NFL 2020 Week 1 Recap

 Hello readers! The first week of the National Football League's regular season is in the books. The first week brought some surprises and surprises were a plenty in Week 1. The feeling of normalcy has to outweigh the surprise that the feeling of the first week brings. Especially in a pandemic. In this post I will do a recap of the games. Let's get to work!

Week 1 Recap

Houston 20, Kansas City 34: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
If there was any doubt that the Chiefs would miss a step would be brushed aside at least in this game. The loss of DeAndre Hopkins for the Texans has to sting a little bit. DeShaun Watson threw for 253 yards with a touchdown pass and throwing an interception. Watson would get a rushing touchdown as well while racking up 77 yards from the ground. Running back David Johnson would get 77 yards with a rushing touchdown of his own. Patrick Mahomes threw the ball for 211 yards with three touchdowns. The star of the game was rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire who would rush for 138 yards with a touchdown. 

Next week:
Houston: vs Baltimore; Kansas City: @ LA Chargers

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

Las Vegas 34, Carolina 30: TW: Raiders; CV: Panthers
Teddy Bridgewater was impressive in this one but not quite enough to get a win. Derek Carr had a decent day with a 239 yards passing, one touchdown statline. Raiders running back Josh Jacobs continued his great start to his career with a 93 rushing yards with three touchdowns from the ground. Teddy Bridgewater did well in his Panther debut with 270 yards while throwing a touchdown as well. Christian McCaffrey almost had a 100-yard day but would finish the game with 96 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Josh Jacobs would even get some comparison to the great Walter Payton from Jon Gruden. Not bad. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: vs New Orleans; Carolina: @ Tampa Bay

TW: 2-0; CV: 1-1

Indianapolis 20, Jacksonville 27: TW: Colts; CV: Jaguars
The Return of the Minshewmania. Philip Rivers seemed like back to his Charger days, being a gunslinger and hope whatever he throws goes to the right guy. Rivers threw for 363 yards with a touchdown but had two interceptions. The Colts running game wouldn't get much as Nyheim Hines would only get 27 yards rushing and Marlon Mack would get 26 yards before leaving the game with an injury. Gardner Minshew threw the ball for 170 yards with three touchdowns. Jaguars running back James Robinson had a decent day with 62 yards from the ground. Turnovers kill. 

Next week:
Indianapolis: vs Minnesota; Jacksonville: @ Tennessee

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

Miami 11, New England 21: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
New England didn't seem to miss a beat in the Post-Brady era. Miami did some things well but still have a long way to get to where they want to be. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw the ball for 191 yards while tossing three interceptions in the game. Myles Gaskin was the leading rusher for the Dolphins with 40 yards, while Jordan Howard would score the only Miami touchdown in the game. The last time there wasn't a guy named Tom Brady on the Patriots roster was in Week 17 in the 1999 season. Cam Newton would take the reins. Newton would get 155 yards passing but would get two rushing touchdowns while getting 75 yards rushing. Sony Michel would get a rushing touchdown as well with 37 yards from the ground. Rare to see zero passing touchdowns for the Patriots, let alone an entire game. 

Next week:
Miami: vs Buffalo; New England: @ Seattle

TW: 3-1; CV: 3-1

Philadelphia 17, Washington 27: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
The feel when you lose to a "Football Team." Carson Wentz was okay in the game with 270 yards passing with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Boston Scott and the Eagles rushing attack didn't get much as Scott would get 35 yards rushing. Dwayne Haskins threw the ball for 178 yards with a touchdown. Antonio Gibson ran the ball for 36 yards but would get a scoring boost from Peyton Barber with 29 yards rushing with two rushing touchdowns. Keep forgetting to mention this but I hope Ron Rivera kicks cancer's ass! #RiveraStrong. 

Next week: 
Philadelphia: vs LA Rams; Washington: @ Arizona

TW: 3-2; CV: 3-2

Seattle 38, Atlanta 25: TW: Seahawks; CV: Falcons
Russell Wilson didn't miss a beat in this one. Didn't even need a running game to be great either. Wilson threw the ball for 322 yards with four touchdown passes. He would have leading rushing honors with 29 yards while Carlos Hyde would score a touchdown with 23 yards rushing. Matt Ryan would have a better game in this one with 450 yards passing with two touchdowns while throwing a pick. Todd Gurley ran the ball for 56 yards with a touchdown. Three Falcons wide outs had 100+ receiving yards in this one. Atlanta's defense could cause problems. 

Next week:
Seattle: vs New England; Atlanta: @ Dallas

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

Green Bay 43, Minnesota: 34: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
I guess I was wrong with the whole "Packer offense struggling" narrative. Aaron Rodgers threw for 364 yards with four touchdowns. Aaron Jones ran the ball well with 66 yards rushing with a touchdown. Kirk Cousins did okay in the game with 259 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He would also get hit from a corner blitz to cause a safety. Dalvin Cook couldn't get too much from the ground with 50 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Packers defense could be an achilles heel for this team again this season.  Who would've thought this game would be a scorefest? 

Next week: 
Green Bay: vs Detroit; Minnesota: @ Indianapolis

TW: 4-3; CV: 3-4

NY Jets 17, Buffalo 27: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
Buffalo made strides to a possible division winning season in this game. Sam Darnold's performance was alright but could've been more. Darnold threw the ball for 215 yards with a touchdown and an interception. New York's running game once again couldn't get much as Frank Gore and Le'Veon Bell would both get 24 and 14 yards rushing respectively. Josh Allen would be the better quarterback as he would get 312 yards with two touchdown passes. Allen would also get 57 yards rushing with a touchdown as well. 

Next week:
NY Jets: vs San Francisco; Buffalo: @ Miami

TW: 5-3; CV: 4-4

Cleveland 6, Baltimore 38: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
Browns do Browns things as usual. Baker Mayfield threw the ball for 189 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb ran the ball for 72 and 60 yard rushing respectively. Lamar Jackson didn't miss a beat in this game as he threw for 275 yards with three touchdowns while rushing for 45 yards. JK Dobbins would score two touchdowns from the ground with 22 yards rushing. Mark Ingram would get 29 yards. Cleveland hasn't opened the season with a victory since 2004. At one point the Browns had a 3rd down and 41 in the game. 

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Cincinnati; Baltimore: @ Houston

TW: 6-3; CV: 5-4

Chicago 27, Detroit 23: TW: Lions; CV: Lions
At one point the Lions were ahead 23-6 at the start of the 4th quarter. Mitchell Trubisky showed some sort of life late in the game as he would finish with 242 yards passing with three touchdowns. David Montgomery ran the ball for 64 yards. Matthew Stafford threw for 297 yards with a touchdown and an interception while throwing the ball for 42 times. Former Washington running back Adrian Peterson made the most of his opportunity with 93 yards rushing. Dandre Swift would get a rushing touchdown for Detroit as well. If you're Jamie Collins, don't try to prove a point by headbutting into an officials chest., it won't end well for you.

Next week: 
Chicago: vs NY Giants; Detroit: @ Green Bay

TW: 6-4; CV: 5-5

LA Chargers 16, Cincinnati 13: TW: Bengals; CV: Chargers
Joe Burrow's debut for the Bungles was... meh. Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw the ball for 208 yards but wouldn't throw a touchdown in the game. Austin Ekeler ran the ball for 84 yards while Joshua Kelley would ran for 60 yards and score the only touchdown for the Chargers. Joe Burrow threw the ball for 193 yards but would throw a costly interception in the game. He showcased his running while scoring a touchdown while compiling 46 yards. Joe Mixon would be the leading rusher for the Bungles with 69 yards. Can't blame Burrow too much on this game, he didn't have much of an offseason to learn. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: vs Kansas City; Cincinnati: @ Cleveland

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

Arizona 24, San Francisco 20: TW: 49ers; CV: Cardinals
This game was probably the biggest shock of the week. Kyler Murray threw the ball for 230 yards with a touchdown but threw an interception in the game. Murray was also the leading rusher for the Cards with 91 yards with a touchdown. Kenyan Drake ran the ball for 60 yards with a rushing touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo threw the ball for 259 yards with two touchdowns. Raheem Mostert was the leading rusher for the 49ers with 56 yards. San Francisco's defense just couldn't hold off a late Cardinal drive. 

Next week:
Arizona: vs Washington; San Francisco: @ NY Jets

TW: 6-6; CV: 7-5

Tampa Bay 23, New Orleans 34: TW: Saints; CV: Bucanneers
The game didn't exactly live up to the hype. Tom Brady would don a uniform that wasn't red, white and blue for the first time in his career. His debut was mixed as he threw for 239 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. One of those interceptions was a pick-six by Janoris Jenkins. Brady would go in for a rushing touchdown as well. Ronald Jones was the leading rusher for the Bucs as he ran 66 yards. Drew Brees threw for 160 yards with two touchdowns. Latavius Murray ran for 48 yards while Alvin Kamara ran for 16 yards with a touchdown. Brady vs Brees doesn't have the same ring to it as Brady vs Manning. 

Next week:
Tampa Bay: vs Carolina; New Orleans: @ Las Vegas

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

Dallas 17, LA Rams 20: TW: Cowboys; CV: Rams
You have all that offensive talent and you can't put up more than 17 points. Oh wait that's right Mike McCarthy is your coach. Dak Prescott would finish the game with 266 passing yards with a touchdown while racking up 30 yards rushing. Ezekiel Elliot ran the ball well with 96 yards including a touchdown. Jared Goff of the Rams finished the game with 275 yards passing while throwing an interception. Malcolm Brown finished the game with 79 yards rushing with two touchdowns, good day for those who had him in fantasy. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs Atlanta; LA Rams: @ Philadelphia

TW: 7-7; CV: 8-6

Pittsburgh 26, NY Giants 16: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Safe to say that Big Ben is back to form. Ben Roethlisberger finished the game with 229 yards passing with three touchdowns. Benny Snell would pick up the rushing yardage in the game with 113 yards rushing while James Conner would go down to injury. Daniel Jones had a mixed game with 279 yards passing with two touchdowns while throwing two interceptions. Jones also ran for 22 yards, the Giants leading rusher in the game. 

Next week:
Pittsburgh: vs Denver; NY Giants: @ Chicago

TW: 8-7; CV: 9-6

Tennessee 16, Denver 14: TW: Broncos; CV: Titans
A former Patriot saves the day. Ryan Tannehill threw for 249 yards with two touchdowns. Derrick Henry continues his successful career with a 116 yard rushing day. Drew Lock got the start for Denver and looked fine but perhaps more was needed. Lock finished the game with 216 yards with a touchdown pass to Noah Fant. Recently acquired running back Melvin Gordon ran the ball for 78 yards with a touchdown. Ultimately the game came down to Stephen Gostkowski, former Patriots kicker, to kick a 25-yard field goal to give the Titans a 1-0 start to 2020. 

Next week:
Tennessee: vs Jacksonville; Denver: @ Pittsburgh

TW: 8-8; CV: 10-6

2020 Week by Week Record: 

TW's record:

Week 1: 8-8

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 10-6

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

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

My record: 

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2

2019: 161-94-1

See you guys tomorrow for the Week 2 Picks post!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 3 Recap

Hello readers! The 3rd week of the National Football League regular season has finished. It has brought us some blowouts, some surprise upsets, while some games that ended up as expected. The post will include an NFL 100: A Spotlight and a recap of the action. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

The NFL has had its share of great defenses throughout its history. Some were so great that the offense had to only score a touchdown and the game was over. The team that I would like to talk about is one of the best I've ever seen, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens were born in 1996 when Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell moved his team to Baltimore. The city hasn't seen football since the 1983 Baltimore Colts left town overnight. While the team would be considered to be an expansion franchise, much of the personnel were part of the Browns. In the 1996 NFL Draft, the new Ravens would draft a middle linebacker from University Of Miami (Florida) named Ray Lewis.

The Ravens offense was somewhat of an afterthought. Tony Banks started out the year for them but was replaced by a quarterback who had been on a couple of teams before, Trent Dilfer. The offense that year put up 20.8 points/game, qualifying them for 14th in total offense. They had such weapons like Shannon Sharpe, Jermaine Lewis and Jamal Lewis.

The defense itself shutout opponents four times during the regular season. They allowed only 10.3 points/game a record at that time.  The most they ever gave up was 36 against the Jacksonville Jaguars and that was the only time that they would give up that amount. The 2nd highest amount was 23 against the Tennessee Titans.

They finished the season with a 12-4 record, finishing 2nd in the AFC Central. They would have to win three games to get to a Super Bowl. They won the Wild Card game in the first playoff game in Baltimore since the "Ghost To The Post" game in 1977, beating the Denver Broncos 21-3. They went to Tennessee and would upset the Titans 24-10 in the Divisional playoff. In the AFC Championship Game they would spoil Jon Gruden's Oakland Raiders plan to go to a Super Bowl, beating them 16-3. It would be Super Bowl XXXV where the Baltimore Ravens truly shined.

In the end the Ravens defense is considered one of the best defenses ever. They would allow only 5 rushing touchdowns all season while giving up 970 rushing yards, opponents would only get 2.7 rushing yards per attempt, quite good numbers. While their pass defensive numbers weren't superior they would force 23 interceptions, a total of 49 turnovers. 

Week 3 Recap

Tennessee 7, Jacksonville 20: TW: Jaguars; CV: Titans

The Legend of Minshew continues to grow. Jacksonville's defense shut down much of what Tennessee wanted to do on offense, specifically the pass. Marcus Mariota would get only 304 yards with zero touchdowns and interceptions. Derrick Henry ran the ball for 44 yards with a touchdown, the only touchdown for the Titans. Gardner Minshew threw for 204 yards with 2 touchdowns. Leonard Fournette ran the ball for 66 yards with zero touchdowns. 

All-time series: Titans lead series 29-21

Next week: Tennessee: @ Atlanta; Jacksonville: @ Denver

TW: 1-0; CV: 0-1

Denver 16, Green Bay 27: TW: Packers; CV: Broncos

Aaron Rodgers was kept upright and the Broncos have yet to get a sack or a forced turnover. Joe Flacco threw the ball for 213 yards with an interception. Philip Lindsey was the star for the Broncos offense with 81 rushing yards for two touchdowns. Rodgers threw the ball 235 yards for a touchdown. Aaron Jones got two rushing touchdowns with 19 yards rushing. Impressive start to the season for Green Bay but much tougher opponents are ahead. 

All-time series: Series tied 7-7-1

Next week: Denver: vs Jacksonville; Green Bay: vs Philadelphia (Thursday night)

TW: 2-0; CV: 0-2

Cincinnati 17, Buffalo 21: TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Bills are off to their best start since 2011. Andy Dalton threw the ball for 249 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. He would also run it into the endzone for a touchdown. Joe Mixon ran the ball for 61 yards on 15 carries. Josh Allen threw the ball for 243 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Frank Gore had a good day on the ground with 76 yards and a touchdown. Tough season so far for the Queen City of Cincinnati. 

All-time series: Bills lead series 17-15

Next week: Cincinnati: @ Pittsburgh; Buffalo: vs New England

TW: 3-0; CV: 1-2

Detroit 27, Philadelphia 24: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Lions remain undefeated (they're 2-0-1 so it still somewhat counts) after three games. The Eagles on offense could've made some plays but fumbles and dropped passes would affect them the whole way. Matthew Stafford threw for 201 yards and a touchdown. Kerryon Johnson ran it for 36 yards and a touchdown. Carson Wentz threw the ball for 259 yards and two touchdowns but as I said could've been more. Jordan Howard ran it in for a score with 37 yards rushing. 

All-time series: Series tied at 16-16-2

Next week: Detroit: vs Kansas City; Philadelphia: @ Green Bay (Thursday night)

TW: 3-1; CV: 1-3

NY Jets 14, New England 30: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Jets 0-3 start to the season is their first since 2003. The release of Antonio Brown didn't factor much into the game. The Jets showed up in the 2nd half but by that time New England was relatively in control of the game. Tom Brady threw the ball for 306 yards and two touchdowns. Rex Burkhead was more involved in the game with 47 yards rushing with a touchdown. The Jets did... well Jets things. Business as usual for the Patriots.

All-time series: Patriots lead series: 66-54-1

Next week: NY Jets: Bye week; New England: @ Buffalo

TW: 4-1; CV: 2-3

Oakland 14, Minnesota 34: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

The Vikings took control in the first quarter and didn't let up until the final second. Derek Carr threw the ball for 242 yards and two touchdowns and an interception. Josh Jacobs, the Raiders running back didn't get a lot going for the Raiders, running the ball for 47 yards with 10 carries. Kirk Cousins threw the ball for 174 yards and a touchdown. The combined tandem of Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison ran the ball for 168 yards and two touchdowns. The ground game is definitely their bread and butter. 

All-time series: Raiders lead series: 10-6

Next week: Oakland: @ Indianapolis; Minnesota: @ Chicago

TW: 5-1; CV: 3-3

Baltimore 28, Kansas City 33: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

The game lived up to the hype as there was quite a bit of scoring in this game. Lamar Jackson threw the ball for 267 yards and ran it in for a touchdown. Mark Ingram had a great game for the Ravens running the ball for 103 yards and three touchdowns. Patrick Mahomes threw the ball for 374 yards and three touchdowns. Darrel Williams ran the ball for 62 yards while LeSean McCoy would run the ball for 54 yards and a touchdown. The game should've been a late-afternoon start. Oh well.

All-time series: Chiefs lead series: 6-4

Next week: Baltimore: vs Cleveland; Kansas City: @ Detroit

TW: 6-1; CV: 4-3

Atlanta 24, Indianapolis 27: TW: Colts; CV: Falcons

The game was quite the showcase of the two quarterbacks. Matt Ryan threw the ball for 304 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. Devonta Freeman ran the ball for 88 yards on 16 carries. Jacoby Brissett threw the ball for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Marlon Mack ran the ball for 74 yards and a touchdown, his longest run was for 28 yards. Adam Vinatieri was back to form with 2 for 2 on field goals and 3 for 3 on PAT's. 

All-time series: Colts lead series: 15-2

Next week: Atlanta: vs Tennessee; Indianapolis: vs Oakland

TW: 7-1; CV: 4-4

Carolina 38, Arizona 20: TW: Cardinals; CV: Panthers

Well as it turns out that Kyle Allen had a good day (even though it was against the Cardinals defense). Allen threw the ball for 261 yards and four touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey got back into a top form with his 153 rushing yards for a touchdown as well as 35 receiving yards. Kyler Murray did okay on the day, throwing the ball for 173 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. He would also run the ball for 69 yards. Well... I picked you Arizona, wtf. 

All-time series: Panthers lead series 12-5

Next week: Carolina: @ Houston; Arizona: vs Seattle

TW: 7-2; CV: 5-4

NY Giants 32, Tampa Bay 31: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers

The Daniel Jones era began in earnest with a victory on the road. Jones threw the ball for 336 yards for two passing touchdowns as well as two rushing touchdowns. Saquon Barkley got injured during the game but Jones carried the G-men. Jameis Winston threw the ball for 380 yards for three touchdowns and an interception. Ronald Jones was the leading rusher for the Bucs with his 80 yards on 14 carries. Freaking Buccaneers. 

All-time series: Giants lead series 16-7

Next week: NY Giants: vs Washington; Tampa Bay: @ LA Rams

TW: 7-3; CV: 5-5

Houston 27, LA Chargers 20: TW: Chargers; CV: Texans

There seems to be something off with the Chargers, especially in this game. DeShaun Watson played very well throwing the ball for 351 yards for three touchdowns. Carlos Hyde only got 19 yards rushing but had a touchdown of his own. Philip Rivers made his 209th consecutive start in the game. Rivers got 318 passing yards for two touchdowns, Keenan Allen had 183 of those 318. The Chargers running game didn't get too much yardage with Austin Ekeler with 36 yards. 

All-time series: Chargers lead series 5-2

Next week: Houston: vs Carolina; LA Chargers: @ Miami

TW: 7-4; CV: 6-5

New Orleans 33, Seattle 27: TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

Much to many people's surprise, the Saints somehow got a win in the Emerald City. They didn't totally rely on the arm of Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater threw the ball for 177 yards for two touchdowns. Alvin Kamara would run the ball for 69 yards for a touchdown. The Saints special teams got a touchdown on a punt return for 38-yards from Deonte Harris. Russell Wilson played a great game throwing the ball for 406 yards for two passing touchdowns as well as two rushing touchdowns with his 51 rushing yards. Drew Brees will be gone for a while but a tough victory in Seattle has to give them some confidence. 

All time series: Series tied at 8-8

Next week: New Orleans: vs Dallas; Seattle: @ Arizona

TW: 7-5; CV: 6-6

Pittsburgh 20, San Francisco 24: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

The 49ers had five turnovers in the game but would win against the Steelers. Mason Rudolph got the start for Pittsburgh throwing the ball for 174 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. James Conner ran the ball for 43 yards. Ju-Ju Smith Schuster had 81 receiving yards with a touchdown. Jimmy Garoppolo threw for 277 yards for a touchdown and two interceptions, the touchdown was the game-winner. Jeff Wilson got two touchdowns on 18 yards but Raheem Mostert was the leading rusher for San Francisco. Poor Steelers Nation. 

All-time series: 49ers lead series 12-10

Next week: Pittsburgh: vs Cincinnati; San Francisco: Bye week

TW: 8-5; CV: 7-6

LA Rams 20, Cleveland 13: TW: Rams; CV: Rams

The Browns returned to Sunday night prime-time for the first time since 2008. Jared Goff had an alright game throwing the ball for 269 yards for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Todd Gurley managed to get 43 yards on 14 carries. Baker Mayfield only managed to get 195 yards passing with a touchdown and an interception. Nick Chubb got 95 yards rushing on the game with 23 carries. There was some questionable playcalling for the Browns but at this point, you need to play better and execute. 

All-time series: Rams lead series 13-11

Next week: LA Rams: vs Tampa Bay; Cleveland: @ Baltimore

TW: 9-5; CV: 8-6

Miami 6, Dallas 31: TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

The game lived up to its hype, hype as in that the Cowboys would dominate the game and the Dolphins would lick their wounds. Interesting fact is that the Dolphins have the worst point differential since 1950 through three games. 

All-time series: Cowboys lead series 8-7

Next week: Miami: vs LA Chargers; Dallas: @ New Orleans

TW: 10-5: CV: 9-6

Chicago 31, Washington 15: TW: Bears; CV: Bears

The week finished off with the Bears taking on the Redskins on the road. Mitchell Trubisky had a good game throwing the ball for 231 yards and three touchdowns and an interception. David Montgomery gave Chicago some help in the run game with 67 yards on 13 carries. Case Keenum didn't help the Redskins cause much throwing the ball for 331 yards on two touchdowns and three interceptions. Adrian Peterson would only get 37 yards rushing with 12 carries. Could be Dwayne Haskins time before you know it. 

All-time series: Redskins lead series 26-23-1

Next week: Chicago: vs Minnesota; Washington: @ NY Giants

TW: 11-5; CV: 10-6

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Overall: 31-16-1

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

Overall: 33-14-1

See you guys on Wednesday for the Week 4 picks!

-Tom

NFL 2019 Week 3 Picks

Hello readers! The third week of the National Football League regular season is soon upon us! There's bound to be some good matchups this week, some average ones, and some probably bad ones. Nevertheless we will talk about them this week as well as a NFL 100 spotlight, highlighting one of the biggest gaffes in NFL history. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight

When it comes to gaffes in NFL history, you have The Butt Fumble in 2012, Garo Ypremian's attempted pass in Super Bowl VII, or Leon Lett's attempt to recover the ball in the 1993 Thanksgiving game against the Dolphins. None of them can really compare to Jim Marshall's Wrong Way Play.

On October 25th, 1964, the 3-3 Minnesota Vikings traveled to Kezar Stadium in San Francisco to take on the 2-4 San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings are entering their 4th season in existence since they became an expansion team in 1961. The 49ers had a decent quarterback in John Brodie who was entering into his 8th season as a quarterback.

The game started out well for the 49ers with San Fran striking first with a Brodie 2-yard run to give the 49ers a 7-0 lead. Vikings kicker Fred Cox got the Vikings on the board with a field goal, 7-3 49ers. John Brodie would hit Dave Parker for a 80-yard touchdown, Brodie's only touchdown pass on the day, 14-3 49ers. Running back Tommy Mason ran it into the endzone on a 7-yard play for the Vikings, reducing the lead to 14-10. Tommy Davis of the 49ers hit a field goal to give the 49ers a 17-10 lead going into halftime. Fred Cox was called in to hit a field goal again for the Vikings, he hits it, reducing the lead to 17-13 in favor of San Francisco. Minnesota would finally get on the board with an 8-yard run from quarterback Fran Tarkenton, 20-17 Vikings. Jim Marshall's linemate, Carl Eller, would get a touchdown from a fumble, 27-17 Vikings.

The play itself was a pass play that John Brodie would throw to running back Billy Kilmer. Kilmer was stripped and in the chaos Jim Marshall would grab the ball in the direction that Kilmer was heading, towards the endzone that was in Vikings territory. Marshall had thought he had scored a touchdown but it ended up being a safety due to the fact he was running the wrong way. Reducing the Viking lead to 27-19.

The Vikings would ultimately win the game 27-22 but the game and play would live on in NFL lore as one of the biggest gaffes in NFL history. What stands out to me is that Marshall would go on to play the game until 1979, nearly 20 years in the NFL. Sadly his team would go onto four Super Bowls and losing all four. Here's a clip of the play:

At the end of the season the Vikings would post their first winning record in franchise history. They wouldn't win a division title until 1968 and they would win their first and only NFL championship in 1969. For the 49ers in 1964 it would be their third straight losing season but they would post a 7-6-1 record in 1965. They wouldn't make the playoffs until 1970 and they won't win their first Super Bowl until Super Bowl XVI

Week 3 Picks!

Week 3 of the NFL regular season starts in Jacksonville, Florida and ends in Landover, Maryland. There will be a Thursday night game, eight early games, five late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. No teams are on a bye week. FOX will have the single game while CBS will have the double-header. Let's get to the picks!

Note: TW is me, CV is Cardinal Viking, my roommate

Tennessee (1-1) @ Jacksonville (0-2) (NFL Network): TW: Jaguars; CV: Titans

Both teams lost last week as the Titans lost to the Colts and the Jaguars lost to the Texans. The game is a tough one to pick, both teams haven't shown real flashes of spectacular play. Gardner Minshew has been a bright spot for the Jaguars since Nick Foles got injured in Week 1. If the Jaguars want to win they need Leonard Fournette to have a good game and have the defense continue its play. I'm willing to give the Jags a chance.

Denver (0-2) @ Green Bay (2-0) (FOX): TW: Packers; CV: Broncos

Last week the Broncos lost to the Bears and the Packers beat the Vikings. The big matchup is going to be Aaron Rodgers vs the Broncos defensive front. Denver's secondary isn't that great so I certainly expect the Packers offense continue to gel in Matt LeFleur's offense. I give the Packers defense the edge over the Broncos defense in this game. Denver is not a slouch I'll give them that.

Cincinnati (0-2) @ Buffalo (2-0) (CBS): TW: Bills; CV: Bills

The Bengals lost to the 49ers and the Bills beat the Giants last week. Josh Allen has been an underrated quarterback in the league and the Bills are a surprising 2-0 so far this season. The Bengals offense feels somewhat limited with AJ Green not in the lineup, so I feel the Bills defense has an edge in that department. Josh Allen needs to continue to play well and have their running game do well against a 30th ranked rush defense. I'll take the Bills.

Detroit (1-0-1) @ Philadelphia (1-1) (FOX): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Lions got a win against the Chargers and the Eagles lost to the Falcons last week. Philly has some injuries and the Lions have a huge test to prove just how well they can play against a quality opponent. The Eagles pass defense needs to play better against the 7th ranked pass offense in the Lions. I feel Wentz and company find a way to get it done.

NY Jets (0-2) @ New England (2-0) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Jets lost to the Browns and the Patriots beat the Dolphins last week. Luke Falk didn't show much on Monday night and I can't expect the Jets offense to get a lot on the Patriots. Tom Brady would have to have a bad game to give the Jets an edge in the game, which doesn't happen a lot. I don't trust the Jets but I trust fellow Tom to get it done.

Oakland (1-1) @ Minnesota (1-1) (FOX): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings

Both teams took losses last week as the Raiders lost to the Chiefs and the Vikings lost to the Packers. Kirk Cousins hasn't done a lot to prove that he is a good quarterback as his running game has carried the load. I feel it'll change in this game but I won't hold my breath if he throws an interception early in the game. The Vikings defense will keep the Raiders offense in check.

Baltimore (2-0) @ Kansas City (2-0) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

Both teams got wins last week as the Ravens beat the Cardinals and the Chiefs beat the Raiders. This game somehow isn't on the late slate as its probably the best game of the week. I expect a shootout in the game as both teams have great offenses. While I do feel the Ravens defense is better than the Chiefs defense, the quarterback matchup certainly leans towards the Chiefs.

Miami (0-2) @ Dallas (2-0) (FOX): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

The Dolphins lost to the Patriots and the Cowboys beat the Redskins. I feel another blowout loss is in order for the Dolphins, not that I hate the Dolphins but reality hurts.

Atlanta (1-1) @ Indianapolis (1-1) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Falcons

Both teams got wins last week as the Falcons beat the Eagles and the Colts beat the Titans. Jacoby Brissett vs the Falcons pass defense is going to be the big matchup in the game. I feel it will also depend on which running game gets going. Tough game to call but I will go with the home team in their home opener.

Carolina (0-2) @ Arizona (0-2) (FOX): TW: Cardinals; CV: Panthers

Both teams took losses last week as the Panthers lost to the Buccaneers and the Cardinals lost to the Ravens. The game will depend on the health of Cam Newton, if he's in the Panthers have a good shot to win, if he's not it could be a Cardinals win. I'm leaning towards Cam Newton not playing so I'll take the Cardinals. Kyle Allen could have a stellar day against the Cards defense but the Panthers offense didn't get a lot of yardage last week.

NY Giants (0-2) @ Tampa Bay (1-1) (FOX): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers

The Giants lost to the Bills and the Buccaneers won against the Panthers last week. Daniel Jones era begins in earnest in New York. Tampa's defense has been doing well so far on the year, I'll take a chance on the Buccaneers. I still don't trust Jameis Winston to guide this team to good things.

Houston (1-1) @ LA Chargers (1-1) (CBS): TW: Chargers; CV: Texans

The Texans beat the Jaguars and the Chargers lost to the Lions last week. Houston's offense hasn't been spectacular so far on the year and the Chargers have a top-10 pass defense so I would expect the Chargers to send some defenders to DeShaun Watson via blitzing. The Chargers had a fluke loss last week and I feel they have a good chance to win this game but it'll be close.

New Orleans (1-1) @ Seattle (2-0) (CBS): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks

The Saints lost to the Rams and the Seahawks beat the Steelers last week. Had Drew Brees not gotten injured last week, this game could be a good one but Teddy Bridgewater is starting in place of Brees. Sadly this is the marquee game of the week and unless Teddy Bridgewater plays like Drew Brees, I feel the Seahawks will win by 10 or more.

Pittsburgh (0-2) @ San Francisco (2-0) (CBS): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

The Steelers lost to the Seahawks and the 49ers beat the Bengals last week. Mason Rudolph will make his first start and he is up for a huge test against an improved 49ers defense that is ranked 9th in total defense. If Ben Roethlisberger was in the game the game could be more evenly matched but I can't trust Rudolph enough to give Pittsburgh its first win of the season.

LA Rams (2-0) @ Cleveland (1-1) (NBC): TW: Rams; CV: Rams

Both teams got wins last week as the Rams beat the Saints and the Browns beat the Jets. Cleveland got back into winning form last week against a below average Jets team, The Rams however, have been doing well so far in the season. The pressure is on Baker Mayfield and the Browns offense to beat a pretty good Rams defense. The game will be close but I feel in big game matchups, I feel the Rams will have an edge.

Chicago (1-1) @ Washington (0-2) (ESPN): TW: Bears; CV: Bears

The Bears won against the Broncos and the Redskins lost to the Cowboys last week. The week finishes off with an okay matchup on Monday Night Football. If there was a week where Mitch Trubisky finally gets off on the right foot, it would be this game. Washington's total offense is ranked 30th so far this season. They have a tough division and they need to get all the wins they can get.

Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com; subject to change:

FOX Single:
Oakland @ Minnesota
Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth

CBS Early:
Baltimore @ Kansas City
Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

CBS Late:
New Orleans @ Seattle
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

For more information on which game is played in your area, check out: NFL Week 3 Maps

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

Week 2: 10-6

Overall: 21-10-1

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

Overall: 22-3-1

See you guys on Monday for the Week 3 recap! 

-Tom