders. FOX's marquee game has the Cowboys going to Arrowhead to face the Chiefs. Both teams got back to playing better offense and better defense. Dallas has been the better team so far this season. The Chiefs seemed to be back to their old selves despite a season where the pundits including myself thought that the Chiefs would win the division. I'd say pump on the brakes a bit on the Chiefs a bit. I'll take the Cowboys. 

Pittsburgh (5-3-1) @ LA Chargers (5-4) (NBC; 8:20 pm): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers 
The Steelers tied the Lions and the Chargers lost to the Vikings. Old school classic AFC matchup on NBC! The Steelers could possibly get Ben Roethlisberger and Chase Claypool back. That's the good news sadly. The bad news is that the key players on defense like TJ Watt or Minkah Fitzpatrick. The Chargers have fallen off the cliff after looking like the team to beat in the AFC. If there was one thing that the Chargers could exploit is the Steelers lack of a rush defense. The rush defense allowed 130 yards to Dandre Swift. If Austin Ekeler can have a solid game by rushing 50+ yards they have a great shot to win. This game could be an interesting one to watch but I'll take the Chargers. 

NY Giants (3-6) @ Tampa Bay (6-3) (ESPN; 8:15 pm): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
The Giants had a bye and the Buccaneers lost to the Football Team. Week 11 finishes up with Tom Brady & company face off against the down but not out Giants. New York has the well rested card up their sleeves but they're facing off against a Bucs team that plays well after a loss. This Bucs team isn't as solid as it was last year but champions aren't crowned in November. I think Tampa will get back to winning ways in this one. 

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

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

CBS Single

Baltimore @ Chicago
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

Indianapolis @ Buffalo
Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Miami @ NY Jets
Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta

Houston @ Tennessee
Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

Cincinnati @ Las Vegas (LATE)
Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

FOX Early

Green Bay @ Minnesota
Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olson

New Orleans @ Philadelphia
Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

Washington @ Carolina
Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

Detroit @ Cleveland
Gus Johnson, Lavar Arrington

San Francisco @ Jacksonville
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

FOX Late

Dallas @ Kansas City
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

Arizona @ Seattle
Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

For more information on which game is being show in your area check out: NFL 2021: Week 11 Maps

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

Total: 88-61-1

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

Total: 93-56-1

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 after the Monday night game for the Week 11 recap post! Enjoy the games!

-Tom

NFL 2021 Week 9 Recap

 Hello readers! Another slate of National Football League action has finished up. Week 9 of the NFL season brought us some surprises like the Jaguars upsetting the Bills, a scorigami in Indianapolis, and a high scoring affair in Cincinnati. All those games and more in this week's recap post! Let's get to work!

Week 9 Recap

NY Jets 30, Indianapolis 45: TW: Colts; CV: Colts
When the Jets get something that might make them good, the football gods intervene to make sure it doesn't happen. Mike White would start for the Jets with 95 yards and a touchdown pass to Elijah Moore that would tie the game at 7 during the 1st quarter. White would leave the game as he would sustain an arm injury that would send Josh Johnson to the front. Johnson would throw three touchdown passes but also threw an interception that would end up being the game decider. Michael Carter rushed for 49 yards with a 16-yard run being his longest. Carson Wentz would play better with 272 yards passing with three touchdown passes to Michael Pittman, Danny Pinter, and Jack Doyle. Jonathan Taylor would make life miserable to the Jets rush defense as he racked up 172 yards with two touchdown runs. His 78-yard run for a score would be the longest run in this game. Nyheim Hines would put up a respectable 74 yards with a run in for a score and had a 34-yard run being his longest as well. 

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Buffalo
Indianapolis: vs Jacksonville

Buffalo 6, Jacksonville 9: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Jacksonville probably put up the biggest upset of the season so far. Josh Allen would remain the person to provide the offensive spark for the Bills. Allen would throw for 264 yards with two interceptions that would kill drives for the Bills, while racking up 50 yards rushing, including a 22-yard run that would be the longest in the game. Stefon Diggs would be Allen's biggest target, hitting his wideout for six catches for 85 yards. Trevor Lawrence wouldn't do a lot of offense in this game but would be a game manager as he threw for 118 yards. CJ Beathard would find some action as he threw for 33 yards. Carlos Hyde would continue to find holes in the Bills defense as he rushed for 67 yards with a 15-yard run being his longest. Jacksonville's defense would hold the Bills offense to just 301 yards, sacking Josh Allen four times for 35 yards. Having Josh Allen throw for 47 times isn't going to get it done. I've said it for years that the Bills biggest problem is having Josh Allen do everything. 

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Next week:
Buffalo: @ NY Jets
Jacksonville: @ Indianapolis

Atlanta 27, New Orleans 25: TW: Falcons; CV: Saints
It was another blown lead for the Falcons but their hero Younghoe Koo's leg would save them yet again. Matt Ryan would play well, throwing 23 of 30 passes for 343 yards for two touchdowns. The veteran quarterback would frolic into the endzone for a score on a 1-yard run play to the right. With Jameis Winston out, Saints head coach Sean Payton would go with Trevor Siemian as the starter. Siemian would throw for 249 yards with two touchdown passes to Kenny Stills and Marquez Callaway. Alvin Kamara would provide 50 yards rushing for the Saints with a touchdown run. His 14-yard run would be the longest run in the game. New Orleans was quiet with just three points in the first three quarters but would tack 22 points in the 4th quarter. Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo's kick from 29 yards would be the decider in the game. 

TW: 2-1; CV: 1-2

Next week:
Atlanta: @ Dallas
New Orleans: @ Tennessee

Cleveland 41, Cincinnati 16: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
In the Battle of Ohio, the Browns would put on a romping on the favored Bengals. Baker Mayfield threw for 218 yards with two touchdown passes to David Peoples-Jones and David Njoku. The pass to Peoples-Jones would be a 60-yard bomb that proved that Mayfield could throw the ball well when it mattered most. Nick Chubb rushed for 137 yards with two touchdown runs including a 70-yard run that would result in a score. Cleveland's defense would also get on the action as Denzel Ward would pick off a Joe Burrow pass for a 99-yard pick six. John Johnson would also get a pick off of a Burrow pass. Joe Burrow threw for 282 yards but wouldn't throw a pass for a score. Joe Mixon would find holes in the Cleveland defense that would yield 64 yards for the runner, including two scores. In a wild AFC North, the loser of this game would see themselves to the cellar. 

TW: 2-2; CV: 1-3

Next week:
Cleveland: @ New England
Cincinnati: Bye

Denver 30, Dallas 16: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys
Oh Dallas, you love to shit the bed when it mattered most. Teddy Bridgewater threw for 249 yards with a touchdown pass to Tim Patrick. Javonte Williams would carve up the Dallas defense with 111 yards with his 30-yard run being the longest in the game. Melvin Gordon would have success as well getting 80 yards in the game with a touchdown run. Teddy Bridgewater rushed for a touchdown as well. Without Von Miller, Denver's defense would find success in other players. Jonathan Cooper would sack Dak Prescott two times with three tackles. Caden Sterns would pick off a Prescott pass. Dak Prescott would be quiet and ineffective during the first three quarters but would heat up in the 4th quarter. The passer would get 232 yards with two touchdown passes to Malik Turner. Ezekiel Elliot rushed for 51 yards. Safe to say, the Cowboys aren't really in panic mode yet as the rest of the NFC East is terrible. 

TW: 2-3; CV: 1-4

Next week:
Denver: vs Philadelphia
Dallas: vs Atlanta

Houston 9, Miami 17: TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Bakeries were busy in both Houston and Miami as turnovers were a plenty in this one. Tyrod Taylor would see his first action since Week 2 when he was injured. The quarterback would throw for 240 yards with three interceptions. Philip Lindsay rushed for 28 yards with a 9-yard run being his longest. Houston provided four turnovers in this one, three interceptions and a lost fumble. Miami would not start Tua Tagovailoa but would start his backup Jacoby Brissett. The former Patriot and Colt quarterback would throw for 244 yards with a touchdown pass to Mack Hollins in the 2nd quarter. Brissett would also toss two passes to Houston players. Myles Gaskin would rush for 34 yards in the game and would rush in for a score that would come on a direct snap on a 6-yard play. Miami would contribute to five turnovers with two interceptions and three fumbles. It was an ugly game but a win is a win for the Dolphins. 

TW: 3-3; CV: 2-4

Next week:
Houston: Bye
Miami: vs Baltimore

Las Vegas 16, NY Giants 23: TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Las Vegas finally fell to Earth in this game. Derek Carr would find some rhythm in the game but would look off in most of his throws. He threw for 296 yards with a touchdown pass to Hunter Renfrow but would throw two passes to safety Xavier McKinney. Josh Jacobs would find holes as he rushed for 76 yards. Kenyan Drake rushed for 30 yards with a 21-yard run being the longest in the game. Daniel Jones would throw less but would find better rhythm with 110 yards passing with a touchdown pass to Evan Engram. With Saquon Barkley out with COVID protocol, the Giants would rely on Devontae Booker and he proved to be reliable with 99 yards rushing with a 20-yard run being the longest for the G-men. Perhaps the jetlag was a factor. 

TW: 3-4; CV: 2-5

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs Kansas City
NY Giants: Bye

New England 24, Carolina 6: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
Sam Darnold would see ghosts yet again as Bill Belichick, the not so friendly ghost, would haunt him yet again. Mac Jones would struggle early with two turnovers but would rebound to finish the game with 139 yards passing with a touchdown pass to Hunter Henry but also was picked off by former Patriot Stephon Gilmore. Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 62 yards. Brandon Bolden rushed for 54 yards. Damien Harris rushed up the middle for a touchdown while getting 30 yards rushing. Sam Darnold wasn't great as the former Jet threw for 16 of 33 passes for 172 yards with three interceptions. Two of those passes would come to JC Jackson and one to Jamie Collins Sr. Christian McCaffrey would return and the runner would get 52 yards rushing. A 3-0 start for the Panthers seems like eons ago. With the Bills loss to the Jags, the Patriots are starting to creep up on them in the AFC East. 

TW: 4-4; CV: 3-5

Next week:
New England: vs Cleveland
Carolina: @ Arizona

Minnesota 31, Baltimore 34 (F/OT): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Minnesota and overtime losses seem to be synonymous. Kirk Cousins would throw fairly well with 17 of 28 passes for 187 yards with two passes to Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen for scores. Cousins also rushed in for a 1-yard run for a touchdown as well. Dalvin Cook would rack up yards as he had 110 yards on 17 carries with a 66-yard run being the longest in the game. Lamar Jackson would play alright throwing the ball as he threw for 27 of 41 passes with 266 yards passing. He would hit Patrick Ricard, Devin Duvernay, and Devonta Freeman for scores. Jackson would throw passes to Camryn Bynum and Anthony Barr, two guys in Minnesota uniforms. Jackson's running ability would be on showcase as he rushed for 120 yards in the game. The Cousins to Thielen touchdown and the Greg Joseph point after would bring the game to a 31-31 tie to send to overtime. Justin Tucker much like his career would come in the clutch when the Ravens needed him most. Tucker's 36-yard field goal would send the Ravens with their sixth victory. 

TW: 5-4; CV: 4-5

Next week:
Minnesota: @ LA Chargers
Baltimore: @ Miami

LA Chargers 27, Philadelphia 24: TW: Eagles; CV: Chargers
After two poor performances against the Ravens and Patriots, Justin Herbert would find solace in the City of Brotherly Love. The passer would hit 32 of 38 passes completed for 356 yards with two touchdown passes to Stephen Anderson and Donald Parham. Herbert would also stroll into the endzone while adding 14 yards. Austin Ekeler rushed for 59 yards with no endzone visits (much to my fantasy team dismay). Jalen Hurts would play fine with 11 of 17 passes competed for 162 yards with a touchdown pass to Devonta Smith. Running back Jordan Howard rushed for 71 yards with a touchdown, giving him the leading rusher honors in the game. Philadelphia would give Los Angeles fits in their defense as the Eagles would convert 8 of 12 on 3rd down and go 2 of 3 in redzone efficiency. Kind of a missed opportunity with the Cowboys loss but the Chargers would try to make a first step in a wide open AFC West. 

TW: 5-5; CV: 5-5

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Minnesota
Philadelphia: @ Denver

Arizona 31, San Francisco 17: TW: 49ers; CV: Cardinals
No Kyler Murray? No problem. Colt McCoy would get the start for the Cardinals. He would hit 22 of 26 passes for 249 yards with a touchdown pass to James Conner. James Conner would account for two more scores on rushing plays and would rack up 96 yards on 21 carries. His longest run of 35 yards was the longest in the game. Eno Benjamin would account for another rushing score as he would get 39 yards. Jimmy Garoppolo would throw 28 of 40 passes for 326 yards and had two passes completed to George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk for scores. His one blemish was an interception that was caught by Cardinal Budda Baker. Elijah Mitchell wouldn't get a lot of yardage in this game as he hit 36 yards on eight carries. The big takeaway was that the 49ers were 4 of 10 in converting 3rd downs and really couldn't keep Garoppolo upright as the quarterback was sacked five times for 28 yards. Cardinal Viking gains a game on me this week. Frick!

TW: 5-6; CV: 6-5

Next week:
Arizona: vs Carolina
San Francisco: vs LA Rams

Green Bay 7, Kansas City 13: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Football Gods would deny us a State Farm Bowl for the ages. Either that or Aaron Rodgers thinks we're dumb as fuck. Jordan Love would get his first start and would not play up to par that we almost would expect from him. He was on some throws and off on most. He would finish the game with 19 of 34 passes for 190 yards with a touchdown pass to Allen Lazard. He was also picked off by Ljarius Sneed. Aaron Jones would rush for 53 yards in the game and AJ Dillon would rush for 46 yards. Patrick Mahomes would also not play well at least to his play of past seasons. He finished the game with 20 of 37 passes for 166 yards with a touchdown pass to Travis Kelce. Damien Williams rushed for 70 yards in the game for the Chiefs. At least the Chiefs didn't turn the ball over. If Aaron Rodgers was allergic to the mRNA vaccine then why didn't he say it during August. Instead of that he threw us the cryptic "Immunized" statement. I just don't understand it. 

TW: 6-6; CV: 7-5

Next week:
Green Bay: vs Seattle
Kansas City: @ Las Vegas

Tennessee 28, LA Rams 16: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
No Derrick Henry? No problem. Ryan Tannehill would throw 19 of 27 passes for 143 yards with a touchdown pass Geoff Swaim. He did have a pass intercepted by Jalen Ramsey. The Titans running game would get contributions from Donta Foreman's 29 yards, Jeremy McNichols' 24 yards, Adrian Peterson's 21 yards with a touchdown and Ryan Tannehill with a touchdown visit as well. Matthew Stafford threw for 294 yards with a touchdown pass to Sony Michel but would have two passes intercepted by Tennessee. One of them was picked off for a pick-six, 24-yard touchdown by Kevin Byard. David Long would record the other interception. Darrell Henderson rushed for 55 yards with his longest run being from 14 yards. Overall the Titans would convert Rams turnovers to points and that really made all the difference in the game. Jeffery Simmons would record three sacks against Matthew Stafford. It's time to stop thinking Tennessee is a scrub team and less than average. 

TW: 6-7; CV: 7-6

Next week:
Tennessee: vs New Orleans
LA Rams: @ San Francisco

Chicago 27, Pittsburgh 29: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Fairly entertaining game but only one can win. Justin Fields would play fairly well in the game with 17 of 29 passes completed. He finished with 291 yards with a touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney. He did have a pass that was picked off by a player in a black jersey that belonged to Cam Heyward. David Montgomery rushed for 63 yards with his longest run being for 21 yards. Justin Fields had 45 yards. Darnell Mooney would get a touchdown on a 15-yard play. Chicago would find points on special teams as Ray Ray McCloud would fumble a punt that would be picked up by Deandre Houston-Carson for a touchdown. Ben Roethlisberger finished the game with 21 of 30 passes completed for 205 yards with two touchdown passes to Pat Freiermuth. Najee Harris would take advantage of the Bears weak rush defense as he finished with 22 carries for 62 yards with a touchdown. TJ Watt would would have four solo tackles and contribute three sacks. Chris Boswell's 40-yard field goal would give the Steelers the winning edge over the Bears. 

TW: 7-7; CV: 8-6

Next week:
Chicago: Bye
Pittsburgh: vs Detroit

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 

See you all on Wednesday for the Week 10 Picks post! See you all then!

-Tom