NFL 2019 Week 2 Picks

Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us! In the post I'll do an NFL 100 spotlight as well as the picks for the coming games. I'm thrilled to get started, and you should get stoked to read about it. Let's get to work!

NFL 100: A Spotlight:

Controversy and the National Football League go hand in hand. Whether it be discipline for a player that did something naughty, or the NFL doing something that it probably shouldn't like the concussion scandal, or controversial plays that the victimized team call "foul". Certainly the third option is in play most of the time. One such play is considered to be one of the most controversial in NFL history, The Immaculate Reception.

From the Pittsburgh Steelers formation in 1933 to 1971, the franchise would post eight winning records and one playoff appearance. Their lone playoff appearance would come in 1947 when the Steelers were tied with the Philadelphia Eagles at the end of the season, the league decided that a playoff would be held between the two teams. The Eagles would ultimately win the game 21-0 and would go on to lose to the eventual NFL champion Chicago Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals). At that point the Steelers had no playoff wins. In 1972, all that changed.

In 1972, the Pittsburgh Steelers posted an 11-3 record, their first winning season under head coach Chuck Noll. The Steelers would host the Oakland Raiders in the first playoff game at Three Rivers Stadium. The game itself was a defensive contest for three quarters. The Steelers kicker Roy Gerela would put the Steelers on the board first with a 18-yard field goal in the 3rd quarter, with the score of 3-0. Roy Gerela would be called again to hit a 29-yard field goal making the score 6-0 in the 4th quarter. The Raiders would finally get on the board with a Kenny Stabler 30-yard rushing touchdown with 1:17 left in the game.

On 4th and 10 on their own 40-yard line, Chuck Noll called 66 Circle Option, a play that was intended for Barry Pearson, who was playing in his first NFL game. With the ball snapped, Terry Bradshaw faced early pressure and had enough time to chuck the ball down the field towards running back John Fuqua. With great defensive coverage, Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum hit Fuqua, causing the ball to become live until it hit the ground. When it seemed that the Raiders had won the game, Steelers fullback Franco Harris caught the ball before it hit the ground and would shock the world. Harris would run the ball into the endzone for a touchdown, giving the Steelers their first playoff victory in franchise history. I'll let Curt Gowdy and Al DeRogatis of NBC call it like it was then:

So you're probably asking, "Why was this play controversial?" First, there was no replay review back then so officials could not review the play. Second, the officials wouldn't probably escape Three Rivers Stadium alive if they overturned it. Lastly, there was a rule that if the ball hit off a player, no player on the same team could catch it, thus the reception would be illegal. If the ball hit John Fuqua, then Franco Harris' ultimate reception would be illegal and thus the Raiders would win the game. If the ball hit Jack Tatum then the ball was live and as you can see from the video (and Curt Gowdy's call) the ball did hit Tatum thus the ball was live. 

For the Raiders would exact some revenge on the Steelers by beating them in the 1973 playoffs. Ultimately the Raiders would lose to the Steelers in the 1974 and 1975 AFC Championship games, where the Steelers would win the Super Bowl. They would overcome the Steelers in the 1976 AFC Championship game and win their first Super Bowl.

For the Steelers, the franchise would never be the same. For the first 40 years of their existence, they were a joke and a laughingstock. In the near 50 years since the play happened, they have been a force to be reckoned with, winning division titles and Super Bowls. 

Week 2 Picks!

Week 2 of the NFL regular season starts in Raleigh, North Carolina and ends in East Rutherford, New Jersey. There will be a Thursday night game, 10 early games, three late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. No teams are on a bye week. CBS will carry the single game, and FOX will have the double-header.

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

Tampa Bay (0-1) @ Carolina (0-1) (NFL Network): TW: Panthers; CV: Panthers

Both teams took losses last week as the Buccaneers lost to the 49ers and the Panthers lost to the Rams. The poor performance of Jameis Winston last week is keeping me away from the Buccaneers this week. I'm giving the Panthers a benefit of the doubt due to their talent on offense as well as defense. Hopefully Cam Newton will give us a better show.

LA Chargers (1-0) @ Detroit (0-0-1) (CBS): TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers

The Chargers got a win against the Colts and the Lions took a tie with the Cardinals last week. Detroit on offense was efficient but they are coming up against a talented team in the Chargers who look to continue on a winning trend. I feel good about the Chargers with their high powered offense in this matchup. Detroit could make some noise but I can't trust the Lions to not do "Lions" things.

Jacksonville (0-1) @ Houston (0-1) (CBS): TW: Texans; CV: Texans

Both teams took losses last week as the Jaguars lost to the Chiefs and the Texans lost to the Saints. The Jaguars are a bold pick after Gardner Minshew abrupt start to his season, relieving Nick Foles who came off with an injury last week. I like the Texans defense get Minshew's game off a step. If they can cause turnovers they should have a good chance to win the game with points off turnovers and DeSean Watson's arm and running ability.

Minnesota (1-0) @ Green Bay (1-0) (FOX): TW: Packers; CV: Vikings

Both teams got wins last week as the Vikings beat the Falcons and the Packers beat the Bears. The game will depend a lot on how well the Packers offense does against the Vikings defense. Their defense is no slouch and is better than the Bears defense. If the Packers can keep Aaron Rodgers upright and keep their defense on the field for a majority of the game while the Packers defense causes mayhem against Kirk Cousins, I like their chances to win the game.

Seattle (1-0) @ Pittsburgh (0-1) (FOX): TW: Steelers; CV: Seahawks

The Seahawks got a win against the Bengals and the Steelers lost to the Patriots last week. Pittsburgh ran into a buzzsaw in the Patriots last week and I feel they should rebound at home against a decent Seattle team. I like the Steelers defense giving the Seahawks some chaos and mayhem. I do like the Ben Roethlisberger vs the Seahawks secondary matchup a lot as well. Don't let me down Steelers!

San Francisco (1-0) @ Cincinnati (0-1) (FOX): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers

The 49ers got a win against the Buccaneers and the Bengals lost to the Seahawks last week. The 49ers proved a lot of doubters wrong. Their offense wasn't spectacular but the 49ers defense showed quite a bit of flash getting two pick-six's last week. The Bengals shouldn't win the game based off of their talent overall and AJ Green still isn't available.

Indianapolis (0-1) @ Tennessee (1-0) (CBS): TW: Colts; CV: Titans

The Colts lost to the Chargers and the Titans beat the Browns last week. Tennessee is somewhat of a sexy pick due to their shocking win against the Browns. Can they repeat that performance against a team that had beaten them in the last game of the regular season (granted that was with Andrew Luck at quarterback). I hope for the best for the Titans but I'll take the Colts bringing the Titans back down to Earth.

New England (1-0) @ Miami (0-1) (CBS): TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots

The Patriots got a win against the Steelers while the Dolphins lost to the Ravens. There's no way I would take the Dolphins in this game and the Patriots are currently road favorites in this game. I feel the Patriots are looking to get some revenge over last year's "Miracle At Miami" loss. I don't think the Patriots will put up 50 on them but the score will not be in the Dolphins favor by any margin.

Dallas (1-0) @ Washington (0-1) (FOX): TW: Cowboys; CV: Cowboys

The Cowboys got a win against the Giants and the Redskins lost to the Eagles last week. When it comes to talent, the Cowboys got a lot of it on both sides of the ball. The Redskins are a decent club and showed some offensive power against Philadelphia last week, much to many people's surprise. I would take the Cowboys in the game but the Redskins could make it an interesting game for some part of the game.

Buffalo (1-0) @ NY Giants (0-1) (CBS): TW: Giants; CV: Giants

The Bills got a win against the Jets and the Giants lost to the Cowboys. Buffalo has a solid team, they haven't been real good but they do have a okay quarterback in Josh Allen and a defense that can stop the run. Buffalo is favored to win by 1.5 which isn't much. I'm taking the Giants based off of that the Bills aren't the Cowboys and they have a decent shot to win this game. It's also their home opener, give your fans something to be happy about.

Arizona (0-0-1) @ Baltimore (1-0) (FOX): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens

The Cardinals took a tie against the Lions and the Ravens won against the Dolphins last week. Baltimore overwhelmed their competition last week with a great air attack and while the Cardinals defense has some decent pieces on that end of the field. I just feel that this spells bad game for Kyler Murray as the Ravens defense is no slouch and look to cause some mayhem. Could be a 10-point plus margin of victory for Baltimore.

Kansas City (1-0) @ Oakland (1-0) (CBS): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs

Both teams got victories last week as the Chiefs beat the Jaguars and the Raiders beat the Broncos. An old rivalry reignites as the Kansas City Chiefs play at Oakland for the last time as the Raiders are moving to Las Vegas next season. The Chiefs on offense look like the better one in a matchup against the Raiders defense. The Raiders offense could do some damage on the Chiefs defense but in the end if they can't stop Patrick Mahomes, they have little chance to win the game. I'll take the Chiefs.

Chicago (0-1) @ Denver (0-1) (FOX): TW: Broncos; CV: Bears

Both teams took losses last week as the Bears lost to the Packers and the Broncos lost to the Raiders. Heavy defensive matchup as both teams aren't particularly great on offense. I feel the Joe Flacco vs Mitch Trubisky matchup will end up in Flacco's favor based on his performance last week compared to Trubisky's performance.

New Orleans (1-0) @ LA Rams (1-0) (FOX): TW: Rams; CV: Rams

Both teams got wins last week as the Saints beat the Texans and the Rams beat the Panthers. The rematch of the NFC championship game. These two are titans in the conference and this game should be one of the best in the week, at least as long as it has the same hype as last year's game. I prefer the Rams defense over the Saints defense in the game and I feel the Saints have lost a step in offense with Mark Ingram going to Baltimore. Could be a shootout.

Philadelphia (1-0) @ Atlanta (0-1) (NBC): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles

The Eagles got a win against the Redskins and the Falcons lost to the Falcons. These two teams know each other well. They've met in the last two seasons, one matchup was in the playoffs. Carson Wentz wasn't a part of those games. In terms of offense, both teams have have good offenses, so I feel the matchup will depend on what defense steps up. I'll go on a whim and take the Eagles.

Cleveland (0-1) @ NY Jets (0-1) (ESPN): TW: Browns; CV: Browns

Both teams took losses last week as the Browns lost to the Titans and the Jets lost to the Bills. The matchup is where both teams look to redeem themselves after a shocking loss the previous week. Last week was a wake up call for the Browns and I feel they'll rebound. I mean is it a disappointment if the Browns go 0-2, certainly. Go Browns!

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

CBS Single:
Kansas City @ Oakland
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Early:
Minnesota @ Green Bay
Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston

FOX Late:
Chicago @ Denver
Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth

For more information on which game is being played in your area, check out: NFL 2019: Week 2 Maps

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89

2018: 156-98-2

2019:

Week 1: 11-4-1

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

See you guys late Monday night for the Week 2 Recap.

-Tom

NFL 2018 Week 13 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of the National Football League has passed us by yet again. The week that was brought us a few coaching firings, some close games, and kickers failing to do their job again. All this and more in this week's recap. In the recap, I will discuss the firing of Packers head coach Mike McCarthy and the recap of the week's games.

McCarthy Out

With the loss of the Arizona Cardinals, the Green Bay Packers were quick to make a change in the head coaching position. Mike McCarthy, the Packers head coach since 2006, was fired after that loss. McCarthy would be the coach that would oversee the transition from the gunslinger in Brett Favre to the calm, Joe Cool like Aaron Rodgers. He would also win a Super Bowl XLV and get to the playoffs with the Packers from 2009 to 2016.

As far as the decision to fire McCarthy, I don't either blame or condone the Packers decision. There was a certain body language with the players that said "I'm not sure I can buy into what you're trying to do with us" it was a sort of delusion with them I felt. The personnel wasn't there for him to succeed and for Rodgers to succeed. I'm neither a proponent for him to "finish out the season as head coach" nor to "Run the table and get into the wild card on a crazy whim" because the latter worked before and it was a miracle that it did, not so much this time. Whether or not they were trying to get back to the playoffs or not, the loss to the Cardinals did more harm than good, it's not like the Bears or Vikings are going to collapse at this point.

The Recap

New Orleans 10, Dallas 13: TW: Saints, CV: Saints
The game was nothing that the result would show. A combined 23 points put up. I was somewhat expecting the Cowboys to get hung up by 40 or more in the game. The Cowboys did have a game plan in place to keep Drew Brees and company on the sideline for more than 36 minutes of the game. The Saints only had 23 minutes of possession time. Drew Brees only threw for 127 yards with a touchdown and a pick. Dak Prescott threw for 248 yards and a touchdown while Ezekiel Elliot would run for 76 yards. The winning streak ends for the Saints and have to regroup quickly to stay on top of the NFC.

Week 14: New Orleans: @ Tampa Bay; Dallas: vs Philadelphia

TW: 0-1; CV: 0-1

Chicago 27, NY Giants 30: TW: Bears, CV: Bears
Turnovers would be the story in the game. The Bears would give up three turnovers in the game two from interceptions from Chase Daniel. The Giants defense would cause six fumbles, recovering one. The game was still a close one with the two quarterbacks posting similar numbers. Chase Daniel threw for 285 yards and a touchdown while Eli Manning would throw for 170 yards and a touchdown and a pick. The game would go to overtime where the Giants would net a 44-yard field goal from Aldrick Rosas to give the G-men their 4th win on the season.

Week 14: Chicago: vs LA Rams; NY Giants: @ Washington

TW: 0-2; CV: 0-2

Carolina 17, Tampa Bay 24: TW: Panthers, CV: Panthers
It was a tale of two quarterbacks in this game. One threw zero interceptions, while the other would throw four. Cam Newton had one of the rarest days of his career in this game. The Buccaneers would pick him off four times in the contest. Newton did throw for 300 yards with two touchdowns in the game but still to throw that many picks. The Buccaneers started Jameis Winston who threw for 249 yards and two touchdowns. The Panthers had a good game from Christian McCaffrey on the ground racking up 106 yards. Probably spoke more of how the Bucs couldn't capitalize on the mistakes of the Panthers more than anything. The Bucs are now only a game behind the Panthers in the division.

Week 14: Carolina: @ Cleveland; Tampa Bay: vs New Orleans

TW: 0-3; CV: 0-3

Cleveland 13, Houston 29: TW: Texans, CV: Texans
It was a game where you could see the personnel of one team at its best and a team that is struggling to find the right people to fit into its right scheme. Baker Mayfield threw for 397 yards and a touchdown pass, while throwing three picks in the game. The Browns running game of Nick Chubb would only get 31 yards from the ground. While the Texans quarterback, DeShaun Watson, would throw for 224 yards and a touchdown. The running back tandem of Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue racked up a combined 157 yards from the ground. Rough way to go Cleveland.

Week 14: Cleveland: vs Carolina; Houston: vs Indianapolis

TW: 1-3; CV: 1-3

Indianapolis 0, Jacksonville 6: TW: Colts, CV: Colts
The score is indeed correct. The only scoring was from two field goals from Jaguars kicker Josh Lambo. The Colts offense was ineffective as Andrew Luck would only throw for 248 yards and an interception and the Jaguars started Cody Kessler as he would throw for 150 yards. Sure enough I pick the Jaguars, they lose, and when I pick the opposition, they win. Go figure.

Week 14: Indianapolis: @ Houston; Jacksonville: @ Tennessee

TW: 1-4; CV: 1-4

LA Rams 30, Detroit 16: TW: Rams, CV: Rams
The Rams, like the Romans, came, saw, and conquered when they got to the Motor City. Jared Goff threw for 207 yards with a touchdown and a pick while Todd Gurley racked up 132 yards from the ground with two touchdowns. The Lions offense came from Matthew Stafford's 245 yards passing with a touchdown and LeGarrette Blount's 61 yards from the ground. not quite enough to get a win. The Rams became NFC West division champions again.

Week 14: LA Rams: @ Chicago; Detroit: @ Arizona

TW: 2-4; CV: 2-4

Buffalo 17, Miami 21: TW: Dolphins, CV: Dolphins
It was a game where Josh Allen had more rushing yards than the entire Dolphins running back corp, combined. The Bills quarterback threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns and two picks. He would rack up 135 yards on the ground. The Dolphins had a good performance from Ryan Tannehill's three touchdowns on 137 yards passing, while throwing one pick. Kenyan Drake only ran the ball for 31 yards.

Week 14: Buffalo: vs NY Jets; Miami: vs New England

TW: 3-4; CV: 3-4

Denver 24, Cincinnati 10: TW: Broncos, CV: Broncos
It was a game that was dominated by one man, Phillip Lindsey. Lindsey ran the ball for 157 yards with two touchdowns. Case Keenum managed the game well with 151 yards passing and a touchdown. The Bengals started Jeff Driskell in the game and managed to get 236 yards passing with a touchdown and a pick. Joe Mixon ran for 82 yards. Cody Core would score the only touchdown for the Bengals in the game. Once upon a time, the Cincinnati Bengals were 4-1, now it seems like a long time ago.

Week 14: Denver: @ San Francisco; Cincinnati: @ LA Chargers

TW: 4-4; CV: 4-4

Baltimore 26, Atlanta 16: TW: Ravens, CV: Ravens
It was a game where both teams traded fumbles for scores. The Falcons got their fumble-six off of Lamar Jackson where Vic Beasley would run it in for 74 yards for the touchdown. The Ravens got some revenge from a Matt Ryan fumble recovered by Kenny Young for a 12-yard touchdown. Lamar Jackson had an alright game with 125 yards passing with zero touchdowns while he would run it in for a score. Matt Ryan threw for 131 yards and a touchdown in the game. The defensive effort by the Ravens in this one.

Week 14: Baltimore: @ Kansas City; Atlanta: @ Green Bay

TW: 5-4: CV: 5-4

Arizona 20, Green Bay 17: TW: Packers, CV: Packers
The game that ultimately spelled doom for Mike McCarthy. The game offensively was good enough for the Packers with Aaron Rodgers throwing for 233 yards and a touchdown. Aaron Jones would score a touchdown on 36 yards from the ground. While Josh Rosen of the Cardinals threw for 149 yards and Chase Edmonds would score the two touchdowns that the Cardinals would get for the afternoon. It would seem that the playoff hopes for the Packers died yesterday. Sad to see.

Week 14: Arizona: vs Detroit; Green Bay: vs Atlanta

TW: 5-5; CV: 5-5

NY Jets 22, Tennessee 26: TW: Titans, CV: Titans
It was a tale of two teams. The Jets started off well, but couldn't finish. The Titans had a terrible start but would recover nicely to get a win. Josh McCown would throw for 128 yards for an interception while Isiah Crowell would run the ball for 98 yards. Trumaine Johnson would score the only touchdown for the Jets from a Marcus Mariota interception. Marcus Mariota would recover from the interception throwing for 282 yards for two touchdowns, while Derrick Henry would run the ball for 40 yards and a score of his own.

Week 14: NY Jets: @ Buffalo; Tennessee: vs Jacksonville

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

Kansas City 40, Oakland 33: TW: Chiefs, CV: Chiefs
The news of Kareem Hunt's viral video of him punching, kicking, and headbutting a woman back in February would prove to be a factor in this one. The Raiders had nothing to lose would give the Chiefs quite a fight in the game. Derek Carr would throw for 285 yards on three touchdowns. Jalen Richard would run the ball for 95 yards. Patrick Mahomes would throw for 295 yards on four touchdown passes. Spencer Ware would score a touchdown as well while running the ball for 47 yards. Gotta be a confidence booster for the Raiders if they can run up 30 against a good offensive team.

Week 14: Kansas City: vs Baltimore; Oakland: vs Pittsburgh

TW: 7-5; CV: 7-5

Minnesota 10, New England 24: TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots
Turnovers by the Vikings would kill them ultimately in this game. Kirk Cousins threw for 211 yards with a touchdown pass and two interceptions. Dalvin Cook would have a good game on the ground running for 84 yards on nine carries. Tom Brady threw for 311 yards and a touchdown and a pick. Sony Michel would be the Patriots leading rusher in the game with 63 yards. James Develin would run in for two touchdowns in the game. The win guaranteed the Patriots their 18th straight winning season, 2nd only to the Dallas Cowboys 20 straight winning seasons from 1966 to 1985. Impressive streak to be sure.

Week 14: Minnesota: @ Seattle; New England: @ Miami

TW: 8-5; CV: 8-5

San Francisco 16, Seattle 43: TW: Seahawks, CV: Seahawks
Somehow the Seahawks were in a rebuilding season. Yet they are 7-5 on the year after this game. Russell Wilson threw for 185 yards on four touchdowns. The running back tandem of Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny ran for 69 and 65 yards respectively. Penny would score a rushing touchdown. Nick Mullens had a solid game throwing the ball for 414 yards and two touchdowns. Jeff Wilson ran the ball for 61 yards for the Niners in the game. The rebuilding continues for San Francisco.

Week 14: San Francisco: vs Denver; Seattle: vs Minnesota

TW: 9-5; CV: 9-5

LA Chargers 33, Pittsburgh 30: TW: Steelers, CV: Chargers
The Steelers really took their foot off the gas in this game. By halftime, the Steelers were up 23-7 yet the Chargers would go on a 26-7 run to finish the game. The ending of the game was insane as the Steelers were offsides for three straight penalties in the game-winning field goal play. Ben Roethlisberger would throw the ball for 281 yards for two touchdowns while James Conner ran the ball for 60 yards. Phillip Rivers threw the ball for 299 yards for two touchdowns. Justin Jackson of the Chargers ran the ball 63 yards and a touchdown.

Week 14: LA Chargers: vs Cincinnati; Pittsburgh: @ Oakland

TW: 9-6; CV: 10-5

Washington 13, Philadelphia 28: TW: Eagles, CV: Eagles
The NFC East race is staying as tight as possible as both teams after the game are now 6-6, trying to catch the Cowboys. Carson Wentz would throw for two touchdowns on 306 yards passing while both Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez would combine for 150 yards passing and a touchdown (Sanchez would throw it). Adrian Peterson ran the ball for 98 yards and get a touchdown for his efforts. Could be a race to the finish.

Week 14: Washington: vs NY Giants; Philadelphia: @ Dallas

TW: 10-6; CV: 11-5

Records:

Tom (me)
2018:
Week 1: 10-5-1
Week 2: 6-9-1
Week 3: 8-8
Week 4: 12-3
Week 5: 6-9
Week 6: 10-5
Week 7: 10-4
Week 8: 11-3
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 7-7
Week 11: 8-5
Week 12: 11-4
Week 13: 10-6
Overall: 118-72-2

Cardinal Viking
2018:
Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 9-6-1
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 9-6
Week 5: 9-6
Week 6: 6-9
Week 7: 12-2
Week 8: 10-4
Week 9: 8-5
Week 10: 9-5
Week 11: 7-6
Week 12: 13-2
Week 13: 11-5
Overall: 116-74-2

See you guys on Thursday for the Week 15 picks column! 
-Tom

NFL Week 10 Picks

Hello readers! It is that time of the week again. Time to salivate at the prospect of football. Salivate at the chance to watch your team go on to victory or go down in defeat. Once the regular season reaches at the double digits in weeks it is certainly time to start looking at the playoff picture (normally I'd look at it the week of Thanksgiving but why not).

In spite of the flaws of the current playoff system, it is still a rather unique playoff system. Even if a 12-4 team gets in the playoff, there's still a chance that you would still have to play on the road (2013 San Francisco 49ers for example). For this system to be better it needs to go to a system based off record, not based on division. Such examples of this is the NBA system, where it is based off record (#1 seed has best record, #8th seed has lowest). Here is the current playoff picture:

AFC:
#1: Steelers
#2: Patriots
#3: Chiefs
#4: Titans
#5: Jaguars
#6: Bills

Wild card:

Jaguars @ Titans
Bills @ Chiefs

In the hunt: Miami (4-4), Baltimore (4-5), Oakland (4-5), NY Jets (4-5), Houston (3-5), Cincinnati (3-5), Los Angeles Chargers (3-5), Denver (3-5), Indianapolis (3-6), Cleveland (0-8).

NFC:
#1: Eagles
#2: Saints
#3: Vikings
#4: Rams
#5: Panthers
#6: Cowboys

Wild card:
Panthers @ Rams
Cowboys @ Vikings

In the hunt: Seattle (5-3), Atlanta (4-4), Detroit (4-4), Washington (4-4), Green Bay (4-4), Arizona (4-4), Chicago (3-5), Tampa Bay (2-6), NY Giants (1-7), San Francisco (0-9)

Certainly some of the bottom teams in the hunt won't likely get in come January, but it is worthwhile to keep an eye on the teams in the top/middle of the hunt. Momentum is key in playoff races. As far as I'm concerned this picture will look very different come the end of Week 17.

What will certainly be impactful in the playoff picture is the Ezekiel Elliot drama. Much like any other season in the NFL there will always be players in civil/criminal cases. What happens in the real world can be a different story in the football world. What I mean is that the NFL can suspend you despite the fact that you haven't been prosecuted or indicted. In Ezekiel Elliot's case, it can be very impactful. If he starts his suspension this week he would be eligible to play in the Week 16 game at home against Seattle. Had he decided to take the suspension in Week 1 he would've already been playing right now. Here's Dallas' next 6 games: @ Atlanta, home against Philadelphia, home against LA Chargers, home against Washington, @ Giants, @ Oakland. Despite the back and forth battle between him and the NFL, I would've taken the suspension earlier, in my opinion.

Where I live in Fargo, North Dakota there is no snow. As much as I would rather have 70 degree weather days right now, the denial is real. To me, its 3-4 months of depression and overall hate anything that is white on the ground. So the cool video of the week is something to hopefully keep you warm if you share the same opinion as me:

This week as the same with weeks past and weeks future, I have done picks with my roommate, Cardinal Viking, we had pretty similar picks last week but let's look at the results:

Me:

6-7 (fail falcons, and the Packers need to get a high draft pick as most of our team without Aaron Rodgers is terrible)

Cardinal Viking:

7-6 (he made the right call in picking the Cardinals over the Niners and well he picked the Lions too). 

Week 10 in the NFL regular season will begin in Glendale, Arizona and will end in Charlotte, North Carolina. There will be a Thursday night game, 8 early games, 3 late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. There will be 4 teams on bye week: Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, and Oakland Raiders. FOX will have the double header and CBS will have the single game this week. Here are the picks:

Seattle @ Arizona: Cardinals. The Seahawks come off a loss last week to the Redskins, and the Cardinals won against the Niners. The game will be on NBC and NFL Network. The game could be a huge factor in the NFC West as the winner will likely play in the second place marker in the division. While the loser will have to look at being at home come January. Both teams don't like each other, and I'll take the Cardinals at home as their defense will get it done for them, and the offense will put up enough to win. 

Cincinnati @ Tennessee: Bengals. The Titans won last week against the Ravens and the Bengals lost to the Jaguars. The Mariota bandwagon will lose a rider as I tend to like the Bengals in this matchup. Why? Mostly the weapons that the Bengals have and certainly the Titans have weapons too, but I can't go wrong with AJ Green. 

Cleveland @ Detroit: Lions. The Browns got a win last week and a loss as they had their bye this week (I don't know if its a win-win) and the Lions won against the Packers last week. The Browns glimmer of hope is Josh Gordon is back (at least as of 5:02 pm) and should play in the game. However one team has to win in this game and the Lions are certainly leagues ahead of the Browns. Sorry but you get a loss again. 

Green Bay @ Chicago: Packers. The Packers lost to the Lions last week, and the Bears were on bye last week. The oldest rivalry in the NFL will be renewed again at Chicago. The Packers have let me down for two straight games since going 4-2 and hopefully they won't let me down this week, otherwise that all-time record in the rivalry will go back to a tie. Fuck you Dom Capers!

LA Chargers @ Jacksonville: Jaguars. The Jaguars won against the Bengals and the Chargers were on bye week last week. The Chargers/Jaguars game will certainly be an exciting one. Two playoff contending teams. It may come down to whoever makes the most plays and scores the most points (obviously). The Chargers could win the game but I feel good with the Jaguars. 

Minnesota @ Washington: Redskins. The Vikings were on bye week last week and the Redskins won against the Seahawks last week. The game will be quite interesting. The QB carousel in Minnesota will be coming to a head. The Redskins have their QB in Kirk Cousins and I feel the Redskins weapons on offense will give them an edge against the powerful Vikings defense, which is no slouch. Vikings are due for a loss as this is a trap game. 

New Orleans @ Buffalo: Saints. The Bills lost to the Jets last week and the Saints won against the Buccaneers. I hopped on the Bills bandwagon to see them lose to the Jets at New Jersey last week. I feel good with the Saints in the game as Drew Brees still can throw a ball or two deep. Sorry Buffalo but you lost my trust (and that's important) and my confidence in you. Enjoy 2nd place in AFC East. 

NY Jets @ Tampa Bay: J-E-T-S. The Jets won against the Bills last week while the Buccaneers lost to the Saints last week. The game will be in sunny Florida and I've lost most if not all of my confidence and trust in the Buccaneers. The Jets are a confusing team, they can play well one game and then play like awful the next one. Still better than that 0-16 finish that most experts were expecting. 

Pittsburgh @ Indianapolis: Steelers. The Steelers were on bye week last week and the Colts won against the Texans last week (big whoop). The Steelers seem to be back to form with the triplets of Roethlisberger, Brown, and Bell at the helm, but you have to remember that this team lost to the Jaguars at home earlier this season. The Colts are bad but they shouldn't be taken lightly. Still I feel good about the Steel City. 

Houston @ LA Rams: Rams. The Texans lost last week to the Colts and the Rams won against the Giants (rather soundly). The Rams have been the darling story of the NFL season so far as the team plays solid defense, runs the ball well and Jared Goff has had a great sophomore season (a rather different story most times). The Texans lost their franchise QB Deshaun Watson to injury a few weeks ago and the loss will be the biggest difference in this game. 

Dallas @ Atlanta: Cowboys. The Cowboys won against the Chiefs last week and the Falcons lost to the Panthers. Earlier today the Ezekiel Elliot story took a turn as the suspension has been upheld (for the 1000th time) and will begin this suspension this week. The Cowboys have other weapons at running back but I can't trust the Falcons this season. Especially when their defense is awful and Julio Jones hasn't had a breakout game this season. 

NY Giants @ San Francisco: 49ers. Both teams come off losses last week as the Giants lost to the Rams and the Niners lost to the Cardinals. I picked the Niners to win against the Cardinals and guessed it wrong. However the Giants are terrible as well as the Niners. I'll be on their bandwagon for at least one week. They can't possibly go 0-16. 

New England @ Denver: Patriots. The Broncos lost to the Eagles last week while the Patriots were on bye week. The Sunday night game will be an interesting one as Tom Brady has had a losing record against the Broncos, especially at Mile High. The Patriots have been off so far this season and had one great game against the Falcons while the week after almost lose to the Chargers. The Broncos are bad, but I feel safe with the Pats. 

Miami @ Carolina: Panthers. The Dolphins lost to the Raiders last week while the Panthers won against the Falcons. The week wraps up with the Dolphins/Panthers game on Monday night. Both teams have let me down in picking them but the Panthers seem to be the hot hand in this one. I can't trust Jay Cutler holding a football. 

Local TV Schedule: 

CBS Single:
Pittsburgh @ Indianapolis

Greg Gumbel, Trent Green

FOX Early:
Minnesota @ Washington

Kevin Burkhardt, Charles Davis

FOX Late:
Dallas @ Atlanta

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more info on which game is on in your area go to NFL Week 10 Maps

Record:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 8-7

Week 8: 12-1

Week 9: 6-7

Overall: 79-53

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 4-10

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-5

Week 8: 11-2

Week 9: 7-6

Overall: 78-54

See you guys next week!

-Tom

NFL Week 9 Picks

Hello readers! The post is somewhat later than usual but still well ahead of the Thursday night game. In typical weeks I would have the post up by Wednesday but watching the World Series this year has been intoxicating. Nonetheless with the baseball season over it is now time to focus on football.

In the week that was week eight in picks was a very close contest. Before last week's action I had a 1 game edge in picks with Cardinal Viking. After last week with our picks very close together, it would be surely a close one again. Here are the results:

Me:
12-1: (only loss was the Dolphins getting shut out to the Ravens, wtf).

Cardinal Viking:

11-2: (picked the Dolphins and picked the Lions over the Steelers).

What would normally be a normal week for some teams, the past week would prove to be a make or break time for some. With the trade deadline past, some teams look to give up their future to pick up the short-term solution for their teams. NFL trades don't tend to get the same spark as NBA or MLB trades, but they would prove to be a deciding factor when draft picks are involved. Here's a recap:

Philadelphia Eagles pick up Jay Ajayi from the Miami Dolphins for a 4th rounder (train robbery).

New England trades Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco for a 2nd round pick (guess they couldn't keep him.

Buffalo Bills pick up Kelvin Benjamin from the Carolina Panthers for a 3rd and 7th round pick (could be an interesting strategy)

A difficult decision has come to my attention. Something that has been apparent since I started on this blog post. What is this week's cool video? Well out of random here it is:

Week Nine in the NFL regular season will start from East Rutherford, New Jersey and ends in Green Bay, Wisconsin. There will be six teams on bye week: Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Cleveland Browns, and New England Patriots. There will be a Thursday night game, 7 early games, 3 late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. CBS will handle the early and late doubleheader, while FOX will have the single game this week. Here are the picks:

Buffalo @ NY Jets: Bills. The Bills come off a win against the Raiders, while the Jets lost to the Falcons. The week starts out in East Rutherford and the Bills coming to town looking improved I personally like the Bills winning the matchup based on that Tyrod Taylor picked up a new weapon in Kelvin Benjamin this week. Unfortunately Benjamin will not play tonight but the Bills got this.

Atlanta @ Carolina: Falcons. Both teams come off wins last week as the Falcons beat the Jets, and the Panthers beat the Buccaneers. The game could come down to which offense puts the most points as this will be a shootout, the Falcons have been downplaying this year and I still am expecting them to finally put up a offensive performance this Sunday, their defense is suspect. More suspect than Colonel Mustard in the library with a knife.

Baltimore @ Tennessee: Ravens. The Ravens won last week against the Dolphins while the Titans were on bye week last week. The Ravens are a complicated team to predict and pick. Last week I picked against them and they win. The game will come down to which team's running back will have the better game as both teams are top 10 in rush offense, and when you have a good rushing attack, you can open it up in the pass, and that will be another factor.

Cincinnati @ Jacksonville: Jaguars. The Jaguars come off a bye week last week while the Bengals come off a win against the Colts. The game will be at Jacksonville where the Jags are 1-2 at home this season, I feel the Jags will put on their best game of the season against the Bengals, who barely squeaked by last week against a bad Colts team. Give me the Jaguars!

Denver @ Philadelphia: Eagles. The Eagles won last week against the Niners and the Broncos lost to the Chiefs. The game features the season debut of Brock Osweiler, who replaces a struggling Trevor Siemian, who will get the start. The Eagles haven't let me down so far this season and I feel good with them in this game.

Indianapolis @ Houston: Colts. Both teams come off losses as the Colts lost to the Bengals and the Texans to the Sehawks This would normally be a shocker to some people on why I'm picking the Colts, well Deshaun Watson tearing his ACL will be a big factor in the game. Watson has been a shining light for the Texans offensively which normally was a defensive team. I could be wrong but there's a reason why they're predictions.

LA Rams @ NY Giants: Rams. Both teams are coming off a bye week last week. The game is certainly a tale of two teams. The surprising Rams and the disappointing Giants. The Rams have been playing well during the stretch so far we will have to see if the bye week does limit their focus and preparation. Give me the Rams!

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans: Saints. The Saints come off a win against the Bears while the Buccaneers lost to the Panthers. Drew Brees still can throw the ball, Mark Ingram can still run the ball and if the Saints defense limits the offensive attack of the Bucs, then I like the Saints chances. Plus, the Superdome is quite a homefield advantage.

Arizona @ San Francisco: 49ers. The Cardinals are coming off a bye week last week while the Niners lost to the Eagles. The team by the bay picked up possibly their future starting QB in Jimmy Garopollo from the Patriots. Unfortunately the rest of the team isn't that good and probably won't be that good for a while. However, I feel the Niners will finally get their first win of the season by beating the Cardinals without Carson Palmer.

Washington @ Seattle: Seahawks. The Seahawks won against the Texans and the Redskins lost to the Cowboys last week. The 12th man will be pretty loud this week, I feel the Redskins will come off a loss again this week. The Seahawks always seem to get better each and every week, however they need homefield advantage in the playoffs so they have to win.

Kansas City @ Dallas: Chiefs. Both teams come off wins last week as the Chiefs won against the Broncos and the Cowboys beat the Redskins. The marqee game of the late slate will be the Chiefs-Cowboys game. The game will be on CBS and will mark Tony Romo's return to AT&T Stadium as the color-commentator for the TV network. However I like the Chiefs in the game as the Cowboys defense is suspect, more than the offense though.

Oakland @ Miami: Raiders. Both teams come off losses last week as the Dolphins lost to the Ravens and the Raiders lost to the Bills. The Sunday night game will show two disappointing football teams but which team will be the ones that show up, I feel the Raiders will based on that Derek Carr could start and the Raiders need to win to keep up with the division.

Detroit @ Green Bay: Packers. The Lions come off a loss to the Steelers last week while the Packers come off a bye week. The Monday night game will feature two division rivals in the NFC North division as the Packers and Lions renew their old rivalry. The Lions still have their franchise quarterback on his own two feet while the Packers will look to have Brent Hundley at quarterback. The Packers need to win the game in order to stay in 2nd place against the Vikings in the division race. I like the receiving corp of the Packers to win it for them as they need to make the big play.

Local TV Schedule (via 506sports, subject to change):

CBS Early:
Denver @ Philadelphia
Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts

CBS Late:
Kansas City @ Dallas
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single:
Atlanta @ Carolina
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

For more info on which game is playing in your area, go to NFL Maps, Week 9

Record*:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 8-7

Week 8: 12-1

Overall: 73-46

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 4-10

Week 6: 7-7

Week 7: 10-5

Week 8: 11-2

Overall: 71-48

See you guys next week!

-Tom

NFL Week 7 Picks

Hello Readers! Another week in the books for the National Football League as Week 6 came to a close. The week brought with some drama, a devastating injury to one of the league's stars, and some decent games to watch that would see the last unbeaten team in the league lose their first game to the Steelers.

In any sport you play you have your highs and lows. You can have a stellar week passing or running the ball, and then the football gods strike in the form of an injury or bad play. In the case of Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, two weeks ago would show you how masterful of a quarterback he is, leading a game-winning drive, with Davante Adams catching the game winning touchdown. The week after that win against the Cowboys, the Packers would head into Minneapolis with optimistic heads, they would leave with heads hung low. Aaron Rodgers would suffer a collarbone injury from Anthony Barr of the Minnesota Vikings, a legal hit but its devastating to see a star in Aaron Rodgers go down like that.

The week that was in picks with me and Cardinal Viking would prove to be a same old story, same old song. The week that was would prove to be another odd week for us. Last week's results:

Me:

7-7 (Colts pick screwed me over, and I picked the Falcons who certainly reached a new low last week)

Cardinal Viking:

7-7 (He also picked the falcons, the only real difference is that he picked Carolina over Philadelphia last week, he picked the Titans to beat the Colts)

This week's cool video is truly a cool video. Possibly one of the best songs ever made. Why am I sharing it to you all? BECAUSE ITS FREAKING AFRICA BY TOTO! Enjoy it. 

Week 7 features 15 games this week. There are two teams on bye weeks Houston Texans and Detroit Lions. The week starts off in Oakland, California, and ends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is a Thursday Night Game, 8 early games (one of them is in Twickenham Stadium, London), 4 late games, a Sunday Night game, and a Monday Night game. CBS will have the early and late game double header this week, while FOX will have the single game this week. Here are the picks:

Kansas City @ Oakland: Chiefs. Both the Chiefs and Raiders come off losses last week to the Steelers and the Chargers respectively. The Raiders will be without star QB Derek Carr for the game and will have to rely on the arm of EJ Manuel, the Raiders have looked off without Carr while the Chiefs have stability at the quarterback position. I like the Chiefs in this game.

Arizona @ LA Rams: Cardinals. The Cardinals got the victory last week against the Buccaneers, while the Rams won on the road against the Jaguars. The game would normally be a Rams pick from me but the fact that Adrian Peterson had a drink off the fountain of youth last week will give Carson Palmer's arm a break (Palmer is 2nd in passing yards so far this season, 1 is Brady). The game will be played in Twickenham Stadium in Southwest London. The game will be pretty good I feel, mad that I won't be able to watch it honestly. Jealousy is a fickle thing. 

Baltimore @ Minnesota: Vikings. The Ravens last week came off a loss to the Bears, while the Vikings got a divisional win against the Packers. The difference between the two teams is that the Vikings seem to have a better defense and certainly more weapons on offense. The Vikings got some good news early this week hearing that Teddy Bridgewater could begin to practice again and compete for the starting job over Case Keenum and Sam Bradford. If I were the Vikings I'd go with the hot hand in Keenum. 

Carolina @ Chicago: Panthers. The Panthers came off a loss against the Eagles, while the Bears got the victory over the Ravens. I like the Panthers in the matchup based on the stability and experience in the quarterback position in Cam Newton, who has more help than his counterpart Mitch Trubisky. I think the Bears have some future to build around with Trubisky, but that future has to come from help on the offense, or have his wide receivers magically come back from injury. 

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis: Jaguars. The two teams both come off losses as the Jaguars lost to the Rams, while the Colts lost to the Titans. The faith I have in the Jaguars is very limited, and I don't trust the Colts enough to throw them. It will come down to which Jaguars team comes to play against their AFC South division rival. The Colts will still be without Andrew Luck, and without Luck there is no luck for the Colts, I know I'm punny. 

New Orleans @ Green Bay: Packers. The Packers come off a loss to the Vikings while the Saints won against the Lions. The game itself would be a lock-in for the Packers but unfortunately the loss of Aaron Rodgers for at least 8 games or possibly the whole season. The Packers have some hope in Brett Hundley, the quarterback from UCLA. Hundley played okay in the backup role against the Vikings, but he will need to play stellar to keep up with the Saints offense. If Mike McCarthy has faith in Hundley, then why should I doubt him? #InHundleyWeTrust

NY Jets @ Miami: Jets. The Jets lost to the Patriots last week, while the Dolphins won against the Falcons. The two teams aren't spectacular. I don't have faith in the Dolphins, but I don't either in the Jets. However when it comes to picking the Jets, they haven't in general let me down. The Dolphins rushing defense is 4th in the league, so that may give the Jets some fits. Just watch the Dolphins will destroy the Jets, and prove me wrong. Ah fuck it, give me the J-E-T-S! 

Tampa @ Buffalo: The Buccaneers. The Buccaneers come off a loss to the Cardinals while the Bills were on a bye week. The Buccaneers have one of the better passing attacks in the league with such weapons like Mike Evans, DeShaun Jackson, and Adam Humphries. Not also to mention Doug Martin at running back. The Bills are 21st in the league in pass defense, which means possibly a great day for Jameis Winston & Company. I like the Bucs. 

Tennessee @ Cleveland: Titans. The Titans come off a win last week against the Colts while the Browns lost to the Texans. The return of Marcus Mariota sparked the Titans offense to victory. The Browns are still looking for their first win of the season, and some of their troubles may come down to the quarterback position, but then again their pass defense isn't that stellar. The shining light for the Browns is their ability to stop the run, in fact the Browns are 8th in the league in rush defense. However the shining light for the Titans is their rush offense is 6th in the league with 132 yards per game. Something is going to give for the two, but I feel the Titans are better off. 

Dallas @ San Francisco: Cowboys. The Cowboys come off a bye week, while the 49ers lost to the Redskins. The marquee game of the late games will be on FOX. The ongoing court battles with Ezekiel Elliot continues. Personally Elliot is digging himself a bigger grave the longer he drags this on. If he took the suspension in week 1, he could've been playing next week. For the 49ers there is hope in their quarterback C.J. Beathard who came off the bench over the struggling Brian Hoyer last week. The game will be a rivalry feel to it but I feel the Boys will get the win, though the last time I picked the Cowboys, they lost to the Rams, I feel safe... maybe. 

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh: Steelers. The Bengals came off a bye week last week while the Steelers won against the Chiefs. The Steelers rebounded last week after a horrible performance at home against the Jaguars the week before. As long as Big Ben is still the quarterback for the Steelers, I'd say they have the win locked up, they have too many weapons. For the Bengals they have weapons too, but I can't trust them enough to win on the road against the Steelers. Wave those terrible towels well Pittsburgh!

Denver @ LA Chargers: Chargers. For the Broncos they lost to the Giants at home, while the Chargers picked up their 2nd win of the season against the Raiders. Trevor Siemian didn't look good at home against the Giants, and his road record is less stellar. The Chargers certainly have momentum on their side while seeking their 3rd straight victory. The game smells like a trap game for the Broncos. Here's a fact: the Chargers are 4th in the league in pass offense and defense. For an offense like the Broncos which relies on passing the ball a large amount, the Broncos pass offense is 14th. Give me the Bolts!

Seattle @ NY Giants: Giants. The Seahawks come off a bye week last week, while the Giants got their first win of the season against the Broncos. Both teams were preseason playoff favorites and the two haven't lived up to the hype. For the Seahawks the pass defense is up to par while the rest of their team isn't as great. For the Giants the offense got back to form against the Broncos, the rush offense was great with Orleans Darkwa carrying the ball for 117 yards with 21 rushes. The game doesn't look spectacular but someone has to win right?

Atlanta @ New England: Patriots. The Patriots got the win against the Jets while the Falcons lost to the Dolphins. The rematch of  last year's Super Bowl shows two very different teams than what we saw this past February. The two teams haven't been great. Tom Brady has been the one carrying his team while his pass defense is dead last in the league (32nd in fact). The Falcons look to have Julio Jones back to play while Mohammad Sanu was limited in practice this week and may very well be questionable to play in the game. The game may come down to which defense has more stops as this will be a shootout. 

Washington @ Philadelphia: Eagles. Both teams came off wins last week with the Redskins beating the 49ers and the Eagles beating the Panthers. The Monday night game to finish the week should be an entertaining one with the Carson Wentz-led Eagles will be at home against the Kirk Cousins-led Redskins. The game will come down to which defense shows up for the two teams as both teams have spectacular offenses. Could come down to a shootout. Certainly the experience will be in favor of Kirk Cousins but the Eagles have been exciting to watch, especially on the offense. The Eagles are 20th in the league in total defense, the Redskins 12th. Fly Eagles Fly.

Local TV schedule (subject to change):

FOX Single:
New Orleans @ Green Bay

Kenny Albert, Charles Davis

CBS Early:

Baltimore @ Minnesota
Greg Gumbel, Trent Green

CBS Late:

Denver @ LA Chargers

Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon

For more information on which games will be playing in your TV market go to NFL Maps, Week 7

Record*:

Week 1: 10-5

Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 7-7

Week 6: 7-7

Overall: 53-38

Cardinal Viking, my roommates record:

Week 1: 7-8

Week 2: 13-3

Week 3: 8-8

Week 4: 11-5

Week 5: 4-10

Week 6: 7-7

Overall: 50-41

* Math could be off, will make corrections if needed.

See you guys next week!

-Tom