NFL 2022 Super Wildcard Weekend Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. The week that was the first round of the playoffs and they didn't disappoint for viewers. Fans would witness a drubbing in San Francisco, a comeback in Jacksonville, a near upset in Buffalo, a slugfest in Minnesota, a physical matchup in Cincinnati and 

Wildcard Weekend Recap

Seattle 23, San Francisco 41: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
In rain drenched Santa Clara, the 49ers would ride the storm and prevailed. Geno Smith hit 25 of 35 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Smith would have an easy time in the 1st half, orchestrating the offense. The 2nd half not so much. Kenneth Walker III rushed for 63 yards with a touchdown in the 2nd quarter that put the Seahawks on the board. DK Metcalf had a good day with 10 catches for 136 receiving yards and caught both of Geno Smith's touchdowns. The 2nd half was one that Seattle wouldn't recover from as the 49ers put on a buzzsaw and unleashed their defense. They caused two costly turnovers that turned into 49ers points. Brock Purdy was phenomenal in his first playoff start. He hit 18 of 30 passes for 332 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran it in for the endzone for a score as well. Deebo Samuel caught one touchdown pass while getting 133 receiving yards. His 74-yard score was in the 4th quarter. Elijah Mitchell and Christian McCaffrey also caught touchdown passes. San Francisco put the hurt on Seattle in the 4th quarter with 18 points scored in that period and put forth 505 total yards to the Seahawks 332 total yards. For the Seahawks, the season ends in a bout of disappointment but they have a bright future with a high 1st round pick in the upcoming draft. For the 49ers, they move on and will either have to face the winner who is a higher seed next week. 

Next week:
Seattle: go to a fish market and toss fish
San Francisco: Divisional Round vs Dallas

TW: 1-0; CV: 1-0

LA Chargers 30, Jacksonville 31: TW: Chargers; CV: Chargers
A tale of two halves in Jacksonville. Justin Herbert had a solid game with 25 of 43 passes for 273 yards and a touchdown pass to Gerald Everett in the 2nd quarter. Austin Ekeler wouldn't get a lot of yardage but did get two touchdown runs with 35 yards rushing in the game. Gerald Everett had 109 receiving yards with six catches. Trevor Lawrence had a rough first half but made a run for the ages in the 2nd half. He hit 28 of 47 passes for 288 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. Keep in mind the four interceptions happened in the 1st half. Travis Etienne had 109 yards rushing in the game. Evan Engram, Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and Marvin Jones were the players that caught the touchdown passes from Lawrence. The Chargers did have opportunities to put the game out of reach. One example was the field goal that was missed by a hair when the Chargers were up 30-20. Down 30-28 with a minute and change left in the game, head coach Doug Pederson made a gutsy 4th down and 1 call, an outside run to Travis Etienne that yielded results for the Jags. Eventually the Jaguars called on kicker Patterson to try a 36-yard field goal. Patterson's kick went through the uprights and jubilation engulfed TIAA Bank Field. For the Chargers, the playoff run ends in a disheartening choke job and an unknown future ahead for head coach Brandon Staley. For the Jaguars, they move on to the next round of the playoffs. 

Next week:
LA Chargers: get a new head coach or something
Jacksonville: Divisional round @ Kansas City

TW: 1-1; CV: 1-1

Miami 31, Buffalo 34: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The Bills Mafia can relax as the shock of the year didn't happen. Skylar Thompson started and finished the game for the Dolphins. He wouldn't play great as he hit 18 of 45 passes for 220 yards with a touchdown pass to Mike Gisecki Jr. Thompson threw two costly interceptions in the game. Jeff Wilson scored a touchdown run with 23 yards rushing. Dropped passes were key to the Dolphins as a number of Dolphins receivers dropped passes that could've easily been big gains. Miami had 231 total yards in the game. They also had seven penalties for 34 yards. Miami's defense would take advantage of a fumble that was recovered by Zach Sieler for a 5-yard fumble-six. Jason Sanders was utilized a lot as he hit three field goals. Josh Allen was probably the most important player on the field as he threw three touchdown passes. He finished the game with 23 of 39 passes for 352 yards and threw two interceptions as well as the fumble. Devin Singletary was the leading rusher for the Bills with 48 yards on 10 carries. James Cook had 39 yards rushing with a touchdown. Stefon Diggs had 114 receiving yards on seven catches. Despite nearly outgaining the Dolphins 2:1 the Bills would only get 423 total yards in the game. Both teams would rush seldom as both combined for 149 total yards and a lot of incompletions. The incompletions made the game go nearly four hours long. Enough to push the kickoff time of the Giants-Vikings game. For the Dolphins, the season ends on a close upset with a very unknown future ahead of them with Tua Tagovailoa. For the Bills, they move on and will play the Bengals in a Week 17 rematch that was canceled due to Damar Hamlin hospitalization. 

Next week:
Miami: Go to Miami beach and hang out with Pitbull or someone
Buffalo: Divisional round vs Cincinnati

TW: 2-1; CV: 2-1

NY Giants 31, Minnesota 24: TW: Giants; CV: Vikings
The Giants give the Vikings their first loss in one score games. Daniel Jones played masterful in his first playoff game with 24 of 35 passes for 301 passing yards with two touchdowns and rushed for 78 yards. Isiah Hodgins and Daniel Bellinger caught the passes from Jones that yielded touchdowns. Saquon Barkley also made good on his first playoff game with 53 yards rushing and two touchdowns. The Giants made use of their passing game over the Vikings defense as they really couldn't be stopped for most of the game. Kirk Cousins was good up until the final play. He finished with 31 of 39 passes for 273 yards with two touchdowns to KJ Osborn and Irv Smith. Dalvin Cook did well enough on the ground with 60 yards rushing on 15 carries. They really seemed off balance on offense as they really should've ran the ball more. Granted that the Giants offense really controlled the time of possession all game. It is also the Giants first playoff win since winning Super Bowl XLVI in February 2012, nearly 4,000 days ago. For the Giants, they win and move on to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles next weekend. For the Vikings, the great season ends with some needed additions on defense for the offseason. 

Next week:
NY Giants: Divisional Round @ Philadelphia
Minnesota: go ice fishing or watch the Northman or something

TW: 3-1; CV: 2-2

Baltimore 17, Cincinnati 24: TW: Bengals; CV: Bengals
A 98-yard fumble six was the game-decider in Cincinnati. Tyler Huntley got the start over Anthony St. Brown and Lamar Jackson. The dual threat hit 17 of 29 passes for 226 yards with two touchdowns and an interception and a fumble. Demarcus Robinson and JK Dobbins were the Ravens that caught those passes from Huntley that were converted into touchdowns. The fumble was on a quarterback sneak where Huntley had jumped up to reach the goaline. Sam Hubbard pushed the ball away and grabbed the football for a 98-yard score in a 14-point swing. JK Dobbins was the leading rusher for the Ravens with 62 yards. Tyler Huntley also reached 54 yards rushing yards. Baltimore had success in their offense this go around as they had 364 total yards. Joe Burrow did good in the game as he hit 23 of 32 passes for 209 yards with a touchdown pass to Ja'Marr Chase that was the first touchdown in the game for Cincy. Joe Mixon rushed for 39 yards on 11 carries. Compared to last week, the Bengals had a trying time to generate enough offense to overcome but they put up 234 total yards. Perhaps it was a time of possession matter as the Ravens had 32:26 of possession while the Bengals had 27:34. There was questionable decision making by Ravens head coach John Harbaugh who didn't utilize his timeouts, let alone his time, late in the game. For the Ravens, their season ends in disappointment and will have to make a decision on Lamar Jackson in the offseason. For the Bengals, they move on and take a trip to Buffalo next Sunday. 

Next week:
Baltimore: go hang out at Baltimore or something. 
Cincinnati: Divisional round @ Buffalo

TW: 4-1; CV: 3-2

Dallas 31, Tampa Bay 14: TW: Buccaneers; CV: Buccaneers
It was a thorough demolition of the Buccaneers. Dak Prescott had taken hits over his performance against Washington. Critics like me criticized his play and he definitely torched the critics in flames. He hit 25 of 33 passes for 305 yards with four touchdowns and rushed for a touchdown and had 24 rushing yards. Dalton Schults had two and CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup had one of the touchdown passes thrown to them in the game. Tony Pollard had a good game as he had 77 yards rushing and Ezekiel Elliot had 27 yards. One blemish on the dominating performance by Dallas was Brett Maher who missed four extra point attempts. Other than that it was a perfect night for the team in blue jerseys who put up 425 total yards of offense. Tom Brady had a trying game as he hit 35 of 66 passes for 351 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Cameron Brate and Julio Jones were the players that caught the passes from Brady. The Buccaneers running game that had been under criticism didn't show up as Rashaad White had 41 yards and Leonard Fournette had 11 rushing yards with a combined total of 52 yards. Tampa Bay would only get 386 offensive total yards in the game. Dallas would put the pressure on Brady early and often as he did get sacked two times in the game. For the Cowboys, the win is their 4th playoff win since winning Super Bowl XXX in January 1996 and will take a trip to the Bay Area to take on their old rival the 49ers. For the Buccaneers, the frustrating season ends with an unknown future ahead of them with Tom Brady and company. 

Next week:
Dallas: Divisional Round @ San Francisco
Tampa Bay: go to a Lightning game or something. 

TW: 4-2; CV: 3-3

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

Week 1: 8-7-1
Week 2: 8-8
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 11-5
Week 5: 10-6
Week 6: 8-6
Week 7: 9-5
Week 8: 12-3
Week 9: 11-2
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 10-6
Week 13: 11-3-1
Week 14: 7-6
Week 15: 8-8
Week 16: 9-7
Week 17: 12-3
Week 18: 11-5
Wild Card Weekend: 4-2

Total: 170-105-2

Cardinal Viking's record:

Week 1: 6-9-1
Week 2: 11-5
Week 3: 5-11
Week 4: 6-10
Week 5: 9-7
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 8-6
Week 8: 9-6
Week 9: 9-4
Week 10: 8-6
Week 11: 8-6
Week 12: 9-7
Week 13: 8-6-1
Week 14: 9-4
Week 15: 13-3
Week 16: 10-6
Week 17: 9-6
Week 18: 11-5
Wild Card Weekend: 3-3

Total: 160-115-2

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

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

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1

See you all on Thursday/Friday for the Divisional round picks! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2022 Week 11 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come and gone. Week 11 brought us some interesting storylines. Such storylines like: Buffalo picking up a victory in Detroit, Dallas putting the hurt on the Vikings, Green Bay staying cold at home, and Kansas City picking up a close win on the road. In this post I'll do a recap of the week's games. Let's get to work

Week 11 Recap

Tennessee 27, Green Bay 17: TW: Packers; CV: Titans
In cold Green Bay the Titans wouldn't freeze up in the Frozen Tundra. Ryan Tannehill would stay warm in the game as he had 333 yards passing on 22 of 27 pass completions with two touchdown passes. Dontrell Hilliard and Austin Hooper would be the recipients of those passes. Tannehill would toss an interception in the 4th quarter that gave the Packers a shot to win. Derrick Henry would play quarterback on a couple of plays, one of them resulted in a passing touchdown. Henry would jump up to pass to Austin Hooper on a Tannehill fake pass. Along with the passing touchdown, Henry would have a rushing touchdown on 87 yards. Aaron Rodgers would finish feeling cold as he had 24 of 39 passes for 227 yards. He would thaw on two touchdown passes to Christian Watson who has scored five touchdowns in the last two games. Prior to last week the receiver had only 88 receiving yards. Aaron Rodgers wouldn't find much help with his running game as Aaron Jones would only get 40 yards on 12 carries. It would be a game where the Titans defense would hold the Packers to 271 yards of offense. The Packers would go 7 for 14 on 3rd down conversions and would fail to convert a 4th down two times. For the Titans, the AFC South remains theirs for the taking as they have a 7-3 record. For the Packers, the must-win contest fizzles out for them and their playoff prospects start to get even slimmer. Their 4-7 start is their worst since 2006. 

Next week:
Tennessee:
Green Bay: 

TW: 0-1; CV: 1-0

Chicago 24, Atlanta 27: TW: Bears; CV: Bears
A back and forth affair in Atlanta. Justin Fields would have an interesting day as he completed 14 of 21 passes for 153 yards passing and 85 yards rushing. He would have two total touchdowns with an interception. His teammate David Montgomery had 67 yards rushing with a touchdown. It would be a Montgomery touchdown that would tie the game at 24. Atlanta's defense would wreck havoc as they would sack Justin Fields four times. Team discipline would play a factor in this game as the Bears would face seven penalties for a total of 56 yards. Marcus Mariota would do enough to help his team win. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 131 yards with a touchdown pass to Drake London. Mariota would also score a rushing touchdown while getting 25 yards on the ground. Tyler Allgeier would get 55 yards rushing. Cordarrelle Patterson had 52 yards rushing and had a kick-six touchdown on a 103-yard return. It would be his 9th kickoff return for a touchdown in his career. For the Bears, the loss drops them to 3-8 and in the cellar of the NFC North. For the Falcons, their playoff prospects still remain warm as they go to 5-6. 

Next week:
Chicago: @ NY Jets
Atlanta: @ Washington

TW: 0-2; CV: 1-1

Carolina 3, Baltimore 13: TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
A closer game than what people wearing purple were wanting. Baker Mayfield would hit 21 of 33 passes for 196 yards with two interceptions that would happen in the 4th quarter. Certainly situations that the Panthers brass would not have wanted. D'Onta Foreman, the workhorse last week against Atlanta, would be held to 24 yards rushing on 11 carries. Overall the Panthers offense would get 205 total yards on 54 plays. That's a 3.8 yards/play average gain. Along with that, the Panthers were 3 for 12 on 3rd down and also lost a fumble to add to the turnovers. Lamar Jackson would have not a stellar day as he completed 24 of 33 passes for 209 yards with an interception to big man Bravvion Roy. Jackson would score the only touchdown in the game off a 1-yard run up the middle that would result from a Panther turnover. Jackson had 31 yards rushing. Kenyan Drake had 46 yards rushing. It wasn't a pretty game for the Ravens offense as they would go 6 for 15 on 3rd down. Penalties hurt the Ravens as well as they had 10 penalties for 93 yards. It would be the Ravens defense that would hold down the fort. For the Panthers, the loss drops their record to 3-8. For the Ravens, the defensive game win would give them a 7-3 record, well in control of the AFC North.

Next week:
Carolina: vs Denver
Baltimore: @ Jacksonville

TW: 1-2; CV: 2-1

Cleveland 23, Buffalo 31: TW: Bills; CV: Bills
The game wasn't in Buffalo but the Bills would get their rebound win. Jacoby Brissett hit 28 of 41 passes for 324 yards with three touchdown passes to Amari Cooper who had two and David Peoples-Jones for one. Buffalo would make the Browns run game earn every yard as they had just 80 total yards on the ground, 32 of them to Kareem Hunt. Nick Chubb had 19 yards rushing. Jacoby Brissett had 29 yards rushing. Not quite the effort that you'd expect from them. Those who had Jacoby Brissett on fantasy football had a good day with him. Josh Allen would rebound in this game as he had 18 of 27 passes for 197 yards passing with a touchdown to Stefon Diggs in the 2nd quarter. Devin Singletary and James Cook would have 172 combined rushing yards in this game. Singletary had a rushing touchdown. Tyler Bass would be the key contributor in the game as he had a perfect 6 for 6 on field goals including a 56-yard field goal. Both teams would not do so hot in scoring opportunities as they both went 4 for 9 in the red zone and 4 for 6 in goal to go situations. For the Browns, the season is starting to slip from them and the playoff prospects are looking bleak as they go to 3-7. For the Bills, the rebound win gives them a 7-3 record and some breathing room. The Dolphins had a bye and the Jets lost to the Patriots. 

Next week:
Cleveland: vs Tampa Bay
Buffalo: @ Detroit (Thanksgiving)

TW: 2-2; CV: 3-1

Detroit 31, NY Giants 18: TW: Giants; CV: Giants
Don't look now but the Lions have won three straight games. Jared Goff wouldn't partake in the scoring but he would help with 17 of 26 pass completions with 165 yards passing. It would be the running game that gave the Lions the winning edge. Justin Jackson had 66 yards rushing on nine carries. Jamaal Williams would have a game as he rushed for 64 yards with three touchdowns. Dandre Swift had 20 yards rushing with a touchdown. It's interesting as the Lions had just 160 yards rushing in the game. Essentially 40 yards per touchdown. Detroit's defense really came through as they got three takeaways including two interceptions and a fumble. Daniel Jones would not play well in the game as he had 27 of 44 passes for 341 yards with a touchdown pass Richie James in the 4th quarter. The hurt would come from two interceptions. Daniel Jones would have a rushing touchdown on a bootleg that went to the right. Matt Breida would have a rushing touchdown as well. It is Detroit's first win against the Giants on the road since 2004 back when New York still called Giants Stadium home. For the Lions, the win is their 3rd straight with a 4-6 record and 2nd place in the NFC North. For the Giants, the loss drops them to 7-3. 

Next week:
Detroit: vs Buffalo (Thanksgiving)
NY Giants: @ Dallas (Thanksgiving)

TW: 2-3; CV: 3-2

LA Rams 20, New Orleans 27: TW: Rams; CV: Rams
The defending champs keep on faltering. Matthew Stafford would complete 11 of 18 passes for 159 yards with two touchdown passes to Allen Robinson and Tutu Atwell (nice first name buddy). The pass to Atwell would come on a 62-yard deep throw for the touchdown. Stafford wouldn't finish the game as he would come off with a concussion. Bryce Perkins would complete 5 of 10 passes for 64 yards. Cam Akers would make his return from injury as he had 61 yards rushing. Bryce Perkins had 39 yards rushing. Andy Dalton would get 21 of 25 passes for 260 yards with three touchdown passes. Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson and Jarvis Landry were the recipients of those passes that converted to scores. Taysom Hill had 52 yards rushing and had 14 yards passing. Alvin Kamara had 42 yards. For the Rams, they still have memories of last year to hold onto as they have a 3-7 record to stare at. For the Saints, the win improves their record to 4-7 ending a two-game losing streak. 

Next week:
LA Rams: @ Kansas City
New Orleans: @ San Francisco

TW: 2-4; CV: 3-3

NY Jets 3, New England 10: TW: Patriots; CV: Patriots
The game looked like more of a baseball score than a football one. Zach Wilson would play a bit better than the last time these two teams met. He completed 9 of 22 passes for 77 yards with zero turnovers. He would have 26 yards rushing to lead the team in this game. Michael Carter had 19 yards. New York's offense would fare the worst as they would just get only 103 total yards, including 44 net yards passing. Zach Wilson would face the pass rush a lot as he was sacked four times. The Jets 3rd down conversions were not great as they had 3 of 14 conversions. Mac Jones would play an efficient game as he completed 23 of 27 passes for 246 yards with no turnovers. Jones would get sacked six times in this game. It wouldn't help his cause that center David Andrews would leave the game. He had been dealing with a nagging leg injury for most of 2022. Damien Harris would see the ball the most as he rushed for 65 yards rushing. Rhamondre Stevenson had just 26 yards. It would be a punt return of Marcus Jones that would be the game-winning play that gave the Pats the win. The return would be from 84 yards. For the Jets, the loss drops them to 6-4 and in the bottom of the AFC East. For the Patriots, the win improves them to 6-4 with a tough contest in Minnesota on Thanksgiving night. 

Next week:
NY Jets: vs Chicago
New England: @ Minnesota (Thanksgiving)

TW: 3-4; CV: 4-3

Philadelphia 17, Indianapolis 16: TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Oh boy, did the Eagles nearly blow this one. Jalen Hurts would complete 18 of 25 passes for 190 yards with a touchdown pass to Quez Watkins in the 3rd quarter. Hurts would put the hurt on the Colts with his legs as he rushed for 86 yards with a touchdown. The touchdown would be from a 8-yard run up the middle with 1:20 left in the game. The score and point after gave the Eagles a 17-16 lead. Miles Sanders had 47 yards rushing. Matt Ryan would hit 23 of 32 passes for 213 yards. Jonathan Taylor would score the only touchdown for the Colts on a 1-yard handoff to the left that gave the Colts a 7-0 lead in the 1st quarter. Taylor had 84 yards rushing at the end of the game. The slow start by the Eagles would be from the fact that they would punt on three of four possessions with a starting field position deep in their own territory. For the Eagles, the close win will keep them at 9-1 and at the top of the NFC East. For the Colts, the loss is Jeff Saturday's first as interim head coach as the Colts drop to 4-6-1. 

Next week:
Philadelphia: vs Green Bay (Sunday night)
Indianapolis: vs Pittsburgh (Monday night)

TW: 4-4; CV: 5-3

Washington 23, Houston 10: TW: Commanders; CV: Commanders
Houston loses again. What else is new. Taylor Heinicke would play well enough as he completed 15 of 27 passes for 191 yards. Curtis Samuel would score the lone offensive touchdown for Washington on a 10-yard run in the 2nd quarter. Antonio Gibson had 72 yards rushing. Brian Robinson Jr had 57 yards rushing. Davis Mills would have a game to forget as he had 19 of 33 passes for 169 yards with two interceptions. One of those interceptions would come on a grab by Kendall Fuller that would go 37 yards for a touchdown. It was on just the Texans first possession of the game. Mills would shine for a play that would come on a scramble for four yards that would give the Texans a touchdown late in the 4th quarter. For the Commanders, the win moves them back to above .500 in the NFC East standings. For the Texans, the loss drops their record to a putrid 1-8-1 with the 1st overall pick in next year's draft looking more promising. 

Next week:
Washington: vs Atlanta
Houston: @ Miami

TW: 5-4; CV: 6-3

Las Vegas 22, Denver 16 (F/OT): TW: Raiders; CV: Broncos
It would come down to overtime but the Raiders would get a dub. Derek Carr would do well enough and got 23 of 37 pass completions for 307 yards with two touchdown passes to Davante Adams. The first would come on a 31-yard pass to Adams that would come also on a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on DJ Jones. The 2nd score would be the game-winner that would come on a 35-yard play. Josh Jacobs would have a good day on the ground with 109 yards rushing on 24 carries. Davante Adams would have a day as he had seven catches for 141 receiving yards. Russell Wilson would do efficiently but wanted more. He had 24 of 31 passes completed for 247 yards with zero touchdowns. Denver's only touchdown would be from a Latavius Murray run up the middle on a 1-yard play. That would come in the 1st quarter. Murray would have 49 yards on the day. Melvin Gordon would have 31 yards rushing. The rest of the points would be from Brandon McManus who hit 3 of 4 field goals in the game. Both teams would have offenses that were not great but the Raiders would have more total yards than the Broncos with a 407-320 margin. On 3rd down the two teams would combine for 6 of 23 conversions. Just not a great day for either team. For the Raiders, they get their 3rd win of 2022 and improve to 3-7. For the Broncos, they will drop to 3-7 with the dark reality of 4th place in the AFC West. 

Next week:
Las Vegas: @ Seattle
Denver: @ Carolina

TW: 6-4; CV: 6-4

Cincinnati 37, Pittsburgh 30: TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
No Ja'Marr Chase, no problem. Very little of Joe Mixon, no problem either. Joe Burrow would struggle in the Steel City but would play well enough to get the win. He would hit 24 of 39 passes for four touchdowns with two interceptions. Three of the touchdowns would come to Samaje Perine and then to Trenton Irwin. Samaje Perine would have 30 yards rushing but his damage would come as a receiver with 52 yards receiving. Joe Mixon would start at running back and put up 20 yards before leaving the game with a concussion. Tee Higgins would carry the receiving corp with 148 yards receiving. Joe Burrow would only get sacked two times in this game. Kenny Pickett would start for the Steelers and put up points in this game. Pickett would complete 25 of 42 passes for 265 yards with a touchdown pass to George Pickens on a 24-yard pass play. Najee Harris who had a rather quiet start to 2022 would put up 90 yards rushing with two touchdowns. One of them would come from a 19-yard run play that would go to the left that the runner would leap up and fly into the endzone. The 2nd touchdown would come on a 1-yard dive in with 47 seconds left in the game. It would prove to be too little too late for the Steelers. For the Bengals, the win puts them at 6-4 in the AFC North. For the Steelers, the loss drops them to 3-7 as the prospects of head coach Mike Tomlin's first losing season seems more possible. 

Next week:
Cincinnati: @ Tennessee
Pittsburgh: @ Indianapolis (Monday night)

TW: 6-5; CV: 6-5

Dallas 40, Minnesota 3: TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Last week, Dallas blew a 14-point lead going into the 4th quarter. This week, Dallas would put the hurt on the 8-1 Vikings. Dak Prescott would have one of his best starts this season as the passer would only have three incompletions for 276 yards with two touchdowns to Tony Pollard. Pollard would put 189 total yards in this game (109 receiving, 80 rushing) in this game. Ezekiel Elliot had 42 yards rushing with two touchdowns. With the 458 total yards on 70 plays, the Cowboys averaged 6.5 yards/play. Dallas would do well on 3rd down conversions as they would convert 12 of 17 chances. Kirk Cousins would have a rough game. He had 12 of 23 passes for 105 yards. That would be 8.7 yards/pass attempt. He would face the Cowboys pass rush and would get sacked seven times. Nick Mullens would see some play time as he had 54 yards passing. Dalvin Cook would have 72 yards rushing on 11 carries. Justin Jefferson, the hero of last week's win against the Bills, would be held to just three catches with 33 yards receiving. For the Cowboys, the win will keep them at 2nd place but have the edge over the New York Giants in the NFC East. For the Vikings, the loss drops them to 8-2 but the race in the NFC North is still in their favor. 

Next week:
Dallas: vs NY Giants (Thanksgiving)
Minnesota: vs New England (Thanksgiving)

TW: 6-6; CV: 6-6

Kansas City 30, LA Chargers 27: TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
It would be a back and forth affair but the Chiefs would win it. Patrick Mahomes would put on a performance that even Henry Winkler would be proud of. Winkler, who played the role The Fonz on Happy Days. The Fonz who always played it cool was a mirror image of Mahomes who had 329 yards passing with three touchdowns. All of those touchdowns would go to his favorite target, Travis Kelce. The last touchdown would would come on a 15-yard play up the middle that Kelce would find and go to the endzone. Isiah Pacheco would get 107 yards rushing on 15 carries. Travis Kelce put up numbers as he caught six balls for 115 yards. Justin Herbert would have a stiff challenge in this game as he completed 23 of 30 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns to Josh Palmer. On the Chargers last drive Herbert would toss a prayer ball to the sideline that would get knocked up and land on a player wearing red. Austin Ekeler would have 83 yards rushing on 19 carries with a touchdown run. Decent day for him. Not gonna lie, I would totally want a "Football. Family. Fonzie" t-shirt like Kelce wore prior to the game. For the Chiefs, the record is at 8-2 with the vehicle on cruise control in the AFC West. For the Chargers, the loss drops them to 5-5 but they still have 2nd place in the AFC West. 

Next week:
Kansas City: vs LA Rams 
LA Chargers: @ Arizona

TW: 7-6; CV: 7-6

San Francisco 38, Arizona 10: TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Miners would find gold in rainy Estadio Azteca. Jimmy Garoppolo would have a great game as the passer hit 20 of 29 passes for 228 yards with four touchdown passes. George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk would get two touchdowns each. Deebo Samuel had 94 total yards (37 rushing, 57 receiving) with a rushing touchdown. Elijah Mitchell would get 59 yards rushing on nine carries. Christian McCaffrey would get 39 yards rushing and had 67 receiving yards. San Francisco would have 387 total yards of offense in this game. Colt McCoy would get the nod at quarterback as Kyler Murray was still out on injury. McCoy would hit 24 of 34 passes for 218 yards with an interception. He would leave the game with an injury but third stringer Trace McSorley would play in relief. Trace would not produce a lot but he would hit 6 of 10 passes for 59 yards with an interception. James Conner would produce Arizona's lone touchdown on a 2-yard run up the middle that would give the Cardinals a 14-10 deficit in the 2nd quarter. Conner would finish with 42 yards rushing on 14 carries. Arizona would not have a good game on offense as turnovers killed them as well as only putting up 314 total yards. For the 49ers, the win moves them to 5-4 and with striking distance against the division leading Seattle Seahawks. For the Cardinals, the loss drops them to 4-6 at 3rd place in the NFC West. 

Next week:
San Francisco: vs New Orleans
Arizona: vs LA Chargers

TW: 8-6; CV: 8-6

2022 Pick ‘Em Records

My record:

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

Total: 98-65-1

Cardinal Viking's record:

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

Total: 88-75-1

Previous Picking Records:

Cardinal Viking:

2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019: 151-104-1
2020: 163-92-1
2021: 167-104-1

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
2020: 167-88-1 
2021: 173-98-1

I'll see you all on Wednesday for the Week 12 picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2018 Week 5 Recap

Hello readers! Another week of intense, high stakes National Football League action has taken place. There were upsets, blowouts, and some games that were decided on the final play. The recap will be sort of a short one as I don't necessarily have a lot to talk about but the recap will still remain the same.

Indianapolis 24, New England 38: TW: Patriots, CV: Patriots
At the end of the day, it still proves that the Patriots are still the best team in the AFC. This game still proved that even though Andrew Luck still had quite the game slinging the ball for over 300 yards passing for three touchdowns. Not also to mention that he had 59 attempted throws. The Patriots are still a well-built machine.

TW: 1-0, CV: 1-0

Atlanta 17, Pittsburgh 41: TW: Falcons, CV: Falcons
Well, shit happens. The day that Yinzer nation that had been waiting for all year had come. The day the Steelers defense didn't suck. The Steelers offense returned to for with both the running and air games playing to balance. Ben Roethlisberger would throw for 250 yards for three touchdowns while James Conner would run in for two touchdowns. It might be safe to say that Atlanta isn't looking too good right now and they might be done. Tough division to come back from.

TW: 1-1, CV: 1-1

Baltimore 9, Cleveland 12: TW: Ravens, CV: Ravens
The day also finally came for the Browns. They finally won a game on a Sunday for the first time in almost three years, December 2015 as a matter of fact. It was a bit surprising to me that it would be their older brother, Baltimore, that would let them win a game. The game-winning field goal was ugly yet beautiful as they would win a game. Baker Mayfield threw for 342 yards with a touchdown and was pretty solid for most of the game. As for Baltimore, shaking my head. C'mon man!

TW: 1-2, CV: 1-2

Denver 16, NY Jets 34: TW: Broncos, CV: Jets
It was a big day for Isiah Crowell on the ground as he would break the franchise rushing yards record of 210 yards set by Thomas Jones in 2009. Crowell would get 219 after the game. Sam Darnold was overall alright as he didn't need to step up and make the big throws. For the Broncos, they went to the east coast and looked flat even though Case Keenum would throw for over 300 yards. Jet lag perhaps, who knows.

TW: 1-3, CV: 2-2

Green Bay 23, Detroit 31: TW: Packers, CV: Packers
It was a game that shouldn't have been closer than what the final result showed. Costly mistakes early in the game ended up dooming the Packers. The Lions took advantage of some of those mistakes and would end up winning a close one. Green Bay very fortunate that this game was as close as it was. Green Bay might need a new kicker after Mason Crosby would miss three field goals and one extra point. It is interesting to note that the Lions have a three-game winning streak against the Packers for the first time since 1990-1991, the year before Brett Favre would come to Green Bay.

TW: 1-4, CV: 2-3

Jacksonville 14, Kansas City 30: TW: Jaguars, CV: Chiefs
The Patrick Mahomes train kept on rolling despite not throwing for a touchdown, this was not the story of the game. Last week I quoted myself for being right and I'm going to have to quote myself for being wrong. Here's what I said about this game in terms of defense on the picks column:

"Jaguars are 1st in overall defense, the Chiefs are in 32nd. Can't beat an opponent when you can't stop them. I make my case."

The Chiefs defense would force five turnovers on the Jaguars as they were the big story in this game, not the offense. Football giveth, football taketh. Just not the Jaguars day nor my day.

TW: 1-5, CV: 3-3

Miami 17, Cincinnati 27: TW: Bengals, CV: Bengals
The game was a story of the first three quarters and then the fourth quarter. The Dolphins took a 17-point lead with 9:30 left in the 3rd quarter and then the Bengals would score 27 unanswered points. The Bengals took charge as they ravaged against Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins on defense while making two key defensive touchdowns on an interception and a forced fumble. Good win for the Bengals.

TW: 2-5, CV: 4-3

NY Giants 31, Carolina 33: TW: Panthers, CV: Panthers
A game that ultimately came down to the wire and a game-winning field goal. Graham Gano would ultimately hit a 63-yard field goal, tied for the 2nd longest in NFL history. The game was sub-par for both passing attacks as both Eli Manning of the Giants and Cam Newton of the Panthers would throw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Heartbreaker for the Giants as they would lose yet again on a game-winning field goal.

TW: 3-5, CV: 5-3

Tennessee 12, Buffalo 13: TW: Titans, CV: Titans
In another game that would come down to a game-winning field goal, the Bills would get their 2nd win of the season from Steven Hauschka. The game was a snore if you enjoy offensive football but defensively the Bills would force three turnovers against the Titans. Oddly enough Josh Allen of the Bills would only throw for 85 yards in the game. He would be the only one to score on the game's only touchdown on a run play.

TW: 3-6, CV: 5-4

Oakland 10, LA Chargers 26: TW: Chargers, CV: Raiders
It would be a big day for Phillip Rivers and the Chargers, not the Raiders in this one. Rivers would have another 300+ passing yard day for two touchdowns while completing 22 of 27 passes. For the Raiders, you can finally say that their defense outplayed Khalil Mack, then you realize that the Bears are on a bye week this week. Going to have to lick their wounds again and come back better again next week.

TW: 4-6, CV: 5-5

Arizona 28, San Francisco 18: TW: 49ers, CV: 49ers
The chances of a team going 0-16 this season were dashed away as the Cardinals would get win #1 on the season. The Cardinals got a bit of a boost on offense with David Johnson as he would score two touchdowns in the game while Josh Rosen throwing for one touchdown. The 49ers I felt, let this game slip away from them as two interceptions from CJ Beathard would ultimately doom the Niners in this one. Beathard had a good game otherwise throwing for two touchdowns and passing for over 300 yards. Poor Cardinal Viking, one week he picks the Cards, they lose, he picks against them, they win. Poor fella.

TW: 4-7, CV: 5-6

LA Rams 33, Seattle 31: TW: Rams, CV: Rams
The Rams would win a tough game in a hostile environment in Seattle to remain undefeated. The Rams would lose two key offensive weapons that would put the game on the shoulders of Jared Goff, Robert Woods and Todd Gurley. Gurley would run for three touchdowns in the game while Jared Goff would throw for one. The Seahawks offense kept pace with their opposition in this game but sadly would lose in a heartbreaker.

TW: 5-7, CV: 6-6

Minnesota 23, Philadelphia 21: TW: Eagles, CV: Vikings
The Vikings would get a close win in a rematch of the NFC championship game. The game really came down to a few questionable coaching decisions by Eagles coach Doug Pederson, a challenge call that really was no point in reviewing and a chance to pin the Vikings deep in their own territory. The Eagles will have to put this game behind them as they have a short week to prepare for the Giants. The Vikings offense hung tight as Kirk Cousins would throw for 301 yards and one touchdown.

TW: 5-8, CV: 7-6

Dallas 16, Houston 19: TW: Cowboys, CV: Texans
This was probably the dullest game of football that I've seen in a while. The Texans red zone offense was awful, both coaches were awful and deserved to be fired, and this game should've ended in another tie to be honest with you. Still, someone had to win and it was probably the one that deserved to be fired the most out of the two. Ezekiel Elliot had a meager performance for the Cowboys, who had been their driving force for their offense so far this season. As Hall of Fame head coach John Madden would put it "Winning is a great deodorant." Both teams stunk. Rip to my week

TW: 5-9, CV: 8-6

Washington 19, New Orleans 43:  TW: Saints, CV: Saints
I will be very honest with you guys, I didn't watch a single second of this game. I knew Drew Brees would get the record, he had 201 passing yards to get it, and then some. The Redskins defense got torched all game long by Drew Brees who would throw for 300+ yards and three touchdowns. Back to the drawing board for the Redskins who could've taken a lead in the NFC East, but nope they lose. As for me, I get a salvaged win in an awful week for me.

TW: 6-9, CV: 9-6

2018:
Week 1: 10-5-1
Week 2: 6-9-1
Week 3: 8-8
Week 4: 12-3
Week 5: 6-9
Overall: 42-34-2

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
Overall: 40-36-2

See you guys on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 6 picks!
-Tom